Post by hounddog on Jun 3, 2006 16:25:44 GMT -5
A distinction that all Pennsylvanians should be ashamed of is being known as the "Puppy Mill Capitol of the East".
Rendell dismisses dog-law advisersHe cites the poor conditions at Pa. "puppy mills." Board members contend they are not at fault for inaction.
By Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - Members of the Pennsylvania Dog Law Advisory Board have received pink slips from Gov. Rendell, in what he called the first step toward addressing inhumane conditions at the growing number of commercial dog breeding operations.
The action comes as animal-welfare advocates increase pressure on officials to end crowded and unsanitary conditions in so-called puppy mills and as the Department of Agriculture makes its first attempt in a decade to toughen the state's 24-year-old dog law.
The 14 members of the board, which advises the secretary of agriculture on dog issues, were notified in letters last week, but they can request reappointment if they believe the dismissals were undeserved, Rendell's spokeswoman Kate Philips said yesterday.
"He did not think the board was effective as a whole and that it was not serving the purpose that it should," said Philips. So Rendell decided to "start from scratch."
It was the first of a number of measures Rendell told The Inquirer in March that he was considering to tackle a quarter-century-old problem, which has led to Pennsylvania's reputation as the "puppy-mill capital of the East."
The board includes representatives from animal welfare groups, animal research establishments, dog breeders, farmers, veterinarians, sportsmen and pet shop owners.
Several ousted members said the board should not be blamed for inaction when they serve at the pleasure of Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff, who has called only three meetings since Rendell took office in 2003.
Ken Brandt - a lobbyist for commercial breeders, which by statute, is among the groups that hold a board seat - said he did not agree with Rendell's decision to dismiss the entire board, considering it has no rulemaking or legislative authority.
"It is a reactionary group," Brandt said. "It is not the role of the advisory board to say what we think should happen."
At a Capitol rally scheduled today, expected to draw 500 dog lovers, rescue groups say they will applaud Rendell's commitment to the problem and urge him to do more.
ASPCA officials said they want to demand that top officials in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement be fired for failing to enforce the dog law.
The organization said the bureau has failed to hire enough dog wardens or properly train them, failed to notify humane society police officers of cruelty violations, and failed to obtain veterinary support for inspections of kennels.
As a result, thousands of dogs are living in unsanitary conditions without adequate shelter or sufficient food and water, the ASPCA said.
"We are calling for an overhaul in leadership in the Bureau of Dog Law," said Bob Baker, an ASPCA investigator who helped draft the state's dog law. "We believe Pennsylvania should have a dog law bureau committed to enforcement."
In March, Rendell said he was considering "a shake-up" in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Yesterday, his spokeswoman clarified that comment by saying the governor was focusing on changes in policy and not personnel.
Philips said that the governor shares a lot of the ASPCA's concerns but that "some are unfounded." She added, "The bureau has to work within the confines of the regulations."
In 2004, the Department of Agriculture issued licenses to 378 kennels housing more than 100 dogs, almost one-third of them in Lancaster County.
Animals bred in puppy mills are sold to pet shops throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while adult dogs used for breeding are often housed for their entire lives in tiny wire cages stacked on top of each other.
In an effort to strengthen the law and improve its ability to enforce it, the Department of Agriculture recently issued draft changes to the law that are being met with criticism from both dog breeders and rescue groups.
Among the proposed regulations is the requirement that dogs be provided housing with a roof and four sides with "adequate protection from the cold and heat" and dry, clean bedding. But the proposals did not require increased cage size, which animal welfare advocates say is the single best tool the agency could use to improve conditions.
"We are disappointed the department is not using this opportunity to improve kennel housing standards," said Stephanie Shane, who runs the anti-puppy mill campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. Under the current regulations, she said, a medium-size dog could be housed for life in a cage slightly larger than an airline animal crate.
As an alternative to changing space requirements, the agency is proposing a daily exercise rule. But some advocates say that would be impossible to enforce and burdensome for rescue groups that house dogs only temporarily.
Brandt, the breeder lobbyist, said his members believe that the cage-size requirements were adequate and that expanding them would be too costly for breeders.
In addition, Shane said she was surprised to see a proposed regulation stipulating that dogs not be kept in muddy or water-logged kennels and that weeds be trimmed around kennels.
"If a government agency has to tell kennels to cut back weeds, that is telling," said Shane.
Rally for the Dogs
A rally supporting efforts to improve conditions in large dog kennels is scheduled for 1 p.m. today on the steps of the state Capitol.
Rendell dismisses dog-law advisersHe cites the poor conditions at Pa. "puppy mills." Board members contend they are not at fault for inaction.
By Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - Members of the Pennsylvania Dog Law Advisory Board have received pink slips from Gov. Rendell, in what he called the first step toward addressing inhumane conditions at the growing number of commercial dog breeding operations.
The action comes as animal-welfare advocates increase pressure on officials to end crowded and unsanitary conditions in so-called puppy mills and as the Department of Agriculture makes its first attempt in a decade to toughen the state's 24-year-old dog law.
The 14 members of the board, which advises the secretary of agriculture on dog issues, were notified in letters last week, but they can request reappointment if they believe the dismissals were undeserved, Rendell's spokeswoman Kate Philips said yesterday.
"He did not think the board was effective as a whole and that it was not serving the purpose that it should," said Philips. So Rendell decided to "start from scratch."
It was the first of a number of measures Rendell told The Inquirer in March that he was considering to tackle a quarter-century-old problem, which has led to Pennsylvania's reputation as the "puppy-mill capital of the East."
The board includes representatives from animal welfare groups, animal research establishments, dog breeders, farmers, veterinarians, sportsmen and pet shop owners.
Several ousted members said the board should not be blamed for inaction when they serve at the pleasure of Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff, who has called only three meetings since Rendell took office in 2003.
Ken Brandt - a lobbyist for commercial breeders, which by statute, is among the groups that hold a board seat - said he did not agree with Rendell's decision to dismiss the entire board, considering it has no rulemaking or legislative authority.
"It is a reactionary group," Brandt said. "It is not the role of the advisory board to say what we think should happen."
At a Capitol rally scheduled today, expected to draw 500 dog lovers, rescue groups say they will applaud Rendell's commitment to the problem and urge him to do more.
ASPCA officials said they want to demand that top officials in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement be fired for failing to enforce the dog law.
The organization said the bureau has failed to hire enough dog wardens or properly train them, failed to notify humane society police officers of cruelty violations, and failed to obtain veterinary support for inspections of kennels.
As a result, thousands of dogs are living in unsanitary conditions without adequate shelter or sufficient food and water, the ASPCA said.
"We are calling for an overhaul in leadership in the Bureau of Dog Law," said Bob Baker, an ASPCA investigator who helped draft the state's dog law. "We believe Pennsylvania should have a dog law bureau committed to enforcement."
In March, Rendell said he was considering "a shake-up" in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Yesterday, his spokeswoman clarified that comment by saying the governor was focusing on changes in policy and not personnel.
Philips said that the governor shares a lot of the ASPCA's concerns but that "some are unfounded." She added, "The bureau has to work within the confines of the regulations."
In 2004, the Department of Agriculture issued licenses to 378 kennels housing more than 100 dogs, almost one-third of them in Lancaster County.
Animals bred in puppy mills are sold to pet shops throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while adult dogs used for breeding are often housed for their entire lives in tiny wire cages stacked on top of each other.
In an effort to strengthen the law and improve its ability to enforce it, the Department of Agriculture recently issued draft changes to the law that are being met with criticism from both dog breeders and rescue groups.
Among the proposed regulations is the requirement that dogs be provided housing with a roof and four sides with "adequate protection from the cold and heat" and dry, clean bedding. But the proposals did not require increased cage size, which animal welfare advocates say is the single best tool the agency could use to improve conditions.
"We are disappointed the department is not using this opportunity to improve kennel housing standards," said Stephanie Shane, who runs the anti-puppy mill campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. Under the current regulations, she said, a medium-size dog could be housed for life in a cage slightly larger than an airline animal crate.
As an alternative to changing space requirements, the agency is proposing a daily exercise rule. But some advocates say that would be impossible to enforce and burdensome for rescue groups that house dogs only temporarily.
Brandt, the breeder lobbyist, said his members believe that the cage-size requirements were adequate and that expanding them would be too costly for breeders.
In addition, Shane said she was surprised to see a proposed regulation stipulating that dogs not be kept in muddy or water-logged kennels and that weeds be trimmed around kennels.
"If a government agency has to tell kennels to cut back weeds, that is telling," said Shane.
Rally for the Dogs
A rally supporting efforts to improve conditions in large dog kennels is scheduled for 1 p.m. today on the steps of the state Capitol.
