[Close]
Hundreds
of dogs seized from Arkansas Class-B dealer
In
the largest multi-agency investigation (Federal, State
and Local) on any animal issue in the history of the United
States, the USDA has seized hundreds of dogs, mostly beagle,
hound, and lab mix from a kennel operated by a Class-B
dealer in Northeast Arkansas
Scroll down to learn what you can do to help
and why it is never a good idea to offer dogs for free
to good homes.
Dogs
seized in Northeast Arkansas
WILLIFORD, Ark. -- Federal
and local investigators have been looking into allegations
of animal abuse at the Martin Creek Kennels.
Kennel owner C.C. Baird, a Class B dog dealer, is reported
to be one of the largest licensed animal dealers in the
United States. On August 26, 2003, he was served a federal
search warrant and now members of the Department of Agriculture,
the U.S. Postal Service, and local law enforcement put
his animal trading business under heavy investigation.
Sources say the animal trader is allegedly killing animals,
removing vital body parts and selling them to research
laboratories. U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins reported that
details were strong enough to prompt a raid.
"Anytime a federal search warrant has been issued, federal
agents have collected information that means probable
cause has been determined and a crime has been committed,"
Cummings said.
Local residents like Wanda Mathews say they believe his
business was legitimate.
"You know how you hear people say are they going around
picking up peoples dogs and stuff like that but we really
didn't think he was," Mathews said. "He'd been investigated
before and I thought it was all over."
In 1997 Baird was found guilty of violating the Animal
Welfare Act and was fined $5,000.
Cummings says agents will examine documents to see where
the investigation leads them.
Free
to Good Home
By Michelle Crean, Animal Aid of SW MI
� 1999 by Animal Aid and Michelle Crean.
Reprinted with kind permission from Animal Aid and Michelle
Crean http://www.parrett.net/animalaid/index.html
Animal
Aid has frequently been criticized for charging an adoption
fee. "If you're so anxious to find homes for these
pets," we're told, "you should just give them
away."
This
attitude makes us shudder. In the first place, these small
fees in no way begin to cover the cost incurred for medical
treatment and upkeep of the pets we adopt out. Yes, we're
anxious to find homes for our animals--GOOD homes. And
some people who take free pets do provide wonderful homes.
However, frequently--much too frequently!--Animal Aid
is called in to rescue former "free to good home"
animals.
Did
you know:
1)
People value what they pay for. Pets obtained for free
are are less likely to be spayed or neutered by their
new owners (why bother with vet bills?), and more likely
to be abused and/or discarded, because "there are
plenty more where that came from!" A
recent study at one animal shelter yielded the startling
statistic that 51% of all owner-surrendered dogs had been
purchased for less than $100; 41% of all owner-surrendered
dogs had been obtained "Free to good home."
This
handsome, well-fed-looking fellow is Brutus, and he is
an Animal Aid rescue. Brutus was the pampered friend of
"Mark." Brutus and Mark played ball together
and walked on the beach together, and, in general, enjoyed
each other's company. Then, Mark's company transferred
him to a different state. Mark didn't know how to take
Brutus with him, or considered it unfair to submit his
friend to the trauma of moving, or just plain didn't know
that most states DO allow big, good-natured dogs to move
in with their masters.
Whatever
the reason, Mark placed an ad in his local newspaper:
"Free to good home, friendly, lovable black lab."
Someone saw the ad, called Mark, and said, "That's
just the dog I've been looking for. Can I come over and
see him?" The new person was very nice to Brutus,
talked to him, rubbed his ears just the way Brutus liked
to have his ears rubbed, and convinced Mark that he and
Brutus were just made for each other.
This
is Brutus's new owner's idea of a good home--
at the end of a two-foot chain tied to a rope collar,
in a garbage-filled backyard, no water dish or food bowl
anywhere in sight. This sweet, loving dog was now 20 pounds
underweight, suffering from dehydration, malnutrition,
fleas, intestinal worms, mange, fly-chewed ears, heartworm,
and, worst of all, neglect.
Luckily
for him, neighbors called an Animal Aid volunteer, who
arrived accompanied by a policeman. The new owner was
arrested, charged, and convicted with cruelty to animals.
He paid a fine which probably equaled less than Brutus's
medical bills.
Brutus
went to the vet for all kinds of medicine, then home with
the volunteer for lunch. Several years later, he's been
adopted by the volunteer, and still eating! He's well
and happy and a bit overweight; greets everyone with a
tail wag and a wet kiss. But he still wants you to remember
this story and this photo every time you see an ad that
says, "Free to good home."
2)
So-called "Bunchers" gather free pets until
they have enough for a trip to a Class B Dealer who is
licensed by the USDA to sell to sell animals from "random
sources" for research.
The Buncher may only get $25 a head for former pets, while
a dealer can between $100 - $450 per pet. The Class B
dealer probably already has a contract with certain facilities,
and will transport them to other areas within a state,
even out of state.
While,
unfortunately, there are legitimate medical reasons to
use some animals in experimentation, the majority of reputable
medical labs use animals bred for the specific purpose.
However, there are many, many different types of animal
"research," and many types of facilities that
use dogs. Almost every cosmetic, household, and chemical
product is tested on animals, including former pets obtained
from shelters and Class B Dealers. Veterinary schools
and medical schools, and even some engineering schools
use dogs and cats in classrooms and "research."
Textile manufacturers who make products for medical use
test and demonstrate on dogs, frequently retired racing
greyhounds.
Research
facilities that use live animals in testing are supposed
to be registered with the USDA (though not all are); the
USDA list of such facilities on their website cites 34
in the state of Michigan, mostly colleges and universities,
as well as Borgess Medical Center, Dow Chemical, Dow Corning,
Pharmacia & Upjohn, etc. (Please note that not all
of these use dogs or cats.)
3)
Free animals are taken to "blood" pit-bulls--to
train fighting dogs how to kill, and to enjoy it.
This can be dogs and cats, of any size--in fact, rescuers
suspect that a recently rescued cat was used in this manner.
Often, a larger dog's muzzle will be duct-taped shut so
that he can't bite back, and the fighting dog will gain
confidence in killing a dog larger than he is.
4) One "adoptor" in this area took free
kittens to his "good home"--as dinner for a
pet snake.
5)
Unspayed or unneutered pure-bred dogs may end up as "breeding
stock" in a puppy mill. One woman
was certain that if she didn't give away her Dalmatians'
AKC registration papers along with the dogs, she could
keep them safe from millers. Wrong. Unscrupulous breeders,
who use puppies as cash crops like other farmers raise
cattle, pigs, or chickens, aren't above forging registration
papers, or using those from deceased dogs. Rescuers have
learned the hard to way to make sure that all pets they
place have been spayed or neutered before going to new
homes.
6)
So-called "collectors" watch the newspapers
for Free to Good Home animals. These collectors truly
believe they are "rescuing" the animals.
Animal Aid had dealings with one such collector, right
here in Southwestern Michigan.
When the two Animal Aid volunteers and the policeman walked
up the steps of an ordinary-looking house in Galien, MI,
they had no idea they were walking into a living hell.
Neighbors
had complained about foul smells coming from the house;
the owner, they said, kept dozens of cats in there, but
they hadn't seen her in a couple of weeks. The place smelled,
all right; a strong odor assaulted their noses the minute
they got out of the car. Still, nothing in their experiences
could have prepared them for what stunned their senses
as they opened that front door: the unimaginable sights
and silence and stomach-churning stench of mass death.
Light was dim, and they saw trash all around--trash, and
bodies. The owner of the house had simply locked the doors
and windows and left dozens of cats behind with no food
or water, to die. The only thing that kept the volunteers
from collapsing in despair were faint rustles, scratches,
mews, coming from just out of sight around the corner.
There were still live cats in this house of horrors.
Estimates
range from 40 - 60 as the number of cats this lady had
abandoned; it was impossible to tell for sure. Over the
next few days, volunteers from Animal Aid and the Humane
Society trapped and removed all of the live animals they
could find. There were 18, in a wide range of ages, and
of these, two later died.
All
of them were starving, dehydrated, and totally unsociable.
They had survived the only way they could, by preying
on the small, the weak, the sick, and the dead. Rescued
kittens lived in fear of adult cats; adult cats lived
in fear of each other--and of human contact.
Phoenix
and Zorro went to an Animal Aid volunteer for fostering;
they have since been adopted. The other 14 went out to
the Humane Society of SW MI, where all but three have
also been adopted--most locally, but two are now thriving
under the care of a lady in Kansas City, MO! Phoenix and
Zorro still mistrust humans, and to quote one of the rescuers
about the three who will probably live out their days
at the Humane Society, "They need to go to a home
that doesn't expect anything from them but just to live
there."
Meanwhile,
a warrant was issued for the arrest of the house's owner,
and the entire area was outraged to learn that this was
her THIRD offense! The THIRD time she had "collected"
a house full of cats, and then abandoned them, the SECOND
time in this very same house!
How
could this happen? It's not as unusual
as you might believe--or hope. Such people are called
"collectors;" they take in orphaned dogs or
cats, watch the "free to good home" ads, either
don't believe in spaying and neutering or run out of funds
for the vet bills. These collectors actually think they
are "rescuing" the animals! More and more free
pets come to them--they're very convincing; and they truly
do love pets--and the ones they have keep reproducing,
until the collectors are overwhelmed. In the best circumstances,
animal rescue organizations are called. In the worst--the
collector simply walks away.
This
particular collector was located in another state, and
brought back for trial. She will serve jail time, pay
a fine, do community service, but there is no guarantee
that when her sentence is served, she won't simply move
to another house in another community in another state,
and start answering "Free to good home" ads
again.
As
for the police, the neighbors, and especially the volunteers
involved in the rescue of the Galien kitties--more than
a year later, they're still having nightmares.
WHAT
CAN YOU DO?
Some folks answering the "Free to Good Home"
ads really are loving, responsible pet owners. Many--perhaps
even most--are not. There are steps YOU can take to help
end abuse:
DON'T
advertise Free pets;
DO convince others not to. Some people even take the time
to phone owners of pets advertising Free to Good Home
and warn them of the dangers.
DO
spay/neuter to keep from creating possible
Free to Good Home situations or condemning your pet to
a short, miserable life in a puppy mill.
DO
write letters to the editors of your local newspapers
warning of the dangers of Free to Good Home.
DO
contact breed rescue organizations (there
is one for every breed of pure-bred dog!) or local animal
welfare organizations for help in placing unwanted pets;
if you bought the pet from a responsible breeder, he/she
will help you rehome the pet.
DO
charge at least $25 to discourage resale of pets to labs.
(Some sources suggest charging no less than $100 for pure-bred
dogs.)
DO
take the time to interview every prospective owner.
Ask for vet and personnel references, and check them,
then visit the new home where your pet might be living!
DO
write a letter to your congressmen in support of doing
away with Class B dealers, who sell animals
obtained from "random sources" to research facilities.
Random sources include strays, stolen pets, seized shelter
animals, animals purchased at flea markets--and pets found
through "Free to good home" ads.
DO
report any incidence of suspected dog-fighting to police,
Animal Control, and your local Humane Society.
DON'T try to stop these people yourselves; there is a
lot of money involved here, and you could be putting yourself
and your pets at risk if you try to intervene alone.
DO
call police, animal welfare workers, even the health department,
if someone in your area seems to be "collecting"
cats or dogs
DO
write to district attorneys, judges, and prosecutors if
you hear of the arrest of any so-called collectors in
your area, and urge them not only to prosecute
to the full extent of the law, but also to mandate psychological
counseling for these individuals in the hopes of avoiding
repeat violations.
DO
call police or animal welfare workers for any incidences
of suspected abuse. Be willing to testify
in court, if necessary. Note: what constitutes animal
abuse is defined by state law. If your state has inadequate
abuse laws, TRY TO CHANGE THEM!
Remember
-- the welfare of pets is in ALL of our hands!
Author's
Note: Brutus, our "Free To Good Home?"
poster dog, went to the
Rainbow Bridge on 27 February 2002. We estimate
his age at 13 years; he lived the last 6 of them
in the lap of luxury with his rescuers. Brutus was
a favorite visitor at area schools, and touched
the hearts of everyone who met him. We will all
miss him.
Brutus's
Memorial
|
HELPFUL
LINKS:
The
Humane Society of the United States, click
on "Current Campaigns," "Government Affairs,"
or "Get Involved" for information on pending
state and federal legislation, including the above-mentioned
proposed ban on Class B dealers, a proposed ban on items
made from dog and cat fur, legislation to make airline
travel safer for pets, and tougher legislation against
dog fighting; as well sample letters to legislators, instructions
on how to write your own, and a link to help you find
the names and addresses of your state and federal legislators.
dogs.about.com,
catlovers.about.com,
and
cats.about.com have lists of rescues and shelters.
Can
We Help You Keep Your Pet? offers alternatives
to giving pets away, including tips on solving common
behavior problems, moving, house breaking, new baby, allergies,
pet health problems, and grooming tips. If there is no
other alternative, this site lists things to consider
in finding your pet a new home.
Dog
Owners' Guide: Minimizing Owner Surrenders
Search
For Your Elected State and Federal Officials
Sample
Letter to Editor
Free
to Good Home
By Michelle Crean, Animal Aid of SW MI
� 1999 by Animal Aid and Michelle Crean.
Reprinted with kind permission from Animal Aid and Michelle
Crean http://www.parrett.net/animalaid/index.html
|