Reflections on My Drive Through Lancaster, the Puppy Mill Capital of the World

I felt queasy making my way through this part of Pennsylvania on a recent trip because I know its dark secret.

"Green beans, peach pie, Akita puppies."

If only I had my cell phone with me when I recently came upon that sign outside of a picturesque Amish country road leading up to a seemingly charming house. Journalism Rules 101: Have a camera with you at all times. Which I had failed to do. The words etched on that sign, however, are an eternal snapshot in my mind.

Seeing that sign on a recent trip to Lancaster, PA, left me with a different feeling than I'd gotten on previous trips in the region. Since my previous visits I've learned that this agrarian community is home to a deep dark secret: The area is known for its dog factories, puppy mills, torture houses -- call them what you will -- and the sign was evidence, however slight, of what goes on there. 

The tourism bureau boasts that there are “so many things to do, you’ll come back again and again,” but it neglects that Amish Country is also dubbed “the puppy mill capital of the world” by several animal advocacy groups.

Lancaster County is home to what many consider the oldest and largest population of Amish in the United States, about 30,000. Often called “Dutch Country” because of the Pennsylvania Dutch who were among the first Europeans in the region, this area was also the home of my dog’s veterinary specialist for years. We took the road less traveled to appointments, through Amish towns including Intercourse, Blue Ball, Lititz, and Bird-in-Hand -- and on a few occasions, we turned the vet trip into a vacation, yet I somehow missed the seedy secrets.

Of course, not all Amish are puppy-mill breeders, and scores of non-Amish folks are horrible puppy-mill producers. But my interest was piqued in returning to Amish Country while channel scanning this fall. I stumbled on the TLC reality show, Breaking Amish, and spawned by “must see” instincts, I headed for corn rows.

The Amish are depicted as comprising a quiet, hardworking culture, people who grow their own foods and live without electricity and modern conveniences.

According to the website Pet Watch New Jersey, “Many puppies sold in New Jersey pet stores originate from Amish and Mennonite puppy mills in Pennsylvania, with the highest concentration coming from Lancaster County.” How could I have driven through this area so many times and not seen it? Apparently, this is what the area relies on: clueless tourists.

Undercover video obtained by Main Line Animal Rescue (located near the Valley Forge National Park in Chester County, PA) several years ago revealed dogs are improperly bred and live in filthy conditions. Many never see the light of day. In a story reported by ABC News, Bill Smith (of Main Line Rescue) shared that dogs are often euthanized and sometimes are “legally” shot. Smith told ABC News, “Unfortunately, if a kennel breeds less than 60 dogs, they can shoot them," he said. "If it's over 60 dogs, they can't be shot."

Many people -- including the governor -- have called for reform of the law that allowed that, and web research was inconclusive as to whether the law still stands. Regardless, it's horrific to think that as recently as 2009, courts in Pennsylvania ruled that it was legal -- if disturbing -- for people to kill their pets if they wanted to.

In 2008, Main Line Animal Rescue put up a billboard in Chicago, which caught Oprah Winfrey's eye. It said, "Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you." Winfrey sent journalist Lisa Ling into Pennsylvania's puppy mill country for what became an award-winning expose.

The Amish in Pennsylvania are not alone in their outrageous and harmful breeding practices. Just recently an Amish farmer in Ohio was busted for the offense of cruelty to animals and operating a puppy mill.

A recent puppy mill bust in Tarlton, Ohio, merited 50 dogs seized, some so matted and laden in fur that their breeds were unidentifiable. The dogs are being taken to several rescue organizations around the state. Sadly, the owner of the operation complained he was most upset that reporters were present and calling attention to the bust.

How is this allowed to happen? Are these quiet folk immune to the law? The Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to change legislation, which would require reform, as Dogster reported. But things are not moving along swiftly enough, and millions of innocent dogs are being bred as trash and then discarded as such. What can we do? This is what played through my mind as I sickeningly faced a three-hour ride home from the sign that shook me to my core.

The Humane Society of the United States has an actionable kit for folks to get involved, and it also provides tips to avoid buying a dog from a puppy mill.

Also, though this video may be hard to watch, it exposes what is happening and what we can do to give these innocent animals a voice.

Being registered and having papers does not ensure a puppy did not come from a puppy mill. Refuse to shop at stores that sell puppies from puppy mills. My first dog was a puppy-mill rescue, and this I know: I loved her more than life itself, and she had extenstive health problems. 

I know better now, but the problem that causes such suffering continues.

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HQ Loves You: Pick Up This FREE Gift at the Dogster Gift Store Through Sunday!

Dogster Suzi Q in her Easter basket:

It's an Easter Egg bonanza! Hop on over to the Dogster Gift Store and share this colorful pile of eggs FUR FREE with all of your furiends today through Easter Sunday:

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Caught on Video: Dramatic Rescue of Dog Who Fell Through Ice in Colorado

Very unfortunate update below

A dog who bolted from his owner while on a walk near the Smith Reservoir in Lakewood, Colo., would probably be dead today if not for the heroic and dramatic rescue by local fire crew. A firefighter suited up in cold-water rescue gear crawled out and then semi-swam to the dog while hacking away at the ice so he could reach the dog. The dog, a Dogo Argentino named Max, was very glad to see his hero, and made a beeline for him.

“We’re blessed to have him here tonight,” Max’s owner, Michael Robinson, told 7NEWS. Max warmed up in the ambulance and is apparently back to his bouncy, energetic self.

His dramatic rescue was captured by a news helicopter.

Can you say “hero”?

(I was sorry to learn that Max ended up in the water because he was chasing a coyote. The coyote also fell into the reservoir, but very sadly, did not last against the elements. I wish that weren’t part of this story, but it is. Still the real story is that of the lengths these rescuers went to to save Max. RIP, coyote …)

Update 2:30 pm 2-8-12: I am really dismayed to have to bring you more bad news about this story. It started out as such a feel-good story, then I learned about the coyote drowning, and now it turns out that this morning Max bit the face of Denver TV anchor Kyle Dyer as she “tried to kiss/snuggle with the dog,” stated the animal control report, according to the Denver Post. Dyer is in fair condition at a local hospital.

The 85-pound dog is in custody of Denver Animal Care and Control, where he’s being detained pending investigation of the incident, and quarantined for 10 days to observe for signs of rabies and other illnesses. The dog reportedly was not up to date on rabies inoculations.

The firefighter who went into the frigid water to rescue Max was in the 9News studio with Max and his owner when the attack occurred. He once again went into rescue mode, this time helping Dyer. “It was definitely shocking, it was not how I envisioned my morning going,” Tyler Sugaski told the Denver Post. “It’s one thing getting called to a scene, but to be there right as it is happening, it’s different.”

I’ll provide another update when I get more news. Thank you to Chesney, who left a comment below so we had a heads up about this situation.

Here is a supershort clip of the bite. The main interview and clip are no longer available.

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Through hard times and homelessness, ‘The Bond’ remains

I saw the photo on the cover of the Coeur d’Alene Press before I read the story: A woman sitting on a bed, a cat beside her, a dog gazing at her face with unmistakable love on his.

“Homeless numbers stay consistent” was the headline, dry, emotionless words that seemed to conflict with what I saw in the despondent slump of the woman’s body, the concern in the attitude of her dog.

The story was about homeless statistics, but it was also about  Melissa Rogers, the woman in the photo. Rogers, it said, can’t work because of a disability, and was going to be kicked out of her room at the Cedars Motel within a week.  With pets and no money, I wondered, where could she go?

The following Sunday, Teresa and I went to the Cedars Motel and met Melissa, her son Brandon and their beloved 6-year-old Boxer, Sullivan, and their four cats, Smeagil, Booger, Pixie, and Hemi.

Melissa’s husband had left her three weeks before, and she had to move to a hotel that would accept pets. She has brittle diabetes and is starting dialysis. She just got out of the hospital for a blood clot. A certified nursing assistant who was an honor student in college studying psychology before falling on hard times, she’s permanently disabled and lives on a meager Social Security disability income.

Melissa’s love of her pets is obvious, and she’s struggled mightily to keep her pets’ preventive care current, address their medical needs and to buy food. She said she’s gone without so her pets wouldn’t suffer. As Teresa and I hugged her, she softly said, “My pets are the reason I get up every morning. I love them. Need them. As they do me.”

Dr. Bruce King, the owner of Lakewood Animal Hospital in Coeur d’Alene, where I practice, gave me a lot of dog and cat food to give her. He’s also agreed to donate dental work and vaccinations for a couple of the pets with a critical need. Teresa and I have paid her rent so she doesn’t need to worry about having to move.

It was on my heart today that while you can’t help everybody, you can help somebody. People who face hardship not only love their pets just as much as every one of us does, but sometimes the human-animal bond is the greatest, or even the only, sustaining force in their lives. A few bags of pet food, a few weeks’ rent, a visit to the veterinarian — there is so much we can do to honor The Bond, and keep love and hope alive in their hearts.

Photos:

Top: The article in the Coeur d’Alene Press where I first saw Melissa and her pets.

Middle: Sullivan, Melissa’s Boxer, gazing out the window as we left.

Bottom: Melissa, Sullivan and Brandon sitting with me on the stairs of her hotel.

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Through a Dog's Eyes

A stirring, inspiring book with the power to change the way we understand and communicate with our dogs.
 
Few people are more qualified to speak about the abilities and potential of dogs than Jennifer Arnold, who for the past twenty years has trained service dogs for people with physical disabilities and special needs. Arnold has developed a unique understanding of dogs' capabilities, intelligence, sensitivity, and extra-sensory skills. Her training method is based on teaching dogs to make choicesâ??as opposed to following commandsâ??through kindness and encouragement rather than fear and submission, and her results are extraordinary. To Arnold, dogs are neither wolves in need of a pack leader nor babies in need of coddling; rather, they are extremely trusting beings attuned to their owners' needs and they aim to please. Relationships between dogs and humans go awry when we fail to understand our dogs and when we send them confusing, mixed signals. Arnold's firsthand experienceâ??from what moved her to start her exemplary nonprofit and how she developed her methodologyâ??guides this book and gives it a powerful emotional heft. Stories drawn from Arnold's life and the lives of the dogs who were her greatest teachers are convincing, unforgettable, and compelling testimony and make this book a heart-warming, captivating read that will forever change the way you see your dog by showing you the way your dog sees the world.
 

Price: $25.00

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