Dead dogs on the compost pile: What you support when you buy a pet-store puppy
By Gina Spadafori
August 15, 2008
And you wonder why we beg people not to buy puppies from retail puppy-mill outlets (a/k/a pet stores) or Internet direct-from-the-puppy-mill sites:
Two Berks County [Penn.] commercial kennel operators shot and killed 80 dogs after dog wardens ordered some of the animals be examined by veterinarians, state dog law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
And because they broke no current Pennsylvania law by slaughtering the dogs, animal advocates and some lawmakers are outraged.
Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot 70 dogs after an inspection last month, officials of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement said.
His brother, Ammon Zimmerman, operator of a kennel next door, shot 10 of his own dogs, officials said.
“We went out on July 24 and inspected Elmer’s kennel. There were various kennel violations we said we’d be citing them for, and the warden ordered vet checks on 39 dogs,” said Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. “(Elmer Zimmerman) told the warden, ‘I think I’m going out of business.’ We suggested that he surrender the dogs, but he was not agreeable to that. Then he called the warden back over the weekend and said he shot the dogs.”
More here, and be warned the details are graphic.
Look, I don’t care if you got a “nice pet” from a pet store. You are an accomplice to the hell your dog’s parent’s went through by making that purchase. You have supported someone like Elmer Zimmerman, who thinks it’s perfect fine to shoot his old “breeding stock” and throw their bodies in the compost pile.
Puppy mills won’t go away until buyers do.
Killing the dogs and “going out of business” was preferable to providing humane living conditions for them? The cost/benefit analysis from hell. The jaw drops and the mind reels.
Comment by Susan Fox — August 15, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
As has been said over and over again, some people will get rid of their dogs rather than pay fines, and the AR folks smirk because they can’t imagine anyone would do such a thing. This is an extreme case, but that’s exactly what happened here.
Comment by Dutch — August 15, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
The laws need to be tougher on these ba******, too. A fine of $576!!!!??? That’s pin money!! Dogs as well as all animals are sentient creatures. It absolutely burns me when I read that someone got a small fine, probation or gee whiz, maybe 2 yrs jail time. I’d throw them in a deep, deep hole and maybe if I ‘remembered’ throw in a few scraps now and then for them to fight over to eat.
Comment by VJ — August 15, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
wasn’t Gov Rendell trying to do something about the PA puppy mills? Maybe he needs some support, a BIG nudge or something?
Why the h@ll wouldn’t they surrender the dogs if they were just going to kill them? It’s not like anyone else could make money off of them. UGH. (if it’s in the link, sorry, didn’t go there)
Comment by straybaby — August 15, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
oops! didn’t mean to make a mail link :/
Comment by straybaby — August 15, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
I can’t believe how low that fine is! They should be funding the entire state’s no kill shelters. I know losing a business (though I shudder to call it that) is a gigantic loss, but a slap on the wrist is not setting an example for others who are operating under the same and worse conditions.
Comment by Amy — August 15, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
O I can’t read the full story. All I can think of is “death penalty” when I hear about cases like this and I really hate to get into that frame of mind.
Let me guess: all the dogs had AKC papers?
Comment by slt — August 15, 2008 @ 6:05 pm
August has been a bad month for dogs what with brucellosis found in Michigan and Indiana among designer dog “breeders” in both states, 360 dogs confiscated from a miller in Missouri along with 6 neglected children and the Zimmerman brothers in PA.
slt, I suspect they probably all supplied Hunte Corp and that the purebreds had AKC papers. Makes me nauseous.
Comment by Anne T — August 15, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
My mom has experience (through rescue) dealing with these Zimmerman brothers. They shot those dogs to make a statement against the law enforcement folks. They had no intention of surrendering those dogs.
Comment by ks — August 15, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
I’ve been fostering two chihuahua breeder dogs for the past four months. They are 8 and 12. They were basically trash to the breeder because they were too old to profitably breed. They are doing better, but they were so incredibly skittish and unsocialized when we got them. I just don’t understand how puppy mills are able to get away this and that people buy dogs without doing any homework into the parents and conditions.
How does the AKC get away with rubber stamping this crap? I just don’t understand it. Meanwhile, I’ve got a lot of work to do with little dogs who will never be completely healed and have a tiny chance of being adopted.
Comment by Jen (SLC) — August 15, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
It frustrates the living cr** out of me that people STILL buy dogs from mills, stores and obviously bad breeders —- to “rescue” them.
No matter how much I preach, rant and rave - they don’t seem to be able to realize that EVERY DOLLAR THEY SPEND TO “SAVE” THOSE DOGS GOES TO SUPPORT THE EVIL BASTARDS THAT KEEP THEM.
I see a depressingly large number of mill-bred dogs in my business (I’m a trainer who specializes in problem dogs). AKC, USDA and other groups who are supposed to be in the business of helping dogs just turn their heads and drift in whichever direction the dollars lay.
I weep.
Comment by Janeen — August 15, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
Clearly these millers shot the dogs in order to destroy the evidence.
Harder to substantiate cruelty charges (as opposed to kennel license violations) when investigators have to rummage through the corpses in the compost heap.
Last time I checked, destroying evidence to avoid criminal prosecution was itself a crime.
I’d certainly support empowering the PA Dog Law enforcement officers to enjoin kennel licensees and perhaps others to refrain from disposing of a dog (by killing or selling or “making it disappear”) until an examination could be made. With nasty big penalties for violations.
FYI, in Pennsylvania Dog Law enforcement officers are state employees, and are mostly charged with dealing with kennel licensees and public health issues. Humane enforcement is separate; most humane enforcement officers are employed by humane societies, and are not public employees, though they are sworn law officers and must have certain training. (After some “incidents” about 14 years ago.)
All the dog law enforcement officers I’ve met, and all but one of the humane enforcement officers, have been hard-working, practical-minded, and dedicated people who quietly do their best.
That one exception was a doozy, though …
Comment by H. Houlahan — August 15, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
More of the Amish/Mennonite puppy mill horrors. Too many think these groups treat their animals kindly. You should see all the rescued horses recovered from these people! And no puppy mill is ultimately concerned with the health and well being of the animals. The sole concern for them is the profit margin made on each dog sold.
Comment by vulnavia — August 15, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
If you live in PA and this story upsets you, you MUST e-mail or call both your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to ensure that HB 2525 comes up for a vote in the Fall Session (which only last 2 weeks).
Govenor Rendell is not the problem here — the problem is the Harrisburg Capitol leadership who desperately does not want this bill to come to a vote because, as the local Republican candidate for state office told me this week “Who wants to vote FOR puppy mills?” There is too much money floating around for the Leadership to want to cut off.
If HB 2525 does not come up for a vote in the Fall, it dies. It was only Oprah who got the bill out of committee (where so many bills in PA languish so that no one has to deal with them), so the bill is now sitting in limbo so that it doesn’t have to be dealt with.
If you live in PA, e-mail/call/fax to your State Representative and State Senator and tell them to INSIST to the leadership that HB 2525 comes up for a vote in the Fall and that they will vote YES on this bill.
There’s a lot of outrage in PA over the Zimmerman case so you’ll probably find a receptive audience from your State elected officials. They WANT you to call them so that they can show the numbers to the leadership and force the vote.
Sometimes, it pays to give a politician what they want. ;-) Call/e-mail/Fax them about HB 2525 and we can make some positive change in PA.
Comment by Dorene — August 16, 2008 @ 5:16 am
Another tragic example of how far certain people will go to avoid fines, save themselves trouble, save money on veterinary bills, “destroy evidence” or whatever other sick reason they might conjure when faced with paying the government money to keep their pets legal.
I hope people supporting forced spay/neuter laws will take heed with this case…here is some more sad proof that fines don’t save lives.
Comment by Joy — August 16, 2008 @ 5:48 am
The message is pretty simple. Don’t buy puppies or kittens from pet shops, at markets, over the internet or at the side of the road. My friend who is a cat person stands in front of the pet shop at a mall and tells people where the puppies (and kittens) come from, how overpriced they are, etc.
Some breed clubs buy ‘their’ dogs at auctions in order to save them. All they are doing is perpetuating the practises that lead to large scale substandard breeding operations.
People have to learn to walk by that little cutie, as hard as it may be, because every time somebody buys one, another one will come along.
If you don’t want to go to an ethical breeder - which could include a breeder of mutts, imo - then go to a local shelter, rescue group or breed rescue club.
The AKC, CKC and other big registries could easily red-flag high volume breeders and inspect them. If you are getting 50, 75, 100 or more registrations each year from one person, doesn’t that tell you something?
I actually don’t have a problem with commercial breeding, as long as it’s done properly. Not many of these heartless cash-hounds care enough to do all that work, though.
We should make up a button for our blogs with a message, spread it around.
Comment by Caveat — August 16, 2008 @ 8:17 am
On one of my mailing lists, a couple just popped up happily talking about the new puppy they’re having shipped to them.
The link to the ‘breeder’ showed a midwest breeder with five breeds, and at least eleven litters on the ground.
I suggested - politely - that they should pick their puppy in person. After all, seeing with your own eyes where your puppy comes for beats all the shiny photos and lines about ‘home raised puppies’ that mills put out there.
I was told that I was ‘mean’, and that the breeder was a really nice woman, who had answered all of their questions, and that they didn’t need to ‘see’ where the puppies came from, because they *know* she wouldn’t lie.
Sometimes, you just can’t win.
Comment by Carol — August 16, 2008 @ 8:23 am
Shooting dogs isn’t animal cruelty? WTF!!
Comment by 2CatMom — August 16, 2008 @ 9:10 am
Carol,
Feel free to post the name of the mailing list. ;-) I have no problem being a “female dog” when talking to these kinds of people that just don’t listen otherwise. They ARE the reason people like the Zimmerman’s still exist. If the Zimmerman’s did not have a “market”, they would not be producing a “product”. Laws don’t work as they end up punishing the responsible people while the Zimmerman’s and their ilk just find a way to circumvent it as evidenced by their “solution”.
Comment by Lisa — August 17, 2008 @ 10:50 am
“We should make up a button for our blogs with a message, spread it around.”
Comment by Caveat — August 16, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Do it - I’ll put it on mine!
Also: I read that Gov. Rendell is seeking support to make it illegal for owners to “euthanize” their own dogs.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-.....amp;EDATE=
Comment by slt — August 17, 2008 @ 11:23 am
I found the text of House Bill 2525 (still slogging through it - don’t know if the text about owner euthanasia is in there yet):
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/C.....mp;pn=4068
Comment by The OTHER Pat — August 17, 2008 @ 11:39 am
Dang - that’s loooong. I’ve read the USDA regs and I don’t remember them being as extensive. Which will trump the other if this passes - this bill or the USDA regs?
Saw this before everything went fuzzy:
(4) The department shall be notified prior to the euthanization of any dog. No dog may be euthanized unless it is determined by a veterinarian that the euthanasia will
prevent the dog from suffering caused by a medical condition.
Where a veterinarian determines a dog should be euthanized, a
copy of the veterinarian’s findings, signed by the veterinarian, shall be provided to the department. THE <—
15 PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH DO NOT APPLY TO AN EMERGENCY
16 SITUATION WHERE IT IS DEEMED BY THE VETERINARIAN THAT
17 IMMEDIATE EUTHANASIA IS NECESSARY TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF
18 THE DOG. FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE, A COPY OF THE
19 VETERINARIAN’S FINDING WILL BE SIGNED BY THE VETERINARIAN AND
20 PROVIDED TO THE DEPARTMENT.
Comment by slt — August 17, 2008 @ 11:56 am
There is, I hope a special place in Hell for millers.
Or maybe the egyptians got it right? That a man’s soul is weighed against a feather by Anubis. If it is a close call, the man’s dog can speak as to whether he was a good person.
If that turns out to be the case, these people are in big trouble.
I do have to bring up something from the article that struck me.
“Meanwhile, animal advocates are being urged to come to the Kutztown area for a candlelight memorial service Friday night “to memorialize and remember 80 dogs and puppies who died a sudden, tragic death, but who suffer no longer.” Participants should bring a candle and meet at Kutztown and Hottenstein roads at 8 p.m.”
It’s the suffer no longer line that troubles me. had she said “and never got to know a loving home” it would be one thing. Maybe I am over-reacting, but it smacks a bit of the “better off dead than” mindset PeTA et al have perpetuated. Al 80 of those dogs deserved a chance at a life, death eliminates that possibility forever.
Comment by JenniferJ — August 17, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
I think you’re right on the money.
Comment by Dutch — August 17, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
Enforce the laws on the books in every state and perhaps the mills will close one by one.
Making a new euthanasia law, because of this particular situation may inadvertently create a new problem. After all, I learned first-hand in 2006, that euthanasia performed by a licensed veterinarian may be far greater cruel end in comparison to a gunshot. At least in Dover, NH, it was.
Comment by Barbara A. Albright — August 17, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
This is near me. I feel sick.
Comment by Lori — August 18, 2008 @ 6:13 am
The proposed PA bill is so extensive, I can’t imagine how it is going to be enforced. Can they even enforce the laws they have now? It seems as if they can’t.
Comment by slt — August 18, 2008 @ 6:35 am
That’s the crux of the matter. Virtually all of these places could be shut down today if existing law were actually enforced.
Same goes for hoarding, many back-yard breeding operations etc…
Don’t pass more laws until you have the WILL to enforce existing ones.
And if there is a specific issue, such as the fact that this ass was allowed by law to shoot 80 dogs, thenn pass a simple law that addresses the specific issue, ie: no home euthanasia, vet only. Don’t then try to tack on a whole bunch of other things you have no intention of actually enforcing.
Stanford published a study not long ago proving that passage of laws that are not enforced actually makes people grow numb to the threat of legal action or penalties for breaking the law. So PA and USDA, bust these asses on all the things they are already doing that are illegal!
And that goes for every other state with scum bucket puppymillers too.
Comment by JenniferJ — August 18, 2008 @ 7:55 am
I just emailed my senator and representative. Even if there are already laws on the books, let’s keep them talking about it.
Comment by Lori — August 18, 2008 @ 8:40 am
It was suggested that we not buy puppies/kittens from pet stores. I would also like to suggest not buying pet supplies or anything else from stores who sell puppies/kittens. Instead, shop at pet stores who have puppies/kittens available for adoption through local shelters.
Comment by Riley & Tiki's Mom — August 18, 2008 @ 11:18 am
Watch HSUS video of puppymill rescue -
http://video.hsus.org/
This West Virginia mill had nearly 1,000 dogs!
http://www.animallawcoalition......rticle/576
Comment by Barb — August 24, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
I wrote to Kathy Watson the Rep for my district about HB 2525 and here is her response.
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding House Bill 2525. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation, as well as a co-sponsor of several other bills dealing with animal cruelty.
I believe we were all shocked and disgusted by the news out of Berks County. As a dog lover and an animal lover in general, I find the actions of the kennel operators to be repulsive. It is my sincere hope that when the Legislature returns to session on September 15th, we will be able to strengthen the animal cruelty laws to prevent any future outrage such as the slaughter of these innocent animals.
House Bill 2525 is currently in the House Appropriations Committee awaiting further consideration. Rep. Dwight Evans is the majority chairman of the Committee and he decides which bills will be placed on the Committee’s agenda. I have no input in this decision.
Accordingly, you may wish to write to Chairman Evans to express your interest in having HB2525 scheduled for a Committee vote. His contact information is as follows:
Rep. Dwight Evans
Chairman
House Appropriations Committee
512 Main Capitol Building
PO Box 202203
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2203
717-783-1540
Again, thank you for sharing your interest and concern with me in this matter of importance to the safety and well-being of all of our pets.
Sincerlely,
Katharine M. Watson
144th Legislative District
Comment by Lori — August 28, 2008 @ 10:29 am
except she didn’t spell Sincerely wrong, I did. And any other typos are mine too. :O)
Comment by Lori — August 28, 2008 @ 10:30 am
I ran across this while doing some research and hopefully can make some comments that make sense.
First of all, I own a pet shop.
Now, with that said, myself and my store manager work closely with the people we get our puppies from. We are in a community of about 65,000. What we do to make sure we know where our puppies come from is interview the breeder, go out to their site, and we never “buy” the puppies. We only consign them and require that the breeder stays in the process until the puppy is sold to the new home they are going to. We price them fairly so everyone can afford them as we make our profit off the food and supplies our loyal customers will come back for. We tend to sell mixed breeds as opposed to “AKC” type puppies.
We also do a lot of actual rescues (dogs and cats we find abandoned, abused, and sick) and those animals we give away at no charge. We would rather see them go to a good home than die in a kennel somewhere. We find that older people that have no companions are usually more than willing to take the pet when it is full grown, and then they get a companion they do not have to raise and such. We also require the buyer to spend time in our store with the puppy to make sure they have a good fit. We also do a lot of training for our younger pet buyers as to why they want the pet, what they know about that pet or breed, and what kind of time commitment that animal will take. (We do this for ALL the animals we sell.)
Also, we do not keep our puppies in small boxes or kennels. During the time they are in the shop they are in very large kennels that they can run around in. They also get time out every day to run and play and wear off that extra energy.
I do understand that there is a lot of puppy mills and such out there. I am not sure the answer is to express rage on a blog though. I think legislation is probably the best remedy. The next thing I would say is to get the pet shops in your area to switch to healthy methods (face the facts that the pet shop is where most people will buy their new puppy!) If you are buying a puppy, ask to meet the breeder. This should be a basic right for the buyer. If the owner rufuses to list the breeder or put you in contact with the breeder (all our customers can talk to or go visit the home of the breeder) then do not buy the puppy. Not buying the puppy from the pet shop does not stop them from selling these puppies. Making it known that you are going to hold them to high standards will make a difference. The reason is that for every educated buyer, there is 100 non-educated ones that will just romp in, see a cute puppy, and buy it without asking questions. If you start education to the pet shop owner and the buyers, this will cut a lot of that activity. We will never get rid of it entirely as there are always loopholes in the laws, and then there are the lawless who do not care.
I think people can get together and bring to the forefront what is going on, where the puppies are coming from, and get these things dealt with in a safe and legal manner. Everything that has ever been formed in this country has been done so by people getting together to pursue a better cause. I would like to see people all over the country getting together to focus on just this issue, and to get thier representatives to continue to sponsor legislation to make it illegal to have “manufactured” animals. (Write them often, and consistantly, be specific in what you want, and be united in what you want to see the law say.) We all know this is situation is bad, but many people across many states, contacting many legislators has a lot of power. Much more than complaining on a blog.
We opened our shop when we saw how bad some of the others were. Right now we are the only one in our area that has the healthy policies and we state them and invite anyone to ask and see how we do things. We are not afraid to have someone look “behind the curtain.” There is nothing scary hiding there.
I hope this helps and I know it is sad what is going on. But the old addage still holds true; United we Stand.
I hope everyone who is complaining and venting here can make a difference. I also hope that people understand that not all pet shops use puppies mills.
Comment by Alphonze — November 1, 2008 @ 3:00 am