Recently in Letters from readers Category

From Humane Society of the United States:

This year has been the most momentous year for animals in our organization's 54-year history.

Take a minute to see what was achieved for animals this year:

My husband and I recently adopted a dog from Canine Rescue of Central PA. He's working out great and we now have a wonderful pet, but I am appalled by Canine Rescue's bookkeeping and manners towards us after we adopted.

I paid the adoption fee with a check. Several weeks went by, and it was never cashed. I grew a bit concerned (was it lost? stolen?), so I called and left a message for them.

From Bob Rudy:

Both congratulations and my sympathy go out to Mike Argento for his touching and well-written story, "A greyhound like no other" (YDR 10/10/08).

Anyone who has ever lost a companion animal can relate to the way only a pet, especially a dog or cat, can enrich our lives. Studies have shown how pets can lengthen and increase an individual's quality of life.

I've lost my PUPPY! She is a 5-month-old chihuahua with floppy ears, is tan in color with a smooth coat.

I miss her very much! Have been searching for her since September 29. She was lost in the Manchester Apartments area, Manchester.

I am 8 years old and this was my first puppy. I have saved my allowance for a reward. If someone has her, can I please have her back?

Jordan Vogel
Manchester
(717) 266-1889
frane726@comcast.net.

On Friday, Sept. 12, my sister from Cumberland, MD, called me to say that her husband of 25 years had collapsed at work and she was meeting the ambulance at the local hospital. I got in my car and left right away to be with her.

A short time later ,she called me back to advise that Joe did not make it. He had just turned 54 years old and now he was dead. Joey was very active in helping his community in LaVale, MD. He was a lifetime member of the LaVale Fire Company, and the rescue squad. He so graciously was willing to give of his time for others. It takes special folks to make those sacrifices.

Later that week, the rest of my family joined me at my sister's to help her through her loss. We are a family with a dog, two cats, and "Izzy" the iguana. While we were away from home helping Mary and attending Joe's funeral, somehow Shadow, our black cat, managed to get past the kind folks attending to my animals at home, and she was unknowingly left in the basement/garage area where it was dark.

From Bob Yarnall, president of the American Canine Association:

The Professional Dog Breeders Advisory Council, along with Carl Gilgore, announced today the filing of a federal civil action against Dennis Wolff, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Susan West, director of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement at the Department of Agriculture; and Kristin Donmoyer, a Pennsylvania Dog Law Officer.

The federal civil suit alleges that since 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, systematically targeted and unfairly treated commercial dog kennel operations, particularly in Lancaster County, PA. The suit outlines a pattern of abuse by officials from the Department of Agriculture, and alleges violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

"Unfortunately there are times when the courts must intervene to stop the abuse of the executive branch of government," said Bob Yarnall, president of the American Canine Association. "Since 2006, the Governor has directed the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to target commercial kennel operators and to find reasons to shut legitimate businesses down. While there are rightful interests in enforcing regulations and the Pennsylvania Dog Law, creating SWAT teams of dog wardens and ignoring the deficiencies in kennel operations other than commercial kennels is fundamentally unfair and patently discriminatory."

The federal civil action sets forth several explicit examples of abuse by the Department of Agriculture, including the issuing of citations for infractions of dog breeding regulations and the Pennsylvania Dog Law. Based on the Department's annual report to the General Assembly, in the year 2007, kennel operators in Lancaster County were more than three times more likely to be inspected, more than 10 times more likely to be cited for violations and over 100 times more likely to receive a warning.

Further evidencing the disparity is the fact that similarly situated counties, such as Lancaster County and Allegheny County, whose kennels housed 85,000 dogs and 82,700 dogs respectively, received significantly different treatment from the Department of Agriculture. From January 1, 2006, to May 31, 2008, 76 kennel condition citations were issued to Lancaster County kennels; zero citations to Allegheny County kennels. Similarly, Bucks County kennels and Montgomery County kennel operators also received zero citations during the same period, despite housing over 40,000 dogs each.

"There is an undeniable pattern of abuse by the Department of Agriculture in enforcing regulations and the law that is intended to protect all dogs -- not just dogs in one part of the state," said Yarnall. "By treating similarly situated individuals differently, targeting kennels to drive them out of business, and unequally applying the law to certain kennels, the Department has violated the equal protections and due process clause of the United States Constitution."

The federal suit also raises questions concerning the conduct of the State Dog Law Officers, namely Kristin Donmoyer. The filing alleges that in late 2007 Ms. Donmoyer accosted Carl Gilgore, a volunteer at a commercial kennel, during a kennel inspection. Recoginiz9ing the disparate treatment that commercial kennels receive during the inspection process, Mr. Gilgore attempted to videotape the inspection being made by Ms. Donmoyer. At that time, he was threatened with arrest, in violation of Mr. Gilgore's enumerated rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The lawsuit seeks to have the federal courts declare the actions of the Department unconstitutional, as they represent a violation of their federal rights, award $1 in nominal damages for Ms. Donmoyer's unconstitutional threat of arrest, allow breeding kennel owners to videotape inspections of their property, and require that similar standards for inspection be applied to all other kennels, consistent with applicable regulations.

"The Association takes this necessary action in order to provide for the uniform application of the law, to preserve the rights of our embers, and to invite the Department of Agriculture to work with us to promote the best breeding operations in the nation -- based on a collaborative effort, instead of a punitive one," said Yarnall. "We have and will continue to support appropriate changes that will improve kennel conditions."

BOB YARNALL
AMERICAN CANINE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Hi everyone,

I am walking in the Grateful Dog Walk on Sunday, September 28, to raise money for the "De-Sex in the City" spay/neuter program of the Central PA Animal Alliance. My goal is to raise $1,000 -- and I'm not even half way there.

Please help me reach my goal--every dollar counts!

You may donate online at www.firstgiving.com/zellaanderson or you may send a check payable to CPAA to 1802 Silver Pine Circle, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.

CPAA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so all donations are tax deductible.

Thanks so much for your support!

Zella Smith Anderson, Esquire

"We find beauty in the most incomprehensible places and otherwise homely faces. It is our gift to see beyond the dirt, terror, sadness, and defeat and find the true soul that lies within. We are Rescue. "

August 1, 2008

To The Editor:

Common sense has gone to the dogs when it comes to regulating dog kennel operations in Pennsylvania. Last year, the Department of Agriculture tried to push through unworkable and impractical regulations that were so bad that a record 16,000 comments were filed.

Since that effort failed, the Department and Governor are back at it again -- this time with legislation.

From Main Line Animal Rescue:

When Oogy was four months old and weighed thirty five pounds, he was tied to a stake and used as bait for a Pit Bull. The left side of his face from just behind his eye was torn off, including his ear. He was bitten so hard a piece of his jaw bone was crushed. Afterward, he was thrown into a cage and left to bleed to death.

A study published by The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science says dachshunds are the most aggressive breed followed by Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers.

Watch the news report video.

...I think it's encouraging that pit bulls are the most numerous breed type in the US currently, yet don't account for the most bites, even including the preponderance of inaccurate identification.

If you delve into statistics about pitbull attacking humans, you will surely be surprised to discover the fact that pitbulls tend to be among the most rare attackers. That's right, despite public opinion, a dog of any other breed is much more likely to attack you than a pitbull. This menace to his peers would behave like a spoilt kitten with strangers, and can be bribed even without a treat.

No serious fan of pitbulls would deny their aggressive behavious towards other dogs but lets us ask a couple of disconcerting questions. Who organises pitbull-fights? Is it the pitbulls? Hardly. Who benefits from these fights? What happens to these animals after the fight - assuming they survived it, of course. If this particular breed is banned, will people live better. If there were no pitbulls, and, indeed, no dogs, wouldn't people have found another way to satisfy their beastly passions?

Do we have the right to blame pitbulls for our own cruelty? If your pitbull is always on a leash, and someone else's dog is let loose, some 100 yards away - who is the irresponsible owner?

Consider this - the unnecessarily powerful cars we drive kill more people in one month than a century of dog attacks on people would do. Why is it we think that eliminating a breed would make us live in paradise? Who kills - the gun, or the man who pulls the trigger? Truth is not always pleasant but if humans claim to be the most intelligent species living, they should muster the courage to face the truth and accept it!

-- Judith Frazier, York, PA

Do veterinary hospitals deeply care about the welfare of the animals they're treating? I think most do.

But are some animal hospitals more concerned with how much money they can nickel and dime from a pet owner? I know of one that does, and my recent experience with Yorkshire Animal Hospital has shown where their main priority lies when caring for man's best friend.

I am e-mailing you because I'm very angry about what I just heard. A cat was hit by a car at 5 a.m. today at College & Richland Ave. Employees at Bickel called 911, and were told that nothing could be done.

They called again at 6, and again were told they couldn't do anything. Meanwhile, that poor animal was crying in agony. Apparently, it took until 9 a.m. for someone to get it to the SPCA.

I was under the impression that the city contracted with an animal control person to handle off hours. If this is not the case, then why isn't it?

If the city can't do anything about hurt animals, then at least tell people to call someone who cares enough about them, who can rush them to the Animal Emergency Clinic.

There should be a reference system for cases like this.

MARGARET REIS
YORK, PA

From Kathleen Rauhauser, York:

This is to update my letter. The commission has decided to NOT proceed with banning Nanday birds. But this is just one small victory.

I learned the Game Commission is paid for by the hunters, not taxpayers. Also someone who testified Sunday pointed out that banning a domesticated pet bird is NOT the role of the Game Commission but that of the Agricultural Commission.

What distressed me the most was to learn that animal rights people have been working to destroy instead of rehabilitate injured animals and the prediction of pets in the home will some day become extinct.

If you are a pet owner, or just someone who does not want the government in more of your life, then this is a topic you may want to watch with vigliance.

Editor's note: For more information on this subject, visit BirdChannel.com and Bird Board

From Kathleen Rauhauser, York:

Do you have an exotic pet bird? How would you feel if the Commonwealth of PA told you it had to be destroyed? Well, that could very well happen in the near future.

The PA Game Commission is considering a proposal to ban in Pennsylvania ALL Nanday Conures without "grandfathering in existing Nandays" which means if they were "grandfathered in," Nandays that are currently in PA could be exempt from the ban. So if this regulation is passed and you have a Nanday Conure, your beloved pet Nanday will have to be killed or escape to one of the 48 states where it is safe to be a Nanday Conure. As would Nandays in pet shops, living with people moving into PA, and ones in shelters.

When I first heard about this, I thought Nandays must be huge, dangerous birds that are attacking people and swooping down to carry away small children. But, upon looking into the matter, that is definitely NOT the case. What I learned was that Nandays are beautiful, intelligent little birds about the size of a large parakeet that can be taught to speak. They are the most popular type of conure kept as pets.

Why then do some want them exterminated? As far as I have been able to determine, the Game Commission is not giving any valid reason for the proposed ban.

From a reader:

Dear Mr. Vick:

It would have been very simple to write a brief mention of you, noting that I hope you get the book thrown at you, hoping you get abused and beaten in prison, tortured and eventually left to die just like the animals on whom you wagered... But what would that accomplish?

Rather, I write this, not so much that I hope you’ll read it, but rather, on the chance that millions of other people will see it, and feel the anger, the absolute rage, the disgust that I share the same title as “human being“ with something as foul as yourself.

I write this because you’ve failed, Mr. Vick.