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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Glendale, California Passes Ban on Dog and Cat Sales
8/16/11 10:22 PM
For Immediate Release
WHO: CAPS, The Companion Animal Protection Society (www.CAPS-web.org)
West Coast Director, Carole Davis 310-990-5758
WHAT: Glendale, California City Council passes ban on sale of dogs and cats in pet stores.
The City Council of Glendale, California, has unanimously passed a ban on the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores. In June, 2011, CAPS filed an investigation report with Glendale’s City Attorney Scott Howard. The report included evidence of violations that were occurring in Glendale’s Pets R Us, which obtains its puppies from The Hunte Corporation in Goodman, MO.. CAPS conducted an undercover investigation at Hunte, the largest dog brokering facility in the country. CAPS investigated over 50 puppy mills, mostly USDA licensed, that were selling puppies to Hunte. Approximately 50 percent of these mills had serious enough violations to warrant an investigation report to the USDA. The CAPS investigation of The Hunte Corporation revealed inhumane and substandard breeding facilities with multiple and repeat violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The dogs (and in some instances, cats) are not given even the USDA minimum standards of care. Some of the Hunte breeders have had their licenses cancelled. In the CAPS undercover footage provided to the city of Glendale, a Hunte commercial breeder was videotaped talking about shooting his dogs when they are no longer of use to him.
“The information provided to our office by CAPS representatives was fact based and assisted us with the preparation of a report and ordinance. Their efforts to address the problems associated with substandard breeding facilities is to be applauded and their assistance to our office is greatly appreciated.” --Scott H. Howard, City Attorney
“We congratulate the Glendale City Council and especially City Attorney Scott Howard, for their progressive leadership,” said CAPS West Coast Director, Carole Davis. “This ordinance will break the puppy mill cycle by cancelling long-standing contracts with brokers and commercial breeders that are routinely violating the Animal Welfare Act. Consequently, local companion animals in the shelter system will benefit. People don’t want a pet born in an inhumane breeding factory and this ordinance saves lives and protects consumers on a local level.”
Media Contact: Carole Davis, West Coast Director, CAPS tel: 310-990-5758
Founded by President Deborah Howard in 1992, the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops, puppy mills and pet factories.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
OC Activists Inform Neighbors of I Heart Puppies of Impending Protests
Why we are Boycotting I Heart Puppies
CAPS undercover investigation of a USDA licensed “I Heart Puppies” supplier. This Cocker Spaniel mother is confined 24/7 and has no bedding or shelter from the elements.
This message is for neighbors of ‘I Heart Puppies’ and for businesses in the vicinity of the pet store.
We are a group of concerned citizens in CDM, NB and Orange County who will be engaged in a sustained campaign to protest I Heart Puppies and to educate consumers and neighbors about the cruelty of the pet industry. We wish to bring public awareness to the issue of pet factories, puppy mills and to the pet overpopulation crisis that is affecting our overburdened shelters.
I Heart Puppies has been investigated by The Companion Animal Protection Society, a national, non-profit organization that investigates animal cruelty in the pet industry. For more information about this organization and its findings, please visit their website at www.caps-web.org.
Investigations into the puppy mills that supply I Heart Puppies have revealed that the store is in business with inhumane, substandard breeding operations in the Midwest where dogs are confined for life in wire cages in freezing temperatures with no bedding, no shelter from cold, extreme heat, rain, wind or snow. These dogs are injured, sick and distressed. The USDA is also investigating. Though their suppliers are USDA licensed, it has been found that I Heart Puppies has been doing business with a breeder who tied up a Golden Retriever and shot her in the head. Several breeding operations they are still in business with are egregious violators of the Animal Welfare Act—Federal law.
Brooke Bradford, the owner of I Heart Puppies, has issued a statement that is misleading. She continues to do business with puppy mills and we have evidence of that. She does not “hand-pick” her breeders as she claims. She buys from a broker who is also being investigated. We do not want to put her out of business. We would like her to convert to a humane business model and become successful like so many other pet supply/rescue only stores throughout California.
California kills ½ million companion animals in the shelter system every year. We feel that selling dogs from puppy mills is highly unethical given that there are so many OC dogs and cats who are literally dying for homes. Please understand that because these desperate animals cannot speak for themselves, we will be speaking for them. They deserve to be heard.
Activists who care deeply about these facts will be demonstrating in your neighborhood. We want you to know that this will not bring unwanted attention to you or your business. In fact, we will be promoting your businesses and shopping on this block. Please understand that as soon as I Heart Puppies agrees to convert to a humane business model, the campaign will cease. Until then, we plan to demonstrate exposing the truth about this store. Some of our campaigns have lasted 3 weeks with a successful humane store conversion. Other campaigns have lasted 6 months. We have a 100% success rate.
We hear their cries, we are their voice.
Friday, February 4, 2011
State Department Tells Americans to Evacuate Egypt...Without Their Pets
State Department Refuses to Allow Pets in Emergency Evacuation in Cairo
News Type: Event — Fri Feb 4, 2011 10:51 AM PST
Crowd awaiting evacuation at Cairo's International Airport. No pets allowed on U.S. chartered evac flights.
Los Angeles--Carole Raphaelle Davis
The Sate Department has confirmed on its toll-free emergency consular services number that U.S. citizens being evacuated on U.S. chartered emergency flights out of Egypt will not be allowed to bring pets. Pets will not be permitted on evacuation flights.
The Companion Animal Protection Society is looking into a possible violation of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 which includes household pets in any U.S. evacuation during a disaster. The law mandates that evacuation plans must take into account the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a major disaster or emergency.
The statute was passed after thousands of pet guardians refused to evacuate without their animals in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The "no pet" policy was decried by the entire animal welfare community, which rushed to deliver aid to abandoned animals during the emergency.
Today, there are no U.S. chartered flights leaving Cairo and U.S. citizens are on standby for flights which might depart on Saturday. According to the State Department, there are seats available today on commercial flights leaving Cairo for the United States. Current customs regulations, however, require that animals flying in cargo or in cabin must have a valid international health certificate completed within ten days of arrival in the U.S..
According to Joyce Tischler, Animal Legal Defense Fund founder and general council, “The tragedy of Americans in the midst of disaster being forced to choose between leaving their beloved animals and remaining in harm’s way spurred significant legislation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, designed to ensure that families can evacuate without leaving behind their four-legged members. Americans consider their pets members of their family; they should not have to choose between fleeing the current violence in Egypt and abandoning their animals .”
There are no current provisions for animals belonging to U.S citizens in Egypt at the time of this reporting.
For further information you may e-mail the State Department Egypt Emergency contact at: EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov or telephone at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (outside the United States and Canada).
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Pet City Besieged by Animal rights Group for Selling Puppy Mill Dogs
Open letter to Pet City from a concerned dog lover:
Hello,
I am the West Coast Director of the Companion Animal Protection Society. We are a national, non-profit organization that specializes in pet factory investigations. A colleague of ours, Lisa Goetz, brought your chain of stores to our attention recently with regards to your selling animals from inhumane breeding factories. I went in myself to take a look around and in order to corroborate what Ms. Goetz alerted us to.
What we discovered is disturbing. Some of the dogs are sick. Many of the dogs are showing signs of extreme stress, demonstrating behaviors that coincide with neglect, lack of exercise and social enrichment. Many of the dogs were close to six months old, indicating that they had been confined for so long that their development is abnormal. The enclosures are far too small for their size. We also determined that these animals are from inhumane breeding factories.
Furthermore, I witnessed one of your employees put a puppy in a garbage can while he was cleaning a cage. The dog was handled roughly by the employee who did not understand that it is detrimental to put a dog in the garbage. A dog is not garbage.
I am sending you one of my articles on the subject of pet stores converting to the humane business model. I hope you enjoy reading it; it explains, in depth, the new trend in pet stores across the nation.
Here is the link to the article in American Dog Magazine, the most widely read dog lifestyle magazine in America:
http://www.theamericandogmag.com/politics/inside-the-rescue-revolution
Just so you know, we are the organization that brought forth the anti-puppy mill legislation in West Hollywood. It is now against the law to sell factory -bred dogs and cats there. Hermosa Beach also passed such a law. So did Lake Tahoe. We are in meetings with the LA City Council to ban it city-wide and will go with these ordinances to every county. It is just a matter of time before your current practice of selling dogs from inhumane breeding factories is outlawed.
We urge you to convert to the humane business model before you further ruin your reputation in our community. There is a better way and we are all willing to work with you, to promote you, once you make the change.
Please note that the public does not want puppy mill dogs born out of cruelty and that the average person understands that dogs deserve better than to live out a sad life in a cage breeding until death. In order to thrive in this difficult economy, one needs to be the best.
Right now, you are falling short financially, and more importantly, you are falling short morally. Make that change and we will help you.
--
Carole Raphaelle Davis
West Coast Director, Companion Animal Protection Society
www.caps-web.org
www.rivierarescue.blogspot.com
www.hollywooddog.blogspot.com
www.HollywoodJinky.com
"If you save just one life, it is as if you saved the entire world."
For more information on the Pet City Boycott, please visit: http://boycottpetcity.blogspot.com/
See Article published in American Dog Magazine below and click on their logo to subscribe today.
See Article published in American Dog Magazine below and click on their logo to subscribe today.
Inside the 'Rescue Revolution'Victory for Dogs as Pet Stores Go Humane |
By Carole Raphaelle Davis
Sadly, millions of dogs are suffering in shelters and puppy mills. This year, a record number of dogs are being dumped and euthanized at shelters because of the current economic crisis. Commercial breeders and pet stores are also feeling the pinch. "People just aren’'t buying puppies right now,” says pet store manager Justin Vanert.
Growing numbers of commercial dog breeders in the Midwest are selling their homes for a pittance - advertising them as "turnkey investments," which often include kennels with hundreds of breeding dogs "free with the property." As bleak as it all sounds, this recession just might have a silver lining for the dogs who are wasting away in puppy mills and shelters. Perhaps this economic downturn might be a dog's chance to get out alive.
The dog trade is showing signs of weakness. Successful business is all about supply and demand and right now the demand side is shrinking as buyers of puppy mill dogs snap their wallets shut. But the reasons aren’t just the economy - it's a combination of decreased spending, public awareness of inhumane breeding practices, legislation that limits and criminalizes dog factory cruelty and effective campaigns led by animal rights activists.
This spring, a group of Los Angeles activists celebrated yet another victory. After five weeks of protests, the owner of Elaine’s Pet Depot signed an agreement to hand over all of her puppy mill dogs to Good Dog Animal Rescue for adoption. The agreement with the lynchpin store of a national chain of pet stores included a statement that reflected the store’s commitment to working with rescue organizations. The store agreed to hold adoptions and end its sale of puppy mill dogs. Reliable sources from within the franchise claimed that the entire Pet Depot chain was considering conversion to a humane business model within a few months. If the large chain stops buying from brokers and mass volume breeders, the strategy to cripple the puppy mill industry by hitting them where it hurts, in the wallet, is working.
The “go humane or go out of business” campaign has been able to gain momentum by combining its ability to exploit the current economic downtown and its skilled use of visual evidence from undercover investigations. The stores that were protested saw as much as 70 percent of their weekend business deterred by activists brandishing signs depicting graphic photos of dogs suffering in mills. An increasing number of stores in the heart of Los Angeles have been closed down or converted - more than a dozen so far in a little over a year.
As I write this, Pets of Wilshire, a store that was targeted, but hadn’t yet been picketed, just announced to me that they will no longer be selling puppy mill dogs and will be holding adoptions of shelter dogs. Asked if the protest movement had anything to do with the turnaround, manager Justin Vanert said, “Everybody’s worried about the puppy mill deal. We didn’t want any bad publicity, so we made the decision before it ever came here.”
The fact that the pet store protests and the conversions to a humane business model have been concentrated in L.A. is an important element of the national strategy, say architects of the movement. National welfare organizations are watching Los Angeles because although New York is the largest market for puppy mill dogs, Los Angeles is the most important. The celebrity culture here in L.A. dictates international consumer trends. What's hot here is copied everywhere. In L.A., blingbling is passe. The ultra-hip are solar-powered and driving their hybrid pound dogs to vegan cafés in hybrid cars. Shelter dogs are the latest in recycled chic for the socially conscious.
Known for being too conservative by some militants in the animal rights world, The Humane Society of the United States is getting more “street cred” now that it has embraced the formula for protesting pet stores. After their investigation revealed that the giant Petland chain sells puppies from inhumane dog factories, HSUS launched a protest campaign that propelled its more active members from their armchairs and onto the streets. This direct action tactic is great news to grassroots activists in Los ngeles. For the combatants, it's like waging a guerrilla war against a powerful enemy and suddenly, you get a backup surge of a million soldiers. "The rallies are going very well," says Stephanie Shain, Senior Director of HSUS’s puppy mill campaign. "We've been so moved by the incredible response from people. We remind people of how horrid life is for dogs who live in puppy mills for years on end."
Jennifer Fearing, chief economist for the HSUS, has been watching the L.A. movement develop. “What you all are doing is an essential component of a national effort to rid the market of puppy mills,” she said. “We have to pull on both the supply and the demand levers ... Everything from passing legislation to improving standards of care to foreclosing retail channels. PetSmart and PETCO have already shown that this business model works. They are lucrative.”
Some pet boutiques in L.A. closed down rather than negotiate with animal welfare advocates they viewed as extremists. The stores didn’t want to have "rescue crazies" take over their businesses and to split puny adoption fees after years of benefiting from the high profit margins from puppy mill dogs (dogs were typically bought by retailers for less than $300 and sold for up to $3,500). To make matters even more complicated for the stores, rescue organizations want all dogs to be spayed or neutered before they leave the store and some insist on "home checks" to make sure the pet will be going to a responsible home.
Leaders of the movement are trying hard to convince pet store owners that the idea of humane conversion is a better choice than a ‘For Lease’ sign in their window. “People can’t afford a $3,000 dog right now, so adopting one for $300 not only makes sense financially, but they can feel good about themselves for saving a life,” says Elle Wittelsbach, Director of Strangest Angels Rescue. “Plus, they come back to buy the supplies for the life of that dog. These stores are giving back to the community.”
The business model that seems to be emerging is a fullservice operation, which includes trainers, groomers, day care and a large selection of supplies. These services ferment a
community atmosphere and a milieu of hope. Full of rescued dogs, the stores become a site of burgeoning camaraderie between former adversaries. The thinking among converts is, if your ship was sinking anyway, you may as well look like a good guy by saving some shelter dogs and cats.
Humane stores provide a convenient alternative to shelters for those who want a fun shopping experience and are intimidated by a trip to the pound. "Inviting puppy store owners to become part of the solution is a creative, practical and people smart strategy,” said Dawn Armstrong, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society. “‘Out of the cage’ thinking is the beginning of the end of puppy mills. The public is ready.”
Recently, I assisted a rescue of 62 abused Miniature Pinschers from a puppy mill in Riverside, Calif. It was gratifying to see these dogs recovering after only a few weeks of rehab in foster care, ready to be adopted out of stores we once protested.
Bill Smith, president of Mainline Rescue in Pennsylvania, is waging a war against puppy mills. Thanks to his appearances on Oprah, forty million people, mostly middle-aged women, are educated about the horrors of puppy mills. When I told him of the Min Pins we rescued who are now in the converted stores, he told me, “These places have been selling puppy mill dogs for ages and now it’s ending with the adoption of the mothers themselves. It’s ironic. These people have benefited off these dogs for years and you basically forced them into a redemption process. For years they’ve been abusing the mothers and now they have to find them homes, accepting an adoption fee.”
Lewis Turner, owner of the Petcare Company in Hermosa Beach, Calif., was dissatisfied doing business with America’s largest brokers of puppy mill dogs, Lambriar and Hunte. He told me that four out of 10 dogs that were trucked in were ill.
“They had green liquid coming from their eyes or nose,” he said. “They’d have to be sent back because they were sick.” After six months researching how to make a humane store profitable, Turner is putting together a business plan to share with other retailers around the country.
“What’s in it for a retailer? They get the recognition from the community,” Turner said. “Customers are going to feel more comfortable supporting a store that rescues. It’s the same mentality as going green. It’s win-win for the retailer, the shelters, for the rescues and for the orphans. No one loses.” Asked why he went humane, he said, “It was the right thing to do.”
Bark N' Bitches, a retail pet boutique in the Fairfax district of L.A., has never sold live animals and is thriving despite the shrinking economy. “My business has never been better,” says Shannon von Roemer, the owner. “This business is recessionproof because people aren’t spending on luxury cars but they are spending on a feel-good item for their furry best friend.”
Roemer claims she has rescued over eight hundred dogs in three years. “Retail and rescue works very well for me,” says Roemer. Whether or not this business model is actually recession-proof, the success of Bark N’ Bitches is something to bark about.
Carole Raphaelle Davis is an animal welfare advocate and author of The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife. Visit her Web site at: www.hollywoodjinky.com.
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