Carol Bradley » Uncategorized

Reading the fine print before buying the dog

Carol — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:38:48 +0000

Animal lovers are warned over and over these days to steer clear of buying a dog from a pet store. Why? Because these dogs almost always come from puppy mills, which are infamous for cranking out ill-bred, sickly, emotionally compromised animals.

Despite the red flags, thousands of Americans continue to succumb to the doggy in the plexiglass cage. Starting in January, customers in Illinois will at least be able to learn more about the puppy they’re about to buy, thanks to a new law signed yesterday by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Along with the gender of the animal, its breed and date of birth, pet stores, animal shelters and the like will be required to disclose a dog’s vaccination history, its health history and the name, address and identification number of the breeder. What’s more, purveyors will have to provide the info before the sale, not after. Reading the fine print may help discerning customers decide whether the puppy they’re considering is worth the hundreds of dollars they’re about to plunk down. And having the name of the breeder means that, if the dog develops serious health problems days or weeks after going home with a family — not uncommon with pet store dogs — customers will know who’s to blame.

“Customers … will no longer have to guess about where the puppy in the window came from or what medical issues the puppy has,” said state Rep. Susana Mendoza, D-Chicago, one of the bill’s sponsors.

Dog lovers could do themselves a bigger favor, of course, by going directly to reputable breeders or, better yet, visiting a shelter in search of their next pet.

Hot dogs, ignorant owners

Carol — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:11:18 +0000

I called the cops last night to report a woman who’d left her dog inside a hot car. It was 6 p.m., 82 degrees and the windows of the car were cracked, so it could have been worse. Even so, having just stepped out of my own vehicle, I knew how hot the inside of her car must be.

The dog, a brown poodle, was sitting on the back dash — the hottest possible place — and barking his head off.

I noticed the dog as I was headed to Cartridge World in Great Falls to drop off some empty cartridges. The proprietor of the store gave me a yellow Post-it note so I could scribble a message to the dog’s owner. “It is waaaay too hot to leave a dog in this car!” I wrote. I pasted the note to the driver’s door as I passed back by. And then I noticed the line of customers inside the pizza place a couple of doors down. I walked down to the store, stuck my head inside the door and asked, loudly, “Does anyone here own the car with the dog?”

This is nothing new for me. Two or three times a summer I take on the role of public scold when I see a dog in a hot car. Only once have I encountered an appreciative, apologetic owner.

This time, a woman four back in line spoke up. Yes, she confirmed, that was her dog. “It’s too hot to leave your dog out,” I told her. “I know,” she said slowly and emphatically, widening her eyes to let me know she really did understand it could be a problem. Yet she made no move to step out of line to rescue her pooch.

I waited a couple of seconds and then said ”All it takes if a few minutes to overheat a dog,” which seemed to be pointing out the obvious. Again she replied: “I knowwww!”

The other customers were watching. The woman clearly planned to stand in line another 10 minutes or so. I glowered at her for a second or two, then threw my arms up in the air and walked out. And, on the way out of the parking lot, I called the city police. After a protracted conversation with them about the dangers of keeping dogs in hot cars, the dispatcher promised to call Animal Control.

I have no idea if she did so. When I drove back by the parking lot a half hour later, the car was gone.

What’s the moral of this story? Only that I intend to keep blowing the whistle on reckless dog owners. Even when they tell me they ”know.”

The book-promotion circuit

Carol — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:57:15 +0000

I’m back after a relaxing — if chilly – holiday weekend, part of it spent promoting Saving Gracie. In fact, my overnight trip to Missoula was one of those serendipitous instances where, publicity-wise, the moon and stars aligned.

Missoula is 165 miles southwest of Great Falls and always fun to visit. My husband, Steve, accompanied me on the spectacular drive there Friday afternoon. First stop: the studios of the local NPR station, KUFM, where I taped a 30-minute interview with Cherie Newman, host of “The Write Question.” Cherie told me she usually prepares a half-page or so of questions to ask authors. After reading Gracie, she jotted down two full pages of questions and comments. The interview will air sometime in late July or early August. I enjoyed meeting Cherie and before leaving I even got to tape a station announcement. Check out Cherie’s blog at http://www.thewritequestion.blogspot.com

Then it was off to Fact & Fiction bookstore for a book-signing and discussion about puppy mills. Missoula is a real writer’s town, and store founder and manager Barbara Theroux does everything she can to publicize local books. The Missoulian newspaper had graciously mentioned the book-signing on the cover of their lifestyles section, and shortly after 5 p.m. we had enough customers to warrant a discussion. At 7 p.m. we held a second talk to accommodate a later gathering. Barbara had me sign the remaining copies and the next morning, when I popped back into the store, she still had them front and center next to a poster featuring a cover of the book. That’s what I love about independent bookstores!

One of the people who dropped by Fact & Fiction was Lindsay Abernethy, a law student at the University of Montana who has started an Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter there. She invited me come talk to her colleagues this fall, which I’m happy to do.

Whenever we can squeeze in a reservation, Steve and I stay at Blossom’s, a Craftsman-style Bed and Breakfast on the east end of town. The following morning we indulged in a spread of homemade granola and yogurt, a potato/egg/cheese frittata and homemade sugar doughnuts with couples from Minneapolis, San Diego and Bristol, Rhode Island. As breakfast was ending, the gal from San Diego happened to notice some of the postcards for my book on Blossom’s desk and asked about them, unaware that I was the author. All three couples wound up buying a book!

Word of mouth is so important for book sales and the Missoula trip couldn’t have been more successful. Next stop: the Country Bookshelf in Bozeman at 7 p.m. July 20.

Saving Jillie

Carol — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:05:38 +0000

People who haven’t read Saving Gracie sometimes mistakenly assume that Gracie is my dog. She isn’t. But while I didn’t save Gracie, my husband and I did save Chachi, our husky-golden mix; he was wandering around Great Falls three years ago when we took him in.

We also saved Jillie.

Our beloved sheltie Bosco was barely in his grave when I began trolling rescue web sites for the right dog to replace him. As much as we loved shelties, we needed a dog who could stand up to the 60-pound/somewhat egotistical Chachi.

Chachi: Who, me share?

I came across Jillie’s photo on

www.montanapets.org – a compendium of shelter animals needing a new home — and my heart stopped. A couple of weeks later, Steve and I drove the 180 miles to Pintler Pets in Anaconda to pick her up.

Jillie was a Rez dog, one of scores of canines that roam the Blackfeet Reservation in a never-ending search for food and shelter. Veteran rescuer Deb Nickou spied her plopped down in the middle of a road, was struck by her vulnerable beauty and vowed to save her. By the time we hooked up with this thin and dirty creature, she’d spent a couple of months in confinement — a tough task for a border collie. She shut her eyes tightly on the ride home and wagged her tail with confusion when we beckoned her upstairs that first night. Steps were a totally alien concept.

Jillie’s brave ride to her new home

A year later, Jillie’s personality has erupted. She is easily the smartest, fastest and funniest dog we’ve ever had — the perfect complement to the Chachster. Considered a “soft” border collie — she isn’t nearly as demonic as BCs can be – she spends her days stalking squirrels, blasting through the doggy door to check on her family and wrestling hard and heavy with her best pal Chach. She gets a 3-mile walk each morning, regular visits to Great Falls’ Dog Park, and looks forward to two afternoons a week at doggy day care, where, after a quick body dip in the water bucket, she’s ready to ride herd on her fellow pooches. Loud voices still frighten her: While I was watching the movie “Precious” the other night, the sounds of Mo’Nique railing away sent Jillie running. But she’s no longer scared of mops, hoses or the sound of vegetables being chopped.

Life is good for Jillie — and exceedingly richer for us because we have her.

Puppy mills pale next to this

Carol — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:46:47 +0000

In the course of keeping tabs on puppy mills, I run across all manner of other forms of animal cruelty: kittens fed to snakes, dogs thrown off bridges, mutilated rabbits. I thought I’d heard it all until I drove to Missoula, Montana this week and listened to renowned biologist and author Marc Bekoff describe the plight of China’s moon bears.

I was vaguely familiar with the practice of caging Asian moon bears — so named because of the cream-colored, crescent-shaped V on their chests — for the purpose of extracting bile, which is used in all sorts of traditional eastern medicines. But I hadn’t known the particulars. The bears aren’t merely caged, it turns out: they’re confined to incredibly small “crush cages,” which makes it easier to extract the bile via catheters stuck into their gallbladders. The bears are stretched out on their backs in these cages, which often measure a mere 2.6 by 4.4 feet. They’re so immobilized that they can move only their heads — and not, as Marc pointed out, for 15 minutes or 15 hours, but in some cases for 15 years. Or longer.

This painful procedure combined with intensive confinement has to be the most despicable, insidious form of abuse ever inflicted on an animal. And thousands of bears across Asia endure it in bear farms that make puppy mills seem like palaces.

I was so touched by a photo Marc showed of Jasper, a moon bear who was finally rescued from his crush cage and is now living his final years at a sanctuary. Despite his ordeal, Jasper has learned to enjoy life — and even serves as an ambassador of sorts to new bears. Years of torture failed to kill his spirit.

Marc spoke about many more aspects of animal life in his talk, which was sponsored by the University of Montana’s Center for Ethics. A professor emeritus in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, he conducts research the world over for books like The Emotional Lives of Animals and Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals. I was lucky enough to join Marc and some colleagues for dinner beforehand and found him funny, engaging and eloquent.

Read more about the plight of moon bears at http://www.animalsasia.org/index.php?UID=2J0NIOGTVCWA

Breeder who sold pup to Biden escapes guilty verdict yet again

Carol — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:42:09 +0000

“Wardens observed large amounts of rodent feces throughout areas of the kennel. Several dead rats were found

during the inspection. The exercise pool building had black moldy rafters. The water in the pool was dirty

and had a green tint. The bottom of the pool had an accumulation of dirt and debris. Discarded medical waste,

such as syringes, and vaccine bottles along with other junk were found in the welping room. Broken sharp

siding was noted on areas of kennel where dogs can come into contact with it. Cobwebs, dirt, and debris were

also found throughout kennel areas.”

Sounds like a typical puppy mill? Here’s the twist: JoLindy’s German Shepherds, aka Wolf Den Kennel, is the outfit that sold Vice President Joe Biden a puppy a year and a half ago.

It’s not illegal that Biden unwittingly bought a dog from a problem kennel. But the fact that even the vice president of the U.S. can wind up with a puppy mill pup tells you how pervasive the epidemic is.

What’s more, despite continued problems, the breeder is still in business. Chester County, Pennsylvania breeder Linda Brown made her third appearance before a district judge this week, and once again was declared not guilty of dog-law violations, despite obvious violations. In addition to the issues above, dog warden Joe Loughlin witnessed dogs being fed raw chicken mixed in with dog feces and blood running from one dog’s mouth, contaminating its water bowl. The inside of the kennel was so dark the warden could barely see, according to the report.

Defense attorney Jeff Conrad protested that “ever since the vice president got his dog, (Brown) has been under a magnifying glass,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which covered the hearing. Conrad is the go-to attorney for problem breeders, apparently. The district judge, James V. DeAngelo, explained the not-guilty verdict by saying he couldn’t “get beyond reasonable doubt.” It’s worth noting that district judges in Pennsylvania are not required to have law degrees.

Here’s a link to the Inquirer’s story:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100615_Chester_County_kennel_where_Biden_bought_dog_found_not_guilty_of_violations.html

Pennsylvania law makes a difference

Carol — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:25:18 +0000

Good news from Pennsylvania: Dozens of puppy mills there have shut their doors rather than try to meet tough new operating standards, the state’s Burea of Dog Law Enforcement says in a just-out report. The number of large-volume kennels has fallen by two thirds, from 303 a year and a half ago to 111 today, according to the Associated Press.

Some of the kennels will reopen after making renovations. And the new law exempts smaller kennels from its most stringent guidelines, which means puppy mills are still doing business.

Still, the new law is turning around Pennsylvania’s reputation as the Puppy Mill of the East.

Among other things, large-volume breeders are required to double the size of the dog cages, stop stacking the cages, eliminate wire flooring and give their dogs access to the outside. The kennels have to be kept clean and ventilated and breeders must bring in veterinarians twice a year to examine their dogs.

Saving Gracie describes in detail Pennsylvania’s history with puppy mills and the campaign that brought about the unprecedented changes.

The new law isn’t perfect. Ideally, no dog would ever be housed in a cage. Authorities are still debating standards governing ammonia and humidity, air temperature, ventilation, flooring and lighting. And problems remain with kennels that operate off the radar, which escape scrutiny. The report estimates that at least 15 percent of the kennels that claim to have closed are probably still in business, according to the AP.

Still, despite what naysayers claim, Pennsylvania deserves credit for doing what it can to make life easier for the dogs that are.

Here’s the AP story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10889520

A book for Mother’s Day

Carol — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:06:43 +0000

Mother’s Day is looming. What better way to honor the mothers in your lives than with a good book?

Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, Crushing Heartbreak, and Astonishing Luck on Our Way to Love and Motherhood by Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand (Little, Brown; hardcover, $24.99) chronicles how, one by one, three professionally successful women set out to achieve motherhood — using donor sperm, if necessary. As luck would have it, none of the women wind up using the vials. Instead, they find love the old-fashioned way, and the journey is riveting.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Random House, paperback, $14) is a penetrating portrait of an acerbic junior high teacher in small-town Maine who, despite her crusty outer layer, longs for a sense of connection. The story of her visit to her semi-estranged son in New York will offer a different perspective to anyone who has ever wrestled with a difficult mother.

Which brings us to a shameless plug for my very own Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mills (Wiley; hardcover, $21.99) Single mother of three Linda Jackson finds her maternal skills tested in an entirely new way when she adopts Gracie, a sickly, emotionally deprived Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Your animal loving friends will cheer her on as she learns to bond with this needy but deserving dog.

Bosco’s bed

Carol — Tue, 04 May 2010 21:18:51 +0000

When we adopted him six years ago, Bosco the Sheltie was a bit on the wild side: he stole toast off our plates, riffled through coat pockets to pilfer treats and once even snatched part of a sandwich from a young woman who was sitting cross-legged in the grass.

The bowlegged, tricolored fellow with big ears had been taken in by Sheltie Rescue of Georgia after he was found wandering a street in Atlanta one snowy day. He was strongwilled and passionate: about trucks and buses (he circled with excitement when they passed) and even moreso food. But he was also loving, protective of his family and heartbreakingly sweet. He never stopped being grateful for his forever home. Long after the cheap brown fleecy bed I bought for him wore out, he refused to surrender it for a nice one. It was parked right next to our own bed, and at night he burrowed down into it with the same determination he brought to everything else.

Bosco was the name his foster family gave him, and it stuck. He was two years old when we got him, we think; with rescued dogs you never know for sure. In the five years we had him, he suffered a series of health problems. There were gallbladder issues. An absence of cartilage in one of his hind legs, which gave him a perpetual limp. A series of benign tumors forced the amputation of one of his toes. We fought the pain with everything from surgery to morphine drips to acupuncture. Bosco persevered as long as he could.

Finally, his body had had enough and when he lost his appetite, we knew it was time for that final visit to the vet. We kissed him goodbye a year ago today. Bosco was the neediest of our dogs, and maybe that’s why losing him hurt the worst. His forlorn-looking bed is still tucked in my closet, taking up way too much space. I’ll be ready to toss it someday, but not just yet.

21 puppy mill busts so far in 2010

Carol — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:34:43 +0000

If this isn’t an epidemic, I don’t know what is: In the first four months of 2010, a puppy mill has been discovered in the U.S. nearly once a week.

Take a look:

JANUARY

Fifty-one dogs were taken from a breeder in rural Minnesota
Seventy-five dogs were found squeezed into a shed and small trailer in Houston.
Another 75 dogs were found suffering at a kennel in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
In Amarillo, Tex., nearly 30 dogs were found in bad shape after the breeder died.

FEBRUARY

In Kankakee County, Ill., more then 50 Maltipoos, Yorkies and pugs, 10 of them pregnant, were found in a freezing shed with broken bones, fleas and mites and internal injuries.
In Sandusky County, Ohio, 33 basset hounds and Pomeranians were discovered mired in feces.
A Douglass, Kansas breeder who had failed six of her last eight inspections agreed to relinquish 111 dogs, but kept several dozen.
In Lawrence County, Tennessee, authorities removed 50 dogs said to be abused and neglected.
Thirty basset hounds were taken from a Montgomery County, Texas kennel.
Two dozen quivering Shih Tzus, poodles and schnauzers were seized from a puppy mill in Tulsa, Okla.

MARCH

Three hundred Welsh corgis, poodles, pugs and other breeders were rescued from a substandard kennel in Mason City, Iowa.
Almost 30 Yorkies and rat terriers suffering from heartworm, flease, parasites and rotten teeth were removed from a breeder in Rogersville, Ala.
More than 70 dogs found new homes after a breeder near North Platte, Neb., surrendered them following a surprise inspection.
Eighty-eight dogs were removed from a breeder in Upper Pittsgrove, New Jersey.
Fifty-two poorly treated pit bulls were taken from a Minnesota kennel.
Fifty-five thin dachshunds and Great Pyrenees found stacked in cages were removed from a puppy mill in Hurley, Missouri.

APRIL

Approximately 230 poodles and other dogs coated in urine and feces were rescued from a home in Sparta, Tennessee.
A Bucks County, Penn., breeder was charged with 35 counts of animal cruelty after authorities found more than 40 dogs living in filth in her home.
In Athens, Ala., more than two dozen dead dogs were found in a breeder’s freezer. Authorities rescued 20 others.
More than 100 matted, crippled dogs were taken from a breeder near Bristow, Okla.
In Gregory, Michigan, a breeder was charged with neglecting more than two dozen Chihuahuas, miniature Dobermans and other breeds.

Now check out this puppy mill rescue celebrating his freedom.

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/dispatch/2010/04/puppy_mill_rescue_tennessee_042610.html