Carol Bradley

Pennsylvania dog law under siege

Carol — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:27:32 +0000

Disturbing news out of Pennsylvania: Four years after passing a groundbreaking law cracking down on its worst puppy mills, the Keystone State is suddenly dragging its feet enforcing the new law.

Department of Agriculture officials admitted they’ve inspected fewer than half of the state’s largest puppy mills, and they appear to be backing away from citing kennels that violate the new regulations requiring dogs to be given adequate food, water and exercise. The 2008 law also prohibits stacking cages and forcing dogs to stand on wire-mesh floors.

Clearly, the get-tough campaign against puppy mills just isn’t a priority current Gov. Tom Corbett the way it was when Gov. Ed Rendell was in office.

Under the new law, the number of large-volume kennels plummeted from 350 to just 52. The state was on a roll. Yet thousands of dogs remained confined to cages, living lives no dog would want to live.

Now, the head of Dog Law Enforcement, Lynn Diehl, has acknowledged that only 17 of the 52 largest kennels currently comply with the dog law. She says the agency is trying to work with kennel owners. But kennel operators are well aware of the new requirements; they’ve had plenty of time to get up to speed. As dog law board member Tom Hickey told the Allentown Morning Call, “Either they comply with the law or they shut down.”

On top of this, authorities say their dog-law enforcement budget is running short. But according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the state has fallen behind collecting dog license and kennel application revenue. This is the same department that once had a $14 million surplus.

The Corbett administration waited more than 15 months to even convene a meeting of the state Dog Law Advisory Board, which keeps an eye on dog-law enforcement.

All of this is upsetting to me. I set ”Saving Gracie” in Pennsylvania to highlight the progress one state was able to make. The new dog law made a huge difference and inspired more than a dozen other states to follow suit.

Unfortunately, what we’re now seeing goes to show how quickly the best of intentions can be undermined. When it comes to puppy mills there’s no rest for the weary, ever, I suppose.

‘Working there messed me up’

Carol — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:34:19 +0000

In the 22 months since Saving Gracie was published, I’ve heard from dozens of animal lovers eager to share their story about rescuing a puppy mill dog. A recent letter from 20-year-old Ohio resident Breann Davis is as powerful as they come. Breann wrote about her own experience working in a puppy mill. She was so shell-shocked by what she witnessed — and by what she was unable to change — that last October she finally left, vowing to do what she can on the outside to change the lives of these dogs. With her permission, I’m reprinting Breann’s letter so you can read the disturbing details for yourself. Thanks, Breann.

She writes:

Hello,

My name is Breann and I recently purchased your book, “Saving Gracie.” Stopping puppy mills is something I want to dedicate my life to. I recently quit my job, I worked at a puppy mill for fourteen months. During my time there I saw the most horrifying things and to this day I still have nightmares about it.

I started my job there right out of high school. My mother had told me about a “dog kennel” that was hiring and I jumped on the opportunity because I love dogs. Dogs have always been my life and my love for them is uncomparible to anything else. To my horror, it was not a dog kennel at all but a full blown mill. Three buildings filled with dogs in wire cages. The noise was deafening. The smell was even worse. But I accepted the job because I wanted to work with animals and I figured that I might be able to make their lives a little better. When I first started there were around 100 dogs. You see, she didn’t breed very much so out of the 100, only about 20 were adults. She was mostly a broker. She bought puppies for low prices from local amish and resold them for outrageous prices. 90% of the dogs there were sickly. Every week she would go out and bring more dogs in. Half of the pups would die after about a week. It was truly awful.

The dogs mental health were worse than their physical. If they weren’t completely terrified of people then they were so crazed for attention that they would try digging or biting threw the cage to get to you. After a few months of me being there she doubled her kennel size. She kept most of her dogs in 24″ by 24″ wire cages. She had Yorkies, Maltese, Poodles, Caveliers, Bichons, Poms, Havanese, Pugs, and various mix breeds. In slightly bigger wire cages she kept Bulldogs, Bermese Mountain dogs, Labs and various others. If these larger breed puppies didn’t sell fast enough, their legs would grow wrong from standing on the wire and not being able to exercise. Working there messed me up, being in the middle of animal cruelty was stressful.

She always lied when selling the pups, telling the new owners that the pups were bred and raised by her. She hired a vet who had lost his license due to malpractice to “vet check” these puppies. Most of the dogs she sold went for at least $600, most of them being mixed breeds. She oftentimes sold mixed dogs as purebreds. I spent most of my mornings frantically trying to revive dying puppies, medicating ill dogs and giving each animal a little bit of love, even if it was just a pat on the head. The rest of my day consisted of cleaning and feeding.

I ended up saving two dogs from that hell hole. My first was a yorkie-poo I named Sheldon. Soon after I started working there Sheldon came in from an amish breeder. Three days later I took him low for the “low” price of $250. She was selling him for $600 originally. My tiny half pound puppy was riddled with ear mites and worms. He was also underweight. But boy was he a little lover boy and I was happy for him to have a home.

My second dog, Namine, I got in January of this year, 2011. She was seven months old and extremely terrified of everything. My boss had told me she was trading her to an Amish breeder in exchange for some puppies. I couldn’t bare to watch that tiny, horrified yorkie-pom girl spend the rest of her life producing litter after litter. I immediately offered to buy her and that day I took her home for $150.

I still have both of these dogs and they are spoiled rotten. Namine is still very skittish and trusts very few people, but she spends most of her time slumbering in my lap or enjoying the big yard we have. You can tell that both dogs are grateful to be out of that place, they are such wonderful animals who have brightened my life.

I ended up quitting soon after an awful upper respiritory infection broke out, killing over half of the kennel. Never have I ever witnessed that much death at one time.

I hope one day my ex boss will be shut down, but sadly animal laws aren’t very strict so she will continue to get away with it. I may only be twenty, but I hope one day I can be part of the solution to getting rid of these cruel operations.

Thank you for your time and your book.

Puppy mill busts numbered 81 in 2011

Carol — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:54:57 +0000

Authorities rescued dogs from a puppy mill in the United States an average of every four and a half days in 2011, for a total of 81. That’s a record number since I’ve been keeping track.

You can interpret all the activity in one of two ways: A) the public is finally waking up to the epidemic of substandard kennels in this country, or B) that puppy mills continue to operate unabated. Maybe a little of both.

Here’s what took place the last three months of the year:

OCTOBER

– In Oroville, Calif., officials cited a breeder for neglect after finding 19 pit bulls and 19 puppies at his house near Forbestown. The dogs were unvaccinated and tied up, and the kennel was unlicensed.

– The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed more than a dozen criminal and civil charges against a North Carolina woman for selling diseased puppies and dogs to buyers who thought they were adopting rescued dogs. Jessica Isenhour’s “Saving Fur Kids” was hiding behind the animal rescue effott to operate a for-profit puppy mill, said Rick Yocum, head of the NJSPCA.

– An animal rescue group in York, Pa., appealed to dog lovers to save 15 to 20 Havanese, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mixes and Shih-Tzus after their owner announced plans to close the puppy mill they lived in and euthanize the animals.

– Rescuers moved more than 100 dogs from a mobile home in Rowan County, N.C., some in such bad shape that it was difficult to tell what breed they were.

– In Merriam, Kansas, 14 Maltese puppies, Yorkies, Schauzers and Pomeranians were rescued from a breeder who closed shop. The dogs were socialized, but had severely rotted teeth, had suffered from a poor diet and lacked routine medical care.

– In Washington state, officials seized 100 dogs from two houses, including some owned by a woman who has judged American Kennel Club shows. Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and other dogs were found in bad health and in extremely dirty crates at one of the houses. At least a dozen of the dogs had to be euthanized.

NOVEMBER

– In Hot Springs, Ark., the ASPCA rescued close to 175 dachshunds, West Highland terriers, Boston terriers and Chihuahuas suffering from skin conditions, fleas and severe neglect. The owner, Pat Thomas, was charged with three counts of felony animal cruelty.

– In Cloquet, Minn., 34 Yorkies, miniature pinschers and dachshunds were removed from the inside of a house and from a tool shed the size of a bathroom, where the dogs were kept in filthy cages stacked on top of one another.

– Sixty-four dogs rescued from puppy mills in Antlers, Okla., were trucked to the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, N.Y., to begin new lives.

– In Greenburgh, N.Y., 16 to 20 Italian mastiffs died when the shed they were being kept in caught fire. Authorities had forced the breeder to shut down in 2006 and were unaware that he had started selling dogs again.

DECEMBER

– In Henry County, Ky., officials investing an anonymous tip found nearly 120 Brittany spaniels, black labs, chocolate labs and other dogs living in three sheds piled with feces, absent food or water. Authorities also found nine horses 30 cats, rabbits, gerbils, a hybrid wolf and an owl; rescuers had to wear hazmat suits to remove the animals.

– More than 140 dogs were rescued from a puppy mill in rural Denton County, Texas. Feces was built up so high that it was rotting the animals’ skin. The dogs had infected nail beds, missing hair and their paws were scalded by urine.

– In Mabank, Texas, the local SPCA found two dead dogs and 47 others in a state of neglect at a property near downtown.

– Police seized 21 malnourished and injured dogs who had apparently been used for dog-fighting at a breeder’s house in Winter Haven, Fla. The dogs had scars, scratches, scabs and bite marks.

– Authorities found more than a dozen purebred dogs malnourished and living in filth at the home of a nationally recognized German Shepherd breeder in Stratford, Connecticut. Dogs were stacked in crates throughout the house with no bedding or water. A story about the bust noted that on the wall above the cages hung certificates and awards the breeder, Dawn Marie Pieger, had received for dog handling.

– A Greenwood, S.C., woman was charged with neglect after her children told authorities their mother made them clean the pens of hundreds of dogs when they came home from school, and whipped them for not working fast enough. Sheriff’s deputies described the smell in the house as almost unbearable.

– In Oklahoma City, Okla., more than 70 dogs suffering from hernias, eye infections, bad teeth and malnutrition were taken from a puppy mill.

– Authorities rescued 28 dogs from horrific conditions at a kennel outside Apache Junction, Az. The dogs were crammed six or more to a crate, were soaked with urine and had only contaminated water, no food.

– Near downtown De Leon, Texas, the SPCA took 14 Chihuahuas living amidst feces, cowebs, roaches, trash and other forms of filth.

Also in December, following an NBC Miami investigation, a Cooper City, Fla., company was charged with secretly selling puppy mill dogs instead of dogs from top quality dealers, as it claimed. The lawsuit against Purebred Breeders was filed on behalf of 11 customers and in cooperation with the Humane Society of the United States after customers reported the puppies they had purchased online became sick upon arrival and sometimes died. The business is said to sell more than 16,00 dogs a year supplied from 2,000 breeders, especially at Christmas, when prices could jump to $4,000 a dog.

A dog’s list for Christmas

Carol — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:20:55 +0000

All I want for Christmas:

10) Patience. I’m new to your home and I don’t yet know the rules.

9) Again, patience. Hold your temper if I nip at you when you try to take away a bone. I’m not used to being well-fed.

Kindness. No need to buy me rhinestone collars or frou-frou outfits. Just treat me like your friend and I’ll be content.

7) Empathy. Don’t tie me up outside or keep me in a pen. I’m bred to socialize and I consider your family my pack.

6) Attention. Play with me! Tug, keep away, Come Find Me. Take me on walks, every day. Walks make me happy (and they’ll help make you fit).

5) Routine. I thrive on it: same food, same mealtime, day in and day out. Habits make me feel safe.

4) Inclusion. Take me with you on car rides, especially to the pet store. I can’t begin to tell you how ecstatic all those smells make me feel.

3) Courage. If you see another dog being mistreated, please let the authorities know. I’d want someone to speak up for me.

2) Compassion. When I get too old and ill to enjoy being a dog, please — have me euthanized.

1) Your love. Give me your heart and I’ll return it five-fold.

Happy holidays!

Developer to pet stores: stop selling animals

Carol — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:57:07 +0000

Just when I was starting to think puppy mills would never disappear comes fantastic news: a prominent shopping center developer is banning the sale of live animals in no fewer than 74 malls across the United States.

Starting a month from now, Macerich has told pet stores it will no longer renew their leases if they continue to sell animals.

An animal lover from Los Angeles named Jennifer Peterson gets the credit for the new policy. Peterson started reading up on puppy mills after a friend of hers bought a puppy from BarkWorks pet store, only to realize days later that the dog was sick.

Peterson went to town pressuring BarkWorks to get out of the dog-selling business. She started a Facebook page, Boycott BarkWorks, where other victimized customers could share their stories. And then she contacted a friend of hers who just happens to be Macerich’s vice president of leasing. BarkWorks leases its space from Macerich. Her friend in high places, Randy Brant, was astonished to learn the harsh facts about pet store dogs. Together Brant, Peterson and Brant’s wife, Dahli, spent a year helping Macerich craft the new ban.

I’m so psyched by this news and by Peterson’s challenge. “If you see a pet store, write a letter. Complain,” she told a reporter. “Find out who the leasing company is and let them know about puppy mills. … People can do it.”

You bet they can.

Wondering if your local mall is a Macerich property? Here’s a link to help you find out.

http://www.macerich.com/find/findacenter.aspx

Puppy mill busts keep climbing: 62 this year

Carol — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:06:05 +0000

A breeder who creates a “rescue site” to adopt out dogs she actually bred herself. A training kennel that dumps off unwanted dogs and tries to pretend they’re strays. So it goes in the nefarious world of puppy mills. To date this year, I’ve tracked 62 busts of substandard kennels containing anywhere from a dozen dogs to 225. That’s a bust every six and a half days.

Here’s the latest:

AUGUST

– Nearly 100 bloodhounds, boxers, French Bulldogs, Australian shepherds, cocker spaniels and other breeds were found languishing among dozens of dead dogs at the home of a breeder near Fort Worth, Texas. The breeder had died several days earlier and the dogs had gone without food and water during Texas’ record-breaking heat wave.

– In Raleigh, N.C., 67 dogs and three days were removed from a home that had been advertising the animals on the internet. The breeders refused to provide documentation that the dogs were registered with the American Kennel Club or the Continental Kennel Club, as they claimed. (Neither form of registration would have guaranteed the health of the dogs, I might add.)

– In Lincoln County, N.C., a breeder surrendered nearly 135 dogs after officials told her she needed to have them vaccinated. The poodles, terrier, dachshunds and maltese were treated for fleas, ticks and skin, ear and eye problems. The Guilford County animal shelter that took them in had also taken in 35 dogs from nearby Franklin County two weeks earlier.

– In Missouri, rescuers removed Chihuahuas, Maltese, Shih Tzus, Westies, Poodles and Dachshunds from puppy mills across five counties. The kennels were all shut down.

– Meanwhile, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster went after JJ Kennel in Ray County after inspectors found dogs mired in excessive feces in unsafe cages and in need of medical care.

– Investigators near Clewiston, Fla.,discovered 225 dogs in substandard conditions. The breeder was selling the puppies without health certificates, which are required by state law.

SEPTEMBER

– In Mason City, Iowa, a dozen frightened older breeding dogs who were suffering from fleas and rotten teeth were taken from a kennel.

– In Bell County, Texas, authorities removed more than 75 Chihuahuas, poodles, miniature schnauzers, Pomeranians and Boston terriers from a puppy mill. The dogs had bacterial and viral infections, decaying teeth and heartworm in some cases .and were unsocialized.

– The sheriff of Floyd County, Texas, seized approximately 250 dogs from a kennel whose owner claimed the dogs were up to date on their shots. German shepherd, golden retrievers and collies were removed along with a malnourished horse.

– At the request of the Humane Society of the U.S., the state of Missouri checked out a so-called dog rescue group operated by a breeder, Wendy Laymon, which appeared to involve dogs from Layman’s own puppy mill. The complaint said Laymon created the organization, “Rescue a French Bulldog,” and used it to offer allegedly rescued dogs to the public for adoption fees that ranged anywhere from $500 to $950.

– In Dade County, Fla., police removed 17 thin and flea-covered Great Danes from a kennel that were subsisting without food or water.

– A breeder in Georgia surrendered 65 dogs to the Atlanta Humane Society. The dogs weren’t abused but had been neglected somewhat, officials said.

– Also in Georgia, authorities halted operations at a training and breeding facility suspected of dumping unwanted and emaciated dogs. Conditions were said to be deplorable at Premier K-9 kennel, owned by Art Washington, a former business partner of NFL football pro Michael Vick. The kennel called the county in August to pick up four dogs it said were strays found on the property. The dogs were purebred Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and other breeds. They were covered in feces and emaciated; two German Shepherds had wasted away to just 40 pounds each, half their normal weight.

New Yorker writer buys pet-store dog: ouch

Carol — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:05:08 +0000

You’d like to think that most Americans know a little something about puppy mills by now. Maybe not everybody, but those of us who have dogs, at least. Especially those of us who are contemplating getting a dog.

After all, there’s so much information about the horrors of large-volume commercial dog breeding circulating in the public sphere these days (Google the phrase “puppy mill” and 1.89 million results pop up). Like smoking cigarettes or contemplating breast implants, people still buy puppies at pet stores, but they would have to pull their heads out of the sand to do so. They’re almost willfully choosing to be ignorant about the risks. Are they really too dumb to do a little checking out first?

Apparently so. I read with astonishment the opening paragraphs of Adam Gopnik’s essay in the Aug. 8 issue of The New Yorker, where he admits outright that he and his wife purchased a new dog for their 10-year-old daughter from a pet store. Their daughter, who lobbied for a pet, knew about puppy mills. Gopnik writes: “Shrewd enough to know that she would never get us out of the city to an approved breeder, she quietly decided that she could live with a Manhattan pet-store ‘puppy mill’ dog if she could check its eyes for signs of illness and its temperament for symptoms of sweetness.”

Let’s get this straight: Gopnik’s 10-year-old daughter did her homework, but Mom and Dad couldn’t be bothered. They’d rather shell out hundreds of dollars for a product of substandard breeding than track down a reputable breeder or, even better, choose a dog from the local shelter. In so doing, they’ve helped perpetuate the awful cycle that will doom that puppy’s mother to life in a cage, churning out litter after litter for profit’s sake.

I’m shocked and appalled. If a writer of Gopnik’s stature can be fooled, we have lots more work to do.

Puppy mill busts rise to 44 so far in 2011

Carol — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:49:32 +0000

Good news or bad? I never know quite to think when I stumble across yet another puppy mill bust in America. It’s good news, of course, that that particular corner of hell has been shut down. But bad news, too, because for every substandard kennel that get caught, you know there have to be many. many more still operating off the radar.

By my count, the number of puppy mill raids so far this year now numbers 44 — not including the instances where dogs had to be removed from deplorably run pet stores.

Here’s the skinny from the last two months:

JUNE

– In Newaygo County, Michigan, rescuers seized 16 mixed breed puppies found malnourished and infestated with worms.

– In Alexander, Ark., 58 dogs, 50 of them puppies, were removed from a metal building that was hotter than 100 degrees inside. The dogs were confined to small cages without food or water.

– Animal rescue groups removed 16 puppies from The Perfect Puppy pet store in Stony Brook, Long Island. Two of the dogs had upper respiratory infections, kennel cough and diarrhea.

– The Elmbrook Wisconsin Humane Society took in six of 44 dogs rescued from puppy mills in the Midwest.

– Rescuers seized 276 dogs, some of whom had serious infections and almost all of whom were crammed into filthy cages — from Mason Creek Kennels near Hickory, N.C. (see previous blog entry)

– In Zebulon, N.C., 25 dogs were removed from a home where nearly 200 animals were suffering from neglect.

JULY

– The North Shore Animal League on Long Island took in more than 70 labs, Chihuahuas and Pomeranians who’d been removed from puppy mills in Oklahoma and Missouri.

– In Monett, Mo., authorities seized 70 poodles, labs, beagles and other breeds from a kennel where they were founding standing in water, surrounded by trash.

– In Snohomish County, Wash., officials rescued 40 Italian greyhounds, papillons and miniature pinschers, six cats and six birds from an illegal kennel. The owner was found dead in his home and the animals likely had gone with out food or water for three days.

–In Hertford, N.C., rescuers removed approximately 80 poodles, Pekingese, Yorkies and other breeds suffering from tumors, hernias, ear and eye infections and rotting teeth. Maggots were feasting on some of the dogs’ wounds and newborn puppies were covered in fleas.

– In Collier County, Fla., a breeder relinquished 49 labs and golden retrievers who were overheated and covered with ant bites and fleas. The breeder, Arthur Perkins, kept four dogs and was not charged with any crime.

AUGUST

– Already this month, 50 Bichon frises were removed from a breeder near Kearney, Nebraska. The dogs’ hair was so matted it was tugging at their skin, leaving bald spots.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian animal welfare groups now suspect there may be twenty puppy mills operating on the island of Oahu. Rescuers raised public awareness about the problem when they seized 153 dogs from a bad breeder in February. A recent story in the Honolulu Star Advertiser said a new state law spelling out the rules for confining and caring for dogs has changed the way breeders deal with Humane Society investigators — they’re no longer allowing the investigators onto their property, apparently for fear they’ll be found in violation.

NC puppy mill bust is wake-up call

Carol — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:11:43 +0000

My first thought when I started reading about the puppy mill bust in Hickory, North Carolina last month was: Oh no. Here we go again.

Authorities removed 276 dogs, some of whom had serious infections and almost all of whom were crammed into filthy cages, stacked one on top of one, other from Mason Creek Kennels, an operation run by Bill Thomas Allen, in the northwest corner of the state. The similarities to the puppy mill I wrote about in Saving Gracie didn’t stop there.

Like the dogs at Michael Wolf’s Mike-Mar Kennel in Upper Oxford, Penn., where Gracie and 332 other dogs languished, the North Carolina dogs were mired in their own feces, their paws tender and sore from having stood on wire cages their entire lives. The cages were so small the dogs had trouble turning around.

Many of the dogs had teeth so rotten they were decayed down to their jaws. A French bulldog named Jack had a hernia so advanced his bladder and colon came through his torn flesh. Another French bulldog had parasites and fungus so severe her ear canal was swollen shut. Somehow, those dogs had managed to survive. When officials arrived at the scene the carcasses of two other dogs lay there in plain view. The week before the raid, Allen turned over 37 dogs in such bad shape they had to be euthanized.

Like Mike-Mar Kennel, Allen’s Mason Creek Kennels had a website guaranteeing the health of the Yorkies, Pomeranians, Boston terriers and French bulldogs it was peddling. It boasted a “brand-new state of the art facility … designed ideally for the rearing of happy, healthy, exercised and socialized adult canines and puppies.” Allen bragged about having 28 years of experience as a dog breeder and assured readers that his puppies were AKC certified. Of course, if you’ve read my book you know that AKC certification doesn’t guarantee diddly.

In the weeks since, North Carolina newspapers have been full of stories about the Mason Creek dogs. That’s because at least five shelters in North Carolina and Virginia have taken in the ailing dogs, then had to rely on the generosity of hundreds if not thousands of animal lovers to provide donations, supplies and the kind of care needed to turn these dogs’ lives around. The same thing happened when Gracie’s kennel was busted in 2006.

Allen goes to court this week on 104 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and two charges of failing to dispose of dead dogs. A diabetic who gets around in a wheelchair, he’s blaming his employees for failing to take care of the dogs (even though a number of the dogs, including Jack, lived in Allen’s home).

By last week, things were looking up. A number of the dogs had been adopted out to new homes. And a shell-shocked public has responded in droves, asking how they can help.

They can help by lobbying their state legislators to pass a law cracking down on egregious breeders. Twice North Carolina’s legislature has rebuffed such measures.

Three young girls from Durham — Jen and Elizabeth Spores and Alex Middleton — are circulating a petition that would impose tougher laws on commercial kennels, requiring outdoor exercise and bigger cages for dogs. It’s obvious to these girls, and to many North Carolinians, that an overhaul is needed. The state’s lawmakers need to wake up and smell the ammonia-pierced fumes and tackle a problem the public is demanding they solve.

Give Diehl a chance

Carol — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Animal welfare activists in Pennsylvania are disturbed, if not alarmed, over the replacement of Jessie Smith as head of the state’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. Smith held the post for five years. Appointed by then-Gov. Ed Rendell, it was her job to implement the groundbreaking 2008 law that cracked down on large-volume puppy mills by requiring larger cage sizes, outdoor exercise and veterinary examinations. Since the law’s enactment the number of Pennsylvania kennels selling 60 or more dogs a year has fallen by nearly 80 percent, from 300-plus to just 74, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy Worden.

Now Rendell is out of office and his successor, Gov. Tom Corbett, has appointed Lynn Diehl, a former bank manager, to run the Office of Dog Law Enforcement. Diehl has lots of experience when it comes to financial loans, but none in the area of kennel-enforcement. She does have a dog, a dachshund named Lilly.

Smith, meanwhile, has been reassigned to the governor’s Office of General Counsel.

It’s too bad Smith is no longer running the Dog Law Bureau. She came under fire from activists like Bill Smith, the founder of Main Line Animal Rescue, who apparently thought the brutal world of puppy mills should and could be cleaned up overnight. As a former newspaper reporter who covered state legislatures in Tennessee and New York, as well as the U.S. Congress, I can assure you that change of that magnitude doesn’t happen on a dime. (What’s more, people who see the world with such black-and-white starkness often hinder the cause.) I tracked Jessie Smith’s progress while researching Saving Gracie, which is set in Pennsylvania, and thought she deserved more credit than she got.

Now that she’s gone, people are even more upset at the inexperience of her successor. A spokeswoman for Corbett insists he has no intention of dropping the ball on the behalf of breeding dogs, however. (The state still has 2,400 dog kennels that aren’t required to abide by the new law.) Corbett was the state attorney general when the new law took effect and he prosecuted some of the most egregious puppy mill cases. Some say he had to be nudged to do so. Either way, he has more than a passing understanding of the law.

I don’t blame activists for their vigilance, because breeders have never liked the new law and continue to clamor for it to be watered down. But as my father likes to say, if you want to get to the honey, don’t knock over the beehive. Give Diehl a chance. Offering to work with her is likely to accomplish more than labeling her an enemy before she’s even had a chance to put her name on the door.