Re: [pyrnet] Permission To Cross post. Rescue

[clhenke@juno.com]

This may be a partial answer to some of your questions about what happens
when rescues occur on a large scale with the pet shop/puppy mill issue. 
This is the bigger picture we all need to be aware of!  Cindy

-----------
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Donna W. Thompson
>To: Paula Neumann ; Pat Hebert ; Maxine Wade ; Marty Hetherington ;
Lyndaaz@att.net ; Joseph E. Champoux (Joe) ; Joie Chandler ; Esther
Scheller
; Ann Grosser
>Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 2:37 PM
>Subject: Animal Welfare Act Change
>
>
>>
>> PLEASE CROSS-POST TO ALL DOG BREED RESCUE / ANTI-MILL GROUPS, SHELTERS
&
>> HUMANE ORGANIZATIONS ON YOUR LIST.
>>
>> It takes a while to read, but please do it -- you'll see why as you
read
>> on...!
>>
>> For the animals,
>> Livi French, Director
>> The Caring Corps, Inc.
>> Box 319 Gracie Sta., NY, NY 10028
>> Phone/Fax 212.737.9358
>> =============================================================


>>
>> On Thu, 4 Jan 2001 16:47:46 EST Startec15@aol.com writes:
>> Received from another with permission to crosspost.
>>
>> January 3, 2001
>>
>> A United States Department of Agriculture's press release, dated
January
>> 2nd 2001, announced a major change that will affect rescue groups and
>> humane societies everywhere. Listen up...I'll do my best to explain.
>>
>> The Animal Welfare Act governs a large group of animals in the United
>> States. Regulated animals include dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits,
exotics,
>> zoos, circus animals, animals shipped on airlines, research animals,
etc.
>> It is also the law that oversees the commercial dog industry in
America.
>>
>> Late in 1999, USDA finally moved forward in a case involving a New
Mexico
>> research facility called the Coulston Foundation. The Coulston
Foundation
>> agreed to surrender more than 300 chimpanzees housed at their
facility.
>> In a settlement agreement with the facility, USDA announced, "This is
an
>> unprecedented consent agreement and a big win for these magnificent
>> animals...This agreement will help to ensure that all of the
>> approximately 650 chimps currently housed at the Coulston Foundation
are
>> provided quality care well into the next century."
>>
>> USDA was faced with a major dilemma during the long-lasting
investigation
>> involving the Coulston Foundation. The Animal Welfare Act allowed for
the
>> confiscation of the animals, but what on earth would USDA do with 650
>> chimpanzees? By law, if USDA confiscated these animals, they would
have
>> to be relinquished to another USDA facility. Given Coulston's long
>> history of abuse, torture and the deadly viruses these animals had
been
>> infected with, no research
>> facility in the country was offering to take these animals. So the
>> animals remained, year after year, at the Coulston Foundation until
USDA
>> finally 'forced' the Coulston Foundation to voluntarily surrender
these
>> animals to a retirement sanctuary.
>>
>> When USDA investigates horrendous conditions at a puppy mill, they are
>> often faced with the same problems as mentioned above. What will USDA
do
>> with the confiscated dogs? The law doesn't allow them to turn the
animals
>> over to shelters or rescue groups. They can only turn the dogs over to
>> another USDA licensed commercial kennel. Even if USDA could find a
kennel
>> to take in the dogs, they know that public outrage would  follow.
Their
>> only option is to destroy the dogs...again, the public would be
>> infuriated.
>>
>> On January 2nd 2001, USDA announced a change to the Animal Welfare Act
>> that will finally allow USDA to confiscate animals and release them to
>> humane organizations. Ron DeHaven, the deputy administrator of
>> USDA/APHIS/AC, announced, "This amendment to the regulations will
allow
>> us greater flexibility to act when it becomes necessary to confiscate
>> animals. The change will minimize the amount of time neglected, sick,
or
>> injured animals stay in unhealthy conditions."
>>
>> The change will officially take place on February 2nd 2001.
>>
>> Will your rescue group, animal shelter or humane organization be
ready?
>> Consider the Wisconsin case in September of 2000...223 dogs were
>> voluntarily surrendered. Most of these dogs were Chihuahuas. Because
the
>> facility voluntarily surrendered the dogs, USDA was able to work with
the
>> American Humane Association, but the story didn't end there. After
many
>> of the dogs were adopted, it was discovered that several of the dogs
were
>> infected with Brucellosis and hundreds of people were unknowingly
exposed
>> to this serious bacteria. All and all, I am sure the entire ordeal was
>> more than anyone ever bargained for.
>>
>> When will you be called on? What will you do when 200 dogs of your
breed
>> are seized? Are you prepared to bring this many dogs, most suffering
from
>> disease and injury, into your rescue program? Do you know how to keep
the
>> peace within your organization during a stressful time?
>>
>> Now is the time for your organization to establish an emergency plan
of
>> action. I think USDA will utilize this amendment to the Animal Welfare
>> Act very quickly. There are MANY, MANY cases pending right now where
it
>> is evident that USDA plans to confiscate animals...the only thing that
>> has been holding them back is the current law that gives USDA no power
to
>> do anything with the animals once they are confiscated. On February
2nd,
>> that will all change!
>

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Cindy Henke
clhenke@juno.com
Ennis, Texas

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and answers, is contained
in the dog."  ~ Franz Kafka

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