As September 2009 approaches with no announcement of a date for the fall dog auction at Horst Stables, many
of you have been asking us when the next Thorp dog auction will be.
We are excited to announce that the answer to that may be -- NEVER!
For the past three months, we have been investigating
a rumor that the auction may be over. Several reliable sources have told us the same thing: there will be NO MORE DOG AUCTIONS
at Horst Stables!
Auction organizers have been
quoted as saying that running the auction is too much of a hassle because of the protests and negative media publicity!
Clark County Humane Society, its members, friends and supporters are happy
to have been instrumental in achieving this wonderful goal of putting an end to the misery inflicted on the innocent dogs
who languish in the puppy mills in the name of greed. We thank all of you who wore your orange t-shirts, stood up and chanted,
carried signs in the hot sun and the sub-zero temeratures -- as well as all of our Media friends who reported on the auctions,
the dogs, the millers selling them, and their impact on you -- NEVER doubt that you made a difference,
and we can't thank you enough!
This round has been won but we must all
remember that it is only a small piece of the overall fight for freedom and a decent life for man's best friends. We will
not rest until each and every is dog free of the systematic neglect and abuse that is so common in the puppy mills.
Please be sure to read more about the
exciting news by copying and pasting this link, from our good friends at Wis Puppy Mill Project, into your browser:
The next Dog Auction has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Thorp.
The auction begins at 12:30 p.m. Dogs will be available for public viewing starting at 10:00 a.m. We will
be there to protest and we invite all concerned animal lovers to join us! General guidelines for the protest are listed
below. More details regarding the protest will be available as the day grows closer, so be sure to check back.
Once again, we need to stand together to let everyone know that dog auctions are just wrong!
1) We will be meeting at 9:30 at the Northside Park in Thorp.
Directions are: Take
Hwy 29 to Thorp. Get off at Exit 108 for Thorp, Hwy 73 and Hwy M. Take Hwy 73 North. Drive straight through the
city of Thorp. Cross the railroad tracks, drive about 4 blocks past the tracks and the park will be on the left-hand
side.
2) Dogs may be viewed at the auction
site from 10:00 - 12:30 and the auction starts at 12:30.
3)Bring
the following:
*
If you have one, wear your orange protest t-shirt. You can wear your t-shirt right over
your winter coat! If you don’t have one, they are for sale at CCHS (click here to order yours!) and will also be available for sale at the protest.The cost is $10.00 plus tax. (Please bring along another shirt to wear in place of your protest shirt. It is possible that anyone wearing a protest
shirt may not be allowed to park in the auction lot. They may also deny you admittance to the auction itself.)
* Plan for bad weather! Please dress warmly and wear extra layers. We
will have hand warmers and rain ponchos available. *Umbrella and waterproof footwear in case of rain, sleet or
snow.
* We will have snacks and
hot beverages available.
*A protest sign.We will have markers, lathe for sticks, and staples
available to help finish your sign.You may use your own
slogan or choose from the following suggestions:
~ Ban Puppy Mills!
~ Stop the Suffering!
~ Look what they do to Man's Best Friend!
~ Mills are no way to treat dogs!
~ Dog Auctions are Cruel!
~ Regulate Puppy Mills Now!
~ Stop the Abuse!
~ Down with Dog Auctions!
* We will have extra protest signs available if you need one.
* If you
don’t have a protest sign, we also need people to help
hold our banners. Just let us know that you can assist.
* A camera for pictures of the protest. Cameras and "recording devices" are not allowed inside
the auction (gee, we wonder why?) but we would love to have pictures of the protest.
4) Additional
protest guidelines will be provided that day.
If you are not able to meet before the protest, you may certainly
come directly to the auction to join us! Take Hwy 29 to Thorp and get off at Exit 108 for Thorp, Hwy 73 and Hwy
M. Take Hwy M South. Go about 3 miles to the Horst Auction Barn. It is located at N13653 Cty Hwy M and is
on the right side of the road.
Let us know if you will be able to join us. (Email us at: (petshelter@email.com) We need to know how many of you will be there to help us. We are hoping for a
huge turnout!
Click on the photo above to see a larger picture of our t-shirt.
Want to make a statement against puppy mills and dog auctions?
Let everyone know that Wisconsin puppy mills and dog
auctions are just wrong. Join us in wearing your Puppy Mill Protest T-shirts! These t-shirts feature the logo
of the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project with the message to "Stop the abuse. End the suffering. Regulate puppy mills
now!" Printed on bright orange shirts, they are sure to get the message across. The shirts are available
in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, 2X and 3X. The price is just $10.00 for each shirt, plus
$2.00 shipping and handling for each.
You may order securely through "Click 'n Pledge" below, or you may order by mail.
Just send your check to: CCHS, PO Box 127, Neillsville, WI 54456. Be sure to indicate how many shirts
and the sizes you would like. If ordering through Click 'n Pledge, please specify the size(s)
you would like.
Please allow two weeks for delivery. This is a
great way to draw attention to one of the worst activities in Wisconsin. Please help us get the word out that puppy
mills and dog auctions are inhumane and must be stopped! Thank you for joining our fight to stop puppy mills!
Puppy Mills in the News
Some comments about the
story that follows below.
You know there are some people in this world who are so money-oriented that greed
overcomes any sense of right or wrong that a normal person should have. Such is the case of two kennels in Berks County, Pennsylvania. That state, like Wisconsin, is struggling to cope with the burgeoning number of “puppy mills” infesting it.
Many of these operations are just a way to make a quick
buck for the owners and the best way to do that is to cut corners wherever they can. Whether it’s skimping on medical
care, quality food, routine maintenance, proper breeding practices, sanitation, etc., they are willing to do whatever it takes
to increase the profits at the expense of the animals housed there and ultimately at the expense of the unsuspecting pet buyer
who may be stuck with large vet bills to correct medical problems. Then there are the socialization issues and all of the
behavioral problems mill puppies may have due to lack of proper handling in the first weeks when their personalities are developing.
This is when they learn to fear people who may mistreat them. That oftentimes turns into a fear of people in general. It’s
a fear that can carry through for a lifetime.
Apparently, the
two Berk’s County millers felt that the new Pennsylvania regulations requiring some health and sanitation issues in
their kennels to be corrected was too much of a financial burden so instead of complying with what we would consider
to be a very legitimate request to correct an unacceptable condition that could harm the animals housed there, they chose
to kill all 80 dogs. That does not surprise me. Like I’ve said before, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!! ---- Chuck
Wegner
Some
Very Sad News
HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 12 PA-Berks-dogs-killed
Current Law Allows Commercial Breeders to Shoot Dogs
HARRISBURG, Pa.,
Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff released the following
statement in response to the shooting of 80 dogs at two Berks County kennels:
'The recent shooting of 80 dogs
at two Berks County kennels is saddening. The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying
to repair a kennel and seek veterinary care is alarming, and will likely outrage many people. Unfortunately, the killing
of the dogs was legal under current Pennsylvania law.
'The two kennels involved have both voluntarily
closed, but until our state's outdated dog law is changed kennel owners may continue to kill their dogs for any reason
they see fit, even if it is simply to save money. We can't afford to wait any longer to pass legislation that would
ban commercial kennel owners from killing their dogs.
'House Bill 2525, introduced in
May, would allow only veterinarians to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels. The bill would strengthen
current dog laws and provide better standards for the health and safety of dogs in commercial breeding kennels without burdening
other types of kennels that house dogs. The legislature has an opportunity to pass this important legislation this fall,
and they should -- as doing so will assure that this activity will be illegal in PA commercial breeding kennels moving forward.'
Rather than seek medical attention for dogs suffering from fleas and fly sores, kennel owners
Ammon and Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot all 80 of their dogs to save costs. The Zimmermans, owners of A&J Kennel and E&A Kennel, voluntarily surrendered their
licenses on July 29 after killing the dogs.
Dog wardens inspected E&A Kennel on July 24, noting
several violations for kennel sanitation and maintenance. Wardens also noted fleas and fly sores on 39 of the dogs and
ordered veterinary checks. Wardens issued four citations for violations and planned to confirm the veterinary checks
during a follow-up inspection. The wardens were notified on July 29 that the owners of both kennels
chose to destroy the dogs and dismantle the kennels.
Here's the latest update on the PA story...
The article went worldwide via the AP.
Berks kennel owners kill their 80 dogs
By AMY WORDEN
| The Philadelphia Inquirer • Published August 13, 2008
Two Berks County kennel operators killed nearly
their entire kennel population - 80 dogs - after wardens ordered veterinary exams on dozens of their animals.
After
receiving a poor inspection report on July 24, Elmer Zimmerman of Kutztown shot his 70 small-breed dogs and threw them onto
a compost pile on his property, according to officials with the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. His brother, Ammon Zimmerman,
who operated A & J Kennel next door, shot 10 dogs about the same time, they said.
It is legal for
dog owners in the state to put a dog down by shooting it. Gov. Ed Rendell, as part of his effort to improve kennel conditions,
is seeking legislation to allow only veterinarians to euthanize commercial kennel dogs.
Elmer
Zimmerman, owner of E & A Kennel, said in an interview Tuesday that he feared the Department of Agriculture was trying
to close him down and that he destroyed the dogs on his veterinarian's recommendation.
"They were
old, and we were hearing that they don't want kennels anymore," said Zimmerman, who has held a commercial kennel
license since at least 2003. "The best thing to do was get rid of them."
Ammon Zimmerman,
reached Tuesday by phone, told a reporter his decision to destroy his dogs was "none of your business."
Jessie Smith, the dog-law bureau's special deputy secretary, said Elmer Zimmerman told dog warden Orlando Aguirre
that the dogs had been shot.
Aguirre, who had cited Zimmerman for multiple dog-law violations and ordered vet
checks on 39 dogs for flea and fly bites, told him he didn't believe he had shot the dogs. Zimmerman then got out the
backhoe and uncovered the bodies of dogs - among them poodles, shih tzus and cocker spaniels - that had been thrown onto the
compost pile, she said.
"It's horrible, but it's legal," said Smith of the shooting.
"That someone would shoot 70 dogs rather than spend money to do a vet check is extremely problematic,"
she said. "If the definition of a puppy mill is putting profits over care of the dogs, this is a stark example of doing
that."
Smith said Aguirre ordered Zimmerman to destroy the wooden hutches that held the dogs in order that the brothers
not go back into commercial breeding.
Smith said the bureau had stepped up its enforcement of current kennel regulations
in an effort to improve conditions. If they don't improve, she said, kennels should "go out of business."
Ken Brandt, lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Professional Dog Breeders Association, which represents 300 commercial
kennels, said his group did not support the Zimmermans' actions.
"There are others ways to take care of the
situation, like in a court," he said.
Howard Nelson, chief executive officer of Pennsylvania SPCA, called the shootings
inhumane and evil and said the breeder could have easily surrendered the dogs to rescue groups.
"He could
have treated the dogs with medication for $40 or $50," said Nelson. "Every humane society in the state would have
taken those dogs."
Elmer Zimmerman said he felt he had no alternative because business had been so
bad he couldn't "give away" his puppies, let alone his older, breeding dogs.
Both men surrendered
their kennel licenses and Elmer Zimmerman pleaded guilty to four charges of violating the dog law, she said.
During the inspection on July 24, wardens found, in addition to the skin infections, 19 other violations. They issued
citations for maintenance, extreme heat, insufficient bedding, and wire flooring that allowed dogs' feet to fall through.
Zimmerman said he had never had problems with wardens before. Inspection reports dating to 2006 show instances where
wardens noted severe matting of dogs' fur and inadequate shelter, but no citations or formal warnings were issued.
Smith said the shootings were reason for tougher legislation, under consideration by the state House, that would
require that dogs be euthanized only by a vet.
A recent Dog Auction in Thorp,
Wisconsin, took place on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008.
We were there to protest!
Our protest at the March 12th dog auction was a huge success. We
had over 60 people in attendance, and the day went very well. We would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to everyone
who helped with our protest. The day was rather cold and snowy, but we know that what we endured is nothing compared
to the suffering that continues in puppy mills every day in Wisconsin. Many people travelled a long distance to
participate, and we truly appreciate their dedication. We were very pleased to have great media coverage
of the event. Please click on these links to Channel 7 and Channel 18 to view the stories. The Marshfield News Herald also did a great story. Please click here to read their report. In addition, the Marshfield News Herald has published two excellent editorials
regarding puppy mills. Please click here to read the editorials.
Pictures of the protest are
now available to view. Just click on the start button in the center of the picture below.
More About This Site....
This site has been created to help keep you informed of future dog auctions and the protest activities we have planned.
We know that dog auctions are just wrong and that "man's best friend" should not be treated in such an abysmal way.
We will continue to speak out against dog auctions and hope that humane-minded people everywhere will join us!
Terrified dogs await their fate at the dog auction on 9/22/07 in Thorp, Wisconsin
Clark County Humane Society PO Box 127 Neillsville,
WI 54456
If you are interested in seeing what a dog auction is like please go to our website (www.cchs-petshelter.org). There you will find all kinds of information including: eye-witness accounts, videos of the dogs prior to the auction,
videos of the auction in progress, and videos and accounts of the protest at the last dog auction. This may be unsettling
for many people to view and read about but it needs to be seen. The only way the auctions will ever be stopped is if enough
people care enough about the dogs to become involved and help us.
Our intent is to bring public awareness to the disgusting
event, because we know that when people see what is being done to these innocent animals, they will be outraged and help us
to get future auctions stopped. We feel that puppy milling and dog auctions are the ultimate betrayal of “man’s
best friend” in the name of greed. It disturbs us to think that society has sunken to such a level of callousness that
puppy mills and their corresponding dog auctions could be looked upon with indifference.
Do you agree that puppy mills and dog auctions are wrong? Then join us in making
a statement!
Click here for complete details on how to get your Puppy Mill Protest T-Shirt!
Then click here to read an investigative report about the horrible world of puppy mills.
