Frankie The Law Dog

The hilarious dog blog, Life With Dogs, has a commentary on Michael Vick’s 60 Minutes interview with James Brown over the weekend.  We at Frankie the Law Dog couldn’t agree more with their assessment.

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated is reporting that James Brown has one regret about an unasked question during the interview.  Vick indicated that he “allowed” things to happen to the dogs.  Brown regrets that he did not follow up on that with additional questions, seeing as how Vick actually killed dogs with his own hands.

Suggesting that he “allowed” things to “happen” to the dogs is a cop-out and not an acknowledgment of responsibility.  It certainly is not an indication of remorse.  Apparently, Vick is still reluctant to fully acknowledge that he personally – with his own hands – tortured, maimed and killed dogs.

Mason Lerner of thefastertimes.com says he believes (or wants to believe – Lerner admits he’s skeptical) that Vick’s statement “I could have put a stop to it” amounts to putting “all the blame squarely where it belongs.”  In other words, Lerner believes that statement is a full acknowledgment of responsibility.

Judge for yourself.  The entire interview is embedded into the article.

Almost immediately after signing Michael Vick to a two-year, multi-million dollar deal, the Philadelphia Eagles are on the defensive, responding to public criticism over their choice to sign a confessed animal torturer to play for their team.

The Philadelphia Enquirer reports that the Eagles issued a note to their high-dollar suiteholders (their “premium-service clients”) claiming they “understand” that their decision to sign Vick “may result in some personal soul-searching for you, along with some public debate in the coming days and weeks.”  The letter went on to ask the suiteholders not to allow this debate to “distract” from their relationship with the Eagles.

Eagles president Joe Banner included a statement that Vick deserved a “second chance” and asked that these clients join the Eagles in their “support and optimism” for Vick as he “commits to showing Philadelphia and the country he is a changed human being.”

Who is Joe Banner Talking About, Anyway?

Is Banner talking about the same guy who blatantly lied to Roger Goodell’s face when the charges first materialized?  Only to have to finally admit their truth when the evidence against him was too compelling to continue to deny?  Is this the person we’re supposed to believe is now a “changed human being”?

Can someone who has a long history of torturing innocent creatures – for fun – be truly capable of becoming a “changed human being” simply because he was caught and punished for his atrocities?  I doubt it.  Had he not been caught, Michael Vick would likely still be engaged in his dog fighting operation.

Let’s be perfectly clear about what he did.  The dogs in Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring were forced to fight to the death.  The dogs that did not die in the ring were often electrocuted, drowned, hanged, shot or beaten to death.

This went on for years.  And if Vick had not been caught, his Bad Newz Kennels would probably still be operating.

Protesting the Eagles’ Decision to Sign Michael Vick

While the Eagles try to paint sunshine and roses for their suiteholders, the website sackvick.net continues to inform concerned fans and dog lovers how they may contact Eagles sponsors and voice their outrage over Vick’s signing.

One football fan that I know reports that he made several telephone calls to sponsors yesterday, including a call to Anheuser Busch.  While speaking with the representative, he got the impression the company was fielding many such phone calls.  Nevertheless, the Anheuser Busch representative commented that there was little the company could do, since the decision was made by the Eagles organization.

Well, for starters, they could pull their sponsorship from the team.

But they’re not going to do that unless it becomes economically unfeasible for them to continue the sponsorship.  That is why concerned individuals need to continue to call the individual sponsors and respectfully let them know you won’t be buying their products if they continue to sponsor the Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick.

Five Hundred Dogs and 15 Cats Rescued from Puppy Mill

More than 500 dogs and 15 cats were rescued on Tuesday from an alleged puppy mill in Kaufman County, Texas.  According to news reports, the Humane Society began investigating the operation when someone came to them asking about dog food donations for the animals.

Puppy Mill Kept Dogs in Deplorable Conditions

The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department conducted the raid, and found the animals being kept in deplorable conditions.  Mainly consisting of small breeds such as poodles and Chihuahuas, the dogs were housed in filthy conditions where they were exposed to the elements at all times.

Many of the dogs, in addition to having severely matted coats, were found suffering from a range of serious medical conditions, including infected wounds, internal and external parasites, and skin and eye infections.  According to the Humane Society’s report, “It is obvious that many of these animals have never known life outside their wire cages.”

All of the animals were quickly removed and transported to an emergency shelter specially set up for this rescue operation.  The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department has provided 24-hour security to the emergency shelter to ensure the safety of the rescued animals, which were all given appropriate emergency medical care by a team of veterinarians.

The operation was made possible in part by funding provided to the Humane Society by the Kenneth and Lillian Wilde Foundation, who created the Wilde Puppy Mill Task Force to rescue animals from abusive puppy mills.

How to Put Puppy Mills Out of Business

Put Puppy Mills out of Business by Adopting Your New Best Friend from a Shelter

In addition to the good work being done by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and legislative efforts going on in several states to try and stem the tide of abusive puppy mills, the best way to put puppy mills out of business to starve them out economically.  That means refusing to purchase any dog that is the product of a puppy mill.

The Humane Society offers the following tips for making sure your next puppy does not come from a puppy mill:

• Adopt a puppy from a shelter.  These animals need you as much as you need them.  Both of our dogs are adoptees, having been abandoned by their original owners.  It gives us satisfaction every day to know that we saved their lives.  They bring us immeasurable joy without a dime having gone into the pocket of a puppy mill breeder.
• Find a responsible breeder and pay a personal visit to their facility.  There are many responsible breeders out there.  A personal visit to the breeder will allow you to assess how the facility is housing and caring for the dogs.  At a minimum, they should be receiving adequate food, water, exercise, grooming, socialization and veterinary care, and should not be spending their lives confined to cages.
• Avoid pet stores.  Period.  They buy their dogs from puppy mills.  How else would they make a profit off of each animal?
• Don’t be fooled by advertising claims that a breeder’s animals are kept in humane conditions.  In other words, going back to a previous point, don’t purchase a dog from a breeder if you can’t personally visit the facility and ensure it is not a puppy mill.
• Don’t try to “rescue” a puppy from a puppy mill by purchasing it.  Every dollar you put into the pocket of a puppy mill breeder perpetuates the scourge of puppy mills.  If you encounter a breeder you think might be operating a puppy mill, contact your local authorities and the Humane Society immediately.
• For more great tips, see the Humane Society’s Puppy Buyer’s Guide.

The North Carolina Senate has passed a bill that targets the kind of abusive practices by some commercial dog breeders that have earned them the name “puppy mill” and that have caused misery to countless animals in their custody.  The measure follows the shutdown of two large puppy mills in that state in February and its passage has been controversial, with the American Kennel Club claiming the bill would burden dog “owners,” and not just breeders.

Law will Regulate Commercial Dog Breeders to Prevent Puppy Mills

New S.C. Law Seeks to End Animal Cruelty by Puppy Mills

Senate Bill 460 clearly defines a “commercial breeder” as any person who owns or maintains 15 or more intact female dogs of breeding age and 30 or more puppies primarily for the purpose of sale.  The measure provides for the establishment of minimum humane standards for the care of animals at commercial dog breeding operations, including the provision of adequate housing, exercise, food, water and veterinary care.

Commercial Dog Breeders must Register with the State and be Subject to Inspection

The measure provides that no commercial breeder will be permitted to operate in North Carolina without first registering with the state.  In order to register, the breeder must be in compliance with all established standards for the care of the dogs.  Failure to register constitutes a Class 2 misdemeanor and may subject the breeder to an injunction.  Commercial dog breeding operations are subject to inspection by authorities upon reports of inhumane conditions.

Penalties for Failing to Provide Adequate Minimum Humane Treatment

Under the new law, the failure of a commercial breeder to adequately house, exercise, feed, water and provide veterinary care for the animals in its custody is a Class 3 misdemeanor and will result in a fine of not less than $50 per day per animal.  Any commercial animal breeder convicted of a violation will lose its registration, meaning that it can no longer operate in the state.

Abusive Puppy Mills in North Carolina

The legislation comes partly as a response to an incident in February in which local authorities, along with the Humane Society, raided and shut down two abusive puppy mills in Wayne County, North Carolina.  According to a Humane Society press release congratulating lawmakers on passing the legislation:

[More than 300] dogs were housed in filthy, cold, cramped cages without access to exercise, adequate veterinary care, or human contact.  Many of the dogs were covered with fecal encrusted dreadlocks and suffered from severe skin and eye infections.  Some had chain collars embedded in their necks.

American Kennel Club Opposed the Measure

The American Kennel Club opposed the measure, arguing, among other things, that it would add a “duplicative layer of regulation on responsible dog owners and breeders in North Carolina.”  The measure, however, does not apply to mere dog “owners.”  It applies only to clearly defined commercial dog breeders.  Moreover, it appears that at least some commercial dog breeders have proven incapable of self-regulation to the detriment of the health and wellbeing of hundreds of dogs in their care.

The law becomes effective May 1, 2010, and applies to the commercial breeding of dogs on or after that date.

More States on Board with Puppy Mill Legislation

According to the Humane Society, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia passed laws in 2008 targeting puppy mills.  Arizona, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state passed laws in 2009 to cracking down on puppy mills.  Several other states are now considering puppy mill legislation.