As reported by Skynews.com, a UK study of 3000 dog owners recently compiled a list of the top 10 most destructive dog breeds. I would wager that some of these may come as a surprise to many. The study's findings below are reported in terms of the amount of monetary damage one can expect to the home, throughout the course of the dog's life.
1.) Great Dane - 670 pounds ($1293)
2.) Chihuahua - 630 pounds ($1136)
3.) Mastiff - 586 pounds ($1043)
4.) Whippet - 515 pounds ($917)
5.) English Setter - 485 pounds ($863)
6.) English Bulldog - 446 pounds ($794)
7.) Dachshunds - 440 pounds ($783)
8.) Boxer - 400 pounds ($712)
9.) Beagle - 400 pounds ($712)
10.) Bassett Hound (ranked last, but article did not specify monetary damage)
Surprised by the Chihuahua making number 2, and Labrador Retrievers not even making the list? I certainly am!
Knowing which dog breeds pose the greatest risk to one's home is interesting, even useful information for one that is in the market to adopt a dog. However, when preparing to adopt a dog, regardless of the breed, my experience has proven time and again that owner ignorance and/or laziness tends to play the biggest role in determining the amount of damage a dog will enact on the home.
That said, use this list at your leisure for your own knowledge or even to help you select a dog breed. But, if educating yourself and maintaining a proactive role in a dog's life are not priorities of yours, then perhaps it would be better to stick to having goldfish as pets instead.
Roger Welton, DVM
Founder, Web-DVM.net
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
"Miles" The Miracle Cat
KTLA.com reported yesterday that an Anaheim woman drove to Irvine early last month before she realized there was something strange under the hood of her car. After the woman immediately pulled over and looked under her hood, to her surprise, she saw a frightened cat wedged into a tight compartment behind a headlight and the hot engine. After she called animal control, attempts to free the terrified feline were unsuccessful, with a very hot engine proving to be a significant obstacle.
That is when the officer contacted a nearby animal shelter, Irvine Animal Care Center, where veterinarian Dr. Karen Moreland came to the rescue. Through use of sedation and Dawn dish soap for lubrication, Dr. Moreland was able to get the kitty out of the tight spot he was stuck in.
There were no serious injuries reported except for some burns to the paw pads.
The kitty had a microchip in place to identify the owners, but when the shelter contacted the owners to pick up their lost cat, the workers made him available for adoption. They affectionately named him "Miles," in honor of his surviving against the odds, a 14 mile journey. The workers report that Miles is a sweetheart, and anyone interested in adopting him can contact the shelter at (949) 724-7740.
Having treated many unfortunate cats that have received much more serious burns and injuries from seeking shelter in car engines, Miles is clearly one lucky boy. Feline owners should pay close attention to this story. Left outside, cats are affected by the elements no less than we are. As such, they seek shelter from cold, wind, and rain.
A car engine is sometimes an attractive place for felines to weather the elements, since they are both dry and warm. The consequences can be serious if not tragic. Thankfully, Miles came through without serious injury, and hopefully will find a loving home for his trouble.
That is when the officer contacted a nearby animal shelter, Irvine Animal Care Center, where veterinarian Dr. Karen Moreland came to the rescue. Through use of sedation and Dawn dish soap for lubrication, Dr. Moreland was able to get the kitty out of the tight spot he was stuck in.
There were no serious injuries reported except for some burns to the paw pads.
The kitty had a microchip in place to identify the owners, but when the shelter contacted the owners to pick up their lost cat, the workers made him available for adoption. They affectionately named him "Miles," in honor of his surviving against the odds, a 14 mile journey. The workers report that Miles is a sweetheart, and anyone interested in adopting him can contact the shelter at (949) 724-7740.
Having treated many unfortunate cats that have received much more serious burns and injuries from seeking shelter in car engines, Miles is clearly one lucky boy. Feline owners should pay close attention to this story. Left outside, cats are affected by the elements no less than we are. As such, they seek shelter from cold, wind, and rain.
A car engine is sometimes an attractive place for felines to weather the elements, since they are both dry and warm. The consequences can be serious if not tragic. Thankfully, Miles came through without serious injury, and hopefully will find a loving home for his trouble.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sarah Palin's Record Shows She Is No Friend To Wildlife, But Is In Fact, One Of Its Worst Enemies
As reported by a September 4, 2008 Associated Press article titled, "Environmentalists say Palin's record on wildlife as harsh as Alaska itself," Sarah Palin's policies and record clearly illustrate little regard for wildlife and the environment. Beginning with her time at the National Governors Association conference spent primarily making her case to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne against classifying the polar bear as a threatened species, Sarah Palin has continually maintained troublingly dismissive environmental and wildlife policies. Some months later, she once again confronted Dirk Kempthorne, arguing against even the Bush administration that they, "didn't use the best science in concluding that without further protection, the polar bear faces eventual extinction because of disappearing sea ice as the result of global warming."
During her 20 months of governor of Alaska has opposed federal marine scientists who concluded that the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale needs protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Most appallingly, Palin has defended the right of Alaska to shoot wolves from the air for the benefit of boostering the populations of moose and caribou herds - not for the sake of the moose and caribou, but for the sole purpose of leaving more live moose and caribou for the human sport hunters to kill! Interestingly, this is a view that is contrary to that of her running mate John McCain. Finally, Palin remains skeptical that human created greenhouse emissions are responsible for the dramatic acceleration of global warming in this century.
As a result of her harsh environmental and wildlife policies, environmentalists have nicknamed Palin the "Killa from Wasilla," and John Toppenberg, the director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, has said that, "Her philosophy from our perspective is cut, kill, dig and drill," and that she is "in the Stone Age of wildlife management and is very opposed to utilizing accepted science."
It is the attempt of people like Sarah Palin to hijack the republican party, that have encouraged me through the years to move from a consistent republican voter to an independent that would now give strong consideration to a candidate possessing a democratic ideology over a republican of Sarah Palin's ilk. The party of small government and fiscal conservatism that I was inspired by as a young man, I am saddened to see has gradually and progressively become embraced by those who value relentlessly pushing their agendas, even at the expense of compassion, tolerance, justice, and even science.
With another running mate at his side, I may have considered voting for John McCain as president, a man who has throughout most of his career embraced the core, fundamental values of the conservative movement, without sacrificing compassionate and progressive environmental policy, tolerance, justice, and science. However, when he chose consolidating his base by choosing as his running mate, someone who embodies what has gone wrong with both the republican party and our country in general, he instantly lost my vote.
Choosing to run with Sarach Palin, John McCain is telling the nation that he would put the "Killa from Wasilla" a heartbeat a way from leading our country. This not only makes me question John McCain's judgement, but it also leads me to believe that the compassionate, impassioned, and justice seeking maverick I supported in 2000 may be truly gone.
During her 20 months of governor of Alaska has opposed federal marine scientists who concluded that the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale needs protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Most appallingly, Palin has defended the right of Alaska to shoot wolves from the air for the benefit of boostering the populations of moose and caribou herds - not for the sake of the moose and caribou, but for the sole purpose of leaving more live moose and caribou for the human sport hunters to kill! Interestingly, this is a view that is contrary to that of her running mate John McCain. Finally, Palin remains skeptical that human created greenhouse emissions are responsible for the dramatic acceleration of global warming in this century.
As a result of her harsh environmental and wildlife policies, environmentalists have nicknamed Palin the "Killa from Wasilla," and John Toppenberg, the director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, has said that, "Her philosophy from our perspective is cut, kill, dig and drill," and that she is "in the Stone Age of wildlife management and is very opposed to utilizing accepted science."
It is the attempt of people like Sarah Palin to hijack the republican party, that have encouraged me through the years to move from a consistent republican voter to an independent that would now give strong consideration to a candidate possessing a democratic ideology over a republican of Sarah Palin's ilk. The party of small government and fiscal conservatism that I was inspired by as a young man, I am saddened to see has gradually and progressively become embraced by those who value relentlessly pushing their agendas, even at the expense of compassion, tolerance, justice, and even science.
With another running mate at his side, I may have considered voting for John McCain as president, a man who has throughout most of his career embraced the core, fundamental values of the conservative movement, without sacrificing compassionate and progressive environmental policy, tolerance, justice, and science. However, when he chose consolidating his base by choosing as his running mate, someone who embodies what has gone wrong with both the republican party and our country in general, he instantly lost my vote.
Choosing to run with Sarach Palin, John McCain is telling the nation that he would put the "Killa from Wasilla" a heartbeat a way from leading our country. This not only makes me question John McCain's judgement, but it also leads me to believe that the compassionate, impassioned, and justice seeking maverick I supported in 2000 may be truly gone.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Government Is No Friend Of Small Business
This year has presented big challenges for small business to say the least. Fewer jobs, skyrocketing fuel costs, a generally downtrodden economy, and the uncertainty of a heated presidential election, have all led to decreased consumer spending and significant corrections in revenue. Combined with ever increasing inventory supplier costs (a direct result of the high cost of fuel), rising employee health care premiums, steadily increasing insurance costs, and a myriad of other progressively rising practice expenditures, the outlook for relatively new small businesses such as my animal hospital causes great concern - all this, while practice, equipment, and practice real estate liens continue to have to be met.
Despite these challenges that my small business currently faces and will likely continue to face for some time, my government just sent me notification that the property tax on my building will be increased by nearly 50% come November of this year, a property tax that is already an oppressive financial burden at its current figure. What's more, this gouging pays for my right to own and operate a building that was originally built in 1952 and subsequently quite dated, a building that I have to invest thousands of dollars per year in order to keep a reasonable degree of aesthetics and acceptable functionality.
Unlike big business and Corporate America, I do not expect my government to come to my rescue and offer me handouts during tough times. However, I do not expect my government to relentlessly and arbitrarily add stress to an already taxed financial condition. This is an especially hard pill to swallow when I see bank after bank receiving corporate welfare in the form of financial government bailout, following a mortgage default disaster that was the result of the banks' own poor judgement. And let us not fail to consider how government allows countless tax loopholes and tax credits that feed the pockets of corporations and even pave the way for abuse, clearly exemplified in the Enron Loophole that has allowed speculators to tax our national economy by orchestrating astronomical fuel prices.
So to my readers, whatever your political affiliation and whatever issues you base you vote in these upcoming elections, do not bother making small business an issue which sways you. Both sides will talk of their regard for small business and their intention to protect small business. But make no mistake, once in office, whichever candidates you choose to represent you, one thing is for certain: small business will remain the government's whipping boy.
And if any of my readers happen to be government representatives at any level, before the next instance that you decide to exploit small business as a means to fix government shortcomings or pander to big business, remember the words of the great Winston Churchill:
"Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon."
Despite these challenges that my small business currently faces and will likely continue to face for some time, my government just sent me notification that the property tax on my building will be increased by nearly 50% come November of this year, a property tax that is already an oppressive financial burden at its current figure. What's more, this gouging pays for my right to own and operate a building that was originally built in 1952 and subsequently quite dated, a building that I have to invest thousands of dollars per year in order to keep a reasonable degree of aesthetics and acceptable functionality.
Unlike big business and Corporate America, I do not expect my government to come to my rescue and offer me handouts during tough times. However, I do not expect my government to relentlessly and arbitrarily add stress to an already taxed financial condition. This is an especially hard pill to swallow when I see bank after bank receiving corporate welfare in the form of financial government bailout, following a mortgage default disaster that was the result of the banks' own poor judgement. And let us not fail to consider how government allows countless tax loopholes and tax credits that feed the pockets of corporations and even pave the way for abuse, clearly exemplified in the Enron Loophole that has allowed speculators to tax our national economy by orchestrating astronomical fuel prices.
So to my readers, whatever your political affiliation and whatever issues you base you vote in these upcoming elections, do not bother making small business an issue which sways you. Both sides will talk of their regard for small business and their intention to protect small business. But make no mistake, once in office, whichever candidates you choose to represent you, one thing is for certain: small business will remain the government's whipping boy.
And if any of my readers happen to be government representatives at any level, before the next instance that you decide to exploit small business as a means to fix government shortcomings or pander to big business, remember the words of the great Winston Churchill:
"Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon."
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hero Dog Saves Infant's Life
This past Saturday, CNN reported the story of a dog who sheltered a newborn baby that was abandoned by its 14 year old mother, in a field in rural Argentina until the boy was rescued. According to the story, a resident of rural La Plata had telephoned police indicating that he heard a baby crying in a field behind his house. The man then went outside and found the newborn infant lying beside the dog and her 6 newborn puppies.
The dog had apparently carried the baby 50 meters from the original area where the baby was abandoned by its mother, to the spot where her puppies were huddled together. Doctors remained convinced that, with an outside temperature a frigid 37 degrees, that the baby determined to be only a few hours old, would most certainly have died if not for the shelter provided by the dog and her puppies. Aside from a few superficial scratches, the baby, thanks to the shelter provided by a very dedicated canine mother, was otherwise in good shape.
As for the baby's human mother that originally abandoned the baby for dead, she was driven by a neighbor to the hospital where she admitted that the infant was hers. The teenage mother was then promptly hospitalized for psychological treatment.
Below is a photo of the hero of the day.
Apparently, the dog has become a local celebrity and is being hailed as a bonafide hero. However, what the future fate of hero mom and pups cannot be confirmed at this time, as CNN did not say and I was unable to find any information about this.
The dog had apparently carried the baby 50 meters from the original area where the baby was abandoned by its mother, to the spot where her puppies were huddled together. Doctors remained convinced that, with an outside temperature a frigid 37 degrees, that the baby determined to be only a few hours old, would most certainly have died if not for the shelter provided by the dog and her puppies. Aside from a few superficial scratches, the baby, thanks to the shelter provided by a very dedicated canine mother, was otherwise in good shape.
As for the baby's human mother that originally abandoned the baby for dead, she was driven by a neighbor to the hospital where she admitted that the infant was hers. The teenage mother was then promptly hospitalized for psychological treatment.
Below is a photo of the hero of the day.
Apparently, the dog has become a local celebrity and is being hailed as a bonafide hero. However, what the future fate of hero mom and pups cannot be confirmed at this time, as CNN did not say and I was unable to find any information about this.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Breast Cancer Awareness (In Dogs and Cats!)
With the uncomfortably high incidence of breast cancer in women, there is a great deal of awareness regarding prevention and early detection. What many people do not realize is that mammary or breast tumor development is even higher in female dogs, as high as 1 in 4 unspayed female dogs. For cats, mammary tumors are also quite common, with mammary cancer being the third most common type of cancer affecting unspayed females. These are staggeringly high numbers, yet awareness among female dog and cat owners is overwhelmingly lacking.
Mammary Tumors In Dogs
The good news is that mammary tumors are very preventable in female dogs by having them spayed before their first heat cycle. One can expect virtually zero risk of the development of mammary tumors in a female dog that is spayed prior to experiencing the first heat cycle. If a female dog is allowed to experience one heat cycle prior to the spay procedure, then the risk of developing mammary tumors increases to about 5%, still quite low. However, if a female dog is allowed to have more than one heat cycle, then the risk of mammary tumors goes up to 1 in 4.
Since female dogs will come into heat the first time before the age of 1, and given the fact that it is not recommended to breed an immature female dog for a variety of reasons, people must often choose between having a litter of puppies and prevention of a very common cancer. On the other hand, since the development and growth of mammary tumors is promoted by the presence female hormones, spaying at any age is still beneficial in preventing mammary tumors.
About one half of all mammary tumors are benign (not cancerous), which would fall into the category of mammary fibroadenoma, tumors that form out of the glandular portion of the mammary gland. Mixed mammary tumors with both glandular and non-glandular components, can present as either benign or malignant (cancerous).
Maligant varieties of mammary tumors induce mammary adenocarcinoma and inflammatory carcinoma. Inflammatory carcinoma is an especially aggressive form that has a high metastatic index (tendency to spread to other tissues), carrying the most poor prognosis of all mammary tumors.
As with people, early detection of tumors is paramount in offering the best prognosis with treatment. The sooner the detection, the more surgically removable a tumor is, the lesser the likelihood of spread to other tissues. As such, the mammary glands of the dog should be inspected by feel often, especially if one’s female dog falls into a high risk category based on spay status.
Unlike women who only have 2 mammaries, dogs have 10, along the ventral (underneath) surface of the torso, spanning from the groin area to the chest forward to just behind the front limb armpits. Each mammary has its own nipple. If one ever feels a nodule, firmness, or unusual swelling in thee areas, one should have the dog checked by a vet ASAP.
Diagnosis of mammary cancer is sometimes achievable through a non-surgical technique known as fine needle aspirate of a mass, which offers a diagnosis about 68% of the time. If fine needle aspirate is found to be diagnostically lacking, then a tissue sample known as a biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. In order to help determine whether or not a malignant mammary tumor has spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis, chest and abdominal x-rays, and abdominal ultrasound are recommended.
Depending on the nature of a mammary tumor, treatment may not be necessary, surgery alone, or surgery in combination with chemotherapy. Benign and/or minimally aggressive mammary tumors may be treated surgically by removing a portion of the mammary gland along with the tumor, a procedure known as lumpectomy. Benign to medium grade malignant tumor are often treated more aggressively with removal of the entire gland, known as mastectomy. High grade or highly aggressive malignant mammary tumors typically require removal of the entire mammary chain and lymph nodes, a procedure called radical mastectomy.
Prognosis with treatment depends on the aggressiveness of the tumor(s) involved and degree of spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis.
Mammary Tumors In Cats
Like dogs, mammary tumors in cats are very common, with mammary cancer being the third most common cancer affecting felines. Unlike dogs with about 50% of mammary tumors being malignant, in cats, mammary tumors are malignant 90% of the time, making prevention of these tumors and awareness for early detection even more important.
Similar to the canine, early spay in the feline is the single most significant determining factor in the risk of the development of mammary tumors. Spaying prior to 6 months of age reduces the risk of mammary cancer in cats by about 90%, while spaying prior to 1 year of age reduces the risk by 85%. Spaying before 2 years of age reduces the risk of mammary cancer by 10%, with no apparent reduction is risk in cats spayed after 2 years of age.
The types of mammary tumors most commonly found in cats are mammary adenocarcinoma and inflammatory carcinoma (see the canine section for descriptions of each type). Given the high malignant potential of mammary tumors in cats, more aggressive surgical techniques such as mastectomy (removal of the entire mammary gland) and radical mastectomy (removal of the entire chain of mammary glands and lymph nodes) are more commonly utilized.
Prognosis with treatment depends on the aggressiveness of the tumor(s) involved and degree of spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis. For more aggressive malignant mammary tumors, the disease free interval following surgery can be increased by 75 to 100 days with conventional chemotherapy.
Mammary Tumors In Dogs
The good news is that mammary tumors are very preventable in female dogs by having them spayed before their first heat cycle. One can expect virtually zero risk of the development of mammary tumors in a female dog that is spayed prior to experiencing the first heat cycle. If a female dog is allowed to experience one heat cycle prior to the spay procedure, then the risk of developing mammary tumors increases to about 5%, still quite low. However, if a female dog is allowed to have more than one heat cycle, then the risk of mammary tumors goes up to 1 in 4.
Since female dogs will come into heat the first time before the age of 1, and given the fact that it is not recommended to breed an immature female dog for a variety of reasons, people must often choose between having a litter of puppies and prevention of a very common cancer. On the other hand, since the development and growth of mammary tumors is promoted by the presence female hormones, spaying at any age is still beneficial in preventing mammary tumors.
About one half of all mammary tumors are benign (not cancerous), which would fall into the category of mammary fibroadenoma, tumors that form out of the glandular portion of the mammary gland. Mixed mammary tumors with both glandular and non-glandular components, can present as either benign or malignant (cancerous).
Maligant varieties of mammary tumors induce mammary adenocarcinoma and inflammatory carcinoma. Inflammatory carcinoma is an especially aggressive form that has a high metastatic index (tendency to spread to other tissues), carrying the most poor prognosis of all mammary tumors.
As with people, early detection of tumors is paramount in offering the best prognosis with treatment. The sooner the detection, the more surgically removable a tumor is, the lesser the likelihood of spread to other tissues. As such, the mammary glands of the dog should be inspected by feel often, especially if one’s female dog falls into a high risk category based on spay status.
Unlike women who only have 2 mammaries, dogs have 10, along the ventral (underneath) surface of the torso, spanning from the groin area to the chest forward to just behind the front limb armpits. Each mammary has its own nipple. If one ever feels a nodule, firmness, or unusual swelling in thee areas, one should have the dog checked by a vet ASAP.
Diagnosis of mammary cancer is sometimes achievable through a non-surgical technique known as fine needle aspirate of a mass, which offers a diagnosis about 68% of the time. If fine needle aspirate is found to be diagnostically lacking, then a tissue sample known as a biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. In order to help determine whether or not a malignant mammary tumor has spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis, chest and abdominal x-rays, and abdominal ultrasound are recommended.
Depending on the nature of a mammary tumor, treatment may not be necessary, surgery alone, or surgery in combination with chemotherapy. Benign and/or minimally aggressive mammary tumors may be treated surgically by removing a portion of the mammary gland along with the tumor, a procedure known as lumpectomy. Benign to medium grade malignant tumor are often treated more aggressively with removal of the entire gland, known as mastectomy. High grade or highly aggressive malignant mammary tumors typically require removal of the entire mammary chain and lymph nodes, a procedure called radical mastectomy.
Prognosis with treatment depends on the aggressiveness of the tumor(s) involved and degree of spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis.
Mammary Tumors In Cats
Like dogs, mammary tumors in cats are very common, with mammary cancer being the third most common cancer affecting felines. Unlike dogs with about 50% of mammary tumors being malignant, in cats, mammary tumors are malignant 90% of the time, making prevention of these tumors and awareness for early detection even more important.
Similar to the canine, early spay in the feline is the single most significant determining factor in the risk of the development of mammary tumors. Spaying prior to 6 months of age reduces the risk of mammary cancer in cats by about 90%, while spaying prior to 1 year of age reduces the risk by 85%. Spaying before 2 years of age reduces the risk of mammary cancer by 10%, with no apparent reduction is risk in cats spayed after 2 years of age.
The types of mammary tumors most commonly found in cats are mammary adenocarcinoma and inflammatory carcinoma (see the canine section for descriptions of each type). Given the high malignant potential of mammary tumors in cats, more aggressive surgical techniques such as mastectomy (removal of the entire mammary gland) and radical mastectomy (removal of the entire chain of mammary glands and lymph nodes) are more commonly utilized.
Prognosis with treatment depends on the aggressiveness of the tumor(s) involved and degree of spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis. For more aggressive malignant mammary tumors, the disease free interval following surgery can be increased by 75 to 100 days with conventional chemotherapy.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Breeding Kennel Atrocity Prompts Pennsylvania Dog Law Reform
According to an ABC News article posted August 16, 2008, dog breeding kennel owners Elmer and Ammon Zimmerman of Maxatawny, Pennsylvania, shot 80 of their breeding dogs and closed their kennels in response to having been ordered by dog wardens to enact kennel repairs (their kennel was cited for extreme heat, insufficient bedding and floors the animal's feet could fall through), and veterinary checks for 39 dogs suffering flea and fly bites. Unfortunately, there is currently no law in the state of Pennsylvania that prohibits the killing of animals by firearm.
The fact that these kennel owners who exploited these animals for profit while providing no health care (not even flea prevention!) or humane conditions for them to live in is an example of greed at its worst. The fact that they would sooner murder each dog rather than comply with minimal standards of health and living conditions is a very troubling commentary on our citizen's attitude toward animals. Even more troubling, however, is the fact that in the eyes of the current laws of Pennsylvania (and I would not doubt, many other states as well), these individuals have done nothing wrong, however ghastly their actions.
The only positive note to some out of this very sad event, is that the incident gained the attention of Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, prompting him to urge the Pensylvania House of Representatives to pass his proposed reforms to the state dog law. According to FoxBusiness.com, Governor Rendell made his appeal accompanied by Maggie, one of the two Golden Retrievers who were former breeding dogs that were rescued and adopted by the Rendell family. The new legislation would prohibit breeding dog euthanasia by anyone other than a state licensed veterinarian, along with other important animal welfare provisions. Quoted directly from FoxBusiness.com, below is a list of other regulations proposed in the reform bill:
House Bill 2525 also:
-- Doubles the minimum floor space for cages.
-- Requires outdoor exercise. Current law does not require even that dogs be let out of cages, much less given access to outside exercise.
-- Requires solid flooring. Dogs now can spend their entire lives on wire floors, which damage their feet over time.
-- Prohibits the stacking of cages. Under existing law, cages can be stacked so high that inspectors can't see whether they have food or water, or even if they are still alive.
-- Requires veterinary checks annually or during each pregnancy. Many dogs now never see a vet throughout their entire lives.
I applaud Governor Rendell and his efforts in reaction to this cruel act that occurred in his state. It is my hope that politicians within other states with outdated and inadequate animal welfare laws, follow his example in making humane treatment of animals a priority. I encourage all my readers to check on the provisions their respective municipal and state laws have for breeding animals, and organize pressure on their local and state government to enact reform if the laws are less than adequate.
The fact that these kennel owners who exploited these animals for profit while providing no health care (not even flea prevention!) or humane conditions for them to live in is an example of greed at its worst. The fact that they would sooner murder each dog rather than comply with minimal standards of health and living conditions is a very troubling commentary on our citizen's attitude toward animals. Even more troubling, however, is the fact that in the eyes of the current laws of Pennsylvania (and I would not doubt, many other states as well), these individuals have done nothing wrong, however ghastly their actions.
The only positive note to some out of this very sad event, is that the incident gained the attention of Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, prompting him to urge the Pensylvania House of Representatives to pass his proposed reforms to the state dog law. According to FoxBusiness.com, Governor Rendell made his appeal accompanied by Maggie, one of the two Golden Retrievers who were former breeding dogs that were rescued and adopted by the Rendell family. The new legislation would prohibit breeding dog euthanasia by anyone other than a state licensed veterinarian, along with other important animal welfare provisions. Quoted directly from FoxBusiness.com, below is a list of other regulations proposed in the reform bill:
House Bill 2525 also:
-- Doubles the minimum floor space for cages.
-- Requires outdoor exercise. Current law does not require even that dogs be let out of cages, much less given access to outside exercise.
-- Requires solid flooring. Dogs now can spend their entire lives on wire floors, which damage their feet over time.
-- Prohibits the stacking of cages. Under existing law, cages can be stacked so high that inspectors can't see whether they have food or water, or even if they are still alive.
-- Requires veterinary checks annually or during each pregnancy. Many dogs now never see a vet throughout their entire lives.
I applaud Governor Rendell and his efforts in reaction to this cruel act that occurred in his state. It is my hope that politicians within other states with outdated and inadequate animal welfare laws, follow his example in making humane treatment of animals a priority. I encourage all my readers to check on the provisions their respective municipal and state laws have for breeding animals, and organize pressure on their local and state government to enact reform if the laws are less than adequate.
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