Animals Rights Activists groups, the Humane Society of the United States and the Indianapolis Humane Society have been pursuing the elimination of Indiana Dog Breeders for quite sometime. In the last couple of years they have urged a few Indiana legislators to introduce bills making it difficult to breed dogs for profit and have conducted raids on several properties within the State of Indiana. Up until now, the Indianapolis Humane Society along with the Humane Society of the United States has succeeded in closing down several Indiana Dog Breeders.

After the failure to end all Commercial Dog Breeders in 2009 by, among other things, trying to impose ridiculous cage restrictions that even a college professor couldn’t decipher, they are now using a different tactic by attacking the Indiana Pet Stores to eliminate buyers for puppies. How much longer is this behavior going to continue?

If the Humane Societies believe Indiana Dog Breeders don’t care about their dogs and the quality of life for their animals, they are making a huge mistake. Commercial Dog Breeders could have put up privacy fences and left things as they were. Or, they could have sent some of their breeding stock to friends and other family members thus reducing the quantity of dogs at each kennel. They could have forfeited their licenses and sold their puppies to other states that have recently fallen victim to their new regulations and are now screaming for puppies.

But, the Indiana Commercial Dog Breeders didn’t play games or try to pull any sneaky tricks. The breeders willing paid the USDA license fee and/or the Indiana Board of Animal Health fee. They joined the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW). The Indiana Dog Breeders, Indiana Puppy Breeders, Commercial Dog Breeders and anything else you want to call those who raise puppies are spending thousands of dollars to upgrade their kennels. Some are building brand new facilities while others are remodeling their existing kennels with materials recommended in the bill signed into law by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and in effect as of Jan. 1st, 2010.

Raids have been conducted on kennels and private citizens for several years now. Lonely, elderly people have been a prime target. Scared and helpless, these people had to stand by under the watchful eye of law enforcement officers and while their beloved animals were carted off under false pretences. They never get their animals back. The animals were sent to shelters and put up for adoption. According to media reports, the animals were “rescued” because they were “so sick and so abused” and had to be relocated. Relocated means sent to shelters and adopted by the public, sometimes within as little as three days.

If the animals were so sick and so abused, why are the shelters adopting out these sick and abused dogs? Some animals were transported to shelters in other states. How are these animals getting across state lines without health certificates? If they had health certificates, they weren’t really sick were they? It seems to me there is a little more work to be done by the Senate and House of Representatives of Indiana concerning animal welfare.  

It has come to our attention that the USDA is no longer going to put up with the bad actors. 1st, that is great news. When the Indiana legislature passed HB1468 in 2009 we applauded them for sticking to their guns and accepting the federal standards of the USDA. 2nd the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare applauds the USDA for recognizing that some Indiana Dog Breeders and some Indiana Puppy Breeders do not follow the rules.

From day one ICAW has always stated that if you can not raise dogs correctly and legally we would not support you. Our Animals Rights opponents seem to not believe us. We have come to understand that these folks have just become the minions of HSUS. These Animals Rights folks have become brainwashed by the blather from the biggest factory fundraisers in the country HSUS.

We at ICAW are looking forward to the USDA's changes in the next few weeks. So, yes, you heard it here, we applaud what the USDA is doing to rid the industry of the bad actors. Please take the time to read the above article and you will see why we are truly happy about the changes.

For those of you in Indiana that have not heeded our words, whether you are Indiana Puppy Breeders or Indiana Dog Breeders "Get It Right or Get It Gone". ICAW really and truly wants to Stop Cruelty to Animals whether it is in Indiana Pet Stores or any of the Commercial Dog Breeders who don't want to listen. We have sent the message many times, now it will really be sent by no less than the federal government.

When is a dog not a dog?  by Elsie Evans

 How long before the Indiana Dog Breeders, the Indiana Pet Stores and the good citizens of Indiana start asking questions? Recently I was made aware of two alleged veterinarians offering an alternative to dog kennels under roof. Their program is call "FREE RANGE DOGS". Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS, has been pushing for "FREE RANGE CHICKENS" in California. Is this just a coincidence? I doubt it.

On this program a fenced area of an acre with a community shelter would support 25 dogs. These veterinarians would teach the breeder how to socialize dogs so they would all get along. The dog breeder targeted for this program was at a loss of what to do. I believe I know what to do. Start asking questions.  

1.First thing you ask is how are they connected with HSUS. Also ask if this program has been approved by the USDA and/or IBOAH.

2.Ask if this is another crazy program to bankrupt breeders and if their intentions are to put them out of business.  Don’t be afraid of offending them. Get a description of their vehicle and get the license plate number. Remember, they most likely will be wearing small cameras and microphones.
   
3.Ask for ID and write down the ID number.

4.Ask what kind of dogs they raise and do they have their kennels set up this way. They will have to acknowledge if  they have put this in practice themselves or are they speculating. They probably don't have their own kennel.

5.Ask for names, addresses or phone numbers so you can Find Dog Breeders already on program that you can contact.

6.Ask how you keep your dogs from being stolen when you are away from home or at night when you are asleep since you don't have to be a 20 year old athlete to climb a fence.

7.Does the community shelter have access to the outside of the kennel in order for the owner to enter and check inside the shelter for removal of a sick or injured dog.

8.Ask what to do about hawks and owls if you have small breeds.

9.Ask how you know which male bred which female.

10.Ask how you determine a whelp date.

11.Ask how you discover a weak/sick dog before its too late. A sick dog could appear it is just napping.

12.Ask how you keep one chow hound from getting all the food.

13.Ask about feces removal and how you keep the kennel and the shelter clean, plus where do you put the dogs in order to clean the kennel.

14.Ask how you keep dogs from digging under the fence or finding a hole they can squeeze through and escape.

15.Ask how you keep a dog from eating the feces of another.

16.Ask how you deal with ALPHA dogs.

17.Ask for a list of what breeds you cannot put together.

18.Ask what you do about dogs not sharing the shelter.

19.Ask just how they go about socializing the dogs.

20.Ask about dimensions of shelter and height of kennel fence plus estimated cost.

21.Ask about materials used for fencing and ground cover.

22.Ask what you need to use for flea & tick control since the dogs will be exposed to the elements.

I have experience using a community kennel. Except for the yard dog, my dogs are 4 to 6 pounds and are turned loose together in a 16 x 16 chain link kennel everyday, weather permitting. I have two dog houses because they will not share just one. The male gets to be with the females for no more than a few minutes because they fight. Sometimes two will gang up on one for no reaon that I can see. They crowd the gate when I enter and sometimes one escapes. They ride the fence, they dig holes, they walk in feces, they share a water dish but will not share food. You can't pick feces out of grass or gravel but you can rake the feces into a pile for removal if there is only dirt. The grass is gone so when it rains they are standing in mud. I can't rake the dry ground when the dogs are there because they either attack the rake or want to play with it. Weeds grow into the fence and can't be sprayed or mowed without moving the entire fence. My toy breed dogs look like lunch to hawks and owls, so my kennel is located under my one and only huge tree. None of my dogs know they can dig under the fence but they do know they can squeeze out through the space at the gate. I had to fasten a piece of 2 x 4 to the post to close the gap.

A few things concern me about this "FREE RANGE" idea. The egg producers couldn't make it work. The large commercial egg producer had 10,000 eggs a day while the "FREE RANGE" producer had 900 eggs a day. After a few days the dogs are going to have open wounds, damaged eyes and ears from fighting, filthy from being in mud and some will be losing weight due to lack of getting their turn at the food. This is a perfect set up for the Animals Rights activists to claim abuse and neglect. Socializing dogs may work well when getting a puppy ready to go to a new home but it doesn't work on adult dogs. I have had vet bills as much as $300 to prove it. So, when is a dog not a dog? NEVER.  
 

Tomorrow is May 4th, 2010 the Primary voting day in Indiana. Please, whatever you do "Go and Vote". It has been a long year these past 12 months. A hard battle to get reasonable canine legislation and good animal cruelty laws in HB1468. It was touch and go all the way to April 29th, 2009. In the 2010 Session we had to battle to defeat HB1258. Both of these bills were absolutely the result of the Animals Rights activism from the factory fund raisers at HSUS.

ICAW was founded after the defeat of HB1468 a group of dedicated animal owners who want to retain their human rights as well. It simply amazes us how pervasive the Animals Rights folks are in Indiana. One would think that with Indiana being such a large agricultural state that most folks would be aware of the Animals Rights folks. Little did we know how much so many people did not know about their activities.

The Commercial Dog Breeders found out, the Indiana Pet Stores found out, the Indiana Dog Breeders found out and probably the most important people who found out were the farmers of Indiana. We are grateful for the support of all of these people over the last 15 months.

So tonight we encourage all of you to go out tomorrow and execute your constitutional right to vote. Please remember to let Linda Lawson (D) District 1 and John Barnes (D) District 89 know that you won't forget their involvement with the above bills. We think they both need to take a rest (at home that is).

Well we are into our 4th month of HB1468 being the law of the land in Indiana. As of April 7th, 2010 there are over 80 Commercial Dog Breeders and 2 Commercial Dog Brokers registered with the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH). During the heat of the battle in 2009 over HB1468 many numbers were thrown around about how many Indiana Puppy Breeders there actually are in the state, on the low side that number was less than 100 Commercial Dog Breeders and on the high side 3000. We always knew that 3000 Commercial Dog Breeders was ludicrous. Take a moment and think about it, 33 Commercial Dog Breeders per county. This would mean there is at least one Commercial Dog Breeder on every corner in some counties.

With that being said, ICAW would like to know who (if any) has not registered with the state of Indiana as Commercial Dog Breeders or Commercial Dog Brokers. We know that there are more breeders and brokers out there and want to get them registered or find out why they are not. So if you know of any Indiana Dog Breeders that should be classified as Commercial Dog Breeders or someone that should be classified as a Commercial Dog Broker. Please let us know at info@icaw.org.

When we get the opportunity to talk to the Animals Rights folks we have always told them that we want to Stop Cruelty to Animals as much as they profess to. We are going to action as we promised to find the bad actors, so please help us to Find Dog Breeders or Dog Brokers that are not following the law.

The Indiana Council for Animal Welfare was created to protect our human rights but we absolutely will stand up to "ANYONE" about making sure that "THEY" follow their human responsibility to be forthright and legal.

We received a letter today from Frank Losey. Mr. Losey writes about another way to get the Animals Rights folks attention. All across our great country there are so many unbelievable ordinances, laws being created that are just flat out unconstitutional. All Indiana Dog Breeders anyone who truly wants to Stop Cruelty to Animals will pay heed to Mr. Loseys advice. So please go and Find Dog Breeders to show this post to.

“Ex Post Facto” Provision - - A Potential “Poison Pill” and “Finesse” to the Bills Sponsored by the HSUS

 

For the “sake of argument,” let us suppose that the HSUS were to decide, hypothetically of course (!!!!!), to push for legislation at the Federal or State Level, or both, that would do one or more of the following:

·         Limit the maximum number of dogs and puppies that breeders or pet owners may keep in their homes or kennels at any given time, under the ruse of prohibiting “hoarding.”

·         Limit how many intact dams may be kept in a home or kennel.

·         Limit how often breeders may breed dams in their homes or kennels.

·         Prohibit the use of cages in homes or kennels to house dogs and puppies.

·         Establish standards for how much space each dog or puppy is required to have in a home or kennel that is used to breed dogs.

 

 

 

For the “sake of discussion,” let us assume that you are a hobby breeder who may have up to 24 dogs and puppies in your home or kennel at any given time; and that you had used your home or small kennel to breed your dogs for at least several years.  Would you have a problem if a State or Federal Law prohibited you from using cages in your home, or limited you from having more than 10 dogs and puppies in your home at any given time because more than 10 would  mean that you are hoarding dogs and puppies?  I suspect so!

For the “sake of discussion,” let us assume that you are a commercial breeder who is Federally licensed and inspected; who last year spent $50-100,000 on upgrading your kennel, which exceeded all Federal requirements at the time of improvements; who has never had a major discrepancy on any Federal or State Inspection Report; who has 20 intact females; and who on occasion may have a total of 100 or more dogs and puppies in your kennel.   Would you have a problem if a State or Federal Law prohibited you from having more than 10 intact females; prohibited you from having more than 50 dogs and puppies in your kennel at any given time; required that you invest additional money to expand the size of your kennel so that each dog and puppy would have a minimum of 50 square feet of living and sleeping space; and that you would be prohibited from using cages in your kennel at any time for any purpose?   I suspect so!  

As “Food for Thought,” I suggest that hobby breeders and commercial breeders consider throwing some figurative sand into the wheels of the HSUS Legislative Freight Train Agenda by suggesting to their “friendly” and supportive elected representatives that any new law, that is intended to restrict the activities of existing hobby or commercial breeders, must “GRANDFATHER” and exempt all existing hobby and commercial breeders from any new restrictive law based upon the Constitutional protections as set out in Article 1, Section 9 which explicitly states that “No . . . ex post facto Law shall be passed.”

 

Ex Post What?!?!?!?  Well, the “Ex Post Facto” Clause was intended by our Forefathers to prohibit enacting a law that would be retroactive and criminalize actions that a citizen had been doing before the criminal statute was passed.   And is not the HSUS seeking laws that would criminalize the activities of breeders?  (If there is any doubt, read the following excerpt from Nancy Perry’s Bio - - she is the HSUS Vice President for Government Affairs:  “The HSUS has lobbied in all 50 states for animal protection legislation and  secured felony cruelty provisions in 41 states (including Washington DC). . . and aided in the passage of 24 ballot measures.”)

 

 

And let us not forgot that the meaning of the word “hoarder” is in the process of being redefined by the HSUS, which is notorious for distorting images of responsible breeders in the minds of the public and legislators.  Once the meaning of “hoarder” is redefined by the HSUS, this will provide yet another basis for HSUS to seek and orchestrate changes to laws that could result in expanded prosecutions for alleged “animal abuse!!!”

 

 

 

Is this scenario a bit of a stretch?   Stop and ask yourself, if you are a hobby breeder and a law is passed that stated that anyone who had more than 10 dogs and puppies in a home would be determined to be a “hoarder,” and you had 19 dogs and puppies in your home on the day it was enacted, what would you do to avoid being in violation of a new criminal statute?  And if you were a commercial breeder who had 98 dogs and puppies in your kennel on the day a new law was passed that made it a crime to have more than 50 dogs and puppies in your kennel, what would you do to avoid being in violation of a criminal statute?

So what is to be gained by raising the issue of the “Ex Post Facto Clause” of the U.S. Constitution to Federal and State legislators?  It might cause some legislators to pause and urge that new Bills be delayed until everyone understood what “ex post facto” means.  It may provide breeder/agriculture-friendly legislators with a new basis to oppose any new “restrictive” law.  It may also cause other legislators to add “Grandfather” amendments to a pending Bill.   Any one of these three scenarios would probably slow down or derail the growing legislative momentum of the HSUS and other animal rights activists.  Often “delays” result in Bills never being enacted.  Additionally, the “Grandfather” provision scenario would probably be a “Poison Pill” Amendment that could drive the HSUS “nuts” because the HSUS might have to publicly renounce the Constitution of the U.S., especially if it opposed a “watered-down” Bill that had a “Grandfather” provision in it.  Could HSUS oppose a Bill because it is not written the way HSUS wants it to be written?   Yes, it could and it has done so in the past!  For example, one of the reasons that the HSUS stop pushing to have the PAWS Bill enacted a few years ago was because the sponsor of the Paws Bill would not include the additional provisions that the  HSUS and the Doris Day Animal League had wanted to be included, such as limiting how often a dam may be bred.

So how would the “Grandfather” provision work?   In essence, it would mean that if you were a breeder at the time the new law was enacted, and the law created new limitations on what a hobby or commercial breeder was permitted to do, those limitations would only apply to future breeders, and not to the breeders who were breeding dogs before new limitations were enacted into law.  For example, if the new limitations placed a limit on how many dogs or puppies that you could have in your home or kennel, those limitations would not apply to any breeder who had been breeding dogs before the new law was enacted.

If the “Ex Post Facto” Clause is appropriate “Food for Thought” for the hobby and commercial breeders to consider, perhaps those in the Agriculture Community should consider this same “Food for Thought” to counter the “Distortion Mill” of the HSUS!!!!!! 

If we all stand up for our human rights as one maybe just maybe then the Animals Rights folks will pay attention!

I have been sitting here thinking about all of the things that an Indiana Humane Shelter has said  when getting your dog from a pet store or some type of retail establishment. Repeatedly they say: "Ask them where did this dog come from?", "What is the temperment of the sire and dam?", "Does this dogs parents have any genetic problems?" More to the point here is a list of questions.

1. Where do the puppies come from?
2. Is that a licensed USDA dealer?
3. Does the kennel or breeder insist on genetic clearances for breeding stock?
4. What health problems are common in this breed?
5. What type temperament does this breed have?
6. Does the breed have a tendency to bark a lot?
7. How much socialization do they need?
8. How much exercise does this breed need?
9. How much grooming is required?
10. How badly do they shed?
11. What happens to the puppies you don't sell? Are they sent to rescue groups? Euthanized? Returned to the breeder?

Some of these questions are only looking for the commercial breeders to only help disqualify them. Most of these questions are absolutely great questions. When getting your dog from any Indiana Humane Society do these same questions get asked, or more to the point is there ever an answer to those questions. How do those Dog Adoption Shelters respond when asked these same questions? I keep sitting here trying to answer that question and simply can't do it. We all want to Stop Cruelty to Animals but if the shelters and/or rescues are not answering the same questions as the retail establishments.  And in some cases they are requirements, isn't that hypocritical on some level.

Over the coming weeks I will be giving you some other questions to ask when getting your dog. So remember the above questions are not the only questions to ask. Please give me some of the questions that you think should be asked when getting your next dog.

After another busy legislative session, we at ICAW have had a chance to take a breath and form some ideas for the upcoming elections and future legislative sessions. When HB1258 died in committee and HB1099 passed resoundingly and becomes law January 1, 2011. ICAW truly understood that this battle with the Animals Rights folks is far from over. Will it be someone new going after Indiana Dog Breeders or someone else with some kind of different attack on quote "Factory Farming"?

We have truly realized we can not sit back and think that nothing else will happen. Too many other states around us are going through their own battle for survival when it comes to pet ownership or the myriad of other livestock issues. Pay attention to Ohio, it could of been Indiana.  There is much talk that the Animals Rights folks are going straight to the top and are going to force their agenda even more at the Federal level.

HSUS has what they call their "Humane Scorecard". Starting this year we at ICAW are going to create our own scorecard for Indiana elected officials. It truly is time to let the elected officials of our great state of Indiana know that there is another side of this equation and always will be. We need to let everyone of them know at the ballot box how we feel about past voting records for or against.

We will be publishing a document in the near future featuring a simple thumbs up or thumbs down opinion of our elected officials. We are compiling some ideas for future legislation as well. We whole heartedly ask for your input on both of these topics. Please e-mail us at info@icaw.org with any of your thoughts or ideas about these issues.

We want to take a moment and thank all of the people who thought they had no voice in this battle for our rights, for never giving up. Remember, all of us together can and will Stop Cruelty to Animals and protect our own human rights as well.

I could go into so many details on why the animals rights activists are wrong in their endeavors but I’m going to try to keep this somewhat simple for this moment.

I see and hear about adopting an animal from a shelter all of the time. While I don’t see anything wrong with this. I don’t see how it’s any better than buying from any Indiana Puppy Breeders, Commercial Dog Breeders, or Indiana Pet Stores.

First of all I think that the adoption fees of most shelters have become outrageous. It’s no longer an adoption process it’s a way to make money. I understand it takes money to run these shelters but where does a not for profit organization get the not for profit if they are obviously profiting off the dogs they adopt or sell out? Does anyone really think that they’re not making money when they adopt dogs out for $250 to $300 a piece while still receiving donations from fund raisers, animal’s rights activists, and advertising? This raises the question where EXACTLY is the money going?

Having said that let’s get into a few other aspects of Indiana Dog Breeders and dog ownership. I have had experiences with dog adoption shelters and so far none are positive. Out of the few nicely run dog adoption shelters I visited I have adopted twice.

The first dog was a wonderful boxer mix that would have made a great addition to any home. Being led to believe that he had been vaccinated and recently neutered I took him home to meet the rest of the family. Within the next two days he seemed a little sluggish which I associated to having just been neutered. I was shocked when my new found friend started having diarrhea and stopped holding his food down. I quickly rushed him to the vet.

After testing was done he was found to have Canine Parvovirus. Something he could not have picked up and became ill with in the two and a half days he was in my care. At the time I wasn’t worried about the dog adoption shelters or cost, I just wanted to save my dog! After extensive treatment and care by my veterinarian, I still lost my new found friend to this highly contagious disease.
 
After going back to the shelter I found that there was no refund policy. In fact there was NO policies in which the shelter would help with the vet bills that had mounted up… and for the price I paid to “adopt” this dog $200 and the price I paid my vet $300, I could of bought a dog from one of many Indiana Puppy Breeders or Indiana Pet Stores that would offer me a health guarantee, registration papers, shot records, replacement policy, and a background of the dog.

Did I learn my lesson? Obviously not… being an animal lover I just hate to see those dogs sitting there waiting to go home. So after a few years I got brave enough to try the dog adoption shelters again. This time I was introduced to a female bull terrier that took to me immediately. This time the shelter gave me a background on where the dog was “found” and a history on how she behaved socially with the other animals and it sounded great! I was even told that they would guarantee there was nothing she had caught from the kennel. I would just have to pay the small fee of $250 and sign a spay/neuter agreement. Which yes, put me in the position to pay for her surgery?
 This didn’t sound too outlandish. So I agreed. Who wouldn’t alter an unregistered dog? Then they got to the part that I had to use their vet. Okay, well I bit the bullet knowing it would probably cost more than my vet would have charged me, but it’s their policy. Well I waited over the weekend for my new bully friend to have her visit to the vet so that I could take her home that Monday.
 
I showed up at the vet’s office to pay my bill and to take little miss bully home with me. Just to find out that she had been pregnant at the time of the surgery which put her at high risk, made them abort the litter, and jacked my price up to a total of $260 dollars!!!
 
Oh well… I had a healthy vet checked, neutered, well behaved dog. So I took her on home. Well to put a long story short. I’m not sure what socializing she had at the shelter but there was not a true evaluation of her. She had food aggression, child aggression, separation anxiety, and an overall dangerous dog if left in the wrong hands.
 
The shelter would have gladly let me return her for another… and they would have waived the shelter adoption fee. However, I would have been paying to have another dog neutered, and taking the same risk of behavior issues! So by this time I guess you could say that I had wised up to what was going on… and no, I didn’t try a third.

 Since then I have had the pleasure of meeting many Indiana dog breeders, commercial dog breeders, and owners of reputable Indiana pet stores. I have bought from these people and been totally satisfied.

 Not only did I receive a well bred dog every time, I received registration papers, health papers, shot records, and the ability to call and ask any question that pertained to that particular dog or breed.

 I’m not saying there aren’t good dogs in dog adoption shelters… I’m sure there are, but if you think about it. Most of them find their way there for a reason. Some reasons are the dogs; some reasons have been created by the previous owner. Either way you don’t truly know what you’re getting or how to be prepared for it.

 So if your going to own a dog I think you should be aware of what you’re getting into and not tricked by false advertisements and promises. Financially the adoption or sale cost of a dog is pretty much the same. It is also very little compared to the price you’ll have invested long term in food, pet care, annual veterinarian visits, and later life issues. If you can’t afford to purchase the pet, you probably have no business owning one to start with because you’re not going to be able to offer the quality care that owning a pet entails.

 So I would advise anyone interested in dog ownership to ignore the ridiculous harping of animal’s rights activists and to educate themselves properly. Don’t fall for the lingo of adoption or re-homing. It’s no different than a purchasing or buying, other than you have to watch out for the FINE PRINT! Having a pet can be a joy or a heart ache. Why choose heart ache over joy when you don’t have to?

Irene Weaver - Indiana

We find it quite interesting that WIBC is airing a commercial paid for by HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) this week about their version of the truth about Indiana Pet Stores. We wonder how an organization that has a 501c3 designation is able to justify paying for this type of lobbying media blitz with that 501c3 designation? It is our oppinion that most people in Indiana do not realize that HSUS has no direct links to any local Indiana Humane Society.

We believe if they truly wanted to Stop Cruelty to Animals in Indiana, HSUS would provide more direct funding to a local Indiana Humane Society or a local Indiana Dog Rescue. It is interesting that the Humane Society of Indianapolis has had a relationship with HSUS in the past. With the economy being the way that it is, we wonder if they would appreciate any of that money that HSUS collects to help their own animals? We ask you to click here and see for yourself what HSUS actually does with YOUR money. What does a national animals rights organization actually know about our small businesses here in Indiana?

We would like to provide you with a very useful resource to help you decide whether or not you want your money to go to this type of organization. We have been paying attention to the folks at Humane Watch for some time now. David Martosko is a very credible resource that HSUS truly does not like. There are so many watchdogs for so many non-profit organizations we believe that it is time HSUS got a watchdog and we think David Martosko is just the right man.

We are so glad that someone with the national following that David Martosko has, is now paying attention to all of the Animals Rights folks. So the next time you are wondering about Indiana Puppy Breeders or Indiana Pet Stores think about Humane Watch as well. We know that we will!!

I recently scrolled through the pet section of Hoosier Topics on the internet and discovered that many people don't buy or sell a puppy anymore. Dogs and puppies are now "re-homed" or "adopted".  Years ago, people went to do their "trading". Trading became "shopping", shopping became "buying" and it appears buying has now become "re-homing".  I wonder if this new language makes people feel like they are performing an act of kindness by "re-homing" or "adopting" a pet instead of "buying" one for their family? Or, could it be a way to out smart the Animals Rights Activists by using their own language? Well, good luck! A Yorkshire Terrier puppy with an adoption fee of $800 is not fooling anybody.

There were beautiful adult cats in Indiana Pet Stores with adoption fees of $150.00 or more. The cats appeared to be healthy and friendly. I may have considered taking these cats home with me if they weren't trying to cover the fact they were selling them. I would have appreciated a straight forward sign on the cages such as "3 yr old neutered cat, up to date on shots, $150.00". I felt like this Terre Haute pet supply store thought their customers were too stupid to understand they need compensation for their products. I left the store without buying anything and doubt if I will ever go back.
 
Some of the Indiana Pet Stores occasionally have dogs and puppies but they are for adoption only and usually accompanied by an employee from an Indiana Humane Society or the Dog Adoption Shelters. If your sympathy lies with a dog from a shelter, you may want to personally check out the shelter. Some shelters are clean and have well lit kennels with animal caretakers who love animals and enjoy taking care of them. But, there are also shelters that have horrible, filthy conditions and disease running rampant with uncaring employees who can't, can't get a job anywhere else. It’s almost comical when the bills are introduced at the State level banning convicted felons from having any contact with dogs when sometimes they are the only employees a shelter can get to work there!  

Let us all pray that we never find a Indiana Humane Society like the Prichard Animal Shelter {AL). Quoting Prichard Police Chief Lawrence Battiste:

“I’m not concerned about the care,” [Prichard Police Chief Lawrence Battiste] said. “We have four full-time staff working here in the animal shelter,” says Battiste. He says the four people are scheduled to share shifts on Saturdays and Sundays, and that each morning their first duties are to clean the cages and care for the animals. But Jake says his visit came on a Monday at noon. The Chief says he’ll investigate.

“We wouldn’t want our employees to work in an environment where there was feces and the possibility of illness floating around,” Battiste said. “Because it subjects our employees to those types of things!” (Local 15)

When the person who is in control of the local animal shelter has the audacity to say he is not concerned about the animals under his control. It can only make you wonder is he not concerned about the prisoners under his control as well. The more that we find out about so many out of control, poorly run animal shelters and rescues around the country. We truly are starting to believe that any Indiana Dog Rescue or any Indiana Humane Society should absolutely regulated by the State of Indiana no differently than any of the Commercial Dog Breeders are by the state.

We keep talking to the people at the No Kill Advocacy Center and we are convinced that there is a better way to build this mousetrap. We especially like the model that Bill Bruce uses in the Calgary Canada shelters. “We don’t have a pet problem. We have a people problem.” This is an opening statement Bill Bruce often uses to grab everyone’s attention.

Owner responsibility is the mantra in Calgary. A three prong approach to responsible pet ownership incorporates licensing, public education and enforcement, with supporting agencies all working together to achieve the same goals. Educational programs developed for school age children through adults address responsible citizenship and responsible animal ownership. Educational programs include PAWS: Dog Bite Prevention, Dogs in Our Society, Urban Coyotes and the Junior By-Law Project, just to name a few. There is strong public support for the efforts of Bill Bruce by the citizens of Calgary, as they enjoy their pets in a community full of dog-friendly parks, paths and off-leash areas. They gain comfort knowing that their kinder friendlier Animals Services Department is there to help, not harm.


But we keep watching the failing programs in Indiana and keep wondering why none of them work like Calgary's. So with that being said maybe the State of Indiana should step in and mandate what they should do. Please let us know what you think about this idea.

As promised we wanted to talk more about the regulation of any Indiana Dog Rescue or any Indiana Humane Society. We are not condemning any particular shelter or rescue in the state of Indiana, but we know that there are sub-standard shelters and rescues in Indiana, just like we know there are sub-standard kennels in Indiana.

We certainly hope to never find a shelter such as Memphis Animal Services, a literal concentration camp for animals here in Indiana. We quote

"Almost a month after the raid on the Memphis Animal Shelter, MAS, it’s beginning to look like what they found is just the tip if the iceberg.  As the investigation continues, records, what few and disorganized there are, show that about 18,000 animals went through MAS from January  through mid-November.  Over 12,000 were euthanized but there was also a figure of more than 200 animals that died while in the shelter’s care."

When we see these type of pictures or video's it causes us to stop and wonder how did Memphis Animal Services get the free pass on any type of regulation in the first place.

In fact how do any of the Shelters or Rescues get by with no regulation ever. Our positions here at ICAW have been repeatedly attacked when we stood up for Commercial Dog Breeders or Indiana Pet Stores. Just click on some of the links above and please explain to us how the absolutely criminal negligence can be condoned. Are shelters and rescues above the law?

PLease help us understand why none of the so called National Animals Rights folks ever stand up and say "Yes, we should be regulated at a federal or state level the same as others." Could it possibly be that if they did, they then might have to spend some of the millions of dollars that they take in every year to actually help the animals that it was intended for in the first place!

Please help us understand this by leaving a comment and stay tuned for the next article.

Well after much thought about regulation. We at ICAW keep wondering why no Indiana Dog Rescue and not even one single Indiana Humane Society is regulated by anyone in the state or local county governments. We absolutely know that there are many good rescues or shelters in our great State of Indiana. Two that come to mind are Indy Pit Crew or Indy Feral both of these organizations have proven themselves over many years of having the ability to Stop Cruelty to Animals.

We at ICAW agree with the mindset of Nathan J. Winograd maybe just maybe the father of the no kill movement. If Nathan isn't the father he sure is the biggest proponent of the no kill movement in the United States. No Kill is the absolute proper way to deal with animal shelters or animal rescues.

With that being said we wonder why no one ever proposes to regulate a single Indiana Humane Society or even just one Indiana Dog Rescue. Over many of the past years there have been reports of abusive animal shelters or abusive rescues. We know that the majority of these organizations and facilities are absolutely on the up and up. But now that the State of Indiana has stepped in and started to regulate Commercial Dog Breeders with the mindset of getting rid of the bad actors in that industry. We at ICAW are suggesting we should do the same thing to all of the shelters and rescues in the state.

ICAW absolutely believes in appropriate regulation in the animal industry. However we think that includes everyone. How could anyone argue with that when you see pictures like these or documentation from someone who would never agree to the foundational principles of ICAW. Over the next few weeks we will be writing about this subject at length. So if any one in Indiana can give us a rational reason why a Indiana Dog Rescue or Indiana Humane Society that is a bad actor shouldn't be regulated please leave a comment.

After a long and cold winter weekend we at ICAW have given some thought to HB 1258 and some of its possible outcomes. If it passes the Senate as it did the House and Gov. Daniels signs it. As we wrote Friday if someone were to get hurt or possibly worse, even economically damaged we would pursue the full power of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act ( AETA ). We believe this would be one of the solutions for the type of Animals Rights people that would potentially harm Indiana Pet Stores or Commercial Dog Breeders.

ICAW absolutely wants to Stop Cruelty to Animals but we really want to Prevent Cruelty to Humans as well. What a shame that it has come to this where so many people are afraid of each other. Well just click the following link AETA and you will see for yourself that this is a very powerful tool.

If you think ICAW has been helpful and informative about the Animals Rights crowd click Here and show your support.

After testifying in the House Committee for HB 1258 last week. I am even more confused. I personally heard more lies and untruths in one hour about Indiana Pet Stores than I have in a solid year. If the portion about Indiana Pet Stores actually had one scintilla of language that actually helped animals maybe I would understand. Unfortunately it doesn't. It is so painfully obvious that the Animals Rights activists have an agenda and they think that nothing can or will stop them.

Repeatedly the committee was told, shown and given documents that proved that the others testifying about Indiana Pet Stores were just plain wrong. HB 1258 is just a ruse to try and smear commercial dog breeders in the State of Indiana. ICAW since its inception has condemned sub-standard kennels. We travel around the state to clean up or eliminate the bad actors out there. It just doesnt matter to these folks they refuse to listen to anyone.

It amuses us when we hear "No reputable breeder would ever sell to a pet store". If the truth be known many reputable breeders do sell to Indiana Pet Stores they just don't want to be antagonized by their so called animals rights friends. How sad it is that in Indiana today ordinary people are afraid to tell their own friends the truth.

We also find it morally reprehensible that many Dog Adoption Shelters and Indiana Dog Rescue (s) believe that they are not obligated to be regulated. Many Indiana residents believe that those folks are perfect and never ever do anything wrong. Check your facts again you might be surprised.

Just for a moment we want you to think about posting or openly giving ALL of your personal information to be seen by all. Would YOU do it? The United States has enacted many laws to protect our identities yet a few in Indiana don't seem to think that matters. So the next time you go to the Doctors office just tell them your not worried about that HIPAA stuff it doesn't matter.

We want you to take the time and follow some links that show what is possible when the Animals Rights activists and extremists have their way. One of our sister states in the midwest (Iowa) has been trying to get to the bottom of a animals rights attack at the University of Iowa animal laboratory. Six years later take a look at who is being questioned.

Remember that John Goodwin, the HSUS Manager of Animal Fighting Issues is a self professed former member of the ALF brought into the HSUS by Wayne Pacelle who absolutely knew his history. Mr. Goodwin now and then. It seems to us that this is just the pot calling the kettle black.   

We want you to read some of the issues that came up from this type of legislation when it happened in Florida. What we are worried about the most, is that someone doing something totally legal and constantly trying to improve will get physically injured or worse. 

God forbid this should ever happen. If it does please remember these same legislators short sightedness when they want to help YOU in the same way!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Well, after some of our members visited the Statehouse about HB 1258 (the Pet Store bill) this past Wednesday. We have a new perspective on HB 1258. When did the State of Indiana start  trying to run away small businesses. We absolutely know that Gov. Daniels doesn't want to do that. We would like to quote Gov. Mitch Daniels from his State of The State speech this past Tuesday.

"Saddest of all, our sister states, at least forty of them, are doing the worst thing possible in times like these.   They are raising taxes, adding to the burden on families already in distress, and making their economic climates even less attractive to new jobs than they were before.   Michigan, Wisconsin, New Jersey and at least eleven more have raised income taxes.  Ohio, Oregon, Minnesota, and thirty more have raised gas taxes.  Many states have raised multiple taxes at the same time.

I hope you will join me in saying tonight to the people for whom we all work, we will make the hard choices, we will stretch the available dollars, we will do whatever is necessary but we will not take the easy way out and we will not make this recession worse by adding one cent to the tax burden of our fellow citizens."

                   Our members walked away thinking about the following points:

• The tax imposed by this bill on the retail sale of dogs and cats is simply that a NEW TAX.
• The Provisions in this bill will simply be used by extremists to harass Indiana Pet Stores.
• The opportunity for citizens that are PRO Indiana Pet Stores to provide meaningful input on this bill was hoped to be non-existent, because the hearing was scheduled with virtually no notice and then rescheduled so animal extremists could attend the following week.
• Posting requirements under this bill are unnecessary and impracticable. Indiana Pet Stores generally do not even have the space to post this extensive information for every dog and cat in the store.
• The Pet Industry in Indiana actively participated in, and supported adoption of, the Commercial Dog Breeders bill (HB 1468) passed this past session. We absolutely do not support sub-standard kennel operators. Yet in this session some of the same legislators are still trying to go after Indiana Dog Breeders again, this time through Indiana Pet Stores.
  

We would also like to point out another obvious fault of HB 1258. To be able to implement this bill, it will force the State of Indiana to spend money they do not have. Every single legislator in the Statehouse knows they can not spend what they do not have and they have all agreed to this crucial point. We want you to read the Fiscal Impact Statement and you will see that the Author and the Co-Author of HB 1258 know that they will have to spend money.

We wonder if they are listening to the Democratic Caucus or not? If they are not. maybe they should pay attention to what happened in Massachusetts this week. It seems that when legislators do not listen to their constituents, the constituents do have a way to send their legislators a message. "We want you to go back home."

If you want to send a message to the legislators involved with this bill. Let them know that YOU are paying attention! Maybe then we all can go on about our business of trying to Stop Cruelty to Animals.

Please write, call and e-mail the following and ask them were they listening to what Gov. Daniels was saying. Express your opposition to HB 1258

 

State of Indiana

House Committee on Courts & Criminal Code information

State Capitol

Indianapolis, IN 46204

317/232-9600

 

REPRESENTATIVE                    DISTRICT(S)                                                 TEL. #             EMAIL

 

Matt Pierce (Ch)(D-61)                  Monroe                                                        317/232-9647    h61@in.gov

 

Nancy Dembowski (V-Ch)(D-17)    LaPorte, Marshall, Starke                             317/232-9676    h17@in.gov

 

Jacque Clements (R-38)                  Clinton, Howard, Boone, Hamilton               317/232-3827    h38@in.gov

 

Ryan Dvorak (D-8)                        St. Joseph                                                      317/234-9290    h8@in.gov

 

Ralph M. Foley (R-47)                   Morgan, Johnson, Hendricks, Owen              317/232-9815    h47@in.gov

 

Eric Allan Koch (R-65)                  Bartholomew, Jackson, Brown, Lawrence     317/232-9793     h65@in.gov

 

Linda C. Lawson (D-1)                   Lake                                                            317/232-9600      h1@in.gov

 

Gregory W. Porter (D-96)             Indianapolis                                                  317/232-9600     h96@in.gov

 

Vernon G. Smith (D-14)                Gary                                                              317/234-9016     h14@in.gov

 

Greg Steuerwald (R-40)                  Hendricks                                                      317/232-9677       h40@in.gov

 

Vern Tincher (D-46)                     Vigo, Clay, Owen, Monroe                            317/232-9999   h46@in.gov

 

Randy Truitt (R-26)                      Warren, Tippecanoe                                     317/234-3827   h26@in.gov

 

 

Pat Bauer (Spkr) (D-6)                  South Bend, St Joseph                                   317/232-9600     h6@in.gov

 

John Barnes (D-89)                       Indianapolis, Marion                                     317/232-9600    h89@in.gov

 

One of our constituents in Indiana are the Indiana Pet Stores. Rep. Linda Lawson and Rep. John Barnes Bill HB 1258 will have a hearing in room 156C at the statehouse today at 3:30 PM. Please read the following message and please help us to help you protect our rights.


There will be a hearing on HB1258 (The Pet Store Bill) tomorrow @ 3:30PM in 156C at the Statehouse. We need people to call and attend the hearing..

If you have a minute, please call (prior to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday 1/20) the following legislators and politely say:

 

"Hello, I would like to encourage Rep __________________ to not vote in favor of House Bill 1258, Representative Lawson'sand Representative Barnes pet store and animal fighting bill. Thank You."

 

House Courts & Criminal Code Committee:

Chair - Rep Pierce - 317-232-9647

Rep Dvorak - 317-234-9290

Rep Dembowski - 317-232-9676

Rep Porter - 317-232-9634

Rep Smith - 317-234-9016

Rep Tincher - 317-232-9999

Rep Koch - 317-232-9793

Rep Clements - 317-234-3827

Rep Foley - 317-232-9815

Rep Steuerwald - 317-232-9677

Speaker of The House Pat Bauer   Phone: 1-800-382-9842  E-Mail: h6@in.gov

Representative Linda Lawson    Phone: !-800-382-9842  E-Mail  h1@in.gov

Representative John Barnes      Phone: 1-800-382-9842  E-Mail  h89@in.gov

Please call, e-mail and write all of the above to express your displeasure with HB1258. Whether youare a Commercial Dog Breeder or a Indiana Dog Rescue or have even been accused of being in Factory Farming. We are all in this together and the assaults just keep coming. Remember YOU might be next.

Yesterday we explained to you about HB 1258 Pet Store Regulation. Today we would like to ask Rep. John Barnes why he agreed to co-author this bill. We find it interesting that someone who is already on record for taking great pride in getting new jobs for his district 89 but especially keeping the businesses that he already has in his district 89. Why would he sign on to a bill that would cripple businesses in his district 89? As his website for re-election in 2008 so eloquently spells out "As a candidate endorsed by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Barnes understands the critical state of the job market in our community, asserting that “in order to keep jobs in Indiana, we must nurture the businesses we already have and work to create more opportunities in our state.”

Obviously Rep. Barnes doesn't believe that Indiana Pet Stores are businesses that are  worthy of his interest to keep them from going out of business. In yet another re-election year we find it interesting that he would take that kind of position. We believe that small businesses on the eastside of Indianapolis and lower Marion county would find this most troubling. Would they wonder "Will he pick my business next?", to take a disliking too and sponsor a bill that would cripple my ability to make a living for me and my family. We drive through the Eastside all of the time and see all of the closed businesses and boarded up houses. With the kind of thinking that Rep. Barnes has exhibited in co-sponsoring  HB1258 and  with this kind of business mentality maybe we now understand why!

No Indiana Pet Stores, No Indiana Dog Breeders, No Indiana Puppy Breeders. Obviously, the eastside of Indianapolis doesn't need the revenue from any of the above. Obviously, the jobs created just aren't good enough!

Some may not agree with us, but for those of you who do, we say, send a message to Rep. Barnes at the ballot box maybe then he will understand those jobs ARE good enough. It's amazing to us that when the folks down at the statehouse drink the Kool Aid from the cups of the Animals Rights people, it is amazing how it changes them.

When ICAW was started after April 29th 2009 we all knew that the organization needed to be inclusive not exclusive. We have Indiana Dog Breeders, Dog Adoption Shelters, Commercial Dog Breeders and yes Indiana Pet Stores. No matter where you turn today in the United States, someone is trying to tell you that you are not good enough to take care of animals. We have told you many times in the past, yes there are bad breeders, bad shelters and even bad pet stores. We always ask you to carefully take time when making decisions and not throw out the good with the bad.

In this years session Representative Linda Lawson has decided to once again attack the pet people of Indiana. She and Representative John Barnes co-authored HB 1258. The particular section of this bill that concerns us is Article 22. Pet Store Regulation. It seems to us that when Rep. Lawson did not get exactly what she wanted with HB 1468 she decided to go another route and try to get back at the Commercial Dog Breeders by attacking Indiana Pet Stores this time.

We ask you to read HB 1258 and ask yourself this question. What other types of small businesses in Indiana have to do what Rep. Lawson and Rep. Barnes are asking Indiana Pet Stores to do? This is just a thinly veiled attempt to follow the Animals Rights agenda that is proliferating in the rest of the United States of America. Pet Stores have a right to be in business just like appliance stores, car dealers, grocery stores, gun stores and so on.

The sad truth here is most pet stores are small family run businesses. And yes, sadly they are dying a slow death from over regulation, higher fees and taxes. Most pet store owners are just trying to do what they love and make a living for their families and the families of their employees. It seems that trying to do that is a horrible thing. How dare anyone sell an animal and make money doing it! We hope you will take the time and read HB 1258. It is time for all of the animal lovers of Indiana to let Rep. Lawson and Rep. Barnes know what they truly think about this type of legislation.

You can do this in many ways. Call Them, Fax Them, E-Mail them and most importantly in an election year speak to them at the Voting Booth. We are providing you with Rep. Lawson's and Rep. Barnes contact information please let them know what you think about HB 1258.

By Mail...

Rep. Linda Lawson

Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

 

By Phone...

Call toll-free (from anywhere within Indiana):
1-800-382-9842
or directly at (317)232-9600

By Internet...

Representative Linda Lawson's email address is h1@in.gov

By Mail...

State Rep. John Barnes                                                             
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

 

By Phone...

Call toll-free (from anywhere within Indiana):
1-800-382-9842
or directly at (317)232-9600

 

By Internet...

The email address to use in contacting State Rep. John Barnes is h89@in.gov

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