I was reading last week that H$U$ filed a complaint with the FTC against Rose Acre Farms (our great egg producer here in Indiana). It seems that H$U$ thinks that Rose Acre Farms is giving misleading claims about conditions at some of their farms. Rose Acres  K.Y. Hendrix says

“They’re claiming we falsely advertise on our website, but it boils down to this — we take care of our animals and our animals are performing to standards,” Hendrix said. “If we weren’t taking care of our chickens, our chickens wouldn’t be taking care of us.”

Of all the folks in the world who should not be talking about misleading statements is the worlds largest Animals Rights group. We often see references to how little the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) spends on shelters – less than 1/2 of 1% (.45% to be exact) of their annual budget.

HSUS finance records show that after you’ve made that [$19] monthly donation for a year, a grand total of $1.03 will reach a pet shelter.

Since math is not my strong suit, I got out my calculator:

$19/month X 12 months = $228

.45% of $228 = $1.03

How different the HSUS commercials would appear if they said “With your gift of just $19 a month, we’ll make sure almost 9 cents of that donation reaches a shelter somewhere every month…” It does seem to me that H$U$ makes many misleading statements in their advertising. Aprroximately 71% of the United States populace believes that H$U$ is an umbrella organization for our local shelters. Nothing could be farther from the truth,

If you really want to help Stop Cruelty to Animals in Indiana donate to your local Dog Adoption Shelter or a reputable Indiana Dog Rescue. Maybe if we all started to do that we wouldn't have to worry about being mislead anymore by the crazies at H$U$.

Oh, and before I forget "Where do we go to complain about Wayne and the H$U$ and their misleading statements?" Because in this particular case Wayne does need to get a little "egg" on his face.

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.  

Now the Animals Rights folks at HSUS are taking cues from their old friends at PETA.

The animal advocates groups’ queries could resonate with the increased scrutiny of food manufacturing processes.

 

But some question whether the activist groups’ tactics throw their credibility into question.

 

PETA's extreme practices are well-documented. They garnered extra press last August for distributing "Unhappy Meals" to children outside of a dozen or so McDonald's restaurants. The blood-stained meals included a sharp-toothed, knife-wielding version of Ronald McDonald and pictures of cut up chickens, among other things.

 

And there's a questionable continuum between PETA and HSUS. Matthew Prescott was head of corporate affairs at PETA before he joined HSUS as corporate outreach director for its Factory Farming Campaign in April 2009.

Prescott helped spearhead shareholder meeting interventions at PETA, and is now trying to gain more traction with the tactic under The Humane Society's less volatile reputation.

ICAW has repeatedly warned the good citizens of Indiana about the REAL agenda of HSUS "Animal Agriculture" and "Factory Farming". Now we wonder will Luca Pizza or Bazbeaux Pizza or Union Jacks be on the list for the local HSUS Directors. Please stop believing this all can not be true. This is the true reality of the Animals Rights movement.

As we always tell you keep in touch with your Indiana Legislators and let them know how you feel about all of this. As for us we are going to keep right on eating that great pizza from around our state.

On April 13th and 14th in Fort Wayne Indiana the Indiana Milk Professionals held their annual Indiana Milk Quality Conference. Mike Baumgarner from Ohio Farm Bureau was a featured speaker. We would like to quote Mike from his talk.

"Agriculture makes up less than 2 percent of the population," Mike Bumgarner, a vice president with Ohio Farm Bureau, told conference attendees. "You've got people who don't really understand production agriculture."

But the good news?

"Most consumers trust farmers," he said.

Bumgarner said people are influenced in their attitudes toward animals rights by several factors, which include culture, economics, religious and philosophical beliefs, scientific knowledge and aesthetics.

In addition, he said that dollar figures trump animals rights. For example, there is a cost associated with an animal being able to spread its wings or limbs and not be confined for life.

Many of the attitudes prevalent in the animals rights movement, Bumgarner said, are rooted in the ways Americans treat their pets.

"We love our pets!" he said, but there can be trouble when Americans equate pets with farm animals.

People think that "A dog is a cow and a cat is a pig," he said."

"As producers, we have taken care of animals for generations," he said. "But we don't get this word out."

Bumgarner urged farmers to go home and watch "Food, Inc.," a movie that portrays what its producers see as problems with modern agriculture. Many farmers feel vilified by the movie.

"Farming is being blamed for every problem known to mankind," he said.

Bumgarner concluded his presentation by claiming that the Humane Society of the United States, a prominent animals rights group, uses the tactic of dividing and conquering to influence policy. Hence, he told agriculture that it has to present a united front against such groups. He credits unity as a key factor in Ohio not giving in to HSUS.

We also would like to quote Wes Jamison, a public relations consultant and professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Wes spoke at the Indiana Milk Quality Conference as well.
Please pay careful attention to what he had to say.

"You produce for a consuming society that cannot and will not understand what you say," he told farmers. "People don't care about the farmers' story."

Jamison said that HSUS "chooses language that consumers will resonate with," and that it utilizes a strategy of "moral coalition building."

"It has nothing to do with science and economics," said Jamison. "The idea is to moralize the issues."

Jamison said that HSUS has a theologian on its staff, and it uses the appeal of religion to get its word out.

"It urges pastors to preach against animal agriculture," he said.

He even showed a videoclip of Houston megachurch pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen urging his parishioners and viewers not to eat pork, as it is "unclean."

Jamison outlined the core messages that HSUS uses, which include the individual worth of the animal, animal suffering, compassion, guilt and responsibility.

He told his audience that in actuality, animals are a source of protein. In other countries, people eat dog, and the reason why this is not done in the United States is due to cultural norms.

"There are different rules for pets and livestock," Jamison said. "Hypocrisy is approved."

Wes is a great guy but please know that he is facing lawsuits brought by HSUS the factory fundraisers of the Animals Rights groups.

You will notice an almost, I repeat almost defeated attitude by Wes. HSUS will not give up.

We want to quote Gary Haynes from the Indiana Board of Animal Health as well. Gary said:

"Indiana lawmakers have addressed the animal rights issue in recent years.

The Indiana General Assembly passed House Bill 1468 in 2009, which addresses cruelty of domestic animals. In 2010, the General Assembly passed House Bill 1099, which adopted rules for taking care of livestock and poultry."

Haynes warned that HSUS may try to circumvent such state laws, and appeal their case at the federal level with the knowledge that federal laws will trump state laws.

Be proud of what your Indiana Legislators have done the last two years but be very aware and very vigilant about the fact that this battle for our very existence is not over. Please stay in contact with all of YOUR legislators and let them know where YOU stand on these issues. If you don't, you and all of the members of the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare may not be able to eat those great Pork Tenderloins and Rib Eyes that we all so dearly love. No eggs, no milk or cheese, no fried chicken from your favorite Indiana restaurant.

We don't know about you but we would miss that very much.
 

 

 

A proposal in the U.S. House would take production agriculture standards out of the hands of professionals and turn them over to bureaucrats. That’s what I find worrisome about new animal welfare legislation by two U.S. representatives California. The Bill is HR 4733 The Prevention of Farm Cruelty Act. The Bill was introduced earlier this month by Reps. Diane Watson and Elton Gallegly, both from California. If passed, the bill would prohibit the government from purchasing animal products that are not "humanely" produced for school lunch and other federal programs.

So who defines "Humane?" That's the real problem! the bill would mandate arbitrary humane animal production standards. By arbitrary, we mean standards developed without input from veterinarians or animal producers. Now we (all of us) have real problems. The legislation—which resembles doctrine espoused by the animals rights activists of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animals rights groups—is based on the presumption that farm animals are not routinely treated humanely. In Indiana when we were accused by the animals rights folks of being the "Bad Guys" we litterally got HB 1099 passed unanimously in both houses of the legislature and signed into law.

As a defense, agriculture points to painstaking animal welfare standards—proper veterinary care, fresh water, clean animal feed, etc. from birth to harvest—which have been developed through years of research by scientists and producers for every species of livestock. Those standards by and large have been developed to maintain healthy animals. And we can argue until the cows come home that healthy livestock are happy livestock. But reactive thinking isn’t cutting it anymore. The industry needs to get get ahead of this issue.

We are never going to satisfy PETA and HSUS, and shouldn’t even try. But we can throw a barrier between them and the American consumer. We think "ethical standards of care" for livestock is the answer? We especially think that your local farmer,veterinarian and locall researchers should set those standards. Start running through your mind some of the people that you see or hear everyday in national news who know absolutely nothing about these issues and telling us here in Indiana "We know better than you" how to stop cruelty to animals and what you should eat.

As for us here at the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare we keep having faith in our local farmers and the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) under the guidance of Dr. Bret Marsh to set the care standards for Indiana livestock. As for the federal level, we still trust the USDA as well.

Please contact your Congressman or Woman and US Senators and let them know what you really think before it's too late!!

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.

Someone sent us this video last weekend. It just made us think more and more about the reasons for euthanasia at Dog Adoption Shelters. We can not come up with any reason that any Indiana Humane Society or any Indiana Dog Rescue would not embrace the No Kill mentality of Nathan J Winograd. Nathan has written a book called Redemption, we highly suggest that you read it. Nathan explains the history of how our relationships with shelters came about. How many of you know who Henry Bergh was?

How did we as a country or a state get so twisted in our thinking. How did we allow the Animals Rights folks to pit us against each other? Could it be about money? No matter where you look it seems that is what it is all about. Why can't we sit down and work out our differences together?

The more we think about it any Indiana Humane Society or  Indiana Dog Adoption Shelters should be regulated by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH). If someone can give me a rational, logical reason that they should not, we will listen. Let's make it fair and equitable for all parties. Let's leave no stone un-turned and maybe then and only then we can Stop Cruelty to Animals.

I ran across a picture the other day that absolutely shows the hypocrisy of HSUS. I was reading an article by John Dillard a student at the University of Richmond Law School. In his article was this graph a plain old bar chart. ICAW has been writing, talking and presenting the hypocrisy of the Animals Rights movement. Some folks get it some don't. The following picture is the HSUS budget of 2008 in a graph. Please take a moment, in fact take as long as you need to digest what you are seeing. When Indiana Dog Adoption Shelters or any Indiana Dog Rescue jump on the HSUS bandwagon please explain to me WHY!




The HSUS budget in 2008 was well over $100 million dollars. According to their (2008) Annual Report, only $6.7 million dollars (5.4%) of their $125 million dollar budget that year was spent on animal shelters. The bulk of the balance was spent on fundraising, campaigns, lawsuits, propaganda, and salaries. Divide that $6.7 million dollars by 50 states and you get $134,000 given per state on average. If we divide that average amount of $134,000 by the 92 counties in Indiana you get $1456 per county. If HSUS really wanted to Stop Cruelty to Animals they would give more. Why does any Indiana Humane Society or Indiana Dog Rescue ever want anything to do with HSUS.

If the citizens of Indiana donate their money to help Indiana animals should it not be used to directly help Indiana animals? So the next time you write a check or pull out that credit card, think local, very local. Please urge your local Indiana Dog Adoption Shelters or whatever Indiana Dog Rescue you want to help, to please think about their association with a group of Animals Rights folks like HSUS.

Whenever the Animals Rights folks start suing someone we have always wondered who actually paid for those lawsuits. We are going to point out some interesting information for you to think about.The 1980 Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) was enacted to help the little guy, not to fund the big guy. Now it seems that is really not the case. When Congress passed EAJA in 1980, it was supposed to "help individuals, small businesses and nonprofits with limited means seek judicial redress against the federal government".

We would like to quote Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah) one of the sponsors of H.R. 4717 a bill to bring oversight and full public disclosure of payments made under the 1980 Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), "For too long, taxpayers have unwittingly served as the financiers of the environmental litigation industry. Without improved oversight, EAJA will continue to be abused by organizations that have made a cottage industry out of suing the federal government in an effort to advance their radical political agendas".

The bill, H.R. 4717, would "reinstate and consolidate tracking and reporting requirements under the Department of Justice and would require DOJ to publish an online, searchable database of EAJA payments that is open to the public. It would also authorize an audit of the last 15 years when EAJA operated with absolutely no oversight," We can't wait to see the hurt and anguish that the Animals Rights folks will display if and when this bill should get passed. Millions of tax dollars (37 Million Dollars) have gone to big groups like Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and The Humane Society of the United States.The Indiana Council for Animal Welfare will be paying close attention to the status of this bill as it progresses through its journey into being signed into law for all of us the tax paying citizens of Indiana and this great country.

"Because the government has neglected to provide oversight, EAJA has become a breeding ground for abuse by radical environmental groups," NCBA president Steve Foglesong said in a statement. "The fact that millions of dollars in taxpayer funds have been awarded with virtually no accounting of who received the payments is unacceptable."

So the next time you eat a great Indiana steak from an Indiana farmer pray that no one from the Animals Rights side sues to take that privilege from you, because YOUR tax dollars just might be helping them to take that privilege from you!

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.

ICAW always forwards you information when abuse of power situations occur involving animals and their owners. We would like to share another lawsuit that is happening in Pennsylvania that our friend Patti Strand has made us aware of. When you read this article remember, it does not involve Commercial Dog Breeders or a Puppy Mill Rescue. It involves a sportswoman, schoolteacher and environmentalist. This lady's name is Wendy Willard. Please read the following and let us know what you think.

All eyes on Pennsylvania

dog owners' rights are attacked, defended

ICAW met with many people around the state of Indiana in 2008 explaining why over zealous officials need to be careful when enacting new ordinances. One lawsuit and you could be broke! We wish Wendy Willard the best of luck in her lawsuit against the PSPCA.
Remember when the Animals Rights activists come after you ICAW will be there as well to preserve and defend your rights as well.

 The members of ICAW would like to congratulate Feld Entertainment (Ringling Brothers Circus) on their hard fought victory in court against one more of the Animals Rights groups. Feld Entertainment has fought this fight for over 8 years. We would like to express our appreciation to Patti Strand who supplied the body of this post as well. Patti Strand is a tireless worker for our rights as animal owners. Patti has been at the helm of this fight for over 18 years and we will never be able to repay her for everything she does for all of us. We only hope that the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare can have the same impact that Patti has had nationally, here locally in Indiana. So whether you may be Indiana Puppy Breeders or an Indiana Dog Rescue, join us and help support ICAW to protect your rights in Indiana.

     Our Heartfelt Congratulations to Feld Entertainment for a Well Deserved Victory

NAIA congratulates Feld Entertainment and Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey for their gigantic victory in the long fought lawsuit waged against them by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Fund for Animals, (a part of the Humane Society of the United States) and several other high profile animal fundraising groups.

In their quest for donors, it is a sad irony that many of the nation's so-called animal protection organizations target the very businesses that are doing most to protect animals. Certainly that's the case in this 8-year old lawsuit, whose key plaintiff and witness was found to be untruthful and lacking in credibility, a plaintiff who just happened to be paid by several of these same animal protection groups.  

Ironically, while Feld was spending millions to assure the health, well-being and preservation of the world's threatened elephants, the animal fundraising groups were busy paying plaintiffs, and pushing policies and litigation that could lead to their extinction.

So, on behalf of all the people who work and live with animals, whether professionally, or as breed enthusiasts, livestock producers or simply as pet owners, our heartfelt thanks go to Feld Entertainment. This is a huge win for all of us!

Patti Strand, National Director

Join Our 18 Year Movement to Stop Animal Rights Extremism

Notes:

1. For the official Feld press release please visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/feld-entertainment-inc-victorious-in-case-brought-by-aspca-and-other-animal-special-interest-groups-80383197.html
2. To read the decision, go here:  https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2003cv2006-559
3. To read more about what Feld Entertainment is doing to preserve the world's elephants, please go here: http://www.elephantcenter.com/

 

ICAW was on the road again this past Thursday night on December 17th, 2009. We were invited to Northwestern Indiana to be on a panel of speakers talking to AKC Indiana dog breeders, dog adoption shelters and another Indiana Humane Society. The people that invited us were all very concerned about any new legislation that might be coming in the next session of the Indiana Legislature.

All of the people in this meeting had watched with a keen eye how HB1468 had progressed in the previous session, and wanted to know what they could do to help ensure their rights as pet and animal owners moving forward into a new year and a new session of the legislature.

ICAW is so humbled that all of these organizations around the state have asked us to come and speak to them about what can they do to protect their rights. In the case of the dog adoption shelters, every one that we have talked to is struggling to make ends meet. We keep wondering why none of the animals rights organizations do anything to actually help the animals.

Please help us to keep helping these types of organizations by contributing to us here at the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare. We truly want to stop cruelty to animals and will always work to do so.

 

ICAW has found out that the Mayor of Muncie Indiana says she is planning to close the city animal shelter because budget cuts would leave it understaffed.

The City Council on Monday declined Mayor Sharon McShurley's request that it reconsider a decision to eliminate one of two full-time animal control officers next year. Under a union contract provision, that job cut would cause the firing of five part-time workers and leave the shelter with two staffers to oversee about 75 animals.

ICAW wants to know what has happened in Muncie, Indiana for such a dramatic action to take place. We know that whether you are an Indiana Humane Society or an Indiana Dog Rescue that everyone involved with animal welfare are struggling to make ends meet. We wonder how much discussion has happened with all of the animal parties involved including constituents.

Dog Adoption Shelters seem to be taking the brunt of the current recession. We here at ICAW want everyone in Muncie and Delaware County to know that we would love to come to talk with the Mayor and the City/County Council on what we all could do to help.

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Holiday shopping is near and Indiana pet stores are ready with puppies in all breeds and colors. Prices may seem a bit high, but plastic money is accepted at the check-out counter. The puppies are playful, have quick tongues that lavish kisses on happy faces, and are registered. Indiana pet store staff are eager to put a wiggly bundle of fur into a customer's arms. The customer is reluctant to put that squirmy, loving puppy back into their display.

So the puppy goes home with the happy family. All may be well; the puppy may grow into just the dog the customer wanted - easily housetrained, gentle with the baby, playful with the older children, a quiet companion for the adults, a healthy, easily-trained pooch that readily fits family and lifestyle.

Pet stores have been accused of getting their puppies from puppy mills, but this is not true of reputable independent pet stores or chain pet stores stores. However, they do get their dogs from commercial kennels or brokers who are in the business to sell puppies.

You may also choose to get your puppy from an Indiana Dog Rescue or the Indiana Humane Society. Here is where the conundrum comes in. Where should a family get their puppy?  We here at ICAW really don't have an issue where you get your puppy from. We just want to ensure your right to be able to do whatever your choice may be. Always remember there are positives and negatives in every one of the above mentioned places to get your puppy. But it should always be about individual choice and the welfare of the animals. Please help us at the Indiana Council for Animal Wefare to fight to retain those rights for you.

We have been following the story about the Indianapolis Humane Society and can't help but wonder why no one else seems to have this problem with cats and kittens? We have spoke to vets and other rescues and no one seems to have this problem. It seems to be an airborne problem. Were the kittens or cats isolated from the others when they were brought in? Just wondering... The Indiana Humane Society appears to need more funding, but is having difficulty raising money, especially from any of the larger Animals Rights organizations. Why has this happened?

We talked previously in another post that when Nathan J Winograd was here last year, no one from the Indiana Humane Society was in attendance. It seems to us that Mr. Winograd has a lot of the answers to what the ailments are. We just keep thinking that if you want to stop euthanizing animals and make things better for the animals, which is the ultimate goal, listening to these folks will help.

If you want to help stop cruelty to animals visit us at the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare.