These articles will explain what you need to know about the different types of cruelty. They will also help you identify the signs of an abused animal.

Below are some commonly used words within animal welfare that you may come across while browsing the site.

Animal cruelty: Animal cruelty generally falls into one of three categories: neglect, intentional cruelty or sexual abuse. Examples include starvation, dehydration, confinement without adequate light or ventilation, failure to seek veterinary care when an animal is in need of medical attention, inadequate shelter, dog fighting, illegal slaughterhouses and puppy mills.

Animal hoarding: Animal hoarding or collecting is an obsessive/compulsive disorder in which an individual amasses a large number of animals (sometimes more than a 100); fails to provide for the animals' most basic physical and social needs, including food, water, shelter, veterinary care, and sanitary living conditions; and is usually in extreme denial about the abysmal living conditions of their animals, and dwelling. Often this neglect results in the animals' starvation, illness and death. Hoarding, technically, can be considered a crime, as it is a form of neglect.

Backyard breeder: An owner whose pet may have an unplanned litter by accident, or who breeds on purpose. Common reasons cited include: making extra money, mistakenly believing every dog should have a litter, letting the children witness "the miracle of birth," or because they think their dog would make cute puppies. The animals involved are generally not tested for health or genetic problems, and typically there is no thought to where the puppies will go. They are the single greatest cause of pet overpopulation. Many are sold locally through newspaper ads.

Cock fighting: An illegal blood sport in which two roosters, trained to severely injure and/or kill one another, are placed beak to beak in a small ring and encouraged to fight to the death. Usually wagers are made on the outcome of the match with the surviving bird being declared the winner.

Dog fighting: An illegal blood sport that pits dogs against one another for spectator entertainment, and often betting. The sport was popular in England in the 1700s, and many modern breeds were developed from these fighting dogs' lines. Fighting dogs are trained, and genetically predisposed, to fight to the death, rather than to display normal submissive signals that would allow two dogs to resolve a disagreement quickly and safely.

Ear cropping: The cropping of a purebred dog's ears to conform to a breed standard. While ear cropping surgery is usually performed by veterinarians, it is frequently done by untrained individuals in unsterilized environments and without anesthesia. Today a number of countries consider cropping to be cruel and ban it entirely.

Feral cats: The offspring of strays or abandoned domestic cats who have reverted to a wild state; the offspring of feral cats who have lived in a wild state for some generations; or domestic cats that have been abandoned or run off and gone wild. Feral cats live in family groups called colonies.

Illegal slaughterhouses: Illegal, unlicensed slaughterhouses kill animals without any care or concern as to the method used. A screwdriver, dull knives and axes are just some of the inhumane tools of the illegal slaughter business. Additionally, these underground facilities don't employ sanitation programs, thereby placing anyone eating this meat at risk of serious food poisoning. In Ontario, if you are killing an animal for consumption other than for you and your immediate family, it must be done at a licensed abattoir, in a humane fashion, and inspected by a government inspector.

Intentional cruelty: Cruelty involving physical harm or injury inflicted on an animal. In cases where animals survive, veterinarians often recommend euthanasia due to the extent of the animal's injuries or the extreme suffering involved. Animal abuse is often a precursor to human-directed violence and an indicator of family crisis.

Leghold trap: The steel-jaw leghold trap is most often used to trap wild animals who are killed for their fur, such as bobcat, lynx, wolf, coyote, fox, beaver, muskrat, mink and otter. Trapped animals usually do not die instantly, and are left to suffer intense pain, exposure to severe weather, predatation by other animals, psychological trauma, dehydration and starvation. Leghold traps are indiscriminate - capturing any animals that trigger them including threatened and endangered species, raptors (such as eagles and hawks), and domestic dogs and cats.

Neglect: Neglect is the failure to provide adequate water, food, shelter or necessary care. Examples of neglect include: starvation; dehydration; inadequate shelter; parasite infestations; failure to seek veterinary care when an animal is in need of medical attention; allowing a collar to grow into an animal's skin; confinement without adequate light, ventilation, space or in unsanitary conditions; and failure to trim hooves or nails resulting in excessive growth (e.g. hooves curling upwards). In some cases neglect is simply a result of the owner's ignorance, and can be rectified by law enforcement authorities, like the Ontario SPCA, educating the owner and issuing orders to improve the animal's living conditions. In more severe cases, circumstances may require the Ontario SPCA, or other law enforcement authorities, removing the animals immediately to provide urgent medical care.

Animal Welfare Act: Click here

Ontario SPCA Branch: The Ontario SPCA's Branches are located across the province and are directly administered by the Provincial Office in Newmarket.

Ontario SPCA Affiliate or Affiliated Humane Society: In order to gain animal cruelty investigative powers in their local communities, Humane Societies are affiliated with the Ontario SPCA and empowered by provincial legislation. While affiliates operate independently from the Ontario SPCA and are administered at the local level by their own individual Board of Directors, all affiliated Humane Society investigators are trained, licensed and overseen by the Ontario SPCA Chief Inspector. They participate in any number of activities and initiatives common to the entire network of Branches and Affiliates - and are given access to certain services and benefits by belonging to the larger group.

Puppy mill: The National Companion Animal Coalition defines puppy mills as a high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operation, which sells purebred or mixed-breed dogs, to unsuspecting buyers. Characteristics common to puppy mills include: sub-standard health and/or environment issues; sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization; sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders; and erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigree, and/or genetic background. Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single-breed establishments.

Stray: A currently or recently owned dog or cat who may be lost. The animal is usually well socialized but may become wary over time. A stray's kittens or pups may be feral.

Puppy Mill Glossary

AKC-Registered: Registry with the American Kennel Club indicates that a puppy had two parents of the same breed. AKC registration does not guarantee a puppy will be in good health. Almost all puppies born in puppy mills are AKC-registered.

Animal Welfare Act: The Animal Welfare Act is a federal law that governs the humane care, handling, treatment and transportation of commercially bred dogs. It also governs the licensing of certain commercial breeders. Enforcement of the Act is the responsibility of a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) known as APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)—but kennels are not inspected consistently. Puppy mill operators are usually allowed to remain in business while they remedy any violations.

Backyard Breeder: A dog owner whose pet gets bred by accident, or one who breeds intentionally for a variety of reasons. These might include a desire to make extra money, or to allow children to witness “the miracle of birth.” The animals involved are usually not screened for genetic or health problems.

Breeding Female: A female dog who produces puppies in a commercial kennel. These dogs rarely have the chance to leave the puppy mill—they are killed, abandoned or sold to Class B dealers when they are no longer considered useful.

Breed: A group of related animals who are genotypically and phenotypically similar and produce physically similar offspring when mated.

Breeding Stock: Dogs who are continually bred at commercial kennels. They generally live their entire lives in cages and receive little or no veterinary care. When their fertility diminishes, they are killed, abandoned or sold to Class B dealers.

Breed Standard: A set of guidelines that includes the ideal appearance of a particular breed.

Broker: Puppy brokers, also known as Class B dealers or puppy mill representatives, act as middlemen between breeders and purchasers. They buy puppies “in bulk” directly from puppy mills and sell them to retail outlets or research facilities, often shipping the dogs across state lines. Brokers must be licensed by the USDA and must abide by the shipping regulations outlined in the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Buncher: A person who takes puppy mill rejects—dogs not up to breed standards—and/or dogs advertised as “free to a good home” and sells them to Class B dealers, who will in turn sell them to industrial research laboratories.

Class A Dealers: Those licensed by the USDA to operate commercial kennels, or puppy mills, that produce dogs for “bulk” sale.

Commercial Kennel: While there is debate about whether dogs can be humanely bred in a commercial environment, commercial kennels are typically considered puppy mills. See Puppy Mill.

Consignment Auction: An auction by a puppy mill of the dogs it no longer wants—the typical buyers at these auctions are Class B dealers, bunchers and other puppy mills.

Culling: The killing of puppy mill puppies who, for various reasons, are considered unacceptable (twisted leg, coat or eye color not up to breed standard, misshaped ears, etc.).

Debarking: A controversial procedure in which a dog’s vocal cords are severed so that he is unable to bark. In puppy mills, this procedure is often performed by smashing a puppy’s vocal cords with a pipe.

Designer Dog: The intentional mating of two different purebred dogs to create a hybrid. Unlike many mixed-breed dogs, a designer dog has documented purebred ancestry. Designer dogs—such as the puggle and labradoodle—are increasing in popularity, and some puppy mills have started to mass produce them.

Dispersal Auction: An auction that occurs as a result of a puppy mill’s closure. A dispersal auction may include equipment and tools as well as dogs. The typical buyers at these auctions are Class B dealers, bunchers and other puppy mills.

Lemon Laws: Seventeen states have enacted “lemon laws” to protect consumers who have bought unhealthy puppies. The laws allow for purchasers to return a sick or dead puppy for a refund or replacement. Many state laws also offer the option of reimbursement of veterinary bills.

Puppy Mill: A commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given higher priority than the well-being of the dogs. Dogs are housed in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care, food, water and socialization. The breeding stocks at puppy mills are bred as often as possible in order to increase profits. The animals bred in mills are typically sold via the Internet and to pet shops.

Tail Docking: The cutting of a dog's tail to conform to an aesthetic or breed standard. This cosmetic surgery is often done by untrained individuals, without anesthesia, in unsterile environments. 

What Kinds of Crimes Exist?

• Hoarding: Not Just Little Old Ladies

A well-cared-for pet can be a pleasure to own.	Homes occupied by hoarders often pose health risks to both people and animals.

•  All Alone: Neglect and Abandonment

•  Fighting for Their Lives

What are Crush Videos?

Wildlife Penning

Home Page Pen Info Permit Info About Us Photos Videos In The News Links Help Us
Here is a brief video that we put together compiled using FWC and Alabama DNR information along with out own pictures. This details what a "real" fox-coyote enclosure is.

About Stop Wildlife Penning

Laboratory animal sources

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Animal testing Main articles Animal testing Alternatives to animal testing Testing on: invertebrates frogs · primates rabbits · rodents Animal testing regulations History of animal testing History of model organisms IACUC Laboratory animal sources Pain and suffering in lab animals Testing cosmetics on animals Toxicology testing

Class A dealers

Class A breeders are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to sell animals bred specifically for research.

Class B dealers

Class B dealers are licensed by the USDA to buy animals from "random sources." This refers to animals who were not purpose-bred or raised on the dealers' property. Animals from "random sources" come from auctions, pound seizure, newspaper ads, and a small number may be stolen pets or illegally trapped strays. 

Animal shelters

Animals are also sold directly to laboratories by shelters. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah require publicly funded shelters to surrender animals to any Class B dealer who asks for them. Fourteen states prohibit the practice,and the remainder either have no relevant legislation, or permit the practice in certain circumstances.

Bunching

According to a paper presented to the American Society of Criminology in 2006, an illegal economy in the theft of pets, mostly dogs, has emerged in the U.S. in recent years, with the thieves known as "bunchers." The bunchers sell the animals to Class B animal dealers, who pay $25 per animal. The dealers then sell the animals to universities, medical and veterinary schools, and companies providing animal-testing services.

Animal cruelty covers a wide range of actions (or lack of action), so one blanket answer simply isn't possible. Each type of abuse has displayed certain patterns of behavior that we can use to help understand more about why people commit the crimes we encounter today. Animal cruelty is often broken down into two main categories: active and passive, also referred to as comission and omission, respectively.

Passive Cruelty (Acts of Omission)

Passive cruelty is typified by cases of neglect, where the crime is a lack of action rather than the action itself - however do not let the terminology fool you. Severe animal neglect can cause incredible pain and suffering to an animal. Examples of neglect are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestations, allowing a collar to grow into an animal's skin, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and failure to seek veterinary care when an animal needs medical attention. In many cases of neglect where an investigator feels that the cruelty occurred as a result of ignorance, they may attempt to educate the pet owner and then revisit the situation to check for improvements. In more severe cases however, exigent circumstances may require that the animal is removed from the site immediately and taken in for urgent medical care.

Active Cruelty (Acts of Comission)

Active cruelty implies malicious intent, where a person has deliberately and intentionally caused harm to an animal, and is sometimes referred to as NAI (Non-Accidental Injury). Acts of intentional cruelty are often some of the most disturbing and should be considered signs of serious psychological problems. This type of behavior is often associated with sociopathic behavior and should be taken very seriously. Animal abuse in violent homes can take many forms and can occur for many reasons. Many times a parent or domestic partner who is abusive may kill, or threaten to kill, the household pets to intimidate family members into sexual abuse, to remain silent about previous or current abuse, or simply to psychologically torture the the victims, flexing their "power". 

Puppy Scams & Cons Buyers Beware: Debunking Puppy Scams.

Luckily, many animal lovers are becoming aware that purchasing a dog—or any animal, for that matter—from a pet store is a big no-no. Almost all puppies sold at pet stores come from backyard breeders or puppy mills, where dogs are housed in cramped, filthy conditions without sufficient veterinary care, food, water and socialization. Furthermore, the breeding stock at puppy mills—the moms and dads—are bred as often as possible, for as long as possible, in order to increase profits. But a growing trend among commercial puppy breeders is to cut out the middleman—the pet shop—and use online retailing to get their dogs directly into your homes.

Internet Puppy Scams :  Consumers trying to find dogs from reputable breeders or breed rescue groups often turn to the Web for advice. But they soon find themselves bombarded with elaborate websites offering the offspring of “champions.” With a host of fancy terms—certified kennel, AKC registered, pedigree, health certified—and picturesque photos of tail-wagging terriers, doe-eyed Chihuahuas and every other adorable breed, it is easy to become overwhelmed with choices. Don’t be fooled: the Internet is a vast, unregulated marketplace allowing anyone to put up a website claiming anything. Scattered among the websites of reputable breeders and rescue groups, Internet puppy scammers attract potential buyers with endearing pictures and phony promises.

The Loophole : Under the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), commercial breeders selling directly to pet stores must be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture. However, the AWA does not regulate breeders that sell directly to the public. The AWA was passed in 1966, prior to the Internet boom—lawmakers couldn’t foresee that commercial breeders would someday have the ability to sell directly to the public via the Internet. This loophole allows some puppy mills to operate without a license and without fear of inspection—meaning they are not accountable to anyone for their breeding and care standards. According to a recent ASPCA survey, 89 percent of all “breeders” selling over the Internet are unlicensed by USDA.

The Scams :  An informal online survey conducted by the ASPCA reveals that just as many Americans are now purchasing their dogs over the Internet as buying from pet stores. That said, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, hundreds of complaints are filed every year from victims who were scammed when buying a dog online. Here are some of the most common scam scenarios predators use on consumers:

• The Bait and Switch:  In this classic scam, the website depicts dozens of photos of cute and cuddly, happy and healthy puppies. What the consumer doesn’t realize is that these are stock photos taken from a clip-art file—or simply stolen from other websites. In this scam, virtually all contact is done via email, and the puppy is typically shipped without the buyer ever seeing the dog in person. The scam is revealed when the dog is delivered and the buyer is faced not with the adorable puppy from the photos, but a sickly dog, often of a different color or with different markings. Scammers count on people feeling guilty or compassionate and choosing not to send the puppy back.
  
  
• Free to Good Home:  Internet scammers don’t just use cute photos to lure potential puppy buyers. They also resort to verbal deceit. With the “free to good home” scam, the perpetrator will often post a sad story of having to find homes for his purebred puppies immediately—he just lost his wife, they must be placed for a dying relative, he is going to Africa to be a missionary, etc. Victims are offered a puppy free of charge, and asked only to pay the shipping fee—usually about $400. Buyers are asked to send all payments via a Western Union wire transfer or money order. These methods are favorites among scam artists because they are the equivalent of sending cash—the money can’t be recovered by the victim. This scam is particularly heartbreaking because there is no real dog involved! Victims usually arrive at the airport to pick up their new puppy, only to find that they have been scammed.
  
  
• Sanctuaries or Scamtuaries?  Unfortunately, this next scam preys on animal lovers who want to help dogs in need. In this scenario, the puppy mill will actually set up its website as a “rescue group” or “sanctuary,” offering purebred puppies who have been rescued from shelters, bad breeders, even from puppy mills! The scam is revealed by the price tag—the “adoption fees” for these dogs often exceed $1,000! Breed rescue groups charge nominal fees—usually no more than a few hundred dollars—because their goal is not to make money, but to find wonderful homes for their rescues.
  
  
• AKC-Registered :  AKC registry is a service provided by the American Kennel Club. While many people believe AKC registration means their puppies came from reputable breeders, being AKC-registered means nothing more than your puppy’s parents both had AKC papers. While there are some AKC regulations, they do not restrict puppy mills from producing AKC-registered dogs. The fact is, many AKC-registered dogs are born in puppy mills.

How Can I Avoid Being Scammed?  The best way to avoid being scammed is to simply never buy a dog you haven’t met in person. Please also keep in mind that adoption is still the best option, even if you have your heart set on a purebred dog. There are thousands of dogs waiting for good homes at local animal shelters, including purebreds! Keep an eye on your local shelter, as purebreds turn up more often than people think. There are also a number of reputable breed rescue groups passionate about finding great homes for purebred dogs who have been abandoned, abused or surrendered to shelters. It’s also important to note that the Internet is a very valuable tool for finding reputable breeders and breed rescue groups in your area. When looking for your puppy online, just make sure you follow these simple tips:

• Always check references, including others who have purchased pets from this breeder and the veterinarian the breeder works with.
• Be sure to deal directly with a breeder, not a broker.
• Never send Western Union or money order payments.
• Always visit. Reputable breeders and rescue groups will be more than happy to offer you a tour.
• If you are told that there will be no refunds for a sick puppy, you are most probably dealing with a puppy mill. A reputable breeder or rescue group will always take the puppy back, regardless of the reason.
• Always pick your puppy up at the kennel. Do not have the puppy shipped or meet at a random location.
  

How Do I Report a Scam?  If you feel you have been a victim of a puppy scam, please contact the following organizations:

• Internet Crime Complaint Center
  
• Better Business Bureau

Class B Dealers

	Class B Dog and Cat Dealers Are No Friends to the Animals

By Stephanie Edwards

In the shadowy world of Class B dog and cat dealers, an animal’s life can be harsh and unrelenting. Animals may suffer from crowded and unsanitary conditions, poor food, and insufficient water. Veterinary care may be nonexistent. They may not even survive their time in a Class B dealer’s hands.

So who are Class B dog and cat dealers? They're brokers who acquire animals from a variety of sources—including "pounds," flea markets, and newspaper ads—and then sell them to research institutions or veterinary schools. Class B dealers are regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which mandates minimum care and handling standards for animals in a variety of environments. But these dealers, putting profits before pooches, are regularly cited for violating the AWA and have long been a cause for concern for many.

The Crime Connection

Psychologists acknowledge a connection between human-on-human abuse and animal cruelty.


An abuser may harm animals in order to isolate or control a partner, as evidenced by a Chicago Police Department Domestic Violence Program survey, which found that 30 percent of animal abuse arrestees had records of domestic violence. Other times, a perpetrator may harm a pet in retaliation for an owner’s perceived wrongdoing. One such case involved 20-year-old landscaper Enrique Barreno, who was convicted of burglary and extreme animal cruelty in 2008 and sentenced to 28 months in prison by a Las Cruces, New Mexico, court. Two days after being fired, Barreno broke into the home of his former employer and hanged “Arthur,” the family dog, with an electrical cord after the animal allegedly attacked him.

The Cruelty Of Bear Baiting

    Animals As Fish Bait

Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island

Once fishers capture the animals, she said, the dogs and cats are hooked "the day before, so they can bleed sufficiently." Some escape before being tossed into the ocean. Others aren't so lucky. After hooks are plunged into their paws and/or snouts, the animals are attached to inflatable tubes with fishing line and dumped into the ocean, Clicanoo, the newspaper, reports. To avoid detection fishers place their bait in the middle of the night, according to the newspaper account. In the morning the men return to see if a shark has been caught. "Barbaric practices have no excuses, whatsoever, in the 21st century," GRAAL's Jouve said. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Friday Harbor, Washington State, is offering a U.S. $1,000 reward to any Réunion police officer who arrests anyone using live dogs or cats as bait for sharks.

Both the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the United Kingdom and the Thirty Million Friends Foundation are asking animal lovers to sign a petition urging the French government to step up enforcement of laws against the use of live dogs as bait.

Live and dead dogs and cats are being used as shark bait by amateur fishers on the French-controlled island of Réunion, according to animal-welfare organizations and local authorities. The small volcanic island off Africa's east coast is bursting with stray dogs—upward of 150,000, says Reha Hutin, president of the Paris-based Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis (the Thirty Million Friends Foundation). Hutin sent a film crew to Réunion this summer to obtain proof that live animals were being used as shark bait. The goal was to expose the practice on the animal rights group's weekly television show. It didn't take long for the film crew to find three separate cases, she said. A videotape and photographs show the dogs with multiple hooks sunk deep into their paws and snouts. "From then on everyone started to take the whole story seriously and realized it was true," Hutin said. Unlike most of the hooked animals, the dog was someone's pet, according to Saliha Hadj-Djilani, a reporter for the Thirty Million Friends Foundation's TV program. The dog had apparently escaped its captors and was taken to the SPA by a concerned citizen. Fully recovered, the animal is now home with its owners. The other two cases uncovered by Thirty Million Friends were strays. They now live in France with new owners. The foundation plans to finance a sterilization program on the island to reduce the stray overpopulation. But the job won't be easy. Hutin said many locals view the strays as vermin. "There's no value to the life of a dog there," she said. Last month, it became illegal for fishing boats to carry any live or dead dogs or cats. Authorities had found a seven-month-old puppy on John Claude Clain's property in July with three fishing hooks in its paws and snout. Clain, a 51-year-old bread deliveryperson, was found guilty of animal cruelty and fined 5,000 euros (U.S. $5,982), according to Clicanoo, a Réunion newspaper.

Animal experimentation: cruel and unnecessary.

Many animals are used in scientific and medical research. They often undergo cruel methods of testing and suffer greatly as a result. Animal experimentation is both cruel and unnecessary and humans have no right to put innocent animals through such torture. Scientists often don't benefit from testing on animals as they are so different from us and react differently to drugs. Results obtained from experimenting on animals are unreliable. There are numerous cases that highlight the absurdity of assuming that humans and animals have a biology sufficiently similar for experimentation to yield useful results. For example: morphine calms humans but excites cats, cortisone causes birth defects in mice but not in humans, penicillin kills guiniea pigs and hamsters and aspirin poisons cats. If the results of tests on animals had been relied upon we would not have penicillin or digitalis (a drug used by heart patients but which was withheld for a long time because it was found to raise the blood pressure of dogs). We would also be without chloroform (once a common anaesthetic but not used initially because it was toxic to dogs) and aspirin (which causes foetal deformities in rats and is toxic to certain animals). Certain steroids, adrenaline, insulin and some antibiotics are also toxic to many animals but medically beneficial to humans.

Another example of how animals can't be relied on to yield reliable results is the case of rats being used for cancer research. On 25th February 1993, it was reported in the age that using rats for cancer research may be pointless. The gene repair systems of rats, it has been found, makes them unusually susceptible to cancer and while it was once thought that their responses parallelled our own, it now appears that there are significant differences in 'the way humans and rodents repair genes damaged by chemicals, radiation, or other agents that mutate DNA.'

What happens at a typical organized dog fight?

There are three basic types of dog fighting. There are the professional dog fights—I hate to use the word professional and dog fighting in the same sentence. There are the hobbyists, or the persons who aspire to be professional dog fighters, and then there are the street-level fighters, the gangbangers who torture their dogs into being mean and they'll fight anything.

What about the professionals?
On the professional level it's very well organized. The secrecy is very, very heavy. They will fly dogs across the United States. The matches are set up either by phone or by Internet and the meet can be a neutral place for both parties. The dogs are fought in a very strict weight class. If your dog doesn't come in at the weight it's supposed to for the match, you forfeit the entry fee, which can be pretty heavy sometimes. At a fight back East several years back the police took over $500,000 from the participants and spectators there. Let's be honest, if I'm willing to put my dog on a plane to fly to a neutral spot to fight your dog, I'm not going to do it just for grins.

Describe the start of a fight.
The handlers say, "Face your dogs!" At that point, the dogs are turned around and faced toward each other. There is what they call the scratch line, and when the dog crosses that line he is "scratched," meaning he has full intent to get involved in the fight. The dogs are released from the corner, they "scratch," and then engage. At times the impact of the dogs blocking up is audible, you can hear them collide with one another. It's unbelievable. There is no collar, nothing. They're completely void of any type of control or restraint.

How do you know who wins?
If a dog refuses to scratch, or if the dog jumps out of the ring or refuses to fight, it's over. If a dog gets a lucky shot, if you get a dog that zips in and hits just right and takes out a jugular, the dog is all done. If you get a dog with a broken limb or a broken leg, it's over. Broken limbs are common. You just see how much punishment the other dog will take until he just gives up or he's incapacitated so he can't fight any more.

How long can a fight last?
It varies; it's like a boxing match. But there are timed rounds and they have rest periods and go at it again.

How big do the crowds get?
For security reasons, the crowds are kept as small as possible.

What are the venues like?
The venue can be anything, anywhere. It can be a barn, a commercial building. I have actually seen where they have gone into a housing tract and they broke into a new home and used one of the rooms for a pit. It can be any place that will afford the secrecy they need to prevent getting apprehended.

How are the dogs isolated from the people at a fight?
In the professional world, a man-eater, or a dog that will bite other people, cannot be tolerated and will most likely be destroyed. There are two handlers, either the owner or designated handler, and a referee in the pit with the dogs. The dog has to concentrate on the other dog.

Don't they have a wall?
They do separate and contain the dogs, because they lock up and start tumbling around. The walls are usually 18 to 25 feet, round or square, and usually two and a half to four feet high. They use plyboard, hay bales, any type of barrier. The preference is dirt floor but they also use carpeting to allow dogs to get good traction.

How do they separate them if they're locked up?
They use what they call a "breaking stick." It's a misnomer that the pit bull's jaw locks, but they have such hellacious tenacity that once they get a hold they are not going to let go. Both handlers will have a breaking stick in their pocket, nine to 15 inches long with a flat point on one end of it. It's generally something rigid made of wood or white nylon like cutting boards or plastic. They pry the jaws apart and pull the dogs back to the corner and sponge them like a boxer.

How many dogs are killed in the fights?
Most likely the dogs will be stopped short of death, however there are a number of other things that go beyond that and it just depends on how good of a vet the owner is. You can't go to the neighborhood vet with a dog that you fought because you'd be turned in. Most of them practice their own style of veterinary medicine. Dogs die of infection, they die of shock after the fight, or they're injured so bad they just expire. The actual death in the ring is probably not as often as one might think.

What do they do with dogs that aren't good fighters?
They think, why waste dog food on them. We're talking dollars and cents. If it isn't going to make a yield there's no reason to feed it. That sounds cold, but I'm being bluntly honest. I have actually gone to a place where one of the ways to get rid of a dog was simply attaching a raw electrode to the dog's tongue and a raw electrode to his testicles and then plugging it into the wall. That's sick.

How do they train the dogs?
These dogs are conditioned, not trained. That entails such things as treadmills, or cat-mills—they'll either use a caged cat or a rabbit. They'll simply tie a cat or rabbit to a hot walker like for a horse—it's a big thing that looks like a merry go round with spokes on it. They'll tie a dead cat or a live cat to one of the spokes and tie the dog to one of the other spokes and let him tug that around all day. They use weight training where they have the dogs pull weighted sleds. Then they have the spring pole, which is simply either a tree or a large pole with a spring or a cable or tire on it and the dog will jump up and grab it. He will actually hang on to it and bounce and have his own personal tug of war.

What is the "keep?"
The keep is the intense conditioning period in prep for the fight. During that period of time the dog is handled regularly, exercised regularly. His diet is monitored, he is given vitamins, and his weight is monitored.

What is the rape box?
These dogs are trained to be nasty towards another dog, so consequently if you're going to breed you don't want a female that's in heat tearing up your stud. So you put her in a rape box, which means you basically tie her to a barrel. Then you put him in there with a muzzle on and he does his thing and leaves.

How do bets get placed?
There will be an entry fee into the thing. That comprises the purse and the winner gets that. Then the owners of the dogs will have side bets between themselves. They'll probably cover some action with other people in the audience, and there will be side bets between people in the audience. Sometimes they take outside action and actually film the fight, so you can view it at a later date if you disagree about how your money was won or lost and you weren't among the chosen few who attended.

Are the fights moving away from pit bulls to other breeds?
You hear that from time to time. Over history there have been a number of dogs tried—the Shar-Pei was raised as a pit dog but now they're a trendy pet. But pound for pound they always come back to the little pit bull terrier because they're more bang for your buck, they're the best things going. They're small, they're compact, and they work well for that kind of scenario. The only reason for dog fighting is gambling, period. It's just like cock fighting. It's strictly a gambling scenario, nothing more. They raised Rhodesian Ridgebacks for fighting; Rottweilers are something you'd see on the street level.

How big is this subculture?
The level that garners the most attention is street level because it's in your face and it's practiced by gangs. They'll use anything that has four legs, preferably if it looks like a pit bull, but they'll use Rots or anything else. But professional dog fighting is also there, and it's very, very hard to stumble on. It's real hard to say exactly how big it is, but it is prevalent.

How do you catch these guys?
We use informants, we use people in the neighborhood that call in, we use something as simple as somebody driving by who saw a bunch of dogs staked out. People love animals and when they see something that doesn't look right and they're likely to tell someone and it filters back to us. There are informants, people who didn't think they got a fair shake at a fight who will turn in folks.

Why do you think professional athletes would be into something like this?
I will be very honest—and I hate to say it—but there have been law-enforcement officers involved, professional athletes, professional people, blue-collar people, gangster people. It's a mixed bag.

Where do they house these dogs?
Wherever they can. Sometimes warehouses, garages, sometimes "on the yard" as they refer to it. That means they drive a car axle into the ground, put a piece of chain on the axle, and put a dog on the end of the chain, and that's where the dog lives.

Is it bigger than cockfighting?
I wouldn't say which is largest; it depends on where you are geographically in the country. It's a gambling "sport," and wherever they can do either one they will.

How do they keep the fight locations secret?
They use countersurveillance—or as we call it dry cleaning—they use background checks, phone calls. There's secrecy, mystique. You might make an arrangement for a fight and they say show up at the Howdy Doody Motel at 6 o'clock Wednesday evening on the 24th. And when you go there and you check in pretty soon you get a phone call in your room that says go to this corner. A car will pick you up, take you someplace else, and then you'll be offloaded out of the car and onto a bus or something. It's very, very cloak and dagger.
 
I guess they feel like they have to do all that?
Yes, because there are people who are animal lovers who would do everything up to and including put a bullet into some of these clowns.

Sign the Petition: Get Michael Vick Out of the NFL

 

The Loss of a Companion Animal

Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade

It can be hard to resist the cute puppies and kittens for sale in pet store windows. But a closer look into how these stores obtain animals reveals a system in which the high price that consumers pay for “that doggie in the window” pales in comparison to the cost paid by animals who are sold in pet stores or forced to produce them. That adorable little scamp in the store probably came from a “puppy mill,” a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude, filthy conditions. The majority of these facilities are in the Midwest, but kennels can be found throughout the country, and some dealers even import puppies from other countries. Constant confinement and a lack of adequate veterinary care and socialization often result in animals who are unhealthy and difficult to socialize. As a result, many are abandoned within weeks or months of their adoption by frustrated buyers—further exacerbating the tragic companion animal overpopulation crisis.

Cages, Filth, and Neglect
Puppy mill kennels can consist of anything from small cages made of wood and wire mesh to tractor-trailer cabs or simple tethers attached to trees. One Arkansas facility had “cages hanging from the ceiling of an unheated cinder-block building ….” Female dogs are bred twice a year and are usually destroyed when they are no longer able to produce puppies. Mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, exposure, and a lack of adequate veterinary care.
 
Puppies are taken from their mothers and sold to brokers who pack them into crates for transport and resale to pet stores. Puppies who are shipped from mill to broker to pet store can travel hundreds of miles in pickup trucks, tractor trailers, and/or airplanes, often without adequate food, water, ventilation, or shelter. Two men faced charges after 38 puppies were found to be confined to a feces-filled van without food, water, or space to exercise. The men were transporting the animals from Oklahoma to Florida when a passerby noticed the dogs’ distressed barking and the foul stench emanating from the van, which was parked at a Daytona Beach motel.

Farms and Brokers Do Big Business
When PETA conducted an undercover investigation at Nielsen Farms, a puppy mill in Kansas, PETA’s investigator found that the dogs had no bedding or protection from the cold or heat. Some dogs were suffering from untreated wounds, ear infections, and abscessed feet. Confinement and loneliness had caused some mother dogs to go mad. PETA’s investigator witnessed one USDA inspection, during which the officer glanced at the cages but did not examine the dogs. Our investigation led to the Kansas facility’s closing and a $20,000 fine from the USDA. The Nielsens are also “permanently disqualified from being licensed” by the USDA.

There are thousands of breeders and dealers across the country. In Missouri alone, there are more than 1,400 licensed dog-breeding operations, although so many illegal breeders are in business that a state audit advised that the program designed to regulate commercial breeding was ineffective. The nation’s largest puppy broker is the Hunte Corporation in Missouri, which also exports dogs overseas. The company has been linked to numerous negligent pet stores and breeders and has sponsored American Kennel Club (AKC) meetings. The USDA has loaned the company more than $4 million for expansion and upgrades in recent years—taxpayer money being used to bring more misery to dogs and puppies.(11)

The Plight of Purebreds
Some people impulsively obtain purebred dogs, even though they may not be educated about the breed or ready for the commitment that animal companions require. Movies such as 101 Dalmatians and Beethoven, TV shows like Frasier, and commercials such as those for Taco Bell have caused a jump in the popularity of certain breeds, yet very few potential dog caretakers take the time to investigate the traits and needs of the breed that they are considering. “Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” says one caretaker of Bouvier des Flandres dogs. A Dalmatian fancier concludes that “… the unscrupulous breeders will see there’s a profit margin there.” When there is a surge in demand for a particular breed, puppy mills try to meet that demand, but when Jack Russell terriers don’t turn out to be just like Frasier’s “Eddie” or St. Bernards don’t act just like “Beethoven,” rescue groups and animal shelters become flooded with these breeds. 

The AKC, which opposes mandatory spay/neuter programs for purebred dogs, receives millions of dollars from breeders who pay AKC registration fees. The AKC registered more than 421,000 dogs in 2005, some of whom will join the millions of animals who end up in animal shelters every year. Buyers may be swayed by talk of “papers” and “AKC registration,” but these papers cannot ensure good temperament or good health. Says one veterinarian, “The best use of pedigree papers is for housebreaking your dog. They don’t mean a damn thing.” The AKC has minimum care standards for “high-volume breeding” facilities, but with 14 inspectors and an operating budget that is directed toward registration and dog shows, the AKC can only manage to inspect its registered kennels once every two years. By its own admission, some of the more problematic kennels have simply sought registration services (such as Dog Registry of America, Sporting Dog Registry, American Hunting Dog Registry, and All American Dog Registry, to name a few) that don’t perform inspections. At puppy mills, dogs are bred for quantity, not quality, so unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders that are passed on from generation to generation are common. This situation results in high veterinary bills for people who buy these dogs and the possibility that unsociable or maladjusted dogs will be disposed of by their unprepared “owners.” “There is virtually no consideration of temperament,” says one dog trainer. “I wish legislators could sit in my office and watch ... people sobbing in extreme emotional pain over having to decide whether to euthanize their dog because of some serious behavioral problem.”

Inadequate Inspections
The USDA is supposed to monitor and inspect kennels to ensure that they are not violating the housing standards of the Animal Welfare Act, but kennel inspections are a low priority. In the U.S., there are more than 1,000 research facilities, more than 2,800 exhibitors, and 4,500 dealers that are supposed to be inspected each year. There are three APHIS sector offices with a total of approximately 70 veterinary inspectors who are supposed to inspect, unannounced, the various types of facilities covered by the AWA. This means that 70 inspectors have to cover more than 8,300 facilities nationwide. Puppy mills are rarely monitored by state governments, and existing regulations vary from state to state. In Missouri, for instance, each of the 2,100 facilities is supposed to be inspected once a year, but there are only 12 inspectors employed to handle the task. Even with an estimated 1,300 puppy mills in Wisconsin, inspections of breeder facilities that sell at least 50 dogs and cats are voluntary, and there is no funding for enforcement of these regulations.

The Puppy Pipelines
Dealers who want to avoid relevant U.S. laws—the few that exist—look elsewhere to continue doing business. Says one Canadian lawyer, “Puppy mill operators in the States buy from us. And crossing the border isn’t a problem either. They cross them all the time.” For example, there is a network of breeders and smugglers who bring puppies into the U.S. from Mexico. A Los Angeles woman was arrested during a sting operation on suspicion of selling under aged puppies and for failure to provide proper veterinary care for the animals; one of the officers involved in the capture of the woman said that the smuggler fit the description of a puppy smuggler: The person uses an alias and a throwaway cell phone and sells puppies from the backs of cars or on street corners. A New Hampshire breeder, who was arrested for cruelty to animals when dozens of dogs and cats were found living in filth, was selling puppies from Russia for as much as $1,900 each on the Internet.

While no federal agency tracks the number of puppies that enter the U.S., an investigation by a New York TV station concluded that thousands of puppies arrive every year and that many are sick or dead when they get here. A staff member at a private veterinary clinic at John F. Kennedy Airport told the CBS affiliate that she had seen “a couple of cases where they (puppies) were shrink-wrapped.” The station also found that although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies have been alerted to the problem of under aged, sick puppies who are crammed and shipped into filthy, crowded kennels for hours at a time, none has jurisdiction over the animals’ care. The CDC only checks animals for rabies, and the USDA regulations for dogs’ age and transport conditions do not apply to foreign shipments.                                                                                                                               

Some states have enacted “puppy lemon” laws that give caretakers the right to return sick or dead puppies for replacement or that offer the option of having veterinary expenses paid by the seller. Unfortunately, depending on the state, the law may not clearly say to whom it applies, or it may affect only pet stores or breeders that sell a certain number of animals each year. Check with your state’s attorney’s office to find out about your state’s laws.

What You Can Do
With millions of unwanted dogs and cats (including purebreds) dying every year in animal shelters, there is simply no reason for animals to be bred and sold for the pet-shop trade. Without these stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills would disappear, and the suffering of these dogs would end. The best way to find an animal companion is through an animal shelter or rescue group.

Bestiality (or zoophilia) is a paraphilia defined as an affinity, attraction or sexual attraction by a human to non-human animals. Because this topic deals openly about about the nature of bestiality, it is intended for mature audiences only.  While moral and clinical descriptions of bestiality differ, Pet-Abuse.Com takes the position that bestiality is sexual assault of an animal and is always a crime. Amazingly, there are still several states in which bestiality is legal. In those situations where the prosecutors do not have specific bestiality laws to use in their case, we recommend exploring the cruelty to animals statues: if it can be proved that the animal was made to suffer, you can use those laws where the bestiality laws may be lacking (or missing outright).

The following is reprinted from: The Animals' Agenda P.O. Box 25881 Baltimore, MD 21224 (410) 675-4566 www.animalsagenda.org     Types of sex with Animals

1. Opportunistic or Safety-Valve sex: "I need a sexual release... they're available... there are no human partners around... I'll get it with an animal."
   
2. Fixated Sex: Animals become love objects and are the exclusive sexual "partners" for a human.
3. Domineering sex: When batterers, rapists and pornographers force sex between a human and an animal for purposes of humiliation, sexual exploitation, dominance and control. C.J.A. Safety-valve sex is often seen as a casual act of the curious young, as sexual exploration rather than deviancy.

Animals Used for Fur

Beavers

Beavers are extremely gentle, family-oriented animals who mate for life and remain lifelong friends with their offspring. The second-largest rodent in the world, the beaver can live 19 years, reach 60 pounds, and grow up to 4 feet long. Baby beavers, or "kits," are usually born to hard-working, loving parents who have been together for many years. Female beavers are especially busy as they care for their young while looking after their rambunctious "teenagers." Read More

Chinchillas

Chinchillas are shy, intelligent animals who eat vegetables and fruits and can live up to 15 years in the wild. Social "chatterboxes," these sensitive nocturnal animals can spend all night long "talking" to one another. Fastidiously clean, they require frequent dust baths to care for their extremely dense fur. These "fluff fests" also provide invaluable moments of comfort and entertainment—moments that are denied caged chinchillas who are cruelly "farmed" for their fur. Read More

Dogs and Cats

"Man's best friend" killed for fur? It's not just a bad dream. PETA's recent undercover investigation into the Chinese dog and cat fur trade revealed what the industry is so desperate to hide. Even our veteran investigators were horrified at what they found: Millions of dogs and cats in China are bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, and strangled with wire nooses so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets. Read More

Foxes

Foxes are intelligent nocturnal animals who rely on their big bushy tails to spread scent in order to communicate. Foxes usually survive by eating fruit, berries, roots, carrion, rats, and slugs. Foxes play an important ecological role, as they "clean" the environment, and their survival often depends upon the amount of available food in their territories. They bury food and have a very good sense of hearing, picking up sounds of small animals in the grass, underground, or under the snow. They have a keen sense of smell and will hunt from dusk to dawn. Read More

Minks

Sometimes called "marsh otters," minks love to swim (aided by their slightly webbed hind feet) and are often found near water. They can swim to depths of 50 feet underwater on just one breath. In the wild, minks are generally territorial and solitary and often travel long distances, sometimes using the dens of other animals as "hotel pit stops." Minks prefer habitats that provide good cover—such as grass, brush, trees, and aquatic vegetation—and they make their dens in cavities in brush or rock piles, logjams, and exposed roots of trees. Read More

Rabbits

Rabbits are extremely social animals who live with their families in underground burrows called "warrens." They can hop faster than a cat, human, or white-tailed deer can run. Rabbits love nibbling on alfalfa, timothy hay, apples, carrots, and crisp, green veggies, and they chew vigorously to trim their front teeth, which never stop growing. They communicate through body language, marking their territories like cats by rubbing their chins on twigs, rocks, or other landmarks. Read More

Raccoons

Raccoons can be recognized by their beautiful eyes, which are outlined by a black mask of fur. They have thick, fuzzy brown-gray fur, and highly sensitive ears tufted with white fur. Those who live in humid, dense forests have darker fur than those in arid climates, where raccoon fur is a lighter, reddish color. Their bushy tails keep them balanced and stores fat during winter months, while their front limbs provide them with great manual dexterity. Read More

Seals

For thousands of years, harp seals have migrated from Greenland down the coast of Canada, stopping each spring to give birth on the ice floes. Read More

Bears

For nearly two centuries, Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has waged a war on black bears, subsidizing the slaughter of hundreds of these animals in Canada and using their pelts to make headpieces for The Queen's Guards. Read More

Peta's take on Cruel Practices

To read more: http://www.peta.org/issues/Companion-Animals/Cruel-Practices.aspx

Nearly two million companion animals are stolen each year. Many of these animals are sold to research laboratories, dog-fighting rings or puppy mills, where they are abused and often killed. Many of these pets find their way to research laboratories through USDA licensed Class “B” animal dealers. For a $10 fee, anyone can apply for a USDA Class “B” dealer license.  Class “B” dealers obtain animals from state, county or city owned and operated animal pounds or shelter, (this is called pound seizure), other USDA licensed “B” dealers and various random sources. However, “B” dealers also obtain animals from “bunchers."

Buncher admitting how easy it is to sell stolen dogs to Baird

Bunchers fraudulently obtain animals through “free to good home” ads, preying on unsuspecting people who can no longer care for their companions. They make promises of a good home and tender care, only to turn around and sell the animals, sometimes the same day, to Class “B” dealers. In attempts to gather as many animals as possible for sale to research institutions, bunchers also frequently steal family pets directly from their owners.

Laws Don’t Protect Our Companion Animals

Currently, the only piece of legislation standing between family pets and the unscrupulous “B” dealers who sell them to be tortured in research facilities is the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Enacted in 1966, the AWA requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for most warm-blooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or exhibited to the public. Unfortunately, the enforcement of the AWA is completely inadequate and millions of family pets have ended up in research facilities as a result.

Class “B” dealers have been shown to regularly and willingly do everything in their power to ensure family pets are sold to be tortured in research laboratories. The monetary incentives associated with selling lost and stolen family pets motivate “B” dealers to violate countless laws. Records are falsified, evidence of ownership, such as dog tags, are purposefully destroyed and no attempt is made to reunite microchipped animals with their families. Instead, these companion animals are kept in often squalid conditions before being sold for use in experimentation.But underneath his battered work clothes, “Pete” was secretly documenting the atrocities at Baird’s facilities. Using a tiny microphone and videotaping device, “Pete” acquired more than 70 hours of video surveillance. An overwhelming amount of animal cruelty, abuse, neglect, and unsanitary conditions were exposed.

The enforcement of the AWA is the responsibility of the Animal Care division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Government documents show the laws of the AWA severely lack enforcement and APHIS is unable to ensure animals are well cared for. Additionally, violators who are penalized for their infringements consider monetary penalties an accepted cost of conducting business, rather than a disincentive for violating existing laws. As a result, violations of the AWA, including the falsification of records -- the only current way to ensure that family pets do not enter the research animal trade -- continue undeterred.

9 Other Class “B” Dealers Are Still in Operation

As of 2009 there were over 1000 Class “B” Dealers. The majority of these dealers sell “random source” animals wholesale, to other brokers, pet stores and auctions. Only 9 of these “B” dealers sell their animals to research laboratories. This is a fraction of what existed decades ago but still 9 too many.

These dealers are:

Indiana
32-B-0045 Mark and Penny Lynch LBL Kennels (Reelsville)

Michigan
34-B-0001 Roberts and James Woudenberg R &R Research (Howard City)
34-B-0002 Fred Hodgins, Inc. Hodgins Kennels (Howell and Fowlerville)
34-B-0210 D & M Resources (Standwood)

Minnesota
41-B-0017 Kenneth Schroeder (Wells)

Missouri
43-B-3631 Tony and Becky Schachtele Schachtele Auction Service (Keytesville And Salisbury)

Ohio
31-B-0104 Robert Perry (Mt. Sterling)

Pennsylvania
23-B-0174 Floyd Martin Chestnut Grove Kennel (Shippensburg)

South Carolina
56-B-0109 George S. Ward Whale Branch Animal Services (Seabrook)

How to find & detect Snares and traps.

Please note it is not just gamekeepers that set snares some farmers do as well as do poachers this is why the use of a metal detector is so use full in finding snares and traps. The Snare in the photo is a  Illegal AB Snare thank you to the NASC for the photo.

Wildlife Crime & Wildlife 
Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW)
Enforcement Plan (2004 - 2007)

 

This video graphically illustrates just a small number of examples of wildlife crime, and the devastating effects it can have.