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Friday, February 10, 2012
Shame On You Gorham, New York! by Nancy Kay, DVM ©I read the article in the Canandaigua Messenger with
disbelief. It appears that the town of Gorham, New York is rolling out the red carpet for a large-scale puppy mill expected
to house 500 breeding dogs (yes, you read this correctly, there will be 500). The proprietors, Curtis and Jolene Martin are not new to puppy milling.
In fact, they have been previously cited for their work- busted by the USDA for violations such as rodent droppings in whelping
boxes, sick and injured dogs on the premises, and inadequate staffing.Mr. Martin maintains that he is not into
mass breeding just for the money. He states: We
don’t just produce as many puppies as we can, that’s not our goal. Yes, we do have to do that but it’s not
the main reason we’re in it. We’re in it for the animals. Have a look at the minutes from the December 19, 2012 Town of Gorham Planning Board Meeting.
Be forewarned, reading these minutes made me feel sick inside. There was plenty of discussion about numbers of dogs (not to
worry, puppies don’t take up much room), noise prevention (not to worry, the dogs will be housed completely indoors
with plenty of sound-proofing), and composting and burying of dead dogs (not to worry, there will be enough containment so
as to prevent water contamination in the neighborhood). Never once during the lengthy discussion did a single board member
question how the dogs would be exercised, how they would be fed, what size cages would be provided, or how the emotional needs
of the dogs would be met. Was there not a single dog lover in that boardroom? I’m not naïve enough to
believe that what’s happening in Gorham, New York isn’t happening in many other towns throughout the United States.
Perhaps this situation strikes a particularly sensitive nerve because it is happening in the state where I attended veterinary
school and received an extraordinary education. On the one hand New York trains veterinarians to care adeptly and compassionately
for dogs. With the other hand they welcome the abuse of dogs. I suspect that the Gorham town board members have their eyes
focused on the prize. Can you imagine the tax revenue stream from the sale of thousands and thousands of purebred puppies? What can
you do to help stop such madness? If you happen to live in the vicinity of Gorham, New York please contact city and county
officials there to find out what would be needed to change their minds about welcoming the Martins or any other puppy millers
into your community. If you don’t live in or near Gorham, but feel fired up about what is going on there please put that
energy to good use. Puppy mills exist throughout the United States. Learn more about what is happening in your neck of the
woods and begin a letter writing campaign, organize a peaceful protest, educate a classroom of children about puppy mills,
counsel a friend or relative who is ready to purchase a purebred pup on how to find a reputable breeder or rescue organization.
Never ever purchase a pup from a pet store or online site and sight unseen. Feel free to share this blog post. Every little
bit helps. One less purchase from a puppy mill brings us one step closer to their eradication. How do you feel after reading
the minutes from Town of Gorham Planning Board Meeting? If you would like to respond publicly, please visit http://www.speakingforspot.com/blog/?p=3177. Best wishes, Nancy Kay, DVM
8:31 am
Sunday, January 29, 2012
KNFNo word yet....anxiously awaiting decision. Will let you know as soon as we know.
10:53 pm
Sunday, January 15, 2012
BAN DOG-DEER HUNTING IN KISATCHIE
11:55 pm
Monday, January 2, 2012
PLEASE ACT NOW!If you do anything today, before getting involved in
catching up with work, PLEASE send your comments to the NFS stating that you favor ALTERNATIVE #2, NO dog-deer hunting in
Kisatchie. Scuttlebutt has the NFS leaning toward Alternative #3 which would allow dog-deer hunting in "certain"
areas of the forest. There is NO area in KSF that is safe for neighbors, pets or wildlife from this unethical practice. Please
see link below for sending comments. Don't forget to include your name, city, state, and zip code; otherwise, it will
be discarded. DEADLINE IS JANUARY 20TH.!
4:42 pm
Sunday, December 25, 2011
URGENT: OPPORTUNITY TO HELP STOP DOG-ASSISTED
DEER HUNTING IN LOUISIANA NATIONAL FOREST (PLS CROSS POST) From NOW until JAN
20 2012 the United States National Forest Service is taking public input on whether to continue to permit
hunters' use of dogs to hunt deer in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. US
and Louisiana animal welfare groups as well as people living around the Kisatchie National Forest oppose "dog deer hunting"
because of problems associated with this activity that has already been abandoned in the national parks of most US states:
- loss/abandonment of hunting dogs (which must starve, kill other animals,
or beg for food from park neighbors)
- neglect or abuse of hunting dogs by hunters - dogs hit and killed by vehicles’ hunters use to race along roads trying keep up with
dogs - park neighbors being afraid to go outside during dog-deer hunting (but not "still"
hunting) - unsportsmanlike hunting using radiofrequency and GPS based technologies to keep up
with dogs The deer in Kisatchie National forest are the property of ALL AMERICANS--not just the dog deer hunters
of central Louisiana. Therefore Louisiana's humane societies ASK EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN who opposes continuation
of dog deer hunting at Kisatchie to SEND AN EMAIL MESSAGE to the following email address asking that the National Forest Service
choose Alternative 2 (i.e. to prohibit
dog deer hunting in Kisatchie):
comments-southern-kisatchie@fs.fed.us The
National Forest service tracks the location of concerned citizens so you must
include at least the following information in your email message (along with saying you support Alternative 2-- end dog deer hunting):
Your
Name, City, State and ZIP CODE (MUST INCLUDE IN EMAIL TO BE COUNTED)
Your message will probably carry more weight if you go on even stronger record by including your street address since
this will prove that you are truly writing from within the USA. Time is short so please email as soon
as possible. Also please forward this message to any other Americans that you think might respond.
THANK YOU from Louisiana's humane societies.
James Riopelle, M.D. Communications Chair Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5344694.pdf
7:14 pm
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