The former owner of Pick of the Litter (aka Dogs on Wheels), Kathy Bauck, was convicted of 4 misdemeanor charges (3 of torture and 1 of animal cruelty) in March. Those following the case were expecting the judge to be tough on the notorious puppy mill owner, especially after all the evidence and the undercover videos. However, last month Judge Waldemar Senyk handed down a sentence that seemed unfair to many.
According to court documents, Bauck will serve 20 days in jail, pay a $500 fine, contribute 80 hours of community service, and spend one year under probation. Regardless of the legal procedures, she will continue being the brains behind the Minnesota puppy mill, which is now conveniently run by her family. Because she’ll be on work release, Bauck will spend nights in jail but will be able to oversee kennel operations on weekdays.
The USDA licensed dog broker (surprisingly since 1983) has eluded the full extent of the law on previous occasions. CAPS has exposed the cruelty behind her kennels multiple times, but lax laws have allowed her to continue with the unscrupulous business (for more information about CAPS investigations, click here or click the tab on your right). The latest sentence downplayed the severity of her crimes and failed to put a stop to one of the largest puppy mills in the country. With this kind of leniency, it’s evident she won’t change her ways any time soon.
To contact the Honorable Judge Senyk, call or send a letter to:
Honorable Judge Waldemar Senyk
121 West Junius Avenue, Suite 310
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Fax 218-998-8414
Phone: (218) 998-8420
Be a voice to the countless dogs who have suffered and will continue to suffer in silence.
Boston, MA (1888PressRelease) May 2, 2009- An undercover investigation by the Companion Animal Protection Society (www.caps-web.org) has revealed that Elite Animals of West Hollywood sells dogs from puppy mills in the Midwest and is defrauding customers, lying about the conditions where the dogs are from. The city of West Hollywood, CA passed a resolution against the sale of puppy mill dogs last year. Elite Animals has ignored efforts by the City of West Hollywood to come in for a meeting to discuss the evidence in an open forum with representatives from several national animal welfare organizations.
The evidence from the undercover investigation of the mill that supplies Elite Animals revealed dogs living in deplorable conditions. The dog enclosures were overcrowded and filthy. The dogs were sick, injured and crammed into rusty cages that are full of feces and urine. In the undercover investigation of Elite animals, a clerk lied to CAPS investigators posing as customers that the dogs were "raised in a house." The same clerk admitted selling a Pomeranian from the same breeder to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Governor Schwarzenegger was a victim of fraud if he believed his dog was from a reputable breeder.
Elite Animals also told undercover investigators they could buy puppies imported from Russia. The clerk claimed his wife owned the shop and that he could import "whatever you want." It is illegal and dangerous to import dogs under the age of six months. Elite Animals was in violation of the law by not posting the breeder information in clear view outside the animal enclosures in the store. Please click here to view the video of the investigation.
"Elite Animals is using our Governor’s good name to sell puppy mill puppies. Governor Schwarzenegger was a victim, like so many consumers who buy pets in pet stores thinking the pet is from a reputable breeder.
No reputable breeder ships dogs to pet shops or sells on the Internet.
The evidence from the breeder who supplies Elite Animals is some of the worst I’ve seen. There is only one way to describe the evidence: Silence of the Lambs. The dogs are in anguish, living out their wretched lives crammed into cages without any mercy. If our own Governor can be lied to this way, any innocent consumer can be lied to and this has to stop.
During this historic economic crisis, we ask that people relieve our overburdened municipal shelters instead of buying animals in pet shops.
Elite Animals is not unique in this regard. Pet shops are all puppy mill fronts and the pets sold in them are from pet factories. The progressive City of West Hollywood has been extremely supportive of animal welfare issues and will be putting an ordinance banning the sale of puppy mill dogs on the agenda." - Carole Raphaelle Davis, West Coast Director of The Companion Animal Protection Society, author of "The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife” and investigative reporter for American Dog Magazine.
"Living with a puppy mill survivor, I’m well aware that these pet stores support an industry that is nothing short of legalized torture. ‘Baby’ was used like a breeding machine at one of these houses of horror, never allowed out of a small cage for 8 years, and had her vocal cords cut so the puppy mill owner wouldn’t have to hear her cries. She’s just one of countless dogs living in torture at this very moment. Elite Animals, like all puppy mill fronts, is to blame for these atrocities against man’s best friend." - Dr. Jana Kohl , guardian of Baby, a puppy mill survivor and author of “A Rare Breed of Love.”
Join the Companion Animal Protection Society and local celebrities for a protest at Elite Animals Pet Store on Saturday May 2, 2009.
WHAT: ANTI-PUPPY MILL RALLY-PRO ADOPTION
WHO: Companion Animal Protection Society
WHERE: Elite Animals, 8729 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood
WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2009 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
There’s a movement emerging to ban dog auctions in the state of Ohio. Members of BanOhioDogAuctions.com plan to turn in a petition that will appear on the November 2010 ballot and, if successful, will change state laws regarding companion animal auctions.
The auctions are large-scale events in which breeders sell and buy dogs in large quantities. The conditions in which the dogs are kept are no better than those in puppy mills.
In recent years, Ohio has attracted puppy mill operators from across the nation because of the lax laws and regulations concerning the practice of dog auctions. Thousands of unscrupulous mass breeders sell hundreds of dogs like livestock and most of the time the dogs are kept in inhumane conditions.
Breeders convicted of animal cruelty, like the infamous Kathy Jo Bauck of Minnesota and Lanzie “Junior” Horton of Virginia, often travel to Ohio to participate in these profitable large scale auctions. Questionable breeders almost immediately register the dogs with the American Kennel Club (AKC) even though the quality of the purebred dogs is often far from the ideal.
Another effort is also under way in Ohio to include the ban on dog auctions as part of a legislation that will regulate commercial dog breeders. Senate Bill 95 and House Bill 124 would set minimum standards of care for breeders, such as keeping up with basic hygiene and adequate veterinary care.
The push to ban dog auctions, a practice that supports puppy mills, is a welcomed step and will hopefully send a message to breeders that Ohio will no longer be a safe haven for irresponsible breeders. For more information, visit http://banohiodogauctions.com/
Last Wednesday, Cesar Millan, the dog behavior specialist from the hit TV show “The Dog Whisperer,” teamed up with the pet advocacy group Last Chance for Animals (LCA) to educate audiences about the horrors behind puppy mills. The press conference took place in Pets Delight, a pet shop located in Covina, California where owner Shannon Anderson stopped selling puppy mill animals after learning about the appalling conditions that thrived in such breeding facilities.
During the event, Millan announced his new show “The Dog Whisperer: Inside Puppy Mills,” which will air on the National Geographic Channel on May 8 at 9 p.m. Eastern. According to the National Geographic website, the episode will include footage from a recent LCA investigation of Los Angeles county kennels. Viewers will also get a chance to see Millan work with 11 traumatized dogs considered worthless by their breeders.
The LCA was founded in 1984 by Chris DeRose and gradually became an advocacy group and organization which investigates all manners regarding animal abuse.
Millan’s new focus and his partnership with LCA will surely spotlight the abuses many animals endure in mass breeding facilities. Hopefully, the show will educate viewers about the wrong doings taking place in puppy mills nationwide and their link to pet shops and unsuspecting buyers.
Imagine traveling in the cargo area of a Boeing747. Your seat is a dusty cushion inside a wooden crate with a few holes for ventilation. All you can do is take a sip of water and maybe munch on some stale snacks (and you thought the pretzels were bad!). You can hear the engines roar as if they were right there sitting next to you and the air is growing staler by the minute. You quickly start to feel claustrophobic and afraid you won’t make it to your final destination.
Does it sound like your usual flight experience? Probably not. Unfortunately, that is the kind of ordeal some pets have to endure when they travel on commercial airlines. A study by the San Francisco SPCA revealed that an estimated 5,000 pets of the two million transported in cargo holds are injured in transit. Would you get in a plane if you knew that one in every 400 passengers could get hurt, considering that most commercial flights on average have around 200 to 500 people?
Fortunately, a new airline decided to offer a unique service: safe and comfortable pet air travel. Last Thursday, the aptly named Pet Airways started to take reservations. The response was so overwhelming their website crashed, even though the flights are set to begin in July. For now, they will only fly to and from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Denver. The reported cost comes up to $149 per trip (without the applicable taxes).
The perks of flying your animal companion with Pet Airways seem too good to be true. Your four-legged friend, big or small, gets to be in the main cabin with temperature control and plenty of fresh air. The airline announced it would keep the pets in special lounges until shortly after takeoff. They also mentioned the employees would walk the dogs to the airplane, giving them a last chance to stretch their legs before the trip. The pets will travel in crates (for safety) and each flight will have an attendant to oversee your companion’s comfort and needs throughout the flight.
The concept is extremely appealing to pet owners and the airline seems to have a sound business plan. Limiting their service to once a week and only to a few cities gives them a chance to test the waters. In these tough economic times, starting a new airline with a completely new concept takes a lot of courage. Hopefully, the company will hit off so that fewer pets have to go through the traumatic experience of traveling with your luggage.
Last week, Honda came out with a dog-friendly version of the Element SUV . Dog lovers across the US will soon be able to buy the spiffy, new ride fitted with a cushioned, dog bed in the trunk, a built-in water bowl, and a ramp for those short-legged canines in need of a booster.
The Japanese automaker clearly did its homework when designing the vehicle, keeping close tabs on pet safety and comfort while adding stress relief for concerned owners. The small pet haven includes easy to wash covers and a fitted dog bed with restraints (think seat belt for dogs!).
The price tag for the dog-friendly version of the Element is yet to be determined by Honda. The current model starts at $20,175 and can go up to $26,000 with all the features included.
Honda recruited the help of Sammy , a two-year-old mix-breed rescue dog, to unveil the latest automobile trend and warm the hearts of onlookers during the New York Auto Show last Thursday. The company offered Sammy’s human companion, Heather Cammisa of the Humane Society of the United States, the well-equipped ride for a two week test run.
“Sammy actually needs a ramp. Before I adopted him he ended up at a shelter having been hit by a car and he needs that ramp,” said Cammisa to Reuters , “Otherwise I lift him to get into my car.”
The SUV targets what Honda spokesman Sage Marie calls the “dog-crazy consumers” who reportedly spend $41 billion a year on their pets. Since the figure is poised to rise up to $52 billion in two years, Honda is trying to stay ahead of the curve and tap into that market before competitors start figuring out the statistics.
Sixty-two miniature Pinschers were rescued from a puppy mill in Riverside, California on March 3, 2009. With the assistance of CAPS, Good Dog Animal Rescue exposed the deplorable conditions in a facility owned by Linda Smith.
“Having assisted the rescue, I can only describe it this way: Silence of the Lambs. The stench was eye-stinging. The dogs were crammed into overcrowded runs and cages and were living on a carpet of feces, eating and drinking out of buckets filled with feces and urine. Their nails were grown into their foot pads, their mouths are in advanced stages of gum disease, many having lost all their teeth. The dogs were infested with fleas and were being eaten alive by ticks,” Carole Raphaelle Davis, CAPS West Coast Director, posted in her blog, Jinky, the Dog of a Hollywood Wife.
According to Davis’ blog, Smith claims to be a champion, miniature Pinscher breeder, but the investigation raised multiple questions concerning her devotion to the dogs’ well-being. Evidence suggests crude debarking operations, a painful and dangerous procedure that prevents dogs from barking by removing tissue from the animal’s vocal folds.
The Riverside Animal Control office admitted having an open case on Smith but no charges were ever filed. Supposedly, Smith’s facilities were inspected on February 25, 2009 but no irregularities were found. According to officials, it is routine procedure to give such places a “heads up,” a tactic that clearly impedes Riverside Animal Control from uncovering the truth.
“This is clearly an actionable case of animal abuse and we are outraged by the laissez-faire attitude of Riverside Animal Care and Control. The remaining twenty animals must be removed from Smith immediately and she must be charged,” said Davis.
For more info watch the following documentary by Carly Lynn about the rescue.
These days you can buy almost anything online, and why shouldn’t you? It saves time and energy that could be spent in other, more productive endeavors. But where do you draw the line? Buying dogs online is one of the latest trends popping up in the cybernetic world.
People like Kathy Bauck , a Minnesota breeder facing animal cruelty charges, exploit the Internet’s legal limbo to sell dogs bred in puppy mills to virtually anyone across the country. You may think you’re buying from a reputable breeder, but the truth is you can’t tell from online ads.
A few week ago, ABC’s affiliate in Boston ran a piece that covered the highly controversial trend, featuring CAPS’ investigation on Bauck’s business Puppies on Wheels.
Unsuspecting clients purchased dogs from dubious people only to later on deal with the consequences. The animals suffered from diseases such as Parvo, a potentially deadly virus, caused and spread by the dismal conditions in which the pups were bred and kept.
"When they opened up the van door, there were many, many puppies. Cages stacked upon cages and it didn’t seem like a breeder selling one litter," said Lynn Rivard, who bought a beagle mix from Puppies on Wheels.
CAPS’ video showing Bauck immersing dogs in a diluted but toxic insecticide prompted authorities to take action. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently reviewing the footage and could potentially revoke Bauck’s breeding license.
Puppy mill owners’ new fad can only be stopped by the spread of information. Online pet transactions are deceiving, regardless of the desperate economic times. Sick puppies and cramped cages are just the tip of the iceberg.
On December 2, I investigated Mt. Clemens, Michigan-based Pollywood Pets, a weekend pet shop in the Gilbralter Trade Center, an indoor flea market. Read the rest of this entry »
Please ask the Obama family to adopt a companion dog from a shelter or rescue. Their first dog, Bo, came from a breeder after the President promised us he would adopt a shelter or rescue dog.
With the new website we have a new CAPS community log in form. Note that the first time you log in to our new database you may need to log in twice as we convert your password to the new password scheme. Let us know if you continue to have problems. Thank you... CAPS Tech Support.
Blogging with CAPS
You will need to register for a CAPS Online Community account to blog with us. It only takes a couple minutes.
...TEAM first uncovered disturbing video last fall. Investigators say it shows Kathy Bauck dipping a puppy in insecticide, but the allegations of abuse don...
