Laws for Paws e-Newsletter
AUGUST 2019
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Alliance's Appeal for Legal Action Against Cruel Dog Breeders Gaining Results
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Attorney General Sues Oregon County Dog Breeder
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The Alliance has long sought legal action against some of the worst dog breeders in Missouri. The Alliance has been extensively lobbying the Governor and the Attorney General (AG) to strictly enforce the Animal Care Facilities Act and the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act and to close down inhumane dog breeding facilities.
The Alliance compiled a list of some of the worst breeders and presented it to the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the AG’s office along with a summary of violations documented at these facilities by MDA and USDA inspectors. We have also garnered editorials and news stories in the media about cruel puppy mills. Most recently the
Springfield News Leader
(July 12, 2019) asserted that “It’s time for a harder crackdown on puppy mills.” In addition, we were able to persuade several state legislators of both parties to reach out to MDA to request actions against inhumane breeders.
As a result of these efforts, MDA has started to refer some of the worst breeders to the AG for legal action. This past month, Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that he was suing anoth
er breeder that was on the list submitted to his Office by the Alliance.
Attorney General Schmitt reported that “Cedar Ridge Australians had continually violated the Animal Care Facilities Act.”
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Cedar Ridge Australians now being sued by the Attorney General
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Schmitt's office said that MDA inspectors have in the past discovered more than two dozen weaned puppies and adult dogs with thin bodies. In June 2019, inspectors also “found thin dogs, dogs with wounds and lesions, overcrowded shelters, and muddy enclosures."
The Attorney General’s office said it now has three active cases and one recently closed case against Missouri dog breeders.
You can be assured that the Alliance will continue to advocate for puppy mill dogs until all cruel mills are closed down.
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USDA WILL NO LONGER WARN PUPPY MILLS OF UPCOMING INSPECTIONS
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Intense Opposition to Announced Inspections Forces USDA to Reconsider
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Thanks to your efforts in calling and emailing Bernadette Juarez, USDA’s Deputy Administrator/Animal Care, USDA has decided to discontinue warning puppy mills of upcoming inspections. Most significantly,
Ms. Juarez has been transferred out of Animal Care and will no longer be able to continue her assault against the welfare of animals in puppy mills.
Announced inspections, combined with USDA's refusal to release the identity of dog breeders on inspection reports, was part of the Agency’s continuing efforts to whitewash the sordid puppy mill industry. USDA had instructed inspectors to schedule appointments with puppy mills in order to give substandard breeders time to clean the facilities and hide away any sick or injured dogs. USDA was following the lead of AKC who gives their breeders a week’s notice before its inspections.
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Juarez has been sent packing but will the animals receive a good replacement?
In further efforts to protect the reputation of the commercial dog breeding industry, USDA has implemented the “teachable moments” rule and “self-reporting” rule.
USDA had even proposed that third parties, such as the AKC and other industry groups, perform inspections of dog breeders on behalf of USDA. Fortunately, that proposal was also scrapped after negative feed-back at “listening sessions” as well as voluminous calls and emails objecting to USDA allowing third parties to perform inspections in lieu of federal inspectors.
Your telephone calls and emails do make a difference!
Please watch for similar calls to action by the Alliance.
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ALLIANCE HOPES TO PROVIDE USDA WITH A "TEACHABLE MOMENT"
IN COURT
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Dogs are seeking their day in court against USDA
As mentioned in the above article, USDA recognizes that the general public is strongly opposed to puppy mills and is appalled by USDA's efforts to protect inhumane dog breeders. This is why USDA backed off of "announced inspections" and "inspections by third-parties." And, this is the exact reason why USDA never gave public notice for the "teachable moments" rule and the "self-reporting" rule. USDA was fully aware that there would be a public outcry and that the Agency would be swamped with comments opposing such rules similar to the repercussions over "announced inspections” and "inspections by third-parties.”
Instead, USDA adopted such rules surreptitiously without public notice and without accepting comments from the public. In fact, USDA did not announce such rules to the public until several years after the rules were fully implemented. USDA went to extraordinary lengths to keep the public in the dark about such rules.
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USDA considers emaciated dogs as “teachable moments”
When the Alliance first broke the news about the "teachable moments" rule in September 2014,
USDA contacted the Alliance and informed us that there was no such rule and insisted that the Alliance remove any mention of it from our website.
We refused to comply and after several months of denying that such a rule existed, USDA eventually admitted to the Alliance on January 2015 that "teachable moments" had indeed been implemented. Yet, USDA still waited another year before acknowledging such a rule to the public in 2016 even though it was later discovered that USDA had been utilizing "teachable moments" since 2013.
Since USDA violated the federal rule-making process by failing to give public notice of its "teachable moments" and "self-reporting" rules, due to fears of public backlash, the Alliance has filed a
lawsuit
to have these injurious rules overturned.
The Alliance hopes to provide USDA with a "teachable moment" on the federal rule-making process.
We are very fortunate to have
Advancing Law for Animals
representing the Alliance.
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AUGUST
OpSpot's "Hope for the Animals" Day / St. Louis
Sun, Aug 18: 9 - 11am / Tower Grove Park (Sons of Rest Pavilion)
SEPTEMBER
Pool Paws for Humane Laws Dog Swim / Kirkwood Aquatic Center
Tue, Sep 3: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Thur, Sep 5: 5:30pm - 6:00pm (small dogs only), 6 - 7:30pm (ALL DOGS)
Dine & Donate at The Baked Bear (St. Louis)
Wed, Sep 4: 4:00pm - 11:00pm
20% of all Proceeds go to the Alliance!
Pool Paws for Humane Laws Dog Swim / O'Fallon
Sat, Sep 7: 9:30am - 11:30pm / Alligator's Creek Aquatic Center
Greentree Festival / Kirkwood (Kirkwood Park)
Sat, Sep 14: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sun, Sep 15: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Visit our
website
for more events, news, legislation and general info!
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HELPING ANIMALS!
If you find yourself in a situation where you question the treatment of an animal, or the conditions, or maybe you're wondering about helping wildlife or assisting in a rescue, or you have witnessed something that needs to be reported - go to our website because chances are you will find a number and/or a link that can help address it.
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A Great Way to Support the Alliance
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With so many people shopping online these days, you can now support the Alliance each time you make a purchase on Amazon.
Click here or on the icon. Once you've identified
"Missouri Alliance for Animals" as your charitable organization of choice, a portion of your purchase will be donated by Amazon to the Alliance each time you shop on Amazon! What a great way to contribute!
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Schnucks eScrip Card
Another great way to support
the Alliance!
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Did you know that
every time you shop at Schnucks, they'll donate a percentage of your purchase to the Alliance? It's an awesome way to support the Alliance's mission and it doesn't cost you a thing! We'll even register your eScrip card for you so you don't have to!
Simply email us at
admin@maal.org with "Schnucks eScrip" in the Subject line, no message required - and
we'll send your registered Schnucks eScrip card to you within 7 days.
Once you receive it, you can start using it (we've already registered it for you!) - put it on your key fob to remind the cashier to scan it at check-out!
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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ALLIANCE SWAG
The Alliance has T-Shirts available!
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Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation | 314-361-3944 | P.O. Box 300036 St. Louis, MO 63130 |
www.maal.org
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