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animal crusader -- Sunday April 26th, 2009
Redding puppy mill crusader will testify in Sacramento By Janet O'Neill (Contact) Sunday, April 26, 2009 An outspoken anti-puppy mill crusader from Redding will be among those testifying in Sacramento this week in support of an Assembly bill that would crack down on such operations. "I just can't wait to go because I think it's such an honor to be included in this whole process to get these laws passed to protect the animals," said Janie Hopper, president of ResQ Animal Coalition. Accompanying her to the 9 a.m. Tuesday hearing will be Barbara Dykstra, her partner in the Redding-based animal welfare organization. "We're so excited that we're going to speak," Hopper said Friday. Assembly Bill 241, known as the Responsible Breeder Act of 2009 and authored by Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, passed the Public Safety Committee on April 14, a Nava spokesman said Friday. The measure limits the number of unsterilized dogs or cats that can be bought or sold wholesale to 50. Co-sponsors include the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which asked Hopper to speak. Among other supporters are the Shasta Animal Welfare Foundation, and the California Peace Officers and California Police Chiefs associations. The American Kennel Club, California Federation of Dog Clubs and the Cat Fanciers Association are some of the groups opposing the bill. Some claim the legislation is arbitrary, redundant and an unnecessary burden on legitimate breeders. Closer to home, Hopper's most recent target has been what she sees as a dire puppy mill problem in Tehama County. She's appeared before the Board of Supervisors twice in recent months, spurring the county to check on kennels not conforming with its use permit requirements. She also plans to meet soon with Supervisor George Russell to discuss forming a puppy mill task force. Kathleen Summers, manager of HSUS' campaign against puppy mills, said testimony from people, such as Hopper, are important. "Many of these individuals have witnessed firsthand the cruel conditions common to many puppy mills, such as continual caging, overcrowded and filthy cages, and lack of vital health care for the animals," Summers wrote in an e-mail. "They have also seen the conditions of the dogs who have come from these facilities and their many health problems. The testimony of state residents who have witnessed these problems firsthand is valuable in helping legislators understand how the problem directly affects their constituents." Nava's other pending animal-cruelty laws are AB 242, the Dogfighting Prevention Act of 2009, and AB 243, the Animal Abuse Prevention Act of 2009. Reporter Janet O'Neill can be reached at 225-8216 or at joneill@redding.com.
The Fight Goes On! -- Thursday March 19th, 2009
A NEWS BRIEF FROM RESQ: Some of you may know that we are currently working hard to stem the flow of damaged dogs coming from the out-of-control puppy mill sitation in our neighboring county of Tehama. Some of you may have actually adopted dogs from us who have come from these puppy mills and know the severe psychological and physical problems these dogs have suffered. I am enclosing links from the local media for those of you who might want to catch up on the situation. The local Ag commissioner has stated that he doesn't believe that puppy mills exist. We know for a fact through our efforts to save these animals, that the problem is very prevalent there. We are trying to garner support from the public to protest this abominable situation there. If you'd like to help us do this, I am also enclosing phone numbers and an email address for those in charge who seem to either be unaware, or unable to believe the problem exists. Here are the links to the articles (first two) and tv station clips (2nd two): http://www.redding.com/news/2009/mar/18/tehama-county-urged-to-form-puppy-mill-task/ http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_11940214 http://cbs5.com/local/Marin.Humane.Society.2.959171.html http://www.knvn.com/content/localnews/story/Tehama-County-Seeks-To-Regulate-Dog-Breeding/irHbFuw4zkWlSon2_caWhQ.cspx If after reading these articles and viewing the clips you'd like to help us out please contact the following: Bill Goodwin Chief Adminstrator Tehama County Phone (530) 527-4655 Fax (530) 527-3764 Rick Gurrola Agriculture Dept. Tehama County 530-527-4504 rgurrola@tehamaag.net Thank you in advance for your support!
Puppy mill foes -- Tuesday March 10th, 2009
By Janet O'Neill Tuesday, March 10, 2009 RED BLUFF - A Redding animal-welfare group's campaign against puppy mills led to a complaint that has prompted Tehama County officials to change the way they handle commercial kennel licenses. "We're just trying to patch the cracks basically," said county Agricultural Commissioner Rick Gurrola, whose department oversees Animal Services - the division that issues licenses to facilities with more than five dogs. Officials learned recently that licenses were being granted without first being cleared for planning requirements - a flaw in the application process that they aim to fix by ordinance. The issue was brought to their attention by Janie Hopper, who with Barbara Dykstra runs ResQ Animal Coalition, a Redding-based nonprofit. "It only makes good sense to take this action," Gurrola said last week. "We weren't aware of this until Janie brought it to light." Under the new ordinance, the Planning Department also will have to sign off on licenses before they're issued. Gurrola hopes it will go before the Board of Supervisors on April 21. But Hopper, who says she's been after the county to step up enforcement for two years, sees a larger issue. "It goes to the Board of Supervisors and then it disappears, and they need to deal with the root problem - which is the problem of puppy farms in Tehama County," she said. Driven by a concern about enterprises that breed large numbers of puppies in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, she and a number of other rescue volunteers plan to attend the March 17 board meeting to speak out. "Why are we so passionate about puppy mills?" she said. "We simply want to stop the suffering of these animals ... and in the case of Tehama County we want enforcement of the law." According to Hopper, rescue groups and shelters took in at least 175 animals from one Gerber kennel in the second half of 2008. When she learned that kennel had no use permit, she alerted the county. "We're in the process of checking all the kennel licenses," said Animal Regulation Officer Curtis Knight. He estimated that of about 30 commercial permits in the county, eight had no use permit or had other compliance issues. Knight said the owner of the Gerber kennel has since decided to shut down rather than apply for a use permit. The scope of the problem is difficult to measure, partly because of the number of agencies involved. In Tehama County, the Agriculture Department oversees Animal Services, which runs the county shelter and issues licenses; the Planning Department monitors use permits and zoning compliance; and the Sheriff's Department runs Animal Regulation, whose duties include kennel inspection, complaints and enforcement. Gurrola, who doesn't like the term "puppy mill," said he couldn't characterize the problem in Tehama County because his department is not charged with enforcement. "Generally, we don't get too many complaints about kennels," said Animal Regulation's Knight. And although he said his office is understaffed with just three officers for the entire county, they respond according to the type of complaint and often within 24 hours. In Shasta County, the Sheriff's Office oversees Animal Regulation and the shelter. Mayra Morris, program manager for Animal Regulation, said any operation with more than six dogs requires a license that both her office and planning officials have to approve. As for puppy mills, her department relies on the public. If there is a problem in Shasta County, she said, she hasn't heard about it. "We work on complaints that come in," she said. "You can't take care of a problem unless you're aware of it." Bill Walker, senior planner for the Planning Division of the Shasta County Department of Resource Management, said before a kennel license is issued his agency checks out the facility for compliance in numerous areas including space, climate control, sanitation, vector control and waste disposal. Planners also look at land use, traffic and noise. "We want to make sure that the dogs are kept in a condition that will be healthy for them and not create a health problem for the neighbors," he said. Surrounding property owners are notified and the use permit goes to the Planning Commission for approval, with or without conditions, or denial. Cost for the license through Animal Regulation can run more than $200, depending on the number of dogs. The use permit is roughly another $3,000, Walker said. But when it comes to problem kennels, his department also is complaint-driven. "We don't have planning police that go door to door to see everything that's going on all the time," he said. And he acknowledged that the volunteers with rescue groups are on the front lines in identifying problem kennels. He recalled a case two years ago in which a Papillon breeder in Mountain Gate was cited after officials found nearly 70 dogs on 2.5 acres at her unlicensed kennel. Representatives from a number of animal rescue groups spoke out against the use permit, which ultimately was denied. Meanwhile, Tehama's Gurrola said he's been meeting with other county officials to work on the new ordinance and that he sees the issue as an opportunity to better serve the county's citizens. "Nobody's trying to pass the buck," he said. Reporter Janet O'Neill can be reached at 225-8216 or at joneill@redding.com. E.W. Scripps Co. © 2009 Record Searchlight