Great news!

The Pet Store Disclosure Bill passed the House this morning. Thank you to all who called and emailed! We are half way there. Congress will take a 2 week recess then the bill will head to the Senate floor. We will all have to call our Senators again at that time.

Thanks again to all of you for speaking up!

The Puppy Mill Project

Dear Friends of the Animals!

Spring is here and so will the HUGE number of Puppies and Kittens .... Please consider helping those that cannot afford even the smallest amount to have their pets taken to the vet. Yes ...the babies are so very cute and cuddly, but when a majority of them ... even when they're babies are taken to the pound and put to sleep by gassing or a needle to the heart ...Please help ... this is something that you do not want to witness! Contact us at (417)496-6238 and offer to sponsor a spay or neuter. You'll feel great inside knowing you had a part in solving the over-population!

Sincerely,

Pat Arbuthnot
Spirit of the Ark Animal Rescue

Please note: For the best interest of our organization and for the welfare of the animals, we will no longer be affiliated with the Animal Abuse Council of Springfield Missouri. Our 501c3 is being applied for ..... please help us work toward saving the lives of those tossed out on their own.
SpiritoftheArk@yahoo.com

Every Day Is A Special Occasion ....

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'

Stamps To The Rescue.........

Stamps to the Rescue: USPS new Animal Rescue Postage Stamps

Don't forget to promote these new stamps! We asked the Postal Service to
provide us with new ones and they've listened. Plus Ellen DeGeneres and
Halo pet food are donating food for up to a million pets in shelters
around the US.

Here's the link to the campaign:
http://stampstotherescue.com/thecampaign.asp

Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or play with it,
Just pee on it and walk away.

Humane Society Speaks Out

You've Got To Watch

Rover is really hoping not to find this person.....

Do You Blame Him For Not Wanting To Find The Person ???

OpSpot Rocks......

Could you both please let people know about our first trivia night coming up
on April 10th? Great new venue, hope it will be convenient to lots of
people.

Trivia Night
Come have some fun and help OpSPOT!

Saturday, April 10th
Doors open at 6:30pm, trivia starts at 7pm

St. John's Lutheran Church
15800 Manchester Road
Ellisville, MO 63021

$160 for tables of 8 maximum

€ Beer and soda provided
€ Bring your own snacks
€ Cash bar
€ Cash prizes for top tables
€ 50/50 drawing
€ Raffle items
€ Door prizes

Contact Arlene at 314-623-0412 or kulade5@yahoo.com

Exercise your brain, have some fun with friends, and help stop pet
overpopulation!

Puppy Mill Cruelty Protection Act

To the Editor,

The Better Business Bureau study detailing the horrors of Missouri’s puppy mill industry demonstrates the need for enactment of the Puppy Mill Cruelty Protection Act (“BBB says lack of enforcement allows Missouri puppy mills to thrive,” March 18).

Missouri officials have done their best to triage the damage caused by the very worst Missouri dog breeders, but have focused their limited enforcement resources primarily on unlicensed operations.

Sadly, examples abound of USDA and/or Missouri-licensed puppy mills housing dogs in deplorable conditions, and selling sick puppies to unsuspecting consumers.

These bad actors continue breeding and selling dogs without regard to their health or welfare even after being cited for multiple violations.

The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act will put a stop to that by making it a criminal offense to violate humane care standards, such as providing dogs with adequate food, water, veterinary care, shelter, and exercise. So if puppy mill operators refuse to clean up their act, they will face meaningful penalties.

The BBB rightly suggests reforms to help clean up Missouri’s reputation – such as a more efficient system for punishing shoddy breeders and more aggressive punishment of repeat offenders. Voters can implement these changes by supporting the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, and can learn more by visiting www.missourifordogs.com.

Barbara Schmitz
Campaign Manager, Missourians for the Protection of Dogs
St. Louis

Better Business Bureau Study........

BBB Study: Lack of Effective Law Enforcement
Allows Missouri Puppy Industry To Thrive
St. Louis, Mo., March 18, 2010 - Missouri is so overwhelmed by the number of puppy sellers that it can't regulate the puppy industry properly, a statewide BBB study concludes.
"The Puppy Industry in Missouri," which was released today, found that 30 percent of federally licensed dog breeders are located in Missouri, four times the number of breeders in the next highest state.
The study, which was sponsored by the BBBs in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield, was undertaken because of the large number of consumers who complained that they bought ill puppies and the expenditure of thousands of dollars by purchasers for veterinarian fees that sellers refused to reimburse.
The southwest section of Missouri is the hub of the puppy industry, the study noted. A puppy broker, Hunte Corp., which reportedly buys and sells about 90,000 puppies per year, is located in the small town of Goodman in the southwest corner of the state near the borders of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Those two states, together with Missouri, are among the top five states in terms of breeders licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Hunte, which delivers puppies to pet stores via 18-wheeler semis, has been the target of several suits filed by animal welfare activists and pet store owners alleging that the company delivered sick puppies.
The puppy industry is governed by the federal Animal Welfare Act and the Missouri Animal Care Facilities Act. They are administered by the federal and state Departments of Agriculture.

The BBB made the following recommendations:

· That both the U.S. and Missouri Departments of Agriculture more aggressively pursue penalties against repeat offenders.

· That Missouri consider raising annual licensing fees which have remained the same since the program of regulating dog breeders and sellers began 17 years ago.

· That in seeking a puppy, consumers also consider "adopting" a pet from an animal shelter.

· That Missouri consider legislation, if necessary, to streamline the process for penalizing repeat offenders, while still allowing for due process.

Missouri law mandates annual inspections of the state's 1,800 licensed dog breeders, plus animal shelters, pet stores, intermediate handlers and dealers. And there are the numerous unlicensed breeders subject to enforcement action. But there are only 13 inspectors, who also are assigned other duties. State auditors have repeatedly pointed out that the state does not inspect all dog breeding facilities annually.

In pointing out the inefficiency in pursuing breeders who are in violation of the law, the study cited the case of Tim King Jr., who operated the Doo Little Kennel near Rolla, Mo. Federal inspectors found 103 violations during seven inspections in less than two years before significant action was taken by authorities. The USDA license of another breeder was cancelled and reinstated three times before being cancelled a fourth time.

The study listed the following marketplaces where consumers can purchase a puppy:

From an online breeder. This is perhaps the most risky of the choices. Consumers must beware of the provisions in the contract he or she must sign. Said one breeder on its Web site, "We have considered a contract to cover all of the above, but have yet to read one that is not 90% in favor of the breeder/seller. Actually not worth the paper they are written on."

Classified ads. This source also poses problems unless the prospective buyer can view the kennel and the puppy's parents. A breeder may ask the consumer to meet him or her in a parking lot to view the puppy so that the consumer can't view the kennel.

Pet stores. There are numerous reports of puppies being purchased at pet stores that were ill or became sick shortly thereafter.

Animal shelter. Consumers may "adopt" a pet from a shelter, although the animal may be older than what is sought.

Auctions. These are geared more to the breeder seeking additional stock to breed or sell.

A Massachusetts woman told the St. Louis BBB that she purchased a puppy from a Poplar Bluff, Mo., breeder. The puppy died five days later of parvovirus, but not before the woman had spent $1,050 in medical bills, she said. The breeder told the BBB that she would refund $500 for the cost of the puppy when she could afford it, but only $50 of the veterinarian costs because the contract stated the breeder was not liable for veterinarian costs.

A Henderson, Nev., woman told the Springfield BBB that she had bought a Yorkshire terrier from a Springfield pet store for $1,400, but within a week she discovered the puppy had parvovirus. "Treatment of the puppy consisted of four days of hospitalizations costing approximately $3,000," she said. The company refused to honor the warranty and gave her the runaround at both the local and corporate levels, she said.

Citing a survey in which 40% of the 50 states responded, the study found that inspectors in Missouri must inspect twice as many kennels as their counterparts in other states.

On the legislative front, a battle is looming between those who are promoting a ballot initiative to put stricter rules on breeders, and those opposed to such additional regulations who are pushing a constitutional amendment. Both measures may wind up on the ballot this November.

The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation is sponsoring "Misery in Missouri: Dogs Can't Vote... You Can!", an art exhibit designed to raise awareness about Missouri's puppy mill industry.

The art exhibit will be on display at Framations Art Gallery located at 218 North Main Street in St. Charles, Mo. from March 20 - April 3, with a preview benefit party on March 19th, 2010 6-8pm. This 4th annual art exhibit will tour Missouri thru October 2010.

Missouri has earned a reputation as the "Puppy Mill Capital of the United States" due to its many unsanitary, overcrowded, and poorly regulated commercial dog breeding facilities. According to a state audit report released in July 2008, the Department of Agriculture had failed to inspect 40 percent of the state's known licensed commercial breeders as required by law.

It has been 18 years since the 1992 Animal Care Facilities Act was passed, and Missouri still remains the "Puppy Mill Capital of the United States". Missouri has three times as many commercial breeders as any other state in the country. The Alliance is calling upon the public to become part of the exhibit by adding their signatures to a special interactive artwork called "Show Me" by local artist Ken Farris. The public will also be encouraged to contact their elected officials about puppy mills.

Regular exhibit hours are 10AM - 6PM Tuesday - Saturday, 12-5PM Sunday, and Closed Mondays. More information about the exhibit can be found at www.maal.org. Donations received will benefit Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.

Each of the pieces in this compelling exhibit will include comments from the artists, adding even more depth and emotion to the overall effect. All of the artwork was created by Missouri artists.
Questions? E-mail mail@maal.org or call 314.361.3944.

A giant farm dog and a tiny piglet cuddle up as if they were family after the baby runt was dismissed by its own mother.
Surrogate mum Katjinga, an eight-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, took on motherly duties for grunter Paulinchen - a tiny pot-bellied pig -
and seems to be taking the adoption in her stride. Lonely Paulinchen was luckily discovered moments from death and placed in the care
of the dog who gladly accepted it as one of her own.
Thankfully for the two-week old mini porker, Katjinga fell in love with her at first sight and saved her bacon.

Motherly love: Baby piglet feeds on its new surrogate mum
And the unlikely relationship has made the wrinkly piggy a genuine sausage dog. In these adorable images Paulinchen can even be seen trying to suckle from her gigantic new mum.
The two animals live together on a huge 20-acre farm in Hoerstel , Germany , where Katjinga's owners Roland Adam, 54, and his wife Edit, 44, a bank worker, keep a pair of breeding Vietnamese pigs.

Nose place like home: The baby piglet nuzzles up to its new mum
Property developer Roland found the weak and struggling piglet after she was abandoned by the rest of her family one evening after she was born.
He said: "The pigs run wild on our land and the sow had given birth to a litter of five in our forest.
"I found Paulinchen all alone and when I lifted her up she was really cold.

Feeding time: Piglet's new canine mother has no problem providing milk for the youngster
"I felt sure some local foxes would have taken the little pig that very night so I took it into my house and gave her to Katjinga.
"She had just finished with a litter of her own, who are now 10 months, so I thought there was a chance she might take on the duties of looking after her.
"Katjinga is the best mother you can imagine. She immediately fell in love with the piggy. Straight away she started to clean it like it was one of her own puppies.
"Days later she started lactating again and giving milk for the piggy. She obviously regards it now as her own baby."
Mum of the year? Quite possibly.

Exciting News From ADOPT

ADOPT received an offer from a large donor, MHS Legacy Group. As a result of their involvement another donor has stepped forward,

McCarthy Brothers. This is huge! McCarthy is the 5th largest commercial construction company in America with over 3.5 billion in annual revenues. ADOPT is moving forward and here are the details of the facility as it stands at the moment……………

The facility will be state of the art sustainable or “green” that will seek Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (L.E.E.D.) certification. Ours will be the first all “green” animal facility in the area. The size will be around 10,000 sf designed for expansion with a partial masonry exterior. The shell of the building will be highly insulated to meet L.E.E.D. standards. The roof will be either reflective or photovoltaic panels. The interior will be constructed out of sustainable products that do not emit volatile organic compounds therefore preventing the spread of disease. ADOPT has already secured the building design from Arcturis for architecture design, Trumpet Land Services for civil engineering, Trumpet Builder’s for L.E.E.D. project management, McCarthy Brother’s Industrial (MCI) for general contracting services as well as many other contractors and subcontractors. All of the above are planning to break ground this summer or early fall. However this is based on one factor. Once the plans are finished we will be able to estimate the cost over and beyond the donations from the above companies. Even though the above companies will be donating their time, products or services there will still be major costs involved. Unless we come up with the additional expenses we will have to delay the start of the facility and unfortunately we may lose the above offers. This is a golden opportunity at the moment and one that offers hundreds of thousands in donations. For that reason I am pleading with everyone to please donate your time and money to help us raise money for JC’s new rescue and adoption facility for our homeless pets. Here are ways you can get involved.
Please come to our largest fundraiser, the 2nd annual silent/oral dinner auction April 17th. I have attached the formal invitation for you to print. Please invite your friends and family. This is really a fun time with fantastic food, great music, new and exciting silent, oral, and raffle donations along with unique attendance prizes and of course Tony La Russa.
Please consider giving it you’re all and become a sponsor. This is a once in a life time opportunity for any sports lover and maybe the last time we see Tony. Please see the above invitation for details.
Please pass this e-mail to everyone you know and invite them to the auction. Get a table together and have a great time. We could still use donations like wine and cheese baskets, bottles of wine or other alcoholic beverages, food baskets (for example pasta baskets), gift certificates, ball tickets, sports memorabilia. We need it all!
Other ways to help, for example, would be getting your children involved by having a car wash or bake sale. Please get your church involved. Consider asking your place of employment to donate to ADOPT. As a result of someone asking their boss to meet ADOPT we received the help from one of the above donors and the list is still growing.
Once again, let’s not lose this opportunity. If we cannot come up with the expenses we lose it all. It is now up to all of you! See you on the 17th!
Cathey Break Chairperson for ADOPT

Baby Jesus and the Dog........

Here is a heart warming photo from the news in Sana Catarina, Brasil.
A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard.
During the night the folks came across this scene.
An abandoned dog was looking for a comfortable, protected place to
Sleep. He chose baby Jesus as his comfort. No one had the heart to
Send him away so he was there all night.
We should all have the good sense of this dog and curl up in Jesus'
lap from time to time

I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY........

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor
peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and
knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she
wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a
little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know
that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too
busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't
feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and
want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds
at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to
comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for
companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure
her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile
was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to
keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would
promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle
in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So
many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more
to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Fabulous Video !!!!

Dogs Open Hearts Of Missouri Prisoners

By Bill McClellan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/08/2010

One day last month, a correctional officer at the maximum security prison in Jefferson City was walking toward the employees' dining hall when he noticed something unsettling. A group of inmates — offenders, they're called in today's jargon — were looking past him toward Housing Unit No. 5. The inmates were staring at something. They were absolutely silent.

"Dead quiet can mean a couple of things here, and none of them good, so I quickly looked back to see what was happening," said correctional officer John Osborne. "They were staring at Koda."

She is a Siberian husky. She was in the first batch of dogs brought to the prison as part of a new program. Actually, Koda and her canine colleagues at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and another batch of dogs at the medium-security Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific represent an expansion of an old program.

Inmates at the women's prison in Vandalia have been training dogs since 1982. In the beginning, that program was restricted to training service dogs. Then rescue dogs were included.


Now the program with rescue dogs is being expanded to the men's prisons.

"I'd like to see every prison teamed up with a shelter in its community," said George Lombardi, director of the Department of Corrections. "I think it could be a win-win situation. We could help the shelters get dogs ready for adoption, and dogs are good for a prison."
GET MORE
Want more Bill? Read past columns

They certainly provide things that are in short supply in a prison — namely, love and trust. Officials at Vandalia say that the women consider it such a privilege to live with the dogs that they are careful not to lose that privilege.

Lombardi said that the program would have no cost to the state. All food and materials would be donated by private sources.

I was at the prison in Pacific when the dogs arrived last month. They came from a rescue group called Mutts n Stuff that works primarily with pit bull mixes.

Diana Roberts of the rescue group brought five dogs. Ten inmates — five trainers and their cellmates — came to the visiting room to meet their dogs. Roberts seemed to study the inmates and then study the dogs, trying to determine the best matches.

The inmates waited anxiously, like kids at Christmas. When they were given their dogs, they immediately reached down to pet them and the dogs seemed to respond.

"You can't normally show affection in here," said a corrections officer. "You don't give any. You don't get any."

Of course, you can't tell that to a dog. It might be living in a cage in a cell in a prison, but it's still happy to give and get affection. That's what has happened at Pacific.

"The dogs are doing great," Warden Jennifer Sachse told me last week. "They're being very receptive to the training. You can see a big difference between the time they got here, and now. In all likelihood, some of them are going to be adopted by our staff."

The program also seems to be thriving at Jefferson City.

Joseph Honee, an inmate who is training a terrier-beagle mix named Sissy, told me that men in prison have a special affinity for rescue dogs.

"Sissy had been abused and neglected. In some kind of way, that's true of a lot of men in here. And maybe you became aggressive, but you still have love in you. These dogs bring out the better you," he said.

And a better dog, too. "When Sissy got here, she'd hide in a corner. Now we can't keep her down," Honee said.

Recently, when the weather was still bad, somebody put 10 newborn puppies in a box and dumped the box in a park in Jefferson City. The puppies were brought to a shelter, but they needed more care than the shelter could provide. They were taken to the prison. Inmates bottle-fed them, and the puppies slept with the inmates for warmth. They all survived.

Mark Harris, an inmate from St. Louis, told me that one of the old-timers was having a tough day.

"We took a puppy and put it on his lap. He started singing, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus.'"

Warden Dave Dormire has long understood the comforting influence that a dog can bring to a prison. He sometimes brings his own dog to visit the inmates in the prison hospice.

So he wasn't surprised when he got a note from Osborne about the men who were staring at Koda: "Their eyes were sad and wistful, as though they were remembering days long ago. I sighed with some relief and went and ate my lunch. ... Teachers learn from their pupils. It will be interesting to see what the dogs teach us."

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care
about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romancethen adopt a dog.

Okay, can't a dog have a sense of humor too......love, Hudson

If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour,
for as long and wherever you want ...
then adopt a dog.

Dogs Deserve Better Are Working So Hard...

Can you feel the momentum building, soon to explode, showering everything with sparks of light which spell out "DOG CHAINERS BEWARE-THE ABUSE ENDS NOW!" ?

The movement is growing.

In its infancy there were steps so minuscule as to remain unnoticed, and the discouraged folded their play tents and went home to drink wine by the fire and pretend they didn't remember the suffering.

But for those of us who camped out in the mud, putting one tiny foot in front of the other, even when no one believed in our efforts and advised us, for our own good, to run along home, the miles soon began to rack up.

At first it was small victories, a local law here, a rescued dog there, for me a chance to speak at the national level, a chance to spread our message in person and en masse.

Then state laws began surfacing, and citizens gathering together lobbied for bills to protect dogs without knowing how to do it but committing to learn along the way.

Despite the agony they endured in convincing others to acknowledge these Forgotten Dogs, they knew. They knew the fire in their stomach would not die until it consumed those standing in the way of truth and justice.

I love this cartoonist......

Who's Laughing At Who Here.......

Make Your Call Today.....

FOR ALL OF YOU WHO MADE CALLS TO SENATOR BRADY'S OFFICE LAST WEEK - THANK YOU!! PLEASE KEEP THE CALLS COMING NEXT WEEK - CALL EARLY AND OFTEN!!! WE ARE MAKING AND IMPACT AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BILL IS SCRAPPED ENTIRELY!! WE HAVE NOW SUCCESSFULLY GOTTEN ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR!!!
THEREFORE, CONTACT SENATOR BRADY'S OFFICE AT 217-782-6216!! TELL THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS THE PHONE IF YOU ARE AN ILLINOIS VOTER ( that you are one)AND THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS DO NOT SUPPORT EUTHANASIA OF SHELTER ANIMALS VIA GAS CHAMBERS. LET HIM KNOW THAT GETTING ANOTHER SENATOR TO SPONSOR THE BILL ON HIS BEHALF IS NOT ENOUGH AND THAT UNTIL HE SCRAPS THE BILL ENTIRELY WE WILL CONTINUE TO TIE HIM TO IT, WHICH WILL HURT HIM IN HIS GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN! THE POWER OF VOTERS ARE AMAZING...WE HAVE TO DEMAND OUR FREEDOMS ON ISSUES DEAR TO OUR HEARTS!!!

Be Very Careful With Retractable Leashes and Small Children

This dear women sent an email to a friend of Hudson's just warning her about young children and retractable leashes. It is worth reading...
My 4 year old grand-niece pulled out the leash part of a retractable leash for their dog, and wrapped it around her neck, then couldn't get it off when it pulled back into the leash itself.........she almost died, and by the grace of God, my sister found her in time. She is fine now, but was found semi-conscious
It never occurred to me to think about a retractable leash as a potential safety hazard.I know anything wrapped around a child's neck is, of course, dangerous...but I just wanted to pass this along.
Sincerely, Karen

Another Pet Store Closes Down....

Petworld Closes Its Doors

February 25, 2010, 4:2PM MT
By Sandy Miller, Best Friends staff writer
Another store selling puppies from puppy mills shuts down after peaceful demonstrations, bringing us one step closer to the day when there will be No More Homeless Pets.
For Deb Johnson, last Saturday started out just like many other Saturdays. Johnson, a volunteer team leader with Best Friends’ L.A. programs and Puppies Aren’t Products campaign, was busy organizing volunteers for a peaceful demonstration outside the Northridge Fashion Center, a shopping mall in Northridge, Calif.
The mall was home to Petworld, a pet store that sold puppies a Best Friends investigation had revealed came from puppy mills in the Midwest. Someone asked Johnson why they were out in front of the mall. Didn’t she know? Petworld had gone out of business, the person told her.
Johnson ran into the mall to see for herself.
“When I went up to the store and saw it shuttered, I burst into tears,” Johnson says.
For eight months, Johnson and other Best Friends’ volunteers and staff had held peaceful demonstrations outside the mall. They’d spent hours and hours at tables inside the mall educating shoppers about the link between puppy mills and Petworld puppies. It broke Johnson’s heart to see the puppies — everything from Siberian huskies and Dalmatians to toy breeds crammed into small cages in the store, some with price tags as high as $4,000. People who’d unknowingly purchased sick puppies from Petworld told Johnson how glad they were that Best Friends was helping others avoid the same fate.
“They’d say, ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I bought my dog here two years ago and I wish I would have known,’” says Johnson, who runs a small computer and networking business and has been volunteering with Best Friends since 2008.
If someone told Johnson they were in the market for a purebred dog, Johnson would hand them a list of breed rescues in the area. She pointed out how one-fourth of dogs in shelters are purebreds and directed them to the city-run shelter less than a mile up the road. No doubt some of those people Johnson spoke to, people who’d planned to spend thousands of dollars on a puppy at Petworld, turned around and adopted from a shelter or rescue instead — and saved a life.
And on Saturday, all of Johnson’s hard work paid off.
“I’ve always loved animals and the fact that we can make a difference is so rewarding to me,” Johnson says.
Petworld is one of a half dozen pet stores in the Los Angeles-Orange County area to close its doors in the two years that Best Friends has been educating shoppers about the link between pet store puppies and puppy mills. It was the sister store to Pet Love, a puppy mill-supplied store in Los Angeles that closed in January 2009 after seven months of educational tabling efforts.
A nationwide campaign, a cultural shift
Los Angeles isn’t the only place in the country where Best Friends is making a difference by educating people about the pet store-puppy mill link.
“This closure comes only a few weeks after Las Vegas’ Chi Chi Couture — another pet store at which our volunteers held peaceful demonstrations throughout the past year — closed its doors for good,” says Elizabeth Oreck, manager of Best Friends L.A. Programs and national campaign manager for Puppies Aren’t Products, one of four Best Friends campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets.
“This illustrates the cultural shift we are starting to see in the pet trade. Consumers looking to bring a pet into the family are moving away from puppy mill-supplied traditional pet stores and toward the more humane concept of rescue and adoption.”
Best Friends isn’t out to close pet stores down. It would just like to see the stores adopt a humane model of business.
“Our intention here is not to close stores, but to see them promote a humane model of operations that, rather than selling commercially bred puppies, involves the adoption or sale of shelter and rescue dogs,” says Best Friends co-founder Francis Battista. “We’d like them to become a partner like Woof Worx and we’d like to help them make that transition.”
Jamie Katz opened Woof Worx on Valentine’s Day 2009 in the same spot that used to be home to Pets of Bel Air, another pet store that closed down after Best Friends helped expose the link between its puppies and the puppy mills that supplied them. Woof Worx makes its profits selling pet supplies and services, and the only dogs you’ll find in Woof Worx come from area shelters and rescues. Katz is not only running a thriving business, she’s saving hundreds and hundreds of lives. Best Friends now promotes Katz’s business in e-mails to Best Friends members and donors.
One step closer to No More Homeless Pets
If a pet store employee tells you its puppies come from small, reputable breeders, don’t believe them.
“A good breeder would never sell to pet stores,” says Jen Krause, campaign specialist for Puppies Aren’t Products L.A. Programs. “Good breeders take responsibility for their puppies for their entire lives. They do it for the love of the breed, not for profit.”
And with some 5 million animals being killed in shelters each year because homes cannot be found for them, it is inhumane and irresponsible for large commercial breeders to be mass producing puppies. If we’re ever to reach a day of No More Homeless Pets, this problem must be addressed. That’s why the Puppies Aren’t Products campaign is a major priority of Best Friends. This latest pet store closing shows there is indeed a cultural shift under way in this country.
“Let this be symbolic,” Krause says. “The mindset of the general public has changed. When it comes to buying from a pet store vs. adopting from a shelter or rescue organization, most would prefer to rescue. Today, we celebrate a victory. We are one step closer to our ultimate goal of No More Homeless Pets and that much closer to ending the cruel cycle associated with commercial dog breeding.”
For More Information
See where Petworld’s puppies came from.
Read more about Best Friends’ Puppies Aren’t Products campaign, and how you can get involved.
Learn about the recent closing of Chi-Chi Couture in Las Vegas.
How You Can Help
Adopt don’t shop. Many purebred dogs are available for adoption. Search by breed at Petfinder.com for your next family member.
Help support Best Friends efforts to educate the public about puppy mills and rescue dogs by donating to Puppies Aren’t Products campaign.

Crisis Stirs Talk Of New Animal Shelter

CHRISTINE BYERS writes another fabulous story for the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/01/2010

HILLSBORO — A crisis in Jefferson County's animal control has jump-started interest in building a new shelter.
Last week, county executives sent a letter requesting a proposal from a nonprofit group that has offered to do just that.
The county's current shelter took a double hit recently when the state banned it from euthanizing animals and closed about a dozen outdoor kennels.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture last month ordered Jefferson County to stop euthanizing animals, after the Post-Dispatch reported that animal control workers were using narcotics without supervision by a veterinarian. The state earlier had cited the county for improper drainage from its outdoor kennels.
Jefferson County leaders know they have to do something to correct the situation. But they might not have to look farther than St. Charles County for inspiration, said Cathey Break, who heads the nonprofit ADOPT, or Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment.
Break's offer to the county is based on big dreams, big donors and big names. Her proposal to build a county shelter relies on donated services from architects, engineers and general contractors, as well as support from Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and others interested in animal welfare. In return, she is asking to lease 1.76 acres from the county for $1 a year.
"We're basically ready to break ground this summer if the county would give us the land," she said.
County leaders have asked Break for a proposal to build a shelter for 40 dogs and 30 cats on county land next to the juvenile detention center in Hillsboro.
The current shelter has 16 indoor dog kennels and 30 cat cages. It sits at the top of a hilly area in Barnhart, several miles from major thoroughfares and sewer lines.

ADOPTION VS. CONTROL
St. Charles County executives spent about $1.6 million to build a new shelter in a highly visible area about 10 years ago and saw its euthanasia rate drop to about 20 percent from a high of 80 percent.
The county adopts out about half of the dogs and cats it takes in each year. Two of those dogs call director Theresa Williams' office home.
Williams credits the army of animal rescue volunteers with augmenting the animal control center's budget by donating time, money and supplies.
Veterinarians treat animals on site, spaying and neutering adoptable animals, and voluntarily offering spay and neuter clinics for feral cats once a month.
In contrast, Jefferson County animal control workers euthanized about half of the 3,800 animals they took in last year, said animal control manager James "J.T." Taylor. Adoptions came in just under 10 percent last year.
Some animal rescue volunteers said they have stopped working with the county shelter and have filed complaints with the Department of Agriculture because of how quickly adoptable animals are euthanized, or sometimes left untreated for illnesses and injuries. A notice on the front door warns visitors that the health of animals is not guaranteed.
Animal welfare takes a back seat to public safety in Jefferson County, Taylor said. "That's what animal rescue groups are for," said Taylor, who has a dog-catcher's pole hanging in his office.
But he described his operation as a "low-kill shelter."
The county's shelter is not equipped for medical procedures, so animals needing treatment are taken to a veterinarian in Arnold.
Break believes that Jefferson County can change all that, just as St. Charles County did in 1999.
"We can go from an embarrassment and a tragedy to being a role model," Break said.
In the late 1990s, St. Charles County had space for 24 dog kennels and 40 cat cages in a former boarding facility nestled between a recycling center and a highway department building, away from major thoroughfares.
County leaders spent about $600,000 for land along Mid Rivers Drive, where an estimated 200,000 cars pass every day. They spent $1 million on the shelter, which has 96 dog kennels and 144 cat cages.
Scott Green, chief animal control officer for St. Charles County, said philosophy determines a shelter's success as much as its bricks and mortar. The county changed its agency's name to St. Charles County Humane Services from St. Charles County Rabies Control a few years before the new building opened.
"We went from this rigid, 'This is all we're going to do is animal control,' to opening the doors to save animals," said Green, an animal control officer since 1986.

ACCEPTING HELP
The St. Louis Animal Care and Control inserted the word "care" into its name in 2005.
"It's no longer just about controlling animals, it's about providing care," said Drew Hane, animal care and control supervisor, as a 96-pound dog rested in his office.
The city is in a similar bind as Jefferson County when it comes to its shelter. It was built in the 1940s and is tucked under Interstate 55 near an industrial area by Gasconade Street.
Because of $30,000 in donated goods and 5,500 volunteer hours last year, Hane said, he was able to buy medications to treat animals that might otherwise have been euthanized. To help control the animal population, the city sets aside $9,000 to offer low-income families spay and neuter services.
Volunteers are running a capital campaign to raise $4 million to build a new city shelter — an effort that has been under way for about eight years.
In Jefferson County, this is Break's second attempt at working with county leaders on a new shelter.
In early 2009, County Executive Chuck Banks coordinated a deal between former County Administrator Larry Church and Break to turn a trucking facility Church owns along Interstate 55 in Herculaneum into the county's new shelter. Church's asking price was $530,000. Its assessed value was $350,000. Break said she had hoped the county would buy the land, but that didn't happen.
The deal fell through. Break approached the county again early this year with the Hillsboro plan.
County executives told Break last week they wanted a new shelter by Aug. 27, 2011.
But the county executives have concerns about an arrangement involving donations.
In his state of the county address in January, Banks suggested the county could build a shelter using a bond issue, with voter approval. He said any project would have to pay the prevailing wage.
County Executive Ed Kemp said he is concerned that the site in Hillsboro will not allow for expansion. He is leery of working with volunteer contractors.
"Free is good, but not if there's issues with what you're given," he said.
Meanwhile, Break is preparing her proposal.
"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," she said. "But these subcontractors are not going to hang on forever."

ADOPT HAS HUDSON'S SUPPORT.......

Reminder about Donation Drop Off Night at Pizza Hut

Also please scroll down to read my letter to the editor about Steve Stoll’s comments in last week’s Leader

Don’t forget about our donation drop off night this Thursday March 4th at Pizza Hut on Richardson Rd in Arnold from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Just look for the ADOPT t-shirts to get your tickets and ADOPT makes 20% of your total food bill. We could use some help stuffing envelopes with our invitations. If you have any stamps you could donate that would be appreciated too. Also this is a great opportunity to drop off your donations for our largest fundraiser of the year, our 2nd annual dinner auction on April 17th at the Arnold Rec Center from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. We are in need of donations such as baseball tickets or any sport tickets, baskets such as food or wine, (if you donate a basket it would help if you would list the contents and value), vacations, hotel nights, gift certificates of any kind etc. We need it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some other ways you can help our homeless animals………………………

Please plan on attending our 2nd annual silent/ oral dinner auction on Saturday April 17th. Tony La Russa will be our guest speaker.

If you are financially able, become a sponsor and get the opportunity of a life time by meeting Tony or being his personal guest at the ball park. Sponsorships start at $1500.00.

ASK! ASK! ASK! – Please donate your time and money to help our homeless animals and ask everyone around you to help too! There is great excitement surrounding this project and people do want to help. Please ask your employers. You might be surprised what they will donate. Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to get involved. Come to the dinner auction and ask them to come also. Get a table together!

Sharon, a volunteer, is planning a rummage sale possibly in the fall. Start saving your items! No clothes please!
Michelle, a volunteer,is hosting an online gadget drive through Gazelle to raise money for ADOPT (Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment), and would love your support. You can visit her drive webpage at http://ADOPT.gazelle.com
A gadget drive is a new way to fundraise that turns your used electronics (laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras & more) into cash to support a cause. Contributing to her drive is simple. Just visit her drive webpage, find the value of the gadgets you would like to donate, and send them to Gazelle (shipping is free). The value will go to support ADOPT(Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment).
If you would like to donate, please go to save lives with your old hard drives (http://ADOPT.gazelle.com) to learn more about her drive and track her progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email, and Michelle will be notified as soon as you make your donation.
If you have an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or other event ask people to donate to ADOPT instead. We all have so much and these animals have nothing.
If a loved one passes please ask for donations in lieu of flowers

BELOW IS MY LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE LEADER

ADOPT is asking for Public Apology from Steve Stoll, JC Director of Administration

ADOPT (Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment) is asking for a public apology from Mr. Steve Stoll, director of Administration for Jefferson County. His comments were an embarrassment and hurtful to those of us in our organization who have worked our butts off to correct this sad and deplorable situation concerning our homeless animals in JC, a situation that our county has constantly ignored. Your comments, “A.D.O.P.T. would have to accept some responsibilities and meet some benchmarks. They would have to have some plans that aren’t just verbal and they would have to provide some information about finances. Once they have presented these things, then MAYBE we would be able to enter into some sort of lease agreement for the land.” MAYBE, Mr. Stoll, MAYBE the county might enter into some sort of a lease agreement? I do not think that the county has any choice. JCAC is an absolute mess and is a terrible embarrassment to our county. This situation hurts businesses, land values, the people of our community, not to mention the death of thousands upon thousands of innocent homeless animals every year. The fact is because of the hard work of Ms. Christine Byers from the Post Dispatch the truth is finally coming out about our dirty little secret that Jefferson County has constantly ignored which is the need for a visible and public friendly animal facility. I am very proud to state, Mr. Stoll, and this is just not verbal. In the past 14 months since we have become a not for profit, our organization has raised close to $300,000.00 in individual donations and foundation commitments, have received multiple verbal commitments from both small and large businesses to work on a new facility free of charge, have received the endorsement from the biggest voice for rescue and adoption in the country, Mr. Tony La Russa, who will be our guest speaker at our upcoming dinner auction on April 17th, have also received the endorsement from another big name in our county, Mr. Kenny Wallace. (both of these men have agreed to put their names on our new facility), is currently working with Ms. Monica Adams of Fox 2 News on upcoming segments. This is just a few of our successes in a very short amount of time not to mention in the worst economic situation since the depression. This, Mr. Stoll, represents a tremendous amount of responsibility and we will be more than happy to meet any and all benchmarks as long as the county agrees to work with us. We are also planning to provide a full set of plans for the county to approve once we receive the lease for the county land. As you know I have been begging our 3 county executives for weeks to jump on this. I just received the letter in the mail this past Thursday and my team is working on your requirements to get it in your hands immediately.
Once again, I am extremely disappointed in your comments and am asking for a public apology and your immediate and speedy support in getting our 3 county executives to approve the lease so that we can get the plans drawn up and get the details in writing that they are requesting.
However I am also asking for continued community support. The truth is these poor homeless kittens, puppies, cats and dogs don’t vote and have not been able to speak up for themselves. So they have been gathered up, pushed into a sub standard difficult to find facility, and killed. And because they do not vote or cannot speak for themselves all of our past and current county governments have just pushed this issue aside. That is why I started A.D.O.P.T. to correct this situation once and for all. Our elected officials are servants of the people and of all creatures in this county. I expect their immediate and speedy support and am once again asking for the support from our community.
Cathey Break, Chairperson For ADOPT