georgette
10-04-2000, 09:05 PM
1. We have lots of new members and some of you may not be familiar with "Hearts United for Animals" http://www.hua.org/Looking4.html
which is a wonderful, no-kill, non-profit animal shelter in Nebraska. I must forewarn you that a visit to the site will hook you irresistibly. It's sad but heartwarming at once.
2. If you check the "Looking for Adoption" section on page 8, you'll notice that my buddy "Marni" has been adopted! I'm so happy for her - now I need another buddy.
3. Below is an important message from Lee Wheeler of the HUA (they don't have paid administrators). Please read and act on her request:
Dear Friends of Hearts United for Animals,
I'm so sorry for the delay in updating you on the events with the puppy mills
in Pennsylvania. It's been an extraordinary two months. I have one favor - I
would really appreciate it if you would send a thank you to one person. I
will put that information at the bottom of this email.
Now the updates - in the last email I told you about the zoning board
hearing in Salisbury Township. They had their mind made up to grant the
applications before we ever walked in the door. We have filed appeals and
have briefs due at the appellate court in a couple of weeks.
We then fought one request at Caenarvon Township. I think I told you we won
that one. Then we fought two at Leacock Township. We won both of those two
also. In the last email I asked you to send thank you letters to the zoning
officer and the board. You responded overwhelmingly. It meant a great deal to
those men who took a very difficult position. They have been threatened with
their jobs by the very powerful Farm Bureau. We have offered to provide
legal representation to them for free should they lose their jobs as a result
of this issue. Since the kennels in Leacock were already up and running
even before the zoning hearing we requested that the Zoning Officer issue
Cease and Desist Orders which he did. Those orders required the kennels to
cease doing business by the 30th of September. Since they did not comply,
the Zoning Officer will now seek court orders to shut them down. The
kennels just continue to flagrantly defy the law.
Then we fought another one in Warwick Township and we won that one too.
Again the kennel has refused to shut down. We have again requested a Cease
and Desist order.
The most exciting, exhausting, depressing, overwhelming and wonderful thing
that happened was a kennel seizure in Mt Joy township. We were informed by
the Township Police that a seizure was going to occur in two hours. We
quickly mobilized people from a variety of organizations including the Humane
League of Lancaster County and went to the scene. We were able to take 61
dogs out of four different areas. The conditions were horrible. One
location was a dilapidated barn with siding falling off, windows broken out,
holes in the ceiling and literally a cesspool full of water and manure.
There was no heating or auxiliary ventilation. Another location was in a
part of a barn - the ceiling was only about 6 foot tall, the windows had been
boarded up, there was no light at all. The smell of urine was so
overwhelming it could be smelled 20 feet away. Our eyes burned as we worked
to take the dogs out of the cages. These dogs were essentially kept in total
darkness except for the few times that the garage door was open for someone
to feed and water them.
The dogs were crammed in small wire hutch type cages. They were overcrowded
and some of the dogs were aggressive to the other dogs. Imagine being
crammed in a small wire cage with someone who wanted to kill you. One of the
dogs was dead from bite wounds. Many other dogs had bite wounds. Many of
the dogs were Bulldogs. There were also Chihuahuas, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels,
Shelties, Poodles, Shih Tzus, a Mountain Dog and a Griffon. The woman who
owned the kennel threatened to kill the Officer, his wife and child so she
was arrested and taken to jail. They are currently facing charges of
cruelty.
We were able to get the dogs medical care and into foster care. All of the
dogs had medical conditions most suffered a variety of medical problems.
Some required emergency surgery. Several of the Bulldogs are blind from long
term conjunctivitis that was never treated. Others of the dogs are probably
deaf from long term untreated ear infections. Many of the dogs had bloody
scabs on their ears from scratching. Other of the dogs had whip worms and
hook worms which untreated could certainly have lead to their death. Many
of the dogs were covered with mats and they all smelled.
I would like to tell you briefly about Rose who is with me. She is supposed t
o be a Cocker Spaniel. I'm sure her puppies were sold as Cockers. She is
clearly not a purebred Cocker. When she first came to my house she sat in a
corner as far away from everything as she could get and she cried. Slowly
she began to come out of the corner but she would run back on an instants
notice. She allowed me to touch her but she shook. It took great courage for
her to sit by me and let me pet her. She had no concept of what a dog
biscuit was. Then as the days went by she first learned that I would love
her and practically wiggled herself in half everytime she saw me. Then she
learned about biscuits and is now the first in line for one. She was still
insisting that she would sleep on the hard wood floor despite my efforts to
show her the dog beds, the couch and the big overstuffed chairs. She seemed
to think that they were not for her. Then in the same day she discovered
toys and realized the beds were for her. The funniest thing was that she
learned to run. She's the most uncoordinated dog I have ever seen since she
was never able to run and has no control over her legs which go every
different direction. But she runs with reckless abandon and a huge grin on
her face. As I type she is sleeping sprawled out across the soft dog bed
sound asleep dreaming happy dreams. Watching her transformation has been a
blessing.
Now the favor - would each of you please write to Officer Ken Henry at Mount
Joy Township Police 159 Merts Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Officer Henry
is the hero in this kennel seizure. If not for his courage, Rose and all the
other dogs would not be safe today. In Lancaster County it takes a lot of
courage to stand up to the political forces. Officer Henry has devoted hours
and hours of his personal time to save these dogs. Please tell him thank you.
There are many more very exciting things going on. I will have much more to
tell you about soon.
Please remember to shop at http://www.ihelppets.com. We have great dog
toys, dog food, treats and wonderful gifts for people who love dogs. Best of
all the profits go to shut down puppy mills.
Best wishes,
Lee Wheeler
Hearts United for Animals
Please crosspost.
which is a wonderful, no-kill, non-profit animal shelter in Nebraska. I must forewarn you that a visit to the site will hook you irresistibly. It's sad but heartwarming at once.
2. If you check the "Looking for Adoption" section on page 8, you'll notice that my buddy "Marni" has been adopted! I'm so happy for her - now I need another buddy.
3. Below is an important message from Lee Wheeler of the HUA (they don't have paid administrators). Please read and act on her request:
Dear Friends of Hearts United for Animals,
I'm so sorry for the delay in updating you on the events with the puppy mills
in Pennsylvania. It's been an extraordinary two months. I have one favor - I
would really appreciate it if you would send a thank you to one person. I
will put that information at the bottom of this email.
Now the updates - in the last email I told you about the zoning board
hearing in Salisbury Township. They had their mind made up to grant the
applications before we ever walked in the door. We have filed appeals and
have briefs due at the appellate court in a couple of weeks.
We then fought one request at Caenarvon Township. I think I told you we won
that one. Then we fought two at Leacock Township. We won both of those two
also. In the last email I asked you to send thank you letters to the zoning
officer and the board. You responded overwhelmingly. It meant a great deal to
those men who took a very difficult position. They have been threatened with
their jobs by the very powerful Farm Bureau. We have offered to provide
legal representation to them for free should they lose their jobs as a result
of this issue. Since the kennels in Leacock were already up and running
even before the zoning hearing we requested that the Zoning Officer issue
Cease and Desist Orders which he did. Those orders required the kennels to
cease doing business by the 30th of September. Since they did not comply,
the Zoning Officer will now seek court orders to shut them down. The
kennels just continue to flagrantly defy the law.
Then we fought another one in Warwick Township and we won that one too.
Again the kennel has refused to shut down. We have again requested a Cease
and Desist order.
The most exciting, exhausting, depressing, overwhelming and wonderful thing
that happened was a kennel seizure in Mt Joy township. We were informed by
the Township Police that a seizure was going to occur in two hours. We
quickly mobilized people from a variety of organizations including the Humane
League of Lancaster County and went to the scene. We were able to take 61
dogs out of four different areas. The conditions were horrible. One
location was a dilapidated barn with siding falling off, windows broken out,
holes in the ceiling and literally a cesspool full of water and manure.
There was no heating or auxiliary ventilation. Another location was in a
part of a barn - the ceiling was only about 6 foot tall, the windows had been
boarded up, there was no light at all. The smell of urine was so
overwhelming it could be smelled 20 feet away. Our eyes burned as we worked
to take the dogs out of the cages. These dogs were essentially kept in total
darkness except for the few times that the garage door was open for someone
to feed and water them.
The dogs were crammed in small wire hutch type cages. They were overcrowded
and some of the dogs were aggressive to the other dogs. Imagine being
crammed in a small wire cage with someone who wanted to kill you. One of the
dogs was dead from bite wounds. Many other dogs had bite wounds. Many of
the dogs were Bulldogs. There were also Chihuahuas, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels,
Shelties, Poodles, Shih Tzus, a Mountain Dog and a Griffon. The woman who
owned the kennel threatened to kill the Officer, his wife and child so she
was arrested and taken to jail. They are currently facing charges of
cruelty.
We were able to get the dogs medical care and into foster care. All of the
dogs had medical conditions most suffered a variety of medical problems.
Some required emergency surgery. Several of the Bulldogs are blind from long
term conjunctivitis that was never treated. Others of the dogs are probably
deaf from long term untreated ear infections. Many of the dogs had bloody
scabs on their ears from scratching. Other of the dogs had whip worms and
hook worms which untreated could certainly have lead to their death. Many
of the dogs were covered with mats and they all smelled.
I would like to tell you briefly about Rose who is with me. She is supposed t
o be a Cocker Spaniel. I'm sure her puppies were sold as Cockers. She is
clearly not a purebred Cocker. When she first came to my house she sat in a
corner as far away from everything as she could get and she cried. Slowly
she began to come out of the corner but she would run back on an instants
notice. She allowed me to touch her but she shook. It took great courage for
her to sit by me and let me pet her. She had no concept of what a dog
biscuit was. Then as the days went by she first learned that I would love
her and practically wiggled herself in half everytime she saw me. Then she
learned about biscuits and is now the first in line for one. She was still
insisting that she would sleep on the hard wood floor despite my efforts to
show her the dog beds, the couch and the big overstuffed chairs. She seemed
to think that they were not for her. Then in the same day she discovered
toys and realized the beds were for her. The funniest thing was that she
learned to run. She's the most uncoordinated dog I have ever seen since she
was never able to run and has no control over her legs which go every
different direction. But she runs with reckless abandon and a huge grin on
her face. As I type she is sleeping sprawled out across the soft dog bed
sound asleep dreaming happy dreams. Watching her transformation has been a
blessing.
Now the favor - would each of you please write to Officer Ken Henry at Mount
Joy Township Police 159 Merts Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Officer Henry
is the hero in this kennel seizure. If not for his courage, Rose and all the
other dogs would not be safe today. In Lancaster County it takes a lot of
courage to stand up to the political forces. Officer Henry has devoted hours
and hours of his personal time to save these dogs. Please tell him thank you.
There are many more very exciting things going on. I will have much more to
tell you about soon.
Please remember to shop at http://www.ihelppets.com. We have great dog
toys, dog food, treats and wonderful gifts for people who love dogs. Best of
all the profits go to shut down puppy mills.
Best wishes,
Lee Wheeler
Hearts United for Animals
Please crosspost.