If you want to donate to help dogs and cats in shelters, please donate to the HSSP, Humane Society for Shelter Pets, to see that  your donation actually goes where it is most needed: the shelters themselves!

RECALLED DOG FOODS: DOG POWER DOG FOOD

PET FOOD COMPANY: Advanced Animal Nutrition

Pet Food Products in the recall:

DOG POWER ADULT MAINTENANCE FORMULA 21-12
DOG POWER HUNTERS FORMULA 27-14
DOG POWER HI-PRO PERFORMANCE FORMULA 26-18
50 Lb. Bags, LOT K004 through K1322
Distributed in MO, AR, LA, manufactured Jan 4 through Nov 18, 2011
RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii AFLATOXIN

RECALLED DOG FOODS: RIVER RUN & MARKSMAN DRY DOG FOOD

PET FOOD COMPANY: Cargill Animal Nutrition

Pet Food Products in the recall:

PROFESSIONAL FORMULA RIVER RUN HI-NRG 24-20, 50 lb
RIVER RUN PROFESSIONAL FORMULA 27-18, 50 lb

RIVER RUN 21% Protein, 40 and 50 lbs
RIVER RUN Hi-Pro No-Soy, 40 and 50 lbs
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 24% Protein 20% Fat, 40 lb
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 20% Protein 10% Fat, 40 and 50 lbs
MARKSMAN DOG FOOD 28% Protein 18% Fat, 40 lb

Packaging Date Codes (lot numbers): 4K0335 through 4K0365, LL0335 through LL0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335 and LL1001 through LL1335

distributed in 15 states/territories – KS, MO, NE OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, W KY, SW IN, S IL, HI, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and limited areas FL and CA

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii AFLATOXIN

RECALLED DOG FOODS: IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH SMART PUPPY

PET FOOD COMPANY: Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

Pet Food Products in the recall:

ONE PRODUCTION LOT of DRY DOG FOOD

with Use By or Expiration Dates of February 5 or February 6, 2013

7 lb bag UPC 1901402305 Code Date 12784177I6
8 lb bag UPC 1901410208 Code Date 12794177D2 and 12794177D3
17.5 lb bag UPC 1901401848 Code Date 12794177K1 and 12794177K2

distributed to a limited number of retailers in Eastern US

AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, SC, VA
RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii AFLATOXIN

- AUGUST 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED DOG FOODS: DOGGIE WISHBONE

PET FOOD COMPANY: MERRICK PET CARE, INC.

Pet Food Products in the recall:

MERRICK DOGGIE WISHBONE PET TREAT Item # 29050,

UPC Code 2280829050, Lot 11031 – Best By Jan 2013
Single lot of 248 cases manufactured/shipped to distributors in 10 states

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans.

- JULY 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED PET FOODS: DRY CAT FOOD

PET FOOD COMPANY: NESTLE PURINA

Pet Food Products in the recall:

PURINA ONE VIBRANT MATURITY 7+ DRY CAT FOOD 3.5 Lb. & 7 lb. Bags

Best By May 2012, Production Code: 03341084 UPC 17800 01885 and

Production Code: 03351084 UPC 17800 01887
Bags from a single run shipped to 12 states in December 2010, then distributed in California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin where the product may have been further distributed to other states

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

- JUNE 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED DOG FOODS: PIG EARS CHEWS

PET FOOD COMPANY: BRAVO

Pet Food Products in the recall:

PIG EARS CHEWS (Bonus Bites) 50 Ct Boxes Bulk Oven Roasted Pig Ears

UPC 75-121 Lot # 12-06-10 – Products Shipped to East and West Coasts

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

RECALLED PET FOODS: DRY CAT FOOD

PET FOOD COMPANY: NESTLE PURINA

Pet Food Products in the recall:

CAT CHOW NATURALS DRY CAT FOOD 6.3 Lb. Bags – Best By Aug 2012
Production Code: 10331083 13 – UPC 17800 11320
FRISKIES GRILLERS BLEND DRY CAT FOOD 3.15 Lb. & 16 lb. Bags – Best By Aug 2012
Production Code: 10381083 06 – UPC 50000 08450 & UPC 5000057578
Approximately 870 bags shipped to Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

- MAY 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED CAT FOOD: FELINE CHICKEN & SALMON
PET FOOD COMPANY: PRIMAL PET FOODS
Pet Food Products in the recall:
CHICKEN & SALMON NUGGETS 4 LB. Package UPC # 8 95135 00025 0 Best By code 043112-17
Products distributed through retail stores in USA.
RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

RECALLED PET FOODS: PIG EARS FOR PET TREATS
PET FOOD COMPANY: KEYS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.
Pet Food Products in the recall:
PIG EARS FOR PET TREATS 100 Count Cases Packed in Cardboard
Shipped to distributors in PA, VA, MO, IA, OH, IL, FL, KY, MI, AR, IN, LA, TX, MN

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

RECALLED PET FOODS: DIGGERS NATURAL TREAT PIG EAR PET TREATS
PET FOOD COMPANY: BOSS PET PRODUCTS, INC.
Pet Food Products in the recall:
DIGGERS NATURAL CHEWS PIG EARS
DNC PIG EARS Boxes of 100 UPC #0-72929-00038-6
DNC PIG EARS Boxes of 50 UPC #0-72929-99120-2
DNC PIG EARS Bags 2-Pack shipped in cases of 12 UPC #0-72929-99504-0
DNC PIG EARS Bags 4-Pack shipped in cases of 12 UPC #0-72929-00227-4
DNC PIG EARS Bags 8-Pack shipped in cases of 12 UPC #0-72929-99584-2
Boss Pet Products came from Keys Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Products distributed to these states: MT, CA, WA, OK, TN, NY, KS, OH, TX, MS, AL, OR, UT, IA, MO, IL, IN, LA, MN

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA return product to the place of purchase for a refund.
RECALLED PET FOODS: PRIMETIME PREMIUM PIG EARS, and KC BEEFHIDE
PET FOOD COMPANY: BLACKMAN INDUSTRIES, INC.
Pet Food Products in the recall:
PRIMETIME PREMIUM PIG EARS
PP PIG EARS 2 ct. UPC 7-48976-18316-6

PP PIG EARS 5 ct. UPC 7-48976-09040-2.
KC BEEF HIDE ALL Products distributed in KS, MO, NE, and SD

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA

Consumer should return product to the place of purchase for a refund.

- MARCH 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED PET FOODS: JONES NATURAL CHEWS/PIG EARS

PET FOOD COMPANY: JONES NATURAL CHEWS CO.

Pet Food Products In the recall:

JONES NATURAL CHEWS, BLAIN’S FARM & FLEET, COUNTRY BUTCHER DOG CHEWS
JNC PIG EARS 2 PK bag: UPC 741956001047 – LOT 2420

JNC PIG EARS Bulk – 100 CT box: UPC 741956001139 – LOT 2490, 2560, 2630, 2700, 2840, 2910, 2980
JNC PIG EARS Bulk – 50 CT box: UPC 741956001504 – LOT 2490, 2840
JNC PIG EARS Bulk – 25 CT box: UPC 741956001467 – LOT 2700
JNC PIG EARS 1 PK Shrink Wrapped: UPC 741956001146 – LOT 2700, 2840, 2420
JNC PIG EARS 10 PK bag: UPC 741956001405 – LOT 2420, 2560, 2630, 2840

BLAIN’S FARM & FLEET PIG EARS 10 Piece bag: UPC 741956001405 – LOT 2560
COUNTRY BUTCHER DOG CHEWS PIG EARS – UPC 741956001511 – LOT 2630 and UPC 741956001146 – LOT 24200
COUNTRY BUTCHER DOG CHEWS PIG EARS 12 PK BAG: UPC 741956001245 – LOT 2910
Recalled 2705 boxes of Pig Ears shipped to distributors and retailers between September 15, 2010 and November 2, 2010 in these states: CT, IA, IL, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NJ, MN, NY, PA, VA, WA, AND WI.

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

- FEBRUARY 2011 PET FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED CAT FOODS: WELLNESS CAT FOOD

PET FOOD COMPANY: WELLPET LLC

Pet Food Products In the recall:

All Cans, all flavors, all sizes, "best by date" Apr 14, 2013 through Sept 30, 2013

Chicken & Herring, all sizes, Best by date 10NOV13 & Best By date 17NOV13
RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT: Possible  ii THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) Deficiency

- JANUARY 2011 PET & PEOPLE FOOD RECALLS -

RECALLED PEOPLE FOOD: Toxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge® Chew Bars

FOOD COMPANY: Circle City Marketing & Dist., dba: Candy Dynamics

ALL FLAVORS, wt. 0.7 oz (20 g) package.  The product is imported from Pakistan.

RECALLED DOG FOODS: JR TEXAS TAFFY PET TREAT

Questions Call: 800-664-7387 M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm CST

PET FOOD COMPANY: MERRICK PET CARE (see Merrick 2010)

Dog Food Products In the recall:

Item # 27077 UPC #02280827077 – All lots up to & including #10364

RECALL REASON/INGREDIENT:  ii SALMONELLA caution: transmittable to humans

ILLINOIS BREEDERS BEWARE; IT COULD HAPPEN IN ANY STATE SO WATCH OUT!

Please pass this information along to whomever you know that is not yet a
member of IFDCO (Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs and Owners) so that they
will be informed of this action on the part of our state. I never thought I
would live so long to see "armed" escorts needed for dog breeders! Even
those breeders who do not need to be licensed need to have meticulous
records available in case of an investigation. I also question about the
sales tax license being for "general merchandise" . If anyone has a CPA or
tax attorney who can decipher the IL sales tax code please let me know.
IFDCO asked three different CPA’s about this when it first surfaced a few
months ago and received three different answers. The only common advice for
breeders was to keep good records.

While this is news for Illinois, those of you in other states need to be
prepared as well, it’s only a matter of time before this kind of activity
hits your state. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy that our revenue departments and criminal
investigation units have so much extra time on their hands they can afford
to drive to every dog breeder to "investigate" and collect sales tax. Craft
fairs, garage sales and lemonade stands will be next for an armed visit.

Michele Kasten

ILLINOIS FEDERATION OF DOG CLUBS AND OWNERS Legislative Liaison:
Belle City Kennel Club
Schipperke Club of America
Illiana Schipperke Club
Schipperke Club of Greater St. Louis
GSD Club of Southern Illinois
Midwest Schipperke Rescue
Schipperke Club of Greater St. Louis, President and Rescue Chair
President and Co-Founder, Midwest Schipperke Rescue

RESPONSIBLE BREEDER AND RESCUER, PROUD TO DO BOTH!

Permission to cross post:

Attention:

It has happened here in Illinois. A Senior Investigator and her armed
escort from the Illinois Department of Revenue Bureau of Criminal Investigations
has shown up on the door steps of a person who holds a Kennel License in
Illinois demanding to see their dog sales records and accusing them of
criminal wrongdoing. The investigator knew exactly how many dogs this
person had sold in the past 36 months. What they didn’t know is that most of the
dogs sold by this individual were sold to out of state clients, so no sales
tax needed be collected on over 75% of their dog sales. This is not a puppy
mill operation. This is a breeder of over 30 years who has quality dogs,
shows dogs, and has a boarding kennel. They are just like you or I. The
Investigator forced this individual to show up in Springfield, obtain a
sales tax license for the sale of general merchandise and then proceeded to
go thru their records from the Department of Agriculture for the past 3
years. By the end of the day, they had to pay all back sales taxes, fines
and interest on their fines.

We had heard last year that the Illinois Department of Revenue had
requested a list of all individuals who were licensed as dog breeders in
the state from the Department of Agriculture – I guess it is true. This person
was made an example. They were told that they were being made an example
and others would soon follow.

A person at the Department of Revenue told this individual that they had
been instructed to bleed anyone to get money as the state is so broke.

What can you do? If someone knocks on your door and shows you a business
card or a badge, have them wait outside and you should call your accountant
and or your lawyer. Don’t do anything without legal representation. Think
about only selling your dogs out of state – so that no sales tax needs to
be collected. Once they knock on your door, the statue of limitations is 3
years that they can request your records.

Steve Hayden
President, IFDCO

To all Ohioans, pet owners or breeders, who care about being able to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder or to breed purebred dogs of excellent quality:  Well it is here, the committee vote on SB95 may be Wednesday, May 26th.  We will not even see the sub bill until it is introduced on Tuesday to know what has been changed and what is still in the bill.  Please look over the following points, change the wording to yours, and please email the following committee members.  Our future is at stake here!!!  The hearing will take place in the Grant Hearing Room (#110) in the Capitol Building in Columbus.  WE AS A GROUP HAVE BEEN APATHETIC; WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE THE LEGISLATION BEING ENACTED BY SAYING "IT WILL NOT AFFECT ME."  BELIEVE ME, IT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US.  Please attend the hearing if you can as the animal rightists will be out in force.  Meredith

Dear Senator__________:

Please understand our concerns with the following points of SB95:

1) the sub bill, which we have not seen yet, must eliminate the overbearing standards in previous versions;

2) bond money should be returned if charges are dismissed;

3) allow court appeals to take place in the county where the infraction
allegedly occurred instead of forcing breeders to travel to a special court
in Columbus;

4) drop language allowing the new state agency to approve rescue
adoption fees

5) drop language requiring the owners of intact dogs to buy a regular kennel license if those intact dogs are not to be bred.To my understanding the bill defines two types of kennel licenses: a "dog kennel" or  just "kennel" and a "regulated dog breeding kennel." Under current law, all breeders who produce puppies for sale or hunting in Ohio are required to have a kennel license. The current versions of SB 95 requires that all breeders who produce more than 8 litters and sell more than 60 dogs and puppies apply for a license to operate as a "regulated dog breeding kennel." Breeders who produce fewer litters or sell fewer dogs and puppies fall under the definition of "dog kennel" or "kennel." The language specifying that kennel licenses are for breeders who produce puppies for sale or hunting is being changed so that owners of adult dogs "kept for the purpose of breeding" must have a kennel license. A breeding dog is defined as an intact adult dog. Since it is not possible to prove that an intact adult dog is NOT being kept for the purpose of breeding at some future date, it is reasonable to interpret this language as requiring a kennel license for even a single intact dog, bringing the cost of licensing that dog to five times the amount for licensing an altered dog.  This is really an attempt for to enforce mandatory spay/neuter which is NOT part of this bill.

Senator, please look at these points.  We stand for the rights of the show and hobby breeders who do all they can to improve the health and other points of their breeds; with the economy the way it is and all the anti breeding legislation out there, the true, dedicated breeders are stopping their breeding programs and then all that will be left are the substandard breeders.

Senator Jim Hughes (Chair and Bill Sponsor)
Senate Building
Room #038, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5981
Email: SD16@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Jimmy Stewart (Vice-Chair)
Senate Building
Room #040, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Phone: (614) 466-8076
Email: SD20@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Teresa Fedor (Ranking Minority Member)
Statehouse
Room #051, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5204
Email: SD11@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator John Carey
Senate Building
Room #127, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8156
Email: SD17@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Timothy Grendell
Senate Building
Room #042, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 644-7718
E-mail: SD18@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Ray Miller
Senate Building
Room #228, Second Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5131
E-mail: rmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator Bill Seitz
Senate Building
Room #143, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8068
Email: SD08@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Nina Turner
Senate Building
Room #226, Second Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-4583
Email:
senatorturner@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator Mark Wagoner
Senate Building
Room #129, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8060
Email: SD02@senate.state.oh.us

Raisins:  with the holiday season upon us, please remember that raisins, even a few, can be fatal to dogs.  Please pass this word along.

Chocolate: while great for hormonal women, chocolate can be fatal to our dogs.  If you have a dog like my Snoop who grazes on top of counter, coffee tables, and pantry shelves, please be very careful of putting chocolate, even in boxes or wrapped in foil, out.  I have used hydrogen peroxide on my Snoop a couple of times now after spotting hershey kisses foil.  Serves him right!  I still have not forgiven him for the missing T bone!  I walked out of the kitchen for only a second on Thanksgiving leaving my unstuffed turkey on the counter only to return and witness Snoop pulling on one wing of the turkey while Wendy has the other. Looked like the turkey was being drawn and quartered.  I almost quartered the both of them!  However, a quick rinse under the sink and the still unblemished turkey was good to be spatchcocked (yes a real word and a real procedure. Go to Martha Stewart’s website and search.  Spatchcocking two turkeys for Thanksgiving almost ended our marriage!)

Snoop, the rescue that came to spend a couple of days and has stayed for over nine years now.  He truly is my pal despite his thieving ways.  Totally devoted to me, he is my constant shadow and would protect the Cavaliers and us if needed.  I just wish he would learn manners, but have given up. I think he was a gypsy dog in a past life.

Coyotes:

Coyotes have been appearing in more and more suburban areas and housing devlopments. Los Angeles is rife with them. Recently a coyote attacked a dog in its yard in Grosse Point, Michigan, a very upscale neighborhood.  Coyotes can scale high fences and have gotten very brazen as their habitat has disappeared and their hunger increased.  Coyotes are like chameleons adapting to any environment.  If you know that there are coyotes in your area, do not let your dogs out by themselves. Even with you there, it only takes a moment for a coyote to snatch a dog or cat. 

PLEASE VOTE FOR ISSUE 2 AND KEEP OUR LIVESTOCK FARMING IN THE HANDS OF OUR OHIO FARMERS! 

Hopefully, those of you in Ohio will read this in time to vote tomorrow for ISSUE 2. ISSUE 2 puts our Ohio farmers in control of livestock farming in our state rather than have the animal rightists like the Humane Society of the United States (a national organization promoting itself from donations and not doing anything for the welfare of animals) and Peta (determined to end the “enslavement” of companion animals and livestock)  interfere with farming in our state.  When Proposition 2 passed in California, non farmers and animal rightists came in with  regulations that crippled the farming of livestock causing many farmers to leave the state rather than try to change farming methods that would ruin them financially.  Livestock should be raised and slaughtered humanely. Farmers should be in charge of regulating humane standards in which livestock are raised. 

PLEASE VOTE FOR ISSUE 2 AND KEEP OUR LIVESTOCK FARMING IN THE HANDS OF OUR OHIO FARMERS! 

A SAOVA message to sportsmen, pet owners and farmers concerned  about protecting their traditions, avocations and livelihoods from anti-hunting, anti-breeding, animal guardianship advocates. Forwarding and cross posting, with attribution, encouraged.
The following article from award-winning outdoor writer, Marc Folco, is well worth reading.  As an additional comment to the writer’s mention of HSUS anti-breeder legislation in the guise of eliminating puppy mills: HSUS is currently losing this state-level battle about 3 to 1; however bills are still pending in 8 states.
Susan Wolf
Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance – http://saova.org
Issue lobbying and working to identify and elect supportive legislators

Open Season: Firing back at the critics

June 21, 2009 6:00 AM

I get hate mail on the average of once a week, and I don’t know why. My column shouldn’t be controversial.
Hunting has been around since the caveman, and guns have been around shortly after the Chinese invented gunpowder — and our Constitution clearly states that U.S. citizens have the right to keep and bear arms if they so choose. So, hunting and owning guns are two of America’s oldest and most time-honored traditions.

Why make them — and my column — a controversy?

After 21 years of dealing with cry-baby anti-hunters and runny-nosed gun-grabbers that whine incessantly about my column, the outdoors lifestyle and the shooting sports, I’ve become thick-skinned. Their barbs don’t penetrate. Some hate mail I answer, some I don’t. Some I answer here.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), based in Washington, threw another of its hissy-fits recently because I wrote about how the wealthy animal rights group has been investigated after soliciting donations to reunite pets with their owners during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They took in $34 million for that purpose but only spent $7 million on it. So, a whopping $27 million of solicited funds were used for something else.

In his letter to the editor, HSUS’s Michael Markarian skirts that issue and also avoids the notion that the group is pushing to get 41 dog bills enacted in 26 states that are cloaked as eliminating puppy mills, but go to the extreme, as usual. Language in such bills has included mandatory spaying/neutering (or pay $500 per dog per year that is not spayed or neutered), reporting all puppy sales to local authorities and eliminating the practice of humane tethering.

Markarian uses diversion, and says that the group campaigns vigorously against abusive hunting practices. They also (falsely) claim that I defend inhumane practices. Inhumane? By whose standards? Those of animal rights extremists? By their standards, all hunting is inhumane and the group’s underlying agenda is to eliminate all hunting.

HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle has been quoted as saying, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would,” as quoted by the Associated Press in Impassioned Agitator, Dec. 30, 1991. “Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting,” as quoted in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1991. And, “Sport hunting — the killing of wild animals as recreation — is fundamentally at odds with the values of a humane, just and caring society,” HSUS Website 2003.

And according to a report from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), Pacelle recently criticized in his blog, those who disagree with the group’s agenda, practically accusing them of not being in step with American culture, the report says.

Pacelle suggests that HSUS opponents should, “start adjusting to the evolving ethos in American culture. You’ll get ahead through innovation and adaptation, not stubborn adherence to custom or current business operations.” He also stated that other animal rights groups, “miss the bigger picture, and our interest in reaching mainstream Americans.”

“Mr. Pacelle’s own words pull the curtain back and unveil the real intent of the HSUS,” stated USSA President and CEO Bud Pidgeon. “He admits to attempting to ‘mainstream’ the group — at the same time he criticizes ‘custom.’ There’s only one reason to do this and that is to fundamentally change America to correspond to the HSUS agenda.”

The HSUS is also involved in a lawsuit to stop the delisting of the gray wolf as an endangered species in the Great Lakes states, where the wolf has rebounded to thriving and healthy populations, far exceeding the goals that were established in order to remove it from the list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — under the both the Bush and Obama Administrations — has determined that the wolf numbers are more than sufficient for it to be delisted. But that’s not good enough for the HSUS and other animal rights groups that are spending money on the lawsuit.

Could it be that the money being donated by people who are duped into believing they are helping doggies and kitties, is being used by these groups to fund those expensive anti-hunting lawsuits which tie up the courts with nonsense? We already know that a lot of the money feathers the nests of high-paid executives at the top of these groups.
Without an animal rights agenda, they’re out of their quarter-million-dollar salaries and would be slinging tofu at a vegan joint. You want veggie fries with that?

Just this week, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is in an uproar because President Obama swatted a fly. So, is swatting a fly (or a mosquito) now considered inhumane and abusive by animal rights’ standards? Are we now to adhere to the animal rights doctrine that mainstream America does not swat dirty, disease-carrying insects?

I see the animal rights brigade as nothing more than a noisy band of half-baked control freaks, led like sheep by cunning executives interested only in job security, who want to dictate how we spend our leisure time, what we eat and how we raise our own private pets. If you don’t like hunting, don’t hunt.

If you don’t like meat, eat weeds. Don’t want puppies, get your dog spayed. But why are they trying to shove their ridiculous agendas down our throats and make controversy out of “truly mainstream” activities that have been “custom” for centuries? It’s a free country, and if I want to hunt, eat meat, raise a litter of puppies and stomp on a bug, I should be able to without worrying about those whiny breast-beaters trying to outlaw it all.

Another recent hate letter was from Floyd, who thought my story about feeling the effects of approaching 50 just plain stunk and he wrote, “Write a book and do an autograph session with your raccoon hat and western jacket. Your description of stink is nothing compared to your articles.”

Well written, Floyd, but I beat you to it. Already working on my book — a collection of short stories, my favorite stinky articles. Hey, I might even name it that. “My Favorite Stinky Articles, by Marc Folco.” It’s got a nice ring to it. And thanks for the idea of wearing a coonskin hat for the book signing. Don’t have a coonskin one though, so I’ll have to wear my full-length coyote hat, made from a coyote that I shot (I’ll let you pet it if you buy a book). I don’t have a western jacket either, so I hope my buckskins will do (I’ll let you play with the fringe if you buy a book).

And if my articles stink so badly, why read them? If I think a writer stinks, I’m not wasting my valuable time reading his/her putrid rubbish from start to finish. I already know that fresh pile of doggie poo the puppy left on the carpet is going to stink, so I’m not going to sniff it.

Another reader was irate because I won a couple of humor awards from the New England Outdoor Writers’ Assoc. for 2008.
“Only you would make a joke out of killing a small defenseless deer — and your ilk rewarded that story on top of it. You and your kind are callous and disgusting,” M.S. said in reference to my story about shooting “teacup whitetails,” one of the award-winners. M.S. went on to say, “You are the most politically incorrect writer I have ever read!”

Well, my stories have won more than a dozen New England and national writing awards (many of them first place), so maybe you’re the one who is lacking a sense of humor. Laughter is the best medicine. Have a dose. Aint we got fun! I do have to agree with one thing. You hit the nail on the head — I am politically incorrect. And proud of it.

I am a man who tells it like it is, whether readers like it or not. I don’t write by anybody’s standards except my own, and those of the newspaper of course, where I can’t slander or use profanity. I wear my heart on my sleeve and say what I feel and think. Anybody who cowers to political correctness is a rump-smoocher in my book.

The end of “My Way,” as sung by Frank Sinatra, says it nicely:

“For what is a man?
What has he got?
If not himself
Then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows
I took the blows
And did it my way.”

Marc Folco is the outdoor writer for The Standard Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090621/SPORTS/906210384/-1/NEWSMAP

http://tinyurl.com/ns7blw

The message above was posted to West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri residents by the Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA) on one of ten regional read only elists.

SAOVA is a nonpartisan volunteer group working to protect Americans from the legislative and political threats of radical animal rightists. It is the only national organization fighting this struggle for both sportsmen and animal owners, natural allies, in these arenas. Visit our website at http://saova.org for this program’s goals, methodology and list signup details.

NC ALERT: Strict Breeder Bill To Be Heard On Tuesday, June 30!
[Friday, June 26, 2009]
Senate Bill 460, a bill which regulates breeders and infringes on the rights
of responsible dog owners, will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on
Tuesday, June 30.

All responsible dog breeders and owners in North Carolina are encouraged to
attend the hearing on Tuesday in opposition to the bill. We need to show
strong opposition to SB 460. While attendees will not be able to speak in
opposition, NUMBERS MATTER! If you are unable to attend, please call or
e-mail the members of the committee and ask them to oppose SB 460.

The American Kennel Club is appalled by the conditions in which some dogs
are kept and abhors animal cruelty. However, as the AKC wrote in a letter to
the Finance Committee, Senate Bill 460 is a costly, ineffective bill that
punishes responsible breeders and owners and does nothing to help the dogs
kept in deplorable conditions.

The AKC opposes several other provisions of Senate Bill 460, including:

  a.. A vague definition of commercial breeder. As amended, SB 460 defines
“commercial breeder” as anyone who owns or maintains at least 15 intact
females of any age for the primary purpose of the sale of the offspring.
This definition could include anyone who has bred even a single litter of
puppies, including fanciers and show breeders.
  b.. Inspections of private property at any time. The bill allows law
enforcement and local animal control to search the homes and private
property of anyone who falls under the definition of “commercial breeder” at
any time of day or night.
  c.. Directive for the NC Department of Agriculture to develop standards of
care with no public input. SB 460 calls for the Department of Agriculture to
develop care and condition policies for dogs belonging to commercial
breeders. This does not allow for any input from dog breeders and others who
are experts in animal care.
This bill is unnecessary, as North Carolina already has laws that address
animal cruelty and mistreatment. Senate Bill 460 will do nothing to address
irresponsible breeding and will cost the state over $400,000 a year to
enforce. At a time when the state is facing a projected $3 billion budget
gap, improved enforcement of existing laws would be a better use of North
Carolina taxpayers’ money.

How You Can Help:

·         Attend the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Tuesday, June 30.
The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: North Carolina Legislative Office Building
Room 544
16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina

  a.. Contact the members of the Senate Finance Committee TODAY. Tell the
members of the committee that you oppose this bill, and urge them to oppose
Senate Bill 460. A phone call would be most effective. E-mail is acceptable,
but we ask that you also call.
Click here for basic phone scripts for breeders and fanciers.

The contact information for the committee is as follows:

Senator David Hoyle (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-5734
E-mail: David.Hoyle@ncleg.net

Senator Daniel Clodfelter (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 715-8331
E-mail: Daniel.Clodfelter@ncleg.net

Senator Clark Jenkins (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 715-3040
E-mail: Clark.Jenkins@ncleg.net

Senator Larry Shaw (Vice-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-9349
E-mail: Larry.Shaw@ncleg.net

Senator Fletcher Hartsell, Jr. (Vice-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-7223
E-mail: Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net

Senator Charles Albertson
Phone: (919) 733-5705
E-mail: Charlie.Albertson@ncleg.net

Senator Austin Allran
Phone: (919) 733-5876
E-mail: Austin.Allran@ncleg.net

Senator Tom Apodaca
Phone: (919) 733-5745
E-mail: Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net

Senator Bob Atwater
Phone: (919) 715-3036
E-mail: Bob.Atwater@ncleg.net

Senator Philip Berger
Phone: (919) 733-5708
E-mail: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net

Senator Charlie Dannelly
Phone: (919) 733-5955
E-mail: Charlie.Dannelly@ncleg.net

Senator Eleanor Kinnaird
Phone: (919) 733-5804
E-mail: Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net

Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr.
Phone: (919) 733-4599
E-mail: Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net

Senator Joe Sam Queen
Phone: (919) 733-3460
E-mail: Joe.Queen@ncleg.net

Senator David Rouzer
Phone: (919)733-5748
E-mail: David.Rouzer@ncleg.net

Senator R.C. Soles, Jr.
Phone: (919) 733-5963
E-mail: RC.Soles@ncleg.net

Senator Harris Blake
Phone: (919) 733-4809
E-mail: Harris.Blake@ncleg.net

Senator Julia Boseman
Phone: (919) 715-2525
E-mail: Julia.Boseman@ncleg.net

Senator Andrew Brock
Phone: (919) 715-0690
E-mail: Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net

Senator Harry Brown
Phone: (919) 715-3034
E-mail: Harry.Brown@ncleg.net

Senator Don East
Phone: (919) 733-5743
E-mail: Don.East@ncleg.net

Senator Tony Foriest
Phone: (919) 301-1446
E-mail: Tony.Foriest@ncleg.net

Senator Linda Garrou
Phone: (919) 733-5620
E-mail: Linda.Garrou@ncleg.net

Senator Eddie Goodall
Phone: (919) 733-7659
E-mail: Eddie.Goodall@ncleg.net

Senator Steve Goss
Phone: (919) 733-5742
E-mail: Steve.Goss@ncleg.net

Senator Neal Hunt
Phone: (919) 733-5850
E-mail: Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net

Senator Martin Nesbitt, Jr.
Phone: (919) 715-3001
E-mail: Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net

Senator Jean Preston
Phone: (919) 733-5706
E-mail: Jean.Preston@ncleg.net

Senator William Purcell
Phone: (919) 733-5953
E-mail: William.Purcell@ncleg.net

Senator Tony Rand
Phone: (919) 733-9892
E-mail: Tony.Rand@ncleg.net

Senator Bob Rucho
Phone: (919) 733-5655
E-mail: Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net

Senator Josh Stein
Phone: (919)715-6400
E-mail: Josh.Stein@ncleg.net

Senator Richard Stevens
Phone: (919) 733-5653
E-mail: Richard.Stevens@ncleg.net

Senator A.B. Swindell
Phone: (919) 715-3030
E-mail: AB.Swindell@ncleg.net

Senator Jerry Tillman
Phone: (919) 733-5870
E-mail: Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net

Senator David Weinstein
Phone: (919) 733-5651
E-mail: David.Weinstein@ncleg.net

Senator Dan Blue
Phone: (919) 833-1931
E-mail: Dan.Blue@ncleg.net

For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919)
816-3720; or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

FAX OR CALL THE LEGISLATORS LISTED BELOW AFTER YOU READ THE FOLLOWING WRITTEN BY JOHN YATES OF THE AMERICAN SPORTING DOG ALLIANCE.  HELP US FIGHT THE ANIMAL RIGHTISTS WHO WISH TO END DOG BREEDING AND ULTIMATELY DOG OWNERSHIP.

The Proposed Legislation Would Destroy   Almost Every Ohio Kennel

      Hearing Today – Act Now Or Lose It All

      by JOHN YATES
      American sporting Dog Alliance

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

      asda@csonline.net

      This report is archived at http://eaglerock814.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=47

      COLUMBUS, OH – A critical committee hearing is scheduled for TODAY (June 24, 2009) on legislation that we believe would make it impossible for anyone to raise dogs in Ohio. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will take testimony on House Bill 124 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Room 018 of the State Capitol Building. We have heard unofficial reports that testimony on another bill may push back the hearing on HB 124 until after Noon, but this cannot be confirmed officially.

      We cannot be too emphatic about the devastating nature of HB 124 and its impact on people who raise dogs in Ohio. It is very radical animal rights legislation straight from the heart of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which is the political mouthpiece for this movement to gradually eliminate all animal ownership in America.

      If dog owners do not act decisively and in large numbers, they will have only themselves to blame if this terrible legislation is passed into law. Immediate action is required to save the dogs that you love. No excuse is good enough for failing to act now.

      Some people may think we are exaggerating and using scare tactics. We are not, and we will prove it in this report. First, we will summarize the major provisions in HB 124, and then we will provide a direct link to the actual text of this legislation so that people can read it for themselves and prove that everything we are saying is true.

      Ohio dog owners have every reason to be scared – very scared! And they have every reason to be very angry because this legislation denies innocent dog owners the basic rights and legal processes that are guaranteed to someone charged with murder or rape.

      You will no longer truly own your dogs if this legislation passes. They will become, in essence, wards of the state.

      Here are some of the major provisions of HB 124 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 95:

        a.. A Kennel Authority would be created to write regulations, administer the law and control virtually everything done by dog owners. The Authority’s politically appointed Board of Directors would be heavily weighted toward animal rights activists. Only one person who raises dogs and one person representing pet stores would be on the Board. There is no legislative or judicial oversight over the decisions of this board.

        a.. This committee would be given a free hand to design and implement all of the rules for kennel licensing, inspections and paperwork, as well as all construction, maintenance and management requirements..

        a.. The board will require every kennel owner and “any other person” who sells even one dog to obtain a tax vendor number. You must pay sales tax for selling even one dog or puppy.

        a.. Each applicant for any kind of kennel license will be subjected to a criminal background check by the state Attorney General.

        a.. Every license applicant must post insurance or a bond to cover the state’s cost of enforcing the law at the kennel.

        a.. The Board is given a completely blank check to write “any other requirements and procedures” to define and enforce the law. People with animal rights beliefs will have total control over the lives of dog owners.

        a.. Anyone who buys, offers to sell, sells or gives away nine or more dogs a year is intensely regulated and licensed as a dealer, which is called a “dog intermediary” in the legislation. Anyone who sells even one dog or puppy to a pet store also is considered a dealer.

        a.. Anyone who raises more than nine litters of puppies a year, or has 40 puppies a year, must be licensed as a “breeding kennel” and subject to extremely intense regulation. For some breeds, only four litters a year could produce 40 puppies. A “breeding dog” is defined as any dog that is not spayed or neutered, regardless of the dog’s actual purpose in a kennel.

        a.. Anyone from out of state who sells a dog or puppy to an Ohio resident must document the entire history of the dog, and provide a veterinary health certificate. This will make it very difficult for Ohioans to obtain a dog from another state.

        a.. Tail docking, ear cropping and dewclaw removal (or the removal of any other claw) can be done only by a veterinarian. Owners no longer could dock tails of newborn puppies, as has been standard practice for centuries. Owners also could be prosecuted if a dog accidentally rips off a claw, such as when hunting.

        a.. Kennel owners would no longer be allowed to treat even minor ailments or injuries, possibly even including parasites, which are now defined as a disease. All treatments must be done by a veterinarian.

        a.. No one can sell a dog at any public place, which would include field trials, dog shows and other canine gatherings. All sales must be at the kennel facility.

        a.. The state is required to inspect “any facility.upon request of a member of the public” or a public or quasi-public official. That means that animal rights activists can demand and get state inspections of the home and property of anyone who has dogs, without making or proving any allegation of a violation, and without producing proof of any kind. This will lead to continual and frightening harassment of law-abiding dogs owners by animal rights groups, and the state must respond to all requests for inspections, even if they are obviously bogus.

        a.. Inspectors are given absolute and incontestable power to enter and inspect “any public or private property” to see if a violation of the law has occurred. There is no requirement for a search warrant or probable cause (a warrant is an option method, but is not required). Anyone who refuses to allow an inspection, or hinders it, can be assessed for the entire cost to the state to investigate and prosecute, including wages and expenses for an unlimited number of state officials.

        a.. Any dog may be impounded if the state has probable cause to believe any violation of the law has occurred, but probable cause is not required to presented before a court, as is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. A hearing before the state agency is set within five days, and the dogs could be permanently forfeited to face adoption or euthanasia. A dog owner cannot appeal to a local court, but can appeal only to the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court, and the kennel owner must post a bond. The state agency thus becomes the cop, prosecutor, judge and jury.

        a.. Civil penalties ranging up to $15,000 can be imposed administratively (with no appeal) for violations, and separate penalties can be assigned for every dog in violation for every day it is in violation. Thus, a dog owner can be destroyed financially without ever getting his or her day in court, even for minor or accidental infractions.

        a.. The state “shall deny” a license to any person who has violated any part of the law or any rule, and that includes paperwork deficiencies, accidental mistakes and minor technical errors.

        a.. The state “shall deny” a license to anyone who “does not have the expertise or capacity to comply” with the law or regulations. That gives the state absolute power to judge the qualifications of anyone to own a dog, and no objective standards are defined. The decision is entirely subjective. There is no appeal. This also means that most poor and working class people could be denied licensure simply because they don’t have enough money to meet all of the state’s insatiable demands. This is a very real issue in today’s troubled economy, and Ohio is among the states hardest hit by the current deep recession.

        a.. No puppy under 12 weeks of age can be sold unless the litter is registered with the state. This essentially creates a database of every dog in Ohio, which many dog owners think will be used someday to mandate pet sterilization or ban certain breeds of dogs.

        a.. The law provides exacting specifications for kennel sizes, construction and temperature control, and allows the Board to create even more stringent regulations. These rules effectively prohibit a dog owner from raising puppies inside his or her own home, and also effectively ban outdoor housing in the winter for most breeds of dogs (it may exclude hunting and sled dogs, but there is some ambiguity in the language) if the water cannot be kept unfrozen 24 hours a day. The use of crates to train dogs kept in a home also is effectively banned.

        a.. Except for dogs that are continuously confined to a kennel, any dog that is found without a collar and license tag (even inside the owner’s home) can be seized, sold or killed. This would appear to include puppies, as the word “dog” is not defined.

        a.. No person or group who is licensed as a dog rescue would be allowed to breed any dogs or raise any puppies. This would destroy the breed rescue network in Ohio, as most of the participants actually raise the breed they are helping to rescue.

        a.. And reams of time-consuming paperwork and compliance documentations would be required, and minor omissions or errors could cause a license to be denied or revoked.

      It is the belief of the American Sporting Dog Alliance that the terms of HB 124 that are outlined above will combine to force almost every kennel in Ohio to close its doors. The combination of stringent rules, unreasonable liabilities and draconian enforcement measures will either result in kennels being closed by the state, or kennel owners being scared and intimidated into quitting to avoid the probability that the state would destroy their lives.

      Please do not take our word for it. We want you to read this legislation yourself and form your own conclusions.

      Here is a direct link to the actual text of HB 124: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_HB_124 . Please read it.

      The American Sporting Dog Alliance regards this bill as an unconscionable perversion of the American concept of justice that shows utter disdain for the Bill of Rights, individual privacy or the concept of private property.

      What You Can Do About It

      Ohio dog owners are up against an array of powerful forces from the animal rights movement. They are well organized and well funded, and have been preparing for this legislation for many years.

      To stop this legislation will require an outpouring of clear opposition from several thousand Ohio dog owners, and the time for it to happen is now.

      If dog owners do not act in large numbers, there is a high probability that this terrible and destructive legislation will be passed into law.

      Please be scared. Please be angry. Please be scared and angry enough to fight back as if your life depends on it – and it does.

      Here is what you can do:

      Contact the chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Rep. John Domenick (D-95) and the Minority Chair, Rep. Jeff Wagner (R-81). Faxes and written letters are the best, but this should also include a phone call or email immediately, because the hearing is tomorrow. Emails alone probably are less effective, but far better than nothing.

      Here is contact information for Rep. Domenick:

      Address:
      77 S. High St
      12th Floor
      Columbus, OH 43215-6111
      Phone: (614) 466-3735
      Fax: (614) 719-6995
      Email: district95@ohr.state.oh.us

      Here is contact information for Rep. Wegner:

      Address:
      77 S. High St
      10th Floor
      Columbus, OH 43215-6111
      Phone: (614) 466-1374
      Fax: (614) 719-6981
      Email: district81@ohr.state.oh.us

HSUS raises and spends millions of dollars every year on the fight to take away our rights as pet owners. This ABC News story clearly documents (http://petpac.net/r/24457/13042/0) what were up against in our struggle to stop the anti-pet legislation they support. We know we can’t begin to match their money so we stretch the funds that you donate as far as we can. Once again we are asking for you to make a contribution so we can continue the daily battle. PetPAC has proved that in every instance where we have had an opportunity to expose the real truth we have stopped PETA and HSUS cold.

It is extremely important that we continue the effort to have our voices heard, sign the petition today and take the time let your elected officials know that we, who are pet owners, are responsible, productive members of our communities, and we want to preserve our right of animal ownership without interference from government.

Please got to the following link and click on the button for
“Stop HSUS”. 

    Please take 15 seconds out of your time to sign the PetPac
petition to President Obama stating that you don’t want PETA and the HSUS to speak for you & your rights as pet owners, breeders &
exhibitors.   If you have time please forward to other concerned “dog people”.

    PetPAC: Sign the Petitions! to President Obama telling him that we have our rights as pet owners, breeders and exhibitors.  Go to the PetPac Website:

http://www.petpac.net/tell/petitions/

    Please read the following link regarding the exposure of HSUS .
We need to make the animal community aware of this inappropriate
organization

    PetPAC: Story Exposing HSUS Buried: Read Transcript

<http://petpac.net/news/headlines/story_exposing_hsus_buried_read_transc
ript/> 

Bill Hemby