News Alert: January 23, 2009

1. 2009 Campaign to Fight Puppy Mills in Full Swing
2. ASPCA Success Story of the Week: Short and Sweet
3. Effective Immediately: Please Discontinue Use of Peanut Butter Products, Pet Parents!
4. Adopt-A-Bull Fourth Quarter Winner: Gunther, Take A Bow!
5. ASPCA Job of the Week

1. 2009 Campaign to Fight Puppy Mills in Full Swing

As America ushers in a new era of federal leadership, many state governments are also getting back to work—and at least one of them is making puppy mill reform a priority. Last Sunday, the ASPCA joined animal welfare advocates and Illinois lawmakers in Chicago to announce the arrival of Chloe’s Bill, legislation that will help stamp out the worst puppy mills in the Prairie State.

“Illinois has a unique opportunity to adopt one of the strongest commercial breeding laws in the country,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “As commercial breeding increases throughout the United States, particularly in the Midwest, it is reassuring that Illinois is recognizing the need for stronger laws before the prevalence of puppy mills becomes a blight on the state’s reputation.”

As currently written, Chloe’s Bill would:

Limit to 20 the number of unaltered dogs a breeder may possess
Ban anyone convicted of felony-level animal cruelty from acquiring a dog-breeding license
Prohibit wire flooring in commercial breeding facilities and create guidelines for appropriate heating, cooling and ventilation
Require pet stores and breeders to provide customers with a dog’s full medical history
Establish penalties for violations, ranging from fines to animal seizure and license revocation

Sponsored by State Rep. John Fritchey and State Senator Dan Kotowski, Chloe’s Bill is named for a young cocker spaniel—rescued from a Macon County, IL, puppy mill—who was present at Sunday’s press conference. Now living with one of the animal control agents involved in the raid on her kennel, Chloe is the sole survivor from her litter. Like thousands of other commercial dog breeders in the U.S., the owners of Chloe’s kennel focused on producing as many puppies as possible with little regard for the physical and mental health of their animals. The dogs found at this puppy mill were matted with feces and urine, and infested with fleas and internal parasites. Many suffered from deformed paws from living their lives on wire-floored cages.

As Rep. Fritchey explained to the media, “We are not trying to do anything drastic; we’re not trying to do anything radical. We’re trying to implement standards for what is humane care, for what is decent care.” Fritchey added that although he expects the bill will encounter some opposition, any dog breeder who would oppose it is likely to be the type of breeder that should make consumers wary.

How can you help? It is animal lovers like you who bring about change. Even if you don’t live in Illinois, what happens in one state becomes easier to accomplish in others—so we need you in the fight. In the coming weeks, the ASPCA Advocacy Center will email our Illinois advocates, providing guidance on how they can join us in getting Chloe’s Bill passed. But wherever you live, don’t miss out on this or any other important legislative news from the ASPCA—please sign up to receive animal advocacy-related emails.

2. ASPCA Success Story of the Week: Short and Sweet

It was love at first click. Christy Linkous had been looking for a dachshund on Petfinder.com, and when she came upon Callie—and took one look at her sweet, furry face, big, floppy ears and short little legs—she was hooked.

Christy quickly contacted the shelter where Callie was being cared for, figuring that such an amazing dog would be snatched up right away. But the manager’s response surprised her. “Not only was Callie still there, but her days were numbered because she had been there almost as long as they could hold her,” Christy recalls. No matter that the shelter was three hours away—Christy and her husband, Randy, decided without hesitation to adopt Callie.

The first meeting between pooch and parents was not what Christy had imagined. Callie was covered in fleas and dander, and she was so thin that her ribs were clearly visible. Callie had been a stray, but when she met Christy, her tail wagged happily, as if she knew she was about to go to a good home.

Actually, not quite yet—there was one quick pit stop to be made. “We wrapped her in the blanket we had brought for her, and took her straight to the groomer for a flea bath and a little TLC,” says Callie’s new mama.

Now, four years later, Callie has taken over the Linkous home in Lexington, KY. “It’s her house—she just lets us live here,” says Christy with a laugh. Miss Callie keeps her doggie sister, a rescued yellow Lab, on her toes. “Callie spends her days napping in the recliner and always has her belly full. Everyone loves her because she’s just so sweet.”

3. Effective Immediately: Please Discontinue Use of Peanut Butter Products, Pet Parents!

In light of last week’s FDA recall, which traced sources of Salmonella contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America, the ASPCA is advising pet parents to temporarily discontinue the use of peanut butter products.

A popular treat for dogs, peanut butter is commonly stuffed into chewable activity toys. While healthy adult companion dogs are relatively resistant to Salmonella bacteria, pets with health issues, young puppies and older pooches with compromised immune systems may be at greater risk. “Pet parents should wash their hands after handling any potentially contaminated food and immediately consult with a veterinarian if any symptoms are noticed in their pets,” says the ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, Animal Health Services. Signs to watch out for in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy and drooling or panting. Cats may develop a high fever with vague, non-specific clinical signs.

In addition, pet parents handling a contaminated peanut butter product may also develop food poisoning. “Salmonella can be passed between humans and pets,” says Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Director of Medicine. “Adult cats are highly resistant, and most dogs infected with the bacterium appear normal, but may pass Salmonella in their feces, which can infect people or other pets. Therefore it’s essential that pet parents take steps to protect both themselves and their animal companions from infection."

For a complete list of recalled products, please visit the FDA online. Do check often, as the list is regularly udpated. If you suspect that your pet may have ingested or has become sick after ingesting a recalled product, please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

4. Adopt-A-Bull Fourth Quarter Winner: Gunther, Take A Bow!

When we introduced the ASPCA’s Adopt-A-Bull Contest last February, we had no idea that we’d meet so many pooch-human pairs of such loving proportions. Now that our national call to pit parents and Meet Your Match™ shelters has yielded a fourth and final winning pair, we’re pleasantly surprised yet again.

Skinny pit bull Gunther had a bad case of mange and a collar embedded under his skin when police officer Rebecca Hengen met him at the Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM). Still, Rebecca couldn’t stop thinking about the gentle one-year-old with one distinguishing feature—Gunther was deaf.

In making her decision to adopt, Rebecca received some divine, albeit unusual, inspiration. She tells us, “That week, in the comic strip Mutts, a white dog who looked like Gunther was portrayed as saying, 'Sure I know I'm deaf, but I'd still make a great companion. Just do like I do, listen to your heart.'"

Rebecca did just that, and thus Gunther found his forever home. A charming gentleman, he blended easily into the family and consistently changes minds about his breed. "One of the officers I work with is extremely nervous around pit bulls," says Rebecca. "When they met, Gunther immediately made him his friend. He just pushed his head against the officer's leg and gave him the ‘please pet me’ look.”

HSSM will be awarded a $4,000 grant for making the winning match, and both the pet-parent pair and the shelter are automatically entered to win the grand prize in the “Vote for Your Favorite Match" online contest scheduled to start in just a few weeks. Please visit ASPCA.org for complete contest details.

5. ASPCA Job of the Week

The ASPCA is looking for a Full-Time Customer Service Representative to meet and greet potential pet parents and serve as goodwill ambassador for our Pet Adoption Center. Our ideal candidate is an animal-loving professional, fluent in both Spanish and English, who can assist the public with the adoption process and perform clerical duties as needed. If you’re an enthusiastic and diplomatic team player, we’d love to hear from you!

This position is full-time, and requires a commitment of four days a week—Saturday through Tuesday—from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. The ASPCA offers generous benefit packages for full-time employees. Please submit your resume and salary requirements for our prompt consideration.

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