News Alert: February 5, 2010

1. ASPCA Managing Operations in Mississippi Puppy Mill Investigation
3. Haiti Update: ASPCA Responder Files Field Report and Photos
4. Ask President Obama to Back USDA’s Rules for Organic Milk

1. ASPCA Managing Operations in Mississippi Puppy Mill Investigation

The ASPCA under the authority and request of Shirley C. Byers of the Marshall Co. Prosecutor’s Office in Marshall County, MS, is managing operations in the investigation of a local puppy mill where 94 dogs as well as a cat are being seized.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, led by Sheriff Kenny Dickerson, served a warrant, along with Sgt. Kelly McMillan, Investigators Gary Byrd and David Pannell and Officer Tracy Jefferies. Charges against the puppy mill’s owners are currently pending, but the dogs have been signed over to the ASPCA.

Tim Rickey, the ASPCA Senior Director of Field Investigations and Response, says the dogs, which include small breeds such as Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Pugs, Yorkshire Terriers, Corgis and Chihuahuas, were discovered living in feces-encrusted pens and filth. He says many of the dogs are underweight and appear to have skin problems, among other medical conditions. Several dead adult dogs and puppies were also discovered.

Also on the scene with the ASPCA are the American Humane Association, Marshall County Humane Society, Mississippi State University and Collierville (TN) Humane Society, who are removing and transporting animals to an emergency shelter site at the Marshall County Humane Society Clinic in Byhalia, MS, where they will be triaged by a veterinary team and temporarily sheltered before being exported to other animal welfare agencies and ultimately made available for adoption.

“The ASPCA works in partnership with local groups to rescue animals like these from deplorable conditions,” says Matt Bershadker, Senior Vice President of Anti-Cruelty for the ASPCA. “Without the support and collaboration of these agencies, this crucial, life-saving work would not be possible.”

Veterinarians, including Dr. Rebecca Coleman of Memphis, TN, Dr. Phil Bushby, a faculty member at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Kimberly Woodruff, also with Mississippi State, are examining animals, and those requiring immediate medical care will be treated.

“We appreciate the diligence of the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office in pursuing this case and are pleased to be able to lend our assistance, both in terms of human resources and equipment, in our ongoing fight against animal cruelty,” says Rickey.

The investigation was set into motion after local officials contacted the ASPCA several weeks ago. For more information about puppy mills and how to fight animal cruelty, visit www.aspca.org.

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3. Haiti Update: ASPCA Responder Files Field Report and Photos

After a brief staging period in the Dominican Republic, a team of animal and disaster response experts—coordinated by the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), of which the ASPCA is a member—has entered Haiti and begun working with the displaced people and animals there.

Jeff Eyre, Northeast Director of the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team, has been on the ground with the ARCH animal relief team in Port-au-Prince. In the past week, Jeff and the other animal rescuers have treated dozens of dogs and cats, as well as pigs, goats, chickens and cows. By night, the team has been sleeping in tents set up in the street. Although Internet service in the area is sporadic, Jeff has been sending us field updates and photos whenever he can, which we are sharing on our website at ASPCA.org/haiti.

An untold number of companion animals and native wildlife have been displaced and threatened by the January 12 earthquake. Haiti does not have any significant companion animal welfare programs in place, and the government estimates that only one-fifth of the nation’s dogs were vaccinated for rabies last year. According to the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the Haitian government lacks sufficient medicines and vaccines to protect pigs, cattle and other livestock against common illnesses such as anthrax and pig cholera—however, the government is now interested in working with ARCH and possibly other NGOs to implement long-term programs and policies for the nation’s animals.

To see Jeff Eyre’s Haiti updates as they are posted, visit ASPCA.org/haiti or subscribe to our blog.

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4. Ask President Obama to Back USDA’s Rules for Organic Milk

U.S. demand for organic milk has increased as much as 30% in the last few years. However, contrary to popular belief, the lives of “organic” dairy cows are often no different from those of their non-organic counterparts. Instead of the lush green pastures depicted in commercials and on milk cartons, an estimated 30-40% of the nation's organic milk supply comes from large factory farms. Many of the largest organic dairies in the country confine their cows in barns and/or dry lots, which are simply dirt pens. These cows never see a blade of grass in their lives.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) already requires that organic dairy cows be allowed to graze in pastures, but the loophole in this regulation is so large that enforcement has proved hopeless. However, there is good news on the horizon: the USDA has proposed rules to better enforce existing requirements and ensure that organic dairy farms graze their cows rather than confine them.

The proposed regulations are awaiting the approval of the President's Office of Management and Budget, which is apolitical and not influenced by public pressure. The best way to make your voice heard is to contact President Obama himself and urge him to champion the USDA’s new regulations to his budget office. A decision could be made any day, so please visit aspca.org/USA to send an email to the White House asking the President to take this small step to address the public’s concerns about where “organic” milk comes from. You may also call the White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111.

To receive emails related to animal advocacy, please become a member of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, a free service that allows you to take action for animals right from your computer.

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