News Alert: May 8, 2009

1. ASPCA Experts Help Secure Puppy Mill Conviction
2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Holdin’ Out for a Hero
3. ASPCA Vets Warn About Heartworm: It Takes Only One Mosquito Bite!
4. Make Your Momma Proud: Support the ASPCA with a Gift from Teleflora
5. ASPCA Job of the Week

1. ASPCA Experts Help Secure Puppy Mill Conviction

This past March, Dr. Melinda Merck, ASPCA Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics, helped secure an animal cruelty conviction by testifying in the trial of Kathy Bauck, operator of Pick of the Litter Kennels. The New York Mills, MN, breeder sells animals to pet stores and online—and has at times housed more than 1,300 dogs of at least 32 different breeds. Bauck was arrested in August 2008 and charged with several counts of felony animal cruelty, torture and practicing veterinary medicine without a license. On March 24, after a 4½-day trial and six hours of deliberation, a jury cleared Bauck of felony charges but found her guilty of four misdemeanors (one count of animal cruelty and three counts of torture).

In early 2008, a freelance animal cruelty investigator, Jason Smith, began working at Pick of the Litter to gather evidence against Bauck. Smith submitted testimony and videos of alleged abuse to Otter Tail County sheriff’s detectives last May. The videos included footage of injured, ill and emaciated dogs, as well as of Bauck dunking dogs in vats of insecticide. “The veterinarian working with the prosecution contacted me about one month before the trial started,” recalls Dr. Merck. “I was asked by the prosecutor to review all the video and case files and provide expert opinion.”

With a history of complaints and citations against her—including a 2006 cease-and-desist order from the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine for performing surgery on animals without a veterinary license—Bauck is well known to ASPCA investigators. “Kathy Bauck has been a chronic problem,” states Bob Baker, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives Investigator. “I visited her facility in 1998 and reported her to the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act—but as far as I know, there was no follow-up on the part of USDA.”

At her sentencing hearing last Friday, May 1, Bauck was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 20 days to be served right away. The other 70 days were “stayed,” meaning they will be served only if she violates her probation. The judge also sentenced Bauck to 80 hours of community service and ruled that if she plans to continue participating in operating the kennel, she must allow unscheduled inspections—and that inspectors must be allowed entry into ALL areas.

2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Holdin’ Out for a Hero

In April 2008, while investigating a cruelty complaint in Queens, NY, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Special Agent Brad English found two pit bulls, a male and female, chained up in a yard. “I saw the male attack the female,” recalls English. “She had several puncture wounds on her body and was very thin. She couldn’t get any food because the male was guarding it.”

In dire need of medical care, the docile female was brought to the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Hospital, where veterinarians attended to her wounds and crowned her with a heroic name, Lois Lane. Says the ASPCA's Dr. Robert Reisman, Veterinarian and Coordinator of Abuse Cases, “Not only did she come in with multiple bite wounds on her body, but a wound on her right front leg had gotten so badly infected that she couldn’t put any weight on it.”

By January 2009, after being treated by ASPCA veterinarians, the well-healed Lois Lane was adopted by Brooklyn resident Matthew Pace. “I was looking for a dog with energy and personality,” Pace recalls. “I saw Lois’s video on the ASPCA website and fell in love.” When Pace visited the ASPCA Adoption Center, little Lois apparently got that lovin’ feeling, too. “She was the first dog I met,” Pace recalls, “and as I walked around meeting others, I saw her peering through the window of her kennel at me.”

Now 2 years old and thoroughly settled into her new life, this little heroine has left her past behind. “She's so sweet and smart, it blows my mind,” Pace says of Lois, who not only indulges in couch-cuddlin’, but boldly demands play time. “When she wants to play, she just grabs the nearest toy and either puts it in my lap or tries to put it in my hand.”

See videos of ASPCA adoptable animals.

3. ASPCA Vets Warn About Heartworm: It Takes Only One Mosquito Bite!

City dwellers and suburbanites alike may find it shocking to hear that pets who live in environments with low mosquito populations are still at risk for contracting heartworm. “It only takes one infected mosquito to pass this devastating parasite onto your pet,” warns Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.

Challenging to treat and sometimes fatal, heartworm disease, which can be transmitted to dogs and cats by a mosquito who has previously bitten an infected animal, can cause a host of health problems in domestic pets. Dr. Murray reports, “Though infected animals may go for a period of time without showing any symptoms, heartworm disease can lead to heart, lung and organ damage in both dogs and cats—even putting infected cats at risk for sudden death.”

The good news is prevention is easy. “There are several FDA-approved medications available that reliably prevent heartworm,” says Dr. Murray. “These medications are inexpensive and offer excellent protection." Preventive treatment is now recommended in all areas of the United States, and pet parents should work with their veterinarians to find the right medication for their companion animal.

Should you observe the following symptoms in your pet, please take him to your veterinarian for an immediate exam:

Labored breathing
Coughing
Vomiting
Weight loss and listlessness
Fatigue after only moderate exercise
Distended abdomen

Can cats get heartworm from an infected dog? Find out from our ASPCA veterinarians!

4. Make Your Momma Proud: Support the ASPCA with a Gift from Teleflora

Calling all sons and daughters! This Sunday, May 10, is Mother’s Day—time to salute the most important woman in your life. But why not honor Mom and support homeless animals at the same time? This year, Teleflora is sponsoring a special promotion for mothers everywhere—20 percent of the purchase price of any Mother’s Day bouquet goes to the ASPCA!

Teleflora flowers are always artistically arranged and personally delivered by a local neighborhood florist—never shipped in a box! Same-day delivery is also available. So get shopping and show Mom she raised a great kid—one who loves her and the four-legged kind. To order your Mother’s Day arrangement, please visit Teleflora online.

5. ASPCA Job of the Week

Want to crunch our numbers? The ASPCA is searching for a Coordinator of Direct Response Data to process member donations and closely monitor the transfer of data across several platforms. Our ideal candidate has a college degree and at least one year of experience working with donor or customer databases in a nonprofit or marketing environment. If you’re a hardworking pro looking for a job with a cause, we’d love to hear from you!

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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