A Great Loss - Two Dog Breeder Champions Have Gone

Serious dog hobbyists/breeders have lost two hard-working champions for the rights to own and breed our dogs. This is such a hard blow in these times where responsible and dedicated breeders are under attack from wealthy "animal rights" (human hate) organizations such as HSUS and PeTA.

Walter Bebout was the director of AKC Government Relations, and although he retired last year, he continued to work on legislative issues affecting dog ownership. He also educated dog fanciers about the importance of keeping informed about legislation that would affect them and how to get involved in protecting their rights to own and breed dogs. Walter was scheduled to judge Best in Show this past Friday at a show cluster in Kansas. While en route to the show, a young driver crossed the highway median and struck his car head on. Walter did not survive.

A few days later, John Yates, founder of the American Sporting Dog Alliance (http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org/) died during surgery to remove a cancerous lung. He was a seemingly tireless advocate for the right to own, breed and hunt with dogs. He sent out regular missives to those on his mailing lists wishing to keep up-to-date on legislative issues affecting those rights and even would personally appear to speak on behalf of dog fanciers confronted with draconian legislation in their state. Some of his writings can currently be found at http://eaglerock814.bravejournal.com/

Rest well Walter and John. You will be terribly missed as we continue into battle once again.

Be Afraid....Very Afraid

The following email is a great example of the biggest problem regarding legislating the breeding/care of dogs - its enforcement by overzealous animal control officers, who may be card-carrying PeTA and/or HSUS fans (or fanatics).
***********************************************************
Dear Friends and fellow dog fanciers,

I have sent the complaint below to the following individuals. I consider this to be a learning experience for myself and anyone who owns and loves dogs. Please feel free to forward this message to your friends, family and fellow dog owners. If you are as outraged as I am after reading this, I encourage you to voice your displeasure. Again, cross posting and forwarding is highly encouraged. Feel free to CC me if you like, should you decide to email any city officials. Thank you all so much for your support and suggestions so far. I am staying strong and counting my blessings.

Thea Charrette

APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA CITY OFFICIALS:
Mayor John Insalaco
Phone: (480) 982-8002
Fax: (480) 982-7018

Chief of Police Jerald Monahan
Phone: (480) 982-8260
Fax: (480) 474-5489
EMAIL: jmonahan@ajcity. net

Community Relations Manager, Mr. Pat Brenner
Phone: (480) 474-5080
Fax: (480) 474-5110
EMAIL: pbrenner@ajcity. net

City Manager, Mr. George Hoffman
EMAIL: citymanager@ ajcity.net

County Manager Mr. Terry Doolittle
EMAIL: terry.doolittle@
pinalcounty. gov

Dear Sirs,
On November 9, 2008, Animal Control Officer Debra Sullivan came to my home within the city limits of Apache Junction. The following is as brief a description as possible of my interaction with her on that day and subsequent days. In my opinion and the opinion of legal counsel as well as the Legislative Director of my purebred dog parent club, Officer Sullivan has abused her power, exceeded her authority and harassed me. She has, by way of fear tactics and intimidation, deprived me of my
legitimate service animal. She has caused me severe mental distress. Pain from my physical disability has greatly worsened since I am without my service animal.

A brief description of me: I am a 42 year old, physically disabled woman. I have never been in any sort of trouble. I work full time as a social worker in addition to volunteering my services as an experienced Level 3 Advocate to families with children with severe disabilities. For 10+ years I have been involved in purebred dog sports, both in AKC conformation and the sport of Schutzhund. I am the Education Chairperson for a local Doberman Pinscher Specialty Club. I also serve on the Board of Directors for this large and very active club. I could not serve in any of these capacities if I were an irresponsible dog owner, "back yard breeder" or "puppy mill" as Officer Sullivan suggests. As a member of the purebred dog community, my peers and mentors scrutinize me. I welcome watchful eyes as well as constructive criticism.

In my life I have planned, produced and raised 1 (ONE) litter of purebred Doberman Pinschers. I assure you that no expense of time, money or emotion was spared in
reference to the health and well-being of the puppies and the parents. The puppies not meant for conformation or working dog sport have been placed on strict spay and neuter contracts. Both the sire and dam were extensively health tested and temperament tested. The sire of the litter is an AKC Champion, the dam, an International Champion. They are 3.5 and 4.5 years old, respectively.

It is my position that Officer Sullivan has allowed her personal opinions and beliefs to overshadow her duties to the City of Apache Junction and it's citizen's. Her comments and name-calling appear very much so aligned with animal rights extremist groups that ultimately want to deprive American Citizens of their right to own companion and service animals. I wish for this communication to be considered a formal complaint.

Further consultation with legal counsel will determine my plan of action. I hope to settle this issue in a timely fashion, with an outcome that we can all agree upon.

Respectfully,
Thea Charrette
PO Box 475
Apache Junction, AZ 85217
(602) 705-9747 mobile
tcharrette@msn. com

The officer arrived at my gate and inquired about my litter of 6 approximately 10 wk old puppies eating and playing out of doors in their shaded 8' by 24' chain link area. The animal control officer gave me an ultimatum: let her on my property or she was going to get a search warrant. Initially, I refused and she called another police officer to the property. Before the second officer arrived, I allowed her in my gate. Officer Sullivan's first complaint was that the puppies were not kept on cement. Their substrate was pea gravel/packed dirt and cement pavers-as per my mentor and breeder education classes I have attended.

At the time they were eating and had a fresh bucket of bottled water. Puppies ears were taped up in cups, 6 days post crop as is considered common and humane practice. She told me that cropping was cruel and unnecessary. I told her that I exhibit Dobermans in AKC conformation events. She informed me that Dobermans can be shown with their ears intact. I did not argue but did wonder (to myself) the last time she may have invested the time, resources and commitment necessary to earn a Doberman Championship. She wanted to know why the puppies were not wearing Elizabethan collars to prevent them from getting dirty and scratching themselves. No knowledgeable veterinarian will utilize an "E" collar after ear cropping. Cups were dingy, however no one was scratching and they were not experiencing any discomfort. Although Officer Sullivan was standing approximately 6 feet away from the puppies, she said the puppies ears were infected. Officer Sullivan then spoke very loud and angrily at me. She said I was nothing but a puppy mill and a back yard breeder. By her words and
actions, she led me to believe that I had done something terribly illegal.

She proceeded to tell me that she was confiscating the puppies and began walking toward their play area. I asked (begged) what I could to to prevent that action? She said I would be required to take the puppies to the vet of her choice to have the sutures removed ASAP and to verify the condition of the puppies. The officer said she would most likely meet me at the vets office. Furthermore the officer said that all of the puppies would be placed in homes with the help of a rescue and under her direct supervision/ approval. I explained that some of the puppies were already spoken for. She said it did not matter and that I had to do it her way or she would take the puppies immediately. I felt I had no other alternative than to agree to her terms.

(During the night I had a change of heart. While it was still dark, I loaded all of the puppies in my vehicle and drove around until I could get an appointment with my vet. A technician at MY vet's office removed the sutures. The vet examined the puppies and wrote a letter indicating they were happy, healthy, normal puppies in good weight with no abnormalities. My invoice shows 6 suture removals and no prescribed antibiotics. ) Officer Sullivan threatened to remove every dog from my property if I refused to show her the dogs in my home. I allowed her inside my home. My house was less than perfect. I work full time, advocate for children with disabilities, train dogs and devote myself to Doberman/dog related activities; an immaculate home is not on my list of priorities. She was extremely critical. To make things worse, I delivered a rescue dog 130 miles away the day before. When I returned home the kitchen was flooded from a broken pipe. The kitchen was very cluttered as I had to remove everything from a long bank of cupboards and place the items on the kitchen counter.

She told me I should not be breeding Dobermans as they have health and temperament problems. I assured her that both the sire and dam of the litter earned their Working Aptitude Certificates from the Doberman Pinscher Club of America and that both were extensively health tested (eyes, hips, elbows, heart, liver function, thyroid and vWD testing). She responded by saying that none of that matters - there are too many dogs in the world.

Here is her list of complaints in regards to the adult dogs:
1) Crates too small. The rescue gals have the typical crate that we see Dobermans in at shows. Their previous crates allowed them to get up, turn around, stand, stretch and lie down fully. My male is in a Great Dane size crate. She told me that all the crates needed to be about that size and I have upgraded their crates.
2) Some crates are covered. She said this is inhumane as the dog is in the dark. (Remember, these are sheets covering the crates-not heavy blankets.
3) We have too many dogs. We have (or had) six adults, including a rescue Malamute and our Champion males sister, who through no fault of her breeder suffered a traumatic brain injury as a young puppy. She looked at this dog which was treated for seizures and bouts of valley fever. I admitted that she was indeed losing her quality of life. She strongly suggested euthanasia and informed me that she was certified to perform the procedure. I told her I would take care of it on my own. The officer said she wanted proof that I did so humanely. I attempted to schedule an appointment with a nearby vet the next day but he was unavailable. So, I took my happy and special girl to animal control on Tuesday to be put to sleep (prematurely in my opinion and
certainly NOT on my terms). The young man that performed the procedure was very kind. He saw to it that "Precious" was warm, clean and kept her dignity. He allowed me to lie on the floor to hold and comfort her as she passed, although she did not cross willingly or easily. I took her body to the animal mortuary in Apache Junction to be cremated. She will come home in a little box in a few days. (The Malamute I took to a no-kill shelter. I feel she went from being the best friend and truly gentle playmate of our delayed girl Doberman to a statistic. I am heartbroken and so ashamed, I have never turned an animal into a shelter.)
4) Officer Sullivan looked at the dam of my litter and asked me how many litters I would "force the bitch to have". I explained that this would be her only litter as I felt I had two very nice show/working puppies and that breeding the bitch again would be unnecessary. She told me that I need to have the bitch spayed.
5) She looked at my AKC Champion male. She said she wouldn't know a show dog from any other dog but that he did indeed look like a show dog. I showed her his Doberman Digest pages and cover, photos, awards, etc. She got on her knees (in his face) to pet him and agreed that he was beautiful and very sweet. She told me that she's sure I breed him often. I told her that he is 3.5 years old, this is the only litter he has ever sired, despite his pedigree and that I am extremely conservative in reference to breeding him or any animal. She insisted that I must breed him often as "he is a beautiful stud" and suggested that I probably get a lot of money for studding him. I told her those types of things can be verified via the AKC website and DobeQuest. She said I probably breed him to unregistered bitches and that he should be neutered.

That night I took my male to a friend for safe keeping. I miss him dearly and feel like a part of me is missing. This dog is not just an AKC Champion, he is my service animal. I have all of the necessary documentation from my family physician that indicates a medical need for a service animal. I have never abused the privilege of having a service animal. I am petrified that Animal Control would confiscate him and turn him over to a rescue.

I spoke with the officer on Monday. I told her that the puppies are no longer on the premises and they have been placed into responsible homes of my choice. She said I must tell her where they are. I refused. Officer Sullivan threatened me by saying that she would have to cite me for selling puppies without a business license. I have not received a single dollar for any of the puppies. Officer Sullivan informed me that I had 7 "bark complaints" in the past 6 or 7 weeks. I asked her why I was not notified of this problem before. She stated that they have been out to my property before but I did not answer the door. I asked why I was not notified by mail. She did not answer me.

On Tuesday I provided officer Sullivan with the following:
The letter from my veterinarian and my invoice.
My males Dobequest information.
The Doberman Pinscher Club of America "DPCA" code of ethics.
The completed interactive form on litter costs from the DPCA website.
Several pages from the DPCA public ed. site.
A copy of the 7 page puppy questionnaire I utilize as a screening tool.

Wonders Never Cease

And not the good kind of wonderment either! The last week or so's news headlines have left me shaking my head.

First off was the Google alert I received which sent me along to an online news article regarding two Borzoi that escaped their yard and attacked and killed a small dog belonging to a neighbor. This is a nightmare for Borzoi owners - and containment is key for our dogs. They were bred to chase and catch game - so yes, one needs to be careful around small, furry pets and one needs to watch one's fences for any repair needs. Unfortunately, upon further inspection of the story one can find events which could have precluded this unfortunate event...

(1) The dogs had escaped before and killed a dog earlier in the year. So were extra steps taken to try and prevent further escapes after the original? If not, why? I am terrified of my dogs getting out of the yard, not only for the safety of smaller animals (although the dogs running loose in our neighborhood tend to be of the large variety) but for the safety of my own dogs. We live close to busy roads - the last thing I want my dog to be is a road pie.
(2) The dog that was killed in the latest attack was also loose. Its owners left it in the yard as they ran away screaming. Hello - let's just add to the hysteria in the air. Screaming just upsets all involved and sets everyone, including animals, on edge. That's not going to help. Why did they not pick up their dog? Peek-a-poos aren't that heavy.
(3) The Borzoi were obviously not bloodthirsty threats to people. A stranger had caught the pair and put them in his backyard and called a number he had gotten from the dog's collar tag. They sound like a controllable couple to me.

Because of these events, it is likely that the dogs could be declared dangerous - and rightly so in this case. But it's sad for the Borzoi breed - these are quite charming and funny, as well as beautiful, dogs. But irresponsibility in keeping them properly (or any dog, for that matter) can bring trouble for all, not just one's neighbor. In today's heated climate against dogs and dog ownership, to have my breed placed on a "dangerous dog" list because of people's irresponsibility, causing them to fall victim to obscene insurance rates and BSL legislation is unacceptable.

I have always stood behind the phrase "punish the deed and not the breed" when it comes to fighting BSL legislation. This event brings that motto even closer to home.

The next headline comes courtesy of Tulsa, Oklahoma. A 2 month old infant was left in a swing chair unattended (mother and grandmother were too busy to attend him because they were....sleeping). Unattended, that is, except for a 2 month old lab puppy and an elderly Pug. (Latest news article HERE) This is such a sad situation resulting in not only a dead child, but the puppy as well as it was put down. The poor thing was just a-waggin' its tail as the AC officer loaded him into the truck - it wasn't a vicious puppy....it was just a baby itself, with super-sharp puppy teeth and claws. Lord knows I've been left with marks from playing with rowdy puppies - they don't have to be mean to mark you up at that age! If it hadn't been this incident, the poor child would have likely died from another common parenting "skill" - that of being left alone in a vehicle in the heat of summer - yet another common headline that has been all over the news as of late.

What confounds me is that local and state (and then we had the federal PAWS legislation) governments are wanting to pass all sorts of restrictions on animal breeding and husbandry for an activity that the IRS insists is just a hobby, yet they want to legislate it out the wazoo, if not make it illegal to have a pet with all the body parts it was born with...but yet any yahoo can contribute to the human gene pool, no licensing (or apparently knowledge or responsibility) required.

Also...can some explain why the AR nuts claim how cruel and unusual it is to dock a tail, crop ears or even remove dewclaws on a puppy - yet preach and lobby for the more intrusive and risky surgeries required to spay and neuter pets!? They're all about ripping out uterus's and tearing off testicles (and the younger the better) but don't dare crop that tail at 3 days!

Bend Over, Dallas Dog Owners

Received today from the RPOA (Responsible Pet Owners' Alliance):

Martin Kralik has given RPOA permission to forward his message below to our subscribers. Dallas Democracy in action -- NOT! Those of you who've experienced the same treatment elsewhere can empathize. Permission to crosspost.
_____________________________________

What was supposed to happen:

* 144 speakers - some for and some opposed - were supposed to be given 3 minutes each to speak to the city council before the vote on the new animal ordinances. Also, a majority of 19 more speakers, listed regarding the animal ordinance, were supposed to be given 3 minutes each to speak after the vote. I have the lists.

What actually happened:

* Upon seeing the council chambers full of passionate people, Mayor Leppert
decided to limit each side to 15 minutes total (that's five 3-minute speeches) and said those 'against' should go first. He gave us 2 minutes to organize since the agenda-sequence-of-speakers, at that point, was thrown out. This gave the other side 'for the ordinances' 15+ minutes to organize. Speakers who had worked long and hard to shoehorn their speeches into 2-3 minutes in reality only got 30 seconds to one minute to make their point. Then, any others who had not spoken were given 30 seconds to say something limited to one point. Those speaking for the ordinance were routinely given more time before they were cut off.

* Then each council member spoke:

1. Elba Garcia, of course nattered on the longest about how all were in agreement that they had to do something now and they must pass the ordinances.

2. Rasansky -he's totally for the ordinances - saying the 'Breeders' had to step up and pay.

3. Leppert blindly followed Elba

4. Neumann said he was for it but asked the city Secretary to define the plan of implementation i.e., pass the ordinance and then define the plan. yeah that makes sense???

5. Kadane pointed out they had no plan and didn't know the cost - they should continue the nite raids and get the loose dogs off the street but hold off and re-analyze/define a better set of ordinances after more research.

6. Caraway and his constituents want the loose dogs off the streets now.

7. Ron Natinsky - Questioned Forest Turner (Animal Control) at length about how did they arrive at 360,000+/- dogs in Dallas, 50,000+/- of which are licensed now, leaving how many of the roughly 310,000 are loose roaming dogs?, and how many are pets? They have no idea. Specifically if Dallas covers roughly 385 square miles, distributing the 310,000 across 385 square miles would be roughly 800 - almost 1000 dogs per square mile (simple math). He asked Forest whether he saw anything close to 800 animals when they recently went on their nite raid to catch loose dogs. They caught 22 and 40 or so got away - No where near 800 seen. GOOD ARGUMENT! Ron suggested since they don't know what they are doing, that they pass the 'tether/vicious' dog amendments and throw out the mandatory sterilization/limits/breeder registration till later. After Ron passed out an adjusted ordinance to the members with these changes made, Elba complained about being given only 3 minutes to consider the changes and refused to even look at it - so much for working together as a real council.

8. The adjusted ordinance from Natinsky was quickly rejected by a majority vote.

9. Back to the new ordinances(whatever version they had today) - final vote was Kadane, Natinsky and Angela Hunt voted against, and the rest voted to pass the new ordinances.

I am outraged at how easily the mayor, knowing full well how passionate people were about this, threw us under the bus and went on with his agenda.

My speech - 2 minutes long - which I did not get a chance to make, follows -
* My name is Martin Kralik and I've lived in Preston Hollow in north Dallas for 23 years. I'm a law abiding citizen. I have been a responsible pet owner all my life, and I'm involved in rescue.

* I'm trying to stay in Dallas but you will drive me out with these new ordinances, for which I was given NO representation on the Shelter Committee.

* Why have there been NO REAL public hearings on this? Why are there NO responsible pet owners on the animal commission? The entire Dallas community of some of the most reputable breeders in the nation, and very knowledgeable fanciers and members of dog owners' organizations who call Dallas home, has been shut out and ignored by your animal commission.

* The proposed ordinances ignore the main problems (as stated by several council members) of roaming aggressive loose animals, and an underfunded Animal Control Department i.e. 8 trucks to cover 385 square miles and many unfilled staff vacancies???

* Beside ignoring the main problem of loose animals, the new ordinances mandate that I be subjected to UNCONSTITUTIONAL SEARCHES AND SEIZURES in my home.

* I think it is outrageous that Dallas wants to TAX/PUNISH me with fees/taxes/fines/procedures because the city is not willing to enforce existing laws on the relatively few irresponsible people who actually cause the loose dog problems.

* Many City Council members and your animal committee chairman admit all these mandatory sterilization/limits/registration/micro chipping procedures will NOT correct the Dallas loose animal problem.

* Regarding the problem of Dallas' overcrowded animal shelters, many states including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Connecticut have a huge pet shortage and are importing thousands of dogs from many states to supply adoptable pets. You could empty the Dallas shelter and start over! Has anyone even checked this out??? The answer is no, and it reflects the mismanagement of the shelter program.

* I urge you to reject these ordinances and give representation to the vast community of responsible pet owners in creating equitable solutions to Dallas' animal problems.

I still go back to there have been NO REAL public hearings on this.

I think a large part of the Dallas dog/cat community has no idea that now if they want an intact animal for any reason, the registration/breeders license they are required by law to buy, authorizes the city to conduct unannounced unconstitutional searches and seizures IN YOUR HOME. (How will this work with the Castle Doctrine?)

Where can we go from here?
I'm ready to fight.
Martin Kralik
Dallas resident

Time to Follow That Thought

Hmmmmm....taking the advice from the post just previous to this, I guess it's time to lift a leg on the Dallas City Council. Three of them would be exempt from the yellow stream - those being Sheffie Kadane, Ron Natinsky (who even offered an alternative ordinance that contained some common sense!), and Angela Hunt. The rest of the council can drown in it - accepting the propaganda of the whacked-out animal rights movement (whose goal is to eliminate pets from the earth) which was spewed forth from the opposition, including those that had been appointed to the Animal Shelter Committee. Yes...you heard right, they have put card-carrying PeTA members on the shelter committee as opposed to folks with animal husbandry experience who really do care about animals. We all know what the PeTA faction preaches..."better dead than fed"...witnessed by their 97% euthanization rate. This is their first step towards the elimination of animal ownership in Dallas. They've already managed to criminalize it. What a sad, sad day.

Link to Dallas Morning News article

Great Analogy Fable

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

"What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember - when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called Life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Do you still believe that PETA and other animal rights groups' activities won't affect you? There is a mousetrap in the house!

Borzoi Central Updates

Trying to catch up posting various proposed legislation information on the Borzoi Central Forums. There has been such a steady rise in laws that affect pet owners and in many instances removes our rights as property owners. Although most folks like myself do feel they're a special kind of property, but property nonetheless.

New items posted include Dover, DE; Ohio (SB 173); and Lawton, OK (Advertising Permit).

Also posted updates for CA's AB 1634 and District of Columbia.

Also posted several new events to the Events Calendar (mostly in the month of July).

New link for the Sighthound Mall Yahoo group posted in Hound Clothing and Market - Arts links pages.

New links on the Health page - canine autoimmune thyroiditis, vaccination protocol, feeding sighthounds,

New link added to the Jewelry page (a GORGEOUS brooch/pendant of a running Borzoi - the detail is exquisite!).

California Heat

Hottest topic in CA (for the dog fancy at least) is the proposed legislation from "Lightbulb" Levine - AB 1634, the "Healthy Pets Act" aka the "Pet Extinction Act". One link to gather more information at (besides the previously referred PetPAC.net) is http://noab1634.com/ . There is plenty of information as to the procession of this disastrous legislation with regular updates and tips on what to do in order to protect your rights as a dog/pet owner.

Just say NO to mutts without nuts

Now...I'm all for spay/neuter if that's what one wishes to do. But do not mandate the process - it should be a CHOICE NOT LAW.

And speaking of updates - the latest horrid rendition of the bill may be found online by following this link. Read it and weep - then write.