By:  Jenny Stephens, North Penn Puppy Mill Watch, www.nppmwatch.com (reprinted with permission)
 
It wasn't long ago that canine animal advocates in Pennsylvania were filled with hope after sensing a whisp of change in the air.   Now, 18 months and an Oprah episode on puppy mills later, not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I do believe that hope springs eternal but, you know what?  I'm tired of waiting and not necessarily happy with what I see on the horizon.
 
Last week's puppy mill special on Oprah did more than just expose the ongoing abuse that's still occurring in Pennsylvania state licensed kennels.... it forced those who fight the puppy mill battle 365 days a year to take a long hard look at what is or isn't happening and caused many to wonder if the promised reformation process has stalled or possibly taken a turn for the worse...
 
Let's take a look:
 
On April 2, 2008 animal advocates were disappointed when Lancaster Judge Louis J. Farina re-awarded custody of little Sally Jane, a French Bulldog, to convicted animal abuser Elvin High whose kennel license was revoked by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement in 2007.  Sally Jane, who had suffered terribly, was confiscated from High's hell hole in April, 2007 and had been living happily in foster care until Farina's poor judgement landed her back into the cruel hands of a puppy miller.  View High's Inspection Reports: 2006  and  2007
 
More disconcerting news landed on my desk last week in the form of a Consent Order and Agreement that was entered into by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and puppy miller Samuel F. King on January 22, 2008.  A review of King's USDA and PA inspection records dating back to 2003 reveal despicable kennel conditions that should have caused the revocation of his license.  Per the document, the Bureau has elected to give this animal exploiter yet another chance.  By and large, what King agrees to is not that much more than what is expected of any kennel license holder in the state with the exception of having to reduce his dog inventory from 600 to 400.
 
Even the $5,000 penalty intended to be levied against King for his repeated infraction of the Dog Law was, it appears, reduced at the last minute to a measly $4,000.  Frankly, and in lieu of the thousands of dogs Kings has sold over the last 5 years, $4,000 is chump change.  View King's Inspection Reports: 2006   2007   2008    View King's Consent Order and Agreement: Click HERE
 
Come May of 2008 it looks as if yet another deal might be brokered.  Earlier this year notorious puppy miller Ervin Zimmerman once again came to the attention of Pennsylvanians.  In case you forgot, in 2007 Zimmerman failed seven kennel inspections, ran away when authorities attempted to serve him with a search warrant, had 18 dogs removed from his custody due to horrific medical conditions, was found guilty of animal abuse by a local magistrate and had his kennel license revoked by the Bureau of Dog Law.  This saga, however, was far from over.
 
A report was made to the Bureau again in February, 2008, when a USDA inspector entered Zimmerman's kennel and found the facility to be in its usual deplorable condition. But why was he even operating?  His license had been revoked!  Much to the surprise of the advocacy community, the Bureau of Dog Law saw fit to stay Zimmerman's license revocation and allow him to continue operating.  The Bureau's press release of February, 2008 announced that Zimmerman was appealing the license revocation and that an administrative hearing was scheduled for May - approximately three months down the road - even though dogs were suffering in the interim.
 
Why was the Bureau postponing a hearing that could have been held immediately?
 
Had Zimmerman's hearing been held in February, or even March, the conditions in the kennel would have warranted upholding the license revocation.  To avoid that outcome, it would seem the Bureau is seeing fit to provide Zimmerman with the time necessary to clean up his act and the online Kennel Inspection Reports would seem to substantiate this suspicion.  View Zimmerman's Inspection Reports:  2006    2007    2008
 
Indeed, Zimmerman is being inspected frequently and the progress of his kennel improvements are being very carefully documented. Is it possible that Zimmerman's kennel will be found in compliance with the Dog Law regulations and his license will be reinstated at the upcoming administrative hearing in May? 
 
Returning companion animals to convicted animal abusers and inking deals with kennels that absolutely should not be licensed to operate begs the obvious question: are Pennsylvania's breeder dogs doomed?  Are those currently in power really willing to look the other way in an attempt to avoid the ire of the special interest groups who profit from the two billion dollar a year pet breeding industry? 

Will any elected or appointed official ever truly take a stand and shut down the largest and most egregious of puppy millers located in Lancaster County when there's no doubt that they are breaking of the law?
 
In January an abysmal second draft of proposed Dog Law regulations (thoroughly laced with breeder concessions) was released and animal advocates were promised proposed legislation that has yet to be seen or introduced.  There is now documentation of a deal allowing a kennel that had not been in compliance for years the right to operate. Worse, most of us did watch Oprah's program on puppy mills and saw the video footage, taken just a month ago, that documents the ongoing abuse and cruelty these poor breeder dogs must endure day in and day out, year after year after year.
 
When will Pennsylvanians force our officials to do what's right for these dogs?  When is enough is enough?