My distaste for puppy mills notwithstanding, I’m pleased to report that, stepping away from its reputation as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East,” the Pennsylvania Legislature passed HB 2525 on October 8, a bill that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of dogs living in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.

HB 2525 doubles the cage space required for dogs in Pennsylvania’s commercial breeding facilities, prohibits wire flooring and the stacking of cages, mandates exercise and twice-yearly veterinary exams for all dogs, and requires that animals be humanely euthanized by licensed veterinarians.

The ASPCA has been working with the Governor’s Office and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for over three years to increase enforcement and standards of care for dogs in the state’s commercial kennels. They lobbied for passage of HB 2525 by activating the Pennsylvania members of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade and by spending much of the past several months in Harrisburg, the state capital, promoting the bill to legislators. Governor Ed Rendell signed HB 2525 into law the day after it was passed.

The rules regarding euthanasia went into effect immediately—meaning that it is no longer legal for people to shoot their own dogs in Pennsylvania.

Thanks to everyone who helped Pennsylvania puppies!

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Two separate cases of dog abuse in the news recently sheds light on the fact that not only are animal abusers not getting away with it anymore, but also that concerned citizen intervention can save a dog’s life.

In Queens, New York, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) agents recently arrested a 39-year-old man for neglecting his Pomeranian and Chihuahua. The man was charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and faces up to two years in jail and a $4,000 fine.

On June 16, a neighbor found the Pomeranian, Willie, bloodied and injured in the street—most likely the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Concerned neighbors called the ASPCA after the owner made it clear that he had no intention of seeking veterinary care, even though Willie was unable to stand. Special Agent Joann Sandano responded to the complaint and discovered a second dog belonging to the owner, a Chihuahua, also in dire need of veterinary care.

Both dogs were seized and brought to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital for treatment. Willie received orthopedic surgery to repair a fractured hip and had two teeth removed due to severe dental disease. Albie, the Chihuahua, had a bent leg reset—the result of an old break that never properly healed—and was treated for other conditions resulting from neglect.

Willie and Albie, both six years old and with great dispositions, were released to the ASPCA and will be available for adoption once they recover from their injuries. Two hamsters and a gerbil who also were removed from the house have since been re-homed.

Neglect is a serious offense. If you know of an animal whose health is being compromised by neglect, report it to your local authorities.

In another incident, a man who was arrested for allegedly throwing a canine to her death on September 14, 2007, will get what’s coming to him.

According to the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement department, the man threw a three-year-old shih tzu, Zahara, out the window to the sidewalk below after grabbing the dog by the throat.

Zahara was rushed to Manhattan’s Animal Medical Center, but with multiple broken legs, collapsed lungs and internal bleeding from the impact, the 15-pound dog soon succumbed to her injuries.

The perpetrator fled, and for a year avoided both the NYPD and HLE investigators seeking to question him. However, HLE continued to work the case, striving to pinpoint his location. His use of a social networking website, plus information from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, ultimately led ASPCA Special Agent Peter Rivas to the door of the man’s new Manhattan apartment, where he was arrested on September 5, 2008.

He was arraigned the following Friday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. He also was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless endangerment of property, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief. The NYPD slapped him with an additional charge of aggravated harassment for an unrelated incident. The 27-year-old man faces up to seven years in prison for the combined charges.

In an effort to address the high incidence of pets being harmed in domestic violence disputes, about a dozen states—including New York—have passed laws allowing pets to be included in orders of protection. Click here for more information about the link between domestic violence and animal abuse.

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It’s not often that something free has the potential to save a loved one’s life. But leave it to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to come up with something!

Click here to sign up for a sticker that lets people who need to know (firefighters, police, rescue workers, etc.) know pets are in your home. Place the sticker in a visible place and be sure to include the types and number of pets in your household, the name of your veterinarian and your veterinarian’s phone number.

For more disaster preparedness tips, click here.

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But when it comes to dogs, although I did adopt a mutt many years ago from the same SPCA, this time around, I wanted to be more selective.

I did some research, and decided on the greyhound breed, and then I got in contact with Wine Country Greyhound Adoption.

For those who desire a purebred canine, there are many breed-specific groups that will help you find the dog of your dreams. The American Kennel Club has a great list of organizations to use as a starting point.

As with almost anything else in life, be sure to do your homework. Talk to several adoption groups, and in the end, be sure to make the decision that’s right for you and your lifestyle.

This is Greta on the day I took her home–also the first day I ever laid eyes on her.

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