# THIS IS WHY!!!!!!!!!!



## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I just wanted to share with people a situation has come to light in Kentucky today: 

http://www.wlextv.com/global/story.asp?s=7998033

This is a well-known rescuer in this area. She has taken in many dogs including German Shepherds. Obviously the rescue community in this area has been abuzz with this all day. 

Here are some of the things I've heard people say: 

"But she seemed so nice!"
"She was always so helpful!" 
"I appreciated that she was always willing to take dogs"
"I saw her paperwork and that looked fine"
"But she had a really nice website" 

(http://www.animal-assist.org/dogs.html if you're interested)

From what we've been able to determine today, she and her husband were making their income selling the dogs they "rescued." At least 40 dogs were found dead and the number is larger every time they update the story. Starving dogs were feeding on the dead. Over 100 dogs and counting have been found on the property in deplorable conditions. 

Tonight Kentucky and beyond is littered with broken hearts of shelters, rescuers, and transporters who thought they were helping dogs to a better of life and instead helped deliver them into a living ****. 

Those of us, me included, who saw some red flags and refused to send her dogs but did nothing further to sound the alarm will have to live with that for the rest of our lives. 

This kind of situation IS WHY YOU HAVE TO CHECK EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!! Please please please!!! And why rescue is not the time to be quiet, deferential, polite, and not ask questions. *Know where you're sending that dog*. Be a busybody. When you see somebody not checking, help them out. Get involved. What happened today is not a once in a blue moon occurence, in fact it's all too common as people learn to exploit the Internet. 

Basic home visits and vet checks would have revealed what this person was up to.









I imagine mods will probably want to move this to the general rescue section but I thought it was important to post it here first because I am hoping more people will see it this way. 

You cannot afford to assume the best about people in rescue. You don't have to be cynical but you've GOT to be careful. A dog's life depends on it.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Or maybe to Current Dog Affairs? Then, after a while, move to general rescue. 

I think a lot of people need to see this. 

How awful those poor beings in that place. Oof-including at least one child. 

Transparency is so important. People in rescue (and breeders of course) should be able to open their doors at any time for inspection. 










Anna's shelter director had dead animals all over her property too.


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## Borrelli21 (Oct 16, 2007)

Great post, Hannah. My heart is breaking for those pups. It truly was their living ****.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

oh hannah, yes, this is totally heartbreaking. sometimes there are so few options for these dear souls...and when we find we've been betrayed by those we thought were helping us...well, there are just no words. take care, stay strong, many blessings to you for all you do.


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## ebrannan (Aug 14, 2006)

I remember the Saint when going through PetFinder. This is just heart breaking. The child, the dogs. How were they selling the dogs? Certainly not to adopters ... I would think that would have sent red flags up a while ago ... people know when they are adopting a sick dog. Please tell me they weren't selling the dogs to labs, please, please say that wasn't happening. 
And the poor child. How can any child go on to live a normal life when they were surrounded by this horrific environment. 
I'm closing up the computer for the night ... gonna go kiss the two-and-four legged kids good night.


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## melonyjhsn (Mar 8, 2007)

Very sad. I wish there was more info in that article. Was she clearly just trying to make money? There's a lot of mixes on her PF page if that's the case. Good intentions gone bad? You'd think someone would notice as she has over 50 dogs listed. Did her 'group' have known foster homes? Would be another red flag if she didn't. All the dogs listed have to be kept somewhere.... 

I wish there were more checks and balances in rescue. Unfortunately, groups very far and wide in how big they are and how they operate. Many shelters don't check references and I've never heard of them doing a home visit, at least down here. If the shelters don't do it, who is suppose to? Other rescues? Which ones? 

I'll bet this kind of thing happens more often then anyone would care to think.


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## sunnygirl272 (Dec 10, 2003)

So sad.
So, so sad.


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## Prinzsalpha (Jul 6, 2005)

There is such a fine line between rescuers, hoarders and profiteers. The only ones who suffer are the dogs from the first injustice to the next.


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## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Thank you for opening this ugly door and shedding light for all of us. It breaks my heart to read this, but we need to be aware of such practices. 

I will definitely carry this lesson to my grave. And pass the message along to all dog owners, trainers, rescue organizations ... 

Animals need our voices.


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## daniella5574 (May 2, 2007)

This is beyond sickening- heartwrenching- I am in SHOCK. absolute shock. These poor animals!!! 
I seen on her site that there are 5 listed as GSD puppies (one GSD/Husky) Abra, Balto, Belinda, Darla, and Eric. Will anyone be able to help them?


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

More news stories: 

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/16558361.html

http://www.wlextv.com/global/story.asp?s=7998033 (this is the earlier one updated)

Currently it looks like the dogs are all going to a local vet clinic and from there to area shelters. I know a lot of rescue groups are trying to find out about certain dogs and offering to take others. I'm not sure if any have taken them yet. 

In answer to the earlier question - I think this was a combination of good intentions gone awry and people basically puppy milling dogs from shelters. 

The saddest thing is that this is not an isolated incident. For the sake of the dogs, we've all got to get involved and take those extra steps to be careful.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

> Quotelease tell me they weren't selling the dogs to labs, please, please say that wasn't happening.


No, to the best of my knowledge that, at least, wasn't happening. The "selling" I'm referring to was her adoption practices. It appears that she was soliciting purebreds and small puppies from shelters and other rescues (like groups who help with puppy mills) and then "adopting" them out with minimal (if any) vetting for $250 a piece, plus an additional $50 spay/neuter deposit. She was making regular transports to the northeast to deliver the dogs to adopters and charging $75 a head for transport. 

$250 is a perfectly reasonable adoption fee but only if it covers all the vetting.


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## Kaylas Mom (Oct 6, 2007)

Those poor animals, this is really heartbreaking


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

"But she seemed so nice!"

There's a red flag for ya! I can tell you my adopters do not think I'm nice at all. If someone running a rescue seems real nice, it's got to a red flag cuz up and up rescuers are usually jaded, bitter and depressed BECAUSE they can't take them all and have to say "we're full" and then are thinking about the ones they had to literally give a death sentence to. Miss Mary Sunshine doesn't exist in rescue or she's not doing much real rescue.

I think the most important thing is to ask for a vet reference. If the shelters asked for a vet reference, they would find that only cheapie spays/neuters are being done and no other vetting. 

What I found extremely odd about her petfinder listings is that she had prices listed FIRST before the animal's name. Why not all the same price? I can see males being a lower price than females, neuters cost less but different prices all together for different breeds???

This whole thing is what I hated about Europe when I went there. Lying in my bed at night in Naples, I couldn't sleep a wink the whole time I was there, listening to packs of wild dogs hunt each other down and kill each other, echoing down from the hilltops of the condemned parts of old Naples. I thought 'gee America is so great, this would never happen there.'

Yet also in Kentucky, you have shelters that shoot dogs out back. Heck of a choice for a dog, being shot or predated on by your own kind. I don't know, if it were to happen to you, which would you choose? 

Sounds like this group did get some dogs out of the shooting scenario. Making a living off of selling them? I doubt it. What kind of luxury human accomodations were seen? Big house? Nice cars? Doesn't sound like the child benefitted anyway. Or was she just trying to keep ahead of expenses? I doubt this situation had always been like this. Sounds like something broke down and this horrible situation was the result, not the normal operating procedures. 

I'm sure she started out wanting to make a difference. I mean no one in their right mind would really go into rescue thinking they were going to GET RICH.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

Not everyone wants to get rich - some people just want to get by. I have never met a legitimate rescue that broke even, let alone made profits. I am so disgusted and saddened by this.

dd


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

> Quote:I think the most important thing is to ask for a vet reference. If the shelters asked for a vet reference, they would find that only cheapie spays/neuters are being done and no other vetting


That's not necessarily so. I have done a vet reference where it was obvious that some animals at the home were fully vetted and that others had never been to the vet AT ALL so the vet was not even aware of them. A vet reference is only one small part of a package.

dd


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## ebrannan (Aug 14, 2006)

_"But she seemed so nice!"

There's a red flag for ya! I can tell you my adopters do not think I'm nice at all. If someone running a rescue seems real nice, it's got to a red flag cuz up and up rescuers are usually jaded, bitter and depressed BECAUSE they can't take them all and have to say "we're full" and then are thinking about the ones they had to literally give a death sentence to. Miss Mary Sunshine doesn't exist in rescue or she's not doing much real rescue. _

I agree to disagree. Yes, rescuers get tired and jaded, but you have to keep a professional, pleasant and informative approach to your adopters. There are too many breeders out there who are more than willing to step in and sell the party what they want if they have been turned off by you. 
Be thorough, picky and most of all, explain the process to the adopter. Tell them why there is an application, references, vet references and home visit. Give them numbers and explain the plight of so many unwanted animals. Sometimes, not only do you end up with a great home for one of your dogs, but you have also recruited a new volunteer. 
You have to help people understand your work! So many people, just don't know.


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## osf (May 12, 2005)

Thank you again Hannah!

-Krista


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Definitely not getting rich, but she was turning over a lot of dogs for high profit and cutting corners on their care. Also, many of the dogs she took had other more reputable rescues interested in them and she was soliciting highly adoptable dogs from shelters outside her area. So it was not a case of trying to save all these animals from certain death and getting overwhelmed. 

She may have started out with good intentions, I could not say. If she did, that just underscores the point that good intentions alone are insufficient. 

What I hope people take home from the experience is that people like this don't wear a sign that says "dog abuser" and we cannot let our desire for a happy ending cloud our judgement. Not everyone who says they're here to help actually is or knows what they're doing.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

The other thing is that 40 dogs did not die overnight. This was a long process that was allowed to continue, that is the most saddening part. If somenoe at some point had made that necessary visit, at least some of the suffering could have been avoided. 

dd


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## daniella5574 (May 2, 2007)

I agree with so many things here- though right now my main feeling is disgust, shock, and sadness for these poor dogs. Above, Liz wrote that people that seem so nice arent necessarily a red flag- and I agree. I am one of those people who was raised to look for the good in everyone- so I admitt, when I first came into rescue I was a bit naive to certain things- so the abuse that rescues see was new to me, and in my mind I cannot comprehend how some one could do this to a living, feeling, being. I have always been a very nice person, even when Simba's owner was turning him in while they were stating he would likely be euth'd- and he was saying its basically not his concern anymore- I was still had to hold it together for Simba. Did I want to tell him what I really thought? Absolutely- but I had to appear cordial at the least so Simba didnt meet worse fate. Many people that know me tell me to "toughen up some" or that I'm too nice... I believe in karma- what we put out there comes back to us.


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## ThreeDogs (Mar 16, 2007)

We had an incident in Canada just like this one a few months ago, that involved dogs as well as cats.

It makes me ill to think that people can just stand by and let animals suffer. I just don't understand.

These poor dogs.


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

...its brought tears to my eyes....


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## towtrip (Dec 12, 2003)

This isn't that far afield of C.C. Baird, either.

I would love to have this available for everyone that beats us up on this board when we ask for references, we ask for verification of what happened to the last dog(s) that they pulled, and ask for some assurance that things are as they should be. 

Ellen Degeneres needs to see this too. And every other single person that has criticized rescues for doing reference checks with a sharp retort, "isn't it about getting the dog a good home?" There are things that are worse than dying in a shelter.

The hoarders, collectors, and laboratory sellers, always SEEM nice ... they always present a caring, sympathetic face. Otherwise nobody would have given them the dogs in the first place.


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## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

Well said Susan. Kudos.


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## spiritsmom (Mar 1, 2003)

That is scary. Back in November 2006 there was a GSD posted here in the urgent section named Pea Jay from the Estill Co Kentucky shelter. Aimee posted him here I think, but at any rate I wound up taking him - he was not a purebred GSD but a very nice dog. I met Aimee in Kentucky to pick him up from her, I did pay her for his release fee I think (might have been around $50, not sure anymore). He did get a great home in Cincinnati but it just shocks me that I had met this woman. I met her in a parking lot and not at her home so I had no idea what type of "rescue" she ran. She had pulled him from Estill Co and then I took him from her. Very glad that I did take him from her! It's just weird that I've met her.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Frankly, my dears, the rescue forum is "overdue" for one of these cropping up. Sadly, it happens here every year or two - that someone is exposed.

Please take into consideration when posting that we are all mortals. Referring to people as "angels" for their involvement only encourages people to get in over their heads. It may also being giving kudus to some very undeserving -- looking through the lense of the BB you have tunnel vision.... Sorry but I think more circumspection is needed overall.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I agree with middleofnowhere on this, we often set up an environment that encourages rash action. It is all about the language, folks.
Sheilah


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

> Quote: It is all about the language, folks.


Actually, it's not. It's about due diligence.

dd


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I honestly believe that the language that is so often used contributes to the problem. Using emotionally powerful words helps set up conditions where too often people think with their hearts and not their heads.
I often see posts where someone says something along the lines of "look at those pleading eyes, she is begging for her life", "come on, angels, where are you when we really need you". 
Everyone gets carried away on the emotion of it, and then there is the rush of getting the job done and all the congratulations that go back and forth. 
Look, I think we can all agree that caution is called for whenever you're involved in this stuff. Caution in who you affiliate yourself with, caution when taking a dog into your care and control, caution when placing that dog into an adoptive home. 
But when emotions are running high, it becomes that much harder to exercise caution. And nothing causes emotions to run higher in this work that the use of powerful words.
You can be as diligent as you want, but when emotions are running high that diligence just flies out the window. Or, at least it will for some people.
Sheilah


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I think the overwhelming effects of emotion are why you have to have ironclad policies that will be there for structure even in the heat of the moment or the panic of the situation. 

Always do an application.
Always do a vet reference check.
Always do other reference checks (Neighbors, landlords. If they're a rescue, who have they worked with? other rescues other shelters etc.)
Always do a home visit.

Period. 

Do it with adopters. Do it with receiving rescues. And while home visits aren't always feasible, at least do the reference info with transporters. 

Know where that dog is going. Have a back up plan if something goes wrong. 

I agree that the language can be powerfully reinforcing of bad practices. I have seen people get addicted to the thrill of swooping in their cape and "saving" the dog from certain death at the shelter. Hey, it's a rush. I've got no problem with that. BUT truly saving a dog doesn't stop with the shelter pull. It's a multi step process that only _begins_ with the shelter pull. That's the glitzy public part but what happens next is just as important. You've got to vet the dog, possibly rehabilitate the dog, place the dog for adoption, screen adopters, place the dog, maybe take the dog back... Is there an open foster home? Money if the dog has heartworms? Parvo? What if the dog turns out to be aggressive? The list goes on. it's a major commitment. 

Rescue isn't something that can be done responsibly half way however good someone's intentions.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

I would agree with that. The part I have a problem with is the perception that emotional language is encouraging people to "get in over their heads". I believe that very, very rarely happens. Puppy brokers do not "get in over their heads" - they just don't much care about the dogs that aren't making a profit for them, like puppy millers. And multiple web-sites have previously been posted about the "hoarder" problem - this is a recognised psychological condition that does not develop because people receive encouragement from anyone. It is a sickness, and the only way to control it is through due diligence and vigilance.

Probably the biggest problem with the emotional language is that it allows people to be scammed by those who ask for sponsorship which they have little intention of expending on the dogs.

It's one of the reasons that "Do You Know Where your dog is going" post is so important.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I can think of several instances right here on this board where a rescuer let life get out of hand. And in my former professional life the two biggest hoarding cases that I worked on were actually rescuers that let it get out of hand. 
Brokers and millers are a different kettle of fish from hoarders or rescuers. They have animals passing through their hands constantly. That is how they make their money: high volume and quick turn over. 
I can also think of at least one current board member who has stated in a thread that part of the reason she took a particular dog (that she nows believes may not be an appropriate dog in her home) was the highly emotional language used on the dog's original thread, begging for his life to be saved. You can't tell me that the language used didn't have something to do with this person taking the dog. She got caught up in the emotion of it. She was everyone's "angel" when she took the dog, and then was called irresponsible when she started having problems. 
Sheilah


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

Sorry, but responsible rescues don't do that. They know their limits. I think one of the problems is people not being to distinguish between responsible rescues and brokers who call themselves rescues - as happened in this case. Usually the signs are all there, but everyone makes excuses.

dd


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## melonyjhsn (Mar 8, 2007)

I’ll put in a vote that emotional pleas can be very dangerous. In fact it’s one of the things that really bugs me about the rescue world. The whole- ‘pull them or they are gonna die’ is used all the time to try and get people to take in just one more dog. I so agree with pupresq. It’s not just about pulling the dogs from the shelter- it’s about what happens to them afterwards. But most of the time the pull is what gets all the attention. They all need to be vetted, fostered until they are ready for a new home, and then placed. That’s what it’s really about. No one ever asks – Do they really have the room? Will the dog get enough attention and training in the foster home? Can they afford to vet them? Can they afford or pull together funds if a big medical expense comes up? I am glad to see that many groups working together do make sure that the receiving rescue does all they can to ensure a good placement when they are adopted.


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## melonyjhsn (Mar 8, 2007)

Responsible is just a word and it means different things to different people. Rescue is just a word to that means different things to different people. The whole idea is fluid and depends greatly on which group and/or the individuals you’re talking about.


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## Myamom (Oct 10, 2005)

HERE'S ANOTHER ONE!! 

A rescue from another forum I'm on was sending them cats regularly ....... 50 at a time..........

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080314_Death_camp_for_cats_found_near_Pittsburgh.html
'Death camp' for cats found near Pittsburgh
By Amy Worden 

Inquirer Staff Writer

Humane agents raided a property north of Pittsburgh last night, finding hundreds of dead and dying cats in what may be the largest animal seizure in Pennsylvania history.
Howard Nelson, director of the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania SPCA, which orchestrated the raid, said as many as 1,000 cats could ultimately be removed from Tiger Ranch, located in Tarentum, about 20 miles from Pittsburgh.

"It's a death camp," said Nelson, speaking by cell phone as he helped gather emaciated and diseased cats crammed into trailers and other outbuildings across the 30-acre property. "I see cats that can't walk, and dead cats in litter boxes and lying by food bowls."

Nelson said many of the cats have severe respiratory illnesses and others are infected with diseases that cause blindness.

A team of more than 100 people, including law enforcement officers, humane agents, veterinarians and volunteers, entered the property about 7:15 p.m., Nelson said.

What they found stunned even veteran humane agents.

"The vast number of animals and the degree of neglect is astounding," said Reba McDonald, a humane officer with the SPCA.

The raid was expected to last all night and into today as agents worked to trap the cats and deliver them to medical teams for assistance.

An emergency shelter was set up at the Clarion County SPCA to handle the vast number of animals.

Humane officers said the owner, Linda M. Bruno, would be charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty.

Bruno was at the site when the raid started and was being questioned late last night by state police troopers, Nelson said.

Nelson, speaking 90 minutes after the raid began, said Bruno was already facing 13 counts of cruelty connected to the first 17 cats seized.

Tiger Ranch - which, on its Web site, http://www.tigerranch.org, bills itself as "a cat sanctuary where mercy triumphs" - took in thousands of stray and unwanted cats a year from individuals and high-kill shelters from nine states. 

But Nelson called it "a classic hoarding situation."

Postings on Internet message boards suggest that rescues from as far away as Georgia shipped cats to Tiger Ranch and that Philadelphia rescues also sent cats there.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I just heard about that one too. Absolutely heartbreaking.


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