Governer Ed Rendell with Bill Smith of Mainline Rescue and HB , a puppymill dog with one ear and three legs at the Schuylkill River Dog Park
I drove to Philadelphia yesterday to hear Governor Rendell speak at a press conference in which he said the brutal killing of the 80 dogs in Berks County has shed light on the horrible but legal practice of euthanizing dogs by shooting them. He said, “dogs who live in this type of kennel are valued only for the sale price of their offspring…the owners would shoot the dogs rather than pay for vet care.”
Governor Rendell is asking the remaining legislators who voted against the bills as they were to pass the House Bills this fall which would stop this horrible practice. It would also increase cage sizes, ban wire cage flooring, eliminate cage-stacking, require outdoor and exercise areas and annual veterinary exams.
To me, this speech is monumental! These laws need to change and they need to change now!! The timing is right for this to happen. This is of paramount importance. Too much is at stake. We have a governor who supports the changes with these bills. I have been an advocate to stop puppymills for years and this is the closest we have ever been to change the existing laws. This is very near and dear to my heart.
I would have loved to hear the speech when it was actually spoken but a funny thing happened on the way as they say. Has anyone driven the Schuylkill Expressway- with its stops and waiting, etc…. for no apparent reason? I was stuck on that road for nearly 20 minutes. I listened to the radio and it said tree trimming was being done and traffic was jammed up bumper to bumper on the east side. Ok- but as I had driven all the way to South Street , no tree trimming was to be found anywhere. I still haven’t figured out why we were jammed up. No accidents- nothing.
As the picture shows, Bill Smith was invited to be there for this important speech. It was funny as I walking up to the park , I looked over and who did I see but Bill himself. He, too, was late. As we walked to the dog park together where Rendell was waiting for Bill, Bill told me he, too, was stuck on the Expressway. I was disappointed not to hear the actual speech but I watched Bill and Rendall exhange words.
HB (stands for House Bill), the dog Bill is holding, is a puppymill dog rescue. HB has three legs because the one leg had been mauled by a dog below in another cage in the puppymill. Remember they stand on wire cages. The leg became swollen and the puppymiller thought it would be best to cut the leg off himself with tin snips. Tin snips look like a huge pair of pliers that have two blades in the front used for cutting tin, spouting and aluminum siding, NOT A DOG’S LEG!!!!! That poor dog! HB is currently at Mainline Rescue (www.mlar.org).
Governor Rendell also brought his dog, Maggie, a Golden Retriever that had been rescued from a puppymill as well. I watched as Maggie ran around the dog park with the other dogs. It was my first time to see this dog park. It was quite nice.
I implore you to call your legislator. Click on www.legis.state.pa.us to contact them. This can’t go on. These dogs are defenseless without us. Please help them!