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anyone in the Pennsylvania area, cavalier raid

Karlin

Administrator
Staff member
http://www.nbc10.com/news/6914376/detail.html

Perhaps people may be interested in one of these dogs or in helping to foster as it sounds like there were many that came in. Be aware that these are puppy farm/mill dogs and will need extra time and TLC; they are likely very undersocialised, probably traumatised and anxious. Very rewarding to work with dogs from such a situation but just be aware they would not be like getting a well adjusted puppy or adult from a good breeder, and need extra patience and kindness. ;)
 
Mr. Wolf hasn't signed them over yet... until he does make a decision-- the dogs can't be dispersed. I was told--Some of these dogs are as young as 2 weeks. Sandy
 
Thanks for the update. Hopefully the litters can be kept together til the puppies are viable for rehoming. :?
 
Just to be sure we have the word out, I have also contacted Mary with Lucky Star in the Northeast. Hopefully, since they are in the area, someone can get the ball rolling. There is a huge blizzard raging in that part of the world today so I imagine it will slow things down a bit. If anyone hears of any progress, please let us know.

JaneB
 
My understanding from the cavalier breeder list is that cav rescues have all been alerted about these cavaliers. The current standing is that they have been dispersed among area SPCAs and shelters until either the owner releases them for homing, or a case comes to court -- if he won't release them they will likely have to be held as evidence pending the results of a trial.

The shelter that took them in badly needs donations. I can testify to how crippling a raid like this can be for an SPCA -- it can cost thousands to board and give proper medical care for dogs seized in a raid. I understand some of the dogs are in very poor condition. Here is info on sending a contribution or making a donation of bedding etc if you live in the region.

For right now, the shelter is very much needing
>> donations to be sent directly to them so that they can help with the
>> care of the dogs. For anyone who is near enough, they also request
>> that shampoo, bedding, towels, and so on be donated. The address to
>> send donations is Chester County SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike in West
>> Chester, PA 19380.
 
Not 135 dogs but more like 300. . . :cry:
http://www.dailylocal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16107762&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=17782&rfi=6

Donations are really going to be needed now. The financial and material strain this is going to create for the local PA shelters and rescue groups will be huge. I would think that their volunteers will have their hands full just trying to care for these poor animals. I have sent a plea for donations out to all my doggie loving friends via e-mail, it never hurts to ask. Maybe we could all do a little asking of those outside of our little "family" of Cav lovers. A little from a lot of people adds up quickly.

JaneB

(I was a fundraiser for St. Jude CH in a former life ;) )
 
Good idea Jane about the fund raising. Possibly those of us in the U.S. could figure out how to pool our resources for assistance to PA. or should we just send any assistance directly to the PA shelter?

Sheri Ramirez
 
You can send directly to the shelter as noted above -- that came from someone who had spoken directly to the shelter. icon_thumbsup
 
I am near the Lucky Star Rescue, about an hour and a half away! I would LOVE to help...
Jeni
 
At this time I think they especially need financial help to the SPCA named for these dogs. Anyone who wants to volunteer with one of the formal rescues to offer foster (either in this case, or ongoing) should contact the rescue directly. :)
 
More on this horrific story:

original link: http://www.dailylocal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16243120&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=17782&rfi=6

03/05/2006
SPCA bursting at the seams
Anne Pickering , Staff Writer

WEST GOSHEN -- The Chester County SPCA is trying to cope with the veterinary needs of the 335 dogs that were allegedly living in unsanitary conditions in a Lower Oxford kennel confiscated Feb. 10.

There is a long list of maladies that the dogs suffer from, said Larry Dieter, a veterinarian who works at the shelter three mornings a week. Some of the dogs are being treated by vets off-site. The list comprises ear problems, including inflamed and infected ears; skin problems, including hair loss from dermatitis and mange; eye problems, including severe dry eye, cataracts or glaucoma; teeth problems such as missing teeth, gingivitis, heavy tartar buildup; and intestinal parasites, including whipworm and roundworns, Dieter said.

The shelter is still in the stage of assessing and treating the dogs. All are being given baths and medication for lice, fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and skin problems, said Bill Allen, kennel coordinator.

The SPCA is now caring for about 100 out of the original 335 dogs, with the rest at other shelters and rescue societies in the area.

Dieter said he has looked at 60 to 80 animals so far and has thoroughly examined 30 to 40.

On Thursday, Dieter said he saw two papillons that had untreated broken bones that had healed but had left limbs in contorted positions.

On his examining table, he was treating No. 131: a female adult Cavalier King Charles spaniel who had just given birth to two puppies that morning but still had another one inside.

No. 131 also suffered from demodectic mange, a noncontagious form of the disease. One eye looked cloudy, which could be either glaucoma or cataracts, the vet said. She had a growth on her back that was a wound or skin problem that had healed over and now was just a scaly mass. But her most pressing health issue was the puppy inside of her that didn’t want to come out.

Dieter said he had given her two injections to stimulate labor. "It may be that the puppy is dead and she’ll need surgery to remove it," the vet said.

No. 131 is being kept in the maternity ward along with some pregnant cats, said Miranda Albrecht, a kennel technician, "so that I can keep an eye on her."

The pregnant spaniel is not the only pet that may have a dead puppy inside. A female English bulldog that the shelter suspected was the mother of at least one bulldog puppy was suffering from pyometra, a bacterial infection. The only treatment is to have the dog spayed, said Allen, but when the dog was undergoing the surgery, the doctors found a dead puppy inside of her.

"It happens a lot with English bulldogs, a breed known to have difficulty giving birth. They frequently have to have a Caesarean section," Allen said.

When the SPCA raided Michael Wolf’s kennel in the 1700 block of Old Baltimore Pike, it said it discovered the 335 dogs living in three buildings in unsanitary conditions. The dogs, including predominantly English bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, papillons and Havanese, were removed to the SPCA shelter.

Wolf was charged with 335 counts of animal cruelty for unsanitary conditions, a summary offense that could result in fine or imprisonment or both.

Gordon Trottier, an employee of the kennel and a breeder of papillons, was charged with 65 counts of animal cruelty for unsanitary conditions.

Last week, additional charges were filed against Wolf, including 200 counts of having unlicensed dogs and 100 counts of having dogs without a rabies vaccination.

Additional charges are pending against Trottier, said Chuck McDevitt, a spokesman for the SPCA.

While the animals cannot be put up for adoption until the court case is adjudicated, the bills for their care are piling up.

"The vet bills could be huge," said McDevitt, who admitted that he hadn’t even looked at a stack of bills that have already come in. Some of the other shelters that are caring for the dogs may not be able to absorb the veterinarian fees.

"I would expect that we are going to have to help some of them out," said Susan Spackman, SPCA executive director. One sick dog being housed at another shelter has already amassed $4,600 in veterinarian bills.

Between veterinarian costs, medicine and staff overtime, the resources of the shelter have been stretched thin.

The public has really stepped in to fill the gap, said McDevitt. The shelter has received supplies of dog food, beds, blankets, puppy formula among other items. The phone rings with prospective volunteers although volunteers cannot help with the confiscated dogs.

With the shelter nearing capacity, McDevitt wonders what will happen in the spring when numbers usually swell because animals have litters.

"We are urging people to exhaust every avenue before bringing their pets here," said McDevitt. He suggests that people who need to find a home for a pet try placing ads or posting flyers, although it is an open shelter and it will not turn anyone away.

To contact staff writer Anne Pickering, send an e-mail to [email protected].
 
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