* DO keep your pet indoors especially when you are not
at home.
* DO properly identify your pet with a collar tag, microchip, and/or
tattoo.
* DO be aware of strangers in your neighborhood. Report anything unusual
to the police.
* DO padlock your gate.
* DO keep your pet on a leash whenever you go outside.
* DO make neighbors aware of the problem of pet theft.
* DO know where your pet is at all times.
* DO NOT let your pet roam free in the neighborhood.
* DO NOT let your pet be visible from the street.
* DO NOT leave your pet unattended at any time.
* DO NOT tie your pet outside a store to wait for you.
* DO NOT use "Free to a Good Home" advertisements to place your pet in a
good home.
* DO NOT give your pet away without first knowing as much as possible
about the adoptive home.
Year after year, our pets are disappearing. Dogs and
cats alike are taken from homes across America. The statistics are grim.
Of up to two million animals stolen each year, only ten percent -- or
about 200,000-- are ever returned home. What happens to the others is
enough to anger any person who cares about animals.
The millions of pets who are stolen and never recovered
are typically used in dog fighting, sadistic acts, or experimentation.
Many of the people involved in buying and selling these animals are
licensed by the U.S. federal government. Anyone can obtain a Class B
license from the USDA and legally be able to sell "random source"
animals to research facilities across the country. These "random source"
animals come from many sources, but all too often they come right from
someone's backyard. Many of these animals are sometimes obtained through
"Free To Good Home" ads, preying upon unsuspecting pet owners who can no
longer care for their companions.
So-called "bunchers" acquire these animals for free. By
making fraudulent promises of a good home and tender care, these
trusting animals are sold by the bunchers, usually the same day, to
Class B dealers. Their eventual home -- research facilities, many of
which are funded by tax dollars.
Animals are obtained from neighborhoods, advertisements,
auction. What awaits them at a Class B facility?...dirty cages, rotten
food, and eventual torture.
Common violations taken from inspections:
"Cat was dead in cage. A second cat was emaciated, dehydrated with
severe nasal exudates..." Pennsylvania Class B dealer, 10-21-91
"The open burial pit contains several dog carcasses that
are uncovered and in various states of decay..." Oregon Class B dealer,
4-18-98
"No additional bedding or mats in puppy shelter in below
freezing weather..." Massachusetts Class B dealer, 4-6-95
Last Chance for Animals, a nonprofit organization,
continues to successfully stop pet theft for profit. The
precedent-setting guilty verdict of Ruggiero, Spero, and Jacobsen has
made LCA the first and only organization in the country to apprehend
three licensed 'B' dealers, bring them to trial, and send them to state
prison. Additionally, LCA has introduced and continued to push national
legislation to illegalize the sale of "random source" animals to
research facilities. Selling fraudulently obtained or stolen companion
animals to laboratories or other torturous facilities is an inexcusable
practice that the government must stop by cracking down on 'B' dealers.
For more information, call LCA toll free: 1-888-ANIMALS
Last Chance for Animals
8033 Sunset Blvd. Ste. 35
Los Angeles, CA 90046
ph: (301) 271-6096
fx: (301) 271-1890
http://www.LCAnimal.org
Go on to Animal Rights
Organizations To Join and Support
Return to 3 January 1999 Issue
Return to Newsletters
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