The Memphis Vortex

God Hates The South

If you've been following the news much this spring then you probably know that God hates the South. I don't know what we've done to incur the wrath of the Almighty, but He's been showing some pretty unmistakable signs that He is not happy with those of us who live below the Mason-Dixon line. I say this because something like 170 tornadoes cut loose across the South on one day in April, killing over 300 people. Seven people died here in my county. As if that weren't enough, it's been followed by the worst flooding of the Mississippi River in at least 70 years, and in some places, ever. (Of course, the Mississippi does span more than just the South, so we will share our misery with some of our Midwestern friends.) And, to add insult to injury, the 13-year cicadas are coming out, like some kind of plague on the land.

So, you can see why I say that God doesn't seem to like us much right now.

Memphis Animal Shelter

In the midst of all these disasters, you may have missed some of the pet stories coming out of Memphis but there have been some whoppers. By far the biggest story is that of the Memphis Animal Shelter which is being reported daily by the YesBiscuit blog. If you're not familiar with the story then I encourage you to visit the YesBiscuit site right away and catch up. YesBiscuit is on a much-needed crusade to draw attention to some of the practices at the Memphis Animal Shelter, including their high euthanasia rate, way of treating the animals in their care, minimal work with rescues and efforts to get animals adopted, among other problems at the shelter. To say that the shelter director and city officials have been dismissive is putting it mildly. So please do check out YesBiscuit's blog and try to get involved.

Dog Relocation Program?

But there's other news from Memphis, some good and some not so good. Animal rescue groups have converged on the city to try to help owners and their animals affected by the flooding. Sounds great, right? And we're sure that most of these efforts are good-hearted and well-intentioned. We applaud all of the rescuers who are reaching out to help animal owners and their animals. Except, there are a few groups who may not have good intentions. There always seem to be one or two bad apples who can spoil the whole barrel.

ASPCA is on the ground in Memphis offering shelter for pets who have been displaced by flooding. According to news articles, they say that the owners will be able to pick them up when they're ready to go home again.

"People can bring their pets here regardless of their health or situation," said Joel Lopez, a former pacemaker sales representative from New York, who quit to work for the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The shelter is operated with staff from the organizations and volunteers who use vacation days from jobs.

"This is the largest emergency-relief deployment in our history, dating back to 2007 when the program was launched," said Steve Pawlowski, communications manager for PetSmart Charities, which is using Memphis as a staging area for the flood disaster and for victims of the recent string of tornadoes.

The New York-based ASPCA is overseeing the operation.

The process for sheltering and rescuing the animals was born from the chaos of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when people were forced to abandon pets, many of which drowned.

It inspired rescue groups and the federal government to develop a plan that addressed animal welfare.

"We realized organizations needed to come together to create a unified operation, said Kathryn Destreza, ASPCA Southeast regional director. "There were so many lessons from Katrina. There wasn't even a people plan in place to deal with victims. Remember the Superdome? You can't imagine the chaos dealing with pets."

A federal law, created in 2006, requires states seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to accommodate pets and service animals in plans for evacuating residents facing disasters.

Rescue organizations formed the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition to create a unified effort.

"We're all pet people so we believe the least we can do is help relieve people who are under so much stress to know that their babies are safe here with us," said Debrah Schnackenberg, American Humane Association senior vice president for emergency services.

"We spoil them and treat them like they're our own until the owners are ready to reclaim them."

That sounds great, right? But what about this news release from the ASPCA that says they have formed a "national relocation program" for shelter animals?

Press Release

ASPCA Launches National Relocation Program for Shelter Animals

“Animal Relocation Initiative” Begins with Transport of Dogs, Cats from Regions Affected by Floods, Tornados

May 10,2011

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK—The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today announced the launch of its national Animal Relocation Initiative for shelter animals, which began with 46 dogs from shelters in eastern Arkansas that traveled westward over the weekend to make room for animals displaced by recent flooding, and continued on Monday with over 70 additional dogs from tornado-affected areas in Georgia and South Carolina going to shelters in the northeast. This morning, 15 dogs and 10 cats from shelters in a flood-affected region of Mississippi were loaded onto a trailer headed for West Palm Beach, Fla., and additional relocation efforts for animals in other affected areas are in the works.

The dogs and cats will be made available for adoption following their arrivals at the various destination shelters. Dogs from the initial relocation efforts traveled from Eastern Arkansas to shelters in Kansas and Colorado, and those from Georgia and South Carolina were sent to shelters in New York and New Jersey. The animals are being transported in climate controlled vehicles.

“Our new Animal Relocation Initiative will establish a national network that facilitates the transfer of animals and build a professional collective engaged in the issue of relocation,” said Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the ASPCA. “We also intend to develop flexible, scalable relocation programs that assure animals are moving the shortest distance possible.”

The ASPCA’s Animal Relocation Initiative moves animals from areas of oversupply to areas where there are few, if any, similar pets available in shelters for adoption. In these first cases, the ASPCA’s Field Investigation and Response Team has been deployed to areas where a large-scale disaster recovery effort is in progress, and the Animal Relocation Initiative is supporting those efforts, working with a network of agencies willing to receive and house animals that already exist in the community’s sheltering system.

“Our new program is all about supply and demand,” said Sandy Monterose, the ASPCA’s senior director of community outreach. “We will be exporting animals—safely, efficiently and humanely—from crowded shelters to regions where space is available. In this case, moving current shelter animals out of the affected area increases the ability of local organizations to help animals that need to be rescued or sheltered until they can be reunited with their families.

So, that seems a little confusing. Not to mention a trifle opportunistic. They are taking dogs in the tornado and flood areas and sending them to places where there is a demand for them. But, how do they know that some of the animals in the shelters weren't lost in the tornadoes and flooding? How do they know there aren't families looking for those dogs? And, if those dogs are sent to states 1000 miles away, how will their families ever find them? They won't even know where to look for them. Plus, the animals will have been adopted by other people. This sort of sounds like what happened with the Katrina dogs that HSUS "rescued" in Louisiana. There were all kinds of accusations at that time that HSUS took the dogs, saying that they would reunite them with their owners later, and then they sent the dogs to other states, adopted them out to other people, and their original owners couldn't find them. A few owners did track down their dogs and they had to go to court to get their dogs back.

(Gee, reading these Katrina stories, you think it's possible that HSUS doesn't really have much hands-on experience with animal care? Hmmm? What do you think? But how could that possibly be true? Isn't it HSUS that is always proposing legislation about animal care and telling people how to take care of animals? How odd. Aren't they the recognized "experts" when it comes to animals? Well, maybe not.)

So, you see why I think it's a little odd for the ASPCA to be "relocating" these dogs that they are "rescuing." They are kind of rescuing and relocating them against their will, or at least under false pretenses. And they aren't the only group going into tornado and flood areas in the South and plucking dogs out of shelters and even out of people's yards and sending them north and elsewhere. It's kind of despicable, but there are a lot of shelters in the north and other places which are taking these dogs and then adopting/selling them, using the big selling point that they are "Tornado Dogs!" to get people to pay money for them. Again, their families don't have any idea what has happened to these dogs. And shelters are making money off them. It's a pretty rotten business. It stinks.

Actually this "relocation" business raises another troubling question. If dogs from southern disaster areas are being moved to shelters in other parts of the country, what happens to the dogs in those shelters? Are they being killed to make room for the more financially desirable "Tornado Dogs!"? Sure, those shelters may be less crowded, but they probably aren't completely empty. Who wants to buy a plain old local dog when a shelter can pimp a dog with a sad story that's been through a flood? I just wonder how many dogs are being killed as part of this "dog relocation program"?

Trunking?

Oh, yeah, there's one more story from Memphis that I wanted to mention. This one pops up every year or two and it always makes me roll my eyes. Ever hear of "trunking"? Well, don't feel bad. Most people haven't. That's probably because it comes from the tortured and alarmist brains of some animal rights people and doesn't really exist except in their fantasies. The story always comes from the same newspaper in Memphis and cites the same two women as sources. According to these people "trunking" is the new craze in dog fighting whereby dogs are thrown into the trunk of some ne'er-do-well's car and, while this person drives around playing loud music, the dogs fight in the trunk ... er, yeah. I'm not making this up. It's a sport or activity without any spectators which really makes no sense to me. And, no one has ever actually seen this event happen. Nor is there any evidence that this event has ever happened. But these ladies claim that this is the hot new trend in dog fighting. Yeah, sure. So, again, no witnesses, no evidence, no one has ever seen it happen. But the story gets reported periodically. I really think this is some kind of urban legend perpetuated by a couple of animal rights fanatics. Seriously, if you google the term "trunking" the only stories relating to dog fighting (and there are hardly any at all) go right back to these two women in Memphis. I really think they made it up and I feel kind of sorry for them if that's the way their minds work.

So, if you're in Memphis, being chased by a tornado, and the river is rising to meet you, watch out for someone in a car with loud music playing because he could have dogs fighting in the trunk. Okay? Just be careful out there. Memphis is really in trouble.

Moving To Tennessee? Maybe Not

Working with Tennessee Pet-Law, I get Google alerts all the time about various dog things on the Internet relating to Tennessee. I get alerts about rescue, HSUS, BSL, mandatory spay-neuter, dog legislation — you name it. Alerts all the time. Sometimes I get alerts when people are discussing Tennessee in dog chatrooms and message boards. That happened tonight when someone named NY Annie was asking for information about dogs and McNairy County.

Here's NY Annie's original posting asking for information:

The first, dog breeds that do well in the summer heat of south western TN and with the outdoors - farm country (south of Jackson). We will be surrounded by farms, next to, behind, and across from us and I am sure there will be chickens and other farm animals. I don't want trouble with my neighbors or want to worry that my dog escapes to go hunt on the neighbors' property. We also are surrounded by heavy woods, separating us from the neighbors, so there is always the possibility of snakes and other wildlife I need to concern myself with - both with the dog getting hurt by or chasing. While we will be taking in a rescued dog and I'll be getting a mutt, there are characteristics of breeds that will be predominant, so I'm just wondering what I should look for.

That's not so bad, right? But then NY Annie goes on to explain more about her situation and what she thinks life will be like when she moves to Tennessee:

My kitties are my pets - indoors at night, outside when we are - and perimeter trained. I've never had a dog house because none of my dogs were kept outdoors. They, like my kitties, are permitted to go outdoors to be with the family and to do their business - in a specific location and therefore must be perimeter trained. When we leave the property, they are leashed (wish we could do that with kids sometimes). And, just like children, pets are taught proper behavior - well, just like MY children...

Since we plan to spend almost all our time outdoors, it would be terrible to leave the pets inside. We just need to find a contractor to build our deck & pool next summer so it's ready when we arrive. The outdoor kitchen will be my next priority. We are designing it now and it will actually have more counter space than the indoor kitchen as it's where I plan on doing most of my canning. Of course I want my kitties and dog outside with me. And my kitties come when I use a certain whistle; just like all my dogs did.

This kind of stuff just drives me crazy.

I want to tell this woman DON'T MOVE HERE!

What is she thinking? So, she's moving to farm country, close to woods, and she's not going to have a fence. She wants to get a Beagle mix and "perimeter-train" it. OMG Am I the only one who thinks this is completely stupid? The Beagle part of that dog is going to be gone in a heartbeat. This is why we tell people ad nauseum to learn about breeds and mixes before you get a dog. Beagles are hunting dogs and they have strong instincts. I don't think any amount of "perimeter-training" is going to keep that dog in NY Annie's yard. Besides that, it's just not a good idea to move to a rural area and get a dog without having a good method of containment. You are asking for trouble if you don't have a means of containing your dog.

And, if that weren't bad enough, she's got KITTENS! She thinks she's going to perimeter train them, too? That's nice. What about all the big bad things that want to eat THEM? So, while she's happily cooking in her outdoor kitchen (please, who does that in Tennessee?), her dog has disappeared, and something with claws has devoured her kittens. Even if they are adult cats by the time she moves, they don't stand much of a chance against some of the things that can come out of the woods in Tennessee.

And I haven't even mentioned the kudzu that can swallow your pets, your house, and your car.

Why do people think they can move to Tennessee and do this stuff? Next thing you know, she is calling animal control about her neighbor's dogs that killed her cats, or her Beagle mix has been chasing someone's chickens and her farmer neighbor is threatening to shoot him.

And all of the other enablers on this site are just telling her what horrible animal owners there are in Tennessee. Yeah? Well, they're not the ones who are going to be having the problems this woman is going to be having!

Yes, this kind of thing does drive me crazy, and I read exchanges like this frequently when someone is thinking of moving to Tennessee. No, we are not hicks or hillbillies. We are not bad people and we do love animals. But that does not mean that you can arrive here with your pets and act as though everything should be done the same way as the place you left. IF you are moving to a rural area, the farmers and other residents were there first. They do not want your "perimeter-trained" pets bothering their farm animals. Some farmers WILL shoot a dog. That is a fact. And the law will back them up if your dog is bothering their stock. So, keep your pets safely contained at home. That will also keep them from being hit by a car, picked up by animal control, or becoming lost.

Contrary to what you may read on some of these "informational" sites, most people with pets in Tennessee do allow pets indoors. And we are not a state full of animal abusers. We love our pets just as much as anyone, anywhere. Please get some accurate information if you are thinking of moving to Tennessee.

Are there things in Tennessee that are different from some other states? Sure. Things are different in every state. I've lived in several states and I've never noticed much difference in the way people treat their pets. But you do have to check local laws wherever you live. Check the government Web site for the state, county, and city where you are thinking of moving. That's the best way to get accurate information. Find out if there is a city or county pet license. Find out how often rabies shots are required locally. In Tennessee you are only required to get a rabies shot every three years, but some cities and counties require them more often. Find out if there are any pet limits where you're thinking of living. There are few pet limits across Tennessee but some of the larger cities do have limits. Find out what the law says for an area before you move to Tennessee. And, for goodness' sake, if you don't like what you hear about Tennessee, please don't move here. We really don't need people to move here who think they can make our state into the place they left. If you like it there so much, stay there.

How To Find Information About Animal Laws In Tennessee

For those of you interested in knowing more about animal laws in Tennessee, check out the Michie site for Tennessee laws. Title 43 and Title 44 concern agriculture/horticulture and animals. Most of the laws applying to livestock and to pets are in these sections. That's where you can get the straight version of Tennessee laws. If you go to some other sites I'm afraid you will get an animal rights interpretation of animal law, and that includes the UT web site on animal law. They have a link to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, one of the most hard core animal rights groups in the country. ALDF is the group behind the push for an animal abuser registry here in Tennessee and elsewhere. The Animal Law Coalition site also tends to be AR-leaning in its interpretation of animal laws.

And, what is wrong with an animal abuser registry, you may be wondering? Well, for one thing, it's good way to ruin the lives of youthful offenders. Do you really want to put a young teenager on an animal abuse registry? Kids sometimes do stupid things that they regret for the rest of their lives. It's not a true indication of who they are when they are adults. Even if someone's name is removed from such a registry 10 years later, there is no way to remove all of the places where their name has been posted on the Internet as an animal abuser. Should someone really have to pay for some crimes for the rest of their lives? I don't think so, and neither do many other people.

Secondly, there is every indication that these offender registries don't actually work, judging by the lack of success with sex offender registries.

HSUS, ALDF, and AR supporters have been pushing the animal abuse registry bill in Tennessee for the last several years. So far it hasn't gotten very far. Let's keep it that way.

But We thought the DA Led the Raid?

WHO Led The Raid On Wilma Jones?

There seems to be some more confusion, even among ARC volunteers, about just who led that raid on Mrs. Jones. Although there are people who have commented here on this site that the Warren County District Attorney led the raid on Mrs. Jones, here is Heather Davis, who calls herself an "ARC Volunteer Shelter Manager" claiming that ARC led the raid:

Animal Rescue Corps led this rescue... thanks to them for saving
these dogs... they have truly given them a new opportunity at life
and love for the first time and we are grateful for all of their
efforts. Thanks also to the rescue partners and sponsors who made
this possible... learn more about them here: http://
www.animalrescuecorps.org/thank-you-to-all-animal-rescue-corps’-
partners-volunteers-supporters-and-contributors/

That's from yet another Facebook page for the dogs. Sorry, I've gotten confused about who this one is for. I think it's for people who have adopted or fostered them.

Of course, Heather is also the publisher of Nashville Paw Magazine. Do you think it's any coincidence that ARC reached out to the media in Nashville when they decided to steal, er, "rescue" dogs? Afterall, what better credentials could someone have for being a shelter manager than publishing a magazine? Perhaps that's a little cynical, but it seems likely that ARC pays more than a little attention to the media, don't you think? And wasn't it awfully nice of those actors from CATS to come out and help raise money for the poor widdle doggies when they were in town? I bet that made people dig a little deeper in the pockets to donate.

And, in case you were wondering, ARC now has a "TN State Liaison" too. Woohoo! That would be Peg Petrelli, the person who coordinated with Kim Chambliss to gather evidence for three weeks against poor Mrs. Jones. So, we wonder what Peg Petrelli will be doing in Tennessee now that Mrs. Jones has given up her dogs? Maybe she will be cruising around looking for other elderly ladies with dogs. Better hide your pets, people.

We are still waiting to hear about any charges against Mrs. Jones....

Whitewashing in McMinnville

If you check the Facebook page for the Warren County humane society of McMinnville TN now you will rather amazingly find it full of good works and pictures of dogs and kitties up for adoption. There's not a word about Mrs. Wilma Jones, not even on the day of the ARC raid in March. Good job people! I know you had to work really hard to remove all the bile you had spilled about wishing Mrs. Jones in hell and plotting to call in phony animal abuse charges on her, along with sending more people to spy on her and her pet dogs. Too bad I have screen shots of your original messages with your names. Screen shots which I will post if Mrs. Jones has trouble from you so everyone will know how you plotted and planned against her.

It's not that easy to get rid of things you post on the Internet.

You can also find some of the same people posting some of the same things on the Facebook page Stop Animal Abuse at Warren County TN Animal Control. I guess they have a problem with Warren County Animal Control, too. Not only that, but if you will read further on this site, you can find out more about the Great Danes that were said to have "escaped" from their owner's property (yeah, sure), and then somehow got lost again from the people who took them. Either the dogs in Warren County are really clever, or there are some very incompetent people there. Yep, it's those same vigilantes in Warren County. You can read all about their contempt for fourth amendment rights which prohibit illegal search and seizure, or in this case out and out theft of dogs. Did the owners of the dogs ever read this site, ladies? Did they know how and where you planned on taking the dogs so you wouldn't have to return them as the judged ordered you to do? Don't bother scrubbing the site. I have screen shots of this one, too.

Here's a tip: if you are going to plan to do things that are illegal, it's probably not a good idea to post them on the Internet. Did you really hire attorneys to represent the Warren County humane society, and then you posted stuff like this online? Geesh, that's not very smart. If you do remove these posts from the site, I will be more than happy to supply the screen shots to the dogs' owners in case they sue you, which they should probably do.

These are the same people who "gathered evidence" against Wilma Jones. These are the people who brought ARC to Warren County. As you can see, their credibility is somewhat lacking, so maybe it's not surprising that no charges have been filed against Mrs. Jones.

Now, you may think I am picking on Warren County, and I am, just a bit, because they have been over-the-top in their condemnation of Wilma Jones; plus they have been playing pretty fast and loose by taking dogs from people (we called that "stealing" when I was growing up). But I think what's happening in Warren County is a fairly good example of things that have been happening in a lot of places throughout the country in the last several years. That is, in the name of "rescuing" animals, human beings are being tossed aside. The basic rights that we enjoy as Americans are being ignored, discarded, overlooked, and minimized. Fourth amendment? What's that? Who cares? Illegal seizure? What? People have to actually be charged with a crime before you can seize their property? Oh, and yes, animals definitely ARE property. Make no mistake about that. They need to be cared for and treated right, but they are property. And you can't just go to someone's house and take their property without a legal reason to do so. And, oh yeah, you have to actually be an authorized, legal person to take property (animals). So, you, Warren County humane society, and other do-good rescuers, can't just take it upon yourselves to take somebody's dog out of their yard! We have due process in this country and you are supposed to follow it, even when animals are involved. The rest of this circus recently, with ARC, the $100,000 seizure bond which is ridiculous, and people who care more about animals than people, are all part of the same story.

So, you can try to remove all of the low, nasty comments you like, Warren County humane society, but I think people have gotten a good look at you and they see what you do. You may think you are saving animals, but you are treating people like dirt. Start playing by the rules or it's going to come back and bite you.

Warren County: Judge: Animal Advocates Illegally Took Dogs

Judge: Animal Advocates Illegally Took Dogs

Don't blink or this story might disappear again. That's right. Wherever it's posted, it keeps getting pulled off the Internet. First it was posted on wsmv.com in Nashville on 4/15/11, but it was quickly yanked. But it had already been picked up and posted on MSNBC.com. Sometime on 4/16/11 the story was removed. I guess the truth hurts.

Judge: Animal Advocates Illegally Took Dogs

Advocates Say Pets Unhealthy, Needed Veterinary Care

POSTED: 5:06 pm CDT April 15, 2011

UPDATED: 5:32 pm CDT April 15, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A judge has ruled animal advocates acted illegally when they took more than 100 dogs from a Warren County home.

A judge ruled Friday that Wilma Jones can keep four of her dogs. She agreed to give up the rest after animal advocates seized the dogs from pens in Jones' back yard.

The judge said Friday that raid was illegal because Jones was not charged criminally.

The advocates said the dogs were unhealthy and needed veterinary care.

The dogs Jones surrendered will be available for adoption.

As we wrote in our original story about the raid on Mrs. Jones, if Scotlund Haisley is involved in a raid, you better not count on it being legal. There have still not been any charges filed against Mrs. Jones. As the judge very correctly pointed out in court, that makes the seizure of her dogs illegal. So, what does that mean for the 117 dogs that were seized from her? She gave up ownership of the dogs in court because ARC was demanding $100,000 for their care. But the dogs would not have been in ARC's custody if they had not illegally seized the dogs. Does this mean Mrs. Jones could demand to get her dogs back now? Unfortunately, the dogs have most likely been spayed and neutered by this time, which means they are not valuable as breeding animals at this point. Perhaps it means that we'll be seeing Mrs. Jones taking ARC and those who assisted them to civil court to be reimbursed for the value of her stolen dogs. Not to mention other damages. We've been told that during the seizure officials were very rough with this 72 year-old-woman.

There might be a lot of people to sue. Consider the possibly libelous things said about Mrs. Jones and the vendetta being plotted against her on the Facebook page of the so-called "Warren County Humane Society of McMinnville, TN." We've put the name of this group in quotes because we've been informed that there is no such official organization. The county had an official humane society at one time but now they only have an animal control department. The people calling themselves by this name currently are only rescuers acting as vigilantes in Warren County. They're a 501(c)3 group with no facilities and they don't officially represent McMinnville or Warren county. These are the same people who illegally took two Great Danes a couple of months ago and, when ordered by a judge to return them, claimed that they "lost" one of them. Yeah, right. Now you can see that they are planning more "undercover" work (and planting "evidence"?) so they can check on Mrs. Jones pets. And they think it's a good idea to call in bogus animal abuse claims against her because they don't like the way the legal system works. It's people like this who give good animal rescues a bad name.

So, let's add it all up. Vigilante rescue people worked undercover for three weeks, possibly planting evidence, at the home and kennels of a 72-year-old woman. They called in ARC, Animal Rescue Corps, headed by Scotlund Haisley, who is already named in at least two lawsuits by breeders for illegally seizing dogs. They took 121 dogs and five birds. Mrs. Jones had to surrender 117 of the dogs when ARC demanded she come up with $100,000 for their care, but she asked to keep her personal pets and birds. The judge ruled that the seizure had been illegal because Mrs. Jones has never been charged with anything at all, and he gave her back her four house dogs and her birds.

Of course, it's possible the DA could pull something together and charge Mrs. Jones with something, just to save face. But it looks pretty bad right now. The District Attorney was actually at the scene of the raid, making speeches before it occurred. Wouldn't you think there might be charges by now if there were some real grounds for them? Or maybe ARC and their undercover friends have taken everyone for a ride. You have to wonder how much $$$$ ARC has received in donations for these dogs, along with all of the generous donations of goods and services from people and businesses. That sounds like the definition of a scam to me. All too often when dogs are seized from breeders it comes down to one thing: money. Steal dogs from breeders so they can be sold and the money goes to rescues and shelters, rather than to the breeder who has invested money in caring for the dogs and raising them. In cases with seizure bonds set so high, as in this one, with ARC demanding $100,000 to care for the dogs, they also make money on the front end, before the dogs are even sold, from the "care" of the dogs, despite donations. And the amount set for the care of the dogs has been greatly inflated.

We'll have to wait and see what happens next. I do hope Mrs. Jones has her day in court, and not the way her more rabid detractors have been hoping.

The Truth About The Warren County Dog Raid

The Truth About The Warren County Dog Raid

Carlotta Cooper

Last week the property of Mrs. Wilma Jones in Warren County was raided by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, working with the Animal Rescue Corps. They had a warrant and seized approximately 125 dogs and five birds. From the photos and video I’ve seen, the buildings where the animals were housed were in a run-down state, though the dogs themselves looked healthy. Since she possessed more than 19 intact female dogs apparently used for breeding, Mrs. Jones was required to have a state commercial breeder license, which she did not have. At this time, no charges have been filed against Mrs. Jones for anything. That includes animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect. A hearing is scheduled this week to determine what will become of the dogs. The Animal Rescue Corps wants to have custody of the dogs so they can distribute them to rescue groups and shelters, after having them spayed and neutered. The dogs would then be put up for “adoption,” or rather sold to people who want them as pets.

Those are the facts in this case, along with the important fact that the Animal Rescue Corps has estimated that they will spend up to $100,000 on this deployment and they have been asking for donations to cover their costs.

Are any of these facts in dispute? Oh, yes. Nearly all of them.

First of all, you might ask how a warrant was obtained so a raid could be executed on Mrs. Jones’s property. According to statements on the Warren County Humane Society Facebook page and in other news accounts, Ms. Kim Chambliss went undercover for three weeks, posing as a puppy buyer to gain access to Mrs. Jones’s property and meet with Mrs. Jones. Were her actions legal? Is any evidence she obtained admissible in court? That remains to be seen.

You might also ask why the Animal Rescue Corps, located in Washington DC, was brought into this case when there is a local humane society in Warren County. If there were legitimate reasons to think dogs were being abused or neglected in Warren County, why did the local humane society or animal control not take action? The Humane Society of the United States has also been active in Tennessee in the last 2-3 years. Why were they not contacted in this case? Or, if they were, why did they not choose to act?

The Animal Rescue Corps is, in fact, a new organization, but it is headed by someone who is well-known in rescue circles: Mr. Scotland Haisley. Unfortunately, Mr. Haisley is well-known for all the wrong reasons. His tactics have been described as “SWAT-team-like” when raiding dog breeders. He has previously worked for the Humane Society of the United States, the Animal Rescue League, and In Defense of Animals. Even Wayne Pacelle, President of HSUS, described Haisley’s methods as “cowboy ways” since Haisley likes to kick in doors and wear a phony badge on occasion. Haisley seized 172 dogs from a breeder in South Dakota that a judge later ordered HSUS to return to the breeder. The breeder got his dogs back and is now suing. Before that, Haisley led a raid in Hawaii on a man who was trying to care for animals left by his dead wife. The owner brought a civil rights lawsuit against HSUS, the Hawaiian Humane Society and others who were involved in the raid.

I don’t think anyone should be too certain that any raid led by Scotlund Haisley will be held up in a court of law.

It’s true that Mrs. Jones did not have a commercial breeder license. It certainly sounds as though she did need one. However, that is not grounds for a raid or seizure. The commercial breeder law has a process in place for inspection, and for a breeder to have a length of time to come in compliance with meeting the standards for inspection, and for getting the license. At some point Mrs. Jones should have been, or would have been notified that she needed a commercial breeder license. She would have been inspected. At that point she would have had a certain amount of time to comply with the regulations in the act, and a certain amount of time to get the license. Or she would have had to remove some of her dogs to be under the limit of the law. But the commercial breeder act does not allow outside agencies, such as the Animal Rescue Corps, or undercover people, to take action against breeders. The Department of Health and its inspectors are currently inspecting breeders and issuing licenses. It simply takes time to visit every breeder in the state. It is also up to breeders who know they need a commercial breeder license to contact the Department and obtain one.

If Mrs. Jones is charged with anything at all and she chooses to try to fight the charges, it would mean that she faces literally thousands of dollars in costs. Not least of her costs would be the seizure bond for her dogs. These charges would be between $10 and $18 per day, per animal, and the money is due by 15 days after the defendant has been charged, depending on where the animals were held. For 125 dogs, that would mean Mrs. Jones would have to come up with $18,750 by day 15 if she intends to fight any charges, if we use the lowest figure of $10 per dog, per day. And that is just for the first 15 days. The bill would continue to rise the longer she has to wait for any trial. That’s why most dog breeders surrender their dogs, even if they fight the charges. Seizure bonds make it too costly to try to keep the animals, even when people are innocent. Coming on top of legal fees, few people can afford to pay these costs. Forfeiture and asset seizure bonds, which were changed in recent years to prosecute drug cases, have been used maliciously to force breeders to give up their animals.

It needs to be said here that Mrs. Jones is 72 years old (though different stories have put her age at 74 and at 80). She appears to live alone and have no family. She says she’s been breeding dogs for 30 years and that she loves her dogs very much. There’s really no reason to doubt her statements. Animal rescue volunteers may not like or approve of the way that Mrs. Jones keeps her dogs, and they may not like dog breeding in general, but it is possible to have different views of things. Commercial dog breeding is a legal activity. Mrs. Jones was breeding dogs, not running a meth lab. The buildings may have been unsightly but the dogs appeared to be in good condition. State law requires animals to have adequate food, water, and shelter and Mrs. Jones appears to have met those standards.

Finally, there is a larger issue at play here. That is the battle that is going on between those who see dogs as almost human pets and those who still see them as dogs, with a purpose. Animal rescuers often have very good motives. They would like to save every animal from anything they judge to be a harsh life. That includes being treated too much like a dog and from breeding situations. Dog breeders may love their dogs but they can also see that they have a utilitarian purpose. The present generation of dogs is needed to produce the next generation. Both groups like to place dogs in good homes. Dog breeders have been doing this for a very long time. In the last couple of decades, animal rescuers have been vying for those same pet homes with rescued animals, moving in on homes that once would have bought pets from breeders. In addition, animal rescuers have mounted a war against dog breeders by trying to convince the public that most pets come from substandard breeders, and telling people that they should “adopt, not shop.” There are plenty of great dogs that come from both sources. It’s unfortunate that this situation has turned into a war. In this case, Mrs. Jones may be one of its victims.

Too often lately, dogs are seized from breeders on phony or exaggerated charges (or no charges at all). When the breeder surrenders them because they can’t afford the exorbitant seizure bonds, the rescue group distributes the dogs to various shelters and rescues who turn around and sell the same dogs who were said to be in such terrible condition. In just a few days these allegedly “pitiful” dogs are somehow ready to be sold to the public, often for the same kind of prices the breeder would have charged. Miraculously, all of the alleged health problems are gone. The neglect is cured. Starving dogs are suddenly plump. It’s like magic how fast these pathetic dogs are suddenly ready to be “adopted” for a few hundred dollars when the money is going to a rescue group instead of to a breeder. And dogs that a few days before were said to have never known any human kindness are suddenly giving kisses and ready to play. Yeah, right. I’ve been breeding and showing dogs for almost 30 years and I can tell you that it takes a very long time to socialize an unsocialized dog. If a dog has really not had any social interaction, you can’t cure it in a week. In other words, the stories that are often told about dogs taken from breeders being “unsocialized” are bunk. The dogs are usually just scared when they are seized by strangers. Who wouldn’t be? If animal rescuers don’t know this, they don’t know much about dogs. If they do know it, and they mislead the press, then they are simply lying.

The bottomline, in more ways than one, is that rescues and shelters make money when dogs are seized from a breeder. There’s a reason why breeders refer to these raids as “stealing” dogs. Rescues and shelters turn around and sell the same dogs that breeders were selling, and can sell them for several hundred dollars per dog. The only difference from buying them from a breeder is that they are spayed/neutered, and people can feel morally superior about getting a “rescued” dog that probably didn’t need to be rescued from anything.

It’s also unfortunate that there are rescue groups who prey on the public’s generosity to push their own agenda. I think it’s very doubtful that it will actually take $100,000 to provide care for the dogs that were seized on Mrs. Jones’s property. Of course, the Animal Rescue Corps isn’t the only group that asks for money from the public. HSUS, PETA, the ASPCA, and other animal rights groups have their hand out all the time, using sad pictures of animals to try to motivate the public into giving them money. The problem is, the money is rarely used to actually help animals. Instead, it goes to lobbying, pension plans, and big salaries. Helping animals in need is a great thing to do. It’s too bad that’s not where your money goes. Instead of donating to a group with a headquarters in Washington DC, give your money to a local shelter or rescue. That’s the only way to really make sure you are helping animals that need it.