Saturday, March 19, 2011

It's Raining Dogs.....from Other Countries



Frequently, strays are "humanely relocated" from other countries to the US. This, to meet the demand for dogs, as the pet population in our country plummets. That's correct, the supply of pets is not sufficient to meet the demand here in the US.

Let me repeat that again. In case you didn't hear the first time.

There aren't enough dogs to meet the demand!

Think I'm kidding? Read on.

Ever hear of "Compassion without Borders", "Save a Sato", "Save a Mexican Mutt", "Dogs Without Borders"? These are just a few of the many groups who make a living importing dogs from other countries. There is even evidence now surfacing that some of these dogs are intentionally bred for export to the US!


Visit the website of the Taipei Abandoned Animal Rescue Foundation. The director of this group lives in...surprise! CARLSBAD California. They place dogs all across the United States.....from from Snohomish County, Washington, to "Pets Alive", a no-kill shelter in Middletown, NY.

The New England States in particular have a severe shortage of dogs. They rely heavily on groups like "North Shore Animal League" and "Save a Sato" to supply them with pets. But, many other other areas import as well.

Shelters are exempt from many import laws and have no federal requirements to quarantine the dogs or ensure that they are free of parasites and diseases before they place them.



Six Massachusetts residents had to receive rabies treatments because a shelter imported a rabid puppy from Puerto Rico. The puppy was too young to
have his rabies vaccinations completed, but shelters need puppies to satisfy their customers.

Here's some recent headlines documenting this phenomenon.

"Filling Empty Dog Pounds"

http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/2011/05/filling-empty-dog-pounds.html


http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/946/2003/02/06/FillingEmptyPounds/

(story has now mysteriously been removed from the AR-leaning Tufts enews. Thank you California Federation of Dog Clubs for archiving the text)

"Potcake puppies" imported from the Caribbean:

http://www.potcakeplace.com/



http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/wmview.php?ArtID=3517


"Compassion Without Borders" mostly imports from Mexico to Northern California:


http://cwob.org/rescue.html

"Save a Mexican Mutt" imports pets to the USA and Canada:


http://www.saveamexicanmutt.org/

"Save a Sato" brings dogs from Puerto Rico to the New England states and have done so for many years. In 2003 they hit a glitch when they brought in a dog with RABIES. Oops.


http://www.saveasato.org/


There is a ton of documentation on imports...here's a recent report estimating conservatively 300,000 imports every year.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3765973&tqkw=&tqshow=&page=1

A total of 1470 dogs have been rescued since 2004 by this particular group. They are sent to the USA to be "adopted" here.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201012120015

The Helen Woodward Humane Society (San Diego) imports dogs regularly from Romania:


http://www.10news.com/news/9330939/detail.html

And here is the latest info on a relatively new group: "Pets for Paradise"


http://www.cannonfalls.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=19682

http://www.gotostcroix.com/petsfromparadise/index.php


Fostering hope year 'round 

Connie Bickman
Friday Dec 24, 2010

"Several years ago a shelter called "Pets for Paradise" in the U.S. Virgin Islands sent out messages to shelters and rescue groups in the U.S. that could help them place dogs. This plea resulted in sister shelters in Missouri, Georgia, Florida, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota."
It's no secret that dogs are frequently re-shuffled here in the US. Just one of the many articles about that here:

"Shelter dogs make trip from Texas to New Hampshire, where they are in great demand"



http://www.boston.com/community/pets/articles/2010/12/14/shelter_dogs_make_the_trip_from_texas_to_new_hampshire/


Well, the evidence is in, and doesn't it make you wonder? Why do so many people in our country believe that we should be forced to "adopt" stray or rescued dogs...even if they are from other countries? And at the same time, they believe it's a great idea to pass laws that make breeding here a practical impossibility. Scratching my head here.

Why ask why? It's DogGone Nuts!

Yet another article about importing strays:
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/april072008/pet_rx-4-7-08.php

11 comments:

  1. Recent headlines? You do know that it's 2011, right?:

    Petpac's Filling Empty Dog Pounds is dated 2003, quoting Tuft's now missing/archived 2003 web article.

    Potcakes is 2004. I visited the site and frankly, they hardly seem like the bad guys.

    The Bahamasb2b site misbehaves but it is dated 2004.

    Compassion Without Borders sounds like a fabulous organization because like all third world countries, Mexico has an abysmal animal welfare record. I'm delighted they are rescuing and relocating animals from there, which I would hardly call "importing." Only people who believe in making money on the backs of animals would characterize them as a product for "import."

    Save A Sato clearly made a mistake back in 2003. Do you have anything in fact recent that shows they have a habit of making the same mistake repeatedly?

    The ABC News item about 300,000 "imports" is dated 2007. It suggests some improvements have since been made. (Likely not enough.)

    The Focus Taiwan story is a rather uplifting one of about six months ago and I don't understand what about it that is bothering you. Unless you think they are cutting into your profit margin.

    The rescued Romanian pups is another heart-warming story. Except it seems as if to you it means a shrinking market.

    Pets for Paradise and Go to St Croix again seem interested in rescuing animals. Are you suggesting that most of these animal rescue organizations are scams, sham charities that take donations first and never deliver the animal, or are you suggesting they are all part of a global conspiracy to abolish pet breeding entirely?

    The Boston item about Texas dogs going to New Hampshire where there are homes wanting them, as I read it, only details a win-win-win, yet you appear to want to suggest that something nefarious is going on. Really?

    What's doggone nuts is your suggestion that America has in fact fully controlled the mating habits of all homeless and feral dogs and cats such that there is a lack of suitably adoptable pets. No, I'm not falling for it. What you want is to keep catering to those uneducated and lazy members of society who refuse to adopt older dogs and cats and insist on just puppies and kittens. Those are the very sort who toss away unspayed and un-neutered adult dogs and cats because they aren't cute anymore. And those poor rejected beasts end up out in the alleys and junk yards procreating and starving.

    As a capitalist trafficker in live beings, are you actually begrudging the making of a profit by those organizations that charge something over their cost of the rescue, rather than operating at a loss?

    If more breeders would stop trying to ruin the reputations of rescuers and instead fight to strengthen laws that target bad breeders, instead side with the legitimate rescuing organizations, instead help educate the public to adopt cats and dogs, not just puppies and kittens, instead turn in bad breeders and put them behind bars, then I might have more sympathy for you. But as it is, breeders need to go out of style until there is a genuine shortage, not a manufactured one.

    McMescalero

    ReplyDelete
  2. Patti Strand has documented many of the problems with importing dogs in her excellent article here:


    http://www.naiaonline.org/Library/understanding_animals/global_stray_dog_population_crisis.html

    UPDATE!! Dr. Patty Khuly (an AR-leaning vet who believes that "nine out of ten dog breeders suck") wrote an interesting piece in today's "USA Today" on the problems with importing strays. You can access it here:

    http://tinyurl.com/HumaneOrInsane

    ReplyDelete
  3. What is a "McMescalero?" A fast food joint for Native Americans?

    Whoosh.....right over your head.....if we have such a surplus of pets here in the US, why is anyone importing them? I'll answer that one for you; because there is a shortage of adoptable dogs in this country, created by oppressive anti-breeding laws.

    But getting back to the issue of the dog import situation today: there was just a nice article in the LA Times this past year about dogs being smuggled into LAX and across the Mexican border. Puppies that are sick and dying. Puppies bred in those countries for the express purpose of being sold in the US. Puppies created intentionally to take advantage of the black market that we have created HERE. Things have not improved since 2003, 2004, 2007, six months ago or even two days ago, according to the USA Today article by Dr. Patty Khuly....pets are still being imported into the US by the hundreds of thousands. And the problems are getting worse, not better.

    And, you might like to read the definition of "import". Yeah, bringing something into the US from Mexico is, indeed, "importing" it.

    Ah heck, we only had rabies incidents with these dogs a few times, right? WRONG. There was just a case in 2004 of a dog brought up to Los Angeles from Mexico with rabies. First case of rabies here in over 30 years, but with continued imports of foreign strays, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more cases. In 2007, a Washington state veterinarian imported a dog from India with rabies. We don't really need to worry about keeping the continental US free of something like rabies, or do we? It is much nobler to take in stray dogs regardless of the health risks. IDIOTS!

    But, according to you, McMesc, importing rabies, parvo, and parasites is no big deal! A big parvo incident happened last year in Florida. Dozens of sick dogs were brought into the US from the Caribbean. Parasites also come in with these imported dogs. New World screwworms were eradicated from the United States in 1966, and Old World screwworm had never been seen in this country until it was found in a puppy imported from Singapore to Massachusetts in 2007.

    "Capitalist trafficker?" What sort of looney leftist phrase is that? Productivity and a fair, legal profit is nothing to be ashamed of. No, I don't sell animals, and never have, although my father was a cattle rancher. I work full-time in human healthcare. My animals are my pets, my hobby, my delight in life. I don't make a penny from my pets, although I am sure that by now I have paid enough in vet fees and pet supplies over the years to have bought somebody somewhere a new home.

    Veterinarians, rescues, and whacko groups like HSUS and ASPCA can all rake money in hand over fist on the backs of animals, but not someone who breeds them?

    Here's an article from 2010 (recent enough for you?), from DVM magazine, detailing how problems with imported dogs are getting worse, not better. Lots of documentation for all you doubting Thomases out there:

    http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/States-crack-down-on-puppy-mills/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/658787

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh brother here's ANOTHER one.

    http://www.islanddog.org/getinvolved.html

    From the website:

    Island Dog is a nonprofit organization sponsored by your donations. With your help we can fly animals to stateside no-kill shelters, where pets can find their forever homes. NOTE: We are not taking homes away from dogs in U.S shelters. We only send dogs in high demand, such as small breed dogs. A person wanting to adopt a Yorkie is not going to adopt a full
    sized lab. By placing desirable dogs in shelters we are attracting pet seekers to adopt from shelters. Thereby helping to decrease euthanasia practices and find homes for the 5 million dogs and cats put to death in U.S
    shelters."

    Yeah, right. And imported cars help to move the ones manufactured here in the US.

    They are decreasing euthanasia and finding homes for dogs put to death? That would be an eternal home, wouldn't it?

    Who in the world is stupid enough to believe this crap?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here's another one. Why is no one saying, for every dog brought in from Puerto Rico, another dog on the continent has to die?

    http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-08-30/news/fl-irene-puerto-rico-dogs-20110830_1_hurricane-irene-cherie-wachter-humane-society

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another one.....

    http://www.kare11.com/news/article/949437/396/30-dogs-in-Minnesota-after-rescue-from-Mexico

    30 dogs in Minnesota after rescue from Mexico
    10:38 AM, Dec 2, 2011 | 0 comments

    Written by
    KARE 11

    MINNEAPOLIS -- Thirty dogs are starting new lives in Minnesota Friday
    after flying in from Cancun, Mexico.

    The dogs were rescued from the streets and shelters of that Mexican city
    and flown in to Minneapolis Thursday night, thanks to Pet Project
    Rescue, a local organization that flies to Mexico and rescues pets in need.

    Bella is one of them, a street dog whose story is guaranteed to capture
    hearts. She was cut in the face with a machete, and has undergone one
    surgery and is waiting on another one.

    The dogs will go to foster families in Minnesota, and will hopefully be
    placed in forever homes soon.

    You can follow the story of the animals bylogging on to a website that
    has chronicled the group's rescue activities.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Several times a month, Yost loads up the society's van with crates, food


    and medications, and heads out to pick up dogs that would otherwise be

    euthanized at pounds and shelters in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and West

    Virginia.



    He brings them back to Danbury, where other volunteers place them in

    loving homes.



    "Each year, we've adopted out about 350 dogs....



    http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Bethel-man-honored-for-work-with-DAWS-3451692.php

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/31/news/bangor/humane-society-runs-out-of-adoptable-animals-closes-early-saturday/

    http://tinyurl.com/7a46dld
    -
    Humane society runs out of adoptable animals, closes early Saturday


    Daily News Bangor
    Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Last update: 7:24 a.m.


    BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor Humane Society shut down early Saturday after it ran out of adoptable animals for the first time in its 164-year history.

    The Mount Hope Avenue animal shelter had planned to stay open until 8 p.m. Saturday and be open for six hours Sunday as part the national Mega Match-A-Thon Event sponsored by the ASPCA.

    “This far exceeded our expectation,” Suzan Bell, executive director of the Bangor shelter, said Saturday afternoon. “I just want to thank the community for their support. Personally, I am overwhelmed. This is the best day in the history of the Bangor Humane Society as far as I’m concerned.”

    The shelter was one of 55 around the nation to receive a $10,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to participate in what was scheduled to be a three-day event. The grant allowed Bell and her staff to lower adoption fees and streamline the process so potential adoptees were matched with pets more quickly.,.......

    ReplyDelete
  9. Puppy Transport project transfers dogs from Louisiana to other shelters in "more affluent areas".

    http://www.chron.com/news/article/Puppy-Transport-Project-launched-in-La-4880698.php

    "Pilots N Paws' has transferred over 1000 dogs to rescues in areas with shortages. I posted a comment to their page, which offers some false statistics, but of course it was never published. Here is their website: http://pilotsnpaws.org/

    Here's my comment that they refused to post:
    "You are performing a wonderful service, but please correct your facts on numbers killed in the US. According to the latest nationwide statistics from Maddie’s Fund, the figure is 2.4 million adoptable dogs and cats that are killed in shelters. While this number sounds like a lot, remember that over half are cats, and that there are an estimated 185 million pet-owning households in the US. Enough to easily absorb any adoptable shelter pets. Thanks to groups like yours, that is happening. If we had proactive shelter managers there would be NO adoptable dogs killed, because there are plenty of homes available for them, as evidenced by the need for transportation services to areas with shortages."
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Not another country, but overseas nevertheless. The HSUS in Hawaii reports that the Kauai Humane Society has shipped 185 dogs to the East Bay SPCA in Oakland and the Portland HS in Oregon.

    http://kauaihumane.org/volunteer/pettransfer

    http://www.mauihumanesociety.org/content/503d4d068ec8a/Wings_of_Aloha_-_Program_Description.html

    The Maui HS program sends dogs to Washington State, Oregon, Colorado, and Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  11. http://www.kare11.com/news/article/949437/396/30-dogs-in-Minnesota-after-rescue-from-Mexico

    ReplyDelete