Leg Traps Trap Pets Too!

Louisiana – Warning Leg Traps Can Trap Your Pets Too!

by Joni Solis (true account)

I want to let everyone know that in Louisiana people can set out inhumane leg hold traps for our wildlife and sometimes our pets can become their victims too.

I was walking four of my dogs yesterday evening (5:30 pm 3-10-2005), as I do twice a day, on my sister’s property which is right behind my property, when two of my dogs were caught in metal leg hold traps.

The first one caught was Gigit my 29-pound corgi/heeler mix. She screamed and screamed in horrible pain. I have never heard a dog scream so loud and for so long and with so much panic in her voice.

I ran up the trail trying to find her and see what had her. I knew it couldn’t be a snakebite. Then I saw her. She busted her mouth biting at the trap trying to free herself. She twisted and twisted around and around as she screamed. The steel jaws of the barbaric metal trap had slammed shut and were crushing her foot. Her eyes showed pure terror.

I tried again and again to free her from the trap but I knew nothing about how to go about doing that. I pulled at the chain that went into the ground but it didn’t come loose or even budge in the slightest.

My hands shook, my legs shook, I screamed for help. I dug at the chain with a stick and a rock. I tried to calm Gigit. Her blood specked the ground, my hands, and our legs. Tears blurred my vision. My other dogs circled around us whining. I screamed for help again.

I heard my mother’s voice. She was on her land not far away. She started to run down the trail towards me and I ran toward her. My dogs ran with me. Then we heard Lobo, my 95-pound German Shepherd screaming in pain. Now he too was caught in a leg hold trap right in the middle of our trail.

He was too frantic with pain and fear to try to help so we ran passed him to Gigit who was now not struggling. My mother tried to remove the trap from Gigit smashed foot but she couldn’t release her either.

Lobo’s screaming stop and he was running towards us. He had somehow twisted himself free from the trap within 2 to 3 minutes time! My mother took, Snippy, one of my small dogs that I had on a leash and went for help. I held on to Lobo’s collar and held BoBo my smallest dog in my arms as I talked to Gigit trying to keep her calm and not pulling on the trap. I felt so helpless unable to release her from this vicious torture device.

Gigit started to scream and pull at the trap again. Lobo frighten, pulled away from me and ran, but he didn’t run back up the trial or down the trail, he ran right through the heavy brush and blackberry thorns. I held BoBo and ran up the trail home hoping that I too wouldn’t step into a trap on the trail.

Getting Lobo and BoBo home safe I called the police begging for help and headed back to Gigit with a bowl of water. She was patting very hard but wouldn’t drink. Blood dripped into the water from her injured mouth.

My 17-year-old son, Felix, met me on the trail and held Gigit while I worked a shovel around the trap’s chain. Then he took a turn with the shovel. The hole was about a foot deep but the chain was still not budging. Then I asked him to try to release her foot from the trap. With his first try the trap’s jaws gave just a bit and Gigit screamed and struggled.

I made a muzzle with her leash and held her tightly to me as he tried again, then once again.

On the third try he was able to get the trap’s mouth open enough for Gigit to pull her foot free. I bust out in tears and cried into her fur.

She was trapped for at least 30 minutes and I worried how badly she was hurt. Felix carried her home.

Photo of Gigit At Home

The police still hadn’t shown and I called them again. They acted like they could do nothing. My sister, Barbra, who was now here, got on the phone with the police and they told her they contacted Wildlife and Fisheries and someone would come out tomorrow to check the traps. I should have told them that it was my daughter caught in the trap not a mere dog (to them).

Where were the compassionate rescuers like they show on Animal Planet that zoom to help and risk life and limb?

I called the vet and she told me wash and ice down Gigit’s foot, and give her a baby aspirin, her rest, and bring her to the clinic in the morning. Gigit didn’t drink until 10:30 pm and then only a little. She moaned a little off and on and first seemed too hot and then too cold. I lay besides her on the bed.

Gigit on a wooded trail

(No I did not get a photo of Gigit in the trap, I would have if my mind had been clear enough to think about crabbing my camera)

At 5 am in the morning of 10-11-2005 after an almost sleepless night my mother, my sister, and I, went on the trail by the traps to await the trappers return. I brought along my digital camera and photographed the traps. As it grew a little lighter I spotted another orange streamer and looked for another trap.

My sister picked up a tree branch and poked at the ground that looked a little to smooth and clear. The hidden trap’s jaws slammed into the branch with a crunch.

We sat and waited the trappers’ return. At about 6:15 the eastern sky was beautiful with the morning sunrise.

Photo of the sunrise

Another trapped dog…

Photo of dog in trap struggling and chewing on the trap: dog in trap

I walked down the trail to photograph the other traps again since the sky was lighter now. While photographing the trap that had held Gigit the evening before I heard a scream and I thought it was a coyote trapped in a trap we had yet to discover.

I yelled for Barbara and ran down the trail towards the screams. It was dog, but not mine this time!

Leg hold trap

I am not strong enough to open this trap and had no idea how to do it if I was strong enough. I don’t think most people would know how to release their pet from a leg hold trap. And the trap in the photo below is called a live trap — meaning that it doesn’t have teeth and is meant to hold an animal for the trapper to take alive — alive to be sold to hunters to hunt down or train their dogs with.

leg hold trap

Bloodstained: 4 dog leashes, two pairs of pants, one sweater, two small towels, and two bath towels.

Thank you for reading my personal account of my dogs being caught by leg traps.

Notes of Warning: (Louisiana)

2008-2009 LOUISIANA TRAPPING SEASON

The trapping season will open STATEWIDE on November 20, 2008, and will close March 31, 2009. These dates have been set permanently for future years by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/licenses/trappers/
http://snipurl.com/sny70

• With the right permit a trapper can set traps year round not just in the trapping season!
• Your neighbors do not have to inform you that they are setting traps on their property.
• Trappers do not always know property lines and can set traps on your property by mistake or intention. (This is what happened to our dogs and us.)
• Louisiana children and young teens can trap by purchasing a $5 licenses. (Incentive to turn children into trappers!)
• Fur Harvest: Trapping in Louisiana coastal wetlands generates approximately $2 million annually (LDWF 2004). http://dnr.louisiana.gov/crm/coastalfacts.asp
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries – TRAPPING REGULATIONS Trapping Rules Louisiana Fur Advisory Council http://snipurl.com/snyd2

Leg traps are a cruel and inhumane way of trapping animals. They catch animals indiscriminately-meaning that the preferred prey target is not always the one that steel jaws of the trap slams shut on.

Many domestic dogs and cats are also trapped. Other “accidentally” trapped animals: Blue Jays, Owls, ducks, porcupines, flying squirrels, rabbits, and sometimes even endangered species, like eagles, and others. These “unwanted” animals are often killed and tossed or let free, many with painful and sometimes fatal injures.

Trapped animals suffer immense terror and excruciating pain for many hours and sometimes for days awaiting the trappers return. Sometimes they bleed to death, break their legs or joints or teeth in their frantic struggles, or chew off their foot or leg trying to free themselves. Leg traps are barbaric torture devices that need to be outlawed. We must demand an end to the use of leg traps — now!

Please post this email to other dog and cat welfare groups and on you website to help warn other dog owners that this could happen to them and their pets. And so people will want to put an end to trapping animals!

I would like to hear from anyone whose dog has been trapped.
Please visit the following website to learn more about traps…
Ban Leg-Hold Traps Dot Com – www.banlegholdtraps.com

A non-profit society working to stop trapping cruelty, Fur-Bearer Defenders (Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals) is a registered non-profit society working to stop trapping cruelty and protect fur-bearing animals.

Ban the gassing of pets in Louisiana

Help stop the gassing of shelter pets in the state of Louisiana

Here is my letter that I will be sending to help End Gas Chambers for Shelter Pets in Louisiana Call to Action: Send Messages to Louisiana State Officials on September 1st

Dear Louisiana State Officials,

Like most of the people in our state I care about the pets I have and the homeless pets that end up in our city’s animal control facilities. I would like to see as many of these pets find new homes and leave the shelters alive. But until programs are put into place like low cost and no cost spay and neuter, foster care, offsite adoptions, evening hours, and volunteer programs (to name a few), I also know that the continual flood of animals entering the shelters means that animals will have to be killed.

But if animals are to be killed it should be in the most humane way — euthanasia by injection of sodium pentobarbital, or an alternate oral version of the drug correctly carried out. The use of gas in gas chambers to kill shelter animals needs to end now.

Governments are put into place to be of service to the people and if you did a poll you would find that most people would prefer that the animal control facilities do a much better job of rehoming homeless pets and if they must die then they wish that their deaths be as painless and free of stress as possible.

As a tax payer I do NOT want my tax money spent for needless animal suffering through the use of gas chambers when there is a more humane way. Since lethal injection is the method used in all veterinarians’ offices to end a pet’s life, and is recommended by all national humane organizations in the America as the most humane, least stressful, safest, and most cost effective it should be the only allowable method to kill pets in our state’s animal control system.

As public servants it is the duty of government officials to strongly consider the will of the public in all matters. Note that across America the outcry to do away with the gassing of shelter pets is growing ever louder. I am adding my voice to theirs and ask that you hear me.

I chose to be the voice of the voiceless and beg that the use of gas chambers be outlawed for the state of Louisiana.

“In this country tax-payers spend $1 billion dollars annually to pick up, house, and euthanize homeless animals. If only 5% of that total were allocated to spay/neuter programs, we could open 250 public, low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country and sterilize more than $4 million animals each year.” – ryannewmanfoundation.org/news

“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” – Albert Schweitzer

– Joni Solis

Please join me and read End Gas Chambers for Shelter Pets in Louisiana Call to Action: Send Messages to Louisiana State Officials on September 1st

Think Occasionally of the Suffering.

End Gas Chambers for Shelter Pets in Louisiana

Help stop the gassing of shelter animals in the state of Louisiana

Some animal shelters in Louisiana still use the gas chamber to kill unwanted pets even though most people feel that it is much more inhumane than lethal injection.

You can help ban the use of gas chambers in Louisiana!

If there is one thing you do in the following days that can make a huge difference to the way shelter animals die in Louisiana, this is it. Until we can put a stop to the killing at lease let us join together and help make the killing more humane.

The dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens in the animal shelters deserve a kinder way to leave this earth. Please share this info with everyone you can. Even people without pets would like to see them suffer less. Please I am begging you to help.

– Joni Solis

I received the following email message on the gassing of pets in Louisiana:

A big Thank You to all who made calls, on behalf of the animals at Vermilion Parish Rabies Control. As most of you know, they really do not care about what is happening at this facility ~ their repeated comments were that they are abiding by the state law.

So this brought us to what we need to do next ~ WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE STATE LAW CONCERNING THE USE OF GAS CHAMBERS!

Call to Action: Send Messages to Louisiana State Officials on September 1st

I’m asking all of you, to once again, come together in unity and send messages to Louisiana State Officials that we need to ban the use of gas chambers, once and for all!! Please start thinking of what you’d like to express (please no profanity) and then wait until Tuesday, September 1st to send it. I think that if we all send it on the same day our outrage will be noticed! If any of you have friends in the media or press pass this on to them too! (post to your websites – facebook, twitter, myspace, petfinder site, etc…) We can’t continue “to not do anything”.

A sample letter is below, feel free to copy or compose one of your own ~ remember no profanity! Attached is also a comparison sheet between the cost of the gas chamber versus lethal injection. You might want attach that to your e-mails.

PDF file to download: co-ebi.pdf

THANK YOU!

Kiddo a shelter dog.

Sample letter to send: Please reword it for the most impact.

Dear State of Louisiana Officials,

There is an issue at hand that needs immediate attention, it is concerning the way in which we discard animals who are left homeless, for one reason or another, and end up in rabies control or animal shelters and killed by the use of a gas chamber.

Most of you know that animals bring so much to our lives~there are police dogs who serve, seeing eye dogs who give the blind their independence, therapy dogs who give hope to those who have none, and company to those who are homebound or elderly~and what do we do when they are homeless?

We toss them into a gas chamber, turn it on and then 20-30 minutes later we discard their bodies in a landfill. Have we lost sense of reality, and compassion, or are we so desensitized to what is happening?

A small rabies control facility in Vermilion parish has been killing animals in a chamber that is broken! They are having to use a screwdriver to keep the door shut, and the animals are having to endure two cycles to finally succumb to their death. IS THIS APPROPRIATE TO YOU? How many facilities are operating this way?

The animals can’t speak, so how do you know? I’m asking you to BAN THE GAS CHAMBER IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA! If animals have to die, shouldn’t we do it with some compassion, don’t they at least deserve this? The injectable euthanasia is a faster, more humane way to let them go. While we strive for no killings at all, this is a better alternative and the cost is the same.

Clearly we have a choice, we do not have to torture animals in gas chambers. Louisiana can make a positive move on behalf of the animals, Please BAN THE GAS CHAMBERS!

Please email or call as many Louisiana State Officials you can on Sept. 1, 2009. You can start here http://www.louisiana.gov

Please start with our Louisiana Governor, his info is on this site and there is a place where you can submit your concerns! http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=email_governor or his e-mail address Bobby.Jindal@la.gov

Also remember the Attorney General- James Caldwell at AdminInfo@ag.state.la.us ; Secretary of State – Jay Dardenne at admin@sos.louisiana.gov ; Page Cortez at cortez@legis.state.la.us ; David Vitter at http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm ; Mike Michot at lasen23@legis.state.la.us ; Charles Boustany at la07ima@mail.house.gov ; Deputy Legislative Director at nicholas.cahanin@la.gov

Here are all of the emails in a row for easy copy and paste into an email (but it is better to send them one at a time and address them to each person). Also note that it has been found to be more effective to print out and send a paper letter by mail or make a phone call. Why? Because these require more effort on your part and the officials know most people will not go to this trouble — so it has more impact.

Bobby.Jindal@la.gov; AdminInfo@ag.state.la.us;admin@sos.louisiana.gov; cortez@legis.state.la.us; lasen23@legis.state.la.us; la07ima@mail.house.gov; nicholas.cahanin@la.gov

THERE ARE SO MANY YOU CAN CONTACT ~ please don’t stop now, make a call, or two, and send emails to BAN THE GAS CHAMBER!!!!!! PLEASE wait until Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1st ~ Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1st ~ Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1st

~Let’s come together again in memory of Kiddo & Friends! They suffered unnecessarily………….surely we can spend a little time emailing for them?

YouTube video – HOW ANIMAL SHELTERS KILL DOGS AND CATS

This YouTube video shows very graphic the killing of animals – dogs and cats. It’s very disturbing. But I watched it and it hurt a lot but it also makes me stronger in my believing that we HAVE to end those inhumane practices. If you are very sensitive – DO NOT watch it. It’s just horrible but I think the more we know what and how it happens the more we get angry and will go for a change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSv4wHYP60M&feature=related http://snipurl.com/rg4om

Another youtube video: “In Hope” is not as bad since it doesn’t “show” the killing at itself. Just sad! http://www.brightlion.com/1811.html http://snipurl.com/rg57o

YouTube – In Hope, An Animal Shelter Story

**********

Here is some info about other costs and which states have already banned the gas chamber:

Each state: Laws on Euthanasia http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/advocacy/ADV-laws-state-euthanasia.pdf

Find and count yourself; I have seen these #’s:
14 states mandate injection
13 ban gas
These still use gas: LA, OH, AL GA, NC, IL, KY, MS, OK, SC, TX, WV (all small population states except TX).
I got this (typed) info last year, so may change.
Virginia has banned gas chambers, (search line says also NY and CA, but I can’t find that)
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/gas-chambers/article/350

NM Gov Signs Bill Banning Gas Chambers for Euthanizing Animals http://www.cnjonline.com/news/gas-33208-animal-govenor.html

Related articles:
http://www.care2.com/news/category/animals/gas%20chambers

Ban the Gas Chambers “12 states have already banned gassing” http://kingstonprogressive.blogspot.com/2009/04/ban-gas-chambers.html

The cost analysis done by the Humane Society of the United States revealed:

• Cost per animal with Carbon Monoxide is $1.323 per animal
• Cost per year with Carbon Monoxide: $13,230
• Cost per animal with Sodium Pentobarbital is $1.27
• Cost per year with Sodium Pentobarbital is $12,700

The costs per year were based on euthanasia of 10,000 animals per year. All costs, including labor and supplies have been included. My source of information is the Humane Society of the United States Euthanasia Training Manual referenced from pages 127 – 129.

“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” – Albert Schweitzer

Here is my (Joni Solis) email message to vermilionppj@yahoo.com, vermilionanimals@yahoo.com, vermilionanimal@yahoo.com, tjprejean@vppj.org,
lbroussard@vppj.org, pgaspard@vppj.org, cboudreaux@vppj.org, gbutaud@vppj.org, rmenard@vppj.org, kmeaux@vppj.org, edomingues@vppj.org, wtouchet@vppj.org, rdarby@vppj.org, ngranger@vppj.org, dhebert@vppj.org, cberaud@vppj.org, ctheriot@vppj.org

Date: Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Subject: Rabies Control in Vermilion Parish, LA. — just know I care…

Rabies Control in Vermilion Parish, LA. — just know I care…

Just thought I should contact you and let you know that I care about the homeless animals in Vermilion and hope that you will see that people love pets and wish that you would do better and help them more. And yes it is possible to save more pets.

Other animal controls have learned to improve and save more pet lives. It can be done with leaders that believe it and work at it. Please consider the wishes of the people of your parish and know that improvement is possible with the will to do so. May one day you find this will.

– Joni Solis

I received the following email message as a reply to my emailed message to vermilionanimal@yahoo.com…

From: vermilionanimal@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Subject: setting the record straight

To whom it may or may not concern,

Brief Statement:

I am Melissa, the Director of Vermilion Parish Rabies/Animal Control for those that are unaware. I have been at my job for 4 months now and in light of the circumstances I wanted to give this brief statement and then continue with regular business.

I do not want anything to overshadow what has been accomplished at Rabies/Animal Control. We all love animals and show every animal that comes in the respect he/she deserves. We are all compassionate, caring and have a tough job. Our job is not easy and when rumors/falsehoods are put out there the only thing I can say is come talk to me and get the right message. We do not have an In-House adoption program but we do have an agreement with Animal Aid for Vermilion Area. Animal Aid has every opportunity to pick over the dogs and cats, they deem adoptable and have them pulled to their cages, that I have designated for that purpose. I have held dogs for them but it is their responsibility to make sure to inform me if there are any to be moved.(NOT my staff) In the future I want all adoptable animals to be pulled in writing.

We are finishing the room that will be used for Lethal injection. Scott has his certificate and I just got back from training on Aug 3 and 4 for my certification. We need an exam table and supplies.

The sink that was approved of for dish washing will be in tomorrow and now we can be more efficient at our daily duties. The building had so many projects when I first started that I am trying to get everything done but it will be at my pace since I am the one making sure it gets done.

When Mr. Jeff Dorson came in, it was under false pretences but when I finally got the truth from him I still gave him a transparent tour. If it had not been for the tour I gave him he would not have had any pictures. I was unaware that is was out to get the Police and he knew that. I showed him the things I liked, didn’t like and the improvements that I along with the Police Jury’s permission would take care of. Please don’t let the actions of an individual such as this affect your perceptions of our facility.

Please post a link to this web page to your facebook, twitter, blogs, petfinder site, and any other place on the Internet and spread the news by emails and egroups too! Here is the short link to this page: End Gas Chambers for Shelter Pets in Louisiana http://wp.me/pc4ch-5B

Together we have power and can make changes!

Kentwood to close dog pound

Kentwood’s animal control maybe handled by TPAC, the Hammond Shelter

WDSU New Report: Inspection Leads To Closure Of Kentwood Animal Shelter
KENTWOOD, La. — The town of Kentwood has decided to shut down its animal shelter after an inspection by the Humane Society of Louisiana found dirty and unsafe conditions there, the group said in a news release… http://www.wdsu.com/news/17958072/detail.html or http://snipurl.com/5e40r

WWL News: Group wants Kentwood shelter closed due to filth, waste; 12:44 PM CST on Tuesday, November 11, 2008; Chad Bower / Eyewitness News

The Town of Kentwood animal shelter is under fire from The Humane Society of Louisiana after the group found no sewerage system, a pile of waste that had built up for years and several dogs that were too weak to stand.

The Humane Society detailed all of that in a report that also called for the parish to close the shelter or take it over. They are seeking to sign an agreement with Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control to take over services… http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl111108cbshelter.1a13c59ab.htm or http://snipurl.com/5c54s
(Please leave a comment under this news report to show that you care about the animals of Tangi Parish)
—-

News Release: For immediate use
Contacts: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director (901-268-4432), Dawn Taylor-Church, Shelter Inspector (435-899-0985)

TOWN OF KENTWOOD PREPARED TO CLOSE ANIMAL SHELTER INSPECTION REVEALS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND VIOLATIONS

(NEW ORLEANS) — The Humane Society of Louisiana recently conducted an inspection of the Town of Kentwood Dog Shelter as part of its comprehensive review of all animal sheltering facilities throughout the state and found multiple violations of city and state laws that govern animal shelters. The society also found the facility to be in general non-compliance with national shelter standards. The shelter report, which was submitted to Kentwood Mayor Harold Smith late last week, was discussed at the most recent town council meeting and led, it can be assumed, to the decision to suspend operations at the shelter. The administration is seeking to sign an agreement with the parish animal control department to take over services.

The inspection report detailed serious structural problems with the small cinderblock building that has housed stray dogs for many decades. The shelter was never designed to house animals. The city never installed a drainage system nor a septic tank, so waste has simply accumulated for years, heaped off to one side of the kennel runs. Since there is no way to adequately remove the waste, the building has been a fertile breeding ground for harmful bacteria, disease, and parasites. The building is poorly ventilated, damp, and poorly lighted, providing the dogs will little fresh air or light. “These conditions combine to make for a ‘perfect storm’ to spread disease and infection,” says Jeff Dorson, Executive Director of the group. “There is no way to humanely house animals under these primitive conditions,” adds Dorson.
The report also revealed non-compliance with the state adoption law, which requires adopting agencies to only release animals under a contractual basis. Under the state pet adoption law, which was passed almost a decade ago, every animal must be sterilized within 30 days from the date of its adoption. This law was never applied in Kentwood, and no adequate adoption process was ever developed. Dogs were simply given away or passed around to family and acquaintances of the Shelter Manager, Mr. David Sellers, according to his own statements. Mayor Harold Smith maintained that the city was required to accept a payment of $75 per dog, of which $50 was refunded when proof of a rabies certificate was presented. This arrangement, whenever it was enforced, however, also failed to satisfy the state adoption law.

Two puppies that were rescued on October 30th from the Kentwood were barely alive when shelter inspectors revisited the facility and gained custody of them. The Catahoula puppies were too weak to stand and were full of parasites and mites and were suffering from acute malnutrition. The puppies were not given proper puppy food and were ravenous by the time they were given a proper diet. “We suspect that these puppies would have died over the weekend at this shelter, and we are delighted that they were brought out, given medical care, a proper diet, and are now thriving. We hope that they will be the last dogs to be impounded at the Kentwood shelter,” Dorson concludes.
The group has been monitoring and inspecting private and public animal sheltering facilities since its inception in 1988. However, in light of the problems that have surfaced at the Jefferson Parish Shelter in 2007, when more than a dozen dogs were accidentally poisoned, and the Tangipahoa Shelter, the site of mass euthanasia of animals two months ago, the group has accelerated its inspection process and is conducting many more inspections. Just recently, the group has inspected shelters at Mamou, Jennings, Oberlin, Napoleonville, and Lake Arthur. Copies of these inspection reports are also available for review. Media representatives may also contact the group’s principle shelter inspector, Ms. Dawn Taylor-Church, by calling 435-899-0985. A copy of the shelter inspection report, photos taken at the shelter, and Mr. Dorson’s letter to Mayor Smith are attached.

The Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest animal protection and advocacy organizations in the state with more than 10,000 members. For more information, please visit their website at www.humanela.org

###

Dog Pound Photos

Kentwood Dog Pound side view

Dog in Kentwod Pound

Kentwood Pound

Dogs and their waste

PDF files…
Humane Society letter to Kentwood Mayor
Humane Society report

or you can read the letter to the Kentwood Mayor online here: Starving Dogs found in Kentwood pound again

Starving Dogs found in Kentwood pound again

Once again starving dogs have been found in the Kentwood Dog Pound

Back around the time of 9 – 11, news broke out that the Kentwood city dog pound was allowing dogs to starve to death. Photos were taken of dogs and puppies feeding on the dead bodies of their kennel mates.

Catahoula Pup

Well it looks like they are up to the same animal abuse once again. Is this what they feel is the best way to handle animal control issues? Below is the faxed letter that The Humane Society of Louisiana sent to Kentwood city Mayor on the latest dogs starving incident…

November 6, 2008

The Honorable Harold Smith
Mayor, Town of Kentwood
RE: Town of Kentwood Dog Pound
BY FAX TRANSMITTAL

Dear Mayor Smith,

For the past twenty years, since our group’s inception, our representatives have visited and inspected municipal and parish animal sheltering facilities, to ensure that all humane laws and regulations are being upheld and that impounded animals are humanely treated and housed. These inspection services are listed in our original state charter, which is on file with the Office of the Secretary of State. On Thursday, October 30, our representative, Ms. Dawn Taylor-Church, visited your facility and submitted her report and photos for our review.

On October 31, two other representatives, Mr. and Mrs. Randy Stegall, also visited the shelter to adopt out two Catahoula puppies. Our two teams, working independently, were appalled at the conditions they witnessed and concluded that this shelter is simply unfit to humanely house animals and should be closed immediately, due to flaws and structural deficiencies in its design.

The shelter, which apparently was built as a small jail or holding facility some twenty or thirty years ago, according to a city worker, was never designed to house animals. There are no drainage pipes nor a septic system to carry away the animal waste. The waste is simply hosed off to the side of the concrete slab, where it has remained for many, many years. Because the waste has not and cannot be properly removed, the animals are exposed to years of contamination, disease-laden bacteria, and stench. This is no way to humanely house an animal at this facility.

Unfortunately, the report reveals many more serious problems. The dog runs are dank, stink, and usually wet. The two puppies we rescued from this facility on October 31, were barely alive. They were lethargic and extremely ill, after being housed in this facility. If they somehow were sick when they were placed in this shelter, this is no place for them to recover from their illnesses. The puppies were malnourished, their bones and rib bones were protruding, and they were so weak, they could hardly walk. A veterinary report showed that they were suffering from malnutrition. It appears that puppies at this shelter, are only given low-grade, cheap adult dog food, which they are not able to digest at their young age. They were ravenous during the first few days of eating proper puppy food.

In addition, the adoption program, if one exists, violates the state statue on this matter. An adoption agency must conform and abide by the state regulations, which are outlined in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §3. 2471. Every adoption agency, which includes the town of Kentwood Animal Shelter, must provide a written contract to each adopting individual. That individual is then bound to sterilize this dog within 30 days. No such arrangement exists at your facility. In fact, the facts stated by your shelter employee, Mr. David Sellers, run counter to the statements you made to our shelter inspector, when you said that adopters must pay a $75.00 fee, of which $50.00 is returned once proof of a rabies certificate has been presented to the city. Mr. Sellers simply stated that he gives some of the dogs away to his family and friends – which is a very poor adoption process and is prohibited, when done in this fashion, by state law.

Access to this shelter also runs counter to industry standards. It is very hard for the public to gain access to this facility. Several people, over the last several years, gave up during the process, because calls were never returned and arrangements were never made to meet residents at the shelter. Fees, emergency phone numbers, and hours of operation should have been posted outside of this facility, which, apparently, also has no signage, years ago. We also assume that this facility does not have an operational manual, up-to-date records (since no records were taken during our adoption of the two puppies, we can assume that no accurate records have been kept for years), or works with any rescue groups on placing these animals.

Our second team of inspectors said that this is the worst facility that they had ever seen and referred to it as a “dungeon,” with no chance for the animals to be properly cared for. In light of these statements and documentation, it appears that this facility is violating your city’s own local ordinance under, Section 8-3007: Public dog shelter.

“The town shall maintain a public dog shelter, managed humanely and in a sanitary condition and shall provide food and shelter for any animal impounded.”

Based on our documentation of these unacceptable conditions, we highly recommend that your office immediately issues a moratorium on picking up or housing animals at this facility, until it can be renovated and upgraded and/or demolished. In the interim, you may wish to house impounded animals at a local veterinary clinic (since some of your reports show that only twenty-some animals are picked up per year), or picked up and delivered to the parish facility, located in Hammond. Or, maybe a citizen is willing to sign a joint-cooperative agreement with your town to provide backyard kennel space until the dogs are reclaimed, adopted, or euthanized.

To familiarize you with some of the regulations that apply to municipal animal shelters, I am enclosing copies of Title 3, of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture Code, which are found under section 2463, entitled “General Shelter Standards.” I am also attaching a copy of our inspection report, dated October 30th of this year.

I look forward to speaking with you about the issues outlined in this correspondence, and I hope that we can work amicably together in finding a viable solution to these problems.

Sincerely yours,

Jeff Dorson
Executive Director
The Humane Society of Louisiana
JND/jd
Enclosures: Inspection report
Title 3

—-

CALL for action…

Please phone and/or write…

The Honorable Harold Smith
Mayor, Town of Kentwood
RE: Town of Kentwood Dog Pound
Kentwood City Hall
308 Avenue G
Kentwood, Louisiana 70444
985-229-3451

Sate that they should to close their dog pound or follow the Louisiana state laws. If you are a resident of Kentwood, Louisiana let them know that and also state that you desire to live in a town that cares about animal welfare!

City Leaders to blame

It is alway the leaders that hold the true blame for horror stories like this. They are the ones that put the people in place that run the animal shelters or dog pounds. They are the ones that should be watching out for what is happening under their noses. They are ones to hold accountable when time after time their hired people do wrong.

Here is a little info on Kentwood Louisiana…

Kentwood is a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana near the Mississippi border. The population was 2,205 at the 2000 census. Water from Kentwood is bottled and popularly marketed in New Orleans under the Kentwood Springs label. Kentwood is best known as the hometown of pop singer Britney Spears and sister Jamie Lynn Spears.

Help the two puppies

The two puppies are in foster care in Metairie. If you are interested in helping (donations/fostering/adopting) the two starving puppies saved from this dog pound please contact…

The Humane Society of Louisiana
P.O. Box 740321, New Orleans, LA 70174
Donate Online.
The Humane Society of Louisiana is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Gifts are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Hammond Animal Shelter to open Saturdays

Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control now open on Saturday

Great news for the homeless pets of TPAC, Mr. Fitz, the new shelter director will open the animal shelter from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays when more people have time to visit and adopt a pet. This animal shelter like most in the south receives a great variety of dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens that one can choose from. All age ranges as well as all shapes and sizes from huge to tiny and from fuzzy to smooth coated. Please visit and check them all out!

Just found this news today: Saturday opening set for Tangipahoa shelter 2TheAdvocate – Baton Rouge,LA,USA
By DEBRA LEMOINE; Oct 28, 2008.

TPAC animal shelter SAT flyer

TPAC open SAT flyer; PDF file for printing.

Please download, print out, and post around the above flyer so that more animals in Hammond will be adopted from the animal shelter! With more convenient weekend hours maybe more families and their children will consider the adoption option instead of purchasing a new pet.

Animal Shelter info:

Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control
Chip Fitz, Director
15487 Club Deluxe Road
Hammond, Louisiana 70403
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 12 noon to 4:30pm; Saturday 10am to 2pm
Phone: 985-543-0215 Fax: 985-543-0215

Bloody Louisiana Dog fighters go free

Influential dogfighters cleared of all charges

Here we go again, the good old boys, teaming up and the animals die!

I afraid to check my email anymore… dog fighting is against Louisiana law, but the dogs fighters still go free.

10/17/08: Update – Louisiana Dogfight Thugs Cleared Of All Charges

FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC), EMAIL: kinshipcircle [at] accessus . net
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: In our UPDATES / AUG-OCT 2008 Newsletter for Kinship Circle Primary subscribers, we revealed the trial of notorious “Dogfighting Don” Floyd Boudreaux, 73, and his son Guy Boudreaux, 44 — arrested in 2005 (pre-Katrina) on 48 counts of dogfighting after Louisiana State Police seized 50+ pit bulls. Shockingly, the leaders of this dogfighting dynasty have since been CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES at their 10/15/08 trial!

Call for Action: Write letters!

===========================================================
FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. Sample letter follows. ===========================================================

Judge Kristian Earles, Division J
P.O. Box 1980 / Crowley, La. 70527
ph: 337-788-8811; fax: 337-783-2612
Secretary, Phyllis Thevis: phyllisthevis@hotmail.com
Law Clerk, Jackie Klein: jackieklein@cox-internet.com

Michael Harson, District Attorney
Ronald E. Dauterive, Assistant District Attorney
Fifteenth Judicial District Court
P. O. Box 3306 / Lafayette, LA 70502-3306
ph: 337-232-5170; fax: 337-235-1354
email: mharson@15thjdcda.org

===========================================================
SAMPLE LETTER — This letter is prepared to inform you about the issue. Try to shorten and personalize your letter before sending. ===========================================================

Honorable Judge Kristian Earles, DA Michael Harson and Assistant DA Ronald
E. Dauterive:

Conscientious citizens worldwide are shocked by the recent acquittal of “Dogfighting Don” Floyd Boudreaux, 73, and his son, Guy Boudreaux, 44.

Renowned in fight circuits, the Boudreaux dynasty bred dogs for optimum “gameness,” selling them at up to $10,000 a head. The Boudreaux line set the standard in dogs raised to fight to the death. Yet, Judge Earles granted a motion for acquittal based on the state’s failure to prove these men were even involved in this illegal blood sport.

I implore Louisiana courts to recognize the gravity of animal cruelty crimes and establish a better precedent for prosecuting them.

Both men were charged with animal cruelty and illegal possession of steroids and a sawed-off shotgun. When law enforcement agents raided their Broussard, Louisiana property in early March 2005, they recovered typical paraphernalia: Dogfight magazines, photos, videos, and surgical gear to mend combat wounds. The Boudreaux compound was outfitted with treadmills for forced runs and break sticks to pry apart a dog’s jaws. Authorities seized more than 50 pit bulls, their faces gashed in old fight scars.

Michael Vick’s case brought dogfighting into the dens of mainstream America, illuminating its inherent violence. But in Lafayette, Louisiana a state judge clears two men so entrenched in dogfighting, they were openly revered for their champion bloodlines and prolific fight circles.

This case needs to be reopened, with a better interpretation of the evidence, so that Floyd and Guy Boudreaux are prosecuted to the fullest extent under Louisiana animal fighting and cruelty laws. Anything less is a grave miscarriage of justice.

Sincerely,

Please take the time to copy and paste and rewrite this letter and email your friends and have them do the same. Send them a link to this web page and ask them to spread the word.

Investion to open on the mass shelter killing

Humane Society of Louisiana Opens Investigation Into Shelter

The Humane Society of Louisiana has opened an investigation into the shelter.

Press release below:

Contact Persons: Randy Stegall, President, Tangipahoa Chapter of the
Humane Society of Louisiana 985-351-0181
Jeff Dorson, Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana,
901-268-4432

LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO
MASS EUTHANASIA AT TANGIPAHOA SHELTER

Tangipahoa – Members of the Tangipahoa Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana have launched an investigation into the recent mass euthanasia that took place recently at the Tangipahoa parish animal control center, which claimed the lives of more than 160 cats and dogs.

“We have been working closely with our local government and with this animal control facility for the past year and a half,” says Randy Stegall, President of the Tangipahoa Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana, “and we are disappointed that neither our representatives nor any of the animal caring citizens of this parish were advised, notified, or informed of this action, until after these procedures took place.

We have fielded scores of phone calls from concerned citizens and several veterinarians, who feel that a different course of action was available. Several veterinarians informed us that corona viruses are highly treatable, especially in adult dogs, with very inexpensive anti-diarrhea drugs and antibiotics,” adds Mr. Stegall. “Everyone who has contacted us, and we have had communications from around the state and country, believes that our local government could have taken an alternative, non-lethal approach to this problem. We happen to agree with those sentiments.”

The Tangiphoa chapter, which operates with a partnership with the Humane Society of Louisiana, based out of New Orleans, plans to file a public records request that will allow them to review the documentation that led up to this action. The group also intends to create a Shelter Oversight Committee, comprised of parish residents, who will help create and implement shelter protocol. Representatives also plan to address their concerns and plans with the parish council on Monday, August 11.

Officials from the New Orleans based Humane Society of Louisiana also plan to attend and speak at the Thursday press conference to address the need for state oversight over private and public animal sheltering facilities.

Jeff Dorson, who has toured many of the state’s 120 shelters over the past 20 years as the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, has found ample evidence of problems and abuse at different shelters, many of which are located in rural, out-of-the-way places, far from the glare of the public. “We fully intend to use this opportunity to educate our state legislators on the need to create and/or appoint a shelter regulatory agency, which is in place in other states, such as Texas,” adds Dorson.

Officials from HSL plan to speak of these issues at a press conference on Thursday, August 7th, 10: 30 am.

What: Press Conference on the Mass Euthanasia of Shelter Animals at Hammond Shelter

When: Thursday, August 7th, from 10:30 am to 11:00am

Where: parking lot of Tangipahoa Animal Control Center, 15487 Delux Club Road, Hammond

======================
I found the above info on Animal Chat

Listen to this radio report – podcast/audio:
Spud McConnell (the WWL Radio Talk show interview about the TPAC killing)
http://wwl.com/pages/1050632.php?

Hopefully the parish president, Gordon Burgess, can come up with answers to these questions:

1. What was the disease diagnosis and who did it?

2. Was a test run for this disease and who did the test?

3. Who was the two experts Burgess consulted before making his design to kill all the animals?

4. What was two attending veterinarians diagnosis of these animals? Who are these veterinarians?

5. If this was such a deadly disease why was 10 animals allow to leave the facility that day?

5. Why did the media report this: ‘According to Parish President Gordon Burgess, there was an outbreak of a dangerous viral airborne infection inside the kennel.’[1]? Was a diagnosis made, when, by whom, and what was the diagnosis?

6. Why did the newspaper report[2] that the killings were because of the Corona virus (which is NOT airborne) when…

Canine Corona Virus is only a disease of puppies. It is rare, self limiting (dogs get well in 3 days without treatment). Cornell & Texas A&M have only diagnosed one case each in the last 7 years. Corona virus does not cause disease in adult dogs.

Pet’s Health – http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/fip.html

Feline enteric corona viruses cause mild intestinal disease in kittens up to 12 weeks. The infection is common and probably exists in most homes with more than one cat. It may recur throughout the cat’s life but is rarely serious.

[1] According to Parish President Gordon Burgess, there was an outbreak of a dangerous viral airborne infection inside the kennel.

[2]Shelter Virus Leads To 170 Animal Deaths
Corona virus Spreads Among Dogs, Cats At Shelter In La.
POSTED: 6:50 pm CDT August 5, 2008
UPDATED: 7:20 pm CDT August 5, 2008

Call the parish and demand a full investigation!

By the way, why aren’t most of the news reports asking these same questions?

Contact:

Please contact the Tangipahoa Parish Parish Council Members

Animal Welfare Commission of Louisiana
http://www.legis.louisiana.gov/boards/board_members.asp?board=715
Dr. Gary Balsamo
3101 W. Napoleon Ave., Ste. 102
Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 219-4593

RS 3:2364 — Louisiana animal welfare commission

Tangi Shelter Media by fqdave, 8/6/08 21:54 ET

There has been EXCELLENT local media coverage of the mass killing at the Tangipahoa Animal Shelter as a result of the apparent incompetence of the “Shelter Director.”

Please take a moment to call WWL-TV, WDSU-TV (both in New Orleans), WAFB and WBRZ-TV (Baton Rouge), ask to speak to the “News Director” and thank him or her for the excellent coverage. If they are not available please leave a voice message in their voicemail.

Also please call Debra Lemoine, reporter, at the Baton Rouge Advocate Newspaper and thank her for her in-depth coverage of this tragedy. Please leave a message for her if she is not available.

Here are all the links I have by Doggoneitu, 8/6/08 22:22 ET
Re: Tangi Shelter Media by fqdave, 8/6/08

Channel 4 newsTangipahoa shelter euthanizes over 170 dogs and cats http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl080508mldogs.1b665c77.html

Channel 6 news http://www.wdsu.com/news/17103322/detail.html

Hammond Daily Star Newspaper http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/2008/08/05/community/health/9510.txt

The Advocate – Baton Rouge, LA. Newspaper

Tangipahoa Parish PresidentGordon Burgess
P.O.Box 215Amite, LA. 70422
(985) 748-3211
(985) 7487576 fax

Tangipahoa Animal Control
15487 Club Deluxe Rd.
Hammond, LA. 70403
(985) 543-0215
Tpac20@tangicouncil.com

Tangi Adopt A Rescue starts a blog

Happy Valentines Day! TAAR loves animals and wants to help unwanted pets in the Tangipahoa, Louisiana area. So we are starting a blog to better help us update our site info and to post more information and pictures about our pets up for adoption.

Please let us know what you would like to learn about us and the unwanted pets in Tangipahoa Parish area.