Main Line Animal Rescue Making Headlines
NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS
Consumers said to be biggest losers in USDA purge of puppy mill and other data
The United States Department of Agriculture surprised state officials, businesses and animal welfare organizations last week when it removed a database of inspection reports from its website. The records included reports and enforcement records for dog breeding facilities, research labs, zoos and circuses. The move prompted an outcry.
Paging Doggie Doctor, M.D.
PHOENIXVILLE, October 12, 2013 / NBC Nightly News / -- They may look like just cute and furry pets, but these dogs are much more. NBC's Jill Rappaport reports on medical alert dogs.
You've Seen Oprah's Show, Now What You Can Do to Keep Up the Fight Against the Pet Trade
CHICAGO, April 4, 2008 / Animal Law Coalition / -- "Oprah showed her audience film from an undercover investigation by Lisa Ling and Smith of several puppy mills."
Main Line Animal Rescue wrapped transit buses in DC to pressure the USDA to enforce the few laws protecting dogs in our nation's federally licensed puppy mills.
Interesting to know, our buses were so successful, the men and women who approve advertising in DC have banned bus wraps specifically mentioning puppy mills. In exchange for advertisers' cooperation they are now allowing them to advertise alcohol and cigarettes. Apparently, they would rather people die of lung cancer than stop the wide-spread abuse in our nation's puppy mills.
Spreading the Word.
Christie Brinkley
Featured on the cover of the most recent Philadelphia Style magazine, Supermodel Christie Brinkley is a good friend to MLAR and a strong advocate on behalf of animals. Christie adopted her dog Chester from MLAR and the pair is featured on our billboards along the PA turnpike promoting pet adoption.
Bending Over Backwards
When former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell refused to enforce our hard fought new dog laws in the summer of 2010, MLAR asked the question why? Our hard fought new dog laws are now enforced and hundreds of high volume breeding kennels have closed. Unfortunately, there are many more unlicensed and smaller breeding kennels unaffected by the new laws.
Black Lab
Main Line Animal Rescue has often relied on striking images to grab the attention of motorists along the PA Turnpike. The film Black Swan was a popular in 2011. Unfortunately, so was puppy mill abuse. The physical damage suffered by these animals is nothing compared to the psychological damage caused by years of confinement and isolation
Beagle in the Dishwasher
Our "Beagle in the Dishwasher" billboard successfully illustrated just how small cages are in your average puppy mill. USDA standards require a cage to be a mere 6" longer the length of the dog's body.
Lancaster County
Our first billboard went up on the PA Turnpike in 2005 and brought attention to Lancaster County's unusually high number of puppy mills.
Oprah Show
Sponsoring a billboard four blocks from Chicago's famed Harpo Studios, MLAR asked Oprah Winfrey to do a show on puppy mills. The program became Oprah's third most successful show of all time and kicked off a movement that saw new laws passed in over a dozen states. This board is featured in college textbooks on marketing.
Puppy Mill Laws Enforcement
Strong laws mean nothing unless they're properly enforced. For years, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture looked the other way as bad dog breeders flourished and substandard kennels made Pennsylvania the "Puppy Mill Capital of the East."
Welcome to Pennsylvania
Millions of tourists travel to Lancaster County every year. But would they come and spend their money if they could see what's hidden in the barns? PA's Dutch Country is home to some of the most abused, neglected dogs in the country.
Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore
In 2012, Actors Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore had over ten million followers on Twitter. Main Line Animal Rescue's billboard in Los Angeles asked the power couple to tweet their fans about puppy mills. The Ghost actress agreed to our request and days later the headlines read, "Moore means less suffering for puppy mill dogs!"
Cash Crop
When commissioners at a local zoning meeting asked a breeder, seeking a variance to enlarge his kennels, what he would do with any puppies he couldn't sell, the farmer explained he would kill the dogs and compost their bodies. "Fortunately, puppies are biodegradable" he said.
Ich Rufe An IRS
MLAR has received hundreds of complaints over the years from consumers who purchased sick dogs from substandard kennels, and rarely do their receipts include any mention of sales tax; that's millions in uncollected and unpaid sales tax.
Department of Agriculture
For years, our Department of Agriculture overlooked the inhumane and often illegal activities of many of the worst puppy mills in the Pennsylvania.
Tom Corbett
In 2009, Attorney General Tom Corbett closed down one of the worst puppy mills in Pennsylvania by enforcing a consent decree involving the sale of sick and dying puppies to 171 consumers.
MLAR Brochures
Main Line Animal Rescue's brochures are often kitschy, sometimes serious, and always informative. We are known for our distinctive printed materials and they have been extremely effective in advancing MLAR's mission and helping us raise the necessary funds to support our lifesaving programs.
