ohmidog!

A candlelight vigil will be held in Raleigh Wednesday night for the 145 pits bulls — including dozens of puppies like this one — that were euthanized after being seized by authorities from a big-time breeder of fighting dogs in North Carolina.

The vigil starts at 7 p.m. at Bicentennial Mall, 16 W. Jones St., in Raleigh, near the North Carolina General Assembly. Here’s a map.

Organizers of the vigil hope it will lead to changes in the law to guarantee that dogs seized from dogfighting operations have the opportunity to be individually evaluated, rather than being automatically deemed “dangerous” and destroyed.

The recent mass euthanasia of 145 dogs — including puppies born between the time they were seized from breeder Ed Faron and the conclusion of his court case – prompted the candlelight vigil, said Laura Gonzo, one of the organizers. The dogs were seized from Faron’s Wildside Kennels.

Wilkes County authorities said their laws required them to euthanize the dogs. Unlike those seized in the higher profile Michael Vick case, no efforts were made by the government, lawyers or major rescue organizations to save these, at least not until it was too late.

Concerned citizens and representatives of animal rescue groups from across the state are planning to attend the vigil.

“We are so thankful that law enforcement and the courts took the crime of dogfighting serious and that it led to a guilty plea by the dog fighter,” Gonzo said. “But people across North Carolina, as well other parts of the country, expressed outrage because none of the dogs or 75 puppies from the dog fighter’s breeding operation were given any opportunity to be evaluated individually and the dogs were all destroyed. We North Carolina humanitarians are calling on the legislature to act to prevent future tragedies.” Gonzo said.

(Photo courtesy of Laura Gonzo)

A PETA protest outside the Westminster Kennel Club show — following the same lines as the PETA ad above — drew puzzled gawkers, double takes and complaints as the dog show opened today.

“Welcome AKC Members,” read a banner hanging from the table set up outside Madison Square Garden, with AKC crossed out and KKK written above it. Two PETA protesters were dressed as Ku Klux Klan members, and volunteers handed out brochures that read: “The KKK and the AKC: BFF?”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is protesting the start of the show because it contends the American Kennel Club, through breeding standards that accentuate appearance, is harming the health of purebred dogs.

“Obviously it’s an uncomfortable comparison,” PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said. But the AKC is trying to create a “master race,” he added. “It’s a very apt comparison.”

David Frei, spokesman for Westminster and TV host of coverage on USA Network, said: “I can’t speak for everyone, but the vast majority of the people exhibiting and handling and showing at Westminster are more interested in the health of dogs than anything else. We want to produce the next generation of healthy and happy dogs, not just for the show ring but for the couches at home.”

Most passers-by seemed more puzzled than offended, according to an Associated Press report. The most common reaction was to pull out a cell phone and start snapping photos.

Police monitored the situation from nearby, but — except for one shouting that match broke out during the hour-long protest — the scene was mostly calm, the AP reported.

PETA had sought to end TV coverage of the event, first by asking USA network to cancel the broadcast, then by going to the show’s sponsors and asking them to withdraw.

The Maryland State Police confirmed this week it will investigate allegations of misconduct and animal cruelty at the SPCA in Cecil County, where two other state agencies have also launched inquirires.

Both the Maryland attorney general’s office, which has assigned an attorney to look into the case, and the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, a division of the state Department of Agriculture, are also conducting investigations.

Nancy Schwerzler, president of the facility’s board of directors, said she welcomes independent investigations “so long as they’re fact-based and emotion-free,” the Baltimore Sun reported  Wednesday.  She said she has invited the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a national organization with no ties to Cecil County facility, to investigate as well. (The Cecil County SPCA also has no ties with the Maryland SPCA, based in Baltimore.)

Four former employees and four former volunteers of the Cecil County organization have submitted written accusations against the facility in Chesapeake City, ranging from animal cruelty and neglect to mismanagement.

Read more »

While celebrities walked the red carpet at Thursday night’s premiere of “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” about 20 protesters stood by with signs urging people not to rashly buy chihuahuas after they see the movie.

“We know the movie is cute,” says Kim Sill, who runs the campaign against puppy mills for Last Chance for Animals, the group that organized the protest. “We don’t want to say we’re against the movie. We’re against people going to a pet store after they see the movie.  We want them to go to a shelter, because there are a lot of Chihuahuas there”

Animal welfare advocates have been concerned about the impact the Disney movie — which opens Oct. 3 — will have on sales of Chihuahuas, the Los Angeles Times reports in its pet blog, Unleashed.

Popular dog movies often cause a run on the breed featured. “101 Dalmatians” led to a surge in Dalmatian ownership. But when people realize the dog may not be right for their family — Damaltians are difficult and Chihuahuas are not always great with children –”they get dumped,” says Sills.

When a movie is about to open, puppy mills, she contends, gear up to produce more of that breed to supply pet stores.

There are already more Chihuahuas among registered dogs in Los Angeles County than any other breed, and shelters say they already have high concentrations of the breed.

Some of the Chihuhuas at the Carson shelter, run by the Los Angeles County shelter system, are featured in the video that Last Chance for Animals made to drive home its point about not buying Chihuahuas.

Sill said her group wanted Disney to air a pre-movie public service announcement in theaters, telling patrons to think hard before choosing a pet. “We would have happily produced it for them and given it to them,” said Sill.

The movie’s credits include an advisory that getting a pet is a serious and lifelong commitment that should be researched first.

Ed Boks, general manager of LA Animal Services, saw the movie Thursday night.  “I was a bit disappointed,” he said. “The movie has a strong ‘adopt’ and ‘rescue’ message, but no ‘spay/neuter’ message. In fact, one female dog opined that she longed for a boyfriend who has NOT been ‘fixed.’

“…Disney just does not seem to share our concern over the influence this movie could have on people who will now think of Chihuahuas as cash cows.”