Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection

Here's another way to support our furry friends! Check out the Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection. MVAP "works to pass animal protection laws at the local and state level in Minnesota and to support humane candidates for office." Great stuff!

Pit Bull Appreciation Day!

Tomorrow, October 25th, is the second annual Pit Bull Appreciation Day! This is a day to celebrate the positive image of pit bulls, and take a stand against breed-specific legislation.

Locally, A Rotta Love Plus is having a gathering at Minnehaha Park. Click here for details!

Disturbing Information about Minnesota Breeding Facility

I recenly read a very scary article about Kathy Bauck, the owner of a large-scale breeding facility here in Minnesota. Ms. Bauck has been charged with performing surgery on her animals without a license, animal cruelty, and torture. She has a history of violations and cruelty accusations. The Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine recently issued Ms. Bauck a cease and desist order prohibiting her from continuing to perform these surgical procedures in violation of Minnesota law. Of course it's important to remember that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Having said that, type Kathy Bauck into your favorite search engine, and you'll find several accounts of the numerous citations against her facility, and the numerous instances of violations. This is why we need a Breeder Bill!




Click here to sign an online petition to have Ms. Bauck's facility shut down.

Other types of Advocacy

A friend of mine was in a suburban mall recently and told me he saw a pet store selling small dogs. He mentioned the dogs were in relatively small cages, and that the store was asking nearly $1,000 for the dogs. He asked the young clerks where the dogs came from, but they didn’t know. Rather than pursue it further, he decided to leave, but vowed never to shop not only at the store, but at that mall again.

It reminded me that advocacy can go beyond the political arena. We can effectively advocate with our pocketbooks, and through our actions (or inaction!). A few suggestions:
Check out the numerous businesses that have a strong working relationship with Pet Haven. These businesses donate their time, space, and resources to help the rescue animals that come through Pet Haven’s “doors” and should be rewarded with our business!

Plymouth Animal Hospital
Auntie Ruth's Doggie Daycare
Bloomington Veterinary Hospital
PetCo Stores
Downtown Dogs
The Canine Coach
Northwood Valley Kennels
Doubletree Hotel, St. Louis Park
Foxridge Printing
Chuck & Don's Stores
Lake Harriet Veterinary Clinic
Pampered Pooch Playground

I also recently visited Woody’s Pet Food Deli in Minneapolis. They give a 10% discount to owners of rescue animals, and 15% to active volunteers!

Be wary pet stores that sell cats and dogs. While I certainly don’t want to make a blanket statement that all pets sold at pet stores come from puppy or kitten mills, there is a lot of evidence to support that statement. At the very least, speak to a manager or owner, and ask about where the pets come from, and make them be specific! And, even if you’re not there to purchase an animal, patronizing a store that may support kitten and puppy mills just makes it that much easier for the store to continue supporting that awful practice.

Suggest to friends and family who mention they are looking for a new pet to consider adoption. In addition to Pet Haven, there are numerous organizations, even ones that specialize in certain breeds that always have more animals than homes for them.

What else do folks suggest?