Bauck Sentancing Postponed - There's still time for you to voice your opinon!

As you may already know, Kathy Bauck, was convicted of four misdemeanors (3 for animal cruelty, 1 for torture). Sentancing was to have taken place last week, but was postponed until May 1.

Please consider drafting a letter to the judge asking for the strictest sentencing possible. Letters can be sent to the judge requesting that a strong sentence be imposed.
Honorable Judge Waldemar Senyk
121 West Junius Avenue, Suite 310
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Fax: 218-998-8414 (a fee of $25 is charged)
Email: does not accept emails
Case #56-CR08-2271
Please be respectful, brief and professional in your writing, as this will better support animal protection efforts.

For more information on Ms. Bauck's facility, guilty verdict, and to see undercover video of the facility, click here.

Pit bull=hero

Check out this video about a pit bull who helped police capture a robber. It's not everyday you hear a pit bull referred to as a hero!

End Pound Seizure in Minnesota

Did you know there is a law on the books in Minnesota that allows licensed institutions to seize animals left for more than five days in publicly-funded facilities? That’s right, if your pet were to end up at, say, an animal control facility and you were unable to claim your four-legged friend within five days, the animal control facility is legally required to turn it over to a licensed institution requesting the animal.

The good news is that there are ways you can prevent this from happening to you

• The law also prohibits institutions from seizing animals with identification indicating that the animal cannot be made available for research. Click here to see an example.
• Sign the petition asking legislators to end pound seizure
• Visit www.endpoundseizuremn.org to learn more about this issue.
  

Puppy / Kitten Mill BIll Update

The Puppy / Kitten Mill bill did not make it out of committee before the deadline, so this year, we won’t see puppy / kitten mill legislation. While this is certainly not the news we were hoping for, a lot of progress was made during this session. Even though H.F. 253 did not have enough votes to make it out of committee, it remains “laid on the table” (a fancy way of saying set aside for possible further discussion). That means next year, we can pick up where we left off.

In the meantime, let’s keep this issue alive! There are things you can do to help ensure the bill passes next year.

• Educate everyone! Bring this topic up in conversation with friends, family, co-workers, anyone you feel comfortable talking to. Many people are unaware inhumane breeders, and the horrible conditions cats and dogs find themselves in.
  
• Encourage adoption! If you know people interested in a cat or dog, be sure to remind them of the many homeless cats and dogs in need of a home. There are a number of rescue organizations (many specializing in certain breeds), and even the pickiest people can find their next pet through adoption.
  
• Contact your legislators! Everyone who’s in the legislature now, will be there in 2010 (and many will be up for re-election!). Remind them of the importance of this issue.
  
  Visit animalfolksmn.org to learn more about the fate of H.F. 253 / S.F. 7 and to stay educated on puppy and kitten mills.