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?

Opportunities to learn about the legislative process

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (of which Pet Haven is a member) has several opportunities to learn about public policy and the legislative process. Several of these are free, but most require registration. Click here to learn more about the opportunities and register.




Promoting Your Issues With Candidates: Network Lunch – September 26 from noon - 1 p.m. at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, 2314 University Ave West, St. Paul.



The Big Picture: Many Ways to Make a Difference – October 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, 2314 University Ave West, St. Paul.


Capitol Lab – October 16 from 1 - 4 p.m. at the Minnesota Capitol, starting in room 318.



Plan Your Day on the Hill – October 23 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, 2314 University Ave West, St. Paul.

Happy Fall!

With summer over, it's time for me roll up my sleeves and get to work on Pet Haven Advocacy! The Breeder Bill is still top-of-mind, and I hope that in 9 months, we'll be celebrating the passage of a much-needed bill here in Minnesota. It got me thinking about what else is being done
The Virginia legislature passed a breeder bill in March by a landslide (37-3!) and was approved by the governor in April.
Democratic and Republican Representatives introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS) in the United States House of Representatives last week.

These are both encouraging signs! Let's make sure Minnesota follows suit during the next session!

Let's get the Breeder Bill Passed!

Did you know that Minnesota is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to regulating the dog and cat breeding industry? Minnesota has no licensing requirements, no care standards, and no regulations to make sure dogs and cats are humanely bred and cared for. Unfortunately, while there are responsible breeders, there are those that take advantage of this situation. The result: inhumane breeding conditions, and excessive breeding that contributes to the large number of abandoned cats and dogs in our state.

One of my primary goals during the next legislative session will be to help ensure that a Breeder Bill gets signed into law. January may seem far away (especially when it's 90 degrees outside!), but it's never too early to think about what we need to do next session. To get started, let's educate ourselves. Check out http://www.animalfolksmn.org/ to learn more. Talk to your state elected officials and find out where they stand. Find out who's running for (re)election in your district and educate them on this very important issue. Talk to your friends about the issue and educate them. If we work together, we could be celebrating this time next year!