I just saw this lady on the local news. She's CRAZY!

Horders will exist regardless of animal number laws. It is a mental illness and you can't legislate mental illness away.

The whole thing makes me want to vomit!  I also saw her on the news and I agree, she is CRAZY!  I have to wonder, living with all those animals in all that filth, did they transport her in a squad car and who was the poor officer who got that duty?  Her quarters at the jail have to smell much nicer than where she was living.   

What do animal rescuers, breeders and kennel operators think? Is it worth sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?

I would think it's not so much about having large numbers of animals so much as it's having a mental illness.  And, I really doubt she got her animals from a kennel or breeder.  I would guess she took them off the streets.  I'm not a breeder or kennel owner or rescuer-  I don't have pets because I have four kids and can't give a pet the attention it would require.  But, I have to say that I generally only enjoy giving up my freedoms in cases where doing such actually helps or makes a difference. 

"Is it worth sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?"

The freedom to do what?  Absolutely it is worth sacrificing the freedom to exploit and abuse pets -- please...take away my right to do that, along with everyone else's.

We may not be able to legislate mental illness away, but let's at least protect innocent pets from it.  Besides, there are plenty of people that have not been diagnosed with mental illness that exploit and abuse pets on a regular basis.

We need laws to protect animals here, the sooner, the better.

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."  Mohandas Gandhi

Sad story, but doesn't our own community do this very thing?  We have hundreds of pets warehoused here every month and during the month of June alone, 1,731 pets were discarded and disposed of here. 

Good question James: "Is it worth sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?"

We could reduce the number of discarded pets here locally with a simple requirement that everyone spay and neuter their pets rather than drop their box loads of pups and kittens off at our shelter.  Or put them up for sale -- those pups and kittens add to our already over saturated local pet market...driving our euth numbers higher.  Many of the pets at the shelter don't even get the 96 hour chance to be adopted because of overcrowding.

How about this question: Who would argue against sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?"

We need to change the laws here but that won't happen until people stop railing against 'sacrificing a little freedom.'

like we all wanted to read that again..and again..wont post my rebuttal cause I atleast know when people are getting weary of kicken a dead dog..this lady had nothing to do with your MSN issue Pup..cant you stick to the topic??

pup has a one track mind. He/she is as obsessed as this crazy lady is.

No one is going to take your rights away, Sioux and OB 56 -- not to worry.

Does anyone remember the movie "The Ref"? The scene when the mother-in-law insults Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey restrains him and says "it's not worth it."

That's how I feel about the MSN socialists.

Lady, your husband isn't dead ... he's hiding!

Hmmm...the most interesting thing about your question James, is how people respond to it.;o)-

Goodnight..some of us have to make a living in the morning..we dont get paid by PETA to stay up all night arguing for MSN

MSN Socialist?  PETA worker?  'Sounds pretty ad hominem to me -- and you know what they say...

Yes I saw this story.  And I am sure the animal rescuers, breeders, and kennel operators hate this problem as much as the rest of us.  Most of them are the ones that are trying to prevent this sort of thing. I am sure this lady had good intentions.  But I believe hording is a sickness.  I am sure she did not get these animals from a animal rescue, breeder or a kennel operator.  She probably took in animals off the street and could not afford to spay and neuter them and they started multiplying like rabbits. And things just got way out of hand.  Sad but its life. She and the animals need help.  

James...looks like you have the answer to your question!

You asked:  "Is it worth sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?"

And that answer looks like a resounding NO! 

Remember...this is -- Bakersfield...life as it should be.

I don't think she was out to hurt these animals, Muttluvin. is right, it just got out of control. Some peole just have a soft heart when it comes to animals.

It is people like this that take away the freedom of others. I know someone who has MANY cats and she has never frozen her dead animals. She has always taken them to the vets offices and paid fees to have them properly disposed of. The cats with leukemia suffered. I know she wants her animals back but I believe she needs to take care of herself first before she takes on animal lives.

Those 53 confiscated animals need homes and protection from further harm pronto.  There are a few options like each of us fostering, rehoming or adopting one animal.  It would minimize the impact on any one person and assure their safety.    How about your feedback or a commitment to take one? 

To heck with the lady.  Let the courts deal with her.  There are some REAL disfunctional people out there.  I used to give cat & dog food to a woman in Los Angeles.  She hadn't cleaned her house in at least 20 years and had about 15 cats in the house.

To respond to the blog topic: "What do animal rescuers, breeders and kennel operators think? Is it worth sacrificing a little freedom if it might reduce the number of horror stories like this one?".  No.  The proposed ammendments or mandatory spay/neuter law won't have any impact on or address cases like this one.  If someone disagrees, I'd appreciate a detailed breakdown of how the laws would conclusively prevent this from happening again.

Another thing.  There's currently no sanctuary or safety net in our society in Kern County for people who run into problems like getting ill or losing their home.  I agree there should be a moratorium on breeding until we find a way to rehome all the ones needing it.  One of the best solutions is organized community pressure on a local basis.  Unwanted animals are a community problem not the County's.  The County Shelters are primarily disposal facilities for people's animal trash and resolution of nuisance complaints.  To me it is an unacceptable solution in our society.  Nothing will change without help and support from the people of Kern County.   A well conceived community pressure campaign will do the trick at a fraction of the cost of administering the one presented for our county.

Check out today's article on MSN.com about the White House to relax Protected Species Rules.  It'll give you an idea of how disposable the animals on our planet are to our highest government authorities.  Now, if you're a developer start cheering!

 Penny Melko

It boggles my mind when I look in TBC and see so many animals for sale. I can't help but wonder if all those animals actually get purchased, or do these people eventually give them away. I don't think they give them away,as I never see the ad's saying free labradoodle, great dane, shepard, pit bull, etc. We have been giving thought to getting another dog, which is why I've been looking.  I did see a really sweet looking dog we might be interested in, then noticed the people have to come out and inspect your house. I don't think so. If I pay to get an animal, I'm dang sure not paying that fee so I can have my home snooped. Probably will end up going to the animal shelter, although our last experience with that was not good. Bought a sweet little dalmation. He would have been perfect for a couple with no children. After we had him home about a week, the Grand children came to visit and he bit at one of them. Took him back to the shelter telling them of our experience. He was great with us, but not to be trusted with babies. They said they would not look for him a home, they would have to put him down. I thought they could certainly find a home with an elderly couple or something. Nope! 

Proam.  You commented about some rescues requiring a home check. 

Actually, there are some valid reasons for it. 

Rescuers don't want to have the dog or cat back in the same situation they came from again.  Their goal is for these animals to have a home and love for the rest of their life, be part of the family and die of old age.  The only way to have reasonable assurance of this is to screen each prospective adopter very carefully on the phone.  If there is a comfort after that conversation, an appointment is made to take the dog or cat their home so the family can meet the rescue animal, introduce it to other animals, if any, and assess if it's a good match.  Sometimes the person or family decides it's not the pet for them.  Fencing is sometimes the issue if it's too low or incomplete, allowing a dog to escape. or the gate needs a latch and/or a spring to shut a gate automatically.  Because gardeners, utility, bug or pool service personnel are notorious for leaving gates open, dogs shouldn't be placed without first seeing locks on gates.  It's the same with home screen doors without working latches.  Most rescuers won't place a dog or cat that will be primarily outdoors because outdoor dogs get forgotten.  Last, it's a perfect time to discuss obedience training, how to find local resources for training, diet, care, veterinary requirements and the importance of socialization and daily excercise.

Anyone who has placed animals for any length of time gets increasingly cautious and thorough before placing a pet.  All sorts of characters from the general public call in response to newspaper ads.  It's really a process of elimination where you're looking for just one good prospect.  It's not difficult to eliminate people by just asking 3 or 4 questions like: have you had a pet before, what happened to it, reason for wanting the animal, has family bought into it, who will be responsible for feeding, care, etc.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Penny Melko  

Proam.....Yes, sometimes you may luck out at finding the perfect dog at the shelter.  We have no idea what their backgrounds are. I am all for rescuing animals( I have a few myself) Another option would have been calling a rescue group before taking the Dalmatian back to the shelter.  The rescue group may have found him an elderly couple or something. . But if your not willing to take that risk that is why it is sometimes better to go to a reputable breeder.  Research your BREED! You might pay a bit more for a dog but if you go to the right breeder they know their dogs health, temperament and normal traits for that particular breed.  But definitely research, research, research......the breed of dog and how to find a reputable breeder.

Wants something fun about puppies for a change?  Watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Nancy! That was sooooo cute and sweet. Thanks for posting something fun.

You're welcome Vanity.  I though we could use it after the months of gloom on dog blogs.  Now if my great grandson will sleep like that when I sing to him.  The last time I did he grunted and grumbled and them smiled at me like he didn't want to hurt my feelings.  But then, he's only 3 months old....heh.  At least he didn't cry.  And maybe it was gas.

Shelter Dogs & Cats are no more of a risk than any other adoption resource.  If you actually disect shelter dogs, let's say one that was turned in by the owners (for nipping at the kids).  My first question would be why?  Kids can be brutal with animals.  We're not talking about innocent stepping on the tail, but getting kicked, slapped or punched in the face, torso or back end, and sometimes worse.  Some also have collars or rope imbedded in their necks and fractures from abuse.  Parents don't tend to see how kids are interfacing with the pet until the animal has had enough and attempts to protect him/herself.  Add lack of socialization, family rapport and ignorance about responsible animal care here for fun.  You know where the dog's headed.  Yep, to the shelter as a bad egg.

So, is there hope the dog will become a wonderful companion animal?  In a heartbeat.  The major difference between getting an animal from a shelter and other sources like a breeder or purebreed rescue is they're experienced with all facets of the breed and screen propects really well.  However, the primarily mixed breed shelter dogs are tragically branded by the public as tainted, unhealthy and under suspicion of being mean.  There is no screening or support mechanism in place for people getting shelter animals.  People are on their own and my guess is many are inexperienced with how to introduce a shelter dog successfully into a household.  Rescue animals should be viewed as continuous surprise packages and generously smothered with soft voice and compassion.  Consider that some percentage of animals may never have heard English or been in a house.  The sounds of an electric can opener or vacuum are surely frightening.  Some years ago, I read "Second Hand Dog".  It's a good starter book to understand a dog from their viewpoint rather than our own. 

If dogs went through obedience training with a family member, the dog and person would develop a permanent special bond and mutual trust.  I think it's because they learn to communicate and understand how to work together. 

I've NEVER had a rescue dog or cat that turned out to be some wild beast.  Just the opposite occurs. Shelter dogs have the stigma of coming down with parvo and cats, leukemia, FIV, FIP.  It used to be true because shelter walls/ floors weren't sealed and hadlarge numbers of animals housed together.  It's my guess that animals with signs of upper respiratory are isolated now.  I recall reading Kern shelters were sealed 2-4 years ago.

By the way the 3 Kern Shelters could use volunteer help to show the animals for adoption.

Penny Melko

By the way, that video was sent to me by a friend who is very involved with dog and cat rescue and she does a lot of work for animal organizations.  Thank you, we appreciate your time and effort.