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Awesome BC's UPDATE


jenfitzh20
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I like Katelynn's idea...and it would be very cute from the standpoint of a BC. And maybe include musings from people here who are the xth owner of a BC...and explain why it took so long for that dog to find it's forever home. I think commentary from the rescuers would also have a great amount of impact.

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I have begun to write down in words the plight of Toby Joe and his pack,of course that saga is far from over I do have what i think would be a good thing for potential buyers to read before making what often times is an impulse buy.

I too like Katelynn's ideas,thats the direction I want to develop it.

I have decided that I will pay the cost to keep the site advertized so that people looking for BC puppies that come to the site will at least have Honest information available to them,it just might save a few dogs if they take the time to read it. the site was averaging 80 unique viewers per day through puppydogweb

a percentage of those will take the time to look at whatever I put there.

We can lead them to water but we can't make them drink.

But after the ordeal I have been going through I have developed a strong opinion on proper education about Border Collies.

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I think it's great to keep the site for educational purposes. Even if you only reach one person, it's still worth it. And the plight of bad breeders is not unique to Border Collies, what you found is reprehensible in any breed of dog. This goes beyond the working/Barbie collie ethic...it's just wrong.

 

Thanks for all that you are all doing!

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We would like to update the general public about the situation concerning the dogs that were relinquished by Shere Thomas of "Awesome Border Collies" to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

 

Our understanding is that the MDA will "utilize resources available to them" (ie auction houses, breeders, shelters, rescue groups) to find placements for the dogs. We have been informed that the MDA is "interviewing individuals and rescue groups" for the "adoption" of the dogs that Ms Thomas relinquished to the state. On Thursday (07-14-05) we were told that we would be "considered" in that process. As of yet, we have not been contacted (or had our phone calls returned).

 

Our belief is that the "individuals" that they speak of will have more consideration that we will. Therefore, if anyone is interested in adopting one of these dogs from the state of MO (you must be a MO resident) you should contact the Department of Ag ASAP.

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I may be wrong here, but I do not think it's a coincidence that the web site is called "Awesome Border Collies".

 

Whenever I read about the site - what it was and what it will become - I cannot help thinking that everything in this situation just seems preordained somehow. It kinda gives me chills.

 

Maybe it's wrong for me to suggest that the plight of those animals was preordained, but what if thousands of dogs will be saved because of these animals, their rescuer - Ironorse, and the site that he made? A web site that was originaly meant to perpetuate their plight and the plight of dogs everywhere?

 

It's just overwhelms me to think of it all.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure that I'm making sense here, so I'll just stop.

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Taken from http://www.mda.mo.gov

Contact Us:

acfa@mda.mo.gov

Phone: (573) 751-3076

Fax: (573) 526-2059

 

We were told the decision on where the dogs go is up to Dr Jerry Eber, the above number is his office.

 

Please do not identify yourself as volunteer or representative of of Mo-Kan BCR if you contact the MDA. Not that anyone would, just need to clarify that

 

(update)

We have been informed that the dogs are to be altered before adoption from the MDA.

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Thank you Jennifer and all of Mo-Kan BCR for your ongoing participation in this matter.

Your investment of effort is greatly appriciated by this humble man.

I cannot help but feel that your contributions to date in this developing Saga will influence the eventual placement of these dogs in the homes that they deserve.

--------------------------

If the agencies of our elected government perform below our expectations then it is Our duty and responsibility as Citizens to see to it that their performance is corrected to the best of our abilities.

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Thanks for the update Jennifer. My heart sank when I read that the state was considering giving the dogs back to other breeders (among others!) but if you know they will be altered - well...that sure makes me feel a bit better.

 

Denise

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Thankyou Jennifer for all you have done and as I understand it the dogs are now being adopted out for $30.00 as is. Personally I think this is one of the worst things the Dept. of Ag has done and it makes me wonder what the State of Mo. Humane Society would have done, as nothing leaves a Humane Soc. til it is spayed or neutered or at least contracted to be done within 30 days... This makes me sick... Rescue and humane Societies will be full of more BC's either these or cheap puppies frome these.... I almost cannot believe this is happening...

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Okay...so how's about everyone email the Mo Dept of Agriculture and, ahem, express their opinion on how this affair is being handled? Perhaps politely inform them that media involvement is assured if they don't stop doing what they're doing with these poor dogs? :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

Director- Fred Ferrell

Fred.Ferrell@mda.mo.gov

 

Ass't director- Matt Boatright

Matt.Boatright@mda.mo.gov

 

Communications Director- Misti Preston

Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

 

(collected from the Mo Dept of Ag website)

 

You certainly don't have to live in Missouri to feel real sympathy to the unfortunate dogs and those doing all they can to save them, and FURY at the apparent complete idiocy of the people making decisions affecting the lives of these dogs.

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Hi everybody,

 

I am the person that will be going to the auction place to buy at least one of these dogs tomorrow. I have some friends locally who have been wanting to adopt Border Collies, so hope to be able to buy some for them as well. (They can't get off work on such short notice to come along).

 

I have only lived in Missouri for 3 years (previously London, then Wisconsin). Something most non-Missourians don't seem to realize is that Missouri makes $2 billion each year from puppy mill sales. Nearly everybody here considers puppy farming a perfectly respectable business, just like any other family farm.

 

The Dept. of Ag. not only doesn't shut down puppy mills, they actively support them and give advice on how to increase sales. They also give them millions in grants each year. The biggest puppy mill broker in MO, the Hunte Corporation, has received at least $1.75 million dollars in Dept. of Ag. grants over the past four years.

 

Until today, my co-workers--all scientists with graduate degrees--did not even have the concept that a puppy mill was "bad." To most of us, it's a dirty word, but to Missourians, it's no worse than saying somebody is a soybean farmer.

 

The MO Dept. of Ag. is actually here to SUPPORT the puppy mill breeders, not to police them--so I think any letters you send will fall on deaf ears. There are over 2,400 USDA licensed puppy mills in the state, and only 7 part-time Dept. of Ag. agents to inspect them. If I recall correctly, only two puppy mills were prosecuted last year, and most do not even receive fines, no matter how egregious the violations. (And MO has pretty lax standards, as you might imagine).

 

Anyway, you can write letters if you want, but I think the best help right now is if a bunch of you fellow Missourians on the list will join me tomorrow in adopting one of these dogs for yourself. If any of you do go, remember that they will only adopt to people who will be keeping the dogs as personal pets. NOT to people who are fostering or who are affiliated with any rescue, or who are pro-rescue.

 

If you want to see why the Dept. of Ag. and puppy millers have a chip on their shoulder about rescue, I highly recommend reading the following account of a visit to a Missouri puppy mill auction. The story has no graphic photos and a happy ending: http://www.anniesangels.org/1st-hand-account.html

 

Please read it!

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Sorry, but I don't consider that story to have a happy ending. Buying dogs from auction houses like that makes breeding dogs for auction and selling dogs at auction profitable. Working to end demand is constructive, but contributing to demand -- as those "rescuers" are doing -- is not.

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Would it be possible to get friends and relatives to "buy" a couple of dogs, say they are going to be pets, and then turn them over to rescue? I doubt the state is going to do home inspections, follow up etc. Sounds like they are just trying to get rid of dogs. Will they require proof of residency? I don't normally like to lie, but in a horrible case like this......

 

This breaks my heart.

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I feel very sorry for the dogs, because once again they are the innocent victims. But I truly feel sorry for IronHorse and Jennifer...for all of their efforts to save these poor dogs, only to be slapped in the face by the State of Missouri for their unselfish and humane efforts.

 

I'm sorry, IronHorse and Jennifer. But you will always have my profound respect for what you did accomplish and what you tried to accomplish before bureaucracy reared its ugly head. My hat is off to you both!

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All I ask at this time is Please People do not let assumtions and speculations paint a worse case picture in your minds about this procedure in this paticular case.

It takes many more then "some" of the pieces in a puzzle to be able to see what is there.

All I am willing and able to say to this is that I know without doubt that a great many of these dogs are much better off tonight then they were this time last week.

These dogs were not auctioned off to the highest bidder,their were and are being sold for a flat fee,and there is a papertrail with each one of them.

Sometimes what appears to be wrong or outragious or sad on the surface is really not nearly so bad once one looks beneath the ripples.

There are a great many Missourians who are very concerned about the exsistance of puppymills and work very hard to make every effort to put a stop to them,so I take offense to a statement suggesting "to Missourians, it's no worse than saying somebody is a soybean farmer".

I think if you look deeper into it you will find that much of this is being driven by demand from east and west coast buyers who are willing to impulse buy a certain dog because it is the latest fad. education is the key

take the demand away and the source drys up.

This is not simply a Missouri problem,it is a national problem,a world problem.

And as for rescuers thinking they are helping the root problem by slipping into an auction and buying dogs imho are doing nothing more then playing right into those who would profit.

For example; driving some 26 hours round trip and spending $1350 to buy dogs on an auction add the cost of the trip and all the other expenses that were involved just doesn't make good sense to me from a financal point of view.

take the roughly $2000 that was spent to do this and spend it on education and I honestly believe more animals would indeed be "rescued" instead of a couple of ppl feeling good with themselfs and thinking they had changed something for the better. Not to belittle this act but I just do not see it as the best course of action to invest so much into so few and placing the money right into the hands of the problem.

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Originally posted by IronHorse:

And as for rescuers thinking they are helping the root problem by slipping into an auction and buying dogs imho are doing nothing more then playing right into those who would profit.

For example; driving some 26 hours round trip and spending $1350 to buy dogs on an auction add the cost of the trip and all the other expenses that were involved just doesn't make good sense to me from a financal point of view.

take the roughly $2000 that was spent to do this and spend it on education and I honestly believe more animals would indeed be "rescued" instead of a couple of ppl feeling good with themselfs and thinking they had changed something for the better. Not to belittle this act but I just do not see it as the best course of action to invest so much into so few and placing the money right into the hands of the problem. [/QB]

Ironhorse-

I admire you for making the decision to do something to help these dogs but with all due respect I think this statement is wrong. There's a difference between buying a puppy from a pet store and buying a dog that is going to be a breeder and put out who knows how many puppies.

 

I think the lesson I've learned from this is to not be too quick to call in the State when dealing with neglected dogs in Missouri. I guess rescue should do their best to quietly come in and get the dogs into safe foster homes without notifying the State of any of it. I knew Missouri was known to have a lot of puppy mills but I had no idea that this kind of stuff went on.

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Ironhorse,

 

I agree with you when you say that this is a National problem. Why should Missourians be held completely responsible for cleaning up what the rest of the country has helped create. Been to a local petshop in your city lately? If not you should, I'll bet there is a big chance those puppies came from MO.

 

Ironhorse, when you state that these dogs are in a better place now than they were, you may be right, however, what about a week from now or a month or a year from now??? You have to realize that they are selling them (INTACT) right back into the hands of puppy millers, probably some a heck of a lot worse than Shere Thomas.

 

As for people buying dogs from auctions, I too holdheartedly disapprove of what that supports. This is NOT buying from an auction though. This is paying $30 to the state of MO (which I realize isn't much better) which will not even cover the costs of transporting these dogs 2 hrs south of where they were taken from and then boarding them for the past 5/6 days. IOW's no one is making any money off the dogs by selling them this way. They are keeping breeding dogs in MO, THAT is how the money will come in. So by people buying them and stopping THAT we will be doing a good thing.

 

Ironhorse, I'm not sure why you have stopped communicating with MKBCR or why you seem to have so many things you don't want to share...I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into.

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