For goodness sake ... part 2

From this morning's Herald
Backyard puppy breeder faces animal cruelty charges Thu. Oct 22 - 4:46 AM
Animal protection officials expect to lay cruelty charges against a backyard dog breeder in Westville.
Provincial SPCA investigators seized 21 dogs from a Lyons Lane home on Monday, society president Sean E. Kelly confirmed Wednesday.
They included four adult Great Danes and 11 puppies, a chihuahua mix with three puppies and two other small mixed-breed dogs.
Mr. Kelly wouldn’t release many details while the matter is under investigation, but reported that seizing the animals was a last-ditch measure after other avenues to protect the dogs had failed.
The Society had been working with the breeder for an undisclosed period of time to improve the lot of the dogs, but moved to seize them when the health of one was threatened.
One of the mother dogs was dangerously emaciated, he said.
A warrant was obtained last Friday and executed on Monday by SPCA special constables, in conjunction with Westville police.
Mr. Kelly expects charges will be laid by mid-December under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
The unidentified suspect will likely appear in New Glasgow provincial court if charges are laid.
Neither backyard breeders nor large-scale puppy mills are crimes, but cruelty to animals is illegal, he said.
I know I go on like a stuck record, but until appropriate penalties are awarded in cases like this, puppy mills will continue to spring up all around the province.
Why now? With the advent of tougher laws in Ontario and Quebec, these operations just naturally migrate to a central area with a climate that is friendlier to them.
Legislation is always the key to change... especially for a big money business such as this, because:

• the majority of people neither know enough nor care enough about animal welfare issues to understand the problem with buying a pet that is sourced from a puppy mill. These folks view efforts by animal advocates to have the online traffic of pets banned as infringing on their personal freedom ( which is a separate topic that has been, and will be again, needful of its own post)
• As long as input from commercial breeders is allowed, there will be no meaningful laws to regulate breeders. Not to be mean, but if drug dealers aren't given a seat at the table when new drug laws are being worked, neither should the PIJAC "special interests"
• Its a romantic fallacy to believe that the unscrupulous will stop preying on innocent animals for profit. It takes properly enforced legislation to stop any criminal activity

Until that day, we are just going to see more and more of this type of thing.

What time is it? It is always time to remember that the ONLY thing that will motivate our MLA's (Members - Constituencies) is strong voter feedback.

It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds. - Samuel Adams