This shelter enables puppymills!

From the article, "Rescue and humane groups spend a lot of money convincing the public not to buy dogs from breeders."  This is the wrong strategy.  Rescue and humane groups save dogs, living dogs, and puppies in a store deserve a life.  I don't believe in sacrificing a living dog for some ill-conceived Greater Good.  Those voicing their opposition to WI Human Society must be those trying to call the shots from the sidelines.  Rescue and humane groups are taking care of the living while those not involved, such as dog professionals, clubs, breeders, and advocates should police one of their own, the puppymill breeders. 

I see nothing wrong with what WI Human Society did.  I have purchased pet store dogs in the past and I will again in the future.

They didn't just buy the dogs. They bought the entire operation, land, cages, the whole ball of wax.

Wisconsin Humane Society statement is consistent with their goals of saving dogs.  I did not see anything about breeding any of the dogs.  It seems to me that Wisconsin Humane Society has succeeded where advocates who try and call the shots from the sides fail.....they closed a puppymill operation and saved all the animals.  Now thats a strategy and a shiney example to show up all the rabble rousers and institigators.  Below is their statement

Wisconsin Humane Society Agrees to Assume
Assets of State’s Largest Puppy Breeder

MILWAUKEE — In an unprecedented move locally and nationally, officials of the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) announced today that they have reached an agreement to buy the assets of Puppy Haven Kennel in Green Lake County, located about 20 miles northwest of Waupun. The owner, Wallace Havens, who runs one of the largest dog breeding facilities in the nation, has agreed to sell his dog breeding business assets to the Wisconsin Humane Society, who will cease operations at the Green Lake facility and find homes for more than 1,200 dogs who have been residing there.

Margaret Stratton, president of the board of the Wisconsin Humane Society said, “Assuming the assets of this facility will allow us to provide wonderful homes for more than a thousand dogs. These dogs will soon enjoy the love and companionship of people who will treat them as members of their families. To our knowledge, this groundbreaking action is unique in the humane movement. This is consistent with the Wisconsin Humane Society’s mission to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness. We are always working to educate people interested in obtaining a dog that they must consider the physical, social and emotional needs of the dog and find out as much as they can about the dog’s background.”

Havens estimates that he sells about 3,000 dogs per year. All of the dogs that the Wisconsin Humane Society obtains from Puppy Haven will be spayed or neutered, thus ending the production cycle that has kept them housed at Puppy Haven their entire lives. WHS veterinarians are currently evaluating many of the dogs and are readying them for adoption.

“Havens is proud of the fact that the dogs from his facility will be going to the Wisconsin Humane Society. He is retiring and not interested in pursuing a future breeding business. For that reason, Havens was willing to discount the sale of the kennel assets,” said Tony Enea, Wisconsin Humane Society board officer. According to Havens, “At this time in my life, selling the kennel assets to the Wisconsin Humane Society is the best choice for me and my family because the dogs that I bred will be in the best possible hands."

Victoria Wellens, executive director of the Wisconsin Humane Society, reported that the transfer of dogs will occur over several months so each dog can be provided with the best possible care while WHS continues to serve animals from the community.  To date, about 300 dogs from Puppy Haven Kennel have been transferred to WHS to find homes. According to Wellens, a variety of unique resources will be required to place all of the dogs since many of them will need time to adjust and become accustomed to living closely with people. “Our employees and 900 volunteers are well prepared for this challenge to help provide a wonderful future for the dogs,” Wellens said.

Wellens also stated that PetSmart CharitiesTM has provided a generous gift of equipment to care for the animals, including leashes, collars, toys, food bowls and grooming supplies.  There are many needs that still remain, which will be posted on the online WHS Wishlist.

The Wisconsin Humane Society has a 130-year history of providing leadership in the humane animal welfare field, and hopes that this action will be a catalyst for people to come together to enact stronger laws and regulations to end exploitation of breeding dogs.

I didn't say they bought the operation to continue the operation. I said they bought everything paid enough for the guy to retire. Do you think that might conflict with their nonprofit status.

The title of this thread, stating the entire operation, land, cages, the whole ball of wax, then drawing suspicious to their tax status as if they were to continue the operation....all of these points imply they will continue producing puppies.....classic rabble rousing techniques.  Do you even know what assets were purchased and how those might augment their existing operation and the goal of saving and placing dogs.

Why did you choose that link and not this link?  http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=774130

I chose the link I did because it shows that the WI humane society is not affiliated with the HSUS your link didn't make that distinction. My link also has an alternative view its the outside the box thinking that I can appreciate.

2bully

I didn't say they bought the operation to continue the operation. I said they bought everything paid enough for the guy to retire. Do you think that might conflict with their nonprofit status.

Soooo...they bought the whole operation so that someone else couldn't buy it and continue to run it?

They prevented someone who was looking to get into the breeding business from buying an already existing business with existing relationships with brokers, physical facilities and dogs, right? And 1,200 dogs now have a chance at a real life.

I fail to see the bad here.

I understand the argument against buying pups in pet stores---because it is seen as financing puppy mills. But this isn't financing the continuation of a puppy mill---this is closing down a place that has been cited for poor conditions and produces thousands of puppies a year. 

Are you concerned this could start a trend of elderly puppy mill operators selling their businesses to shelters when they retire??? Again, I don't see the bad here.

As for non-profit status, what has that got to do with anything? Non-profits can buy and own property and buildings.

I say good luck to everyone involved as they work to rehabilitate and rehome those dogs. They have a Herculean task ahead of them.

Its not in the win column in my book. In the link I provided this group would take dogs that were sick or not producing, to me this group took potential evidence of a crime. A crime that could have shut down that mill without the expense of having to purchase it. Now those 1200 dogs will get added to the "overpopulation" agenda, when in reality they were purchased. See I find it a hard pill to swallow that "overpopulation" gets bandied around yet a shelter buys 1200 dogs and its considered a win.

Had the Wisconsin Humane Society been able to shut this guy down and charged him with a crime years ago, they probably would have.  If that happened, the 1200 dogs would still be in possession of the WI - HS as evidence until the case went to court and then the dogs could be released to adopters.  How long do you think that might take?  And if the owner is 72, would he even get convicted?  Would he live long enough?

 It doesn't seem that they HS is reselling the dogs - they are going to have to have a lot of vet care and socialization and the only way to recoup the expense of that is to charge adoption fees. 

Yes, it will be a strain adding 1200 dogs to an overtaxed system, but if they were allowed to continue breeding, that number would increase exponentially. 

2bully, are you suggesting they should euthanize them all?  Or leave the facilities so some other genius can take over?

DPU

From the article, "Rescue and humane groups spend a lot of money convincing the public not to buy dogs from breeders."  This is the wrong strategy.  Rescue and humane groups save dogs, living dogs, and puppies in a store deserve a life. 

If the puppies aren't bought, if everyone REFUSES to buy them, they will eventually be surrendered to shelters and adopted from there.  If they are bought, it enables the shops and mills to keep producing dogs this way,

2bully

Now those 1200 dogs will get added to the "overpopulation" agenda, when in reality they were purchased. See I find it a hard pill to swallow that "overpopulation" gets bandied around yet a shelter buys 1200 dogs and its considered a win.

Sorry but this is almost laughable it is so ridiculous.  Over population means there are more dogs than there are homes.  It has nothing to do with how many dogs are purchased.... its to do with how many EXIST against how many homes are available

The organization does not have the authority to shut an operation down or to levy criminal charges. They could have reported suspected violations to those with the authority to due such things. By taking animals that were sick or unable to produce through the long relationship that they had with that operation they enabled the operation to continue. Those same animals that they took could have been the same animals that could have been used as evidence that would have allowed the proper authorities to shut the mill down without purchasing 1200 dogs and the entire operation. I'm bothered that while in the midst of an "overpopulation" crisis that a shelter finds it an acceptable practice to purchase 1200 dogs, a purchase that will be added to the suposed crisis.

Chuffy

If the puppies aren't bought, if everyone REFUSES to buy them, they will eventually be surrendered to shelters and adopted from there.  If they are bought, it enables the shops and mills to keep producing dogs this way,

Sound like once again, someone on the sideliness trying to call the shots of how a rescue group should operate.  Yep, leave it to the shelter to take on the responsibility when the dogs are probably going to be in dire straits.  And what do you think is happening to the pups during this "eventually" time.  We all know what great housing conditions they are in for public display.  And the pups will be hopping, skipping, playing, socializing, parasite free, and with a full belly.  For some people, it is very easy to pick on a pup or to even sacrifice that pup and then just wash their hands of the matter.  Its much harder to pick on the real cause of the problem, the human.

Chuffy

2bully

Now those 1200 dogs will get added to the "overpopulation" agenda, when in reality they were purchased. See I find it a hard pill to swallow that "overpopulation" gets bandied around yet a shelter buys 1200 dogs and its considered a win.

 

Sorry but this is almost laughable it is so ridiculous.  Over population means there are more dogs than there are homes.  It has nothing to do with how many dogs are purchased.... its to do with how many EXIST against how many homes are available

 Prove your theory. I contend that any info you would provide will be based on shelter intake, adoptions, and euthanation rates. So the purchase of 1200 dogs at a single time will have no effect on intake, adoption, or euthanation numbers. So using your definition that you provided there must be 1200 homes lined up for those dogs already, because in order for them not to be added to the "overpopulation" there must be homes available.