Avoid Missing PETS! I see SO MANY *Missing* Notices Around!

[wildflower]

Keep pets(including cats) indoors at night and when you are not home(dogs and cats) This goes a long way to keeping them safe! Go to this link to find out more about missing pets and how to avoid it!

https://www.aleguprescue.org/pet_theft.html

For the Animals
wildflower

[wildflower]

A friend of mine in rescue says this IS happening locally!

Some 5 million family pets are reported missing annually. Based on pet theft reports filed with Action 81, Inc., In Defense of Animals, and others, it is conservatively estimated that approximately 1.5 to 2 million of these missing family pets are taken forcibly, or by deception, through so-called "Free to Good Home" ads. Dogs and cats are sold to many different clients for many uses, including dog-fighting rings as fighters or as bait, to "puppy-mills" for breeding, as meat for human consumption, as prey for exotic animals, as fur for clothing or accessories, as protective guard dogs, or for cult rituals. However, the most consistent and highest-paying client is often the research industry. Hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs are used as laboratory subjects in universities and testing and research institutions every year. Research institutions prefer to experiment on animals that are accustomed to humans, as they tend to be docile and much easier to handle.

If your pet is missing, please go straight to What You Can Do for help.

The Sale of Pound, Shelter and Humane Society Animals
Some pounds, shelters and humane societies may sell "surplus" dogs and cats to Class B dealers and/or research facilities--a practice commonly called "pound seizure." To date, only 13 states have outlawed pound seizure. They are: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. In those states where pound seizure has not been banned, it is up to each city or county (depending on whether a facility is city or county run) to decide whether or not to allow or mandate Pound Seizure.

Whether or not a state-wide ban on Pound Seizure exists, some pounds or shelters practice pound seizure illegally--some even acquiring pets illegally. There are known cases of family dogs and cats being picked up as "strays," being "laundered" through the pound, shelter or humane society system (by withholding them from view or taking them to an out-of-town facility to fulfill the required five-day holding period), and later sold to a dealer or research facility. Having a pound, shelter or humane society that practices pound seizure in your area means that every pet is worth money, and increases the chances of pet theft occurring in your community.

Sample Letter to send to your city officials if they are considering instituting a policy of pound seizure.

Animal Dealers and the USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a division called Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which is responsible for licensing and regulating animal dealers, animal exhibitors, intermediate handlers, and research facilities (which utilize animals) according to the regulations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA is a set of laws which establish guidelines for the care and use of animals by animal dealers, research facilities, intermediate handlers, and exhibitors.

A subdivision of APHIS, called Regulatory Enforcement and Animal Care (REAC) is responsible for enforcing the AWA regulations by inspecting covered facilities, conducting investigations, imposing and collecting fines, and suspending/revoking the licenses/registrations of dealers and research facilities who are in violation of the AWA regulations.

In the case of animal dealers, these violations can include: failure to provide sufficient food, shelter and water for the animals, insufficient veterinary care, insufficient sanitation, overcrowding, not fulfilling the stipulated holding period, or inaccurate or incomplete recordkeeping. The recordkeeping regulations are particularly important, because maintaining accurate records of where an animal came from (acquisition) and to whom an animal was sold or traded (disposition) are the only ways trace an animal who may be a missing or stolen pet.

There are two types of animal dealers licensed by the USDA
1. Class A (or purpose-bred) dealers who breed and raise (mostly pure-bred) animals on their property. They commonly sell animals to pet stores, research institutions, and other Class A and Class B dealers.
2. Class B (or random-source) dealers who obtain a variety of (often mixed breed) dogs and/or cats from pounds, shelters, animal auctions or trade and sale days, and other Class A and B dealers. Class B dealers typically sell animals to research institutions, other Class B dealers, and for food and fur.

Keep pets(including cats) indoors at night and when you are not home(dogs and cats) This goes a long way to keeping them safe! Go to this link to find out more about missing pets and how to avoid it!

https://www.aleguprescue.org/pet_theft.html

For the Animals
wildflower

[helenscott08]

I COMPLETELY agree about keeping your pets in at night. I always have. I have always been thinking of the wild animals who come out at night but certainly did not imagine all these other factors presented below. HOW AWFUL.

But of course some animals do get out by accident. I was transporting my 2 cats AND a dog during the big flood in Marin in about 84 or 85. I had been afraid to leave them home because my landlady wanted me to leave them in the garage when I was gone and I had no way of knowing if that was in a flood area or not. So took them to work with me and we had to spend entire night alone in the office because we could not get home in the flooded areas.

As I was just starting out I thought I had a door ajar and checked in the area to see if a cat was near the door. I thought it was clear. I opened door to secure it and on getting home discovered one of my cats was missing.

It took me about a month or so and two ads in the local paper to have the safe return of my cat. The woman who called me in response to my ad had seen the first one but thought my description of area he was lost in made it impossible for the cat she found coming to her house about that time could not be same missing cat. On seeing the second ad (I had waited about 2 weeks between ads) she decided to call. I, too, was not sure it could be my cat but looked any way and sure enough it was. He had traveled some distance from spot I guess he got out of the car.

Anyway, I do recommend keeping animals in house at night if at all possible.

helen s

A friend of mine in rescue says this IS happening locally!

Some 5 million family pets are reported missing annually. Based on pet theft reports filed with Action 81, Inc., In Defense of Animals, and others, it is conservatively estimated that approximately 1.5 to 2 million of these missing family pets are taken forcibly, or by deception, through so-called "Free to Good Home" ads. Dogs and cats are sold to many different clients for many uses, including dog-fighting rings as fighters or as bait, to "puppy-mills" for breeding, as meat for human consumption, as prey for exotic animals, as fur for clothing or accessories, as protective guard dogs, or for cult rituals. However, the most consistent and highest-paying client is often the research industry. Hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs are used as laboratory subjects in universities and testing and research institutions every year. Research institutions prefer to experiment on animals that are accustomed to humans, as they tend to be docile and much easier to handle.

If your pet is missing, please go straight to What You Can Do for help.

The Sale of Pound, Shelter and Humane Society Animals
Some pounds, shelters and humane societies may sell "surplus" dogs and cats to Class B dealers and/or research facilities--a practice commonly called "pound seizure." To date, only 13 states have outlawed pound seizure. They are: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia. In those states where pound seizure has not been banned, it is up to each city or county (depending on whether a facility is city or county run) to decide whether or not to allow or mandate Pound Seizure.

Whether or not a state-wide ban on Pound Seizure exists, some pounds or shelters practice pound seizure illegally--some even acquiring pets illegally. There are known cases of family dogs and cats being picked up as "strays," being "laundered" through the pound, shelter or humane society system (by withholding them from view or taking them to an out-of-town facility to fulfill the required five-day holding period), and later sold to a dealer or research facility. Having a pound, shelter or humane society that practices pound seizure in your area means that every pet is worth money, and increases the chances of pet theft occurring in your community.

Sample Letter to send to your city officials if they are considering instituting a policy of pound seizure.

Animal Dealers and the USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a division called Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which is responsible for licensing and regulating animal dealers, animal exhibitors, intermediate handlers, and research facilities (which utilize animals) according to the regulations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA is a set of laws which establish guidelines for the care and use of animals by animal dealers, research facilities, intermediate handlers, and exhibitors.

A subdivision of APHIS, called Regulatory Enforcement and Animal Care (REAC) is responsible for enforcing the AWA regulations by inspecting covered facilities, conducting investigations, imposing and collecting fines, and suspending/revoking the licenses/registrations of dealers and research facilities who are in violation of the AWA regulations.

In the case of animal dealers, these violations can include: failure to provide sufficient food, shelter and water for the animals, insufficient veterinary care, insufficient sanitation, overcrowding, not fulfilling the stipulated holding period, or inaccurate or incomplete recordkeeping. The recordkeeping regulations are particularly important, because maintaining accurate records of where an animal came from (acquisition) and to whom an animal was sold or traded (disposition) are the only ways trace an animal who may be a missing or stolen pet.

There are two types of animal dealers licensed by the USDA
1. Class A (or purpose-bred) dealers who breed and raise (mostly pure-bred) animals on their property. They commonly sell animals to pet stores, research institutions, and other Class A and Class B dealers.
2. Class B (or random-source) dealers who obtain a variety of (often mixed breed) dogs and/or cats from pounds, shelters, animal auctions or trade and sale days, and other Class A and B dealers. Class B dealers typically sell animals to research institutions, other Class B dealers, and for food and fur.