October 9, 2008
Heavenly
I’ve heard from a lot of people about the Almost Heaven horror show last week.
In case you didn’t read about it, the Pennsylvania SPCA raided the Upper Milford Township dog kennel and said it found disgusting conditions. Owner Derbe “Skip” Eckhart was charged with animal cruelty, and the state revoked his kennel license. Here and here are my latest columns on the subject. I’ll have more to say in the days and weeks to come.
At least partly, I suspect, in response to all the publicity over this and other SPCA raids, the state Legislature finally pushed through an overhaul of the state dog law this week. Even watered down by Senate changes, the bill certainly is an improvement, but it won’t mean much without a major overhaul of the ineffective — and I’m being really generous to confine myself to that adjective — state Bureau of Dog Law.
The rafts of calls and e-mails I received included lots of horror stories about experiences with the kennel, expressions of disgust with Eckhart and hopes for a suitable punishment, and questions about how to adopt animals rescued from the kennel.
I decided to share one of the e-mails with you, because I was touched by the kindness and by the much-needed infusion of hope. It’s from Rachael — she asked me to withhold her last name — of Montgomery County.
“Bill, until I walked into the Philadelphia SPCA this past Sunday (secretly praying that I would find the perfect dog for me) I had not heard of the Almost Heaven puppy mill raid. After five minutes, I was informed by workers about the raid. I was disgusted and my heart was heavy at the same time.
“I did not seek out an Almost Heaven victim, but that is what I found. Even though she weighs less than half of what she should, is bald, covered by a red rash, sores and scabs from head to toe, bleeding ears and a double eye infection — I have found the perfect dog. Today I finalized the adoption of my new dog.
“She is unstable on her feet because she was kept in a cage so small she could not stand up, she has never been on a leash because no one cared enough to walk her, she does not know how to play because no one every played with her, she is not house-trained because she has never been in a house. Despite all the neglect and suffering she has endured, she can still love!”
Current Comments:
Good luck rachel. You just won the Lottery of Love. That is one lucky dog.
Posted By: Chris Casey Oct 9, 2008 8:55:09 PM
Thanks Bill for sharing this story. And thank you to Rachel for giving this dog a second chance!
Posted By: MOB Oct 9, 2008 9:18:23 PM
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