Who knew? On a night like tonight when it's -15C and blustery outside, all that pig shit is going to warm the "kennel" one floor above to at least -15C I'm sure.
The trial against alleged puppy miller Menno Streicher began today at the court at 1 Huron Street in Stratford, Ontario and the defence lawyer was trying to explain why it's okay for the puppy manufacturer to not heat the kennel area with electricity.
(Video above from CTV news article here.)
This trial will directly impact the future of puppy milling in Ontario. A win for Streicher and his supporters at the Ontario Landowners Association will likely mean a dramatic increase in Ontario puppy mills as this province will basically become a safe haven for large scale, abusive companion animal factories. On the other hand, a win for the good guys, means we're all one big step closer to shutting down puppy milling as a viable industry in Ontario.
The excerpt below is from a post by Kimberly Thomas of Kismutt Rescue concerning two puppy mill victims who could not be saved:
"Last year I had to euthanize to adult Great Dane sisters. When I got them out of the mill, they had a body score of 1. After six months here at the facility, they still huddled on top of each other in the corner and would defecate and urinate on each other. They would shake uncontrollably if you tried to approach them. They would jam their faces into the corner and defecate. Six months of this. These two dogs were so badly damaged (insane) from the mill there was no hope of rehabilitation. The kindest thing we could do was euthanize them, and my vet had to come here to do it, as you could not move them."
This is the disease Ontario puppy millers and the OLA continue to support.
The trial continues April 5.
Terrence Green should be ashamed of himself especially since reportedly he is blind and avails himself of the use of a seeing-eye dog. Maybe he should spend a night in the barn, along with the Steichers, being heated by them wonderful "passive" heating system. Can you even begin to imagine the stench and potential for the spread of disease, especially to puppies who have probably not been vaccinated. This is disgusting and inhumane. Also, Canada Revenue Agency needs to take a second look at the income tax returns of the Streichers. I wonder if, in an all cash business, they are declaring the income from all those puppies. The Streichers, for six years, apparently bred a dog, a poodle called Velvet, who could barely stand and should never have been bred in the first place. Great genetic pool there and they sell those puppies, with those genes, to unsuspecting buyers who will probably have a lifetime of problems with their dog. You are entitled to your religious beliefs in this country, however, when those religious beliefs cause unimaginable pain, discomfort and suffering to what is a companion animal, then you are accountable. I can imagine what would happen if I locked my dog on the balcony in -15 degree temperatures. I guess religious beliefs are not always accompanied by a conscience and money excuses any kind of behaviour.
My outside thermometer reads -26c this morning. I'm sure all the pig shit is frozen solid, not to mention the water bowls, and any puppies unfortunate enough to be born in Streicher's barns this time of year.
is there anything, anything more at all that the compassionate people of Ontario can do to shut these puppy mills down forever. They sully this province throughout the decent world!