Dog transporter cited for multiple violations

A major lifeline for many animals is the animal transport and many of the transports travel through the northeast. Unfortunately, not all transports are a successful event for the animals involved. Those transports that usually fall into questionable acts are the paid transporters who tend to over pack their vehicles and spend no time during the transport to provide 'potty and water breaks' for the animals they are moving.

Recently, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement found 17 dogs crammed into a van in Delaware County. The dogs were sitting in dirty conditions inside the panel van. Two dogs were not contained, and the others were jammed into undersized crates with inadequate ventilation. There was no food, water, leashes, bowls or bedding of any kind for any of the dogs.

The transporter, Anne Marie Wessel from Lillington, N.C., was transporting eleven of the dogs to New York and Vermont. The additional dogs had been taken to other locations. Agents from the PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) were contacted by the dog wardens about the transport and they arrived to intercede. Wessel surrendered the dogs to the PSPCA and was cited with five transport conditions violations including failure to have health certificates, which are required for interstate transports, for the dogs. The certificates are required for incoming dogs to protect Pennsylvania dogs from contagious diseases carried by other animals.

Special Deputy Secretary for Dog Law Enforcement, Jessie Smith, admitted that "this was not a typical rescue transport. This was a paid transporter who made no effort to follow Pennsylvania's requirements for humane transport. These dogs were suffering from the conditions they had to endure during this trip." Smith added, "the bureau appreciates the efforts of groups that rescue and find new homes for dogs in a responsible manner. But this enforcement action is about a transporter who violated the Pennsylvania dog law and, more importantly, did nothing to safeguard the dogs under her care."

There is a provision that was added to Pennsylvania's new Dog Law to aid rescues by exempting transfers between rescue network groups from the ban on dog transfers in public places, but because this was a paid transporter the exemption did not apply.

If you would like to find out more information about the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, please visit the PA agriculture website.

If you are living in Pennsylvania and would like to become involved in legal rescue transports to help those animals in need find safe homes, please contact The Last Resort Rescue.