Dog kennel operators shoot 80 dogs

Two Pennsylvania dog kennel operators cited for multiple dog violations and ordered to get their dogs examined by a vet decided instead to kill 80 of their dogs.  

Rather than seek veterinary care, the kennel operators, two brothers, shot their small-breed dogs and tossed them in a compost pile, according to a news report. One of the brothers told a local reporter that "his decision to destroy his dogs was 'none of your business.' "

Apparently, Pennsylvania dog owners can legally put down their dogs by shooting them. But this incident, combined with House Bill 2525, which was introduced in May and supported by Governor Ed Rendell, may help to change that loophole. The house bill would require annual veterinary care for every dog in Pennsylvania's commercial kennels and euthanasia only by a licensed veterinarian.

“To think that a commercial dog breeder would resort to shooting 80 dogs instead of granting them humane veterinary care is an atrocity,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “This incident is a clear indicator of the need to amend current Pa. law and give qualified veterinarians sole authority to humanely euthanize animals in medical or behavioral circumstances as they see fit.”

The brothers operated what is commonly referred to as "puppy mills," large scale breeding facilities that often operate under substandard conditions. Kennels are usually overcrowded and unsanitary, and because they operate for profit, animal rights groups argue that the well-being of the dog is usually a secondary consideration.

This case certainly magnifies those concerns.