Ysobelle
03-05-2003, 04:56 PM
I know I mentioned the case of a Collie breeder being charged with animal cruelty a few months ago, but the first trial ended in in a hung jury and mistrial. Thankfully, as of yesterday, it's been determined that these people will be tried again. They were stopped Halloween night at the Montana border, driving from Alaska to Arizona with nearly two hundred animals crammed into cages in a semi-trailer, inches-deep in their own urine and feces, and in terrible, terrible shape-- one dog was already dead. Athena Lethcoe-Harman, the breeder, claims she needs that many dogs because she's trying to breed out Collie Eye Anomaly, which, while a serious genetic disorder that can cause blindness in rare cases, only affects 2% to 5% of all collies, even if they're gene-carriers. Reputable breeders, for the record, usually have no more than 20 dogs because they know they can't adequately care for more than that.
I've been following this case every day for over four months now, and I'm very much afraid the breeder in question will get all her dogs back, and the charges against her will be dropped. Those of you who ever met my own beloved collie, Kayli, will be able to imagine just how much this prospect terrifies me.
You can read about it here: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20030304/localnews/1102524.html Check out the awful things their lawyer is saying about the people who've spent months volunteering to care for all these dogs while they're "evidence," and even about the Humane Society.
And if you'd like to read up further on the case, you can check here:http://awca.net/, which is the American Working Collie Association, who have been following the case even more fervently than I have, and have updates archived on their site.
I've been following this case every day for over four months now, and I'm very much afraid the breeder in question will get all her dogs back, and the charges against her will be dropped. Those of you who ever met my own beloved collie, Kayli, will be able to imagine just how much this prospect terrifies me.
You can read about it here: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20030304/localnews/1102524.html Check out the awful things their lawyer is saying about the people who've spent months volunteering to care for all these dogs while they're "evidence," and even about the Humane Society.
And if you'd like to read up further on the case, you can check here:http://awca.net/, which is the American Working Collie Association, who have been following the case even more fervently than I have, and have updates archived on their site.