Dogs Placed with Sporting Dog Groups, Nonprofit Organizations
HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture wardens have closed an illegal kennel in Tioga County after learning that the owner was advertising dogs for sale on a Web site dedicated to hunting dogs.
On July 10, wardens entered the Bear Creek Kennel property in Tioga with a search warrant and discovered 33 dogs. Scott Fay, the owner, was served with a cease and desist order that included instructions prohibiting him from euthanizing any dogs.
Dog wardens removed 18 dogs from the property on July 23, leaving Fay and his associates, Tammy Long and Connie Adams, with five dogs each, per a consent agreement they signed in 2008. Without the agreement, each could own up to 25 dogs without a kennel license.
Fay’s license was revoked in September 2007 after he failed to maintain sanitary and humane conditions in the kennel. In 2008, wardens discovered that Fay continued to operate the kennel illegally. He and three associates were cited.
“Mr. Fay has scoffed at the law for years, placed his dogs in unacceptable situations and sought to profit from his illegal actions,” said Jessie Smith, the special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement with the Agriculture Department. “We have no tolerance for illegal, unlicensed kennels and will continue working to close these kennels and protect the dogs involved.”
The department’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement intends to file 57 summary citations against Fay for violations of the Pennsylvania Dog Law, including: operating without a license, failure to keep the kennel in good repair, failure to obtain veterinary checks when ordered by wardens, failure to license individual dogs, and failure to vaccinate dogs against rabies.
Each summary citation carries a minimum fine of $100 and a maximum of $500.
Most of the removed dogs were taken to Stone Creek Kennel in Hesston, Huntingdon County. Other dogs were placed at the Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA in Schuylkill County, the Humane League of Lancaster County, and Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester County.
“We are pleased that so many of these dogs have been placed within the sporting dog community, and grateful to the three nonprofit animal shelters that also took dogs. These organizations are providing care to the dogs and giving them, and their pups, an opportunity to find a good home,” said Smith.
Smith said the case highlights important legal advances provided under the new dog law, Act 119 of 2008, signed by Governor Edward G. Rendell last October.
“The previous law was ambiguous about what charges could be filed against illegal kennels, beyond charges for failure to get a license,” said Smith. “Act 119 makes it clear that wardens can also cite for any unsatisfactory conditions that a regularly licensed kennel would be accountable for, and we will file those charges is this case for sanitation, upkeep and any other applicable violations.”
Anyone wishing to offer confidential tips about unsatisfactory or illegal kennels is encouraged to call the toll-free hotline, 1-877-DOG-TIP1.
