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| More pictures of how the dogs were kept here. |
The Philly Dawg blog reports:
The state Department of Agriculture has shut down an unlicensed kennel in central Pennsylvania and removed 58 New Guinea Singing Dogs, an ancient and rare breed of dogs that once populated the island of New Guinea.
Randy A. Hammond was charged with operating a kennel license and failing to have dogs vaccinated against rabies, after dog wardens entered his property in Willow Hill on Oct. 13 and found 68 dogs, according to officials.
The New Guinea Singing Dogs, closely related to the Australian Dingo, are among the rarest dogs in the world. None are known to be licensed in Pennsylvania and there are only 100 known to exist in the United States
The chief of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania has said this is a case of animal hoarding, and that all of the dogs on the property are descended from two pairs acquired in 1995.
New Guinea Singing dogs are extremely primitive wild dogs that are rarely kept as pets as they tend to be very shy, extremely territorial, and have a marked tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs. They do not look towards humans for signals, have an extremely strong prey drive, are very difficult to train, and are not social animals by nature.
To the credit of both the owner of these dogs and the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement (BDLE), things seem to be proceeding in an orderly manner. State Dog Warden Georgia Martin of the BDLE says an anonymous tip led her to the Willow Hill property of Randy A. Hammond, age 58. She spoke to Mr. Hammond, researched the breed, and did an outreach to Tom Wendt of New Guinea Singing Dog International and James McIntyre of the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society. Wendt drove 13 hours from Illinois and McIntyre flew from his home in Florida. The group met with Mr. Hammond last Friday, and he agreed to turn over the majority of his dogs, and says he is greatful for the help as he was well and truely overwhelmed.
"He's been awesome," Wendt said of Hammond's cooperation with the rescue.
Hammond's dogs were kept in 24 pens of different shapes and sizes which were arranged in a maze-like configuration on his property and scattered amidst old rusting vehicles and other detritus.
Since the dogs were not spayed or neutered, the population had grown larger than the number of pens Mr. Hammond had to hold them, and when BDLE arrived, six adult dogs were being kept in small wire crates and plastic travel kennels stacked on top of each other inside an open shed.
Only two of the Singing Dogs are socialized enough for possible placement as pets; it's hoped the others will find homes in zoos and sanctuaries. Between 10 and 20 Singing Dogs are scheduled to be taken away by Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab, Utah.
Two of the dogs are extremely handicapped. One dog is missing both back legs, the other is missing one leg. The two-legged dog is to be fitted out with a special set of wheels to restore his mobility.
Folks that want to help with costs for food, transportation and veterinary care for these dogs can contact New Guinea Singing Dog International at 815-814-4968, or the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society at 904-261-5630.
These dogs are not good pets and placement is being made to groups with special knowledge and facilities to care for this difficult-to-handle breed of dingo-like wild dog.
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15 comments:
So can we expect similar results as from previous raids?
Will most of the charges be dismissed after they have make paupers of the owner?
HTTrainer, you ought to read and look a little more...
Do you think that picture looks like correct care is being provided for these dogs?
Do you think dogs kept in stacked flight kennel crates their entire lives is a "never mind" and a good life and not a concern of the state?
If so, then you and I are on a different planet.
Do you see the blue parts in this post? Those are LINKS. Why not read what I have written and go to those links? If you read, you will see the putative owner of these dogs is THANKING the state dog warden for stepping in to sort out a situation that he readily admits he lost control of.
This poor fellow is a hoarder. He is mentally ill, but he is not evil. He recognizes he needs help. Should we give him help or not? Should we not charge him and fine him at least a little so that he understands his actions have consequences?
I am TIRED of people who see dogs as property that comes without responsibility. At this point, the very notion sickens me. If it does not sicken you, then I suspect you have not been around the dog abuse game long enough. And if you do not recognize that hoarders are mentally ill, then I suspect you have not seen enough of that either.
P
Having seen the heartbreaking show on animal hoarders, I can only feel sorry for both the man and all of those dogs. The difference between hoarders and puppy millers is miles - hoarders truly do love their animals while millers could care less.
I hope he gets treatment, and I hope those dogs find amazing places to live out their lives.
And what does a NGSD sound like? I did some googling and found this sound bite
http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-magazines/dogworld/chorus-howl-6-singers1.mp3
Sounds like wolves to my untrained ears, but I like the sounds of wolves.
Debi and the TX JRTs who aren't allowed around any wolves
How incredibly unfortunate, all around.
I would be extremely interested to learn where the original two dogs came from. I mean, we're not talking a hoard of beagles here, these dogs have to be trackable to some extent.
I assure you that if I was involved with this breed, that would be my first question, and the person responsible would have some serious explaining to do.
I also have to make a point here about dog hoarding. When situations like this arise with cats, where dozens of cats spring from a single original pair, I can accept logically how that would happen. Cats are difficult to separate, females are constantly in heat, hoarders can't keep them indoor only due to the males spraying - breeding is going to happen unless they are altered.
In dogs, however, the situation is VERY different. It is extremely easy to separate males from females. Even easier to separate females in heat from the rest of the pack. This man obviously had access to a garage and some kennels.
Yes, this situation got out of control, but there was a very high level of participation here on the part of the owner.
The initial breeding pair was obviously purchased as a breeding pair. Most hoarders do not purchase a single pair of rare breed dogs and go on to breed a property full of purebreds.
Hoarders generally end up with castaway dogs. Free dogs, or random puppies that were being sold at pet stores or outside walmart - impulse purchases they just can't say no to.
This case feels very different to me, and I suspect we only have a very small part of the real story. Of course, that is completely my own opinion, and nothing more - but I have been in rescue for quite a while, and studied hoarding quite extensively in an effort to combat limit laws in my area... and this guy just does not fit the profile quite right.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I get from the story.
He got the original pair from an Ohio "flea market"? I know there are tons of puppy mills in Ohio, but to find two of these rare dogs in a flea market?
Seahorse
I've been to some pretty wild flea markets - the wildest being in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. All three had exotic animals, things you would never imagine seeing at such a place (and certainly NO animal has a place at a flea market - at least not as a sale item, anyways!).
However, I've never seen anything as rare as these dogs there. And not just one pair, but two?
Something here stinks, and it's not just this guy's property.
I am just wondering why most of these dogs arent just euthanized? I know this is not a popular position to take but it if is OK to kill a perfectly healthy steer for people to eat, or deer, or hedgehog (for sport), why wouldn't you give a 2 legged inbred antisocial rescue dog a way out that is less stressful and arguably more humane than rigging it with a walker and forcing it to live in terror with humans?
I agree that under the circumstance the 2-legged AND the the three-legged dog should be euthanized.
So why aren't they?
Four factors enter into the picture:
1) the immediate psychological issues surrounding the hoarder who needs to think his dogs are not going to be taken out back and summarily killed (his or her biggest fear), and;
2) The political needs of the state rescue arm, which wants to be seen as "the good guys and gals" rather than dark winged angels of death who have full hypos of sodium pentobarbital as their solution for every problem;
3) the fundraising needs of the secondary rescues such as Best Friends. I am going to be a bit blunt here, but I think if you research it you will see I am right... Best Friends was started by a cult (the Process Church) , and though they do some good work, they are increasingly looking for "rescue ranger" stories rather than asking what makes the most sense under these circumstances. "Charismatic rescue dogs" like the Vick Pit Bulls dogs and the New York Pit Bull that was euthanized after being thrown from a roof, and these Singing Dogs are all potential cash cows for Best Friends' direct mail and internet operation, and you can expect to see them milked heavily in the year ahead, and;
4) The fact that a rare-breed rescue is involved. These folks have probably never seen so many New Guinea Singing Dogs in one location and putting one to sleep (even a two-legged dog) may seem like it's being a traitor to the breed. Other issues also enter into it... some people honestly cannot make a death decision, some people believe in miracles, etc.
P.
Roger that. I guess I am thinking of the welfare of the 2/3 legged dog(s) and not of the cult.I am aware of who they are and yes, they probably wield some clout at moments like this. Its not PC to think of death as an inevitable facet of life, only if you are sending your kids off to war.
Patrick - great breakdown of the situation for anyone who might not understand how these things really work behind the scenes. You really nailed it.
Moochies Mom - You said this:
"Its not PC to think of death as an inevitable facet of life, only if you are sending your kids off to war."
Would you mind if I borrowed that? I'm a firm believer of sanctuary whenever possible, provided that sanctuary itself is not overly stressful, and does not pose a danger to the animal itself, the animal's caretakers or the animals around it. In other words, if the animal can not be managed humanely AND safely, the animal should be euthanized.
Unfortunately, there are those who believe that in order to subscribe to no-kill (which I do, I do believe that it IS possible, with MAJOR changes to both the public and government, and it should be a long term goal at least for every municipality) you have to believe that every life deserves to be saved.
Your examples of the injured dogs is an excellent illustration of exactly the point I try to make. Many of these dogs will do very well in sanctuary provided that they are cared for in appropriate settings and by experienced caregivers. However, how do you get a wild animal to accept a wheelchair?
Now, that's not to say I think that they should immediately be euthanized due to their disability. Frankly, the three legged dog will probably make out just fine. The two legged dog should be moved to a quiet, safe location and handled by ONE experienced professional who can assess just what they are dealing with. At that point a decision has to be made.
But there is NO SHAME in euthanizing him. Groups like Best Friends will say "other groups would have 'given up' on him". Yes, that's an issue in many cases. But in many others, it's not about giving up, it's about doing what is BEST for the DOG, not what is best for your fundraising and your reputation.
Dog rescue has gone the way of dog training. I'm a balanced trainer, so I'm shunned by the pull and jerk crowd because I use a clicker and shunned by the clicker crowd because I use a prong collar and an e-collar.
It used to be that bravery was walking into the kennel and taking the dog that no one else would take, rehabbing him going back for another. Now in my world it takes a lot of guts to recommend a dog for euthanasia.
You're either a dog killer and you want all imperfect dogs to die, or you're a no-kill supporter and you believe that every single dog on earth should be saved. Of course, if you're in the middle, you're a hypocrite.
Sorry for the long rant, just trying to further explain the culture that permeates through rescue these days. Politics isn't the only thing that's become polarized.
Anyways, as you can imagine, your quote struck me in a very deep and personal way - it expresses exactly how I feel in a way that others can understand immediately. As you've seen here, that's not a quality I possess.
I was taught that New Guinea Singing Dogs show deadly same-sex aggression, which is why zoos pen them in opposite sex pairs. I wonder if he was using the pens to keep them separated when the bitches were in heat? What a mess!
My wife and I have helped to keep New Guinea Singing Dogs alive for 21 years.
Our kennel size has veried from 9 to 22 Singers.
We are currently housing and caring for 16 adults plus two litters of newborns.
Saying that we disagree with some of the comments here would be an understatement.
First of all, labeling these Hammond Singers as as "wild animals" is a gross error.
A more accurate discription would be "animals who are terrified by the many strangers who have invaded their territory and home."
Moreover, people who label them as "unsocialized" are only showing their ignorance and lack of knowledge and experience.
An "unsocialized" Singer would be a Singer who has never bonded or trusted a human being.
These Hammond dogs have obviously bonded with their owner.
They are, therefore, "socialized" or "friendly" to their owner, Mr. Hammond.
A better description of these dogs would be "unfriendly to strangers they don't trust."
Case in point: About two years ago we rehomed 18 Singing Dogs in Michigan.
I brought home one of the females.
She has never "warmed" up to either my wife or myself.
Today I went into her pen and lifted the roof of her house.
I looked at her and she at me. She growled but very little.
I very, very slowly began my "dogwhispering thing".
It took about 10 minutes of work to finally, after two years, bring her up to the level of trust she needed to allow me to touch her, caress her, and finally to pick her up and hold her in my arms.
As I held her I could feel her fear melt away.
She was once bonded to her original owner just as these PA Singers were originally bonded to their owner Mr. Hammond.
Singing Dogs are super intelligent and hyper sensitive..
This female was so traumatized by her rehoming from Michigna that it has taken two full years to regain her trust.
No one, absolutely no one, will ever convince me that these dogs should be euthanized because they are "wild animals".
Do you think they do not understand fear.
Do you think they are simply dumb animals incapable of emotion?
You want to euthanize the two males with missing limbs?
Shame on you!
I blame the media for the misunderatandings surrounding these dogs.
I have read hundreds of blogs, and many, many articles about this rehoming and I have yet to read any quotes from known Singer owners with extensive Singing Dog experience. Not one!
Why oh why don't reporters seek the truth from people who really know and understand these canines?
We're still waiting for the call and if you call us, we can give you the names of people other than ourselves who know what is real and what is fantasy in regard to Singing Dogs.
I'm oldsingerman20 and I'm really tired of the incorrect information circulating in the media.
Thank you for your time and patience in this matter.
osm20
Don, thanks for this note, and I think you make the case (intentionally or not) that these dogs really ARE wild animals best left out of the hands of most people.
When you say Singers bond with their owners but no one else, you are describing the exact experience of those who raise tigers, lions and bobcats -- truly wild animals. And without a doubt the folks who raise tigers, lions and bobcats love those animals, but they are not legal everywhere and they generally require special license for the sake of the animals. And misery generally follows even with a license. As we all know, too many dogs are acquired in haste before they are sent off to the pound to be euthanized (i.e. killed because the owner made a bad and ill-informed decision). Acquiring a Singer would simply increase the odds to a near certainty.
I am not sure you read either the article or the comments very slowly. The reporter that wrote this article DID talk to experts who own these dogs -- two of the world's experts flew in to help, and were talked to and the article clearly notes that.
Second point, no one was talking about euthanizing all these dogs -- they were talking about euthanizing two dogs, one without two legs and one without one leg. Considering the number of dogs that need to be rehomed, and the nature of these dogs, euthanasia of the two-legged dog is clearly common sense.
You say you have two litters of newborn Singers. Why? Where are they going to? The number of people who can actually take care of these dogs in a proper fashion is pretty small and if they want a Singer, and can actually take care for it over a lifetime, the Hammond dogs are available. So who are you raising puppies for?
Finally, you bemoan that no one will contact you, but you provide no contact or complete name. Makes it pretty hard to do!
P
For folks who want to see more pictures of how these dogs were living (almost never leaving their cages) see >> http://www.terrierman.com/NGSD-rescue-2010.htm
P
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