MO puppymiller being shut down, basenjis need help

[Duke]

@Quercus:

The most disturbing part is on the flyer where there are commendations from local vets stating how much the pet industry will miss this woman….disgusting....

Yeah - the pet industry includes the "local vets"! It is very sad that this is even a legal business! :mad:

[Vegas]

@Quercus:

That's not all basenjis, right?

This situation is sad….I guess the good news (if there is any)is that the mill isn't closing down because of violations...but because the woman is getting out of business. The most disturbing part is on the flyer where there are commendations from local vets stating how much the pet industry will miss this woman....disgusting....

I will try to find the link to the original flyer.....I found it, if anyone wants to see it, please contact me privately. Probably not allowed to post it here...we don't want to give any more free advertising to this woman.

I don't care about the "free advertising" myself. Hopefully the buyers will be committed people that want the dogs to have good homes, and people will get these dogs to discourage any more breeders from buying basenji breeding stock.

The trash that we're going to be dealing with is disgusting. We'll be with other puppy millers, and probably even some people that will sell them to labs.

What a friggin' mess!

[Quercus]

Just to be clear…the free advertising I was wanting to avoid, was to people who wouldn't care for the dogs responsibly. There are occasionally people on here looking to breed their dog or bitch for whatever reason, and those are the folks we don't want to get their hands on these dogs.

[Vegas]

@Quercus:

Just to be clear…the free advertising I was wanting to avoid, was to people who wouldn't care for the dogs responsibly. There are occasionally people on here looking to breed their dog or bitch for whatever reason, and those are the folks we don't want to get their hands on these dogs.

I see what you mean now, Andrea. I bet the waterbottles really come out when those people stop by.

[Quercus]

Vegas, can you clarify? Are individuals paying to spring these dogs? And if so, who is coordinating so that money can be sent. It is now my understanding that BRAT is not paying to purchase (understandably)…but if I wanted to sponsor a dog being boarded or something like that...who would I contact? You can let me know privately, if need be. Thanks

[Vegas]

@Quercus:

Vegas, can you clarify? Are individuals paying to spring these dogs? And if so, who is coordinating so that money can be sent. It is now my understanding that BRAT is not paying to purchase (understandably)…but if I wanted to sponsor a dog being boarded or something like that...who would I contact? You can let me know privately, if need be. Thanks

My mom is a board member of BRAT, and is helping coordinate the rescue. As you can imagine, the feelings of rescuing from a puppymill are very very mixed. I understand both sides. If you want to contact her to offer any help, or AHEM fostering, she would love to hear from you.

Her name is Liz Newton. Contact me via PM for her emai. Now, I've got to go because we're leaving for MO in about an hour.

Here is the email that she sent out to the other members:

BRAT is opposed to supporting the owners and operators of puppy mills by
purchasing their dogs at an auction. However, it is believed that if we do
not save some of the dogs from this huge auction in MO, we will be rescuing
more and more of their off-spring in the next few years. Therefore, on a
very limited and organized basis, we have permission to save some of these
dogs.

If any individual is willing to foster one or more of these dogs UNTIL
PLACEMENT, I will coordinate it. Please, do not expect to have it moved to
another foster home if the going gets rough. Please, if you make the
committment to foster one, commit also to the training and rehabilitation it
will likely need.

BRAT is willing to give financial support to this effort!

I will be coordinating the group effort if several people are willing to
help. We will need a designated BIDDER so one BRAT person is not bidding
against another. We will potentially need people in MO who are willing to
assist with transport to other areas. We will need people who can be there
early and do some evaluation of which dogs we should bid on.

This auction has advertised 21 adult basenjis, many of the are females, some
with pups born in December and January. I was told today by the auction
house people that pups younger than 8 weeks will only be sold with their
mother. I counted and, unless the Reeds have done "pre-sales", that amounts to 11 pups whelped in December and one litter that was due in January.

There are likely not as many pups as are listed on the auction bill as
"numbers whelped", which is 70! It is projected that some of these dogs
will sell for as little as $25 - $50, but we must be organized or we will
push the prices higher.

Liz Newton, IL
West Regional Coordinator

I plan on taking a lot of pictures just so others can see what a "professional puppymill" looks like.

All help is appreciated. Have a good weekend.

Ben

[Quercus]

Can I forward this to another list?

[Vegas]

yes. please do.

Ben

[Vegas]

Here is the official link to donate to this cause:

http://basenjirescue.org/donate.htm

Thanks.

[sharronhurlbut]

Donations may be made by check:

Basenji Rescue & Transport
7255 Jermyn Cove
Germantown TN 38138-8780

Credit card - (you may click here to donate on-line with a credit card through GuideStar. It's quick easy and secure!)

http://partners.guidestar.org/controller/searchResults.gs?action_donateReport=1&partner=networkforgood&ein=75-2804588

If the link does not work for you, please go to the main BRAT page, click
on Donate to BRAT, and click on the section that tells about GuideStar.

PayPal bratinc@gmail.com

[sharronhurlbut]

If you don't want to donate to BRAT that way, please post to me privately and I will give you the e-mail of Jennifer Hill who is the angel who trys to help any basenjis that are being auctioned by the puppymillers.

I do work for BRAT, but also for 2 other rescue groups, all basenji related.
Anything you can do to help these dogs, foster homes, transport, etc, please
let us know.

[sharronhurlbut]

If any of you would like to donate to BRAT or some of the persons involved in the bidding/fostering for these basenjis, please contact me privately.
I will give you the donation tax deductable or the e-mail of the folks on the front line for this auction.

[sharronhurlbut]

Brat is paying for the dog to be bought and for the vetting.
We hope to help as many as we can.
So, please share this info with any basenji lovers you know.

[YodelDogs]

Please, please folks if you plan to attend this auction, do not say anything to anyone about rescue! Those folks typically have a strong dislike for rescuers and things can go downhill very fast, possibly even ruining any possibility of BRAT getting any of the dogs. Keep quiet, blend in, and try not to show your disgust. Let's all hope that the rescuers will be successful.

[sharronhurlbut]

Good point, thank you for bring it up.
I am hoping that with the weather so back back there, it will cut down on attendance.

[Vegas]

@YodelDogs:

Please, please folks if you plan to attend this auction, do not say anything to anyone about rescue! Those folks typically have a strong dislike for rescuers and things can go downhill very fast, possibly even ruining any possibility of BRAT getting any of the dogs. Keep quiet, blend in, and try not to show your disgust. Let's all hope that the rescuers will be successful.

Don't worry. Any comments that I have (and I'm sure there will be comments) will be saved until we've paid, and are on our way out. As far as blending in goes, I can no problem. I'm pretty much "country".

We've made most of the trip already with a short 20min drive left for tomorrow morning.

It's hard to look forward to getting puppies when I know the conditions that I'm going to see all those dogs in.

BRAT still needs fosters, and $$.

Vegas

[abby_basenji]

I live in Illinois let me know if I can help!

[sharronhurlbut]

Ok, here is the count.
I just spoke with Liz. They are loading up dogs now. We have 12 pups

(under 8 weeks) and 6 adult basenjis. There was a lot of competition in the

bidding, and some prices were very high.

[sharronhurlbut]

We got what b's out we could, now we need foster homes.

We need fosters for any of these basenjis that we have rescued.

If you are in a situation where you could foster a basenji at this time
would you consider helping one of these basenjis?

If you can foster or transport, write to brat-admin@lists.basenjirescue.org

Thank you so much for your consideration of this request and prompt
response!

[Vegas]

All the animals made it home okay. All have very good temperment, considering the circumstances. I really believe that they will all make fine pets.

We're tired now, but will post more later.

Vegas