May in animal news: Five questions with ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres

We're pleased to introduce a new feature here at Unleashed: Five questions with prominent members of the animal-protection movement. This month, leaders of several well-known organizations agreed to answer our five questions about what they view as the most important animal news in May and what animal lovers can watch for in the coming month. First in the hot seat is Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Unleashed: What do you view as the most important development in animal news to happen in May?

Ed Sayres: The Office of the Inspector General released a report last week detailing the United States Department of Agriculture's lax and ineffective enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act against licensed large-scale dog breeders and brokers known as "puppy mills."

The report found that despite regular inspections, breeders are allowed to operate facilities where dogs live in inhumane conditions -- kennels overflowing with pools of urine and feces, food laden with dead cockroaches, dogs infested with ticks, and unattended injuries such as a mutilated leg, among other atrocities -- without penalty.

I am not surprised by the findings. Our organization is painfully aware of the cruel conditions to which dogs are regularly subjected at the hands of puppy mill operators who put profit above providing the most fundamental standards of care.

Unleashed: What were the ASPCA's biggest projects in May?

Sayres: Fighting puppy mills is one of the top priorities of the ASPCA's anti-cruelty initiatives, and we have rescued thousands of dogs from horrific conditions in puppy mills and aided in the prosecution of large-scale dog breeders.

Earlier this year, our Field Investigation and Response team managed the investigation and rescue of more than 100 severely underweight dogs from a puppy mill in Holly Springs, Miss., where the animals were being housed in feces-encrusted pens and suffering from severe neglect. The dogs were signed over to the ASPCA and transferred to several local agencies, as well as our Adoption Center in New York, for adoption. This month, 96 charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty were filed against the puppy mill operators and we're hopeful that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

In addition to our investigations across the country, the ASPCA aims to secure the strongest possible legal protections for animals. We are working in coalition with several other groups to secure the passage of the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. With approximately 3,000 puppy mills churning out hundreds of thousands of puppies a year, Missouri has long been known as the "puppy mill capital" of America. The majority of Missourians love their dogs, and more than 170,000 signatures were submitted in early May to the Secretary of State's office in an attempt to qualify this legislation for the November 2010 ballot. This is a groundbreaking initiative backed by Missourians to drastically improve the lives of dogs in Missouri's puppy mills.

Unleashed: What will the ASPCA be working on in June?

Sayres: Last month, the ASPCA unveiled the newest mobile "Animal Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)" response vehicle, a 2010 Subaru Outback generously donated by Subaru of America, Inc., and customized specifically for the ASPCA's Veterinary Forensics team. The CSI response vehicle will used for field work to transport animal victims, store evidence from crime scene investigations and provide the capability to access areas that are typically off limits due to challenging terrain.

In early June, we will be unveiling our newest addition to the fleet of vehicles dedicated to assist in the rescue, transport and temporary sheltering of animal victims of cruelty and disasters. More to come at the end of this week...

Unleashed: How can interested animal lovers help in June?

Sayres: Animal lovers can take an active role in fighting puppy mills by working with the ASPCA to pass legislation that ensures that all companion animals are bred and raised in healthy and humane conditions. Inform your state and federal legislators that you are outraged by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. We also urge people to avoid purchasing dogs from pet stores -- retail or online -- and instead adopt from their local shelter or a breed rescue group, or buy from a responsible breeder.

For more information on how to puppy mills, please visit the Puppy Mill Campaign section of the ASPCA's website.

Unleashed: What led you to become involved in the animal-protection movement?

Sayres: My exposure to animals began with my father, uncle and grandfather, all of whom were handlers for champion show dogs. I bonded with many of these dogs and thus began a lifelong commitment protecting animals.

In the 1990s, I served as director of several organizations, including PetSmart Charities, the animal protection division of the American Humane Assn., and St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, a statewide animal protection agency in Madison, N.J. I joined the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1998 as president and helped develop a "no-kill" shelter that became a model for other shelters.

I was recruited for my current role at the ASPCA in 2003. Our organization advocates for the compassionate treatment of animals and we build collaborative partnerships across the country with municipal and non-profit animal welfare agencies to provide positive, life-saving outcomes for animals at risk. Communities from Tampa, Fla. to Spokane, Wash. are working to decrease needless euthanasia of at-risk pets in their communities with funding and resources provided by the ASPCA.

We also work with more than 140 animal rescue groups, both governmental and private, to reduce euthanasia in New York City animal shelters. About 30% of the animals left the shelter alive when I started, and now that rate is about 70%. I've dedicated my life to building sustainable programs to save homeless animals across the United States and I hope to continue in my mission to provide positive outcomes for these animals.

Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has dedicated more than 35 years of his life to improving the welfare of animals. He works primarily out of New York City, where the ASPCA is based.

Photo: Sayres with an animal friend. Credit: ASPCA

Comments

[Anniespets]

I have a question. How can animals, like the 96 that you say you "rescued" in the Mississippi Puppy Mill be in such bad shape that a person could be charged with 96 counts of cruelty, one charge for every animal, yet 34 of them, looked to be all pure breeds, were picked out by the ASPCA as poster animals for your donation campaign and were being shown as adoptable on your site around a week later? Im just asking because in my years of rescuing any animal that I have seen that I though would have warranted charging someone with a REAL cruelty charge generally took WEEKS if not months to rehab and surely were not adoptable in a week or so. Also, can you give your readers a head count of EXACTLY where the other 61 were sent after the raid and how many, if any, of these animals sent to the ATLANTA pound/ Humane Society were actually euthanized? Can you tell us how much money this particular well advertised "PUPPY MILL RAID" brought in in donations off of the commericals that led us to believe that ALL of these animals that were "rescued" were being homed and saved? I know that the ASPCA has assets of well over 200M dollars right now. Does the ASPCA not have enough shelter space and resources with over a 100 HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS a year coming in to properly care for these raid animals instead of leaving them with large city HS and in many cases they get euthanized? Thats a LOT of money.. Surely ASPCA can afford to care for 96 ABUSED animals with that kind of dough? thanks. Waiting for your answer

[DogMom2010]

Google "Oreo's Law" that will tell you everything you need to know about Ed Sayres and the ASPCA.

[Jenni Watson]

As a Mississippian I too am very interested in where the other 60 or so were sent. They were not available for adoption at my local shelter. I think when you take animals from someone you have a special responsibility to account for where they go because in effect by taking them you are saying you can care for them better. I'd like proof of that claim. Where are the other 60+ dogs?

[LegalE]

I too have been discussing this topic with several legal experts. I believe that When the ASPCA, Marshall County sheriffs department and other groups raided this "puppy mill" that they do at that point infact become "finanically and morally" responsible for the long term care, custody of and financial responsibly to see that these animals were taken care of and homed. ASPCA in particular. ASPCA did puppy mill raid commericals, no doubt receiving most of the financial "reward" for this effort. They publicized this event on their own site as if it were a "ASPCA" puppy mill event. I guess my question would be this. Don't you think when you raid a "Puppy Mill" and show yourself saving these animals and reaping the rewards of the effort that you at that point became their "sole" custodian? Meaning this, you lead people to believe that you were saving these animals. You did not tell people that you would be "scattering" these animals into large city Humane Societies/city pounds relieving yourself of the responsibility of placing them, nor that infact some, if not many of those same animals were, or will be, in peril of being euthanized becaused of this abandonment. I agree with the other commentor. when they stated wasnt the ASCPA saying to the public infact that "you, along with your co-conspirators, could infact care for these animals in a more appropriate manner than the people from which they were taken? No one would have expected that they would be turned out into the "system" in large city shelters that we all know euthanize by the thousands on a yearly basis like Atlanta and many others. Legally speaking you were telling us you and the law were willing to take on that responsiblitly. Since the ASPCA was the primary monetary benefactor, you are the PRIMARY responsible

[HHunt]

Ive got a question. But let me start out by saying this first before comments start running rampant. I HATE a real puppy mill as much as the next guy. My question is this. ASPCA and HSUS have been allowed by the law over and over for decades to participate in Puppy Mill Raids. Although I hate REAL puppy mills, I have to question the legality of the process. What I mean is this, HSUS and ASPCA first of all are allowed onto private property, not as a standby, but almost as the "leading agent" in the Puppy Mill Raiding process. My first problem is this. They are not a government entity and I know of no other legal situation where a judical warrant is being processed that the US Gov, local or Federal law, would allow a non-government agency to participate in the process. Beyond that is the fact that ASPCA and HSUS are then allowed to "set up cameras on PRIVATE PROPERTY to make "PUPPY MILL RAID COMMERICALS". In all reality they are "acting" in a judicial capacity. Further more, they are allowed to gather evidence, seize the property of and publicize the event.. In all essence they are (1) allowed onto private property when the owners are even make to leave in most cases. (2) they are allowed to gather evidence seeminly in a "lawful capacity", they are allowed to film the whole process and THEN the "stinger", they testify against the accused. What I find even more incredulous is the fact that they profit hundreds of millions of dollars off of these "raids". How does the law allow HSUS and ASPCA a NON-GOV entity to gather evidence, film, profit millions and then be allowed to testify against the accused when they just made MILLIONS off of these WELL publicized raids that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars annually? Is it just me? The "accused" has NO protection from a Biased witness who has just been allowed to profit millions from the raid. Dont you think there is something ethically, morallly and LEGALLY wrong with that? The same persons/RESCUE group that just gathered all of the evidence and testified against the accused are same persons (ASPCA AND HSUS) who just PROFITED MILLIONS.. I may be the only one, but I dont believe AN ETHICAL JUDGE, if presented with all of the facts, WOULD ALLOW THE PROFITING "EVIDENCE GATHERER/WITNESS AGAINST THE ACCUSED" to make millions and his testimony be considered anything OTHER THAT TO HAVE MALICIOUS CRIMINAL INTENT! Am I the ONLY ONE that sees a LOT OF SOMETHING CRIMINAL in this process?

[Meow]

Sorry the money raised from the puppy mill commercials wasn't really intented for the puppies, it was to supplement Ed Sayers $490,315 annual income.