Given the recent flap on Lancaster County puppy mills, I thought that I would share the following development with this group.
For a lot of us who sent letters and e-mails a while back to Governor Elect Rendell of PA (when he was assembling his team) regarding (1) PA puppy mills and (2) the appointment of the Secretary of Agriculture who said his priority was to make life easier for commercial puppy farmers in PA, there seems to have been a pay off. Gov Rendell has directed the Sec'y of Agriculture for PA to meet with Hearts United for Animals (and presumably other animal rights/rescue organizations) to address concerns with puppy mills in PA. The Secretary of Agriculture said that the individual who had been head of the department responsible for kennel inspection has been removed and the entire department has been restructured. He went on to say that there will be substantial change. Trust me, clamping down on puppy mills was not on this Secretary's of Agriculture's agenda when he started out!! When I drafted my letter about my objection to his appointment, I used a little tidbit of info that I discovered about the Rendell family -- they have as a family pet a Golden Retriever RESCUE! Ms. Rendell, a judge in her own right, loves this dog and you can bet I used that in my letter. A little information can get you a long way. NOTEWORTHY -- The Governor received MORE E-mail about PUPPY MILLS than any other subject EXCEPT TORT REFORM! If you think your letters are ineffective, think again. Nancy Melone, Ph.D. Mars, PA
