Tails in the news

Puptoberfest benefits local rescue group

With a cadre of dedicated volunteers, Eleventh Hour Rescue in Rockaway, New Jersey, helps save dogs from high-kill shelters by placing them into foster homes until they can be adopted. On Sept. 22 from 1-5 p.m., the group will be thanking all those who help make their organization possible at the 3rd annual Puptoberfest at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. In addition to being a fundraiser for the rescue, Puptoberfest serves as a reunion for previous adopters. The free event features food, entertainment, activities, dog adoptions, and demonstrations. Since its inception in 2004, more than 1,300 dogs have been adopted through Eleventh Hour Rescue, so volunteer Mary Parente expects a large turnout. “Last year’s event had over 800 people in attendance,” she says, “and this year’s Puptoberfest event is promising to be bigger and better than ever.”

Eleventh Hour Rescue works with all types of animals, but Parente says the organization takes special care to place dogs with special needs. “While we feel that all of the animals that we rescue are perfect in everyway, we always fall in love and rescue terminally ill animals, sick and abused animals, animals with three legs, animals who are blind or lame,” she says. “[Eleventh Hour Rescue] spends countless hours working one on one with dogs to help them happy again. In short, we do whatever it takes.”
For more information visit EHRDogs.org or email Puptoberfest07@ehrdogs.org.

Judge’s ruling may help fight puppy mills

Lewis and Stephanie Ostrander of Marmora, New Jersey, purchased a Labradoodle from C.C. Pets, located in Pequea, Pennsylvania, in November 2006. When they picked up the dog to take it home she appeared ill and C.C. Pets owner Joyce Stoltzfus told the couple that they should expect the dog to have diarrhea, vomit, and be lethargic. Several days and several thousand dollars in vet bills later, the dog, suffering from parvovirus, had to be euthanized.

A judge ruled in July that the Ostranders can sue C.C. Pets under New Jersey laws; essentially, because C.C. Pets advertised in The Philadelphia Inquirer intending to sell pets in New Jersey, and all monetary transactions related to the dog occurred in New Jersey, the Ostranders can move their lawsuit forward.

Existing puppy lemon laws in Philadelphia do not cover cases like the Ostranders’, as it requires consumers to either return the “defective” dog or be reimbursed for veterinary fees that can’t exceed the purchase price. There is currently no recourse for people who buy a sick pup off the Internet or through a kennel.

“[The ruling] won’t have a strong impact on the puppy mill industry, per se, but could definitely impact all those dealers, brokers, and breeders who sell dogs in other states and over the Internet,” says Libby Williams of New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse. “This could potentially mean that there will be financial recourse for buyers of sick puppies in states where there is no consumer protection or puppy lemon laws.”

Williams says she always advises people to adopt a pet rather than buy one. “Too many despicable people looking to make easy and fast money hide behind beautiful websites with glossy pictures of ‘perfect’ puppies,” Williams says. “What really lies behind those deceptive screens are sick dogs in filthy conditions, puppy mills, and USDA-licensed commercial kennels.”

Spotlight on: Kimberly Carnevale and Canine and Abled

Kimberly Carnevale was a championship horseback rider vying for a spot on the Olympic Equestrian team when a car hit her. The accident left her with permanent, multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. Carnevale was forced to relearn how to do everyday things such as reading, writing, walking, and talking. Working with a service dog was a tremendous help, yet the general public’s limited knowledge of the work service dogs do became incredibly frustrating for her. As a result, Carnevale founded Canine and Abled, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and acceptance of service dog teams.

How did you end up working for disability rights?
Shortly after I was partnered with my service dog, I started experiencing illegal access denial and rude behavior from people who misunderstood the role of assistance dogs. On one particular pain-filled evening, I encountered an access denial that topped all access denials; and actually verged on criminal assault. The store’s employee started telling me I couldn’t bring my dog in the store. When I spoke up to the fact that I was disabled, that [with me] was a trained service dog, and that legally I was permitted to be accompanied by him, the man lost it...[he] didn’t know my rights, nor did he care to learn them.

And how did that segue into founding Canine and Abled?
I realized with total clarity that the common denominator in all access denials was lack of education. I already knew that I couldn’t fight the anger and denial with anger of my own, as it wouldn’t solve anything, and could make things worse by reflecting badly upon the entire service dog community.

I saw myself going back to all the stores and businesses in my area that had denied me access and offer to speak to their staff. I would let them know that service dogs help a wide variety of people with a wide variety of disabilities, in addition to the ones that we are most familiar with such as blindness and deafness.

What are the obstacles people with service dogs face in their everyday lives?
When you are partnered with a service dog, you become a public spectacle, in a sense. Not many parents take the time to teach their children about people with disabilities. Other obstacles come from adults; ones who have preconceived notions of what a disabled person is supposed to look like. Many people will ask me if I’m training the dog for someone else, and how could I bear to give him up after that training period. When I tell them that he’s actually my dog, assisting me, they look me up and down and reply, “but you look fine” when in reality, I may be in a world of pain from my MS, deeply overwhelmed from my cognitive impairment from my brain injury, or extremely exhausted and having trouble comprehending.

What types of programs do you do? How do people tend to respond?
Canine and Abled provides inspirational and educational programs for all types of groups. We’ve been booked at corporate functions, state affairs, civic organizations, fairs, scout meetings, expos, schools, churches, and more…all to overwhelming acclaim. This program means a lot to me—and to all the service dog teams I speak for.

To learn more, visit CanineAndAbled.com.