A Dog's Life

by Pa Rock
Whiney-Ass Animal Rights Activist

Seneca, Missouri, is a small town in extreme southwest Missouri that sits on the Oklahoma border. Both of my parents were born in rural Newton County close to that little community. A large part of the commerce of Seneca centers on an Indian casino that was erected a few years back just inside of Oklahoma. Recently another Seneca business enterprise has been in the local news, and today it was picked up nationally by the Associated Press.

Jewel Bond is the owner and operator of J.B.'s Precious Puppies, and though the business name suggests a peaceful kennel with happy little puppies licking the faces of prospective buyers, her operation was, in fact, little more than a torture chamber for man's best friend. I say "was" because Ms. Bond has just been closed down for the second time in two years.

Officers from the Newton County Sheriff's Office raided J.B.'s Precious Puppies and found over 200 dogs standing and living in their own excrement, many packed three or four to a cage. Some were sick and missing clumps of hair. The deputies also found skeletons of dogs and puppies stuffed in empty dog food sacks. Precious puppies, indeed!

Jewel had a license to breed dogs, but the Feds took it away from her two years ago. The state came in and auctioned her dogs off, but, unbelievably, Jewel bought some of the unlucky pooches back herself and started right back up. Jewel's license said dog breeder, but in actuality she was a puppy mill operator - a very low form of humanity.

Missouri's dog breeders, many of whom are reputable, fall under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Agriculture. That agency currently has eleven inspectors, not nearly enough to properly supervise the 3,200 licensed dog breeders as well as all of the animal rescues, shelters, and dog pounds. The Humane Society of the United States is conducting a "Stop Puppy Mills" campaign and says that Missouri should stop licensing breeders until it has enough inspectors to do proper supervision.

The Associated Press article also mentioned Marilyn Shepherd, a dog breeder in the Ozarks community of Ava, MO. Marilyn has been the subject of three federal licensing complaints, but she still has a state license. Journalists tried to view her operation, but she would not allow her dog pens to be toured or photographed. Marilyn said that pictures of caged dogs would set off protests by "whiney-ass animal rights activists." 'Nuff said.

And what about the "Jewel" of Seneca? She has been shut down again and is facing a possible two years in prison. Justice would dictate that she have to live in her own excrement crammed into a cell with a few dozen other puppy mill operators. It wouldn't be hard to find that many similar lowlifes to cram into her cage because Missouri is the national leader in puppy mills. (It is also the national leader in meth labs.) There are lots of opportunity for free enterprise way back up in those hills and hollers where John Law fears to tread!

(There are many, many reputable dog breeders in Missouri and across the United States. If you have questions regarding the integrity of a particular breeder, visit the premises and speak to the staff of a local veterinary clinic. If you run into a despicable puppy mill, report it to The Humane Society of America, The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the proper state agency, or the county sheriff.)