Chester County Kennel License Revoked

New Toll-Free Tip Line to Help Public Report Kennel Problems

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dog wardens revoked the
license for a Cochranville, Chester County, kennel today after finding
maintenance and sanitation issues during an inspection last week.

John Blank, the owner of Limestone Kennel, will be cited for violations of the
dog law and given 60 days to sell or transfer enough dogs to no longer be
considered a kennel. Any kennel housing more than 25 dogs is required to be
licensed and inspected.

Wardens will continue to inspect the kennel during the 60 day period to ensure
the health, safety and welfare of the dogs.

The unannounced inspection occurred on Friday. The kennel was last inspected
in January.

Jessie Smith, Pennsylvania's special deputy secretary of dog law enforcement,
said a new toll-free hotline, 1-877-DOG-TIP1, will help anyone wishing to
offer confidential tips about unsatisfactory kennels between regular
inspections. The hotline will be available starting Thursday.

"Dog wardens routinely visit a kennel twice a year," said Smith. "These
inspections offer snapshots of the conditions of the kennel on that particular
day, but conditions can be very different between inspections. If members of
the public see kennel conditions that they feel are unacceptable at any time,
they can report them to the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement so a warden or a
team of wardens can investigate."

Smith said all dogs in commercial breeding kennels would be better protected
with passage of House Bill 2525, currently in the House Appropriations
Committee.

Introduced in May, H.B. 2525 would strengthen current dog laws and provide
better standards for the health and safety of dogs in commercial breeding
kennels without affecting other types of kennels that house dogs.

"Raising the minimum standards for commercial breeding kennels and requiring
annual veterinary checks will benefit all dogs in these types of settings,"
said Smith. "Current law does not require that dogs ever receive routine
medical care and as a result, many go without."

The bill would require veterinary examinations for each dog at least once per
year or during each pregnancy.

Among other protections for dogs, H.B. 2525 doubles the minimum floor space
for dogs, eliminates wire flooring, and requires access to an outdoor exercise
area twice the size of the dog's primary enclosure. Current law does not
require dogs ever be taken out of cages, much less given access to exercise
areas.

Current law treats all kennels the same, regardless of size or function. The
proposed legislation would allow the health and welfare needs of the dogs
housed in large commercial breeding kennels to be addressed.

Requirements are virtually unchanged for other types of kennels, like sporting
and hobby dog kennels, because they do not operate with the purpose of
breeding large quantities of dogs to sell for profit. Instead, they operate
for the purpose of sporting, hobby, boarding or finding homes for dogs.

The proposed legislation is a result of Governor Edward G. Rendell's effort to
improve living conditions for dogs in Pennsylvania kennels.

Since 2006, Governor Rendell has made improvements to the staffing and
enforcement efforts of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which oversees the
inspection and licensing of kennels.

For more information on the proposed legislation overhauling Pennsylvania's
Dog Law, visit www.DogLawAction.com.

CONTACT: Chris L. Ryder
(717) 787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Chris L. Ryder of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, +1-717-787-5085