I saw something on TV last night that kicked my @$$, DAMN!

[Hubert Flottz]

Dealing Dogs

Each year, 42,000 dogs are sold to veterinary schools and research labs by Class B dealers, who are required by federal law to buy the animals from pounds, shelters and small breeders and to treat them humanely. However, many Class B dealers violate the law. DEALING DOGS exposes the abuses that took place at one of America's most notorious Class B dealers - Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/dealingdogs/index.html

HBO's 'Dogs': A Gnawing Portrait of Despair

By Chip Crews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 21, 2006; Page C01

A dog's trusting, imploring face is a tragic sight if you know the trust isn't going to be rewarded. But that's just the first layer of the tragedy in "Dealing Dogs," a fierce and unsparing documentary airing tonight on HBO.

This 75-minute film begins by informing us that research labs and veterinary schools buy 65,000 dogs a year. Of those, 42,000 come from pounds, shelters and small breeders -- rounded up and sold by what are called Class B dog dealers. "Dealing Dogs" then tells the story of a six-month undercover investigation of the kennel owned by a man described as America's most notorious Class B dealer. "Dealing Dogs" examines the fate of dogs consigned to Class B dealers, destined for use in research. (Hbo)

At the outset, it's 2002 and a young man called "Pete" has arranged for a job at the Martin Creek Kennel in Williford, Ark. As he walks down a very long row of overcrowded pens, certain dogs try to connect with him, pleading for freedom or food or maybe just a little reassurance. But if he's to do his job, he needs to remain indifferent to them and the many hundreds of others he'll encounter there.

All of the dogs are doomed; the only question is how much abuse they'll endure before they die.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/20/AR2006022001591.html



I was so mad after it was over, I couldn't sleep the rest of the night. Hours later, I'm still mad as hell over what I saw. The fact that the guy who was behind this EVIL shit was a preacher, reinforced my disgust for preachers and their stupid bullshit. I'd bet you money that this low life, criminal, BASTARD, voted for Bush, because of "MORALITY"...This film is VERY hard to watch if you like animals. Man has got to be the dumbest animal on the planet, by a long shot!

Do a Google search for "Dealing Dogs" for much more information.

[XanaDUer]

1. I think we should use republicans for research and leave animals alone.

:(

This is very disturbing.

[Hubert Flottz]

2. The bastard that did this was fined over a million dollars and is

going to do 10 years in prison, but that isn't nearly enough. I'd like to spend about a half hour of good quality time with the freak. I'd adjust his attitude PDQ! My dogs are like family to me...

Rev. CC Baird is the criminal's name.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Yeah. I saw it too.

I just hope there's a special Hell waiting for the good Reverend.

Hawkeye-X

[Lerkfish]

4. now if only we could work up the same outrage at torturing humans.

we'd end the abuses at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. If they were torturing dogs, a lot more americans would be upset.

we should be upset by both, but I"m constantly amazed at how pet owners seem MORE morally outraged at abuses of pets than humans.

:shrug:

[Hubert Flottz]

9. Nobody...is more ashamed of Abu Ghraib than I am...

It makes me sick, to think that I ever wore a US Army uniform, after finding out about the torturing of POWs. Any vet who could be proud of the DOD and Bush after finding out what happened and what is still happening, is an animal.

[REP]

10. "Seem"

Maybe it "seems" as though people who care for animals aren't upset by abuse of humans, but let me assure you, most of us are beyond outraged at the abuse of humans or animals.

The sad fact is that a great many people won't give a shit about these dogs because they were on their way to be killed in medical research, a great deal of which is of questionable value. Since the dogs are going die - probably pretty horribly - anyway, why get upset that they're ill-treated on the way there? What's the death of thousands and thousands of animals if it leads to another Vioxx? Oh, wait - Vioxx did have animals trials and it still killed people. Well, maybe killing several thousand more animals in gruesome ways will do ... something. A lot of people are sold on the idea that animall testing leads to better drugs. As a person with a 100% Fatal Disease™ that currently has no effective treatment, *I'd* be for animal testing and lots more of it if it'd do any good. But it doesn't.

[Hubert Flottz]

12. If you have the time check out this thread...

I posted a lot of information about Bayer there that you might want to read.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x557422

[REP]

14. Yikes. I'm One (Generic) Cipro Now!

I have klebsiella pneumoniae kidney infection (very, very bad) and it's the antibiotic that's it's resistant to and that I'm not allergic to that can be administered outside a hospital!

[Lerkfish]

28. ok, then prove it.

comment just as outraged in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x563932

and suggest as strong a punishment for the torturers of humans as the post I responded to suggested for torturers of animals.


prove me wrong.

:)

here's what I wrote about human torture.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2486334

funny, but I didn't see you post in my thread.

maybe you missed it.

maybe mistreatment of animals is more on your radar.

[Hubert Flottz]

30. I never saw your rant before or the other thread either, but...

I have raised holy hell about the torture of unarmed POWs since the story came out. I'm ashamed of my government and I'm ashamed of congress for not doing something REAL about it. The "bad apple" farce is total bullshit. If congress is stupid enough to buy the DoD's bad apple defense, they are too stupid to serve America. Not only does congress do nothing about the war crimes, but they place the man who defended Bush in this insanity, Attorney General's office?

[Lerkfish]

32. good, then, my apologies...

torturing humans is the thing that really makes my blood boil.
I sometimes am overzealous, and if my zeal offended you or caused me to be too judgemental, I apologize.
I don't like mistreatment of animals, either, but I'm MORE outraged when people are abused.

[Hubert Flottz]

34. Not a problem, I understand!

I was ranting about the story about the mistreatment of animals, that I'd watched on HBO last night. I no doubt, would have been upset enough to have come to DU and ranted, had I watched such an in depth, graphic, presentation on HBO, about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. I have seen NO such 70 minute, in depth, report on the prisoner abuse, on HBO, nor anywhere else. My advice would be that we all, ask HBO why...

Why has the media failed to produce such an equally damning documentary, on the mistreatment of human beings,(POWs)by agents of the US Government? It is a VERY good question indeed and it's a great example of why the diversity of opinion we find here at DU and elsewhere on the internet, is so very important in these confusing times, IMHO.

The free flow of information is why the DoD is scared of us. Rummy don't stop and think about how the GOP leaders public rants in Washington during the 90s, might have undermined Mr. Clinton's ongoing war effort in Kosovo... It was okay when the GOP was doing that, but for us to discuss the war in Iraq it's an EVIL UN-AMERICAN thing, all of a sudden.

There is one thing that 9/11, or anything else, will never change. Bullshit is still Bullshit! It only fools the foolish...

[xchrom]

17. that's what you WANT to see.

not a reflection of what is.

[LisaLynne]

22. That's a really unfair thing to say.

I'm sorry, but that attitude really bugs me. Those of us who are outraged and sickened by the abuse and pain suffered by an animal are probably far more accutely aware of abuse suffered by humans. We happen to care about the suffering of all living things. Okay? It's not an either-or proposition and to suggest that people who are upset by hearing the horrors perpetrated in this documentary aren't upset by what's going on in Gitmo and Abu Ghraib and who knows where else is way beyond the pale.

[Lerkfish]

27. Point taken, my apologies...however, by way of explanation...

The punishment suggested by the post I was responding to was much worse than any I've seen suggested against the torturers of humans. In fact, I can't recall seeing any suggestion of punishment for torturers of humans here.

That's the deficit I'm referring to.

note also I said "we should be upset at both".

[LisaLynne]

29. I understand.

I was harsher than I needed to be. I think I reacted more to what I thought you were saying instead of what you were saying. I'm sorry.

Anyway, I think that's an interesting point you bring up about the punishments. I know personally, I see this guy as being fully responsible for his actions and for what happened, but with the torture scandals, I tend to want to blame the decision makers along with those actually torturing the prisoners. I wonder if that contributes to people not wanting to express as harsh punishments in those cases -- because there isn't one person we can rain down punishment on. I don't know if I'm making sense here, but while I hold the actual people in charge of the prisoners responsible, I also place just as much blame on people like Gonzales and Bush and Rummy, because I think it was their idea, so I think it defuses my anger to a group instead of an individual. Maybe that partially explains it. Maybe not. :)

[Lerkfish]

31. no, that's a very good point, I think the diffusion of blame is the same

dynamic that worked during the holocaust. Since they were ordered to do it, psycologically we tend to diffuse blame to the point where NO ONE is held accountable. which is a shame, really.

[LisaLynne]

33. Yeah, that's a good example.

I wonder how that can be changed, where we can see that while multiple people took part and are to blame, it doesn't lessen the responsibility.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. Class B-Dealer C.C. Baird Out of Business PERMANENTLY!!!

A settlement has been reached in the USDA’s case against C.C. Baird -- one of the country’s largest USDA-licensed Class “B” animal dealers selling “random source” animals to research facilities. Many random source animals are stolen pets, strays, seized shelter animals, or obtained through “free to good home” ads under false pretenses.

As a result of a 15-year investigation by LCA, the USDA charged C.C. Baird with hundreds of violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

http://www.lcanimal.org/invest/baird.htm

A Glimpse Behind the Kennel Door

snip>

Baird and his wife "treated hundreds of animals cruelly and inhumanely, in myriad ways, including failing to provide them with the most basic needs: sufficient and nutritive food, potable water, safe shelter and adequate veterinary care." The Bairds "continued to acquire large numbers of random-source animals, and to keep scant or no records, while paying lip service to their adherence to the law."

Baird made a formal arrangement with his part-time veterinarian "that specifically excluded a written program of veterinary care and regularly scheduled visits to respondents' premises" and the veterinarian "merely performed 'walk-through observations' and performed no regularly-scheduled examinations of animals, and provided no regularly scheduled care to animals." Dogs were suffering malnutrition, dehydration, lameness, conjunctivitis, infections, and lacerations; many fresh puncture wounds and cuts appeared to be the result of fights with other animals and one dog lost part of her ear to an aggressive dog in her pen. One beagle had 3 lacerations, a puncture wound, and "an area of painful swelling...that ruptured upon moderate palpation, emitting a pale yellow-green purulent exudate." A hound suffered from a host of ills including "a possible femoral head fracture."

The Bairds paid a veterinarian $5 apiece to sign blank copies of official health certificates for dogs and cats. The Bairds completed hundreds of these documents using false information before transporting animals to research laboratories. During the summer, Baird subjected dogs inside his kennel to intense heat and humidity. In late August 2003, the temperature inside the dog building was recorded at 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit, and that night the temperature dropped to a mere 84 degrees. Even dogs in outdoor runs during extreme heat exhibited "signs of stress and discomfort."

Baird's employees "failed to conduct even minimal cleaning of respondents' facility and animals, failed to comprehend basic animal husbandry requirements, and failed to provide food and water to animals." Failure to clean pens often enough resulted in dogs being prevented "from walking without stepping in urine, feces and food debris." During the cleaning of their enclosures, dogs in the main compound were sprayed with a combination of water, urine, feces and food refuse by employees. More...

http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/04-53-3/533p16.htm

Puppy Mill - 600 dogs found, 125 seized
Williford, AR (US)

Martin Creek Kennels near Hardy in Northeast Arkansas is owned by a man animal rights groups call the most notorious class-B animal dealer in the county. In August, the Feds confiscated more than 100 dogs from C.C. Baird's Martin Creek Kennels. Agents took the animals to Little Rock to the state fairgrounds before sending them on to Humane Societies and Animal Rights groups in Arkansas and across the country. Three of the dogs ended up in foster care in Crittenden County. "He's had a very bad injury to his eye and he's got scars all over his face." The other dog is still thin but friendly.

Julanne Ingram, president of the Humane Society of Eastern Arkansas, says an alarm went off in her head when a friend called and told her the dogs came from C.C. Baird's Martin Creek kennels. "The instant I heard his name I knew what the situation was because he has been charged before - he's been convicted."

In that August raid, agents from the United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Attorney's office in Little Rock, armed with a warrant, spent almost a week checking out more than 600 dogs. They found reason to seize 125 of the dogs. Bud Cummins, U.S. Attorney said, "There were veterinarians on hand at the time of the search and they examined each dog and some of them because of the state of their health they were seized others didn't have appropriate documentation at the site that established the person there's legal right to have those dogs. So they were taken." Cummins says Baird is being investigated for violations of the Animal Welfare Act and other criminal statutes. Cummins says the confiscated animals are one of the largest groups ever seized by the feds. The U.S.D.A. issued Baird's Class-B license. It allows him to legally sell animals to research labs. The big question many have is where does he get the dogs.

Animal rights groups like Last Chance for Animals say C.C. Baird abuses his animals, and they claim to have the undercover video to prove it. The group also accuses Baird of buying stolen animals, pets for 10 to 20 dollars a piece. They say he sells them for research, getting as much as 800 dollars an animal. more...

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/1811/AR/US/

I think they need to change the chickenshit laws, so that "Brother" Baird never gets out of prison.

[Mnemosyne]

5. I'm so glad I don't have HBO HF, it sounds as if

I'd have been in an apoplectic rage by the time that show had finished. I get angry when I see a dog chained to a doghouse.:grr:

I've always said that the more I know people the better I love animals. I only have cats now due to health, I miss those trusting eyes so much! Thanks for caring enough to lose sleep and sharing this so others become aware of this evil. :hug:

Man is the dumbest and only evil creature on the planet, no contest. And they call animals dumb!:grr:

[Hubert Flottz]

15. I've been too mad to sleep.

The trusting part is the heartbreaking thing about it. These animals do trust humans. You can see it in their eyes, even after they have been treated so badly by these people, they still wag their tails and respond as if they STILL trust these evil people in this film.

I wish I'd never watched the thing, but in a way, I'm glad I did. I know that probably sounds crazy, but I learned from the bad experience and I'm mad as HELL about it. Maybe if more of us get mad about it, we can help stop it.

[Mnemosyne]

19. I feel that way every day HF when I think about all of the suffering

inflicted by evil pricks around the world on small humans and animals.

It is so heartbreaking to see a sweet puppy (and all dogs are puppies to me!) or a child, look with loving eyes to their abuser. Always hopeful that the next time the hand will give love rather than pain. :cry:

It's one of the reasons I have always loved children and dogs so much. They are ever hopeful!

Maybe someday Hubert Flottz, maybe someday...

Get some rest.:hug:

[Gman]

6. I don't think I will watch it

and take your word for it. With all of our dogs, none of us here could handle it.

[DemExpat]

13. Me, too....

I can't shake the feelings for days and even weeks after seeing stuff like this....

:grr: :nuke: :puke:

DemEx

[opihimoimoi]

8. A Dog Dealing Preacher Man...dang, don't dat take all.??

Not every dog makes it across the highway I guess.

Come, we go surfing...

[Hubert Flottz]

11. It's the saddest film I EVER watched.

I wish Old Howdy could go surfing with us too...

[opihimoimoi]

36. Us dog lovers hate to see cruel and unjust things happen to them

I guess its the soft side of Humanity.

of which we belong to.

Come, we walk the beach, let the dogs look for/chase sand crabs......listen to the waves/wind, smell the salty air, drink the cold beer/hot coffee......

Come, we look to the Future and beyond the Maddness of Bush.

[Hubert Flottz]

38. Bush's madness is total.

Beyond reason.

The Pubs want to bring every baby into the world to go hungry for the school lunches they just cut out, so Bush could give the rich people their fourth tax cut. Go Figure????

The pubs want to create more babies to torture and starve. They're "MORALITY" is a POS "MORALITY"!

I hope the future is better than this blind faith based shitstorm we got now. Trust Bush?????? All he has done so far is lie, cheat, kill, and steal and we should still...TRUST HIM????

At least the dogs don't have to set around and dread what new bullshit is yet to come, like we human-critters have to.

GI broom and GI mop,
GI wish this shit would stop!

[opihimoimoi]

43. What does it take for peeps to quit this guy? He fucks up on a scale

unknown before and for 5 long years.

His base clings to his ass like a thong.

It boogles the mind....

Come, its time for some refreshments, ice cold lychee and longan, very sweet and ornimental////and some sencha tea.

[Hubert Flottz]

45. The fools that still back bush in his insanity are either on the take

or on some serious drugs of some kine! Preachers like this dog killin' MO-FO in this story about the pups are just about like the frog killer in chief. Jeff Dalmass wanna-bees. I'll bet bush has foul smellin' blue barrels stashed all over the ranch in Crawford. Prolly gots folk buried all up under the crawl spaces. I'll bet Charlie Manson voted for Bush...

People that do mean shit to animals and frogs always work their way on up to humans right quick. That preacher in that film was laughing about shooting the little cocker pup and bush was laughing about the lady on death row in Texas. Same class of low-life assholes!

[opihimoimoi]

47. As they say in ole Hawaii, "Mo bettah make(die) baby time"

Ma kay= make

A waste of Poi/rice/food....better dead at baby time....guys like them shoulda been aborted...

[xchrom]

18. that would be a relief.

dogs love and work sooo hard for our affection -- and we give them this...

surfing sounds very goood.

[opihimoimoi]

44. The sadest job in the world is the guy who does Sky Burials

The dogs are another thing...

Come, get your board, Chun's rippin

[izzie]

16. It is a business one hate to think about

My husband once worked where they made drugs with pure breed dogs and monkeys. We just did not talk about it. But then I have reached the point where I can not look at the meat counter. I swear the beef has eyes and is looking at me.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. I know one reason for this

Animal cruelty officers in Arkansas volunteer for the position. They aren't paid, and often wind up having to spend time away from paying job not only for their training and investigations but to be witnesses in court trials, etc. And they are only as effective as the sheriff for the county allows them to be. It also a job with a high burn out rate. We had a couple who moved here from CA who became involved in this, and even opened an animal rescue place. What happened was that they were overwhelmed with people and law enforcement calling them all hours of the day and night, sometimes demanding that they come and get strays. The result was that the couple seperated and both got out of doing anything about animal abuse.

[Hubert Flottz]

23. I wasn't kicking Arkansas, I'm glad they did something there.

These kinds of things happen all over the country. People get busted here all the time for mistreating animals. The judges here are starting to give some of these criminals some serious jail time. One thing I've always liked about our Senator Byrd, is his steady fight for the better treatment of animals.

ARKANSAS DEALER PLEADS GUILTY - FINES UP TO 10 YEARS IN JAIL AND $5MILLION

Chester Baird, 58, owner/operator of Martin Creek Kennels near Williford, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to a single count of money laundering, conspiracy, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of more than $5 MILLION. Baird's wife, Patsy, 58, pleaded guilty to failure to report a crime in connection with mail fraud the Bairds admittedly committed while buying/selling animals. Chief U. S. District Judge Leo Holmes hasn't set a sentencing date for Patsy Baird yet. As part of the negotiated plea, the Bairds agreed to surrender about 700 acres of land valued at $1.1 million to the government. The agreement resulted in the permanent revocation of licenses that allowed the Bairds to legally sell and breed animals.

The case, which cited numerous violations of the Animal Welfare Act, was settled before a trial was to start. Baird sold animals to nearly 50 research facilities making $584,000 in 2001 alone. Witnesses were prepared to testify that the Bairds were seen buying dogs at a monthly flea market in Ripley, Mississippi and preparing false acquisition records. Those documents made it appear that the animals were bought from licensed breeders or shelters when they actually weren't. Baird, is also employed as a Church of Christ minister and an insurance adjuster. More...

http://www.associatedhumanesocieties.org/showarchive.asp?id=145

It sounds like Chief U. S. District Judge Leo Holmes, means business. I'm sorry he didn't give the criminal 30 years!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

37. I know you weren't

but I wanted to explain how hard it is here to get some of these animal abusers.

[displacedtexan]

21. It's extremely difficult to adopt a pet in Maryland...

... because people were "adopting" them and selling them to research outfits.

Now, the adoption process involves background checks, home visits, and several follow-up checks.

It's a good thing, which has all but stopped animal research trafficking.

[Hubert Flottz]

25. Same here in WV.

I went through it a year ago and thought it was well worth the hassle. They DO, come out and check on the animals they adopt out here.

[grateful581]

24. I saw this on HBO too

not enough is done to punish bastards like this. It was extremely disturbing that most of these dogs were stolen from loving homes.

I had to hug my miniature schnauzer a little longer last night.

[Hubert Flottz]

26. Here is who was buying the dogs from preacher Biard.

CUSTOMERS OF C.C. BAIRD

–Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (PA)
–CAVL (TX)
–Church and Dwight (NJ)
–Colorado State University
–East Tennessee State University
–IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (ME)
–Jefferson College Vet Tech (MO)
–Iowa State University
–KCM (Kids Count in Missouri)
–Loyola University Medical Center (IL)
–Masonic Medical Research (NY)
–Mercy Health Care (AZ)
–Miami University (FL)
–Mississippi State University
–Naval Medical Center (VA)
–Professional Laboratory (NC)
–SA Scientific (TX)
–St. Joseph’s Hospital (AZ)
–Still Meadow, Inc. (TX)
–Synbiotics, Inc. (CA)
–Texas Tech Health Center
–Tulane Medical School (LA)
–University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences –University of California at Irvine
–University of Florida
–University of Nebraska
–University of Pittsburgh (PA)
–University of Illinois
–University of Mississippi
–University of Missouri at Columbia
–University of South Alabama
–University of Tennessee
–University of Texas at San Antonio
–University of Virginia
–Vanderbilt University (TN)
–Virginia Commonwealth University
–West Virginia University
–Young Veterinary Research Services (CA)

http://www.awionline.org/pubs/quarterly/03-52-4/524p1011.htm

[Dorian Gray]

35. I couldn't watch this...

Just reading about this made me tear up. I'm too sensitive about animals, and I don't know, for the life of me, how anybody could treat a helpless animal so cruelly. It's disgusting.

[Beelzebud]

39. I can't watch it... It's too heartbreaking.

I just lost an adopted dog, that had been bred his entire life, and then dumped... He was a great dog, and we lost him last November.

I just got a new puppy, and there is no way I could stand to watch it...

I would grab my shotgun and go find those responsible. :D

[Hubert Flottz]

40. I know how you feel...

I lost my old pointer last year right after Christmas and I still miss him really bad. He was one of the family for almost 13 years. I went and rescued two pointer pups out of the pound about a month after Old Howdy died and I think the world of them, but I miss my old friend.

People who would treat animals the way those people in that film were treating them, need to be caged and starved for the rest of their lives like the dogs were. That "PREACHER" was pure EVIL...you are probably better off not seeing what he was doing. The bastard was laughing about the shit he was doing. DAMN, it makes me mad as Hell!

[Synnical]

41. I had tears in my eyes just reading the WaPo review

Don't know that I'll be able to watch it, but I scheduled it to be Tivo'd.

My pooch - The Mighty Mighty Zephyr Dog:




-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Hubert Flottz]

42. The Mighty Mighty Zephyr Dog is a mighty fine looking pup.

It is hard to watch...I don't think I could watch it again.

[leftchick]

46. Last Chance for Animals Produced that Show. DONATE!

If you can donate this is the group to give it to. I have donated to LCA for about 15 years and they do fantastic work. Read more here....

http://www.dealingdogs.com/

http://www.lcanimal.org/

[Hubert Flottz]

48. Hey....Thanks for the links.

That is a great web site. The people who responded on their chat board felt about the same way I did about their film, 'Dealing Dogs'. That is about the saddest thing I ever watched. Their cause, is a worthy cause, if there ever was one. LCA is indeed, doing some great things.