Vetcetera The “Puppy Vice Squad” strikes again!

OK so what would YOU do if you saw a truck parked by the side of the road with a load of small pups exposed to the hot afternoon sun?

What if the pups were packed into flimsy wire cages with a big, fluorescent, poster-board sign plastered to the front advertising, “Puppy’s For Sale.”

Grammar and spelling corrections aside, what’s your next move? Confront the shirtless idiot sitting in the shade while the pups swelter? Or call the cops to call the guy out for the trio of violations he’s currently engaged in?

I elect the latter. Twice in the last month I’ve sat in my car across the street and calmly dialed the non-emergency 911 line. Calling Animal Control or Humane Services is a waste of time. They didn’t even know how to advise me when I first undertook this “Puppy Vice Squad” behavior a couple of years back. I’ve since learned that calling the 911 non-emerg line gets the job done just right.

No one likes a off-color puppy-broker. Not even busy cops who might otherwise prefer to spend their municipalities’ funds in ways that don’t include busting people on obscure, animal-related technicalities. But roadside pup-hawkers flaunt their ignorance of the law and their willingness to cross that oft-ephemeral, animal cruelty line in ways that curls the hackles on even the animal-unfriendliest of officer friendlies.

A twenty-minute wait for the patrol car. A series of gesticulations spied from my roadside perch. A ticket issued. And the truck pulls out, pups in tow.

So now you ask, “Why’d you bother? The guy got off with just a ticket! What about all those pups?”

I can’t save the world, ladies and gentlemen. I can only hope this guy finds his pups so hard to sell he won’t be breeding his bitch the next time. What can I say? That’s the best my municipality offers. And that’s the most I can do without risking personal violence or other significant retribution. What would you do?

July 13th, 2007

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Part of my mind is asking, "What about that 'Animal Cops: Miami' that Animal Planet airs? Are they actually not all that useful?"

Another part of my mind is asking, "Non-emergency 911 line? Huh?"

What's left of my mind says, yeah, if Animal Control etc. can't actually come out and collect the puppies from them and hit them with fines for the abuse, then harassing them so it's not worth their time to breed the bitch again makes sense, and having the police do it so that you don't get into a dangerous confrontation is the only good way to do it.

Lis July 13th, 2007 09:58:00 AM

Good job! I would do what you did, and I'd blog about it, too. Oh, and if the guy were famous, I might start my own website:

http://www.dogsagainstromney.blogspot.com/

Just saying.

Cindy July 13th, 2007 10:03:00 AM

We have "Animal Cops Houston" and the word on the street is they only respond if the cameras are rolling. I know that isn't true but Animal Control is always starved for funds.

What I do is come across all official and ask to see their permits. I have NO IDEA what permits are required, if any. ..... but it gets the puppy sellers out of my neighborhood.

A lot of puppies are brought in from Mexico and Oklahoma puppy mills to Texas by the truckload.
These are sold at flea markets. We get them into rescue all the time - sick and dying.

Airedalelover July 13th, 2007 10:44:00 AM

Our animal control may be better funded than yours. I'd call them first. We don't have a non-emergency 911 number here, so I'm not sure what my next move would be - maybe call one of the officer friendlies I know personally. I should ask next time I see them.

Judy July 13th, 2007 12:13:00 PM

I don't know whether it's the same as the 'non emergency 911' number, but I have the regular-old 7-digit phone for the police saved in my cell phone. You have to be a bit careful to choose the right department (don't call the city cops in the suburbs &c.) but it seems to work.

ellipsisknits July 13th, 2007 04:56:00 PM

Your doing your part,you did good. Now the people who's job it is, need to do theres, which is highly unlikely.Ever need a partner, let me know. I will be there.

Sylvia Alfonso July 13th, 2007 05:05:00 PM

Here's a list of cities with "non-emergency 911", aka, 311:
http://www.911dispatch.com/info/311map.html

Leigh-Ann July 14th, 2007 02:22:00 AM

Thanks, Leigh Ann. I guess I should have been more specific but that's how they refer to it here. The police in your municipality will work as well but since Miami's municipalities are sometimes confusing (one side of the street is x the other y) it helps to have a central number to call where you know they'll respond to your complaint.

Dr. Patty Khuly July 14th, 2007 07:49:00 AM

In the state of FL it is illegal to sell animals without all the appropriate shots. I wonder if the puppies could be confiscated based on this law? Of course I'm assuming they had no shots or any kinds of papers. I doubt you could get a state employee out there very quickly, but it might be interesting to pursue this angle.

CathyA July 23rd, 2007 08:16:00 AM

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