A 5-month-old puppy that darted away from its owner in Lancaster city has been reunited with the man, who thanked the community for its help in the search. George Miller said that Squirt, a mixed-breed pit bull and cocker spaniel, went missing from outside his home on Coral Street on Dec.......

A Lancaster city man is asking for the public's help to find his 5-month-old puppy. George Miller, 84, was walking toward the backyard of his home at 104 Coral St. with Squirt, a mixed breed pit bull and cocker spaniel, when the dog took off. "Something got his attention, and he r......

In October, Golden Acres Kennel in Narvon passed its second state Department of Agriculture inspection in as many months. But that hasn't allayed the fears of animal-welfare advocates. They insist that the state was wrong to license a business to Nancy Zimmerman, the wife of a man convi......

The trainees in question — some of them, anyway — are trying very hard to pay attention. But the smells! The toys! The rumble of trucks' Jake Brakes sputtering by behind the Farm & Home Center on Route 283! It's all so distracting. The trainees' job, though, i......

How many wriggling, squealing puppies does it take to keep a mother occupied? For a Rottweiler named Bling, that number is 31. Owner Kisha Quinones of Lancaster said Bling had a litter of 16 Rottweiler-Shar Pei puppies on Dec. 30 that she produced with the family's Shar Pei, Luda.......

The search for Hunter is over. A woman who stole the 6-month-old beagle puppy from the Humane League of Lancaster County Monday returned the dog to the shelter Thursday. "She was very nice, very apologetic," Danielle Ball, the League's director of operations, said of the woman....

Police are looking for information on a dognapper suspected of stealing a 6-month-old beagle Monday from the Humane League of Lancaster County. According to Becki Meiss, director of marketing for the League, an unidentified woman, along with three adult companions and two children, stole ......

Seven puppies rescued over the weekend in southern Lancaster County have new homes. Beth Willis said she found the puppies abandoned along a road near her Drumore Township home early Saturday. All the puppies had been adopted as of Tuesday, according to a recording on Willis' tele......

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? A Lancaster County woman has a suggestion: how about one of seven male puppies she rescued early Saturday morning? Beth Willis said she found the puppies sitting in a row along a rural road near her home on Harmony Ridge Road in Drumore Town......

Two dogs are possibly among the loot from a home burglary in the city. A resident of the 300 block of Fairview Avenue returned home to find her back basement door open shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday, police said. It had been left unlocked. A $1,000 HD television and two pit bull/ma......

Along a busy stretch of Route 340, 11-year-old Carson Spence did his best to hold up a sign that was almost as big as he was. It bore the image of a caged puppy. One housed in a puppy mill, the type of dog-breeding facility that's given Lancaster County an image at odds with the Amish-themed......

  It was supposed to be a great day for dogs, according to Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding. In late August a state panel approved new regulations for Pennsylvania dog breeders. Part of Act 119, the landmark dog law bill passed in 2008, the new rules would, ......

Five days after his 5-month-old blue pit bull went missing, Josh Wood is receiving "a blessing" from the community in the form of reward money.What started as a collection of donations that amounted to $500, given by family, friends and community members for the safe return of hi......

Josh Wood's dog had a secret admirer.But instead of bestowing upon the puppy greetings and treats, the admirer stole the 5-month-old blue pit bull from its Lancaster Township home, its owners and police believe.And then, just days after the theft, someone left $100 in cash and a......

Was it a just a snip, or painful surgery performed without anesthesia on a puppy?A judge ruled in favor of surgery Friday, upholding the guilty verdict of an area veterinarian who was convicted of cruelty to animals for cutting off a dog's dangling tail last year."He acted ......

The Wood family thinks they know how you took Titan.They think you first spied the 5-month-old puppy playing in front of their Lancaster Township home.They think you waited until they went to work Wednesday.Then they think you went around to the back of their home, where Tita......

Heffa looks exotic and has a colorful background, hailing from a harsh mountainous region of Afghanistan, where there is no grass, dog food or collars.But, let's face it, dogs are dogs, no matter where they were born."HEFFA!" shouts Rachel Roessler-Mumma, running over ......

Nearly a year after a group of residents formed to oppose "puppy mills" in Providence Township, they handed township supervisors a proposed solution to the problem.Since a controversial kennel was approved last June, Providence Against Cruel Kennels, known as PACK, has been worki......

The Strasburg Township zoning hearing board unanimously denied a couple's request Tuesday to operate a kennel at 350 Sawmill Road.Henry K. and Ida R. Stoltzfoos were seeking a special exception to operate a kennel and a variance to reduce the minimum lot area.According to the zo......

Inspectors say that when they visited Daniel P. Esh's Scarlet-Maple Farm kennel in 2007 and 2008, they found moldy dog food, wire cage floors through which puppies' feet stuck and food contaminated with feces, among other violations of the state dog law.Because of those violations,......

Like almost any teenager would agree, Cassey Cederno says that there are not enough hours in a day. From playing volleyball, going to the movies, reading the "Twilight" series and just spending time with friends, time management can be difficult. And if time management and being a teena......

When the U.S. soldiers saw the tiny puppies tucked inside a cave in the mountains of Afghanistan, their hearts melted.No mother dog was in sight. It was December. It was frigid. It was wet. One of the pups had died.The soldiers, including one from Ephrata, sprang into action.......

Six local dog breeders targeted in a high-profile "rescue" at an Ohio auction have filed a federal lawsuit against the "rescuers," alleging that the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Main Line Animal Rescue engaged in a conspiracy to violate the......

Saint Bernards are known for their loyalty and their eagerness to please their owners.Two Saint Bernards that were abandoned at the Humane League on Monday may not have had a loyal owner, but Mallory and Mickey are eager to please.The dogs, both 5 years old, are ready for adoption. ......

East Earl Township officials gave the green light Monday for the owner of a 23-year-old kennel to operate a scaled-down operation that doesn't require a state kennel license.Robert E. Sisco, the township's solicitor, read the zoning board's decision to approve an exception for ......

Bill Smith is preparing to make Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman into Public Enemy No. 1 when it comes to dog lovers. This week Smith and the organization he founded and runs, Main Line Animal Rescue, will launch a Web site titled "Stedman Walking: How the Lancaster Coun......

One little Elf is sticking around even though the holidays are long gone.A brindled pit bull puppy — found Dec. 21 inside a crate in a storage garage in Lancaster city without food, water or heat — is now thriving in a foster home, according to Humane League of Lancaster County......

The owners of what some believe to be an illegal kennel baffled East Earl Township officials at a zoning board hearing Dec. 21.Reuben and Vera Martin, who until recently housed as many as 500 dogs per year at their 1.2-acre Meadow Lane Kennels, are seeking an exception to East Earl's k......

Edwin Zeiset said he had no choice but to shut down. His Ephrata kennel was licensed to keep or breed up to 500 dogs per year. "My mother and father, this was their livelihood," Zeiset said. "They're 70 years old. This was something they could do." Until, he said......

Correction Dec. 17, 2009 — Dr. Thomas Stevenson, a Honey Brook veterinarian, was fined $750 for animal cruelty following a court hearing Wednesday. The amount of the fine was incorrect in the story below.&b......

A veterinarian whose license was suspended following a sting operation at a New Providence dog breeding kennel got to tell his side of the story Thursday.Dr. Thomas Stevenson told the state Board of Veterinary Medicine that the tail of a 9-week-old puppy had been all but severed in a groom......

The small white dog was brought to Dr. Paul Orsini, a veterinary dental specialist, in early October. Orsini took one look in the poodle's mouth and saw disaster. "It's teeth were all broken off," said Orsini, who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterina......

Pennsylvania's dog laws are having an effect, said Jessie L. Smith, special deputy secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. So much so that Lancaster County's reign as the state's "puppy mill" capital may be ending. Of the 134 commercial ......

Major parts of Pennsylvania's strict new puppy-mill law, aimed at improving the treatment of dogs bred in large commercial kennels, took effect Oct. 9.Two days before that, 12 Lancaster County dog breeders shipped 385 dogs to the sparsely populated village of Baltic, Ohio.There ......

Would you rather awaken to high-pitched yaps that put fire alarms to shame or low, hollow howls that rumble straight through your bones? Which would you prefer to see in your garden, tiny delicate indents or crater-sized paw prints? These are just a few of the many things one needs to think about......

Pancakes are their profession, but puppies are their passion.Beth Buchter and Kathy Styer, co-owners of The Pancake Farm restaurant in Ephrata, use their free time and their business in the fight to end the deplorable conditions in which some dogs are bred.The two got involved in th......

Join the PACK Saturday, Oct. 17, for the inaugural "Hogs for Dogs" fundraiser, a benefit bike ride organized by the fledgling Providence Against Cruel Kennels organization to benefit A Tail to Tell Puppy Mill Rescue. "We just have a great love for animals," said PACK's Kelly Charles. "Hopefully......

Over the past 20 years, a Peach Bottom kennel has been the target of complaints about the puppies it sells and the conditions of its operation.And each time, Joyce E. and I. Raymond Stoltzfus, owners of CC Pets LLC, have fought back.Now, the state Department of Agriculture has revok......

A young Amish man, trailed by four little Amish children, meandered right into the heart of the national Puppy Mill Awareness Day event at Intercourse Community Park Saturday. There, activists were decrying inhumane puppy mills, some of which are operated by Amish farmers. An organizer ......

The host of Animal Planet's hit dog-training series is coming to Lancaster County this weekend to help raise awareness of the local puppy-mill problem.Victoria Stilwell, a renowned dog trainer and host of "It's Me or the Dog," will participate in Puppy Mill Awareness Day, who......

On a hot summer afternoon recently, Barry Longenecker pointed to a Providence Township dairy and talked about the latest front in the anti-puppy mill movement. Dog poop on farms. Many dog breeders in the county also raise vegetables and livestock. Many spread dog waste on their fields, ......

Richard Brooks let his dog play in his gated yard for approximately 10 minutes Tuesday afternoon.When Brooks' roommate, Jean Shaw, went to the rear door of the house and began to call for the dog to come back inside, they realized the animal was gone.Brooks believes his 19-week-......

In the year she spent at the Humane League of Lancaster County after being rescued from a puppy mill, Bocci avoided all human contact, terrified because of her traumatic past.But after about four months at a renowned animal sanctuary in Utah, things are looking up for the 6-year-old, black......

The dog days of summer are upon us, and for canines in southeastern Lancaster city, they've been downright deadly.In the past two weeks, the highly contagious but preventable parvovirus has led to the deaths of at least a dozen dogs, said Connie Kondravy, co-founder of the local animal......

A lawsuit against a local dog kennel was "amicably resolved" out of court, according to the plaintiff's counsel. The suit was set to go to a jury trial Wednesday in New Jersey.The agreement is sealed and its terms are confidential, Garen Meguerian said.Pequea dog kenne......

To the person in the green Kia who picked up a 9-pound fluffball named Trixie on Tuesday near Lancaster General Hospital:Do the right thing.A witness saw you scoop up the dog, put it in your car and drive away.The dog's owner, Chelsy Velasco-Johnson, hopes you turn over T......

A 7-week-old Chihuahua puppy that was stolen last week from a Manheim pet store is safe and sound, police said Tuesday.Penn Township police said the male puppy was found in the area of Weis Markets at Manheim Shopping Center and is in good health. A resident discovered the dog, which weigh......

Residents opposed to a recent ruling by the Providence Township zoning hearing board plan to try a new avenue of protest tonight.In early June, the township zoners voted 2-1 to granted a special exception to Jonas Esch, owner of Country Boy Kennel, to allow him to keep operating his busine......

A tiny tan Chihuahua puppy "with droopy ears" has apparently found a new home — but not legally.The puppy was reported stolen Wednesday afternoon from PJ's Pet Shop, 109 Doe Run Road, Manheim.Niki Hilt, co-owner of the pet store, said Friday she had just brought ......

A New Providence kennel operator charged with animal cruelty and violations of the state's dog law got a split judgment Friday.District Judge Stuart J. Mylin dismissed the misdemeanor cruelty charge against Samuel E. King, who operates Country Lane Kennels at 223 Refton Road.But......

A veterinarian accused of mutilating a puppy's tail pleaded not guilty to an animal-cruelty charge Wednesday in Lancaster County Court.Dr. Thomas F. Stevenson, of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook, faces up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the misdemea......

Psychologists call them "animal collectors" or "hoarders."On Tuesday afternoon, when 92 chow chow dogs were discovered caged, cramped and filthy in a small ranch house at 87 Linda Ave., just off Old Philadelphia Pike, this curious mental disorder suddenly became vividly......

They wouldn't follow rules and didn't always get along with others. Some have emotional issues or social problems. Most came from bad or broken homes. But after a couple months behind the tall fences topped with rolls of razor wire surrounding the State Correctional Institutio......

An area veterinarian already facing a court appearance on an animal-cruelty charge was ordered this week to temporarily surrender his license to practice.Thomas F. Stevenson, owner of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook, was described as a potential "immediate danger to the p......

Opting not to adhere to a local ordinance, Salisbury Township's zoning board allowed a large-scale breeding kennel to continue operating on 3 acres, instead of the required 10 acres.•••A large-scale breeding kennel licensed to keep ......

You would expect a program with a name like "Puppy Mills: Exposed" to be full of gruesome sights, and it is.But perhaps the most dismaying moment in it is, at first glance, benign and trauma-free: It shows a chocolate Labrador retriever walking in a circle.Only when you re......

A veterinarian for some of the area's largest breeding kennels is headed to court on an animal-cruelty charge for allegedly mutilating a puppy's tail.It was a sting operation that landed Dr. Thomas F. Stevenson of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook at a preliminary hearin......

"I'm so investigative when I buy things," said Jennifer Campbell, of York. But when it came to purchasing a dog last summer, she conceded, she acted spontaneously. On the same day they spotted a newspaper ad for a boxer puppy, Campbell said, she and her husband, Andy, drov......

Residents opposing a Providence Township commercial breeding kennel asked the zoning hearing board Tuesday not to approve the already-existing business.After hearing testimony, mostly against approval, the board continued until May 12 the hearing for Country Boy Kennel, 170 Truce Road, New......

Bo Obama is probably the most famous pooch in the world right now.The Obamas' new Portuguese water dog is a 6-month-old cutie, and he brings sudden celebrity to a breed that's relatively obscure in these parts."In the six years that I've been here, I think I've ......

A Lancaster County kennel with a history of legal troubles was ordered to shut down for six months and fined $166,000 by a Commonwealth Court judge.CC Pets LLC, the Peach Bottom kennel owned by I. Raymond and Joyce E. Stoltzfus and formerly known as Puppy Love Kennels, was ordered by Judge......

Colerain Township zoning board set aside its own regulations Wednesday by allowing an illegal commercial breeding kennel to continue doing business as usual — now with their approval."Myself, I'm inclined to allow it, but I know we could get hung on this," board Chairma......

Ever since Gov. Ed Rendell signed a sharper new dog law into effect last October, all across the state operators of dog kennels have been coming before local zoning boards seeking permission to continue operating their businesses.On Monday, Upper Leacock Township resident Elam Beiler appea......

State prosecutors trying to shutter a dog retailer in Peach Bottom argued before a judge Monday that the operators of the former Puppy Love kennel have repeatedly thumbed their noses at the court. "The defendants have been given enough bites of the apple," Kathryn Silcox, a deputy att......

A veterinarian to some of the county's largest breeding kennels has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly mutilating a puppy's tail.Thomas F. Stevenson of Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Honey Brook was charged Friday with the first-degree misdemeanor for treatment he gav......

Finally, someone said no.State-licensed kennels have operated in Lancaster County for years without municipal permission. Now that state law requires kennel operators to seek local approval, several owners are asking for special exceptions and variances to allow them to continue to sell pu......

Word has it Lancaster County is about to get a lot of national exposure — but not the good kind.ABC's "Nightline" plans to air footage shot inside some of Lancaster County's commercial breeding kennels on a segment about the industry.Bill Smith, founder of Chester County's Mai......

Apparently, the story of Bocci, a county puppy mill survivor, tapped more tears than a Barry Manilow ballad. Last week, the Humane League of Lancaster County called for donations to get the tiny black-and-white Chihuahua to a Utah sanctuary for hard-to-place animals. When the dust settled, the ......

Former breeding kennel operator Ervin S. Zimmerman is headed for court — again.Zimmerman faced six misdemeanor counts of violating state kennel regulations after a Nov. 24 inspection of his large-scale breeding kennel at 400 W. Metzler Road, Ephrata.At a hearing Monday in Liti......

With some help from her friends, even a little dog from a Lancaster puppy mill can live the American dream.Bocci, a tiny black-and-white Chihuahua, was confined for years in one of the county's more notorious commercial breeding kennels, owned by a man convicted of animal cruelty and d......

Salisbury Township is seeing even more kennel operators applying for the local approval needed to maintain their businesses under state law.As have other municipalities throughout the state, Salisbury last week continued playing catch-up as kennels "come out of the woodwork," zon......

Dusty is back home.The 6-month-old West Highland terrier was returned to his rightful owner, Theresa Abrams, in a tearful reunion Thursday evening at the Columbia police station.Dusty and his mother, Tess, escaped Feb. 4 from the backyard of the Abrams' house in the borough. The......

She was only trying to find good homes for what she thought were two abandoned dogs, Brandi S. Anderson said Thursday.In an emotional interview, Anderson and her husband, Kevin, described how they came to deliver Tess, a West Highland terrier, and her puppy, Dusty, to families in Wrightsvi......

A Columbia family is rejoicing today because Tess, their purebred West Highland terrier, is back home.Theresa and Kenneth Abrams and their children — they have eight — are hoping they can soon bring Tess' puppy, Dusty, back home as well.But the family remains baffled......

The half-price sale at Humane League of Lancaster County worked.The Route 30 East shelter adopted out a whopping 59 dogs in three days by putting out a call for help to the community and slashing adoption prices 50 percent.Now just a handful of dogs remain at the kennel."......

Faced with an influx of dogs, Humane League of Lancaster County is reducing its canine adoption fees by 50 percent this month."Just this past month, we got 98 more dogs here at the shelter," Megan Gallagher Clark, the Humane League's vice president of development and outreach......

The long legal battle over Daniel P. Esh's kennel violations was finally resolved Tuesday.Esh, owner of Scarlet-Maple Farm Kennel, 68 Clearview Road, Ronks, originally faced three misdemeanor charges of housing more than 400 dogs and puppies in unsanitary conditions. The charges stemme......

Wanda might have been someone's Christmas present. If so, she was one the recipient didn't want.On New Year's day, the pit bull puppy was found next to a trash bin in the 100 block of Church Street in Columbia. Weak and unable to walk, she was taken Friday afternoon to the Huma......

For Deb Fitzkee, it started in Elstonville two years ago. Her husband called: He was taking her to a club picnic. He was a hunter; she knew there was a "turkey shoot" scheduled. She figured the archers would be firing arrows into polyfoam targets. Instead, the targets were mad......

Quietly, but not without comment, a new kennel won approval in Salisbury Township.At its meeting Oct. 28, Salisbury's zoning hearing board heard John J. King's appeal for a special exception to establish a kennel for doberman pinschers, rottweilers and Bernese mountain dogs on his ......

A Gordonville dog breeder on Wednesday signed 20 dogs over to the Humane League of Lancaster after he was unable to bring his kennel into compliance with state dog laws."They were a sorry-looking lot — cold, dirty and uncared for," Joan E. Brown, Humane League president, sa......

The owners of a Lancaster County dog kennel face the prospect of more than $4.4 million in fines and having their operation shut down for allegedly violating a consumer-fraud settlement for selling sick puppies.The state Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection filed a contempt......

The state Attorney General's Office has filed a petition to shut down a major Lancaster County dog kennel operation and impose more than $4 million in fines against the owners. Joyce and Raymond Stoltzfus, whose Peach Bottom business used to be called Puppy Love Kennels, had agreed to ce......

State lawmakers made some significant changes to proposed legislation designed to improve the lives of Pennsylvania's thousands of breeder dogs.After overwhelming support in the House last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday added several amendments to House Bill 2525....

In her arms Saturday at Intercourse Community Park, humane police Officer Danielle Ball cradled Tiny, a small white dog whose hind feet had been gnawed off. The injury was inflicted by the pup's own over-stressed breeding stock mother. It was a graphic example of the evils of puppy mills.......

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Today's fifth annual Puppy Mill Awareness Day rounds out an eventful week for Pennsylvania's commercial dog-breeding industry.The goal of the event — which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Intercourse Community Park — is to raise awareness about the industry's dark si......

Animal advocates were elated Wednesday as word came that the state House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Bills 2525 and 2532, which are designed to improve the lives of breeder dogs living in the state's commercial breeding kennels.The House voted 181-17 in favor of H.B.......

A large pack of dogs brought about 250 humans to rally at the Capitol on Tuesday for House Bill 2525 — legislation to improve the lives of breeder dogs living in Pennsylvania's commercial kennels.But one dog stole the show when her human, Gov. Ed Rendell, rallied loudest for H.B.......

Animal-rights advocates and local tourism officials called on legislators to crack down on abuses by commercial dog kennels today, saying the state has earned a shameful reputation as the "puppy mill capital of the East." "Abusive breeders should be put out of business immediately and permanent......

Last month, when the news broke that two Berks County kennel operators had killed 80 dogs to avoid paying for veterinary care, and had broken no law by shooting the dogs, the public reaction was fierce. More than 100 people turned out for a candlelight vigil to demand that Pennsylvania's do......

It might have been one of the quickest mistrials in Lancaster County history.Leacock Township kennel owner Daniel P. Esh's trial for alleged state dog-law violations already had been delayed a day because of a host of pretrial motions flying back and forth. On Thursday, when it finally......

A state dog warden's keen eye landed an Earl Township dog breeder with a history of animal cruelty back in court Thursday.In September, when Paula Hutchinson, owner of the now-defunct Hutchinson Kennel at 329 Redwell Road, New Holland, faced five counts of animal cruelty and 11 violati......

Under a full moon, more than 100 people gathered on a country road here Friday night for a somber candlelight vigil to remember 80 dogs shot to death by two Amish farmers late last month.The farmers, Elmer Zimmerman of E&A Kennel, and his brother, Ammon Zimmerman of A&J Kennel, ope......

Two Berks County commercial kennel operators shot and killed 80 dogs after dog wardens ordered some of the animals be examined by veterinarians, state dog law enforcement officials said Tuesday.And because they broke no current Pennsylvania law by slaughtering the dogs, animal advocates an......

Two hundred forty-four commercial kennel owners got the invite. Now it's up to them to take the offer.In a new initiative designed to improve compliance with state kennel regulations, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office is holding two free educational seminars to help k......

Donna L. Doyle was away from home when her beloved dog, Keisha, unexpectedly died.That event changed her life.Looking for a chance to say good-bye to Keisha, Doyle contacted an animal psychic near her Doylestown home."I didn't think I would pull through," Doyle ......

About 3,000 dog groomers from across the country wanted to be in "Groomer Has It," the new Animal Planet show that puts dog groomers in the same reality TV show spin as chefs, hair stylists and fashion designers. Only 12 made it to the show, which airs Saturday nights at 9. One of ......

They often spend their entire lives in small cages, stacked one on top of the other.They endure intense heat and cold, rarely get medical care and never get any exercise. Some lose the ability to walk because they never leave their cages.Vocal chords are crushed with a metal pipe so......

Oprah Winfrey's daily talk show airs in 117 countries, from Zimbabwe to Australia.So when she featured grisly images of Lancaster County's infamous puppy mills on Friday's show, there was a little shame, but a lot more relief that the word is out."I'm not real proud of being a Lanca......

If puppy-mill owners thought times were tough with the governor on their backs, just wait till Oprah Winfrey hops on.The queen of talk is biting back at Lancaster County's unscrupulous breeders by featuring a full hour on the "the puppy-mill capital of the East" during today&......

Equipped with bold red vests and wagging tails, three dogs have been roaming Penn Manor High School sporadically for the past few weeks. Trained by junior Christi Taylor, freshmen Olivia Dietrich and Lauren Seiger, Callie, Riley and Wesley are four-legged friends who will be loyal companions late......

Even if the state revokes a dog-breeding operation's license, the owner may keep the dogs during the sometimes lengthy appeals process.•••When a federal inspector examined Ervin Zimmerman's Ephrata dog-breeding kennel last week,......

Father-and-son kennel owners faced a district justice Thursday after both were charged with state dog-law violations at their large-scale breeding kennels in Ronks.John E. Esh, owner of Twin Maple Farm, 68 Clearview Road, Ronks, and his son, Daniel P. Esh, owner of Scarlet-Maple Farm Kenne......

Can you change the world with a valentine? A gathering of children working for the Central Pennsylvania League of Humane Voters gave it a try Saturday, using construction paper, red doilies and glitter sticks to create valentines for the Tipton-based "Dogs Deserve Better" campaign....

January was a rough month for Michelle and Jason Ayala. Their brand-new puppy was stolen. A beloved grandpa died. But this week, a "little miracle" happened to them, when Oreo, their black and white puppy, was returned to them by a family who bought the dog, saw a flier with its ......

A new set of proposed changes to Pennsylvania's dog laws is ready, but some people still have reservations about their potential impact.At a Wednesday meeting of the Dog Law Advisory Board, charged by Gov. Ed Rendell with tightening the state's dog laws, members had a chance to sta......

A Lancaster County jury delivered a split verdict Friday for Elvin L. High, who was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.In related charges, Judge Louis J. Farina found High guilty of six summary counts of animal cruelty for cropping dogs' ears without a veterinary license......

A Lancaster jury heard Elvin L. High's defense Thursday in his trial on two counts of animal cruelty.Dr. Tom Stevenson of Honey Brook countered earlier testimony by two other veterinarians who said High denied medical care to two of his dogs at his now-defunct West Hempfield Township k......

Elvin L. High's jury trial on animal-cruelty charges got under way Wednesday before Judge Louis J. Farina.High, owner of the defunct Highgrade Kennels in West Hempfield Township, is charged with two counts of animal cruelty for not seeking veterinary care for two of his dogs.State k......

A dog breeder facing animal cruelty charges from the state has withdrawn his request to open a kennel in West Hempfield Township. Elvin L. High had asked officials for a special exception to operate Highgrade Kennels, 4406 Marietta Ave., Columbia, as a stud service. But at a Tuesday night ......

State police continue to investigate who may have stolen two English bulldog puppies worth $3,000 in Elizabeth Township nearly a week ago.The owner of the dogs, Joyce Weaver, of 654 West Brubaker Valley Road, said she had advertised the 9-week-old puppies for sale in Lancaster and Philadel......

Former kennel owner Ervin Zimmerman was found guilty Wednesday of 11 counts of animal cruelty and five counts of violating state dog law regulations.Zimmerman's attorney, Richard K. Teitell of Bala Cynwyd, said he will appeal District Justice Daniel B. Garrett's findings.Jeff Paladi......

The Chester County SPCA, with the help of the Chester County District Attorney's Office, removed 24 dogs from a puppy mill on the 200 block of Mount Pleasant Road in Honey Brook Saturday. Chuck McDevitt, spokesman for the SPCA, said the owner of the dogs would not let animal enforcement off......

Another dog-breeding kennel was put out of business Wednesday.John B. Miller, owner of Millcreek Puppy Barn Kennel in Bird-in-Hand, pleaded guilty Wednesday to seven violations for poor and unsanitary conditions.As part of a plea agreement, Miller will relinquish the state-issued ke......

A county kennel owner's kennel license has been revoked — and he may face animal-cruelty charges after a Nov. 2 raid in which 18 ailing dogs were seized.Ervin Zimmerman's West Earl Township kennel already had failed seven state inspections between June 5 and Oct. 11 for unsafe and un......

A Narvon man was found guilty Tuesday of animal cruelty for denying his ailing dogs veterinary care.Intercourse District Justice Isaac Stoltzfus found Samuel Sauder of 466 Hammertown Road guilty of two counts of animal cruelty. Stoltzfus ordered Sauder to pay $371 in fines and court costs.......

One thing about Sunday's 18th Annual Tailwagger's Trot — it's all about the dogs.The big event that benefits Humane League of Lancaster County has the same fun events as previous years, but is concentrated in one location rather than two this time to boost the festivities......

Being a dog in Pennsylvania isn't what it used to be since Jessie L. Smith became special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement.The year since her appointment to the position, newly created by Gov. Ed Rendell, has been challenging, Smith said. But in an address she gave at Wednesday......

Plenty of people planned to speak out Tuesday against Elvin L. High's request for a special exception to operate a kennel in West Hempfield Township. But they didn't need to.High made his request to West Hempfield Township zoning board, but problems with his application emerged before publ......

Jessie L. Smith, the state's special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement, was appointed last year by Gov. Ed Rendell to weed out bad dog kennels from the good.Tonight, exactly a year to the day since her appointment, Smith will report in Lancaster County on how her effort is going......

"Puppy mill is a point of view," said Jessie L. Smith, the state's special deputy secretary for dog-law enforcement. Some kennels are well run. Others are not. You can find examples of both in Lancaster County, which has by far the highest concentration of big commercial kenn......

An Earl Township dog breeder pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple animal cruelty charges and is now out of business.At a hearing before District Justice Rodney Hartman, kennel owner Paula Hutchinson of Hutchinson Kennel pleaded guilty to five animal cruelty citations and 11 violations of s......

Two dogs, one dark, one golden, bounded across the grass at Intercourse Community Park. It was the tail end of Saturday's Puppy Mill Awareness Day protest march. But the fight was just starting. Lancaster County harbors the greatest concentration of dog breeders in the nation, asserte......

Next time Rover roves, you might have to look all over for him.Since January, the Humane League of Lancaster County has stopped accepting strays picked up in four county municipalities. Many of those animals end up being shipped to animal shelters in another county.But just how does......

Private animal shelters shoulder much of the burden for housing stray dogs in Pennsylvania.Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the state's Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, said Pennsylvania may be the only state in the country that doesn't allocate tax money to operate county pounds, w......

Comcast has announced that adoptable animals from Humane League of Lancaster County will soon be featured in profiles available to its On Demand customers.•••Adorable, adoptable pets are coming to a television station near you.Ph......

Peanut Butter looked out from her cage at Michele Neuenschwander and stole her heart. Now, at 2, the jug puppy is mother to five puppies that love to wrestle and play tug-tug when they aren't kissing someone's face. A jug is a cross between a pug and a Jack Russell terrier. The rel......

Human cases of a rare type of salmonella illness have caused the state Department of Health to issue a warning to pet owners.The health department says 21 cases of the illness in Pennsylvania residents might be linked to dry dog food and advises using safe-buying and handling practices....

The umpire barked. A batter growled. Snarling fans let loose with howls.Yeah, you could tell Sunday was Dog Days at the Clip."Bad to the Bone" blared, not an intentional comment on the Barnstormers. Except I thought the idea of Dog Days was for people to bring their dogs. ......

Stan Day picked up the empty Cool Whip container next to his feet and carried it to a nearby water fountain.Day, the head cook at Clipper Magazine Stadium, filled the container with water and returned it to Misty, his family's thirsty dog, sitting idly by the stadium seats.On an......

Becky is heading to college this week, and Carol Barnhart, of York, knows she will miss her and probably shed a few tears when she leaves. If everything turns out the way it should, she'll probably never see Becky again. That's because Becky, raised for the past 14 months or so ......

A New Jersey judge has permitted a lawsuit against a Lancaster County dog breeder to proceed, which could give a green light to other consumers in that state to sue local breeders in New Jersey, where consumer fraud laws are stricter than in Pennsylvania. Tuesday, New Jersey Superior Court Judg......

Years ago, when he was a boy, Adam Holden Rosenberg traveled with his family to Lancaster County to buy a puppy. But the dirty commercial kennel they visited repulsed them, Rosenberg remembered. They returned to Philadelphia empty-handed. "We never got the dog. We said this is horribl......

A district judge ruled Wednesday there is enough evidence to send an animal-cruelty case to trial.Elvin L. High, owner of Highgrade Kennels in West Hempfield Township, appeared before District Judge Robert A. Herman Jr. for a preliminary hearing on eight counts of animal cruelty related to......

A 44-year-old East Lampeter Township farmer was charged Tuesday with failing to provide veterinary care for a dog after a hay mower severed two of the animal's legs.John O. Yoder, of 445 Willow Road, was charged with one summary count of failing to provide necessary veterinary care. The ch......

Eleven dogs were seized Thursday from a West Hempfield Township kennel, where the owner had allegedly hidden the dogs from authorities by housing them in a tractor-trailer.Elvin L. High, who operated Highgrade Kennels, 4406 Marietta Ave., Columbia, faces eight counts of animal cruelty char......

State inspection reports from Pennsylvania's 2,600 licensed dog kennels are now online and accessible to the public.The state Department of Agriculture Web site at www.agriculture.state.pa.us/padoglaw went live Monday and gives imme......

A slate of proposed changes to Pennsylvania's dog kennel laws is going back to the drawing board.The Independent Regulatory Review Commission released comments and recommendations Monday after examining the proposed changes and more than 16,000 public comments submitted to the state De......

It appears proposed changes to Pennsylvania's kennel regulations won't be an easy sell.At a hearing Tuesday before the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the state House of Representatives, many people testified about the first draft of the proposed changes, but there was l......

(AP)An advocate of tighter restrictions on dog kennels claimed Friday in a federal civil-rights lawsuit State Sen. Mike Brubaker and his aide intimidated her after she photographed them meeting with dog breeders in a convenience-store parking lot.Barb Showalter, 41, of Denver, sued over a ......

A veteran Humane League of Lancaster County officer was fired Thursday, a day after losing an animal-cruelty hearing against a kennel owner.Debra Lort, a member of the Humane League's cruelty investigation department, said she has rescued thousands of animals from neglect in the past 1......

The owner of a Salisbury Township kennel will face trial on seven misdemeanor charges after investigators found hundreds of dogs living in unheated cages littered with feces and urine at his facility, a judge ruled Wednesday.The charges against Joseph Blank stem from a surprise inspection ......

Kerry Flanagan went on her first kennel inspection in late December at Long Lane Kennel.

One caged dog had a tumor on the side of its face. Puppies were starving and dehydrated. Cages of matted dogs were stacked on top of each other.

"To see them in these cages, just a mas...

Charges were recently filed against a Narvon man after officials last month seized 23 dogs from his kennel.

Joseph Blank faces numerous charges for cruelty to animals and sanitation violations, investigators said.

The charges were filed by the Humane Society and the state Burea...