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Brothers Danny and Johnny Schachtele began
dealing in dogs and cats in 1987. Later, Johnny left the business
and was replaced by Danny's wife, Mildred. Twenty years later, the
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) caught up with the Schachteles,
and last December, the operation was finally forced to close its
doors. The Schachteles had incurred repeated instances of apparent
non-compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), dating back to the
early days of their business.
The
complaint lodged against the Schachteles by the USDA lays out 58
separate dates between November 2001 and October 2004 when Mildred
and
Danny allegedly committed AWA violations. These include failing to
provide adequate and safe housing for dogs and cats and failing to
hold animals for the minimum period of time before selling them.
The Schachteles were also charged with
failing to maintain records that fully and correctly disclosed the
identities and other required information of the persons from whom
dogs were acquired on 51 separate occasions, including one incident
that pertained to 43 dogs. Further, they were charged with failing
to provide certifications that contained the complete addresses of
the persons from whom dogs were acquired on seven separate
occasions, including one that pertained to 195 dogs.
Danny Schachtele died prior to the
resolution of the case. Shortly before the hearing, Mildred
Schachtele agreed to the revocation of her dealer's license and a
$107,250.00 fine to avoid having to go to trial. However,
$100,000.00 of the fine was suspended.
Now we have learned that there are new
random source dog and cat dealers in Missouri-Mildred and Danny's
son and daughter-in-law, Tony and Becky. In fact, Tony even helped
his mother close down her business before stepping up to fill the
void.
The USDA does not have the tools to stop
this trade, but the US Congress
does. When the Pet Safety and Protection Act is adopted, procurement
of
animals via this cottage industry will finally end. The measure has
been
attached to both House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. If
conferees stand firm for the protection of pets and integrity in the
supply of research animals, the language will remain in the final
version of the bill, and the door will at long last close on a
shameful legacy.
Tracking Animal Cruelty
Animal cruelty is a serious crime against
society, and the Tracking Animal Cruelty
Crimes Act (S. 2439) aims to give it the recognition it deserves.
Introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the bill would require
the US Attorney General to modify
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) crime reporting programs to
designate "cruelty to animals" as its own separate reporting
classification.
The FBI uses crime reporting programs to
track the incidence and patterns of offenses nationwide, allowing
law enforcement agencies to better target their resources and to
implement more successful prevention and prosecution. Because there
is currently no specific category for animal cruelty, police and
prosecutors lack the valuable information that they have for many
other types of crime.
Improved information about animal cruelty
crimes would lead to a better understanding of-and more effective
responses to-both animal abuse and other offenses, as there is a
recognized link between animal abuse and other forms of violence.
The FBI was actually one of the first to establish this connection.
Passage of S. 2439 would make it possible to track trends at the
state and national level and determine the demographic
characteristics and other factors associated with animal abuse.
Though cruelty to animals is a crime in all
50 states, with certain acts categorized as felonies in 43 states
and the District of Columbia, this bill would foster better
investigative and prosecutorial resources for the problem at both
state and federal levels. S. 2439 would yield significant benefits
for efforts to prevent and intervene in the cycle of violence that
victimizes so many animals and people. |
