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From: Kinship Circle - kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Nov 2, 2007 5:56 PM
Subject: Fire Exposes Farm As Dog Mill For Research

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KC MEMBER ALERT
11/2/07: Fire Exposes Farm As Dog Mill For Research
www.KinshipCircle.org

ALERT FROM / REPLY TO:
Netanya Nathan, rodsandra [at] gulftel.com

BACKGROUND:
Blaze rages at ‘dog farm’ / Peter Wynne 10/18/07

EDITED FOR LENGTH

Last Friday’s fire at Alder Ridge Farms Inc., a dog-breeding facility on Reynolds Road near Lakewood, has focused attention on a business that has usually managed to avoid such exposure.

The smoky, early afternoon fire raged for more than four hours, requiring the efforts of firefighters from nine different volunteer companies to bring it under control. The blaze destroyed a metal building said to have been 450 feet long and 70 or more feet wide, making it one of the biggest in northern Wayne County.

The fire also caused the death of an untold number of animals, which Alder Ridge Farms normally would have sold for use in biomedical research.

For many area residents, the existence of such a business in northern Wayne was news. No sign along unpaved Reynolds Road announces Alder Ridge Farms; no street numbers identify the place as No. 442, the company’s address. Some residents knew about the “dog farm,” but had little idea about the scale of the operation or what goes on at the 290-acre hilltop property…

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Former Dog Farm Worker Talks / Wednesday, October 17 / By Jon Meyer
www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=7228679

Heavy machinery is now tearing down a building that burned Friday on a dog farm near Lakewood in northern Wayne County. A state dog warden visited Alder Ridge Farms Wednesday and found no problems with the facility. Many people in that area have so many questions about what happens at the farm.

A former worker shared her experiences. A state inspection report shows back in March the facility had nearly 1,200 dogs. Flames tore through one building at the farm Friday. Firefighters found hundreds of dogs inside. Many were saved. Others died.

“For most of these animals that died, I feel horrible but it’s better than the life they were living,” the former worker said. She wants to remain
anonymous. She signed a contract to stay quiet while she worked at the facility. She described dogs jammed into pens.

“They are treated like objects. If you had any humanity toward them you were scolded, you were yelled at all the time,” the woman added, saying the workers didn’t know what the dogs were used for. “No, we were never told. You couldn’t ask any questions.”

Newswatch 16 found research documents that show dogs from Alder Ridge were later used for testing treatments for animal and human disorders.

Others who work or worked at the facility said all dogs are cared for properly. They said the farm serves a need in society, providing animals to
test important drugs and treatments.

The anonymous worker had moral issues with her job there. “Why did I leave the place? Because I thought it was morally improper. I was really upset with what was happening to the animals,” she said.

The state inspects Alder Ridge twice a year and has found no major issues. The federal government said since 2005 the place has been in compliance with its inspections too. There is no word yet on the cause to the fire.

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From Netanya Nathan, rodsandra [at] gulftel.com — Alder Ridge Farms is deeply involved with and supplies customers for one of the giant research equipment and mice/rats providers HARLAN: www.harlan.com

“Harlan offers over 200 stocks and strains, rats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, cats, beagles, hounds, mongrels, swine and miniature swine.” Beagles and mongrels are procured from Alder Ridge Farm along with Barton’s West End facilities, New Jersey — “provides farm animals, sheep and goats obtained from their registered herds.” It’s a joint collaboration recently announced as new Marketing Agreement, and boasted of in AALAS newsletter.

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ACTIONS + CONTACT INFORMATION TO PROTEST:

1. Make your own comments now in the guestbook, contacts and opinion sections of media sources listed below:

Former Dog Farm Worker Talks
www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=7228679
SEND COMMENTS TO: WNEP Television Station: news [at] wnep.com
OR SUBMIT COMMENTS AT TALKBACK ONLINE:
www.wnep.com/Global/link.asp?L=103920&nav=menu158_11

Former Dog Farm Worker Talks
www.WNEP.com/Global/story.asp?s=7228679
SEND COMMENTS TO: WNEP Television Station: news [at] wnep.com
OR SUBMIT COMMENTS AT TALKBACK ONLINE:
www.wnep.com/Global/link.asp?L=103920&nav=menu158_11

Questions Abound after Fire at Dog Farm
www.WNEP.com/Global/story.asp?s=7216925
SEND COMMENTS TO: WNEP Television Station: news [at] wnep.com
OR SUBMIT COMMENTS AT TALKBACK ONLINE:
www.wnep.com/Global/link.asp?L=103920&nav=menu158_11

The Wayne Independent Newspaper
Wayne Independent has quickly taken articles off of website but one can be seen at: www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/x857469237
Submit your comments at Wayne Independent GUESTBOOK:
wayneindependent.com/guestbook/

2. Express concern for surviving dogs to officials of Wayne County, PA Emergency Management…

who are considering implementation of a County Animal Response team — in view of the fire. Keep in mind these officials appeared not to know exactly what was the purpose of breeding so many dogs at Alder Ridge Farms. Urge officials to voice their condemnation of the practice of breeding and selling “man’s best friend” for profit, right at their front door.

SEND COMMENTS TO:
Wayne County Emergency Management Agency: EMA1 [at] co.wayne.pa.us
Wayne County Courthouse: webmaster [at] co.wayne.pa.us

NOTE: Animal Response Team Suggested
HONESDALE- Frank Smith, Director of Emergency Management was at Tuesday’s County Commissioners meeting to discuss the implementation of a County Animal Response team — The timing for this project is probably good, considering the fire that just occurred last week at Alder Ridge Farms,” he stated. Mr. Smith had taken a trip up to the site of the farm in Lakewood and spoke to the owner, attempting to find out a specific total for the number of animals that had perished in the blaze. “I talked to the owner on Monday…he didn’t want to tell me because there were some confidentiality issues involved, so I didn’t press the issue.” According to Mr. Smith, the State Police have have ruled the fire accidental. MORE: www.wayneindependent.com/articles/2007/10/17/news1/news2.txt

3. Thank the fire department for acting so heroically…

in spite of the fact they learned that the hundreds of dogs they “saved” will only survive long enough to be sold to endure horrific experiments in research labs, until their bodies and spirits give up.

SEND COMMENTS TO:
Northern Wayne County Fire Company, Lakewood, PA: nwfc [at] nep.net

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TALKING POINTS:

In view of the government’s sanction and demand for more animals in research, and the minimal laws of welfare for animals bred and used for
research, our comments may not change the future for these dogs at Alder Ridge Farms. However, with every person who learns of the true purpose and extent of exploitation of helpless, innocent animals, in this case beagles and “mongrels” — as they are referred to in research establishments — we can claim a victory for other dog’s future, and witness for the surviving dogs from this fire; that we do hear their silenced cries for mercy, and will not turn away from every opportunity to speak for them, and educate the public on the cruel “dealing of dogs” animal enterprises.

RELATED KINSHIP CIRCLE LINKS:

7/9/07: Support Bill To Spare Dogs/Cats From Experimentation
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1664&seriesfirst=true

4/5/06: Dealing Dogs And Cats For Research
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1488&seriesfirst=true

8/16/07: Animal Tests Lie. Urge ICCVAM To Do Its Job.
www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1670&seriesfirst=true

SAMPLE COMMENT: from Netanya Nathan, rodsandra [at] gulftel.com

RE: Fire in Dog Barn at Alder Ridge Farm. MAN’S BEST FRIENDS are bred and sold to research labs for PROFIT here. The brave firemen who saved these dog’s lives must have been surprised to learn that these dogs were only “saved” so that they can be sold for research labs - in which they will endure horrific experiments, exist in terror and pain, frequently sold again and again if they survive their torture, until they are used up and discarded as “things.” All the talk about emergency action for animals - Is there not some action to actually SAVE these innocent animals from a life of untold pain and suffering. This is a sad and dismal fate for any of our nation’s companion animals. The owners of Alder Ridge ‘produce’ and sell dogs, whom they consider a product and not a living, feeling being. Dog protection? not here. There is none for these ill-fated gentle animals. Something’s wrong with this picture!

Netanya Nathan / Sunday, Oct 28, 2007 (07:10:45 am CDT)

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts kinship circle dogs canines pets companion animals animal research animal experimentation animal testing vivisection fire dog breeding beagles Alder Ridge Farms Inc. PA Pennsylvania Alder Ridge Farms biomedical research dog farm Wayne County news in the news Harlan dog mill