The following were among the cases received recently by the Pennsylvania SPCA. Headquartered at 350 E. Erie Avenue in Philadelphia, the PSPCA operates six branches throughout the state. For more information call 215-426-6300 or visit www.pspca.org. To report animal cruelty call 1-866-601-SPCA.

Cold Weather Emergencies 

STOUTON ST., 2800 block, Jan. 16. During the recent deep freeze, the PSPCA and the Animal Care and Control Team responded to numerous calls of animals left outside without shelter.

For a dog in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, a call for rescue call came too late. The dog, abandoned by its owner approximately two weeks prior, was frozen to the step when the PSPCA agents arrived.

Roosters Found Dressed for Fighting

E. LETTERLY ST., 1900 block, Jan. 11. The PSPCA removed six roosters prepped for fighting in a Kensington home. The birds had had their waddles and combs cut and feathers plucked. Humane agents believe the birds were going to be sold for cockfighting.  One individual was charged with animal cruelty .

Twice as Lucky

FELTONVILLE A distraught woman contacted the PSPCA after her two pit bulls escaped from her backyard—something they had never done. The woman was concerned she would never see her dogs again because they were not microchipped. But the dogs were picked up by animal control officers and taken to the PSPCA. The dogs and grateful owner were reunited that day.

Teen Arrested for Allowing Dog to Attack Cat

S. BAILEY ST., 1500 block, Jan. 11. Philadelphia Police arrested a 16-year old who allowed his dog to attack a cat on a South Philadelphia street. A PSPCA humane officer removed the dog and dead cat from the scene. The teenager was charged with cruelty to animals.

See you Later Alligators

Two alligators were surrendered to the shelter when their owners were evicted. They were sent to an alligator rescue which uses the reptiles in education programs. It is illegal to own alligators in Philadelphia.

Dogs Removed from Alleged Fighting Ring

N. AVONDALE AVE., 200 block Jan. 20. Five pit bulls ranging in age from six months to two years were removed from a suspected fighting ring. Two of the dogs had significant old and new wounds and required immediate surgery. Medical supplies and supplements commonly given to fighting dogs were also removed from the house.

Philadelphia Woman Convicted of Animal Abuse

MORTON ST., 5500 block.  A woman was found guilty of one count of animal cruelty, ordered to pay a $500 fine, sentenced to serve 75 hours of community service and ordered not to own animals for 90 days. In August 2008, PSPCA removed eight dogs from the Germantown home. The dogs were chained in a yard with industrial-sized chains secured in the ground by car axels. The dogs had scars consistent with dog fighting. Dog fighting paraphernalia was also removed from the home.

Considering pet ownership? Check your budget and your bank account first. A recent Associated Press article lays it all out: food, training, health care, grooming, boarding or pet sitting. Caring for a dog can add up to $1,000 a year or more.

Note the story was filed from Houston area and the costs of spaying and neutering can run as high as $300 in the Philadelphia area, although low cost programs are available.  For more information, check out the ASPCA's detailed table of "pet care costs" on its Web site.

Carolina Prime Pet, a dog treat manufacturer, has announced a recall of several varieties of treats containing peanut butter, the latest product linked to the Georgia-based Peanut Butter Corporation of America, which federal investigators say knowingly shipped peanut butter contaminated with salmonella. .

The recalled treats are sold at various retail establishments in the U.S. and Canada. Carolina Prime Pet said it is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, but has issued this voluntary recall as a precautionary measure. More than 500 people in 43 states have been sickened and eight died after eating products made with  peanut butter from that plant.

The recalled products include only the following types of Carolina Prime Pet treats in single unit packages with lot date codes between 081508 and 010909:

6" Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542007
2-pk Hooves Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542000
4" Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542003
6" Rawhide Bone Peanut Butter, UPC 063725542005
6” Healthy Hide Beef Shank Peanut Butter, UPC 09109333479

Customers who purchased the recalled dog treats should discontinue use immediately, and return items to the purchase location for replacement or refund. For more information call Carolina Prime Pet at 1-888-370-2360.

Rep. Tom Caltagirone (D., Berks), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, made good on his promise to put animal cruelty legislation at the top of his agenda with the start of the new legislative session.

A bill that bar anyone except a veterinarian from cutting a dog's vocal cords or performing a Cesarean section unanimously cleared his committee on Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Caltagirone, also would forbid owners and breeders from performing any ear cropping or tail docking after a puppy is five days old.

The bill (HB39) contains similar language to legislation that passed the House last session but stalled in the Senate amid negotiations over the controversial dog law bill.

"I want to protect our little pets from the inhumane things people do to them," said Caltagirone. Animal rescue groups who take unwanted dogs from commercial kennel owners have reported evidence of backyard "debarking," using pipes shoved down a dog's throat and botched C-sections. Breeders' groups have denied their members engage in such practices.

If the bill becomes law, dog wardens would be responsible for ensuring that kennel operators have proof these procedures were performed by a vet and would be instructed to report evidence of injury or health problems related to amateur operations. 

Caltagirone said in a concession to breeders, the bill extends the number of days a non-vet could perform tail docking to five days from the original three days. Caltagirone said he expects the bill to reach the House floor as early as next week.

The operator of the Chester County kennel where Vice President Joe Biden purchased a German Shepherd puppy last month has been cited again for failing to keep proper records and for poor maintenance and drainage.

A Department of Agriculture spokesman said yesterday that Linda Brown was initially warned about the problems in a Jan. 5 inspection, but when investigators returned to Wolf Den kennel in Spring City last week they found conditions had not improved and sales and health records were incomplete.

The Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement issued her three new citations for violations to the state dog law, one each for records, drainage and maintenance. That's in addition to the two citations issued in December - the same week that Biden purchased the six-week-old puppy.

"If it's a first time offense, a warning is issued," said department spokesman Chris Ryder. "If on a follow up inspection it's not corrected, it can lead to a citation."

In a Jan. 5 inspection report posted on the Department of Agriculture Web site, Brown was warned about “an accumulation of food and hair” outside the kennels located inside her house. 

The inspection report indicates that Brown had corrected all the prior problems, but a follow-up inspection on Jan. 22 found paperwork was incomplete, Ryder said.

Brown, who also operates as JoLindy's German Shepherds, currently has 95 dogs on the property (up from 88 last month) and reported 188 dogs sold in the past 12 months, according to the inspection report. She holds the largest state commercial kennel license that allows her to keep or sell an unlimited number of dogs. 

The two citations issued in December were filed in Chester County district court on Jan. 20 and the case is pending, according to court records.

Adoption advocates nationwide criticized Biden’s decision to purchase a dog at a time when millions of unwanted dogs are euthanized in shelters each year. Biden later announced his intention to adopt a second dog from a shelter.

Pennsylvania SPCA police officers had a really busy start to the weekend, raiding an illegal stable, a cockfight and an alleged dog fighting ring in Philadelphia overnight Friday. When the dust settled, agents had seized seven dogs, two horses and 58 birds from life-threatening situations.

Here's how it went down:

PSPCA officers obtained warrants for a vacant lot and a house in the 2600 Fletcher Street. Sound familiar? That's the address in the Strawberry Mansion section where officers raided a dilapidated stables and found the rotting carcasses of three horses in 2007. This time two emaciated horses with overgrown hooves were found standing in filth in the dining room of a falling-down row house. (See the full Daily News story here)  

The owner is being cited for lack of veterinary care and unsanitary confinement while the surrendered horses - and a dog found in the manure-soaked basement - are undergoing medical evaluation at the PSPCA. Meanwhile three other horses that were found on a vacant city lot were removed by their owner.

Philadelphia police responded to a call about a cockfight in progress in the 200 block of W. Loudon Street. PSPCA officers at the scene removed 58 birds, including roosters dressed for fighting, hens, parakeets and cockatiels. The birds are being held in protective custody at the PSPCA’s Philadelphia headquarters. The PSPCA also removed cockfighting paraphernalia, including cockfighting DVDs. Fifteen people were arrested and charged with animal cruelty. (See full Daily News story here)

Humane officers also responded to a call in the 900 block of Farson Street: where they found six dogs, several with scars consistent with dog fighting were surrendered to the PSPCA where they are currently under medical evaluation. Three days earlier officers responded to a dogfight in progress and removed eight dogs which are in protective custody. Two puppies removed from the house, however, died.

George Bengal, PSPCA director of investigations, said dog fighting is on the rise in Philadelphia. He said agents are responding to two to three dog fighting cases a week, compared with one or two every few months in the past. The PSPCA urges residents to watch for signs of dog fighting rings: heavy traffic in and out of a house at all hours, numerous dogs kept outside all of the time with heavy chains, dogs with heavy scarring on their faces, front legs and hind quarters and tires or spring poles (large springs with rope attached to an end) hanging from trees.

A new reason pet owners should be cautious about what treats they feed these days. Another brand of dog biscuit has been added to the huge list of products in the nationwide peanut butter recall. This time its Happy Tails multi-flavored dog biscuits sold at all Supevalu food stores, which includes Acme Supermarkets.

The following UPC codes and package sizes of Happy Tails dog treats are recalled:

26-ounce packages - UPC 41163-42406
4-pound packages - UPC 41163-42403
For additional information, shoppers can call Supervalu Inc. at 877-932-7948.

News of the latest recall comes just after PetSmart released its list of recalled dog treats on Jan 21. The company said the following treats sold after August 21 may be contaminated with salmonella-tainted peanut butter traced to a plant in Georgia. The contaminated peanut butter has been linked to deaths of seven people and sickened hundreds more. There is no word yet on any pet illnesses connected to the outbreak.

Here are the varieties of PetSmart Grreat Choice dog biscuits being recalled:

Small Assorted 32 oz. - UPC 73725702900
Small/Medium Assorted 4 lb. - UPC 73725700601
Small/Medium Assorted 8 lb. - UPC 73725700605
Small/Medium Assorted 10 lb. - UPC 73725702755
Large Assorted 8 lb. - UPC 73725700638
Extra Large Assorted 8 lb. - UPC 73725700779
Peanut Butter 4 lb. - UPC 73725700766

Both PetSmart and Supervalu stores say customers may return the products for a full refund.

The Chester County kennel where Vice President Joe Biden purchased a German Shepherd puppy last month has been issued a new warning, this time for poor “housekeeping.”

In a Jan. 5 inspection report posted on the Department of Agriculture Web site, Wolf Den Kennel was warned about “an accumulation of food and hair” outside the kennels located inside her house.

Kennel owner Linda Brown of Spring City, was issued two citations in December – the same week Biden bought his six- week-old puppy - for failing to have rabies records for dogs over three months and for failing to properly maintain sales records. Brown also was issued warnings for broken wires in her kennels and for the strong ammonia smell inside her home, as well as excessive cobwebs and open bags of food in a separate kennel area in an outbuilding.

The inspection report indicates that Brown had corrected all the prior problems, but she was directed to clean up the buildings and grounds of the kennel and told that a follow up inspection would be conducted.

Brown, who also operates as JoLindy's German Shepherds, currently has 95 dogs on the property (up from 88 last month) and reported 188 dogs sold in the past 12 months, according to the inspection report.

The two citations issued in December for violating the state dog law were filed in Chester County district court on Jan. 20 and the case is pending, according to court records.

Word of Biden’s dog purchase drew criticism from adoption advocates who questioned why he would buy a dog when so many unwanted dogs are euthanized in shelters. Biden later announced his intention to add a second dog to his family and promised that one would come from a shelter.

A problem-plagued Lehigh County kennel is the subject of new scrutiny, this time by the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.

State dog wardens today entered  the property of Almost Heaven kennel, where PSPCA agents in October found 800 animals living in squalor, to investigate a claim that the kennel had illegally changed ownership. 

The action came after the appearance of a new Web site for T.A.S. Kennel, which advertised puppies for sale said it was operating on the Emmaus property where Almost Heaven kennel had been located. Animal welfare advocates alerted the bureau which dispatched an undercover warden to the property earlier today. The individual told the warden the property transfer had taken place, which allowed the warden to obtained a search warrant, state officials said.

A Department of Agriculture spokesman said wardens are reviewing the records to determine if the transfer of owner ship took place and whether the new owner will face charges. It is illegal to operate a kennel with more than 25 dogs without a state license.

Meanwhile, Almost Heaven kennel operator Derbe “Skip” Eckhart is scheduled to face charges of cruelty and violating the dog law on Jan. 27 in the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown. The charges against Eckhart stem from the October raid where agents found hundreds of animals living in cramped, dirty kennels and removed several dozen sick dogs and a guinea pig. Hundreds of other animals, including dogs, monkeys, birds and horses, who were not in need of immediate care were left on the property pending the outcome of the court hearing.

In other kennel-related court news, the hearing to determine whether Joyce and Raymond Stoltzfus, owners of CC Pets (formerly Puppy Love) kennel in Lancaster County, violated the terms of an agreement with the state Attorney General's office was postponed this week.

The Commonwealth Court granted a continuance before the Jan. 21 court date at the request of the Stoltzfus' attorney and set a new court date of April 6 in Harrisburg. Attorney General Tom Corbett is seeking an injunction to close the kennel and impose a maximum fine of $4.4 million against the operators for failing to identify the kennel in hundreds of classified ads as required under a three-year-old agreement. The 2005 agreement, which stemmed from the sale of sick dogs to 171 buyers, was the result of the largest consumer fraud suit involving pet sales in state history.