A commercial kennel owner in New York destroyed 93 dogs using a hose connected to a farm engine and pumping carbon monoxide into a makeshift "gas chamber."
David Yoder, owner of Black Diamond Acres kennel in Romulus, told a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector during a July 15 inspection that he killed the dogs to "depopulate" the kennel. (Read the inspection report (.PDF))
Yoder said he created an airtight chamber out of a wood whelping box (where nursing puppies are typically housed with their mothers) by fitting the opening with a metal door with a small hole for an exhaust pipe which was attached to a 3 horsepower farm engine.
Then he gassed "approximately" 78 adult dogs and 15 puppies in groups of five or six. Yoder said he left the barn during the gassing because he had a headache from the fumes. He also said he used a stethoscope to make sure the dogs had stopped breathing before burying them, according to the inspection report.
It is against federal law for a licensed kennel owner to perform their own euthanasia. The inspector, Andrea D'Ambrosio, also noted that dogs not immediately gassed likely suffered from inhaling the excess fumes.
"The manner of mass euthanasia caused potentially high levels of behavioral stress and unnecessary discomfort to all the dogs in the kennel," the report said.
Mary Anne Kowalski, a board member of the Seneca County SPCA, said she was not aware of anyone from the USDA reporting what she believes is a clear case of animal cruelty to local authorities.
The dogs were killed sometime after a June 29 inspection where Yoder had been ordered to get his dogs tested and treated for Brucellosis (after earlier tests indicated some of his dogs had the contagious disease) and before the inspector returned on July 15.
The case bears an eerie resemblance to the 2008 mass shooting at a Berks County, Pa., kennel after the owner was told to treat his dogs for flea infestation. That incident helped propel the passage of the new state dog law and the immediate prohibition of euthanasia by any means other than by a licensed veterinarian.
Romulus, located 60 miles southeast of Rochester in Seneca County, may have been the first municipality in the nation to ban puppy mills when it passed an ordinance last year outlawing commercial kennels.
Seneca County has a sizeable Amish population, and many are involved in dog breeding, Kowalski said. Yoder, who is Amish, bred poodles, Bichons, Maltese and Boston Terriers. He was allowed to continue operating his kennel in Romulus despite the ban because it was grandfathered under the new ordinance.
Kowalski, who discovered the report of the gassing on the USDA website while updating her files today, said she was stunned at what she read. "I just lost it," she said.
Kowalski said she reported the incident to the sheriff and district attorney in the hope that cruelty charges will be brought against Yoder.
"I hope these dogs did not die in vain," she said.
Yoder will be signed to be the Eagles' backup while Kolb is out!— juliusman3- Thanks for reporting this hideous story. As awful as it is, people need to know about things like this AND authorities need to do something about it.— Hollis
Why don't people just give the animals to a local humane society. Man up and just admit you've been cruelly treating your animals, why kill them?— racers7- My question juliusman3 is why people care more about Animals than people. Everyone loathes Vic (for good reason) but NOTHING will happen to Benny Rothens....let me sexually assault MULTIPLE women...berger and then get away with it. Or how about Brett Wife Beater Myers. Not only does nothing happen to him, he gets a bloody $25M contract! I love dogs as much as the next person but COME ON, why do professional sports teams care more for animals then people?— jas781
- You must be kidding! Not only have they not been cited for 93 counts of animal cruelty and illegal euthanasia as defined by State Law, these people have a history of reports at least back to Jan. 2009 and, after killing 93 animals illegally, are being allowed to continue to harbor any animals? Really! And this is in our own back yard. Dog knows how the Yoder veal calves are being cared for or what other animals are being neglected (at best) on this farm. This is disgraceful, not to mention unconscionable! Do your job people. Put the Yoders out of the dog breeding business forever and, if not incarcerate, at least fine them big for their 93 counts of cruelty. Maybe these poor animals will not have lived and died in vain (and in misery) if a precedence can be achieved here and the fines go to help other abused animals. These reports, especially when not prosecuted, are so disheartening to those of us who spend our entire lives trying to help animals.— JLWilson
- Jas781 I have an answer to your question. We care so much because these poor animals cannot speak for themselves and they have no options of their own. Should we just ignore their pain, hunger, sickness, fear and anxiety? Maybe you can, but not I.— JLWilson
That's just sick... I can't even imagine killing that many dogs, let alone in such a horrible way... @jas781: It's not a question of caring "more" for any form of life. When other humans are hurt, it's still disgusting but at least they usually have the physical capability to call 911. Animals don't even have that and it's that they are so dependent on our good behavior that makes any violation of that trust deeply disturbing. Just keep in mind that those who are cruel to animals tend to have a track record for harming humans as well and it wasn't mob or murder charges that put Al Capone away.— Ilmare- Why haven't the dogs been taken from this 'man'.
The Amish will be held accountable someday for every animal by God.
They need to stop abusing animals. It should be part of their religion and walk with God.
God's Creatures Ministry— Godscre - The Amish are the largest suppliers of puppies to "Pet Stores" in the U.S.One thing we ALL can do is NEVER purchase anything from a store that sells puppies or kittens. They are ALL from puppy/Kitten mills and most likely from one of the Amish mills.Educate the public by conversation and letters to the editor in your local papers. Try to get an ordinance passed that makes it illegal to sell any canine or feline in a store. There some large pet supply stores the have animals for Adoption only!!— jeanly
- For anyone that lives in the county where this animal "murder" took place, contact the national ASPCA. They are the very best animal protection group. I have seen them in action in my community. They sent a "Possee" to our town and helped our local animal control on a large cruelty case. They employ scores of investigators, and forensic
veterinarians and have the best equiptment needed so horrific cases like this can be prosecuted.— jeanly - If he doesn't go to Prison my head is gonna explode!— cubalaw
- I hope people from Yoder's community will consider holding a candlelight vigil near his property like the one I attended in PA for another Amish idiot who shot 80 dogs because they had fleas. The publicity could be picked-up by the national news if the turnout is considerable. The media will definitely want to run a story on the public outcry over this selfish, cruel act to 'depopulize' his stock. AND, if anyone can supply us with his home address, I, for one, would love to send him my thoughts on his actions.
- Forget about the ASPCA - it dropped the ball on puppy mill campaigns long ago. It knows about the Amish puppy mill problem plaguing the Finger Lakes region but does nothing. That part of the state has to rely on a few dedicated advocates to get the ball rolling. Yoder's address is pubic record, it's on the USDA forms: 5929 Rt. 414, Romulus, NY 14541. And thanks to this Blog and journalist Amy Worden for first reporting this story - it was all over the Internet within one day, and has saturated the NY media market. I hope now some serious action will be taken against Yoder and the hundreds of other Amish and Mennonite-owned puppy mills (see NY USDA inspection reports) up there will be looked into. They are just as bad.— Macy
The Amish are cruel people by nature thet should all be baned fron raising dogs,cat or even horses.— oldbiker- JLWilson, the question was why do we seem to care MORE about animals than human beings? I agree that serial offender Rapistberger has gotten off far more lightly in the court of public opinion than has Michael Vick. The difference for me is that Vick actually paid the price for his crimes, while Rapistberger has escaped conviction and prosecution. His most recent offense, in which he supplied alcohol to an underaged woman, forced himself on her and forcibly prevented her from leaving should have resulted in YEARS of imprisonment. He avoids conviction because the victim was TOO DRUNK to be a credible witness and his crime was aided by starstruck off-duty police officer bodyguards.
- ohmidog!
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