Just days before what was expected to be a contentious meeting of the Canine Health Board, came word that one of Gov. Rendell's three appointees was "no longer on the board" and that the board's April 27 meeting had been cancelled.
In an email Friday, the Department of Agriculture announced without explanation that Bryan Langlois, the staff veterinarian at the Humane League of Lancaster County, had left the board.
The board, created under the revised dog law in 2008, is charged with developing temperature, lighting and ventilation standards for commercial kennels and considering options for kennel flooring.
Neither the governor's office nor board chairwoman, Philadelphia veterinarian Jennifer Muller, would discuss the reason for Langlois' removal midway through his three-year term.
The news came shortly before the board was to consider alternatives to solid or slatted flooring in commercial kennels and just six days after a vigil at Rendell's Philadelphia house urging him to demand his appointees not allow any type of wire flooring alternatives.
In an email response from Rendell's spokesman Gary Tuma said, "the Governor has wanted to appoint someone else to the board and needed to open up a slot. He did so by removing a current member."
But in a subsequent email, Tuma said the governor has not yet chosen a replacement.
At issue before the board are proposals for alternative flooring for commercial kennels, most of which used wire flooring to house breeding dogs and puppies, because of the ease of cleaning. The wire is required to be coated with plastic, but kennel inspection reports note frequently that the coating has worn off, exposing dogs to painful raw wire. Subjecting dogs to years of standing on wire has shown to cause injuries and cysts to their soft pads and makes walking on solid ground difficult.
Among the controversial recommendations under consideration by the board is Tenderfoot, a plastic-coated woven wire flooring product developed for hogs and calves. The product's web site says it offers a flooring for dogs with smaller openings.
But canine behavior experts, like Philadelphia-area trainer Mary Remer, a member of the governor's Dog Law Advisory Board, said Tenderfoot was developed for hooved animals and that the size of the openings does not provide the solid support needed for a dog to feel secure.
The nine-member Canine Health Board was created as part of legislative negotiations over kennel climate and lighting standards proposed under the revised dog law bill. The bill's passage was stalled by the objections of veterinarians, farm groups and breeders over language toughening those requirements for commercial kennel owners.
As a result, the all-veterinarian board was formed to develop technical regulations on temperature, ventilation and lighting in commercial kennels. Their draft proposal announced last year is still under review and has drawn criticism from the very entities that demanded the board be created as burdensome and too costly to implement.
The bipartisan board is comprised of three gubernatorial appointees, one from each of the four legislative caucuses and one each from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association.
I only hope Langlois' replacement is not a member of the PVMA. Langlois was supposed to represent the Governor NOT the leadership of the PA Veterinary Medical Association who are in bed with the puppy millers. Congratulations, Governor. For recognizing there was a problem and acting swiftly. Maybe Jessie Smith and Sue West can be next. Why is it so hard for these people to do the right thing??? Langlois' shelter in Lancaster doesn't use hog flooring. Why would he want it in commercial kennels? These opinions are mine and shared by every person in Pennsylvania who wants these animals treated humanely.— CityHall- Hey, Christie Wilson. Every time Bryan testifies in one of your cases (if you ever prosecute another), you'll have to tell the attorney for the other side that Bryan was fired. Like you did with Rachel Lee.— CityHall
- City Hall, who says Dr. Langlois wants the controversial flooring? My understanding is that the Canine Board represents no one, not even Rendell, but was created to draft regulations for humane keeping of dogs. Rachael Lee was fired for her abysmal treatment of sick and neglected animals, left to suffer with no medication, because she chose to put pills in their food. Some of the animals were too ill to eat and we all know, I hope, that dogs and cats avoid pills in their food. She was committing the very crimes for which the animals were seized.— intheknowre:pspca
- Wow....RE-Joyce got a new screen name. I find it funny they call it my shelter. Last time I checked I was not the owner. As far as my reason for being dismissed...my letter from the Governor gave the reason solely as being a desire to make a change in the membership of the Board. No other reason. Do you have it confirmed that it was because of the flooring. The flooring I felt deserved to be heard about and never had given an opinion one way or another about it...just wanted to hear the info and facts about it. The breeders made a request to see if it could be used...and I felt because they asked...they deserved to have it heard. Do you have inside information about it...were you part of the decision?? It's ok you can spout of anonymously all you want. Funny how you can claim to have the opinion of a ficticious name and person...but ok...that is your right. Wait a minute...you posted at 1:09 AM and then again at 1:15 AM. Shouldn't you be out checking fences or something at that time?? A word to the wise...use a different method of writing in blog posts so they don't look so much like articles you are quoted in. As far as your comment regarding representing people...I represent the veterinary profession when I was on the Board...politics do not enter into animals lives and their well being...even though you seem to feel they do. By the way...I don't need (nor have I ever needed despite your begging me to acknowledge you for endorsing me at one point) your affirmation or defamation to make me realize I am doing a fine job for the animals. But feel free to keep trying. Once again...if you are so sure of yourself...I fail to see why I have no problem stating who I am...yet you still cowardly hide behind a screen name and computer screen. Bryan Langlois, DVM "As Always...my opinions are mine and mine alone and do not represent the Humane League of Lancaster County or any other professional organization"— Shelterviewer
- On a final note CityHall....to most honest and moral humans...doing the "right thing" as you put it invovles giving everyone, including the animal rights people and people such as yourself, a chance to make comment and present testimony on a topic. Thats what a meeting is all about. Gathering facts and making an informed decision. Wouldn't you agree CityHall?? The right thing is not making cowardly attacks a person behind the safety of a computer. At least I can stand confident in that I have nothing to hide, unlike you and others that feel it is better to comment/accuse/slander and hide than just man up and make yourselves known. Bryan Langlois DVM "As always...my comments are mine and mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Humane League of Lancaster County or any other organizations."— Shelterviewer
- Congratulations and thanks to all who came to the vigil at the governor's residence. Your voices were heard by the governor. The struggle has been long and hard but your efforts do make a difference.— McGruff
- McGruff....are you implying by your statement the purpose of the vigil was to get me removed from the Board by the Governor?? Not the understanding I had of the vigil. Getting me thrown off and a meeting canceled did not deny any type of flooring that was to be considered...since now that has been put off again. Please clarify. Bryan Langlois, DVM "As always, my opinions are mine and mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Humane League of Lancaster County or any other professional organizations."— Shelterviewer
- Why don't we stop playing politics and just put Bob Baker on the board? I think the average person is so blind / brainwashed now that they won't care that the leader of a domestic terrorist organization( on the FBI top ten list ) is the puppet master of Pa's new dog laws. At least when the board meets they can all wear ski masks like any self respecting crook or terrorist. You hide behind the welfare of animals yet you slaughter them every year and try to make us feel that if we sent more money or opened our homes they would not have died; BULL. The national societies and PETA spend four cents on the dollar for care of unwanted animals and dogs are killed instead of going to families that you think are unacceptable. I my opinion to not give that dog a chance is murder, and I consider that the worst form of true animal abuse. Instead you have used the money to make us believe that skin irritations, long toenails and gum issues are abuses that should allow you to enter our homes, steal our companions and either make money from them or execute them as you see fit.— Lets Be Real
- Flooring? Would you rather have an occasional blister or be covered in urine and excrement? I don't know the specifications of the floors that are such an issue but I do have common sense. A floor that doesn't allow possible isolation of waste material from the host as soon as possible is a problem. As a society we continue to insure that we are protected and isolated from all waste products so why are our animals different. Do you let your infants run around without a diaper or do you try to control the situation for the common good?— Lets Be Real
- Let's Be Real: you sound really grumpy and resentful. Were you by chance found to be housing hounds in conditions so deplorable the PSPCA had to remove most of them to ensure their health and safety?— Summer Stoltzfus
- I hope that the truth of my statements will ring true with many regardless of the fact that I am grumpy and resentful regarding the current situation of pet owners in PA. I've not had to deal with the PSPCA yet, but I know I'm a prime target. You see I let my dogs live until they are very old as long as they are not suffering. I have an 18 year old girl with no teeth but otherwise acts like she's 5 years old; someday she may make me lose everything because of " Monday Morning Quarterbacks" like the PSPCA. As a footnote one of my main Vet expenses is to examine and document my oldest companions so they can live the longest life possible without the fear of being stolen and executed by people that say they are the protectors of dogs.— Lets Be Real
- ohmidog!
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