Thursday, April 26, 2007

An Interview with the Producers...

Here is the interview with the producers of the documentary, Tom Simon and Sarah Teale:


HBO: Tell us how you both came to the project.



Tom Simon:About six years ago, I started developing the idea of a film that would look at the use of animals in medical research, the conditions in which they were used, and what the benefits were of using them. And it was going to be kind of a fairly traditional journalistic approach, but one that would, of necessity, use images of animals, some of which were in great distress and in bad situations because that's often what happens when they're used in research. I pitched it everywhere, and it became clear to me that there was really only one place that could handle a subject that was both so emotionally charged and so graphic, and that was HBO.



At that point we had to go and find the subject of the film, really, because we knew we wanted to work with undercover animal rights activists, and there aren't that many of them. We started with People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. And we'd also heard a little about Last Chance for Animals.



Sarah Teale: We had a meeting with Chris De Rose from Last Chance For Animals, and in the initial research that Tom had done about this issue, we knew about Martin Creek Kennels, and its owner C.C. Baird. He was the most notorious B dealer of dogs. B dealer means that he can buy dogs that are considered random source. In other words, he can buy dogs from anybody who claims they own the dog and, and raise the dog themselves. He also can buy dogs from animal shelters that are unclaimed. And as you see in the film, these dogs are often bought for fifteen or twenty dollars at country flea markets. Many of them are suspected to be stolen pets.



So we met Chris De Rose in my office in New York. Tom and I were there. Chris De Rose dropped the hint that they were trying to get someone undercover at Martin Creek Kennels. And the good thing about Tom having done so much research was we knew right away how significant that was, and how potentially exciting. And so we set off following these four different people, and one of them is the character (in the film) called Pete.



Tom Simon: We spent an incredible couple of days with these guys. I was able to shoot Pete in this shithole trailer that he lived in, getting dressed for work, wiring himself up with his cameras and microphones, and going off to work in this place.



HBO: Explain a little bit about the equipment he used.

Tom Simon: He uses a hidden camera. We do not disclose a lot of specifics about the camera because we feel it would compromise the security of other people who are doing the kind of work that he is doing - some of which are law enforcement people, too, by the way. But he wears a hidden camera on his person, a separate hidden microphone and it fed into a very tiny, mini-DV recorder that he strapped to himself. So you see in the film him putting all this complicated equipment on and essentially wearing two pairs of clothing, one to conceal the equipment, and one on the outside that he worked in. And he shot over seventy hours of footage during the five months while he was undercover.
And as you can see in the film, it's pretty powerful stuff. And the USDA, which licenses B dealers, has fairly comprehensive rules about the conditions in which dogs are supposed to be kept by them -- requirements about the amount of cage space, the access to veterinary care, food, cleanliness. And basically, what Pete was doing was documenting both the violations of the USDA regulations, which fall under the Animal Welfare Act, and the means by which he seemed to acquire these dogs, and dispose of the dogs. I mean, one of the most harrowing sequences in the film is a visit that we made to what's known as "the Trench," which is an area on Baird's property. It's an open trench some hundred feet long that contains the carcasses in various stages of decay of dogs that were disposed of from the kennel. A lot of them died of disease, a lot of them died because they were over-crowded and they were in fights.
HBO: What might have happened to Pete had his true identity been revealed?

Tom Simon: I mean, he has two huge things weighing on his mind: One is his own safety because the guys in the kennel talked all the time about animal rights people and what they would do if they ever found one. The other thing is the incredible moral dilemma he felt seeing dogs be terribly mistreated, and suffering and not being able to save them in the way that he would like to. One of the most horrific scenes in the film is the story of a little black dog who one of the kennel guys claimed was a "biter." And he was summarily taken out and shot in the head. And Pete got it on camera. It's pretty rough stuff.

HBO: So after six months of undercover taping, he then takes his footage to federal authorities. What happened?

Tom Simon: Well, the wheels of justice ground slowly. Just to give you an idea of kind of the time line: Pete leaves his job in May of 2002 and within a couple months turns over the evidence to the U.S. Attorney. And it takes a year for the raid to take place. The raid takes place August 26th, 2003. Then for there to be any legal action it takes until March 11th of 2004. The USDA issues a complaint against Baird charging severe mistreatment and neglect of animals, falsification of health certificates, et cetera. And it was a huge complaint, but he's still buying dogs at the same flea market we shot him at. And it takes until the end of January of last year, 2005, for him to lose his license and pay the largest fine ever imposed under the Animal Welfare Act. And still the feds haven't acted. There's really two legal actions going on: The civil action under the Animal Welfare Act done by the USDA and then this criminal action that finally comes to bear fruit August 31st of 2005, where he pleads guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. And he surrenders over a million dollars worth of land and pays a stiff fine. But he still hasn't been sentenced yet. And he faces up to ten years in jail and another million dollars in fines.


Sarah Teale: The good thing about HBO is that they have the bigger picture in mind. And Last Chance for Animals has a bill in Congress called The Pet Safety and Protection Act. And they have been trying to get this through for many years. So there is a bigger plan to basically stop using B dealers.

Tom Simon: The bill would essentially outlaw the use of B dealers these guys who were allowed to buy dogs from random sources where there is so much room for abuse, as opposed to from legitimate breeders.

HBO: What do you hope audiences will take away from the film?
Sarah Teale: Well, there is a bigger issue, which is that the USDA is supposed to inspect these dealers. There aren't enough USDA inspectors to go around, but many of them don't do their job. And so we hope that there is a rethink within the USDA about actually inspecting these dealers.
Tom Simon: The USDA is not only charged with inspecting B dealers, but they are charged with inspecting the research labs themselves. There's a huge amount of animal facilities that are under the aegis of the USDA. They're woefully understaffed. Many would say that they're totally in the pocket of industry, and that their enforcement is very lax. People need to be aware of the fact that, that the government's protection of animals is really in need of examination and redress.
HBO: And the animals that were rescued from the kennel have all found homes?

Tom Simon: Yes.

Sarah Teale: They were all adopted.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

WARNING- THESE PICTURES MAY BE GRAPHIC TO SOME VIEWERS!!!


This dog's bloody nasal discharge was left untreated. He was later found dead.


Dead dogs were dumped on the kennel grounds.


This dog was attacked by other dogs. The wounds were left untreated and became swollen and infected.


An injection of a swine antibiotic was the only attempt by kennel workers to treat the infected bite wounds on this dog's head. The dog eventually died.


This Beagle's eye was injured and badly infected.


Inadequate veterinary care led to this dog's death.


An emaciated dog neglected by kennel workers.


This cat suffered from encrusted eye discharge and was extremely lethargic.


A beagle bitten by other dogs, her wounds left untreated.


Suffering from lethargy, starvation, dehydration and nasal mucus , this dog was left in his pen to die. When lifted up onto his paws, he slumped back down to the floor. Instead of giving him immediate medical attention, a kennel worker went to a holiday picnic. The dog was later found dead.


This friendly Cocker Spaniel appeared healthy when she arrived at Martin Creek Kennel in a truck full of Hounds, Beagles and Lab mixes. However, the kennel's food buckets were kept raised above the floor by chains and she was not able to reach any food. She became so emaciated and weak, she could barely walk. She was dragged around by a rope leashed around her neck, her front paws in the air. The abuse and neglect, along with her deteriorating health, led to her death and she was piled atop other dead dogs in a ditch.


The conditions in which dogs lived included bowls full of moldy food.


Needles and biohazardous waste were dumped on Baird's property.


Mother and puppies raised in a breeding cage. Puppies bred here never saw sunlight or touched the ground until fully grown.


A frightened cat in deplorable conditions.

Source: http://www.lcanimal.org/invest/baird_sick.htm
Source: http://www.lcanimal.org/invest/baird_cruelty.htm

Monday, April 23, 2007

Although the Martin Creek Kennel sold their dogs for research and were not considered a puppy mill, I still want to post this public awareness video. It is narrarated by Charlize Theron and is created by PETA. The conditions common to most puppy mills are disgustingly inhumane, so I saw a parallel between the puppy mills and the Martin Creek Kennel...the animals in both environments were abused, given no purpose, and even killed...

Please watch...

...and learn...

YOU CAN FIND THIS VIDEO BY CLICKING THIS LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejuGz1DCFj4

Saturday, April 21, 2007

The "Rebel" of the Kennel!

"Pete" told the story of a beagle who was particularly unique from the other animals. This dog would get the same amount of abuse and neglect, but he still showed his captors that he had strong wills and, most importantly, a soul.



This dog would be drug by the neck whenever he was taken out of the cage, but instead of succumbing to the maltreatment, he made it hard for the workers to drag him by pushing his feet into the ground and resisting the whole time he was forcibly moved. For this reason, he was secretly named "Rebel."



Here is "Pete's" testimony about "Rebel.":

"There was one dog at the kennel that stood out to me. He was a small, brown beagle who barked anytime someone walked by his pen. The other animals ignored me, but he would run up and bite my rubber boots and gloves. Many of the dogs, including this beagle, were often dragged around the facilities by their necks. This dog, however, would set his feet in the ground and slide the whole way, resisting everything the workers tried to do to him. Because of this, I secretly named him “Rebel.”
One day, Rebel was moved to the inside kennel, a space designed to hold 50 dogs at a time, to collect a feces sample for worms testing. It was evident that Rebel had developed a tapeworm, but the feces samples became disorganized, and as a result, all of the dogs in the inside kennel remained in their three by six-foot concrete pens with chain link walls for 10 days longer to re-collect their feces.In his new surroundings, Rebel became bored and frightened. He was only able to lie on the cold, wet concrete all day. These elements, combined with the symptoms of his tapeworm, eventually destroyed him. He stopped barking at me or biting at my boots and, instead, cowered in the corner of his pen shivering. Rebel was later moved to the outside pen, where I found him dead on Saturday morning, February 3, 2002.I watched a lot of dogs die in that kennel, but Rebel’s death hit me hard. Was it better or worse than death in a vivisection lab? I could only guess, but do nothing about it. I noted his USDA tag number (#35330) and dumped him in a pile of other dead dogs in the kennel yard. I never named another dog at the kennel again.”

-“Pete”

Source: http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/cmpgn_dog_rebel_georgia.htm

"Pete's" Daily Field Journals





These are the undercover investigator's ("Pete's") confidential field notes that he kept during his employment at Martin Creek Kennels.

VERY interesting and, at the same time, upsetting information...

"Pete's" Field Notes December 3-5, 2001:
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/pete/pete_field_notes_12.3_12.5.01.pdf

"Pete's" Field Notes December 6-11, 2001:
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/pete/pete_field_notes_12.6-12.11.01.pdf

"Pete's" Field Notes December 12,2001- January 5, 2002
http://www.lcanimal.org/cmpgn/pete/pete_field_notes_12.12.01_1.5.02.pdf

When Pete is being interviewed for the position, C.C. Baird explains to him that dog fights break out all the time in the kennel, so he should expect to see around 3-8 dead dogs PER WEEK!
In Pete's field notes, he describes how a fight broke out one day in the kennel and Baird watched it for about a minute before he actually broke it up. Then, he whipped the dogs that were fighting with a leash and scolded them by saying "SEE, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"

The notes that "Pete" shared are definitely worth reading...





Friday, April 20, 2007

HBO Documentary on Martin Creek Kennels...

I remember last year I caught a glimpse of HBO's shocking documentary "Dealing Dogs." The footage shown was heartwrenching and almost impossible for me to watch.

This documentary exposed the abuses of C.C. Baird, the owner and operator of Martin Creek Kennels. Baird was a Class "B" Dealer, which means that he was licensed to purchase animals from shelters and the public, then resell them to animal research facilities. Baird still obtained these animals fraudulently, from responding to ads that are giving away animals to a "good home" to actually stealing animals from their yards.

The documentary exposed the Martin Creek Kennel's deplorable conditions and abusive treatment. They achieved this by sending in an undercover animal rights activist to capture footage from hidden cameras. This undercover agent was able to get close to the animals because he was employed by Martin Creek...the investigation, and his employment, lasted for about six months, but the documentary itself was four years in the making.

The most disturbing footage I viewed was of the footage of the animals getting flea baths. These animals were "dumped into a tank of water containing three one-quart bottles of Permethrin, a chemical that was designed to be sprayed into a vacant enclosure to kill and prevent fleas and ticks. The insecticide covered every inch of dogs dumped into the tank, including their eyes and open wounds. Smaller dogs were hoisted up by their necks with a leash, often hitting the tank as they were thrown in. This procedure was done in temperatures so cold, the dogs would go into shock before being dragged by their necks back to their pens." (Source:http://www.lcanimal.org/invest/baird_cruelty.htm)

This is a picture of a dog being dunked into the flea bath: