Maxatawny Township kennel owners kill 80 dogs rather than seek treatment for some, state says
By Ron Devlin
Reading Eagle
The owners of two Maxatawny Township dog kennels shot 80 dogs to death rather than comply with a state dog warden's order to seek medical treatment for some of the animals, State Secretary of Agriculture Dennis C. Wolff said Tuesday.
Although the action by the owners of A&J Kennel and E&A Kennel was legal, Wolff called it saddening and said it underscores the need to reform the state dog law.
Proposed legislation would mandate that only licensed veterinarians could euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels, Wolff said in a written statement.
"The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying to seek veterinary care is alarming," he said.
Ammon H. Zimmerman Jr. and Elmer H. Zimmerman, the owners, have voluntarily surrendered their licenses and closed both kennels, which were near Kutztown.
The Zimmermans, who are brothers, did not return telephone messages Tuesday night.
Karel I. Minor, director of the Humane Society of Berks County, decried the killings.
"We would have accepted all 80 dogs, even if some were sick," Minor said.
Humane Society veterinarians would have treated the animals, but Minor acknowledged some might have been euthanized if they had been too sick to treat.
Under existing law, Minor said, the Zimmermans would have risked being charged with animal cruelty had they turned the dogs over to the humane society.
Animal cruelty charges are normally summary or misdemeanor offenses that carry a fine. Rarely, he said, are they felonies that result in jail time.
"I can't say that shooting dogs is common," Minor said. "But it's not unusual."
On July 24, state dog wardens noted several violations of kennel sanitation and maintenance at E&A Kennel, Wolff said. Wardens found fleas and fly sores on 39 dogs and ordered veterinary checks, he said.
Wardens issued four citations and planned to confirm the veterinary checks in a follow-up inspection.
On July 29, Wolff said, the wardens were notified that the owners had chosen to destroy the animals and close the kennels.
House Bill 2525, introduced in May, would strengthen current dog laws and provide better health and safety standards in commercial breeding kennels.
State Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone, a Reading Democrat, is an advocate of reforming the dog law and a prime sponsor of an amendment to the proposed legislation.
"I'm shocked that something like this could take place," he said.
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