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And let us not forget that every year, the bodies of the thousands of dogs and puppies destroyed are often used as fertilizer by the farmer/dog breeders in Lancaster County. If these animals were destroyed because they were sick or diseased, would you want your family to eat produce grown from their remains? It is no secret that the bodies of unsold puppies, and breeding females who can no longer produce litters, are being used as fertilizer. Farmers wishing to expand their kennel operations or build new kennels have stated repeatedly at numerous zoning meetings that they planned to compost the bodies of dogs no longer used in their operations and spread them on their fields.
Read the following article from Lancaster's New Era. David Zimmerman, a self-described representative of the Pennsylvania Pet Breeders Association, speaking on behalf of farmer Henry U. Stoltzfus at a zoning meeting in West Hempfield Township, stated that "unsold puppies will be exterminated, composted and spread as fertilizer on his fields." Article The fact that these words are so often spoken with such casualness, shows a staggering disregard for not only the poor animals senselessly murdered, but for the health of consumers throughout Pennsylvania and its surrounding states who consume the food grown from their graves.
One State Veterinarian we contacted actually explained how to dispose of deceased dogs and offered the following advise..."Prior to spreading the remains on your field, you should first decompose the dead animals by placing the dead on a 4" bed of sawdust which will absorb the fluids running out of their bodies."
And what about the waste created by the tens of thousands of live dogs interned in these facilities? This is also often spread on the growing fields of Pennsylvania. Even though the Centers For Disease Control strongly warns against the use of large quanities of dog feces as a fertilizer. Common pathogens such as the Campylobacter bacteria, as well as parasitic worms, can infect humans (children are particularly vulnerable). According to the Center for Disease Control, composting and sun light are not reliable as far as destroying these viruses which can "aerosolize" (float in the air) and attach to leaves of edible plants, fruits and vegetables.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria which are known to cause cramps, intestinal maladies, diarrhea, eye infections, and serious kidney disorders in humans. The E. coli bacteria is only one of many coliforms that can be found in dog feces. If the Centers For Disease Control and the EPA strongly discourages the use of dog feces as fertilizer, why is this practice so common among so many farmer/commercial dog breeders in Pennsylvania? And why hasn't the appropriate agencies not stepped forward to protect our health and the health of our children? Those consuming produce grown in dog feces on farms in Lancaster and its surrounding counties, should be made aware of the possible health risks.
And just how much feces is being spread on the fields of farmers who also breed and sell large numbers of dogs and puppies? The average dog produces 265 pounds of waste every year. Commercial dog breeders can have over 1000 dogs in their kennels (this is easily determined by looking at the Department of Agriculture's Online data base which lists the number of dogs in every licensed kennel in Pennsylvania in any given year). That amounts to 135 tons of dog feces spread on just one field of corn, for instance, in just one year. That is the equivalent weight of 67 Ford Explorers. On one field, in one year.
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Not all farmers in Pennsylvania breed dogs. Not all dog breeders grow food. But there are enough farmers breeding dogs and unhealthily disposing of large quantities of dead dogs and fecal matter to cause concern.
Learn more about Puppy Mills and how you can find a responsible breeder by visiting aspca.org
Representatives for the Centers For Disease Control in Pennsylvania can be reached through the PA Public Health Department. Ask for Tai Chen 717-787-6436 or Enzo Camagnolo 717-787-3350 to express your concern about farmer's using dog remains and dogs feces on their growing fields and the potential health hazards to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Public Health Department should also investigate the use of large quantities of dog feces by farmer/commercial dog breeders in Pennsylvania, 717-787-6436.
US Environmental Protection Agency (Region 3) : 215-814-5000. When calling within the region dial 1-800-438-2474. Urge the EPA to investigate the damage to our farmland by many of Pennsylvania's large scale commercial dog breeding facilities. Push for soil studies to determine if food grown from their fields is fit for human consumption.