Gorham Town Supervisor Bows to Public Pressure, Calls for Moratorium on Proposed Breeding Facility
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9 commentsPublic outrage over a proposed new puppy mill has led Gorham, NY Town Supervisor Fred Lightfoote to reverse his position on the project. In a statement issued Monday, Lightfoote said the board has been buried in countless emails and phone calls opposing the dog breeding facility approved for Jolene and Curtis Martin.
Lightfoote now recommends that the Town Board enact a moratorium on any dog breeding facilities to avoid public outcry over future projects.
The Fairport-East Rochester Post reports that “Thousands of signatures of people from across the Finger Lakes region are on several petitions launched last week by opponents of the project. Lightfoote said town officials have received countless emails and phone calls opposing the dog breeding facility approved for Jolene and Curtis Martin. The Martins currently run their business in Varick, Seneca County, and want to build a new facility to house as many as 600 dogs on their Gorham property at 4446 Route 247.”
The Martins currently run a commercial breeding facility in Varick, and have sought permission to build a larger facility that would house as many as 600 dogs at their Gorham property. The USDA previously cited Jolene Martin with failing to provide veterinary care for dogs at her existing breeding facility in Varick, NY. The Martins had 349 dogs and 124 puppies at the time, and the USDA violation report noted that “it does not appear that the facility has enough employees to carry out an acceptable level of husbandry for these animals. This needs to be addressed for the welfare of the animals.”
Lightfoote said the matter will be addressed at the Town Board meeting on Wednesday. Should the Town Board approve a moratorium, “then it would allow us time to look at the zoning laws … I recommend that,” he said.
Well, it appears I have become a bit jaded. I never expected this to be the outcome. I am glad to see that he reversed himself. Let’s hope the Town Board rejects the facility too. That would be a vistory for puppy mill dogs in NY.
Please shut down puppy mills
I feel very embarrassed by this news, but at some point be made public, I am writing to you because in our country the law is not good, and I’m tired of these atrocities, they just ask for help, something can be done.
check this out:
http://www.kienyke.com/2012/02/06/soldados-que-torturan-animales/#a
Germán Vasquez
Cali Colombia
They ARE NOT SHUT DOWN, PLEASE DONT BACK OFF. Remember they have a large facility right down the road. There are 100′s of puppy mills in just the Finger Lakes region alone and more coming. PA has tightened their laws and they are all buying up farm land in Western NY. What I used to think of a beautiful area, wine country now means something different to me. I hope we will all keep an eye on this situation and hope they dont sneak in someway. I have read very little of that community being against the moral issues of this subject. This is only a bump i the road for them.
Just some interesting reading many may have forgotten but I havent, some questions where raised about how many dead dogs. Besides the usual let us not forget October of 2010
http://www.fltimes.com/news/article_315be923-c961-5377-a9c6-838aa2b5b25b.html#user-comment-area
Also some of the “by-products” available
http://www.examiner.com/animal-policy-in-national/breeders-advertise-their-puppies-with-health-problems-and-retired-breeder-dogs-as-rescues
Please do not allow the puppy mill… We need to take care of what we have and don’t have enough homes for our furry friends now!
Wag More Bark Less!
this is a start! How anyone can think that a facility for 600 dogs is a viable business is beyond me.
Puppy mills should be called what they really are dog prisons for profit, the fate of the dogs are in the hands of the owners. I know a mill in West Virginia that fed the thousands of dogs truck loads of sawdust to feed the dogs cheapest possible THING, after all they are just trying to make money. The dog waste was polluting the nearby river and the digs that wereimprisoned and females forced to become pregnant constantly, we’re sick, covered in ticks and live left out in the baking heat or freezing cold. It’s a horrifying business that should not be going on in this day and age!!!!!
sTOP puppy mills>>>tHESE PEOPLE ONLY CARE ABOUNT MONEY…tHEY SAY THEY CARE ABOUT THE DOGS..BUT CONDITIONS ARE HORRIBLE. DO NOT ALLOW ANY MORE OF THESE PLACES TO START UP.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE RESCUING THESE DOGS. I HAVE 2 RESCUED DOGS AND THEY ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pLEASE STOP PUPPY MILLS