The approval for a Spring Green, Wisconsin couple to breed dogs for medical research has sparked outrage among the Sauk County community.
Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Committee approved the medical research to take place at an old agricultural site. This comes after Clinton and Jill Kane had first asked to breed dogs at their home where they’d be housed until they were old enough to go to a facility.
Hundreds to thousands of coon hounds will be bred and boarded, despite Spring Green’s recommendation to strike down the proposal earlier this month. While some members of the committee had ethical concerns, it was concluded the Kanes met all the necessary ordinance requirements.
Committee member Chuck Whitsell stated
“I think all of our board members understand that this is very emotional for the community. It was a tough decision.”
The county’s attorney advised the committee to base their decision only on the legal requirements and not the personal beliefs of committee members. The public was visibly upset about the decision as they left the meeting.
Even PETA stepped in. They believe this is a blatant case of animal cruelty stating
“County officials squandered an opportunity to take a stand against the extreme cruelty. This is wrong for the animals, who aren’t laboratory equipment.”
The permit was applied for in May to operate two facilities for dog breeding. One in the town of Spring Green and another in the village of Spring Green. The request to operate one of the facilities out of their home was denied. Chairman of the village’s Planning Commission, Joel Marcus said that both the purpose and the sale was not what was intended in the original ordinance.
The Kanes will be able to operate the one facility and are likely to appeal the other. The public hearing lasted over two hours as those for and against the ordinance fought it out. Rebecca Klemm, founder of Dane4Dogs says the approval will allow a puppy mill type of setup.
Megan Nicholson, Wisconsin State Director of the Humane Society described the live the dogs would have in the ‘puppy mill.’
“These dogs are destined to live short lives in cages and most, if not all, will be killed after the end of the experiments.”
The Town Board originally recommended to approve the permit back on July 17 but reversed its decision after learning Dr. Jill and Clinton Kane planned to sell the dogs for medical testing.
Those living near the facility are against animal testing and are also concerned over noise, odor and the chance groundwater contamination due to the large number of dogs. The couple has requested 135 large breed hounds will be indoors at all times. They will have no opportunity to exercise or run free outdoors.
The doctors have already started dog breeding using eight adult dogs without authorization, according to the Land Resources and Environmental Committee. Dr. Jill Kane said they haven’t sold any dogs which meet the criteria and did not mean to go out of compliance.
Now for the part that will really piss off the dogs lovers. Dr. Jill Kane says as a veterinarian she loves dogs and wants them treated fairly. She also mentions the dogs at the facility are ‘service dogs’ and help those who need medical procedures.
“My husband and I feel we are well qualified. We feel that with my medical training and his environmental training, we make a good team to do this. It’s personal and I understand the concerns. I feel it’s important and it’s the law right now.”
The couple believes families benefit from medical research on dogs. Clinton Kane added
“With our background in animal science and veterinary science, we feel we can help make this process better and take care of these animals.”
The Sauk County Board of Adjustment met on July 25 to vote on a vegetated buffer of the dog breeding facility. I haven’t located any information on how that meeting went. There are 16 conditions the dog breeding facility will have to adhere to. I’ll post an update once it becomes available.
What I’d like to know is how could a veterinarian be so ‘warped’ not to understand this is animal cruelty. To keep a dog in a kennel or cage it’s entire life without the benefit of exercise while scary and possibly fatal tests are run on it is beyond cruel. Have they never heard of kennel aggression? Even the WORST of shelters usually have a plan in place to allow dogs to go out for exercise.
UPDATE: A change.org petition goes into MUCH more detail as to whats happening and how you can help. More than 12,400 have signed the petition. Committee Chairperson Joel Marcus says he thought the item was ‘routine,’ for a family hoping to breed puppies. He tells NBC15 news he was ‘blindsided’ when he says, he was told the family was asking to breed puppies on their property, and eventually transfer them to a larger, medical testing facility.”
Perhaps federal lawmakers need to step in like they did with the cats in this article written by Michael.
Federal lawmakers meet the cats they saved from a USDA testing facility
