A township dog breeder is facing animal cruelty charges after inspectors found the carcasses of a female beagle and six puppies that were in his care.
Daniel Bell, 74, of Uncle Petes Road has bred beagles for more than 50 years but is facing scrutiny over his treatment of the dogs, with animal-welfare supporters calling for his kennel license to be revoked.
Critics point to the business as an example of a "puppy mill," where purebred dogs are produced under substandard conditions.
Seven counts of animal cruelty and one count of failure to provide veterinary care for a domestic animal were filed July 13 against Bell by township Animal Control Officer Todd A. Bencivengo.
Bell's lawyer, Raymond Staub, said his client is an animal lover and that the business is working with officials to correct conditions.
"We are addressing the issues as they were brought up, and we are working with the state on any issues as they may exist," Staub said.
Bell is reportedly hospitalized because of an illness and must reschedule a court appearance. If found guilty, he faces a fine up to $2,000 and a year in jail, according to township spokesman Richard McClellan.
Complaints against Bell's business stem back years, ranging from concerns about allowing his dogs to run free and bark all night to investigations by the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Besides breeding beagles, Bell has added border collies, a breed that requires even more space and activity.
The problems arose recently after people interested in buying dogs from Bell allegedly found agitated animals confined to small and dirty pens. State inspectors visited the site in May and allegedly found significant violations of state code, including cages in poor repair and a large amount of feces, indicating regular cleaning was not taking place.
When the inspectors returned in July, they allegedly found many of the same violations as well as a horrific sight - a female that had died while giving birth and six puppies that appeared to die shortly after being born.
Renee T. Cirillo, a state inspector, noted in a list of violations that were sent to Bell that he had said during the inspection he knew nothing about one of the dead puppies.
"Additionally, Mr. Bell stated that the dead mother had not shown any signs of illness prior to her death. However, two puppies from the dead mother's litter had been relocated to another cage containing another mother beagle and her four pups. Mr. Bell did not state . . . why he relocated those two pups.
"Furthermore, Mr. Bell stated that he had not removed the carcasses because he was away from home all day," Cirillo wrote.
Veterinarian Pamela Mark of the West Trenton Animal Hospital said it is important for dog owners to carefully monitor pregnancies and take dogs to a vet if they are having problems.
She noted that breeders should be familiar with what steps to take if a dog is having a difficult time giving birth.
SPCA investigator Stuart Goldman said many of Bell's past actions may have fallen short of being illegal, but Goldman said he deplored the way Bell ran his business.
"He basically pumps out his animals, sells them and keeps them in conditions that are . . . less than good," he said. "(The dogs) know nothing but these little coops that he keeps them in, but is it illegal? That's a fine line."
Goldman would not talk about details of the current situation at the business because it is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Goldman, whose agency has the power to make arrests, said the SPCA has received complaints about Bell through the years, but he said in the past the animals may have been "kept within the letter of the law."
After receiving the charges, Bell did not appear at an Aug. 2 municipal court hearing because he is ill, officials said.
Dog rescue organizations sprang into action last week after the Bells' phone number was listed in a newspaper advertisement saying beagles and border collies were available for free. Rescue organization volunteers were concerned that the dogs would wind up in the hands of unprepared owners or as laboratory test subjects.
The Voorhees-based Animal Welfare Association took in four beagles, according to Karen Dixon-Aquino, the group's executive director.
One of the dogs was in labor when she arrived and was having difficulty giving birth. Dixon-Aquino took the dog to a veterinarian, where one puppy was stillborn and another was euthanized because of deformities. Dixon-Aquino said deformities can result from inbreeding.
She added that the dog had clearly been bred too many times.
"It indicates to me that it was irresponsible breeding," Dixon-Aquino said of the dogs' condition.
Dixon-Aquino said the dead dog and puppies found by inspectors may have required the same emergency care as that needed by the dog her organization took in.
Dixon-Aquino said it appeared the business was a puppy mill, adding that she feels it should be shut down.
"They are living creatures and to use them as puppy machines I find just reprehensible," she said.
Staub, Bell's lawyer, said Heather Bell has given away most of the dogs. Township officials said she has reduced the number of dogs from more than 60 to 20 and is trying to work with the state to maintain the business.
Daniel Bell hopes to keep his kennel license, Staub said. "My client has always been an animal lover."
To write to the prosecutor in this case:
The Honorable Arun Deshbandhu Lavine
Municipal Prosecutor, Hamilton Department of Law
P.O. Box 150
Hamilton, NJ 08650-0150 Case Updates| Posted on Sep 13, 2005 - 2:26AM | A township dog breeder who faces seven counts of animal cruelty has decided to give up his kennel.
Daniel Bell, 74, who has bred beagles at his house on Uncle Petes Road for more than 50 years, decided to give up his kennel license after he had a stroke and received negative publicity regarding the criminal charges.
Inspectors in July found the bodies of an adult female beagle and six puppies that were in his care. Bell said he was not responsible for the deaths, which apparently resulted from complications from the mother giving birth.
Bell also defended his business yesterday from a variety of allegations, saying he had treated the animals well but had difficulty after the recent stroke. He is home from the hospital and has been cleaning the area where the dogs have been kept.
The business was the target of animal-welfare groups who said it was a "puppy mill," where purebred dogs were produced in substandard conditions.
Bell denies the charges, saying he always had received excellent inspection reports and has had many happy customers who returned repeatedly.
He specifically denied that he was cruel to the mother and puppies that died before he could help them, saying he did the best he could and attempted to save three puppies by putting them with a nursing mother.
"I don't see how you could be cruel to a dead dog," Bell said.
Bell is scheduled for a court hearing on Sept. 20 on seven counts of animal cruelty and one count of failure to provide veterinary care for a domestic animal. If found guilty, he faces a fine of up to $2,000 and a year in jail, according to township spokesman Richard McClellan.
State inspectors visited the site in May and allegedly found significant violations of state code, including cages in poor repair and a large amount of feces, indicating regular cleaning was not taking place.
Bell told the township that he only wants to keep two dogs as pets, after having more than 60 earlier this summer.
The Voorhees-based Animal Welfare Association took in 18 beagles and has found homes for eight of the dogs, according to Karen Dixon-Aquino, the group's executive director.
Dixon-Aquino said Bell's decision to give up the kennel is "a good thing." | | Source: The Times - Sept 13, 2005 |
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