April 2, 2004 Los Angeles, CA- This week, the “FBI of
Animal Rights,” Last Chance for Animal’s (LCA) 15-year investigation on “B
Dealer,” and Church of Christ Minister, C.C. Baird, resulted in the USDA’s
108-page list of over 1000 animal cruelty charges against, C.C. Baird,
owner of Martin Creek Kennels in Williford, Arkansas. The charges, which
include alleged violations of random source regulations and naming of more
than 52 “bunchers” Baird employed to steal companion pets that he sold to
research laboratories are graphic and disturbing. Details of the charges
will be revealed by Last Chance for Animals founder, Chris DeRose in a
press conference in Little Rock Arkansas on Saturday, April 17th at the
Capital Hotel, 111 West Markham Street at 11 a.m. The charges against
Baird are a monumental victory for LCA. Their 15-year investigation on the
B Dealer prompted the US Attorney and 5 other federal organizations,
including the USDA, to investigate Baird last Fall. On September 26, 2003,
six Federal organizations and the Arkansas State Police descended upon
Baird’s Sharp County Martin Creek Kennels property and confiscated 125 of
his 750 Animals. The US Attorney’s criminal indictment of Baird and his
connection to stealing thousands of pets in Arkansas and neighboring
states is pending.
Some of the charges that the USDA inspectors listed
include:
* “Dogs suffering from fresh puncture wounds and
lacerations.”
* “Dog skeletons and carcasses, still bearing their id tags… on (Baird’s)
property.”
* “Waste cover(ing) the floor of the (dog’s) enclosure, preventing the
animals from walking without stepping in urine, feces and food debris.”
* “Among the dozens of live rats and mice in all areas of the room, one
rat became stuck in a wall, and was killed and eaten on the spot (by the
dogs) in pen number ---. Live, whole rats do not constitute wholesome,
palatable food for dogs.”
Coincidentally, Senator Daniel Akaka’s (HI)
re-introduction of the “Pet Safety and Protection Act” is scheduled to be
brought to the senatorial floor in the coming week.
“These charges against Baird help to show the importance
of creating laws that will protect companion pets from being sold to
research laboratories,” said Chris Derose. “Our investigation showed that
Baird has been stealing thousands of pets for many years. Not only could
he be fined over $4 million dollars for the abominable manner in which he
treated them while they awaited their fate on a researcher’s slab, but he
also stands to lose his B Dealer license. Currently his B Dealer license
legally allows him to collect random source animals to sell to research
labs. If Senator Akaka’s bill passes, this will make B Dealer licenses
extinct. “
The USDA’s charges against Baird are ironic, as the Animal
Plant Health Inspection Service (A.P.H.I.S.) is a part of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A.P.H.I.S. issues B Dealer
licenses and self-governed themselves on this issue.
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Founded in 1984 by Chris DeRose, Last Chance for Animals (www.lcanimal.org)
is the “FBI of Animal Rights,” a national, nonprofit advocacy organization
dedicated to ending animal exploitation and suffering.
Go on to Childhood
Animal Abuse Linked More Strongly With Adult Criminal Behavior
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