According to the
United States House of Agriculture (USDA)
inspection report, R&R Research has added two
new violations in 2009 to its
long list of violations.
March 17, 2009
A dog was acquired from a third-party, who
stated she had gotten the dog 7-8 years ago
from Greenville, MI. R&R Research was
told to stop accepting any dog or cat that
was not born and raised on the property of
those surrendering the animal and from those
who do not hold a current and valid dealer
license.
July 6, 2009
Three dogs were acquired from an individual,
and the house number was not included on the
acquisition information. R&R was reminded
that each dealer shall make, keep, and
maintain records which fully and correctly
disclose the address of the person from whom
dogs were acquired.
R&R Research's
numerous violations over the past five years
have mostly involved the
taking of
animals from the general public. Specifically,
there were three violations on this issue in the
past three years, plus other violations.
Because these violations regarding the unlawful
obtainment of animals continue to occur, Lake
Haven believes it is appropriate for the USDA to
revoke its license.
What can you
do?
If you haven't
already,
click here to urge the USDA to shut down R&R
Research.
New!
Click here to ask the 11 members of the
Michigan House Agriculture Committee to set "Koda's
Law - House Bill 4663" for a hearing and vote.
If passed, "Koda's Law" would
ban pound seizure from class b dealers in
Michigan altogether.
LOCAL RESCUES FIGHT FOR RETURN OF
DOGS FROM R&R RESEARCH
(Newaygo, MI).
Prince, a two-year-old Shepherd and Australian
Shepherd mix, is listed on Lake Haven’s website
(www.lakehavenrescue.org) as their featured pet
available for adoption. Prince was originally
turned into the Montcalm County Animal Shelter.
Lake Haven, a local animal rescue group, planned
on rescuing Prince from the shelter. But before
that could happen, Prince was taken by class b
animal dealer, R&R Research.
Photo: Prince, rescued from R&R Research
Lake Haven
Director, Cheryl McCloud, states Montcalm’s
shelter policy entails that a new arrival is
available for adoption to the public on its
first day after the required hold period;
rescues are then allowed to remove an animal on
the second day; and on the third day, a research
dealer is allowed to remove an unclaimed animal.
R&R Research, however, did not wait until the
required third day to remove Prince. Because of
that, “Prince was doomed for a life of
experimentation,” says McCloud. However, through
much effort, he was released from the animal
dealer and is now in the care of Lake Haven. “He
was saved from a life no animal should ever have
to endure.”
Rescue groups are
now desperately trying to save another dog,
Soup. Soup is an English Setter that was
surrendered to the Montcalm County Animal
Shelter by her owner after being hit by a car.
Her foot was injured, and the owner could not
afford to have it fixed. “Little did they know,
she would end up in a dog lab,” says McCloud.
“One of my problems with the Montcalm County
Animal Shelter has always been they do not
disclose to those dropping off animals that
there is a good chance their animal will go to a
lab.”
Laurel Barrick of
Rolling Rescue, a transport rescue, had made
arrangements to have Soup taken to the vet. From
there, she was to be transported to Michigan
English Setter Rescue, a Port Huron group which
specializes in English Setters. This had been
pre-arranged with Montcalm County employees.
However, like Prince, Soup was also snatched up
by the research dealer before the rescue had a
chance to save the pooch.
Photo: Soup, removed from shelter by R&R
Research
McCloud says R&R
Research owner, Jim Woudenberg, “took Soup from
the shelter even though he knew the dog had a
home. To me, this shows a lack of integrity.” As
for the shelter staff, she says, “One has to
question why they would send these dogs off for
a torturous existence when there were rescues
lined up. What could possibly be their motive?
Many people are trying to get Soup back—except
the people who are paid to shelter and protect
her, the Montcalm Animal Shelter Director and
her staff.”
Montcalm
commissioners voted to end R&R Research's
controversial contract with Montcalm County. The
contract expires on August 1st. However, despite
public outcry and R&R's long list of animal
welfare violations, the class b dealer still has
a five-year contract with Gratiot County that
does not expire until 2014.
The number of
class b animal dealers has dwindled over the
past several years (from 100 to 9) as the
biomedical community has largely moved away from
using random source dogs and cats, and
educational institutions have increasingly
turned to non-animal teaching methods. Four of
the nine dealers are currently under intense
USDA (US Department of Agriculture)
investigation, including R&R. R&R has continued
to violate the Animal Welfare Act (AWA),
including several incidents where animals were
obtained from illegal sources.
Meanwhile, the
fate of the English Setter, Soup, is still up in
the air. “She deserves the opportunity to have
her injury fixed and be available for adoption,”
McCloud asserts. “This is not a dog that belongs
in a lab being experimented on. This is not an
unwanted animal. This is an animal that would
make a wonderful pet for someone.”
Lake Haven is a
non-profit volunteer-run animal rescue shelter
dedicated to the care and adoption of homeless
and/or injured dogs, cats, kittens and puppies
in the West Michigan area. Lake Haven is a
recognized 510(c)3 organization.
###
Featured Dog Was in Hands
of R&R Research
July 20, 2009
Lake
Haven's current featured dog is Prince. Through
no fault of his own, Prince ended up at the
Montcalm County Animal Shelter. From there he was
taken by class b animal dealer, R&R Research, one day before he was available for
adoption. Prince was doomed for a life of
experimentation. However, through much effort,
he was released from the animal dealer and was
saved from a life no animal should ever have to
endure.
Although Montcalm
commissioners voted to end R&R
Research's contract with Montcalm County, that
contract does not expire until August 1st.
Furthermore, despite public outcry and R&R's
long list of animal welfare violations, the
class b dealer still has a five-year contract
with Gratiot County that does not expire until 2014.
The number of
class b animal dealers has dwindled over the
past several years (from 100 to 9) as the
biomedical community has largely moved away from
using random source dogs and cats, and
educational institutions have increasingly
turned to non-animal teaching methods.
Four of the nine dealers are currently under
intense USDA (US Department of Agriculture)
investigation, including R&R. R&R has continued to violate
the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including several
incidents where animals were obtained from
illegal sources.
What can you
do? The USDA has the power to shut down R&R Research. If you
would like to send a message to the USDA about
R&R,
click this link to fill
out a simple form
on the American Anti-Vivisection
Society's (AAVS) website.
Support Two Bills to
Help Michigan Pets
June 1, 2009
It is with much
happiness and relief that we learned last month
class b dealer R&R Research will no longer be
allowed to take animals from the Montcalm County
Animal Shelter to sell for experimentation.
Unfortunately, this practice will go on until
August. The only counties where this
practice will take place after August is Gratiot
and Mecosta.
Our focus must now be
to end pound seizure statewide and to make sure all
shelters in Michigan enact humane euthanasia
practices. Two bills aim to do just that.
If you haven't had a chance to support Koda's
Law, please do so now. Koda's Law,
which if passed, will ban pound seizure from
class b dealers in Michigan. Also, please
support the Humane Euthanasia Bill, which
would ensure that when the state's unwanted,
sick or unadoptable shelter animals have to be
euthanized, the procedure will only be done by
injection of sodium pentobarbital,
which is the most humane method accepted by the
American Veterinary Medical Association.
Sign the petitions below and then pass the
message on to family and friends.
On the eve of the
Montcalm County Commissioner's meeting to
determine whether or not to renew the county's
contract with R&R Research, the USDA reveals the
class b animal dealer is under investigation yet
again. This time, it involves animals R&R
Research improperly accepted. This recent
investigation can be added to R&R Research's
long list of violations,
which can be read here. Footage
has also been posted on R&R Research's deceptive
practices in 1993. See below to read the
full article and to see the WOOD TV footage.
Attend the
April 27th Rally. We are asking for
your help one last time. The commissioners
will meet for a final time on this issue Monday,
April 27th. Your presence is needed!
If you can, please attend the April 27th rally
from 11AM until Noon (the board meeting is at
1PM). This peaceful rally will be in
support of ending pound release and to
acknowledge all of you who helped get us this
far.
Please click here to download the informational
flyer. For car pool information from
the Grand Rapids area, please contact Gwen at
gwens@lakehavenrescue.org. Hope to see
you there!
Flash Back: WOOD TV Report
on R&R Research's Deceptive Practices -
1993
Send a Message to the
Montcalm County Commissioners
April 13, 2009
The
Humane Society of the United States of America
has set up a simple and easy-to-use form that
you can use to send a message to the Montcalm
County Commissioners regarding their contract
with R&R Research.
A Blue Ribbon
Committee was put in place to evaluate the
county's contract with R&R. The
committee recently filed its decision
recommending that Montcalm County not renew its
contract with the class B dealer.
At an April 27
meeting, County Commissioners will discuss
whether to renew this contract. They have the
final decision. We need your help to ensure
that pets at the Montcalm County Animal Shelter
will no longer be sold for experimentation.
All Michigan
residents can fill out and submit the form to
automatically send a message to all nine
commissioners. Be sure to personalize your
message so that it stands out, and will have a
greater impact.
As you know, we
have recently sent a note out about Koda's Law,
which would ban Class B Dealers taking pets from
shelters in Michigan altogether. Until that
happens, we must continue to work at the county
level to end this practice.
Support 'Koda's Law' -
House Bill 4663 and Help End Pound Seizure in
Michigan
April 7, 2009
This
bill prohibits the practice of pound
seizure in Michigan. Pound
seizure involves the taking of
shelter cats and dogs for
experimentation. If this
bill becomes law, it will become
illegal for R&R Research to obtain
animals from the Montcalm County
Shelter, as this practice is illegal
in most states.
Only
4 counties in Michigan still allow
shelter cats and dogs to be given to
USDA Class B dealers for resale to
research facilities (Montcalm,
Gratiot, Mecosta and Osceola).
Pound seizure betrays the public's
trust in a shelter and is often kept
a secret. People who surrender
their pets, or turn in stray or
abused animals to shelters, often do
not know that the shelter may
practice pound seizure.
This
bill is named after a 3-year-old
Malamute named Koda, who was
surrendered to the Gratiot County
Animal Control Shelter on June 13,
2007. Unbeknownst to his
owner, Koda was never allowed any
opportunity to be adopted.
Doodles from Montcalm was facing the
same fate, but was pulled from the
Montcalm Shelter by a Lake Haven
volunteer.
This bill will not end legitimate
medical research. If a
facility chooses to utilize live
animals, they can still obtain pets
from USDA Class A dealers (that
breed pets for research), from
in-house laboratory breeding
facilities, or from people who
willingly donate their pet to
research. This bill simply
stops former pets arriving at
shelters from being used in
experiments.
(2)
Contact your local House
Representative and ask them to
support House Bill 4663.
You can find your representative and
their contact information by
using this link.
(3)
Forward this information to as many
people as you know. Make it a
goal to send to at least 10 people.
Additional Information - Pound
Seizure Myths and Facts (from
American Humane):
Myth: This legislation will prevent
life saving biomedical research.
Fact: This bill will still allow
research and educational facilities
to obtain animals purposefully-bred
for research from Class A dealers.
Myth: Research facilities need to
conduct testing on live animals in
order to improve the health of
humans.
Fact: In recent years, research
facilities have moved away from live
animal research toward simulated or
in-vitro (test tube) research
techniques. And an even
greater number are choosing not to
use shelter animals supplied by
Class B dealers.
Myth: There is not sufficient
evidence that stolen animals have
ended up with Class B Dealers or in
research facilities.
Fact: USDA inspections include a
"trace back" procedure to verify the
source of random source animals.
Moreover, a documentary by HBO in
the Spring of 2006 called Dealing
Dogs exposed the illegal actions
of C.C. Baird, and Arkansas Class B
Dealer. To see the violations
list of Montcalm County's own Class
B Dealer, R&R Research,
click here.
Myth: The USDA currently has
sufficient resources to properly
regulate Class B dealers.
Fact: The USDA admits it spends too
much of its limited resources in an
attempt to regulate 10 random source
Class B dealers who sell dogs and
cats for research.
Myth: This bill will put Class B
Dealers and research facilities out
of business.
Fact: Random source Class B Dealers
and research facilities will still
be able to conduct business and
legally obtain dogs and cats from
other non-random sources.
Myth: Since most municipal animal
shelters are overcrowded and must
euthanize thousands of pets each
year, allowing these shelter animals
to be utilized for life saving
research is a good use of resources
that communities support.
Fact: Communities in Michigan are
outraged when they learn that their
local shelter provides animals for
experimentation, which is why only
four counties in Michigan provide
live animals to Class B dealers.
Myth: The shelter animals
taken by the dealers for research
are unwanted animals and not family
pets anymore, as stated by one
Michigan Class B Dealer.
Fact: Shelter cats and dogs that are
given to the Class B Dealer are
healthy and adoptable pets.
Myth: Some shelters can obtain
an economic benefit from selling
unwanted cats and dogs to Class B
Dealers. This will help during
an economic crisis, particularly for
Michigan.
Fact: No shelter in Michigan
currently utilizes the Michigan law
that allows a maximum $10 fee for
each cat and dog sold into research.
Committee Recommends to End
Contract with R&R Research
March 26, 2009
It is important
to note that while the committee voted to
recommend ending the contract with R&R, the
recommendation will now be sent to the full
county commission, which will have the final
say. A county commissioner told 24 hour
News 8 the committee's decision was not binding
and the commissioners would not necessarily
follow the group's wishes. Help keep
pressure on the Montcalm commissioners.
Visit
www.cccmontcalm.org to help.
I am writing in response to
the article (Lakeview Daily News) on Commissioner Patrick
Carr’s visit to Belvidere Township to address the presence
of R & R Research (a Class B Dealer) whose contract with
Montcalm County to take animals from the Montcalm County
Animal Shelter is under examination.
Commissioner Carr stated people are being helped by life saving medical research when
these animals are sold by R & R Research. In truth,
Commissioner Carr does not know where Montcalm County Animal
Shelter dogs and cats wind up because Jim Woudenberg of R &
R Research refuses to tell anyone to whom he sells them.
Woudenberg has admitted however, he has no idea what happens
to them after he sells them.
The Physician’s Committee for
Responsible Medicine has position papers explaining why
shelter animals cannot be used in legitimate biomedical
research because of their unknown genetic background
and/or poor health. They point out that because these dogs
and cats are less expensive than purpose bred animals
purchased from Class A Dealers, these animals are used in
teaching demonstrations, surgical practices and redundant
toxicity and product testing; all uses of which can be
replaced with non-animal alternatives.
R & R Research had been
regularly invoiced by an Iowa university which asked for
credit for dogs they had purchased. These dogs arrived
vomiting, dehydrated, listless, with pneumonia and upper
respiratory infections, some pregnant, and so ill that they
could not be used in their experiments. It is important to
note that the Iowa university and recently, the University
of Michigan, both have discontinued its use of using live
dogs in their surgical training class, becoming part of more
than 90 percent of medical schools surveyed that use an
alternative training method. It is also important to note
that formerly, after the training sessions at U of M, the
animals were not adopted out, but killed.
Mr. Woudenberg has had a long
history of violations with the USDA (click
here for list), which included the illegal procurement
of 18 stray cats from Howard City in 2005, in direct
violation of USDA rules. After paying a fine in excess of
$3000, he was caught again in violation of that same rule in
2007 and 2008. He was cited by the attorney general’s
office for advertising himself as Animal Control and Animal
Shelter in the yellow pages in the telephone book for
Montcalm County. They ordered him to “cease and desist” for
being misleading and deceptive.
Deb Bankus (former Newaygo
County Shelter Director in 1995) filed complaints with the MDA and Department of Pharmacy
because animals were suffering and screaming in agony while
they died from his euthanasia practices. The list goes on
and on.
Commission Carr
mentions Woudenberg keeps animals longer than required,
giving owners more time to find their pets. Yet the USDA
has cited him over and over for not holding animals the
required number of days and was in fact, fined $2000 for
this very offense. It was stated that Woudenberg wants to
help owners find their pets and yet, during an investigation
(aired on WOOD TV8), he lied about the whereabouts of a
pet. This very incident culminated in legal action against
the County and R & R Research.
The big question
is why would Montcalm County Commissioners expect the public
to pay for an animal control/shelter facility for Woudenberg
to use as his personal animal warehouse to make his
fortune. Woudenberg’s gross reported income in 2007 alone
was $183,099.
The shelter
belongs to the public. Give it back to them!
Sincerely,
Cheryl McCloud
Lake Haven
Founder and Director
Help End Pound Seizure Statewide
March 11, 2009
The
Michigan Humane Society has specifically asked Lake Haven
supporters and those interested in ending pound seizure
statewide to sign up for their Legislative E-List at
www.michiganhumane.org. Enter your email address
at the top of the page and then click "Join the Legislative
Action Network" to learn more about pound seizure and other
bill introductions and movements in Michigan. Lake
Haven has vowed to help end pound seizure in Michigan any
way possible.
Pound
Seizure Facts
What
is Pound Seizure? Pound seizure is the act of purchasing dogs, cats, and other
animals from animal shelters for sale to research
institutions for research, experimentation, testing or
teaching purposes.
Who is
involved?
Class B
Dealers (like R&R Research in Montcalm County) are licensed
by the US Department of Agriculture and purchase animals
from animal shelters, auctions and other random sources so
that they can resell them to research facilities.
What
is the Michigan Humane Society’s position on pound seizure? The Michigan Humane Society believes that animal shelters
should not provide animals for research. The community
should be able to trust that if a companion animal is lost
or surrendered to a shelter that it will not end up as a
research subject. Selling an animal into research is a
violation of the communities trust.
What
can I do to help? Write a letter to your local government officials informing
them about pound seizure and requesting that they end the
practice. Don’t assume that your local officials know what
pound seizure is. Being helpful and polite is the best way
to help get positive change for animals, so make sure to
provide them with information on pound seizure and offer
suggestions for change. For more information, see Lake
Haven's
special page dedicated to the pound seizure practices
happening in Montcalm County.
University of Michigan Ends its Live
Dog Lab
March 2, 2009
Six weeks ago, Lake Haven
reported that the University of Michigan was using live dogs
in their trauma training course. Some of these dogs
were delivered from the Montcalm County Animal Shelter via
R&R Research. Thousands of concerned citizens took
action, including many friends of Lake Haven—and the school
listened! Last week, the University of Michigan
announced that it will use only simulators in the Advanced
Trauma Life Support course.
More than 20,000 e-mails
were sent to University of Michigan administrators, asking
them to use non-animal training methods in their Advanced
Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. The school’s Graduate
Medical Education Committee recently met and decided that it
agrees. No dogs or other animals will be killed in the
school’s ATLS course. Your hard work helped end animal
suffering and improve medical education in Michigan. Thank
you!
Click below to read a
statement by the university.
After touring the Stanton
shelter Feb. 18, the Humane Society of Kent County's medical
director graded the shelter a 2 out of 5 during her hour
long assessment at Wednesday's animal shelter ad hoc
committee meeting. This is the same shelter that has a
contract with class b dealer, R&R Research, that was set to
expire at the end of January 2009. Instead, the county
commissioners voted to extend the contract for another six
months and form the committee to examine the contract.
Suggested improvements
include:
(1) Develop and implement
a mission statement. "The community is currently unclear
of the shelter's role in the community because of the
controversy with euthanasia practices and pound
seizure," Swift said.
(2) Make the kennel
environment more pleasing to the animals.
(3) Create a new kennel
technician position to provide for one employee who
oversees all operations in the shelter and would get to
know the animals better so they could help more with
adoptions.
(4) Using a microchip
scanner to see if animals have chips implanted in them
with identifying information.
(5) Build an outdoor dog
run for staff members to take the dogs while the kennel
area is being cleaned and for members of the public to
see dogs they may want to adopt.
(6) Begin providing basic
medical care and vaccinations at the facility.
(7) Dispose of a set of
"cat tongs" that could break a cat's neck while it is
being moved.
(8) Train employees to
communicate with the community and rescue groups better.
Click below to
read the full article in the Greenville Daily News.
Please leave a comment with your views on what is happening
in Montcalm.
Join the March 5 Demonstration to End U
of M Dog Lab
February 23, 2009
You can still help end the
University of Michigan’s use of live dogs for trauma
training. In recent weeks, supporters have sent more than
19,000 e-mails to university administrators asking them to
end the use of live dogs in the school’s Advanced Trauma
Life Support course. However, the decision-makers at the
University of Michigan don’t seem to be getting the message
that most of these courses are taught with advanced medical
simulators—not with live animals.
That’s why PCRM will lead a
demonstration at the University of Michigan (U-M) on March
5, just two weeks before the school’s next scheduled
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. Please join
them and bring your dogs!
What: Physician-led
peaceful demonstration at U-M
When: Thursday, March
5, 11 a.m.
Location: Southeast
corner of S. State St. and N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI
Parking: Please use
nearby public parking
Signs will be provided. Please
make sure to dress warmly. No RSVP is required
Please send this information
to your friends and family within driving distance of Ann
Arbor and ask them to join you at the demonstration.
Documents obtained by PCRM
under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act reveal that
U-M is using lost or surrendered pets from Michigan shelters
for its ATLS course (including Montcalm-affiliated R&R Research). At U-M, this course involves cutting
open live, anesthetized dogs and practicing emergency
medical procedures. After the training session, the animals
are killed. All of this happens even though the school owns
a validated non-animal teaching method as part of its
state-of-the-art medical simulation center.
While a handful of
institutions like U-M continue to use live animals, the
American College of Surgeons, the ATLS oversight body, has
approved non-animal models like the TraumaMan System, Synman,
and human cadavers for these courses. Across the United
States and Canada more than 90 percent of ATLS courses are
taught using only human-based simulators.
Please visit
SaveMichiganDogs.org to learn more. If you have any
questions, please contact Ryan Merkley, Manager of Humane
Education Programs at
rmerkley@pcrm.org.
Montcalm Committee Continues, R&R
Research Owner "Pleads the Fifth"
February 21, 2009
The Blue
Ribbon Committee meetings continue to go on
in Montcalm concerning the shelter's
contract with class b dealer, R&R Research,
that was set to expire at the end of January
2009. Instead, the county
commissioners voted to extend the contract
for another six months and form the
committee to examine the contract.
Lake Haven has these important points to
make about this committee and R&R Research:
Montcalm's
Shelter Director, Patty Lentz, has been
quoted as saying she wants an end to
Montcalm's contract with R&R. Why
are the commissioners not following the
recommendation of the director they
appointed?
Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners, Patrick Q. Carr, appointed
the owner of R&R Research, Jim Woudenberg, as a member of the committee
despite an obvious conflict of interest
in seeing the contract for his private
business continue. However, Patty
Lentz, Montcalm's own director of the
animal shelter was not invited to join.
An
argument is being made that these
animals are going for life-saving
medical research. However,
Mr. Woudenberg sells
animals anywhere he chooses without
accounting for where they are
actually going (or if they are being
euthanized, how this is performed).
When asked, Woudenberg simply refuses to disclose the
information. We do know he trades with
other animal dealers and can sell for
toxicity testing, ballistics testing, etc.
Another important point is that pound animals
CANNOT be used in bonafide
medical research because of their
unknown history and diseases.
The
Montcalm citizens and others in the
public have spoken out against this
contract - packing the county courthouse
to standing room only at the January 26
commissioner meeting, which was supposed
to determine the fate of the contract.
Why are Montcalm's commissioners not
listening to their constituents?
Commissioners have stated that opinions
from those in surrounding counties do
not matter. However, actions
within Montcalm do severely effect
surrounding counties. With
citizens afraid to use their own county
shelter, unwanted animals are brought to
shelters in surrounding counties,
causing a burden on already stressed
shelters.
Please read
the most recent articles below from the Greenville Daily News and make your
voice known by leaving a comment.
These comments are being used to gauge
public perception of what is happening in
Montcalm.
With all the recent news about
the Montcalm Animal Shelter, I thought I should send an update on Macie. I
remember that Cheryl rescued Macie from Montcalm in August, and I adopted
her soon after.
You may recall that I had lost
my beloved eight-year-old Aussie Lab to a spinal stroke in April, and Macie
had lost her beloved owner/Mom in the summer. I decided that although
neither of us could replace the one that was gone, we would be good for one
another. And I thought Macie would be great for Mattie, our little Daisy dog
who was heartbroken without her big sister.
Well, Macie has been a doll.
Nicely trained, incredibly eager to please, and just sweet through and
through. We haven't had a single day of trouble. Oh, except for the skunking
incident in November... and we survived that. She is a bit of an escape
artist, but she never goes far before returning to our doorstep (and I'm
getting smarter about the storm door, which she figured out how to open in
the first week). In just six months, she's become a cherished member of our
family, and we feel very fortunate that Lake Haven saved her from a very
different fate.
Thanks for the great work you do
on behalf of animals who just need loving homes.
Peace,
Mary
Montcalm County Shelter Committee
Update
February 13, 2009
A committee has been formed in Montcalm County
to examine the contract it has with class-b animal dealer, R&R Research.
In a questionable move, the county has appointed R&R Research owner, Jim
Woudenberg, to the committee despite his obvious vested interest in keeping
R&R operational in Montcalm.
Please click below to read the articles from
the Greenville Daily News. Please comment on the articles to
give your point of view. The committee is reading these comments to
help gather public input.
Montcalm Commissioners
Voteto Continue Selling Animals to
Research for at Least Another Six Months Despite Public
Outcry
January 29, 2009
Over 100
concerned citizens packed the Montcalm
Commissioner's meeting Monday, January
26. Despite the public outcry to
end relations with a class b animal
dealer in Montcalm, commissioners
instead voted to form a committee to
review the shelter's policies and
procedures.
Lake Haven
Director, Cheryl McCloud, was featured
in an article about the meeting in the
Grand Rapids Press stating she felt the
formation of a six-month long committee
to review the practices was "a stall
tactic." McCloud successfully
pressed Newaygo County officials to end
a similar relationship with R&R.
Montcalm's agreement with R&R was set to
expire in February.
See WOOD
TV and WZZM's
coverage of the meeting below.
Gratiot County Votes to Continue to
Give Pets to R&R Research
January 29, 2009
Sadly, Gratiot County Commissioners
voted to continue giving pets to class b dealer, R&R
Research.
Because of this vote, many animals dropped off at the
shelter in Gratiot will either be sold to research
facilities via R&R Research, gassed in a C02 barrel or
euthanized by R&R Research via an intra-cardial
“heart stick”. Gratiot and
Montcalm are two of only four counties in Michigan still
giving shelter pets to research.
The vote was five-to-two,
with commissioners Mark Knowles, David Eldridge, Jan
Bunting, Bill Dilts, and Roland Merignac voting to give
unclaimed pets at the county shelter to the class-b
research dealer, R&R Research, owned by Jim Woudenberg.
Pets Sold to University of Michigan
for Medical Experiments - What You Can Do
January 14, 2009
R&R Research,
which currently has a contract with
Gratiot and Montcalm counties,
resells shelter animals to research
facilities. The University of
Michigan is now coming under fire
for buying pets from R&R Research
and using them for Advanced Trauma
Life Support classes.
The U of M is among a dwindling
group of schools still using live
animals. Over 90% of courses
nationwide are using approved
alternatives. As pointed out
in the articles below, Lake Haven
believes such learning is better
accomplished on
human cadavers and dummies.
What's more, formerly owned house
pets make cruel research subjects.
Placing such pets in a laboratory
environment after coming from a home
is beyond traumatizing. Please - before
you drop your pet off at a shelter
(especially in Montcalm, Gratiot,
Mecosta and Osceola counties), ask
if they give their pets to research.
If you want to
stop animals from being sold to
research facilities in Gratiot and
Montcalm counties, write to the
contacts below. They will vote
on this matter before the end of
January.
January Crucial Month for Animals
in Montcalm/Gratiot Counties
January 8, 2009
To all
of you who voiced your opinions to
the Montcalm County Commissioners
recommending not to use a CO2 barrel
or to continue to perform heart
sticks; and to end that county’s
relationship with class b dealer,
R&R Research, I thank you so very
much. Your dedication to animal
welfare has had a tremendous impact.
As you may know, WOOD TV reported
that the Animal Control Director is
now on board with humane euthanasia
and recommended NOT to renew the
county’s contract with R&R
Research! What wonderful news!
However, it is the commissioners who
have the final vote this month. In
fact, there is a Montcalm
Commissioner meeting on Monday,
January 26th at 1:00 p.m. in
the old courthouse, downtown
Stanton. The vote on the contract
with R&R Research will likely happen at
this meeting. Please try to
attend. The more support we have,
the greater our chances to end this
once and for all.
And
while our eyes have been on
Montcalm, it was recently brought to
my attention that the exact same
situation is happening in the county
next door: Gratiot. Just as
in Montcalm, many animals there are
either: (1) gassed in a CO2 barrel,
(2) sold to research facilities via
R&R Research, or (3) euthanized by
R&R Research via an intra-cardial
“heart stick”.
Gratiot's
contract with R&R Research is also
set to expire at the end of this
month (January 2009)!
We are
running out of time before these
crucial votes. If you
cannot attend meetings in Montcalm
or Gratiot, please contact the
commissioners via the
representatives below.
Sincerely,
Cheryl
McCloud
Lake Haven
Director
Commissioner
Correspondence:
Brian Smith, Gratiot
County Administrator
The Gratiot County
Courthouse
214 East Center Street
Ithaca, Michigan 48847
Phone: 989-875-5261
Email:
bsmith@co.gratiot.mi.us
Chris Hyzer, Montcalm
County Controller
Administration
Building >
3rd Floor
211 W. Main Street
PO Box 368
Stanton, MI 48884
Phone: 989-831-7300
Email:
chyzer@co.montcalm.mi.us
Montcalm Shelter Director On Board
with Humane Euthanasia - More Work to be Done
November 25, 2008
Director of the Montcalm
County Animal Shelter, Patty Lentz, has made it clear
she wants to do the right thing and humanely euthanize
animals via lethal injection versus the cruel practice
of euthanizing animals in a Co2 barrel. What's
more, she has publicly stated she opposes pets at the
shelter being sold to research via the class-b animal
dealer operation, R&R Research.
R&R Research used to
operate out of Newaygo County before their board of
commissioners voted to end the practice of selling
shelter animals to research. Montcalm is only one
of four Michigan counties still engaging in the
practice. In addition to all the negatives about
selling animals to research (see
this article), it has put an unnecessary burden on
surrounding shelters and rescues, including Lake Haven,
because they have had to take in animals from Montcalm
since many citizens there are too afraid to use their
own county shelter.
It has been a long road to
get this far, requiring continuous pressure on the
county from animal shelters, rescue groups,
veterinarians and concerned citizens from surrounding
counties. A special thank you goes out to Lake
Haven volunteers, participating veterinarians and other
friends of Lake Haven who have been working so hard on
this very important issue. But the work is not
done yet! Petty Lentz can only recommend change;
she does not have the power to make it happen.
While it looks as if humane euthanasia is soon to be
embraced, the Montcalm County Commissioners still have
to vote on the research contract up in February 2009.
Their vote will determine whether or not R&R Research
can continue to take animals from the shelter.
The time to act is now!
Write the commissioners at the address below and
tell them YES to humane euthanasia and NO to animals
going to research. Attend the Montcalm
Commissioner meetings December 1st and 15th at 1PM
and tell them your thoughts in person. For more
information on these meetings or to car pool from the
Grand Rapids area, contact Gwen at
gwens@lakehavenrescue.org.
Be a
hero! Lake Haven is looking for more volunteers to
temporarily foster animals until they are ready for
adoption. In doing so, you will be saving a life. The more
foster homes we have, the more animals we can save from
being euthanized. Fosters are needed now for Lake Haven's
regular adoption program as well as to increase our efforts
in rescuing more cats and dogs from the Montcalm County
Animal Shelter (see article below).
What Is
Expected of Our Fosters?
(1) You will need a
spare room away from other pets to foster cats/kitten and a
fenced-in yard (preferred) for dogs/puppies.
(2) Provide food,
shelter, love (if you cannot supply needed food or
supplies, Lake Haven can help);
(3) Provide
transportation to necessary veterinarian visits (Lake
Haven pays for visits);
(4) If possible, take
digital photos of your foster pet for placement on the
Internet; and
(5) Transport to
PetSmart adoption events.
How Do I
Get Started?
Simply fill out our
online volunteer form.
Indicate if you are interested in fostering cats or dogs.
You will then be contacted and screened to make sure you
have the right accommodations. You can then request the
breed/size/type of animal you're most comfortable
fostering. Arrangements will then be made to get that
animal to you. Already a volunteer? Be sure to update your
volunteer form and indicate your interest in fostering. Any
questions? Email Kathy at
kathyb@lakehavenrescue.org.
Lake Haven Volunteer Makes Montcalm
County Shelter Crisis her Mission
October 9, 2008
Lake
Haven volunteer, Gwen Stromp, wrote an open letter to
readers in the current October issue of Cats & Dogs
Magazine (available now at veterinary clinics throughout
Michigan). Gwen has made it her mission to help end the
appalling practices which are taking place at the Montcalm
County Animal Shelter. With the help and support of Lake
Haven, she has personally rescued seven animals from the
shelter that would likely have been used as research
subjects or gassed in a barrel
alongside other animals. These lucky (and grateful!)
pets include Pumpkin (cat), Zelda, Rex, Pee-Wee, Buddy,
Doodles and Lucy (all dogs).
Get Involved!
(1) If you would like to help stop what is happening in
Montcalm County, please contact Chris Hyzer, Montcalm County
Controller, and tell him how you feel.
Help Hold
Montcalm County Commissioners Accountable for
Change
August 20, 2008
In
the latest issue of Cats and Dogs Magazine (available
now at your local veterinarian clinic), Montcalm County
Animal Shelter Director Patricia Lentz and County
Commissioner Patrick Carr are interviewed about the dismal
situation there. The overwhelming majority of animals
taken to that shelter are either gassed in a 55-gallon barrel
with other animals or are given to a dealer, who then sells
the animals to research facilities for profit. In the
article, both Lentz and Carr sound optimistic about changing
these practices. But it remains up to the citizens of
Montcalm County and Michigan as a whole to make sure that happens.
Read the full article by
clicking
here. Then read the letter Lake Haven Founder,
Cheryl McCloud, sent to the Montcalm County Commissioners
reminding them we are paying attention and will hold them
accountable. Finally, visit
www.cccmontcalm.org to learn how
you can get involved.
Zelda (photo above)
was saved from the Montcalm County Shelter by a Lake Haven
volunteer.
__________________________________________
Dear Montcalm County
Commissioners,
Montcalm County Commissioner Patrick Carr was interviewed in
the August 2008 issue of Cats and Dogs Magazine. To
those who wish to stop the Montcalm County Animal Shelter
from giving animals to R&R Research and to those who want
the inhumane euthanasia policies at the shelter to stop, he
said: “We hear you; we’re going to fix the problems.”
We
hear you too, Mr. Carr, and are glad you agree these
gut-wrenching problems are worth fixing.
In
the same article, new Animal Control Director Patricia Lentz
said of the 55-gallon drum that is used to euthanize animals
– much like you’d burn garbage in: “Basically the animal
passes out and dies. It’s not very pleasant. I want it
changed… I want to go with lethal injection, and I want it
done here by my staff. I feel it’s the humane way.”
Commissioners: I expect you back the recommendations of
your newly-appointed Director.
The
citizens of Michigan will be waiting for all the
Montcalm Commissioners to be held accountable in fixing
these problems and backing the recommendations of your new
Director. Come February 2009, we will be there to make sure
you fulfill your promises.
Sincerely,
Cheryl
McCloud
Director
and Founder
Lake
Haven
Special thanks to Cats and Dogs
Magazine for allowing us to post the original article.
Lake Haven Featured in Cats
and Dogs Magazine
Lake Haven is featured in a
generous three-page spread in the July issue of Cats and
Dogs Magazine. The article focuses on Lake Haven’s
founder, Cheryl McCloud, and the organization’s dedication
to homeless animals as well as the importance of spaying and
neutering pets.
Also included is Cheryl McCloud’s letter to the Montcalm
County Board of Commissioners, which was posted in our own
“news and views” section urging the commissioners to make
humane policies and to stop giving their homeless pets to
research.
You can read the Cats and Dogs Magazine
article about
Lake Haven
here.
You can read Cheryl McCloud’s letter to the Montcalm County
Board of Commissioners by clicking
here.
Special thanks to Cats
and Dogs Magazine for giving us permission to post this
article. Pick up your free copy of Cats and Dogs Magazine
today!
Lake Haven’s
Founder
Responds to
Montcalm
County
Shelter
Crisis
May 5, 2008
For those of
you not
aware of
this grave
situation
right here
in Michigan,
please click
on the links
below to
read two
articles on
this issue
and then
read the
letter Lake
Haven’s
founder sent
to the
Montcalm
County
Commissioners.
In light of
the
concerned
citizens and
negative
publicity
that has
been
bestowed
upon the
Montcalm
County
Animal
Shelter/Control
(and upon
the county
itself), you
as a
commissioner
know how
gravely
important it
is to make
the right
decision
when it
comes to
changing
county
policy and
the
importance
of
empowering
the new
director of
the Animal
Shelter/Control
to carry out
humane
actions. All
of Michigan
is now
watching to
make sure
Montcalm
takes charge
and does
what is
right for
the
county—its
citizens and
its animals.
The critical
issues
concerning
the shelter,
as you know: (1) The
alliance it
has made
with Class-B
animal
dealer Jim
Woudenberg,
who
personally
profits from
the sale of
shelter
animals to
research,
(2) The
inhumane and
antiquated
way animals
are
euthanized
for “free”
by Mr.
Woudenberg,
and (3) The
exorbitant
amount of
animals that
are either
sold to
research or
euthanized
instead of
being
adopted.
According to
the Humane
Society of
the United
States,
“Class B dog
and cat
dealers are
brokers who
acquire
animals from
a variety of
sources—including
‘pounds,’
flea
markets, and
newspaper
ads—and then
sell them to
research
institutions
or
veterinary
schools.
These
dealers,
putting
profits
before
pooches, are
regularly
cited for
violating
the Animal
Welfare Act
(AWA) and
have long
been a cause
for concern
for many.”
Mr.
Woudenberg
is
determined
to obtain
animals in
whatever way
he can and
has somehow
hijacked the
Montcalm
County
Animal
Shelter/Control—using
it as his
own personal
warehouse
for
animals—a
lucrative
money-making
venture for
him funded
by the
taxpayer.
The
stronghold
Mr.
Woudenberg
has over the
Montcalm
County
Animal
Shelter/Control
is
astounding—especially
when he has
a proven
history of
violation:
Newaygo
County
ceased
relations
with Mr.
Woudenberg
in 1995
after
the
shelter
director
testified
about
him
performing
extremely
cruel
and
unethical
euthanasia.
Newaygo
citizens
were
appalled
by his
actions
and
demanded
change.
Concerned
commissioners
listened
and
responded.
In 1997,
he was
advertising
himself
as
“animal
control”
in the
phone
book.
Only
when the
attorney
general’s
office
ordered
him to
cease
and
desist
did he
stop his
misleading
and
illegal
practice.
A film
taken by
Henry
Erb of
Wood TV
8 in
1997
clearly
shows
Mr.
Woudenberg
removing
numerous
dead
animals
from a
gas
barrel
one on
top of
the
other
when
animals
are
supposed
to have
a
stethoscope
on them
to make
sure
they are
dead.
How many
have
gone to
the
landfill
still
alive?
During
an
Ingham
County
Board of
Commissioner
meeting
in 2003,
a policy
was
detailed
which
stated
those
dropping
off
animals
would be
given a
consent
form if
they
would
like
their
animal
to go to
research.
Mr.
Woudenberg
was
charged
with
upholding
this
policy.
As of
April
2008, no
such
form is
being
used in
Montcalm,
allowing
residents
to
unknowingly
“donate”
their
animal
to
research.
In 1997,
he was
advertising
himself
as
“animal
control”
in the
phone
book.
Only
when the
attorney
general’s
office
ordered
him to
cease
and
desist
did he
stop his
misleading
and
illegal
practice
USDA records
indicate in
2006 that
R&R Research
(owned by
Woudenberg)
was
reimbursed
$196,272 for
the sale of
621 dogs and
cats.
Another sad
statistic
states that
in 2007, 75%
of the dogs
and cats
that entered
Montcalm’s
Animal
Shelter were
either
gassed in a
barrel (a
cruel and
outdated
form of
euthanasia)
or given to
R&R
Research. If
the shelter
had adopted
out just 816
dogs and
cats
(instead
sold to
R&R),
$16,000 in
revenue
would have
been
generated
for the
facility.
We need a
change! In
the Internet
age,
information
travels fast
and furious
and having
someone gas
animals in
barrels for
free isn’t
really free
if you value
your
reputation.
You, as a
county
commissioner,
can
participate
in this
change by
(1) the
cessation of
gassing
animals in
barrels, a
very
horrendous
way for any
living thing
to die; and
(2) to allow
the pubic to
adopt
animals
instead of
giving them
to Mr.
Woudenburg
to make a
personal
profit.
Without
these
changes, it
will be
difficult to
hire a
credible,
qualified
director to
undertake a
shelter
where county
policy
dictates
that animals
are either
gassed in
barrels or
given to a
B-Class
Dealer to
make money
for himself.
I pray the
shelter will
be returned
to the
taxpayers of
Montcalm
County and
that animals
that need to
be
euthanized
will at
least be
given a
humane
death.
WHAT
CAN YOU DO?
Plenty!
Contact the
Montcalm
County
Commissioners
and tell
them to
enact humane
euthanasia
policies at
their animal
shelter and
end their
relationship
with Class-B
dealer Jim
Woudenberg.
(Newaygo, MI).
Prince, a two-year-old Shepherd and Australian
Shepherd mix, is listed on Lake Haven’s website
(www.lakehavenrescue.org) as their featured pet
available for adoption. Prince was originally
turned into the Montcalm County Animal Shelter.
Lake Haven, a local animal rescue group, planned
on rescuing Prince from the shelter. But before
that could happen, Prince was taken by class b
animal dealer, R&R Research. 
Laurel Barrick of
Rolling Rescue, a transport rescue, had made
arrangements to have Soup taken to the vet. From
there, she was to be transported to Michigan
English Setter Rescue, a Port Huron group which
specializes in English Setters. This had been
pre-arranged with Montcalm County employees.
However, like Prince, Soup was also snatched up
by the research dealer before the rescue had a
chance to save the pooch. 
Lake
Haven's current featured dog is Prince. Through
no fault of his own, Prince ended up at the
Montcalm County Animal Shelter. From there he was
taken by class b animal dealer, R&R Research, one day before he was available for
adoption. Prince was doomed for a life of
experimentation. However, through much effort,
he was released from the animal dealer and was
saved from a life no animal should ever have to
endure. 
The Blue
Ribbon Committee meetings continue to go on
in Montcalm concerning the shelter's
contract with class b dealer, R&R Research,
that was set to expire at the end of January
2009. Instead, the county
commissioners voted to extend the contract
for another six months and form the
committee to examine the contract.
Lake Haven has these important points to
make about this committee and R&R Research:
In
the latest issue of Cats and Dogs Magazine (available
now at your local veterinarian clinic), Montcalm County
Animal Shelter Director Patricia Lentz and County
Commissioner Patrick Carr are interviewed about the dismal
situation there. The overwhelming majority of animals
taken to that shelter are either gassed in a 55-gallon barrel
with other animals or are given to a dealer, who then sells
the animals to research facilities for profit. In the
article, both Lentz and Carr sound optimistic about changing
these practices. But it remains up to the citizens of
Montcalm County and Michigan as a whole to make sure that happens.