HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement has shut down a kennel operating illegally without a license in Franklin County after learning the owner was hoarding 68 rare New Guinea Singing Dogs.
Additionally, the dogs were unlicensed and not vaccinated against rabies, as required by the Dog Law and Rabies Act.
After receiving information on the bureau’s tip line and investigating, wardens entered the Willow Hill, Fannett Township, property Oct. 13, and served owner Randy A. Hammond with a cease-and-desist order.
Hammond, who is cooperating with authorities, will keep 10 of the dogs, all of which are being spayed or neutered. Anyone who has 25 or fewer dogs is not required to possess a state kennel license.
Charges
The bureau has filed three charges against Hammond, including: operating without a license, failure to license individual dogs and failure to vaccinate dogs against rabies. If convicted, Hammond faces fines of up to $1,100.
Wardens are now working with New Guinea Singing Dog International in Marengo, Ill., the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society in Fernandina Beach, Fla., Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, the Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Better Days Animal League of Shippensburg, Cumberland County, and local veterinarians to spay, neuter and vaccinate the dogs and transport them from the property.
Breed
New Guinea Singing Dogs are among the rarest in the world. They are related to the Australian Dingo and have a distinctive high howl. There are none known to be licensed in the state and fewer than 100 in captivity across the nation.
Singing Dogs are considered feral animals that are suitable for zoos or with people who have experience handling exotic animals.
People wishing to help can contact New Guinea Singing Dog International at 815-814-4968 or the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society at 904-261-5630.
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So, let me get this straight, someone had 68 dogs that are unlicensed and unvaccinated against rabies, that are additionally one of the rarest of breeds. There isn’t any mention of the living conditions of the dogs, good, bad or otherwise. However, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement is taking all but 10 of them, and all, including the those ten will be spayed or neutered. The big question which begs an answer…. why are they being confiscated and what is the rush for spaying and neutering all of them? Kind of reminds me of the Murder Hollow Bassets, only this time we are talking about a rare breed.
Let Randy A. Hammond pays the fines, but unless there’s more to the story than being reported (such as poor conditions of dogs or housing), why are the dogs being taken from the owner?
With less than 100 of this breed in the US, maybe, just maybe spaying or neutering is not the brightest idea. Has the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement contacted the New Guinea Singing Dog International in Marengo, Ill., or the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society in Fernandina Beach, Fla with the purpose of perhaps rehoming them in an environment that would help preserve the breed, which translates to keeping the dogs intact.
Oh… and just because some one has 68 dogs, it doesn’t mean they are ‘hoarders’ as the lead paragraph in the story implies.
Maybe the Farm and Dairy should report the full story and not just a sensationalized version.
Barb Jones
I am the Tom Wendt from Marengo,IL mentioned in the article.
I just want to let you know that the authorities got this one right. The Singers were in some cases living in what I would say were tight quarters. Mr. Hammond is not evil however. He truly loves his dogs. The dogs are being confiscated because he had too many without having a kennel license.
I don’t know if the word hoarder should have been used because my own mother was a hoarder and it was much more difficult to get her to part with her worldly possessions (aka junk) then it was Randy his Singing Dogs. Randy knows that I along with our organization will personally see to it that all of his dogs will be properly cared for.
Regarding your comments about the spay/neutering of these dogs. Those that Randy will keep have been spayed along with any of the adults that are still capable of breeding. The elders were left alone. We have 18 puppies that will be placed and studied for the effects of inbreeding. If it’s determined that there were no ill effects, Mr Hammonds line will be preserved.
Lastly, I find it really sad how the media will almost never get things right. This is (from top to bottom) a wonderful ending to what could have been a tragic story if not for an extremely caring and sharp Dog Law Warden named Georgia Martin. She realized that these dogs were special and sought us out rather then putting these dogs down which would have been the easy route to take.
My name is Don Ehrlich. My wife Judy and I have conserved New Guinea Singing Dogs for 21 years. On November 3rd, 2010, an Arizona lady and I removed the following from the Hammond residence in Franklin Co., PA. We removed 8 nursing mothers with puppies by their sides, one very pregnant female, one male dog missing both back legs, a male missing one back leg and an intact male. We transported them to Kansas and to Arizona.
I would like to make just one comment about this article.
Most of us who have studied NGSD have come to the conclusion that Singing Dogs are not feral. Being called feral places them right alongside canines who survive off the wastes of man. NGSD have never needed or even wanted to be near humans in order to survive. They have, like their very close relative the AU Dingo lived independently and without interference from the native human population.
Additionally, the statement regarding them living in zoos and being handled only by experienced people are down and out lies. Most Singers are held by private owners.. Many zoos actually shucked them a few years ago and thankfully there were several private owners such as my wife and I who took over their preservation.
If you think Singers belong in zoo, then the reporter who wrote this story needs to do his/her homework instead of copying other’s work which was also written by a reporter who didn’t do his/her homework and so on back to the original source.
If reporters would have just once interviewed several SInging Dog owners, they would have discovered the truth.
My wife and I really wish someone would just for once, write a true and accurate article.
If anyone wants to know the truth about New Guinea Singing Dogs they need only visit wikipedia and type in NGSD, Google the NGSDI website on line, or join the New_Guinea_Singing_Dog Yahoo Discussion Group.
The truth is out there.
I guess I don’t understand why media bothers to sign their names to articles when all they do is copy someone else’s false and irresponsible work.
Donald D. Ehrlich(oldsingerman20)
my name is Mary and I have a personal
experience with one of these dogs I believe
but im not sure, I befriended a stray which after
3 years now Im being told she could possibly be one of
the 80 new guinea dogs but the location has me confused
so im trying to obtain as much information as I can just to solve
the mystery of my “Honey Bear” as I called her. If its possible please call
me or text me 717-425-4023 or at ..mary@biparts.com.