No more Puppy Mills in 2012 is fast becoming a reality as Susan Chana Lask supports the Town of Gorham residents against opening a Puppy Mill there. She has been activily involved with the Town representatives and provided law and other documents to help the Towm stop the opening.  Today the Ontario County Planning Board voted for a moratorium against opening the puppy mill.  See Lask's March 14, 2012 letter to the Town.

An increasingly prevalent issue facing courts today is how to treat a family’s beloved pet in a divorce proceeding.  A recent poll of 1,500 members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found that “nearly a quarter of divorce lawyers surveyed across the country have noticed an increase in pet-custody cases in the last five years.”   In divorce proceedings or property disputes between housemates and separated couples, the scale has begun to tip in favor of treating pets or companion animals as living beings as courts consider the pet’s best interest when custody is an issue. The standard in child custody is the acronym “BIC”-or “best interests of the child.” It appears we now have “BIP”, or best interests of the pet”.

In a country already suffering from an over population of dogs, cats and other companion animals, there are nearly six thousand commercial kennels or “puppy mills” in the United States licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture perpetuating the problem.  Approximately four million dogs are bred in puppy mills annually and an estimated four to five million die every year (almost 11,000 daily).  Causes of death include but are not limited to, neglect and starvation, untreated illnesses, and lack of heat or air conditioning in puppy mills.  The conditions in puppy mills are downright atrocious and inhumane.

On December 29, 2012, Elena, by her attorney Susan Chana Lask,  filed a complaint as ELENA ZAKHAROVA for herself and as Representative of her dog, Umka, against Raising Rover in New York County Civil Court. The effect of naming Umka in the Complaint is to show Umka is a living being and the subject of this case. It is not about Elena-this is about Umka and any puppy created defective because of bad breeding and left to live in pain.

When you purchase your puppy from a pet store, your new little friend will cost thousands of dollars, and the salesperson will tell you alot to convince you to pay more than the sales price. There will be paperwork for you to read and sign and consumer laws that you need to understand to avoid the additional fees your salesperson tries to tack onto the price.