The abuse issue

I run into Amish dog breeders almost every day here in Lancaster County.  On this blog I usually contend that allegations of animal abuse in what are termed 'puppy mills' are overblown.  I'm still getting a feel for it, and will admit I do feel sorry at times to see dogs kept caged.  At the same time I don't know that I'd go so far to allege abuse on the breeders who seem to generally have healthy, energetic animals. 

One reader of this blog last week posted a thought-provoking letter on an incident of abuse which the reader recently encountered in southern Lancaster County.  I'm posting it and my response below.  If you have any comments, feedback or have experienced similar situations, please chime in.

The issue is important and I hope to learn more firsthand in the coming weeks.

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I must disagree that animal abuse among the Amish is the exception rather than the rule. I am attaching a long letter I wrote the the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal last week, which will likely not get published as it is too long. As you'll see, I am not an outsider to Lancaster County nor unfamiliar with the Amish.

To the editor:
Let me preface my remarks by noting that while I have not lived in this area for nearly thirty years, I grew up in Southern Lancaster County, where I lived and worked on my family’s dairy farm from the time I could help until I left for college in 1980. I also rode and showed horses during my junior high and high school years. I know the challenges of farming and that sometimes animals can be contrary and uncooperative, requiring humane correction. Let me also emphasize that I am not a member of PETA. I am not a vegetarian. In short, I am not what many Lancaster Countians would label an “animal rights’ wacko.”

That being said, I was appalled and sickened, as I believe anyone with an ounce of compassion would have been, at the scene that greeted me in the early afternoon of July 12 as I turned onto Pumping Station Road, en route back to my brother’s home near Kirkwood. I saw an Amish buggy stopped alongside the road, the horse drawing it fallen on the ground and clearly in distress, and a team of draft horses with some sort of conveyance behind them in front of the stricken horse. A rope attached to the conveyance was also attached to the fallen horse’s bridle. I assumed that the injured horse had been struck by a vehicle, but no, the young Amishman and the pre-teen Amish boy who were there casually informed me, the horse was a “balker” and had fallen to the ground after their attempts to yank him forcefully along behind the draft animals. This horse was clearly injured and in distress; he was bleeding from both his front and rear legs and from his mouth. He was also terrified; his neck was twisted at an awkward and painful angle, and he was still attached to the buggy, finding it very difficult to move. When I asked if he had broken a leg, the Amishman nonchalantly replied, “No, just a stubborn horse,” and proceeded to viciously kick this horse in the head to try to get him to stand up. They finally got the buggy removed from him, at which point more brutal kicking was delivered to both his head and hindquarters. Though the horse tried to get up, he had fallen on the road and thus had no means of traction and fell to the ground again. At this point, the Amishman suggested that I could be on my way. With my hands bloodied from where I had touched the horse’s head to try to calm him, I managed to utter in my disgust that I seriously doubted that beating the horse was going to accomplish their goal. I seemed to have little choice but to drive away, though I was tempted to call the police. As I looked in the rear-view mirror I saw another round of blows delivered to the horse’s head. It was one of the most brutal cases of animal abuse I have ever witnessed. Perhaps I should have tried to do more; perhaps making this incident public is the best I can do.

This is not the first time in my years living here and then visiting at least twice a year since I left that I have observed Amish cruelty to animals. Workhorses and mules can be seen even from the road as they are grazing with open, untreated collar sores. I’ve seen Amish families driving lame horses at a fast trot, and who hasn’t seen horses and buggies tied for hours in the hot summer sun? And we all know that some inhumane Amish breeders are key players in Lancaster County’s dubious distinction of being the puppy mill capital of the United States. Now granted, the Amish have no corner on the market of cruelty to animals. Recent stories during my visit about dog and cock fighting and alleged guinea pig abuse are testament to that. There are horrible cases of animal cruelty throughout this country. Nor, I imagine, are all Amish abusive to their stock. However, here’s the rub. The myth of the Amish is that they are a deeply religious, Christian, meek, gentle, pacifist people. As I watched that Amishman brutally abuse that injured and terrified horse, I could not help but think how such behavior flies in the face of all they profess with their faith. Yes, their Biblical injunction gives them dominion over the animals, but somehow I just can’t see the God nor the Christ they claim to worship looking down on this scene with approval. It is sheer hypocrisy. Certainly most reasonable people would agree that this brutality was a much greater sin, according to Christian theology, than having a telephone in your house.

Few in Lancaster County want to criticize the Amish because, of course, they are economic bread and butter to the region. The money depends on the mythology. I have plenty of opportunities where I now live and where I travel to answer questions about the Amish, which are always forthcoming once people find out where I’m from. They are curious about this group of people and their traditional ways. One thing you can be sure of: when asked, I will be offering the straight story – a fair one, but one that is not marked by some romanticized, false view of a gentle, consistently nonviolent people.

Posted by: CBucher | July 20, 2007 at 11:22 AM

 

Hi CBucher, I appreciate you sharing your letter.

The case you described sounds horrible. I'd be appalled to witness that. 

To be honest, I feel that some Amish are unenlightened when it comes to the treatment of animals.

At the same time, this past week I saw how one Amishman treated the saddle sore of his buggy horse. He then proceeded to give him a spray bath to cool him off, pointing out that he liked to start with the legs and work his way up over the body, comparing it to the way we avoid the shock of getting into a shower by putting in one leg at a time.

Another kept his horses from going out for their usual evening jaunt through the meadow due to the prospect of lightning.

Many of the Amish barns I have been in have cow bedding, a soft spray-on floor liner that
allows the cows to rest more easily.  I caught another Amishman last week installing a cushioned floor surface for his horse.

The reasons for treating animals well may very well be as much (or more) economic as compassionate. Worn-out, abused and tired animals get sick, run up vet bills, and die, incurring losses for farmers and 'regular-Joe' Amish alike. The guys beating the horse whom you described were not only abusive and uncompassionate but also apparently economically dumb.

Starved and diseased puppies such as the ones featured on Lancaster County billboards certainly won't fetch much on the market either. From my view of a cross-section of Amish America it seems to me that the majority of Amish treat their animals sensibly and with an eye to prolonging their health.

Abuse surely goes on, which it does everywhere, as you point out in the letter. But I still would contend that the majority would prefer preserving their animals' well-being over degrading and destroying it.

Posted by: Amish America | July 29, 2007 at 01:42 AM

Comments

[Adam VT dairyman]

I have been farming and around farming all of my life. We now are farming in VT. I know many Amish and OOM as well as swiss brethern, which i have been chain lettering over the years. Factory farms, feedlots and mega dairys are all over the country, conditions in these facilities are shameful and unconparable to Amish farms. Mega dairys (1-2 thousand cows) milk around the clock, by Mexicans only stoping for one hour to clean manure build-up in parlor. The Amishmen practice subsistance farming, crop rotations, small dairies usually under 80 cows milked in 1940s style stantion or tie stall barn, where close interaction and good husbantry is a MUST for succuss. Ave life of cattle in factory conditions is ONE lactation... ONE. I just heard from an OOM who was sadend to sell a 14 year old black jersey that wouldnt breed back. Thats 12 Lactations! Yes there might be a few singular Amish cases, but lets look at the rest of the countrys farms as well!! Lancaster Co sets the national trend for much of the country for prices on beef, pork, dairy, vegs, etc.... Because the quality is so high!! Of all my years working on farms, visiting farms, and now farming on my own... have never seen conditions on Amish farms that are remotely close to some Englisher factory farms. These simple, diversified, highly productive farms are what is holding the countrys rural working landscape together... lets take a closer look.. God bless!

[Emma]

Of course, abuse cases happen everywhere. It's disgusting everywhere, whoever commits it. It seems human beings (Amish or not) have a knack for abusing helpless beings (children, older peoples, wives, animals, you name it...).
I remember reading a concerned article about this problem, and condemning it, in Family Life (an Amish family magazine). So I guess the Amish community is more conscious about animal cares than we think....

[Amish America]

On Thursday I talked to a puppy breeder who I believe specialized in Yorkies who proudly stated that his pups were 'family raised'...cared for in smaller lots by the family rather than in large anonymous pens, I guess the kind that get implicated by the puppy-mill accusers. He also mentioned that there is a higher demand for such pups, which doesn't surprise.

I was curious about the lifespan of the typical milking cow and asked an Amish dairyman a couple days ago--he said they expected about 8 years, maybe more--was referring to Holsteins, I believe. Do not know if he meant age or years lactating.

Thanks for your comments on that Adam, as it sounds like you have a lot of experience in that area.

On the dairy topic, this week I did run into the unusual situation of one dairyman who milks on a 10-hour schedule--I guess that would mean higher production? His brother up the road told me he sometimes hears the engines on in the middle of the night. Sounds like a killer schedule--he also runs a thriving woodshop as well!

Emma if there is one thing I've learned during my time spent among the Amish it's that there is such variety among the people--as with any people as you pointed out.

Reading Family Life gives great insight into the 'Amish mentality' if there could be said to be such a thing--I've really enjoyed what I've read of that publication.

[Jordi]

Considering Amish people just as normal people with Amish education no wonder that exist good and bad people between them. From my experiences with Mennonites I concluded that people with what we could call "bad instincts" is more repressed that in the outside world because they have fear of God. I know about few Mennonite farmers in Bolivia who have leopard puppies in really small cages just for the curiosity of having them. I found a lot of coarse people between them due their lack of education, but I also found very nice people.

[Boo]

There are bad people in every society. Hind sight is 20/20 and it's easy to say what you "should" have done but I do think that you should have called the police. I don't know what good it would have done but at least the poor animal would have had a little hope in his pitiful life.

[Connie]

I live in Gladwin County here in Michigan. I have had many opportunities to interact and do business with the Amish in this area. I have found them to be respectful and helpful....our farrier is an Amish Gentleman that we would gladly call family....His sense of humor sharp and common sense in animal care welcomed. I have had Amish come to yard sales and their children are always very well behaved unlike many English shoppers who's children are unsupervised and left to get into mishchief. I have never seen an Amish child throw a fit, or be disrespectful to their parents unlike many of our English counterparts....It was a shame that those young Amish men felt compelled to abuse their horse...I believe this incident was more of an exception than the rule. That was a very foolish decision to treat their horse in that manner...it would be like my car refusing to start so I take a ball bat to it and knock out the windows...How foolish....
At the same time I feel it is quite unfair to put All Amish in this catagory and I would state that this one incident or even if there were several, to be so vindictive toward the Amish as a whole because of seeing this is an Abuse in itself toward mankind...to promote discrimination toward the Amish....I think that is an Abuse and shame as well.....There are none of us perfect and we all need to learn to be better people in many areas of our lives....we need to judge ourselves first for some of us need to take the log out of our own eye before we attempt to take the splinter out of anothers eye....

[Amish America]

Connie, great points and especially on Amish kids. Most are super well-behaved. They'll often just gather around the table and stare at me. Nine pairs of eyes locked in on your head as you talk to mom and dad. It's an interesting feeling.

And they really never talk out of turn or interrupt when dad's talking with a visitor. Generally pretty shy.

There are some more outgoing ones though, and I've also seen some pretty poorly behaved ones however, really getting out of hand. That always puzzles me, but it could be a case of spare the rod...I'm not even a father myself so definitely witholding judgment on that!

Jordi interesting observations...always love to hear about your experiences in South America. I wonder what they do with those leopard puppies when they're not puppies anymore?

[Sara]

I was appalled and sickened, as I believe anyone with an ounce of compassion would have been, at the scene that greeted me in the night of Sunday of September 2007 at about 10:30pm.as I was driving the back way of Pine Creek Rd. I saw an Amish buggy stopped alongside the road, the horse clearly in distress. An Amish man was beating the horse’s hindquarters forcefully with a large object like a pipe or something like it. The horse was terrified still attached to the buggy, finding it very difficult to move. I am a new resident of Penns Valley, so I am adjusting to Country leaving. I have never witness anything like this in my life. I was terrified, shaking and I got sick in my tummy. In the middle of nowhere in the dark I seemed to have little choice but to drive away. As I looked in the rear-view mirror the round of blows continued. Perhaps I should have tried to do more; perhaps making this incident public is the best I can do. As I said before I am new to Country leaving and I was told that the Amish are peaceful people of God. I don’t see how God would look down on this scene with approval.

[Stephanie]

While I know that not all Amish are cruel or treat their animals badly, I have seen too much in the past 10 years to believe that they do not know the wrongs of over-breeding and of puppy mills. 10 years ago I moved from a small city to a part of PA the has numerous Amish. I was unfamiliar with the group and only knew what wonderful stories I had read in books and in Lancaster County propaganda. Not knowing that I was supporting a negative and unkind business I responded to a newspapr ad that said they had Chihuahua puppies. When I got to the farm I was sad to see the puppies and "Breeder" dogs were forced to live in a poorly lighted barn and that some of the puppies I had come to see had significant disformities. By this point I was emotionally invested and went on to adopt one of the pups. My little girl lived for three weeks before we had to bury her from "unknown causes". She died in my hands- I had to watch her eyes roll back into her head as she took her last breath.

When I contacted Mr. Yoder I was told the rest of the litter had died too. A coworker of mine aquired a dog from this mill also. They were planning to euthanize her since she did not have hips big enough to bear pups. She was forced to try to give birth to her first litter. When the pups all died in the birth canal, because no doctor was ever called, they had no use for her. Luckily fate intervened and she got a chance to live. When she first came to their house she was about 1, had never seen the inside of a home or grass, and was afraid of everything. So, even though she was given food and water, was she really treated well? Could we not say that all a child needs is food, water, and clothes? Of course not. Life is more than those simple basics.

Hoping that this was just one bad breeding mill, I began to research the area. I found numerous other Amish mills in Newville and Newburg, PA. I also uncovered that many of the Amish, who shunned electricity, etc. had what looked like traditional lights that were powered by hidden propane tanks. They had no answering machinges, but paid for a voice mailbox. This is not subscribing to the beliefs they so readily tout.

Once I learned of the sad lives lived by these dogs I began to volunteer with a group who helps to earn freedom for these mill dogs. One specific rescue event was haertbreaking. Every dog who arrived was matted, covered in feces and urine, was afraid of people, and some had had their vocal cords cut. Their nails were curling and many had become blind from the stench and ammonia of the urine. If anyone ever doubts the "problem" of mass breeding or doubts that "puppymills" are really bad- participate in one of these events. You will never forget the pain they must have endured to produce the puppy you see in the pet store.

Based on my decade of becoming jaded, I must say I am sure that many animals die and are mistreated by this group. When will the public step up and say that the abuse is wrong?

Again, as I stated before, this I am sure does not apply to all Amish- many are wondeful people, but to more than we would like to think.

[Michelle]

I would like to say that I personally would not like to be classified in any class, religion, race or creed. I was raised Catholic and am currently Methodist. I am an individual with my own will!
I just found out about and what a puppy mill is tonight!
People of all walks of life across our nation are creating horrendous acts of abuse to animals, spouses and children! Please fight for the abused and let the law and God take care of the abusers!
We all need to let our government officials know whats going on and what laws we as a nation need changed!
We all need to say prayers for all the abused and help them in any way we can!
God Bless,
Michelle

[animalsaver]

I have seen my fair share of all kinds of animal abuse, i work in the enforcement side of abuse. I have to wonder WHY people choose to do nothing about the abuse they witness? To me thats just as bad as inflicting the abuse yourself. If you feel this strong about helping, then SPEAK UP< make a complaint, follow through with it, take it to court, but do something constructive! the animals need our help, not our pity, they need us to take a stand and say enough is enough.Where are the authorities in these counties? does everyone turn a blind eye becuase they are animals? YOU can make the difference, start support groups, start rescue groups, start neighboourhood watch groups, just stop complaining and SPEAK UP!Do something

[sharon J]

I have to say I don't care who you are or what religion. Inhumane treatment of an animal is abuse and the person(s) should be held accountable! It seems the amish have been the biggest offenders with the puppy mill inhumane treatment. That fact is this world does not need mass breeding of any animal humane treatment or
not. I am so puzzled as to why the inspectors cannot stop this practice the second they walk on their property and see the horrific conditions. There are plenty of people that would show up and take the animals to safety. What deals does the amish have with the inspectors to allow this?
I dont mean to classify all the amish in the same group, but they seem to think they are above the law and yes I do feel that most are hypocrites and not as nieve as they would like us to believe.I am from the southern part of Pa and they have a market near me. I am sure some of the puppymillers have their little stand of goods for sale. After seeing the film of the conditions of their mills, I am going to have to rethink buying any of their goods!