PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17, 2010 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Main Line Animal Rescue, the organization featured on Oprah's groundbreaking puppy mill show, now hopes to bring attention to the USDA's refusal to protect dogs in our nation's commercial dog breeding facilities by putting their message on a transit bus in the nation's capital. Their message is clear: Why is the USDA Bending Over Backwards to Accommodate Our Nation's Puppy Mills? A report from the Office of Inspector General, released the earlier part of this year, shows dogs in federally licensed kennels so starved they resorted to cannibalism, dogs with ticks covering their bodies, pools of feces, wounded dogs with rotted flesh and exposed bones. And in most cases, federal inspectors refused to cite breeders, instead issuing warnings when dogs were in serious peril. In other instances, APHIS (the USDA agency charged with inspecting federally licensed kennels) actually reduced fines for commercial breeders with multiple violations to avoid court appearances. Bill Smith, founder on MLAR, explains, "If people in this country knew that their tax money was paying the salaries of federal inspectors who seem to care more about protecting abusive breeders than the dogs in their kennels, they would be furious." Smith concedes, "I'm sure there are a few conscientious inspectors who do their jobs," but adds "there are also regional supervisors and (AC) inspectors who are clearly failing the very dogs they're paid to protect." The OIG Report describes one kennel in Kansas with food bowls swarming with cockroaches. The APHIS inspector explained to OIG auditors that cockroaches don't pose a health threat to the dogs (that have no choice but to eat them). Her regional supervisor agreed. The OIG auditors then asked experts from three different veterinary schools who all agreed cockroaches do pose a serious threat to the health of dogs and can spread the Parvo-virus and Salmonella. MLAR urges people to visit their new web site www.breedingcontempt.com and read the report. Then contact Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and their members of Congress and ask what is being done about the USDA's continued failure to help these animals. Main Line Animal Rescue wants the public to understand when a pet store tells you the puppies they're selling come from USDA inspected kennels - and not puppy mills, it means nothing. "The puppy you purchase this Christmas may have come from one of the horrendous facilities described in the report - his or her mother could be half-starved, covered with ticks, living in filth with open wounds," said Smith. "And that's not something any of us should be celebrating this holiday season." Main Line Animal Rescue, a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals based near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, rehabilitates, and finds homes for, hundreds of rescued puppy mill dogs every year. MLAR applauds the Obama administration's Office of the Inspector General for bringing these abuses to light and plans to sponsor three additional buses in an attempt to educate the millions of people visiting our nation's capital in the coming year. Main Line Animal Rescue 610-933-0606 mainlinerescue@aol.com Initiated Statute (Ballot Initiative) to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions Ohio has no laws preventing dog auctions. Many concerned citizens firmly believe the auctions serve not reputable breeders but large commercial facilities where dogs are bred to produce as many puppies as possible in conditions ranging from unsanitary to inhumane. The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions is spearheading a new, citizen-backed ballot initiative – The Ohio Dog Auctions Act. The measure (similar in language to Pennsylvania's Statute 459-603) will establish a statute to the Ohio Dog Law making it illegal for anyone to auction or raffle a dog in Ohio. It also would prohibit bringing dogs into the state for sale or trade that were acquired by auction or raffle elsewhere. Voters across the state are communicating with their fellow citizens and starting to gather a goal of a minimum of 120,700 signatures by December 1, 2010 to put the proposed law before the Legislature in January 2011. Volunteer petitioners are needed to make this initiative a reality in Ohio —we have until December 1, 2010! We need everyone's participation to make this vital effort a success! Legislative Resources For more information on the status of bills in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate, visit Ohio Legislative Service Commission. For more information on contacting your local, state and federal elected officials to share your concerns about puppy mills and dog auctions, visit Congress by Capitol Advantage.