What Makes a Good Animal Rescue?

Over Christmas, the Waukegan, Illinois' cops seized a litter of bulldog puppies, and arrested the owner, previously covered here.  The owner, a former Marine, owned one dog and had one litter of puppies.  What a big crime wave!  A single litter of puppies.  The Waukegan Police Animal Control posted that the puppies have been taken away from the "bad owner" and given to a "good rescue" in a feel good sob story for Christmas.  But what makes a good rescue?

Let's look at the rescue that has custody of John Bass's stolen puppies covered in my previous story, When Christmas Puppies bring Jail Time. They are called Wags 2 Wishes. They have an anonymous website, with no listing as to who registered it. They have an anonymous email address. They do have a phone number which traces back to a Terri/Terry Crotty and Raymond Crotty. These people live at 1006 N. Kelly Avenue, Joliet, Illinois. This tiny little 1275 square foot house on a postage stamp lot is registered as an "Animal Shelter" with the State of Illinois and allowed to have 10 foster permits.  That's a number to remember.  Ten is ten now matter how you count it, even if you are using Common Core math.  Funny how on one of the top animal sales websites, "Petfinder," the Crotty's are currently selling off 10 animals, none of which are the 8 new puppies they scored.  Terri Crotty has also posted on her Facebook page that she took custody of three more puppies just yesterday.  Which means no matter which way you count it, the Crotty's are over their legal permit number.  Wonder what their neighbors think of their animal flipping occupation?  They are also not listed on the Illinois Attorney General's website for legal charities in Illinois yet they are fundraising to build a new "rescue center" that they can sell more animals out of.  It appears that the Crotty's aren't terribly on the up and up either according to this listing on the State of Illinois website which states that they are in fact in "Not Good Standing."  

Now Waukegan cops claim they have the right to steal a litter of puppies, arrest and criminally charge the owner, all because he failed to get a $25 permit that violates his constitutional rights.  In fact, animal rights extremist, Sgt. Kelly stated of the dog's owner:  "It’s really a money-making process. They were in this to make money. It’s running a business without regulations," she said. ”They had no idea where the puppies were going. He made it seem like he was on the up and up.”   But look at this rescue?  They aren't following "the law" either.  They aren't following regulations either.  They are in fact making money because they are not a legal non-profit charity.  If Waukegan claims this is one of their "best" rescues that is so on the "up and up", then how bad are the rest of them?  This entire story is nothing more than civil asset forfeiture gone bad.  Under civil asset forfeiture laws, the government has the right to steal your stuff (in this case, puppies) and give custody of your property to whomever they choose.  

Instead of the Waukegan Prosecutor focusing on John Bass, they should spend their time focusing on this illegal dog flipping business calling itself a "rescue."  Wags 2 Wishes appears to be violating more ordinances, regulations and laws than Mr. Bass ever could.