Blogs from October, 2020

15 French Bulldogs & an Illegal Puppy Mill Scheme

Believe it or not, hundreds of puppies land in US airports from international puppy mills every single day. Puppy mills are inhumane, for-profit, high-volume dog breeding facilities that often involve mistreatment and abuse of puppies, but it is also a very big business. Puppies bought for a couple of hundred dollars from the Ukraine can sell for up to $7,000 online in the United States. Sadly, when puppies arrive in US airports from foreign countries, they often face two paths: euthanasia (for having falsified importation papers), or a miserable life in a puppy mill. However, thanks to Ms. de Silva's client, the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, 15 French bulldog puppies were rescued and got to live.

The aftermath of this significant rescue is rather shocking. Here's the story.

Sixteen French bulldogs arrived at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport from Amman, Jordan, after being shipped from a Ukraine mill. They suffered 93-degree temperatures and a 13-hour flight in a cargo plane before spending days in the airport warehouse without food or water. When they were discovered by a good Samaritan who called the Chicago Police Department, the police contacted Mary Scheffke, the founder of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. One puppy had already died and the others were in poor condition, covered in urine and feces and with open wounds. All 15 puppies would have been killed had the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue not stepped in.

Keeping these puppies in the United States required more than compassion. It required legal intervention at the highest levels of the federal government. R. Tamara de Silva of De Silva Law Offices, LLC, working alongside her colleague Thomas Anthony Durkin, of Durkin & Roberts, one of the most distinguished trial lawyers and former federal prosecutors this country has produced, negotiated directly with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and, critically, with the United States Department of Justice. The CDC has the authority to order the removal or destruction of animals arriving with falsified documentation. But it is the Department of Justice that enforces those orders in federal court. It is the DOJ that could have put these dogs on a plane. Reaching and persuading the right people at that level required not only legal strategy but the relationships and reputation that Tom Durkin had built over decades at the highest levels of the federal legal system. Tom gave his time to this cause without hesitation. Thanks to that effort, the puppies were permitted to complete the medical quarantine ordered by the CDC and were cleared to meet their foster families.

Today, the puppies ended the medical quarantine ordered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and are meeting their foster families.

Although the puppies are on the road to recovery and are starting new normal lives, a lawyer claiming to represent the foreign puppy millers in Ukraine and Jordan requested a large settlement of $150,000 from the parties.

Astonished, Ms. De Silva responded. In her letter to the puppy millers' lawyer, she asserted the following facts and claims to support why her client will not entertain any settlement with the puppy millers and the unlawfulness of the situation:

• The bulldogs were shipped in violation of several federal laws
• Veterinary records showed that the sex and health records of the puppies were falsified
  • Contrary to what the records stated, the puppies were 3 months of age
• The puppies' vaccination records were also fraudulent in regard to their examinations and vaccinations, making them, through no fault of their own, a potential threat to public health
• It is possible, if not likely based on a preliminary investigation, that the lawyer's clients transport puppies into the US regularly
• The international puppy mill trade is part of an illicit and arguably criminal racketeering enterprise that takes place every single day in ports of entry throughout the United States
• She requested the puppy millers' lawyer reveal the identities of their clients who are responsible for this matter, in addition to the puppy mill buyer here in the US, suggesting they should all be investigated and prosecuted
• The matter has been resolved by all parties and federal agencies, including the airlines, "that picked up the pieces of [the lawyer's] clients' filthy conduct"

We are proud of our client, Mary Scheffke, and the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, for saving the lives of 15 French bulldog puppies who otherwise would have been euthanized. Please click here to read our blog about our client's refusal to return the bulldogs to O'Hare airport.

The De Silva Law Offices advocates for those who are involved in complex civil litigation, financial class actions and cases involving futures and securities. This story is merely one example of how we uphold the best interests of our clients while addressing the injustices imposed by people like illegal puppy millers.

If you are seeking specialized experience and modern solutions to help you achieve a favorable outcome, contact us