It seems like slime always surfaces in one way or the other, especially the disgusting puppy mill slime. So Peter W. Raap of the horrific Cottonwood, CA kennel (see my blog postings starting April 22, 2006) is still running a kennel, and still finding some woman to front the sales for him. This time it is in Citrus Heights, CA and a woman named Brenda Hill is selling Maltese-ShihTzu puppies with an ad in the huge Sacramento Bee newspaper. The last woman who was employed by Raap was a convicted animal abuser named Norma Kehrer. Tehama County revoked Raap’s kennel license for two years for hiring Kehrer.

So Brenda Hill is selling the puppies for $600 to $700 and has about twenty tiny, helpless puppies in her patio in her Citrus Heights home. God only knows where Peter Raap’s kennel is now ... it may still be in Cottonwood. Tehama County is less than interested in monitoring his adherence to the law, as it seems from past history. It took the brutal deaths of seventeen dogs and one hundred more sickly dogs in a filthy kennel, plus the outraged protests of citizens to get any action from them.

I am disgusted to say that Peter W. Raap is a resident of my neighboring town of Los Gatos, CA. Last I heard of him, he was in some kind of legal trouble for being in possession of a stolen vehicle, as I recall. Raap makes his living off the back (or should I say womb) of suffering, defenseless dogs, who remain alive in wire cages only as long as they are able to breed litter after litter, year after year. When they are of no more use to him, they are shot out in the back field, or worse. And if you think that he finds homes for the tiny puppies who are not saleable, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I will sell to you...

If you are disgusted and appalled by the Michael Vick dog fighting story, then you need to speak out about this horrific puppy mill owner.

Here is what I wrote to the Sacramento Bee. It was sent to reporter Ailene Voisin, because she wrote about the Vick case, and asked people to speak out and scream out about the abuse of dog fighting. My letter was also copied to Janis Heaphy, Publisher and President, and Rick Rodriguez, Executive Editor of the Sacramento Bee..

I am writing to you because I read your column about Michael Vick dog fighting last month. I want to ask for your help in stopping an equally cruel, dog abuser. His name is Peter W. Rapp and he has been convicted of animal abuse in Tehama County last year. His kennel license was revoked, but he obviously is still in the puppy mill business with a hidden kennel.

Please read this: http://www.nbc11.com/news/8885418/detail.html

Why am I writing to you? Because Peter W. Raap is selling puppies through an ad in your newspaper. He has a woman who says she is "helping him expand his market area" and she has listed and is selling his puppies. The ad is shown below.

The woman selling the puppies is Brenda Hill and she lives in Citrus Heights. Because of my blogging effort to stop Peter Raap's animal abuse, I was just contacted by a person who recently bought a puppy from Hill. This buyer had Googled for Peter W. Raap's name because they were suspicious, and found my blogs, and contacted me. This person said that Brenda Hill had about twenty puppies on the patio of the house.

I am asking that you investigate this and make the public aware that this convicted animal abuser and chronic liar is still in business. I also ask that the Sacramento Bee remove this advertising from the paper and online classifieds. I am sure that you are not knowingly promoting sales involving an illegal kennel and puppy mill cruelty. You can contact K. "Beau" Beauregard, Assistant Director of Tehama County Animal Services at 530-527-3439 to verify this information.

I do not know Peter Raap and I am involved only to speak out on behalf of those innocent female dogs and puppies who have no voice, no choice, and no way to escape their suffering. I am speaking out, as you wrote in your column, and need your help to scream....

Check out the new cycling cards at www.cyclingcardshop.com or click on the Link. These are unique art photos from my collection of six years of cycling photography, hand-mounted on high-quality cardstock and matching envelopes. The cards are blank inside, so you don't have to send the usual ho-hum, canned comments that we see in all card shops... These card photos are not the cheap printed-on-the-paper kind, so the person you give them to can put the pics inside a 4x6 frame or use the card, itself, as a mat and put it in a 5x7 frame...

Be sure to check out the card that shows a couple of guys talking to the road up close and personal. You all know a cyclist who has crashed that you can send this one to with some kind of comment... You know, you just can't find a classy cycling card anywhere, so send one of these cards with your passion on it....

So what's happening with the Discovery Guys now that the bombshell has dropped? Well, what we kinda know is that Tony Cruz has signed with BMC Racing, Matt White has signed on as aDS for Slipstream, George is pretty sure going to T-Mobile and so is Janz Brajkovic. Johan is retiring, and Dirk Demol, who was slated to take over the top DS spot is still looking, as far as I know... Where all my wrench buddies and soigneurs will end up, this late in the season, is still unknown. I think we will find out, one by one, where everybody is gonna be next season...

Sad day for Team Discovery fans...
From The Paceline:

TAILWIND SPORTS TO END CYCLING TEAM SPONSOR SEARCH


Team to cease operation effective the end of 2007 season


(Austin, TX) - Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of the current Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, announced today that it will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2007 cycling season. The Team, with roots back to 1989, has operated under the Tailwind umbrella and seen tremendous success over its tenure including eight Tour de France titles, a Tour of Italy and a Tour of Spain title, and numerous national championships.

“Tailwind has had an amazing ten years of success with U.S. Postal and more recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most successful sports franchise in the history of sport,” stated General Manage Bill Stapleton. “This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success. We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions.”

Sports Director Johan Bruyneel has been the driving force behind the Team’s success since his arrival to the team in 1999. In only nine years, Bruyneel has created a legacy that will live on in cycling history, and his departure from the sport was not an easy choice.

“When I came to direct this team in 1999 I never would have imagined that we could achieve this level of success. It was an amazing time in my life and the lives of all the staff and riders associated with this team,” commented Sports Director Johan Bruyneel.

“What I will miss are the staff, riders and the excitement of the races, but not all the in fighting between the teams. This team has become my family and I am very sad to think that we will not be together next season. 2007 has been our most successful season ever and I expect the remainder of the season to continue on that same path.”

Lance Armstrong has been intricately involved in the team both as a rider and as an owner.

“I do not think you have seen the last of this organization in the sport but clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before you would see us venture back into cycling,” added Armstrong, co-owner and seven-time Tour de France champion.

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team will continue to race its full calendar of Pro Tour races including the final grand tour of the season, the Tour of Spain, as well as the upcoming Tour of Missouri.

From Chris Brewer at the Paceline: Team Discovery Channel's 2007 Tour de France Victory Celebration Video...

Levi Leipheimer Post Tour 2007 Interview... My good buddy, Mark Shimahara, flew over for the final stage on the Champs Elysees at Odessa Gunn's invitation. Here is Mark's exclusive interview with Levi.