The Berlin
Cit itiz ize en
Volume 14, Number 49
Berlin’s Only Hometown Newspaper
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Protest at puppy business not warranted, owner says
Hip hop at Heartbreak Hotel
By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
As the camera rolls, hip hop song and dance diva Dani Arranka, at center, back to, performs with dance troupe Equilibrium during the filming of a video at the Deylin Motor Lodge on the Berlin Turnpike last week. To see the flip side of the artist, go to page 3.
Making plans for a Farmington Avenue police station By Olivia L. Lawrence The Berlin Citizen Preliminary plans for a new police station on Farmington Avenue are in the works. A purchase-sale agreement for the site, with contingencies pending more investigation by the town, was signed Nov. 22. Project status and timeframe The plans remain “flexible — a lot can still happen,” said police Chief Paul Fitzgerald. If all goes well, the project could reach completion in three to five years, he estimated. The property consists of: two former Kensington Furniture sites — 903 Farmington Ave. and 913
A small group of protesters gathered outside HomeRaised Puppies, a business on New Britain Road, Saturday. The group said practices at the site are in violation of codes regulating the transport and sale of dogs. The owner said he is in compliance with all regulations and that anyone with a problem with a dog purchased at his business is welcome to call and discuss it. About a dozen people gathered for the protest, carrying signs with slogans, such as Barbara Rudnick’s sign that read: “puppies are lives, not products.” Home-Raised Puppies sells primarily boxers and bulldogs. Chris Peck, owner, said the protesters were animal activists and that he didn’t recognize any of them as customers. “I never had any prob-
lems,” Peck said, adding that he is licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture for breeding and transporting animals and also has state certification necessary for the business. Jess Winkler, a veterinary technician, said that “by peacefully protesting we all hoped to educate the public on the risks associated with purchasing a pet store dog. These puppies are living creatures who need constant interaction, a clean environment to live in and multiple vet checks in order to be healthy and well socialized. They are simply not a plastic toy product one would stock their shelves with and forget about until purchased.” Protesters acknowledged that every pet store will have a sick puppy from time to time, due to puppy mill
See Protest, page 16
Citizen photo by Olivia L. Lawrence
The town plans to turn this site into a modern, accessible police station that will help drive downtown improvements on Farmington Avenue. Farmington Ave. — with a total of about 2.4 acres of land; and a half-acre of town-owned land at 889 Farmington Ave., which the town acquired due to a fore-
closure (which consists, in total, of about 1.65 acres.) The police department and Police Commission See Station, page 4
Citizen photo by Nick Carroll
Barbara Rudnick along with several other activists carried signs during a protest Dec. 4 on New Britain Road.