Cecil County gets new horse & farm feed store

Gifford's Feed

Please welome Cecil County’s newest feed store: Gifford’s, located on Route 274 just a few miles south of Rising Sun.    Giffords Farm has been selling hay, stray, produce, and other farm products for years.   They now have a full line of feeds for horses and other farm animals.    A recent shopper told CecilPets that the prices in there were very good, and she was able to find the hay supplemental pellets she needed.

Giffords is featuring “Farmers Co-operative Association” (FCA) feeds.    FCA feeds had been available at Nichols’ Feed on Union Church Road (between North East and Elkton). However, Nichols’ recently closed and may not re-open.

The feed store is now open 7 days a week.  Their hours are M – Th  12-6pm, Fri – Sun 8-6pm.

1553 Biggs Highway  (Route 274)

Rising Sun, MD 21911

410-658-6527

SPCA Protests continue in Elkton

Protest continues in Elkton

Protesters come with their own signs.

Despite freezing temperatures, protesters appeared again along Route 40 in Elkton, Maryland.

Stick with the Cecil Co SPCA reform movement

A little birdie told me there is an informal contest going for slogans for a Cecil County SPCA bumper sticker.

The stickers will be ordered within the week, thanks to an anonymous donor.

They will be given away free, on the promise you will display them somewhere prominent such as your car.      Vinyl stickers can be removed from cars later, and if you’re worried about paint, glass is a safe place to stick one.

Get in your sticker suggestions now.    Ideas are being disucussed on the Investigate SPCA Facebook group and Yahoo discussion list.

Cecil Whig allegedly is discarding letters to the editor

The Cecil Whig

More than one person has come forward with the complaint that their Letter to the Editor sent to The Whig has not been printed.   The determining factor seems to be if the letter supports an investigation of the SPCA or is negative towards SPCA in any way.

A note came across my desk today that one disgruntled Cecil resident is tired of not having residents’ voices heards.    I am passing along this link to CecilWhigSucks for you to decide.

I encourage anyone with anything to say to the community to write your own letter to the editor.  For the price of a stamp your voice can be heard.

Letters to the Editor of the Cecil Whig can be sent to:

Cecil Whig

Attn: Letters to the Editor

PO Box 429

Elkton, MD 21922

Also consider sending a letter in to the Baltimore Sun and/or The News Journal since their coverage area overlaps into Cecil County.

CecilPets visits The Pet Expo in Timonium

Pet Expo, Timonium

CecilPets visited the World of Pets Expo at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland.    This is probably one of the biggest pet expos in the state.

Attendance looked to be great Saturday evening.   It was a challenge just to find a parking place.

Almost any kind of pet you could imagine was there.  You’d see everything from show cats & dogs to a gerbil show, a rat costume presentation, sugar gliders, venoumous snakes, a performing monkey, reptiles, and much more.

Look for the Expo to return next spring at the same time.   Or if you can’t wait, Reading, Pennsylvania, isn’t more than an hour’s drive, and there is the Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo in March.

Protesters appear in Elkton today

Anyone driving through route 40 in Elkton this afternoon would likely have seen the SPCA protesters standing at all the corners of the Route 213 intersection. The signs were met with enthusiastic horn-honking and thumbs up. A few stopped to ask good questions or to thank protesters. The manager of Seasons Pizza was kind enough to bring everyone free pizza.     The weather was brisk, but there was so much interest by passerbys, protesters didn’t notice the cold much.

A few of the protesters seen in Elkton on 1/24/09

A few of the protesters seen in Elkton on 1/24/09

One thing I learned: There are two Jerry Hawkins in Cecil County, one being SPCA Jerry and the other being a 67 yr old living in North East. If you are doing research on Jerry Hawkins, be sure you have the right one.

Overall, protesters felt it was a success.    Anything to get the word out is going to help.    The local paper, The Cecil Whig, reportedly still won’t cover the story, interview any witnesses, or print letters to the editor.

Cecil SPCA discussion list launched

Yahoo now has a discussion group/list for those interesting in discussing the Cecil SPCA: Investigate Cecil SPCA

Saturday: public protest/awareness regarding SPCA situation

From Smigiel’s site, an announcement of a peaceful protest :

“Can you please post this where everyone can see this?

Silent Protest on Saturday, 1/24/09 at 11:30am

Where: corners of Rt 40 and Rt 213 (McDonalds and Burger King)

What to bring: Signs asking for dismissal of SPCA board, SPCA staff, etc….

News contacted and will come to shoot the pictures and on going story”

What’s all this fuss about the SPCA??

At the moment the big story is the ongoing investigation of allegations of abuse and other serious misconduct by the Cecil County SPCA.   Because the SPCA does Animal Control, their actions affect anyone in this area who owns a pet, find a pet, or needs to report possible cruelty. In other words, what the SPCA does affects all of us.

I am trying my best to not take unproven things as fact. If you catch me getting caught up in the heat of the moment,  yank on my leash a bit and get me back on track.

Right now : my one and only goal is a through, unbiased, proper investigation of any past or ongoing problems relating to the Cecil County SPCA.

And as a taxpayer, it is a bit disconcerting to see peoples’ tax bills go up 10-20% and school funding be cut back BUT the Cecil SPCA (not even a true government agency) is given almost $655,000/yr to pay for a mere three employees.    The shelter administator enjoys over $90,000 a year in salary and other compensation to oversee her two employees and any volunteers that may stop in.  Hmmm.

CecilPets.org

This site was inspired by the lack of one unified place to connect pet-related news, events, and organizations for this area.

Please join me on my wild run through the wild and wonderful world of Cecil County’s pets!