A buncher is a person that steals pets (mostly dogs) and sells the animals to Class B animal dealers. Class B dealers then are licensed. I said licensed by the USDA to sell the animals to schools and companies that use animals for product testing.
A buncher may get $25 for an animal. The Class B dealer may get as much as $500 for a dog.
Are you upset yet?
One of the largest Class B dealers was in Willifore, Arkansas lost his license after being convicted of 100 counts of animal abuse and neglect and for stealing of pets for laboratories and forging documentation. You can google it for all the horrible details.
Here is a link to the people across the United States that hold a Class B dealers license.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/efoia/downloads/reports/B_cert_holders.txt
A Class B license allows the person to buy animals from “random sources” and sell them to research facilities.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/manuals/dealer/requirements.pdf
Unfortunately, random sources may also include dogs stolen by bunchers.
We use to hang horse thieves. We need to prosecute these people to the full extent of the law.
New information on bunchers in Mid-west: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Puppy_and_Puppies_Place/thread/666281
Sheriff in N. Minnesota reports dog thieves: http://www.sctimes.com/article/20100317/NEWS01/103170050/1 009/Dog-disappearances-reported–sheriff-says
Thank you for posting this! I was always vague on the description and you really layed it out in layman terms! Thank you and I hope you do not mind if I cross post your article!
Good luck with puppy. She will have a story to tell when she comes home!
Thoughts and prayers,
Megan, Babs, and Lulu
Of course you may cross post. This information needs to be out there.