Harvey Fox shared the importance of having a lawyer represent you in any kind of interrogation by law enforcement. Many innocent people have been fined and even imprisoned for crimes they never committed. The reason they were convicted? They politely answered investigators questions. When law enforcement comes knocking there is only one safe thing to do and that is to firmly tell them that you will not answer any questions without a lawyer. Anything you tell law enforcement officers can and will be used against you in a court of law. The legal system was not created to be navigated alone without the help of a lawyer. Harvey is not an attorney and the above should not be considered legal advice but he can connect you to an attorney.
Jonathan Lawler, from the Punk Rock Farms came all the way from Indiana to share his story about an earth-shaking documentary called Puppy Mill that he is creating. In this documentary he explores some of the myths behind kennels and how the animal rights activists are deceiving the public for their own personal gain. According to the interest they are generating and the demand for this documentary, it’s got the makings of being one for the books! Jonathon is a strong advocate for dog breeders and he is working to improve the public perception of Amish dog breeders in particular.
Another very impressive part of this year’s event was the vendor line up. I am always amazed at how much innovation that gets created and developed and designed from one year to the next. Browsing these booths and asking the vendors a lot of questions can pay dividends.
By the way, this whole event was very child friendly! The staff behind this event does an amazing job at including the next generation of dog breeders. This year there was a big old obstacle course for the children (which was being used heavily both days) as well as a bounce house, and I believe they also had a few children’s contests and games spread throughout the event.
There really is just too much that happened at the PAWS expo to get it all on paper, and that’s why you need to mark your calendars for next year’s event, which is on August 18th and 19th. In conclusion, if you’re at an event like this and everything flows smoothly and goes well, it’s just hard to appreciate the hard work and energy that goes into making this happen. I want to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to the PAWS board, event committee, food committee, and everyone involved.