FAILING THE AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIER

Thought you guys would appreciate this article...share with everyone you know especially if they are not fond of the Bully breed! And after the Bully dog is completely eliminated, which breed is next?

FAILING THE AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIER
http://www.housepetmagazine.com/05/AmericanPitbullTerrier.htm

Bristol Herald Courier endorses VA animal fighting bill

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/opinions.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2008-01-17-0004.html

Strengthen laws against bloodsports

Thursday, Jan 17, 2008 - 12:38 AM Updated: 09:02 AM

The case against Michael Vick brought public attention to the shadowy, depraved world of dogfighting.

The investigation also uncovered weaknesses in the state's animal-fighting laws in general. Attorney General Bob McDonnell – with support from Gov. Tim Kaine and key legislators – is leading the charge to fix these deficiencies and make Virginia's laws on this matter some of the strongest in the nation. This is a worthwhile effort.

Dogfighting is already a felony crime in this state. The proposed legislative changes would make cockfighting a felony, as well. Under present Virginia law, cockfighting is only illegal if gambling is involved, and even then it is a misdemeanor. This provides little disincentive for cockfighting aficionados to engage in their barbaric bloodsport.

There have been efforts to strengthen the state's cockfighting law in the past, but none have succeeded. Perhaps some state lawmakers are secret supporters of this bloody activity, in which roosters are outfitted with spurs or knives in a fight to the death.

Cockfighting supporters argue that their so-called sport is a fine Virginia tradition, as old as the state itself. They note that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were said to have owned gamecocks. Yet, the age of the practice doesn't render it worthy of preservation.

It seems certain that Virginia would rather be known for its mountain views, esteemed universities or musical heritage than as a haven for cockfighting.

The cockfighting measure is sponsored by Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in the House, and Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment, R-James City, in the Senate. With the support of McDonnell, a Republican, and Kaine, a Democrat, perhaps this will be the year that it gets the support necessary to become law.

Other changes to the state's animal-fighting laws that are part of McDonnell's legislative package include:

• Making it a felony to use a device or substance to enhance an animal's fighting ability.
• Eliminating a requirement that animals seized from fighting ventures be held in animal shelters until the case is resolved.
• Allowing investigators to conduct animal cruelty investigations after sunset without getting a new warrant and requiring a bond to be posted if owners contest the animals' forfeiture.
• Making it a misdemeanor to allow a juvenile to attend an animal fight.

Each of these changes makes sense. Virginia lawmakers should adopt them. Prove that the state does not smile on those who harm animals for pleasure.

2007 in rescue

2007 was a tough year to be a pit bull. Not that any other year isn't tough enough.  Did you know that the average pit bull doesn't not make it to its second birthday?  I say average because I hate to use the word "typical". Unfortunately, many "pit bulls" don't get the luxury of living in a home with caring owners that provide regular vet care.  Many pit bulls are purchased on a whim (like many purebreds) but are quickly discarded as their owners find life with a pit can be difficult and they can be discriminated against. It's hard to find housing that allows the breed, homeowner's insurance companies discriminate against the breed and municipalities are trying to ban the breed altogether. There are so few dogs on these adoption pages because people just don't want to adopt pit bulls nor do they want to foster pit bulls.

Even in this year of Michael Vick, when people started realizing that the dogs are the victims, it's still hard.   It's not the dog but the  monster on the other end of the leash that's the problem. Maybe people are starting to get that picture. Sure there are bad dogs, there are bad dogs in every breed but these bad dogs are a product of abuse or bad breeding in the self fulfilling prophecy that comes with hatred and discrimination.  The more people persecute the breed, the more undesirable people will be drawn to the breed and the more un desirable candidates within the breed will be bred for even more undesirable outcomes.

In the right hands, responsibly owned and responsibly bred (though I take issue with breeding while the breed is in crisis) and responsibly rescued this breed compares to no other in its loving nature and loyalty to family.  The American Pit Bull Terrier and its close cousins (The American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier) are the ultimate family dog.  They want nothing more than to be in close companionship with their families and thrive on love and affection.

Here's hoping for a better 2008 for the "pit bulls"

Lynchburg editorial endorsing animal fighting legislation

Cockfighting Belongs in Virginia's Past

Lynchburg News & Advance

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

For dogs, roosters and the Virginians who respect them, Jan. 15 may very well be a landmark day.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Republican, joined representatives of the Humane Society of the United States in announcing a new attempt to toughen Virginia's notoriously weak laws against dogfighting and cockfighting.

Currently, the state's laws against cockfighting are among the weakest in the nation. Dogfighting in the state is a felony, but the same isn't necessarily so for cockfighting, now a misdemeanor. Only if gambling is involved is the blood sport elevated to the level of a felony.

McDonnell, along with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, has thrown his support behind legislation introduced by Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in the House of Delegates and Minority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City County, in the state Senate.

Last year, Democratic senator Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County introduced virtually identical legislation in the General Assembly, after seeing a rise of cockfighting raids in his native Southside involving out-of-staters, illegal aliens and Mexican gangs. Reynolds had been trying to tighten the laws for years and saw his efforts in 2007 come painfully close to fruition. Standing in his way a year ago were two Republican senators - John Watkins of Chesterfield County and John Chichester of Fredericksburg - who rather stealthily killed the bill, saying its language was "overly broad."

Between the close of the 2007 session of the General Assembly and today there was a seismic change regarding animal blood sports that can be expressed in two words: Michael Vick.

Though the former NFL football star has gone to prison after admitting his involvement in the brutal "sport" of dogfighting, the public's level of disgust and revulsion has raised support for roosters, too. Though definitely not as cute and cuddly as the puppies and dogs Vick and his cohorts pitted against each other, roosters have definitely benefited from the "Vick halo effect."

According to The Associated Press, cockfighting is an equally bloody and disturbing crime. Roosters have their combs cut off and are doped up with steroids to bulk them up and to raise their levels of aggressiveness; razors are attached to their talons just prior to fights to make their kicks and jabs that much more deadly to their opponents. Usually, one or both of the birds pitted against each other die of the injuries sustained in the fights.

In a perfect world, the Griffith-Norment legislation would be a slam-dunk, but not in Virginia.

The foes of efforts to protect innocent animals, the people Del. Griffith says are "lurking in the shadows," paint themselves as upholders of Virginia's noble, Colonial history when cockfighting and dogfighting were the pastimes of the the upper crust of society. Keep government out of our weekend activities, they say; we're just upholding the heritage of our forefathers.

This legislation needs to be enacted as quickly as possible. No pussy-footing around. No "we're just proud Southerners taking part in our Daddy's heritage."

Track the bills, HB656 and SB592, at http://legis.state.va.us.

Washington Post story on dogfighting legislation (front page of Metro section)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/14/ST2008011402449.html

 

After Vick Case, Dogfighting Bills Flood Va. Session

By Anita Kumar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008; B01

RICHMOND, Jan. 14 -- Animal rights activists say Virginia legislators reacted with skepticism, even jokes, when they tried in past years to advocate for harsher laws against animal fighting.

That changed, they say, last year after Atlanta Falcons football star Michael Vick pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with a dogfighting operation on his property in southeastern Virginia, where dogs had been shot, hanged, beaten, drowned and electrocuted.

Now activists are riding that wave of national publicity to try to get tougher laws on the books to increase penalties for those who organize or watch animal fights and to give law enforcement more powers to find and arrest them.

The General Assembly, which began a 60-day legislative session last week, is considering more animal protection bills than in past years, many of them sponsored by Senate and House leaders.

"The members of the General Assembly had a tendency not to take bills regarding animal welfare seriously," said Robin Starr, chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA, which has worked to get bills passed for years. "There is no question about the fact that the mood has changed this year. I think everybody got quite an education about how horrific dogfighting is. I think it's changed people's understanding entirely."

Legislators, including Senate Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City), and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) will join the Humane Society of the United States at a news conference Tuesday to tout the importance of this year's proposals.

Virginia's animal-fighting laws are less strict than other states', particularly for cockfighting, and law enforcement officials say residents from neighboring states come to watch and gamble thousands of dollars in arenas complete with bleacher seats and concession stands.

McDonnell, who included several animal protection proposals on his legislative agenda this year, said that high-profile cases such as the Virginia Tech shooting often help bring attention to laws that need to be changed. "There hadn't been a lot of focus [on animals] until the Michael Vick case," he said.

Vick pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count for operating Bad Newz Kennels, a dogfighting operation that started six years ago in Surry County. In December, he was sentenced to a tougher-than-expected, 23-month prison term and recently entered a drug treatment program.

"There's no question the Michael Vick situation was an embarrassment to the state," said House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem), who is also sponsoring a bill.

The Vick case was quickly followed by the unrelated discovery of a suspected puppy mill in Carroll County, where more than 1,000 dogs were found in cages.

The high-profile Virginia cases have prompted a flurry of complaints about suspected animal abuse cases as well as legislative proposals in states across the nation.

Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states, and transporting dogs from one state to another for fighting is banned by federal law. In Virginia, Maryland and the District, dogfighting and possession of dogs for fighting is a felony; watching is a misdemeanor.

A Maryland legislator has introduced a bill that would make it a felony to attend a dogfight or cockfight.

The Humane Society estimates that 25 state legislatures will consider strengthening animal-fighting laws this year, although more proposals are being introduced in Virginia than elsewhere.

"This year we are seeing the strongest push [ever] to enact animal fighting legislation," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society. "Michael Vick really put a spotlight on animal fighting in the Commonwealth."

The Humane Society estimates that 40,000 people nationwide are involved in organized dogfighting and an additional 100,000 are involved at the street level. In total, they fight more than 250,000 dogs each year.

Virginia and Maryland have dogfighting, Goodwin said, and Virginia also has at least 30 cockfighting rings, mostly along the North Carolina border. Maryland is known for raising roosters for fighting.

Arrest statistics for individual states are not available, but the Humane Society has counted 150 cases in the past two years, including eight in Virginia, two in Maryland and one in the District.

"The public is more aware of animal fighting," said Richard Samuels, president of the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and an animal control officer in Spotsylvania County. "They just figured it happened in other states and not in Virginia."

In Virginia, bills have been introduced that would include animal fighting under the state racketeering law, which would lead to longer prison sentences and seizure of assets; make all forms of animal fighting a felony; increase penalties for spectators and those who bring children to watch; and allow more searches at places where fighting is believed to be occurring.

"Dogfighting is a practice that has got to be outlawed," said House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry). "I didn't know it was happening. It was news to me. . . . But people will do anything for entertainment."

A coalition of groups -- including the Virginia Animal Control Association, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, the Richmond SPCA and the Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition -- is lobbying for changes.

Not all animal protection bills this year relate to fighting, however. A slew of other bills have been filed, including ones that would ban the use of gas chambers to euthanize pets, raise penalties for tethering animals, limit the number of puppies bred and sold each year and increase training for animal control officers.

Bob Kane, president of the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association, said he has no concern with the dogfighting bills but worries about the sheer number of proposals, including one that regulates breeders, which he called "overkill."

"It's been creeping up,'' he said. "This year, it's a quantum jump.

 

 

Advance media on todays news conference

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--dogfightinglegisl0114jan14,0,5841046.story
dailypress.com

McDonnell, Humane Society to detail dogfighting bills

By the Associated Press

January 14, 2008

RICHMOND, Va.

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell and the Humane Society of the United States on Tuesday will outline animal-fighting legislation introduced in the General Assembly.

Bills filed in the House of Delegates and Senate seek to make all animal fighting a Class Six felony. Current law applies only to dogfighting.

Possessing performance enhancers intended for use in animals would also be a Class Six felony. The bills would also allow officers with search warrants to search the property of suspected animal fighters at any time.

McDonnell's push for stricter legislation comes after former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was convicted last year for leading a dogfighting operation out of his home in rural Virginia. Copyright © 2008, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

GOOD story: Woman to address ban of certain dogs at police assembly

Woman to address ban of certain dogs at police assembly

Submitted

Ledy VanKavage with two of her three rescued brindle pitbulls, Clarence Darrow (left) and Che.

Ledy VanKavage continues to spread her message that banning breeds of dogs does not make a difference in public safety.

On Sunday she will speak at the Winter 2008 Training Conference on Police Ethics for the Illinois Chiefs of Police in Collinsville at the Gateway Center.

"I'm talking about breed specific legislation and whether or not canine profiling is effective," she said.

It is a topic she addresses frequently.

"I'll talk about how it doesn't work," she said.

VanKavage is an attorney and the senior director of legislation and legal training for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She has a long history of activism in animal welfare matters and has founded and served on the boards of several organizations.

She lives in Collinsville and she practices what she preaches. She has rescued some pit bulls, a breed that many want banned because of viciousness. VanKavage has three rescued brindle pit bulls named Clarence Darrow, Che and Bella.

At the conference she will offer alternatives for police to help get dangerous dogs under control.

"There are dangerous dog laws in Illinois that a lot of police don't know about," she said. "Under Illinois law, it is very easy to get a dog declared dangerous. Not vicious. That's a much more involved procedure involving the court system."

VanKavage said dangerous dogs should be identified by behavior, not breed.

"I'm working on trying to get the police to focus on that," she said. "That is what I will be educating them about."

She said experience has shown that banning specific breeds doesn't change the number of dog bite incidents.

"Specific breed laws don't work," she said. "We've seen it in several different countries where they enacted breed restrictions. Even with the breeds restricted, their bite statistics don't change."

She offers her rescued pit bulls as an example of how a supposed dangerous breed can be handled. She said her cats dominate the much larger animals.

People used to go off trail to avoid the dogs when they were walked. But when the pit bulls have on some sort of costume, people come over and talk to them and are fascinated, she said.

"A lot of it is perception," she said.

At the conference, a pair of rescued pit bulls who are drug sniffing dogs for the Washington State Police also will perform a demonstration.

Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: wspiers@bnd.com

The HSUS Commends Virginia Attorney General on 2008 Legislative Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Humane Society of the United States Commends Virginia Attorney General on 2008 Legislative Agenda

(Jan. 8, 2008) — Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, released the following statement thanking Attorney General Bob McDonnell for including animal fighting in his 2008 legislative agenda:

The Humane Society of the United States thanks Attorney General McDonnell for being a leader in the effort to eradicate the vicious, criminal world of animal fighting. We are grateful for his strong support for increasing penalties for animal fighting in the Commonwealth and we look forward to working with Sen. Tommy Norment and Del. Morgan Griffith to turn this important legislation into law.

A broad coalition of animal groups is backing this effort:

• The Humane Society of the United States
• Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Virginia Federation of Humane Societies
• Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force
• Virginia Animal Control Association
• Richmond Animal Care & Control
• Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition

For more information on animal fighting, visit humanesociety.org/animalfighting.

-30-

Media Contact:

Nadya Vera, 301-258-3126, nvera@humanesociety.org

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.

The Humane Society of the United States

2100 L Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20037

humanesociety.org

Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty

Initial media about attacking are not always correct

The news just broke into the show I was watching with a BREAKING NEWS ALERT.  Two pit bulls are on the loose in San Jose after attacking a 20 month old baby and then the grandmother who tried to save the child.

Check this out...last night television shows were interrupted to alert viewers that two pit bulls that attacked were on the loose.  I thought it was strange when on the news today they kept calling it a dog attack as opposed to a pit bull attack.  Well that is because if you read down to the middle of the article its because they were boxer mixes..not pit bulls.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/14951082/detail.html

Grandmother, Toddler Mauled In San Jose Dog Attack


POSTED: 7:08 am PST December 31, 2007
UPDATED: 12:14 pm PST December 31, 2007


SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A toddler and her grandmother were hospitalized with mauling injuries after they were attacked by a dog while visiting a relative in San Jose.  Fire Capt Barry Stallard said San Jose dispatchers received calls reporting the attack at 7:23 p.m. Sunday.

Responding units found Elizabeth Cinco, 48, and Ana Leigh Cinco, 20-months, in a parking lot at the corner of Tully Road and Capitol Expressway. Apparently the dogs first attacked Ana Leigh and Elizabeth Cinco intervened, saving Ana Leigh's life, Stallard said. "The little girl was visiting with her grandmother (at her great aunt's home)," Stallard told KTVU. "We don't know exactly what happened…There were two dogs involved -- both were boxer mixes.

One of the dogs got excited and started barking… The dog attacked." Ana Leigh suffered injuries to her chin and lost her lower lip. Elizabeth Cinco had bites on her ear and neck, and chunks taken out of her right leg. Both were taken to Valley Medical Center. Elizabeth Cinco was released early Monday; the toddler was transferred to San Francisco General for further treatment.

The attack happened at a home at 3811 Quimby Road, Stallard said. After the attack Elizabeth Cinco tried to drive to the hospital, but due to the seriousness of her injuries had stopped in the parking lot. The dogs belonged to Elizabeth Cinco's sister. The dog that attacked the pair was to be euthanized Monday morning.