Dog bucks the stereotype

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/12905131.html

great article w/video too!

Dog bucks the stereotype

Jeffrey Thompson, Star Tribune

Croixdale residents, from left, Mabel Cook, Maryetta Wolf, Ruth Neumann and Marion Soller socialized with Ruby, a pit bull that provides therapy, during a visit to the senior residence in Bayport Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007.

Ruby takes her love to senior homes and has taken a turn on the stage, all part of her owners' campaign to try to convince people that pit bulls aren't innately bad.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22923049-5001021,00.html

Dogs save drowning toddler

Article from:

December 14, 2007 12:00am

TWO family dogs are being hailed as heroes after they saved a two-year-old boy from drowning in a dam at a property yesterday.

Police said the dogs - a Rottweiler cross and a Staffordshire bull terrier - dragged the boy from the water after he had wandered on to a neighbouring property's dam near Mackay, Queensland.

The owner of the property had heard a noise about 11am and run to the dam, which was about 100m from the house.

The woman found the boy lying on the embankment of the dam covered in mud with the two dogs - usually thought of as aggressive breeds - by his side.

Police said there were drag marks from the waters edge to where the boy was lying and small scratches on his arms from the dogs' claws.

"We are certain the dogs pulled him out of the dam," a police spokesman said. "It is an amazing story."

The Queensland Ambulance Service said the mother and child were taken to Mackay Base Hospital as a precaution, and the child did not need CPR.

They were believed to recovering at home last night.

 

GOOD NEWS!!! WE'RE HAVING A PUPPY

I always like to send this out when I see it come through.  A special reminder.  Happy Holidays!

 

A New Puppy

This is appropriate for the number of people who keep putting their dogs up for adoption when they find out they are going to have kids.....
After two long years of being on a waiting list for an agility dog, we have been notified by the breeder that, at long last, our number has come up and ... WE ARE HAVING A PUPPY!!!

We must get rid of our children IMMEDIATELY because we just know how time consuming our new little puppy is going to be and it just wouldn't be fair to the children. Since our little puppy will be arriving on Monday we MUST place the children into rescue this weekend!

The kids are described as:

One male - His name is Tommy, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), light blonde hair, blue eyes. Four years old. Excellent disposition. He doesn't bite. Temperament tested. Does have problems with pee ing directly in the toilet. Has had chicken Pox and is current on all shots. Tonsils have already been removed. Tommy eats everything, is very clean, house trained & gets along well with others. Does not run with scissors and with a little training he should be able to read soon.

One female - Her name is Lexie, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), strawberry blonde hair, green eyes quite freckled. Two years old. Can be surly at times. Non-biter, thumb sucker. Has been temperament tested but needs a little attitude adjusting occasionally. She is current on all shots, tonsils out, and is very healthy & can be affectionate. Gets along well with other little girls & little boys but does not like to share her toys and therefore would do best in a one child household. She is a very quick learner and is currently working on her house training-shouldn' t take long at all.

We really do LOVE our children so much and want to do what's right for them; that is why we contact ed a rescue group. But we simply can no longer keep them. Also, we are afraid that they may hurt our new puppy.

I hope you understand that ours is a UNIQUE situation and we have a real emergency here!!! They MUST be placed into your rescue by Sunday night at the latest or we will be forced to drop them off at the orphanage or along some dark, country road. Our priority now has to be our new puppy.

'Adopt-a-Bull' Contest

Positive Press for American Pit Bull Terrier: ASPCA and Animal Farm Foundation Launch Meet Your Match™ 'Adopt-a-Bull' Contest 

Highlighting pit bull adoption success stories.

Animal Farm Foundation is pleased to sponsor the Adopt-a-Bull contest because the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program promotes matches based on individual personality, instead of color and breed

New York, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) December 14, 2007 -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) will add a new dimension to the "valentine" theme this February, when it will launch an online contest for the "perfect pit bull and adopter match": the ASPCA's Adopt-A-Bull Contest, sponsored by Animal Farm Foundation.

Entries will be invited from both shelters and the public (who can nominate the shelters they adopted from), and will focus on adoptions of American Pit Bull Terriers and dogs that appear to be predominantly of that type, that have taken place through shelters using the ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program. The ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program is a scientific, research-based adoption tool aimed at creating better matches between prospective pet parents and animals based on accurate behavior assessments for the animals and understanding an individual adopter's lifestyle and expectations. Meet Your Match is proven to be extremely successful in increasing adoptions and reducing returns at shelters.

"The ASPCA's Adopt-a-Bull Contest is a great opportunity not just to highlight the positive attributes and merits of the American Pit Bull Terrier, but the importance of making good, long-lasting matches between pets and people," said ASPCA President & CEO, Ed Sayres. "Every animal has the potential to thrive in the right home and the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program continuously fosters the kind of successful matches beneficial to every party involved: the adopter, the animal and the shelter."

The contest will run four times through the year, with one winner announced for each quarter. Each winner will automatically be entered into a contest for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will then be selected in 2009 via an online public vote. The prize package for quarterly winners includes a $4000 grant for the shelter, and an ASPCA Collection gift package for the winning pit bull-adopter match. The grand prize shelter winner will receive an all expense paid trip to New York City in April 2009 to participate in the ASPCA's third annual ASPCA Day celebration and a $5000 grant for their shelter. The grand prize pit bull and adopter winner will receive a photoshoot with a professional photographer and a bronze of their pet.

"Animal Farm Foundation is pleased to sponsor the Adopt-a-Bull contest because the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program promotes matches based on individual personality, instead of color and breed," said Animal Farm Foundation President, Jane Berkey. "We are confident that the contest will promote great family matches for dogs that appear to be predominantly American Pit Bull Terriers."

In recent years, pit bulls have been in the spotlight because they have been exploited by dog fighters and individuals bent on abusing the breed, and are often at the center of controversial breed-specific legislation. Despite this fact, pit bulls are known to remain loving and loyal to their human counterparts—sometimes to their own detriment—and can make excellent pets. Several well-known figures have owned pit bulls during their lifetime, including Helen Keler, Theodore Roosevelt and the "Our Gang" Little Rascals. An illustration of an American Pit Bull Terrier served as a symbol of the American spirit during the First World War. Today, pit bulls are the cherished pet for millions of Americans, including Rachael Ray, Rosie Perez, and Jon Stewart.

"Pit bull dogs are just dogs," said Ms. Berkey. "Four legs, two eyes, and one heart."

For more information on the ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program, please visit www.aspca.org/meetyourmatch.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has over one million supporters. A 501 [c [3 not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

Media Contacts:

Melissa Treuman

Melissat @ aspca.org/(212) 876-7700 x 4521

Alison Zaccone

AlisonZ @ aspca.org/(212) 876-7700 x 4564

Simply stunning

http://wtvr.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/forms/doc20071213183505.pdf

Ventre: Vick got exactly what he deserved

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184988/page/2/
Ventre: Vick got exactly what he deserved

Quarterback takes fall for dogfighting, lying to everyone, arrogance

OPINION

By Michael Ventre

updated 8:59 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 10, 2007

As surprises go, it was not much of one.

The reaction in some quarters to the Michael Vick sentence handed down on Monday was one of mild disbelief. The word "stunning" was even uttered, more than once, on a certain cable network.

But 23 months is not a shock. Upon further examination of all the variables, it was appropriate. It makes sense. It is justice.

Michael Vick got what he deserved.

Animal rights activists might argue that he deserves a lot more, and I can't really argue with them. But their stance is strident because they're passionate about the treatment of animals and irate over Vick's actions even now, months after they were fully disclosed.

Vick's fans, the ones who don his jersey, chant his name and ignore his cruelty, will exclaim that he is being persecuted. But they have no case. They have never had a case.

In the big picture, Vick's football career is essentially over and he'll be spending the next 22 months (he should have one month's credit for time already served) behind bars in a federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson did not look at Vick, see a wondrous football player with magical talents, and ease up on his gavel. He saw a young man who committed some dastardly acts and handled the aftermath of their discovery with extremely poor judgment and even arrogance.

The judge could have demanded 33 or 43 months in jail, but then he would have called the entire process into question. He would have invited charges that he was looking to buff his image as a no-nonsense judge and polish his credentials for future judicial posts. He would have inflamed those who believe this is all an issue of race, and Vick is just the latest fall guy.

Instead, the judge did what he was supposed to do. He acted wisely. He slapped Vick with a sentence that exceeded the prosecutors' recommendations of somewhere on the low end of 12 to 18 months. He nailed Vick more harshly than he did Vick's co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips, who received sentences recently of 18 and 21 months, respectively, because Vick was considered the ringleader and the source of the financial backing for the so-called Bad Newz Kennels and the entire dogfighting operation. 

And he did so for other reasons, too.

He'll be locked in a small cell for almost the next two years because the images still cause anguish. Vick presided over an operation that set one pit bull against another, so they could tear each other apart for the amusement of men with money to gamble.

Vick will be incarcerated because he was the kingpin in a criminal enterprise that crossed state lines.

Vick will be denied his freedom because he mistreated dogs beyond the fighting, by denying food to some so they'd be more ornery in the ring.

Vick will be kept away from family, friends and other loved ones because he and his co-defendants killed dogs that didn't perform to their standards. They did so by electrocution, hanging and drowning. Because of the grotesque nature of his actions, Vick will be placed in an ugly environment.

But that's not all.

He received 23 months because he lied, because he told anyone who would listen — including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank — that the dogfighting charges were bogus, that he had nothing to do with any of it. He did not step forward and accept responsibility when he had the chance. He hid behind his superstar veneer and hoped it would blow over.

He will sit in jail because, even after he pled guilty and signed a deal with prosecutors, he tested positive for marijuana, a violation of his agreement.

He will mingle with tough men who are not teammates but inmates because he gave a public apology that satisfied just about every group that mattered save for the one that he needed to satisfy the most: the people who care about animals. His token mention of his rejection of dogfighting was calculated, insulting and ineffective.

The judge looked at all of that.

What he didn't look at was how much money Michael Vick is losing as the result of his transgressions. That shouldn't matter, even if some complain that the man has suffered enough by having to forfeit over $100 million in salary and endorsements.

Vick's personal losses are inconsequential in the criminal matter. If he were a mailman going to jail for two years, would anyone complain of his financial woes? The money out of Vick's pocket is a separate issue. That's his problem. If he didn't want to see over $100 million vanish before his very eyes, he shouldn't have tortured and killed dogs and bet on the outcome of dog fights.

Vick isn't going up the river because he naively fell under the sway of old neighborhood friends who led him down the path to destruction. Vick is an adult. He had ample opportunity to say, "You know what? I don't want to get involved in anything illegal." And if he were a true friend, he would have also said, "You're my friends and I care about you, and I don't want to see you get into trouble, so I don't think a dogfighting ring is a good idea."

He didn't. From the time he signed his first NFL contract in 2001, he planned to start a dogfighting operation. He carried out that plan and stuck with it. He did not make a mistake. He executed a premeditated scheme to run a criminal operation.

As a result, he received a prison sentence of 23 months, a punishment he richly deserves.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for msnbc.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184988/page/2/

---

MSN Privacy . Legal

© 2007 MSNBC.com

Vick spit on the legal system

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-vicksentencing121007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Vick spit on the legal system

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports December 10, 2007 RICHMOND, Va. – He chomped on chewing gum and wore his Nike Air Force 1 Mids – bright white to match the stripes on his prison garb – as he walked into federal court Monday to answer for his mistakes. Only some of the mistakes that may haunt Michael Vick most, the ones that hurt his chances of ever again racing his Nikes around the NFL and should eat him up on the long, lonely nights behind bars are the one's he committed since pleading guilty in connection to a dog-fighting ring. Vick should have faced a sentence of 12-18 months after accepting a plea deal to conspiracy charges in August and promising full cooperation, honesty and to "make better decisions." Instead he made more bad ones, U.S. Attorneys claiming he failed to fully admit or take responsibility for his actions, practiced multiple counts of deception and tested positive for marijuana just weeks after promising the judge he'd avoid drugs. Those mind-numbing mistakes not only sent his sentencing guidelines to 18-24 months, but played a part in Judge Henry Hudson's decision to lean on the high side and send him away for 23 months. Even with good behavior and time served he won't be released until around June 2009. Moreover, Vick still faces state charges and remains on indefinite suspension from the NFL, where he was once the league's highest paid player. Neither situation was helped by Monday's revelations. Vick looked crushed at the sentencing, offering a distraught look to his family, some of whom wept at its reading. But even the staunchest Vick supporter – the ones who believe the prison term is not only too lengthy but an unnecessary rehabilitation tool for someone with no prior convictions, little likelihood of repeat behavior and is a minimal threat to society – can only stand in puzzlement at Vick's conduct. No matter what you think of the crime, the prosecution or the punishment, everyone knows that when given the chance to work the legal system for leniency you don't just turn and spit in its eye. The failed drug test alone was inexplicable. Just 17 days after promising to avoid drugs and alcohol, Vick smoked marijuana. The next day he took a drug test, which he failed, and then lied to an investigator about taking drugs. His attorney, Billy Martin, was stuck trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat, starting one explanation with the unenviable legal phrase "moving to the smoking marijuana." Martin's defense: That Vick was depressed and "self-medicating." Hudson kept a straight face but was clearly unmoved. Then there were Vick's "deception" with federal authorities, at least six such acts according to U.S. Attorney Michael Gill, even after the suspended Atlanta Falcon had agreed to fully cooperate. Vick, for instance, initially refused to admit he took part in the hanging of a dog. He claimed instead that he carried the underperforming dog over to co-conspirator Quanis Phillips, who then hung him. But Phillips had stated that Vick had carried the dog over and after Phillips slipped a noose around its neck, Vick let the dog drop. "He denied having hands on involvement in killing the dogs," Gill said. "He made a false statement; it was a calculated effort to hide the truth." Gill said Vick eventually admitted to killing two dogs, "one by drowning, one by hanging." There was also a failed lie detector test which, while not admissible as evidence, obviously angered Gill who argued (successfully) against any leniency. Vick's repeated performances were apparently so twisted, confusing and inconsistent that everyone wound up believing his codefendants over him, despite the fact they have lengthy criminal records. "These statements are inconsistent with statements by his codefendants," Hudson ruled. "(Vick) hasn't demonstrated the necessary level of candor." If Vick had fully cooperated, told the truth and kept clear of drugs, he could have received as little as 12 months, which with good behavior could have seen him free by next September. Instead he got longer sentences than either of his two former partners (18 and 21 months) despite their prior records and direct responsibilities with Bad Newz Kennels. The sentencing was completely one-sided for the U.S. Attorneys. Vick's lawyers could barely muster a defense, left to argue psychological theories and the appeal of mercy. Vick mustered a short speech, apologizing to some people and admitting "I've used poor judgment," but at that point it didn't appear anyone in power believed him. It was such a whitewash that a proceeding that was predicted to last as long as four hours took a little over 45 minutes. The sentence came down so soon that the expected crowd had just begun to gather outside the courthouse. A group of about 50 people – divided by Vick supporters and animal rights activists – traded signs, songs and arguments but the entire scene was subdued. Vick, it turns out, did almost as much damage to himself with his plea deal as the crime itself. Worse, his performance with the feds can't be reassuring to the NFL. He's done little to show he is a changed man who deserves to be immediately reinstated upon completion of his prison term. Conceivably, Vick could be in a training camp as soon as July 2009, trying to work off the prison rust on what would then be his 29-year-old body. But the league is likely to make him sit an additional year or, who knows, even more. After Monday, his credibility appears to be at zero. "I'm willing to say that should Michael Vick get another chance either in society or the NFL, he will take full advantage of it," Martin said. Perhaps he will. But his last chance didn't go so well. Given every opportunity to make up for his dog-fighting crimes, to live up to his word, to prove to everyone that this was just a lapse in judgment of a good man, he did just about everything wrong. Back in his cell Monday night, that's the part that ought to haunt him the most. Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Judge approves plan for Vick's dogs

Judge approves plan for Vick's dogs

By VERONICA GORLEY CHUFO |247-4741

December 7, 2007

RICHMOND - U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson granted a motion to divvy up Michael Vick's former fighting dogs between eight animal-rescue organizations, including the local Animal Rescue of Tidewater.

In paperwork filed Thursday, Hudson agreed to the recommendations made by the court-appointed guardian for the dogs, Rebecca J. Huss, a law professor at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana. The recommendations included paying the organizations a total of $610,000. Each of the 22 pit bulls deemed likely for adoption by the public after time in a foster home to assess behavior and provide training come with a $5,000 stipend.

Each of the other 25 dogs would come with $20,000. These dogs are "likely to spend a significant amount of time, if not the dog's remaining lifetime, in an environment that would control the dog's interaction with people or other animals while it receives necessary socialization and training," the court papers said. "The need to control a dog's interaction with people is to make certain that a dog that is shy or withdrawn has only positive interactions with people."

After meeting standards of behavior and some time in foster care, most of those dogs could also be adopted by the public, the papers said.

The dogs were seized in April from property Vick, a Newport News native and NFL quarterback, owned in Surry County. Vick is to be sentenced Monday on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge. Two of his co-defendants were already sentenced, and the last co-defendant will be sentenced Dec. 14.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/southofjames/dp-news_vickdogs_1207dec07,0,7002342.story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071130/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_vick_co_defendants

Two Vick co-defendants sentenced

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 7 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Two of fallen NFL star Michael Vick's co-defendants were sentenced Friday to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges.

Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach could have received up to five years in prison — the same maximum Vick faces when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Peace, Phillips and Tony Taylor of Hampton pleaded guilty last summer and agreed to testify against Vick, prompting the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback to enter his own plea agreement a few days later. Taylor will be sentenced Dec. 14.

Peace was sentenced to 18 months and Phillips to 21 months.

"You may have thought this was sporting, but it was very callous and cruel," U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson told Phillips.

Sentencing guidelines called for punishments of 12 to 18 months for Peace and 18 to 24 months for Phillips, who has a more extensive criminal record.

Prosecutors recommended sentences at the low end of the range because of the co-defendants' cooperation. But Hudson said he felt sentences on the high end of the range were appropriate because of the nature of the crime.

Hudson told Peace that he was concerned because a pre-sentencing report quoted Peace as saying he saw he nothing wrong with dogfighting.

All four men also face state charges.

According to court papers, Vick financed virtually the entire "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise at his 15-acre property in Surry County in rural southeastern Virginia and participated in executing several underperforming dogs by drowning, hanging and other means.

Vick publicly apologized for his role in the dogfighting operation and turned himself in Nov. 19 to begin serving his prison term early. He is being held in a state jail in Warsaw, Va.

The case began in April when a drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the Surry County property, where they found dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia.

Vick trial date on state charges set

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_vick_indicted

 

SUSSEX, Va. - A judge on Tuesday scheduled an April 2 trial date for jailed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on two state felony dogfighting charges.

Vick's lawyer, Lawrence Woodward, requested a jury trial during the 5-minute session.

The suspended NFL star did not attend the hearing in Surry County Circuit Court. Vick is being held at a Warsaw, Va., jail after surrendering on Nov. 19 to begin serving time for a federal dogfighting conspiracy conviction.

Vick faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 10 in the federal case.

The two state charges — beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs, and engaging in or promoting dogfighting — also are punishable by up to five years in prison each.

The court also set trial dates of March 5 for co-defendants Quanis L. Phillips and Purnell A. Peace and a May 7 trial for Tony Taylor.

Vick's lawyers have indicated they will fight the state charges on the grounds he can't be convicted twice of the same crime.

Vick and three co-defendants pleaded guilty to the federal charge in U.S. District Court in Richmond. In an Aug. 27 plea agreement, Vick admitted bankrolling a dogfighting enterprise and providing gambling money, as well as helping to kill six to eight dogs.

Ten protesters from the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stood outside the courthouse holding placards with pictures of injured dogs and the messages "Report Dogfighters!" and "Dogs Deserve Justice."

The dogfighting operation known as Bad Newz Kennels operated since 2001 on Vick's 15-acre spread in Surry County. A drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the property, where they found more than 50 pit bulls and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, and he lost several lucrative endorsement deals. Also, an arbitrator has ruled Vick should repay the Falcons nearly $20 million in bonus money.

Local citizens start to discuss pit bulls (McPherson, KS, USA)

Local citizens start to discuss pit bulls

By JIM MISUNAS, Sentinel Editor
Published: Monday, November 26, 2007 4:35 PM CST
E-mail this story | Print this page

Pit bulls were on the minds of several McPherson citizens, who voiced concern today about an ordinance that could prohibit the ownership or keeping of pitbulls and pitbull mixes within the city limits.

A proposed ordinance designed to eventually ban the ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous breeds of dogs within the city limits failed in 2005.

The standards, in the proposed ordinance, for keeping certain dog breeds or other potentially dangerous or vicious dogs include leash requirements, confinement, signs and special collars, insurance, identification photographs, reporting requirements, violations and penalties.

During the public input session at the McPherson City Commission meeting, Else Morris said such an ordinance would be a good idea.

"The question is what is more important -- people or dogs?" she asked. "People are more important. I would like pit bulls to be banned from McPherson."

However, four citizens spoke against an ordinance targeted for a specific breed. They raised the issues of mistaken breeds and irresponsible owners.

"It's the people who should be the targets -- not the dogs," said Aaron Dennett, who owns two registered pit bull terriers. "Punish the deed, not the breed."

Susan Dennett, Aaron's sister-in-law, said pit bulls were not born or trained to fight and are perfectly safe.

Dale Leach also owns a pit bull. He said pit bulls can often be confused as other breeds and just identifying a dog as a certain type can be difficult.

"Bites often happen when animals are chained and they are not socialized," he said.

Carmela Leach, Dale's husband, said overcoming commonly-believed stereotypes of pit bulls is difficult for people who are not familiar with the breed. She said pit bulls have gotten bad reputations because of their "scary" appearance. Limiting the number of dogs and spay/neuter programs can help.

"There are other ways to handle this situation," she said. "We all can do more research."

The commissioners said they will continue to accept public input through phone calls (245-2535) or letters. Commissioners said they will schedule a future study session to review the subject.

Adoptable Dogs!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

12 Vick doggies at Virginia Beach SPCA

 

http://network.bestfriends.org/newjersey/news/20487.html

12 Vick doggies at Virginia Beach SPCA

November 13, 2007 : 6:01 AM

More good news on the Michael Vick dogs……

Posted by George DeGiovanni, Best Friends Network

The Virginia Beach SPCA located at 3040 Holland Road, Virginia Beach, VA, currently has 12 of Michael Vick's dogs at their location.

The dogs were seized on April 26th after a search warrant was served by law enforcement on another matter. The dogs were found to have scars and other tell tale signs of dog fighting.

The Virginia Beach SPCA currently now has 9 Beagles, 2 Rotties, and a Cane Corso. These were turned over to VBSPCA by the HSUS DFO (Disaster Field Operations).

Some of the dogs do have medical issues but they are being treated by the SPCA and there is also behavior and aggression evaluations being done. It is believed that the dogs will be suitable for adoption.

How you can help:

The Virginia Beach SPCA always welcome visitors to their location, whether it is for adopting, volunteering or donating.

Now that they have a new group of residents, donations are more than welcome as is volunteering.

Photo credit: unknown

Safe, Humane Chicago

Chicago Communities Rise Up against Dog Fighting!

Community Activists, Animal Advocates, and Government Leaders Launch Safe, Humane Chicago Initiative

CHICAGO, IL – In one of the most extensive community-wide partnerships formed to address violence in the context of dog fighting, the Dog Advisory Work Group (D.A.W.G.), the Alliance for Community Peace, the Chicago Police Department, and other city agencies, organizations and community advocates gathered today to announce the Safe, Humane Chicago initiative – the most aggressive citywide campaign ever created to reduce the abhorrent practice of dog fighting and other associated violence that exist in many Chicago communities.

In Chicago, as elsewhere, dog fighters and animal abusers are some of the most violent offenders in the criminal justice system. Animal abusers are more likely to commit child abuse, domestic violence and other violent acts against humans. In most cases, children who are exposed to the ruthless violence of dog fighting and animal abuse at a very young age become desensitized to violence, resulting in children that are more likely to grow up and become violent themselves.

"Whether you like dogs or not, this issue is about violence in our communities – and we must put an end to the senseless torture of living creatures and the psychological scars that dog fighting leaves on the kids that witness this brutality," said Reverend Dr. Walter B. Johnson, Jr., Executive Director for the Alliance for Community Peace. "To protect our children, we are calling on the community to get involved to make our streets safer. We cannot just look the other way and let our children become recruits for the gang bangers to mold into violent criminals."

A study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Boston's Northeastern University showed that those who attend dog fights and witness other forms of animal cruelty are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people.

"In Chicago, data shows that 70% of dog-fighting and animal abuse offenders have also been arrested for violent felonies against people. Even more alarming is that 86% of those who have committed crimes against animals have been arrested for multiple violent offenses," said Cynthia Bathurst, Executive Director of D.A.W.G. "Through education, early intervention and community involvement, we believe that we can significantly reduce violence in general by focusing on violence associated with dog fighting. This will create a more humane generation in the years to come."

To achieve this goal, the Safe, Humane Chicago initiative builds alliances between local government, animal and community advocates, humane organizations and the faith-based community. These alliances will partner to conduct animal education programs for both adults and children; develop youth intervention programs to stop these violent crimes before they are committed; work with the criminal justice system; and create open communication lines for community members to report dog fighting and animal abuse crimes to trusted allies that will assist law enforcement in stopping the violence. The program will also teach adults and children the appropriate tools for safe interaction with dogs to avoid bites and attacks. Once established, this program could be used as a model for other cities across the country.

"Bottom line, the real victim of dog fighting is society, said Steve Dale, host of WGN radio's Pet Central and renowned author and activist on animal issues. "Through Safe, Humane Chicago, we can coordinate a movement that will save lives - both canine and human."

Dog Advisory Working Group (D.A.W.G.) is a coalition of individuals and organizations working together to improve conditions for people and companion animals and to help build safe, humane communities.

Help Georgia

Help Us help Georgia! She's a sweet 13 week old puppy with severe demodex mange. The first photo is when she was found and the second photo is how she's doing now. She's come a long way so far but is not out of the woods yet. Her face began to swell this week and it was off to the vet again. Her scrape turned up thousands of mites so not only does she need to continue the oral ivermectin but she requires dips as well along with changing & increasing her antibiotics and antihistamines. We need some help to keep up with her medical expenses!

Georgia will be available to a new home once her skin issues have cleared. We hope that we can find her a loving home that will be kind to her for the rest of her life. Georgia is a sweet chocolate puppy with a white chest. She's very soft in temperament and disposition. She is being crate trained, housebroken and socialized to other pets. She's in a foster home with a male Am Staff and three cats. We hope that she will be ready for a new home within a month or two.

Pit Bull Stands By Owner In Tanker Crash

Pit Bull Stands By Owner In Tanker Crash
Loyalty Proven By Man's Best Friend
POSTED: 2:28 am EDT November 3, 2007

EAST LYME, Conn. -- One canine certainly fulfilled the role of man's best
friend on Friday.

Witnesses described seeing a tanker truck barrel through the median into
oncoming traffic, killing three people and injuring three others on
Interstate 95 in East Lyme late Friday morning. The tanker struck a
tractor-trailer and at least four cars and overturned.


As chaos broke out on I-95, a heroic pit bull remained calm, sitting in the
front seat of a tractor-trailer hit by a tanker truck. As the truck
crumbled, the dog stood tall, staying beside his owner until help arrived.
"I was calling to him, but he was just standing there and just guarding his
person," said Phyllis Martino, a witness at the scene.

The heroic dog stayed right by his owner's side, but arriving firefighters
quickly rushed that badly injured driver to the hospital.

That's when another hero was standing by to step in. Vincent Gagliardi said
the pit bull was frantic as his owner was carried away. So, Gagliardi took
off his belt, ran to the dog, fashioned a leash and got the dog out of
there.

"This guy was still sitting in the passenger seat, and there was diesel
fuel all around, so I took him out of there," Gagliardi said.

Authorities did not release on Friday any identities of those involved in
the crash.

http://www.wfsb.com/news/14502758/detail.html

Neutering myths say more about people than Neutering itself

http://www.thedogsbone.com/articles/28/1/Male-Dog-Neutering-Myths---Say-More-About-People-Than-Neutering/Why-Male-Dog-Neutering-Myths-Say-More-About-People-Than-Neutering.html

Saving Dogfighting's Victims

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20071029_Dogfightings_victims.html

Bust of dog-fighting ring revives debate over pit bulls as pets

http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/163207.html

Bust of dog-fighting ring revives debate over pit bulls as pets
By CHERYL WITTENAUER
Associated Press Writer

For many, the pit bull is the poster dog for danger, a fight-to-the-death
vicious canine that inspires fear and projects macho.

They're behind a growing trend of "dangerous dog" bans and restrictions in
U.S. communities barring certain breeds, and vehement debate about whether
fighters can go on to be pets.

Ledy Vankavage, like other passionate pit bull enthusiasts, said most pits
are "extremely human friendly," little "wiggle butts" that don't deserve the
bad rap they've been given.

Pit bull advocates say even among the dogs unlucky enough to fall into the
hands of people who stage fights between them - like the 25 seized last
weekend in southeast Missouri - some can be saved and placed into homes with
responsible owners. They also admit some cannot.

"They should be judged as individuals, and if they're temperament tested and
found to be sound, they should be re-homed," said Vankavage, a Collinsville,
Ill., lobbyist and attorney for The American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.

"They're just dogs, not werewolves."

Vankavage said her ex-fighter, Che, one of three rescued pit bulls she
adopted, occasionally tussles with the others over chew toys. He also
submits to ear licks and being chased off the bed by her cats.

The Humane Society of Missouri's bust last weekend of a large,
well-organized, professional dog-fighting ring in Stoddard County has
revived the debate over the disposition of such animals, and whether the pit
bull, a term that encompasses the American pit bull terrier, the American
Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier, can be a pet.

The Humane Society of the United States says pit bulls are naturally social,
well-behaved animals content to be part of the pack. But some are
selectively bred for extremely high levels of aggression toward other dogs,
and exploited in illegal and very lucrative fighting rings across the U.S.

Those that demonstrate a willingness to stay in the fight, even while on the
verge of death, are "game dogs" used for fights, loaned out for $1,000 stud
fees, and bred for puppies valued as high as $10,000 each.

Those that don't survive the culling process are killed, often brutally by
electrocution and drowning, as in the Michael Vick case, said John Goodwin,
who oversees animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United
States.

"This desire to kill is completely artificial in what is otherwise a pack
animal," Goodwin said. "To breed for aggression is counter to canine nature
and instinct."

Those that aren't bred for aggression "are the cuddly, well-socialized
companion animals" touted by their advocates, he said.

Goodwin does not believe dogs bred for aggression are adoptable. He
recognizes some may be fine, but predicting is unreliable.

He said criminals put these dogs between a rock and a hard place, and that a
greater effort on rooting out dogfighting and breeding for aggression, would
resolve the issue.

The Humane Society of Missouri takes the position that all animals rescued
from a bad situation deserve a second chance at life.

Tim Rickey, director of rescue and investigation, said the pit bulls seized
last weekend are dog-aggressive, but it's unclear to what extent, yet they
are friendly with humans. They're being evaluated by experts.

However, Rickey said it's dealing with potentially dangerous animals that
cannot be placed with just anyone.

Rickey said his worst fear is placing the dogs where they'd be at risk of
being caught up in another fighting ring.

He said animal fighting is underground and widespread in Missouri, its
perpetrators well networked.

Pit bulls are swamping already overburdened U.S. animal shelters, and
account for a third of new arrivals. Many shelters don't adopt them out,
fearing they will pose a danger or be victimized by criminals.

Instead, many shelters work with pit bull rescue groups that screen and
temperament test the dogs and carefully decide if and with whom they are
placed. Grand champion fighters are often euthanized or sent to sanctuaries.

On the other hand, "I've known dogs that come out of the ring and want
nothing more than a hug," said Marcy Setter, education director for Pit Bull
Rescue Central, an online adoption site, founded in Missouri.

She said rescued pit bulls have been used for search and rescue, bomb
detection and other services.

In the Michael Vick case, experts have determined that some of the seized
dogs have placement potential.

Amy Nash, an animal control officer in Peculiar, south of Kansas City,
volunteers with Missouri Pit Bull Rescue. She said pit bulls are U.S.
shelters' "death row dogs" that would be destroyed if not for rescue
efforts. Currently, she's doing temperament testing with Justice, a "poor
little shell of a thing," that was "wandering around Kansas City, beat up."

Alice Moon-Fanelli, an animal behaviorist at Tufts University, said she's
seen "as many pit bulls with separation anxiety as with aggression.

"I'm not part of the doggie racism movement that generalizes on all these
breed bans," she said.

"There are plenty of good dogs, good breeders, bad dogs and bad breeders.
Pit bulls get such a bad rap because when they do damage, they're so
powerful. But how many pit bulls never do any damage?"

Karen Delise, founder of the National Canine Research Council, said the
question isn't whether dogs seized from a fight can be placed in a home.

It's whether the people who have profited and taken pleasure from their
suffering can be rehabilitated before their release to the community.

"What guarantees their behavior will be acceptable to people who live around
them and the animals who encounter them?" she asked. "That's the disturbing
part."

© 2007 Belleville News-Democrat and wire service sources.
All Rights Reserved. http://www.belleville.com

From near death to top dog

http://www.king5.com/video/featured-index.html?nvid=185937

 

A Washington State Patrol drug detection dog has just received a prestigious award. Rob Piercy reports.

Records show many years of problems

More on the owners of the dogs from the Gig Harbor incident -

 

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/183523.html

Records show many years of problems

M. ALEXANDER OTTO; The News Tribune

Published: October 20th, 2007 01:00 AM

Almost three years before a neighbor's pit bulls attacked and seriously injured Sue Gorman, other dogs from the same Key Peninsula house menaced a 15-month-old girl.

Jaidenn Foster was with her mother, Jenna, in the front yard of the family home Sept. 7, 2004, when she said a chocolate Labrador retriever named Mocha and a German shepherd mix named Daisy came into the yard.

"She tried to pet them," Jenna Foster said in a recent interview. "They pushed her down."

The girl ran screaming for her mother, and the dogs pursued her, Foster said. She made it a few feet, then fell and scratched her face and a knee before her mother scooped her up and ran into the house. Jaidenn's father, Howard Foster, ran out of the house with his son and chased the dogs off, he said.

Jaidenn wasn't the only one who had close calls with dogs from Shellie Wilson's house long before Gorman was attacked in her home and a neighbor boy's Jack Russell terrier killed Aug. 21.

According to Pierce County records obtained by The News Tribune, animal control officers cited Wilson twice in 1998 at her previous residence and made 16 visits to her current home since 1999 for dog complaints from at least eight neighbors.

They cited Wilson a total of 10 times for roaming or unlicensed dogs.

But the anger of neighbors and repeat visits from county animal control officers didn't solve the problem.

"I'm not surprised" someone was finally hurt, Howard Foster said recently.

Wilson – who with her son, Zach Martin, 18, pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal charges in connection with the attack on Gorman – admitted to The News Tribune that there have been problems.

But she said her neighbors are exaggerating, the records might have some inaccuracies and that other neighbors' dogs run free sometimes, too.

"Dogs get out. I don't know what else to say," Wilson said. "It's not like we haven't attempted" to keep them confined.

Wilson also said she's been busy working two to three jobs to make ends meet, raising her son and caring for a one-time boyfriend seriously hurt in a construction accident in 2004.

"With priorities like that, I didn't really care about the neighbors or the dogs," said Wilson, 45.

Martin's name appears only once in the records as the owner of one of the pit bulls that attacked Gorman, but Wilson's name appears again and again as the person who wouldn't or couldn't keep the dogs behind a fence or on a leash.

County documents show that since 1999, Wilson has owned a series of dogs that attacked other people's pets and threatened neighbors. The records also show that the dogs were allowed to roam, and that when the animals were impounded, Wilson got others.

They also contain numerous complaints from neighbors that Wilson's dogs were neglected.

Warnings and citations did no good. The dog problems continued for almost a decade, the records show.

"I look at the many times we have been here and I wonder what it will take for this dog owner to start being more responsible," Patrice Aarhaus wrote on Oct. 2, 2004. Aarhaus, at the time an animal control officer, had impounded Mocha and Daisy, not for the near-attack on Jaidenn Foster but because the animals were roaming and disturbing neighbors.

Just two weeks earlier, Wilson had told animal control that she'd gotten rid of the dogs. She wouldn't answer the door on Oct. 1, according to records.

"All of the neighbors in the entire cul-de-sac have spoken to the owner at one time or another about the dogs, to no avail," Aarhaus wrote.

Aarhaus was one of at least six officers to visit Wilson's property over the years. On that day, she wrote Wilson four tickets totaling $412.

"I cited them on whatever I could just to hammer them," Aarhaus said recently. "More than one person came up to me and said they were sick of this."

However, the tickets and two others issued a little over a year ago for $206 were never paid, according to Pierce County District Court workers, and have been turned over to the county's collection service.

Howard Foster and other neighbors said animal control should have done more.

"They are people who shouldn't be allowed to have dogs because they don't know how to take care of them," he said.

Under current rules, Aarhaus said, animal control officers can't prevent someone from getting a dog unless there's a record of animal cruelty, which was never alleged against Wilson.

The only other options are citations and impoundments, even when they don't work.

"There needs to be some kind of (law) that (irresponsible owners) are not allowed to have dogs for a certain number of years," Aarhaus said.

The Tacoma City Council is considering changing the city's animal control ordinance along those lines. Under the proposed change, pet owners who commit three or more animal control violations in a 24-month period could be declared "problem pet owners" and be made to give up their animals.

DANGEROUS SITUATIONS

Howard Foster's call about the near-attack on his daughter in 2004 wasn't his first complaint to animal control. Twice in 2001, he reported that dogs from Wilson's home had come onto his yard and tried to attack his dog, according to records. They chased his wife, growling when she tried to shoo them off, he said.

Foster said he never received the forms he requested from animal control to start "dangerous dog" proceedings against Wilson.

He moved his family out of the neighborhood in 2005, in part, he said, to get away from the dog problems.

"I just got sick and tired of it," he said.

He was always angry, Jenna Foster said, "because our kids (could not) go outside. Our son wanted to skateboard," but the dogs would chase him.

Another neighbor, Ken Wick, agreed that Wilson and her son shouldn't own dogs.

"It's obvious they don't know how to contain a dog, or have a lack of interest," he said.

Wick has had his own run-in with Wilson's dogs.

On Aug. 31, 2006, he pulled up into his driveway and two pit bulls from her house cornered him in his garage, he said. He shot at them with a BB gun and yelled for his wife to get his shotgun, but she couldn't find the shells.

They ran off when Wick's wife, Louise, came out of the house and yelled at them, she said.

The dogs charged Wick after having blocked Brad King and William Wold in their house across the street for an hour and half, according to records and King.

"Brad opened the side door to the garage and there were two pit bull dogs, one male, one female," Wold wrote in a statement to animal control.

King said that the dogs might have been after the food he kept in his garage for his papillon, Toby, whose jaw was crippled in an attack by one of Wilson's dogs and another neighborhood dog in 2004.

The pit bulls "started to bark and lunge at us," Wold wrote. "We shut the door. The dogs went around the back and barked at us through the patio door."

By the time animal control officer Tim Anderson arrived, they were gone.

"I contacted (Wilson), who admitted the dogs frequently get loose and run at large," Anderson stated in his report on the incident. "She was unsure of the exact current location of both dogs."

He wrote her a ticket for "animals at large" and another for "license required," totaling $206. They haven't been paid.

Other neighbors have had problems, too.

Ricky Russell, whose dog, Romeo, was killed by dogs from the Wilson house during the attack on Gorman, was almost attacked by one of the pit bulls from her house Feb. 22 as he rode a scooter in front of his house, records show.

"The pit bull charged up (to the boy) and almost attacked him," the records state. "When the baby sitter yelled at the dog to go home, it started getting closer and started barking."

The sitter was eventually able to drive the dog off.

DOGS BEING DOGS

Wilson's neighbors don't blame her dogs. They say the animals were just doing what dogs do when left on their own: form a pack, get territorial and scavenge for food. Sometimes it's worse, said Aarhaus, the animal control officer.

When neglected and left to wander, "you set dogs up for being chased at, kicked and hit with rocks," she said. So with every stranger, they start to think, "I'm going to attack before they get me."

Records show that at least seven dogs have stayed at Wilson's house since 1999 – Buck, Lucy and Mocha, Labrador retrievers; Daisy, the German shepherd mix; Bertha, a springer spaniel; and Betty and Tank, the pit bulls that attacked Gorman and the Jack Russell terrier.

Neighbors say there have been puppies, too, and dogs brought by people who lived with Wilson and her son temporarily.

"They always had new dogs there," Jenna Foster said. "You felt sorry for the dogs. They were hungry."

Sue Nelson, an animal lover with dogs of her own, lives next door to Wilson and made neglect reports about her to animal control five times since 2000.

She called once in 2000 to report dogs in her garbage looking for food, twice in 2001 to report dogs left for days without food or water, once in 2002 about dogs from Wilson's running lose, and once in 2006 to report that Wilson had left a dog in heat tied up outside, drawing male dogs like flies.

"Shellie says dogs can take care of themselves, but they can't," Nelson said in a recent interview.

The weekend before the attack on Gorman, Tank and Betty had been left in Wilson's back yard, Nelson said.

Tank, who was destroyed by the Humane Society on Sept. 25, "was out in that yard, tied up to the deck, with no cover," she said. "It poured rain two of those days."

Betty, who remains at the Humane Society as evidence in the Gorman attack, was loose in the yard, Nelson said.

"They were back there crying and crying," she said. "I wanted to take them out of there and over here."

Neighbor Wick and his wife, Louise, called animal control three times about Wilson's dogs running loose and tearing up garbage.

"You'd see them barking at the fence, yapping, lonely, looking for somebody," Ken Wick said.

There was a wire fence around Wilson's backyard held down with stakes, but neighbors said it wasn't secure. After one animal control visit, Nelson said, Martin, Wilson's son, rolled big logs in front of a gap, but dogs continued to get out.

Nelson and Jenna Foster remember dogs getting their heads stuck while trying to get out under Wilson's fence.

Sometimes, they'd come over to Nelson's house for food, and sleep on her front yard, the couple said. Other times, the dogs would roam.

NO MORE DOGS

Wilson told The News Tribune she had dogs because "we love them" and "need watchdogs." But she said she doesn't plan to have any more after the attack on Gorman.

"I don't think it's fair to the neighbors and (it's) not good for the dogs," she said.

Meanwhile, Gorman has hired an attorney and is planning to sue Wilson, and perhaps others, said her friend Leana Beasley.

M. Alexander Otto: 253-597-8616

alex.otto@thenewstribune.com

Iris!

Fwd: **BSL ALERT** Forsyth County, North Carolina

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Please send your polite and respectful opposition to breed specific
legislation to the Forsyth County officials listed below. Please also
send them viable alternatives to a breed specific ordinances. Jodi

Forsyth County, North Carolina

Board of Commissioners
201 N. Chestnut St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 703-2020
(336) 727-8446 FAX
Contact Form: http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/commissioners/contactus.aspx

Forsyth County
Government Center
201 North Chestnut Street
Winston Salem NC, 27101

County Manager
201 N. Chestnut St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 703-2020
(336) 727-8446 FAX

Forsyth to study problem of aggressive dogs
Aggressive breeds draw residents' complaints

By Blair Goldstein
JOURNAL REPORTER

Give your opinion on this story

Becky Hutchinson said last night that three dead cats were enough to
send her neighbors into a panic.

Hutchinson, an eight-year veteran of the neighborhood watch at Gordon
Manor off Country Club Road, said that the pets were killed this
summer by two pit bulls who have been wandering the streets around her
house.

After hearing from Hutchinson, Forsyth County commissioners asked the
county fs Animal Control Advisory Board to research the extent of
aggressive dogs in the county and to come up with potential solutions.

The animal-control board started that discussion at a public meeting.
The commissioners will consider any of its recommendations.

Every time the dogs appeared, dead cats were left behind, h Hutchinson
said. We are so concerned for seniors and children. I have hundreds of
people that are afraid to walk right now. h

Tim Jennings, the director of the county fs animal-control department,
said that the board will debate many different solutions, from banning
certain aggressive dog breeds to imposing higher licensing fees for
certain dogs.

Jennings said that there are 11 breeds of dogs that insurance
companies commonly label as aggressive, including pit bulls, Doberman
pinschers and Rottweilers.

He said that these aggressive dogs can cause public-safety issues and
consume public resources.

For example, the county fs animal shelter took in about 780 pit bulls
last year. Of those dogs, 82 percent were euthanized.

To a certain extent, yes, this is a problem, h Jennings said.

People have the right to use public sidewalks without having to worry,
eIs this dog dangerous?

Hutchinson and several of her neighbors told the animal-control board
about their problems with aggressive dogs.

Some told stories about how their cats were killed in their backyards
by pit bulls. Another woman said she was knocked down by a Rottweiler
that was attacking her Yorkie.

I certainly don't think they are the only ones that are having this
problem, said Jennifer Tierney, a member of the animal-control board.
I think there is just a real issue about aggressive animals in this
community, and animals running at large.

Forsyth County fs ordinances are based on a complaint system, Jennings
said. Dogs are assumed harmless unless evidence can prove otherwise.

Though some animals, such as lions or venomous snakes, are banned, no
breed of dog is singled out for special rules.

Board members were given copies of other states' laws to learn how
other communities have dealt with problems with aggressive dogs.

Jennings said that many proponents of these breed-specific laws argue
that they help improve public safety. Opponents, he said, argue that
they penalize dogs and responsible dog owners rather than penalizing
irresponsible dog owners.

The animal-control board will continue debating the issue until it has
a recommendation to pass on to commissioners.

Gloria Whisenhunt, the chairwoman of the board of commissioners, said
she is looking forward to receiving the group's suggestions.

To me, it fs just a public-safety issue, Whisenhunt said. I just
believe people should feel safe in their neighborhoods.

Blair Goldstein can be reached at 727-7284 or at bgoldstein@wsjournal.com.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353171725

--
Amy

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.
If we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
~ Anne Bradstreet ~

San Antonio

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/stories/MYSA100707.03H.landa_.20caa2f.html

Victor Landa: Blaming the dog for master's misdeeds

Web Posted: 10/06/2007 05:00 PM CDT

San Antonio Express-News

Let me start by saying that in the deeply divisive and highly partisan matter of cat persons versus dog persons, I am squarely on the side of dogs. I am a dog person, always have been.

 

Let me also say that in the matter of pit bull terriers, I am emphatically in favor of harsh and decisive penalties when they are raised to be aggressive.

There is a well-worn adage that it's not news if a dog bites man. But on Sept. 28, when a pit bull attacked two 9-year-old girls playing on their front lawn, the incident was noticed by all the local news outlets.

 

Maybe the media attention was stirred by the fact that two little girls were the victims of the attack. Along with babies, the elderly and the handicapped, little girls are perceived to be among the most defenseless among us. So when two 9-year-olds are attacked, in their own neighborhood, we become collectively incensed.

 

A word now about pit bulls. I will always defend the noble nature of dogs, regardless of breed. Our family includes a Jack Russell terrier that has the run of the house. So I know that dogs, when properly and responsibly cared for, will give undying loyalty and companionship.

Pit bulls are no exception. But I also know that specific dog breeds were developed for specific purposes. And in the case of pit bulls, they were bred to be aggressive.

 

It's believed that pit bulls are descendants of mastiffs, which caught the attention of Roman emperors who favored them as war dogs. These mastiffs cross-bred throughout Europe and eventually became favored by butchers who used them to keep cattle under control. That bulldog lineage was crossed with the terrier, known for its persistence and focus. It is said that one dog could keep a bull in check by relentlessly biting at it and pestering it.

That trait, as human beings would have it, became spectacle, and the dogs were pitted against all manner of animals for the entertainment of the spectators. That practice is said to have included rats that were dropped into a pit, and the dogs were made to compete for time and quantity of rats killed.

Sometimes the dogs were pitted against each other, and it was considered great sport. Hence the name pit bull. This is hardly the heritage of a hunting dog or a herder whose instincts are honed and honored to benefit its master.

 

The easy thing is to blame the dog for its aggressiveness. As if the animal had a choice. And it's hard to deny the fighting nature of this breed which, to this day, is victimized in cruel sport. We have the recent and highly publicized case of NFL quarterback Michael Vick, whose career has been seriously affected by his penchant for dogfighting.

 

Vick bred the dogs and organized the fights on his expansive property. He is now having to reckon with the law and has lost all his commercial endorsements.

 

So we can't solely blame an animal for its nature, especially when we know that dogs also have a naturally tender side. The law is clear on this: Domesticated animals are the responsibility of their owner. This is why we have leash laws. But even then, as happened last month, dogs can breech their leashes.

 

I must add that in the case of pit bulls, the dogs are twice maligned. First, they are made to be aggressive; some owners ignore their more noble nature and raise them in conditions that foster their fighting spirit.

 

Second, they've become media villains. Pit bulls are not the most frequent aggressors against humans. I believe that distinction belongs to Rottweilers. But pit bulls have been characterized in the media as a symbol of a scrappy nature. It doesn't help that some owners favor these dogs precisely because of their tendency to be aggressive.

 

What doesn't make sense to me is why some people will breed and nurture pit bulls to be aggressive with no other purpose than aggressiveness itself. If just for the sake of the two 9-year-old girls, this kind of irresponsibility should be forcibly deterred.

 

A Pit Bull's Prayer

A Pit Bull's Prayer

I ask for the privilege of not being born ...

not to be born until you can assure me of a home and a master to protect me,

and the right to live as long as I am physically able to enjoy life ...

not to be born until my body is precious and men have ceased to exploit it because it is cheap and plentiful.
~ Author Unknown ~

Come see our new designs

http://www.cafepress.com/ascpbr/3759562

ALERT - Second Atlanta Falcons Player! - Animal cruelty killed Pit Bull

Another Atlanta Falcons Player Faces Animal Cruelty Charges

Urge prosecutor to seek maximum penalty for Jonathan Babineaux

The indictment of NFL quarterback Michael Vick for dogfighting has made international headlines , but he ' s not the only Atlanta Falcons player facing animal cruelty charges. Back in February 2007 , authorities accused Vick ' s teammate Jonathan Babineaux of killing his girlfriend ' s pit bull mix Kilo , who died from severe head trauma. Perhaps because Babineaux is less famous than Vick—he is a defensive tackle filling in for an injured player—and because the case involves the death of only one dog , this story has not received very much coverage in the media.

Authorities claim Babineaux killed Kilo by smashing his head in after an argument with Kilo ' s guardian , Babineaux ' s girlfriend Blair Anderson. Babineaux claims the death was unintentional , because a dog trainer instructed him to swing Kilo by his leash if he acted aggressively , and that he accidentally slammed the dog ' s head into a wall while doing so. Soon after his arrest , police released Babineaux on $2 , 300 bail , and he now faces felony charges of animal cruelty. A conviction could send him to prison for up to five years and cost him $15 , 000 in fines.

With two players facing animal cruelty charges , the Falcons are becoming known as a franchise that tolerates brutality against dogs -- especially because the team has taken no action. Babineaux played in the Falcon ' s season opener on Sunday , September 9th , and the team has made no move thus far to suspend him pending the outcome of his trial. Michael Vick is not playing for the Falcons at this time because he has been indefinitely suspended from the NFL. However , the Falcons refuse to kick him off the team , even though he has pleaded guilty to the charges against him. If convicted of dogfighting , he could be banned from the league for life.

What You Can Do

Please contact District Attorney Danny Porter and politely encourage him to prosecution Jonathan Babineaux to the fullest extent of the law if he is found guilty of animal cruelty for Kilo ' s death.

Gwinnett County District Attorney
Danny J. Porter
Gwinnett Co. Justice & Admin Center
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville , Georgia 30045
Tel: (770) 822-8400
Fax: (770) 822-8465
Website: www.co.gwinnett. ga.us

Owner of Labrador Retriever charged for owning a "pit bull"

This story was forwarded!  Just lets people know that no dog owner is safe no matter what kind of dog they own.

 

Please click on the link below to read the story of a Thornhill woman charged under DOLA for owning a "pit bull". Please crosspost!
http://wagthedog.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/9/25/3253427.html
 
Be reminded that it is up to you to prove your dog is not a "pit bull" when questioned, it is not up to authorities to prove that it is. The only requirement in most breed specific legislation is for someone to say that your dog is or looks like a pit bull to actually make it so.  To make sure this does not happen we need to lobby for stricter non breed specific dangerous dog laws that hold the owner responsible but do not blame one particular type of dog.  We all know that all dogs can bite and that every breed has undesirable dogs within that breed and there are plenty of irresponsible owners.
 

 

 

http://www.startribune.com/389/story/1435849.html

Her pit's 'a lover,' not a fighter, owner says

Photo by Carlos Gonzalez , Star Tribune

Dottie Michel

Pit bulls have an undeserved reputation as violent, says a defender of the breed, who wants owners under more scrutiny.

By Kim Ode, Star Tribune

Last update: September 23, 2007 – 12:11 AM

When Dottie Michel was hospitalized with kidney and liver failure, her mother wasn't wild about taking in her pit bull. The young dog intimidated her, with eyes that glowed like amber and a physique as hard as diamonds.

Appearances proved deceiving.

"She was just a lover," said Dottie's mom, Dorothy Michel, who lives in Jordan. "My husband started calling her Underfoot because that's where she always was -- underfoot."

Spend some time with Dottie, 37, and her pit bull, Bailey, now 3, and the image of the homicidal canine seems the stuff of yesterday's headlines. With the delicacy of a kiss, Bailey takes one Cheeto after another from the hand of 2-year-old Jordan, who's visiting. The family kitten sleeps on Bailey's tummy. "She's my baby girl," said Dottie, who lives in Carver.

But it was one of those headlines that prompted Dottie to e-mail the newspaper as "a proud pitbull owner." She wrote that she is one of many savvy owners who are being tarnished by those less responsible whenever a tragedy involves the breed. Earlier this summer, a pit bull chained to a pole in a Minneapolis family's basement killed their 7-year-old son. The dog had previously attacked the boy and two adults, according to Hennepin County officials.

"I wish someone would do a story about the good, loving pits!" she wrote. OK then, Dottie, start us off:

"I feel for the family, but with a dog tied in the basement, well, you know, yeah," she said, as if such an outcome were too obvious for words. "If Bailey were to bite somebody, like how that little boy got attacked, I'd be the first one to put her down."

Granted, that's easy to say when your dog hasn't bitten anyone -- which, happily, is most dog owners' experience. There are more than 68 million pet dogs and 301 million people in the United States. Dogs of all breeds bite more than 4.7 million people nationwide each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of those, about 360,000 need emergency room treatment; about half of those are children.

Both Michels are somewhere in those statistics. "I got bit by a Yorkshire terrier," Dorothy said. Added Dottie: "I got bit by a wiener dog."

They laughed at the irony of these little yappers taking their toll in the face of calls to ban the pit bull breed. Then, more seriously, they said it's better to consider banning certain owners.

"Why don't they check these people out more, like they do for guns, when they want to buy a pit bull?" Dorothy asked. Dottie said she spent hours from puppyhood onward socializing Bailey, bringing her everywhere to make her at ease around people. "She was with me always," she said. As she spoke, Jordan, the toddler, dropped the metal tube of a broken wind chime on the kitchen floor. Clang! Bailey, lounging under the table, never flinched.

Still, Dottie knows that she's one irresponsible dog owner away from trouble. She's alert to other dogs coming near, whether on the sidewalk or at her son's ballgames. Pit bulls were bred to fight other dogs, she said, so their aggressiveness is more directed to those with four legs than with two.

Still, the question remains: Why -- given all the breeds of dogs -- would you choose one that comes with so much baggage? Well, she didn't, actually. Bailey was a gift from a former husband who raised pit bulls. Now, though, she wouldn't have it any other way. "I love her stocky build, I love her stocky head, I love her muscles, I love her butt," Dottie said. "Yes, they are more aggressive. Yes, they have those muscles. Yes, they have that jaw. If I saw her come charging at me, I'd be afraid of her."

But that, ahem, is the point. When a stranger comes to the door, Bailey growls. Some neighbors have called the police, frightened off the sidewalk when Bailey barks. Yet on one recent afternoon, two teenage girls strolled the perimeter of the corner lot, provoking no reaction.

Dottie, who works at a technology company in Chaska and part-time at a kennel, also has two parakeet pairs, two cats, another puppy and a "teenage" dog that's half-pit, a quarter-lab and a quarter-St. Bernard that she took in from a co-worker overwhelmed by its energy. She's trying to find it a good home. Would that other overwhelmed pit owners knew when to call it quits, she said.

And don't even get her started on Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who pleaded guilty to being involved with illegal dog-fighting. Or on Whoopi Goldberg, who tried to defend Vick as being from the Deep South, where dog fighting is more common.

"She said he was 'cultured' that way," Dottie said. "Well, that's just what I'm saying: You can 'culture' those dogs that way, too. But if a dog is properly treated and socialized, they are very loyal and kind dogs."

Kim Ode • 612-673-7185

Kim Ode • kimode@startribune.com