DICKSON, Tenn. -- When someone says "pit bull," many people think of dogs that are aggressive.
Eleven: Eleven Bully Rescue & Safe Haven in Dickson seeks to change that image as they look for homes for nearly a dozen dogs rescued from a fighting ring in Kentucky.
For Jason Ayers, rescuing these dogs is a labor of love. This year, he's hoping for a Christmas miracle for the pooches.
About two weeks ago, Eleven: Eleven Bully Rescue took in 11 pit bulls that had been seized from an alleged pit bull fighting ring in Graves County, Ky.
Ayers said many of the dogs had been fought, scratched and scarred. Most of them were emaciated, malnourished and hadn't received any vaccinations or shots.
On Sunday, the dogs got a taste of a kinder world while sitting pretty atop the adoption mobile in the Dickson Christmas Parade.
Finding a home that fits isn't always easy. Ayers has to perform background checks on possible parents to make sure the dog doesn't fall back into the wrong hands.
Ayers also has to change the pit bull's image.
"They think, 'Oh, they're going to attack me, kill me,'" Ayers said. "That's not the case at all."
Little Maya, one of the dogs from the fight ring, is the only dog currently available for adoption. The remaining 10 dogs are being tested and retrained, and should be available in two to three weeks.
Ayers said once he trains the dogs against fighting, they are not aggressive and can walk with other dogs.
If you think a rescued pit would make the perfect Christmas present, visit the Eleven: Eleven Bully Rescue & Safe Haven Web site.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Adopt Greta!!
Greta is a magnificent girl who is waiting patiently for her forever home. Greta has tons of personality, and wants nothing more than to stay by your side. She follows her foster mom everywhere, and LOVES to go for car rides. If I go to get anything out of the car, Greta will hop in and sit in the passenger seat patiently wagging her tail, ready to go. She rides wonderfully, and loves to gaze out the window as we are riding.
She loves to play fetch, and will go and get her "toy" on command and bring to you for endless games of fetch. When she is very excited, she will get her toy and run to you and show you just how fast she can shake the toy in her mouth while galloping around. She has PERFECT house manners, and is not in the least bit destructive. Greta does not like being crated, but there is no need for her to be-her manners inside are wonderful.
Greta is almost perfect on a leash, she pulls a little but not comparable to any of her foster siblings. She is a very affectionate girl and is content to relax on the couch with you, while giving hugs and kisses. Her pictures do NOT do her justice.
Greta is dog-aggressive, as some dogs are, and will be placed as an ONLY dog-no exceptions. Greta will only be placed in a home with previous bully experience. We are working on her reactiveness to her foster siblings and she is making tremendous progress. She wants to please, and is an extremely intelligent girl.
If you are interested in learning more about this beauty, email Jessica at
mastiffsj@yahoo.com.
Officials: little progress in dogfighting probe
The Associated Press
PADUCAH, Ky. -- Investigators in western Kentucky say there's been little progress in an investigation of a possible dogfighting ring in the area.
McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden told The Paducah Sun that multiple tips have come in, but few have led anywhere.
The investigation stems from the discovery of 72 pit bulls in two places in Graves County on Nov. 5. The next day, McCracken County authorities found 11 dead pit pulls that had been shot in the head in Clark's River. In both cases, Hayden said, the dogs had scars consistent with fighting.
Two people, 27-year-old Amy DeBerry and 29-year-old Joanal DeBerry were arrested on 30 felony counts of cruelty to animals. The DeBerrys, who owned the dogs, are due back in Graves District Court on Wednesday.
Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com
PADUCAH, Ky. -- Investigators in western Kentucky say there's been little progress in an investigation of a possible dogfighting ring in the area.
McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden told The Paducah Sun that multiple tips have come in, but few have led anywhere.
The investigation stems from the discovery of 72 pit bulls in two places in Graves County on Nov. 5. The next day, McCracken County authorities found 11 dead pit pulls that had been shot in the head in Clark's River. In both cases, Hayden said, the dogs had scars consistent with fighting.
Two people, 27-year-old Amy DeBerry and 29-year-old Joanal DeBerry were arrested on 30 felony counts of cruelty to animals. The DeBerrys, who owned the dogs, are due back in Graves District Court on Wednesday.
Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com
I rescued a human today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor, peering apprehensively into
the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my
tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel, I blocked her view from a little accident I had in
the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked
today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get busy and I didn't want her to think
poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card, I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my
past. I only have the future to look forward to, and want to make a difference
in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at
me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear
fell down her cheek, and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I Instantly jumped
into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by
her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and
sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there
who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could
save one.
I rescued a human today...
the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my
tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel, I blocked her view from a little accident I had in
the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked
today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get busy and I didn't want her to think
poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card, I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my
past. I only have the future to look forward to, and want to make a difference
in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at
me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear
fell down her cheek, and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I Instantly jumped
into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by
her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and
sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there
who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could
save one.
I rescued a human today...
McKamey Center Disappoints Again
posted November 22, 2008
Click to Enlarge
I recently called the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center because of a stray puppy that I found in my neighborhood. I went into the call hoping that they would disprove all of the negative publicity they've received regarding bringing animals in and be extremely helpful. I'm sorry to say that I, too, had a terrible experience and am disappointed that this is the facility that we rely on to help with animal control.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, I found a female hound mix running close to Main Street near downtown Chattanooga with a blue collar, but no identification. I put her in my car and took her to the vet to see if she had been microchipped.
Unfortunately, she hadn't so I decided to board her (which required getting her first set of shots) and then emailed Luther, put an ad on Craigslist and sent an email to our neighborhood listserve with her picture and information. She was obviously someone's pet, but had been loose for awhile because she was so hungry and skinny. I decided to wait a few days to see if I would find her home before calling McKamey because I know they're over crowded.
I never did get a response to my ads, so this Friday I called McKamey to see about bringing her down there. When I called in the morning, a female employee had an approach that was like she had a chip on her shoulder. I've worked in the animal care field before and have a bachelor's degree in Animal Science – Companion Animal Management, so I understand the frustration that these workers face. I also know that they do care for animals, but even with these considerations in mind, I found her approach to be atrocious. When I worked in the animal shelter field, I had the same animosity that she's feeling, but I set it aside, particularly when I talked to someone who was going out of their way to find a stray dog's home.
I was told by this person that I couldn't bring the dog down because they are not open on Fridays and Saturdays and that the doors would be locked. Apparently, Fridays and Saturdays are their catch up days. I would have to wait until Sunday to bring her to them. However, being that I am boarding this dog, I can't pick her up on Sunday from the vet's office meaning that I will have to wait a total of four days to bring this dog to them. She then told me that "people try and be nice and have a good heart, but they should really never pick up a stray dog. It should be left alone and that an Animal Services truck may have time to come and get it. However, they may not get there in time to catch it."
She kept repeating that stray dogs (and companion animals) should never be picked up by citizens, that the shelter is over capacity and that the stray animals are better roaming around.
This employee's statements were a direct contradiction to those made by Lou McKenzie, (a McKamey volunteer and someone who answers calls at reception) in a "letter to the editor" published on the same day I called. In her letter, Lou McKenzie states that "There are so many calls from the public asking field to provide an emergency response. Until we get the overpopulation of animals under control with spay/neuter, and citizens help take on emergency response for animals, there will continue to be animals who suffer and die."
I'm this citizen that Lou McKenzie is describing – I "help(ed) take on an emergency response for (this) animal", took her to a vet to be checked and did my part to find her a home without asking Animal Services to do a single thing. I even offered to bring it by the shelter so that Animal Services wouldn't have to come and get it. Also, according the McKamey website, only owner-surrender dogs have to make an appointment to drop a dog off, yet the employee kept trying to schedule me an appointment for Sunday.
By leaving this dog to wander around, not only would I be running the risk of it being hit by a car on a busy street, but I would also be letting a female dog continue roam, not knowing if it had been spayed yet (potentially creating more dogs to roam). This approach that their employee suggested seems a little backwards to the city's and McKamey's solution to the crisis of companion animal over-population. If I had found it right then and called, she said they would try and get someone to pick it up, even on a Friday when they're closed to public drop offs. Since I had waited a week, she couldn't help me.
Basically, McKamey had an option – they could dispatch an officer (or two) using man power, resources, and gas to go pick up the same stray animal that I was offering to bring to them so that they could use their resources where they would be needed more. I guess with an operating budget of $1.8 million, you can waste money and hope that no one catches on.
The employee also stated that McKamey is more available than "that other shelter" and that I couldn't take it there anyway because of where I live. I completely understand the jurisdiction laws, yet she continued to say that "the other shelter" only has "room for 100 animals and that they're over capacity". I researched this "other shelter" through local news websites and found that they can house 550-600 animals (same as McKamey) and are currently also at capacity, all with an annual operating budget $600,000 less than McKamey.
This "other shelter" is open to admissions only eight hours fewer than McKamey each week, but they are open to admissions on Fridays and Saturdays – something McKamey is not. This woman was doing everything in her power to bad mouth and tell me lies about "the other shelter" but failed to provide any helpful information about what McKamey could do to help this stray dog at this moment (apparently she didn't see the Lou McKenzie letter). Didn't the employee's instructions go directly against the shelter's mission on their website "to inspire and educate our citizens toward an awareness and compassion for all living beings"? After that phone call I didn't feel "inspired" or "educated" about what I should do with this animal. I felt like the very shelter I'm required to use, that promotes animal welfare and compassion, left me feeling cold and abandoned, just like the dog that I should have "left where I found it".
It's unfortunate that a new, state-of-the art companion animal care facility isn't using its exorbitant budget in a way that actually coincides with their stated mission. It's also unfortunate that they have employees who choose to spread lies about other facilities to cover up their own lack of abilities and internal confusion. She basically said, you found a stray animal, tried to take care of it and find it a home, but we're not available to help you today or tomorrow, so you're on your own – next time leave it alone.
I've attached a picture of the dog in case someone recognizes it as their own or is interested in adopting her.
Katie Smith
Chattanooga
* * *
The McKamey Animal Shelter is a fine organization that is working hard to take care of our area’s neglected and surrendered animals. It doesn't take much to make people feel good about themselves. Kindness is its own reward.
We find an animal, give it a little attention, and take it to a shelter. Then that is it, for us. We don't know what happens next and we try not to think about it. That is only the beginning. I do not want to detract from the lady who was disappointed, she sounds like a knowledgeable animal caregiver; however, when it comes to stray animals if you are in for a penny you need to be in for a pound. If you are a good temporary foster, then why not hold the puppy or kittens until the shelter's schedule day comes. The McKamey shelter had a cat and kitten adoption party a week or so ago that was really successful.
The old shelter downtown needs to be redone, and it is not their fault. They have been in a constant state of being hammered for years. There needs to be more unity between the two. There are two different philosophies at work. The McKamey Animal Shelter and the fine veterinarian in charge of it seem to be dedicated to the care and placement of pets with a little personal responsibility for the person who surrenders pets.
This is a complicated issue. If you want quick and easy go to a drive-thru, or just pick them up, give them a little attention, drop them off, and forget about them as we have done before.
John Moore
* * *
I thought it was just me but I see it is not. My son recently called McKamey to get info on giving up some puppies we had. We tried to find homes for them and did for all but five and the mother dog. I would have kept them but due to the economy and my son's allergies and asthma, we just couldn't.
My son called and was placed on hold, finally someone in a very bad mood came to the phone and told him that if the dog, who was scared, showed aggression, she would be put to sleep and the body would be sent to him to bury in the back yard. How horrible.
First of all, this was a very difficult decision to make, and then to tell a child something like that. I called the center myself to make sure he had heard her correctly, however I was placed on hold. I called again and when someone did answer I was sent to four people and placed on hold again.
I waited several days and called again. This time I talked to a seemingly kind person, who took down my information. An appointment was made for the next week. The night before the day they were to pick up, I received a phone call explaining how there had been some sort of outbreak and that if it were possible, I needed to keep them at least another week and if I did they would provide food. My husband and son took the dogs on the Tuesday of the appointment. They tried to explain that my son has asthma and allergies so badly that we cannot keep them another day. They were met with hostility and rude attitudes. They arrived at 9:50 and were told they were closed and to come back.
Finally after filling paperwork on all six dogs, were told again that if the mother showed any aggression she would have to be put to sleep and mailed back to us to bury. This was the worst treatment I have ever had. How dare they try to work on the conscience of a child like that.
I have lost respect for this place and will never contribute another cent to it.
Christal Westfield
Click to Enlarge
I recently called the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center because of a stray puppy that I found in my neighborhood. I went into the call hoping that they would disprove all of the negative publicity they've received regarding bringing animals in and be extremely helpful. I'm sorry to say that I, too, had a terrible experience and am disappointed that this is the facility that we rely on to help with animal control.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, I found a female hound mix running close to Main Street near downtown Chattanooga with a blue collar, but no identification. I put her in my car and took her to the vet to see if she had been microchipped.
Unfortunately, she hadn't so I decided to board her (which required getting her first set of shots) and then emailed Luther, put an ad on Craigslist and sent an email to our neighborhood listserve with her picture and information. She was obviously someone's pet, but had been loose for awhile because she was so hungry and skinny. I decided to wait a few days to see if I would find her home before calling McKamey because I know they're over crowded.
I never did get a response to my ads, so this Friday I called McKamey to see about bringing her down there. When I called in the morning, a female employee had an approach that was like she had a chip on her shoulder. I've worked in the animal care field before and have a bachelor's degree in Animal Science – Companion Animal Management, so I understand the frustration that these workers face. I also know that they do care for animals, but even with these considerations in mind, I found her approach to be atrocious. When I worked in the animal shelter field, I had the same animosity that she's feeling, but I set it aside, particularly when I talked to someone who was going out of their way to find a stray dog's home.
I was told by this person that I couldn't bring the dog down because they are not open on Fridays and Saturdays and that the doors would be locked. Apparently, Fridays and Saturdays are their catch up days. I would have to wait until Sunday to bring her to them. However, being that I am boarding this dog, I can't pick her up on Sunday from the vet's office meaning that I will have to wait a total of four days to bring this dog to them. She then told me that "people try and be nice and have a good heart, but they should really never pick up a stray dog. It should be left alone and that an Animal Services truck may have time to come and get it. However, they may not get there in time to catch it."
She kept repeating that stray dogs (and companion animals) should never be picked up by citizens, that the shelter is over capacity and that the stray animals are better roaming around.
This employee's statements were a direct contradiction to those made by Lou McKenzie, (a McKamey volunteer and someone who answers calls at reception) in a "letter to the editor" published on the same day I called. In her letter, Lou McKenzie states that "There are so many calls from the public asking field to provide an emergency response. Until we get the overpopulation of animals under control with spay/neuter, and citizens help take on emergency response for animals, there will continue to be animals who suffer and die."
I'm this citizen that Lou McKenzie is describing – I "help(ed) take on an emergency response for (this) animal", took her to a vet to be checked and did my part to find her a home without asking Animal Services to do a single thing. I even offered to bring it by the shelter so that Animal Services wouldn't have to come and get it. Also, according the McKamey website, only owner-surrender dogs have to make an appointment to drop a dog off, yet the employee kept trying to schedule me an appointment for Sunday.
By leaving this dog to wander around, not only would I be running the risk of it being hit by a car on a busy street, but I would also be letting a female dog continue roam, not knowing if it had been spayed yet (potentially creating more dogs to roam). This approach that their employee suggested seems a little backwards to the city's and McKamey's solution to the crisis of companion animal over-population. If I had found it right then and called, she said they would try and get someone to pick it up, even on a Friday when they're closed to public drop offs. Since I had waited a week, she couldn't help me.
Basically, McKamey had an option – they could dispatch an officer (or two) using man power, resources, and gas to go pick up the same stray animal that I was offering to bring to them so that they could use their resources where they would be needed more. I guess with an operating budget of $1.8 million, you can waste money and hope that no one catches on.
The employee also stated that McKamey is more available than "that other shelter" and that I couldn't take it there anyway because of where I live. I completely understand the jurisdiction laws, yet she continued to say that "the other shelter" only has "room for 100 animals and that they're over capacity". I researched this "other shelter" through local news websites and found that they can house 550-600 animals (same as McKamey) and are currently also at capacity, all with an annual operating budget $600,000 less than McKamey.
This "other shelter" is open to admissions only eight hours fewer than McKamey each week, but they are open to admissions on Fridays and Saturdays – something McKamey is not. This woman was doing everything in her power to bad mouth and tell me lies about "the other shelter" but failed to provide any helpful information about what McKamey could do to help this stray dog at this moment (apparently she didn't see the Lou McKenzie letter). Didn't the employee's instructions go directly against the shelter's mission on their website "to inspire and educate our citizens toward an awareness and compassion for all living beings"? After that phone call I didn't feel "inspired" or "educated" about what I should do with this animal. I felt like the very shelter I'm required to use, that promotes animal welfare and compassion, left me feeling cold and abandoned, just like the dog that I should have "left where I found it".
It's unfortunate that a new, state-of-the art companion animal care facility isn't using its exorbitant budget in a way that actually coincides with their stated mission. It's also unfortunate that they have employees who choose to spread lies about other facilities to cover up their own lack of abilities and internal confusion. She basically said, you found a stray animal, tried to take care of it and find it a home, but we're not available to help you today or tomorrow, so you're on your own – next time leave it alone.
I've attached a picture of the dog in case someone recognizes it as their own or is interested in adopting her.
Katie Smith
Chattanooga
* * *
The McKamey Animal Shelter is a fine organization that is working hard to take care of our area’s neglected and surrendered animals. It doesn't take much to make people feel good about themselves. Kindness is its own reward.
We find an animal, give it a little attention, and take it to a shelter. Then that is it, for us. We don't know what happens next and we try not to think about it. That is only the beginning. I do not want to detract from the lady who was disappointed, she sounds like a knowledgeable animal caregiver; however, when it comes to stray animals if you are in for a penny you need to be in for a pound. If you are a good temporary foster, then why not hold the puppy or kittens until the shelter's schedule day comes. The McKamey shelter had a cat and kitten adoption party a week or so ago that was really successful.
The old shelter downtown needs to be redone, and it is not their fault. They have been in a constant state of being hammered for years. There needs to be more unity between the two. There are two different philosophies at work. The McKamey Animal Shelter and the fine veterinarian in charge of it seem to be dedicated to the care and placement of pets with a little personal responsibility for the person who surrenders pets.
This is a complicated issue. If you want quick and easy go to a drive-thru, or just pick them up, give them a little attention, drop them off, and forget about them as we have done before.
John Moore
* * *
I thought it was just me but I see it is not. My son recently called McKamey to get info on giving up some puppies we had. We tried to find homes for them and did for all but five and the mother dog. I would have kept them but due to the economy and my son's allergies and asthma, we just couldn't.
My son called and was placed on hold, finally someone in a very bad mood came to the phone and told him that if the dog, who was scared, showed aggression, she would be put to sleep and the body would be sent to him to bury in the back yard. How horrible.
First of all, this was a very difficult decision to make, and then to tell a child something like that. I called the center myself to make sure he had heard her correctly, however I was placed on hold. I called again and when someone did answer I was sent to four people and placed on hold again.
I waited several days and called again. This time I talked to a seemingly kind person, who took down my information. An appointment was made for the next week. The night before the day they were to pick up, I received a phone call explaining how there had been some sort of outbreak and that if it were possible, I needed to keep them at least another week and if I did they would provide food. My husband and son took the dogs on the Tuesday of the appointment. They tried to explain that my son has asthma and allergies so badly that we cannot keep them another day. They were met with hostility and rude attitudes. They arrived at 9:50 and were told they were closed and to come back.
Finally after filling paperwork on all six dogs, were told again that if the mother showed any aggression she would have to be put to sleep and mailed back to us to bury. This was the worst treatment I have ever had. How dare they try to work on the conscience of a child like that.
I have lost respect for this place and will never contribute another cent to it.
Christal Westfield
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Pair acquitted in dog fighting case
Investigators say courts behind times when it comes to dog fighting
By Patrick McNamara, The Explorer
Published:
November-26-2008
A Pima County Superior Court judge last week acquitted two people accused of dog fighting.
After nearly six days of testimony, Judge John Leonardo granted a defense motion to throw out charges that Emily Dennis and Mahlon Patrick knowingly sold pit bulls that were later used in illegal fights.
The pair had waived their right to a jury trial, instead choosing to have a judge weigh the facts in their case.
Dennis and Patrick, both 64, ran a kennel on West Orange Grove Road, where for decades they bred and sold pit bulls.
“That kennel had been there for about 30 years without any problems,” Dennis’s attorney Thomas Higgins said in an interview after the trial.
Higgins said the state’s evidence, much of which amounted to a collection of e-mails between the defendants and prospective buyers, could not connect Dennis and Patrick with dog fighting.
The pair entered the trial with an advantage because of the way the state’s dog fighting statute is written, according to Higgins.
The law forbids owning, training or keeping dogs for the purpose of fighting, but does not mention selling dogs to individuals who then use the animals in fighting exhibitions.
Under the law it is also a crime to be present at a dogfight.
“They have to show that beyond a reasonable doubt,” Higgins said. “That just didn’t happen.”
News of the judge’s decision disappointed Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Parish, who worked on the investigation and spent days at the Picture Rocks property collecting evidence.
“Dog fighting encompasses more than putting a dog in the pit (or fight ring)”, Parish said.
Because there have been few dog-fighting cases in the state, Parish said the legal system doesn’t have experience prosecuting people accused of the crime.
“Dog fighting has been under-prosecuted and under-enforced for years,” Parish said. “But now enforcement has been stepped up.”
He predicted that it would take more arrests of people involved with dog fighting for the legal system to catch up with enforcement.
In his prosecution of Dennis and Patrick, Deputy County Attorney Lewis Brandes attempted to link the pair to dog fighting based on the physical condition of many dogs taken from their west side home last February.
Veterinarians who testified on behalf of the prosecution said many dogs seized at the property had scarring, presumably indicative of wounds obtained in fights with other dogs.
But Higgins and Patrick’s attorney, Mark Resnick, were able to cast doubt on the doctors’ testimonies.
Resnick asked one veterinarian if it was possible to know whether a scar was the result of an organized dogfight or a normal confrontation between two dogs in a kennel or on the street.
The doctor said that could not be determined.
Resnick also asked if the injuries could have occurred from a dog climbing a fence, for example.
The doctor said that various things could have caused the scars. The origin of injuries would be difficult to determine once a wound heals.
“I really think that the whole prosecution was done in large part because of the Humane Society of the United States,” Higgins said.
The animal rights organization assisted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department with the search of the property and three others in a series of raids last February.
“That’s virtually unheard of,” Higgins said.
The high-profile dog-fighting case of football star Michael Vick fueled a public outcry against pit bulls, Higgins said.
“That case encouraged the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to push these things,” Higgins said. “We showed that they overreached.”
In the opening stages of the case, Brandes requested the judge not include against Dennis and Patrick 21 counts of animal cruelty. The state could decide to pursue those charges again in the future.
As for Dennis and Patrick, Higgins said the pair has not decided whether to seek damages against the state after more than 100 of their dogs were confiscated and later euthanized.
The pair lost more than $110,000 in potential earnings, Higgins said.
By Patrick McNamara, The Explorer
Published:
November-26-2008
A Pima County Superior Court judge last week acquitted two people accused of dog fighting.
After nearly six days of testimony, Judge John Leonardo granted a defense motion to throw out charges that Emily Dennis and Mahlon Patrick knowingly sold pit bulls that were later used in illegal fights.
The pair had waived their right to a jury trial, instead choosing to have a judge weigh the facts in their case.
Dennis and Patrick, both 64, ran a kennel on West Orange Grove Road, where for decades they bred and sold pit bulls.
“That kennel had been there for about 30 years without any problems,” Dennis’s attorney Thomas Higgins said in an interview after the trial.
Higgins said the state’s evidence, much of which amounted to a collection of e-mails between the defendants and prospective buyers, could not connect Dennis and Patrick with dog fighting.
The pair entered the trial with an advantage because of the way the state’s dog fighting statute is written, according to Higgins.
The law forbids owning, training or keeping dogs for the purpose of fighting, but does not mention selling dogs to individuals who then use the animals in fighting exhibitions.
Under the law it is also a crime to be present at a dogfight.
“They have to show that beyond a reasonable doubt,” Higgins said. “That just didn’t happen.”
News of the judge’s decision disappointed Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Parish, who worked on the investigation and spent days at the Picture Rocks property collecting evidence.
“Dog fighting encompasses more than putting a dog in the pit (or fight ring)”, Parish said.
Because there have been few dog-fighting cases in the state, Parish said the legal system doesn’t have experience prosecuting people accused of the crime.
“Dog fighting has been under-prosecuted and under-enforced for years,” Parish said. “But now enforcement has been stepped up.”
He predicted that it would take more arrests of people involved with dog fighting for the legal system to catch up with enforcement.
In his prosecution of Dennis and Patrick, Deputy County Attorney Lewis Brandes attempted to link the pair to dog fighting based on the physical condition of many dogs taken from their west side home last February.
Veterinarians who testified on behalf of the prosecution said many dogs seized at the property had scarring, presumably indicative of wounds obtained in fights with other dogs.
But Higgins and Patrick’s attorney, Mark Resnick, were able to cast doubt on the doctors’ testimonies.
Resnick asked one veterinarian if it was possible to know whether a scar was the result of an organized dogfight or a normal confrontation between two dogs in a kennel or on the street.
The doctor said that could not be determined.
Resnick also asked if the injuries could have occurred from a dog climbing a fence, for example.
The doctor said that various things could have caused the scars. The origin of injuries would be difficult to determine once a wound heals.
“I really think that the whole prosecution was done in large part because of the Humane Society of the United States,” Higgins said.
The animal rights organization assisted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department with the search of the property and three others in a series of raids last February.
“That’s virtually unheard of,” Higgins said.
The high-profile dog-fighting case of football star Michael Vick fueled a public outcry against pit bulls, Higgins said.
“That case encouraged the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to push these things,” Higgins said. “We showed that they overreached.”
In the opening stages of the case, Brandes requested the judge not include against Dennis and Patrick 21 counts of animal cruelty. The state could decide to pursue those charges again in the future.
As for Dennis and Patrick, Higgins said the pair has not decided whether to seek damages against the state after more than 100 of their dogs were confiscated and later euthanized.
The pair lost more than $110,000 in potential earnings, Higgins said.
Officer says chained pit bull is on road to recovery
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A pit bull found chained in the attic of a Martinsburg home Nov. 12 with open wounds and ribs showing had gained 10 pounds by Tuesday — when two residents charged with abusing the animal were scheduled to make their first court appearance on felony counts of animal cruelty.
Since being rescued from 252 E. Burke St., the dog has received medical care from Martinsburg Animal Hospital and is recovering, but it remains in the custody of Berkeley County Animal Control, supervising officer Donna McMahan said Tuesday.
McMahan joined Animal Control officers in Berkeley County Magistrate Court on Tuesday afternoon for preliminary hearings scheduled for Breshannon Leslie Deveraux, 33, of 252 E. Burke St., Martinsburg, and Randall Craig Siford Jr., 34.
Deveraux has been in Eastern Regional Jail since Nov. 18, when she was arrested on a misdemeanor count of solicitation of prostitution. She waived her right to have a preliminary hearing within 20 days of her arrest on the animal cruelty charge. The hearing will be rescheduled.
Siford failed to appear for his hearing and was put in jail Tuesday evening, less than five hours after Magistrate Jim Humphrey issued a warrant for his arrest, according to jail records. Siford listed the same address as Deveraux when he was arraigned, court officials said.
Deveraux’s $10,000 bond for the animal cruelty case was revoked last week when police allege she solicited sexual favors in exchange for money from a confidential informant in the 300 block of South Rosemont Avenue, according to court records.
She had $60 of “recorded currency” used by the informant in her purse, police have said.
In court Tuesday, Thomas Stanley, Deveraux’s court-appointed attorney for the animal cruelty charge, told Humphrey he was unable to represent the woman in the prostitution case because of a conflict.
Stanley did not say why he advised his client to reschedule the hearing, and Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Saunders confirmed he was not obligated to provide a reason. Stanley used the magistrate’s telephone at the bench after he arrived to confirm he was actually appointed to represent Deveraux.
Since being rescued from 252 E. Burke St., the dog has received medical care from Martinsburg Animal Hospital and is recovering, but it remains in the custody of Berkeley County Animal Control, supervising officer Donna McMahan said Tuesday.
McMahan joined Animal Control officers in Berkeley County Magistrate Court on Tuesday afternoon for preliminary hearings scheduled for Breshannon Leslie Deveraux, 33, of 252 E. Burke St., Martinsburg, and Randall Craig Siford Jr., 34.
Deveraux has been in Eastern Regional Jail since Nov. 18, when she was arrested on a misdemeanor count of solicitation of prostitution. She waived her right to have a preliminary hearing within 20 days of her arrest on the animal cruelty charge. The hearing will be rescheduled.
Siford failed to appear for his hearing and was put in jail Tuesday evening, less than five hours after Magistrate Jim Humphrey issued a warrant for his arrest, according to jail records. Siford listed the same address as Deveraux when he was arraigned, court officials said.
Deveraux’s $10,000 bond for the animal cruelty case was revoked last week when police allege she solicited sexual favors in exchange for money from a confidential informant in the 300 block of South Rosemont Avenue, according to court records.
She had $60 of “recorded currency” used by the informant in her purse, police have said.
In court Tuesday, Thomas Stanley, Deveraux’s court-appointed attorney for the animal cruelty charge, told Humphrey he was unable to represent the woman in the prostitution case because of a conflict.
Stanley did not say why he advised his client to reschedule the hearing, and Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Saunders confirmed he was not obligated to provide a reason. Stanley used the magistrate’s telephone at the bench after he arrived to confirm he was actually appointed to represent Deveraux.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Vidalia police seize drugs, guns and more
VIDALIA, GA (WTOC) - A drug bust Friday night leads to arson. Police arrested a half dozen people and seized everything from drugs to cash to cars. Then someone set fire to the crime scene.
Detective Aaron Rollins and other Vidalia police expected to find drugs in their raid Friday night, but nothing compared to the table full of drugs guns and more they seized at 804 Martin Luther King Avenue.
"We found a lot of drugs, anything from crack cocaine, powdered cocaine, marijuana, even prescription pills," Rollins explained.
In addition, police seized thousands in cash, pistols, a rifle, five cars and three boats. They arrested six people on charges ranging from drug trafficking to obstruction of an officer.
Police say they're key members of a local gang called "the 808". Police think a trailer full of TV's, tools and other things were probably stolen. In addition to the drugs and guns and cash, police found 16 pit bulls, some just puppies, in the backyard along with all the tools to train them for dog fighting.
Rollins says they found bags of drugs buried in the yard near the dog pens. Vidalia's police chief called the raid a major blow against local drug dealers. He said almost all their crime cases trace back to drugs.
"When I say drug related, they may burglarize a place to sell stuff at a pawn shop to buy drugs," noted Chief Frank Waits. "They may be hyped up on drugs and rob a place."
Police tell WTOC the raid Friday night frightened someone enough to set fire to the house before sunrise Saturday. But Chief Waits says if the 808 gang is feeling the heat and things will only get hotter.
Police charged Neal Garnett Smith, who lived in the house, with cocaine trafficking and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. They also arrested Sharod Lamont Gaffney, Vonical McCloud and Kenneth Brownlee on the same charges. Bridgette Troupe was charged with obstruction of police.
Detective Aaron Rollins and other Vidalia police expected to find drugs in their raid Friday night, but nothing compared to the table full of drugs guns and more they seized at 804 Martin Luther King Avenue.
"We found a lot of drugs, anything from crack cocaine, powdered cocaine, marijuana, even prescription pills," Rollins explained.
In addition, police seized thousands in cash, pistols, a rifle, five cars and three boats. They arrested six people on charges ranging from drug trafficking to obstruction of an officer.
Police say they're key members of a local gang called "the 808". Police think a trailer full of TV's, tools and other things were probably stolen. In addition to the drugs and guns and cash, police found 16 pit bulls, some just puppies, in the backyard along with all the tools to train them for dog fighting.
Rollins says they found bags of drugs buried in the yard near the dog pens. Vidalia's police chief called the raid a major blow against local drug dealers. He said almost all their crime cases trace back to drugs.
"When I say drug related, they may burglarize a place to sell stuff at a pawn shop to buy drugs," noted Chief Frank Waits. "They may be hyped up on drugs and rob a place."
Police tell WTOC the raid Friday night frightened someone enough to set fire to the house before sunrise Saturday. But Chief Waits says if the 808 gang is feeling the heat and things will only get hotter.
Police charged Neal Garnett Smith, who lived in the house, with cocaine trafficking and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. They also arrested Sharod Lamont Gaffney, Vonical McCloud and Kenneth Brownlee on the same charges. Bridgette Troupe was charged with obstruction of police.
Police dog bites man accused in fighting ring
By Lucas Sullivan
Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
DAYTON — A Dayton police dog on Sunday, Nov. 23, bit and helped apprehend a man wanted on felony dogfighting charges.
Ranon O. Brock, 31, allegedly fled on foot when he saw officers who were responding to a call regarding a burglary in progress in the 100 block of Cambridge Avenue about 5:45 p.m., Lt. Patrick Welsh said.
The K-9 unit was called to help track Brock, who saw the dog and began to run back toward officers who had been chasing from another direction, Welsh said.
The K-9 and another officer caught Brock at the same time, and the dog accidentally bit the officer in the calf, Welsh said.
The dog released once given the command by an officer who started to wrestle with Brock. The K-9 jumped into the fray and grabbed Brock on the wrist so officers could arrest him.
"The dog does not distinguish between good guys and bad," Welsh said. "But he did follow commands, and that's what he is trained to do."
The officer was treated at a local hospital for a puncture wound and was released. Brock was treated for bites to his hand and then was taken to the Montgomery County Jail, where he is being held on two felony counts of illegal dogfighting.
Brock also faces misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstructing official business as well as other outstanding warrants involving domestic violence.
Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
DAYTON — A Dayton police dog on Sunday, Nov. 23, bit and helped apprehend a man wanted on felony dogfighting charges.
Ranon O. Brock, 31, allegedly fled on foot when he saw officers who were responding to a call regarding a burglary in progress in the 100 block of Cambridge Avenue about 5:45 p.m., Lt. Patrick Welsh said.
The K-9 unit was called to help track Brock, who saw the dog and began to run back toward officers who had been chasing from another direction, Welsh said.
The K-9 and another officer caught Brock at the same time, and the dog accidentally bit the officer in the calf, Welsh said.
The dog released once given the command by an officer who started to wrestle with Brock. The K-9 jumped into the fray and grabbed Brock on the wrist so officers could arrest him.
"The dog does not distinguish between good guys and bad," Welsh said. "But he did follow commands, and that's what he is trained to do."
The officer was treated at a local hospital for a puncture wound and was released. Brock was treated for bites to his hand and then was taken to the Montgomery County Jail, where he is being held on two felony counts of illegal dogfighting.
Brock also faces misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstructing official business as well as other outstanding warrants involving domestic violence.
Owner Fights To Save Dog From Death
Officials Want To Euthanize Animal After It Attacked Woman
Reporting
Stephanie Lucero (CBS 11 News) A dog owner plans a protest at 11 a.m. Tuesday outside the McKinney Municipal Court to stop the city from euthanizing his dog.
Anthony Kallas believes his dog, Rocky, deserves another chance after biting a woman in the face.
Cora Brown is still recovering and will require additional surgery to correct the damage to her face.
The 67-year-old said she was in her daughter's front yard when the dog ran out of the house and attacked her. The ordeal has left her emotionally, as well as physically scarred, and Brown wants the dog euthanized.
"I just don't want to see this dog hurt someone else and it is my firm belief that if this dog is released, he will against hurt someone."
Kallas disagrees with the assumption.
"He's my best friend, man. We're like this," the distraught owner said emotionally. "I don't go anywhere without this dog. This is my bro, this is my family."
The city claims this was an unprovoked attack that caused serious bodily injury.
The judge in this case won't comment.
Reporting
Stephanie Lucero (CBS 11 News) A dog owner plans a protest at 11 a.m. Tuesday outside the McKinney Municipal Court to stop the city from euthanizing his dog.
Anthony Kallas believes his dog, Rocky, deserves another chance after biting a woman in the face.
Cora Brown is still recovering and will require additional surgery to correct the damage to her face.
The 67-year-old said she was in her daughter's front yard when the dog ran out of the house and attacked her. The ordeal has left her emotionally, as well as physically scarred, and Brown wants the dog euthanized.
"I just don't want to see this dog hurt someone else and it is my firm belief that if this dog is released, he will against hurt someone."
Kallas disagrees with the assumption.
"He's my best friend, man. We're like this," the distraught owner said emotionally. "I don't go anywhere without this dog. This is my bro, this is my family."
The city claims this was an unprovoked attack that caused serious bodily injury.
The judge in this case won't comment.
Vick Enters Guilty Plea To Dogfighting Charges
Michael Vick plead guilty to one county of state dog fighting charges in Sussex County Tuesday morning.
The Newport News native was found guilty of state dog fighting charges and not guilty of cruelty to animals.
Vick was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $2500, all of which was suspended. Vick will be on probation for four years.
Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison this summer and put into a halfway house. He could be eligible to attend an NFL training camp, provided a team wishes to sign him.
The Newport News native was found guilty of state dog fighting charges and not guilty of cruelty to animals.
Vick was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $2500, all of which was suspended. Vick will be on probation for four years.
Vick is scheduled to be released from federal prison this summer and put into a halfway house. He could be eligible to attend an NFL training camp, provided a team wishes to sign him.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Nonprofit is dedicated to helping pit bulls
As the founder of For Pits Sake, Kris Crawford is dedicated to improving the reputation of the much-maligned pit bull. Crawford, a retired search-and-rescue dog trainer and handler, is the proud owner of three pit bulls, Cheyenne, 13; Dakota, 12; and Tahoe, 8.
In 1997, she founded For Pits Sake, which includes programs in animal-assisted therapy, safety around dogs, search and rescue, and canine training and a campaign against dogfighting. Crawford's mission is to change public opinion about pit bulls, which are often perceived as aggressive, dangerous animals.
"For every pit bull you hear of on the news that's bitten someone, if you look at the story behind it, it's been a dog that has been abused or was not raised by a responsible owner," said Crawford. "There are thousands of pit bulls across the country that are cherished family pets that you never hear about."
Crawford described her dogs as funny clowns who adore adults and children. During her search-and-rescue career, Crawford and her dogs responded to more than 200 search missions for lost or missing people, including the high-profile search for murder victim Laci Peterson. In 2003, Crawford and Dakota were recruited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and NASA for an elite team to search for the bodies of astronauts who died in the space shuttle Columbia crash.
"Having a pit bull hand-picked to search for American heroes meant quite a bit to me," said Crawford.
During that time, Crawford also started an animal-assisted therapy program, where she and her dogs provide comfort to abused and disabled children in hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout the Bay Area.
"Kids can learn so much from dogs," said Crawford. "They can learn unconditional love, trust and how to be nonjudgmental. When they work with children, my dogs can help them temporarily forget about their disability or teach a battered and abused child how to love again."
Safety Around Dogs is a program that Crawford conducts in schools and community centers.
"Eighty percent of all fatal dog attacks involve children under 9," said Crawford. "Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these attacks are not coming from a dog that's loose in the neighborhood. Half of all dog bites come from the family's own dog and another 40 percent from a friend or neighbor's dog. I decided that it's time to change these odds. Safety skills around dogs, to me, are just as important as fire safety or looking both ways before you cross the street. "
For information, go to www.ForPitsSake.org, www.KnockOutDogFighting.org and www.SafetyAround Dogs.org.
In 1997, she founded For Pits Sake, which includes programs in animal-assisted therapy, safety around dogs, search and rescue, and canine training and a campaign against dogfighting. Crawford's mission is to change public opinion about pit bulls, which are often perceived as aggressive, dangerous animals.
"For every pit bull you hear of on the news that's bitten someone, if you look at the story behind it, it's been a dog that has been abused or was not raised by a responsible owner," said Crawford. "There are thousands of pit bulls across the country that are cherished family pets that you never hear about."
Crawford described her dogs as funny clowns who adore adults and children. During her search-and-rescue career, Crawford and her dogs responded to more than 200 search missions for lost or missing people, including the high-profile search for murder victim Laci Peterson. In 2003, Crawford and Dakota were recruited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and NASA for an elite team to search for the bodies of astronauts who died in the space shuttle Columbia crash.
"Having a pit bull hand-picked to search for American heroes meant quite a bit to me," said Crawford.
During that time, Crawford also started an animal-assisted therapy program, where she and her dogs provide comfort to abused and disabled children in hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout the Bay Area.
"Kids can learn so much from dogs," said Crawford. "They can learn unconditional love, trust and how to be nonjudgmental. When they work with children, my dogs can help them temporarily forget about their disability or teach a battered and abused child how to love again."
Safety Around Dogs is a program that Crawford conducts in schools and community centers.
"Eighty percent of all fatal dog attacks involve children under 9," said Crawford. "Contrary to popular belief, the majority of these attacks are not coming from a dog that's loose in the neighborhood. Half of all dog bites come from the family's own dog and another 40 percent from a friend or neighbor's dog. I decided that it's time to change these odds. Safety skills around dogs, to me, are just as important as fire safety or looking both ways before you cross the street. "
For information, go to www.ForPitsSake.org, www.KnockOutDogFighting.org and www.SafetyAround Dogs.org.
Perryville ordinance would ban pit bulls
Monday, November 24, 2008
By Bridget DiCosmo
Southeast Missourian
PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Though the city of Perryville held a public meeting last week to let concerned citizens voice their opinions on a proposed "dangerous dog" ordinance that would essentially ban ownership of pit bulls, it's a long way from being enacted, said Perryville Mayor Debbie Gahan.
The ordinance was first addressed during an open session when an alderman mentioned a man in his ward had expressed some worry about a neighbor who was keeping a pit bull dog tied to a tree. He was concerned the dog was vicious and might attack children playing in neighboring yards, Gahan said.
"After that, I start hearing some comments around town — you know, there was a buzz," Gahan said.
At Mayfair in Perryville, Gahan saw that local children had brought some puppies that looked like pit bulls. At a municipal training conference, Gahan said she saw a slide show of what had occurred in a Southwest Missouri town when humans were attacked by pit bull dogs in three separate incidents.
"It became crystal clear to me that this was becoming an issue," Gahan said.
Gahan said she thinks the issue need to be addressed, but right now, it's only something city officials are taking a look at.
Current city ordinances allow animal control to investigate and impound dogs if they are reported as vicious, said police chief Keith Tarillion.
"Most of the animal ordinances we have are very good," Tarillion said.
Tarillion said there has been discussion in the past about passing an ordinance requiring dogs to be licensed with the city of Perryville. Vaccinations, however, are required within city limits.
Perryville already has some ordinances on the books that, if enforced, could help them deal with any problems caused by irresponsible dog ownership, said Melanie Coy, a Cape Girardeau pit bull rescue advocate.
Cape Girardeau has an ordinance allowing animal control officers to microchip any animal picked up as a stray. The second time the animal is impounded, animal control could have it spayed or neutered, as long it was cleared with a veterinarian.
If the animal is a dog belonging to a "backyard breeder," the threat of loss of income usually prompts them to be more responsible about keeping the dog contained, said Requi Salter, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.
Coy said the tendency is to unfairly blame pit bulls for the irresponsible actions of owners.
Backyard breeders and people who keep pit bulls for fighting many times do not have any regard for health issues, looking at the dogs as a means of "pocket change or cheap sport," Coy said.
"Any dog is capable of violence — its more of a problem with the people," she said.
Many times, stereotyping pit bulls as dangerous only fuels the "macho, thug image," and those likely to not take proper care of the dogs may thrive on that, Coy said.
Tarillion said his department has not seen more problems with pit bulls than with other dog breeds.
"Every once in a while, we'll get a dog bite or report of a vicious dog, but it's a variety of types," Tarillion said.
By Bridget DiCosmo
Southeast Missourian
PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Though the city of Perryville held a public meeting last week to let concerned citizens voice their opinions on a proposed "dangerous dog" ordinance that would essentially ban ownership of pit bulls, it's a long way from being enacted, said Perryville Mayor Debbie Gahan.
The ordinance was first addressed during an open session when an alderman mentioned a man in his ward had expressed some worry about a neighbor who was keeping a pit bull dog tied to a tree. He was concerned the dog was vicious and might attack children playing in neighboring yards, Gahan said.
"After that, I start hearing some comments around town — you know, there was a buzz," Gahan said.
At Mayfair in Perryville, Gahan saw that local children had brought some puppies that looked like pit bulls. At a municipal training conference, Gahan said she saw a slide show of what had occurred in a Southwest Missouri town when humans were attacked by pit bull dogs in three separate incidents.
"It became crystal clear to me that this was becoming an issue," Gahan said.
Gahan said she thinks the issue need to be addressed, but right now, it's only something city officials are taking a look at.
Current city ordinances allow animal control to investigate and impound dogs if they are reported as vicious, said police chief Keith Tarillion.
"Most of the animal ordinances we have are very good," Tarillion said.
Tarillion said there has been discussion in the past about passing an ordinance requiring dogs to be licensed with the city of Perryville. Vaccinations, however, are required within city limits.
Perryville already has some ordinances on the books that, if enforced, could help them deal with any problems caused by irresponsible dog ownership, said Melanie Coy, a Cape Girardeau pit bull rescue advocate.
Cape Girardeau has an ordinance allowing animal control officers to microchip any animal picked up as a stray. The second time the animal is impounded, animal control could have it spayed or neutered, as long it was cleared with a veterinarian.
If the animal is a dog belonging to a "backyard breeder," the threat of loss of income usually prompts them to be more responsible about keeping the dog contained, said Requi Salter, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.
Coy said the tendency is to unfairly blame pit bulls for the irresponsible actions of owners.
Backyard breeders and people who keep pit bulls for fighting many times do not have any regard for health issues, looking at the dogs as a means of "pocket change or cheap sport," Coy said.
"Any dog is capable of violence — its more of a problem with the people," she said.
Many times, stereotyping pit bulls as dangerous only fuels the "macho, thug image," and those likely to not take proper care of the dogs may thrive on that, Coy said.
Tarillion said his department has not seen more problems with pit bulls than with other dog breeds.
"Every once in a while, we'll get a dog bite or report of a vicious dog, but it's a variety of types," Tarillion said.
Vick put family pets in ring with pit bulls
RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH
Published: November 24, 2008
Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and thought it was funny watching the trained killers injure or kill the helpless dogs, a witness told federal investigators during the dogfighting investigation that brought Vick down.
In a 17-page report filed Aug. 28, 2008, by case agent James Knorr of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and released Friday under the Freedom of Information Act, a person identified as confidential witness No. 1 said Vick placed pets in the ring against pit bulls owned by “Bad Newz Kennels” at least twice and watched as the pit bulls “caused major injuries.“
The witness said Vick and co-defendants Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips “thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs.“
Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison in Dec. 2007, and is due to be released from the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan., on July 20, 2009. He returned to Virginia on Thursday and is being held in Hopewell pending his appearance in Surry County Circuit Court on Tuesday, where he is expected to plead guilty to two felony charges but receive a suspended sentence.
The report, which has some names and other information redacted to protect some of the parties involved, also details the killing of several dogs at property Vick owned on Moonlight Road in Surry County in mid-April 2007, just days before the first search warrant was executed on the property, turning a drug investigation into the one that sent Vick to prison.
It says Vick was administered a polygraph test by the FBI in October 2007 and denied taking part in the killing of dogs in mid-April. When told he had failed that part of the test, Vick recanted his story and admitted to helping hang six to eight underperforming dogs.
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, once the highest paid player in the NFL, has been suspended indefinitely by the league and his football future is uncertain. He’s also in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings with $16 million in assets and $20.4 million in liabilities.
Peace, who also was convicted in the case, said there were times he suggested that dogs unwilling to fight be given away, but that Vick said “they got to go,“ meaning be killed.
The dogs were killed by shooting, hanging, electrocution and drowning, and in at least one instance, according to one of the witnesses, when Vick and Phillips killed a red pit bull by “slamming it to the ground several times before it died, breaking the dog’s back or neck.“
When he finally admitted to his role in the dogfighting operation, Vick also said he purchased his first pull bull, named “Champagne,“ while a student at Virginia Tech in 1999. The dog was never used in fights, but was bred with other dogs, according to the report.
Champagne was among the 53 pit bulls seized from the home in a raid in April 2007.
Published: November 24, 2008
Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and thought it was funny watching the trained killers injure or kill the helpless dogs, a witness told federal investigators during the dogfighting investigation that brought Vick down.
In a 17-page report filed Aug. 28, 2008, by case agent James Knorr of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and released Friday under the Freedom of Information Act, a person identified as confidential witness No. 1 said Vick placed pets in the ring against pit bulls owned by “Bad Newz Kennels” at least twice and watched as the pit bulls “caused major injuries.“
The witness said Vick and co-defendants Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips “thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs.“
Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison in Dec. 2007, and is due to be released from the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan., on July 20, 2009. He returned to Virginia on Thursday and is being held in Hopewell pending his appearance in Surry County Circuit Court on Tuesday, where he is expected to plead guilty to two felony charges but receive a suspended sentence.
The report, which has some names and other information redacted to protect some of the parties involved, also details the killing of several dogs at property Vick owned on Moonlight Road in Surry County in mid-April 2007, just days before the first search warrant was executed on the property, turning a drug investigation into the one that sent Vick to prison.
It says Vick was administered a polygraph test by the FBI in October 2007 and denied taking part in the killing of dogs in mid-April. When told he had failed that part of the test, Vick recanted his story and admitted to helping hang six to eight underperforming dogs.
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, once the highest paid player in the NFL, has been suspended indefinitely by the league and his football future is uncertain. He’s also in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings with $16 million in assets and $20.4 million in liabilities.
Peace, who also was convicted in the case, said there were times he suggested that dogs unwilling to fight be given away, but that Vick said “they got to go,“ meaning be killed.
The dogs were killed by shooting, hanging, electrocution and drowning, and in at least one instance, according to one of the witnesses, when Vick and Phillips killed a red pit bull by “slamming it to the ground several times before it died, breaking the dog’s back or neck.“
When he finally admitted to his role in the dogfighting operation, Vick also said he purchased his first pull bull, named “Champagne,“ while a student at Virginia Tech in 1999. The dog was never used in fights, but was bred with other dogs, according to the report.
Champagne was among the 53 pit bulls seized from the home in a raid in April 2007.
Feds: Vick Personally Killed 7 Dogs By Hanging, Drowning
Monday, November 24, 2008 – updated: 10:25 am EST November 24, 2008
ATLANTA -- On the eve of a critical court appearance, new information has surfaced about Michael Vick.
Federal investigators, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request by WSB-TV's Scott MacFarlane, have revealed Vick personally killed at least seven of his fighting dogs by hanging or drowning. They also revealed Vick failed police polygraph tests in which he denied killing animals. And the federal paperwork said Vick decided to start his dogfighting ring just days after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001.
SLIDESHOW: Exclusive Look Inside Vick's Dogfighting House
This information could influence the punishment Vick receives tomorrow, when he enters a guilty plea to state dog killing charges in Sussex, Va. Vick was thought to have secured leniency by offering to a guilty plea but the new information puts his future in doubt yet again.
Michael Vick is back in Virginia to face state dogfighting charges in a court appearance this week.
Hopewell Regional Jail Superintendent Darnley Hodge said the former NFL star is being held in protective custody. Hodge said Vick is isolated from the rest of the jail's 1,200 inmates to avoid disruptions but is being treated like any other prisoner.
Hodge said Vick arrived Thursday from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he's serving a 23-month sentence for a federal dogfighting conspiracy.
ATLANTA -- On the eve of a critical court appearance, new information has surfaced about Michael Vick.
Federal investigators, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request by WSB-TV's Scott MacFarlane, have revealed Vick personally killed at least seven of his fighting dogs by hanging or drowning. They also revealed Vick failed police polygraph tests in which he denied killing animals. And the federal paperwork said Vick decided to start his dogfighting ring just days after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001.
SLIDESHOW: Exclusive Look Inside Vick's Dogfighting House
This information could influence the punishment Vick receives tomorrow, when he enters a guilty plea to state dog killing charges in Sussex, Va. Vick was thought to have secured leniency by offering to a guilty plea but the new information puts his future in doubt yet again.
Michael Vick is back in Virginia to face state dogfighting charges in a court appearance this week.
Hopewell Regional Jail Superintendent Darnley Hodge said the former NFL star is being held in protective custody. Hodge said Vick is isolated from the rest of the jail's 1,200 inmates to avoid disruptions but is being treated like any other prisoner.
Hodge said Vick arrived Thursday from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he's serving a 23-month sentence for a federal dogfighting conspiracy.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Avra Valley residents acquitted of dog fighting charges
Posted: Nov 20, 2008 06:28 PM CST
Updated: Nov 20, 2008 09:01 PM CST
Avra Valley residents both acquitted of dog fighting charges
By Jim Becker
One email correspondence between Mahlon Patrick and a man overseas was all prosecutors could hope for in their case against Patrick and Emily Dennis.
It was not enough.
In the email, read by Prosecutor Lewis Brandes in Pima County Superior Court, a man told Patrick he wanted to buy a pair of adult Pit Bull Terriers, male and female, to fight in a ring.
Patrick responded he couldn't sell dogs for fighting, and in a subsequent request, when the man overseas asked to come to Patrick's kennel to look at dogs for breeding, the request was granted.
Prosecutors say the emails show Patrick was trying to cover up any paper trail that would have linked him and Dennis to dog fighting.
But Judge John Leonardo said supposition is not evidence, and ended up acquitting Patrick and Dennis of two counts each of dog fighting, felony charges.
During closing arguments, defense attorneys pointed out veterinarians, called as witnesses by both sides, testified they could not conclude injuries on the dogs feet and ankles were caused by fighting.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, operating on a tip from Chicago, raided the kennel February 19 and confiscated 150 dogs, mostly Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes.
A dozen puppies have been adopted out, but the rest of the animals were destroyed, citing inability to rehabilitate animals raised for fighting.
Defense attorneys say Patrick and Dennis never denied breeding and selling the dogs, and while Patrick had been involved with dog fighting in the past, he discontinued the practice once laws were passed against it.
Updated: Nov 20, 2008 09:01 PM CST
Avra Valley residents both acquitted of dog fighting charges
By Jim Becker
One email correspondence between Mahlon Patrick and a man overseas was all prosecutors could hope for in their case against Patrick and Emily Dennis.
It was not enough.
In the email, read by Prosecutor Lewis Brandes in Pima County Superior Court, a man told Patrick he wanted to buy a pair of adult Pit Bull Terriers, male and female, to fight in a ring.
Patrick responded he couldn't sell dogs for fighting, and in a subsequent request, when the man overseas asked to come to Patrick's kennel to look at dogs for breeding, the request was granted.
Prosecutors say the emails show Patrick was trying to cover up any paper trail that would have linked him and Dennis to dog fighting.
But Judge John Leonardo said supposition is not evidence, and ended up acquitting Patrick and Dennis of two counts each of dog fighting, felony charges.
During closing arguments, defense attorneys pointed out veterinarians, called as witnesses by both sides, testified they could not conclude injuries on the dogs feet and ankles were caused by fighting.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, operating on a tip from Chicago, raided the kennel February 19 and confiscated 150 dogs, mostly Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes.
A dozen puppies have been adopted out, but the rest of the animals were destroyed, citing inability to rehabilitate animals raised for fighting.
Defense attorneys say Patrick and Dennis never denied breeding and selling the dogs, and while Patrick had been involved with dog fighting in the past, he discontinued the practice once laws were passed against it.
Perryville council considering ban on pit bulls
Friday, November 21, 2008
By Bridget DiCosmo
Southeast Missourian
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to reflect that Perryville does have ordinances requiring licensing, banning nuisance barking and allowing the impound of nuisance animals at large and that those who spoke out on the pit bull measure weren't evenly split. We apologize for the errors.
PERRYVILLE, Mo. — The Perryville City Council held a public hearing Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of enacting an ordinance banning pit bulls.
About 30 people attended the hearing and 16 stood up to voice their opinions on the potential breed ban, according to Perryville city clerk Tracy Prost. Only one of those people was in favor of the ban, she said.
No decision has been made, and the council didn't discuss the ordinance after the hearing, Prost said.
The draft of the proposed ordinance states that any dog deemed "dangerous" would have to be spayed or neutered in order to remain in city limits, and the owner must maintain a policy of liability insurance to cover any incident with the animal.
The ordinance defines "dangerous" as any dog other than a police canine that attacks a person causing injury, property damage, defensive action or a threat of bodily harm. Attacking another animal on property not belonging to the owner would also classify the dog as dangerous under the proposal.
The last part of the ordinance involves pit bull dogs.
The draft reads "it shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep, exercise control over, maintain, harbor, transport, or sell within the city limit any pit bull."
The ordinance contains a grandfather clause, meaning anyone who already owned one of these dogs before the ordinance became official, if it is passed, will be exempt provided they maintain a liability insurance policy on the dog.
A pit bill is defined as any dog that is an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier or any dog displaying characteristics recognized by the American Kennel Club as associated with those breeds.
Perryville already has city ordinances requiring licensing, banning nuisance barking and allowing the impound of nuisance animals at large.
The draft does not list penalties, but under the general city code, ordinance violations can be punished with up to a $500 fine and up to three months in the city jail.
bdicosmo@semissourian.com
By Bridget DiCosmo
Southeast Missourian
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to reflect that Perryville does have ordinances requiring licensing, banning nuisance barking and allowing the impound of nuisance animals at large and that those who spoke out on the pit bull measure weren't evenly split. We apologize for the errors.
PERRYVILLE, Mo. — The Perryville City Council held a public hearing Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of enacting an ordinance banning pit bulls.
About 30 people attended the hearing and 16 stood up to voice their opinions on the potential breed ban, according to Perryville city clerk Tracy Prost. Only one of those people was in favor of the ban, she said.
No decision has been made, and the council didn't discuss the ordinance after the hearing, Prost said.
The draft of the proposed ordinance states that any dog deemed "dangerous" would have to be spayed or neutered in order to remain in city limits, and the owner must maintain a policy of liability insurance to cover any incident with the animal.
The ordinance defines "dangerous" as any dog other than a police canine that attacks a person causing injury, property damage, defensive action or a threat of bodily harm. Attacking another animal on property not belonging to the owner would also classify the dog as dangerous under the proposal.
The last part of the ordinance involves pit bull dogs.
The draft reads "it shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep, exercise control over, maintain, harbor, transport, or sell within the city limit any pit bull."
The ordinance contains a grandfather clause, meaning anyone who already owned one of these dogs before the ordinance became official, if it is passed, will be exempt provided they maintain a liability insurance policy on the dog.
A pit bill is defined as any dog that is an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier or any dog displaying characteristics recognized by the American Kennel Club as associated with those breeds.
Perryville already has city ordinances requiring licensing, banning nuisance barking and allowing the impound of nuisance animals at large.
The draft does not list penalties, but under the general city code, ordinance violations can be punished with up to a $500 fine and up to three months in the city jail.
bdicosmo@semissourian.com
Ripon policy won't let public adopt pit bulls from shelter
By Harley Becker
Record Staff Writer
November 21, 2008 6:00 AM
RIPON - When Brenda Cowart first spotted the large blue-and-white pit bull through a locked fence at the Ripon Animal Shelter, she knew it would be a horrible shame if he were euthanized.
"He just wanted somebody," she recalled.
She was determined to adopt the dog now known as Cooper.
ADOPTION TESTING
While all county animal shelters say they do temper testing on their dogs before allowing adoptions, the Pets and Pals Animal Shelter in Lathrop and the Lodi Animal Shelter go further.
Those shelters check up on potential owners to ensure the animals will be properly cared for, even going so far as to do home visits before releasing a pet.
Home visits are recommended by such groups as the Pit Bull Rescue Central organization, not just for potential pit bull owners, but all adopters.
"Remember, Pit Bull type dogs often attract the wrong kind of owners and vigilant screening is a must," the group's Web site cautions.
Cowart's first dog also was a pit bull, and she remembers it as "the most loyal and loving dog I have owned."
But when Cowart later went into the shelter hoping to adopt Cooper, she was told no. Ripon, she was told, does not adopt out pit bulls to the public.
Linda Johnston, Ripon's animal services supervisor, confirmed it is an "unwritten policy" not to allow general public adoption of pit bull breeds from its animal shelter.
All other animal shelters in the county contacted by The Record said they allow general public adoption of pit bulls. Pit bull advocates contend Ripon's unwritten policy may be illegal because it discriminates against a particular breed.
Rather than allow general adoption of pit bulls, Johnston said the shelter does temperament testing to determine if the animal may be suitable to go first to a rescue group that could then work on adopting out the animal.
City Attorney Tom Terpstra said the policy is consistent with state law and is the "humane, sensible thing to do." Terpstra said he sees it as a matter of public safety.
"To do anything other than that would be irresponsible," he said.
In the past year and a half, out of 20 pit bulls brought into the shelter, the city placed two with rescue groups. Four were euthanized, including two that had been declared vicious, Johnston said. The others were retrieved by their owners, transferred to another shelter or found deceased.
Finding rescue groups that will take a pit bull can prove difficult.
Pets and Pals in Lathrop houses a number of pit bulls and is no longer accepting any.
Despite the dogs passing temperament tests, no one seems interested in adopting the breed, Pets and Pals Director Sue Molen said.
Johnston said the shelter routinely contacts rescue operations to place dogs. In Cowart's particular case, the city received no response to their requests. That's not unusual if the rescuers do not have room, she said.
Cowart, determined to save Cooper, took action on her own and contacted four or five pit bull rescue operations she found on the Internet, but repeatedly was told they were not accepting dogs.
Eventually, she found a rescue site for Dachshunds in San Diego that agreed to arrange for Cowart to take the animal.
Coward describes Cooper as "sweet" and said he became part of the family a month ago, on the same day the city was legally able to release him.
Cooper had spent two months at the animal shelter. It took that long before all the legal requirements for his abandonment by his owner were exhausted, Johnston said.
The dog, which was not licensed, was picked up running loose in late August.
His owner went to the pound, but was not willing to pay the costs involved to redeem him: licensing, neutering and pound fees - totaling $128.
Certified letters were sent to the owner, who never responded, which eventually resulted in the animal being declared abandoned, Johnson explained.
Johnston emphasized the Ripon shelter routinely keeps animals for much longer than the seven-day period required by law unless they are deemed vicious.
Dogs normally remain there for at least 35 days and cats 20 days, she said.
If there is room, they may be kept longer, especially if shelter employees believe the animal would make an exceptional pet.
While Cowart was told - and had to sign a waiver - that Cooper had displayed some aggression toward other dogs, Cowart said he hasn't shown any aggression toward her other three dogs on their walks in the rural Ripon area.
She said she plans to have Cooper neutered in the next few weeks, which is required under the rescue agreement.
Contact reporter Harley Becker at (209) 239-3354 or hbecker@recordnet.com.
Record Staff Writer
November 21, 2008 6:00 AM
RIPON - When Brenda Cowart first spotted the large blue-and-white pit bull through a locked fence at the Ripon Animal Shelter, she knew it would be a horrible shame if he were euthanized.
"He just wanted somebody," she recalled.
She was determined to adopt the dog now known as Cooper.
ADOPTION TESTING
While all county animal shelters say they do temper testing on their dogs before allowing adoptions, the Pets and Pals Animal Shelter in Lathrop and the Lodi Animal Shelter go further.
Those shelters check up on potential owners to ensure the animals will be properly cared for, even going so far as to do home visits before releasing a pet.
Home visits are recommended by such groups as the Pit Bull Rescue Central organization, not just for potential pit bull owners, but all adopters.
"Remember, Pit Bull type dogs often attract the wrong kind of owners and vigilant screening is a must," the group's Web site cautions.
Cowart's first dog also was a pit bull, and she remembers it as "the most loyal and loving dog I have owned."
But when Cowart later went into the shelter hoping to adopt Cooper, she was told no. Ripon, she was told, does not adopt out pit bulls to the public.
Linda Johnston, Ripon's animal services supervisor, confirmed it is an "unwritten policy" not to allow general public adoption of pit bull breeds from its animal shelter.
All other animal shelters in the county contacted by The Record said they allow general public adoption of pit bulls. Pit bull advocates contend Ripon's unwritten policy may be illegal because it discriminates against a particular breed.
Rather than allow general adoption of pit bulls, Johnston said the shelter does temperament testing to determine if the animal may be suitable to go first to a rescue group that could then work on adopting out the animal.
City Attorney Tom Terpstra said the policy is consistent with state law and is the "humane, sensible thing to do." Terpstra said he sees it as a matter of public safety.
"To do anything other than that would be irresponsible," he said.
In the past year and a half, out of 20 pit bulls brought into the shelter, the city placed two with rescue groups. Four were euthanized, including two that had been declared vicious, Johnston said. The others were retrieved by their owners, transferred to another shelter or found deceased.
Finding rescue groups that will take a pit bull can prove difficult.
Pets and Pals in Lathrop houses a number of pit bulls and is no longer accepting any.
Despite the dogs passing temperament tests, no one seems interested in adopting the breed, Pets and Pals Director Sue Molen said.
Johnston said the shelter routinely contacts rescue operations to place dogs. In Cowart's particular case, the city received no response to their requests. That's not unusual if the rescuers do not have room, she said.
Cowart, determined to save Cooper, took action on her own and contacted four or five pit bull rescue operations she found on the Internet, but repeatedly was told they were not accepting dogs.
Eventually, she found a rescue site for Dachshunds in San Diego that agreed to arrange for Cowart to take the animal.
Coward describes Cooper as "sweet" and said he became part of the family a month ago, on the same day the city was legally able to release him.
Cooper had spent two months at the animal shelter. It took that long before all the legal requirements for his abandonment by his owner were exhausted, Johnston said.
The dog, which was not licensed, was picked up running loose in late August.
His owner went to the pound, but was not willing to pay the costs involved to redeem him: licensing, neutering and pound fees - totaling $128.
Certified letters were sent to the owner, who never responded, which eventually resulted in the animal being declared abandoned, Johnson explained.
Johnston emphasized the Ripon shelter routinely keeps animals for much longer than the seven-day period required by law unless they are deemed vicious.
Dogs normally remain there for at least 35 days and cats 20 days, she said.
If there is room, they may be kept longer, especially if shelter employees believe the animal would make an exceptional pet.
While Cowart was told - and had to sign a waiver - that Cooper had displayed some aggression toward other dogs, Cowart said he hasn't shown any aggression toward her other three dogs on their walks in the rural Ripon area.
She said she plans to have Cooper neutered in the next few weeks, which is required under the rescue agreement.
Contact reporter Harley Becker at (209) 239-3354 or hbecker@recordnet.com.
Breed-specific laws bark up the wrong tree
As Monroe gnaws on the idea of enacting "breed-specific legislation" that would brand some dogs as "potentially dangerous," a few things should be kept in mind:
All dogs are potentially dangerous. All of them.
The official position of The Humane Society of the United States is that breed-specific laws do not work. The Humane Society cites a 2000 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that states while breed is one factor that contributes to a dog's temperament, it can't be used alone to predict whether a dog may pose a danger. The report details bite-related fatalities in the United States from 1979 through 1998, and found that in 19 years examined in the study, at least 25 different breeds or crossbreeds of dogs were involved in fatally wounding human beings.
The main conclusion of the study was that breed-specific legislation doesn't work for several reasons: there are inherent problems in trying to determine a dog's breed, making enforcement of breed-specific legislation difficult at best; that fatal attacks represent a very small portion of bite-related injuries and should not be the major factor driving public policy; and that existing non-breed-specific legislation already exists and offers promise for the prevention of dog bites.
It's estimated that more than 4.5 million dog bites occur each year, with 10-20 fatal attacks.
The Humane Society correctly believes that one problem stemming from breed specific legislation is that: "... the 'problem dog' at any given time is often the most popular breed among individuals who tend to be irresponsible, if not abusive, in the control and keeping of their pets. Simply put, if you ban one breed, individuals will just move on to another one. Banning a breed only speeds up the timetable."
The same individuals who abuse dogs to make them dangerous are also the ones who don't neuter or spay their dogs (which leaves them prone to meanness), who do chain them up (same) and who don't pick up after them. Intact male dogs are involved in 70 to 76 percent of reported dog bite incidents. (Why is it that certain manly men who would never, ever neuter their dog have no problem leaving him chained up, unable to fulfill his biological urges?)
The Humane Society advises a proactive, community approach to preventing dog bites, which includes comprehensive "dog bite" legislation, consumer education and forced responsible pet-keeping efforts. Under such a program, Nevada was able to reduce the number of bite incidents by about 15 percent. Monroe would be smart to emulate such a program, rather than creating an ineffectual breed-specific law
All dogs are potentially dangerous. All of them.
The official position of The Humane Society of the United States is that breed-specific laws do not work. The Humane Society cites a 2000 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that states while breed is one factor that contributes to a dog's temperament, it can't be used alone to predict whether a dog may pose a danger. The report details bite-related fatalities in the United States from 1979 through 1998, and found that in 19 years examined in the study, at least 25 different breeds or crossbreeds of dogs were involved in fatally wounding human beings.
The main conclusion of the study was that breed-specific legislation doesn't work for several reasons: there are inherent problems in trying to determine a dog's breed, making enforcement of breed-specific legislation difficult at best; that fatal attacks represent a very small portion of bite-related injuries and should not be the major factor driving public policy; and that existing non-breed-specific legislation already exists and offers promise for the prevention of dog bites.
It's estimated that more than 4.5 million dog bites occur each year, with 10-20 fatal attacks.
The Humane Society correctly believes that one problem stemming from breed specific legislation is that: "... the 'problem dog' at any given time is often the most popular breed among individuals who tend to be irresponsible, if not abusive, in the control and keeping of their pets. Simply put, if you ban one breed, individuals will just move on to another one. Banning a breed only speeds up the timetable."
The same individuals who abuse dogs to make them dangerous are also the ones who don't neuter or spay their dogs (which leaves them prone to meanness), who do chain them up (same) and who don't pick up after them. Intact male dogs are involved in 70 to 76 percent of reported dog bite incidents. (Why is it that certain manly men who would never, ever neuter their dog have no problem leaving him chained up, unable to fulfill his biological urges?)
The Humane Society advises a proactive, community approach to preventing dog bites, which includes comprehensive "dog bite" legislation, consumer education and forced responsible pet-keeping efforts. Under such a program, Nevada was able to reduce the number of bite incidents by about 15 percent. Monroe would be smart to emulate such a program, rather than creating an ineffectual breed-specific law
Judge says couple charged with dogfighting not guilty
Citizen Staff Report
An Avra Valley couple charged with dog fighting were acquitted by Pima County Superior Court Judge John S. Leonardo Thursday after county prosecutors rested their case.
Mahlon Thatcher Patrick and Emily Elizabeth Dennis, both 64, were charged with two counts of dogfighting and 21 counts of animal cruelty.
Defense attorneys did not present a case and instead claimed the county had not proved its case. The trial was a "bench" trial in which their is no jury.
In February, officials from the Pima Animal Care Center and Pima County Sheriff's Department, along with southern Arizona and national representatives from the Humane Society converged on four sites where 150 dogs were seized, the Citizen previously reported.
In addition to Patrick and Dennis, deputies arrested Robert Clayton Smith, 56; Terry Lee Williams, 53; Juan Rudolfo Verdin, 40; and Zenaida Yvonne Verdin, 40.
Juan Verdin recently pleaded guilty to attempted dogfighting and his wife Zenaida, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals. Leonardo is set to sentence them Nov. 26.
Smith and Williams are scheduled for a jury trial in February before Judge Michael J. Cruikshank.
Check back for details.
An Avra Valley couple charged with dog fighting were acquitted by Pima County Superior Court Judge John S. Leonardo Thursday after county prosecutors rested their case.
Mahlon Thatcher Patrick and Emily Elizabeth Dennis, both 64, were charged with two counts of dogfighting and 21 counts of animal cruelty.
Defense attorneys did not present a case and instead claimed the county had not proved its case. The trial was a "bench" trial in which their is no jury.
In February, officials from the Pima Animal Care Center and Pima County Sheriff's Department, along with southern Arizona and national representatives from the Humane Society converged on four sites where 150 dogs were seized, the Citizen previously reported.
In addition to Patrick and Dennis, deputies arrested Robert Clayton Smith, 56; Terry Lee Williams, 53; Juan Rudolfo Verdin, 40; and Zenaida Yvonne Verdin, 40.
Juan Verdin recently pleaded guilty to attempted dogfighting and his wife Zenaida, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals. Leonardo is set to sentence them Nov. 26.
Smith and Williams are scheduled for a jury trial in February before Judge Michael J. Cruikshank.
Check back for details.
Dog mauls top deputy
By Mark LaFlamme , Staff Writer
Friday, November 21, 2008
AUBURN - Androscoggin County Chief Deputy Mike Ward was expected to be off the job at least another two weeks recovering from injuries he suffered when he was attacked by a police dog in mid-October.
Ward, hired as the county's No. 2 cop in July, has been out with injuries to his hand, arm, leg and face suffered when the dog he was caring for attacked him at his home.
"He was bitten pretty badly," said Sheriff Guy Desjardins. "I would almost call it a mauling."
The dog that bit Ward, a German shepherd named Dokken, was taken by Maine State Police after the attack. The dog was between training sessions.
In early autumn, the Sheriff's Department was mulling what to do with the dog as they prepared to take it to canine training school for possible certification.
"We were in the process of getting another handler for the dog," Desjardins said. "Mike has raised shepherds all his life and he took it home where he would keep it in his kennel."
The arrangement was fine for a few weeks. Then on Oct. 24, Ward had some guests over to his home in Oxford. Everything seemed normal until late in the evening when Dokken became hostile.
"For some reason, the dog started acting funny; he was growling a bit," Desjardins said. "Mike thought maybe the dog just needed to go outside. He got up to do it and at that point, the dog just attacked. It was brutal."
Ward suffered several wounds when the dog lunged. His hand was ripped open and he was bitten on the face, leg and buttocks as he tried to fight off the animal.
Ward and his house guests rushed outside, leaving the shepherd locked in the house. Shortly after, Androscoggin Sheriff's Office dog handler Brian Smith and a State Police trooper arrived to get the dog out of the building.
"The dog was all calmed down," Desjardins said. "He was wagging his tail and everything."
The sheriff did not know what caused Dokken to attack. State Police had been observing the dog since the attack; its fate was not known.
According to the sheriff, Ward suffered an infection in one of the bites, which has delayed his recovery. He has been out on workers compensation since the attack.
Ward was hired as chief deputy when Desjardins was forced to demote Eric Samson, the officer the sheriff had chosen for the position, after a dispute with county commissioners over Samson's salary.
Desjardins expects Ward to be back on the job once his wounds have healed.
"I really hope he'll be back within a week or two," Desjardins said.
Friday, November 21, 2008
AUBURN - Androscoggin County Chief Deputy Mike Ward was expected to be off the job at least another two weeks recovering from injuries he suffered when he was attacked by a police dog in mid-October.
Ward, hired as the county's No. 2 cop in July, has been out with injuries to his hand, arm, leg and face suffered when the dog he was caring for attacked him at his home.
"He was bitten pretty badly," said Sheriff Guy Desjardins. "I would almost call it a mauling."
The dog that bit Ward, a German shepherd named Dokken, was taken by Maine State Police after the attack. The dog was between training sessions.
In early autumn, the Sheriff's Department was mulling what to do with the dog as they prepared to take it to canine training school for possible certification.
"We were in the process of getting another handler for the dog," Desjardins said. "Mike has raised shepherds all his life and he took it home where he would keep it in his kennel."
The arrangement was fine for a few weeks. Then on Oct. 24, Ward had some guests over to his home in Oxford. Everything seemed normal until late in the evening when Dokken became hostile.
"For some reason, the dog started acting funny; he was growling a bit," Desjardins said. "Mike thought maybe the dog just needed to go outside. He got up to do it and at that point, the dog just attacked. It was brutal."
Ward suffered several wounds when the dog lunged. His hand was ripped open and he was bitten on the face, leg and buttocks as he tried to fight off the animal.
Ward and his house guests rushed outside, leaving the shepherd locked in the house. Shortly after, Androscoggin Sheriff's Office dog handler Brian Smith and a State Police trooper arrived to get the dog out of the building.
"The dog was all calmed down," Desjardins said. "He was wagging his tail and everything."
The sheriff did not know what caused Dokken to attack. State Police had been observing the dog since the attack; its fate was not known.
According to the sheriff, Ward suffered an infection in one of the bites, which has delayed his recovery. He has been out on workers compensation since the attack.
Ward was hired as chief deputy when Desjardins was forced to demote Eric Samson, the officer the sheriff had chosen for the position, after a dispute with county commissioners over Samson's salary.
Desjardins expects Ward to be back on the job once his wounds have healed.
"I really hope he'll be back within a week or two," Desjardins said.
Pit bull killed by cops; owners outraged
WEST TOLEDO (WTOL) - A pit bull was shot and killed Thursday night by members of the Toledo Police Dept., outraging her owners and neighbors.
The shooting took place late Thursday afternoon at 1840 Talbot in west Toledo. Sean Gillespie says the Toledo SWAT team showed up at his home to arrest a friend who was renting a room at the house.
"He paid rent and that's what we needed and that's the only thing we were after was the rent money to help out," Gillespie said. He says when three members of the SWAT team entered his home, his dog Jozie ran into the front yard.
"It's one thing that they may have to protect themselves but from what we've heard from the neighbors and stuff she was sitting there wagging her tail," Gillespie said.
Nina Williams also lives at the house and says two officers shot a total of five times into the dog.
"I don't feel it was a justified shooting of my dog because I feel she was shot because she was a pit bull," Williams said.
Randy Slater says he witnessed the whole thing and that the shooting "was very uncalled for."
"The dog came out and was standing at the end of the porch just looking around, wagging its tail and they opened fire on him," Slater said.
Slater says he and another neighbor asked why they shot Jozie.
"They told us to get back up on the sidewalk or they were going to throw us in jail," Slater said.
The dog's owners say the officers were even laughing after the shooting.
"The one officer came in and said, 'Yup, that's the only good pit bull is a dead one,'" Gillespie said.
News 11 talked with Police Chief Mike Navarre who says the shooting will be investigated by the officers' supervisors before the incident goes to the firearms review board.
The shooting took place late Thursday afternoon at 1840 Talbot in west Toledo. Sean Gillespie says the Toledo SWAT team showed up at his home to arrest a friend who was renting a room at the house.
"He paid rent and that's what we needed and that's the only thing we were after was the rent money to help out," Gillespie said. He says when three members of the SWAT team entered his home, his dog Jozie ran into the front yard.
"It's one thing that they may have to protect themselves but from what we've heard from the neighbors and stuff she was sitting there wagging her tail," Gillespie said.
Nina Williams also lives at the house and says two officers shot a total of five times into the dog.
"I don't feel it was a justified shooting of my dog because I feel she was shot because she was a pit bull," Williams said.
Randy Slater says he witnessed the whole thing and that the shooting "was very uncalled for."
"The dog came out and was standing at the end of the porch just looking around, wagging its tail and they opened fire on him," Slater said.
Slater says he and another neighbor asked why they shot Jozie.
"They told us to get back up on the sidewalk or they were going to throw us in jail," Slater said.
The dog's owners say the officers were even laughing after the shooting.
"The one officer came in and said, 'Yup, that's the only good pit bull is a dead one,'" Gillespie said.
News 11 talked with Police Chief Mike Navarre who says the shooting will be investigated by the officers' supervisors before the incident goes to the firearms review board.
17 charged for dog fighting in west Ala.
Associated Press - November 21, 2008 11:54 AM ET
LINDEN, Ala. (AP) - Seventeen people have been indicted by a grand jury in west Alabama for their roles in a dog fighting ring.
The charges are connected to a July 26 raid in Linden.
Marengo County Sheriff Jesse Langley said all 17 were each booked on charges of dog fighting and possession of illegal drugs.
He said all the dogs, mostly mixed breed pit bulls, were euthanized after the raid.
Authorities said individuals named in the indictment come from towns and cities across the state.
Information from: The Demopolis Times, http://www.demopolistimes.com
LINDEN, Ala. (AP) - Seventeen people have been indicted by a grand jury in west Alabama for their roles in a dog fighting ring.
The charges are connected to a July 26 raid in Linden.
Marengo County Sheriff Jesse Langley said all 17 were each booked on charges of dog fighting and possession of illegal drugs.
He said all the dogs, mostly mixed breed pit bulls, were euthanized after the raid.
Authorities said individuals named in the indictment come from towns and cities across the state.
Information from: The Demopolis Times, http://www.demopolistimes.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Pit bull vote expected before '09
By LACEY MCLAUGHLIN
Staff Reporter
RIDGELAND - As citizens packed City Hall this week to speak against a proposed pit bull ban, city officials, unable to resolve the controversy, say they hope to bring the matter to a vote before the end of the year.
"We feel strongly about strengthening the existing ordinance, but we want to deal with this in the right way and protect responsible dog owners," said Mayor Gene F. McGee.
Aldermen were unable to reach a consensus during an hour-long executive session Tuesday night.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen plan to work with the police chief and city attorney to find the best solution.
"This is something that doesn't need to keep going on," McGee said.
The proposed ban is the result an ongoing dispute between two neighbors on Ralde Circle in which one neighbor considers the other's dogs to be a threat to their family.
A dog trainer and pediatric nurse was among those urging city officials not to ban pit bulls.
Rebecca Bailey, the trainer and nurse, spoke out against the ban at a work session of the mayor and board Monday night.
She suggested that the city require residents to register their pit bulls with a record of the breed, its location, health, training.
Bailey was among the majority of citizens who spoke against the ban at the Monday night work session.
"If a dog is trained right and treated right it's not going to have problems," Bailey said. "People willing to register their dogs are the people who want to do the right thing and take care of their dogs."
Debbie Stringer, a nurse for 29 years, spoke in favor of the ban, stating that nature of pit bull bites are worse than any other breed.
"Pit bulls have very strong jaws, and typically go for the face, eyes, and throat," she said.
Stringer estimated that she has seen 20 dog bites in the past three years come into the emergency room where she works.
"The majority of victims are children because they are eye level to the dogs, and many times it is the family owned pet that goes after them," she said.
A proposed amendment to the animal control ordinance would effectively ban pit bulls and other breeds.
The ordinance would give residents 30 days to remove the dogs from their home.
The amendment was proposed in September but delayed when the board opted to gather more information about the legality of a breed specific ban.
The ordinance specifically calls for a ban on American pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terrier Rottweilers and the first generation offspring of these breeds.
Under the penalties stipulated in the ordinance, failure to comply would result in a $1,000 fine and an additional $1,000 for each day the dog stays on the property.
The proposed ordinance also states that any dog deemed as "dangerous" would also be removed from households.
Alderman Chuck Gaiter said that he and other members are leaning towards a ban.
"We don't want to harm or punish dog owners, this is a very difficult situation," he said.
Gloria Grantham of Ralde Circle attended the meeting and spoke against the ban. Her neighbor, April Scott, told the board in September that the Grantham dogs were dangerous.
The city in May had granted the Granthams a special permit to keep six dogs, despite a city ordinance allowing no more than three.
The board recently revoked that permit due to the Scott's complaints.
Still not satisfied with the request, Scott took the Granthams to court last month asking for the removal of the dogs.
A Ridgeland Municipal Court judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to deem the dogs as dangerous.
Staff Reporter
RIDGELAND - As citizens packed City Hall this week to speak against a proposed pit bull ban, city officials, unable to resolve the controversy, say they hope to bring the matter to a vote before the end of the year.
"We feel strongly about strengthening the existing ordinance, but we want to deal with this in the right way and protect responsible dog owners," said Mayor Gene F. McGee.
Aldermen were unable to reach a consensus during an hour-long executive session Tuesday night.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen plan to work with the police chief and city attorney to find the best solution.
"This is something that doesn't need to keep going on," McGee said.
The proposed ban is the result an ongoing dispute between two neighbors on Ralde Circle in which one neighbor considers the other's dogs to be a threat to their family.
A dog trainer and pediatric nurse was among those urging city officials not to ban pit bulls.
Rebecca Bailey, the trainer and nurse, spoke out against the ban at a work session of the mayor and board Monday night.
She suggested that the city require residents to register their pit bulls with a record of the breed, its location, health, training.
Bailey was among the majority of citizens who spoke against the ban at the Monday night work session.
"If a dog is trained right and treated right it's not going to have problems," Bailey said. "People willing to register their dogs are the people who want to do the right thing and take care of their dogs."
Debbie Stringer, a nurse for 29 years, spoke in favor of the ban, stating that nature of pit bull bites are worse than any other breed.
"Pit bulls have very strong jaws, and typically go for the face, eyes, and throat," she said.
Stringer estimated that she has seen 20 dog bites in the past three years come into the emergency room where she works.
"The majority of victims are children because they are eye level to the dogs, and many times it is the family owned pet that goes after them," she said.
A proposed amendment to the animal control ordinance would effectively ban pit bulls and other breeds.
The ordinance would give residents 30 days to remove the dogs from their home.
The amendment was proposed in September but delayed when the board opted to gather more information about the legality of a breed specific ban.
The ordinance specifically calls for a ban on American pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terrier Rottweilers and the first generation offspring of these breeds.
Under the penalties stipulated in the ordinance, failure to comply would result in a $1,000 fine and an additional $1,000 for each day the dog stays on the property.
The proposed ordinance also states that any dog deemed as "dangerous" would also be removed from households.
Alderman Chuck Gaiter said that he and other members are leaning towards a ban.
"We don't want to harm or punish dog owners, this is a very difficult situation," he said.
Gloria Grantham of Ralde Circle attended the meeting and spoke against the ban. Her neighbor, April Scott, told the board in September that the Grantham dogs were dangerous.
The city in May had granted the Granthams a special permit to keep six dogs, despite a city ordinance allowing no more than three.
The board recently revoked that permit due to the Scott's complaints.
Still not satisfied with the request, Scott took the Granthams to court last month asking for the removal of the dogs.
A Ridgeland Municipal Court judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to deem the dogs as dangerous.
Drug raid also yields mutilated do
A weekend drug raid at a house in Coatesville turned grisly when detectives found the remains of a mutilated pit bull stuffed in a trash bag in the middle of the dining room.
LaQuanta Chapman, 29, allegedly told police that he had beaten the dog with a blunt object and cut off one of its legs, then, after it was dead, he and several others shot it multiple times with a .22-caliber gun.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Chapman said he then had cut the dog up with a chainsaw and put the remains in the trash bag.
He and Bryan Byrd, 19, of Newark, N.J., were arrested Saturday and charged with drug and weapons offenses along with killing and maiming a domestic animal.
A preliminary hearing scheduled for yesterday before Magisterial District Judge Robert L. Davis Jr. was postponed until Dec. 3 because defense lawyers were not available, Davis said.
But since both defendants were present, he said, he raised their bail from the $5,000 set by Magisterial District Judge Jeremy Blackburn on Saturday to $100,000 and ordered them sent to Chester County prison.
But outside court, Davis said, Chapman sat on a sidewalk, told officials he was in pain, and was taken to Brandywine Hospital for evaluation. Byrd was temporarily held at the Coatesville jail, Davis said.
The judge said he was "frightened" that Chapman apparently waived his Miranda rights and told police that he had killed and mutilated the dog. He said Chapman seemed to think such behavior was acceptable.
According to court records, Chapman has a long history of drug and weapons offenses. As a convicted felon, he is not allowed to own or possess firearms.
According to the affidavit, when police executed a search warrant Saturday at Chapman's residence on the first block of Chester Avenue, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and sitting on two loaded handguns.
In the same room they found two large bags, each containing "a substantial amount" of marijuana, according to the affidavit. A scale, other drug paraphernalia, and additional firearms were also in the house, police said.
The affidavit stated that Chapman also had told police that earlier in the week he killed another dog with a shovel and put it out in the garbage to be picked up by trash collectors.
Chuck McDevitt, a spokesman for the Chester County SPCA, said yesterday that humane-society officers had in the past found remains of mutilated animals that were used in fights or for religious purposes.
"What's unusual about this case is that one man admitted to it," he said.
SPCA officer Cheryl Shaw removed the remains of the dog, which she identified as a pit bull, and they are being examined for forensic evidence, McDevitt said. Shaw is expected to testify at the Dec. 3 hearing, he said.
LaQuanta Chapman, 29, allegedly told police that he had beaten the dog with a blunt object and cut off one of its legs, then, after it was dead, he and several others shot it multiple times with a .22-caliber gun.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Chapman said he then had cut the dog up with a chainsaw and put the remains in the trash bag.
He and Bryan Byrd, 19, of Newark, N.J., were arrested Saturday and charged with drug and weapons offenses along with killing and maiming a domestic animal.
A preliminary hearing scheduled for yesterday before Magisterial District Judge Robert L. Davis Jr. was postponed until Dec. 3 because defense lawyers were not available, Davis said.
But since both defendants were present, he said, he raised their bail from the $5,000 set by Magisterial District Judge Jeremy Blackburn on Saturday to $100,000 and ordered them sent to Chester County prison.
But outside court, Davis said, Chapman sat on a sidewalk, told officials he was in pain, and was taken to Brandywine Hospital for evaluation. Byrd was temporarily held at the Coatesville jail, Davis said.
The judge said he was "frightened" that Chapman apparently waived his Miranda rights and told police that he had killed and mutilated the dog. He said Chapman seemed to think such behavior was acceptable.
According to court records, Chapman has a long history of drug and weapons offenses. As a convicted felon, he is not allowed to own or possess firearms.
According to the affidavit, when police executed a search warrant Saturday at Chapman's residence on the first block of Chester Avenue, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and sitting on two loaded handguns.
In the same room they found two large bags, each containing "a substantial amount" of marijuana, according to the affidavit. A scale, other drug paraphernalia, and additional firearms were also in the house, police said.
The affidavit stated that Chapman also had told police that earlier in the week he killed another dog with a shovel and put it out in the garbage to be picked up by trash collectors.
Chuck McDevitt, a spokesman for the Chester County SPCA, said yesterday that humane-society officers had in the past found remains of mutilated animals that were used in fights or for religious purposes.
"What's unusual about this case is that one man admitted to it," he said.
SPCA officer Cheryl Shaw removed the remains of the dog, which she identified as a pit bull, and they are being examined for forensic evidence, McDevitt said. Shaw is expected to testify at the Dec. 3 hearing, he said.
Monroe City Hall Jammed With Defenders Of Pit Bulls
MONROE, Wash. -- A man whose 71-year-old mother was nearly mauled to death by pit bulls in SeaTac came to speak at a Monroe City Council meeting but was drowned out by others who came to defense of the breed, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
Eric John Makus' mother, Houng Le, was attacked by two pit bulls in September and was left with devastating and disfiguring injuries.
At the meeting Tuesday night, the council considered putting additional restrictions on certain breeds of dogs. The building was jammed with so many people, the packed room spilled into the hall and out onto the sidewalk.
Some who held signs said bad owners and not biology are responsible for vicious dogs.
Pit bull advocates who said they considered their dogs as family members protested breed-specific laws during the meeting.
"If a person doesn't raise their child right, you don't ban children," said Andre Brown.
Makus wanted to speak on his mother's behalf, but couldn't get into the room.
"It's human dismemberment is what these dogs tried to do. It's not a little puncture wound. They rip and tear. They tear ears off," said Makus, whose mother had to have both ears reattached following the pit bull attack.
One owner who was recently cited by Monroe's current laws said breed-specific laws wouldn't have stopped his dog from biting a child and then being put down.
"My dog was a lab mix, 1-1/2 years old. Pit bulls had nothing to do with it," said Mathew Vandecasteele.
In the end, the council was leaning toward laws targeting bad owners and not troubled breeds. They will revisit the issue in six months and then decide how to deal with owners who have dogs that become aggressive.
Makus said he is not giving up his fight against the breed.
"Let the battle begin. This is not going to go away," said Makus.
Meanwhile, the owner of the two pit bulls responsible for the attack on Makus' mother pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of possession of a dangerous dog as well as two gun possession charges.
Travis Dean Cunningham, 36, could serve up to 13 years in prison if convicted as charged.
Cunningham's two dogs, Big Guy and Rim Shot, broke out of a fenced-in back yard and attacked Huong as she walked home from a bus stop in SeaTac, Sgt. John Urquhart with the King County Sheriff's Office said.
A neighbor in the area of the attack who declined to be identified said he or she used a pitchfork to pull the pit bulls off the woman, but police said they had to shoot the dogs to stop the attack.
Eric John Makus' mother, Houng Le, was attacked by two pit bulls in September and was left with devastating and disfiguring injuries.
At the meeting Tuesday night, the council considered putting additional restrictions on certain breeds of dogs. The building was jammed with so many people, the packed room spilled into the hall and out onto the sidewalk.
Some who held signs said bad owners and not biology are responsible for vicious dogs.
Pit bull advocates who said they considered their dogs as family members protested breed-specific laws during the meeting.
"If a person doesn't raise their child right, you don't ban children," said Andre Brown.
Makus wanted to speak on his mother's behalf, but couldn't get into the room.
"It's human dismemberment is what these dogs tried to do. It's not a little puncture wound. They rip and tear. They tear ears off," said Makus, whose mother had to have both ears reattached following the pit bull attack.
One owner who was recently cited by Monroe's current laws said breed-specific laws wouldn't have stopped his dog from biting a child and then being put down.
"My dog was a lab mix, 1-1/2 years old. Pit bulls had nothing to do with it," said Mathew Vandecasteele.
In the end, the council was leaning toward laws targeting bad owners and not troubled breeds. They will revisit the issue in six months and then decide how to deal with owners who have dogs that become aggressive.
Makus said he is not giving up his fight against the breed.
"Let the battle begin. This is not going to go away," said Makus.
Meanwhile, the owner of the two pit bulls responsible for the attack on Makus' mother pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of possession of a dangerous dog as well as two gun possession charges.
Travis Dean Cunningham, 36, could serve up to 13 years in prison if convicted as charged.
Cunningham's two dogs, Big Guy and Rim Shot, broke out of a fenced-in back yard and attacked Huong as she walked home from a bus stop in SeaTac, Sgt. John Urquhart with the King County Sheriff's Office said.
A neighbor in the area of the attack who declined to be identified said he or she used a pitchfork to pull the pit bulls off the woman, but police said they had to shoot the dogs to stop the attack.
Judge: Aurora can keep pit-bull law
Aurora's pit-bull ordinance was upheld by a federal judge Wednesday. Chief U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel ruled in favor of the city.
Florence Vianzon Sasek, who owns Isis, an American Staffordshire terrier mix, had sued the city with the help of the American Canine Foundation, saying the law is vague and was passed unnecessarily.
No pit-bull breeds are allowed in the city, but Vianzon Sasek was allowed to keep her dog because she owned Isis before the ordinance took effect.
Felisa Cardona, The Denver Post
Florence Vianzon Sasek, who owns Isis, an American Staffordshire terrier mix, had sued the city with the help of the American Canine Foundation, saying the law is vague and was passed unnecessarily.
No pit-bull breeds are allowed in the city, but Vianzon Sasek was allowed to keep her dog because she owned Isis before the ordinance took effect.
Felisa Cardona, The Denver Post
Veterinarian on stand in dogfighting trial
Posted: Nov 19, 2008 04:44 PM CST
Veterinarian on stand in dogfighting trial
Mindy Blake email
A veterinarian took the stand Wednesday in a dogfighting trial in Tucson.
Last February, Pima County Sheriff's deputies seized 150 dogs from four properties.
Investigators say the suspects bred dogs for fighting.
Maylon Patrick and Emily Dennis are on trial for their alleged part in the operation.
They each face two counts of dog fighting.
The two sat in court Wednesday, taking notes.
A veterinarian the defense asked to examine the dogs after deputies seized the animals, took the stand.
Dr. Barry Wilkinson repeatedly testified that it was difficult to tell how the dogs got their wounds.
"It could have been due to an infection in the skin, uh, an abrasion rubbing on something. It could be a healing bite wound. It could be any one of a number of causes."
Prosecutors say none of the dogs seized from the suspects' property was socialized, and they weren't pets.
They say the couple's own online ads will prove they bred dogs for fighting.
Veterinarian on stand in dogfighting trial
Mindy Blake email
A veterinarian took the stand Wednesday in a dogfighting trial in Tucson.
Last February, Pima County Sheriff's deputies seized 150 dogs from four properties.
Investigators say the suspects bred dogs for fighting.
Maylon Patrick and Emily Dennis are on trial for their alleged part in the operation.
They each face two counts of dog fighting.
The two sat in court Wednesday, taking notes.
A veterinarian the defense asked to examine the dogs after deputies seized the animals, took the stand.
Dr. Barry Wilkinson repeatedly testified that it was difficult to tell how the dogs got their wounds.
"It could have been due to an infection in the skin, uh, an abrasion rubbing on something. It could be a healing bite wound. It could be any one of a number of causes."
Prosecutors say none of the dogs seized from the suspects' property was socialized, and they weren't pets.
They say the couple's own online ads will prove they bred dogs for fighting.
Property owners to finance care for dogs
By Tom Smith
Senior Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 10:32 p.m.
WAYNESBORO, TENN. - The man and woman who own the property where law enforcement broke up a large dog-fighting operation Sunday have been ordered to put up money to take care of the dogs that were confiscated.
Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said that during their initial court appearance, Mitchell Beasley, 43, and his live-in girlfriend, Lindy Louise Andrews, 43, were ordered to put up the bond money for the care of the animals.
"They have 10 days to get the bond money up," Wilson said.
The sheriff said bonds were also established at $25,000 cash each or $75,000 property each.
"If they do get out, they can't go back to the property until we get the dogs properly cared for," Wilson said.
He said a deputy has been staying at the property with the animals since they were confiscated Saturday night.
Beasley and Andrews were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.
The sheriff's office and Waynesboro police raided the residence Saturday night. They found 27 pit bulldogs, five of which were puppies.
Wilson said all of the dogs had scars from when they had been fought.
On Monday evening, while searching the residence off Rasberry Hollow Road, north of Waynesboro, Wilson said authorities found evidence where dogs had been killed and buried.
Wilson said deputies found a dog wrapped and frozen inside a chest freezer in the house.
"There were deer parts inside the freezer - at first we thought this carcass was deer until we saw the dog collar still on the animal," Wilson said.
Authorities said that outside the residence deputies found a bag of bones inside a burn barrel, scattered bones and evidence where dead animals had been buried.
"There were spots where they had put lime on the soil trying to cover up the areas where the dogs had been buried," Wilson said. "To be honest, it was an awful sight, just gruesome."
Wilson said that while the investigation continues, the immediate need is to place the confiscated dogs. He said plans are to talk with the Humane Society to take charge of the animals.
"We hope that each one can be saved. At one time, there is no doubt they were beautiful animals," Wilson said. "It's just sickening to think about what has happened to them and what they have been through."
Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.
Senior Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 10:32 p.m.
WAYNESBORO, TENN. - The man and woman who own the property where law enforcement broke up a large dog-fighting operation Sunday have been ordered to put up money to take care of the dogs that were confiscated.
Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said that during their initial court appearance, Mitchell Beasley, 43, and his live-in girlfriend, Lindy Louise Andrews, 43, were ordered to put up the bond money for the care of the animals.
"They have 10 days to get the bond money up," Wilson said.
The sheriff said bonds were also established at $25,000 cash each or $75,000 property each.
"If they do get out, they can't go back to the property until we get the dogs properly cared for," Wilson said.
He said a deputy has been staying at the property with the animals since they were confiscated Saturday night.
Beasley and Andrews were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.
The sheriff's office and Waynesboro police raided the residence Saturday night. They found 27 pit bulldogs, five of which were puppies.
Wilson said all of the dogs had scars from when they had been fought.
On Monday evening, while searching the residence off Rasberry Hollow Road, north of Waynesboro, Wilson said authorities found evidence where dogs had been killed and buried.
Wilson said deputies found a dog wrapped and frozen inside a chest freezer in the house.
"There were deer parts inside the freezer - at first we thought this carcass was deer until we saw the dog collar still on the animal," Wilson said.
Authorities said that outside the residence deputies found a bag of bones inside a burn barrel, scattered bones and evidence where dead animals had been buried.
"There were spots where they had put lime on the soil trying to cover up the areas where the dogs had been buried," Wilson said. "To be honest, it was an awful sight, just gruesome."
Wilson said that while the investigation continues, the immediate need is to place the confiscated dogs. He said plans are to talk with the Humane Society to take charge of the animals.
"We hope that each one can be saved. At one time, there is no doubt they were beautiful animals," Wilson said. "It's just sickening to think about what has happened to them and what they have been through."
Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.
Officials Search for Dogfighting Bust Suspects
HOUSTON -- Officials said they are still on the lookout for more than 40 suspects who were charged in one of the nation's largest dogfighting bust last week.
Click here to see photos of some of the suspects.
Law enforcement officials filed charges against 55 people and seized more than 100 canines on Friday after a yearlong investigation on a major dogfighting ring that was based in Harris County but operated from Tyler to Matagorda County.
Investigators said Harris County fights would be staged weekly or twice a month at one of eight secluded sites. The fights were attended by crowds of up to 100 spectators, who bet on the outcomes. Those charged face up to two years in state jail if convicted.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information called in to the 713-222-8477 tips hot line that leads to the capture of any felony suspect charged with dog fighting. Tips may also be submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org.
Click here to see photos of some of the suspects.
Law enforcement officials filed charges against 55 people and seized more than 100 canines on Friday after a yearlong investigation on a major dogfighting ring that was based in Harris County but operated from Tyler to Matagorda County.
Investigators said Harris County fights would be staged weekly or twice a month at one of eight secluded sites. The fights were attended by crowds of up to 100 spectators, who bet on the outcomes. Those charged face up to two years in state jail if convicted.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information called in to the 713-222-8477 tips hot line that leads to the capture of any felony suspect charged with dog fighting. Tips may also be submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Former shelter head signed out 83 cats
Valencia Pullin said she was surprised one evening to see the new director of the Fulton County Animal Shelter and her husband carrying crates with cats from the building.
“They said they were bringing them to a rescue,” said Pullin, a veterinarian technician. “They were very secretive.”
Pullin thought it odd to see Jere Alexander carrying out the cats — 19 that night, records show — because “you can’t do much with feral cats. They don’t mix with humans. We usually put them down.”
Longtime kennel manager Myles Swain said he confronted Alexander the next morning and she filled out a form saying the rescue organization was called Nine Lives, a “trap, neuter and release” group. Over four months, Nine Lives took 83 cats from the shelter, more than twice the number taken by all other groups.
Rescue groups that take animals from shelters must be licensed by the state Department of Agriculture, but officials found no such records. An investigation by the department last week found Alexander ran the rescue group. But it could not determine what happened to the cats, including whether they were neutered or released. Charles Woody, who was listed on the form as a vet who neutered the cats for Nine Lives, said Friday he never heard of the group.
“The big question is where are all these cats?” said Swain, a 27-year employee who was later fired by Alexander after a dog was accidentally euthanized. Swain surmises their disappearance helped the shelter lower its kill rate, a vexing problem nearly all urban shelters face.
It’s a problem the Fulton shelter faced. Swain was accused last week by another employee of improperly killing pit bulls to clear up space in the crowded shelter. Several former employees complained that Alexander, a pit bull enthusiast, often overrode decisions to euthanize aggressive pit bulls, making the shelter overcrowded and dangerous.
Alexander resigned earlier this month after a critical report on Fox 5 TV. Alexander did not respond to several phone calls and an e-mail seeking comment.
The debate over pit bulls and questions about missing cats are the latest strange circumstances surrounding the Fulton shelter’s operations for nearly eight months under Alexander, a Notre Dame-educated lawyer who has said she is studying dog-fighting for her thesis.
One of her first hires was a pit bull breeder whose husband was under indictment for transporting fighting dogs. Alexander also ran a Web site with advisers who had dogfighting-related charges in their pasts, according to humane groups and newspaper accounts. And she told others she had attended dogfights as research for her studies.
Alexander became director in March after Barking Hound Village Foundation was awarded a five-year contract to run the shelter. Barking Hound, an offshoot of a successful doggie day care chain, received the contract although the previous contractor, Southern Hope Humane Society, was picked by a selection committee as being more qualified.
Barking Hound, however, was the low bidder, offering to run the shelter for $2.1 million a year, $300,000 a year less than Southern Hope was receiving. But the new organization had to scramble to take over the shelter after Southern Hope gave 30 days’ notice it was leaving.
Mary Green, the agriculture department’s director of animal protection, said she walked through the shelter after Barking Hound took over and “I remember an enormous amount of overcrowding and a tremendous amount of disease.”
But the environment had improved, Green said. Last week, the shelter “was very clean. I did not observe overcrowding.”
David York, who founded the Barking Hound doggie day care operations and the foundation, said urban shelters are facing a “crisis” because of the number of strays and the animals being dumped by people unable to care for them.
In an earlier interview last month, York said, “We have far too many [pit bulls]. Sometimes our numbers are up to 70 percent. It’s sad, because they’re difficult to adopt out.”
But things had apparently improved by last week. A check Friday of the shelter’s lost and found and adoption lists found only about 30 percent were pit bulls or related breeds.
York, who has previous experience with rescue volunteer groups, last week said he sought the contract because he read a news article in December saying Southern Hope would not seek renewal “and there would be no one to run the shelter.” Southern Hope later bid.
Alexander did not have the necessary humane experience needed to run the facility, but York said her knowledge of pit bulls seemed to be a good fit because the shelter was overrun with the breed.
But her advocacy for pit bulls caused problems, several said.
Pullin, the vet tech, said staff members constantly broke up dogfights and attended to the injured animals.
“She had a favoritism toward pit bulls,” she said. “Dogs you’d see tear other dogs apart, we’d put on the list to euthanize and she’d take them off.”
Swain said he was bitten by a dog. He also said five dogs were killed in fights with pit bulls. One, a Sheltie mix, was killed after being housed overnight with a pit bull.
“It was so bad we could not tell it was a dog anymore — it was a glob,” he said.
The agriculture department report said no fighting was evident last week. The report also carries an accusation by employee Shelton Robinson that Swain improperly took sodium pentobarbital and euthanized “as many American pit bull terriers as possible to prevent fighting in the kennels and make excessive room for daily intake.”
Swain called the allegation “100 percent false.” He said the accusation was put into his personnel file three months after he was fired. “It’s a way to make me look like a disgruntled employee,” he said.
Danielle LaMarr, a vet who started working at the clinic when Alexander took over, said keeping aggressive dogs caused problems. “They’d have seven dogs in a run sharing diseases because they’d have one pit bull in [another] run because he couldn’t be housed with other dogs,” she said.
LaMarr produced an e-mail from Alexander saying she had attended dogfights because she was writing a dissertation on an “ethnographic study of dogfighting, pit bulls and pit bull people.”
“So I have worked with dogfighters to learn about this practice and culture,” Alexander wrote. “Of course I don’t condone dogfighting, and my research was very traumatic at times.”
Pullin said Alexander and her husband, Rocky, took home one especially aggressive pit bull named “Beast.” They never returned the dog, she said, adding “they said they had to put it down because of pneumonia.” Beast was being held at the shelter as evidence in a criminal dog-fighting case, former shelter officials said.
Alexander founded a Web site, since taken down, called pitarchive.org “dedicated to preserving and reimagining the American pit bull terrier through the creation of an online museum.”
One of her first hires at the shelter was a vet tech named Sherri Shelf, whose husband Tony was arrested in Illinois with a van full of pit bulls. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of transporting dogs for fighting and was sentenced to a year in prison, said Cook County prosecutor Bob Schwarz.
Sherri Shelf, who was the president of the Georgia American Pit Bull Terrier Association, called Alexander a “lover of the breed” who opposed fighting.
Alexander and her husband own several pit bulls at their Decatur home. He could not be reached for comment.
On an Internet site, Rocky Alexander called himself “a professional canine behaviorist, trainer, handler, historian and conditioner” who grew up in Washington state in an area where “a professional dogfight was as normal as a baseball game.”
Staff researcher Nisa Asokan contributed to this report.
“They said they were bringing them to a rescue,” said Pullin, a veterinarian technician. “They were very secretive.”
Pullin thought it odd to see Jere Alexander carrying out the cats — 19 that night, records show — because “you can’t do much with feral cats. They don’t mix with humans. We usually put them down.”
Longtime kennel manager Myles Swain said he confronted Alexander the next morning and she filled out a form saying the rescue organization was called Nine Lives, a “trap, neuter and release” group. Over four months, Nine Lives took 83 cats from the shelter, more than twice the number taken by all other groups.
Rescue groups that take animals from shelters must be licensed by the state Department of Agriculture, but officials found no such records. An investigation by the department last week found Alexander ran the rescue group. But it could not determine what happened to the cats, including whether they were neutered or released. Charles Woody, who was listed on the form as a vet who neutered the cats for Nine Lives, said Friday he never heard of the group.
“The big question is where are all these cats?” said Swain, a 27-year employee who was later fired by Alexander after a dog was accidentally euthanized. Swain surmises their disappearance helped the shelter lower its kill rate, a vexing problem nearly all urban shelters face.
It’s a problem the Fulton shelter faced. Swain was accused last week by another employee of improperly killing pit bulls to clear up space in the crowded shelter. Several former employees complained that Alexander, a pit bull enthusiast, often overrode decisions to euthanize aggressive pit bulls, making the shelter overcrowded and dangerous.
Alexander resigned earlier this month after a critical report on Fox 5 TV. Alexander did not respond to several phone calls and an e-mail seeking comment.
The debate over pit bulls and questions about missing cats are the latest strange circumstances surrounding the Fulton shelter’s operations for nearly eight months under Alexander, a Notre Dame-educated lawyer who has said she is studying dog-fighting for her thesis.
One of her first hires was a pit bull breeder whose husband was under indictment for transporting fighting dogs. Alexander also ran a Web site with advisers who had dogfighting-related charges in their pasts, according to humane groups and newspaper accounts. And she told others she had attended dogfights as research for her studies.
Alexander became director in March after Barking Hound Village Foundation was awarded a five-year contract to run the shelter. Barking Hound, an offshoot of a successful doggie day care chain, received the contract although the previous contractor, Southern Hope Humane Society, was picked by a selection committee as being more qualified.
Barking Hound, however, was the low bidder, offering to run the shelter for $2.1 million a year, $300,000 a year less than Southern Hope was receiving. But the new organization had to scramble to take over the shelter after Southern Hope gave 30 days’ notice it was leaving.
Mary Green, the agriculture department’s director of animal protection, said she walked through the shelter after Barking Hound took over and “I remember an enormous amount of overcrowding and a tremendous amount of disease.”
But the environment had improved, Green said. Last week, the shelter “was very clean. I did not observe overcrowding.”
David York, who founded the Barking Hound doggie day care operations and the foundation, said urban shelters are facing a “crisis” because of the number of strays and the animals being dumped by people unable to care for them.
In an earlier interview last month, York said, “We have far too many [pit bulls]. Sometimes our numbers are up to 70 percent. It’s sad, because they’re difficult to adopt out.”
But things had apparently improved by last week. A check Friday of the shelter’s lost and found and adoption lists found only about 30 percent were pit bulls or related breeds.
York, who has previous experience with rescue volunteer groups, last week said he sought the contract because he read a news article in December saying Southern Hope would not seek renewal “and there would be no one to run the shelter.” Southern Hope later bid.
Alexander did not have the necessary humane experience needed to run the facility, but York said her knowledge of pit bulls seemed to be a good fit because the shelter was overrun with the breed.
But her advocacy for pit bulls caused problems, several said.
Pullin, the vet tech, said staff members constantly broke up dogfights and attended to the injured animals.
“She had a favoritism toward pit bulls,” she said. “Dogs you’d see tear other dogs apart, we’d put on the list to euthanize and she’d take them off.”
Swain said he was bitten by a dog. He also said five dogs were killed in fights with pit bulls. One, a Sheltie mix, was killed after being housed overnight with a pit bull.
“It was so bad we could not tell it was a dog anymore — it was a glob,” he said.
The agriculture department report said no fighting was evident last week. The report also carries an accusation by employee Shelton Robinson that Swain improperly took sodium pentobarbital and euthanized “as many American pit bull terriers as possible to prevent fighting in the kennels and make excessive room for daily intake.”
Swain called the allegation “100 percent false.” He said the accusation was put into his personnel file three months after he was fired. “It’s a way to make me look like a disgruntled employee,” he said.
Danielle LaMarr, a vet who started working at the clinic when Alexander took over, said keeping aggressive dogs caused problems. “They’d have seven dogs in a run sharing diseases because they’d have one pit bull in [another] run because he couldn’t be housed with other dogs,” she said.
LaMarr produced an e-mail from Alexander saying she had attended dogfights because she was writing a dissertation on an “ethnographic study of dogfighting, pit bulls and pit bull people.”
“So I have worked with dogfighters to learn about this practice and culture,” Alexander wrote. “Of course I don’t condone dogfighting, and my research was very traumatic at times.”
Pullin said Alexander and her husband, Rocky, took home one especially aggressive pit bull named “Beast.” They never returned the dog, she said, adding “they said they had to put it down because of pneumonia.” Beast was being held at the shelter as evidence in a criminal dog-fighting case, former shelter officials said.
Alexander founded a Web site, since taken down, called pitarchive.org “dedicated to preserving and reimagining the American pit bull terrier through the creation of an online museum.”
One of her first hires at the shelter was a vet tech named Sherri Shelf, whose husband Tony was arrested in Illinois with a van full of pit bulls. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of transporting dogs for fighting and was sentenced to a year in prison, said Cook County prosecutor Bob Schwarz.
Sherri Shelf, who was the president of the Georgia American Pit Bull Terrier Association, called Alexander a “lover of the breed” who opposed fighting.
Alexander and her husband own several pit bulls at their Decatur home. He could not be reached for comment.
On an Internet site, Rocky Alexander called himself “a professional canine behaviorist, trainer, handler, historian and conditioner” who grew up in Washington state in an area where “a professional dogfight was as normal as a baseball game.”
Staff researcher Nisa Asokan contributed to this report.
2 charged in alleged dog fighting operation locally (MN)
Two North Branch Township residents have been charged with three counts of animal cruelty in connection with discovery of an alleged dog fighting operation at their residence on Abby Road N.E.
Troy John Lieffring, 37, and Teresa Carol Schwartz, 34, are co-owners of the 27 dogs seized during execution of a search warrant by Investigator Lisa Lovering of the Isanti County Sheriff’s Department at their residence Sept. 11.
Also present during execution of the search warrant were Holly Nelson of the Isanti County Zoning Office and Keith Streff from the state Animal Humane Society.
Lieffring and Schwartz had previously applied for a kennel license through Isanti County but did not obtain the necessary variance for the property. Although Lieffring told investigator Lovering that there were 18 pit bulls on the property there were 26 pit bulls and one bull dog taken into Humane Society custody.
The dogs appeared particularly aggressive, according to the criminal complaint lodged against Lieffring and Schwartz, and required sedation to facilitate transport.
Dog fighting items including written publications and instructional material on fighting, veterinary medications, performance enhancing supplements, an indoor cat mill, antibiotic ointment, skin staplers, syringes, and quickstop liquid to stop bleeding were found during execution of the search warrant inside the residence.
The majority of the animals reflected poor care, evidence of past and present lacerations and scars, enamel abrasions on their teeth, poor coats and were underweight, according to the complaint.
A female pit bull had lacerations previously closed with improper suture material, which leads to bacterial infection and had difficulty standing due to front and rear leg pain.
It is Human Society Investigator Streff’s opinion that “the evidence clearly indicates the owners of the dogs are engaged in behaviors demonstrating a pattern of culpable negligence that results in infection, pain and suffering. And further that the injuries and wounds of some of the dogs are also consistent with those that result from malicious intent and/or lack of professional medical treatment.”
Lieffring and Schwartz have both been charged by summons with felony cruelty to animals-fight, use train or possess animals for that purpose and gross misdemeanor counts of overwork/mistreatment of animals-torture and overwork/mistreatment of animals-cruelty.
Lieffring failed to appear in court Nov. 13 and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Schwartz is scheduled to make her first appearance in 10th district court Dec. 10.
Troy John Lieffring, 37, and Teresa Carol Schwartz, 34, are co-owners of the 27 dogs seized during execution of a search warrant by Investigator Lisa Lovering of the Isanti County Sheriff’s Department at their residence Sept. 11.
Also present during execution of the search warrant were Holly Nelson of the Isanti County Zoning Office and Keith Streff from the state Animal Humane Society.
Lieffring and Schwartz had previously applied for a kennel license through Isanti County but did not obtain the necessary variance for the property. Although Lieffring told investigator Lovering that there were 18 pit bulls on the property there were 26 pit bulls and one bull dog taken into Humane Society custody.
The dogs appeared particularly aggressive, according to the criminal complaint lodged against Lieffring and Schwartz, and required sedation to facilitate transport.
Dog fighting items including written publications and instructional material on fighting, veterinary medications, performance enhancing supplements, an indoor cat mill, antibiotic ointment, skin staplers, syringes, and quickstop liquid to stop bleeding were found during execution of the search warrant inside the residence.
The majority of the animals reflected poor care, evidence of past and present lacerations and scars, enamel abrasions on their teeth, poor coats and were underweight, according to the complaint.
A female pit bull had lacerations previously closed with improper suture material, which leads to bacterial infection and had difficulty standing due to front and rear leg pain.
It is Human Society Investigator Streff’s opinion that “the evidence clearly indicates the owners of the dogs are engaged in behaviors demonstrating a pattern of culpable negligence that results in infection, pain and suffering. And further that the injuries and wounds of some of the dogs are also consistent with those that result from malicious intent and/or lack of professional medical treatment.”
Lieffring and Schwartz have both been charged by summons with felony cruelty to animals-fight, use train or possess animals for that purpose and gross misdemeanor counts of overwork/mistreatment of animals-torture and overwork/mistreatment of animals-cruelty.
Lieffring failed to appear in court Nov. 13 and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Schwartz is scheduled to make her first appearance in 10th district court Dec. 10.
Pit bull discussion ensues at Ridgeland aldermen's meeting
Ridgeland city leaders are expected to discuss a controversial proposal tonight that may call for the banning of certain dog breeds from the city.
Mayor Gene McGee said Monday that the Board of Aldermen and the city's attorneys will review the proposal in a closed session tonight following the board's regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Ridgeland City Hall.
The city first presented a proposed amendment to the animal control ordinance in September that called for the banning of pit bulls, Rottweilers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and their offspring in Ridgeland. Public reaction was heated and emotional, prompting the board to delay the vote to gather more information about the practicality and legality of breed specific legislation.
"This is an ordinance that has a very high potential of litigation," said Ridgeland City Attorney Jerry Mills, explaining the plans for a closed session.
A vote on any proposal is, however, unlikely tonight, McGee said.
Last month city leaders said they would have the final draft of the proposal ready for a vote this week, but it wasn't complete in time.
Even so, more than a dozen Ridgeland residents showed up to the board's work session Monday, anxious to comment on the proposed breed ban.
The mayor allowed them to speak and submit any letters, statistics or other materials for consideration.
Two people spoke in favor of a ban, but the comments from others that spoke out were overwhelmingly negative. One neighborhood association submitted a letter, which McGee read aloud, in support of a breed ban in Ridgeland.
Among those against a ban was Gloria Grantham, who along with her husband has been involved in a months-long battle with their next-door-neighbor over the couple's pit bulls and Rottweiler.
"I've owned my Rottweiler six years, and he has not gotten out one time," Grantham said. "It's how you raise a dog."
Several residents offered approving nods.
Ridgeland dog trainer and pediatric nurse Rebecca Bailey also spoke against banning specific breeds.
"When dogs are bred correctly, you're not going to have any problems out of these breeds," Bailey said. "I don't recommend the ban."
But Bailey also said she has witnessed firsthand during her nursing shifts the injuries that can result from dog attacks. She added that those injuries were caused by unsocialized, untrained dogs.
Another Ridgeland nurse said she has seen children that have been mauled severely by vicious dogs and supported a ban on certain breeds in Ridgeland.
Mike Smith of the Dinsmor Homeowners Association said he also supports a breed specific ban.
"I know I'm going to make some people mad," Smith said before segueing into a prepared presentation that included a wealth of statistics on dog attacks. He had cited research by Animal People, an animal protection newspaper, and other like sources to bolster his argument that certain dog breeds are more apt to attack than others.
According to Animal People, pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf hybrids have been responsible for 931 maulings and nearly 200 deaths in the United States and Canada between 1982 and 2007. Those breeds account for more than 70 percent of all dogs attacks resulting in death and 77 percent of all attacks resulting in maiming.
"The numbers are the numbers," Smith said. "You have a bad day with one of these three breeds, somebody is maimed or somebody is killed. There are no second chances."
Talk of a breed specific ban in Ridgeland comes after months of feuding between the Granthams of 615 Ralde Circle and their neighbor April Scott.
Scott, a single mother of two young girls, describes the Granthams' two pit bulls and Rottweiler as a aggressive and dangerous.
The Granthams at one time kept two other pit bulls and a Jack Russell terrier in addition to the three they have now.
The city in May had granted the couple a special permit to keep six dogs despite a city ordinance allowing no more than three.
The board recently revoked that permit amid the neighbors' heated feud.
Not fully satisfied with the revocation alone, Scott took the Granthams to court and asked for the removal of the remaining "dangerous dogs."
A Ridgeland Municipal Court judge ruled last month the pets aren't dangerous and ordered the neighbors to cease all contact.
The Granthams are currently in the process of building an 8-foot privacy fence to shield their dogs.
Mayor Gene McGee said Monday that the Board of Aldermen and the city's attorneys will review the proposal in a closed session tonight following the board's regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Ridgeland City Hall.
The city first presented a proposed amendment to the animal control ordinance in September that called for the banning of pit bulls, Rottweilers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and their offspring in Ridgeland. Public reaction was heated and emotional, prompting the board to delay the vote to gather more information about the practicality and legality of breed specific legislation.
"This is an ordinance that has a very high potential of litigation," said Ridgeland City Attorney Jerry Mills, explaining the plans for a closed session.
A vote on any proposal is, however, unlikely tonight, McGee said.
Last month city leaders said they would have the final draft of the proposal ready for a vote this week, but it wasn't complete in time.
Even so, more than a dozen Ridgeland residents showed up to the board's work session Monday, anxious to comment on the proposed breed ban.
The mayor allowed them to speak and submit any letters, statistics or other materials for consideration.
Two people spoke in favor of a ban, but the comments from others that spoke out were overwhelmingly negative. One neighborhood association submitted a letter, which McGee read aloud, in support of a breed ban in Ridgeland.
Among those against a ban was Gloria Grantham, who along with her husband has been involved in a months-long battle with their next-door-neighbor over the couple's pit bulls and Rottweiler.
"I've owned my Rottweiler six years, and he has not gotten out one time," Grantham said. "It's how you raise a dog."
Several residents offered approving nods.
Ridgeland dog trainer and pediatric nurse Rebecca Bailey also spoke against banning specific breeds.
"When dogs are bred correctly, you're not going to have any problems out of these breeds," Bailey said. "I don't recommend the ban."
But Bailey also said she has witnessed firsthand during her nursing shifts the injuries that can result from dog attacks. She added that those injuries were caused by unsocialized, untrained dogs.
Another Ridgeland nurse said she has seen children that have been mauled severely by vicious dogs and supported a ban on certain breeds in Ridgeland.
Mike Smith of the Dinsmor Homeowners Association said he also supports a breed specific ban.
"I know I'm going to make some people mad," Smith said before segueing into a prepared presentation that included a wealth of statistics on dog attacks. He had cited research by Animal People, an animal protection newspaper, and other like sources to bolster his argument that certain dog breeds are more apt to attack than others.
According to Animal People, pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf hybrids have been responsible for 931 maulings and nearly 200 deaths in the United States and Canada between 1982 and 2007. Those breeds account for more than 70 percent of all dogs attacks resulting in death and 77 percent of all attacks resulting in maiming.
"The numbers are the numbers," Smith said. "You have a bad day with one of these three breeds, somebody is maimed or somebody is killed. There are no second chances."
Talk of a breed specific ban in Ridgeland comes after months of feuding between the Granthams of 615 Ralde Circle and their neighbor April Scott.
Scott, a single mother of two young girls, describes the Granthams' two pit bulls and Rottweiler as a aggressive and dangerous.
The Granthams at one time kept two other pit bulls and a Jack Russell terrier in addition to the three they have now.
The city in May had granted the couple a special permit to keep six dogs despite a city ordinance allowing no more than three.
The board recently revoked that permit amid the neighbors' heated feud.
Not fully satisfied with the revocation alone, Scott took the Granthams to court and asked for the removal of the remaining "dangerous dogs."
A Ridgeland Municipal Court judge ruled last month the pets aren't dangerous and ordered the neighbors to cease all contact.
The Granthams are currently in the process of building an 8-foot privacy fence to shield their dogs.
Pit bull case unleashed
Owner contests Aurora's restrictions on breed
By ADAM GOLDSTEIN
The Aurora Sentinel
Published: Monday, November 17, 2008 9:32 PM MST
AURORA | More than two years after the city implemented a controversial pit pull ban, one owner is challenging the city’s statutes in U.S. district court.
Florence Vianzon Sasek, who owns a 5-year old American Staffordshire Terrier, says the city ban’s stipulations are unconstitutional and unfair. The city’s current restrictions require Sasek to lock her dog in a crate during car rides and put a muzzle on its jaws when she takes the dog for walks.
Sasek’s terrier, which was able to remain in the city because of a grandfather clause, is one of the several breeds specified in the 2006 ban.
Sasek’s case was heard in the U.S. District court in Denver on Monday and was filed by the American Canine Foundation.
Glen Bui, spokesman for the ACF, has long held that Aurora’s ban is based on faulty data and is tantamount to the targeted elimination of several breeds.
“It’s extermination of a species,” Bui said earlier this year. “There’s nowhere in the country where anyone has any accurate proof that breed bans actually protect the public ... You cannot cull or exterminate something of that nature because it’s a reproductive species and no matter what you do, it’s going to keep breeding. People love them like they love their children.”
But the city has offered data that points to lower incidences of bites since the ban took place. A report from earlier this year shows that the percentage of reported bites from restricted breeds dipped dramatically after 2006, with only 6 percent of reported bites coming from restricted breeds in 2006 and accounting for 7 percent in 2007. In 2006, the city reported 758 restricted breed impoundments, a number that shrunk to 269 in 2007, a decrease of 65 percent.
As part of the ban, a fee of $218 has been attached to a restricted breed license.
City attorney Charlie Richardson has stated that the ban is lawful and constitutional, pointing out that it’s already survived a challenge in court.
But for Sasek, it’s unfair legislation, a ban that unfairly targets what she deems a harmless pet.
“She’s a great, sweet, gentle dog,” she said.
Courts in other states, including New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Arkansas and Ohio, have upheld challenges to their pit-bull ordinances.
By ADAM GOLDSTEIN
The Aurora Sentinel
Published: Monday, November 17, 2008 9:32 PM MST
AURORA | More than two years after the city implemented a controversial pit pull ban, one owner is challenging the city’s statutes in U.S. district court.
Florence Vianzon Sasek, who owns a 5-year old American Staffordshire Terrier, says the city ban’s stipulations are unconstitutional and unfair. The city’s current restrictions require Sasek to lock her dog in a crate during car rides and put a muzzle on its jaws when she takes the dog for walks.
Sasek’s terrier, which was able to remain in the city because of a grandfather clause, is one of the several breeds specified in the 2006 ban.
Sasek’s case was heard in the U.S. District court in Denver on Monday and was filed by the American Canine Foundation.
Glen Bui, spokesman for the ACF, has long held that Aurora’s ban is based on faulty data and is tantamount to the targeted elimination of several breeds.
“It’s extermination of a species,” Bui said earlier this year. “There’s nowhere in the country where anyone has any accurate proof that breed bans actually protect the public ... You cannot cull or exterminate something of that nature because it’s a reproductive species and no matter what you do, it’s going to keep breeding. People love them like they love their children.”
But the city has offered data that points to lower incidences of bites since the ban took place. A report from earlier this year shows that the percentage of reported bites from restricted breeds dipped dramatically after 2006, with only 6 percent of reported bites coming from restricted breeds in 2006 and accounting for 7 percent in 2007. In 2006, the city reported 758 restricted breed impoundments, a number that shrunk to 269 in 2007, a decrease of 65 percent.
As part of the ban, a fee of $218 has been attached to a restricted breed license.
City attorney Charlie Richardson has stated that the ban is lawful and constitutional, pointing out that it’s already survived a challenge in court.
But for Sasek, it’s unfair legislation, a ban that unfairly targets what she deems a harmless pet.
“She’s a great, sweet, gentle dog,” she said.
Courts in other states, including New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Arkansas and Ohio, have upheld challenges to their pit-bull ordinances.
http://www.wdxe.com/wdxe.php?rfc=narticle.php&id=11807
Large Dog Fighting Operation Found In Wayne County
Posted on November 17, 2008
From the Times Daily
A tip to police led law enforcement to break up a large dog fighting operation in Wayne County, Tenn., authorities said.
Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said that Saturday, between 8:30-9 p.m., officers from the sheriff's department and the Waynesboro Police Department raided a dog fighting operation off of Rasberry Hollow Road, which is north of Waynesboro, off Tennessee 13.
Wilson said a Wayne County man and his live-in girlfriend were among six people officially arrested on felony charges of dog fighting Sunday morning after the raid was conducted at their residence.
The sheriff said in all 18 people, ranging in age from 13 to 70, were taken into custody. He said 12 were charged with misdemeanor offenses.
Wilson said with the exception of two suspects, everyone taken into custody was from McNary County, White Creek, Hardin County, Giles County, Nashville and Chattanooga.
"They were from everywhere expect Wayne County," he said.
The sheriff said 27 dogs, all pit bulls, including five puppies, were turned over to the Humane Society.
"It was one of the worst scenes I've ever seen," the sheriff said. "One of the dogs had an eye gone, one had his leg chewed very badly and everyone of them, with the exception of the puppies, had numerous bites and cuts all over their body. Some had very large gashes on the bodies. It was a sickening sight."
Wilson said Mitchell Wayne Beasley, 43, and his girlfriend, 42-year-old Lindy Louise Andrews, were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.
Those also charged with felony dog fighting include Tommy lee Barley, 28, 3004 Pope Drive, Chattanooga, Tenn.; David Allen Wells, no age available, 897 Airport Road, Selmer, Tenn.; and twin brothers Ronnie Lee Parker, 35, 5508 Pine Long Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Donnie Eugene Parker, 35, 5500 Pine Long Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities said. They are all being held in the Wayne County Jail on bail totaling $1,500 each.
Two juveniles under age 15 were detained. One lives at the residence and the other came with his father, who was arrested on felony charges.
Authorities said when officers raided the operation, fresh blood was found in the fight pit and there was plenty of evidence that a fight had just concluded.
Besides the dogs, officers found $10,000 in cash and the book "Cajun Rules For Dog Fighting."
"We had been watching the area since Friday afternoon, after the police department received the tip that a large dog fight was going to take place this weekend," Wilson said. "Saturday night, after seeing a large number of vehicles arrive, we decided it was time to go in."
The sheriff said when officers raided the facility, which was outside just behind Beasley's house, four people ran into a nearby wooded area.
"We had to go get one out of a gully where he slipped and fell down into this morning," the sheriff said. "He was yelling for help. Apparently, when he fell, he broke his arm."
Wilson said another came out of the woods just after dawn after a cold, damp night. "I think he was about to freeze to death, so he came on out and gave up so he could get warm," he said.
A third suspect walked into the sheriff's office in Waynesboro on Sunday afternoon after he had spent the night in the woods.
"He looked like he had been sacking cats. He had scratches all over him from where he had been in the woods and brushes hiding," the sheriff said. He said one suspect is still on the run.
Investigators spent Sunday at the residence taking statements and confiscating evidence.
He said the fighting pit was about 30 feet from the house. It was described as poles with tarps covering the top.
Wilson said when questioned about the dog fighting operation, Beasley and Andrews denied knowledge.
"It was so close to his house that he could walk outside, spit and hit the pit, but (Beasley) said he didn't know where the pit came from," Wilson said.
He said Andrews' explanation of what was going on was almost comical.
"She said she didn't know a thing about the dog fights, she was just having a cookout and friends coming over," Wilson said. The sheriff said evidence of where the dogs had been kept was scattered all over the area. Several 55-gallon barrels, with straw inside for bedding, were being used as dog houses.
"The dogs were chained near the barrels with chains that were attached to metal rods that had been drove into the ground," he said. "It wasn't an elaborate operation, but it was evident that it had been going on for some time.
"It was a very pitiful sight, looking at these animals, seeing how they were being treated and what they were being put through."
The case remains under investigation and more charges could be pending.
Posted on November 17, 2008
From the Times Daily
A tip to police led law enforcement to break up a large dog fighting operation in Wayne County, Tenn., authorities said.
Wayne County Sheriff Ric Wilson said that Saturday, between 8:30-9 p.m., officers from the sheriff's department and the Waynesboro Police Department raided a dog fighting operation off of Rasberry Hollow Road, which is north of Waynesboro, off Tennessee 13.
Wilson said a Wayne County man and his live-in girlfriend were among six people officially arrested on felony charges of dog fighting Sunday morning after the raid was conducted at their residence.
The sheriff said in all 18 people, ranging in age from 13 to 70, were taken into custody. He said 12 were charged with misdemeanor offenses.
Wilson said with the exception of two suspects, everyone taken into custody was from McNary County, White Creek, Hardin County, Giles County, Nashville and Chattanooga.
"They were from everywhere expect Wayne County," he said.
The sheriff said 27 dogs, all pit bulls, including five puppies, were turned over to the Humane Society.
"It was one of the worst scenes I've ever seen," the sheriff said. "One of the dogs had an eye gone, one had his leg chewed very badly and everyone of them, with the exception of the puppies, had numerous bites and cuts all over their body. Some had very large gashes on the bodies. It was a sickening sight."
Wilson said Mitchell Wayne Beasley, 43, and his girlfriend, 42-year-old Lindy Louise Andrews, were each charged with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts of dog fighting.
Those also charged with felony dog fighting include Tommy lee Barley, 28, 3004 Pope Drive, Chattanooga, Tenn.; David Allen Wells, no age available, 897 Airport Road, Selmer, Tenn.; and twin brothers Ronnie Lee Parker, 35, 5508 Pine Long Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Donnie Eugene Parker, 35, 5500 Pine Long Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities said. They are all being held in the Wayne County Jail on bail totaling $1,500 each.
Two juveniles under age 15 were detained. One lives at the residence and the other came with his father, who was arrested on felony charges.
Authorities said when officers raided the operation, fresh blood was found in the fight pit and there was plenty of evidence that a fight had just concluded.
Besides the dogs, officers found $10,000 in cash and the book "Cajun Rules For Dog Fighting."
"We had been watching the area since Friday afternoon, after the police department received the tip that a large dog fight was going to take place this weekend," Wilson said. "Saturday night, after seeing a large number of vehicles arrive, we decided it was time to go in."
The sheriff said when officers raided the facility, which was outside just behind Beasley's house, four people ran into a nearby wooded area.
"We had to go get one out of a gully where he slipped and fell down into this morning," the sheriff said. "He was yelling for help. Apparently, when he fell, he broke his arm."
Wilson said another came out of the woods just after dawn after a cold, damp night. "I think he was about to freeze to death, so he came on out and gave up so he could get warm," he said.
A third suspect walked into the sheriff's office in Waynesboro on Sunday afternoon after he had spent the night in the woods.
"He looked like he had been sacking cats. He had scratches all over him from where he had been in the woods and brushes hiding," the sheriff said. He said one suspect is still on the run.
Investigators spent Sunday at the residence taking statements and confiscating evidence.
He said the fighting pit was about 30 feet from the house. It was described as poles with tarps covering the top.
Wilson said when questioned about the dog fighting operation, Beasley and Andrews denied knowledge.
"It was so close to his house that he could walk outside, spit and hit the pit, but (Beasley) said he didn't know where the pit came from," Wilson said.
He said Andrews' explanation of what was going on was almost comical.
"She said she didn't know a thing about the dog fights, she was just having a cookout and friends coming over," Wilson said. The sheriff said evidence of where the dogs had been kept was scattered all over the area. Several 55-gallon barrels, with straw inside for bedding, were being used as dog houses.
"The dogs were chained near the barrels with chains that were attached to metal rods that had been drove into the ground," he said. "It wasn't an elaborate operation, but it was evident that it had been going on for some time.
"It was a very pitiful sight, looking at these animals, seeing how they were being treated and what they were being put through."
The case remains under investigation and more charges could be pending.
Dog fighting investigation continues
Wayne County officials made a gruesome discovery Monday afternoon as they continued their investigation into an illegal dog fighting operation.
Daniel Giles/TimesDaily Kia, an 11-year-old pit bull, was rescued from fighting by Lori Alexander, of Muscle Shoals. Alexander said when Kia came to live with her and her husband five years ago, the dog was terrified of people."We found a dead frozen dog wrapped up in the freezer, inside the house," Wilson said. "Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it does."
Wilson said deputies who were still at the Rasberry Hollow Road residence north of Waynesboro late Monday night found evidence where dogs had been killed and buried.
"We found dog bones scattered all over the yard. It looked like in some instances, that the dogs had been burned and then the carcass buried or the bones just scattered around," Wilson said.
Saturday night, members of the sheriff's office and the Waynesboro Police Department raided a dog fighting operation at the residence.
Wilson said the raid resulted in the arrest of the property owner, 43-year-old Mitchell Beasley and his live-in girlfriend, Lindy Louise Andrews, 43.
They were charged with 22 counts each of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts each of dog fighting.
Wilson said they were among six people charged with felonies in connection with the dog fights. The sheriff said that 18 people, ranging in ages from 13-70, were taken into custody. He said 12 were charged with misdemeanor offenses.
The sheriff said 27 dogs, all pit bulls, including five puppies, were turned over to the Humane Society.
Many of the older dogs showed signs of previous fights, authorities said.
Wilson said one of the dogs had a missing eye, one had his leg chewed badly and all of the others, with the exception of the puppies, had numerous bites and cuts all over their bodies. He said some even had large gashes on their bodies.
The sheriff said a deputy has been staying at the house with the animals to make sure they are OK until something can be done with them. He said the Humane Society has been called in to take over the dogs.
Lori Alexander, of Muscle Shoals, said the pit bulls, even though they have been fighting, can be rehabilitated.
"It's very hard to get the fight out of them. Most of them will not be human aggressive, but they will be dog aggressive," said Alexander who along with her husband, Kirk, have rescued pit bulls in the past and have two now.
She said pit bulls are bred to protect and are "extremely loyal to their owners."
"But when they are misused, they become aggressive," she said.
Alexander said her dog, Kia, was fought and was very aggressive when she came to live with the family.
"She has nursed three kittens and a Lab puppy," Alexander said. "The aggressiveness can be gotten out of them, it just takes time and patience and willpower."
Alexander said when Kia came to live with her and her husband five years ago, the dog was terrified of people.
"You couldn't get next to her, but with time and love, she's one of the family now," Alexander said.
John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said since former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was arrested for running a dog fighting operation, the problem has been brought more to light.
He said his office gets more calls now about dog fighting than ever before. He said law enforcement is aggressively trying to do something about illegal dog fights.
"From the first nine months of 2006 to first nine months of 2008, we found the number of dog fighting raids doubled," Goodwin said. "There has been a massive effort by law enforcement around the country to deal with these fights. And it's evident that the efforts are having an impact."
Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.
Daniel Giles/TimesDaily Kia, an 11-year-old pit bull, was rescued from fighting by Lori Alexander, of Muscle Shoals. Alexander said when Kia came to live with her and her husband five years ago, the dog was terrified of people."We found a dead frozen dog wrapped up in the freezer, inside the house," Wilson said. "Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it does."
Wilson said deputies who were still at the Rasberry Hollow Road residence north of Waynesboro late Monday night found evidence where dogs had been killed and buried.
"We found dog bones scattered all over the yard. It looked like in some instances, that the dogs had been burned and then the carcass buried or the bones just scattered around," Wilson said.
Saturday night, members of the sheriff's office and the Waynesboro Police Department raided a dog fighting operation at the residence.
Wilson said the raid resulted in the arrest of the property owner, 43-year-old Mitchell Beasley and his live-in girlfriend, Lindy Louise Andrews, 43.
They were charged with 22 counts each of aggravated animal cruelty and 22 counts each of dog fighting.
Wilson said they were among six people charged with felonies in connection with the dog fights. The sheriff said that 18 people, ranging in ages from 13-70, were taken into custody. He said 12 were charged with misdemeanor offenses.
The sheriff said 27 dogs, all pit bulls, including five puppies, were turned over to the Humane Society.
Many of the older dogs showed signs of previous fights, authorities said.
Wilson said one of the dogs had a missing eye, one had his leg chewed badly and all of the others, with the exception of the puppies, had numerous bites and cuts all over their bodies. He said some even had large gashes on their bodies.
The sheriff said a deputy has been staying at the house with the animals to make sure they are OK until something can be done with them. He said the Humane Society has been called in to take over the dogs.
Lori Alexander, of Muscle Shoals, said the pit bulls, even though they have been fighting, can be rehabilitated.
"It's very hard to get the fight out of them. Most of them will not be human aggressive, but they will be dog aggressive," said Alexander who along with her husband, Kirk, have rescued pit bulls in the past and have two now.
She said pit bulls are bred to protect and are "extremely loyal to their owners."
"But when they are misused, they become aggressive," she said.
Alexander said her dog, Kia, was fought and was very aggressive when she came to live with the family.
"She has nursed three kittens and a Lab puppy," Alexander said. "The aggressiveness can be gotten out of them, it just takes time and patience and willpower."
Alexander said when Kia came to live with her and her husband five years ago, the dog was terrified of people.
"You couldn't get next to her, but with time and love, she's one of the family now," Alexander said.
John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said since former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was arrested for running a dog fighting operation, the problem has been brought more to light.
He said his office gets more calls now about dog fighting than ever before. He said law enforcement is aggressively trying to do something about illegal dog fights.
"From the first nine months of 2006 to first nine months of 2008, we found the number of dog fighting raids doubled," Goodwin said. "There has been a massive effort by law enforcement around the country to deal with these fights. And it's evident that the efforts are having an impact."
Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.
Dogfighting in Chicago: 'An absence of shame'
The Engelwood basement was cramped, chaotic. Fifty people -- parents, kids, a pregnant woman -- huddled around a bloody 10-foot-by-10-foot ring, cheering two pit bulls trained to kill.
Barbaric to most, this medieval blood sport remains a routine source of shameless entertainment in large swaths of the city.
"It's pretty much like going to see Muhammad Ali or a Mike Tyson fight," said Sean Moore, a former dog fighter from Chicago. "That's what people think when they see pit bulls in our neighborhood. That's why people are willing to pay and come see it."
Cook County sheriff's police busted a South Side dogfight over the weekend, and news of the 50-person crowd and descriptions of the brutalized animals shook many Chicagoans. But most don't realize that dogfighting remains commonplace in the city, seemingly resistant to the laws that prohibit it, a culturally ingrained phenomenon that refuses to go away.
"It's almost a family activity," said David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University who runs the Animal Legal and Historical Web Center. "Historically it's been something that you can bring a family to, that there's no shame.
"The classic example is Michael Vick. How could a man of such high visibility and such an extraordinary amount of income not see the cognitive dissonance of being an NFL quarterback and fighting dogs? He was so clearly into it as one of his cultural activities that it is just amazing."
Dogs have fought other animals -- like bulls and bears -- for human entertainment as far back as Roman times. That practice was banned in England in 1835, and it's generally believed that dog owners then began pitting dogs against dogs, giving birth to the so-called sport of dogfighting.
Research by Favre's animal law center found that the United Kennel Club actually endorsed the sport in early America, providing rules and referees. The sport was outlawed in most states by the 1860s, but it continued.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cites an 1876 article in the Long Island Star about a $1,000 championship bulldog fight under the headline "Two Bull Dogs Chew Each Other Up."
Favre said the sport has held firm as a cultural stitch in the country's fabric, usually occurring in poorer, less educated pockets of America. But it's by no means solely a rural pastime.
"Many people came to the cities from rural areas, and they've simply re-created what was done in their rural background," he said. "It happens in places where there's an absence of shame and an absence of fear of the law that produces these little subcultures where they do this for entertainment."
That's the way it always was for Moore, who's now 37 but started fighting dogs in Chicago when he was 13.
"Coming up in our community it was taught to us that that's OK, it's like a sport," he said. "I had a relative who was real heavy into dogs and dogfighting. It was like second nature -- you were born and raised in it, and you saw what you had to do with these dogs to be a better fighter. It was like you inherited the sport."
Moore, who now works with a Humane Society of the United States-sponsored group called End Dogfighting in Chicago, now looks back on what he used to do -- train his dogs on treadmills, agitate them to make them mean -- and feels sick.
"If your dog lost, you killed it," he said. "You didn't repair it or fix it. Once the dog lost and he lost his spirit, we killed it, period."
Now working to stop the fights, Moore is amazed at how frequently they happen. Any time he sees two pit bulls being walked into a house, he assumes there's going to be a fight.
"There's a dogfight around here probably every hour, 24 hours a day, everywhere," Moore said. "That bust that happened this weekend, that wasn't the first time dogs were fighting there."
Tio Hardiman, who for years has worked with gangs through the violence-prevention program CeaseFire, has been spearheading the anti-dogfighting program with the Humane Society. Using former dogfighters like Moore who are known and respected on the streets, Hardiman hopes to get young Chicagoans to recognize the cruelty of fighting their dogs.
"It's not just acceptable to these kids, it's a learned behavior," Hardiman said. "You've got people who've been breeding dogs for years. You have to change their mind-set, come to them on their level and help them understand that this isn't right."
Owners willing to step away from dogfighting can enroll their dogs in free obedience classes through the program, which already has graduated dozens of young men.
Favre agrees the only way to truly eradicate dogfighting is to combat the social mores that allow it to happen.
"I don't think we have enough police resources to stop it by just putting people in jail," he said. "It has such deep cultural roots that people will have to just walk away from it."
rhuppke@tribune.com
Barbaric to most, this medieval blood sport remains a routine source of shameless entertainment in large swaths of the city.
"It's pretty much like going to see Muhammad Ali or a Mike Tyson fight," said Sean Moore, a former dog fighter from Chicago. "That's what people think when they see pit bulls in our neighborhood. That's why people are willing to pay and come see it."
Cook County sheriff's police busted a South Side dogfight over the weekend, and news of the 50-person crowd and descriptions of the brutalized animals shook many Chicagoans. But most don't realize that dogfighting remains commonplace in the city, seemingly resistant to the laws that prohibit it, a culturally ingrained phenomenon that refuses to go away.
"It's almost a family activity," said David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University who runs the Animal Legal and Historical Web Center. "Historically it's been something that you can bring a family to, that there's no shame.
"The classic example is Michael Vick. How could a man of such high visibility and such an extraordinary amount of income not see the cognitive dissonance of being an NFL quarterback and fighting dogs? He was so clearly into it as one of his cultural activities that it is just amazing."
Dogs have fought other animals -- like bulls and bears -- for human entertainment as far back as Roman times. That practice was banned in England in 1835, and it's generally believed that dog owners then began pitting dogs against dogs, giving birth to the so-called sport of dogfighting.
Research by Favre's animal law center found that the United Kennel Club actually endorsed the sport in early America, providing rules and referees. The sport was outlawed in most states by the 1860s, but it continued.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cites an 1876 article in the Long Island Star about a $1,000 championship bulldog fight under the headline "Two Bull Dogs Chew Each Other Up."
Favre said the sport has held firm as a cultural stitch in the country's fabric, usually occurring in poorer, less educated pockets of America. But it's by no means solely a rural pastime.
"Many people came to the cities from rural areas, and they've simply re-created what was done in their rural background," he said. "It happens in places where there's an absence of shame and an absence of fear of the law that produces these little subcultures where they do this for entertainment."
That's the way it always was for Moore, who's now 37 but started fighting dogs in Chicago when he was 13.
"Coming up in our community it was taught to us that that's OK, it's like a sport," he said. "I had a relative who was real heavy into dogs and dogfighting. It was like second nature -- you were born and raised in it, and you saw what you had to do with these dogs to be a better fighter. It was like you inherited the sport."
Moore, who now works with a Humane Society of the United States-sponsored group called End Dogfighting in Chicago, now looks back on what he used to do -- train his dogs on treadmills, agitate them to make them mean -- and feels sick.
"If your dog lost, you killed it," he said. "You didn't repair it or fix it. Once the dog lost and he lost his spirit, we killed it, period."
Now working to stop the fights, Moore is amazed at how frequently they happen. Any time he sees two pit bulls being walked into a house, he assumes there's going to be a fight.
"There's a dogfight around here probably every hour, 24 hours a day, everywhere," Moore said. "That bust that happened this weekend, that wasn't the first time dogs were fighting there."
Tio Hardiman, who for years has worked with gangs through the violence-prevention program CeaseFire, has been spearheading the anti-dogfighting program with the Humane Society. Using former dogfighters like Moore who are known and respected on the streets, Hardiman hopes to get young Chicagoans to recognize the cruelty of fighting their dogs.
"It's not just acceptable to these kids, it's a learned behavior," Hardiman said. "You've got people who've been breeding dogs for years. You have to change their mind-set, come to them on their level and help them understand that this isn't right."
Owners willing to step away from dogfighting can enroll their dogs in free obedience classes through the program, which already has graduated dozens of young men.
Favre agrees the only way to truly eradicate dogfighting is to combat the social mores that allow it to happen.
"I don't think we have enough police resources to stop it by just putting people in jail," he said. "It has such deep cultural roots that people will have to just walk away from it."
rhuppke@tribune.com
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Raid follows largest undercover dogfight sting in U.S. history
By Brad Woodard / 11 News
HOUSTON -- A non-descript warehouse on the east side of Houston has been the scene of brutal and bloody dogfights every week for the past eight months.
Video
“A dog show, a dog fight or whatever you want to call it, is the Saturday night poker game for hard core criminals,” said Sgt. Manning, of the DPS Criminal Intelligence Service.
Sgt. Manning asked us not to use his first name because of undercover nature of his job. He and another DPS investigator have spent the last 15 months infiltrating the seedy world of dogfighting in Houston.
“It’s the largest undercover dogfighting operation in the country,” said Assistant Harris Co. D.A. Belinda Smith. “And nothing like this has ever been done in Houston, or in Texas.”
11 NEWS
Several dogs were taken into custody at raids across the Houston area.
After gaining the trust of some key “dog men, “ as they refer to themselves, Manning and his partner set up shop in an east Houston warehouse where they staged “dog shows” virtually every weekend.
“We’re talking big money. Several thousand dollars per fight,” said Manning. “We’ve heard stories of dog fights from hundreds of thousands into the millions of dollars.”
Also surprising: the broad spectrum of the people who showed up.
“We’ve got everything from a school teacher with no criminal history whatsoever, to several individuals in the oil industry,” said Manning. "We have individuals who’ve been arrested for capital murder, narcotics dealers and bank robbers. It truly reaches across all boundaries.”
11 NEWS
These puppies were among 14 dogs seized from one northeast Houston property.
The undercover agents took some disturbing video of the dogfights.
"What you see is animals bloodied, battered and bruised screaming in pain," Smith said. "Animals that are staggering in the ring. Other animals who are trying to climb out of the ring."
"You see these animals suffering. You hear their suffering, but you also hear these people screaming in delight to their despair," Manning said. "They have some serious moral issues."
After all is said and done, authorities expect to arrest 85 people in multiple counties on over 155 felony charges.
They will also seize hundreds of dogs with help from the Houston Humane Society and the Houston SPCA.
11 News went along with law officers for the busts Friday morning and was there when a DPS SWAT team swarmed a northeast Harris County property.
The suspect's wakeup call came in the form of a noise flash diversion. And from the looks of Donald Wayne Woods, still clad in pajama bottoms, it was a wakeup call he wasn’t expecting.
Officers arrested Woods on felony dogfighting charges and seized 10 dogs and four puppies from the property.
It was the first of many raids to take place.
The investigation, called Operation Dead Game, was a joint effort between DPS, the USDA and the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
HOUSTON -- A non-descript warehouse on the east side of Houston has been the scene of brutal and bloody dogfights every week for the past eight months.
Video
“A dog show, a dog fight or whatever you want to call it, is the Saturday night poker game for hard core criminals,” said Sgt. Manning, of the DPS Criminal Intelligence Service.
Sgt. Manning asked us not to use his first name because of undercover nature of his job. He and another DPS investigator have spent the last 15 months infiltrating the seedy world of dogfighting in Houston.
“It’s the largest undercover dogfighting operation in the country,” said Assistant Harris Co. D.A. Belinda Smith. “And nothing like this has ever been done in Houston, or in Texas.”
11 NEWS
Several dogs were taken into custody at raids across the Houston area.
After gaining the trust of some key “dog men, “ as they refer to themselves, Manning and his partner set up shop in an east Houston warehouse where they staged “dog shows” virtually every weekend.
“We’re talking big money. Several thousand dollars per fight,” said Manning. “We’ve heard stories of dog fights from hundreds of thousands into the millions of dollars.”
Also surprising: the broad spectrum of the people who showed up.
“We’ve got everything from a school teacher with no criminal history whatsoever, to several individuals in the oil industry,” said Manning. "We have individuals who’ve been arrested for capital murder, narcotics dealers and bank robbers. It truly reaches across all boundaries.”
11 NEWS
These puppies were among 14 dogs seized from one northeast Houston property.
The undercover agents took some disturbing video of the dogfights.
"What you see is animals bloodied, battered and bruised screaming in pain," Smith said. "Animals that are staggering in the ring. Other animals who are trying to climb out of the ring."
"You see these animals suffering. You hear their suffering, but you also hear these people screaming in delight to their despair," Manning said. "They have some serious moral issues."
After all is said and done, authorities expect to arrest 85 people in multiple counties on over 155 felony charges.
They will also seize hundreds of dogs with help from the Houston Humane Society and the Houston SPCA.
11 News went along with law officers for the busts Friday morning and was there when a DPS SWAT team swarmed a northeast Harris County property.
The suspect's wakeup call came in the form of a noise flash diversion. And from the looks of Donald Wayne Woods, still clad in pajama bottoms, it was a wakeup call he wasn’t expecting.
Officers arrested Woods on felony dogfighting charges and seized 10 dogs and four puppies from the property.
It was the first of many raids to take place.
The investigation, called Operation Dead Game, was a joint effort between DPS, the USDA and the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
~CHANCE~
Monday, 10/13/08:
Chance is the best cuddler and wants nothing more than to have your undivided attention. He is very gentle. He loves to work his rope tug and play chase. He has gained the use of his back legs and is now able to run. His right rear leg is almost normal. His left leg hasn't made as much progress but that doesn't slow him down.
Chance is a very special boy who needs a special home with someone who understands his physical limitations and can give him the time, care and love that he deserves.
He is approximately six months old now and is one remarkable puppy who will bring one lucky family a lot of joy.
For more information on Chance, please email Greg at bulldogger72@yahoo.com or Jessica at mastiffsj@yahoo.com.
6/10/08
Chance was found by a couple in Chattanooga, actually he was found by their dog...the family dog alerted them to something on the property, and when the husband climbed down the 15 ft drop off, he found Chance.
Chance is approximately ten weeks old and has a rare developmental problem.
I met Chance today and he is such a lover-you would never know he isn't normal by his attitude. He does his best to scoot around, he plays, nibbles and gives puppy kisses galore.
6/14/08
Chance was examined by Dr. Troy Bearden of Shallowford Animal Hospital today.
Per Dr. Bearden's exam-
Chance has hyperextension of his stifles and hocks. His patellas are in place, therefore, the cause of this is not related to patella deformity. Chance also has bilateral carpal hyperextension causing him to walk on his carpal pads.
Chance has decrease proprioception to his rear legs. Chances pain response to toe-pinch in his rear legs was very depressed to almost absent. There was some withdrawal mostly due to reflex response.
Chance is settled into his foster home as of today, and will get the time and care he needs until he is ready for adoption.
6/21/08
Chance was examined yesterday by the orthopedic specialist. According to the specialist, at this time he does not recommend surgery- there is no one surgery to correct all the problems Chance has. He explained Chance's joints as being near "rubbery" and that instead of bending one direction only to a certain extent, his joints go way past that bending point, and in the opposite direction.
He reccommends we give Chance time, lots of good nutrition, therapy and exercise. Chance's foster dad is going to make a cart for Chance to get around in, it will allow him to hold his back legs up. Chance will do swimming/water therapy and the specialist wants him walking on a treadmill, suspended so that he can work at his own pace and get try to get used to using his back legs.
Today Chance was seen using his back legs when he used the bathroom, he actually propped himself up on them so we are hoping and praying that with the work and time, he will regain the strenght he needs to use them.
Chance is thriving in his foster care, and will received the therapy, care, and love he needs. Once he is ready, he will be available for adoption.
Summary from Dr. Bohling today on Chance's exam done Friday-
Written by Dr. Bohling-
On June 20, 2008 Chance was see for evaluation of gait and conformational abnormalities consisting of hyperextisibility of the hock, stifle, and carpi. My orthopedic examination concurred with Dr. Bearden's and I did dot find any additional abnormalities worthy of note.
Inspection of the radiographs did not reveal cause for the abnormalities, not did I find any surgical condition to treat. I suspect that Chance may be suffering from a collagen defect causing lax ligaments and tendons, or perhaps some other congenital defect.
I did not give the owners (foster) an overly rosy prognosis, but I did tell them that some pups may improve with time. The owners (foster) are very eager to try everything they can, and already have some good ideas regarding physical therapy, so I encouraged them to give it a try for a while and see how it goes.
Mark Boling, DVM, PhD, DACVS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
The University of TN
College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Knoxville, TN 37966-4544
Friday, November 7, 2008
Chattanooga: McKamey certification approach draws fire
The 4-month-old McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center doesn’t have state certification to operate as an animal control facility, despite its $1.1 million agreement to provide animal control for the city of Chattanooga.
Critics such as Dave Head, executive director of Knox County Animal Control and president of the Animal Control Association of Tennessee, say that without a proper license the center isn’t living up to its contract.
“There are certain standards you have to have,” Mr. Head said. “They went about it the wrong way.”
But McKamey Executive Director Amanda Wojtalik-Courter said its veterinary facility license is more than sufficient until all proper paperwork can be filed with the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examination.
The center’s license allows Dr. Wojtalik-Courter, the facility’s only veterinarian, to euthanize animals. At a licensed animal control facility, a euthanization technician also can administer fatal drugs, according to state officials.
Since opening in July, the McKamey center has put down about 305 of the 2,400 animals that have come through its doors, Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said.
That’s OK, Tennessee Department of Health spokeswoman Andrea Turner confirmed — as long as Dr. Wojtalik-Courter performed those procedures.
But Dr. Wojtalik-Courter admitted she has let Field Services Chief Nick Wilson perform the last 20, even though the state does not have record of his certification. Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said Mr. Wilson completed training a couple of weeks ago and is thoroughly capable of administering euthanasia drugs.
Ms. Turner said the state board had not heard about anyone other than Dr. Wojtalik-Courter performing euthanasia, which “could potentially be an infraction.”
Such a case would be unprecedented, Ms. Turner said, so board members could not immediately say what, if any, action would be taken.
Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said she has been in regular contact with the state board and hasn’t knowingly broken any rules.
McKamey staff members are catching up with training requirements but put educational outreach much higher on the priority list than euthanasia, she said.
“That’s why I haven’t really pushed the animal control part, because I want us to become a progressive shelter environment,” she said. “At the traditional shelters run by police departments and other agencies like that, no one’s taught them, ‘You can do more for this animal.’”
McKamey, which replaced the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga as the city’s animal shelter, never had any ambition to be a no-kill shelter, Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said. The idea, she said, is to keep euthanasia to a minimum while addressing pet overpopulation through spay and neuter advocacy.
Dan Alderman, chairman of the Animal Care Trust board that oversees McKamey, said misunderstandings about the center’s policies have led to mistrust in the community.
“It’s just a lack of understanding,” he said. “If there’s one thing I would fault us on, it’s our failure to educate people on our policies and why we do what we do.”
RIPPLE EFFECTS
The center’s position on euthanasia and its appointment policy for pets given up by their owners has confused the public and created problems at other shelters, some say. The McKamey center requires an owner to make an appointment with center staff to surrender a pet.
“People are used to doing business a certain way, and that old way is people just show up and dump their animals,” Mr. Alderman said. “But that would just turn us into a warehouse, and nothing would change. We’re not going to do that.”
The population at the 500-animal facility already has swollen to about 600, and caretakers need to make time and space to give each animal proper attention, he said.
With the appointment policy — which applies only to owned animals, not to strays — staff members have time to help owners re-evaluate whether they actually want to leave their pets in a place where they could die, according to Rescue Coordinator Kerry Moyers-Horton.
The appointment policy at McKamey has made some animals worse off because their owners are too impatient and dump their pets at other shelters, according to Jocelyn Hill, kennel manager at the nonprofit Pet Placement Center in Red Bank.
The Pet Placement Center, built to house 45 animals, now has about 100, she said.
“We’ll get here in the morning and there will be a puppy tied to the fence, just left there with no food or water or anything,” she said. “We are overwhelmed.”
It seems unfair that other shelters with open-door policies have to pick up the slack, said East Ridge Animal Services Supervisor Carl Zagona.
“If a citizen finds an animal, we take it, no matter if we have room for it or not,” he said.
As head of a statewide animal control organization, Mr. Head says he never has heard of an appointment policy at any other shelter in Tennessee. Dr. Wojtalik-Courter counters that it is used in many other areas of the country and even is considered “best practice” by the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators.
Paully Brengel, a Cincinnati Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assistant who is SAWA’s interim administrator, confirms that other cities have tried the appointment program. But she said she could not name any off-hand, and she hesitated to offer SAWA’s full endorsement of the policy.
“I don’t believe SAWA has actually taken a definite position on it, and I don’t know that it’s that widespread,” she said.
Critics such as Dave Head, executive director of Knox County Animal Control and president of the Animal Control Association of Tennessee, say that without a proper license the center isn’t living up to its contract.
“There are certain standards you have to have,” Mr. Head said. “They went about it the wrong way.”
But McKamey Executive Director Amanda Wojtalik-Courter said its veterinary facility license is more than sufficient until all proper paperwork can be filed with the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examination.
The center’s license allows Dr. Wojtalik-Courter, the facility’s only veterinarian, to euthanize animals. At a licensed animal control facility, a euthanization technician also can administer fatal drugs, according to state officials.
Since opening in July, the McKamey center has put down about 305 of the 2,400 animals that have come through its doors, Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said.
That’s OK, Tennessee Department of Health spokeswoman Andrea Turner confirmed — as long as Dr. Wojtalik-Courter performed those procedures.
But Dr. Wojtalik-Courter admitted she has let Field Services Chief Nick Wilson perform the last 20, even though the state does not have record of his certification. Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said Mr. Wilson completed training a couple of weeks ago and is thoroughly capable of administering euthanasia drugs.
Ms. Turner said the state board had not heard about anyone other than Dr. Wojtalik-Courter performing euthanasia, which “could potentially be an infraction.”
Such a case would be unprecedented, Ms. Turner said, so board members could not immediately say what, if any, action would be taken.
Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said she has been in regular contact with the state board and hasn’t knowingly broken any rules.
McKamey staff members are catching up with training requirements but put educational outreach much higher on the priority list than euthanasia, she said.
“That’s why I haven’t really pushed the animal control part, because I want us to become a progressive shelter environment,” she said. “At the traditional shelters run by police departments and other agencies like that, no one’s taught them, ‘You can do more for this animal.’”
McKamey, which replaced the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga as the city’s animal shelter, never had any ambition to be a no-kill shelter, Dr. Wojtalik-Courter said. The idea, she said, is to keep euthanasia to a minimum while addressing pet overpopulation through spay and neuter advocacy.
Dan Alderman, chairman of the Animal Care Trust board that oversees McKamey, said misunderstandings about the center’s policies have led to mistrust in the community.
“It’s just a lack of understanding,” he said. “If there’s one thing I would fault us on, it’s our failure to educate people on our policies and why we do what we do.”
RIPPLE EFFECTS
The center’s position on euthanasia and its appointment policy for pets given up by their owners has confused the public and created problems at other shelters, some say. The McKamey center requires an owner to make an appointment with center staff to surrender a pet.
“People are used to doing business a certain way, and that old way is people just show up and dump their animals,” Mr. Alderman said. “But that would just turn us into a warehouse, and nothing would change. We’re not going to do that.”
The population at the 500-animal facility already has swollen to about 600, and caretakers need to make time and space to give each animal proper attention, he said.
With the appointment policy — which applies only to owned animals, not to strays — staff members have time to help owners re-evaluate whether they actually want to leave their pets in a place where they could die, according to Rescue Coordinator Kerry Moyers-Horton.
The appointment policy at McKamey has made some animals worse off because their owners are too impatient and dump their pets at other shelters, according to Jocelyn Hill, kennel manager at the nonprofit Pet Placement Center in Red Bank.
The Pet Placement Center, built to house 45 animals, now has about 100, she said.
“We’ll get here in the morning and there will be a puppy tied to the fence, just left there with no food or water or anything,” she said. “We are overwhelmed.”
It seems unfair that other shelters with open-door policies have to pick up the slack, said East Ridge Animal Services Supervisor Carl Zagona.
“If a citizen finds an animal, we take it, no matter if we have room for it or not,” he said.
As head of a statewide animal control organization, Mr. Head says he never has heard of an appointment policy at any other shelter in Tennessee. Dr. Wojtalik-Courter counters that it is used in many other areas of the country and even is considered “best practice” by the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators.
Paully Brengel, a Cincinnati Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assistant who is SAWA’s interim administrator, confirms that other cities have tried the appointment program. But she said she could not name any off-hand, and she hesitated to offer SAWA’s full endorsement of the policy.
“I don’t believe SAWA has actually taken a definite position on it, and I don’t know that it’s that widespread,” she said.
Dog-fighting investigation could involve several states: Three charged in Graves County
Dog-fighting investigation could involve several states: Three charged in Graves County
Nov 07, 2008 (The Paducah Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- PPC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Authorities in Graves and McCracken counties believe they are on the trail of a major dog-fighting operation that could spread across several states.
The investigation began Wednesday in Graves County when 72 pit bulls were discovered at two locations and moved to McCracken County early Thursday when 11 dead pit bulls were discovered in Clark's River on Bryant Ford Road east of Reidland.
Three people have been charged in Graves County. Amy DeBerry, 27, and Joanal DeBerry, 29, face 30 felony counts of cruelty to animals. Thomas McClellan, 55, of Clinton faces two drug charges and driving without an operator's license. Joanal DeBerry also is charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Graves County Deputy Sheriff Davant Ramage said the dogs were left in the woods and at the home on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Amy and Joanal DeBerry sign documents turning the dogs over to the Graves County Humane Society. Deputies and animal rescue volunteers went to the DeBerry home and a nearby wooded area Thursday night and removed the remaining dogs. Computers and other records also were taken from the DeBerry residence.
The deputy said the local humane society made arrangements for a nationwide animal rescue group to care for the dogs. "They are going to be kept all over the country," he said. "We have some people coming in from Nashville and other places."
Paducah veterinarian Eugene Ceglinski said the dogs discovered earlier Thursday in Clark's River died from gunshot wounds to the head. He said at least seven of them had been shot within 12 hours of the time they were discovered.
McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said he believes the dogs were killed Wednesday night or Thursday morning after the owners learned of the raid in Graves County at the DeBerry home, on Ky. 1241 across from the Pilgrim's Pride chicken processing plant.
"Someone probably felt the heat and didn't want to be found with a large number of pit bulls," Hayden said. "The only way they could get rid of them was to kill them and dump them." He said they had been tossed over a bridge from Bryant Ford Road, less than five miles from the Graves County site where the other dogs were found.
Hayden said evidence was being gathered to identify the owners.
Ramage said the raids in Graves County and discovery in McCracken County are probably related. He believes the dogs in Graves had different owners than those in McCracken.
He said that more than two dozen dog-fighting magazines were found at the DeBerry residence and that many of the dogs showed signs of fight injuries.
"There's big money in dog fighting," Ramage said. "People bet on them, and purses for winners can be $5,000 or more. It is difficult to get information on this type of crime because people involved won't talk. They fear retaliation."
Ramage said he had not found anything to indicate dog-fighting was taking place in Graves County.
Ramage said the investigation began Wednesday when someone called to report a large number of dogs tied up in a wooded area off House Road in northern Graves County.
As deputies headed to the site, they followed a pickup truck occupied by three men. The truck stopped at the House Road site.
"They had been hired to care for the dogs and were there to feed them," Ramage said. McClellan was driving the truck. The other two occupants weren't charged.
Ramage said 20 dogs were in a clearing and chained to buried automobile axles. Ramage said the men gave them information that led them to the DeBerry home at 2754 Ky. 1241, about two miles away. At that site they discovered 52 more pit bulls.
Ramage said six of the dogs were in such bad shape that they were taken to a local animal shelter Wednesday night. "They had pieces out of their ears, and the upper lip of one dog was almost gone," Ramage said.
Ramage said one of the dogs bit a worker at the shelter Thursday morning. "We are getting a court order to put the dog down so we can check it for rabies," Ramage said. "It was a pretty severe bite."
In McCracken County, Hayden said he received a call about two weeks ago that someone had dumped one or more dead dogs off a bridge on Bryant Ford Road and into Clark's River.
"After I heard about what happened in Graves County, I went to the bridge this (Thursday) morning," Hayden said. "There was blood on the bridge and dead dogs in the water."
Volunteers with McCracken County Emergency Services put a boat in the river, and two workers recovered the bodies of 11 dogs.
Ceglinski examined the dogs and said all of them had been shot in the head.
Ceglinski determined that seven or eight of the dogs had been killed within hours of their discovery. Others died several days earlier. Hayden believes the dogs that died earlier may have been injured in fights and killed to end their misery.
Ceglinski said seven of the dogs were female and four were male. "The females were probably used for breeding," Ceglinski said. "The males were used for fighting." He said at least three males had injuries consistent with dog-fighting.
Hayden said bullets would be recovered and kept for evidence.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Ceglinski, a vet in Paducah for 34 years. "When you spent your life caring for animals, finding something like this is shocking. I guess it tells you something about human nature."
Bill Bartleman can be contacted at 575-8651.
Nov 07, 2008 (The Paducah Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- PPC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Authorities in Graves and McCracken counties believe they are on the trail of a major dog-fighting operation that could spread across several states.
The investigation began Wednesday in Graves County when 72 pit bulls were discovered at two locations and moved to McCracken County early Thursday when 11 dead pit bulls were discovered in Clark's River on Bryant Ford Road east of Reidland.
Three people have been charged in Graves County. Amy DeBerry, 27, and Joanal DeBerry, 29, face 30 felony counts of cruelty to animals. Thomas McClellan, 55, of Clinton faces two drug charges and driving without an operator's license. Joanal DeBerry also is charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Graves County Deputy Sheriff Davant Ramage said the dogs were left in the woods and at the home on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Amy and Joanal DeBerry sign documents turning the dogs over to the Graves County Humane Society. Deputies and animal rescue volunteers went to the DeBerry home and a nearby wooded area Thursday night and removed the remaining dogs. Computers and other records also were taken from the DeBerry residence.
The deputy said the local humane society made arrangements for a nationwide animal rescue group to care for the dogs. "They are going to be kept all over the country," he said. "We have some people coming in from Nashville and other places."
Paducah veterinarian Eugene Ceglinski said the dogs discovered earlier Thursday in Clark's River died from gunshot wounds to the head. He said at least seven of them had been shot within 12 hours of the time they were discovered.
McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said he believes the dogs were killed Wednesday night or Thursday morning after the owners learned of the raid in Graves County at the DeBerry home, on Ky. 1241 across from the Pilgrim's Pride chicken processing plant.
"Someone probably felt the heat and didn't want to be found with a large number of pit bulls," Hayden said. "The only way they could get rid of them was to kill them and dump them." He said they had been tossed over a bridge from Bryant Ford Road, less than five miles from the Graves County site where the other dogs were found.
Hayden said evidence was being gathered to identify the owners.
Ramage said the raids in Graves County and discovery in McCracken County are probably related. He believes the dogs in Graves had different owners than those in McCracken.
He said that more than two dozen dog-fighting magazines were found at the DeBerry residence and that many of the dogs showed signs of fight injuries.
"There's big money in dog fighting," Ramage said. "People bet on them, and purses for winners can be $5,000 or more. It is difficult to get information on this type of crime because people involved won't talk. They fear retaliation."
Ramage said he had not found anything to indicate dog-fighting was taking place in Graves County.
Ramage said the investigation began Wednesday when someone called to report a large number of dogs tied up in a wooded area off House Road in northern Graves County.
As deputies headed to the site, they followed a pickup truck occupied by three men. The truck stopped at the House Road site.
"They had been hired to care for the dogs and were there to feed them," Ramage said. McClellan was driving the truck. The other two occupants weren't charged.
Ramage said 20 dogs were in a clearing and chained to buried automobile axles. Ramage said the men gave them information that led them to the DeBerry home at 2754 Ky. 1241, about two miles away. At that site they discovered 52 more pit bulls.
Ramage said six of the dogs were in such bad shape that they were taken to a local animal shelter Wednesday night. "They had pieces out of their ears, and the upper lip of one dog was almost gone," Ramage said.
Ramage said one of the dogs bit a worker at the shelter Thursday morning. "We are getting a court order to put the dog down so we can check it for rabies," Ramage said. "It was a pretty severe bite."
In McCracken County, Hayden said he received a call about two weeks ago that someone had dumped one or more dead dogs off a bridge on Bryant Ford Road and into Clark's River.
"After I heard about what happened in Graves County, I went to the bridge this (Thursday) morning," Hayden said. "There was blood on the bridge and dead dogs in the water."
Volunteers with McCracken County Emergency Services put a boat in the river, and two workers recovered the bodies of 11 dogs.
Ceglinski examined the dogs and said all of them had been shot in the head.
Ceglinski determined that seven or eight of the dogs had been killed within hours of their discovery. Others died several days earlier. Hayden believes the dogs that died earlier may have been injured in fights and killed to end their misery.
Ceglinski said seven of the dogs were female and four were male. "The females were probably used for breeding," Ceglinski said. "The males were used for fighting." He said at least three males had injuries consistent with dog-fighting.
Hayden said bullets would be recovered and kept for evidence.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Ceglinski, a vet in Paducah for 34 years. "When you spent your life caring for animals, finding something like this is shocking. I guess it tells you something about human nature."
Bill Bartleman can be contacted at 575-8651.
Pit bull owners charged with animal cruelty
Friday, Nov. 07, 2008
Pit bull owners charged with animal cruelty
Associated Press
MAYFIELD — Police in two Western Kentucky counties have discovered dozens of dead or injured pit bulls that they say were involved in illegal dog fights.
About a dozen dead dogs that had been shot in the head were pulled from a creek in McCracken County on Thursday morning, Sheriff Jon Hayden said.
Authorities in neighboring Graves County have arrested a married couple and charged them with animal cruelty after finding about 80 pit bulls in two locations, including the couple's home.
Joanal L. DeBerry, 29, and Amy E. DeBerry, 25, of Hickory, face 30 counts of first-degree animal cruelty, a felony.
"We believe that some of these dogs have been involved in dogfighting," said DeWayne Redmon, chief deputy sheriff in Graves County. Redmon said the investigation could lead to more arrests.
Six of the dogs were taken by rescue authorities for treatment. One was euthanized Thursday after attacking a worker at a veterinarian clinic where the dog was being cared for, said Joseph Lacewell, who manages the Graves County Animal Shelter.
Lacewell said he was working with pit bull rescue groups around the country and in Canada to find homes for the remaining dogs.
"We're hoping to get every single one of them," Lacewell said.
Redmon said Graves County authorities received a complaint Wednesday night from a neighbor who said several dogs had been moved to a rural area in the northern part of the county. Police found about 20 pit bulls at the wooded location and learned they were brought there by the DeBerrys on Saturday, Redmon said. Police found about 60 more pit bulls at the home.
Redmon said several of the dogs at both locations had injuries they suspect are related to dogfighting. Redmon said the 30 counts of animal cruelty are related to dogs that were found either with injuries or with signs of malnourishment.
About 30 of the dogs were puppies, Lacewell said.
Police are trying to determine if the dead pit bulls found in neighboring McCracken County are linked to the DeBerrys. Hayden said the dogs had been tossed off a bridge into a creek near the Graves County line.
"Some of these looked like they had been shot and dumped last night," Hayden said.
Amy DeBerry was released from jail on bond Thursday but Joanal DeBerry remained in jail because of an additional drug possession charge, Graves County Jailer Randy Haley said.
Pit bull owners charged with animal cruelty
Associated Press
MAYFIELD — Police in two Western Kentucky counties have discovered dozens of dead or injured pit bulls that they say were involved in illegal dog fights.
About a dozen dead dogs that had been shot in the head were pulled from a creek in McCracken County on Thursday morning, Sheriff Jon Hayden said.
Authorities in neighboring Graves County have arrested a married couple and charged them with animal cruelty after finding about 80 pit bulls in two locations, including the couple's home.
Joanal L. DeBerry, 29, and Amy E. DeBerry, 25, of Hickory, face 30 counts of first-degree animal cruelty, a felony.
"We believe that some of these dogs have been involved in dogfighting," said DeWayne Redmon, chief deputy sheriff in Graves County. Redmon said the investigation could lead to more arrests.
Six of the dogs were taken by rescue authorities for treatment. One was euthanized Thursday after attacking a worker at a veterinarian clinic where the dog was being cared for, said Joseph Lacewell, who manages the Graves County Animal Shelter.
Lacewell said he was working with pit bull rescue groups around the country and in Canada to find homes for the remaining dogs.
"We're hoping to get every single one of them," Lacewell said.
Redmon said Graves County authorities received a complaint Wednesday night from a neighbor who said several dogs had been moved to a rural area in the northern part of the county. Police found about 20 pit bulls at the wooded location and learned they were brought there by the DeBerrys on Saturday, Redmon said. Police found about 60 more pit bulls at the home.
Redmon said several of the dogs at both locations had injuries they suspect are related to dogfighting. Redmon said the 30 counts of animal cruelty are related to dogs that were found either with injuries or with signs of malnourishment.
About 30 of the dogs were puppies, Lacewell said.
Police are trying to determine if the dead pit bulls found in neighboring McCracken County are linked to the DeBerrys. Hayden said the dogs had been tossed off a bridge into a creek near the Graves County line.
"Some of these looked like they had been shot and dumped last night," Hayden said.
Amy DeBerry was released from jail on bond Thursday but Joanal DeBerry remained in jail because of an additional drug possession charge, Graves County Jailer Randy Haley said.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Luv-a-Bully March sets new record!
Subject: Luv-a-Bully March sets new record!To: mastiffsj@yahoo.comDate: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 7:46 AM
GREAT TURN OUT for Second Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day!
On October 25th we celebrated our 4th Annual Luv-a-Bully March, protesting breed discrimination as part of the Second Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day. On this day, 39 states participated in cities from Alabama to Wisconsin. In our Southern California city of Brea, it was an unusually hot day for October, but that didn't deter our 125 protestors marching side by side with their canine companions. All breeds, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes, were there to support their bully buddies! Our Kiss-a-Bull booth was a smashing hit, with kids and adults who lined up to hand over a dollar and then had to walk away as our volunteer bully licked them to the point of laughter!
See more photos HERE
On a more serious note, Farmers Insurance Company attended at the invitation of Dr. Paula Terifaj DVM to announce that in California, Farmers is only one of two insurance companies surveyed that does NOT discriminate against dog owners. To find out more about breed discrimination by insurance companies, read the tragic story of Tanner: Mercury Insurance Signs Death Warrant on Family Dog._______________________________________________________________
Message From Jodi Pries, Founder of Bless the Bullys
Thank you for making Pit Bull Awareness Day (PBAD) a huge success -- it certainly could not be done without all your hard work and efforts!! I hope that PBAD will become a tradition for you, and that you will celebrate this incredible breed every year until breed discrimination is a thing of the past.
Working together to change public perception, IT CAN BE DONE! FYI: In September, the traffic to the website doubled. However, during the entire month of October -- up until PBAD -- the website averaged close to 2,000 hits EVERY DAY!!
That's A LOT of exposure for your event! Sign-up NOW.
Mark your calendar Third Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day October 24th, 2009
Forrest & Kane: Update on Denver Survivors
As you know, both dogs were safely transported out of Denver after a grand stand battle by their owners (the McGahey and Martinez familes) and ferocious watch dog Rovers on Dog Duty! Both Forrest and Kane are now living large in California with Rover Chef David and his pit mix Daze -- collectively known as Team Pit-A-Full.
Watch Chef David share his amazing road trip and journey to Colorado:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2BGRvdy2JQ
Adopt a Denver Pen Pal
Elected city officials in favor of breed bans need a reality check! Start a friendly ongoing relationship with your city representatives. See what Denver residents are doing -- and share in this creative endeavor. You can Adopt a Denver Pen Pal too!
Top Denver Dog Magazine Wants Repeal of Breed Ban!
Tell the publisher of the American Dog Magazine, Jamie Downey, to send a copy of the Jan 09 issue to city officials in Denver, CO. The upcoming winter issue will be on newsstands nationwide Jan 1st thru Apr 1st, 09. The winter issue will include an article written by Dr. Paula Terifaj DVM on the dangers of Denver's breed ban. The magazine will be sent to Mayor Hickenlooper, all twelve city council members, Doug Kelley, the Director of Animal Control, and city attorneys. This fine magazine supports many animal welfare issues and offers excellent articles on dog health care. It's a win-win for dog lovers and the fight against unfair breed discrimination. Let's team up! Buy a one year subscription and the publisher will send copies to all Denver city offficals NOW
Councilman from Monroe, WA Needs Our Support
My name is Mitch Ruth and I am a Councilman for the City of Monroe, WA. I need your help in rallying those who may be in opposition to breed specific laws. Currently before the City Council of Monroe is a new ordinance which would list the following breeds as "Potentially Dangerous": · Akita · American Pit Bull Terrier · Cane Corso · Dogo Argentino · Dogue de Bordeaux · Kuvasz · Pit Bull Terrier · Presa Carnario · Staffordshire Bull Terrier · Tosa Inu (Or, any mix of dog which contains any of the aforementioned breeds.) I will ensure that each and every email becomes a part of the public record/testimony against the passage of this law. Emails may be either addressed directly to me at mruth@ci.monroe.wa or to the entire council at councilmembers@ci.monroe.wa. I would suggest that any comments on this matter be addressed to the entire council.My sincere thanks,Mitch Ruth CouncilmanCity of Monroe, WA SEND MITCH A WARM WELCOME AND THANK YOU!
_______________________________________________________________
Mission: Spend No Dollars in Denver
We are climbing to 4,000 signatures -- like a choo choo train -- we need rapid transport! It's not just a Boycott -- it's a WARNING to dog owners! Did you know that people with bullies had plans to move or visit Denver and were clueless? Read the comments. The story of Forrest has prevented untold suffering from countless "would be" Denver residents and visitors.
Nov 2, 2008, Kate Cross, ArizonaI am a 26 year old, well educated professional adult. I have no children; however, my two Pit Bulls are children to me. My life aside from my career revolves around them. In previous years I traveled through Denver and often vacationed in the area on my way to Kansas, unaware of your area's pit bull legislation. I will be changing my travel plans this year and years to come to protect my "babies" as we vacation. It sickens me to think about what this bill does to responsible pet owners. It brings tears to my eyes to think of what pet owners must endure in your area. To most families pets are key members, consider having a family member taken from you in a similar fashion. This kind of tragic loss would be worse than any other.Let's get to our goal of 10,000 signatures by the end of this year (Dec 31,2008) and I dare to make you this promise: Yours truly will hand deliver this petition to Mayor Hickenlooper.Now, show me what you've got, Rovers!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/spend-no-dollars-in-denver-colorado
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." -- Benjamin Franklin General Packleader
ROVERlution.org
GREAT TURN OUT for Second Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day!
On October 25th we celebrated our 4th Annual Luv-a-Bully March, protesting breed discrimination as part of the Second Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day. On this day, 39 states participated in cities from Alabama to Wisconsin. In our Southern California city of Brea, it was an unusually hot day for October, but that didn't deter our 125 protestors marching side by side with their canine companions. All breeds, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes, were there to support their bully buddies! Our Kiss-a-Bull booth was a smashing hit, with kids and adults who lined up to hand over a dollar and then had to walk away as our volunteer bully licked them to the point of laughter!
See more photos HERE
On a more serious note, Farmers Insurance Company attended at the invitation of Dr. Paula Terifaj DVM to announce that in California, Farmers is only one of two insurance companies surveyed that does NOT discriminate against dog owners. To find out more about breed discrimination by insurance companies, read the tragic story of Tanner: Mercury Insurance Signs Death Warrant on Family Dog._______________________________________________________________
Message From Jodi Pries, Founder of Bless the Bullys
Thank you for making Pit Bull Awareness Day (PBAD) a huge success -- it certainly could not be done without all your hard work and efforts!! I hope that PBAD will become a tradition for you, and that you will celebrate this incredible breed every year until breed discrimination is a thing of the past.
Working together to change public perception, IT CAN BE DONE! FYI: In September, the traffic to the website doubled. However, during the entire month of October -- up until PBAD -- the website averaged close to 2,000 hits EVERY DAY!!
That's A LOT of exposure for your event! Sign-up NOW.
Mark your calendar Third Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day October 24th, 2009
Forrest & Kane: Update on Denver Survivors
As you know, both dogs were safely transported out of Denver after a grand stand battle by their owners (the McGahey and Martinez familes) and ferocious watch dog Rovers on Dog Duty! Both Forrest and Kane are now living large in California with Rover Chef David and his pit mix Daze -- collectively known as Team Pit-A-Full.
Watch Chef David share his amazing road trip and journey to Colorado:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2BGRvdy2JQ
Adopt a Denver Pen Pal
Elected city officials in favor of breed bans need a reality check! Start a friendly ongoing relationship with your city representatives. See what Denver residents are doing -- and share in this creative endeavor. You can Adopt a Denver Pen Pal too!
Top Denver Dog Magazine Wants Repeal of Breed Ban!
Tell the publisher of the American Dog Magazine, Jamie Downey, to send a copy of the Jan 09 issue to city officials in Denver, CO. The upcoming winter issue will be on newsstands nationwide Jan 1st thru Apr 1st, 09. The winter issue will include an article written by Dr. Paula Terifaj DVM on the dangers of Denver's breed ban. The magazine will be sent to Mayor Hickenlooper, all twelve city council members, Doug Kelley, the Director of Animal Control, and city attorneys. This fine magazine supports many animal welfare issues and offers excellent articles on dog health care. It's a win-win for dog lovers and the fight against unfair breed discrimination. Let's team up! Buy a one year subscription and the publisher will send copies to all Denver city offficals NOW
Councilman from Monroe, WA Needs Our Support
My name is Mitch Ruth and I am a Councilman for the City of Monroe, WA. I need your help in rallying those who may be in opposition to breed specific laws. Currently before the City Council of Monroe is a new ordinance which would list the following breeds as "Potentially Dangerous": · Akita · American Pit Bull Terrier · Cane Corso · Dogo Argentino · Dogue de Bordeaux · Kuvasz · Pit Bull Terrier · Presa Carnario · Staffordshire Bull Terrier · Tosa Inu (Or, any mix of dog which contains any of the aforementioned breeds.) I will ensure that each and every email becomes a part of the public record/testimony against the passage of this law. Emails may be either addressed directly to me at mruth@ci.monroe.wa or to the entire council at councilmembers@ci.monroe.wa. I would suggest that any comments on this matter be addressed to the entire council.My sincere thanks,Mitch Ruth CouncilmanCity of Monroe, WA SEND MITCH A WARM WELCOME AND THANK YOU!
_______________________________________________________________
Mission: Spend No Dollars in Denver
We are climbing to 4,000 signatures -- like a choo choo train -- we need rapid transport! It's not just a Boycott -- it's a WARNING to dog owners! Did you know that people with bullies had plans to move or visit Denver and were clueless? Read the comments. The story of Forrest has prevented untold suffering from countless "would be" Denver residents and visitors.
Nov 2, 2008, Kate Cross, ArizonaI am a 26 year old, well educated professional adult. I have no children; however, my two Pit Bulls are children to me. My life aside from my career revolves around them. In previous years I traveled through Denver and often vacationed in the area on my way to Kansas, unaware of your area's pit bull legislation. I will be changing my travel plans this year and years to come to protect my "babies" as we vacation. It sickens me to think about what this bill does to responsible pet owners. It brings tears to my eyes to think of what pet owners must endure in your area. To most families pets are key members, consider having a family member taken from you in a similar fashion. This kind of tragic loss would be worse than any other.Let's get to our goal of 10,000 signatures by the end of this year (Dec 31,2008) and I dare to make you this promise: Yours truly will hand deliver this petition to Mayor Hickenlooper.Now, show me what you've got, Rovers!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/spend-no-dollars-in-denver-colorado
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." -- Benjamin Franklin General Packleader
ROVERlution.org
A pit bull goes to school and changes some minds
http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2008/11/06/the_lawrence_ledger/news/doc49121a62e9017173793810.txt
A pit bull goes to school and changes some minds
Thursday, November 6, 2008 7:14 AM EST
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Brian Mark had heard some not-so-great things about pit bull dogs, but the Lawrence Intermediate School student was left with a different impression after a session with Lulu last week. ”I heard they can be kind of mean. People sometimes send them to fight (each other). Now, I think differently about pit bulls. My mind is totally changed. They can be good and they can be nice,” the LIS fourth-grader said. What changed 10-year-old Brian’s mind was his meeting with Lulu, the pit bull dog belonging to LIS teacher Tami D’Errico.
She brought the black and tan dog to school Oct. 27 to raise awareness of the breed, whose special day — Pit Bull Awareness Day — was celebrated Oct. 25. At Lawrence Intermediate School, Oct. 24 marked the school’s Character Kick-Off Day. The character education program is a national movement that encourages schools to create responsible and caring young people — and that’s another reason why Ms. D’Errico brought the dog to school.
One of the themes in the character education program is empathy, and Lulu is very good at teaching children how to be empathetic, said Ms. D’Errico, who teaches fifth grade at the school.
When Ms. D’Errico visited one classroom, she asked the children how many had heard negative things about pit bull dogs. Seven children quickly raised their hands. Ms. D’Errico was not surprised. ”People think pit bulls are scary and mean,” she said. “What would happen if I brought Lulu over to you? What if I told you she was a pit bull?”
While the children paused and thought for a few moments, Ms. D’Errico reminded them that February is Black History Month. Blacks have been discriminated and separated from the rest of society, she said. ”What’s wrong with that kind of thinking,” she asked the children. ”You might not know how they really are — how nice they really are,” one boy answered. Ms. D’Errico agreed, and said the same thing is true of pit bull dogs.
”I’m not saying you should love every person or you should love every dog,” she said. “Give them a chance. Don’t say, ‘I don’t like that person because of their skin color or their religion or how they wear their hair. I’m going to make my decision on whether we like the same things.’” Ms. D’Errico pointed to former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick as an example of someone who lacks empathy. Mr. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence in the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., on federal dogfighting charges. He allowed pit bulls to fight each other on his property in Virginia.
It’s true that pit bull dogs don’t like other dogs, but it’s not true that they don’t like people, she said. Dogs want to please people, but there are “bad” people who take advantage of the dogs, she added. ”People do bad things to pit bull dogs,” Ms. D’Errico said. “I could train Lulu to be mean. If I took a puppy and tried to teach it to be mean, I could. That’s what makes them (mean). Did Michael Vick need to (do that)? He did it because he didn’t have any empathy for other creatures.”
A pit bull goes to school and changes some minds
Thursday, November 6, 2008 7:14 AM EST
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Brian Mark had heard some not-so-great things about pit bull dogs, but the Lawrence Intermediate School student was left with a different impression after a session with Lulu last week. ”I heard they can be kind of mean. People sometimes send them to fight (each other). Now, I think differently about pit bulls. My mind is totally changed. They can be good and they can be nice,” the LIS fourth-grader said. What changed 10-year-old Brian’s mind was his meeting with Lulu, the pit bull dog belonging to LIS teacher Tami D’Errico.
She brought the black and tan dog to school Oct. 27 to raise awareness of the breed, whose special day — Pit Bull Awareness Day — was celebrated Oct. 25. At Lawrence Intermediate School, Oct. 24 marked the school’s Character Kick-Off Day. The character education program is a national movement that encourages schools to create responsible and caring young people — and that’s another reason why Ms. D’Errico brought the dog to school.
One of the themes in the character education program is empathy, and Lulu is very good at teaching children how to be empathetic, said Ms. D’Errico, who teaches fifth grade at the school.
When Ms. D’Errico visited one classroom, she asked the children how many had heard negative things about pit bull dogs. Seven children quickly raised their hands. Ms. D’Errico was not surprised. ”People think pit bulls are scary and mean,” she said. “What would happen if I brought Lulu over to you? What if I told you she was a pit bull?”
While the children paused and thought for a few moments, Ms. D’Errico reminded them that February is Black History Month. Blacks have been discriminated and separated from the rest of society, she said. ”What’s wrong with that kind of thinking,” she asked the children. ”You might not know how they really are — how nice they really are,” one boy answered. Ms. D’Errico agreed, and said the same thing is true of pit bull dogs.
”I’m not saying you should love every person or you should love every dog,” she said. “Give them a chance. Don’t say, ‘I don’t like that person because of their skin color or their religion or how they wear their hair. I’m going to make my decision on whether we like the same things.’” Ms. D’Errico pointed to former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick as an example of someone who lacks empathy. Mr. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence in the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., on federal dogfighting charges. He allowed pit bulls to fight each other on his property in Virginia.
It’s true that pit bull dogs don’t like other dogs, but it’s not true that they don’t like people, she said. Dogs want to please people, but there are “bad” people who take advantage of the dogs, she added. ”People do bad things to pit bull dogs,” Ms. D’Errico said. “I could train Lulu to be mean. If I took a puppy and tried to teach it to be mean, I could. That’s what makes them (mean). Did Michael Vick need to (do that)? He did it because he didn’t have any empathy for other creatures.”
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kenyon
Kenyon has spent the last few months back in foster care and is a wonderful boy. He is no longer good with dogs, his foster mom is working on that with him, but he will be need to be adopted to a family as an only dog.
He loves to be by your side more than anything, and is content to just be where you are. He is the BEST snuggler ever, and loves to just lounge around with his foster mom. He loves to run around outside, as long as you are out with him-he does not stay outside alone.
Kenyon is crate and house trained and is looking for that special family to call his own.
Greta Needs a Home to Call Her Own
Greta is a magnificent girl who is waiting patiently for her forever home. Greta has tons of personality, and wants nothing more than to stay by your side. She follows her foster mom everywhere, and LOVES to go for car rides. If I go to get anything out of the car, Greta will hop in and sit in the passenger seat patiently wagging her tail, ready to go. She rides wonderfully, and loves to gaze out the window as we are riding.
She loves to play fetch, and will go and get her "toy" on command and bring to you for endless games of fetch. When she is very excited, she will get her toy and run to you and show you just how fast she can shake the toy in her mouth while galloping around. She has PERFECT house manners, and is not in the least bit destructive. Greta does not like being crated, but there is no need for her to be-her manners inside are wonderful.
She is almost perfect on a leash, she pulls a little but not comparable to any of her foster siblings. She is a very affectionate girl and is content to relax on the couch with you, while giving hugs and kisses. Her pictures do NOT do her justice.
Greta is dog-aggressive, as some dogs are, and will be placed as an ONLY dog-no exceptions. Greta will only be placed in a home with previous bully experience. We are working on her reactiveness to her foster siblings and she is making tremendous progress. She wants to please, and is an extremely intelligent girl.
If you are interested in learning more about this beauty, email me at mastiffsj@yahoo.com
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