KC DOG BLOG

Weekly Roundup, Week ending 12/6/09

This week has been highlighted by a lot of big stories. We'll round up the smaller stories -- and the follow ups to the bigger ones today. Also note, I'm going to using up some vacation time over the next week or so - -so posting may be a little more sporadic than usual, but I will try to not go dark for a week or so. There won't be a weekly roundup next week however -- so I'll be rolling two weeks worth of stuff up on the 20th. Ok, enough of all that, on to the roundup.

 Cities and Laws

Livonia, MI is looking at changes to the city's dangerous dog ordinance. At this point it appears as if the ordinance will be a behvior-based ordinance vs one focus on breeds.

Clinton, IA is looking at some new dangerous dog laws. The laws will include harsher fines for owners who violate dog laws, but will not be breed specific.

Mobridge, SD passed a new ordinance that puts certain requirements on owners of 'pit bulls'. The law was passed after residents complained about some dogs that were running off-leash. 

The appeals court in Oklahoma has ruled that Midwest City, OK cannot ban particular breeds of dogs because it is illegal under the state law. Midwest City has now spent thousands of taxpayer dollars trying to protect a law that is clearly in violation of the state law....but instead of resigning to that, they say they are now taking the case to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Talks of a breed ban in Hot Springs, AR ended very quickly this week when Councilwoman Peggy Maruthur made a motion to ban 'pit bulls' but the motion failed to receive a second to open it up for discussion. Even after a 2nd request by a mayor to second the motion, the other council members stood silent and the bill died instantly.

A proposal in Chicago to enact an ordinance that would limit the number of dogs per household to 5 was voted down again this week.

Dog Bites and Attacks

A 70 year old New Jersey Woman was hospitalized after she was attacked by two 'pit bulls'. The dogs were apparently being cared for by somoene while the owner was out of town and the dog-sitter apparently left the gate open and the dogs got out.

A Hanover County, VA woman was attacked by two American Bulldogs. Authorities have been called on the same house twice in the past 2 years for dog-bite incidences. Major dog attacks are almost never the first sign of aggression shown by a dog.

A officer in Delaware was bitten by a woman's Hound dog after the officer pulled the woman over in her car for a DUI. Marijuana was also reported to be found on the woman. Prior to making arrangements to have the woman's car towed, the officer tried to secure the dog that was riding with the woman and was bitten.

In Malibu, a family had their 35 lbs puppy killed on the beach by four at large dogs -- described as 2 mastiffs, a German Shepherd and an unidentified breed. Often a lot is made of dog aggression vs other dogs being a breed-specific issue -- but it's not.

A 79 year old Spring Hill, FL woman was hospitalized after she was bitten by a Chow/Labrador mix. The woman was out walking her dog when the Chow/Lab mix (which was off-leash) began attacking her dog.  She was knocked down as she tried to prevent the dog from attacking hers.

A West Virginia man is in critical condition after being mauled by a pack of dogs that were roaming at large. It is not uncommon for a group of dogs, particularly in a rural setting, to form a pack mentality if they are allowed to roam free.  It is interesting that the dogs are described as "pit bulls' and yet the number of dogs involved is said to be either four or five dogs. I'm not sure how we can have identified the breed involved in the attack, but not the actual number of dogs... 

In include this feature not to make people think that dogs are dangerous -- they're not - -simply to show that aggression can come in all forms from a variety of different breeds of dogs, and that the causes of the attacks, regardless of breed, are the same -- and involve an irresponsible owner.

Fallout of Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK

Earlier this week, there was a fatal dog attack in the UK and in the aftermath of the death, many are again questioning the vailidy of the UK's Dangerous Dog's Act (which bans four different breeds of dog) and whether or not it's effective (it's not).

From K9 Magazine: Fatal Dog attacks, what can we learn? A look at the most recent attacks in the UK and the similarities in the cases (hint, breed isn't one of the similarities).

Also from K9 Magazine: Are we being lied to about dog bite statistics?

The BBC shows the history of the Dangerous Dogs Act and where it has failed (including the 40% increase in hospitalizations due to dog attacks.

Eighteen years after the act outlawing them, why are the devil dogs still killing our children? The article explains the problems the UK is having with breed identification and how making breeds illegal has actually increased the demand for them among thugs and low-lifes in society. The article misses the point - -that the law should be targeting the irresponsible owners in the first place - but does a good job of describing all the failings of the current breed ban.

Another story about a 21 year old man who was attacked and killed by two German Shepherds in the UK -- German Shepherds are not included in the country's breed ban.

One area of the UK, West Midlands, has seized 147 dogs since April under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Miscellanious News

More from the Toledo Blade on Tom Skeldon -- this one includes potential open records violations by withholding information about the dog's death from the owner of the 10 lbs Pomeranian/Beagle mix that was shot with a tranquilizer on its own front porch, died from the dosage, and wasn't given proper medical treatment. Speaking of Toledo, it also appears that the man who managed Tom's brother Marty's city council campaign has been appointed to the Dog Warden Advisory board. Looks like nepotism is still alive and well in Toledo.

HSUS Agenda on Par with that of PETA - -a good article from Dr. Patty Khuly in Veterinary Practice News.

Mike Vick is no longer anything like the one the Eagles wanted -- CBS Sportline writes a column about Vick no longer the player he once was.  I remember predicting this a few months ago and wondering why and NFL team would take a chance on this guy, deal with the negative publicity, for a guy that was bound not be nearly the player he used to be.  Speaking of Vick, it sounds as if some day he hopes to own a dog again -- let's hope the courts hold on to his punishment and be sure that never happens.

A service dog in St. Louis is helping a war veteran cope with with some of the side effects of post tramatic stress disorder.

Not at all dog related, but a Uniontown, PA woman plead guilty this week to child endangerment after her 3 year old daughter fell out of a window and fell 11 feet to the ground (the child is doing fine now). The woman was not watching her child because she was "preoccupied with a social networking web site."  Parents (and sitters) not watching their children has led to several fatal dog attacks this year -- and yet, people have been quick to try to blame the dogs for the fiascos instead of the neglegent parents.

Positive Press

Tia Torres of Villalobos Rescue in California (and the focus of the program "Pit Bulls & Parolees") was on the Ellen Degeneres show this week talking about 'pit bulls' with Ellen. I'm not always the biggest fan of Tia's show -- but this interview is mostly good and the dog, Snorky, really stole the show.

A really great article from the Ft Walton (FL) Tribune about an owner of 'pit bulls' and giving an objective view on the truths about 'pit bull' ownership.

"Pit Bulls" in Salt Lake City peformed their version of the "Muttcracker" -- a holiday inspired doggie 'ballet' performance featuring "pit bulls' in tutus and a 'sugar pit fairy.'  This one HAS to be on Youtube somewhere, but I can't find it.

Tough Love for "Bully Breeds" -- this is a really great article about "Accidental 'pit bull' owners". The story covers a lot of people who didn't go out to adopt pit bulls, but found dogs that needed rescue, or met dogs at shelters that they fell in love with and didn't necessarily realize they were 'pit bulls' at the time.

Stabbed pit bull puppy among animals waiting for adoption.

Blog Postings That You Should Read

For the Pit Bulls has a great post about 7 other dogs that were killed this week in a shelter. The dogs were among 12 that were rescued from a home in Tuscaloosa, AL and all in varying degrees of ill health and tied down with large logging chains. The 7 dogs that were put down were killed because of varying degrees of dog aggression -- which would be expected after the lack of socialization they've undoubtedly had.

YesBiscuit! has a great blog posting that asks the question, "What's so scary about not killing shelter pets?" It is a good question -- it's hard to imagine why people are so adverse to the no kill movement.

More on Oreo's Law from Winograd -- and why it is important that if there are options availble for dogs those options should be used so that euthanasia is only a last resort.

Weekly Roundup, Week Ending 11/29/09

 Because of the holiday week, it's been a bit slower than usual media week. I'm going to hit a few of the highlights -- with two major holdovers that will go into next week.

 Cities and Laws

The government in Tasmania has decided on some new dangerous dog regulations, that include breed specific regulations.

Three people in Lubbock, TX resigned from their Animal Services Advisory Committee because they said that their recommendations were being ignored by the council and animal control operators. This seems like a common trend I've seen in a lot of other areas where committees are formed to help provide recommendations on improving shelter operations and then ignored.

Des Moines city council members have decided against a ban on pit bulls. The city has a 22 year old law that deems 'pit bulls' as vicious, but were considering an all-out ban but weren't sure they'd be successful if they went that route.

This is a crazy article from out of Erie, PA that is talking about how a series of dog bites/attacks in Millcreek Township, PA has led people to call for regulations of 'pit bulls' and the "need" for breed specific laws -- which are forbidden under Pennsylvania law. Interestingly, there was no mention of a fatal dog attack that happened in Millcreek Township last year when an Old English Sheepdog attacked and killed a 14 month old child.

Dog Bites and Attacks

This is a really interesting article from out of Colorado.  A woman in Camp Hale, CO suffered severe injuries after she was attacked by two "Sheep Dogs". The dogs were doing their job of protecting sheep -- which they were raised to do as in the mountains of Colorado is important where mountain lions, coyotes and bears can kill off herds. We often talk about a dogs function as being a determining factor of major attacks, so it is really not a huge surprise that dogs that are trained to protect and attack would attack someone. But the story I think paints a pretty fair picture of the difference between "old" Colorado, where ranching is very common, and "new" Colorado, which has a ton of hikers and mountain bikers.

A Hingham, MA dog owner is asking for criminal charges against her to be dropped after her English Mastiff bit two women.

A Chow mix is responsible for attacking a letter carrier in South Texas.

In Australia, a 12 year old girl may lose her arm after her dog, a "Bull Mastiff/Great Dane" cross, attacked her.

A Phoenix woman's dog was attacked and killed by a dog believed to be a Rottweiler mix while she was taking her dog out on a walk.

A Plymouth Meeting, PA man will face trial after his German Shepherd, with a known history of biting, attacked a five year old girl there.

In New Zealand, a Shar-Pei mix was put on death row after attacking another dog.

ABoy needed 200 staples to his head after being attacked by two Alsatians (German Shepherds).

An Omaha man was bitten in the face by an unfamiliar black dog -- Omaha continues to have problems with dog bites following the passing of a breed-specific law that everyone with knowledge on the subject recommended against.

Animal Shelters

Keokuk, IA has opened a new shelter that they think will allow them to become a no-kill community.

A Blue Tai Ridgeback is being held in a shelter has been deemed "potentially dangerous" although the dog has never hurt anyone.  Supporters for the dog are seeking help to try to get the restrictions lifted from the dog saying they are unfounded. 

The puppy (left) is looking for a home in Kansas City, unfortunately, he comes with a disclaimer:

 "Hard to say if she’s a pit bull mix or a boxer mix, so municipalities with BSL might need to approve her first."

Isn't it ridiculous that a gorgeous puppy, who has overcome parvo, is struggling to find a home because he is of an unknown breed and MIGHT grow up to look like he should be banned in a city.

More on Oreo's Law

Winograd responds to criticisms about Oreo's law that would require shelters to surrender dogs to another 501c3 organization that wants the dog instead of euthanizing it -- forcing shelters to use other options to killing if they are available. W

More Toledo News

The Toledo Blade has an in-depth feature on the legacy left behind by Tom Skeldon as Lucas County Dog Warden.  It's a long read, but worth the time on what eventually led to Skeldon's resignation in Lucas County.

Lucas County Commissioners have ordered an end to the killing of puppies - even pit bull puppies -- at the shelter. Unfortunately, if they don't change their policy on adopting 'pit bulls' out of the shelter, they will end up just holding the puppies for a period of time before killing hte dogs.

The Blade also ran an editorial calling for updates to the county's dangerous dog laws -- including a call to increase licensing, a call to end the state-wide breed-specific legislation, and a call for harsher penalties for dog fighting.

A solid post on Skeldon from a new animal welfare blog at Change.org. I've been keeping an eye on the new blog and they seem to be doing a solid job there so far -- although they tend to be writing directly from the HSUS playbook.

Mediots

Elizabeth City, NC police raided a house that led to a charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of cocaine with an intent to sell, maintaining a house for drug purposes, possession of drug paraphenalia and possession of marijuana - -the headline: "Elizabeth City officers shoots dog during drug search".  The dog, a "Rottweiler/Labrador mix", didn't bite anyone -- why was it the headline?

This may be the worst such story I've ever seen. In this one from Brantford, Ontario, officials found an illegal revolver, 2234 ecstasy pills, 3 viles of hash oil, and cocaine when they visited a home of a many accused of robbing a tying up an elderly couple and sexually assaulting his wife. The headline, "pit bull removed before search". For the pit bulls has a great take on this. The dog did nothing but be there and made the headline over clear drug violations and violence.

Positive Press

A 'pit bull' named Ruby is shattering breed stereotypes by being a service dog in nursing homes in Scandia, MN.

Cesar Millan has added a new dog, a 'pit bull' named Junior, to his pack. I know that many people don't like or agree with Millan's training methods, but he has been a wonderful advocate for 'pit bulls' and helped dispell many myths about these dogs.

Good editorial about Elkhart, IN "getting it right" by focusing on irresponsible dog owners instead of breeds in their dangerous dog law.

Rottweilers -- The misunderstood breed. A solid article -- Rotties are definitely not the only misunderstood breed.

Miscellanious

A good article from US News and World Report that highlights the value dogs can have as alert dogs for people with seizures.

A family in Fremont, NC is upset after police shot and kille their 7 month old American Bulldog puppy.

A Minnesota Police Dog was euthanized by a shelter accidentally this week. The dog, a drug sniffing dog,  somehow got away from his kennle, ended up at the animal shelter, and because he wasn't microchipped, ended up euthanized at the shelter after his 5 day holding period. The death has caused a change of policy for police dogs that will require all of them to be microchipped.

Weekly Roundup, Week Ending 11/22/09

Well, the week sure has been interesting.  A bill was introduced to remove BSL from Ontario and Tom Skeldon officially resigned from his post in Toledo. And while there is still a lot of work to be done, it is becoming clear that the general public is becoming more aware that Breed Specific Legislation is based on archaic beliefs from the past, and that science and logic don't support breed specific bills. 

Now, onto the rest of the week's top stories.

Cities/ States and Laws

I could probably write a whole post on this, but the Prescott, AR city council passed a ban on 'pit bulls' in their meeting this week. The bill was passed as an "emergency" bill, so the bill would not have to go through a required second reading. The bill was passed just 19 days after a two year old toddler was staying with a babysitter and walked out of the house, four blocks from the house, and into the back yard with a chained 'pit bull'.  The dog attacked the young child and he died.  While the city of about 4,300 people (35% of whom live below the poverty line) could have focused their emphasis on keeping watch of your children, on not leaving dogs tethered for long periods of time, and socializing their dogs, they decided to make a very emotional decision, without consulting the experts in their community, and passing through an "emergency" bill.  We need to demand that cities take a rational approach to their dangerous dog ordinances, instead of knee-jerk reactions shortly after a major tragedy.

Lincoln, NE is looking at some changes to their dangerous dog ordinance. The authorities there continue to be vigilent in looking for non-breed specific solutions -- and their continually decreasing dog bite numbers are a reflection of their solid approach.

The Las Vegas city council has mandated the spaying and neutering of all cats and dogs over four months of age. The city passed the ordinance after several years of increased intakes at the shelter (it should be noted that Las Vegas has been, for a decade, one of the fastest growing cities in the US which has likely led to some of the increase). I'll be following Las Vegas closely and seeing if they see any success from their ordinance -- even though most places that pass similar ordinances do not find success.

In Pennsylvania, a group is pushing for a bill that would restrict tethering in the state. Under the bill, it would be illegal to leave a dog outside unattended and tied to a stationary object between 10 pm and 6 am. The bill would also put restrictions of the types of chains and collars could be used for tethering -- and has exceptions for a variety of activities. I don't always love anti-tethering laws because many are overly-inclusive, but this one seems fairly done.

The city council in Fremont, OH heard from people in the community regarding what to do about dangerous dogs in the community. It appears as if there is little support from the community or the council for Breed Specific Legislation -- which is what happens when cities take a rational look at dangerous dog laws.

Breed specific legislation off the table in Elkhart, IN. "I think there was a great concern amongst the public that we address the issue of dangerous dogs in total, rather than look at breed or breeds," said Council member Mary Olson.

Animal Shelters

Beleaguered Direction of the San Francisco SPCA Steps down -- after the city SPCA has abandoned many of the measures that made it one of the model cities in the US for saving the lives of animals, the oft-criticised director has announced that she is stepping down.

After the ASPCA in New York euthanized Oreo, a dog that had overcome dramatic abuse but still showed signs of aggression, even though another rescue group was willing to take in the dog, has sparked a law they are calling Oreo's Law, that would require any local shelter to surrender a dog to a licensed rescue that was willing to take the dog instead of killing the animal.  More on the law here.

Charleston, SC passed a bill this week that will allow Trap/Neuter/Release programs in the city.

North Carolina reprimanded 21 animal shelters for euthanasia violations -- including euthanizing without a licensed veterinarian and using the gas chamber for euthanizing.

Dog Bites and Attacks

Police were called to the scene in Lorain, OH and forced to shoot two German Shepherds that we attacking a woman in her own back yard. The woman and her husband were watching the two german shepherds because their daughter had recently moved and was unable to move with her two dogs. The two German Shepherds apparently got out of the room where they were contained and tried to attack the two Austrailian Shepherds the couple owned and the woman was injured trying to protect the smaller dogs.

A six year old Bowling Green, KY girl was attacked by a 'pit bull' while staying at a friend's house. Apparently the dog's owner had put the dog in the bathroom to keep it away from the children, however, the little girl didn't know the dog was in the bathroom and went in and the dog bit her in the face. While the child's parents made the comment that they though all 'pit bulls' should be banned, all the local experts said that this was not an appropriate action.

In Grand Island, NE, a Chocolate Lab was declared potentially dangerous after it bit a next door neighbor over the fence.

In San Antonio, a 10 year old girl was bitten in the face by a Belgian Malinois that the family had rescued as a stray a few days ago. Interestingly, some of the news media decided to leave out he breed of dog involved.

In Ontario, a 77 year old woman was bitten by a Golden Retriever requiring 13 stitches.

In Pennsylvania, a German Shepherd attacked a woman who was walking her 4 1/2 lbs Chihuahua.

In Austraila, a nearly two year old girl was rushded to the hospital after being attacked in the face by a Husky.

Again, in Austrailia, a 7 year old girl was injured after being attacked by the family's Blue Heeler.

Again, in Austrailia, an inquest of feral dogs in some rural areas that have been involved in the deaths of two people in the past year.

Again, I reiterate, I don't post these stories because dogs are dangerous -- dogs continue to be very safe animals and additions to our lives. But it is important to look at these bites because the circumstances surrounding bites are very similar -- regardless of the breeds involved in the attacks.

Some Follow Up on Tom Skeldon

More from the Toledo Blade on Tom Skeldon's Resignation.  Commissioner Ben Konop is now calling for Skeldo to immediately step down from his post, and that the county look into other options other than the shelter director as an interim director. Also, here's Tom Skeldon's resignation letter, and a flyer that was distributed in Tina Skeldon Wozniak's neighborhood after she elected to keep her first cousin in office.

Help Fido has a look at the recent history of problems Skeldon has caused as the Dog Warden in Toledo -- and how these struggles led to his demise.

The folks at PETA actually wrote a letter to the Toledo Blade (PETA's letter is the second one, there is a good one by the former city planner before it)  in Support of Tom Skeldon -- calling him a brave person holding the syringe.  The letter spurred a series of commentary from YesBiscuit! and the Pet Connection on PETA's failings.

The visual image used in this section if from a T-Shirt designed by the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates.  They have several t-shirts left and if you would like to buy a t-shirt, feel free to reach out to them .

Abuse Cases

More than 100 Huskies -- including 30 pregnant ones - were rescued from Northern Quebec as they were abused and left tied to trees out in miles of woods. The dogs are gorgeous and I hope they are able to be saved.

Fifteen 'pit bulls' were confiscated from a home in San Antonio -- the dogs were found abused and neglected, the owners were found with 130 grams of marijuana, and two dead dogs were found on the property.

Mediots

In Spokane, a 32 year old man got durnk and threatened to kill his wife and two daughters. When police arrived, they were greated by a 'pit bull' that they had to shoot because it was aggressive. The headlines in all the stories mention the 'pit bull' and not the man who threatened to harm his family.

In Harker Heights, TX, a Beagle was mauled by a neighbor's Cane Cors0 -- however, the media had initially reported the attack to have been by a 'pit bull' -- but then, in follow up stories, the breed was buried deep into the story.

Positive Press

A pit bull type dog, Fletch, from the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, has overcome adversity to become a finalist in the ASPCA Shelter Dog Photo Contest.

Daisy the pit bull fights stereotypes by being a lover -- from Columbia, MO.

Bully for Cheri DiNovo.

Weekly Roundup, Week Ending 11/15/09

  It's been quite a week. Puerto Rico and Oak Harbor, WA each voted to repeal their respective breed bans, while Ontario announced that there will be a new bill pushing for the repeal of theirs. Meanwhile, BSL proponent and dog killer Tom Skeldon remains under harsh fire in Lucas County, OH.  It's hard to not look at all of this and realize that the side of common sense, decency and respect for animals is winning....in spite of the occassional bump in the road.

Onto the week's other stories:

Cities and Laws

Ignoring the recommendations of all of the experts in the community, Hays, KS passed an ordinance that will requires all 'pit bulls' to be licensed, muzzled and microchipped.

A man in Peach Tree City, GA is asking for the city council to require special requirements for pit bull owners. If you live in or near PTC, be sure to contact your city commissioners and help them understand why this isn't the correct action to take and provide them with viable alternatives.

The city of Elkhart, IN decided against breed specific regulations in the city.

Auburn, CA has also decided against BSL. In fact, they deny even considering it. I still wonder if the concerns about BSL were real, or if they were completely fabricated by the media.

Lincoln, NE is considering some changes to their dangerous dog laws. At this point, they still seem to be focusing on behavior-based ordinances, however, if you are in the area, it is worth keeping an eye on.

Las Vegas appears to be eyeing laws that mandate spay/neuter for all owned pets -- -but are considering this because of a concerns over a growing feral cat population. How a law that requires owned pets be sterilized will affect non-owned pets is beyond me....

Dog bites/attacks

An Eaton Township Veterinarian was bitten by two Cane Corsos that she was trying to rescue that were wandering along the side of the road.

A Chihuahua in Washington County, MD was attacked and killed by a German Shepherd.

Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath's dog, a Yellow Labrador Retriever, has been declared dangerous by Palm Beach County Animal Control after it bit its third person in three years.

A 68 year old Jacksonville, FL woman was attacked by a 100 pound Rottweiler that was roaming at large.

A Detroit area woman was attacked by two at-large pit bulls. Residents in the neighborhood had called several times aobut the ogs the animal control officials had yet to show up to pick them up.

A 77 year old Boston woman was attacked by an English Bulldog.  The dog reportedly bit the same woman two weeks prior.

A three year old child in Walton, GA was attacked by a 'pit bull' that was chained outside to a doghouse. No one knows what caused the dog to attack -- which then begs the question of why the three year old was roaming around with no supervision.  At least the head of the Police Department notes that the attack was not a breed issue.

A tiny Maltese was killed when it was attacked by a Siberian Husky.

A greyhound is responsible for killing a small pomeranian at a dog park in Barrington, RI.

In Tonganoxie, KS, a two year old boy was bitten by mixed breed dog whom the boy attempted to "kiss".  Earlier this summer, the small community of Tonganoxie decided it wanted to keep its breed ban in spite of both town veterinarians and their local Humane Society being opposed to it. Educating people on what really leads to dog attacks, vs focusing on breeds, continues to be a better way to protect the public from dog attacks.

The UK Dangerous Dogs Act

A man's German Shepherd in Edinburgh, Scotland is repsonsible for attacking a woman. In spite the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK that banned four breeds of dogs, bites continue to go up because the real cause of such attacks are irresponsible pet owners, not dog breeds -- and the act focused on the wrong end of the leash.

Another story from out of the UK about an Alaskan Malamute that attacked a young boy. In most of the areas surrounding where this article is from, dog bites have nearly doubled in the past 3-5 years.

Again in the UK, a Black Labrador was destroyed after it was found guilty of attacking two children.

City Hall summit in London about the rise in "weapon dogs" on London streets.

Abuse Cases

A Barnesville, GA man was arrested after he abandoned his home an left a 'pit bull' chained on the front porch where the dog starved to death and died.

Positive Press

There are misunderstood dog breeds - -from Dover, NH.

Main Line Animal Rescue is taking its pro-pit bull, anti Michael Vick Message on the road.

Dozens of the 'pit bulls' rescued from the large dog fighting bust in five midwestern states last year were declared fit to go to rescue groups last week and began getting shipped to various rescues across the country. Great video on this one.  The resiliency of these dogs to leave horrible situations and to still love and trust people is absolutely amazing - -and is another excellent example of the power of nurture to override nature in canine behavior.

A six year old 'pit bull' service dog in Scandia, MN that has been helping people and changing people's perceptions of the breed is suffering from cancer.

The Dane County, WI Humane Society is encouranging people to adopt pit bulls. "We just treat them like every other dog" they say.

Animal Experts: Pit Bulls the Perfect Pet

Miscellanious

An article about the success of off-leash dog parks in Rhode Island.

Ban bad owners, fix the pit bull problem?  A solid editorial from out of Flint, MI.

The Memphis Animal Shelter -- two weeks later

Brighton, CO officers undergo animal training after 2008 dog shooting -- trying to end the senseless killing of pets that often comes when officers don't understand canine behavior.

Blogs/Articles/videos worth reading/watching

A great video on the Denver Pit Bull Ban -- from the folks at Animal Ark.

Lessons from an Andy Warhol Tote Bag - -from Winograd.

While Rome Burns, Emperor Pacelle Strums his Lyre - also from Winograd

The Truth About Tom "Dog Killer" Skeldon - -a great look at the history of Skeldon's rein of terror in Lucas County, OH from For the Pit Bulls

Weekly Roundup, week ending 11/8/09

So, I was out of town last weekend getting some much needed R&R, so I have two weeks worth of news to go through today, so I'll probably be a lot shorter on commentary today. There is a LOT of stuff going on out there in the BSL/No Kill worlds, so I should have a good week of stuff coming up. For now, onto the roundup.

Cities and Laws

A host of cities in California rushed through talks of municiple bans on cat declawing before the state law that prohibits such bans takes effect. Santa Monica and San Francisco each passed restrictions that call for potential jail time for violators who declaw their cats. Los Angeles is also considering such a law. While I don't personally support cat declawing, I do think outlawing it is short-sighted and will impede progress in the no kill movement.

Hays, KS is still talking about potential restricions on owners of particular breeds of dogs. If you are in Hays, be sure to keep in touch with your commissioners.

Independence, KY has a new ordinance that allows animal control officers to declare a dog dangerous based on its behavior -- even before it bites.  Independence had been discussing breed specific regulations, but realized that targeting laws based on behavior vs breed is more effective.

Elkhart County, IN is looking at a new animal control ordinance that could end up being breed-specific.

Shelter experts in Elgin, IL recommended to the city to NOT go with Breed Specific Regulations. Experts across the country are unanimously opposed to breed specific regulations because they are not effective, and not warranted.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter ordinance is withdrawn from the city of New Orleans -- which is great news.

Jackson, TN also voted down a push for mandatory spay/neuter in their community.

Dallas' Mandatory Spay/Neuter ordinance is taxing local groups that are trying to help low-income pet owners comply with the law.

Dog bites and attacks

In Tulsa, a 1 year old girld was critically injured when she wandered outside unattended and up to a 'pit bull' that was owned by the family while it was eating.  I actuaally am pretty pleased that Fox News in Tulsa actually covered the fact that the dog being chained as its primary form of containment was a bad idea, and that children shouldn't be left alone around dogs -- particularly when they are eating.

A Vista, CA boy is recovering after being attacked by two Rottweilers.

Another dog attack in Omaha -- this one involving a Rottweiler. Omaha continues to have an increase in dog bites in the city after focusing all of their emphasis on particular breeds of dogs instead of upon responsible dog ownership.

A Labrador Retriever  in Pindale, WY killed a small Pomeranian. While many people continue to hold onto the idea that only pit bulls are dog aggressive, the reality remains that dog aggression -- while usually minor -- can manifest itself in all breeds without appropriate socialization.

A six year old girl in Indianapolis was bitten in the face by a Husky mix at her insurance office.

A nine year old Australian girl sustain major facial injuries after being bitten by the family's Alaskan Malamute that wanted to eat her breakfast.

A 65 year old North Carolina woman has been upgraded from critical condition to serious condition after being attacked by a pack of wild dogs.

An 11 year old Provo, UT boy was attacked by a German Shepherd that jumped the fence and attacked him.

A 10 year old Texas boy was attacked by a stray "German Shepherd".  Neighbors said the dog had been roaming the neighborhood for several days.

Some dogs in Bulgaria were put down after a child was killed by a group of street dogs. The dogs are a bunch of skinny mongrel dogs.  Dogs that become aggressive come in all shapes and sizes...it is upbringing and training that matter.

Abuse Cases

Memphis Mayor AC Wharton fired Animal Services Director Ernst Alexander this week. Investigations into the horrific abuse cases associated with the shelter are ongoing, but Alexander is now justifiably out.

An off duty state trooper in Elkhart, IA shot a Labrador Retriever he said was being aggressive. The owners think the action was unneccessary.

A Cambridge, MD man is facing 8 charges on counts of animal cruelty for the way he was keeping a litter of pit bull puppies in the dark with no room to exercise.

A breeder in Denver has been accused of selling sick and dying puppies to unsuspecting families. This is why if you want to get a new pet, you should either adopt, or get one from a well-respected breeder.

The Humane Society in Hamilton, OH is seeking help for a 'pit bull' pup that was rescued and was nearly starved to death.

Positive Press

Some positive press out in Denver surrounding a fundraising event for Colorado Pit Bull Rescue.

From the Toledo area, "Dog Advocate says 'pit bulls' are unfairly demonized". It's a great article -- nice job Ledy. Here's another story on her presentation.

The National Dog Show (televised on Thanksgiving Day) will feature some alumni of the show with a particular spotlight on Therapy Dogs. One of the therapy dogs will be Rufus, a Bull Terrier that won best in show in 2005.  Rufus would be included in breed bans across the US as one of the "pit bull' breeds. "Rufus dispells so many myths", says commentator David Frei. "Some communities target the breed, calling them dangerous merely based on appearance. Of course, it's ridiculous, and Rufus is out there proving how ridiculous it is. He adores children."

KCMO has welcomed some new canines to their police force.

A pit bull brings joy to residents of an assisted living facility in Florida.

Animal Advocates trying to clear misconceptions about pit bulls - this from Salt Lake City.

Miscellanious

A four year old boy was hit by a train while chasing his dog that got away. The boy will be ok (thankfully), but even more reinforcement behind the idea that people should take special efforts to train their dog to "come" for their own safety, as well as the safety of the dog.

A Fresno family has been forbidden from ever owning pit bulls again after they have had three aggressive dogs seized from them. Seems like they should keep them from owning ANY dog again, no just 'pit bulls'. By cracking down on problem owners like this we can make a real difference in public safety.

Critics in San Francisco are accusing the SPCA of valuing money over animal welfare.

A really good audio piece by Ryan O'Meara in the UK about how the Country-wide breed ban is costing the taxpayers in the UK millions of pounds, and has done nothing to improve pubic safety.

What a dog can do that Mike Vick can't -- a good feature on how one of Mike Vick's therapy dogs, Leo, is changing how kids perceive pit bulls -- in a way that Mike Vick could never do.

What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Stay in Vegas -- Winograd takes an empassioned view from the Best Friends Conference in Las Vegas on moving the No Kill Movement forward.

Weekly Roundup - Week ending 10/25/09

     It's been kind of a crazy week. A lot of stuff going on -- includingDenver's continued problems with their ban and more problems for breed ban enthusiast Tom Skeldon in Toledo. Also, Best Friends is hosting their annual No More Homeless Pets Conference out in Las Vegas this weekend -- but thanks to new technology a lot of folks are providing instant feedback from the conferences and it sounds  like the conference is going great.  You can follow along on Best Friends' blog for yourself -- and Christie has been live blogging from there as well. I'll collect a few of the posts after the conference is over because I have a few comments I want to make.  Yesterday was also National Pit Bull Awareness Day -- I'll be posting some stories from that this week.  On to the rest of the week's stories:

Cities and Laws

Madison County, GA is discussing animal control options after a five year old boy was attacked by an Akita earlier this month.

Auburn, CA is supposedly discussing the idea of a breed ban in the city.  State law in California does not allow for individual cities to impose bans on certain breeds.

The Seattle Humane Society has come out against the proposed breed ban in Bothell, WA.

Jackson, MS is eyeing new dangerous dog legislation -- including potentially Breed Specific Legislation.

Lincoln, NE continues to explore options for their dangerous dog law that are not breed specific -- although they aren't completely ruling out BSL, it is definitely not their first option.

Las Vegas is now looking at a potential law that would mandate that all pets be spayed or neutered. While targeted low-cost programs have proven effective at reducing pet populations, mandatory programs have not proven effective.

Residents in Mashpee, MA voted overwhelmingly against breed specific legislation in their community.

Southgate, MI is still considering a new dangerous dog ordinance.

Dog bites

A Crystal River, FL man was attacked when four dogs that lived at his neighbor's house got under the fence and began to attack him and his dog. The attacking dogs are believed to be Mastiffs.

A 19 month old Tennessee child was severely bitten by a Greate Dane. The dog was apparently new to the family and the owner set the food bowl down near the dog and the child in order to answer the door and that's when the dog bit the young child.

A 10 year old Miami-Dade County boy was hospitalized after he was bitten by a Husky mix. 

An Everett, WA man nearly died after he was bitten in the hand by one of his dogs. His two dogs, one a Labrador/Blue Heeler mix, got in a fight in the yeard and he got bitten trying to break up the fight. A few days later the man was suffering from a serious infection from the bite and nearly died.

A UK Rottweiler was given a Muzzle order after it attacked a 10 year old girl.  The UK banned 4 different breeds of dogs in 1991 and have continued to see an increase in dog bites in their community.

A Piercetown, IN woman was severely attacked by a 'pit bull' that was chained out in front of her son's home. The woman came to visit her son, but the chained dog was able to reach the sidewalk and attacked the woman.

A New York woman apparently lied to police -- the woman had reported to police that her toddler was bitten by a "pit bull" -- however, upon further investigation, it turns out the woman's own American Husky was involved in the bite.

Abuse Cases

A UK dog breeder who abandoned 99 St. Bernards while she went on vacation has been jailed for 18 weeks for animal cruelty.

Police in Hagerstown, PA shot a Labrador Retriever this week who they said was acting aggressively. Note the sympathetic tone for the owners that this article is written with vs when dogs of other breeds are attacked.

Twelve 'pit bulls' that were seized from a dog fighting ring earlier this month in Buffalo were euthanized because they were aggressive. 13 others have the possibility of being rehabilitated.

Media Reports

There was a story outside of Denver where a man was shot, and another woman injured, after an apparent argument. The argument stemmed from some concerns that one family had that another family -- who apparently lived on the same property -- were letting their dog, alegedly a 'pit bull', run free on the property and it was harrassing their livestock on the property. A 16 year old boy ended up shooting the dog owner and killing him.  While the story is tragic in its own right, it was amazing to me the number of headlines that included the words "pit bull" in them -- as if the pit bull had caused the man's death.

Animal Shelters

The largest no kill shelter in the Kansas City Metro, Animal Haven, is at capacity and had a large adopt-a-thon this weekend to try to get more animals adopted.

Manatee, FL animal shelters are killing just more than 50% of the animals that that enter the shelter. Seems a shelter that is ripe for no-kill programs.

Miscellanious

Residents in Memphis are upset after multiple dogs have been shot in the area in recent weeks.

Pit Bulls' unfair reputation thwarts adoptions.

A great video story about one of Mike Vick's former dogs who is thriving in its new home in the San Francisco area.

A great photo of a friend of mine's dog during a dog show in Springfield, MO. Mandy is a beautiful Am. Staff that is actually banned in Springfield (where this shwo took place) in spite of having multiple training titles.

The owner, not the dog, is the issue.

A sad story about a 'pit bull' that saved its owner from being attacked by a cobra...but ended up paying the ultimate price for saving his owner.

Prairie Village, KS is cracking down on barking dogs.

Weekly Roundup - Week ending 10/18/09

  I have a lot of topics that I'm going to cover off individually this week - I'm behind on a few major events, including a few court cases -- that I will get to this week. So the following is a list of the top stories from the week that won't get their own headlines.

Cities and Laws

Mashapee, MA appears to be deciding against breed specific regulations.

Fremont, OH heard from concerned residents and their chief of police regarding their city potentially enacting breed restrictions.

The Dandridge, TN City Council has decided against breed specific legislation after listening to expert testimonyon the subject. 

Park Ridge, IL has new laws pertaining to "dangerous dogs" -- that are based on behavior, not breed.

Lincoln, NE is looking to "beef up" their dangerous dog ordinance after another dog bite in the community. Lincoln has been seeing a pretty dramatic decrease in bites in recent years, and have consitently decided against breed restrictions when they've been brought up -- but if you are in the area, you should pay attention and call your city council members to find out what is up.

Senath, MO has decided against passing an ordinance restricting specific breeds of dogs and instead to try to curb their dog bite problem by more strictly enforcing the current dangerous dog ordinance.  Most cities now, when pushed about breed specific policies, continue to make the wise decisions and focus on effective, breed neutral ordinances instead of ineffective breed specific ones.

Dog Bites and Attacks

A Billings, MT woman is suing her neigbhor after being attacked by the neighbor's three Boxers.

This one probably deserves its own header, but aLaguna Hills, CA woman is suing the Orange County Animal Care Center for their role in her being attacked by three Bull Mastiffs. For the life of me I don't understand why more cities don't put the emphasis on responsible ownership vs it being the city's role to protect citizens which I think opens them up to suits like this. However, very often, it is animal control that is aware of dangerous dogs and do nothing that do end up leading to major attacks.

An Ehrhardt, SC boy had his ear ripped off by a mixed breed dog that was roaming at large. The bite has caused the city to look at a city-wide leash law.

A UK man was attacked and hospitalized after being attacked by a black Alsatian. The UK ban on four breeds of dogs continues to not provide safety for the citizens because it still has not addressed the issue of responsible dog ownership.

A four year old Cape Coral, FL boy was attacked by the family's "pit bull mix". The boy was apparently trying to ride the dog "she wouldn't give me a piggy back ride". I think most people would understand that having a four year old boy, who would be fairly heavy, on top of a 50 lbs dog would actually hurt the dog and likely what spurred the attack. It's a shame the media didn't focus more on that element of the story.

A "family dog" was apparently killed in its back yard by 2 'pit bulls' in Milwaukie, OR. The "family dog" was apparently kept out on a large chain in the back yard and looked like it was mostly ignored back there.  One of the many problems with chaining a dog as a primary form of containment is that it leaves the dog open to potential predators.

A Marco Island, FL boy was bitten by what appeared to be a large German Shepherd.

An 11 year old Grove, OK boy needed surgery and more than 100 stitches after being attacked by a Great Dane.  The attacked actually occurred at a "strut your mutt" dog walk.

An Indianapolis man was hospitalized after he had a heart attack while breaking up a fight between two dogs. No one was bitten in the dog fight.

A five year old girl in Barcelona, Spain needed 208 stitches after being attacked by a dog. It is interesting to note that the dog was "not considered to be a dangerous breed".  Until we end the practice of thinking about dogs as "dangerous breeds" vs dangerous individual animals, we will never solve the problem of dog bites.

A Japanese boy was killed by two dogs, a Rottweiler and an Akita. Dogs that cause problems in different areas of the world merely reflect their popularity in different parts of the world.

Mediots

This one amazingly made dozens of media outlets, including boston.com, but a 12 year old girl was reportedly "attacked" by a 'pit bull".  The dog apparently bit the girl's shoe and the girl was "uninjured" in the "attack".  Does anyone else think a similar incident, involving non-injury and another breed of dog would have made the paper?

Abuse Cases

A Schaumburg, IL woman was charged with animal cruelty after her "pit bull' was found with a chain so tightly held around its neck that it caused gaping wounds.

Miscellanious

Winograd has an article on HSUS and their partnership with Michael Vick.

With the Philadelphia Eagles playing their football game today in Oakland, this means that Mike Vick is headed to Oakland for the game. So the folks over at BAD RAP invited Vick to come by their facility to meet some of his dogs that were confiscated from his dog fighting operation 2 years ago. Vick declined. Donna at Bad Rap has a nice post on the topic.

Six of the 407 dogs seized from a series of dog fighting raids across Missouri and Illionis were released to rescue groups this week for adoption. Many of the remaining dogs are still awaiting their owners' trials so theycan be released to the Missouri Humane Society.

Floyd and Guy Boudreaux are now suing the Louisiana SPCA for killing their dogs. The men, well-known pit bull breeders, were charged with breeding dogs for fighting and all 57 of their dogs were confiscated. The dogs were all killed while the men awaited trial. The men were eventually found not guilty, but the dogs were already dead. So they are suing for damages. I don't know the Boudreauxs, and they may have been pretty bad people -- but I think this case highlights the importance of letting the legal system take its course before the dogs end up dead.

And I'm going to end on this bizarre, almost unbelievable story. The story is about a contest that is held in Canada to name the country's "naughtiest" dog. This year's "winner" is an American Eskimo dog that has bitten numerous people, ripped off half of his owner's thumb nail and caused a major scar on a woman's leg. The unbelievable part may come from the tone of the article - in that the behavior is seen as "funny". It also is more appalling because this dog is from Ontario, where they are killing hundreds, if not thousands, of "pit bulls" because of how they look because they are perceived dangerous -- even if their actual behavior is not - and yet this dog is allowed to live there with no problems. Oh, the double-standards we have for dogs on this continent.

Weekly Roundup - Week Ending 10/11/09

  A lot of news stories this week -- plus I owe a few from last week -- so I'm going to try to go through them fairly quickly. I also have a few that I'm going to hold because I want to spend a lot more time with them in the coming weeks.  The "Science of Fear" series will resume tomorrow -- I hope everyone is enjoying them. 

Cities and Laws

The community of Neguac, CA passed a very controversial ban on 'pit bulls'. Interestingly, the reason they passed the law was after a bite by a "pit bull mix" that they pictured in the article that barely resembles any of the 'pit bull' breeds at all...

Elkhart, IN continues to have a citizen's committee that is studying the dangerous dog issue to create a proposal for the council on what changes may be in order for their dangerous dog law.

Independence, KY passed an updated vicious dog ordinance this week.  They had originally discussed breed specific laws, but like most cities, decided that breed specific laws were not effective and focused on an ordinance that would target dogs based on their behavior, not looks.

Ceredo, WV is considering repealing its ban on 'pit bulls'.

Bothell, WA is considering restrictions on owners of "pit bull' type dogs -- even thought they admit that enforcing a BSL will be extremely difficult. If you are in or near this community, please make your voice heard and stear them toward a more enforceable, and better, breed neutral law.

In Ft. Dodge, IA, it appears that there is no support of a 'pit bull' ban among any of the candidates for the mayor or city council.  Some do appear to have more informed knowledge than others.

South Charleston, WV passed a new law on dangerous dogs. While the law is not breed-specific, it appears to contain a clause that singles out "fighting dogs" and does not allow for them to be rehabilitated.

Elk River, MN is discussing dangerous dog laws -- officials say that there are no common breeds in their bites.

Fremont, OH has called a meeting for October 15 to discuss the possibility of restricting or regulating 'pit bulls'.

East Pointe, IL has updated their dangerous dog law -- but it will not be breed-specific.

Southgate, MI is moving toward regulations that would be directed toward owners of 'pit bulls' and "presa canarios".  I do think it is interesting to see presa canarios added to so many lists of late.  This was a breed that was seldom heard of 10 years ago, but now has become fairly popular. This is one reason why choosing breeds is never the best option - -because there will always be another breed that people who have bad intentions will gravitate toward. The best solution is to get rid of dog ownership for the people who have bad intentions - not target breeds of dogs.

Oak Harbor, WA is considering repealing their law that automatically designates 'pit bulls' as potentially dangerous.

Royal Oak, MI candidates all oppose breed specific legislation.

Dog Bites

A five year old Plymouth Township, PA girl was seriously bitten this week in the neck by a German Shepherd.  The bite occurred after the little girl tried to hug the dog (a behavior that is usually not well received in the dog world). The biting dog had a history of aggression -- having bitten two other people and another dog over the past 9 years.  Major bites tend to not be the first sign of aggression shown by a dog...it is usually their last.

A five year old Australia boy was severely attacked in his back yard by his family's Rottweiler. The boy was out with the dog while the boy's father was mowing the lawn.

This was an odd, very popular story, from out of Adams County, CO.  In the incident, a 70 year old woman was attacked by 2 dogs -- and suffered a heart attack while she was being attacked. The dogs were called a variety of different breeds.  What seems to be the most common is the mother dog being called a "Boxer Mix" and the son dog being called a 'Mastiff-pit bull mix' (which defies what is written in most genetics books).  The NCRC had a good article this week on all the different breeds that were claimed to be involved in the attack -- calling into serious question all breed identification that is quoted in the media. For the Pit Bulls had a nice post on this as well.

An 8 year old Moses Lake, WA girl was hospitalized after being bitten by a Doberman Pinscher.  The girl bent down to the dog and blew in the dog's face.  The owner of the dog, sensing the dog didn't like it, told the girl not to blow in the dog's face but the girl continued to do it and that's when she was bitten.  Until we really, honestly, begin talking about what causes dog bites instead of blaming breeds of dogs, we will continue to have incidents like this.

A 3 year old Florida boy was attacked by a chained dog.  The boy wandered into the back yard unattended out back of the family's mobile home and went up to the chained dog -- that was described as "at least part pit bull". Children should be monitored around dogs because they do things that are uncomfortable for dogs -- and often end up bitten because of it. Dogs shouldn't be left chained in yards as their primary form of containment.

An eight year old boy nearly lost an ear after being bitten by a Black Mouth Cur.

A Coeur D'Alene, ID girl was bitten by a neighbor's Belgian Malinois.

A S. African man died after being attacked by four Boxers.

Four Boxers in Whales Township, MI were put down after being involved in an attack on a 5 year old boy. The story of course wasn't front page news, but a small mention in the "In Brief" section of the newspaper.

The media

A National City, CA woman was "attacked" by three 'pit bulls'.  However, it sounds as if the ill-behaved dogs merely jumped up on the woman -- there is no indication the woman was actually bitten.  It does appear as if the woman may have knocked her head pretty hard when she fell -- but this wasn't an "attack", it was unruly dogs jumping up on a woman.

Abuse Cases

Four 'pit bulls' were found dead in a dumpster in Crawford, NY -- police are looking for what circumstances led the dogs to be dumped there.

Two 17 year olds in Baltimore were arrested after they fatally set a pit bull puppy on fire. The boys may have had a "gang affiliation".

More than 1,000 animals from rescued from a home near Houston that were not well-kept and living among piles of trash. The animals include a pony, puppies, chickens, parakeets, ducks, gerbils and snakes.

Miscellanious

An over-anxious La Marque, TX police officer saw a woman out playing in her yard with a dog. However, the officer was alerted by the woman yelling, and jumped out of his car and tried to shoot the dog -- but a bullet fragment ricocheted off the street and hit the woman in the chest. The hysteria that we've created about 'pit bulls' --that leads to police to jump out of cars and shoot at dogs -- injuring people -- is really creating a danger for society -- much more so than the dogs.

A good video report on 'pit bulls' from out of Buffalo.

A 'pit bull' that was paralized after being brutally beaten by two men who broke into his owner's home and robbed the home, is getting around nicely after a local rescue group got a cart for Red that he can now use to get around.

A great article about Charlottesville, VA's shelter that has been no kill for nearly 4 years now.

A good article from Friends of Animals on Nathan Winograd and the No Kill Equation.

More press for the Knock Out Dog Fighting in Alabama.

Weekly Roundup - Week ending 9/27/09

It was a more active media week this week.  Because I have quite  afew other things gong on I'm going to cruise through the headlines pretty quickly today.  I have one post in the hopper for tomorrow about a fairly controversial subject, and then, I think (please don't hold me to this), on Tuesday or Wednesday I'm going to begin a pretty signifcant series of posts that I'm really looking forward to.  I hope the series will create some good dialogue on some pretty important topics.  For now, let's look at the week's top stories:

Cities and Laws

A woman in Horn Lake, MS is seeking a ban on all 'pit bulls' because she is having some problems with here neighbor's dogs. From what I hear, it doesn't sound like the city has a lot of interest in pursuing this, but if you are in the area of Horn Lake, it might be good to keep your ears open.  I could go on a huge rant about the ridiculousness of the situation.  If the neighbor's dogs are truly a problem, then it seems ridiculous that animal control cannot take care of the situation. However, casting a wide net across an entire breed of dogs because of one house is an equally ridiculous solution.

The residents of Jacksonville, TX are continuing to circulate petitions to try to overturn the state law  that forbids breed specific laws following a fatal attack that struck the community earlier this year.

The community of Senath, MO met to discuss the possibility of a ban on pit bulls in their community. The city says they want to do something about aggressive dogs in their town -- and would be well advised to look at some type of breed neutral ordinance that would target aggressive dogs based on behavior -- not breed.

A ban on multiple breeds of dogs in NY City Housing has been leading to the mass killing of these dogs as owners have nowhere else to go with the dogs. So far, 113 pets have been turned into officials and 49 have been killed because of the law.

Royal Oak, MI is looking at revising their dangerous dog laws. While some talks have been had about making it breed-specific, the city attorney is working on a report that he thinks will show that the city would be better served if it focused on all vicious animals rather than applying it solely to specific breeds.

Three dogs in Sarnia, ON were set free this week. The dogs were confiscated because officials thought they looked like 'pit bulls' but their "experts" disagreed.  The amount of time, effort and energy dedicated to enforcing breed bans on dogs that are not aggressive (and not even 'pit bulls') is astounding -- and yet another reason why residents are safer WITHOUT breed specific laws so these energies can be focused on dogs that pose an actual threat to communities.

Elgin, IL is going to renew conversations about a potential breed ban in the community.

Ft. Dodge, IA is reviewing their dangerous dog ordinance -- at least one city councilmember says he is opposed to banning specific breeds from the city and wants the ordinance to focus on owners - not breeds.

Dog Bites

An 8 year old Bluetick Coonhound has been banned from Nantucket after it was found to be responsible for biting four different people.

A 3 year old boy in Worcester, MA needed 100 stitches after being 'attacked' by a "Pit bull" that was less than a year old. There is no word on whether the child was actually bitten -- it sounds like, and appears from the would like, the dog may have just been an overly excited puppy that jumped up on the boy and scratched him with its toenails. 

A six year old boy in lle A La Crosse Saskatchewan was attacked by a free roaming pack of dogs.In response, the community has hired a part time dog catcher to round up the stray dogs in the community.

A Yuma, AZ woman was attacked by two dogs that were roaming at-large.  The dogs are being described as either mastiffs or Rottweilers.

An 8 year old Willowick, OH girl was bitten by a neighbor's 'pit bull'. The girl apparently jumped the fence to get into the neighbor's yard to play with the dog.

An Omaha woman was seriously bitten by a 'pit bull' in Omaha last weekend. The dog was apparently chasing a little boy, and the woman went out to intervene.  Last year, Omaha passed major restrictions on owners of 'pit bulls' and several other 'bully' type breeds -- which created a lot of loop holes for responsible owners to jump through but never dealt with the reality that it is a small number of irresponsible owners that are causing the problems who weren't going to abide by the law anyway. Omaha's law focused on entirely the wrong things and the city is worse off because of it.  Incidentally, there was a separate incident in Omaha this week as well.

Afive year old Mount Airy (NC) boy was attacked this week by up to five Rottweilers at a relatives house. Apparently, animal control officials have been to the home before where there were "in excess" of 20 dogs at the home -- many of which were kept chained in the back yard.  Authorities don't suspect it was a breeding operation, or that illegal activity was going on.

Miscellanious

A Mississippi man says he owes his life to his loyal 'pit bull' who saved his life by snagging a copperhead that was about to bite the man.

A newspaper editorial talks about how meeting a 'pit bull' and bringing it into her home changed her entire opinion about pit bulls. 

Best buylaws target owners, not breeds.

Have a great week everyone.

Weekly Roundup -- Week ending 9/20/09

Is it really late September?  Man, the late Labor Day this year has really screwed up my internal clock. It was a pretty slow news week this week, so fewer links and comments than normal. This is a good thing of course....fewer cities considering BSL, and fewer reported dog bites and abuse cases are good things.  Hopefully this trend continues.

Cities and Laws

South Charleston, WV has removed all references to specific breeds in their new dangerous dog ordinance and instead will focus on the behaviors of the individual dogs.

Senath, MO is now considering making it illegal to own or harbor 'pit bulls' in the community. There is no mention of why the discussion is even taking place.

Independence, KY is looking at strengthening their dangerous dog ordinance because of resident concerns over dogs that are running loose in their neighborhoods. No comment on whether or not the ordinance will be focused on particular breeds, although mention of specific breeds is brought up in the article.  It sounds like they need to be enforcing the city's leash law as much as anything. There is more on this here.

Dandridge, TN is looking at breed-specific restrictions in their community following two bites that have occurred over the past year.

Elkhart, IL is holding a series of public meeting about whether or not they should consider banning 'pit bulls' from the community.  Public comments will not be accepted.

Well, it's official, Whitehall, OH city councilwoman Jackie Thompson will have an election to be recalled in November.  Thompson has made quite a spectacle of herself in two different attempts to try to ban 'pit bulls' in the city and the citizens are tired of it...after two short years.  This is how you affect city action against negligent politicians.

Dog Attacks

 A 39 year old St. Petersburg, FL area woman was injured when she was attacked by one of three dogs that was living in her backyard. The dog is described as a "100 lbs pit bull" -- which is either a major exaggeration on the size or the dog is not really a 'pit bull".  No reason is give for why the woman was attacked...she lived in the same home with the dogs.

A six year old boy in Decatur, IL was the neighbor's "German Shepherd mix" that jumped the fence and attacked the young boy. This apparently isn't the first time the dog has bitten the boy.

A 12 year old Winnepeg boy was attacked in the face by an American Bulldog which belongs to his neighbor. Winnepeg banned 'pit bulls' from the community several years ago...but irresponsible owners have simply turned to other breeds of dogs to own because they never focused on irresponsible owners, only dogs.

Apparently there were no consequences for a dog owner in Kansas City who's dog broke free from it's leash and attacked a woman who was walking home from church.

Abuse Cases

An Independence, MO woman was arrested and charged with 17 counts of animal abuse after authorities found a house full of cats and dogs that were dead, starving, and covered with flea bites.

An Eldon, MO man has plead guilty on federal charges for his role in a dog-fighting conspiracy and for selling dogs for fighting purposes. Jack Ruppel now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

Four eastern MO men have pled guilty to charges in large dog fighting ring sting.

Miscellanious

Much pit-bull rhetoric is not based in experience.

From America's Hero to America's least wanted -- a little history in the evolution of how people perceive 'pit bulls' in the US.

 The Humane Society of Southwest, Missouri is getting a new facility this week that will greatly improve the conditions of the animals that end up there.

Muncie and Deleware Counties (IN) are getting blasted by animal welfare experts in their community and the media for their complete failure in coming up with a viable solution to animal control problems in their community.

An interesting look at inner-city dog-fighting in Chicago -- and a program that is run by Tio Hardiman up there that encourages the city's youth to come up with constructive ways to train their dogs and take pride in them.

An article about inner-city dog-fighting in Philadelphia and attempts to clean that up there as well.

A good Q&A by someone who went to the shelter to adopt a dog, fell in love with a 'pit bull', but was hesitant to adopt it for fears about it growing up into some kind of monster based on media reports. The answer person does a great job of fielding the question -- but this really points out the problems that lie in adopting out 'pit bulls' from shelters because many people, even when they meet great dogs, have an underlying fear that has been created by all of the media drama over the past couple of decades.

Cesar Millan is launching a new bi-monthly magazine for dog owners entitled "Cesar's Way'.  The first issue came out on September 15th.

A great listing of Kansas City Metro-area dog events.

Welcome to the community --No Kill Baton Rouge.