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We're looking for a forever home or a foster for a wonderful pup Sadie. She's a boxer mix and as sweet as can be. Sadie has had a rough life, she was found outside in the pouring rain with no food or shelter, just hanging out in the mud. In spite of being taken away from her owners twice by Animal Control for neglect, she got returned to have to be confiscated for the 3rd time.
If you know of a good long term or short term home for her, please email me.
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There's a horrible story out of Deltona Florida, a Texas woman Mary Bernal who was in town visiting her sister was fatally attacked by her sister's pit bull.
Not a lot of information is available right now on the attack, I'm sure we'll hear more in the coming days. The dog may have been ill as it started having siezures (and possibly a heart attack) later in the day and was put down.
What I don't understand is that one of the dog's owners, the husband, called 911 while the attack was occurring and that the dog was still attacking when police arrived. I don't get why he wasn't out there getting the dog off his sister-in-law first instead of calling 911...
TV coverage here.
Newspaper story here.
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I got a random email today from people who pointed me to this article and this poll. The email came from a rescue group encouraging me to vote yes in the poll. This is a case where the rescue people are poorly mistaken.
A little pimer for those of you not familiar. AB 1634 is a bill that just passed the California House and is now moving forward in the Senate. AB 1634 is a bill that would require spaying and neutering of all dogs (with the exception of registered breeders).
At first glance, this bill makes complete sense. Proponents (as well as the rescue that sent this to me) talk about all the unwanted pets that painfully put to sleep each year in our shelters. However, further thought points me in another direction.
First off, let me say, that I work in rescue. I see the hundreds of dogs in KC that we can't find homes for. There are a lot of causes to the number of unwanted animals: Overbreeding, people who return pets to the shelter because it's "more convenient" than whatever problem they need to work through, people who buy puppies instead of adopt, and rescues (yes rescues) that turn down "less than ideal" homes in hopes of finding perfect homes -- and instead of placing a dog in a "less than perfect home" they end up putting other dogs to sleep. To name a few.
The solution to the number of dogs being euthenized is that of education. We need to educate our way out of this problem. We must teach people what it means to buy a dog. We much encourage adoptions. We must teach what it means to be a good dog owner (hint, it doesn't involve returning your dog to the shelter).
Legislation is not the answer.
First off, the people who are overbreeding dogs, will most likely ignore the law. This has led to problems as bad as rabies outbreaks in Ft. Worth, TX (as people have hidden their unneutered dogs and not gotten them their necessary shots). It will then be these illegal breeders, who will be mostly responsible for the look, temperament and balance of future generations of dogs.
An even bigger issue is that this becomes another property rights issue of the government has dictated upon pets that we own. Mandatory spay/neuter, overly-restrictive pet limit laws, and breed restrictions and bans are just other laws that then spin out of this type of thinking.
Spay and neuter is a fabulous concept, but it's a lousy policy.
There is a TON of information out there on this topic -- and I strongly encourage people to do a little reading before supporting Mandatory Spay/Neuter Legislation. I used to favor this type of legislation, but have done enough reading to know that it is ineffective legislation that we should not be encouraging.
Here are some numbers from Santa Cruz County, which is the "model" for MSN legislation. Their declines in euthenasia are following the same trend line that all of their surrounding counties are having.
Also, reports have shown that Santa Cruz County has seen an increase in Animal Control costs of 93% since 1995 when they instituted their mandatory spay/neuter policy. The policy has proven to be very diffucult and expensive for them to enforce.
Here is a story from Best Friends that actually started to change my mind about MSN.
Also of note, Maddie's Fund, which has given nearly $8 million to California Feral Cat Altering Programs since 2001 has said that it will pull its generous funding for spay/neuter programs if they are made mandatory vs voluntary programs. This will cost California rescue groups millions if they are no longer eligible for this funding.
This is a difficult solution looking for an easy answer...MSN is not that answer.
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This is a truly awful story from out of Indianpolis, but can someone tell me why the words "pit bull" are in the headline and the image on the video is of a snarling pit bull?
The man, Michael Haynes, Jr was shot three times over the weekend. Haynes' dog got loose, and ended up getting attacked by a pit bull that was being held on lead by his owner. The pit bull's owner reportedly was smiling and laughing about the attack, and when Haynes showed up to rescue his dog, he was shot 3 times by the dog's owner. All the while, Haynes' wife and 5 kids got to watch the entire scene from their front porch.
As far as the media report, what does the pit bull have to do with anything? I feel pretty comfortable in saying that the pit bull's owner wasn't the most responsible of owners (I deduce this from him actually shooting a man 3x, nearly fataly). The dog didn't inflict any damage on Mr. Haynes (unless it somehow got disposable opposable thumbs and could pull the trigger on the man).
This story is about a man shooting another man in front of his family. This is not a story about a pit bull (sure mention it in the story if you want, but not in the main headline or as the lead graphic for the story).
I hope this man has a complete recovery and that the man who pulled the trigger gets his time sleeping on his back in the local slammer...and I hope the media remembers at some point that dogs can't pull triggers (although THAT would be news).
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There is an interesting editorial from the Thousand Oaks Acorn today. This small weekly newspaper out in California. The editor comments about another story of a dog attack that ran in their newspaper -- about a dog that attacked another dog.
What's interesting is that the editor then admits that they are considering not covering these stories any more "There seem to be more dog attacks than we thought. And frankly, if they continue, we may have to pull the plug on covering them on grounds that they happen too often to be "news".
I thought this was really interesting, because dog bites are very common -- especially if you consider dog on dog attacks. When a small newspaper covering a couple of small communities comments about how many they have, you know it's common. Last year, in Kansas City, MO animal control responded to 347 dog 'bite" incidences (which make up roughly 2% of all animal control calls). So basically one bite a day. This just in KCMO proper...not the entire metropolitan area.
Of course there were only a handful of these that got covered by the media. With only one exception, every one that was covered by the media involved a pit bull. Only 3 of the bites that were covered were what I'd consider major.
It's just interesting that this small newspaper in California is making an attempt to cover all of the dog attacks in their communities....and can't keep up. So it's pretty obvious that the news in other places has to be selective in what bites they cover. So if they're selectively covering dog attacks/bites, how are they making those decisions? Based on severity of the injury? Sometimes yes (which they should), but they also seem to cover a lot of bites that involve dog on dog bites, or even some instances that involve small nips. Why do some of these bites make the news, and others don't?
Pit bull stories sell newspapers. This is why "pit bull attacks bites" make the newspaper while those of other breeds seem to be the ones that are selectively left out (remember, we can't possibly be coving all of them). Then, people claim we need to ban pit bulls because they're the only ones you ever read about attacking...which leads to more stories. It's a vicious cycle.
So when you read about a dog bit in the newspaper, remember that it was specifically chose for a reason...that seldom has anything to do with whether the attack was especially vicious or not. Which leads to long diatribes like this one, where someone who once lived next to an aggressive (perpetually off-leash) pit bull (that didn't bite) thinks that banning the "breed" may be a viable option.
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Another news story today about a major dog attack on Baltimore's East side. Ruby Pully was attacked by two pit bulls -- reports say that bites and scratches covered 90% of her body.
The news is of course focusing on the pit bulls that attacked. One news source even referred to pit bulls as a "controversial breed". But sometimes the question needs to be asked, is it a "pit bull problem" or a "pit bull symptom".
A little further looking at the area where the attack happened shows that this appears to be a symptom of a much larger social problem. The attacked occurred in zip code 21205. If you look at the demographic/economic data for that area, you uncover a few problems.
In looking over the data, you'll find that less than 50% of the 18+ population has graduated from High School. Only 36% of the 16+ population is actually in the labor force, 35% of the population in this zip code lives below the poverty level. Ouch.
I'll also note that Baltimore, as a whole, has had a very difficult time keeping up with their crime problems. In 2004 (the most recent data I can find), Baltimore had greater than 3x the number of violent crimes per 1000 people than the national average. This is a bad neighborhood, in a city that has its share of problems.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, the neighbors had called on these dogs on many occassions only to have no one from the city follow up on them. After the attack, police confiscated the four adult dogs that lived in the household, but apparently left the puppies behind. Sigh.
None of this makes things better for Ruby Pully. Media reports continue to come out talking about the potential "pit bul problem" in Baltimore...but it appears as if this is a "pit bull symptom" of a much bigger problem with this neighborhood being in complete neglect by the city and the social structure. So if you were going to solve the "problem", would you choose to enact a dog ordinance (which I'm sure will be discussed), or would you work on improving overall education and crime prevention?
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Come join us Thursday for our 3rd monthly Draws For Paws event. Proceeds help us fight for responsible legislation throughout the metro and bring in great events like the Canine Legislation Conference (which just gets better with each passing day). See you on Thursday.
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Let's get to it:
Phillipsburg, PA Looks Into possible pit bull restrictions
They've had no bites by pit bulls in this city but yet are looking toward restrictions. How do you measure the success of a law that "solves" a problem you don't even have? Then this article about the story talks about a "110 lb pit bull" (which HAS to be a mix of some type, if it's a pit bull at all) that attacked a Beagle and another resident that has complained to a neighborhood pit bull owner about his dog and found him to be "unresponsive and unsypathetic"....I guess I don't think this type of owner is likely to comply with the muzzling and insurance requirements they're proposing.
Here's a well-grounded editorial from the Orange County Register questioning why any one would want to keep a vicious dog...and by vicious, he means one that is actually mean, not one with a square head.
Dog Fighting Dogs Found in Belfast, UK
And somehow they thought the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 would solve this problem...when it reality, the only people who are affected by laws are the people who choose to obey them.
Pit Bull Attacks Officer During Call
This headline gem is from the Arizona Republic -- if you actually read the story, it looks like the officer showed up at the scene, and was attacked by one of the residents who lived there. Only then, while on the ground fighting with the man, did the dog join its owner in the attack. It's pretty amazing that the officer was attacked by a human first, but the headline is about the dog. Meanwhile, the fight the officer was there to break up was about the woman using too much hot water...
Police officer in Bakersfield shoots chained up pit bull
Police officers everywhere really need training on how to deal with dogs. This officer shoots a chained dog (which he could easily have escaped from). Meanwhile, there were children in a waiding pool in the same back yard who not only got to watch the dog get shot, but were also in harm's way.
Siezed Dog Shows (one of the many) Flaws in Ontario BSL
There's a great quote by the owner on having his dogs siezed: "This way there is no trial, there's no hearing, there's no evidence. That's what's got me banging my head against the wall. A poorly bred lab can pass as a pit bull, the law is too vague."
I've never understood why everyone is innocent until proven guilty in everything except pit bull bans...in which case the burden of proof falls on the owner to prove their innocence...
Shelter dogs stolen, will likely be used in dog fighting
This really frustrating story comes from Hattiesburg, MS.
Dexter, MO is now looking at a pit bull ban
Apparently they met a good Rottweiler and Doberman so they're off the list, but still looking at banning pit bulls. According to the police chief, he wants to ban any dog that may have any amount of pit bull in it "Any mix thereof, as far as I'm concerned, is a danger to the children in this city," Haubold said. "There is no way to determine a percentage of Pit Bull." So if your dog could be confused as being 1/16th pit bull, you better look out....
Canine Legislation Conference Guest Andrew Yori Speaks Out
Andrew Yori (Roo) gets an interview with KTTC TV in Rochester speaking out about the proposed breed ban in Minnesota. Roo and his pit bull Wallace are grand champions in the national frisbee dog competition and they could be uprooted (it's hard to catch a frisbee with a muzzle on). Roo and Wallace will be part of the trick dog expo at the Canine Legislation Conference here in September.
Prehistoric Ice Age Wolves Resembled Savage Pit Bulls
Complete with Bone Crunching Jaws. Yeah, I wonder why people have a stereo type of pit bulls as savage killers...
Girl Attacked by two Boxer Mixes in South Bend, IN
Further showing why people need to be protected from dogs of all types, not just those of certain breeds...
Expert calls for mandatory microchipping after attack in UK
They're still trying to figure out their dog bite problem 16 years after the Dangerous Dogs Act was enacted. What's amazing about this one is he speaks out about microchipping after a two year old was attacked by the family Rottweiler/Alsatian mix. Microchipping is merely used to identify the owner of the dog....which was pretty well known in this case.
Woman recovering after dog attack
She is a rescue worker that was caring for a terminally ill American Bulldog. Rescue can be very scary at times as handlers encounter hundreds of dogs that they know nothing about their history. This is a case where not only did she not know the dog's history, but the dog was also very sick (which makes them extra volitile). I wish this woman a speedy recovery -- and rescue workers, be careful out there.
Tyler TX Girl Returns Home Following Dog Attack
This is typical attack. Two year old little girl. Chained up dog (Husky) in the backyard (in heat). Stray dogs come into the backyard attracted by the Husky in heat (including a pit bull mix and a wolf hybrid), child wanders to close to the dogs, and is attacked. They have no idea which dog bit the girl...and the reality is, it doesn't matter, because all of the warning signs were there regardless of what dogs showed up. If we as a society can focus on that vs the breeds of dogs involved, we'll be a much safer society.
Have a great week.
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This story is a fabulous example of what not to do when it comes to dogs. Of course, the story was written in terms of a pit bull attack, but there are many lessons that are PAINFULLY obvious to anyone in the animal community of what went wrong here. Here's the Story, from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, my "lessons" are in blue:
Pit bull mauls Roswell woman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/22/07
A Roswell woman on her daily walk Friday morning was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull, which tore into her face, head and arm, police said. (Emphasis mine -- this is a nice new hyperbole for newspapers to use for bites).
Lan Khanh Trinh, 69, was saved by neighbors who responded to her screams. She underwent surgery at North Fulton Regional Hospital for severe but non-life threatening injuries, said Roswell Police Lt. James McGee.
Twelve-year-old Payton Newell was walking the dog when Trinh came up and tried to pet it, Payton said (Lesson #1 -- ASK before walking up to someone's dog and petting it.)
"He started growling and I said, 'Don't pet him,' and she said something and she reached down to pet him," Payton said. "He backed away, then he muscled his way out of the collar and attacked her." (Lesson #2 - If you reach down to pet a dog, that you've not asked to pet, and the dog growls while the handler says "don't pet him" maybe you should back away).
Neighbor Robert Bailey, a 37-year-old computer technician, heard Trinh's screams outside his window at 7:45 a.m. and raced out of his house in boxer shorts and a robe
"He was attacking her face, biting and grabbing," Bailey said.
Bailey yanked the 60-pound male, named Achilles, off of Trinh, then positioned himself between the dog and the victim. Then he came to his senses.
"It was one of those instinctive kinds of things — you just rush in," Bailey said. "Then it's, OK, I've got the dog off of her — now what do I do?"
You hope for reinforcements, which is what he got.
Neighbors tried to stop the attack by beating the dog with sticks and shovels, but "they didn't faze him," said Charles Tedford, president of the homeowners association in the Lake Forest subdivision, where the attack occurred. (Lesson #3 - -if you have the dog somewhat subdued, don't go to beating it with sticks, shovels or anything else. This will only force the dog to have to defend itself from the now-attacking people, which will lead to more bites).
The dog also attacked Spencer Alexander, a neighbor who had been hitting the dog with a stick. Alexander was bitten in the left arm.
The dog then turned to attack neighbor Marc Del Santro, who was approaching with a .45-caliber pistol. Del Santro killed the dog with one shot to the head, McGee said.
Tedford said Trinh speaks almost no English, but says "good morning" with a smile to everyone she meets during her daily walks in the neighborhood off of Old Alabama Road.
"We know her as the little smiling lady," Tedford said. "She's everybody's friend."
The pit bull's owner, Glenda Newell, said her "heart goes out to this person — she's a very, very nice lady," but she should have backed off when Achilles started growling.
"My dog is very friendly, but he doesn't like to be touched by other people," Newell said. "He's not a monster. He was a very loving dog. Maybe she just scared him." (Lesson #4, if your dog doesn't like to be touched by people, it's not really friendly. This is a pretty clear case of fear aggression where the dog is scared of strangers and bit back at the woman because the dog was scared. If your dog has fear aggression issues, SOCIALIZE your dog...and Lesson #5, if your dog has aggression issues, don't let it out on a walk with your 12 year old.
Dog attack issues are NOT THAT HARD TO FIX. But as long as we as a society want to focus on the wrong things when it comes to dog attacks, vs focusing on the real causes, we will continue to make inneffective laws and fail to educate people on the actual causes of attacks.
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I stumbled across this article this morning and I thought it was quite interesting. It begins:
Laguna Negra, Brazil A heretofore unknown Brazilian dog trainer has created a new protection dog which is taking the dog world by storm according to reports in the Journal Of Canine Hermeneutics. The trainer, Peinhador Luzadon, is credited with reviving the sagging Brazilian guard dog market which is currently suffering because of the poor performance of the Fila Brasilieros and Argentine Dogos often used there. Additionally, the dogs, which only weigh about 25 pounds, have created an entirely new kind of protection dog technique: the Piranha Attack, in which a group of dogs is employed to savage an intruder from all directions with a total body mass greater than that of the larger, more traditional guard dogs.
Read the rest here.
The article is obviously a fake (the website "The Spoof.com" is a giveaway), but the article struck me as being funny in a sad way in that I actually believed for a second that the story could be legit -- if only because it reflects the same type of media sensationalism that has been used to describe pit bull attacks for decades now.
Sad when a spoof seems more true than real newspaper reports some days.
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