REALLY busy week this week....a lot of news. A lot of craziness. We'll get to some of the top stories.
Good editorial following fatality in Minneapolis
"What happened is extremely tragic and frustrating,'' Haggerty said. "But you tie up a dog, even Fluffy for that matter, in a basement, tied to a chain and kept away from humans, and you will have a dangerous, aggressive dog on your hands.''
"If you bring anything into the home, a swimming pool for that matter, you have the responsibility as a parent to take extra precautions, especially with children around,'' Delise said. "If you did not take the time to train a dog you brought into your family to be social, you already failed the dog, as well as your child.''
It's amazing the good results when experts are talked to....
Then on the flip side, there's this "well-meaning" article from LA
This editorial is from someone who has clearly listened to more people tell her "facts" than actually worked with dogs or experts. From the quoting of Merrit Cliffton's horribly flawed statistics, to thinking that Pointers point, and pit bulls fight due to genetics and not training (if you believe that these traits are just natural, take a Labrador Retriever that has been a family pet for about 6 years out on a bird hunt and see how "natural" its hunting behavior is).
This author pretty much pulled out every myth and stereotype in the animal world and wrapped it up in a little editorial full of mis-information that people will believe to be true.
Bluefield, WV about BSL
The Bluefield city council decided that the trick to making the city safer was to update and ENFORCE their current laws vs trying to make new ones. Enforcement of current laws is amazingly effective compared to making new ones that can't be enforced. The last paragraph is the best:
"Dog ownership is a huge commitment, and those who are not responsible pet owners should be held accountable. However, dependable owners who do abide by the current ordinances and practice safety measures should not be punished with an overly-strict ordinance due to the irresponsible actions of a few."
Kid attacked by "dog" and has ear ripped off in Des Moines
Of course this is a "dog", not a breed of dog. The kid was attacked just after feeding the dog treats...again, the notion that kids left unattended feeding dogs isn't usually the best scenerio. The story of course focuses on the real issue because it wasn't a pit bull involved. You'll have to watch the video to see the dog to get any indication of the breed. I'll also note that this attack was only covered by one TV news station in the country...
If you want a lot of coverage, get a pit bull attack
This story ran in over 200 news sources across the country. A woman was attacked inside her home by two pit bulls.
Apparently the dogs had "caused problems before" -- and one was chained up in the back yard before the attack.
"They don't come out of the chute ready to bite"
One of the best quotes of the week from the director of Seattle's Animal Shelter Dan Jordan...basically denouncing all of the people who think that pit bulls biting is more nature than nurture.
Man not charged for slitting pit bull's throat in Bloomfield, CO
Apparently there is insufficient evidence to prove that the slitting of the dog's throat was "needless". One wonders if there would have been enough evidence had it been any other breed of dog that was killed.
New book tries to improve reputation of the "Pit bull"
The book is a kid's book entitled Demo: the Story of a Junkyard dog...and it is written as a fun story for kids, but also debunks a lot of the stereotypes believed by city council types. I'm looking forward to buying a copy...
Youngstown, OH to look at banning "pit bulls"
City Councilman Mark Memmer is sponsoring bill because of the high-stakes dog fighting in the city, and the number of drug dealers that own the dogs to protect their stuff. "Drastic situations call for drastic measures and drastic reactions". Because if they're disobeying the felony dog fighting law and drug dealing laws, I'm certain that the "pit bull ban" will stop them...
Atchison KS Couple Busted for suspected dog fighting
It's funny when people say that pit bull fighting is "underground". It's done that way because it's illegal. FWIW, drug dealing and kiddie porn are done "underground" too.
15 month old kid killed by Chow mix
Elijah Rackley died when a Chow mix attacked him. He apparently tried to play with one of the dog's puppies. The dog, of course, was also chained.
I'll also note that this story ran in ONE media outlet (as best I could find - -and I wouldn't have found this one at all had mothers against dog chaining hadn't caught it).
That's two fatalities this week...guess what two things they had in common? Unsupervised kids, and chained dogs.
Pit bull attacks four year old boy in Columbia Heights, MN
This is what then happens when the media reports "pit bull", "pit bull" "pit bull" instead of focusing on the actual causes of attacks. This boy saw the dog, an "85 lb pit bull mix" and "ran in circles screaming until the dog knocked him to the ground, biting and holding on, thrashing."
That's NOT the way to react around a dog...but let's not focus on that. Let's focus on the "viciousness " of the attack.
"It was just trying to grab me ... trying to kill me."
Dog kept biting boy's leg
Roddy confirmed the account given by the mother and son: The dog bit the boy in the left leg, pulling him to the ground, then kept biting him in the right lower leg.
Bucky said he tried to hide from the dog, but he kept chasing the boy.
"He just ran out and bit my leg," the boy said. "He wouldn't let go."
Look at the picture. Looks like a run of the mill dog bite to me...
Paul Tellings files appeal in Ohio Supreme Court Decision
Thanks to Caveat for posting the article. The appeal is WELL worth the read. It states that an exhibit was removed by the prosecuting attorney and never returned. Just so happens that the book refuted one of the four primary reasons why Tom Skeldon said BSL was consitutional and justified. Also turns out, that the Skeldon provided no support for his other 3 reasons why he thought the law was justified.
It's also interesting that Justice O'Connor, who disagreed with the ruling, was the judge that served on Ohio's Dog Fighting Task force and had the most knowledge on the subject.
Reading the report, it does make one ask the question, what in the world was going on in that Supreme Court Decision?
A Dozen pit bulls removed from DMX's Home
I'm sure we'll hear a LOT more about this story...but it looks like DMX is in a dog fight with local authorities about his dogs....again.
Have a good start to the week...
Great blog. I really liked it. I have also created a lens in same niche. This is my first time, hope u guys like it. Here’s a brief intro: Most Dog owners are conscious of feeding their Dog healthy pet foods. However when it comes to treats, sometimes they forget about the healthy aspects. Treat your Dog with Healthy Dog Treats as well. Most Dog Treat don't have all natural ingredients and are not 100% healthy for your pets. There are some dog treats such as Bully Sticks that are 100% all natural. And since they contain no chemicals or preservatives, your dog is assured of receiving a "clean" and healthy pet treat. Besides being totally safe for your dog, they are also fully digestible and a great source of protein. http://www.squidoo.com/dog-treats/
Posted by: eric | September 20, 2007 at 05:26 AM