KC DOG BLOG

Great Program. Great Stories. Wrong Sponsor?

NBC Channel 5 in Chicagohas a great story on the work Tio Hardiman is doing in the inner city of Chicago. Several years ago, Tio was began going into Chicago's inner city and working with dog fighters, gang members, and others to change the way they perceive their dogs. Instead of being proud of their dog for being a good fighter, they are teaching the owners of these dogs to be proud of them because of how well they're trained.

Tio spoke at our Canine Legislation Conference last fall and shared many stories of his success. This video covers off on several other dogs that came out of fighting situations and are being rehabilitated for normal life. It's a great video (although warning, HSUS's dog fighting footage gets shown a couple of times and it's a bit more graphic than I feel is necessary for this feature). But if you can, you should watch the video.

Tio's program is an excellent one. Working not only on rehabiliting dogs, but on rehabilitating owners.  The biggest problem I have with this is the amount of attention HSUS is getting for this in the story -- and that Wayne Pacelle took credit for this in his blog today. 

Let's make no mistake on this. This is Tio Hardiman's program. Tio was doing this on his own because it was the right thing to do and because he has an amazing gift at reaching these people. HSUS saw what was going on, and decided to offer to help him. In many ways, this is great for Tio.  He is getting access to resources he never would have had without HSUS's help.  In other ways it is infuriating.  Infuriating because HSUS is now taking credit for the work Tio has been doing.  Infurating because even less than a year ago, HSUS recommended that all of Michael Vick's dogs be killed because they assumed they would be too dangerous to be rehabilitiated.  They weren't,*and the folks at Bad Rap, Best Friends, and the ASPCA (and other folks) are doing excellent work rehabilitating these dogs and finding them homes. 

* Be sure to watch the video behind that link --I actually somehow missed this one and it's really an awesome heartwarming video.

HSUS has not been a friend to fighting dogs over the years. Even the Vick dog in the NBC video above (that is currently a service dog bringing joy to cancer patients) was recommended to be killed by HSUS. Now they're taking credit for helping other fighting dogs.

So a huge tip of the hat to Tio Hardiman. Great program. Great work. You're awesome. And I hope you are able to continue your great work. And may your work do wonders in changing minds -- the minds of the public in how they view these dogs, in the minds of the men that your are helping educate on how to raise a dog, and the minds of the organization that is sponsoring you...

For more on Tio:

http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/canine_legislation_conference/

http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2007/08/clc-speaker-tio.html

KC Area Greyhound Track Set to Close

 A Kansas City Area Greyhound track, The Woodlands, will be closing at the end of August.  Declining attendence at the track has caused the track to be losing money for quite some time.  It was initially thought that the new Kansas law that allows Casino gambling would enable the track to stay open for a while, but high profit takes from the state and county made it obvious that the track was eventually going to close.

So August 23 will be the last day for the Woodlands.

Let me start off by saying that long term, this is good news. I have nothing wrong with the actual act of greyhound racing per-se.  However, the overbreeding and disposable nature of the business side of the sport really bugs me. Let's face it, Kansas City doesn't have three greyhound rescues for nothing.  And Kansas' state law that classifies greyhounds as livestock instead of pets so they aren't covered under basic cruelty laws is also troublesome.

However, in the short term, there are a lot of dogs that are going to need homes. While many of the younger/healthier dogs will be transferred to other tracks, many will be in need of homes. If you're looking for a dog, greyhounds make great pets.  Here are the links to the local rescue sites:

KCREGAP

Pups without Partners

Greyhound Pets of America - MOKAN -- Shannon with GPA is one of the best in the rescue business

If you can't take in a dog, any support that you can provide any of these groups in the short term would be more appreciated by them I'm sure. We're talking about up to 900 greyhounds that might end up being available for adoption over the next 30 days.  Which is a lot...

Verizon Pulls Pit Bull Ad

According to some of the media reportsand industry bloggers, it sounds like Verizon has pulled their TV commercial that featured the two junk yard dog pit bulls. I'm not surprised. Ads get pulled all the time, with far less outcry than what this spot received.  Congrats to the animal welfare community for making your voices heard.  I think it's really important for the animal welfare community to realize how powerful their voices can be when they all speak together in one voice. Don't forget that feeling.

Now for the advertising people. I feel somewhat uniquely qualified to speak on this one as an owner of  two pit bulls -- but also because I make my career working in an advertising agency.  So I get that angle too.

Here's the deal:

1) Before the advertising industry gets too up in arms over the people who don't get their creativity, put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Every year, thousands of people find themselves in a unique situation where they have to fight for the right to keep their dogs.  Just tonight, dozens of people lined the walls of city hall in Sioux City, IA (I have a client there) to fight against a proposed ban on the very dogs you chose to use in your ad.  These people may be faced with the gut wrenching decision of whether or not to keep their dog, or keep their home. So pardon us if we get a little upset by a commercial that casts the very stereotype that has created this problem in the first place. Call us hyper-sensitive. Call us jerks.  Call us unaware of your creative genius.  But spend a few years in city council meetings fighting for the life of your dog and call me when you're done.

2) If you are so unaware of pop culture, public events, and the news, to have not heard of some of the horrible things that happen to these dogs you need to get out of the advertising business. Having a good, solid knowledge of pop culture and of life in general is important if you're going to create effective advertising. If you're still not aware of what these dogs have suffered through, google "Mike Vick, Pit Bull" and spend a day or two reading.  BTW, the dogs are doing really well, thanks.

3) If your creative concept relies on hyping an overused stereotype, your concept is neither unique nor creative. Good creative concepts and executions surprise, fascinate or delight viewers. They create an a-ha (not the '80s band) that cause people look at something ordinary, differently. A concept that relies on the lowest-common-denominator of a stereotype fails at these tasks. Stereotypes are expected...there is nothing worse than using the expected in advertising. The animal welfare community did you a favor.

Infant killed by dog in Tulsa

This is the third child under the age of three that has been killed in less than a week, with three different breeds of dogs involved in the attacks. In this case, the two-month old boy was fatally attacked by one of the family's two dogs -- either a young black Labrador Retriever or a small Pug. The family members were at home at the time of the attack, but no one was in the room at the time of the attack. The child was left unattended in a swing.

People, dogs are great pets. They make wonderful companions. And are usually great with kids. It's very important that we work to socialize the dogs with all the members of the family, especially new young members, to be sure that it is a good relationship for everyone.

I'll report more as more information becomes available.  My heart goes out to this family on this awful tragedy that will likely cost them more than one member of their family.

Weekly Roundup, Week ending 7/27/08

What a week. I could really go without too many more like this one. A couple of fatalities. Several other attacks. A few cities that think BSL is going to solve anything at all.  Sigh.  Here's the week's top stories.

Michigan boy has arm amputated after attack by dog

A 10 year old boy was left alone with his family's "pit bull". When the boy's brother got home (the 23 year old brother was his caretaker for the weekend), he found the dog attacking his little brother. The boy ended up having his arm amputated following the attack. No word yet on what may have caused the attack. Great quote by the local vet Charles Mehne:

"The pit bulls in this area are of a good stock -- well-behaved, well-mannered, healthy dogs.  When I see a pit bull with bad behavior, I look to the owners. A good amount of the time the owners have not been handling the dog properly....People have got to take responsibility for the bad behavior of their dogs."

According to neighbors, the dog had been aggressive before, having previously bitten a family member. Folks, if your dog shows signs of aggression, you MUST see a trainer and get rid of the unwanted behavior, for your safety, and the safety of others.

It was just a matter of time

I hesitate to even link to this one because they don't deserve the site traffic -- but it was really just a matter of time before a story like this got published. Apparently a man in Jackson, MS, where 3 year old Tony Evans was killed this week, thinks the city should ban pit bulls.  The man says that he was attacked last year by a 200 lbs pit bull that he thinks may have given him AIDS.  Yip, THAT'S the type of people that want a ban. The type that thinks a pit bull can be 200 lbs (they seldom get over 80) and can carry AIDS.  Shame on the reporter for trying to make the crazy man into a story.

Woman trapped in her bathroom after being attacked by dog

This Illinois woman was attacked by a American Bulldog that she and her husband had recently aquired from a man on Craig's List. The dog apparently bit the woman on the arm and she locked herself in her bathroom until help arrived.

Interesting Editorial on California's New Mandatory Sterilization bill

This is an interesting take by an Orange County Register editorial writer who thinks the government is overstepping its bounds with the sterilization bill. 

"Proponents of this bill call it a "small victory", but a small victory that expands government can be a big defeat of citizens.  It is their responsibility to take care of pets, not the government's."

Another case of horrible reporting

This one comes from the Wichita Eagle - -that reported a story about a police officer that was the first responder to the scene of a fire. The officer saved a 75 year old woman from the fire -- supposedly while being attacked by the woman's pit bull. The article then notes that the man was hospitalized following the event (subtly noting it was in the burn unit, not the dog bite unit). In a later story (different reporter), it turns out the "pit bull" and another dog were let outside when the fire erupted. The officer, Victor Trillo, went in and rescued the woman.  As he carried the woman outside he apparently received a "tug on the pants leg" by the dog that the officer just shrugged off.

Little Rock Woman recoving from "dog" bite

She was bitten in the neck by a family's pet Rottweiler. No more information is available.  It sounds like the woman will be fine.

Abused 'pit bull" rescued

The dog was found on a dead end road with an infected and broken leg -- apparently left for dead. Despite its injuries, and now-amputated leg, the dog is reportedly very friendly and loving.  Michigan officials are looking for the person responsible for the abuse of this dog and a good home for the dog as well.

Amity Township man mauled by his pet pit bull

This Pennsylvania man is the general manager for a city football team and was carrying the team's equipment when the dog attacked the equipment bag.  When the man, TJ Knight, tried to get the dog off the bag, the dog turned on him.  Knight said the dog had been aggressive before.  Folks, if your dog shows signs of aggression, meet with a trainer and get the dog's problems taken care of for your safety and for the safety of your family. Letting aggressive behavior go unchecked is a recipe for failure for your dog.

Charges pending in Wilkinsburg, PA attack

A man is likely facing charges involving a dog attack that left an 8 year old boy with over 200 stitches and staples. The dog escaped from a fenced in back yard and attacked the young boy. The dog had originally been reported to be a "pit bull", but this followup article notes that it was really an American bulldog. Not that that makes the boy's condition any better, but it notes the inaccuracy of reporting, the difficulty of determining the breed of a dog, and that dog laws need to address aggressive dogs of all breeds, not just some of them.

Omaha "Pit bull" shot and killed

A few weeks ago,a pit bull got loose and attacked a young girl who was being pulled in a wagon in Omaha. Since then, the media has been creating quite a stir and contributing to the hysteria, reporting stories on minor incidents and non incidents just stiring up the hysteria. This week a man has become the victim of the hysteria when he went into his back yard and found his pit bull, Lady, shot in the mouth and killed. People continue to prove themselves to be the more violent species and the media has to understand that creating undue hysteria does create victims.

Alma, MI looking at adjusting dog laws

The number of dog bites/attacks in the city has not increased, but one city alderman thinks it seems like there have been more attacks, so wants to address some of the issues. People in this area should keep an eye on them, the alderman specifically mentions a few breeds of dogs that may end up being in jeopardy.

Jonesboro, AR looking at dog laws

There have been a couple of stories and I've yet to see one where they advocate breed specific laws. This one has a person pushing for tethering restrictions.  The head of Jonesboro Animal Control, Sgt Larry Rogers seems to get it:

"If you bring a dog up with not training, that has no socialization skills, that has no discipline, that you've not worked with, that you might have put out on a chain in the back yard, then that dog is going to be a dog with behavior problems of aggression...."

Greenwood, MS woman attacked by pit bull

The dog was kept chained to a tree in the back yard and broke the chain and injured the woman as she used a short cut behind the dog's home.  When we set dogs up to fail, we shouldn't be surprised when they do.

Spencer, IA looking at Breed Specific Laws

The small community of about 11,000 people is looking at targeting "pit bulls" with a new ordinance in their city. Amy Clark, a Veterinary assistant in the community expressed concern about the proposed ordinance. Ward three councilman Steve Bomgaars, who apparently believes he is more of an expert than the Veterinarian because he read a website, proposed the ban. If you live in or near Spencer, please work to educate the council there that BSL is both underinclusive and overinclusive legislation that has never worked to improve public safety in a community.

Sioux City, IA moves forward toward breed specific legislation

There is still tiem to affect this legislation by working on educating the councilmembers. However, Sioux city is initially moving forward with some form of breed restrictions. Mayor Mike Hobart said "Nobody is going to vote in favor of this ban if they didn't believe that pit bulls have more of a propensity to bite and do damage...I am convinced in my heart that pit bulls are a dangerous breed.". If you live in Sioux City, invite Mayor Hobart to your home, or two your rescue to actually get a chance to meet some actual "pit bull type" dogs somewhere other than in a newspaper article. There is nothing inherantly dangerous about these dogs, which is why all major animal organizations oppose breed specific legislation.

Newport, KY looking into declaring all pit bulls "dangerous"

The ordinance they are proposing would require all 'pit bulls" (regardless of temperament) and any dog that had attacked someone to be microchipped and for owners to get additional insurance (even though current insurance covers a dog attack).  

Two 'pit bulls" attack woman and her dog in Tacoma, WA

The woman describes the 'pit bulls" as being the "size of Cocker Spaniels". Cocker Spaniels are typically 18-28 lb dogs. "Pit bulls" range from about 40-60 lbs. The dogs have not been found, so my guess is that this woman and her dog got attacked by something else altogether.  People are notriously bad about being able to identify breeds of dog, and this looks like one of those instances.

Mesquite, TX wants to pass a ban on specific breeds

Of course this is against the Texas State law. They are using Madisonville as their example of having done this (although not noting that Madisonville has already repealed their ordinance).

Lakewood, OH passes breed ban

The city has joined several others in Ohio at passing legislation that has been ineffective in all of them. Congrats on that.  Current owners of 'pit bull-type" dogs will be able to own them.

"Pit bulls", drugs seized from Akron gang hangout

The homeowner was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of maijuana and child endangerment, but for some reason the dogs make the headline.

A letter to the Surrey (Canada) Newspaper

This person writes in about their new neighbors who moved in with two 'pit bulls'.  Turns out the owner is a good owner and the writer loves her new neighbors (both human and canine). This writer proposes an ordinance that deals with any dog that is found to be aggressive, regardless of breed, and require the owner to take the dog to a profesisonal obedience class. I don't know why this concept is so difficult to get. Given that not all 'pit bulls' are aggressive, and not all aggressive dogs are pit bulls, doesn't it make sense to focus an ordinance on aggressive dogs, regardless of what type they are?

Have a great week.

In a position to fail

Trinidad is a neighborhood in Washington DC that is like many urban neighborhoods. Trinidad was a thriving area just after the turn of the century filled with manybeautiful homes.  However, the neighborhood, like many urban neighborhoods, started to declin in the 50s and 60s due to suburban white flight. In 1968, Trinidad became the area most victimized by race rioting following Martin Luther King Jr's assassination.

For decades, the area remained in decay and had a very high crime rate.  Those who could afford to leave Trinidad, whether they were black or white, usually did.  The poverty and decay that was left behind left the neighborhood very vulnerable, and it was hit very hard by the crack epidemic of the late 80s. 

Like many urban core areas, it has seen somewhat of a rebirth as gentrification has reached into the area. However, it still contains a very high crime rate with a lot of red dots on the murder map. 22% of the people in the 20002 zip code live below the poverty line.

The neighborhood continues to search for answers following last weekend's murder of 13-year-old Alonzo Robinson. The neighborhood has seen a rash of shootings and stabbings -- recording 2 dead and 13 injured in a two day period last weekend. The Washington Post has a great story that paints a very vivid picture of the neighborhood.

The last two sentences tell a little tail that is pertinent to this blog:

For Pamela Mathis, 46, who was out walking one of the dogs she keeps for protection, the dangers and hassles of life in Trinidad are fast overwhelming its charms. "It's happening way too much" she said of the violence.

I bring up this neighborhood, and this story, because I think it paints a picture. Trinidad is not unlike similar neighborhoods dealing with these same problems. And it's not uncommon for people in these neighborhoods to get a dog for the same reason that Pamela Mathis has a dog -- for protection. Dogs can make for inexpensive security systems -- and create noise and a threat to intrudors.  Often the dog's mere existance is enough to make the neighbor's house next door an easier target. 

The problem is that the idea of having a watchdog encourages the owner to encourage the dog to be suspicious and aggressive around strangers.  It encourages poor socialization -- and aggression. Not unlike humans, dogs don't have the ability to tell a "good stranger" from a "bad stranger" 100% of the time. So all strangers end up being bad.

And the types of dogs people get are pretty predictable as well.  The dogs that are used are those that are larger dogs, with a reputation (whether merited or not) for being aggressive to drive up the fear factor. Over times, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Akitas, Chow Chows, "pit bulls", St. Bernhards, Mastiffs, etc have been used.  Often it is the dog that fits the type of "looking mean" that is the easiest for someone to get that is used.  This is why, in so many of these instances, people are now using 'pit bull' for this purpose, because they are very inexensive and easy to get in urban environments.

I bring this all up because it feels particularly relevant this week. On Tuesday, three year old Tony Evans Jr. died when he was attacked by a 'pit bull'. The dog was tethered to a carport in his owner's back yard and gotten for the specific purpose of guarding the owner's stuff due to being a victim of previous crimes.

Just last month, 5-year-old Pablo Lopez was attacked and killed by a 'pit bull'. The boy's uncle got two "pit bulls' to protect his home because there were so many robberies in the neighborhood and the police 'had done nothing' to protect the neighborhood. So the man got two dogs...one of which ended up killing his nephew. The county is among the poorest counties in the country, so the higher crime is not a surprise.

Every day it seems there is another similar story. Tough neighborhood. Dog gotten for protection reasons.  Young child. Attack. Most don't end with fatal injuries, but most don't go well for the child. Meanwhile, someone goes up to the city council meeting and announces that "something has to be done" about the dog bites. They show some bite statistics and we start the talk of banning some types of dogs.  What we never stop to address is that there are hundreds of different types of dogs, that if they are put in this situation - chained, unsocialized, encouraged to be aggressive to strangers in a tough neighborhood that would fail. They are being put in a situation where they are bound to fail. We pretend that if someone we get rid of the 'pit bull' in this equation, that somehow that will make a dfference.

This is why breed laws never work. Because we've never addressed the social and societal problem that has put the dog and the kid in this situation. And honestly, if you look at the frequency that dogs are put in this situation, we're actually lucky (and attribute some to the naturally loving nature of dogs) that more people aren't injured in these situations.

But we don't know how to solve the real problems. Gangs. Drugs. Poverty, etc. We have no idea how to solve these problems in our communities.  That's tough stuff. So we go with the "easy" solution. We deal with dogs, and pretend that we've "done something" to make the situation better.  But we haven't.

People like Pamela Mathis still feel like they need to get a dog for protection.  And we wonder "how could this happen" if something happens in a neighborhood. We've set these dogs up to fail, and then talk about exterminating them when they do.

If we start talking about the real problems in neighborhoods like Trinidad, and others like them around the country, we may begin to make for real societal change. Until then, if we continue to treat incidents like Tony Evans Jr's death as a "dog issue" we'll never keep it from happening again.

A second fatality this week -- Millcreek Township, PA

Well damn. In what had been a fairly quiet year on the dog attack fatalities front there comes a second fatality this week.   14-month old Addison Sonney was killed by her family's English Sheepdog mix yesterday afternoon. No one seems to know what caused the dog to attack the child.  The child's mother was present and was also injured in the attack trying to save her daughter's life.

After the attack, the dog escaped and roamed the neighborhood and wes eventually gunned down by police officers. The dog apparently continued to be aggressive toward officers, quite some time after the attack.

My heart goes out to the Sonney family as they deal with their loss.

I'm sure we'll hear more about this story over the coming days -- I'll continue to update the story here.

An Apparent Dog Attack Fatality in Jackson, MS

These stories just kill me to write. They all seem to follow one of a couple of templates. They all seem so avoidable. I just hope people notice how these things happen.

From the stories that have come out, here is the data that is evident (based on news sources):

1) A three year old boy,Tony Evans, Jr. was mauled to death by a pit bull last night

2) The young boy was apparently roaming around at 9 pm last night without supervision

3) The boy wandered into the neighbor's yard, was attacked by a 'pit bull' that was kept chained up to their carport.

4) It appears that the owner of the dogs will not be charged because they violated no city ordinances because the dog was confined on their property at the time of the attack.

5) Neighbor Isaac Stuckly who lives down the street also owns a 'pit bull' and says he does so for safety reasons.  The zip code where this attack occurred has 13% of its population living below the poverty line -- which is higher than the national average. These two things combined lead me to believe this may not have been the safest neighborhood in the world.

6) The story has been picked up already by Fox News -- even though they, and every other national media outlet, failed to picked up the most recent fatal dog attack that was the result of two non-pit bull-type dogs.

I'll post more on the story when updates occur.  It's a sad story -- but one that represents a fair number of the fatal dog attacks that happen.A nearly identical attack happened in Alaska earlier this year with a young, unsupervised child that was killed by a chained Husky.  An unsupervised child with a chained dog is a recipe for disaster...which is exactly what this is.

If we could get past making this a breed issue, maybe we could get to the heart of why these types of attacks happen and prevent them from happening. Let's hope.

Update:  The media was finally able to interview the owner and the victim's family of the dog.  It sounds like the boy was left unsupervised for quite a length of time prior to the attack. I think the dog's owner's, Shannon Reason, quote about the dog is pretty telling.  Reasons said he got the dog to be a guard dog and kept him chained to the carport and was never allowed to roam. "Believe me, this was not pet," he said. "I've had more stuff stolen from this driveway. You wouldn't believe it. The dog worked because it scared people away."

Dogs make for crummy security guards because they have no ability to detect the difference between a good person and a bad one. And ineveitably, they end up taking out a good person, or young child. This is a horrible incident, but we should realize it for what it is. It's a compete failure in our social structure that allows people in neighborhoods to be victims of crimes. That because they are victims, get dogs that that train to be aggressive so they will no longer be victims of crimes. Unfortunately, in this case, the dog created a new victim in the way of a small child that roamed up to the aggressive dog and was killed.

Animal Cruelty Videos defended by the Constitution

I disgustingly read this on the Animal Law Coalition website.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, a federal appeals court, sided in favor of animal cruelty in U.S.C 48. This is a really unfortunate decision.

Here's a little background:

A man named Robert Stevens, a resident of Virginia, was convicted of knowingly selling depictions of animal cruelty.  Stevens was advertising the sale of videos in a magazine called the Sporting Dog Journal -- an underground publication featuring articles about dog fighting.  Law enforcement officers bought a few videos that showed old footage of organized dog fights (circa the 1960s and 70s) as well as more recent footage of recent dog fights in Japan.  A separate video showed footage and detailed how to train dogs for hunting wild boars.  The videos contained narration and commentar by Stevens as well as literature that was written by Stevens.  As a result of the videos, law officers got a search warrant and executed the warrent -- finding more copies of the videos and other dogfighting merchandise.

The judges sided with Stevens, citing that the Stevens was covered under the 1st Amendment right to free speech. The reasons were as follows:

1) On balance, animal rights do not supersede fundamental human rights. While the government can and does protect animals from acts of cruelty, to make possession of films depicting this abuse would infringe on rights to free speech.

2) The Supreme Court rarely finds such an interest for content based restrictions. When it is done, it is done so because it related to the well-being of human beings, not animals. The example given was child pornography, where materials produced would have a lasting and long-term effect on the child while animals will not continue to suffer after the abuse has taken place.

3) The court decided that the law was constitutionally overbroad. While the significant government interest was described as being to "prevent cruelty to animals that state and federal statutes under-enforce." This makes sense, but the court deemed that it was overbroad because "If a person hunts or fishes out of season, and films the activity and sells it to an out-of-state party, it would appear the statute has been violated. Similarly, the same person could be prosecuted for selling a film which contains a depiction of bulfighitng in Spain if bullfighting is illegal in the state in which the person sells the film."

You can read the rest over at the Animal Law Coalition.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I generally side with more rights under the Constitution, vs fewer rights. But this one is pretty amazing to me. So someone can actually host a dog-fight. Film the adventures.  Then sell the videos to prove that it happened and that they were there and get off scott free.  This appears to me to be the equivelent of me shooting someone in a country where killing wasn't illegal, and recording the footage of the man dying, and then selling the videos. How did we uphold that THIS is ok?

To put it another way, under the state law of Ohio, a person could be arrested for owning more than one 'pit bull' -- even without the city having to prove the dogs are dangerous or that the dog is actually a "pit bull' at all.  In many Cincinnati, they could be jailed for owning a pit bull at all. However, they could host dog fights, film the footage, and sell the footage of the dogs fighting -- now openly since it's been upheld in court - without punishment.

It appears that dog fighters now have more rights under the Constitution than I do in a lot of places.  That's pretty messed up. As a general rule, if something is deemed a felony in all 50 states, making a profit off of videos depicting it should be illegal also. 

The best video I watched today

And this one isn't even close. Some great ball handling skills by a dog over at Lassie Get Help.