KC DOG BLOG

Weekly Roundup - Week Ending 2/28/10

It's been a hectic week -- with a wave of tragic news that started the week.   But some other interesting stories that you may have missed during the week. Enjoy.

 Cities/States and Laws

Brevard County, FL is looking at possible ways to prevent a man from owning dogs in the county in the future. The man has apparently been quite a nuessence -- with numerous finds and over $1000 worth of animal control fines in the past decade that remain unpaid. Officials say the man refuses to cooperate and art trying to prevent him from owning dogs. Officials there say it is a clear case of owner irresponsibility, involving multiple dogs over multiple years.  This is exactly the type of thing that I think CAN help make communities safer.

Sioux City, IA is looking at extending the deadline for people to relicense there 'pit bulls' under the city's 'pit bull' ban. Only about 1/2 of the 'pit bulls' grandfathered in under their ban passed last year are licensed -- and they suspect that many don't know they need to relicense every year.

Hinds County, MS is looking at beefing up their dangerous dog laws following an incident where a young girl was killed in the county a few weeks ago. The county is looking at ways to prevent some of the tethering of dogs in bad conditions as well as increase fines for irresponsible ownership. The county wisely seems to be moving away from breed specific regulations because "you're always going to have another breed that comes up."

The Jackson, MS city council has been discussing possible breed bans following the same incident -- but it sounds like the majority of the council is not in favor of breed bans.

The city of Los Angeles is strapped for cash -- and is apparently going after unlicensed dogs in order to make up for the short fall. The city thinks it could make about $3.6 million if all of the dogs in the city were licensed.

The Toledo Area Humane Society is discussing the possibility of adopting out pit bulls to the community. For decades, the shelters in Toledo have killed all 'pit bulls' that come into the shelter but now, just months after Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon was forced out, it looks like they may be given the same second chance at life that other dog breeds get.

Worcester, MA is looking at potential restrictions on owners of 'pit bulls'

With a 4-3 vote, Elgin, IL passed the first reading of an ordinance that would ban 'pit bulls' from the city -- including restricting dogs that are just being transported through town. Apparently one of the city council members hasused information supplied by fringe animal rights group PETA as to why they favor the ban as opposed to listening to real animal welfare experst in the community. There is still time to educate these council members on PETA's end goal and stop them from moving forward with this ill-advised bill.  No Pit Bull Bans has been doing a great and thorough job of covering the Elgin meetings.

Boaz, AL is still considering breed specific regulations -- but there is still time for those in the community to step up and try to educate the city council so they don't do it.

Veedersburg, IN is looking at updating their dangerous dog ordinance after a dog broke free from its chain and attacked a worker there.

Dog Bites & Attacks

A Pulaski County (MO) Sheriff's Deputy received medical treatment after being attacked by two Great Danes. The deputy had gone to the home to check on a woman who had made suicide threats earlier in the week.

A five year old Henderson, TX boy received minor injuries after a 'pit bull mix' broke it's chain and bit the boy while he was out playing. Chaining dogs often leads to the dogs getting frustrated and undersocialized which is why incidents like this are fairly common.

A five year old boy in the UK was attacked by a Rottweiler -- receiving pretty dramatic injuries. The UK has a nearly 20 year long ban on particular breeds of dogs....but there is always another dog breed that irresponsible owners can own that can still cause problems.

An 89 year old Gainsville, FL woman was attacked by a "Spaniel" that was known to have food aggression issues.  The dog caused "substantial" damage according to the officials and was euthanized.

A Pittsburgh, PA area family pet was killed by a neighbor's bloodhound that wandered next door.

Abuse Cases

124 animals were rescued from a property near St. Clair, MO. The animals included 102 domestic rabbits, 3 dogs, 5 cats, one guinea pig, three goats, four hens, two roosters, two pigeons and two ducks.  All of the animals were living in apparently really filthy conditions.

An Oakland, CA man was put in jail after being charged with two felony counts of animal abuse for beating his 'pit bull' with a crowbar and an ax.

Miscellanious

A good story about a Pooch Class that is taught to children to teach them how to read a dog's body language and how to interact with dogs. I've walked through the pooch puzzle class and think it is quite good and a good way to teach kids which can help prevent dog bites.

A good editorial from out of Philadelphia -- It's not the dogs, but the people behind them.

Blogs Worth Reading

Reno Leads the Pack -- Winograd had a good overview of the No Kill success in Reno, NV -- a city that faces one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, poor schools and was named the 2nd drunkest city in the country, Reno has still become no kill. It's a good read about how they were successful in doing so as a community.

In Colorado, aveterinarian was calling for a 10 year old Dachshund to be euthanized for being aggressive because the dog bit a vet technician in the chin. PetDocsOnCall has a good post on this case, as well as YesBiscuit! for the Veterinary Office Fail.

For the Pits has a great breakdown of the proposed Animal Abuse Registry -- comparing it to the Sex Offenders database.  Based on her breakdown, the prospects for the Animal Abuse Registry working don't look good. 

Buckets of Blood -- YesBiscuit! has additional information on a York County Dog Fighting Bust this week.

YesBiscuit! also has great breakdown of the new Memphis Animal Shelter Director Matthew Pepper. Pepper is taking over an awful situation in Memphis where the former director was fired after multiple cases of animal cruelty. Pepper's track record doesn't inspire a lot of hope.

Homeless People's Pets Aren't Homeless - a good view of what having a "home" means to a dog from Change.org

More History Making. This time from NACA - BAD RAP takes a look at a new policty by the National Animal Control Association that will provide more compassion for animal cruelty victims.  NACA doesn't have the best history of putting a lot of weight behind its policies -- but it is a good first step.

Good coverage on the UK's failing breed Ban from NoPitBullBans.

Putting a wrap on Pet Dental Health Month

 As we close out the month of February, I feel that it is important to note that it is National Pet Dental Health Month.  

Most estimates say that about 80% of pets over the age of three suffere from some sort of dental disease. Most animals appear to have normal mouths, but actually have problems that haven't become visible.

There are other bloggers out there that are a lot more knowledgable on the subject of Pet Dental Health than I do -- particularly over at PetdocsOnCall (who has a ton of good links on the subject) and Dr. Marty Becker over at the Pet Connection (they have a video).

Suffice it to say, dental health is becoming an increasingly important part of caring for our pets -- not only does it help their well-being, but it makes their breath better too.

I strongly encourage everyone to talk to their vet about it on their next trip. It could be an important part of your pet's health you have been missing.  And with the increasing awareness of dental hygene as an important health, there are becoming a lot more new products that make it easier for pet owners to treat their pets with little effort.

A special thanks to toward the folks at Ark Naturals -- they were the first ones I'd heard about Dental Health month from and they sent me some Brushless toothpaste and Plaque-Zapper.  My dogs loved the Brushless Toothpaste treats and the Plaque Zapper goes effortlessly in their food or water and they just gobble it up as they go.  The dogs loved them and they sure helped their breath - and I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the topic since they did.

As with everything, consult with our veterinarian...but know that it's important to ask about your dog's teeth.

Fear of the Unknown

There was a great article this week over at Matadorchange.com about Pit Bull Bigotry and Public Perception. It's worth the read on its own, so go check it out.

I think the story really registered with me because the author's experience pretty closely mirrored my own.

Several years ago my wife and began discussing adding a dog to our family. We both agreed that we were going to adopt -- and that we wanted to adopt a dog that badly needed a home.  My wife had been watching a lot of Animal Planet at the time, and had seen all of the adorable 'pit bulls' on the show and had decided that we should adopt one.

I can't remember what my first reaction was -- but I know it wasn't positive.

Keep in mind, I had never really met a dog that would be considered a 'pit bull' - or at least, not that I knew of. But I had an image of them that many have that was shaped solely based on their reputation and media hype. But I love my wife, so I agreed to do some research and meet a few dogs. And what I found was that the image I had in my mind was NOTHING like their real-life behavior. While all of the reliable sources I found online about the dogs said they were great dogs, I was still skeptical -- so we went to the local shelters to meet a few.

What I found were sweet, gentle dogs -- almost all of whom were completely unaware that their 45 lbs bodies were not really the right size to be 'lap dogs'. And they licked.  A lot. Pretty much exactly what all of the respectable websites tell you.

And that is how I went from having a negative, stereotyped image of 'pit bulls', to being an advocate for them....just like the writer of the other story...and just like many others like me.

It is human nature to fear the unknown. We fear the dark, because we can't tell what's out there. We fear going into caves, because we can't see what's inside. We often fear taking a new job, moving to a new city, or going to new places because we fear what we don't know.

It's a natural reaction.

My experience is that most people who think they are afraid of 'pit bulls' have limited, or zero, experience being around these types of dogs. They may know what they've read in the newspaper, or heard from friends, but they really don't know much about the dogs. In fact, I've never met anyone with much experience with the actual dogs, that has a negative opinion of these types of dogs.

Knowing, breeds understanding -- and knowing eliminates fear.

And as more people are paying positive attention to these dogs, more people are having positive experiences with them....which is how stories like the Matador article get written.  And articles like that, and experiences with dogs like mine, will change how people view these dogs....it's already happening.   This is why more and more people oppose breed specific policies and why more people are supporting these dogs....exposing those who still live in fear as those who usually possess the least amount of experience with them.

If you are one of those people who has a fear of 'pit bulls' -- I strongly encourage you to go to your local shelter or rescue and ask to meet some of them. It will change everything you think you know about the dogs.

Photo Credit: My dogs at Christmas.

5 day old infant killed by dog in Conyers, GA

A five day old infant in Georgia was bitten by a family dog.  The infant was in the baby's bassinet and the mother heard the baby crying. When she entered the room where the baby was, she found the family's dog on the bassinet -- the dog bit the young child -- who died later in the hospital.  

The dog is being called a 'pit bull' type dog.

The article features some good information from Conyers K-9 Academy owner Danny Lowery:

“Any dog can be good with kids if you socialize it and train it the right way,” Lowery said. “He needs mental and physical stimulation every day, and you can’t set him aside when a baby comes or you’re going to have issues.

You got to work at it. You got to let the dog know he can’t develop jealousy issues over the baby,” Lowery said, explaining specific, necessary steps to go through in the training and acclimation process.

“Training is so important ... because the dog is going to be curious,” Lowery added. “It all goes back to socialization. You can do a lot even before the baby gets here.”

This was an entirely preventable, and tragic, incident.  While these incidents are extremely rare (it happens only a handful of times each year) this incident, along with a simlar incident last week again shows the dramatic need for information that will help new parents integrate their newborn infant into their family when there is a dog present. 

To that end, I plan to do a follow-up with Jennifer Shyrock at Dogs & Storks sometime in the next couple of weeks so I can provide more information on this. Owner education is too important not to spend time on this.

My heart goes out to the family after this tragedy.

Missouri Vet Medical Association Releases Stance on "Puppy Mill" Initiative -- while initiative faces lawsuite

This was a hot topic on the radio last week during our radio call-in program last week -- and so I thought I would post the MVMA's new position statement on the initiative. I"m going to post it in its entirety but you can read it here for yourself. The bolded items are done by me for emphasis.

Puppy Mill"
Initiative Ballot
Discussion Points

MVMA member veterinarians care very much about the welfare of dogs in breeding facilities in our state. We have devoted our lives to the treatment of animals and the prevention of suffering and pain.

The issue of the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act has come about because breeding facilities that are unlicensed are not being regulated or inspected.

Our state has good existing laws, but those laws need enforcement.

The ballot being proposed for this November would completely outlaw our state’s well-run and licensed facilities that have over fifty breeding dogs. This is unfair and misguided. These are operated properly under the guidance of extensive current regulations in order to provide families with pets to love and cherish.

Cases of neglect and bad conditions have come mainly from unlicensed breeders who are not overseen by state inspection.

Passing blanket initiatives without careful consideration of the facts and ignoring existing law is not in the best interest of the dogs we are trying to protect.

We don’t need more laws and more governmental limitations on those who follow the rules. We do, however, strongly denounce any animal neglect and cruelty.

The MVMA believes the answer lies in adequate funding for more inspections and better enforcement.

The MVMA's stance and mine seem pretty similar.

Meanwhile, the initiative is facing even more hurdles as the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners has filed a lawsuit challenging the ballot language.  The lawsuit centers around the use of the term "puppy mill" which MoFed claims is an "intentional strategy" to gain support using a prejudicial term.

Rethinking our approach to animal abusers

There has been a lot of chatter on the internets this week (already) about animal cruelty -- and the people who participate in it -- and the need to increase the punishment on animal abusers.

And while I think most of the talk is good....the more we talk about solutions to dealing with abusers, the sooner we can end the problem. 

Some of the conversation involves a proposed law in California that would create a registery for convicted animal abusers.  The law is essentially designed to mirror the laws for sex offenders and allow people to know if people in their neighborhoods have a known track record of abuse. The idea would be to track these people because they often move to other juristictions where people are not aware of their past problems.

This certainly seems like a valid idea...and one that I'm not opposed to.  In just one recent case, a Kansas man was charged (he's awaiting trial) on 70 counts of animal cruelty relating to a hoarding bust in Kay County, Oklahoma. The man had a track-record of abuse in the state of Kansas, and had been forbidden from owning dogs in Kansas, but the track record did not follow him to Oklahoma...where more than 100 dogs were found on his property. Two of his former dogs died this past week due to illnesses even under the expert care of the folks at Bad Rap.

Even though the bill seems unlikely to pass because the funding mechanism for the registry is supposed to come from an increased tax on pet food...which too many people oppose, the idea for the bill seems sound -- because certainly habitual abusers cannot be tolerated.

While some have looked at this new bill as an opportunity to talk about the need to strengthen animal cruelty laws, I'm not sure that is the answer either. Animal cruelty is already a felony in every state.

The problem appears to be that judges around the country are not issuing particularly strong sentences for major, purposeful abuse cases....and the number of instances of people getting off for pretty major offenses seems to be growing.

Last week, the Pet Connection folks noted that Fabian Henderson, the man convicted of throwing Oreo off the top of a 6 story building, leading to a couple of broken legs, a broken rib and a dog that was broken enough that it led to her eventual death, got 6 months of probation and a treatment program that will help him to find a job.

Meanwhile, also last week, Bobby Loggins got 30 days in jail in Iowa  for punching his 5 month old puppy in the face 30 times -- killing it. Thirty days? For punching a dog in the face?!  The judge ruled that because the dog was his own, and not a fancy show dog, that he got off on a light sentence.  The particulars of the abuse are pretty gruesome, you can follow the link -- but the case brings Loggins' track record to 26 cases of driving violations, drugs, and now animal torture.

*Strangely, the head of Sioux City Animal Control Cindy Rarrat said that the judge did an "excellent job". Even more ironic, is that according to Sioux City law, someone could get the same penalty as Loggins got for merely owning a 'pit bull' and treating it well.

It seems that maybe more important than pushing for better laws, would be putting pressure on judges to apply harsher sentences to people who are violent and cruely abuse offenders.  It is one thing for someone to get put up for abuse because they cannot afford food and a dog is a little malnourished, it is quite another to throw a dog off a 6 story building or literally punch its face in.

It seems its past time to put some pressure on our judges to be sure that violent abusers are punished with more than a slap on the wrist.

HSUS: The Disingenuous Fundraising Machine

Editor's Note: The timing of this may seem a little odd, but I wrote this a couple weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting it.  I think it still applies -- heck, it always applies. But was reminded about this late last week when I got another fundraising email.  Anyway....

Why is it, that when it comes to the Humane Society of the United States it seems as if it is always about the money?

Now, don't get me wrong, I know that fundraising is important. We all need money to help our cause. Rescues need money to save the lives of animals. Lobbying groups need money to lobby, get politicians elected, get bills pushed through.

I don't mind organizations raising money. What bugs me is when they raise money for one thing, and then use it for another.

And that's my (most current) beef with HSUS. They keep asking for money, but what animal-loving people give them money for, in good faith that animals will benefit from the money, and what they use the money for, never seem to exactly add up. And for that, I am growing tired of the Humane Society of the United States.

Just in the past few years, HSUS has sent an email requesting donations to "care for the dogs seized in the Michael Vick Case" -- even though HSUS was not actually caring for the dogs and was simultaneously lobbying for all of the dogs to be killed.

A little over a year later, HSUS sent another email requesting that people donate just 66 cents a day to help dogs "just like Faye" in the new year -- using pictures of a dog named Fay (not Faye) that was rescued from a dog fighting bust orchestrated by the Humane Society of Missouri andFay, herself, was being cared for by a small rescue Mutts & Stuff in St. Louis. Of the $1.2 million raised by HSUS in their fundraising drive for 'dogs like Fay', the actual organizations caring for the actual dogs received only $5000 for their care.

Meanwhile, HSUS seems up to their old tricks again.

After the major earthquake in Haiti last month, HSUS was quick to get someone on the ground with a request to help the animals in need in Haiti.

A quick look at the email (left, click to enlarge) mentions the need for money:

"But the conditions for animals are still deteriorating. In our short time here, I've seen cattle wandering through fields and stray dogs by the roads."

Wow. Cows in fields? Stray dogs by roads?  Sounds like Haiti on a good day...or rural America for that matter.

HSUS's quest for funds raised the ire of many -- including Friends of Animals and their arch nemesis, Center for Consumer Freedom.

I confess that I don't know a lot about the key players from the Center for Consumer  Freedom...but I will say this. When they criticized HSUS about the use of money collected for helping animals after Hurricane Katrina, HSUS responded to the lawsuit by building a fancy new shelter for the the state of Louisiana. Now, amidst this criticism from the CCF, Wayne Pacelle has once again responded not by denying anyof the allogations....but, wait for it, by asking for money. The CCF may have questionable motives (or not), but they seem to always be right about HSUS.

Now, again, my beef with HSUS isn't that they raise money.  We all have to.  But that they continue to raise money from unsuspecting donors and then using the money for something else.

In 2008 (the most recent annual report available), HSUS spent $28 million of their $125 million budget on fundraising -- $28 million on political campaigns and $12 million on "strategic communications'.  They also banked a significant amount of money (again) that they are using for other things: Like apparently buying tons of stock in restaurant chains like Steak and Shake and Jack in the Box -- with the idea that their ownership will influence purchasing decisions regarding chicken, eggs and pork.

I'm not even going to say that I think this is a bad use of money necessarily (it would actually be a fun debate sometime) - but here's the deal, in all of the emails that go out asking for money, in all of the posts on Wayne Pacelle's blog, never once have I been solicited to donate money to buy shares in fast food restaurants.  Not once. Seems I only find out about it from reading morning e-newsletter from Nation's Restaurant News (which I do get BTW, don't judge me).  Seems like with that much money getting put to that use, it probably should have come up in communications from HSUS.

Nope, it's not so much the fund-raising I mind....or even that they spend most of their money on more fundraising and lobbying...it's that I don't feel like they are at all honest with their donors on where the money is going .  I think it's important that well-meaning people who in good faith want to give money to help save the dogs from Mike Vick's Kennels, aren't misled into giving money to an organization that is pushing for the dogs to be killed, or that when people give money to help "dogs like Fay", more than a fraction of a percent of the money raised will go to helping the actual dogs, and when people give money to help animals in Haiti, their money is not used to buy stock in fast food restaurants.

It's disingenuous at best...fraudulent and illegal at worst.

Weekly Roundup - Week Ending 2/21/10

 It's been a particularly busy and tragic week. Three dog bite-related fatalities were particularly tragic. Meanwhile, breed identification issues continue to cause problems for breed bans in Brampton, ON and in Salina, KS.

Let's look at some of the other stories for the week:

Citis and  Laws

In Toledo, the city council voted this week to form a committee to discuss the city's dog ordinances and possible changes to it -- particularly getting rid of the city's breed-specific policies that are applied to 'pit bulls' that were ruled unconstitutional by a judge earlier this year.

Regent, ND is has now added German Shepherds to the list of potentially banned breeds in their city. The city began discussing banning 'pit bulls' and Rottweilers, and has added Germand Shepherds to the list. What makes this story even more bizarre is that the reason it is all being discussed is because of what appears to be a family dispute -- as a woman, Patty Robbins, started the petition to ban breeds because her grandson had recently purchased three 'pit bull' puppies.  The German Shepherds were then added because the 'pit bull' owner's mother owns three German Shepherds. Sounds way more like the city allowed themselves to get involved in a family dispute vs there being any real problem that needs to be solved here.

Park Ridge, IL has set a new set of laws targeting Dangerous Dogs that focuses on the behavior of dogs and is not breed-specific.

Efforts are underway in Austin, TX to make it a no kill city.

Dog attacks in Wales have gone 60% over the past decade under the UK's Dangerous Dogs Act. This week Scotland began taking steps to get rid of the breed specific parts of the Dangerous Dogs Act - a move that is supported by the British Veterinary Association.

Dog Bites and Attacks

A Hamilton, OH woman was attacked by a dog that she said she thinks is a Black Lab mix. The description of the attack in this article makes it sound a lot worse. Hamilton has a ban on 'pit bulls' -- but obviously, bad dogs come in all shapes and forms because they are a reflection of irresponsible pet owners, not breeds.

A four year old girl was bitten by a border patrol dog during a training exercise at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC.  The dog was a Belgian Malinois.

Miscellanious

A Salt Lake City Police officer shot a 'pit bull' in the city this week saying that he was protecting a couple of teen boys.  The officer said that two dogs, including the one that was shot, were jumping up on the boys as they were riding their bicycles. Neither boy was injured in the incident -- but one of the dogs, showing bad, but typical dog behavior, was killed due to the over-reaction.

Speaking of police officers shooting dogs, in Niagra Falls, NY, a police officer shot a dog that bit him. The officers were responding to a call of a burglary in progress and came to the family's home. Upon arriving, they found the door ajar and stepped inside and the dog bit the officer. The officer shot the dog. So the officer, a stranger, came into the home, was bitten by the dog (who was likely freaked out by having not one, but two intruders in the home (including the burglar) -- the officer then shoots the dog -- and then cites the owner of the dead dog, who's home was broken into, for having an unlicensed dog. Sigh.

A good article from the Wassau Daily Herald noting that dog attacks are very rare, noting that the fear of dogs, particularly pit bulls, is not warranted.

In Loving Memory of Daddy - Ceasar Millan's docile 'pit bull' Daddy died this week at the ripe old age of 16. Whether you like Millan or not, Daddy was an awesome ambassador for pit bulls everywhere with his calm demeanor showing the best that is these types of dogs.

Dispelling pit bull myths - a solid article by a veterinarian in Prescott, AZ that tries to dispell myths surrounding bully breeds. What I find interesting is the picture that is included with the article that is, well, not a pit bull...thus inadvertantly showing an additional reason why breed specific regulations are intellectually ridiculous.

Video and a news story about the 200+ protesters in Brampton, ON protesting Brittney and Rambo continuing to be on death row and the dogs' owners not being allowed to visit them.

More cities and Laws (yeah, my bad)

Putnam County, WV, declined to repeal the county's breed ban that residents think was passed in haste last year and without input from experts in the community.

An article about 'pit bulls' in Ontario being shipped to eastern Provences where they can live safely from the provencial ban.

Ocean Springs, MS is planning on addressing their dangerous dog law that will focus aggressive dogs, regardless of breed, vs being breed specific.

Blog Postings

Raised By Wolves has an interesting take on "Oreo's Law". My personal opinion is that the law will help more animals who face certain death than it would be negatively impacted by the possibility of ending up in a bad environment, and that the exact situation surrounding the proposed bill is working to cloud the good that this will do, but I think RBW's post is rationally reasoned and worth the read.

Speaking of Oreo -- The Pet Connection notes that her abuser, the one who threw her off the 6th floor of a New York building, avoided jail time for his cruelty.

One Bark at a Time provides an example of how Social Media can help animals in need and open up new opportunities for animals in need.

One Bark at a Time also has a great post (I linked to it earlier this week) -- No Kill: It can't be impossible if someone's already doing it.

Bad Rap has two sad stories about a couple of the dogs from the Kay County, OK hoarding case that died this week out in Oakland. It's always sad when dogs that you work so hard to help die due to illnesses they've suffered due to the severe neglect they suffered earlier in their lives.

Scienced based dog training -- ar article from Ian Dunbar at DogStarDaily.

A great article by Animal Ark in response to an article in American Dog Magazine that promoted mandatory spay/neuter.

3 year old Ocala, FL Girl Dead from Dog Attack

Wow, a particularly tragic weekend this weekend.

A three year old Ocala, FL girl was fatally attacked by a dog outside her home yesterday.

The girl's mother, Lori Haaker, was apparently cleaning the pens for the dogs and went inside to use the restroom. While the toddler was outside, alone, she wandered into the pen where four dogs were chained to trees. The girl apparently became entangled in the chain restraining one of the dogs and a the dog ended up attacking, and killing, the young girl.

While many of the early media reports were calling the attacked dog a 'pit bull', the more recent reports are calling the dog an American Bulldog -- and also noting that the family bred American Bulldogs under the name of Haaker's Dream Bulldog Ranch -- which bred and sold working American Bulldogs.

It's a tragic story that highlights a variety of misteps along the way - -including why tethering dogs isn't the prefered way to keep dogs and why it is important to supervise children when they are around dogs and interacting with dogs.

It is also an interesting that in so many media reports the dogs were called 'pit bulls' in spite of a sign at the home that declared them to be bulldogs.

A tragic and preventable incident. My heart goes out to the family in this case.

The story has been picked up by 8 media outlets, only 2 of which have the accurate breed in the article.

Philadelphia Woman Dead from Dog Attack

A 37 year old Philadelphia woman died yesterday morning from a dog attack. The woman, Christine Staab, had a history of drug addiction and according to her step father, whom she lived with, came home early yesterday morning "high" and got into a fight with her mother. During the altercation with the mother, a lamp got knocked over and broken and one of the 6 dogs that lived in the home (all described as 'pit bulls') attacked Christine.

The family says the dog was just trying to protect the mother during the altercation.

Christine died from the attack.

The attack happened in the historic Fishtown neighborhood in Philadelphia.  The neighborhood is one of many in urban areas around the country that they are becoming more desirable among young professionals, still has areas of high poverty. The zip code where this attack took place has 30% of the population living below the poverty line (nearly 3x the state average) and 12% of the populatin living with income 50% below the poverty line...highlighting our need, again, the need to provide owner education in low-income, lower-educated neighborhoods.

The story has been picked up by 13 media outlets thus far.