The Convenience of Killing

By now, you've probably heard the news about Ace.

Ace was an emaciated pit bull that late last week, wandered into an Ace Hardware Store.  The well-meaning store owner, who was touched by meeting Ace, called Detroit Animal Control and they came out to pick up Ace. 

Unfortunately, Detroit Animal Control has a blanket policy that it does NOT adopt ANY pit bull type dogs  -- or,  release any of them to rescue groups.  So Ace was destined to die.

However, there became a groundswell of support for Ace, and many people around Detroit and around the country pushed for Ace to be given a chance. 

On Wednesday night, these advocates got a huge win, when a Wayne County Judge filed an emergency injunction preventing the city from euthanizing Ace, or any dog that resembled Ace.

Unfortunately, in spite of the injunction, the city killed Ace anyway.  Yip, in spite of an overwhelming number of people who wanted to help save Ace, and in spite of a court injunction saying they couldn't kill Ace, Ace died at the hands of local authorities.

Shirley has noted that if Michigan had a law similar to CAPA, then Ace would be alive right now. She's right of course, but I think there is a larger, systemic problem that needs to be addressed. It's that sadly, and strangely, we have somehow created a large, tax-payed shelter system that apparently lacks any compassion, and has found it more convenient to kill animals than to save them. And that's a problem.

Now, I'll note that not all shelters have this problem -- as there are some that deserve to be celebrated.  But there are still WAY TOO MANY shelters that operate similarly to the one in Detroit -- and it needs to be reformed.

According to a statement by Detroit Animal Control, neither they, nor the city received the reported court injunction -- and because Ace's time was up, he was euthanized killed.  This claim seems a little odd to me given that a reporter was able to obtain a copy of the injunction, it was plastered all over local news, and I knew about the injunction from 1200 miles away.  And Marji knew about it too. 

Bruce King, the general manager of the Detroit Health Department continues in his statement:

"At the end of business today, the dog referred to as Ace was euthanized following the expiration of the four-day holding period and departmental policy.  We are not insensitive to the overwhelming appeal from citizens for an alternative approach. We are, indeed, heartened by the appeals.  However, if we grant this one exception, we are simply not set up for what will undoubtedly lead to overwhelming appeals in similar cases."

 So there -- it's not that they were insensitive -- but, well, if they saved this one, then they would be inconvenienced by the public who would then think that other 'pit bulls' would have the right to live too -- and, well, we're just not set up for that.  Besides, just this one case has really caused a public safety nightmare for the city:

"Urgent calls for help from elderly citizens, school principals, postal supervisors and police are going unanswered because our Detroit Animal Control dispatch line is overwhelmed with calls from outside the city, state and even the country," said King.

See, because so many people wanted to help this dog in spite of our bad policy, we HAD to kill him, because it was causing a public safety issue. We had no other choice.  Uh huh.

King also reiterated that:

"DAC is acting in accordance with the Stray Holding Law facilitated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture that mandates quarantining stray animals for 4 days; while ensuring they are provided for."

So Mr. King, we get that you didn't break the law, but let's be clear here, the four day hold time is the state MINIMUM requirement.  There is nothing keeping you from holding the dog for longer that that 4 days, or releasing him to a rescue group, other than your complete lack of compassion. 

Now, an attorney in Detroit, Corbett O'Meara, plans to try to get Detroit officials held in contempt of court for violating the court injunction.

What happened in Detroit is sadly not abnormal. Earlier this week I noted another city, Springfield, MO, that has created a law that has not decreased the number of dog bites in the city, but has directly led to the death of over 1500 dogs and is declaring the law a "success".  Springfield has a similar policy prohibiting the adoption groups from saving 'pit bulls' from their shelter. This type of non-caring city-run shelter is far too indicative of the standard for city-run shelters  -- managed by people who find it more convenient to kill the dogs than to actually work to save them.

Ace's death is a tragedy -- but his isn't the only one. Hundreds of dogs like Ace going into Detroit Animal Control, and Springfield, MO and shelters just like them every year and meet the same fate, with no fanfare, and no chance to live.

And this is why reform is necessary.

For more (I'll update this throughout the day):

For the Pit Bulls - Detroit Animal Control Riding the shame boat to fail

Bless the Bullys - For dogs like Ace, where's the justice?

For the Love of the Dog - Ace is Dead (in Detroit)

Bad Rap - Ace: A fitting mascot for Detroit city policy

 

Comments

[Barbara Ann Walker]

This is one of the reasons that Detroit has gone down the tubes. Everyone in the city is doing just what they feel like doing regardless if it is right or not. They have the mentality that they can do anything because they are in the drivers seat so to speak if they are on the city counsel or in any type of employment position working for the city.
I am sick of it. The city of Detroit used to be a nice place to live and a city to be proud of and then we get those people into offices that think they can run the departments any way they want to. Just like the people in animal control. They don't care about the dogs. They for sure don't want to have to clean up after any of the dogs and really don't care about having to do any else for them including feeding them or taking them out for their necessary walks. They are just their to collect whatever monies are paid to them and because they are in control of that department they don't have to listen to any one.
That poor sweet dog - Ace most likely had already been killed the night that animal control picked him up. It means less work to be done and more time to just fool around. Typical of the people who work in the city now.
I feel sorry for the mayor Mr Bing because he is willing to do whatever he can for our once good city but he is fighting a loosing battle. The city is too far gone. It is as though he is single handedly working to repair what the recent past mayors have ruined.
All we can do is pray that they do something about the animal control people and start over with a group of people who care about doing more than just collecting their paycheck and fooling around. I think that the Detroit Dog Rescue group should be allowed to have the animal control jobs since they are doing it right now any way while the present animal control people sit on their backsides laughing about Pit Bull number whatever having just been killed.. The difference is is that DDR are loving the dogs and not just killing them to eliminate the work.
It really makes me sick to know that this poor dog had so many people wanting to help him and he never even got the chance.

[LendaFreeHand]

What a great article, you told it like it is and clarified a few things. The issue at hand here is flat-out ridiculous.

[Cheryl Huerta]

Holy Cow. Do all government agencies either hire people who CAN'T be wrong at any cost or is it simply a government policy that no matter what anyone working for or representing the government can be wrong or stand behind a policy that is wrong?

This is clearly a case of a government agency doing exactly as it wants to just because it can.

I understand in the dog rescue and management world there are tough decisions to make, well at least that's what they always say is the reason why they euthanize so many animals, but this was a no-brainer if you ask me.

Brent please don't give up your campaign and supporting the campaigns of others to promote 'no-kill' animal control facilities country-wide. It can be done. A lot of people know it can be done. So I can't help but think that it must be done.

[Dianne]

Be sure to read Donna's piece on the Bad Rap blog. As a native of Detriot she is personally saddened by the downfall of the city.

[Jackie Amor]

Poor Ace run free boy and dont let those people who did this to you across the bridge to heaven.

[M Jackson]

Saving dogs from being destroyed counts for nothing, if the cause isn't equally addressed and something like the following implemented:

1.Vetting and license for dog ownership. This could be set on a sliding scale dependent on income.

2. Tagging (if dogs do get lost) enabling swift return to rightful owner.

3. Yearly vet/ownership check and compulsory vet insurance for said pet.

4. Licensing of all dog breeding establishments and taxing of these establishments to pay towards implementation of the vetting by certified government officials.

5. $500 bond held by authorities for anyone who wants to own a pit-bull type dog that may be hard to place should it need to be given up.

Point is folk should be accountable in a civilised society and this clearly isn't happening in America. A nation is judged on HOW it treats it's animals.

[CristyF]

1. No, just no. Regulating who can own dogs based on income? How much money you have doesn't equal how much you will love your pet.

2. A lot of people already do this, whether it is tags on the collar, tattoos, or microchips.

3. As evidenced by the millions spend on vet care, most people do a fine job of vetting their own pets. And trying to do ownership checks would cost taxpayers way too much money.

4. Commercial breeders are already required to be licensed by the USDA. People who breed a few dogs for show/work/etc. do not and should not be licensed.

5. What do you mean by this? This is BSL, plain and simple. I have worked in rescue for several years, and you know which dogs are hard to place? Dogs that are overly DA, young and very active, who have picked up bad behaviors (mouthing, jumping, pulling, barking, leash reactivity) because nobody has taught them to behave otherwise. This fits many dogs of all kinds of breeds. (People hate putting effort into training dogs, so they always go for the easy ones first).

The United States of America is the land of the FREE. The last thing we need is more laws further restricting who can do what with their pets. It will just lead to more pets landing in the shelter and more pets being killed.

[kmk]

I guess I have to ask what happens when someone or some entity violates a court injunction. What happened to "ignorance of the law is no excuse"? doesn't the same apply to injunctions? Or do government entities get a free pass as usual?

And doesn't Detroit have far worse problems than pit bulls? (that was rhetorical).

[PAMM - People Against Moronic M]

M Jackson GO AWAY! YOU are the reason agencies like Detroit AC get away with crap like this.

[Anna Nirva]

"Deathiness as Usual" in Detroit. How many pit bulls did they kill today? Yesterday? Friday? What about other dogs and cats? If you train a group of people to kill dogs and cats, that's all they know how to do. Is it necessary? Nope.

Dear Ace, starved and neglected at the hands of his family and killed at the hands of the very organization that should have saved him. Dear Ace, run free at the bridge. Thousands send you their prayers.

[Liz @ Flex Belt]

It's unfortunate that we can't come up with a better solution for the abandoned animals. More control needs to be put in place such as tracking and linking owners with pets and owners should be charged if they do not claim their animals and maybe they'll think twice before abadoning their pets.