I hope that you enjoy Pit Bull Blues by John Shipe which is easily the best song about pit bulls that I have ever heard. Like most people, I did not know what great dogs pit bulls are until recently. As my friend Dog Man says “It is not the dog, but the owner that is the problem and pit bulls are not for everyone.
August 12, 2009
August 4, 2009
Math Sets Dog Free in Challenge to BSL
We give special thanks to Laura Allen, the author of this article. We also wish to thank the Animal Law Coalition for keeping up the fight.
Posted Jul 28, 2009 by lauraallen
Update Aug. 2, 2009: There were 2 challenges on July 31 to confiscations under Miami-Dade County’s Pit Bull ban. Animal Services claimed both dogs, Baby Girl and Dixie, substantially conform to banned pit bull breeds.
In Ordinance No. 89-22, the county bans all dogs that “substantially conform” to American Kennel Club standards for American Staffordshire Terriers or Staffordshire Bull Terriers or United Kennel Club standards for American Pit Bull Terriers.
Animal Services uses a checklist of characteristics to determine if a dog substantially conforms in appearance or breed to a pit bull type dog.
The first case involved Carlos McLiberty and his dog, Baby Girl. Dr. Derek Wineburgh, a veterinarian with Hollywood Animal Hospital, testified about his evaluation of Baby Girl and the results of the MARS blood DNA test performed by his colleague, Dr. Ryan Llera. Dr. Llera also evaluated the dog. Both veterinarians agreed Baby Girl was neither an American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier nor a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (all 3 breeds are banned in Miami-Dade county).
Dr. Wineburgh said that the results from Baby Girl’s DNA test reveal she is bulldog, Whippet, Irish Terrier and Bull Terrier. Nowhere in her genetic makeup is any of the 3 banned breeds.
Despite this, the hearing officer decided the dog is a pit bull within the meaning of the ordinance.
In the 2nd case Jomar Valdez challenged that the dog, Dixie, conformed to the checklist used by Animal Services to determine if a dog substantially conforms in appearance to one of the banned breeds.
Dahlia Canes, founder and director of Miami Coalition Against BSL, illustrated through her testimony the many occasions on which Animal Services claimed a dog conformed to the checklist and when questioned, would agree the dog did not conform or meet the requirements to establish it was a pit bull type dog.
One dog originally said to be a pit bull was a Mastiff, another a Labrador/ Boxer, yet another a Weimaraner mix and in another instance a Great Dane mix.
Canes said the dogs were all evaluated as puppies though the ordinance states dogs must be over 4 months old before their breed is determined.
Had Canes and other rescuers not challenged the original findings, these dogs would have been euthanized simply because they were thought to be pit bulls.
Attorney Rima Bardawil, representing both McLiberty and Valdez, said it was critical that the Animal Services Investigator who issued the citation to Valdez, testified the dog must meet 70% of the checklist to ”substantially conform” to a banned breed.
Dixie’s checklist indicated the investigator thought there were 11 conforming characteristics and 4 that were not. But in the end her math was wrong.
Bardawil explained, “She stated in her summary that the dogs ears stood up erect and ‘Did Not Conform.’ However, her checklist stated that the dog’s (Dixie’s) ears Did Conform. That was a clear contradiction with her typed summary and that one had to come into our column of ‘Does not Conform’ versus the column that it was in Does Conform.’”
There were two other mistakes. Bardawil said, “One was on the Front Leg category, where she stated the legs ‘did conform’ on her checklist, yet in her detailed photo blow up she stated ‘did not conform.’ Finally, there was the back legs category, which she admitted she mislabeled the part of the legs she tagged, and therefore at least half of the rear legs did not conform. Therefore, based on the 70% standard that too had to go into the ‘Does Not Conform’ column.
“With all this, the 11-4 changed to 8-7. Basic math alone will reveal that this is nowhere near 70%; in fact it is just a little over 53%. ….The [hearing officer]…had …no choice” but to free the dog.
______________________________
In March, 2009, in a similar challenge a hearing officer refused to enforce the ban against the alleged pit bull dog, saying the ordinance was too vague. That case was instigated by Miami Coalition Against BSL, an organization dedicated to ending the Miami-Dade County pit bull ban.
Read Miami-Dade County: 2 Decades of BSL has Produced No Positive Results, by Karen Delise
Dahlia Canes, founder of Miami Coalition Against BSL, says her organization plans to continue to urge owners whose dogs are confiscated under this ban to raise legal challenges.
She said “This is an extremely important step towards the removal of BSL /Pit Ban in Miami-Dade County. [Public] support is most appreciated by the over 70,000 Pitties/Staffies and mixes … residing in Miami-Dade County. Remember… this is not only about Pit Bulls, as Breed Specific Legislation criminally discriminates against over 75 targeted breeds.”
Canes continued, “This ridiculous and inhumane ordinance has been here since 1989 and it’s time to go! It is solely responsible for the confiscation and killing of thousands of innocent dogs. Family members, who are left with hefty fines …grieving over their loss… without a logical explanation!”
For more information please go to http://www.unitedagainstbsl.org/.
July 30, 2009
Miami-Dade County: Two decades of BSL has produced no positive results
We like to give special thanks to Karen Delise for writing this article and Laura Allen for posting this on her site, Animal Law Coalition.
In 1989, Miami/Dade County passed an ordinance banning from the county all “pit bull” dogs. The county claimed that pit bulls were different from other dogs, that they inflicted injuries different from the injuries that a person might suffer from another dog, and that they posed a greater danger than other dogs.
The county claimed that the ban would keep the community safer by reducing the number of serious incidents involving dogs.
Has the Miami-Dade ban reduced the number of dog bites? Has it averted severe dog attacks? Has it eliminated dog bite-related fatalities?
Can the county even identify which dogs it has banned?
The answer to all these questions is: NO.
Number of Dog Bites Reported:
There is no evidence that cities or counties, including Miami-Dade, that have enacted breed bans or restrictions have had a greater reduction in the number of reported bites than cities or counties without breed bans or restrictions.
Official reports from health departments and animal control agencies across the country show that the number of dog bites has plummeted to historic lows, despite the significant increase in both the human and dog population. Virtually all areas of the nation have witnessed dramatic reductions in the number of reported dog bites over the past 35+ years (1971-2007). For example; Minneapolis, New York City, and Baltimore, cities that have never enacted breed specific legislation, have experienced drastic reductions in the number of dog bites reported:.
Minneapolis shows an 86% reduction, from 1,692 to 239.
New York City has a 90% reduction, from 37,488 to 3,776.
Baltimore has seen a 91% reduction, from 6,809 to 593.
Miami/Dade has in fact realized a lesser decrease in the number of dog bites reported to Miami-Dade Animal Control — from almost 6000 bites reported in 1979, to 992 in 2007. This decline, of a little more than 80%, is at the lower end of the national trend. Further, most of this decline occurred before the ban was enacted. Between 1979 and 1988, dog bites reported to Miami-Dade Animal Control dropped from almost 6000 to fewer than 2600.
What about severe dog attacks?
Miami-Dade’s breed ban has not made Miami-Dade any safer than the rest of the state.
In enacting its ban in 1989, Miami/Dade argued that pit bulls inflict more serious injuries than other dogs, and promised that banning pit bulls would reduce serious injuries by dogs.
This promise has not been kept.
The percentage of Miami/Dade dog bite incidents that result in the victim’s being hospitalized continues to be higher than the rate for the state as a whole. In 1998, ten years after the breed ban had been enacted, the county’s population was 14% of the total population of Florida; yet it had 18% of the dog bite hospitalizations. In 2007, Miami/Dade’s population was 13% of Florida’s total population, but it had 16% of the state’s dog bite victim hospitalizations. Miami-Dade is the only Florida county with a breed ban.
Fatalities:
With respect to dog bite related fatalities in Miami-Dade, the ban is irrelevant.
Dog bite-related fatalities are, and have always been, vanishingly rare.
Over the past 4 decades there have only been two fatal dog attacks in Miami/Dade; one prior to the pit bull ban, in 1972, and the other in 2006. Neither incident involved a dog reported as a pit bull.
Can Miami-Dade identify the dogs it is trying to ban?
No.
In March of this year, a county hearing officer ruled that the Miami-Dade pit bull ban was too vague to be enforced against a dog named Apollo. In fact, an attorney familiar with the case reported that it is not clear what criteria the county is using to determine whether or not a dog is to be classified as a pit bull, and thus forbidden under the statute.
What can the citizens of Miami-Dade look forward to with respect to its breed ban?
Miami-Dade can expect further expense and judicial proceedings, if they choose to continue the defense of the ban, with no appreciable decrease in dog bites, serious or otherwise, as compared with the rest of the state.
Law-abiding citizens will continue to live in fear that their family pet may be targeted by the ban.
Abusive owners, scofflaws, and criminals will continue to flout the law, and to obtain whatever dog they wish.
Miami-Dade can expect renewed legal challenges, similar to the case of Apollo.
A report published in July, 2009 in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science indicates low correspondence between visual breed identification by adoption agencies when compared with DNA identification of the same dogs. In only 25% of these dogs was at least one of the breeds named by the adoption agencies also detected as a predominant breed by DNA analysis. Predominant breeds were defined as those comprised of the highest percentage of a DNA breed make-up.
Dog bite numbers will remain constant, since the limited resources available for animal services are directed at the physical appearance of the dog, rather than for programs and policies holding owners responsible for the humane care, custody and control of their dogs: the approach that animal experts have consistently identified as contributing to a safer, more humane community.
June 5, 2009
Please read - Motor Oil Poisoning with dogs - Miami
Please go to the attached link and learn about this heart breaking treatment of Patience. This is what we are all fighting for to STOP animal abuse! And “THANK YOU’ to animal rescuers who not only open up their hearts but their homes and wallets.
Blessings fellow rescuers, PLEASE READ this story and share with your groups, Patience & A Home Remedy. After this was shared I was amazed on what a common practice this is, especially in Miami, where she came from. I know you are all way busy, but please read it. She was one of our babies!
Your Rescue Efforts Are Appreciated!
Stacy
Get A Life Pet Rescue
MeetUp Group~ South-Florida-Small-Dog-Social
http://www./twitter.com/GetALifeRescue
June 4, 2009
Don’t blame the dog, blame the owner
We would like to thank South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the author of this great article, Nicole Brochu. Please lets spread the news and lets keep this controversial “dog specific breed band” out in the forefront.
TODAY’S BUZZ
Don’t blame the dog, blame the owner
To suggest that banning pit bulls as a breed will solve the dangerous-dog problem is pure ignorance typical of someone who doesn’t even own a pet and knows little about animals or those who own them. So, Gary, it doesn’t surprise me that your knee-jerk reaction is to zero in on the animal, based purely on its breed, and not the owner.
You want to know why it’s a dumb idea? Of course, you do. Because if bad pet owners don’t have pit bulls around to abuse and make mean, they’ll turn to Rottweilers or German shepherds or Dobermans or Chows or any of the other breeds that also make it to the top of the dangerous-dog list.
Are you going to ban all of them next? Why not just ban dogs altogether? That’ll end the dog-bite problem. Here’s an idea worth chewing on: How about euthanizing the bad pet owner. Now, that’s what I call a benefit to society.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs that are most likely to bite are not necessarily pit bulls, or Mastiffs, or Chows, or any one breed. They are un-neutered males. See? It all comes back to responsible pet ownership.
And you absolutely can require a pet owner be good to their pets — or you can punish them for being bad to their pets. That’s why there are animal cruelty laws — the same laws you scoff at for being overly considerate of animals. Those laws are in place not just for the pure humanity of requiring animals to be treated responsibly, but because it’s also a public safety issue.
There’s also a very good reason why Florida and many other states have prohibited the banning of dogs by breed. For starters, it’s discriminatory and so contrary to basic American principles of fairness, like rejecting someone based solely on their race or religion. More importantly perhaps, it’s also dangerous, because it presents an illusion of a solution, one not supported by science or empirical studies or realistic expectations. A false sense of security can be a scary thing. So can a shortage of humanity, decency and common sense.
May 21, 2009
MCABSL - Dog Fight - Pit bull pan, what pit bull ban?
Dog Fight - Pit bull ban, what pit bull ban?
By Tim Elfrink
Published on May 20, 2009 at 10:18am
We wish to thank Tim Elfrink for writing this article as well as New Times for publishing this article to bring this unfair ban to the spot light.
Back in February 1989, a 7-year-old girl named Melissa Moreira was walking home on SW 18th Terrace near FIU after a night of shopping with her family when a neighbor’s pit bull ran at her and leapt. The dog tore apart the girl’s face and arms as she screamed. It then savaged her mother and grandmother before a neighbor shot it four times in the head. The animal left the girl in critical condition. She survived only after extensive reconstructive surgery to her face.
Soon after that attack, Miami-Dade banned all pit bulls. It was probably the first such countywide measure in the nation. Since then, thousands of the breed have been killed in a drab building near the Palmetto Expressway. In 2008, the county confiscated 802 pit bulls and euthanized more than 650.
Neither Broward nor Palm Beach has such a ban — and dozens of dog owners have fled there with their dogs just to avoid the law. Though national animal groups from the Humane Society of the United States to the American Veterinary Medical Association oppose the ban, workers every month halt scores of animals’ hearts with an overdose of barbiturates and then cart them en masse out the back door.
But thanks to a minuscule 57-year-old woman with a short haircut and a paw print tattooed on her left wrist, that may soon change. Dahlia Canes led a group that won an unprecedented legal victory this past March. And now she has hired a lawyer and plans to mount a lawsuit that just might overturn the measure. “The ban doesn’t work,” she says. “It’s insane that we’re taking them away and killing them.”
The catchall term pit bull actually refers to at least three common breeds of dog — the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier. All three probably descended from bulldogs bred in England in the 1800s for “bull baiting” — brutal bull versus canine blood matches. When the sport was banned in the 1830s, the hardy animals were bred for dog fights instead.
Hundreds came to America with Irish and English immigrants later in the century. By the early 1900s, pit bulls were among the nation’s most popular breeds. The Little Rascals’ dog, Petey, was a pit bull. So was Sgt. Stubby, a beloved WWI mascot that earned dozens of medals in the European trenches with the 102nd Infantry.
Pit bulls didn’t become pariahs until the past two decades, when well-publicized, stomach-churning attacks such as the one on Melissa Moreira led to anti-pit bull laws. Miami’s ban was championed by then Metro-Dade Commissioner Joe Gersten — who famously later fled to Australia after he was caught frolicking with prostitutes in a crack house. It passed 6 to 0 on April 4, 1989, after Moreira’s mother tearfully asked commissioners: “Who in this room is going to bring my child back to the way she was?”
But it didn’t take long for the law’s problems to become obvious.
One owner chained 16 pit bulls to a tree in a Miramar field and left them to starve rather than face the $500 fine for each dog. A month after the ban was approved, the Miami Herald — which initially supported the law — wrote a scathing editorial demanding its repeal. The next year, Florida’s legislature passed a statewide prohibition against “breed-specific” dog laws. Miami-Dade’s rule, however, was grandfathered in.
The law has plenty of supporters, including PETA. In 2001, the Centers for Disease Control reported pit bulls had killed 66 people in the ’80s and ’90s, twice as many as any other kind of dog.
But that statistic is nonsense, says Adam Goldfarb, a Humane Society spokesman. No one has shown that breed-wide bans reduce pit bull assaults. He contends the laws are expensive and almost impossible to enforce. Thousands of pit bull owners flaunt the law every day just by walking their dogs in Miami-Dade. “We don’t believe any one breed of dog is inherently more dangerous than any other breed,” Goldfarb says.
Miami’s ban has met its most ardent — and dangerous — critic in Canes. She fled to Miami in 1959 with her family at age 6 when her father, a member of deposed dictator Fulgenicio Batista’s regime, was forced from Cuba. Her love for animals goes back to her homeland, where she once spent her $12 allowance on a mule.
In 2003, while driving on NW 32nd Avenue, the paralegal spotted a stray dog. When she opened the door, the chocolate-colored mutt leapt into the car and laid its head on Canes’s lap. Though a friend in the back seat shouted, “Watch out — it’s a pit bull!” Canes was in love.
But soon Animal Services discovered Chocolate, as she named the female hound. Canes sent the dog to live in Broward and began her quest to overturn the pit bull ban.
Since then, Canes has adopted dozens of pit bulls and found homes for them in Broward or other places where the canines are legal.
She has also met people like Pierre Bahri, who move north to save their pit bulls. Bahri, an art gallery worker, packed up in December after an Animal Control officer gave him 48 hours to remove two pit bulls from his Wynwood home. He broke his lease and moved to Hollywood. “I love my dogs like they’re my kids,” he says. Thousands of others simply flout the ban. Among them is “Jose,” a 25-year-old Mercedes-Benz employee in Kendall who asked for anonymity because he’s already been cited for his pit bull. Since then, he’s kept his dog in his dark bedroom every day while he works. “I have to hide him like he’s an abomination or something,” he says. “When I walk him, people put their cars in reverse and stare like I’m holding a fucking Bengal tiger.” Canes hopes to change that. She lives in an antique-packed bungalow in Miami Lakes, drives a canary yellow 1980 Fiat convertible, and devotes every hour outside work to fighting the law. In October, she founded a group, called the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. She’s already recruited 80 members.
The new group notched an important win March 18. Canes and her friends took on the case of Leo Mahecha, a 27-year-old Kendall mechanic whose dog, Apollo, was seized by Animal Control.
In an administrative hearing at the South Dade Government Center, the group’s lawyer, Rima Bardawil, argued the county doesn’t have an accurate test for deciding whether dogs are pit bulls. Inspectors rely on a 12-point checklist, with questions such as “Eyes: set far apart?”
The hearing official agreed. Apollo was freed.
“To my knowledge, it’s the first time we’ve ever lost an appeal on a pit bull case like this,” says Dr. Sara Pizano, chief of Animal Services.
Canes was emboldened by the ruling. Bardawil is now compiling a group of people who have lost pit bulls to the county’s ban. They hope to sue the county this summer.
“We’ve gone the political route. We talked to every member on the commission, we went to hearings, and they all said it’s political suicide to overturn the ban,” Canes says. “So we’re suing.”
And they just might win. An Ohio appeals court struck down a Toledo law in 2007 — before the state’s supreme court reversed the verdict.
“It’s a smart approach,” says Humane Society spokesman Goldfarb.
Pizano, who’s charged with enforcing the ban, says it’s up to politicians to decide whether the law makes sense. But she allows that “it’s devastating for our staff to euthanize any animal.” Since Pizano took over three years ago, her staff has had to kill more than 1,800 pit bulls.
Additional facts about the pit bull case won in Miami on March 18th, 2009
Edel Miedes, an experienced dog trainer and behaviorist in South Florida, of www.K9ADVISORS.com testified in the case of Leo Mahecha and his dog Apollo as an expert witness under the Miami-Dade pitbull ban ordinance category of animal behaviorist. Edel successfully testified against Miami-Dade Animal Services Animal Control Officer, Luis Salgado, whom wrongfully labeled Apollo as a pitbull. Salgado was backed and guided by Miami-Dade assistant county attorney, Dennis Kerbel. During the hearing on March 18th, Kerbel asked such ridiculous questions such as “were the dog’s eye round” and “were the mucles… muscular”. Kerbel’s lame attempts at discrediting Edel’s breed knowledge were unsuccessful, thus the hearing officer sided with Edel’s testimony and ruled that based on all evidence provided, Apollo, a 90-lb Mastiff mix, is not a pitbull.
Shortly after, there was much celebration from all members of the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation www.UnitedAgainstBSL.org and many Miami-Dade County residents alike.
May 13, 2009
EXCELLENT article regarding the TRUTH about the American Pit Bull Terrier.
We like to thank Sonnet Dashevskaya for writing this article and helping to get the truth out about American Pit Bull Terriers.
EXCELLENT article regarding the TRUTH about the American Pit Bull Terrier. They are truly amazing. I just adopted one that had been at a shelter for five years. He is amazing - so affectionate, sweet, cuddly and it’s like he reads my
mind - they just love to please. Please read and send to everyone; they deserve some good press.
A Letter To Peta
In Memory of Jocee - Rescued from hell 12 years ago to live the wonderful life of a cherished pet until she passed
at 14 years of age…. A letter to Ingrid Newkirk, President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in response to “Some Dogs are
Weapons - Ban Them”
Dear Ms. Newkirk,
I was under the impression that PETA was dedicated to helping animals. That was until I found out that you support a mass-euthanasia policy for the most abused, persecuted and misunderstood breed of dog - the American Pit Bull Terrier. For generations, the Pit Bull has been beloved for its loyalty, strength, versatility, bravery, and intelligence. Contrary to beliefs held by those unfamiliar with the breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the most stable, people-friendly dogs in existence. I have been working with Pit Bulls for years and currently volunteer for a Pit Bull rescue group. Over the past year, our local rescue group has placed over 100 Pit Bulls into loving homes with absolutely no problems whatsoever. We get them straight from the city animal shelter, and most of the time we do not know the dog’s history. It is evident that
most of them have been abused and neglected. We take these dogs right from the pound to the veterinarian where they get a bath and shots and a full examination. They are obviously scared, but none have ever tried to bite us. Once, three of us lifted a huge 90 pound male Pit Bull into the bath. He was afraid of the water coming out of the hose, but he never once growled or even showed his teeth. He was shaking, but he never showed any signs of aggression. You would think that if a Pit Bull was going to attack, that it would happen when they were frightened. Yet time and time again we save dogs, put them through the same routine at the veterinarian, and none have ever even tried to bite us.
Actually, several of our rescued Pit Bulls have been adopted by veterinarians. . Did you know that the National Canine Temperament Testing Association tested 122 breeds, and Pit Bulls placed the 4th highest with a 95% passing rate? I hope you can imagine the shock and disbelief I felt when I read your “Some Dogs are Weapons - Ban Them” article. I do not understand why you believe that banning Pit Bulls would be a good thing. Gang member types, who own these dogs for the wrong reasons, are the ones who need to be dealt with. They need to be charged with animal cruelty and put in jail. Please do not support the punishment of Pit Bulls for the sins of some of the unscrupulous people who own them. There are many kind and responsible people who have Pit Bulls as members of their family. These dogs do not pose a threat to anyone. We should not be denied our loving Pit Bull companions because some people chose to make their dogs aggressive. Also, if Pit Bulls are banned they will still be in the hands of the criminal because they have no respect for the law. Criminals will still fight Pit Bulls and breed Pit Bulls. The only people a pit bull ban will hurt, will be the law-abiding good citizens who can provide loving homes for them. Pit Bull rescue groups would not be able to operate if they were banned. We would not be able to rescue Pit Bulls from the shelter and adopt them out.
Backyard breeders would be the only ones creating Pit Bulls and rescue would not have the ability to continue its good work.
STUBBY, PitBull Terrier mix, WWI. The most decorated war dog in U..S. history. When Pit Bulls enjoyed being the nation’s most popular dog during the W.W.I. era, there were no problems with vicious Pit Bull attacks. Pit Bulls were not banned anywhere. America’s first war dog was a Pit Bull named Stubby who earned several medals and the rank of sergeant for his service in W.W.I. He received a hero’s welcome and was even honored at the White House. He inspired the U.S. Military K-9 Corps. He also went on to become Georgetown University’s mascot.
Did you know that the Little Rascals’ Petey was an American Pit Bull Terrier? Would the parents of the Little Rascals let their children be in such close contact with a Pit Bull day after day if they feared that Petey could suddenly attack them without warning? Of course not. Petey was by far one of the most well trained and intelligent dogs. I urge you to rent some of the Little Rascals’ episodes that feature Petey. Lassie, the Collie, bit her trainer several times. Petey never did such a thing. In fact, the only dog that has ever bitten me happened to be my sister-in-law’ s 9-year-old Collie. Now I thought “Lassie” was supposed to be a great family dog. Even though I was bitten by a Collie, I certainly would not advocate the breed being banned.
What are your thoughts on Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds? These are also big powerful dogs who can do a lot of damage if they attack. Many of these dogs are also abused and trained to be people-aggressive. Should we ban them as well? Or what about wolves? What about sharks and poisonous snakes? Should we ban them too, and kill all the ones we come in contact with because they have the potential to cause harm? Cars, knives and cigarettes are not banned, yet they cause many deaths. How can you possibly support an animal shelter euthanizing Pit Bull puppies and completely docile and adoptable Pit Bulls? I thought PETA stood for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It is not fair to exclude Pit Bulls. Fortunately, there are actually a lot of animal shelters who do not believe in such a discriminatory practice and can
see past this “witch hunt” mentality. Perhaps you believe that banning Pit Bulls would protect them from being adopted by the wrong type of person? What really prevents this from happening is spaying and neutering. Pit Bull abusers not only want to fight their dogs but breed them as well.. They quickly lose interest in adopting an altered dog. The Town Lake Animal Center in Austin, Texas is just one facility that frequently adopts out Pit Bulls. In fact, the State of Texas does not allow breed-specific legislation. We have dangerous dog laws which deal with individual dogs, instead of entire breeds. Did you know that animal control officers often adopt Pit Bulls? Some cities that do not have Pit Bull bans include: San Francisco, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Stamford, CT; St. Paul, MN; Las Cruces, NM; Seattle, WA and Toronto, Canada to name a few. Also, Pit Bull bans in Sweden have been rescinded. Pit Bull rescue groups have very high standards and extremely strict adoption qualifications. The rescue group I volunteer for, The Chako Rescue Association for the American Pit Bull Terrier, has an extensive adoption application, we run background checks, check veterinary references, require the dogs be indoor dogs (to prevent them from being stolen), and we also
do surprise home inspections. . Our adoption contract also entitles us to confiscate the dog and charge a fine of $2,000 if there is evidence of dog fighting. You see, there are ways to ensure that Pit Bulls find their way to loving homes and are protected and cared for. Banning the breed will accomplish nothing but more suffering for the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Hellen Keller and her dog. Did you know that Helen Keller even had a Pit Bull as her canine companion? Pit Bulls are widely used as therapy dogs, even today. Because of their high pain threshold and stable temperament, they do not bite or snap when accidentally bumped by a wheelchair or walker.
RCA, Alaska first certified hearing dog Alaska’s first hearing dog was a Pit Bull named RCA. The Chako Rescue Association for the American Pit Bull Terrier has a therapy dog program that exclusively uses Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls also excel at search-and-rescue. This breed is one of the most loving and loyal breeds that exist today. In your article you state, “The pit bull’s ancestor, the Staffordshire terrier, is a human concoction, bred in my native England, I’m ashamed to say, as a weapon. These dogs were designed specifically to fight other animals and kill them, for human sport”. This is not entirely correct information. The American Pit Bull Terrier is a descendent of the original English bull-baiting Bulldog and has historically been bred with working/performance goals in mind, including, unfortunately, fighting. Original Bulldogs were used to fight bulls and bears, and these blood sports were extremely popular and a part of daily life in England around 1800. These people-friendly bulldogs were so loved, that in the town of Wednesbury, in Staffordshire County, the church bells rang in celebration of the birth of a famous
fighting dog’s pups. In fact, if a female Bulldog died during the whelping of the pups, lactating women of Staffordshire would raise the puppies by suckling them at their own breasts! And you say these dogs are weapons that are dangerous to human beings? England made blood sports illegal in 1835, and that is when dogfighting became popular. Dogfighting pits required hardly any space, and it was easy to hold the contests in secret. American Pit Bull Terriers were bred to be submissive to man, and human aggression was actually bred out of the breed. This is
because the people who fought them, and their family members, would break up the dogfights and tend wounds. They could not tolerate a dog that was aggressive toward people, or their families would be in danger. Any dog that showed aggression toward a human being was immediately taken out and killed. Currently, the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeder’s Association recognize and register the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed. In fact, the UKC was founded in 1898, and the Pit Bull was its first recognized breed. The AKC recognizes the American Staffordshire Terrier.. The American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier are two closely related breeds, with
the American Staffordshire Terrier being, in theory, a non-game-bred off-shoot of the APBT. Conformationally, the two breeds are very similar, and many dogs are dual registered.. Pit Bulls tend to be more dog-aggressive, but they are extremely people friendly. Then again it depends on the individual dog. I have seen Pit Bulls get along perfectly with all kinds of dogs and even cats. A good friend of mine has a Pit Bull who loves other dogs snuggles with the cat everyday.
You also mention that your office has a file drawer full of “Pit Bull” attacks. Did you know that a lot of times a reporter will say that a dog attack was committed by a Pit Bull just to get a story? Also, animal control officers frequently respond to reports of “Pit Bull” attacks, yet when they arrive on the scene, they discover that the dog is nothing close to a Pit Bull. When a true American Pit Bull Terrier, does a good deed, they rarely get recognition. The Ken-L-Ration Dog Hero of 1993 was a Pit Bull named Weela. She saved 30 people, 29 dogs, 13 horses
and a cat during a flood in Southern California. When Reader’s Digest published the story, they absolutely REFUSED to print that Weela was a Pit Bull. This same heroic dog saved her owner’s son from a rattlesnake.
Popsicle, drug sniffing dog. There are other Pit Bull heroes. Recently, a pregnant Pit Bull named Blueberry saved her family from armed robbers who invaded their home. Blueberry got shot, but she scared off the attackers and luckily she and her pups survived. Another Pit Bull in Austin, Texas jumped up and took a bullet in the chest to protect his guardian. This dog also survived. Another Pit Bull named Bogart saved a four-year-old boy from drowning in a swimming pool. In Chicago recently, another Pit Bull saved a small child from being attacked by another dog of a different breed.. Other Pit Bulls are currently being used to detect narcotics for the federal government. One of them was found as a puppy in a freezer during a drug raid. One of the officers happened to find him, and he was still alive. He is now one of his best canine officers. This story was covered by People Magazine. If any of these wonderful dogs were unfortunate enough to find themselves at an animal shelter with an anti-Pit Bull policy, they would be euthanized, purely based on their breed. I still do not understand how you could support a euthanization policy for all Pit Bulls. It is completely incomprehensible to me especially because you are the president of an animal rights organization. I am very sad and disappointed to see you advocating the extinction of a breed of dog. Pit Bulls are the most misunderstood and persecuted of all breeds. Not only are they hurt by abusive owners and breed bans, but the media often portrays Pit Bulls as monsters. Even MTV plays a rap video that glamorizes Pit Bull fighting. You said “Pit bulls are perhaps the most abused dogs on the planet”. I urge you to please do something positive to help them and stop adding salt to the wounds.
Pit Bulls also deserve love and ethical treatment.
Sincerely,
Sonnet Dashevskaya
April 20, 2009
“STOP GAS CHAMBERS!”
We need your help in North Carolina to shut down gas chambers and other cruel methods of killing shelter animals. The North Carolina bill, H.B. 6, Davie’s Law, is in trouble. Opponents want to offer a bill that would leave use of the gas chamber to the discretion of a local veterinarian or official. You know what that means. Yes, nothing will change. It’s a smokescreen to get people to think it means the end of gas chambers. But it means they will be able to continue being used to kill animals.
Enough is enough. North Carolina Beverly Perdue said during her campaign last fall that she opposed gas chambers. So we need Gov. Perdue to step up and help shut down these cruel contraptions. It won’t cost more to shut down the gas chambers and, in fact, a 2009 North Carolina study shows using euthanasia by injections costs less.
Go here to find contact information and talking points for Gov. Perdue and write or call her on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 and urge her to do what is right and stop the use of these gas chambers and other cruel methods of killing. http://www.animallawcoalition.com/gas-chambers/article/863