On Wednesday, Ontario MPP Cheri DiNovo officially proposed a bill that would repeal the provincial ban on 'pit bulls' while dog owners assembled in Queen's Park - many (Like the one pictured left) dawning muzzles because of the existing law requiring them for dogs that were grandfathered in under the ordinance.
She was joined for the ceremony by Lawyer Clayton Ruby. "The craziness is in thinking how you can judge a dog's dangerousness bay how he looks," said Ruby.
DiNovo noted that the government's ban has had no real impact on public safety and has led to the deaths of thousands of dogs since the ban was put in place. "It's a badly drafted piece of legislation," said DiNovo. "All breed specific bans do is harm the owners and the dogs. It's kind of a gudge law. Yes, we should have violent dog legislation, but we should go after the dog, not breed specific stuff."
The Liberal party in Ontario still holds the majority of the seats and Premier Dalton McGuinty says he has no plans to revisit the law, so DiNovo's bill has an uphill climb to get passed. However, it is worth noting that a lot has changed since the bill was passed in 2005. One of the staunchest supporters of the breed ban in 2005 - -then attorney general Michale Bryant - was arrested two months ago after using his car to run over a bicyclist in the streets of Toronto.
Meanwhile, when the bill passed in 2005, there were 44 experts who testified in the initial hearings -- 43 of them opposed the breed specific law. When the ban got sent to court under a plea of it being unconstitutional, Tom Skeldon -- a man that two years later was forced out of his own township for being inadequate at his job -- was the only dog warden in all of North America that Bryant could get to testify about why the bill was needed.
So now, four years later, the biggest proponent of the bill, and his lone "expert" witness, have both been removed from positions of authority -- so the landscape for people opposing the bill has definitely changed.
Best of luck for the dogs and dog owners in Ontario as the bill to repeal their ridiculous law moves forward. More info can be found at Frogdog Blog and more pictures and commentary at One Bark at a Time.
Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon submitted a letter of resignation today.
Skeldon's official last day will be January 31st, 2010 -- however, most of that time will be using some of his accrued vacation time. His last day in the office will be December 31st, 2009.
The announcement comes nine days after Commissioner Ben Konop offically announced a proposal to fire Skeldon -- and proposal that was voted against by the other two commissioners Pete Gerken and Skeldon's 1st Counsin Tina Skeldon Wozniak.
Skeldon has been coming under increased fire over the past year. Most of the roll against Skeldon began last winter afterone of Skeldon's staff shot a tranquilizer into a small dog that was "loose" on his own porch -- with enough of a dosage that the dog died.
As people began investigating Skeldon, they found the shelter to continue to operate with a very high kill rate (77%) and an extremely low 13% adoption rate. They found a dog warden that was unwilling to work with rescue groups. And dogs were dying.
A committee was assembled to provide recommendations on improvements to be made at the shelter -- improvements that Skeldon, throughout, has been reluctant to even admit were problems. The Toledo Blade continue to run editorials and editorial cartoons calling for Skeldon's dismissal. The committee recommended some strict new rules last week one of which was to cease the killing of puppies. Skeldon responded by killing 10 healthy puppies after holding them for only one day.
Konap responded to the killing yesterday by saying. "It makes me physically ill to think the county is in some sense sanctioning this behavior. There is no excuse for this. To me, it shows beyond a reasonable doubt why there needs to be changes in leadership at the dog warden....I can't imagine any logical reason to kill 10 healthy, non-"pit bull" puppies in less than 24 hours after they were turned in. It's disgusting."
Indeed.
And under the mounting pressure, Skeldon resigned. And soon, the citizens of Toledo will get a new dog warden -- and hopefully one that doesn't think killing is a major part of his job description.
Last week, in the wake of the reality that Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon is a dog killer, The Toledo Blade has begun reporting a listing of all dogs adopted, and all dogs killed, at the Lucas County shelter at least until changes are made in the shelter. From the 11/14 report, which features 17 dogs killed, and 4 adopted, it seems that little is being done in the short term to bring an end to shelter killing.
But it is a dog on the 11/13 report that caught the eye of one of my readers in the comment section, that is th inspiration for the blog posting. Here's the part of the report:
Dogs Killed
"Pit bull," tan/white young female "with pink toe nail polish," North University, Toledo, running at large, no muzzle
Reading this can't help but break your heart. Obviously, this dog was someone's dog. Clearly behind the scenes here was an owner that cared dearly about their dog....they loved the dog so much they POLISHED HER TOENAILS. This isn't some inner city dog fighter like Tom Skeldon would have you believe is the "typical" pit bull owner and why he needs a ban. It was a caring person, who clearly had a connection with their dog.
Somehow, the dog got free (which anyone who owns a dog can tell you, can happen, even to a responsible owner), ended up in the animal shelter, and killed.
Now, most shelters would have workers and volunteers who are compassionate about animals. They would see this dog, realize the dog had an owner, and work their butts off to find that owner. They would post flyers in the North University area. They would talk to neighbors (I mean, come on, someone HAS to know the owner of the pit bull that polishes their toenails) and would work to find the owner who loved this dog. But this was in Toledo, where only 13% of the dogs make it out alive, and thus, the dog is dead.
But then that got me thinking, what about the dogs in shelters across the U.S. that have owners, but aren't wearing pink toenail polish?
Dogs can get loose for a variety of reasons. Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I were out hiking and at the trail head, this dog came up to us. We pet the dog and checked out his collar -- his name was Huck. We have Huck some of our peanut butter sandwhich, a couple of carrots and a little drink of water. Huck was a little dirty and we couldn't find an owner, anywhere. We called the phone number on his tag and no one answered. We decided that most likely someone was looking for the dog and that we would leave him there. If Huck was there when we finished the hike, then we'd start searching for his owners.
We later met a woman on the trail, who was a little frantic that her dog had somehow wandered off while they were out hiking together and she didn't know where he went. I assume Huck and his owner were reunited.
But the moral of the story is, this was a caring owner, who was taking their dog out hiking, and the dog got loose. It happens. And the dog, gone from his owner for no more than a couple of hours had found water and mud and had gotten dirty. He looked a little disheveled.
But what would have happened if Huck had made it to a shelter and somehow lost his tags? Would the shelter have assumed that he was abandoned out in the woods? Would they have assumed that he was homeless because he was so dirty? Would they have assumed that the owner was not caring and irresponsible for letting their dog run free? Or ould they have busted their butts to try to find Huck's human hiking companion?
I guess my point is that a lot of dogs that find their way into the shelter are owned dogs. They have owners who love them, care about them, and sometimes paint their toenails pink. But what if their toenails aren't pink? What if the signs of ownership are not as obvious and the dog is a little dirty. Do we assume the dog is a stray? Or assume the dog is lost? And what resources do we put into finding the dog's home vs finding the dog a new home?
Do we think lost, not stray, even when the dog does not wear pink toenail polish or have other obvious signs of being owned? We should.
Last week, the New York Times ran a great article on various animal groups around the country that are helping people in low-income areas to provide food for their pets.
Pets make wonderful companions for people of all income levels, but sometimes it can be very difficult for people to financially afford the best for their pets. While some can judge the folks as not properly caring for their pets, to them, it's the best they can do.
Ollie Davidson, of the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago realizes he's helping both parties when they help pets: "We're helping people," he said. "In times of stress, it's always good to keep people with their pets."
And the help also allows dogs and cats that might otherwise end up in a crowded shelter from ending up there --- and any opportunity to keep a pet in a home is a great opportunity.
The Times article features several groups around the country, including Spay/Neuter Kansas City and Northland Pet Food Pantry in my city, that are helping people with low incomes to have adequate food, dog houses, dog bedding, etc. It really is a great program and I'm thrilled to have them in our city. Other groups featured were Tree House Humane Society and PAWS in Chicago, the Petco Foundation and their "We are Familie Too" program, Young at Heart Pet Rescue's Nina's Pet Food Pantry of Palentine, IL, and Northeast Community Lutheran Church in Minneapolis -- which is also providing pet food for needy families.
There's also a great photo album associated with the story here (go for no other reason than to check out the picture of the beautiful red bully). Most of the pics are from Kansas City.
The article ran in a special "giving" section of the newspaper last week.
If you have organizations like these in your home town, I strongly recommend a simple food donation, or time donation to help deliver the food, to help these organziations out. And if your city doesn't have one, how many human and animal lives can be improved if you started one? Don't hesitate. Start one in your home town.
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Meanwhile, there is a second story that I think is a must read. The story involves a dog named Oreo (get it, he's black and white). Oreo's owner was apparently a piece of crap of an individual and decided to throw Oreo off the side of a 6 story building. Oreo sustained major injuries including two broken legs, and a broken rib.
The ASPCA in New York raised money for Oreo and helped him to recover from his physical injuries -- unfortunately, Oreo wasn't able to overcome his emotional ones -- at least not in the time that the ASPCA alloted. The ASPCA determined that Oreo was too aggressive to go into a home*. Another organization, Pets Alive, that apparently specializes in dealing with rehabilitating dogs like Oreo, offered to take Oreo from the ASPCA and work on his rehabilitation -- and even if he was never able to be completely rehabbed, would be allowed to live out his life in their Sanctuary where dogs get walks and attention every day from volunteers.
* I should note that Oreo seems very calm in this photo taken by the ASPCA and far from "overly" aggressive"
The ASPCA opted to kill Oreo instead.
First off, I must say, that I support rescue groups' decisions to euthanize dogs that really are too aggressive to adopt into homes. There are too many great dogs in the world to not take that risk.
But I also believe that the vast majority of dogs with behavioral issues can be rehabilitated with tons of love and training by a dedicated person or group of people. And I believe that euthanasia is the "solution" only when there are absolutely no other options. It is the very last option, the end of the line. It's the end of the line for the dog, and thus, should be our very last resort.
It sounds as if the ASPCA euthanized Oreo, even though other options were available for Oreo. And I do have a problem with that.
I'm not going to go into a lot of details on this -- instead, I'll provide some links -- but I just want to emphasize that euthanasia is the VERY LAST RESORT, the end of the line, for pets. It should only be used when every single other safe option has been exhausted. And we need to hold our national organizations like the ASPCA to that standard.
Meanwhile, it sounds like Oreo's owner, Fabian Henderson,is scheduled for sentencing on December 1st after pleading guilty to aggravated animal cruelty.
Pets Alive Blog -- Failing Oreo.
ASPCA to Euthanize Oreo - from the New York Animal Welfare Examiner.
Deluge of pleas to spare Oreo thrown off roof -- the NY Times Blog
Oreo the abused pit bull is euthanized -- The New York Times
Oreo is dead, the blame game is not -- The Gothamist
ASPCA Statemen on the Euthanasia of Oreo - the ASPCA
ASPCA Euthanizes Oreo -- YesBiscuit!
The meaning of Oreo - Winograd
"Unsaved": When the shelter that "rescues" a dog turns around and kills her -- Pet Connection
It's been quite a week. Puerto Rico and Oak Harbor, WA each voted to repeal their respective breed bans, while Ontario announced that there will be a new bill pushing for the repeal of theirs. Meanwhile, BSL proponent and dog killer Tom Skeldon remains under harsh fire in Lucas County, OH. It's hard to not look at all of this and realize that the side of common sense, decency and respect for animals is winning....in spite of the occassional bump in the road.
Onto the week's other stories:
Cities and Laws
Ignoring the recommendations of all of the experts in the community, Hays, KS passed an ordinance that will requires all 'pit bulls' to be licensed, muzzled and microchipped.
A man in Peach Tree City, GA is asking for the city council to require special requirements for pit bull owners. If you live in or near PTC, be sure to contact your city commissioners and help them understand why this isn't the correct action to take and provide them with viable alternatives.
The city of Elkhart, IN decided against breed specific regulations in the city.
Auburn, CA has also decided against BSL. In fact, they deny even considering it. I still wonder if the concerns about BSL were real, or if they were completely fabricated by the media.
Lincoln, NE is considering some changes to their dangerous dog laws. At this point, they still seem to be focusing on behavior-based ordinances, however, if you are in the area, it is worth keeping an eye on.
Las Vegas appears to be eyeing laws that mandate spay/neuter for all owned pets -- -but are considering this because of a concerns over a growing feral cat population. How a law that requires owned pets be sterilized will affect non-owned pets is beyond me....
Dog bites/attacks
An Eaton Township Veterinarian was bitten by two Cane Corsos that she was trying to rescue that were wandering along the side of the road.
A Chihuahua in Washington County, MD was attacked and killed by a German Shepherd.
Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath's dog, a Yellow Labrador Retriever, has been declared dangerous by Palm Beach County Animal Control after it bit its third person in three years.
A 68 year old Jacksonville, FL woman was attacked by a 100 pound Rottweiler that was roaming at large.
A Detroit area woman was attacked by two at-large pit bulls. Residents in the neighborhood had called several times aobut the ogs the animal control officials had yet to show up to pick them up.
A 77 year old Boston woman was attacked by an English Bulldog. The dog reportedly bit the same woman two weeks prior.
A three year old child in Walton, GA was attacked by a 'pit bull' that was chained outside to a doghouse. No one knows what caused the dog to attack -- which then begs the question of why the three year old was roaming around with no supervision. At least the head of the Police Department notes that the attack was not a breed issue.
A tiny Maltese was killed when it was attacked by a Siberian Husky.
A greyhound is responsible for killing a small pomeranian at a dog park in Barrington, RI.
In Tonganoxie, KS, a two year old boy was bitten by mixed breed dog whom the boy attempted to "kiss". Earlier this summer, the small community of Tonganoxie decided it wanted to keep its breed ban in spite of both town veterinarians and their local Humane Society being opposed to it. Educating people on what really leads to dog attacks, vs focusing on breeds, continues to be a better way to protect the public from dog attacks.
The UK Dangerous Dogs Act
A man's German Shepherd in Edinburgh, Scotland is repsonsible for attacking a woman. In spite the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK that banned four breeds of dogs, bites continue to go up because the real cause of such attacks are irresponsible pet owners, not dog breeds -- and the act focused on the wrong end of the leash.
Another story from out of the UK about an Alaskan Malamute that attacked a young boy. In most of the areas surrounding where this article is from, dog bites have nearly doubled in the past 3-5 years.
Again in the UK, a Black Labrador was destroyed after it was found guilty of attacking two children.
City Hall summit in London about the rise in "weapon dogs" on London streets.
Abuse Cases
A Barnesville, GA man was arrested after he abandoned his home an left a 'pit bull' chained on the front porch where the dog starved to death and died.
Positive Press
There are misunderstood dog breeds - -from Dover, NH.
Main Line Animal Rescue is taking its pro-pit bull, anti Michael Vick Message on the road.
Dozens of the 'pit bulls' rescued from the large dog fighting bust in five midwestern states last year were declared fit to go to rescue groups last week and began getting shipped to various rescues across the country. Great video on this one. The resiliency of these dogs to leave horrible situations and to still love and trust people is absolutely amazing - -and is another excellent example of the power of nurture to override nature in canine behavior.
A six year old 'pit bull' service dog in Scandia, MN that has been helping people and changing people's perceptions of the breed is suffering from cancer.
The Dane County, WI Humane Society is encouranging people to adopt pit bulls. "We just treat them like every other dog" they say.
Animal Experts: Pit Bulls the Perfect Pet
Miscellanious
An article about the success of off-leash dog parks in Rhode Island.
Ban bad owners, fix the pit bull problem? A solid editorial from out of Flint, MI.
The Memphis Animal Shelter -- two weeks later
Brighton, CO officers undergo animal training after 2008 dog shooting -- trying to end the senseless killing of pets that often comes when officers don't understand canine behavior.
Blogs/Articles/videos worth reading/watching
A great video on the Denver Pit Bull Ban -- from the folks at Animal Ark.
Lessons from an Andy Warhol Tote Bag - -from Winograd.
While Rome Burns, Emperor Pacelle Strums his Lyre - also from Winograd
The Truth About Tom "Dog Killer" Skeldon - -a great look at the history of Skeldon's rein of terror in Lucas County, OH from For the Pit Bulls
