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
So, I was out of town last weekend getting some much needed R&R, so I have two weeks worth of news to go through today, so I'll probably be a lot shorter on commentary today. There is a LOT of stuff going on out there in the BSL/No Kill worlds, so I should have a good week of stuff coming up. For now, onto the roundup.
Cities and Laws
A host of cities in California rushed through talks of municiple bans on cat declawing before the state law that prohibits such bans takes effect. Santa Monica and San Francisco each passed restrictions that call for potential jail time for violators who declaw their cats. Los Angeles is also considering such a law. While I don't personally support cat declawing, I do think outlawing it is short-sighted and will impede progress in the no kill movement.
Hays, KS is still talking about potential restricions on owners of particular breeds of dogs. If you are in Hays, be sure to keep in touch with your commissioners.
Independence, KY has a new ordinance that allows animal control officers to declare a dog dangerous based on its behavior -- even before it bites. Independence had been discussing breed specific regulations, but realized that targeting laws based on behavior vs breed is more effective.
Elkhart County, IN is looking at a new animal control ordinance that could end up being breed-specific.
Shelter experts in Elgin, IL recommended to the city to NOT go with Breed Specific Regulations. Experts across the country are unanimously opposed to breed specific regulations because they are not effective, and not warranted.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter ordinance is withdrawn from the city of New Orleans -- which is great news.
Jackson, TN also voted down a push for mandatory spay/neuter in their community.
Dallas' Mandatory Spay/Neuter ordinance is taxing local groups that are trying to help low-income pet owners comply with the law.
Dog bites and attacks
In Tulsa, a 1 year old girld was critically injured when she wandered outside unattended and up to a 'pit bull' that was owned by the family while it was eating. I actuaally am pretty pleased that Fox News in Tulsa actually covered the fact that the dog being chained as its primary form of containment was a bad idea, and that children shouldn't be left alone around dogs -- particularly when they are eating.
A Vista, CA boy is recovering after being attacked by two Rottweilers.
Another dog attack in Omaha -- this one involving a Rottweiler. Omaha continues to have an increase in dog bites in the city after focusing all of their emphasis on particular breeds of dogs instead of upon responsible dog ownership.
A Labrador Retriever in Pindale, WY killed a small Pomeranian. While many people continue to hold onto the idea that only pit bulls are dog aggressive, the reality remains that dog aggression -- while usually minor -- can manifest itself in all breeds without appropriate socialization.
A six year old girl in Indianapolis was bitten in the face by a Husky mix at her insurance office.
A nine year old Australian girl sustain major facial injuries after being bitten by the family's Alaskan Malamute that wanted to eat her breakfast.
A 65 year old North Carolina woman has been upgraded from critical condition to serious condition after being attacked by a pack of wild dogs.
An 11 year old Provo, UT boy was attacked by a German Shepherd that jumped the fence and attacked him.
A 10 year old Texas boy was attacked by a stray "German Shepherd". Neighbors said the dog had been roaming the neighborhood for several days.
Some dogs in Bulgaria were put down after a child was killed by a group of street dogs. The dogs are a bunch of skinny mongrel dogs. Dogs that become aggressive come in all shapes and sizes...it is upbringing and training that matter.
Abuse Cases
Memphis Mayor AC Wharton fired Animal Services Director Ernst Alexander this week. Investigations into the horrific abuse cases associated with the shelter are ongoing, but Alexander is now justifiably out.
An off duty state trooper in Elkhart, IA shot a Labrador Retriever he said was being aggressive. The owners think the action was unneccessary.
A Cambridge, MD man is facing 8 charges on counts of animal cruelty for the way he was keeping a litter of pit bull puppies in the dark with no room to exercise.
A breeder in Denver has been accused of selling sick and dying puppies to unsuspecting families. This is why if you want to get a new pet, you should either adopt, or get one from a well-respected breeder.
The Humane Society in Hamilton, OH is seeking help for a 'pit bull' pup that was rescued and was nearly starved to death.
Positive Press
Some positive press out in Denver surrounding a fundraising event for Colorado Pit Bull Rescue.
From the Toledo area, "Dog Advocate says 'pit bulls' are unfairly demonized". It's a great article -- nice job Ledy. Here's another story on her presentation.
The National Dog Show (televised on Thanksgiving Day) will feature some alumni of the show with a particular spotlight on Therapy Dogs. One of the therapy dogs will be Rufus, a Bull Terrier that won best in show in 2005. Rufus would be included in breed bans across the US as one of the "pit bull' breeds. "Rufus dispells so many myths", says commentator David Frei. "Some communities target the breed, calling them dangerous merely based on appearance. Of course, it's ridiculous, and Rufus is out there proving how ridiculous it is. He adores children."
KCMO has welcomed some new canines to their police force.
A pit bull brings joy to residents of an assisted living facility in Florida.
Animal Advocates trying to clear misconceptions about pit bulls - this from Salt Lake City.
Miscellanious
A four year old boy was hit by a train while chasing his dog that got away. The boy will be ok (thankfully), but even more reinforcement behind the idea that people should take special efforts to train their dog to "come" for their own safety, as well as the safety of the dog.
A Fresno family has been forbidden from ever owning pit bulls again after they have had three aggressive dogs seized from them. Seems like they should keep them from owning ANY dog again, no just 'pit bulls'. By cracking down on problem owners like this we can make a real difference in public safety.
Critics in San Francisco are accusing the SPCA of valuing money over animal welfare.
A really good audio piece by Ryan O'Meara in the UK about how the Country-wide breed ban is costing the taxpayers in the UK millions of pounds, and has done nothing to improve pubic safety.
What a dog can do that Mike Vick can't -- a good feature on how one of Mike Vick's therapy dogs, Leo, is changing how kids perceive pit bulls -- in a way that Mike Vick could never do.
What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Stay in Vegas -- Winograd takes an empassioned view from the Best Friends Conference in Las Vegas on moving the No Kill Movement forward.
It's been kind of a crazy week. A lot of stuff going on -- includingDenver's continued problems with their ban and more problems for breed ban enthusiast Tom Skeldon in Toledo. Also, Best Friends is hosting their annual No More Homeless Pets Conference out in Las Vegas this weekend -- but thanks to new technology a lot of folks are providing instant feedback from the conferences and it sounds like the conference is going great. You can follow along on Best Friends' blog for yourself -- and Christie has been live blogging from there as well. I'll collect a few of the posts after the conference is over because I have a few comments I want to make. Yesterday was also National Pit Bull Awareness Day -- I'll be posting some stories from that this week. On to the rest of the week's stories:
Cities and Laws
Madison County, GA is discussing animal control options after a five year old boy was attacked by an Akita earlier this month.
Auburn, CA is supposedly discussing the idea of a breed ban in the city. State law in California does not allow for individual cities to impose bans on certain breeds.
The Seattle Humane Society has come out against the proposed breed ban in Bothell, WA.
Jackson, MS is eyeing new dangerous dog legislation -- including potentially Breed Specific Legislation.
Lincoln, NE continues to explore options for their dangerous dog law that are not breed specific -- although they aren't completely ruling out BSL, it is definitely not their first option.
Las Vegas is now looking at a potential law that would mandate that all pets be spayed or neutered. While targeted low-cost programs have proven effective at reducing pet populations, mandatory programs have not proven effective.
Residents in Mashpee, MA voted overwhelmingly against breed specific legislation in their community.
Southgate, MI is still considering a new dangerous dog ordinance.
Dog bites
A Crystal River, FL man was attacked when four dogs that lived at his neighbor's house got under the fence and began to attack him and his dog. The attacking dogs are believed to be Mastiffs.
A 19 month old Tennessee child was severely bitten by a Greate Dane. The dog was apparently new to the family and the owner set the food bowl down near the dog and the child in order to answer the door and that's when the dog bit the young child.
A 10 year old Miami-Dade County boy was hospitalized after he was bitten by a Husky mix.
An Everett, WA man nearly died after he was bitten in the hand by one of his dogs. His two dogs, one a Labrador/Blue Heeler mix, got in a fight in the yeard and he got bitten trying to break up the fight. A few days later the man was suffering from a serious infection from the bite and nearly died.
A UK Rottweiler was given a Muzzle order after it attacked a 10 year old girl. The UK banned 4 different breeds of dogs in 1991 and have continued to see an increase in dog bites in their community.
A Piercetown, IN woman was severely attacked by a 'pit bull' that was chained out in front of her son's home. The woman came to visit her son, but the chained dog was able to reach the sidewalk and attacked the woman.
A New York woman apparently lied to police -- the woman had reported to police that her toddler was bitten by a "pit bull" -- however, upon further investigation, it turns out the woman's own American Husky was involved in the bite.
Abuse Cases
A UK dog breeder who abandoned 99 St. Bernards while she went on vacation has been jailed for 18 weeks for animal cruelty.
Police in Hagerstown, PA shot a Labrador Retriever this week who they said was acting aggressively. Note the sympathetic tone for the owners that this article is written with vs when dogs of other breeds are attacked.
Twelve 'pit bulls' that were seized from a dog fighting ring earlier this month in Buffalo were euthanized because they were aggressive. 13 others have the possibility of being rehabilitated.
Media Reports
There was a story outside of Denver where a man was shot, and another woman injured, after an apparent argument. The argument stemmed from some concerns that one family had that another family -- who apparently lived on the same property -- were letting their dog, alegedly a 'pit bull', run free on the property and it was harrassing their livestock on the property. A 16 year old boy ended up shooting the dog owner and killing him. While the story is tragic in its own right, it was amazing to me the number of headlines that included the words "pit bull" in them -- as if the pit bull had caused the man's death.
Animal Shelters
The largest no kill shelter in the Kansas City Metro, Animal Haven, is at capacity and had a large adopt-a-thon this weekend to try to get more animals adopted.
Manatee, FL animal shelters are killing just more than 50% of the animals that that enter the shelter. Seems a shelter that is ripe for no-kill programs.
Miscellanious
Residents in Memphis are upset after multiple dogs have been shot in the area in recent weeks.
Pit Bulls' unfair reputation thwarts adoptions.
A 56808@kpix.dayport.com&videoPlayStatus=true&videoStoryIds=&videoTime=12.721&stationName=KPIX&">great video story about one of Mike Vick's former dogs who is thriving in its new home in the San Francisco area.
A great photo of a friend of mine's dog during a dog show in Springfield, MO. Mandy is a beautiful Am. Staff that is actually banned in Springfield (where this shwo took place) in spite of having multiple training titles.
The owner, not the dog, is the issue.
A sad story about a 'pit bull' that saved its owner from being attacked by a cobra...but ended up paying the ultimate price for saving his owner.
