My thoughts on the pit bull attack in Washington

This attack has made national news as do most incidents involving pit bulls. I have talked to media outlets as far as New York, regarding this tragic, yet avoidable incident. So I felt I should address this incident publicly on my blog.

This, like the majority of dog attacks, was completely avoidable. This poor woman is suffering, as is the neighbor's family who lost their beloved Jack Russel, for a few reasons-- irresponsible owner and Animal Control's lack of action (It is unknown if they didn't handle the incidents correctly, or if laws didn't allow them to react).

The owner of the female pit bull is quoted: "We never saw it coming. They’re the kinds of dogs you’d let play with your babies,” Martin said." However, in talking to neighbors, there are at least 5 incidents of human aggression by these dogs or other dogs in this person's care. Incidents that involve the dogs pinning a man in the garage to the point he had to shoot at the dogs with a BB gun, that same day they charged a young child on a bike. In another incident they charged a guy and snarled at him, preventing him from getting to his truck, he had to start throwing rocks at them. A year before that, Martin's dogs attacked his dog. Yet... "we never saw it coming" ??

As for Animal Control, the ACO is quoted "Boman said animal control officers have had past run-ins with the pit bulls, but couldn’t say exactly how many."

Now from the ACO's comments as well as the neighbors comments, these dogs should have been removed from the home long before yesterday's incident. This should have never happened. Was it because ACO didn't follow up and do their jobs by visiting the neighborhood and checking on the dogs? Or was it they didn't have the authority to remove dogs because of the way their local laws are written? I can't imagine 4 incidents being reported to this degree and nothing happening. These are the laws we need to change. We need to give animal control organizations the needed budgets to become proactive and not reactive. We need to have non-breed specific laws that empower animal control to remove dogs if they are a danger to society.

As a side note: The media keeps reporting that the dogs entered through a pet door. That is inaccurate. The dogs entered through a sliding glass door that was left open for the owner's dog to go in and out of the house.

Again, this is a tragedy that should have never happened.

The Vick Plea Bargin

I know a lot of people are happy to hear that Vick pled guilty today, I would not be one of them. I'm very disappointed in the Federal Prosecuters for cutting a sweetheart deal for Vick. In my opinion the Fed's really let Michael write his own deal and showed no back bone what so ever.

First,they have one solid case given the indictment, there were more charges that could be filed by Feds and were threatend to be filed. Vick was given a deadline and he was allowed to miss it and still keep the deal and no additional charges. Of all the charges in the indictment, he's only pled guilty to 1 of them. Rumors are they will ask for prison time to be 12-36 months.

I'm just disgusted by the actions of the US attornies, there is no excuse for such a plea bargin. I certainly hope States Attorney will come thru with set of charges against Vick and will not plea him out like the Feds. How fitting would that be, the Feds swoop in and take over the investigation because the State isn't doing a good job, moving slow. When the race ends, the Feds whimp out and fall short of the finish line with the State possibly sprinting forward to cross it with a solid case.

Vick's public statement is nothing short of insulting. He apologizes?? Apologize to all the dogs you murdered, tortured and mutilated. Apologize to the 66 dogs that will be murdered because of what you have done to them.

We can only sit back and wait for the terms and hope that the Federal Judge will show the back bone the US attornies didn't. That he will take a stand for justice given the crimes committed by Vick.

We also sit and wait to see how Mr. Goodell will handle the plea. I honestly hope Mr. Goodell will stand behind his "code of conduct" and ban vick for life. He openly lied Goodell and Blank about being involved.

This whole thing has just been sickening.

The O-HELL-O Supreme Court

In an unbelievable move today, the Ohio Supreme court rendered their decision in the Tellings v. Toledo case. Their decision has dog owners across the USA stunned in disbelief as they decided against Tellings and supported Toledo.

I have never in my life seen such a display of ignorance by a State level Supreme Court. Back in April when the case was presented to the Justices I, like hundreds of you, sat and listened to testimony. While Tellings' attorney was lacking in knowledge regarding the dogs, Justice O'Conner seemed to not only understand arguments, but greatly assisted our side in presenting arguments against another Justice. After all was said and done, I spoke with some very well-respected fellow BSL fighters and we all felt good about the case and its out come.

Then some 3 months later we were shot down. Shocking-- given the evidence, prior court cases. Heck, they had ruled in 2 other cases that non-pit bull specific that laws based on a breed were unconstitutional. So why the change? All of the scientific evidence supports our position, all of the national canine organizations support our position, there are several cases that support our position. What is wrong with the O-HELL-O Supreme court?

As for Justice O'Conner, I have a complete lack of respect for her now. Justice Maureen O'Connor concurred in judgment only, and entered a separate opinion expressing her "disapproval" of the provision of state law classifying all pit bulls as "vicious dogs." She wrote that data cited by the trial court regarding pit bull attacks did not reflect inherent violent characteristics of the breed but rather arose from deliberate efforts by some owners, including drug dealers, to increase a dog's aggression and lethal-ness through abuse or aberrant training."

What is that? If you stand against something, don't believe it to be right, why would you vote for it? Very disappointing.

If you would like to read the written decision you can by clicking here

Finaly Michael Vick has been charged

Following a long investigation where most people (including myself) thought he would skate by with out a slap because of his celebrity status (not sure celebrity is the right word since he is a legend in his own mind). An Indictment is handed down!!

I have spoken to several reporters doing stories around dog fighting this week. All of them have had the same thoughts, what kind of person finds this entertaining, or would ever want to do this to another living being..

One article I read listed out ways that Mr. Vicks group murdered losing dogs, the brutality used was beyond violent. If you would like to read this story click here

If you would like to read the Indictment click here

Based on the stories I have read, comments from the animal shelter investigators,etc. Mr. Vick was involved in this activity and needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Real men are not involved in this type of activity, real men are not abusers. Mr. Vick is a sad excuse for a human being.

Dog fighting has to stop and this would be a good public statement saying we are done letting dog fighters get away with this crap.

Minnesota BSL??

Representative Lesch out of St. Paul Minnesota has decided to start talking about drafting a bill to ban 5 breeds of dog in Minnesota during the next legislative season. Rep.Lesch has been doing a lot of media trying to drum up support. More likely the truth is that he is simply bringing up talk of a ban to get some publicty for himself. Hopefuly the other Legislators in the State are a tad more on the ball than Rep. Lesch and will actually do some real research before spouting off to the press.

Had the Representative done any research, even the most basic research he would have learned that in the past 45 years there has been only 3 fatal attacks in the State and NONE involved any of the 5 breeds he wants to ban. He would have seen contrary to his quote about Golden Retrievers that their have been many serious attacks by Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and any other commonly referred to "family pet". Why might you ask? Well because its an owner problem and not a "breed" problem.

The Representative quotes and uses the CDC report on fatal attacks to support his cause. Had the representative actaully read the report and not just looked at the pictures, he would have seen the CDC is not an accurate and makes references thru the report:

• One of the methods for data collection is media reports.


• Without consideration of the population sizes, Breed Y would be perceived to be the more dangerous breed on the basis of the number of fatalities. (CDC Special Report on breeds involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998, September 2000). NOTE: The CDC study does NOT use population as a factor.


• When multiple dogs of the same breed were involved in the same fatal episode, that breed was counted only once (eg, if 10 Akitas attacked and killed a person, that breed was counted once rather than 10 times). When crossbred dogs were involved in a fatality, each suspected breed in the dog’s lineage was counted once for that episode.


• When you look at the 2 charts on attacks you will see under the "pure bred" chart the top entry is "pit bull type" dog. First, how can a purebred be labled as "type"? Second, pit bull is not a breed but a term used to typically group 3 specific breeds of dog.


• To learn more about the problems with this report visit my websites CDC page.

There is a reason all of the major canine organizations stand against BSL and support responsible non breed specific legislation. Rep. Lesch should have consulted the experts like the ASPCA, American Veterinary Medical Association who have done studies and task forces on this topic. He should have researched good solid non breed specific laws that would help to make citizens safe. But instead he decided he would rather mention "breed ban" so he can get his name in the press. That is not the kind of Legislators we need in the US.

NFL The National Felons League

The NFL and Team owners should be ashamed at the behavior and statements from their players. These are people so many children look up to and admire, God help us.

Let’s start with The Face of Disgrace, Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons, whose home was found to be involved in illegal dog fighting which was learned after police raided the house for illegal drugs. Vick announced he had no involvement and placed blame on family members. He’s not even man enough to stand up and face the charges, but instead lays blame with everyone else. But will the Falcons do anything? Nope, he’s their “star." This is not Vick’s first issue in the last few months, his name has been tied to other questionable activities.

From a sports illustrated article: In recent days, SI.com talked to multiple sources who have known Vick well for years, and they say his troubling pattern of recent behavior reflects a penchant for questionable judgment, an unwillingness to distance himself from the wrong crowd, and a long-standing belief that the rules don't apply to him.
While the sources spoke on the condition that their names not be used due to their relationship with Vick, two of them said they were convinced the quarterback has been involved with the illegal dog-fighting ring that authorities believe they discovered last month while conducting a drug raid on a house Vick owns in Smithfield, Va. Authorities found nearly 70 dogs and various items associated with dog fighting. Vick has maintained that a cousin lives at the house and that he was unaware pit bulls were being kept on the premises.
"He knows what's going on in that house in Virginia,'' one source said. "There's not a doubt in my mind he's involved with it.'' The other source cited Vick's longtime "affinity'' for the dog-fighting subculture, and expressed certainty that Vick was aware of what was happening at the house.

Animal Control officer confident Vick was at fights on the property there are witnesses. Read Article

WAVY-TV in Norfolk reported that clerks at a store near the property said Vick bought items such as syringes typically used in dog fighting.

The Face of Ignorance for the NFL would be the Washington Redskins' running back, Clinton Portis.

Some Quotes by Clinton:

• "Michael Vick is a positive in the community. You want to take him away?" Glad I don't live in his community if Vick is a positive!



• Portis answered a question about Vick by saying, "I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property; it's his dogs. If that's what he wants to do, do it."



• Portis continued his television interview by saying that if Vick were charged and convicted "then I think he got cheated.... You're putting him behind bars for no reason - over a dog fight."
  

When told that dog fighting is a felony, Portis replied, "It can't be too bad of a crime."

Frankly, this guy is an idiot. In one interview I read, they pointed out dog fighting was a felony and about 2 sentences later Clinton "I have no clue Portis" makes the comment that he doesn't see how they can convict him of a crime.

Animal abuse runs wild not only in the NFL, but among many that are suppose to be role models. Last year an NFL player killed his girlfriend's dog after they had a fight.

The NFL and team owners need to stand up and handle these problems. They need to have a no tolerance policy and get rid of these ignorant players who have no business being spokes people or role models.

Today on the BSL front...

I read several articles from around MA on the topic of the hearing and BSL. All of the articles were surprisingly well done and represented both sides fairly.

Work is not complete even though the hearing went our way. We need for residents of MA to call their Representatives and their Senators and let them know they do not support any measures that involve BSL.

I've been asked to do a radio talk show in the morning that is out of Worcester which is Rep. Pedone's area.

Outside of MA, I did a 30 minute interview with a report from Arkansas, they have a small town looking to pass BSL and the reporter was doing a story and looking for responsbile information.

BSL Coming to Massachusetts?

So a couple of weeks ago an article came out indicating Representative Pedone of Worcester, MA was looking at banning pit bulls from MA. I like many responsible pit bull owners and MA residents was surprised, scared, then just plain angry. The thought that a Legislator feels it's ok to punish me and my beloved pets for nothing is just not acceptable.

Today was the public hearing. I was unable to get time off work to attend, so I sit hear watching more news than I ever have trying to get bits and pieces of what is happening. So far it's looking good for our side. The majority of testimony has been against any forms of BSL and all for Rep. Hill's breed neutral dangerous dog bill, which I fully support and have for the past 3 years that he has tried getting it thru committee.

As for Rep. Pedone, this is someone I strongly feel needs to be removed from office. He's obviously reactionary and starts panic before doing any research on a topic. His quotes in the papers have been irresponsible and inaccurate:

"These dogs are kept specifically for fighting or as weapons," Massachusetts state Rep. Vincent A. Pedone, D-Worcester, told the Boston Globe recently, "and I don't think they have any place in civilized society."

Obviously, this Representative knows nothing about the majority of Pit Bull owning MA residents. I know a great number of responsible pit bull owners in the State that are no different than anyone else. Makes you wonder what else Rep. Pedone is unaware of in the State.

I wonder if he would make those comments to the several Pit Bulls that are active in Search and Rescue? Such as Dakota who was hand-picked by NASA to aid in recovering the Columbia shuttle crew when the shuttle crashed. Or the countless people she has been asked to help find. Or how about the countless therapy and service pit bulls aiding voting Americans.

Some famous pit bull owners:
President Theadore Roosevelt, President Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, Fred Astaire, Anthony Robbins, Humphrey Bogart, John Steinbeck, Barbara Eden, Walter Scott, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, Rachel Ray and there are many, many more. Forgive me for saying I don't see these people keeping the dogs as "weapons" nor are, or were, they involved in "dog fighting." Rep. Pedone needs to get out and meet real dog owners and stop relying on the media stereotype of pit bull owners as a basis for considering State legislation.

“We see, firsthand, problems that exist with dogs that were bred to fight, bred as nothing more than weapons, and he and I are both interested in hearing testimony on the matter,” Pedone told the News Service Tuesday.

First hand? I wonder if Rep. Pedone has seen any canine attack victims first hand. We can certainly provide him with photos of all sorts of attack victims by all different breeds.

In fact, in MA there has been 8 canine fatalities since 1922 and NONE of them involved a pit bull type dog. In his own district in 1997 an elderly woman was killed by a West highland Terrier. Other fatalities involved Boston Terriers and a Collie.

As for severe attacks in the State we have had many by many different breeds including: Golden retrievers (multiple), Labrador Retrievers (Multiple), Springer Spainel, Akita/Chow, Boxer/Lab, Kerry Blue Terrier, Police K9, Greyhounds (multiple) and Great Danes (couple).

Pedone said it was his view that the pit bull – which had been bred to fight – has strong jaws and physical characteristics that make it more dangerous than other breeds. “Without question, these animals are bigger, stronger and faster than other animals," Pedone said.

Without Question, the last quote is just absurd.

Bigger? No. He says "animals" but that's just too easy to pick apart. So I'll stick to canines. Presa Canarios, Rotties, Bull Mastiffs, Great Danes, St. Bernards are just a few that are BIGGER than pit bull type dogs.

Stronger, while they are strong, I doubt there has ever been a measurement of which canine is stronger. I can think of a few of the breeds listed above that are equally as strong or stronger than many pit bulls. In fact there was a study done by Dr. Barr of National Geographic where bite pressure was researched. They looked at many animals and 3 domestic canines, Rottie, German Shepherd and a pit bull type dog. Guess which tested as the weakest? The Pit Bull. Check out: http://www.understand-a-bull.com/PitbullInformation/Urbanlegends.htm under Jaw Pressure.

Faster? Heck, I've seen little Jack Russels out run many a pit bull.

Wouldn't it be great if we had Legislators that acutally looked into something before talking about legislating it....