Genesee Co, MI: Killing is Not Rescue

On Tuesday, the Genesee Co Sheriff’s Department and Genesee Co ACOs seized 28 Pitbulls from two homes in Flint, MI. Both homes were apparently owned by the same person and authorities allege the properties were being used to breed and train dogs for fighting:

[Genesee County Animal Control Director Walt] Rodabaugh said the dogs were transported back to the animal shelter where they will be inspected by a veterinarian.

Photo from the website mlive.com which appeared with this caption: “A tranquilized pitbull is taken to an Genesee County Animal Control van while being seized from a house on Seneca Street in Flint on Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Department and Genesee County Animal Control officers took 29 pitbulls from two houses suspected of dog fighting.”

See more photos here.

On Thursday, it was reported that every single one of the 28 seized dogs had been killed due to “viciousness”.  Was this the result of the inspections by the vet or did someone else deem these 28 dogs dangers to society with no hope of rehabilitation?  Whatever the case, one day is not enough time to properly evaluate the dogs.  One day is not enough time for the dogs to recover from the traumatic experience of the seizure, never mind whatever they might have endured previously.  One day is not enough time to exhaust all reasonable options for rehabilitation/training.  The only thing one day is enough time for is killing.

Killing is not rescue.  These dogs were better off with the alleged dogfighter.  At least then there was a hope that they could be rescued by someone willing to help them transition to normal lives as pets or failing that, get them to sanctuary.  Now there is no hope.

Photo from the website mlive.com which appeared with this caption: “The arm of Genesee County Animal Control Director Walt Rodabaugh shows bite marks on his left arm as he removes a pitbull from a home on Seneca Street Flint’s north end. Some of the animals had to be tranquilized so the could safely be removed.”

See more photos here.

Chris Brown’s Latest “Performance”

Celebrity singer Chris Brown is a violent convicted felon. Domestic violence often stems from a male preying upon a female he perceives as unable to defend herself against his brutality.  It’s not surprising that there is a well established link between domestic violence and animal abuse – in both cases the victims are chosen for their vulnerability.

Chris Brown is currently on probation for beating up a former (?) girlfriend.  If I was his probation officer, I’d be checking out his latest online venture:  selling Pitbull puppies who come with a “four generation performance pedigree”.  For those unfamiliar with dog pedigrees, they trace the puppy’s family tree and, in the case of dogs bred for a specific purpose, the ancestors’ accomplishments are listed next to their names.  For example, a puppy bred for dog shows will include designations in the pedigree such as BIS (Best in Show) and CH (Champion) next to the names of ancestors who have achieved these performance titles.  Likewise, animal abusers who force dogs to fight in organized illegal dogfighting rings include dogs’ win records in the pedigrees of puppies being sold for dogfighting.  Since dogfighting is a crime in every state in the country, the pedigrees containing the dogs’ fight records are often advertised as “performance pedigrees”.

I have no idea what sort of “performance” records the dogs in Chris Brown’s puppy pedigrees have.  Maybe they are all AKC obedience title winners or top weight pull competitors or some combination of other ‘performance’ events.  I’m not saying that, based on this online puppy selling, Chris Brown appears to be a dogfighter or has any connections to the world of dogfighting.  What I’m saying is that I hope his probation officer is exercising due diligence and looking into the matter.

County Prosecutor in MS Drops the Ball on Dogfighting Case

On September 26, 2011, sheriff’s deputies in Adams Co, MS responded to a tip about dogfighting.  At the scene, they found 5 chained Pitbulls with injuries, blood on the leaves on the ground, a bloody breakstick and medications for treating dog wounds.  Photographs of the injuries and of the scene were taken for evidence.  The dogs were removed from the scene by members of the county humane society to a local vet clinic.  One of the dogs had his face partially ripped off and another dog’s tooth embedded in his gum.  The embedded tooth caused a systemic infection which lead to organ failure and the dog was euthanized.  (Warning:  There is a photo of this dog’s face at the link.)  The remaining dogs were left at the clinic for treatment and boarding to the tune of a $3000 vet bill.

Shortly thereafter, two area men were arrested and charged with felony dogfighting.  One of the men reportedly admitted he was the owner of the dogs.

A preliminary hearing was held for the men yesterday.  The county prosecutor subpoenaed two sheriff’s deputies to testify as to what they saw at the scene of the suspected dogfight.  Nobody told the sheriff about the hearing.  Nobody told the humane society staffers about the hearing either so they did not testify as to what they witnessed nor were they able to present the veterinary records on the dogs.  One of the deputies said he thought he had told the prosecutor there were evidence photos in the case file but the prosecutor said he didn’t know about any photos so none were presented to the judge.  The man who had previously confessed to owning the dogs apparently changed his wording at the hearing to characterizing them as hunting dogs.

In the absence of physical evidence, the judge dismissed the case.  She ruled that there was no probable cause that dogfighting had occurred at the scene or that the suspects had committed the crime.  She also said that the deputy’s description of the dogs’ injuries was just his layman’s opinion.

It sounds to me as if the prosecutor invested minimal, if any, effort in this case.  By failing to contact all the relevant witnesses, secure expert veterinary testimony, and inquire to the sheriff about all available evidence obtained at the scene, the prosecutor had this case stumbling at the starting gate.  I hope he gets his act together and seeks justice for the victims of this sad crime.  There is a glimmer of hope:

The case can still be presented to the grand jury for review, and District Attorney Ronnie Harper said he met with the sheriff and is reviewing any action, if any, he can take in the case.

I’d like to think the DA has taken the county prosecutor to the woodshed on this and that we’ll see the case move forward with a grand jury presentment soon.

Another Reason Shelters Should View “Evidence” Dogs as Pets

If a shelter does not list every pet in its care online and make every pet available for the public to see, owners of lost pets may not be able to reclaim their pets. If a pound has a policy that dogs confiscated in dogfighting busts are not available to the public but instead held as evidence until legally released and then killed, owners of lost dogs may not be able to reclaim their dogs.  One very good reason for shelters to list every pet online – including fight bust dogs – and make them available for the public to see is that it allows owners of lost dogs to find them.

Case in point:  A family in NC had their Pitbull stolen from their yard in October.  They searched for their dog, Morgan, but could not find her.  About a month later, local police arrested 2 people on felony dogfighting charges and seized 5 Pitbulls.  When the local paper reported on the story, it was front page news and the paper included a photo of one of the seized dogs at the Cleveland Co shelter.  That dog was Morgan.  The owners saw her face and ran down to the shelter to reclaim her.

I called the Cleveland Co shelter to ask if they post ALL their pets – including fight bust dogs – online and was told they do not.  They do have a page that lists recent impounds but there are no photos.  I asked specifically if the owners had not seen Morgan’s picture in the paper, would they have had any way of finding her.  I was told no, the owners would never have been able to find the dog had her picture not appeared in the paper.

I looked at the shelter’s 2010-2011 annual report and for dogs and cats, the Cleveland Co shelter’s kill rate was 88%.  Nearly as tragic, their return to owner rate was only 4%.  The pound has no weekend hours and, depending on the weekday, is only open either 12 – 4pm or 2 to 4pm.  Clearly the practices Cleveland Co has in place are not working to save pets’ lives.  The lady who answered the phone there did mention they were hoping to list all their pets online in the future and I voiced support for the idea.

In this case, the newspaper photo was key for the owner finding the lost dog.  Obviously most owners are not going to be lucky enough to have their lost pet’s face show up on the front page of the local paper.  What about your local shelter – do they list ALL their pets online, include dogs being held as evidence in court cases?  I am waiting for a response from my local municipal shelter regarding this question and will share what I find out.

Cat Got Your Tongue, Michael Vick?

When HSUS got in bed with Michael Vick to promote their “End Dogfighting” campaign, many of us were skeptical.  Nothing to date has changed my skepticism in that regard.

You may have heard about a new app for the Android market called “Dog Wars”.  Basically, you can play dogfighter on your phone.  Yay.  There has been a huge outcry from pet advocates, condemning the app and asking Android (owned by Google) to block it.

Android tells advocates to quit bitching because “it’s just a video game”.  I bet Android is happy that HSUS and Michael Vick have been mum on the controversy thus far.

If you are opposed to the promotion of dogfighting as a game, sign this petition.  It’s already got about 7700 signatures.  I haven’t scrolled through to see if Michael Vick or Wayne Pacelle are among them.  I imagine they are still working the “How can we fundraise off this?” angle and haven’t had a chance yet to publicly comment.

No, you haven’t accidentally clicked on The Onion’s site

Dog killer Michael Vick would like to get a dog.  And HSUS president and dog killing advocate Wayne Pacelle supports the idea.  Discuss.

Book Excerpt and Giveaway – “The Lost Dogs”

Update, 9-18-10:  The winner of the book is Preston.  Thank you to everyone who entered.

You may well remember the December 2008 cover article of Sports Illustrated that featured the Vick dogs and was written by Jim Gorant.  The publisher of a new book by Mr. Gorant called The Lost Dogs – Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption is offering a free copy of the book to a reader.  If you’d like to enter your name for the drawing, simply leave a comment on this post between now and Friday, September 17 at 11:59 p.m.  I will draw one name at random and post the winner as an update to this post next weekend.  Winner will also be notified privately and will need to e-mail me a mailing address so I can send that to the publisher.

Below is Chapter 1 of the book, used with permission of the publisher:

A BROWN DOG SITS in a field. There’s a collar around her neck. It’s three inches thick and attached to a heavy chain, which clips onto a car axle that’s buried so one end sticks out of the ground. As the dog paces in the heat, the axle spins, ensuring that the rattling chain won’t become entangled.

The dog paces a lot, wearing a circle in the scrubby weeds and sandy soil around the perimeter of the axle. She paces because there’s little else to do. Sometimes a squirrel or a rabbit or a snake crosses nearby and she barks and chases it, or she lunges and leaps after the dragonflies and butterfliesthat zip and flutter past.

She flicks her tail at mosquitoes and buries her muzzle in her fur, chewing at the itchy crawly things that land on her. If she’s lucky she digs up a rock that she can bat around and chew on, but otherwise there are just the weeds and the bugs and the hot sun inching across the sky.

She is not alone. Other dogs are spread around this clearing in the trees. They can see one another, hear one another bark and whine and growl, but they can’t get to one another. They can’t run, they can’t play, they can’t anything. They can get close to their immediate neighbors, stand almost face-to-face, but they can never touch, a planned positioning meant to frustrate and enrage them. For some it does; for many it simply makes them sad.

Out in the field are mothers, fathers, off spring, littermates. The families are easy to spot. There’s a group of sand-colored dogs, some with pink noses, some with black snouts. There is a group of red dogs, some small black dogs, a few white ones, a few black-and-whites. A handful of other colors and shapes are mixed in.

All are pit bulls and many have that classic pit bull look, stocky and low to the ground, front shoulders higher than haunches and a wide muscular chest that dwarfs narrow hips, so that they look as if they’re waiting for their backsides to grow into their fronts. Their necks are thick and hold up rectangular heads. Some are bigger, as big as seventy pounds,while another group is more compact, reaching maybe twenty-five pounds. These smaller ones are actually Staff ordshire bull terriers, a close relative of the American pit bull terrier.

The brown dog has a soft face, with searching eyes and an expressive brow that furls into deep ridges and undulating rolls when she’s scared or nervous or trying to figure out whether she needs to be either. Her uncropped ears rise from the top of her head until they fold over, but one of them folds differently from the other, so that it hangs lower, making her look as if she’s eternally asking a question.

To help fight the heat, there’s water spread about in large tubs, sometimes a little dirty but drinkable. Once a day a man comes to put food in the bowls. At least it’s usually once a day. Sometimes two or three days go by before the sound of his all-terrain vehicle breaks the monotony. As he gets off the vehicle and makes his way across the clearing, all the dogs run to the end of their chains, barking and wagging their tails as if they’re excited to see him. But when the man actually gets close to them, they tuck their tails and skulk away. Only after he has moved on do they creep back over to their bowls and eat.

They can’t see anything beyond the perimeter of the clearing, but they are not alone. Another clearing lies through the trees where another fifteen or so dogs live on chains, and beyond that, at the edge of the woods, is a small compound with kennels, freestanding pens, and four sheds. The buildings are small and painted pitch black, including the windows. One is two stories tall, and the men who own these sheds, who live and work here, they call that one “the black hole.”

A breeze stirs the trees—scrub pines and sugar maples, a few pin oaks. The lilt of songbirds mixes with the whine of cicadas and the low, singular whoooo, whoooo of a mourning dove. The summer heat draws moisture off the Atlantic, thirty miles beyond, adding the weight of humidity to the air.

Within the perimeter of each axle there’s a doghouse. Rough-hewn plywood structures, they provide something else for the dogs to chew on and claw at to while away the hours. They also offer a break from the sun but not much relief from the heat—just as in winter they stop the wind but don’t do much to protect against temperatures that can drop into the thirties.

Curled up in their little houses the dogs look and listen and sniff the air. They are incredibly intuitive creatures. They learn by watching—trainers sometimes let young dogs watch experienced dogs in action so they see how to behave. They can detect odors 100 million times more faint than people can. They can hear sounds at a broader range of frequencies than humans, and they can hear them from four times as far away. People who train dogs for search and rescue contend that dogs can hear a heartbeat from a distance of five feet, which gives them insight into the mood and disposition of the people and animals they come in contact with.

As pack animals, they are keenly aware of the behavior of those around them. One dog can tell what another is thinking and intending simply by observing the way he acts. When two dogs meet, there is a detailed ritual of movements and gestures. The way they hold their ears, tail, head, their posture. Everything means something. Attitudes, feelings, intentions,  dominance, and submission can be established immediately. So can achallenge.

Dogs understand what’s expected of them. When people are around, dogs see what wins them rewards and praise and what leads to scorn. Something deep inside of them, woven into the very fabric of their being, a genetic impulse, compels them to please those around them. But sometimes, the things that men want from them cut against their natural inclinations, setting off an internal chain reaction of anxiety and uncertainty, triggering hormones and nervous system fluctuations. When they are extremely scared, dogs secrete a powerful musk that other dogs can smell from great distances.

The things they see and hear and smell have an impact on them, too. Studies have shown that if two mammals are placed side by side in boxes and the first one is given electric shocks, just by listening to the suffering the second one produces identical brain waves and nervous system activity; the trauma isn’t limited only to the animal that’s experiencing the pain.

Out in the field is the little brown dog with the floppy ear— none of the dogs know what’s happening around them, but they do know something isn’t right. They’ve seen things they are not supposed to see. They’ve heard terrifying sounds and they’ve smelled fear and pain drifting in the air. The brown dog lays her chin on the ground and exhales. Her brow folds into a furry question mark. The afternoon is fading and the heat has begun to fade too, but little else is certain.

Sometimes men come and take a few of the dogs away. Sometimes those dogs come back tired and panting from running and running. Sometimes the dogs come back scarred and limping. Sometimes they come back looking the same, but acting completely different. Sometimes they don’t come back at all, as if they’ve simply disappeared. As if they’ve vanished into a black hole.

SC: David Tant Parole Hearing Postponed

The parole hearing for convicted breeder of fighting dogs David Tant, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed.

Tant, 63, formerly of the Charleston area, pleaded guilty in November 2004 to more than 40 counts of illegally breeding fighting dogs, and one assault count connected to a surveyor who was wounded by a booby trap after he wandered onto Tant’s property in southern Charleston County.

The surveyor was showered by an explosion of birdshot, injuring him slightly. The device was described as a “directional mine” meant to ward off intruders.

Mr. Tant was originally sentenced to 40 years although the term was later reduced to 30 years.  This will be his first parole hearing:

Attorney General Henry McMaster and numerous local animal activists had planned to attend the hearing to argue why they believe Tant, formerly of Charleston, should stay locked up.

In connection with the case, 47 dogs were seized and killed.  While the conviction of Mr. Tant remains a very heated subject among SC dog owners, it does seem that the 47 dogs, presumably killed without receiving fair evaluations from qualified individuals, are often forgotten.

Every dog deserves a fair evaluation.

FL Dogfighting Arrests – Some Awards are in Order

I’d like to recognize the Deputies who arrested two dogfighting Gong Show contestants in Florida last week for restraint above and beyond the call of duty in not pummeling them into the dirt.  Armed with a police baton, I’m not sure I could have managed the same.

Deets:

One dog had to be euthanized at the scene:

“Every time his heart beat, you could see the veins, blood squirting out,” recalled Georgia Monfort, the county’s animal control director. “He was just pumping out.”

Father knows best:

One of the men, Omar Aldridge, 29, of Starke was also charged with felony child neglect for fleeing into nearby woods off Circle G Lane when police arrived, leaving his 4-year-old son seated on a picnic table in the midst of 14 other fighting dogs — all but one of them restrained by chains.

[...]

Deputy Clark said the boy was seated alone and when asked the whereabouts of his parents, replied “My daddy ran into the woods with everybody else.”

Two men charged with dogfighting:

Cletus Gaskins, 37, of Sanderson was charged along with Mr. Aldridge with fighting animals, a third-degree felony, and mutilating or killing them, first-degree misdemeanors.

Mr. Gaskins was covered in blood, had a wounded Pitbull in a cage in the back of his truck and police found a loaded 9 mm automatic pistol on the front seat.  He had a reasonable explanation for all this:

When questioned, Mr. Gaskins said he was in the area because the dog had gotten loose and he had taken it there for breeding purposes. He denied knowledge of anyone fleeing into the woods.

This guy is jokes.  And as it turns out, Mr. Mary Poppins Gaskins was also babysitting Mr. Aldridge’s kid, per Mr. Aldridge, who was only in the area on a little sightseeing tour himself:

Mr. Aldridge came back to the scene panting and sweating and was halted by the officers when he attempted to enter the rear seat of the police car. He denied that he had fled, and said he left his son with Mr. Gaskins when he went “down the road.”

Maybe he was on a walkabout and just achieved enlightenment when the police happened to come by.  Coincidentally, the area of his spiritual awakening looked somewhat similar to a dogfighting pit:

Police then followed what was described as a well-worn path to a dog fighting ring equipped with an overhead light that in turn was powered by an extension cord that had been connected back to a house occupied by a woman not connected to the case. The officer said the ground along the path and ring area were blood-stained.

Deputy Clark also noted bones, including dog bones, strewn about the path.

Among the items seized were a bottle of Blood Stop Powder commonly sold as a coagulant when dehorning animals, two scales and what the officers described as devices for fighting and baiting dogs.

So we have the fighting pit and accessories, wounded dogs, dog bones, bloodsoaked owners – which perfectly describes a nice place to bring your tot for a little midnight dog breeding rendezvous.  It even offers daycare!  And guns!  I can see how the officers might have gotten the wrong impression about dogfighting going on but now that it’s all been asplain-ed, I think we can see the whole thing’s just a big misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, the future for the rescued dogs sounds uncertain:

The confiscated pit bulls remained at the animal shelter early this week, awaiting a veterinarian’s examination and treatment, which is typical in animal cruelty cases, Ms. Monfort said.

She’d been in contact with the Alachua County Humane Society about a Gainesville-area rescue that rehabilitates pit bulls. However, the society’s associate director Eric Van Ness said it’s unlikely the rescue would take animals from outside the area, even if there’s room for more than a dozen additional dogs.

“The problem is they are really difficult to rehabilitate and make adoptable,” he said. “It takes a huge commitment of time and effort and it’s never guaranteed.”

Ugh.  There’s no guarantee that any dog will be a safe and reliable family pet.  Also, newsflash – there’s no guarantee on – oh, what’s the word? – ah yes – anything in life.

Memphis Animal Shelter News Bits

Matthew Pepper, the new director of the Memphis Animal Shelter (MAS), met with the Animal Services Advisory Board this week to discuss his plans for turning the shelter around. He will meet with them again next week:

Pepper plans to join the Animal Services Advisory Board for a public discussion next Tuesday on the issue of spaying and neutering. The meeting is scheduled for March 16th at 4pm at Memphis City Hall.

I sincerely hope Mr. Pepper will be speaking in favor of low/no cost spay neuter programs for Memphis and against the mandatory spay-neuter proposals on the table:

Councilman Shea Flinn is proposing an ordinance that would require all dogs and cats owned by Memphis residents to be altered, with several exemptions. The proposed law is in response to the overpopulation of animals in the city, which has led to a euthanasia rate in the Memphis Animal Shelter of more than 79 percent.

Again, this meeting is open to the public and you may speak if you wish. MSN doesn’t decrease shelter killing. Sometimes it increases the killing. Only comprehensive reform will reduce the killing in Memphis. And if Memphis is looking for funding for low/no cost neuter, look no further than your own backyard:

For months you’ve been paying three Memphis Animal Shelter employees to sit at home. All of them were suspended in the latest scandal at the facility.

Memphis taxpayer and attorney Bryan Mauldin doesn’t understand why the three employees are still collecting a paycheck, while they’re off the job. Mauldin says “Our shelter has limited resources and we can’t afford to squander that money.”

On a related note, perhaps taxpayers are getting their money’s worth from Mr. Pepper who is apparently not only a shelter director, but also a qualified behaviorist who can make a preliminary assessment of seized Pitbulls in the blink of an eye:

The 4 pitbulls seized from the active dog fight were impounded at the Memphis Animal Shelter Thursday night. Director Matthew Pepper says the condition of the dogs shows it wasn’t their first fight and it’s too early to tell what will happen to them.

“Some violent and aggressive tendencies have been ingrained in them so, it’s difficult for us to determine what we can safely do with them,” Pepper said.

Well you could start by getting the dogs a fair evaluation from an experienced group or individual. These dogs have been rescued and placed in your care MAS. Whatever they’ve been forced to do in the past is over. Do not judge them on the cruelty of their abusers. They are each individual dogs with needs and abilities all their own. Violence and aggression are not “ingrained” in them. Judge them with a kind eye, as you would any dog who’s been rescued from abuse. Don’t allow your judgment to be clouded by preconceived notions.

Mr. Pepper wants a chance to show he can turn around the MAS. I hope he gives these 4 dogs a chance too. Every dog deserves a fair evaluation.