OPPOSE SB 5094!

RE:  SB 5904:  http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5094.pdf#page=1


Dear Senate Local Government Committee chair Brian Dansel:

    Please oppose SB 5094! 
   
    If passed,  SB 5094 would prevent Washington cities and towns from effectively preventing fatal and disfiguring dog attacks before they happen,  by preventing communities from adopting legislation pertaining specifically to pit bulls,  pit mixes,  and a few closely related breeds,  cumulatively less than 7% of the U.S. dog population,  but responsible nonetheless for more than 80% of all dog-inflicted fatal and disfiguring injuries.

    We are Washington residents and voters since 1996. 

    I am a journalist and statistician,  working on news beats pertaining to animals,  public health,  and occupational safety for more than 45 years.  My wife Beth is a former police officer,  animal control officer,  veterinary technician,  and pit bull rescuer.

    Since 1982 we have logged and analyzed fatal and disfiguring dog attacks throughout the U.S. and Canada,  more recently adding logs specific to India,  the United Kingdom,  and South Africa.  In every nation the data is strikingly similar:  pit bulls,  pit mixes,  pit variants such as the “American bully,”  and closely related breeds such as the bull mastiff,  Presa Canario,  Dogo Argentino,  and Fila Brasiliero account for 80%-plus of fatal and disfiguring attacks.  This is no surprise,  because historically these breeds have been bred specifically for fighting,  and farther back ancestrally,  to guard slaves and wage war.

    You may read the latest data pertaining to dog attacks on humans,  complete through 2016,  when 91% of human death and disfigurement victims were injured by pit bulls,  at:

http://www.animals24-7.org/2017/01/03/91-of-dog-attack-disfigurement-victims-in-2016-were-mauled-by-pit-bulls/

    The complete statistics,  1982-present,  showing that over the past 34 years,  88% of the human victims of fatal or disfiguring dog attacks were injured by pit bulls and  their closest canine relatives,  are here:

http://www.animals24-7.org/2017/01/03/dog-attack-deaths-maimings-u-s-canada-1982-2016/

    The data pertaining to dog attacks on other animals,  2013-present,  showing that 87% of the dogs who kill or badly injure other animals are pit bulls,  are here:

http://www.animals24-7.org/2017/01/11/record-32550-pit-bulls-killed-or-badly-injured-other-animals-in-the-u-s-in-2016/

    A considerable volume of related information about dog attacks is here:

http://www.animals24-7.org/2016/01/21/links-to-more-than-100-reasons-why-breed-specific-legislation-needs-to-be-enforced-and-reinforced/

    Finally,  let me call to your attention a table which appears at the very end of the data logs,  1982-present:

    Pit bull & pit mix attack trends,  1982-present

* The 1992 data line represents the first 10 years of data collection:

YEAR    PIT BULLS      CHILDREN      ADULTS       KILLED       MAIMED
       in attacks

      Running       Running      Running      Running      Running
       total  YEAR   total  YEAR  total  YEAR  total  YEAR  total  YEAR

1992*   105            45           60          18            38

2002    732    86     347   45     248   22     62    6      395   54
2003    860   128     397   50     304   56     75   13      466   71
2004    939    79     435   38     330   26     83    8      504   38
2005   1083   144     496   61     370   40     97   14      585   81
2006   1197   114     525   29     417   47    111   14      648   63
2007   1275    78     555   30     440   23    124   13      685   37
2008   1401   126     596   41     476   37    138   14      739   54
2009   1563   162     669   73     527   51    162   24      832   93
2010   1808   245     779  110     607   80    191   29      974  142
2011   2103   295     881  102     718  111    214   23     1172  198
2012   2394   291     971   90     850  132    245   32     1353  181
2013   2966   572    1187  214    1090  240    275   30     1760  407
2014   3569   603    1451  264    1369  279    307   32     2211  451
2015   4217   648    1660  209    1723  354    341   34     2670  459
2016   4969   752    1901  241    2074  351    366   25     3255  585

    The Best Friends Animal Society,  American Veterinary Medical Association,  and ASPCA introduced their ongoing campaigns to repeal breed-specific legislation between 1992 and 2001.  Note that the numbers of fatal and disfiguring pit bull attacks on humans have been higher in every year since 2002 than in the entire decade 1982-1992.

    The Humane Society of the U.S. joined them in 2008.  Since then,  the total number of pit bulls involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks each year has increased nearly tenfold,  the number of child victims per year is up nearly fivefold,  the number of adult victims per year has increased nearly tenfold,  there were record numbers of fatalities in five out of nine years,  and the number of disfigurements per year has increased eleven times over.

    Again,  please oppose SB 5094!

    Thank you,

Merritt & Beth Clifton

-----------------------------

Merritt & Beth Clifton, editors
Animals24.7@frontier.com
www.Animals24-7.org
POB 101,  Greenbank,  WA  98253

Cell: 360-969-0450
Landline: 360-678-1057

Information service to the humane community worldwide since 1986. 
Your generous donations make our work possible.

The Truth About Bouviers Des Flandres and Pit Bull Awareness Month

We've all seen the hype and push to sell pit bulls to just anyone this month with Pit Bull Week, Pit Bull Awareness Day, and Pit Bull Awareness Month.  And we’ve all seen at least one of the hundreds of articles entitled “The Truth about Pit Bulls” or “Pit Bull Myths” telling us that pit bulls have an undeserved bad reputation and make great pets for just about anyone and please go get one today.

Other breed clubs have the equivalent of "The Truth About Pit Bulls" information pages. But, while "Truth About Pit Bulls" pages are created to encourage just anyone to impulsively buy a pit bull by distorting history, making false claims and just plain lying, Truth pages written about other breeds serve to protect the breed from being abused in the hands of those same kinds of impulsive, low-information, naive potential owners.

Bouvier des Flanders

Ronald Reagan's Bouvier, Lucky

The grandma of Truth pieces is "Don't Buy a Bouvier" by Pam Green (1992), perhaps written after the Bouvier des Flanders breed jumped slightly in popularity after people saw Ronald Reagan with his Bouvier, Lucky. As the title indicates, it was written to warn off impulsive, uncommitted potential owners from buying Bouviers thus preventing Bouviers from being abused, neglected and prematurely killed. There are 9 Bouviers listed for adoption in North America on Petfinder. Though Bouviers are a large, dominant, protective breed that have been used for police work, Clifton's "Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings" report lists zero Bouviers killing or maiming a person in North America as of 2014.

The breed is strong, can be aggressive and potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. But the breed is rare and few dogs end up in shelters, so it presents virtually zero threat to public safety and Bouviers can live long and happy lives in the hands of committed and responsible owners. That is called breed stewardship.  Stewards and protectors of a breed do not want their dogs to become popular or to pawn their dogs off on just anyone by lying about the characteristics of the breed because that gets people injured or killed and hurts the dogs, too.

BAD DOG TALK

The gold star of breed stewardship and advocacy goes to the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America. Their Truth page pulls absolutely no punches. They push back hard against the increased public awareness and potential impulse buyers that followed Eddy's (Frasier TV show) and Wishbone's appearances on TV. They carefully explain how a dog actor gives a very misleading impression of the real Jack Russell Terrier's temperament.  They even made a logo with the slogan:  

Contrast that with this pit bull pushing craziness:

Here’s a sample of other breed clubs that have adapted or been inspired by “Don’t Buy a Bouvier”

Don’t Buy a Chinook

Don’t Buy an English Springer Spaniel

Don’t Buy a Saint Bernard
Don't Buy a Beauceron

Facts About Akitas

Top Ten Reasons Not to get a Labrador Retriever

10 Reasons You Do NOT Want a German Shepherd Dog

Is the Leonberger for You?

Should You Own a Golden?

Shiba Inu Temperament What's Good , What's Bad

Do I Really Want a Border Collie?

Contrast that with the pit bull pushers and the myths and lies they perpetuate to sell pit bulls to any and everyone with disasterous results when they should be screaming to the rafters for Mandatory Spay and Neuter and demand that pit bull ownership be regulated:

The truth about pit bulls: 6 myths dispelled

THE TRUTH ABOUT PIT BULLS - Victoria Stillwell

The Truth About Pit Bulls - Nat Geo Wild -  dead link

10 Reasons Why Pit Bulls Rule - Petfinder

6 Reasons Pit Bulls Make Great Pets

Pit Bulls' surprising past: Nanny Dogs

Pit Bulls are Noble, Loving, Loyal, Playful - Ed Boks - dead link

Pit Bulls Are Wonderful Family Pets - dead link

The Truth About Pit bulls - Pasado's Safe Haven  - dead link

We Were Wrong About Pit Bulls. Learn the Truth - Best Friends - dead link

The Truth About Pit Bulls - Chicago Pet News Examiner  - dead link

The Truth About Pit Bulls: A war hero, a movie star and the pet of two presidents - dead link

Update from a 2011 post

swagger in, slither out

profile of a dangerous dog lobbyist.

on 12.19.13 LISA CAMUSO left the following comment:

LOLOL...You guys are priceless...!Not a clue, any of you? SO sad...but easily herded, I would imagine.Can any of you figure out why anti-pit bull people run and hide when I offer to debate them on canine behavior, training, breeds and dog bites? I'm a little stumped as all of you are so outspoken and self-proclaimed experts, posting charts and statistics as if you gave birth to a new solar system...So, when any of you are ready after your quick Google search for propaganda to use as ammunition....let me know...I have been a bully breed owner for over 20 yrs. I train, I've worked my dogs....and I was a legislative director for several all breed working dog organization. Oh, and I co-authored dangerous dog ordinances in several cities....Ready for me???? (Morons getting ready to ban me from this page in 3,2 .......1 ! )

of course i published her comment immediately and accepted her challenge. i continually checked for her reply, eagerly awaiting her public thrashing. hours went by, then days and LISA MARIE CAMUSO, dog trainer extraordinaire and hot shot "legislative director" and co-author to the pit bull stars was a no show. :-(

so i looked for her.

i found her barren facebook page. her profile pic consisted of her dedication to the party of truth and a couple of comments, there were no photos, friend list, likes, nothing to substantiate her grandiose claims.

i don't think i have ever encountered such hubris in a nutter before. color me intrigued and disappointed. since LISA MARIE CAMUSO didn't return to put me in place and since massachusetts is of special interest to me and since i had an hour to kill... google to the rescue.

let's see...
• 20+ years experience as "bully breed" owner
• dog bite diva (move over karen)
• expert dog trainer & behaviorist
• co-author of dangerous dog laws

there is no way to prove or to disprove that she has over 20 years experience as a bully breed owner, she is 50 years old, so it is at least a possibility, unlike some of these 22 year old dog groomers who claim to have 20 years experience as vet tech, breeders and dog trainers.

i didn't find anything to demonstrate LISA'S superior knowledge of dog bites and since she didn't return to educate me, i will assume that her special knowledge is simply a regurgitation of KAREN DELISE'S schtick: intact resident dogs that no one can identify, yadda, yadda, yadda.

i was able to glean LISA MARIE CAMUSO'S skill level as dog trainer/behaviorist though, thanks to an old PBF thread.

 be sure to click on these to view larger and enjoy!

here is another example of her superior dog training skills.

as to her claim of co-author of dangerous dog laws, i suspect there is quite a bit of exaggeration there. LISA MARIE CAMUSO did appear to be the legislative liaison for the american working dog federation but according to the 2008 minutes, her involvement might have consisted only of attending meetings and hearings. i have yet to find her named as an author. LISA MARIE CAMUSO may have had some success imposing her unfettered dangerous dog agenda on our greedy, spineless, weak kneed, lily-livered, chicken-hearted, yellow-bellied elected officials. the unfortunate reality of american politics is that the special interest groups are running show thanks to the greedy, spineless, weak kneed, lily-livered, chicken-hearted, yellow-bellied fucktards that we elect to office. no reason why the lobbyists for dangerous dogs should not enjoy the same privileges as monsanto and the predatory banks. money talks. i found plenty of examples of LISA MARIE CAMUSO acting as conduit to the rest of nutterdom whenever BSL was being considered.

think i am being to hard on politicians? check out the council minutes from methuen, mass in 2006. during a public discussion on muzzling PIT BULLS in the city, a couple of nutter sisters showed up to protest muzzles, as did LISA CAMUSO of franklin and HOLLY STUMP of ipswich (another professional pit bull lobbyist), and some nutter by the name of BONNIE. the city did not require BONNIE to state her full name or full address but happily indulged her fanaticism.

my google search of LISA MARIE CAMUSO shed more light on her character than the specialized skill set she boasted of.

i found LISA MARIE CAMUSO trying to tell a "little white lie" to a kentucky hunting forum but it back fired. the good old boys appear to be sharper than our elected officials. link one and link two.

little white liar LISA CAMUSO tried to whip the hunters up in a fear frenzy with the promise that their beagles, labs and retrievers were in danger of being banned under a law being considered in louisville. when in reality, the law targets "any dog that is owned for the purpose of harming or fighting another animal".

"A total of 7 breeds of dogs are specifically named as "dangerous" and subject to mandatory spay/neuter.
Intact dogs of those breeds, which include American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, Cane Corsos, Presa Canarios, Dogue de Bordeauxs and American Pit Bull Terriers are subject to special permits, insurance requirements, muzzling in public and special enclosure rules.
A special permit must be bought to own an intact dog of any of these breeds, and Councilwoman Cheri Hamilton has already announced her intention to add more breeds in future!"

(more breeds in the future likely consisted of bandogs, american bulldogs and all of their ugly mutations.)

LISA MARIE CAMUSO concluded her histrionic plea to kentucky hunters with names and contact information of the 26 louisville council members.

the hunters respond:

where is the part about outlawing hunting dogs.
I'm not calling you a liar but where is your proof on your allegations this is pretty harsh stuff and needs some sort of substantiation regarding your statements about one person.

Never knew a pitbull or any of the other does you listed were hunting dogs...

I agree and say this in no way is for hunting dogs...like said my lab is a retriever. The dogs listed are banned in alot of places around the U.S. Presa Canarios are pit bulls on steriods, Dogo Argentinos are pretty vicious too, as the others can be. I know most are used as guard dogs mostly. I know people that have a few of the listed breeds.

There's a HUGE difference between a pit bull and a lab and it looks like they have failed to acknowledge that. Sounds like you guys have some Psycho's up there in Da Ville.

she displays a consistent pattern of deception and obfuscation.

where are you LISA MARIE CAMUSO (lisa quinn/liger woods/gogetmgidget)?

as vintage says "check back so we know that you have not been mauled or incarcerated." or maybe just let us know if your lithium kicked in.

ODE TO LISA

Joan of Barf for Pit bulls, Camuso
Appeared not for her big-tent roadshow
And left the simple villagers leaderless, and moronic
For patent nostrum teachings
much like a cheap colonic
A sheeple dip and tonic
To rid our minds of
Facts and phonics
We foolishiy believed were truth;
And as we milled with vacant minds
To learn about canine Frankensteins
The tattered stage curtain fluttered with fallacies breath
We awaited the Gospel that pit bulls abhorr death
But imbeceles must accept life as disappointments come:
Evaporating fast as deadly methane gas
Camuso was gone in 3...2....1.

Obama weighs in on pit bulls and public safety

pit nutter salute

We don't support breed-specific legislation -- research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at twenty years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the United States. They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people and that it's virtually impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds.

The CDC also noted that the types of people who look to exploit dogs aren't deterred by breed regulations -- when their communities establish a ban, these people just seek out new, unregulated breeds. And the simple fact is that dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they're intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive.

For all those reasons, the CDC officially recommends against breed-specific legislation -- which they call inappropriate. You can read more from them here.

As an alternative to breed-specific policies, the CDC recommends a community-based approach to prevent dog bites. And ultimately, we think that's a much more promising way to build stronger communities of pets and pet owners.

 

The president won't just be bubble wrapped on inauguration day. He and his family will be bubble wrapped on
family day

school day

 
work day

play day

church day

and garden day.  for the rest of their lives.

I bet Roy McSweeny would be still alive if he had armed men in black standing guard while he tended to his garden.


Divorced from reality and bubble wrapped in tax payer money.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." Barack Obama

Secret Service Sig Sauer 229

Meanwhile, in Detroit...

Hollywood Animal Hospital in Florida - Question and Answer time

Dahlia Canes made a little poster entitled Veterinarians know BSL is NOT the answer!!!

What is the question?

The question is how much money does the Hollywood Animal Hospital make sewing up or disposing of the bodies of pit bull victims?  Another question: is it seemly to be promoting a position that makes you money at the expense of the lives, safety and well-being of normal companion animals?

Veterinarians are in the position to know just how devastating pit bulls are to the normal pet population, and they say nothing about it.  Instead, they protect their income stream by posing as experts in companion animal issues other than medical care, and publicly stand against BSL.

The REAL answer to the veterinarians is: disclose how many victims of pit bulls you  have charged full price for saving, sewing up, euthanizing and disposing of.  And everyone of you that is publicly anti-BSL, let's see you sew up and give extended medical treatment to those pit bull victims at a charge that is no greater than the average cost for caring for victims of all other dog breeds combined.  We'll then see if you continue to promote pit bulls when it is a net loss for you.

So, all you doctors at HAH, are you prepared to give up real money in support of pit bulls?

Dr. Johnattan Arango, DVM, First Year Associate, Surgical Intern

Dr. Fumiko Miyamoto, D.V.M. First Year Associate
Dr. Katie Quinter, D.V.M. First Year Associate

Dr. Ashley Akins, D.V.M. First Year Associate
Dr. Tiffany Sheldon, D.V.M. First Year Associate

Dr. Amber Schoeller, D.V.M. First Year Associate

Dr. Maggie Low, D.V.M. First Year Associate
Dr. Irma Manasherov, D.V.M. First Year Associate

Dr. Robert Swinger, D.V.M., AVCO

Dr. Jennifer Bibevski DVM

Larry Dee DVM, Partner, Diplomat, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Canine/feline practice, Fellow, National Academies of Practice, veterinary medicine, AVMA Executive Board, District IV

Dr. Jon Dee - D.V.M., M.S., ACVS, ACVSMR, Partner, Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr. James Dee - D.V.M., Partner

Dr. Jim Herrington - D.V.M., Partner
Dr. Tom Sessa - D.V.M., Partner
Dr. Millie Rosales, D.V.M., ACVD
Dr. Anne Murphy, D.V.M., Associate
Dr. David Shapiro, D.V.M., Associate
Dr. Crispin Spencer, D.V.M, ACVR, Associate
Dr. Carlos Ameijeiras, D.V.M., Associate
Dr. Nicole Patterson, D.V.M., Associate
Dr. Jodi Heim, D.V.M., Associate
Dr. Paul Vaughn, HAH Associate
Dr. Morgan Guoan HAH Associate
Dr. Kristin Holland HAH Associate
Dr. Erica Bello HAH Associate
Dr. James Carson HAH Associate
Dr. Elizabeth Rosainz HAH Associate

Dr. Larry's letter responding to Broward County's Breed Ban

Thanks to Lucy Muir for the head's up on this!

Pit bull backyard breeding Illinois-style: Making Man Eaters in Ledyland

Connie and Scott Ijams were delivering phonebooks to homes in Bloomington IL last October when a pit bull pushed through a screen door and severely mauled Connie Ijams and bit Scott when he tried to save her.

The pit bull, Bo, tore up both Connie's arms requiring many hours of surgery, a 10 day hospital stay, $73,000 and four months later she still has no feeling in her arms except for annoying itching that can't be scratched.  Connie and Scott are having a benefit to help pay for her $73,000 and climbing hospital bills.

Here is a video of the idiot owner, SHANIE DOSS, crying about how horrible it was that people were yelling at her while her pit bull engaged in a protracted mauling of a woman.  Despite SHANIE DOSS' whining and crying, she is being charged with a class 4 felony and various ordinance violations.

Would it surprise anyone to know that SHANIE DOSS is a backyard breeder, previously allowed her pit bull to escape, get hit by a car and break both its legs, and has a previous felony conviction?

And her husband, well, he pled not guilty by reason of insanity to running a red light, causing an accident and leaving the scene, I kid you not.  Yeah, he was found guilty.  He also owes the City of Bloomington $725 for ordinance violations.

You can find all the details at this link.  You will have to enter the names SHANIE DOSS and MICHAEL COSTIN.

After watching that video and photos, you'd think Bloomington Illinois was some kind of crappy hillbilly haven.  But, it's not just a refuge for abominable redneck buffonery.  Bloomington Illinois has been a college town for 160 years as the home of Illinois Wesleyan University an exclusive little liberal arts college established in 1850 that can be found on many "best colleges" lists.

The city is lousy with historic mansions turned into B&Bs, museums, and upscale apartments.  Bloomington is host to one of the most respected Shakespearean festivals in North America. And they have at least one church that bills itself as progressive, open and affirming.

Bloomington's median income ($58,662) is above the national median and above the illinois' median and has lower poverty rates than the nation and Illinois.  The second largest employer for Bloomington residents is Illinois State University located in both Bloomington and its twin city, Normal.

The largest employer is State Farm Insurance, the current insurance darling of pit nutters.  After Farmers Insurance announced it will no longer be providing coverage for pit bulls and rottweilers in California, many nutters in other states proclaimed they will be switching to State Farm because they haven't banned dangerous breeds yet.  Well, look out State Farm, gird your loins, look what's coming to you right outside you corporate headquarters.

SHANIE DOSS' breeding practices illustrate beautifully how man eaters are bred.  Bo, the pit bull who viciously attacked Connie Ijams had already been bred twice to the another pit bull in SHAINE DOSS's house before his DNA kicked in.  Bo sired some or all of the eight puppies their female had in October 2010.  They evidently had two male pit bulls that they  allowedto have at their female.  The other pit bull got the RIP facebook tribute.  Who knows why.  They  sold all the puppies from the second litter of seven by June 2011.  So currently running around Bloomington Illinois are as many 15 two and three year old pit bulls who may have inherited papa's proclivity for random shows of extreme man eating aggression.

Some of them may wind up on the upscale, progressive, enlightened, open-minded, inclusive side of town where rescue angels buy home owners insurance.  I'd stay away from any black and white or brown and white marked pit bulls in the Bloomington area for next few years.  There's about 15 of them that are ready to express their genetic heritage.  Is this pit bull featured on the Bloomington farmer's market and Artists' Alley facebook page one of SHANIE DOSS' man eaters?

And what is with Bloomington and her sister city Normal?  They are home rule cities in Illinois, so they can enact breed specific legislation despite the statewide ban on BSL.  People have been calling for regulation for years as attacks have become progressively more horrific in Bloomington.  Are they waiting for someone to die, because that is looking like an increasingly sure bet.  Bloomington should look to Pawtucket, RI for some answers.  Pawtucket is very happy with their ban which has been effective and practicable for the less wealthy but similar sized city.

Pawtucket RI - Come for the not being mauled by pit bulls

Stay for the New England charm, delicious seafood, urban farming movement and the utter awesomeness of still not being mauled by pit bulls.

Population 2011: 71,153

Median Income $39,628 well below RI median income of $55,975 and the US median income of $52,762.

Economic base: textiles, Hasbro toy manufacturer, jewelry, silverware and metals

Supposed cost of just implementing BSL according to BFAS BS calculator: $112,132

Actual 2011 total animal control operating expenses (with 9 year old ban): $124,920

Love Pawtucket.  Run afoul of their pit bull ban three times and like magic we all get our wish - JAIL TIME FOR NUTTER!

This is an excerpt from a radio interview on NightSide with Dan Rea with guests Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo  and Amy Conrad, an advocate for unidentifiable animals.  They're discussing the Massachusetts ban on BSL that Amy Conrad helped get slipped into law while no one was looking.  Cuz we all know when you ask the people, they like to have both local control of government and pit bull regulation.  John Holmes, the animal control supervisor for the city of Pawtuckett, calls in to share his city's experience with a ban on pit bulls.

Thanks to April29 for sharing this great interview.

Transcribed excerpt:
Dan: Back to the phones we go…let's go to John Holmes in Rhode Island…John how are you tonight?
John: Good, how are you?
Dan: Good, What's up?
John: I just want to say I'm the Animal Control Supervisor in Pawtucket.
Dan: Ooh, great! Thank you for calling in.
John: You're entirely welcome.  We did put the law banning in 2004 banning pit bulls in the city of Pawtucket.  And I just want to say right up front that I do agree with the young lady that, I forgot her name
Dan: Amy
John: Amy, there are good pit bull owners.  What we did was, we were known as the pit bull capital of Rhode Island, the number of bites that were publicized in the late 90s - 2000s.  We looked at this for a number of years…  And let me also say they're wrong, about these people going out and getting another breed - that has not happened in the City of Pawtucket.  But, we're very aggressive with the law.

We put this law in to protect the animal as well as the people.

We were picking them up in the housing projects after they were fought, dead in plastic bags.  We were euthanizing pit bulls on a weekly basis prior to this law.  Last year we had to put down three.  And the numbers are getting shorter and shorter.  Our shelter is not full of pit bulls anymore.

They are a good dog.  We've got one in there now we just had neutered.  We don't believe in euthanasia just because it's a pit bull.  But, the law has to be done and it has to be done right.  Protect the good pit bull owners.

We have 80 pit bulls that are grandfathered in the city and owned by responsible people.  But again, we targeted the drug dealers.  We targeted the idiots that were walking around with big tow chains on 'em.  Those are the people we went after.

And this law has not only worked, it's worked tremendously.  And I welcome anybody to come in and see our numbers.  It's a shame that you have to pick out any breed but it's the dog of the day to the drug dealers and the idiots that make these dogs vicious.

Now you had one caller say, Well target the people.  How do you ban people?  We looked at this.  We went by the Denver Colorado law, but we went one step further.  We put jail time in there.  After the third offense, you go to jail.  And that's the end of it.

And people can walk down the streets of this city and not be afraid of being attacked by ANY dog, let alone a pit bull.  We're very aggressive with our leash law.  Our people are all trained; they've all been to the academy.

So, if you're gonna do this, don't put a law in if you're not going to enforce it.

Rob Consalvo: Hey that's a great point and this was an awesome call.  And I appreciate you, as a trained professional, have shown that breed specific laws can work in specific areas. Your town is different than my town and what you've chosen to do and modify is working for you.  You should have that right and Boston should too.

But you bring up another great point.  We've tried to market this as a pro-pit bull ordinance, actually.  And if you talk to Animal Control, they'll tell you that the ordinance was the tool to go in and rescue pit bulls from dogfighting dens.  They normally would have had to get a warrant in a court but now they have the ordinance as the tool because a neighbor complained.  they've rescued pit bulls as part of the ordinance.  They've used it as an education tool.  They always didn't fine for the muzzle or the beware of dog sign or the other pieces of the ordinance.  They educated people who were disobeying the law into becoming better pit bull owners.

So, yes there was a lot of controversy around muzzles and BSL, but if you talk to the good men and women who go out into the field and respond to the calls, they've used it as a positive pro-pit bull tool to rescue those dogs in an urban area who are in danger and that's an important piece to this.

Dan: John, thank you very much for the call and the background information.
John: Can I just say one more thing, and I'll make it very quick.
Dan: Sure
John: You know animal control are quick to be blamed, you know, looking at these laws.  But you gotta understand that they're sick of euthanizing these dogs.  They're sick of picking them up from the drug dealers and these idiots that don't know how to take care of them and euthanize them.  And the law does work.  Thank you.

Nightside with Dan Rea February 21, 2013 
You can listen to the interview.  It is divided into two parts.  The first part is nutter dominated.  The awesome John Holmes can be heard on the second part.

A Kansas Dogfighting Valentine

There’s now an angel, named Savannah,
She was bit by a rescued pit bull: she didn’t survive.
  Had the owner  put that dog away,
The little girl and that dog would still be alive.
Pit Bull Poet Laureate

Savannah Edwards was killed by a "rescued" dog aggressive pit bull
  in Topeka Kansas on December 14, 2012

Game bred pit bulls have been mauling Kansans for over 100 years.  In fact, the people of Topeka hadhad enough with dogfighters, pit bull enthusiasts and their game bred pit bulldogs as early as 1897:

"A boy of 13 was attacked by a vicious bulldog in Topeka and one of his eyelids was torn so that it laid out on his cheek.  The attack was unprovoked and this, as well as other bulldog attacks, has created a strong feeling against that breed of bloodthirsty brutes."
August 26, 1897 The Globe-republican

Kansas has been a producer of game bred pit bulls for over a century. Kansas was one of the last states to pass dogfighting laws in 1982 but until they strengthened them them in 1984, even dogfighters that had been convicted of dogfighting could get their dogs back.

Towns, cities and counties all over Kansas, plagued with pit bulldog maulings, also enacted some of the earliest modern pit bull bans during the 80s as well.  But that did not end the battle because those Kansas dogfighters and game dog lovers are a brazen bunch.

The history of the pit bull ban in Liberal, KS shows just how hard the good people of Kansas have to fight to keep themselves safe from fighting dogs.

This comment from GERRY from Liberal, Kansas appeared on an anti-bsl website about a town near Liberal:

Gerry | June 4, 2010 at 7:33 am |
"I’m from Liberal,ks where they will kill your pitbull if your the type of individual that will allow them to push you over. Pitbulls have been banned here since 1989, not because they were viciouse or because of an attack on someone, but because several older individuals most of whome are no longer around here anymore use to fight them."

GERRY openly admits he breeds pit bulls in defiance of a local ban that has been in place for around 20 years.  GERRY is absolutely correct about the dogfighting, there was a dogfighting problem in Liberal KS in the 1980s.

In 1985, fifteen men were charged with felony and misdemeanor dogfighting just outside of Liberal Kansas.  Fifty pit bulls were found on the property, and seven pit bulls were in such bad condition they had to be put down at the scene.  The humane society said the rest of the dogs were too vicious to be adopted out.  In addition to the dogs, a fighting pit "awash in blood" was found. One humane officer described the sickening smell of blood and beer that hung in the air as they worked and the horrific sight of the mauled and dying dogs.  This bust took place at the farm house of GERALD VALENTINE of Liberal KS.

Yes, GERRY the illegal pit bull breeder who was advocating for an end to the pit bull ban seems to be one of the dogfighters he, himself, described that prompted the Liberal pit bull ban in the first place.

Alleged dogfighter GERRY VALENTINE is wrong about the pit bulls not attacking people, though.  There may not have been any serious attacks in Liberal itself, but all of Kansas was facing a big problem with pit bull attacks in the mid 80's.  In May 1985, a few months before GERRY was arrested and before a boy was seriously mauled, the nearby Hutchinson News published an editorial opinion pushing for a pit bull ban. It began "Kansas once again has been afflicted with the pit bull terrier problem." and went on to enumerate the many recent attacks in Kansas and nearby midwest states including a fatality in Kansas.  Seven months later, three year old Robert Cole Corbridge was severely mauled by two pit bullterriers who escaped from their owner.  His attack was said to leave a legacy of dangerous dog laws.  A year later, 46 Kansas towns had passed vicious dog laws.  Though the first pit bull ban in Kansas was enacted in 1983 in the small town of Little River, and other attacks galvanized the town of Shawnee to pass the "first comprehensive pit bull law in the state" in 1985, months before the  Corbridge attack, it was little Robert Cole's attack that galvanized cities and towns around the state.

Many cities adopted pit bull bans and other regulation during the 80s and almost immediately pit bull owners tried to have BSL overturned.  In 1989, a group of pit bull owners living in Overland Park attempted to overturn that city's ban.  The case went to the Kansas supreme court and the court upheld every provision that was challenged, including the legitimacy of visual identification of pit bulls and the right of local governments to regulate ownership and possession of dogs.  In addition, the court found that pit bulls represent "a unique hazard to the public safety," and rejected an "equal protection" challenge.

In 1991, Seward county (Liberal is the county seat) enacted a pit bull ban in response to the local dogfighting that GERRY VALENTINE participated in and to pit bull violence breaking out across the state.  However, twenty years later, long after the grandfathered pit bulls in Seward county would have died, the Seward County Commission sought to remove the grandfather clause from their pit bull ban.  It seems that one GERALD VALENTINE had been a thorn in their side, insisting that the grandfather clause pertained to him, the pit bull owner, and not to the pit bulls themselves.

GERRY VALENTINE, the alleged dogfighter and illegal pit bull breeder brazenly and openly led the fight against the ban.  He claimed that he'd been breeding pit bulls in Seward county for 41 years, and for the last 20 years his record was spotless - which is not to say he didn't break any laws, it merely means he only got arrested that one time.  VALENTINE says he sells his dogs all over the country, and there is no doubt about that.  Dogfighter Charlie Phaneuf has mentioned that he got dogs from VALENTINE.  VALENTINE had been charged with dogfighting 20 years previous, but when called on that, he played semantics games with the commissioners:

“Do you believe in the judicial system that you’re innocent until proven guilty?” he asked Linenbroker. “I was never proven guilty because I never went to court. It never went to court, and I was never tried because (then Seward County Attorney) Linda Trigg didn’t have a case, and she knew she didn’t have a case. So she pleaded me out. I signed the agreement. I kept to it. I’ve been arrested one time in my entire life. That was in 1985 by Seward County police. I was never convicted of it. It never went to trial because she didn’t have evidence to prove it. If I’m innocent until proven guilty maam, I’m innocent.”
“Whether you pled guilty to it or not, you’re still listed with all these other people that were arrested,” Linenbroker said. “I just have a problem when you standing there acting like you’re this big dog lover, and then you were arrested for having these dog fights.”
“I was accused of that,” Valentine said. “I was never convicted of that. Is that fact or fiction?”
“Did you take a plea to it?” Linenbroker asked.
“Yes maam, I sure did,” Valentine said.
“A plea to me is the same as saying that you’re guilty,” Linenbroker said.

Although VALENTINE could not buffalo Linebroker, he did manage to get the Seward county pit bull ban repealed.  The repeal only lasted for a few weeks before a new pit bull ban was instituted in the town of Liberal and regulations were instituted for Seward county.  But how about them apples?  An alleged dogfighter manages to overturn a breed ban!  And right out in the open, too.


Read more about alleged dogfighter GERRY VALENTINE'S public battle with BSL:

County repeals pit bull ban
Pits bulls or No pit bulls
Pit bull breeder battles ban

Map of BSL in Kansas and adjoining states - Whew, doggie, the good people of the midwest are trying their best to keep from getting mauled:

Click here to see midwest BSL map

No pittie, it's not your ami, it's MIAMI

The braintrust at Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation registered PAC thought a poster size image of what you would see right before a pit bull took your face off would do the trick and convince Aunt Bea, Tia Bella and Matant Bronte to vote to repeal the 23 year old Miami-Dade pit bull ban:








IT DIDN'T WORK!  THE BAN LIVES!

Why Not Label Pit Bulls Dangerous? When the media gets it right

"It's not the dog's fault. "

 "My response to that is, "Who cares?"

"Chris Davis, who literally wrote the book on dog bites says this: There's a human being that's been significantly harmed. To debate, ok, was it the dog that did it or was it the owner. My response is who cares? Let's not put the rights of dogs over human beings." Chris Davis, Author of  When the Dog Bites"

 


thanks to:
KOMO 4 NEWS TV
KOMO 4 TV newscaster Eric Johnson
Miss WooHoo11
DubV

Victim's account of a pit bull home invasion attack

Click on these excerpts from Jim Reeve's blog to read about the Christmas day when an illegally kept pit bull invaded his family home and killed the family's 2 year old poodle.  Be forewarned: the account is detailed and gruesome.

A Christmas to Forget Saturday, 17 December 2011

I ran past everyone and asked my wife what was going on?  She did her best to explain.  A knock came to the door and when she looked out she saw a little girl.  She thought it was our friend's daughter.  It wasn't.  It was a girl she'd never seen before.  It wasn't until she opened our door that my wife Shannon saw the giant pit bull.  But it was too late.  The little girl had found the pit bull wandering the streets and wanted someone to call the SPCA.  She has a friend that lives next door and mixed up the 2 houses.  6 months earlier we had gotten a dog, to help be a companion to Jacob.  Dogs are good with kids with Asperger's.  So we got a little poodle named Max.  He was small and white.  He was very smart and very well trained, he was only 2 years old at Christmas.

Vindication for Max Monday, 27 February 2012

Finally we have some vindication for our little poodle Max who died a horrible death on Christmas Day. The sad thing is, that no matter what penalty was enforced, there is nothing that can wipe this memory from Jacob's mind. This was an instant which changed his life forever. Because of Jacob's Asperger's, he'll never look at dogs or Christmas the same ever again. Jacob's done well in handling what happened, but there are some deep rooted issues of course. We even had to give some of the gifts he received that Christmas away because Jacob refused to open or use them. He literally wants nothing around that reminds him of that day. It saddens me to think that I'm still powerless as his father to help. But I can ensure you, that we'll be filing a suit against the man and we'll be seeking the maximum penalty allowed.

See Also:

thespec

opposing views

RIP Max

Pit Bull Service Dogs: They're too sensitive but they still need prong collars

The recent near-fatal mauling of Joe Finley in Chicago revealed a great deal about who runs Chicago Animal Care and Control and how it operates.

Finley's brutal attack left him without a foot or the use of his arm. In response, the CACC and the city attorney's office did exactly nothing to prosecute the irresponsible owner that let his dogs, which were known to be aggressive, run at large. Local residents and aldermen were appalled and wanted action to ensure public safety. When Alderman Fioretti raised the question of a pit bull ban, the obligatory pit bull service dog handler was trotted out to state he was afraid that his pit bull service dog would be taken away if BSL were enacted in Chicago. The service dog handler in this case was Chris Maddeford and the service dog is in fact a service dog in training from Kelly and Greg Yearwood's non-profit called Pits for Patriots which was started up less than a year ago. They started with four pit bulls and two of those washed out - one for health and one for temperament reasons.

The remaining two pit bull service dogs in training wearing prong collars.

Pits for Patriots cites as their inspiration two "successful" pit bull service dog organizations, one in New York, and one in Tampa Bay, Florida. More about that later.

News updates have come out in which Finley describes his horrific attack at length. Though he gave up on his foot long before he was finally rescued, he never lost consciousness and he never quit fighting to keep them from getting his neck.

"Finley says he wants to run again, a hobby he took up just 10 years ago. Finley says he also wants to work on erasing the mental image of the attacks. He says he replays it over and over in his head. He will be discharged from Stroger Hospital and transferred to an in-patient rehab facility in the Chicago area."

"Trauma surgeons at Stroger say during the first few days of recovery they were not sure if Finley was going to survive. One doctor describes Finley's injures as equivalent to stepping on a landmine. Doctors credit Finley's incredible physical and mental strength for his survival."

Peggy Sue Leifer left this comment on the CBS local news update:

Peggy Sue Leifer is Snicker's fur mommy. Notice she's not sending good wishes directly to Finley, she's addressing her old pal Steve Miller, the WBBM reporter who interviewed her a few weeks earlier about bringing a pit bull to Aurelia, Iowa which has a pit bull ban.

Isn't it sweet and thoughtful that she bids Miller to send the man who just nearly was killed by pit bulls the good wishes from Snickers the pit bull, too?

Peggy Sue Leifer is the wife of ex-marine, retired Chicago cop, and stroke survivor Jim Sak. They lived in Chicago until the end of 2011 when they moved to Leifer's hometown of Aurelia Iowa. The city of Aurelia had recently enacted a ban on pit bulls in response to specific public safety problems the city was facing with regards to pit bull attacks.

The city of Aurelia, IA, responding to a petition from residents, enforced the pit bull ban it has had on the books since 2008. The pit bull in question is none other than Snickers, Sak and Leifer's pit bull which they allege is Sak's service dog. And now Sak and Leifer are suing the city of Aurelia with monetary and other support from Animal Farm Foundation, a pit bull ownership advocacy group.

Two separate advocacy groups have responded to this story, pit bull advocates and advocates for equal rights for people with disabilities.

1. Pit bull ownership advocates feel that though there is no constitutional right to own a pet dog, they must be guaranteed the freedom to own a type of dog that has killed more people than all other kinds of dogs combined in recent years, no matter the effect on the community, and with no concomitant responsibility. And they frequently and publicly wish ill will and harm to anyone who disagrees with them.

2. Advocates for people with disabilities have successfully lobbied to protect and assert their constitutional rights, freedoms and access guaranteed all US citizens.

Take a guess: which group members do you suppose have taken to the internet comments sections and participated in a collective hysterical hissy fit condemning an entire town and which group members have participated in educated, reasoned and nuanced discussions about freedom, rights and responsibility?

The Nutters:

Diann says: can these City Officials and some residents be anymore bigotted and ignorant? May the Bible you thump open to the right page and the Church pew all you good Christian folk sit on burn your bottoms! Shameful and Disgraceful behavior by the petition signers.

Clay Hund says: Burn the town down, and lynch the politicians!!!

Selwyn Marock says: I hope you do the planet a favour and choke on your turkey bone.

Commenters on the public boards on Service Dog Central:

Kirsten says: The letter of the law is REASONABLE accommodation, not any and all accommodation without having to ask for it. In the case where dogs in general are allowed in a community, reasonable accommodation assumes no special request for accommodation is necessary. But when we look at places such as housing, the accommodation must be requested. So I think they could make a case that this is a reasonable accommodation to take into account the community's right to self govern and protect their citizens AND the PWD's right to have a SD. A compromise. Reasonableness loves a compromise. Not budging is very likely to land them with a very broad "any pitbull claimed as a service dog, without proof, is allowed" and that's going to be a huge mess.

The entire thread is an interesting read as is this link to the Bronk v Ineichen suit Kirsten refers to in the thread.

You can immediately see that pit bull advocates view freedom as "I should be able to do anything I want." Kirsten and the other commenters on the Service Dog Central forum, who have had to be vigilant and pro-active about asserting and protecting their equality and rights, have a much more sophisticated and reasonable understanding of freedom.

And the people at SDC also realize that just because Mr. Sak has a disability and claims his dog is a service dog, that doesn't necessarily make it so. The Bronk v Ineichen suit demonstrates that people with a disability who own a dog, but can't demonstrate that the dog meets the standards of service dog training cannot claim the dog to be a service dog. Moreover, by following the discussion in the SDC Aurelia thread, it is clear that advanced obedience training, as well as individually trained tasks, is a requirement for a sufficiently trained service dog. It is assumed that a genuine service dog would have both the training and temperament that would make it safe in any public area.

There are a number of reasons to suspect that this dog is a genuinely beloved pet, but not an adequately trained service dog.

The description of individually trained tasks Snickers has been trained to perform listed by the physical therapist, the Animal Farm Foundation and the motion for preliminary injuctions all consistently name the same three individually trained tasks - "walking, balance, and retrieving items around the house."

Sak and his wife describe, at various times, completely different tasks than those mentioned by the physical therapist, lawyers and pit bull advocacy group; they do not mention the "retrieving items" task at all; and they contradict each other as well as the legal documents submitted in the suit. Sak says that the dog is specifically trained to regard a hand tremor as a signal to sit and wait for a command which is usually go get his wife so she can help him back up after a fall. But, Peggy Sue Leifer, his wife, says, "I have a very hard time getting Jim back to his feet, but he and Snickers have it worked out."

Sometimes, Snickers' trained task is described as dragging Sak to the wall or furniture so he can pull himself up and other times Snickers is described as being trained to stand so Sak can pull himself up by pulling on Snickers collar.

Snickers seems to be an unlikely candidate for a balance and support service dog for a grown man because he is simply not large enough to do the job. The Service Dog Project breeds and trains Great Danes as balance and support service dogs. The SDP states, "The Balance support dog should be at least 40% of the person’s height. A 6-foot tall man needs a 30” dog. This puts stability at the person’s fingertips. The dog should also weigh at least half the person’s weight." They also outline the long training period for the dogs and go into detail about how the handlers are trained to pull themselves up in a specific way so as to not injure the dog.

Snickers was supposedly trained, in the event of a fall, to drag Sak to furniture to allow him to pull himself up. Sak grabs Snicker's collar for this purpose. But, as SDC members note, this would be injurious to Snickers. Evidently, Sak did not consult any service dog information at all because the most cursory search on the internet suggests that Snickers should be fitted with a harness to safely accomplish this task.

Sak provided a letter from his physical therapist to the city council that states she "was involved in" and "supervised" therapy sessions that included Snickers. She stops short of stating she helped train the dog and she was apparently unaware of several of the quite physical tasks that Snickers had been trained to do - dragging Sak, allowing Sak to pull himself upright by pulling on him and, alerting Leifer of a fall. (See attachments at the end of the document)

If the dog is self-trained, evidence of the number of hours this dog was trained first in obedience training to an advanced level and then in individual training for specific tasks to aid his handler should be available to the judge because though it is permissible to train a service dog one's self, the owner must still put the same amount of training on the dog.

The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners has advocated for responsible service dog partnerships for 80 years. They maintain that trainers function as ambassadors for the assistance dog movement. The IAADP believes that "assistance dogs have worked successfully in public and won the public's acceptance by achieving high behavioral and training standards which set them apart from pets and other animals. Their exemplary conduct led to state legislatures granting access rights to the blind, deaf and mobility impaired. Those early teams paved the way for the Americans With Disabilities Act, which has opened the door to individuals with a wide range of physical and mental impairments being able to have access rights."

Their suggested minimum training best practice standards include a minimum of 120 hours of training logged over a period of at least 6 months.

People focus on the "individually trained tasks" that are required for a dog to qualify as a service dog, but it must be stressed that a service dog also required to be very well obedience trained and be obedient in all public situations they are exposed to. It is significant that in the motion for a preliminary injunction, Sak and Leifer stipulated that they would not take Snickers in public. One could suspect that Sak had no desire to take Snickers out in public if the dog's behavior might betray the fact that he is not highly trained to be obedient in public places.

Please note the "trainer's responsibilities" section on the same IAADP page. The first responsibility is to "know pertinent canine laws." As a former CPD tactical officer who worked in a city that banned handguns, Officer Sak's duty was to enforce a handgun ban no matter his personal views on the issue and he, more than anyone, is aware that the law applied to everyone, even those who professed ignorance of the local ban and who were otherwise responsible with handguns.

However, he and his wife used this very excuse to explain why they brought a pit bull to a town with a pit bull ban. It is highly doubtful they were ignorant of pit bull bans in general or that owning a pit bull mix would potentially subject them to bans if they moved. And it stretches credulity to think that they were unaware of the ban in Aurelia given Leifer's affiliation with Cynthia Bathurst of Best Friends Animal Society and Safe Humane Chicago. Both organizations strongly advocate for pit bulls and against pit bull bans and work closely with the Chicago Police Department about dogfighting and other pit bull issues.

Much as been made by pit bull advocate groups of the horror of having one's service dog and pet taken away. No mention whatsoever has been made about adults taking responsibility for their choices. The first choice made was to get the pit bull mix knowing that having a kind of dog often subject to breed bans would restrict their freedom of movement with the dog - whether they agreed with the bans or not. Their second choice was to attempt to make their pit bull pet into a service dog by registering it with NSAR, a scam registry, instead of looking at one of the many organizations that offer free training for veteran owners who want to train their own dog or make available genuine, trained service dogs to veterans at no cost through private donations and a federally funded pilot program through the VA:

Patriot Paws

Hero Dogs

Freedom Service Dogs

Soldier's Best Friend

Vet Dogs

Vets Helping Heros

Vets First

Yet another organization, Pit Bulls 4 Patriots, was founded with the intention of training rescued pit bulls as service dogs for veterans with PTSD. The newly minted Chicago-based Pits for Patriots claims they were inspired by this Florida organization. The history of this organization provides yet another reason to be skeptical of pit bulls paraded as service dogs.

Pit Bulls 4 Patriots had to abandon their original concept but the dedicated founders transformed the program into Hounds 4 Heros, a program that uses rescued greyhounds instead. Why? The pit bulls were not working out as service dogs. They took too long to train, and they found that pit bulls were too "sensitive" to work with handlers with PTSD because they "reflected" the symptoms of their handler's PTSD. Evidently, the pit bulls were exhibiting common symptoms of PTSD: anger, irritability, hypervigilance, and anxiety. Irritable pit bull service dogs. No Thank You.

"We became clear that we need dogs who are able to provide calm in any situation rather than matching the handler's feelings. Also, it is critical that PTSD service dogs can adapt and recover quickly from stress, and to be resiliant enough to do that again and again"

In addition, the wonderful pit bull "washouts" could not be easily adopted so the founders of the organization are now the proud owners of a boatload of pits. Rescue pit bulls, it seems, are not inherently (genetically), suited to service dog work.

It seems that greyhounds possess inherent (genetic) characteristics that pit bulls do not:

"In our search for the "perfect" PTSD service dog, we are very excited to have Murray join us. Greyhounds tend to be calm, loving but not pushy, caring but not overly sensitive, and are happy to relax and go wherever their person needs them to be."

Second quote:
Our dogs are carefully selected for having exceptionally calm and stable temperaments. We like working with greyhounds because we do not have to train over any strong genetically bred instincts and drives (such as protection/guarding, being territorial, herding, dog aggression, or hunting). It was surprising for us to learn that although some greyhounds have a strong prey drive, most do not. While growing to adulthood in preparation for racing, greyhounds remain in daily contact with their litter mates and other hounds. They are spared from the jarring loss of their pack at an exceedingly young age, unlike most other dogs, who are bred and quickly sold as pets. This continued companionship with their own kind is extremely healthy for balanced brain development and canine social skills. Since they are being groomed to become racing dogs, their lives are disciplined, with plenty of exercise, routines, and very clear guidance from all the humans they come in contact with. As a result, they tend to be peacefully submissive to people, and easily accept direction. This is very helpful in their new roles as service dogs for our PTSD veterans.
This next quote seems to speak directly to their experience with pit bulls and to the very real dangers of trying to shape dogs bred for fighting into service dogs:

We can't overstate the importance of the balanced minds and good nature of these dogs for their job as psychiatric service dogs. It is critical that our dogs are going to be calm and stable "on their own" without the necessity of great guidance and leadership from their handler. When living with someone who has fluctuating weak energy and leadership skills, such as anyone with a psychiatric disorder, a dog will revert to its genetically bred instincts and/or to default behaviors learned in puppyhood. Skilled training can override weaknesses in temperament and high-drive instinctual behaviors, but our PTSD handlers will not be able to maintain training over the top of these things. The longer the team spends together, the more the dog's training would "unravel" and revert to the genetic predisposition of the dog. Examples of this would be an unbalanced German Shepherd who falls back inappropriately to his instinct to guard and bite when threatened, or a herding dog who neurotically begins nipping at the feet and heels of anything that moves around his person. With the greyhounds their default is to either relax, or quietly withdraw into themselves. As a result, they don't act out, become dangerously unbalanced, or create problems for their handlers or the public. They are able to maintain and return to their trained behaviors with relative ease.These gentle, intelligent, and malleable dogs respond very well to our positive training methods. They are able to perform the many kinds of tasks and work that most benefit people who face the daunting challenge of living with PTSD.

the PB4P service pit bulls in training and the other kind of service dog

Pit bull service dogs that end up in the news have almost always turned out to be scams, sometimes disastrous ones. Robert Weller even got a ban exemption in Denver for his supposed service dog. It bit him many times and the last time it wouldn't let go.

That is not stopping AFF from launching their own rescue pit bull stunt service dog training program. They are going at it the right way, too. They are basically putting out a nationwide call for appropriate pit bulls that they will evidently transport to the Farm at their own cost. But the best news is they now believe that anyone can identify a pit bull, because they will accept any dog that was identified by anyone at intake as a pit bull for the program!

They undoubtedly will be able to come up with a few pit bulls with the temperament of a labrador retriever, which is basically what they're looking for, by casting such a wide net. But it is nothing more than another stunt, just like the failed Lawdogs experiment.

This lawsuit in Aurelia IA, is another stunt by the monied AFF. They are turning a grown man, a marine, into a victim to suit their agenda and they are scapegoating an entire city. Aurelia is not taking it lying down. These people love their city very much and they very articulately describe their home town and the goodness of the people in it.

Excerpts from a letter to the editor by an Aurelia citizen who's a former Marine:

After reading people's comments on Facebook and other media outlets, such as "I Hope the people of Aurelia burn in Hell and are eaten by pit bulls," and other people insulting family members of the city council, I am for sure embarrassed.

–––––––

Eight years ago I witnessed thousands of people in this rural community stand on the side of the road to salute a KIA Marine; where two young boys in the back of a pick-up truck held on to an American flag in 35 mile an hour wind to honor him; where an 83 year old veteran stood on the side of road in sub zero temperatures because he wanted to salute this young American for the last time; where fireman flew a flag over the road attached to a ladder because they felt it was their job

–––––––

I am hearing many people assault the city council members, who were simply trying to do their job and enforce an existing law after they were petitioned to do so. They have even been called unpatriotic by some. As a veteran, I will say that this is a legal issue and the subject being a veteran has nothing to do with the conflict at center.

For those of you throwing mud at the council, insulting them behind their backs in the name of patriotism, and claiming to be ashamed of Aurelia, you need to know that veterans are not victims, they are strong individuals, and to consider one a victim is an insult to those left on the battle field.

Excerpts from a Chronicle Times editorial the next day:

The national vitriol being aimed at the City of Aurelia for enforcing a City Ordinance banning pit bulls in the town is unfair, unjust, unduly harsh, and simply doesn't relate to the type of wonderful people who call that community "home."

Acting upon a citizen petition calling for enforcement of the pit bull ban, the City Council, paying heed to its constituency, earlier this month voted 3-2 to uphold the ban that resulted in a pit bull mix banned from the City limits.

––––––

After checking around, we found that having a pit bull as a "service dog" is extremely rare, if any others exist at all.

We do not know what the City of Aurelia plans on doing about the pit bull ban enforcement, or if it will recant its actions, amend the ordinance, and legally allow the man to have his "service dog" returned to him.

According to reports, the man is suing the City of Aurelia in an effort to get his dog back. Aurelia has a local attorney in the case, and the man also has an attorney paid by a national animal rights group.

Apparently, it all may be played out in a court of law.

Without getting into all the gory details, pit bull bans are on many city's books for a reason. For Aurelia, or any other city to roll the dice, run scared, and turn 'em all loose on an unsuspecting public because of the special circumstances surrounding this case is hazardous and possibly fatal folly.

Sak and Leifer have won a preliminary injunction to keep Snickers until their lawsuit against the City has been decided. It has been reported that they are asking that a judge find that Aurelia's ordinance is in violation of the ADA and unenforceable and that Sak and Leifer are seeking damages from the city. That will show them and any other city what they'll get if they try to do their duty and exercise home rule principles to protect their citizens.

Hopefully, Aurelia will keep up the good fight. No one wants to see another Johnston City, IL tragedy. Johnston City is a disastrous example of what can happen when communities are denied their right to home rule by laws crafted only to protect pit bull advocates.