Just Watched Judge Joe Brown

I was cruising through the channels and happened to stop on an episode of Judge Joe Brown. The show was about a woman who let her 6-year-old pit bull off leash in a park and it ran up to a pomeranian and bit it. The pom survived, the pit bull was put down, and the two women were arguing over whether it was fair that the pit bull was put down for biting another dog and how little remorse the pit bull owner allegedly showed about the incident.

The pit bull owner said her dog shouldn't have been killed; the other woman was furious that the dog had been let off leash and that the woman wasn't conciliatory enough about the situation. Neither represented all that well, though I'm always (*always*) disappointed when a pit bull owner lets his/her dog off-lead in public parks to roam at will, because in the climate we live in these days there is no room for error with our dogs. At all. Fair? Maybe not, to those who have dogs that have always been dog social, but we have no more leeway if we want to keep our dogs. So keep them on their leashes, always err on the side of caution, and let's not have any incidents at all--it's better for all of us that way.

Anyway, the thing about this show that really galled me was that Judge Joe Brown was demanding that the pit bull owner tell him why she got that dog in the first place and why she would even own "that kind" of dog. She was obviously not able to answer the question to his satisfaction, so he gave a brief lesson on how pit bulls are bred to be vicious beats and that they are mingled with other aggressive dogs, like mastiffs and so on, to create dogs that are as menacing as possible. The pit bull owner tried to make the argument that it's not a pit bull thing, that all dogs can bite, but Borwn wasn't having it and insisted that other breeds of dog do not bite because they are domesticated--pit bulls do bite because they are not domesticated, they are bred to kill. He browbeat this woman, not over her irresponsible action (letting her dog off leash in an unsecured public area where other animals run off lead) but because of the kind of dog she owned.

No matter how many times I see this kind of thing or hear about it from others, it never ceases to amaze me. People are not guilty of crime simply because they choose to own a breed of dog that people don't like. And dogs are not "born killers," based on their breed. Dogs are dogs, and though there are stupid people who make stupid mistakes with their dogs--because dogs, really, aren't treated like dogs these days in America anymore (they are, instead, treated like feeble-minded people in collars and coats)--nearly every single problem with dogs that exists right now in this country is due to people, not so much the dogs. It's not a crime to own a pit bull. It's not a crime to like a breed of dog that lots of people do not like. It is inappropriate, however, to have an off-leash dog in an area that isn't designated for dogs to run of leash. So that's all this woman should have been criticized for, as far as I can tell. But Joe Brown, and his audience, apparently celebrate the notion that pit bull owners should be criminalized, based solely on the kind of dog they own. Nice.

Go, Judge Joe Brown: Use your fame (or bully pulpit, perhaps) to criminalize and demoralize pit bull owners, rather than use your position of vague influence to maybe encourage people to just be more responsible with their dogs in general. Because, really, any dog can bite. And lots of dogs do bite. It's not just a pit bull thing.

More on Villalobos

Just saw this link to a Fox News Story about the snowstorm that hit the Agua Dulce/Santa Clarita area of California and how it buried Villalobos Rescue Center, which is a huge pit bull rescue kennel out that way.

Looks like everyone fared the storm OK, but sounds like they could still use a bit of help shoveling snow out of kennels, putting blankets in dog houses, and probably shuffling dogs in and out of the house.

The news story is here, if you want to see what it looks like when dog rescue in southern California gets buried in snow! And if you want to check out Villalobos' web site, you can view that here.

I'm sure they'd appreciate volunteers right about now!

"I Can't Keep My Pit Bull"

I saw a post on Craigslist today in the Pets section that I almost responded to (I try to stay away from the Craigslist Pets sections, because I get too riled up when I read all the idiotic comments about, um, everything). It was from a guy who had a pretty female pit bull that he had since she was 8 weeks old. He said she'd been with him through thick and thin, good times and bad, with unwavering conviction and love. But the poster had decided to move in with his girlfriend, and she already had a dog of her own, and the two dogs aren't pals, so you know, the dog has got to go. But the poster assures that she is an AMAZING dog and he will let only the best home have her. They can have her for free, but they have to be really great owners. Oh, and she has to be an only pet because she doesn't do great with other animals.

Where has common sense gone? Your dog is a pit bull. Your dog is 6 years old. Your dog does not get on all that well with other dogs. You don't want your dog anymore because you're ready to embark on a new part of your life. But somehow you think somebody else is out there just dying for a dog like yours--the kind of dog that's in every shelter in America right now, generally being euthanized, because they are a dime a dozen. "Generic" pit bulls is a term I've heard used for them. "Kennel trash" is another, because they're not good for much in most people's eyes, and nobody wants them.

Maybe this guy will find a home for his dog, but I hope to god it's not with some crazy animal hoarder who collects dogs off Craigslist because they feel bad for them and can't resist the compulsion to help yet another animal (yes, they exist and some of them call themselves rescues). Or with some "family" that thinks it's ready for a dog, decides that a "free" AMAZING dog from Craigslist is too good to pass up, but after a few months realizes that it's too much work to manage dogs and kids and either neglects the dog to the point that it's just not fair, or pawns the dog off to someone else and whatever fate.

It happens all the time. Believe me.

So what can a guy like this do in his particular situation? Well, he could keep the dog for starters. Doesn't get along with other dogs shouldn't have to mean that you just ditch your pal. You can try to use behavior-modification techniques to get the dogs accustomed to being in one another's presence, which often helps reduce a dog's stress level just enough that you can at least have the dogs in the same room on leash--sometimes you can even get dogs to peacefully coexist. If that fails, you can resort to the old "rotation" technique, in which you literally rotate which dogs get free run of the house and which have to be put up. With proper exercise, attention, and stimulation, a lot of people do make this work. I've had to do it at my house in the past, though we've slowly managed to integrate the dogs so they can relax in the room together without any problems (this was a very gradual process, we're talking over 2 and a half years here and the boys are *never* allowed to romp together--that could be trouble).

Anyway, I won't go on and on forever. But if you ever do decide to get rid of your pit bull for some reason, first think about the fact that there are, like, a million other dogs just like yours waiting for homes, so it's not going to be easy. Or fast. Here's a pretty straightforward writeup from Midwest Rescue of Illinois, offering some food for thought for those who are thinking about giving up the AMAZING pit bull they have had since it was a puppy.

Villalobos Rescue Center in California May Need Some Help

I got this message in an e-mail and I also saw it posted on Pit Bull Forum last night. I'm nowhere near California (sadly!), but I thought I'd post it in case anyone who reads this is. I hear they got a lot of snow in Santa Clarita, and apparently they aren't really accustomed to that kind of weather in that part of California, so Tia Torres, who runs Villalobos, may need some help weatherproofing the kennels and maybe finding temporary digs for some of the dogs in the rescue.

I don't know Tia, and I haven't talked to anyone at Villalobos, so I don't know whether they have found ways to work this problem out or not. But even if this crisis has been averted, if you read this and have an interest in helping a hard-working pit bull rescue out, maybe you could offer to volunteer at Villalobos or donate supplies or some such anyway.

It takes a village, after all. And personally, I would imagine that it would take a village of volunteers to keep a large rescue center like Villalobos running smoothly!

By the way, I removed the address from the posting below--I don't know that Villalobos needs any unexpected visitors. So if you want to help, please call the number listed below. You can also visit Villalobos' web site to learn more about the organization.

Villalobos the largest pitbull sanctuary in California located in Santa Clarita needs help RIGHT NOW.

There's a bad freeze and snow situation and all the dogs are housed outdoors. The wind is so bad, making the dogs who are normally quite comfortable very cold. The dogs have blankets in their dog houses, but the high winds are blowing snow into their houses. Dogs are are at the risk of dying as I type this email.

They need blankets, trucks (u-hauls, trailers, ANYTHING), crates, supplies and manpower to take dogs or help gather them into a warm place.

Please head over there immedietly or call the numbers below.

Villalobos Rescue Center
Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Tia ph#
661 268-0555

PLEASE CROSS POST.

Just got an emergency call from Tia Torres in Agua Dulce.

They want to evacuate the dogs from up there.

Tia said that they have a foot of snow and they need people who can
handle a pit bull to take one or two for the night until the storm
passes. She said the dogs are crying and they won't make it through the
night.

Unfortunately, I am not sure of what roads are open on the 14 fwy which
is the only way in there besides a few side roads like Sierra Highway.

Here's her telephone number: 661.268.0555.

New Photos

Rob took some really nice portraits of the dogs, just a couple of weeks before Reba died. Neither he nor I had the heart to look at them till a few days ago, and he finally cropped them and we have them all framed and hanging on the wall of our dining room now. Here's what he got.

My girl.




http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/babyreba/reba_small.jpg

My boys.






Me, Reba, and Tucker. Our last photo together.



Boy, I really do miss Reba.

Why Don't You Do Something About Dog Fighters?

A comment was left here earlier by a reader named "Pit Bull Lover" who seems to take issue with the fact that I don't like how the HSUS and other humane organizations are doing these large-scale dog-fighting busts. They wanted to know why I don't do something to stop the dog fighters.

First off, I do actually do something to discourage dog fighting in my own community--I am a founder and president a pit bull education group that has a couple of anti dog fighting projects. The goal of those projects is to reach young people, particularly children, to help them learn to respect animals and treat them humanely and show them that dogs are good for more than fighting and can do a lot of cool stuff if you put the time into working with them. We actually just did a presentation at a college and got 7 PSAs aimed at young people made for radio. I'm more of a mind that the best way to get through to people about these things is through education.

As I've said before, I'm not pro dog fighting by any stretch of the imagination.

But I'm also not in favor of what appears to me to be a systematic effort to eliminate dog fighting by simply eliminating the dogs. Which is all these big-name dog fight busts have managed to do so far. Both Floyd Boudreaux and Pat Patrick, both of whom were busted, were found innocent because there wasn't enough evidence to convict them. Based on what I see on the Ed Faron case, the authorities may not have enough evidence to convict him either. (They say the dogs are all in good shape, that there is no evidence that Faron was actually fighting his dogs, that he may have just been supplying them to fighters, which is a crime, but whether they will be able to prove it or not remains to be seen. Ed Faron was already convicted of dog fighting once, by the way, back in the 1980s I think.)

So it looks to me like they are more interested in dismantling the breeding operations, eliminating the animals, and moving on to the next case and focusing less on actually getting convictions. Because if you eliminate the dogs completely, then you eliminate dog fighting right?

And I simply don't want to see the elimination of the APBT in my lifetime. The thing about these dogs is that what made them good fighters--the fight drive, the courage, the stamina, the never-quit attitude--also makes them fantastic and versatile working dogs. They are not just fighting machines, they are not kennel trash, they are not good for nothing because they have fighting heritages, which is what a lot of people think. You may not agree, but I'd like to see that kind of dog preserved.

Oh, and by the way, if Pit Bull Lover reads this, I'm not going to be posting to super-long comment with all the excerpts from the Ed Faron book--I'm not interested in trying the man in this blog, that's up to the authorities.

More on the Wildside Bust

Just finished my other post, and then started looking around to see what else I could find out about the bust of Wildside Kennels. Turns out the HSUS put out a press release on it today, which can be viewed here.

Note that not a single word--not one--is dedicated to the dogs. No mention of where the dogs were sent or what would happen to them after they've been taken from Wildside. Instead, there's just a lot of back patting and promises that some other big-name dog fighter will come next.

I am not a dog-fighting enthusiast or apologist. I do not condone any rolling, matching, fighting of any kind. But I am also not a HSUS apologist, and I am deeply suspicious of that organization's motives. I won't get all conspiracy-theorist here, but I do not think they have the dogs' best interest in mind.

Taking Action, Giving the Dogs a Voice

I have to give props to Donovan of the No BSL New Mexico Blog for pointing out in the comments section here that even though it's great that many of us are protesting injust treatment of pit bulls confiscated from dog-fighting busts, blogging about the situation is not enough.

The best way to get our messages across to the people who make the decisions about the fate of these dogs is to contact them directly. Respectfully and sanely let them know why you think their actions are wrong-headed and what you would hope to see them do in the future if they are faced with a similar situation.

I sent an e-mail to Patricia Mercer, president of the Houston SPCA, which was in charge of euthanizing at least some of the dogs confiscated in Houston. Will she ever get back to me? Who knows. But if enough of us--prospective donors, supporters, voters--let the people in power know that we will not donate to them, support them, or vote for legislation that favors them, perhaps we can help change their policies.

To: Patricia E. Mercer, President
Houston SPCA
900 Portway Drive
Houston, Texas 77024-8022
Phone: 713-869-7722
Email: patriciamercer@hspca.org

From: Erin Sullivan
B-More Dog
ADDRESS REDACTED
Baltimore, MD
biteypony@gmail.com

Dear Ms. Mercer,

My name is Erin Sullivan, and I live in Baltimore. I am the owner of an American pit bull terrier and president of a breed-education organization called B-More Dog (www.bmoredog.org).

I wanted to drop you a line today to respectfully offer my thoughts on the fate of the 187 dogs confiscated in last month's dog-fight bust in Houston. Based on reports I've read in the Houston Chronicle and other media outlets, it sounds as if your organization does not feel that dogs taken from dog-fighting situations are suitable candidates for adoption. I was disappointed to read those sentiments, as I have personally had hands on a good number of dogs that have indeed been used as fighting dogs and were successfully rehomed as pet dogs after landing in the shelter system.

In at least two stories I read, HSPCA spokeswoman Meera Nandlal was quoted as saying that the dogs were not suitable for rehoming because they had been bred for generations to be "aggressive" and thus would have to be euthanized. That message is exactly the opposite of the ones pit bull rescuers and many shelter workers have been trying to get out to the public for years now: That pit bulls are not inherently dangerous animals, that dogs in these situations are the victims and not the perpetrators of this crime, that former fighting dogs of proper temperament adore human beings even if they have been fought with other dogs.

I spent half a dozen years or so actively working for a couple of pit bull rescue groups here, so I'm well aware of how difficult it can be to safely evaluate and place any large-breed or powerful dog--and I also understand that it may seem rather daunting to think of evaluating 187 dogs that have a history of involvement in dog fighting. But I had hoped that, in light of the well-publicized success several organizations have had with integrating the former fighting dogs from the Michael Vick case into the pet world, the HSPCA and others working with the Houston fight-bust dogs would have at least tried to select a few stellar dogs from the Houston situation and give them a chance at evaluation and possible rehoming.

Here's a story about a group in Tennessee working with dogs confiscated in a fight bust just a week or so before Houston had its big bust: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081119/MICRO030401/81119036/1630

I hope that, since the Houston case made the news, you have heard from experienced pit bull advocates and rescue groups who might be willing to help you work with pit bull dogs in the future. And I also hope that the HSPCA is willing to consider working with them on pit bull issues and situations in the future.

Because it troubles me plenty to see organizations like the HSPCA, which should be standing up for the humane treatment of all animals (even pit bulls), further villainize the true victims of dog fighting: the dogs.

Regards,

Erin Sullivan
President
B-More Dog
www.bmoredog.org

In other news, another big pit bull bust just took place in Millers Creek, N.C. Wildside Kennels, a name a lot of pit bull fanciers will recognize, was raided yesterday and three people (Ed Faron, Amanda Lunsford, Donni Juan Cassanova), were apparently arrested and charged with felony dogfighting. According to the news, the authorities took 127 dogs off the property.

NOW would be the time to start contacting the Wilkes County Animal Control Facility, which was involved in the raid, to urge them not to simply kill these dogs. I'm guessing that the Wilkes County AC facility is very small and pressed for space, so I can't imagine that they are eager to keep more than 100 alleged fighting dogs on the premises.

Here's their contact information:

Wilkes County Animal Control
408 Call Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone (336) 903-7688
Fax (336) 903-7684

Who knows, if you are in the area and you have experience handling hot dogs, former fighting dogs, etc., maybe you can even offer to foster one while the Wildside case is pending. If nothing else then they can't say no pit bull people stepped up to help out.

More Orgs. Taking a Stand on the Houston Situation

Glad to see other organizations having a say in the Blogosphere about the Houston situation.

Best Friends posted a blog about this yesterday, which is quite good. You can read it here.

New Hope Pit Bull Rescue had a post up written by Our Pack, on behalf of its Michael Vick rescue dog Leo, which you can read here.

The YesBiscuit! blog, which I recently discovered, had several good posts on the subject, as did the Bad Rap blog.

Of course, we know these kinds of things happen all the time--shelters put down dogs that are labeled "fighting dogs" every day, and most of them don't get a second thought, much less a mention in a blog post. But it's nice to see attention being given to the subject.

In Houston They Kill Fighting Dogs, but in Tennesee They Work With Them

Saw this article from the Tennesseean posted somewhere else, and I thought it was kind of cool to counterpoint the bad news I posted earlier about Houston's decision to just kill all of the dogs it confiscated in a recent fight bust. Not that I expect the Houston shelters to be able to absorb all 187 of those dogs and rehome them--but not even one? As a token gesture to all of us who know this breed and have had hands on super people-loving, friendly, 100 percent adoptable dogs that were once owned by fighters?

Anyway . . . Tennesee has dog fighters too, and when a fighting ring was busted in Dickson, Tenn., the shelters saw fit to pass on some of the dogs to rescue so they could be trained and hopefully rehomed. Breath of fresh air, I tell ya!

I also like that the rescue folks they interviewed talked about training these dogs to be working dogs--I applaud that effort and I hope to hear about one of these dogs doing well in weight pull or something down the road.

My only quibble with the story is this comment:

And although dog-fighting owners train their dogs to fight, the process can later be undone. A professional dog trainer works with 11:11 Bully Rescue to “un-train the dogs to fight.”

I just don't subscribe to the notion that people are doing crazy things to pit bulls to "make" them fight that later have to be "undone." These are dogs, and one thing that dogs often do is fight. For food or other resources, for dominance, for breeding rights, etc. With pit bulls, the urge to scrap is generally a lot closer to the surface, so if you create the right environment--excitement, stress, and the ability to partake in a self-rewarding behavior like fighting--they are going to do it. I'm not really sure you can train that away. If you own a pit bull, you just manage it by not setting your dog up for failure and you minimize their opportunities to get into situations where all those elements come together in that perfect storm. You can train a dog to behave in a controlled environment around other dogs, but I don't think you can train away the scrappy nature of a dog completely, if that's really how the dog is.

And just for kicks, here is a cute photo of my boys. Neither has ever been trained to fight, but both of them have rather short fuses! Tucker less so than Doc, but he will still stupidly put himself in harm's way if a dog decides to get testy with him. Silly dog, doesn't he realize he's just a little prince?

How Do We Know When Doc Wants a Biscuit?

We know when he tell us that it is time.