Pit Bull Roundup 12/28/2016 Bosco the Biter, pit bull "police dogs," an over supply of pit bull puppies, foolish protests in Trumbull County

This year-end wrap-up will not actually be a wrap-up, far too many attacks to deal with by 
January 1st but we will get a start on this.


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10/31/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

Legal issues surrounding Bosco the Biter, a pit bull that became the center of a conflict between the Lucas County Pit Crew, headed by Ohio's pit bull advocate, Jean Keating and the Fulton County Commissioners have been resolved. Background on the conflict can be found in this post.  For specifics on Bosco's adventures click here and here.

For those with no time to waste, Lucas County resident and pit bull advocate Jean Keating attempted to bully Fulton County officials about adoption procedures for pit bulls but the Fulton County Commissioners refused to play.  Keating's group later placed Bosco the Biter with a Fulton County family.  Bosco bit the new owner on the third day post placement.  The injured owner called the Pit Crew to pick up the dog but instead of following the law in Fulton County they attempted to hide Bosco from lawful quarantine.  Keating and two members of her group were amazed to face misdemeanor charges for obstruction for hiding Bosco from Fulton County officials and for violation of a rabies quarantine.

In October the Lucas County Pit Crew, headed by Keating, agreed to plead no contest to the charges. It was expected that the Pit Crew would pay a fine plus court costs in exchange for dropping the personal charges against Keating and her two associates.  

Bosco the Biter, now a designated dangerous dog, has been removed from the state of Ohio and is now harbored by a couple living in Arizona.  Not surprisingly, the new owner, Jacque Johnson, is employed by Best Friends Animal Society and is an advocate for pit bulls.

Johnson has stated that "Bosco is the biggest clown in the entire world.  He's a great dog that some bad things have happened to."  She also admits that the dog "can be excitable, but has shown no aggression in his permanent home."  You will be thrilled to know that Johnson has set up a Facebook page for Bosco so you can follow his adventures in Arizona. 

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12/26/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

Let's stay in Toledo for a bit more pittery.  The Toledo Blade proudly announced that a "local group trains pit bulls for use by police."   The "local group" mentioned in the article headline is not very local.  The article refers to the New York state Animal Farm Foundation partnered with a dog training business in Texas.

The AFF spokeswoman, Stacey Coleman, stated "we train them to do the same work traditionally reserved for purebred dogs."   "The reason we do all of it is to change that negative stigma."  The translation for this is "we are creating breed ambassadors."

Make no mistake, the AFF subsidized pit bull "police dogs" go to communities that are very small or very poor or both.  The AFF claims proudly to have placed about 20 of these dogs but they do not reveal exactly where they went.  We do know that Bartlett Texas got one.  In 2014 the population of Bartlett was 2,751.  The median household income in Bartlett is $36,047 while the median income for Texas households is $51,704.  We know that Normagee Texas got a pit bull "police dog".  The population of Normagee is 685 with a median household income of $36,860.  We know that Montgomery Texas got an AFF subsidized pit bull.  The population of Montgomery is 710 and a median household income a bit above the median household income for the state of Texas. 

Much has been made of the ASPCA "public service" award won by Poughkeepsie's pit bull police dog, Kiah, an AFF subsidized dog.  Interestingly, no one has been able to name a public service performed by Kiah, other than being a pit bull subsidized by a very wealthy New York state resident. It appears that the ASPCA award is simply for sale.      

    

Texas training business Universal K9, partnered with the AFF picks up pit bulls from shelters and municipal pounds briefly trains them for narcotics and explosive detection and for tracking.  They are not trained for bite work which is required for apprehending suspects. The AFF pays the bills.

 Apparently the editors of the Toledo Blade think Toledo needs a police pit bull but by the sound of it, Toledo police are underwhelmed. A spokesman for the Toledo police K9 unit stated that Toledo will not likely participate because the department  requires dogs trained for all aspects of police work.  Apprehension work with pit bulls is problematic. Pit bulls are frequently shot by police because they don't let go.  The police spokesman went on to say "I think the idea behind it is great but the start and end point for us is that we need dogs that can do everything."

The Toledo police get their dogs from Von der Haus Gill German Shepherds in Wapakoneta, Ohio and are pleased with the supplier who guarantees the health and suitability of their dogs.  Brad Croft of Universal K9 takes issue with this because "guarantees are a moot point if the dog is donated. It makes sense if you're spending $15000, to $20,000 on a dog that you want health guarantees. But if you're getting the dog for free, what does it matter?  We have millions of dogs being euthanized each year, and a lot of them can do this work.  If there's a problem with a dog, we can replace that dog very quickly."  In other words, the dogs supplied by Universal K9 are disposable.  

What can't be replaced is public trust and the Toledo police are apparently unwilling to risk their reputation on stray pit bulls.  For those who are concerned with the numbers of dogs euthanized each year, educate pit bull owners on the value of neuter and spay.

For a bit more information on fully trained police dogs please click here. The Mansfield police department just graduated two new police dogs after 9 full weeks of full time training with their new handlers.  These dogs are also from the Wapakoneta supplier and have been bred for the task, chosen from the best prospects in Europe, likely received training in Europe and were imported for American police departments.

Police departments that can afford bred-for-task dogs are not rushing to the AFF for pound pit bulls.

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12/6/2016
Toledo Ohio   
Lucas County

While we are in Toledo we might as well talk about the new Lucas County Dog Warden. Richard Stewart has been hired to take Julie Lyle's job as Lucas County Dog Warden. Stewart was head of animal services in Pocatello Idaho for one year.  Julie Lyle moved on to a position as clinic director for Humane Ohio.  Humane Ohio is a low cost neuter and spay clinic in Toledo.  

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11/14/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

Finishing up in Toledo, the Lucas County Pit Crew's foster homes are full of pit bull puppies.  Of the 69 pit bulls harbored by the Pit Crew on the date the article appeared in the Toledo Blade, 57 of them are under 65 months of age. Per the Blade "Ms . (Jean) Keating said many of the litters were the result of accidental breeding and surrendered directly to the Pit Crew."  Neuter and spay education falls upon deaf ears with pit bull owners.  These puppies are a financial drain on the Pit Crew's finances.  The Pit Crew purchased a property this year to serve as a permanent home for the organization and renovations are expensive.


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4/6/1016
Warren Ohio
Trumbull County Ohio

This is an insane story that has been waiting too long.  A pit bull named Brownie, adopted out of the Trumbull County shelter in November on 2015 was returned to the shelter in April of 2016 for euthanasia. Brownie had attacked two smaller animals.  No further details on those attacks were offered.  A staff member injected the euthanasia solution into the muscle rather than a vein. Human error?  Wrong drug and wrong route?  Who can say, humans make mistakes.  In any case, instead of quickly administering the drug via vein, the dog was transported to a veterinarian for resuscitation. WHAT?  Brownie lived but animal advocates attended a Trumbull County Commissioner's meeting to complain.  They made the point that the medication administered was painful when injected into the muscle.

The central issue was completely missed by this very small group of advocates.  Brownie was there for the purpose of euthanasia because he attacked other animals.  Brownie was dangerous. The pain of the animals Brownie attacked was never considered.

Let's consider the pain experienced by animal victims of violent dog attacks.  Here are a few photos of animal victims of pit bull attacks.  Think these wounds were achieved without pain?  These are far from the worst photos available to me.  I believe most of the dogs did survive except for the pit bull with the gunshot wound to the top of his head, shot for killing the cats, and the very last dog.  Victims suffer pain, lots of it.

Brownie lived, God only knows where he went from here. I hope the advocates protesting Brownie's pain will consider the pain of his future victims.  No dog should be subjected to pain but sometimes   mistakes are made.            

Consider their pain, please. 

     










This little Boston Terrier did not survive.  Think there might have been pain here? 

Brownie had the Golden Ticket.  He was adopted out of a county shelter but he failed his real world temperament test.  He created his own misfortune by attacking small pets.  He was on the euthanasia table for good reason. That  reason was the protection of peaceful pets like the ones seen here.

Let's keep a bit of perspective here.

Pit bull roundup 11/25/2016 Pit bulls break into homes to kill cats. Pit bull owners feel persecuted when they harbor dogs banned in the community. Pit bulls kill sweet little dogs owned by senior citizens. Pit bulls kill other pit bulls.

Here we are with another batch of  pit bull events and attacks.  We will look at these in no particular order, for as long as my patience lasts.  I'm sorry the first post here is so old, I can't keep up.   

2/22/2016

Lancaster Ohio

Fairfield County

A woman heard her children screaming IN HER HOME.  She investigated and found that a pit bull had entered the home, attacked the family cat.  The pit bull carried the cat outside and dropped it on the sidewalk, where it died.

Per the Eagle-Gazette " The dog owner said that the pit bull had inadvertently gotten free from her home when it was seen running around the neighborhood."

Inadvertently gotten free?  That's pretty much like "somehow" got  loose.  Classic pit bull owner excuse.  The pit bull owner apparently never noticed that the thing was loose until the Fairfield County Dog Warden arrived to investigate.  If a Pug "inadvertently got loose" the cat would still be sleeping on the couch.    

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10/11/2016

Kenton Ohio

Hardin County                                                                                                                                   

This turned up in another blog. I thought the story was so outrageous I'm going to let another blogger tell the it.  The story was taken direct from the pit bull owner's Facebook page.  The post is difficult to read because the pit bull owner is unable to spell or construct a sentence.  Punctuation does not exist.  The gentleman lives in an Ohio community with BSL and he is angry that he was cited for keeping a  pit bull.  This screen shot sums up the story but PLEASE visit Four Legged Friends and Enemies for the full story, apparently his family reported the pit bull.  You can't make this stuff up.  Click here for the link.  

 

Thanks to the blogger at Four legged Friends and Enemies!

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8/30/2016

Hamilton Ohio

Butler County

This story brings our old favorite, Kurt Merbs, Butler County Dog Warden back into the news.  One would think he would get tired of being interviewed about pit bull attacks.

Picture the scene as described by WCPO Cincinnati News.  

"Butler County authorities said Tuesday that a pair of pit bulls led them on a long, dangerous chase after attacking and killing another dog that morning.

Kurt Merbs, Butler County’s dog warden supervisor, got the call around 9 a.m. When he arrived at the scene, Hamilton police officers were already chasing the pit bulls through several neighborhoods. At one point, the two dogs charged at them.

"They were going through yards, jumping fences and we had to divert several people riding bikes, walking to get them off the streets because these dogs were not friendly to people or animals," Merbs said.

He said the attack happened while a man was walking a Shetland Sheepdog named Princess for his elderly neighbor, Doris Oleson." "These dogs came out of nowhere, and he didn’t have a chance," Merbs said."

 

 Princess died.  Police cornered the two pit bulls later in the chase but the owner pulled up in her car and the things jumped right in. The owner, Haley Suffridge, was cited for allowing the pit bulls to run at large, and for not licensing them.   As is frequently noted after a violent attack, shock was expressed by Suffridge's boyfriend that these fine and upstanding pit bulls had attacked another animal (and killed it).  He told reporters "I've had little kids come over and play all the time with them."

Suffridge and her boyfriend Rodric Pearson will be allowed to keep them if they are neutered and micro-chipped, kept in a fenced area with dangerous dogs signs and registered as dangerous dogs.  Whoop.  Will they be required to purchase insurance?  Ohio law requires the owners of dangerous dogs to have insurance and after a public attack like this, that insurance will be expensive.  Possibly expensive enough that Suffridge and Pearson will have second thoughts on keeping these  maulers.      One of the killer pit bulls.

Mr. Pearson asked to speak to  Mrs. Oleson in order to apologize but she stated that she needed time to grieve over the death of her beloved pet.  "We have no children, so she was our child."  "I just hurt so bad.  Even though she looked terrible (after the attack), I'm glad I could at least say goodbye."
Click here for the WCPO coverage of this attack.  Both the Sheltie owner and the pit bull owner were interviewed.  



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 9/27/2016

Middletown Ohio
BUTLER County

This is the story of a pit bull attack on a pit bull.  Spoiler Alert - both pit bulls die.

Pit bull owner Mollie Watkins called the police to report that her neighbor, Gregory Orona, kicked in her door and killed her dog.  When police arrived they found Watkins' home undamaged.  

They got a very different story from Mr. Orona.  

Per WCPO " Orona described the incident differently. He said he had been playing in his backyard with his own dog, Scout.  “The neighbor’s dog came flying through the side yard, it grabbed (Scout) by the throat and started shaking it," he said. "I hit the dog in the head and I killed it. I was very sorry for that, I did not want to do that, but that’s what happened."
"According to the police report, Orona told police he had tried to separate the dogs but was bitten in the process and had no choice but to kill the attacking animal.  The officer who responded to the call noted blood on both Scout and Orona in the report."

Watkins and Orona agreed that if she would pay the vet bills for the swelling in Scout's neck he would not press charges for her pit bull running at large.  It is not a surprise that when Scout's vet bill arrived Ms. Watkins did not pay it. Shortly after a follow-up visit to the vet Scout died.  Mr. Orona 
stated "Words can go a long ways.  For the lady to come over and say 'I'm sorry' would have made a tremendous difference."  Watkins did not respond to a request for comment by WCPO.  She has been charged with a first offense dangerous dog at large, a misdemeanor, and was to appear in Middletown Municipal Court on October 6th. 

 

The swelling on Scout's neck is clearly shown in this photograph.

Mr. Orona did not get his apology, nor did he get his vet bill paid.  Both dogs are dead.    The physical evidence supports Mr. Orona's account.  He has stated that he is sorry Watkins dog died but his actions were reasonable, he was protecting his own dog in his own yard.

Consider, if you will, this story told with a slightly different cast of characters.  Watkins owns, say, a Pomeranian. Mr. Orona owns a Beagle.  Watkins behavior is still irresponsible but nobody dies, the conflict between these neighbors becomes one of a tiny dog at large leaving tiny piles of dog poop in the neighbor's yard.  Watkins phone call to police becomes, at worst, "I answered a knock on my door and found a tiny flaming bag of tiny dog poop."  

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10/27/2016

Brunswick Ohio

Medina County

A Brunswick woman was attacked as she attempted to break up a fight between her own pit bull and her brother-in-law's pit bull.  Her injuries are describes as "substantial."  She was transported via ambulance to Southwest General Hospital in Middleburg Heights and was later transported via life flight to Cleveland Metro Hospital, a trauma center for the Cleveland area.  The woman told police she had been caring for her brother-in-law's pit bull for "several months."   There was no explanation for this but the dog was immediately returned to his owner in Strongsville Ohio. It was the brother-in-law's pit bull that attacked her. 

  We frequently warn that accepting responsibility for someone else's pit bull is folly.  We make the same warning here. 

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11/8/2016

Bainbridge Township Ohio

Geauga County 

"BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Animal Problem, Market Place Drive:Two men took a pit bull dog off-leash into Walmart 10:22 p.m. Nov. 8. When confronted by a manager, they claimed it was a service dog. The dog did not have a service vest and the men were asked to leave."

What makes anyone think that taking your pit bull to Walmart at 10:30 at night is a good idea?  Top it off with the classic "service dog" lie?   Thanks to the Walmart manager who put a stop to this!

                                                  

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11/15/2016

Olmsted Falls Ohio

Cuyahoga County

Animal Complaints, Lindberg Boulevard: Nov. 15, a caller told police that he and his dog had been attacked by a pit bull. While separating the dogs, the caller sustained a small cut on his hand. This was the second time that pit bull had acted aggressively against him, the caller said.

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This is just a sample of pit bull activity in Ohio.  As usual, we have LOTS more to talk about. Next post will deal with Bay Village and Bexley plus the usual attacks and insanity.  

Pit bull roundup 9/2/2016 Pit bulls attack at schools, at cookouts, attack visitors in the home, attack at yard sales, attack police, attack children on bikes and children on porches, and pit bull advocates complain of discrimination.

Here is a sample of the backlog of Ohio pit bull attack news stories.  If my demise depends upon being caught up on pit bull attacks in Ohio I will live forever.

7/7/2016

Elyria Ohio

Lorain County

An Elyria High School coach and assistant principal rescued four of his players from an attack by a pit bull mix  just outside the school.  The dog chased, and bit the four players.  Coach Brett Heighberger reacted quickly.  Per Newsnet5 "Police said soccer coach and Elyria High School assistant principal Brett Heighberger held down a large brown pit bull mix by the neck while sitting on the dog’s body, all in an attempt to keep the dog from charging his players.

“I’m just doing what I would normally do," Heighberger said. "I’m the assistant principal there. I’m the head coach. My job, my number one job, is to make sure the kids are taken care of and in a safe place."

The players were treated and released. The pit mix was taken to the County shelter.  If the dog's owner is not located the dog may be euthanized. 

Thanks Coach Heighberger!

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6/10/2016
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County 

A six year old boy was bitten in the face by a friend's pit bull while visiting the home of that friend. The Morning Journal reported " An officer responded to a Euclid Avenue home where the boy’s father said the boy was playing with another 6-year-old boy at another Euclid Avenue home. A short time later, the boy returned home crying with the dog bite.

The dog’s owner said when the bite occurred, he was upstairs at the home where the boys were playing, and the dog usually was friendly with the boy, the report said.

The boy was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center for treatment."

 It was reported that the pit mix was in heat, this is not an acceptable excuse.  The "nanny dog" strikes again. 

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7/2/2016

Cincinnati Ohio

Hamilton County

An eight year old boy was bitten by a family pit mix while at a cookout with his father's relatives.  The child was not treated for over an hour while family members attempted to treat the bites by running water over them.  After failure of this inappropriate treatment the mother received a phone call from a guest at the party informing her of her son's injuries.  The mother was at the hospital waiting when her son arrived.  There have been no offers of help from those responsible for the pit bull mix. 

When police went to the home to investigate, SURPRISE! The dog was not there.  

Click here to step into the Emergency Room with  video of the treatment of this child.  He cries but bravely endures. Impressive child!  Why are we putting our children at risk?  Why do pit bull owners feel free to turn their backs on their responsibilities and go on to hide the mauler?  

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5/11/2016
Oberlin Ohio 
Lorain County

A fourteen year old boy was attacked by his neighbor's pit bull as the boy was sitting on his own front porch.  Per the Morning Journal "Officers responded to Mercy Allen Hospital in Oberlin around 10:40 a.m. where they learned from the victim and his father that a white dog with brown spots that is believed to be a pit bull attacked the boy while he was sitting on the stoop by the front door of his apartment. According to the report, several blood spots and a significant puddle of blood were located in the front door to the victim’s residence.

The victim’s father and residents in the area believed this was not the first time the dog had bitten someone.

Police attempted to contact the dog owner but were unable to do so.  It is expected that the pit bull will be euthanized. 

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6/3/2016

Fremont Ohio
Sandusky county 

The Sandusky County Sheriffs Office reported a Chihuahua was killed by a pit bull.  The little dog crawled under a fence into the yard where the pit bull was harbored.  Chances that the Chihuahua would have died if the neighbor harbored a Beagle are remote.   


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7/6/2016
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County

In an attack you will never hear about, a West Highland White Terrier was mauled as it was being walked by a neighbor and two children.  The Terrier was later euthanized due to the severity of his injuries.  The attacking dog was a shepherd mix.  The owner of the shepherd mix was cited and the dog was designated a dangerous dog through the Avon Lake Civil Court. 

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5/2016
Kenton Ohio
Hardin County

Per Kenton Today "Information from the Kenton Police Department report states that an aggressive dog was in the area of the 1100 block of South Detroit St. The Pit Bull allegedly attempted to bite a women who was holding a yard sale.

It was determined that the dog belonged to a residence on Letson Ave. Nobody was at home at the time and the dog was found running in the middle of the street on Letson Ave. The Hardin County Dog Warden was contacted and the dog was apprehended.

The owner of the Pit Bull dog was issued a summons for failing to properly confine a vicious dog."

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3/15/2016
Lakewood Ohio
Cuyahoga County

Lakewood officials have decided to allow Scrappy the pit bull to remain in the community.  Lakewood has a pit bull ban but it was claimed that Scrappy was an assistance dog for a child with cystic fibrosis.

A privacy fence must be erected on the property where Scrappy is harbored and Scrappy must be muzzled in public. 

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3/21/2016
Dover Ohio
Tuscarawas County

A pit bull was euthanized after it attacked an Urichsville K9 officer as he was responding to a call about the near attack of a child.  Sounds like the person who called this in had great instincts.  Officer Hickman required stitches to his right hand after the dog bit him as he attempted to defend himself.

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2/28/2016
Dover Ohio
Tuscarawas County

On Feb. 28, a Dover police officer fatally shot a dog that he said charged him while he was responding to a call that the 100-pound dog entered a neighbor's backyard and attacked the neighbor's dog.    

According to two police reports on the incident, John Tucker, a Race Street resident, told officers his leashed 3-year-old pit boxer was attacked by the pit bull while in his backyard. He said a nearby resident was walking his three dogs, each without a leash, and one of the dogs — the pit bull — ran into his yard and attacked his pit boxer. Officers noted Tucker’s dog had visible blood on its ear and face. Tucker's neighbor called police after the attack.

Tucker said the owner of the three dogs has often walked his dogs without a leash, a claim the neighbor who called police backed up. "It's very irresponsible," Tucker said. "It's dangerous."

 A Dover police officer responding to Tucker's call went to the home of the pit bull owner. 
SURPRISE!  The pit bull owner was nowhere to be found but the dogs were in the yard.  Per the Times-Reporter   "One of the responding Dover police officers walked to E. Sixth Street to speak with the owner of the pit bull that attacked Tucker's dog. The officer was unable to immediately find the owner, but saw the three dogs in the owner's backyard walking in a fenced area. The officer wrote in his report that one of the dogs, similar in stature to a bull mastiff, began charging him and was not on a leash or in an enclosure.

"Its ears were pulled back, snarled, and showing all teeth and gums as it barked," the officer wrote in his report. "I identified this as an aggressive posture. I anticipated the dog taking me down."

The officer ran away from the dog to increase the distance between him and the aggressive animal. According to police reports: A mother was playing with her children in a nearby yard; the officer said he wanted to protect the family and "squared up with the dog with knife in hand."

The woman yelled at her children to get on the trampoline to avoid the dog. At that point, the officer said he noticed the two other dogs approaching him.

"I pulled my firearm and feared one or all of the dogs would attack, taking me to the ground, and then mauling me," the officer wrote in his report. "I held off on firing in case the dogs would suddenly stop, but the black dog continued. As it neared me, within 1.5 to 2 feet, I fired on the dog two shots as center mass as possible, as the dog was running perpendicular toward me."

The dogs ran back into the owner's yard, the dog that was shot died.  More from the Times -Reporter " I think the Dover Police Department handled the situation very well and in the best way they could," Tucker said. "If people don't like the way things are handled with the police, don't put yourself in the situation. I feel bad for the dog (that died). The dog didn't have to lose its life if the owner took proper precautions." The dog's owner could not be reached for comment."

Common sense from Mr. Tucker. 

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4/19/2016

Greenville Ohio

Darke County 

The family of a 13 year old boy knocked off his bike and  bitten by a pit bull want changes in local regulations dealing with biting dogs.  Per the Daily Advocate "Shawn Crumrine, the father of the victim, spoke to the Darke County Board of Commissioners during its Monday session. Crumrine said he was also planning to address the Greenville City Council on the same topic during its Tuesday night meeting.

“I’d like for the city and county to amend their ordinances on how it handles dogs that bite,” he said, suggesting that a dog which bites a person should be placed under immediate and indeterminate quarantine in custody of the Darke County Animal Shelter until a court can make a determination on its danger to the public.

 Greenville police reports indicate the boy was chased and  bitten by two dogs, one of them a pit bull.  The dogs were unlicensed and have bitten before, several times.  One of these was a postal worker.  It  was reported that the owner of the dogs, Jamie Hensil, was told to have his dogs put down but did not comply.

 The boy received 30 stitches and endured a series of rabies injections.  He, and other children in the household remain traumatized. The family has filed a civil lawsuit against the owner of the two dogs, they seek restitution and punitive damages.  It is appropriate to demand accountability.  

In this case the dogs were home quarantined.  Crumrine says in addition to having biting dogs quarantined by the county, he would like to see a “biting dog” registry established, tracking dogs which bite people, particularly within a school zone or public park."  

Makes sense to me.

Photos of the boy's injuries.  This was not a simple dog bite, t his child was mauled as he rode his bike home.  

This story  is a segue to more, per Bluebag Media "Just a couple weeks before the Greenville biting incident, local residents became aware of an online petition asking Darke County Animal Shelter to revise its policy on euthanizing pit bull-type dogs. The petition appears on the website change.org. People from across the United States have signed the petition and called the animal shelter.

Darke County Animal Shelter Director Duane Sanning has been fielding these calls, but is not comfortable with changing the county’s policy.

“How can I adopt out a pit bull to a family with kids, with another dog of a family cat without being able to evaluate them?” he told The Early Bird last week.

Sanning said most temperament testing procedures “have been proven to the degree of yes you do or no you don’t.” 

Hold this thought. 

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4/17/2016

Greenville Ohio

Darke County   

A petition was posted on the mostly ignored website Change.org by Columbus pit bull advocate Luke Westerman. The petition asks Darke County commissioners to change their "discriminatory" policies at the Darke County Shelter so pit bulls can be adopted out  to the public.  Why is Mr. Westerman, a resident of Franklin County making demands in Darke County?  Good question, I have no answer. 

The Dark County commissioners support the work done by County Dog Warden Duane Sanning.  Per Bluebag Media " “I just wish people would find the facts out before commenting,” said Commissioner Diane Delaplane. Especially those who believe the county shelter is rushing to kill dogs instead of attempting to either find their owners or place them for adoption. “They’re making statements that just aren’t true.”

Commission chairman Mike Stegall agrees.

“His (Sanning) policy is very, very satisfactory. Duane is very sensitive about the pit bull issue. He’s gone over the limit (required number of days to keep a dog at the shelter) trying to work with them. Animals are treated well by our shelter. He’s following the guidelines and goes above and beyond.”

Ohio policy states that unlicensed dogs brought to the shelter are to be kept for three days; while licensed dogs may be kept up to 14 days in hopes of finding their owners.

The Darke County Shelter spends a lot of resources, Sanning said, promoting dogs they have for adoption – with a radio spot, newspaper advertising and on the shelter’s website.

“Our adoption rate is 85 percent, the best in the state. Other shelters run about 45 percent,” Sanning explained.

Sanning said he has concerns about adopting out pit bulls or other aggressive dogs.

“The problem I have with pit bulls is the damage they do when they bite,” he said, noting that the breed originally was bred to fight. “How do I know they will not end up in a fighting ring in California?”

“The story, I think is simple. A golden retriever is a retrieving dog – it’s their instinct. A border collie is a herding dog. Pit bulls are a fighting breed. It’s in their DNA. They were bred to fight bears and other large animals. There’s just no way to know.”

Conducting temperament testing for dogs also is questionable, Sanning believes.

“None of them (tests) have been proven to the degree of yes you do or no you don’t,” he said. 

There are no plans to change policy in Darke County. Pickaway County got a very similar petition from Change.org.  Pickaway County does not  adopt pit bulls out  directly to the public either. The writer acknowledges that while no pit bulls have been euthanized in the County shelter due to space concerns in the last TWO YEARS this "discriminatory" policy MUST be changed.  Lets review, no pit bulls have been put down in two years, when pit bulls are available for the public nobody wants them anyway, they languish for months to years because the peaceful public reads actual news from actual news sources, the county commissioners are satisfied with the status quo but the discrimination must end.  I don't get it.          

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8/27/2016

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma  

This is as good a place to put this as any other, it is not local but it illustrates the perils of pit bulls. If you want to harbor these dogs you will be held accountable for them.  The owner of five pit bull mixes that killed a sixty year old man has been charged with second degree manslaughter. Edgar Brown, the victim was killed in his own yard by the pit mixes owned by Juan Marcos Diaz.

The victim's brother has filed a lawsuit against Diaz.  "The lawsuit says Diaz “failed in his duty to keep his vicious, fierce and/or dangerous dogs from assaulting Edgar Brown.”

Dexter Brown's attorney, Noble McIntyre, said the lawsuit isn't about money but about sending a message.

“Sometimes cases are about collectibility and sometimes cases are about accountability, and this is one that's about accountability,” McIntyre said Friday.

“There's no money in this for me. ... There won't ever be any money. There's no insurance policy.

“At some point, you have to hold these people accountable and send a message to the community as a whole that you're not going to be able to hide behind the fact that you don't have an insurance policy. You still are responsible,” McIntyre said.

“I'm going to go forward with the lawsuit for one purpose: to get a great big verdict, even though it's not collectible, to send a message ... to other dog owners.”

Accountability, yes!


Booking photo for Juan Marcos Diaz.  The maximum sentence for second degree manslaughter in Oklahoma is four years in prison, the minimum sentence is two years in prison.  Not enough in my opinion but it's a start.  If you want to harbor pit bulls you will be held accountable.