Another pit bull death in Akron Ohio, Updated 10/7/2021

 10/3/2021

Akron Ohio 

Summit County

A sixteen-month-old child was killed by pit bulls in Akron Ohio.  Details are sketchy at this time but it is reported that the little girl was in the living room of a home when a disagreement broke out between a 20-year-old man and a woman, not the parents of the child.  Two pit bulls were present in the room per Fox 8 News and police feel that the argument "riled up the pit bulls" enough that the dogs attacked the child.  The little girl was transported to Akron Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead. 

Akron's last pit bull fatality was in 2020, also a small child.  This is the twenty-third dog attack fatality in Ohio since the Ohio Legislature passed HB 14 to deregulate pit bulls in the state.  That bill was written by the legal staff at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab Utah.  Why is an organization located in Utah writing law for the State of Ohio?  Good question and I can't answer it. 

Best Friends assured Ohio residents that their "breed-neutral" bill would make our communities safer.  Quick review, 23 deaths in the nine years since HB 14 was passed.  In the decade prior to the passage of HB 14 Ohio had 5 fatal dog attacks. Does this sound safer to you? Best Friends breed-neutral law has been a colossal failure but they don't accept responsibility for it.  How do these people sleep at night?      

Update - The child has been named, she was Ka'Vay Louis-Calderon.  A heartbreaking video shows a beautiful and loved child. 

Details revealed include a bite history for one of the dogs and that the child was frequently in the home and had lived there in the past. 

Ka'Vay's parents hope to start a foundation to help victims of vicious dog attacks.

  

Another fatal pit bull attack in Toledo.

 August 13, 2012

Lucas County Ohio

There has been another fatal pit bull attack in Toledo, the second in just a month's time.  This attack was reported in the Toledo Blade.  It must be tough for the Blade reporters to write these stories and it is surprising that the Blade is publishing them.  The Blade was at the center of the effort to re-write Ohio law in order to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio.  That effort was successful in 2012 and in the nine years since passage of HB 14 Ohio has seen 22 fatal dog attacks.  It must be noted that Ohio had five fatal dog attacks in the decade prior to the passage of HB 14, sponsored by Ohio Representative Barbara Sears of the Toledo area and written by lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab Utah.  One may ask why breed activists from Utah were allowed to re-write Ohio law and that would be a good question.  I can't answer it.  

Javon Stokes, age 26, suffered a grand mal seizure at the home where a friend,  Amanda Knezvich resided.  Jackson, a pit bull owned by Knezvich and Austin Dotson of the same address, attacked Stokes, biting his neck.  Mr. Stokes was transported to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center where he was declared dead. 

Jackson has a history.  On August 2, 2021, the dog left the front porch of the residence and bit a neighbor passing by.  It was reported that Jackson had only been in the home for two weeks prior to the incident having been obtained from a family member.  Jackson's new owners were cited for dog running at large, told to get the dog a rabies shot and a license.  The shelter planned a recheck on Jackson on August 23 but Jackson killed Mr. Stokes on August 12th. 

Kelly Sears, director of the County Shelter made excuses for Jackson's behavior, just as she did for Romeo, another local pit bull that killed Emily Kahl just a month ago.  

It is not known whether Kelly Sears is related to HB 14's sponsor Representative Barbara Sears.  It is also not known what former Representative Barbara Sears may think about the impact of HB 14 upon the safety of residents of Ohio.  She and the authors of HB 14 assured us that the breed-neutral mess of a law that was passed by unthinking Ohio legislators would make Ohio "communities safer." 

Epic fail. 

Update -  The Lucas County Coroner's report states that the cause of Mr. Stokes's death is a dog bite and ruled an accident.  No one witnessed a seizure.  The dog was seen nudging and  licking the victim so of course, Ms. Knezvich thought her pit bull was attempting to assist the victim and "wake him up."  After all, she did not see any blood on the dog.  Did she look at the victim?  

The living arrangements in the household are unclear.  It was stated that Jackson "loved" Mr. Stokes and slept with him.  How many adults lived in this household?  Mr. Stokes's mother wants charges filed against Knezvich and Dotson.  She strongly favors accountability.  So do we. 

There is a gofundme set up to help with funeral expenses.    

Seven-month-old Akron child killed by family pit bull. Update 12/14/2020, no charges and the pit bull is still alive.

8/7/2020
Akron Ohio
Summit County.



A seven-month-old boy being watched by his grandmother was attacked by the family pit bull Friday afternoon.  The boy was transported to Akron Children's Hospital but has died.

The child's grandmother was also bitten by the dog but she refused treatment.

Summit County Animal Control is holding the pit bull. No charges will be filed.  

There are no further details at this time.  An autopsy was performed but results are not available at this time. 

This is the nineteenth fatal dog attack in Ohio since the Ohio Legislature passed HB 14, the bill that was written by Utah based Best Friends Animal Society deregulating pit bulls and rewriting Ohio dangerous dog laws.  Ohio residents were assured that HB 14 would make Ohio communities safer.  In the eight years since HB 14 was passed Ohio has seen 12 fatal pit bull attacks and 7 fatal dog attacks by all other breeds combined.  In the full decade prior to the passage of HB 14, there were 5 fatal dog attacks in Ohio.  Sound safer to anyone?

Akron does regulate pit bulls, here is the text of Akron law dealing with pit bulls. 

E.

Any person owning, keeping, possessing, harboring, maintaining, or having the care, custody, or control of a Pit Bull, Canary Dog or American Bulldog or vicious dog shall:

1.

Identify the dog by having the dog wear, at all times, a fluorescent green collar available upon payment of a fee, from Customer Service;

2.

Post on the premises, in a conspicuous place where the dog is kept, at least one city-issued warning sign available, upon payment of a fee, from Customer Service. The sign shall be visible and capable of being read from the public highway or street;

3.

Identify the dog by having the dog tattooed with a code number provided by the Customer Service Division;

4.

Notify the Customer Service Division within twenty-four hours if the Pit Bull, Canary Dog or American Bulldog or vicious dog has died or has been sold or donated, and provide the Customer Service Division with the name, address, and telephone number of the new owner;

5.

Keep the dog secured at all times by one of the following means:

a.

Keep the dog inside the owner's home;

b.

Keep the dog in a locked enclosure which has a top, and has a concrete base with the fencing securely attached or anchored to the concrete perimeter to a depth of six inches;

c.

Keep the dog muzzled and on a chain-link leash that is not more than six feet in length which is held in the hand of a person who is of suitable age and discretion and is outside with the dog.

6.

Pay a fee and annually, between January 2 and January 20, and whenever a dog is newly obtained, register the dog with the Customer Service Division; at the time of registration provide proof of liability insurance with an insurer authorized to write liability insurance in this state providing coverage in each occurrence, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than fifty thousand dollars because of damage or bodily injury to or death of a person caused by the dog and shall provide a certificate of insurance to Customer Service at the time the collar required by § 92.25(E)(1) is obtained;

7.

Ensure that the dog does not go unconfined on the premises of another or be at large within the city;

8.

Annually license the dog, if the dog is more than three months of age, with the County Auditor. Failure of any dog at any time to wear a valid license tag shall be prima facie evidence of lack of licensing;

9.

Vaccinate the dog against rabies by a licensed veterinarian at least once every three years; a tag indicating that said dog has been vaccinated against rabies must be worn by the dog at all times. Failure of any dog at any time to wear the rabies vaccination tag issued by the licensed veterinarian who administered the vaccine shall be prima facie evidence of the dog's lack of vaccination against rabies;

10.

Provide two color photos of the dog to Customer Service at the time the collar required by § 92.25(E)(1) is obtained. Provide one color photo of dog showing the tattoo number after the dog has been tattooed.


12/14/2020 Update - Police state that there will be no charges.  The Pit bull is apparently still alive and being held by Summit County Animal Control. 

Why?   

Another "Meltdown that Anyone Could See Coming" episode. Steffen Baldwin arrested in California, a total of 42 charges. This is huge!

No shocker here, after a years-long investigation in Ohio, Steffen Baldwin was arrested last week and is currently being held in jail awaiting extradition to Ohio.  Screenshots of the charges are posted below.

Baldwin is no stranger to this blog.  We have watched his activity since he arrived in Ohio, an ambitious small-timer virtue signaling and self-promoting.  We have seen him set up rescues and semi-official humane law enforcement schemes.  We have seen these efforts dissolve without explanation.  We have seen Baldwin start businesses that failed.  We saw Baldwin's star rise, he began traveling Ohio highways to distant communities considering or defending their own public safety breed-regulation laws. Baldwin made foolish and fact-free speeches to city councils about the moral failure of the very BSL that was protecting local residents. Baldwin never wasted a single moment considering the suffering of pit bull victims, both human and animal.

What we never saw was how Baldwin financed all this, who was paying the bills?  We saw Baldwin and his currently-awaiting-trial close friend and associate Luke Westerman set up a Pit Bull PAC titled Ohioans Against Breed Discrimination with the goal of raising 5 million dollars to finance a ballot initiative to promote an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio to prohibit any Ohio community from passing or enforcing any breed-specific legislation.  There is not much of a money trail on this one.  An effort to raise the 5 million came up short, very short.  The hoped-for millions did not roll in, the fundraising page raised less than seven hundred dollars over many months and was quietly shut down. 

Baldwin and Westerman announced yet another jointly organized rescue, Pets Alive to be located in the Columbus area.  This one never got off the ground at all. 

Baldwin worked hard to create a personal link with Best Friends Animal Society and The Animal Farm Foundation, joyfully announcing his selection as an intern at the AFF. In actuality, this appears more like a four-day seminar but who is criticizing? I mention these links for a purpose.  Baldwin worked hard to create relationships with the powerful and those powerful partners share in Baldwin's downfall. 






























Just days ago Baldwin was enjoying the fellowship at the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. We suspect he might not be welcomed back.  Remember, Baldwin has partnered with Best Friends, the Animal Farm Foundation, the Huffington Post, and a tremendous number of shelters.  He has "educated" police officers and school children as well. Critical thinkers among them may do more fact-checking in the future. 





Tremendous respect to Remi's owners and their contacts for seeing that justice is done!

Thank you!

Click here for more information on the charges.

The final update on Bosco the Biter. There are no surprises.

Type Bosco the Biter into the search box at the top left of the page and you will be here for a long time.  There are lots of links for those willing to endure the insanity of those who harbor and advocate for known dangerous dogs. Bosco was an Ohio biter sent out of state by the rescue responsible for him, the Lucas County Pit Crew.  There has been no mention of the events below on the Facebook pages of the Lucas County Pit Crew or the personal page of the founder and president, Jean Keating.


Bosco the Biter is dead, The final chapter in this story was written recently when Bosco mauled the "expert" who harbored and loved him. The crowd funding page for Jacqueline Johnson states that she was injured when Bosco "became agitated" attacking another dog in the home.  Mrs. Johnson was mauled when she attempted to stop the attack. Johnson's arms were broken, a wrist shattered and a finger lost and surgically reattached.  Johnson has rods in her arms and, like pit bull attack survivors everywhere, is in excruciating pain. Johnson is an employee of Best Friends Animal Society, a national entity heavily involved with promotion of pit bulls, funding legal efforts to deregulate the dogs in all states. Best Friends has lots of lawyers to assist with this effort but apparently does not provide medical insurance for employees.

 Best Friends is responsible for current Ohio law regarding dangerous dogs and the law is a complete failure.  Bills have been introduced into both the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate to fix the mess created by Best Friends, but I digress.

Claims that Bosco was just a misunderstood sweetheart of a dog were made Jean Keating as president of the Lucas County Pit Crew when she and her group were fighting legal charges in Fulton County and later when they trafficked this legally designated dangerous dog across state lines to Arizona for the purpose of rehoming.  Despite his misunderstood sweetheart status, things did not go well for Bosco in his new state.

Jacqueline Johnson wrote honestly about the dog in her blog. This takes courage. From her post on "Overcoming anxiety for Bosco" Johnson stated "I have postponed writing this post, because it’s hard to admit that sometimes the things you have always done are not working.  Kevin and I have had challenging dogs in the past, but they have easily responded to all of our positive reinforcement without issue.  That hasn’t been true of Bosco."

12/8/2017 update.  The "Overcoming anxiety for Bosco blog post has been removed from Johnson's blog but has been archived.  Here is a link.  Damage control? 

She went on to state that her own daughter could not safely enter her home because "Bosco became so anxious he began acting out."  This "acting out" eventually turned on Johnson's husband.  Accounts indicate he was bitten but did not seek medical treatment for fear of creating legal issues for Bosco but they continued to walk this time bomb in public until Operation Make Bosco Happy was conceived.  Another quote "The one thing everyone agreed was important was limiting his exposure to triggers.  Which is why we temporarily suspended walks.  I also have a big sign on my front door asking that visitors not knock or ring bell.  Instead I give them our cellphone number to call or text. We aren’t taking car rides right now. In fact, we’ve pretty much hit a reset button on almost all of Bosco’s activities."

Johnson's post on Bosco also includes mention of a consult with Ohio pit bull advocate Steffen Baldwin. Interesting to note that Baldwin also consulted on another pit bull named Joe Dirt.  Despite Baldwin's advice, Joe Dirt also mauled his owner's arms so badly she was hospitalized and sought crowdfunding to pay her hospital bills. Posts on Joe Dirt have been scrubbed from the Internet.  

PLEASE read about Operation make Bosco Happy. Johnson ends this account of turning her life upside down in order to "save" Bosco with This comment " This is a great little dog.  And he is worth every bit of effort to help him live a happy, comfortable life."


Johnson was encouraged by what she saw as progress.  In August Johnson was delighted to report that Bosco, her "special dog" was able to make a vet appointment, sedated, without "losing his mind." 

While you have to admire the dedication to saving damaged dogs you also have to question when is enough actually enough.  Johnson's daughter reported that she helped Bosco,  that "poor soul" go over the bridge after the mauling of her mother.  She expresses anger that the mauling of her mother by a known and legally designated dangerous dog,  trafficked across many state lines, and nearly two thousand miles travel will encourage those who think this practice should be a violation of law.

Victims deserve a happy and comfortable life too.  Survivors are truly sorry for Jacqueline Johnson's injuries and pain, the experience is shared.  






Thanks to the Fulton County Commissioners and to the Fulton County Dog Warden for refusing to be bullied by pit bull advocacy and for enforcing the law while this dog was in their jurisdiction.

Another pit bull attack fatality in Ohio.

A Fostoria Ohio pit bull owner died Thursday evening after he was bitten as he attempted to stop an attack by his pit bull, Mia, upon a leashed pit bull being walked in the neighborhood.

Here is the story per WTOLl1News "Just after 11 p.m. Thursday night, 60-year-old Michael Parks let his pit bull Mia outside. The dog ran across Davoli street and began fighting with another pit bull being walked on a leash by its owner." "While trying to break up the scuffle, Michael was bit directly on his recently installed dialysis shunt and began bleeding profusely. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night."Mr. Parks family is surprised. They describe Mia as a "gentle giant" who played with neighborhood children.  Per the family "everybody loved Mia, "she was not vicious at all."

How many times will we hear the same statements made by shocked pit bull owners?  When will Ohio lawmakers admit the mistake they made when they allowed Best Friends Animal Society to write Ohio law?  Does Ohio Representative Barbara Sears feel any responsibility for the fatal attacks since she joined with Best Friends to pass HB 14 to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio?

This is the second dialysis patient killed by a pit bull since passage of HB 14 in 2012. Ronnel Brown was attacked by his pit bull designer dog mix.  He was bitten on his dialysis shunt and bled out in his apartment while first responders waited for police to arrive and shoot the violent dog before they could get to their patient.  

 
Blood stained pavement.


For those interested in fatal dog attacks in Ohio since passage of HB 14, here is more information. It should be noted that in the decade prior to passage of HB 14 Ohio had six fatal dog attacks.  In the five years since the passage of the law written by lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society Ohio has had thirteen fatal dog attacks. How good does HB 14 look now? 

The first fatality was Makayla Darnell, 3 weeks old, killed by her grandmother’s pit bull.    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/18/three-day-old-baby-girl-mauled-to-death-by-family-dog-in-ohio.html

The second was Ronnell Brown, a 40-year-old man, killed by his designer dog pit bull mix.  Brown was a dialysis patient and the report was that the dog tore his dialysis graft during the attack and he quickly bled to death.  First responders had to wait for police to shoot the dog before they could get to Brown and by then it was too late.  http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/avondale/avondale-man-dies-after-attacked-by-dog  BTW, Brown had two puppies of the same breed mix in his apartment at the time of the mauling and area residents lined up to adopt these puppies.  http://www.wafb.com/story/18997840/man-dies-after-being-mauled-by-dog

The third was Dawn Jergens, 76 years old killed by her own two dogs, Cane Corsos.  What was a 76-year-old woman doing with two Cane Corsos? 

http://www.whio.com//news/news/trotwood-woman-76-killed-by-pet-dogs/nR34M/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOR3-UmoUZk

Number 4 was Elizabeth Hurt, 94 years, attacked by the family Boston Terriers.  She died a couple of weeks later.  http://www.abc22now.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/wkef_vid_10115.shtml

The fifth was Rachael Honabarger, 35 years old, killed by her family German Shepherd.  http://www.coshoctontribune.com/article/20130504/NEWS01/305040004/Woman-dies-after-dog-attack?nclick_check=1

Mia Gibson was number six, three months old, killed by family dogs, two Shiba Inus.   http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/11/dog-bite-death.html

The seventh was 57-year-old Klonda Richey of Dayton Ohio, killed by dogs that she called pit mastiff mixes.     http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/dog-mauling-investigation-continues-owners-out-jai/ndJ3W/  Misdemeanor charges, Andrew Nason got 180 days in prison and community service.  Julie Custer got 90 days in jail and community service. 

Eight,  Jonathan Quarles Jr age 7 months.  http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/dog-owner-indicted-in-fatal-mauling-of-8-month-old/nm45C/

http://wdtn.com/2014/08/04/woman-whose-dog-killed-baby-guilty-in-another-case/

Pit bull owner Kimiko Hardy was sentenced to 3 years in prison.     

Nine. Cindy Whisman, age 59, killed by her daughter’s pit bull while babysitting her toddler grandson in Madison Twp. Ohio.  Death ruled accidental, no charges.  

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/04/butler-co-coroner-responds-to-reported-dog-attack/13583555/

Ten.  Aiden Jonathon Grimm, three days old was killed by a Shepherd mix dog inside his grandmother’s home.  The coroner’s report stated there were no bite injuries on the body.  It appeared that the dog picked the infant up by the head to remove the child from a laundry basket serving as a temporary crib.  All the dogs in this household slept in laundry baskets. 

http://www.wfmj.com/story/31180204/death-of-youngstown-infant-ruled-an-accident

Eleven. Annie Williams, age 71, a great grandmother, was killed by a family member’s pit bull.  The dog was owned by Bobbie Green and her adult son Leon Morton.  Leon Morton pleaded guilty to felony charges to spare his mother a possible jail term.  Morton was sentenced to 30 months in prison with credit for 106 days already served.

http://www.cleveland19.com/story/29533488/woman-dies-following-pit-bull-attack

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2016/04/prison_sentence_dealt_for_keep.html

Twelve. Maurice Brown, age 60 years, was killed by a pit bull kept chained in a Dayton Ohio Back yard on April 25, 2017. 

http://www.whio.com/news/local/dog-attack-family-man-killed-pit-bull-wants-answers-action/cc6fIH9GaSECPK8nHBRF2N/

Thirteen. Michael Parks, 60, of Fostoria Ohio.  This dialysis patient was bitten as he attempted to break up a dog fight between his pit bull and a leashed pit bull being walked in the neighborhood. Parks was bitten on his dialysis shunt and bled out. 
  http://www.wtol.com/story/35943544/fostoria-man-dies-after-being-bitten-while-breaking-up-pit-bull-fight

7/23/2017 Update.  The Toledo Blade, the most pit bull positive newspaper in the country has finally reported this fatality but neglects to note the breed of dogs involved.  The Blade simply does not report pit bull attacks. The Blade did mention the condition of the attacked dog, very serious and may not survive.

 http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2017/07/23/Fostoria-man-fatally-mauled-after-breaking-up-dogfight.html

Newark Update - or a man in a three piece suit, silk tie, two tone wing tips, and a fedora makes an "offer you can't refuse"

I promised to re-post on Newark.  Here is more.  This was posted April 11, 2015.   


I was sure that I was done talking about Newark's pit bull advocates but new developments bring me right back here.

When we left Steffen Baldwin, of Marysville Ohio he was negotiating with Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab Utah, looking for hints from a Best Friends lawyer living Massachusetts on how to change law in Newark Ohio.  You may wonder why individuals and organizations with such divergent addresses might trouble themselves about a lawful and thoughtful decision by elected Newark City Council members.  Good question.  Newark Ohio has a population of 47,573 per the last census making it the 20th largest city in the state of Ohio. This is not a huge metropolis, why the hysteria surrounding Newark Ohio?  Mr. Baldwin, as we saw in the last post, has also lobbied in St Marys Ohio (population 8332) after the St Marys City Council voted for a breed ban. Why the hysteria over small towns in Ohio?   Here is my suspicion, dealing with pit bull advocacy is very much like dealing with organized crime. Saying "no" is simply unacceptable.  The man in the three piece suit and fedora turns up with the "offer you can't refuse."  Best Friends is unable to let it go and has posted this Action Alert.  Best Friends wants pit bull advocates from all over the world to send messages of complaint to the Newark City Council.  "Now it's time to let our voices be heard and to send a clear message to these council members that discrimination is wrong for Newark, and it's wrong for Ohio."
Best Friends has made it easy, the system is fully automated for ease in attempted intimidation .

Here are some interesting facts.  In addition to Newark Ohio, Wauseon Ohio and St Marys Ohio have said no to pit bull advocates this year. Reynoldsburg Ohio, Bexley Ohio and Parma Ohio said no in 2014. Cincinnati pit bull advocates crossed state lines in 2014 to bully Ft. Thomas Kentucky.  Ft. Thomas said no to them.   So far in 2015 Best Friends has pushed anti BSL bills in Arizona, Washington State (foreshadowing here with Washington State), Montana, Kentucky and Georgia and lost in every one of these states.  State lawmakers are hearing from their actual constituents concerned about loss of home rule rights.  Despite the brags from professional pit bull advocates their recent legal record is poor. 

Here are some interesting facts.  In addition to Newark Ohio, Wauseon Ohio and St Marys Ohio have said no to pit bull advocates this year. Reynoldsburg Ohio, Bexley Ohio and Parma Ohio said no in 2014. Cincinnati pit bull advocates crossed state lines in 2014 to bully Ft. Thomas Kentucky.  Ft. Thomas said no to them.   So far in 2015 Best Friends has pushed anti BSL bills in Arizona, Washington State (foreshadowing here with Washington State), Montana, Kentucky and Georgia and lost in every one of these states.  State lawmakers are hearing from their actual constituents concerned about loss of home rule rights.  Despite the brags from professional pit bull advocates their recent legal record is poor.

The phenomenon of out-of-state interference in local control of dangerous dogs is not limited to Ohio.  A recent article from the Idaho Press-Tribune tells us that a pit bull centric lawyer from Washington state has written warning letters to Fruitland Idaho (population 4684), Payette Idaho (population 7433), and Payette County Idaho (population 22,836).  Per the Press-Tribune " Friday’s letters from the Animal Law Offices of Adam P. Karp request the municipalities change their definition of a “dangerous” dog as well as their definition of the dog’s breed. The letters claim the laws do not accurately define the “visual identification” of the dog’s breed, which could lead to unlawful detaining. Further claims say they are “targeting dogs based on speculation and scientifically-indefensible grounds” and the municipality “fails to accommodate those who assist disabled citizens as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Karp said in an email Saturday the letters were not official tort claims. “No notices of claim have been (or need be) filed in this instance,” he wrote. “Rather, the letters provide each municipality an opportunity to make a much belated, and vital course correction before suit is filed. The (letter) correspondence serves as a courtesy warning.”

Well how courteous of Mr. Karp to warn these small towns that from his office in Washington State he demands changes to laws in Idaho.  I find his arrogance absolutely stunning.  Surely Mr. Karp is aware that courts do not find BSL unconstitutional. 


Adam Karp and friend.

Please review the ruling of the Ohio Supreme Court  Ohio v Anderson
Ohio Supreme Court Toledo Ohio v. Paul Tellings
Colorado Supreme Court Colorado Dog Fanciers v the City and County of Denver
West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Steve Hardwick and Sharon Nally v. the Town of Cerido
The United States District Court N.D.  Ohio Eastern Division Tarquinio v. the City of Lakewood
United States District Court District of Colorado Colorado American Canine Foundation: and Florence Vianzon v. the City of Aurora Colorado  
United States District Court District of Colorado Sonya Dias et al v the City and County of Denver
United States District Court N.D. California American Canine Foundation v Sun
The list goes on and on but you get the drift here. 

Here is another example of lawyer interference in local law, in this case the lawyer does have an office in the community.   Aurora Colorado has a breed ban and is very satisfied with how well it is working.  Pit bull advocates have challenged the ordinance so many times the city council got fed up and put it on the ballot.  Aurora voters supported their breed ban by better than a two to one margin. Done deal, the voters have been heard right?  Nope. Can pit bull advocacy admit defeat and move on?  Of course not. Lawyer Juliet Piccone wants the state legislature to step in and change law for her.  Please note that the Colorado courts (above) have ruled in favor of communities with breed bans. 

  

Juliet Piccone with client Zona, a pit bull mix implicated in an attack upon a small dog, with a history of running at large, and hints of previous "incidents."  You can get Ms. Piccone's version of how Zona got in trouble with the law by clicking here.   Ms. Piccone raises funds relentlessly for her "pro bono work."   I'm not even going to get into that. 

I find the arrogance of pit bull advocates in general stunning.  Local law is local business. 

                                                           * * *

But yet again, I digress.  Back to Mr. Baldwin.  In a thread on his personal Facebook page he posts on a recent incident in Lakewood Ohio and he again calls on the Best Friends lawyer Lee Greenwood residing in Mattapan Massachusetts and the Huffington Post Animal Welfare Editor Arin Greenwood living in Gulfport Florida for assistance. The Greenwoods are brother and sister.  

Please google the Huffington Post articles and blogs about pit bulls.  A pit bull puff piece is published after every fatal pit bull attack and after pit bull attacks making national news. Over-the-top does not begin to cover it, the Huffington Post has a whole separate division for pit bull news but not for Pugs or Poodles, or Beagles.  I wonder why?  Possibly because no other breed requires this insane level of advocacy, but back to the central point.  Local business is local and pot stirring by professional pit bull advocates should be considered attempts at intimidation of local officials. 

Mr. Baldwin proudly announces on 4/9/2015 that he has made the big time.  He not only confers with Best Friends(motto - Bullying City Councils and State Legislatures in Order to Deny Home Rule Rights for Self Determination and Public Safety Everywhere) lawyers and Huffington Post editors he has been accepted as an intern at the Animal Farm Foundation (mission statement - Securing equal treatment and opportunity for "pit bull" dogs) but there is no concern for the victims of pit bull dogs, both human and animal.  Steffen has won the trifecta.



For those who may not be familiar with the Animal Farm Foundation, this is where the money starts. The New York heiress Jane Berkey spends her fortune to promote pit bulls.  Lots of wealthy folks might build a children's hospital, or fund a cancer research project, give a couple of million to their Alma mater.   Not Jane, it's pit bulls, she is the primary donor to the AFF.  If you like to read tax forms here is the 2013 Animal Farm Foundation 990. Ms. Berkey contributed $2,850,000 in 2013, $1,500,000 in 2012, and $1,500,000 in 2011. 

Please page through to the section covering gifts and contributions made by  AFF.  Lots of entries for neuter and spay surgeries. This is a very good thing and I support it fully.  You will also see multiple entries for AKC CGC testing,  AFF pays $150 PER DOG for pit bulls passing the test. You will also see payments made to shelters for placement of pit bulls. Nothing for Beagles though. 

Here is an interesting section from the AFF website Best Practices Adoption Policies and Procedures.  Keep in mind that pit bulls kill more Americans than all other breeds combined by a long shot.  The AFF feels that it is wrong to require experience with the breed, or a fenced yard, or adult adopters, or home ownership.  Insurance? Never mentioned.  Got children, other pets?  Should not be a consideration.  Background checks?  Mandatory training classes?  Good heavens, no.

Do not miss the Policy and Procedure section's glowing review on Longmont Humane Society. Longmont partners with  AFF, we discussed this particular shelter in our last post.  Here is a quote from the AFF Best Practices material "Sarah (Clusman, Training and Behavior Coordinator for Longmont) explains that the staff and volunteers are well aware of breed discrimination, and they hope to educate the public that dogs should not be judged by their breed, but rather by their individual personality."   Here is what happens in the real world, in 2012 16% of dog bites in Longmont were from dogs adopted out of the Longmont Humane Society.  

Congratulations Steffen.  Enjoy your four days at the Animal Farm Foundation intern program.  The grounds are lovely.  You will learn a lot.  Look what the proper Animal Farm Foundation training of dog wardens and animal control officers did for Montgomery County Ohio dog warden Mark Kumpf.


Mark Kumpf and Jane Berkey at one of Ms. Berkey's pit bull centric events.

Mr. Kumpf was all in for changes to Ohio law written by Best Friends but under the new law Ohio saw nine fatal dog attacks by dogs of several breeds in just the first two years.  Montgomery County, Mr. Kumpf's district, had TWO fatal dog attacks within six months.  At this point I should restate the connections between the Animal Farm Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society.

Best Friends Animal Society is outrageously committed to pit bull advocacy.  Best Friends employs Ledy Vankavage Esq to head their legal department.  Ms. Vankavage is a lifelong pit bull owner and registered lobbyist.  She has her fingers in every state.  Just google the Best Friends Pit Bull Initiatives or anything pit bull related on the Best Friends website.  This is too well documented to even bother with linking anything.  Ms. Vankavage is a close associate of Jane Berkey and serves on the board of directors of the Animal Farm Foundation (see tax records linked above).  Ms. Berkey supports Best Friends efforts to push laws that benefit pit bulls,  Berkey pays for faux Tobacco Institute style "research" proving the safety of pit bulls through the National Canine Research Council, a subsidiary of the Animal Farm Foundation (both owned by Jane Berkey), which is then given to Best Friends for use in campaigns to change law.  This incestuous and circular connection keeps the money moving and the pit bull propaganda machine humming.

Show of hands, does anyone still doubt the connection between smoking and cancer?  The federal government finally saw through the tobacco industry lies and regulated the stuff.  The same has come to pass with chemical industry trade groups.  Possibly the tide will turn against professional pit bull advocacy as well.   



You are in good hands Steffen. 

                                                                       * * *

One last update.  Remember the four year old child attacked by a pit bull recently adopted by the family?  We talked about this in the last post. The boy is off the vent and back home. Per The Olympian "On April 1, Gavin was mauled by Smash, the family’s newly adopted pit bull, while they were in the backyard. The boy has several broken bones, including his jaw, cheekbone and the bridge of his nose. He underwent two surgeries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle before he was able to come home.

“They had to take a piece of his rib and fix his eye sockets,” said his mom, Alissa Evans, 29. “But you can’t tell. The plastic surgeons up there are miracle workers.”

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2015/04/09/3670106_four-year-old-mauling-victim-returns.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Gavin's mother has covered the mirrors in her apartment with towels so Gavin can't see the damage to his face.  In addition to the eye socket injuries, broken jaws, and broken nose, Gavin lost five baby teeth and four permanent tooth buds.  He has only two teeth on top now, he can eat only soft foods until his permanent teeth come in. This will be a long process.  Gavin will require extensive dental work in the future, likely implants.   For breed advocates who might like to make a contribution, there is a gofundme page.   Somebody please ask Jane Berkey for a donation.

Gavin's mother has made it abundantly clear that the dog is a "blue nose pit." 



Gavin Tobeck returns home.