Year end roundup part 2, Fulton County Commissioners get fed up, dog fighters everywhere, pit bulls shot by police, "responsible pit bull owners' show what they are made of, and other random pit bull stories. Happy New Year!

Part two of the year end roundup. We have cleaned up the backlog with this post.  You will need LOTS of coffee.

5/6/2015
East Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

This post covers a large time frame.  Back in December of 2014 a pit bull named Buddha escaped from Elizabeth Brown's yard.    Buddha jerked his tie out cable out of the ground and made use of an air-conditioning unit as a take off point to leap over a 6 foot fence.  There was no attempt to claim that any gate was left open or that "someone must have let him out."  Pit owner Brown went out to get her dog and he was just gone.  She searched for her pit bull, touched base with neighbors and friends, contacted Lucas County Care and Control, and posted notices on social media.

There was a possible sighting of Buddha in January, being walked by a boy.  Another possible sighting in April, being put into a car by teenagers.  On April 26th Buddha was found, dead, in Brown's yard.  The dog had been hung, using the same tie out cable he was on in December.  Buddha had lost weight and had a bite injury on his neck.

Brown feels that since Buddha was hung in her yard whoever had the dog knew where he came from. She described "trouble" with a neighbor over her dogs, she has two other pit bulls.  

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6/5/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

A 23 year old Toledo woman was found guilty of one count of dog fighting and faces a possible 18 months in prison.  Lora Grinter entered an Alford plea to the dog fighting charges.  With an Alford plea the defendant does not admit guilt but does admit that evidence is such that a conviction is likely, that conviction could result in a more severe sentence.  As part of her plea deal a second count of dog fighting and one count of possession of cocaine were to be dismissed.  Ginter was placed on community control for 3 years, ordered to spend 30 days in the Lucas County Work Release Program, undergo substance abuse assessment, ordered to submit to random drug testing, and perform 40 hours of community service.

The story gets a bit involved. In October of 2014 police searched a home where Ginter and Clarence McNeal were living, the search was part of a drug trafficking investigation.  A cell phone was found that held video of a pit bull/mastiff mix fighting with another dog.  The dog, Boomer, was found to have scars and wounds consistent with dog fighting,  In June the Toledo Area Humane Society's Executive Director, Gary Willoughby, told a Blade reporter that it was hoped that a home could be found for Boomer "He's got some separation anxiety, but he's a super sweet dog."    Feel free to roll your eyes here, its appropriate.  In a Blade article dated 7/29/2015 Willoughby revealed that Boomer was euthanized in mid-June.  The dog attacked three people, a volunteer, and two of the veterinarians that work with the Toledo Area Humane Society.  "We know that the public doesn't want us adopting dogs out that are going to, unprovoked, attack people."   


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6/10/2015
South Toledo
Lucas County

This sounds familiar, if I have already covered it I apologize for doing so again.  But then pit bull attacks are so similar who can say?

Police responded to a call from a man who claimed that he was attacked by three pit bulls that had escaped from a yard.  Per police report, the man was bitten on his arm with severe lacerations noted.

It gets interesting here.  Per  WTOL11 "The dog starts running, barges through the gate, jumps at my face, gets a hold of my arm and he's ripping and tearing,” said Ryan Kozsa, who lives behind the house where the dog was shot.  
He also says the dogs have always been a problem and he warned the officers."I told them, ‘watch it when you go over there, because even if you see them in the gate, they bust through the gate',” said Kozsa.Jay Rummell, the owner of the dogs, says his dogs are not the only ones to blame. He says Kozsa is also responsible."He provoked the dogs he has his own pit-bull, and he likes fighting it, and he was trying to provoke my dog to attack him because his dog lost a bought with my dog,” said Rummell."

As Rummel, the pit bull owner,  was being cited, Rummel's roommate, Brandon Gill opened the door to shout at officers, releasing the three pit bulls.  The lead pit bull was shot by police.  Gill came down off the porch and charged police, swinging at the officers. Gill was taken into custody and charges with assault on a police officer.  The injured pit bull was taken to the Lucas County Dog Warden, it was euthanized.  

Per the news report " Neighbors say the dogs have been terrorizing their neighborhood for a long time.

"It attacked my dog two weeks ago, attacked my wife, the pug across the street. It's chasing people up and down the street. The dog warden called out three times, it took this to happen, before something happened. I'm an animal lover, I'm sorry the dog got shot. I feel bad, but what's supposed to happen? The dog went after the officer." 

     

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8/15/2015
Canfield Ohio
Mahoning County

Yet another story about a pit bull adopted by a family that apparently did not know, or care that local law bans pit bulls.  The pit bull was returned to the shelter.  This is a set up for yet another challenge to local BSL.  There will be a post dealing with just this issue very soon.

It is interesting to note that Lola the pit bull was returned after a call was made by police to the home of the new owner. In order for that to happen someone has to complain.  Police do not make house calls just to view homeowner's dogs.

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8/5/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

The Lucas County taxpayers are providing funding for the pit bulls seized from Carl Stewart's dog fighting operation.  Stewart had been ordered to pay $12,030 to cover the cost of board and veterinary care for six pit bulls, found chained to the floor in a vacant house on South Fearing Blvd in 2013.  A recent court ruling vacated that order stating that restitution is only paid to victims and the dog warden is not a victim.

Stewart was sentenced to 6 months in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, folowed by 6 months at a Correctional Treatment Facility in Toledo, 3 months in the Lucas County work-release program, and 3 months of electronic monitoring.  Stewart is also expected to enjoy community control for 5 years, 100 hours of community service, undergo random drug tests, and keep a job.

Stewart's dogs came to be known as the "Fearing Six," 4 were placed and 2 were euthanized.

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6/11/2015
Sandusky Ohio

A settlement has been reached in the case of an attack by two pit bulls owned by Rebecca Hush upon a JRT, named Scooter, owned  by Paul Aviles.  Aviles was injured while protecting his little dog, Scooter was seriously injured but did recover.

One of the pit bulls died at the scene after being tasered by police, the other pit bull was held at the Erie County Dog Pound until Hush met requirements for the dog's return.

Per Mr Aviles attorney " "The terms of the settlement are confidential, but I can tell you that we got significantly more than Mr. Aviles’ monetary damages were, which included medical bills, veterinary bills, and personal property damage," said Aviles' attorney, Sandusky attorney John Felter." 

Excellent!



Scooter

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9/14/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

An attack you will never hear about.  A child was bitten by a shepherd/chow mix. The child was running from the dog and fell, she had scrapes on her knee and palm from the fall and broken skin on her back from the bite.  No medical treatment was mentioned, no life flight was called.

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7/9/2015
Oxford Ohio
Butler County

A pit bull broke loose from a residence and began charging at people, police were called.  The Oxford Dog warden could not be reached so County Dog Warden Kurt Merbs was called out. That name is familiar to readers of this blog.  Merbs spends a great deal of his time on pit bull calls.

Here is the short form of the story.  Police were met by two men with shovels who told officer Derrick Carlson  they had just fended off a "very aggressive dog."  Two men with shovels, picture it.

Officer Carlson found and followed the dog, a pit bull, until the pit bull spotted a man walking home carrying groceries.  Pittie charged the peaceful pedestrian, who dropped his groceries and fell to the ground.  Per the Journal-News  Carlson got out of his cruiser with his weapon drawn. The dog would not obey his commands, the report said.

In the backyard of a home in the 300 block of Beech Street, the officer continued to try to calm the dog, but the dog inched toward him, growling.

“He made it clear he was not going to give up his ground, and I could not let him escape after showing multiple signs of unprovoked aggression toward pedestrians in the area,” Carlson wrote in the report. By this time, a second officer, Matt Hardin, was also on the scene.

Carlson fired one round at the dog, striking him on the right side of his head/snout area. The owner of the dog, Troy Anderson of Oxford, arrived and was able to get the animal under control.

 According to pit bull owner Anderson, the pit bull had escaped from his home 4 hours earlier and he had been searching for it.

Do pit bull owners hear gunshots and just run in the direction of the shots expecting to find their dog? I wonder?

In any case, Anderson made all the standard statements "had it since it was a pup"  "never a hint of aggression to any family member."

 “When I arrived on the scene the dog was moving around gurgling from the blood running down his throat. I understand that now he’s okay and just has a nasty scar running from his nostril to the back of his head,” Merbs said. “People have really been blowing up Facebook offering assistance for this dog.”
Merbs explained that the dog is recovering from his injuries – two bullets didn’t exit the head – but the animal has become an Internet star via a Justice for Cesar Facebook group and aYouCaring fundraiser page.

Quick review, this pit bull has charged three citizens, a police officer, was shot in the head twice but the bullets did not exit the skull, is recovering without difficulty and pit bull advocates are collecting for veterinary bills?  When have pit bull advocates ever contributed a nickle for the medical bills of a victim?

Post op photo




In case you feel you need one of Cesar's pups, his "girlfriend" gave birth to 11 pups in August. This will be your only chance, Cesar was neutered during his brain surgery.  I'm not even going to make that joke.

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7/1/2015
Akron Ohio
Summit County

Alvin Banks, Akron area dog fighter, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Banks apologized in court stating he "grew up around those involved with dog fighting and he did not realize the practice is inhumane."  Go ahead, roll your eyes.

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7/6/2015
Mansfield Ohio
Richland County

Richland County Public Health is requesting the help of the public in locating a pit bull that bit someone in the area of Sherwood drive in Lexington.  No mention of vicious Beagles or Pugs.  Guess they forgot that part.

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We are going to be in Fulton County for awhile here.  I'm going to give a bit of background so you get the full effect of pit bull advocates shooting themselves in the foot.

This is a quote from a post from October of 2014.
The policy in Fulton County is that pit bull dogs not claimed by their owner are euthanized.  Given the numbers of pit bulls implicated in maulings and fatal attacks the policy makes sense.  Huge financial risk to the community is to be avoided. Those who claim to love the breed blather on about "it's all in how you raise 'em" but fail to acknowledge that the pit bulls in shelters are strays or owner surrenders.  Nobody has any idea how these dogs were raised and to place these dogs directly or to release them to rescues who will hand the pit bulls to anyone with a pulse is a policy that will get the county sued in the event of a serious or fatal mauling. Please click on this link for a photo of a pit bull advocate dramatically holding a hand written demand for an end to "discrimination" at the Fulton County Dog Pound in order to create a "safer community."    Pit bull advocates are unable to state exactly how releasing stray dogs with no known background, uninsured, un-microchipped, to the public will create a safe community.  All this hoopla is created over the humane euthanization of just FIVE dogs.

A candlelight vigil was held on September 27th, there is a link to photos of the event.   Don't miss the dramatic photo of Ohio's breed specific advocate, Jean Keating,  reading the names of the unjustly killed five pit bulls.  How long could that take?  Is it worth turning the car off and putting your car keys in your pocket? The Toledo Blade has provided multiple photos of those in attendance and guess what?  A great many of those in attendance do not live in Fulton County Ohio including Ms. Keating.  Ms. Keating is particularly upset that a young stray pit bull was humanely euthanized in Fulton County. Here is her quote “The killing of healthy puppies can’t be tolerated,” Ms. Keating said. “It’s unconscionable and cruel.”  Here is a link to video of a much less humane death, a puppy killed by pit bulls.  It is unpleasant to watch but it is reality in American  communities  Keating does not deal with the numbers of puppies, young and healthy pets, beloved senior pets killed in full view of their screaming owners by pit bulls every day across the United States..

Now on to more current events.

6/15/2015
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County

Pit bull advocates, unhappy with the refusal of Fulton County officials to negotiate with them, have decided to use complaints to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in their efforts to harass the county dog warden. You can read this one for yourself.  Short version, a No-Kill/Slow-Kill advocate named Carol Dopp has joined with pit bull advocacy to assist with the harassment of Fulton County officials.

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6/27/2015
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County


On May 23rd a pit bull that came to be known as Takoda was picked up as a stray in Fayette Ohio.  The dog was taken to the Fulton county Pound.  By law dogs are held for 3 days in order to allow for owners to reclaim their dogs.  Pit bulls are not adopted out from the Fulton County Pound, if not reclaimed by their owners they are euthanized.

On June 4th the Fulton County Commissioners, after months of pressure from pit bull advocates, quietly passed a resolution allowing pit bulls to be transferred to Humane Societies in an effort to find common ground with advocates demanding change.

 Takoda spent 27 days at the Fulton county Pound. The County dog warden, Brian Banister, checked with Humane Societies in Lucas, Defiance, and Williams counties   but no interest.  On June 19th the Henry County Humane Society picked Takoda up and transferred him immediately to the Lucas County Pit Crew.

The Lucas County Pit Crew, headed by Jean Keating, wants to streamline the process in Fulton County.  They want to be named a partner with the Fulton county Pound for the purpose of pit bull transfer.  The Fulton County commissioners, with an eye to liability,  are unwilling to go along with this.  They will only transfer pit bulls to groups organized as County Humane Societies.  Per Commissioner Rupp "I felt we needed to have a way to determine the legitimacy of the organization the we were releasing the dog to. This is in no way meant to imply that if an organization is not organized under ORC 1717 that they are not legitimate; it is simply a means to help us identify those that are."

Keating is not satisfied with this explanation and chafes under the requirement that she obtain the dogs through another group.  Why?  She is getting what she wants.

Part of the problem in Fulton County appears to be a conflict between what dog advocates see as the job of a county dog pound and what dog pounds were actually created to do.  The Fulton County administrator rightly states that state legislators created county dog pounds to protect people from dogs, not to house and care for dogs that are not claimed by owners. "It's the people we are trying to protect, not the dogs.  At the end of the day, that is what the dog warden's job is.  We're not here for the dogs.  That's not what we do. It's not a popular thing to say, but it's the truth."

This is a Toledo Blade article so there are lots of quotes from Jean Keating, and from Carol Dopp as well.  We have heard quite a bit from these two in this blog post.

I would cheerfully clone the Fulton County commissioners if I had the chance.  We need more people who do the job they were elected to do without bowing to the wishes of special interest lobbyists.

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12/30/2015
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County

The Fulton County Commissioners will not back down from their refusal to transfer pit bulls out of the county pound directly to the custody of the Lucas County Pit Crew.  What?  Someone had the nerve to say no to organized pit bull advocacy?  Fabulous!

Fulton County does not adopt out pit bulls from the county shelter.  Stray pit bulls are held for owner pick up, without an owner to reclaim it the pit bull it is euthanized.  This is a liability control/public safety issue.  Changes have been made at the shelter this year , dogs may be transferred out to area humane societies but the issue here was direct transfer to the Lucas County Pit Crew.

A resolution to add the Pit Crew as a recognized transfer partner was tabled on December 22nd after the County Commission President requested more time to study the proposal.  On December 29th the commissioners voted the proposal down unanimously, without discussion.

The commissioners are well aware that dogs are being pulled from the Fulton County Pound by area Humane Societies and passed on to the Pit Crew but they simply refused to do business directly with the Lucas County group.

This is a Toledo Blade article so the required quotes from Jean Keating of the Lucas County Pit Crew are featured.  Ms. Keating is unhappy, to put it mildly, and slams the political agenda in Fulton County without acknowledging her own political agenda. Any political issue does have two sides and the Fulton County Commissioners are welcome to their opinion and they vote as their conscience dictates.   Per Keating "They are doing what they are doing based purely on their own personal emotion.  It's politics at its worst."

Carol Dopp, the very same Carol Dopp involved with harassment of Fulton County Animal Control and administration via complaints to the EPA about cremation of dogs at the Fulton County Shelter, boldly admits that she picks up pit bulls as a representative of the Fulton County Humane Society and hands them directly to the Lucas County Pit Crew.  Dopp is disappointed in the refusal of the Fulton County Commissioners to dance with pit bull advocacy stating "I'm disappointed that I'm going to have to continue to play this game."

Is Ms. Dopp fully aware that as a representative of the Fulton County Humane Society actively involved in the transfer of these dogs she has also transferred liability for injuries caused by the dogs to the Fulton County Humane Society?  Is the management of the Humane Society OK with this?  Is their insurance carrier OK with this?

This may become important.  There was an "incident" involving a Pit Crew pit bull in Fulton County last weekend.  This is the Blade so there is no further information on the "incident."  Keating admits that her group is "dealing with a number of officials regarding a 'minor incident' with a dog that had been adopted LAST WEEK (emphasis mine) by a Fulton County family. She declined to elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation.  'There has never been this much back-and-forth regarding any incident with any dog in Fulton County ever."  Was the pit bull involved one of the dogs transferred by Dopp as a representative of the Fulton County Humane Society?  Will the Humane Society be forced to be responsible for the "incident"?  

It appears that in Fulton County you will be held responsible for the dogs you place, and transfer.  : )

Update - Bosco the pit bull, adopted from the Lucas County Pit Crew on December 23rd by a Fulton County couple bit the wife on Saturday.  The couple asked the Lucas County Pit Crew to take him back.  The dog was seized from a foster home on Wednesday by the Fulton County Sheriffs office on Wednesday. Bosco remains in quarantine at the Fulton County Pound.  A legal battle is expected.

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11/21/2015

A national blog, Four legged Friends (and enemies),   discusses what they call the "Ohio Pit Bull Problem."  Ohio's problems have not escaped national attention.  We will discuss this more in a post early next year.

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4/24/2015
Macksburg Ohio
Washington County

A four year old Macksburg girl was playing at a friend's home when she was attacked by a pit bull/Mastiff mix dog that belongs to the friend's family.  The NewsCenter report of this attack actually uses the phrase "One thing led to another and the dog's teeth were around this little girl's face" and went on to quote Sergeant Kelly McGilton (who serves as the dog warden for the Washington County Sheriffs Department "while the injuries are gruesome, the dog was not trying to hurt anyone."   WHAT????
"In my opinion, this was not a vicious attack. This was an annoyance bite. The mere size and power of a pitbull/mastiff mix, is what caused a substantial injury to the child's face." said McGilton.

 The little girl suffered two severe lacerations to her face that went all the way through her cheeks, plus two punctures below her eyes, and lost "several" teeth.  She was flown via helecopter to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus for surgery, 70 stitches were required to repair the injuries.  She was listed in serious but stable condition.

If you click on the link you get to actually see McGilton make her tactless, and tasteless statement.
It was expected that the dog would be euthanized after a 10 day quarantine.

       

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5/8/2015
Cleveland Heights Ohio
Cuyahoga County

From the "responsible pit bull owners" file, a neglected pit bull was found in the yard of an abandoned home.  The dog was found in a cage, with only a bowl of dirty water.  A neighbor stated that the owner moved out several months ago but stops by "occasionally"  to feed the dog.  The pit bull was taken to a kennel.


   
Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay protect pit bulls from this?

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12/30/2015
Sandusky Ohio
Erie County

A police scanner turns up a complaint of a loose pit bull being aggressive toward police.  The pit bull owner has been urged to hurry because the dog warden has also been called and it on the way.  Police have left messages for the pit bull owner but no response so far.  Read the comments.

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4/25/2015
Delphos Ohio
Van Wert County

More from  the "responsible pit bull owners" files.  Law enforcement officers investigating a reported drug house on W. Clime Street found drugs and pit bulls.  The pit bulls were turned over to the Van Wert county dog warden because they were "improperly tagged."  No report of Yorkies, Poodles, or Beagles at the location.

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7/22/2015
Westlake Ohio
Cuyahoga County

This is a whimsical "take this pit bull PLEASE" article written from the dog's viewpoint.  In 2014 the owner of six pit bulls chained the dogs to his truck and dragged them (responsible pit bull owner).  The dogs were held at the Cleveland Kennel until after the trial for the pit bull owner.  All six of these pit bulls were eventually offered for adoption, one remains in a foster situation.  Olaf''s suggested requirements include no children and no other dogs.  Wonder why?



Olaf can be yours, if you are childless and have no other dogs.

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7/31/2015
South Euclid Ohio
Cuyahoga County

A pit bull owner was cited after her pit bull "broke loose" and bit another dog.  The owner of the other dog stated she did not feel the pit bull was trying to injure her pet, which as not seriously injured.

You have to ask, what other purpose would there be for the pit bull to bite another dog unless it was to injure that dog?

  

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9/1/2015
Painesville Ohio
Lake County

A local pit bull owner was creatively sentenced to spend eight hours picking up trash at a dump, rather than jail time for animal cruelty.  Alyssa Morrow (responsible pit bull owner) pleaded guilty to animal neglect and cruelty for leaving her pit bull, named Moose, in a house for a week.  The house was described as appearing to belong to a hoarder.  Moose was offered for adoption.  Morrow got a huge break.

So many responsible pit bull owners in Ohio.

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9/29/2015
Springfield Ohio
Clark County

Pit bulls have not quite cornered the market on irresponsible owners, or on attacks upon children.  In an attack you will never hear about, a five year old girl was attacked by an Akita.  The Akita belongs to a family friend, the child and her mother were visiting that friend when the attack occurred.  The child had seven lacerations to her head,   Adara required 200 stitches to repair her injuries. This was not the first attack from this dog. The same dog bit the owner's grandson, that child required 42 stitches to his face.

You knew this was coming... the dog owner says neither attack was the dog's fault and they want to keep it!

Adara's parents are questioning current state law.  Thank you!  The more people question the mess that pit bull advocacy created in Ohio the better.  Contact your State Senator and ask him to support SB 151.


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9/14/2015
Mentor Ohio
Lake County

This one is from the "why?" file.  A pit bull puppy was stolen from a room in a local hotel.  Here is a photo of a "person of interest" in this case.

This is Rico, reportedly lives in Cleveland, he went looking for the pit bull's owner before it went missing, and he has sent text messages saying that he stole the dog.

Why would you steal a pit bull? Local shelters are full of them, just walk in and whirl around and point.


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9/16/2015
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County

Another "take this pit bull PLEASE" article features Hector the pit bull/Mastiff mix.  Hector was trafficked across state lines from North Carolina to Cleveland in search of a new owner by an organization called Rescue Railroad.  Like Greater Cleveland has a shortage on pit bulls.

Per Cleveland.com "Hector spent most of his life living in a hot detached garage in North Carolina, running around a rural neighborhood befriending other dogs and people, until someone decided he was a nuisance and shot him."

Hector has been cleaned up and his bullet wounds treated, he can be yours. Or you could go to the Cleveland Kennels, or the Cuyahoga County Shelter, just whirl around and point.  The pit bulls are mostly pretty much the same.




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9/9/2015
Cincinnati Ohio
Hamilton County

Two "responsible pit bull owners" may spend 30 years in prison.  Jessica Hunt and Jordie Callahan were charged with enslaving a mentally disabled woman for two years through intimidation, threats, and abuse. The Appeals court upheld the decision of a federal jury in Youngstown last year.

Per The Morning Journal "The couple was accused of holding the woman captive from early 2011 to late 2012. Prosecutors alleged that they threatened to harm the woman’s young daughter if the woman did not do chores, shop and clean up after their pit bull dogs. The couple also used the dogs and a python to threaten the woman into complying, prosecutors said."

Charming!

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10/8/2015
East Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County

A five month old pit bull mix followed firefighters to an East Cleveland fire station.  This dog has a severe case of mange and this is not a new condition.  This should not happen.
 

Per USAToday ""You see the dog that's there, you want to say 'eww, gross' and judge, but underneath all that 'eww, gross' is just this sweet beast and a sweet animal that deserves love and care and it's just hard to understand how she could've gotten this way," said Crossroads Animal Shelter veterinarian Samantha Siclair.

Vets believe she's a pitbull mix about 5 months old and has been homeless for some time. Her skin disease was exacerbated by her lack of care.

"This is a pretty severe, and unfortunately, there was obvious neglect to have it get this severe," said Siclair.

This dog is expected to recover with a great deal of medical care, treatment, and money.  How can pit bull advocates continue to crank out litters of puppies destined to suffer like this?

Could pit bull activists please quit trying to educate the peaceful public and concentrate on educating pit bull owners to neuter and spay their dogs, make sure their dogs are vaccinated and have basic medical care, and manage their dogs in such a way that peaceful people are safe from pit bull attack? That would stop the pit bull problem completely.  We can't do it for you.

There is video available, click here.  

                                                                        * * *

11/2/2015
Akron Ohio
Summit County

Three more men have been convicted of dog fighting after their arrest during the huge November raid.  Each one of them faces 18 months in prison plus fines.  Alvin Banks, the organizer of the dog fight. has already been convicted and was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Eight pit bulls were seized, one was euthanized due to aggression.  Where are the other seven game bred, pit tested pit bulls?

                                                                  * * *

12/15/2015
Fremont Ohio
Sandusky County

The Humane Society of Sandusky County  is investigating the deaths of 13 pit bull/pit mix puppies found dead in a creek .  Per the Star-Tribune  "Animal cruelty investigator Adam Herrera says the puppies were likely pit bull mixes from the same litter. He says they were probably a month or two old. Herrera believes the pups were in the water several days before they were found.

The Humane Society of Sandusky County says the puppies were found just outside of Fremont on Saturday. The organization says they were found by the property owner during a walk. Herrera says it's difficult to tell whether the puppies were dead before hitting the water."

A reward is being offered for information.

I have two questions, actually three questions.

First, how do they know these were pit bull puppies?  They were dead and in the water for days. If pit bull advocates can be believed, nobody can identify a live pit bull, how can anyone identify such young puppies after they have been in water for days?

Second, why do we see rewards offered by Humane groups for information after a pit bull is injured or killed but we have never seen a Humane group, or a pit bull organization send money to a pit bull victim?

Third, wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay be more humane than this?

                                                                * * *

6/28/2015
Columbus Ohio
Franklin County

The Franklin county dog shelter is under new management.  Policies, procedures, and staff are changing. Some changes look shortsighted.

From the Columbus Dispatch "The shelter also lifted its limit on the number of pit bulls on its adoption floor, and it no longer prohibits people who live in places where certain breeds are banned from adopting those dogs.

“We’re not going to treat them like an applicant,” she said. “Instead, we’re going to have a conversation with them in regards to trying to find the best fit for them to take an animal home."

Previously, dog-shelter workers would call veterinarians to check on the health of potential adopters’ current animals before allowing them to take another one home. They also called landlords if the person didn’t own a home.

Dickson said that slowed down the flow of adopted animals, something the shelter couldn’t afford to do because it doesn’t cap the number of animals it takes.

The change has led to more adoptions and fewer dogs put down, she said. But a former employee said some pit bulls are quickly returned when their new owners realize they can’t have them.

“This is not a car sale. This is a life,” said Ashley Inskeep, a former veterinary technician who was fired this month. “We’re trying to find the best fit, not the first person with $18. It’s really important that we’re doing these background checks.”

 I can't say it any better than Ashley Inskeep. 

                                                             * * *

7/24/2015                                                                                                                                           Stow Ohio                                                                                                                                       Summit County  

A Pomeranian was attacked by a pit bull at a Stow Ohio dog park.  Per Cleveland 19 News "Puehler says a pit bull mix attacked his small dog at Bow Wow Beach at Silver Springs Park in Stow.

"About our second lap around just out of nowhere this black dog came and just attacked the dog," he said.

Puehler and his friend David Maynard brought three-year-old Husky "Gixxer" and one-and-a-half-year-old Pomeranian "Throttle" to the park.

Both Puehler and Maynard have bite marks, but Throttle is in worse shape. He has stitches and staples that need to come out after being taken into emergency surgery.

So far Puehler says the whole ordeal has cost him more than $4,000."

The "responsible pit bull" owners fled without giving identification or contact information.

Throttle.  Cute little dog.

                                                        * * *

8/3/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

We find this crowd funding page for Dachshund Teddy.  Teddy and two other Doxies were being walked by their owners when two pit bulls ran from a porch and attacked little Teddy.  Teddy's injuries were severe and friends of the owners are trying to raise money to help with vet bills.  Good friends!
 
If you have a couple extra dollars to contribute you might consider donating for this sweet little dog.

                                                                 * * *

8/7/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County  

A Dayton police officer shot an attacking  pit bull.  Per WOIO " Officer Michael Conrads was walking in an alley about 7:15 p.m., talking to a woman who called for help.  He wrote that a large white pit bull came from another alley and caught the officer "off guard."  The woman, Theresa Osborne, told the officer it was her dog.  The animal was unleashed, and he ordered the woman to control her dog.  She asked him if he could get her dog for her.  He says he told her no and ordered her again to control her dog, since the dog was sniffing around their feet.  The woman, he wrote, did not control the dog and the animal then attacked the officer biting his left arm." 

The officer attempted to kick the pit bull away without success so he shot it.  What else was he supposed to do?  The owner was ordered to control her dog for a third time and this time she did so.  Funny how pit bull owner's make no attempt to control their maulers until guns are drawn.

The Police officer required treatment for his injuries at a local hospital. There is no information on the condition of the pit bull.

                                                                             * * *

5/21/2015
Warren Ohio
Trumbull County                                    

Here is an attack you will never hear about.  A small dog was attacked by two Huskies, the owner of the small dog was bitten as she beat the dogs off her pet.  The same two Huskies also killed a JRT.  The two dogs will be declared Dangerous Dogs by the Warren County Dog Warden.  The owner of the Huskies is properly horrified " She said that the dogs have escaped before, but they have never done anything like this. And she is now faced with a very tough decision.
“I love them to death but I don’t think that I can keep them now that they have bitten someone. I think I am going to have to give them up and have them put down,” Everson said.  

                                                                  * * *

I'm going to end the year with an update on doctor and pit bull advocate Cinnamon Dixon DO.  Dr. Dixon, of Cincinnati Ohio, inserted herself into the political discussion about a breed ban in Ft. Thomas Kentucky.  Why she felt she had the right?  I can't answer that.  At the time Dr. Dixon held a high profile position at a large children's hospital in Cincinnati, she also taught at the hospital.  Dr. Dixon was relentless in her efforts.  She wrote this letter to the City Council in Ft. Thomas, on hospital letterhead stationery.    




She followed up with an op-ed piece for Cincinnati.com, here is a quote " We agree with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s assertion that “a well-planned proactive community approach can make a substantial impact.” This approach does not include breed-specific legislation, but rather a well-organized multidisciplinary strategy tailored to the community. We must move past the breed debate and focus efforts on common-sense, effective strategies that work for ourcommunity."

The back story is important here.  The letter is dated May 31st, the op-ed is dated June 22 nd.  On June 4th Cincinnati six year old Zainabou Drame was mauled by two pit bulls, near fatally.  Zainabou was hospitalized in a medically induced coma at Dixon's hospital for weeks, she spent fully two months in the hospital.  Yes, while Dr. Dixon was writing her op-ed little Zainabou was laying in a critical care bed at Cincinnati Childrens.

Apparently Dixon's outrageous advocacy caught the attention of hospital staff.  On June 29th Cincinnati.com featured an op-ed by another doctor from Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Dr. David Billmire, Professor and Director of the Division of Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  Dr. Billmire did not share Dr. Dixon's enthusiasm for pit bulls.

The title of his piece was There is No Need for Pit Bulls.  Here is a short quote "I recently gave a talk summarizing my 30 years of practice in pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery, and one segment was titled "Why I Hate Pit Bulls." I watched a child bleed to death one night in our operating room because a pit bull had torn his throat out. I have had to rebuild the skull of a child who had his ears and entire scalp torn off. I am currently reconstructing the face of a child, half of whose face has been torn off down to the bone. I have had to rebuild noses, lips, eyelids, jaws and cheeks of numerous children. On older children, I have had to reconstruct legs and hands. The unfortunate young victim whose recent attack has initiated this discussion will bear the scars of this attack for the rest of her life."

I bet conversation in the Doctor's Lounge was "interesting."  Use of letterhead stationery implied that Dixon's employer shared her opinions.  Apparently not so much.  Dr. Dixon is no longer enjoying her high profile Emergency Room/teaching position at a major metropolitan hospital, she now has an office practice at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Centennial Colorado.  

Step up?  Step down?  Step back?  You decide.




We are now completely caught up with 2015 Ohio pit bull attacks.



                                                         

A rescue rising star with resume problems, lawmakers who read the news, attacks, shootings, and hysteria. Your average pit bull roundup.

In no particular order, we will begin.  The first story takes a detour that I did not expect.  Please enjoy the scenery.  

1/31/2014
Newark Ohio

"Mixed breeds, pit bulls, Labs bit the most in 2014." This is a stat filled article published last January in the Newark Advocate before the final vote on possible repeal of Newark pit bull regulations.  (Spoiler alert, pit bulls will continue to be regulated in Newark). Here is the quote that sums it up "Newark police took reports on 71 dog bites throughout 2014, with 12 of those attributed to unidentified mixed-breed dogs. Another 10 were attributed to pit bulls or pit bull mixes." Keep in mind that at the time this article was written pit bulls were banned in Newark unless certain conditions were met.

Here is a second quote from the Newark Advocate article "So far in 2015, Newark police have taken reports of three bites, all of which were by pit bulls"  More on the three pit bull attacks logged Newark in January.  From the Newark Advocate, dated 1/30/2015 we find that a bite was reported 1/29/2015.  The victim told police that his neighbors dog had bitten him unprovoked and that he believes the dog to be a pit bull.  On 1/20/2015 a man was reported to have been bitten in the face by a pit bull.  On 1/12/2015 a man's dog was reportedly attacked by a pit bull and the man was bitten on the hand while trying to separate the pit bull from his dog. Per the Newark Advocate. "Police Sgt Paul Davis said police do take and receive reports of dog bites involving dogs that are not classified as pit bulls, but Newark has not received any so far this year.“Pit bulls are the majority,” Davis said. No other reports of dog bites have been taken by Newark police in 2015."

 Quick review, pits are banned in Newark unless the pit has passed the AKC GCC test.  This is a quick and simple test and one would think that pit bull owners would line up for it, just passing the test exempts the pit bull from regulation. One would be wrong, only THREE pit bulls have achieved exempt status since this option was made available to pit bull owners in 2013, all other pit bulls in Newark are illegally owned.

The article includes a quote so foolish that I include it here.  The quote is from Steffen Baldwin, president and CEO of the Animal Cruelty Task Force, a private and non government affiliated animal rescue group despite the very official sounding name.  Here is the quote" If you take a dog out of an environment and you put it in a new one, its behavior will change."  "It's not the breed, its not some genetic thing from 200 years ago... It's  all about the environment the dog is being put in."  Mr. Baldwin lives in Marysville Ohio in Union County, he does not live in Newark Ohio but spoke to the Newark City Council in favor of deregulation of pit bulls.  The majority of the City Council did not buy it and eventually voted to retain their pit bull ban.  This may indicate that the majority of city council members did not sleep through high school science classes where genetics was taught.  Changing a dog's address does not change the actual dog.  Recent news accounts of maulings by newly adopted pit bulls and fatal attacks by newly adopted or fostered pit bulls make this clear.  *See links at the bottom of this post.*

Here is where we take the detour, video of the city council meeting where Mr Baldwin spoke is posted online and I spent some time watching it.   Click here and you can watch it yourself. I recommend it.  At 3:58 into the video Steffen Baldwin gets up to speak.  Note the back of his jacket, it says Animal Cruelty Task Force in large yellow letters. Sounds legal doesn't it?  It is a private humane society in Union County Ohio not an entity of any level of government. Mr. Baldwin goes on to state that he has been requested to come to Newark and speak to the city council.  At 8:37 Baldwin goes on to speak briefly of the Mike Vick dogs that were rehabilitated and served as therapy dogs.  WHAT? A google search tells us that three of the 50 Vick pit bulls have participated in hospital visits.  The huge majority of the Vick pit bulls lived in sanctuaries or in extremely controlled situations.  Some were hit by cars, two were involved in an attack at Best Friends Animal Society where a non Vick pit bull named Beans was decapitated by a Vick pit and that pit went on to maul and nearly kill another of the other Vick pits.  Despite constant training some of the Vick pits took fully six years or more to pass the AKC CGC.  For more information click here.

After the foolish quote from the January Newark Advocate article and the Mike Vick "rehabilitated fighting pit bull therapy dogs" remark I HAD to know more about Baldwin.   Here is how Baldwin describes himself and his organization taken from his Linked In page "Since leaving the military at the end of 2001 I have spent the last thirteen years employed in the nonprofit sector with increasing levels of responsibility beginning with the YMCA in an entry level position, and spending the last eight years as an Executive Director. Most recently, I have taken my nonprofit skills along with my experience with animals and as a Humane Agent, to form my own private nonprofit organization known as the Animal Cruelty Taskforce of Ohio, or ACT Ohio, to provide free animal cruelty investigation services to rural counties in need."

Here is how it works, Ohio revised code only allows a Humane agent to work in the county where they live so ACT Ohio pays for the required training of a volunteer in that county and pays that volunteer mileage for calls.  All good so far.  ACT Ohio has volunteers in several counties. Humane investigations are fine and necessary, go for it.

We understand the business, lets understand the businessman.

Lets begin by taking a look at the resume that Mr. Baldwin AKA Steffen Evan Finkelstein, has posted on Linked In.  Start at the bottom with Education, The United States Military Academy at West Point 1999 to 2001 (three years) with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, wow!

There is no graduation date but the intent is clear, those looking at this material are supposed to think Baldwin went to West Point. Here is the problem, West Point does not offer a bachelor's degree program in Philosophy.  West Point is the Army, they train those who they feel are officer material for fields that benefit the army. Philosophy does not fit here. It must be also be noted that West Point is a four year program, no exceptions.

Do you accept transfer students?

No. Students in college or with previous college credit may apply to West Point if they meet the basic requirements. However, those students still enter West Point as plebes (freshmen) and must complete the four-year program.

Just above Education we find work experience.

The first listing is United States Army Imagery Ground Station Operator/Paratrooper with dates July 1998 to December 2001.  How did one person spend three years at West Point to get a four year degree in a field that is not offered by West Point and in the same time frame serve as a Ground Station Operator and Paratrooper, discharged from the Army in 3 years and six months ?

Six months after Army discharge Baldwin begins an entry level job as a Youth Sports Coordinator, current salary for this position is $11 per hour.  

Also listed at the YMCA is a job as After School CAPS Supervisor, CAPS is a before and after school program for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade and the pay range would be expected to be about the same. The YMCA jobs are listed as June 2002 through August 2005.  This is apparently part time.  From June 2003 to August 2006 Baldwin has another part time job.  He served as a Funds Development Manager for a drug treatment facility.  From a pair of $11 an hour part time jobs at the Y to another part time job as a Funds Development Manager?  Logical?  Not particularly.

It gets more illogical.  The next job is listed as Executive Director for the Victor Valley Community Hospital Foundation (a community hospital that went bankrupt in 2010).

At this point Baldwin is about 26 years old with no documented bachelor's degree much less an MBA and he is Executive Director of a hospital foundation? Logical?  Not particularly. Baldwin has only one recommendation on his
Linked In page, someone from this period. She refers to him as an "exuberant Development Director."

In 2008 Baldwin comes to Ohio for a position as Executive Director of the Union County Humane Society, a private Humane Society with more members on the Board of Directors than actual employees.    Baldwin quit this job in 2013 stating that his heart was in the field and with Humane investigations

According to a post on his Facebook page dated March 10th the resignation was not that simple. He had been written up for what his board of directors considered to be inappropriate use of time "spending too much time on animal cruelty investigation work" and described that write up as "humiliating." In response he incorporated his own private humane society, ACT Ohio.  Baldwin lists himself as founder and CEO. ACT Ohio has two full time employees, Baldwin and an office manager.  Be clear about this, Baldwin considers ACT Ohio a business, he refers to the ACT Ohio facebook page as his "business page."  Checking Guidestar for ACT Ohio tells us that the organization does have 501c3 status (the ACT Ohio website does not include this information) and files the 990N tax form for non profits.  This tells us a bit about the financial side of ACT Ohio, less than $50,000 a year in gross receipts.

Baldwin has not removed or updated the status of his failed  consulting business from his Linked In resume.  His failed tattoo parlor, Lions and Lambs, in Marysville never made the resume.  A PDF of the Linked In resume has been saved.

Baldwin was interested in joining the staff at Franklin County Shelter as Director very recently. He did not get the job.
  

 Resumes are submitted for jobs and background checks are done.  Even the most casual review of Baldwin's resume turns up what we have looked at here.  Resumes that have gaps and obvious overstatements of qualifications are do not bring job offers.  Mr. Baldwin found this out.

But cheer up Steffen, life is about to get better.  You have aligned yourself with Best Friends Animal Society (motto - Bullying City Councils and State Legislatures in Order to Deny Home Rule Rights for Self Determination and Public Safety Everywhere) for assistance in fighting Newark Ohio's pit bull regulations. (Baldwin also lobbied in St. Marys Ohio after city council voted to regulate pit bulls. St. Marys is in Auglaize County, Baldwin has no business here either).  Why is it Baldwin's calling to negotiate with an out of state PAC to change law in a community where he does not reside in a county where he does not  reside?  It is not legal for Baldwin to act a Humane Officer in another county but he feels comfortable in continuing attempts to change law there even after the city councils have voted no on the proposal?

 Best Friends Animal Society is the out of state animal rights PAC that wrote HB 14, the epic fail bill to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio and "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs."  Not so much. Nine Ohio residents were killed by dogs of several breeds in the first two years after passage of HB 14.  Deaths in the previous DECADE?  Six.  The bill protects violent dogs and their owners at the expense of the peaceful public. At least two bills are expected to be introduced into the new General Assembly to clean up the mess left by HB 14.  Best Friends is also pushing for bills to be introduced in multiple state legislatures to prohibit BSL, denying the home rule rights of cities fed up with pit bull attacks and fed up with tax supported shelters housing unplaceable pit bulls for months to years.  So far this year Best Friends attempts to pass laws to prohibit BSL have failed in Arizona, Montana, Kentucky and Washington State.  An additional fact - Rhode Island has a bill to reverse the anti-BSl bill passed there last year.

Money comes with partnering with Best Friends and pit bull advocacy is all about donation dollars.  Best Friends Animal Society shamelessly and boldly promotes pit bulls in complete denial of the reality of pit bull violence, spending endless streams of cash on lawyers and lobbyists.  Why do pit bulls require this level of advocacy?  If pit bulls are what Best Friends Animal Society claims they are shelters would have no problem placing them.  This Facebook post made by Steffen Baldwin has already been removed but a screen shot was saved.  Apparently someone at Best Friends advised Mr. Baldwin to hide the evidence.

Lee Greenwood is a Massachusetts based legislative attorney for Best Friends Animal Society headquartered in Utah.  Greenwood began his employment with Best Friends in 2014 and is already active in Kentucky, Georgia, and Delaware that I know of and probably more than that.  Greenwood is only one of many lawyers and lobbyists employed by Best Friends, Best Friends has lobbyists in all states.  Is there a comparable coast to coast cabal of consultants, lawyers, and lobbyists for Collies or Corgis?  For Poodles or Pugs?  Beagles or Bichons?  No, normal dogs do not require this level of advocacy.  

Expect more of Steffen's story in a self published book expected this summer.  Baldwin's words "so stay tuned for that in a few months and thank you to everyone who has followed either the business page or my personal page in the past two years"

I suspect that Baldwin may be a genuinely kind and altruistic person but he has made self promotion a life's work.  I am genuinely sorry for his troubles but he is blind to opposing points of view, like those of the victims of his beloved dogs.

Back to where we started with this detour, West Point has a cadet honor code, "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do."  Wise words and a valuable policy.  Mr. Baldwin, I suspect you find this post eventually, the section at the bottom was written for you.


 

Back to Newark and the end of the detour. If you can get through Baldwin's remarks to the city council on the video, the next speaker is another non-local, a representative of another out of county Humane society who is anxious to place pit bulls with families in Newark.  It is to the shelter's advantage to have the dogs unregulated and without insurance requirements.

                                                                   * * *

We will make a brief stop at normal pit bull roundup items before returning to pit bull advocacy.


3/2/2014
Buckeye Lake Ohio

A local man was treated at Licking Memorial Hospital for bites that occurred when he tried to separate his dogs fighting inside his home.  The dogs, a pit bull and a pit bull beagle mix had been fighting for days with the pit bull showing increased aggression.   The dog owner's girlfriend corroborated his account saying the pit bull turned on him and bit him when he tried to separate it from his other dog. The pit bull would not release at first but the owner was eventually able to get his hand free and return the pit bull to its crate.  For more information please click here.

This dog's owner plans to send his pit bull to a rescue group.  This will change the pit bull? Not likely.

                                                                        * * *

1/7/2015
Wauseon Ohio

In an article dated 1/7/2015 the Toledo Blade covers the Wauseon Ohio City Council decision to retain current regulations on pit bulls.  Per the Blade "the current law that defines all "pit bulls" and "pit bull mixes"  to be registered as vicious remains in place.  Owners must pay $25 every year to register them with the city, show proof of insurance, and to adhere to fencing and muzzling rules."

The quotation marks surrounding the words pit bull are a Blade affectation.  The editors and owners of the Blade feel that there is really no such thing as a pit bull.  You will never see pit bull without quotation marks in any Toledo Blade story.

Please note that pit bulls are not banned in Wauseon, just regulated for the purpose of public safety but pit bull owners refuse to accept reasonable regulation perceiving it as persecution or canine racism.  "Resident April Petz, who owns one of ONLY TWO (emphasis mine)  "pit  bulls" registered in Wauseon, said she is fed up with having to register one dog but not a second dog - a bluetick coonhound-mountain cur mix - that she says is actually more likely to cause trouble.  I'm not registering; I'm making that perfectly clear," Mrs. Petz told council members.  "I'm registered through the county with my tags how I'm supposed to, and that's all the further that we'll go."

Petz moved to the community in 2007 and  registered her 10 year old pit bull after police informed her of the law at the request of a neighbor who had complained.  Why don't pit bull owners check local law before they move?  Petz went on to admit that she "forgot" to register her pit bull in 2008 and 2009 blaming the city for not sending reminders.  Mrs. Petz also acknowledges that her pit bull and her other dog have escaped their yard but fence repairs have stopped her dogs from roaming.

Pit bull advocates are not satisfied with a "no" vote and it is expected that pit bull advocacy will be back to badger the city council.   Per a Toledo Blade article dated 1/20/2015 the Safety and Code committee met for nearly two hours to discuss the same proposed ordinance changes.

County dog warden Brian Banister told committee members that in his opinion Wauseon should keep its pit bull laws, telling them pit bulls inflict more severe injuries than other breeds. "I think that this is a good thing it's in place and that "pit bull' owners should go a little step further to have these kinds of dogs."

Of course a self proclaimed dog trainer and "advocate for breed neutrality" brought in the tired pit bull talking points.  Mrs. Petz was back, complaining about enforcement.

If a proposal was made to regulate Poodles or Pugs I doubt that "advocates for breed neutrality" would turn up to protest.

In classic breathless overkill on the issue the Blade returns on 2/17/2015 with Wauseon to revisit breed- neutral dog ordinance.  A new proposal made by Police Chief Keith Torbet would remove restrictions against pit bulls and their mixes but "alters other areas to be more stringent."  The Chief suggests that any dog found running at large twice will be designated as an annoyance dog, a third incident would bump the dog up to a dangerous dog designation.  Per the Blade "Additionally, a dog that without provocation mildly injures a person, kills another dog, or approaches a person in a menacing fashion but does no injury would be deemed dangerous on the first incident.  Any dog that seriously injures a person would be deemed vicious.   This isn't going to affect the majority of dog owners, it's for the people that are constantly allowing their dogs to run loose."

Not surprisingly, dog advocates are not particularly pleased with this breed neutral proposal.  Local dog advocates are concerned that the new law would designate too many dogs as dangerous "even if they are only escape artists and have shown no aggression, or if they have shown aggression out of fear but have not (yet) hurt anyone."  Mrs Petz returned yet again and she wants the dangerous dog or annoyance dog designation removed if the dog has no further incidents in a given time frame, suggesting two years as that time frame.

Per the Blade article the issue was to be discussed on March 2nd.  I must have missed any Blade follow up however one last bit of business in the 2/17/2015 article caught my eye.  It was expected that another matter on the agenda for the March 2nd meeting would be a discussion of an "error in Mr. Estrada's candidacy for council."  Mr. Estrada is the councilman who introduced and championed the removal of restrictions on pit bulls in the city.  Mr. Estrada is an appointed member of the city council, not elected.  When he was appointed in September of 2014 following the death of an elected councilman Mr. Estrada was registered to vote in Wood County, not in Fulton County where Wauseon is located.  Wauseon law requires council members to be properly registered voters.  Mr. Estrada has lived in Wauseon since 2013 and stated that "he had believed he was properly registered and corrected it as soon as he became aware of it."

Not surprisingly, Estrada does not intend to resign.  The City Law director gave the city council three options for dealing with the Estrada problem.  They could disregard it as a simple mistake, pass a resolution of censure, or formally remove Estrada.

Why would you appoint someone to city council that has only lived in the community for a year?

                                                                  * * *

2/3/2015
Mt. Vernon Ohio

Per NBC4i.com "According to Mount. Vernon Police Chief Roger A. Monroe, a post on Facebook Monday indicated that a pit bull on Kenyon Street was being neglected."

County dog shelter workers went to the location provided and found Sammy the pit bull had shelter, dry bedding to sleep on, food and water, the water had frozen over due to very cold weather. Police and the dog warden agreed that the dog owner was compliant with the law.  During the night the police department received a large number of phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages on Sammy the pit bull.  The mayor's office was also contacted. NBC4 received emails from as far away as Washington state that said "EMERGENCY, DOG IS FREEZING."  Many of those who contacted officials also noted scars on the dog's body.  The frosting on the cake, someone pulled a gun on residents of the area where Sammy the pit bull was located as a result of the posting.

Sammy's owner stated the marks on his dog were caused by an allergic reaction after he switched from straw to cedar chips for Sammy's bedding.  The owner signed Sammy over to the dog warden due to concerns about the cost of medical care for the rash.

Police Chief Monroe stated that the number of calls received on the dog put the police department in jeopardy because of the backlog.

Quick review, an outdoor dog with shelter, rather luxurious dry bedding, food and water (yes it froze, it is February in Ohio)  kept in full compliance with the law caused such an uproar that complaints from as far away as Washington state overwhelmed the police department, were logged in the mayor's office, flooded a local television station, caused a humaniac to pull a gun on guiltless local residents, and put the police department in jeopardy due to backlog.  Mass hysteria.
  
Sammy has been removed from the residence.

                                                                     * * *

3/24/2015
Moraine Ohio

This is complicated, please hang in there.  This is yet another installment of the ongoing "a pit bull's worst nightmare is frequently his owner" series. Robert Anthony Cochran, age 29, has been taken to the Montgomery County jail (Yes, Mark Kumpf's territory) on suspicion of cruelty to animals and tampering with evidence.  

It appears that, per a female witness's  statement,  Cochran's pit bull got "spooked" and bit her.  The aggressive pit bull was apparently shot by Cochran inside Cochran's garage, he put the carcass in a black plastic bag, put it in his garbage can and was seen dragging his garbage can to SOMEBODY ELSE'S house.  This was reported to police.

Additional facts that do not surprise anybody, a female pit bull with a litter of puppies was found on Cochran's property, the female pit bull was not  licensed and is expected to be removed by the staff of Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (Mark Kumpf's staff).  Just what Kumpf needs, another pit bull in his shelter and an irresponsibly bred litter in the community.

This from WHIO News " Court records show Cochran was convicted of animal cruelty in 2012. In February that year police were searching the suspect’s home as part of a drug trafficking investigation and found a dog carcass in the freezer and a cat that was suffering from open sores on its face, according to court records.
Corchran was given a 90-day jail sentence, which was suspended providing that he stayed away from animals for one year."

Booking photo for Robert Anthony Cochran.

                                                                           * * *

1/31/2015
Stony Ridge Ohio

Two dead dogs, both shot in the head, were found in a Wood County ditch.  The dogs, a husky and a pit bull, both about a year old and belonging to the same owner went missing from a backyard just outside Stony Ridge. The gruesome discovery of the bodies was one day later.

Follow along here.  The Shufelt family had a total of six dogs, five Huskies and the pit bull.  Per family reports the dogs like to be outside.   Per reports the husband was outside with five of the dogs, two puppies and three adult dogs, and he went inside briefly to make lunch for one of his children.  When he returned to the yard 10 minutes later the three adult dogs were gone.  Per the Toledo Blade article "The dogs have gotten away from them before." "Their backyard is fenced in but the fence is only 4 feet high.  But they've always come back."

As is common in events like this, there are strong hints at criminal behavior by an unknown person. The scene comes direct from an episode of "The Fugitive" but in the pit bull version the one armed man becomes "someone" who "must have opened the gate and let the dogs out."  This claim is as common as dirt after an off property mauling.  But I digress,  Mrs Shufelt said there were no dog tracks in the snow, but there were human footprints up to their fence.  Per reports, the family searched the neighborhood but could not find the dogs.  A neighbor found one of the dogs running loose in the neighborhood later in the day.

The dead dogs were apparently not killed where the bodies were found or at the Shufelt home, no blood was found at either location,

The Blade goes on to explain that there have been numerous complaints made on the condition of the Shufelt family home, some neighbors want it torn down.  The family states they bought the property two years ago as a foreclosure and "recognize that it is an eyesore." They have focused their efforts on interior renovation and don't have the money for exterior repairs at this point.

The Shufelts state that "someone" put antifreeze in their yard last year but the complaint "wasn't taken seriously."

There is a lot wrong with this story.   Vigilante justice is ugly but it sounds like conflicts run deep in this neighborhood.  Neighbors have had enough of dogs that regularly escape and run the neighborhood, six dogs kept in a fairly irresponsible manner, an eyesore that has not improved in two years.  Moral of the story, keep your dogs at home and nobody will shoot them.

                                                                         * * *

       
This is information that has apparently been missed by Steffen Baldwin and other breed specific advocates. Possibly missed because these breed specific advocates are on the road constantly to make speeches defending the breed not at home reading the news.  If there is a similar list featuring Beagles adopted out of shelters, or Poodles, or Pugs I would like to see it.  This section is mostly a personal message to Mr. Baldwin.  When he speaks in public he admits that there are large differences of opinion on pit bulls but gives little credence or consideration to victims.  I would like him to see the other side of the pit bull problem.

Pit bull mauls the family that adopted it from a Philadelphia shelter on day two in the adoptive household.   The shelter's original response was that the dog "was very friendly that's why it was allowed to be adopted by the family "   Don the pit bull was a half price special at the shelter's "St. Pitty's day adoption event.


But wait, Don the pit bull has a bit of history.   The shelter had previously placed Don with a foster who returned Don the very next day because he attacked another pit bull in her home causing injuries that ran up a $700 vet bill. The foster responsibly reported the attack and she spoke to a reporter of her conversation with a representative of ACCT"I said to her, 'That dog attacked my dog, what if it attacks a kid?' She said, 'Don't worry about it, he won't do that,'" "I couldn't believe it. That poor family, the kids - it could have been my kids. How can someone sleep at night knowing that they adopted that dog out knowing that it viciously attacked my dog," 

Note, the people in the photo with Don are volunteers at ACCT who promoted the dog relentlessly.
Did rescue by the shelter and TWO attempts at rehoming change Don?  No.

                                                                    * * *

Pappy, the  Albuquerque pit bull and a known biter was given another chance and released into a new home in the community where not surprisingly he killed another dog.  Did putting Pappy in new surroundings change him?  Absolutely not.

                                                                * * *

Rita Woodward AKA Rita Ross suffered a heart attack as she was being mauled by dogs she was fostering for a local rescue group.  Ross's  skills as a foster were well thought of by others in the group and she specialized in pit bulls.  When police arrived the dogs were actively feeding on Ross's body.    Were these dogs transformed by their improved living conditions?  No.


                                                                   * * *

Eugene Smith was killed by his own pit bull as he took down his Christmas tree.  Smith adopted the pit bull from a rescue group last May.  Did an improved living situation change this pit bull?  No.



                                                                    * * *

Rita Pepe was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull as she was walking in her neighborhood.  Mrs. Pepe's injuries were severe, she died several weeks later.  The pit bull had recently been adopted from a local shelter and had escaped from the new owner's home.  Did an improvement in his living situation change Booker the pit bull?  No.
 

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Child attacked by her new neighbor's rescued pit bull. The pit bull owner warned neighbors up front that the dog was a problem.  The child's mother told a reporter "The one who attacked her was adopted and it was abused previously," "And it had issues with women. He told us not to approach it, pet it, anything like that."  Did a change in the environment change the dog?  No.


                                                                            * * *
An Ohio rescue group sent a pit bull to a family to foster.  Jada the pit bull spent two days in the foster home  before the father was attacked by Jada causing thousands of dollars in medical bills and a three day stay in the hospital.  Here is a quote from a news story on the attack " After the attack, the Montjoys learned Jada had been in another foster home where she had bitten. The organization retrieved Jada from the house and the next day she was put down.  “I know there is assumed risk taking a pit bull into my house,” said Greg. “But at the same time, I have the head of the rescue assuring me that this is a great dog that has been fully evaluated and is perfectly safe in my house."

Did two re locations and two opportunities for a new life change Jada?  No they did not.

                                                               * * *

This is brand new.  A four year old child attacked by a pit bull adopted by his family just 4 weeks ago.  The child required airlift to a major medical center for treatment of the injuries to his face.  Below  is a photo of the pit bull, that is the child's blood still on his face.  The dog was given to the family by a friend of a neighbor.  Watch the video with the link.  The child is in the hospital on a vent and his mother is telling a reporter that a great dog Smash was.  Smash's previous owner is interviewed and he states that Smash was dog aggressive but not human aggressive.  Classic.

Did relocation change this dog? Apparently not.

Do you wonder what the four year old boy's injuries might look like?  This might help.  Let me introduce a little girl named Naty, first photo is prior to her attack, second photo is a hospital photo taken after her attack in 2009, the third photo was taken not long ago after a recent.surgery.  This courageous child has a personal motto  "It's OK not to be perfect."  Remarkable.





Pit bull advocates might consider supporting this little girl by purchasing a Team Naty tee shirt with some of their donor dollars.

                                                              * * *

Here is another before and after. John was killed by his neighbor's eight month old pit bull puppy.


The after photo.

Pit bull advocates might consider a donation toward the grave marker.

                                                                   * * *

Another before and after.  This is Kara  
Please click here to read what Kara's mother wrote about Kara's death. Kara was killed by the family pit bulls. Or you could click here to watch Roxanne Hartrich speak about Kara's death.

                                                                             * * *

I'm on a roll now with video.

Here is Dax Borchardt in the arms of his father, Jeff Borchardt.

Click here for an interview with Jeff speaking about the death of his son.

This is the after photo, how VERY sad.

Pit bull advocates might consider a donation to Daxton's Friends for Canine Education and Awareness.
                                                                             * * *

Here is Beau Rutledge.


Here is a link to video of Beau's father Jeremiah speaking of the loss of his son.  Beau was killed by the family pit bull.

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I'm going back a few years for this one but it becomes timely, follow along please.

On April 16, 2009 five year old Frankie Flora was attacked and mauled by his aunt's pit bull as they were playing in the yard.  The pit bull was a rescue from Out of the Pits, a New York state pit bull rescue group.  Per the Out of the Pits website " "Out of the Pits, a non-profit organization founded in 1996, is dedicated to the rescue of those Pit Bulls that have been abandoned and abused. We seek to educate the public about the true nature of the Pit Bull and to restore the breed to its former position of esteem in the hearts and minds of people everywhere."

Here is the "true nature of the Pit Bull"

Before and after photos of Frankie Flora

Frankie's courageous fight for recovery led him to be named a 2010 Children's Miracle Network Ambassador and even brought Frankie a visit to the White House.
 
Here is a link to a great deal of information on Frankie, please read and remember this when you speak to city councils on your personal desire for deregulation of pit bulls.

Here is a link to information on the Frankie Flora Bill introduced into the New York State legislature.

Frankie, his mother Maria, and state Senators Gipson and Breslin, sponsors of the Frankie Flora bill.

The New York Post has just written an article on pork-barrel grants found in the state budget.  Per the Post "Even pit bulls got love from Albany, with the budget appropriating $5,000 to Out of the Pits, a group that aids stray dogs of that breed."  What are lawmakers thinking here?  The Frankie Flora bill is still in the legislature and the legislature has awarded a grant to Out of the Pits?  

Was the pit bull rescued by Out of the Pits and placed with Frankie Flora's aunt changed by the  rescue experience?  Apparently not.  Did lawmakers in the state of New York learn anything here?  Apparently not, they awarded a grant, this is taxpayer money here, to the very organization responsible for Frankie's injuries.  It should be recognized that the all powerful and extremely well funded Animal Farm Foundation, a pit bull advocacy organization (motto - Securing Equal Treatment and Opportunity for "Pit Bull" dogs) is owned by wildly wealthy New York state heiress Jane Saul Berkey is based in New York State.   Coincidence or political pull?  

                                                                        * * *



Mr. Baldwin, if you make the choice to take risks with you and yours, that is your decision.  The communities that have voted to keep their proactive pit bull regulations have done so thoughtfully and lawfully with the intent to protect their residents from the losses suffered by these families and many others.

I promise, this is the last one.  Consider the future of this pit bull owner, mauled by her own pit bulls, she was physically normal prior to the attack..

Click here for video of Linda Henry, she has changed her mind about pit bulls and now favors regulation.  I can give you the result of the effort to regulate pit bulls in this town.  The councilman who introduced the proposal dropped it because of death threats he received from pit bull owners.

Linda Henry

                                                                         * * *

Here is a link to a recent story about a problem surfacing in Shelters and rescues in American cities, recycling known biters back into the community.  Don't miss the letter of complaint dealing with the known biter pit bull Pappy.  The photo below was included in the linked article, the child was attacked by a dangerous dog released from the shelter.   She was fortunate, she lived but the scar will last for her whole life.

This quote on the dog that attacked the girl in the photo comes from Merritt Clifton's Animals 24/7
 “A pit bull named Mugsy Malone was officially declared dangerous even before he attacked a 3-year-old girl. The dog has twice come and gone from our animal shelters. The attack on the child was not enough to warrant euthanasia under our practices. Neither was the fact that Mugsy Malone killed a small dog, and also bit a man in our own facility. Mugsy Malone went on to injure a shelter volunteer, but was transferred to Fur & Feathers Animal Assistance of Pie Town. There he injured the two founders of the organization.”
This is outrageous!  Who is looking out for the safety of the public?

Apparently nobody is looking out for the safety of the public.
3/3/15  A spokesperson for Fur and Feathers Rescue feels Mugsy Malone isn't ready to adopt out right now but she believes that he may someday be ready to go back into the community.  You can't make this stuff up.

This last article was published in 2013 but it has bearing on our topic, shelters and rescues that are committed to saving known dangerous dogs at the expense of public safety.  The Longmont Humane Society was ticketed by police on suspicion of keeping a dangerous dog, Bridgette the pit bull.  This was big, Humane societies are seldom ticketed.  The pit bull was being fostered for the Longmont Humane Society and attacked a neighbor and the neighbor's leashed dog. The ticket was the result of police awareness that a "disproportionate number of dog bite reports in the city were coming from animals adopted out of the Humane Society". Investigation into the record of Bridgette, the attacking pit bull, revealed that she had a history of biting animals and humans and had been declared dangerous in another county.  Bridgette also got into a fight at the shelter. Bridgette was in training for control of her aggression while at the shelter and shelter trainers "determined that she was progressing well" this allowed her to go to the foster (who was a shelter volunteer).  Bridgette attacked the neighbor four days later.  Did any of these changes in environment or training attempts change Bridgette? No.

Investigation revealed that in 2012 nearly 16% of dog bites in Longmont were traced to dogs adopted out of the Longmont Humane Society.  At the time this article appeared in October of 2013 13% of dog bites in Longmont were traced to dogs adopted out on the shelter.

Did relocation of these dogs change them?  The answer here is no.
    

                                                           
                                                                       * * *

These are  recent attacks, required no effort to find and are just a few examples of the problem.  Pit bull advocates refuse to acknowledge the danger of the breed/type.  Denial leads to more suffering and death.  Advocates have the right to their opinion but they do not have the right to appear before lawmakers and state that absurdity is fact.  Those who get their news from actual news sources know better.  A better use of time and resources would be working toward laws mandating neuter and spay of pit bulls and their mixes.  The dogs suffer, they are abandoned on the streets or surrendered to shelters primarily due to aggression issues.  Pit bulls languish for months or years in shelters with no hope for placement because the public reads the actual news and they want safer family dogs.  Roughly a million pit bulls are euthanized in shelters in the United States EVERY YEAR,  Those who claim to love the breed are the only ones that can solve the problem.  Those who claim to love the breed must to stop breeding dogs destined to suffer and die, and cause suffering and death in the community as well. Without the tremendous numbers of pit bulls in shelter cages there would be none of the current hysteria to rescue and place them.  Pit bull rescue groups could relax, organize picnics, enjoy life.

Steffen Baldwin includes this phrase in every Facebook post he makes "#don't bully my breed #stop BSL."  Here is a suggestion, don't bully peaceful communities that place a higher value on the safety of residents than on the personal choices of breed specific advocates who do not live in the community.

We will conclude this post with a photo of Mr. Baldwin wearing a shirt that sums up his thought pattern. It is a pity that he can't see the other side of the problem.