Saturday, April 15, 2017

Follow up on Remi the missing pit bull. He has been dead since late December but you will be glad to know he was licensed on April 4th. .


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This is a follow up to our most recent post.  It comes as no surprise that Remi is dead.  The whole scenario had a very "Bones" feel to it.  Anyone not familiar with the story of Bones can type the name into the search box at the top left of the blog.  You will be here for a very long time.  But I digress.

Per Baldwin's statement to the former owners of Remi, Remi killed another pit bull owned by Baldwin in a classic  "yard accident."    This is a term used by dog fighters when one of their pit bulls kills another.  In order to avoid yard accidents, dog fighters (who fully understand the dogs they created) keep their pit bulls chained to truck axles in the woods. The new breed of pit bull owner, ignoring genetics and common sense, tend to dress their pit bulls in tutus and keep their pit bulls in crates that are not, and can't be created to actually contain pit bulls.  Pit bulls escape from crates regularly and death may follow.  Yard accidents are not rare.  Even the pit bull experts at Best Friends Animal Society have had yard accidents and they are a multi, multi million dollar a year organization spending a great deal of that money attempting to prove that pit bulls are safe pets.   



This is a quote from a statement made by Remi's former owner.  "Remi has been Dead according to the paperwork that we did see from Rascal Animal Hospital which stated Remi was euthanized on Dec 28th 2016. Steffen claims that he came home and went to the barn and his dog Zack was dead and that he took Remi to the vet to get euthanized. He had the receipt from Remi's Euthanasia which we asked to take a picture of and he quickly declined. I also asked for a copy of the receipt from his dog's Zack's cremation to compare the timeframe to see if it was even close to Remi's euthanasia date. GUESS what he DECLINED that also. He said he didn't have that and he wasn't advised to bring it. I said no problem, call the crematory right now on speaker and let them tell me that Zack was euthanized. The receipt should have been dated somewhere between 12/28-12/31.Well Steffen became very UPSET and he REFUSED to call the crematory. Why??? Why wouldn't you want to prove with the one opportunity you had that this wasn't a lie???... It's very easy to fabricate a story that a "Dangerous Dog" had a reaction so he can be killed without any proof of it. I don't believe that story and NEVER will. Steffen claims that Remi escaped his kennel in the barn and said he killed Zack(Steffens personal dog). "... "Steffen has lied for 4 MONTHS about Remi's where about. He took it as far as to register Remi for his license on April 4th, a WEEK ago. Remi has been DEAD since Dec. He tried to keep his lie going as long as possible. Keep in mind I called the dog warden 3 weeks to see if Remi was registered for 2017 and was advised he was not nor were Any of his dogs."



Here is what Baldwin had to say.  Headers are not mine.  
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Baldwin has admitted he made untrue statements.  He states it a bit creatively "Those people (the pit bull haters in particular) pay close attention to my page, so in truth  I have failed in always being completely transparent in an attempt to protect these dogs.  I always show the success stories and I don't show the stories that do not wind up in success.  
That is my fault 1000% and I will not make that mistake again. Transparency is absolutely critical, and it's one of the things that I picked up in Austin recently, is the importance of being transparent even if you're worried it's going to paint the dogs in a negative light. Please learn from this lesson as well, as I hope all the mistakes I've made over the years that I've been open about learning lessons for others as well that I've blogged about or discussed openly here in the past." 

NOW he promises to be transparent, after he has been caught?  He has NOT ever been "open about learning lessons" Preaching and learning are very different things.   

 He "lacked transparency" to protect his dogs from "pit bull haters" and blames the "haters" for his behavior?  Has he ever considered calling his critics "survivors of pit bull attacks" rather than "haters"?  He admits to avoidance regarding the revelation of unpleasant truths.  This is an ego problem. Pit bulls are zero-mistake dogs, when things go wrong they go VERY wrong.  


This is the last screen shot I'm going to include here and this one is huge.  Baldwin drags his dogs into schools and playgrounds to "educate" children about dog safety, and pit bull advocacy.These are violent dogs and he is willfully exposing children to these dogs.  

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The dog in the photos below is "Belle the Bait Dog."  Baldwin frequently speaks of Belle's abuse but may fail to realistically explain that Belle is from a dog fighting ring in Cleveland. Was she a "bait dog" or did she just lose? Here is a quote from extreme pit bull advocacy, The Animal Farm Foundation, on "bait dogs." 
" WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH "BAIT DOGS"?
“Bait dog” is a term that is used to label dogs that have been used in dog fighting. Sadly, bait dogs do exist, but they are not commonly found in shelters. Law enforcement professionals have taught us that bait dogs are very rarely found alive in their investigations; however an unusually large number of dogs are being labeled as “bait dogs” based on nothing more than speculation about the dog’s past. 

Pit bulls seized from dog fighters are game bred, pit trained and tested.  Breed advocates tell clueless reporters "it's all in how you raise 'em." If this is true then dogs bred and conditioned for the pit are the most dangerous dogs in the world.  This basic truth is lost on breed advocates. 

Here is a photo of Belle and Baldwin teaching dog safety to a small town Ohio Girl Scout troop.  I strongly suspect that the parents of these children would want to know about Belle's history in an honest and transparent manner.    Image may contain: 9 people, outdoor


Here is Bell with a school group.
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Keep in mind what Baldwin has stated about his dogs. Three have killed other dogs, five had killed cats, and six have bitten humans.  Three of this subset three are face biters, one sent the victim to the ER for reconstructive surgery after ripping off 2/3 of their ear. One is a child biter.  Look at this photo.  Is this a good idea?  Do the parents of these children have a clue what Baldwin has brought for Show and Tell Day?  This is not a joke.  These are other people's children.  


Here is a link to an Instagram photo of Steffen and Zack making a television appearance. A bit about Zack's history. Zack was a stray, placed by an Ohio shelter and returned within an hour because he bit his new owner.  During the intake exam by the shelter vet Zack lunged at the vet's face.  Zack was determined to be unadoptable at that point, municipal shelters are twitchy about liability for foreseeable attacks. Baldwin felt public safety advocates were unfair to Zack so he brought the dog home with the intent of tuning him up a bit and passing him on to anyone foolish enough to take him.  Has he fully explained all this to the smiling reporter?  In what world was this a good idea? At this point Baldwin intends to place a dog deemed too dangerous for a municipal shelter to adopt out into the community due to potential liability but Baldwin will do it with a smile.    

Here is a link to video of Belle the Bait dog in the lap of a reporter while she is interviewing Baldwin.  Is she fully aware that Belle is game bred, and almost certainly pit trained and tested?  

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This is Belle when she was picked up by Cleveland police.

Wouldn't it make more sense to concentrate your educational efforts on those who create this suffering and create the dogs that experience this suffering?  News reports from reliable news sources make it clear that pit bulls suffer almost universally at the hands of their owners, They are abandoned and picked up as strays filling shelters and rescues across the United States.  They are beaten and starved.  Pit bulls attack and kill peaceful pets in astonishing numbers.  Pit bulls attack and sometimes kill children and adults, unsuspecting passersby and their owners as well. Truth and transparency are ignored by breed advocates whining about local laws that might restrict their rights to own these dogs, or might require insurance and escape proof containment.  Laws requiring mandatory neuter and spay for pit bulls would be the most humane thing that could ever happen for pit bulls but pit bull advocacy fights these laws with money, lawyers, and lies.  Stop breeding dogs destined to suffer and die, languish in shelters for months to years, and drain taxpayer dollars.   

Educate pit bull owners and advocates, not the long suffering peaceful public.  Teach pit bull owners to neuter and spay their dogs, dogs not conceived do not suffer.  Teach pit bull owners how to contain their dogs so maulings simply do not happen. Nobody pushes for laws to regulate Poodles or Pugs because these dogs are not a threat to the safety of the public. 
 Pit bull advocates need to clean up their own mess, we can't do it for you.  

Baldwin has promised that he has learned his lesson. I hope he will learn to ac
tually hear the stories and opinions of others. Stunning intolerance toward victims and public safety advocates is a poor strategy for increasing public acceptance of your ideas. 

If Mr. Baldwin is unwilling to listen to those who have been injured, lost a family member in a pit bull attack, a lost a pet in a pit bull attack, experienced financial loss, or are unable to enjoy their own property or community due to menacing pit bulls, possibly he will listen to someone who actually likes pit bulls but is able to clearly see the problem.  Blogger Terrierman gives us "Pit bulls in the River." I recommend it. 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Meltdowns that anyone could see coming.

We will take a break from the endless pit bull attacks in Ohio to take a better look at a couple of things that have been topics of discussion here in the past.

First, the uproar over a pit bull that has gone missing since it was placed with Steffen Baldwin.  Those who placed Remi, a designated dangerous dog from Trumbull County, with Baldwin because of his self-proclaimed expertise with dangerous dogs are justifiably anxious and angry that they are receiving no information as to the location and status of the dog.  These folks believed in the dog and backed up that belief up with cash. Where did it go?

Here is the short version of the story and we are sharing it per request.

Remi's Story:
For those of you that don't have time to read the lengthy version below here's a quick rundown. We saved Remi in May of 2016. He was deemed a dangerous dog through really no fault of his own. We had to hire legal counsel to save his life. We rehabilitated Remi in our home for 4 months and invested thousands in him. We reached the point that he needed to go somewhere who had a broader network of possible adopters due to his title. We gave Steffen $1,000 to polish Remi up and find him his forever home. We've asked multiple times for updated pics and to go visit Remi which Steffen had verbally agreed to. There have been no updated pics on his social media pages either. Fast forward 7 months later we still have not been allowed to visit Remi and we have no pics since Sept. Steffen failed to register Remi this year with the state for his Dangerous dog license. We are concerned for Remi's safety and concerned if he is even alive. We are asking everyone to please share Remi's story in hopes that Steffen allows us to see him or somebody knows where he actually is because Steffen claims he no longer has him and one of his volunteers do.

For the full story, please click here.  Make some popcorn and read the comments.

It should be noted that Baldwin has started another rescue with his friend Luke Westerman, Columbus Pets Alive! is the name.  ACT Ohio, Baldwin's personal, home-based rescue will merge into Columbus Pets Alive! on June 1, 2017. The facebook pages for this organization are down, shocking.  Here is a link to another promotional page for Baldwin's new group. It is also a blank at the moment.

As of this morning, we find that Baldwin's personal Facebook page is gone.  The Facebook page for his dog training business, Save Them Dog Training is full of demands for information on Remi.  It is important to note that Remi dog requires a dangerous dog license which has not been obtained by Baldwin in violation of state law.  Baldwin knows better, he is or has been, a humane agent for Union County.

This quote from the couple who trusted Baldwin with Remi. 
"NOW HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART. Remi is a Dangerous Dog in the State of OH and if all of the laws set in place for DD is not followed it can lead to criminal charges and the dog can loose his life. I called the Union County dog warden to find out if Remi was ever transferred to another owner or if Steffen registered him for the 2017 year. The answer I received made my heart sink. Remi was never registered for the 2017 year for his Dangerous dog license and NONE of Steffens dogs had their dog licenses renewed yet for the year. Mind you this was Mid March. The dog warden has stopped responding and Steffen still won't allow me to see Remi. Remi still belongs to ACT Oh and is still his dog. Why wasn't he registered for the year, if a volunteer had him, why was ownership not transferred and she didn't file for Remi's 2017 license???"



Mr. Baldwin can clear up this matter by simply responding to the questions and complaints but has chosen to avoid them. Why?  Has he licensed his own dogs yet?

Steffen Baldwin turns up in a fair number of posts on this blog but one covers a great deal of back story.  Please click here.


Baldwin also appears in the next story, a follow up on Bosco the Biter.

Quick review, Bosco was a stray pit bull picked up in Toledo and placed by the Lucas County Pit Crew with a family in Fulton County Ohio. Bosco bit the new owner on the third day in his new home and was returned to that rescue group.  There is no love lost between Fulton County officials and the Lucas County Pit Crew.
Click here for background information on Bosco and the legal problems he created for the Lucas County Pit Crew.  There are lots of links.

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Bosco was eventually placed with a breed expert in Arizona, conveniently getting him out of Ohio where he was a designated dangerous dog.  Things are still not going well for Bosco but the new owner is relying on long distance training tips and advice from others, including Steffen Baldwin.

Per Bosco's new owner "Bosco is the greatest little dog…who happens to have a real problem with anxiety.
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."

Click here for the story of Bosco's current meltdown, up to and including "acting out" against his new owners. This couple is building their lives around creating a bubble of calm around a dog apparently so "stressed" that anything can trigger dangerous behavior.  Baldwin comes into the story with this quote.

"The final straw was when he was so stressed by a walk that he acted out towards Kevin.  The situation was no longer okay.  Something had to be done…not just for safety, but for Bosco’s happiness.
So, with the help of our vet, a behaviorist in Florida, and a dog trainer who I trust implicitly (yes I mean you Steffen Baldwin) we started Operation Make Bosco Happy.  We are primarily depending on nutraceuticals…nutritional supplements to help him become calmer.  Along with exercise and some other calmative items, we are working to help Bosco accept his world.So here’s what is currently in our arsenal:
  • DAP collar. This is a pheromone collar that works through the dog’s own body heat.  It gives out the same calming scents a mother dog gives out to her puppies.  Each collar lasts about a month.  You can also get a diffuser to plug in and flood your whole house with this calming scent.
  • NutriClear Free by Biotics is a nutritional supplement for detoxification and metabolic clearing. It is a powder that you mix with water (it smells like a vanilla milkshake).  Bosco thinks it is the tastiest thing ever and slurps it down before I can even stand up from setting the bowl on the floor.
  • ComposurePro supplement treats which have been proven to lower anxiety levels in dogs and cats.
  • Phosphatidylcholine by Biotics. According to their website this is “a supplemental source of this important phosoholipid, which is a major constituent of cell membranes, and is important for normal cellular membrane function and repair”.
  • Bio-B Complex by Biotics, a high potency dose of important B complex vitamins
  • A treadmill for exercise. Walks are currently to upsetting to Bosco.  Everything in the world is seen as dangerous.  With time we are hoping to resume walks, which should be a happy activity for a dog.  In the meantime, a few minutes of treadmill time will help lower his anxiety level.
  • Rescue Remedy in his water.  RR is a great natural calmative.
  • A minute dose of Clonidine, which is an anti-anxiety medication.
Is " Operation Make Bosco Happy" making Bosco safe?  Are nutraceuticals REALLY going to fix Bosco? Who will guarantee the safety of Bosco's neighbors?  Will the insurance of the Lucas County Pit Crew cover the expenses of anyone injured by Bosco's anxiety?  Will Baldwin's insurance cover medical bills for humans or pets injured when Bosco's anxiety gets the better of him?  Baldwin also gave long distance training advice the owner of another rescue dog, Joe Dirt.  This did not go well either, Joe Dirt was appropriately euthanized after two serious attacks on his rescuer.  Links to the advice given by Baldwin are broken but here is the announcement of Joe's passing.  

Are those intent on saving dangerous dogs even concerned with the safety of the peaceful public?  Do they consider the safety of their neighbors?  Do they consider the safety of other folks peaceful pets?  Are we just opportunities to "socialize" their dangerous dogs?

The president of the Lucas County Pit Crew, Jean Keating, was Ohio's premier breed advocate until Steffen Baldwin moved into the state and began his campaign of self-promotion.  It is now a toss up for who gets the championship title.  Both these breed advocates are currently in questionable positions.

For the final chapter of the Bosco story please click here.  





Friday, February 10, 2017

Ohio Pit Bull Roundup 2/10/2017 - special Valentine's Day edition, also pit bulls abused by their owners, poor public safety policy, more dead pets, random bites, and communities drafting new law in response to pit bull attacks

Here we are again.  Another batch of pit bull lunacy from Ohio.  There will be no attempt at any particular order here.  I have two accounts full of these stories and will never be caught up.  

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12/28/2016   
Girard Ohio 
Trumbull County

Lawmakers in Girard Ohio are constantly badgered by pit bull advocates demanding that the city drop their pit bull regulations.  Girard is not impressed and here is why.  A pit mix recently adopted out of the Mahoning County Pound  attacked and killed a Yorkie being walked by a 69 year old man. The man and his wife were also injured during the attack.  Girard bans pit bulls, the new owner of the pit mix stated he was unaware of the breed ban. Feel free to roll your eyes.
Per WFMJ "  
A owner of a mixed breed pitbull gave police the okay to shoot and kill his dog after the animal attacked another dog and injured two people.  
"My thought was if that dog gets from the woods back in the neighborhood, could be a child, could be another animal," said the owner. "And I told the officer to do what was right."
An additional interesting fact, this very pit bull was selected to be trained as a service dog for a disabled veteran.  "T
he Co-Founder of the "The Together Journey," which provides service dogs and training to individuals with disabilities, provided video to 21 News of the dog during a pairing session. The co-founder says the only reason the dog wasn't paired with someone is because on that particular day there wasn't a good match.
The co-founder says had the dog been paired with someone the home would have been required to have several safeguards in place. Such as proper fencing. She also notes that the assessment of service dogs includes several levels. This particular dog was in the first stage and may not have necessarily made it through the remaining three levels of assessment."  Here is a link to more on the dog trainer's assessment of the killer pit bull.

       This dog was shot by police.  Girard will keep their pit bull ban.    The pit bull owner, Courtney Chupka, age 24 entered a not guilty plea.

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1/25/2017
Warren Ohio
Trumbull County  

The dogs are pictured on Ms. Finney's Facebook page and they are pit bulls. She saved everyone trouble by labeling one of them as a pit mix while she was offering him for placement. 

Amber Finney Rocko
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Amber Finney dogs

Amber Finney
  Ms. Finney  
This is a departure from normal business here on Scorched Earth.  Valentine's Day approaches and I see a match here. You can't make this stuff up but there is a ray of sunshine. In fact, I'm humming the lyrics from Fiddler on the Roof's Matchmaker song as I type.  For those unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics.  
Hodel:
Well, somebody has to arrange the matches,
Young people can't decide these things themselves.
Chava:
She might bring someone wonderful----
Hodel:
Someone interesting----
Chava:
And well off----
Hodel:
And important---
(Sung)
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match!

There IS a soulmate for Ms. Finney.   
I bring you Mr. Wonderful, Bradley Hubbard of Pensacola Florida.  TA DA!

 Bradley Jean Hubbard of Pensacola Florida was charged with bestiality as well.  Per the Daily Mail 
A Florida man who was arrested on charges of bestiality involving his dog last month has been out on bond, while his alleged four-legged victim, a pit bull mix named Baby Girl, still languishes behind bars.
On Thursday, 23-year-old Bradley Jean Hubbard, of Pensacola, was formally arraigned on charges of cruelty to animals and sexual acts involving an animal
Hubbard was arrested on January 9 on suspicion that he had had sex with his pet dog, Baby Girl, more than 100 times over the course of three years."

"Bradley Hubbard was arrested after a family member called police last month to report the alleged sexual abuse of the family's pet dog.
According to an arrest report, the relative 'could not take it anymore' after seeing Hubbard take the dog to his room to allegedly have sex with her.
The woman reportedly told deputies the abuse had happened more than 100 times over the last three years."

"She explained how she had been able to witness the attack as Hubbard's bedroom door had a hole in it, as a result of a violent outburst. 
The witness reportedly said she heard the dog whimper and cry out in pain during each incident. 
She also told police how the dog would initially cry out and whimper during its attacks, but over time it had stopped making noises as it was victimized.

Dog lover arraigned: Bradley Hubbard, 23, has been charged with cruelty to animals and sexual acts involving an animal after being accused of having sex with his pit bull mix, Baby Girl, more than 100 times over three years

    Bradley Hubbard booking photo.  In a sly play on words, the Daily Mail labels this photo "Dog Lover Arraigned."
Mr Hubbard has apparently had contact with law enforcement many times.  The Daily Mail article has 4 more booking photos.
The perfect match! I have nothing more to say on these two, other than "ick".

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1/29/2017
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

A two year old pit mix was found in atrocious condition in Lorain Ohio.  The dog was reportedly chained outside, but the Daily Mail article went on to describe large sores on the dog from crate confinement.  Of course a donation drive is underway to cover the medical expenses of Amos the pit mix.  
 The two-year-old pit bull mix, Amos (above), was recovered in Lorain, Ohio, by Fido’s Companion Rescue and admitted to West Park Animal Hospital over the weekend
Amos was found with two large bedsores on his backside (above), the result of prolonged periods of time being confined to a cage
Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay be better than this?  

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2/7/2017
St. Clairsville Ohio
Belmont County                                     

St. Clairsville is writing new regulations on vicious dogs after attacks by pit bulls.  Per  the Times Leader "Mayor Terry Pugh also presented the draft of a proposed ordinance regulating vicious dogs, requiring they be fenced in and kept on a leash. Pugh noted two incidents had come before him in mayor's court involving dogs that has bitten other dogs, one involving a pit bull and another involving a mixed breed pit bull.

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2/6/2017
Mansfield Ohio
Richland County

Richland County Public Health is asking the public for help in locating a black pit bull mix that has been implicated in a bite to a human.  Per the Mansfield News Journal "  The dog is described as a black pit bull mix, fluffier than a pit bull. The dog was last seen in the area of Marshall Alley and Buckingham Street on Feb. 4.
Call Richland Public Health at 419-774-4500 with any information in regards to the location of the animal. Do not attempt to restrain the dog yourself."  

I have never seen the phrase "Do not attempt to restrain the dog yourself" included in a story about a Beagle bite.  

Pit bulls are currently banned in Mansfield and video of a recent pit bull attack in Shelby was shown to the Mansfield City Council. Per the Richland Source" Mansfield Law Director John Spon arranged for a video viewing of Shelby Police officers forced to fatally shoot a pit bull attacking a man at a residence on Joelynn Drive. The incident took place shortly after 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10.
Spon asked that the video be shown twice: once as an initial viewing, and once so that viewers could imagine if the attack victim had been a small child, not an adult man. The video was taken from the body camera of Shelby Officer John Reed; viewer discretion is advised.                              For a link to the video, click here

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1/14/2017
Newark Ohio
Licking County  

After watching the Shelby Ohio video that was shown to the Mansfield Ohio City Council to support breed regulations, consider the recent actions of the Licking County Commissioners.  The Licking County Commissioners approved a time limited change to county shelter procedures to allow pit bull adoptions direct from the shelter to the peaceful public.  Per the Newark Advocate " Dog Warden Dave Shellhouse approached the commissioners in December to see if they would be willing to reverse what has been an unwritten policy about not letting pit bulls be adopted. The issue is the shelter has been getting more and more pit bulls. It began to receive more after the city of Newark changed its law, which no longer automatically classifies pit bulls as vicious. In the past, the shelter has relied on rescue groups to take the pit bulls they had in custody, but the rescue groups have not kept up with the numbers.

The Columbus Dispatch gives this insight "  Though the shelter can't pinpoint a reason for the increase, the number of pit bulls went up dramatically in the spring after the Newark City Council voted to remove breed-specific language from the city's dog ordinances, Shellhouse said. Newark previously had designated pit bulls as vicious dogs.  By authorizing pit-bull adoptions, the county is "trying to solve an issue at the shelter that seems to be getting a little bit bigger every year," Shellhouse said Thursday while discussing the change with the county commissioners. "Hopefully this will help out." The county will try the pit-bull adoptions this year on a trial basis.
"These dogs came off the streets of our county; they didn't just come out of nowhere," said county Commissioner Tim Bubb. "What do you do with these animals, that for the most part, probably many of them could be good, loving pets? What you hope for is responsible ownership to go with it."                



Hope is poor public safety policy. 

In short, the shelter has even more pit bulls than it had before the city of Newark dropped all regulations on pit bulls and welcomed them in with open arms.  Instead of mandatory neuter and spay to limit the number of unplaceable pit bulls the county the commissioners have accepted the dog warden's suggestion to hand out these dogs like candy.

Here is a hint. More effective control would be obtained by limiting breeding than by pushing the dogs out the door to anyone willing to take them.   Turn off the hose at the faucet.

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2/9/2017
Springfield Ohio
Clark County Ohio    

This comes from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare is frequently his owner" file. Malik Shaw, age 24, is accused of breaking a 7-week-old pit bull puppy's leg by striking it with a metal pipe.  Per WKYC " Police say officers were dispatched to Shaw's home in Springfield on Nov. 18 following reports of a fight.
Malik pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty in Clark County Municipal Court.  



Wednesday, December 28, 2016

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

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


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10/31/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

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

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

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


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

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


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12/26/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

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

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

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


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

    

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

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

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


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

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

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

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12/6/2016
Toledo Ohio   
Lucas County

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

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11/14/2016
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

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


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4/6/1016
Warren Ohio
Trumbull County Ohio

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

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

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

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


Consider their pain, please. 
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This little Boston Terrier did not survive.  Think there might have been pain here? 
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Brownie had the Golden Ticket.  He was adopted out of a county shelter but he failed his real world temperament test.  He created his own misfortune by attacking small pets.  He was on the euthanasia table for good reason. That  reason was the protection of peaceful pets like the ones seen here.

Let's keep a bit of perspective here.