You want to rehome Pit Bulls and help pay for that?
Great! How many million can we sign you up for?
A dog named Lennox was killed in Ireland this morning.
Big damn deal.
You see, dogs are killed in Ireland all the time. It is country overrun with dogs kept in a frightful state.
Dogs of every kind are routinely killed in Ireland -- Hounds, Pointers, Setters, Collies, Terriers, and a huge number of Staffie crosses.
You want a death-row dog from Ireland?
No problem -- there are people who will be only too happy to send you one. Jemima Harrison is routinely looking for competent and sane people to foster and adopt dogs from her Irish dog rescue.
So what's so special about Lennox? Not a damn thing.
Well, maybe a few things.
You see Lennox was an illegal dog from the get-go. You can agree or disagree with a breed ban on American Pit Bulls and other deemed-to-be fighting dogs, but the law is the law in Northern Ireland, and it has been in place since 1991. If you flout it, you take your chances, and you are gambling with the dog's life. Does this really need to be said?
I am not saying that Lennox's owners did not love the dog. No doubt, and I am sure. But who put this dog's life in harms way? First and foremost he people who bred it, and the people who acquired it without any paper work whatsoever.
Oh, and did I mention that this dog was named after the fighter Lennox Lewis? Right. Connect the dots.
Lennox's owners claim the dog is an "American Bull Dog / Retriever cross."
Maybe. But lying about a Pit Bull's pedigree is not exactly a new game when these dogs get into trouble, is it?
But, let's suppose that it's true. Why no paperwork? Why no sire or dam to point to? And are we to believe this cross was not specifically done to make a Pit Bull-looking dog?
In fact, that's the name of the game, isn't it -- to walk as close to the legal line as you think you can get away with? But walk too close to the line, and one day you may step over it. When that happens, the dog dies. Game over.
And what of this particular dog?
What about the actual dog in question. You see, the hand-wringers doing all the typing on the Internet about Lennox have not actually seen or met this dog and, to be clear, neither have I.
That said, the fact that this ONE dog has been elevated to seizure and euthanasia status in Belfast suggests there might be something rather unique about this one particular dog.
What might that be?
The dog wardens who confiscated the dog do not sound unsympathetic to dogs in general, but they do note that:
Wow. So this was not a tail-wagging puppy? It was a five-year old dog described as "one of the most unpredictable and dangerous dogs" a London Metropolitan police dog handler had come across? It was described by the Belfast dog warden as the most dangerous dogs she had seen in her 25 years’ experience as warden?
Two courts heard evidence over several days and, in the end, both courts affirmed the kill order.
Does any of that give anyone else the slightest bit of pause?
Are we to elevate the typing of people who have never seen the dog in question, much less worked with it, over those who have no particular ax to grind, and who have seen the dog, and worked with it, and who have unambiguous concerns about the animal's safety in public?
What is especially infuriating about Lennox and other "cause celebre" Pit Bull cases is that the people beating the gong to spare this ONE dog are dead silent about the thousands of Pit Bulls and Staffies killed and shoved into the ovens on a daily basis.
They would demonize animal control officers over a dog they have never seen, but they give a complete pass to the puppy peddlers, knuckle-dragging thugs, and complete fools who breed these dogs, acquire these dogs, and then abandon them to the shelters where they are killed.
Let me say it again: the reason so many Pit Bulls and Staffies are killed in this country, and in Ireland, and in England, is that Pit Bull and Bull Staffie "lovers" breed these dogs, sell them to anyone, and then the people who acquire them and claim they "love" them, find that the actual dog is too much for them to handle. Next stop, the local pound, and then the gas chamber, the blue solution in a syringe, or even a bullet to the head.
There has been a lot of ridiculous commentary about Lennox, all of it centered on the notion that "Breed Specific Legislation" is wrong.
Nonsense.
While I am against demonizing a dog, just because of what it looks like, it's time the dog world came to terms with the fact that Pit Bulls and Staffies have a very breed-specific problem that requires a breed-specific solution.
That problem is "Pit Bull lovers" who breed these dogs and then sell them to anyone, and who then wink and shrug when most of those dogs are subsequently abandoned to their death.
This is a breed specific problem that needs a breed-specific solution, and not talking about who is the problem (Pit Bull lovers) is NO solution.
If the story of Lennox will make people in Northern Ireland and England a little slower to breed these dogs, to acquire them, and to flout the law if and when they are illegal, then Lennox's death will not have been in vain.
A final note: If there is anything more perverse than Victoria Stilwell injecting herself into the last days of Lennox's life, I do not know what it is. Stilwell, who put herself out there as a dog trainer before she even owned a dog, has proven that she cannot work with a biter, even when that dog is nothing more than a Cocker Spaniel. See the video below for conformation on that point.
To add even more absurdity to the tragedy, nearly one million Pit Bulls will be killed in America this year. Thousands more Pit Bulls and "Bull Staffies" will be killed in Ireland and England this year as well.
Ms. Stilwell says she wants to rehome Pit Bulls and help pay for that?
Great! How many million can we sign her up for?
The graphic, below, shows how many Pit Bulls are killed EVERY DAY in America -- twice as many dead Pit Bulls than ALL dogs registered by the AKC every year.
.
Big damn deal.
You see, dogs are killed in Ireland all the time. It is country overrun with dogs kept in a frightful state.
Dogs of every kind are routinely killed in Ireland -- Hounds, Pointers, Setters, Collies, Terriers, and a huge number of Staffie crosses.
You want a death-row dog from Ireland?
No problem -- there are people who will be only too happy to send you one. Jemima Harrison is routinely looking for competent and sane people to foster and adopt dogs from her Irish dog rescue.
So what's so special about Lennox? Not a damn thing.
Well, maybe a few things.
You see Lennox was an illegal dog from the get-go. You can agree or disagree with a breed ban on American Pit Bulls and other deemed-to-be fighting dogs, but the law is the law in Northern Ireland, and it has been in place since 1991. If you flout it, you take your chances, and you are gambling with the dog's life. Does this really need to be said?
I am not saying that Lennox's owners did not love the dog. No doubt, and I am sure. But who put this dog's life in harms way? First and foremost he people who bred it, and the people who acquired it without any paper work whatsoever.
Oh, and did I mention that this dog was named after the fighter Lennox Lewis? Right. Connect the dots.
Lennox's owners claim the dog is an "American Bull Dog / Retriever cross."
Maybe. But lying about a Pit Bull's pedigree is not exactly a new game when these dogs get into trouble, is it?
But, let's suppose that it's true. Why no paperwork? Why no sire or dam to point to? And are we to believe this cross was not specifically done to make a Pit Bull-looking dog?
In fact, that's the name of the game, isn't it -- to walk as close to the legal line as you think you can get away with? But walk too close to the line, and one day you may step over it. When that happens, the dog dies. Game over.
And what of this particular dog?
What about the actual dog in question. You see, the hand-wringers doing all the typing on the Internet about Lennox have not actually seen or met this dog and, to be clear, neither have I.
That said, the fact that this ONE dog has been elevated to seizure and euthanasia status in Belfast suggests there might be something rather unique about this one particular dog.
What might that be?
The dog wardens who confiscated the dog do not sound unsympathetic to dogs in general, but they do note that:
Whilst there is an exemption scheme to which dogs of this type (pit-bull terrier type) may be admitted as an alternative to destruction, there were no such measures that could be applied in this case that would address the concerns relating to public safety.
The Council’s expert described the dog as one of the most unpredictable and dangerous dogs he had come across.
Wow. So this was not a tail-wagging puppy? It was a five-year old dog described as "one of the most unpredictable and dangerous dogs" a London Metropolitan police dog handler had come across? It was described by the Belfast dog warden as the most dangerous dogs she had seen in her 25 years’ experience as warden?
Two courts heard evidence over several days and, in the end, both courts affirmed the kill order.
Does any of that give anyone else the slightest bit of pause?
Are we to elevate the typing of people who have never seen the dog in question, much less worked with it, over those who have no particular ax to grind, and who have seen the dog, and worked with it, and who have unambiguous concerns about the animal's safety in public?
What is especially infuriating about Lennox and other "cause celebre" Pit Bull cases is that the people beating the gong to spare this ONE dog are dead silent about the thousands of Pit Bulls and Staffies killed and shoved into the ovens on a daily basis.
They would demonize animal control officers over a dog they have never seen, but they give a complete pass to the puppy peddlers, knuckle-dragging thugs, and complete fools who breed these dogs, acquire these dogs, and then abandon them to the shelters where they are killed.
Let me say it again: the reason so many Pit Bulls and Staffies are killed in this country, and in Ireland, and in England, is that Pit Bull and Bull Staffie "lovers" breed these dogs, sell them to anyone, and then the people who acquire them and claim they "love" them, find that the actual dog is too much for them to handle. Next stop, the local pound, and then the gas chamber, the blue solution in a syringe, or even a bullet to the head.
There has been a lot of ridiculous commentary about Lennox, all of it centered on the notion that "Breed Specific Legislation" is wrong.
Nonsense.
While I am against demonizing a dog, just because of what it looks like, it's time the dog world came to terms with the fact that Pit Bulls and Staffies have a very breed-specific problem that requires a breed-specific solution.
That problem is "Pit Bull lovers" who breed these dogs and then sell them to anyone, and who then wink and shrug when most of those dogs are subsequently abandoned to their death.
This is a breed specific problem that needs a breed-specific solution, and not talking about who is the problem (Pit Bull lovers) is NO solution.
If the story of Lennox will make people in Northern Ireland and England a little slower to breed these dogs, to acquire them, and to flout the law if and when they are illegal, then Lennox's death will not have been in vain.
_ _ _ _ _
A final note: If there is anything more perverse than Victoria Stilwell injecting herself into the last days of Lennox's life, I do not know what it is. Stilwell, who put herself out there as a dog trainer before she even owned a dog, has proven that she cannot work with a biter, even when that dog is nothing more than a Cocker Spaniel. See the video below for conformation on that point.
To add even more absurdity to the tragedy, nearly one million Pit Bulls will be killed in America this year. Thousands more Pit Bulls and "Bull Staffies" will be killed in Ireland and England this year as well.
Ms. Stilwell says she wants to rehome Pit Bulls and help pay for that?
Great! How many million can we sign her up for?
The graphic, below, shows how many Pit Bulls are killed EVERY DAY in America -- twice as many dead Pit Bulls than ALL dogs registered by the AKC every year.
.
So, how many of these dogs and how many hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars a year can we sign you up for Ms. Stilwell?
Or is this simply one more cause-of-the moment kind of thing that newspaper and magazine editors grab on to to sell more copies as they gin up a case of contrived moral outrage? A canine version of the Jonbenet Ramsey story, in which the facts are kicked to the curb in the service of a five-page spread designed to get everyone's knickers into a twist. Right. We've all seen that before. Nothing new there at all. That's a Nancy Grace story with dogs, and never mind the daily Pit Bull horror going on within 30 miles of where we all live and work, and no one taking action on that at all. We can't even talk about that can we? After all, if we did we would quickly realize we cannot adopt our way out of the Pit Bull mess -- we're going to need breed-specific legislation to control the breeding of Pit Bulls if we are ever to stop the killing.
..
Or is this simply one more cause-of-the moment kind of thing that newspaper and magazine editors grab on to to sell more copies as they gin up a case of contrived moral outrage? A canine version of the Jonbenet Ramsey story, in which the facts are kicked to the curb in the service of a five-page spread designed to get everyone's knickers into a twist. Right. We've all seen that before. Nothing new there at all. That's a Nancy Grace story with dogs, and never mind the daily Pit Bull horror going on within 30 miles of where we all live and work, and no one taking action on that at all. We can't even talk about that can we? After all, if we did we would quickly realize we cannot adopt our way out of the Pit Bull mess -- we're going to need breed-specific legislation to control the breeding of Pit Bulls if we are ever to stop the killing.
..
.
22 comments:
Excellent blog, factual and no hysteria! I distanced myself from the wailing and moaning last year as something didn't seem quite right with the campaign and when I dug deeper it was a Pandora's Box. I've been called pro-BSL, anti-Lennox, the dog warden, family/friend of the dog warden, BCC employee...I'm merely someone interested in the welfare of the thousands of dogs out there needing help and not a supporter of liars, thieves and fraudsters!
This poor dog had been assessed by multiple behavior experts, and according to their recounts of the recorded assessments showed appropriate deference behaviors even as stress tests intensified. Even when cornered, he choose to peacefully ask for space. Had he wanted to harm the evaluator, he easily could have. He did not. I cannot speak for everyone, but for me, this case represented more than just Lennox, it represents gross injustice to these dogs of a certain look. Why on earth is it acceptable to profile these dogs on looks alone? The handler whose testimony was used against this dog is just that, a handler. He is not a credentialed behaviorist or trainer who admittedly has no behavioral expertise. This is a fight that his home to many whose beloved breed is discriminated against, and for those who fear their breeds could be next. I do not condone the threats made against the BCC, and agree that some have gone too far. However, overall, people just want justice, and have come together to speak our against the wrongful death of a dog who represents the breed as a whole. As for the video you posted of Victoria Stilwell and the cocker, I believe it actually shows a sound judgment on her part regarding that particular dog. The dog in the video did cause harm, and her expert advice to the family was intended to keep others from being harmed by euthanizing the dog. I guess I'm not sure what the intent of posting that video was. Lennox did not show these characteristics, so why would she recommend euthanasia?
In all the Lennox pages, blogs, and posts I've read this line (for me) sums it up best: "I think if you want to get people to care about animals on the whole, sometimes it takes caring about one."
I don't know much about the cocker in the video, but is it possible that he had rage syndrome? If so I don't think there's much to be done for that.
Julie, this blog has only one requirement for commentators: post data, post links, and document what you say, etc.
What you have given me is pretty thin gruel. If you are going to come back, please come back with links and facts.
For starters, Victoria Stilwell is not a "behaviorist" or much of a real dog trainer. She is, to be clear, a dog walker who took a correspondence school dog training course and who managed to get her TV dog training gig because Animal Planet desperately need a dog show to put up against Cesar Millan on National Geographic.
Have you not noticed that she never appears to show the world what her own dog can do? So far as I know, Victoria Stilwell has never seen Lennox. As with so many things Stilwell, this was a fly-in affair, but this time by Internet – at least until the eve of destruction when she flew in for the full attention of the klieg lights. Lots of free publicity! Yippee!
Unlike Ms. Stilwell, who did not even OWN a dog until a few years ago, London Metropolitan Police specialist dog handler Peter Tallack has a real track record training dogs and handling dogs. The court accepted his judgment in this case, and both defense and prosecution have accepted his expertise in fatal Pit Bull attack cases in the past. For example, he was the accepted expert for both sides in this 2007 case >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/11/ukcrime.helencarter
Peter Tallek was, for the record, co-author of the DEFRA Guidance to Enforcers published in March 2009 and is a government--accepted expert, and he was also a co-author of the Association of Chief Police Officers Guidance on Dangerous Dogs published in April 2009. He teaches the only dog legislation courses for the police services outside of London. He is, quite literally, the instructor for the deciders in these kinds of cases, whether you like it or not. And YES he personally spent time with Lennox, and YES he thinks a lot of dogs brought before him are not Pit Bulls and that many of those that are Pit Bulls can be owned subject to certain restrictions. But apparently, not Lennox. See >> http://www.dardni.gov.uk/dog-response-tallack.pdf for support of all that I have said
Mr. Stillwell, on the other hand, is author of a book called “Fat Dog Slim” about dieting for dogs.
Not quite the same level of expertise, I would argue.
Julie --
Speaking of telling the truth, it appears that Lennox’s owners, the Barnes family, may have been a little less than truthful about their acquisition of the dog. If the BBC is to believed, Ms. Barnes, has "accepted her pet was a pit-bull type, but claimed there had been a failure to properly consider a possible exemption scheme." See >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18794360
Right.
So it WAS a Pit Bull after all, and YES there IS an exception scheme for Pit Bulls (see link in the original post), and the court-certified dog expert in this case HAS said exceptions are OK in some cases, but NOT IN THIS ONE.
Hmmmmmm......
Could it be that... just maybe... the people actually on the ground in this case *might* know a little more about THIS dog than the apologists are letting on?
The world is not, believe it or not, fuil of intentionally evil people.
No one woke up one morning intent on killing this dog for the hell of it. Not the dog wardens, not the dog experts, not the judges.
This dog was stumbled on by accident....and it was a dog that left several people with many decades of experience with troubled dogs very, very concerned about public safety.
These people were not dog walkers in dominatrix uniform like Ms. Stilwell -- they were and are people who sign their names in court and take responsibility for public safety.
They SAW this dog.
Two courts with many days of evidence listened to all that was said by BOTH sides. These judges were some of the most senior judges in Ireland. And, to be clear, none of these judges woke up in the morning hell-bent on killing this dog or any dog.
But they heard something that troubled them. What was that?
Could it be that the evidence showed that this illegal Pit Bull dog (a point no longer in dispute,apparently) was PARTICULARLY problematic, which is why this particular dog was singled out for extraordinary action?
Is that simply too hard to fathom?
Is that more likely, or less likely, than a massive conspiracy by people who did not know each other and which included several judges, police officers, dangerous dog experts, and two very seasoned animal control officers deciding to kill this dog for kicks?
Again, before typing, gather up your citations. I do not run this blog as a debating society for people with too much time on their hands. If you have time to write, have time to research FIRST.
Stoutheartedhounds --
The short answer is that I do not know, and neither did Stilwell.
As I note in my original post about this video, I do NOT believe there are no bad dogs. See >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2011/09/victoria-stilwell-solves-biting-problem.html
That said, truly psychotic dogs are even rarer than truly psychotic people. This dog was vet-checked several times and had no medical issues, and (here's the important part) THE OTHER DOG IN THE HOUSE WAS ALSO A TRAIN WRECK MESS of behavior issues. Two psychotic dogs in the same house? Not likely. More likely two dogs that need real rehabiliation at the hands of a REAL dog trainer. Victoria Stilwell is pretty far from that. She did not offer to take the dogs home with her, did not suggest a muzzle (pretty obvious, eh?) and did not suggest rehoming. If she could not fix this dog, then it HAD TO DIES or else the TV story might be that SOMEONE ELSE (who was competent) set the dog right. That would have been a story board and marketing disaster for her.
My question about rage syndrome was not an attempt to defend Ms. Stilwell. I think she's incompetent to say the least. I just thought, based on the limited information given in the video, that the dog might have rage syndrome just because I've heard it's somewhat common in Cocker Spaniels. Rage syndrome or not, I don't think Ms. Stilwell could offer anything of value to the situation at all.
Honestly, this post is one of the few on the Lennox situation I've seen that isn't completely insane. I've seen posts on my facebook feed compare the decision makers in this case to Adolph Hitler. Some posts are quite violent.
I would say an experienced police-dog handler who actually interacted with the dog probably knows a little more about this than people who never saw the dog.
It's too bad that the dog had to be euthanized, but it's really too bad people don't put this much effort into pushing spay/neuter for pit bulls (and other large dogs that are over-represented in shelters).
Thanks Patrick for a well written and well thought out blog on the subject of killing dogs because of human stupidity. However, I will never support BSL, next in line will be our beloved small terriers. Radical AR wants to stop all breeding and pet ownership and BSL is the first step in that direction. They are fundamentally chipping away our freedom to breed the type of dogs we want or need either for a job or companionship. What I do support wholeheartedly is Dangerous Dog Ordinances and Leash Laws that are ENFORCED. There are psychotic dogs out there, many of them, in all the breeds and crosses. Those dogs should be contained or killed. It's unacceptable to have any dog alive that will bite a human unless it's in the control of law enforcement.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Do you REALLY believe "radical AR" (whatever that is) has ANY power in this country?
I am serious. Think about it. Try to put some legs under the statement, but before you do, think about this:
** Americans own more dogs per capita than anyone on earth -- far more than the UK or anyone in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Latin America. We own MORE dogs this year than last and more than 10 years ago, and more than 50 years ago.
** We are a HUNTING culture. Our Supreme Court Justices hunt (even Elena Kagan), our President fishes (Obama asked for a new fly rod for his birthday), and the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus is the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. We allow hunting on well over 200 million acres of public lands.
** All our sport stoe and even Walmart sell shotguns and ammo. There are four television channels devoted to sport hunting on my TV, and I am not even including the shows on alligator killing, giant fish killing, shrimping, turtling, net fishing, long-lining sword fish, or killing hogs with dogs).
** I live in Virginia, the home state of PeTA and we shoot over 200,000 deer a year and over 1,500 bear in this state every year. We trap. We have bounties on coyotes paid by the state.
Dogs are here to stay, breeding dogs is here to stay, hunting is here to stay.
PLEASE LET'S STOP PARROTING the talking points of the puppy mill industry and the AKC which depends on puppy mills to prop up its failing business model based on inbreeding and selection for defect.
Puppy mills apologists DO NOT speak for dogs in this county -- they speak for pump-and-dump profiteers and backyard rosette chasers. Stop being manipulated and start THINKING about America -- a country built and still maintained on hamburgers, fried chicken, and bacon.
Now, who speaks for dogs...and who does not?
I have that answer here. Read all about it. >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2009/09/who-represents-dogs.html
I don't agree with a breed specific law, because dogs behave as individuals not as breeds. But, even if you do not agree with the law, you have to follow it. So what were the owners expecting when they acquire an illegal breed.
From the photos I've seen online, that doesn't look like a cross breed, it looks like a pure pit bull. Here is a documentary by the BBC, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALA67iCtEZg&feature=BFa&list=ULmdpMGp0lXzM, that shows how people introduce fighting pit bulls into the UK, with some legal documents saying the dog is a cross breed when it actually is a pit bull.
I think this is a large scale problem, almost a worldwide problem. But, it should be assess as a human problem not a dog or breed problem. Today the trend, or the fashionable breed is the pit bull type, tomorrow they'll have a new one. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to own certain breeds and some even shouldn’t be allowed to own dogs at all.
In my opinion the problem started when dogs stopped being a work partner and became a pet, or a human amuser, because that’s what dog fighting is, a human amusement. Maybe in the old days there were fewer incidents with pit bulls because they weren't pets they were either working dogs (use for hunting, ratting, as guardians, car pullers, etc., R Stratton) or for fighting.
ERIC PRIEGO
The dog was treated as an individual. He was assessed by an experienced dog trainer and police dog handler and was found to be aggressive and unpredictable.
As you asked for facts, here is Jim Crosby's take on the case:
http://canineaggression.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/lennox-gloves-come-off.html
And by Sarah Fisher, who is a dog behaviourist, assessed Lennox and testified in court that the dog was not dangerous: http://positively.com/2011/10/11/lennox-update-statement-from-sarah-fisher/
There was an assessment drawing the same conclusion as Sarah Fisher, by another qualified behaviourist called David Ryan, but he hasn't released his statement. He too testified in court that Lennox was not dangerous.
Does the puppy-mill industry produce a lot of pit-bull (type, whatever the breed name) dogs, or are the dogs being killed in shelters the result of individuals breeding fighting dogs, or a single litter hoping to make some cash? That last is mostly what we see here but I wouldn't want to generalize. A breeding ban would work if it were big producers, not so much for the guy thinking to supplement his meth-kitchen income.
It's unfortunate. However, the notion that a situationally compliant dog is automatically a reliable dog is nonsense. Because there isn't an automatic time limit to keep dogs for in Battersea, we would work with them for weeks and there's nothing like it: you see a dog that appears sweet and subdued start to express the behaviours that landed it in the shelter in the first place. One American bulldog, which I'd describe as the sweetest, shyest thing turned out to have a serious facilitated aggression problem. Because I'm not one for nonsense, I corrected her right away as soon as it came up with me, and I could handle her fine without her lighting up on passers-by -- she knew I was in control of the situation and relaxed. Unfortunately, the shelter as a whole, hates the notion of correction and her days were numbered*. :(
But a masterclass in the sort of time it takes to truly understand a dog has to come from Cesar Millan, who took on a sweet, loveable pit bull which appeared fearful of babies and whose owners were expecting a baby in a few months. He ended up keeping the dog permanently as after several weeks of careful testing, exposure and desensitisation, he determined that it was fine with children over the age of five, fine with babies, but it could never be trustworthy around toddlers. Imagine how easy it would have been, had he been a less conscientious person, to declare the dog fixed and handed it back to the owners, who'd have been overjoyed... at least for the next 2-3 years.
*I'd rant on this, but I notice that it's another post.
I see this as a horrible post without all the fax.
Why Lennox got more attention than others is because he was in quarantine for 2 YEARS! No dog on death row spends that amount of time under lock and key.
Secondly, the dog was DNA tested and did not turn out to be a pit bull.
Thirdly, because he's a mix, the parents of said dog are most likely unknown. So all that paper talk is nonsense.
And you complain about people saving one dog. Better one than none. If we could save all of them, we most certainly would. It's a bit silly to so big damn deal about one dog and cite the reasoning for not giving a crap is because other dogs are killed.
On top of that, this dog was not evaluated by a professional. The person who evaluated the dog trained police dogs....dogs BREED specifically for the job. This person does not deal with human aggressive dogs. He deals with drivey dogs. Quite a difference. So his word means nothing.
Countless of reputable trainers offered their service for FREE to evaluate the dog and they were denied. A reputable trainer offered to take the dog to America in a sanctuary to be evaluated and out of the hands of Belfast. Yet again, they declined. All free of charge.
Regardless of what you think of the breed issue, the way the city handled it was horrible. To lock a dog up for 2 years, deny free help and deny all means to give this dog a fair chance is just flat out heartless.
Even worse was the fact that they did not let the family say goodbye nor retrieve the body. The claim is that they'd get some ashes in the mail. How sick is that?
THAT is what makes this a bit more unique than other dog cases involving euthanasia.
Water Over the Dam -- Most Pits are coming from two sources: folks who are very young and do not have a lot of money, and who get an unspayed/unneutered dog which has a litter "accidentally on purpose" (woops!!).
Not really an accident, but a lot of situational delusion down a long chain -- stupid and irresponsible breeders selling to stupid and irresponsible people who become stupid and irresponsible breeders selling to stupid and irresponsible people, etc.
We broke (or are breaking) this chain of irresponsibility with almost every kind of dog owner except Pit Bull owners who are younger, stupider, less reponsible, and more likely to be operationally defiant (i.e. criminal) than average.
Yes, the resesearch HAS been done on Pit Bull owners.
A second group of dogs are the very heavy Pit Bulls and "American Bull Dogs" which are professionally bred by Pit Bull puppy mills. Most of these folks do not fight dogs, but they talk a good game and in their talk they encourage the posturing and the acting out and the real fighting (which actually represents not too many dogs). These are the places that advertise on the Internet and in the back of dog magazines as having dogs from "Boudreaux" lines or whatever. All very macho, and all designed to get both the pretenders and the real sick bastard to part with their cash.
The solution is a pretty simply one, and it's to make it illegal to sell Pit Bulls. You can breed them, but you cannot advertise them or sell them for cash. Think of it like pot decriminalization: you can grow your own, and your neighbor can grow and give it to you, but you cannot sell it, trade it, or advertise it. Break the market, but keep the dogs legal with some sensible restrictions if a community wants that.
Megan Pe, let's start with your spelling.
It's FACTS not FAX.
A Fax is something that prints out of a machine and uses toner.
Lennox was in "quarantine" for two years because his owners chose to litigate over a dog that was singled out for inspecation becaused of what he looked like, but who was put in the docket for what he ACTED like. Those are FACTS, not "fax."
Another fact is that it was the owners of this dog who deliberately got a canine that was banned, and who therefore (along with the breeder) put this dog at risk of confiscation and death. The fact that it was not trained or socialized did not not help.
You appear to know noting about canine DNA exams. Here's a visual with a Pit Bull >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-accurate-are-dog-breed-dna-tests.html
For the record, however, the owners of Lennox have conceded it was a Pit Bull -- see BBC link posted in an earlier comment.
The folks who saw this dog in Belfast and who stood before a court of law with sword statements singled this dog out for its BEHAVIOR.
Most of the people prattling on about this dog never actually saw the dog, and that includes Jim Crosby, for the record. He lives in Florida as I recall.
Peter Tallek who DID examine this dog is, to REPEAT, co-author of the DEFRA Guidance to Enforcers published in March 2009, and is a government-accepted expert on dangerous dogs, and he was also a co-author of the Association of Chief Police Officers Guidance on Dangerous Dogs published in April 2009. He teaches the only dog legislation courses for the police services outside of London. He is, quite literally, the instructor for the deciders in these kinds of cases, whether you like it or not. He has been the accepted witness for BOTH the defense and prosecution in fatal dog maulings in the past (link previously given). And YES he personally spent time with Lennox, and YES he thinks a lot of dogs brought before him are NOT Pit Bulls and that many of those that are Pit Bulls can be owned subject to certain restrictions. He wrote the exceptions and salutes them in many cases. But apparently, not for Lennox. See >> http://www.dardni.gov.uk/dog-response-tallack.pdf for support of all that I have said.
I am sure Sarah Fisher is a lovely peson, but the court found her credentials and experience more than a little thin. Her real expertise is in the cult-massage therapy stuff called "the Tellington Touch" and she has no experience with dangerous dogs or Pit Bulls at all. I am sure she does wonders with Cavaliers, but she's simply out of her element here -- a bit like calling for an aromatherapist when a cardiac surgeon is needed.
David Ryan, the other evaluator for Lenneox, spent all of one hour with the dog, and during that time the dog presented enough negative behaviors that Victoria Stilwell thought she had to explain that OF COURSE a dog will bite or react badly under those circumstances... it was being **pressured**.
Now, to be clear, no one is celebraring the death of this dog, and without a doubt the least two years of this dog's life were very poorly spent. But there were problems with this dog, and good people who are not prone to either panic or romance all saw it.
But again, so what? Why the elevation of this ONE dog when it has been DEAD SILENCE about the people who breed these dogs and acquire these dogs (this time illegally) and then who so often abandon them to their death?
Concern trolling such as you are doing with Lennox is pretty thin grule, Ms Pe.
How about instead of talking and ttping you go down to you local pound and actually adopt a real live Bull Staffie off of death row?
You want to save a dog's life?? Great -- there's where to start.
P.
Pits aren't Cocker Spaniels, that's for sure. I've learned the hard way that some dogs need to be more contained and controlled than others, but that doesn't mean they are "bad dogs." A bad owner can inadvertently do damage by not controlling any dog, including Chihuahuas. I was apprehensive when I took in my first Pit, almost a decade ago, but they have proven to be no more of a challenge than the Dobies I had previously. All dogs can show a sweet side when the Boss is around, but take away that controlling influence for just a few days, and you may see the dark side. I don't have a "link" for that, but experience with a few dozen dogs tells me they can thrive if cared for and given well-defined limits. It's a full-time job. "It's 7:33 AM, do you know where your dog is?"
Still waiting for Victoria Stilwell to announce how many Pit Bulls and how many thousands of dollars she will spend to help.
No publicity -- just action.
:: Cricket chirps ::
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