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Very interesting blog. The only thing bothering me is there have been a couple of high-profile cases where dogs got loose, the owners were on vacation, and the dogs got adopted or otherwise rescued by people that refused to return the dogs to their owners. Cases such as these are arguably statistically negligible, I'm sure, and offer an argument as to why all shelters and rescues should be regulated and subjected to some form of oversight.
Thoughts on Wisconsin AB487/SB450, maximizing lifesaving, and grandstanding
Last week, representatives in Wisconsin heard the first round of testimony on bill AB487/SB450. The bill is pretty straightforward in that it tackles two main issues; 1) It allows for dogs seized for crimes against animals (eg dogfighting) to be potentially rehomed by animal welfare groups a...
And, DubV, when you finish interviewing an actual geneticist familiar with canines why don't you interview a licensed clinical social worker about all the factors that put a toddler at risk for death, sexual abuse, and injury when that toddler has a young, unmarried mother?
There is a whole lot wrong in this picture. What makes me angry is children end up in bad situations and when something goes wrong it's more difficult for me to keep MY dogs. I'm getting a little tired of this nonsense.
Georgia toddler killed by dogs
Late yesterday afternoon, 21 month old Monica Laminack was attacked and killed by 7 of 9 dogs that lived at the family's home in Ellabell, GA. The child lived in the home with her 18 year old Mother, Summer Laminack, grandmother, great-grandmother and two uncles (aged 14 and 12). Apparently, ...
I agree with Jim Crosby - every time a child dies like this it needs to be treated like a crime scene.
Georgia toddler killed by dogs
Late yesterday afternoon, 21 month old Monica Laminack was attacked and killed by 7 of 9 dogs that lived at the family's home in Ellabell, GA. The child lived in the home with her 18 year old Mother, Summer Laminack, grandmother, great-grandmother and two uncles (aged 14 and 12). Apparently, ...
By the way, I love this sentence:
"If local news is unwilling to cover local politics, local politicians will operate essentially unchecked by anyone besides the most dedicated local news consumers, who are likely to be IDEOLOGICAL ACTIVISTS (emphasis mine) of one sort or the other".
How do people become "ideological activists"? Where municipal politics are concerned it's because somebody, somewhere tried to put the screws to them. ;-)
Very good sentences...What I'm reading today...
A lot of interesting reading today as I get back in town - and here are a few articles that I've found particularly interesting today: It's who you know: Breed Stereotypes and Handler Appearance Respected trainer Patricia McConnell takes a look the research on dog handler appearance and the imp...
Great comments by Salon regarding news coverage of politics. You're absolutely correct, Brent, it's far worse at the municipal level. Local newspapers are quickly going by the wayside and only the most dedicated (and suspicious) residents bother to watch local government. Unfortunately as long as the streets are maintained, police and firefighters are funded, and streetlights and parks are in good shape people typically don't get interested in local government.
Local politicians have far more ability to get involved in and affect people's personal lives, yet there is little voter accountability at that level of government. Municipal elections tend to have low voter turnout and public servants know they only have to, for example, get the same 500 people that voted for them the last time in a city of 50,000 people. These are typically part-time positions and the public servants have "real" jobs so there's little incentive to do "the will of the people". It's far more tempting to do "the will of the public servant" because if you aren't reelected, well, so what?
Washington Post columnist George Will wrote, “First, democracy requires judicial supervision to thwart the excesses of elected officials. Second, governments closest to the people are - never mind what sentimentalists say - often the worst. This is because elected tyrants can most easily become entrenched where rival factions are few”.
Unless there is a hot-button issue on the table people rarely get involved in local politics.
Very good sentences...What I'm reading today...
A lot of interesting reading today as I get back in town - and here are a few articles that I've found particularly interesting today: It's who you know: Breed Stereotypes and Handler Appearance Respected trainer Patricia McConnell takes a look the research on dog handler appearance and the imp...
Okay, likw "pirvull friend" I'm confused by this story as well. I realize a three-day old infant is not a "toddler" (that's okay, Brent, you have a lot on your plate) but what in the world was a three day old infant doing in a swing? I had no children myself but I do watch my sister's children on occasion,and unless swings have changed dramatically you don't put three day old babies in swings! Perhaps someone young with an infant can weigh in on this one.
3 day old infant dies in dog bite incident
I'm going to start with noting that all dog bite fatalities are tragic. But they are exceedingly rare -- with only about 25-30 happening each year in spite of there being over 78 million owned dogs in this country. However, they can and do happen, andwhen they do, it is usually a tragic set of c...
The dog bite story about the jogger, walker, or whatever he was that was (allegedly) attacked by the "pit bulls" out at Longview Lake near the marina was ridiculous. Channel 9 (KMBC) was the only local affiliate that covered the story - two or three days after the incident. We really don't know what the dogs were, and it's interesting to note that for someone that thought they were going to get killed this guy looked perfectly healthy during the interview. How is this news in a metropolitan area?
We track our dogs out at Longview a lot and rarely see stray dogs. The last time we were there, though, two Great Danes literally appeared out of nowhere while a friend was working her Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Fortunately everyone was friendly. One of the dogs had a tag - the onwer lived in Kansas City and was at some sort of running event. She said the fence needed repair and asked me no to contact animal control, LOL. The dogs returned home on their own.
Weekly Roundup - Week ending 5/20/12
We're coming up on dog bite prevention week. Fortunately there are a lot of good organizations and people that are trying to increase knowledge during this week. Unfortunately there are others who would rather try to spread hysteria and fear. Please keep your eyes peeled for the hysterics and t...
"It seems that everyone realizes that Ontario's breed ban is ineffective -- except for the Liberal Government".
No surprise there!
Weekly Roundup - Week ending 5/20/12
We're coming up on dog bite prevention week. Fortunately there are a lot of good organizations and people that are trying to increase knowledge during this week. Unfortunately there are others who would rather try to spread hysteria and fear. Please keep your eyes peeled for the hysterics and t...
There is an overabundance of small kennels in southwest Missouri. I have plenty of friends in and near Joplin - I could find out if these are dogs that are being turned in by the public or if the shelter is being saddled with small dogs from kennels being shut down. The Joplin shelter is a rather odd duck - they built a large, new shelter but don't seem to be making much headway as far as reducing intake and euthanasias. The shelter wasn't built by the city - I seem to recall it was built by a humane organization.
Lamar, Missouri is just two hours south of Kansas City but they see far more puppies in their shelter in that area than we see here. So do Joplin and Springfield.
Atlanta Humane Society imports thousands of animals while others die down the street
I'm going to post this story here, courtesy of Yesbiscuit!. According to the news report below, from Fox 5 in Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, imports literally several thousand animals a year from other parts of the country, and even from the Bahamas, while the metropolitan area of Atlanta ...
Oh, and congrats, Brent, on the quote and the good press for KC Pet Project.
Very good sentences....Kansas City Adoptions
"Obviously, there are thousands of animals at shelters in Kansas City, and I think a lot of groups go out of their way to make it hard for people to adopt. Kansas City is a metropolitan area. A lot of people live in lofts, condos and apartments. They don’t have backyards. But that doesn’t mean t...
I read Jenee's article and it was a good article with some good points, but I bristled at the "We privately adopted the baby boxer a couple of weeks ago from a family in Kansas".
No, sweetie. you BOUGHT a Boxer puppy from a breeder.
Very good sentences....Kansas City Adoptions
"Obviously, there are thousands of animals at shelters in Kansas City, and I think a lot of groups go out of their way to make it hard for people to adopt. Kansas City is a metropolitan area. A lot of people live in lofts, condos and apartments. They don’t have backyards. But that doesn’t mean t...
God bless you for the good work you're doing. I hope we see the day (soon) when you don't get 109 animals in one day.
An influx of animals, an adoption promotion, and a village of support
On Wednesday of this week, the KC Pet Project took in 109 animals. We're an open intake facility, so some days you're at the mercy of what animal control delivers that day. But man, did they deliver. To put this in perspect, our small-ish shelter has a capacity for about 250 or so animals comfor...
What a tragedy. Not to mention there are way too many people out there that think they can shoot with the accuracy of cops (actors) on TV programs.
Last week's fatal attack in New Mexico
Last week, 16 month old Jazilyn Mesa was tragically killed by the family's dog. According to Dr. Beth Vesco-Mock, Director or animal services, the dog and child were apparently left alone in the back at the victim's granparent''s house. Apparently the child's grandmother heard the ruckus and we...
the article about Kathy Warnick's salary as President of the Humane Society of Missouri made my day. :-)
Weekly Roundup -- Week ending 5/6/12
First off, I'm going to note that I'm going to make some significant changes to the roundup. I just feel like the post is getting too long and people aren't reading. I also feel like a lot of things are losing their timeliness by waiting until the end of the week. So, here's what I'm gonna do. ...
Re: the number of commercial kennels being on the decline in Missouri - there are a variety of reasons. Part of it has to do with the economy. Part of it is the result of modifications to the state's ACFA law due to the whole Prop B fiasco, even though most of the changes to ACFA don't become law until 2016 and a lot of kennels are already in compliance with some, if not all of the changes. Much of it has to do with an aging populiation - like the Pom breeder in the article a lot of older breeders are retiring. Unless you have children that want to take over the business it's easier just to have a "going out of business sale".
This is bad news for a lot of rescues and humane societies. They are going to lose their source of small and Toy breeds.
I can't imagine "increased enforcement" is a reason, but I guess it's possible. We already had very good enforcement, despite what the media and Humane Society of Missouri preached.
Weekly Roundup -- Week ending 5/6/12
First off, I'm going to note that I'm going to make some significant changes to the roundup. I just feel like the post is getting too long and people aren't reading. I also feel like a lot of things are losing their timeliness by waiting until the end of the week. So, here's what I'm gonna do. ...
Wow, Nikki, thank you SO MUCH for verifying what I've been saying for years! the first six sentences of your post just say it all and demonstrate the insanity in this picture. Certainly dogs from an unknown source are so much better than commercially-bred dogs that come with health certificates from inspected kennels.
Brent, which rural Missouri shelters are "overrun" by commercially-bred dogs? I've never heard of this being a problem. Commercially bred dogs typcially don't end up in shelters unless they are from an unlicensed facility that is shut down by the state.
Atlanta Humane Society imports thousands of animals while others die down the street
I'm going to post this story here, courtesy of Yesbiscuit!. According to the news report below, from Fox 5 in Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, imports literally several thousand animals a year from other parts of the country, and even from the Bahamas, while the metropolitan area of Atlanta ...
Santa Fe? Wow, I don't associate dog fatalities with Santa Fe.
74 Year Old New Mexico man found dead from dog attack
Late last week, 74 year old Cliff Wright of Sante Fe, NM was found dead from a dog attack. The man was found dead laying in the front lawn and was apparently watering the lawn. There were no witnesses to the attack, but autopsy reports have confirmed the man died due to injuries sustained in the...
Good grief, who tries to reason with a two year old? Seriously. That's crazy.
The anatomy of a dog bite
First of all, I'm going to go on record and say that I've never actually seen a child significantly bitten by a dog. I think the warning signs are usually so readily apparent that paying attention can prevent them most of the time. But on Saturday, I almost did. On Saturday, the wife and I went ...
OH yea, Tara, just what we need - the government approving who can and can't own a dog. Good grief. Smoking police, food police, SUV police, etc. etc., and now the dog police. I remember when people didn't think it was necessary for the government to be involved in every aspect of your lives.
Two more cities repeal breed-specific laws
Morris, IL has repealed its long-standing law that required all residents who wanted a 'pit bull" to get a license from the city 48 hours before getting the dog and required the city to inspect the area where the dog would be kept before approving the license and for signage of a pit bull being ...
One thing is for certain - elderly people should not garden.
Elderly man killed by dogs in Mead, OK
Sadly, earlier this week 92 year old James Hurt was found dead in his front yard after being attacked by two dogs. The man was apparently out gardening when the attack occurred. Based on the reports this isn't the first time that dogs have been a problem in Mead as dogs have been known to run ...
Okay, bestuvall stole my thunder:
>
Mandatory speutering hasn't worked anywhere! Of course people don't know about the law because people typically don't assume non-criminal behavior to be criminal.
Not only that why is the reproductive status of my pets ANY of the government's business? Good grief, government typically can't manage what they are supposed to manage, so why on Earth is it a good idea for them to stick their nose into people's personal business?
Not that I'm against programs that help pet owners with speutering, vaccinations, microchipping, etc. I'm all in favor of these efforts for those that need and request assistance, and my husband and I have helped with/donated to these causes. I've taken advantage of a couple of low-cost microchip events. But if I want help I will ask for it - and until them please butt out!
Los Angeles built a shelter (19 million dollars????) and then lacked the funds to manage it? Gee, sounds familiar. ;-)
Los Angeles takes new approach (after Mandatory Spay/Neuter fails)
Well, this is a start. This week, a series of advertisements for a group called No Kill Los Angeles has broken with the goal of raising awareness of the problem of high euthanasia rates in Los Angeles area shelters -- the advertising is hoped to facilitate adoptions and encourage people to spay/...
Very, very sad. Thank you for being compassionate.
Compassion (and have we lost it when it comes to people?)
Last night, my wife and I went off to dinner in a neighbor near ours. On the way, we happened to pass four young men (all seemingly mid-20s-ish) squatting down, overlooking a dog laying on the ground. We immediately stopped the car and the wife jumped out to see if there was any way we could off...
It's wonderful BSL is being repealed in some major locations but it appears MSN, laws prohibiting tethering, and laws/ordinances that target breeders are on the rise. That's purely anecdotal and based only on posts to the AKC Legislative Liaison list, NAIA, etc.
Oh well, never look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. One horribilus at a time.
Cincinnati takes steps to repeal Breed Ban
Today, a Cincinnati Council committee voted 5-1 to repeal the city's breed ban making pit bulls illegal in the city. The city is considering changing the law after HB 14 was inacted to repeal the state wide breed-specific legislation. Councilman Chris Seelbach, who was elected in December 2011, ...
Hey folks, you BUY a pet. You ADOPT a child. If anyone ever wanted to know why people go to pet stores or look in the newspaper to purchase a pet, read the first two comments in regard to this letter. That snotty attitude is the reason a lot of dogs and cats are euthanized at the shelter.
I am fully on Linda McGee's side. It's ridiculous to require a fenced yard for a small dog that's going to be indoors most of the time and hand-walked for exercise, or even for a larger breed that ended up in rescue or the shelter because it was an escape artist. What good is a fence for a fence jumper? The dog needs to be with someone that's active and likes to take long walks or jogs.
Private rescues and shelters that aren't funded by tax money have the luxury of using whatever criteria they choose for potential families for their animals. Just don't complain when potential pet homes don't want to play by your rules and end up at the pet store or buying a pet out of the newspaper. That's the reason all those commercial breeders exist that Proposition B aimed to put out of business - it's a lot easier to get a Yorkie puppy at the pet store than to deal with shelters and rescues that have lengthy recorded messages and ridiculously expensive criteria. It's a pet, not an infant.
Costly pet adoptions
I can see why the animal shelters are full of pets. I want to adopt a small dog that I would keep inside most of the time. I called a shelter and listened to a recording for five minutes and then hung up. The recording was still talking. I went to another place, and couldn’t even see the dogs ...
Marji makes some good points.
I think there are a lot of "factors" that can certainly influence aggression without being "causes".
I don't think being intact makes a dog aggressive. It can certainly be a factor depending on the circumstances.
That was always one of my main arguments against MSN at City Hall. No one in Europe alters anything, and yet we don't see the Europeans and the English wandering around sporting large bandages, stitches, and missing extremeties due to the preponderance of intact dogs. Although, Brent's comments about all the attacks in the UK are giving me pause, LOL.
I have a friend who had a spayed Dobe bitch that had to be put on estrogen when she was nine years old. She was spayed at six months (this was over 20 years ago, when we spayed all of them at six months). This bitch became aggressive toward the younger male Dobe, among other things, and the estrogen solved the problem.
Same goes for tethering. I don't think it necessarily causes aggression but it's undeniably a factor in some attacks and bites.
Both of these factors are documented in Karen Delise's book.
When I was a kid everyone tethered their intact dogs and we were rarely bitten.
Dog Attack Fatality Report - why is intact status not part of the report?
Last week I posted a report detailing all of the dog attack fatalities in the US from 2010. There has been a lot of interest in the report, and a few questions that have popped up in personal emails or on chat room boards. One question that has popped up in several places is the curiosity about ...
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