Lucey is alive thanks to Angie Cartwright, her loving owner who was willing to pay $168 for a Wisdom Panel MX mixed breed DNA analysis test. Animal control officers in Salina, Kansas were called out in response to a loose dog saw Lucey, "identified" her as a pit bull and took her in.Lucey is alive thanks to Angie Cartwright, her loving owner who was willing to pay... more
If you guys aren't reading fuckyoupenguin.com, you need to start. Now. Here's the post:
A brief outline of a Fuck You, Penguin post on this photo.
I. The animals.
A. A fawn that was briefly separated from its mother.
B. A pit bull from a shelter.
II. The situation.
A. The fawn wanted to nurse from the pit bull.
1. It is a MALE pit bull.
a. Awkwardly funny, but also adorable.
III. The clincher.
A. Here is a male pit bull from a shelter kissing an abandoned fawn.
1. Link to photo (NSFW).
a. Last straw??
IV. Epilogue.
A. The fawn was later returned to its mother.
V. Conclusion.
A. Kill me right fucking now.If you guys aren't reading fuckyoupenguin.com, you need to start. Now. Here's the... more
This Pod features interviews with various people on the streets of Richmond VA. This was filmed outside the court on the day of the sentencing in 07. Both sides weigh in on the debate Based on his celebrity was Vick given too harsh or too lenient of a sentence?This Pod features interviews with various people on the streets of Richmond VA. This... more
Meet Monty, a man who as a young child witnessed his mom get mauled by a dog. Watch as he describes his terrifying experience and his current views on Breed Selective Laws in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Meet Dom and his Dog, Bartleby Sergeant Lucero. Dom has been a owner of a Pit Bull for the last two years and has been an advocate of Pit Bull rights. Watch as he describes his experiences with Pit Bull's and his opinions on Breed Selective Laws in the Bay Area.Meet Monty, a man who as a young child witnessed his mom get mauled by a dog. Watch as... more
The “Humane” Society isn’t as humane as you’d think. They have a bad track record with defending the lives of the victims of dog fighting rings. We all remember the media frenzy associated with the Michael Vick dogs in April of 2007The “Humane” Society isn’t as humane as you’d think. They have a bad track... more
41 states have communities which have BSL or proposed it. Various insurance companies consider 75 different dog breeds to be dangerous. The Pit Bull dog is singled out as one of the worst. Yet historically, scientifically and mathmatically Pit Bull dogs are safe. How did this happen?41 states have communities which have BSL or proposed it. Various insurance companies... more
41 states have communities which have BSL or proposed it. Various insurance companies consider 75 different dog breeds to be dangerous. The Pit Bull dog is singled out as one of the worst. Yet historically, scientifically and mathmatically Pit Bull dogs are safe. How did this happen?41 states have communities which have BSL or proposed it. Various insurance companies... more
this is the family pit. he loves our cat- and bouncy balls. yeah - he is real dangerous...ahhahaahahahahhaahaha.this is the family pit. he loves our cat- and bouncy balls. yeah - he is real... more
A 2-year-old pit bull named Blitz is getting the hero treatment today after he frightened a man dragging his estranged wife across a street in a possible abduction attempt.
The 33-year-old suspect had broken into the Thomas Avenue home where his wife was staying, then began dragging her across nearby South Shore Drive when Blitz bolted into action.
"I didn't think he had it in him, but I guess he did," said the dog's proud owner, also credited for helping the victim escape her attacker.
The 32-year-old pet owner, who didn't want to be named, heard the woman screaming in the street about 11 p.m. Wednesday and came out of her South Shore Drive duplex apartment to help. At the same time, Blitz raced past her and out the door.
The gray pit bull made an aggressive beeline straight for the suspect. As Blitz came near, the man let loose of his wife, enabling her to break away and get inside the dog owner's apartment.
Blitz, described as a gentle dog who likes to lick faces, never attacked the suspect.
"I thought he was going to attack him, though," said Blitz's owner, who managed to drag her dog back inside her apartment.
The dog owner, who raised Blitz from a puppy, said she believed the attacker would have made it to his car without Blitz's imposing presence.
"The man was very determined," she said.
Holland police said the estranged husband, who at some point was armed with a kitchen knife, broke a rear glass door to get inside the victim's home. He then entered her bedroom and assaulted her. She managed to momentarily break free and flee the home, then started screaming in the street in her bathrobe before he chased her down.
"The dog created enough of a distraction where it created a window of opportunity for her to run," Holland police Capt. Rick Walters said.
Police arrived at the scene moments after the 32-year-old victim, Blitz and his owner got into the apartment. The man was pacing in the apartment's front yard for a minute or two before police arrived and arrested him.
Police recovered a knife at the scene.
"I think my dog kind of kept him away from coming closer to the apartment," Blitz's owner said.
The victim told the dog owner that her husband broke into the home using a hammer and had sent her suicidal text messages earlier in the day.
Holland District Court officials said they expected the suspect to be arraigned today on charges of first-degree home invasion and domestic violence.A 2-year-old pit bull named Blitz is getting the hero treatment today after he... more
A fairly young pit bull puppy has stopped going outside entirely. Not to play, not to potty. What are the owners to do?A fairly young pit bull puppy has stopped going outside entirely. Not to play, not to... more
This week in a unanimous vote, the city of Lancaster, California passed an ordinance requiring all owners of pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixed breed dogs deemed “potentially dangerous” to:
* Have microchip implants and vaccinations at the owner’s expense.
* Be kept indoors or in a securely fenced yard or enclosure constructed at the owner’s expense.
* Wear a muzzle and a 4-foot-long leash held by a controlling adult when taken off the owner’s property.
* Complete an approved obedience course at the owner’s expense.
* Be spayed or neutered at the owner’s expense.
* Be covered by liability insurance valued at $300,000 per occurrence obtained at the owner’s expense.This week in a unanimous vote, the city of Lancaster, California passed an ordinance... more
If you haven't had a chance yet to pick up last week's issue of Sports Illustrated, check it out before it retreats to the obscurity of library shelves. The feature article updating readers on the current condition and whereabouts of the infamous Vick dogs is even more encouraging (as more time passes as the dogs are doing better) and more bittersweet (as more time passes and it becomes clearer that most of the dogs will never completely get over their trauma) than previous features on these amazingly resilient animals.
As writer Jim Gorant reminds, even PETA and HSUS thought the dogs were beyond rehabilitation and it was a waste of time and money to try. "If you're a dog and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests you be put down, you've got problems." But as Gorant goes on to describe, the 47 of 51 dogs that were rescued have made remarkable progress.
For me though, what happened to the Vick dogs goes beyond the realm of a feel-good animal welfare story. It's pushing the boundaries of animal law in incremental steps that may not be grabbing the big headlines, but is definitely changing the way the legal system perceives and handles these issues.
For example, each dog was individually evaluated and placed based upon a series of factors that can fairly be described as the best interests of the dog. You just don't get that with the cars, boats, paraphernalia and other items seized in drug busts.
Gorant described another moment in the case:
"On Aug. 23, 2007, Vick appeared in U.S. District Court in Richmond, and Judge Hudson accepted a plea agreement in which the former quarterback admitted that he had been involved in dogfighting and had personally participated in killing animals. The agreement required him to pay $928,000 for the care and treatment of the dogs, including any humane destruction deemed necessary. "That was the landmark moment -- when he not only gave the dogs the money but referred to it as restitution," says Zawistowski. "That's when these dogs went from weapons to victims."
That's big.
Animal law scholars have argued for years that animals should, if not be accorded full "person" status under the law, at least be granted some sort of elevated property status that recognizes, once and for all, that a dog is not the same as a table or a lamp, no matter what the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed in Desanctis v. Pritchard, 818 A.2d 504 (Pa. 2003). The actions of Judge Hudson go a long way toward demonstrating how the law should, and imho eventually will, evolve.If you haven't had a chance yet to pick up last week's issue of Sports Illustrated,... more
A 9-year-old boy is being called a hero after he saved a girl and her dog from a pit bull attack.A 9-year-old boy is being called a hero after he saved a girl and her dog from a pit... more
PETA wanted Vick's dogs dead. Not just PETA. The Humane Society of the U.S., agreeing with PETA, took the position that Michael Vick's pit bulls, like all dogs saved from fight rings, were beyond rehabilitation and that trying to save them was a misappropriation of time and money.
"The cruelty they've suffered is such that they can't lead what anyone who loves dogs would consider a normal life," says PETA spokesman Dan Shannon. "We feel it's better that they have their suffering ended once and for all." If you're a dog and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests you be put down, you've got problems.
According to court documents, from time to time Vick and his cohorts "rolled" the dogs: put them in the pit for short battles to see which ones had the right stuff. Those that fought got affection, food, vitamins and training sessions. The ones that showed no taste for blood were killed -- by gunshot, electrocution, drowning, hanging or, in at least one case, being repeatedly slammed against the ground.
On Sept. 4, 5 and 6, under tight security and a court-imposed gag order, Zawistowski's team assembled in Virginia. It quickly agreed on a protocol for testing the dogs that would show their level of socialization and aggressiveness. Among other things, the dogs were presented with people, toys, food and other dogs. Their reactions and their overall demeanor were evaluated. In those three days the team assessed 49 dogs at six sites.
It didn't help that the assessors had no idea what to expect. Besides their time at Bad Newz, the dogs had spent four months locked up in shelters with minimal attention. That alone could push many dogs over the brink. "I thought, If we can save three or four, it will be fantastic," Reynolds says.
Adds Racer, "We had been told these were the most vicious dogs in America."
So what they found in the pens caught them off guard. "Some of them were just big goofy dogs you'd find in any shelter," says Zawistowski. No more than a dozen were seasoned fighters, and few showed a desire to harm anything.
"We were surprised at how little aggression there was," says Reynolds. Many of the dogs had all but shut down. They cowered in the corners of their kennels or stood hunched with their heads lowered, their tails between their legs and their feet shifting nervously. Some didn't want to come out. As far as they knew bad things happened when people came. Bad things happened when they were led out of their cages.
In the end, 47 of the 51 Vick dogs were saved. (Two died while in the shelters; one was destroyed because it was too violent; and another was euthanized for medical reasons.) Twenty-two dogs went to Best Friends, where McMillan and his staff chart their emotional state daily; almost all show steady improvement in categories such as calmness, sociability and happiness. McMillan believes 17 of the dogs will eventually be adopted, and applicants are being screened for the first of those. The other 25 have been spread around the country; the biggest group, 10, went to California. Fourteen of the 25 have been placed in permanent homes, and the rest are in foster care.
A Rubidoux man was attacked and killed Friday by his family's two pit bulls, a sheriff's sergeant said.
The attack was reported at 12:10 p.m., according to sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez.
"It appears at this time it is a very tragic accident," Gutierrez said. "Of course this family is very distraught, right before the holidays."
About noon, the grandfather of the house, located at 5787 Kenwood Place, stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. The animals attacked the man unprovoked.
One relative was home at the time of the attack and was unable to stop the dogs. The man died inside the home before paramedics could render any aid.
The dogs were captured and will be euthanized, Gutierrez said.
Bad dogs...A Rubidoux man was attacked and killed Friday by his family's two pit bulls, a... more
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A retail chain quickly pulled replicas of Michael Vick's jersey from its Georgia stores after getting complaints from animal rights groups.
Florida-based Bealls Outlet Stores apologized in an e-mail to a Georgia Humane Society leader and said the jerseys were stocked by mistake.
Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is serving a 23-month federal prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to participating in a dogfighting ring. He pleaded guilty last month to a state charge of promoting dogfighting at a home and kennel he owned in Virginia, where underperforming fighting dogs were killed.
Hannah Tostensen, director of the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia, and Lisa Norton, president of Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment in Brunswick, complained to Bealls' corporate office in Bradenton, Fla., earlier this month after finding replicas of Vick's No. 7 jersey being sold at stores in Darien and Waycross in southeast Georgia.
"It is unfathomable to me that any reputable store would market an item that symbolizes the heinous crime of dogfighting," Tostensen wrote in an e-mail to Bealls.
Norton, who found the Vick jerseys at a Bealls store in Waycross, said the retailer acted quickly and responsibly by pulling the jerseys from its stores.
Bealls, which has stores in 29 Georgia cities, apologized by e-mail to Tostensen, The Brunswick News reported Monday.
"We are very sorry that some of our stores were carrying Michael Vick jerseys," Bealls spokeswoman Barbara Tucker wrote. "As a company, we do not support Michael Vick in any way."
Tucker said the retailer had ordered an assortment of Atlanta Falcons jerseys with "specific instructions" to the vendor not to ship any Vick jerseys. She said the vendor shipped the Vick jerseys anyway and stores displayed them by mistake.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A retail chain quickly pulled replicas of Michael Vick's... more
Investigators found that dogfighting was on the rise in Texas and was much more widespread than they had expected.
The investigation led to the indictments of 55 people and the seizing of 187 pit bulls, breaking up what officials described as one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country.Investigators found that dogfighting was on the rise in Texas and was much more... more
DogsBite.org believes that victims of pit bull attacks deserve a powerful voice on a day many citizens are asked to appreciate pit bulls and build better "awareness" of them.
DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, will release a video tribute to attack victims on October 25, a day that pit bull advocacy groups have coined, "Pit Bull Awareness Day." The video will appear on the DogsBite Blog page Saturday morning at the following location: http://www.dogsbite.org/blog/
The 5-minute video documents 127 pit bull attacks on humans that occurred across the United States in an 85-day period between July to September 2008. The video includes the name and age of each victim (when it was available) and the city and state of each attack. The video also highlights statistical data gathered from the attacks, including the 6 U.S. citizens killed by pit bulls during this time span.
Attack Victim Data
---127 attacks recorded
---57% of the attacks occurred off-property
---158 people were injured
---63% of these injuries were severe
---10% entailed severed body parts
---6 people were killed
Within the 85-day period, U.S. law enforcement officers and citizens shot 128 dangerous pit bulls, and 12 cities passed ordinances that regulate pit bulls as well. These cities included: Fultondale (AL), Manteca (CA), Sioux City (IA), Grosse Point Park (MI), Hazel Park (MI), Leflore County (MS), Greenwood (MS), Omaha (NE), Lakewood (OH), Newport (OH), Sturgis (SD) and Fort Hood Army Base in Texas.
Sarah Palin talks, John McCain gets ready to talk, and we talk about whether when we talk about something we're really talking about it.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE knows that election news and weird jokes go together like a popped-collar meathead and a vacant-eyed blonde. Created by Mark Ganek and Brett Erlich, Campaign Update strives to be the dumbest smart show on television.
Bookmark us and check us out every weekday at current.com/campaignupdate.Sarah Palin talks, John McCain gets ready to talk, and we talk about whether when we... more
A Rottweiler has helped rescue a two-year-old South African boy who was being attacked by a pit bull terrier.
The pit bull mauled Tshepang Taeli as he was walking with his grandmother in Oakdene, south of Johannesburg.
Even though residents came to the boy's rescue and tried to kick and beat the dog, it would not let go of the child and dragged it down the road. One of the neighbours, Ricky Veludo, came to help and then went to fetch his dog, Blade: "He fought the other dog to free the child."
The boy was then rushed to hospital where he is recovering from bites to his face, legs and stomach. "I have never felt so much pain in my life. The dog was attacking him and I was trying to release him and I could not," the boy's grandmother stated.A Rottweiler has helped rescue a two-year-old South African boy who was being attacked... more
