the high cost of being a victim

Here we go again. A scumbag breeder/dog fighter in Wilkes County, North Carolina is busted, convicted and, predictably, his dogs shoulder the blame. Bad, evil dogs to be born into this operation. Authorities - ignoring Best Friend's offer to organize evaluations and a rescue - are getting ready to blue juice, bag and fill their local landfill with 127 bodies, including several litters of puppies. Because surely the rescues of the Vick dogs, the Patrick dogs, the Missouri dogs and even the Oklahoma dogs were a fluke.

"Goodwin (dog fighting 'expert' HSUS) said that the dogs have been bred for fighting and it would very difficult and expensive to re-train the dogs, even the puppies, so that they could be adopted.

Expensive ... to save lives? Since when do we decide what rescues should spend on a dog? Sorry, TugTug. That nice dog bed you tore up is clearly a waste of funds. And the vet costs to clear up your infected ear? Unforgivable. (Current cost to rescue TugTug from the abuser who kept him chained: not including the airfare spent to select him: Vet costs: $118, dogbed, crate, chewies and treats: donated, food and supplemental vitamins: $60).

From the website of the Wilkes County Landfill...
It costs 50 cents to dump a bag of trash at the landfill. However, dumping by the bag is free if a bag of recyclable goods are brought for every bag of trash.

In all fairness to Goodwin, it clearly IS much cheaper to landfill a litter of pups from a bust case (assuming a litter will fill one bag) than to ask Best Friends to shoulder the cost of the plane tickets needed to evaluate and transport these same dogs to breed experienced organizations...Nevermind the dog beds and vet costs that would mount up post-rescue. And even cheaper if authorities bring in a bag of recyclable goods along with every dead dog.

"Goodwin said that the dogs have been bred for fighting and it would very difficult and expensive to re-train the dogs, even the puppies, so that they could be adopted.

Banging my head on brick wall. Re-train them to do what exactly?...run to the fridge and grab us a beer?

Dear John, How many times do we have to say this? Rescuers don't re-train dogs from any situation, shelter or otherwise. After cherry picking the best dogs for our programs, we simply give them what they didn't have before they came to us: clear direction, basic obedience, opportunities to play with well matched play buddies. In short, we help them to become whole dogs again. A hand-picked dog from a fight bust is no different than a chained, backyard dog that's been surrendered to the shelter by a family in East Oakland - although bust dogs tend to have better genetics and we prefer their temperaments over the mixed breed pit bulls that come in from so many shelters.

I am pained by the lack of knowledge a "dog fighting expert" has for the breed. Shouldn't someone with this lofty title support the orgs that embrace these dogs? Unfortunately, people that believe bust dogs are devil's spawn - "bred for fighting" - spend so much time reading gamedog message boards that they've become as invested in dog fighting mythology as the guys who write this macho crap. Boys with low self esteem and big pick-up trucks encourage their dogs to spark up and act dog aggressive for a reason. Yuppy rescuers in densely populated urban areas with mortgages and multi-pets have no use for badly behaved dogs. Choose your reality, preferably the one that saves the lives of vicitimized pets.

From the news article: County officials have said that the dogs would be euthanized. Officials did not return a phone message yesterday. "I think there's a county ordinance that requires it," Goodwin said. "It's not a matter of would, could or should. It's the law."

WRONG. Article 1A of Chapter 67 of North Carolina's General Statutes allows for the adoption of dogs from fighting pasts provided "the animal shelter shall notify any persons adopting the dog of the liability provisions "

So now what? If Goodwin and others have their way, Best Friends' offer will be ignored and the dogs will be killed and land filled. Below: one of the many puppies born since the bust. To ask for a different outcome, write, write, write...

Wilkes County Board of Commissioners
110 North Street
Wilksboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-651-7346
Fax: 336) 651-7568

Wilkes County Attorney Tony Triplett
Vannoy, Colvard, Triplett & Vannoy
922 C Street
P.O. Box 1388
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Phone: 336-667-7201
Fax: 336-838-7250
E-mail: ttriplett@vannoylaw.com

District Attorney Tom Horner
500 Courthouse Drive Suite 2022
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Phone: 336-667-6361 or 667-2994
Fax: 336 667-7999