Oklahoma style justice - the Newkirk dogs

The man who put Nelly on a chain and then forgot to feed her and 105+ other dogs pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty and was sentenced to 90 days in jail this week. That's just about one day behind bars for every dog that died.

To refresh, this was the December 2008 case in rural Kay County, Oklahoma where dogs were chained and penned in all kinds of extreme weather without shelter, with green buckets of (frozen) water and barely enough food to stay alive ... The yard that was discovered by two hunters that became the headache for a county that has no animal shelter.

Jerry Southern - the dogs' owner - didn't get to this farm too often. He lived over in Kansas, where he was forbidden to own dogs due to his evil deeds in that state. So he set up shop over the border in a rented property, and staked out dozens of dogs on car axels. Feeding those long distance responsibilities was something he did in his spare time, which wasn't often enough, based on the number of dried up dog remains found at the site. Dead dogs in the (empty) house, dead dogs decomposing in dog crates, dead dogs on their chains. (Photo: warning) Nice guy, Mr. Southern. The dogs were staked near each other just outside of grabbing reach, so you can just imagine how little they liked their neighbor dogs when that rare handful of food came around. Mr. Southern - who claimed to be a misunderstood dog breeder - was up to no good. Unfortunately the sheriffs in that county were caught off guard and not able to gather the evidence that would've nailed him for the felony we all know he was involved with. Below: The scene on the farm after nearly three weeks of food and care, provided by local volunteers.



Southern was originally charged with 96 counts of animal cruelty - one for each dog that a veterinarian deemed a starvation case. Twenty months later, those 96 counts of cruelty were whittled down to a mere five after Southern offered a hefty 10K as a form of "restitution." That amount is set to be distributed to a local shelter and rescue groups including BR, after the courts get a big chunk of the payment, that is. We're told that buying the get out of jail free card was his defense attorney's idea. The DA accepted the plea agreement, apparently worried that pushing for a stronger jail sentence would anger the known-to-be-lenient judge and cause Southern to get off with a deferred sentence. When you're prosecuting an animal abuse case in Oklahoma, you take what you can get - especially while jails are bursting full.

It's hard to know how to feel about all this. We're still a little numb from our memories of taking his dogs off their rusty chain rigs one by one in the screaming wind and carrying them inside a horse trailer to be euthanized. That's not something you forget. Everyone in this team of frozen rescuers (members of BR, the wonderful MABBR and OAA) held it together as well as you can expect in the situation, knowing that twenty some dogs were getting miracle second chances. When one of us lost it during this terrible task, we'd go off to have a moment alone and someone else on the team would take over with the death march to the trailer. Right: This dog died long before the rescue team arrived.

Kay County assistant district attorney Tara Portillo told me that 90 days in jail was one of the stiffest sentences an Oklahoma judge has ever given an animal abuser, and after scouring pet-abuse.com I see that she's not exaggerating. Miss Portillo took the case because she's an animal lover and wanted to see justice served, although she reminded me (not that she needed to) that when it comes down to it, not many are ready to see pit bulls in the same light as other dogs. In her words, "Who the f-k cares about pit bulls?" Well, she does and so do we. But the world does have some questionable priorities. She told me that Peta - who tried hard to convince authorities to kill all the dogs - sent her a bouquet of red roses for taking the case. The public donated dog food and donations in small mountains and volunteers poured out to help. Meanwhile, horrible crimes against children in Portillo's district barely land on the public's sympathy radar.

Donyale Hoye and I went out there that December to offer an alternative to auto-death for all dogs. This county had never really dealt with anything like this, so the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals took custody of all the dogs to ensure that they wouldn't end up back in the hands of the perpetrator (as we're told has happened in other cases) and then, bolstered by the good press that came out of the Vick case, shifted ownership over to us. It took some doing to convince them that, despite impassioned phone calls from random strangers, pit bull rescuers are not all crazy people, and yes, we meant it when we said we would do what we could to get as many as possible into responsible hands. Easier said than done. The weather forced impossibly fast decisions and we all still have regrets about the dogs we couldn't bring home. The sheriffs were great to work with but they were under a deadline, not only with the weather, but with the dog owner who was putting together bail so he could get out of jail, and yes, back to the farm where we were working.

Left: Simon from MABBR, is still one of the biggest hearts I've met in rescue work. He worked non-stop to help the dogs and broke down crying under the pressure of selecting the handful that could be saved within this tiny window of time.

The sheriffs counted hours in their squad car from the driveway of the farm, with guns ready just in case trouble showed up. They got out a few times - once to offer me a wool hat in the freezing wind, and again to bag up the bodies of freshly euthanized dogs and take them to the dump. I stopped them before they bagged up this boy (below). Stunningly beautiful - he was scared to death on his chain and didn't want to be touched. Death allowed me to stroke his still-warm body, so I did that and whispered to him as if he was sleeping contently, stretched out on the ground, finally relaxed after months of hunching over, cold and hungry. The sheriffs stood back and let me pay these final respects, holding their heads down like you do at a funeral. Good bye buddy. So very very sorry what our kind did to you and your family.



We weren't terribly upset to learn that Mr. Southern had to be moved to solitary confinement during his short stay in jail while we were at the farm. It seems that after hours, he was getting pummeled by some of the inmates who were helping sheriffs feed and care for his dying dogs - a real live cowboy's version of justice.

So, a good pummeling, 90 days in jail, 15 years probation and a plea bargain that included a cash settlement. Is "restitution" money the new way of letting animal abusers walk away from their crimes? And if so, is a lighter sentence a fair exchange? ... and finally, where is their money coming from? (God help me - what if it's blood money?)

Despite our deep gratitude to the authorities for powering through this case and setting a new precedent in this state, one part of me wishes that the DA hadn't accepted the money, especially once I heard her answer to my question, "Did Mr. Southern ever show any remorse about his dogs?" Oklahomans don't mince any words. She responded, "He doesn't give a shit."


Above: Two dogs that made it out alive: Turtle on the left and Tully, in front.

Encouraging News in Alabama

In other news, a pit bull that had been beaten and set on fire attended the parole hearing of the man who abused him. The Alabama state parole board denied parole for Juan Daniels, who is serving a 9.5 year sentence for torturing the dog, name Louis Vuitton. The AP reported that "more than 60 law enforcement officers, animal rights advocates and other supporters of Louis crowded into the hearing. Montgomery County District Attorney Ellen Brooks asked parole board members to make Daniels serve his entire sentence because of his cruelty to the dog and the nine disciplinary actions taken against him in prison." Thank you, good people. Louis has healed from his injuries and was adopted as a family pet.

Hat tips to KC Dog Blog for the heads up on Southern's sentence.

On the job

SB 250 -- Again

For whatever reason, California SB 250 -- the mandatory spay/neuter bill -- is no longer inactive. In fact, the Concerned Dog Owners of California report that an assembly vote could be as early as today.

After years of hosting shot fairs, and in particular, Celebrate Your Pit Bull events, it is painfully clear that what works is community outreach and education. Low-income dog owners do not have access to affordable resources, including vet care, nor do they know where to look. A mandatory spay/neuter law isn't going to make them all of a sudden get their animals altered. And if their dog/cat gets confiscated and lands in the shelter, will they have enough money to pay the fines and the surgery costs to reclaim him? After speaking with numbers of San Francisco pit bull owners about whether they know their city mandates that their dogs get neutered, the owners just respond that they just keep their dogs hidden rather than take them out during the day.

Educating people about responsible pet ownership can't happen through quick-fix legislation and most certainly can't happen overnight. Research has shown that mandatory spay/neuter laws sound great in theory, but are ineffective in practice. And, despite that, there are so many things wrong with the language in this bill that have the potential for negative unintended consequences.

Please, take a minute to call your Assemblymember today and voice your opposition.

Jim Gorant: 'The Lost Dogs' - our Review

You've probably heard about Jim Gorant's new book 'The Lost Dogs,' based on his exploration of the Vick case. We had the good fortune to read an early copy and are very happy to report that it's a gem of a book that deserves a place on every dog owner's bookshelf. Some have asked if BADRAP was featured in the book, and the answer is Yes - along with a fascinating line-up of characters who you may not have heard of but who played a significant role in ensuring that an infamous abuser was brought to justice and his war-torn victims were not forgotten.

Tim disappeared and read the book in nearly one sitting, earning one of the meanest sunburns I've ever seen on him. Here's his review ...

Jim Gorant did it again. We were so pleased with his December 2008 article in Sports Illustrated – The Good News Out of The Bad Newz Kennels – because of it’s unbiased, unsensationalized, and honest portrayal of the dogs. Having dealt with too many writers that don’t have time for research because they “have a story to print,” I’m so very pleased to report that Jim Gorant’s book The Lost Dogs is exceptionally informative, and not just about the dogs and their present status, but about the players – those who worked so very hard to make sure the case was prosecuted, and those who tried to make it otherwise. The book scared me at points when it became apparent how extremely close this case was to never happening, as a certain politico just wanted the whole thing to disappear and wasn’t happy about “...an underprivileged...icon being dragged down.” I enjoyed the introduction as much as the rest of the book, again because of research - into the history of dogs in general and their relationship to people. Jim points out what *is so different about dogs when compared to all the other animals we share this planet with.

He covers what was not talked about in the disappointing 60 Minutes interview where hall of famer running back Jim Brown soft-balled questions to Vick, and yet Gorant never makes any judgment against the X-Falcon. Though this book is factual, several chapters are weaved together to create cliff-hangers with haunting resolve.

This is a book for those who want to know more details about the case, for those who want to know about the present status of the dogs, and for those who want to learn more about Vick’s true role in Bad Newz Kennels as some still believe he merely bankrolled the operation.

The story of The Lost Dogs sheds light on the true nature of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the best of our own nature as humans when we come together to help victims of disaster, even when they're manmade. - Tim Racer

We want to thank Jim for making the dogs important with this story, and for surprising us with his open mind, his sentimental heart and his fresh perspective. May the world be open to the many lessons these dogs have tried to bring us. Below: Halle during evaluations at the Hanover Pound.

The Lost Dogs Amazon link and facebook page.

voluntary spay/neuter efforts. they still work best

In this slideshow, the nuts and bolts of building safe, humane communities through dog owner support efforts. In other words ...

How to help people make good decisions for their pets (like, voluntary spay/neuter surgeries) without being a hateful, discriminating asshole (as in, breed specific mandatory spay/neuter measures).

August Shots Fair SLIDESHOW



Above: This shots fair client arrived three hours early to ensure that her tiny puppy would get the resources offered to pit bull owners in her struggling East Oakland neighborhood. Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties want to punish her for owning this dog, and are looking into breed specific measures (mandatory spay/neuter) to do that. We see things differently. To decrease euthanasia rates and curb irresponsible ownership, we need proactive, cost effective solutions that embrace the human-animal bond rather than tear it down.

With many thanks to the American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) for sending members to help us with the 'Celebrate Your Pit Bull" event last Saturday.

Good News Monday - the Reunion

It was a crazy busy weekend in our corners with a Shots Fair in East Oakland, packed Pit Ed classes, and several celebrated out of towners who came to help us do some work and - finally - to be reunited with a few special dog friends that they haven't seen in years.

Many hands made for lighter work at the Shots Fair: We were joined by members of the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), the American Bar Association (ABA), Kara Gilmore from the National Canine Research Council, Ledy Vankavage from Best Friends, and Rebecca Huss, who served as the Guardian Special Master of the Vick dogs. A true gathering of the tribes.

This particular event was especially important in light of the recent BSL scare in the bay area, so we'll devote a separate post to that news once we've all had a chance to chill out and download our pix. But for now, here's a couple of happy photos from the tail end of our long weekend.

It gave us all such a boost to work alongside so many diehards and finally, to kick back at the barn and toast the dogs with one of Tim's margarita creations. Yum.

Left: Rebecca Huss is reunited with Jonny Justice. They haven't seen each other since he was housed in a Virginia shelter. Jonny seemed more impressed with the cheese tray than the auspicious occasion, but we respect that he has his priorities worked out.


Above: A group shot with seven dogs and their people, including two ladies who helped make history for the dogs. The famous Vick dog defender is wearing her equally famous hat in the photo, and to the left, the don't-take-no-prisoners Ledy Vankavage. (Double click to see bigger) We love you, ladies. Thank you for everything.

a call for good news

Sometimes dog work brings on dark days that are hard to shake. There are so many things to keep a tough skin about that it's easy to get caught off guard. This past week has been particularly difficult, even with our best teflon....

A few dogs that we were trying hard to save from a horrible animal cruelty case died anyway (the perpetrators are still committing cruelty - long story; more later) ... the local media pounced on a tragedy here at home and in doing so, condemned family pets in formula headlines, rolling out back room talk about BSL ... and our very own local shelter dug a deep moat around itself following public criticism - effectively preventing rescues from designing safe passage to dogs at risk. It's been a kick in the ass with way too many WTF moments and my busy head has been spinning a little too dizzy.

We're used to making our own good news to fend off the bad, but this week I needed a little help, so I outreached to our facebook friends with a request for their best happys. Within an hour, nearly 230 people voiced snippets of good news from all around the country. It was actually overwhelming .. Bam! Bam! Bam! .. news bits came pouring in so fast it was hard to take them all in. Some of it was a repeat of popular headlines: For example, lots of people were loving the story of the pit bulls who saved a chihuahua from the coyote....

... but by far, the most heartwarming bits of news were the smaller stories that don't make the news or large org blogs or websites. Like Laura Pieper who announced that her pit bull was just approved to give blood - saving the lives of other dogs, Jessica Najdek who was celebrating the return of her lost pit bull and her appreciation for the Alameda Shelter that treated her and her dog so well, Katie Bell who just put an obedience title on her dog, Darbi Blencowe whose rescue just finished heartworm treatment and found her forever home, Dena Ely whose rescued pit mix started signaling when her blood pressure drops and brings her close to black-outs, Bijou Galletti, who helped fight off a BSL threat in Long Island...and on and on. Get yourself a coffee and look up "I need some good news" thread on our facebook page.

I'm so grateful for all the response and optimism that poured in. And I'm becoming convinced that the enormous collective of individuals who extend so much compassion and activism towards making things right for the dogs is as powerful, if not more powerful, than any of the work the larger organizations do. The power of intention and all that. Individuals don't bring politics or policies to their work like organizations can do...They don't worry about budgets or promotion or answering 100 emails a day. In fact, they're free to put the most amount of attention and focus on any given situation or dog without being hindered. Pure focus.

Since optimism needs regular feedings (I know mine does), I'm going to declare Wednesdays 'Good News Hump Days' on our facebook page and collect the week's happys for everyone. Then, I'm going to pull out 1-3 of those individual, rarely heard stories and expand on them with more details here on the blog every Monday morning. So please contribute - or just watch, if that suits you. Whatever you do, keep making the magic that was so very apparent in yesterday's facebook thread.

You are the change the dogs have been waiting for.

Open House - This Sunday

We're going to open our doors to Pit Ed class this Sunday, August 1st, and invite visitors who want to greet, question, stare, marvel, or just snuggle the remaining barn puppies who are still looking for homes.

Our volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the classes that will be in session during this hour. If you're thinking about volunteering yourself, this is the place to be. And if you're looking to adopt, you'll see a smorgasbord of dogs of every age, size and color from both BADRAP and Berkeley Animal Care Services. In fact, BACS is running really full right now, so if we see a couple or more adoptions from this event, we'll be doing cartwheels.

Please leave your dogs at home for this one, but bring your cameras! Sunday August 1st from 11:30-12:30. Training grounds are at Second Street and Addison in Berkeley, one block south of Berkeley Animal Care Services. Hope to see you soon!

Click on map to enlarge.

listing out warning signs - a media first?

The situation with last week's dog fatality in Concord has been unusual because of the dog owner's willingness to talk candidly on camera about the circumstances that led up to the deadly attack on his young grandson. If you've been avoiding the news, you'll be encouraged to know that the media has been dutifully reporting that one or more of his dogs had been offering "warning signs" that were ignored. It's a new day when this kind of information comes to light on the heels of such an emotionally charged story. Because some of the signs that are being listed have the potential to be misapplied to other dogs in perfectly healthy situations, we wanted to highlight them here before we move away from this sad topic.

The dogs' owner - Steven Hayashi - has admitted that one or more of his dogs killed the family chihuahua. Killing a small animal in the home is not necessarily a 'sign' that a dog is troubled or on his way to harming children. (Raise your hand if your dog ever cornered a squirrel in your yard or grabbed a gopher at the park). It does indicate however that the owner is unaware of dog behavior and has been far too lax in managing his animals. Toy sized dogs can't be expected to stay safe mixing with a group of young, pent up dogs - especially without supervision.

EDIT And, as is so often the case, more info surfaces from this tragedy: According to news sources,Mr. Hayashi later confessed that, in addition to showing aggression towards the young children in the home, his dogs had killed a pet Akita that stepped into the same garage where Jacob was killed. Things were clearly out of control in that home.

Keeping intact dogs is not necessarily a sign of an irresponsible owner. Many show and working dog homes live perfectly safe lives with multiple, well-managed, intact dogs. However, letting intact dogs run loose together and allowing accidental, unwanted litters is hugely irresponsible.

Keeping a dog in a garage is not a sign of an irresponsible owner unless the dog lives full time in the garage, away from the family. Dogs learn appropriate behaviors by interacting with people from an early age - with kids especially. The most well balanced, well socialized dogs get opportunities to spend structured time indoors as cherished members of the family..."family dogs." Keeping multiple resident dogs that are largely unsocialized to people so close to young children is terribly irresponsible. It’s also irresponsible to neglect the exercise needs of young, growing dogs. Under-exercised, under socialized, pent up dogs are not going to act like happy, trustworthy pets.

Having more than one "pit bull type dog" is not a sign of being irresponsible. A good leader can manage a bigger group of dogs and keep everybody on their best behavior. I'm having visions here of Cesar Milan walking his huge pack of dogs ... But, consider some of the dog walkers you see on the trails, or the rescuers who balance multiple dogs at home without incident. However - allowing a situation where unsocialized, pent up dogs can trigger into pack aggression is the sign of an incredibly reckless dog owner.

Pack aggression - where two or more dogs gang up and attack a victim - is not a breed specific behavior. Sadly, dog pack attacks factor into a handful of the 30 or so dog related fatalities that happen in this country each year and they can include any breed type of dog. Oberlin, Ohio just had a sad case last month involving what was reported to be several large mixed breed dogs. Even small dogs weighing less than 27 pounds have participated in killing people, according to a 1983 study "Attacks by Packs of Dogs Involving Predation On Human Beings," by Borchelt et al., published in the journal "Public Health Reports." It's not happy reading, but worth the understanding. According to the Borchelt study, "The past history of the social interactions of dogs with people in a variety of circumstances is probably an adequate predictor of whether these dogs are inclined to bite someone." In other words, if dogs aren't socialized to people properly (ie, they're kept as resident dogs in garages or yards instead of as family pets) they're more inclined to revert to unruly and sometimes dangerous pack behavior when the situation presents itself.

After a horrible fatal attack involving a pack of dogs in GA last year, Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University and an expert in pack behavior, explained that when pack mentality takes over "they do insane things that they would not do" under normal circumstances.

Again ...not a breed specific behavior. Skeptics can visit the link that shows two of the dogs involved in the GA incident. news: cnn

The ASPCA tells us that "Aggression is the most common and most serious behavior problem in dogs. It’s also the number-one reason why pet parents seek professional help from behaviorists, trainers and veterinarians."

Unfortunately, Mr. Hayashi didn't seek professional help for his troubled pack of dogs, even when he knew at least one dog (Kiwi) was - his description - "aggressive." If only we could go back in time and find a way to red flag him about the warning signs that were spelling disaster in his home. In memory of Jacob Bisbee, animal welfare advocates have an obligation and a responsibility to try even harder to bridge the gaps between communities so we can be the resource inexperienced dog owners and their families need us to be.

More info on warning signs and behaviors that warrant quick, proactive solutions listed here on the ASPCA's website

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For More Reading

Brent Toellner's blog - KC Dog Blog - is always a good source for the nitty gritty on dog bites and fatalities.

Malcolm Gladwell's article from the New Yorker on breed profiling. Troublemakers

The Pit Bull Placebo in a free downloadable PDF from the National Canine Research Council.

four days after

This past Sunday, underneath more than three hundred headlines that outline a Concord tragedy and suggest pit bulls are dangerous, dozens of families owning pit bulls gathered for class, as they do every weekend. We tell stories about our dogs, laugh, hug each other's pets. Many shrug off the bad news, knowing that news fades with the seasons. All are anxious to get on with the day ... A cruelty survivor from Oakland finds a new home today. He yodels across the parking lot for his absent foster mom, but his hopeful adopter soothes him by scritching his scrawny red teenage chest ... A homeless dog arrives with his overwhelmed rescuer for an evaluation. Everyone tugs at his floppy ears and chuckles at his big luggy head. We make plans to give him a safety net ... A single mom comes back for her third lesson. Her once-willful dog falls into line today. Her father videos them both, smiling ... A shelter volunteer announces her progeny's good luck: Mercedes scored and will be in class next week with her brand new adopter, ready to learn ... A new foster home laments her project dog's first week of relentless barking. We commiserate on the trials of fostering ... One of the instructors winces at the pain in her back; a work injury that's still raw. She pushes on through and rallies 12 handlers into formation. "Remember to use your dog's name!" ... An approved applicant announces that they broke their discriminatory lease and signed on with a new rental. "Screw you landlord. My dog is family." They get ready to bring their new puppy home and we sort out the details ... Off in East Oakland, five people gather to distribute fliers that advertise a free shots fair to low income homes. A random woman rants at a BR volunteer: "Didn't you hear about that little boy? All pit bulls should be killed!" The volunteer shrugs it off and marches past house after foreclosed house, looking for pit bull owners that need resources and help. It's not until she gets home to her dogs that those hateful words sink in. We type out our day on our message board, check emails, smile at news from pit bull friends around the country, pull our snoring dogs into bed and fall asleep, tired, but content. Life carries on - Yes it does.

The media has a field day

"Having dogs is my fault. That is my burden I will carry for the rest of my life," Hayashi said. "It's my responsibility to make sure things like this (do) not happen." Source San Jose Mercury News.

The step-grandfather of young dog attack victim Jacob Bisbee has admitted fault and acknowledges that he knew at least one of his dogs was aggressive. He explained that he wouldn't allow the children around the dogs without supervision. He's cooperating with authorities and is behind bars today, facing two felony charges.

Meanwhile - as of 9am Friday morning - over 263 news sources have grabbed onto the story of the Concord boy's death.

We're reminded of NCRC's work tracking media reporting on dog attacks. From their most recent hand out on Media Reporting:

Consider the extreme differences in the media reporting of four separate fatal dog attacks in 2008

December 2008

An Arizona woman was killed by one or two dogs identified by authorities to be Labrador retrievers. One local newspaper published an article following the discovery of her body.

A California man was attacked and killed by one or two dogs that the media identified as his grandson’s pit bulls.
This incident was reported by at least 285 media outlets, both nationally (in 47 U.S. states) and internationally (in 8 other countries). MSNBC, Forbes, USA Today, Fox News, CBS News, and ABC News all picked up the story. (One dog was later reported to be a mastiff-pit bull mix)

September 2008

A New Jersey infant was killed by a dog reported to be a Siberian Husky.
The incident was reported only in the local media, in approximately a dozen articles. All reports described the incident as an unfortunate accident. The infant was reported to have been simply “bitten” by the dog. The dog was described as “non aggressive.” One headline read “Dog that killed infant only intended to be playful.”

A Nevada infant was killed by two dogs reported to be pit bulls.
More than 200 outlets around the world reported this incident, most with the words “pit bull” in the headline. Television news reports and a recording of the 911 call are still available online. Stock photos of pit bulls baring their teeth illustrated many of the newspaper accounts. All articles reported the dogs to be “vicious,” and/or “aggressive.” The dogs were reported to have either “burst,” “barged,” “forced,” or “broke” into the home from the backyard, in order to “maul” the infant. (One month later officials revealed that the dogs had gained entry into the home after one dog, “used a paw to open the living room sliding door.”

And here we go again.

Our hearts go out to the family of Jacob Bisbee. Not only for this horrible loss, but for the exploitation that is taking place right now as this boy's sad story is jetted around the world in hundreds of news stories.

Concord tragedy - The phones are ringing

The media is reporting that a toddler was killed by three dogs in Concord, CA today. While a grieving family is obviously in the middle of shock, the reporters - who flock to tragedy especially when it involves a dog - are hot to push headlines out there faster than their evening competition. That leaves little to no time for gathering facts.

As you can imagine, our phones are lighting up. A breathy reporter just left a message on my voice mail; she needs a quote from "the pit bull people" FAST because she's on a deadline. Some reporters expect us to defend the dogs, or apologize for them when a dog that looks like our pets hurts a child. We tend to disappoint reporters a lot.

It's not reasonable or wise to comment on dog-related cases while investigators are still trying to decipher who/what/why. Some things we do know: The media is not a reliable source of information on dog breeds or the circumstances surrounding dog attacks. And since stories change constantly, what seems apparent today will have shifted ten times by next week.

We do know that any large dog that acts scary is considered a pit bull by many, especially those in the media. We do know the media has a bevy of snarly toothed graphics in their image files (that may or may not be pit bulls) that they attach to their stories, as if to confirm our worst predator phobias. The media will try very hard to sharpen our fear with this story. We do know that those of us who own dogs that look like pit bulls will be pressed to explain this situation to people who do not support you for owning a pit bull.

My advice: Don't.

The dogs in this situation may or may not be pit bulls or pit bull type dogs. But in the end - the breed type is irrelevant. A little boy is dead today because something went terribly wrong in his home, probably, a number of things went wrong all at once. We may never know all the details, but we do know that tens of thousands of families in the SF bay area love and enjoy dogs, including pit bulls, as cherished family members without incident ... Which is why it's especially shocking when we hear about a tragedy.

We challenge the SF bay area reporters and others to think, to question what can be learned from this incident rather than who or what we can blame.

No doubt this will play out for days or weeks as pertinent info and analysis come streaming in. Take a breath. Say a prayer.

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Critical Thinkers

The National Canine Research Council has been teaching all of us how to ask better questions when dog related incidents come into view.

Some questions we'll be asking as this case unfolds... Were the Concord dogs family dogs or resident dogs. And what's the difference?

Thank you NCRC. We have a lot to learn from your good presence of mind.

EDIT: News sources are reporting that the dogs' owner was arrested today and charged on suspicion of felony child endangerment and possession of mischievous animals that result in death. We commend the authorities for the quick action that lead to this arrest. The name of the victim has also been released. Rest in peace, Jacob Bisbee.

Independence Day Celebrated

One year ago today, these two dogs were removed from their chains by a variety of orgs including the Humane Society of Missouri, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and the HSUS and shuffled to safe shelters in what's been called the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history. What a difference a year makes.

To celebrate their Independence Day, we popped a bottle of champagne in the heat of the day after Pit Ed class on Saturday and choked back tears while their new families of two of these survivors signed final adoption papers. "Thank you adopters for being there to give these dogs a home." What would we do without you?

There are dogs all over the country from this bust celebrating their Independence Day today ... maybe some in your circles. If so, we salute them (and you!) for mucking through one hell of a summer last year and for getting the dogs to a safe home or - in many cases - a gentle death in the arms of a friend.

You may have read about Oklahoma Daisy's new people. We were jumping up and down when longtime pit bull advocates Jeanne and Neil brought her home, but behind the scenes, a quieter adoption was going on. Beautiful, sporty, ever-ready-to-party girl 'Mikey' is a survivor from the same bust and she found herself at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, where we met her along with 33 other dogs. She came to us several months ago but has been sorta hidden in the background while we lined up the next phase of her life. A true working dog, Mikey was in need of a real job in order to channel her limitless enthusiasm and drive.


We were thrilled when she was accepted into a police-run bomb detection training program but disappointed when her training class was canceled. That turned out to be big happy for her new person - Sara Scott. Sara has been getting deep into dog training and wanted to challenge herself with a working dog, when - Voila! - the ever-ready Mikey showed up needing a spot. It didn't take much to figure out that Mikey's detection training delay was Sara's green light to enter a new sport. Mikey is now Sara's official sidekick and is being trained for ring sports -- an obedience-based protection sport that doesn't typically utilize pit bulls, but this wild child's got way too much talent to deny. Go Mikey, Go Sara!

We also clinked our plastic champagne glasses over the full adoption of the tender Brutus (below left), one of the handful of survivors from a cruelty case in Oakland this past spring. It was originally announced that all the dogs from this bust were going to be destroyed, but the four arms of this foster home-turned adopters flew up in the air so fast that Brutus was out of harm's way in no time flat. Now a teenager, Brutus lives with diehards Catherine and Brett and his beloved Tulip - the apple of his eye. Independence Day - yes. Welcome home dear Brutus.

We also want to acknowledge the dogs that were saved from torture but who didn't find their forever homes. They were undoubtedly relieved to leave the difficult lives they endured before July 8, 2009. Violet, Freddy, Messy, Jimmy ... Sent here from the Humane Society of Missouri after their release from ... well, it's a long story. You were too broken to help but we embraced you til the end. Edison with your badly deformed knees...You broke our hearts. And the two overwhelmed males who we regret did not receive names.

Recognizing them today as well as the many dogs in Iowa who we could not save but who won our hearts ...

Dede, Fonzie, Hag, Harry, Johnny, Joy, Kenney, Liquer, Porter, Smiling Suzie Q, Sunshine, Thermite, Trooper, Tucker, T-Roy, Balto, Bootie, Carrie, CW, 'D,' Angel, Dusty, Jackson, Reggie, Rosie, Whitney. You're imprinted on our souls, sweet darlings.

And to Snuggle Bear .. who made it to California for a compassion hold and many tears during her good-bye. Forever Independent.






With hundreds rescued, there are so many more dogs to list who are celebrating freedom today, both in our corners and in homes throughout the country. Please list your dogs here in the comments with a link if you have one so we can give them a proper tip of the hat. You know who you are, and we thank you!

mmm ... summer

Happy Holiday weekend to all the beautiful bulldogs and their people. Keep it safe, y'all!

PETA - Proud? Blog response to a Yelper from the Pride Parade

We're not sure whether it was tragic coincidence or divine opportunity that a float full of Peta members was positioned just ahead of us at the Pride Parade last weekend. They were having a hella good time, seemingly unaware that they were being followed (.. stalked ..?) by 22 pit bulls in top hats and taffeta ... all of them dogs that Peta would've dutifully killed had they got their hands on them first.

Our faithful homies couldn't pass up the chance to say hello and introduce two former Vick dogs to Peta, so once the parade was over, Tim Racer and Letti de Little scooped Jonny Justice and Uba up in their arms to go have themselves a talk with the peaceful vegans who love animals.

It started as a little info-chat: Many Peta supporters are still unaware that their org wanted all the Vick dogs killed or that Ingrid and her crew have been calling for the a ban on pit bulls since Jan, 2000 (Newkirk: "People who genuinely care about dogs won't be affected by a ban on pits"). And most have no idea that Peta recommends death to all sheltered pit bulls over adoption to caring families. Straight from the horse's mouth on banning the breed and on auto-death for sheltered pit bulls.

Yes, they're kookie, but you gotta give Peta supporters a chance to come out of the fog. Peta's own euth number can help with that... The org doesn't discriminate by breed when it kills, and routinely destroys most every homeless dog or cat that lands in their laps as a matter of course. ... 95% of their intake destroyed in 2008 alone.

The Center for Consumer Freedom is on to them. From one of their press releases: "According to public records from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, PETA killed 2,124 pets last year and placed only seven in adoptive homes....Despite having a $32 million budget, PETA does not operate an adoption shelter. PETA employees make no discernible effort to find homes for the thousands of pets they kill every year. Last year, the Center for Consumer Freedom petitioned Virginia’s State Veterinarian to reclassify PETA as a slaughterhouse."

The post-parade exchange on Market Street stayed closer to the topic at hand: Uba and Jonny. In addition to being former shelter dogs, these boys are on Peta's double-death hit list for coming from a fight bust. Despite what everyone has learned about bust dogs, Peta still maintains that it's kinder to destroy them all after they're seized in raids - no matter how adoptable they may be. (Criminal mugshots below compliments of Mark Rogers and Pet Food Express)

With these two dogs in their arms, Tim and Letti both asked the blonde haired card-carrying Peta Rep, "Do you still think these dogs should be dead?"

Apparently this question sparked an emotional response from the Rep, who delivered a rousing rendition of Peta's anti-pit bull stance, peppered with colorful profanities. I'm sure it was one of her finer moments and only regret that I wasn't there to witness or record the occasion of the peaceable girl elaborating on why Jonny and Uba should be dead. (I was off soothing my own pit bull Sally, who was cringing at the sound of a hundred balloons popping as a nearby float was taken apart.)

According to the Peta rep's tirade, Jonny and Uba stole good homes from other needy dogs, so Tim and Letti should just learn to accept death for pit bulls and Save the Poodles. Or something like that. (We're still not clear on that)

Like any sane pet owner, Tim and Letti disagreed and stood steady, which shook up the Peta girl. They were each holding parade-worn pit bulls after all ... who knew what they could do with them? So she called for a security guy to save her from the terrible distress of looking two former victims of cruelty in the eye. Needless to say, it wasn't a productive conversation.

ANYWAY - a member from this Pride contingent was still angry when he got home from the parade and fired off a particularly snarky review about BR on Yelp. Oh the shame. He said ...

"I never really thought about this group one way or the other until I witnessed their hostile, ignorant and hypocritical tactics first hand .... Our group was East Bay Animal Advocates, and we were promoting vegetarianism as our mission in the parade. Every single member of our group is an animal lover, and we spend countless hours advocating for the rights of animals. We asked them to leave, offered contact information for them to contact us at a more appropriate time, but they refused to leave and attempted to escalate a conflict. {My note: Remember, they were carrying pit bulls!} Only when a security officer from the event told them to move on, did they leave.

They seem to be vehemently opposed to any euthanasia of pit bulls in shelters, but have absolutely no answer to what we as a society are supposed to do with the 7 million unfortunate dogs who enter shelters every year. No kill shelters are great, as long as you are willing to accept any dog who needs your care, which of course if impossible given the irresponsibility of those who don't spay and neuter their animals". - Jeff H.

Apparently "the answer" is easy EBAA. According to Peta ... You just gotta skip the adoption thing, and kill them all. No muss, no fuss.

BADRAP, as most know, is not a no-kill organization. We're just trying to save a few good dogs, man.

I'm sure you're a very nice person - Jeff H. of the East Bay Animal Advocates - but we have to question the decision to host Peta on your float, as they clearly have no business marching in an event that celebrates compassion and equality for all. Victims of cruelty including pit bulls need strong advocates to ensure that they aren't victimized twice by organizations who pose as good guys.

We will continue to bring Peta's unforgivable stance on pit bulls to people's attention whenever and wherever Peta makes a public appearance - without editing and certainly without apology.

Yelp this.

(By the way, Yelp only allows 600 character responses to reviews. Viva blogs.)

For other viewpoints and info, Google "Peta kills" and watch what comes up. Also, read this blogpost about an earlier exchange with Peta ... "Let's have a dog party. Pit bulls not invited."

EDIT: The post from the East Bay Animal Advocates came down from our Yelp page shortly after we launched this post. Which is unfortunate! ... We welcome discussion about issues that affect the lives of pit bulls, even when discussion gets heated and messy.

Pride 2010!

There's just no such thing as a bad day at the SF Pride Parade. Here's a peek at what it looks like when you're marching 22 pit bulls in front of thousands of cheering, happy, proud-to-support-you people. Nirvana!

Look who's celebrating her Alive Day

Today is Elfaba's Alive Day. The term first came from disabled Iraq war veterans who celebrate the day they came close to death (HBO Documentary: Alive Day) Once known as 'Toes,' this senior had a seizure in the lobby of Oakland Animal Services, and was slated for euthanasia just one year ago today. We took her in as a compassion hold, and had the idea she wasn't going to be around for long. Well, she's certainly showing her age, but she hasn't really slowed down much. She's living a happy and pampered life with her foster mom Sara Woods. We celebrate every day that Elfaba is still with us, and I think she does too. Happy Alive Day, little girl. We're so glad you're still here.

Behind the names: the muses of the contest winners revealed

Behind every supporter seems to be a great dog (or more), so on the heels of our naming contest, I present you with photos of the muses who fuel the good deeds of their people.

Susan Cava (right) named the mama dog - "Eva Peace."

Some of you might recognize her as NYCKitten on the message boards. She has the rescue vibe going strong and is shown with one of her group's (Rescuzilla's) foster dogs. Deacon just got adopted to an awesome guy - a truck driver who takes him everywhere. Well done Susan and Rescuzilla!

Sheri Cardo's girl Sally whispered puppy Rosalie's rightful name in her ear, and then went one step further and suggested that they both foster her home at home.

Nice work, Miss Sally!

Alyssa Carolla named Ferdinand. Her sexy boy Primo came from NYACC and is now living the high life in Manhattan.

She told us. "The macho name doesn't suit him well at all, but we think it's really funny and often take to calling him Primo-donna, as he's a bit of a wimpy princess. We just celebrated his fourth "birthday" by passing the CGC." Congrats to you both and thanks for naming our gentle bull, Ferninand.

Lissa Stiles (whose handle is 'dogcat' when she posts comments) lives in NC and said that she was surprised that Ken chose 'Hypatia' for a pup since it's off the beaten path.

She explained, "It was the picture of her staring at the sky in the slideshow that did it. Hypatia was also an astronomer, as were most of the philospher/mathemeticians in ancient times. That she was persecuted and ultimately murdered by an ignorant, fearful-of-educated-women, unwashed Christian mob I was hoping no-one really knew, but I guess the persecution part is fitting for our lovely, misunderstood breed." Indeed.

This is her girl ChiliPepper, who's caught in what she calls "the head lock of love." - LOL!

How much do we love this dog? Lisa Wolverton's girl inspired the name Sanjay for the boy runt. A fitting name, fer sure.

Lisa lives in Oregon and says, "My dog's name isn't Sanjay, alas. It's Wendy and she's a Heinz-57 pound-dog.Thanks for all that you and Ken do for pit bulls and for American who need to be better educated about them." Thank you Lisa. We couldn't lift a finger without dogs like Wendy prodding their people to support the underlings.

It was fun to see a BR alum win the name contest by naming 'Pepper.'

It was Andrea Vu Chasko, who adopted Bailey - a hurricane katrina refuge. Andrea's girl inspired this poster, which celebrates shelter dogs. She hopscotched from storm victim to foster dog to living life as an important helper in Andrea's classes for special needs kids. When she's not working, she's practicing the art of being a lump of love in Andrea and John's home in Massachusetts (gosh darn it you guys sure move around a lot!).

How cool that Samantha Wood's girl Lulu Belle looks just like the black and white dog that ended up with her name - Josephine.

Another coincidence: Samantha, who lives in North Carolina - told us "Maybe it's Karma or coincidence but my husband has been in N.O. since February on a work assignment and I've been challenged with raising 3 rascally pitties and 2 top cats on my own. We needed some good fortune!" Good luck with all the extra work Samantha. And thank you for taking time out of your busy day to enter this contest.

Sarah Williams' love for critters is inspired, in part, by the handsome Riley. She came up with the name Camelia - a perfect name for a flower of a dog.

Thanks again all. Ken will be sending your books out pronto and Susan's tshirt is on the way. Have a great weekend!

A dog by any other name. Barn Family names announced!

Announcing the winners of our Name the Barn Family contest. Congrats to: Alyssa Carolla, Lissa Stiles, Andrea Nguyen, Sarah Williams, Samantha Wood, Lisa Wolverton, Sheri Cardo, and (mama's name) from Susan Cava. Bravo!

Winners will each receive a copy of Ken Foster's book, Dogs I Have Met, signed by Ken and pawtographed by his boy Brando. Please contact us with your addresses and a photo of your dog. Addresses HERE


Above left: Named FERDINAND - by Alyssa Carolla - after the story of Ferdinand the Bull, a gentle giant who would would rather curl up and smell the flowers rather than fight. Our rowdy girl on the right has been named JOSEPHINE by Samantha Wood. Says contest judge Ken, "She was a founder of a school at Tulane, but who can resist thinking of the other famous Josephines: Josephine Baker, or, better yet, Josie and the Pussycats."


Above: This confident girl has been named PEPPER by Andrea Nguyen. Ken likes the name for this pup and also the connection to Pepper Anderson, everyone's favorite don't-talk-smak-to-me police woman, played by the uber-cool Angie Dickinson.

Left: This runty boy was named SANJAY by Lisa Wolverton.

Ken Foster tells us: "Sanjay - We have known several, and they have been culturally-inclined and driven to improve themselves and the community around them; we hope for the same with this little man." Nice.

Below left: This little girl is now CAMELLIA, named by Sarah Williams. From Ken: "Camellia is the name of a flowering tree...but also of a diner in New Orleans, Camellia Grill, where customers left notes on post-its for two years after Katrina, until it finally reopened in 2007."

Below right: We have ROSALIE named by Sheri Cardo. She reminds us of Rosa Parks ... This puppy is not about to give up her rightful seat on the big bus of Life!

Below: This little girl was named HYPATIA (Hi-pay-sha) by Lissa Stiles. Says Ken, "Hypatia -perhaps the first female mathematician and philosopher, Egypt, 350AD; she was persecuted by Christians. We are hoping for more philosophy, less persecution. for our Hypatia."


And the best for last. Our wonderful mama dog, below, was named EVA PEACE by Susan Cava. She says "Sula was my favorite Toni Morrison book; Sula's grandma was Eva Peace who put her leg under a train so she could get insurance $ for her kids. I have a feeling this mama dog would do the same. A tribute to Ken's Sula too."


We LOVE it Susan! Thank you. Since you named the mama, you get to choose a clothing item from our CafePress Store. Let us know what we can order for you when you send us your address!

Some other favorite name ideas that caught our eye (and just might show up attached to other BR dogs one of these days!) ... Dianne Rhodes voted for The Seven Virtues: Chastity, or Chas for short (like Chastity Bono!), Temperance, or Tempe for short (like Bones), Charity, Diligence, or Dili for short, Kindness, Patience, and Humility or Lity for short ... Terry Daniel went for high sugar names: 1. Twinkie 2. Cupcake 3. Suzy Q 4. Ding Dong 5. Gem (Donette) 6. Snoball 7. Little Debbi ... Laurel Ashley hit the B's: Bobbin, Barney, Betina, Bea, Brando, Betty, Button, and Belle for the Mom ... Jamie Cagle picked 'Polo' for a boy ... Lori Lubin's names were very cool: Tycho, Sandra Dee, Gidget, Annie, Aurora, Eliza, Holly Golightly, Fitzhug ... and Lori A Fusaro was inspired by the barn theme: Female 1- Tuli Male 1- Angus Female 2- Sussex Female 3- Holstein Male 2- Dexter Female 4- Chianina (Key-a-Nina) Female 5 Devon Mom - Jersey.

Big thanks to everyone for your creative input, including the folks at Sula. You helped us raise $2400 for the dogs' care, 10% which is going to their sweet southern cousins in New Orleans. Woot!

for Maude

We returned to Sacramento today to do a Free Shots Fair in honor of Maude, a beloved foster dog who came down with distemper shortly after leaving the Sacramento City Shelter back in March. Losing her broke our hearts, but since a simple vaccination would've prevented her death, we just had to get back and do some work.

We held the event in McClatchy Park and invited surrounding pit bull owners to join us in celebrating the dogs in Maude's name. Outside of a few adopters who live in Sac, we're relative strangers in this community. But we were welcomed warmly by hundreds and served over 150 pit bulls and pit mixes on this Sunday afternoon ... A very nice day and fantastic turn out.

Park Rangers camped out for the first hour and spied everything from a distance, but I guess the orderliness of the event was yawn-worthy, so they eventually left. The clients were - as usual - thrilled to have support and hard-to-access resources including free spay/neuter vouchers and training help.


Some beautiful faces from the day...


A few people were still in their church clothes, which made for some very sweet family photos...

How much do we love this kid? His dog took third place in an American Bully show in Fresno this weekend.

Owner pride. We know the feeling well...

Still smiling, even after standing in a long line in hot weather...

Many thanks to our diehard volunteers, to the staff of Silverado Vet Hospital, who took care of Maude when she was dieing and for staffing the vaccination table in her honor, and to amazing crew from the Sacramento Responsible Pit Bull Owners group for your assistance and good vibes.

And to Tina Vickrey! (right)... who's been trucking in to help us with east bay events for years, but lost sleep wondering if anyone would show to this event. HA!

Moral of the story: Build it and they will come.

Thank you Sacramento pit bull owners! We had a great day and look forward to coming back.