Pet Dies at Groomer

June 2006

 At Petco, a dog was dropped off to get a routine grooming, then put into a drying cage. When the groomer returned to retrieve the dog, the dog was dead.  There is evidence that the complaints against groomers has increased 50%.  Currently, there are no rules and regulations in the dog industry particularly in Dog Grooming.  Although there are schools that certify grooming, it is not required.  At another groomer Lick Your Chops, a dog was dropped off to get grooming and was found hung by the tether.

This industry will need regulation.  It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

Hollywood pets seek fame in court

One dog who made it onto TV… A group of Los Angeles animal lovers convinced their pets were destined for fame are launching legal action against an animal training company.The owners of Goliath the Rottweiler, Rusty the pitbull, Milo the basenji and Poopsie the Lhasa apso took their pets to Hollywood Paws in a bid for stardom. The company offers media training aimed at winning parts in films and on TV. Disgruntled owners say they paid large fees for no tangible reward, although the company says nothing is guaranteed. Goliath’s owner Rebecca Armstrong said she spotted her dog’s natural talent at an early age. Excited by his “cool” and “mellowness”, she enrolled Goliath at Hollywood Paws, run by Larry Lionetti. But she was left angry after paying out some $2,000 (£1,062) with little to show for her money – except a fleeting appearance on Tyra Banks’ TV chat show eventually cut before broadcast. “I lost a lot of money,” Ms Armstrong said. Parental pride Lawyer Cynthia Mulvihill, representing the pet owners, said the animals put in for media training were like family to their devoted owners. …and one who did not Larry Lacourciere, owner of Wallace the labrador, admitted the same thing. “He was only about six months old, and he could already do half a dozen things,” he told the Los Angeles Times, adding that his wife wanted to see their dog on TV. “Like you want to see your kid on TV. The same thing.” Mr Lionetti, who insists that some of his clients have won lucrative roles, maintains that the final say rests with producers and directors. “Everybody knows down in your town that there are actors and actresses waiting on tables until a part comes along. “Who in LA doesn’t know this?”

Methuen Looking To Crackdown On Dangerous Dogs

(CBS4) METHUEN The city of Methuen is mulling a change to its animal ordinance that would force owners of aggressive dogs to send the animals to behavioral school.

A special committee headed by City Council Chairman Stephen Zanni is mulling several proposed changes to Methuen’s dog ordinance. The goal is to better protect residents.

At first, Zanni had proposed muzzling all pit bulls but now the idea is to hold dog owners more responsible. “Alot of towns have vicious dog ordinances on its books. But nothing specifically desinged towards the owner,” said Zanni.

Zanni said that the way the city law is written now, a dog can commit two or three vicious acts before any law enforcement action is taken.

“I think we’re going to see how we can make that better, so we can attack the issue at the root, instead of the pet or the particular incident,” said Michael Keiley of Nevins Farm Animal Shelter.

An alternative to behavioral school is a more aggressive system of tracking dogs that could be deemed dangerous.

Zanni’s committee is expected to make a decision within the next month.

Mandatory Dog Training Not Required

Dogs just like kids are a direct responsibility of their parents or owners.  Punish the deed and not the breed is a common slogan by BSL fighters all over the nation.  With so much regulation that goes into child birth, child care, child education, and child development, nothing is being regulated in the dog industry.  This industry commands $34Billion per year in income.  Pet Care Services are making out like bandits.  And Pet Owners are fueling their businesses.   Mandatory Dog Training would force people to feed these dog businesses even more than they do now.  We don’t want such structure some would say.  But then again, some might say that the pet industry is out of control.  Dogs pooping everywhere, Dogs biting people, Dogs running loose causing accidents, yadda yadda yadda.  With a 12% increase every year, this problem will grow steadily.  Ethical businesses must emerge.  Ethical values must be encouraged.  Safety for people has to be addressed.  Mandatory Dog Training Not Required.  Mandatory Common Sense is.

Why Effective Dog Training Is Essential

Why Effective Dog Training Is Essential

Single bite to the upper and lower lips of a 9 y.o boy by a Dalmation.

Multiple bites to the leg of a 9 y.o. boy attacked by two pit bulls. The victim also sustain serious bites to other parts of his body.

A single bite to the face of a 10 y.o. boy causing serious injury by a mixed-breed German-shepherd.

A single bite to the hand by a 2 y.o. male English bull dog resulted in two puncture wounds (circled) to the hand of this person. The puncture on the ring finger was substantial and was probably caused by one of the upper canine teeth. The puncture on the middle finger was very slight. There were no contralateral punctures on the bottom side of this person’s hand.

Injury sustained to the right arm and breast from a series of bites by a mixed doberman.

One or possibly two crushing bites to the first finger and thumb of this person. The incident in which this injury was inflicted involved two dogs, and Akita and German shepherd. During litigation there was serious contention between parties as to which dog inflicted the injury. Behavioral analysis showed however, that most likely it was the plaintiff’s own dog, the german shepherd, which inflicted this injury.

A laceration and several punctures inflicted to the leg by a Great Dane.

The severly mutulated face of a young boy by a wolf-hybrid.

The arm of this person’s right arm was severed severly from at least two bites by a pit bull. Note the lack of puncture wounds. Instead, the bites resulted in markedly open lacerations.

The tip of the nose of this girl was severed by an Akita.

An attack to the head by a male pit bull. The circular nature of the wound is a feature found in other dog bite injuries.

Facial bite inflicted by a mixed pit bull. Incident happened when this lady bent over the dog in an attempt pet it. The circular nature of this dog bite woumd is frequently found in many bite injuries.

Facial injuries to a young girl caused by an attack from a Great dane. Note the circular nature of one of the wounds.

Bite to the right forearm by a Rottweiler and possibly one other dog. Incident happend when victim was in close proximity of two dogs engaged in a fight. Black dots show locations of puncture wounds. Exactly two inches to theleft of one of the punctures is a laceration. In this case the puncture and laceration match the distance between the upper canine teeth of the Rottweiler and not the other dog, thus positively identifying the Rottweiler as the one which inflicted the injury.

Bite to face by husky dog. Note circular nature of injury.

This man’s nose was partially severed by a Malamute.

Attack by a male pit bull to the left arm of a 10 y.o. boy. This was the only part of the victim’s body that was bitten during the attack .

Attack by a male pit bull to the right leg of a postal carrier. The victim’s shoulder and arms were also severely bitten.

Dog Trainer Puts Shock Coller on Genitals

For Immediate Release:
  September 5, 2006

  Contact:
  Stephanie Bell 757-622-7382

  Chicago, Ill. – This morning, PETA sent an urgent plea to Cook County
  Assistant State’s Attorney Ankur Srivastava urging him to
  vigorously prosecute Ami Moore, the so-called “dog
  whisperer” of Chicago’s Doggie Do Right 911, Inc. Moore
  faces charges stemming from her alleged mistreatment of dogs with
  shock devices—in violation of the manufacturer’s
  guidelines—during training sessions. Moore allegedly placed a
  shock device on one dog’s genitals, apparently in accordance
  with her “When your dog does something that you don’t
  like, then make nasty things happen for the dog” training
  premise. Moore is scheduled to face these charges in court tomorrow,
  September 6, at 9 a.m.

  “If these allegations are true, Ms. Moore violated the trust of
  her clients as well as the law,” says PETA Cruelty Caseworker
  Stephanie Bell. “The way to train dogs to behave well—as
  well as to love and respect their guardians—is not by causing
  them pain but by using positive reinforcement.”

  PETA is asking that¯if convicted and in addition to serving a
  period of incarceration—Moore be prohibited from owning or
  harboring animals and that authorities seize any animals currently in
  her custody. In addition, PETA is asking that Moore be required to
  undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory
  counseling.

  For more information, please visit HelpingAnimals.com.

  PETA’s letter to Assistant State’s Attorney Ankur
  Srivastava follows.

  September 5, 2006

  Ankur Srivastava, Assistant State’s Attorney
  Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney
  Branch 43, Misdemeanor Division
  3150 W. Flournoy St.
  Chicago, IL 60612

  Dear Mr. Srivastava:

  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the
  world’s largest animal rights organization, with more than 1.1
  million members and supporters dedicated to the protection of animals.
  This letter concerns a recent case of cruelty to animals that your
  office is handling, involving Chicago resident Ami Moore, the
  purported “dog whisperer” of Doggie Do Right 911, Inc. Moore faces
  charges stemming from her alleged recent use of electronic shock
  devices on dogs who were evidently brought to her for training. We
  understand that Moore is accused of using the shockers in manners that
  were inconsistent with their manufacturer’s guidelines; she
  reportedly strapped the devices on one dog’s genitals in an
  apparent manifestation of “When your dog does something that you
  don’t like, then make nasty things happen for the
  dog”—one of the dog-training rules professed on Moore’s
  Web site.

  We understand that Moore is scheduled to answer to these charges in
  court tomorrow, September 6, at 9 a.m.

  Mental health professionals and top law enforcement officials consider
  cruelty to animals to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric
  Association identifies cruelty to animals as one of the diagnostic
  criteria for conduct disorders, and the FBI uses reports of these
  crimes in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known
  criminals. Experts agree that it is the severity of the
  behavior—not the species of the victim—that matters.
  Abuse is abuse, whether or not it’s couched in the context of a
  “training method.”

  On behalf of our thousands of members and supporters in Illinois, we
  respectfully ask that, if convicted and in addition to serving a
  period of incarceration, Moore be required to undergo a thorough
  psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling (and anger
  management classes, if applicable) at her own expense. Because repeat
  crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers and
  given the violent nature of her alleged actions, we implore your
  office to take every measure necessary to ensure that the convicted is
  prohibited from contact with animals and to immediately seize any
  animals who may remain in her charge.

  Thank you for your diligence in this matter and for your time and
  consideration.

  Sincerely,

  Stephanie Bell, Cruelty Caseworker
  Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department

GERMAN FIGHTING DOG LAWS UPDATE

GERMAN FIGHTING DOG LAWS UPDATE: THE NAME GAME By A Special Correspondent

FACED WITH an embarassing setback over their plans to introduce Europe-wide breedspecific legislation via the European Parliament, the German Federal Government appear to have taken a new approach to the matter of getting other countries -es pecially Britain – to fall in line with their plans. It will be remembered, of course, that the canine holocaust in Germany came about due to the relentless political and media hype against so-called ‘Fighting Dogs’. By concentrating on a small number of dog attacks, caused by dogs owned by a tiny minority of irreesponsible owners, the public mood had been tainted against dogs. All that was needed now was a suitably alarming flashpoint to enable to authoroties to introduce the harsh laws and swingeing dog taxes thay had so long fought for. The flashpoint almost came in April of this year, when an 86 year-old woman was attacked and killed by a Rottweiler. But whilst there was public outrage – justified to a certain extent – it wasn’t ‘quite’ enough. However, the asvage and needless dath of six year-old Volkan Kaja, the son of Turkish immigrants, killed by two genuine, trained fighting dogs – an American Pit Bull Terrier named “Zeus” and and an American Stafford – as he innocently played in a school playground in Hamburg WAS the required flashpoint. Since then, as has been reported in OUR DOGS, there has been a consistent campaign against ordinary, law-abiding dog owners in Germany and their dogs. Whole groups of breeds are demonised, dogs have been taken from their families and destroyed, dog owners attacked in the streets by their fellow citiens, merely for owning a dog. But, as has also been reported, there has been a concerted worldwide campaign to fight back against these genocidal laws. Demontsrations have been staged, boycotts arranged, German politicians forced under the scrutiny of not just the German public, but the world at large, their actions dissected, their fragile credibility further undermined. In short, the campaigners have won many significant battles. The biggest humiliation for the German Government was, of course, their failure to secure a European law to ban three Bull breeds, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Stafford and, crucially, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. It is the inclusion of the ‘Staffie’ which has incensed British dog owners. The help of MEPs has been sought and secured, and, thanks to timely intervention by the British Kennel Club’s Press Officer Phil Buckley, the British delegataion at the crucial EU meeting at the end of September were well briefed and able to get the German request deferred. Of course, the German Government are going to try to force EU Bred Specific legislation through again, but for now, their plans have been thwarted. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the authorities have decided on a stealthier approach, one well known to lobbyists for a particular cause; the steady “Drip-Drip-Drip” of publicity, of misinformation, to impinge infoirmation upon the public subcionscious. We’de seen it before: “Tail docking is cruel mutilation.” “Fox Hunting is the barbaric sport of upperclass animal abusers.” “Microchips are the ONLY effective form of dog identification.” “Dog registration will solve all the problems of stray and dangerous dogs.” Therefore, at the beginning of October, campaigners around the world were surprised – to say the least – that any written or e-mailed enquiries to German embassies in several cities all met with a similar response. By some strange quirk, the dog which killed Volkan was NOT an American Pit Bull Terrier, it was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. One campaigner received a letter from the office of Rainer Dobblestein, Head of the Legal and Consular Department at the German Embassy in London in reply to her letter about the state-sanctioned killing of dogs in Germany. The letter, signed by Herr Dobblestein’s Deputy, Wolfgang Drautzcontained the contentious “Staffie” remark: ” There is no question of entire breeds or large numbers of dogs being destroyed in Germany, since this would represent a violation of German animal protection law. To my knowledge, only one dog was recently put down, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier which killed a child in Hamburg.” (see letter reproduced in full….) The letter was passed to OUR DOGS’ Chief Reporter Nick Mays, who duly contacted Herr Dobblestein and queried the apparent change of breed. “Yes, I too was surprised at this when I received the information from the City of Hamburg,” said Herr Dobblestein. “I queried it twice with them, but I was told that the Hamburg police had confirmed that the dog was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.” Having no reason to doubt Herr Dobblestein’s word, Mays duly sent a fax to the Press Office of the City of Hamburg and asked on wehaty basis the breed of dog had been changed from a Pit Bull to a Stafford. The very next day, an e-mail was received from Stefan Marks, Spokesman for Hamburg’s Ministry of the Interior Health Department. Herr Marks’ reply was brief and to the point: “The press office of the Ministry of the Ineterior handed your questions out to my office. I can confirm that ZEUS was a Pit Bull. The accompaning bitch was an American Staffordshire Terrier. I don´t know where different information came from.” So there it is: An official e-mail which confirms that someone, somewhere, gave false information to German Embassies around the world, to “incriminate” Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The reason can only be to use the “Drip-Driop-Drip” method to strengthen the support for a Euro-BSL ban on Staffords. However, this ploy, like others, is now dead in water – lkargely thanks to OUR DOGS’ intervention. However, it just goes to show how devious and underhand the enemy can be in their plans to ban dogs. Let all British dog owners beware. Today it was ALMOST a Staffie. Tomorrow it may be YOUR breed. After all, as the Bard of Avon said; “What’s in a Name”? And similarly, as the anti-dog lobby may say; “A dog is just a dog, isn’t it?”

In a Dog Attack, Victim will seek you for your dog’s training records

If You’ve Been the Victim of a Dog Bite or Attack

If you have suffered a dog bite-related personal injury, it is imperative that you take the following precautions. They will help you build a credible case:

• Receive appropriate medical attention and maintain copies of your records
• Talk to neighbors
• Talk to the dog’s veterinarian
• Obtain a copy of the dog’s medical history
• Investigate the scene
• Obtain obedience school records
• Obtain Animal Control records
• Obtain police reports

http://www.personalinjuryfyi.com/dog_bites.html

The Need for a Training Requirement

Dog Attack Crisis
1,000 Children are bitten every day that result in ER Room Visits
Dog bite incidents cost the US Economy $1 Billion in economic damage
836,000 emergency room trips per year
15-20 child fatalities

…The DOG POPULATION IS INCREASING 12% Every Year!  It’s not going to get better…

Society Demands a Fix

With over 235 million people in the US, there are only 44 million families that are Dog Owners.
    ratio of 3 to 2.
The safety of the majority demands elected officials to respond to this crisis
If your child is one of the 1,000 children who are bitten every single day, what would you do about it?

…thus leading to Breed Banning Legislation

Breed Banning Laws in Motion

HB4212: Introduced by Rep. Michael Tryon on December 1st, HB4212 would permit cities to regulate dogs based on their breed, effectively repealing a state law passed only two years ago that prohibits such legislation. The bill further allows an outright ban of “scheduled breeds,” defined as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, “pit bulls,” Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers and Staffordshire Terriers.

HB4213: Also sponsored by Rep. Tryon, HB4213 automatically deems the above-noted breeds vicious and requires owners of these and other dangerous dogs to maintain liability insurance. The bill further restricts the regulations for keeping these dogs, including requiring them to be muzzled and leashed whenever outside their owners’ residence, even in a fenced back-yard. Fines for violations will increase to a minimum of $1001!

SB1790: Sen. Martin Sandoval backed away from his support of this breed-specific bill early in 2005. However, he has recently stated his intent to take up the bill again, perhaps with amendments. As currently written, SB1790 would automatically deem the following breeds dangerous dogs, regardless of any prior aggressive behavior: “Pit bull,” Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chow, Great Dane, St. Bernard, Akita. Owners would be required to spay or neuter their dogs and abide by strict care conditions.

Political Damage if Breed Banning Continues

Dog Owners vs. Non-Dog Owners is 2 to 3.
Meaning 1/3 of the voting supporters are Dog Owners.
By passing harsher laws or BSL on Dog Owners splits your support
Gain 100% support by passing Mandatory Dog Training.
Mandatory Dog Training is Preventative and will bring income to the City.
Existing Laws enforce penalties AFTER THE DOG HAS ITS DONE BITING DAMAGE.
No Income is made on Dogs when BSL is passed.  Government and Society has NO economic benefit

It’s not the Breed

Largest number of dog bites reported were from Labradors
Baby Girl Killed by Family Pomeranian Dog.
The breed doesn’t matter, all dogs can bite.
It’s irresponsible people
People will dump the banned breeds into Animal Control who is already distressed and overwhelmed.

What’s the Humane and Political Solution?  Mandatory Dog Training

IIT Surveyed Dog Owners about Mandatory Dog Training

86% people expect dogs to be trained
70% support a mandatory dog training law
Illinois has 3.6 Million Dogs

Economic Advantage of Passing Mandatory Dog Training

Creation of 100,000 new dog training businesses to meet the demand for dog training
Recover $18 Million in lost revenue for unregistered dogs all without raising taxes (3.6 million dogs in Illinois)
Create income from non-compliant dog owners for both training and registration through fines
No longer splitting support between Dog Owners and Non-Dog Owners since both want this law to pass.
State will earn $36.4 Million in revenue from state taxes from these small businesses
Saving State $30 Million in uninsured damages

Properly Trained dogs do not attack
We will be able to prove the Mandatory Dog Training has reduced the 1,000 Dog Bites per day on children
 

AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day

AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day Date: 2006-09-09 Time: 10am-2pm

communityevents@akc.org