A dear friend of mine who works tirelessly to save and help pit bulls sent this to me and it just broke my heart. Pictured here is her rescued pit bull, Precious Michelle.

For the Pit Bulls

Can you help me? He begs with his soulful brown eyes
There’s nowhere for you to go She says as she cries

Can you save me? She begs with her beautiful face
There’s nowhere left You’re another hopeless case

Can you make room for me? He begs as he stares
I can’t find a place The end of the road glares

We’re fighting the fight as hard as we can
We’re fighting for you But we’re up against the ban

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Possibly, if Ohio State Representative Tyrone Yates gets his way. Yates has introduced legislation that would make it illegal to even own a pitbull type breed of dog in the state. And if the legislation, H.B. 568, passes, Ohio pitbull owners would have 90 days to surrender their dogs and the dogs would be euthanized, read “killed”, within ten days of being surrendered. Not only that, this bill would actually give a dog warden or other officer that has probable cause to believe a person has a dog that is a pit bull dog, the ability to apply search warrant. With the search warrant the officer will have the authority to seize the pit bull dog and surrender it to the dog warden to be killed.

Currently in Ohio, pitbull are defined as ‘vicious’ dogs regardless of their temperament but their is no ban on owning them and this law has been upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Another bill currently under consideration, H.B. 366, would change the wording of Ohio’s current ‘dangerous’ or ‘vicious’ dog designation, taking pitbulls out unless they actually were dangerous or vicious rather then just because of the breed. It could reduce the spread of BSL throughout Ohio if state law does not define a pit bull as automatically “vicious” because of its breed. As with most legislation, it’s not perfect but a step in the right direction.

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Damn all irresponsible and stupid dog owners!! You’ve done it again! A breed specific legislation ban has been passed in Livingston County, MI.

Pitbull breeds, which tend to be the highest population in many shelters county wide will no longer be adopted out in Livingston County, they will be killed!

Because of two incidents where two people were mauled in Iosco Township last September, the director of the Livingston County Animal Control has been working for stricter laws for “bully breed” dogs.

“If I did nothing, I couldn’t look at myself in the morning,” Anne Burns, director of the Livingston County Animal Control, said.

Burns proposed a policy which discontinues adoptions of Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs, Pit Bull Terriers, and American Pitt Bull Terriers from the shelter.

“I’m not banning pit bulls by any means,” Burns said. “I’m just not going to adopt them out to the community that could be a potential for extreme harm.”

Although residents packed the the meeting last nite and owners with bully breed dogs lined up outside to show how social and friendly the dogs could be, the County Board of Commissioners passed the new legislation.

Not only will pitbulls not have a chance of adoption in Livingston County, if they’re found wandering loose and taken to the pound, dogs without and ID would be killed in four days. Dogs with ID would have seven days and their owners would face fines and possibly even criminal prosecution for having a dog at large.

Under the new rule, any stray, unlicensed dog considered dangerous or a bully breed that is picked up or surrendered to animal control faces possible euthanization. If it does not have a “collar, license, MDA tattoo or other evidence of ownership,” the dog will be held for the state-mandated period of four days, “or seven days, with evidence of ownership,” the resolution states. If not claimed by the owner, who must show proof of ownership and pay the required fees, the dog will then be euthanized.

Breeds affected by the new rule include pit bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American bulldogs, mixes, or any aggressive dogs. The resolution defines an aggressive dog as one which has an “observed or historical behavior that makes the animal a danger to the health and safety of people or other animal(s).” (MLive)

BSL in Livingston County, MI - Pitbull Adoption Ban The new ban will go into effect immediately. Burns says at this time there are no ‘bully breed’ dogs in the shelter and although she has not counted up the animals that come in by breed, she estimates that 5 percent or fewer of the dogs that come in qualify as a “bully breed” or “aggressive dog” as defined in the policy.

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There are a thousand pit bull faces in my mind. I have never seen a fighter.

I have seen a puppy chained to a post, left for years, while a collar grows into her neck. I have seen that dog lick the vet tech as he pulls back the infected skin from the wound. I have seen that dog, quivering, start to play with other dogs, learn to love people. I have seen that dog find a home.

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Now, I don’t generally do cartoons but a friend sent these along to me today and I just couldn’t resist sharing them. They illustrate so clearly the myth and realities of pit bull lore. Gotta applaud ‘Over the Hedge‘ for this one!! Thank you!

Comics copyright of UnitedMedia - hope they don’t mind me showing them, these are just too excellent not to share!!

Pennsylvania appeals court earlier this week tossed out an ordinance in Reading that placed restrictions on dogs based on their breed; pit bull and others. The reasoning is that the Pennsylvania state law pre-empts the Reading law.

The divided Commonwealth Court decision sided with two pit bull owners who have fought the city’s dog law for nearly eight years.

Reading’s ordinance defined aggressive dogs as those that are, at least partly, of a breed that accounted for 40 percent or more of dog bite incidents in the city during the prior year.

“The absurdity was that dangerous dog breeds changed from year to year, based on the dog bite statistics _ that was the crux of the lawsuit,” said Al Kauffman, attorney for plaintiffs Stacie Stankiewicz and Kenneth Steeves Sr.

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Carol and Jerry Stuckey are fighting to keep their two dogs, Harley and Diesel. Harley and Diesel and bull terriers, a breed targeted by Midwest City under their 1987 ordinance which bans ‘pit bulls’ and is aimed at 4 specific breeds; Staffordshire bull terrier, American pit bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier.

“To our city council, it’s a matter of public safety,” said Katherine Bolles, city attorney for this suburb just east of Oklahoma City. “There’s anecdotal evidence again and again that pit bulls and bull terriers are just a different breed of dog.

“While other dogs may bite more frequently, they don’t bite as viciously. Pit bulls and bull terriers will target prey they can kill, and they bite with the intention of killing their prey.”

Now, Oklahoma itself bans any breed specific ordinances but Midwest City is what is called a “home-rule charter city,” which allows it to pass ordinances that may not be in accordance with state law.

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Pit bulls are perhaps the hardest hit breeds when it come to tough luck and not of their making. If you know me and have read my site for any amount of time, you know that I and against BSL and any breed discrimination. Any breed of dog can be ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it depends on so many factors and most of those factor are based on people.

That said, I’d like to introduce you to Sir Love-a-Lot! He’s MPR’s pit bull centerfold of the month and what an incredible boy he is!

“People-dog by excellence”. How amazing that a dog who had such a hard life, still loves people with so much heart. Sir lights up when he has visitors at the kennel. Despite the scars, the rough-edge and all the baggage, Sir wins everyone’s heart in just a few seconds. He looks like a tough boy, but he is a big bundle of friendliness. Not much of a guard dog, but we bet he will be the most loyal and faithful companion anyone could ever dream of…

That said, Sir’s enthusiasm for life can be a little overwhelming for someone not used to such passion and drive. Sir needs a home with someone who will establish positive leadership and provide him with structure. He would do wonderful in a home with a privacy fence. Sir is good with kids but he loooves to play and sometimes roughhousing gets the best out of him. Again structure and leadership is all he needs to stay under control. This dog has a huge heart. He just needs to find someone who has as much heart as he does and will be a wonderful companion.

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Sadly we are seeing more and more dog bans popping us in cities and towns across the country, most notably against pit bulls but in Arkansas some people are fighting back.

Richard Venable of Lonoke, Darius Sims of Jacksonville, Phillip McCormick of Beebe, and Mike Kierry of North Little Rock, along with Responsible Owners of Arkansas Dogs, a nonprofit animal-welfare group have filed a federal lawsuit claiming the pit bull bans are unconstitutional.

Their federal lawsuit claims that the ordinances’ definitions of prohibited breeds are vague and create an undue burden on dog owners to prove a dog’s breed.

The suit says the ordinances discriminate against a certain group of people and interfere with due process by allowing property to be seized without notice, a hearing or fair compensation.

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Yes, Ruby is a pit bull. One of those dogs many claim is a vicious and dangerous dog, unpredictable and prone to attack at any time.

Well, Ruby is a certified therapy dog and not only that, she’s also received the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Animal Hall of Fame Companion Award and was recently given an achievement award from the Animal Farm Foundation in New York. And to top of this list of achievements, she’s also taken a turn on the stage in “Cheaper by the Dozen” at the Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake about a year ago.

Yeah, she’s a scary dog, look how terrified the residents of Croixdale, an independent assisted-living and memory care facility in Bayport, are. She cuddles and loves, get pets and attention and brings joy and smiles to all those the encounters. Scary, hunh?

Ruby’s life wasn’t always so idealic. When she was found as a puppy three years ago she was starving and abandoned in an empty building. Most of her fur was missing and she spent weeks recovering and recuperating before an attepmt could even be made to find her a foster home.

In come the Bettendorf’s. They hadn’t planned to add another dog to their family but after being asked three times to foster, they finally relinquished and agreed to take her for the Thanksgiving weekend. After Thanksgiving dinner, Ruby crawled onto the loveseat and fell asleep in the lap of a family guest and the rest is history.

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