65 Pitbulls and Beagles rescued from suspected dog fight operation

"On Thanksgiving evening, firefighters from Ashland City and Pleasant View Fire Departments in Ashland City, Tennessee, were responding to a brush fire when they discovered a large number of dogs chained outside on the property.

Firefighters called Cheatham County Animal Control, who arrived and found 65 dogs – mostly Pit Bulls and Beagles - at the residence. The dogs were all without food or fresh water, needing medical attention and appeared to have been part of a suspected dog fighting operation."

[...]

"In a press release put out by Animal Rescue Corps, they indicated the dogs were all underweight with sores covering their bodies and displaying signs of internal parasites. ARC president Scotlund Haisley said, "We believe this is the largest dog fighting rescue in Tennessee history. The conditions Animal Rescue Corps found on this property are the worst I have ever seen at a dog fighting operation in my 22 year career in animal protection." "

Read the full story here. 

Unusual request for Pit Bull rehoming

From Fox 23 News:

"The two pit bull-mix puppies found nailed to Albany railroad tracks will get their happy ending after all, but you have to put in some work before you can give it to them. 

Mohawk Hudson Humane Society is still offering a $7,000 reward for information leading to the abuser's arrest, but now that Pearl and Hudson have recovered, the shelter is asking anyone interested in adopting the dogs to write 300 words on why their home is best for them.

One dog is being fitted for a prosthesis on Monday, and that night, shelter volunteers will begin sifting through the entries."

"Yes, Pit Bulls suddenly snap"

Charming piece on Life With Dogs via stubbydog on clarifying why 5 things you hear about pit bulls are 'true'.... :)

Read it here.

Edmonton, Canada, eliminates BSL laws

EDMONTON (CANADA) - An amendment has been passed at City Council which eliminates the contentious Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) from Edmonton's Animal Control Bylaw. The BSL section outlined that certain dogs were labelled "restricted" solely based on their breed. 

Animal advocates like Bilinda Wagner of the Edmonton Humane Society have argued that the bylaw is not necessary."Every dog is an individual," she told Global News earlier this month. "It's not just an aggressive gene, it's not just a breed, it's not just a look of a dog. Every dog learns what people teach it."

Read more here.

Labrador in Ontario subject to new BSL laws

"When BSL was introduced in Ontario in August of 2005, I did not worry for my dogs. After all none of them were “pit bulls”, so we weren’t affected directly by this heinous legislation.

[...]

Niki and I were calmly walking along the beachfront when we heard “Why isn’t that “pit bull” muzzled?” I turned to find little Ms. Bluehair staring hard at Niki and pointing.

[...]

“My dog?” I asked innocently. “Ma’am my dog is not a “pit bull”, she is a husky/lab cross breed.”

“I know a “pit bull” when I see one young lady!” was the old lady’s reply. “I have already called the pound, and the SPCA is coming to get your dog. You people can’t be keeping these vicious beasts around innocent citizens! Your dog will be taken from you! Good thing too, no one has any business owning one of these dogs! I’ll fix you!” She waved her cell phone at me.

[...]

It was the muzzle that changed things. No one had ever been afraid of Niki before, they would see her smiley face headed for them, and a smile would break out on their face. She is just that kind of dog, she loves everyone, and up until she was forced to wear the muzzle everyone loved her."

Read the full story here.

City Rejects Breed Ban

"One day after the latest Pitbull attack and city officials are once again rejecting calls for restrictions on certain breeds of dogs.

Rudy, a Boxer/Bloodhound cross, is back at home recovering after he was mauled by a Pitbull that escaped from a Hawkwood yard on Wednesday.

Roger Cole, Rudy's owner, beat the Pitbull with a piece of wood, but the dog wouldn't back down.

Police had to taser the dog to subdue it and then handed it over to Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services." 

[...]

"Calgarians are mixed on banning the breed but many Pitbull owners say people over-react every time there is an incident like this."

Read full article and watch video here.

Stubbydog: Getting Hit by a Car to Avoid a Dog

"Scientists say that some [...] instinctive fears are natural and hard-wired. They come from hundreds of thousands of years of experience as a prey species, when we were being hunted by lions and leopards and needed to react quickly to the sight of a snake or spider right in front of us. But we’re not equipped to respond effectively to less visible threats. So Al Gore tells you about CO2 emissions, your adrenaline doesn’t start pumping the same way it did when Jessica Kohn caught sight of that dog coming toward her.

“I just saw him and reacted,” Kohn said. “If I’d stopped to think for a moment, I’d have at least looked to see if there was traffic on the road. But I saw the dog and I panicked.” 

[...]

Some dogs may be more likely to bite than others. But it has little or nothing to do with their breed.

[...]

So, how likely are you to actually be bitten by a pit bull? With about 64 million dogs currently in the United States, there are approximately 15 to 20 dog bite fatalities per year. In other words, the risk is vanishingly small.
“Dogs can be dangerous,” said Janis Bradley, author of “Dogs Bite, but Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous.” “And they’re more dangerous to children than to adults. Not as dangerous, of course, as kitchen utensils, drapery cords, five-gallon buckets, horses or cows. Not nearly as dangerous as playground equipment, swimming pools, skateboards or bikes. They’re not as remotely as dangerous as family, friends, guns or cars.” "

Read the full article here.