Kangol's Bone

Kangol's Bone from his Aunt Ronnie

Outside Fun in the Backyard

Brayden, Kangol, and I had a blast in the yard the other day. We played with the sprinkler and the hose. Bobo Fett likes to attack the water.  Here are some videos from the other day.

Bobo Fett and Brayden

 

 

 

Love my boys!!

Legal battle surrounds Morgan County dog/Pit bull found dead in cemetary

Legal battle surrounds Morgan County dog

Updated: Jul 19, 2010 6:04 PM EDT Monday, July 19, 2010 6:04 PM EST

Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News

Morgan County - A vicious dog attack has sparked a lawsuit against the Morgan County Humane Society.

Pocket Hollow Road is normally the picture of peace, but that changed one afternoon in June.

"I heard the dogs bark. I heard somebody screaming," said Mary Leitzman. "[A woman] had blood all around her pants leg."

A month after hearing and then witnessing a brutal attack, Leitzman still can't forget.

"It made me even scared now to walk," she said. "She told me they had her on the ground and she got up on the gate."

Police say four dogs viciously attacked a woman as she walked down the street. She managed to climb a livestock fence and phone for help, until a neighbor chased them away.

"She was hysterical, hyperventilating in my car," Leitzman said.

"We do not feel the dog is safe," said Debbie Cole, Morgan County Humane Society.

The attack prompted not only an investigation by the Morgan County Humane Society, but a lawsuit by the owner of the dogs over what appears to be a question of breed.

They keep calling my dog a pit," said Loretta Pitman, the dog's owner. "She is not a pit. She is a boxer."

Of the four dogs involved in the attack, two have already been adopted out and one was euthanized. But "Ginger" remains at the center of a legal battle.

Pitman said in a phone interview that her dog wasn't involved in the attack.

"My dog was not in the original police report, was not a biter, didn't know those other dogs that were biters," she said.

Humane society officials say the issue is about behavior, not breed.

"Our problem is that it left to bite a stranger," Cole said.

The dog remains quarantined until a court can settle the argument. Leitzman doesn't want to say whether she thinks the dog should die, but after what she saw and heard, she hopes there's a peaceful solution.

A judge has put a hold on euthanizing the dog until a hearing August 13.

_____________________________________________

Something is off about this story.  So a woman is walking along, she is attacked by four dogs, yet miraculously gets up on a gate after all four dogs had her on the ground. I don’t buy it. If these dogs were so vicious how was the other woman able to just run them off? Now, if this is an ongoing case involving dogs accused of biting someone WTF would you adopt out two of the dogs, kill one, and leave one in limbo. I mean come on… Something doesn’t add up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Humane Society offers reward after pit bull found dead

The Danville Area Humane Society is offering a reward for information after a pit bull was found dead Wednesday morning in Oak Hill Cemetery.

The body of a female pit bull was discovered at 11 a.m. by Danville Public Works employees, according to a news release from Paulette Dean, director of the Danville Area Humane Society.

Animal control and the Humane Society were called to investigate the discovery.

The dog, a dark-brown pit bull at least 1 year old, was tethered to a pole with a brown extension cord linked through a wide black collar with metal studs, Dean said in the release.

A necropsy of the pit bull showed the dog was badly bruised, had puncture wounds and was shot.

The veterinarian who performed the necropsy said the dog suffered greatly, according to Dean.

The incident is being investigated as cruelty. Dean said the charges can range from a Class 1 misdemeanor or a Class 6 felony.

The Danville Area Humane Society is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

________________________________________

Another tragic ending for a pit bull; I hope karma comes back two fold for those responsible for her demise. RIP sweet pit bull!

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Kangol's Visitor

Last week Kangol, Brayden, and I had a special visitor. 

Kangol's reaction to news of a house guest

This was Kangol's reaction when he learned of our special visitor

This is Duece and he belongs to a friend of mine; she was going to board him for 2 days but I offered to keep him here because he would have had a lot for fun—and he did!

Duece is 2 years old and he is such a sweetheart!! We did the crate and rotate method with Kangol and him and it worked out very well. Kangol was a bit disconcerted, but he got over it. This was the first time Duece had ever spent the night away from his mama, but he did a great job considering!! He was hesitant of the fenced in backyard at first but finally warmed up to it. He was cracking me up chasing birds and pouncing on leaves.

Brayden fell in love with him, although he thought that Duece was his puppy, Camouflage, when he first met him. He said, “It's my Camo, it’s my puppy. My daddy brought me my puppy.” I explained this was not his puppy because she was still at his dad’s house but they did look very much alike. Brayden could not say “Duece” as it came out “Juice.” It sounds so adorable and Duece’s new nickname is now “Juice Juice.”

I was super proud of both boys for behaving while the other was in the crate. 
Kangol isn’t used to sleeping anywhere except in the bed with me so he was a little upset, but he survived. Now, he is stuck to me like superglue and my friend says that Duece won’t leave her side either. 

These dogs….  Hahaha…. Love them so much though.

Here are some pictures and some video footage of Duece’s stay and random Kangol activities. 

Kangol was stoked to find a bone that Duece left on my bed. 

It had gotten lost in the sheets; Kangol fell asleep with it in his mouth.

Sleeping with bone in his mouth

Lastly, here are some videos of Kangol riding shot gun with his mother. The music is a nice touch if you ask me. Haha...

Kangol loves his car rides and he has to be the most sturdy dog I have ever seen in a car. 

He just sits there and isn't falling all over the place or anything.

Dog Bites, Dog Left In Hot Car, and Dog Shot In the Face By a Neighbor

Dog attack victim calling for Madison Co. dangerous dog ordinance

By Trang Do - Bio | Email

HAZEL GREEN, AL (WAFF) - A Hazel Green woman is calling for a dangerous dog ordinance in Madison County after she says she was attacked by a neighbor's pitbull.

She says the dog has still not been taken because there's a protocol that needs to be followed before the dog can be taken and quarantined.

So for now, Carolyn Hopkins says she's terrified to walk around her neighborhood.

Hopkins says she and a friend were walking by a neighbor's house Tuesday night, when she says the pitbull ran off the porch and attacked her.

Hopkins was treated at Crestwood Hospital for multiple cuts and puncture wounds.

She says sheriff's deputies came out and took a report that night, but she was told animal control can't come out at night.

Hopkins says she was also told animal control has to wait on the health department before it can act.

The health department sent Hopkins a letter Thursday informing her that the dog is not up-to-date on its rabies shots.

She's calling on county leadership to pass an ordinance to protect the community from potentially dangerous dogs.

"If you're going to own a dog like this, number one, I know pitbulls that are not vicious, but they keep them penned up and they keep them chained up," she said. "A tall enough fence like in Tennessee law, I think it's six to ten feet tall fence, that's acceptable to me."

Animal control could not be reached for comment on Sunday. 

The owner of the dog was also not home to speak to WAFF 48 News.

Hopkins says she is planning to attend the next county commission meeting to see what can be done.

©2010 WAFF. All rights reserved.

_____________________________________

First, I want to say to the newspaper that published this article

a)    The vicious picture of a dog showing its teeth is unnecessary

b)   It is spelled pit bull, not pitbull

Second, I am sorry the woman was attacked and I think it is asinine that no actions have been taken t o quarantine the dog. It should be put down as it attacked a human.

Third, I want to express my disdain for the dog’s owner. Thanks for being irresponsible and allowing your dog to attack a person. You just put another nail in the coffin of this wonderful and loyal breed. I am sorry the dog was put in an inappropriate situation by being left unattended on a front porch; furthermore, the owner should be punished for not having the dog up to date on its vaccines. This person shouldn’t own a dog of any breed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dog shot in face by neighbor

by Adam Ghassemi

WOODLAND, Wash. --  A local man shot his neighbor's dog in the face after saying it went on his property and got aggressive.

The owner of the dog, Brian Morris, said that’s impossible because his Yellow Labrador  -- Ollie -- is mild-mannered and very calm.
But something happened earlier this week that's leaving Ollie with several wounds, a missing eye and in pain after suffering the shotgun blast. Three  pellets took out his left eye and wounds cover his face and body.

"You can tell it's kind of like at somewhat of an angle,” Morris said as he examined the angle of the shot gun blast to the dog. “More head on."

Morris admitted his dog got out of the Morris family's backyard July 13 and made it to a neighbor's home. That neighbor said Ollie tried to attack him while he was unloading groceries. It’s a claim that Morris said sounds nothing like his dog.

"This is the most well-mannered dog that I've ever been around,” Morris said. “It's unbelievable.  Is Ollie the type of dog that would attack a stranger? Absolutely not.  Absolutely not."

The neighbor who shot the dog, Ken Smith, didn't answer his door Saturday, but said by phone that another neighbor claimed a yellow lab got aggressive just a week prior. Smith said when Ollie showed up on his property, he shot his 12-gauge shotgun before Ollie could attack.

Morris simply can't believe it.

"If the dog is going to attack you, you think you'd go inside your house and stay there or call the sheriff or animal patrol or something, you know,” Morris said.

Morris said Ollie’s veterinarian bills are already in the thousands, but with hair expected to re-grow in just a few weeks,  Ollie should survive.

"He's a young dog,” Morris said. “They said he'll adapt well to just one eye, but I'm just glad to have him around still. He's a great dog."

Now the neighbors will have to figure out if this crosses the line – all while Ollie gets used to life without an eye.

"I'm absolutely disgusted and very upset,” Morris said.

There are no charges in this case, but Morris says he is considering getting an attorney.

_____________________________________

I question the neighbor’s story; if he was unloading groceries when the dog approached that means he would have had to have a loaded shotgun right there with him. Otherwise that means he went back inside the house to grab the gun and if that’s the case then he should have done the smart thing and stayed inside if he felt so threatened by the dog.

I feel so bad for the dog having to suffer through his injuries; however, if his owner had properly secured him and made sure he could not escape, then none of this would have happened. Responsible owners do not allow accidents to happen; they are smarter than their dog.

------------------------------------------------

Woman charged with leaving dog in hot car while she shopped
Originally published July 20, 2010
By Kate Leckie

Before she left the state of Washington to relocate to West Virginia, Cathryn Cordyack Washington had a veterinarian give her 14-year-old dog the OK to fly.

For Delta, a yellow Labrador retriever, the cross-country airplane trip wasn't a problem. It was the hot car she was left in after arriving that killed her.

According to charging documents filed in Frederick County District Court, Washington's retriever died of heart failure brought on by the stress of hyperthermia, suffered July 6 in the Costco parking lot as her owner shopped.

Returning to find Delta dead about 11:15 a.m., Washington immediately went back into Costco to return some of her purchases: a 40-pound bag of dry dog food, dog biscuits and two dog beds, according to court documents.

She told a clerk "she was returning the items because her dog had died," Animal Control Sgt. David Luckenbaugh wrote.

Alarmed, a Costco employee canvassed the parking lot and found what looked like a dead dog in a car. The temperature in Frederick that day was 104 degrees.

Costco staff dialed 911 about 12:30 p.m. The woman with the dead dog had already left.

Dispatchers notified Frederick police and county sheriff's deputies to look for a silver Chevrolet Malibu with Virginia tags.

Further, they described the heavyset woman driving to be in her 60s. She was wearing a purple sundress.

The search for the driver soon ended when a woman matching her description walked into the Animal Control Center in Frederick about 1 p.m.

The woman, identified as Washington, said she wanted to drop off a dead dog for disposal.

A temperature reading of the animal taken during a rectal exam was 110 degrees, a fatal level, a veterinarian later said.

The dog "was severely stressed as it died," the veterinarian told authorities.

Washington told animal control authorities she had no choice but to leave Delta in her car unattended. "She had to get her shopping done and there was nowhere else she could leave the dog."

A summons has been issued charging Washington, of Fairmont, W.Va., with two cruelty charges for failing to provide adequate food, water and shelter and infliction of unnecessary suffering and pain, documents state.

The misdemeanors each are punishable by 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, Animal Control Director Harold Domer said.

An Aug. 31 court date has been scheduled in District Court.

Washington could not be reached for comment.

Domer said pet owners need to be mindful of their animals at all times, but particularly when temperatures reach 85 degrees in the summer.

Pets can become distressed in the heat anywhere -- not only when they are in vehicles. Animals need access to shade and shelter, and water and food, whether they are inside or outside, he said.

_________________________________________

I do not understand how a woman could be so detached about losing her 14-year-old dog. She flies the dog all the way from Washington to the East Coast after getting the OK for the dog to fly and then just leaves her in the hot car to go buy dog food. I would like to know the time frame of this whole thing. When did she leave Washington State? How long had she been in West Virginia? Why didn’t she leave the dog at her home? This must have been an awful death for this poor dog and it is scary how the woman went about everything from returning the dog food immediately upon finding the dog dead to just nonchalantly asking AC where she could drop a dead dog off for disposal. This story sickens me; something is missing from this story. RIP Sweet Delta! I hope they make an example out of your owner.

----------------------------------------

 

Police respond to dog bite in Hannibal

HANNIBAL, MO. --  News release from the Hannibal Police Department:

The Hannibal Police Department, Animal Control is investigating a report of an alleged dog bite in the 1600 Block of Fulton Saturday. The Hannibal Police Department were notified at approximately 3 p.m. of an alleged dog bite that had occurred inside a residence. Animal Control responded and located a 27-year old Hannibal female had sustained injuries as a result of an alleged dog bite. Marion County Ambulance was summoned to treat the female who had injuries to an arm as well as injuries to her face.

As the female was receiving treatment and officers were investigating the alleged bite it was found that the dog had been confined in a room inside the house. Hannibal Police Officers were called to assist in taking the animal into custody. Animal Control assisted by Hannibal Police were able to capture the animal, which was aggressive toward officers. In order to capture the dog officers had to use a tranquilizer gun as well as a tazer. After a short time the dog was able to be controlled by the use of a catch pole and taken to the NEMO Humane Society. The dog sustained minor injury. No other persons were injured during the capture.

The female was transported to Hannibal Regional Hospital where she received treatment for her injuries. The Hannibal Police Department is currently investigating the dog bite and is seeking the owner of the dog reference to pending charges. The victim of the dog bite was temporarily staying at the residence were the bite occurred and that residence is the residence of the dog.

_________________________________

Do you know what I like about this dog bite report? It does not identify any breed of dog; it strictly refers to the incident as an alleged dog bite by a dog. Granted it is a copy of the police report but I wish that all media reports on dog bites looked something like this. It would greatly reduce the hype surrounding not only pit bulls but other breeds as well.

Pit Bull parents and seven pups living on golf course in LA are saved by Karma Rescue--VIDEO

Golf is a popular pastime, even with our four-legged friends.

It seems that for more than a year, an entire family of Pit Bull terriers has been living in the lush surroundings of a golf course near South Central Los Angeles. Mom, dad and seven puppies. One might think this story would follow the lines of other Pit Bull-themed media reports—dogs go on rampage, dogs snarl at golfer, dogs chase golf carts down the green.

Nope. Not here. Not at all. In fact, the case of the Golf Course Family is proof that Pits, for as bad a rap as they often get, are very, very often kind, forgiving, compassionate creatures so ready to be loved. Doubt it? Check out the videos below.

Karma.Rescue.Golf.Course.puppies from Carmen Bosley on Vimeo.

This family of Pits lived quietly on the golf course, hiding most of the time and rummaging through trash. The staff at the course would provide food from time to time, and the golfers kept quiet about the tenants. No one wanted the dogs hauled away by animal control, especially after the babies were discovered.

That's when Karma Rescue in Los Angeles stepped in. A few weeks ago, the group got a call alerting volunteers to the dogs' existence, and a plea for help was issued. Since the pups were basically feral (they'd never been touched by or positively exposed to humans before), it was imperative they were caught as soon as possible so they could have a great chance at a normal life.

The area the dogs called home was extremely dense, almost wooded. Many nooks and crannies existed for the dogs to hide. But Leslie and others at Karma persisted, traipsing through the brush and trees in search of the dogs.

"I caught the first one, Kathy, because I stumbled on the parents and puppies sleeping in the sun, and I managed to grab her before the rest disappeared into the woods."

The first thing Leslie noticed was how gorgeous the puppy was. The second? She was blind in one eye. Quickly after Kathy was safe, Leslie found another pup, Healthcliff.

"They both screamed like banshees when they were caught," he said.

But quickly, the pair settled and calmed. The next day, more volunteers congregated at the course. The doggie parents—a small brown and white Pit mix and a blue/brindle Pit mix—ran from rescuers, and the search-and-rescue mission became more difficult. But after a few hours of digging through the brush, the volunteers spotted more puppies hiding under a log. Nike, Pixie, Tess and Brandon came out screaming, but safe.

On Day 3 of the mission, Leslie ventured out to the course again and got the last pup, Twitch, as he sunbathed. All pups went into foster care at Leslie's house. Then, things slowed down. Karma rescuers didn't want to get the parents if there were still pups out there. So observation began. Once it was determined all pups had been rescued, humane traps were set up for the parents. First in, the dad. Chester, followed the next day by mom Birdie, the petite brown Pit. (See the video below for the heartbreaking separation of the two, and then the amazing reunion.)

"The parents are actually great," said Leslie.  "[Chester] was very hungry, but he didn't try to bite or escape.  I took him home and gave him a bath, and he has been lying on my couch ever since.  He seems like a very mellow, laid-back dude"

Birdie, while more nervous than Chester, allowed Leslie to put a leash on her and carry her to his car. Not a single problem. Once home, she completely blossomed.

Golf.Course.Rescue.Full.V.2 from Carmen Bosley on Vimeo.

"She was reunited with Chester, although I'm keeping them separate for now because neither of them is fixed," Leslie said . "She is nervous, but extremely friendly, and constantly wants to get in my lap. I think both parents are very adoptable."

Although they've both had tough lives, Leslie says the dogs are very resilient and really like being around people. In fact, they readily accepted handling and seemed to immediately crave affection from humans. Who knows when—if ever—these dogs experienced kindness at the hands of people? But despite being scared, inexperienced and unsure, they didn't bark, raise a lip or growl at the Karma rescuers. In the video, the bathtub scenes are heartbreakingly sweet.

"If this wasn't a Pit Bull, I wouldn't be doing this," said Leslie as he lifted Birdie into the shower and held her under the nozzle to wash off the soap and hundreds of fleas feasting on her.

"Many people think that adult rescue-dogs will most likely have issues, but I find them to be the best dogs because they are so appreciative of having permanent families," he said.  "It often takes a couple of weeks to get a true picture of a dog's personality, but because they have adapted so quickly, I think Chester and Birdie will be ready for new homes very soon.  They are also both beautiful dogs, which doesn't hurt."

The puppies, too, are ready for new homes. In fact, six have been adopted, with an application pending on No. 7. Kathy, the first one rescued, needs to have her eye surgery before she can go home, and Karma is busy raising funds to help her get off to a great start in life.

Karma Rescue is hard at work finding funding to help not only with Kathy's surgery, but with Chester's as well. He has an eye condition where his eyelashes and lids are basically inside-out. It can be fixed, but it will require surgery. Also, all the dogs need to be vaccinated and sterilized, and Chester and Birdie need funding for boarding costs until they find forever homes. A target of $5,000 is sought, and more than $1,500 has so far been received.

According to Karma Rescue's website: "Scared, homeless, hungry and pregnant is where Birdie started this journey with Chester by her side. Now, thanks to the help of many selfless and kindhearted individuals, Birdie, Chester and their family will now get to experience the joys that life has to offer."