Turkey Aims to Seize Every Pit Bull in the Country | Animals | Change.org

Tell Turkey: Stop Targeting Pit Bulls

Targeting: Besir Atalay (Interior Minister of Turkey)

Started by: Change.org

On June 27, 2010, the Turkish government decided to start rounding up pit bull type dogs and charging citizens who own these dogs fines of over 3,400 Turkish lira (over $2,000 USD).
The dogs will be taken from their homes and impounded. Since no shelter in the country has room for these dogs and it is illegal to own them, this means certain death for the estimated 10,000 pit bull type dogs in the country.
The government has ordered vets offices to turn in any clients with pit bull type dogs, proving that this law is targeting responsible dog owners, not the dog fighters and Turkish mafia who are the real problem. Breed bans don't work. Less than a year ago, Italy overturned their breed specific legislation because it was costly and ineffective.
Turkey needs to revise their law so it targets irresponsible dog owners, not innocent people and innocent dogs. Tell Turkey to stop killing pit bulls.
(Thanks to Jill Lee and Gulsebnem Bishop for drawing attention to this issue!)

 

 

 

Petition Text

Stop Targeting Pit Bulls

Greetings,

I am writing to urge you to stop rounding up "pit bull type" dogs in Turkey. Policies that are based on breed of dog rather than an individual dog's behavior only end up harming innocent people and innocent dogs.

A dog should not be condemned for the way he looks. Breed bans do not stop dog fighting or irresponsible owners from endangering citizens. The only way to reduce dog bites and dog-related crimes are through education and non-breed specific policies.

Many other countries, such as Italy, have found that breed bans are costly and ineffective and they've replaced their outdated breed-based laws. I urge you to do the same. Please stop killing pit bull type dogs and revise the law so that dangerous dogs - not arbitrary breeds - are targeted.

[Your name]

_________________________________________

This is very disheartening! I would be high tailing it out of Turkey. I think your “bite problem” might improve if you were to take this law and replace any word(s) relating to a pit bull with “irresponsible owner” Thugs and wimps who use pit bulls  for  intimidation  could probably care less about the no pit bull law. They will just seek a new breed to abuse and demonize, if they even acknowledge the law at all.

From My Google Alerts- June 25. 2010

A dogcatcher was attacked by a pit bull resulting in the dog being shot and killed. Three more pit bulls were taken into custody after they were rounded up from running loose. Another pit bull was chained to the porch and was taken into custody. I think they should charge the owner for the dog biting the AC officer and fine them for the loose dogs too. I hope they do not put the remaining dogs down because they didn’t bite anybody; though, they shouldn’t return to the irresponsible owner!!

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

There is no grand jury indictment in the case of Anastasia Bingham.

“According to the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, DNA testing on a pit bull found at the scene and one found beaten to death revealed the animals were not involved in the attack.”

What I thought was interesting was

Hinds County investigators said they received confidential tips that stated that there were three other pit bulls, owned by the child's relatives, that were killed and dumped in a wooded area off Saw Mill Road in rural Hinds County.

"They have not been as cooperative as they could have been and given as much information as they could have given," said Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin.

Deputies also received anonymous reports of dog fighting in the area.

It makes me think the family knows and may even own the dogs responsible for her death. They need to stop calling the dog responsible for her death a pit bull though because they do not know what type of dog even mauled her.
Her grandmother is throwing around the race card too, claiming that if she were white, they would have already charged someone. WHATEVER…
------------------------------------

This is not news in my opinion. The dog became human aggressive and the owner did the right thing.

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

A family in the UK fights to keep their beloved dog that has never done harm to anyone. These are responsible pet owners and a perfect example of why the laws in the UK need changing.

“He has never had a complaint made against him,” she said.

“He lives behind secure fencing, he is walked on a lead and he was never allowed to roam.

“After the dog warden visited me to ask about my dog licence on May 10, she reported me as having a pit bull and on May 19 dog wardens arrived at my home and took him away.

“They telephoned us later the same day and said he must be destroyed for no other reason than his legs and muzzle are a certain amount of inches long.

Sign the petition for Lennox!!

Kangol the Upside Down Catfish

Kisses for the White Animal

                                                                                                      

















Upside Down Catfish

Disturbing Bobo while he sleeps

Kangol on his Crackberry

Bloody Mary Time

From my Google Alerts- June 17, 2010

1.    A 5-year old California boy was attacked by a dog that jumped through an open window at an apartment complex. The headline says pit bull, but they have no idea what breed it is I’m sure.

2.    This ridiculous little list showed up in my Google Alerts. It was written by some lawyer and it is so ridiculous. It targets pit bulls even though the information the author is stating is standard procedure for ANY BREED of dog one encounters that could potentially bite.

Phase 1 – Common Sense and Avoidance

3. Know your physical abilities. Are you in great shape, able to actively defend yourself? Whether you are or not will greatly change how you need to prepare for the possibility of attack.

This sounds like it is preparing to send troops into battle.

Phase 3 – Self Defense

Unfortunately with pitbulls, psychology can only get you so far. These can be aggressive, unflinching animals and you may have to defend yourself. here are some good tactics.

Bears can be aggressive too. So can Canadian Geese, squirrels, snakes, and cats; hell, even birds can be aggressive. Psychology must be very helpful when dealing with an aggressive bear… There definitely should be a font for sarcasm.

3. Unarmed combat. It won’t be pretty, but there are unarmed options for handling a pitbull. When striking the animal, aim for the nose, eyes, and ears. These are all very sensitive and could help to disorient the animal. On long snouted dogs you have the option of clamping the mouth shut with your hands, but that is a bit more difficult on pitbulls. If possible and necessary, dogs can be grappled from behind and put into a standard choke hold – one arm cinched tightly under the neck with the other compressing the lock inward. one final method of attack is grabbing the legs of the animal and pulling them apart abruptly, breaking the knees.

Unarmed combat? Give me a break… Whoever wrote this crap is an idiot.

Legal Recourse

Pitbull and dog attacks can be traumatizing and lethal. it’s important to know that you aren’t alone in trying to resolve the matter and seeking professional legal counsel is highly advised.

But before you can even acquire a good attorney, here are some pieces of advice for preparing yourself.

Check out the previous line. Totally written by a lawyer.

1. Try to secure witnesses to the dog biting event.

Sure, I’ll be selling tickets at the front gate. More sarcasm…

2. Attempt to address the owners about the situation, but be prepared for complete denial of fault on the part of the dog. Remember, people will treat their animal like a family member, and will protect it as such.

Ok asshole-- watch it! If my dog ever shows any unwarranted human aggression please believe I will do what is needed; that is part of being a responsible pit bull owner. Idiots like you demonize good dogs and owners.

Here is this nice little disclaimer at the end:

Bill Hayes is owner of The Hayes Firm, a specialized personal injury attorney network designed to find the best lawyer for each individual client. Every incident is unique, and it’s important to have someone with many years of experience and an extensive network to help you find the right kind of attorney. Dog Attacks are one of Bill’s specialties and he will be able to properly guide you through the legal process and get you the help you need. Visit today and receive a free legal consultation!

____________________________________

3.     A pit bull in New Hampshire was shot and killed by a man in his backyard. He claims the pit was attacking his dog and he was saving his own dog’s life. No other real details are given; additionally, this is not news. This is media sensationalism to fuel their pit bull witch-hunt…