Friday, June 26, 2015

Fox News 2: II

Doing The Numbers with Huel Perkins
. . . One of the most defining moments of [Terry Hodskins'] rescue life was when Huel Perkins called after a show on the news and . . . he finally said, “Terry you are right. I cannot discriminate against 1% of the breed that does wrong verses [sic] the millions that do right.” 
* * * * * 

In all fairness, we can not be certain that Mr Perkins actually made this statement; the supposed telephone call from Mr Perkins was reported by Terry Hodskins and appeared on the Mi-PACA Facebook page, apparently keyboarded by Courtney Protz-Sanders.1

Regardless of who made the claim that only 1% of pit bulls do wrong, it is a number worth considering. Is there any truth to the claim?

According to a recent Opinion article in the Montreal Gazette,2 about one pit bull in 107 killed or seriously injured another animal. That figure may account for Ms Protz-Sanders' 1%, a number that now appears with depressing frequency in our culture.

In 2013 the neighborhood around Detroit's West Chicago and Livernois was the most dangerous neighborhood in the country.3  A person standing at the intersection has a one in seven chance of being the victim of a violent crime. To claim that only 1% of pit bulls do wrong is similar to standing on the corner of West Chicago and Livernois at one o'clock in the morning and thinking you know the city of Detroit; it's a narrow, simplified view of reality.

The article in the Gazette, by Barbara Kay, presents the other 99% of the information. According to Ms Kay,
Forty-two people in the U.S. were killed by dogs in 2014, 31 of them by pit bull type dogs, the other 11 by all breeds combined, a disproportion that remains constant over the years. Half the victims were children, and of them, 13 were killed by “beloved family pets.” In virtually every one of these “good owner” cases, it was claimed (often erroneously) that the dog had never shown any sign of aggression before.

As for animal victims of dog aggression, the toll is dramatically higher. About 30,000 pit bulls a year are involved in attacks on other animals. In 2013, about one pit bill in 107 killed or seriously injured another animal, as compared to about one dog in 50,000 of other breeds. Most of these attacks were not incited or encouraged by owners, nor were they the result of “training.” It is as natural for pit bulls to attack other animals as it is for bloodhounds to track scents and greyhounds to run fast.

Pit bulls are inherently high-risk dogs
By Barbara Kay
May 13, 2015; Montreal Gazette
* * * * * 

Mr Perkins, or Ms Protz-Sanders of Mi-PACA as the case may be, should not present 1% of the truth as if it represents the entire truth about pit bull attacks.


* * * * *
Notes:
1   Readers of SRUV are familiar with both Ms Hodskins (of Michigan Pit Bull Education Project) and Ms Protz-Sanders (of Michigan PAC for Animals).
2   Pit bulls are inherently high-risk dogs, by Barbara Kay (Montreal Gazette May 13, 2015); Ms Kay used data originally published in How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2013? (Animals 24-7; March 22, 2014).
3   Most Dangerous Neighborhoods (Huffington Post, May 22, 2013)

Primary Sources:
Mi-PACA Facebook post of December 12, 2014
   (Cached mhtml version: https://goo.gl/9d2YGN )

Other Sources:
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2013?
Animals 24-7; March 22, 2014

Pit bull bans work
by Barbara Kay
June 19, 2015; The National Post

Pit bulls are inherently high-risk dogs
By Barbara Kay
May 13, 2015; Montreal Gazette (Opinion)

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
View or download the current PDF

2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015
32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
   Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.





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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Carnival of Madness: Canada



Pit bull madness, in its fullest expression, has not yet arrived in Canada. To witness the extremes of pit bull advocacy a Canadian would have to venture south of the 49th parallel.

Those who dare to travel there may discover that extreme pit bull advocacy is not simply an animal welfare movement. It is a collective madness that crosses educational, economic, sexual, social, and political boundaries. In short, extreme pit bull advocacy is the newest battleground of the culture wars.

Canada has not yet experienced the cultural disorientation that accompanies pit bull madness, but careful observers will find signs of early onset madness in recent Canadian news.

Take, for example, the case of Loki, a pit bull with a history of aggression who eventually mauled one of his owners. On April 1st Loki's case arrived in the Kelowna courts where, predictably, the owners wanted Loki returned to their care.1

A similar but even more bizarre case occurred as April drew to a close on the other end of the country. The story of Krista Mader of Debert, NS, reads like an Oliver Sachs' case history. Ms Mader was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax where she remained for six days after being mauled by her pit bull. Many advocates of fighting breeds believe attacks are caused by irresponsible owners. Ms Mader cannot resort to that excuse; she is a responsible owner, some might say obsessively so. Ms Mader jokes that she pays more for her pet food than she does for her mortgage. So she has devised an alternate excuse: the cause of her dog's attack was poor breeding. We believe Ms Mader may be on to something.

In May Canadian animal news erupted with accounts of pit bull attacks in Calgary; for a time it seemed there were one or two attacks a day. This news came from the city that had been the showplace of BSL-free animal ordinances. The advocates of fighting breeds have been noticeably quiet.

Also in May came the bizarre account of the 14-year old girl who was sent to the hospital after being attacked by a "coyote" in a London, Ontario park. The girl was walking with her boyfriend, who happens to own a pit bull. The pit bull often accompanied the boy but, according to the boy, did not accompany the youngsters on the day of the attack. The girl was attacked from the back, and the attacking animal repeatedly bit the girl's neck and face. The police and animal control have accepted the "coyote" account, even though neither the girl nor the boy claim to have seen the animal.

Throughout these late spring, early summer weeks the now customary attacks on our more vulnerable animal companions continued. An unknown number of Canadian companion animals were attacked and killed, often while their horrified owners looked on.

Fortunately, voices of reason can still be heard in Canada. The Montreal Gazette published Pit bulls are inherently high-risk dogs (Opinion, by Barbara Kay); The Calgary Herald published Pit bull ban is logical next step (Opinion, by Naomi Lakritz); and the Alberni Valley Times published Pit bull dog breed is a danger to general public (letter, by Mia Johnson). Jesse Ferreras managed to sneak Canada, Get Rid of Pit Bulls Once and For All past the censors at Huffington Post.

There's still hope for Canada.


* * * * *
Related:
Canada (Index of posts and resources)

Forthcoming:
Nanaimo
Coast to Coast

Notes:
1   For full details of stories mentioned in this article see Sources, below.

Canada Sources:
Adopters of imported rescue dogs must consider liability
by Dr Rebecca Ledger
June 29, 2015; Vancouver Sun

Love your pit bull, but pay the price
June 26, 2015; Calgary Herald

Dogs rescued from the U.S. causing problems in B.C.: animal advocacy group
June 23, 2015; Vancouver Sun

17 bully breed dogs on 'death row' in California sent to Calgary
June 22, 2015; Calgary Herald

Wings of Rescue takes Bakersfield pit bulls to Canada
June 22, 2015; Bakersfield Now

Pit bull accused of biting 5-year-old girl won't be put down
June 19, 2015; CBC News

Pit bull bans work
by Barbara Kay
June 19, 2015; The National Post

Membertou pit bull ban working
June 17, 2015; Cape Breton Post

Pit bull dog breed is a danger to general public
by Mia Johnson
June 16, 2015; The Alberni Times

Enforcement needed for pit bull-type dogs in city
   June 16, 2015; Nanaimo Daily News

Pitbull seized after attack
June 15, 2015; Castanet Times
Her insides were all over, my two friends were covered in blood.

Use data, not anecdotes to judge pit bull problem
June 12, 2015; Nanaimo Daily News

St. Michel man and dog attacked by pit bull terrier
June 8, 2015; CRV News Montreal

Pit bulls will always be a bit of an easy target
June 2, 2015; Nanaimo Daily News (Editorial Opinion)

This is not a pit bull issue
by Rosie Mullaley
May 30, 2015; The Telegram (Montreal)

Number of incidents with pit bulls a concern
by Mia Johnson
May 30, 2015; Nanaimo Daily News

Nanaimo woman says pit bull attack caused death of small dog
May 29, 2015; Nanaimo Daily News

Central Alberta judge orders pit bulls destroyed after attack
May 28, 2015; Canadian Press

Newfoundland teen terrified by pit bull attack
by Rosie Mullaley
May 27, 2015; New Glasgow News (Pictou County, NS)
“If this wasn’t a pit bull, it would’ve been put down right away. They’re only concerned about giving (the breed) any more of a bad name than what they have now. If it was a German shepherd, a Shih Tzu or a beagle, do you think people would be coming forward fighting to keep it alive? No, they wouldn’t.
Pit bull owner charged after two attacks on teenagers
May 26, 2015; NTV

Pit bull controversy reignites after boy is mauled by two dogs
May 22, 2015; Global News

Pit bull ban is logical next step
May 20, 2015; Vancouver Sun

Paul Johnston mourning Copper killed by pit bull cross
May 19, 2015; CBC News



Owner of dog killed in attack weighs in on Calgary breed debate
May 18, 2015; MSN News

Recent dog attacks has bylaw services suggesting policy changes
May 13, 2015; 660 News

Calgary teen taken to hospital after 'pit bull-type' dog bites her legs
May 13, 2015; CBC News

Pit bulls are inherently high-risk dogs
By Barbara Kay
May 13, 2015; Montreal Gazette (Opinion)

Time to debate pit bull ban
May 13, 2015; Calgary Herald (Editorial)

Canada, Get Rid Of Pit Bulls Once And For All
By Jesse Ferreras
May 13, 2015; Huffington Post

Dog attacks in Calgary under investigation
'Aggression from animals will not be tolerated,' says animal services manager after 3 separate attacks
May 11, 2015; CBC News

Questions raised about London, Ont., coyote attack on girl, 14
May 11, 2015; Calgary Sun

Two small dogs are dead following two unrelated, but nearly “identical” attacks by two other dogs over the weekend
May 10, 2015; Calgary Herald

Debert woman mourns pet pit bull that attacked her
April 29, 2015; Chronicle Herald

Small dog fatally attacked while stunned owner holds leash
April 22, 2015; CTV News
“My dog was just laying limp on the ground and I cuddled him. Of course I started crying because I knew he was dead.”

No charges against owner whose pit bull killed therapy dog in Vancouver
April 16, 2015; Vancouver Sun

Pit bull shot by OPP after attack on mother and child in Rockland
April 13, 2015; CBC News

Kelowna judge orders pit bull destroyed after ‘savage attack’ on its owner
April 9, 2015; Edmonton Journal

Pit bull attacks nine-year-old Penticton girl
April 9, 2015; Global News

Pit bull shot after it attacks police service dog
April 8, 2015; Edmonton Journal

A Gruesome Attack by a Pitbull Lands in Kelowna Court
April 1, 2015; Kelowna Now

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
View or download the current PDF

2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015
32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
   Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.





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Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Fox News Detroit: Pit Bull News

Two Fox Luminaries Succumb


Revised: May 6, 2015; 14:28 GMT


Michigan advocates for fighting breeds circled the state capitol in Lansing on September 17, 2014. The encirclement signaled the launch of a campaign to repeal Breed Specific Legislation throughout the state. The leadoff speaker at the noon rally was Terry Hodskins, who has fostered dozens of pit bulls at her White Lake rescue facility. Program notes for the rally listed Hodskins as a "victim" of Breed Specific Legislation.1

Among the other speakers at the rally were Jon Dunn of Grand Rapids, a Senior Manager of Policy for Best Friends Animal Society, and Animal Control Officer Rachel Jensen, also of Grand Rapids. Jensen earned her 15 minutes of fame several weeks later when she participated in the protest of a memorial to victims of fatal pit bull attacks.2

The rally was co-sponsored by Mi-PACA and Hodskins' rescue organization; the Master of Ceremonies for the event was Courtney Protz-Sanders of Mi-PACA.

* * * * * 

On December 12, 2014, Mi-PACA published the annual summary of their Advocate Spotlight, a roll call honoring Michigan pit bull advocates. The honoree for August of 2014, the month prior to the anti-BSL rally, was Terry Hodskins. Among Terry's proudest moments of 2014 was
. . . the opportunity she and her dog “Diamond” had on Fox 2 news, sharing their stories and defending the breed. Diamond has made more than four appearances. One of the most defining moments of her rescue life was when Huel Perkins called after a show on the news and after fighting with him for years about the subject, he finally said, “Terry you are right. I cannot discriminate against 1% of the breed that does wrong verses [sic] the millions that do right.” The following year, Huel and Charlie Langton, who too was deathly afraid of pit bulls, looked in the camera during a taping and said, “pit bulls can make great family pets.” 
Hodskins and Courtney Protz-Sanders appeared on Fox News as early as 2008. Fox anchor Huel Perkins and Fox News Legal Analyst Charlie Langton have been unable to resist the charm offensive by the two pit bull advocates. And visiting with docile pit bulls in the studio has apparently convinced the two anchors that pit bulls make great family pets.

* * * * * 

At 4:12pm on March 6, 2015, Fox News Detroit broke the story of a domestic disturbance in Hazel Park. The lead sentence for the story follows the now conventional hero pit bull motif:
A 2-year-old pitbull is being hailed a hero after her owner says she saved her from domestic violence.
At 10:41 the following morning the hero pit bull motif was picked up by the local Oakland Press. The story was a three-sentence skeleton account cribbed from Fox TV, but it appeared under an attention-grabbing headline almost as long as the story itself:
Hero pit bull saves owner during domestic violence, faces removal from home due to city ordinance
In the following days the story spread like wildfire, with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of media outlets recounting Jaimie Kraczkowski's harrowing tale of abuse. The pit bull advocates who acted as Kraczkowski's advisors and handlers enjoyed a cozy relationship with Fox News and direct access to the anchors.

On March 6, 2015, (the day Kraczkowski called the police) Protz-Sanders was waiting for an incident that would serve as the catalyst "which could eventually see the law gone from the city,"3 and which would ultimately usher her preemption legislation through the Michigan Senate. Ms Kraczkowski's call provided that catalyst. On May 6th, after three months during which Protz-Sanders carefully ratcheted up the pressure, the Hazel Park City Council voted to revoke their Breed Specific Legislation. Charlie Langton wrote the glowing report on the Fox News web page. Protz-Sanders, with Ms Kraczkowski's timely help, had accomplished the first of her goals.

Questions persist about the accuracy of Ms Kraczkowski's story. As we now know, Kraczkowski gave different accounts to the police and to the pit bull advocates who counseled her and ultimately managed the news. Also, according to the Mi-PACA Facebook page, Ms Kraczkowski pocketed the tidy sum of $9,000 after the incident and reportedly is living with the partner who abused her.

Is Fox News Detroit suppressing news of pit bull attacks?

The urbane Fox News anchor Huel Perkins, Legal Analyst Charlie Langton, and the city of Hazel Park may have succumbed to the wiles of the pit bull ladies, but pit bulls remain in the news. In April a Grosse Pointe Farms woman was seriously injured. Later in the month an Ingram County teenager was attacked. In early May a postal carrier in Alcona County was attacked by a pit bull.

Three days after Hazel Park lifted their ban three people were injured by a pit bull in Forester Township. Ten days later a 20-month old Alanson child was critically injured and airlifted to Grand Rapids. None of these attacks were reported by Fox News or in local media. Nor did Fox report the May 19th judgment of $100 million to Detroit pit bull mauling victim Steven Constantine. Since the March 6th "domestic abuse" incident that led to the revocation of Hazel Park BSL there have been five fatal pit bull attacks in the US.4

According to the MI-PACA Advocate Spotlight, Huel Perkins claimed that only 1% of pit bulls are guilty of attacks. The percentage of pit bulls that attack is open to debate; the salient fact is that pit bulls cause more deaths, maimings, and permanent disfigurements than all other breeds combined. That fact is studiously avoided by advocates of fighting breeds.

Fox claims to present "Fair and Balanced" news. That's not the case when it comes to pit bulls in Michigan.

* * * * *
Notes:
1   Hodskins' claim to victimhood was not explained on the program.
2   Three Pit Bull Stories to Chew On; Animals 24-7, October 7, 2014.
3   Two more pit bulls face removal as Hazel Park's breed-specific ban controversy rages; Daily Tribune; March 12, 2015.
4   Roy Higgenbotham Jr. (age 62); De'trick Johnson (age 36); Kenneth Ford (age 79); Brayden Wilson (age < 1); James Nevils III (age 5). See Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Primary Source:
Mi-PACA Facebook post of December 12, 2014
   (Cached mhtml version: https://goo.gl/9d2YGN )

Other Sources:
Man Attacked By Dog [pit bull] Speaks Out About 'Terrifying' Ordeal
   June 19, 2015; 9&10 News
Pit bull attacks jogger on roadway
   June 17, 2015; Crawford County Avalanche
Flint residents say stray dogs are making neighborhoods unsafe
   June 14, 2015; MLive
Pitbull shot dead after fatal attack
   June 9, 2015; Hometown Life
Pit Bull Mix Attacks Edwardsburg Michiagan Woman, Becomes Victim Of Cyber Bullying
   June 8, 2015; The Inquisitr
Pit bull attacks postal worker
   June 6, 2015; Monroe News
Bay City pit bull-boxer mix bites police officer, owner fighting to keep dog alive
   June 5, 2015; MLive
Pit bull attack (Canton, MI)
   June 2, 2015; Hometown Life
Northern Mich. girl hospitalized after pit bull attack
   May 21, 2015; Detroit Free Press
. . . emergency crews took the girl to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital, and she later was airlifted to DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids.
$100 million 'symbolic' judgment entered in dog attack case
   May 19, 2015; Houston Chronicle
3 injured by pit bull after breaking up fight with other dogs
   May 10, 2015; WDIV Detroit
Hazel Park set to lift ban on pit bulls
   May 8, 2015; Daily Tribune
Hazel Park lifts pit bull ban
   May 7, 2015; WDIV Detroit
Hazel Park lifts pit bull ban after dog saves domestic abuse victim
   May 7, 2015; Fox 2 News
Flint Police shoot, run-over dog with history of biting people
   May 7, 2015; MI NBC News
Mail Carrier Bitten By Dog
   May 5, 2015; WBKB Fox TV (Alcona County, MI)
Family dog shot and killed by neighbor in Canton
   May 5, 2015; Detroit Free Press
Hazel Park plans on denigrating the local veterans Memorial Day parade with pitbull promoters and their dogs allowed to walk in the parade (Letter)
   May 1, 2015; Oakland Press
Pit Bull Put Down After Biting Teenager
   April 24, 2015; WLNS (Ingram County)
Woman seriously injured by dog attack in Grosse Pointe Farms
   April 9, 2015; WDIV Detroit
The Hazel Park pit bull ban
   March 15, 2015; Fox News (Discussion/interview panel)
Two more pit bulls face removal as Hazel Park's breed-specific ban controversy rages
   March 12, 2015; Daily Tribune
Hazel Park neighbors, pitbull owners working together to repeal breed ban
   March 10, 2015; Fox News Detroit
Animal rights group intervening to help hero Pit Bull
   March 10, 2015; Fox News Detroit
Pit bull bites Newaygo Co. sheriff’s deputy
   March 9, 2015; WOOD TV
Hero pit bull saves owner during domestic violence, faces removal from home due to city ordinance
   March 7, 2015; Oakland Press
Pitbull credited for saving owner, but will be removed from Hazel Park home
   March 6, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit
Clinton Township man ‘fights for his life' in dog attack on Clinton River Trail
   February 4, 2014; Oakland Press
Man bitten by pit bull while shopping at PetSmart in Southfield
   January 7, 2015; Oakland Press
Pit bull owners praise breed, fight Waterford ordinance
   February 24, 2013; Oakland Press
Pit Bull: Family Pet or Dangerous Animal?
   July 6, 2010; Fox2 Detroit
In the second video, a panel of guests joins Huel Perkins to debate pit bulls during a special edition of "Let It Rip". Joining him are Michele Watts, whose dog was killed by a pit bull, Terry Hodskins, who is a pit bull owner, and FOX 2 Legal Analyst Charlie Langton.
Protesters voice outrage over pit bull euthanasia
   November 15, 2009; Oakland Press

Other Sources:
Senate Bill 239 (2015) Legiscan
Senate Bill 239 (2015) MI Legislature
Senate Bill 239 (2015) Text

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
View or download the current PDF

2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015
32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
   Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.





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