A People Problem

Revised: March 31, 2015; 18:20 GMT

And that's very sad. That's very sad. 

* * * * * 

De'trick Johnson; d. March 21, 2015

On the morning of March 21st De'trick Johnson of Pine Bluff, Arkansas went to CJ's Garage to have his car serviced. Soon after he stepped out of his car he was attacked by the garage owner's seven pit bulls and killed.

On the following morning an article featuring Debbie Howell¹ appeared on thv11, the web site for KTHV television in Little Rock, Arkansas. The article was accompanied by a video interview with Ms Howell.

In the article Ms Howell comments, And that's very sad. That's very sad. Readers who think these words refer to the death of Mr Johnson would be mistaken; Ms Howell is lamenting that the incident will further stigmatize pit bulls. Ms Howell continues:

What we're dealing with is not an animal problem, it's a people problem, You can have a very nice typical dog, like a lab or a golden retriever. In the wrong circumstances and with the wrong owner and the wrong treatment, they can also be dangerous.

The comments of Ms Howell echo similar comments by Major Lafayette Woods of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. In a department press release announcing the murder, Major Woods makes an unusual personal observation:

This incident furthers the stigma of pit bull terriers as aggressive and dangerous animals. However, each dog, regardless of breed, could potentially cause serious injury or death. 

In the hours after the death of De'trick Johnson these two public officials, Major Woods and Ms Howell, issued extraordinary statements defending the breed of dog that murdered Mr Johnson, who is mentioned only briefly in both cases. Their remarkable praise of pit bulls in the hours following Mr Johnson's horrific death demonstrate a depraved indifference.²

Neither Ms Howell nor Major Woods mentions that pit bulls have already killed at least 6 humans this year and maimed or disfigured at least 50 more. The People Problem, as Ms Howell refers to it, is not that pit bulls are owned by careless, abusive owners; the People Problem are the public officials and animal welfare specialists who refuse to acknowledge that pit bulls kill a human every two weeks, on average. The People Problem are the people who have more sympathy for pit bulls than for the victims of their attacks.


* * * * *
Notes:
¹ Ms Howell is a board member of the Humane Society of Pulaski County.
² "To constitute depraved indifference, the defendant's conduct must be 'so wanton, so deficient in a moral sense of concern, so lacking in regard for the life or lives of others, and so blameworthy as to warrant the same criminal liability as that which the law imposes upon a person who intentionally causes a crime. Depraved indifference focuses on the risk created by the defendant’s conduct, not the injuries actually resulting." (US Legal Definitions)

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, black mouth curs 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.

Sources:
Owners will not be charged in Union Co. pit bull attack
April 2, 2015; THV11 Little Rock AR

According to the prosecutor, the owners will not be charged because the three pit bulls showed no previous signs of aggression.

Family holds vigil for Pine Bluff man killed by pit bulls
March 29, 2015; ArkansasMatters.com

6-year-old attacked by 3 pit bulls
March 27, 2015; THV11 Little Rock AR

Pit bull stigma resurfaces after Pine Bluff dogs attack
March 22, 2015; THV11 Little Rock AR

Debbie Howell, Humane Society of Pulaski County, speaks on pit bulls
March 22, 2015; THV11 Little Rock AR

Arkansas man mauled to death in vicious dog attack by pack of seven pit bulls 'who bit someone only days before' (Daily Mail)
Arkansas Man Mauled To Death By Pack Of Pit Bulls
Pine Bluff man mauled to death by group of pit bulls, one still at large
March 21, 2015

Man mauled to death by pit bull terriers
March 21, 2015; Jefferson County Sheriff

Pit bulls attack 6-year-old boy in Union County
March 26, 2015; KATV ABC 7

Three pit bull mixes attack three-year-old girl in Arkansas, she may not survive
December 24, 2014; The Examiner

Arkansas woman killed by pet pit bull
September 14, 2014; 10 News

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








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Pit Bull Agility

Revised: March 25, 2015; 19:20 GMT

The National Exhibition Center in Birmingham, UK, is the venue for the world's largest dog shows. At the Crufts Dog Shows in the late 1970s dogs were run around a course similar to a horse jumping course, as entertainment during intermissions. The sport known as dog agility can be traced to those early demonstrations at the Crufts Dog Shows.

Also in the 1970s, dog trainers in Southern California combined scent hurdle racing with bringing a tennis ball to a finish line. Then a tennis ball launching apparatus was invented by Herbert Wagner and the sport of Flyball was invented. The first Flyball tournament was held in 1983.

Pit bulls, on the other hand, have had special equipment and training exercises for hundreds of years. These tools and training methods have historically been used and are still in use today to develop the pit bull's genetic heritage and behavioral skill set.

This month the United States has witnessed a number of pit bull attacks in which pit bulls have leaped over 6' fences to pursue an attack. As shown in the videos below, a 6' fence does not present an obstacle for many pit bulls.

The first series of links below are links to videos of pit bulls exercising their natural ability to leap over fences, climb trees, scale walls, and achieve other astounding feats that owners of normal dogs would consider freakish and frightening. The second set of links presents news stories of the consequences of that ability.

* * * * *

Pit Bull "Agility" Demonstration Videos:

If you would like to watch a pit bull run straight up a wall click here.

If you would like to see a pit bull scale a 12' fence click here.

If you would like to see a pit bull make a fantastic flying leap and grab, click here.

If you would like to watch a 2 min. video of extreme pit bull leaps, jumps, and wall scaling, click here.

If you would like to see a pit bull climb a 30' wall click here.

If you would like to watch a video of a pit bull hanging by his jaws and swinging in circles, all the while shaking the rope, in a freakish display for an unendurable length of time until the rope breaks, click here. [ADVISORY: Animal Cruelty]

If you would like to watch a pit bull leap and hang on a metal bar, click here. The three dogs are playing with a jenni, a pit bull training device used to improve jaw strength and tenacity in pit bulls.

Adult pit bulls using the jenni are sometimes suspended by centrifugal force at the end of the the 20' spinning jenni arm (creating a 40' diameter circle). If you would like to watch a young pit bull suspended by his jaws from the jenni, click here. [NOTE: this video can be viewed only on Windows Media Player.]

News accounts demonstrating consequences of pit bull agility:

St Pete dog killed after pit bulls jump fence into man's home
   March 19, 2015; WFLA, St Petersburg

Escape artist dog hijacks White Bear Township board agenda
   March 11, 2015; White Bear Press

Owner cited after pit bull climbs 6' fence, kills neighbor's dog
   March 9, 2015; KAIT ABC Jonesboro AR

Pit bull leaps fence, mauls woman and two pups at dangerous Highbridge Park dog run
   September 18, 2014; NY Daily News

Passaic woman, 82, attacked by pit bull that jumped fence into her yard
   August 7, 2013; NorthJersey.com & AP.com
The dog leaped over the fence and attacked the woman, severely injuring her left arm and right leg, . . . the pit bull then jumped back over the fence into its owner’s yard.

Pit bull jumps fence, mauls small dog in Sterling Heights
   May 23, 2013; Oakland Press
"My wife was petrified, scared to death. That dog came right over the fence like it was nothing and went right after Zoey."

Pit bull jumps fence to kill Yorkshire Terrier
   March 8, 2011; KCCI Bayard IA
He didn't come through the gate; he came over the fence.

Related Post:
Over, Under, Through
   SRUV, April 14, 2011

* * * * *
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, black mouth curs 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.

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

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Survey of Wisconsin Bullies

Revised: March 19, 2015; 17:54 GMT

On November 4th, 2014 the citizens of Aurora, Colorado voted in a landslide election to retain their Breed Specific Legislation regulating pit bulls. The result was similar to an earlier citizen referendum in Miami-Dade, Florida, and to virtually every other survey of citizen response to pit bull legislation. By a margin of two-to-one people do not want to live next door to a pit bull.

On November 5th, burning with indignation at their loss in Aurora, advocates of fighting breeds launched an attack against one of our country's leading animal welfare journalists, Merritt Clifton, for his coverage of the vote in Aurora. Among the advocacy groups that urged their devotees to boycott Clifton's internet magazine, Animals 24-7, was Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals.^{1, 2}

The attack on Clifton included attacks on advertisers in his magazine. Among the groups targeted by Wisconsin Voters For Companion Animals were the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California, the Home 4 the Holidays international adoption program it sponsors, and Blue Buffalo, a pet food maker whose only involvement was that it sponsors Home 4 the Holidays. The boycott revealed the ugly, vindictive nature of radical pit bull advocacy. The boycott also showed how bungling and misguided pit bull advocates can be.

* * * * * 

On July 6, 2013, Lois Mogensen took her 9 year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Tanner, for a walk in her Kenosha neighborhood. Two pit bulls spotted Tanner and pushed their way through a gate. In the ensuing attack Tanner was killed and 79 year old Lois Morgenson, her son, and a neighbor who also tried to intercede were all injured.

Tanner; d. July 6, 2013

In the days leading up to the attack on Tanner Wisconsin had experienced an explosion of pit bull attacks. Four days before the July 6th attack that killed Tanner a pit bull attacked a parking enforcement officer in Madison; two weeks before that (June 12) six therapy horses were injured at Free Spirit Ranch in Fond du Lac county; a week before that a 15-month old infant was attacked in Caledonia, resulting in severe facial disfigurement; a week before that (May 30) a 6-yo child was attacked in Douglas County resulting in facial disfigurement; two weeks earlier (May 12) a child was attacked in Marathon County, resulting in facial disfigurement. Two months earlier 14-mo Daxton Borchardt was killed by a pit bull in Walworth.³

Despite this drumroll of attacks, on the day after the attack on Tanner the Racine Journal-Times published Defending the pit bull: Experts say animals no more aggressive or prone to attack than other breeds, by Luke Feurherm.⁴ The article follows in the tradition of exculpatory pit bull articles, which are often published close on the heels of a series of devastating pit bull attacks.⁵ It is the position of SRUV that these articles would not be published without intense outreach to media from pit bull advocacy groups, which includes talking points and perhaps even specific text.

* * * * * 

By the end of 2013 nearly half of the dogs abandoned in Madison were pit bulls; more than half of the dogs euthanized by the Dane County Humane Society were pit bulls.

In January, 2014, Alderman John Stasser of Madison introduced legislation aimed at alleviating the high euthanasia rate. The bill required the mandatory spaying or neutering of pit bulls, and also required pit bull breeders to register with the city, thereby reducing back-yard breeding.

"We’re not going after the pit bulls and making ownership of a pit bull prohibitive,” said Strasser. “What we’re trying to do is cut down on the population so that we can devote more shelter and rescue efforts to other animals, and not just to the overly bred pit bulls.”

Stasser's bill was intended to reduce the number of surplus pit bulls in Madison shelters, and the number of pit bulls euthanized at those shelters. Many advocates of fighting breeds claim to abhor the euthanasia of pit bulls, but peculiarly, they will not tolerate legislation intended to reduce the number of surplus pit bulls.

On March 14th, 2014 the Madison Common Council received an extraordinary letter from Brent Toellner, in which he argued vehemently against the mandated spay/neuter of pit bulls.⁶  Support for Stasser's spay/neuter legislation faltered. Four days after the Toellner letter, on this date last year (March 18, 2014), Alderman Stasser withdrew his legislation.

Madison subsequently passed several pieces of animal legislation, none of which mentioned pit bulls. Alderman Stasser and his colleagues continue to seek a solution to the surplus pit bull problem, which, without the proper tools, is a fool's errand.⁷

* * * * *

On June 19, 2014 Cindy Ryder of Wausau and her Chihuahua Bartok were on their daily walk when a pit bull ran out of a neighboring house. What happened next was typical of many pit bull attacks: Ms Ryder scooped Bartok into her arms; the pit bull bit Ms Ryder's left arm twice, dragging her to the ground, and then bit her head. When Ryder fell she released Bartok, who was taken by the pit bull and killed.

Since the death of Bartok nine months ago Ms Ryder has been steadfast in her resolve to bring public safety regulations to Wausau; her efforts have fallen on deaf ears. Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee chairwoman Lisa Rasmussen dismissed Ms Ryder's efforts with the advocacy maxim We can't create public policy as a knee-jerk reaction.

Breed Specific Legislation has been in use for over thirty years; in one form or another BSL is currently in effect in over 500 US communities and in numerous foreign countries. In 2012 Miami-Dade voted overwhelmingly to keep their BSL, first passed in 1987; in 2014, in a bitter campaign, the citizens of Aurora voted overwhelmingly to keep their BSL, in effect since 2005. In recent weeks dozens of US communities have voted down challenges to their BSL. To dismiss BSL as a knee-jerk reaction is an act of political lethargy and an insult to Ms Ryder and the thousands of victims of fighting breeds. Wausau Council, like Madison's Council, has abrogated their responsibility to the community. Wisconsin's politicians are averting their eyes from a slow-motion public safety debacle.

Advocates of fighting breeds realize that exerting a suffocating pressure on town councils, county commissions, and state legislatures is more effective for them than allowing citizens to vote. Ms Ryder has led a courageous, often lonely effort to bring direct legislation by petition to regulate pit bulls and other fighting breeds, but after nine months has retreated from the effort.

Recent council votes in Kansas City and Newark, Ohio should strengthen the resolve of the Wisconsin politicians. Council members in Kansas City, Newark, and dozens of other cities have endured aggressive, often angry challenges to their BSL, and successfully rebuffed the challenges. Advocates of fighting breeds smothered their council meetings for months, intimidating council members and threatening them with political reprisals. Yet in many cases the councils voted courageously to keep their BSL.

Wausau and other Wisconsin city council members should do no less for their own citizens.


* * * * *
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, black mouth curs 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.

Notes:
¹  See also Advocacy Bullies
²  Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals is a misnomer; the group appears to be a single-purpose group to advocate for fighting breeds.
³  The listed attacks comprise only a partial list of attacks during this period. More attacks are documented in the Journal Sentinel archives at http://goo.gl/osNX20
⁴  Mr Feurherm no longer appears on the Journal Times list of journalists.
⁵  See A Softer, Safer Pit Bull; Imagining the Perfect Pit Bull
⁶  The Toellner letter will be discussed in a subsequent SRUV post.
⁷  For more information see also Resources on Euthanasia, Sheltering, Rescue, & No-Kill

Sources:
Pit Bulls Could Be Banned In Platteville
   March 11, 2015; SWNews4U
Not guilty plea entered in donkey attack
   March 11, 2015; Beloit Daily News
Pit bull fans sound off on breed-ban petition
   March 8, 2015; Wausau Daily Herald
Fall River 'Ban' on Pit Bulls Draws Federal Suit
   March 2, 2015; Courthouse News Service
Victim to collect signatures for pit bull ban in Wausau
   February 21, 2015; Wausau Daily Herald
Town of Turtle donkey dies after pit bull attack
   February 12, 2015; GazettExtra

Hannewall said she hired a lawyer after the donkey was attacked in the early morning hours of Jan. 31. She found out that a municipality cannot even try to have an animal put to death until the animal has caused damage at least twice. "He was a very sweet little donkey," said Hannewall.

Madison Alderman plans to continue tweaks to pet ordinances
   January 15, 2015; Wisconsin State Journal
Merrill girl, 2, recovering days after pit bull attack
   December 16, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
Madison will consider major animal control changes
   October 17, 2014; Wisconsin State Journal
Pit bull attack brings plea for tighter controls
   September 13, 2014; RiverTowns.net
Committee votes to end Pitbull ban in Cambridge
   September 5, 2014. WKOW
3 Pit Bulls Attack 5 Children, 1 Adult in 2 Days in Racine
   August 27, 2014; Wide Awake America
In Cambridge, a pit bull named Sherlock triggers a rancorous showdown
   August 17, 2014; Wisconsin State Journal
'Dangerous animal' ban not enough for dog attack victim
   August 7, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
1-yo girl seriously injured in attack by grandparents' dog in Racine
   August 6, 2014; Journal-Sentinel
70-Year-Old Uses Revolver to stop Pit Bull Attack
   July 24, 2014; FreeRepublic.com
3 pit bulls attack; Richfield neighbor responds with baseball bats, gun
   July 23, 2014; Journal-Sentinel
Pit-bull owners defend the breed amid talk of ban
   July 22, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
Pit bull ban worth considering (Editorial Opinion)
   July 20, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
Pit-bull bans controversial, but they work
   July 20, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
Victim in pit bull attack wants breed banned
   July 10, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
La Crosse woman cited after pit bull attacks
   July 7, 2014; LaCrosse Tribune
Wausau police ban pit bull that injured woman, killed small dog
   June 20, 2014; Wausau Daily Herald
Madison drops proposed mandatory pit bull neuter/spay law
   March 21, 2014. Wisconsin State Journal
Madison pit bull proposal off the table
   March 21, 2014; WMTV NBC15
Sponsors pull controversial Madison pit bull ordinance
   March 21, 2014; Isthmus.com
Sheboygan police officer attacked by pit bull
   March 13, 2014; Journal-Sentinel
Mount Pleasant girl, 9, attacked by pit bull puppy
   March 5, 2014; Journal-Sentinel
City hopes to take a bite out of pit bull overpopulation
   February 3, 2014; Wisconsin State Journal
Madison alderman wants to curb pit bull population
   February 3, 2014; WKOW Madison
Boy seriously hurt by pit bull in Racine
   November 23, 2013; Journal Sentinel
Three people injured, dog killed in pit bull attack
   July 8, 2013; TMJ4 News radio 620
Experts say animals no more aggressive or prone to attack than other breeds
  July 7, 2013; Journal Times
Wausau homeowner shoots pit bull
   May 27, 2013; Journal Sentinel
Pit bull attacks child in Wausau
   May 13, 2013; Journal Sentinel
Walworth County toddler dies after pit bull attack
  March 6, 2013; WISN
Flying pit bull attack leaves Wisconsin man with serious injuries
   June 18, 2012; Minneapolis City Pages
Cassville teen attacked by 3 pit bulls
  June 6, 2012; Journal Sentinel
Pit Bull Attacks Boy in Madison
  August 18, 2011; Waukesha Patch

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

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How Many Companion Animals Were Killed in 2014?

The companion animals listed below represent only a sampling of reported fatal attacks on companion animals during a recent, brief (2 month) period. For the full story see How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014? ¹

* * * * *

March 12, 2015; La Pine, OR
Horse euthanized after pit bull attack in central Oregon

March 9 2015; Jonesboro, AR
Owner cited after pit bull climbs 6' fence, kills neighbor's dog

March 8, 2015; Las Vegas, NV
Pit bull attacks local grandmother, kills small dog
She had to watch as the pit bull ate Jessie alive, ripping her to shreds. "I heard the screaming and one of the guys that was standing there watching, he almost threw up."

Jessie; d March 8, 2015

February 28, 2015; Volusa County, FL
2 Yorkies killed after attack by pit bulls in Deltona
I've had them since they were babies and they were the love of my life, . . .

Caley and Casper; d. February 26, 2015

February 24, 2015; Halifax County, VA
Pit bull attacks woman; kills dog

February 23, 2015; Broomfield, Christchurch, NZ
Pit bull mauls chihuahua to death

Cody; d. February 19, 2015

February 18, 2015; Rock Hill, SC
Rock Hill owner cited in deadly pit bull attack

February 12, 2015; Turtle, WI
Town of Turtle donkey dies after pit bull attack
Hannewall said she hired a lawyer after the donkey was attacked in the early morning hours of Jan. 31. She found out that a municipality cannot even try to have an animal put to death until the animal has caused damage at least twice. "He was a very sweet little donkey," said Hannewall.

Little Eeyore; d. January 31, 2015

 (Click image to enlarge)

February 6, 2015; Manteca (San Joaquin County) CA
Loose pit bull kills dog on leash

February 6, 2015; Keizer (Marion County) OR
Pit bull kills small dog in McNary Estates
An aggressive pit bull got away last Saturday, Jan. 31 after attacking a small dog and three humans in the McNary Estates area.

February 4, 2015; Galliano, LA
Galliano man says dogs killed his goats
. . . a neighbor called to tell him that dogs were in his pasture attacking Bubba, sire of his goat herd that was worth $2,500. Chouest was breeding the goats to be smaller than average so they could more easily be kept as pets. “We can’t replace what we lost today,” he said. “That dog killed eight years of work.”

January 29, 2015; Annapolis, MD
Pit bull kills smaller dog, bites woman in Severna Park

January 13, 2015; El Paso, TX
Loose pit bull mauls family dog, family calls for harsher punishment
Scooter was the youngest one, very, very cute," Boureslan said. "There are a lot of things that i miss about him. It's hard to be in the house. Like I said, he was very cute.

Scooter; d. January 8, 2015

* * * * *
Note:
¹  How Many Other Animals Did Pit Bulls Kill in 2014?
    Animals 24-7, January 27, 2015

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.

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

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A Dangerous Road

I-70: the Corridor of Death

. . . That is why I supported a bill that gave our judicial system the authority to order a dog be euthanized after the first bite if it is serious enough rather than waiting for it to be declared vicious and doing so after a second bite.
     ~~ Jeff Rath, March 7, 2015

* * * * *

In his opinion piece of March 7, Councilman Jeff Rath tells the readers why he is committed to revoking Newark's Breed Specific Legislation. The Black Labrador that bit a child in the face, and later died of old age in the comfort of his home, has become a familiar part of Mr Rath's backstory. The account does offer a valid rational for improving dangerous dog laws.

The Black Lab story does not offer a rational for Mr. Rath's campaign to rid the city of Newark, Ohio of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).

If a normal dog bites or shows other signs of aggression, the dog and its owner should be held accountable under conventional dangerous dog laws. The Black Lab that bit the children in Newark, if it was unprovoked, should have been subject to laws that protect children (or adults) from any further attacks.

Often the first attack by a pit bull results in permanent disfigurement or a fatality. The first attack by a family pit bull may come after eight or ten years of a loving family relationship, and leaves the family with lasting emotional scars and insurmountable financial burdens. It is impossible to read The Enduring Agony of a Pit Bull Attack (see below) and continue to believe that pit bulls are like Black Labs or any other breed. If one were to read the account of the attack on Nick Foley, his father, and a neighbor, it would be unconscionable for that person to vote to rescind BSL.

Pit bulls are different, and that's why over 500 communities in the United States, as well as numerous federal governments around the world, have protected their citizens from fighting breeds with Breed Specific Legislation.

* * * * * 

100 miles east of Newark on I-70 is the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. 65 miles farther east on I-70 lies the small town of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. On February 22nd Councilman Bill Cost Jr published an opinion piece in The Newark Advocate explaining why he will vote to uphold Newark's BSL. On the same day that Mr Cost's opinion appeared 2-year old TayLynn DeVaughn was killed by a family pit bull while visiting her aunt's home on Fleetwood Drive in West Mifflin. The child's father, Cory DeVaughn, told station WPXI, "I came out of the kitchen and the dog dropped the baby. His name was Jake and my baby was gone."

TayLynn was the fifth victim of a fatal pit bull attack since Christmas. On March 8th 63-year-old David Wallace of Wheeling became the sixth victim of a fatal pit bull attack since Christmas.

In each case the deadly attack was the first attack by a family pit bull that had no previous record of aggression. There have been no fatal attacks from other breeds of dogs since Christmas. Since January, during the period since Jeff Rath introduced legislation to revoke BSL in Newark, nearly 50 people have been maimed or permanently disfigured by pit bulls in the United States.


* * * * *
Enduring Agony:
The Enduring Agony of a Pit Bull Attack
   August 13, 2006; Chicago Tribune
Pit bull attacks leave lasting wounds, devastate families
   July 7, 2014; The Patriot News
Couple's life forever altered after two pit bulls kill toddler
   July 7, 2014; The Patriot News
Family traumatized by vicious attack of 7-year-old son
   July 7, 2014; The Patriot News

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" should 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.

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

Sources:
Pit Bull Fatally Attacks Neighbor Trying To Save Its Owner
   March 10, 2015; NBC
Overturn Newark's pit bull legislation 
   By Jeff Rath, Newark City Council
   March 7, 2015; Newark Advocate
Dog Owner Defends Pet, But Plans to Give Him Up, After Attack
   March 2, 2015; ABC6
Pit bull bites owner in Buckeye Lake
   March 2, 2015; Newark Advocate
Pit bull bill not good for Newark
   By Bill Cost Jr, Newark City Council
   February 22, 2015; Newark Advocate
Delay gives pit bull proponents time to earn more votes
   February 17, 2015; Newark Advocate
Rath renews attempt to delay vote on pit bull bill
   February 16, 2015; Newark Advocate
Newark might delay pit bull vote
   February 16, 2015; Columbus Dispatch
Scuffle may have led to dog attack
   February 12, 2015; The Newark Advocate
   There was some dispute Wednesday night about the breed of the dog involved, with some indication it could have been a pit bull.
Three people hospitalized in dog attack
   February 11, 2015; The Newark Advocate
   Initially, the call came in as a dog bite, Bingham said. As first responders were driving to the scene, though, the dispatcher kept adding potential victims to the list.
Newark dog owners hold vigil to support pit bulls
   February 10, 2015; WBNS  10 TV
Pit bull bill on to full council despite delay attempt
   February 2, 2014; The Newark Advocate
Mixed breed, pit bulls, labs bit the most in 2014
   February 1, 2014; The Newark Advocate
The public needs protection from all pit bulls
   Guest column  by Carole Miller
   January 30, 2015; The Newark Advocate
Newark’s third dog bite in a month attributed to pit bulls
   January 30, 2015 (Fri); Newark Advocate
New humane society facility means more adoptions
   January 30, 2015 (Fri); Newark Advocate
Pit bull equality bill heading to full council
   January 27, 2015 (Tues); Newark Advocate
Newark Considering Vicious Classification for Pit Bulls
   January 26, 2015 (Mon); MyFox 28 Columbus
Pit bull supporters push against breed-specific law
   January 20, 2015 (Tues); Newark Advocate
Pit bulls deserve another look
   January 17, 2015 (Sat); Newark Advocate Editorial
Rath vows to help pit bull owners fight vicious status
   January 13, 2015 (Tues); Newark Advocate
Pit bull running loose attacks, bites man
   January 13, 2015; Newark Advocate
Safety panel session invites pit bull owners' comments
   January 12, 2015 (Mon); Newark Advocate
Pit bull owners share the 'softer side' of bully breeds
   January 11, 2015 (Sun); Newark Advocate
Roscoe; An American red nose pit bull
   January 10, 2015 (Sat); Newark Advocate
Pit bull owners complain to council about law, officer
   December 16, 2014; Newark Advocate
Official cancels meeting with pit bull owner
   December 5, 2014; Newark Advocate
Activist wants county to stop killing pit bulls
    August 12, 2014; Newark Advocate
Newark Pit Bulls Must Pass Good Citizenship Test To Get Off Vicious Dog List
   December 17, 2013; WBNS 10TV
Newark council passes pit bull ordinance
   December 17, 2013; Newark Advocate
Newark Pit Bull Regulations Close To Makeover
   December 10, 2013 (March 4, 2014); NBC4i
Newark's current pit bull law should stand
   December 7, 2013; Newark Advocate Editorial
Don't change Newark's vicious dog law
   October 14, 2012; Newark Advocate Editorial
Pit bulls kills dog
   December 1, 2004; Newark Advocate









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Springfield at the Crossroads

Nine years ago Springfield, Missouri passed legislation requiring a $50 annual registration fee for pit bulls. The ordinance also requires pit bull owners to spay or neuter their dog, have a microchip placed under the dogs' skin, prohibits the adoption of pit bulls in the city, and other stipulations.

Springfield officials have credited the pit bull ordinance with a drop in dog bites. Health department officials said last year it documented the fewest dog bites in a decade.

On February 23, 2015 Springfield Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky announced a six-month trial during which pit bulls will be adopted out. On March 9, 2015 Councilman Doug Burlson will introduce legislation to rescind the city's Breed Specific Legislation. The legislation would then come before the full council for a vote on March 23, the last meeting before the April 7 elections. Both Rushefsky and Burlson leave office after the election.

* * * * * 

Since Christmas day there have been at least 5 fatal pit bull attacks in the United States, for an average of one human death every 15 days. Even more alarming than this gruesome statistic is the dramatic increase in attacks by pit bulls rehomed from animal shelters:

Three human fatalities involving shelter dogs occurred from 2000 through 2009, as amateur rescue transport was taking off, involving a pit bull, a Doberman, and a Presa Canario. Unclear is whether any of the three were transported.

There have been 36 fatalities involving shelter and rescue dogs from 2010 to present, involving 28 pit bulls, seven bull mastiffs, two Rottweilers, a Lab who may have been part pit bull, and a husky. About half of the dogs involved are known to have been transported at least once.

Also of note, there were 32 disfiguring maulings by shelter dogs from 1859 through 2009, 19 of them involving pit bulls.

From 2010 to present, there have been at least 123 disfiguring maulings by shelter dogs, 80 of them involving pit bulls. In 2014 alone, 37 shelter dogs killed or disfigured someone; 30 were pit bulls. Again, about half appear to have been transported at least once.¹

Springfield city council is at a public safety crossroads. Because protections have been in place for nine years the menace may have faded from view for some lawmakers. The facts show that protections are more necessary now than ever before.

Will Council continue to protect the public? Or, when Council is standing at the crossroads, will they take the wrong road?



* * * * *
Notes:
¹  Adoption transport, Crazy Cat Ladies, & pyramid schemes
    Animals 24/7

Related Posts:
Resources on Euthanasia and Relocation; SRUV
Charges Pending; SRUV

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.

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


Sources:
Springfield tries out pit bull adoptions from public shelter in change from ordinance
   Tribtown.com; March 5, 2015
City of Springfield could be changing how it treats pit bulls
   KY3; March 5, 2015
Councilman wants to repeal pit bull ban
   KY3; March 4, 2015
Councilman seeks to repeal pit bull ban
   Springfield News-Leader; March 4, 2015
City to allow some pit bull adoptions
   Springfield News-Leader; February 24, 2015
Public comment silenced on future of city's pit bull law
   KSPR33 ABC; February 9, 2015
Group says city treating pit bulls unfairly
   Springfield News-Leader; January 26, 2015
A routine lunchtime, then tragedy strikes
   Springfield News-Leader; Springfield, MO, November 13, 2014
Mia suffered gruesome injuries from the mauling and had surgery on Sunday in Columbia. She awoke from a medically induced coma on Wednesday but is still in the intensive care unit at the University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital recovering from injuries to her face and neck area.

Dog to be Euthanized After Attacking Toddler
   January 31,  2014; OzarksFirst.com

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Charges Pending: IV

This period of reporting covers August 2014 through February 2015, and includes at least 14 fatal pit bull attacks. The legal trends during this period indicate increased number of lawsuits brought by victims of pit bull attacks, including attacks on companion animals.

The following list includes only a few of the more notable recent legal cases involving pit bull attacks during this period.

* * * * *

February 25, 2015; Las Vegas, NV
Bail Set at $40,000 for Dog Owner in Las Vegas Mauling Case
 . . . . Skin and muscle was stripped from the arms of the 65-year-old woman, and she suffered deep leg and facial injuries and a broken left wrist, . . .  Doctors initially feared the woman would lose an arm and an eye. . . . . Vonstaden is a law office information technology employee with a 7-year-old daughter. Leventhal [Vonstaden's attorney] said she raised the dogs since they were puppies. "These were rescue dogs," the attorney said. "She never abused these dogs."

Jessie Vonstader

[for additional images click here]

* * * * * 

February 23, 2015; West Mifflin, PA
District attorney to review case of girl killed by pit bull

February 13, 2015; Dayton, OH
Estate Of Woman Fatally Mauled By Dogs Files Lawsuit Against County

Klonda Richey, d. February 7, 2014

February 11, 2015: Gretna, LA
Mother of four-year-old attacked by pit bull sues
   An unspecified amount in damages is sought for physical pain and suffering, discomfort, disability, mental anguish, aggravation, annoyance, medical expenses, lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of function of parts of body, loss of enjoyment of life, impairment of psychological functioning, disability for engaging in recreation and destruction of earning capacity.

February 4, 2015; Santa Clarita CA
'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan sued in pit bull attack

January 30, 2015; San Diego County CA
Campo Man Plans Legal Action After Pit Bull Attack

January 29, 2015; Jefferson County TX
Discovery phase of trial proceeding in pit bull attack suit

January 22, 2015; Chicago IL
West Chicago pit bull attack that killed neighbor's dog sparks lawsuit

Toto; d. June 24, 2014

January 13, 2015; DeKalb County, GA
Judge overturns $72 million award for pit bull attack

January 8, 2015
After barely surviving an attack by six dogs, Phillip Lieberman shares his story
In the days following the attack, animal control removed 40 dogs from the property where the dogs involved in the attack lived. . . The fate of the dogs responsible for Phillip Lieberman’s mauling remains in question . . . no charges had been filed as of Thursday in relation to the incident, but detectives were in talks with the State Attorney’s Office.

January 7, 2015
Parents of child allegedly injured in pit bull attack at birthday party sue

January 5, 2015
Fatal Littlerock pit bull attack leads to lawsuit against Los Angeles County Animal Control
The complaint also alleges that DACC employees entered updates in internal records to make it appear that they did not know about the Jackson pit bulls before Devitt was killed, and that they followed up on complaints after they were made by the public.

January 4, 2015
Pit bull attack victim files lawsuit
Glenn Boulet, 62, filed suit against Ronnie Gene Casey Jr., 20, of McAlester, who owned the dogs, and Brian L. Gann of Sioux Falls, S.D., who is the owner of the home.
Gann said he had no knowledge of Casey living in his property.

January 2, 2015
Metamora couple face February trial in dog mauling
Prosecutors chose to charge the pair with second-degree murder — a rare prosecution in dog maulings — because the dogs had bitten at least two people leading up to the killing, and Lucaj had been warned by the family vet three months before that the dogs were dangerous and needed immediate training. And investigators say Quagliata admitted the day of the killing that the dogs routinely escaped from their kennel to run the neighborhood.

December 29, 2014
Paradise Hills woman convicted in fatal 2010 pit bull attack wins appeal

November 19, 2014
SC pit bull owner charged after attacks
A mother and her 10-year-old daughter were bitten trying to separate the animals, . . . . The dogs escaped, and two have since been recovered. Police Chief Keith Morton  says police got calls about more attacks, including one dog injured so severely it had to be euthanized.

November 18, 2014
Pit bull that attacked Palmyra man will be euthanized, charges dropped against owner
Matthew M. Karinch had been charged with harboring a dangerous dog and failure to confine a dog, both summary offenses. The charges were withdrawn prior to the hearing scheduled on the offenses Tuesday morning . . . The pit bull that attacked and injured an 82-year-old Palmyra man in June in Cornwall will be euthanized, and charges have been dropped against the owner.

November 15, 2014

Woman sues owners of dog killed by her pit bulls

A woman whose four pit bulls attacked and killed a family’s 10-year-old beagle in October is now suing the deceased dog’s owner for up to $1 million in damages, according to court documents . . . Baker said his dog, Bailey, had been nothing but a loyal companion to his family who had been around his two daughters since they were babies.

Bailey, d. October 27, 2014

October 27, 2014
Detroit man has arm amputated following pit bull attack, sues owners

October 23, 2014
Bay City man pleads guilty to misdemeanors stemming from pit bull injuring neighbor

October 21, 2014
Pit bull attack victims considering legal action

October 16, 2014
Newark father faces prison time for pitbull attack on 10-year-old son

October 15, 2014
FATAL PIT BULL ATTACK
Owner may not face charges in fatal pit bull attack
Mother, son attacked by dogs identified

In order to charge anyone in an act like this, we have to be able to show there’s some act of negligence on the part of the dogs' owners," he said. "So far, we’ve not been able to do that. Certainly, the owners face certain civil liability, but criminally, without being able to prove negligence, we’re not going to be able to deliver a case to the district attorney that’s prosecutable.

   

October 9, 2014
No criminal charges likely in dog attack on Detroit man
Gulledge said only a small portion of Constantine's upper left arm remains, his left leg now has rods in it, his right leg and arm as well as a good portion of his head are heavily bandaged. . . . It appeared to Gulledge that Constantine still has his feet and his right hand, although he could not see all of his fingers and toes.

September 26, 2014 (Washtenaw County, MI)
Are dog owners whose pit bull attacked child criminally liable?
Paul Mazer and Tawny Denoewer were charged by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office in the case. Both of them face charges of possessing a dangerous animal causing serious injuries, and Mazer faces added charges of resisting arrest and lying to a peace officer.

Paul Mazer (Courtesy of WCSO)

September 25, 2014
Exeter woman sues over pit bull attack
Roun suffered “serious personal injury, severe and permanent physical and bodily injuries, extreme pain and suffering, significant scarring and disfigurement, numerous medical procedures and therapies, large and continuing medical expenses, emotional distress and mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, lost wages, potential lost earning capacity, and the costs and expenses of litigation. Ms. Roun will continue to suffer from these injuries, damages and losses for a long time in the future,” the suit said.

September 24, 2014 (Washtenaw County, MI)
Attorney seeks to save dogs from 'death row'; claims owner of dead dog lied
Whitmore Lake attorney Michelle Radloff specializes in these types of cases and is representing the Baters pro bono as part of the Lexus Project.
Northfield Township woman attacked by dogs

Zoey; d. July 2014

Photo courtesy of Ellen Mohan

September 20, 2014
FATAL PIT BULL ATTACK
Children of man mailed to death by pit bulls speak out
Hodges is charged with culpable negligent manslaughter.

David Glass Sr. (d. Sept. 20, 2014) with children

September 18, 2014
McHenry pit bull attack spurs lawsuit

September 18, 2014
Atlantic Beach police probe slow response to vicious pit bull attack

September 11, 2014
Grand jury declines to indict two in fatal mauling of neighbor

September 9, 2014
Couple arrested after woman they care for is attacked by pit bulls  (ToledoNewsNow)
Toledo guardians indicted in dog attack (Toledo Blade)

September 5, 2014
Beaumont dog owner sued over pit bull attack

September 5, 2014
Charges filed in vicious pit bull attack

September 2, 2014
Unruly dog bites four people, dies after struggle

There were a total of four unlicensed dogs at the residence, two male pit bulls and two female pit bulls, Fromelt said. Charges are pending for unlicensed pets and violation of the three-dog limit.

August 11, 2014
FATAL PIT BULL ATTACK
St. Charles County toddler attacked by family dog has died, officials say
Police said Monday that their investigation has concluded, and no criminal charges are expected.

* * * * *
Related Posts:
Charges Pending        (May 26, 2013)
Charges Pending II    (June 20, 2014)
Charges Pending III   (Sept 02, 2014)
Charges Pending IV   (March 01 2015)
Charges Pending V     (Forthcoming )

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.

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











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