Port Huron Official Blames the Victim

Revised: December 13, 2015; 20: 44 GMT
Revised: December 14, 2015; 20:15 GMT

"She climbed the fence and jumped in and basically subjected herself to the attacks, which constitutes a purposeful act."

   -- Dr Ljubisa Dragovic
       Chief Medical Examiner, Oakland County

Rebecca Hardy, d. December 3, 2015

On Wednesday, December 2, 4-year old Xavier Strickland was pulled from his mother's arms and mauled before her eyes by four pit bulls on Detroit's West Side. "They just ate him," said his mother later. On the following day 22-year old Rebecca Hardy was mauled to death in a Port Huron back yard.

There are few questions about the attack on Xavier; Geneke Lyons, the dogs' owner, has been charged with 2nd degree murder, manslaughter, and possessing dangerous animals causing death.

But no one saw Rebecca Hardy wander into a neighbor's fenced yard as evening was falling the next day. She may have been distraught. She may have been tipsy, disoriented, or simply thoughtless. She may have wanted companionship from what she took to be companionable dogs. She may have wanted a moment's respite from a difficult life. Whatever she was thinking, she entered the wrong back yard and was killed.

Because Rebecca's life was young and unsettled, her terrible death has been exposed to public scrutiny.

We do not know why Rebecca climbed over the fence (if she did), and neither does Dr Dragovic. But in statements made to the press the doctor referred to her death as a suicide. A British newspaper has labeled Dr Dragovic's statements "bizarre".^{1, 2}

Dr Dragovic claims to understand Rebecca's motives at the moment she entered the dog's back yard, even though she left no note and told no one. Somehow Dr Dragovic knows what the the 22-year old mother was thinking when she climbed over the fence. Dr Dragovic officially determined that Rebecca wanted the dogs to kill her by mauling her to death. There must be countless ways to commit suicide; choosing to have your body ripped apart by dogs must be the most horrifying and painful ways to accomplish it. People who want to end their lives do not choose to be eaten alive.

A neighbor noted that the dogs often ran free and were troublesome. Many believe that Rebecca could have been killed by pit bulls that escaped and pulled her back into their yard, under or through the poorly maintained fence, as happened the previous day to Xavier.³

Moveover, Dr Dragovic revealed elements of Rebecca's personal medical history to journalists. Who then published it. Dr. Dragovic broke a cardinal rule of the medical profession. He exposed private medical records to the scrutiny of the public.

It has been a long process but decades ago we learned to not blame victims of rape for being victims of rape. Victims of domestic abuse are often still blamed for being victimized. Now Dr Dragovic has added a new class of victims to those who are held accountable: victims of fatal pit bull attacks.

Only a thorough investigation will satisfy the public. Dr Dragovic should be censored by the Michigan Board of Medical Examiners and the Michigan Association of Medical Examiners. A public apology is also in order.

Postscript:
2015 marks the fourth consecutive year in which pit bulls have been involved in at least 30 human fatalities. Two of those deaths occurred on successive days this month in Michigan. The Michigan House of Representatives is currently considering a bill which would preempt Breed Specific Legislation in the state. Legislators who are closest to the fire often fail to recognize the cause of the fire, and the bill to preempt BSL may pass. Senate bill 239, a bill written to protect dangerous dogs, has been heavily promoted by pit bull advocacy groups. The results of the vote will not alter the groundswell of public opinion favoring public safety protections from pit bulls.

* * * * *
Opinion:

Pit bull crisis growing; victims need help
   by Joan Kowal
   December 20, 2015; Lansing State Journal

Laws to protect pit bulls would prevent attacks
   By Teresa Chagrin, PETA
   December 15, 2015; Port Huron Times Herald

Time for Detroit to ban pit bulls
   By Jack Lessenberry
   December 15, 2015; Windsor Star

Pit bull attacks are not a racial issue
   by Joan Kowal
   December 13, 2015; Port Huron Times Herald

Pit bull-type dogs have no place in civil society
   by Lori Welbourne
   December 11, 2015; Detroit News

Pit bulls were never meant to be household pets
   by Lori Welbourne
   December 8, 2015; Port Huron Times Herald

Detroit should adopt pit bull ban it didn't 9 years ago
   By Rochelle Riley
   December 5, 2015; Detroit Free Press

Let local laws determine how to reduce dog attacks, restrict breeds
   by Mia Johnson and Joan Kowal
   December 4, 2014; MLive

Notes:
¹   Death of mother, 22, who was mauled in pit bull attack is bizarrely ruled a SUICIDE as medical examiner says she climbed into their enclosure on purpose to get mauled; December 10, 2015; Daily Mail
²   Correction: Dr Dragovic's finding that Rebecca Hardy's death was suicide may, in a clinical sense, be accurate. In a purely forensic sense, suicide means simply that the death was not of natural cause, occurred through the actions of the victim, and no one else caused it to occur. However, Dr Dragovic also refers to Ms Hardy's motivations, which none of us are privy to. His public announcements are misleading, inflammatory, and caused unnecessary pain for Ms Hardy's family. Moreover, they have exacerbated a highly sensitive issue.
³   Pit Bull attacks are not a racial issue, Times Herald, December 13, 2015

Sources:

Bullet grazes Michigan State Police dog as troopers stop pit bull attack
   December 15, 2015; MLive

Officials say dog attack is suicide
   December 10, 2015; Port Huron Daily Tribune

Michigan woman's mauling death from pit bulls' attack ruled a suicide
   December 10, 2015; Cleveland.com

Family of woman killed in dog attack says it was not suicide
   December 9, 2015; Fox2 News

Mother mauled by dogs had history of suicide attempts
   December 9, 2015; Detroit Free Press

Woman subjected herself to dog attack
   December 9, 2015; Port Huron Times Herald

FATAL PIT BULL ATTACK
Fatal Pit Bull Attack Is 2nd This Week
   December 4, 2015; Deadline Detroit

Woman, 22, dies from pit bull attack after she was found in backyard of home with extensive injuries to her face and neck
   December 4, 2015; Daily Mail

FATAL PIT BULL ATTACK
‘They just ate him,’ mom says about dog attack on son
   December 4, 2015; Detroit News

North Huron grad dies from injuries after pit bull attack in Port Huron
   December 4, 2015; Huron Daily Tribune

Man attacked by his pit bull mix, had severe facial, head injuries
   November 28, 2015; MLive

Yorkie killed in dog attack, animal control officer threatened
  November 19, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit

City asked to reconsider eliminating breed-specific dog ordinance
   November 12, 2015; Hastings Banner

Sheriff: pit bull kills Yorkie
   November 11, 2015; Traverse City Record-Eagle

Dog fight ends with hound mix dead, man injured
   November 9, 2015; Hometown Life

Boy bitten by 2 pit bulls; Dogs reportedly got loose during fight
   November 6, 2015; The News Herald

Pit bull rehab: Former fighting dogs find homes in Detroit
   October 24, 2015; CBC News

Amid criticism, Detroit Animal Control makes effort to save more dogs' lives
   October 20, 2015; MLive

31 'pitbull-type' dogs seized, 276 charges pending in alleged dog-fighting ring
   October 14, 2015; CBC News

2-year-old boy bitten by pit bull in Detroit
   September 27, 2015; ClickonDetroit

Police remove pit bull after it bites owner, kills dog
   September 21, 2015; HomeTownLife

Girl requires plastic surgery, up to 75 stitches following pitbull attack
   September 16, 2015; Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Pit bull to be euthanized after attacking two dogs, killing one
   September 11, 2015; News Herald

Pit bull killed after attacking lawn service employee
   September 10, 2015; Lansing State Journal

(September 2, 2015; unreported attack on Alecia Finch covered on Sept 16)

Oakland County Sheriff’s Office: Pit bull seized after biting deputy in Pontiac
   August 31, 2015; Oakland Press News

Suspect's pit bull attacks Sheriff K-9 during arrest
   August 13, 2015; MLive

Parents speak out day after daughter is mauled by neighbor's dog
   August 8, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK

Girl, 9, bit by pitbull-type dog, Warren police say
   August 8, 2015; Detroit Free Press

9-year-old attacked by pit bull in Warren
   August 7, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK

Girl, 9, injured in pit bull attack
   August 7, 2015; Detroit News

* * * * *
Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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Should Pit Bulls Be Trained As Police K9s?

Revised: December 7, 2015; 17:14 GMT
Revised: December 8, 2015; 02:41 GMT

Kiah, a pit bull rescued from an Austin animal shelter, has been accepted as the new K9 officer by the Poughkeepsie NY police department. According to the Associated Press article by David Klepper, Kiah will be used to detect drugs and track missing people.

Brad Croft of San Antonio-based Universal K9 was paid by the Animal Farm Foundation to facilitate the transfer of Kiah from an Austin animal shelter to the Poughkeepsie Police Department. "The breed isn't important" for a police K9, said Mr. Croft.

 Mr Croft is dead wrong.

* * * * *

The feats of scent tracking dogs have become legendary. A bloodhound named Nick Carter is frequently cited as the archetype of the trailing bloodhound. Born in 1900, Nick Carter was owned and handled by Captain G.V. Mullikin of Lexington, Kentucky; he is credited with more than 650 finds, including one that required him to follow a trail 300 hours old (12 days). Sleuth hounds are known to have been used as early as 1307, when the English pursued the Scottish patriot Robert the Bruce.

K9 training is a rigorous, time-consuming and comprehensive process for both the dog and the handler. K9 candidates begin training as early as 10 weeks of age. Obedience training is essential for the dog's safety, for maintaining order at staging areas, for professionalism in law enforcement, and for providing good relations with the public.

Trainees also require socialization and agility training 2 to 5 times a week with each session lasting from 10 to 60 minutes. Scent training for Search and Rescue (SAR) K9 candidates takes place 3 to 7 times per week for 5 to 30 minutes. Scent training frequency decreases over time to 3-5 times/week but the length of each session increases to 20–60 minutes per session.

The pit bull Kiah's early training is unknown, but it is most unlikely that she received obedience training in the months or years before she came to the Austin shelter. Mr Klepper does not tell us how long Kiah trained for her position with Poughkeepsie's K9 unit.

Statue of Hansen, the 7-yo Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero. In 2011 the original statue in Lindenhurst, Long Island, was vandalized beyond repair. The rebuilt memorial was re-dedicated on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

 Hansen died in 2004 at the age of eleven.

* * * * *

In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs like Apollo (German Shepherd), Bretagne (Golden Retriever), and Jake (Black Labrador), among hundreds of other dogs, worked 12 to 18 hour shifts under hazardous conditions. Dogs selected as police K9s, SAR, or scent tracking dogs must be capable of working without interruption under harsh conditions until their task is completed. As described below, these dogs must be friendly while also being high drive dogs:

Although most SAR dogs belong to working, herding, retrieving, or sporting breeds, dogs of numerous breeds, including mixed breeds, can be successful in SAR work. Important characteristics in a potential SAR dog are termed hunt drive, prey drive, and ball drive. A dog with high hunt drive will search for a hidden toy for prolonged periods without giving up or turning to the handler for assistance. A dog with high prey drive enjoys the chase and will enthusiastically pursue a person who runs away to hide or chase a toy that is dragged behind a handler. A dog with high ball drive is one in which a toy is extremely important, and the dog will play with and pursue the toy to the exclusion of any distractions. These qualities help predict the willingness and ability of a dog to search unendingly for a victim until he or she is found.¹

The distinction between hunt, prey, and ball drive, as described above, requires close scrutiny when considering pit bulls as K9s. Greyhounds have a high prey drive -- for rabbits and other small furry creatures; otherwise they are indolent and extraordinarily gentle dogs, until they race. Rat Terriers have a high prey drive -- for rats. But the prey drive associated with pit bulls, otherwise known to aficionados of the breed as gameness, is erratic. Prey drive in pit bulls is meant to be directed toward killing other dogs in a fighting pit, but is too often misdirected toward our More Vulnerable Animal Companions, or worse, toward a human. There is no evidence that the pit bull's prey drive, i.e. gameness, is a trait that can be put to use in a positive way. It is impossible to understand how a dog with this kind of prey drive would be a suitable candidate for police work.

Sirius d. September 11, 2001
Sirius and Sgt David Lim served as the Explosive Detector Team for the World Trade Center.

* * * * *

In addition to the innate problematic behavioral characteristics of the pit bull, there are physiological characteristics that make pit bulls unlikely candidates for tracking or trailing dogs. Detection, sniffing, and SAR dogs depend on an extraordinary sense of smell.

A recent study states that "the phenotypic difference among breeds in scenting ability may be a function of differences in available olfactory epithelial surface area."²  In other words, brachycephalic breeds -- dogs which have been bred with shorter muzzles -- have a smaller olfactory epithelial surface area.

[Click images to enlarge.]

Recent studies show that breeding for short muzzles has a cascading negative effect on a breed's sense of smell. Not only is there less olfactory surface area, but the olfactory lobe in the brain itself has diminished capacity:

The dogs with the shortest skulls—such as the pit bull and Akita showed significant brain reorganization. It was found that when selective breeding by humans shortened the snouts of certain dog breeds, it also morphed their brains to compensate. The whole brain was shown to have rotated thus relocating the olfactory lobe towards the bottom of the skull. This has sacrificed the sensitivity of some breeds sense of smell somewhat and it is for this reason that bulldogs are no good at tracking!
   Balance Behaviour, 19 Savile St, Emley, HD8 9RX UK

The Chien de Saint-Hubert, the likely ancestor of the bloodhound, was first bred in 1000 AD by monks at the Saint-Hubert Monastery in Belgium. In the ensuing millennium breeders have been selecting for ever better scent trailing dogs. The pit bull, on the other hand, was bred during recent centuries as a fighting breed, with negative consequences for the breed's sense of smell.

It is difficult to understand why any police department would knowingly choose as a "sniffing" dog a breed known to have diminished capacity,

It is impossible to understand why Poughkeepsie would accept the risk of using a pit bull, the type of dog known to have killed roughly 30 humans a year over the last five years, when there are numerous breeds which excel at K9 work without the enormous risks associated with pit bulls.

Poughkeepsie's decision to accept Kiah as a K9 is a disgraceful public relations gimmick by the Animal Farm Foundation.

* * * * *
Notes:
¹   Search-and-rescue dogs: an overview for veterinarians
     By Katherine E. Jones, et al.
     JAVMA, Vol 225, No. 6, September 15, 2004
²   op. cit.

The vomero nasal illustrations for both the German Shepherd and the Pit Bull are based on the diagram found in The Anatomy and Physiology of Animals.

This is the second post in a series about Poughkeepsie's pit bull K9. See also the first post, Poughkeepsie's New K9.

Sources:
Pit bull police dog defies breed's savage stereotypes
   by David Klepper
   November 13, 2015; Associated Press

Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
   by Sue Manning
   February 11, 2015; Associated Press

See Also:
K9 & Service Dog Resources

Useful Wikipedia Pages:
[Note: Pit Bull advocates have infiltrated numerous Wikipedia pages, including some of the following.]
Search and Rescue, Detection (Sniffer) Dogs, Nosework, Tracking Dogs, Police Dog, Sleuth Hound, Bloodhound, K9

Resources:
The Problem with Pit Bull Service Dogs
   February 12, 2015; Craven Desires

How the Americans with Disabilities Act has become the “Pit Bull Pushers Act”
   July 3, 2015; Animals 24-7

Service and Therapy Pit Bulls that turned pit bull
   September 16, 2014; Daxton's Father

LawDogsUSA, Pit Bull Detection Dog Program, Shuts Down
   November 5, 2008; Dogsbite

Recent NY Fatal Pit Bull Attacks:
Infant dies following dog mauling in Deansboro
   November 16, 2015; WKTV
Pit bull mauls 9-year-old girl to death on Long Island
   November 9, 2016; New York Daily News

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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St Louis Public Radio: II

Following our post of November 12 (St Louis Public Radio), SRUV corresponded with the producers and editors of KWMU. That correspondence is published below, slightly edited for clarity. 

* * * * *

Dear KWMU,

"St Louis Public Radio," our post responding to Don Marsh's interview with Ledy VanKavage, continues to rank among our most popular articles two weeks after publication. It has struck a nerve with victim's advocates across the country.

KWMU is not alone in advocating for fighting breeds; many radio and TV stations and newspapers have been charmed or bullied into giving pit bull advocates free advertising.

FoxNews 2 (Detroit) is one example. For years they repeatedly invited advocates of fighting breeds onto their programs, thereby providing a forum for these advocates to alter the public perception of pit bulls. At the same time the station declined to publish news of pit bull attacks. This was happening at the same time that attacks by pit bulls were escalating, more and more pit bulls were euthanized in shelters, and more and more pit bulls were abandoned to run loose as strays in Detroit. These are the symptoms of dysfunctional pit bull advocacy.

SRUV wrote a series of posts reporting on the imbalanced coverage provided by FoxNews2, and the channel responded. Fox has since stopped inviting the advocates onto the shows and has belatedly begun to carry news of pit bull attacks. Fox recently broke the story of a pit bull attack which killed a companion animal, and the ensuing bullying of Animal Control Officers by local pit bull advocacy groups.¹ FoxNews2 is to be commended for their fair and balanced reporting on this case.

There have been over twenty fatal pit bull attacks this year, and dozens of additional pit bull attacks which maimed or disfigured humans. There have been hundreds of fatal attacks on our More Vulnerable Animal Companions (see How Many Companion Animals Were Killed In 2014?).

In our post we asked that KWMU grant equal coverage to victim's of pit bull attacks, so these attacks will become part of the public knowledge base. KWMU has yet to respond to that request.

We are taking this opportunity to renew the request that KWMU provide equal time to advocates for victims of pit bull attacks. We will gladly provide contact information at your request.

The Editors, SRUV

* * * * *

Dear Editors of SRUV:

Thank you for contacting St. Louis Public Radio. We have received your messages. If we do follow-up programming on our talk program concerning pit bulls we will keep your group in mind.

Sincerely,
Alex Heuer
Producer, “St. Louis on the Air” and “Cityscape”
St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU

* * * * *

To Alex Heuer:

You have seriously misread our letter, which was written as a courtesy to you and your colleagues at KWMU.

We did not ask that you "keep our group in mind;" -- that is dismissive boilerplate language and it is insulting. We did not request a spot on your program nor do we want one; we have our own means of reaching the animal welfare community.

Our letter was to ask you and your colleagues to consider a fundamental change to your programming: to provide equal time for victims of pit bull attacks, as your recent programming is seen by many as tantamount to advocacy for fighting breeds.

The FCC eliminated the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 but public radio stations might still be expected to program in the public interest. Should you decide to offer equal time to victims of fighting breeds, rather than advocating for the breed that attacked them, we will be pleased to suggest contacts.

The Editors

* * * * *
Note:
¹   Yorkie killed in dog attack, animal control officer threatened
     November 19, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit

Source:
Pit bulls and breed-discriminatory laws: Following Vick’s dog-fighting conviction, what has changed?
    November 4, 2015; 90.7 KWMU

Resources for Victims of Pit Bull Attacks:
National Pit Bull Victim Awareness: Web, FaceBook
Daxton's Friends
Ban Pit Bulls, and many others

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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Poughkeepsie's New K9

Revised: November 17, 2015; 14:45 GMT

The Poughkeepsie NY police department has a new K-9 service dog. Cities customarily pay as much as $15,000 for a fully trained K-9, but Poughkeepsie's new canine officer comes with all costs paid.

The evaluation and selection of the dog, the transportation, boarding, and lengthy training will all be paid for by an angel. What's not to like?

* * * * *

For decades German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois have been the breeds of choice as police and military dogs. Other breeds such as retrievers or Border Collies are trained as bomb or narcotics sniffers, or to recover cadavers, lost children or hikers. Poughkeepsie's new officer, Kiah, will be used as a "sniffer," used to detect drugs and track missing people.

Kiah is a pit bull. George Carlson, the Ulster County sheriff's deputy who trained Kiah, said Kiah is the only pit bull police dog that he's heard of on the East Coast.

Taking Kiah from a shelter in Texas and placing her as a K9 in New York was a joint project involving Austin Pets Alive!, San Antonio-based Universal K9, and the Animal Farm Foundation. Brad Croft of Universal K9 claims he has placed "about" 10 pit bulls with law enforcement agencies around the country.¹  He then adds, There are two dogs that really stand out right now, Libby with the Montgomery County, TX Constables and Ruby with the Chattahoochee Hills Police Department in Georgia.

Images provided for Libby and Ruby are informal poses with their handlers in front of police cruisers. It is not clear if these two dogs are official members of their respective law enforcement agencies, or if they are unofficial sidekicks.

It appears that Mr Croft has found a way to grow his revenue: take a pit bull from a shelter and find a police department willing to accept it, either officially or unofficially. Animal Farm Foundation generously covers all costs through its pit bull giveaway, er . . . , grant program. Mr Croft's company receives remuneration for services rendered. The appeal to cash-strapped police departments is undeniable. Have the cities and police departments considered the implications of accepting the gift of a fighting breed so that Animal Farm can raise the breed profile?

* * * * *

The attempt to place pit bulls as K-9s is relatively recent but has already provided an extensive literature. In 2008 Dogsbite reported on the closure of the abortive LawDogs program, which attempted to train rescued pit bulls for police work. In September, 2014 the website DaxtonsFather compiled a catalog of service and therapy pit bulls involved in attacks.

In February 2015, blogger Dawn James published an expose on the  Craven Desires blog. The post begins by describing the collapse of several organizations attempting to place pit bulls as service dogs, including Pit Bulls 4 Patriots and Pits for Patriots, both of which closed their doors in 2012. Animal Farm Foundation not only continues to place rescued pit bulls as service dogs but has expanded their initiative with their efforts to place K-9s.

* * * * *

A future post about Kiah will cover liability issues for K-9 units and the physiological reasons why pit bulls are unsuited for K-9 work.

Poughkeepsie is the county seat of Dutchess County, NY, which is also home to The Animal Farm Foundation.

Canine Companions for Independence

Pledge to Stop the Fraud

* * * * *
Notes:
¹   Animal Farm Foundation, June 4, 2014

See Also:
K9 & Service Dog Resources

Sources:
Pit bull police dog defies breed's savage stereotypes
   by David Klepper
   November 13, 2015; Associated Press

Rescued pit bulls fight stigma by guiding people in need
   by Sue Manning
   February 11, 2015; Associated Press

Resources:

The Problem with Pit Bull Service Dogs
   February 12, 2015; Craven Desires

How the Americans with Disabilities Act has become the “Pit Bull Pushers Act”
   July 3, 2015; Animals 24-7

Service and Therapy Pit Bulls that turned pit bull
   September 16, 2014; Daxton's Father

LawDogsUSA, Pit Bull Detection Dog Program, Shuts Down
   November 5, 2008; Dogsbite

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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St. Louis Public Radio

Ledy VanKavage; Photo by Kelly Moffitt, St Louis Public Radio

On November 4, 2015, St Louis Public Radio (KWMU 90.7) aired a 21-minute segment featuring Ledy VanKavage of Best Friends Animal Society. Don Marsh hosted the show.

Ms VanKavage timed her on-air appearance to coincide with the local showing of the film The Champions, in which she appears.

An earlier version of this post was sent as an email letter to the KWMU producers.

* * * * *

Dear Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer, Kelly Moffitt, and Don Marsh,

Re: Pit bulls and breed-discriminatory laws: Following Vick's dog-fighting conviction, what has changed?  (Aired November 4, 2015)

We can tell you what has changed: in the eight years since Vick's arrest and conviction there have been 174 fatal pit bull attacks on humans, an increase of 180% over the preceding eight year period.

The number of pit bulls involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks rose from 78 in 2007 to 603 by 2014; the number of child victims rose from 30 to 264.

You will not hear these facts from Ledy VanKavage, the guest on your program. Advocates of fighting breeds do not acknowledge the victims of pit bull attacks.

Ms VanKavage's behavior during the segment, including laughing dismissively at times, is an insult to the memory of the victims, to the enduring agonies of those who have been disfigured or maimed, and to those who have lost a companion animal. It is because of performances like Ms VanKavage's and Mr Marsh's that the victims' movement has burgeoned in the last two years.¹

Your use of the word "discriminatory" in the title of the segment is inflammatory and provocative, especially in view of the fact that your state has been in the news for over a year and especially during this week, for human racial discrimination. To imply that distinguishing between canine breeds is similar to human racial discrimination is an insult to those who are impacted by real discrimination. Yes; some laws apply only to certain breeds of dogs, which makes sense, if you bother to think about it. We discriminate every time we acknowledge that one breed is different from another, otherwise we might expect a retriever to herd sheep. This kind of "discrimination" is inherent in the concept of breed; it is why man bred dogs. All dog people know this.

We are dismayed that St Louis Public Radio, which presumably is supported by the public and works in the public interest, should devote such a significant block of time to the advocacy of fighting breeds. You will note from the comments that many of your listeners and readers vehemently disagree with Ms VanKavage.

Further, we are astonished that advocates of fighting breeds continue to gain access to public media, which often fails to provide equal access to those who advocate for victims or for public safety measures. As KWMU is a public, not-for-profit, subsidized news organization, the public has every right to know how this story came to be aired. Did Best Friends Animal Society call and suggest that Ms VanKavage would be available for an interview? Did Ms VanKavage (or Best Friends) provide the "talking points" for Mr Marsh?

The softball questions Mr Marsh lobbed to Ms VanKavage are an embarrassment. In her next appearance at KWMU Ms VanKavage should be made to answer questions from the victims of pit bull attacks. She would have to significantly adjust her demeanor.

Ms VanKavage's misstatements of fact are too numerous to mention, but one in particular must be addressed. The following comment was emphasized in bold type in a sidebar on your web page:

There’s always a dangerous dog du jour. Back in the ‘70s, it was the German Shepard, then the Rottweiler, then the Doberman, and then the pit bull terrier. I think it is the popularity—the more dogs there are of a breed, the more bites you’re going to see.

This is utter nonsense! If the number of bites depended on the number of dogs then Golden Retrievers would be among the biggest biters. A more effective rebuttal is found among the comments:

Liz Adams • 

Ledy you are the one that spewed lots of silly myths. Myth 1: In the past 30 years, pit bulls have killed 350 people, Rottweilers 86, German Shepherds 15, Huskies 26, Dobermans 8... Even Dalmations, who are known for being not good with kids have killed zero.

Yet the idiotic dog du jour jingle persists and can be found on the internet just about any day of the week.²  It must now be put to rest, along with the free advertising by public radio for advocates of fighting breeds.

KWMU could provide a valuable service to listeners of pubic radio by offering equal time to an expert who is more interested in protecting our citizens, our domestic animals,  and our More Vulnerable Animal Companions than in promoting fighting breeds.

The Editors

* * * * *
Notes:
¹   National Pit Bull Victim Awareness: Web page, FaceBook; Daxton's Friends, Ban Pit Bulls, and many others.
²   See also First X, Then Y, Then Z

Source:
Pit bulls and breed-discriminatory laws: Following Vick’s dog-fighting conviction, what has changed?
    November 4, 2015; 90.7 KWMU

Postscript:
Hours before The Champions premiered at the St Louis International Film Festival 9-year old Amiyah Dunston was killed by a pit bull on Long Island. She became the 21st victim this year.

Amiyah Dunston, 9 yo; d. Nov 8, 2015

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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October Op-Ed Pieces

Kelly Ranasinghe

Merritt Clifton

During the final ten days of National Pit Bull Awareness Month, from October 20 through October 30, pit bull aficionados and detractors were treated to an exchange of views from across the spectrum. Our brief review follows the list of seven articles we've selected:

Pit Bulls Deserve Breed-Specific Protection
   by Ingrid Newkirk, PETA
   October 20, 2015; Huffington Post

Pit Bull Lovers: Think Before You Click
   by Chris White, Bikers Against BSL
   October 20, 2015; Huffington Post

Op-Ed: PETA's pit bull stance favors shock value over ethics
   by Kelly Ranasinghe
   October 21, 2015; Reno Gazette-Journal

Opinion: How we can ‘fix’ the pit bull problem
   By Daphna Nachminovitch
   Senior Vice-President of the Cruelty Investigations, PETA
   October 26, 2015; Reno Gazette-Journal

Animal experts: Don't blame pit bulls; training curbs dog attacks
   By Frank S. Abderholden
   October 27, 2015; Chicago Tribune

Dog attacks are not normal
   By Merritt Clifton
   Editor, Animals 24-7
   October 30, 2015; Reno Gazette-Journal

What I learned about pit bulls woke me up
   By Alexandra Phillips
   Social Media Assistant, PETA
   October 30, 2015; The News Tribune

* * * * * 

The Huffington Post article by Chris White is a conventional HuffPo pit bull article. Meaning it is excruciatingly, mind-numbingly l-o-n-g. Many pit bull authors suffer from prolixity, perhaps because they lack confidence in their arguments. HuffPo pit bull authors go beyond mere wordiness: they write as if they're paid by the word, like the authors of pulp fiction.

Second, the article follows advocacy convention by attacking Merritt Clifton and Colleen Lynn, in the mistaken belief that a good defense of pit bulls is a strong offense. Need we say more?

But there are also two things that set Mr White's article apart from the run-of-the-mill advocacy article. The level of spite directed at his opponents is disgraceful, even for advocates of fighting breeds, even for Huffington Post authors. And secondly, Mr White actually comes out and suggests that his readers self-censor, by not exposing themselves to arguments other than his own. We know this happens in the world of pit bull advocacy, but has it ever been stated so baldly?

* * * * *

A solution to the BSL contretemps is as remote as ever, so Ingrid Newkirk's valiant effort to reframe the debate is welcome. The suggestion that BSL would protect living family pit bull pets is not new. Nonetheless, pit bull advocates were apoplectic with fury, acting as if Ms Newkirk had suggested the sacrifice of the kingdom's first-born sons.

Among those who were most outraged by Ms Newkirk's proposal was Kelly Ranasinghe, who suggested that Dogsbite.org and Animals 24-7 were extremist and marginal groups. Mr Ranasinghe seems unaware of the irony that his words, published in the Reno Gazette-Journal, will garner only a fraction of the page-views of his opponents, making his essay even more marginal. Mr Ranasinghe's rancor was inspired by PETA's presumed affiliation with Victims' Advocacy Groups, but Mr Ranasinghe declines to mention victims of pit bull attacks a single time in his diatribe. The refusal to acknowledge the victims has been a defining characteristic of pit bull advocacy

There was the obligatory "Blame the Deed, Not the Breed" argument, coming this time from Frank S. Abderholden in the Chicago Tribune. The obligatory "experts" (see Definitions, below) testified that well-trained pit bulls do not attack. (Ahem!)

* * * * *

Two additional articles were by PETA staffers. The first (by Daphna Nachminovitch) appears to be a clarification of Ms Newkirk's incendiary piece, while also serving as a counterpoint to Mr Ranasinghe's bitter diatribe. More effective is the boots-on-the-ground report by PETA staffer and volunteer field worker Alexandra Phillips. Ms Phillips' 1st-person account of a pit bull attack is a Heart-of-Darkness moment.

Merritt Clifton has previously noted that our culture has become inured to pit bull behavior, that we have come to see pit bull attacks as acceptable canine behavior and a corollary of pet ownership.¹ Clifton's short essay, Dog Attacks Are Not Normal, was published as a letter in the Gazette-Journal. We reprint it here (in its entirety) to give it the coverage it deserves:

Young people tend to imagine that dog attack violence is normal, because they never knew a time when it was not.

From 1930 to 1960, the U.S. averaged fewer than one fatal dog attack per year, yet almost all dogs ran free, less than 1 percent were fixed, and males far outnumbered females because of the common practice of drowning female pups to prevent surplus litters. Pit bulls during that entire 30-year span killed nine people. Dobermans killed two, one in 1955, one in 1960, and that created the lasting image of the Doberman as a dangerous breed.

Since 2010, we have averaged more than 30 fatalities per year from pit bulls alone.

What changed?

In 1960 pit bulls were under 1 percent of the U.S. dog population. By 2000, they were about 3.5 percent, and now they are 7 percent of dog births, though still only about 3.5 percent of the dog population due to excessively high mortality, mostly through shelter surrenders and impoundments.

PETA is right: It is time to stop breeding pit pulls and time to mandate sterilizing them, since only about 20 percent are sterilized now, compared to 70 percent-plus for all other dogs.

* * * * * *
Notes:
¹   See Inured to Pit Bull Behavior, included in How behavior testing fails adopters, dogs, volunteers & shelter staff.

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Dog Bite Studies Index
   Dogsbite.org

Today's pit bull attacks
   Google News

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

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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Pit Bull Aggregator

Revised: November 3, 2015; 21:21 GMT

National Pit Bull Awareness Month began with a half-hour "feeding frenzy" attack on two young cousins, Isabella George and Rebekah Forgey, on a country road near their homes in rural Indiana.

Cousins Isabella George, 19, and Rebekah Forgey, 20
Attacked by four pit bulls on October 1, 2015

The month celebrating pit bulls ended 30 days later, after forty or fifty known attacks on humans, two of which were fatal, and dozens of attacks on our More Vulnerable Animal Companions. A few of the more notable attacks are listed below.

This astonishing 31-day sampling of pit bull attacks is a tip-of-the-iceberg indicator of the many attacks that actually occurred. It is difficult to know with certainty the true number of pit bull attacks. Dog Attack Statistics, the authoritative, cumulative report, is a log of the most serious attacks.¹  The new victims' advocacy web page has compiled a compendium of statistics from 45 states.²

The list below is a one-month sample of what should be undertaken, on a comprehensive scale, for an entire year, by an impartial public safety or victims' organization: a database which logs every pit bull attack requiring a visit to a doctor, gleaned from public health offices, state veterinarians, and other uncensored sources.

City councils and legislatures have been intimidated by advocates of fighting breeds. The sheer weight of evidence such a database provides would compel even the most timid politicians to pass public safety legislation.

Sources:
The list below includes only a few of the more notable pit bull attacks during October 2015, National Pit Bull Awareness Month. The list begins with the most recent attack, listing the attacks in reverse order.

Mom told son to lie about pit bull attack to save dog, complaint says
   October 30, 2015; Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee WI)
   A woman whose 3-month-old son was mauled by her pit bull when she left him alone with his 8-year-old brother told the brother to lie about what happened in order to protect the dog, which had previously bitten the older boy in the face, according to a criminal complaint.

Infant in critical condition after being mauled by family dog
   October 30, 2015; WISN 12 Milwaukee WI

Woman bitten trying to quell dog fight in her car
   (October 30, 2015; Greenwich CT)

Man shot pit bull after it attacked his dog
   October 30, 2015; Times News

Fall River man hospitalized after pit bull attack
   October 30, 2015; Herald News

Officer suffers bites to face, hand trying to save woman from dog attack
   October 29, 2015; WBTV (Davidson, NC)

Animal control officer severely injured in pit bull attack
   October 29, 2015; WSB TV 2 (Columbus GA)

Man hospitalized after pit hull attack
   October 29, 2015; KGWN Cheyenne WY

Pitbull euthanized after attacking Clearfield boy
   October 28, 2015; Salt Lake Tribune
. . . the boy sustained broken ribs, a facial bite that nearly removed an ear, and multiple slashing wounds on his stomach so severe that paramedics found him with his intestines on the point of spilling out.

Pit bull attacked police dog as it chased a suspected car thief
   October 28, 2015; KOMO News (Centralia WA)

Pit Bulls Attack Alpaca in East Windsor
   October 28, 2015; NBC Connecticut

Florence dog attack investigated (WI)
   October 27, 2015; The Daily News

Girl attacked by pit bull in Pocatello
   October 27, 2015; Idaho State Journal

Deputy shoots, kills pit bull after dog attacks him, HCSO says
   Pit bull was 1 of 3 dogs that bit women, 2 men
   October 26, 2015; Click2Houston

Three People Attacked by Dogs in North Houston
   October 26, 2015; ABC 13

Child bitten by family dog in central Brevard
   October 26, 2015; Florida Today

Cumberland mother could face charges after dog bites boy
   October 25, 2015; WRAL (Fayetteville NC)

Boy, 6, bit by dog in Cocoa (FL)
   October 25, 2015; Fox 35

Pit bull day coincides with day for attack victims
   October 24, 2015; WVTM 13

Dog Killed By Police After Attacking Owner In Baltimore Park
   October 23, 2015; CBS Baltimore

Dog killed, woman hurt after pit bull attack in Glendale
   October 23, 2015; WSAU 550 AM (WI)

El Paso sheriff's deputy bitten by stray animal
   October 22, 2015; KFOX 14

Pit bull attack sends Montreal woman to hospital for three days
   October 23, 2015; CBC News

Dog seriously injured in dog attack in Bow
   October 22, 2015; WNUR 9 ABC

Women recovering from pitbull attack
   October 22, 2015; Great Bend Tribune (KS)

FATAL ATTACK
OKC Man Dies After Being Mauled By Five Dogs
   October 21, 2015; News 9 Oklahoma

Jogger attacked by pack of pit bulls
   October 21, 2015; My Panhandle (FL)

Pit bulls, owner sought in Fort Myers Beach attack on girl, dog
   October 21, 2015; News Press (FL)

Dog attacks man at Richmond Hill car wash
   October 21, 2015; Savannah Morning News (Bryan Cty, GA)

FATAL ATTACK
Texas boy, 5, mauled to death by two pit bulls at home of family friend
   October 20, 2015; Daily News

Lorain dog owner cited after multiple dog attacks
   October 20, 2015; Lorain Morning Journal

2 pit bulls attack off-duty Lima Police Department officer
   October 20, 2015; LimaOhio

Proceedings delayed against man watching dogs when they attacked people
   October 20, 2015; WIBW Topeka

Police investigating pit bull attack on woman
   October 20, 2015; WHIO Dayton

Woman says pit bull charged her, killed her dog
    October 20, 2015; ABC 10 San Diego

Vidor child dies from injuries sustained in dog attack
   October 19, 2015; The Orange Leader (CA)

Woman and daughter attacked by 2 pit bulls in north St. Louis
   October 19, 2015; KMOV St Louis

Family Searches For Dog That Mauled Daughter In Long Island City
   October 19, 2015; CBS New York

Pit bull mix that killed puppy in Hollis had previous attack
   October 18, 2015; WCSH 6 (Hollis ME)

Pierce County pit bull owner charged after vicious mauling
   October 16, 2015; KOMO  News

Man shoots, kills dog during attack
   October 15, 2015; Post-Crescent

Local woman recovering after being mauled by pack of dogs at cemetery
   October 14, 2015; News-Bulletin (Valencia County, CA)

Pit bull mixes kill 2 dogs, bite 2 people, police say
   October 14, 2015; Lehigh Valley Live

Two pit bulls bite man walking past airport neighborhood home
   October 14, 2015; Modesto Bee

Dog attacks housekeeper in San Luis Obispo
   October 14, 2015; KSBY

Baby injured in Johnston County pit bull attack
   October 13, 2015; WRAL 5 (Kenley NC)

34 dogs impounded in sweep after fatal attack
   October 13, 2015; Desert Sun (CA)

Officers shoots, kills 2 pit bulls during attack
   October 12, 2013; MyFoxBoston, Wichendon NH

Bayonne police kill pit bull after it attacks 4 people, cops say
   October 9, 2015;  Jersey Journal

Police shoot, kill dog after it attacks young girl, others
   October 9, 2015; New Jersey Herald

Father of girl attacked by pit bull: 'I tried to protect my daughter'
   October 9, 2015; NJ.com

After pit bull attack, mom worries about how Clermont County identifies problem dogs (Batavia OH)
   October 9, 2015; WCPO 9 Cincinnati

Pit bull attack leaves man injured in Southeast DC
   October 6, 2015; WUSA 9

Appleton couple attacked by pit bull they had brought home
   October 5, 2015; Niagara Gazette

Man saves woman from pit bull attack
   October 5, 2015; 13 WMAZ

Police Shoot, Kill Pit Bulls in Corona After Dogs 'Terrorize' Neighborhood
   October 5, 2015; NBC 5 Los Angeles

(Previously unreported October 4th attack on 8-year old Zion, IL child noted in Oct 27 Chicago Tribune story)

Dog Allegedly Mauls Goats Leaving Ten Dead
   October 2, 2015; KWTX

Pit bull attack still haunts North Shore victim

   October 1, 2015; Desert Sun

Vicious pack of pit bulls maul cousins out for a run, ripping most of woman's scalp off in horrific 30-minute 'feeding frenzy'
   October 1, 2015; Daily Mail
Women ‘fight for their lives’ in vicious pit bull attack
   October 2, 2015; WLFI 18

* * * * *

Notes:

¹   Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, compiled by Merritt Clifton, logs only the most severe attacks in which the victim is killed or disfigured. See the following paragraph to view or download the report.
²   Bites,  Bans, and Deaths by State

Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ 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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