I’m embarrassed for humanity today. There’s really no other way to state it.

Bid to save Lennox from destruction fails
Belfast woman loses final bid to save Pit Bull Terrier-type dog
Lennox sentenced to death
Lennox to die as N. Ireland court rules against dog

Outrageous ignorance and a penchant for living lives ruled by imagined fears are unfortunately two of many people’s biggest traits. This is a sad reality. Lennox is paying the ultimate price for these traits. God only knows how many ultimately pay the price every day. Shame on Belfast and anyone anywhere in the world who supports the scam that is breed-specific legislation.

All that these people responsible for upholding this scam needed to do was bring Lennox out (privately, or even publicly, and with camera’s rolling) and let him reunite with his family. They’d quickly see for themselves that this is a good dog. Not only that, but they’d then be forced to re-examine this decision from a less-detached place, or opt to uphold this monstrosity in the face of that touching moment. Instead, his family (which includes a 12-year-old girl who misses him dearly) won’t even get to say goodbye or even see him for a second, and he will likely be murdered by some scumbag who is ordered to drag him into a room with a catch pole. This is a total tragedy. To the people that don’t agree: My God, what has happened to your insides?

As of now, Lennox is still alive. I have no idea when the actual killing is going to happen… So knowing that, please continue to fight for him! He has (and has had) many rescues outside of the country that have offered him a safe haven, and yet, Belfast has refused to release him. Belfast has also ignored multiple assessment videos, ignored countess recommendations from highly respected dog behaviorists, and ignored their own photographic evidence that shows Lennox KISSING the very person that (under oath) called him “extremely aggressive.” They’ve also undoubtedly ignored their conscience constantly, as well as the overwhelming evidence that disproves BSL as an effective tactic when it comes to decreasing the many frowned upon behaviors and happenings that it was created to curb. Most important of all: Lennox did NOTHING. He was found guilty merely because the size of his head (when tape measured) exceeded some number that a bureaucrat had set, as to determine “what was” and “what wasn’t” a “dangerous” dog. This is tyrannical insanity.

To email Ireland’s Prime Minister: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

To let the Belfast City Council hear you, go to their Facebook page and leave a “recommendation.”

If you’d like to send an email to each of the Belfast City Council members, blind copy them all at these email addresses: attwoodt@belfastcity.gov.uk, d.browne@ntlworld.com, maryellencampbell@hotmail.com, converyp@belfastcity.gov.uk, corrs@belfastcity.gov.uk, tiernac77@gmail.com, catherine.curran@allianceparty.org, niallodonnghaile@gmail.com, tom@weaverscourt.com, garrettm@belfastcity.gov.uk, empgroves@msn.com, hairet@belfastcity.gov.uk, hannac@belfastcity.gov.uk, sandebelfast@sinn-fein.ie, hartley_tom@hotmail.com, maire.hendron@allianceparty.org, williamhy@dup-belfast.co.uk, husseyj@belfastcity.gov.uk, mervynjones54@yahoo.co.uk, keenancolin@belfastcity.gov.uk, bkelly@utvinternet.com, kingstonb@belfastcity.gov.uk, kylej@belfastcity.gov.uk, mallonn@belfastcity.gov.uk, conormaskey@hotmail.com, mccarthyp@belfastcity.gov.uk, frankmccoubrey1@hotmail.co.uk, gareth@dup-belfast.co.uk, laura.mcnamee@allianceparty.org, mcveighjames@belfastcity.gov.uk, caoimhinmgm@yahoo.com, mairtin@newbelfast.com, mullankate@belfastcity.gov.uk, adam.newton@live.co.uk, carole.newton@hotmail.co.uk, lydia@dup-belfast.co.uk, reynoldsl@belfastcity.gov.uk, robinsong2@belfastcity.gov.uk, rodgersj@belfastcity.gov.uk, spenceg@belfastcity.gov.uk, christopher_stalford@yahoo.com, stokerb@belfastcity.gov.uk, naomi@dup-belfast.co.uk, andrew.webb@allianceparty.org

Further reading:
An outrage in Belfast: The sad case of Lennox, the dog
Victoria Stilwell “shocked” at Lennox health condition
SaveLennox.com

In light of the recent human-on-human cannibalistic “mauling,” when does Miami-Dade County consider banning African American males who also have beards and neck tattoos?

I’m obviously COMPLETELY KIDDING, but since this is currently in the news, I thought it could be used to show how ridiculously absurd it is to take 1 horrific event and blame an entire group of anything (people, animals) for the actions of an individual, or a few.

Before I go any further… I’m totally sorry if anyone takes this as an insensitive post. That’s not my intention, but I do want to acknowledge how it may be perceived that way by some… I also wanted to state that I have no idea why or how Rudy Eugene did what he did. I don’t know if he was a bad guy, I don’t know if he was on some crazy drug, and I don’t mean to imply to the people that actually did know him what he was or what he wasn’t. I can comment on his actions though… He ate someone’s face practically off, and that is clearly disturbing and abhorrent. Back to my intention with this post: All I’m doing is noting a well-publicized incident that happened and trying to draw a parallel with how a group of dogs (Pit Bulls) get demonized as a whole when some scumbag treats his dog like shit, chains it in the yard, doesn’t socialize it or show it any kind of love, and then it eventually “bites” someone or (using a go-to of the media) “mauls” someone. Well, now Rudy Eugene has legitimately “mauled” someone. The homeless man that was attacked “had his face eaten down to his goatee.” So yes, my initial question was sarcastic. It was satire. It’s intended to show the sheer hypocrisy and ignorance of such a potential action. An action that is actually playing out in the dog world. An action that has, coincidentally enough, already played out in Miami. Lastly, this absolutely has nothing to do with me trying to minimize black people, as Rudy Eugene just as easily could have been white or Hispanic, and I would have used the exact same example.

All that being said, I maintain that people and animals alike should be treated as individuals and judged by their specific actions. You cannot demonize anything for the actions of a few. You cannot honesty attempt to ban or cull a group of anything for the actions of a few. People are ultimately responsible for themselves. People, owners, guardians are ultimately responsible for their animals. If someone commits a crime, they should be tried in front of a jury of their peers, and if proven guilty, suffer the consequences of their actions. If any animal legitimately mauls or kills a person, that animal should be dealt with appropriately and the owner of said animal, as well as the circumstances surrounding the incident, should be thoroughly examined… If unsavory treatment is found (which is always the case) then that person should be effectively charged so that he/she is held accountable, made clear of the improper treatment, and if they infract again then the punishments should escalate. What SHOULDN’T happen when someone commits a crime is then seeing everyone else who falls under some sort of comparable category to the perpetrator (race, ethnicity, type, creed, similar look, similar interests, similar characteristics) suffering the broad-brushing and unjustified consequences. That’s tyranny folks. That’s ignorance folks. That’s hate folks.

*Update*
In an odd turn of events, Maryland, a state which just recently introduced statewide legislation meant to negatively typecast all Pit Bulls as “inherently dangerous,” just had a similar cannibalistic event come to light today… Apparently Maryland resident, Alexander Kinyua, admitted to murdering his college roommate and then “devouring his brain and heart.”

I now ask: Is the asinine state of Maryland, bent on discrimination, now considering enacting a statewide ban on all African American males who also have shaved heads? You know, since they all must be cannibalizing murderers and all…

And the insanity strikes yet again,
London apparently has an animal-torturing, cannibalizing murderer of their own, and who they’ve yet to catch… What’s the tie in? You guessed it, the United Kingdom has a countrywide ban on anything that remotely resembles a Pit Bull. Furthermore, under the “Dangerous Dog Act of 1991,” any dog that even “intimidates” another person can be seized and destroyed. “Intimidation” is a very open-ended phrase, very subjective and could mean essentially anything to anyone. For example, if a friendly dog were to run up to someone who was claiming to be scared of that dog, that would then qualify and your friendly dog could be deemed “dangerous,” seized and destroyed.

So again, and hopefully for the last time, I ask: In light of these recent events, is the United Kingdom now considering a ban on all white males who are also bisexual and enjoy partaking in gay porn? Because someone that fits that exact description is out there chopping people’s bodies up, eating them, and feeding live kittens to a yellow Burmese python for a video audience!

With one stroke of John Kasich’s pen, Ohio’s statewide Pit Bull stereotyping is no more. House Bill 14, as of just a few hours ago, has been signed into law. This bill removes the statewide language that had been in place for the last 25 years, language automatically labeling all Pit Bulls as “vicious.” Ohio had been the only remaining state in the nation to continue classifying a dog as “vicious” solely by breed and appearance, and not by individual behavior. At last, this crime against common sense has finally been corrected.

Unfortunately the new law will not counteract the breed-specific legislation that numerous local communities (like Cincinnati) have in place. What it does do however is do away with the constant targeting of innocent dogs, as well as enforced regulations that created unjustified hurdles for every Pit Bull guardian in the state. Just as important, it creates precedent and pushes the momentum for justice in the correct direction. Just last year both Cleveland and Toledo ended their BSL ordinances. They’ve since moved to breed-neutral policies that are far more sensible and humane.

Being an Ohioan for the first 24 years of my life, and having Sway for 4 years before we moved out to California, I saw firsthand the kinds of unspoken bigotry and ignorance that these kinds of labels (vicious) produce. These prior determinations caused (and in many areas continue to cause) many wonderful animals to be immediately killed. Those that did find homes with loving humans continued to face barriers created by language, created by a system that made them guilty without a chance to be proven innocent. It was wrong for so long. Me and Sway are very happy to finally say so long to wrong.

Thank you Governor Kasich. Thank you to all of the countless unnamed persons who positively added, in any way, to this long and difficult effort.