This post is my response to a guest commentary piece, written by Pam Ashley, that ran in Alabama’s “The Gadsden Times.” Please read the above link first for the full context…

Dear Pam,
First of all, I’m genuinely sorry to hear about what happened to your Weimaraner, Bleu. That is a tragedy, and a senseless act that certainly could have been avoided, albeit not by anything that you did or didn’t do. By the accounts that I’ve read, you and your family did all that you could do to ensure a safe environment for all. It’s beyond unfortunate that your family was located next to a neighbor that was this irresponsible. It’s also beyond unfortunate that these types of irresponsible people even continue to exist at all. I would give anything to have everyone in this world take responsibility for their actions, to treat others (people and animals) with kindness, to consistently use common sense, to show empathy, to have compassion in their heart. I’d also give anything to have everyone that has a companion animal embrace the fact that that animal should be loved and treated as if it were part of the family. My best bet is that these 2 Pit Bulls were not from this type of environment. That’s unfortunate. The “no remorse” shown by your neighbors seems indicative of this fact. I also realize how unsettling it must be to have a sheriff deputy, followed by the local animal control, claim that they can do “nothing” in response to this fatal attack upon your dog. That is ridiculous, all very much ridiculous. But please continue to hear me out…

The statistics you cite, claiming fatal dog attacks (to people), and showing that a certain amount were perpetrated by Pit Bulls… This total number (from all dog types) is just a handful, per year. I say that not to justify any attack, but to attempt to provide a perspective in regards to how often these things actually happen. According to the HSUS, there is approximately 78 million “owned” dogs in the United States alone. That doesn’t account for the millions of shelter animals (4-5 million are killed each year, close to half of the dogs being Pit Bulls), nor the many that are unregistered and etc… I’d say that it’s certainly not a stretch to then say that at least 5 million of those 78 million are Pit Bulls or Staffordshires. To the average person who will vaguely use “Pit Bull-type” as a phrase, that number probably then doubles, due to the fact that the Pit Bull isn’t even an actual breed of dog. And these are all fairly conservative (Pit Bull-related) estimates mind you… So just to continue to be fair: You are essentially saying that x-amount of Pit Bulls (4? 5? 6?) killed a person during whatever specific year you’d want to cite, without then accounting for the x-amount of Pit Bulls that didn’t. Well, that “didn’t” number is going to astronomically dwarf any number that you can possibly find.

For examples sake: Let’s say that there are 5 million Pit Bulls, and then 10 fatal attacks that you can actually thoroughly cite…
That means that 0.000002% of all Pit Bulls actually killed a person that year.
In turn, that means that 99.999998% of all Pit Bulls DID NOT kill a person that year.
So yes, you’re correct, “statistics do not lie.”

Fatal attacks involving “Pit Bulls” from the years 1979 through 1998 total “66.” In that 19 year window it breaks down to 3.47 “fatalities” per year. Not 34, not 347, but 3(point)47.

You also realize that in the extremely rare event that a dog does actually kill a person, the media has been caught countless times just shamelessly calling that dog a Pit Bull, when in numerous instances it’s later found out to not actually be the case. This is done to drive coverage, to sensationalize the broadcast. I’d hope that that would come as no surprise to you.

Also worth noting… Pit Bulls outnumber German Shepherds and Rottweilers and Chows and Dobermans, the other 4 types commonly cited in “bite” statistics, by a 3-4-5 to 1 ratio. Which then means that these other types infract “more.” So are you in favor of banning them as well? I would assume that you are not, since they weren’t the type that killed your dog, nor do they have websites dedicated to peddling misinformation that defies logic, and all in the name of being hateful.

In regards to your claim that “if provoked for whatever reason, a Pit Bull attacks relentlessly until its victim is dead, unless forced off” … Well, that’s just patently false. Millions of Pit Bulls are “provoked” every single day. “Provoked” could mean anything quite frankly… If what you say is actually true, these landsharks would be killing thousands of animals, as well as thousands of people, PER DAY. Because, as your article states, “they cannot be called off the attack once they’ve started.” So that implies that either the Pit Bull dies (due to being “forced” off, shot, etc.), or the animal or person it is “attacking” dies. So, um, why aren’t we hearing about this kind of thing at the rapid fire pace that your outrageous claims imply?

To your claim about Pit Bulls not being used by law enforcement or the military. Well, first, many are…. But more importantly, the reason why they are not IS NOT because of what you state. You claim that they aren’t used because “they cannot be called off once they’ve started.” Nope. In reality, they aren’t used because they aren’t inherently human aggressive. They are not bred for protection, or to bite and hold, like say, a German Shepherd or a Belgian Shepherd is. And that’s not a knock on German or Belgian Shepherds either, as they are wonderful dogs as well. But Pit Bulls specifically have human aggression purposely, and oftentimes brutally, bred OUT of them. This is done, even by the shadiest character, so that they can continue to be used by scum for dog fighting, without then redirecting and “attacking” their human ring handler.

I don’t mean to get short with you in any way, but some of the things that you’ve said, well, I’ve taken GREAT offense to. You are offending millions of people with your broad-brushing. What you are doing is senselessly piling on, and it’s going to indirectly affect someone else, someone innocent. You state “sterilization should also be a requirement so this breed can die off.” Do you hear yourself? That’s an unbelievably cruel thing to say. If you were my mother I’d be completely embarrassed by your assessment. My mother happens to be a registered nurse, just like you. She also happens to have a Pit Bull that she loves and makes part of her family.

Your argument is essentially to “ban the gun” instead of even remotely attempting to focus on the criminal who used that gun to shoot and kill a person. That’s misguided. That’s not to compare a Pit Bull to a gun, it’s just a visual reality that people can comprehend. If you “ban the gun,” then those criminals will just go and get an ax, or a hunting knife, or a baseball bat, and so on and so forth. What you are knowingly (or unknowingly) contributing to is the placing of blame down upon an entire breed/type (we are talking MILLIONS of dogs!), while allowing the person(s) responsible for the heinous crime to go free and infract again. That makes no sense at all.

I’m white… If an African American or a Hispanic person were to murder my entire family tomorrow, I wouldn’t go to my local paper and call for the immediate demonization of all African American or Hispanic people. You wouldn’t see my face on the news, unfairly (and insanely) stating how “dangerous” they are as a whole. I would never state anything as remotely psychotic as that. I wouldn’t think it privately to myself, not for a second. There would be absolutely none of that at all, whatsoever… Yet with you, that’s what you’ve done here. Do you not see how your response is comparable to this hypothetical example? If you don’t then you’re just a total hypocrite.

You asked me (Pit Bull advocates) to ask myself some questions. Here are the answers…

“Why, specifically, do you want a Pit Bull?” Because they’ve been in my life for over 10 years. My best friend in the world just happened to be one, she was with me for over 8 years. She was extraordinarily special. They are extremely loving, smart, affectionate, loyal, hilarious, good-natured animals.

“What about a Pit Bull is more appealing than adopting any other breed of dog?” Well, what made you adopt/buy a Weimaraner? There’s qualities in each dog, as individuals, that we fall in love with. Dogs are individuals and loving people choose how they choose. I can’t speak for someone that wants to fight them, or treat them like garbage, or not socialize them, or not show them love… But please don’t confuse me with such a person. Please don’t confuse the hundreds of thousands of people that have Pit Bulls as family pets, as such a person. Your vagueness doesn’t fly here. Your text smugness doesn’t fly here. Why do I personally like Pit Bulls going forward? Because I know firsthand what amazing dogs they are. I know firsthand how badly they are stereotyped, and how badly they are treated by certain factions of humanity. I know that there are people like you out there who are trying to spread hate, whether you realize it or not. I will fight that until I’m dead and gone.

“Why don’t you believe the evidence that shows Pit Bulls cannot be called off an attack once it starts?” Because that evidence doesn’t exist. Why don’t you believe the mathematical evidence that unequivocally shows that 99.9% of Pit Bulls living in this country have never killed a person?

“Are you willing to view graphic pictures of people and animals mauled by Pit Bulls and then tell those people that there was about a 48% chance they wouldn’t have been attacked, that they were just unlucky?” You’re sarcasm is unnecessary. Yes, I’m willing to view pictures. No, I wouldn’t have a generic rhetorical response to feed them. Each instance should be looked at and treated on its own merits, and that goes for every incident involving dogs of all breeds.

“Can you visualize your child/neighbor/yourself with arms chewed off, face torn off, neck ripped open, and state with assurance that none of this can happen to you or those close to you in the presence of a Pit Bull?” No, I can’t visualize it because my dogs are responsibly cared for. Your stereotypical, ugly way of framing your language is no better than asking me if I “feel safe around a Muslim.”

“Do you defend Pit Bulls because you have a need to have a cause to argue?” No I don’t. Do you blanketly target Pit Bulls because you’re hateful?

Lastly, I implore you to not turn your pain into ignorance. What happened to your dog, Bleu, was terrible. What you are now doing is equally terrible. You are assisting with an ill-sighted witch hunt, and honestly, you should be completely ashamed of yourself. I’d also ask that you visit your local shelter. Physically find it in your heart to actually meet a few of these “types” of dogs. Not your neighbor’s dogs, just random Pit Bulls. Mix it up a little bit. Maybe then your “one side” will turn into something else.

I’ll leave you with this: “No single, neutered/spayed household pet Pit Bull has ever killed anyone.” ~ Karen Delise, Author of “Fatal Dog Attacks”

Thank you for your time and honest consideration,
Josh Liddy

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I’m pretty honored to have Sway featured in the upcoming American Dog Magazine. And it’s amazing to have us featured alongside such wonderful company. Thank you to ADM for the inclusion, is very humbling to say the least. The below issue is their “Spring 2012” run, so I don’t believe it’s available quite yet. Stay tuned!

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.

Westminster Dog Show just recently opted to sever ties with Pedigree after 24 years of sponsorship service. This decision was apparently made after an overwhelming amount of people who make up their “primary audience” voiced concerns about the commercials promoting the adoption of shelter dogs.

How sad is that? That people are so apathetic and cowardly that they’d rather not be subjected to a 30 second commercial, showing a betrayed dog behind bars, because of “how it makes them feel.” Screw how many people might see that commercial and feel inspired to visit a shelter and adopt, screw the fact that the commercial is visually accurate in its portrayal of what you would see if you’d visit a shelter, screw the fact that millions of shelter animals are actually killed every single year inside of this country because of a lack of awareness (among many other things). And here we have a short commercial that may help make a dent, may help some of these dogs find homes, may actually inspire or initiate an emotional response… Well, too bad, many Americans are just too cowardly to even watch. They don’t want to pay attention to a reality-based world because they’re too busy living inside of their bubble. Surprised? Out of sight, out of mind. What a disgrace.

You people that would rather remain silent, or turn away, or close yourself off from tragedies, or from information, or from discussion, or from things that may not affect you directly–you people are worthless. You people are the reason this world is so completely fucked up. Because y’all grossly outnumber the people who actually give a shit. And then ignorance reigns. And then oppression reigns. Yes, this is just a commercial. But yes, I just took it there–to a political perspective, to a societal perspective–because at the end of the day, it’s all the same, it’s all relatable. This is the reason that we get what we get. This is the foundational reason why all of the injustice this world serves up consistently continues to happen. Because the people as a majority do not care. They would much rather look away, they’d much rather not be bothered with it. We are better than this.

This ad aired today, in an effort to promote the “McBites,” a new menu item that is essentially a smaller version of their Chicken McNuggets. During the ad you hear a man ask, “You know what’s risky? Petting a stray Pit Bull.” The included banter is meant to insinuate that their trash food is perfectly safe. I’m only left to assume that the tone of the ad is in response to a picture that was recently posted of their “mechanically separated chicken” process. This picture (below) has created quite a stir and shows a bacteria-infested, ammonia-soaked, artificially-reflavored trail of pink slime that is in actuality the McDonald’s chicken product in its original form. Yikes.

McDonald’s has since responded, via Twitter, to the outrage obviously being voiced in support of these special dogs…

We apologize for running a local ad insensitive in its mention of Pit Bulls. We didn’t mean to offend anyone and the ad is being pulled.

McDonald’s: You suck. Your food is garbage and it’s a major facilitator to the world’s drastic decline in overall health. I could rip your business practices and the fact that you use beyond cruel methods to continually roll out your frankenfood, but so many other individuals have already covered that ground. Anyone not clearheaded about that truth? Just go over to Google and type a few phrase combinations into the search bar. What’s the biggest shame of all is that you felt the need to respond to the various criticisms about your hideous food by using an all-encompassing stereotype that’s clearly meant to villianize millions of innocent dogs. That’s not cute. That’s not funny. And you can certainly go to hell.

Be forewarned: The CA Gov. is coming after the Hayden Act! This is a law that currently guarantees all of the dogs a certain number of days before they are legally able to be killed by the shelters. Dog Park Media’s newest video (pictured above) features Tom Hayden, former Senator & author of the now 15 year old shelter legislation, addressing Jerry Brown directly… Please share this throughout California, with any and everyone who loves animals. This is EXTREMELY important. I’m proud to have my photos featured alongside this message and in support of such a worthy cause. I cannot stress how big of a deal remaining vigilant is in the face of this blatant attempt at passing the buck. These politicians are clearly more than happy to defund legitimate and worthy compassionate programs, while at the same time wasting money in other areas by the millions. Only the dogs will suffer here. If this legislation is repealed or picked apart, a shelter that now kills Pit Bulls in 6 or 7 days will likely start killing them in 3. That is completely wrong and deplorable. Stand the hell up California. This cannot happen, ever.

Things you can do to voice your opposition:
Sign this petition.
Call the Governor’s office at 916-445-2841.
Fax a letter of opposition to 916-558-3177.
Email the Governor’s office (choose BUDGET as the subject).
Mail a letter of opposition to Jerry Brown ~ c/o State Capitol ~ Suite 1173 ~ Sacramento, CA 95814.
Post to Governor Brown’s Facebook page.
Tweet the Governor and make him aware of your opposition.
Contact your local representatives and make it clear that you oppose any repeal of any portion of the Hayden Act (simply enter your zip code).
Share! Share! Share!

Worth note: Apparently the slimy Humane Society is making the case that there has been a “paradigm shift” inside of California shelters, rendering the Hayden Act “unnecessary.” They are in essence giving their very public blessing to the stripping away of this legislation. This “paradigm shift” nonsense is completely false and a fairytale no matter which way they try to spin it. Even if it was true, it’s like saying that a country has learned to “use free speech,” and thus, we don’t need the law anymore that guarantees its existence. A politician shouldn’t be trusted, and neither should the HSUS, who are part of the problem.

Why do numerous “available” dogs continue sitting in the quarantine section, away from the observing (and potentially adopting) public? This is a very important issue that needs addressed immediately… Over the past year, I’ve witnessed a handful of these dogs remain behind the gates of the quarantine section for the entire length of their shelter stay, up and until the day that they were killed. This (below) is one dog’s plight, playing out literally as I type this… She came into the Carson shelter as a “stray” on 12/1, and yet was made “available” by the staff immediately. In comparison with how they treat the majority of their stray dogs, this is odd, as there is usually a holding period. On top of that, her status is clearly “available NOW,” yet she remains caged off behind a gate where the public cannot interact with her. She is not sick, so there is no reason for her to be “quarantined.” Even more damning, it gives the visual insinuation that she is not currently up for adoption, when in fact she is… Lastly, this dog (and countless others, the majority in fact) is not being made viewable/showing on the LA County website. This is a direct violation of the Hayden Act, and the total fault of someone’s extreme and consistent laziness.

*Update* This dog was killed on 12/12, and without ever being moved out of the quarantine section.

As shocking as this headline is, it’s sadly very accurate. Just for the record: The Carson shelter was closed for Thanksgiving on 11/24 (sigh), closed the following day on 11/25 (??), and then reopened at 10a on 11/26. By my count that is 58 hours… 58 straight hours where they were closed to the potentially adopting & rescuing public… 58 straight hours where they made it their business to turn actual patrons away… Yet they continued to kill!

The specific killing of the 18 Pit Bull-type dogs mentioned in the title all happened between the 25th & 26th, I have no outcomes for the 24th. These are the actual faces of the dogs (minus 1) that were killed: