NC to euthanize certain shelter dogs based on breed

[Michele]

CROSSPOSTED FROM CANINE CHAT:

Ok fellow dog lovers. I wrote to all of the addresses below. We must all fight to maintain our right to own the dog/dogs of our choice. Please take the time to let your feelings be known. It's NC right now, but only a matter of time before these acts permeate all of our locales!
A copy of my short message is below. Feel free to modify and use it to fit your needs.
Karen
I am both a North Carolina property owner and an AKC (American Kennel Club) Rally Obedience Judge, dog trainer, and dog owner. This message is to express that I am appalled by your proposed breed ban which is scheduled to take effect on December 5th. This ban is simply an act of cruelty. I have been involved in the training and rescue of dogs including German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and other large breeds. In my nearly 60 years of being on this planet, the only "shelter" dog that I was ever bitten by was a small terrier. Does that mean they should be categorized as dangerous as well?

The decision to terminate an incoming shelter dog must be made based on a case by case evaluation. Put the blame on the deed NOT the breed. No dog is automatically dangerous or prone to bite by nature. It's the human beings who failed them that are to blame. Most dogs that enter shelters can go on to be wonderful pets. It is through no fault of their own that they have been dumped. To make matters worse, your ban will automatically doom them to an untimely and, in most cases, an unnecessary death.

To arbitrarily kill an animal based on it's breed without even the opportunity to be adopted is simply barbaric. Please consider doing the right thing by stepping forward to stop this action so that you can face yourself in the mirror without shame. All of these breeds are as much God's creatures as you are. Act responsibly.
Thank you,
Mrs. Karen Wrey
This is what is set to start happening at Cumberland County Animal Control in Fayetteville , NC . There is a breed ban set to go into affect Monday the 5th of December all Dobermans, Rottweilers, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Pitbulls, Mastiffs(all bully breeds), Akitas and Huskies. These dogs will be held for the mandatory 72 hrs and then will be killed, they are not going to be given a chance to be adopted. If the dog is an owner turn in then it will be killed the second it walks into the back. Cumberland county`s reason for this is not wanting to be held liable for these breeds and the possible bite from them to the public after adopted from the shelter. Well I guess they shouldn`t adopt out chihuahuas, doxies or any dog for that matter(no offense to the chi`s or doxies I love them too.) A simple waiver would solve this I`m sure. We need to flood them and let them know that this is n ot the answer. Contact info on the commissioners is below as is Dr John Lauby(the one that hired the gunman to shoot the Fayetteville dogs) and the mayors info is there too.





Mayor Anthony G. Chavonne
433 Hay Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301
910-433-1992, 910-433-3401
Fax 433-1948
mayor@ci.fay.nc.us

Dr. John Lauby
Director of Animal Services
Cumberland County Animal Control
4704 Corporation Drive, Fayetteville , NC 28306
Animal Control Phone: 910-321-6845, 910-321-6844,
910-321-6826, 910-321-6827,910-321-6945, 910-321-6965
910-321-6852 Fax: 910-223-3357
jlauby@co.cumberland.nc.us

Kenneth S. Edge
Chairman
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Home:910-425-0918
Email:kedge@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:District 2
Term Expiration:December 2012
Marshall Faircloth
Vice Chairman
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Work:910-323-1040
Email:wmfaircloth@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:District 2
Term Expiration:December 2012
Dr. Jeannette M. Council
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Home:910-488-0691
Email:jcouncil@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:District 1
Term Expiration:December 2014
Charles Evans
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Home:910-978-6643
Email:cevans@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:At-Large
Term Expiration:December 2014
Jimmy Keefe
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Work:910-323-1791
Email:jkeefe@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:District 2
Term Expiration:December 2012
Billy R. King
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Work:910-822-6676
Email:bking@co.cumberland.nc.us

District:District 1
Term Expiration:December 1, 2014
Edward Melvin
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1829
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Office:910-678-7771
Cell:910-391-4028
Email:emelvin@co.cumberland.nc.us

[smith family kennels]

This is everywhere. My local animal shelter will not adopt out pitbulls or any pitbull mixes or any dog that looks like a pit or pitmix they are put down. They say that since they dont know where the dog came from ,knowing the history of the breed, and the media attention drawn to the breed that they become a risk to the community and a risk for law suits and can not take the risk to draw media attention to their facility if one of them were to bite someone after adopted. I some what agree with this cause most people that adopt pitbulls treat them like normal pets and take them to dog parks and let them roam the neighborhood and it only takes some kid trying to save its cat or Chi from a pitbull to get bit.. It would be so much better if their was a contract, training course, and exam that you had to pass before you could adopt a pitbull or pit mix

[Michele]

I some what agree with this cause most people that adopt pitbulls treat them like normal pets and take them to dog parks and let them roam the neighborhood and it only takes some kid trying to save its cat or Chi from a pitbull to get bit.. It would be so much better if their was a contract, training course, and exam that you had to pass before you could adopt a pitbull or pit mix

Oh, I agree. There should be some kind of training course for anyone that wants to adopt a pit bull/ pit bull mix.

[sw_df27]

yeah it's pretty much the law here to with shelters they will not adopt out dogs that even look close to a pit they are automatically put down

[Leon]

Its a double edged sword, on one hand, no one wants these dogs to fall into the wrong hands, on the other hand, destroying dogs based on a breed basis is inherently wrong, and sends the wrong message to the general public that, it is because these dogs are dangerous they are being singled out and destroyed.

How i see it, the greater evil is singling out dogs based on breed. Unless you evaluate dogs on a individual basis, there is no way of knowing how some shelter dog of any breed is going to react to certain situations. And by doing so, not only do you enforce certain negative steryotype of certain breeds, you also pave the way of irresponsible ownership, because your indirectly telling inexperienced owners, as long as you dont own so and so breed, you should be fine, which is definitely not the case in real life. Because in the real world, any dog of any breed can be unstable and be a liablity to the owners and the community.

The only logical way to deal with this issue is completely drop any sort of breed identification in the govt level, there is zero practical reason why the govt or shelters should care about a dogs breed, leave that to the kennel clubs, thats their jobs, besides shelters or the govt have no factual methord of identifying breeds, its some persons opinion what a certain dogs breed is. To the govt/shelters, rightfully a dog is a dog, and any dog can be dangerous, and should be assumed as such till proven otherwise.

[sw_df27]

I agree leon very well said!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smith family kennels]

I also agree Leon...Our shelter will not do that though because they are afriad of a law suit... by anyone attacked by the breed after leaving their shelter... but I cant complain to much Morgan County has a NO BSL law... so if the problem with the shelter is all I have to worry about I think I can deal with it since I dont have to worry about bsl in my county other than the shelter...

[APBTMOMMY]

Yes Leon, very well put!!

[Michele]

Leon: great post!