Please Sign--My friend's pitbull is going to be "destroyed"

[rachelini]

My friend's dog, Mojo, is a sweet, awesome dog! He gets along really well with my dog and every other dog I've seen him with.

He was provoked by a neighbor dog and bit the other dog. Animal Control completely over-reacted and they are going to euthenize him. My friend is trying to fight this, but needs more signatures on the petition.

Thanks for your support!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Help-Save-Mojo

[rachelini]

By the way, this is in Iowa. Here are the "relevant" Iowa statutes. I don't see how they are justifying this action. It is blatant breed discrimination, and Iowa doesn't have any breed specific legislation!

351.27. Right to kill tagged dog

It shall be lawful for any person to kill a dog, wearing a collar with a rabies vaccination tag attached, when the dog is caught in the act of chasing, maiming, or killing any domestic animal or fowl, or when such dog is attacking or attempting to bite a person.

351.39. Confinement


If a local board of health receives information that an animal has bitten a person or that a dog or animal is suspected of having rabies, the board shall order the owner to confine such animal in the manner it directs. If the owner fails to confine such animal in the manner directed, the animal shall be apprehended and impounded by such board, and after ten days the board may humanely destroy the animal. If such animal is returned to its owner, the owner shall pay the cost of impoundment. This section shall not apply if a police service dog or a horse used by a law enforcement agency and acting in the performance of its duties has bitten a person.

[rachelini]

I should clear up something I just said. Iowa doesn't have any BSL, but the city of Des Moines does, which is where Mojo lives. :grr:

[sallyomally]

Done. Good luck!

[swimsweetie401]

Someone I know is in a similar situation. A woman from the neighborhood came into her yard while her dogs were out, and when one the dogs came over, she threw her hands up and spun around quickly and said "I hate dogs." The dog thought that she was going to attack him, and he nipped her in the butt. He didn't break the skin, but he left a bruise. (the woman was in her 70's. What do you expect?) So now he isn't allowed to leave the yard and he has to be crated. But at least he doesn't have to be put down. Best of luck to you.

[chryssiie718]

I get so angry about these pit bull incidents. I signed and commented on the petition. We have a pit bull who is the sweetest most lovable dog ever.

[rachelini]

Thank you so much for helping out! You guys rock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[rachelini]

Everyone who helped by signing the petition should have received this email as well--thanks to everyone who helped Shannon and Mojo. Here is the update from her.


I GET TO TAKE MY DOG HOME! I pleaded with the city council last night to return my dog to me. They listened to all my arguing points, which sounded brilliant due to coaching from a good friend, and took a vote (5 against 2) to change the %u201CDangerous Animal%u201D declaration to a %u201CVicious Dog%u201D and have him removed from the city limits. Now this wasn%u2019t a total win, I was asking the hearing officers ruling to be completely overturned due to lack of evidence. However, my dog gets to keep his life! So I would say we won the battle but lost the war.
They are also installing a chip into his ear to identify him incase anything ever happens again. I don%u2019t think the Animal Control officer was very pleased but he did have the common courtesy to approach me after the hearing and give me a run down of everything I needed in order to get Mojo back. He could have just let me find out as I went along blindly, so I do thank him for that. The Sargent did state to me that he doesn%u2019t agree with the ruling and I got lucky, %u201CThey must have felt sorry for you%u201D. To which I simply replied, %u201CWhatever works, sir, my dog is coming home to me%u201D. However, he also later stated he doesn%u2019t want to see my dog put down.
A big THANK YOU to everyone involved!! With all your help, those city council members knew exactly who I was as soon as my case came around on the agenda :) LOL So the petition letter and e-mails did the trick I think.

I am so relieved but there is a certain stink about the whole situation that I just can%u2019t shake. The Sargent was right...I did get lucky.
So I feel I must do something to spread the word and fight against BSL. If there was no breed specific references in the law then they wouldn%u2019t have been able to even declare my dog as %u201Cvicious%u201D. I have a great contact that we donate to fight BSL from the APBT kennel club that I belong to. And what I really want is to arrange some sort of benefit to donate money towards the fight and educate people on the effects of Breed Specific Legislation. Too many people just don%u2019t understand that it is racist, ineffective (not to mention costly), and destroys families. If anyone would like to help that would be great! Send me an e-mail. Or if you have any ideas I would LOVE to hear them! Hoping we can get things together by this summer and have a nice little shindig and BBQ to support the other innocent dogs going through the same crap.
www.shannon84simmons@gmail.com

A special thanks to my friend Lacey who gave me her strength. To my friend Brady for his courage to argue with a silly comment one of the city council members made! (I was nervous) And to both of them for always being there no matter how much I complain at them for making me so darn nervous. But they both have a fierce way about them that gets the job done.
Also a big thanks to Jamie for coming to the meeting to speak in support of me even though he has never personally met Mojo. He, like many others, took this quite personally and simply stated - %u201CHey, it could have been my dog%u201D. Which was the basic concern of all who wrote letters or gave advice, without which I know I couldn%u2019t have made such an impact on the city council. Thank you, once again! I am in debt to you all.

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[TreeManEarthSteward]

Glimpsing this, its good to see a good end before signing had to take place... :up: Because I hate signing petitions and giving my damn PERSONAL DETAILS... etc. dammit!! ;)

Anyway, good on ya for victory got by being assertive in the saving of your friends dog.

[jenni-anti-fur]

am a bit late to this but VERY Happy to Hear it went well for ya in the end:):)

Have a Hippie Day:):)

[animallover7249]

I am so glad this story has a happy ending.

Sadly, she's right, she was lucky. Many dogs aren't...hopefully this case will open up people's eyes to BSL.

[rosiem]

I hate BSL. I have met bulldogs and pitbulls that are the sweetest dogs I know.

The American Temperament Testing Society ranks the average well adjusted, non-inbred and non-abused pit bull as having a temperament better than the average Golden Retriever.

I quote that statistic every time somebody says "Oh, I wouldn't trust a pitbull."

It's not the dog, it's the owner.