Posted on 02/20/2009 7:57:53 PM PST by barnieca
Coalition challenges Humane Society ‘outdated’ policy (Killing Puppies)
Dear readers, we know that this story is difficult. Best Friends feels as you do that animal welfare organizations are more effective when we get along and work together. In this case we felt it was important to draw public attention to HSUS?s policy on dogs from fighting busts because its clout and its relationships with law enforcement informs and justifies state and local animal control policies. The court-ordered destruction of 145 dogs, including about 75 puppies, which were seized from a fighting dog breeding operation in December, was based on the faulty assumption that all dogs seized in dog-fighting related busts should arbitrarily be deemed dangerous and euthanized.
The decision to kill the dogs was supported by the largest animal welfare organization in the country, the Humane Society of the United States. Representatives of HSUS testified in Wilkes County Superior Court that the dogs had to be destroyed because they had been “bred for generations to be aggressive.”
HSUS reasserted its outdated policy, written more than 20 years ago: “Any dog who has been specifically bred or conditioned for fighting, or for which there is evidence that the dog has been used for fighting should not be placed for adoption by an animal shelter but humanely euthanized as soon as legally possible.”
A Best Friends Animals Society-led coalition offered resources to the county for evaluation, spay/neuter, and support in finding homes for qualified dogs. These animal welfare organizations, which have extensive experience with rescued fighting dogs, urged Wilkes County to accept their offer of support for an alternative approach, such as was used in the Michael Vick case.
The coalition includes BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls), Animal Farm Foundation, Villa Lobos Rescue Center, Downtown Dog Rescue, The Sula Foundation and Our Pack.
Although the coalition applauds much of the work the HSUS, a leader in the animal welfare community, has done on behalf of animals, it is disheartened and shocked it would testify in court for the automatic destruction of puppies and dogs who had not been given the opportunity to be evaluated as individuals.
"The Michael Vick dogs have proven how antiquated this approach is," said Ledy VanKavage, an attorney with Best Friends Animal Society.
In 2006, HSUS advocated that all of the dogs from the Michael Vick dog fighting case be put down for the same reasons they used when recommending the killing of the Wilkes County pit bulls. In that case, a federal court appointed a Special Master to oversee the evaluation of Vick’s dogs, all of which were adults. Many of the Vick dogs are now in adoptive homes, and at least two of the so-called “aggressive fighting dogs” are therapy dogs that visit hospitals to cheer up ailing patients.
“The coalition members and their supporters are urging HSUS to revaluate this policy and apply a more progressive approach that reflects the lessons learned by the animal welfare groups in the coalition, as well as other organizations that work directly with dogs,” VanKavage said.
Written by Best Friends staff Photos by Gary Kalpakoff
As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.
Coalition Contacts
Best Friends Animal Society http://www.bestfriends.org Barbara Williamson, (435) 689-0200 (cell) or barbara@bestfriends.org John Polis, (435) 644-2001, ext. 4858, or johnp@bestfriends.org
Animal Farm Foundation http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org Stacey Coleman, (845) 868-7559 or scoleman@animalfarmfoundation.org
BAD RAP http://www.badrap.org Donna Reynolds, (510) 441-6461 or donna@badrap.org
Downtown Dog Rescue http://www.downtowndogrescue.org Lori Weise, (213) 448-9961 or lori@modernica.net
Our Pack http://www.ourpack.org/ Marthina McClay, (408) 460-4244 or marthina@ourpack.org
The Sula Foundation http://www.sulafoundation.org Ken Foster, (504) 613-7370 or kenrfoster@gmail.com
Villa Lobos Rescue Center http://www.vrcpitbull.com/home.htm Tia Maria Torres, (661) 268-0555 or tiamaria@vrcpitbull.com
Their goal is to double membership?
And what about the irresponsible dog owners that do not get their dogs fixed so this kind of wasteful puppy-cide does not have to take place??? People are basically the problem.
Welcome to FR, maybe.
i didn’t see anything in there about a Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff. Where are you getting that from?
Why don’t they abort those unwanted puppies, are they more valuable than humans?
There are some pet shelters that barely have enough healthy animals for adoption. Why can’t they just ship them there?
What do you expect them to do? Stack them up like cordwood? In HSUS shelters alone, approximately 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year. It’s a shame, but no one wants these animals.
Remind me not to send Gramps to that hospital...
These were pit bulls, the court made a sound decision.
You are truly the most stupid person, and have posted the most low intellect post I have ever seen on FR..........
Wayne Pacelle, the president of the HSUS, has admitted openly that his goal is a petless, meatless society. These people went to New Orleans after Katrina with $100 million and so far as anyone has been able to determine, they did not rescue or rehome a single animal; the purpose was just to accumulate more donations to finance their efforts to take our beloved animals away from us.
You are an evil, evil person org.whodat.
I have 3 pitbulls and they are all angels. did you not hear about Michael Vick’s dogs??? All but one of 120 were able to be resocialized.
There is always a demand for puppies. It’s pure evil what the “Humane” Society Did.
If you agree with me, please write and condemn them.
GOOD!...Pffffffttttt!
Would you be good enough to clarify your very interesting point here? Upon what precisely do you base your assertion that the poster is "the most stupid person"? In what way is her post "the most low-intellect post" you have ever seen on FR? Specifics, please. It would be helpful if you could provide substantive refutation for the points advanced in the original post.
If you step on a scorpion when he is small, he won't ever get big.
Um, a NONISSUE if ever I have heard of one. They should shut down the humane society and put up a homeless shelter for elderly people. I’m more concerned with the welfare of human beings rather than spending resources worrying about some stupid animal. The humane society is a good place to go if you want a pet, but this insane idea that every dog and cat in the world needs to be given welfare is just silly. I think too many wingnuts out there care more about animals then they do humans. It’s just SICK.
Um, and speaking of Vick and pitbulls, aren’t pitbulls dangerous violent dogs? Don’t they routinely attack children and maim them for life? Are not even the most pampered pups liable to snap at any moment and attack their masters? I don’t really see the point at getting upset over the killing of an animal that is hardwired to attack and kill at any given moment. Do you remember the 200 lb killer chimp? Wasn’t that a huge mistake the crazy owner made to let that stinking animal sleep in her same bed and drink her wine? The filthy thing ended up doing what it was hardwired to do: act like an animal. The filthy animal killed her friend. I’m more concerned with animal rights nuts going out of control like they are right now. I think they should turn the humane society into a jail for nutty animal rights activists. No more simplistic kneejerk reactions please. Priorities must be reevaluated.
The filthy animal killed her friend.
~~~
I think that Lady is still alive,,,ain’t sure,,,
The way she was mauled is just what happens during a
Thug-Dawg attack,,,
Face ripped off and most of both hands IIRC,,,
Her bill will run into the millions,,,Think Taxpayers$$$...
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