Posted on 12/05/2011 11:45:43 AM PST by Altariel
Apparently gunning down stray dogs on the streets wasn’t enough for the dog unfriendly officials of Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Now they want to slay, within 72 hours, every dog that comes into the shelter who is, or appears to be a mix of:
American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiller, Akita, chow chow, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Great Dane, Presa Canario, Siberian husky or mastiff. There’s a convenient catch-all pit bull category as well.
They’re not doing it yet, despite what you may be reading on the misinformation highway.
But they’re talking about it.
The county’s Animal Control Board is recommending that authorities limit the adoption of the above dog breeds, or, as one county official referred to them, ”attack animals.” (Clearly, they haven’t met many Great Danes.)
The idea is only in the discussion stages, but many websites are reporting –erroneously — that the new policy goes into effect today.
“I’ve probably had 1,500 emails,” said John Lauby, director of Cumberland County Animal Control. (Here’s hoping he gets about 150,000 more.)
Lauby told a Fayetteville Observer columnist that misinformation on the Internet led people to believe the county will ban adoption of pit bulls and other breeds starting Monday, and immediately euthanize any members of those breeds in the shelter.
In reality, the county hasn’t taken that medieval step, it’s just considering it.
“We’re looking at a list of animals used as attack animals,” County Commissioner Charles Evans said. “It has been suggested that something needs to be done about those.”
The recommendation would have to make its way through a committe and then require approval by the county commissioners before going into effect. But it’s scheduled to be introduced at a meeting tonight. (6 p.m., at Cumberland County Animal Services, 4704 Corporation Drive, Fayetteville).
Lauby said animal control constantly receives calls from residents complaining about dogs behaving aggressively or running loose, preventing people from getting into their cars.
“We have an inordinate number of pit bulls in the county that are chasing people, chasing dogs, they’re on school grounds and generally bother people,” he said. “The reality is that about 80 percent of our calls are related to that particular breed.”
Complaints from the public also led Cumberland County to hire an outside contractor to capture stray dogs in and around Fayetteville — a massive roundup that started in August and, at last report, led to more dogs being gunned down than caught alive.
Fayetteville doesn’t have its own animal control department, instead relying on the county office to handle dog-related issues.
As I’ve implied before, that might be part of the problem — the problem, in my view, being not just too many uncontrolled dogs, but too many unenlightened public servants, who see dogs as foes and death as a solution.
Maybe it’s the army base influence. In any event, someone needs to usher Cumberland County into modern times.
In a way, the proposed policy — while it it lists some new ”public enemy” breeds, like the husky, and some returning ones, like the shepherd — would only formalize what’s already common practice in the county.
Since April, Cumberland County Animal Control has taken in nearly 1,300 pit bulls, but only 124 have been adopted. The shelter has taken in 180 Rottweilers since then, only 26 of whom were adopted. Of 96 chow chows received at the shelter since April, 15 have been adopted, according to the Fayetteville Observer.
The rest are euthanized.
Now, some want to make it official, banning the adoption of any of those breeds and guaranteeing a death sentence for all of them, or any mixes thereof — all based on what will likely be, judging from the wisdom they’ve shown so far, an uneducated guess.
In addition to complaints, worries about liability issues are also behind the proposal. The county fears it might be held responsible for any damage done by dogs adopted from its shelter. Most shelters handle that with a simple waiver.
Petitions against the policy can be found on several websites, including our-compass.org and change.org.
If you’d like to give Cumberland County officials a piece of your mind — and it appears they could use it — continue reading for contact information.
Dr. Jeannette M. Council PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Home: 910-488-0691 jcouncil@co.cumberland.nc.us
Charles Evans PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Home: 910-978-6643 cevans@co.cumberland.nc.us
Jimmy Keefe PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Work: 910-323-1791 jkeefe@co.cumberland.nc.us
Billy R. King PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Work: 910-822-6676 bking@co.cumberland.nc.us
Edward Melvin PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Cell: 910-391-4028 emelvin@co.cumberland.nc.us
Kenneth S. Edge Chairman PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Home: 910-425-0918 kedge@co.cumberland.nc.us
Marshall Faircloth Vice Chairman PO Box 1829 Fayetteville, NC 28302 Office: 910-678-7771 Work: 910-323-1040 wmfaircloth@co.cumberland.nc.us
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 jlauby@co.cumberland.nc.us
If you get a chance, watch it.
It’s SO bad it’s really good.
Mel Ferrer is in it and it looks like he’s just walking around waiting to pick up his paycheck.
Zoltan’s goofy, creepy keeper/vampire servant is unintentionally hysterical.
Between the “fang extensions” and being powdered with flour to make him look “undead”, I kept waiting for the dog to finally pop a gasket and turn on everybody in the whole movie.
:D
The Dobe standard hasn’t changed in a long time...and they still “allow for 4 missing teeth”.
I remember when *1* missing tooth got you booted from the ring.
[in Europe, it still would]
Other than that, I think the -standard- is just great.
Too bad breeders and judges never read it.
When Odin’s papers came, the time-worn “AKC perfect Dobe” was pictured on them and I had to laugh.
*Nobody* anywhere looks at that drawing and then looks at the current dogs?
The standard still calls for level backs, strong necks, “square bodies”, tails which look like an extension of the spine, etc etc etc....and then dogs who don’t even remotely resemble the standard win in the ring.
Talk about cognitive dissonance and radical disconnect.
Sheesh.
I stopped watching Westminster and stopped going to the local shows because I started to worry I’d blow an artery the next time another freakish thing won breed...LOL
Same thing happened with Ibizan Hounds but in an incredibly short amount of time.
Nobody knows which came first...judges who had no idea what they were looking at or breeders who disregarded what they knew was incorrect in favor of pleasing the judges who didn’t know what they were looking at.
The blind leading [or following] the stupid, I reckon.
I’m whooped.
I just gave the dogs their first-ever fresh deer legs and they all “went native”.
I got so tired of listening to the snarling and barking that I went out and fiddled with the snakes’ enclosures for a while.
[they’re so nice and QUIET]...LOL
Then I came back in the LR and took away the deer legs and put them in the freezer.
Maybe in a month or two I’ll be more in the mood to have “Wolfen” being re-enacted in house.
[canine atavism...what a thrill]
;D
Some people up the road have 2 Belgians and the most amazing painted wagon I’ve ever seen.
They bring the horses out in the summer and just ride RT 40 [which is insane, considering the speeds some drivers attain] and their tack is outrageous.
Fine black leather with brasses galore and the wagon matched piano-black with gilded designs.
It’s really wonderful to see.
All the other folks just “have them” and I never see them doing anything with them at all.
I’d love to see that!
Back when I had a goat, I would buy hay from a coworker’s father. Mr. B had 2 mules and 5 Belgians with which he competed in pulling contests. Or maybe that was only the excuse to keep expensive pets around. Those animals were so spoilt, they’d have crawled into your lap if you let them.
He’d once nearly been crushed against a stall by one of the horses - not through hostility but from avid affection.
I kinda feLt sorry for the two mules, though. There’s only one of Mr. B, and the Belgiums tended to crowd the mules away from the fence and highly desired petting.
How cool! It sounds like the people up the road from you are British gypsies or something like that...
I wonder if the draft horses, Barbados sheep, and all the other fancy “status” livestock that people have as lawn ornaments to look at get bored not having a job-especially the horses. Even my old Husky is happy when I’m caulking windows etc, and let her prance along by me, dragging a cloth bag with a roll of paper towels and tube of caulk in it to “help” me.
If they do the annual “Old National Pike Days” again I’ll try and get some photos of them.
The parents and the kids dress up in 19th century garb and the one girl rides another grade draft horse behind the wagon.
[I wish they’d adopt me]....LOL
There’s lots of mules hereabouts.
My dad’s had a few that he used as packers on hunting trips.
Smart critters.
They never let the horses bully them away from *anything*...:)
The old Buckskin of my youth would come up and wrap his neck around me and crush me into his chest.
It wasn’t very comfortable but he meant well...it’s not like he had arms to hug me.
Worse than that was when he’d rub his big head all over me affectionately.
I can’t count the times he caught me by surprise and flattened me on the ground.
[the he’d look all worried and keep trying to roll me with his nose so I’d get up]
At least twice a summer I’d get bawled out because I’d go in the house for some water or a sandwich and ol’ Reb would come up on the back porch and watch me through the back door.
[the porch was a huge concrete slab over our cistern!]...LOL
I miss that horse.
There’ll never be another like him.
My first pony not only came up on the porch after me, she’d open the screen door and come in the kitchen.
[but *I* got my hide tanned for it. was it my fault my critters always followed me everywhere?]
They used to have horse pulls during the Ag Fair and I *loved* going but it seems they’ve replaced that with those stupid “tractor pulls” which are hardly more than glorified jet engines stuffed into a tractor-like chassis.
Bleah.
*sigh*
Now I’m all sentimental.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgAfSQLJlAM
Nah...they’re just hillbillies who haven’t forgotten their roots or the history of this road.
Some folks back in Blair’s Valley have Jacob’s Sheep.
Talk about creepy critters....:D
Not far from them is a farm that has Longhorns, Highland Cattle and Brahmas.
I dunno what they’re doing with them, if anything but it’s cool to go by and gawk.
Out near Boonsboro is a herd of Bison.
[they’re eating them]
For several years, we had a “stray Emu” [seriously!] running around.
I haven’t seen it in a while so I’m guessing the last couple of hard winters finally caught up with it.
You’re lucky your Husky actually helps you.
If my Ibizans or Dobermann try to “help” it always wind up creating twice the work for me.
The roll of paper towels she carries for you would be confetti within minutes.
Right now I’m sitting here trying to get up the gumption to go sweep up the shredded newspaper they “helped” me finish reading this morning.
[I should know better by now than to leave the room without taking it with me]
:)
The Brahmas and Longhorns are a beef cattle staple here, because they are so hardy and can thrive on pasturage a lot of other breeds don’t eat-my family has ranched Brahma and Brahma crosses since it became popular early in the last century. The originally native Longhorns were re-adopted later, when people realized that maybe those fat, feedlot cows full of antibiotics weren’t so good for humans after all.
Over the last 15 or so years, a lot of ranchers have been raising those Highland cattle, along with the Galloways- mostly the banded ones that I think look like big, hairy banded Duroc hogs with horns. Their meat is lean and, like Longhorns and Brahmas, they thrive in a pasture rather than a feed lot. Most of the Texas beef from this area labeled “Texas lean” or “Grass fed” is from those hardy breeds-I do not eat any beef but the grass fed/lean, but then I’m one of those annoying people who only eats natural/unprocessed food and does not use either prescription or illicit drugs.
Bison wore a “food” label in most of America until the army of the time got pissed at the Natives and tried to exterminate both them and the Bison they ate-there are several Bison ranches here in the hill country, and they are lovely animals to look at, but notoriously temperamental and dangerous when pissed-the meat is available at butcher shops and the meat counter of one grocery store chain. It is nice and lean and flavorful, but still really pricey. I’ve been told that they don’t calve as readily or often as domestic bovines, so that may be part of the price.
Herds of Emu are all over the place here since being imported for meat about 30 years ago-you can buy Emu at a lot of butcher shops, too but it never really caught on.
I’ve seen those Jacob sheep, but I didn’t know what they were called-they are weird looking. I like the Barbados ones with their huge, curved horns and long-ish hair.
The Bison are good when crossed with regular beef cattle.
For a while they were selling it as “Beefalean”.
Very tasty.
Not sure why they stopped.
The Lone Emu came from outlanders who bought a mini-farm and stocked it with exotics.
One day they up and split and somehow, the Emu got left behind.
It was a local amusement for many years.
Nobody would try to catch it though because they can gut you in a heartbeat.
Speaking of gutting, life could get exciting here tonight.
My dad and my hubby were both up on the ridge trying to get another deer each before the season ends when the neighbor came flying through the field on an ATV.
Last I heard, dad was ‘having a talk with him’.
I love a good hillbilly feud.
It’s been years since a local boy shot at my uncle over a downed buck.
Been pretty boring since that.
I should walk out in the yard and see if anything crazy is going on down the lane.
[ain’t much else to do in the mountains on a Friday night]
LOL
Uh-oh-I hope no one gets hurt-no hunting allowed here, because the neighborhoods are considered subdivisions, even if they include 50 acre ranches, likr the one at the end of the road. We’ve had a poacher or two sneak in over the years, but most have been caught and dealt with rather harshly by irate neighbors before they called the game warden to take them away-the deer here are fed by all of us, and tame, so if I want to have venison, I have to find another place to hunt and pay to do so-too expensive...
The Bison/domestic cow cross was called “beefalo” here, but they did not breed well-a lot of cows miscarried, and many hybrid calves tended to be infertile. After awhile, people stopped crossing the two and started just using the Bison for meat on its own.
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