Category Archives: Must Read

A collection of posts about the themes, multiple layers, and casualties of the U.S. pit bull mauling epidemic from this single anchor point.

Unmasking a Con: How a Sudden Pit Bull Activist Parleyed Role into Top Job at No-Kill Humane Society in El Paso

Luke Westerman, a Self-Appointed "Animal Welfare Expert" Luke Westerman, 37, is facing 19 felony counts of securities law violations and theft. Westerman Pleads Guilty UPDATE 10/04/21: On October 4, 2021, Jeffery Luke Westerman pleaded guilty to 19 securities-related fraud and theft charges during a hearing in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Westerman is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. The prosecution and defense jointly recommended to the Court… [Read full blog post]
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Why Breed Matters in Service Dogs and Why Pit Bull Service Dogs are a Bad Idea

DogsBite.org - After Delta Air Lines issued a new policy on June 20, limiting emotional support dogs to one per person and banning pit bulls as service and support dogs, we reviewed top service dog organizations and their selected breed types. These dog breeds are overwhelmingly Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Labrador-golden mixes and standard poodles. Primarily, pit bull "breed advocate" groups, one who failed miserably, are pushing "pit bull service dogs.… [Read full blog post]
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U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities Over a 13-Year Period; Breeds of Dogs Involved, Age Groups and Other Factors (2005 to 2017)

Multi-Year Report DogsBite.org - Today we released our multi-year dog bite fatality report (2005 to 2017). The report identifies the breeds of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans, victim age groups, number of dogs involved, household factors, criminal charges and more. The 9-page report also examines key changing metrics since a government body last examined this issue in 2000 -- the rise of adults killed by dogs and the increasing number of fatal attacks involving 2… [Read full blog post]

Back Story of the Montreal Pit Bull Ban, What the Vets Omitted and Cited in Their Report and How the Pit Bull Lobby Operates

5-Part La Presse Investigation Translated to English The Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec (OMVQ) omitted key parts of medical studies in their report to the ministerial committee. The omissions left some of the studies “unrecognizable.” The OMVQ report also cited several studies, which they deemed to be “scientific,” but were funded by the heavily financed pro-pit bull lobby. The OMVQ failed to note this conflict of interest. The 5-part La Presse investigat… [Read full blog post]