Posted on February 12, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

Activist Questions 'Journalistic Integrity' of Article by Sue Manning of the Associated Press

UPDATE 02/11/11: On February 11, the Associated Press published a new article about the AP-Petside.com poll written by Sue Manning. This article did include the founder of DogsBite.org along with a spokesperson from the HSUS. It is unknown if Thomas Mair's letter played a role in its publication or if parts were revised prior to its release and after receiving his letter. The latest piece still utilizes Maul Talk, but is far more balanced than the first.

Journalistic Integrity Questioned

DogsBite.org - On February 3, we received an email from Thomas Mair, a Washington State resident working to gain support for breed-specific laws in his area. Like many others that day, Mair saw the undeniably biased poll, which only interviewed pet owners, designed by the Associated Press and Petside.com. The article was penned by Sue Manning, who has a repertoire of superficial pet stories under her belt,1 and syndicated across U.S. media outlets.

Mair spent the better part of the day tracking down emails and creating a response letter that he sent to persons involved in the article's publication. He later forwarded a copy to us. What Mair did not know is that DogsBite.org had been aware of some aspects of the poll for a few weeks. Manning interviewed the founder, Colleen Lynn, on January 18. A significant portion of this interview focused on her own violent pit bull attack that occurred June 17, 2007.

Not only had Manning interviewed a pit bull mauling victim that suffered serious injury, she opted to cut it from the piece along with any mention of DogsBite.org.2

Mair's Response Letter

From: Thomas Mair
Date: Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Subject: Your story of Feb 3, 2011
To: Sue Manning, The Associated Press

Cc: Jennifer Agiesta, Gfk Roper, Deputy Director of Polling
GfK Roper Public Affairs
Shirley Carswell, Washington Post Deputy Mng Editor
Ombudsman, Washington Post
Readers' Representative, Kansas City Star
Editor, Forbes.com
Public Editor, Shawn McIntosh, Atlanta Journal Constitution
Laura Wingard, SD Union Tribune
William Osborne, SD Union Tribune
Readers' Representative, SD Union Tribune
and others

Dear Ms Manning,

This letter is in reference to your article on Pit Bulls (AP-Petside poll: Training, not nature, makes bully; Feb 3, 2011), which was carried in the newspapers listed above, and was reported on many TV outlets as well. The article appears to cover both sides of a contentious issue.

Your article makes extensive use of statistics from the poll referenced in the title, which was conducted by AP-Gfk in October of 2010. The poll was apparently commissioned by Petside.com (a corporation which many would view as a Pit Bull advocacy group) and conducted by a company owned by your employer. Your failure to disclose the relationship between the interest group, your employer, and yourself raises serious questions about the journalistic integrity of this story.

Apart from this, there are other reasons to doubt the accuracy of this article. The poll queried only pet owners (rather than a general sampling of the population). You are clear on this matter, but what isn't clear is that the general public may have different views about the safety of Pit Bulls than pet owners do.

I will mention that I have spent the week reading news stories about Pit Bulls, many of which share several features in common. Most featured pictures of Pit Bulls playing, or in affectionate poses with infants and children. All of them repeat the core phrases of the Pit Bull advocates, and many of them use one in the title (as your article did). The similarities grow even more eerie when the reader realizes that the authors interview only those who are favorably disposed toward Pit Bulls (or are neutral), and never interview people who have been mauled. I would be pleased to send you (or any other recipient of this email) a list of such recent articles.

I mentioned the core phrases of the Pit Bull advocates. Among them are:

There's No Such Thing as a Bad Dog
It's not the dog, it's the owner
Punish the deed, not the breed,
Any dog will bite
Etc, etc, etc

This is not the place to dispute those opinions. I will simply note that your article employs one or another of these phrases on at least four occasions.

The most egregious distortion in your story consists of your interview with Janice Dudley. You devote five paragraphs (nearly 20% of the word count) to a woman who was almost bit by a Pit Bull, and I struggle to make sense of this passage. I would like to bring to your attention the three (and possibly four) human deaths which occurred in January (in the US) from Pit Bulls. In addition there have been numerous non-fatal attacks on humans and uncounted attacks on animals including horses. Pit Bull advocates ignore these attacks and can point to no such horrors from other breeds. You mention none of this.

The internet is flooded with Pit Bull advocacy sites. These well-funded and well-organized advocates go to great lengths to influence journalists, often misrepresenting the facts. Many organizations presenting themselves as impartial "research" organizations are themselves Pit Bull advocacy groups, as are many of the "Canine Experts." The resulting media presents an unrealistic view of reality, and dishonors the victims of these horrific attacks.

Your article, while attempting to demonstrate impartiality, interviews several Pit Bull advocates but apparently you failed to talk with anyone who has had their own pet dismembered before their eyes, or have themselves been attacked. If you are curious enough you can simply check the impartial Google News Alerts occasionally. And I would gladly direct you to other sources on Pit Bull deaths and attacks.

Thomas Mair
Friday Harbor, WA

DogsBite.org greatly thanks Mair for writing this thoughtful letter. Mair's letter provides proof and inspiration for all persons who are working to pass pit bull laws and for those who would like to, but do not know how. It's easy: Start writing emails to critical persons.

1According to one Manning article, pit bull drool cures sick kittens. In another, blogger Carrie Gravenson slams Manning and categorizes her anthropomorphic "pets listen better than husbands" poll piece under "WTF"?
2The first 5-10 minutes of the interview were spent talking off the record. Lynn wanted to know if the poll was scientific and why Manning wanted to talk about her 2007 attack. Had Manning stated that the poll "only included pet owners" or that it was not the AP acting alone, but in fact an "AP-Petside.com" combination, Lynn would have stopped the interview. In addition to being misleading, Manning exploited the founder by having her "relive" her attack experience only to cut it from the piece, intentionally or otherwise.

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

It's Official: Pit Bulls Attack Planes, Trains and Automobiles

View Archive Article
DogsBite.org - While browsing through The New York Times historical archives recently, we happened upon an incident in 1911 where a "big white bull terrier" (known today as a pit bull) darted into a whirling propeller of a biplane killing itself. The force of the blow split the propeller and knocked a corner loose. The daring aviator, Harry N. Atwood, wanted to risk the flight with a piece of the blade still hanging, but was cautioned by his mechanics to replace the propeller.

Atwood opted to wire the damaged propeller and 15 minutes later, fired up the engine again. Passenger Charles K. Hamilton, another historic aviator, climbed inside of the biplane and the two were off. After rising two hundred feet, the plane crashed into the ocean. Both men survived, and with the help of onlookers, dragged the wrecked machine back to shore. According to The Times, the two men laughed as they emerged from the water. The dog wasn't mentioned again.1

Atwood's Flight Stopped by a Dog
Atlantic City, NJ, July 7 - Harry N. Atwood, carrying Charles K. Hamilton as a passenger, started for Washington in his aeroplane this afternoon on the last leg of his 518-mile journey for the cup offered by The New York Times, but had hardly risen from the beach when a big white bull terrier ran across the sands and poked its nose into one of the whirling propellers. The dog was killed and the force of the blow split the propeller for about six or seven inches and knocked one corner of it loose.

Atwood's mechanic and people in the crowd shouted to him and he shut off his power to discover the extent of the injury. He was willing to risk it with the piece of blade hanging. (The New York Times, July 8, 1911)

In 2009, a pet pit bull bolted into a train killing itself and its female owner who had securely wrapped -- possibly even knotted -- the leash around her hand. The young woman could not stop the dog nor undo the leash wrap in time. Numerous incidents have been documented when a pit bull has attacked an automobile; most occurrences involve a human being inside. None of these victims laughed afterward, nor would the aviators of 1911 had either man been killed.2

1Six days later, on July 14, Atwood became the first aviator to land a plane on the White House lawn.
2There was another story we found during the same search, "Johnny No Match for the Dog," that did not have an uplifting ending. A 14-year old boy was brutally attacked by a bull terrier. Police pumped 5 bullets into the animal but it later "got up and ran away." Eventually, the dog was driven into a vacant lot and "its brains beaten out." (December 3, 1893)

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Young Girl Killed by Grandfather's Japanese Akita

Kristen Dutton, 9-years old, was fatally attacked by an akita new to her home.

Fatal Neck Injury archived
McCormick County, SC - A 9-year old girl was killed by a dog Saturday at her grandfather's home in Modoc. Kristen Dutton, a fourth grade student at Meriwether Elementary School, was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her grandfather, Mickey Abercrombie, had purchased the 98-pound Japanese akita1 -- a breed with a well known heritage of dogfighting and guarding -- just three weeks earlier for his grandchildren who lived at his home.

Kristen was reportedly playing with the dog when it turned on her, biting her fatally in the neck. McCormick County Coroner Faye Puckett said that Kristen's younger brother saw her laying in the yard and alerted their grandfather. The Department of Health and Environmental Control took the dog into custody. The dog will be euthanized. Kristen's grandfather said the 4-year old dog had never displayed a "hint" of aggression, even though he had only known the dog for three weeks.

Mickey Abercrombie purchased the pet about three weeks ago for his grandchildren, who lived with him at his home on Hood Drive in Modoc, along with their mother.

Just hours before the attack, the grandfather had taken the dog on a walk, along with the children. Later, Kristen took the dog on a walk by herself, without incident.

Abercrombie told authorities he fastened the dog up to its runner beside the kennel before going inside to help his grandson with his homework. Kristen stayed outside to bond with the new pet. - Bianca Cain, The Augusta Chronicle, January 26, 2011

1Akitas usually make the "Most Dangerous Dog Breed" lists that circulate the news media. A 2010 Daily Beast article, which based their results on the Merritt Clifton report, ranked Akitas as the fourth most dangerous breed.

Photo: The Augusta Chronicle

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Pontotoc County Man Killed by Three Pit Bulls

Men seen hauling away one of the pit bulls that killed Ronnie Waldo.

Manslaughter Charges
UPDATE 03/03/11: To our dismay and delight, the owner of the pit bulls that brutally attacked and killed Ronnie Waldo has been charged with manslaughter. James Casey Swanson, 30, of Topsy Road was arrested Thursday morning after the charges were issued by a special grand jury. We encourage readers to take a good look at Mr. Casey, as he represents the "exhausted cliche" pit bull owner who nearly always walks away without consequences after a devastating attack.

01/31/11: Fatal Dog Attack Ruled Accidental
Authorities have ruled the death of Ronnie Waldo, who was savagely killed by his landlord's three pit bulls last week, an accident. Pontotoc County Coroner Kim Bedford said the autopsy results show the victim died due to injuries inflicted by the dogs and that the manner of death was accidental. It is unknown if Waldo has any surviving family members. The Clarion Ledger posted an obituary for Waldo on Saturday. Sadly, it is the shortest obituary we have ever seen.

01/27/11: Mauling Investigation Continues
News reports indicate that Ronnie Waldo went to his neighbor's house to borrow a relay switch when three pit bulls savagely attacked and killed him. His neighbor, James Swanson, owns the pit bulls and the nearby property where Waldo lived. In a recent video, Swanson said he was Waldo's friend, but that he didn't understand "why he was in the yard" (blaming the victim). Even though being a tenant and a friend are perfectly normal reasons for Waldo to enter into the yard.

01/26/11: Mauling Victim Identified
Pontotoc County, MS - In a developing story, NEMS360.com reports that a 51-year old man died today after being attacked by three pit bulls in Pontotoc County. Ronnie Waldo was killed this afternoon at a home on Topsy Road. Emergency responders pronounced the victim dead on the scene and deputies shot and killed at least two of the three dogs after being aggressive toward them. Pontotoc County Sheriff Neal Davis said the mauling death is still under investigation.

Though details are still emerging, Waldo was renting property from Casey Swanson and was found in Swanson's front yard. In another "pit bull breeding operation" that ended in human death, NEMS360.com reports, "A half dozen pit bull puppies scurried around the yard, seemingly oblivious to the howls and growls of the adult dogs that were being corralled from the backyard by sheriff’s deputies."1 They also noted that the adult pit bulls did not go "without a fight."

1There is typically zero accountability regarding the offspring (puppies) of fatality attacking dogs. We imagine it will be the same in this case.

Photo: NEMS360.com

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Journalistic Integrity Questioned

Mair's Response Letter