Posted on April 15, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

Unprovoked Pit Bull Attack in Maine Shows that Characteristics of 'Classic Pit Bull Attack' Violence Never Change

"Tell them to step it up. Tell them to step it up!" - Audio Dispatch Files

Pit bull attack in Maine shows that "classic pit bull attack" traits never change.

Classic Pit Bull Attack
Lewiston, ME - On Thursday morning, a 71-year old woman was viciously attacked by a loose pit bull while she raked leaves in her own yard. The dog was still actively attacking the woman when police arrived. The first officer on scene said the woman was yelling, "He (the dog) is killing me." The officer Tased the pit bull, which "momentarily" stopped the attack. The pit bull then returned to biting the woman on her face and neck. The officer then shot and killed the attacking pit bull.

After being shot by a firearm, the pit bull was still able to bite the woman one last time before running a short distance and finally dying.

Paramedics rendered medical aid and transported the victim to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston where she is currently being treated for injuries to both arms, leg, neck and face. About 2:30 p.m., a relative told the Sun Journal that the woman was undergoing surgery to repair extensive damage to both her arms, her thighs and her face. She described the attack as a "mauling." It is believed the dog broke through a damaged section of a fence to attack the woman.

Audio dispatch files from Lewiston Fire and EMS are chilling. Dispatcher states, "Female actively being attacked by a pit bull." Three minutes later, "Dog is still attacking her. Female's arm and hands are injured. Just won't let go." Then a male voice states, "Tell them to step it up. Tell them to step it up!" Dispatcher tells police, "Can you step it up? United is on scene. Dog still attached to her arm. Won't let go." Finally, a man states, "Dog's been shot. Victim is pretty bad off here."

Listen to the chilling truncated audio dispatch file from Lewiston Fire and EMS.

Elements of a Classic Pit Bull Attack

Unprovoked attack off its owner's property.
A sustained attack lasting 10 minutes or longer.
A tenacious, relentless, repeated attack that cannot be stopped through normal means.
Non-lethal human intervention fails. Police said witnesses tried to get the dog to release its grip on the woman’s arm.
Non-lethal Taser fire fails. The Taser only stopped the attack "momentarily" and the dog went right back to biting.
Lethal firearm intervention stops the attack, but after being shot and before dying, the pit bull was still able to bite the woman one last time.

Pit Bulls also possess the quality of gameness, which is not a totally clear concept, but which can be described as the propensity to catch and maul an attacked victim unrelentingly until death occurs, or as the continuing tenacity and tendency to attack repeatedly for the purpose of killing. It is clear that the unquantifiable, unpredictable aggressiveness and gameness of Pit Bulls make them uniquely dangerous.

Pit Bulls have the following distinctive behavioral characteristics: a) grasping strength, b) climbing and hanging ability, c) weight pulling ability, d) a history of frenzy, which is the trait of unusual relentless ferocity or the extreme concentration on fighting and attacking, e) a history of catching, fighting, and killing instinct, f) the ability to be extremely destructive and aggressive, g) highly tolerant of pain, h) great biting strength, i) undying tenacity and courage and they are highly unpredictable. - Vanater v. Village of South Point (1989)

The 1989 ruling shows that the characteristics of a pit bull attack do not change over time. This is why over 1,000 jurisdictions in the US still regulate the breed. This is why jurisdictions in at least 54 countries worldwide have breed safety laws regulating pit bulls. In 43 of those countries, the regulation is a national-level law. During Wave 1 of state preemption bills, the state of Maine preempted breed-specific laws in 1991, barring local governments from adopting pit bull laws.

The Pit Bull Owner

Lewiston police identified the owner as 35-year old David Davis of 12 Myrtle Street. Davis was charged with "Keeping a Dangerous Dog, Failing to license and vaccinate a dog and allowing a dog to run at large," according to police. These are all low level crimes (only one is a Class D fine under Maine law).1 Davis is scheduled to answer to those charges at Lewiston District Court on August 11, 2021 -- about 3.5 months later than any other state would schedule this hearing!

Press release from LPD: PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 4 pm
Lieutenant David St.Pierre
(207) 513-3001 ext. 3323

At approximately 11:14 am on this date, the Lewiston Police Department responded to a frantic call for assistance at 34 Helen Street. The caller reported a 71 year old woman was "being attacked by a pit bull." The caller further reported the dog was "attached to the elderly female." Reports and updates continued to come in as officers responded to the scene and were updated. The information indicated the woman was on the ground being mauled by the dog and her arm and hand was severely injured. The woman reportedly lost consciousness prior to the officer's arrival as the dog continued its attack.

Upon arriving, a Lewiston police officer took quick action when he observed the dog continuing to aggressively bite the women and noting the woman; laying on the ground screaming for help, had sustained significant, evident injuries to her arm. The woman was clearly in distress and was yelling, "he (the dog) is killing me." The officer tased the animal which momentarily stopped the attack on the woman. The dog then attempted to bite the officer and then turned its attention back to the woman; biting her on the face and neck. The officer; fearing that this bite would result in fatal injuries to the woman, shot the dog once with his handgun in the side. Despite being shot, the dog was able to bite the woman one last time before running a short distance where it died.

Paramedics were on scene and rendered medical assistance and transported the victim to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston where she is currently being treated for injuries to both arms, leg, neck and face. This attacked appears to be not provoked as the woman was out raking in and around her yard. Our animal control officer also responded to the scene and is involved in this on-going investigation. The animal will be transported to Augusta for rabies testing.
The dog owner has been identified as 35 year old David Davis, of 12 Myrtle St in Lewiston. At this time, we have charged Davis with Keeping a Dangerous Dog, Failing to license and vaccinate a dog and allowing a dog to run at large. He is scheduled to answer to those charges at Lewiston District Court on August 11, 2021. There is a possibility for additional charges to be filed at the conclusion of the investigation.

1 Class D: Crimes punishable by up to 364 days incarceration and a $2,000 fine.

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

Animal Advocate Posts Video After Adopted Out Pit Bull-Mix Viciously Attacked a Carriage Horse in Cane Creek Park

On April 3, Amanda Underwood and Queen Charlotte, a draft horse, were severely injured after a pit bull-mix broke free and attacked the horse while it pulled a carriage in Cane Creek Park.

Union County, NC - On April 3, pit bull-mix violently attacked a draft horse pulling a carriage in Cane Creek Park as children screamed in the background. The carriage driver, Amanda Underwood, was seriously injured while trying to fend off the attack. The draft horse, Queen Charlotte, was also badly injured by the dog. A cell phone video captured part of the attack, where one sees the dog repeatedly attacking the horse, until Queen Charlotte delivers a ruinous kick.

After the attack, Amanda's brother spoke to Fox 46. "It was bad. I mean it was horrific," said Travis Medlin. "The dog jumped up an actually latched onto the horse's throat ... the horse trampled my sister four different times throughout that event. Each time, she just came back and continued to fight the dog, was trying to save the horse." She suffered multiple head wounds and a broken foot that will require surgery, Medlin said. Hospital bills are expected to cost at least $25,000.

"My sister is the blonde in the red shirt. This video only captures the end of what happened. The attack lasted a distance of 200 yards. My sister was driving the carriage when the pit attacked and latched onto the horse's neck. She handed the reins to her assistant and jumped down and threw the dog off. This repeated many times. My sister fought with the dog under the horse and in the process was trampled by the horse 4 different times. She went to the hospital and has 4 hematomas on her head from being kicked by the horse. Had to have the back of her head staples, a broken foot, horse shoe shaped bruises all over, swollen knee that will need an MRI and is so sore she cant get out of bed. With all that, you see her still standing by the horse at the end of the attack like the bad ass she is. If not for her actions things would have turned out much worse for everyone involved.

As for the horse, it has 15 bite wounds on its neck and legs, multiple bites to its face and its lips were shredded, but it's doing ok.

The dog was put down by the vet due to its injuries." - Travis Medlin YouTube comment

Donate to the Amanda Underwood (Carriage Driver) Medical Fund at GoFundMe.

Since the attack, multiple events have occurred. On April 12, RaleighLink14, who is a horse owner and an animal activist, published a video commentary featuring parts of the Fifth Estate documentary (Pit Bulls Unleashed: Should They Be Banned?) and the Cane Creek Park attack under the title, "Why I No Longer Support Pit Bull Ownership." Her video is the subject of this post. On April 13, we learned that CMPD Animal Care and Control adopted out the dog in 2019.

At the time, CMPD noted that the dog had a "tendency to pull on the leash but he will slow down with gentle pressure." The dog was vaccinated and a health check did not indicate there was any behavior problems, CMPD said.

The dog was adopted in 2019 at an event at South Park Mall. A person who fostered the dog noted that it was "friendly with people and children, loves walks and car rides" but "will pull after cats on his walk." - MyFox8, April 13, 2021

RaleighLink14's video is powerful and self-explanatory. She admits that she will be attacked by pit bull advocates for making the video and admits she was previously an advocate for the breed. "I'm just not anymore," she states. "I can't sit back in good conscience and continue to support the ownership of pit bulls." She later adds, "Someone needs to fucking start speaking out about this. And I know I'm kind of the lone wolf right now, and I'm probably going to be crucified for this..."

Other themes include: While working at a shelter, many pit bulls failed behavior tests and were not safe to adopt out; she had to euthanize a number of pit bulls; she also goes as far to say that pit bulls should be banned, and she asks the glaringly obvious question, "Should everybody be able to own a pit bull? No." She then covers statistical data that our nonprofit has been publishing about for 10 years. The difference being, it's her voice stating it to other animal advocates.

In addition to going against the grain of pit bull advocates, she definitively states that some pit bulls must be euthanized for behavior as well, toppling the Holy Grail of no-kill advocates. That is just two more badges of courage for Raleigh. "I used to think all of the pit bull bans were bullshit," she said, "but if you really look into the statistics, and you really talk to doctors who experience this stuff ... and then you yourself have your own personal encounter ... you start to understand."

Sanctuary Solution?

Raleigh, however, goes astray significantly toward the end, when she proposes, "sanctuaries should be put in place for pit bulls." Where they "can be rehabbed and live a normal life there." Our nonprofit has written extensively about this fantasy. Pit bull sanctuary after pit bull sanctuary has resulted in fraud, hoarding operations and animal cruelty over the years, including: Spindletop (TX), Olympic Animal Sanctuary (WA) and most recently, The Steffen Baldwin Center (CA).

Baldwin was already headed down a path of doom: a "sanctuary operation" of "reactive" dogs with bite histories. - DogsBite.org, August 18, 2020

Pit bulls that wind up at these places often have impulsive aggression, dog aggression and more. They cannot be rehabbed for living in a normal society. These "sanctuaries" are often little more than each pit bull fenced-off in a small yard alone or kenneled alone. Frankly, these sanctuaries aren't too different than a dog fighter's yard, and in some cases (Spindletop and Olympic Animal Sanctuary) their living conditions are worse, thus the hoarding and animal cruelty charges.

YouTube Comments

There are nearly 6,000 comments. Common themes include: Not everyone should own a pit bull; the more I educate myself, the more I see the merits of bans; there is a large community of others who feel the same way you do; my mind has been changed dramatically; Raleigh has guts for posting this video; and finally, "How could I argue with those statistics?" Our answer: The same way many people like you have been doing for years, by claiming that our statistics are false.

Umm -- I totally understand where everyone is coming from. But, unless we can stop bad owners from getting dog.. unfortunately for the safety of everybody, including dogs themselves, i believe that only professionals should own Pitt Bulls. They will spend the rest of their lives in shelters and honestly that’s just heartbreaking...

Charlie -- I respect Raleigh for having the guts to post this, as she's almost certainly going to have some of her followers turn on her after they merely see the title of her video...

Vero -- I've been pro pittie for a long time saying it's the owners fault. But the more I educate myself, the more I see that there is merit to the fears and bans of pit bulls ... I think the problem is ultimately both owner and breed...

Fluffies -- I hate that I have to agree with this but you're hitting the nail on the head.

Rebeka -- Thank you for making this video, I personally have supported pit bulls as a breed and believe the "it's the owners not the dog" mantra. This video educated me on the facts, and although it's an uncomfortable topic, I believe it's important to be able to change your opinion when new information is presented...1

Mary-Beth -- This is actually very interesting to me! Up until this moment i have also said "it's not the dog it's the owner". And I just assumed the majority of the people that owned Pit Bulls were the snobby rich people that think having a pit bull was cool and trendy. But how can I argue with those statistics?

Amelia - I own 4 pit bulls. They all are saved from being put down. Anywhere we go we muzzle them not for my dogs safety but kids and other dogs. I believe not everyone should own a pit bull. They are literally wild animals I swear. I own horses and my dogs are not allowed near them. But I agree with you Raleigh...

Rene -- Thank you for making this video. I know there are a lot of advocates for pit bulls and you are ridiculed for even speaking against pits. But just know there is a larger community of people who feel the same way you do. Most have had horrific run ins with these dogs in one way or another...

Elisha -- Its such a tough subject. I use to work at a facility in Jacksonville Fl and our soul purpose was to rehab pits that had been used in the fighting culture. I use to be a HUGE advocate for the breed ... My mind has been changed dramatically the pet couple of years. I still love the breed and I always will. But they are not a good family pet...

Ayanna --The general problem is, that many people underestimate the (genetic) potential of their dogs and the specific training these potentials require. No matter if it is a hunting dog, a herding dog or a dog like a pit bull. Unfortunately, the latter can become incredibly dangerous and since you cannot make sure, that not every - sorry - idiot gets such a dog, there should be some kind of regulation.

Kate -- I used to be an advocate for pit bulls, but once I became a dog owner myself I changed my viewpoints. Every. Single. Time. My dog had been attacked it was by a pit bull. The worst one that happened the owner literally stated to me "he’s been acting like this lately" and he still brought him into a dog park unleashed and with no muzzle...

Sixty-two -- I used to believe pit bulls shouldn't be banned because they were just dogs. I thought it was always the owners fault and only theirs. After watching this video I'm seeing things in a new light and all so much more serious than i initially thought it was.

Summary

The violent attack on Queen Charlotte at Cane Creek Park while children screamed in the background has caused a tremendous outpouring from the public and animal advocates. Raleigh may as well have plucked language directly from appellate court rulings in her description of a relentless pit bull attack. "This dog kept coming back over and over and over again ... These dogs will not stop once they find a victim. It is nearly impossible to get a pit bull off of the victim."

The discussion Raleigh has about shelters adopting these dogs out to the public, who in many cases "can't handle" the dog, is well argued. However, news that this dog was adopted out by the CMP Animal Care and Control in 2019, would had added even more fuel to her fire. That shelter, indeed, adopted this dog out to an owner who couldn't control the dog. Notably, the shelter stated it was an American bulldog. Though, it appeared to us and others to be an overweight pit bull-mix.

Finally, the fact that Raleigh is making these statements to her audience of animal advocates, makes all the difference in the world doesn't it? Animals 24-7 is an animal advocacy nonprofit, but faces nearly the same wrath by pit bull owners and no-kill advocates as our nonprofit does. What gives? Both nonprofits are on the front line of collecting data in the area of serious and fatal dog attacks by breed since our government will not. Data that shines a light on dangerous breeds.

On April 3, an adopted out pit bull-mix viciously attacked a draft horse in Cane Creek Park.

1New information? Well, better late than never!

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

South Carolina 'Fertile Pit Bull' Bill is Back with Lower Fees and Support from Animal Shelters Across the State

The "fertile pit bull" bill has been reintroduced in South Carolina with lower fees.

Reducing Pit Bull Births
Columbia, SC - Last week, it was reported that House Bill 4094 was filed by Rep. Chip Huggins. The “fertile pit bull” bill only affects pit bulls that are not spayed or neutered in the state. If an owner chooses to keep an unaltered pit bull, the registration fee is only $25. Similar legislation introduced in 2019 required a $500 fee. The new fee reduces the incentive to sterilize, but at least there would be language in the state code that recognizes the uninhibited breeding of pit bulls.

Pit bulls "account for a disproportionate number of dogs both entering shelters and euthanized at an even higher rate in shelters," said Joe Elmore, president and CEO of the Charleston Animal Society. "It's simple supply and demand -- there are far too many [pit bulls] then there are homes. It's costing taxpayers and donors millions of dollars each year." Taxpayers have long footed the bill for housing unwanted pit bulls in public shelters, but as Elmore states, donors are paying too.

Huggins' bill is called “Jayce's Law," in honor of a boy killed in January by a stray pit bull his mother had recently taken in. His grieving mother live streamed on Facebook afterward, "My 6-year old little boy was attacked early this afternoon by the pit bull that I had been trying to find a home for. It had been abandoned on our property." She added, "I was an advocate, supporter for pit bulls. What happened, happened so fast that there was nothing that anybody could do."

State-Level Data

Included in the article is rare state-level dog bite data by breed. In 14 years, we have only come across one other state, Delaware, which has centralized bite reporting that includes breed data. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released the data. In 2019, there were 7,499 bites from known breeds. Of those, one-third, (2,433 bites), were inflicted by pit bulls and their mixes, three times more than the next top-biting breed, Labradors with 833 bites.

Unlike the 2019 bill, which sat untouched in the House Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, House Bill 4094 was sent to the House Judiciary Committee. Huggins said he hopes the bill can pass the House this year and be sent to the Senate for consideration next year. As one would expect, pit bull owners and out-of-state lobby groups strongly opposed the 2019 bill. As a result, the $500 bill never even had a hearing.

While trying to defend the 2019 bill, Elmore penned a bold piece titled, "Endangered Species?" He wrote, in part, "No other dog breed or grouping of breeds poses the overcrowding problem for animal shelters as does pit bull type of dogs. It is critically important to distinguish this strategy as reducing the overpopulation, not advocating for a breed ban, which we all vehemently oppose." However, pit bull owners and defenders of the breed rarely listen to logical humane arguments.

"A mandatory pit bull sterilization law is the most basic safety step a community can take when pit bulls are disproportionally biting, disproportionally occupying shelter space and disproportionately being euthanized. This is the right side of the issue to be on." - DogsBite.org, October 24, 2019

Elmore also pointed out that mandatory pit bull spaying and neutering laws are already working in jurisdictions in South Carolina and across the country. Beaufort County, South Carolina enacted the first mandatory pit bull sterilization law in the state and shortly thereafter saw excellent results. After the ordinance passed in October 2015, the pit bull sterilization rate more than doubled in just 14 months. Jurisdictions in California and Michigan have seen similar successful results.

Lowest Sterilization Rate

Back in January, we published a letter from a person who previously worked at an open intake shelter who stated, "pit bull breeders seem to be less responsible with spaying and neutering their dogs." This has also been documented in a peer-reviewed study. A 2011 study examining the prevalence of castrations evaluated at US veterinary hospitals found the overall castration rate of dogs was 64% and pit bulls (27%) were the least likely of all dogs breeds to be castrated.

This is not a new problem, nor is it an unknown problem. Animals 24-7 has been reporting on the low sterilization rate of pit bulls for many years. Staff members of shelters and humane groups, who see intake dogs on a regular basis, know this. Pit bull rescues know this. As the 2011 study shows, employees at veterinary hospitals also know this. Yet, most shelters, humane groups, pit bull rescues and veterinarians strongly oppose mandatory pit bull sterilization laws.

The solution to this opposition, according to Elmore and Rep. Huggins, is to lower the cost of registering a fertile pit bull to $25, the cost of "one cheap bag of dog food," Elmore said. It seems a fee of $75 would send a much stronger message, certainly a fee of $150 would. State legislation is often a "baby steps" phenomenon. Likewise, it's better to have the pit bull problem codified into law than not. Expecting significant results from the $25 law, however, may be wishful thinking.

More Wishful Thinking

Speaking of wishful thinking and recent legislative news, a top lobbyist for Best Friends Animal Society, Ledy VanKavage, recently showed her complete failure of due diligence regarding the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It's either failure of due diligence on her part or cultivating a lie. She's certainly capable of both. She falsely claimed on March 22 and April 1 that the NDAA signed into law by President Trump contained a "breed neutral" mandate.

On March 22, Ledy VanKavage, a lobbyist for Best Friends Animal Society, falsely claimed to Bruce Dickey that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2020-2021 forced the Department of Defense to eliminate long standing breed-specific polices within military divisions. The U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force have banned a small group of dangerous dog breeds from military housing—chiefly pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids—for over a decade.

The final language of the reconciled NDAA that President Trump signed into law did not contain a “breed-neutral” mandate. Clearly, VanKavage, a top paid lobbyist for pit bull causes, never bothered to read the reconciled version of the Act. This is a failure of due diligence on her part. The removal of the “breed-neutral” mandate was in part due to advocacy by Responsible Citizens for Public Safety (RC4PS.org) and DogsBite.org. - DogsBite.org, March 22, 2021

Watch part of the March 22 interview where VanKavage makes the false claim on the Big Talk with Bruce Dickey show, and again on April 1, when she makes the false claim in the "unlisted" Best Friends Grassroots Advocacy video. Advocates for dog bite victims left comments on the latter video, stating that the breed neutral mandate was not signed into law and that VanKavage had failed to even read the reconciled version of the NDAA -- those comments have been deleted.

The part about U.S. Senator Duckworth (Illinois-D) sending a "demand letter" to the Department of Defense is the most amusing part. VanKavage has little congressional legislation experience (chiefly local and state), if she did, she would have understood that many changes are made during the reconciliation process. Until the NDAA 2020-2021, this nonprofit had little congressional legislation experience either, but we knew that monitoring the reconciliation process was critical.

Pit bull lobbyist can't stop lying about the NDAA. Here we go again on April 1, 2021 (35:01) marker. Failure of due diligence; and now, cultivating a lie. https://t.co/wAvSrPUUJd READ the reconciled NDAA! https://t.co/a5m2fWb0tC pic.twitter.com/xxaAX5uUlq

— DogsBite.org (@dogsbite) April 4, 2021

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

Shelter Dog Terms Targeting Unwitting Fosters and Terms Used to Describe Major Liability Dogs - A 2021 Addendum

There are Liability Dogs like Rusty (smaller), and there are Major Liability Dogs (large and powerful), like Quincy, Dieter and Brutus (seen above) awaiting adoption at shelters today.

Unicorn Fosters
DogsBite.org - Last July, we published a special report that identified 125 behavior terms for shelter dogs decoded that mask aggression. We also categorized the terms into their meaning (e.g., impulsive aggression, anxiety) and risk level (e.g., very-high, high, mod-high). We continue to find new terms on adoption listings that mask aggression and other trends in deception, such as omitting long-term shelter stay information, previous returns by adopters and bite histories.

This series of terms focuses on fosters and Major Liability Dogs. Most commonalities include seeking low-level activity homes for shelter dogs with aggressive behaviors that contain no children or pets. The need for "breed experienced" owners is also highlighted, though many dog owners aren't qualified to make that assessment. Just because a person has owned a rottweiler previously, doesn't mean that person can handle "Dieter," a biter and resource guarder.

New Terms

One of the terms previously identified, "unicorn home," has evolved into a "unicorn foster." A dog that needs a "unicorn home" is so animal-aggressive, anxious and a resource guarder that it can only tolerate a "fantasy" home with zero stimuli. A "unicorn foster" has a home with no pets or children and is willing to accept "challenging," dogs riddled with behavior issues. What is unspoken is that a "unicorn foster" must also live in a rare and magical "unicorn neighborhood."

A "unicorn neighborhood" is non-existent. All neighborhoods have pets and kids, and often, at unpredictable times. These unicorn fosters will be expected to walk these behaviorally challenged dogs in public streets and parks. What is absolute and more common than a leash physically breaking is human error. So, a "unicorn foster" must have zero-margin of error 100% of the time when in public. This is not only unrealistic, it can endanger the foster and the community.

No pets, no kids? That means YOU are a rare and magical unicorn and WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH FOSTERING! We have noticed a growing trend at Asheville Humane: dogs who, for various reasons, are a little more challenging to find that perfect match for than your average dog. These dogs typically don't enjoy the company of other animals and are a little "too much" to be placed in a home with children. Because of this, they tend to stay with us for weeks, sometimes months, waiting for their ideal adoptive home. It is not uncommon for these dogs to develop challenging behaviors as a coping mechanism, which only compounds the problem further. - Asheville Humane Society

The slick "unicorn foster" marketing campaign is from the Asheville Humane Society (AHS). In 2015, just days after AHS launched a July 4th promotional campaign, "I want you to adopt an American Pit Bull Terrier," featuring Uncle Sam and a pit bull, a 6-year old boy was killed by a pit bull Asheville Humane had adopted out 3-weeks earlier. That pit bull had passed a SAFER test in flying colors. Maybe their "unicorn foster" campaign portends the mauling death of a foster?

"Fospice" is a term for another type of foster. Notably, rescues are not just trying to make suckers out of adopters, they play the same emotional harp strings with fosters. Athena, a presa canario, has been "handed off to multiple homes," used for breeding, was diagnosed with bone cancer and cannot be around children. Kenway's Cause rescue was also willing to do a leg amputation, despite her estimated lifespan of only 3 to 6 more months. Thus, "fospice" is a hospice foster.

Athena is a case for humane euthanasia to end her suffering. One commenter pointed this out: "Please! No more handoffs!!! Do right by her for Christ's sakes!" Yet, Kenway's Cause was willing to amputate one of her legs, so she could be a 3-legged dog in addition to her having a terminal health condition and a pitiable "rough life" background. At some point, "kindness" stops being kindness. "Fospice," in this case, primarily fulfills a human need, not a need for the animal.

"Unicorn fosters" is a deceptive marketing ploy to entice unwitting fosters into taking in behaviorally challenging dogs (aka aggressive) by making the foster feel "rare and magical."

Major Liability Dogs

When a dog has gotten "absolutely ZERO interest" from perspective adopters, and has already been in a shelter for four years (1,460 days), as Brutus has, one can assume the dog has severe behavioral problems. Brutus needs a "breed experienced owner" (pit bull), where he will be the "only dog in a LOW TRAFFIC" and adult-only household. Decoded, Brutus is animal-aggressive, can't tolerate activity in the home and is unsuitable for children. Only a "unicorn foster" will do.1

When a shelter dog is called a "meathead" that doesn't realize "how big he is" and "lacks manners," requiring an adult-only household with no other pets, one can assume this translates into total disobedience, plays extremely rough (body crashes), will harm children, will kill other animals and is large and powerful -- aka the dog is like a bull in a china shop. The Urban Dictionary meaning for "meathead" also indicates impulsive aggression and super-fast arousal.

"Meathead - An enormously muscular guy who cannot hold a conversation about anything other than weight-lifting and protein shakes. Gets upset very quickly when he cannot complete his own sentences and thoughts. Can be found at nightclubs wearing shirts that are 10 sizes too small (if at all). They are by far the most closely related human beings to that of apes, chimpanzees, and other primate. They are evolutionary hindered and are less capable of following directions than my dead hamster." - Urban Dictionary

When a dog saved from death row is "reactive" and "very teethy," whose new owner cannot afford the "surrender fees" or afford the training the dog needs -- run away, do not walk away. The dog needs "major training and rehab" that its owner is incapable of. This owner clamored onto the "saving a death row dog" train only to realize the dog was "much more than we can handle." Now she's asking for someone else to trick the shelter so that she can avoid paying euthanasia fees!

When a dog is "reactive to ALL new people" and "reactive to most dogs," this translates into stranger aggression, dog aggression and more. TK is also kennel reactive and "extremely selective" about who he "let's in his circle." TK has already bitten 7 people and has to be "muzzled and sedated" to go to the vet. Always and Furever Midwest Sanctuary admits TK is a "liability and risk and one mistake" will result in a person or animal getting hurt. Again, to error is to be human.

The sanctuary also admits, "today a mistake happened." TK "got into the yard with Sally and they fought." Sally wound up at the vet. A sanctuary committed to the welfare of their animals would never allow TK, a Major Liability Dog, anywhere near their animals. In this case, it's not that "TK's life matters" less. It's that TK's life matters more than all of the other animals at the rescue. Always and Furever is proud they "took the risk no one else was willing to take" by taking in this dog.

TK (Travis Kelce) is currently available for adoption. There is no mention of the 7 or more previous bites in his adoption listing. No mention of attacking Sally either, only that TK is "not good with small animals." There is no mention of TK being reactive to "all new people," nor that he is "extremely selective" and dog-aggressive. No indication that TK is a "liability and risk" and that zero margin of error is required -- one mistake results in people or animals (or both) being hurt.

The act of Always and Furever taking in dogs like TK (that no other entity will risk taking) is actually a marketing and fundraising differentiation from other rescues that offers the most "street cred." The more dangerous the dog one accepts, the more street cred one gains. Thus, they do openly talk about TK's reactivity and liability on their Facebook page to gain applause from their followers and donors. The most coveted rescues, in their minds, take in the most dangerous dogs.

Quincy is described as a "meathead" and Brutus has already spent 4 years in a shelter. Both must be the "only dog in the home" in an adult-only household with "experienced dog owner."

Dieter Paradox

Most of the dogs we have featured thus far are Major Liability Dogs that require a Level 2 or 3 dog owner (Level 3 = dog trainers and professionals). The vast majority of adopters are Level 1 owners; they can't even teach the "Stay" command. Major Liability Dogs have already exhibited aggression and are capable of deliver devastating bites. Dieter, a rottweiler, is among these dogs. However, his adoption listing by the Lakeshore Humane Society is less deceptive than the others.

We first saw the December 16, 2020 adoption listing, which was explosive, a "resource guarding" rottweiler with a "bite record" then backtracked to December 13. The bite occurred between those dates. Dieter is dog selective, cannot be exposed to children or small animals, requires an "experienced rottweiler owner," a fenced yard and attending a training course is a mandatory condition of adoption. Who could actually adopt this dog? A retired police K-9 handler is our pick.

The name of this file is "Dieter Paradox" because it refers to the Shelter Dog Behavior Review that we published in March. Level 1 dog owners do not understand what it means to own a dog like Dieter. They may think they can handle a dog like Dieter, but have no basis or qualifications to make that assessment. The only people who do have that qualification will most often say, "No thanks." That's the paradox. So in the end, the adoption listing for Dieter is still deceptive.

"The only people really qualified to take a dog like that is someone who lived with a dog that had that level of aggression. And, anyone who has already lived with a dog with that level of aggression, will say 'No thanks' to their next dog having the same issues," Sternberg said. "That's the paradox. Once you realize that, you realize that all we are doing is duping someone into adopting a dog because they don't truly understand." - Canine Behavior Review, Fall 2020

Shelter Swapping

"Shelter swapping" is a term that came into full force in the lawsuit against a South Texas no-kill shelter accused of "dog laundering." Recently, there was an excellent example of this concerning a long-term shelter stay dog named Rusty, who was returned to the Waco Animal Shelter one day after being adopted. The dog had previously been in the shelter for 419 days with multiple unsuccessful adoptions and returns. The latest return involved Rusty biting the new adopters.

Rusty (A093077) was first surrendered in February 2020 (2nd home). He was placed into a foster (3rd home) then sent to a rescue in Idaho (4th home and shelter swap). The rescue returned the dog to the Waco Animal Shelter for being dog-aggressive. He was adopted in November 2020 and returned for being "destructive" (5th home). He was adopted in February 2021 and returned (6th home). On March 30, he was adopted and promptly returned one day later (7th home).

Throughout this process, Rusty was called a "staff favorite," as well as deemed "Zack and Jim's Waco 100 Pet of the Week" to help unload the dog onto an unsuspecting adopter. But here is the real whopper. When Rusty was returned to the Waco Animal Shelter on March 31, that date became his "start" date at the shelter. According to the adoption listing, this dog has only been at the shelter since March 31, 2021 and makes no mention of the many previous failed adoptions.

"Rusty - ID#A093077. My name is Rusty. I am a neutered male, brown dog that looks like a German Shepherd Dog and Catahoula Leopard Hound. The shelter staff think I am about 2 years old and 1 month old. I weigh approximately 50 pounds.

I have been at the shelter since March 31, 2021.

Rusty is a great dog but he does take a little time to get used to 'strangers'. Once he bonds, though, he really enjoys being with people. A little patience and understanding will go a long way with him. He must have, though, had some negative experiences with children, as he is not comfortable with them and therefore is looking for an adult only family.

Currently he would be best suited as an only dog until he has had time to adjust to a new home and feels relaxed and loved and bonded, so he is more open to other dogs. Rusty is such a super cute and smart fellow, he would make the perfect addition to committed adopter family2 that shows him that their world can be a fun place with him in it." - City of Waco Animal Shelter, April 1, 2021

Intake Records

When adopting from a city or county shelter, we advise all members of the public to request all "intake" and "outcome" records for the dog. These records will show every time Rusty came into the shelter, left the shelter and was returned to the shelter. These records are not typically easy to read (you have to get used to them). See pages 2 to 6 for an example. "Rainbow" was surrendered by four separate owners. The dog was eventually euthanized for "severe behavior."

Quality of life for dogs like Rusty -- in and out of 7 or more homes and often a year or longer in a shelter -- can be quite poor. Unfortunately, we can't easily turn the masses of Level 1 dog owners into Level 2 and 3 dog owners either. Rusty's last adoption was a disaster; it lasted one day. Rusty's adopters said he was "too much work." The dog also bit them. On April 2, we saw that Rusty's adoption listing was gone. He was apparently adopted again thanks to the media's help.3

Summary

As this selection of shelter terms show, not all are targeted at unwitting adopters. Some are targeted at unwitting fosters too. A "unicorn foster" for a dog with aggression is a fantasy that can endanger the foster and the community where the dog is placed. "Fospice" is a miserable term that turns humane euthanasia on its head. Humane euthanasia is painless; its primary purpose is to end an animal's suffering. Fospice, in some cases, extends this suffering unnecessarily.

Terms like "absolutely ZERO interest" after a 4 year shelter stay or "LOW TRAFFIC home only" or "reactive to ALL new people" or "adult-only household with no pets" indicates dogs with aggressive behaviors that no Level 1 dog owner can handle. These are Liability Dogs and Major Liability Dogs. The "Dieter Paradox" shows us that Level 2 and 3 dog owners, who have managed a dog with aggressive behaviors in the past, typically never want to undertake the task again.

Finally, the best way to detect "shelter swapping" and the number of intakes, returns and outcomes for dogs like Rusty is to directly request these records from the shelter. This information is rarely in the adoption listing. While omitting this information in the listing offers a better chance for the dog to be adopted again, it is unfair and unethical to the new adopters. The quality of life for dogs like Rusty are often low too, all to achieve the no-kill single metric 90% "save rate."

Dieter and TK are Major Liability Dogs with bite records that require a Level 2 or 3 dog owner. Dieter is a resource guarder and TK has excessive stranger aggression and dog aggression.

1Brutus also found a home with the help of the media. The public will never know if that home worked out either. These are often "stunt rescues," a short term rescue that fulfills the need of a "happy ending" story, or, as in the case of Rusty, a failed adoption because the Level 1 adopters had no idea what they were in for!
2The "committed adopter family" phrase implies that none of Rusty's previous adopters were "committed." That is an unethical guilt trip. The fact is, the adopters were lied to about the dog's behavior. Rusty was "too much work" and a "biter." Perhaps none of the adopters knew how many homes Rusty had been recycled to either.
3As we were getting ready to publish, more information on Rusty came in. Thanks to the media article, "hundreds" of people are now trying to adopt this dog. Paula Rivadeneira, the executive director of the Humane Society of Central Texas, which runs the Waco shelter, is now telling people: "Rusty isn't the dog you're envisioning. It's a kind thing to do, but he's going to be a problem" and Rusty "plays well with some dogs. Around others, he's lethal." For now, reports Patch, Rusty has been "taken in by a local rescue partner" to "identify and overcome the behavioral issues that have caused guilt-ridden families to return him to the shelter." Despite this PR promise, dog-killing aggression cannot be rehabilitated. It can only be controlled through separation measures.

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