Dog Owners Stand Up to Abuse of Power In Sioux City, Iowa

First Blue Dog State Feist Award Ever!

Dog Owners Stand Up to Abuse of Power in Sioux City, Iowa Just say no to intimidation Rick and Deborah Borg, pit bull-owning residents of Sioux City, Iowa, spoke out against Sioux City's breed ban and testified against it during city council meetings. They encouraged their friends to do likewise.

In other words, they took part in the democratic process.

City officials, apparently, mailed threatening letters, drafted a "hit list" that sent Animal Control officers to some dog owners' homes to check if the dogs had been licensed and took other actions against residents that testified against the proposal.

Unequal enforcement of the law is a bad, bad thing

By its own admission, Sioux City's dog licensing compliance rate is only 10 - 15%. Unlicensed dogs are NOT a "pit bull" thing in Sioux City.

Wise public servants struggle against the mere appearance of retaliatory tactics and negative profiling of segments of their own constituencies.

Letter to Des Moisnes

The Borgs wrote to William Angrick, ombudsman for the State of Iowa:

"We would like to have your agency investigate this matter and a report be issued including any recommended remedial action."

Good. Let's hope the Borg letter touches off all kinds of remedial action.

May I have the envelope, please?

Meanwhile, Blue Dog State offers its first ever Feist Award to Rick and Deborah Borg. Go forth and take no shit, Rick and Deborah.

Running a close second for the award, by the way: just about the entire State of Montana. Rep. Robyn Driscoll's fear-based and uneducated proposal to ban "pit bulls" from the State of Montana met with the overwhelming scorn it deserved during a hearing at the state capital.

In attempting to defend her proposal, Driscoll dragged out that miserable piece of Humane Society of the United States mythology: "The vast majority of people that are attracted to pit bulls are attracted to the macho reputation of the animal as a living weapon."

Driscoll's proposal required the death of any dog accused of being an unregistered pit bull in the State of Montana.

And Driscoll thinks pit bulls are living weapons???

Heh.

What does she see when she looks in the mirror? _______________________________________________

[original post date of following article: November 24, 2008]

Persecution of Pit Bull Owners Public servants retaliate against breed ban opponents Participation in the democratic process lands dog owners on the shit list Fear and loathing in Sioux City, Iowa Earlier this year Sioux City, Iowa joined the list of pathetic U. S. municipalities that allow hysteria and political pandering to drive public policy. Sioux City showed that negative profiling is alive and well in the heartland when it moved to ban "pit bulls". Mocha, the pup pictured above, isn't welcome anymore. Incredibly, if members of Mocha's family went to a town council meeting and testified against the breed ban -- exercised their right to freedom of speech, in other words -- they unwittingly made themselves a target for special, selective attention from the city clerk's office, and animal control. Sioux City? Not pet-friendly.

Sioux City already required cat licensing, and it has a limit law in place that allows residents a maximum of two dogs per household. Anti-pet and anti-pet owner ordinances are traditional, it seems. Owners of Sioux City dogs accused of criminal pit bull resemblance, and unable to prove that their dog is NOT a pit bull, have ten calendar days to find a way to get their dogs out of the city. That's assuming the dog owner can afford the impoundment fees and other costs associated with seizure, impoundment and prosecution on charges of looking like a pit bull. Because the first thing the city does is take the dog away from his or her owner. If owners don't have the cash, or don't have a place outside the city limits to stash the dog, then Sioux City will kill him. Or her. Heartless in the heartland: "pit bulls" are born guilty Alleged pit bulls are presumed guilty of the crime of being a "pit bull." The burden of proof lands on the dog owner -- who must somehow "prove" to the city manager's satisfaction that their dog is not a "pit bull." Good luck with that, owners of short-haired, medium-to-large, mixed breed or otherwise unpedigreed dogs. Cause you're fresh out of "proof." It doesn't exist. Putting the squeeze on veterinarians The AVMA veterinarian's oath doesn't include becoming a tool in the extermination of innocent dogs. Local vets balked at making breed determinations that will cause the deaths of their patients, and they're beginning to bail on the city's licensing program. We want to take care of the animals --we don't want to I.D. the ones that are supposed to be banned," said [Dr. David] Ray. Lesson learned: Vets involved in law enforcement are gonna have trouble sleeping at night when collaborating with animal control becomes unethical. Push came to shove pretty quickly in Sioux City.

Will Sioux City vets betray their clients' faith and trust? Or will they disengage themselves from breed profiling?

City clerk collects names, addresses

Elected officials in Sioux City have been going around, taking names.

The names and addresses of residents who testified before the city council against the breed ban were databanked by the city clerk's office. 28 households received an intimidating letter from the city clerk threatening them with a $750 fine for failure to license their dogs.

Only people who testified against the breed ban got a letter, even though--by its own admission--Sioux City's license compliance rate is a dismal 10 - 15%.

Chilling effect on the democratic process?

Ya think???

Sioux City's elected officials apparently thought that abuse of power is okay if the victims are just pit bull owners. Maybe they thought no one would care what happens to drug dealers and gangbangers like Mocha's owners.

But trying to shut down opposition through selective enforcement of the law is a recipe for tyranny.

The Iowa State Constitution includes a Bill of Rights. Section 20 reads. . .

The people have the right freely to assemble together to counsel for the common good; to make known their opinions to their representatives and to petition for a redress of grievances.

So what the hell happened in Sioux City? What were Mayor Mike Hobart and City Manager Paul Eckert thinking?

Rights and liberties in Sioux City

In Iowa, cities with a population in excess of 29,000 people -- like Sioux City -- are required to maintain an independent local civil and human rights agency.

The Sioux City municipal code includes a human rights section, and the Sioux City Commission on Human Rights in on 6th Street.

Dog lovers in Sioux City need to have a conversation with the Human Rights Commission.

Abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation. . .is the daily dose for pit bull owners.

But that don't make it right. I'm not okay with any of this, and I'm betting plenty of Sioux City residents aren't either.

HSUS Sics Private Security Firm on Dog Owners

HSUS Sics Private Security Firm on Dog Owners Florida's "humane" war on pit bull owners is the best money can buy. Wayne Pacelle kicks the killing machine up a notch Old news: HSUS rules the world when it comes to "training" the public on how to spot a dog fighter. Here's John Goodwin, HSUS Dogfight Czar, running through his paces. Lowering the bar on probable cause The strategy here is to convince the public, including judges who sign warrants, that the presence of multiple pit bulls, springpoles and other so-called fighting paraphernalia, etc., is probable cause for search warrants. HSUS needs to make it easier to search the property of pit bull owners and breeders and kill rescue their dogs. Mouthing off on the internet: grounds for search and seizure ? Then there's words like "game." Debates on innumerable pit bull b-boards rage on (and on and on) about "gameness", what it means, how to identify it, whether its really dead. . . Whatever. What's in a word? But regardless of your choice of language, get this straight, pit bull owners: Czar Goodwin is no philosopher, and no breed historian. His expertise is store bought and paper thin. He don't give a shit about what you meant, or how much of what you said was bullshit. Goodwin is no constitutional scholar, and HSUS isn't much on freedom of speech. Use of the wrong words could get you in all kinds of trouble, now that HSUS' John Goodwin is calling the shots. Florida's Attorney General rises to HSUS bait In late December, Bill McCollum -- a Republican, an ex Naval officer and staunch conservative who ran for Attorney General with a "making Florida a safer place to live, work, and raise a family" campaign slogan -- announced his support for the expansion of HSUS's $5000 reward for phoned-in dogfight allegations. "Easy and anonymous" route to neighborhood safety That's what McCollum says he's after. So how come I don't feel any safer? I have a problem when private corporations like the Humane Society of the United States -- ones with zero public responsibility -- get into the law enforcement biz. Out of control private warriors operating in the Middle East are a national disgrace. Do we really want private contractors operating in the domestic sector, too? Commercial law enforcement HSUS promotes financial incentives for raiding the homes and kennels of pit bull breeders. Outfits like In the Line of Duty -- heavily dependent on HSUS doctrine -- make dogfight raids seem like a lucrative image enhancement tool. Best Friend's general counsel, Russ Mead, makes asset forfeiture in dogfight prosecutions sound like a no-brainer. Does Best Friends Animal Society see the country as a Walmart, ripe for pick-and-don't-pay, too? HSUS subcontracts out the wet work Dude, we've already got privatized law enforcement, triggered by anonymous tips and driven by profit motive. Not cool. But when HSUS hired Norred & Associates, a private security firm that specializes in "fighting corporate enemies" and turned them loose on the citizens of Florida (and Georgia) things got beyond weird. When Floridians dial that HSUS dogfight tip hotline number, the one that Attorney General McCollum thinks is such a great thing, they won't get the Attorney General's office. They won't get a public servant at all. Persons wishing to make anonymous accusations of felonious activity will be connected to an individual employed by a for-profit, private security company employed by the Humane Society of the United States. The for-profit private security company employed by HSUS will take the ball from there. And guess whose instructions they'll be following. Anybody else feel a headache coming on ? Cause I'm getting a ringing in my ears that won't quit. It sounds like alarm bells, or maybe air raid sirens. None of this is good. Not for dogs, not for dog owners. Not for democracy. Pit bull owners are the coalmine canaries of the animal owning world. Right now, they've got nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Pit bull owners are prime examples of what happens when a society that thinks its governed by laws is hoodwinked by lawless extremists like the Humane Society of the United States.

What Color Is Animal Rights Extremism?

What Color Is Animal Rights Extremism? Fresh bruise P U R P L E Not just liberal folly anymore: Pacelle's HSUS won't be fenced in by party politics

What goes around always comes around. Dog owners living in little houses on the prairie, off the grid, and otherwise at home on the range are getting a bitter taste of what their blue state brethren already know only too well: hometown animal whackjobs working from the HSUS playbook.

Purple haze of extremist proposals drifts over blood red communities

In late 2008 Torrance County, New Mexico -- a county carried handily by John McCain -- began consideration of an animal control ordinance allowing animal control officers to enter homes without a search warrant.

Limit laws, tethering restrictions, a licensing differential making it 3 times more costly to comply if you own an intact dog. . .22 pages of restrictions and requirements for animal owners. The document cites the Humane Society of the United States, and requires that strayed dogs be neutered prior to return to their owners.

Cottonwood, Arizona -- located in Yavapai County -- began consideration of a mandatory spay-neuter proposal for dogs and cats not long ago.

This just in: a councilman, and ex-cop, in Grand Island, Nebraska, is calling for mandatory microchipping. Someone sold him on the need to modernize. . .but forgot to mention the privacy issues.

Looks like the entire freaking State of Montana may need to mull over a statewide ban of "pit bulls" in 2009. Texas, too.

Bad times in the badlands

Tea, South Dakota -- in Lincoln County -- is looking at anti-tethering and breed specific mandatory spay-neuter proposals as possible "improvements" over the pit bull ban it enacted twelve years ago. In other words, a more humane approach to negative profiling and a kinder path to extinction could be available shortly for certain dog owners in Tea. That should make everyone feel so much better.

All, in all, I'd say things aren't looking so good out there in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Not for dog and animal owners, they aren't. And, trust me, I'm not gloating.

But I know who is.

Monomaniacs don't do that red state/blue state shit

Wayne's got his eyes on the prize.

HSUS just blows on by the annoying details. HSUS can claim to support private property rights in Virginia, and seek to dismantle those same rights in Torrance County, New Mexico.

Anybody have a problem with that? Cause HSUS doesn't.

Animal extremism is not conservative, its not liberal. Its not right-wing, its not new-age, its not feminist, its not gangsta. Wayne doesn't give a crap about anything but furthering HSUS's messed up agenda.

Everything else is just background noise.

No more Obama drama

We're dealing with a one-horned flying purple people eater from hell.

Animal extremism is an assault on civil rights and civil liberties. It makes a mockery of the U. S. Constitution. Animal extremists aren't troubled by the rule of law. They consider themselves above it.

No Democrat, no Republican, no liberal, no conservative -- no one who treasures liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- could stomach the HSUS agenda, or its tactics.

So have at it, folks. 2009 is open for business. Should be a hum-dinger.

HSUS Dogfight Czar John Goodwin Fails

Again 

Pit bull breeder Pat Patrick acquitted of all charges

Patrick's not guilty of a crime, but his dogs died anyway 

Barely a month since Floyd Boudreaux's acquittal in Louisiana, and Arizona judge John Leonardo tossed out the dogfighting and animal cruelty charges against Pat Patrick and Emily Dennis. 

Oh, my.

How embarrassing for the Humane Society of the United States. 

Fortune in Pima County's eyes

The Patrick prosecution began when HSUS brought dogfighting allegations to the attention of the Pima County Sheriff's department. Did Goodwin dazzle Pima County authorities with tales of how lucrative dogfight prosecutions are? 

Pat Patrick's kennel is located on an attractive piece of real estate. If authorities had successfully gained control under civil asset forfeiture proceedings, the property's value would have covered the cost of all kinds of goodies for the sheriff's department. 

Note to "pit bull" breeders with tangible property: get yourselves a real estate attorney and protect your homes from civil asset seizure proceedings. Do it now. 

Dogfight Czar waddles to the scene 

Goodwin himself showed up at Patrick's kennel during the raid (looking kinda pudgy for a vegan, don't you think?). Cameras rolled. Headlines screamed. Donate Now! emails made the rounds. John Goodwin gave interviews. 

HSUS's "extensive evidence." Not. 

To this day and despite the acquittal, the HSUS website boasts of the "extensive evidence" gathered as HSUS, the Humane Society of S. Arizona and the county sheriff's office swarmed over Patrick's property, gloating that. . .

With the arrests of these dogfighting kingpins, one of the most important underground dogfighting networks in the U.S. has been effectively dismantled. As a supplier of several major fighting-dog bloodlines, Patrick holds a status among professional dogfighters ranking second perhaps only to the infamous Floyd Boudreaux. . . 

HSUS looked forward to a "swift and decisive prosecution".

But just as Floyd Boudreaux was promptly acquitted when he finally got his day in court, the case against Patrick fell into little itty bitty pieces. 

Scorched earth policy: HSUS raids leave no dog standing

Dogfight Czar Goodwin must love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Goodwin & Co. made no plans to hold the Patrick dogs as evidence pending trial. 

Eleven months of "investigating" Pat Patrick -- plenty of time to find housing -- and the world's largest, wealthiest "animal protection" organization made no arrangements to provide for dogs it "rescued." 

Pat Patrick's dogs made for great photo opportunities, though. They were reportedly very sweet, and HSUS exploited their PR value every chance they got. And then HSUS arranged for 94 dogs to die.

This old timer, photographed with an HSUS "rescuer," was seized and killed six months before Pat Patrick even went to trial.  

Patrick, like Floyd Boudreaux, was sentenced to the (permanent) loss of his dogs by the Humane Society of the United States. 

Prior to the court proceedings that vindicated him.

Diane Jessup, who ran the now defunct "LawDogs" program and was imported by HSUS to evaluate Patrick's dogs, took three puppies home with her.

The pups were supposed to be part of the program.

Czar Goodwin even got a little sentimental about it--

It's heartwarming to see these lucky puppies have an opportunity at a better life, while being ambassadors for their much-maligned breed. . .

But Jessup killed the puppies, including this one, all the same.

Must be the season of the bitch

Bad Rap -- the notorious San Francisco pit bull boutique that co-authored and enabled SB 861 and thus collaborated in the incremental extermination of "pit bulls" in California -- picked up a couple of Patrick dogs, too. 

Donna Reynolds, Bad Rap's arrogant queen of double-speak, rationalized it this way: 

"The system killed the dogs because NOBODY WANTED THEM."

Nobody wanted them? Is she crazy? Pat Patrick and Emily Dennis wanted their dogs. Desperately.

Unproved allegations are lethal to pit bulls

In most states -- Arizona appears to be an exception -- "seize in place" court orders in alleged animal cruelty cases are available.

The animals that are the basis for the charges can lawfully be left where they are -- with court-ordered inspections to guarantee their health and safety -- pending adjudication.
 

Pat Patrick's dogs had a home. As the court found, there was no ongoing animal welfare crisis at Patrick's kennel. No deliberate, malicious abuse of animals. No dogfighting.

Patrick's dogs--like Boudreaux's dogs--should be alive today.

Did the Pima County Sheriff's office get kissed first? 

Cause they sure got left holding the bag, didn't they?

Will HSUS bail out Pima County if the consequences for killing Patrick's innocent dogs prove costly? Will HSUS come to the aid of LA SPCA, which pointlessly slaughtered the Boudreaux dogs? 

This three year veteran of the Chicago Police Department’s Animal Abuse Control Team thinks the $5,000 bounty HSUS offers for dogfighting tips is a scam.

HSUS is pretty tight with a nickle. HSUS spends money to make money. But that's about it.

This has to stop.

We cannot allow pit bull breeders to suffer the loss of their dogs based on allegations.
HSUS, its cohorts like the Pima County Sheriff's Department, and its apologists -- like Bad Rap -- are turning the country into a police state.

The time to stop it is now, before its too late.

Persecution of Pit Bull Owners Public servants retaliate against breed ban opponents

Participation in the democratic process lands dog owners on the shit list Fear and loathing in Sioux City, Iowa Earlier this year Sioux City, Iowa joined the list of pathetic U. S. municipalities that allow hysteria and political pandering to drive public policy. Sioux City showed that negative profiling is alive and well in the heartland when it moved to ban "pit bulls". Mocha, the pup pictured above, isn't welcome anymore. Incredibly, if members of Mocha's family went to a town council meeting and testified against the breed ban -- exercised their right to freedom of speech, in other words -- they unwittingly made themselves a target for special, selective attention from the city clerk's office, and animal control. Sioux City? Not pet-friendly.

Sioux City already required cat licensing, and it has a limit law in place that allows residents a maximum of two dogs per household. Anti-pet and anti-pet owner ordinances are traditional, it seems. Owners of Sioux City dogs accused of criminal pit bull resemblance, and unable to prove that their dog is NOT a pit bull, have ten calendar days to find a way to get their dogs out of the city. That's assuming the dog owner can afford the impoundment fees and other costs associated with seizure, impoundment and prosecution on charges of looking like a pit bull. Because the first thing the city does is take the dog away from his or her owner. If owners don't have the cash, or don't have a place outside the city limits to stash the dog, then Sioux City will kill him. Or her. Heartless in the heartland: "pit bulls" are born guilty Alleged pit bulls are presumed guilty of the crime of being a "pit bull." The burden of proof lands on the dog owner -- who must somehow "prove" to the city manager's satisfaction that their dog is not a "pit bull." Good luck with that, owners of short-haired, medium-to-large, mixed breed or otherwise unpedigreed dogs. Cause you're fresh out of "proof." It doesn't exist. Putting the squeeze on veterinarians The AVMA veterinarian's oath doesn't include becoming a tool in the extermination of innocent dogs. Local vets balked at making breed determinations that will cause the deaths of their patients, and they're beginning to bail on the city's licensing program. We want to take care of the animals --we don't want to I.D. the ones that are supposed to be banned," said [Dr. David] Ray. Lesson learned: Vets involved in law enforcement are gonna have trouble sleeping at night when collaborating with animal control becomes unethical. Push came to shove pretty quickly in Sioux City.

Will Sioux City vets betray their clients' faith and trust? Or will they disengage themselves from breed profiling?

City clerk collects names, addresses

Elected officials in Sioux City have been going around, taking names.

The names and addresses of residents who testified before the city council against the breed ban were databanked by the city clerk's office. 28 households received an intimidating letter from the city clerk threatening them with a $750 fine for failure to license their dogs.

Only people who testified against the breed ban got a letter, even though--by its own admission--Sioux City's license compliance rate is a dismal 10 - 15%.

Chilling effect on the democratic process?

Ya think???

Sioux City's elected officials apparently thought that abuse of power is okay if the victims are just pit bull owners. Maybe they thought no one would care what happens to drug dealers and gangbangers like Mocha's owners.

But trying to shut down opposition through selective enforcement of the law is a recipe for tyranny.

The Iowa State Constitution includes a Bill of Rights. Section 20 reads. . .

The people have the right freely to assemble together to counsel for the common good; to make known their opinions to their representatives and to petition for a redress of grievances.

So what the hell happened in Sioux City? What were Mayor Mike Hobart and City Manager Paul Eckert thinking?

Rights and liberties in Sioux City

In Iowa, cities with a population in excess of 29,000 people -- like Sioux City -- are required to maintain an independent local civil and human rights agency.

The Sioux City municipal code includes a human rights section, and the Sioux City Commission on Human Rights in on 6th Street.

Dog lovers in Sioux City need to have a conversation with the Human Rights Commission.

Abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation. . .is the daily dose for pit bull owners.

But that don't make it right. I'm not okay with any of this, and I'm betting plenty of Sioux City residents aren't either.

HSUS Stands Up for Property Rights and Dog Abandonment

Gaming the public in Virginia -- extremist media machine doesn't sweat the small stuff All's fair in a media war. Anything to market that core message, and capture the allegiance of Joe the Plumber.

All eyes are on the prize: public opinion.

The rest is chump change, and Wayne Pacelle knows it.

The Humane Society of the United State went out and purchased the professional services of the best public relations firms money can buy. HSUS employs a full staff dedicated to servicing the media and satisfying their needs. HSUS can pay for whatever media share they can't get for free. The Richmond Times-Dispatch is not going to turn down a paying customer.

HSUS and PETA aren't gonna get hung up on petty details, either.

Small details like . . . the welfare of animals. Wayne Pacelle thinks these dogs are better off dead Virginia state codes allow hunting dog owners to enter prohibited lands under limited circumstances, only on foot and only without weapons, in order to retrieve stray dogs.

Contrary to media coverage, Virginia is not alone in protecting the health and safety of hunting dogs by allowing exceptions to trespass laws.

For example, Minnesota and Michigan have similar provisions. So does Louisiana, where exceptions to trespass law also allow access to otherwise prohibited land in order to retrieve livestock.

As others have pointed out, these exceptions to trespass law work to ensure the welfare of animals, and prevent them from becoming a nuisance. To quote Dennis Foster of the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America:

“Any good hunter wants to make sure he takes good care of his dogs, and that he brings them home every time he hunts. . .”

HSUS and PETA want the Virginia law struck down. Turns out that the animal protection racketeers aren't interested in making sure dogs get home safely.

Hypocrisy? Opportunism? Words fail. . .

Incredibly, HSUS now claims to be a champion of property rights.

The same outfit that finances and trains privately employed, armed vigilantes to invade the property of fellow citizens and confiscate their private property, now claims that unarmed dog owners looking for lost dogs is a constitutional issue.

What a crock.

Private property and the Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States actively lobbies against private property rights through its support of asset forfeiture laws. It endorses the antics of Tammy Grimes, a one-woman crime spree, convicted thief, and trespasser.

HSUS spearheads ordinances which encourage the seizure, and dispersal and/or destruction of animals prior to the adjudication of charges against the their owners.

Funny how not a single media source has picked up on any of this.

R. E. S. P. E. C. T. for property rights ??? I don't think so.

This latest ploy is all about positioning. It comes from a careful analysis of the market, and a plan calculated to appeal to key public sectors.

HSUS understands the power of the media, and developed their strategy accordingly.

Playing the public for fools

People who love their dogs, and love their civil rights, need to wise up. Dogs won't run like the wind any more in Massachusetts, and if something doesn't change fast, they won't in New Hampshire soon, either.

Floyd Boudreaux's dogs are dead, and "pit bulls" across the country are seized and killed just as fast as "humane investigators" can get their dirty hands on them.

We're not talking "media bias" any more. We're way beyond "educating legislators."

At this point, HSUS writes the 6:00 News, and everything else drops neatly into place.

That can't continue. We need to get a shot or two off in the media war.

Blogging Has Its Own Awards Blue Dog State Toots Some Horns That canny Smartdogs' Weblog almost left Blue Dog at a loss for words. A Superior Scribbler Award for Blue Dog State? Blue Dog is honored! Playing by the rules Here are the rules for Superior Scribbler award recipients:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Feisty is as feisty does

Blue Dog must now pass the award on to five deserving bloggy friends, which was tough. The number of good blogs putting good information on the 'web grows daily. But for now, we're pleased to call out. . . . . .No Pit Bull Bans, a blog that keeps on keeping on. . . .Caveat. Never, ever at a loss for words, even when pole-axed by Fiberals. . . .Tortiball. A cat blog, hereby nominated for honorary pit bulldog status. . . .Lassie, Get Help's Dog Bites: Information and Statistics blog. Excellent use of a blogging platform, plus a huge help to people looking to put out fires in a hurry. . . .Dog Politics. Slash, trash, and bring that message home. DP is the inspiration for many a malicious thought. Go forth and take no shit, fellow bloggers. Things are gonna get worse before they get better.

Prosecute "pit bull" breeder Floyd Boudreaux all over again?

Dream on, babycakes.

Civil rights don't matter to animal rights extremists

Following the speedy acquittal of Floyd and Guy Boudreaux on dogfighting charges two weeks ago, and as BDS reader The Philosophical Pit Bull points out, the internet is crawling with copies of petitions and form letters addressed to assorted Louisiana officials.

It seems some people have a problem with acquittals based on insufficient evidence. HSUS promised them a conviction, and they want one. One way or another, the extremists want to see blood.

Better interpretations of evidence

For example, Easy Vegan says:

This case needs to be reopened, with a better interpretation of the evidence, so that Floyd and Guy Boudreaux are prosecuted to the fullest extent under Louisiana animal fighting and cruelty laws. Anything less is a grave miscarriage of justice.

Easy Vegan would have preferred a lynching. There is no such thing as "better" interpretations of evidence, and its double jeopardy that's a grave miscarriage of justice. Its a constitutional thingie.

HSUS and its underlings took their best shot at the Boudreaux family, and guess what? The judge promptly threw the case out.

No do-overs allowed, and Easy Vegan doesn't get to re-write the Bill of Rights. The Fifth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution protects us all from repeated prosecutions on the same charges, based on the same (non) evidence. Even Easy Vegan nutcases enjoy the protections of the Fifth Amendment.

Coincidentally, the Fifth Amendment is also what guarantees us due process of the law.

Due process is what was denied Floyd Boudreaux when his dogs were seized, and immediately slaughtered, by the Louisiana SPCA. The dogs were destroyed long, long before Floyd Boudreaux had his day in court.

Is Easy Vegan above the law?

Because animal extremists sure seem to believe the law doesn't pertain to them.

Take Animal Charity in Youngstown, Ohio. Smartdogs' Weblog has an excellent discussion of the actions of a couple of "humane law" agents and their boss, who apparently believed that illegal search and seizures are justifiable because "its all about the dogs".

The law says otherwise.

Tammy Grimes thought she was above the law when she authorized herself to steal a dog, and refused to surrender it when she got caught.

The dog died in Tammy's care.

After she was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property, Tammy's groupies started a letter-writing campaign, asking for her to be pardoned. They thought Tammy was above the law, too.

But Grimes was sentenced accordingly.

One nation. Liberty and justice for all.

We are all innocent until proven guilty in this country. We have the right to a fair trial. We are protected from illegal searches and seizures of our property.

Whackjob vigilantes cannot appoint themselves judge, jury and executioner, and expect to be pardoned.

Animal rights extremists have little use for the Bill of Rights. Civil rights are mostly inconvenient details that gum up the machinery and slow down the killing salvation of animals.

"Its all about the animals" is a phrase that allows zealots to brush past atrocities like the way Floyd Boudreaux's dogs were seized and killed. I don't know how they sleep at night.

Stuff like this could give Humane Society of the United States a bad name. Couldn't it?

Pit Bull breeder Floyd Boudreaux Acquitted of Dogfighting Charges HSUS's fly-by "evidence" leaves judge unimpressed Phantom probable cause, bogus search warrant During Boudreaux's long-delayed trial on dogfighting charges, Louisiana State Trooper Jacob Dickinson testified that the search warrant used to raid Boudreaux's property, and seize and kill his dogs, was based on what he saw as he flew over Boudreaux's property. Dickinson testified that he saw treadmills and a "dogfighting pit" on the Boudreaux property from his perch high above, in a helicopter supplied by U. S. Customs, part of the Department of Homeland Security. HSUS led the charge against 70 year old Floyd Boudreaux The 2005 raid was carried out in coordination with the Humane Society of the United States, working with the Louisiana SPCA. HSUS supplied five investigators and animal handlers to assist in the raid. Wayne Pacelle proudly highlighted HSUS's role: The arrest of Floyd Boudreaux should strike a devastating blow to the underground world of dog fighting. . .The HSUS is proud to work with Louisiana State Police, Louisiana SPCA and federal agents to disable Boudreaux's operation. Uh, Wayne?

When Floyd Boudreaux finally got his day in court, the charges were quickly dismissed.

There was no evidence that a crime had been committed.

Phantom treadmills, phantom "dogfighting pit" When the cops arrived at the home of the Boudreaux family, they didn't find any treadmills. No fighting pit. The prosecution could not produce a single witnesses able to testify to the presence of treadmills, or fighting pits on the premises.

To this day, the HSUS website insists that treadmills were found on the property. But court testimony says differently. No evidence of illegal wagering on dogfights was produced by the prosecution. The dastardly break sticks confiscated during the raid did not appear to have been used.

They did find "pit bulls", though.

Dead dogs tell no tales Floyd Boudreaux's dogs were killed by the Louisiana SPCA within 24 hours of the raid, according to testimony given in court.

All of them. Even the puppies. The veterinarian that examined the dogs before they were killed acknowledged that the injuries she noted on some dogs could have been caused by something other the dogfighting. Why kill all those dogs? What was the rush? Was it because Boudreaux didn't have the cash Michael Vick had? Was it because there was no money to be made in allowing the Boudreaux dogs to live? The dogs should have been the prime evidence in a dogfighting prosecution. Instead, they disappeared forever. Before any questions could be asked. No evidence. No case. No lawful prosecution. Back in the day, when Boudreaux was raided and his dogs were killed, HSUS's Dogfight Czar John Goodwin's joy knew no bounds. "Today marks the day the 'don of dogfighting' has come down. This man is legendary in the dog fighting world," said John Goodwin, deputy manager for animal fighting issues with the Humane Society's national office. "... This man has been on our radar a long time."

HSUS and LA SPCA on the radar screen

Floyd Boudreaux's dogs are all dead. His money is gone. His family has been through hell.

Its not easy to stand up to the Humane Society of the United States and its cronies, but Floyd and his family were vindicated today.

Let's hope the Boudreaux family succeeds in settling a few scores, too.

Vick and Dogfighting: HSUS Media Machine Won't Quit HSUS makes shit up, then serves it to the public HSUS must have called in a few favors in order to convince USA Today to run a "news" item that was syndicated across the country. The Fight to Save Urban Youth is an animal extremist wet dream. HSUS wants to save "urban youths"? Let's just take a look at that concept. Shall we? Humane racism: Urban youths are the usual victims dogfighting villains Drug dealers. Criminals. Gang members. Status symbol seekers. Translation? Young black men. Or maybe young Hispanic men, depending on where you live. Not people from the 'burbs. Definitely not the lily-white constituents of the HSUS. Play it again, Wayne Pacelle. Ya gotta give HSUS major snaps for staying on message, though. HSUS' long history of trashinng the reputations of non-white, non-middle class dog owners and targeting them for discrimination goes way back. Consider HSUS's manipulation of events in Louisville, Kentucky. In June 2006, when HSUS Regional Coordinator Pam Rogers wrote to the Metro Louisville City Council to recommend breed specific legislation and the mandatory surgical sterilization of "pit bulls" she attempted to justify stripping people of their dogs by commenting: [pit bulls] are also the dogs of choice for drug dealers, gang members, and anyone else who is looking for a dog to be a status symbol. That's pretty much what HSUS spokesperson Tio Hardiman had to say in the USA today article: Kids get drawn in at an early age, says Hardiman, motivated by the "glamorization" of dogfighting by rap and hip-hop music and by neighborhood values that prize machismo. Its almost exactly what New York City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. will regurgitate every chance he gets. And make no mistake, Vallone bases his political career on getting "pit bulls" -- and their delinquent non-white owners -- the hell out of New York City. Vallone doesn't know much about "pit bulls" and he cares even less. But scape-goating young people of color? Oooh, baby.

Backdoor racism plays really well in some parts of New York, and the beauty of it all is that "urban youths" are already pariahs. Pit bull owners in general are easy pickings. But poor, black, young pit bull owners? They're defenseless. Color and money. Status symbols okay for kings of Spain, not okay for "urban youths" Hardiman and HSUS make a big fuss about dogs as "status symbols." As if those sly inner city youths held a monopoly on using dogs as status symbols, or for penis enhancement. Which is it? Does HSUS have a problem with status symbols. . .or skin color? Profiling "urban youths" based on fake statistics. Fake information. Fake news.

Every single one of the "experts" USA Today quoted in their article traces back to HSUS and its acolytes. HSUS controls the conversation. HSUS controls the "news". The USA Today article's primary source, HSUS client Tio Hardiman, invented the number of poor black and Hispanic kids involved in dogfighting -- There are at least 100,000 young kids fighting their dogs under the radar in America," estimates Chicago-based anti-violence advocate Tio Hardiman, who built his estimate on conversations with young dogfighters and authorities. . . Hardiman's analysis is based principally on "data" supplied by gangbanging, drug-dealing criminal black kids, apparently.

Count on Hardiman's wild guess, repeated over and over in follow up news coverage, to become another fake fact in the animal extremist repertoire. Fake facts lead to an artificial crisis According to HSUS and USA Today, dogfighting is all around us. . . .large numbers of youngsters are conducting street dogfights "in almost every urban inner city," and the numbers are growing . . .

Yikes! The threat is everywhere. HSUS Dogfight Czar John Goodwin startled New Yorkers with "news" that New York is the "dogfighting capital of the country." Gee. Who knew?

Not the ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City and is charged with the enforcement of anti-dogfighting laws there.

Organized dog fighting in New York City does not appear to be prevalent, and the ASPCA rarely sees arrests for such activity. . .Currently, there are no reliable statistics . . . This is an underground, illegal activity so it is almost impossible to get accurate information about its prevalence.

Throw dinner at the wall. Go after what sticks.

This is a media war. Facts don't matter. HSUS isn't worried about the inconsistencies. It isn't worried about the truth.

HSUS sure as hell isn't worried about the well-being of "pit bulls" or "urban youths."

Any advancement in HSUS' ability to seize and kill dogs is a good thing, as far as they're concerned. Michael Vick had enough money to cover the expense of "rehabilitation" and even perpetual confinement rescue, if necessary, for his dogs.

Inner city youths don't. Their dogs will suffer and die by the hands of the impounding agencies that "saved" them.

And that's what the goal is here. One generation and out.

Pit bulls belonging to "inner city youths" first. The rest will follow.