Found a lost or stray dog? This information may help.

This information is formatted for 8 1/2 x 11 paper so feel free to print. If you would like a pdf of this image, send an email to lynn@barriodogs.org.

This is not acceptable

No Chains in our Community!

We've updated our poster and encourage everyone to distribute it as needed; please feel free to print; it's printable on 8 1/2 x 11 paper.

Sick, Abused Dogs Left For Dead at Melrose Park

Although Barrio Dogs’ primary focus is in the East End, this story from Melrose Park (off of Hardy Toll Rd & Little York) shows that the problem is city wide. 

 8 rescued dogs need foster families

 

Author: Nefertiti Jaquez, Reporter, njaquez@kprc.com
Link to this article
Published On: Sep 03 2012 10:03:51 PM CDT  Updated On: Sep 03 2012 11:40:21 PM CDT 

HOUSTON -  While many were celebrating this holiday weekend with their families, Melissa McMillan spent the weekend picking up dead and sick dogs from a public park.

"The German shepherd was eating the remains of a dead dog that was dumped in a bag along the fence," said McMillan, founder of Peaceful Pit Bull Humane Society.

 McMillan said she was called to Melrose Park by a concerned resident after the woman spotted a dead dog in a trash bag.

 "I didn't expect it to be this bad, especially in front of a Harris County shelter," said McMillan.

 McMillan said the part that upsets her the most is that the abused dogs are being dumped right across the street from a county animal shelter.

 She told Local 2 that the county told her they can't do anything about it, because the park falls under the city of Houston.

 So, it'll be up to the city shelter, BARC, to rescue these animals.

 Our cameras where there when the volunteer found another dumped dog. This one was shaking, severely dehydrated, and could barely breath.

 The worst part, the roughly five-pound dog had a harness, which means at one point it had an owner.

 That owner ditched it with a ten-foot metal chain attached to its collar, making it hard for the dog to even move.

 "I think it's pretty inhumane. How could they go in and out of work everyday looking at this? How could you do that? Have a heart!"

 Local 2 tried contacting both the city and county shelters, but never heard back.

 Meantime, McMillan is looking for donations for foster families for the eight dogs she has rescued so far.

 Donations can be made directly to Peaceful Pit Bull HS Texas via PayPal to Peacefulpitbulltx@gmail.com.

Grace

Grace was a homeless and sick German shepherd that was rescued June19, 2012 from the 8300 block of Navigation near Hidalgo Park and the Ship Channel. Grace died a few hours after she was rescued; her body was too sick and emaciated to survive.

News about Grace spread quickly via the internet and Barrio Dogs was overwhelmed with inquiries and offers to donate to her care from throughout the country as well as from Canada, England and Australia. Many people expressed shock that animals lived in such conditions in a city as wealthy as Houston. Grace is a reminder of the urgent need to raise awareness about proper animal care in our community and to place greater emphasis on spay and neutering.

Grace may have lost her battle but her legacy and influence will live on. In honor of Grace, we have made her the mascot for our FixIt! East End Spay Neuter project. Grace’s ashes were blessed by Father Salvatore DeGeorge at Barrio Dogs’ Freedom for All community march in Hidalgo Park on July 4, 2012.

Grace was living near the Houston Ship Channel

Father Sal blessing Grace's remains with Gina Damian Moreno and Mike Moreno; when Gina and her husband Mike saw Grace, they immediately helped her and made arrangements to rescue her

The Dogs of Hidalgo Park

We are working hard to raise awareness in and about the Hidalgo Park area of the East End. The park is situated in a low income area of Houston. It was dedicated in 1934 and even has an historic structure. Sadly, it is also home to many homeless and unwanted dogs. Because of the severe nature of the problem in the Hidalgo Park area, it was the site of Barrio Dog's Freedom for All march on July 4, 2012. The march was a big step in raising awareness of the big problems that exist in this community. We saw many homeless, chained and unneutered and unspayed dogs and cats as we marched through the area. We plan to go back to provide information and resources for local residents.

Via Houston Chronicle

Via Houston Chronicle

 

 

Barrio Dogs to Work with Crime Stoppers

We recently met Ryan Sullivan, Director of Communications for Crime Stoppers. They are interested in partnering with Barrio Watch Dog and want to help us with reporting animal abuse and especially any information leading to dog fighting.We welcome their help and are glad to work with them!

Ryan Sullivan and Gloria Medina Zenteno

New "No Chains" Poster

Assumed Pit Bull Dog Aggression Not True

Assumed Pit Bull Dog Aggression Not True: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Addressing Mistreatment and Abuse

Barrio Dogs gets many questions about what to do about dogs that are being abused, starved or chained around the clock. We have prepared a list of resources people can use to report the abuse or neglect to the Houston Police Department, Humane Society or SPCA. That works some of the time. However, there are other times when we need a different approach; for those occasions, we have created some posters that we mail to the dog owners or post on their street. We're not sure how much this helps the dog but at least the owners know that somebody is aware of how they treat their dog and is watching them.

The posters are formatted for legal-sized (8 1/2" x 14") paper; feel free to print out and distribute as needed.

Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor Program

Do you shop at Kroger? If you do, you can help us raise money. Please print this form and take with you on your next trip. At the register, ask them to scan the bar code and then scan your Kroger Plus card and it permanently links it to your card. From that day forward,every time you shop at Kroger and use your Kroger Plus card, a donation will be sent to us. The current bar code expires at the of April and we’ll have to do this again but the next one will good for a year. Please share with anyone you know who shops at Kroger!

Spay, Neuter and Vetting Resources in Houston

We often get asked about low-cost spay/neuter and vetting in Houston. Here are is a list of some relatively low cost resources. We have used some of these resources; others were referred by friends or we found on the internet. If you have used any good, low cost vets or vet clinics in the area or have comments about the list, please let us know.

Spay and Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) and Animal Wellness Clinic (snapus.org)

1801 Durham, Houston 77007

713-862-8001

Spay/Houston (spayhouston.org)

412F N. Sam Houston Parkway E, Houston 77060

281-260-0015

Houston Humane Society Spay/Neuter Clinic (houstonhumane.org/clinic/)

14700 Almeda Road, Houston 77053

713-433-6421

The Greater Good (mygreatergoodvet.com)

1195 Katy Freeway, Houston 77079

281-496-5983

Gulfgate Animal Hospital

216 Winkler Drive, Houston 77087

713-643-5723

Long Drive Dog & Cat Hospital

7327 Long Dr, Houston 77087

713-643-0633

Class Action Lawsuit Claims Cosmetics Are Not 'Cruelty Free'

Although Barrio Dogs is primarily about dogs, we care about the well-being of all animals.

By MATT REYNOLDS

Link to article

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Five women say in a federal class action that Estee Lauder, Avon and Mary Kay resumed animal testing of cosmetics for the Chinese market while falsely claiming in the United States that their products are "cruelty free."
     Lead plaintiff Marina Beltran demands $100 million in class damages from Estee Lauder, Avon Products and Mary Kay cosmetics companies.
     "For years, defendants marketed and advertised their companies and their cosmetic products as not being tested on animals, when in fact defendants were testing their cosmetic products on animals so that they could sell products in China and other foreign countries, thereby reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Defendants later purported to disclose, at least on their websites, that they in fact were animal testing, but the disclosures were wholly inadequate and deceptive," the complaint states.
     According to the 18-page complaint: "As a result of the aforementioned representations, defendants, for over two decades, achieved placement in the 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) - Do Not Test' list, a list of, among others, cosmetic companies that do not test products on live animals. Defendants were, until a matter of weeks ago, among the largest mainstream corporations to be included on PETA's cruelty-free lists.
     "As a result of being included on the list, as well as many similar lists, defendants enjoyed the support of PETA and millions of consumers who buy cosmetics only from companies that do not conduct animal testing.
     "Hence, the commercial success of defendants' products during the class period was positively influenced by their direct representations regarding animal testing. Simply put, defendants reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from U.S. consumers who otherwise would not have purchased defendants' products."
     The plaintiffs claim the three companies made "a profit-motivated decision to enter the Chinese market," and "subsequently began testing certain of their products on animals and/or hired others to conduct animal testing of their products."
     "However, rather than being upfront with American consumers regarding their animal testing policies and adequately disclosing that they were not 'cruelty' free, defendants instead failed to inform consumers that they were not cruelty free and/or provided inadequate disclosures regarding the animal testing of their products," the complaint states.
     Avon spokeswoman Jennifer Vargas told Courthouse News in an emailed statement that she could not comment on pending litigation.
     "What I can tell you is Avon's commitment not to test on animals is the same as it has been for over twenty years: except where required by local law, Avon neither conducts nor requests animal testing in order to substantiate the safety of its products," Vargas wrote. "Avon does business in over 100 countries, and some select products may be required by law in a few countries to undergo additional safety testing under the directive of a government or health agency. In these instances, Avon will first attempt to persuade the requesting authority to accept non-animal test data. When those attempts are unsuccessful, Avon must abide by local laws and comply with that government's testing requirements.
     "Nothing has changed, and we have been transparent on the issue regarding our requirement to adhere to local laws in countries where we do business," Vargas wrote.
     Mary Kay said in an email that it did not conduct animal testing "except when absolutely required by law."
     "There is only one country where we operate where that is the case and where we are required to submit our products for testing - China," the company told Courthouse News in an email.
     It added: "This is a passionate issue for us. We are deeply committed to the elimination of animal testing, and our record speaks to that. We are working closely with the Chinese government to demonstrate that alternative testing methods ensure safe and effective products."
     But PETA's Cathy Guillermo told Courthouse News that the animal rights organization was "extremely upset" when it learned that the cosmetics companies had tested their products on animals.
     "It appears these companies have misled some consumers, and it appears that the plaintiffs may have a valid complaint here," Guillermo told Courthouse News.
     The plaintiffs are represented by Michael Avenatti with Eagan Avenatti of Newport Beach.
     Avenatti told Courthouse News: "We expect to uncover significant evidence in this case showing that each of the companies knew they were not coming clean with consumers."
     The class seeks an injunction and damages for fraud/fraudulent concealment, unfair business practices, false advertising, violations of California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act.
     Estee Lauder did not respond to an emailed request for comment.  

When It Comes to Stopping Animal Cruelty, It’s Good to Be Nosy

This great article is from the April 2012 issue of "Pets Matter" magazine. For information about reporting cruelty and abuse in the Houston area, check the link on this blog.

 By Neil Ryan

Signs of Animal Cruelty Animals that shrink or cower from contact Animals left exposed in severe weather Emaciation Limping Untreated wounds Missing hair or fur Dirty or confined quarters Strong odors and lack of sanitation Chained and infrequently exercised animals

Last summer, Lynn Varin noticed a skinny horse confined to a small paddock in her rural Vermont community.

"He was in a stall for 4 days with nothing to eat, only water. I know because I checked every day."

Lynn reported the neglected horse to local authorities. When Vermont State Police officers acted on her report, they found four severely malnourished horses. They eventually cited the owner for animal cruelty and instituted a program of supervision to ensure the healthy recovery of the horses.

Lynn chose to act on behalf of the helpless. At-risk cats, dogs, other companion animals and livestock depend on people doing exactly what Lynn did. If you suspect animal cruelty, it may feel uncomfortable or even nosy to do something about it, but it may be the only shot an innocent animal has. Reporting cruelty can be done easily and anonymously once you have the resources handy.

Recognizing Cruelty and Taking Action
Hitting defenseless animals, keeping them chained without exercise or leaving them exposed in severe weather all count as abuse. Mistreating animals can (and often does) escalate into domestic assault. Studies have shown a link between violence toward animals and violence toward spouses, children and elders. If you witness an animal in imminent danger, dial 911. Police will respond. You can choose to remain anonymous, or by identifying yourself, you can help in future prosecution.

Hoarding occurs when someone possesses multiple animals without providing adequate food, care and sanitation. Hoarders often fail to understand the consequences of their actions and may exhibit signs of mental illness. Reporting hoarding can be a first step toward getting that individual into new or additional treatment. Call your local animal control officer or police department. Those agencies have the power to remove the animals or take corrective action, and they’ll involve social services if necessary.

Neglect is the most common form of cruelty, and it’s on the rise. As more Americans struggle with financial difficulty, many pets are put at risk of starvation, abandonment and death. The horses that Lynn observed in Vermont were victimized, in part, because of their owner’s financial situation.

Neglected animals may belong to neighbors you’ve known for years. They may try to hide the neglect due to embarrassment. You can try intervening yourself, or if you’re concerned about your neighbor’s reaction, many states and locations have set up tip lines and email addresses allowing you to call, text or email an anonymous report.

What Happens After You Report?
Most animal control officers view seizure and criminal charges as a last resort. Generally, officials or volunteers will attempt to educate the owner and provide that person with alternatives. If charges are brought, animal cruelty can range from a misdemeanor to a felony in certain cases.
Unfortunately, most states don’t have the resources to investigate and prosecute all incidents fully. You may have to follow up on your original complaint to make sure action was taken. Email your state legislators, and let them know that animal cruelty is a serious issue. It’s going to take persistent action to strengthen ordinances, laws and enforcement.

Nonprofit and volunteer organizations are on the front lines and under financial pressure as more and more animals arrive in their care. Look for rescue societies, shelters and community resources in your area, and volunteer or donate. Many nonprofit groups coordinate with authorities on cruelty issues. You may be able to report incidents through them.

Lynn is still keeping an eye on those horses. When people like you and Lynn stay observant and have the courage to act, it can make a huge difference (and nobody is going to call you nosy).
For more reading and local resources, visit the following URLs: www.aspca.org/ and www.humanesociety.org/.

Be Prepared to Act Call 911 if you’re an eyewitness to abusive behavior. Familiarize yourself with animal cruelty statutes in your state. An associated URL is www.aspca.org/Fight-Animal-Cruelty/Advocacy-Center/state-animal-cruelty-laws.aspx. Contact your town administrative offices or local law enforcement to determine your appropriate point of contact for animal cruelty complaints. Decide if you feel comfortable talking to an owner if you suspect neglect. Contact your animal control officer to report suspected abuse, neglect or hoarding. Search for local tip lines to call, text or email incidents anonymously. Report online videos or images of animal abuse to your FBI branch office. An associated URL is www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field/field-offices. Support local shelters, rescue and rehabilitation groups, and community organizations. Contact your legislators, and tell them to support strong animal welfare laws and enforcement.

Neil Ryan is a farmer and writer living in central Vermont.

Upcoming Barrio Dogs' Events

Please check our events calendar often and invite your friends! Here is a snapshot of upcoming events. Feel free to message hillary@barriodogs.org if you have any questions.

Idylwood Civic Club Meeting - Barrio Dogs will be speaking
Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

Fun Run with Carol Alvarado at Mason Park
Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8 a.m.

Adoption Day at Natural Pawz, Bellaire
Saturday, February 25, 2012, noon-4 p.m.

Reveille-Park Place Civic Club Meeting - Barrio Dogs will be speaking
Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 7 p.m.

Barrio Dogs Volunteer Meeting at Bohemeo's
Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 7 p.m.

Adoption Day at Natural Pawz, Heights
Saturday, March 10, 2012, noon-4 p.m.

Barrio Dogs St. Patrick's Day Fundraiser
Medel's Ice House
Harrisburg @ Milby, East End
Saturday, March 17, 2012, 4 p.m.

Abuse Is Not Discipline - new poster

We have had disappointing results working with the authorities on recent abuse cases. While we will continue to develop our relationship and work with local authorities, we will also try to find other ways to respond to abuse cases. One idea is this poster that we have prepared and plan to mail to people who abuse or neglect their dogs.

A Mason and Sadie Reunion

Sadie goes swimming while Mason stays close by

Both Sadie and Mason were living in the streets across from Mason Park, Greater East End Houston, an area with many homeless and abandoned dogs like poor Sadie and Mason. After one of Sadie’s pups was run over, a caring resident decided that was the last straw and decided to help Sadie and her remaining pup, Mason.

Both Sadie and Mason were taken into the Barrio Dogs program, vetted and spayed and neutered. Mason has found a wonderful home but Sadie is still in need of a home; however, we know her day is coming.

Sadie was recently invited to Mason's new home for a reunion play day and we were very happy to have been part of this fun afternoon. Thanks to Mason’s new mom Kathryn Daly for inviting Sadie over to have a little bit of paradise!

Rest in Peace Sweet Puppy

On Sunday evening, January 29, 2012, a puppy was dumped in a resident’s front yard in the Mason Park-Greater East End neighborhood. The resident told us the puppy had a t-shirt on when found. He tried to feed the pup but he would not eat. Dumping animals is a common occurrence in this area.

We felt we owed this poor pup a chance and took him to VERGI 24/7 Pet Hospital. The vet said there was a 50/50 chance the puppy would survive; they needed to stabilize him and hope for the best. The vet guessed the puppy was only 8 weeks old. By 1:00AM, the puppy was having a difficult time with nasal discharge and seizures and it was recommended by the doctors to put to him to rest.

We are only touching the surface of this continued despair and sadness that goes on in the Greater East End Community. Animal abuse and neglect are a way of life and we are fighting for a change but it seems very little people care. Do you care?

Bless Lawrence Benavides, Eva Belendez and this caring family for letting this sweet puppy know he was loved. Sadly, everything happened so fast that we weren’t able to take a proper photo or give him a special name. He will always be remembered in our hearts as the puppy that deserved a home and special name. Rest in peace, sweet baby.

Be Your Own Hero - Ginger and Her Puppies

This story is from Hillary Merritt Brown, a Barrio Dogs volunteer:

 Hi there Watchdogs! Just wanted to share with you that we are not just talking the talk but we are actually walking the walk at Barrio Dogs with our Be Your Own Hero campaign! On Saturday afternoon, after our adoption event, I went home and saw my neighbor outside and decided I was finally going to go over and meet him. You see, my neighbor has 3 adult dogs in his backyard on chains. I had previously had the Humane Society come out to check out the situation and they found him mostly in compliance with the law. The dogs each have shelters, albeit not the best and they had fresh water and are fed daily. At that time one of the two females had given birth recently and the puppies were also in the backyard. Another female was still pregnant. The officer who investigated advised my neighbor that he needed to place the puppies soon as he was not in compliance with the maximum number of dogs (which is 3) within city limits.


I was never really satisfied with the outcome of this visit as the dogs are still living on chains and the other female, who we call Ginger, had since given birth and the puppies were not really getting what they needed and were being harassed by one of the older puppies. So I finally gathered my courage and went over to offer my help under the guise of just being friendly. It turns out my neighbor is a very nice person who just needs a little education and help. He was overwhelmed by the dogs and offered me all 3 puppies immediately. I took them of course, even though I needed puppies like I need a hole in the head! I have a full time job, a family and pets of my own. But it was the right thing to do so ANYWAY, they are 4 weeks old right now and not yet ready for new homes so I asked him if we could also have Ginger at least temporarily to care for the babies for another month or so. And he agreed!

So now Ginger and her puppies are living in our guest room. I think it's the first time Ginger has ever been indoors and honestly, she been very freaked out. But hour by hour she has been warming up to us and she has been very willing to let us handle the babies. All 4 of them will be vetted this evening. My hope is that we will obtain permission to eventually spay Ginger and that we may even be allowed to find her a permanent home as well. Then we will work on neutering his other dogs and getting them off the chains. It's possibly a little over optimistic of me but we're giving it our best shot! I was nervous about how it would go when I went to talk to him and it went beautifully. Just goes to show that honey goes further than vinegar most of the time.

I hope you can all find it in you to do the same if you see someome who might benefit from a little help. Be Your Own Hero! I'll keep you updated on the family progress. Much love, Hillary!

If you would like to donate to help these dogs or any others, you can do so here.

UPDATE - Mason/Magnolia Park Awareness Project

Seen by a dumpster at Lavanderia near 74th and Harrisburg

A common occurence, this homeless dog seen a few days ago at Lavanderia near 74th and Harrisburg in Greater East End Houston.

Barrio Dogs has helped Sadie, Mason, Damian, Frida, Teddy, Sophie, Emma and Bruno all from the Mason/Magnolia Park area. Currently, Barrio Dogs is spending nearly all its available budget on veterinary and boarding costs, leaving only a portion of funds available for the educational programs at the heart of Barrio Dogs' mission.

Please consider the homeless and neglected and homeless in this area and surrounding Greater East End Houston by donating to our organization.  Thank you.

The Secret Lives of Feral Dogs

Salon Magazine

Pennsylvania city instructs police to shoot strays, opening a sad window on animal care in the age of austerity

By Will Doig

Want to get people riled up? Institute a new policy about shooting puppies.
The city of Harrisburg, Pa., learned this last week when an internal police department memo went public, instructing officers of the cash-strapped city to stop bringing its growing number of stray dogs to the shelter. Instead, it said, they should release them in another area, adopt them themselves — or just put a bullet in them. Now that’s the new austerity.
Amid the predictable outcry, the city promised it would reconsider the policy. But the controversy also illuminated a serious — and largely ignored — urban issue: the soaring number of feral cats and dogs, and cities’ decreasing ability to deal with them. “The problem is way worse than people assume,” says Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis. “It’s a topic nobody talks about, but over the past 20 years it’s become an underground epidemic in most cities.”
There are lots of reasons for this — reduced animal control, the resurgence of dogfighting –  but at base, the feral explosion has coincided with our ever-rising demand for furry little friends. America is turning into a nation of pet hoarders. In 1970 we had 30 million pet cats; today we have 90 million. Dog ownership has tripled since the 1960s. And the more we take in, the more we drop back on the street, where they procreate at a speed that would make Rick Santorum beam. The exact number of feral dogs and cats is unknown, but there are certainly well over 100 million at this point.
The epidemic has gone largely unnoticed because urban feral dogs and cats have extraordinary skills at remaining invisible. Grim, a fixture in St. Louis who’s been working with feral dogs there for decades, says the dogs emerge from alleys and abandoned buildings to look for food in early dawn or bad weather. “They understand how to survive. Most of them spend only 10 percent of their time being visible to people.”
Same goes for cats, says Jeff Horn, who completed a groundbreaking study of feral cat behaviors last year. Horn fitted 42 cats with radio tracking collars in the neighboring Illinois cities of Champaign and Urbana. “Some of the male cats are really only active for a small portion of the night,” he says. Females, on the other hand, are so often either pregnant or nursing that “they were active up to 20 hours a day just to find food to survive and feed their young.” And Horn was surprised by how large a range the cats staked out. Together, they prowled a region of some 6,286 acres, and a single cat roamed over 1,351 acres, an area greater than one-and-a-half Central Parks.
That territory included everything from forest to concrete jungle — feral dogs and cats are remarkably adaptive to different environments. Moscow’s feral dogs even use the subway to expand their territories. “They orient themselves in a number of ways,” Russian animal behaviorist Andrei Neuronov told the Financial Times. “They figure out where they are by smell, by recognizing the name of the station from the recorded announcer’s voice, and by time intervals.”
But many feral dogs in cities ultimately gravitate toward impoverished and abandoned neighborhoods, where hiding places and accessible garbage are more plentiful, and people are not. In depopulating Rust Belt cities, where nature is reclaiming entire swaths of the landscape, packs of dogs and colonies of cats are living in a world that’s nearly their own. New York Times Magazine writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis, who’s writing a book about dogs, spent time with Grim in East St. Louis and describes a world where people are scarce and dogs live wild once again.
“You’d have these abandoned buildings in grassy areas, an urban prairie that’s a perfect spot for these dogs,” he says. “You have dogs who were born out there who have had almost no contact with humans at all. We’d see them roaming in packs in the distance.” Grim says he’s seen some of these packs stick together for more than 20 years, spawning new generations to replace the old.
Feral dog packs are organized into hierarchies, just like wolves, and in the feral packs of Moscow it’s been observed that it’s usually the most intelligent dogs, not the most aggressive, that become pack leaders. For the wildest of these dogs, the ones that are several generations removed from domesticity, “It would be almost impossible to rescue them at this point,” says Denizet-Lewis. “They’ve been living without human interaction for too long.”
An extensive 1973 study of “free-ranging” dogs in Baltimore — still one of the few large-scale studies that exists on the topic — found that some of these dogs were relearning to hunt. But Grim says they’re more often stuck between wild and domesticated, able to activate their hunting instinct but not sure what to do when they’ve caught something. “We’ve bred that ability out of them. They kill pigeons but then just carry them around,” he says. “If I open one up for them, they’ll eat the meat.”
The Baltimore study also discovered that urban renewal efforts were wiping whole territories of feral dogs off the map. “The boarding up of buildings and their eventual clearance raises interesting ecological questions regarding the fate of the dogs that use them …Will urban renewal increase dog mortality?” The report concluded that “future slum clearance should consider the fate of the dogs displaced.”
The idea that the fate of feral dogs and cats should be considered when neighborhoods rapidly change sounds almost like a parody of liberal do-gooder thinking. But is it really so crazy? These are cities where some dying dogs and cats go to hospice centers and ICUs. The more we learn about the habits and intelligence of feral animals, the less inclined we may be to see their lives as disposable.
Some cities are already moving in that direction. The Washington Post recently reported on the rise of trap-neuter-release (TNR) for urban feral cats as an alternative to euthanasia, a shift that rests on the assumption that they aren’t better off dead. But perhaps surprisingly, animal-rights group PETA doesn’t support TNR. “They need to be taken off the streets,” says PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, and if that means humanely euthanizing them, Newkirk says that’s better than the short, brutish life they’ll suffer while homeless. “There’s traffic, weather, illness, injury,” says Newkirk. “People like to have a go at these animals.”
Grim agrees that the life of these dogs and cats can be hell: “Right now I have 500 to 600 dogs in our system, and 70 percent of them have gunshot wounds.” Starvation is never far off (when temperatures drop below freezing, thirst can also be a problem). Disease claims even more of them, and humans are the biggest threat of all, as the fiasco in Harrisburg shows.
As it stands, solutions seem to be growing more distant, not closer. Like the feral population itself, it’s a problem with no owner, largely hidden from view but getting bigger all the time. Eventually, it may come back to bite us.
Link to story.

The Big Fix

This program was initiated in San Antonio to do large scale spay neuter in lower income communities. This is a great idea that without a doubt has a positive impact on the number of homeless dogs and cats in a community. We hope that someday in the not too distant future we will be able to recreate the program in Houston!

Pit Bull Serial Killer at Large in Houston

By Cindy Marabito, American Pit Bull Examiner

Seven dead dogs were found in Houston’s Mykawa district yesterday. Six of the dogs were pit bulls. One dog, Ginger, had recently had puppies, returned from being spayed by the rescue group Backstreet Brutality Relief and Rescue (BBRR) reports Houston Indie Dog Rescue blog.

Ginger, a sweet mother who'd just given birth

Credits: BBR

Another dog, a once beautiful blue nose male was found Saturday inside a brand new dog crate. He had just been shot in the face. His body was still warm and “blood was still flowing from two gunshot wounds to his face. He was healthy and perfect except for being dead. Had a chain and masterlock collar on. Bullet holes in the crate showed the cowardice of the murderers, as he never even stood a chance to save himself by running away.”

Houston has a strong rescue effort which bands together to help dogs in distress, but today, this animal loving community has been staggered by the brazen cruelty inflicted on these animals.
Link to story.

Mistreated End End Dog is Missing

The poor dog was being starved and mistreated somewhere in the East End. We called the Houston Police Department to investigate. When the officer arrived, the people at the house said their son was taking care of the dog and asked the officer to return in two hours to talk to the son. When the officer returned, the dog was gone. We don't know if the dog was killed, dumped or moved. We pray for this poor dog and hope that wherever he is, he is not suffering.

Groundbreaking Ruling Takes Dogs Beyond "Property" Status

A Texas appellate court has made the bold move of effectively taking dogs out of the “property” category and giving them increased legal status. It provides an updated reinterpretation of the law, which traditionally views pets as worth only their market value — like a table or a car.

The Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth overturned a lower court’s ruling that a couple whose dog was wrongfully euthanized was entitled to damages for only the dog’s monetary worth. The new ruling allows for a dog’s true worth to be considered.

“Dogs are unconditionally devoted to their owners. Today, we interpret timeworn supreme court law in light of subsequent court law to acknowledge that the special value of ‘man’s best friend’ should be protected,” the Court’s opinion stated.

With the ruling, the owners of the dog, Avery, could be entitled to damages for “sentimental” or “intrinsic” value. Avery escaped from his yard and was brought to an animal shelter. They went to claim him, but didn’t have enough money, so they made arrangements to return when they had it. Despite a “hold for owner” tag on Avery’s cage, a shelter employee euthanized him days before his number was up. When the couple came back to pay for Avery’s fee, they got the terrible news.

Ironically, in some instances dogs have not been given the same value even as some forms of property. If someone destroys family heirlooms that are of great sentimental value, even though the heirlooms may be nearly financially worthless, damages can be awarded because of their sentimental value. The new court ruling, for which the appellate justices cited a 120-year-old Texas Supreme Court decision as precedent, gives pets at least the same value as other items that are of negligible monetary value but great intrinsic worth.

“Because of the special position pets hold in the family, we see no reason why existing law should not be interpreted to allow recovery in the loss of a pet at least to the same extent as other personal property,” Justice Lee Gabriel wrote.

The shelter worker who ended Avery’s life will appeal the decision. She will be in some pretty powerful company. Surprisingly — at least at first glance — some of the top pet-industry organizations in the nation are adamantly opposed to the court’s decision. The American Veterinary Medical Association (whose well-done newsletter article is the main source for my post), American Kennel Club, the Cat Fanciers’ Association, Animal Health Institute, American Pet Products Association, and Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council are among those who filed briefs asking the justices to reconsider.

These groups say they fear that the liability from “pain and suffering” claims would cause pet service fees to have to increase greatly and make veterinary care unaffordable for many people with pets.

“If this becomes the law of the land, it will lead to higher costs to own a pet, disproportionally hurting middle-class and low-income pet owners. Who will pay for those higher damage awards? The rest of us pet owners, of course,” said Adrian Hochstadt, AVMA assistant director of state legislative and regulatory affairs. “The obvious consequences will include fewer people being able to own pets and, unfortunately, more animal abandonment.”

Opponents say the verdict “isolates the Second Court of Texas in American jurisprudence and … violated Texas Supreme Court law.” Legal experts say the case will likely end up in Texas Supreme Court. It will be interesting to watch this unfold. If the Supreme Court upholds the appeals court’s decision, what will the implications be across the nation and across animal law? Could it be the start of a sea change as to how dogs are considered and treated? Could it lead to stiffer punishments of those who abuse animals? Would it open the floodgates to frivolous lawsuits?

I was initially disillusioned when I learned that such major pet industry organizations were opposed to what seemed like something they’d support: that the value of a pet goes beyond its market worth. But they see this as opening the doors to all kinds of pricey lawsuits, so I guess I should not be surprised that they’ve come out swinging. I’m very interested in your thoughts on this, Dogsters. Also, if there are any legal experts out there who can weigh in, or who can offer some perspective on the case, I’d love to hear from you.
By: Maria Goodavage
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Law Extends Its Reach in Bid to Halt Cockfighting

Although we're primarily about dogs, we care about the welfare of all animals and are glad to see this good news.

 

December 15, 2011

By SUSANNAH JACOB

Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune

Lt. Joel Caldwell, commander of the Animal Services Unit in the Galveston Police Department, with a confiscated fighting cock.

Lt. Joel Caldwell’s animal protection career began 12 years ago, when, as a deputy sheriff in Harris County, he responded to a call about a cat with an arrow through its body in a Houston trailer park.

On Thursday, Lieutenant Caldwell — now the police commander of Galveston’s Animal Services Unit — oversaw something just as disturbing: the arrest of a man for allegedly raising more than 300 cockfighting roosters in his backyard.

In May, Texas legislators passed a bill designed to help police officers in pursuit of illegal cockfighting. Forcing the birds to fight in the ring was already illegal; now, it is also against the law to breed the fighting cocks or show up to watch a fight.

State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., Democrat of Brownsville and one of the bill’s sponsors, said the new law “enforces punishment for everyone involved in illegal cockfighting: the people who profit, the people who watch and the people who host cockfighting on their properties.”

Now, at the beginning of the first cockfighting season since the law’s enactment, legislators and animal welfare activists are hoping for an unprecedented crackdown on the practice. But the law’s force will depend largely on the initiative of newly empowered police forces like Lieutenant Caldwell’s.

“Cockfighting has never received the attention it deserves from law enforcement,” the lieutenant said, “because, up until May, the cockfighting laws were very, very, very weak.”

Lieutenant Caldwell, who is running for sheriff in Galveston, spent months planning Thursday’s raid, which occurred in Santa Fe, Tex., a rural area on the mainland where cockfights and accompanying crowds are less likely to draw attention.

The breeder’s noisy backyard was lined with row after row of roosters tethered to shelters made of tin or chicken wire, said John Goodwin, director of animal cruelty policy for the Humane Society of the United States. Off to one side was a cockfighting pit, Mr. Goodwin said, and a workbench with a drawer full of long knives that had been fastened to the birds’ legs during fights.

On Wednesday, district attorneys working on the raid with the lieutenant discovered a discrepancy between the penal and civil codes, which prevented him from seizing the 300 birds on site.

Until the last legislative session, cockfighting laws — enacted as long ago as 1907 — barred only the fighting of the birds. This meant the authorities would have to catch the individuals responsible for sending the roosters into the ring,  a difficult task at crowded cockfights.

“You’d go out there, you’d have 30 or 40 people, 2 would go to jail, and you’d wind up with all the roosters,” Lieutenant Caldwell said. “Not a good use of law enforcement resources.”

Under the new law, people who breed fighting birds, profit from a fight or own cockfighting paraphernalia with the intent to use it can also be charged with crimes.

For many, the laws are complicated by tradition. Mr. Lucio said he remembered being taken to cockfights by his father, at the time a deputy sheriff in Cameron County. “Fifty-five years ago, as a kid of 8, 9, 10, it was gruesome to see all the blood flowing from these beautiful birds,” he said.

Mr. Lucio said efforts to curb cockfighting would hinge on rural police departments, which must change their behavior after a century of turning their heads. “No one enforced it because it was a big cultural thing,” Mr. Lucio said of the previous law.

 If recent raids are any indication, the new law’s impact is already being felt. During a raid on Sunday in Fort Worth, officers not only broke up a cockfight but also — possibly for the first time — issued citations to spectators.

“The law is sending a very loud message to cockfighters that Texas is taking a stand on the issue,” said Nicole Paquette, the senior Texas state director of the Humane Society of the United States.

Lieutenant Caldwell said public opinion had shifted, and, with it, the law.

“Humans,” he said, “have evolved to the point where it’s not entertainment to watch two animals kill each other in a pit.”

sjacob@texastribune.org.
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