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Houston, We Have a Pit Bull Problem

December 12, 2008, 4:53PM MT

By Jennifer S Hayes

Humane rescue should be available to all dogs, regardless of the breed

Humane rescue should be available to all dogs, regardless of the breed

By Julie E. Furnas and Meghan Turner

Houston, Texas – the fourth largest city in the United States. A town where you can find a myriad of world-class restaurants, an impressive collection of cultural and artistic assets, cutting-edge urban development and design, forward-thinking civic leadership, a hefty philanthropic donor base, and one of the most powerful legal communities in the world.

So, in a city with this much compassion, money and progressive thinking – what happened when over 180 pit bulls were rescued from one of the largest dog fighting rings in the Southwest? Who was there to represent these dogs in a court of law when the decision was made to euthanize them? Where was the court appointed animal expert in this case?

Surely there’s a Houston based advocacy group that knows and understands that it’s possible to rehabilitate and possibly place rescues, even pit bulls, into loving homes? Ultimately, who was there in the end to care for these dogs who had been abused, terrorized and forced to kill?

Our thanks go out to the anonymous tip about the dog fighting activities in several Texas counties. Our thanks goes out to the Harris County District Attorney’s office, Lisa Block of the Department of Public Safety, the officer who arrested the English teacher, others involved in busting the fights and all of the people who removed the dogs from the rings of terror.

On the other hand, the higher ups at the Houston SPCA will not receive a thank you, and in fact, should be ashamed of themselves for how this case was handled. For an organization that calls itself “humane” and prides itself on “rescues” and care – they have done an awful disservice to the 60 dogs entrusted to their care. It’s as if they never existed.

They were taken from the property, put into cages and instead of being treated as victims; they became prisoners – inmates on doggy death row, with no chance at becoming loving, loyal and friendly companions. Even if some of the dogs were correctly deemed candidates for euthanasia, surely some (or many) would have been deemed candidates for rehoming or rehabilitation.

But, sadly, there was no evaluation to make these determinations. In fact, there are never evaluations done on any pit bull type dogs at the HSPCA - they euthanize any who have the misfortune of walking through their doors.

And what became of the puppies and the remaining 100+ seized dogs? Unfortunately, we will never know, as no one has been willing to share that information. Are they afraid they might upset the public? You bet they are.

Rehabilitation is possible

We all remember the nightmare in April of 2007 when Michael Vick, football star and one of the richest athletes in America, was charged with running a dog-fighting ring out of his home in Surrey County, Virginia. Lie after lie, Vick denied that anything was going on, while an associate of his had already told authorities that there was indeed illegal activities happening on his personal property.

When federal authorities came in to search the property, canine carcasses were discovered and it was all over for Vick. The bodies were what animal welfare advocates had both expected and feared - the pit bulls.

Because of Vick’s popularity and NFL fame, the media went crazy and he became yet another poster boy of NFL bad behavior. There were local reporters staged in front of the Vick home, stories on Entertainment Tonight and of course, the news splashed all over ESPN. Vick was no doubt going to prison, and would soon be going bankrupt too. So what about the dogs?

When a hearing took place to determine what would happen to the pit bulls in the Vick case, we now know that $1 million dollars was in place to rehabilitate and potentially rehome these dogs. How did this happen you ask? Was it because the media had gotten attention of the right people? Or did the judge have the good sense and good advice that these dogs had a chance of being truly “rescued?” To the disbelief of many, most of the pit bulls seized in Virginia were adopted into loving homes, thanks to multiple rescue agencies that were allowed to step in to help.

No safety net in Houston

Fast-forward to November 2008 and the hearing for the Houston pit bulls. Where was the media attention for them? Was it because no famous person owned or operated this dog-fighting ring? A teacher shouldn’t garner this type of attention, right? Or was it because the HSPCA spokeswoman, Meera Nandlal, had offered up only the organization’s policy of “humanely euthanizing” all pit bulls, no matter if they are puppies or adults, regardless whether they had a past history of fighting.

After contacting the HSPCA less than a week after the story broke on the dog fighting bust, animal rescue and advocacy groups were told by Nandlal that they “did not act fast enough” to try to help. The fact is, the judgment was handed down quickly and without regard to any alternatives -- and there was no hope for these dogs from the very beginning.

When asked by the media and other advocacy leaders, Nandlal remarked that this case was “different” than the Vick one. But, how is it different? Money and time, she offered. Since these Houston dogs did not come with an automatic monetary assistance package, the HSPCA wiped their hands of the situation and claimed that since the dogs had been “line bred to fight,” and there were no resources available for rehoming, the point was moot. No mention was made of the funds spent to maintain, euthanize, and dispose of the 60 bodies, which in an average shelter would cost around $6,000.

When no evaluations were performed and no rescue groups were contacted, how could the HSPCA know that their assumptions were true? The truth is, their prejudices against pit bulls outweighed any rational decision making that could have been done, even with all of the money or time in the world.

Don’t insult the public’s intelligence by stating it takes money. Everyone knows money, time and a huge effort are required to rescue, rehabilitate and facilitate adoptions, especially with dogs who come from these types of horrible environments. However, if it can happen in Virginia, Missouri and San Francisco – it can happen in Houston too.

The policy stance and decisions made by the HSPCA in this case have largely negated the valuable lessons and positive outcomes generated by the Vick case, which is a travesty against the many advocates and responsible owners of pit bulls, but is even more of an indelible black mark against a national organization which claims to pride itself on the “protection” and “prevention of cruelty” to animals. Apparently, there is selective application and pit bulls are not included in this organization’s priorities.

We now know that thirteen more dogs have been rescued from this dog-fighting ring and there are many people trying to save their lives before they meet the same fate as the 180, who were not even given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a second chance.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

For more information on what you can do to help these dogs before it is too late:

? Please contact your local district attorney’s office

? Communicate your objections to HSPCA policy to local media

? Check out the following groups:
• BAD RAP
• Love-A-Bull
• Missouri Pit Bull Rescue

? You can also learn more by joining the Stop BSL community on the Best Friends Network.

For more information:
• So… Where Are the Dogs?

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff
Photo credit: provided courtesy of Lydia Zaidman, Love-A-Bull

The lead photo features Hank, who was rescued after Hurricane Ike and is now available for adoption. He is described as follows:
“Hank is about one year old. He is neutered, and is up to date on vaccinations. Hank has recently undergone treatment for heartworms and is currently still slightly positive. He will be heartworm free before final adoption can be completed, although he can live with his family while finishing treatment. Hank weighs about 60 pounds, but he doesn't know it. He thinks that he is a tiny lap dog. He loves hugs and girls and hugs from girls. His favorite treat is an empty peanut butter jar.” For more information about Hank, contact Southpaws Playschool or call 512-440-PLAY.

The remainder of the pictures feature Love-A-Bull dogs.

Comments

Posted January 07, 2009, 10:7PM by Bec78

I live outside of Houston and own two pitties that are our family. I was NOT aware of HSPCA law and can not even believe it, I will be writing everyone I need to about this. This is awful and says mountains worth about what HSPCA knows about pits or any other animal for that fact!

Posted January 09, 2009, 1:12PM by ahill1000

I used to volunteer at the HSPCA. I knew of their Pit Bull policy, but tried to overlook it so that I could care for all of the other dogs who needed love and affection in the shelter. Then, the HSPCA showed me their true colors and I no longer go there. I fostered a dog from there that they had rescued from Galveston after Ike. I even found a wonderful family to adopt Buddy. I brought him back to the HSPCA so that he could be neutered then go home to his new family. While in my home, he was relaxed, great with my 3 dogs and my cat, sweet with strangers and children, loved to give kisses. The HSPCA decided to assess his behavior once he was thrown back into the shelter, once again abandoned and scared. They stated that he was food aggressive with them and growled at handlers. Long story short, without even contacting me to see how he was in a home, a stable environment, they killed him the day his new family was to pick him up. The lady who was to adopt him called me while she was at the shelter and told me that they were telling her that he was too aggressive to be adopted (All the while, Buddy was in the lobby, had met her children, was smiling and licking everyone). I rushed to the shelter, only for the manager to take me in the back and tell me he was already put down. How dare they!! An organization that prides itself in protecting the helpless and giving them another chance. How can any dog be in their right mind after surviving a hurricane tied to a porch in Galveston, then whisked away by strangers, put in a shelter, taken into a home for 2 weeks where he was happy, thought he had a new home, only to be brought back to this horrible, scary place where people poke and prod him and throw him in a concrete kennel. I would be scared and probably not myself either. I just cannot believe they acted so rash, did not even try to speak to me. They did not give Buddy a chance at all. I lost all respect for the HSPCA. I came home and ripped up my volunteer tshirt, burned my id bagde. I was livid. I contacted all of the local media and the president of the HSPCA. Noone responded to my pleas. It seems as if Buddy died in vein, alone, and scared.

Posted December 25, 2008, 9:54AM by BeckyDodge

I live in Weatherford Texas which has a combined county/city shelter. I have been told that their policy is not adopt out pit bulls to anyone. Am not sure if this is officially written down anywhere but even if it is not it is something that should be changed. These dogs are given no chance to go into homes where they can be part of a family and as far as I am aware they are simply killed when taken in. I don't think the other neighborhood rescue groups in the area take pits at all. This situation is something I find reminds me of the genocide committed against the Jews in WWII. It's killing specifically one breed because of who they are and is completely outrageous.

Posted January 11, 2009, 7:55PM by Blondie137

I also saw a comment posted by a woman who thought that her dog might have been stolen by the dog fighters before the bust. She pleaded with the Houston SPCA to let her look to see if her dog was among those confiscated. They would not even let her LOOK! What kind of "humane" organization is this? How do people, who are supposed to be SAVING animals, end up doing what this organization does? Patty Mercer should have used some of her $200,000+ salary to rehabilitate and save these Pits. Instead, they got media attention for taking them in but very few people know what actually happened to those animals. Believe me, I educate everyone I know.

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