Taking its “pit bull ban” to the extreme, the city of Denver euthanized 36 pit bulls Thursday, including 13 puppies, despite a shelter volunteer’s offer to transport them out of state to a rescue.
The dogs were seized from owner Michael Padilla in May, and had been kept in cages at animal control since then awaiting their death – according to Padilla, in substandard conditions with inadequate care.
Last week, Padilla made a plea agreement with the city that kept him out of jail, but signed a death warrant for his dogs. Denver Animal Control euthanized the dogs Thursday after receiving a court order allowing it to do so.
Padilla was reportedly traveling through Denver when his dogs were seized. He said he was moving from Texas to a new home outside of Denver, but stopped in the city to pick up and move his ill mother.
However, the city says that this was Padilla’s second violation of the pit bull ban, and he was also cited for neglect and cruelty to animals. Padilla was convicted in 2002 for illegally having a pit bull in Denver, and at that time signed an affidavit agreeing that he would not bring pit bulls back into the city, and if he did, the animals would be euthanized.
Normally, the pit bull ordinance allows owners to prove that the animals will be transported out of the city, as an alternative to euthanasia. (See a copy of the city's ordinance in the resources section of this website.)
But in this case, apparently, Denver authorities thought that the proper punishment for Padilla's second transgression was to kill 36 dogs innocently caught in the middle.
The dogs killed Thursday were “quite sweet,” according to the Rocky Mountain News.
In fact, one volunteer who helped care for them for their months of confinement got so attached to the animals that she was willing to pay for them to be transported out of state so they could be saved.
Tami Bishop pleaded with the city to allow her to move the dogs out of state to a pit bull rescue in Montana, even contacting the mayor, but with no success. Before Padilla’s sudden plea agreement, Bishop thought she had until August 7, when a hearing was set to decide the future of the dogs.
But the city didn’t waste any time in killing the dogs as soon as it got the legal authority, even as Bishop was out of town and unable to intervene.
Read more about this story from the
Rocky Mountain News. Outraged by Denver's decision to kill these dogs, rather than allow them to go to a rescue out of state? Then contact Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, and respectfully ask him: Why is Denver so intent on killing pit bull puppies, that it won't even allow them to move to a rescue outside the city? What city purpose does this action serve? How, exactly, does it help protect the Denver public from vicious dogs? Why did they ignore the plea from their volunteer to allow her to save these "sweet" dogs?
Mayor Hickenlooper may be reached at:
Mayor John W. Hickenlooper Denver City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street, Suite 350
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 720-865-9000
Fax: 720-865-8787
E-mail: MileHighMayor@ci.denver.co.us
When you call, fax, or write, let us know what the mayor's office has to say, by posting in the comments below!