A Future for Former Fighters

The Humane Society of Missouri proves that you can save canine victims.

By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff

Following the successful outcome for Michael Vick’s former canines, the good word is spreading for dogs who are seized as evidence in fighting cases. In October 2007, the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO) was involved in busting one of the biggest dog fighting rings in the state. Three men were arrested and 25 pit bulls, 1 beagle, treadmills, medical supplies, and journals were seized as evidence.

(No more forced litters for Cleo now, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

In the past, they would have been maintained as evidence for a court case, only to be euthanized once the prosecution is complete. These dogs, who take up valuable shelter resources, yet are never given the opportunity for adoption, have been referred to as “kennel trash.” However, a tide of compassion is sweeping over the country and this instance marks the second major case where dogs taken from a fighting background have been evaluated and given a chance to live.

(King, one of the five dogs who must remain at the shelter until the case is resolved, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

While dog fighting is a felony in Missouri, according to HSMO Director of Communications, Jeane Jae, “These cases are very difficult to pursue.” Relationships must be built over time between animal welfare organizations and law enforcement officials. Prosecutors in Missouri have the additional challenge of no mandated time frame for a hearing to determine final custody of animals following a seizure. As a result, organizations must hold animals as evidence for an indefinite period of time, at significant expense, both in terms of money and space. This will hopefully be changing in the near future. Missouri Senate Bill 819 has been introduced in this year’s legislation, which if passed, would require a disposition hearing within 30 days of filing for custody of animals seized in association with dog fighting.

The HSMO has maintained these dogs since October 21, 2007 at a cost of approximately $35,000. Fortunately, in January, one of the defendants voluntarily relinquished his rights to 23 of the dogs. At the same time, the organization was evaluating all of the dogs to determine if they would be suitable for adoption or rescue. Unfortunately, five dogs have not been claimed, so they must remain at the shelter as evidence until the conclusion of the case or someone comes forward to surrender their ownership.

“If in the past, if animals were seized, the assumption has been that they would just be euthanized because of their fighting background,” notes Jae. “However, I think that attitude is changing because of the Michael Vick case and this case of ours, where we have gone through great lengths to evaluate the animals and take the next step toward working with rescue groups toward placement.”

Assessment of the dogs
(Titus was used as a fight dog, despite his blindness, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

To evaluate the dogs, they used a modified version of the SAFER™ test (Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming) developed by Dr. Emily Weiss. “We actually contacted the ASPCA and found out what modifications they had made for the Michael Vick dogs and we incorporated that into our test, so that our test was very comparable to what they were doing,” states Linda Campbell, Registered Veterinary Technician, Certified Pet Dog Trainer, and Director of Programs for the HSMO. “Basically what we were checking for was acceptable tolerance of handling, and every single one of these dogs loved people. Even our blind seven year old pit bull was very good with people.” Other assessors included Lorraine Martinez, Ph.D., the Training Supervisor for HSMO and Tim Racer, co-founder of BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls) and one of the evaluators of Michael Vick’s former dogs. Racer comments, “Saving these dogs really makes a statement to the rest of the country and Midwest. These dogs are not the monsters that the media would have us believe.”

One of the tests utilized a doll to simulate interaction with a child. From a distance, many of the dogs enthusiastically wagged their tails, believing the doll to truly be a youngster. Others were not fooled at all. There was even one instance where the doll was wiggled too much and its wig fell off. Thinking it was a game; the dog picked the hair up and played with it like a toy.

Other tests included a flank pinch, mouth examinations, running approaches, rough play, and resource guarding. Campbell states that “I think for us the most amazing thing is not one of them caused us any concern at all with people handling. There was no aggression, no matter what we did to these dogs. They may have been shy, a little bit fearful, and you could tell some of the dogs had been less handled than other dogs, but even with the very fearful dogs there was no aggression whatsoever.”

They then tested the dog’s reactions to other dogs. The evaluators gauged interest levels, whether they seemed happy, submissive, or alert. If a reaction occurred, they then determined how easy it was to divert the dog’s attention back to the handler. Most were able to be redirected, though several were very aroused and could not be refocused during the test. Only one dog was considered to be dangerous and was subsequently euthanized. In fact, some of the dogs being tested were so well mannered; they were then utilized as distractions for others.

(Dixie had serious wounds to her front legs, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

The HSMO had done an initial general evaluation of the dogs in October, when they first arrived, to determine how safe it was to walk them. When they were re-evaluated in January, the results were fairly constant, which meant there had been no deterioration of the dogs from living in a shelter environment. Actually, some of the dogs showed signs of improvement. Perhaps that should come as no surprise, as the shelter has been providing enrichments such as durable food-oriented toys (such as Kongs), beds, and daily walks. In addition, the puppies have all been receiving regular training through weekly puppy classes.

“I’ve worked here at the Humane Society for over 30 years now and from my perspective this has changed a lot of my thoughts and my views on these dogs in just this one instance,” states Campbell. “I’ve always liked the breed, but sometimes the myths are there, even for people who work in behavior. You sometimes get caught in some of those preconceived notions. This has dispelled a lot of the myths that I had and it’s given me a lot of respect for dogs in general, for their adaptability, and their willingness to do what we want them to do. I think that’s it more than anything; that these dogs can be so good to people considering how they had been treated, trained, and raised and that they can be so forgiving. It’s just amazing to me.”

Meet some of the rescues
Titus is the dog that captured the hearts of all the investigators and rescuers because he is blind. Though actually from a raid in Tennessee, his guardian was involved with the Missouri case and relinquished Titus to the HSMO. “To have an older, blind dog in a fighting ring, how much lower can you go?” questions Hill. “It’s just almost beyond comprehension.” Despite his additional challenges during the evaluations, he passed and is currently available for rescue. Hill states that he is “the one that you would most like see have some kind of happy, safe place to be for whatever time remains for him.”

Nikki is a four month old pit mix, with the look of some Labrador in her. This adoptable girl is what could be called a true survivor. As a younger puppy, she came down with Parvo. Campbell lovingly fostered her through the illness and says, “I have developed a whole new respect and admiration for these dogs. I adore their personality. She is just the most wonderful puppy I have ever handled.” Now she is teething, tries to emulate everything Campbell’s 95 pound German shepherd does, and has graduated to level two in her puppy class.

(Nikki is currently being fostered, but is available for adoption, provided courtesy of Linda Campbell of the Humane Society of Missouri)

King is named in honor of Elvis Presley and is described as “happy-go-lucky.” He was so well behaved during evaluations; he was used as one of the distraction dogs. “He was a very good boy,” notes Campbell. “We feel that he is one that has a lot of potential to eventually be a very good pet in a home.” Unfortunately, he is one of the five dogs who have not been relinquished to the HSMO. Though he did fabulously in his evaluation, he must remain at the shelter until the case is complete. As of now, the trial has been postponed for several more months, so no quick resolution is expected.

Bella is the only non-pit seized in the case. While there is no evidence that she had been used as a bait dog, the beagle was in rough shape when they found her. She was about seven years old, heartworm positive, and had some serious skin issues. She is now doing well at a foster home and is available for adoption. Hill states, “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

(Bella the beagle is available for adoption now, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

Available for adoption or rescue
Seven pit bull puppies, ranging from eight weeks to nine months old, as well as Bella the beagle, are currently available for adoption to the public. For those interested, there is a special adoption process for them. Hill states, “They need to know exactly what they are getting, so they know what their history is and what their responsibility will be to manage that dog’s behavior and training the rest of its life.”

Five of the dogs, including King, must stay at the HSMO, until the trial is complete. Pending the outcome, it is hoped that they can all eventually be made available for rescue, since they all passed their evaluations.

(Barnaby is quite the handsome fellow, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

The HSMO is working with pit bull rescues to take the remaining adult dogs into a foster care program, where they can be rehabilitated. Like the Michael Vick dogs, it is believed that through socialization and training, they may some day become beloved family pets.

Hill does note that these dogs have been at the shelter since October, which is a long time to be in a kennel environment. “Our fear is that they are going to start deteriorating. We have kind of reached our limit on what we can really do for them to keep them sane, happy, healthy, and progressing. That’s why we’re so glad to have the opportunity to move out some animals now.” The shelter is now working with two organizations, Mutts-n-Stuff and Missouri Pit Bull Rescue; however, additional rescue partners are needed to help.

If you would like to adopt, or are part of a rescue group that is interested in helping some of the adults, please dial the HSMO special hotline, 314-802-5712.

Jae sums up the way the HSMO staff feels about being part of an organization that has taken a stand and given these dogs a chance at life. “We are proud of it from a variety of aspects; giving it [dog fighting] a higher profile in the state and letting people know that it’s an underground activity that needs to be exposed. It is cruel, a very horrible form of animal abuse which is not a sport. The next step is treating the animals as individuals, as we would any rescue. We’re glad to be a part of that and hopefully leading the way.”


(Haley is a real snuggler of the group, provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri)

For more information:
• Stop Breed Specific Legislation Campaign
• Humane Society of Missouri receives custody of dogs in Stoddard County dog fighting case

How you can help:
• Support the Humane Society of Missouri in their efforts to change the way that fighting dogs are treated.

Humane Society of Missouri
1201 Macklind Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63110
Phone: 314-647-8800[/b]

• Rescue groups with pit bull experience are needed to help socialize and train the adult dogs. If you are interested in helping, please call 314-802-5712.
• Missouri residents should contact their state senator and support passage of Missouri Senate Bill 819. Enactment of this bill will help organizations like the HSMO by providing a time limit for a determination hearing.
• Nationwide, there are many other fantastic pit bulls and other dogs in need of a forever home. For those interested in adding a canine to the family, please adopt from a shelter or rescue. Hill says to “Be prepared to maybe work with an animal a little more than they might otherwise have done. The rewards that they get are well worth it.”

Lead photo shows Mandy with her puppies. Photo provided courtesy of Debbie Hill of the Humane Society of Missouri.