By Priscilla Loebenberg - SUN HERALD

Nine months ago Gunther, a local pit bull, was in ominous circumstances. He was homeless, infested with mange and parasites and had a too-small collar imbedded and festering around his neck.
Gunther now has a loving home and has become a contest winner.
Pass Christian Police officer Rebecca Hengen already had several dogs and no intention of adopting another when she got the stray-dog call that led her to Gunther.

“The man who reported him said that the dog had been hanging around for a few days, and no one knew where he belonged,” said Hengen. “With a little coaxing I was able to put him in the front seat of my patrol car. He very calmly rode to the shelter with his head in my lap.”
Hengen said she was taken by the dog’s trust, but was worried his chances for adoption would be slim. His condition was appalling and she said the vicious stereotype of his breed was against him.
The Human Society of South Mississippi’s staff had nicknamed the white dog Ghost; Hengen checked on him daily. On the third day Hengen said the kennel attendant told her the dog was probably deaf.
“He didn’t wake up or start barking like the other dogs when someone came in,” she said. “He couldn’t hear what was going on.”
Although her heart had gone out to the pit bull from the beginning, Hengen didn’t make the decision to adopt him until the following day when she received inspiration — through the comics.
“I read the daily comic strip ‘Mutts,’ by Patrick McDonnell,” she said. “That week Mr. McDonnell was doing a series of shelter stories. On about the fourth day Gunther was at the shelter, a strip ran with a white dog that looked like him. The dog says ‘Sure, I know I’m deaf, but I’d still make a great companion. Just do like I do, listen to your heart.’”
Although Hengen had already given her heart to Gunther, she still wanted to be sure she and the dog were a good fit. Through the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match Program, animals and adopters are assessed for compatibility. Gunther’s assessment showed he is an orange, “goofball” type and Hengen’s adopter survey showed her lifestyle and expectations for a dog would fit best with that type dogs.
“It was meant to be,” said Hengen.
She said Gunther is happy, smiling dog and everyone compliments him on his good behavior. He quickly overcame his hearing difficulty, said Hengen, by bonding with another of her dogs, Maggie May.
“They come inside and outside together,” said Hengen. “If he doesn’t know what to do, he just looks to see what Maggie is doing.”
HSSM staff submitted Gunther’s story for the ASPCA’s Adopt-A-Bull contest and he became a quarterly winner featured on ASPCA.org. He also won a package of goodies and $4,000 for the local shelter. Gunther is eligible to win the grand prize in April, which could bring in an additional $5,000 for the shelter.
Online voting begins in February on ASPCA.org and Hengen encourages all animal lovers to vote for Gunther and support the local shelter.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."

The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.

The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements.

Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled.

"I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman," Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.

"I don't know what this man's intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life."

The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend.

"You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid," Jones said. "He was like her guardian angel."

After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene.

The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don't step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named "Angel."

Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament.

"It's funny, that someone's irresponsibility could have saved someone's life," Jones said of Angel's possible owners.

For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most.

"I don't know what his [the thief's] intentions were -- I don't know why he did it, but I'm glad that -- we call him Angel -- I'm glad that Angel showed up because I don't know what would have happened," Angela told NBC2 News.

For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot.

The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake.

"It's funny, because we aren't a big place," he said of the Gulf Coast town. "And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It's been a busy week."

Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired.

Tell us what you think about "Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint" below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.

Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.

OTIS THAT'S MY BOY

Otis, that's my boy!  I will never forget the star struck feeling I had when I first saw him get out of the vehicle.  He was very muscular in stature.  A majestic animal, almost lion like!  A very impressive and intimidating presence with over one-inch canines.  I immediately was drawn to him.  However, in the back of my mind, I was telling myself "NO, not another dog!"   I was NOT keeping this dog!

Otis was brought to me as a rescue to be boarded for two weeks until his new home was ready.  The new home consisted of a single woman with two small children, who worked 8 hours a day, had no fenced yard, and was planning on Otis being an outside dog.  I gasped at the thought of such a powerful animal being left to his own devices all day long.  It is anybody's guess what breed he is.  My guess is Mastiff/Lab mix.  Most people immediately label him a Pit.  I have always been a bully breed lover so I told them that I would be responsible for finding him a safe home and that it was not a good idea that this dog be running loose.  They agreed.   

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The people that rescued him had already taken him to the vet for an exam and rabies vaccination and had offered to pay to have him neutered.  The vet estimated he was about three years old. Being a dog trainer, and since I was NOT going to keep Otis, he became a scientific experiment, as do all of the other dogs I board.  I decided that I would study Otis as much as I could until his new home was found.  I have never owned an intact male, so my focus became:  how could studying this dog help me help clients that owned intact males?  The first thing I observed was how aggressive Otis was with other intact males.  He was discriminatory about it.  He knew immediately by the smell in the air if there were another intact male being boarded.  It did not matter if it were a six-month-old pup or a fourteen-year-old dog.  If they had or recently had testicles, they were a marked canine.  Females, intact or not, and neutered dogs were safe.   

FIRST STEP IN CHANGING OTIS' PERCEPTION OF OTHER DOGS

Otis liked to run up and down the fence line barking at other dogs.  At this point, I had only had him a couple of days.  He seemed interested in me so I would come in with the leash and give him the option to come with me and be rewarded with a walk, or stay there and act like a jerk.  Never saying a word, unless he was moving towards me, I planned to make this training exercise an all day event, if needed.  "Otis, if you come to me, you can leave with me and go for a walk in the woods.  If you choose to continue to bark at the other dogs, the opportunity for a walk is going away."  Well on or about the fifth attempt, as I was closing the gate, he came running over and busted through.  Now what I'm about to describe happened in a matter of seconds.  The gate hit me in the eye, my eyes closed at the same time I was grabbing the skin on his back  (now this was a split decision reaction full of adrenalin and I do not acvocate alpha rolls or pinning dogs down) and pushing him to the ground because if not he would have gotten loose.  I opened my eyes only to see Otis' face in mine and thinking "OH CRAP".  Here is this massive head full of dangerous teeth right in my face!  Fortunately though, Otis just made a slight grunt in lieu of biting my face off!  I was thinking, "Wow!  This is pretty cool, but I am still NOT keeping you!"  Since that form of training was not going as planned, and I didn't want another black eye, I decided to keep Otis away from intact males for the time being.  I would tether him to the back of my vehicle away from the other dogs with a thick-coated cable and D rings.  I used a martingale type collar and would place the D ring around the whole collar instead of the metal ring.  One day I made the mistake of placing the D ring on the metal ring of the collar.  Otis was far away from where I was moving an intacted fourteen-year-old male from a crate to an outside pen.  In a matter of seconds Otis had broke the collar ring and attacked that dog faster than I could blink.  Again, because of the high adrenalin situation, I do not promote this in my training.  I grabbed him by the back of the neck forced him into a sit, got in his face and told him "STOP IT".  Again, no threatening gestures on Otis' part.  Because once more he was in the perfect position to bite my face off!  I thought. "Wow! This is really cool, but I am still NOT keeping you!"

THE DEAL IS SEALED

I took Otis out often, to Petco, PetsMart, and neighborhood parks.  At this point, I had only had Otis for one week.  One afternoon, after a walk in the park, I stopped by Petco.  I ran into one of my youngest son's third grade teachers, who I had not seen in about a year.  We are standing there reminiscing, while her seven-year-old daughter was playing hopscotch up and down the entryway of Petco.  There were no other people standing around us and there were no other dogs nearby either.  Since Otis had not shown any aggression toward humans, I felt very comfortable with the situation.  Little did I know that comfort would turn into a frightening, heart stopping, pee in your pants, moment in time.  The teacher's little girl came running, and I mean running, from about ten feet away from us, slid down on her knees under Otis' giant head, reached up under his neck and hugged him like he was her mother she hadn't seen in weeks.  I lost my breath.  I knew I had to remain calm but it was very difficult.  What a life test!  Not one that you would want to stage, but one that Otis passed with excellence.  I was thinking, "Wow! This is cool! I think I will keep you!

NOW THAT I HAVE YOU, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?

Coming to the realization that I now had another dog, how was I going to manage this beast? He is very powerful and can be dangerous.  In addition, oh, did I mention the horrible 24hr a day barking problem?  I pulled out everything I had learned in my six years of dog training.  Starting with, "What is important to this dog?"  "What makes him tick?"  Believe it or not….the water hose!  That is all Otis pretty much cared about, so that is where I started.  If Otis would sit and look at me, he was then allowed to chase the water.  At the height of his excitement, I would stop spraying and again ask for eye contact and a sit.  If Otis complied, the water works turned on.  If he did not, then my opposable thumbs and I put it away.  Of course, he quickly caught on!  The barking, which is my guess the reason he was dumped, has greatly improved.  It took a solid month of ignoring the barking and reinforcing the quiet.  It took every patient bone in my body!

I have had Otis for a total of nine months now.  After very careful consideration and four canceled veterinarian appointments, I had him neutered.  That was three months ago and I have noticed some small changes, but not the desire to take on another intact male dog.   Therefore, I continue my positive ways of management, which consist of controlling everything he wants, from food to spraying water.  I instill no physical punishment whatsoever.  I have taught him alternative behaviors and try my best never to put him in any situation where he is likely to act aggressive.  I still have a few problems when boarding other intact dogs, but I have no issues whatsoever when out in public.  Otis has become a model citizen and a permanent member of our pack.  I am thankful for our journey together and the knowledge that I have gained.   Otis, that's my boy!

This is from Laura Dapkus  co-founder of Texoma Bully Breed Outreach

 
At 13 1/2, our Queen, our best friend, has left us.
She passed at home surrounded by her pack.  Memorials can be made to the EBA (see below).
Don and I adopted Lucy from a shelter when she was around 7-8 months old. Lucy came to the shelter because a dog lady named Gigi found Lucy tied to a tree in front of her house. I knew nothing about "Pit Bulls," but our friends Eileen and Todd had one named Sheba, and we loved her.
I didn't know that by adopting Lucy I would learn about prejudice, fear, local politics, and what it means to be an American.
Lucy was a challenging and destructive puppy. I saw a cartoon once that had a picture of a dog on it saying, "Hi, my name is 'No, No, Bad Dog' — what's yours?" That pretty much sums it up. We learned to lock up shoes and trash, but when she objected to our attentions to a new puppy, she stole my prescription glasses from the bathroom counter and ate them. Despite my training ineptitude, Lucy earned a Canine Good Citizen title from the American Kennel Club.
Young Lucy had many of the traits that cause adolescent Pit Bulls to end up in shelters. She was 60 lbs. of rock-hard muscle and extreme over-exuberance. Now when I meet people with excitable young Pit Bulls I tell them, "Give it 6 years. Everything is going to be great!" So, for years we did obedience classes and kept her out of situations that would get her into trouble.
We enjoyed taking Lucy to fun shows put on by our local breed club. Lanky, skinny-headed and houndy-looking, Lucy only won ribbons in three-dog classes. She loved to go. In fact, she loved to go anywhere out of the city — she arrived at dog shows, lakes, and parks shrieking with joy.
When we adopted Lucy, we had no idea how frightened people were of these dogs. But we learned to patiently answer questions about them, and took Lucy, BB and Loretta to dog events to educate people about the breed and to encourage adoption. By the time Lucy reached middle-age, the climate in Texas started to become increasingly hostile to "Pit Bull"-type dogs and other breeds. The calls for breed bans that had been afflicting so many other places had hit Texas. So the media came calling, and Lucy won over many local television and newspaper reporters. She licked their hands, and smiled for their cameras.
We were fortunate to move out to the country 15 months before she passed. It took Lucy exactly 5 minutes to settle into becoming a country dog. She and her pack would dive into the dry brush varmint-hunting, never catching anything. When the sheep arrived, she talked trash through the fence, but when out in the pasture she merely kept her nose to the ground, and looked just like one of them.
Old age took Lucy's hearing, then congestive heart failure began to waste her body. She had to sit by the bed and "oooooo" to ask us to put her up there. She slept most of the day in my office on a dog bed, but when visitors came she went into greeter mode. Most people couldn't tell that she was old and sick.
Lucy has joined Sheba, and most of our friends' first Pit Bulls, on the other side. Loretta and our Chow Chow Jasper will try to assume the roles as breed ambassadors and media stars. They must, because the hatred, fear and knee-jerk legislation is only getting worse around the country, but especially in Texas.
It's possible that this time next year someone like me will walk into a shelter, see a little red-nosed Pit Bull puppy and say, "I want to adopt that dog" and be told, "Sorry, you can't because Pit Bulls are illegal in your city."
I often ask myself, what kind of person would I be today if I had picked out a Shi Tzu instead of that silly looking rednose Pit Bull pup? I would probably still believe that most generalizations about dogs and even people are true. Even though I majored in English and political science and should know better, I used to believe that if you had nothing to hide and did nothing wrong, that you need not worry about law enforcement, city hall or the news media. But now I know good, innocent people who have been wronged.
I would probably believe that a band-aid solution to a problem in my city is OK, so long as it doesn't affect me directly. Now I know that it is up to all of us to demand better. Dog bites and so-called "Pit Bull" problems are the direct result of serious problems in our cities such as crime, drugs, poverty, family chaos, and low expectations. Until Lucy came along, these were just problems I saw on TV.
One day, a mother Pit Bull had puppies. Somebody kept one for a few months, then tied her to a tree. A dog lady found her, and took her to a no-kill shelter. Then I found her chasing a bouncing ball, and took her home.
 
In Lucy's memory, I ask anyone who is reading this to please take action.
1) Many local elections are won by just a handful of votes. Responsible pet owners can only be counted if we register to vote, and then VOTE.
2) It is unfortunate, but we must spend money on lobbyists and attorneys in order to keep our dogs legal in Texas, because there will be attempts to get them banned during the 2009 legislative session. I am on the board of the Endangered Breeds Association (EBA), and we have a Texas Fund for this purpose. Donations can be made via PayPal to morrisons@mynewroads.com (note "Texas Fund" in the memo) or by mail to: Endangered Breeds Association P.O. Box 879 Walker, LA 70785. This is an all-volunteer organization, and I can assure you that the funds go directly to helping people keep their dogs.

Meet Leo. He's a cheerful, sweet greeter. He's fond of cuddles and hugs. And he spends his free time sharing his affection with the sick and elderly at a local hospital (having recently passed his therapy dog tests with flying colors). He also spent the first part of his life under the dark, demeaning ownership of football star Michael Vick.

Yes, Leo is one of the fifty Vick dogs confiscated from the football player's property late last year – although to meet him now you'd never guess at his unfortunate beginnings. In fact, it seems wherever Leo goes he garners adoring smiles and effusive compliments. What a sweet boy! Where did you get him? He's so well-behaved! To which he responds with tail wags and dreamy gazes from his kohl-rimmed eyes. His most adoring fans are schoolchildren.

Leo doing therapy work

It's amazing to watch, surprising to some, and yet to those who know the Pit Bull breed, not a surprise at all. Leo is the consummate example of true Pit Bull spirit – despite the life he led before with his former owner, he has made a quick ascension to stardom: ace-ing his obedience classes, playing and socializing with other dogs, and revealing himself to be a true ambassador for all canines, not just Pit Bulls. He has already begun work as a Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs, Inc. (www.therapydogs.com), and is invited weekly to a local South Bay hospital to bring comfort and smiles to the patients there. His biggest supporters aren't just the patients either – staff, nurses, and EMTs have taken to calling him "Dr. Leo" for his healing touch.

All in less than two months.

Leo (far right & center) hanging out with his buddies

Pack, Inc., can't get over his popularity. "I've worked with hundreds of dogs. People are drawn to Leo. I've never had a dog that was so magnetic." She's quick to brag on his personality, "He's such a tenderheart. When he came to me, I was prepared for anything. But I never realized I would be meeting the Casanova of Dogs. He has this way of romancing you with those brown eyes of his - he's truly amazing."

Of course, if you spoke with Leo today, he would likely gloss over his accomplishments and the association that has made him famous. Instead, he would politely take a seat beside you, plop his head in your lap, gaze up at you with those dreamy eyes and talk about how he enjoys Sunday afternoons playing with his doggie brothers and sister, and how much he looks forward to visiting more people next week.

This is the true Amercian Pit Bull Terrier: resilient, people-loving, willing to please, and just so good-hearted!

Post your comments about Leo and our other dogs on the Our Pack Blog!

Follow Leo's Media Trail...

• Read about Leo's amazing work with at-risk youth & Zoe's therapy work on the Best Friends Network!
• Leo makes on appearance on FOX NEWS' The Lineup with Kimberly Guilfoyle! Click here to watch. Aired Saturday, Feb. 16. (Windows Media Player or equivalent required)
• Read about Leo, our Michael Vick dog! Click here for story & photos.
• Check us out in the new People Magazine! (Feb. 18 issue)
• We're featured in the San Jose Mercury News TWICE!
  Click here to read the first article
  Click here to read the second article
• See Leo's story on the Best Friends Network!
• Look for us in the current Silicon Valley Tails Magazine! (March)
• Look for upcoming stories in Silicon Valley Community Newspapers!
• We received an award from Animal Farm Foundation for our work with Leo! Check out the poster:

• Read about Leo's amazing work with at-risk youth & Zoe's therapy work on the Best Friends Network!

RIP Clutch another victim of breed discrimination..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />....

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Here are key people involved this is NOT 2nd hand info, I was very involved in this case!!!
Clutch: APBT, WONDERFUL dog!! R.I.P. Sweetie!
Rudy & Shanna: Clutch's owner
Alfred Kay: Attorney
Michele Crouse, CPDT (me): Dog Trainer and Bully Lover....

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June 2007 Rudy & Shanna of Bonham, Texas called me as their last hope to help get their dog Clutch returned home. On June 5th, 2007 the water meter man came on their front porch to ask where the meter was located. The dog came out of the house and smelled him on the leg. Nick (the meter man) threw his hands up in the air and yelled. In the process he was bit on the end of one finger. He worked on the meter and then left; however before leaving he said "Do you know you can go to prison for this?" The animal control officer Jimmy Gilbert arrived and took the dog to the vet for a 10-day quarantine. The dog was then picked up from the vet, labeled a dangerous dog and taken to the dump you see in the pictures and video on June 13th, 2007 which is one day before his 10-day quarantine period was over. Rudy and Shanna were under the impression they would get their dog back after the quarantine period and were shocked to learn that he was sent to the pound. .... .... They immediately went to Judge Skontik who informed them that only DOPE DEALERS and thugs own Pit bulls and people are crazy for wanting one. He continued to state that if the dog was in the company of their child he would personally call Child Protective Services and file a report..... June 19th, 2007 Rudy & Shanna came to see me… I told them if I were to help them there would be some stipulations: 1) The dog be neutered 2) The dog stay in my care for one month 3) Do at least 4 follow up training visits! They do not have much money, so the thought of charging them never entered my mind. This has felt like the right thing to do from the beginning! I have seen tons of pictures and videos of Clutch. He shows zero signs of aggression toward them or their child, and since I was putting my reputation on the line I wanted to board & train the dog and teach this couple a positive way of training Clutch at no expense to them. They agreed. They are willing to do anything to get their dog back. If they had money and this was not a pit bull, they would not be going through this!! .... June 21st, 2007 I went to the hearing with them and testified that I would take custody of the dog, evaluate him and help Rudy & Shanna. They put all these requirements on them to get the dog back, and these have all been met except for the medical bills of the meter man, which have NEVER been produced! Shanna has asked for them every day. Right after the hearing the CPS man approached Shanna in front of me and several other witnesses and said if she got her dog back that he would REQUIRE her to get rid of him or else her child would be taken away. I asked him if he knew anything about dogs.  He stated, he didn't need to know anything about dogs.  I told him you sure do if you are telling this family that they can't have their family dog.  I provided him with the book DOGS BITE: BUT BALLOONS AND SLIPPERS ARE MORE DANGEROUS by Janis Bradley.... .... ALL this screams Abuse of Power!! All this time Clutch has been in the shelter, and Rudy & Shanna have NEVER been allowed to see him… This is turning into animal abuse & neglect on the city's part. Clutch did not have water; he is eating disgusting food that has rodent feces in it, if he is eating at all. He is around dying and dead dogs. They throw dead dogs & cats into the trash can inside the building. He is not able to see his family. He is getting no sunlight or exercise. He was removed 1 day before his 10-day quarantine period was over. He was moved to an unlicensed quarantine facility. He needs medical attention, heartworm meds, etc…which I agreed to pay! June 29th, 2007 The chief of police, Mike Bankston, called Shanna and asked her to come in ALONE (specifically without me) to talk to the judge. He said they would work this out, and they were tired of getting emails from me and my friends! Ultimately Shanna had to face not only the judge, but also Mike Bankston, Jimmy Gilbert, and the CPS agent Ron Hamilton. They bullied her with threats of taking her child away, made her cry and made it sound like she was a sorry mother for wanting her dog back. Judge Skotnik asked her if she was going to let the dog sleep in the house and her baby out in the yard!! What the hell??? Judge Skotnik also told her I did not care about her child, that I was in it for the money and that dog whisperers are stupid! I immediately went to the police station with Shanna and filed an appeal with an attached letter stating I am not doing it for the money and do not claim to be a dog whisperer. I am a dog trainer specializing in aggression. So here is the deal they made her: They will drop the medical bill which has yet to be seen! In addition, they will consider giving Clutch back as long as she turns him over to a friend of the family who lives in another town. But this town has an illegal ban on pit bulls so as soon as the dog arrives the city will take the dog and euthanize it. The judge is discriminating against this dog and abusing his power at the cost of Clutch's physical and mental health. Remember he has been away from his family since June 5th, 2007. If his office is flooded with emails and phone calls, there is hope to get things changed!! Before Shanna left she was informed that they did not want to hear from me again or the deal was off!! Well Clutch was freed as soon as I raised enough money to hire an attorney, and now he is DEAD because of Hatred! Rest in Peace you sweet soul! And Judge Skotnik if this email makes it to you, may God have mercy on your soul for all the people and animals you have abused………. ....

March 2008 Clutch was UNJUSTLY killed 3-13-08 by Bonham, TX Animal Control officer, Jimmy Gilbert. The killing was ordered by Judge John Skotnik. I pleaded that they NOT kill him…On 3-3-08 I emailed Judge John Skotnik and Police Chief Mike Bankston telling them that I would come for Clutch, brush up on training, re-home him in another town and county; and they would never have to deal with this dog again. Hatred won over compassion!. Most of you know this story and you will be shocked to receive this. I know you are aware of the efforts I have put into this dog and his family! Also, I have a video of the Bonham City Pound. If you would like to see that email me privately michele@super-k9.com .... .... On 3-3-08 Rudy called me to inform me that Jimmy Gilbert was at his house when he came home for lunch. Jimmy told Rudy he needed to take Clutch because he was loose, although Clutch was IN THE HOUSE. Jimmy stated that he put Clutch back in the house, I don't know of many dog catchers who would do that. Why would he put him back in the house rather than contain him in the ACO's truck?? Yes, Rudy should not have released Clutch to Jimmy! Jimmy DID NOT have a seizure warrant, and Clutch was IN THE HOUSE! So remember NEVER give your dog to the ACO if they do not have a seizure warrant. Unfortunately, when we are presented with an authority figure we do not think clearly. On 3-3-08 I emailed Alfred Kay. I asked him if he could go to the hearing, and I would pay his costs. He replied with a very smart ass answer, "I'm a lawyer, I go to court". So I took that as a yes. Wouldn't you???? Then I emailed the Judge & Police Chief AGAIN saying I would take Clutch, brush up training and re-home him. This is what Rudy & Shanna wanted. Unfortunately they are going through a divorce; therefore they believed this decision would be best for Clutch. On 3-11-08, TWO days before the hearing, I received this email this email from Alfred: Dear Michelle: I must regretfully decline. I wish you the best of luck. Regards, Alfred Kay I can't tell you how mad I was. I emailed him at least 10 days before the hearing. I won't share my full reply, but I did state how very disappointed I was considering he did NOTHING but waste my time! I was out of town when all this was happening and didn't receive his email until the day before the hearing. I tried… but was unsuccessful in retaining another lawyer on such short notice. Thanks Alfred! On 3-13-08 THE HEARING: Judge Skotnik asked Rudy where his lawyer was, and when Skotnik learned Rudy didn't have any legal representation, he saw the opportunity to take advantage of Rudy. Rudy was not allowed to ask any questions or speak. Judge Skotnik told Rudy, " It doesn't matter what you say; sign these owner release 'Death Sentence' papers or pay $2,000.00 a day until the trial.. How the $2,000.00 a day figure was established I don't know. I guess in good ole boy country they make up their own rules as needed!! So again after the hearing I emailed the Judge and the Police Chief AGAIN!!! and said "OH MY GOODNESS, Please DO NOT euthanize this dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are 3 people who are willing to foster him, and several others who are interesting in providing him with a home......" Clutch was a dog that I personally knew. He lived with me for over a month!! He was very people friendly and had zero dog aggression...a very sweet dog! He was a normal balanced canine with normal canine behavior! So the killing of Clutch was done out of hatred for this breed, the owners, and me. Because of the events of last year, I upset the judge so badly that his hatred for me was so much stronger that the value of innocent blood. In my opinion I believe Judge Skotnik has abused his power one too many times! He doesn't deserve the bench he sits on! Again here are the people to contact!! Let them know your feelings! The first time they received over 500 emails and phone calls. Let's double that!! Thanks for everyone's support; hopefully Clutch did not died in vein, and we can prevent this from happening again!!!!! So, my promise to Clutch is to NOT stop telling this story, in hopes that it doesn't happen again! Education is the key to beating discrimination.  www.animalfarmfoundation.org www.texomabullybreed.com www.blessthebullys.com ....

Another Pit Bull Killed by Ignorance, Fear, and Hatred…… People's rights being trampled all over, if this story outrages you, please let the following people KNOW!!! Judge John Skotnik Bonham City Hall 301 E. 5th St. Bonham, TX 75418-4002 Office: (903)583-7555 ext. 109 Cell: 903-815-8618 Fax: (903)583-5761 municipalcourt@cableone.net http://www.cobon.net/court.htm Jimmy L. Gilbert, ACO Bonham Police Department 301 E. 5th ST. (903)583-2141 Fax: (903)583-2809 http://www.bonhampd.com/Personnel%20Folder/221.htm http://www.myspace.com/jimmygilbert75418 Chief Mike Bankston Bonham Police Department 301 E. 5th ST. (903)583-2141 Fax: (903)583-2809 chiefbankston@cableone.net http://www.bonhampd.com/ .... .... Thank you, .... Michele Crouse, CPDT.... www.super-k9.com.... www.texomabullybreed.com .... www.myspace.com/michelecrouse .... http://www.myspace.com/texomabullybreed  .... www.crousefarms.net.... 903-465-0069.... "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."-Helen Keller-American Pit Bull Terrier owner!.... .... ..:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />........................................................................................

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In the light of the seemingly constant news of pit bull bans, including the extremely controversial and heartbreaking Denver and Ontario bans, it would seem to many of us that breed discrimination is a new horror.  Unfortunately, it is and has been a worldwide epidemic for quite some time.  Several countries enforce breed bans or other forms of breed restrictions - and those restrictions are not only limited to pit bulls.  Germany, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Canada, and many others all enforce some form of breed discrimination.