Advice Needed!!!

[bama]

I agree with Phyllis, don't live in fear, however do be smart...cautious.
It's sad when acts of violence like this are committed and the authorities throw up their hands.
I wish I was close...you and I could march into the mayor's office!
Why not share this story with Peta? Is there a Peta group near you that may help you make
some noise to a tv station? Even a few people standing outside the mayor's office with
some signs will get attention.
You have done so much...obviously more than any of your other neighbors. It's easy to turn the other
cheek and not get involved, that's why most people do it. But, you got moxy girl!!!
You are doing a great job!

[TJordan]

I have really managed to piss of animal control today. OOPS. But I have sent a letter to my senator who is actually from here. The Mayor is next. Anyone heard of PPL. I spoke with another neighbor today who was disgusted as well. She told the story to her aunt who use to rescue pitts. Anyway she came over for the man's address so her aunt could notify PPL. Whoever that is. She wasn't sure either. She said she would let me know when she found out. His probation officer has been notified as of now. I will check back tomorrow. Maybe I can get is a$$ tossed in jail for something else. I figure if I keep throwing nets out something is bound to catch him.

Dang did you guys know how much taser's cost. Shoot $350.00 Yikes.

[summer_rose03]

Photos/Video and call as soon as you hear something so that he can get caught in the act. It's awful that they couldn't do anything. I'm sure they would be able to see from the condition of the puppies that they were beat. An injury on one or two of the puppies could be explained away, but not all 3. Maybe even hold the phone over the fence so they can hear the puppies yelping. Maybe then they can do something.

[TJordan]

Except that animal control is useless. They have still not set foot in that backyard to check the puppies. That is why I made them mad yesterday. I don't know how they can tell their condition if they never saw them?????

[bama]

Animal abuse is a crime, therefore a violation of his parole. I believe pressing the legal/illegal aspect is the best way
to teach this guy a lesson. I'm glad the parole officer has been notified, hopefully he will get more than a slap on the wrist.
I don't know what PPL is, but hopefully they can help make some noise?
I can see where animal control would have not have just cause to get a warrant for this guy's arrest, that is if the dumpster is
community property. Unless, this guy admits to throwing the dogs in the dumpster, there is no proof.
What is most damning, is your eye witness account of him beating the dogs.
This so sad! You are doing a great job! It is a process that takes courage and moxy, you have both!

Personally, I would skip the taser and purchase a gun. But, that's just me.

[kiwani]

Anyone heard of PPL

Pit-bull Protection League? You might broadcast this horrible story on select Pit-bull forums.

Stay safe

[TJordan]

Thanks kiwani, at that makes a little sense. The lady who mentioned it use to rescue pitts. So I will find some forums and keep spreading the word.

Today things are looking up. The man recieved 5 years probabtion last year with deferred adjudication. So in theory that should be able to throw the book at him for the orignal charge and the rest that he has been up to. A letter has been sent to his probation officer and she is also apparently an animal lover. Cross your fingers.

[Auddymay]

When you speak to certain people, they will give you the run around. Too many people in the system already blah blah bureaucrats. Ignore these types. There are really more people who care than knows what happened. Improper disposal of the dead animal comes to mind. It is good to know his prob officer will know about this. Document who you talked to and when, so when the freak kills more of them, you will have a record of past events.

[TJordan]

Good thinking Auddymay. I will do that.

[bama]

Just following up...

Is your animal beating neighbor home yet?
Let us hear from you, want to know you and Butters are doing ok?

[TJordan]

Oh Honey he was home the next morning. He has been quiet for the most part. The probabtion officer is looking into his arrest to see if it is anything she can revoke his probation for. Still just waiting to see if they really press charges on him. although in the meantime I have been writing lawmakers and sharing the story. Butters is great and our routine hasn't changed so he is still happy. As long as he gets his walks or someone in the backyard with him he stays pretty happy.

[KathrynH]

I was just wondering if there were any new developments in this situation? I have been following it, and I'm hopeful to see justice done for these poor puppies.

[TJordan]

So far nothing new. I am going to try and call the police dept. and see if they will reveal anything. But since they were less than helpful to begin with I am not crossing my fingers. It may be time to call a news station soon.

[Charlotte Paige]

Summer of 06' I managed the apartment complex where I live. A new tenant moved in.. they had a BEAUTIFUL pit.
They were slowly moving out of their old complex and into the new. They told me their old neighbor (known drug dealer and dangerous) had a pit bull puppy tied out in the sun on concrete on a 2 foot chain. I drove over there to see for myself. And yes the poor thing looked awful. I called the police dept., they said they would go over. I ASSUMED that it was taken care of.. nope!

The new tenants come back to me and tell me that Big Ray or whatever his name was had dumped lighter fluid all over the dog and set it on fire ... FOR FUN and to "toughen" it up. I called the police immediately... and their response was they didn't see a dog, yet I drove by about 20 mins later.. and there is the poor dog. It was hard to see from the street, but the dog looked sluggish. I called the police back telling them what i had seen.. blah blah.. NOTHING ... until.....

I decided to contact Chicago Bully Rescue. The next thing I know I am being copied on email after email back and forth from the chief of police ... detectives and the officers that went out on the calls, with Caroline from the rescue group. They "assured" her that they do not have any tolerance for animal abuse and they took my calls seriously.. blah blah. Well, we lost the fight.. Big Ray (whatever) was evicted, so I will never know the outcome of the pup... i am sure it wasn't good though.

A year later I go to the Chicagoland Pet Expo and I see the Bully Rescue booth.. so I decide I have to go donate to them (actually bought an I love my chow chow magnet ribbon thing for my car) as I am paying I started telling my story of the puppy and this girl comes up behind me and said.. that was me I am Caroline.

She then told me another part of the story I did not know. I guess she emailed our town's president and a few other higher ups on what was going on. The next response she received was a phone call from the chief of police threatening her not to step foot in our town or else... She then told him I am putting on my f*#!ing shoes now (she is always up for a fight for the animals)

Soooo, if I would have seen the thread before I would have suggested a rescue group. They usually know all of the proper channels and will go to bat for the breed when animal control will not.

I just saw her at the last expo in March and we talked about it again and how we wish we could have gotten the pup out.... she was just going to take it from the balcony at one point... but that was when we realized he was gone.

[TJordan]

Sadly I haven't found any local rescues. We have the huame society, who wanted to wait and see. We have the SPCA who couldn't do anything but gave me advice and was outraged along with me. I contacted a pitt bull rescue but they are 6 hours away. She reponsed by telling me that our local cops and animal poeple basically suck and are heartless. Which is true. But being so far away there was little she could do to help.

[Zhuyos mom]

Sadly I haven't found any local rescues.

Have you tried going out of state for resources? Bad Rap in San Francisco specializes in Pit Bull Rescue. Maybe e-mail them the story and ask if they know or are aware of a rescue in TX, moreover in your county. Sometimes the rescue network reaches beyond an organization itself and there could be that one sole local rescue person they know personally who is able to stand up and be the advocte for the dog/s. Here's Bad Rap's web site: http://www.badrap.org/rescue/

[TJordan]

Thanks for the website. I checked it out. But it seems that the nearest rescue is 5 hours away. Nothing up in my area.

[Zhuyos mom]

But that doesn't mean they won't come down to you or even have a phone conversation to form some sort of "think tank" session. Just try. I know many of the Northern California rescues go all over the place to help, hours away to help. Bad Rap went down to GA to tend to the rescue needs and rehab strategies for the Michael Vick dogs. Moreover a rescue just 5 hours away. Again, it will just take one pitbull advocate's heart to hear what you've been going through and to come to your aid.

[TJordan]

I will keep checking, but the one I did speak with told me that from that distance she couldn't do anything especially since the authorities were not willing to help much.

[TJordan]

A little Update: Still nobody willing to do anything with the dogs. But here is the worst part. Apparently I was lied to by our crack police force. They told me he was being arrested for multiple warrants, and he would be charged with animal abuse. (don't forget he tried to run from the cops as well) He was not arrested. He was never arrested. He was taken in for questioning on animal abuse. He apparently had a story good enough to appease the cops and all is forgotten. Not only that, the crime blotter for that day does not reflect his address, but instead mine, it is listed as a nusiance call.

That is correct, I am a nusiance for reporting animal abuse. Then I was lied to as to the man's arrest. I can't fathom why they needed to lie to me about it. HMMM. What country am I living in???

[kingalls]

Have you already contacted the mayor or other city officials? What about Animal Cops? Maybe you can contact someone there and get some ideas about who you should be able to call and get something done.

[Victory]

I'd call the Houston SPCA and see if they could get someone to come up your town and talk to the cops, maybe it's time to talk to the state legislature, they are all so dang quick to jumb on the BSL band wagon, but how about they stop doing something to stop people from causing these dogs to become killers? Beating a dog to death and nearly killing another one, and then being left with another or two to beat until the animal hates and mistrusts humans and is dangerous is not the way to protect the public from dangerous dogs. Is it possible for any politicians to be pro-active in this country? I would lay down the guantlet to them, back it up with facts and stats, call any and all breed associations in your area that sponsor any breed that has been threatened with BSL.

People like this jerk should never be allowed to get near a dog, (or any other domestic animals, there are some wild ones, I'd more than like to see him face off against, cause he'd lose!) And it ticks me off that the cops think your call was a nusanuce but this guy is allowed to continue doing what is GOING to result in someone getting seriously injured or killed and then they'll all talk about what a shame it was. Freaking stupid hypocrits!

[Auddymay]

Victory is correct. The only way you could get any justice now is to become a full-blown activist. In larger areas, someone else has already done the activism, and have switched to watchdogging to make sure things don't backslide. No pun intended. Where you are at, it sounds like the animal protection laws are about a decade behind times. Only retraining, and rethinking will change the situation, and that won't happen without some prompting.

Think of it the same as say, domestic abuse. There was a time not so long ago when it was permissable to hit your wife, and there was no such thing as marital rape. Now days, you would be ostricized and jailed for commiting these same crimes. When things were first changing though, there were pockets in our society, and still there are isolated areas, that resisted changing to this kind of thinking.

[TJordan]

I have written letters to my senator, congressman and now I am moving on to the idiots who have proposed HB1982 in Texas which will allow any dog over 40lbs to be considered dangerous without ever being out of their enclosure. These people who are making the laws are out of their minds.

Update: The man claimed the dogs were not his. He said they wondered into his backyard and the Mamma dog attacked the puppy. So he beat the mamma dog. Now the Detective believes that they were his dogs and I stated that the white dog was in fact in the man's yard the week prior. The problem now is that his claim that the big dog killed the small dog. Animal control (Useless and stupid people) have said that it is possible that happened. So he can't be charged with animal abuse. So the only charge they can put on him is illegal disposal. So if the courts accept the charge the detective put on him, he will merely walk away with $1000.00 dollar fine. Since he never pays his fines, in the end he may spend 15-20 days in jail.

He told me that in another county he is up on animal abuse charges as well although he didn't know the specifics on it. I think Animal control is afraid of this guy, or they just are lazy and stupid. Not sure which is worse.

The laws need to change in a serious way.

[fillyok]

Can you contact your city attorney's office and see if they can do anything? Being lied to by city officials should be taken very seriously since you're a tax payer. The fact that you've been labeled as a nuisance caller should also get their attention. I'd fight that with all I have. I know when I (and many others) raised hell here things changed at animal control. Three people from SA's city attorney's office were at the board meeting the night AC got ripped apart by fellow taxpayers (you've got to drive that point home every chance you can). Also write letters to the editor of the local newspaper and city manager. I found out SA's city manager makes over $275K a year while doing my research!!! Contact news stations that handle these kind of problems too. I went with our local channel 12 and they ran several stories about problems with AC. I also got a personal call from my councilwoman's assistant (I wrote her too) letting me know they were looking into the problem.
Good luck!!