OH-Dog advocate says 'pit bulls' are unfairly demonized

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Article published November 06, 2009

Dog advocate says 'pit bulls' are unfairly demonized
Canine profiling cited as ineffective approach
By CARL RYAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER

In dealing with dangerous dogs, Ohio and Lucas County are all wrong, a lawyer-lobbyist for an animal-welfare organization told a group at Government Center yesterday.

Ledy VanKavage, a specialist in animal law, said Ohio and Lucas County are behind the times in adopting laws and practicing policies that target a particular breed.

"Ohio is the only state that discriminates against 'pit bulls'," she said. "Twelve states, including Illinois, prohibit breed discrimination. Breed-discrimination laws are ineffective. Profiling doesn't protect the public."

Ms. VanKavage is senior legislative analyst for Best Friends Animal Society, the group that rescued disgraced NFL player Michael Vick's approximately 50 "pit bulls," which have been rehabilitated and adopted out.

She said she is on the American Bar Association's animal-law committee, which has published A Lawyer's Guide to Dangerous Dog Issues, a book that "shows that canine profiling is not effective. Studies show that breed discrimination doesn't work."

Ohio law specifically defines vicious dogs to include "pit bulls," regardless of their temperament. House Bill 79 sponsored by State Rep. Barbara Sears (R., Sylvania), who attended the presentation, would remove the breed reference and define a dangerous dog according to its behavior. Ms. VanKavage said she supported the bill and would like to testify on its behalf in the legislature.

In fact, the term "pit bull" is used loosely. The name comes from the cruel and sadistic 19th century British sport of putting dogs in a pit with rats to see which dog could kill the most. A pit was used to keep the rats from escaping. "Pit bull" describes several breeds of dogs, including the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and many mongrels.

Ms. VanKavage was in Toledo at the invitation of Jean Keating and her organization, the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates, which has been agitating for the firing of Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon on the claim that he euthanizes too many dogs and places too little emphasis on adoption. Last year, 2,483 dogs were killed at the Lucas County dog pound, 80 percent of the dogs taken in.

"What I'm amazed at is the level of rhetoric making these dogs demons. It's insane," Ms. VanKavage said. "It has basically become a witch hunt."

Mr. Skeldon, who has warned of the dangers of "pit bulls" for years, said he met Ms. VanKavage and was familiar with her views. "She's a nice, intelligent lady, but she's on the opposite side of this issue from me," he said last night.

Based on state law that automatically labels "pit bulls" vicious dogs, including dogs and puppies that have not bitten anyone, Mr. Skeldon said it is his policy that he won't let people adopt "pit bulls" impounded at his facility or hand them over to dog rescue groups, resulting in the killing of hundreds of "pit bulls" each year held at the dog pound.

Last year, Mr. Skeldon's operation killed 1,281 "pit bulls" at the county dog pound, out of 2,483 dogs and puppies euthanized by the dog warden. The dogs are killed by injection, placed in freezers, and disposed of in either Toledo's Hoffman Road landfill or the Evergreen landfill in Northwood.

Owners of "pit bulls" picked up by the dog warden may reclaim their dogs if they don't have criminal records involving dog fighting and drugs, have no complaints on file involving dogs, agree to have their dogs spayed or neutered, and pay any fines associated with their dogs' impoundment.

Ms. VanKavage said countries and communities that have banned breeds perceived as dangerous have seen no reduction in dog attacks. She said she owns three "pit bulls." Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, has a cadaver dog that's part "pit bull," she said.

"Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they should be judged as individuals," she said.

Ms. VanKavage said visual identification of "pit bulls" is wrong most of the time and only DNA testing, which costs $120 per dog, is truly accurate.

Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop, who has been pushing for change in the dog warden's operation, asked if there were DNA grants Lucas County might apply for. She said she thought funding was available.

Rob Ludeman, a member of the commissioners' dog warden advisory committee who was elected to City Council Tuesday, said he heard some good ideas that he would approach council with next year.

He said he wanted to explore forbidding felons from owning unsterilized dogs that can be used for fighting, as other communities have done.

"This could cut down on dog fighting," he said.

Contact Carl Ryan at:
carlryan@theblade.com
or 419-724-6050.

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