*News Story Alert- Atlanta*

[Marty]

Fox 5 News will be airing an I-Team Investigation on Fulton County Animals Control's "suspicious love of pit bulls". Scheduled to air this Thursday at 6 and 10 pm. From the commercials, it looks like it's going to be yet another piece about how the breed has no place in our society. I'll post the story link from the website when it airs.

[pennsooner]

Nail em' to the wall as much as you can for running that crap, good luck. I loath journalist who try to create news rather than reporting it.

[Marty]

We need everyone to write in and voice your opinion on this...

Link to fox 5 news...
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Us?pageId=5.11

[cutt]

I DID....I hope to get a response via email . but dunno.

[chinasmom]

What exactly are we replying too? The piece hasn't aired has it?

[Marty]

No but it's coming... Scheduled to air this Thursday at 6 and 10 pm

[Unregistered]

Before the current administration took over FCAS, pitbulls were routinely destroyed on the basis of breed alone. The new management adopted the "every dog deserves a chance, regardless of breed" policy, and now are being crucified by Fox news because of it. The ads for the "suspicious love" story show pitbulls lunging at cages and things like that, but I and others have taken walks through the shelter and encountered only sweet and friendly pitbull dogs, which indicates to me that the dogs were probably antagonized by the news crew for purposes of the "story." If Fox can make things look bad enough the public is likely to demand a change in pitbull policy which would only result in further m*** executions of pitbulls in Atlanta and it's surrounding communities.

[Marty]

Update... Fulton County Animal Services
Oct 29, 2008 | 4:38 PM
Category: News

Report This Post

Featured On: MyFoxAtlanta Pit bulls are probably the most misunderstood breed of dogs today. Dog fighters love to abuse them, but in the right hands they can be loving, people-friendly pets. Abused pit bulls pose the biggest challenge.

When Barking Hound Village Foundation took over management of Fulton County Animal Services earlier this year, a new director was brought on board. Jere Alexander says pit bulls are her favorite breed. She even has an on-line website, www.pitarchive.org which was taken down shortly after she became aware of our investigation. She calls it a research site, with information about the history of dog fighting and the pit bull breed itself. She says it was taken down for maintenance, not because of our investigation. Although Ms. Alexander says she has done "field work" in the area of dog fighting, she condemns the practice.

Critics claim Ms. Alexander put dogs at risk when she took control of the shelter, a claim she denies. The current and former employees tell the I-Team she routinely looked the other way when her favorite breed went on the attack. They insist she refused to euthanize obviously aggressive pit bulls. Those pits, in turn, attacked other dogs in the pens. Insiders claim dog attacks and deaths inside the shelter have risen dramatically since Barking Hound Village Foundation took over. The management there tells us they don't keep such statistics.

Our investigation digs up what really happened when a vicious dog ticket mysteriously disappeared a few months ago. That dog was a pit bull. We explore why Ms. Alexander had her own pit bulls chained on her property multiple times, in violation of DeKalb County's anti-chaining ordinance. We also reveal just how easy it was for an undercover I-Team producer to be approved to adopt an aggressive pit bull from the Fulton County Animal Shelter, even though he made a point of telling everyone at the shelter he hadn't even bothered to take the dog out of the cage.

The investigations airs Thursday and Friday at 6 and 10 pm. I'm sure we'll be airing follow-up stories as well.

Please share your thoughts.

http://community.myfoxatlanta.com/bl...nimal_Services

[Marty]

New update with video...

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=1.1.1

[simms]

Originally Posted by Marty

Update... Fulton County Animal Services
Oct 29, 2008 | 4:38 PM
Category: News

Report This Post

Featured On: MyFoxAtlanta Pit bulls are probably the most misunderstood breed of dogs today. Dog fighters love to abuse them, but in the right hands they can be loving, people-friendly pets. Abused pit bulls pose the biggest challenge.

When Barking Hound Village Foundation took over management of Fulton County Animal Services earlier this year, a new director was brought on board. Jere Alexander says pit bulls are her favorite breed. She even has an on-line website, www.pitarchive.org which was taken down shortly after she became aware of our investigation. She calls it a research site, with information about the history of dog fighting and the pit bull breed itself. She says it was taken down for maintenance, not because of our investigation. Although Ms. Alexander says she has done "field work" in the area of dog fighting, she condemns the practice.

Critics claim Ms. Alexander put dogs at risk when she took control of the shelter, a claim she denies. The current and former employees tell the I-Team she routinely looked the other way when her favorite breed went on the attack. They insist she refused to euthanize obviously aggressive pit bulls. Those pits, in turn, attacked other dogs in the pens. Insiders claim dog attacks and deaths inside the shelter have risen dramatically since Barking Hound Village Foundation took over. The management there tells us they don't keep such statistics.

Our investigation digs up what really happened when a vicious dog ticket mysteriously disappeared a few months ago. That dog was a pit bull. We explore why Ms. Alexander had her own pit bulls chained on her property multiple times, in violation of DeKalb County's anti-chaining ordinance. We also reveal just how easy it was for an undercover I-Team producer to be approved to adopt an aggressive pit bull from the Fulton County Animal Shelter, even though he made a point of telling everyone at the shelter he hadn't even bothered to take the dog out of the cage.

The investigations airs Thursday and Friday at 6 and 10 pm. I'm sure we'll be airing follow-up stories as well.

Please share your thoughts.

http://community.myfoxatlanta.com/bl...nimal_Services

Sounds like they have a hard on for the shelter ..(Excuse me) Director!. They are making some bold claims....

[Marty]

Some one PLEASE respond To this post... DBansChaining
Oct 30, 2008 | 8:26 PM Regarding Chaining -

I am currently working with Fulton County Animal Control to p*** a law to Ban Chaining.

I seek answers as to why Jere Alexander, a knowledgable Pit owner, would EVER chain any dog. Chaining causes frustration, aggression and pent up energy which is heightened by the strong breeds.

Please continue your efforts to improve the plight of Fulton County's dogs and the citizens who live in these communities where people see "nothing wrong" with chaining an animal. Your report shows just how dangerous chaining makes dogs.

To help unchain Fulton's animals, contribute to resources for low cost fencing, information, and foster homes for unwanted chained dogs, contact denbhl@yahoo.com

- From one Atlanta Area Rep for Dogs Deserve Better, a non profit aimed at providing information and resources to unchain dogs.

Has it ever accrued to you she knows what she's talking about " chaining dogs" would you prefer them running lose read this ....

http://www.nopitbullbans.com/wp-cont...te_1cf54f6.pdf

The site Dogs Deserve Better want's to kill all the dogs...I'm sure thats the best thing for them

[ohenry]

I know Gere Alexander and worked for David York, I know them both well enough to know this is an improper representation of the people that they are. They would both go beyond the call of duty to help any animal. You are crucifying them and marring their reputation all for a good "story" to fill the news. They may not be snuffing out Pit Bulls in a timely manner because they have the intelligence to know that aggression comes from lack of physical and mental stimulation. I have owned a Pit Bull for six years, he is the most affectionate dog i have ever had. I own a Pet Supply store and Henry comes with me to work, my customers bring their children to visit him!
Ms. Alexander and Mr. York are guilty of one thing, giving dogs that other people have improperly cared for (which caused aggression) a fair shake.
This story is coming from disgruntled employees who have no ethics and no integrity and are clearly looking to get even. As i watched Friday i was disturbed by the dog cornering the other dog. Mr. York and Ms. Alexander cannot run the business end of the facility and supervise runs 24/7. The employee standing there doing nothing, stating "it's an initiation" should have had the INITIATIVE to walk in the run and seperate the dogs. The problem in these type of facilities a lot of times are the employees who do the bare minimum and don't take action to resolve problems. Then when they are dealt with they go for the jugular and start a smear campaign.
If there is anyone in the world that i trust with animals the top of the list would be David York and Gere Alexander. Let's chalk this whole ridiculousness up to former employees who have no integrity.

[chinasmom]

Does anyone know about the follow-up story from friday and where it is posted?

Finallly found it.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=3.2.1

[SMOKIN HEMI]

Give me a Break

[SMOKIN HEMI]

Ok I am VERY UPSET by the news REPORT.

[Marty]

/crossposted/

Sec. 34-196 of Fulton County's animal law defines "Vicious Dog" as any animal which, because of temperament, conditioning, or training, has a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack, bite, or injure humans or other animals without provocation; or an animal which has on one or more occasion caused physical injury to humans or other animals without provocation, whether on public or private property.

From what I understand, there is no record indicating that the dog in question had a "known propensity" to bite or had ever bitten before. Apparently the dog had never been deemed "Vicious" by anyone with the authority to do so. If such is the case, then the owners of this dog were not legally in violation of the "Vicious Dog" ordinance.
In this type of case it would be standard procedure to "handle it a different way," as Alexander clearly stated during her interview.
People need to watch the video again.

[StopBSL]

Thats exactly the kind of biased journalism that makes me wish i were a reporter.

We need more reporters in this country who REPORT instead of fabricating "news"

[chinasmom]

I have watched it over and over and she clearly starts to give an explanation about the tickets when he calls her out and then the camera goes to his mug shot. I wonder how much of the tape had been edited for that effect.

[velli2008]

Originally Posted by chinasmom

I have watched it over and over and she clearly starts to give an explanation about the tickets when he calls her out and then the camera goes to his mug shot. I wonder how much of the tape had been edited for that effect.

no kidding!! crap like this is getting so out of hand, and it needs to stop!!

[JBlazeRx7]

I think for starters some one should of been filming the camera crew while they were in the nterview and while they were filming the dog's,get the dog side of the view and REALLY see what they are doin to aggitate the dogs!