You’d think that, after their Michael Vick debacle, the so-called “Humane” Society of the United States might have reconsidered their blanket belief that all dogs seized from dogfighters should be killed.
Not only did the HSUS president, Wayne Pacelle, publicly suggest that all the Vick dogs should be killed, but when authorities didn’t immediately succumb to their “save the world from these vicious dogs” hysteria, the HSUS blanketed the nation with donation requests to help look after dogs that were not even in their care!
Now, with some serious egg on their faces when news articles, pictures, and videos, as well as a TV documentary, show these dogs happily interacting with people, kids and other dogs, one would think that HSUS might back off from their “kill ’em all, let God sort ’em out” attitude.
Well, apparently not.
Once again, poking their nose into another court case for the sole purpose of killing dogs, HSUS has recommended the “euthanasia” (nice word for destruction) of 127 dogs in North Carolina and a Superior Court judge has accepted that recommendation.
127 (that’s ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN) potential “Vick dog” outcomes have been destroyed without even an attempt to look at the individual dogs.
Do I think every one of those dogs would have turned out to be Lassie? Of course not. I’m under no illusions as to the effects that both breeding and environment can have on a dog’s ability to function in human society. There may be some, perhaps even many, that wouldn’t be able to fit into a normal family home. Then again, most of them might be great.
The point is, nobody cared to find out. HSUS said “kill them all” and the judge fell for it. That is not humane. It’s not even decent.
As a separate issue, the three people charged in this case pleaded guilty as follows:
Father – 14 counts of felony dog fighting – total jail time 8 to 10 months (probably out in 4) – that’s less than one month per count of dog fighting;
Son – 1 count of felony dog fighting – no jail time – suspended sentence of 6 to 8 months;
Son’s fiancée – 1 count of animal cruelty – no jail time – suspended sentence of 45 days;
TOTAL JAIL TIME: 8 to 10 months for 15 counts of dog fighting and for being responsible for the deaths of 127 dogs. Seems like they got off pretty easy, unlike their dogs.
Here’s the full story:
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/feb/16/judge-orders-pit-bulls-seized-wilkes-euthanized/
And here’s one from Florida from 2006 that still gets me every time I read it. Warning: Kleenex alert!
http://www.chicobandido.com/2006/07/killing-dogs-in-florida/
And here’s how HSUS got their fingers in that one:
http://www.chicobandido.com/2006/07/pit-bulls-and-animal-rights-hsus-in-florida/
FYI, the guy charged in the Florida case pleady guilty to 80 (yes, that’s EIGHTY) counts of animal cruelty and was sentenced to one year in jail.