I recently received my Winter 2010 copy of "ASPCA Action" and read an article that really made me smile. The article titled "ASPCA Animal Behavior Experts Work with Marines to Evaluate Dogs and Keep Them on Base", gave me hope that more people are working to prevent breed bans and are fighting to give Bully breed dogs the chance they deserve.
This article is reprinted with the expressed permission of the ASPCA.
In early October, six ASPCA animal behavior experts traveled to assess the behavior of 85 dogs living in the Tri-Command housing units of the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot. The dogs, mostly Pit Bulls and Rottweilers, were potentially subject to a new military housing breed ban, and the Tri-Command tapped the ASPCA to assess the dogs to ensure that they did not pose a threat to base personnel and their families.
The assessment, known as SAFER (Safety Assessment For Evaluation Rehoming), is an evaluation tool that helps identify the likelihood of aggression in individual dogs. SAFER identifies a dog's comfort level with certain interactions, like restraint, touch, reaction to new experiences, objects and sounds, bite inhibition, behavior around food and toys, and attitude towards other dogs.
"Our goal was to make sure safe dogs and their families were able to stay together," says Dr. Emily Weiss, ASPCA Senior Director of Shelter Research and Development. "We were seeking to identify behavior such as aggression, which often can be modified or managed." Dr. Weiss developed the SAFER assessment program, as well as the popular ASPCA Meet Your Match program.
Talk of instituting a breed ban on the base began after several incidents that involved dogs attacks. The Marine Corps had previously conducted tests that evaluated a dog's obedience and manners, but not aggression.
The ASPCA is opposed to laws that ban specific breeds of dogs or discriminate against responsible dog guardians based solely on their choice of breed. Dr. Weiss says, " We evaluated 85 dogs using the SAFER assessment. Of those, 83 showed no significant aggression issues that would cause them to be torn from their loving families." She adds, "Two dogs demonstrated significant aggression - that's just 2.4 percent of the dogs assessed, which is a powerful statistic when the alternative is an all-out ban on a breed."
(Copyright 2010. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). All rights reserved.)
Also in this recent issue were stories chronicling some of the ASPCA's recent work such as the evaluation of some of the dogs seized in the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history (including a "pit-bull" that gave birth to puppies after she was rescued), their rescue of 250 dogs and cats in October raids on puppy-mills in Mississippi and Tennessee, and the passing of the Human Euthanasia Bill by the New York State Legislature that prohibits gassing as an accepted form of euthanasia for stray, homeless, abandoned or improperly cared for animals, requires euthanasia by injection to be done only by a certified euthanasia technician, licensed veterinary technician or licensed veterinarian, and prohibits intra-cardiac euthanasia on unsedated animals who are under the care of a shelter.
The ASPCA is a wonderful organization whose members and experts work tirelessly to save so many animals. But, what impresses me most, is their continued work to show the world that breed-bans are unfounded and that Bully breed dogs are worth saving too. Every day they work to give these dogs not only the care and medical attention they need, but to place them in the loving homes they deserve. THANK YOU ASPCA!!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Gift-wrap that sweater, not a puppy
The holiday season is upon us yet again, and everyone is shopping for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Many times, people make the mistake of giving a dog (or other pet) as a surprise gift, thinking how cute it will be to have the puppy in a box, wrapped up in a bow like that scene from Lady & the Tramp. But this is not a good idea. If the person receiving your furry present is not ready for a dog, financially or otherwise, or if the particular breed you chose for them is not a good match, it can spell disaster. Adopting a dog is a big decision, and the person who will be responsible for caring for the animal should be involved in every way. If the dog will be a gift for your own children, it should be a family event to make sure the dog is a good fit for everyone, including existing pets! Too many times when parents give a puppy as a gift to their kids, the excitement wears off, puppyhood becomes a reality, and there’s a dog that no one wants to take care of, no one wants to train. Before you know it, your sweet little puppy-in-a-box is in a shelter by St. Patrick’s Day.
Since individual breeds are so different, it’s important that the potential owner researches breeds before deciding on one; everything from size and temperament, to energy levels and health issues needs to be considered to ensure the dog matches its owner’s lifestyle. Instead of actually presenting the dog as the gift, you may want to purchase dog supplies or some dog books to give to the person on the big day. Then your loved one can find the dog best for them, or you can go together to adopt.
A word about puppy mills...
In addition to not giving a dog as a surprise holiday gift, PLEASE do not buy a puppy from a newspaper ad, on the Internet, or from a pet store!! The newspaper/Internet ads are almost always puppy mills advertising to sell animals directly to the public, and pet stores usually obtain their puppies from puppy mills as well. Pet stores will try to assure you that they only get the puppies from responsible breeders, but don’t be fooled. NO reputable or responsible breeder would sell to a pet store.
As you may know, puppy mills are commercial dog breeding operations that focus primarily on profit rather than the welfare of the animals in their facilities. Dogs in puppy mills live in unsanitary conditions, have inadequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care, suffer overcrowding, and receive virtually no human companionship. In puppy mills, females are bred as frequently as possible and will likely never live life outside of a puppy mill. Many times, the puppies aren’t even purebred, and if they are, the quality is poor. Genetic testing for temperament and health issues is rare, and many of these puppies not only end up with kennel cough and chronic ear and eye infections, but also have serious genetic health problems that don’t show up until later. Despite the owners spending thousands of dollars on vet bills, these dogs often die an early death.
Don’t fall into the guilt trip of “Oh, I need to SAVE that puppy in the window!” Pet stores and puppy mills can only stay in business if you give them your money. Be part of the solution, not the problem.
If you are looking for a purebred dog, try your local shelter. 1/3 of the dogs in shelters are purebred, and many are young, contrary to popular belief. You could also find a breed-specific rescue group. Remember that while puppies are adorable and fun, they also take a TON of work and time. An older dog is often already housebroken and trained, and is just waiting for a loving home to share! Adopting a dog through rescue is also much less expensive than the hundreds or even thousands of dollars you would pay a breeder. Usually spay/neuter is even built into the relatively low adoption fee. If you MUST buy a puppy and haven’t found one through rescue, please make sure you choose a responsible, reputable breeder, and NEVER buy from a pet store.
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Since individual breeds are so different, it’s important that the potential owner researches breeds before deciding on one; everything from size and temperament, to energy levels and health issues needs to be considered to ensure the dog matches its owner’s lifestyle. Instead of actually presenting the dog as the gift, you may want to purchase dog supplies or some dog books to give to the person on the big day. Then your loved one can find the dog best for them, or you can go together to adopt.
A word about puppy mills...
In addition to not giving a dog as a surprise holiday gift, PLEASE do not buy a puppy from a newspaper ad, on the Internet, or from a pet store!! The newspaper/Internet ads are almost always puppy mills advertising to sell animals directly to the public, and pet stores usually obtain their puppies from puppy mills as well. Pet stores will try to assure you that they only get the puppies from responsible breeders, but don’t be fooled. NO reputable or responsible breeder would sell to a pet store.
As you may know, puppy mills are commercial dog breeding operations that focus primarily on profit rather than the welfare of the animals in their facilities. Dogs in puppy mills live in unsanitary conditions, have inadequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care, suffer overcrowding, and receive virtually no human companionship. In puppy mills, females are bred as frequently as possible and will likely never live life outside of a puppy mill. Many times, the puppies aren’t even purebred, and if they are, the quality is poor. Genetic testing for temperament and health issues is rare, and many of these puppies not only end up with kennel cough and chronic ear and eye infections, but also have serious genetic health problems that don’t show up until later. Despite the owners spending thousands of dollars on vet bills, these dogs often die an early death.
Don’t fall into the guilt trip of “Oh, I need to SAVE that puppy in the window!” Pet stores and puppy mills can only stay in business if you give them your money. Be part of the solution, not the problem.
If you are looking for a purebred dog, try your local shelter. 1/3 of the dogs in shelters are purebred, and many are young, contrary to popular belief. You could also find a breed-specific rescue group. Remember that while puppies are adorable and fun, they also take a TON of work and time. An older dog is often already housebroken and trained, and is just waiting for a loving home to share! Adopting a dog through rescue is also much less expensive than the hundreds or even thousands of dollars you would pay a breeder. Usually spay/neuter is even built into the relatively low adoption fee. If you MUST buy a puppy and haven’t found one through rescue, please make sure you choose a responsible, reputable breeder, and NEVER buy from a pet store.
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon Retires After 22-year Reign of Death
This month, dogs and dog lovers all over the land are singing the Munchkins’ happy tune….”Ding Dong…!” First, Dorothy’s house landed smack dab on top of the Wicked Witch of the East with Jackie Thompson’s recall from Whitehall City Council earlier this month. Now, the Wicked Witch of the West (er, well…Northwest-ish) has all but completely melted, as Lucas County dog warden Tom Skeldon submitted a letter of resignation on November 19! His official retirement date will be January 31, 2010, however he plans to use leftover vacation time for the remainder of his employment, making the end of December his last day at the pound.
Now to give you some background on this beast. The departure of Skeldon from his 22-year position as Lucas County’s Chief Dog Warden has been over a year in the making. Last October, a petition with the signatures of over 3000 concerned Toledo-area residents was submitted, calling for his removal as the county’s head of animal control. Since then, Skeldon has been blamed for the wrongful deaths of 2 family pets. In February 2009, a 10-pound Pomeranian that was outside on its front porch waiting to go back inside, was shot by a deputy dog warden’s tranquilizer gun and later died. Then in August, a Chow named Bear got loose from his house on a Sunday evening, was hit by a car, and ran off. Though his family searched the area for him and looked at the pound, they couldn’t find him; however, they were told they had 3 days before he would be put down, should he come into the pound. The dog was found by police Tuesday night, and the dog warden called the family Wednesday morning to notify them that Bear had been put to sleep. The dog warden alleges that this action was taken because the emergency vet recommended it was the humane thing to do, due to the dog’s injuries. Bear’s injuries consisted of a broken leg. The owners had no opportunity to make a decision or to see their family member again.
Of course, Tom Skeldon has been most often criticized for his procedures of operation within the dog shelter. He has come under heavy fire from many animal advocacy groups, including HELP FIDO, but one of his biggest critics is County Commissioner Ben Konop. Konop, like many of us, finds the warden’s policies and actions completely unacceptable. From his statements, he seems to be both outraged and embarrassed by the pound’s astronomical euthanization rate (77%) and low adoption rate (13%), especially since Wood County has an adoption rate of 80%. Only 160 dogs have been adopted out in the last two years. Last year’s death toll was a staggering 2,483 dogs. So far this year, Skeldon’s office has killed 1,848.
In addition to this general lack of effort to place adoptable animals in homes, Tom Skeldon is known for his particularly ruthless bias against bully breeds, promoting discrimination against them and seemingly carrying out some sort of personal vendetta. He refused to adopt out any pit bulls or surrender them to rescue groups, instead euthanizing any that came through his doors. Since 2007, 400 puppies (all breeds) have been euthanized, 183 of which were apparently healthy (another fact that his critics took issue with). Half of the 400 puppies were pit bulls (or what Tom Skeldon considers a pit bull). This year alone, the dog warden's office has killed at least 932 pit bulls or pit bull mixes, including 46 pit bull puppies, regardless of age. Obviously the puppy-killing in general is ludicrous, since everyone knows puppies are so easily adopted. And Skeldon’s pit bull policy is ridiculous. Not only is it disheartening that he was judging solely on breed/type and not history, health, behavior, or temperament, but there's a good chance he was also incorrectly identifying many non-pit bull dogs as pit bulls.
If this weren’t bad enough, pit bulls aren’t the only breed Skeldon discriminates against. He has said “We’ll adopt out a good Rottweiler”, but he refused to place Rotties in the adoption area for the general public because they supposedly get “gangbangers” who come through kicking the cages, looking for a mean dog. While this may be a valid concern, not only did Skeldon’s description and choice of words land him in a different pot of hot water, but it may explain why Rottweilers are the 6th highest breed on the pound’s kill list this year. As of October, the Rottie death toll was 60. To top it all off, Skeldon has also been accused of not vaccinating dogs that come into the shelter, with no regard for the prevention of the spread of disease, and he refused to work with all-breed rescues. The only group Skeldon would work with is the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS). Even so, TAHS couldn’t get Skeldon to give them enough dogs, and they have room for more, so they had to pull from surrounding counties such as Hardin, Carroll, Franklin, and Montgomery. WHAT??!
Last week Commissioner Konop proposed that Skeldon be removed from office, but he was out-voted by fellow Commissioners Pete Gerken and Tina Skeldon Wozniak (Tom Skeldon’s first cousin). Konop says that Skeldon is doing the right thing by resigning; however, this has not softened his views on the dog warden. Konop wants him to step down immediately and says “I am not comfortable with him as our dog warden for even another day.” He plans to introduce a motion to have Skeldon dismissed immediately, and if that fails, he will attempt to have Skeldon suspended until his official date of retirement. Go Commissioner Konop!
Bonnie Mitchell, the current Dog Pound Manager, will act as the interim dog warden as Skeldon moves into retirement and until a permanent replacement is found. While this is a concern, since she must have been an integral part of Skeldon’s methods of operation at the pound (read: part of the problem), Commissioner Konop is not a fan of her stepping in as interim dog warden, and he hopefully, possibly, can find a better solution.
All in all, this is why HELP FIDO is JUMPING FOR JOY at the news of Tom Skeldon’s resignation! Judging from his decisions and practices while dog warden, one might conclude that Tom Skeldon finds some sort of sick pleasure or satisfaction in killing the hundreds of dogs that have had the misfortune of crossing his path. Mr. Skeldon has said that his first priority as dog warden was to protect the public from dogs. While this is of course an important and necessary part of being a dog warden, Skeldon seems to have forgotten that dogs often need protection from some people in society, as well as compassionate individuals to advocate for their well-being. Most citizens expect even a low level of these attributes from their county dog warden. Someone who does not understand or like dogs, who does not genuinely care about the welfare of animals, and who cannot or refuses to find a balance between protecting the public and looking out for the furry creatures that share our streets and homes, does not deserve or belong in a position of animal control.
Now to give you some background on this beast. The departure of Skeldon from his 22-year position as Lucas County’s Chief Dog Warden has been over a year in the making. Last October, a petition with the signatures of over 3000 concerned Toledo-area residents was submitted, calling for his removal as the county’s head of animal control. Since then, Skeldon has been blamed for the wrongful deaths of 2 family pets. In February 2009, a 10-pound Pomeranian that was outside on its front porch waiting to go back inside, was shot by a deputy dog warden’s tranquilizer gun and later died. Then in August, a Chow named Bear got loose from his house on a Sunday evening, was hit by a car, and ran off. Though his family searched the area for him and looked at the pound, they couldn’t find him; however, they were told they had 3 days before he would be put down, should he come into the pound. The dog was found by police Tuesday night, and the dog warden called the family Wednesday morning to notify them that Bear had been put to sleep. The dog warden alleges that this action was taken because the emergency vet recommended it was the humane thing to do, due to the dog’s injuries. Bear’s injuries consisted of a broken leg. The owners had no opportunity to make a decision or to see their family member again.
Of course, Tom Skeldon has been most often criticized for his procedures of operation within the dog shelter. He has come under heavy fire from many animal advocacy groups, including HELP FIDO, but one of his biggest critics is County Commissioner Ben Konop. Konop, like many of us, finds the warden’s policies and actions completely unacceptable. From his statements, he seems to be both outraged and embarrassed by the pound’s astronomical euthanization rate (77%) and low adoption rate (13%), especially since Wood County has an adoption rate of 80%. Only 160 dogs have been adopted out in the last two years. Last year’s death toll was a staggering 2,483 dogs. So far this year, Skeldon’s office has killed 1,848.
In addition to this general lack of effort to place adoptable animals in homes, Tom Skeldon is known for his particularly ruthless bias against bully breeds, promoting discrimination against them and seemingly carrying out some sort of personal vendetta. He refused to adopt out any pit bulls or surrender them to rescue groups, instead euthanizing any that came through his doors. Since 2007, 400 puppies (all breeds) have been euthanized, 183 of which were apparently healthy (another fact that his critics took issue with). Half of the 400 puppies were pit bulls (or what Tom Skeldon considers a pit bull). This year alone, the dog warden's office has killed at least 932 pit bulls or pit bull mixes, including 46 pit bull puppies, regardless of age. Obviously the puppy-killing in general is ludicrous, since everyone knows puppies are so easily adopted. And Skeldon’s pit bull policy is ridiculous. Not only is it disheartening that he was judging solely on breed/type and not history, health, behavior, or temperament, but there's a good chance he was also incorrectly identifying many non-pit bull dogs as pit bulls.
If this weren’t bad enough, pit bulls aren’t the only breed Skeldon discriminates against. He has said “We’ll adopt out a good Rottweiler”, but he refused to place Rotties in the adoption area for the general public because they supposedly get “gangbangers” who come through kicking the cages, looking for a mean dog. While this may be a valid concern, not only did Skeldon’s description and choice of words land him in a different pot of hot water, but it may explain why Rottweilers are the 6th highest breed on the pound’s kill list this year. As of October, the Rottie death toll was 60. To top it all off, Skeldon has also been accused of not vaccinating dogs that come into the shelter, with no regard for the prevention of the spread of disease, and he refused to work with all-breed rescues. The only group Skeldon would work with is the Toledo Area Humane Society (TAHS). Even so, TAHS couldn’t get Skeldon to give them enough dogs, and they have room for more, so they had to pull from surrounding counties such as Hardin, Carroll, Franklin, and Montgomery. WHAT??!
Last week Commissioner Konop proposed that Skeldon be removed from office, but he was out-voted by fellow Commissioners Pete Gerken and Tina Skeldon Wozniak (Tom Skeldon’s first cousin). Konop says that Skeldon is doing the right thing by resigning; however, this has not softened his views on the dog warden. Konop wants him to step down immediately and says “I am not comfortable with him as our dog warden for even another day.” He plans to introduce a motion to have Skeldon dismissed immediately, and if that fails, he will attempt to have Skeldon suspended until his official date of retirement. Go Commissioner Konop!
Bonnie Mitchell, the current Dog Pound Manager, will act as the interim dog warden as Skeldon moves into retirement and until a permanent replacement is found. While this is a concern, since she must have been an integral part of Skeldon’s methods of operation at the pound (read: part of the problem), Commissioner Konop is not a fan of her stepping in as interim dog warden, and he hopefully, possibly, can find a better solution.
All in all, this is why HELP FIDO is JUMPING FOR JOY at the news of Tom Skeldon’s resignation! Judging from his decisions and practices while dog warden, one might conclude that Tom Skeldon finds some sort of sick pleasure or satisfaction in killing the hundreds of dogs that have had the misfortune of crossing his path. Mr. Skeldon has said that his first priority as dog warden was to protect the public from dogs. While this is of course an important and necessary part of being a dog warden, Skeldon seems to have forgotten that dogs often need protection from some people in society, as well as compassionate individuals to advocate for their well-being. Most citizens expect even a low level of these attributes from their county dog warden. Someone who does not understand or like dogs, who does not genuinely care about the welfare of animals, and who cannot or refuses to find a balance between protecting the public and looking out for the furry creatures that share our streets and homes, does not deserve or belong in a position of animal control.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Stolen Dogs - Columbus
In the past few days I have heard of multiple cases of dogs being stolen from backyards in Columbus or in two instances, stolen from a shelter. Please be on the lookout for these pups.
Chrissy, an 8-10 week old white pit mix pup, disappeared from the shelter Sunday night (Nov. 15th). She may have been stolen, since coincidentally another pit disappeared from another shelter on the same night. If anyone was at PWP and saw ANYTHING that might lead to her recovery, or if you think you may have seen her or know of her whereabouts, please call the shelter ASAP at 267-PAWS or email us at mailto:%20pets@petswithoutparents.net.
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Someone posed as a CHA volunteer and stole Marley, a 1-year-old Akita/Boxer mix.
"They can come to the shelter anytime, ring the doorbell, knock on the door, bring the dog back, no questions asked at all," said CHA's Development Director Terri Montigny.
Montigny said the fake volunteer took the dog out for a walk in the play area.
Columbus police are investigating.
Marley was wearing a blue collar and a CHA tag.
Anyone with information is asked to call police or the CHA shelter at 614-891-5280
Also missing: Young, female, unspayed, white, tan and red female pit bull. She is not wearing a collar. It was removed from her and left laying in the yard
Please, if at all possible, do not let your dogs out unsupervised
Friday, November 6, 2009
Whitehall Election Results- GO BULLY!!
The people of Whitehall have spoken!!!!
On Tuesday November 3, 2009, the fine people of the city of Whitehall came out in full force to make it known that no one will bully them, intimidate them, or embarrass their city. They voted 74.8% to 25.2% to recall city councilwoman Jackie Thompson in Whitehall's first ever recall election, and the first recall in Columbus since 1998. Ms. Thompson, as many of you may know, sponsored two proposed pit bull bans for the city over the last year, both of which failed.
Ms. Thompson was immediately relieved of her position the night of November 3rd once the election results were certified. When questioned about her recall, she responded, "If they think this is going to put an end to it, no, it's not. I intend to run for mayor." Although, many of her opponents do not think that she has the public support to pull it off, especially in light of the recent election results. One other interesting note, the current Whitehall Mayor, John Wolfe, gave $500 left over from his campaign funds to the efforts to recall Ms. Thompson, stating, "I felt it was a just cause." The city council has 30 days to appoint Ms. Thompson's replacement.
In other election news, Robert Bailey was elected to a four year term in his current appointed position on the Whitehall city council. Mr. Bailey sponsored recent positive changes in Whitehall vicious and dangerous dog laws and is opposed to breed specific legislation.
Also, Leslie Lacorte lost her bid for re-election to the Whitehall city council 58.4% to 41.6% to her opponent (former high school teacher and basketball coach VanGregg). Although Ms. Lacorte has been very passionate about her role as Parks and Recreation director and has made some good progress in this position, many think her close association with Jackie Thompson was her ultimate downfall. (Especially in light of Ms. Thompson's recent objections to Mr. VanGregg running against Ms. Lacorte.) Ms. Lacorte was the only other council member along with Ms. Thompson to support the pit bull ban in Whitehall and voted yes to the proposed ban legislation both times it was introduced.
Now a little personal editorial concerning the recent election and Ms. Thompson's assault on the people who live and work in Whitehall, in particular her assault on me. Over the past few months leading up to the recall, Ms. Thompson has been putting forth information on the Internet and distributing fliers in print that contain quotes attributed to me. These quotes are not only taken out of context to benefit her position, but they are SIGNIFICANTLY altered from their original form. She also has consistently referred to me following the quotes as "Whitehall Pit Bull Vet.". Although I have had much experience with bully breeds, they are not, by any means, my only patients. I treat all breeds of dogs from Chihuahuas, to Golden Retrievers, to Great Danes, as well as cats and the occasional rabbit, ferret or bird. I have also had experience with exotic/zoo animals and farm/large animals. She wants the people of Whitehall to think that I solely treat bully breeds and puts that information forward in a negative light. Ms. Thompson refuses to acknowledge my proper credentials in her public rants. I am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or DVM, and my years of training, schooling and experience should afford me the respect of being addressed as such, even when being misquoted. However, Ms. Thompson is not concerned with the issue of respect unless it pertains directly to her. Further, I would like to thank C.J. Thompson, Citizen Journalist, for helping to put forth election materials that show the public how Ms. Thompson has continued to harass many individuals over the course of her time on city council.
All in all, a good day at the office for bully lovers!!! Just goes to show how important it is to get out there and VOTE!!
On Tuesday November 3, 2009, the fine people of the city of Whitehall came out in full force to make it known that no one will bully them, intimidate them, or embarrass their city. They voted 74.8% to 25.2% to recall city councilwoman Jackie Thompson in Whitehall's first ever recall election, and the first recall in Columbus since 1998. Ms. Thompson, as many of you may know, sponsored two proposed pit bull bans for the city over the last year, both of which failed.
Ms. Thompson was immediately relieved of her position the night of November 3rd once the election results were certified. When questioned about her recall, she responded, "If they think this is going to put an end to it, no, it's not. I intend to run for mayor." Although, many of her opponents do not think that she has the public support to pull it off, especially in light of the recent election results. One other interesting note, the current Whitehall Mayor, John Wolfe, gave $500 left over from his campaign funds to the efforts to recall Ms. Thompson, stating, "I felt it was a just cause." The city council has 30 days to appoint Ms. Thompson's replacement.
In other election news, Robert Bailey was elected to a four year term in his current appointed position on the Whitehall city council. Mr. Bailey sponsored recent positive changes in Whitehall vicious and dangerous dog laws and is opposed to breed specific legislation.
Also, Leslie Lacorte lost her bid for re-election to the Whitehall city council 58.4% to 41.6% to her opponent (former high school teacher and basketball coach VanGregg). Although Ms. Lacorte has been very passionate about her role as Parks and Recreation director and has made some good progress in this position, many think her close association with Jackie Thompson was her ultimate downfall. (Especially in light of Ms. Thompson's recent objections to Mr. VanGregg running against Ms. Lacorte.) Ms. Lacorte was the only other council member along with Ms. Thompson to support the pit bull ban in Whitehall and voted yes to the proposed ban legislation both times it was introduced.
Now a little personal editorial concerning the recent election and Ms. Thompson's assault on the people who live and work in Whitehall, in particular her assault on me. Over the past few months leading up to the recall, Ms. Thompson has been putting forth information on the Internet and distributing fliers in print that contain quotes attributed to me. These quotes are not only taken out of context to benefit her position, but they are SIGNIFICANTLY altered from their original form. She also has consistently referred to me following the quotes as "Whitehall Pit Bull Vet.". Although I have had much experience with bully breeds, they are not, by any means, my only patients. I treat all breeds of dogs from Chihuahuas, to Golden Retrievers, to Great Danes, as well as cats and the occasional rabbit, ferret or bird. I have also had experience with exotic/zoo animals and farm/large animals. She wants the people of Whitehall to think that I solely treat bully breeds and puts that information forward in a negative light. Ms. Thompson refuses to acknowledge my proper credentials in her public rants. I am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or DVM, and my years of training, schooling and experience should afford me the respect of being addressed as such, even when being misquoted. However, Ms. Thompson is not concerned with the issue of respect unless it pertains directly to her. Further, I would like to thank C.J. Thompson, Citizen Journalist, for helping to put forth election materials that show the public how Ms. Thompson has continued to harass many individuals over the course of her time on city council.
All in all, a good day at the office for bully lovers!!! Just goes to show how important it is to get out there and VOTE!!
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