DNA testing....Aren't we all just mutts?

BAD RAP reported on this in a great blog about Tank...a mixed breed pup with what Franklin County dog wardens would probably label as a "mixed breed dog whose appearance and physical characteristics is predominately those of any of the dogs . . . or is a combination of any of the dogs listed" including American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Bulldog. How they become experts at this is any one's guess. Lisa will be posting a longer blog detailing the ins and outs of Ohio Revised Code and how it is enforced. But I wanted to touch again on the importance of how difficult it is to determine the breed of a dog, and more importantly how that determination is used to decide whether a dog is adoptable or to be killed simply because of its supposed breed and not because of behavior.

Taking a cruise through the Franklin County Dog Shelter's adoptable website - one finds some lovely mutts. This little guy to the left is labeled as a mixed breed - and I am certain he is!! But look at that brindle coat . . . those ears...that big head... dogs like him (especially in Whitehall where everyone is the expert!) might find his very life at stake because he looks so . . . mixed!

Noted in BAD RAP's blog is a recent article in the Boston Globe about DNA testing, and how several shelters in the Boston area are ready to stop trying to identify breeds in obvious mixed dogs and label them as "New England Mutts" (note: Would that mean if done here they would be "Buckeye Mutts"?? Ponder this and get back to me!). Later in the Boston article they tell of an owner who had her dog tested, and whose test results showed a "trace" of pit bull. Hoping to prove a point she asked that her dog's label as pit bull be changed...only to be told by the city's ACO's that the trace was enough. To me, and this is not meant in any way to lessen the drama of their plight, this situation reminds me the civil rights movement. In the very least, the discussion of "trace" ancestry reeks of Nazi-ism.

So - as a reminder - if you or someone you know has gotten their dog DNA tested, HELP FIDO is accruing this information for a research project. You can read more here and you can contact us for more info. Unlike some places in this country. . . all dogs and their test results are welcomed!!

Cleaning up after the Councilwoman

I am sure many of you are familiar with the lunacy we have been dealing with in Whitehall in the form of Jackie Thompson. Apparently Jackie has found a new website to cozy up with on those long, lonely nights and it is inspiring her to send out more letters to the editor filled with twisted statistics and false information. The following letter is to once again correct her inaccuracies and mistruths that were published in the July 3rd issue of The Other Paper.

Response to Councilwoman Thompson

It is always interesting to read the opinions of those who rely on news snippets and inaccurate data to drive their fear. I would like to correct some of the inaccuracies and add a bit of clarification.

The pit bull is not a breed of dog, but instead the term has come to be widely used to describe a dog that has an appearance similar to an American Pit Bull terrier or American Staffordshire terrier. Since other breeds of dog physically resemble these breeds, mistaken identity is frequently made and consequently numbers are inflated for the number of attacks involving so-called "pit bulls". Further, correct breed identification becomes more problematic when the dog involved in an attack is a mixed-breed. Hence, ambiguity exists when using the term "pit bull". Note that other data collection techniques (animal control reports, police reports, witness observation) used for breed identification purposes in dog attacks may also be flawed for these reasons. Recently genetic DNA testing has become available to help with breed determination. Preliminary DNA studies have found that approximately 1 out of every 10 dogs identified as “pit bull” actually has any bully breed DNA at all. This potentially means that 90% of these dogs are misidentified.

Ms. Thompson states that "The American Temperament Test Society argument does not stand up to close scrutiny. The ATTS was not set up to score house pets. It was devised to test dogs for police and guarding type work." Actually, according to Thomas Szebenyi, the Chief Tester of the ATTS, “The test was created to help breeders remove dogs from their breeding stock that have bad temperament. The test is open to all purebred dogs and spayed/neutered mixed breed dogs.” The ATTS tests dogs on a number of behaviors to determine the temperament and stability of a dog, not specific to suitability for police or guarding dogs. A dog that is fearful or overly timid when facing specific stimuli is not a sound, stable dog. Aggressiveness when facing stimuli would be another indicator temperament issues. This test is to determine if the dog has the correct, healthy response to the stimuli.

Ms. Thompson also states that the UK Dangerous Dog Act names the pit bull terrier but not the Staffordshire Terrier or the American Staffordshire Terrier in the Act, thus giving dog owners a loophole. While she is correct in that the Act only specifically lists the pit bull terrier, the UK Dangerous Dog Act classifies dangerous dogs by "type" not by breed label. This means that whether a dog is prohibited under the Act will depend on a judgment about its physical characteristics. To highlight this fact the UK even distributes brochures with pictures and descriptions of the prohibited breed "types."

Ms. Thompson further states that she would like to see bite incidents reported by severity. On this we can agree. I would like to take it a step further and have the dog owners’ responsibility placed in the report, as in the recent incident in New York when the angry boyfriend kicked out a window air conditioner and tossed a frightened dog into a room of children. I would also like to know how many prior incidents the owners have had regarding animal control violations.

To correct Ms. Thompson's belief that there has not been a pit bull related death in Ohio since BSL was enacted. There was a pit bull related death in 1992. Additionally, since BSL was enacted in Ohio, a Husky and a Chow killed a 7 year old, an American Bulldog killed a 5 year old, a Wolf-Dog killed a 5 year old, a German Shepherd and a mixed breed killed an infant, a Rottweiler killed a 54 year old woman and a Rottweiler killed a 40 year old man.

Ms. Thompson also brings up fatalities in the state of Texas. Texas which is the 2nd most populous state had the highest rate of fatal dog attacks in 2007, which were not limited to pit bull type dogs. There were some commonalities. All of the dogs were intact and most were chained, outside dogs, not "family dogs" as it was claimed. Ms. Thompson attributes the higher rate of fatalities in Texas to their lack of BSL. However in 2007 there were 44 states with no pit bull fatalities that did not have BSL enacted.

She also brings up Council Bluffs, Iowa as a success story. Of course pit bull bites are going to decrease if you decrease the population. What she fails to mention is that while there were fewer bites by pit bulls due to the decreased population, attacks by other breeds increased. The question shouldn't be "did pit bull bites go down", but "did public safety improve?" The answer would be a resounding, no.

It also needs to be pointed out that there is no difference between the injuries inflicted by a pit bull versus any other breed of similar size. For nearly two decades the National Canine Research Council has investigated and analyzed fatal dog attack injuries. It is important to note that NCRC has researched EVERY fatal and/or severe attack for which data is available. No other individual or group has even approached the volume of information that NCRC has collected and analyzed. The NCRC states that it is impossible to determine the breed of dog by reviewing an autopsy report or photo, as no breed of dog has a particular method of attack or inflicts an exclusive type of injury. It is virtually impossible for anyone to match the breed of dog with the fatal injuries - as such - claims that one breed of dog inflicts injuries unlike other breeds have no merit.

Any time anyone is hurt by a dog it is an unfortunate situation that should have never occurred. I do know that the “pit bull lobby”, as Jacquelyn Thompson likes to call those of us who are pushing for stronger laws requiring responsible ownership of all breeds, reached out to a recent victim of a local dog attack to be certain that the victim had the appropriate care and assistance while recovering from injuries. I personally have been pushing for much harsher penalties for owners of animals which have attacked as well as pushing for stronger regulation of dogs which have shown threatening tendencies. I have no tolerance for irresponsible people that allow their animals to hurt others and I believe Ms. Thompson would be quite surprised at some of the measures I would like to see taken. In fact, I invite Ms. Thompson to meet with me to discuss these ideas.

"Well, we wouldn't want to discriminate."

That was a quote from one of the council members at the Whitehall (OH) City Council meeting last night. Any statement against discrimination would obviously come from someone opposed to BSL, right?? Of course, you say, that makes sense, that's logical. Well, while logical, that would be incorrect. The above quote was from everybody's favorite council person - Jacquelyn Thompson in reference to an off-topic discussion about banning all dogs in a park during an outdoor concert. And that's a big part of the problem right now - most of the pro-BSL and bully ban proponents are woefully short on common sense and logic. Whether it's Lakewood (OH), Kansas City, Cincinnati, or one of the other communities currently debating these issues, the root of the problem is publicity hungry local politicians with way too much time on their hands and the ability to ignore all evidence and logic contrary to their uninformed positions.

Thankfully, there are many council members and others in Whitehall government that are logical people, that truly want what's best for their community and realize passing a ban or restrictions on dogs simply based on what they look like will accomplish nothing. Wait.... wouldn't that be discrimination? Ms. Thompson? "Well, wouldn't want to discriminate." Hmm.

Next week in Whitehall is the 3rd and final reading of Councilman Robert Bailey's comprehensive, breed neutral legislation that truly will benefit the community. Unless there is a big surprise, that legislation will go to a vote next Tuesday and will likely pass.

How about something on the lighter side? This video has made it's way around so probably not new and I have no idea if the story is true or not, but still cracks me up. The story: "These people were always finding water all over their pool deck and furniture, every time they came home, after being away for a few hours. They thought the neighborhood kids were watching for them to leave, and using the pool. However, they could never catch them doing it. So they set up their video cam and left. This is what they found......." Dog home alone. It is summer after all :)

HELP FIDO's Response to article in The Other Paper

I'm writing in response to the 6/19/2008 article titled "Pit Stop." I want to applaud The Other Paper for delving into such a controversial issue, but I feel compelled to add some points that are critical in understanding and preventing canine aggression.

Karen Delise and her group, The National Canine Research Council, have done amazing work studying dog bites. Delise has authored two books and the work of her not-for-profit, has confirmed what so many of us already knew. There are real factors of canine aggression and those factors are not skin deep nor breed specific.

In the past 150 years, there have been countless interactions between humans and canines. In her second book, The Pit Bull Placebo, Delise breaks down the relatively low, though very important, incidents of fatal and severe dog attacks during this period. What one comes to learn is that there are three categories that are present in an overwhelming percentage of these tragic incidents:

-reckless ownership practices (such as chaining and allowing dog(s) to run at large),
-reproductive status of dog(s) (not spayed or neutered; intact), and
-the function of dog (obtained for a status symbol, breeding, fighting, protection; not a companion animal).

It's when we as a community start to address these issues that we begin to make progress. And this progress is hard work, indeed.

We must love, respect, raise responsibly and control man's best friend in order to protect the rights of all dog owners and keep our communities safe. Please, your community needs your help. Get involved! Such groups as the Capital Area Humane Society, Citizens for Humane Action, the Franklin County Dog Shelter, HELP FIDO, the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, just to name a few, are wonderful organizations to support. Through their work, the intricate connection that is the human-canine bond can be understood, respected, and preserved.

Amanda Spires
HELP FIDO, Board Member

Canine Hip Dysplasia

Having been faced with the possibility that one of my beloved dogs (Maggie - left) may be afflicted with Canine Hip Dysplasia (or CHD) I felt compelled to make it my first topic. CHD is commonly believed to have a genetic predisposition, though environmental factors can certainly complicate the disease, such as obesity and trauma. This disease is not present at birth but developes as the dog ages. It is, in basic terms, the abnormal development of the hip. In moderate and severe cases flattening of the femoral head developes as well as thickening of the femoral necks. This process is called Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). Lameness, pain and osteoarthritis become apparent as the disease progress, and in some cases can become debilitating to the dog and heartbreaking for the owner. Signs can appear as early as 4-12 months of age, for dogs severely affected, and can include pain, limping, “bunny hopping” when the dog runs, clicking sound when the dog walks, runs or when the hip is manipulated as well as loss of muscle mass (atrophy). Refusal to go up and down stairs can also be a sign the average dog owner may notice.

Modern science has developed two different methods for responsible breeders to screen for the disease. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and PennHip are the two common in the United States at this time. OFA grades the hip's conformation giving rates beginning with Excellent and continuing through Severe. For OFA certification X-rays evaluated must be from dogs at least 24 months of age but they will evaluate and release preliminary results for those under 24 months of age. Dogs are X-rayed once, preferably under anesthesia, for a V/D view of the Pelvis with the legs fully extended in a parallel position. PennHip on the other hand takes a more "scientific" approach by measuring the laxity of the hips and giving breeders actual numbers to work with. Three X-rays are taken for PennHip evaluation with views of the hips compressed and distracted, as well as the view used for OFA. There is no pass or fail with the PennHip Method, as its measurements allow the breeder to make their own educated decision about whether or not to breed said dog.

I can't express how important these simple screening processes can be. It is extremely difficult to watch when your 4 month old puppy hobbles around for 2 weeks from a jump that another dog would have just brushed off. To look at her now at 12 months of age and wonder if she will be crippled in just a few short years . . . unable to run, jump and play with her housemates, to enjoy simply being a dog . . .

I highly encourage any dog owner to read up on the CHD in depth as it affects many purebred breeds of dog as well as those of the mix breed variety. Many aren’t aware of how prevalent CHD has become in the American Staffordshire Terrier and its counterpart, the American Pit Bull Terrier, with 25% of the evaluated population affected with the disease. Ranking them in the top 25 affected breeds with OFA.

If you feel your dog or puppy may be affected with CHD, consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment options available in your area. Common supplements used to ease the pain and increase mobility in the joints include Glucosamine/Chondroitin, and Vitamin C. Often prescription NSAIDS (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) are required in more severe cases to help control pain and inflammation associated with the disease.

In young dogs TPO (triple pelvic osteotomy ) surgery may be recommended. In this procedure the pelvis is cut in 3 spots and is rotated to provide better coverage of the femoral head to prevent further DJD. Dogs are usually preferred to be under 12 months of age with minimal arthritic changes to be candidates for this surgery. Dogs with chronic DJD may be recommended for total hip replacement among several different surgical options currently available.

If you would find your pup or dog is affected they may enjoy the benefits of a “doggy ramp” as it puts less stress on the joints when they join you on the couch and bed. Orthopedic grade pet beds are available and can provide much needed comfort to aching joints. I try to keep my own dog at a healthy lean weight as well to try to lessen the work load she puts on her hips. She also has a daily exercise routine we try to keep up on to be sure she maintains her muscle tone in her legs and lower back, but always consult with your vet before you begin a regimen yourself to be sure it is appropriate for your pooch. You may find your dog also enjoys a nice doggie massage to relax aching muscles at the end of the day - I know mine does!