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What Comes Around...

Rochester awaits verdict after Lab bites neighbor

Councilman led drive to ban pit bulls

(From the Sioux City Journal)

By Lynn Zerschling | Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009

SIOUX CITY

-- The city councilman who led the drive to ban pit bulls in Sioux City is

waiting to find out whether his Labrador retriever will be euthanized for biting a neighbor.

Councilman Aaron Rochester said Tuesday he has appealed Sioux City Animal Control's determination that his family's yellow lab is vicious after Saturday's incident, which resulted in an emergency room visit and five stitches for the injured neighbor. Sioux City Police Capt. Pete Groetken said he held a hearing on Rochester's appeal Tuesday morning and will reach a decision by the end of the week. He can either uphold Animal Control's designation or overturn it. The 3-year-old dog, Jake, is being held at the Animal Control shelter until the case is resolved. At 4:45 p.m. Saturday, a man and woman who live in the neighborhood walked by the Rochesters' home in the 1300 block of 46th St. The lab was sitting on the front porch. As the couple walked by on the sidewalk, the dog ran off the porch and jumped the man, Groetken said.. The neighbor suffered a scratch to his right leg as he tried to push the dog away, some marks on his chest and bites to his thumb that required five stitches at a hospital emergency room. Groetken declined to identify the man because the case remains under investigation. Rochester said his neighbor did not wish to be identified, and other neighbors contacted by the Journal said they did not know who he was. Rochester said he and his wife, Amy, held a birthday party for their youngest child, Kate, on Saturday. Amy had gone inside their house while Kate and a friend played outside. Rochester said he had left the party to drive his eldest son to work. "(Amy) heard something and yelled at Jake to come in the house, and he ran in the front door," Rochester said. "The people know our dog, and the wife said Jake would bring her a tennis ball and she would throw it. He is a great watchdog. My speculation is, he was watching our children and may have thought they were in danger." An Animal Control officer impounded Jake on Saturday after the dog bite was reported. Rochester said someone at the hospital called police to report the bite, which he said is standard practice. Last year, Rochester led the council's controversial effort to ban future ownership of pit bulls in Sioux City. Rochester supported his position with Animal Control reports showing that type of dog is the most apt to bite people. Pit bull owner Amanda Gardner, who helped lead opposition to the ordinance, said Tuesday night: "I don't wish any dog to be put down. But how many little kids have cried because their pit bulls have been banned from the city or euthanized? In Aaron's words, a bite's a bite." Dog owner Terry Mann, who also opposed the pit bull ban, said, "Labs are one of the best breeds there are; the most friendly. ... I don't think the dog should be put down at all." Rochester emphasized that he has not gotten special treatment because of his position as an elected official. "It happened Saturday afternoon, and Animal Control had my dog by Saturday night," he said. "I did not get special treatment." Vicious-dog proceedings Police Capt. Pete Groetken has two choices when he hears cases of animals declared vicious by Sioux City Animal Control: He can uphold or overturn the ruling. If he upholds the decision, the pet owner may appeal his ruling to a special master appointed by the city manager and eventually could appeal the master's decision to court. If in the end the dog is found to be vicious, the animal must be euthanized. "I have yet to have an owner say go ahead and euthanize my dog," Groetken said. "There is language in the city code that says if the owner refuses to do it, the city can do it." Last year, the City Council redefined vicious animals. To be declared vicious, an animal must bite or harm a person or another animal. The injury would have to cause "bleeding or noticeable and documented injury to the person" or significant injury to another animal or fowl that requires medical attention. A trained guard dog or K-9 is not subject to that provision. Pet owners used to have the option of placing their pets in homes outside the city limits, with the approval of Animal Control. Last year, the council ruled that owners no longer can do that. The council noted other cities and counties are banning vicious dogs from being placed in their jurisdictions.

TriValley Field Trial Grounds To Open This Fall !!

The Associated Bird Dog Clubs of Ohio had their annual meeting and picnic at the soon to be opened Tri Valley Wildlife Management Area in east-central Ohio this past Saturday. The weather was perfect for checking out the new grounds, with sunny skies and warm temperatures. Over 60 people representing several field trial clubs in Ohio were present. The area director for ODNR was on hand to make a short presentation and answer questions. Following his presentation, the attendees broke into several groups and rode the grounds; afterwards, all assembled in the soon to be completed clubhouse for the first ever meal at the new grounds!

Here are some short video clips of the day...

This clip is taken from the north end of the parking lot. The video begins with a shot to the north, showing the incoming drive; good shot of the parking facility... it's long and narrow, and will necessitate some coordinated parking for bigger trial. Lot has a good solid base of gravel, a bit rough but very stable. Steep drop-offs on each side, I would recommend chocking rigs as a safety measure. The grounds are very wide and open, and running an all-age dog will not be an issue here! While the video shows wide panaramas, there is a surprising number of objectives, once you get out on the grounds. There are definately a lot of places on the grounds that will hold birds. There are quail coveys on the grounds, part of an exchange program that was done in 2006, exchanging quial for turkey. Quail were heard calling throughout the day.

Out on the trail... (sorry about the jittering, I was on a horse!)... you can see that the cover is not overly thick (there has been no mowing on these grounds)... the area is reclaimed stripmine land, and the soil is poor, so vegetation is not too flush. The grounds are rolling, and they will give a horse a workout. There are a couple of lakes on the grounds, but access is questionable, depending upon how the courses will be laid out. There is a well at the clubhouse, but the well is running at only 1 GPM, so bringing water for horses and dogs will be highly advisable. The old kennels from Killdeer are being moved to this facility, so there will be dog kennels available. The clubhouse will have electric. Sorry I can't ID everyone in the video, but I do see some familiar faces... Tim McClurg, Chris Ryder, Randy Hopkins, Dave Hawk, Ed Bartlett, Brian Smith, Ted Goodyear...

First "official" meal and meeting at the clubhouse. Glad it wasn't raining !!

These grounds have a lot of potential... there needs to be a lot of work put in as well, as these grounds right now are just that... no courses yet, no mowed areas, things under construction. Looks like a great potential trial grounds for Ohio (and no mud!!)

Traveling to the area is an easy drive... mostly four lane or good 2 lane highways... the nearest town is Dresden Ohio. Do NOT use Rt. 666 to the south of the grounds... there is a bridge that is too low and narrow for a horse rig. Avoid Rt. 666 ! Otherwise, the roads to the area are good.

Al Faze

Here are some links of interest...

ABDCO website...

http://associatedbirddogclubsofohio.com/

Link to ODNR map of TriValley...

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/wild_resourcessubhomepage/WildlifeAreaMaps/SoutheastOhioWildlifeAreaMaps/TriValleyWildlifeArea/tabid/19975/Default.aspx

Yahoo Map for Dresden Ohio (the nearest town)...

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=40.119923&lon=-82.010226&zoom=13&q1=dresden%2520ohio

RED SETTERS IN PA SHELTER...

The Indiana County PA Humane Society has informed us that they recently seized a kennel in the Blairsville-Greensburg area with numerous red setters. The National Red Setter Field Trial Club is assisting the Humane Society in finding rescue homes for these dogs. The dogs are a variety of ages and sexes, and some have socialization issues (very shy) due to the conditions at the time they were seized. If you or someone you know has an interest in possibly adopting one of these dogs, please contact the Indiana County Humane Society.

Phone number: 724-465-3977/7387.
Email: questions@incohumanesociety.com

Our club is aware of the individual who was operating this kennel, and these dogs are true red setters; we would be confident to say that they probably have hunting ability, but obviously, will need some socialization and training work. Also, like any red setter, they will make great companion dogs given the opportunity. Thanks in advance for any assistance you might be able to offer.

There are pictures of the dogs available on the Humane Society website:

http://www.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?offset=50&limit=25&tmpl=0&shelterid=PA41&sort=&&preview=1

Thanks much,
Allen Fazenbaker
National Red Setter Field Trial Club

MAKE YOUR VOTE "RED" THIS YEAR!

IT'S TIME TO VOTE FOR THE HALL OF FAME CANDIDATES.

IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, YOU WILL RECEIVE TWO BALLOTS (BE SURE TO VOTE WITH BOTH OF THEM !!) FOR WORTHY CANDIDATES TO THE BIRD DOG HALL OF FAME.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORTHY RED SETTERS:

BEARCAT

ABRA

ALSO, WE HAVE SEVERAL WORTHY INDIVIDUALS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE PUREST CHALLENGE, AND BY DOING SO, HAVE MADE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE BETTERMENT OF BIRD DOGS IN THIS COUNTRY. PLEASE CONSIDER CASTING YOUR VOTE FOR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES:

BOB SCHWEIGER

JOHN EVANS

JACK CARTER

SHERRY EBERT

BE SURE TO VOTE!!

He's One for One !!

Check out the Presidential Fly Killer on YouTube...





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-eVYH5R5Pw





PETA, responding to President Obama's "summary execution" of a fly, has reported sent him a complimentary "Humane Bug Catcher" (normally purchased for $8 from the PETA website)

The PETA Humane Fly Catcher

Another example of a wacko organization engaging in their search for reality.

(From "The Terrierman's Daily Dose" blogsite, June 15 2009)

A red setter on point

A commercial breeder of Jack Russell terriers for pet buyers writes to ask a question.She says she is very sincere about breeding for health and that she tries to get her hands on as much information as she can, and tests her dogs "for everything available."She goes on to note that "Temperament is important too... this is what means the most to me."She writes that she saw a TV segment (ABC's Nightline) in which I said that if people want to breed dogs that don't work, that's fine, but at least they should be breeding healthy dogs.But she's a bit puzzled.She always had the impression that I disliked the breeding of "working dogs" for the pet trade.From her end of the stick, however, it has always seemed to her that in this day and age most dogs are not wanted for work, and most dogs are merely companions.She concludes:
"I love the JRT and everything about them. And my passion is to genuinely breed proper dogs and skillfully match them up with families. I try to take what I know and apply it to raising nice family terriers. I just do not believe I should be ashamed for breeding them for pets and breeding them as best I know how. Do you have any thoughts for me on what I can and should be doing better?"A genuine question: What do you need to do to breed a healthy dog? And if a breeder is producing physically healthy dogs, isn't that enough?Here is my answer .... There are two aspects to health:
Physical health
Mental health
I will not go into physical health. I have written a lot about that in the past, and there is a search engine on this blog.That said, I have not talked too much about mental health, and it is the brain that is the most important part of the dog, especially the working dog.To begin with, let me say that I want all dogs to be self-actualized.Self-actualized? What do I mean by this?Simple. I want the dog to live up to its full potential, to be in harmony with its place and circumstances, and to to be free of self-loathing, fear, and long-term psychological conflict.Step One on this road is to make sure the dog is properly socialized. How do you do this?Well, look at the word -- there's a hint there.Socialized.No dog can be properly socialized without being in society at least a few hours a day, especially during the first 9 months of its life.What this means is that good breeders do not have 50 breeding dogs in their kennels because they know they cannot properly socialize the progeny of 50-dogs, even if they can feed and water them and keep the kennel clean.Step Two involves respecting the code that is within the breed.This is where so many pet breeders -- and buyers -- fall down.You see, what makes a working dog is not the color of its coat, the lay of its tail, or the shape of its head -- it's the frantic morse-code of stimulus and impulse that is firing off within the dog.A border collie is not a border collie because of the way it looks, but because of that code.This is elementary. It is fundamental. It is basic.The code inside a working collie is different from that inside a working pointer or setter, and it is different from that inside of a working terrier.A scent hound and a sight hound are not just different looking -- the code inside them is different too.What does this mean for dog breeders and dog owners?It means that a dog that has been bred for generations to point birds in tall grass and brush should not be placed in a world of parking lots and city streets far from forest and field.It means that a working terrier should not be placed in a home with a hamster running endlessly on a tread mill and a caged parrot that squaks and flaps its wings in an inviting manner.It means that the code inside every working breed of dog should be acknowledged, respected and valued for what it is.And yet, how many breeders of working dogs are doing this?By definition, none that are breeding solely for pet homes.And in that disconnect is a lot of canine misery.The code inside herding dogs like the Border Collie, the Sheltie, and the Corgi tells them to "gather up the herd" and keep outsiders at bay.The code inside the Jack Russell tells them to kill the hamster, bark at all squirrels, dig up the yard, and kill the cat which looks and acts amazingly like a red fox.And yet if these dogs obey these instincts, they get into trouble!Yet if they ignore these instincts, they are repressing everything they are, and are ever meant to be.For the dog, it is a lose-lose situation.The result is predictable: Boat loads of Border Collies, Corgis and Shelties with free-floating anxiety. Flotillas of Jack Russell terriers waiting in rescue for anyone to give them a good home.Yes, surrogate work can be found for Border Collies and Jack Russell terriers.I have known collie owners to buy ducks and chickens for their dogs to herd, and for terrier owners to keep pet rats in their garage for their dogs to chase in go-to-ground tunnels buried in the back yard.More commonly, working terrier and collie owners turn to fly-ball, frisbee and agility to bleed off the steam building up inside their dogs.There is nothing wrong with fly-ball, frisbee or agility. Excellent stuff and good for the dogs. But let's be honest here, eh? Any dog can do these activities.What makes a border collie special is not frisbee or flyball -- it is what happens when sheep, cattle, or goats, or ducks are turned loose for them to herd.What makes a working terrier special is not that it will retrieve a ball -- it is what happens in the field, at the hole, when fomiddable quarry is found at the other end of the pipe.I am not against dog companion dogs, but if folks are looking for a companion dog, then get a companion dog!Please.There are scores of breeds, and millions of mixed breeds, suitable for no other purpose than companionship.Get one of those. I will not object.What I do object to is getting a highly charged hunting dog or herding dog and then expecting it to be something else.That's going to be about as successful as a bridesmaid going to Gay Pride Day in order to find the Man of Her Dreams."They are all so handsome," she thinks, "and I KNOW I can convert one of them to my side, if only I love him enough."Right.That's a program for misery, isn't it?And yet that happens all the time in the world of dogs (and humans too from what I can gather from reading the tabloids) .Bottom line: It's important for us to accept dogs for what they are.They are not surrogate children (see this post on that point), nor are they inanimate objects -- mere property.They are sentient beings, and we have a duty to them. That duty is not simply take care of their bodies while ignoring their minds.And to repeat and undescore the core point of this piece: The minds of all dogs are not alike.It's important for us to accept that different breeds of dogs come with different genetic codes, and that those genetic codes deserve to be unleashed.In short, the duty to dogs is not just to make sure dogs have physical health, but to make sure that they have mental health as well.In order to be able to deliver on that, we need to accept each breed of dog for what it is, and to not try to change it.Try not to change it. This last point is fundamental.It is about RESPECT.You cannot tell me you respect America in one breath, and then tell me you want America to give up all its values and history and cultural ideosyncracies in the next.You cannot tell me you respect Gay people in one breath, and then tell me you want to make them all Straight in the next.And you cannot tell me that you respect Jack Russell Terriers or Border Collies in one breath, but that you want to breed out everything that is their essence and reason for being on earth.To Hell with that.That's where I come from.That's where I stand. And that's how I identify my duty to the dogs.