25 pit bulls to be euthanized - very sad story all around

[undeterred]

The Dane County Humane Society will euthanize at least 25 of the 47 pit bulls it has been keeping since June after gaining ownership of 38 of the dogs, many of which were alleged to have been used in dog fighting, board President Cathy Holmes said Tuesday.

But attorney Charles Giesen, who represented Robert Lowery and his wife, Julie Dzikowich, in their effort to have the dogs returned, said killing the dogs would "violate the spirit" of an agreement reached Monday. Holmes said, "I think we've been very clear" that euthanasia was a possibility for many of the dogs, which behavior experts have found to pose a significant threat to public safety. "We will do it humanely and with care," she said.

The agreement reached Monday between the humane society, Dane County, the district attorney's office and Lowery and Dzikowich, dismisses three criminal counts of dog- fighting each against Lowery and Dzikowich, who will not have to pay for the shelter's costs of more than $200,000 for caring for the dogs.

Under the agreement, the humane society receives ownership of 38 of the dogs. Nine dogs will be returned to Dzikowich, with several stipulations and restrictions. Lowery, who will relinquish his ownership of the dogs, is at a federal prison hospital in Butsen, N.C., where he is being treated for cancer while awaiting sentencing for participating in a large-scale marijuana importation operation at the couple's property in the town of Dunn. The pit bulls were found there by police during a drug raid June 14.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=116954&ntpid=1

It was a huge drain on the local humane society to care for these animals until a settlement was reached... what a mess.

[hippiechick]

1. I don't understand how they can get ANY dogs back ...

... didn't the article also state that he was in NC awaiting Federal Drug charges?
So, where are the dogs going ? Who's going to care for them ?
And why don't the couple have to pay for the County's care of the dogs while this was all pending?

:shrug: What a mess.

[undeterred]

3. It sucks resources away from other animals who

might need the temporary care and truly be adoptable. And the thing is, if it weren't for the drug charges, all these animals would probably still be living as they were found- some with terrible fight injuries. Neighbors must have had some idea what was going on... 50 pit bulls are hard to miss.

[Warpy]

7. Not all domestic animals can be rehabilitated

One of my rescued cats is still head shy, 13 years after being rescued from face slappers. She was given a lot of hand holding when she was a very young kitten, so she is social with people she knows well, but she'll always be a little afraid of their hands.

Feral animals who didn't grow up with human companionship are nearly impossible to socialize, although they can be tamed down to the point that they won't cower in a corner when people appear. Animals that became feral after spending their youth among people can be tamed down enough to be pets. I discovered that when I lived out in the country and rehabbed strays that came around looking for handouts.

Dogs raised for fighting are not pets. There is no emotional attachment with people. Their purpose is to fight and die for money.

I'd be very surprised if any of those dogs could be tamed to function as pets, although they might be tamed enough to be working as guard dogs.

Anyone who uses social animals as things to bet on wants his balls roasted over a very slow fire. He is contemptible.

[cmkramer]

8. Do you ever watch ANIMAL PRECINCT on ANIMAL PLANET?

It's kind of "Cops" for pets. Anyway, one of the cities they spotlight is Detroit and there all pit bulls are automatically euthanized

[Double T]

2. These barbarians should NOT be allowed to own ANY animals......

and THEY BOTH should be thrown in prison for life without parole. The animals ALWAYS have to pay the ULTIMATE price for the humans heinous psychotic behavior. The prosecutor and judge that cut this deal should BOTH lose their jobs.

[Pithlet]

4. I can't believe they're getting 9 of them back!

That is outrageous. They should never be allowed to have a single animal ever again.

[kestrel91316]

5. Cn somebody explain to my why it's PERFECTLY OK to immediately

destroy an injured horse with prospects for recovery (as some have advocated re Barbaro) instead of treating with state-of-the-art care; but yet it's NOT OK AT ALL to destroy dogs which have been trained to kill and are not safe to take out in public...........

I don't get the priorities. I really don't.

[undeterred]

6. While the court case was pending the humane society

had to provide for the animals, even though it was obvious that some of them could not be re-homed. It seems like an unfair burden on the community that supports that humane society and depends on it to care for and adopt out strays.