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Loading...Pit Bull Puppies Poisoned At Pit Bull Awareness Event
Pennsylvania is not known as very animal friendly as evidenced by the legality of live pigeon shooting in the state. Now comes an alarming story of six 8-week-old pit bull puppies who were poisoned while attending a pit bull awareness event in Hollidaysburg. How’s that for irony?
Founders of A Darrah Bull Bully Rescue (ADBBR) brought the pups to the first annual Central Pennsylvania Pit Bull Awareness Day on Saturday, October 13. At about 2:00 p.m. Renae Metz, one of the founders, noticed that one of the puppies, Yogi, looked like he was having trouble. “His stomach was bloated, he had glazy eyes and couldn’t hold his head up,” said Metz.
Yogi was rushed to Ebensburg Animal Hospital where he died. The other five pups – Niayah, Mongy, Aramis, Deacon and Takoda – were sent to the animal hospital for observation and given IV fluids. Tragically, Takoda also died.
A necropsy confirmed poisoning. Brittany Miller, another founder of ADBBR, spoke with me by telephone and relayed the veterinarian suspected bleach or a bleach-based product was put in the water bowls. This caused their livers to start bleeding. Two days before, the puppies were given a clean bill of health by the veterinarian.
ADBBR is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to a conviction of the perpetrators. The money was generously donated by some of the adoptive parents, and others, with a $1,000 donation from a single person. Both the Pennsylvania State Police and the State Dog Warden are actively investigating this poisoning.
All of the surviving puppies have been approved for adoptive homes. Media coverage brought numerous applications. Niayah, Aramis, Deacon and Mongy are all back in their foster homes awaiting final adoption. Brittany told me the veterinarian wants to wait a little longer to spay/neuter because of the poisoning. He wants to ensure it is totally out of their systems before surgery.
Understanding Bully Breeds
ADBBR rescues all bully breeds — from Rottweilers to bulldogs and pit bulls. They are dedicated to educating the public about bully breeds. Did you know in the early twentieth century pit bulls used to be called “nanny dogs” because they were so dedicated to protecting the young children of their household?
It’s important to understand that any dog has the potential to bite humans.
Without proper socialization as a puppy within a loving home, any dog can become aggressive. If a dog – any breed – is raised to be violent you have the possibility of aggression causing harm to humans and/or other animals.
It is also imperative that people — especially children — be taught humane education and the proper way to interact with unfamiliar dogs and other animals. According to the American Humane Association (AHA), of the 4.7 million estimated dog bites each year almost 800,000 require medical intervention. Fifty percent of the attacks were on children under the age of 12.
Many townships have passed breed-specific legislation (BSL) but this only serves to provide a false sense of security, because any dog can become aggressive. BSL is expensive and often poorly-enforced, therefore providing little protection to the general public from dog bite incidents.
The AHA reports 25 different breeds of dogs were involved in 238 fatal dog attacks in the U.S. and sites “responsible breeding and ownership, public education and enforcement of existing laws are the most effective ways of reducing dog bites.”
Check out events for the 6th National Pit Bull Awareness Day, being held this year on October 27.
So yes, that adage “it’s the deed, not the breed” is something we should all be aware of.
Take a look at some photos of the poisoned puppies Brittany Miller shared with me.
Aramis
Mongy
Yogi
Deacon and Mongy
Related Reading:
Bruce the Pit Bull Tastes Freedom at Last
In Memory of Lennox, Dog Put To Death for Resembling a Pit Bull
The Answer to Preventing Animal Abuse: Humane Education?
Pit Bulls Saved By $1 Million Grant from Pet-Smart Charities
Read more: a darrah bull bull;y rescue, animal cruelty, animal rescue, animal rights, animal welfare, animals, Brittany Miller, bsl, pennsylvania, pit bull poisoned, pit bulls, Renae Metz
All photos used with permission of Brittany Miller, ADBBR http://adarrahbullbullyrescue.webs.com/
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Recent Comments from Causes
sell for $50 ? wow. that shocks me. My dog cost me that from the shelter. Thats insane
Thank you for the informative article and the many comments, some nice and helpful and some nasty and…
sad.
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516 comments
+ add your ownHow sad and disturbing what a motherf*er!
How sad and disturbing what a motherf*er!
Thanks Diane.
Of course poisoning is an act of great cruelty, even in the case of rats, let alone dogs. I doubt however, if the police would have felt motivated to spend much time on it. More's the pity.
Mark M., I agree with you completely, but I also see Wendy's points. The situation is still that somebody poisoned innocent puppies, and it matters not what their breed happened to be. If one hates a particular breed, then take apapropriate steps to remove them from your particular neighborhood or live where you have no "interaction" with dogs, period. I'm not so much for BSL, but I do think neighborhoods and communities have a right to prohibit them from being in THEIR jurisdiction. Having said that, many communities prohibit more than just Pitbulls, so one just needs to do their homework and live where they are allowed if one wants to have them. I don't happen to LIKE Chihuahua's, but that wouldn't give me the right to go poison the neighbor's litter of Chihuahua puppies, would it?
No, Wendy F. Pit bulls were bred (i.e.) genetically engineered by men for fighting. They have extra strong jaws and unusual tenacity. They are, as a breed, immensely tough. As you say, all dogs bite if wrongly treated but pit bulls have the power and determination to kill, and not just children. That is why the breed is thought dangerous enough to have been banned in the UK.
Breed Specific Legislation is ridiculous! It isn't the breed that's a problem, it's the human use of specific breeds. ANY animal will bite if they aren't socialized and pit bulls are usually trained to fight BY HUMANS! It's not in the breed itself! How stupid can people be?!
The so-called humans that poisoned these puppies are cruel, heartless individuals. And people around them better watch out: they will start hurting and killing people next. Jefrrey Dahmer and others like him started their killing by torturing and killing animals before they "graduated" to humans.
Scumbag loser! I am of the opinion that tyrants and monsters never come to a good end. Even if they are riding high for awhile, ultimately they fall.
Why is it that the US is now at the forefront of animal abuse and destruction of the environment? How many people have been arrested and locked up for the poisoning of these puppies? The Us must stop lecturing other countries and clean up their own, considerable mess! Obama and Romney on thecampaign trail will ignore such "trivial" matters, because dogs don't have a vote (although some of the voters are animals!). WHERE DOES THE US STAND WITH CRIMINAL ACTS LIKE THE MURDERING OF ANIMALS? For once do something worthwhile and protect animal rights - after all animals, in particular dogs are useful, while politicians are only around because prisons all over the world would be heavily overcrowded, if all of them would be convicted as ordinary citizens!
Why is it that the US is now at the forefront of animal abuse and destruction of the environment? How many people have been arrested and locked up for the poisoning of these puppies? The Us must stop lecturing other countries and clean up their own, considerable mess! Obama and Romney on thecampaign trail will ignore such "trivial" matters, because dogs don't have a vote (although some of the voters are animals!). WHERE DOES THE US STAND WITH CRIMINAL ACTS LIKE THE MURDERING OF ANIMALS? For once do something worthwhile and protect animal rights - after all animals, in particular dogs are useful, while politicians are only around because prisons all over the world would be heavily overcrowded, if all of them would be convicted as ordinary citizens!
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