Thread: They are taking my dog!

Originally Posted by icedog

I have form the opinion that Colorado has a powerful lobby of dog ignoramusi. The idea that they have a complete pitbull ban in the city and county of Denver is enough but now they profess to know what is best for a well cared for golden retriever? I will give up my dog when they pry my cold dead fingers from off his collar.

I would simply ignore them but you might try a more mature defense by getting a petition signed by as many "neighbors" as possible and present it to some elected official. I'd sign it for you.

Brad

Denver is not representative of all of Colorado any more than NYC is of New York state. Irresponsible owners, gang members, and media hype led to the pit ban. We have no shortage of holier-than-thou types either...but then that seems to be a growing trend in the US, where Group A knows better than Group B, who knows better than Group A. The sane people are caught in the middle. These people are used to bullying people to get their way and cannot stand it when other stand up to them...it prevents them from feeling superior (we all know these types of people - they are everywhere - churches, city halls, social organizations, schools, business offices).

As Brad mentioned, get statements from neighbors, from your vet, ensure you have all the documents related to the placement and then go on the offensive - they are not used to that, as they expect everyone to kowtow to them because they play the "we rescue animals" card...

As for the Samoyeds (mine was just running around with a sock...and here I spend good money on chew toys...)...anyway, the breeder I got mine from also is involved in rescue...she lives out in the country and the dogs have a barn and a small field to run around in...she put in special fencing to keep them in (Sammies can jump pretty high)...and they go nuts when they are outside - running, playing, barking at the chickens, chasing each other. I have even considered moving out to the sticks so mine can have a nice area to run in, without any traffic.

As someone said, look at your dog...if he is happy, you can't do any better. There is a prehistoric contract between dogs and man - we care for them and they protect us and give us unquestioned love. When someone abuses a dog, beyond the cruelty, they are betraying millennia of trust and you can see it in their eyes. It is also abuse to place an animal with a loving family and then take it away becasue of some self-righteous need for control or a warped mentality that treats the dog as a human (making the dog neurotic).

Go after them with both barrels. If it doesn't work out, let me know and we can talk about Sammies.

The pic is of mine.

I got roped into doing the rescue thing once, won't ever happen again. I was taking care of some white german shepherds and met to many wacko's doing it. Some are good organizations but not many. And like said above the rescues have the dog's because there are people out there who do not deserve a good dog and are to irresponsible to handle one, and are very jaded at some people. I see all the time people living in little apartment's with Shepherds, Rotties, even one Great Dane, that are lucky to get walked around the apartment complex once a week and think that the dog's have a great life stuck in the little apartments. I feel so sorry for those dogs.

Ruin them. create enough bad press to shut them down. somebody else will pickup the mantle never worry.

I saw a special on tv a few weeks ago where something similar happened that a rescue felt somebody wasn't pampering the dog enough and so wanted it back, came and just took it from the yard or something like that. kids were heartbroken. I'd remind the shelter people that regardless of what the contract says, unless it spells out access to the property, which I highly doubt, than setting food on my land is trespassing.

You could always fight the other way too, I'm sure you can get plenty of real experts to testify that keeping large breed dogs indoors is unhealty. this shelter is fostering mistreatment of dogs and punishing good treatment.

Red

Good luck taking these people down Matt. That's just crazy. All my dogs have lived their lives outdoors and they've all been happy creatures. What blowhards...

Some people just can't get it through their thick skulls that you do not treat a Pit, a Shepherd, a Sammie, or other outdoor type dog like you do a Pekingese (in Colorado, AKA "mountain lion bait").

Sad.....

Keep us posted.

Originally Posted by WireBeard

Some people just can't get it through their thick skulls that you do not treat a Pit, a Shepherd, a Sammie, or other outdoor type dog like you do a Pekingese (in Colorado, AKA "mountain lion bait").

Sad.....

Keep us posted.

I can't agree more. If I were to keep Basil locked up indoors he'd probably hang himself. I find he is much happier when he's been outdoors and worked hard for at least two hours each day. Fortunately a young couple moved in next door with a shepard mix pup (about 18 months now)that is learning much from Basil. But the way they grabass in the yard can look pretty scary to the uninitiated. Dogs are very tough critters. They play rough and they work hard. It has always been my belief that a tired dog is a happy dog. I also believe that dogs have a natural tendency toward security. If they are awake, they are "on watch". Dogs, regardless of breed, make regular patrols around their "turf". I can't imagine anyone who has ever spent any appreciable amount of time studying a dog finding fault with an owner who keeps his dog securely outdoors. As long as the animal has fresh water and some sort of shelter from the elements and shade from the sun, she is more likely to be happy and stimulated than if she is locked indoors for the same period of time.

One of my anecdotal stories from personal experience. A few years back I was living in a third floor walk-up with my last dog Fritz:

It would get very hot in the apartment some summer days so I would bring Fritz with me to work. I had a Ford F-250 which I would park in the shade and leave Fritz in the truck with both windows all the way down and the split rear window fully open. In the bed was a very large bowl full of cold water. It was cold because every hour or so I'd run out and throw ice cubes in it for him (I was in Engineering so I had the freedom to do this). Even though he could just leave if he wanted to, every time I'd go to the truck with ice, Fritz would be stretched out asleep on the bench seat. Then at lunch time he'd get a full hour of running around and socializing on the grassy area in front of the company. I am sure this beat the hell out of being locked alone in a sweltering apartment all day long. Well, a woman who worked in te manufacturing area saw me leave Fritz in the truck one day. With no investigation at all, she went to Human Resources and complained that I was "killing my dog". The HR manager was a "dog person" (his wife bred labrador retrievers) and he took her complaint very seriously. He immediately ran outside to investigate and found Fritz lying comfortably in the shade with the windows all open and a bowl of ice water. He went back to the woman and told her there was no problem at all. She wasn't satisfied so she called the police to report my cruelty to my dog. The police came and found the exact same thing. They went inside to let the HR manager know they had received the complaint and found no evidence of cruelty nor neglect. The HR manager called me to his office and let the cops tell me directly. They actually wanted to know why Fritz would stay in the truck for so long. I told them I guessed it was because he had no place else to go. Well, the woman wasn't convinced. She was certain I was locking poor Fritz in the truck, in the sun with the windows all closed. She began telling everyone she worked with that I was a "dog killer" and when she saw me in the work areas or the hallway, she'd start shouting at me. Luckily she was very pregnant at the time so she was put on Maternity Leave for a few months and the problem went away.

It's amazing how some people can presume erroneous knowledge with no evidence.

Many shelters are dependent on contributions. The threat of bad press might snap some reality into them.

A call to the paper or TV station asking if they know of anyone else who has had this problem might do it.

Just be sure you're on firm ground and can't get the thing reversed onto you. The press is pretty amoral, and if they get better ratings serving you up instead of the shelter, they'll do it.

j

Originally Posted by icedog

I can't agree more. If I were to keep Basil locked up indoors he'd probably hang himself. I find he is much happier when he's been outdoors and worked hard for at least two hours each day. Fortunately a young couple moved in next door with a shepard mix pup (about 18 months now)that is learning much from Basil. But the way they grabass in the yard can look pretty scary to the uninitiated. Dogs are very tough critters. They play rough and they work hard. It has always been my belief that a tired dog is a happy dog. I also believe that dogs have a natural tendency toward security. If they are awake, they are "on watch". Dogs, regardless of breed, make regular patrols around their "turf". I can't imagine anyone who has ever spent any appreciable amount of time studying a dog finding fault with an owner who keeps his dog securely outdoors. As long as the animal has fresh water and some sort of shelter from the elements and shade from the sun, she is more likely to be happy and stimulated than if she is locked indoors for the same period of time.

One of my anecdotal stories from personal experience. A few years back I was living in a third floor walk-up with my last dog Fritz:

It would get very hot in the apartment some summer days so I would bring Fritz with me to work. I had a Ford F-250 which I would park in the shade and leave Fritz in the truck with both windows all the way down and the split rear window fully open. In the bed was a very large bowl full of cold water. It was cold because every hour or so I'd run out and throw ice cubes in it for him (I was in Engineering so I had the freedom to do this). Even though he could just leave if he wanted to, every time I'd go to the truck with ice, Fritz would be stretched out asleep on the bench seat. Then at lunch time he'd get a full hour of running around and socializing on the grassy area in front of the company. I am sure this beat the hell out of being locked alone in a sweltering apartment all day long. Well, a woman who worked in te manufacturing area saw me leave Fritz in the truck one day. With no investigation at all, she went to Human Resources and complained that I was "killing my dog". The HR manager was a "dog person" (his wife bred labrador retrievers) and he took her complaint very seriously. He immediately ran outside to investigate and found Fritz lying comfortably in the shade with the windows all open and a bowl of ice water. He went back to the woman and told her there was no problem at all. She wasn't satisfied so she called the police to report my cruelty to my dog. The police came and found the exact same thing. They went inside to let the HR manager know they had received the complaint and found no evidence of cruelty nor neglect. The HR manager called me to his office and let the cops tell me directly. They actually wanted to know why Fritz would stay in the truck for so long. I told them I guessed it was because he had no place else to go. Well, the woman wasn't convinced. She was certain I was locking poor Fritz in the truck, in the sun with the windows all closed. She began telling everyone she worked with that I was a "dog killer" and when she saw me in the work areas or the hallway, she'd start shouting at me. Luckily she was very pregnant at the time so she was put on Maternity Leave for a few months and the problem went away.

It's amazing how some people can presume erroneous knowledge with no evidence.

Eeek...she was breeding? Imagine this idiot with a kid!?! Another neurotic, spoiled kid afraid of its own shadow.....and I'll bet this twit didn't even own a dog......

So here is the update, that i type as Jake (my dog) is snuggled upon the couch with his head on my lap, the fireplace blazing forth in all its glory, and Jake snorring as I type (I feel like such an abuser of this dog). I have surrended Ruby, the second dog we received from the rescue, and retained Jake, because she was nipping at my children. According to the rescue the nipping is all my fault because I did not train this dog (despite the fact that I have it sitting, staing and laying down to handsignals, and crating up when I simply stated "bed." That's not adequate training for 4 months i guess.

I have sent an e-mail to the board of directors of the rescue demanding verification of what provision of the contract allows access to my property, and they have failed to respond. I have reviewed the contract and there is no provision allowing this. I have stated, in no uncertain terms, that I will not allow any person from the rescue to step foot on my property without my prior notice, and my prior written consent. If they come to my house, I will sue each and every member of the board of directors for tresspass, as well as the rescue as an entity, and the person on who comes to the house in District court. That means that each member of the board, the entity itself and the "volunteer" who comes to the house will each be forced to hire an attorney at a minimum of $150 per hour. That alone wil put a sever crimp on their finances. I have already contacted the news stations for channels 2, 4, 7, 9, 31, and the local radio stations regarding this issue. I have also stated that if Jake ever "disappears" from my house I will pursue theft charges against each and every pesron involved with this resuce, as they would be part of a conspiracy for theft, and I will sue each and every person for conversion, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

I have truely lost all faith in the resuces of this area. I will keep you all updated.

Matt

Damn, way to put the hurt on them. I bet they back off now- it's truly amazing how the words "legal action" and "attorney" can make people change their tune. If you're on the news, youtube it for us