The Pit Bull lobby – Jane Berkey, Animal Farm Foundation, Karen Delise, The National Canine Research Council, Indeterminate Breeds

THE PIT BULL LOBBY EXPOSED

If you are reading this, you probably used the NCRC (National Canine Research Council) as your “credible” source of information regarding the pit bull issue.

I’ve wanted to blog about this for a long time now. I must give credit where credit is due. Much of the content of this blog post was gathered or provided by fellow advocates of the Victims Of Dangerous Dogs Advocacy Network. It was my undertaking to pull it all together. If you are an elected official and are about to vote on Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), I wrote this blog for you. You need to read this blog in its entirety.

Karen Delise, the Executive Director of the National Canine Research Council, had this to say about the father of a child mauled to death by pit bulls:

 

Yes, I AM biased against pit bulls. You would be too if you had to see half your son’s face ripped off, eyeball hanging from his socket, and skull crushed after a 15 minute pit bull attack and $37,ooo flight for life later. So excuse me for wanting to explore the pit bull issue in depth. So often I wish I could just have my old life back. A completely ignorant and happy life. A life before I had to see my baby ripped to shreds like that. Lying there on that hospital table, lifeless and looking like a hand grenade went off underneath him. A life completely blind to the pit bull issue. I knew their advocates were crazy, but I would just laugh it off like I did so many other things in life. I was just like anyone else and thought they were just like any other dog. The only thing I knew about them is they tended to be aggressive with other dogs.

How I wish that were true. The pit bull lobby is held together by one person’s inheritance. Her name is Jane Berkey. And Jane bought the pit bull lobby months after her father died.

I hope by putting this all in one place, it will shed some light on the pit bull advocacy and ITS bias.

The Pit Bull Propaganda Machine

Whenever someone is evaluating research, the first thing you should do is ask who is paying for the research. Where does the money come from? What are the motives (if any) of the source? Is it a special interest group? Do they have an interest in keeping their products on the shelves?

In this topic the product is pit bulls.

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 Animal Farm Foundation, Bangall, NY

“Securing equal treatment and opportunity for “pit bull” dogs”

I don’t know about you, but I see a conflict of interest right off the bat. With this statement (Securing equal treatment and opportunity for “pit bull” dogs) RIGHT IN THE LOGO, it seems to me that keeping the truth about the history and purpose of the American Pit Bull Terrier hidden from the American public, is in this big cooperation’s best interest. I would like someone to start an organization that “secured equal treatment and opportunity for victims of “pit bull” dog attacks. How can Animal Farm Foundation be considered anything but an organization that exists to protect the image of the pit bull? Hardly an unbiased organization, yes?

A popular American slogan is, “Follow the money trail.” So let’s do this in reverse order and start at the top.

Click the following links to view the 2013, 2012 & 2011 990(s) for Animal Farm Foundation:

• 2013

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/222/386/2013-222386955-0a025c39-F.pdf

• 2012

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/222/386/2012-222386955-08f9aa05-F.pdf

• 2011

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/222/386/2011-222386955-0835e8d6-F.pdf

Page 39: Animal Farm Foundation board members

Jane Berkey – President

Donald Cleary – Secretary/ Treasurer (Author of the JAVMA study)

Peggy Gordijn – Vice President

Diana M. Gurieva – Board Member

Ledy VanKavage – Board Member (Best Friends Animal Society)

Andrew Saul – Board Member (Jane Berkey’s brother)

Stacey Coleman – Executive director

And now for the executive director of Animal Farm Foundation, coming in at a salary of $103,846 dollars, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Stacey Coleman!!!

Look at her t-shirt. Look at the photo on the wall. This is the money source of the pit bull advocacy. Special interest groups?

 

Jane Berkey, president of Animal Farm, is a bizarre woman to say the least. Jane Rotrosen Berkey dropped out of New York University “just short” of a degree and went to work for a small literary/dramatic agency in the City. Determined on following her own path, after only 12 months as an assistant and an associate agent, Jane divided her one-bedroom apartment in half and hung out the shingle of Jane Rotrosen Agency in 1974.

One thing is for sure. Jane LOVES pit bulls and she loves to surround herself with other people that do too. Just take a good look at this photo. No, I don’t mean the disgusting duck face. I mean her t-shirt. I mean the nasty, ear-cropped “pit bull” on the wall. It’s apparent to me that this woman LOVES “pit bulls.” In my opinion she LOVES “pit bulls” so much, she might want to see a professional.

Jane Berkey loves “pit bulls” so much, in 2013 she contributed $2,850,000 of her family’s money to Animal Farm. Most people with the kind of disposable income that allows a $2.8 million dollar donation, would put it toward a children’s hospital or a cultural asset for their city. Not Jane Berkey though. In my opinion, she uses her blood money to support the deaths of hundreds of innocent children and countless other animals.

$2,850,000 from Jane Berkey in 2013

If you also go through the 990’s for 2012 and 2011, Jane Berkey gave $1.5 million in 2012 and $1.5 million in 2011.  Her brother (Andrew Saul) gave $155,323 in 2011 as well.  What an odd amount.  This is on page 15 for all three years if you would like to see for yourself.

You’re probably wondering by now, “Where did Jane Berkey get all this money?” The answer is, she inherited it from her father.

The late Joseph Saul –

SAUL–Joseph E. The Board and staff of the American Friends of the Israel Museum and the Israel Museum, are saddened by the death of our longtime friend and supporter, Joseph E. Saul. We offer heartfelt condolences to Norma, Andrew and Denise and the entire family. Stephen S. Lash President, AFIM James S. Snyder Anne & Jerome Fisher Dir., Israel Museum

Published in The New York Times on Apr. 13, 2007

 $(6$)SAUL–Joseph E., 1919-2007. Loving husband of Norma for 67 years. Fabulous father of Andrew and Jane Berkey, father-in-law of Denise. Loving grandfather of Kim and Aaron, Jennifer and Rob. Great-grandfather of William and Caroline. A true gentlemen and outstanding person. Services will be private.

The Animal Farm Foundation huge operation costs rely strictly on the Berkeys’ money. Jane Berkey and her family are funneling money through this non-profit organization and getting huge tax deductions in the process. But this should not surprise anyone, right? Isn’t this what rich people do all the time? I’m not saying it’s illegal, and there are plenty of wealthy Americans who donate to worthy causes all the time. As a born again Christian, I am to love my neighbor no matter what. Rich, poor, middle class. Envy is one of the seven deadly sins, so it makes me mad when politicians try and play the class envy game to get votes. It’s none of my business how much money my neighbor earns. I don’t envy the wealthy. As a matter of fact, I rely on those Americans for work. So I can pay my rent, have a nice car, a row boat with a 6 horse motor on it, put food on the table, or once feed my now dead son that was brutally mauled to death by two pit bulls in a prolonged attack. But I have a huge problem when wealthy people use their money for EVIL. And what else can you call this but evil? In my opinion, the killing,  maiming,  and disfigurement of innocent children and countless animals are happening in part because of Jane Berkey’s work by protecting a breed whose sole purpose on this Earth is to take down a 2000 lb bull and fight to death in a pit, is that not evil?

Let’s take a closer look at the Jane Rotrosen Berkey Agency.

From left to right: Andrea Cirillo, Meg Ruley, Annelise Robey, Christina Hogrebe, Amy Tannenbaum, Rebecca Scherer, Jane Berkey, Danielle Sickles, Liz Van Buren, Peggy Boulos Smith, Julianne Tinari, Michael Conroy, Christina Prestia

They all seem like lovely people. But did you see a pattern like I did? I won’t say anything else about them but her staff are all your young women that all look like they came out of the same cookie cutter. I wonder if they even know the pain and suffering Jane Berkey is causing today?

In the next section of this blog I will be writing about the NCRC (National Canine Research Council) and its connection to the AFF. But before that I want to talk about Donald Cleary – Secretary/ Treasurer of the AFF.

Donald Cleary is also on the staff of NCRC and makes public statements for both organizations

 

Donald Cleary is also on the staff of NCRC and makes public statements for both organizations. He does interviews where he paints himself as an expert on dogs.  He worked for Berkey at her literary agency and was apparently a big enough suck up that she brought him into her personal mania.  You will find Bios for Cleary and his son on the Rotrosen Literary bios pages.

Donald W. Cleary, Royalty Manager

 

Yes, you guess it. Jane Berkey also hired Donald W. Cleary (Donald Cleary’s son) to be part of the happy team at Rotrosen.

 

I know, I know. You’re thinking, “this is getting weird.” Right?

You haven’t seen anything yet.

Meet the Jane Rotrosen Berkey Literary/Dramatic Agency’s mascots!

Joshua, Agency Mascot

 

Joshua, Agency Mascot

Joshua, CGC, TT, TD Inc is a rescued pit bull (Amy Marder had no problem identifying this pit bull) and our agency mascot. He has made appearances in Michael Palmer’s novel, the Fifth Vial and on CNN, and is an ambassador for his misunderstood breed as well as a beloved addition to this dog-friendly office.

Learn more about Josh and his friends at www.animalfarmfoundation.org

 

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Beep, Agency Mascot

 

Beep, Agency Mascot

Beep is an avid reader who has achieved her Canine Good Citizen certification.
Learn more about Beep and her friends at www.animalfarmfoundation.org

 

 

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Petal, Agency Mascot

Weird enough for you yet? Oh wait, there’s more! Meet Petal, Agency Mascot.

 

Petal, CGC, a rescued pit bull, affectionately known around the office as “The Beetle”, traveled on December 3, 2008. Her spirit lives on in Luanne Rice‘s Dream Country and Tami Hoag‘s Deeper than the Dead and mostly, in all of our hearts.
Learn more about Petal’s friends at www.animalfarmfoundation.org

Sculpture of Petal by Tim Racer

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The pit bullery connections are incestuous.

That last mascot may or may not seem strange to you. But I guess it would if you knew more about the pit bull advocacy. The sculpture of Jane Berkey’s deceased pit bull was made by Tim Racer. Tim Racer and Donna Reynolds are completely out to lunch when it comes to pit bulls. They are a childless couple who founded BADRAP (Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit Bulls) They have recently posted on their Facebook page debunking the “Nanny Dog” myth.”

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The National Canine Research Council

The NCRC was founded by Karen Delise, a former vet tech, who wrote a book purporting to show that pit bulls get “a bad rap” and “it is all how you raise them.” I’ll get back to YOU, Karen Delise. The NCRC was subsequently acquired by Animal Farm Foundation which is a pit bull rescue and advocacy group whose mission statement is: “securing equal treatment and opportunity for pit bull dogs” http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/pages/About-Us-Mission-Statement

This information would not be possible without DogsBite.org entering into a costly legal battle with AFF over the “Com” domain name (See WIPO dispute). In March 2010, DogsBite.org learned that “DogsBite.com” was purchased for $11,000, registered under a cloaked name then began forwarding to the NCRC website. In order to pursue a domain name dispute, DogsBite.org needed to prove that AFF and NCRC were one in the same. After extensive research, they gained access to the New York state documentation showing Jane Berkey as the owner of NCRC. Up until this point, no one knew that Jane Berkey controlled the NCRC.

Click here to see what happens when you type in DogsBite.com or DogsBite.net for that matter.

If you check the AFF’s website today:

Today, Animal Farm Foundation clearly states on its website in the “About Us” section that the NCRC (National Canine Research Council) is a subsidiary of the AFF.

4. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATIONAL CANINE RESEARCH COUNCIL?

NCRC is a subsidiary of Animal Farm Foundation. NCRC’s mission benefits all dogs by working to preserve the human-canine bond.

 5. WHY DID AFF ACQUIRE NCRC?

While doing our advocacy work on behalf of “pit bull” dogs, we realized there was a real deficit in fact-based, scientific research that promoted the value of the human-canine bond. We knew from history that the cycle of discrimination that is currently plaguing “pit bull” dogs had plagued other groups of dogs and unless we did something to end that cycle, more dogs would be discriminated against in the future.

Karen Delise, the Founder and Director of Research for the National Canine Research Council had already been researching instances of when the human-canine bond was broken. We approached Karen about expanding the mission of NCRC to include preserving the human-canine bond and she agreed. Karen Delise remains the Founder and Director of Research for the National Canine Research Council.

Does your relationship influence their research? It is the other way around. The independent research of NCRC is relevant to all kinds of dogs and dog owners and is therefore often helpful with the mission of Animal Farm Foundation.

Because of this deceitful maneuver by the AFF, DogsBite.ORG has to spend countless hours per year correcting newspaper articles and journalists across the country. Here is one example from right here in my own state that was recently corrected by DogsBite.org on 8/18/14.

At least 43 municipalities in Wisconsin currently ban or restrict pit bulls, according to DogBites.COM, which tracks dog-breed statistics.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/in-cambridge-a-pit-bull-named-sherlock-triggers-a-rancorous/article_469ffa84-704a-5fce-9ad1-6f5bc30b59f3.html

On August 15th, 2007, (The same year of the Michael Vick dogfighting bust) Jane Berkey took control of the National Canine Research Council MONTHS after the death of her father.

Click here to download the PDF

This is where it gets tricky.

The National Canine Research Council is an LLC. However, they can set up a 501(c)(4) “Action Fund” for lobbying and to influence legislators.

What is a 501(c)(4)?

The IRS provides an exemption under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code for social welfare organizations (called 501(c)(4) organizations), that are nonprofit in nature and operate exclusively for the promotion of the common good and welfare of a community. These local associations of employees must provide net earnings exclusively for the purpose of charitable, educational or recreational goals. The NAACP and AARP are examples of 501(c)(4) organizations that are classified as groups promoting social welfare primarily for the common good and welfare of a community.

 

In 2009 the AFF “name shifted” their action fund as the National Canine Research Council.

Click here to view

Now that Jane Berkey has acquired the NCRC as an LLC, their donations are not tax-deductible, however, they do not have to disclose who their donors are. Now that the NCRC has an action fund, Jane Berkey is free to use her money to influence lawmakers and protect the pit bulls from breed-specific legislation. (BSL)

• 2013 Form 990
• 2012 Form 990
• 2011 Form 990

A closer look at the National Canine Research Council 2013 action fund had $78,237 and the end of the year had $73,754. If you look closer at the forms you can see that the NCRC contributed to the passage of “Improved animal control and animal protection legislation by the state of Ohio house of representatives.”

The action fund claims to have influenced Ohio to drop BSL for two different years. I wonder if Ohio legislators knew who and what they were dealing with when they stripped hundreds of jurisdictions in their state of their right to keep their citizens safe from a known and well documented dangerous breed? One thing is for sure: The more we let pit bull apologists and special interest groups, that only have the interests of animal welfare in mind, public safety will continue to fall by the wayside. The more we allow special interest groups to influence legislators, the more maimings, maulings and deaths of humans and animals we will endure. Many jurisdictions in Ohio that already had BSL were grandfathered in and allowed to keep the bans. Other cities, like Reynoldsburg, recently upheld their pit bull bans despite more than a year of pleas from pit bull advocates.

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 Ledy VanKavage – Board member of the AFF

I ran into a wall while writing this blog when I got to Ledy. There’s just so much to talk about with this pit bull advocate. From everything I’ve read and been told about her, she’s a real snake in the grass but is very sociable, quite likable in person and does not come off as pit bull advocate. I believe this is what makes her so effective.

When Ledy VanKavage’s was only 4 years old, her first and best friend was an American Pit Bull Terrier named “Boody. “Boody was a stray puppy that the family adopted and was a partner in all of VanKavage’s childhood exploits. She recalls hiding out with Boody in his dog house when she didn’t want to come indoors. Not only was Boody allowed to roam around the neighborhood, un-neutered, he often fought with other dogs. Apparently Ledy’s pit bull had the same genetic propensity to fight and kill other dogs as the same pit bulls she apologizes for today.

“I remember jumping into the middle of a dog fight when I was 6 and pulling Boody off another dog because someone had called the police, I didn’t want the cops to shoot my dog.”

Ledy’s purpose-bred fighting machine, along with his lack of neutering, became Boody’s undoing.

“He got in a fight, he was able to drag himself to our street, where he met me every day on my walk home from school. I found him on my way home. We took him to the vet, but he died of his fighting wounds. To this day I grieve for him.”

When Ledy speaks about Boody and his tendency to fight today, she says that was decades ago, “Before the time of responsible ownership.”

She grew up and became a lawyer. Ledy VanKavage studied at the St. Louis University Law School. She is now the senior legislative attorney at Best Friends Animal Society and lives in Collinsville, IL.

Maybe she grew up to be a lawyer because she supports a pit bull’s right to rip apart other pets? Maybe she grew up to be a lawyer to fight against dangerous dog designations for pit bulls that unprovoked kill other dogs? In my opionion, whether it’s the 1 million pit bulls killed in shelters and reborn every year or the thousands of other animals pit bulls kill, Ledy supports animal abuse, as long as pit bulls and their owners are doing it.

Here’s Ledy sucking face with a pit bull and holding another wearing a tu-tu.

When VanKavage worked for the ASPCA she drafted “Anna’s law.” The law was in honor of Anna Cieslewicz, who was killed by pit bulls while jogging in the Dan Ryan woods in Chicago.  Anna’s Law had nothing to do with BSL. It is mostly concerned with feral cats and medical care for pets of low income residents. For the law to be named after a victim of a brutal pit bull attack that was jogging in a park, is insulting to say the least. The law flew under the guise of public safety but was the exact opposite. Here is the ASPCA’s version of what the law would do.

Click here to view the current Illinois law.

The Illinios law that I just linked to above is where the prohibition came from and Ledy VanKavage takes credit for as well. I am factually correct in saying that Ledy brought a prohibition on BSL to the state, just not in Anna’s law. I checked this out with a trustworthy friend of mine that lives right over the border from me in Illinois. The current law makes it more difficult to have a violent dog euthanized. Read the steps she put into the process.

 

 Illinois State law “(510 ILCS 5/24) (from Ch. 8, par. 374)

    Sec. 24. Nothing in this Act shall be held  to  limit  in

any  manner  the power of any municipality or other political

subdivision to prohibit animals from running  at  large,  nor

shall  anything  in  this Act be construed to, in any manner,

limit the  power  of  any  municipality  or  other  political

subdivision  to  further  control  and regulate dogs, cats or

other  animals  in  such  municipality  or  other   political

subdivision  provided  that  no  regulation  or  ordinance is

specific to breed  including  a  requirement  of  inoculation

against rabies.

(Source: P.A. 82-783.)

Link to the whole law.  When something is underlined on a site like this it means that the section is new. Ledy added this.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=093-0548&GA=93

I don’t think you will need me to explain its flaws.

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While I was writing this blog (8/6/14) the U.S. had another DBRF (Dog Bite Related Fatality). It was the 25th of 2014 and it occurred in Ohio. It was the 3rd fatal pit bull attack within 55 miles of each other.

On August 4th, 2014, Cindy Whisman, a 59 year old grandmother was killed by her daughter’s pit bull as she was babysitting her grandson at her home in Madison Township Ohio.  Cindy Whisman was dead at the scene, her two-year-old grandson was found uninjured in the yard when a neighbor rushed to help, beating the pit bull away with a walking stick.

From “Scorched Earth, the Politics of Pit Bulls” blog, and I just LOVE this title because it really hits the point of my blog:

Ohio woman killed by her daughter’s pit bull. Will Ohio lawmakers PLEASE quit allowing breed specific advocates/animal rights advocates write and influence Ohio law!

Since the passage of HB 14 in 2012 Ohio has had nine fatal dog attacks.  Historical note – in the previous 25 years Ohio had six fatal dog attacks.  HB14, sold to foolish legislators as “finally giving dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs”  is an epic fail.  Here is another historical note, HB 14 was written by Ledy VanKavage’s staff at Best Friends Animal Society headquartered in Kanab Utah, the deal was brokered by private citizen and pit bull advocate Jean Keating, and pushed through the Ohio Legislature by Keating’s personal friend, Representative Barbara Sears assisted with a media blitz by the Toledo Blade.  All these facts come from documents obtained via public records requests.

Just a week or so ago Jean Keating was interviewed for a story by NBC24.com.  She stated on camera that Ohio law since the passage of HB 14 is “much more proactive, it identifies dogs that are dangerous before they hurt people.”   Given the nine fatalities, not so much.  Watch the video, Tom Skeldon is also interviewed. He gives very honest information.  Per NBC24.com “Skeldon says the amended law was a mistake. “At the rate we’re going, you’re going to have a lot more deaths due to dogs. And, it doesn’t have to be that way.” Skeldon has the opportunity to say, “I told you so.”

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Cindy Whisman was killed by her daughter’s pit bull named Polo. Her daughter, Julie Whisman was very outspoken and sounded logical immediately following her mother’s death. “I wish he would’ve had a gun so he could have shot the dog.” 

I wonder if the pit bull lobby went into action and got to Julie? I only say this because 24 hours later she said, “I want to see the results of that investigation and better understand what happened before making a determination about Polo’s fate.” She said after thinking about the situation for 24 hours, she is “indecisive.”

You’re probably like I was before my son was brutally mauled to death by two pit bulls in a fifteen minute attack and thinking, “There’s no way a dog that has killed a human being would not be put down.” If we lived in a country where dangerous dog laws were not written by special interest groups and the animal lobby, you would be correct.

 

Congratulations lawmakers. You made a deal with the pit bull lobby and now you have blood on your hands.

Thanks to Jane Berkey and her pit bull protectionist squad, the dog that killed Cindy Whisman could be returned to the owner BY LAW. So much for human biters being “culled” huh? I mean, for the love of John P. Colby! What kind of country do we live in where a DOG that KILLS a human being is allowed to live? This falls directly at the feet of anyone who touched HB14. We need to start holding legislators feet to the fire when they make deals with the devil. I know they think they’re doing good when it’s dressed up all fancy by people that have dedicated their lives to protecting pit bulls. But they’re not innocent. Especially when I just showed you the document for a $74,000+, Jane Berkey controlled, National Canine Research Council Action Fund that was used to buy your vote. You ignorant and corrupt politicians better listen, and listen well. We ALL live downstream. And someday, when and IF Zainabou Drame is ever able to speak again, her scarred face might be standing at a podium pointing her finger at you and demanding you be held accountable.

For shits and giggles, let’s just imagine Polo, the human-killing pit bull, is allowed to return to the neighborhood. Let’s just imagine if the frail Wayne Walker is forced to use his walking stick again because Polo has the taste of human blood and wants more. NO, I don’t care if Polo is now neutered or not. Just ask the family of Betty Todd how well the “professionals” advice on the calming effects of spay/neuter worked for them.

Wayne Walker probably knew Cindy Whisman before her daughter was born. What if Polo attacks again and this time it’s the 2-year-old? Will Wayne Walker’s walking stick be enough this time? I hope so. I think anyone that lives within a 2-block radius of Polo, the human-killing pit bull, should be required to carry and learn how to use a break stick just in case of an emergency. I hear those plastic tent stakes work pretty good too.

If this human killing pit bull is allowed to be anywhere around Julie Whisman’s child, someone needs to call Child Protective Services.

Thanks to Jane Berkey’s henchmen, all the scenarios I just listed are possible. LEGALLY.

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 Karen Delise (National Canine Research Council)

Karen Delise

In my opinion, Karen Delise may as well been dropping “It’s all how you raise them” leaflets from an airplane over Susan’s one acre fenced-in back yard when she was fighting off her own two pit bulls for 15 minutes while they were ripping my son to pieces.

Karen Delise is a vet tech, no special education.  When she writes she uses the title LVT. Licensed Veterinary Tech is not a big deal. She claims to have a background in investigation and worked for a law enforcement agency of some sort. She was probably a clerk.  She uses Jim Crosby for backup sometimes. Jim Crosby is a failed animal control officer who lost his job because his employees barbequed a pet pig that had been sent to his shelter to be placed as a pet.

Karen Delise has run the NCRC for a long time. It is a kick ass name but was never really a council, just Karen’s excuses for pit bulls.  Karen Delise wrote the silly “Pit Bull Placebo” book and used to sell it. When Jane Berkey bought the NCRC, the Pit bull Placebo became free to download.  You get what you pay for, even for free it is not worth wasting time on.

Amy Marder

Karen Delise looks at newspaper photos and shockingly, she can’t identify the dog as a pit bull.  She sends the photos to Amy Marder DVM (a breeder of showdogs so I’m told) and shockingly, Marder can’t ID the breed either.  If you shop around the AFF site and the NCRC site Marder’s name turns up, she is one of the happy AFF gang.

Karen Delise is a bit of a mystery as for her career timeline. I’ve not found her on LinkedIn or any of those career sites. She could be exaggerating or fabricating her expertise big time.

Delise’s analysis of fatalities is driven by Jane Berkey’s agenda.  Nothing is a pit bull despite the police reports, media reports, neighbors and even the family itself.  Karen has never been able to show any documentation that is unavailable to anyone else.  She has Jane Berkey’s money, files a freedom of information request for police records and public records. I have seen some of the records she works from and she skews facts.  There is no doubt about this. Carol Miller put some examples in her letter to the Annals of Surgery, published on DogsBite.org. In my next segment I will highlight how Karen Delise contacts dog owners and asks for registration information.  It will be interesting to see what she does with the Derouen case.  The dog’s pedigree was easily available online, it was a pit bull. Pit bull advocates were claiming that the papers were falsified even though the dog looks just like the sire and dam.

Karen Delise arrogantly states that she and SHE ALONE, does not rely on media sources for dog bite related fatalities. Cravens Desires disproved that claim here.

Karen Delise and the NCRC is the only “research” organization I know of that cites themselves as a source when doing research. You just can’t make this stuff up. In my opinion, Karen Delise of NCRC has been altering and falsifying material to lobby for the financial interests of the pit bull industry for a long time.  NCRC material is nearly all fabricated and is more like advertising promotion, just like many business lobbying groups. It’s not like that is a secret. These lobbying propaganda groups are common in the business and commercial world, and pit bull breeding and dealing is commerce. NCRC is a business lobbying group just like a tobacco lobbying group, producing propaganda to protect financial interests and obscure dangers and negatives.

Yes, law enforcement and animal control and dog owners are all on record calling the dog a pit bull and the National Canine Research Council says breed can’t be determined? Oh how convenient! Having it be not determined does three things for them:

1.  It allows them to say not that many pit bulls are killing people.

2.  It allows them to say this is not a breed centered problem or that breed is a factor at all.

3.  It adds more fuel to their theory that pit bulls can’t be identified. It’s a circular argument used to prove itself.

Even a quick look at official records and a quick comparison to Karen Delise’s propaganda quickly reveals the outright fabrications. Let’s face it, even for a business propagandist who, (In my opinion) appears to be hired to deceive, obscure and alter the truth, she is not very good at what she does. The fabrications, errors, and falsehoods are so apparent, they make the pit bull lobby look criminal. She does it no favors.

If the owners can’t produce breed registration papers for the attacking dog (which only about 40% of owners of dogs have) then they say the breed is “indeterminate” no matter how obvious it is to everyone what breed the dog is. As in the case of the Rottweilers attacking the boy in Chicago in 2009.

Read the NCRC reports and click on the blue hypertext and also look through many of their notes. A very large number of their assertions and terms (like “resident dog”) are generated from them and not an independent source. And, it’s just ridiculous on its face and defies all common sense for them to decide that unless a dog has papers, the breed is “indeterminate.” It’s very clear WHY they take that stance–because it suits their agenda, which is to advocate for pit bulls. It’s their sole reason for existence. This looks like the way the pit bull lobby operates, doesn’t it? Here is the AVMA attempting to silence and censor an investigation into corrupt accreditation practices influenced by corporate interests, doing everything they can to hide the documents from public view! Many practicing veterinarians are so disgusted by the AVMA, they refuse to have a connection with it.

January 21, 2010
By: Edie Lau
For The VIN News Service: http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=14876

Read what Karen Delise writes, it is strange stuff.  The made up facts are striking, she also cites herself for facts. Pretty much “this is a factoid that I made up in the past and it looks good here too” sort of thing. Here is a gem:  http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Delise%20Research%20&%20Investigation%20Methodology.pdf  and a quote from this document:

“My approach in both books was historical and investigative. Based upon my research, I specifically rejected a statistical/epidemiological approach. I have always concurred with the American Veterinary Medical Association Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions which stated, “Dog bite statistics are not statistics, and do not give an accurate representation of dogs that bite.”

She rejected a statistical/epidemiological approach because “Dog bite statistics are not statistics and do not give an accurate representation of dogs that bite” ….WTF?!!!

The NCRC is a business lobbying group funded by another pit bull business lobbying group. Karen Delise prepares lobbying propaganda for an industry. These are common in the business and commercial industries. Business lobbies produce “information” that relates to profit interests, and that creates a bias that can be exploited with falsehoods and deceit issued in propaganda, which is why people need to know that they are dealing with information from a business lobbyist so they can understand influences that can alter the facts or information. It’s called disclosure. Failing to disclose is deceitful.

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From a thread on Dog Bite Law:

“Virginia Mayn Well, rather, people are not good at visually ID dogs. Not that it cannot be done. Just most people suck at it.”

Actually Virginia, most people are pretty good at it. It’s only the pit bull apologists that seem to have a problem identifying a pit bull. Unless of course a pit bull is pulling a kid from a burning building, or free S/N programs for pit bulls. But as soon as a pit bull attacks or kills someone, suddenly we can’t identify a pit bull? Just look at the comments section of 4-year-old Javon Dade to see this denial for yourself. While you’re there you might notice a few comments citing the Jane Berkey controlled NCRC and some animal (pit bull) welfare organizations. Hey KC Dog Blog! (Don’t think I haven’t run into your dribble while doing my own research) Animal rights organizations should not be writing law because their bias and positioning is geared toward protecting animals, NOT the health and safety of human beings! One more reason this blog is so important to me to finish.

Let’s take a closer look at this myth that a pit bull cannot be identified without the use of DNA tests:

And that science will begin with the Mars Wisdom DNA test. Let’s see what that company has to say about their DNA test, shall we?

“Does Wisdom Panel® test for “Pit-bull”?
The term “Pit-bull” is a bit of a misnomer and does not refer to a single, recognized breed of dog, but rather to a genetically diverse group of breeds which are associated by certain physical traits. Pit-bull-type dogs have historically been bred by combining guarding-type breeds with terriers for certain desired characteristics. As such they may retain many genetic similarities to their original breeds and other closely related breeds.
Due to the genetic diversity of this group, Mars Veterinary cannot build a DNA profile to genetically identify every dog that may be visually classified as a Pit-bull. When these types of dogs are tested with the Wisdom Panel®, we routinely detect various quantities of the component purebred dogs including the American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Boxer, Bulldog, and various other Terriers. Additionally, there are often other breeds outside of the Guard and Terrier groups identified in the mix depending on each dog’s individual ancestry.”

http://www.wisdompanel.com/service/faq/#783

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The term “pit bull” in lower-case letters refers to three closely-related breeds. The original breed was the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a dog bred for pit fighting in the 18^th and 19^th centuries in the UK. After importation to the U.S. in the late 19^th century, they continued to be used for fighting, but were bred to be taller and heavier. These larger cousins were then registered in the UKC as “American Pit Bull Terriers” (1898) and in the AKC as the “American Staffordshire Terrier” (1936).  Note that these are identical breeds under two different names, and many individuals hold conformation championships in both registries.  In addition, some of the original, smaller dogs were reimported from the UK and were recognized in the AKC as the original “Staffordshire Bull Terriers” (1935).

A 2013 ASPCA double-blind study revealed that shelter workers were able to correctly identify dogs with significant ‘pit bull’ blood (‘pit bull’ = the 3 breeds above) 96% of the time, as confirmed by DNA tests. http://www.aspcapro.org/blog/2013/09/25/bully-this%E2%80%94-results-are-in%E2%80%A6

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Let’s look at the results with the information that the testing company provided to us:

1. significant Boxer with some Bulldog
2. distant traces of Smooth Fox Terrier
3. significant Chihuahua with some Cocker Spaniel
4. some Rottweiler and Boston Terrier
5. some German Shepherd Dog and distant traces of Affenpinscher
6. some Chinese Shar-Pei and distant traces of Rottweiler
7. some American Staffordshire Terrier and Australian Cattle Dog
8. distant traces of Basset Hound, Dalmatian and Pug
9. significant American Staffordshire Terrier and distant traces of Boxer
10. some German Shepherd Dog and distant traces of Basset Hound, Norwegian Elkhound and Samoyed
11. distant traces of Basset Hound, Dalmatian, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Wire Fox Terrier
12. some Rottweiler and distant traces of Clumber Spaniel, German Wirehaired Pointer and Newfoundland
13. some Boston Terrier and distant traces of Bulldog
14. distant traces of Borzoi, Brussels Griffon, Dachshund, English Cocker Spaniel and Samoyed
15. some Boxer and distant traces of Bernese Mountain Dog, Briard, Dalmatian and Welsh Springer Spaniel
16.distant traces of Beagle, Boxer, Bulldog, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dalmatian, Mastiff and Whippe

Breed identification DNA tests are a sure-fire way to make money for those who sell them, including veterinarians who are paid for product endorsement.

But do they work?

No. In fact, the results shown here are common: a pure-breed dog comes back as being a vague pastiche of three or four breeds.

Breed DNA tests are not too different from Gypsy Fortune telling, Fortune Cookies, the I-Ching, Numerology and Tarot Card reading: If you give a vague-enough answer, the believers will rationalize whatever result you give them, pounding the square peg into the round hole.

Read more at: http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-accurate-are-dog-breed-dna-tests.html

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Please pick out a dog show to attend. Any dog show. They are held in every state, every weekend . They are all judged on a visual identification system. Every dog show ever held has been judged on a visual identification system. Judges not only identify breeds but also minute deviations from breed standard. Watch the judges work. Humans are capable of this and do it all the time. You can pick out a Poodle or a Pug, Irish Setter or Wolfhound, Corgi or Chihuahua but you have difficulty identifying a breed that you state is anywhere from 5% to 40% of the dogs in America? The material that I have linked to is very clear that the ASPCA is telling us that their shelter volunteers can correctly identify pit bulls 96% of the time.

Here’s the point: The NCRC uses the DNA when it is convenient to do so. It knows full well that the test does not test for “pit bull” and will often pick it up as other breeds, but it does not tell its readers. It then uses the mix of other breeds to declare the dogs not pit bulls. Then the National Canine Research Council uses this sham of an experiment as cited research in their fatality reports to prove they can’t identify pit bulls.

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 Karen Delise’s letters to victims AFTER they decide to speak out

About one week after Colleen Lynn, Susan Iwicki and I released “Beyond the Interview – Father Of Child Killed By Babysitter’s Pit Bulls Speaks Out After Attack”, Karen Delise from the NCRC wrote the following letter to Susan Iwicki:

 Hello Susie,

My name is Karen Delise and I am director of research for the National Canine Research Council. We conduct research on all the dogs involved in dog bite related fatalities in the U.S.

My sympathies to you for the tragedy involving Dax, you and your dogs. I often refrain from contacting owners and/or victim families, as I imagine how difficult it is to discuss the tragic events surrounding these cases. But, I have seen that you have publicly spoken about the incident and as such I was hoping you may be able to provide some information about your dogs. I know that you purchased your dogs from a breeder, but are you able to tell me if the sire and dam were registered to any breed club, or if the breeders had any kind of pedigree papers on the dogs? Thank you in advance for any response you may be able to provide.

I know what you’re thinking. “So what? What’s the big deal?” I would say the same thing until I started connecting with other victims of pit bull attacks. Check out the next two letters.

This one was written to Angela Rutledge. Her 2-year-old son, Beau, was decapitated by the family pit bull of eight years named “Kissy Face” while she went to the bathroom. Angela told me herself that Karen Delise sent this letter around Christmas. Her family’s first Christmas without baby Beau:

Hello Angela,
I must say I am deeply saddened by the tragedy your entire family experienced. I work for the National Canine Research Council and we collect data on all dog bite related fatalities in the United States. Much of your story is known to me because I read your words and your recounting of the incident. I know there can never be any answers as to why this happened. I usually hesitate in contacting family members of victims, but since you have gone public with your story and seem emotionally strong enough to discuss it, I hope you do not mind me asking you a few questions. Can you tell me if Kissy Face was spayed? And can you tell me more about Kissy Face’s mother and where you got her from and what behaviors you noticed that caused you to put her to sleep? If you are comfortable answering these questions, I thank you. If not, I thank you anyway for taking the time to read my email. Most sincerely, Karen Delise National Canine Research Council

The last letter was written to Ruth Halleran. Her mother was killed by the family pit bull while she was babysitting her grandchildren:

Hello Ruth,
I must say I am deeply saddened by the tragedy your entire family experienced. I work for the National Canine Research Council and we collect data on all dog bite related fatalities in the United States. I know there can never be any answers as to why this happened. I usually hesitate in contacting family members of victims, but since you have gone public with your story and seem emotionally strong enough to discuss it, I hope you do not mind me asking you a few questions. Can you tell me if the dog that attacked your mother was spayed? And can you tell me where your family got her from and if the dog was registered? Do you have papers on the dog? If you are comfortable answering these questions, I thank you. If not, I thank you anyway for taking the time to read my email.

Most sincerely, Karen Delise
National Canine Research Council

The last straw for any shred of credibility for Karen Delise and the NCRC is when she decided to contact the dog owners and badger them into calling it “not a pit bull.” She blew it doing that, that’s lobbying coercion. She also still has not registered as a lobbyist, has she? Does anyone know? There are requirements about lobbying and lobbyists are supposed to register. Ledy VanKavage is a registered lobbyist, for example. Although one does not have to be a lobbyist to be a full-time advocate, if Karen hasn’t registered, then, in my opinion, she is not following the law and is trying to obscure her status and interest.

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Resident dog vs. family dog

What do YOU think? Is BRUTUS a RESIDENT or a FAMILY dog?

To better explain the term “resident dog” vs. “family dog” I will direct you to the Craven Desires blog.

Resident dog vs. Family dog

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

A RESIDENT DOG
Resident dogs are dogs, whether confined within a dwelling or otherwise, whose owners maintain them in ways that isolate them from regular, positive human interactions.

The isolation and lack of exposure to the family unit results in the display of behaviors different from Family dogs.

VS

FAMILY DOG
Family dogs are dogs whose owners keep them in or near the home and also integrate them into the family unit, so that the dogs learn appropriate behavior through interaction with humans on a regular basis in positive and humane ways.

“Like any educated nutter, KAREN DELISE blames owners when pit bulls attack and kill. She says it all comes down to maintaining RESIDENT DOGS (on occasion she will blame the weather). according to KAREN DELISE,  “We will achieve safer, more humane communities when we hold owners of all dogs accountable to high standards of humane care, custody, and control.”

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The terms “resident dog” and “family dog” are a creation of Karen Delise with the Jane Berkey controlled NCRC. But it would seem to me that unless Karen Delise was living with the family, observing the dog 24/7 from the time it was a puppy, she is absolutely full of shit. This all goes back to the pit bull apologists excuse “It’s all how you raise them.” Excuse me, Karen Delise? How in the world can you scientifically PROVE how a “dog was raised?” Science is based on what we can prove, not YOUR assumptions. And believe me when I tell you, pit bull apologists make some pretty broad “assumptions” when apologizing for pit bulls.

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DogsBite.org/ NCRC side by side comparisons

Justin Clinton:

DogsBite.org version:

10-years old | Leverett’s Chapel, TX

Justin Clinton, 10-years old, was killed by two pit bull-mix dogs after he walked to a friend’s home where the dogs lived. Lt. Hilton of the Rusk County Sheriff ‘s Office said witnesses reported the dogs dragged the child along the side of the road, but he was not sure if the attack began on or off the owner’s property. Christy and Ricky George had been caring for the dogs since February. The dogs had formerly lived with a person in Kilgore. Prior to the attack, Justin had been acquainted with the dogs and had visited the George’s home to play with their children. After the boy’s death, his mother and Cynthia Kent, a Tyler attorney, and supporters called for the banning of pit bulls. The group hopes to outlaw the ownership of pit bulls in Texas under a law known as “Justin’s Law.” [source citations]

06/17/09: KLTV Pities Owners; Mislabels Breed
KLTV 7  News dedicated a segment to the owners of the pit bulls that fatally attacked Justin Clinton. The segment appears to be a pit bull apology piece designed to paint the pit bull owners, Ricky and Christi George, as “victims.” The story can best be described as deplorable in the wake of a young boy torn apart by the powerful jaws of these dogs. The piece also emphasizes that the dogs were not loose. In other words, the “victim” dog owners are not liable under Lillian’s Law.

The segment also confuses viewers by calling the dogs American bulldogs instead of pit bulls or pit bull-mixes. This is a common tactic taken by pro-pit bull groups to try to lower the staggering number of serious and fatal attacks that have been attributed to pit bulls over the last 30-years. KLTV’s attempt to mislabel the dogs (or attempt to confuse viewers) also contradicts Rusk County Sheriff Deputies which stated that there is “no doubt” that the dogs are pit bulls.

1Attempts to mislabel the pit bull as a bulldog stretches back for decades as the two breeds share a common gene pool and are often crossbred. Pit bull experts, such as Diane Jessup, commonly refer to pit bulls as “bulldogs” as well. Jessup even states on her website that the “original working bulldog” is the pit bull.

2The modern American bulldog was not established until the 1970’s. The AKC does not recognize the breed, and the UKC only began to in 1999. There are two major lines of the breed: the Johnson type (1st left photo) and Scott type (2nd left). The Scott type was directly developed by crossing early Johnson lines with the American pit bull terrier and has become the breed standard. Without question, the Scott type is a pit bull type dog

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 Justin Clinton:

NCRC version

Date:  June 15, 2009
Location: Rusk County, Texas
Victim: Justin Clinton, 10-year-old male
Circumstances: Witnesses  reported seeing  Justin being dragged along the side of the road by two dogs. Justin was a frequent visitor to the home where the dogs resided. In a lawsuit filed against the dogs’ owners, Justin’s mother claimed he was skateboarding to the owners’ home that fateful day.
Investigators are not sure if the dogs attacked Justin inside or outside the fenced enclosure in which they resided.
Criminal case still pending.

 

Family Dog or Resident dog: Resident

Dogs primarily maintained in yard. Unknown whether dogs spent any significant time inside the home.

Breed attribution: Indeterminate

Conflicting breed attributions were given by the media and authorities. Among the many descriptions assigned to the dogs were pit bull mix and American bulldog. NCRC did obtain photographs of the dogs. Photographs were submitted to NCRC’s expert advisor who determined that the breed(s) of dogs could not be reasonably determined from the photo graphs.

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Christine Staab

DogsBite.org version

37-years old | Philadelphia, PA

Christine Staab, 37-years old, was mauled to death by one of her mother’s six pit bulls. The victim had gone to her mother’s home early that morning and the two reportedly had an argument, which set the dog, named Jade, off. The pit bull latched onto Christine’s throat, killing her. The dog did not let go of the victim until being shot to death by Philadelphia police officers (a second pit bull was also shot dead at the scene). Christine’s stepfather, Thomas Fowler, and mother, Barbara Erb, defended their pet pit bulls on local news stations. Erb described the six pit bulls as “house dogs” that were well cared for and even microchipped for identification. “They were spoiled rotten,” Erb said. “They were not neglected in any way.” Both Fowler and Erb pleaded with authorities to have the remaining four pit bulls seized by authorities returned to them. [source citations]

Staab’s Mother Speaks
UPDATE 02/21/10: The mother of Christine Staab (See: Video), Barbara Erb, told the local paper that the two had been arguing when Christine fell backward (See: Pit bull triggers) causing her pet pit bull to attack and kill her. Erb said she tried frantically to pull off the dog, Jade, but could not get the pit bull to release its grip on Staab’s throat. The four surviving pit bulls were taken to an SPCA shelter. Like her husband, Thomas Fowler, Erb would like the dogs returned to her.

Erb described the six pit bulls as “house dogs” that were well cared for and even microchipped for identification. “They were spoiled rotten,” Erb said. “They were not neglected in any way.” The door of the house had one sign that read “Beware of dog,” and another saying that in the case of fire, rescuers should save the six dogs inside. It listed their names: Paige, Peaches, Maggie, Satan, Bear, and Jade, as clearly the lives of Erb’s dogs outweigh the lives of human beings.

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Christine Staab

NCRC version

Date: February 20, 2010

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Victim: Christine Staab, 38-year-old female
Circumstances: Christine Staab arrived at her mother’s home at approximately 6:00 a.m. Staab’s mother reported that her daughter had a history of drug addiction and on this day appeared “to be high.” An argument between mother and daughter ensued. Although the argument was not a physical altercation, at some point Christine tripped and attempted to clutch at her mother’s arm as she fell. When she did so, one of her mother’s five dogs attacked her.
Did owner exercise humane care, custody, control of dog(s)? Yes
Family dog or Resident dog*: Family
Number of dog(s) involved: One
Sex, reproductive status of dog(s): Female, unknown
Unsupervised child: N/A
Other: Victim stumbled or fell during altercation with mother/owner.
Criminal Charges: No
Breed attribution: Indeterminate
Details: The dog was reported to be a “pit bull.” NCRC was unable to  obtain documentation from the owner or authorities that substantiate the breed. NCRC did obtain photographs of the dog. NCRC submitted the photographs to NCRC’s expert advisor who concluded the breed of the dog could not be reasonably determined from the photographs.

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This is the NCRC investigative report on Christine Staab’s death. Despite being released nearly two years after Christine’s death. The NCRC was unable to determine if the pit bull ( according to the owner of the dogs) was actually a pit bull. The NCRC is a pro pit lobby organization, not a credible source of factual canine information.

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Carmen Ramos

DogsBite.org version

50-years old | Philadelphia, PA

Carmen Ramos, 50-years old, was mauled to death by her husband’s five pit bulls. The victim’s husband, 55-year old Jose Alvarez, told police he came home from work to discover his wife being attacked by the dogs in their living room. Eleven days earlier, the pit bulls escaped his home and attacked two neighbors, Dolores Estrella and Gus Castro. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSCPA), picked up the dogs only to return them to Alvarez three days later. Neighbors said that Alvarez had at least three run-ins with the PSPCA in the past about his dogs, including the discovery of dead dogs in his basement last year and the removal of live dogs. The potential protocol violations by the PSPCA were so numerous that City Managing Director Brian Abernathy launched an internal investigation into the group. We do not expect to hear results from the investigation anytime soon or possibly ever. [source citations]

Protocol Breakdown?
UPDATE 09/02/11: A week before the attack that left Carmen Ramos dead, neighbor Dolores Estrella described how the same pit bulls had attacked and bitten her. Estrella was not the only person bitten in the August 19 incident, Gus Castro was as well. The PSCPA allegedly sent the dogs home three days later, which is a rabies protocol violation in many cities. The agency likely should have kept the dogs in quarantine for 10 days after the August 19 bites.1

When the dogs were returned, everybody on the block “was in shock,” [Gus] Castro said.

Unfortunately, returning a dangerous, biting pit bull to its owner should not shock anyone, as many state laws allow for multiple bites prior to deeming a dog “dangerous” and long before a court ordered euthanization. What should shock all persons is when a rabies protocol violation occurs — a disregard or error concerning the 10 day quarantine following a biting incident — coupled with a person being bitten to death by the same dogs in a very close time span!

More Protocol Breakdowns?

Further review of early news reports shows more potential protocol violations by the PSPCA. One neighbor, Victor Viruet, claimed that Jose Alvarez had at least three previous run-ins with the agency. According to his brother Ariel, “He kept paying $200, $300 and they’d give the dogs back.” Ariel added that the PSPCA removed 10 dogs from the Alvarez home last year and found dead dogs in his basement. The agency returned the “living” pit bulls to him.

On September 1, City Managing Director Brian Abernathy launched an internal investigation into animal control — the PSPCA — to review if proper procedures were followed. It seems that many procedures were not. At the very least, the discretion of the investigating officers who continued to interact with Alvarez and his pit bulls was sorely lacking. The sufferers include the dead victim and her children, the bitten neighbors and the neighborhood as a whole.

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Carmen Ramos

NCRC version

Date: August 30, 2011

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Victim: Carmen Ramos, 50-year-old female
Circumstances: In August 2011, five dogs were languishing in an uninhabited “crack/stash house” in North Philadelphia. These dogs were a replacement of five dogs which had been seized by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (PSPCA) in September 2009. Owner Jose Alvarez
had been convicted of animal cruelty, of keeping his dogs in unsanitary conditions, and of failing to provide medical care. However, a simple recitation of the charges fails to convey the intense anguish Alvarez’s dogs suffered. One of the dogs that, according to the citation that was issued, “lacked medical care” suffered from an untreated broken back, was unable to walk, and only able to drag himself by his front legs, with his useless rear legs trailing behind him.

 

Breed attribution: Indeterminate

Details: The dog was reported to be a “pit bull” dog. NCRC was unable to obtain evidence or documentation from the owner or authorities that substantiate the breed of the dog. There are also no available photographs of the dog determined to be involved in the incident.

 

Then what do you call this, Einstein? —–>

This is the complete NCRC report. Somehow their home is now a crackhouse (I have no idea of their living conditions) and somehow the dog is stabbed. (I do not recall this, and can find no mention of it) Even with all the information provided, the NCRC is still unable to determine what type of dogs the victims husband was raising, possibly breeding, possibly fighting? I’ll give you a hint. They were not Chihuahuas.

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I just gave you three and only three examples of the NCRC’s bias and positioning. I will be updating this blog in the future to include more side by side comparisons. I’m a fair and reasonable person, I love to play Devil’s Advocate, but the NCRC is just not salvageable as an unbiased source of information. You can see from the multiple examples here today that it’s not as if a mistake has been made or anything – there is a consistent pattern of how the NCRC presents itself and operates. I understand fatality reports, that they are just being prudent and erring on the side of caution. But there is also being too prudent – and look at the benefit of why one would be. Besides, it’s not just the fatality reports. Look at the breed identification page where facts are omitted. Look at the quote where no single neutered house pet pit has killed a person. Technically, it was true at the time, but it was stated a specific way in order to make it true. And we all know that the average person is just not that good at critical thinking and reading comprehension. They see that statement and interpret it as “no neutered pit has killed a person” therefore if I neuter my pit bull (and raise it right) I have nothing to worry about. The NCRC is a pro-pit bull organization controlled by Jane Berkey and her blood money and has been since 2007. The spin has always benefited pit bulls – see my post above with the #1 #2 and #3. They may consider themselves an all-breed and non-biased site, but they don’t conduct themselves as if they are, and that’s a problem. I don’t care that they cater to pit bulls, I care that they masquerade as a legitimate, fair source for information. And I think when you have example after example after example, the case is made due to the sheer volume of it all.

But for some pit bull advocates, its not. So let’s take it a step further. The NCRC was “acquired” by Animal Farm Foundation, which openly states they are a pro-pit organization. The pro-pit research of NCRC benefits AFF, as does the guise of independence and non-breed specific focus. However, if it were true that the NCRC truly was an unbiased organization, they would never allow themselves to be “acquired” by a biased one or be associated with a known pro-pit organization of any kind. It would ruin their credibility and their ability to say they were unbiased. Even with pit bull advocates.

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 Stacey Coleman – Executive Director of the AFF and NCRC

Good Lord. Get a room Stacey.

I was forwarded this bit of research on Stacey Coleman recently

Stacey Coleman identified herself as executive director of both the National Canine Research Council and Animal Farm Foundation in her testimony before the Maryland legislature.  In her testimony, she identifies the AFF as an animal welfare organization, but neglected to mention that AFF specifically advocates for pit bulls. http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/files/Coleman_Maryland_Testimony_6_19_2012.pdf

One of Coleman’s first statements in that testimony is: “Nothing in the available public record in Maryland – or anywhere else in Europe or North America – supports the designation of “pit bull” dogs as “inherently dangerous.”

Although scientific medical studies do not characterize pit bulls as “inherently” dangerous, surgeons and medical professionals consistently have found that the pit bulls are excessively dangerous when compared to other kinds of dogs because pit bull attacks are consistently more severe and more likely to be lethal than attacks by other kinds of dogs.
http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-bibliographies-injury-studies.php
http://safetybeforebulldogs.blogspot.com/2014/04/medical-professional-experts-on-pit.html

And while scientific medical studies do not specifically characterize pit bulls as being “inherently dangerous,”  there are 18 appellate rulings recognizing the unique dangerousness of pit bulls, and four of those decisions found pit bulls to possess inherent characteristics, including viciousness and unpredictability, that make pit bulls dangerous.
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=%22pit+bull%22+and+%22inherent%22+and+%22danger%22&hl=en&as_sdt=6,44&as_vis=1

Much of Coleman’s testimony rests on NCRC studies, and much of her testimony can be legitimately called into question with some research.  For instance, Coleman makes a reference to “controlled studies have not identified this breed group [i.e., pit bull] as disproportionately dangerous.” in an AVMA study.  However, there is no citation for this statement referring to these studies in the otherwise heavily cited and sourced AVMA document.  I hope research is done to provide a good frame of reference for the NCRC claims and that readers of this blog recognize that the NCRC was created by a pit bull advocate, (Jane Berkey) is currently owned by a pit bull advocacy organization, (Animal Farm Foundation) and is not an independent research council on “dog matters.”

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 WHEW!

This blog felt like it took forever. And it did! But now that I have explained how the pit bull lobby functions and is funded, I’m going to close this blog with an intercepted e-mail from none other than Stacey Coleman herself. It is in a response to a fellow victims’ advocates e-mail to a Utah legislator regarding HB97. An anti BSL law that was passed earlier this year.  It is clear to me that this bill was passed the same way that Ohio’s HB14 was passed. By flat out lying and using pro pit bull organization’s “research.” Notice the links she uses. Notice the animal lobby quoting its own biased sources?

I want you to copy and paste this blog’s URL link EVERY TIME you see the following used in the comments sections or when you get into an argument with a pit bull advocate that has good copy and paste skills: Even on the links I have provided in this blog.

The Jane Berkey controlled:

• AFF (Animal Farm Foundation)
• NCRC (National Canine Research Council)
• Karen Delise
• Ledy VanKavage
• Donald Cleary
• Stacey Coleman
• Amy Marder

Organizations that exist to protect animals before humans:

• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
• AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
• BADRAP (Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit Bulls)
• Best Friends Animal Society (Ledy VanKavage)
• JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association)
• HSUS (Humane Society of the United States

I think it goes without saying that pit bull rescues exist only for the benefit of pit bulls.

These organizations care ONLY to protect pit bulls and animals. They DO NOT CARE about the health and safety of the American public or their pets and livestock. I have to laugh my ass off when the human hate pages continuously bash and try and discredit anyone that speaks negatively against the pit bulls they exist to protect as, “DBO cultists.” Organizations like DogsBite.org and DaxtonsFriends.com are the ONLY nonprofits committed to putting the safety of HUMANS before DOGS, as we are the ONLY source of information on this topic that is not OWNED, CONTROLLED, or FUNDED by DOG breeders, OWNERS, VETERINARIAN or ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS.

Looks like I just took away all your ammo.

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In the beginning of this blog, I was directly talking to lawmakers that are voting on BSL. (Breed Specific Legislation) If you are an elected official, I want you to open up your e-mails and tell me if you see anything like the following. This is an intercepted e-mail from Stacey Coleman to a Utah legislator regarding the anti-BSL bill, HB-97.

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——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Letter to Utah Legislators
From: Stacey Coleman <scoleman@animalfarmfoundation.org>
Date: Mon, February 17, 2014 5:03 am
To: *******
Hello C**** –

I was sent the text of an email you sent to the Utah legislators who are considering HB 97.  In the email you present some data and make the offer to provide the evidence that supports the data’s reliability.  I work for organizations that work to prevent discrimination against dogs and dog owners and I am unaware of the information that you have presented to the legislators. Are you willing to share with me your source of that data?

Specifically this assertion:

In 2013, 33 humans were killed in dog attacks, 28 of these deaths were caused by one specific breed. Of the 33 killed, 16 were children, all of these children were killed by one specific breed. 17 of the 28 attacks were caused by a family pet that had never shown signs of aggression before the fatal attack.  In 2014 we have had 4 deaths to date, 4 of these deaths are caused by one particular breed. On average last year, 2.8 severe attacks on humans have happened daily. One breed in particular is the cause for most of these attacks. I won’t even get into the attacks that are happening on other family pets.

You also made the point that breed specific mandates will increase the number of owners who comply with responsible pet keeping.  Can you please share with me your source of that data, too?

Thank you,

Stacey Coleman

Executive Director

Animal Farm Foundation

www.animalfarmfoundation.org

National Canine Research Council

www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com

Office: 845-868-7559

Direct: 845-233-8823

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——– Original Message ——–

Subject: RE: Letter to Utah Legislators
From: Stacey Coleman <scoleman@animalfarmfoundation.org>

Date: Mon, February 17, 2014 9:11 am
To:********

Thank you, C*****.

The content wasn’t sent to me from a legislator, it came from an animal advocate.  I am not sure where she got it from but it was attributed to you.

Here is the text that our legislative subsidiary sent to the legislature:

Thank you for considering HB 97 and we urge you to please support this important bill. In light of the third reading, I have included documents below that we hope will be helpful.

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) has never resulted in safer communities wherever it has been attempted [Attachment 1], and a recent AVMA report concludes that regulating dogs by “breed” is not an effective way to reduce dog bite incidents [Attachment 2]. A recent evidence-based analysis published by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association offers one perspective on why this is the case [Attachment 3].

• http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Denver%20BSL%20Brutal,%20Costly,%20and%20Ineffective%20_%20Aug%202013.pdf
• https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Backgrounders/Documents/dog_bite_risk_and_prevention_bgnd.pdf
• http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/NNB%20now%20available%20in%20JAVMA%20dated.pdf

The American Bar Association has urged for the repeal of BSL nationwide and the White House recently released a statement saying, “research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources” [Attachment 4,5].

• http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/American%20Bar%20Assn.%20Urges%20Repeal%20of%20All%20Breed%20Specific%20Laws.pdf
• http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Obama%20administration%20opposes%20breed%20specific%20legislation%20-%202013.pdf

Safe and humane communities are made when all dog owners are held accountable for their actions [Attachment 6,7].

• https://www.avma.org/public/Health/Documents/dogbite.pdf
• http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Community%20Model%20for%20RPO_Calgary.pdf

Additionally, with respect to the misinformation that often surrounds serious dog bites and dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs), I thought that you should know about a paper just published in JAVMA on the topic [Attachment 8]. The study is the most comprehensive multifactorial study of DBRFs to ever be completed. It is based on investigative techniques not previously employed in DBRF studies and identified a significant co-occurrence of multiple potentially preventable factors. Breed was not one of those factors. The authors conclude that the potentially preventable factors co-occurring in more than 80% of the DBRF’s in their 10 year case file are best addressed by multifactorial public and private strategies, as opposed to single-factor strategies such as BSL.

• http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/Co-occurrence%20Whitepaper%20-%202013.pdf

Lastly, I understand that the state does not want to infringe upon rights of municipalities to self-govern, but it is important to remember that law-abiding dog owners are being infringed upon by municipalities that pass BSL. Those citizens deserve consideration as well. BSL does not ever accomplish safer communities, but it does impact law-abiding dog owners.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and we urge you to vote favorably on HB 97.

From: ***************]

Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 9:30 AM
To: Stacey Coleman
Subject: RE: Letter to Utah Legislators

Stacey, I will gladly get you that information. It will be in separate emails as it will come for various sources. Can you please tell me which Utah legislator passed on my email to you? Thank you, C*******

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EVERY SINGLE source from Stacey Coleman in that e-mail was from ANIMAL WELFARE and BREED SPECIFIC organizations. Tell me Mr. or Mrs. elected official! Are you listening to your constituents, or these SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS? Do the right thing and vote to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

 Please take a moment of silence for the victims of dog attacks in 2014

2014  Dog Bite Related Fatalities

Updated after each fatality following fact finding research

42 Dog Bite Related Fatalities

by Breed:

27 by Pit Bull / Pit Bull Mix

3 by Bullmastiff / Mastiff Mix

4 by Rottweiler

1 by Cane Corso

1 by Shepherd Mix…

1 by Catahoula Leopard Dog

4 Unknown Breed

1  Mix Breed

 

By age:

20 Children

22 Adults

 

By State:

TX – 7 deaths

AL – 3 deaths

OH – 3 deaths

FL – 5 deaths

NC – 4 deaths

MI – 2 deaths

AZ – 1 death

CA – 2 death

CT – 2 death

DE – 1 death

IL – 1 death

LA – 2 death

MS – 2 death

NJ – 1 death

MO – 1 death

AR – 1 death

WI – 1 death

WY – 1 death

SD – 1 death

IND – 1 death

 

Names and ages of the deceased:

Christina Bell-Burleson – 43 – Houston, TX – 2 Pit Bulls [01.05.14]

Betty Clark – 75 – Canyon Lake, TX – 2 Pit Bulls [01.06.14]

Kara Hartrich – 4 – Bloomington, IL – 2 Pit Bulls [01.17.14]

Annabel Martin – 89 – Corona, CA – 3 Rottweilers [01.26.14]

Klonda Richey – 57 – Dayton, OH – 2 Mastiff Mixes [02.07.14]

Je’vaeh Mayes – 2 – Temple, TX – Pit Bull [02.17.14]

Braelynn Coulter – 3 – High Point, NC – Pit Bull [02.24.14]

Summer Sears – 4 – Tallassee, AL – Shepherd Mix [02.26.14]

Kenneth Santillan – 13 – Paterson, NJ – Bullmastiff [02.28.14]

Raymane Robinson, Jr. – 2 – Killeen, TX – Bullmastiff [03.01.14]

Nancy Newberry – 77 – Phoenix, AZ – Pit Bull [03.14.14]

Mia DeRouen – 4 – Houma, LA – Pit Bull [03.25.14]

Christopher Malone- 3 – Holmes County, MS – 2 Pit Bulls [03.31.14]

Dorothy Hamilton – 85 – Kaufman, TX – 2 Pit Bulls [03.31.14]

John Harvard – 5 – Riverside, AL – Pit Bull [04.06.14]

Petra Aguirre – 83 – San Antonio, TX – Pit Bull Mix [04.11.14]

Jessica Norman – 33 – Sebring, FL – 3 Pit Bulls [4.30.14]

Katie Morrison – 20 – Phenix City, AL – 3 Pit Bulls [05.03.14]

Nyhiem Wilfong – 1 – Caldwell County, NC – Rottweiler [05.04.14]

Kasii Haith – 4 – Kent County, DE – 3 Pit Bulls [05.07.14]

Rita Pepe – 93 – Branford, CT – Pit Bull Mix [05.25.14]

Holden Garrison – 10 wks – Davisburg, MI – Catahoula Leopard Dog [06.09.14]

Logan Shepard – 4 – Riverview, FL – 2 Pit Bulls [07.19.14]

Jonathan Quarles – 7 mo – Dayton, OH – Pit Bull [07.20.14]

Craig Sytsma – 46 – Metamore Twp, MI – 2 Cane Corso [07.23.14]

Cindy Whisman – 59 – Madison Twp, OH – Pit Bull [08.04.14]

Joel Chireieleison – 6 – Fanning Springs, FL – 2 Pit Bulls [08.07.14]

Deriah Solem – 22 mo – St Charles County, MO – Pit Bull Mix [08.09.14]

Javon Dade – 4 – Miami, FL – Pit Bull [08.13.14]

David Glass Sr.-51-Benton County, MS – 3 Pit Bulls [09.20.14]

Alice Payne – 75 – Cave City, AR – 1 Pit Bull [09.26.14]

Juan Fernandez – 59 – Modesto, CA – 4 Pit Bulls – [10.14.14]

Logan Thomas Meyer – 7 – Hustisford, WI  -1  Rottweiler –  [10.24.14]

Alemeaner Dial  – 83 – Robeson County, N.C. – 4 Pit Bulls – [10.31.14]

Deanne Lynn Coando – 40 – Wind River Indian Reservation, WY – Unknown – [11. .14]

Stella Antanaitis  – 91 – Stamford, CT  –  Mix Breed – [11. .14]

Jayla Rodriguez  – 8 – Pine Ridge, SD – Unknown – [11.18.14]

Bobbie Cheveallier – 85 – Grant Parish, L.A. – Unknown – [12.1.14]

Jose Robles – 62 – Madison, N.C. – Pending – [11.23.14]

Christopher Camejo  – 2 – Crystal River , FL –  Rottweiler’s –  [12.6.14]

Rita Woodard  – 64 – Corpus Christi , TX – Pit Bull – [12.15.14]

Edward L. Cahill – 40 – Porter County, IND. – Pit Bull – [12.25.14]

 

Non – Bite Related Canine Deaths

 

Demonta Collins – 13 – Augusta, GA – Chased into traffic by at large Pit Bull [04.10.14]

Davon Jigget – 17 – Fulton County, Ga – Chased into traffic by at large Pit Bull [04.11.14]

Ryan Brown – 15 – Fayette County, TN – Killed by pan thrown by brother when attempting to break up dog fight [08.08.14]

 

On average in 2014 someone was killed by a pit bull every 13 days. Some of these pit bull attacks were from the family dog that was well trained and had never shown signs of aggression before. The only common in these severe and often fatal attacks is not abuse or lack of training it is breed. Choose the breed of dog you trust the lives of your loved ones with wisely.