All About Pets Show this weekend.. come and visit us!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

The All About Pets Show is on at the International Center in Mississauga.


We (DLCC) have a booth all weekend. We are booth 536. We are smack dab in the middle of the show. Come on down and visit us.

I am doing a presentation at 1:30 on Friday and Saturday, 1:00 on Sunday at the Legacy Valuing Tradition Total Pet Care Stage. The topic I will be speaking on is Breed Profiling and Discrimination. One of the victims of discrimination from Brampton will be speaking with me to tell his story. We hope to "enlighten" a lot of people to "our little problem" here in Ontario.

We have lots of stuff for sale at our booth. We have T-shirts, (yes some of the Innocent Until Proven Guilty) t-shirts that everyone wants, Punish the Deed Decals, breed decals, "Pinups for Pitbulls" calendars, My Ontario Includes Pitbulls bumper stickers and much much more..

We'd love to meet you or see you again if we've met before. Philip (remember Ginger who spent 4 1/2 yrs in lockup at Toronto pound until Clay Ruby took over the case and sprung her from jail last summer) and Ginger will be hanging out all weekend. Come and meet everyone and show your support.


Hope to see you there...

A different POV on the OSPCA/THS situation

There is a lot of speculation and a lot of emotion surrounding how business is being handled at THS. I personally won't make any direct comments because I am not involved. 


Someone I respect issued a statement yesterday and gave me permission to post it. 


Ador-a-bull rescue was involved in assessing the dogs that were pts on Friday. I respect ADR's evaluation and wanted to post their point of view.


First of all, ADR was responding to the email directly below, which was one of many asking for answers..

“Since March 22 2010 , at the Toronto Humane Society, which is now under management by the OSPCA , during a raid last fall ( based on accusations of animal neglect..cruelty, misuse of public funds ) 6 pitbull type of dogs have been humanely euthanized, over 300 animals are missing and cannot be accounted for.

Where are the groups here in Canada, that were formed to raise awareness to BSL and the pitbull ban here in Ontario..and why have they not stepped in..and removed these dogs before they were euthanized.

The story reads the dogs were examined and found unfit, by the OSPCA staff vets..notice. .no one from an outside agency came in..

This is a political move..to reinforce the BSL here in Ontario..and many more dogs are scheduled to be euthanized

Can one of these agencys, with money raised through public awareness..not step in and save these remaining pitbulls..and get them out of the THS...

Here is ADR's response and statement;

** We have received several emails regarding this inflammatory post, by a heavy handed "trainer", throughout the day with requests for information, opinion, etc. We aren’t looking to argue, upset anyone or cause trouble. This is our opinion based on our experience and knowledge from “behind the scenes”, which may just be a little closer to the truth than some of those based on nothing but hearsay and emotion. See below for original email.

***********************************************************

Rescues, yes plural, including ADR, were brought in to assess the dogs that were humanely euthanized. These dogs failed assessment on a number of levels. We are not talking merely food aggression either. We are talking dogs that would turn and snap at you, growl and challenge you for simply trying to pet them. We spent and entire day at the THS. We met and assessed these dogs and it was incredibly sad how far gone/disconnected they were.

Several outside agencies deemed these dogs unfit for rescue as well. One unknown rescue, in BSL stricken Ohio, agreed to take the dog’s sight unseen. Not a responsible decision, and we’re glad the THS/OSPCA didn’t go that route.

Who has the means to rehabilitate these kinds of severe issues? DogTown is lovely, but not realistic. The THS is far from a sanctuary and independent rescue can’t take on that type of burden for liability reasons at best.

Nobody likes seeing dogs be humanely euthanized, but sometimes it’s the last kindness you can give them. This is about the reputation of the breed, but more importantly responsible ownership and public safety. These were not safe dogs; several had at least one prior bite incident (which is a DOLA infraction in itself).

As a responsible rescue you would not be getting a dog like this from us. We could not keep our volunteers if we “rescued” high strung, super anxious, unpredictable, dangerous dogs.

Yes, THS volunteers had walked some of these poor souls for years without incident, and we commend and respect them for their dedication to these animals. But did they ever feed them - or try to take away their - dinner? Play with them using HIGH value items? Try to look in their ears or trim their nails? Regular things dog owners need to do without being bitten?!

There are not more dogs scheduled to be humanely euthanized (that we are aware of). Whoever wrote this is beyond out of touch. What happened had nothing to do with pit bulls or BSL (which the OSPCA has publically stepped out against); a pug mix was humanely euthanized as well! Many pit bulls have been saved from the shelter since all this started, and that was, by far, the first choice for everyone involved.

With emails like this floating around, who could blame the OSPCA/THS teams for not wanting to work with rescue - individual, independent or organized - in the future.

In our humble opinion as dog lovers, rescuers, rescuers who have been to the THS and met the dogs, friends of the staff, friends of the legal team legal and friends with OSPCA agents CURRENTLY WORKING at the THS, and fighters of the good fight. What needs to be done is being done…responsibly and effectively.

There is also an article in the Globe today;

Toronto Humane Society wants to clear its cages and start anew

The Toronto Humane Society is seeking a court’s permission to close its doors, clear the cages and make sweeping changes to its animal-care policies in a rebuilding effort that would amount to pressing the reset button on one of Canada’s oldest and largest animal charities.

The closing, which was recommended by independent animal-care experts and approved recently by the charity’s board of directors, would last approximately six to eight weeks, with the shelter likely reopening in June. Such a move would leave the fate of the dwindling number of animals still inside the shelter, estimated at about 200, in the balance. Most have health and behavioural problems and, with slim chances of being adopted, many would probably be euthanized.

In an affidavit recently filed in court, THS executive director Garth Jerome outlined his designs “to rebuild the THS as a shelter and adoption centre from the ground up, and regain the public’s confidence in the organization.”

Mr. Jerome said he would have to regain control of animal care from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to carry out the rebuilding. A court awarded control of animal care in the shelter to the OSPCA three months ago, after the provincial organization charged five senior THS managers and its board of directors with animal cruelty. 

Read Toronto Human Society executive director Garth Jerome's affidavit

Download this file (.pdf)

“The current situation gave the organization a chance to re-evaluate its mission and its goals,” said Frank Addario, a lawyer for the board of directors, who added he was reluctant to discuss the matter further as it remains before the courts.

The OSPCA said that “such a drastic step” should not be taken without consulting the charity’s membership.

“In addition, we do not agree that the decision to close the facility, even temporarily, should be made by the current board of directors of the Toronto Humane Society,” said Brian Shiller, a lawyer for the organization.

Most of the members of the board of directors have “indicated an intention to resign shortly,” he said, and any plan for renewal of the embattled charity should be considered at a special meeting of the members.

Mr. Jerome’s affidavit states that during the closing, the entire River Street facility would undergo a deep cleaning, staff would be retrained and a new computer system for tracking animal intake and care would be implemented, among other changes.

Ontario Superior Court Justice David Brown will consider the proposal next week, when hearings will begin on an application by some THS members and the OSPCA to have the charity’s current board of directors removed and order an election for a new board at a special meeting of the members.

The affidavit also outlines some problems that contributed to the need for a shelter overhaul, including animal corpses stored at too-warm temperatures, overcrowding, and animals whose physical and mental states had deteriorated to the point that they had little quality of life.

Euthanasia policies remain a controversial issue at the shelter, where six dogs, some of them favourites of dog-walking volunteers, were euthanized on Friday. The deaths fuelled a demonstration outside the shelter over the weekend in which protesters called the OSPCA dog murderers. However, in a statement posted on the shelter’s website, Mr. Jerome said the decision to euthanize the dogs was made by the THS.

Marcie Laking, a volunteer familiar with the dogs, most of whom were pit bulls who had lived in the shelter for years, said she blamed their deaths on bickering among THS staff, volunteers and the OSPCA.

“If we spent half as much time trying to adopt these animals as we did taking shots at each other there’d be no animals in the shelter, they’d all have homes,” she said.

According to Mr. Jerome’s affidavit, as of March 2, there were 255 animals in the care of the THS, including just 160 cats and 22 dogs. When the OSPCA took control of the shelter in November, there were more than 1,100 animals.

“It is my objective to keep the animal population at the THS moving through our facility quickly to adoptive homes or foster homes so that we do not accumulate a disproportionate number of chronically ill, unadoptable animals,” Mr. Jerome said.

“To a large extent, I believe that closely monitoring and controlling the population of unadoptable animals, coupled with an aggressive adoption campaign, will prevent the problem of overcrowding in the future.”

Animal lovers are PO'ed at OSPCA

The Toronto Star ran a story today about a protest held at Toronto Humane Society against last weeks killing of 6 dogs and 19 cats. As I indicated in a previous post, insiders claim all the dogs were set to be handed over to other shelters and rescue groups and were waiting on transportation. The 6 dogs were killed on Friday. 


Here is what the Star reported today.

OSPCA called ‘dog murderers’

Zeus the dog was out with his owner to protest against animal euthanasia at the Toronto Humane Society's River St. animal shelter, which is currently being administered by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Angry dog-walkers and humane society supporters blasted the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after six pit bulls were put down on Friday.

During a Sunday afternoon protest at the Toronto Humane Society’s River St. shelter – temporarily operated by the provincial organization – demonstrators said the new administration was “murdering” pit bulls.

“They say they are protecting animals – but they are murderers,” said Rosana Martins, a volunteer who walked several of the dogs that were euthanized.

“There is no mercy. This used to be a no-kill shelter, now it is a high-kill shelter.”

The OSPCA took over the animal care at the shelter last November, accusing THS leaders of allowing animals to live in inhumane conditions so that it could claim low euthanasia rates. The provincial organization charged several THS officials with cruelty to animals and requested a court-appointed receiver take over the THS. The hearing in that case will begin in early April, said THS spokesperson Ian McConachie.

Volunteer Andy Blau said there shelter is a “hot bed” of rumours right now with few answers from either organization and the issue of euthanasia is huge for the volunteers and donors.

“It leaves a great sense of futility for the volunteers to think “I am doing my best to make this animal’s life better but they are just going to kill it tomorrow,” Blau said.

Rosaline Ryan, a spokesperson for the OSPCA said veterinarians for both organizations made the decision to euthanize the dogs.

Ryan said she understands that emotions are running high. “The OSPCA works and deals with animals all the time so we totally understand, despite with another might say. We have feelings too, where the animals are concerned.”

The THS’s McConachie said the shelter has not adopted a “high-kill” philosophy but said a new euthanasia policy is in place that takes into account the future of very aggressive or sick animals.

“We can’t be a sanctuary. We have to be a shelter. We can’t house animals indefinitely.”

McConachie said that when the OSPCA took over animal care in late November, there were 1,100 animals at the shelter.

Since then, he said, 129 animals have been euthanized. Another 793 have been adopted (these figures include animals from the shelter’s Victoria Park location.) There are roughly 300 animals left in the shelters or foster homes. Of the 18 dogs remaining, McConachie said five or six of them are adoptable.

Horrifying allegations toward the OSPCA/THS

I was horrified to read several articles at One Bark at a Time about 5 well liked, short haired mix breeds and 19 cats were killed on Friday. According to the author, all of the dogs were waiting on transport and were approved for alternate shelters and rescues to re-home them. 

Black Friday at the Toronto Humane Society

We Failed You

Not good enough

Both the Toronto Humane Society management and the OSPCA are defending the euthanasia decisions but getting consistent reasons for the euthanasias is difficult. Initial responses were that the animals were all put down for health reasons but it was obvious to everyone who knew the dogs that they were not unhealthy. Aggressive behaviours and assessment test failures coupled with unadoptability were also brought up as reasons. This also did not sit well with staff and volunteers who believe these dogs to have been non-aggressive and adoptable.

Thank you One Bark at a Time for your excellent coverage of the OSPCA/THS situation. Your coverage from the get go has been thorough and informative. 

Another article at Examiner.com, read it here.

Sickening, what is happening in this province!


Social Mange also has a really good post; There are so many games afoot and animals are the pawns.

Dogsbite.org is exposed in a well put together article

KC Dogblog has an excellent article exposing Dogsbite.org. 

Dogsbite.org is not an "expert" organization when it comes to canine behavior. There, I've said it.

While it seems that lately, several media outlets have been treating them like they have a particular knowledge on the subject of dog bites and attacks (I'll get to a possible "why" on that later in the post), it doesn't erase the reality that dogsbite.org is simply a website run almost entirely by an individual person who has an expertise in web design, access to google, and a desire to seek revenge on an attack that happened to her several years. Those are the qualifications behind the website. And it runs no deeper than that. And treating the website as anything more than that is a recipe bad information that will lead to less safe circumstances for people and dogs. Let me explain.

Read on...


There are some really great comments in the comments section of this article as well. 


One stand out comment in my opinion is:

"There are always two sides, and they teach the importance of providing both." This is actually the problem with modern "journalism". Sometimes there are NOT two sides (ex: creationists, birthers, "death panels" etc). By blindly following the archaic "2 sides" notion, modern journalists actually are victimized by propagandists and perpetuate the falsities that are rampant in our society. The use of dogbite.org as a source is an example of this. Journalists don't feel the need to verify whether her information is accurate. It's "the other side" and that's all that matters to them. They can pretend they are being impartial, when what they are doing is helping vicious people lie.

Is DNA testing in dogs a sham?

There is an article in the Toronto Star, by Nancy J. White, about a woman who sent her dog's DNA sample to three separate companies for testing. The results were, well inconclusive to say the very least. 


This reinforces what I have been saying all along about breed identification? 


Here is a picture of the dog.

DNA tests confirm we have a mutt

Companies agree there's shepherd in Whiskey

All we knew for sure was that Whiskey was a lovable, furry mutt.

Three DNA tests and $268 later, all we know for sure is that Whiskey is a lovable, furry mutt.

The results from three companies agreed only on this: our boy is one mixed-up canine cocktail and he does have some shepherd. But what kind of shepherd and what other bevy of breeds make up the mix is up for grabs.

Suggestions ran the genetic gamut from the small Norwich terrier to the enormous St. Bernard, with a bit of beagle, a dollop of Dalmatian and some Rottweiler, among others, tossed in.

He looks like none of those.

"You can't judge a dog by his cover," explains Robin Ray, marketing director for the Canine Heritage Breed test.

The revolution in DNA testing has gone to the dogs. Geneticists have mapped the genome of the domesticated dog and researchers are studying genetic influences for diseases that afflict canines as well as insight into those shared with humans, such as cancer and diabetes.

And just as DNA samples are used to trace humans' genetic ancestry, so too Rover's.

"The majority of the dogs we test come from shelters and owners are super curious," says Mindy Tenenbaum, of the Toronto company DNA My Dog. "Ninety per cent of the time people are wrong about what they think the dog is."

The companies say that knowing the breed can shed light on a mutt's potential health problems.

Tenenbaum tells the story of a large dog resembling a king shepherd with a bad skin affliction that the veterinarian couldn't cure. The owner happened to mention that DNA results showed the dog was part Siberian husky. The vet knew that huskies often get a certain type of dermatitis and successfully treated the animal.

We weren't curious so much about Whiskey's health or even his lineage as we were the tests. Crucial to the test is a company's database: How many breeds and which ones will they compare to your pet's DNA? There are about 500 breeds of domesticated dog.

The three tests we ordered, all available online, ranged in price from $70 to $108, and promised 90 per cent or better accuracy. The three companies say their DNA databases come from certified American Kennel Club dogs or, in cases of breeds not part of AKC, from top-notch breeders.

The kits arrived with instructions and swabs to collect cells from inside the dog's cheek. Whiskey barely noticed. I mailed back the DNA-swathed swabs and waited a few weeks for results.

When my family adopted Whiskey more than 10 years ago from the Toronto Humane Society, we were told he was a stray, most likely a shepherd-collie mix. That was their best guess and fine by us.

DNA My Dog, which tests for 68 popular breeds, found that Whisk was a level three Australian Shepherd, meaning he likely had a grandparent predominantly from that breed. On the great-grandparent level, there was a lot of bizarre mating going way back: Shetland sheepdog, Siberian husky, beagle, golden retriever and St. Bernard.

"Holy cow, that is a lot," says Tenenbaum when told of the findings.

A Google search of Australian shepherd shows a black and tan, hairy dog that sure looks like Whisk.

The breed is known for its intelligence, herding and guarding instincts. Sounds like Whisk. He used to nip at our heels and try to herd us together. And did I mention he was tops in his puppy obedience class?

On to company number two, the U.S.-based Wisdom Panel Insights, which tests for more than 170 breeds, the most in our three-way sample. It registered zip in the significant or intermediate categories but detected minor signs of German shepherd and traces of bearded collie and Rottweiler.

I felt confused, so I emailed Wisdon Panelstaff veterinarian and geneticist Angela Hughes a picture of my long-haired, flop-eared sweetheart who looks nothing like a German shepherd.

"I disagree," says Hughes who singled out Whisk's German shepherdy traits, such as the tan base coat and black overlay. German shepherds come in a long-coated version, she says. Both bearded collies and Rottweilers have dropped ears like Whisk. His broad skull could be rottie.

Looking at his hybrid results, she says: "I'd expect him to be a very intelligent boy." Why, yes.

The third one, Canine Heritage, tests for 106 breeds. It also drew a blank for any primary matches, but on a secondary level: Dalmatian.

Dalmatian?

"It's at the bottom of the threshold," explains marketing director Ray, calling up Whiskey's results. The spotted breed, made famous by Disney, ranked just a tad above the "In the Mix" findings: German shepherd, Australian shepherd, Norwich terrier and St. Bernard.

"Looking at the findings," says Ray, who never saw Whisk's photo, "I'd guess you have a generic black dog with a white chest spot."

Close enough. That's apparently a common look among the Heinz 57 set. Black is a dominant trait.

So whom to believe?

At the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, staff veterinarian Rasa Levstein says a good test must be reproducible and suggests doing all three again. No time for that.

For health purposes, she says it may be useful to know the mutt's breeds, but only if the test is accurate. Otherwise, she warns, an owner would be "barking up the wrong tree."

At the Rosedale Animal Hospital, veterinarian Ian Sandler calls the tests a good option for the curious. but not of much help clinically. Dogs have similar disease patterns depending whether they are small, medium, large or extra-large.

"Knowing specifically whether it's mostly German shepherd or golden retriever wouldn't play a huge role in how the dog is treated," he explains. "It's more of a novelty at this point. In the future, as technology improves, it may help identify the potential for various diseases."

As for Whisk, he remains our noble beast, nary a drop of blueblood in him. But his new nickname is "Aussie."

PETA's animal 'care' & control 'specialist' is full of CRAP!

Special Letter: Rescued pit bulls not family pets

As someone whose work involves rescuing pit bulls from abuse, I urge Livingston County Animal Control to continue protecting pit bulls by retaining the agency's current policy against adopting them out ("Livingston animal shelter extends adoption time, may drop 'bully breed' ban," March 15). We all wish for happy endings, but pit bull adoptions often end in tragedy.

Every day, PETA staffers meet sad and lonely pit bulls who have been trapped for years at the ends of heavy chains with nothing but bare patches of dirt and plastic barrels for shelter (if they're lucky), trembling in fear, full of heartworms, ribs protruding, and scarred all over from fights. In winter, they shiver from the cold and in summer, they are eaten alive by flies, fleas and ticks. They are often physically abused and starved, sometimes to death, for losing in illegal dogfights, or for being "bad guards," or "not mean enough."

Nice families rarely visit shelters in search of pit bulls, and pit bulls from unknown backgrounds don't always make good family additions. No one wants to end the euthanasia of animals at shelters more than those holding the syringe, but supplying pit bulls to dogfighters and those seeking "macho" status symbols and cheap security systems aren't solutions. Spaying and neutering to prevent more pit bulls from coming into the world is.

Teresa Lynn Chagrin ,

Animal Care & Control Specialist, PETA,

Norfolk, Va.

Teresa Lynn Chagrin you are so full of shit!
Take your pitty party and go back to the hole you climbed out of!
Way to hurl spreading the propaganda to further PETA's agenda, which is slaughtering helpless animals while preaching you are working in the "best interest" of animals, or in this case short haired mutts. 
Take your twisted views and shove them up your ass. 
Do you think we can't read? Do you think we don't know how many thousands of innocent animals PETA slaughters every year, all while taking millions of dollars from people who actually can't read!


If you are still a Bob Barker, Pam Anderson or any other PETA wanker celebrity supporter, please do yourself a favor and have a read of the following links.


The Butcher of Norfolk

The Butcher of Norfolk (4th Edition)

When you are finished reading Nathan's blog posts, do a little research. It isn't hard to scratch up information that will make your hair curl. 


Why, do you ask, would people want to harm innocent animals? 


Answer..


Sick


Twisted


Illogical


Not sure, just guessing. If you think about giving any money or support to any organization, you should do your research. It is your money, far be it from me to tell you how to spend it, but I suspect that if people know the truth about what that money is going toward, they may change their contribution recipient?

3-Year-Old Child Mauled By Dog

Should Golden Retrievers be banned?


According to the journalist, 

Golden Retrievers are generally among the most gentle of dogs and are usually excellent with children.

Blanket statements such as this are very dangerous. They are as dangerous as classifying dogs dangerous by breed. There is no such thing as a dangerous breed and likewise there is no such thing as an all encompassing breed "gentle/excellent with children". It depends on the owner and depends on the dog. It depends on how much training and socialization a dog has. It can also depend on other factors such as nobody noticing or identifying the warning signs of a bite. The signs are always there. There is always a reason, but many times the humans weren't paying attention or ignored the signs. 


Maybe McGuinty could have legislated bite prevention programs in schools? He is the "education" premier after all! (tongue firmly in cheek and swallowed).


Here is the rest of the article. 
h/t Social Mange

It's usually the perfect combination - a loving youngster and a gentle dog.

But something went horribly wrong at an Oshawa home Tuesday and now a three-year-old girl is facing the possibility of having plastic surgery.

Police say the youngster was being cared for by neighbours at 506 Lanlark Drive just after 1pm, and was petting a normally friendly Golden Retriever.

Cops aren't sure what provoked the animal, but it suddenly turned on the child, mauling the tot from her eye to her cheek.

The toddler was rushed to Lakeridge Health Centre, where plastic surgeons began examining the damage. It's believed her eyesight will be O.K. but she may require surgical repairs to her cheek.

The same people looking after the child were also looking after the dog for the day.

"They were petting the dog," relates Richard Ovila, the babysitter's husband. "I don't know if they were patting together or what, when all of a sudden the dog turned around and took her on the left cheek."

The dog has been seized by animal control and those who know the creature are baffled. Golden Retrievers are generally among the most gentle of dogs and are usually excellent with children.

"It was a very serious dog bite," confirms Dave Selby of Durham Regional Police.

The youngster was surprised by what happened and reportedly continually asked the doctors who were treating her why the dog bit her. But like police, they didn't have those answers, either.

"It's just a very unfortunate incident and obviously our thoughts and prayers are with that young girl right now to make sure she can get through this situation and hopefully not have too many damages as she grows older," Selby concludes.

It's not clear what will become of the canine, but the owner is the neighbour's son and he has no idea about what's happened to his beloved pet. He's currently away on vacation down south for March Break.

Authorities hope this tragic event will provide a lesson for others.

"The best thing to do is keep your children away from unknown dogs or strange dogs that you don't know their personality or behaviour," suggests Tre Smith of the Toronto Humane Society.

The little girl has been taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto for further assessment. She'll be staying there until at least Wednesday.

Cheers to Neville! Happy Retirement.

Neville is a bomb sniffing dog that was saved from being slaughtered here in Ontario after being deemed a "pitbull" under the McGuinty Liberal's draconian "pitbull" ban. Neville was shipped across the border and took up a career in Washington State, USA with Trooper David Dixon. Neville has worked in Seattle for 5 years now, but he is set to retire to the good life. He will be staying with his best friend, Trooper Dixon.


Hats off to you Neville! We here in Ontario, at least those of us who aren't Liberal MPP's are really happy for you that you got out. Congrats on your retirement. 

Neville the pit bull to retire from job as bomb sniffer for WSP

SEATTLE - He's got a reputation, but he's not living up to it.  And that's a good thing.  Neville the pit bull is working the ferry lines at Seattle's Coleman Dock. 

He isn't supposed to be here. Neville was on death row in Canada until an escape worthy of a spy novel got him across the border and into the K-9 work force. Today he protects the people who almost failed him.

"He's the kind of dog who would take a bullet for you," said Neville's handler, Trooper David Dixon. "And there are people like me who had a bad idea of pit bulls in the past that may change their mind and love them because they're great."

"He's so sweet. I love it when you pet him and he just smashes up against you. You feel the love," said Diana Cameron, who works at the espresso stand on the dock.

And after five years and 21 actual finds of weapons or explosives, Neville prepares to hang up his badge for good. He is scheduled to retire in September.

Neville was the first pit bull on explosives patrol for the Washington State Patrol.  And he's helped pave the way for four others to follow in his footsteps. 

WSP currently has five pit bulls working narcotics or explosives. But Trooper Dixon says it's not so much about the breed as it is the sniffer and the disposition.  Neville has a nose that knows and the temperament of a dedicated officer.  Not to mention his success has helped booster the reputation of a breed known more to be fighters than crime fighters.

Trooper Dixon estimates that Neville does detection work on 150,000 vehicles a year.  One dog's life was spared to benefit the lives of countless others.

Neville will remain with Trooper Dixon after his retirement.

More good news from Denver

Latest word from Denver is a class action suit centered on three disabled people who have pit bull service dogs, has been filed.

Jennifer Edwards of the Animal Law Center has filed in federal court and already has agreements from both Denver and Aurora that they will not enforce their bans on service dogs for now. 

We wish them the best in their efforts on behalf of service dogs!

KC Dogblog has more on this story...