Letters to the Editor (4/30)

Where do the Pitbulls go?

Dear Editor:

As a young adult, I had an American Staffordshire Terrier, who was given up by her previous owners because she was "too hyper."

Tatanka, as I named her, gave me many happy, love-filled years. We were meant for each other; we hiked, jogged and played together. She was not only a companion, but also my best friend and confidant. Tatanka never hurt anyone or anything. She was a big dog with a puppy's attitude and a tear-jerking love for little kids. All the children in the neighborhood knew her by name and would play her favorite games, such as "throw the ball and never get it back," "chase me - you'll never catch me," "pin you down and lick your face," and many others.

When Tatanka's life was senselessly taken by a poisoned piece of meat, she took with her forever a piece of my heart. I can't understand what would have made someone take the life of such a precious, loving creature. Perhaps it was fear caused by the size and stature of that awe-inspiring animal, which made that unkind heart kill that big, gentle spirit.

Phantom heartaches stab my chest when I see the Pitbulls in our shelter. I know that most of them won't make it to the next day.

What have we done to these beautiful dogs? Pitbulls were once the "Nanny dog of America." There was a time when Petey the Pitbull accompanied the Little Rascals in all their adventures, warming children's hearts throughout the nation.

Today, many Bullies love and are loved by their families. Unfortunately, many more will lose their lives at the gentle hands of a shelter worker, who couldn't possibly find good homes for them all.

Did you know that almost a third of all the dogs coming through the animal shelter system in the Valley are Pitbulls? Yes, you read it right; approximately 20,000 Pitbulls will find themselves in a shelter every year. Most of them are good dogs in need of a loving home.

Pitbulls are intelligent, precocious and athletic dogs that will do nearly anything asked of them. They are hard-wired to be animal aggressive and people must be mindful of this heritage, especially around children and small animals.

Although wonderful companions, Pitbulls are not for beginners; these are dogs that need an experienced and well-informed owner who is ready to make a commitment. They need a kind, but firm, caretaker that can funnel their gleeful zest for life through exercise, training and service. These dogs will return your care and attention ten-fold; they will always be loving and devoted to their families. 

Most of the ones we see in our shelters are there because their owners did not know what they were getting into when they acquired a Bully. Sadly, there are not enough good homes for them. These beautiful animals have a greater risk of being euthanized than any other breed. In fact, a 50 percent higher risk.

Rescue groups don't want them as they are harder to place than any other dog. Many people don't understand the breed and are unreasonably afraid of them. Of all the Bullies in the shelter, less than 1 percent will go to a rescue group, 12 percent will be claimed by their owners, and 10 percent will be adopted. More than 73 percent will be euthanized.

Together we need to stop the irrational breeding of Pitbulls. What can you do to save these beautiful animals? If you own a Pitbull, sterilize him, train him and socialize him. Encourage friends and family to sterilize their dogs. If you are looking for a pet, do not buy from a store, the newspaper or the backyard breeder. Adopt your new dog from the animal shelter. Volunteer to support your favorite animal shelter.

The shelters alone cannot solve the problem. It is up to us as a community to end this tragedy.

Dr. Rodrigo Silva, director

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control

This is a right-to-carry state

Dear Editor:

I am deeply concerned that people want to automatically judge the man who allegedly showed a gun to a woman in a school parking lot after a minor road rage incident as guilty without having more facts.

Obviously, if the woman making the claim could prove the incident, the man would have been arrested. If the police found he had an illegal firearm, he would have been arrested. If the man owned a gun and police found he was in any way mentally compromised, he would have been arrested and made to have an evaluation. The police would have made sure the press was notified, too. They love to make examples of gun owners if they can.

David C Kupres and people like him scare me more than someone just showing that they have a gun ("More information needed," AFN, April 9). This is a right-to-carry state and we do allow concealed weapons with a permit. Seeing a firearm on someone's belt doesn't automatically mean that person is out to do evil. This is the West, and we are still in America. I resent the fact that these liberal Easterners come here and want to take our constitutional rights away.

Kupres, and others of his ilk, react out of fear and suspicion rather than with rational, calm thought or logic. He reminds me of the Witch Hunters, the KKK and the Vigilantes... groups that took drastic measures to incite others into mass hysteria (just like I thought the journalist who wrote the headline for that article was insightful. After reading it, Kupres has certainly made my point).

The one question Kupres failed to ask - and I think it is the most important - "Was there a credible gun incident or was it made up?" Seriously, why would a woman wait hours before reporting an incident like this? This sounds to me like a he-said/she-said story, where a mad woman wanted revenge.

Of course, there are always at least three sides to every story - Yours, Mine and The Truth. It's my guess that the police investigating this incident chose to weigh all of the information and certainly would not allow a maniac with a gun to run free. I would like to think they are professionals that can use their resources to ferret out what kind of a future threat this man would be - or not! 

If Kupres doesn't trust the police to handle this incident, why would he want to give them exclusive power over our personal protection by taking our right to own guns away? Oh, yeah, Kupres has a cell phone! Lots of luck with that when he comes upon a real life-threatening event!

By knowing the name of the "alleged" perpetrator, what does Kupres intend to do? Stake out the school 24/7 in shifts of panicked parents to watch for him to make an appearance? Stake out the man's home or work? Will he simply stalk him or, after getting himself frenzied up, will he get drunk, round up some other outraged parents and go lynch the man?

Ridiculous? To you and me, but maybe not to an irrational parent fearing for their child's life (mental illness is not only reserved for those nasty gun owners, you know).

I'm sorry for the sarcasm, but this absurd letter to your paper disturbs me. Kupres and the reporter pronounced that man in the parking lot guilty with a (so far) unsubstantiated accusation - not even giving him the benefit of the doubt so he can prove himself innocent. Which he should not have to do! That is not the way I was taught our system works in America. The fact that there are anti-gun zealots like Kupres out there, who are willing to jump to rash conclusions and rile others up in order to forward their agendas, scares the hell out of me in more ways than one.

D.J. Burns