Pretty Amber of the Rainbow Ranch

Nationally, two pending cases of severe abuse were updated. The first was a case of a dog that had been found in a West Virginia attic with his muzzle duct taped shut. He was found dehydradted and starving with a bucket of water and pan of food just out of his reach. Even if he could have gotten to the containers, they used the duct tape to insure he could not take in sustainance. The prosecuter in this case decided she could not make a case for felony abuse and dropped the charge down to a misdemeanor. Another case of the penalty for cruelty being less than littering.

Another high profile case had a different outcome. This one happened in Maryland when two 17 year olds doused a young Pit Bull female with gasoline and set her on fire. They thought this was great entertainment until they realized their actions were caught on a video survelance camera. The judge in this case ruled both "boys" would be tried as adults for felonious animal torture. This is the second time in as many weeks a judge has refused to consider this type of abuse to be "just a teenage prank".

Maybe the most disturbing story than any other I have had forwarded to me this week, was the story of how the Corning Arkansas police chief euthanized Pit Bulls, being held by the Corning animal control, with a rifle. This cross post came complete with photos.

If my typing becomes difficult to understand and this post becomes shaky sounding, it is because I am having such a difficult time processing the images and descriptions I have just taken in. I apologize for the emotion I am having such a difficult time controlling.

In a case of the mayor said, the veterinarian did not say and the police chief just did it, at least two adult Pit Bulls were shot and killed while penned together in what appears to be a 10x6 chain link run. Think about this for a minute, two adult Pit Bulls kenneled together. What do unsocialized adult Pit Bulls do when contained unseperated in a small area? They fight and they fight hard. In these fights there is a lot of blood and they tend to get heated which leads to slobbery foam around their mouths. This can be verified by going to any of the YouTube sights featuring video of dog fights.

According to the man that is in charge of keeping his community safe, he feared the dogs were rabid because they were fighting and foaming at the mouth. He cancelled the veterinarian's appointment to come and euthanize by injection in favor of shooting them while they were drinking water out of a bucket.He said the mayor ordered him to get rid of these dogs in this manner on recommendation of the veterinarian. The only veterinarian in the Corning area, says she was not contacted regarding the disposition of the dogs.The only contact she had from the police department was to cancel her scheduled appointment.

Believing these dogs to be a health concern to society, did the chief remove the head of one or both and send it in for testing? Did he burn the bodies? No he buried them at a site not far from a running water source that the community of Corning has unhindered access to.

I admit to having grown very cynical over the years. I have heard so many stupid things that it is no wonder I have a hard time believing what people tell me.In this case, I can not imagine anyone buying this line of garbage.The first thing that comes to mind is the title of the book Judge Judy wrote a few years ago, Is It Raining Outside or are You Pissing Up My Leg. Forgive my bluntness, but this has got to be one of the biggest loads I have been asked to swallow in a very long time. Remember this man has a gun and is free to carry it!Think about this next time someone says Pit Bulls are dangerous.

On a lighter note, I still have Axl with me.Until I find an appropriate home for him, he will continue his socialization and training.

When evaluating dogs for the type of things they would be suited to do, I always try to watch for what really wakes up their doggy passions. In Axl's case, it is tracking and Schutzhund work.At four months the boy jumped on an old track laid for a Shepherd and displayed the perfect play drive expected in a dog being considered for police work.Who knew?!In addition to being perfect as a working dog, he continues to grow as a wonderful companion.

Axl is going to be one to watch.I have no idea what the future holds for him, but you can bet it will be spectacular.