Rescued Pit Bull Puppy
Heads to Africa to Fight Terrorism
Binnie was rescued in March by Michael Bullock, a North
Carolina-based dog handler. Bullock found Binnie tied to a wall and left to die
in a warehouse, so he immediately took him home and began his rehabilitation
process. He quickly noticed that Binnie had all of the qualities necessary to
become a bomb dog and started training him. In 5 short weeks,
Binnie performed at a level that takes most dogs 10. He can now identify over a
dozen types of explosives. The Kenyan government recently contacted Bullock to
aid them in training dogs useful to fight Al Qaeda. Instead, Bullock decided to
send them Binnie. He will now work side-by-side with Kenyan officials to identify
explosives at airports.
Pit Bull and Owner
Wounded by Police
According to
the Wall Street Journal online, two
New York City police officers shot and wounded a bystander after firing at his
pit bulls. Around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7 officers were in pursuit of an alleged
drug dealer who had just tried to sell narcotics to an undercover policeman. While
chasing the man, they encountered a bystander walking his two pit bulls on
leashes. The dogs lunged at the officers, causing the officers to fire. The shots
wounded the owner and one of his dogs. All are in treatment for their injuries
and the officers are under internal investigation for misconduct. The severity
of the injury to the dog is unclear at this time.
Maryland Bill Labeling Pit Bulls ‘Inherently
Dangerous’ Voted Out
The May
ruling that labeled pit bulls as “inherently dangerous” was voted out in a
special session by the Maryland State Senate this week. A new bill that creates strict liability standards for all dogs regardless of breed is now advancing. The
reversal of the original ruling isolating pit bulls and pit bull mixes as
predisposed to aggression is due to the tireless efforts of advocacy groups,
dog owners and state representatives.
Massachusetts Law Bans Breed-Specific
Ordinances
A law signed
by Gov. Deval L. Patrick this week effectively nullifies pit bull ordinances. The
state measure titled “An Act Further Regulating Animal Control,” includes many
types of animal protection and takes effect Oct. 31. Included in the text is a
provision that states, “No city or town shall regulate dogs in a manner that is
specific to breed.” Pit bull supporters are singing the governor’s praises
following the decision. The law will ultimately crush breed-specific ordinances
in communities across the state.
