Post by michele5611 on Nov 24, 2010 9:58:32 GMT -5
www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=7253
There’s going to be a vigil in Milwaukee Friday evening, to mourn the brutal treatment of a dog and the bigger problem in town. WUWM’s Marge Pitrof reports.
This past Friday evening, someone noticed a female pit bull in Washington Park on Milwaukee’s north side, struggling to get out of the lagoon. The person contacted MADACC, the city’s animal control agency. Executive Director Melanie Sobel says the dog had obviously been used as a bait dog, in training others to fight.
“The dog was in horrible shape. It was having seizures. It was very, very cold. It was all torn up. It has both past scars and fresh scars most likely from dog fighting, and so we humanely euthanized the dog right away,” Sobel says.
Sobel says, unfortunately, dog fighting has become very prevalent among gangs in the city during the past 10 to 15 years. And, she says, when young people are exposed to such blatant cruelty, they can become similarly desensitized.
MADACC learned the dog had been named Lucy, because a prior owner had paid for an identifying microchip to be implanted. Sobel says the agency contacted that previous owner and learned she had gotten rid of the dog a few years ago.
“She rehomed the dog on Craigslist as free to a good home, which is very upsetting because a lot of times animals are really at risk when that’s done, because a lot of it’s a way for people to get animals at cost, not having the best interest of the animal in mind,” Sobel says.
Sobel urges residents to call police if suspecting a dog fighting operation is underway in the neighborhood. She says it usually goes hand-in-hand with other illegal activities, such as drug dealing, and often occurs in abandoned homes or basements.
In order to call attention to the problem and the Washington Park case, a group called 'Battle Against Dogfighting' will gather near the lagoon at 6:30 Friday evening.
There’s going to be a vigil in Milwaukee Friday evening, to mourn the brutal treatment of a dog and the bigger problem in town. WUWM’s Marge Pitrof reports.
This past Friday evening, someone noticed a female pit bull in Washington Park on Milwaukee’s north side, struggling to get out of the lagoon. The person contacted MADACC, the city’s animal control agency. Executive Director Melanie Sobel says the dog had obviously been used as a bait dog, in training others to fight.
“The dog was in horrible shape. It was having seizures. It was very, very cold. It was all torn up. It has both past scars and fresh scars most likely from dog fighting, and so we humanely euthanized the dog right away,” Sobel says.
Sobel says, unfortunately, dog fighting has become very prevalent among gangs in the city during the past 10 to 15 years. And, she says, when young people are exposed to such blatant cruelty, they can become similarly desensitized.
MADACC learned the dog had been named Lucy, because a prior owner had paid for an identifying microchip to be implanted. Sobel says the agency contacted that previous owner and learned she had gotten rid of the dog a few years ago.
“She rehomed the dog on Craigslist as free to a good home, which is very upsetting because a lot of times animals are really at risk when that’s done, because a lot of it’s a way for people to get animals at cost, not having the best interest of the animal in mind,” Sobel says.
Sobel urges residents to call police if suspecting a dog fighting operation is underway in the neighborhood. She says it usually goes hand-in-hand with other illegal activities, such as drug dealing, and often occurs in abandoned homes or basements.
In order to call attention to the problem and the Washington Park case, a group called 'Battle Against Dogfighting' will gather near the lagoon at 6:30 Friday evening.
I look forward to learning much here