Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. However, because of loopholes in the laws in New York state, many dog fighters go free. This has made New York a haven for these vicious criminals. People come from other states and cities to rural areas like ours to take part in the criminal activity of dog fighting. Otsego and Delaware counties are close to the Pennsylvania border and within an hour of Binghamton and Albany, making us a central location.
Brutal dogfights often occur with children present. Seeing violence to animals desensitizes children to all violence, including violence to people.
There is ample proof many serial killers started out hurting animals. Do you want your children going to school with violent children that are potential future serial killers?
Organized dog fights can use smaller dogs as bait animals, which enrage the larger dogs as the fight begins.
Bait dogs are stolen off the street or by dog fighters who respond to "free to a good home" ads. The snouts of bait dogs are often wrapped with tape to keep them from injuring the pit bulls.
Dog fighting attracts criminals. A detective told the New York Daily News that "You can get more drugs and guns off the street by breaking up dog rings than you would breaking up drug rings." An Ohio sheriff says that "just about every dogfighting search warrant we've done, we've found drugs."
Pit bulls are wonderful family pets. Due to bad owners and bad breeding, they are getting a bad rap.
Breed-specific legislation is forcing families all over the country to give up their beloved pets. Dogs that have done nothing wrong are taken from their family and destroyed. Even if you do not own a pit bull, you may be affected, since these laws often include rottweillers, akitas and "any pit bull-type dog." You may own a boxer and have to go to court to fight and prove it.
You can help our community by learning the signs of dog fighting and reporting them. How do you spot a dog-fighting ring?
"¢ An inordinate number of pit bulls being kept in one location, especially multiple dogs that are chained and seem unsocialized.
"¢ Dogs with scars on their faces, front legs and stifle area (the hind end and thighs).
"¢ Dog-fighting training equipment, such as treadmills used to build dogs' endurance
"¢ "Break sticks," used to pry apart the jaws of dogs locked in battle
"¢ Tires or "springpoles" (usually a large spring with rope attached to either end) hanging from tree limbs
"¢ Unusual foot traffic coming and going from a location at odd hours.
"¢ Heavy chains around a dog's neck, used to train it and build stamina for fighting.
"¢ People breeding pit bulls.
If you suspect dog fighting in your area, call the state troopers or the Humane Society of the United States tip line, (800) TIP-HSUS.
Sue Swart lives in Davenport
Columns
Take steps to combat illegal dog fights
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
-
-
My pal Brucie, savior of Sidney's hospital
Ask any hospital administrators if they've ever heard of a closed hospital in New York state that has ever been re-opened. They will say, "Impossible." In a half century of going through records you can't find any.
Continued ... - Catching a whiff of 'Vermont Vapor'
- Selections from the virtual mailbag
- Recalling days of 'Doughnut King'
- Opera great's visit still a thrilling memory
-
My pal Brucie, savior of Sidney's hospital
- Cary Brunswick
-
-
We've become our own worst enemies
The past month has been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
Continued ... - Plenty of blame to go around for Bangladesh horror
- Obama is going against his word on Social Security
- Reflecting on a Florida trip
- Those magnificent spies in their flying machines
-
We've become our own worst enemies
- Chuck Pinkey
- Guest Column
-
-
Records seizure is an insult to free press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
Continued ... - The evangelical view of same-sex marriage
- Manor's fate will be Otsego board's legacy
- A closer look at our economy - Part II
- Use fracking to fill budget gaps
-
Records seizure is an insult to free press
- Lisa Miller
-
-
A view from above
Fire towers in the Catskill Mountains have always been destination points, built to capture some of the region’s best views. These sentinel stations served an important role for the earliest possible sightings of forest fires in the remote mountain ranges. But the fire towers and those who manned them fulfilled a multitude of other roles as well.
Continued ... - Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- A family era ends with close of Potter series
- Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
-
- Mark Simonson
-
-
Sunday movies in Oneonta finally shown in 1934
You know an issue is divisive when a vote to resolve it is quite close. In Oneonta during the early 1930s there were probably plenty of discussions or arguments at the family dinner table or sermons from the pulpits on Sunday mornings, regarding whether or should be able to see a movie in Oneonta on Sunday.
Continued ... - Politics, fitness and landmarks dominated local news in May 1968
- Local people sought income in many ways in 1933
- Local windstorm in 1983 caused tense moments
- Disaster, expansions put people to work in May 1913
-
- Rick Brockway
-
-
Kids have sparkle in their eyes
When I was in my teens, old Bill Naatz told me about a stream north of Lake George where a man had panned out enough gold to make his wife a wedding band. It was all rumors, but to his grandson and myself, it sounded like the makings of a great adventure.
- People make the outdoors even better
- Turkey season has ups and downs
- Spring air isn't always the freshest
- Adriondacks keep growing and growing
-
Kids have sparkle in their eyes
- Sam Pollak
-
-
Using time off in the worst way possible
"You don't mean it," I pleaded. "You simply can't mean it!"
Continued ... - Terror lives on, and there's no end in sight
- Remembering the glory of their times
- Column on guns led to a barrage of (mostly) jeers
- No one is coming to take your guns
-
Using time off in the worst way possible
- William Masters
-
-
Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
As the time to vote draws near, we need to remember how money can run politics more than we can. Raising funds is a prominent (if not the dominant) task of getting elected. Raising issues is also crucial, but those efforts are subject to distortion and fear-mongering.
- Republicans feelentitled to allthey can garner An entitlement is a legal benefit available from the government to individuals who are within a defined category of recipients, such as needing insurance for unemployment or health services.
-
Romney focuses on self; Obama emphasizes unity
Mitt Romney criticizes President Obama for saying a person's success is rooted in his community, and is not all his alone. Romney belittles this with his belief in individual initiative. He is better at the put-down than the push-up.
-
Romney shows little regard for common man
The Republicans in Congress have voted over and over, 33 times, redundantly and uselessly, to rescind what they call Obamacare.
-
Scouts' gay ban creates problem where none exists
The Boy Scouts of America's "emphatic reaffirmation" of its vow to exclude any and all homosexuals from its hallowed ranks is ill-considered and pathetic, especially in view of its having reviewed the matter for two years.
-
Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
