County revamping pit-bull policy
By Holly Hobbs
Moments before injecting two puppies with a solution called "Fatal Plus," Loudoun County Animal Shelter manager Inga Fricke wrapped them in blankets.The injection killed the day-old puppies, which had been born to a pit bull terrier that arrived at the shelter as a stray.
"Our shelter manager Inga did it personally so that none of the staff had to do it," said shelter spokeswoman Laura Danis of the incident, which happened a year ago.
The puppies' mother also had to be put to sleep in accordance with the county's policy on pit bulls, which labels the American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire terrier, and wolf or wolf hybrids as "unadoptable breeds."
"The animal shelter will not adopt out these animals, whether pure or mixed," states the policy. Danis said the shelter's policy, which is approved by the county's Board of Supervisors, has been in place since the 1980s.
These canines are held for 10 days after arriving at the shelter to wait for an owner to pick them up – when the 10 days expire, so do the lives of the dogs.
Between July 2006 and June 2007, 56 pit bulls were euthanized by the county shelter. Of those put down, 54 of them were euthanized because of their breed. The other two were euthanized because of health or behavior history.
"It was really hard," said Danis, adding that euthanizing dogs, puppies especially, effects the morale of the people working at the shelter.
"We are actually in the midst of updating our pit-bull adoption policy," said Danis.
The shelter conducted a community poll earlier this year, polling more than 1,000 Loudouners. Of those polled, about 67 percent said they would favor a change in the adoption policy to give pit bulls a chance for adoption.
The poll was in response to a October 2006 advisory opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, said Danis.
"It is my opinion that publicly funded animal shelters or 'pounds' may not euthanize dogs based solely on breed," McDonnell wrote.
Under Virginia's Comprehensive Animal Laws, McDonnell wrote, an animal may only be euthanized when it has been "found abandoned or not properly cared for when ... the animal appears to be injured, disabled or diseased, past recovery, or the injury, disease or disability is such that a reasonable owner would cause the animal to be destroyed."
"An advisory opinion doesn't carry the weight of law," said Danis, but the shelter is taking the attorney general's opinion seriously because the topic may be brought before the General Assembly in 2008 as part of McDonnell's legislative package.
Much attention has been focused on the pit bull since Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted for operating an illegal dogfighting ring at his estate in Smithfield. Federal authorities seized more than 50 pit bulls living on his property.
The bodies of many more dogs were excavated on Vick's property. Vick reported to the Richmond courts last week for a formal hearing.
On July 30, co-defendant Tony Taylor reached a plea bargain with the commonwealth in which he agreed to testify against Vick, who, he says, financed the dogfighting ring.
Danis said she hopes the attention created by the charges against Vick will draw positive attention to the pit bull breed, which she said is misunderstood.
Danis said when people see a poodle wandering around without an owner, they look for the owner or take the dog to their homes; however, when people see a pit bull, they call animal control or the police.
"We've never had a confirmed case [of dogfighting in Loudoun]," Danis said. "We have had calls and we have seen evidence ... like bite marks [on the faces of dogs]."
The Loudoun County Animal Shelter has not set a date for its policy change on pit-bull adoptions.
Alexandria is also considering a change in its pit-bull policy, which would allow – like Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County – pit-bull adoptions. Other communities in the state allow pit-bull mix breeds to be adopted.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com