ohmidog!

A candlelight vigil will be held in Raleigh Wednesday night for the 145 pits bulls — including dozens of puppies like this one — that were euthanized after being seized by authorities from a big-time breeder of fighting dogs in North Carolina.

The vigil starts at 7 p.m. at Bicentennial Mall, 16 W. Jones St., in Raleigh, near the North Carolina General Assembly. Here’s a map.

Organizers of the vigil hope it will lead to changes in the law to guarantee that dogs seized from dogfighting operations have the opportunity to be individually evaluated, rather than being automatically deemed “dangerous” and destroyed.

The recent mass euthanasia of 145 dogs — including puppies born between the time they were seized from breeder Ed Faron and the conclusion of his court case – prompted the candlelight vigil, said Laura Gonzo, one of the organizers. The dogs were seized from Faron’s Wildside Kennels.

Wilkes County authorities said their laws required them to euthanize the dogs. Unlike those seized in the higher profile Michael Vick case, no efforts were made by the government, lawyers or major rescue organizations to save these, at least not until it was too late.

Concerned citizens and representatives of animal rescue groups from across the state are planning to attend the vigil.

“We are so thankful that law enforcement and the courts took the crime of dogfighting serious and that it led to a guilty plea by the dog fighter,” Gonzo said. “But people across North Carolina, as well other parts of the country, expressed outrage because none of the dogs or 75 puppies from the dog fighter’s breeding operation were given any opportunity to be evaluated individually and the dogs were all destroyed. We North Carolina humanitarians are calling on the legislature to act to prevent future tragedies.” Gonzo said.

(Photo courtesy of Laura Gonzo)

Another newspaper columnist has issued a call for banning pit bulls — this one in Dallas, on the heels of a dog attack that might cost one of its two victims an eye. 

Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd — who’d previously opposed breed specific legislation –says banning pit bulls “may be the best of a host of imperfect solutions.”

“I hate the idea of blaming animals for human stupidity. And I’m not sure breed banning works – there’s a considerable case to be made that it doesn’t … But we cannot stand around debating theoretical outcomes while people are being attacked on the streets.”

That, to me, sounds a lot like the kind of logic that led us to war in Iraq: Let’s go after them before they come get us. Maybe they’re not the source of most dog bites, but they make a good target.

Then only later — after the considerable expense of corralling, muzzling and regulating them –do we realize that maybe pit bulls aren’t weapons of mass destruction after all.

Floyd admits that, once pit bulls are criminalized, some other breed will replace them.

“Bonehead” owners, to use her term, will move on to Rottweilers, shepherds, Dobermans or some other breed they can encourage to be violent and aggressive. What then? “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there,” she says.

Rather than just shifting the problem to another breed, wouldn’t it make more sense to address it now, at its root, and go after the boneheads instead of the dogs?

It’s a sad but familiar story – a well-meaning soul starts taking in unwanted animals only to find him or herself overwhelmed by the responsibility.

Such seems to be the case in Adair County, Ky., where hundreds of animals were were found sick, diseased and dying Friday at the Clean Slate animal shelter.

Hundreds of dogs, cats and farm animals were removed from the shelter and the owner, David Howery, was charged with 295 counts of animal cruelty.

“It’s can be difficult to see because his heart might be in the right place, but obviously it becomes overwhelming when too many pets are involved and you have to make sure each pet is cared for properly,” said Michelle Ray with the Kentucky Humane Society.

Howery said he set up his shelter to give rescued animals a temporary home and never thought the animals would have to be rescued from him.

Many of the approximate 300 animals removed were suffering from malnourishment, mange and respiratory problems, officials said.

When sheriff’s deputies raided the shelter, they said they found dead animals, feces and urine contaminating the rooms and disease running rampant.