For the Military...BSL IS hitting us too....

[JonandMichelle]

The danger next door
IF you think just because you live in Govt. housing you are safe from BSL, please think again. BSL is hitting bases in every branch of the military, and here is just one example. Military members MUST join the cause, act responsible, and start fighting for our dogs. You can make a difference by getting involved with your base vet clinic, military police, and housing units. Start acting NOW!



Dog attack raises concerns over base pet policies


By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Dec 8, 2007 7:32:20 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Amy Gaston didn’t think twice about letting her 9-year-old daughter pedal her bicycle down the road to a friend’s house.

After all, the family lived in base housing, well within the confines of Camp Lejeune, N.C. It’s a place where youngsters still ride bikes to school with little fear of drug dealers or
predators, and neighbors generally look out for each other.

But news from one of the neighborhood kids who came running up to her house on a late March afternoon in 2005 changed Gaston’s perception of base housing — and changed her family’s life.

The message was short: Ashley’s hurt. She was bitten by a dog. She needs to go to the hospital.

Ashley had stopped at a friend’s house to see if he could come out and play. Before she reached the door, the family’s Rottweiler escaped from its poorly secured fence, grabbed
Ashley’s head in its powerful jaws and began to attack.

Two-and-a-half years later, Ashley still has nightmares. She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She faces three, maybe four rounds of cosmetic surgery, but doctors say that mentally, she “just wouldn’t be able to handle going through it yet,” according to her mother.

Amy Gaston holds the dog’s owner and the Corps responsible. She’s seeking $5 million in damages and is hoping to send a message so that what happened to her daughter will not happen to other children living on base.

In a dog-loving nation — where nearly 368,000 people are sent to emergency rooms for dog bites each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Ashley’s story raises questions about allowing aggressive breeds to live in the quiet confines of family housing.

Odd as it sounds, maybe it’s time for the Corps to say no to “devil dogs.”
Teufel Hunden
For their part, Marines love dogs.

That’s due, in part, to the fact that Marines are often compared to dogs. Legend holds that during World War I, German soldiers nicknamed the ferocious leathernecks they faced “Teufel Hunden,” or devil dogs. It’s a tale the Corps embraced, and before long, a bright orange recruiting poster emerged, depicting an English bulldog in a Marine helmet chasing a dachshund in a German helmet, the smaller dog fleeing with its tail between its legs.

On Oct. 14, 1922, the English bulldog became the Corps’ official mascot, after then-Brig. Gen. Smedley Butler signed the enlistment papers for Pvt. Jiggs, a registered English bulldog obtained by Marines at Quantico, Va.

But these days, the bulldog might not be tough enough to carry the Corps on its back. One of the most popular quotes attached to Marine e-mails is attributed to Rear Adm. Jay Stark, from remarks made on the Corps’ 220th birthday in 1995:

“Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties: Big and mean, or skinny and mean,” Stark said. “They’re aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They’ve got really short hair and always go for the throat.”

Mainstream American culture has done its part to increase the profile of big, aggressive dogs as pets. Rapper DMX is often photographed with his pit bulls, as is actress Jessica Alba and celebrity chef Rachael Ray.

Even the “Little Rascals” dog, Petey, was a pit bull, but no one seemed worried for Alfalfa’s safety. Despite the worldwide debate over pit bulls, the breed is the most popular at Camp Lejeune, according to base registration records.

Sgt. Chris Polarbear received his pit bull, Bluto, as a homecoming present from Iraq. During an afternoon of playtime at a dog park that opened recently in the Midway Park housing area, Bluto strolled around, accepting pats from strangers. The 65-pound dog was the runt of the litter, but he still tends to intimidate any strangers he and his owner encounter.

“He’s never attacked anybody,” Polarbear said. “He’s never bitten anybody. He’s excellent.”
After pit bulls, Lejeune Marines favor Labrador retrievers and Chihuahuas.

Residents of Camp Pendleton, Calif., housing favor Labs most. Lab mixes and terrier breeds, excluding pit bulls, are also among the most popular there, according to base animal control officials.

At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., it’s Labs, boxers and Australian shepherds.
The Corps’ beloved mascot, the English bulldog, likely doesn’t make it to the top of the lists because they tend to be expensive and have their share of health problems, including poor eyesight, breathing problems, susceptibility to heat and extreme sensitivity to cold.

Only Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, prohibits pit bulls on base. Other military services on the island do the same thing.

Polarbear would be lost there, as he and Bluto are inseparable. They visit the Wounded Warrior Barracks. They go bar hopping. Polarbear said he’s made a point to expose his dog to other people and other dogs.

“If you’re going to be a dog owner, there are opportunities out there,” he said. “I spend more time with that dog — I call him my son.”

The attack on Ashley Gaston came out of nowhere, however, and was by a dog used to having a kid around.

When Ashley’s father, a staff sergeant, came home carrying his daughter in his arms, her honey-colored hair was matted with a mixture of blood and flesh.

Amy Gaston lifted Ashley’s hair from the right side of her head to get answers. What she found makes her cry even today.

“Part of her E-A-R is gone,” she recalls saying to Ashley’s father, spelling the word to avoid shocking the child further.

“He goes, ‘What?’” she said. “I lifted up her hair again to see if it was just a dream. I didn’t want her to see it. I kind of nonchalantly covered [her ear] and picked it up.”

As Ashley’s father put her into the car to make the trip to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, just down the road from their home, Amy Gaston carried the severed portion of her daughter’s ear to the kitchen and put it into a bag of ice.

Ashley remained in the hospital for nearly a week. But before she was released, and just two days after her first surgery, her father deployed to Iraq.

The attack left Ashley with a gash on the right side of her neck, a severed section of her right ear and puncture wounds to her right shoulder and forearm. Today, if you didn’t know she had been attacked by a dog, you might not notice. But her family notices, she notices and kids at school notice.

A faint scar runs the length of her right jaw line. The portion of her ear that was severed was reattached, but she needs reconstructive surgery.

It was in the days after the attack that Amy Gaston learned that the gate on the fence where the dog lived was secured by a single, elastic bungee cord, according to court documents. The gate was eight inches longer than the gate opening. That combination allowed the dog to escape and attack Ashley from behind, according to court documents.

Amy Gaston said the boy who lived at the house rode up on his bike during the attack.
When the dog saw him, it retreated to the backyard, she said. After the attack was reported to the base Provost Marshal’s Office, the dog was put down.
The lawsuit
The Gastons were new to the Lejeune neighborhood when the attack occurred. They had recently moved from Washington, D.C., where they lived in Bellevue Naval Housing.

“I had been [at Lejeune] for three weeks, and I thought I was safe,” Amy Gaston said. “I thought my kids were in a safe environment. They were pretty stiff on their regulations and following them in Washington. I believed in government housing that we would be OK.”

Her attorney, David Sheldon, says the government is responsible.

“Had they done their job, she wouldn’t have been attacked,” he said.

Regulations require that the base housing office approve fencing for all domestic animals, he said, adding that they failed to inspect the fence. The lawsuit also argues that the defendant, a staff sergeant assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, did not request a fencing inspection.

Attempts to reach the staff sergeant for comment were unsuccessful.

Amy Gaston and her husband are now separated; she and her three children eventually moved to Upper Marlboro, Md., where the lawsuit was filed in U.S. district court.
The government filed a motion to dismiss the case in September, arguing that, under a North Carolina law, the government can’t be held liable for an alleged failure to enforce statutory regulations. The motion also states that the government did not know of any aggressive tendencies in the dog.

“The North Carolina law provides that you can’t sue the government for damages based on a claim that the government failed to enforce a regulation,” said Rod Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, in a telephone interview. “For us, our obligation is to raise any available legal defense on behalf of the United States. In this case, we believe that there’s a legal defense that bars this claim against the United States.”

In his Nov. 21 response to the government’s motion, Sheldon refers to a case in which the government was held liable for negligence of an employee, an airman who lived in base housing. The airman’s “failure to control his dog resulted in severe bite injuries to the child next door.”
Base housing and dogs
Marine bases regulate pet ownership in base housing. Dogs and cats must be registered with base veterinary or animal control offices. Dogs are prohibited from running free.
But some military bases have gone a step further, prohibiting certain breeds altogether.
Air Force Space Command passed an aggressive-dog policy in 2006 that prohibits pit bull and Rottweiler breeds from living in base housing.

Fort Benning, an Army base in Georgia, has a pet policy restricting animals that weigh more than 100 pounds and specifically prohibits pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers and chow chows.

McGuire Air Force Base and neighboring Fort Dix in New Jersey also restrict pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans.

Owners of these breeds argue the dogs get a bad rap in the media. With the right training and a good environment, breeds that have aggressive tendencies can be fine pets, animal experts say.

But the numbers are hard to ignore. Animal People, a publication for animal activists, conducted a study of dog attack deaths and maimings in the U.S. and Canada between September 1982 and November 2006. Of the more than 80 breeds included in the study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios (often called bull mastiffs) and their mixes were responsible for 74 percent of reported attacks analyzed.

As for the Gastons, they’ve had Alex, a Jack Russell terrier, in their lives for almost 11 years.

“I think that’s the one thing that has helped Ashley,” Amy Gaston said. “I don’t think she’s ever going to be the same, but she’s trying very hard. Ashley sticks with frogs now.”

The danger next door - Military News, Marine Corps News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Marine Corps Times

[Ayoka]

Oh wow, we live in military housing (in Canada) and so far there is no BSL - each base follows the BSL laws of the local area.

Many are posted to areas where there is BSL and as a result our shelters tend to fiull up around posting season when people learn they can't take their dogs with them. I have looked up BSL laws in every area we could get posted to....so that we know ahead of time so we know where we have to start looking for housing. I'd rather live an hour away from work than leave my dog behind!

[Shane]

I live in base housing in Connecticut. We chose base housing when we moved here nearly five years ago because it's hard to find a place to rent with a Rottweiler and a Doberman. Since that time, GMH has taken the contract and now manages military housing. We were grandfathered in, but new people can't move in if they have some breeds of dogs and need a bit liability policy with others.

http://www.subasehomes.com/FileHandl...20Addendum.pdf

"At present, the following breeds are considered aggressive and are not permitted: American
Staffordshire Terrier, American Bull Dog, and American Pit Bull.
The Manager reserves the right to restrict further breeds. The following breeds are permitted only with proof of personal liability insurance in the amount of $100,000: Akita, Boxer, Chow,
Doberman, and Rotweiller."

Since they spelled Rottweiler incorrectly, do you think we should be exempt?

Both dogs have died since we moved here, so I won't be getting another dog until after we move and buy our next house in January. If we planned to live here longer, we'd have to move elsewhere because I don't function well without a dog.

[JonandMichelle]

Yes, the military is going to what is called base "privatization", an action where contractors are bidding to build govt. quarters for military base housing AND keeps the housing contract in order to lease/rent the units to military personal. The contractor can set the rules for such "military housing", yet base housing still plays a role in the process in enforcing such policies set forth by the contractors.

So the military is facing more "civilian" control, which equals more influence from the outter world compiled on top of sweeping lax enforcement of current base policies, and irresponsible dog owners. Bottom line is current military members who own such breeds need to step up to the plate, because the "safety" of living behind the govt. is long gone!

[ZorandZeus]

I live in military housing in San Diego and have not had any problems with any BSL here. Tere are several rotties in my neighborhood and most everyone is friendly when we take ours out for their walks. What surpises me are the idiots with their "toy" dogs who don't think they need to be on leashes because it is military housing. I can't count how many times I've had to detour or cancel our walks because of neighbor's dogs out loose that try to come after my rotties. Training with our puppy becomes quite difficult with these little boogers getting her all riled up. What's sad, is that if anything were ever to happen, I would be the one blamed just because of the breed I own, not the irresponsible owners allowing their dogs out loose.

[JonandMichelle]

Originally Posted by ZorandZeus

I live in military housing in San Diego and have not had any problems with any BSL here.

Neither do we, BUT this is the time to START fighting for our breed and others; BEFORE it strikes our bases. All it will take is for one incident--one bite for a commander to say, their outta here, or for an entire command to ban breeds, just like for instance Space Command in the Air Force.

For many years, Jon and I took comfort in knowing and relying in living on military bases for protection against BSL. We knew that the military set their own laws on base, and we would not be forced to civilian ignorance--how times have changed, and now we live off base. Now military personal scramble to find out specific assignments, housing rules, and if BSL affects their off base living arrangements. Military members are now civilianized when it comes to living arrangements and laws reguarding our dogs.

[faeriesb4u]

I live in New Mexico and many of the area rottweilers come from base housing 2 of my children lived in base housing with their rottweilers and it is a common dog here. I would walk my grandchildren in a stroller and see huge German Sheppard standing on the center block walls pacing the little yards.

When my daughter moved in with us her rottweiler Daisy did not know what to do with the huge yard she would run the fence line and lost alot of weight just running the yard, she had been confind to the base yards and the only exercise she got was a run after work. I think I'll try and post her base housing picture of her waiting for daddy to come home.

[Drako's Mommy]

My husband and I just left a military base in Louisiana, and before we left we had to get our Rottie a 300,000 dollar insurance policy for him or else we would have had to move off base. I feel though if we have to do that for our rotties then they should demand that of every breed, not just large breeds. My dog has never showed any signs of aggression, loves kids, as all rotties do, and gets along well with other pets. If they are going to be specific about certain breeds-they should do it to all. I work as a vet tech and believe me-I am more scared of a chihuahua or a dauchsand than I am a rottweiler, doberman or a pitty any day!!

[tiphrehb]

Originally Posted by Drako's Mommy

My husband and I just left a military base in Louisiana, and before we left we had to get our Rottie a 300,000 dollar insurance policy for him or else we would have had to move off base. I feel though if we have to do that for our rotties then they should demand that of every breed, not just large breeds. My dog has never showed any signs of aggression, loves kids, as all rotties do, and gets along well with other pets. If they are going to be specific about certain breeds-they should do it to all. I work as a vet tech and believe me-I am more scared of a chihuahua or a dauchsand than I am a rottweiler, doberman or a pitty any day!!

This is true i have only ever been bitten by one dog and it was a chihuahua ripped my finger wide open it was my roommates dog i understand the fear of a large dogs, was scared of them my whole life until i got married and my wife wanted a rottweiler i have done a 180 with my opinions on dogs even while me and my wife were still dating her mom had a cocker spaniel and it was a very very good dog the best i have ever seen but after lloking back i realize that even that dog was skittish selfish and so on iam considering joining the airforce however i feel that if these rules exist in the marines they will probally be even worse in the af i guess it wouldnt matter much as i would probaly live off base anyway

[Drako's Mommy]

We just live off base. You have more privacy and our big guy has free roam over his little world(the whole back yard and house) We go on walks everyday and no one cares that he is a Rottie, if anything they are amazed at his size and what a lap dog he is. We play ball at the park, he runs and plays..He has a great life off base. The old military housing we lived at in La. the back yards were ridiculously small. There was not enough room for him. Good luck with the Air Force-and Thank-You for wanting to serve:)

[JoJo]

Please keep in mind, wherever you are stationed,(you really don't have too much input on the subject) that city/town may have BSL laws in place. You may not find a place that will rent to you with a dog that's on that infamous list!! So it may not just be a base rule. Just something for you to think about.

[skigod377]

Since the fatality at Ft. Hood, Staff Terriers, Bull Terriers, and "Pit bull" types are banned from Army housing areas. Hawaii has joined in. Its only a matter of time before someone makes me give up my Rotts.

[Urika]

We left Monterey, CA in 2006. Housing was privitized a year prior to us moving in. A year after we aquired our dog, a ban on Rottweilers, Pitt Bulls, and Pinschers was put in place. We were grandfathered in. I worked at the housing office at the time, and I told the Director (solely her decision to ban these breeds) that she needed to read the CA BSL before annoucing her decision. I also told her that her decision did not coincide with state law. I was livid. This is a long story, I will make it short. I explained to her that I had yet to see a pinscher since moving in, and that I was the only one at my housing site who owned a Rottweiler. And I knew for a fact that no one had any complaints about my dog. I discovered that she (the directer) just disliked these breeds for no apparent reason. I told her that she should ask the residents to consider spay/neuter & training before placing a ban. A Colonel moved in with his nine year old Rottweiler bitch and poof the ban was gone. The director was unable to keep that ban in place. Prior to leaving Monterey, I brought Diesel to my place of employment and he won the director heart (I knew her would) :))))
Nonetheless, oftentimes you can find a place out in town for less than BAH. But I know how nice it is to live amongst people you have a lot in common with.

[JoJo]

I discovered that she (the directer) just disliked these breeds for no apparent reason

And this is why it is so important to educate the general public.

I brought Diesel to my place of employment and he won the director heart (I knew her would) :))))

and to have a great ambassador of the breed!!

Amazing what rank can accomplish!

[JonandMichelle]

Thanks for all the replies and all the readings of this thread; however, I feel my message is going right over the heads of our members (please forgive me), as all I am hearing are little bits and pieces of stories of this and that...the only person, or group of people who can enforce a breed ban in a command, or on a military installation are commanders.

What I am asking, no pleading, for military members who own so-called "dangerous dogs" is to start taking a stand--step up to the plate--get involved--and attempt to stop it BEFORE it continues. I know for a FACT every base has a Vet clinic, a Community Center, a Housing Unit, and Military Police. The very least you can do is inquire about forming training promgrams, what is being briefed during Right Starts, how can housing enforce pet regulations already on the books, ask if Dog Bite Prevention courses can be formed, ect.... If your base doesn't have a problem, then be proactive...if it does have a problem then be part of the solution. It really is not that difficult.

Michelle