I read an article in which some pet owners and pet lovers have a pet peeve with Lucas County Dog Warden, Tom Skeldon. These misguided animal activists are barking up the wrong tree in calling, nay, petitioning for Mr. Skeldon's dismissal. Apparently, they are unhappy that Tom Skeldon is doing his job of enforcing the law which has also been upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court. I kid(d) you not. They want him fired because he is doing his job in performing his duties as he is legally obliged.
Hey, don't take my word for it. Read the Blade article 474 sign petition to oust Lucas County dog warden for yourself. I hope you read the part that states "Mr. Skeldon said pit bulls are 'the number one biter in Lucas County,' and that last year his office seized 1,354 of them" and the last sentence that states "Lucas County, with more than 61,000 licensed dogs, has had Ohio's highest license compliance rate in the state."
Wow, one thousand three hundred fifty-four pit bulls seized! That's a lot of pit bulls.
And, it's a lot of BULL---- (fill in the blank) that County Commissioner Ben Konop thinks "a large public outcry could represent a cause for dismissing Mr. Skeldon."
What kind of political crap of reasoning is that???!!!
Just cause for job termination in the public sector is misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance.
Just cause is NOT for doing the work you are supposed to be doing in accordance with your job duties and the law.
15 comments:
Roland,
Re: Then maybe Ben Konop (Sandy's nephew) should be held up th the very same measure?
What's good for the goose. . .
I hope all the CRAP is picked up and put in the trash!
Then when he is replaced other people will get upset with his replacement for lax enforcement.
Concerned pet owners are not animal activists. People have a right to be concerned with an official such as Skeldon make a comment like:
"I hope word gets around to people to keep these dogs as far underground as
possible so they are not in a position to bite the kids or bite the mailman or whatever."
If he is truly concerned about public welfare, he would understand that socialization of these animals is better than putting them underground. Lack of socialization and abuse are causes of bites and this can happen with any animal.
The media blames this fictitious breed called "pit bull" with these bites. Of course Skeldon and the media says this 'breed' causes the most bites: There are upwards of 30 breeds that are confused or classified with the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. It's very easy to skew the numbers this bias.
Skeldon is the Animal Rightist. He falls in with HSUS and PeTA in their bids to kill all domesticated animals.
dteetz, whoever the heck you are,
You are right in pointing out my error in referring to pet owners and pet lovers as animal activists. My apologies to the afore-mentioned groups for the error.
Now, as to the rest of your comments, in my humble opinion, I believe that Tom Skeldon is correct in the performance of his duties and is doing an excellent job. I also believe that your perspective is not in the best interests of the welfare of the human population. You are most certainly entitled to your opinion, however, IMHO, your view on this subject is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Furthermore, the allegation contained in your statement "Skeldon ...... falls in with HSUS and PeTA in their bids to kill all domesticated animals." is patently absurd. You totally lost all credibility in making such an outrageous statement.
I am a responsible dog owner that is deeply concerned when it comes to those who enact and triumph over Breed Specific Legislation and Mandatory Spay/Neuter. Both of these measures of the brainchild of the terrorist organizations that were mentioned earlier.
PeTA, in its ethical treatment of animals, kills over 90% of the animals it takes in.
In the petition article you mention it is reported: "...his office seized 1,354 of them, or about 350 more than in 2006. The majority of those pit bulls were euthanized by lethal injection." Other than being a possible member of a fictitious breed, what did these animals do to deserve death? Why could they not be adopted out? Why could they have not been relocated to another shelter - more specifically a no kill shelter.
Skeldon has also been quoted as saying: "All pit bulls should be spayed or neutered." WHY? Simple: To eliminate the breed.
Lets presume that Skeldon rids Lucas County of all pit bulls. Then what happens? The allowance of BSL and MSN will allow lawmakers, AR's and Skeldon the freedom to target other breeds. What's your favorite breed? It could
How do you see that I am not concerned with welfare of the human population? Any dog trainer, behaviorist or vet will tell you that socialized dogs display a better temperament - not to mention that 'pit bulls' typically have better temperaments that common 'family' dogs. Responsible ownership includes the training and socialization of dogs. Skeldon's desire to keep these dogs underground is the true threat. Being underground means they are not being trained, nor are they being socialized.
In case you are wondering, I do not own any animals that are considered pit bulls and I have not had any problems with pit bulls - I'm around them weekly.
Great post dteetz! I like your thinking. I wish more law makers would think this way. God Bless our Bully Dogs!!!!
Save our Pets!
oh silly me I made a mistake I should have never wrote, "God Bless our Bully Dogs".... I forgot God is something that is not allowed to be said when speaking of govt and law. Pretty soon God will be taken away from us right along with out pets!
"Pretty soon God will be taken away from us right along with out (sic) pets!"
That's all right, your pets will rise again. Then you can play fetch up there in heaven.
G-d gave the law unto Moses. That cannot be taken away, only given up.
By the way, the government is us, all of us. It is not a separate entity unto itself. Government of the people, by the people, for the people. American republican form of government, aka democracy, provides for majority rule while protecting minority rights. What other country in the world is better than the United States of America?
WOW - you're one of them!
And you said "I" lost credibility. Amazing!
I loath the person/group who believes in the wholesale murder of a breed, in this case multiple breeds.
I've not seen any medical fact that has determined a breed to be vicious at birth. I have seen lots of documentation on those idiots that raise dogs to be mean or are so abusive to them that they become mean.
If you, or even Skeldon, and the lawmakers would simply take the time to realize these dogs are bred to be handler friendly, you'd start to understand it is the incorrigible in society that are fueling this media onslaught of biased reporting. It's stupid people doing stupid thing with and against dogs that are causing the focus to be pulled away from those that keep companion animals as companions.
Oh - and it's the incorrigible that will keep these dogs regardless of rules and Skeldon's mass murder tendencies. They will keep them underground where they can make them even more evil than they are now. Good work guys!
I use my full name name, dteetz, unlike you. I also have a link to my resume on my blog, so the whole world can see who I am and learn of my background.
What do you do but hide behind a cloak of anonymity calling names and making ridiculous charges?
Regarding the issue of credibility: you have proven to have none, zero, zilch, nada.
Step up to the plate. Provide your name. Give us all the same information about yourself as I provide about me in my linked resume. Or do you lack the nerve, the fortitude, and the courage of your own conviction?
Hey, it's my blog. If you don't like mine, start one of your own.
You've provided nothing to back Skeldon or yourself. You may have a top notch resume, congratulations - really, but you are the one who has strayed off point by not being able to counter the truth that has been presented.
You, Skeldon, Ohio lawmakers, PeTA and HSUS seem to believe it's better to kill companion animals as a means of reducing possible injury when in fact a greater evil will result - those who continue to breed, fight, abuse and exploit dogs that should be nothing more than companion animals.
Should PeTA and HSUS have their way, there will never be another companion animals; therefore, no more possibility for anyone to be injured. This, of course, means no more service dogs for the handicapped, no more police dogs, no more therapy dogs, etc. What a life that will be!
I don't need a blog. I fill enough time trying to educate those who prefer the murder of companion animals instead of rallying behind local law enforcement to hold citizens accountable for existing legislation.
dteetz,
You've provided nothing about yourself. What's your name? What's your job history? What's your training and/or education in the area of biology, animal husbandry, or dogs? Why are you afraid to provide your identity. Are you a wanted criminal?
Why do you not address the real issue? Why should Tom Skeldon be fired for doing his job in accordance with his job duties and the law?
Bottom line is that you apparently think it is alright for you to hold yourself above the law and that your own personal beliefs should apply to others even though to do so is in fact illegal. Gee, I sure am glad there are laws to protect society from persons such as yourself. It seems to me that your espoused methodology of applying your perspective onto others is the classic definition of terrorism.
My friend, you've strayed way off track! You seem to have lost your way. Please re-read what I have already posted.
My concern is with the boastful murder of perfectly healthy companion animals. Tom Skeldon's time could be better spent TEACHING the community on responsible animal ownership rather than instructing them to take their companion animals underground where they become more hateful and less socialized and more of a risk to the public. Why not teach the dogs and owners proper conduct instead of killing animals that are never given the chance to learn?
How is my concern for the welfare of both companion animals and people a crime or terrorism? Why do people need protection from my concern? I don't understand. Honestly, I don't get what you are trying to say.
Oh, FYI, the Department of Defense defines terrorist as: "An individual who uses violence, terror, and intimidation to achieve a result, also terrorism..." I'm not violent, I'm not terrorizing anyone, nor am I intimidating anyone. Using the press to boast about how many perfectly healthy dogs one has killed is more of an act of intimidation than simply stating facts in someone's blog.
I REPEAT:
dteetz,
You've provided nothing about yourself. What's your name? What's your job history? What's your training and/or education in the area of biology, animal husbandry, or dogs? Why are you afraid to provide your identity. Are you a wanted criminal?
Why do you not address the real issue? Why should Tom Skeldon be fired for doing his job in accordance with his job duties and the law?
Bottom line is that you apparently think it is alright for you to hold yourself above the law and that your own personal beliefs should apply to others ...
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