It is morning here in the Eastern US, finally a sunny
beginning in Florida after days of rain. But the sun is dimmed for me today
with the news from Belfast that the High Court has denied the last appeal for
Lennox, the dog doomed by a dressmaker’s tape.
Those of you who know me know that, when it comes to dogs,
especially those accused of aggression toward humans, I am not all sunshine and
unicorns. I am a realist, and know well
that there are dogs that are dangerous. Not
every dog can, or even should, be saved.
Thirty of them that have killed humans have passed through my
hands. Yet I demand, from myself, two
things: one, that I search for the total story behind an attack, both the
pretty and the gruesome, and that secondly every single dog gets a fair, fact- and observation-based evaluation, without presumption of guilt or innocence,
and as free as I can make it from bias based on type or breed.
This has brought criticism.
People have asked “How can you say that (breed of dog) is not
vicious?” They make sweeping assumptions
based on their perceptions of the exterior of the dog. This is exactly what happened with Lennox. Massive assumptions have been made by the
Belfast Council based on physical characteristics that have nothing to do with
temperament or behavior, and those assumptions have now cost the dog his
life. Lennox was, remember, not a dog
that had bitten, threatened, or even particularly worried anyone. Lennox had been lawfully, openly registered
for five years with no reports or
incidents before being seized for his looks alone.
The “evaluation” of Lennox’ behavior, after seizure, that
the Court has accepted lock, stock and barrel was by a police dog handler, not a behaviorist-or
even someone familiar with the variety or individuals of the type of dog Lennox
is accused of being. The police dog
handler is, by virtue of his experience, trained in evaluating police dogs-but
there is nothing to indicate the man’s expertise extends beyond that technical
and specific field. Frankly, from the
videos I have seen and the reports I have gotten, I agree with Mr. Talleck-Lennox was not suited to be a police dog. But then that was never the question, was
it? The real question was whether
Lennox, a quiet and stable assistance dog for a young person, was a threat to
the public in Belfast. And by the latest
decision, apparently stable, quiet assistance dogs that have large heads are
dangerous in Northern Ireland.
Dangerous dogs have many faces. I have seen dangerous dogs that looked like
Pit Bulls; and like Huskies, and Rottweillers, and Chihuahuas, and Labradors,
and Goldens…and on it goes. They have as
many faces and as many masks as human killers.
Yet they all have one thing in common; they have exhibited observed behavior
that shows they present a clear danger, or have behaved in a way that caused
serious injury or death. There may be,
for animals that have not yet caused serious injury, the possibility of
rehabilitation and retraining with dedicated management and care. Others are simply too far gone, and those
must be either managed in isolation by skilled handlers or destroyed. But Lennox was neither of these. Lennox was just a dog. A service dog. A member of a family that had never even run
afoul of the local constabulary for a wild Saturday night at the pub. Lennox is a clear victim of
discrimination based on physical appearance, and adjudged a threat for that
reason only.
My family, back several generations, came from the UK and
Ireland. Although I have never been the
victim of such, I know from history that my ancestors were victims of
discrimination when they came to the US, discriminated against because they
were Irish. Yes, I have seen the old signs
“Irish not Welcome”. I have heard the
ditties about the “dirty Irish” once sung by children and adults alike. Perhaps that is why I am surprised that the
Irish Court has perpetuated the same divisive discrimination that their own, our own, have suffered.
For now, although we mourn Lennox and grieve with the Barnes
family, we have to make Lennox’ loss stand for something, mean something. We can’t just hang our heads and cower at the
local, drowning our outrage. We, and I
mean we as dog owners and caretakers and trainers and lovers and family must
work to eliminate discriminatory laws in Ireland and the UK and the US and
Australia and wherever they are. We must
demand that dogs be given a fair shake, whatever they look like. We must demand laws that adequately and
firmly address bad behavior, whatever mask it wears, but that behavior be
quantifiable and clear, unaffected by physical type or perceived cuteness. A nasty Cocker Spaniel may well look like an
angel while showing behavior more appropriate to a jackal. Behavior is behavior
and is observable, definable, and quantifiable.
We must demand clear behavior based laws and determinations.
In the next few days I will be seeing a new client. The behavior described to me on the phone
consultation has me very worried. This
dog (not a Pit Bull) is going to grow into a large dog that will have the
physical strength to potentially be a threat.
Yet when I meet this dog we will be starting from ground zero; I will
observe, document what I see as
behavior, discuss the dog’s background, training and past behavior, and I will
make recommendations based on that data-not on what the dog looks like. If Lennox’ loss is to mean anything we must
all work to make that kind of evaluation the standard, not the exception.
My deepest condolences go out to the Barnes. I regret that I never got to meet
Lennox. I can’t honestly say that I
would have given Lennox a clear pass; that I never know until after I work with a
dog, one on one. But Lennox would have
gotten a fair evaluation, documenting the behavior seen and quantified, from
square one. The size of his head would
not have mattered-it would have been the size of his heart that counted.
LATER UPDATE: Please see my update of 06/14/2012. Lennox has NOT been killed as of 06/25/2012. The fight must go on! Please do not give up on this poor boy. Victoria Stilwell is still fighting, as she has for months, for Lennox' release and I happily, and fully, support her efforts for a reasonable conclusion to this whole episode. My first post on Lennox was in October of last year (not just now when it has become popular), and Victoria was already involved then. She brought me in to advise and help. Sarah Fisher and her crew in the UK have been doing their part, trying to bring professionalism and fair treatment to the case, which includes Sarah's own evaluation of Lennox. All the 150,000 of you who have been long term supporters of this two year effort must stand solid and keep your efforts and energy up. Please do not give up the fight!
FINAL UPDATE Wednesday, July 11, 2012:
Lennox was destroyed this morning in Belfast. The world is a little poorer, and a little sadder today. Victoria Stilwell and Sarah Fisher were on scene and working their best to the very end. I have to thank Victoria and Sarah for all their efforts and We MUST move beyond judging and anticipating behavior based on appearances to taking each person and animal as an individual. In the Nineteenth Century we proved that classifying people as "criminals" based on physical characteristics was grossly inaccurate. Why do we insist on following disproven, discredited pseudoscience to assess the possible behavior of dogs?
Each dog is an individual, with particular characteristics that must be individually assessed. We must use the loss of Lennox to stop stereotypical, and indeed racist, assumptions. Please don't let Lennox' loss stop the efforts to ban illogical and unjustified legislation, no matter where it occurs. Bad behavior is exactly that-behavior. Press for behavior based, logical, reasonable, and enforceable Dangerous Dog laws that address the real cause-human failure.
RIP Lennox-and I can only hope that you are finally free to run and be yourself.
