When landscapers showed up an hour early at a NJ couple's home, the husband told them (in Spanish) not to get out of their car until he put his dogs away. They got out of the car anyway, and the GSDs began barking at them. One of the landscapers began beating a GSD named Congo bloody with a metal rake, and the dog did not attack him. When the landscaper grabbed the wife and pulled her to the ground, causing her to start screaming in terror, Congo finally bit him to protect her, and the other GSDs joined in. The husband was quickly alerted to the situation by one of the kids, and he ran out and called off the dogs. Result: The landscaper scored $250,000 from the couple's insurance company instead of being charged with assault, and Congo has been declared vicious and sentenced to die by a judge (despite the testimony of canine behavior experts that the attack was clearly provoked). Congo is currently locked up in an animal shelter, severely depressed, while he waits for his execution. The details are at
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1194498519125940.xml&coll=5&thispage=1

Congo has no history of aggression, only a history of being a happy, sociable dog. There's a photo of him at http://www.nj1015.com/personalities/casey-rossi.shtm

How many of us have GSDs who would have done exactly the same thing?

So much for the Justice of our Courts, if i owned 'Congo' and he is put down , The Landscaper would not be i a position to ever work again, and he then had better make good use of the $250.000 he got, it would not be just idle talk, but a guranteed promise
Discusting on the human element of the Judge

I wonder if there is some kind of protest we could do. Some way to let the courts know we want protection from our dogs and have the right to protect ourselves, especially since the man grabbed the wife.
Is there somewhere we could write? Is there some place we could go and protest the treatment the hero dog is getting?
WHere is the husband, and the kids, couldn't they protest loudly even on the media?
Just thoughts, I just can't take stuff like this. Our world is certainly upside down isn't it?
God bless you
Sharon Empson
God bless you

Does anyone know how to start an e-petition? If we each sent it around to all of our dog contacts it could have a significant number of names on it. Stuff like this makes me crazy, too.

You may want to join us in our outrage over here:

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=162602#Post162602

Thanks for the link, Sarah! I did search the forums before I added a post about this, but didn't find Congo. This story can't be told too often, though.

You can email the judge (Judge Annich) at caroline_sapio@princeton-township.nj.us

You can sign a petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/dogs-fate-devastates-familyjudge-orders-shepherd-destroyed-after-vicious-attack-sign-to-save-congo

Today is the day the judge makes his final ruling, so now's the time to get your input to these idiots.

Anyone who believes that our court system has anything whatsoever to do with justice, or that judges or lawyers have even the vaguest clue about what they are ruling on has clearly never been NEAR a court room. These people should come equipped with pouches and muscular tails. And while I completely agree with you, Steve, just writing what you wrote would be construed as "assault" by said judges and lawyers and land you in pretty much the same position as Congo. Wonderful system, isn't it?

Welcome to the board Jeff!

 Quote: steven lepic

Welcome to the board Jeff!

Yes, welcome.

However, Jeff, that's not a good start. This is a dog forum. It doesn't matter whether others agree with you or not; this just is not the venue for political discussion.

Quoting the owner of the board: "My web board is NO PLACE to rant about politics."

Thank you.

 Quote: jeffrey beck

Anyone who believes that our court system has anything whatsoever to do with justice, or that judges or lawyers have even the vaguest clue about what they are ruling on has clearly never been NEAR a court room. These people should come equipped with pouches and muscular tails. And while I completely agree with you, Steve, just writing what you wrote would be construed as "assault" by said judges and lawyers and land you in pretty much the same position as Congo. Wonderful system, isn't it?

Wow, as a prosecutor I am taken aback at your comments. BTW, last time I looked I was not a marsupial ;-)