Nominated: Pit Bull Apologist of the Year, Kathy Jenks
Kathy Jenks on CameraSimi Valley, CA - On September 23,
5-year old Katya Todesco was brutally attacked by a pit bull. She died several days later. Neither the Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation nor the Simi Valley Police released this information to the public until 6 days after the attack. Kathy Jenks, the director of animal regulation, has since made repeated statements that distort the truth about pit bulls and identify her as a "
pit bull apologist."
Video Shows Jenks and Distortions:When asked what caused the attack, Jenks states -- in highly distorted logic -- that all startled dogs feel "preyed upon" and can attack and kill in these instances. If this were true, hundreds if not thousands of people would be killed by dogs each year instead of the actual average of about 30. Her questionable reasoning only serves to
whitewash the horrific safety record of the pit bull breed and blame the child.
"When the little girl picked up the cell phone, was kind of waving it...Whether the child then tripped over the dog or got to the back of the dog -- somehow startled the dog -- and the dog, being a dog, was startled and reacted, thinking it was being preyed upon and came right back..."
Came right back and what? Came right back and
killed the child. Is this what all dogs do when they are startled? When asked specifically about children and dogs, Jenks supplies more distortions. She essentially equates the following two canine biters as the same risk factor: the bite of a chihuahua and the "
attempted dismemberment" and, or "
complete dismemberment" attack bite of a pit bull.
"There is no child under the age of 10 that is ever safe alone without a competent adult around any kind of a dog whether it is a Chihuahua, a pit bull, a German shepherd, or anything, it's just...Dogs don't see children of that age as human beings."
Between January 2006 and October 20, 2008, pit bulls were responsible for 69% of fatalities over the age of 10. It appears that pit bulls do not distinguish a person of any age as "human beings" including their dedicated owners. These are just a few examples in recent years:
Raymond Tomco, 78,
Brandon Coleman, 25,
Pamela Rushing, 50,
Tina Canturbury, 42 and
Kelli Chapman, 24.
Related articles:10/17/08:
Letter: Pit Bull Apologists Always Sing the Same Tune10/10/08:
2008 Fatality: 5-Year Old Girl Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Simi Valley
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