Ace's Story Is Ridiculous

Ace is a Pit Bull. He is named after the store he entered on November 4th, seeking shelter. The dog is emaciated and injured.

Ace had the misfortune of being found by Detroit animal care and control. If a dog looks like a Pit Bull, behavior aside, s/he will be killed if unclaimed by a guardian. Detroit animal control does not allow the transfer of Pit Bull type dogs to humane societies or reputable rescues. You cannot go into Detroit animal control and adopt a Pit Bull type dog. After four business days, these dogs are killed based solely on how they look.

So Ace, who is injured, has been left medically untreated for days while individuals have had to rally support and outcry over what should have been a simple shelter transfer.

To save Ace's life requires a special tax-payer funded session of Detroit's city council. A resolution will need to be passed to save this dog's life.

That is ridiculous.

This is one of those stories that leave you wondering, what could be done for ALL the dogs at Detroit Animal Control? Think about it. The calls to media could have been standard phone calls to a list of rescues. The video footage taken could have been daily or weekly photo and video sessions with adoptable or rescue-only dogs. The time starting a Facebook page, maintaining it, and getting people to sign a petition or call the city council could have been the weekly check-in of "how many dogs do you have who need rescue?"

I think of all this time, precious and amazingly important time for the dogs at Detroit Animal Control, being spent on one dog who should have, the second he was impounded, been medically treated and, after his "hold" period, immediately sent to rescue and it makes me sick. NOT because Ace does not deserve the love, respect and chance at life, but because ALL dogs at Detroit Animal Control do, length of hair and musculature be damned.

City Council President Charles Pugh might heed his own words and rescind the outdated, cruel law RULE that allows for the automatic death sentence of healthy, adoptable animals. ""We don't want our policy to get in the way of the dog's life," Pugh said. "If we can save the dog, then let's save the dog."