Delwin Goss
It isn’t “play” when a dog is terrorized or hurt
Seasoned humane volunteer Delwin Goss on September 28, 2015 reported witnessing “playgroup” behavioral assessment at the Austin Animal Center using methods which repeatedly subjected one dog to the threat of attack and sometimes actual attack. This activity, in his view and that of ANIMALS 24-7, should be considered prosecutable animal cruelty under existing laws which prohibit inciting dogs to fight.
Goss, 64, is not just any critic. He is a 13-year volunteer for the nonprofit spay/neuter clinic Emancipet in Austin, Texas, with a longtime record of distinguished community service in a variety of fields, after turning his life around following several long-ago convictions for substance abuse.
Goss promptly reported the incident through the appropriate City of Austin channels:
(Friends of the Austin Animal Center)
From: DElwingoss@aol.com
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2015 2:51 PM
Subject: Animal Cruelty At Austin Animal Services
This morning I witnessed an incident at the Austin Animal Center that still has me upset. Apparently someone at the Animal Center thinks the way to test dogs for behavioral issues is to expose a very submissive dog to a dog with unknown tendencies.
This morning dog after dog was brought into a new large play area to see how they interacted with a big but very submissive dog. One dog went after the submissive dog trying to tear his throat out. It took a minute or two before the two animal services employees could separate them. It was absolutely brutal.
I asked one of the employees if that very aggressive dog would still be put up for adoption and he nonchalantly said, “This is no reason not to adopt out a dog.”
Later it hit me. This is the way they test every dog that comes into the animal center. They get a very submissive “bait dog” and that “bait dog’ is continuously confronted by dog after dog after dog in an enclosed area.
And something else hit me: to subject that bait dog to potential attack after potential attack after potential attack is animal cruelty.
I cannot believe this is the best way the city has to determine whether an animal is aggressive and I’m even more shocked that some unsuspecting family will adopt the aggressive dog.
I have filed an animal cruelty complaint with the City of Austin.
––Delwin Goss
Austin, Texas
Kristen Auerbach
(Austin.gov photo)
Austin Animal Center director Kristen Auerbach replied to Goss:
In a message dated 9/29/2015 12:14:28 P.M. Central Daylight Time, Kristen.Auerbach@austintexas.gov writes:
Mr. Goss,
I received information through 311 that you were concerned about something you witnessed in playgroups at Austin Animal Center.
In July, Aimee Sadler of Dogs Playing for Life (http://dogsplayingforlife.com/) conducted a weeklong training at Austin Animal Center and the community was invited to attend. Were you able to attend any of these training opportunities?
https://www.austintexas.gov/news/austin-animal-center-invites-public-observe-new-dog-play-groups
I understand you were frightened by the incident you witnessed yesterday. No dogs were injured in this incident and neither dog required any medical care.
It is important for staff to evaluate dogs off leash so that we can find them appropriate homes by learning their play styles and tolerance for other dogs, ensuring that we find the dogs the best homes possible.
Dog “playgroup.”
(City of Austin photo)
––Kristen Auerbach
Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer
Austin Animal Services
7201 Levander Loop, Building A
Austin, TX 78702
DESK: 512-978-0507
EMAIL: kristen.auerbach@austintexas.gov
WEBSITE: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/animal-services
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/austinanimalservices?fref=ts
Four of the six dogs in this “playgroup” photo from Aimee Sadler’s dogsplayingforlife.com web site are in ANIMALS 24-7′s view engaging in potentially dangerous behavior, which should not be considered acceptable at a dog park or other public place.
ANIMALS 24-7 notes:
Auerbach failed to mention that Sadler is sponsored by the pit bull advocacy organization Animal Farm Foundation, specifically to promote adoptions of pit bulls––not to promote animal welfare, humane values, public safety, or community service, as these are generally perceived by others than pit bull advocates.
Auerbach also offered no indication that she had investigated whether the procedures Goss witnessed did in fact follow whatever instructions Sadler gave.
Delwin Goss
Goss responded to Auerbach:
From: DElwingoss@aol.com
To: Kristen.Auerbach@austintexas.gov
Sent: 9/29/2015 6:13:13 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subject: Playgroups at Austin Animal Center and City Instituted Animal Cruelty
Ms. Auerbach:
What I saw was horrifying. And yes, I did file a complaint. How would you like to be confronted, knocked down, have someone going after your throat, be bitten a number of times, and even though you suffered no permanent damage, have to go through it over and over again? If this is the way the City of Austin tests for dog aggression, we need to find another way.
Delwin Goss promoting an s/n ordinance in the Capital Area Progressive Democrats newsletter.
This is animal cruelty. I don’t know how anyone could see it as anything but animal cruelty for the “bait dog.”
Would we test dogs for human aggression in the same way?
How you answer that question should give you some pause for thought.
And what concerns me just as much is that according to your staff, the aggressive dog will probably go up for adoption, putting many more dogs, cats, children, and senior citizens at risk.
I am very concerned, not only for the safety of other animals but for the children and senior citizens of Austin.
––Delwin Goss
President, Montopolis Community Alliance
Vice President, Citizen Led Austin Safety Partnership
Florence’s Comfort House Board of Directors
Delwin Goss receiving President’s Award for Community Service.
Recipient:
Austin Animal Services Golden Paw Award 2012
Central Texas Crime Prevention Association Citizen of the year 2011
Texas Habitat for Humanity Exceptional Service Award 2010
Austin Habitat for Humanity Extra Mile Award 2005
President’s Award for Community Service: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
Graduate, Inaugural Class, Austin City Works Academy 2009
Please donate to support our work:
https://www.animals24-7.org/donate/
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Thank you for standing up for the animals, Delwin. I know it’s hard when your former volunteer friends and organization turn against you for speaking the truth. Keep shining the light!
Did Aimee Sadler dream up this crackpot aggression test?
Did AAS pay Ms Sadler to inflict this cruelty on their animals?
Ms Sadler, for the uninformed, has a history of laundering vicious dogs. As reported here (http://cravendesires.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-longmont-humane-society-is-killing.html), she left Longmont Humane Society shortly before LHS was slapped with a fine for adopting out dangerous dogs. Why would AAS want to be associated with this crackpot?
My gratitude to Delwin Goss as well, from L.A. Metro. It is unconscionable to offer dogs for adoption that are violent. Period, end of story. Other animals and the public deserve to be safe from these known high-risk dogs. Sharing to social media.
Thank you all for your support. I vow this incident will not just pass off as standard operating procedure.
Can you tell me what the dangerous body language in the photo is? I see one dog side-mounting another, which is a show of dominance that can lead to a fight. I like to understand dog body language as much as possible, so I can keep my own dog safe.
Besides the side mount, the photo shows two different two-on-one sniffing situations, four raised and stiffened tails, at least three sets of ears drawn back, and one dog with tail between legs. All of these dogs are just one twitch from a hellaceous fight involving up to six dogs at once.
“All of these dogs are just one twitch from a hellaceous fight involving up to six dogs at once.” So what happened after this image was taken? Please admit you don’t know and that you’ve taken your position based on your reading of the dogs’ body language in a still photo. Some of us prefer to see the entire encounter before judging!
Intelligent, decent, and considerate people don’t take chances until and unless a hellaceous dogfight or any other dangerous incident occurs; they act to prevent it. Intelligent, decent, and considerate people don’t drive drunk, jaywalk in traffic, block fire exits, pile up trash to create fire hazards, leave food and food waste accessible to wildlife, tease the animals at a zoo, or allow dogs to congregate in a situation where either an animal or a human might be injured or killed, even if the complete disaster does not follow the inconsiderate high-risk behavior each and every time.
Thank you for speaking out on these inhumane practices and atrocities committed against other animals. Our beloved pets lives matter too and they need to stop using innocent animals as guinea pigs to test for aggressiveness or try to ‘socialize’ dangerous breeds.
I live in San Antonio. How can I help? Is there anything that we can do?
Make sure all of your city council members, the mayor, and local media hear from you.
I was at City Hall today and visited with my council member. His office is definitely interested in the situation Kristen Auerbach may have have blown off, quashing my animal cruelty complaint, but it isn’t over. Today I ran into one of the assistant police chiefs with whom I have a good working relationship. He asked that I forward what information I had to him. He agreed it sounded like animal abuse. He’s going to forward to one of the animal cruelty detectives. C oming from his desk, it should carry a little more weight.
I’m so sick of hearing about shelter staff that doesn’t care about anything but getting dogs out the door. On the one hand, they’d like us all to cut pit bulls some slack and soften their image then on the other hand they repeatedly place fractious dogs and dogs that have demonstrated overt aggression with unsuspecting families under false pretenses. It’s a recipe for disaster that we see play itself out time and again. Is it don’t blame the breed blame the deed? While they blame victims. Is it all how they’re raised? As they place dogs raised in and seized from known fighting rings. They speak from both sides of their mouth, continually. Is it that nobody knows what a pit bull is? As they call them anything BUT pit bulls (boxer mix, lab mix, etc.). It’s pretty stupid, but I’ve come to expect nothing but stupidity from these people to be sure. Clean it up shelters!! What are they going to do when nobody trusts them enough to adopt ANY dogs?? Then what??
Our new shelter director has decide to do away with the term “pit bull.” They will now be referred to as “mutts” under the “breed” question.
Many other shelters have already done this. But overlooking that a pit bull is a pit bull in no way reduces the reality that the first responsibility of an animal control shelter is to protect the public from dangerous animals. Neither does overlooking that a pit bull is a pit bull reduce the liability risk to the agency, agency employees, and the city if the shelter rehomes a dog who subsequently injures or kills a human being. Pretending that a pit bull is not a pit bull is like a car dealer pretending that a car on a recall list for a safety defect is not on the recall list and selling the car with the defect uncorrected, leading to an accident. Whether the dealer recognizes the safety defect is immaterial in court. What matters in court is that the dealer had the opportunity to recognize and respond to it, and did not.
Ms. Auerbach, it would seem to me, “real world” off the leash testing would include throwing a small, submissive dog into the test mix? It begs the question, would you, unknowingly, adopt out a dog that is small dog aggressive?
So here’s the latest from Kristine Auerbach Deputy Director at Austin Animal Services .
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Animal Services Volunteer Team sent you a message.
Volunteers and fosters,
You may have seen a posting or article by Delwin Goss, a local community activist, stating that he witnessed a fight between two dogs during play groups at AAC. Mr. Goss, who is a volunteer for Emancipet, was there speaking with one of our outreach staff members, when Luigi and Ringo got into an altercation which lasted about 15 seconds. Neither dog received any injuries or required any medical care but Mr. Goss was frightened by what he witnessed.
He proceeded to write postings on social media and other online venues about what he perceived as one dog being used to test another for aggression. If you attended play group training, you know that play group dust-ups are typically minor and are not uncommon, as dogs get to know each other and we learn about each dog’s tolerance levels for other dogs.
Both of the dogs involved in the incident are doing fine and there are no overall concerns about their behavior. I have spoken with all staff who were involved and I am confident they followed the training and procedures taught to them by Aimee Sadler during the Dogs Playing for Life training.
If you’re not familiar with shelter dog playgroups, please visit the Dogs Playing for Life website at http://www.dogsplayingforlife.com.
Please let the volunteer coordinators if you have any further questions or concerns about this matter.
Kristen Auerbach
Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer
Austin Animal Services
7201 Levander Loop, Building A | Austin, Texas 78702
DESK: 512-978-0507
EMAIL: kristen.auerbach@austintexas.gov
WEBSITE: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/animal-services
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/austinanimalservices?fref=ts
Contrary to the implications of Auerbach’s statement, “play group dust-ups” are unacceptable behavior, either in a shelter or a dog park. Dogs should be introduced to each other on leash, with restraint sufficient to prevent “dust-ups.” A 15-second “dust-up” is quite long enough for a big dog, especially a pit bull, to inflict fatal injuries on another dog, especially a smaller dog, a cat, or even a child. And a dog who initiates such a “dust-up” should not be considered a safe prospect for adoption.
What I saw was not a “play group,” unless you call testing for dog aggression a “play group.” I was not talking to an animal shelter employee when this happened. I had already had a two-minute conversation with a Spay Street employee regarding loose dogs in my own neighborhood. I live in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and that particular employee has a good working relationship with my neighbors. It’s a shame he’s been removed from what he was so good at and put into doing something else a large portion of his work week.
I was in my car on the phone when the fight broke out. It lasted longer than 15 seconds. If you’ve ever undergone a vicious attack, even 15 seconds can seem like an eternity.
And I feel like I’m speaking to a child to have to explain it this way but for those of you who don’t know; dogs have something called fur. It covers their skin. Bruises and bite marks don’t show through fur. To adequately determine if a dog has suffered an injury, the dog has to be shaved.
My next question is simple: if this is a legitimate test, who at the animal shelter is willing to volunteer to be the “bait dog” when they test for human aggression? And by the way, just like the bait dog, that human should be naked. Any volunteers?
If you didn’t volunteer? Are you asking yourself why?
And far the record, I wasn’t frightened: I was horrified for the sweet gentle dog being attacked, and disgusted that this is the best Austin Animal Services can do.
I am wondering about the influence Aimee Sadler seems to have on both the play group activities and the definition of behavioral dogs which need to be put down at AAC and/or Austin Pets Alive. I believe that in the last few months she has consulted with AAC and/or APA both on the phone and in person during her recent trip to Austin regarding whether specific dogs should be killed due to behavior issues – and some of these dogs were, in fact killed. Does this go beyond play groups which seems to be her area of interest and expertise? All of this may be business usual, but it seems like her influence is somewhat unusual given that her credentials on the Dogs Playing for Life web page (http://dogsplayingforlife.com/dpfl-team/) do not mention any formal training as a dog behaviorist. (She did work at a wildlife park early in her career, so perhaps she got some animal training there, even though it appears she may have been a performer. Later, she was involved with animals in movies and TV shows and then founded her own company.) I do not know Aimee Sadler, but her name keeps popping up as a justification for actions at the local shelters and I am just wondering if it would not be possible to attract/hire a behavior expert with more training through academic institutions or credentialing organizations rather than putting the lives of the dogs into the hands of people who appear to be essentially self-taught. I think organizations like the San Francisco SPCA has a board certified behaviorist and has worked with the Academy for Dog Trainers to provide training and credentials for trainers with a focus on shelter dogs. Can’t Austin do this? It seems like Austin deserves to have the best behaviorists available and this requires looking for the people with the best behavior training and perhaps looking beyond play groups. (Play groups are great, but they are not for all dogs. Perhaps, more focus should be on positive training (non-aversives training) for all behavioral dogs in the shelters.)
Mr Goss, you are entirely accurate. This is animal cruelty. But it is not just animal cruelty.
The employees at that shelter are engaging in dogfighting activities, and Kristen Auerbach is enabling this.
It is a dangerous activity that tells nothing.
You are entirely right when you called the submissive dog the “bait dog.” This is activity that DOG FIGHTERS engage in, which is how we came about with the term “bait dog.”
Big shock here: pitbulls are aggressive and shouldn’t be around other dogs, or people for that matter. No amount of hipster daydreaming and delusion will overcome the generations of selective breeding that makes these monsters unsafe and unnecessary..