Harmon raised more money than 121 years of her Oregon Humane Society predecessors––and did much more with it PORTLAND, Oregon––More than 250 people on April 24, 2025 crowded into the Governor Ballroom at the 116-year-old Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon to sing the praises of Sharon Harmon, 66, retiring after 36 years at the […]
How dumb is rebranding the Denver Dumb Friends League?
What’s in a name? That which we call a humane society by any other name may be more easily distinguished. Or not. DENVER, Colorado––The Denver Dumb Friends League, for 115 years enjoying arguably the strongest name recognition of any U.S. regional or local humane society, on March 7, 2025 rebranded itself Humane Colorado. The Denver […]
Veterinary greed vs. animal health on the Colorado ballot
The Denver Dumb Friends League & Dr. Jeff, Rocky Mountain vet, are on the same side this time DENVER, Colorado––Veterinary protectionism vs. animal health is on a state ballot for perhaps the first time in direct, naked, unmasked, undisguised greedy form in Colorado on November 5, 2024. Colorado Proposition 129 “creates a career pathway for […]
Five-year-old disfigured by pit bull 21 days after Aurora ban is lifted
Pit bull, only the third rehomed by the Aurora Animal Shelter, passed the ASPCA “SAFER” test AURORA, Colorado––Just 21 days after an Aurora city council ordinance undoing the longstanding community pit bull ban took effect, five-year-old Leonardo Duran is facing possible lifelong disfigurement from only the third pit bull rehomed by the Aurora Animal […]
Aurora repeals pit bull ban; pit bull advocates in trouble in three states
$2 million payout to family of Janet D’Aleo, 95, killed on November 6, 2019 by “rescue” pit bull belonging to Humane Society of the U.S. state representative Annie Hornish AURORA, Colorado––Overturning an ordinance banning pit bulls that was endorsed by 64% of the electorate as recently as 2014, four of the seven members of the […]
Shelters make mega-payouts to pit bull victims: what will change?
Two seven-figure settlements in five days might make “socially responsible sheltering the new norm––if the idea isn’t corrupted LOS ANGELES, California; FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida––Representatives of pit bull attack victims twice in five days in early September 2019 announced apparent record-setting damage awards from animal care and control agencies for alleged negligence in allowing […]
Retired: Bob Rohde personified “your Dumb Friends” for 45 years
Worked his way to the top from cleaning cages DENVER, Colorado––Possibly the longest serving executive ever of a humane society that he did not himself found, Robert “Bob” Rohde, 68, on February 9, 2018 turned over the presidency of the Denver Dumb Friends League to Apryl Steele, DVM, after nearly 45 years with the organization […]