Hello Celebritys

KC Dog Blog has been steadily reporting some BIG news out of Ohio. Toledo has had a reputation as being one of the country's biggest death camps due to a decades-long no-mercy policy that not only barred pit bulls from surviving the shelter, but permitted dog wardens to enter private property to seize - and in most cases destroy - dogs they believed to be pit bulls.

Incredibly - according to the Toledo Blade - the city paid the warden's office a 'bounty' of a $100 for each citation they wrote against pit bull owners, which as Brent Toellner explains, was certainly an incentive for Toledo's hyper-focus on punishing pit bulls.

Last year, Lucas County took in and killed over 1000 'pit bulls' -- which could have meant up to $100,000 in incremental revenue for the dog warden's office... - Brent Toellner, KC Dog Blog

This news comes to light as historic bad guy and committed pit bull hater Tom Skeldon - Chief Dog Warden for Lucas County - has agreed to step down from his position thanks to public pressure. More recently, Ohio's BSL (breed specific legislation) was found to be unconstitutional by a Toledo municipal court judge.

Skeldon has done an incredible amount of damage over the years, not only to innocent dogs and the lives of committed families, but his mindset has certainly influenced and infected some of the animal welfare community. We were - what's the right word? - horrified - when he was invited to sit on a panel that discussed pit bulls at the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) yearly conference in 2006.

Skeldon's bio for the conference: Thomas G. Skeldon is the Chief Dog Warden for Lucas County, Toledo, Ohio. Through the advocacy of stronger laws, judicious use of the local media, and strict enforcement, Skeldon has worked vigorously and successfully for the last 20 years to combat the problem of vicious dogs in Lucas County.

Ohio state law defines pit bulls as a vicious breed, which makes them very popular with bad guys who love the idea of owning a vicious animal, and nearly impossible for committed owners to own. We're thrilled that the tide is slowly changing for pit bulls in Toledo especially and things are looking UP, but dog advocates have years of work to do to undo the damage done to the breed in Ohio and beyond.

Photo above of bounty hunters roping a wolf compliments of Howling for Justice, a blog that follows the persecution of the gray wolf.