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Mayoral Pardon?

JB4K, how does this look as a draft form letter? Should we send it to Arnie?

Dear [ ],

I am writing to draw your attention to the matter of Lucy, the longtime family pet of [Mr. JB4K], his wife Desiree and their two-year old son [NAME]. On [DATE] Bobbi, a Chihuahua that lived 4-doors down (who incidentally, has tried to attack [Mr. JB4K] and his infant son on numerous occasions) was involved in an altercation in which Bobbi attacked Lucy, and Bobbi did not survive. Mark Stivers, the Deputy Chief in Sunnyvale and Judge Craig Walsh have deemed that Lucy was not provoked, despite clear evidence that Bobbi was the attacker and instigator in this case.

At the Sunnyvale administrative hearing Deputy Chief Mark Stivers deemed Lucy vicious and ordered her put down, despite California state law mandating that a dog is not vicious unless the animal causes an injury to a human that requires stitches. No such injury has occured in this case.

An appeal was made in Superior court, But Judge Craig Walsh of [COUNTY] decided to sustain Lucy's death sentence. A motion for reconsideration was filed but Judge Craig Walsh refused to hear it, citing the California Agricultural Code, despite his refusal to hear the case under the California Agricultural Code.

While under California state law an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal might be sufficient to earn Lucy a "potentially dangerous dog" label, none of the remedies for this are execution.

25 sworn statements have been collected attesting to Lucy's good natured temperament and her total lack of danger to humans, which Deputy Chief Mark Stivers and Judge Craig Walsh are seemingly unwilling to consider. Lucy has also been used to socialize numerous foster dogs within Badrap, a California Non-Profit dog rescue organization. She is a friendly, loving and wonderful family pet.

There is a precedent for you to issue Lucy a pardon, as seen in the following cases [CITE CASES].

[Mr. JB4K], his wife, and his child are looking for any to save the life of their beloved family pet, whether that be in the form of a pardon for Lucy or a simple commutation of her death sentence. This family is so dedicated to Lucy that they are willing to move to another city or county if it will save Lucy from execution. All they want is to return this fourth family member to her home.

Any attention to this matter is most sincerely appreciated,

Kindest Regards,

[SIGNED]

On behalf of [Mr. JB4K] and his loving family.
 
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Governor's Office:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

PM sent, NoGall, and thanks muchly!

I'll try to come up with the 'direct line' ASAFP.
 
Some changes to the first paragraph to make it easier for me to sign and forward if you need me to.

Dear [ ],

I am writing to draw your attention to the matter of Lucy, the longtime family pet of [Mr. JB4K], his wife Desiree and their two-year old son [NAME]. On [DATE] Lucy was involved in an altercation with a Chihuahua that lived 4-doors down. It is unfortunate that the Chihuahua did not survive this incident. Mark Stivers, the Deputy Chief in Sunnyvale and Judge Craig Walsh have deemed that Lucy was not provoked, despite evidence offered that showed that the Chihuahua was the attacker and instigator in this case.

At the Sunnyvale administrative hearing Deputy Chief Mark Stivers deemed Lucy vicious and ordered her put down, despite California state law mandating that a dog is not vicious unless the animal causes an injury to a human that requires stitches. No such injury has occurred in this case.

An appeal was made in Superior court, But Judge Craig Walsh of [COUNTY] decided to sustain Lucy's death sentence. A motion for reconsideration was filed but Judge Craig Walsh refused to hear it, citing the California Agricultural Code, despite his refusal to hear the case under the California Agricultural Code.

While under California state law an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal might be sufficient to earn Lucy a "potentially dangerous dog" label, none of the remedies for this are execution.

25 sworn statements have been collected attesting to Lucy's good natured temperament and her total lack of danger to humans, which Deputy Chief Mark Stivers and Judge Craig Walsh are seemingly unwilling to consider. Lucy has also been used to socialize numerous foster dogs within Badrap, a California Non-Profit dog rescue organization. She is a friendly, loving and wonderful family pet.

There is a precedent for you to issue Lucy a pardon, as seen in the following cases [CITE CASES].

[Mr. JB4K], his wife, and his child are looking for any to save the life of their beloved family pet, whether that be in the form of a pardon for Lucy or a simple commutation of her death sentence. This family is so dedicated to Lucy that they are willing to move to another city or county if it will save Lucy from execution. All they want is to return this fourth family member to her home.

Any attention to this matter is most sincerely appreciated,

Kindest Regards,

[SIGNED]

On behalf of [Mr. JB4K] and his loving family.
 
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Sod it, most of you know me in person by now :)

Thanks very much for all the support, I'm going to paste it here, thanks very much for all the PMs. :thumbup

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

I am writing to draw your attention to the matter of Lucy, the longtime family pet of Ian Young, his partner Desiree and their two-year old son, Liam. On July 30th 2007, Lucy was involved in an altercation with a Chihuahua that lived 4-doors down. It is unfortunate that the Chihuahua did not survive this incident. Mark Stivers, the Deputy Chief in Sunnyvale and Judge Craig Walsh have deemed that Lucy was not provoked, despite evidence offered that showed that the Chihuahua was the attacker and instigator in this case.

At the Sunnyvale administrative hearing Deputy Chief Mark Stivers deemed Lucy vicious and ordered her put down, despite California state law mandating that a dog is not vicious unless the animal causes an injury to a human that requires stitches. No such injury has occurred in this case.

An appeal was made in Superior court, but Judge Craig Walsh of Santa Clara County decided to sustain Lucy's death sentence. A motion for reconsideration was filed but Judge Craig Walsh refused to hear it, citing the California Agricultural Code, despite his refusal to hear the case under the California Agricultural Code.

While under California state law an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal might be sufficient to earn Lucy a "potentially dangerous dog" label, none of the remedies for this are execution.

25 sworn statements have been collected attesting to Lucy's good natured temperament and her total lack of danger to humans, which Deputy Chief Mark Stivers and Judge Craig Walsh are seemingly unwilling to consider. Lucy has also been used to socialize numerous foster dogs within Badrap, a California Non-Profit dog rescue organization. She is a friendly, loving and wonderful family pet.

There is a precedent for you to issue Lucy a pardon (New Jersey vs. "Taro" to name but one.)

Ian Young, Desiree, and his child are looking for any to save the life of their beloved family pet, whether that be in the form of a pardon for Lucy or a simple commutation of her death sentence. This family is so dedicated to Lucy that they are willing to move to another city or county if it will save Lucy from execution. All they want is to return this fourth family member to her home.

Any attention to this matter is most sincerely appreciated,

Kindest Regards,

[SIGNED]

On behalf of Ian Young and his loving family.
 
JB, I think you should also include all the sworn statements when you send the letter. It's more convincing than just stating they exist, and if he has them, he can't ignore them (unless he is an absolute douche).

Also, what do you think of the following:

Unfortunately, the chihuahua did not survive this incident. Subsequently, Lucy was taken from her home and sentenced to death by Mark Stivers, the Deputy Chief in Sunnyvale. He deemed that Lucy was not provoked, despite evidence that showed that the chihuahua was the attacker and instigator in this case. Now he and Judge Craig Walsh of Santa Clara County are about to perpetrate a tragedy by executing Lucy, the fourth member of Mr. Young's family.

Also, you should include after "All they want is to return this fourth family member to her home. Mr. Young can be contacted through his attorney [NAME]" and then include your attorney's contact information, so someone who receives the letter can follow up directly with your attorney.
 
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Tell me how to join the letter writing campaigne to save Lucy. I am very busy with work these days but I can take some time tomorrow to draft up a letter of support stating that I have been around Lucy and that she was very docile.

Do you think we would have any chance of that guy Cezar (the dog whisperer) writing a letter of support explaining the psychology of dogs and how what Lucy did to the Chihuahua does not indicate she is a danger to people or other pets as long as other pets are not attacking her? Its just an idea worth exploring I think.
 
Ok, sorry for all the posts, but what about also creating a website with your whole story? you could put up pictures of Lucy with your family, scan the affidavits and make them available to the public, let people leave comments and sign an online petition, and could get out to thousands and thousands of people very, very quickly. You could have it sent out to the entire Badrap mailing list, dog lovers everywhere, etc...
 
Ian,
Here is some more info closer to home. This is a link listing some dog behavior specialist. Maybe you can get one of them to back you up.
http://www.canineprofessionals.com/default.aspx


Result Count: 5
Dog Behavior Rehab IACP Status: Professional
Sherry Boyer 888-493-8364
Aromas CA, 95004 sherry@dogbehaviorrehab.com
www.dogbehaviorrehab.com
Specializing in aggression and behavior problems. We do house calls from San Jose to Carmel, CA. Our success rate is over 80% with just one visit. We offer a Board and BehaveTM program for dogs that need to work on socialization issues, as well as a Board and Train program. Recommended by veterinarians and satisfied clients!!!

From the Heart Dog Training IACP Status: Professional
Barbara DeGroodt
Salinas CA, 93912 -3734 k9tootr@fromtheheart.in
www.fromtheheart.info
"Respect your pet: Train without pain!"

Pawsitive Thinking IACP Status: Professional
Beverly kingsbury 650-888-4743
Pacifica CA, 94044 Bev@pawsitivethinking.com
http://www.pawsitivethinking.com
My practice includes: Puppy Training, Behavior Modification, Classes and Private lessons. I specialize in obedience training and eliminating excessive barking, chewing, biting, jumping, pulling and aggression. I also do Mommy to be and pet preparation counseling as well as Canine Good Citizen testing (certified by American Kennel Club); I also hold clicker training and advanced obedience training. My methodology is Learning Theory and Ethology.


The Pooch Coach LLC IACP Status: Professional
Beverly Ulbrich 415-643-3333
San Francisco CA, 94131 bju@poochcoach.com
www.poochcoach.com
*** Any Dog. Any Problem. *** Experienced, proven dog and puppy trainer. The Pooch Coach provides private and personalized training and behavior problem solving through reinforcement and shaping. The ownwer, Beverly Ulbrich, has extensive knowledge and success with solving aggression issues and helping shy, fearful dogs. Beverly can help you with: Puppy training * Advanced obedience * Behavior problems * Off leash training * Aggression issues * AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.

I Talk Dog IACP Status: Associate
Denise Collins 925-285-9194
Orinda CA, 94563 denise@italkdog.com
www.italkdog.com
 
Thanks very much for all the support, I'm going to paste it here, thanks very much for all the PMs. :thumbup

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

Will send out first thing in the morning... plus a few more by the GF and her colleagues.
 
Holy cow! This is amazing :)

Ok, update - one of my lawyers, Shannon, is getting in touch with the press later today. Unfortunately she's in court today.

If any of you feel like writing to these chaps, this will surely help get some notice to the cause.

I'll go see if I can get a free site for hosting pics etc. ASAP.

Just to be clear, it IS Lucy that got out via a damaged fence we failed to notice - it isn't Lucy that was in her own backyard when she was attacked by the Chihuahua. But, Bobbi was *always* the one to instigate things whenever Lucy was on leash and being walked, plus she (Bobbi) had snapped at Liam and myself many times in the past when we tried to approach and make friends to defuse the situation.

Regardless, there's a TON of remedies that don't involve killing Lucy that would have been OK, and would have reduced the city of Sunnyvale's liability to zero - we even offered to have her moved to Minnesota.

Also, no more email to the mayor - his assistant filters them and is just pinging them back.

It's the Sunnyvale Department Of Public Safety you want to write to. I have a friend on the Chamber of Commerce who is doing what he can internally to, but I don't think they'll sit up and pay attention until we get a TV van parked outside their office.

















San Jose Mercury News
Mike Cassidy Local columnist
mcassidy@mercurynews.com (408) 920-5536

Sunnyvale Sun
Carol Bogart (Op/Ed)
cbogart@community-newspapers.com

San Francisco Chronicle
Letters to the Editor should be addressed to letters@sfchronicle.com. Due to space considerations, only letters of less than 250 words will be considered for publication. Please provide your name and telephone number along with your letter. You will be called if your letter is being considered for publication.

CBS5 News (TV)
If you have a story idea or breaking news tip, call our News Tip Line at 415-765-8717, send us an e-mail using the form above or write us at:
KPIX-TV
855 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
(No direct email)


KRON 4 News (TV)
4listens@kron4.com
(415) 561-8000

KTVU2
community.affairs@ktvu.com


ABC7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=stationinfo&id=3288796 More Stories
If you have a news tip for ABC7 News, call (877) 222-7777. To contact the newsroom directly, call (415) 954-7926
(No direct email)
 
Hi Terry,

I'll give them a go. First off, I need to re-write Kathy Kear, who was the original behaviorist that we hired. She was so impressed with Lucy's demeanor, she showed up to the court pro-bono.

That's what's so amazing to me, is how many people have donated their time, when they do this for a living - she's made that much of an impression and the feeling of injustice is so strong that I'm amazed at the continual stonewalling we've got.

What was especially infuriating was that after TELLING the Judge it would be OK with us if Lucy was removed from the state - just anything apart from killing her - the Judge ASKED the assistant DA if that would be Okay with him :wtf

He asked if Sunnyvale would issue a Writ if he did anything apart from order her to be killed, to which the assistant DA said he really didn't know... after already complaining that WE were costing the city too much money in continuing this... Just amazing. We offer them a solution on a plate that TOTALLY removes Sunnyvale's - shit - CALIFORNIA'S liability - and they turn their noses up at it, while complaining that we're costing them money... Unbelievable.
 
This is just ridiculous. Local government makes me so fucking mad. I'd love to help, but I'd hate to sound like a condescending asshole in my letter and do more harm than good.
 
I think an email campaign to the news organizations based on the above letter we've put together might be the most effective at the moment.
 
Which news outlet would be most sympathetic toward a big dog that essentially killed a little dog? Especially that "breed." ? Serious question, I'm not being a jerk..I just always see the media go "OMFG TEH PITBULLZ!!!"

Maybe if the letter describes the story and then goes along to basically say the city/county/state employees are not doing their job? Maybe that would be interesting to newspapers, they love slamming the gov't.
 
Which news outlet would be most sympathetic toward a big dog that essentially killed a little dog? Especially that "breed." ? Serious question, I'm not being a jerk..I just always see the media go "OMFG TEH PITBULLZ!!!"

Maybe if the letter describes the story and then goes along to basically say the city/county/state employees are not doing their job? Maybe that would be interesting to newspapers, they love slamming the gov't.

It's a valid point and why we've shied away from it at this point.

However, the fact that she's a great family dog and we have pics and video of her interacting very tenderley with my son - and that she looks more like a terrier than pit, helps a lot.

Indeed, she's too small to be an APTB, a bit large to be a true Staffordshire. In truth, she's a 'mixed breed', although the animal control officer did record her as a Staffordshire.

Point is too, that the Chihuahua had a long history of 'going for' Lucy and my son and just about anybody she didn't know (we have neighbor's sworn statements to that effect too), whereas Lucy has a long history of being great with numerous people that she never met before, and has socialized a ton of dogs for BADRAP.
 

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