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Mayoral Pardon?

Here's another couple from a video:
 

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Here's what Mike Folz, manager at the HSSV has to say:
 

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STRUGGLE FOR LIFE IN COURT TOMORROW OCTOBER 25, 2007
How far will a family go to keep their pet dog alive?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (San Jose, CA)
October 25, 2007


Hearing will be at the San Jose Courthouse located at: 191 N. First Street, San Jose
1st Floor, Appellate Division, 9:00 a.m.

On July 30th, Ian Young received the call that turned his world upside down. His dog Lucy had escaped his home and allegedly got into a fight with another dog. The other dog, being a small Chihuahua, lost the battle.

Despite a long history of aggravation and provocation from the Chihuahua not only to Lucy, but to Mr. Young, his son and partner of seven years, Desiree Hedberg, the city of Sunnyvale and the courts of Santa Clara decided that simply ordering Lucy out of the city or declaring her a potentially dangerous dog was not enough.

Lucy has been ordered killed after two appeals.

Lucy has been part of the Young family for six years, and has worked closely with many dogs from foster associations around the bay area, helping shelter dogs to be socialized. She is a doting mother-dog to their 2-year old son Liam and an integral part of the family.

Under California Law, Lucy would be considered a potentially dangerous dog - she would be free to live, but with restrictions such as having to carry supplemental insurance, and muzzling in public. There are many other options for Lucy other than death. In fact, under the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, Lucy could have been ordered back home with restrictions, or ordered out of the city.

Traditionally, this has what has always been done on a “first offense,” especially given the fact that she was provoked and poses no threat to humans or other animals.

Despite this being her first offense, the city of Sunnyvale is adamant that she is so dangerous, that she must die.

Even the City's own animal behaviorist had said in her own report, that Lucy is a very friendly, well-socialized dog. The Young's behaviorist gave Lucy a 0 out of 10 for human aggression and even represented them for free in court; such was the strength of her convictions.

Lucy has made such an impact on the lives of those around her, that she has friends on the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce asking for leniency, over 25 sworn declarations attesting to her good nature, the two lawyers that Young hired are now representing them pro-bono, such is the strength of feeling that Lucy has evoked in all who know her.

Lucy has been impounded since the incident at the Santa Clara Humane Society.

Tomorrow, Mr. Young, Ms. Hedberg. And Lucy’s attorney will appear in court requesting another stay of execution and a petition for writ of prohibition/mandate.





##
 
Ian Young and Desiree Hedberg’s beloved family dog of six years has been ordered killed after two appeals. Last chance is in court tomorrow, begging for her life.

Please make calls, send emails and faxes IMMEDIATELY to those listed below.

The Mayor and Governor have the power to pardon Lucy and order her out of the city or state, something my clients are willing to accept, if it means she will be kept alive.

We assume this type of prejudice and abuse of discretion is due to the fact that she is a Staffordshire Terrier.

[short background: Lucy had escaped from her yard and killed a Chihuahua. Lucy had never shown aggression of any kind. This was her first offense. In fact, her humans foster dogs all of the time and Lucy helps to socialize them. She also adores their
2-year old human son, Liam. The decision to kill her is egregious. If anything, even under local law and state law, she should have been sent home as “potentially dangerous” with terms, restrictions and conditions]

Please take the time to make these calls, emails and faxes.
Lucy needs you. (See attached press release with pictures)

Sunnyvale Mayor
Otto O. Lee
otto@ottolee.org
To Contact the Executive Assistant to the Mayor and the City Council:
City Hall
456 West Olive Avenue
Telephone: (408) 730-7473
FAX: (408) 730-7699
E-mail: council@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us
URL: http://www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 3707
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3707
San Jose Mayor
Chuck R. Reed
mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov
Office of Mayor Chuck Reed
200 East Santa Clara Street San José, CA 95113
tel. (408) 535-4800 fax (408) 292-6422

Governor's Office:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
San Francisco Office
455 Golden Gate Avenue
Suite 14000
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-703-2218
Fax: 415-703-2803
Mayor of Santa Clara
Patricia M. Mahan, Mayor
Address (office): City Hall,
1500 Warburton Avenue (95050)
Telephone (office): (408) 615-2250
Fax (office): (408) 241-6771
Address (home):1116 Washington Street (95050)
Telephone (home): (408) 505-4989

This is where Lucy is being jailed:
Humane Society Silicon Valley
2530 Lafayette Street
Santa Clara, CA 95050
408-727-3383
Fax- 408-749-0166
Please when you call and fax the humane society, be sure to be polite and ask that the employees there petition for her life. They all recognize what a sweet, gentle, soul she is.
Thank you!
~ Shannon Keith, one of the attorneys for Lucy.
 
Can I just say, a big :thumbup and thank you to everyone for your support.

I really wish I had time to reply to everyone individually, but the last few days have been absolute insanity, calling, faxing, writing, emailing - just nuts.

We'll just see what happens tomorrow - sent out literally 300 emails to various people in the media, only a few bounced back, going to re-try a plain-text version in a mo.

Phew. I'd have a beer, except Desiree is due any second. Have to stay totally clear-headed.
 
thats what sucks no matter how good u train a pit and even if they have never been aggressive before, they have the nature that might come out one day.

i think they care less about chihuahuas in general because even though they are one of the most protective and aggressive dogs, they are so small they don't cause that much damage the worst case scenario is that they will nip you causing a minor scratch and run and hide. (my gf has 3 of them. they all suck)

i think their whole case is that they are afraid of the big pit bull because simply they dont know the dog, dont really care, just knows that he has acted aggressively once and that is a threat to other people.

it's like if you were black and had a 300 lb. football playing son, good straight A student, never got into trouble once.. but he was one day jumped by some lanky white wannabe thug, got into a fight and accidentally killed him.. guess what the judge is going to think?
 
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Wow!

Well, the fight ain't over, but the Writ of Mandate was accepted, which is pretty rare in my understanding.

So now we get to take it to the appellate court!

Am still trying to get more media involved - my phone has been going NUTS this morning, some famous actors and actresses getting involved.

To note - everyone is being directed to the County, but they didn't say to whom we should be talking :rolleyes

I'll post up contact info as soon as I get it.

In the meantime, we have a temporary stay of execution, but not for long. A small victory (the ONLY one so far for us.)
 
Update:

Seems like efforts would be better directed here:

Boards and Commissions
70 West Hedding Street
10th Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
Phone: 408-299-5001
Fax: 408-298-8460
Email: bnc@cob.sccgov.org

If you email, make it to the attention of:

· Karen Dettmer
· Janet Alexander
· Karen Johnson
· Judy Jones
· Nancy Orr
· Jennifer Reding
 
That Mike Cassidy guy from the news emailed me back and said he forwarded the info to the city desk.

At least you got some positive result, finally!

I love how in this state, a convicted murderer can extend his death sentence for YEARS with appeals and shit, yet the city of sunnyvale is all excited over the prospect of killing a puppy :( Bunch of assholes.
 
Woot!
Awesome!

Thanks Miran!

This morning has been crazy, getting calls from all over the country!
 
Hey this is awesome! So are you getting a court ordered appeal in Superior Court from the municipal decision, or are you getting in front of the Court of Appeals so they can look at Judge Walsh's decision to deny the appeal of the municipal decision?

Any details you have would be helpful in me trying to get an attorney to look at this for you (with no guarantees, of course, I still have to submit this through the normal pro bono review process and the decision is not up to me).

Still, this is good news. Do you want us to continue the email campaign and target the Boards and Commissions, do you want us to write letters to them, call them, do all three? Let us know. Fuck the gobmint!
 
I gotta go get a haircut, go to lab, then do a job interview, but as soon as I get back, those boards and commissions people are getting some love :teeth
 
Hey this is awesome! So are you getting a court ordered appeal in Superior Court from the municipal decision, or are you getting in front of the Court of Appeals so they can look at Judge Walsh's decision to deny the appeal of the municipal decision?

Any details you have would be helpful in me trying to get an attorney to look at this for you (with no guarantees, of course, I still have to submit this through the normal pro bono review process and the decision is not up to me).

Still, this is good news. Do you want us to continue the email campaign and target the Boards and Commissions, do you want us to write letters to them, call them, do all three? Let us know. Fuck the gobmint!

Honestly mate, at this point, I'm totally confused, but Christine was ecstatic this morning, so I think that's a good thing, lol! I think the second thing you said.

She's copying the case notes right now, email/PM me your info and I can scan and email and then snail-mail the hard copy to you.

And yes, continue the email campaigns! Staring with the Santa Clara Supervisor, and the animal advisory board - they should at least be able to point us in the right direction.

I think Sunnyvale is a bit shocked right now, from what I hear...
 
I got a response back from Heidi Kirk, Executive Assistant, Office of the Mayor and City Council, City of Sunnyvale. Her position is that the court made the decision and the Mayor cannot change the court ruling.... I am please that she took the time to reply it means that they are aware of this issue and it has a following with the "voting" public. So you are making some headway on this issue. Slow for sure but our hopes are with you. I sent an e-mail off to bnc@cob.sccgov.org as well.
 
The mayor doesn't have to change the court ruling, he just has to pardon :wtf wtf is wrong with these people? are all government workers this retarded?
 
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