Soul singer White needs kidney transplant

 "Barry White, the soul singer, may need a kidney transplant, his record label said yesterday."

Oh baby...

Dog Bites Dog

Marc Gold sent me this link from the NY Times Magazine. Scary stuff, but appropriate, since we've been so busy trying to get this ongoing dog problem addressed. I wrote the text below for the October neighborhood council newsletter. It'll go to 5,000 homes.

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It's been more than a year since 10-year-old Shawn Jones was horribly disfigured and almost killed by three pit bulls in Richmond.  He'll endure many years of physical and emotional rehab. At the time, public outcry was deafening and media coverage was extensive.  The City Council and the mayor pledged stricter laws and increased funding for those in charge of upholding them. 

But vicious dogs still remain a serious problem in Richmond, and not just anywhere. I'm talking about in your backyard, our community, North & East. I know this first hand. One evening in late July, while my wife was taking her for a walk, our dog was brutally attacked by a pit bull that was off leash.  There was no owner in sight.  Several courageous neighbors responded to my wife's screams and saved our dog's life. This experience was bad enough of a shock.  The second shock occurred  when Animal Control, after taking an hour to show up, gave the dog directly back to its owner.

North and East Richmond is a great place to live.  People take pride in ownership.  Home values have increased greatly in the last few years.  So it's a real shame to discover that our neighborhood is under siege by dangerous dogs and their irresponsible owners.

In response to this recent incident, dozens of concerned citizens have joined together to form the North and East Animal Association (NEAA). Several people in this group have had a pet attacked or killed by dogs belonging to the same owner.  A search of Animal Control records by our group has revealed that this has been going on in the North & East for at least five years. Incredible as it seems, the authorities have done virtually nothing about it.

The NEAA is working closely with local law enforcement to change that.  We have several goals.  If the laws that are currently on the books were enforced, it would be a good start.  Eventually, older animal laws that do not adequately address today's needs have to be changed and new laws will have to be created.

If you'd like to find out more about what we're doing, and how you can help protect our children, our pets, and our neighbors from future attacks, call Michael or Ann at 232-9020 or send email to mbritten2@attbi.com or ann@eecs.berkeley.edu.