Oreo was a victim of cruelty at
the hands of Mr. Henderson. The details surrounding these incidents are
largely unknown. However, after Mr. Henderson's arrest in July, it was
learned that several of his neighbors reported hearing the sounds of the dog
being beaten for at least 20-30 minutes—and the dog whimpering as a
consequence.
After arriving at the ASPCA's facility,
Oreo began to recuperate from her injuries, only to begin showing signs of
extreme aggression—with little provocation or warning. As is customary at
the ASPCA, the dog underwent a series of comprehensive behavior
evaluations. This evaluation system has been used to assess many other
dogs and is used to determine the rehabilitation programs needed to prepare them
for foster care or placement. In the case of Oreo, we also sought the
assessment of an outside veterinary behaviorist. The outcomes of these
evaluations were all the same: the dog was not able to be placed in a
home. Despite extensive behavior rehabilitation efforts undertaken by
ASPCA staff, Oreo continued to lunge, growl, snap and attempt to bite. She
would lunge at a behaviorist, only to spontaneously and unpredictably redirect
her aggression toward her handler. She could not be socialized with other
dogs for fear of an attack—her aggression toward other dogs was clearly evident
during her evaluations. For the safety of the individuals at the ASPCA,
the other animals, and Oreo herself, she had to be kept in relative isolation,
and daily contact with her was kept to a minimum of essential, and
highly-trained, personnel. In fact, employees were even directed to
refrain from making sustained eye contact with Oreo so as to not incite
aggression.
Because adoption was not an option, the
ASPCA looked at placing Oreo in a long-term resident facility. However,
because of the aggressive behavior displayed, it is almost certain that Oreo
would have lived out her entire life in seclusion from other dogs and
people. Her contact with the outside world would have been minimal at
best. Her quality of life would have been reduced to virtually
nothing. Thus, we arrived at the painful yet clear decision to humanely
euthanize Oreo.
While Oreo's plight has garnered a
plethora of media attention due to the sensational nature of her injuries, the
decision to euthanize her is not a novel one. These are decisions that we
have had to make before—and will undoubtedly have to make again. And as
painful as these choices are, they are the same ones that face dedicated shelter
workers throughout the country each and every day. However, these outcomes
are made all the more tragic because they are often
preventable.
Animals that suffer cruelty at the hands
of their owners often face tragedy beyond that which they have already
endured. Animals like Oreo are abused every day. These cases often
don't make headlines; in fact, most people don't even know this abuse is quietly
occurring in their backyard. But this abuse is all too frequent, and
despite more rigorous efforts by law enforcement across the country, shows
little sign of completely abating.
Sometimes these animals are fortunate
enough to escape the confines of their abuse and are placed in loving
homes. Sometimes, they die as a result of the abuse. And sometimes
they retaliate from their abuse in the only way they know how: aggression.
It is this last unfortunate circumstance that places shelters in the precarious
position in which we find ourselves now. We have done everything humanly
possible to save Oreo's life; yet, as a result of the abuse she suffered at the
hands of Mr. Henderson, or for other reasons we may never know, she has come to
a place where she can no longer be around people or other animals. We make
this decision—and others like it-- with a heavy heart and a complete
understanding that had she been treated with love and respect, Oreo's fate would
be much different.
People know that the ASPCA is in the
business of saving animals’ lives-- it serves as the very core of our 143-year-old mission. Yet, the
moment this statement is picked up, we will feel the repercussions of the
difficult decision we know had to be made. We will receive angry phone
calls… profanity-laced e-mails... and we will likely be vilified by tweeters and
bloggers across the country. And the rallying cry of these missives will
all be the same: the ASPCA failed this animal. If the ASPCA has failed at
anything, it is shielding America from the true face of animal cruelty for far
too long. Animal cruelty isn’t pretty and doesn’t always have a happy
ending—it is ugly and sad and, ultimately, tragic. As a community of
individuals committed to the welfare of animals, we have to be more proactive
and insistent in raising our voices against cruelty—and hope that the nation is
ready to listen.
The Truth About Oreo.
This story is so typical of why you have to be careful about how much you
believe of what you see in the news.
The article in the New Zealand Herald further entrenches in the minds of the
ignorant that Pit Bulls and their mixes are hopelessly aggressive. It is
lazy, shallow reporting and totally lacking in the facts of the matter.
The dog was in fact severely abused, being beaten for twenty to thirty
minutes by her psycho owner until finally he threw her from the roof of a six
storey building.
She sustained fractures to both front legs and a rib and was taken to the
ASPCA where, after 5 months of handling she was still so fear-aggressive that
she was unsafe to home. She was also unsocialised and aggressive toward
other dogs. Her future was that of being isolated from both people and
other dogs hence the ASPCA decision to euthanise her.
ASPCA Statement:
NEW YORK— The ASPCA® (The American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) issued a statement from
President and CEO Ed Sayres prompted by today's euthanasia of Oreo, a victim of
animal cruelty:
On June 18th, a one-year old Pit Bull Mix
named Oreo was thrown off a 6th floor Brooklyn roof top by 19-year old Fabian
Henderson. Oreo sustained two broken legs and a fractured rib in the
horrific incident. Amidst a flurry of media coverage and public outcry,
Oreo was taken to the ASPCA hospital to be treated for her injuries, and Mr.
Henderson was placed under arrest by ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents.
The circumstances that led to this most
difficult and heartbreaking of decisions are not widely known. In fact,
details such as these are usually closely guarded. And yet, what is even
more tragic about this story's ending is that it is an all-too-familiar outcome
in shelters across the country.
It is the true face of the fight against
animal cruelty.
This dog's attitude had nothing to do with her breeding and everything to do
with being shut in an apartment with a lunatic, no doubt out of her mind with
fear, for who knows how long.
Shouldn't this story be more about why the neighbours listened to her
horrific suffering and did nothing until she was pitched off the roof? This
can't be the first time they heard her suffer.
Shame on them, and shame on the media - yet again.
The story in the Herald is copied here and followed by the ASPCA release:
"NEW YORK - A dog that survived being thrown off the roof
of a six-story Brooklyn building this summer has been euthanized, despite pleas
from animal activists to spare her life.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals says the 1-year-old brown-and-white pit bull mix named Oreo was
euthanized Friday.
The ASPCA said that after working for months to
rehabilitate Oreo, it determined she was too dangerous to ever be placed in a
home or to live among other dogs. The decision sparked outrage among animal
activists.
Authorities say Oreo suffered two broken legs when she
was thrown off the roof June 18. Nineteen-year-old Fabian Henderson pleaded
guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals and is to be sentenced. Neither he nor
his attorney could be immediately reached for comment."
Worse than all of this, it seems that Oreo's temperament test was not
accurately reported. If that is the case then any support for the ASPCA is
down the toilet.
This case needs serious investigation.
This from Bonnie at Pets Alive:
Can anyone.....ANYONE say that this was an aggressive dog that absolutely
HAD to be killed?
This is a picture that was taken just before the ASPCA killed her.
Would ANY human being give a vicious and aggressive dog that kind of close
contact? NO!
Even the handler is beginning to speak out and say that she only failed
the food guarding portion of her behavior exam. My own precious pound
rescue girl has food aggression. We have learned how to deflect it, and we
made absolutely certain that she was in her crate whenever our grandchildren
were small, so they wouldn't accidentally come near her food bowl while she
ate. That is NOT a reason to murder a precious animal. More and more
of the people who work at the ASPCA are coming out and saying that what Sayres
said wasn't true at ALL. One of them was able to go into her kennel at
will and cuddle with her.
OMG. It just gets worse and worse!!! I thought my anger had reached
it's max, but I was wrong!
This is the face of a smiling dog. Nobody would put their face that close
to hers if she was as unpredictable as Sayres claims. His latest feeble
attempt to excuse what they did just made things worse. He is a monster
and has no business running the ASPCA. Mr. Bergh is rolling over in his
grave right now. To think he earns a half million dollars a year, which I
suppose has made him believe he is the god who decides who will live and who
will die, is sickening.
I urge everyone to support Oreo's Law and to write to all of the people
at the links given at the Pets Alive posting given here and offer your thanks
for his swift introduction of this legislation. We need this kind of law
around the country and the globe!!
This photo was apparently taken just before Oreo's euthanasia.
