Bring Baby and Aries home

Monday 9/10/18 both Baby (4 yr old rescue from South Sioux City animal control) and Aries (10 month old) pitbulls escaped our fenced in yard. They entered a neighboring yard where a fight ensued with the resident German Shepard. The German Shepard suffered ear injuries which required surgery. The pet owner suffered a non serious bite wound as she tried to separate the fight. As the fight occurred, the adolescents at the residence attempted to separate the dogs by hitting the pitbulls with a shovel and rocks. The dogs remained focused on each other and not the human threat.

Officers arrived on scene as well as myself, I retrieved both Baby and Aries, leashed them together and proceeded to wait calmly in the driveway to speak to the officers. At that moment I was directed to return home a few houses away and wait for animal control. I was issued a ordinance violation for dogs at large and at such time both dogs were already kenneled indoors. I was instructed both dogs needed to be surrendered to animal control temporary pending instruction from the city administrator. I complied as instructed as a law abiding citizen not fully understanding my fourth amendment right to my animals which cannot lawfully be seized in such manner.

The met with the city administrator at the animal control shelter to discuss matters in which he had offered to potentially return one dog home and put the other "dangerous" dog up for adoption outside of city limits (understand this is the dog the city adopted out to begin with and if she was dangerous she wouldnt have been adoptable). As he stated he "didn't want something bad to happen in his city". Any damages to the other dog and owner as well as vet bills will be covered by my home owners insurance. My dogs were both vaccinated and chipped as a responsible pet owner.

I am fighting to appeal the decision to not return my dogs to their home - together. They pose no threat to the general public and are very people friendly. I am willing to secure my property and comply with registration etc to ensure this unfortunate accident doesn't happen again. It is unjust to punish these dogs on a first offense. Deeming them dangerous does not comply with city ordinance as no formal investigation has happened and proper steps have not been followed to qualify them as such. Furthermore this declaration will make it difficult to rehome a falsely labeled dog and could potentially "justify" killing one or both at some point.

These are our family members. We have 5 children in our home on a regular basis. If the animals were dangerous I would not have them. They have been to football practice and in the neighborhood around children and never once before were harmful or a threat to any children as the city is implying. This is breed profiling, unjust, and unacceptable. It's a sad tragedy which has never in the last 33 years been challenged in this city. Just because it's always been that way doesn't make it right!

I hope you sign this petition to save Baby and Aries from separation and support my appeal to return them home.