Denver Police Swat Team Arrest Alleged Pit Bull

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Denver on Red Alert

Soon after Forrest was released to Stray Dog Rescue in St. Louis MO, another dog named Kane was on the Denver chopping block. But this time things were different. This time, Denver gave the dog up without a fight. This time Rovers were not deployed. Clearly, Mission Save Forrest alerted Denver to some new dog politics - ferocious Rovers on dog duty. The grassroots battle to take down Denver's breed ban has begun!

In June of 2008, a Denver police officer was at Gema's house and spotted her dog Kane laying on her living room floor. He started asking her questions about the dog. Gema told the cop that Kane was given to her when he was just puppy by her son who told her he was an American Bulldog. The cop shook his head and said, "No, that dog is a pit bull." Three days later, while Gema was out eating breakfast with her sons at a local restaurant, she was called on her cell phone by a frantic neighbor telling her the police had surrounded her house. As they talked on the phone, the neighbor watched in total disbelief and reported that Kane was being taken out of Gema's backyard by animal control.

Gema rushed home to find that the police had pulled her locked 6 foot black iron gate off the wall of her house in order to break into her backyard. There were no documents left stating that the police had been to her house or taken her dog. She was so hysterical that neighbors offered to drive her to the shelter. In a complete daze she asked why Kane was taken from her. That's right folks, Gema the mother of two sons and grandmother of three children she baby-sits did not know she had a "pit bull". Naïve and heartbroken, she called a friend in the nearby city of Lakewood to bail out Kane. Denver released Kane with the same warning Chris McGahey got: "if this dog is ever back in Denver again, it's a dead dog." A promise they have never failed to carry out - that is until Forrest.

Denver's Canine Swat Team Grabs Kane

Kane lost his new home when Gema's friend unexpectedly had to move and could not take Kane. In a decision she now regrets, Gema took Kane back, hiding him in the house while she tried again to find someone outside of Denver to adopt him. And just 2 weeks later, the cops were back - this time with guns and rifles!

Gema had just let Kane out in her backyard when she noticed a white van parked in front of her house. Next, she heard a loud man's voice coming from her side yard calling for her dog , "Kane, come here boy - Kane." In a panic, she called Kane into the house, threw a sheet over her bed and hit the floor to hide under the bed clutching Kane. While she prayed they would not be discovered, the police pounded on the walls, rang her doorbell repeatedly and shouted for her to come out - making threats to break down her door! Scared out of her mind, she opened the door to find police with guns drawn. Kane stood by innocently as they searched her entire house, attic and garage without a search warrant! Nope, nothing here but an illegal dog. She feared they would shoot Kane and begged the police to stop waving their guns. Then with tears running down her face, she pleaded with the animal control officer not to take Kane. His response: "I know you are having vision problems right now, but I need you to sign this ticket for court." She signed and moments later Kane was gone. Gema had just entered the Denver Twilight Zone.

Mission Save Forrest Saved The Day for Kane!

Soon after Gema's desperate search for help, she found Chris McGahey. Karen Breslin (Chris's Attorney) was immediately retained, demanding that Kane be released to a responsible party outside of Colorado. Now, Denver's new policy to release confiscated dogs would be under the microscope of watching eyes. Now, Denver could not simply kill these dogs without suffering a backlash of negative P.R. It's not nearly good enough - owners must still demand a hearing, pay fines and locate a non-Colorado based rescue group (or private party) to assume the responsibility of relocating the dog. And that's no easy feat!

In another tearful goodbye, Gema hugged her beloved Kane one last time on September 19th at the Denver Municipal Shelter. Another dog kicked out of Colorado headed west to a rescue group in California. It all happened quickly under the radar of news reporters. Now that Kane is safely out of Denver, Gema wants her nightmare story told. Hey, how about it Michael Moore? The Twilight Zone: Not Fiction, It's in Denver, CO.
Gema Martinez
3161 W Gill Pl
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 936-1020 Home
(720) 377-6182 Cell

Watch the news video about Gema, Kane and the Denver Kills Dogs posters.

Vet Warns Dog Owners: STAY OUT OF DENVER

Pit Bull Videos

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Chris & Forrest: the good, bad and the ugly
First the good stuff: This past Sunday, Chris and the McGahey family got to enjoy an afternoon visit with Forrest along with a small group of mighty Rovers who made that happen. Hats off to Chef David and Sherry Moore (and a few others!). Forrest is now safe and doing well in sunny California adopted by Rover Chef David.

Now the bad stuff: Chris owes thousands of dollars in legal fees and is also facing fines up to $10,000 along with 2-10 years of jail time! As of yet, he does not have legal representation for his upcoming court date. And did you know that Chris is a student trying to complete his training to become an Animal Health Technician. He has only three remaining months to complete the program that will qualify him to take a state board exam unless of course he ends up in jail!

Denver has thrown the book (and kitchen sink) at Chris with heavy fines and the threat of jail time as called for by a violation of breed ban ordinance Sec. 8-55 Municipal Code. Reality check please! Animal Control picked up the same harmless mixed breed dog twice. Good Grief Denver, don't you have any real criminals in your city that need to be punished?

Chris will appear in court on October 27th.

The above information courtesy of:

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Please cross post this link by the Animal Law Coalition - website of Laura Allen, an animal-law attorney. Another great ally in the fight against BSL

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/breed-bans/article/650

Abopt a shelter animal: President-elect Obama did! See a video about their new dog!

Please see Pit Bulls & BSL Please see Denver Kills Dogs

Please see Alleged Pit Bull ordered executed by Insurance Company

Great article in the December 29, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated by Jim Gorant entitled "What Happened to Michael Vick's Dogs . . ." Check it out http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/12/22/vick.dogs/index.html.