Please help a dog who is on death row in NJ.

[Rhiannon12866]

This beautiful German Shepherd is on death row because he bit a handiman, on his property, who attacked his mistress. He was defending her, something we all hope that our beloved dogs would do, and could be sentenced to death because of this...;(

I received this from my friend in rescue who is also a member of DU. I just called Governor Corzine and they appear to be aware of the case.:thumbsup:

Congo is in DANGER...AGAIN...Please help!


Congo's hearing is Fri/need letters /emails /phone calls��& please spread...

Please, everyone, it is vital that you call, write, or email the judge and sign the petition by Monday (the last day you can sign it) if this poor dog, who was only doing his job, is to continue to live.
�
"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man."...Gandhi



Congo is in DANGER....................AGAIN...................Please help�

Do you remember�Congo, the German Shepherd who is on death row in New Jersey?� Well, his appeal case is going to be heard on April 4, 2008!� This�can decide if he lives or if he dies!!!!Judge Mitchel E. Ostrer�will be hearing the arguments from both sides on Friday April 4th. Address is below.�

How to help:

Please write Judge Mitchel Ostrer, polite and professional, letters of support for Congo.�

MITCHEL E. OSTRER- his direct phone number - 609-571-4188
Mercer County Courthouse
209 South Broad & Market Streets
PO Box 8068
Trenton, NJ 08650

Mention in your letter or phone call that he needs to take into consideration that the laws are old and they don't take in to consideration how the dog perceived the threat. Also, there is no case law out there in NJ that has interpreted the statutes. This is the first one. Another point to use is that the last case of a dog attack was back in 1994 and the Governor then, Christine Whitman, had pardoned the Akita and he was exiled from the State. This is a last resort option so we can keep him alive.

Monday (tomorrow!!) �will be the last day to sign Congo's petition.� If you haven't already signed, please do so- there are only 170 signatures on the petition to save Congo's life!

http://www.petitiononline.com/gcd01/petition.html

Also, please consider sending the judge an�email�in care of his Team Leader, Michael Stellwag.� We don't have Judge Ostrer's email so we can send our note to Mr. Stellwag and ask him to forward the email to the judge or�print �it and give to� Judge Ostrer- our notes should be polite and respectful, after all, this is the judge that will be deciding Congo's fate.

[e-mail]



Also, please� contact Governor John Corzine at 609-292-6000 and ask� the governor to pardon� Congo. You can also�email him at:

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html� ;�and where is says- Select a Topic choose- "Law and Public Safety" and select a Sub-topic, choose- "Pardons and Clemency" and fill in your information to send a note to him.� You don't have to live in New Jersey to call or email our governor.

Just to refresh everyone's memory about this outrageous case- Congo is on death row for attacking a landscaper who was told to stay off of the property until the owner could come down and put the dogs away. The landscaper(s) ignored the instructions, entered the property and Congo started barking.� The landscaper hit Congo AND his puppies with a rake and then grabbed one of Congo's owners, Elizabeth James, using her�as a shield - Congo then bit the landscaper several times- Congo was protecting his family!!!.� Congo was sentenced to DEATH (he received an unfair trial that's for sure) and when the public heard about this story and made a lot of noise, Congo's case was heard by a second judge who granted a stay of execution until Congo' date with the NJ Supreme Court.

Everyone, please help Congo by contacting the governor!� Also, please feel free to email Congo's family at�[e-mail]�and tell Guy and Elizabeth James that you haven't forgotten about Congo.

[Suziq]

1. Done!

There are 692 signatures now.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Wow! Thank you so much!

The guy in the governor's office who I spoke to seemed to know about the case, so I'm hoping that it's going to get some attention...:-)

Rhiannon:hug:

[Pithlet]

2. I got a response saying they couldn't consider what I had to say.

I will say, though, that while I hate to see such a beautiful animal put to death, if it does happen, it's the fault of those owners. Reading up on the case, it isn't so simple as "The handiman attacked her". The handiman didn't attack her. He was supposed to be there. They'd hired him to come that day. They had their dogs loose on the property when they should have had them contained, knowing people would be coming on the property that day. He panicked when he saw the loose dogs and ran, and accidentaly ran into her. They were grossly negligent, and now their dog may pay for it with its life. It's very sad. I really don't want to start a flamewar in this thread, but I thought that should be mentioned, because it isn't fair for the human victim in all this to be maligned. It's always imperative for people to keep control of their dogs at all times, because the result of failing to do so could mean the end of their dog if the unthinkable happens, and that could only be the start of the problems.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. I know all that. I've also followed the case.

And I'm also not in NJ, though I'm regretting not saying I'm a constituent, since I do have relatives there, all with my last name. All I care about is doing something, since all my guys have been rescue, as you probably know, including the little dogs in my sig, and all have sad stories, as well. But the guy in Governor Corzine's office who I spoke to said that he'd count my opinion, as they do when I call my own senators on some issue. I'm certainly not going to flame anybody. I was just hoping that a few more people would see this. Thanks for trying, my friend.

Rhiannon:hug:

[Pithlet]

5. I actually sent an email to the judge. That's probably why I got the response I did.

Got it rather quickly, too. They said nothing outside of evidence brought to court could be legally considered, which I understand. I'm glad Corzine's office listened to you. Hopefully it will make a difference :hug:

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Thanks so much, my friend! I really appreciate it.

I'm hoping that it will make a difference, too. And our fellow DUer has a lot more supporters than you and me, all animal lovers, so I'm hoping that many of them also come through for the pup. *fingers crossed*

Rhiannon:hug:

[Branjor]

7. Wrong in several details....

The landscaper SHOWED UP AN HOUR EARLIER THAN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO (7 AM instead of 8 AM), while the dogs were still being fed in the back yard. He was told IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE to stay out of the yard until the owner could come down and put the dogs away. He ignored the admonition and entered anyway. His coworker then hit Congo and the puppies over the head with a rake and the landscaper pulled Elizabeth James to the ground causing her to scream. Congo then bit the landscaper in defense of his mistress.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Thanks for refreshing my memory. But I know that they presented all of this in court.

Thanks for everything.:D

Rhiannon:hug:

[Pithlet]

12. I'm sorry. But if you're expecting workers to show up that day

You don't let your dogs roam free. I really don't want to turn this into a debate thread. I read a lot about this case, and the owners were very clearly in the wrong. He had permission to be on that property that day, and the owners should have taken measures to make sure it was safe, and that included keeping control of their dogs. It's that simple. The main reason we have draconican laws against dogs is because of irresponsible dog owners like the ones in this story, and it makes me so mad. We, as animal lovers, should not be defending them. Bottom line is keep control of your dogs. It doesn't matter if the victim didn't understand or disregarded the owners orders they may or may not have given. They didn't have control of their dogs. It's their fault.

[Branjor]

14. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree about the owners...

I do not agree that they are at fault.

[Pithlet]

15. Why didn't they keep them inside that day?

There simply was no reason for this to have happened. If they'd done that, there would have been no incident at all. People who have dogs need to do things like that. It's their responsibility. If they don't, and a bite or mauling happens, they are legally, morally and ethically responsible.

[Branjor]

16. I thought you didn't want to turn this into a debate thread...

Anyway, the dogs were probably used to being fed outside. There might have been problems trying to feed them in an unusual place. And since it was only 7 AM and the men weren't due until 8 AM it probaly never occured to the owners that there wouldn't be enough time to get them all fed and contained before the landscapers arrived.

[Branjor]

6. IT'S OVER....CONGO IS FREE!!

http://www.nj.com/centraljersey/index.ssf/2008/04/congos_owners_settle_suit_over.html

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Yikes! Sorry, I missed this, since I was looking at replies in order!

I am so happy and thank you so much! I'd better check my e-mail! One pup saved. I wish the same for so many more...:woohoo:

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Thanks for the good news. The pet;ition was closed and I was worried.

[Pithlet]

13. That's a relief.

I hope the owners have learned their lesson.

[spooky3]

17. thanks - I remember reading about this previously - glad Congo is home.