Story Archive

Who’s a Good Boy?!

When “Capone” — a Black Lab-German Shepherd mix — wandered into a neighbor’s yard in Aurora, Colo., the city’s Animal Control picked it up. But it wasn’t a simple case of paying a fine and getting the dog back: Tracy Abbato and Tito Serrano were told the dog catchers suspected the dog was a “wolf hybrid” and thus illegal in the city. They were charged with “keeping a wild, exotic or dangerous animal,” which could never be returned to them. “Capone is a family member,” Abbato said. “We’ve had him for 10 years. He has grown up with my kids; it’s devastating.” The city decided to prove its contention by ordering a DNA test from the University of California at Davis’s veterinary school — which came back “Not an ounce of wolf,” Abbato said. But that wasn’t enough: she and Serrano still had to go to court to get the criminal charges dismissed. In a plea bargain, the couple agreed to fence their yard, and get training from an “animal behaviorist.” Their attorney — yes, they had to get one — noted that “Clearly the conclusion was indicative of what we have known for a long time: there is a lack of training and expertise in visual identification of breeds and species.” (RC/Denver Post, KMGH Denver) ...Guilty until proven innocent? Nothing new anymore.