EXPOSING THE HIDDEN CRIMES AGAINST K-9S

The main issues we focus on at PRISM are vivisection, the environment, and health freedom. But many of our supporters are also involved in individual animal causes that speak to their hearts. For years, several of us were a part of the organized protests at Farmer John’s slaughterhouse in downtown Los Angeles that might very well have led to that house of horrors being closed down. Last year, Sandra became involved in ending the cruel treatment of elderly ponies in Griffith Park and is working to shut down the pony rides and replace them with non-animal entertainment. Others, like our board member Suzie Matthews, are dedicated to rescuing animals, and some volunteer at animal sanctuaries. Long time PRISM members Tony Shale and Christina Ku work tirelessly on vegan outreach.

Advisory board member Sue Marston has actively been exposing the brutal treatment of K9s for forty years. Like vivisection, the atrocities perpetrated on these dogs are hidden crimes, occasionally garnering publicity, then presumed to be dealt with, and forgotten by the public and large animal organizations. In this article, Sue describes the shocking truth about the treatment of K9s, as opposed to how they are portrayed as beloved and valuable partners by the military, police departments, and in Hollywood movies.

UNCOVERING THE FACTS ABOUT K9S BY SUE MARSTON

I've been with PRISM since its inception in the 1980's, and was invited to share the following, a most difficult revelation. Hashing over the horror and trauma of my experiences keeps turning into another book, and so I'm trying once more to just stay on point. Details can be found on my website: www.stopk9torture.com

What I learned from being employed at a police department is that there are secrets involving sadism hidden all over the place. Like most everyone else, I was at first glad and excited about our K9 unit, until I found out the terrible truth.

Upon reading in the department newsletter about my love for animals, the K9 handlers began standing near my desk, bragging about hanging and kicking their dogs. I tried believing it was only macho talk and ignored them. Not to be ignored, within a couple of weeks, they brought a K9 into the station. He was laying on the floor perfectly behaved, when he was lifted off the floor and slowly hanged ("to teach him not to whine, to take his correction like a man" was the excuse later given). It took a minute and thirty seconds to choke the dog into unconsciousness until he became dead weight and was dropped to the floor. When handlers hang the K9s like this, at first the dogs cry out loudly, then their cries become faint as they run out of oxygen. This is the handlers’ modus operandi, and they find it intensely entertaining. I made it my business to investigate.

Was this only happening at my department? Why were they lying to the public about it when I tried to expose it? WHY was the media helping them cover it up, and promoting their lies? It felt like being in the midst of a nightmarish years-long episode of the Twilight Zone and included retaliation against me for speaking out. And despite all my efforts, it remains the same: cruelty, lies, coverups.

Here are some of the standard scripted lies you'll get, if you ask a military or paramilitary K9 unit or department if they hang, helicopter, punch, kick, electroshock, etc., the dogs:

1) "That's an old video. We don't do that anymore." 2) "We haven't done that in 20 years" (or fill in whatever number of years they decide to name).

If a video is leaked, and they can no longer deny it, here is the traditional response to that:

"What you saw is an anomaly. That officer went rogue, and we are taking the dog away from him” (the "one bad apple" excuse).

In reality, this is top-down training of K9 handlers. The torture is taught, expected, REQUIRED. If a handler doesn't like it, he or she is the one who gets removed from the program and has the dog taken away.

THIS recent video is a very short example is what is taught. It is blessed in its briefness, because all too often things like this go on for a very long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnjjEqsYl-I

And while the worst of what is done remains hidden, many people don't even recognize signs of abuse when they're visible. For instance, a recent photo of military K9 handlers carrying muzzled K9s wrapped in portable slings, like any other “weapon,” has been presented and described as "bad ass." Never mind that dogs with thick undercoats are wearing heat holding garments while muzzled, fitted with parachutes, and thrown out of helicopters. Whatever insanity people wish to voluntarily engage in regarding themselves, that is their business. When they involve innocent beings who cannot consent, that is over the line.

The lead "trainer" at the department where I worked (it's all on my website) also "trained" search and rescue dogs. I heard from others that he would purposely move an item and screw up a dog's performance as an excuse to hang the dog. But when I left the PD, I was still not sure whether abuse of search and rescue dogs was widespread. So, wouldn't you know it, when I got a job at a hotel, there were search and rescue teams coming to town from all over the country, and a lot of them were staying at the hotel where I was the night concierge.

I was at first struck by the fact that NONE of these people acknowledged their dogs' presence except to give orders. There were no kind words, there was no petting. It was, again, like the dogs were pieces of equipment. They were kept in crates when they were not being taken out to be trained, or to do their business. Very unlike how it is presented to us via the media.

But what blew me off the cliff was when a group of about 15 of these handlers were sitting around in the lobby late one night, talking. One of them was regaling the others with the exploits of one of their peers, who conducted an experiment with his dog - beating the dog only when he wore a blue shirt. (I know that dogs are alleged to be color blind, or limited in color perception, but I'm just reporting what I heard). The end of his story was that the dog attacked and bit one of the supervisors, who happened to be wearing a blue shirt. There was hearty laughter all around the group

There is a lot more to say, and I have learned more about hidden realities of other "service dogs," too. But again, what is right in front of us, a lot of people don't catch on to.

A young dog is like a toddler - full of energy and wants to play. At the outset, in being 'trained' to serve us, that is taken away from them, and they are punished, sometimes severely, behind the scenes, for engaging in natural puppy behavior. But this doesn't occur to many humans, or perhaps they just don't care.

The prime example I have of this is from just a few years ago, when a woman walking through a mall saw a "guide dog in training" being exposed to heavy human traffic (and expected to not react, but to be like the machine they were turning him into). The woman didn't realize she was supposed to just walk by this poor miserable pup and ignore him. She spoke kind words and reached out to pet him. The dejected young dog wagged his tail and responded to the kind gesture, and the WORLD WENT MAD.

Not only did the pup's authoritarian "trainers" become enraged, but the media joined in. This woman's kindness was splashed all over the news channels, social media, newspapers, as an OUTRAGE. HOW DARE SHE interfere with their "training!?” And then, to my surprise, even a couple of "animal rights" folks joined in the fray, on the side of the abusers. Are people just mindless, thoughtless zombies? They turned this poor woman into a pariah, and she was the only one there who had any humanity left in her.

If anyone has questions, I would be happy to answer them. You can contact me on my web site www.stopk9torture.com

---Sue Marston – Author, Researcher, Vaccine Expert, and PRISM Advisory Board Member

Below are videos from various parts of the country. Some are difficult to view so we leave it to your discretion.

Campbell County Officer Appears to Abuse K9 in Training
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnjjEqsYl-I

Police K9 Handler Torturing His Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI27vVdaERM

Video shows Vacaville Police officer punching K9 partner
youtube.com/watch?v=TIL5yrXTqTY

Salisbury Police address K9 policy after questionable video surfaces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaqmQKBpuaM/

Trainer Describes the Kicking Death of K9 Duke - Florida
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/trial-for-cop-accused-of-kicking-police-dog-begins/1874286/

Police told to string up dogs
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/192782.stm

Report Released States K-9 War Dogs Were Abused
www.thisdogslife.co/report-released-states-k-9-war-dogs-abused-mistreated-military

When the “Everybody Does It” Excuse Works: Police Dog
http://ethicsalarms.com/2010/11/26/when-the-everybody-does-it-excuse-works-dog

Minnesota Deputy Caught on Tape Brutally Beating His K-9
http://www.dogingtonpost.com/minnesota-deputy-caught-on-tape-brutally

Numerous dogs have been shot or otherwise destroyed for turning on their handlers. Those dogs had endured enough torture and finally snapped.↓

A link to a article about humane dog training.
https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Realitydogtrainingpositionstatement

In our opinion, dogs have no business being used in law enforcement or war. If humans choose to commit crimes and kill each other, that's for humans to deal with, not innocent animals. Police routinely torture their K9s and lie about it. The spotlight needs to shine brightly on them every time they are caught in the act and we all have to let our local police know that we will not accept dogs being mistreated and killed by sadistic cops.

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