Legal Representation for Georgia

Hello, my name is David Neuenschwander, and I am the lucky owner of a sweet - now four-month-old puppy - named Georgia.

I am in disbelief and at a loss for words lately due to the situation that she and I have been dealing with. It has been stressful to say the least. 27 days ago, my dog was taken from my home for bite quarantine. She and her three siblings managed to push through a single wooden fence board and, ultimately, one ended up nipping the neighbors. As you may know, this behavior is commonly seen in puppies at this age, however, this has now landed Georgia a dangerous dog in the state of Texas label at barely 4 months old.

Georgia has now spent a quarter of her life in confinement. During this time she could have been trained and cared for, socialized with other animals, and received the love she deserves. For 27 days she has not been able to run around freely, explore the world, and learn proper social skills. For 27 days she has been denied the opportunity to develop as a normal puppy would in this critical period of her life. For 27 days, she has been stuck in a small metal kennel by herself in a loud concrete room with little to no human touch, no interaction with her siblings or other animals, and no mental stimulation during a critical period in her life.

I have lost time with my dog that I can not have back and time that I could have shown love and affection to her. I was told 5 days into her quarantine that her and her siblings would be deemed dangerous in the state with the potential of being destroyed. Keep in mind, they were 12 weeks old at the time. I was told that they are all deemed dangerous because they were all involved. Yet, there is no clarity as to which puppy actually bit. How is it fair that these 4 puppies now have to carry the weight of a dangerous dog label when no one has any solid information?

From the day this all started, animal control has shown zero compassion or understanding. I have never had any ACO involvement. I feel as though I am continuously being denied resources or support to resolve this incident that has been blown completely out of proportion.

I have appealed this case to the municipal court and was shrugged away. This case was discarded from the start and even the judge made a comment about expecting a quick closed case upon arriving in the courtroom. It is hard for me to comprehend at what point this transitioned from apparently wanting what’s best for the community and keeping them safe, to targeting individuals through spiteful actions and serious accusations based on biased beliefs. When did animal control stop caring about citizens or the wellbeing of animals and start turning to punitive measures right off the bat? In my case, they have clearly acted as if both Georgia and I are criminals and not deserving of their respect or compassion.

I was told after the court date that I would no longer be allowed to visit with Georgia. I came up to the animal shelter to ask animal services what law or city ordinance there was to keep me from visiting with my dog. As a taxpaying, law abiding citizen, I should have a right to my property. I was given the run around after animal services could not provide any specific law or ordinance and was asked point blank, “What rights do you have?”. The conversation then turned into “we don’t have the capacity to deal with every owner that wants to come up and see their animals”. I proceeded to ask how many other owners come to see their animals and not one example could be provided. How does this city run organization not have the capacity to “deal with” one citizen wanting to see his dog?

Every step of the way in this process I feel like I have been harassed and targeted and for what? Loving my pet? Trying to be a responsible owner to Georgia? Trying to do the right thing so she can live a fair life?

These 4 puppies are just that - puppies. When they escaped the yard, it was by no means a violent act nor have any of the puppies ever exhibited aggressive behavior. the puppies were behaving as typical 12 week old puppies do but have not been given the benefit of the doubt. Of course, they are bully breed puppies, which begs me to ask the question - How much of this is rooted in breed bias? and is being reinforced by inaccurate, harmful breed stereotypes?

The implications of mine and Georgia’s situation extend far beyond our individual suffering if we allow this to be the bar that is set. If puppies, mere infants, can be deemed dangerous based on isolated incidents and potential breed stereotyping then we are just allowing the way to be paved for future injustices and prejudice towards all bully breeds and their owners.

If Georgia’s case were to become the norm this could be a huge setback for bully breed advocates and will unravel all progress made in Waco throughout the years in fostering and accepting these dogs. We would be going backwards and reinforcing the stereotypes associated with these breeds making it even more difficult for responsible owners to provide loving homes to them. Instead, this facility will be filled with more and more everyday, some sitting with little to no opportunity to make it out alive due to the heavy burden of a dangerous dog label.

As I continue to fight for Georgia’s life to be unmarked by such a harsh and underserved title, I am now in need of support both morally and financially as this case progresses to the county level. I have created a change.org petition to kickstart this campaign and am now asking for your support in this matter. Every contribution will help in battling this unwarranted and unjust treatment and would be a step toward a world lived where fear and prejudice don’t overshadow love and understanding.