We are asking Governor Brown to commute the death sentences of two sweet, loving dogs.

Duke and Daisy are two year old brother and sister Husky/Queensland Heelers. They love and get along with people of all ages, all other dogs they meet and lived peacefully with the family cat. They are also both therapy dogs.

Unfortunately, on two occasions they escaped the family yard and chased and subsequently killed two owned cats. Under Santa Barbara County’s current ordinance, they were declared “dangerous dogs” and ordered destroyed. They are currently at the Santa Barbara County Shelter in Santa Maria, where their family has to pay for their boarding and care while they await a death sentence.

Duke and Daisy’s owners began a petition to change the Santa Barbara Dangerous Dog ordinance, which is outdated and does not reflect modern veterinary, behaviorist, or trainers’ standards of what makes a dog “dangerous.” Almost 2,000 people have signed this petition, and Santa Barbara County is now revising this ordinance, having met with local rescue groups and animal experts for input.

Under the new ordinance, as it is being presented thus far, Duke and Daisy would not qualify as “dangerous dogs.”   Unfortunately, Santa Barbara County has stated that this new ordinance will not be retroactive, and Duke and Daisy will be destroyed based on a flawed, outdated law.

DAWG (Dog Adoption Welfare Group), the no-kill shelter from which Duke and Daisy were adopted as puppies, has agreed to take both dogs back, provide Aversion Therapy training (which teaches dogs to avoid and ignore triggers such as a running cat) and to re-home them to a no-kill dog sanctuary in Montana that is willing to welcome them. 

Duke and Daisy are guilty only of acting on natural instinct.  They lived peacefully with a cat since their adoption from DAWG.  But just as cats chase and kill birds and mice, dogs will chase prey, and tragically, this resulted in two owned cats’ deaths.  These two dogs would never act aggressively toward any human, dog or cat in their home.  And yet they are awaiting death because while Santa Barbara is finally updating an archaic law, they will not allow a previous ruling to be overturned. 

Please help us save these two young, sweet dogs.

To: Governer Jerry Brown

Please save the lives of two Santa Barbara County dogs who were convicted under a flawed, outdated Dangerous Dog ordinance. Santa Barbara County is now revising the law, but has refused to make it retroactive. Please commute the death sentence of Daisy and Duke, so they may get aversion training and be re-homed to a sanctuary that is ready to welcome them.

Sincerely,  [your name]