We need all hands on deck. The Town of Hamburg, New York has sentenced Gus, this 1 YEAR OLD, 18 lb Maltese mix family dog to DIE... for...a tiny mark. A tiny mark. To explain, Gus belongs to a very loving family, the Pulkas. They have adopted children and foster children. They have three dogs. Gus is wonderful with all of them, and they adore him. He is a rescue dog... adopted from a local Buffalo rescue.

However, Gus is a little ankle biter and needs some manners, as he has nipped like this on about two other occasions and has broken skin. This was a neighbors child who got nipped. However, there has not been one stitch, and no one missed a moment of play or work on account of his bites. We are not saying it's ok for a dog to nip...and neither are the Pulkas. They have arranged for extensive training to help with his fear reactivity. But Hamburg doesn't care. The prosecutor and judge have sentenced him to DIE, and he is rotting away in their care as opposed to getting the help he needs. In New York, a dog can only be sentenced to die if he causes a serious physical injury. Hamburg Judge Gorman calls THIS a serious physical injury. What kind of cowardly culture do we live in where this is called a serious physical injury? What kind of cowardly culture do we live in where we kill a dog for THIS??? The family is heartbroken and the kids cry every night. Every night.

The situation  gets worse.  Racism and small town politics is also at the heart of this horrible story. RJ Stoberl is the Town of Hamburg animal control officer. The Confederate flag, as well as other racist tropes, are all over his FB page.

The Town of Hamburg, through their own Wilkepedia page, proudly pronounces themselves through their census data as 98% white. That young man in the photo and the other children in the Pulka residence, are part of the other 2 % .

Stoberl has been after Ragus from day one. He seized him without legal authority to do so. He misrepresented facts about Ragus on the witness stand by saying Ragus was vicious towards him... when there is VIDEO of him carrying Ragus to his car. He has made it so that the Pulkas can't see Ragus, even disobeying a court order to do so. He has disregarded other REAL bites in the Town of Hamburg by other dogs that belong to... other families to instead fixate in on the Pulkas and their Maltese puppy.

We need your help to get Gus home.  He has been stuck in Town Custody for three months now when he could have been training and getting the help he needs to learn appropriate interactions with strangers. 

To us, this isn't about politics or even about the confederate flag. But when an animal control officer allows his politics and his passion for the confederacy to try and kill a dog and destroy a family... then it's our problem. Ordinarily, if one wanted to report a rogue animal control officer, they would contact the Town supervisor. In this case, that is James Shaw. Butttttt... in this case, that's probably not going to help, as it is Shaw's family members, Shaw and Shaw PC, who are representing the Town.

So, taxpayers, you are paying great money to the Town supervisor's family members to try and use the law to kill an 18lb Maltese mix. Oh, the supervisor is up for election this year. The Town of Hamburg needs a serious housecleaning... let's help them do so.  
Please help get Gus home so that he can get the training that is set up for him. His family misses him and he does not deserve to die. 
Judge set to hear the appeal: Hon. Kenneth Case. County Court Judge. 25 Delaware Ave Buffalo, NY 14202  phone: (716)845-9465  fax:(716)845-7512. County clerk: (716)845-9425

Hamburg, NY Dog Control Officer RJ Stoberl phone(716)649-6111 ext 2509. Fax (716)646-1384 and email rstoberl@townofhamburgny.com

PLEASE KEEP ALL COMMUNICATION WITH JUDGE  KENNETH CASE CORDIAL. He is not the Judge that issued the death sentence (that was Hamburg, NY Judge Gorman). Judge Case will hear the appeal. 
#GETGUSHOME