Congo's appeal on April 4th

On June 5, 2007 Congo, a German Shepherd dog within the town limits of Princeton Township, NJ, charged Giovanni Rivera in an act of defense. Congo did not critically injure Mr. Rivera, but he did, in fact, injure him. Congos actions to defend his family should not result in his being put to death.

When Congo was put on trial for his actions, the prosecution and the trial judge did not see the attack on Mr. Rivera, and the circumstances leading up to the attack, in the eyes of the dog. Congo felt threatened by Mr. Rivera and also felt that the "pack" including Mrs. Elizabeth James was in fact in danger of being attacked themselves by Mr. Rivera and the landscapers. The pack would include Lucia (female), Shadow, Bear, Hunter and Magnus all pups.

The current dog laws are out-dated in the majority of New Jersey towns and cities. These laws need to be updated so that the unnecessary killing of dogs does NOT occur. Don't allow a dog like Congo to be killed because of out-dated laws! There are alternatives that can and should be introduced into updated future dog laws.

These alternatives include the following:

The potentially dangerous dog shall be confined to the owner's or custodian's premises within a secure enclosure such as a kennel, fence or other structure of sufficient strength such as a chain link or wood that will hold the dog.

The enclosure would be located so as to not interfere with the public's legal access to the property and that the owner or custodian would have to post warning signs which are provided by the Animal Care or Control Officer of the Municipality or City within NJ.

The potentially dangerous dog would not be allowed out of the confinement unless said dog is muzzled and restrained by an adequate leash and under the control of a person who is at least 16 years of age.

The owner or custodian must complete a pet ownership and dog management/training program as prescribed by the Animal Control Officer.

If these alternatives are followed, the chances of Congo attacking another person or dog are greatly diminished.

We the undersigned ask that you, Judge Mitchel Ostrer, to please reverse the Princeton Twp Judge's decision to euthanize Congo and mandate the above alternatives.