On Thursday afternoon outside of a court house where allegidly the biggest dog fighting ring was being tried, there was not much going on. Emily Dennis and Pat Patrick were closing their last day of trial. This was stark contrast to the media feeding frenzy taking place months ago. Reporters left and right taking pictures of dogs, writing article about the Patricks being the biggest dog fighters since world war 2 pilots. Their pictures where plastered over the local papers and even some national papers. Every supposed animal abuse website was abuzz as the venom leaked from their fangs around their forked black tongues. Guilty! Kill them! Hang them! More ignorant babble and so forth. But today there is a hush quiet. From day one of the Patrick trial it was obvious to everyone in the court that there was no evidence. It was obvious that the Humane Society of the United States had suckered another scrappy prosecutor in over his head. The first day of the trial 21 charges where dismissed rather than explain to the court why the statute of Arizona law stating that there is a mandatory hearing before animals can be confiscated, was completely ignored. Or maybe it was to avoid the question of how in the hell they got a search warrant with such a flimsy case. When the prosecutor rested his sad and unconvincing case against the Patricks he knew he was a defeated man. He knew that he had just been had and somewhere in his mind he was counting all the money the Humane Society just made by having him drag these people into court. As the judge asked the defense to present their case, their lawyers presented a simple fact. Your Honor, the state has not presented a case in which to defend against. You know what, The judge agreed. They where both acquitted. As Miss Dennis or to many Mrs Patrick stepped out of the court room she contacted a few friends to let them know they were free. She did not say they won because they had already lost. When most would have cheered for great joy at such a blatant victory. Miss Dennis wept.
She wept for 110 dogs the she and Pat had seen come into this world. 110 dogs that knew her as MOM. For those who do not know the Patricks i will explain what this means to those who do. The Patricks are both 64 years old. Pat a quite and gentle man soft spoken, but alert with a love for sports, most especially boxing. He has an eye for the perfect dog and how breed stability into the true APBT. Emily is the Grandmother everyone wanted in that you would be in a world of trouble if you underestimated her by her age, because she is every bit as quick and sharp tongued as anyone 1/4 of her age. To many she has been an adopted Mother in the dog community. For advise to save a litter of puppies you would only have to ask. Where many would charge you for what the Patricks offered for free. She is fiercely protective of those who she cares for and the animals she loves. Trust that hell has no wrath like a mother's scorn, weather their child be human or k9.
So Now that you have a slight understand you can feel the pain of many who had to stomach the image of Pat, humble and proud, quietly reserved with slow but powerful tears rolling down his cheeks. And Emily, defiant and fierce, weeping. To those who have been mentored by them and those who see them as historians the sight was akin to the destruction your favorite super hero. Like seeing Superman's cape floating away torn, or Batman's masks falling 10 stories to the ground. With one simple, yet fundamental difference. These where real people. They shed real tears. There is not a writer in the world who can write their dogs back to life. Who can rewrite the last year of fear and discrimination.
These tears are real love. Not John Goodwin or Desiree Bender or Wayne Pacelle saying they love animals and the killing 200+ dogs with out blinking. Did they cry? Did they weep? I would venture to say they have been sleeping very well at night. I pray that these people are never allowed to work in the business of saving children. I also pray that they have the integrity to publicly Apologize to the people they have ruined and for the animals they have unjustly killed. Legally every dog that was adopted if any should be returned asap at the expense of the Humane Society and Diane Jessup who also wrongfully accepted stolen property.
Many across the world will remember this time as the era of the First Black President. But many others will remember these last two months as the time the world stood still when their heroes such as Floyd and Guy Boudreaux and the Patricks wept to the most defeated victories one can imagine. Losing everything for being innocent.
And worse yet, to not be able to bury your own beloved animals and say goodbye.
