Introducing the “I Am Human. This Is My Dog” podcast – the show devoted to putting the individual back into the dog, as well as their human, while also examining difficult, and oftentimes controversial, animal welfare-related topics that have been largely ignored, but are critical for real progress.
In this inaugural season, I recount my time as an aspiring filmmaker about to begin my directorial debut exploring pit bull dogs for a feature length documentary at the onset of the 2007 Michael Vick dogfighting case.
That event led me to meeting a black, former fighting dog, named Preston, and my life changed forever…
In this seventh episode of the inaugural season, I reach out to individuals who have legislated against pit bull dogs while serving in political office – including the two former Ohio state lawmakers responsible for authoring the pit bull law that passed in 1987.
In this sixth episode of the inaugural season, I find myself in the right place at the right time, noticing the beginning stage of the movement to repeal pit bull laws in Ohio with the downfall of Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon, and the repeal of Toledo’s pit bull law.
In this fifth episode of the inaugural season, I uncover two invaluable lessons that force me to forget everything I thought I knew about pit bull dogs, and the reason for laws that target their ownership.
In this fourth episode of the inaugural season, I am forced to slightly jump ahead to the spring of 2009 when I interviewed a man named Leonard Shelton. Leonard was a retired U.S. Marine, who fought in both Iraq wars.
In this third episode of the inaugural season, I pivot back to the topic of dogfighting, as news reports from around the country seem to pour in about suspected dogfighting cases.
In this second episode of the inaugural season, I turn my attention from dogfighting to breed specific legislation…and the fight against Lakewood, Ohio’s proposed pit bull ban.
In this first episode of the inaugural season, I recount my steps as an aspiring filmmaker immediately before and after the Michael Vick dogfighting case began in the spring of 2007.
At the conclusion of Season 1, we will begin examining the case against a former director and humane agent, and popular pit bull advocate, Steffen Baldwin – who currently is facing a 39 felony count (State of Ohio v. Steffen Evan Baldwin) with charges ranging from bribery and telecommunications fraud, as well as a dozen or so allegations of cruelty to a companion animal.
As of November 2024, the trial has officially concluded over four years after his arrest, awaiting the final verdict from the judge.
