California law states that a dog may not be labeled vicious if the dog was provoked. JoJo is a two year old shepherd dog who had lived in a home with small children with no incident. Then JoJo moved with family to a trailer park where he was teased and taunted by two children for several months. The children learned that they could attract JoJo to cross the boundary of an electric fence by calling his name, bouncing balls and making loud noises. When JoJo ran to the fence, he would receive an electric shock. The children would laugh and do it again. The children's parents were repeatedly ask to stop their children from taunting JoJo. One child opened the gate and when JoJo escaped, he received an electric shock. He bit the boy who opened the gate as he associated the electric shock with the source of the teasing. After the first incident, the child who lived next door to JoJo escalated his taunting of JoJo. The boy called JoJo's name in a chant, dragged sticks across the fence, sprayed him with water, threw rocks and cement blocks and bounced the ball at the perimeter of the fence to get JoJo to cross the line to get shocked. Once the ball landed on JoJo's side of the fence. When the boy reached his hand through to get the ball, JoJo had received an electric shock as he ran to chase the ball. He bit the child's hand which was injured further by the child pulling is hand back through the fence.

Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control held an administrative hearing finding JoJo to be "vicious" after discrediting all JoJo's owner's evidence of teasing and provocation. The Department of Animal Control determined that JoJo was vicious even though there was clear evidence of provocation.

If JoJo had not been teased and caused to associate the electric shock with the children, the bites would not have happened. He does not deserve to die. JoJo could be placed in a training environment or in a home with precautions and restrictions. Self defense is well established under the law. California law says provocation is self defense for dogs. But if animal control acts as judge, jury and executioner giving no credence to evidence of provocation, then the rule of law is discarded.

JoJo was a good family dog - living with small children and playing with other neighborhood children until he was taunted and teased. JoJo doesn't deserve to die. JoJo has a family who loves him. Sign this petition demanding JUSTICE FOR JOJO and seeking the exercise of discretion under the law to place JoJo with any appropriate restrictions rather than kill him for defending himself.