Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Steven Heller, Kimi Peck
Aired July 20, 2003 - 10:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Although Chihuahua Rescue has found them homes, the dog breeder will not be allowed to place -- the breeder is facing animal cruelty charges. For more on the fate of the Chihuahuas, we're joined by Kimi Peck with Chihuahua Rescue. Also joining us is Steven Heller. He is the L.A. County deputy district attorney, his office handling the criminal part of this story.
And Mr. Heller, I want to start with you. Before anybody portrays you to be a dog killer, this isn't something you want to do. You feel obligated at this point that you have to just pursue charges, and this is the way it's being played out. The dogs are mean, violent, and are they fit for homes?
STEVEN HELLER, L.A. COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well, Sean, certainly there is a criminal matter that's going to proceed. The dogs have been assessed several times by animal control behaviorists. They initially were assessed to be very dangerous and very dangerous to the public. They've been reassessed with behaviorists from the county, along with behaviorists that Chihuahua Rescue brought, and we have bean working with Chihuahua Rescue the last week or so to find a resolution that could be agreed upon and protect the public plus also put those Chihuahuas into a situation where they can be adopted out or rehabilitated or housed without any of them having to be put to sleep.
So, I think ultimately everybody's working towards a resolution that doesn't include putting any of the dogs to sleep.
CALLEBS: Well, Kimi, let me start with you. How, I guess, dangerous are these dogs? I see you holding one now, but are they as violent as they are being portrayed? Dogs that simply couldn't be with people because they'll bite children become dangerous?
PECK: No. That was what the battle was over. I've been doing this for many years. This dog I'm holding on my lap was -- came from far worse conditions than the Baldwin Park dogs. He has a long way to go. No one can approach him when I'm holding him. But he eventually will end up in a wonderful home.
And I've placed over 5,000 dogs like this. So, when I heard about these dogs, you know, I -- because I have so much experience with this, I just had to fight for them.
CALLEBS: Well, I mean they look cute, harmless and such. But they grew up in horrible conditions. We're talking about crammed into pens. They were basically at times tearing each other apart. What makes you think these dogs can be safe enough to be in a family home?
PECK: Just past experience and working with them. We have dogs that were brutally abused that can be rehabilitated. These dogs were running in packs. That's true. They weren't neutered, they, weren't spayed. They were breeding. But they -- there's never been any discussion about them attacking the breeder. I don't know that she was ever bitten by any of them. We work with dogs that have bitten people, and we can cure them.
CALLEBS: Mr. Heller, I mean, we're not talking about Cujo here. These are little dogs. Do you ever feel like you're the bad guy in all this? You're out there, I guess, basically simply doing your job.
HELLER: I've never felt like the bad guy in this. From the moment Miss Peck came forward, I've been working with her to put a resolution in place that will allow the dogs to be worked with instead of put to sleep. I certainly believe that's possible. The behaviorists who have assessed them, including Miss Peck's own behaviorists, have agreed at this point, these dogs are not safe for the public and that it's quite likely that a number of them will not be safe to be released to a general family home versus a rescue situation and somebody who has experience dealing with animals.
So, you know, we're committed to working with her in trying to get these dog released to a safe environment, and then ultimately, if any of them are safe enough to be adopted by homes, certainly for them to then go to the homes.
But ultimately, I don't feel like the bad guy. I feel like I am doing everything I can to see that these dogs get the best resolution as victims of this matter, as Miss Peck.
CALLEBS: Kimi, do you believe that a lot of these dogs will never find homes?
PECK: I think that Warren Epstein, after evaluating all of them, felt that possibly three might not be able to be rehabilitated, meaning they might just have to live their lives out together without a lot of human interaction. But isn't that worth it? Wasn't that worth the fight to save the other...
CALLEBS: Is the problem here -- is the problem here puppy mills? I mean, does it come down to that?
PECK: The problem comes down first with the breeders, the puppy mills. The second problem is the animal shelters. The animal shelters are not giving these -- any of these dogs, it's not the 200 Chihuahuas. This is about all of the dogs across the country in animal shelters. Their fate is being left up to employees that don't any background and any business deciding the fate of these dogs. And this is the problem.
CALLEBS: Well, that is a question...
PECK: Something has to be done to reeducate these people. Even the current temperament testing that's being initiated into our, you know, shelters in California, well, initially their animal behaviorists said all of these dogs should be euthanized , the 140. When we brought our own animal behaviorists in, we were able to sway them the other direction.
CALLEBS: Well, it's a lot of work, and this is a lengthy topic that I'm sure that we'll come back and hear more about. Best of luck to all of you. We hope this works out to the best of everyone's satisfaction. Thanks very much to Kimi Peck with Chihuahua Rescue, as well as Steven, the L.A. deputy D.A. Thank you guys.
HELLER: Thank you, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, get out a pen and paper. If you want to help the plight of these dogs, you can call 1-818-972-9228. That number again, 818-972-9228 for more information. Or simply log on to www.chihuahuarescue.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 20, 2003 - 10:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Although Chihuahua Rescue has found them homes, the dog breeder will not be allowed to place -- the breeder is facing animal cruelty charges. For more on the fate of the Chihuahuas, we're joined by Kimi Peck with Chihuahua Rescue. Also joining us is Steven Heller. He is the L.A. County deputy district attorney, his office handling the criminal part of this story.
And Mr. Heller, I want to start with you. Before anybody portrays you to be a dog killer, this isn't something you want to do. You feel obligated at this point that you have to just pursue charges, and this is the way it's being played out. The dogs are mean, violent, and are they fit for homes?
STEVEN HELLER, L.A. COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well, Sean, certainly there is a criminal matter that's going to proceed. The dogs have been assessed several times by animal control behaviorists. They initially were assessed to be very dangerous and very dangerous to the public. They've been reassessed with behaviorists from the county, along with behaviorists that Chihuahua Rescue brought, and we have bean working with Chihuahua Rescue the last week or so to find a resolution that could be agreed upon and protect the public plus also put those Chihuahuas into a situation where they can be adopted out or rehabilitated or housed without any of them having to be put to sleep.
So, I think ultimately everybody's working towards a resolution that doesn't include putting any of the dogs to sleep.
CALLEBS: Well, Kimi, let me start with you. How, I guess, dangerous are these dogs? I see you holding one now, but are they as violent as they are being portrayed? Dogs that simply couldn't be with people because they'll bite children become dangerous?
PECK: No. That was what the battle was over. I've been doing this for many years. This dog I'm holding on my lap was -- came from far worse conditions than the Baldwin Park dogs. He has a long way to go. No one can approach him when I'm holding him. But he eventually will end up in a wonderful home.
And I've placed over 5,000 dogs like this. So, when I heard about these dogs, you know, I -- because I have so much experience with this, I just had to fight for them.
CALLEBS: Well, I mean they look cute, harmless and such. But they grew up in horrible conditions. We're talking about crammed into pens. They were basically at times tearing each other apart. What makes you think these dogs can be safe enough to be in a family home?
PECK: Just past experience and working with them. We have dogs that were brutally abused that can be rehabilitated. These dogs were running in packs. That's true. They weren't neutered, they, weren't spayed. They were breeding. But they -- there's never been any discussion about them attacking the breeder. I don't know that she was ever bitten by any of them. We work with dogs that have bitten people, and we can cure them.
CALLEBS: Mr. Heller, I mean, we're not talking about Cujo here. These are little dogs. Do you ever feel like you're the bad guy in all this? You're out there, I guess, basically simply doing your job.
HELLER: I've never felt like the bad guy in this. From the moment Miss Peck came forward, I've been working with her to put a resolution in place that will allow the dogs to be worked with instead of put to sleep. I certainly believe that's possible. The behaviorists who have assessed them, including Miss Peck's own behaviorists, have agreed at this point, these dogs are not safe for the public and that it's quite likely that a number of them will not be safe to be released to a general family home versus a rescue situation and somebody who has experience dealing with animals.
So, you know, we're committed to working with her in trying to get these dog released to a safe environment, and then ultimately, if any of them are safe enough to be adopted by homes, certainly for them to then go to the homes.
But ultimately, I don't feel like the bad guy. I feel like I am doing everything I can to see that these dogs get the best resolution as victims of this matter, as Miss Peck.
CALLEBS: Kimi, do you believe that a lot of these dogs will never find homes?
PECK: I think that Warren Epstein, after evaluating all of them, felt that possibly three might not be able to be rehabilitated, meaning they might just have to live their lives out together without a lot of human interaction. But isn't that worth it? Wasn't that worth the fight to save the other...
CALLEBS: Is the problem here -- is the problem here puppy mills? I mean, does it come down to that?
PECK: The problem comes down first with the breeders, the puppy mills. The second problem is the animal shelters. The animal shelters are not giving these -- any of these dogs, it's not the 200 Chihuahuas. This is about all of the dogs across the country in animal shelters. Their fate is being left up to employees that don't any background and any business deciding the fate of these dogs. And this is the problem.
CALLEBS: Well, that is a question...
PECK: Something has to be done to reeducate these people. Even the current temperament testing that's being initiated into our, you know, shelters in California, well, initially their animal behaviorists said all of these dogs should be euthanized , the 140. When we brought our own animal behaviorists in, we were able to sway them the other direction.
CALLEBS: Well, it's a lot of work, and this is a lengthy topic that I'm sure that we'll come back and hear more about. Best of luck to all of you. We hope this works out to the best of everyone's satisfaction. Thanks very much to Kimi Peck with Chihuahua Rescue, as well as Steven, the L.A. deputy D.A. Thank you guys.
HELLER: Thank you, Sean.
CALLEBS: OK, get out a pen and paper. If you want to help the plight of these dogs, you can call 1-818-972-9228. That number again, 818-972-9228 for more information. Or simply log on to www.chihuahuarescue.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
