Gage the Pitbull

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Gage's Story, written by Britt Burke

March 12, 2008 was a cool morning (45 degrees) as I drank my coffee on the way to work. Peaceful and calm, with what should have been a great day. The phone rang and my world exploded. My wife was babbling and screaming incoherently on the phone “Gage is dead” he has been shot. She had just watched our son bleed to death in her arms.
Where to start? Gage came into our life seven years ago. Newly married and having almost grown children from previous marriages we decided to get a dog. We were deploying overseas and I work nights mostly so I wanted a decent size dog. So Gage came into our lives. Gage was not what most people think of as a (typical Pitt Bull). He loved every one; cats, puppies, and kids he made friends easy. He would endure great pain from a small kid and not get upset.


Gage was about two months old when we moved to the Azore Islands in Portugal. We worked hard at teaching him proper social skills. We made sure he knew what no was and always had him in large groups so he would be used to being around people. A stranger was never a stranger as long as he knew we approved. He was taught what his boundaries were, where he could and could not go. The house in the AZORES had a three foot high wall and didn’t have a gate at the driveway.Gage never left the yard unless he was told he could. By the time he was six months old I knew my family was safe while I was at the base.
Gage traveled the world with us, he was loved everywhere he went. Gage was an adopted brother to my troops and companion to my friends when they were lonely. The cable guy even loved him. He was loved by everyone who knew him except one person, my neighbor.


Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who had a tree cut across my chainlink fence and did not fix it. Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who asked for permission and I had allowed to keep his boat on my property because he did not have access to the lake. Ray Stanfill, the neighbor who asked for permission and I let build a small fishing pier on my land. Ray Stanfill, was overheard by my brother in-law, taunting Gage and telling him (Gage) he was going to shoot him if he did not stop barking. Mr.Stanfill’s "STORY" for the day he murdered Gage was he had seen a snake on his property and went to get his shotgun to shoot it. Keep in mind it was 45 degrees and snakes are cold blooded. On the way to shoot the snake Gage jumped the fence into his yard and then jumped back into our yard. He thought Gage was going to jump back into his yard so he killed him. His "STORY" was not true and the police even knew His statements were false “Sorry I had to shoot your dog.” In the seven years Gage was on this earth he never bit anyone, never even tried. He was only out side for a few minutes a day to use the bathroom.


My wife was at the back of the house, the dogs were not barking, when she heard a loud noise come from the back yard and went to check on the dogs. The little ones, Yorkshire Terriers, were at the door nervous and scared wanting back inside, but Gage was not there. She called for him, but for the first time in his life he did not obey. He couldn’t he was dying.
Looking at the crime scene Gage was dead on our side of the fence, shot through the neck, collar blown off, and blood everywhere. He died almost instantly and bled out on the spot from a one inch hole in his neck. He was shot at close quarters; the shotgun wadding did not separate from the shot before it entered Gage. Gage was burned from the blast. The fence was not hit from the blast. The only angle the wounds could have been made were for Gage to be standing, all four paws on the ground, and Mr. Stanfill kneeling at the fence and sticking the barrel of his shotgun through the fence and firing into my yard, into Gage. There were suspicious marks on the back side of his collar that lead me to believe either before or after Mr. Stanfill shot him he tried to pull Gage over the fence. No one gets that close to an animal they are scared of, they would shoot from a distance. The Sheriff’s Office issued Mr. Stanfill a summons for Animal Cruelty and told him to get his boat and pier off my property.


The rest off the 12th was a blur spent building a coffin, digging a grave, and laying him to rest. We answered over one hundred phone calls as the word spread to former troops and friend in far off places. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the lovable goofball that was always the center of attention. There was a lot of anger and tears all over the world. A lot for a dog, especially a vicious one, but Gage was no ordinary dog. He defiantly was not vicious.

To add insult to injury, Mr. Stanfill now claims he owns the land and will not move the boat or pier from my property. The sheriff is unable to do anything about the property dispute because they cannot decide the lines without a court order. The legal deed shows none of his property comes close to the lake. If I remove the items from my property I could be at fault. He is going to tie this up in legal fees that I can’t afford.


I have warned the neighbors on the other side of Mr. Stanfill to be careful. He has complained about their dogs as well. They said they have had numerous run-ins with him about their dogs.
I want him to pay for what he has done to Gage and my family. Don’t take that the wrong way I don’t want money just justice. My kids can’t sleep and my wife is a mess. My children want to move and I may have to get them counseling. What was a home is now a scary nightmare. If he will do this to an animal what would stop him from doing it to a human or child he does not like.
This morning I watched my wife let the little ones out and saw her cry at Gage’s grave. I stood there watching the scene from the backdoor not sure if they were safe to be out there. Worried about what might happen.To add insult to injury, Mr. Stanfill now claims he owns the land and will not move the boat or pier from my property. The sheriff is unable to do anything about the property dispute because they cannot decide the lines without a court order. The legal deed shows none of his property comes close to the lake. If I remove the items from my property I could be at fault. He is going to tie this up in legal fees that I can’t afford.


No one should have to live this way. No one should have to die the way Gage did.
I want Justice.



I thought Gages story was a very sad and touching one. Mostly they are only in the news for fighting.I havent posted the dirsturbing slides of his body with the hole shot through his neck. But have posted their touching tribute.

[url]"http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/justice-4-gage"[/url]

I am choked !
This idiot nieghbour needs stringing up.
I cant see how he can live with himself.
I hope he gets what he deserves and for that matter any other cruel person in this world.
There are some very evil people about.

I wish you and your family all the very best and hope that you will move on and rebuild your lives !
So sorry !

Just wondering what the punishment is that Ray Stanfill was sentenced on the 30th Sept????
Wouldnt be enough i bet!

Just answered my own above question, found this on http://aspcacommunity.ning.com/profiles/blogs/658300:BlogPost:693808

Thought others might be interested.......



Today is the day we have all been waiting for...On March 12, 2008, Ray Stanfill took it upon himself to be Gage's Judge, Jury and Executioner and I mean that literally..

Over the next 6 months me and Shana spent countless hours every day talking on the phone. I shared my story of Rayne with her and we cried together so many times I can not count..So many days and nights I wished I wasn’t over 1,000 miles from her because I just wanted to hold her and tell her “We are going to get through this.. At the time I didn’t know how we were going to but my heart was leading me at this point and I wasn’t going to walk away from her

I grew to love Gage as soon as I saw his beautiful pictures.. From the first day I saw him he stole a huge piece of my heart...He wasn’t a dog someone got for protection that was thrown in the backyard to live..Gage was a dog that went trick-or-treating, sporting his Superman costume. He was a dog that the “other GOOD” neighbor would “borrow” for companionship when her husband had to go out of town..And more importantly, Gage was the center of the Burke family...

I have spent hours crying after talking with Shana, wishing that I could turn the clock back and bring Gage back. Gage never knew anything but love in the seven years that he was on this earthHe lived and slept with kittens, bunnies and never showed an ounce of aggression...And he returned that love times a hundred...These were very responsible and loving owners and what happened to them and Gage is just wrong on every level. Ray Stanfill not only took Gage from them, he also took their freedom. Until the day that Ray moved, Shana was terrified to let her other dogs outside The family was scared for themselves as well. They felt like prisoners in their own home.. This is something that no one can fix..No one can bring their 'security' back. No man should have that power, but this man did...And to this date we are all still asking “WHY'?

We only know that Ray disliked Gage, but never thought in a million years that he was capable of such a heartless and brutal crime.

Well today, Ray Stanfill stood before his JUDGE and below is the outcome

1) 6 Months Jailtime Suspened (see #20

2) Ordered to 180 Consecutive days (8 hour days).. of community Service at
The Bossier County Animal Control Center- Very Closely monitored by staff!!!!

3) 2 Years Active Probation

4) He can not commit any criminal acts in the future

5) Ordered to pay $1,000 + Court Cost to Courts

6) Ordered to pay Gage's Family $1,000 (the maximum allowed

7) Ordered to pay his probabation officer $55.00 a month for the entire 2 years that he is on probation

In talking to Shana., we both agree that based on the maximum sentence that Ray could get (6 months in jail) we are satisfied with the Judges decision....As some may know, anytime a person is sentenced to less than a year in jail they are contained at a County Jail and basically it would be a bed, food, tv, playing cards.. etc......etc.........etc..... BUT taking that 6 months maximum sentence and turning it into a full 6 months of Community Service at an Animal Shelter (to us) is more of a punishment to Ray than Jail would have been as we all know Ray hates animals and now he is FORCED to clean out their cages.. and mop the floors and look at these animals for 6 months!..!!!! One can hope that this will help Ray see the horrible crime that he committed and how wrong it was but I don't have much hope for this man..

The best part of todays Verdict is that the Judge told Ray what a scum he was and how his actions that day has affected Gage's family forever..(..Just a little behind the scene info: Gage's entir..e family and I were asked by the Judge to each write a letter of how Gage's death has affected our lives..) And let me tell you, we all got together and our Impact letters put us all to tears and they really got to the Judge and he made this very aware to MR. STANFILL! The courtroom was full when Ray was Sentenced and the Judge gave him hell..When he ordered Ray to pay Gage's family the $1,000.00, he reminded Mr. Stanfill that this $1,000.00 is on top of the amount that he will be ordered to pay the Burkes when the Civil Trial comes to court.! (Yes, we have another Trial to go through thanks to Ray Stanfill suing the Burkes for 'Defamantion of Character'.) Excuse me, but who ruined who's character??? I swear this man is MENTAL and very unstable..AND IGNORANT!

So.all in all we are satisfied with todays Verdict..And Gage baby, you have made your mark on this world and on some many peoples hearts...And we are not done yet..

Thanks for everyones AWESOME support..


Gage, you will forever live on through the hearts of many...Your beautiful life and tragic, senseless death is what gives your wonderful family the strength to fight..And we have only begun our fight Gage...Your death has touched and changed my life forever and I will forever be by your families side, fighting to change the laws and help people realize how precious our animals lives are to us..

I love you so much Gage...Your are now safe and from this crazy world and I promise you that I will look after your family..I will be there for your mommie forever.



With Heartfelt Love,
Sherry

thank god hes been done, although i think he's got off

really lightly, the nutter

Maybe now Gage can be at peace and also peace to his family

although i think thats of little concequence to them

You have done the right thing, well done , RIP Gage run free, your family will

always love you, you have touched many hearts, god bless

I really hate people sometimes! Far too much evil in this world.

Im glad that Gage's family have gotten some Justice, but im sure it is bitter sweet.

Poor Gage

just watched the video and read all the threads ...poor poor gage....

I am truely sorry for your loss!!!

I feel your pain..... deep inside

that whole story is just so sad.
run free gage.

horrid horrid people that exist in this world....karma - hope he gets whats coming to him.

I also believe in Karma, lets hope it works

I've got family that can take care of that neighbor if needed...seriously! Karma will get him one way or another. my heart is breaking just thinking about this happening to Hemi! I'm so sorry this happened and my prayers and thoughts are with Gage's family. He was clearly loved!

wahhh i only watched the first 5 seconds of your video before i broke down in tears.im so sorry your georgeous dogs life was ended by a cruel,evil b%st&rd. r.i.p gage xxx

Untamed wrote:Wow! I was so touched! God bless you, I know how difficult it is to loose your dog. I cried when I read your story, and watched the video. I don’t know what to say really. Words seemed to be empty, and human language is not good enough to describe how much I feel your pain…Well, he was loved by your family, and that is the most important. When I looked at the pictures of Gage, I think I have a pit bull, not a staffy, as I thought before.
Here is a pic of my Ralphie. What do you think? Is he a pit bull? He is also so sweet, loves everybody, cats, people, children...

thats a beautiful pitbull

im so so sorry for your loss of a really beautiful dog,

i cant believe your story, its sickening to read,

well i know one thing your beautiful boy had loving parents, and looked like he never lost love,

may your boy be happy in heaven with all his new friends,

so sorry again,
crying so much kelly here is a for your boy x