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Photo: Woodreaux
For several months local rescuers have been trying to help a stray dog who has taken up residence behind the Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church at Midway and Northwest Highway. The pastor hasn't been happy about the dog being there and he's made that clear. He claims the dog is aggressive to parishioners but not one person had yet come forward to substantiate that claim. Instead those who have seen the dog describe him as forlorn, shy and occasionally curious - but never threatening.
On several occasions the Pastor has called Dallas Animal Services demanding they catch and remove the dog. And they've tried - repeatedly - even resorting to using a tranquilizer gun at one point. But the dog always eludes them. Rescuers have worked teamed up with animal services as well and tried coaxing, cajoling, herding and even trapping the dog to no avail. They're hoping that with time he'll warm up to his caretakers or get comfortable enough with his feeding schedule that he can be humanely trapped. They've kept the pastor updated on their progress and done everything in their power to appease him.
Rescuers say that up until now the pastor has been impatient, ungrateful, demanding and downright rude. Even so, they've continued to politely ask for his patience and understanding and attempted to reassure him and reason with him. But today he confronted one of the dog's guardian angels - a 70-year old woman - and told her that if she feeds him again, or even comes to check on him, he will have her arrested for trespassing on the Church's property. He also told her that he is hiring someone to shoot the dog. He then phoned another of the dog's guardians and reiterated his threat, adding that he wished the dog would get hit by a car so he wouldn't have to pay someone to kill it.
The women are understandably distraught and local rescuers are calling on the Methodist Church to intervene. They want the pastor pressured to allow them to continue their efforts to save the dog, or they want him replaced immediately with someone more compassionate and kind who understands and respects all of God's creatures. In addition, they've started a letter-writing campaign and a Facebook campaign. They're calling on the local media to help, asking Dallas residents to contact the City Council representative for the area, and planning Sunday morning protests outside the Church to let parishioners know what their pastor is doing and how he intends to spend their money.
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Comments
Clearly, this dude needs a long vacation. Timberlawn comes to mind.
I think Jesus has taken the form of a dog to test the man and looks like he is failing-big time.
Considering the pastor's mindset regarding the dog and its would-be rescuers, I think that any attempt to contact him directly would be like watering a dead plant.
I looked up the United Methodist Church online and found that regional "jurisdictions" exist. Texas is in the South Central Jurisdiction.
Here's the contact information for the Church's South Central Jurisdiction:
Rev Dr David L Severe (unfortunate surname, don't you think?)
Director of Mission and Administration
Phone: (405) 202-9846
Fax: (405) 208-5612
Email: scjumc@okcu.edu
Animal Control can catch this dog with a tranquillizer dart. They need to bring two darts...one for the dog and the other one for the Pastor so he can be put away somewhere before he hurts somebody.
Rebecca, thanks for posting this article.
Melina, thanks for digging up that info - you saved me some time.
I'll write this guy's boss and explain what God feels in cases like this. Apparently, this 'pastor' hasn't read the bible. If he has, it's time for a refresher course.
I sure hope all your readers in the DFW area can let this lunatic know his behavior will not be tolerated.
Can I get an AMEN?
I have written my letters. It is against the law to shoot a dog in Texas. What a disgrace of a leader of men this pastor is.
"Pastor" (and I use that title in jest)Joseph Stabile,
If I hang around your so called "church" for too long, are you going to hire someone to shoot me too?
You are one unbelievable dude and I hope you are put out on the street yourself. You most certainly don't belong behind a pulpit.
You could have used the presence of the dog, a lone forlorn creature, forgotten by man to teach many lessons and maybe learn something about love and compassion yourself. But you chose to be "bitter, rather than better."
Shame on you.
If you believe in God don't spend you time in churches - spend you time helping the aged, children, animales - those in need. Churches, lika some of the large animal groups, are money making businesses - look closely at them as to the money they take in and what they do with it - look at their results or lack thereof.
AMEN....to Elise Bissell's comment!
What church is this again? The Church of HELL?
I like Pat's idea...
Get the tranquilizer gun and shoot him. When he wakes up, HE can be in an "impound" and may or may not get food/water.
May or may not get kennel cough.
May or may not get adopted......If not, dont worry - With any luck, you will get put down by lethal injection instead of GASSING!!!
Anybody got the link to the Facebook campaign to save this dog?
You people talk about God and the Bible. You obviously know nothing of either. Maybe try reading the Old Testament with slavery, genecide, and plenty of assasinations of "people". All of which was ordained by God. You might also want to tie that in with the New Testament where "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever". Finally, you might want to read about how God HATES self-righeousness which most of your comments are full of. I don't condone this mans actions, I also don't condone the rescurers. The liabiblity of this church and pastor is on the line. If this dog bit or bothered someone, the church and pastored can be sued. Try taking a balanced look at things before you people condemn and judge this man. For with the measure that ye mete out your judgement, so shall ye recieve.
By the sound of it, you probably are a wholehearted supporter of the Old Testament practices of slavery, genocide (yeah, you misspelled it) and assassinations (don't you know you just make an ass out of yourself when you misspell assassination?). I know this is Texas, but please, dictionary.com is just a click away. When you rant about your silly fairy tales, at least spell the words correctly!
This is why I don't practice any form of organized religion. People like this in positions of power in a religious organization think that the power and will of their god is always behind them and they can do whatever they want. This includes threatening community members and cruelty to animals. That person is a horrible human being with hate in his heart. That poor dog is probably scared and lost. That man had horribly failed his compassion test from his god in my opinion. Wonder what his big man will have to say about that.
@Melina - thanks for that info. I couldn't find it.
@Pat - they've tried a tranquilizer gun but once an animal is shot, there is a short period where adrenalin kicks in and each time the dog has taken off and disappeared before the tranquilizer takes hold. It can be very dangerous for the dog if the tranquilizer kicks in when he's in a vulnerable area.
@no one - you have the right to your opinion, but I wonder why you feel comfortable quoting the Bible but not leaving your name.
There is no Facebook page yet - if anyone can volunteer to set one up, please contact me so I can put you in touch with the rescuers. info@companionsforlife.org
I find this whole situation horrible. Hopefully they can catch him soon and get him away from that pastor. He could've turned the situation into a great lesson about compassion and giving but instead this happens.
@no one
First, the church's reputation is getting ruined right now by his actions. Second, if a stray dog bites someone on a property where the individual or company has already called animal services and made a noticeable effort to remove the dog, there is no way a case like that would stand up in court. I believe the Methodist church has lawyers for situations like this that would take care of it.
Is it at all surprising to anyone that a pastor for the same "Christian" denomination which sanctions and legitimizes the killing of human beings under the guise of "choice" has no qualms about dispatching a similarly-defenseless, helpless animal? As animal welfare and no-kill advocate Nathan Winograd aptly points out, without the right to life, all other rights are rendered meaningless -- regardless of species.
Thank you Melinda for the information you posted.
(Here's the contact information for the Church's South Central Jurisdiction:
Rev Dr David L Severe Director of Mission and Administration
Phone: (405) 202-9846
Fax: (405) 208-5612
Email: scjumc@okcu.edu )
I also see that they have a facebook page. I hope that those outside of the local area also contact the city of Dallas as well as the church to let them know that the world is watching how they handle this situation.
1. stop the feeding.
2. if the dog is threatening, record it, show it to the police.
3 SEC. 7-2.8. KILLING OR EUTHANASIA OF ANIMALS.
(a) The director or chief of police is authorized to kill by appropriate and available means an animal that poses an imminent danger to a person or another animal and a real or apparent necessity exists for destruction of the animal.
4. Don't publish heresay as quotes, quote the person so there is a pathway for accountability via slander or libel, which ever is appropriate to internet publishing.
Lawsuit or accountability threats? Threats to older persons, threats of death to the animal? So sad!
Everyone wants the same main objective. To remove the dog. Why can't animal control, the pastor and interested parties sit down together to form an agreeable plan?
What if the lady stops feeding, the city place traps with the agreement that volunteers (that were going to picket?) are to check the traps hourly?
Working against each other and no one will win.
Working together and everyone may get an acceptable outcome.
Lawsuit or accountability threats? Threats to older persons, threats of death to the animal? So sad!
Everyone wants the same main objective. To remove the dog. Why can't animal control, the pastor and interested parties sit down together to form an agreeable plan?
What if the lady stops feeding, the city place traps with the agreement that volunteers (that were going to picket?) are to check the traps hourly?
Working against each other and no one will win.
Working together and everyone may get an acceptable outcome.
It is hard to believe that a "Pastor" would behave this way. He should be removed immediately. Clearly, he has no compassion in his heart. I will call and e-mail to help this poor dog. I ran into this tyoe of behavior when I tried to take care of feral cats living in a restaurant parking lot but cannot believe this is happening on church propery where there should be kindness and compassion toward all creatures. What a JERK!
This is disturbing on many levels. If no one has actually reported the dog to be aggressive, then this probably isn't a liability issue for the property owner. Feeding the dog and getting him in a routine is the most efficient way to catch him. I've known of people spending 3-4 months before they have been able to capture a street-wise stray like this, and it is unrealistic to expect immediate results in this case.
These are the kind of stories that really make you hate Christians! I mean - SO MANY of them are like this about animals, other people, other races .... How can those church members(assuming they abide by the teachings of Jesus) want that man being their pastor. Are they sickos too?
How can someone who is supposedly doing God's work be so inhumane and want to shoot a dog? Even if the dog has been threatening, which it sounds like he hasn't, there are much better ways to deal with this situation like the tranquiler idea.
If this is the way he shows his congregation how to appreciate what God created, he's in the wrong business. He should be removed from his position. Isn't there a commandement that says, Thou shall not kill? I would think if he would shoot a poor dog, what else would he shoot that he didn't like. If I went to this church, I would be finding somewhere else to worship. He is not setting a good example especially for kids that might abuse an animal.
How quick does everyone come to judge another human being. Have you thought to ask yourself if this lady is being truthful? How likely is it that a minister of a church would wish harm on an animal. Not likely and I know Pastor Stabile and I know the truth behind this story. Pastor Stabile DID NOT say he wished the dog was dead. He simply wants to move the dog to a safe environment where the dog cannot scare church parishioners. I would ask you to ask the lady reporting this what her motives are in lying to the media. Pastor Stabile is the most kind, loving person I know and he is caring for his church. His attempt at moving the dog was for both the safety of the parishioners and the dog.
So far, it has been suggested that this pastor is a lunatic, hasn't read the bible, should be fired and shot. I love animals as much as anyone but I'd like to hear the other side. The perspective of those who contributed to this article is clear; however, maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge this man and the congregation without hearing what they have to say?
Pastor Stabile is a kind and gentle man. How quick we are to judge and condemn him based on hearsay and only one side of the story. We understand from very credible resources that the lady in this article is not being truthful. It is true that there is a wild dog on the church premises and some ... See Moreparishioners are afraid of the dog. It is also true that he asked this lady to stop feeding the dog; not to hurt the dog but to encourage the dog to move on to another location. He never wished ill will on the dog as she portrays in the attached article. Pastor Stabile was simply caring for this church congregation. I would recommend we take a few steps back and consider the source of this article. What is her motive for seeking the media? To save the dog or to cause harm to both the dog and a decent person serving God. Remember, you have only read one side of the story. The article states that Pastor Stabile confronted one of the dog's guardian angels today. He was not even in town.
I to am a dog lover...have 3 rescued dogs in my house. (plus 2 rescued cats) I also am a friend of Pastor Stabile and the church. I find it very sad that such hateful remarks are being made from those that don't even know the truth...why don't you get all the facts before you judge him. You can also start by getting your facts straight....Pastor Stabile was out of town today and not able to make the remarks that he is quoted as saying. Maybe one of you can help the dog and the church by finding a humane way to move the dog to a safe place.
I too am an animal lover and believe in loving and caring for "all" of God's creations. This article presents only one side of the story. I would question the credibility of this media source that only presents one side of the story. I have attended Cochran Chapel United Methodist church. I understand both concerns...the safety of church attendees and the safety of the dog. I also know that what the lady states in this article is absolutely untrue. Pastor Stabile did not say what she is stating. We need to be careful to NOT defame an individual until you get all of the facts.
That dog is so scary! He has charged my car on numerous occasions, and I have been afraid to get my kids out of the car when he is near. I love animals, but this dog has got to go!
These are the kind of stories that really make you hate Christians! I mean - SO MANY of them are like this about animals, other people, other races .... How can those church members(assuming they abide by the teachings of Jesus) want that man being their pastor. Are they sickos too?
Matthew 7: 1-2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. Everyone. Please read aloud what you are typing. How full of hate are you for a person you don't even know. And you have only this lady's side of the story. SHAME ON YOU.
I to am a dog lover...have 3 rescued dogs in my house. (plus 2 rescued cats) I also am a friend of Pastor Stabile and the church. I find it very sad that such hateful remarks are being made from those that don't even know the truth...why don't you get all the facts before you judge him. You can also start by getting your facts straight....Pastor Stabile was out of town today and not able to make the remarks that he is quoted as saying. Maybe one of you can help the dog and the church by finding a humane way to move the dog to a safe place.
Thanks to all who are asking for a balanced view on this story!
Was this pastor in his town on Sunday, July 12? If he was and he did indeed threaten the dog's guardians, it is HE who should be ASHAMED. In the end, it will be GOD and DOG who he must answer to. They will both be at heaven's gate.
We are very dedicated Cochran Chapel UMC attendees and Pastor Stabile is a loving and caring pastor. The dog is wild and frightens my children and me. We just want the dog to be moved from our property to a safe place where he/she can be cared for. There has never been an unkind word spoken to my knowledge. I am disturbed at this lady who would speak untruths.
To everyone pointing out that "today he was out of town"... This article was posted yesterday. "Today" in the article is Monday. So that doesn't disprove the remarks.
Sunday was July 11th. The article was written on July 12th and references that the pastor made the comments to the lady on July 12th. The article is one sided and untrue.
Katie, you state "To everyone pointing out that "today he was out of town"... This article was posted yesterday. "Today" in the article is Monday. So that doesn't disprove the remarks.".
It does disprove the article's remarks as the pastor was not in Dallas Monday either.
Why is it so easy to believe the bad versus believe the good? I just wanted everyone to realize that the pastor did not make these comments.
@Kristian - the dog does like to bark at cars (like Marmaduke in the cartoons - but he is not a mean dog. He is a afraid of people - not cars. We would like him to go away as well, just in a different way. We would like to have him captured and placed with a loving home versus the church that wants him to go away by killing him.
Matthew 7: 1-2 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. Everyone. Please read aloud what you are typing. How full of hate are you for a person you don't even know. And you have only this lady's side of the story. SHAME ON YOU.
Katie, you state "To everyone pointing out that "today he was out of town"... This article was posted yesterday. "Today" in the article is Monday. So that doesn't disprove the remarks.".
It does disprove the article's remarks as the pastor was not in Dallas Monday either.
Why is it so easy to believe the bad versus believe the good? I just wanted everyone to realize that the pastor did not make these comments.
Mary and Margaret, I am sure the pastor is very nice to you, probably as he has his hand open to take your contributions. Moreover, in front of his congregation, he knows better than to act badly. But, I can assure you, I know one of the women he spoke to, when his congregation was not there, and he in fact was not nice and said some rather un Christian things. I have seen the dog, I have seen it run alongside cars and bark at them, but I have not seen it run at a person. It has never run at me, in fact, it runs away. If the Pastor really were a good guy, he had the contact info of one of the women, he could have been nice to her (used persuasion and other people skills that a pastor is supposed to have) and said "we've got to make more progress, what can the Church do to help". No, he threatened to have the dog shot. You can say you don't believe it, but it does not make it true that he didn't say it.
Shooting a dog and being rude to people are not "christian" acts. He may be a nice guy who doesn't like animals ,but you must lead by example, what sort of example is this?
I have tried all three email addresses given in this article, but none of them works. As a Christian, Methodist and compassionate human being I am horrified by the Pastor's attitude to the little dog. How can he treat one of God's creatures so?
Pat, I wholeheartedly agree with you. The responses from congregation members are just as one-sided as the author of the article. I don't know what the absolute truth is in the story, but bias exists on both sides. What a pastor does when the congregation is not listening is just as important as what he does on Sunday morning in front of everyone.
If the dog bothers the church members that much, make a service project out of it and humanely catch the dog. It will be a great lesson to your children to treat ALL creatures with compassion.
I mean this in the most non-judgmental way possible: WWJD?
i know from family members who attend the church that this behavior would not surprise some of the members who have attended for the last 40 years. this minister, a former catholic priest, has shown himself to be dictatorial and self-serving. a few years ago he brought his own supporters into this lovely, historical family church who now "run" the church. the comments in support of this minister are most likely from the group of loyal followers who are in no way connected to the history or loyalty to Cochran Chapel but who follow him from church to church. whether through phone calls or personal contact, i would not be surprised that his behavior was less than appropriate.
These claims are simply not true. Why not take time to find out the real story before you post lies on the internet?
It is very irresponsible to post hearsay without first allowing the accused to comment- in media it is called a "hitjob" and that is all this is. I am familiar with the situation and the people involved and I can tell you that this article is not fair or accurate. Pastor Stabile is one of the most compassionate people that I know. He does not want harm to be brought on the dog, he just wants the dog off of the property so that it does not harm the young or old in his congregation. The dog is very aggressive, and Pastor Stabile is simply trying to protect his parishoners.
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