Dog behind the ‘Gucci Law’ dies
Daniel Giles/File Gucci poses with owner, Doug James, who rescued the chow after he was set on fire by a group of children in Mobile in 1994. Gucci died at age 16
By Bernie Delinski – Staff Writer
March 25, 2010
Gucci, the dog Florence native Doug James rescued from torture who went on to become the namesake of a state law that makes animal abuse a felony, died March 24th.
James said he made the difficult decision to euthanize the dog, who recently turned 16.
“I had dreaded it, and put if off for two or three days,” said James, who lives in Mobile. “His kidneys were failing him.”
In the final days, Gucci reached the point he couldn’t control his kidneys and was unable to walk freely. He began losing clumps of fur.
“I finally thought, it’s just not dignified for him,” James said. “This was too much for him. He didn’t deserve to go through this.”
James caught some youths torturing the chow-husky mix one night in 1994. The youths hanged the dog by his neck and set him on fire.
Word about the cruelty spread and started a campaign for animal rights that resulted in the Pet Protection Act, better known as the “Gucci Law,” in Alabama.
The act was made official May 19, 2000 – the sixth anniversary of the attack – with Gucci present when then-Gov. Don Siegelman signed it. It makes intentional animal cruelty a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Gucci became a celebrity, making countless appearances at schools and pet organizations. He also was on “The Maury Povich Show” and “Inside Edition” and played “Sandy” in Mobile theatrical productions of “Little Orphan Annie.”
“We’d go places – this is no lie – and people would yell, ‘Hey, there’s Gucci’ and they wouldn’t have any idea who I was,” James said.
At the time of his abuse, Gucci was owned by a teenage girl who wasn’t able to care for him, so she gave him to James the night of the torture incident.
James planned to take him to a veterinarian the next day. “I said, ‘I’ll take him in the morning’, and my thought was, ‘I’ll take him if he lives through the night,’ ” he recalled.
The dog lived through the pain, never howling, and always remaining friendly toward people.
“He never complained. That’s amazing because I know it hurt,” James said.
“I called him ‘my little Marine dog,’ because he never complained. He was tough.”
Through treatments, Gucci returned to health and lived a long and happy life, his owner said.
He also left a legacy for his fellow animals in this state.
“Because of Gucci, animals do have rights in Alabama, thanks to the Gucci Law,” James said. “That’s his legacy. It’s a felony, and abusers can go to prison for it.”
A street leading to the Mobile Animal Shelter is named Gucci Lane in the dog’s honor. James said a local landscaper has plans for a memorial garden for animals’ ashes on Gucci Lane.
Gucci’s ashes will be the centerpiece, he said. “Gucci had been such a good dog,” James said. “He had his life. He was the perfect dog.”
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A fallen GI’s military dog started new life
Bo, a 2-year-old black Labrador, worked with Staff Sgt. Donald Tabb, 29, of the Military Working Dog section, 6th Military Police Detachment, 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, Fort Rucker, Alabama. Tabb, serving his fourth deployment with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan, died February 5, 2008, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Bo, though wounded in the explosion, survived and has since been adopted by Tabb’s family.
Tabb’s brother Willie Smith had to fight back fought back tears two months later, as he officially received the dog. “I just want to say, having Bo means a great deal to myself and my family,” he said.
“Mr. Smith, today you’ve agreed to take Bo into your home to be part of your family,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Timmins, kennel master with the 6th Military Police Detachment. “You’re not just receiving a pet today. Bo is an outstanding soldier, and he served his country with distinction.”
“It’s impossible to spend two minutes with this dog without smiling at least once,” Timmins said. Of Tabb, Timmins added, “The one constant thing he would always tell me is how much everybody loved Bo. And I wholeheartedly believe that a dog takes on a personality of its handler … because everyone who knew Sgt. Tabb loved him too.”
Traditionally, a military working dog outranks the handler by one grade. Bo was officially retired as master sergeant. Tabb, an Atlanta native, was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class at a ceremony at the Gwinnett County Fallen Heroes Memorial.
The story of Bo, Sergeant Tabb, and Tabb’s brother Willie Smith was reported by CNN, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Atlanta NBC affiliate.
National Canine Research Council