Diamond & Darryl Steen
By Sloane Quealy-Miner
Darryl Steen’s family and their beloved pit bull Diamond have been featured in numerous publications since Diamond saved the family from a fire this past October.
Diamond awoke Darryl Steen, the single father of two with persistent barking early on October 24, 2010. Mr. Steen immediately realized his house was engulfed in flames. He was able to drop his youngest daughter out of a window to safety but his eldest daughter was scared and was hiding under a mattress. Darryl was not able to get to her. However, Diamond, their loving and loyal pitbull sat on top of the mattress protecting Steen’s eldest daughter from flames until rescuers arrived. In the process of protecting her family Diamond suffered burns over 30 percent of her body. Diamond has been hailed a hero and for her heroic efforts, Diamond was a finalist in the HSUS Fourth Annual Dogs of Valor Awards.
Well the story is not over. The Steen family cannot find any apartment rentals in Hayward, CA because Diamond is a pit bull . The property management companies as well as their insurance carriers are clearly ignorant and do not understand that aggression is a dog issue, not a breed issue. The Steen family will not abandon Diamond, she is part of their family, and she is the reason they are alive today.
CALL TO ACTION!
If you know of anyone with a rental property for Mr. Darryl Steen, his two daughters and their beloved hero pit bull Diamond in Hayward, CA please call Mr. Steen at 510-688-3707.
Diamond is a perfect example of what bully breed guardians face when trying to find homes. This kind of discrimination directly causes the deaths of countless well adjusted animals because community members cannot adopt them due to breedist pet policies. Property management companies need to do the right thing and get insurance from carriers that do not have breed specific policies. Not doing this results in many dogs being killed at shelters. Enough is enough, Speak out against breedism!
Please let some of the ignorant management companies in Hayward, CA know that their pet policies are killing animals! Send courteous and informative emails to the following : jcarro@breproperties.com; kgrani@breproperties.com; aghatala@breproperties.com;cmoore@breproperties.com; reception@felson.com; info@marcotteproperties.com;courtyard@vasonamanagement.com;
manager@amadorapts.com; glenoaks@vasonamanagement.com; paseogardens@vasonamanagement.com;john@aapexpm.com;mikecarlson9@comcast.net
Breed restrictions in Hayward, CA at management companies I contacted
Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Chow, Dalmatian,Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Husky, Pit Bull Terriers*, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard,and Wolf Dog Hybrids. *(including all Pit Bull breeds u2013 American Pit Bull Terriers, American or IrishStaffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Pit Bulls, American Bull Dogs, and Presa Canario)
OR
Dogs under 20lbs only, if allowed at all
BRE PROPERTIES
jcarro@breproperties.com
kgrani@breproperties.com
aghatala@breproperties.com
cmoore@breproperties.com
FELSON PROPERTIES
reception@felson.com
MARCOTTE PROPERTIES
info@marcotteproperties.com
VASONA MANAGEMENT (the person I spoke to hung up on me when I start questioning pet policy)
courtyard@vasonamanagement.com
manager@amadorapts.com
glenoaks@vasonamanagement.com
paseogardens@vasonamanagement.com
AAPEX MANAGEMENT
john@aapexpm.com
mikecarlson9@comcast.net
ALL BAY MANAGEMENT - (I was repeatedly told that pitbulls are aggressive when I questioned policy)
info@allbaymanagement.com
hard to educate stupid people i remember this dog very well i Donated to them
this is discusting
Thank you Iris for helping this family. It is a devastating situation for the Steen family as well as the countless other innocent victims of ignorance not only in Hayward, CA but throughout the United States.
Sloane
An excellent example of a wonderful dog doing a good deed, but still being classified as a dangerous/vicious dog, simply because of her “skin color”, her breed!! It’s racism – simple as that. Because some Pit Bulls are used by HUMANS to fight until they die, doesn’t mean that every Pit Bull is a fighter! And even 95% of the Pits that were taken from the Michael Vick compound were re-homed in no time, because they were excellent, loving, gentle dogs!!! People need to wake the hell up and realize that the dogs would never choose a life of fighting and aggression – WE make them that way, and then punish their whole breed for it! It’s sick, and extremely stupid and hypocritical of us! Put restrictions on who can own dogs in general! If you’ve abused pets in the past, you are henceforth banned from owning any pets — and if we find you with a pet, you can stay in jail for 10 years. How about that?
Diamond IS a hero, and I hope she can stay with her family (Darryl and his kids) until she’s very very old, and ready to pass on. She obviously loves them very much, and I hope they can find a happy place where they can all live peacefully, away from the Pit-hating mongrels that our society has generated. Great job Diamond! Good girl, you’re loved and appreciated!!
I can’t believe this is happenin to this family nd there bully who is a hero,bsl u nd everyone who is treatin this family nd diamond so wrong!!!!DIAMOND you are loved comin from a pit owner u are wonderful and special nd it shows ,i saw the heart on the underside of ur bottom jaw nd i couldn’t stop smilin u r special just like ur family i hope u are able to stay with ur family forever nd ever you are appreciated and loved you are A HERO ND A LOVIN ANIMAL . GREAT JOB SWEETHEART.
Yes, this is another example of where 1 bad apple spoils the bushel. If the courts weren’t so full of other criminals (rape, drugs, assault, murder) – then the SPCA & other facilities would be able to bring those who teach the dogs to fight and breed them to be aggressive to justice. Again – punish the deed not the breed. I really wish that the different human organizations had the resources to charge more people who abuse the animals they have in their care.
Diamond – I know that all of this publicity will help your pack find a new home to live – where you can stay with them – with the pack that you know and love. Kudos to your pack for not taking the easy road out and just giving you up when they couldn’t easily find a new place to live.