July 14, 2009
"Walk for Peace" Honors Slain Man
In saving his dogs from dogfighting, Julius Burdine lost his own life
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Julius Burdine considered his pit bulls friends, not fighters. The HSUS
On June 27, faith-based leaders, their congregations and community members of the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago gathered at the 7800 block of Ada Street to take part in the second Englewood Walk for Peace.
Marchers distributed reward posters from The Humane Society of the United States encouraging community members to report dogfighting and receive a reward of up to $5,000 for the arrest and conviction of a dogfighter.
This event was organized to honor Julius Birdine, a man who was killed for not allowing his pit bulls to be used for dogfighting, and to denounce violence in Chicago. Walk organizers were Joyce Birdine, Julius' mother; James Duke of the Liberation Christian Center; the Clergy Committed to Change organization and Tio Hardiman, special consultant to The Humane Society of the United States' End Dogfighting in Chicago campaign.
"When you consider the huge number of violent acts committed against people, it can seem easy to overlook violence against animals," Hardiman said. "We join with the Englewood community to denounce all forms of violence."
