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According to a poster on the Brooklynian message board, around 7 a.m. today, "during the off leash dog hours, a music group was doing a photo shoot in the Long Meadow of Prospect Park. A golden retriever puppy, being naturally curious, wandered over and interrupted their photo shoot. One of the band members grabbed the puppy by its collar and kicked it." While there's no photographic evidence of the vague incident on the board, if this is true, it is our duty to find out who this band, and photographer, are. Anyone know anyone who wears vests and goes four buttons deep unbuttoning their shirt?
UPDATE: The band is called Surefire, and they haven't yet responded to our request for comment.
UPDATE II: The band's singer, Ben Rice, has responded. His full comment is after the jump, wherein he explains that there was a golden retriever, but claims they only gave its owner a hard time.
“No member of my band kicked or would ever kick a puppy or any animal for that matter. This is a case of a sad man looking to get a rise out of people and put a little excitement into his mundane life and we want nothing to do with it. A golden retriever did come over and join us while we were doing a photo shoot, as did a number of other dogs and we all enjoyed their company. Every other dog owner in the park had the common courtesy to call their dogs after their dogs had a proper chance to sniff around, while this dog owner did not.When the golden retriever wouldn’t leave we called to the dog’s owner who was standing smugly across the field asking him to call his dog at which point he came toward us shouting at us about it being off-leash hours and how the dog was a puppy, telling us to get out of the park and repeating “what are you going to do about it?” I specifically told the dog’s owner, “Yes, it’s a puppy, you’re a human being, use your brain and just call your dog.”
Someone who appeared to be the dog owner’s lackey took the photos that you see and I think they clearly demonstrate how shocked we were by the absurdity of the situation and having someone running up and putting their iPhone in your face looking for an altercation at 7am in the morning.
I hope that people who see this can understand that this has nothing to do with us or any sort of aggression towards dogs and is simply a bitter man, who knew he was in the wrong, throwing a low blow by relying on people’s responses to shock and awe type news stories trying to slander us.
Again, as a dog owner myself, I can assure you, I, and no member of my band would ever kick a dog. I hope this clears up any confusion and that we can all move on to more pressing issues.”
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KILL THEM!
If this was the case, why didn't the owner of the puppy get up in their face?
It's probably because the photographer in the left picture is Captain Jack Sparrow, and who would want to mess with him?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9fIjYnPazc
that's a classic.
dog or not, these bastard guys look like douchebags.
Thank you... so much for this. Takes me back.
Pics or it didn't happen.
Just for the record, I was in the park when all of this alledged 'puppy-kicking' happened and it is all untrue - hence the lack of photograph evidence. In addition, I happend to know the beautiful FEMALE photographer, who by the way is NOT part of the band, and she is one of the kindest people you will ever meet....good job judging a book by its cover...maybe you shouldn't live in NYC!
Why didn't the guardian kick their dirty asses. and that Skank is fugly.
I want to know who they are so I can kick their asses. Bunch of filthy delusional shitheads.
Better hope she is not a super model, she will slap you with a lawsuit for calling her a skank.
A supermodel with that fugly mug??? She looks like a throwback.
misogyny rearing it's fugly head
Asshole, learn the word, I call her fugly since she is fugly and it has nothing to do with her gender. ASSHOLE
She's probably jealous that the puppy is cuter than her.
While there's no photographic evidence of the vague incident on the board Yellow Journalism at its finest...
There are many forms of evidence such as testimonies, idiot.
Who is the real idiot here tough guy? You are getting all worked up over what someone alleged on a message board. Your reaction demonstrates a clear disdain of the female in the pictures. You don't dare call the males any derogatory names. You call her fugly, a skank and then Ronald McDonald. For what? So you can feel superior? Stick to bashing Bloomberg, you are better at that...
Asshole, don't tell me who to bash!! And I did commented on the aging guys and she is fucking ugly with bad work done on her face. If she floats your boat then good for you but stop telling me what to do bitch
You are much stupider than I gave you credit for...
Guess what I don't care what credit you give me. I just wonder why you keep responding to me when I am NO interest in you. You proved to me that you are an OLD BITTER CLOSED MINDED MAN.
Guess what I don't care what credit you give me. I just wonder why you keep responding to me when I HAVE NO interest in you. You proved to me that you are an OLD BITTER CLOSED MINDED MAN.
moron...
Ooh, bad P.R. move. Nobody likes puppy-kicking bands.
Yet if they had bitten the puppy's head off they would have become instant rock and roll legends.
This is a much more effective route towards defamation than starting a skank-blog.
This could be also a bad joke.
Without a picture, they can always claim it never happened.
Also there is quite a difference between taking a dog out of your way and kicking him.
Some dog owners let their pets lose in Central Park and then get offended why the others don't treat them with love. I love dogs, but I understand why one can be bothered by them trying to sniff their balls while the owner is busy chatting in her cell.
I have people's kids running to me in the park yet I don't kick them. WILL someone tell me who they are so I can confront them this weekend. I will scare the shit out of this aging group that can't dress their age.
Odds are 1:1 that someone is taking Gothamist for a ride and getting free press in the process.
My thoughts exactly.
agreed. this sounds like a setup (and a pretty good one at that).
Maybe we should just dig a hole, throw them down, pour some gasoline and set them on fire. We won't have to worry about "evidence" or "due process" or "throwing accusations around like a total asshole" once they are dead and gone.
Puppy kicking...so hot right now...
that's funny, I was in an elevator with a woman carrying dry cleaning, Postal box and a dog on her side and she said to kick her dog out of the way if the dog was in our way. I think it was said jokingly. but then I don't kick good doggies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qSWgYQPmnc
oooo...oooo...i wanna start my own rumor too! can i mom, can i??!
She looks like Ronald McDonald, blah
I know what band that is in the photos, but I'm not ratting anyone out unless there's some more evidence than just someone saying so.
If you look at the link they do look guilty.
http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=620014%23620014
Tell me who they are and I will post video of me trashing them.
In the internet age it's pretty easy to accuse people of everything and anything and then have the angry masses pile on, so I don't want to just post it on here. Plus, why wouldn't the dog owner get the cops involved?
if you know them, you should probably tell them this is online.
done
Tell her that she should sue her plastic surgeon because she is one old fugly dog abuser.
Cops won't do anything even if it was a person much less a doggie. This man struck me and I didn't hit him since I was civilized for once. The police responded and stated since I had no visible injury that it was not aggravated assault but harassment. So when the police left I return to the store and bitch slap him (open palm) knowing that the police wouldn't do anything in return .
Let them know that the Vegan Kung Fu Panda known as Felixthecat2 is ready to kick their asses while you are at it
Let them also know that I have a fat ass, who names himself after a fast food chain, obsessed with me.
quit thinking about my ass tough guy...
whatever loser, you are a bore.
You are still a fucking moron... That won't change.
You can't quit me, can you?
She dresses young but looks old and looks like she has a bad eye lift job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVX8Ab6Gjhk
The Name of This Band Is Puppy Kickers
Hmm, that would explain it. It's not defamation if the name of their band owns up to it.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/20070801mike.jpg
Look at that picture. Study it. Pass it on.
This man peed on my laundry while it was in the dryer. I left my laundry in the dryer and when I came back to pick it up, it was moist and smelled vaguely of urine. I heard some other ladies in the laundromat speaking Spanish. I don't know what they were saying cause I don't speak Spanish but they kept saying something like "pee." So I instantly knew that the other man in the laundromat had peed on my clothes. I ran out and saw him getting on the subway... I snuck up to him and took that photo. If you know anything about this man, please respond immediately.
exactly. good show!
That is Dicktator and he pees where and when he wants. Look at him eating, classy guy
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3821403127_31b456efab.jpg
Thank you, felixthecat2, for your help. Would you kindly provide me with Dicktator's last name? He owes me $5.75 for having to redo my laundry and a public appology. I also missed the first 4 innings of the Yankees game, so I'd also like to sure for $2.5 million in damages.
I wish I can disclose his name but he and others council members are under Federal investigation. You will know his identity when the shit hits the fan
that's liquid gold. literally, not the fetish.
Oh, I know! The Puppy Kicking band member was really the Hipster Grifter.
Real Journalistic Integrity there... if this is proven to be false information, that band should definitely sue for libel and defamation.
They can't sue since it state it references the original source and they won't sue since I am quite certain it happen. They will probably state that they lightly shove the dog away or perhaps use the common excuse that they were defending themselves from a vicious lab.
If it really did happen, tar and feather them for sure, they deserve the worst.
I just don't like pubs that pursue serious complaints like this w/ such gossip mongering fervor... I'd hope Gothamist wouldn't support heresay, gossip and character assassination without hard solid proof, it just smatters of schoolyard grudges.
This type of reporting helped catch the subway stroker when the police ignore the complaint and there was no actual picture of him masturbating. Unlike the NY post that create fictitious witness Vivian Delgado, the Gothamist states the actual source. Based on the picture and the posting, my intuition tells me it is true but of course I wouldn't go after them until i hear the whole story. I am glad that we do have shame reporting however. It sort of community policing.
She should sue her plastic surgery. I can fix her face for free.
Won't you feel like a total asshat if this turned out to be a false accusation...
band name "The Michael Vicks"
HA HA HA HA, i was thinking along those lines too, either that or they could call him and figure out how to Lie, i mean convince everyone they are now members of every animal loving cause out there..... while performing as the opening act for Barnum & Baleys
Actually, the band name is "Puppy Kicking Band." They're based in Williamsburg.
wow these guys look like loooooooosers. i would be amused to see this awful photoshoot.
All you people making comments about the appearance of the female photographer are total a-holes. She's the photographer, not one of the band members who allegedly (in a freaking message blog) kicked a dog. Give this girl a break.
If they hired Peter Jackson (yeah, longshot...but...) to shoot their music video and one of the members skinned a cat would you be ridiculing the way Peter Jackson looks?
Oh wait, this is Gothamist. Dumbasses.
Silence is Complicity
How do you know she was silent? Maybe the shoot ended there. Everything being posted is heresay and nothing is being substantiated.
I will await their response. However what would be the motivation for someone to post this unless he/she was offended by the dog abuse. And in the link, you see her laughing at the person who posted this picture.
Photos can be deceiving. Even the original poster does not identify the person in the photos who kicked the dog. Which person was it? What did the photographer do in response? Did the owner object? Was there a fight afterwards? Did anyone intervene? None of these important details have been given.
Sorry, but until we know for sure all members were complicit, including the photog, it's not really justified to smear every person in the photos.
And...why no pictures of the dog? Sounds like BS to me.
How would a picture of the lab shed any light? What does it matter how the victim looks? Per the caption, the picture was posted to identify the culprit.
Again...evidence. Who is the victim? Does a victim exist? Everyone's bashing these people as if a crime really happened, but all this hype is based on an anonymous post on the internet. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but it is entirely possible it was completely fabricated. I know it's hard to believe, but people have been known to lie on the internet.
of course but why would someone lie about kicking a dog? it is a little too far fetch and I still don't think the picture of the lab is relevant unless he had visible injuries.
Irony here is that Felix The Cat is defending the abuse of dogs. :)
I meant to say, defending the dog, not its abuse.
'Anyone know anyone who wears vests and goes four buttons deep unbuttoning their shirt?'
not I! yet, if they did commit the crime they should be thrown in jail and fined for their bad clothing attire.
PS-what a bunch of morons. a golden retriever? who doesn't love those dogs? many breeds of dogs look like they're smiling but goldens take the cake, in my opinion.
Why didn't the dog's guardian kick their ass. I would have taken my dog to a safe haven and then return to kick their ass, no kidding. How dare anyone hit someone's dog?
My friend has a term for small dogs that appear to be of the same size as a soccer ball... puntables.
Golden retrievers, whether puppy-size or not, do not qualify.
Also, everyone in those pictures needs a haircut. You're not emo/alternative/cool/different, your gross and you look vaguely like a homeless peter pan!!
This seems really fishy. In my entire life I've never seen anyone kick a puppy. I understand that a very minuscule portion of society takes pleasure in hurting animals, but this story is hard to digest.
'Puppy' is a very broad definition. More than once I've smacked someone's pitbull 'puppy' with my bike pump as I'm riding when it came chasing after me off the leash. Maybe this puppy was a year old Doberman charging at these guys?
I've had run-ins with the Prospect Park dog people, and they are 100 shades of crazy and un-reasonable, so it wouldn't surprise me if this was blown totally out of proportion. Much like this comment thread.
Felix, you need to chill the fuck out. Seriously. Chill. The. Fuck. Out.
Here are a few big boy terms to look up in the dictionary while you sit in the corner waiting for the meds to kick in:
Hearsay
Unsubstantiated accusations
Innocent until proven guilty
I call shenanigans.
The message board poster isn't even the victim, "I'm posting this for a friend." The best response to your puppy getting kicked is asking your friend to post something on a message board? Not like call the cops or punch someone? If this is true, the puppy's owner is a loser and is doomed to a life of misery, kick or no kick.
Come on. Why would someone post something on the Internet if it wasn't true?
What would be the motivation to post someone like this unless the person is from a competing band which I doubt since they look talentless.
You don't have to be in a competing band to just not like somebody. Or maybe someone had some run-in with them over something -- maybe involving a dog, maybe not -- and decided to twist the story and make them sound totally evil and wrong. Or maybe it happened exactly as the anonymous "friend" says it did.
Who knows? No one here, and that's the point.
Someone tell me who they are, my boss is annoying me with too many requests right now. I can't hang any longer.
I'll tell ya, but first you have to do the Truffle Shuffle. Actually, I won't tell you. You are way too worked up over something that you can't even prove to be true. If they kicked the dog, they deserve to be kicked back. But, who kicks a dog in a public park? Probably not some cheesy looking band. It's more likely that one of these guys tried to get the dog away from them and the dog owner went apeshit. Although, I really have no way of knowing. It just seems more likely than someone punting a dog like it was a football.
Who kicks a dog in a public park? Cowards, who think they own the park and who believe the word centers around them. Will a Ben change your mind?
It totally could have happened. It just seems fishy.
Didn't you stats above, that you knew them and notified them of this article, now it doesn't sound like the case??
I know what band it is, but don't know them personally. I e-mailed the link to this story to the e-mail address on their website. I don't know if they've read it or not. And I have no idea whether or not this incident happened.
I'm pretty sure I went to high school with that photographer person.
Never ever trust a shirt lifter. The untucked shirts are intended to hide flabby guts.
oh, Gothamist, I will lose my job one day. ugh. BYE GOTHAMIST.
If you look at your personality and moral compass through your comments you should have never been hired in the first place. And the only thing I want to know about this puppy kick is if it was a football like punt or a drop hit the ground first soccor goalie kick. Puppies are very durable animals.
I definitely saw these guys play at the Mercury Lounge some time in July. They were pretty good, but I can't remember the name. I probably only recall them because the lead singer (the guy on the far right) looks exactly like a friend of mine but with more facial hair.
surefireband. pretty shitty name
http://www.myspace.com/surefireband
I like to support local music, thanks for letting me know they were, so i can make it a point NOT TO in their case.
Last MySpace comment was in May, and the one before that is from October. They must be packin' 'em in to shows.
OMG that's them flynn110
Did anyone mention how ugly these people are?
Like, they might be the worst looking band in the history of bands.
But they probably didn't kick the dog.
not good enough Ben.......WE WANT BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that's definitely them...
godammit...
i mean, GODAMMIT!
i would hate these clowns even without the dog kicking story- just look at them!
but then you AWFUL, contrived, garbage like music and.... i mean...EW!!!
and then you look at this guy ben rice... and that disgusting, greasy comb-over of his...
it's almost too much to take...
Gothamist, do you guys even HAVE an editorial policy or do you just run inflammatory pieces like this for the traffic and ad views?
Please try digging a little deeper into a story before you just start posting shit and letting the amateur reporters of the blogosphere sound off.
I've come to regard Gothamist as one of the more respectable blogs out there but this piece is disgusting and you should be ashamed for handling this the way you did.
No such thing as bad publicity folks.
Right now, I bet you they're all reading this and smiling.
Jen Carlson, you should resign. You're wasting JDS's decent work with your shit-slinging gossip stories.
I'm almost willing to bet Jen covered this band @ one time with the understanding that the lead singer would bang her in return for a decent writeup -- then when he decided he wasn't that desperate after all she couldn't wait to go ahead with this story.
I know that the bass player for Blackout Shoppers paid someone to cut out his cat's reproductive organs.
The start of your article reads, "According to a poster on the Brooklynian message board..." To me, thats pretty much the same as "According to the left wall in the Grand Central Station bathroom..."
Dear Ben
I don't believe you, it seems the guardian wouldn't retrieve his dog and you kicked the poor dog. Perhaps he should have been cooperative but it was off leash hours and you have to work around that fact. Otherwise rent a private venue to take photos without any interruptions. Shame on you, coward,
As demonstrated by your latest commenting crusade on this thread, you're either a complete and utter idiot or a brilliant and dedicated troll.
JDS or Jen Carlson, can one of you interview Felix? I'm genuinely interested whether this person is legitimately out of his mind or one of the greatest trolls of Gothamist.
Bloomberg let this happen.
Quin kicked the dog. i saw it all go down!
STALKER LOSER
Freak.
HOLD UP! The Photographer MUST have pics of the angry dog-owner. Why not post those? I am a dog owner- LOVE my dog and most of the others- so I am very pro-dog-privilages. But I am not for inconsiderate owners.
On the other hand, Surefire, the dog community has created a community and ritual that occurs at least twice a day at their park. Most of them are active in the goings-on that benefit their park. You are in THEIR house. If you see a group of community members with their dogs off the leash during off-leash hours and you rather not have them in your shoot, go somewhere else.
I for one think "The Puppy Kickers" is a much better band name than "Surefire".
Felix, I thought you were going to go over and kick their asses?? That would be an awesome battle of the douches right there---- you versus "Surefire"
poseurs
Sados, they better not kick any animal or I will go find them in Prospect Park and kick all of their skanky asses ... they all look like they need a shower!!
Shame on Gothamist for posting this unverified "news story". Pathetic
Dog walkers in the Long Meadow in the mornings are generally very nice. And there are always one or two with annoying, untrained dogs that jump all over you while the owners coo and laugh. And they get piping mad when you ask them to call their ill-mannered pooch. I'm siding with the band, having met and suffered the entitled wrath of the morning dog walkers.
i'm organizing a protest at Surefire's next gig and or newkirk studios(the label that puts this filth out).
if any one is interested in joining please email me at: surefiresuxballs@gmail.com
we already have volunteers making signs at this point we just need some people to bring megaphones.
they WILL pay.
Dude, just chill the fuck out or haven't you read that this thing is HIGHLY unverified? I forgive you if you do though because Gothamist shouldn't be posting purely speculative crap like this.
Geez, back off! There is no proof that ANYTHING happened. Leave them be. If you want to support cute doggies, volunteer! This crew, for example, would love your time and energy, and it would be productive: http://barcshelter.org/
Whoops, sorry, you're clearly a troll! I do like how you're tagging every remotely photograph-related gothamist post with crappy comments. You're a fire-starter. That said, go volunteer. Surely trolling gets boring.
I was in the park yesterday morning, and noticed the band looking like they had been up all night. Of course, they were taking pulls from a bottle already, so that may have contributed.
I also know the owner, and dog, involved. 8 month old puppy that is as friendly as can be. The guy has no connection, or issue, with the band beyond their going overboard on typical puppy behavior. The whole thing is what it is and nothing more. Band trying to take photos in a public park with dogs running around. Band getting frustrated because they didn't end up having the park to themselves. Band choosing a poor method for trying to keep curious dogs away.
As for the conspiracy theorists, well, there are WAY more important or talented people to make things up about than Surefire...
Yep, NOT only does this talentless aging group kick dogs but they are LIARS. It is obvious that the guardian didn't remove his dog from their shoot so the band member kicked the poor dog. I will be at their next venue to heckle them with shouts of PUPPY KICKER. Douchebags.
rrrrrrright...
The sad part about this whole thing is that if they had only waited until National Puppy Kicking Day on the August 23rd they could have gotten away with this.
Actually, the sad part about this is that Gothamist ran this story, and that some people believe everything they read online.
asshole, you should have been kicked by this aging talentless group
I was, but instead of calling the cops or getting any witnesses my mom just took photos of the bands shoes with her cell phone and posted them on a blog. So, nothing ended up happening.
the cops won't do anything, Please learn the law. If there was no visible injuries or medical tests then NYPD won't do anything. And the band confirm the incident except for the dog kicking. Based on both stories, it fits that they kick the dog since his guardian didn't retrieve him.
How could you possibly label them as talentless?
You have nothing to back that up with.
They didn't kick the dog, therefore they are just a regular band. Your opinions there forward are ridiculous and childish.
Did you forget your meds again?
Please do this.
While I wasn't there(so big grain of salt) I am an acquaintance of an acquaintance of Ben(how is that for removed =)). He's been a solid person in the few dealings I have have with him and I find it unlikely there was any actual Puppy Kicking. Meanwhile, someone seems to be having a lot of fun, through multiple aliases, throwing gas in this fire.
That said, I find it hard to believe anyone in New York who wants to make a living in the Public Eye(a band) would do something like kick puppies knowing perfectly well how NY'ers feel about their dogs.
Just my $.02
dimes
Michael Vick
let's not miss the fact that this band is really bad. really.
I feel sorry for that girl being dragged to the park just to photograph dogshit.
everyone apparently someone from the band has registered under the username hotstepper. beware of his propaganda. don't buy in to his puppy hate
i am not connected with this case in any way , nor with the accused.
unfortunately though I am a gothamist fan and reader I think gothamist should pull this story off its site immediately as there was absolutely no evidence nor any accuser willing to come forward and so the blind item amounts to an act of libel against the members of the band whose photograph is being posted here. unless owner of dog is willing to make an on-the-record accusation this is no story at all.
147 comments (now 148) about a non-story.
surefiregoldenretrievers.com
The most disturbing part of this story is that after 50 years we still haven't progressed beyond the "band in the park with members facing different directions and one dude (probably the drummer) sitting down" photo shoot.
I tell you, if I was in that band I would be calling a lawyer and initiating a defamation lawsuit against Gothamist and the dog's owner. What the hell kind of world is this becoming? With anybody that you don't like, you can forward a picture of them to some news blog along with an outrageous fictional story about them and ,with a few clicks of some credulous blogger's mouse, there will be hundreds of strangers riled up and ready to kick this person's ass? WTF??
They can't sue because it is true. Both parties agree to the facts except the dog kicking. It is obvious that they behaved like Dicks since the dog's guardian refuse to retrieve his dog. But is was STILL wrong to kick the dog. The dog was the only one who didn't do anything wrong. Shame on them. It isn't the dog's fault that they have no talent.
felix, you are sad and pathetic. and you have way too much time on your hands.
felixthecat2, will you marry me?
Wow, thanks but I can't marry anyone yet. I am not ready for the married life.
what's with the weird rage and misogyny? you people sound as nuts as those right wing crazies at the town hall meetings. I also know the photographer, and she is the sweetest girl I have ever known. The type that would rescue you if you needed help. what we have here on this comment thread is a case of group hysteria, stupidity, and hatefulness. No dog was kicked, some sad man had his feelings hurt. End of story.