Denise Carey-Costa is an author and animal rights activist from Buffalo, New York.
WMV: Your Facebook page indicates that you currently reside in Orlando, Florida. Is that still true?
Denise: Yes, I have lived in Orlando, Florida since 1989.
WMV: Your Facebook page also indicates that you work, or have worked for the Orange County Sheriff, apparently in Florida. Have you ever been to the Orange County in southern California, and, if so, how do the two counties compare?
Denise: I visited Orange County, California this past May. The similarities are mainly in the tourism venues both provide, as well as coastal beaches. However, the west coast Orange County also provides a view of the mountains, something our east coast Orange County is sadly lacking.
WMV: Where are your favorite travel destinations?
Denise: I have been to most states up and down the east coast, from New York to Florida. I also had a chance to visit Arizona and California within the past year so I fell in love with that part of the country. As far as international travels, I have been to Canada dozens of times growing up, due to its close proximity to Buffalo, New York and also went to Jamaica once.
WMV: Where would you like to travel that you haven't visited already?
Denise: I would like to visit the Scandanavian countries as well as Germany and Austria.
WMV: What languages do you speak?
Denise: I studied French as a second language in high school, but would not trust my skills to converse fluently in French with anyone.
WMV: Are your books translated into any foreign languages?
Denise: No they are not; however, they are sold by retailers worldwide.
WMV: Your Facebook indicates that you studied dance and theatre at the State University of New York, at Buffalo. What degrees and certifications, if any, have you earned?
Denise: Yes, I did. I studied at the University for two years, then moved to New York City to try my skills there.
WMV: What styles of dance, if any, do you perform, and what titles, if any, have you won?
Denise: I studied, taught and choreographed using ballet, tap and jazz. I have won many certificates in the area of dance and won a theater award my senior year of high school at the Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
WMV: Your Facebook page indicates that you have at least eight family members by the last name of Carey, none of which are Jim. Did you disown him, or did he disown you (just kidding)?
Denise: No, LOL. He spells his name with two r's. However, he would fit in very well with my family, as we are all high energy, humorous individuals.
WMV: Your hyphenated surname seems to indicate that you are married to a man by the last name of Costa, which means "coast" in Spanish. Which coast is he from?
Denise: My husband was born in the Bronx to parents that came over from Cuba.
WMV: Several of your books are for sale on Amazon.com, one of which is Angelina's Angel. Was this character inspired by Angelina Jolie?
Denise: No, actually the name of the main character came from my illustrator's daughter of the same name. The book was written about and dedicated to my mother's brother (my uncle) who passed away at a young age. This book was a collaborative effort between my mother and myself.
WMV: Have you ever seen any episodes of "Pit Boss," and, if so, what did you think of them?
Denise: I do not watch much TV due to my work schedule at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. However, I do condone what he is doing on behalf of pit bulls and trying to change people's perception of the breed.
WMV: What, if anything, did you have to do with the production of Helen Keller had a Pitbull?
Denise: I had no involvment with this film. I did not connect with Josh Mitchell until after the film was produced.
WMV: Have you ever met Pitbull, or are you at least a fan of his?
Denise: I know who Pitbull is; however, I have never met him, nor am I a fan. I tend to go more for classic rock music. I do, however, greatly admire Detroit rapper Hush Carlisle and his unwavering efforts to help the stray dogs of Detroit through his own Detroit Dog Rescue.
WMV: One of your books is about an unlucky cat named Lucky. Were you a fan of O'Malley and the Alley Cats?
Denise: The name Lucky came to me for this cat as he was so very unlucky. However, he does find luck and love at the end of the story.
WMV: One of your books is about a dog named Bear, and is entitled A Tale of Three Tails. Was this inspired by Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties?
Denise: No, I thought the title was a catchy play on words. Also, the book is a trilogy of stories based on my own dog Bear, and his adventures growing from a puppy to an adult dog.
WMV: Are you a fan of Garfield?
Denise: I did read the Garfield comics as a child; however, I was not a fan enough to get inspiration from him for my work.
WMV: One of your books is about a pit bull named Tony, who was sentenced to be executed in Clifton, Arizona. Is this based on a true story, and, if so, how much of it did you fictionalize?
Denise: The book is a non-fiction work based on an actual case. All is based on the testimony of Tony's family.
WMV: Why did you choose Arizona for the setting of the story about Tony? Have you ever been to Arizona?
Denise: Arizona was the setting of the actual case. I went to Clifton, Arizona last November, and met Tony's owner, Michelle Dozier, and we had a book signing there for the book Tony's Tale, Tragedy in Arizona.
WMV: One of your books is about a bird named Edwin and a race. Are you a fan of sports which include animals, such as horse and camel racing, and/or sports in general?
Denise: I detest all sports that include animals, as it is nothing but a miserable existence for the animals involved. I especially loathe dog fighting and bull fighting.
WMV: What sports, if any, do you play?
Denise: I have always loved tennis, and, as a child, my favorite sport was soccer. Nowadays, I get my exercise walking dogs at various rescue shelters. That is quite a workout!
WMV: Do you think the Redskins should change their name in deference to people who consider it a racial slur?
Denise: I am neutral on this. I have no opinion either way.
WMV: One of Obama's czars, Cass Sunstein, is a Harvard Law School professor who has said people ought to be able to sue on behalf of abused animals. Is he your hero?
Denise: I would not call him my hero. However, people should be able to sue on behalf of abused animals as they do not have a voice to sue on their own. It would be similar to a wrongful injury suit filed for a person.
WMV: According to DogsBite.org, pit bulls represented more than four times the dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada, than their closest competitor, Rottweilers, even though they only represented 4.4% of the dog population. Why do you think pit bulls are involved in more than their fair share of dog attacks, and who do you blame, the dogs or the owners? Do you think pitbulls should be discriminated against?
Denise: I believe that many bites inflicted by other breeds often go unreported. There is so much hysteria surrounding this breed at this time. If you look at pit bulls from a historic point, you will see that during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the pit bull was the favored family pet, and referred to as the "Nanny Dog." Watch any silent film or classic Hollywood movie and you will see the protagonist often had a pit bull companion. Even the Little Rascals had "Petie." I totally blame the owners of the pit bulls. Just like a child, a dog is not born wanting to kill or harm people. How they are raised will dictate what personality traits they will possess.
WMV: What precautions, if any, do you think people should take with regard to pit bulls, as opposed to any other breed of dog or type of animal?
Denise: You should take precautions when dealing with any dog you do not know and who does not know you. You can just as easily be bitten by a small dog as a pit bull. I have been working with rescue dogs for a very long time, and the only two bites I ever sustained were from a Pomeranian and a small Terrier. I have handled many pit bulls, as the rescues are filled with them and have never had one get aggressive with me. They are highly affectionate dogs.
WMV: As someone who has worked in the field of law enforcement, what trends, if any, have you personally observed which surprised you?
Denise: I have worked in law enforcement for almost sixteen years now, and have seen the amount of service calls triple since I started in 1998. It appears a lot of factors (mainly the declining economy) are making people more stressed, angry and frustrated. Also, due to the many foreclosed homes, there are a lot more property crimes. Since the inception of the Internet, "white collar crime" has really increased.
WMV: Where do you stand on gun control?
Denise: I stand by what it says in our constitution. What people may not realize is the criminals will always have access to guns as they do to drugs. Taking guns from law abiding citizens increases their chances of being victimized as they will not have a chance to defend themselves. I think if a person approaches you or breaks into your home with the intent to commit a felony, you should be able to kill them before they kill you.
WMV: Being involved with law enforcement in Orlando, Florida, near where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, what information about that case, if any, were you privy to, which the rest of us probably missed?
Denise: The Zimmerman case was in Sanford, Florida, which in Seminole County, just north of Orange County.
WMV: What web links, if any, would you like to share?
Denise: www.rp-author.com/carey-costa. www.kickstarter.com/projects/1761522665/tonys-tale-tragedy-in-arizona. http://www.examiner.com/animal-rescue-in-orlando/denise-carey-costa.
WMV: What other projects are you currently working on?
Denise: I am working on getting Tony's Tale made into a documentary film. I also continue to write a weekly news column exposing animal abusers as well as promoting local rescues.
WMV: How did you celebrate Halloween this year?
Denise: I handed out candy to trick-or-treaters.
WMV: How are you celebrating the holidays this year?
Denise: I am off Christmas Eve and will celebrate with family. I will be working all of Christmas Day at the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Interview by William Mortensen Vaughan
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