Posted on 05/01/2006 10:10:23 AM PDT by solosmoke
LACONIA, N.H. -- Police said that they have identified two dogs responsible for killing a Maltese dog and biting her owner.
The owner of the greyhounds came forward Sunday, police said. The owner of the Maltese, Doug Hammond, said that he and his wife are heartbroken at the loss of their dog, Katie. He said that his wife, Kathy Hammond, 60, was walking the dog Saturday afternoon when they came upon another woman walking two greyhound dogs.
"One of the greyhounds saw the small dog and went after it," Capt. Mike Moyer said. "The woman walking the greyhounds was unable to restrain the greyhound, and it broke away from its leash."
In the confusion, the other greyhound got loose, too. Police said that both dogs then mauled the smaller dog. Kathy Hammond tried to reach down and save her dog, and police said that's when the dogs also bit her.
Resident Rick Robert said that he was surprised to hear about what happened. He said that he has never come across the dogs involved in the attack while walking his own dog.
"When I heard a dog got mauled and a lady got bit by two greyhounds, it was, like, whoa, because we walk down this street every night with our dog," Robert said.
Police said the greyhounds are being quarantined as the investigation continues. Officers said one of the greyhounds attacked another small dog last year, causing $2,500 in medical bills.
The greyhounds were rescue dogs, and police said the owners have said they will voluntarily put them down if necessary. Police said they don't plan to file criminal charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at wmur.com ...
Solosmoke, Pets are NOT "people, too!" The death of a beloved pet is not the same as the death of a child or adult; I know it seems that way to many pet owners, but if they really believe it in their hearts, then they need to reassess their disconnect to nature and reality.
When are you going to have the confidence and courage to make an honest judgement call? Face up to the fact that not all dogs are created equal, and not all out-of-control dogs pose equal threats to people. Until you defenders of pit bulls and Rottweilers stop wasting your energy trying to intimidate the symptom and start dealing with the CAUSE by posse-ing up to patrol neighborhoods to find and intimidate reckless owners of such dogs, you're going to hear more and more cries to "banish the breed" because YOU are not taking care of the problem. I don't want to see the breed banned any more than you do, but you are NOT helping your own side with your lame posts that serve more to reinforce the point that indeed, a Greyhound on the rampage does a lot less damage than a pit bull or Rott on the rampage.
People with little rabbit-looking dogs beware the greyhound!
I'm chuckling... :)
Those poor grey hounds were only doing what they were trained to do... go after things that look like rabbits!
Though the owner should have been able to handle the grey hounds if they were on leash!
You apparently didn't read the story about the toddler going into reconstructive surgery from a lab mix. And as far as deaths by dogs, considering there's only about 20 a year total, I posted one that I found very recently. The latest was a great dane, though, not a pit bull or rottweiler.
I agree with you that a dog killing another animal isn't the same as a person. Unlike humans, dogs don't graduate from animals to people after getting comfortable with their killing.
I am not for a moment downplaying the strength of large dogs to do damage WHEN they attack. I think everyone is quite aware of what they're capable of. What people are not aware of, though, is that this is an owner problem, not a breed problem. If not, all stories would be about pit bulls and rottweilers. Not to mention if it's ok for someone to post every pit bull attack regardless of the victim being animal or human, I think I am being fair. After all, this site is for regular people, not biased media. The pit bull is already misrepresented in the news enough.
And you and I have already discussed that in detail, and as far as I remember, you seemed to like my proposed "solution" to the problem. I am not one of those that goes around simply throwing slogans like "ban the deed". I feel the only real way to address this is action, not words. In Texas right now there is a bill being proposed by the family of Lilian Stiles. She was attacked by a pack of pit bulls, rottweilers, or both (no one seems to know exactly what they were)and died a horrible death. Her family is wanting a change to the laws, but not breed specific. I believe this is a small step in the right direction, but only time will tell whether it was worth hiring the lawyers to write.
--Platitude alert! Platitude alert! -- Sounds nice but is false.
As long as an attack from a rampaging poodle or labrador is significantly less life-threatening than an attack from a pit bull or Rottweiler, this is a breeds (plural) problem as much as it is an owner problem.
You cite the case of the toddler having to go into reconstructive surgery from a lab mix attack. A toddler is considerably more vulnerable because of its size and lack of ability to defend itself. A toddler could face reconstructive surgery from a chihuahua attack.
Go on pretending that the breed has nothing to do with it, and you'll go on provoking cries of "ban the breed" from people. For Pete's sake, have the courage and confidence to MAKE THE CALL on the most dangerous breeds, and then focus your energies as part of the dog-owner community to GET AFTER and INTIMIDATE irresponsible owners of THOSE BREEDS, because those owners put you and your interests much more at risk than people like me, who only point out the obvious. Be like the Minutemen on the border, only do it with thoughless owners of these dogs that KILL human adults.
Only then will you take a real step toward preventing drastic steps such as breed-banning. Breed does matter. There are many stories, like one posted the other day of the chained pit bull who somehow broke his chain, got through the fence, and mauled a little girl, where the owner wasn't even being particularly irresponsible -- it was just that THE BREED of the dog was too much to handle.
So you think that a dog which is chained and fenced in a yard, and obviously NOT SOCIALIZED, is somehow more to blame than the owners, who CHAINED the dog, probably BECAUSE they didn't want to bother socializing it?? That is ridiculous! Dogs can't train themselves anymore than they can teach themselves about the ways of the world. And it doesn't matter how strong a dog is, what breed it is, or what kind of life is involved. An attack on any other living thing is unacceptable, period. If PEOPLE can't control their pets, then the pets can and will do destructive things. They are animals. It is entirely up to US to make sure things like this don't happen.
You already know where I stand as far as getting back on track. My opinion is that EVERYONE should have to take a class in school on how to properly care for animals, and what to do when meeting strange animals, so their dumb butts won't become statistics, and their pets won't suffer for it. As far as I am concerned, ANY animal that hurts a person is dangerous. Pit bulls and rottweilers may be vastly more capable of extreme damage, but the fact of the matter is that all dog breeds can and do cause damage. To ignore that is to ignore the ACTUAL problem. Look at some cities, and even countries, that have banned these dogs. The number of attacks NEVER EVER GOES DOWN. In some places, they've gone up instead!
And if I could go door to door educating bad pit bull owners I would, but you must know that the owners of the bad dogs are infinitely more dangerous than their dogs could ever hope to be. That is where the government needs to step up and do something about these PEOPLE. You will never hear of a dog from a dog trainer's yard attacking people, just as you won't from an owner that has purebred, temperament tested, and certified dogs. The breed of dog can change throughout the years, but the number of deaths remains the same, and that's a fact.
I have found that educating the general public about these dogs and what they're really like is the best way to curb the problem. The more people don't fear these dogs, the less likely they are to become victims. If more people knew these dogs are horrible guardians, great with children when properly socialized, and when properly bred and cared for, some of the best, nicest dogs around, less thugs would be out trying to get hold of them. You don't see them going after Airedale Terriers, which in the dog fighting world, have been known to beat pit bulls, and can make fierce guardians. The name just doesn't strike the same kind of note, and neither does the curly-coated teddy bear look.
There you go again.
I fail to see what this thread has to do with illegal immigration.
"And it doesn't matter how strong a dog is, what breed it is ...
There you go again."
Sooo...it's ok for a toddler to get mauled by a lab mix because a toddler is easily hurt, and labs are a nice breed?? Or someone's little dog to be killed by greyhounds and explained away due to high prey drive??
Which words offended you? Are you of the mentality that it isn't news unless it's a pit or rottie? Or is it offensive to have a general disdain for aberrant behavior that results in injury?
"...people who cause waves where waves don't need to be caused, as in going after errant poodle owners with the same ferocity as errant Rottweiler owners, are making the the problem worse, not better." #146
"Not hard to spot -- there are two on my street alone, of these mega-jawed dogs, one of them which barks viciously and ceaselessly at passersby, behind inefficient fences and on dubious leashes."#107
Has the one with the solution indicated that he did anything about the problem.
Talk is cheap.
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