Devastating: Louis Terrell, 75, was killed by a train in Del Mar on Friday as he tried to catch his dog which had run across the tracks
Posted on 01/05/2014 6:27:09 AM PST by BenLurkin
DEL MAR (CBSLA.com) — A former mayor of Del Mar was killed on Friday when he was hit by an Amtrak train as he attempted to save his dog from the tracks.
The 75-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was reportedly walking his Labrador Retriever off-leash on a coastal bluff near the tracks, according to San Diego Sheriff’s deputies.
Witnesses suggest the dog may have been startled when the train’s engineer sounded his horn, which resulted in the animal panicking and running onto the tracks.
The man was struck by the train as he leaned over the tracks to grab the dog.
The dog was not hurt.
The man’s neighbors say that he was well-respected in the community, and that he had been mayor of Del Mar in the 1980s, in addition to being a political science professor at San Diego State University.
“He’s done this probably a million times, and for the train to come by like that, it’s tragic and we’re all kind of shocked because we’ve lived here for 20 years and (have) never seen anything like this,” a neighbor said.
“Last year, a dog was killed at a Seattle dog park by two other dogs. I have met too many people who have had dogs severely injured at dog parks to remain passively abstinent. The real danger lies when small dogs are attacked by larger dogs. It doesn’t take much force for a small dog’s internal organs to be damaged from the bite of a larger dog.
Often when someone’s dog is attacked at a dog park, the owner of the dangerous dog is M.I.A. …Nowhere to be found. The dangerous dog is likely to return in the near future for more “play,” and there is no human accountability.”
“I stopped going to dog parks about a year ago and have since been walking my dogs around the neighborhood for their (our) exercise. Not only is it a much more constructive, balanced way to burn energy, but also a great bonding experience since dogs have a programmed need to travel with the pack. They’re happier, I’m happier, and I don’t risk either of my dogs getting hurt.”
Source:
http://www.examiner.com/article/dog-parks-a-recipe-for-disaster
Protect Yourself and Your Dog from an Off Leash Dog
RIP
I remember when I lived in a rural farm town in upstate NY. Seemed like one out of three dogs was missing a leg. There would be loose dogs walking along highways, nearly all of whom, it turned out, belonged to people in the area.
I’m not sure how you read “disdain for customers” out of that post. He was writing about the vast majority of dog owners, not any one particular individual.
Having observed human/dog interaction for a number of years, I thought he was spot on.
What we need now is a leash law for Cats.
Devastating: Louis Terrell, 75, was killed by a train in Del Mar on Friday as he tried to catch his dog which had run across the tracks
The term “vast majority” does have a meaning.
Well if we kept our dogs locked up they would never fail to come or catch a disease.
Geez you guys are sounding a lot like liberals. The common man is too stupid to care for himself or his property so the govt must step in.
Nitpick, nitpick! I stopped going to the dog park years ago when I noticed people yakking on their cellphones and not watching their dogs, using the dog park for date night and not watching their dogs, and using the dog park to see if their dog was dog-aggressive (Look, Mabel, he is!).
Bah-humbug. Our dogs get nice long walks every day, and they can get loved on by passersby to their heart’s content. Not that we don’t have to contend with the occasion loose dog, but that’s another story.
In that regard, most definitely.
"Dogs do NOT need to be 'free'! What dogs need is love and respect in the form of attention, training and social companionship within their family 'pack'! Letting them roam does NOT provide them with physical or mental exercise but, rather, contributes to boredom. If you let a dog loose on a large acreage, chances are that after five minutes, the dog will settle in a 10 square foot area and start digging, or sleep or just lay there. Without proper interest and stimulation they will NOT get the exercise they need and deserve."
And, of course, you can never count on that 'other dog' being trained in a leash-free environment. Your dogs may be fine in such a circumstance but you never know about the other guy's, and it's a real risk especially if the other dog is aggressive.
If you've ever watched dogs running around loose with other dogs in a closed-in area at a park or wherever, it couldn't be more obvious that they, well, at least most of them, are having the time of their lives. My problem is with those who allow their dogs to run loose in the street and other open areas, where many things can potentially happen to them, other dogs and animals, and people.
RIP.
...however, there are of course occasional fights between the dogs, and fairly common bullying that goes on. Also, I suppose, the disease problem.
We train dogs in our house. One of my boys has a CDX and the other will before long. I would trust either of them off-leash in a heartbeat. But, frankly, I wouldn’t let either of my dogs play in such an environment.
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