How did your day start off?
Better than mine I hope. I was out with Sophie this morning on our daily walk. Up 21st avenue we went, like we always do. Only this time a very sleepy idiot chose to run the stop sign and hit us. THANKFULLY he was only coasting through the stop, and THANKFULLY when I banged my fist on his hood and screamed at him he hit the break and not the gas. THANKFULLY my baby girl did not go under the front tire though she did disappear from my view under the car. She broke out of her collar and ran away from the big bad black menace mobile. So, both of us are ok. I am working from home today just to keep an eye on her though. Nothing to get your adrenaline going at the crack of dawn like a bumper in your knees. The kid got out of the car while I was on the ground checking my dog over and hugging her for all I was worth. He said he was sorry, he was just tired and already late for work. - I was too overwhelmed to even say anything to him. Sophie was fine, I put her collar back on her and off we went to finish our walk. It wasn't for another block that the tears started to well up in my eyes. In a split second my baby was almost taken away from me.
I had set out on our walk with a little bit of apprehension as it was. We have always had a problem in our town with loose dogs. But since Sophie is so docile and non threatening I haven't worried too much. But then a good friend of mine also has a very sweet and docile Sheltie that was attacked and bitten by two pitt bulls over the weekend. The little sheltie, was sitting in his front yard minding his own business when the dogs charged him and attacked. Porty, the little sheltie, ran toward the back of the house and up onto the deck. Thankfully the dogs did not follow him. But they had managed to bite him. Timing is everything and my friends baby brother was heading out the back door to play in the pool only to find his dog sitting at the door bleeding. They got Porty to the vet where he had surgery and they believe he will be okay. He went home yesterday.
This was the 4th attack by these pit bulls. In the past several months they bit two other dogs and killed a cat. One of the pit bulls had actually been banned from the city after it killed the cat. The law doesn't regard animals attacking animals as a serious problem. It's not until a human is attacked that any actions can be taken against the animal. Apparently the owner of the dogs had taken his one pit bull to visit the other pit bull that had been banned. Well, wherever they were they got out and ran to the only place they know, there neighborhood. Thus two dangerous dogs on the loose. And they found little Porty and attacked him.
My friends family got the police involved. And kudos to the officer that handled the call. The officer convinced the owner to destroy his dogs. And she called to tell my friend's family that he was going to put them down. But then the guy changed his mind. And the officer called to inform them of this also. So, my friends mother asked to have the guy put on the phone which the officer said she couldn't do. So she said, "Well, just pass a message on to him then. Tell him that he can have his dogs put down humanely, or he can choose not to, and we will take care of it and there is no guarantee how that will happen." The officer said she would call them back after talking to him a little bit more. In the end the man did put the dogs down.
It's horrifically wrong that an attack on a human is required before any action can take place. These dogs were obviously a dangerous menace. One of the attacks had even occurred inside a fence. The pit bulls had jumped a fence and attacked the dog inside. Had there been a child back there whose to say they would have stopped at the dog. And that poor dog is now terrified of his own back yard. It's just so upsetting.
In other news:
Fireworks last night were not too bad. The neighbors actually set of sparklers and stuff - lots of pretty colors, very little noise. And everyone was done by 11. Which is very nice since folks had to go to work in the morning. Yeah, neighborhood!
As for the Twins game that I went to:
For a first time game both for myself and my German friends it was a great game. Back to back home runs, a fight between a coach and umpires that got him ejected from the game. And even a wedding proposal. Seval, one of the girls with me asked at the beginning of the game if it was true that people would propose on the jumbo tron. I told her it happens once in a while but not at every game. Well, I'll be damned if it didn't happen on the night we went. And the people sitting around us were very nice, they would explain things to the girls as they happened. Overall it was the perfect experience. And taking light rail to the stadium ROCKS!
That's about all for today boys and girls.
Go hug the ones you love.............................................
3 comments:
Omg Newt! I am so so so glad you and your lil' one are OK. My heart was racing through your whole story. ((HUGS))
There used to be a pack of mismatch wild dogs in my neighborhood. One attacked duff while I was walking him in our yard. He was only a pup, barely 14 lbs. I tackled the dog without thinking and beat him in the eye with my fist. He tore of my belt before the neighbor came over with a hose to chase him off. I think all animals should be tested for temperament every so many years and wild dogs should be picked up immediately.
Ahhh dangerous dogs.
I know that I'll be on the losing side, but please don't consider a specific breed to be dangerous. It's akin to saying that the *insert race/ethnicity here* are more prone to be *insert behavior someone does not like.*
Dogs learn what they're taught, and it's entirely their owners fault. My aunt kept pit bulls for years, and they were the most gentle, loving pups I ever played with as a kid. Conversely, while a kid, we had a neighbor who tried to get our harmless cockapoo euthanized as a menance to the town because the dog snapped at their daughter... who ran up to her and attempted to wrench a bone from her mouth because she thought it would be "funny and make her play". I've also met many a frustrated dog who, after breaking a lead they've been on for untold years, attack any unsuspecting dog in their path (my dog was the victim, though she survived).
I'm not saying that there aren't dogs that are vicious and should be taken care of. There are. Odds are though, they've been MADE that way by their owners. In my mind, its the owners as well as the dogs who should be policed and watched once the first attack has been logged. An unprovoked dog who attacks another dog should be paid attention to, but so should its owner. Clearly there's something going wrong there.
It's a shame. Rescue agencies attempt to match potential owners and pets, but breeders and puppy mills don't give a rat's ass who buys a pu as long as they have the cash.
I guess we've gotta practice constant vigilance for our pets. Which, hopefully, we already do.
Tink: I'm glad you were able to protect Duff. Though always warned not to it's instinct that makes us protect our animals. I totally get the dog wrestling match you got into. I also have jumped into the fray with no thought to my own safety.
Mike, I will be the first to agree that it is owner more than dog. Our friends rescued a Pitt Bull and he is by far one of the sweetest most docile dogs you could meet. Unfortunately society won't allow us to put down the owner along with the dog. Actually I would prefer to put down the human and see if the dog can be rehabilitated. This man is only going to go get himself new pitt bulls and raise them to be aggressive and mean. It's just a matter of time before his next generation is out stalking the neighborhood.
Post a Comment