First, let me just say: while I think Pit Bulls are dangerous, this is not a rant directed at that breed of dog. No. This rant is directed specifically at people who believe that their pets are fashion statements (tiny shaky little yappy dog to go with that Coach purse) or who buy/adopt an animal that they then refuse to fucking learn to control and care for properly, GODDAMMIT.
My son’s dog got mauled yesterday afternoon. Yes, it was a Pit Bull terrier that did it. Yes, I’m pissed off as all hell. But I’m not nearly as angry at the dog as I am at the irresponsible bitch who gets taken for a drag by this dog every day. I’ve seen her around; it isn’t the first time her dog has acted aggressively toward other dogs, and it isn’t the first complaint registered against her. While my son and a neighbor who was kind enough to cross the street and help him yank this woman’s dog off ours, she just stood there watching. When her dog initially started after Bullwinkle (yes, my kid named his dog Bullwinkle J Moose. Wanna make something of it?), she issued a sharp “no!”, but that was the extent of it. Didn’t even reach for his collar.
Fortunately, they were able to pry him off Bully’s hindquarters. We got him to our vet. It turned out to be not nearly as bad as it could’ve been. Some antibiotics, several stitches, sedative, and a very scared boy and dog.
What pisses me off most is this woman knows her dog is aggressive, but she won’t take the time and effort needed to learn to control it and teach it to respond to her. Dammit, dogs are NOT accessories. They are animals. They all have their own personalities, and some of them are aggressive. If you’re not going to fucking commit the time and energy and resources to care for and train your dog so that it doesn’t attack every other animal or person it comes across, you should not have the damn thing. I don’t care if it’s a Pit or a Rottweiller or a Yorkie who pisses all over the feet of anyone who startles it. That dog is your responsibility! Learn to control it or find it a home with someone who will.
I really do not want to be responsible for a dog being put down. But this woman is a menace. I did file a complaint.
I hope the woman is planing on paying your vet bills.
My dog Voltaire is as soft and squidgy as a dog can be so I have trouble imagining a scenario where he hurt another dog, but if he did I would certainly expect to pay for the other dog’s medical treatment.
I hope Bullwinkle makes a full recovery and that your son will recover emotionally.
I worked at an animal shelter for a year. How ignorant people are about pets is breathtaking!! Walt Disney is a liar! Animals are not naturally friendly. Each one has its own temperment and a set of hard-wired behaviors.
Many dog trainers suggest it is unwise to keep your dog leashed while under attack. Food for thought, you might want to get your son to drop the lead (presuming it’s traffic-safe) when/if Bully is ever again in such a circumstance.
There was a similar situation when my wife and I lived in Boulder, only it ended up with a greyhound disemboweled on the sidewalk by the neighborhood Rottie. A few months later, my dog Blue and I were on a walk and the same Rottweiler bolted out and went after my puppy. Somehow, Bluefus was smart enough to roll over and tinkle a little and the bad dog just trotted away.
My dog is a fashion accessory. Unfortunately, as he’s a fat cocker who needs a trip to the groomer and who wears a torn doggy sweater all winter because he likes it, you can guess how fashionable I am.
On the other hand, there’s nothing he likes better than a good fight except his rear legs stop working if he gets too excited. That can be disadvantageous in a fight but the collie and the Lab-corgi have his back and I wouldn’t want to see what happened to the attacker if they blindsided him. And I wouldn’t want to be around them for the next week because they would be so full of themselves.
Well yeah, but in all fairness (and based on previous ownership), when cockers gain a little too much weight, they have access to that amazing gas attack, rendering every living thing within a 20 foot radius unconscious. Bully’s just a one year old Dachshund and despite my kid’s best efforts to feed him everything in sight, is in pretty good health.
He’s a dachshund? He wasn’t scared. He was massively turned on! Those things are designed to go into badger holes to drag out a vicious animal that’s bigger than them. The pit bull could kill it and it would STILL think it was cool.
Most places have laws in effect – not necessarily leash laws – making it illegal to allow an animal with a vicious temperament to run loose. I’d have a talk with the Animal Control Warden/Dog Warden/Dogcatcher/“Domestic Livestock Engineer”/whatever for your municipality, presuming there is one.
If not, small claims court for the vet bill, plus damages – like your time to take the dog to the vet. Inquire if an injunction to keep her dog away from yours is possible (probably not from small claims, but it won’t hurt to ask).
I see these people all the time on that “dog whisperer” show. It’s always some frail, childlike woman with a pet dog who follows her around like a puppy in the house but is aggressive to the point of endangering neighbors and guests, but she “loves it to death” and refuses to do anything about it. One of them said, “I can’t bring friends over… I can’t bring my mother over… I have no social life… but that’s just the sacrifice I have to make for the dogs, and I’m willing to live this way while they’re still alive with me.” Ay carumba!
My letter carrier husband and friends bitch about those people who think all they have to do is put their dog on those “invisible fence” collars and everything will be fine - no training, no keeping the dog back/inside when some stranger (letter carrier, UPS, meter reader, etc.) has to come on the property, and they do the “he doesn’t bite” (the people he knows) thing while weakly calling the dog’s name while this dog tries desperately to defend his turf by snarling and snapping at the “intruder.” Whether some yappy mutt or a big guard dog breed, you need to train and socialize your dog.
Portage is working on fixing up it’s aonimal laws. They were looking at one point at the breed ban aproach, but thankfuly thy didn’t go that way. It will be based on agressive behavor, without an attack having to be recorded, and fining people that send the Rottweiller types out to be wlked by the 6 year old.
Currently the neighbor next door has finaly fenced in his mildly vicous beast. I carried around my spading fork in the yard when gardening to defend myself. He has been warned the dog will be dead with the prongs through it’s chest before it can chew on me. Maybe I can get more done once the new ordinance goes through.
They passed laws allowing the sheriff to do something about dangerous animals like lions, due to the neighboring county and a person housing abandond lions. They can now legaly require confinment and other precautions that they couldn’t before. A complaint from a person feeling indangered, can require the owner of dangerous animals to take measures to ensure the safety of neighbors.
Louisville has just passed a law that any dog that maims a person or animal in an unprovoked attack is designated a dangerous dog and is subject to certain restrictions. It must be kept behind a six foot fence or on a four foot lead if off the owner’s property. I also think the owner has to buy a certain amount of liability insurance. IMO these are’t harsh enough to make someone give up a beloved pet, but it might give pause to the “fashion accessory” owners when it hits their pocketbook.
Remember that one nitwit who would sit there passively as the chihuahua attacked her son? Sure, it’s a tiny dig and he’s a big kid but damn. Poor kid couldn’t even sit down on the couch without the dog going into a full frenzy. If this is the same lady I’m thinking of, she’s the one who was afraid to tell the dog “no” because it might hurt its feelings.
Tonight I saw one of those “Funny Video” shows of a toddler having his shirt ripped off by a teeny-little dog while the parents laughed. Sheesh!
Maureen, Bullwinkle is a cool name. I am glad he will be all right and your son did not get hurt.
You are 100% correct, the pit bull owner is a complete irresponsible idiot. You will probably have to make her be responsible to get her to pay for the vet bills.
Did she say why she just sat there and watched? Is she simply a low functioning moron?
I think I saw that episode a couple of weeks ago. Was it a white fluffy thing and the Dog Whisperer guy was trying to clip it with some scissors?
Wow. If it’s the same one, that dog would not have lasted five fucking minutes in my household.
I’ve been involved in pit-threads before about aggressive dogs and the like, but I still maintain that it is the height of irresponsibility and stupidity to keep dogs who show tendencies towards aggression, whether it be towards other animals or to people. Unless you live out in the boondocks with no neighbours (faunal or human), such dogs should be put down IMHO. I don’t give a shit how cute they are or how much you ‘love’ them: they are walking timebombs who, given the right circumstances, will seriously injure someone or some other animal some time sooner or later.
(kam dons her asbestos suit and waits nervously for the inevitable flaming).
Maureen, I’m glad your boy and his little mate are OK. And I’m glad you have filed a complaint. If the local authorities are too piss-weak to order the dog’s destruction, then one hopes they will at least mandate that it be muzzled when out in public.
Um…yeah. What he said. (there are lions in Wisconsin?)
I wasn’t there, but from what my son tells me, she didn’t think he was going to do anything too violent. Yes, she actually thought her big snookums was playing extra hard and my son was overreacting (he was close to frantic).
dropzone, maybe you’re right about dachshunds. The incident hasn’t done anything to dampen the little guy’s spirits. He wasn’t high strung or upset at all today; was his usual chipper self. Ate up all the extra attention he got today. I think it was harder on us humans.
Thanks for all the well wishes, all. A copy of the vet’s report went to the animal control office. I was told that any number of things may happen; they may impound the dog, they may order her to enroll her dog in obedience training, they may destroy the dog (I’m really hoping it doesn’t have to come to that. I know, I’m a wimp…but it isn’t the dog’s fault, dammit). She’ll probably be fined, she’ll definitely be considered responsible for Bully’s vet bills.
Many, many breeds of dogs were bred for hunting etc. Your way of thinking would pretty much eliminate all terriers and sporting dogs.
My friends have a Yorkie that doesn’t take too kindly to the deer that wander onto their property, should she face the chopping block?
This is wholly a matter of personal responsibility. I live in area that is pretty much the polar opposite of the “boondocks.” I have dog who is very dog-aggressive (not a pitbull, btw). He doesn’t care for cats, racoons, squirrels, deer, or chipmunks either. He’s almost 12 years old and has never bitten or otherwise injured another animal.
Details?