Beware Of Dog

[TheMindWillNotLetGo]

only read the first page.  Sorry.

[patric]

As much as I hate to see a dog shot, I think the police did the right thing.  I can only hope that if something happens to my mom with our German Shepherd with her that "Danny" will let someone help her.

I might have easily conceded to that if the story hadn't changed from what was first reported.  In the wee hours, the first broadcasters on the scene reported what they were told:  That the dog was simply in the way... no attack, etc...  As the day progressed so did the story, to something more boiler-plate in it's justifications as the Facebook crowd registered their disgust at the shooting.

It's a shame no one thought to ask meter readers or letter carriers how they make it through their day without shooting someone's pet.

I cant confirm the video that frame was taken from was posted to KOTV's site then taken down, but the comments seem to suggest that.  It sure would have eliminated a lot of second-guessing, though, including how the injured man managed to not get shot.

[custosnox]

I might have easily conceded to that if the story hadn't changed from what was first reported.  In the wee hours, the first broadcasters on the scene reported what they were told:  That the dog was simply in the way... no attack, etc...  As the day progressed so did the story, to something more boiler-plate in it's justifications as the Facebook crowd registered their disgust at the shooting.

It's a shame no one thought to ask meter readers or letter carriers how they make it through their day without shooting someone's pet.

I cant confirm the video that frame was taken from was posted to KOTV's site then taken down, but the comments seem to suggest that.  It sure would have eliminated a lot of second-guessing, though, including how the injured man managed to not get shot.

In the photo the dog is in a defensive position, so I don't buy the "simply in the way".  And as someone who used to read meters, how they deal with the dogs is if there is an aggressive one in the yard, and they can't see the meter from outside the yard, they don't deal with them.  They skip it and go to the next.  Sorry, not an option for cops.

[patric]

The Rogers County District Attorney has asked the Rogers County Sheriff's Office to re-open the investigation into the death of a dog found dragged on September 1st.
http://www.fox23.com/content/crime/story/Rogers-County-DA-asks-sheriff-to-reopen/OrcPKlO4AkKlCr-6rmVVHA.cspx


From https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartRanch
Lots of press calling me to get my reaction to this story. My crew's end of season party is tonight and I need to work on that. Im posting this to avoid living on the phone today.
Yesterday I heard for the first time that the man who came forward claimed he had shot "the dog" on the 29th.
Jetta was seen with her puppies the 30th and morning of the 31st. The dog he shot was 2 miles from Jetta's home. Her owners report she never left her yard, never left her puppies. Didnt make sense.
A man left a comment on the Tulsa World blog saying he saw a man putting a dead dog in a ditch a mile from where Jetta was found, 2 weeks ago. (2 miles from Jettas home, same location as the man who came forward) and he could ID the pickup. When I told the OAA that I suspected two different dogs, they sent me the comments from the man on the Tulsa World Blog and it all fit. The man who came forward claimed he did NOT tie her legs and drag the dog he shot, and did not know why they were bound and said he did not drag a dog, just moved it off his property because it stunk. (not possible if Jetta was seen Friday, even Thursday) and I also am experienced in caring for more than 18,000 orphaned and injured animals. I know what puppies who have been without mom for 3 days look like and those pups were FINE! They were not supplemented by the owners until Saturday. I put all this together in an email plus some additional information I had found along the way, and Patrick Abitbol sent it to the DA last night. This morning she requested the case be opened, agreeing that the man who came forward most likely had nothing to do with Jetta's death whatsoever.
Good news is confusion is resolved and case is back open. Bad news is Jetta WAS drug to her death and ker killer is still out there. $10,000 reward stands. Dont sent money or pledges in for this. If we need to pay, we will request help. Coach Barry Switzer is still very motivated to help us catch and prosecute the sick mind that did this.

[Vashta Nerada]

ANADARKO - The Anadarko Police Department said it is investigating the shooting death of a dog Friday. Neighbors tell FOX25 a police officer shot the dog to death for no reason, pointing the shotgun at it from inside the squad car.
Carol Nix said the dog was not aggressive or bothering anyone when the officers came and killed it.

"I said 'you just shot him?' and he said 'oh yeah,'" Nix said Saturday.

See the rest of her story here: Neighbors say police shot a dog to death for no reason
http://www.okcfox.com/story/23494788/neighbors-say-police-shot-a-dog-to-death-for-no-reason

While the internal investigation continues, the department told us it could not comment. But Chief David Edwards said not everyone agreed with Nix's eyewitness account.
"Well, I started crying because it upset me," Janie Pettit said.
Pettit thinks she was the only one who saw the shooting first hand. Pettit said she watched from her front door as the squad car pulled up to confront the dog. Others came outside after the gun shot.

"I thought he was going to try to talk to the dog or something but he didn't he just shot the dog and the dog ran," she said.
Investigators questioned Pettit Monday morning. Pettit said she told police in her statement the shooting was not justified.

"He shouldn't have shot it. He shouldn't have shot it because it didn't pose a threat. It wasn't threatening to anybody," Pettit said.
Animal rights group, Citizens Against Animal Cruelty, out of Norman, have found the dog's owner, Jr. Ramos.
"He's devastated. He does not understand why they shot his dog," the group's director Jenny Patten said.

Patten is upset too.
"This is basically a breed-specific murder. If that had been a collie, a lab, that wouldn't have happened, but being a pit bull, it was his death sentence," she said.

Patten hopes this investigation will lead to disciplinary action and change. She wants officers to receive training on how to deal with dogs at large.
Patten and her group are also helping Ramos fight a citation officers issued to Ramos.

He said he had just gotten off work on Friday to come home and discover his dog got loose. After searching around Anadarko for about an hour, he got to the neighborhood just in time to see his dog shot. While carrying his dead dog, he said officers lectured him about the breed, then wrote him ticket for having a dog at large.

"We will go to court with him. There are three or four of us who will be in court with him and stand up for what happened to this dog. It's wrong," Patten said.

"I raised my girls to trust police officers," said Brittany Moore back in April. "That if they ever got lost, to find a police officer and they would help them. Now they don't trust them."
Moore spoke those words at the state capitol in Colorado, during a rally on behalf of legislation meant to reduce incidents in which police officers shoot family pets. Her testimony underscores a serious problem for anyone who supports good law enforcement (which everyone should).

"The trouble is that police officers all too often don't understand dog behavior.  Just as biased news reporting is not just bad journalism but also bad for journalism, because it undermines trust in the press, poor policing is bad for law enforcement because it undermines trust in law enforcement."

Moore's German Shepherd, Ava, was shot in 2011 by an officer who claims the dog bared its teeth and lunged. Moore says otherwise. "The rawhide bone fell from Ava's mouth and she made the most awful sound that I have ever heard, and then immediately fell to the ground. She tried to get up one last time, but her hind legs wouldn't work because her spinal cord was severed. . . . Our golden retriever went over and was nudging Ava trying to help her. Ava fell back on the ground and laid there and died slowly. . . . I will never forget the sound of my daughter's torturous cries that night."

Unfortunately, Moore's story is not unusual. Cases of cops shooting dogs happen with discouraging frequency. According to a Justice Department report, "in most police departments, the majority of shooting incidents involve animals, most frequently dogs."   The shootings happen despite the fact that "dogs are seldom dangerous," rarely bite, and even when they do, "the overwhelming majority of dog bites are minor, causing either no injury at all or injuries so minor that no medical care is required."

The trouble is that police officers all too often don't understand dog behavior. As the report ("The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters") explains: "an approaching dog is almost always friendly. A dog who feels threatened will usually try to keep his distance."

Yet because officers often don't know that, you get situations such as the one a couple weeks ago in North Carolina, where a Mooresville police officer shot a dog being trained as a service animal after it wandered onto his property.

Then there was the case — reported the same day — in Leander, Texas: Police officers serving a warrant went to the wrong house, then shot the family pet, Vinny. Or another recent case in which a Los Angeles officer shot a dog outside the owner's home for reasons "not immediately clear," according to news accounts. Or another recent case in which a St. Louis police officer shot his partner (yes, really) while aiming at "what they said was an aggressive-looking dog."

Aggressive-looking? That's an awfully low standard for pulling a trigger, isn't it?

There are two opportunities to address this issue: after an unnecessary shooting, or before one.
After-the-fact remedies include lawsuits — with all the attendant expense, turmoil and negative publicity those can entail. (Brittany Moore has filed a federal lawsuit over the death of Ava.) Another remedy involves criminal prosecution. In December a Denver, Colo., police officer was charged with aggravated animal cruelty — a felony — after he shot a dog that had been restrained on a catch-pole.

Prosecutions are better than impunity, and they might send a message. But they represent a far-less-than-optimal solution.
The best answer is to train police officers on how to avoid shooting family dogs. That's what Leander authorities did, bringing in trainer Jim Osorio after Vinny got shot. "I teach them dog behavior, types of aggression, how to approach dogs, and what types of tools are out there other than a firearm," Osorio told Texas TV station KVUE.

Here in central Virginia, Henrico County trains officers on dog behavior through video, demonstrations and instruction from animal-control officers. But not all departments around the state are so enlightened. So Virginia lawmakers should introduce a measure like the Dog Protection Act that passed in Colorado last year.

The measure stipulates that Colorado policy is "to prevent, wherever possible, the shooting of dogs by law enforcement officers." It requires every officer to be trained in handling domestic animals. The training is provided by a webinar created by volunteers — including animal-welfare experts — that costs the state nothing. And the law requires officers to let pet owners or animal-control personnel "control or remove a dog from the immediate area in order to permit a local law enforcement officer to discharge his or her duties" whenever that is feasible.

David Balmer, a Colorado state lawmaker who co-sponsored the measure, says the key to winning passage was cooperating with law-enforcement agencies — rather than simply trying to ram a mandate down their throats.
"We met with sheriffs and police departments from across Colorado," he says, "incorporating their suggestions into the early drafts of our bill. At the beginning, we faced stiff opposition from law enforcement. As we met with them over and over, they eventually dropped their opposition and began helping us write the bill."

The Colorado bill would make a good model for the commonwealth — and, for that matter, the country. It would save some dogs' lives. It would keep some departments from getting sued — and perhaps keep a couple more partners from getting shot. And it would increase people's trust of the police they see on patrol. What's not to like?

[AquaMan]

That was an ugly story. I ask myself every day why I still live in this state. My answers are not as strong as they used to be since good jobs are evaporating and I'm nearing retirement.  At least I live in the more sophisticated, green, cosmopolitan part of the state but it seems that also is deteriorating as fast as the streets.

[Red Arrow]

That was an ugly story. I ask myself every day why I still live in this state. My answers are not as strong as they used to be since good jobs are evaporating and I'm nearing retirement.  At least I live in the more sophisticated, green, cosmopolitan part of the state but it seems that also is deteriorating as fast as the streets.

Which state would you like to live in that you can afford?

Which state would you like to live in if you could afford living anywhere?


(Other than the State of Confusion  )

[swake]

You don't find a loose Pit Bull to be an issue?

Here are just SOME of the Pitt Bull attacks I found that happened THIS WEEK:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-boy-dies-pit-bull-attack-colton-20130923,0,3523949.story
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/399788/3/Dog-euthanized-after-attacking-Alton-girl
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/pit-bull-shot-after-attacking-teen-girl-in-milwaukee-b99105247z1-225002182.html
http://www.waow.com/story/23548965/2013/09/27/pit-bulls-attack-deputy-in-drunken-driver-stop
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/gilbert/gilbert-dog-attack-four-pitbull-mix-dogs-impounded-at-maricopa-county-animal-care-and-control
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/280907/2/Toddler-attacked-by-pit-bull-now-doing-well
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2013/sep/24/scotia-man-hospital-pit-bull-sought/
http://www.permianbasin360.com/story/two-teens-injured-in-pit-bull-attack/d/story/tjva3bTZBk2-00twD3cKsw
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/268466/14/Pit-bulls-get-out-of-yard-and-attack-man
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/09/27/antioch-pit-bulls-involved-in-mauling-of-boy-to-be-euthanized/
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=49191

These are all different attacks and I only got through six of the 18 pages on a Google News search of Pitt Bull Attacks filtered for this week only. I didn't include all the killed dog stories and I only included attacks that looked like they happened this week.

[Red Arrow]

You don't find a loose Pit Bull to be an issue?

Here are just SOME of the Pitt Bull attacks I found that happened THIS WEEK:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-boy-dies-pit-bull-attack-colton-20130923,0,3523949.story
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/399788/3/Dog-euthanized-after-attacking-Alton-girl
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/pit-bull-shot-after-attacking-teen-girl-in-milwaukee-b99105247z1-225002182.html
http://www.waow.com/story/23548965/2013/09/27/pit-bulls-attack-deputy-in-drunken-driver-stop
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/gilbert/gilbert-dog-attack-four-pitbull-mix-dogs-impounded-at-maricopa-county-animal-care-and-control
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/280907/2/Toddler-attacked-by-pit-bull-now-doing-well
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2013/sep/24/scotia-man-hospital-pit-bull-sought/
http://www.permianbasin360.com/story/two-teens-injured-in-pit-bull-attack/d/story/tjva3bTZBk2-00twD3cKsw
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/268466/14/Pit-bulls-get-out-of-yard-and-attack-man
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/09/27/antioch-pit-bulls-involved-in-mauling-of-boy-to-be-euthanized/
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=49191

These are all different attacks and I only got through six of the 18 pages on a Google News search of Pitt Bull Attacks filtered for this week only. I didn't include all the killed dog stories and I only included attacks that looked like they happened this week.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2013-chicago-murders

[swake]

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2013-chicago-murders

Just because Pitt Bulls are not a leading cause of death or injury does not mean that there is not related predictable and common risk that can and should be mitigated. Homicide is way, way down the list of risks too, should we ignore murder because it's not a leading cause of death?

Benjamin Hart, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and an animal behaviorist, said he wasn't surprised by Iona Keanaaina's assessment of Kava.

"It's quite common for a pit bull to show no signs of aggression," Hart said Wednesday. "People will call it a nice dog, a sweet dog, even the neighbors - and then all of a sudden something triggers the dog, and it attacks a human in a characteristic way of biting and hanging on until a lot of damage is done."

Hart said pit bulls are responsible for about 60 percent of dog attack fatalities each year, which is "way out of proportion" compared with other breeds. Pit bulls make up less than 5 percent of the American dog population.

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Often-no-warning-signs-in-pit-bull-attacks-4611027.php

[patric]

Here are just SOME of the Pitt Bull attacks I found that happened THIS WEEK:

A couple years ago, you could find stories about arsonists burning black churches almost every day.
It turned out to be a reporting trend and not an actual crime trend.
http://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0710/071096.us.us.2.html

Sometimes you have to look past pop trends:
The unceasing bark of her pit bull is the only reason Tina McDaris noticed smoke coming out of her neighbor's home late Thursday morning.
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=4363624


When I was a kid, it was German Shepherds that were the boogey-dogs

[swake]

A couple years ago, you could find stories about arsonists burning black churches almost every day.
It turned out to be a reporting trend and not an actual crime trend.
http://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0710/071096.us.us.2.html

Sometimes you have to look past pop trends:
The unceasing bark of her pit bull is the only reason Tina McDaris noticed smoke coming out of her neighbor's home late Thursday morning.
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=4363624


When I was a kid, it was German Shepherds that were the boogey-dogs

Again, 60% of fatalities from dog attacks are due to Pitt Bulls, a dog that makes up less than 5% of all dogs. That's not a "reporting trend".

[nathanm]

The Pit Bull isn't the problem, the bucking owners are the problem. Unfortunately, jackasses who train them to be aggressive are attracted to them like vultures to a carcass.

Regardless, if your first response to seeing a dog, and said dog is not latched onto a part of your body, is to pull out your service weapon and shoot it, you should be fired immediately. Regardless of the breed. This idea that cops can go around discharging their weapons when they aren't being fired upon has got to go away. Police forces in this country are becoming more like paramilitary units. Why are we OK with devolving into a third world country?

Don't get me wrong, I'm wary of pits, especially if they're off leash. But again, it's not the breed, it's the owners who train them to be that way. Police dogs are also trained to bite the smile out of people, yet we don't shoot them when they retire. Go figure.

[swake]

The Pit Bull isn't the problem, the bucking owners are the problem. Unfortunately, jackasses who train them to be aggressive are attracted to them like vultures to a carcass.

Regardless, if your first response to seeing a dog, and said dog is not latched onto a part of your body, is to pull out your service weapon and shoot it, you should be fired immediately. Regardless of the breed. This idea that cops can go around discharging their weapons when they aren't being fired upon has got to go away. Police forces in this country are becoming more like paramilitary units. Why are we OK with devolving into a third world country?

Don't get me wrong, I'm wary of pits, especially if they're off leash. But again, it's not the breed, it's the owners who train them to be that way. Police dogs are also trained to bite the smile out of people, yet we don't shoot them when they retire. Go figure.

Again with my quote:

Benjamin Hart, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and an animal behaviorist, said he wasn't surprised by Iona Keanaaina's assessment of Kava.

"It's quite common for a pit bull to show no signs of aggression," Hart said Wednesday. "People will call it a nice dog, a sweet dog, even the neighbors - and then all of a sudden something triggers the dog, and it attacks a human in a characteristic way of biting and hanging on until a lot of damage is done."

[nathanm]

Almost all dogs are nice, sweet dogs until they bite someone.