Family Wants Answers After Pet Is Shot & Killed

[STAGE 2]

Baloney. Unless cujo was lunging for the throat of the game warden, there was NO reason to shoot. I don't care what the statute book says. Anyone with any sense of responsibility and heart would try and find the owners or check the dogs tags.

I would far rather risk a bite/get bitten than ever shoot a dog. This guy was a trigger happy jackass who knew the technicalities would fall in his court. He deserves a .22 to the knee.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

I would far rather risk a bite/get bitten than ever shoot a dog. This guy was a trigger happy jackass who knew the technicalities would fall in his court. He deserves a .22 to the knee.

Let's see here. Get bitten by dog, several hours in emergency room, days, maybe weeks of recovery, rabies treatments if dog gets away and can't be found, or shoot dog.

You can't/won't shoot a dog, but you can kneecap a human for doing it. Sounds real levelheaded to me. Think you could really pull the trigger that way, or would you delegate that to someone else? In either case, it says more about your real thoughts and nature than the dog loving stuff.

 

[coat4gun]

I just love to read these "animal/pet shot" threads... such passion is rarely shown, even when a person is shot. Very sick if you ask me... guess it's a sign of the times... as animals gain rights... we people loose them.

 

[The Guy]

Boy is this getting thick. So tell me, which do you prefer, .45 or 9 mm for self defence.

A dog is not a human. It is an animal. Domesticated animals can revert back to intinctive agrressive behavior. The dogs in question were feeding on a deer carcas, and this could bring back that whole pack menality thing.

My dad told me never to try to take a dog's food away. Why? It might bite me! hmmmm....

It is a terible thing for your pet whatever to die. To some people, it is like loosing a family member.

But too many pet owners let their pets, dogs and cats, run outdoors unleashed and unconfined. Then they wonder why their pets get hit by cars, or shot, or just up and not come home one day.

Most dogs are big animals, and need lots of room. That does not excuse letting a dog roam freely without supervision. If you won't take it for the exercise it needs, and don't have it confined, then don't get the thing in the first place.

Animals are animals. They do not have rights, they are just what we let them do. If they are allowed to run free they will. And bad things might happen to them.

If the game warden felt threatend, then fine. If he did it out of malice, or not caring, fine too. If the family had kept the dog confined or had it trained to stay in the yard, then just one dog would have been shot, and the whole situation would have been avoided. Which ever way the officer was, it doesn't matter, the fault is 100% with the family that did not fulfill their ownership obligation to their pet.

 

[NoPhilly]

Here in Philadelphia, it is illegal to have your dog in most public places without a leash (and someone holding the leash).

That dog could have ran off and maimed someone's child.

Remember that lady in San Francisco?

Like the other posters said, if you love your dog, don't allow it to roam free in public.

 

[molonlabe]

Very sick if you ask me

I love dogs also but some of these responses border on lunancy.

I have some jerk from my neighbor hood that walks his dog in my ground cover and I tell him to stay out and he tells me to eat Sh**. I jump out of my car and ask him if he wants a peice of me and he changes his tune. Says he dosn't want to fight me and is dog does not crap in my yard. I look at him speechless like I do DNA testing.
I agerr o with one thread
Dogs are great.
Their owners suck. Especially if they let them run free.

 

[Headless]

If the warden said the dog was being aggressive, i don't know how anyone here is supposed to say that it wasn't being aggressive... He was there. Nobody else was. Most people don't see viciousness on their pets, but a person who isn't around said pet 24/7 is going to see a side of your pet that you, the owner, perhaps never had before. My boss owns a ~75lb black lab. He's a pussy. He's terrified of strangers. And i've seen him get extremely vicious like he NEVER had before the one time he felt like he was cornered by abovementioned strangers. It's funny to see him scared of a stranger who, to us, looks totally unthreatening... until you realise what that fear turns into in an animal of his size. A 70lb black lab could seriously, SERIOUSLY injure a human. His mouth is a bigass set of serrated blades and dogs fight viciously, tearing and shredding flesh. The dog is dead. Continue on with life; build a fence for your dogs.

 

[brerrabbit]

Maned Wolf

Great Pyranees are good dogs, when my goat herd gets a bit bigger I am gonna get one and raise it with the goats. They make excellent sheep/goat dogs once they get some size on them and will not willingly leave the herd. This dog will not be a pet in the traditional sense, he will be a goat with very sharp teeth and a very odd bleat.

I tend to use dogs as equipment. Thats what many of the dogs we have were bred for. I understand that. What I do not understand are the many people that do not need a large frame dog keeping them as pets.

If you want a dog for a pet, get a datsun or a yorkie. If you are using the dog as a tool such as a guard dog, herd dog, heeler,hunting dog etc, get an appropriate breed.

Hmm, free running large predator, scavenging dead animals near a fairground with lots of kids running around? So if the dog had mauled a kid later in the day would we be haranguing the officer for not killing the dog when he had the chance?

Sounds like a good kill to me. It is not the officers job to keep peoples dogs under control or to determine the dogs future actions, that is the responsibility of the people that own the dog. He solved a possible problem in a decisive manner and should be commended for his initiative and care of public safety.

Why are the people squalling about the wildlife official shooting the dog not squalling about the owners letting it run loose where it could be a problem? That is where the true blame lies.

 

[bruss01]

I'm very unhappy that the officer in question felt he needed to shoot the dog. This is most likely an officer who doesn't have a dog, doesn't know much of anything about dogs, or has some kind of phobia about dogs. Why wasn't animal control called?

Responsible dog owners do not give their dogs free run of the world. There are too many dangers out there from fast cars to porcupines to trigger-happy yahoos with guns who decide they don't like your dog being where he is, doing what he's doing. A responsible dog owner has their dog in a fenced safe area or on a leash. If the dog is kept safe like this, it will never chase a car, never chase a neighbors cat, never poop on somebody's lawn and most importantly never get gunned down for simply being a dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's just not that hard to keep a dog safe, and to recklessly risk an animals life like that is just irresponsible - if one is not prepared to be responsible for the dog's safety, one should not own a dog.

IMHO the owners are more than 50% culpable in the loss of their pet. I don't think the dog needed to be shot, but if it had been on a leash or in a fenced back yard that never would have happened.

 

[1911Tuner]

Dogs

Dogs. One of my favorite subjects, and abusing dogs one of my top hot buttons. Very few dog owners truly understand dogs.

But...Dogs are predators and they're pack hunters. If they're allowed to roam, and fall in with an outside pack, they can range from anything to a mild nuisance to an outright danger to whatever...or whoever they come across.
It greatly depends on what the Alpha does. If he...or she (females can be as rough or rougher than males when allowed to become feral) is just mischievous, then the pack will follow the lead. If aggressive...so goes the pack. Then...when and if the family pet returns home, he or she will revert to
the playful puppy that we all know and love.

Labs and Goldens are among the "best' breeds...but they're still dogs. Collies are my pick for all-around best breed...but they're still dogs. See those two big Collies over there in the front seat of my pickup truck? Beautiful aren't they? Friendly too...as nice as any you'll ever meet...but walk over there and stick your hand in the window before you've been formally introduced, and don't be surprised if they keep a couple of your fingers for a souvenir.

First-time visitors always ask the same question of me. "Do your dogs bite?"
My standard answer is: "All dogs will bite if you push the wrong buttons. It's pretty much up to you." Approach a dog feeding on a carcass...whether he pulled the animal down, or is simply taking advantage of his good fortune...and you just pushed one of the buttons. Ditto if you, as a non-pack member stick your hand into a whelping box with week-old pups and the mother present. I never cease to be amazed at the people who will do that, fully expecting that the response will be a wagging tail.

Man's best friend is a Wolf under the skin. Please keep that ever-present in mind.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Black labs are biters

Hi all.
If you check it out they are a biter.

No reason to be bit and if they decided to shoot him so be it, keep dogs on a leash, simple.
Sorry for their loss. But they need to be more responsible. No reason in the world to have to put up with a vicious, growling dog...
I had to put one of my dogs down because it started growling and scaring people.

Dogs in packs tear up sheep and cattle and all sorts of things just for the fun of it. Kill um if they are not on a leash is the way it is in El Dorado Ca. To many rancher's loose thousands of dollars worth of beef and mutton, to these loose pets.

I use to hunt a guys property on one condition, shoot any loose dog you see and you can hunt my property.
OK no problem, they are killers folks. Then they come home and lick your childs face. Bad news.

HQ

 

[STAGE 2]

Let's see here. Get bitten by dog, several hours in emergency room, days, maybe weeks of recovery, rabies treatments if dog gets away and can't be found, or shoot dog.

You bet, every time. I've been a dog owner all my life and there are only 2 reasons I'm going to put a dog down. First, the dog is fatally injured and in a extreme deal of pain. Second, the dog is attacking me. Not snapping, growling, nipping at my legs, but really genuinely attacking me. Even then its not something I'm going to enjoy doing.

Acting aggressive and attacking are two diffferent things. If the dog was growling (which I doubt since he probably had his face full of deer) then the proper thing to do would have been to back off and call animal control. Instead, this guy wanted to plug the dog, so he did.

You can't/won't shoot a dog, but you can kneecap a human for doing it. Sounds real levelheaded to me.

Glad we agree. I've met more wretched humans in one day than I have bad dogs in my entire life. Most if not all of the undesirable characteristics the we as people have, dogs simply don't. At 3 in the morning when the window pane breaks and I'm still groggy reaching for the 12 gauge, my dog will already be out the room and down the hall. He won't be thinking about whether there are too many attackers, whether he will get shot, or anything else but protecting his home and his family. There are very few individuals on this planet who I can say the same of.

 

[MechAg94]

Why wasn't animal control called?

I grew up in a rural county in Texas. There was no animal control. That is a city thing for the most part. I am not sure what the case was here.


We always had a couple of outside dogs growing up. They were all mutts and usually not that big. I didn't realize until I got older that some of them certainly were the pack animals discussed by others. I watched two of them take down a good sized racoon once. Circled it a couple times with one on either side. Then one dog darted in, got it by the neck, and, CRUNCH, the racoon was dead. I walked outside and they both hopped around all proud of themselves. They would go run off at night and run all over the countryside with their buddy's. One dog came home once with what looked like bird shot through a paw. One other time a lady came by asking about dogs we have. Seems a pack of dogs were attacking her hogs. IMO, she has every right to shoot any unknown dog that comes near her livestock.
Despite all this, ALL the dogs I ever had were happy, playful, and gentle around me and my brother. It is the height of foolishness to assume your dog will act the same when he is alone as when he is around you.

Now days, I don't have a dog. I won't get another one unless I can take care of it properly. My parents still have a dog, but it is a little house dog.

 

[Rem700SD]

Unless I'm mistaken, once that dog left private property, it became a public issue. The owners frankly don't have a legal leg to stand on.

 

[MechAg94]

I don't know if I would say that Labrador's are biters. I would say they are agressively playful and can be very rough without meaning to be. However, they are strong and able dogs and could inflict a lot of damage if they got a mind to do so.


Can anyone tell me exactly where this was? Was this in an urban area or a rural? I assume rural because of the deer, but I realize that might not be the case.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I don't know if I would say that Labrador's are biters. I would say they are agressively playful and can be very rough without meaning to be. However, they are strong and able dogs and could inflict a lot of damage if they got a mind to do so.

Simple fact is that any dog can bite and pose a threat. When a dog is out and loose, they pose a danger to the public. If that dog was acting aggressively, the officer was correct in shooting.
Owning a dog is a responsibility and if it gets out, you risk something like this happening.

I've learned very quickly that I must be responsible for my two dogs, especially since one is a pit bull mix. All I need is some twit provoking my dog, then blaming it for being a dangerous animal.

 

[silverbird]

According to the Center for Disease Prevention In Atlanta, Labs do a lot of bitting on people, especially small children

Labs may "bite" children, but it's puppies trying to play. I doubt they ever break skin. Labs are spastic dogs with most of their lives spent focused on food, and you can pretty much train one on the spot if you've got a bacon bit.

I don't see why this dog needed to be shot. If it was actually hunting a deer...who cares? It's a deer. More than likely it was chasing the deer to play with it. If it was a carcass and the dog was guarding it, then get the owners out there to the dog, and that's only if a stern "NO" didn't get the dog to stop (which it probably would with any lab).

The cop probably mistook the dog for a pitbull. Like that family who got pulled over on the side of the road.....they were mistaken as auto thieves and were pulled out of the car, at which time they told the officer to roll up the windows so the dog doesn't get out. He didn't, the dog jumped out, was WAGGING its tail, and the cop shot it. All on video tape. Cop got scared, and killed the dog. It happens WAY too often because people say "Well it's just an animal", and do what they think is best. Many times it's a well-behaved dog that got caught on the wrong end of a power-happy person with a gun. THAT'S why people (including myself) get worked up over stories like this.

I can guarantee that if I were in the situation of that family that got pulled over, I'd be in jail, becuase there'd be a dead cop on the side of the road. If my dog hasn't attacked anyone, then he's got MORE right to live than 99% of the people I meet on a daily basis, including scared cops.

 

[Pilgrim]

Why wasn't animal control called?

In my experience, animal control responds to problems in their own sweet time.

Pilgrim

 

[Ivy Mike]

and just a little tidbit, but the CDC stopped recording bite stats according to breed. They came to the correct conclusion that its almost impossible to get accurate stats on what type of dog is doing the biting.
They've gone to just recording bites and severity.

If you've ever looked at the CDC report, you can get an idea of how poor the data actually is. My favorite is the "Pit Bull Type" column that seems to hold the highest numbers of bites. People then point to those evil pit bulls without realizing that "pit bull type" covers 5 or 6 distinct breeds on a short list.

 

[oh blanky]

Maned, pyr's are work dogs.

They will happily watch over my flock, acknowledge me as the alpha, come and get some lovin' from their owner (me) and happily go back to their job. That's what they do.

They aren't great pets because they are independent and not super obedient. They perform their job superbly and I admire and respect them for that.

Again, I am responsible for their behavior, and will do my best to assure their safety. If they stray and get killed it's my responsibility, not the responsibility of the public to get eaten first and defend themselves later.

 

[roo_ster]

GW Did His Duty

Some of you people are sick, plain and simple.

There's no reason to shoot the ****ing dog. Period. Public safety my ass.

I can see at least two reasons from the article:
1. Law in PA syas it is OK to kill dogs harassing wildlife & the doggies were eating on deer.
2. Game warden & others said the dogs were acting aggressively.
I don't think the GW is sick, I think he was doing his job.

Yes it is. But when people fall down on their responsibilities, it doesn't excuse depraved behavior on the part of others.

Again, attributing depravity to a guy doing his job is ridiculous.

Baloney. Unless cujo was lunging for the throat of the game warden, there was NO reason to shoot. I don't care what the statute book says. Anyone with any sense of responsibility and heart would try and find the owners or check the dogs tags.

I would far rather risk a bite/get bitten than ever shoot a dog. This guy was a trigger happy jackass who knew the technicalities would fall in his court. He deserves a .22 to the knee.

I am glad you are not making the laws.

My grandpa killed many a roving dog in his day, as they killed his livestock. He had a call to make: he could let the dogs live and not feed his children as well, or he could kill the roaming dogs.

The GW deserves his salary for doing his duty. Anyone who would maim him for doing so is an unstable individual, IMO.

More than likely it was chasing the deer to play with it.

Surely, this is just satire and comic relief? No one with any clue about predators & prey would make such a statement with a straight face.

----------------------

I own two med/large sized dogs. I have had to install a hotwire 6" off the ground to keep them from digging out. It is my responsibility to see that they stay safe & sound inside the fence. If they get out, any harm that they come to or cause is on me.

 

[Dmack_901]

How would you react if you saw some guy kneeling over a deer carcass with his face in it tearing flesh away with his bear teeth, soaked in blood he turns in your direction, waves a knife at you and starts yelling, "Get away from my ******* deer, It's mine!!! I'll ******* kill you!!! Get away!!"

What would you do? I'd be scared. I'd feel he was a threat to society.

 

[Dain Bramage]

The game commission officer says he was called by frightened employees because two dogs were standing over a downed deer exhibiting aggressive behavior.

A lot of people need to read the story more carefully. The officer was not the only one who thought the dogs were acting aggressively.

Now don't get me wrong; I love animals. If anyone was to shoot my goldfish, I'd go all "Jaws" on them.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

Glad we agree. I've met more wretched humans in one day than I have bad dogs in my entire life. Most if not all of the undesirable characteristics the we as people have, dogs simply don't.

Just in case it wasn't clear enough for you, we don't agree. I might agree that there are plenty of evil humans, and plenty of noble dogs, but kneecapping a human because he did something you don't like is way over the top. The guy wasn't drowning puppies in a bag, he shot a dog that he says, in his professional opinion, was aggressive. Perhaps you don't understand the canine species as well as you would like to think.

It is people with attitudes likes yours that cause people like me to carry my own gun.

 

[STAGE 2]

Just in case it wasn't clear enough for you, we don't agree.

I know, its a little thing called sarcasm.

I might agree that there are plenty of evil humans, and plenty of noble dogs, but kneecapping a human because he did something you don't like is way over the top. The guy wasn't drowning puppies in a bag, he shot a dog that he says, in his professional opinion, was aggressive. Perhaps you don't understand the canine species as well as you would like to think.

No, but kneecapping this guy because he maliciously and needlessly shot a domesticated animal isn't over the top. You keep citing his professional opinion. Well, he's certianly not going to come out and say, "yeah the dog was chewing on the deer, and I was bored so i decided to pop it." I question his actions and I question his honesty.

This crap about animal control taking too long is full of phooey as well. You don't just up and shoot something because the proper people can't get there in 5 minutes.

It is people with attitudes likes yours that cause people like me to carry my own gun.

Lets see, I'm advocating that people shouldn't go around killing animals willy nilly and you're opposing this position and you're worried about me