This is one of the reasons why I carry

[Min]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2241403

Nov. 21, 2003, 11:42PM


Dog bites ruled as cause of death
By RAD SALLEE
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

A woman whose mauled body was found Wednesday on a southeast Houston street died of dog bites, the Harris County medical examiner's office determined Friday.

At first, investigators were uncertain whether Fannie Pearl Pharms, 58, was killed by a trio of dogs found near her body, or if they attacked her after she died of some other cause.

An autopsy by Dr. Stephen Wilson determined the cause of death was "multiple sharp force injuries" sustained when Pharms was "attacked and bitten by canines," said Rudy Flores, administrator of the medical examiner's office.

Pharms' body was found in the 4800 block of Maggie near her home. The dogs, two pit bulls and a Rottweiler, were captured without incident and had no previous record of attacking anyone, said Houston health department spokeswoman Kathy Barton.

The three are held by the city Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, 2700 Evella. Barton said they belong to Lelton Stoneham of 4758 Maggie. Neither Stoneham nor relatives of Pharms could be reached for comment.

Barton said that in view of the medical examiner's ruling, city health director Dr. Mary des Vignes-Kendrick is likely to declare the dogs dangerous early next week. They would then be destroyed after a 10-day appeal period, unless the owner obtains a restraining order from a district court, Barton said.

"And we've never lost one of those," she added.

Meanwhile, the future of three pit bull dogs that ran wild and bit a pedestrian Sept. 20 in Huntington Village subdivision in southwest Houston remains unclear.

In a hearing Friday at the pound, where they have been held since the attacks, animal control officials upheld an earlier finding that the dogs are dangerous.

Several residents described the canines as a neighborhood nuisance, but their owner, Babetta Mayes, said she has moved to Arkansas and wants her pets to join her.

For this to happen, Barton said, Mayes must pay nearly $1,300 in fees for boarding and other costs, and purchase $100,000 in insurance coverage on each dog. An additional requirement of more secure fencing will be waived if the dogs are removed from the city, Barton said.

What a way to go.

 

[Min]

If it was me, there'd be three dead dogs.

 

[natedog]

And three empty shell casings.

 

[10-Ring]

Nasty stuff! Just like that woman killed in SF a few years ago, the owners have responsiblity here that goes beyond the future of these dogs.

 

[Min]

The owner wasn't even in Houston.

Anyway, one .45 or 10mm round to the head of each dog ought to put it down.

 

[TheeBadOne]

Anyway, one .45 or 10mm round to the head of each dog ought to put it down.

Better be prepared to take a bite or two first...

 

[Min]

If I find myself in a yard with three dogs growling at me...pit bulls and rottweilers...I would be a little trigger happy.

 

[TheeBadOne]

If I find myself in a yard with three dogs growling at me...pit bulls and rottweilers...I would be a little trigger happy.

People tend to get very upset when you shoot a dog. (and most don't consider seem growling as crossing the threshold to deadly force.)

 

[Min]

If the dogs are not on a leash and there is no owner around, and they're growling at me, and they are of a breed that is on the news all the time...them be dead dogs.

I think the public will side with me on this one.

 

[TheeBadOne]

If the dogs are not on a leash and there is no owner around, and they're growling at me, and they are of a breed that is on the news all the time...them be dead dogs.

I think you're in for a rude awakening.....if you haven't followed similar threads/news reports. (I'm not saying I disagree with your plan, just saying expect to get flamed if you act).

All the best

TBO

 

[JohnKSa]

Agree with TBO. If you don't have wounds to show, public opinion will almost certainly be against you even if the law isn't.

Our disneyfied public wants desperately to believe that animals are always our friends and would never hurt us.

 

[natedog]

I would rather have the communities disaproval than having my calf ripped off by a dog.

 

[Min]

If you will note in the article the community considered the dogs a nuisance. They knew the owner was out of state, and left her dogs unattended. Had I been in that lady's situation I would have had some moving target practice.

 

[TheeBadOne]

If you will note in the article the community considered the dogs a nuisance.

Hindsight is 20/20. They spoke after the dogs killed a 58 year old lady.
Now, with no death, and no injury, I can just about guarantee you'd be fried for shooting a dog for "threatening behavior" IE: growling, snarling, barking.
As proof of strong feeling for animals I offer up the reminder of "Leo", the fluffy dog that was thrown to it's death during a road rage incident. $115,000 was raised to find the killer of Leo.....much much more than had ever been raised for any missing child.

http://www.kovr13.com/06jun01/vo062101d.htm

Five people will split a 115-thousand dollar reward for helping convict a road rage dog killer.
The reward stems after Andrew Burnett grabbed "Leo the dog" from Sarah McBurnett's car and threw the dog into traffic.

The Humane Society of Santa Clara says 75 thousand dollars will go to John Mora, who was in his vehicle, five cars behind McBurnett. Mora was the first witness to testify against Burnett.

Four other people, all informants in the police investigation, will receive 10-thousand dollars.

A jury convicted Burnett last Tuesday.

 

[Min]

Apples and oranges.

The situations are not the same. The only common link between the two stories is a dog was in it.

 

[Gordon Fink]

One woman and three dogs lost to yet another pet owner’s negligence.

~G. Fink

 

[pax]

Min,

Run a search on this forum for "dogs" and take a gander at the threads that pop up. Guarantee you'll find plenty of folks who'd want to shoot you for thinking about shooting their dog, no matter what the dog was doing.

Me, I agree with your main point. A dog is a dog. Human beings are more important.

pax

When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem. -- Edward Abbey

 

[TheeBadOne]

Apples and oranges.

I agree about that but what I was trying to show was people emotions when pets are involved. IE: What Pax said.

 

[Min]

I know people are very attached to their pets, and I respect that. I would never want to hurt anyone's "family member".

But when your family member wants to take a bite out of my members, I will risk vilification.

The scary thing is these three dogs had no prior history of aggression. Maybe they were just hungry from neglect or something. But to die from dog bites is HORRIBLE!

 

[JohnKSa]

The community didn't say squat.

The neighbors who had been terrorized by the dogs and who knew the victim said that they were a nuisance.

BTW, I'm not saying that I wouldn't shoot the dogs, I'm just saying that I would plan on being a pariah afterwards.

My father killed a rabid dog years ago. It had terrorized the community and killed pets. This was in a very small town (300) and the next day in school everyone knew about it. One of the girls actually cried that the dog was dead. It was a good lesson for me.

 

[Moparmike]

Another rabid dog fan...

I can see your point. I have some big dogs in my neighborhood as well. If one of them is threatening me or mine (barking or growling while moving against me in a threatening manner), it will most likely be put down. However, if someone has to do that to my Beagle who thinks everyone is a lollypop, they had better have a crapload of evidence to back them up, or they will be the next one to be put down.

 

[James Bondrock]

Not really related but ...

Stray dogs are shot on sight in farm and ranch country. They can kill calves, lambs and sheep, or frighten cattle into running headlong into barbed wire fences or stepping in a hole and being injured.

 

[caseydog]

Out in the rural settings we get some strays , some are quite friendly and we try to find an owner or find them a home , for the aggressive ones we revert to the 3 S rule (Shoot, Shovel, Shut up) . Case

 

[TallPine]

The dogs, two pit bulls and a Rottweiler, were captured without incident and had no previous record of attacking anyone

Have they interviewed the dogs' mothers yet...?

I'm sure these were good boys who were in the process of turning their lives around

 

[bogie]

My neighborhood is near a "rich kids" university. A significant number of 'em get dogs, etc., during the school year, and dump 'em when they go home for the summer, graduate, get kicked out, whatever... And they end up roaming in packs. The nearby St. Louis zoo has had problems with dog packs running down animals...

A while back, I was getting home late at night - had to park way down the block. About halfway to the apartment, I noticed I had a shadow... A half dozen or so, variety of breeds, looking like they could use a bogiesnack... The folder came out, I carefully walked to the door, keeping eye contact with 'em. I guess I was too big and ugly to be prey that night...