serious dog bite in HPP

[Derrick Barnicoat]

Happens all the time here in Brooklyn.

Actually, I was taking care of a pit bull recently that is very sweet with people but will destroy other dogs. I had to walk the dog. I had it on a choke chain and was walking it late at night. I saw this man off in the distance walking a bulldog off leash. I stopped and waited fro them to leave the park and I proceed to walk towards the exit. Next thing I know is this bulldog is staring at us through a fence and comes trotting back into the park off leash. I just turn around and try to walk away. The dog was pretty far away so I thought the owner has a chance to call his dog and leash him up, but no, he decides to not call his dog and the bulldog runs up to sniff the pit bulls face. Guess how this turned out? The bulldog gets a hole chomped in it and me and the owner of the other dog have to risk losing digits trying to get a lean mean pit bull to release its jaws and not do the death shake.

People are ridiculous with their ideas of what is the right thing to do with their dog. They think, " oh my dog is nice and behaved. Let him run free and have his way with other people and their pets." This is Brooklyn in a neighborhood that used to be riddled with packs of stray dogs. Was I in the wrong? Or was this person in lala land thinking nothing would happen if they let their dog run free? Most of the time your dog will be fine but one day you will feel sorry and realize you were responsible for that dogs safety. Dogs don't always make the best decisions. It's not their forté. Be responsible for your dog for the sake of its own safety and the safety of others.

[unknownjulie]

Yes, actually, we are friendly to other roaming dogs. I regularly feed them, and call the owners if they have a collar w/number on them. I sometimes get "hunters dogs" appearing, and they have some expensive equipment on them- and the owners are very grateful to get a phone call to "come and pick up their dog". I live in Hilo though, and have not had to deal with "vicious" dogs. Mostly just hikers, or hunting dogs that have gotten lost. I've asked all my neighbors to "please call me if my dog is bothering you". They all report that my dog does not bother them. They could be lying, but the option is there for open communication.

[Carey]

One of our neighbors works for HIHS... they do pick up free roaming pets & non-pet animals from all areas of the county, (most likely hard to tell which when you are picking up) and do TRY to check for microchips & contact owners...but there are times when animals that were picked up are put down that have microchips, or the owners do not respond in time (that time can be very short, as they intake far more animals than go out every month & space is a premium...)Of course, if your free roaming pet IS picked up, there is a fee to get it back...

I come from a very rural area where free range pets was more of the norm, but our area also did not have the quantity of feral animals that this county has (brutal winters do reduce the feral populations).

Given that we now live in a town area that has influxes of feral pigs, dogs, cats, goats, chickens,... I really doubt I could trust any of my pets to always obey and never to be tempted to follow the ferals, so I do keep mine in a fenced yard or on leash (this is very important for OUR dog, as she is deaf & cannot be recalled easily)

If I lived on a large acreage again, with a pet that had been raised for most of its' life on the property, I MIGHT decide to allow the pet some freedom (however I would also know that free ranging packs of ferals could rip the stuffing out of any of my animals, have seen the damage a feral dog pack can do...not sure I would make the decision to free range here...)

If you live in a residential area like a town area, if you decide it is OK for you to do anything that is regulated within the County Code, you better really have neighbors that always like you. If you think free roaming pets are OK (and are OK with all of the consequences), make sure every neighbor does too!

That is one of the realities about living here, it doesn't really matter what you think, it is what your neighbors will call you on that matters...

[Derrick Barnicoat]

and the survival of your dog… you don't think a hunting dog will rip a chunk out of your dog?

c'mon now!

[cajunman1973]

quote:

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Originally posted by unknownjulie

She doesn't usually leave our yard. She just patrols the perimeter. She's micro-chipped, spayed, and heartworm protected. She's a pretty good dog. We take her in at night. If the humane society wants to waste their time picking up my dog out of my yard, then I'll go pick her up there after they check her chip and call me. Dogs are territorial by nature. Some dogs just stay at home- even without fencing or tie-outs. Now, obviously, the dog that bit this lady was "out of control" and is an entirely different case, but I was only pointing out that you can't really generalize about dogs.

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Hopefully by now you have re-read your post and realized a responsible pet owner doesn't allow there beloved pets to roam free and unprotected. You also realize, by having a fence or border, you are providing a sense of protection between your loved one and the unpredictable outside world. Your dog may be the friendly type but other roaming pets may not be. So do you now feel a sense of responsibility for your pet, that you are not protecting it from harm.

......Just think about it and do the right thing....

[unknownjulie]

OK, I am sorry I am laughing, but my dog is fine. She mostly just stays in our yard. I think she is very happy and I don't want to ruin her happiness by confining her. She regularly chases big dogs off our lot. They are terrified of her for some unknown reason. My biggest worry is that someone steals her because she is so cute!