HPP dog attack?

[My 2 cents]

The dogs are the symptom, not the cause. You can mask the symptom temporarily by killing the dogs, but the malady will re-occur until the cause is eliminated.

The owners are the cause, and unless their behavior is changed the problem will continue with the next dogs they get.

[eightfingers2.0]

Wether or not they should have been put in that position has no basis in the reality of what happened in that situation.
Just in the U.S., over 40,000 people died in automobile collisions with 3.5 million injured, just last year.
No one should ever have been put in that position either, but it still happened, and will continue to.
Everyone seems to accept that because of various conveniences they gain by doing so.

The final responsibility for everyone's safety and longevity lies with the individual, not society at large.
They need to be ready to protect themselves, not depending on someone else to do it for them.
They can make all the rules and laws they want, but individuals taking care to not cause harm to others will never be eliminated.
I hold some of our illustrious posters here  up as examples you will recognize.

The situation has happened.
What happened, happened.
We'll never know what could or should have happened.
But, I still believe not knowing how to deal with personal threats was probably a major cause of the end results which was caused by assuming that someone else should be taking care of it for them.

Like building in in lava zone one?

[Obie]

"The dogs are the symptom, not the cause. You can mask the symptom temporarily by killing the dogs, but the malady will re-occur until the cause is eliminated."

I spend the summers on a small lake in Ohio. A few years ago a pack of 4 dogs attacked a neighbor. He always carries a weapon. The alpha male was leading the pack and as it charged at him he shot it. The other 3 dogs ran away. We all knew where the dogs were coming from and had complained to the owners to no avail. After my neighbor dumped the dead dog in the peoples driveway, they kept the 3 remaining dogs contained inside or restrained when outside. End of problem and it's legal in Ohio.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

End of problem...

Often when I hear discussions about guns as the solution to almost any problem, it sounds too much like "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
In the situation Obie described I believe the appropriate aphorism might be "the right tool for the job."

[sistersue]

Well, whether the three people were attacked because the dogs sensed fear or not, don't you think the victims should not be put in that position in the first place? This isn't the wild woods, it's a subdivision.

But it IS a wild-west-woods subdivision.  Loose dogs and homemade bombs are allowed because there's not enough police. My good friend spent 4 days in the hospital a few years ago.  Pit bulls almost ripped off her arm.  She has terrible permanent scars.  She was walking on 10th in HPP with her 2 year-old great-grandson when her neighbor's dogs got loose and attacked her.  She threw the baby in a garbage can. It was in the newspaper.  I never walk in HPP because you never know when dogs can get loose.

[Durian Fiend]

Well, whether the three people were attacked because the dogs sensed fear or not, don't you think the victims should not be put in that position in the first place? This isn't the wild woods, it's a subdivision.

No, of course they shouldn't be put in that position in the first place. It's absurd that one can't have an expectation of safety from dog attack while walking down a subdivision road.  The dogs should be exterminated and the owner fined heavily. Even knowing the best strategies for avoiding such an attack may not prevent injury when there are multiple animals involved. 

Sounds like the "wild woods" maybe be safer, seeing that pigs have the good sense to avoid humans.

[Kiana]

Just received police alert via email. Even more sad that the group of victims are all quite elderly kupuna:

"Hawai‘i Police Department
Puna Patrol
Captain Scott Amaral
Phone: (808) 935-3311
Report No.: 21-067388

 
Media Release
 
An 85-year-old Puna woman remains in critical condition and two men were injured after a vicious attack involving multiple dogs on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Kea‘au. Hawai‘i Island police and Animal Control are investigating the incident that took place at about 5:43 p.m. in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision on 12th Avenue.

The woman was searching for her lost dog when two neighboring dogs tragically attacked her. The two injured men, one 89 years old and the other 85 years old, tried to fend off the two dogs during the attack.

The woman was bitten about the head, neck, and arms, receiving multiple puncture wounds and lacerations. She remains in critical condition.

The two men were bitten multiple times, and were treated for their injuries and released from the hospital.

The two dogs were taken into custody and remain at a secured location in the custody of Animal Control.

The dog owner is under investigation. The property in question where the dogs came from has a partially fenced yard, the dogs were not secured, and were able to get outside of the property. Prior to this incident authorities reported no history of previous reports or incidents involving the dogs being loose in the area where the attack occurred. It has not been determined at this time what provoked the dogs to attack the woman.

The incident remains under investigation and is classified as a dangerous dog incident under the Hawaii County Code 4-31.
Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Members of the public wanting to report vicious dogs can call the police non-emergency number to report those incidents as well at (808) 935-3311.

[kalianna]

Thanks for posting this, Kiana. How would I subscribe to this email alert? This is the first official news I've seen.

ETA: Just saw the same announcement on Big Island Gazette. First news site to mention it.

[Kiana]

"Thanks for posting this, Kiana. How would I subscribe to this email alert? This is the first official news I've seen."

Seems I signed up for some type of alert system back when the 2014 lava flow was going. I think it may be called the Police Nixle alert system. Sorry that I can't remember exactly. It is separate from the Civil Defense alert system (which is also helpful at times if you haven't signed up for that one. You can set that one up for email and also as a text alert if you wish.) I suggest calling the non-emergency police contact number and let them know you want to get on their email alert list. You'll get several a week, often showing the island's Most Wanted and other crime type of news.

This is one of the saddest I've ever received. :-(

[kalianna]

I'm on the CD alert system--get notified of every distant non-tsunami earthquake and high surf warning. But I'll also check out the Police Nixle. Thanks again. And yes, incredibly sad and needless. I'm relieved to know that the dogs are at least confined.