TheBanyanTree: Irresponsible Dog Owners

[Sharon Mack]

When I heard a coach say he would consider letting Vicks play ball again I
almost choked on my supper.  He said the man made a "mistake".  What he did
was NOT a mistake!  It was cruel and deliberate, for his sick pleasure and
enjoyment but most of all PROFIT!!!  Just like the dog races, it's
abominable to me.  

I have a 13 year old Pug I know will be in heaven soon so we make sure we do
lots of snuggling and hugging...and a Pom who will live out the rest of his
life with me, too, for several years past the time of Puggies demise.  These
two came from abusive situations that just made me sick.  These tiny dogs
were kicked, beaten and neglected.  For years they were afraid of feet (they
skulked the moment you crossed your legs or made a sudden move) and brooms
and wooden spoons.  

The Pom (who is a standard size, not a toy) had so many fractures and cracks
on his skull they weren't even sure he would be able to learn properly.  But
God was good, and he healed and he learns--a bit slow--but with patience and
love, he learns.

Both dogs had alpha tendencies when I brought them into my home.  They
learned them (I believe) as defense mechanisms, but once adopted, I took
over and made it clear who was alpha dog--ME!  I took a lot of wisdom from
our vet and their 'on-staff' animal psychologists as well as Caesar Milan
and I have enjoyed ten years with these lovely animals.  They are my joy and
my love and my life now that my children are grown.

I watch these sweethearts with my grandchildren and from every age, these
dogs were gentle and sweet, with no incidents of nipping or biting.  Heh,
when my granddaughter was 4, she actually laid on the floor with Pugs under
her arm and her head resting on Fru (the Pom) and slept.  What a photo op!

I have a friend who rescued two young pitbulls, Pearl (all white-albino) and
Chico.  He and his wife did what I did, working closely with their vet, etc.
and those dogs (he has had them 12 years) are just as sweet and lovely as my
two little guys.  Chico is still a puppy in his ways and keeps us laughing.
They love children and at picnics you can find Chico right in the midst of
them, catching the birdie or the ball and making the kids run for it.  When
they catch up (cause he lets them), they take it right from his mouth and he
bounds over to the game for another round.

We have domesticated these animals and it is our responsibility to keep them
civil.  Sadly, for various reasons, it sometimes is not possible and so,
you're right--they MUST be put down.  And even more sadly the reasons are
usually bad people misusing and mistraining them.  Shame, shame, double
shame!

Sharon

-----Original Message-----
From: thebanyantree-bounces at lists.remsset.com
[mailto:thebanyantree-bounces at lists.remsset.com] On Behalf Of Margaret R.
Kramer
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 11:13 AM
To: The Banyan Tree
Subject: TheBanyanTree: Reprehensible **Warning - Rant about irresponsible
dog owners**

That's what the judge said about Michael Vick and his pit bulls.  How can a
man who has the world on the string find happiness watching dogs fight and
also torturing them to death?  It's one thing to kill a dog using an
injection, but to drown, hang, and electrocute them as a way of amusement is
horrible.  It's not any different to me than the Nazis gassing millions of
Jews and then watching them die through tiny windows in the gas chambers.

In Minneapolis last week, a seven year boy was mauled to death by his father
's pit bull.  The dog was chained in the basement.  Evidently the boy went
down to the basement to look at the pit bull puppies and was killed by the
male dog.

Now what I am missing here?  If you have to chain a dog in the basement, how
can it be safe for your children to be around it?  This dog had a couple of
bites on record, yet the owner continued to keep the dog.  And then to breed
puppies!!!!  It's obvious this owner doesn't have a clue about raising dogs.
Unfortunately, there is no law against breeding dogs if you're a moron.

I'm extremely sorry that his son was killed, but maybe a light will turn on
in this man's brain, and he'll realize he's unable to raise dogs properly
and move on to some other interest.  And through his son's death, other
lives will be saved.  Fortunately, the father shot the dog and the dog won't
hurt anyone else ever again.

Finally, a mother had to wrestle with a pit bull to keep him from mauling
her four year old son.  This just happened a couple of days ago in a
Minneapolis suburb.  The dog broke loose from its chain across the street
and ran to the boy who was just getting out of a car.  The mother kicked and
pummeled the dog until it let go of her son.  Someone had called the police
and they came and got the dog under control.  The boy got off with some
severe bites to his legs, but he's OK.

Again, this dog had several dog bites on record.  His owner had given him to
a relative to keep, because he had bitten other people and was not allowed
at the apartment complex where she lived.  The dog was quarantined, but the
owner is having him put down.  Both the owner and the relative are being
fined.  Now what does this owner not understand?  This dog is DANGEROUS!
Why did she keep the dog when it is obvious the dog loved to chomp on
people?

To me, these dog owners mentioned above should join Michael Vick in the
slammer.  They can compares notes about their dog raising techniques.  And
then have the "Bubbas" in prison beat the crap out of them every day.  Or do
other things . . .

When I married my ex-husband, he owned a beautiful German Shepherd Dog named
Rex.  Well, Rex was an alpha dog.  And Tony raised it to show off its alpha
tendencies.  The dog would bite first and ask questions later.  There were
several people he bit who had to get stitches.  He was a one person dog and
barely tolerated other people.  He tolerated me and Asher.  He liked people
who spoke German.  He loved my ex's brother and mother, but all other people
were suspect.  I had to lock him in a room if people came over, because he
would intimidate them, snarl at them, and sometimes snap at them.  He was a
very scary dog.  I didn't know as much about dogs as I do now, so I
tolerated his behavior.  If it was now, the dog would be put down, along
with my ex, because he made Rex into what he was.

We put Rex down when he was nine years old because of severe arthritis.  We
went to the Humane Society and picked out a small Shepherd mix female named
Samantha.  Again, if I knew then what I know now, I never would have adopted
Samantha.  She was an alpha dog, too.  And a snapper.  I also think that if
the Humane Society had did a better job screening the dog, Samantha would
have been put out for adoption.  She ended up mauling our neighbor's arm
when she got out of the house accidentally and he happened to be standing in
our driveway.

I gave that boy everything.  I bought him books and flowers.  I gave his
father our home owner's insurance policy and telephone number so he could
call and make a claim.  We had Samantha put down.  I felt just awful.

When we brought Samantha into the vet, he told me something I'll always
remember.  "Once a dog bites a human in an attack mode, it will try again,
because it got away with it.  Then it becomes a dangerous dog."

After those two experiences, I know dangerous dogs.  I know what they're
like.  I also know that the owners are the cause of those dogs attacking
people.  Certain breeds of dogs are bred to protect, to fight, and to be
courageous.  Unfortunately, some owners bring out those inbred qualities in
bad ways.

It seems to me for some groups of people in the US, pit bulls are the status
dog of the moment.  Man, if you have a pit bull, you're a tough dude.  No
one is going to mess with you.  And if you raise that pit bull to be a
fighting machine, then you're really something special.

And if your pit bull kills children, well, you're definitely on top of the
heap.  And if you torture your pit bull to death, then obviously, since you
can torture an innocent dog, you're the toughest dude of them all.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is
also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the
flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.
~Abram L. Urban