Re: [PyrNet-L] CHAT, Rescue: Vicious dog

["Karen Reiter" <kreiter@servtech.com>]

I was going to stay out of this, but I feel compelled to respond to
something that is not clear.  The woman that was bitten was not an elderly
woman.  She was a young woman and she was intoxicated.  This particular dog
came from a shelter, therefore not much is known about the background,
temperament, etc.  The woman was asked to leave the dog alone, but didn't.
And the owner has owned different LGD breeds since the early 1980's, so he's
not inexperienced with the traits of an LGD.  (FWIW, this information came
from a person who knows the owner well.  The owner contacted him on the day
of the incident).

Now, I know how my dogs react when they encounter behavior that is abnormal,
and while they're not aggressive, they become VERY wary of someone who is
drunk because the behavior is erratic.  I have a neighbor who is an
alcholic.  When we encounter him and he's under the influence, both of my
dogs surround me if he approaches us because they sense that his behavior is
not normal (i.e. he's much different when he's sober).  If we see him when
he's sober, they treat him differently and will accept pets and sometimes
even treats.

I think that the whole problem with this situation (to recap what Carol
Boyle said) is that this is the internet, and we do NOT know the whole
story, nor do we really know the whole truth.  And stories become very
convoluted once they've gone around a few lists a dozen or so times.  We
don't KNOW that the dog is vicious.  And while the circumstances of what
happens to the dog MAY be unfair, we cannot judge because the truth is
unknown to us.  If the dog is dangerous, IMO, he should be euthanized.  And
I would hope that the judge is fair.  I also would hope that the owner would
learn from this experience as well.

Anyway, just remember that what you read isn't always true and that you
shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.

Off my soapbox.

Karen Reiter
kreiter@servtech.com
Fairport, NY USA