RECENT COMMENTS
Joel Cabot on Power Outage on the Hill
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Yvette Cannon on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
crd on Power Outage on the Hill
Dog shot after menacing children
08/03/2011 10:05 AM by John M
A Richmond police officer shot and killed a dog that charged at him after it injured another man and harassed several children at a National Night Out event in the city’s East End. […] Martin said a number of children were playing inside an inflatable gym at the neighborhood event, sponsored by the local Boys & Girls Clubs, when a pit bull that weighed about 60 pounds ran out of a house, charged at the gym and tried to get to the children inside.
TAGGED: pets
Hopefully it didn’t ruin the festivities or scare the kids too much. Sounds like a clusterfuck from the description. Most kids I know would have been traumatized by this.
Too much gunfire for a National Night Out event…
The Times-Dispatch has a more detailed description of what occurred. 1 Off duty cop and a retired cop both fired into the air (really) to scare the dog after it tried to bite a man that attacked ith with garden sheers (that was bright) then the cop killed the dog with several shots. Makes me glad I wasn’t able to attend National Night Out! Great PR for Church Hill also!
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2011/aug/03/attacking-dog-shot-dead-richmond-national-night-ou-ar-1214908/
Idiots.
I read the TD article this morning, and I’m not a “dog person” so I’m not positive, but it sounds like the dog was possibly freaked out by the bounce house. I have seen dogs get spooked by stuff like that before and take an aggressive stance — barking, teeth bared — which on a pit would of course look pretty scary. If that’s what happened, and then the guy attacked it with the shears and kicked off the chain of events described above — that is really sad.
OMG! What a mess. Those poor kids!! Horrible press for CH.
yeah, I’m not sure when it’s ever part of protocol to fire shots into the air. Those bullets go somewhere, ya know. They could have pepper sprayed the dog. Or just shot it, with out firing “warning shots” in an attempt to frighten it away. Like, what is this, Deadwood? Warning shots, HA!
First of all, I would think that guns should not be allowed at a Night Out event. But, I saw the guy that was fending off the dog on the news last night and he was CHEWED UP. He was severely bitten multiple times on the hands. I am so glad that dog didn’t bite any of the kids – you know they were scared to death and that probably would scare the dog even more.
#8. Well of course he got his hand bitten. If you go after a dog with shears or hit it with a chair as some reports have stated, what do you think the outcome would be? Its amazing how the report of a pitbull running toward a group can be slanted to “charging” toward the group. Most dogs I’ve seen usually run toward things they’re curious to check out. A bunch of kids in a bounce house will usually do it. Something new, something different. With some folks reactions to dogs, it’s no wonder they are bitten. That poor dog.
unbelievable
If I saw a dog without an owner or controlled by a leash “running” towards me, I’d be afraid. Who knows why the dog is running towards me? If I saw a dog running towards children without an owner or a leash, I’d be very afraid. Not poor dog, but poor people…
No suprise that it was a pitbull. They are stupid dogs for stupid people.
I blame Michael Vick for all of this.
@ The U….nion Hill : Hey Stupid! The issue here is a stupid owner. Bullies are by no means “stupid”. Only a stupid person would generalize and make such a stupid assumption. Are you stupid or what? (Man, now I even feel stupid for having to make such a stupid comment in response to your stupidity.)
well, I gotta say had they said “Australian kelpie charges crowd” or “beagle charges crowd” I may have been surprised, so there may be a kernel of truth in what #12 says.
Yes, All Bark. There is a kernel of truth to this incident and that it involved a pitbull and not a pomeranian. That kernel of truth is that the “wrong” people all too often are seeking out pitbulls to have as a tough pet. These people have the Mike Vick Mentality, and are no more qualified to properly raise a child than a canine. *** Another corncob of truth is that mainstream media (like the nevereverever slanted RTD) seems to perpetually hype the sensationalist notion that all pitbulls are vicious. One result of this is that non dog owners/lovers get a reinforced notion of pitbulls being nothing but nasty and unpredictable. Another ramification of bad press is that other people see pits as a weapon/status symbol/possession. Things get worse when you have four of these dogs locked up on a porch when the heat index is 110… is it any suprise that the dogs ran off and one happened upon the block party? Is the owner too stupid that she doesn’t know you need a permit to have more than three dogs in RVA? I hope they throw the book at her for HER stupidity and neglect.
It’s not a “stupid assumption” when it’s based on facts. Every time you hear of a dog attack on the news it’s a….poodle….no wait excuse me a pit bull. You can get angry at me all you want but the facts are on my side. I mean they were bred for the sole purpose of fighting.
I think the dog was probably running toward the noise and people in excitement. Pit bulls want/need to be around people. When confronted with the shears and the chair, the dog felt provoked and defended itself. Shots fired into air? Dumb. Attacking a dog with garden shears? Dumb. Over reaction because of the dog breed involved? Probably. Regardless, the mistake that started all of this was that the dog was running free. That is where the blame lies. There is a leash law in Richmond for ALL dogs. Australian Kelpies (?), Beagles, Labradoodles, Pitbulls, etc. ALL dogs. And yes, I have a pitbull and a pitbull/bulldog mix. I am definitely not stupid and neither are my dogs.
Luckydog – I believe you that you nor your dogs are stupid. Pitbulls are smart canines, and you certainly know that. That’s why you don’t make STUPID sweeping generalizations. You’re completely right that at the core of this problem lies the leash law (and owner not following it). Be it hood thugs off 21st Street with neglected/aggressive pits or cleancut folks who look like golden retrievers with their off-leash golden retrievers at the top of Chimbo park, disregard for the leash law is an absolute problem. I share my home with a burly 85 pound bulldog mix, and when we stroll the streets he is ALWAYS on a leash. Why would I take any chances? The law is there for the reason. *** The U…H – buck up, little camper, I’m not angry. I’m merely communicating with my neighbors and I’m not putting one-dimensional one-liners up here. An online knee-jerk reaction doesn’t benefit the potential for neighbors to understand and respect one another. Try evolving beyond the teaparty-esque reactions to mainstream news and you’ll not need someone to call you out. Saying all pit bulls “were bred for the sole purpose of fighting” is as valid as saying “all Muslims are bred for the sole purpose of terrorism.” You aren’t stating facts… you’re repeating things like a trained parrot.
Sorry #19, he was right about the breed. Even though pitbulls are no longer specifically bred for fight, that is the origin of the breed. They were created through selective breeding to increase aggression and strength. Now, I do agree that not all pitbulls are bad, but I do feel you should need a license or something to own one. If you don’t have the ability to train it and care for it the right way, it should be illegal for you to have one.
Sure, dachshunds and beagles (statistically) bite more owners, and herding dogs bite more strangers, but pitbulls have high incident rates of dog aggression and attacks and can be single minded when an attack occurs. Why do owners of such dogs refuse to acknowledge basic truths about their pets and just face it and train and manage for it instead of forcing everyone else in a community to cross the street when we see them coming, walking their untrained dog aggressive dog? It’s not like canine aggression isn’t studied or that ER’s do not compile stats on dog attacks. The info is out there and the data is sound.
As for bemoaning how unfair the news is, the news reports on what’s interesting. If my dachshund bites me and doesn’t break the skin, no big deal; if my pit sends me to the hospital, big deal; and if my dingo ate my baby it would be a movie. See how that works?
ALL terrier breeds are more dog>dog aggressive than many other breeds of dogs. This includes Jack Russells, Scotties, American Pit Bull Terriers, etc. An American Pit Bull Terrier is an extremely high energy, strong and intelligent dog. I agree that there are a lot of people that own pit bulls that should not. They get a pit bull for status, rather than for love and appreciation of the breed. I do complain about the media sensationalizing pit bulls, because it only adds to the overall problem. I work with and handle animals for a living. If I have to do something uncomfortable to a dog, I’ll take 20 pit bulls over 1 scottie/dachshund/chihuahua/etc. You can do whatever you need to do to a pit bull and it will wag its tail and lick your face the whole time. Every dog breed has good and bad traits – just like people. There is an organization that tests and compiles data on canine temperament, including aggression. It’s called the American Temperament Test Society at http://www.atts.org.
I have nothing good to say about the pit bulls I have encountered in Church Hill. I have terrible things to say about those owners of any breed who are irresponsible.
I was brushing my dog in my backyard. He is an indoor dog, but was chained as our fence had not been completed yet. He is a very well trained dog, but I can not guarantee what he would do to protect me if something out of the ordinary happened. I also never left him outside alone. Simple precautions.
A pit bull ran into our yard and attacked my dog. I am not afraid of dogs, but my dog was still leashed, and I wasn’t going to try to tear them apart.
My dog was bred for the purpose of killing bulls. My dog is taller than pit bulls. My dog was bred not to let anything near its neck.
Someone showed up and I let her pull her dog (?) away. She never said a word to me.
My dog’s face and rear haunches were extremely bloody. When I took him inside, I discovered he had what amounted to a tiny “paper” cut above one eye. The rest of the blood was from the other dog. A pit bull attack is not a guaranteed win for the aggressor.
Also, I am sick and tired of going to Chimbo, Libby Hill, and Jefferson Park and the dog owners who let their dogs run free. It is ONLY because of those who obey the leash law that those owners’ dogs have the freedom to run.
Anybody have any idea how to encourage people to obey the rules in the park?
Thanks for letting me vent.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/aug/07/10-year-old-girl-richmond-girl-in-critical-conditi-ar-1224080/
Perfect example, as at this point it would be reasonable to assume the dog was loose. She felt the need to run.
RICHMOND, Va. —
A 10-year-old Richmond girl is in critical condition after being struck by a car Sunday afternoon in the city’s Fulton neighborhood.
Richmond Police Lt. Ronnie Armstead said the girl apparently was frightened by a dog as she was walked in the 1300 block of Darbytown Road. She ran into the street and was struck by a vehicle.