Dogs Attack, Kill Woman in Countryside

As much as we love our Jack Russell Terrier and dogs in general, we're always a bit put off by the bigger, aggresive breeds at the dog park. "It's fine," we tell ourselves, "How dangerous could they possibly be? They have an owner!" Which is why it was with a certain degree of dread and a great measure of sadness that we read in today's Statesman about the woman in Milam County who was mauled to death by her neighbor's six pit-bull-Rottweilers:

Stiles, 76, was found lying in her front yard at her home near Thorndale with bites all over her body. She had been attacked by six pit bull-Rottweiler mixed-breed dogs owned by a man living less than 500 yards away, Milam County sheriff's deputies said ... Stiles died of her injuries, according to the sheriff's department. She may have gotten off the mower and tried to make it to her home when she was attacked.

It's understandable why someone would feel the need to have, say, a guard dog or two. But short of being used for breeding purposes, there's something just slightly ~~xenophobic~~ misanthropic about keeping half a dozen of the most ferocious breeds penned up near your elderly neighbors. Some would argue that breed factor is irrelevant, but we hasten to point out that these dogs were kept behind electric fences to prevent their escape. Which, in hindsight, was insufficient. Details remain hazy as authorities attempt to determine how the dogs escaped, and whether they were infected with rabies - what's known for sure is that their owner failed to have the dogs vaccinated.

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By Allen Y Chen in News on November 28, 2005 3:52 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

a

What? Scott - are you saying that you have a sex offender pitbull? If that's the case, he is already required to register his status annually w/DPS for the rest of his life or he could be sent to prison.

genie

Hey allen. The word for SN's post is "sardonic". I will also accept (but not except) "trenchant" and "mordacious". Which, ironically enough, can also mean "given to biting".

truecraig

I hate being excepted by bears.

SN

We should be able to own and breed Pit Bulls without any restrictions, because most of these dogs are friendly.

We should be able to drive as drunk as we want, because most of the time, we'll make it home without incident.

We should be able to carry a loaded handgun into a bar or to school, because, despite the scary stories in the news, the majority of the time we're not going to shoot anyone.

We should have only unprotected sex, because it feels better, and the chances of catching an STD are comparatively small.

We should definitely go live amongst the Grizzlies in Alaska, because they, too, are misunderstood and will except us as one of their own.

scott

People that keep "exotic" dangerous animals such as tigers and lions have to register them, so how awful would it be if we asked PitBull and other breeds that have demonstrated this type of behavior to register them with the city and then be compelled to notify all their neighbors that they have one of these dogs (like a sex offender i guess)?

If that idea puts you off then why? Ashamed to own a dog like this or afriad of what your neighbors will think of you having this type of dog?

allen

you're right, you word wizard, you!

thanks for the heads-up.

genie

Sorry, upon re-reading my post, i realize it's really unclear. I don't have pits. I have 'normal' dogs.

genie

Seriously, though. As a life-long multi-dog owner, I can tell you that pit bulls deserve an exception, based solely on the frequency with which they attack. Everyone's acting like it's 'racist' or something. They are dogs. I have several. The little girls next door throw sticks at them sometimes. They go and saunter off behind the protection of the garage. They don't rip their faces off. The nature of the pit bull's domestication has been unfortunate. And I'm sure there are many, many kind pits who wouldn't hurt a fly. Of course I wouldn't let anyone take my dogs away. But I intentionally rescued dogs that do not have an established pattern of aggression because I want to live in society, and not be a risk factor to its safety. Just because you've always controlled your pits in the past doesn't mean you will in the future, and it doesn't mean that other pit owners will even try. We don't have to kill them. Just stop breeding them. Anything less would be grossly negligent.

genie

I think you meant to say 'misanthropic'. Xenophobic is fear/dread/hatred of people from other countries.

Kristina B

To be fair, Allen's post didn't mention breed legislation, I did. I did because I wouldn't be surprised if that is the reaction to this terrible event.

In any event, both Lisa and HC have great points. Just like I think that people should have to get a license to have kids (harsh, but if you or anyone you know is familiar with how many kids are abused and removed from their homes each year, you'd probably agree), I also think they should have to get a license and be trained to own a dog. Particularly a dog that, if treated wrong, could easily kill or maim.

Lisa

I'm going to come down in the middle on this one. Because, yes, some breeds have more aggressive temperments. And they also tend to be more muscular and have stronger jaws, which is why you are much more likely to see someone mauled by a pit bull or a rottweiler than by a standard poodle. It's just a lot harder to fight off a pit than a poodle. So, yes, their owners need to be extra cautious to train and socialize the dogs properly or keep them restrained.

That said, I go to the dog park often and there are many perfectly nice pits and rotties and other so-called aggressive breeds. And there are plenty of mean dogs that are supposedly gentle breeds.

Most dog attacks start with human error. Either a human failed to train the dog properly (or intentially trained the dog to be mean), a human failed to get the dog vaccinated against rabies, or a human instigated the event. I know it's not polite to blame the victim, but unfortunately we rarely hear about what led to the attack. I had a Boston terrier when I was growing up; he was once accused of being vicious because he bit a girl. Because she was throwing rocks at him! (And he was chained, so if she had just stood a few feet further away, she wouldn't have been bit.)

Dogs are animals; humans are supposed to be smarter than dogs. Use common sense: If you don't know the animal, don't approach it. If you feel threatened, remain calm and stand still or back away slowly while keeping eye contact. Don't try to scare it away by shouting, waving, or throwing objects.

shannon

allen, i've got side with kristina B who posted above. as usual, breed legislation has come up as a reaction to a terrible event.

as a pit bull terrier owner (well, he lives with my ex), i'm stricken with fear each time anyone in austin begins discussing breed legislation. typically the individuals who begin to discuss breed legislation or are flippant about the completely normal people and completely normal animals who would be tragically affected by it know little if anything about bull terrier breeds and don't know a pit bull from a doorbell.

people listen to news. they listen to blogs. all i ask is that you spend some time with anything before making sweeping generalizations.

wj

I work at the hospital. Everytime there is someone hospitalized because of a dog attack the culprit was a Pit Bull. Not a maltese, not a lab, or a poodle.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/11/BAG5UDLOAC1.DTL

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051108/NEWS01/511080350/1008/NEWS01

hc

Kristina, I'm sure your have a very nice dog. I live next door to a very friendly pit bull mix and have never had a problem with him. That said, I've never heard of a standard poodle or a golden retriever mauling someone to death. Not all pit bulls are bad dogs, but the vast majority of dogs that kill people are pit bulls. I don't think an entire breed should be outlawed, but I think it would make sense to impose more restrictions on pit bulls (regarding fencing, kenneling, leashes, etc.) than on other breeds, and have hefty fines for owners who don't comply.

sean

Colorado should euthanize people who make dogs kill eachother for sport.

Jose Hernandez is most likely (shit, obviously) running or participating in a dog-fighting ring should at least be prosecuted for that.

Krisitna B

Allen, I love ya but I'm gonna have to take exception with this post. I'm glad you linked to that "fatal dog attack" web site that details the argument that vicious dogs are bread by vicious people. But I really feel that this post has a "yeah, right" attitude toward the views expressed in that web site.

Now, I feel your pain at the dog park. There are a lot of dog owners in Austin who do not have a handle on their dogs, and some of those dogs are big and scary. I especially felt that particular type of pain when I was peacefully walking my PIT MIX through our neighborhood when she was viciously attacked by a BLACK LAB.

People tend to react with fear to highly publicized events - like this one. This is a tragic story, don't get me wrong. However, I would just like to point out that breed legislation is a slippery slope, it's reactionary, and it's caused by good people who are frightened by events like this one.

I apologize for using this example because I know not all readers know me and my dog personally, but here goes. If I drove my dog Cleo through the state of Colorado and got pulled over for any reason, she could be confiscated and euthanized on the spot based on the fact that she looks like a pit bull. Cleo is illegal in Colorado. Cleo.

I find it highly suspicious that this dude had 6 big strong dogs that clearly have aggressive tendencies. If you are going to own big strong dogs (and you're not breeding them to fight, which is a whole 'nother story), it is your responsibility to learn about training to the pont where they aren't going to kill anyone.

I have to say that I really think that the owner of those 6 vicious dogs should be tried for murder or at the very least reckless negligent endangerment. I just made that charge up but you get the point.