[nagdu] Following attack, Williamsburg directs owner to curb dog's aggressive behavior

Mon Jul 4 16:53:08 UTC 2011

Lyn,

Yikes! How dreadful for that woman. And the show dog owner.

The currently trendy knee-jerk response of banning a single breed of dog
so that people feel more safe is, well, unlikely to improve their
safety. Because its the owners of the dangerous dogs who are the real
problem. They are also the most likely to flout the law and carry on
with their irresponsible dog handling as they always have. If the pit
bull gets taken away,. they will either sneak in another or simply
acquire a dog fro another large breed and make it vicious, too.
Apprently, swtrenghthening laws and penalties and enforcement for those
dog owners for the sake of their dogs, their neighbors, our dogs and
generally all of us would not make us feel safer so there you go.  Sigh.
By that reasoning, I suupose the city oif Carlsbad needs to enact a law
banning labs and shepherds because they're all vicious dog killers? Or
would they simply need to ban that particular c ross. I'm being
sarcastic there, lest anyone has doubts.

So, is the owner of the two pitbulls being forced to pay the hospital
bills and future rehab and medical costs there? Or do the authorityies
consider the matter resolved by , I assume, putting down the dogs?
Granted, when the dogs reach that point, they do need to be put down
humanely. It might be possible to rehab them, but... I wouldn't want to
be the one to try, and especially I would not want to be the one
responsible for guaranteeing it wouldn't happen again. I just see too
many risks. Oh, well, now I'm getting off on general random musings. 

Stay safe. /smile/ 

On Fri, 2011-07-01 at 13:29 -0700, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
> Good article - hey doesn't the cow owner know what a fence is for or a door 
> latch for that matter?!
> 
> We've had some dog atacks in our news here as well and both bad ones.  they 
> involved a pit bull attack on a 75 year old woman who was in her own yard 
> getting her newspaper.  Two neighboring pit bulls came into the lady's yard 
> and viciously attacked her.  this lady had her leg mangled by the dogs so 
> bad it required amputation and she also had to have part of an arm 
> amputated.  She is still in the hospital in serious condition and she's not 
> out of the woods yet. This happened aboout a week ago here in San Diego.
> 
> The other attack happened a few days ago in Carlsbad just north of San 
> Diego.  Someone was walking her little Pomeranian or Pekenese - don't 
> remember which - on the beach. this guy on a skateboard came along with his 
> Lab/.Shepherd mix and that dog attacked and killed the little dog. The guy 
> made no attempt to control his dog and he took off on the skateboard.  The 
> little dog that was killed was a show dog.
> 
> So, now there's the usual talk of breed restrictions that occur after a bad 
> attack.  I've heard that Camp Pendelton - our local marine base - has 
> instituted a rule that military residents can no longer have their pit bull 
> dogs on base.  So, I'm sure, there will be a whole slew of pit bulls going 
> into the Oceanside Humane Society soon.
> 
> People don't seem to get it - you're supposed to socialize and train your 
> dogs before having them out in public.  Or fix your fence if there's holes 
> to let the dogs out - as in the case of the woman almost being killed by 
> those two pit bulls.
> 
> Scary stuff as I travel around with my guide dog!
> 
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 1:38 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Following attack,Williamsburg directs owner to curb dog's 
> aggressive behavior
> 
> 
> > Following attack, Williamsburg directs owner to curb dog's aggressive
> > behavior
> >
> > By FRAN RYAN
> >
> > Gazette Contributing Writer
> >
> > http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/30/following-attack-williamsburg-directs-o
> > wner-to-curb-dogs-aggressive-behavior
> >
> > June 30, 2011
> >
> > WILLIAMSBURG, MASS -Selectmen are keeping a close eye on a local dog after
> > complaints that the animal attacked a neighborhood dog and its owner and 
> > was
> > also involved in two acts of aggression towards dogs in Goshen.
> >
> >
> >
> > On May 19, Dog Officer William Turner told selectmen that a small cattle 
> > dog
> > owned by Cosimo Ferrante of North Street had attacked a neighbor's dog and
> > bit its owner on the hand. Selectmen were later alerted by Goshen's Animal
> > Control Officer that Ferrante's dog was also involved in two separate
> > incidents where it acted aggressively towards dogs being walked beside a
> > field where Ferrante's cattle are pastured.
> >
> >
> >
> > These encounters with Ferrante's dog have left the other dog owners 
> > fearful
> > for the safety of their dogs and themselves.
> >
> >
> >
> > "The people who own the dog that was attacked (in Williamsburg) say that
> > they are petrified and they won't walk their dog in the neighborhood. They
> > don't even like to be out in their yard anymore," Turner told the Board of
> > Selectmen on June 16.
> >
> >
> >
> > However, Ferrante told selectmen that his dog, a two-year-old female named
> > Wookie, was never meant to be loose outside when the incident occurred.
> >
> >
> >
> > "This was an accident," Ferrante said. "She was in my house when a gust of
> > wind must have blown the door open and she got out."
> >
> >
> >
> > Ferrante said that he has owned Wookie since October and is now working 
> > with
> > a canine behavioral specialist on correcting behaviors she displays 
> > towards
> > unfamiliar dogs.
> >
> >
> >
> > "I am very attentive to her and she is with me constantly. She is a young
> > dog, and her behavior is getting better and better. I am now working with 
> > a
> > trainer because ultimately the only way to resolve this issue is through
> > training," said Ferrante.
> >
> >
> >
> > The first incident occurred in mid-May. In a letter to the Board of
> > Selectmen, Diane Levine, of North Street in Williamsburg, said she was
> > walking her small dog in her driveway when Ferrante's dog attacked and she
> > was injured while trying to protect her dog.
> >
> >
> >
> > According to Levine's letter, her dog suffered "multiple deep puncture
> > wounds and abrasions" and that Levine was treated at Cooley Dickinson
> > Hospital for a "bite on my left pinky." Her letter also included pictures 
> > of
> > her dog's injuries.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ferrante's dog "didn't just nip this dog," said selectman Jeffery 
> > Ciuffreda.
> > "Those pictures were definitely not pretty."
> >
> >
> >
> > Shortly after, Goshen Animal Control Officer Kyle Meservey received two
> > separate complaints regarding Ferrante's dog.
> >
> >
> >
> > Richard Briere of Spruce Corner Road in Goshen said his 24-year-old
> > wheelchair-bound son, Jeremy Cote, was out with his service dog, when
> > Ferrante's dog ran from the pasture in Goshen where Ferrante was tending 
> > his
> > herd and began nipping at the dog.
> >
> >
> >
> > In a second incident Briere was walking their family dog on a leash in the
> > same area and Ferrante's dog aggressively charged at him.
> >
> >
> >
> > "I understand that this is the farmer's cow dog and it needs to be loose 
> > to
> > chase the cows, but we were on a public street," said Briere. "I carry a
> > walking stick now because if he can't control his dog, I will protect 
> > myself
> > and my dog if I have to."
> >
> >
> >
> > According to Meservey, neither incident involved actual bites or injuries 
> > to
> > the other animals or their owners.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ferrante has recently appeared before Goshen Selectmen for being unable to
> > adequately contain his cattle in that town. Selectmen in Goshen are hoping
> > that Ferrante has resolved that situation.
> >
> >
> >
> > Williamsburg selectmen are equally hopeful that Ferrante will succeed in 
> > his
> > dog training efforts. The town does require that dogs be leashed when
> > outside.
> >
> >
> >
> > "Well, it sounds like he is trying to do the right thing," Ciuffreda said.
> > "But it is what triggers the dog that is what concerns me."
> >
> >
> >
> > Denise Banister Chairwoman of the Board of Selectman said " We are really
> > hoping this will be taken care of and nothing else happens. Nobody wants 
> > to
> > have to take someone's dog away."
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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