[nagdu] Guide dog recovers from pit bull attack

Thu Jul 14 13:28:50 UTC 2011

Guide dog recovers from pit bull attack 

Norfolk Daily News - Norfolk, NE

By TRISHA SCHULZ

News Staff Writer

July 14, 2011 

URL:
http://norfolkdailynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=104&ArticleID=
30639

Dick Clyde and his guide dog, Carly, may never fully get over an altercation
with a pit bull last summer. 

But with a lot of work, the two have made strides. 

"We still have problems. We probably will never get over it. He'll never
stand another attack," Clyde said. 

Clyde is legally blind due to a hereditary disease called retinitis
pigmentosa. However, since last year, Clyde has been receiving treatments at
the Mayo Clinic and his sight has improved some. 

On a routine walk not far from his home in Norfolk last summer, Clyde and
Carly were confronted by a pit bull. Both dog and man landed on the ground,
but neither was hurt physically. 

Mentally, it was a different story. 

"You put a sleep shade on. You take a hold of my arm. We'll walk by, let
that dog come out and we'll see just how scared you are," Clyde told the
Daily News last year. "Because I guarantee it's going to scare the life out
of you. And once you're hit, you're jumpier yet."

It takes a guide dog two years and $60,000 to be properly trained. All of
that work can be erased in five seconds after something traumatic happens,
such as another dog attacking it, Clyde said. 

After the incident, Clyde got assistance from a guide dog trainer in
California who came to Norfolk for a day - along with a well-mannered pit
bull. 

"At the end, her dog and my dog were laying nose to nose playing with each
other. That dog is really trained. It's still a pit bull. It's still in the
breed. It's never off the leash unless it's in a pen," Clyde said.

The trainer showed Clyde how to go by the apartment building where the
attack occurred and give Carly treats when he performed well.

"We worked for a good six months with treats and training and we still have
a sense when we go by there. We know those dogs aren't there. He will look
and I will look to see what we can see before we get there. I don't think
we'll ever change that. I'm probably just as bad as he (Carly) is. It's a
terrible feeling with something like that happening and you can't see it
happening," he said.

Clyde still enjoys taking walks when it's not too hot, taking some of the
same routes past the same apartment building where the attack occurred.

He said is thankful to the many people who stopped to help him that day and
the people who accommodated him while walking around town with Carly. 

But there are still those people that need to pay more attention to their
animals so they can't reach the sidewalk. 

"It's our worst nightmare. It can be a little Chihuahua and that can cause
us just as much of a problem," Clyde said.

He said it wasn't easy, but both man and his best friend are in a good place
now.   

"We made it through it. That's the important thing, I guess. . . . It's sad
that we had to go through it but we did make it," he said.

Reader Comments 

Posted: Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Article comment by: Jim Bo

I have never heard of a Beagle or Cockerspaniel killing someone. While many
dogs certainly can become violent and attack someone, most do not pose that
big of a risk of serious injury, or death.

Pit bulls and dogs of similar nature certainly can. I believe the problem is
in the fact that anyone can own one of these animals. It isn't the animals
fault that they are naturally aggressive and have the genetics to wreak
havoc on a human, or another dog.

I know there are many responsible owners out there who take care of their
dog and have no problem with it. Unfortunately there are many more that own
these types of dogs, and consider them a trophy and do not give them the
care they need. Hence the attacks and deaths by dogs of this nature. 

How to solve this problem? That is the question we must ask ourselves.
Should dogs of these types be treated as deadly weapons, making them be
registered and their owners monitored? I do not know the answer. I'm just
glad the man and his dog in this article are ok, and I wish them the best of
luck in the future.

Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Article comment by: Pit Bully

Don't shoot the dog! Put the owner in Jail or possibly Deportation!

Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Article comment by: Jon Stuthman

as for "not just bad owners" my dalmatian bit my son, he got stitches,
police report was made, NO REPORTER EVER CALLED. Irresponsible reporters
only report the sensational news, that is why an instance involving a
pitbull can be called an "attack", while ACTUAL dog bites are ignored.

Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Article comment by: Jon Stuthman

For "statistics don't lie"....I just used that website for my thesis...just
like most people, you use only the statistic that suit you. "Fatal dog
bites" are less than 1% of all dog bites, so you are talking about 59% of
the 1%(fatalities), not all dog bites. Small terriers and "toy type" dogs
make up the vast majority of dog bites. They just don't seem attention
grabbing enough to be reported on by irresponsible journalists, and
statisticians....

Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Article comment by: Jon Stuthman

I have NEVER seen such irresponsible, and obviously biased reporting! The
"pitbull type" dog ran out barking, scaring the man and his guide dog. He or
his dog were not touched. He must have been told(by someone with a bias)
what type of dog that "attacked" them. The police only seem to enforce leash
laws on pit bull type animals...the 1st question asked if you report animals
off the leash is "what kind of dog?". The man on the corner of 6th and
Pasewalk lets his Shelties out several times a day without leashes. They
have darted at me and my dog(making her frightened to walk on their side of
the street) When I call, I'm told they'll send someone when they can, and no
one ever shows up. It seems to me, that these dogs attacking me and my
"pitbull type dog" is exactly the same as the "attack" reported in this
article, yet in his rush to condemn pitbulls the author forgot to report
FACTS. I'm very disappointing with the Daily News for allowing this garbage
to be printed.

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