[nagdu] To Bibi was Pit bull attacks guide dog in Royal Oak, Michigan

Tue May 22 01:21:33 UTC 2012

ME niether!  Especially the color!  Of course, everyone knows about 
labradoodles!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ava Foster" <avapup.7 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] To Bibi was Pit bull attacks guide dog in Royal 
Oak,Michigan


> Dear Bibi, I have a question! Odie is a Labrador crossed with German
> Shepherd, right? I have always wondered, what does he look and feel
> like?? Does he have Lab features or GSD ones? What kind of fur does he
> have? What color is he? I just can't imagine him at all! *smiles* I
> hope you don't mind me asking! Ava and Cocoa
>
> On 5/21/12, Criminal Justice Major <orleans24 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Although Odie is a hybrid labrador and gentle, he can still be 
>> unpredictable
>> at times.
>> His mouth is shaped like a pitbull's mouth: a hinge like jaw which opens 
>> and
>> closes like a clamp and can definitely do some serious, conflicting 
>> damage.
>> Thankfully, I don't let my guard down and keep on him to be sure he is 
>> still
>> well-behaved and mannered.
>> Bibi, husband Dale and son Odie
>> medical alert service dog
>> the happy spirited bounty labra wolf
>> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 3:29 PM
>> Subject: Pit bull attacks guide dog in Royal Oak, Michigan
>> Pit bull attacks guide dog in Royal Oak, Michigan
>> http://www.dailytribune.com/article/20120521/NEWS01/120529933/pit-bull-attac
>> ks-seeing-eye-dog-in-royal-oak
>> By Michael P. McConnell
>> mike.mcconnell at dailytribune.com
>> Posted: 05/21/12 02:32 pm
>> ROYAL OAK -A pit bull broke loose from a 10-year girl and attacked a 
>> Leader
>> Dog for the Blind that was training with an instructor and a blind client
>> on
>> Main Street.
>> The girl's mother, 41, of Jackson left her daughter with the pit bull on 
>> the
>> sidewalk cafe of the Burgrz restaurant, 410 S. Main, shortly before the
>> attack Saturday afternoon, witnesses said.
>> "I heard the girl scream and looked up to see the pit bull scrambling 
>> after
>> a seeing eye dog and a blind man who were passing by," said Lana Louys of
>> Wyandotte who was dining at the restaurant's outdoor area. "The pit bull
>> pinned the seeing-eye dog to the ground and had it by the throat."
>> People screamed and about 10 men got involved and somehow pried the pit 
>> bull
>> off the 18-month-old golden retriever, Louys said.
>> "One of the men held the dog on his leash while others finally found the
>> girl's mother about five minutes later," she said. Police said Monday 
>> that
>> neither of the dogs needed any medical treatment, though there was a 
>> small
>> spot of blood on the golden retriever's neck. The city's animal control
>> officer is investigating the case.
>> A spokeswoman at Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills said it 
>> will
>> take another week or two before they are able to determine if the 
>> incident
>> will have any lasting effect on the golden retriever and possibly end its
>> eligibility as a leader dog.
>> "Sometimes after certain incidents the dog will have a reaction and they
>> won't go into harness again," said Rochelle Nissen, a spokeswoman. "The 
>> dog
>> was checked out by our veterinarians after the incident and is in good
>> health. It didn't have any puncture wounds and the blood on the dog's 
>> neck
>> might have come from the other dog's gums."
>> The golden retriever had already completed four months of training and 
>> was
>> in its final fifth month when leader dogs typically work with deaf or 
>> blind
>> clients, Nissen said.
>> After the dog's owner was located and brought to the scene witness said 
>> she
>> started slapping the pit bull, saying "bad dog." Several people called
>> police.
>> Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue said the animal control officer
>> will decide whether the pit bull's owner will be ticketed. The owner was
>> allowed to take the dog with her and advised to quarantine the animal for 
>> 10
>> days.
>> "What it comes down to is that it is the owner's responsibility to 
>> maintain
>> control of their dog," he said. "I don't think it's a good idea to have a
>> child (handling) a big dog like that, especially in a town like Royal Oak
>> where there is a lot of stimulus."
>> The heavily traveled downtown with outdoor cafes, restaurants and shops 
>> has
>> been used as a training ground for Leader Dogs for the Blind for years.
>> Instructors teach the dog to handle a range of distractions, from traffic
>> and loud noises to the scents of food at sidewalk cafes.
>> "Royal Oak's downtown is a great working environment for clients and 
>> dogs,"
>> Nissen said. "We fully anticipate continuing to work there. The community
>> and the businesses are very welcoming for clients, instructors and the
>> dogs."
>> The Daily Tribune and Macomb Daily asked Facebook readers and Twitter
>> followers if pit bull owner's should be required to muzzle their pets in
>> public. These are some of the things they said: "All dogs that are
>> unpredictable and/or known for biting should be muzzled," said Louis 
>> Martin
>> Cardamone. "Pit bulls should not be singled out. Also, it is 
>> irresponsible
>> to leave any dog of that size and strength under the supervision of a
>> 10-year-old ."
>> "So sad," said Mary Adranga. "I think all aggressive breed dogs should 
>> have
>> to be tested for temperament before receiving their license,"
>> Stacey M. Washington, a defense lawyer in Ann Arbor, said on Twitter: 
>> "I've
>> met some very sweet pit bulls. It's the owners and some breeders who 
>> cause
>> the problems."
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