[nagdu] Guide dog recovers from pit bull attack

Thu Jul 14 15:36:15 UTC 2011

I am glad man and dog were not seriously injured physically and that
both are recovering from the emotional trauma. I also thought this was a
well-balanced article. The man presented himself as sensible and
independent, pointing out the time and money aspects of a guide dog's
training and how that can so easily be turned to nothing by one
irresponsible owner of an aggressive dog. He also seemed to convey his
feelings of attachment  to his dog without playing on the "oh, I'm so
helpless" ploy we get to hear and complain about so often. /smile/ I
found that to be a refreshing change and commend the reporter for
presenting the story that way, too. /smile/

Tami

On Thu, 2011-07-14 at 09:28 -0400, Ginger Kutsch wrote:
> 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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