Negligent Owner
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. Mar 29, 2006 (AP)— A woman whose three pit bulls fatally mauled an 82-year-old neighbor as she walked a small dog was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
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During the trial, witnesses testified that Large's pit bulls menaced the neighborhood. Animal control officers had taken two of the dogs away in 2004 after they were accused of killing a kitten. At one point, Large had 13 pit bulls in her trailer.
It is so very unfortunate that irresponsible owners still have access pit bulls and other struggling breeds. Every time one of these people's untrained, neglected and/or abused animals is involved with a very unfortunate event such as this, the entire breed takes the blame for it. It's like blaming "the other woman" :P The owners are the ones responsible for their dogs, regardless of breed. The dogs are animals and only responsible for reacting to stimuli based on the way they had been conditioned to act. They could have just as easily been any other breed of dog. Many large breeds (and tenacious ones such as terriers) can often have small prey drive... which will even sometimes apply to small dogs. If an owner recognizes this in their dog, it is THEIR responsibility to keep their dog restrained and away from other small animals. Of course, in this instance it doesn't sound like this woman had any right to own any dog much less a bunch of pitties. They require a loving yet firm trainer and much attention, much as a child would.
Every time a story like this makes its way into the paper, the whole breed and all lovers of the breed take the heat for it. It is unfair and wrong to judge an entire breed based on the actions of the few. People are the ones to blame here, and until the real issues of responsible dog ownership are addressed, these problems will continue to be prevaliant in certain breeds of dog. Not because of an inheriant trait, but because of a popularity amoungst the wrong type of owner :(
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. Mar 29, 2006 (AP)— A woman whose three pit bulls fatally mauled an 82-year-old neighbor as she walked a small dog was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
Deanna Large, 37, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in December for the death of Dorothy Sullivan, who was attacked by the roaming dogs last March.
Sullivan had been walking her Shih Tzu, Buttons, in her front yard in Partlow when the dogs attacked and killed both.
Large was also found guilty of two misdemeanor charges of allowing her dogs to run loose and could have faced up to 10 years in prison.
Sullivan's death sparked outrage in her rural community, where residents said they had long been terrorized by aggressive, roaming dogs. Sullivan's family collected thousands of signatures on a petition urging stricter dog laws, and the General Assembly passed legislation imposing tough penalties on dog owners whose pets seriously injure others.
During the trial, witnesses testified that Large's pit bulls menaced the neighborhood. Animal control officers had taken two of the dogs away in 2004 after they were accused of killing a kitten. At one point, Large had 13 pit bulls in her trailer.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
................................
During the trial, witnesses testified that Large's pit bulls menaced the neighborhood. Animal control officers had taken two of the dogs away in 2004 after they were accused of killing a kitten. At one point, Large had 13 pit bulls in her trailer.
It is so very unfortunate that irresponsible owners still have access pit bulls and other struggling breeds. Every time one of these people's untrained, neglected and/or abused animals is involved with a very unfortunate event such as this, the entire breed takes the blame for it. It's like blaming "the other woman" :P The owners are the ones responsible for their dogs, regardless of breed. The dogs are animals and only responsible for reacting to stimuli based on the way they had been conditioned to act. They could have just as easily been any other breed of dog. Many large breeds (and tenacious ones such as terriers) can often have small prey drive... which will even sometimes apply to small dogs. If an owner recognizes this in their dog, it is THEIR responsibility to keep their dog restrained and away from other small animals. Of course, in this instance it doesn't sound like this woman had any right to own any dog much less a bunch of pitties. They require a loving yet firm trainer and much attention, much as a child would.
Every time a story like this makes its way into the paper, the whole breed and all lovers of the breed take the heat for it. It is unfair and wrong to judge an entire breed based on the actions of the few. People are the ones to blame here, and until the real issues of responsible dog ownership are addressed, these problems will continue to be prevaliant in certain breeds of dog. Not because of an inheriant trait, but because of a popularity amoungst the wrong type of owner :(
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. Mar 29, 2006 (AP)— A woman whose three pit bulls fatally mauled an 82-year-old neighbor as she walked a small dog was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
Deanna Large, 37, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in December for the death of Dorothy Sullivan, who was attacked by the roaming dogs last March.
Sullivan had been walking her Shih Tzu, Buttons, in her front yard in Partlow when the dogs attacked and killed both.
Large was also found guilty of two misdemeanor charges of allowing her dogs to run loose and could have faced up to 10 years in prison.
Sullivan's death sparked outrage in her rural community, where residents said they had long been terrorized by aggressive, roaming dogs. Sullivan's family collected thousands of signatures on a petition urging stricter dog laws, and the General Assembly passed legislation imposing tough penalties on dog owners whose pets seriously injure others.
During the trial, witnesses testified that Large's pit bulls menaced the neighborhood. Animal control officers had taken two of the dogs away in 2004 after they were accused of killing a kitten. At one point, Large had 13 pit bulls in her trailer.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
posted by Guitartists at 12:29 PM
2 Comments:
Well, the number one thing will be to educate your children on dealing with dogs they don't know, ie never approach a dog you don't know, be on the look-out for signs of aggression, what to do in the event of an attack. This is good for all kids to know regardless of the breeds of dog in your nieghborhood, as you must already know.
Secondly would be to report any abuse, neglect or irresponsible ownership to the local enforcement agencies. However, as tempting as it may sometimes be to exaggerate or fib about the dog to have it removed from the block, don't, it will only result in law officials not wanting to come out on later calls and will make the nieghbors who own the dog less likely to care about your feelings.
If you know the people, you could attempt to speak to them about your concerns and give them information found online. You could explain to them how much one irresponsible owner hurts the whole breed un-neccesarily and how if they love their pit bull, they will make sure that it is raised right and sets a good example and how they need to set the example by keeping it out of bad situations. It would be a shame for them to lose their beloved dog due to irresponsible ownership. But, this will of course depend on their ability to understand and respect your feelings.
Petition your city officials for stronger laws on dog bites. NOT just bully breeds, but all breeds. No one should have a known biter in a situation or environment where it can continue to act in this behavior, especially biting children. Petition for stiffer leash laws and for laws prohibiting keeping dogs chained outside 24/7. These laws may not be everyones favorites, but they would help cut down on dog bites!
And try to help control hysteria in your nieghborhood when it comes to handling this situation. These owners have already proved that it's not just bully breeds that can bite ..... Hopefully this bully is a typical bully and he will be such a slut with people that he will never put himself in a situation as such. Bullies inheriently LOVE people, it's other dogs that they most commonly have problems with.
And, make sure your children know that if they EVER see 2 dogs fighting, NEVER EVER get involved! This is the way that so many people have unwittingly been attacked by dogs. Once dogs start fighting, any breed, only a knowledgable and calm adult should attempt to break up the fight.
Out of curiosity, what happened with the previous dogs? You might check with your officials if there was ever complaints filed, some states will prohibit irresponsible owners from owning animals in the future. And be sure that from now on all bites are reported to the proper officials.
It is so unfortunate that people such as that should own ANY dog! Much less a bully. It is owners such as these that lend to the negative image and create hysteria. You should really have to prove yourself to own a dog! They are a large and important responsibility!
Good luck! Please let us know how things progress.
And one last thing, be sure that when speaking with others, especially law officials that you never resort to using mis-information about the breed.... myths such as pit bulls are more dangerous, more likely to bite, demons, locking jaws, yadda yadda...... these myths will only lend to hysteria and will make you sound less reliable to the officials who are informed on dog breeds. If you hear anyone else saying these things, help to correct it. Attacking the breed will NEVER solve the problem of irresponsible dog ownership. Taking away your nieghbors right to own a bully breed will not stop them from getting another large breed and allowing it to bite some poor child. :(
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