'Lunging' dog shot by police officer in Fauntleroy

Dee Hayward December 31, 2010 (6:27 pm)

I was one of the people who asked about this; the police came by our house early this morning and said they were looking for a “blood trail” – my husband and daughter were unsure about what had happened. I was concerned because Lincoln Park is always full of people, kids and dogs as are the streets right around our house…just a couple of blocks away. Also, our cats are out. So, I hope the dogs are found, cared for, and incarcerated. I’m sorry for whomever was attacked. We have had incidents like this before in our area.

Dee

trebor December 31, 2010 (7:30 pm)

Is there a police report available? Wondering if they have a description of the dogs(color,etc).
I am wondering if i may know who the dogs belong to.

WSB December 31, 2010 (7:55 pm)

Narrative on police reports, when they are made available online, usually take a few days – so right now this is all we have … TR

Leslie December 31, 2010 (10:34 pm)

I saw a video on the news tonight of another dog being shot. Am I being naive but wouldn’t a few dog biscuits be a better way of dealing with dogs who are either protecting their owners or afraid of the men instead of shooting them with a gun. I’m a fan of our police department but it seems like there has been a lot of unneccesary shooting lately.

ca December 31, 2010 (11:53 pm)

so they still havent found the injured dog??

Yeah Me January 1, 2011 (10:30 am)

I saw the video also, Leslie. There is more about the story here (http://www.kirotv.com/news/25797537/detail.html). I would certainly be upset if the police shot my dog. Of course she would bark and seem scary if three men in full police gear were surrounding her.

These animals are more often just scared… a bit more humanity in these situations would be helpful.

Norma Berube-Adler January 1, 2011 (11:04 am)

I certainly agree. There are better ways to deal with barking, aggressive dogs. Time to provide more training.

Dee Hayward January 1, 2011 (11:27 am)

I suspect these dogs went home. Probably checking with local veterinarians would produce the owners, who should be in trouble for not taking better care of their animals and for endangering the general public by letting them “get out.” We had an incident a couple of years ago where two pit bulls got out and killed a neighbor’s lab while they were walking it. If these are the same dogs, I am wondering who owns them and what their punishment might be. I’m very sympathetic to dogs, but not at all to irresponsible owners. THEY should be incarcerated!

onceachef January 1, 2011 (12:56 pm)

Makes me want to cry…I understand the officers fear of the animal but shooting him/her?…very sad as the animal will suffer (not being killed instantly). The owners should at least be questioned if found…and prosecuted if negligent. Who should be contacted if you have some information? I am aware of someone (don’t know him personally) that has pit bulls near (enough) to where this happened (“Fauntleroy Heights”). It may be not be the right person but…let me know if you have a contact to call or e-mail…are the police still dealing with this?

WSB January 1, 2011 (1:24 pm)

I would imagine there is an ongoing investigation of some type given that I understand an extra level of investigation is triggered, pun not intended, when an officer discharges her/his gun. The text of the report is not online but the number is listed in the online report system as GO Number: 2010447808. You could call the non-emergency number, 206-625-5011, and say you might have information on a case, how can you provide it? – TR

ltfd January 1, 2011 (1:16 pm)

Any dog that is AGGRESSIVE in the street, roaming free, and not defending their property (territory), doesn’t deserve any sympathy when they are injured by a citizen or public servant.
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I used to be a meter reader, and I believe that the officer acted appropriately by attempting to place the trash can between himself and the approaching dog. However, if a dog (off of its home property) attempts to get around a barrier to bite, then a person is justified in attacking the dog.
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Dogs are supposed to defend their family (pack) and property (territory), but they are not supposed to be roaming free and aggressively threatening people. I never hit a dog in its own yard; I just used body language and barriers to control dogs when I was in their territory- they are supposed be aggressive in their own yards. It’s their “job”.
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However, on the street, outside of a dog’s home territory (where they are supposed to be leashed), an aggressive/attacking dog deserves what ever defense mechanism a human being chooses.

rayziggy January 1, 2011 (2:44 pm)

you guys dont know the whole story they only told partical story cant always beleive watcha hear and the dogs they are normally real loving dogs but they are pertective over one another get the whole story be4 u guys go talking bad about them

onceachef January 1, 2011 (4:00 pm)

With all due respect Itfd, pepper spray or a fire extinguisher (both of which police officers have) might have been just as effective and obviously not as deadly…a police officer is supposed to use his/her weapon if their life is in danger, not necessarily when a dog might bite…if all the officers there were to spray the dogs they would have run off. All USPS and other delivery personnel carry pepper spray for that reason. As someone mentioned earlier, more training is in order.

Travs January 1, 2011 (5:03 pm)

These are two, completely, different situations that are being lumped together. According to this story the dog lunged at the officer and he acted accordingly. I’m not saying he was right and I hope a full investigation is under way. In the story in Des Moines there is video from different police cars and the officers are first heard saying they are tired of chasing a dog that posed a threat to no one so they decided to shoot it, congratulating each other once they’ve killed a harmless nonaggressive dog. All Des Moines officers involved in this should be investigated and the officer that shot the dog should be fired. He has no business carrying a lethal weapon and is not qualified to protect and serve. Its sickening.

THE DOGS OWNER January 1, 2011 (5:15 pm)

YOU know it is sorry people like you the scared over reacting people that allways asume things before getting both sides of the story.I raised both my pitt bulls from puppies and they are the furtest thing from aggressive.They have never been mistreated and been shone nothing but love there hole life.You got to think of it in there point of view.My son/dog just watched his wife get shot by the guys in full police gear.And then get cornerd some time later and then my daughter/dog had to watch them the same guys that shot her kill her husband my son/dog.The only reason my son/dog acted that way with them is because he was protecting his family his wife.If you had a chance to have been with my pitt bulls for ten minuts they would have change your minds about pitt bulls i beleave that with all my heart.The SPD Did not have to kill my son/dog and shoot my daughter/dog she is just a year and a half old puppy him two and a half years old they could have went about it a different way.This was one of the worst ending and begining a year i ever had.

? January 1, 2011 (6:04 pm)

I am agreeing with Travs regarding the two separate incidents. It is hard to hear about any dog being shot in that way its a terrible thing to think about.

However, I disagree with the multiple responses of ‘more training is in order’ for the officer and/or Seattle Police regarding the pit bull incident. Seattle Police are trained to shoot a dog if they are in imminent danger. A pit bull could have critically injured this officer (just as it could have injured any of us).

Most police don’t carry pepper spray on their person anymore – they can have a larger container in the car and it sounds like there was no time for this officer to run to the car without being attacked. To add, pepper spray would have been the wrong choice because it would have only enraged and agitated a dog that was already agitated – creating even more danger for the officer.

Before we assume SPD is under trained we really should educate ourselves on the type, level and frequency of training that Seattle Police currently practice before we make comments like ‘more training is needed’. I think we would all be surprised. Each incident is different and its easy to come in after the fact and blame the officer for their actions in a dangerous situation. But if it had gone the other way – i.e., the officer didn’t do anything and let the agitated pit go and a citizen was bit by the dog down the street.. then we would again be blaming the officer.

Dee Hayward January 1, 2011 (7:06 pm)

I am sure the dogs are loving at home. No doubt about that, and I certainly don’t have a beef with Pit Bulls. I have many friends who have lovely pit bulls. I would like to say I think the officer over-reacted, but I wasn’t in his position. All of this is very open until real facts are tracked down.

GMF January 1, 2011 (8:01 pm)

I’m deeply disturbed by this incident on two fronts:

First, the officer clearly knew he was responding to an aggressive dog call. Therefore, he should have contacted Animal Control to meet him there – why that wasn’t done is beyond me. Animal Control should respond to all SPD calls immediately. Also, if they carry pepper spray, he could have exited his car with it in hand to use before discharging his weapon.

There are many ways to respond to a scared and aggressive dog – people in uniform almost always cause that type of reactions in many dogs, not just aggressive ones. Police officers know that (so do postal workers, garbage workers, etc….) – it’s a no-brainer that many dogs will react that way. Therefore officers should have more training or an Animal Control Rapid Response unit to assist them before the situation gets out of hand.

Second, to just shoot the dog and then just let it run off without any follow-up is just plain cruel – aggressive dog or not. Some information from WSB about efforts that the police or Animal Control have taken to find these dogs would be greatly appreciated. If SPD just dropped the matter afterwards, then I think they should be investigated about their policies and procedures in handling animals. After all, a wounded animal is always more dangerous than a non-wounded one. Seems to me the SPD officer made the situation worse, not better.

As someone who works with behavior modification for aggressive dogs, I don’t like to see anyone get bit and think officers have the right to defend themselves, but there are so many other ways to defuse these situations without anyone or any animal getting hurt – it just makes me sick to hear about SPD not attempting something else first.

Lastly – if that is the real DOGS OWNER that posted above – instead of attacking others why don’t you explain why the dogs were out running around and perhaps apologize to the person who was terrified in their home on the morning of the incident. You also seem to indicate that the cops came back out and shot the other dog – is that true? Some more information would be helpful, but also don’t expect too many people to sympathize if you are being an irresponsible pet owner.

NW Home Designers January 2, 2011 (12:49 am)

It was MY house they attacked. My dogs were in the back yard which is fully fenced and these pit bulls were attacking our gate to get our dogs. My dog sitter brought them in the house and locked them in the basemene because the pit bulls came on our front porch. We have an old house with single paned windows and a glass front door. Our dog sitter tried to wave the female away but then the male came around and lunged at her. She went into the house with them jumping at the door trying to get in. She had to hide to call the police because they stayed on the porch barking, charging the front door when they saw her and waiting for her. Does this sound like a kind loving dog to you? Not to me! She was VERY scared! The police came because of her 911 call. They male ran off and the female hid under a tree. Trying to coax the dog out she charged the officer and to defend himself he shot at her. And RIGHTLY SO. Imagine it YOUR house, YOUR dogs! I am VERY thankful to our local officers and stand proudly by their actions. Did you know that they stayed behind for over 2 hours at my house to be sure they did not come back after the followed the dog for more than 2 miles before they lost her? The owners of these dogs should be prosecuted and the dogs rehabilitated if possible. But first they need to be caught! These are violent dogs, they were not “protecting” anything! They were charging MY dogs who were behind a gate and fence! AND they have all ready ripped the throat of a neighbors dog. They are loose and they are dangerous. Make no mistake about that. What if that was one of my kids?! It is an outrage!! They attacked my home! They stayed on my porch waiting to attack. This is NOT an overreacting, this is real and it is scary.
So before you pass judgement put yourself in an officers shoes protecting their local citizens and for that I am thankful. They reacted to a 911 call which is their civic duty. And then put yourself in our shoes before you pass judgement.
I will end this with I have NO problem with pitbulls, it is their owners I have a problem with.

NW Home Designers January 2, 2011 (1:13 am)

FYI: The “Rosie” incident (which occured a week ago) and what happeded at my house (which occured yesterday) are completely different. Rosie was a Newfoundland in her yard and these were loose Pitbulls.

Doug January 2, 2011 (3:30 am)

There are too many dog lovers in this area that become way too sensitive. Soon there will be a breed of pitbull that makes you feel even more badass, the old bull will make you look not so tough anymore. So what will happen then? Pit bulls are unpredictabull domestic animals. Animal lovers let the illusion of love cloud their judgement. If they are so deserving of human rights why don’t we set up a special court system just for animals.

Doug January 2, 2011 (3:41 am)

Do you have young children? If one of these dogs injured or killed your child do you think it should maybe have it’s right to bite your chills to death protected? I love lions, I’m not allowed to have a lion, why, they bite a lot and in an unpredictable way. They are wild animals, that’s why they are in the wild. I believe pit bulls are nice, I really do, they should however be outlawed and the remaining pb’s required to take the dog equivalent of the human drug ridilan.

THE DOGS OWNER January 2, 2011 (4:21 am)

I never said my other dog was shot to.My other dog was first tazered then police put on the dog catcher leash on him and chocked him out till he was dead.If i had two black labs and the same situation i believe in my heart that both dogs would have came home alive.Both my dogs were taken to access animal hospital in lake city.My male was dead and my one and a half year old female puppy has a single gun shot wound to the right schoulder.The bullet went clean thru with a large entry wound and small exit wound out of her right leg.And the last time i seen my dogs they were sleeping in my daughters bedroom when i got up the next morning i thought they were still there.And as soon as i realized they were gone two hours later i was in a frantic because my kids/dogs were gone.I then started looking for them right away and did not give up till i found them.My dogs mean everthing to me they are part of my family they are my children.And if my female was so aggressive they had to shoot her she would have been quarentined for at least ten days before they would even give her back to me.They never once said she was aggressive in fact they commented on how sweet she was and they enjoyed having her with them.Now does she sound so aggressive right.And yes i am very sorry they got out and scared a couple of people.Beleave me when i say i really wish this would have never went down like it did because i would still have my son/dog to help me bring in the new year.I am so sorry to anyone that they has been effected in this situation.I got home at about 1 or 1:30am and started digging my son’s/dog grave did not get him buried untill 5am yesterday.And i am now treating and careing for my daughter’s/dog gun shot wound.Wow what a new year this has been if this happened this soon in the new year what is going to be next?

Tara January 2, 2011 (6:02 am)

The police don’t need “more training;” the dog did.

Love your dog? Ensure his safety by keeping him well mannered at ALL times. You owe it to him.

Debbie January 2, 2011 (9:58 am)

large entry and small exit wound? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
I am a lover of all creatures, don’t get me wrong. A dangerous animal is just that – a danger. If they were indeed trying to attack neighborhood dogs, killed one previously, perchance the pits were in a situation that they should not have been in. If THE DOGS OWNER loved these dogs so much, after the first escape and killing of the other neighborhood dog, she would have realized that her pits were a danger and that they needed to either be better secured or relocated. They were obviously dog aggressive and did not belong in a neighborhood. Their owner also should have gone through some mandatory training as to how to handle and properly house such dogs. It takes a special person to raise, house, secure and protect the public from aggressive dogs. It doesn’t sound like the PD failed the public, but that these dogs ‘family’ failed them. I do hope that neither of these dogs are suffering. Pain sucks no matter whom or what is feeling it.

Yikes! January 2, 2011 (10:50 am)

Yikes! Sounds like the person at the house and the police did the right thing to control this very scary situation. I really hope that the dog that is now in quarantine is destroyed to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. The owner doesn’t sound at all apologetic about this incident, which is perhaps the most disturbing part. Why do people always own aggressive dogs in packs of two or three? Why do owners of aggressive dogs always seem uneducated and inarticulate? Were the dogs spayed and neutered or did the owner want to keep them intact in order to preserve their natural aggression?

WSB January 2, 2011 (12:07 pm)

Dear new commenters and would-be new commenters: We are glad to see you here. However, we’ve had to reject a few comments that were being held for moderation, so please note, we have a few rules. A big one: Avoid name-calling. A simple way we explain it: You can call an opinion idiotic, but you can’t call the person who voiced it an idiot. There are myriad websites where “anything goes” and the comment areas become free-for-all sewers; it’s certainly not all sunshine and rainbows here, but it’s a little bit cleaner and more-well-lit than other places, and we try hard to keep it that way. Thanks – TR

Doug January 2, 2011 (12:58 pm)

Yikes! : what you said is spot on.

Doug January 2, 2011 (1:02 pm)

I’m so tired of hearing of pit bull attacks, they should be outlawed. Do you own a wild dog? I mean a non domesticated dog? I think Pit Bulls have a wild gene that is too easily switched on. It’s common sense by now.

NW Home Designers January 2, 2011 (1:07 pm)

I am curious to see whether these incidents are the same. If this female pitbull is the same one, she was not friendly at all. I don’t call a dog who is barking/growling and trying to get through my front door to get to the person on the other side “friendly”. If this dog owner is allowed to keep her, then I feel there are classes that need to be taken to ensure this agressive behavior it stopped/controlled. Every dog is capable of being dangerous, as owners it is our responsibility to train/nuture them to ensure this does not happen. But if it does, please take responsibiliy for your dogs actions and own the FACT that there is a problem, then take the path to fix it.

Travs January 2, 2011 (1:11 pm)

For those of you who dont think police need more training, or that some people with a badge are unqualified I could use a human wood carver as an example, and here’s an example of police not only being unqualified but being down right inhuman. To the owner of the dogs in this tragedy, its very sad, but your examples that this would not happen to labs is proven wrong by the story below. A newfoundland was shot and killed by Des Moines police because, and there is audio proof of them saying it, they got tired of chasing the dog so they found it and killed it. Thankfully the Des Moines mayor realizes the wrong doing and is bringing in an outside investigator. Hopefully, this results in more police training and more use of non lethal force both against animals and humans.
Please read this story and sign the petition. Its just the right thing to do. As the Billy Bragg song says, No Power Without Accountability.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/rosie-the-newfoundland-shot-by-police/

Ex-Westwood resident January 2, 2011 (2:17 pm)

Sorry, but I must TOTALLY disagree with these here that are saying peper spray/mace would work. Those are formulated to work on humans and may not work on animals.
Yes I said may, but I wonder how many of you would try it at a lunging animal knowing that if it didn’t work you wasted the time trying, giving the animal time to close.
As a personal expirience…last week at about 9:30 PM I was walking our dog (a miniture poodle) and a pitbull mix came charging at my dog and I. If I had my gun with me it would have been shot. As it was, I growled and face the dog and it stopped about 10 feet away. It was a pet as I could see a collar with tags, but if I was carrying, some family would have lost a pet.
Sad, but people NEED to be more responsible when they put their pets out.
People need to think about the situation and the snap decisions that have to be made without the benefit of hindsight before chastising the officers, or anyone else who may find themselves it a situation like that.

onceachef January 2, 2011 (5:04 pm)

“Ex-Westwood resident” – Pepper spray and mace work on humans and animals…what do you think bear repellent spray is? It will throw off their sense of smell and sight and disorient them.

mark smith January 2, 2011 (5:20 pm)

those cops killed my puppy and shot my dads in the shoulder my dogs were not even mean so they had no reason to kill my dog just because thier pit bulls dont mean there mean.

JoB January 2, 2011 (6:14 pm)

Doug..
Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong circumstances.
You would likely be the first to reject labeling a whole race or subgroup of people expendable because of the actions of some individuals.
This is no different.
Jack Russels are actually far more people aggressive but You wouldn’t get much traction banning the Frazier dog … would you?

Yikes! January 2, 2011 (9:22 pm)

People and dogs are not at all comparable. People have never been bread. Pit Bulls have a 1000 year history of being selectively bread to fight bulls, lions and/or each other in pits for human entertainment. This is well documented historically and is amply displayed in the large variation in the canine species.

stephanie January 2, 2011 (10:50 pm)

R.I.P. chicago… you will always be missed and remembered. Truley one of the best dogs and taken way to young. I’m sorry for they familys involved but most of all miss

stephanie January 2, 2011 (11:10 pm)

I have one pitbull myself and my brother has two. One of his dogs is the puppy of the two pits in question. All of them are the sweetest dogs ever. My dog does not know she is a pitbull. Its all in how you raise the dog and 1st hand both of the dogs. They are often around kids even babys never huring anyone. I do not believe the police had to use deadly force unless there lifes where in danger. I think that’s how it is on a human they can’t shoot someone unless they have a gun or something like that. I’m not saying I know everything. Just think there has to be a better way to handlen loose dogs then this. I’m truley sorry for the familys invloved. More police training would be nice especially if they are handing calls for animal control.

Louise De Laurenti January 3, 2011 (12:32 am)

My response to GNF,yes that post is from the owner of the dog’s who were brutaly murdered and injured by SPD.The owner did explain how the dogs got out that day and also stated that they were sorry for the event.As for NW,your supposed facts of the event at your house doesn’t make any sense.My son has known this dog owner all of his 29 yrs and can attest to the fact that this owner is a responsible pet owner.These dogs were loved and taken care of every single day.I have personally been around the murdered male dog Chicago a few times and NEVER felt threatened.I am so sorry for your loss.RIP Chicago.

NW Home Designers January 3, 2011 (9:30 am)

@ Loise: My “suppsed facts” are real no matter what YOUR experience was with the dog or it’s owner. Why would I or my dog sitter make this story up? What would my motivation be? I don’t plan on responding again as I can see that it truly does not matter what is said, you will believe what you believe regardless of what is true and actually happened. Non of these events were made up nor ebellished. I do feel that when something happens in my neighborhood that affects my neighbors I will inform them whether good or bad.

nulu January 3, 2011 (10:01 am)

What a tragic string of events with condolences to those hurt, affected or just concerned.
–

After reading “stephanie’s,
“The owner did explain how the dogs got out that day,” I went back and re-read the owner’s comments.
–
And I cannot find the owner’s explanation, just that the dogs were in the dog/daughter’s or human/daughter’s room? and that the owner went to bed for the night, got up the next day, and did not realize for two more hours that day that the dogs were “gone.”
–
As a dog owner, I have experienced that, “where’s the DOG panic” after letting our dog out the side door to our not completely fenced back yard. She has a nearly 100% compliance rate of returning to the porch. We have repeatedly learned that nearly 100% is no where near perfect enough.
–
Of course, we all want to know, how did they get “gone?”

LovingWS January 3, 2011 (1:50 pm)

I, LovingWS, do solemly swear that I will do no harm to nice little doggies going on their doggy way. If, however, your well loved unleashed dog tries to jump me and bite a nice big chunk out of my leg, neck, rump, or otherwise while I go on my human way…. well, lets just hope, for your pretty little puppy’s sake, that it doesn’t come to that.

Imagine if these nice little puppies had lunged after an unarmed infant instead of an armed officer. Would you still think it was ‘excessive’ force?

Make sure your puppies are secure, NO MATTER HOW WELL LOVED, and none of us would have to be discussing this.

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (3:26 pm)

Okay lets try this again, Doug, Tara and Yikes, you are miss informed and appearenently haters, the NW home designers your statemnet has holes in it, what were you thinking, these were two pit bulls that got out of there yard and went exploring as dogs often do, they were condemed from the start simply because of their breed, I know/knew these dogs and they were not vicious dogs, as a matter of fact I often thought of them as odd because one of them was so affraid of wooden floors and the other never lifted her head to anyone, these were two of the biggest babies I’ve ever seen, don’t get me wrong, I do not or will never own a pit bull, but because of other pit owners raising their animals to be aggressive and or attack dogs is sad and has cause misjudgement by many, these dogs got a bad rap just for being the type of dogs they are/were.

WSB January 3, 2011 (3:39 pm)

We have obtained more information from police regarding this case and are working on a followup story. If anyone directly associated with the incidents – apparently there were two during the course of the day, one of them after we first spoke with police in the afternoon – wants to contact us directly for comment (we’d also be interested in whether there are any photos of the dogs), you are welcome to e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com … thanks! – Tracy (WSB editor)

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (3:33 pm)

nulu, your question makes no sense, ask it again with structure!

PETA January 3, 2011 (3:53 pm)

As a liberal PETA member, I am an expert on dogs. So let me tell you what the officer should have done.
As the dog approached the officer, the officer should have thrown down any weapons and layed on the ground in a submissive dog position exposing his neck and underbelly. When the dog approached, the officer should have made a whimpering sound so the pit-bull would know he was not a threat.
It is obvious the dog just needed some love and a cuddle would have likely done the trick (or perhaps a treat). If per chance the dog bit the officer, perhaps breaking some bones and tearing away flesh, the officer should remain calm, speaking gently to the dog until blood filled his lungs and he became incapacitated (remember, reconstructive surgery is always an option). Eventually, the dog would realize the officer meant no harm and be on his way to find a child to maul.
After all, no animal should be hurt in order to save a human.

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (4:27 pm)

The editor of the west seattle blog has chosen to delete several of my comments for using the following words, stupid, moron(s) and liar(s), so I think you know who you are and that’s all I have to say about that!

Travs January 3, 2011 (4:28 pm)

PETA way to contribute nothing to the discussion.
Likewise, Michael J.

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (4:40 pm)

To the person from PETA, once again the facts are confused, the dogs was cornerd, his female companion had already been shot and the Officer(s) acted beyond the scope of empolyment and was the attacker in the situation, the dog was murdered simply because of his breed, and both of these dogs were raised with infants and toddlers, never a problem, they didn’t even knock the chidren down, not even by accident.

miws January 3, 2011 (4:46 pm)

Micheal J, perhaps you didn’t see this posting by WSB, because it blended in with the rather large number of comments on this story:

.

“Dear new commenters and would-be new commenters: We are glad to see you here. However, we’ve had to reject a few comments that were being held for moderation, so please note, we have a few rules. A big one: Avoid name-calling. A simple way we explain it: You can call an opinion idiotic, but you can’t call the person who voiced it an idiot. There are myriad websites where “anything goes” and the comment areas become free-for-all sewers; it’s certainly not all sunshine and rainbows here, but it’s a little bit cleaner and more-well-lit than other places, and we try hard to keep it that way. Thanks – TR
Comment by WSB — January 2, 11 12:07 pm”

.

In using the words in the context you describe, in the now deleted comments, you violated one of WSB relatively few rules, and the Editor has the right to delete comments that violate those rules.

.

I personally think you should have just kept quiet about the deletions. What you admit to posting is detrimental to your argument, and makes it hard for others to take you seriously, and respect your opinion, no matter what side of the argument it comes down on.

.

Mike

PETA January 3, 2011 (5:20 pm)

To Micheal J. You are right. The statement:

“The dogs quickly approached a responding officer who was standing on the street. The officer backed away and attempted to place a garbage can as a barrier between him and the dogs, but one of the dogs lunged at him.”

It CLEARLY shows the officer as the aggressor and as we all know it is (your quote)”beyond the scope of employment” for an officer to defend himself or any innocent bystanders.

I mean really, what was he thinking!!

No animals should ever be harmed in order to save a human.

thomas January 3, 2011 (5:51 pm)

Re comment by Micheal j. dear sir did you by chance read the comment by the people who called 911 to there house? Talk about getting your story straight! Were you there? Did you see what happened? How many times have you heard gang members Mother/Father say My son would never shoot anyone he wasnt brought up that was!

Nulu January 3, 2011 (8:12 pm)

Sorry,
How did the dogs get out of the bedroom?,
then out of the house?
and then out of their yard/territory?
Were there no secured doors, fences or gates?
Who let the dogs out?
–

Or, how did they get just plain get “gone” as the owner explains?

WSB January 3, 2011 (11:17 pm)

Update – After reviewing what police told me, I need to try to get comment tomorrow morning from two animal-control agencies before finishing the story. Just in case anybody was looking for the followup tonight. – TR

Laurie Green January 3, 2011 (9:43 pm)

I must compliment the officer… for what Must have been a difficult decision… to be made… instantly…. regarding shooting an UNsubduableObviously ATTACKING pitBull.
I would rather have HIS thotful protection… in any case.. than an illegally roaming… Grizzly.. “bear”..wrapped in a pitBulls suit..
The officer was THERE.. as was the distressed people. Since none of US were..? It is all supposition.. on our parts.
One FACT is clear… since these controversial animals… were…. (did he say?.??) “children”… of MJ… HE, ALONE.. is responsible. Period.

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (11:21 pm)

Re, Thomas, you need to read the comments again, the person making the comment was not even there, unless you get a sitter so you can stay home, once again I’m stating that I knew/know the dogs in question and they were not vicious dogs, if you can’t read between the lines here ?, Where was Animal Control through all this, I know the owner too, and I can’t figure how the dogs got out, but one thing I’m sure of these were not Grizzly’s in pit bull suits, they were/are playfull dogs. I know several people with pit and a few of them are big babies who think they are lap dogs, some of the other pits would just eat you, the problem with cetain dogs are the owners, some people want their dogs mean, these dogs however were not.

Micheal J. January 3, 2011 (11:30 pm)

More information for people on this site, the dogs were not obviously attacking anyone, where the famale was shot (location/area) and the male was choked to death eight blocks away nearly four hours later, not to mention the NW home designers comment on the neighbors dog getting it’s throat ripped out, I have found nothing to back up that comment, if that were true where is that story? So just how much of their comments are in fact true? And just because someone is wearing a badge doesn’t make them truthfull.

AuTumnPunkin January 3, 2011 (11:56 pm)

Mj…re:T…neither were you..”There”…
And were these DOG…….”(kids????
really????what does that make your wife??)
…YOURs…or not???
YES…(since you are hearby Publicly claiming them)
Then…where WERE you???
WHY…were your innocent babies NOT at home
HOW…did they get”gone”IF your watchful eye was on duty..as is your “Parental” obligation???
WHY…did ANYONE feel threatened by a tail wagging puppy….
DID you KNOW… that as is the difference btwn a
SQUIRT gun & a GLOCK 44….
SO is the Difference between the MISTAKES of a POODLEs bite…and a PIT BULL.
YOU made a mistake..and are not willing to take PARENTAL responsibility for your CHILDREN…
THUS…you have disQUALIFIED yourself as a RESPONSIBLE parent.

James January 4, 2011 (12:15 am)

Re; A punkin, really, what does your comment mean, I don’t quite understand where your coming from, your all over the place, I’m trying hard to make sense of your statement, I get part of it but?

WSB January 6, 2011 (3:13 pm)

Another rule we have here besides no name-calling: Though we do NOT require real-name registration, once you have chosen an ID in a discussion, stick to it. You cannot pretend to be multiple people. We have at least one person here using multiple names with the same IP and same e-mail address. An attempt to use yet another name with the same e-mail address and IP has been deleted. Whatever you choose to use when you join a discussion, that’s what you need to use. Thanks – TR

AuTumnPunkin January 4, 2011 (8:21 am)

Nuf said.

AG January 4, 2011 (2:48 pm)

The illiteracy… it burns.

moxilot January 4, 2011 (3:20 pm)

Sarah Scoot is somewhere clawing her eyes out.

Eliza January 4, 2011 (3:47 pm)

I love AG. People are making strong statements all over the place, unfortunetaly it is hard to follow.

Your is different from you’re
There, their and they’re (all different)
Than and Then don’t mean the same thing
and back the basics: To, too, and two…

AJP January 4, 2011 (3:55 pm)

Every single stinking time a pit bull attacks–either a person or another animal–the owners and their (THEIR) friends say it was the nicest sweetest puppy ever who used to feed and diaper their children and sing to the birds each morning while reading Shakespeare before trotting off to his volunteer work feeding the homeless paraplegics.

Born To Be Mild January 4, 2011 (4:21 pm)

@AG: Very entertaining comment. I guess I’m guilty of stereotyping but it seems like pit bulls must suck the brains out of their owner’s heads. Maybe it’s just the writin’ part.

Beaver January 4, 2011 (4:59 pm)

The illiterucy berns but four the moist part it prersents a clere dividin line between those defending the doogs and those thet can look at the sitiashun objectevely.

wondering January 4, 2011 (7:30 pm)

My dog, who I cared for a great deal, died several months ago – she had a great life and was always walked on a leash, kept in a yard, microchipped, spoiled and the model of good dog behavior (trained with hand signals even). She never got out of her yard, and I didn’t let anyone pet her without permission first even when she was on her leash.

NEVERTHELESS, in spite of how much I loved her, I would never refer to her as my daughter such as “the dog owner” of the suspect dogs in this story has @4:21 am on 1/2. She is/was a dog and I dearly miss her. The police did not “murder” one of these dogs reported in this story. The use of this type of language by the family members of the owners really calls into question their concept of boundaries, being a good neighbor, what responsible pet ownership is, but moreover, reveals a deeper sense of “it’s all about me.”

WSB January 4, 2011 (7:40 pm)

Wondering – For what it’s worth, I have noticed that language coming into play a lot lately in various circumstances, references to “pet parents” and so on.
.
To others: I have managed this thread with a somewhat light hand so far but do want to caution, we have no official explanation of how the dogs got out in the first place, nor any corroboration at this point regarding any past history with them. If you have specific information about past incidents, I renew my invitation for contact via editor@westseattleblog.com – but I don’t want to see any more speculation that goes beyond what is officially on the record, all of which I have included in our stories so far.
.
Since the full text of the police report is not available online yet, I don’t even know the exact address nor the owner/s’ names, so I cannot crosscheck to ask the Seattle Animal Shelter about that. But I would hope that if there were problems in the past with these dogs or any other animals, that they were reported, so that official action at least would have been a possibility … too often, even in human crime cases that have nothing to do with animals, we hear of people just assuming that reporting something would do no good, when that’s not necessarily so. Thanks – TR

Donna a.k.a. PETA January 4, 2011 (7:39 pm)

My previous comments were an attempt to highlight the illogical thinking of those who are delusional about their pets.

Look up the statistics for yourself on fatal dog attacks. A highly alarming number of them are perpetrated by pit-bulls and likely every single one of them had an owner who swore the dog would never hurt a fly… until it did.
How many children and adults lie in their graves because a pit-bull owner just didn’t get-it?

Thank you officer for your quick thinking. You likely saved someone from a horrific mauling or perhaps death. You are a credit to your badge.

thomas January 4, 2011 (9:19 pm)

Re AJP THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR SAYIN IT LIKE IT IS!!!!

Mike January 4, 2011 (10:53 pm)

Pit bulls are a menace. We lived thru hell with a couple in our neighborhood a few years ago.

BH January 4, 2011 (11:25 pm)

NW Home Designers,

I’m so sorry you had to go through this. I don’t doubt how scary it must have been. Having two large dogs of any breed barking and lunging at your door while someone HAD TO HIDE INSIDE YOUR OWN HOUSE is unacceptable.

For all the ‘oh, poor doggy’ people out there, imagine a large man or group of men roaming the neighborhood with baseball bats, banging them on windows and lunging at people. Imagine if you called the police and, if the men lunged at them, they did nothing, instead saying “Oh, these poor guys didn’t mean anything. Let’s give them some treats and they’ll calm down.” Yeah, right.

I’m behind the police 100%.

One day when I go out into public I’m going to bring my 6’5″ brother. His job will be to mimic the activities of every dog we see. In other words, your dog sniffs my crotch, my brother gets to sniff yours. Your dog stomps on my feet with his claws, my brother gets to do the same to you. Your dog jumps on me or paws me, my brother gets to do the same to you. What’s that? It’s assault when a person does it? Oh, yeah, turns out it’s assault when a dog does it too. And it’s NOT cute.

live nearby January 5, 2011 (9:57 am)

For the record: the two dogs in question were frequently out of their yard, and off leash. Though I appreciate the need for all the facts so a rational conclusion can be reached, these dogs were aggressive before this event, and were known to the police and animal control, before this event. I understand the disconect the owners and their friends have: their dogs was always a good dog in their home; they played well with children and other animals. What they fail to see, or want to see, is that these dogs were aggressive toward strangers, that is, all the rest of us. To those out there defending these and other animals: you simply must accept that there are bad apples, animal and human, and that there needs to be some form of control on animals before these tragedies occur. Calling me or others “reactionary” is unfair. I don’t want dogs shot or people bit. The current system allows for negative interactions between human and animal. Dog owners need to be held accountable BEFORE tragedies occur.

wsmom January 5, 2011 (11:10 am)

I’m wondering if anyone knows what needs to occur for a dog to be removed from it’s owners home. Does it need to actually bite a person or another animal before action is taken? The events described sound so extreme, how can it be that the owner has possession of the female dog?

THE DOGS OWNER January 5, 2011 (11:38 am)

I THE DOGS OWNER AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF ALL YOU TRASH TALKERS.SO UNTILL THE POLICE REPORT IS OUT YOU NEED TO PUT YOUR FINGERS IN YOUR POCKETS AND BACK AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTERS.AND AS FOR LIVES NEAR BY THIS NEIBORHOOD WAS NEVER LIKE THIS.IF WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH ONE ANOTHER WE WOULD GO AND TALK TO THE NEIBOR WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH A RESOLVED IT WITH ONE ANOTHER.WE WOULD NOT CALL THE COPS ON PEOPLE TURN THEM IN TO THE CITY FOR HAVING TO MANY CARS OR HAVING TRASH IN THE YARD.SORRY BUT IT IS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE THIS NEIBORHOOD WORST.ARE FAMILY LIVED IN THIS NEIBORHOOD SINCE 1977 AND WAS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE UNTILL ALL OF THE COP CALLERS WITH THERE NOSES IN THE AIR MOVED ON THE BLOCK.AND AS FOR THE REST OF THE NONE FACT HAVING TRASH TALKERS YOU PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ME OR MY DOGS/CHILDREN DON’T YOU THINK IT IS HARD ENOUGHT THAT WE ARE ALL MORNING THE LOSS OF MY DOG AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM TO CARE FOR THE ONE THAT WAS SHOT MY KIDS ARE HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING.THESE LAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN EXSPESHILY HARD MY CHILDRENS MOTHER WAS MURDERED IN JAN. OF 2006 AND WE HAVE BEEN CAREING FOR MY DIABETIC MOTHER WITH OTHER HEALTH ISSUES.AND FOR THE ONES THAT DONT BELEAVE THAT MY I AM SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SCARED AND THOUGHT THERE LIVES WERE IN DANGER I TRUELY AM.BUT I KNOW THAT THE FIRST 911 CALLER IS TOTALY OVER EXSAGERATING THE STORY A BIT YES MY DOGS WERE BARKING AT HER DOGS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO PLAY WITH THEM NOT TO KILL THEM.SO IF SHE WOULD HAVE OFFERD THEM A DOG TREAT/COOKIE THAT ALONE COULD HAVE DEFUSED THIS WHOLE SITUATION AND I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DIG MY DOGS/SONS GRAVE.IT IS A SHAME THAT PITT BULLS HAVE THE REPUTAION THEY HAVE BECAUSE IF THEY DID NOT HAVE IT THERE WOULD BE ALOT LESS PEOPLE SCARED OF THEM.WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO A LOST OR WONDERING DOG THAT IS ALSO PROBILY SCARED TOO. YOU CAN’T LET THEM SENCE YOUR FEAR THAT IS WHEN THEY WILL ATTACK THAT IS ANY DOG NOT JUST PITT BULLS EVEN LITTLE ANKLE BITERS.

AuTumnPunkin January 5, 2011 (1:13 pm)

Hmmm…so its our fault?

AuTumnPunkin January 5, 2011 (3:55 pm)

Above comment…re “our fault”…was intended for TheDogsOwner…who..as stated ..needs Help.
I would add Child EnDANGERment to charges listed in D aka P’s comment.
“THEowner”..has Clearly indicated ..(& INDICTed himself to show)…he is UNable to handle the situation re: Ownership of animals…PARTIcularly ..as stated also..such a Controversial ..(& PROVEN dangerous..ask insurance companies!)..animal/pet (?) ..as a PitBull.
Very sad he has children..whom are thrown into the same Catagory.
(are they, thus, treated as Dogs…would you Trust a mercurically tempered dog BRED to kill..with your child? Would not a MISTAKEN nip, from these jaws……I can’t even finish!!! The options the (human) child has.. are horrifying inadiquite!)
LAWs are CREATEd to provide Protection..from situations such as this…where NEGLIGENT ….& Obtus people..rule these situations..that endanger Others!!
Obviously…the LAWs are also inadequate (deliberately? )..as THIS horrific example proves!
Without the Officer’s quick, SELF protective & correct action

AuTumnPunkin January 5, 2011 (4:12 pm)

Above comment…re “our fault”…was intended for TheDogsOwner…who..as stated ..needs Help.
I would add Child EnDANGERment to charges listed in ‘D.akaP’s comment.
“THEowner”..has CLEARly indicated ..(& INDICTed himself to show)…he is UNable to handle the situation re: Ownership of animals…PARTIcularly ..as stated also..such a Controversial ..(& PROVEN dangerous..ask insurance companies!)..animal/pet (?) ..as a PitBull.
Very sad he has children..whom are thrown into the same Catagory.
(are they, thus, treated as Dogs…would you Trust a mercurically tempered dog BRED to kill..with your child? Would not a MISTAKEN nip, from these jaws……I can’t even finish!!! The options the (human) child has.. are horrifying inadiquite!)
LAWs are CREATEd to provide Protection..from situations such as this…where NEGLIGENT ….& Obtus people..rule these situations..that endanger Others!!
Obviously…the LAWs are also inadequate (deliberately? )..as THIS horrific example proves!
Without the Officer’s quick, SELF protective & correct action…
and since this appears to NOT have been the FIRST time these Vicious Pets have terrorized this (&Other?) Neighborhood …this Officer (regrettably ) was FORCED to diffuse an INEVITABLE disaster!
I would be forced to move…in order to ensure MY childrens safety…(from the horrible breed that is attempting to become a trustworthy(?) “PET”…AND…a ‘father’….who is unABLE to grasp Reality.
It is TIME …to INTERVENE!!!

Both

SassyB January 6, 2011 (10:03 am)

I have read these comments and some have made me wonder about a few people on this post.To peta and wondering.Do you really feel a need to attack the dog owners mental health?Wondering and Peta seem to have”lack of empathy” From what I read the owner of the dogs clearly stated that they were sorry if the dogs scared anyone or thought their lives were in danger.Did you also not read that this owner lost a wife to murder? Or that they are taking care of a sick mother.When I actually worked with psychopaths in the mental health field none ever took care of a vunarable adult.Thats not a psychopath thats a saint.How many people take care of the elderly? So as a Mental Health Professional I say that peta and wondering have some lack of empathy issues.Also,who cares that the owner typed in caps? The person is oviously upset.

white boi January 6, 2011 (11:11 am)

rest in peace cago your were the best pit bull ive ever meet ive even had a pit and their only agresive if you are crazy enough to train it to be mean and chicago was by far nice careing and protective of his family the police had no right to kill him and shoot moca the girl dog the owners son is my best friend and he had to spend the hole new years crying because the police dident use a beter way to handle them. cago is just like one of my family members i love him and my friend his owner treats him perfectly and people who keep talking mess about the situation think about what pasition were in we just lost a dog a brother and a son luckaly moca the girl dog is still here but her wound is always their to remind us of this awful incedent love u cago r.i.p

SassyB January 6, 2011 (11:35 am)

Thanks WSB for taking those cruel and callous comments off of here.And please note people who may bash me for some typos.I was unable to correct them before my above message was posted.

thomas January 6, 2011 (11:55 am)

RE SassyB If this person has mental problems they shouldnt be allowed to own dangerous pets! And the way he talks about his son/daughter/dog I dont know if hes talking about his wife or the dogs wife being murdered!

THE DOGS OWNER January 6, 2011 (12:31 pm)

That is my sons best friend.And so far from what i have seen on here besides the ones that are on our side.This 14 year old boy could not have put it any other way he has more heart compassion and sympathany than the rest of you haters He is a real person and just spoke the truth.

SassyB January 6, 2011 (12:31 pm)

Re Thomas.This person dosen’t have mental problems.He is talking about his animals whom he considers his children.I believe that he is stating that his male dog was killed and the mal dogs wife was injured.He also stated that his wife was murdered in 2006.As for dangerous animals,any animal can be dangerous.

THE DOGS OWNER January 6, 2011 (12:51 pm)

Chicago you were the best boy ever.You were my best friend and the best dog any owner could ever ask for.You will be missed by many and loved by all.You gave up your life to save our sweet mohca in our eyes you are our hero and a saint.We love you and will miss you forever your family R.I.P.CHICAGO BORN MAY 3RD 2008 DIED DECEMBER 31ST 2010 P.S.You did not deserve to go out like that.

SassyB January 6, 2011 (1:10 pm)

RE Dogs owner don’t listen to the people on here that are badmothing you or your beloved pets.Some can be so cruel and callous.I left a message for the westseattle blog and they deleted 2 of the callous messages on here.You clearly care for your animals and I believe that they were very well cared for.So sorry for your loss.

seadawg January 6, 2011 (1:21 pm)

Uhm – sassyB, the worst of the dog owner’s comments made earlier have been deleted so you lack the context in which others have made their critical remarks – so hold yours please. If you know how to count, there originally were 85 posts and this thread and now there much, much less.

Why do all caps posts matter? Because it’s considered shouting, I don’t care how upset you are, you don’t need to after the numerous personal attacks that were deleted by the moderator by the dogs owner, dogs owner friends and family that you were not able to read.

SassyB, I suggest you mouse on over to the followup story and read the posts by the neighbor about these dog, if they have not been already deleted, to get some background before you condemn everyone in your uninformed support of the dog owner based upon incomplete information.

WSB January 6, 2011 (1:29 pm)

Actually the latest comments that went over the line totaled 2 and were deleted today. There were a few comments along the way that our filters caught and were never approved because they too went over the line. Still totaling a handful, not “numerous.” We seldom have to reject or delete comments – most folks keep within bounds of civility. But since we don’t have a “flag” button, unlike our forum, which does, if you see a comment that you think is out of bounds, you can report it via editor@westseattleblog.com. We do NOT automatically hold ALL comments for moderation, so don’t assume that if it’s here, we’ve seen it – our filters are set up fairly well but some things do get by – TR

SassyB January 6, 2011 (2:22 pm)

Re Seadawg,The things that I know are how to have compassion when some suffers grief and loss.I would hope that you might also.

OWNER'S SON January 6, 2011 (4:42 pm)

CHICAGO THE MALE THAT WAS BRUTTALY MURDERED BELONGED TO ME HE WAS THE MOST LOVING DOG/BROTHER YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR IF JUST TOOK THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW HIM YOU WOULD BE AMAZED HOW LOYALE LOVING AND MOST BEUTIFUL DOG EVER SO FOR ALL YOU TRASH TALKERS OUT THERE PLEASE SHUT YOUR MOUTH MY BOY WOULDNT HERT ANYONE HE WAS SCARED OF MY GRANDMAS CHIWAWUA AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CAPS CRY CRY CHICAGO WAS A PART THE FAMILY. IF IT TOOK THIS TO RELYSE HOW IMPORTANT HE IS THATS MESSED UP. LOVE CAGO R.I.P

will January 7, 2011 (2:11 pm)

Does not anyone realize that niether dogg ever bit any of the people or animals that they incountered even after being shot,cornered and obviously scared to death yet again never even came close to biting.The girl dogg that got shot lunged at him,what exactly does that mean,if she didn”t charge him or try to bite him how can he justify shooting something that that is really no bigger than a cockerspanial since it never bit him and anyone who knows about pits knows that if they attack they dont stop even after being shot its well documented and also if one tried to attack so would the other thats also documented so i dont believe for one second that these 2 doggs ever tried to attack anyone or the doggs from the home where this took place . For the doggs to have tried to attack atleast 3 people and 2 doggs to have never even bit anyone involved ,I mean seriously has no one esle thought about that fact and that the officer probaly just overreacted,how many times have there been officers overeacting and shooting people in the news lately. He might just of had a pre-ceded fear of that breed of doggs

OWNER'S SON January 7, 2011 (2:24 pm)

me and my dad are so streesed out on top of all this my uncle passed yesterday so stop the trash talking cut us some slack please. a lives near by my dogs got walked 4 times a week we just went through the aley so please just stop talking mess. i hate it when people have to down grade some one just because they have more money or a better life so please shut up we have enough stress right now my pit bulls were freindly and never bit any one my 14 year old freind has been around my boy chicago sens we first got him and people that didnt even know my dog and my dads dog cry when they hear the story if that doesnt tell you some thing the you have no right to down grade my dog. and what is this wsb said claming to be the dogs owner he is the dogs owner. love you cago R.I.P

OWNER\'S SON January 7, 2011 (2:31 pm)

thanks seattle police dept. my female mocha has to get her right front leg amputated.

AuTumnPunkin January 7, 2011 (5:32 pm)

How, exactly…do OPINIONS
…have to do with. …FACTS??
YOU…(Owner)…got your dog killed.
Deal with it!!
Keep them IN!! & they stand less chance of getting shot.

thomas January 7, 2011 (5:36 pm)

Just think if you had kept you dogs penned up like your suppose to you wouldnt be going thru all this!

THE DOGS OWNER January 8, 2011 (5:06 pm)

To all you people out there like the ones that posted these last two post are just wrong and down right cruel.To kick me when i’m down we just lost are dog and now the other one is going to be crippeled for the rest of her life as for her right leg has to be amputated and will never be the same.It just goes to show that you do not have to be so screwed up and thoughtless so keep your thoughts to your self if you do not have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.

WSB January 8, 2011 (5:10 pm)

This thread is now closed. It’s gone way beyond discussing the original incident, on all sides, and as of this point I have nothing to add to the story. – TR