Also, isn’t it a little narrow mindedness to think that us taxpayers who pay your salary shouldn’t share our opinion or state when we believe that we don’t agree with how you conduct your job or ability to do your job? Isn’t that how laws are initiated? By our Opinions?
Third, “You wonder when you would hear about when I would shoot a family pet? Why only me?”
Because at the time it sounded is though you condoned what this man did to Bear Bear.
Fourth, are you under the assumption that all “family pets” are safe? Keep an abused pit bull taken from the pound in your house – then we’ll talk. Yes, unfortunately there are times that police must use deadly force…was this one of those instances? You cannot say for sure; I cannot – so who truly can?”
No, I am not under that assumption. I do believe that on some occasions it is warranted. Do you believe the case where the less than 5lb Chihuahua needed to be shot?
Fifth, “Keep an abused pit bull taken from the pound in your house – then we’ll talk. Yes, unfortunately there are times that police must use deadly force…was this one of those instances? You cannot say for sure; I cannot – so who truly can?”
Again, I never, said there were no occasions were deadly force is not warranted. However, I read the police report regarding the Bear Bear situation, the man did not describe some vicious attack. He did say the dog bit his dog on the neck. However, his dog nor he or his wife had a scratch on them.
I have had people come to my house and say OMG your dogs are fighting. I say no, it’s ok they are not. Oh, but to one has the other by the throat. I say, just relax, they always do that. They always seem to be very unnerved and uncomfortable by the whole scenario. My Aunt could hardly stand to watch it.
I’ve also had people come to my house who were never invited back because of the way perceived my dogs. My one lab loved to play ball and would actually throw it at you or jump and push it down at your feet to get you to play. One time this woman said OMG! she bit me! I saw the whole thing. My dog had the ball and jumped towards her with her paws and face down at her feet. The dog did NOT bite her. Some people tend to exaggerate things. Needless, to say she was not ever invited back to my house.
Sixth, “Three months ago, on a beautiful sunny day at the Inner Harbor, an elderly man was attacked by a “family pet” that was on a leash, “never mean towards anyone”, and had no provocation to get violent. This dog caught the owners off-guard and broke free from the leash. The dog decided to implant his teeth into the foot and leg into the elderly man, this was with so much force that the dog broke 3 teeth off into the man’s leg. A Baltimore Police Officer was a few feet away, and kicked the dog off of the man. The dog died as a result – is this better than shooting the dog?”
First of all this case is nothing is nothing like the situation that occurred with Bear Bear. Again, see my fourth response for this above. Also, it seems the Officer used good judgment. He may a have accidently shot the elderly man if the dog had turned on him the moment he pulled his gun.
Seventh, “at the end of the previous school year, a young 3rd grader was getting off of her school bus and began running towards the local playground – this actually occurred not too far from Quail Run – when she was attacked by a dog that was “always fond of children and would never harm anyone”. The girl will have a scar across her forehead for life, and will probably have a lifelong fear of dogs, if not all animals. When Animal Control went to retrieve the animal later that day, the “normally reserved” dog began attacking the officer, to the point where the accompanying police officer shot the dog and killed it.”
Again, see my 4th answer. Once, again this is not comparable to the Bear Bear situation. Bear Bear was in an off leashed dog park. First, it sounds as if animal control would have put the dog down anyway even if the officer hadn’t shot the dog. The owner had the responsibility of not letting the dog run loose. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase small children when running. You never stated what type of breed. In addition, you did not state where the animal control officers approached the dog. Was it at his home, was it in the home, or was it just running in the neighborhood. Many “Friendly” dogs may become territorial when someone approaches their home. Also, you didn’t state whether this information came from a police report or whether is was something you heard in the news.
Eighth, “My point there was to show that “normally reserved and friendly” dogs can snap at any reason, and cause injuries. Can you say that the officer did not immediately fear that this dog would have done the same thing? Were you there, or just going off of the word of the victims?”
I’m not just going by the victims statements, I’m going by the police report. No, one in this altercation was hurt or killed but Bear Bear. Again, what the Officer described was rough playing. He didn’t describe some vicious attack. If the man had been well education on dog behavior, this may not have occurred. Maybe anyone who enters a dog park should be required to take a dog behavior class so they can identify when there is a threat.
Furthermore, any person could raise their fist at me, and I could possibly feel immediate fear the this person could kill me with one punch. Does that mean I should pull a gun and shoot to kill? Just as Bear Bear’s killer perceived a dogs snap was a threat?
Does an animal have to actually cause harm to someone before harming the animal becomes “acceptable”? What other means do you suggest? Hitting the animal with a stick? Yelling at it to stop? Kicking it?
Ok, not all of us have the luxury to carry a gun on our side, so we adapt and learn how to handle situations, that you may perceive a life threatening situation differently. I am 5’1 and 130 lbs., and have broken up many a dog fight. My dog a German Shephard/Samoyed mix and by neighbors, Golden Retriever didn’t always get along but they spent a lot of time together. Occasionally they would end up in some very nasty fights. One time I thought I was going to pull my fingers out of my sockets as I pulled them apart by their collars. Another time, there were other neighborhood dogs at the house and they began to fight. Three of them I was able stop fighting by charging and screaming at them. But once again I had to tear my dog and my neighbors apart by hand.

As far as Bear Bear goes I do believe there could have been other options. I have been in situations of so called friendly dogs (including Pits) have come after my granddaughter. The people who own the dog have children their self. She was 4 years old when this dog broke through the fence around our yard and tried to attack her. Fortunately there were several people out there to protect her from this dog.

However the dog was not harmed. He did not manage to attack her. He has come after other family members as well. Should this dog attack one of the kids or my dog even YES I would kill him myself. I do not own a gun but can do enough damage with other means. But there were no signs what so ever on this mans dog or him and his wife. Therefore Bear Bear should not have been shot the way he was. Regardless of this mans rank apparently his actions were unjustified.

Mr. Stein as with many of the others your statements of apology are accept here. But to say you were not aiming them at the people who had left statements I would say was wrong. Us so called bored house wives are not a part of the media. Just because we may be housewives do not mean we are bored or rich for that matter.

I myself stay at home because I am disabled. But I am also taking college courses to be able to support myself. That does not give me much time to be bored. Even the man I am with can tell you that.

When you make a mistake in words it is great when you apologize for them. But at least admit your errors where they are due. You may not have meant to insult Mr. Lusby. But the housewife statement was certainly intended towards the women here. It is obvious we are not a part of the media.