The Dog that Bit People

[RZehr]

I find it interesting, (may or may not apply to Boot, but he prompted this) that people are willing to “put down” a dog, but aren’t willing to shoot it.
I know that almost all people in this country are carefully shielded from bloodshed and death. But for some of us who are farmers and hunters, it seems completely illogical to spend time and money to take a dog to a vet to be “put down”, when we have the tools and ability ourselves to kill it. We kill fish, deer, ducks, cows, pigs and chickens. A bullet to the brain is more merciful than a vet visit. And no, a dog is not a member of the family, and even though it is a pet, it is indeed an animal. Not a person. I don’t like how society value dogs as better than humans.

[Bootstrap]

I find it interesting, (may or may not apply to Boot, but he prompted this) that people are willing to “put down” a dog, but aren’t willing to shoot it.
I know that almost all people in this country are carefully shielded from bloodshed and death. But for some of us who are farmers and hunters, it seems completely illogical to spend time and money to take a dog to a vet to be “put down”, when we have the tools and ability ourselves to kill it. We kill fish, deer, ducks, cows, pigs and chickens. A bullet to the brain is more merciful than a vet visit. And no, a dog is not a member of the family, and even though it is a pet, it is indeed an animal. Not a person. I don’t like how society value dogs as better than humans.

I agree with you on pretty much all of this. I have slaughtered plenty of chickens. I don't consider dogs human - I think a pet is more than an animal raised for meat, less than a family member. My relationship with a dog is different than my relationship with a chicken.

When we had to put down a dog in severe incurable pain, we had a vet come to our house. I suppose I could have slit her throat mercifully, but I don't have a gun, and I have no experience doing this. And I'm not convinced that's the way I want to remember the end of her life.

[RZehr]

I find it interesting, (may or may not apply to Boot, but he prompted this) that people are willing to “put down” a dog, but aren’t willing to shoot it.
I know that almost all people in this country are carefully shielded from bloodshed and death. But for some of us who are farmers and hunters, it seems completely illogical to spend time and money to take a dog to a vet to be “put down”, when we have the tools and ability ourselves to kill it. We kill fish, deer, ducks, cows, pigs and chickens. A bullet to the brain is more merciful than a vet visit. And no, a dog is not a member of the family, and even though it is a pet, it is indeed an animal. Not a person. I don’t like how society value dogs as better than humans.

I agree with you on pretty much all of this. I have slaughtered plenty of chickens. I don't consider dogs human - I think a pet is more than an animal raised for meat, less than a family member. My relationship with a dog is different than my relationship with a chicken.

When we had to put down a dog in severe incurable pain, we had a vet come to our house. I suppose I could have slit her throat mercifully, but I don't have a gun, and I have no experience doing this. And I'm not convinced that's the way I want to remember the end of her life.

If I didn’t have a gun and if I lived in town, I’d take it to the vet too. I wouldn’t cut its throat and let it bleed out. But I don’t like the fact that society views my method as barbaric at best, and at worse a sign of a psychopath.

[temporal1]

I find it interesting, (may or may not apply to Boot, but he prompted this) that people are willing to “put down” a dog,
but aren’t willing to shoot it.

I know that almost all people in this country are carefully shielded from bloodshed and death.

But for some of us who are farmers and hunters, it seems completely illogical to spend time and money to take a dog to a vet to be “put down”, when we have the tools and ability ourselves to kill it. We kill fish, deer, ducks, cows, pigs and chickens. A bullet to the brain is more merciful than a vet visit.

And no, a dog is not a member of the family, and even though it is a pet, it is indeed an animal. Not a person.
I don’t like how society value dogs as better than humans.

i was introduced to this dichotomy as a small child, my father hunted, took the boys hunting, both parents were no strangers to farms/farm work, definitely distiguishing lines between animals and humans .. over decades, as you say, the lines are beyond blurred, animals now enjoy more protections than humans, it’s not scandalous. (i credit/blame powerful animal rights activists+lobbyists.)

As a child, i was so loving and protective of animals, i’m sure my father worried about me. He didn’t know what to do with me.
i don’t blame him. i don’t know what to do with me, either.

To me it parallels the cultural decision that human abortions are ok, if not wonderful - as long as “proper” for-profit institutions and sterile lab tables are involved. Does the victim care if he is killed in a remote jungle, buried under lush vegetation, versus on a stainless steel lab table, his remains picked over, then left in a bucket for disposal? i have my doubts.

WOOF: COMMANDER to face MAYOR BOWSER
(from the OP news link)

.. When it comes to Commander, Mayor Muriel Bowser could be his judge, jury, and executioner.

Will Commander's alleged 11 bites warrant opening an investigation?
Will Bowser deem Commander guilty of threatening public safety and sentence him to "Capitol" punishment?
And if so, will that lead to a standoff between D.C. Police and Commander's Secret Service detail?

It's a constitutional crisis waiting to happen.

Some people have chronic trouble drawng boundaries in their relationships.
Personally, i believe this is a poor message to the public that “my dog is free to bite, because, i’m~that~special.”

Left unsaid: Fear of PETA

[Bootstrap]

When we had to put down a dog in severe incurable pain, we had a vet come to our house. I suppose I could have slit her throat mercifully, but I don't have a gun, and I have no experience doing this. And I'm not convinced that's the way I want to remember the end of her life.

If I didn’t have a gun and if I lived in town, I’d take it to the vet too. I wouldn’t cut its throat and let it bleed out. But I don’t like the fact that society views my method as barbaric at best, and at worse a sign of a psychopath.

Where I grew up, most people shot dogs when they needed to be killed. So I don't see that as sign of a psychopath. And I haven't noticed any other psychopathic symptoms in you.

Now if you go around shooting dogs randomly, and a few people from time to time, I might judge that differently ...

[Grace]

One, then done. Take it out back and shoot it.

Depending who finds out you did that, you would be in big trouble. In most people's minds, the humane way to put a dog down is to take them to a vet to have the deed done. And instead of having an arm or leg bitten, you will have to pay an "arm and a leg".

I say get rid of the dog and get a cat.

[MaxPC]

This is a thread to discuss dogs that bite people, and laws that protect such dogs.

I would hope that the incidents in question consider the actions of person who was bitten. In the case of the Secret Service who is tasked with protection details, it would seem to me that the dog would misinterpret an agent grabbing the president who may be yet again, tripping and falling. In short, the agent was doing his job. If this dog has bitten 11 times, what about rehoming this dog?

For the rest of the world, I always ask where the person was and what he/she was doing when the dog attacked? If the dog was in his own territory and the bitten person was invading that territory without supervision, I would certainly have to question why was the non-invited person there?

Personally I would need more details to examine each case before assigning the dog to the gas chamber.

[temporal1]

11 bites reflects a chronic biter, most dogs are not allowed to come near that number of offenses, regardless of circumstances.
Add to that, it can be presumed “only the best” in training has been procured. He’s overdue.

Commander needs to go. He’s not the only one.

[barnhart]

Cultural values differ. Where I grew up a dog could get shot for aggression, but it was generally considered cruel to lock them up in small pens. Where I live now, those values are reversed.

[RZehr]

Cultural values differ. Where I grew up a dog could get shot for aggression, but it was generally considered cruel to lock them up in small pens. Where I live now, those values are reversed.

This is a good point. I’ve never had a dog that was kept penned up, or tied up, or kept inside. I’m not saying that I never would. But you’re right, I have a decently strong preference for a farm dog that knows how to live responsibly without restrictions. That said, if I were to engage in breeding dogs, it would not bother me to have them in pens - unless it is real small and filthy pens.