[oranges]

Dog bites author of dangerous dog law
United Press International - USA
ALBUQUERQUE, NM, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- One of the authors of New Mexico's dangerous dog law was hospitalized with bites on both arms from one of his own pooches. ...

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.ph...7-054533-4530r


So writers of bills restricting the rights (or bites) of dangerous dogs, you had better muzzle your own dogs :-)

[Mike O]

"The bill Schwartz co-authored allows dog owners to be charged with a felony if their animals [are] deemed to be dangerous and injure or kill people or other animals."

...I wonder how "injure" is defined?? If a dog nips someone that shouldn't be a felony! Serious injury, yep, but not a nip.

Even then, if someone -- adult or child -- was teasing the dog and gets bitten, that's their own fault. Is that still a felony chargeable to the dog's owner? I haven't seen the law so I don't know. I hope it's carefully written...but they usually aren't.

[Thomas A. Rice]

I was attacked by a dog this last year, scared the bejeesus outta me, he came outta nowhere, on my property, dripping saliva, teeth bared, blood on his face, and a crazed look in his eyes.

That dog went on to attack a kid after my encounter, who jumped through the window of a car to escape.

Fortunately, that dog died shortly after, but if I had had a gun, he would have met his OK Corral in my backyard the first time he bared his teeth to me.

I look at dogs in a completely different manner, now, and feel rather vulnerable, actually, around any bigger ones that are running loose.

[Andy]

I blame the owners of dogs for this. If you're going to have a pet, it's a lifelong responsibility. You have obligations to your pet to protect its health, provide food, water, and shelter for it, and to nurture and love it.

Getting a dog and sticking it out in the backyard to survive on its own, with occasional food and water is unacceptable. What did you get a pet for in the first place, if this is the best you can do? What's even worse are the pets allowed to roam. People who allow their pets to roam free should be heavily fined, and sentenced to many hours of community service for their neglect.

A pet is a member of the family, and should be treated as such. There is no excuse for cruelty or neglect, and I think this is very often what's behind aggressive pets. They don't know what love is, and they fear humans and turn aggressive towards them.

I don't believe that domesticated animals are aggressive when they're born, it's something they are taught and/or learn because of the way they're treated.

Andy

[martyogelvie]

The days of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin are long gone, eh?

When I was a kid, I had a dog (Sebastion - a mut) that roamed. He was never on a leash or inside a fence and he didn't stay in the house. It wasn't a big deal, but I can see how it is a big deal now.

One of the MAIN reasons I don't have a DOG now is because of the responsibility it brings... and I am basically too lazy and too busy to deal with a dog now.

[Cheesehead]

If people are going to own dogs that have been bred (and inbred) for the purpose of viciousness, then I would fully agree with a law that holds them culpable, up to and including, manslaughter, if their little beasts kill or injure someone. Next to a place I rented a neighbor had these incredibly viscous pit bulls in a fenced yard - so what happens if the door is not entirely secured? There are plenty of dogs (like golden retrievers, shelties, etc) that are not potentially dangerous - why do people have to own breeds with a history of attacking people?

I am not talking about a yorkie nipping someone in the ankle here!