[oemcheapdownload]

Alright, so this is a horrible topic that I'm sure every pitbull owner has heard of or seen and worries will happen to them. Sure, daily we are faced with the fact that many people do not like our breed of choice, many people fear them, and some would love to see them extinguished from the earth. I was hoping to hear of some ideas as to what to do with a situation that occurred from other dog people (or animal people). I was called looking for advice for a variety of onlookers and to offer the owners of two pitbulls who were needlessly shot by police in Everett, Massachusetts today while neighborhood children were playing only several feet away.

My aunt had called me this afternoon around 4:30pm to tell me that two houses down an Everett police officer had shot two pitbulls. I assumed the worst, the dogs had hurt somebody. But as many stories I have heard from people I personally talk to that own pitbulls all over the country, or many that have been posted in various locations the dogs did not hurt a soul. There was a mother and daughter pitbull in their own yard and driveway. A woman walked by (who unfortunately we are sad to say we know through others) and one of the dogs barked at her. She called the police. A lot of people were outside, many neighborhood children playing almost directly in front of this house and never did the dogs leave their property. Police showed up and one officer thought it would be smart to first yell at the dogs and move toward them aggressively, then feed them bread to try to catch them with a pole (no animal control on scene mind you). The bread ran out, one of the dogs stepped closer with what was described as an obvious attempt to get another piece of food. Cop shoots the dog 3 times. One bullet hits the other dog that was sitting beside her and she takes off running into her yard. Cop chases, tackles and shoots dog several times. 1 man is arrested for attempting to stop the cop from killing second dog. Cop is confronted by large group of witnesses who claims "dog tried to attack" him. No such attack occurred. Grant it...the dogs were not obviously enclosed (no idea if there was an invisible fence of sorts) and owners were not home. Shame on the owners for allowing the opportunity for an escape if dogs were not in an underground fence. HOWEVER...the cop had no right to shoot an animal that was clearly NOT aggressive.

Sad story we hear too often by other pitbull owners. Something we all fear. If you were the owners, or if you were an onlooker what steps would you take? News Stations come to mind. Perhaps MSPCA? Are there any groups that would deal with something like this supporting the dogs, owners, onlookers? Do parents of children that had to witness this abuse have any legal standing if they decide to join forces and go up against the city (which looks like is very possible)? Any other ideas?

[propolo]

I live in Boston, start a petition demanding the police answer for their actions. Get witness accounts on paper. The MSPCA can not do anything they are just a shelter. I would also contact local news stations AFTER you get all your backup...otherwise the police will just claim they were attacked and then THAT will be what is aired. PM me if you want to chat I work with lots of rescues and shelters as do most of my friends. This is outrageous and the police need to publicly respond.

[oemcheapdownload]

Thanks for the reply. I was actually on the phone with my aunt when I read it. She has talked to the owner today who mind you just got home from visiting her teenage daughter in the hospital (poor woman is having a very bad day). It was confirmed by her and others that managed to meet the dogs and family (who only lived there 6 months) that these were in no way aggressive dogs. The woman has a couple of teenage children and a younger child as well (not sure how many). I just wanted to be sure that they weren't owned by some hoodlums and really were aggressive for whatever reason before I went full out defending the family.

Fox news is calling one of the neighbors back tomorrow to set a time to go talk to the owners and neighbors. I did advise that they get the witness statements written out BEFORE the news comes, which I didn't think of..thank you. My aunt will be going to the neighbors that were there tomorrow to try to help the owner get people to sign a petition and give witness accounts and hopefully be willing to talk to the news station. There are at least 5 that will be willing to stand up for the owner and have already placed their own calls into the news station. I'm hoping they can manage to do all of the right things so this doesn't get twisted in the cops favor.

[hLabXZlK]

I don't understand why AC was not called 2 handle the dogs? The police should have Waited for them to arrive, instead of trying to control the dogs themselves. If they had caught them, I don't see them putting the dogs in their cars.
Do you know if AC was ever called?
It may help if the owner got statements from the Vet. about the dogs good behavior/temperment, and friends/family that know the dogs. Find out if the dogs ever did any obedience classes, or had a trainer.

Was the dogs being out a 1 time thing?

[CevepBiageCefm]

There are three sides to every story, your side, his side, and the truth...

WHERE was the owner/s or neighbors who could have stepped in to say "Hey, these dog's aren't aggressive, I'll take them in..." during all of this? Why were the dogs loose in an unfenced yard?

If what you said is true, than the cop was way, way overboard, possibly unstable to chase down a friendly dog, be able to tackle it without being bitten, and then shoot it more... And to shoot a dog he was feeding for coming close... And also for being such a bad shot that he fired three round into a dog VERY close and hit another...

[Tnzxovoz]

I agree that there are two sides, and unfortunately there is not much of a case when dogs are not properly contained. I wish you the best and I am sorry to thear about this

[oemcheapdownload]

It seems that the dogs were tied out and managed to get off of their tethers while the owners were not home. This is completely the fault of the owner in my opinion. They should have not been able to get loose. An unfortunate hard lesson learned for the owners. This was the first time the dogs were seen without a lead or form of containment.

Unfortunately the incident happened just as people were beginning to come back from work, etc. The man who was arrested had offered to take the dogs, but police refused him (I asked why nobody would just take the dogs in before the owners came home). AC never did arrive, but I'm unsure if they were even called. It would make a good question to ask because what exactly was the cop going to do if he did catch the dog?

The second dog was hit with a ricochet when the first was hit. That's my mistake for typing something up without proof reading. The first dog was shot at three times and a ricochet hit the second sending her running into the yard. He did not miss the first dog.

I do believe that in order to have done this he would have to be unstable and I think after all is said and done this is the issue. Sure, I'm passionate about the breed and the innocent dogs that suffered due to owner error and the idiocy of the cop. I'm beyond angry that he would do this in front of children (especially my 2yo cousin who asking his mom why the doggy was crying so bad). But what else could or will this man do if he could so easily do what he did today?

I'll offer all of your suggestions to the owners and hopefully something is done.

[Hpdovoxm]

If AC was not called in I would find out WHY they were not called in. Furthermore if someone tried to ask to take the dogs until the owners returned home, I would find out WHY they were refused, especially if they knew the dogs. It doesn't seem right to me that they wouldn't let the people care for the dogs in the absence of an owner if they knew the dogs and could have helped the situation. It sounds to me like a classic trigger happy asshole situation.

[fashikn]

Thats why my dogs are never outside when we arent home.We have chains spots and a privacy fence and I still dont leave them out,there is allways a chance they could get loose somehow and stories like this are usually the end result.

[propolo]

This is also why my dogs are never outside without me. Boston/surrounding police are corrupt and just as many hate pits as there are that adore them.

[KuznehikVasaN]

This is very sad.

I don't know what it's like in your area, but police pick up animals all the time and bring them to the animal control facility. They even have a special intake type for police pick ups because it happens so frequently.

[Kennypor]

Fist I like to say I love all dogs including pitbulls, my aunt had one for 14 yrs & she was the most wonderful loving dog her name was tammy. I live at this neighborhood and that is not the full story missing the part chase special needs boy, after they barked & grawled at the women left as she headed to her house they came at her again, cops came, dogs were not in a fenced in yard or underground fence, no one home they also chase 2 other people into their cars, cop had to geet on top of his car at one point, they may have been gentle dogs, but with all the caos any dog breed would have been fearful and become aggressive as these 2 did out of fear. Cop had no choice at that time, but animal control should have been there.. as cops made previous visit to home few weeks ago for dogs out no leash which was called in by the man that was arrested yesterday.

[ecosportpol_ru]

This is also why my dogs are never outside without me. Boston/surrounding police are corrupt and just as many hate pits as there are that adore them.

I love in a suburb about 15 min. outside of Boston, I was walking my APBT by 3 police officers, and one commented on what a nice dog I had.

[medshop]

I live in the city directly next to Everett, and I often walk my girl through there. I have gotten many compliments by people on the streets and even from police about what a beautiful dog she is. Everett does have strict laws about pitbulls, and I have read some really terrible articles about how vicious pitbulls are in the Everett newspaper.

Unfortunately two dogs died because their owners were irresponsible. They should have never been tied up without the owners being home. As a pitbull owner in a city right next door, this is just bad press for responsible owners.

This is just a sad and terrible story.

One article I found in an Everett Independent Paper: http://www.everettindependent.com/20...uld-be-banned/

[Kennypor]

This is a very sad situation for all, animals are our children and this owner had 6mths to put in just a driveway fence/gate to keep his dogs safe and he chose not too. He told me yesterday that the owner didn't put one in, shame on him for renting a home with no fence to protect his dogs. No one in the neighborhood met these dogs previous so these dogs weren't going to go to anyone, The special needs boy they went ofter was the son of the women they also went after 2X who is having a bad time too. Every 2wks into Boston cancer patient, just survived 8ft fall thru floor landing in basement 1 mth ago everyone has bad days that doesn't give you the right to not follow thru and put a fence/gate to protect your dog. shame shame on the owner for letting his dogs end up in a very fearful situation that would make any dog turn aggressive out of fear. Shame on neighbors for not leaving scene when cop aksed them to back off and crowds added to the poor dogs fear. shame of parents for letting their children watch and not taking them indoors to pretect them too! shame on all at the scene, Again that officer had no choice you have your facts twisted!

[corriffuniee]

That's why ours are always left inside and crated when we are not home.

Sorry to hear yet another very sad story.

[TeveVikep]

DON'T Leave your Dogs Unsupervised

[Kennypor]

These 2 poor dogs, were tied outside and chewed thru their thethers because there was sidewalk cutting etc to install trees by city. I'm sure they were scared by the noise and that is why they chewed thru their rope, vibratioon of the ground loud noise and then no fenced in yard, these poor dogs, then to be surrounded by all these strangers how could this owner be so careless to dogs he says he loves and treats like family.... I'm done with this post it is too upsetting for all involved. Wish every neighborhood had a ceasar Millan (dog Whisper).

[Kennypor]

The sad part of that newspaper article is that alot of the information was due to fighting rings that were going on in this city. Since septmeber several have been found and shut down by police. This in return causes a bad reputation for these dogs.

[bMc8F9ZI]

I live in Everett Ma and I am upset at the story I heard about the 2 pit bulls shot by the Everett police. I have never owned a pit bull, but I have several friends and family members who are owners. While reading the threads from other members, I felt I had to comment on.
First, the special needs "boy" mentioned is a 35 + year old man, not a boy as some would want us to believe. The police had other options not mention calling AC to tranquilize the dogs. Another member sent a link to the Everett paper saying how vicious ALL pit bulls are and should be banned from the city, however, I tried to get copies of this paper with any article about how and why these dogs were killed and found nothing written in the papers. If these dogs were "attacking" neighbors and the police why hasn't this paper written a story perhaps with a headline that reads" POLICE FORCED TO KILL 2 PIT BULLS" (If anyone knows of such article, please respond with information)
It is my opinion that the police acted too quickly, too aggressive and now they have something to be ashamed of and that is why there is no mention of this in the papers or on the internet. By the way, I found this site trying to find any other information re: this incident.