Monday, December 13, 2004

In Today's News
I present you with an AP report out of Port St. Lucie, Florida:
A woman accused of strangling her neighbor's Rottweiler after it attacked her Yorkshire terrier is under investigation by the State Attorney's Office on a possible animal cruelty charge.
Robin Bush said she grabbed the 130-pound unleashed Rottweiler firmly by its collar Wednesday night because she feared for her life. She said the dog had escaped from its yard, run into her back yard and attacked her 8-pound Yorkie.
But Rebecca Hartley, owner of the Rottweiler named Rox, told police her dog only wanted to play with the Yorkie, named Tandy, which she said was "about the size of one of Rox's chew toys." "My neighbor came running out of her house throwing things at Rox," Hartley said. "I had my dog by the collar, and she grabbed it. She twisted the collar until the dog suffocated, and I had my hand on the dog the whole time trying to calm her down and tell the woman to stop."Hartley told police that Bush also threw a beer bottle at her dog and strangled it while bashing its head against a wall.
Bush said she was fearful because she recently learned she was pregnant and her two young children were just feet away.
"I'm so sick to my stomach over all of this," she said. "I didn't know I was choking the dog. I was just holding it by its collar and trying to keep it away from me, and I was yelling for someone to call 911."Both women said Rox stopped breathing after a few minutes, and Bush tried to perform CPR on the dog but was unsuccessful.
Tandy was being treated for a dozen deep scratches at a local animal hospital Thursday, Bush said.
Police were investigating the statements from both women and other witnesses.
Comment would almost be superfluous. However, how many elements of this story beg for comment? First of all, if you have a bite-sized dog you might expect it to be a snack someday. I can just see it - Tandy with the usual Yorkie bow in the fur between the ears and Rox takes a look and thinks, "Nice presentation. Almost a shame to eat it. But I could use a treat about now." Also, given that her name is Robin Bush, how much grief did this woman have to go through in her life?
I'm impressed that she had the grit to go in and rescue her dog because Rotties, which are actually quite sweet-natured, are incredibly strong and tenacious dogs. Heck, I'm a charter member of the Big man's Club and I'd have severe reseervations about going after a Rottie. But then, if my dog were in the Rottie's mouth, I'd probably do something. Something along the line of a triple tap with a 9mm kurtz. But that's just me. I've seen too many of my animals killed by pack dogs.
Now as for the moron who owns Rox, I don't care if dogs play fight. If my dog is in the mouth of another dog, a dog that outmasses mine by several times, I'm going to see it as an attack, not play. And I applaud Miss Bush for doing what needed to be done to protect Tandy. And she was "trying to calm her dog down." Is there any doubt about why Miss Bush did what she did?
Finally, if the police do anything to her, I hope she sues them for unwarranted prosecution. The Rottweiler was 1) unleashed and 2) came onto her property. Case closed.
I'm sorry Rox had to be killed but better the attacker than the attacked.

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