The Virginian-Pilot
©
NEWPORT NEWS
A Newport News police officer shot and killed a pit bull that was chasing people early Saturday morning, police said.
The officer shot at the dog, a male, several times after the dog attacked him, police said in a statement.
Police were called at 3:30 a.m. to the 400 block of Eureka Loop for a report of a pit bull chasing people.
The dog was supposedly in a fenced-in yard, but got loose, police said.
Witnesses told the officer that the dog was behind some townhouses. When the officer went to look, the dog attacked, police said.
The officer was not hurt. Animal control authorities took possession of the dead dog.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
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Learn common sense
Learn common sense and keep your dogs behind a fence instead of runing loose.
Teach common sense!
Since the parents obviously don't. When you live in an area where you could potentially run into a loose dog at some time in your life (most of us do at some point), you should know you don't start RUNNING when you see a dog. It's quite simple.
Especially this region?
I seriously doubt this regiuon is any more afraid of loose dogs than any other area, and second what are you asking we teach dog appreciation in our schools?
I've seen people "chased"
by a dog that was laying on a porch! They saw a dog that someone abandoned at an empty house laying on the front porch. It was some kind of mutt and they kept screaming about it being a vicious Pit Bull. They ran down their driveway waving their arms and screaming all the way to the car (a whole family, mind you). Then the man got back out of the car and started throwing bottles at the dog who scrambled to hide under some bushes. The dog came out of the bushes to run behind the house and their screaming began again, something about it was going to get them... There are too many foolish people in this world and especially this region. Even if a dog doesn't mean any harm, the best way to get a dog to chase you is to RUN FROM IT. We need basic training on this stuff in elementary school or something.
Loose dog.....
First, no one should have a dog that attacks "someone that they haven't been introduced to". You open yourself to a lot of trouble.
Second, had the owner properly secured this animal, it would still be alive and the police would have been able to protect us from the people that were out at 3 am !!!!
I say find the owner and make him pay the city back for the police's time and ammunition.
Can someone read the article to BBinVB
The dog was reported chasing people, the officer was responding to the complaint, the dog began chasing the officer, the dog wasn't in it's own yard. The officer being smart enough to know that this dog was not a poodle and the officer knew that nice dog or not if this dog takes a bite, it's going to be a nasty one. So from BBinVB point of view that the officer should have waited to the last moment to see if the dog was going to bite (It would be too late I think)
If a dog is chasing you and not in a playful way, yeah, I say shoot it. Most rottweilers and pits have been shot numorous times before dropping so sprays and stun guns are not very effective against those breeds. Yeah those dogs do get a bad rap but it's the owner's fault.
Most people who shoot and kill a police dog are running away from the law because of a crime they have committed.
Because of ignorant
people who don't want to find out truths and only follow media hysteria, ANY move by ANY dog, except maybe a poodle, is considered threatening to many people. Did you know that if a police dog approached you and you shot it you would go to jail? If a cop comes into your private yard and shoots your dog for approaching him, he was just protecting himself. A dog approaching, or even chasing, a person is not reason enough to kill them. This is especially true when police have access to non-lethal force such as pepper spray and stun guns. I don't need a gun in my house because my dogs, who are very sweet to people they are introduced to, will not hesitate to protect me or my home if they feel we're threatened. You sound like someone who is just terrified of animals in general.
BB, I have to ask the question
Just why does someone have to be injured by a dog(of any breed) before the dog can be shot? Just how stupid a thought? I suggest we allow stand you beside of a policeman and a stray dog, then have the dog chase you, with the policeman waiting till you are bitten before he takes action. I would hope he takes a big chunk out of your rear! Dogs are right behind being victimized is the reason I carry a weapon, and I will not wait till I am attacked. If a dog makes a threatening move, it's dog meat! Good job officer, the life you saved may have been some idiots loved one!
Foolishness
I've been around Pit Bulls my entire life. I teethed on one and broke the cartilage in both of her ears. I have two at home now that I love dearly. I pull off the road to pick up loose dogs OF ALL BREEDS so they don't get hit by a car. Being involved in rescue and always helping stray animals, I've been bitten four times in my life. It's never been by a Pit Bull and THREE of those times were by Cocker Spaniels. Try educating yourself before you spout such foolishness about an entire breed of dog.
"B-B-But he never bit anyone before!"
The first words out of pit bull owners' mouths after their dear, gentle pets have mauled or killed someone. With hundreds of breeds and mutts to choose from, why choose arguably the most dangerous among them?