An off-duty police officer shot and killed a dog that attacked his dog on Saturday evening, according to police. Police say the man was walking his Pekingese on Pine Street near 46th when a large, off-leash dog charged and attacked them. Police say it was a Cane Corso breed dog.
The incident happened shortly after 7 p.m. As the man was trying to separate the dogs the unleashed dog bit his hand, according to a police report. He then fired five shots from his off-duty weapon. One of the shots struck and killed the dog.
The unleashed dog’s owner, an 86-year-old man, was on the scene, too, according to police. Police say they’re investigating the incident.
December 28th, 2014 at 9:59 am
is it legal for a cop to carry his/her police weapon off duty?
of course, that could be his own personal gun he was packing too.
December 28th, 2014 at 10:16 am
For an off-duty cop to fire a gun several times in a residential neighborhood? These cops are out of control, power-mad, trigger-happy, and dangerous as can be. The police force needs an overhaul desperately. And, by the way, when was the last time you encountered an off-leash dog so vicious around this very bourgeois area of the city that it needed to be gunned down?
December 28th, 2014 at 10:25 am
how to justify/excuse this one?
this looks like a real dilemma for cop lovers who are also dog lovers..think i’ll sit back and watch as this plays out, LOL
December 28th, 2014 at 10:46 am
This is terrifying. 5 shots? Isn’t that AT LEAST 4 too many? My family walked by the scene moments before. Two gun incidents on this block in as many weeks demands change.
December 28th, 2014 at 10:53 am
I hate guns and am not a cop lover but I have had my dog attacked while out for a walk. I would have done anything to stop it. There is no way you can think straight when your loved one is being murdered before your eyes.
December 28th, 2014 at 10:56 am
No one cares that a guy and his dog were randomly attacked by an off leash dog? I don’t own a gun but if I did I’d pull it out to shot a dog that was unleashed and attacking my dog.
December 28th, 2014 at 11:04 am
I know of several people who have sustained serious injuries when they and/or their dogs have been attacked in this area by off-leash dogs. While I’m generally opposed to the use of firearms the real blame here belongs to whomever let a vicious dog run loose.
December 28th, 2014 at 11:46 am
Whoever. Whom is for the object of a sentence. The person who let the dog run loose is the subject.
December 28th, 2014 at 11:47 am
We were out in the area last night. Neighbors told us that just minutes before the shooting they walked past a guy “walking” a huge pit bull off leash. The story doesn’t mention the owner of the pit bull. We were out with our 3 year old daughter and all I was thinking was what if the dog attacked a child. The owner should be charged.
December 28th, 2014 at 11:52 am
Also, I agree with not a gun lover. I am more disturbed by the alleged attack by the dog than by its having been shot and killed.
December 28th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Finally. All pits off leash should be shot.
December 28th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Well we know it wasn’t a Pitbull because if it was that’s all they would have said is the killer Pitbull did this or that. I find it so funny that when it’s just any other breed of dog they always just call it a dog but never a lab or husky! Lol. FYI for the idiots!!! There is no breed named pitbull! It’s a nick name. And for the actually 8 breeds that idiots consider Pitbulls, they are dogs too.
December 28th, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Im not five-oh but i have a ccp. I would not hesitate drop a K9 that made me fear for my safety. 1 round or 8 however many required.
Anti gun nit wits please take a moment for some critical reflection.
December 28th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Seems legit. So after he shoots the dog is it his responsibility to clean up the mess? Was the owner charged? [deleted]
December 28th, 2014 at 2:53 pm
Also, I just noticed WPL from the 21st “Police are searching for three armed men who robbed a 27-year-old woman at gunpoint Saturday night near 45th and Pine Streets. The robbery took place around 9:50 p.m. The men approached the woman, pushed her into a driveway, and pointed a handgun at her head, according to police.” Apparently 45th and Pine is a very dangerous place to be! Sad
December 28th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
The description of the scene appears that the shooting is being investigated carefully–yellow tape, markings for where shots hit, etc. I don’t know what the possible outcomes are of this, but it appears to me that the incident is being looked at appropriately.
December 28th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
I have a Cage Free No Kill Private Rescue& am an Animal Advocate & Educator– Just because you have a gun or license to carry does not make it ok to just pull out & start shooting– & if you are a trained Police Officer I would think it would not take 5 rounds that could ricochet & hit/kill/maim innocent bystanders or children to take down a dog– It is the irresponsible Owners that should be shot & prosecuted– Last year in West Philly my house was broken into with my dogs inside & I was putting them in rooms so they would be safe– when the police respond some officers say ‘I will shoot your dog”– crazy– I have many friends & family on the force that would never think of this, however Officers are taught to only draw weapons in extreme cases. I have broken up dog fights involving multiple dogs (even @ local dog parks)& it is scary & not fun but I never had to “shoot any dogs” in the process– too quick to pull the trigger- there are other answers– Where was the Owner ?? It is not ok to take a life– any life– Only the Creator can do that– Be a Responsible Pet owner & know what to do in emergency situations– it can happen to anyone & we do not all carry loaded weapons– Then we would be in jail & our Animals would be too– in a shelter or euthanized because we are gone trying to protect them– Think before you act– The life you save may be your own– Ariel’s Angels– Adopt– Don’t Shop– Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Pets Die…
December 28th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
The Clark Park area is notorious for people having their dogs off leash, despite the signs that say otherwise. While its a shame it happened, it could have been avoided if the owner of the attacking dog paid attention to the laws and ordinances in place.
December 28th, 2014 at 4:17 pm
Why did it take 5 shots to kill a dog? I’d expect a trained policeman to be able to hit a close target with a single shot.
It’s always sad when a dog is killed, but this one bit a dog and a human first. I wish the owner had just leashed his dog to avoid this situation entirely. Hopefully this story will remind readers of the importance of leashing your dog.
December 28th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
I don’t what happened in this case. But now I’m scared. Our dog is a wonderful beagle whose only flaw is that she tends to fly off the handle and begin barking at other dogs. She’s always leashed, of course, and if I see a dog coming I pick her up and keep her from seeing the other dog.
Now I gotta worry about someone with a gun and a low tolerance for unruliness.
December 28th, 2014 at 5:08 pm
The Pekinese is not doing well. Crushed head and popped out eyeball…
December 28th, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Why would you be scared? This dog was off leash and obviously attacking. The owner was in defense mode which seems totally fair. Seems simple enough. Keep your dog on leash, under control and don’t own a dog capable of such aggression right?
December 28th, 2014 at 6:09 pm
with all the crime lately, i appreciate the neighbors that are police. he tried to get the large attacking dog off first. a peke is a small dog and could easily be killed by a cane corso. i’d kill a dog attacking my dog.
December 28th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
“Why did it take 5 shots to kill a dog?” Well, the officer himself was also in the middle of the fight, being bitten while trying to protect his own dog. This was not a shooting range where you stand there at your ease, taking all the time you need to aim and fire at a stationary target.
December 28th, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Have to say that 45th and Pine is pretty far away from Clark Park. The owner is reported to be elderly. I expect he is grieving for his dog and also for the dog and person who were bitten. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be charged. The dog would have probably been put down if the cop hadn’t done it.
Five shots does seem excessive. I live around the corner and am just glad that I or any of my friends weren’t out for a stroll…
December 28th, 2014 at 8:15 pm
To the person comparing the situation to your barking leashed beagle, you seem to be forgetting the part where a clearly vicious dog began to crush the head of another dog and also attacked the human owner…imagine what might have happened to a small child. The situations are not comparable at all.
December 28th, 2014 at 10:18 pm
We returned home last night to a horrifying scene: yellow tape around our neighbor’s house, a crime scene van shining bright lights on the sidewalk and a man in a hazmat suit pulling on rubber gloves as he bent down to examine something lying at the curb. Police vehicles blocked the street and uniformed officers and at least one detective were walking around looking grim. I was terrified that one of my neighbors had been killed or injured. I summoned the courage to ask what had happened and was grudgingly informed that it was not a human being, but a dog that had been shot. I was very relieved that none of my neighbors was hurt, but upset that bullets had been flying just a few feet from my house. Now that I know it was an off-duty policeman who pulled the gun, I understand why the cops were so serious about an animal death and so taciturn about the circumstances. It is too soon to make a judgement about whether this shooting was justified or not, but it is obvious that area residents deserve a full and honest account of the incident. It is my opinion that a policeman should resort to shooting only to save a human life, not to protect a pet, no matter how beloved. The risk to innocent bystanders is too great. By the way, that was no pit bull. I watched as two animal control officers struggled mightily to lift the bagged body, dripping blood, into their van. It looked like the bag might have contained a deer or a creature of a similar size. The suggestion that it was a Cane Corso seems reasonable. Why anyone, much less an elderly person, would own such a dog in the city is another question.
December 28th, 2014 at 10:54 pm
If this had not been a cop, I think most of us would agree it is pretty outrageous for a citizen to fire a gun multiple times at someone else’s animal. The above article does not describe the extent of the attack. As with most instances with guns, did the incident really justify the use of a deadly weapon? I’ll wait to learn more, but it makes me very uneasy. Doesn a citizen then have a right to shoot my cat if it is fighting another cat??
I’m a bit freaked out that there have been two violent incidents near 45th and Pine in the last week.
December 29th, 2014 at 12:09 am
Dog owners please take note – they sell leashes for a reason !! I don’t care how well trained your dog happens to be, on a leash the owner has full control. I’ve been over to clark park and as a member of friends of clark park , have talked with multiple parents around the playground and concern has been expressed about dogs running up from the bowl torwards little feet on the swings.The argument ( dogs on leash or off leash ) seems to be as old as time but , I would encourage any person to come to a friends of clark park committee meeting or board meeting or send a letter to the f.o.c.p. .
December 29th, 2014 at 12:26 am
I was the one walking the dog. My dog broke the leash. He was on a leash when I left my house to walk him. I was walking through a drive way to return home with my dog when he broke away from me. He instantly attacked the mans dog and I honestly don’t know why but when he did, the guy shot him instantaneously. I immediately ran away to get my grandfather. I am his grand son. I am very sad my dog had to die. His name was Brewster and he was 4 years old. He never attacked a human nor dog in the past so this is shocking. Anyone who thinks me or my grandfather should be charged is insane and irrational.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:12 am
Clay and Police Officer – I’m sorry this happened to you.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:21 am
I would have shot the Cane Corso dog if it tried to attack myself and my dog. Have you seen the size of these dogs. Some of them can grow to the size of a pony. The dog should have been on a leash. The owners grandson claims the dog broke the leash. What if the dog attacked a child and his/her parent? People put judgement on this officer but, honestly think if it was you! Most of us would have shot the dog . Survival mode will kick in. Your life / your dog life vs. Cane Corso
December 29th, 2014 at 9:33 am
I don’t own a gun.
I am a vegetarian because of my love of animals.
There are situations that merit self-defense.
If a huge mastiff, unleashed or not, attacked me and my pint-sized, elderly dog I would do anything to save myself and my companion.
Who was the aggressor?
The other poor dog was blinded and broken by the vicious attack dog. The owner sustained multiple bites.
Am I a fan of guns? No.
Am I glad there are police officers in my neighborhood…Hell yeah.
Are some police officers, in this nation of ours, trigger happy? Yes.
Was this one? No.
I would have done whatever needed to be done in order to secure the safety of my dog and myself.
This was a justifiable act of self-defense.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:49 am
JLR –> Very well written. My dogs are my family, and I would do anything to protect them.
December 29th, 2014 at 11:55 am
I feel sorry for all, but an attacking Corso is no small matter. The vet says the Pekinese probably won’t survive and except for 15 minutes, it might have been my 7lb. Puppy. In SF, two Presa Canarios (sp?) killed a woman in the hallway of her own apartment building. The owners, attorneys, couldn’t control them and were convicted. Some animals don’t belong in dense urban areas for their own sake. A dog’s prey instinct can be strong and it’s naive to not take responsibility for that.
December 29th, 2014 at 3:10 pm
The owner should be put down. He knew exactly what his dog was capable of and he made a conscious decision to let it walk freely. I stand completely with police officer (based on this story).
Cane Corsos are banned in many countries for a good reason.
December 29th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
I’m glad that this officer was able to act quickly enough to prevent this dangerous dog from doing more harm in the neighborhood. The owner and caretaker of this aggressive dog should be brought up on charges of negligence and public endangerment for keeping such an aggressive, dangerous dog in a dense neighborhood without any precautions. If you are going to “lose control” of your dog then pretend it isn’t your fault, you should not have a dog in the first place.
The person claiming to be the owner in the post above has shown not even a shred of remorse that a human was injured and that another dog has been blinded (and likely will not survive according to updates) because of their actions. All he has done has been to ask for pity for himself and his grandfather, when they are the ones responsible for all this damage. They let loose the dangerous dog on our streets. No one else asked them to release a Mastiff on a public street. The fault lies with them. Period
December 29th, 2014 at 3:43 pm
the headline of this article should have been how it looks now- great idea to change it. They way WPL had it spun it appeared to suggest needless police violence.
Good job officer! Now the rest of us are that much safer.
December 29th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
I’m not going to comment on whether or not this dog should’ve been shot. We could all argue until we are blue in the face but the fact of the matter is that not one of us was there and no one knows how we would react in this situation, gun or not.
I would like to say something to Clay, the grandson of the owner.
I walked by your dog all the time. I called him Oswald because I didn’t know his name. He was always very sweet to me and gave me lots of licks. I feared reading this article that it would be Oswald (Brewster) as I thought I saw you chasing him around 47th street around when this happened.
I am sorry to both of the dog owners in this situation. People in this thread are being horrible. Having two big dogs and a small dog myself I am always scared of people who walk their dogs off leash. But as Clay has said, the leash broke, and when I saw him running after Oswald (Brewster), the leash coming off of the dog did look odd. This is a tragic event on both sides so everyone needs to stop attacking the owner and send some hopeful thoughts towards the dog that was attacked.
December 29th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
I am pretty sure I know the dog that was killed. I would walk by him almost daily and lovingly named him Oswald as I didn’t know his real name. I was able to pet him and give him love and he would always greet me with great care. He was a big dog and while his demeanor towards me will be remembered as sweet he is still a dog. Whether his intent was to hurt the other dog or rough housing turned unruly Oswald was a sweet beast. I would ask those on this thread to settle down a bit towards the dog, towards the owner, and towards the cop. I will remember Oswald not as you lot are describing but as the sweet dog who would greet me on my way home from work with a sweet nudge and licks on my hand.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
a crushed skull and popped eye balls are facts, nobody on here is making this up, what if it were a child “oswald” decided to go jeckyll and hyde on? bottom line, he attacked and bit human too
December 29th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
i have had a dog aggressive dog for 11 years. She is always on a leash. We don’t go to dog parks. I am a responsible dog owner. Just wanted to point out that it isn’t just bully breeds that are the problem. Often someone has their friendly family golden retriever off leash and they run up to my dog. The people always assure me that their dog is friendly and I immediately reply well mines not. If my dog attacks another dog who is off leash it shouldn’t be my dog’s fault. Everyone please walk your pups on a leash unless you are in a dog park. Also don’t cops have pepper spray? Can’t we pepper spray a dog rather then shoot? I know he probably made a quick decision but holy shit cool it with the guns everyone.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
resident small dog owner: Relax as I didnt say anything about what I think should have happened and I in no way suggested that anything that happened to the little dog didnt happen so get off your soap box. One dog attacked another and yes it could’ve been a child. It is a tragedy all around but before you go making up your mind (which you have clearly already done) think about it from both sides of the story. Oswald was a sweet dog. Oswald was always on leash when I saw him in the neighborhood. He had never shown agression before. He broke his leash and he attacked a dog and bit a human for whatever reason. I am not trying to justify the actions or make an excuse for him what-so-ever. Clearly he snapped and I am thankful that it wasnt worse. But it was an accident and as the owner said he had never shown aggression and was on his leash when he left the house. Both dog owners went from having two healthy pets to no healthy pets. It is unfortunate on both sides.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:38 pm
This whole story is sad but I know how you could shoot 5 shots. I dachshund was attacked by a regular bulldog who was off leash and who the owner said was nice. I was sticking my had in the bulldogs mouth to try to pry him off my dog. Nothing worked and they were moving so quickly k- the bulldog was shaking my dog like a toy. It would have been hard to take a shot and make a hit (I would never have a gun and am a pacifist) with 1 shot. The owner had to hit his dog over the head multiple times with a stick to get him to drop my dog. It was an accident but I understand the reaction.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:57 pm
as far as the 5 shots are concerned: once the gunman decided it was necessary to shoot, i can understand wanting to make sure that the aggressive dog was truly down and not capable of continuing the attack while wounded. if you are attacked by a dog and need to shoot it, it’s not like you have time to make a tactical shot. you are trying to stop the dog from aggressing further. it would be horrible to have an aggressive dog grazed by one bullet running off and mauling some people.
i’d like to think that the gunman would’ve behaved differently if there were a lot of people around to be hit by a carom, which it seems like there weren’t. it sounds like a pretty horriffic attack on the victim dog/gunman and can understand wanting to make sure the aggressive dog stopped attacking.
all this said, this sounds like a horrible tragedy for all involved. for Brewster/Oswald’s stewards, it sounds like a horrible accident happened as has been said that the dog’s leash was broken. i’m sorry that happened and that your dog is dead. it must have been a strong dog to have broken its leash? or was there a malfunction in securing the leash properly?
December 30th, 2014 at 12:20 am
Can see why someone might want to shoot multiple times this breed that averages 45 to 50 kg in weight. re the Cane Corso breed:
As with all mastiffs, socialization is an absolute requirement to promote the correct temperament, which is protective, but in a calm, stable, discriminating way. Unfortunately, some people are breeding or raising these dogs in irresponsible ways that can produce dogs with unstable, aggressive temperaments that can be dangerous to innocent people.
December 30th, 2014 at 1:26 am
I hope the owner is charged with criminal negligence, sued into oblivion and banned from pet ownership moving forward. You bought a breed known for being vicious and unpredictable. You bought a dog known for being illegal in many countries and that was probably part of its allure. I don’t care if it wasn’t aggressive in the past. I don’t care if Brewster licked your neighbor. You knew the risks and chose to walk the dog in a populated residential area. Well, not surprisingly your ‘weaponized penis substitute’ went off and killed a dog and injured an owner and you have the audacity to come on here and feign surprise? Seriously?
My heart goes out to the off duty cop whose beloved pet was torn apart by your bad judgement. I hope he/ she heals quickly from both the physical and psychic wounds and brings the full extent of the law onto your thick and sloping brow.
Cane Corsos kill – http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/25/dogs-killed-jogger-attacked-woman/13148093/
December 30th, 2014 at 1:55 am
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the cop is the victim here. The cop and his/ her dog were attacked by an out of control and obviously vicious animal. They had every right to defend themselves. Five shots sounds excessive, but perhaps one or two were to end the animal’s suffering. That would have been the humane thing to do and until an investigation is conducted I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
A few years ago my dog was was attacked by an off leash pitbull. It was one of the most awful things I’ve experienced and there was nothing I could do to stop the dog. If I was armed I would have acted in the same manner as the officer. I commend them for putting a stop to the dog’s rampage and for protecting the neighborhood.
December 30th, 2014 at 7:10 am
Once again, the WPL comments section is predictably more awful than the story itself.
December 30th, 2014 at 8:57 am
Look out! We have a bunch of morals experts in West Philly now….
December 30th, 2014 at 1:15 pm
OK, leash-freaks: please note that this dog was on a leash! Leashes will not protect you from aggressive dogs. Humans delude themselves into thinking that a leash is anything but a symbol of cooperation between dog and animal and, as this situation shows, a dog can decide to drop that pretense if and when it wishes. A dangerous dog on a leash is dangerous, period. I have encountered many aggressive dogs on leashes at Clark Park, with their owners blurting, “My dog isn’t friendly!” as the large being tugs and stares menacingly at my dog. While five or six years ago it wasn’t unusual to encounter unleashed aggressive dogs at Clark Park, I can’t think of the last time I encountered one there, and I am at the park three to four times a day. The unleashed dogs at Clark Park are more socialized than many of the humans who frequent the park and don’t know how to get along with other beings, human or non.
That said, my heart goes out to both dogs and my apologies to them for the people who put them in this situation, one with a gun and no self-control, and the other with a faulty leash and no control over his dog.
December 30th, 2014 at 1:29 pm
While this story is of some importance, it’s amazing to me how these dead animal/cop shooting stories get orders of magnitude greater comments than other WFL articles. Several weeks ago they found a murdered dude in 42nd/Chester. Maybe two comments on the whole article. Lost cat, murdered dog it’s like a twitter version of The Odyssey.
December 30th, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Or the attempted rape. Or the family displaced by a fire. Three articles, 2 comments. Dead dog, 52 comments. Give me a second while I puke..
December 30th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
We are in an era where – for some – compassion for animals appears to exceed that for human beings, which might explain the reason for the outpouring of comments around this incident. But until we achieve the Peaceable Kingdom and the lion lays down with the lamb, it is important to distinguish between breeds that are meant to be domestic pets and others that are bred strictly as work animals. It is neither fair to the animal nor our community to have such dangerous encounters in an urban environment.
December 30th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
I don’t think that the number of comments on a particular blog post is an exact correlation of how “serious” those leaving comments consider each incident reported.
I would consider a murder and a rape to be more “serious” and horrible incidents than the shooting of this runwaway attack dog, however with this incident it seems like people have more to debate. What are we supposed to do, make a comment that says “my god, that’s horrible!” or “if only we solved the socio-economic ills of this society, perhaps crimes like this would not happen” on every report of a murder, so that the number of comments on a blog post is representative of how “serious” the incident is? That’s not why people make comments on blog posts. Blog comments are not votes about how “bad” people consider an incident to be.
December 30th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
@west phil person, while I wouldn’t say that blog comments are votes, I’ve been in this cartoon long enough to know that pet related, animals in peril topics bring out emotions that do not seem to be present when other events happen around here. I completely disagree with your comment that this dog issue has “more to debate” than the other items mentioned.
December 30th, 2014 at 5:23 pm
@Wild Turkey
If this dog issue doesn’t have more to debate, then why is it inspiring the most debate?
December 30th, 2014 at 7:56 pm
I agree with West Phil–what is there to debate about someone being raped or murdered? Are there people for and against such things? It’s not just animals and animal rights that generate comments; for example, I’ve seen much debate about commercial and residential development in the area. You can’t debate rape and murder. You can say asinine racist or classist things about them, I suppose, or express your outrage, but that’s pretty trite.
December 31st, 2014 at 6:37 am
You all need to settle down calling for the dog owners head/ charges. You know nothing of the story besides this tiny sliver of info from west Philly local. The dog could have been a wonderful loving pet who was well cared for, and just had a weird snap. They’re animals, sometimes these things happen. Your tiny dog had the ability to break loose and wreck havoc on my baby in its stroller, just as this big dog had the ability to eat a smaller dog. These are the risks we take with pets. They’re unpredictable.
Tone down your rhetoric. Clay, sorry you went through this, but I’m more sorry that you have to read how awful your neighbors can be. Losing your dog is something you never forget. Knowing that your neighbors harbor the kind of vitriol spewed on this website is probably something you’ll never forget either.
December 31st, 2014 at 11:20 am
So @josh, who should be responsible for the vet and hospital bills? the guy who was bitten and watched his little leashed pekingnese get its skull crushed? Clay or his grandfather should absolutely be responsible for those costs, and my guess is that the bills will be steep.
December 31st, 2014 at 1:43 pm
Yeah, going to agree with RealityCheck here. The argument that ‘he was sweet, he just snapped’ is utter nonsense. How “sweet” the dog *was* yesterday is irrelevant when it is attacking you today.
Mike Tyson kissed his mom on the forehead when he was kid. Then he beat and raped women. He went to prison. He didn’t get out of it by saying “but I was sweet to my mom and family”.
Most dogs who have attacked someone are doing it for the first time. Do you know why that is? Because if there had been a previous time, they would have already been put down. There’s no chance for a second, third, or fourth attack.
The owners of this dog are responsible for everything it does. That is the qualification of responsible pet ownership. You don’t just bring animals into the city and “see what happens”. I don’t feel safe in a neighborhood with people who just release dangerous animals and throw their hands up “oh, they are just animals being animals”. I hope the owners responsible for this dog attack are charged with criminal negligence and removed from the community.
December 31st, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Ugh, posts like the above make me weary of this area.
January 1st, 2015 at 8:54 am
#alllivesmatter
January 1st, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Hey I was there. I was walking home from coffee market and passed the man walking his dog. I said good evening and he said good evening, miss. I crossed the street and suddenly there wad barking loud and a shout of anguish and I turned around to see the man struggling with 2 dogs and then I saw him shoot. While I stood there in shock, I cleatly heard him on the phone. His voice was shaking. I heard him say “I’m off duty. I just shot a dog!” In the next 2 minutes the street filled up…people coming out to see what happened, and police cars. Its clear the man was attacked and the only people there when it happened were him and myself. [deleted] If that dog had attacked you you might wish that man was there.
January 1st, 2015 at 5:45 pm
Last word? Apparently the Pekinese will survive with an extended recovery, minus an eye.
January 4th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
This post brings back memories of the time when our 15-year-old Jack Russell, arthritic and blind, was attacked by a pit bull in front of Salt & Pepper as my husband took our dogs out on an evening stroll. The pit bull was also leashed, but a powerful dog, it snapped his lead and made a bee line for our poor dog. It clamped its jaws around our JR’s middle and would not let go. Pulling our JR away would have meant ripping our poor dog’s torso. The pit bull clamped down tighter as my husband tried to get the dog off our JR. In desperation, he kicked the dog repeatedly, but still, the pit bull would not let go.
I cannot tell you how terrifying this experience was. The owner was finally able to get his pit bull off, and by then, our little JR suffered massive damages. His torso was ripped and torn. He was a bloody mess. I’ve never seen my husband so upset. Our neighbor’s poised teen daughter witnessed this and ran home in tears. Even our second dog was terrified — he peed as soon as he got back. While I am a staunch advocate of gun control, I can understand why the owner of the Pekinese did what he did. He might not have had another way to get the dog to let go of his Pekinese. And his poor dog is no doubt a beloved member of the family…
The fact of the matter is that some breeds do do more harm than others. Some like the cane corso were bred to fight, and that fighting instinct is in their genes. As such, Philadelphia should impose more regulations around dog ownership of aggressive breeds. Law-abiding cities such as Toronto have well enforced restrictions on pit bulls. See this article: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/10/03/pit_bulls_were_torontos_biggest_biters_before_the_ban.html
In Philadelphia’s legal system, nothing can be done about aggressive dogs that attack other dogs. When we tried to press charges, the police told us that because the dog did not attack a human, we had no legal means for making sure the pit bull did not attack another dog again.
There are too many incidents of dogs attacking other dogs in this neighborhood. Minus effective laws around dog ownership, I can only hope that people choose their pets carefully and that those with aggressive breeds take stronger measures to control theirs.
January 4th, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Mimi, while the article you posted was kind of a mish-mash (of course bites by pit bulls would go down if pit bulls are banned from the city!) but your point is taken: your little dog was violently attacked by an aggressive dog on leash who, as in the case cited in this article, snapped the lead. People think leashes are some kind of panacea; the worst of these are people with large aggressive dogs that are straining at the leash, barking or growling or getting into attack posture, and meanwhile their owners clearly have no clue how to handle the dog, have invested no time in obedience training, and have no qualms about exposing their aggressive dogs to other socialized dogs and people and children around the park. As I keep saying, what people should be worried about is unsocialized dogs, not leashes. Leashes are bullshite–dogs can snap them or break away in a heartbeat, particularly the big ones that can do the real damage. If you have a big powerful dog, you have a serious responsibility to get the dog regularly trained, have only alpha dominant people walking that dog. Finally, if your dog is large, aggressive, and not fully socialized, do all you can to keep it the hell away from other dogs, people, children. Don’t bring it to Clark Park, for example: that’s just stupid and self-indulgent. Leashes are not reliable.
January 5th, 2015 at 9:45 am
When I read stories like this, instead of taking the few facts I read, or hearsay, and making all sorts of judgement, I usually just think: Wow, I’m really glad this didn’t happen to me. Because it’s an altogether awful situation all the way around and I don’t know what I would’ve done in that situation. I may think I do, but I doubt it. Honestly, how many of you who sit behind your computers thinking about this really know how you would react in the moment? You may think you do, but I doubt it. So why judge someone else’s reaction so forcefully? Try to imagine watching a giant angry dog eat your little dog, or your little child, in front of your eyes. Now imagine you possess the means to end the attack. And Lisa Maggiolini’s comment resonated with me, albeit in a different way than she intended: “Think before you act– The life you save may be your own– Ariel’s Angels– Adopt– Don’t Shop– Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Pets Die…” It sounds like the off duty cop’s actions DID save his own life, and that of his dog. Instead of sitting in judgement of his decision, I just feel sorry for the guy for having to experience something terrifying and having to make a difficult decision, the same way I would feel sorry if it happened to any of you, or me.
January 5th, 2015 at 10:41 am
There seems to be a lot of negativity towards cane corsos and pitbulls (I don’t even know why to that second one, given that a pitbull wasn’t even involved in this story), so I’d like to recommend that anyone commenting on ANY breed’s “natural” tendencies towards aggression or any behavioral trait look at the actual science first.
http://atts.org/breed-statistics/
The ATTS conducts a temperament test for all dog breeds (the test includes aggression, but tests other factors as well) and I think a lot of people would be surprised how well (and poorly) some breeds do on the test. American Pitbulls and Cane Corsos, for example, score better on the test than Golden Retrievers, Jack Russell Terriers, and German Shepherds. The bigger takeaway though, in my opinion, is that most dog breeds do exceptionally well when tested for temperament as a whole, which gives an indication that behavioral issues, such as aggression, are not dictated solely by a dog’s breed. Was the dog in this case aggressive? Yes. Does this mean that every owner should have expected that given his breed? No. Does this mean that no one should ever own a cane corso (or pitbull)? No.
January 5th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
Maybe an 86 year old man shouldn’t have a cane corso, though. I understand his grandson was walking the dog, but it seems the dog wouldn’t heel when off the leash, or at least wouldn’t heal for the grandson. No matter what, it was a mistake and nothing intentional, and I’m sorry both dogs, and both owners, suffered.
January 7th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
The problem here is the owner who probably to old to have a dog like this. The Cane Corso if not trained and socialized properly could become a major. These dogs were used hunting wild boar, bear, wolf, badger and to protect cattle from wolves. They use them today in dog fighting unfortunately. It’s a shame this would not have happened with a responsible pet owner.
February 23rd, 2015 at 2:46 am
Mimi Iijima… the Cane Corso absolutely was NOT bred to fight. They were bred as coursing dogs… ie, to hunt small mammals like rabbits and foxes, via foot pursuit. (possibly why the reportedly usually friendly dog went after a tiny dog. Indeed it is considered to possibly be the last of the true coursing mastiffs.
I find it likely they’ve been used for dogfights, but that is NOT what they were bred for.