Posted on 10/07/2015 12:34:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A Florida woman is fighting to keep two of her dogs alive after they were deemed dangerous by animal control.
Stephanie Castro has fostered a 2-year-old Whippet mix, named Princess, and a 6-month-old hound pitbull mix, named Duke.
In August, a neighbor called animal control after the dogs got out of Castro’s house and began barking.
She admits the dogs should not have been loose.
However, she says animal control came back to her home three other times in the span of a month.
The second time, they told her the dogs would be deemed dangerous. After being deemed dangerous, the dogs would have to be muzzled, be on a leash and there must be a sign posted that warns visitors of the dogs.
After that, she says officers came back and claimed her dogs were loose again. She says her dogs were inside her home at the time, and even has witnesses to prove it.
She admits that they do look very similar to a pair of stray dogs that tend to roam the neighborhood.
“The only time in two years that they’ve ever witnessed my dogs doing anything wrong was the day they were in my yard barking at the neighbor,” Castro told WPTV.
In September, her dogs were taken from her and she learned they could be euthanized.
“They didn’t do anything. They didn’t bite anyone,” Castro said.
However, a state statute says a dog doesn’t have to bite or injure someone to be considered dangerous. Instead, it can be deemed dangerous simply by scaring someone.
“It’s like someone has taken my children,” she said.
City officials say they have received dozens of calls about the law, asking for the dogs to be released.
There will be a hearing on Oct. 26 to determine if the dogs will be euthanized.
Ping
Don’t let your free-range kid make any noise.
Might be Euthanized.
/johnny
If these are fostered dogs, fine, let them live, but somewhere else. This lady doesn’t have the ability to keep them in. If they are the type of dogs who like to bark a lot, or won’t stop jumping the fence, then they are not appropriate for this setting.
“I can see a difference between human children and dogs. Can’t you?
/johnny “
Yeah, most dog are more well behaved.
Seriously? It all depends on the kid, now doesn't it?
The neighbor could have called the cops instead of Animal Control.
Very very very very similar I'll bet
I have never understood dog owners who think it’s cool for their precious dogs to go berserk when I go into my own backyard to work or relax. You know how it goes, barking snarling charging the fence. I pay a lot of money to the bank every month so they let me live in the house. If a dog lover cannot control his animals then they (the dogs) need to be removed.
I don’t want land mines on my yard from a neighborhood dog or cat. I don’t want to be hysterically barked at if I go outside on my property.
If dogs are dangerous just for scaring someone then about 75% of all dogs are in danger of being euthanized in Florida. That is a lot of the reason many people have a dog: To scare someone. It is protection. Some insurance companies will give you a lower insurance rate if you own a dog. Even very docile dogs will sometimes have a good protection instinct and bark at strangers. My dog is really very good at being scary. It’s all bluff. He might help out with a real threat, it is hard to say, but he would not attack a neighbor. Still, he knows my neighbor but he barks every darn time he seems him anyway. I am paid back by the neighbor on the other side. That German Shepherd is “scary,” too. Actually, I got a note from my Postman once that said he would not deliver my package because he was scared of the neighbor’s dog. Lucky we are not in Florida.
I don’t think this was an issue of a repeat nuisance in the backyard. The dogs accidentally got out once and barked at the neighbor. If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen that sort of thing happen...
Sounds like the neighbor might be a jerk.
I am right there with you. Spent 2 summers trying to cope with a neighbor who did the dumbest thing he could ever have done for his German Shepherd puppy. Gave her rule over the fenced in backyard. Literally she ruled the backyard and no commands from the owner would control her.
I resorted to obtaining a military grade Dog Silencer. Worked fairly well.
Sadly the neighbor passed away early this year. The dog has been through 3 homes and is now housed outside only in a fenced in yard.
Really it is ultimately a sad story.
Dangerous? Haaa!!!
I’ll trade those dogs for the little beast up the street anyday.. Or the pack of shiitezus behind us.
People are going to jump onto either side of this issue. I am just going to state that which should be obvious: There is more to this story.
I’m in Florida. Brother in law has a small business and they used to have dogs for security. Worked great, but now they can’t get property insurance if they have dogs because of the liability. Insurance companies would rather the business lose thousands of dollars of material rather than risk litigation by a criminal that got bitten.
Never underestimate government reach.
I suspect there is a single neighbor behind this, repeatedly calling animal control to complain about these dogs. A lot of local government is “squeaky wheel responsive” to such complaints.
And they are always very careful to not divulge *who* is complaining. Which gives no opportunity to respond to unfair and hateful attacks.
She should be able to apply that law to her evil neighbors. Bet the neighbors are libs. Libs claim they want world peace but are the most hateful creatures on earth.
Agree. It is the height of ignorance and laziness.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.