Posted on 11/22/2008 4:45:33 PM PST by familyop
Two neighbors, three dogs, and one gun. It all made for a very terrifying and troublesome scene today on the Northshore.
On Maris Stella Street in Slidell, a pair of makeshift tombstones now rest where a pair pit bulls used to play.
"I treat my dogs like family," said owner Brian McGrath. "I can't replace those dogs now."
McGrath says his dogs were needlessly killed.
"It just doesn't add up," he said. "The story doesn't make sense."
Slidell police officers say the dogs broke through two fences to get into a neighbor's backyard, where they attacked another dog and allegedly threatened its owner, who asked us not to use his name.
"He went out to try and break it up," said Lt. Ray Dupuy of the Slidell Police Department.
Dupuy says the man, after arriving home from work Tuesday afternoon, noticed the pair of pit bulls in his backyard and tried to stop them from attacking his dog.
"Then, the two dogs started charging at him so he ran back in his house, got a handgun, went back out to try and break it up, again, and the dogs attacked them again. At that point, he fired a few shots and struck both of the pit bulls."
One died immediately, the other ran back through the fence and died soon after. The blood stained concrete shows the path. Lt. Dupuy says the shooting was justified.
"The dogs were attacking him, and he defended himself and his own dog," said Dupuy.
The owner of the pit pulls still believes otherwise.
"My dogs wouldn't do that," said McGrath. "I got a little boy that's almost two-years-old. If my dogs were aggressive, I wouldn't have had them." They're not aggressive to animals, they are not aggressive towards people. Something provoked them."
The man who shot the pit bulls said he feels sorry about the situation, but says he had no other choice. As of early Tuesday evening, his dog was still at an animal clinic in moderate condition. The man's neighbor, Brian McGrath, was charged with a misdemeanor, but says he plans on fighting those charges during his February court date.
I’ll bet the neighbor saved the dog owner’s little boy’s life, unless the guy goes out and buys some more manhood-substitutes tomorrow. If the dogs were in the neighbor’s yard, which they must have been for him to have shot them there, then the owner is totally dead wrong about, “They wouldn’t do that.”
Years ago, I worked over the holidays as a UPS driver's helper. If I wanted to slow my driver down so I could have a cigarette, I'd just get him started on the above topic.
I’m sick of pit owners whining about how it’s the owner’s fault. Poodles with bad owners don’t kill other dogs or kids.
Pits should be banned.
Exactly my first thought when I read that part, too, LOL!
Obviously, the other guy came home and kicked through two fences to let the pits attack his dog.
The people in these articles often seem to be totally insane. (I’ll bet they all voted for Obama!) The dogs “aren’t aggressive,” and yet they broke through two fences to menace another dog. Does he think they were just lonely and wanted to make friends?
And “something must have provoked them,” but he doesn’t think there’s any chance of a toddler’s doing something to provoke them. Bleepin’ idiot.
My catz never break down fences to attack other animals, even when their bowl is empty :-). They don’t bark at people peacefully walking down a public sidewalk, either.
Best "pit bull vs. gun owner" story I've read in months.
Thanks for posting.
Yeah, sure..... Just a couple of cute cuddly teddy bears.... until they snap.
Cry me a river....
The neighbor probably saved the two year old's life.
Sure, his unrestrained dogs just wandered over across the property lines....
Slidell police officers say the dogs broke through two fences to get into a neighbor's backyard,
I guess the owner missed the part about the dogs breaking through two fences.....
They don't like Mondays.
Breaking through two fences shows a lot of determination. They weren’t stopping.
Even if they’d just wandered across unrestricted property lines, they’re still trespassing. I think a lot of dogs must be smarter than their owners, because the owners always say they can’t understand how the dogs got loose.
Lots of dogs will dig under fence to get at other dogs.
Need to have a good fence and barriers to prevent digging such as chicken wire staked to ground if you leave them unattended.
Many pit bulls are dog aggressive to some degee.
They are great dogs but would not blame anyone for shooting one in this situation.
I think a lot of owners are lying.
But that's just me.
I’m sorry the one guy lost his pets, but the neighbor did nothing wrong. I’d do the same, probably without trying to physically break up the fight beforehand. The pit owner didn’t secure his animals and he should feel lucky they didn’t kill the other dog or damage it’s owner.
Good fences make good dogs!
There is that, too.
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