Posted on 03/09/2015 7:15:43 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Charges were filed against a man accused of fatally shooting a dog at a Bay Area dog park Monday.
Joseph Potts, 26, has been charged with one count of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. Potts is not in custody at this time.
"We were pretty excited to hear that news, that was obviously the outcome we were looking for," said Randall Livingston, the owner of the fatally wounded Staffordshire bull terrier named Diesel.
Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting on Jan. 25 after officials said Potts shot and killed a dog he said threatened the safety of him, his wife and his two dogs.
But witnesses told investigators a different story, that the dogs were playing together when Potts kicked Diesel and then shot him three times -- once in his leg and twice in his back.
"Animal abuse is a serious offense that will not be tolerated,” said Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson in a press release. “We take all allegations of cruelty to animals very seriously and pursue charges whenever appropriate."
Livingston told KPRC 2 he hopes Potts learns the consequences of his actions.
"Hopefully he would have some form of better judgment or just stay the hell out of the dog park," Livingston said.
Potts could face two to 10 years in prison if convicted.
I’m with you. Not enough info here to make a call on this one.
It's the happy hour crowd that you need to watch out for.
Never an issue yet.
Have fun...
I do greatly mistrust the breed (*not* - it’s a type, not a breed, covering many breeds and mixes), but that is what I have learned on my own as well as what to think of certain others, such as Moslems. So what. It doesn’t mean I’ll kill any or support any who do for no reason. I just have great suspicions based on too much evidence.
The main point here was a mixture of factors. Dog parks are NOT good ideas. Especially in America, where people “love” dogs rather than respect and train them.
It’s pretty bad when my adult nephew tries to take his mother’s (RIP) little dog to the little-dog park (yes, they have separate areas) they sometimes go to with my little son, and it does not allow children his age, or anyone under 12. In an “excellent” area, one of the “best” places to live in the country.
Don’t allow children? Even in the little dog area? In one of the best places to live? Danger sign.
Well I don’t know how often you go to a dog park I go to one with my dog several times a week and I have seen more fights started by small dogs and “safe” breeds than I have ever seen trouble involving any pit, and there are usually four to eight in the park at any given time. But then there are those who just hate the breed and will accept any foul thing done to one as just
.............................................
How many of the dogs attacked by the small, safe breeds died?
Can’t speak for dog parks in your area, I go to one of the best in mine and it is two plus acres of non segregated open space and there are no restrictions on children of any age, they kind of believe that parents know how to parent. I was on disability for four months and took my dog every day and witnessed only one altercation and it was the owners fault. You and I have vastly different experiences with dogs and dog parks, such is life. I do know one thing, my dog is part of my family and if someone shot it......well the cops would be too late for that individual. Oh and Pits, no I am not too worried , my grandson sleeps with his. OH THE HORROR! (spare me me the just wait comments, I’m done)
Well hell, let’s just eliminate everything but little teacup poodles and we can all sleep safe in our paranoia.
I asked a legit question. We both know what the answer is and we both know the answer to same question asked about pit bull attacks.
If THE ONLY THING you know about a family that moves in next door to you or someone you care about with small children, is that the new family has a dog (with no fenced in yard), would you rather have it be a Pit Bull, or one of the ‘small, safe’ breeds?
An answer minus the sarcasm would be appreciated.
There are several problems with dog parks. For one, people don’t pay enough attention to the signals their dogs are giving them, and often the more passive, gentle dogs are being intimidated by the more aggressive dogs. It may look as if they are playing, but some dogs are really hoping to get out of there asap.
Second, there has been in increase in the number of illnesses in dogs due to viruses, some of them new. The more dogs are exposed to the company of other dogs in dog parks, doggie daycare, boarding kennels, etc., the more dogs will contract contagious diseases, possibly ones not seen before. There may be a dog version of the 1918 flu on the horizon.
In the old days, most dogs spent very little time in the company of large numbers of other dogs. They stayed home and were rarely boarded. Dog parks and daycare didn’t exist.
Some dogs enjoy playing with other dogs, but their main interest is in their people. Owners are projecting the need to socialize with their own kind onto the dogs, who prefer being by your side, whether on a walk or on the couch.
Good post, el perfecto.
He’d get off if I was on the jury.
Pit Bull = reasonable doubt IMO
He might have kicked because he felt threatened.
He’d get a guilty vote from me and I hope he would do at least a year in prison for it.
I would never go to a park where people can just turn their dogs loose.....what could possibly go wrong. sarc/
Remember Ferguson.....just saying
Oooooo-kay.
When a reporter attempts to cover up the animal's common name by only referring to it's proper breed name, one immediately should wonder what else are they attempting to cover up.
Head looks too narrow to me for it to be a pure breed.
Couldn't get the video to come up but I would guess closer to 3/4s or more of the "American Staffordshires" out there are not purebred. But the name sounds so much nicer when addressing the court of public opinion.
I have no problems with pits and I do have a neighbor across the street with one, and as I have said my grandson sleeps with one. I get sarcastic because of the hate. Yes there are bad animals out there, bad because of people, not breed. You live with your fears, I’ll live with mine, Pits just don’t happen to be one of them.
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