Posted on 04/29/2007 4:59:14 PM PDT by Fawn
PORT ST. LUCIE — When Dawn Sharbuno's husband came into her hospital room Thursday night where she lay with nearly her entire face ripped off by the family dog, she worried he would leave her.
No, he told her, "We've been through hurricanes together. We've been through everything together. I'm not going to leave you now."
Sharbuno, 46, underwent eight hours of reconstructive surgery at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where she was flown after the attack. She has three or four more surgeries to go.
She had just gotten out of the pool and was sitting outside Thursday evening when her adopted dog, Roscoe, a black and tan chow-shepherd mix, came over. Her husband said she reached down to pet Roscoe when he jumped up and bit her.
"Her face was completely off across the bridge of her nose," Harry "Lou" Sharbuno remembered. "The only thing holding it on was her chin. It was like something out of a horror movie."
The couple adopted Roscoe from the St. Lucie County Humane Society less than a month ago after losing a dog to cancer. Harry Sharbuno said Roscoe never showed aggression toward people and only grumbled over food with their other dog, Venus.
"He's a beautiful dog," Sharbuno said. "He's very deceiving."
Sharbuno said his wife worked as a truck driver before a disabling accident three years ago, while he was recently laid off from an interior contracting job. The couple broke down and bought health insurance for both of them just two days before the mauling.
Port St. Lucie animal control officers took custody of Roscoe, who was returned to the St. Lucie County Humane Society Friday morning. He will be quarantined for 10 days - at a cost of $20 per day to the Sharbunos. Then, the couple will have the option of reclaiming the dog, giving him to a rescue service or having him euthanized.
At the humane society Friday, Roscoe wagged his tail and took shelter manager David Robertson's commands to sit and shake hands. Robertson said the dog arrived as a stray from Port St. Lucie Animal Control.
Before being handed over to the Sharbunos, Roscoe - like all dogs - was given a temperament test in which a humane society employee gave him a bowl of food and then tried to take it away. Roscoe passed.
The humane society tested him again Friday morning, and Roscoe again did not bark or bite, Robertson said.
Robertson said he received about 30 calls Friday morning from people who had heard about the attack.
"They're concerned about the dog, and they're concerned about the lady."
“The article said this is a chow mix. Chows are very unpredictable. There are lots of instances where they have turned on their owners. Very dangerous dogs.”
Everyone (literally) I have ever known who has worked with dogs is wary of chows. I am not for breed banning (I think it is unworkable, among other reasons), but I do wish more information was available to the public about breed tendencies. There are good/bad dogs in every breed, but certain breeds really are more prone to bite. The problem with chows (from my own personal experience) is that they give no warning signs. I can almost always tell when a dog is going to attempt a bite, but chows seem to have a poker face that would bankrupt Vegas... I don’t trust peke’s either, but a peke can only take off your nose, a chow can take off your whole face. Then there are those lovely corso’s who can take off your whole head... (Which are the breed I can almost guarantee you will be the choice of “ganstas” everywhere if pits are banned.)
It's ok. They should still be banned.
Last week, a pit bull mauled a 2-year-old boy in Batesville. Logo, the family dog, was tied to a tree when it attacked Matthew Villarreal, clamping down on his face and head, splitting his eyelid and ripping a nerve in his right temple.
The dog wouldn't open its jaws until Matthew's uncle stabbed it with a pocketknife, according to Constable John Simpson with the Zavala County Sheriff's Department.
Ban ALL Pitbulls!
And so do Labrador Retrievers. You never hear either of them mentioned in stories like this one. Labs might not be the smartest dogs around (I've seen my share of big blockhead male labs), but they are great in the field retrieving birds, and great with the family.
>I do wish more information was available to the public about breed tendencies. There are good/bad dogs in every breed, but certain breeds really are more prone to bite.<
Actually, the information is available, to anyone with an ounce of initiative. You just need to know where to look, and more importantly, who to believe, and who not to believe.
I’ve heard pet shop employees rave about how Chows are such wonderful family pets. Gullible people walk into pet shops all over the country and take as Gospel the sales pitches of pimply teenagers who don’t know the difference between a Manchester and a Min Pin.
When acquiring a large, powerful breed of dog, the individual has a responsibility to train the dog in basic obedience, and to make sure it has been socialized with all sorts of people, while it is a pup. Before adding a purebred dog to a family, a person should acquaint himself with the original purpose for which the dog was developed. If adopting a mix, research the breeds that make up the dog’s background, to the best of your ability.
Before getting that Chow, or that Pit Bull, think about how much time you have to work with the dog. Look deep into yourself, and be realistic about your ability to be the dog’s leader, and not the dog’s subject. You MUST make sure you work with each member of your family, to see that the dog understands its place in the family (its pack) is lower than all of the humans. If you do not want to train the dog, and just want a dog for a pet that acclimates to the family without a lot of effort, you should get a different, low dominance breed, like a beagle, basset, or a Newfoundland, for those into large dogs.
“They’re concerned about the dog, and they’re concerned about the lady.”
WTH? They’re concerned about the dog? I love animals, and I’m just a big softy, but there’s absolutely nothing else to be done with a dog that bites and has done this sort of damage to a person - Roscoe is going to have to be put down.
I completely agree with you... The information is out there, but most people really don’t bother to look. And you are right on the money about the pet store employee’s. Chow pups are one of the cutest things in the world, and I doubt that the salesperson ever explains to the buyer what that cutie will grow up into. I’ve seen gross mismatching of dog and owner at shelters as well.
I think people do more research when choosing a new vacuum than when choosing a new dog... Unfortunate.
I agree. That was a crazy statement.
People get the government they deserve. They want petty tyrants running every aspect of their lives and communities. To them, safety resides in relinquishing responsibility.
These people are stupid and cannot be helped. (The courts are our best defense, imo.)
For some reason, I wouldn’t be afraid of kicking a weiner dog off my leg....than I would a Chow, pitbull or rottie. In fact, I have a hard time picturing that weiner dog killing a cat...(but, I’m not doubting you)
There are always going to be bad apples in every group or kind of animals....but the consensus just doesn’t look good for some groups. I would be terrified living next to certain breeds of dogs. I’m sure they would be good for junk yards or prisons even, but not for residential neighborhoods.
All dogs... Yes, even the sweet Golden that practically speaks English... need to be watched with children, elderly etc... There is no such thing as a dog not capable of biting. They are animals and can’t tell us that they are really irritated by your perfume, or scared of the look on your face. Even if I agreed with the government getting involved in breed specific legislation (which I don’t), breed banning is simply not workable in any way. The best way to stop these horrific bites is dog owner education, and matching the best dog to the owners life situation... But I won’t hold my breath. People tend to acquire a particular breed or mix for the wrong reasons. How many people ran out and bought Jack Russells when that dog was on Fraiser.. only to find out that they are VERY active, digging, barking, chewing typical terriers? And don’t even get me started on the dalmation fiasco...
I just found this:
Daschund World
but they must be socialized at an early age in order to live with cats. They can become jealous and irritable, and quick to bite when threatened. Many dachshunds are reserved around strangers, and some tend to bark excessively at passersby.
It did traumatized us against weiner dogs. That “patches” had those kittens in the covers in bed with us, while we slept.
Does not mean all of that breed are bad.
Coloration, coat, chest, absent black tongue, ears. I say it's part rottie.
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