Posted on 03/17/2014 1:47:38 PM PDT by ransomnote
PHOENIX (AP) — A dog that mauled a 4-year-old Phoenix boy has received thousands of pleas for mercy through a Facebook campaign ahead of a court hearing to decide his fate.
A municipal court judge could rule at a March 25 hearing on whether Mickey, a pit bull that bit Kevin Vicente in the face, should be euthanized. Kevin received injuries that will require, according to doctors, months and possibly years of reconstructive surgeries.
Since the Feb. 20 attack, Mickey has become the object of a Facebook page that has gotten more than 40,000 likes and an online petition to spare his life.
Supporters say the campaign doesn't mean they value the dog's life above the child's.
"This is not Kevin versus Mickey," said attorney John Schill, who is representing the dog in the court petition. "Having Mickey killed is not going to take away Kevin's pain or injuries. The only thing this is going to do is kill a poor, innocent dog."
Pit bulls are viewed by some as a dangerous breed, a reputation their fans dispute.
SNIP
"I just looked at all this as this could have been my son, and I don't want it to be someone else," Villa said.
Schill said he is working pro bono at the request of The Lexus Project, a nonprofit that collects money to legally defend canines in danger of being euthanized. The organization has set up a trust for Mickey that has received more than $5,600, he said.
Schill said the person watching Kevin while his mother was at work should be held responsible.
"But for adults involved, this never would have happened," Schill said. "They're trying to put all the blame on Mickey."
(Excerpt) Read more at bigstory.ap.org ...
Facebook fans claim the pitbull that ripped the kid apart is not to blame. "But for adults involved, this never would have happened," Schill said. "They're trying to put all the blame on Mickey." I am trying to imagine the adults involved ripping a child apart with their teeth and I still can't. The propaganda that these dogs have an unfair "bad rap" convinces some people to trust the dogs more than they should. Their friends or neighbors scoff at their concerns and tell them to ingore warnings from others because it's just ignorance. Then a kid is mauled and suddenly it's not the dog's fault, it's ONLY the fault people who believed the hype and the dog is the victim?
They also got a pit nutter psychologist to stress pro pit bull talking points. Like I'd respect a pitbull nutter because he has a psychology degree?
I think any dog (regardless of breed) that mauled a child like that should be put down. This isn't just a dog bite, it's years of constructive surgery on the kid's face. The dog was chained. That's known to agravate them. The child picked up a bone from the ground - that could aggravate a dog. But c'mon, mauling? I think that pit nutters always excuse the dog 100% when they read that it was chained up. Oh I hold the owner responsible for this too but then no one is suggesting the owner be euthanized. What is not said is that it's likely the owner became increasingly unsure of his/her/their ability to anticipate or control the dog's agression when they didn't chain it up, and maybe some experience with the dog's surprising ability to break out of kennels, homes, cars etc. A violatile breed with a record of killing more people than all other breeds combined and/so they chained it up and what, hope for the best?
Absolutely.
Kill em all & let PETA sort em out.
LOL!
In before the usual “it’s the owner, not the breed” canard.
I can summarize: the dog mauled a kid. It needs to be put down. Sadly the owners of the dog haven’t done the honorable thing.
“In before the usual “it’s the owner, not the breed” canard.”
So they’re arguing that they should euthanize the owners instead? That’s a bit severe. But I guess I could live with that.
Wonder who’s paying for years of reconstructive surgery? I’m guessing your insurance premiums and the kid’s parents.(No college fund for YOU!)
Consistent with the Left’s insistence on defending the guilty (the dog) and condemning the innocent (the child). They can always be depended upon to do the morally disgusting thing.
That’s my view. A late uncle of mine adopted a Springer Spaniel named Ace. My parents and I visited him and his wife a few,weeks after the adoption. The three of us, mom, dad, and I, all got bad vibes from Ace to the point none of us wanted to get too close to him, in spite of him not threatening any of us. Three weeks later Ace exploded and tore my uncle’s nose off after my uncle tried to hug him. Ace was promptly, and appropriately, euthanized. Since becoming a self supporting adult, I’ve been a dog daddy to five large dogs, four Lab crosses, the current one of whom is half Pit, and one Great Dane. None has ever done anything like that, but, if one did, he’d be in for an immediate Last Trip to the Vet.
You know, I wonder if that’s why a leftie adopted a viscious cat that was going to be put down locally. Moral vanity? They DO feel leftists are more caring and moral and seem to gravitate to opportunities to be seen as more compassionate, understanding and merciful.
no one is suggesting the owner be euthanized
I am starting to think along those lines; give them both a shot....
Merciful to the beast. Not the human. God values human life infinitely more than animal life. (Luke 12:24; 2 Peter 2:12)
I’ve been encouraged by scattered reports of owners being held criminally responsible and facing jail time. This kid may never be fully restored by repeated surgeries because someone “needed” to own a pitbull?
It wasn’t the dog’s fault, it was the parents fault.
1. Chaining up their dog.
2. Owning a guard dog with no reason for owning one.
3. Owning such a dog while having small children.
(like owning a swimming pool while having small children)
4. Not supervising their children.
I’m on the fence here regarding putting the dog down.
1. Is it a mean vicious dog?
or
2. Did the dog just react to the kid stealing the dog’s bone?
1. Dead
2. Find him a new home without children.
I did not comment on the breed, because it is a non factor.
It’s not the breed of the dog, it’s the breed of the human who owns him. How the dog is treated and what the dog is taught, determines how he acts or reacts. While dogs will have “traits” common to their breed, taking a bone away from a chained dog is dangerous, no matter the breed.
Cesar the dog whisperer loves pit bulls. But there are 2 episodes where it took quite some time to domesticate those bastards. If they’re lost causes, he keeps them with him on his farm.
Absolutely.
I have to agree with this, it does not matter the breed, this animal cannot be trusted around children or adults and I doubt there will be anyone that would be able to guaranty that the animal would never be in contact with people again.
In after the "kill the breed" canuckle heads. It's not the breed, it's a individual animal that did this and "it" should be put down not the breed.
Reply to self
When I was a kid, my father always taught every dog we had, to allow him and/or us to take away his food or bones. They didn’t like it at first, growling etc., but they were taught this was not allowed period. They had to allow it and like it. My father said he would not own a dog that would bite the hand that feeds him or his kids.
Tip. Once the dog figured out that if he didn’t try to bite you or growl at you, he would get the food/bone right back.
Cesar Millan quote unquote:
“Yeah, but this is a different breed…the power that comes behind the bull dog, pit bull, presa canario, the fighting breed – They have an extra boost, they can go into a zone, they don’t feel the pain anymore. … So if you are trying to create submission in a fighting breed, it’s not going to happen.
They would rather die than surrender. If you add pain, it only infuriates them…to them pain is that adrenaline rush, they are looking forward to that, they are addicted to it… That’s why they are such great fighters.”
He goes on to say: “Especially with fighting breeds, you’re going to have these explosions over and over because there’s no limits in their brain.”
Wow, is that a desired trait in a pet? A dog that has “explosions over and over” in its brain? It’s behavior is that of a wild animal and people like to imagine they are superior for “taming” the beast.
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