Man Strangles Rabid Pit Bull

AP ^ | September 5, 2003

[Shermy]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Will Stewart says he didn't have a choice in strangling a 6-month-old pit bull-mix puppy.

The puppy that wasn't known to be aggressive suddenly turned violent last week. The dog bit or scratched four adults and two children in an Indian Trail neighborhood and was later found to be rabid.

Stewart says the dog, Jake, went crazy. He says after the dog bit the children and his wife, he had to act.

He called the dog, which he thinks weighed between 50 and 60 pounds, and pinned him to the ground. Stewart says he couldn't wait for animal control to arrive, so he strangled the dog as he and the dog's owner held him down.

The Stewarts, the couple who owned Jake and their two children -- all of whom Jake bit or scratched -- have begun the painful and expensive treatment for rabies. Stewart says his first treatment involved seven shots, and he has four more appointments for additional shots.

[The Other Harry]

First off it would never happen.

Maybe not with your dog. But it has happened around where I have lived. Usually with pit bulls or rottweilers.

You be careful. I agree with MineralMan. Your dog comes into my back yard, it doesn't come back out. Not alive.

[Ben Bolt]

Bump !

[ModernDayCato]

Again, Harry, just as I would accept responsibility for my actions, you would have to as well. And if there really are LEOs on this thread perhaps you should ask them what those consequences might be.

(It's not as easy as you think to shoot someone else's dog just because it is on your property)

[The Other Harry]

But, my favorite shotgun of all time is my ancient Ithaca lightweight double...

There's a nice gun. Take good care of that one.

[Cap'n Crunch]

I'll tell you what I tell people who shoot aggressive dogs on their own property: "Nice shootin' Tex."

[ModernDayCato]

Incidentally, this is my H&K FP6 (which I would never point at a dog):

[Delbert]

Dog of Peace Bump!

[two23]

I have 2 dogs (both pound rescues)..all shots/nuetered/fenced yard etc.
Cutesy family-type names and I agree with you, any dog of mine that even shows its teeth at a kid is OUT. (of course mine are not like that at all, but animals are animals. kids and dogs should always be supervised.)

[The Other Harry]

When I shot the rottweiler...

No fun tho, is it. I don't like to even kill a bug.

But if these people leave their dogs running around, it really isn't me who did it. That's the way I think about it.

Still nasty.

[MineralMan]

"But, my favorite shotgun of all time is my ancient Ithaca lightweight double...

There's a nice gun. Take good care of that one."

I do. It was a gift from my dad the year I turned 14. I only fire low-base shells in it, in keeping with the time it was made. It's very light and the barrels are quite thin. I didn't mention, but it's a 20 ga. The left barrel is cylinder and the right is modified. Perfect quail gun in California. These days, it just gets shot once or twice a year, and stays cleaned and stored properly the rest of the time. Lots of nice memories there.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Its not that pit bulls need to be castrated.

Its the owners.

[MineralMan]

"Its not that pit bulls need to be castrated.

Its the owners."

Well, that's another issue entirely.

[Liberal Classic]

One of my favorites:

[Cap'n Crunch]

Then I ask them if they know who the owner was. If they don't know I'll ask them if they have a couple large plastic bags we can put the dog in. Then I take the dog to the city garage and throw it in the dumpster.

Funny how very few come forward to claim their dead pit bull, most won't answer the door. Sometimes I put the dog in their garbage can (as with the last one I shot). They suddenly get amnesia and can't recognize their own dog.

It's cheaper to get another dog and let it run loose than pay court costs, which are rather expensive for pits.

[ffusco]

I would shoot a rabid or dangerous unkown animal if I thought it was a threat and it was on my property. I would not shoot a neighbors animal if I could pick up a phone first.

If someone shot my family pet simply because it got loose and ran through thier yard, they had better be prepared to loose something they hold dear.

[tophat9000]

pits are the best dog in the world.. if you don't inbreed them and train them right.... my is laying by my feet as I type this

[ModernDayCato]

Bravo.

[Cap'n Crunch]

No, I realize it's not the dog's fault, it's the no good owners who just tire of them and let them run at large.

The only thing I'm glad off it's one less that may maul a kid.

[ffusco]

Sometimes an amimal needs to be destroyed, but it is a shame. You sound like you enjoy shooting animals.

[MineralMan]

Thanks for the photo. Time to take mine out and clean it again.