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.

[photodawg]

Pit bulls are no worse than many other breeds
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Agreed, all dogs bring certain characteristics into play. They are predominantly instinctual creatures, and pack animals. As such, they are to be treated as animals, not friends. Its interesting the number of posts by very intelligent, rational people, ascribing anecdotal observances of an individual dog or two to an entire breed. That is wishful thinking at best. I raised Dobermans for a number of years and adopted the same thinking. I never had problems with any dog, but have since developed a more objective view. They are animals, no more no less and as such should be kept in proper perspective as to their position in our lives. The large breeds as well as the small. Also the large number of strays and poorly treated dogs executed in "humane societies" and "animal shelters" attests to the fact that many of us don't treat them properly.

[demkicker]

Let me be the first to welcome a new hillbilly to FR ;)

[GameENUF4U]

Well, I am from TX, but being a hillbilly doesn't make me ignorant, stupid, or irrational, I am very well educated. On another note - of course a dog should not be completely humanized and trusted(though I trust my dogs over many of my species), but still, they are a part of your family as well as your siblings and parents. They know when you are sad, angry, happy, joyous, etc. and feel these emotions with you. Pit Bulls are no different, they are just dogs, and when raised right and with great care are in my OPINION some of the greatest dogs you can own (though I am also very partial to Rat Terriers and Dachsunds too) :)