Big, friendly dog frightens students

AP ^ | 12/5 | AP

[ambrose]

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2002/12/05/build/local/85-dog.inc

Big, friendly dog frightens students

Associated Press
LIBBY (AP) - Twenty-six children are nursing scratches, bruises and other minor wounds from a big, playful dog that tried to join the lunchtime football game at Asa Wood Elementary School.

"The dog wasn't attacking kids," Principal Ken Foss said Wednesday. "The dog was actually playing tug-of-war. It's a big pup, a year or a year and a half old, and very friendly.

"But it got very aggressive and played rough. It took the kids' (foam-rubber) football, grabbed at their coats and their legs. The kids screamed and ran, and he chased them."

Foss said he did not mean to minimize the incident, which occurred Tuesday.

"It was a serious incident - 26 kids were traumatized," he said. "There were some bruises and cuts, but by the same token they weren't attacked."

A teacher's aide grabbed the dog around the neck and shooed the first-, second- and third-graders into the building, but the dog broke away and followed them inside, Foss said.

Other teachers sidetracked the dog into an empty classroom and closed the door to await Libby police officer John Graham, the school resource officer.

"He came in expecting a vicious dog," Foss said. "He opened the classroom door and here's this dog with its tongue out and tail wagging."

Graham turned the dog over to animal control officials, and it is being held while the investigation continues. He said it weighed about 70 pounds and appeared to be a Stafford or bull terrier.

The dog had not been vaccinated against rabies, so it will be quarantined until officials are sure it does not have the disease, he said.

The dog escaped that morning from its residence just outside town, Graham said. Graham had not filed any charge by Wednesday, but he said he was still investigating. He declined to identify the owner.

"We had a total of 26 students who had some type of bruise or mark, scratch, pressure indentation or puncture wound of some type," Foss said. "Of those 26 we had 10 we identified with wounds that broke the skin, scratches and so forth."

Foss and Graham agreed that even the wounds that broke the skin were minor, but said some of the children were frightened. Three had torn coats or pants.

"We had a couple of students who were pretty distraught - pretty shaken up," the principal said. "Counselors visited with them, and they seem to be doing fine.

"The biggest thing we tried to get across yesterday was it's safe to go outside. It took place at lunchtime. We have afternoon recess about 2 o'clock, and all the kids went back outside and played, which was a really good sign."

The school has 350 students from preschool through third grade. Foss said about 275 first-, second- and third-graders were on the L-shaped playground, but the dog entered the short part of the L, away from most of the children.

Foss sent a letter home with every student Tuesday afternoon detailing what happened.

"The parents have been wonderful," he said.

Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Crowcreek]

This is your department . . .

[Smedley]

The Dog's Owner was generally negligent in keeping his (friendly) dog in control.

As the the lack of rabies vaccination, I don't have a problem with that given such vaccinations are thought to be a major contributor to cancer and not known to be particularly effective.

That being said, I think that the school administrators are overblowing the issue -- probably for liability reasons. There might be a wuss or two amoung the kids, but its always been that way.

[OregonRancher]

Parents? City folk and even some country people have in their heads that all dogs are versions of 101 dalmations or some such drivel. They feel that they can come up to any strange animal and "pet" the good ol' doggie. I've seen this time and again where brain dead mommy and daddy lets her darling little kids run up to a strange dog to give it a big hug. When people come out to the ranch, the first thing we tell them is not to touch or even get near the animals unless we introduce them first. Once the dogs know that these strangers are ok with us, they all have a wonderful time. Untill then, they are just protecting their turf. That's what they are there for.
A friend of mine has a 155 lb shepard, a wonderful, beautiful loving dog. Rides in the back of his truck with all his tools. Goes to town and nobody, but nobody, ever gets near that truck. Better than any alarm system in the world.
Parents should be taught to teach their kids to never go up to a strange dog; even a cute little pouch n(sp?) on a lease with grandma.

[Jacvin]

no disagreement here.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I'll see your 80 lbs and raise you 105 lbs. My golden retriever is the biggest bundle of love and loves to play like that - tho he doesn't mouth like he did when he was a puppy. He will happily greet you face to face when you visit and remove every bit of makeup he can. (A habit we are trying to break!)

This is completely blown out of proportion. Kids this age should be able to rough house with a dog and get a few scratches without being traumatized.

[ArrogantBustard]

"We had a couple of students who were pretty distraught - pretty shaken up," the principal said. "Counselors visited with them, and they seem to be doing fine.

What's up with this? Next thing, they'll be dragging out the friggin' counselors when somebody stubs his toe on a table leg.

[evilC]

[PBRSTREETGANG]

The Dog's Owner was generally negligent in keeping his (friendly) dog in control.

I agree. All dogs should be kept in control by their owners. I was just (humorously) lamenting the present-day phenomenon of sending in teams of counselors to deal with every even mildly untoward occurrence.

[ArrogantBustard]

elementary school age kids are soft, and sweet and huggable.

They're also fearless, indestructible savages. Or used to be. And I'm not just referring to those ancient days when I was a lad.

[OregonRancher]

Our golden is 140 lbs of wuf wuf.. getting old and not as spry as he was. He will, however, try to get as close as possible for a little loveing which sometimes makes you feel as if you're in a squeeze chute....
The other two young clowns like to go out and challenge the local coyotes to a howling match right after we go to bed.

[bimbo]

This was truly shocking--that young elementary school students were allowed to play a brutal game of "football" at lunch.

Football game ... scratches ... ?? The dog is probably getting a bad rap!

[HairOfTheDog]

I am sure disturbed that you think shooting a dog that is running around in a school yard full of children is a safer alternative to the dog jumping up on kids and playing tug of war. A teacher was able to just grab the dog. End of story. My word, you need to relax. It was just a loose dog, not a roving predator.

[bimbo]

... my right to protect my family trumps your right to illegally let your dog roam free.

I agree 100% ... BUT ... Who is going to protect your family when you are not around?

[weikel]

Funny with very rare exceptions ive never had any problems with strange dogs.

[RLK]

This is completely blown out of proportion. Kids this age should be able to rough house with a dog and get a few scratches without being traumatized.

----------------------------

Amen. That's what dogs are for.

[reformed_democrat]

Are you sure your a convert as your name suggest?

Why, yes.
Are you?

[weikel]

No im a lifelong.

[Chi-townChief]

I know I sound like a boring old geezer here but when I was much younger, it seems like a lot of dogs ran around loose. We kids knew them all by name (Boots, Butch, Enoch (!), Duke, Deuce, Pudge, and a lot more that I don't recall) and we'd always rough-house with them and just enjoy having them around. Times have changed quite a bit.

[Feiny]

It seems to me that the dog was not doing anything wrong. The kids were playing & the dog joined in. When the kids ran (something every parent should teach them NOT to do), the dog chased. This is their natural instinct.

The owner should get in some sort of trouble for letting his dog escape. Luckily, no one was hurt.

This story is a sad commentary on the fragile state of our nations youth.

[judgeandjury]

I might have also shot the dogs owner, if he/she did not show sufficient remorse.

I can't figure out whether you're a comedian or a lunatic.