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.

[JimRed]

My 80 lb. Golden Retriever can knock me for a loop when I get home.

Yep, nothing like a big Golden to knock you off your feet... with love! We miss ours (she died last year) but the Mrs. says no more ...

[savedbygrace]

"It was a serious incident - 26 kids were traumatized," he said.

A word, and a concept, that is way overused today.

"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.

A concept, and a practice, that is way overused today.

Here's the counseling these brats need to hear: Get over it, already.

[-YYZ-]

OK, look, dogs should be restrained as a general rule, tied up, kept indoors, fenced in, whatever. However, it is a fact of life in a country where we keep dogs as pets, that one is (hopefull only occasionally) going to encounter dogs that are on the loose. Children should be taught how to deal with strange dogs that they might encounter. That would mean avoiding them if possible, but if they come to you, then dealing with it correctly. Running away shrieking certainly is going to help matters any.

And yes, this whole thing seems a bit blown out of proportion to me. I know some children have a fear of dogs, but all 26?

[RLK]

When the kids ran (something every parent should teach them NOT to do), the dog chased.

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

He probably didn't chase the kids. He ran with them or after them hoping to continue playing.

[Mulder]

"It was a serious incident - 26 kids were traumatized

This is utterly pathetic-- kids traumatized by a dog. We are becoming a nation of wimps.

[cicero's_son]

Idiot.

[asgardshill]

Gee whiz, if I DIDN'T come home with some sort of "bruise or mark, scratch, pressure indentation or puncture wound of some type", I got yelled at for not getting enough exercise.

[TChris]

Do you smash up those dangerous two-wheeled death traps so many irresponsible kids carelessly zip around on these days? How about those nasty stepped inclines so irresponsibly built into far too many homes? ...or those evil, electric and gas torture machines present in almost every kitchen, but responsible for so many horrible burns when innocent children reach up and put their hands on the bright red circles.

Mister... dogs are part of life. There are going to be constant dangers present in your grand kids' lives. Teach your grand kids to deal with problems instead of irrationally trying to rid the world of all of them. Dogs get loose. Bikes crash. Make your grand kids stronger instead of fighting the losing battle of making their safety everyone else's problem. Especially when it's a friendly dog we're talking about, he needs to deal with it.

[Cold Heat]

Looks like fodder for a movie.

"Fido's trip to town".

[Cold Heat]

Take a pill!

If I were you I would spend some time teaching your kids about dog behavior and dangerous breeds. There is much information, but do not teach fear.

Dogs sense fear and they respond with fear and sometime aggressive behavior, because of it..

It is emotional twits like you who actually do more harm than good to your children with this kind of attitude.