Police mauled by pit-bull terrier.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....id-suspects-home.html

I know I am playing devil's advocate here, but having a front door batted in by a group of policemen shouting, is it any wonder that the dog inside attacked them, it was only protecting it's territory?

I feel sorry for the policemen who were so badly injured, but in light of the fact that this dog was known to be dangerous, should not these raiding officers have been first made aware of the dog by their superiors?

[flip_flop]

Even though he is harbouring an illegal animal?

[Zeuhl]

^^

Exactly - if the dog was in a 'public place' it was because the police allowed it out there.

If the dog was an illegal, charge him for that. But charging him for their own shortcomings just makes the Police look like muppets

[ladybirder]

The police caused the dog to be out of control in a public place, not the owner. I think the whole incident needs to be looked into, it sounds like a total disaster.

[flip_flop]

I suppose it one's perception - mine is that the proximate cause of the injuries to the police was the fact that an illegal, dangerous, animal was kept, not because they raided the place.

[jno]

no, the charge of keeping an illegal animal could still succeed, the charge of not restraining it would fail. This all depends on exactly what happened, of course. The Met seem to have acknowleged that they'd been told about the dog but didn't do anything about it.

[Zeuhl]

Not really flip flop.

Charges related to the breed of dog are a different matter.

The particular charge in question is not connected with the breed of dog - illegal or not - it is allowing a dog to be dangerous in a public place.

Therefore, any guard dog, aroused by police breaking in and released by them would be in the same position.

[ladybirder]

I see a neighbour described it as as a brown dobermann/pitbull cross called Poison. What a lovely name for a dog. Possibly better off dead, probably had an awful life.

[flip_flop]

I'm allowing the breed to colour my opinion Zeuhl.

I probably shouldn't.

Its just that this particular breed it kept for a specific reason. OK, I keep a Lab for a specific reason as well - I keep it because it is a loving family pet.

A Pitbull can never be a loving family pet - they are kept for fighting and/or as an extension of the owner's (supposed) hardness.

They are horrible, ugly, nasty animals and the world would be a better place without them.

[Frank97]

//A Pitbull can never be a loving family pet //

Rubbish, I owned one as a loving, loyal family pet for fourteen years!

[ladybirder]

In the wrong hands flip_flop most dogs can be turned into a horrible, ugly, nasty animal, just like its owner.

[flip_flop]

Did you get the dog after 1991 D97x7

[Frank97]

No, before!

[andy-hughes]

Without wishing to derail the debate into another area, there is always the argument from loving dog owners that their dog is loving pet, and in almost all cases, thankfully that is true.

The problem occurs when any dog decides its hard enough to challenge for pack leadership status. In the case of a poodle, a smack on its bottom and a couple of hours in its basket usually restores order, but if the dog is a potential killer, as pitbulls are, then there is a serious issue.

Any dog can turn, it's only a matter of potentialseverity that needs to be considered when owning one.

[LoftyLottie]

Pit bulls can't help being ugly and ugly doesn't equate to being nasty either
:o(

They are nasty because they have been bred to be nasty and encouraged by their owners to be nasty. Any dog who is built like a pit bull and turns nasty can cause as much harm - even pretty dogs.

(I don't actually think that Pit Bulls are ugly)

[jno]

hmm, try smacking this one, andy

http://upload.wikimed...re_Poodle_stacked.jpg

I believe this was the previous pack leader...

http://cute-pets.net/...08/02/drunk-puppy.jpg

[rov1100]

For those who haven't seen the actual incident see it here. It also shows the shooting of the dog

[maggiebee]

Agree LL, lots of ugly, vicious people out there, but we don't go around shooting them! Not yet anyway......

[Gromit]

Three shots. One for each policeman it bit?

[anotheoldgit]

flip_flop

/// If it was a pitbull, and for the sake of the argument let's assume it was, then I'm glad it has been killed, and the owner should be prosecuted. ///

This dog was most likely not born bad, but brought up to be bad.

This being the case are you suggesting that some of today's yobs who were made bad by the type of upbringing they had, should also suffer the same fate?

[LoftyLottie]

And don't forget the ugly people too AOG. Nasty ugly people!!! ;o)