Althouse: Man adopts a dog from an animal shelter...

November 19, 2015

Man adopts a dog from an animal shelter...

... and 3 hours later the dog mauls him to death.

49 comments:

Bay Area Guy said...: A metaphor for well-intentioned efforts to let Syrians into our country?; 11/19/15, 3:34 PM
Wince said...: Evidently the dog wasn't, ahem, properly vet-ted.; 11/19/15, 3:44 PM
Etienne said...: I don't think the dog liked him one bit.; 11/19/15, 3:45 PM
Gerrard787 said...: Very shortly someone will post saying this has nothing to do with the dog being a Rottweiler.; 11/19/15, 3:54 PM
Big Mike said...: @Bay Area Guy, you beat me to it!

Anyway so much for animal rescue efforts. Rotts and bull terriers (aka pit bulls) are very dangerous animals. Jon Katz, author of numerous dog books, wonders at the propensity for people to walk right past shelter dogs whose breeds are know for making great family pets in favor of breeds that are dangerous. Worked out badly in this case, that's for sure.; 11/19/15, 3:56 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Bit the hand and neck that fed him. I watched a Rottweiler (one of two Rottweilers running loose from a house about a mile away) attack and kill a miniature poodle in our cul de sac. Neighbors drove the dog off, but the damage was done. The poodle was on a leash held by a 12 year old girl who was taking the dog for a walk.

The dog then ran away up on the hill behind my house. If I'd had a deer rifle handy, I would have done the right thing. I live in the brush line and there was a clear shot up on the hill with nothing behind the dog to worry about. The police arrived, and took the dog to the pound. The dog was ultimately released to its owners. The owners insisted that their Rottweiler was a good and harmless dog. Ten months later the Rottweiler attacked and killed the owner's two year old granddaughter. Karma won't be denied.

At that point the authorities destroyed the dog--with the owners insisting all the while that it was "a good dog".; 11/19/15, 4:00 PM
Curious George said...: He should have done one of those dog whisperer "shhhh" tricks; 11/19/15, 4:12 PM
bwebster said...: According to the story, the Rottweiler was "rescued off the streets just five days before the 57-year-old was allowed to adopt it." So, there's no background or history on this (adult) dog at all, no established behavior with humans, and no way of knowing how it would react being placed in an enclosed environment with a stranger. I love dogs (we have three), but there's no way I would bring an adult dog as big and potentially dangerous as a Rottweiler into my home without knowing a whole lot more about its background and temperament.; 11/19/15, 4:18 PM
Fernandinande said...: Big Mike said...
Rotts and bull terriers (aka pit bulls)...

Bull terriers aren't "pit bull terriers".

One of Princess Anne's bull terrier killed the Queen's Corgi back in 2003.

Mather notes, "I think she, too, loved her dogs. And isn't it extraordinary how those hideous bull terriers look exactly like the princess: royal, that rather fierce, curved, nosy face."

Last year, Princess Anne was summonsed to court and fined more than $800 after another of her bull terriers attacked two boys on bikes.

It has all been a huge embarrassment for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals. Their patron is Princess Anne.; 11/19/15, 4:19 PM
khesanh0802 said...: Dangerous breed, unknown background. Foolish move, but he shouldn't have paid for it with his life. As humane as it seems pound purchases are a real gamble.; 11/19/15, 4:19 PM
Etienne said...: Sometimes they train guard dogs to kill when people do normal things.

For example to get on your knees and clap your hands and call "here boy!"

You train the guard dog to kill anyone who does that. Because that's what the criminal will do when they break in to the property.

So he throws the Frisbee, get's on his knees and claps his hand and the dog rips his fucking head off.

Then he licks his balls, or at least where his balls used to be...; 11/19/15, 4:22 PM
Virgil Hilts said...: When I saw the headline I thought pitbull or rottweiler did this.
Does that make me a doggy racist (breedist?).; 11/19/15, 4:58 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Don't have a pet you can't take in a fight. That's my rule.; 11/19/15, 5:07 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: If you're going to rescue, rescue a cat. Anyone in your family can probably best just about any cat.; 11/19/15, 5:10 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: A new resident down the street has the first pit bull I've seen in the neighborhood. It keeps getting loose. Not a fan.; 11/19/15, 5:11 PM
Static Ping said...: If you watch the Animal Cops shows on Animal Planet, the SPCAs they feature go through a pretty rigorous routine to verify that any dog they put up for adoption has the temperament to be safe in its new home. Sometimes a tester has to fail a dog, which is typically a death sentence for the dog, because it is aggressive when someone messes with its food dish or opens an umbrella. While some of those dogs are obviously ferocious, there are some that seem really docile and sweet, then bite the fingers off the hand dummy rubbing the dog's head. There have been some heart rending moments when the tester wells up when the decision must be made, all while cuddling the seemingly harmless dog in her arms.

There is also a reason why some cities always euthanize pit pulls, though that's not relevant to this case. However, rotts are dangerous dogs and you must wonder if the due diligence was performed by the animal shelter.; 11/19/15, 5:13 PM
avwh said...: What were the chances a Rottweiler of unknown origin/background available from a shelter would be a killer?

Probably not too different from a single male Muslim between the age of 18-30 from Syria, innocently posing as a refugee.; 11/19/15, 5:16 PM
JCC said...: No word on whether the new owner was experienced in large, potentially aggressive breeds, which describes the Rottweiler perfectly. I have seen a Rottweiler cause a pressure break of the human femur just from the bite. We decided to no longer buy them for the department's K-9 unit because they inflicted too much damage from what should have been routine grabs-and-holds (you know, a bite). Anyway, like other large breeds used for police and guard work, Rottweilers are not for the inexperienced and should not be brought into the home without some knowledge of where the particular animal has been and how it has tested or acted in the past.

The previous funny comments connecting Obama's Syrian refugee plans and this nutso dog are farily apt. Invite a dangerous stranger into your house and assume responsiility for what happens next.; 11/19/15, 5:25 PM
Quaestor said...: Bull terriers aren't "pit bull terriers".

What exactly are we talking about? I've heard and read numerous names which may or may not apply to the same breed:

1) Staffordshire Terrier
2) Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3) American Staffordshire Terrier
4) American Staffordshire Bull Terrier

From I gather "pit bull" is a generic term for a dog of mixed ancestry that fits the bull terrier type.; 11/19/15, 5:32 PM
JCC said...: @ Freeman H -

Although pit bulls as a rule are not necessarily aggressive to people, they tend to strike at anything that moves quickly or moves away, like it's running away, so small children can be at risk. They are extremely animal aggressive and trying to break one lose from another animal can trigger real person-aggression. They are - in my expereince anyway - very unpredictable and hard to read. I find them seemingly sweet and affectionate, but able to turn in second when something pushes their button.

In other words I like dogs, all kinds of dogs, but not pit bulls at all, although several of my friends swear by them. I'd call your animal control every time you see that bulldog loose, until it gets too expensive for your neighbors and they give the dog up. Why take a chance?; 11/19/15, 5:33 PM
Michael K said...: A few miles north of Los Angeles there is a shelter just for Basset hounds. The lady who runs it has 100 basset hounds of all ages. Why does somebody adopt a Rottweiler? Their jaws are probably the strongest of any breed and they are known for aggressiveness.

I've seen a newborn mauled by the owners' German shepherd. The baby died. The parents thought the dog would "just love the new baby." Idiots.; 11/19/15, 5:38 PM
mikee said...: With a brother that had a wonderful Rottweiler, one that made Carl the Good Dog look like a slacker in the loving tenderness department, all I can say is that my brother's dog was trained as a pup for many hours per week, daily, while it was growing up.

And it still could kill a soccer ball with one good bite.

Animals are dangerous, just like humans, in many unpredictable ways. My sympathy to the man who thought he'd gotten a wonderful dog and instead lost his life to a beast.; 11/19/15, 6:00 PM
whitney said...: I've known 2 Rottweilers. They were both family dogs and reared with a firm hand. Good dogs. At around 10 yrs old, they started getting a little senile and nurture went out the window and nature took over. They both had to be put down because they got highly aggressive. Two different homes with very similar experiences. Anecdotal I know. I need one more for a pattern. Anyone got one?; 11/19/15, 6:24 PM
William said...: This is what Alanis Morrisette would describe as ironic. Pomeranians can be quite aggressive. They work out their aggressions by barkng. A dog that weighs two pounds knows its limitations.; 11/19/15, 6:32 PM
Big Mike said...: @Fernandinande, some dog authors write that the breed commonly called a "pit bull" is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a tone as though no one could possibly doubt it. Others write that a pit bull is properly an American Pit Bull Terrier, with an equal degree of authoritativeness. Either way, we're talking about a dog bred for strength of jaws and willingness to attack.; 11/19/15, 6:32 PM
Unknown said...: Freeman Hunt @ 5:07 PM = Thread Winner.

We have 3 dogs, one is a 120 lb Chocolate Lab, I can take him when we play and wrestle, not sure if I could take him if he went full Cujo, but as far as I know, the breed (and definitely his personality) does not tend that way.; 11/19/15, 6:38 PM
holdfast said...: Owning a Pit or Rotty is sort of like owning a 650hp super-car. It shouldn't be illegal, but you shouldn't do it unless you can really handle the beast. And if you f*ck it up, you're rightly open to all kinds of liability. Or to put it another way, a Chihuahua may be vicious and short-tempered, but it's like a BB gun compared to a .44 Mag for a Pit.

My old neighborhood in Jersey was rife with douchebag hipsters who adopted Pits (or similar) from the pound, didn't train them, and then bought them to the dog run, where they would end up jumping other dogs. The Cholos also owned Pits, but they kept them in their yards - they didn't try to take them to the public park. So yes, the Cholo drug dealers were far better neighbors than the urban hipster PR flacks and coders.; 11/19/15, 6:39 PM
Roughcoat said...: I'm strictly a border collie man. BCs aren't especially aggressive but I suppose there's always a possibility that they'll try to herd you to death. You could avoid that fate, however, by following their orders and walking docilely into the pen with the other sheep. Border collies must be obeyed and no nonsense in doing so. They're like nuns in that respect, except instead of swatting you with a ruler they'll nip your heels.; 11/19/15, 6:50 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm guessing this is something ISIS wants us to do?; 11/19/15, 6:51 PM
Eleanor said...: I used to volunteer to work at the local dog shelter doing the annual dog wash. Folks would bring their dogs in for a bath and make a donation to the shelter. When we were done for the day, we usually treated all of the dogs at the shelter to a bath. AFter bathing one of shelter dogs and having a real love fest with him, I paid the fee and brought him home. A couple of weeks later out of nowhere he bit me. My husband corralled him and took him back to the shelter. I was astonished they sent him out to be adopted again. I've never taken in another shelter dog. We've had wonderful dogs bought from reputable breeders, though. I do my part by never creating a shelter dog. The shelter where I used to volunteer has a wonderful reputation. If they'd rehome a dog who bites, then I don't trust any of them.; 11/19/15, 6:59 PM
Alex said...: EDH...

(•_•)
( •_•) ⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH; 11/19/15, 7:42 PM
iowan2 said...: I run stuff on a risk benefit analysis. Whats the benefit of having a Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, wolf cross? Honestly? Owners perception of what others think of them. Thats it, a perception others have of you. So the benefit is some sort of sick ego feeding. The risk? That is obvious.

Large dogs are animals, that are unpredictable. I have no capacity to imagine any benefit.; 11/19/15, 9:08 PM
jacksonjay said...: I shall quote one of our resident know-it-all commenters, opining at the Sun Dog Cafe just a few days ago:

"Dogs are always therapeutic. Even when they are biting you, they are telling you that you did something wrong."

Said commenter has changed his tune on the therapeutic value of dogs as of today.; 11/19/15, 9:20 PM
MD Greene said...: Pit bull breeders are out there. They don't want dogs that aren't vicious enough. They don't want dogs that have lost fights. They can't take these dogs to reputable animal rescue places without exposing their malign motives, and so, in New York, they give or sell the pit bulls to homeless people. There were at least three vicious attacks on people in Manhattan last summer by unleashed pit bulls owned by homeless people who got them for love or protection, or perhaps as props for their begging schemes.; 11/19/15, 9:56 PM
Anonymous said...: We had a big Rott growing up (130 lbs). A bit of a goofball, very loving, raised well. Very loyal. Great with people, kids etc. they love to work, they love to protect,, and they love to herd. Know your dog, know your breed.

Only issues: Upon meeting other big dogs (Great Dane, Corso), there would be some tension as all parties were unaccustomed to not being the Big Dog. Also, our mother took him out for walks, but didn't always know his 'energy.' He went for a groundhog and tore it up.she didn't really discipline him and couldn't really stop him. After that, he was a little more aggressive towards the woodland wildlife, but not dangerous, really.

My brother has worked in shelters and knows dog behavior and breeds pretty well. He has a shelter Pit (adopted at 9 months) and a young baby girl at home, and there aren't any issues.

I looked after the dog, and frankly, he was a bit of a prick. Tugging, pulling, challenging, biting the leash on our walks...constant dominance struggles....but he is very gentle, loving,patient with the baby and his family. A pretty sweet dog, but kind of a prick.

Know your dog. Know your breed. Provide for their needs, make them a part of your life and accept the love, companionship and commitment, and responsibility.; 11/20/15, 12:21 AM
Chris N said...: And If you can't handle a big dog, the 'power under the hood,' and the dog's needs in terms of activity, discipline etc....

...don't get one.

Frankly, there are a couple of commenters acting like pussies, here.

Get a cat, Get a smaller, safer dog. Get a bird.

Don't get pets at all!

I don't care!; 11/20/15, 12:35 AM
Chris N said...: And yes, scope out the owners of big dogs and certain breeds if you see the dogs loose...

Some owners are irresponsible, some dogs are dangerous. I would do the same.; 11/20/15, 12:41 AM
jaydub said...: "I've known 2 Rottweilers. They were both family dogs and reared with a firm hand. Good dogs. At around 10 yrs old, they started getting a little senile and nurture went out the window and nature took over. They both had to be put down because they got highly aggressive. Two different homes with very similar experiences. Anecdotal I know. I need one more for a pattern. Anyone got one?"

Whitney, You describe a former next door neighbor's Rott to a tee. Reasonably well behaved as a young dog, but after a child was born later on the dog, out of the blue, went for a teenage babysitter's throat. The only thing that saved her was she was able to get a door closed between them.

From Wikipedia:

"According to a CDC study into fatal dog attacks on humans between 1979 and 1998, Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs were responsible for more than half (67%) of all deaths. In the years from 1993 to 1996 Rottweilers were responsible for half of all deaths."; 11/20/15, 12:45 AM
RMc said...: What up, dog? What up, dog? What up, dog?

Monkey in the middle of a metal detector
Hat of the cousin of the tax collector
Automatic sensors in the President's skull
Do you have yesterday's time?

What up, dog? What up, dog?
What up, dog? What up, dog?
What up, dog? What up, dog?
What up, dog? What up, dog?

What up, dog? What up, dog?
What up, dog? What up, dog?
What up, dog?

Yeah, you see I just got this new pit bull terrier
The thing's better than a credit card
Went to the gas station the other day
Got a couple gallons of gas, some oil, spark plugs, six-pack

The man says, "That'll be 15.41"
I, I say, "Well, god, goddamn, I forgot my wallet
But I did bring my credit card"

What up, dog?; 11/20/15, 6:11 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Man adopts a dog from an animal shelter...

On an unrelated subject:

Country accepts refugees from a war-torn region...; 11/20/15, 6:18 AM
Tarrou said...: Darwin smiles.; 11/20/15, 6:22 AM
rhhardin said...: A cat will eat you in addition.; 11/20/15, 7:15 AM
Anonymous said...: Leaving aside for now any question about dog breeds, the shelter was completely irresponsible to let a new owner take a dog that didn't appear to have been evaluated for temperament in any way. Even much smaller dogs than a Rottie can rip a person up pretty badly. The Houston SPCA and the Houston shelter Citizens for Animal Protection at least do some "due diligence" before letting new owners take animals from them.; 11/20/15, 7:35 AM
Anonymous said...: Oh, and for Static Ping's benefit, Judge Dale Gorczynski that appeared on Animal Cops Houston was a law school classmate and officiated my second marriage. Small world, huh?; 11/20/15, 7:39 AM
holdfast said...: "My brother has worked in shelters and knows dog behavior and breeds pretty well. He has a shelter Pit (adopted at 9 months) and a young baby girl at home, and there aren't any issues"

YET

Pardon my French, but your brother is an idiot.

All dogs can get annoyed by little kids and nip or bite them. But with some breeds such actions are much more likely to have fatal consequences. Pits who like people don't always see kids as people.; 11/20/15, 8:39 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: A cat will eat you in addition.

Yes, but you'll have to croak on your own.; 11/20/15, 9:29 AM
Fernandinande said...: Quaestor said...
"Bull terriers aren't "pit bull terriers"."
What exactly are we talking about?

Big Mike said...
@Fernandinande, some dog authors write that the breed commonly called a "pit bull" is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a tone as though no one could possibly doubt it.

"Bull terrier" - without any qualifiers - is a distinct breed (with a distinct head).

They're similar to pit bulls, Staff terriers, etc., but not the same. That's all.; 11/20/15, 9:51 AM
Chris N said...: Pardon my French, but you sound like an idiot.

I get where you're coming from, I do, I might even respond similarly were I to read such a comment, and it's a risk he takes with the family,, but you don't know the dog, the breed, and the circumstances.

Thank you for your concern.; 11/21/15, 12:53 AM
Happy Warrior said...: More proof of the clear benefits of smaller breeds. I'm a shetland sheepdog fan myself. No reports of anyone being licked or yapped to death with shelties.; 11/21/15, 9:45 AM