CNN reports unfortunate incident with boy and dog

[A-Possum]

Probably pointless to post this but I'm a bit upset. CNN just reported that while filming in Port Arthur (I think), 3 collarless german shepherd dogs came along. One of the spectators, a boy, tried to feed them and got a serious bite on the hand.

The simple message given by reporter was "stay away from stray animals."

That's not neccessarily a bad message on the face of it, but I'd just like to add to this. Most likely the boy tried to pet one of the dogs while it was eating, and the dog was food guarding.

The better message would be, don't let children approach unknown dogs, and don't EVER try to pet an unknown dog while it's eating. Place food and back off until the dog is done. I hope this doesn't get publicized a lot and add to the difficulty of animal rescue. :( I'm sorry it happened.

On edit: And of course the best message would be, don't leave dogs loose or confined when you evacuate. :\ Take them.

[YouthInAsia]

1. If they had been PITBULLS they would have shot them each 400 times

[skooooo]

2. are you really a possum?

and have insight into animal behavior? lol

just being silly

[A-Possum]

3. Yeah but I'm prettier than your average possum

:P

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Oh baby, nothin' like hot possum!

:)

[DBoon]

11. Possums indeed!!

http://www.dame-edna.com/

[iamjoy]

5. I Hope The Boy Is OK - But Yes, The Lesson Is

be careful around strange animals. You have no way of knowing if the animal is nice or mean. Also, even a nice dog could react aggressively if frightened or in pain.

Placing the food or water down and then backing off is smart advice. Also, children really should stay away from strays or loose animals. Some dogs just don't get along kids, even under good circumstances.

[ret5hd]

7. hell, i don't get along with kids...and i don't have a tail to pull on!

[pitohui]

6. don't see the distinction

most children in the double digit age groups are larger than i am, just telling children to avoid stray dogs is not really sufficient

i do think "stay away from stray animals" is the right message for anyone -- not just kids -- who has not had proper training in handling animals esp. a large animal like a german shepherd

don't leave dogs loose or confined when you evacuate. :\ Take them.


take them, be refused shelter, die in a spin-up tornado in yr car, now that's the way to bring up kids

don't you dare criticize those of us who have been in the awful situation of having had to leave behind a pet during an evacuation, just don't you dare, don't even get me started on that subject again

do not put your life or the life of rescue personnel in danger because of a pet, the reality is that in many situations most ppl cannot take along large pets like german shepherds & find safe shelter

i am amazingly weary of ppl who have never been tested giving out cheap, easy suggestions to those of us who have

[A-Possum]

10. I am sorry

I definitely don't mean to say anything about those forced to leave pets in Katrina.

I do think that in thefuture we must include animals (including large dogs) in the plans, including shelters and such. It's by no means intended as an easy cheap suggestion, but I'm sorry to upset you.

I have evacuated for a hurricane, so I'm not entirely clueless about it.

[TomInTib]

8. Hello rabies shots

This same thing happened to my uncle while helping rescue people in Beaumont back in the 50s.
Hurricane Audrey. Tore the roof right off our house and I got to watch it happen. Pretty cool for a 5-6 year old.
While the eye passed over the locals rebuilt our roof (passable) and it protected us for the remainder of the storm.

[kestrel91316]

14. Fortunately the rabies treatment is not the unmitigated horror that it

was 20 years ago. Medical progress and such.


The first day is no picnic what with the injection of immunoglobulin into the bite wound area (yikes). But the followup vaccinations are no big deal at all. And the treatment is almost always effective.

[mandyky]

9. Even petting "known dogs" while they eat can be tricky

My son got nailed by a dog he'd been around daily for months, when he got to close to the dog while it was eating.

[VTMechEngr]

12. I'll admit, I was downright cruel to my dog to train him.

But I could not afford to have a German Shephard that had food aggression. And the training worked. Over a month of snatching his bone or dish away and dealing with any growls or aggression has produced a nice friendly pet that I don't have to worry about attacking children.

It seems mean, but the effect is required for agressive breeds.

[shireen]

13. Contact Congress, get more help for animal rescue

WRITE CONGRESS!!!!
... especially if you're a volunteer ... insist on talking to a legislative staff member and give them a earful. Staff contacts for Shays and Lantos are included below.

Rep. Tom Lantos (CA, 12th Congressional District)
Sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Co-chair, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://lantos.house.gov/hor/ca12/home.htm
Email: only for constituents, http://lantos.house.gov/HoR/CA12/Contact+Tom /
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Staff Contact for this issue: Guido Zucconi x53531

Rep. Christopher Shays (CT, 4th Congressional District)
Co-chair, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.house.gov/shays /
Email: http://www.house.gov/shays/contact/index.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Staff Contact for this issue: (Kristy Crooks x55541)

Congressman Don Young (AK, Congressman At Large)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://donyoung.house.gov /
Email: http://donyoung.house.gov/opinions.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Congressman James Oberstar (MN, 8th Congressional District))
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.oberstar.house.gov /
Email: Constituents only, http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Barney Frank (MA, 4th Congressional District)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.house.gov/frank /
Email: Constituents only, http://www.house.gov/writerep /
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ - 7th Congressional District)
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://www.house.gov/grijalva /
Email: http://www.house.gov/grijalva/contact.html
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3rd Congressional District)
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://blumenauer.house.gov /
Email: http://blumenauer.house.gov/about/Contact.shtml
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6th Congressional District)
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://www.house.gov/pallone /
Email: Constituents only, http://www.house.gov/writerep
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)

Congressman Fred Upton (MI-6th Congressional District)
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://www.house.gov/upton/index.html
Email: Constituents only, http://www.house.gov/writerep
Phone: [phone]

Congressman Michael E. Capuano (MA, 8th Congressional District)
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://www.house.gov/capuano/index.shtml
Email: Constituents only, http://www.house.gov/writerep
Phone: [phone]



Note: Amendment to H.R.3858, introduced Sept 22 '05: To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. Sponsor: Lantos. Co-sponsors: Shays, Oberstar, Young, Frank.