Neighbors' quick moves save attacked dog's life

[Kadie]

You may need a tissue when reading this story. I sure did!


Neighbors' quick moves save attacked dog's life
C.W. Nevius
Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Sophie is a white Maltese who is approximately the size of a fuzzy football. She's 4 years old, weighs 9 1/2 pounds, and her day job is visiting Alzheimer's patients and hospitals as a therapy dog. To be perfectly honest, her primary therapy technique is to lick your face. But that seems to be effective.




Last week, Sophie was walking with her owner, University of San Francisco student Nicole Bromma, outside their apartment on Fulton Street. Bromma remembers seeing a woman walking a pit bull, hearing her scream "No!" and then seeing the dog, named Coco, grab Sophie by the throat and run across the street, shaking the Maltese viciously in her jaws.

"She looked like a rag in her mouth," Bromma said. "From the moment it grabbed her, I thought she was dead."

Bromma was screaming at the top of her lungs. We often hear about terrible things happening on the street and bystanders doing nothing.

So it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if nothing had happened. Sophie looked like a goner, the street was full of people heading to work, and Bromma felt helpless.

That's when we get to the good part.


Please read the rest at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/04/BA021D8U2I.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0mybBhqhb

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Good things happen when good people take action!

Thank you!

K&R

[Jokerman]

2. And the owner of the vicious dog tried to flee the scene.

"While Hunter was stitching Sophie up, everyone had forgotten about Coco's owner. Standing in Lafrano & Son auto-body shop on Fulton, Josh Lafrano spotted her running down the street to her car. She was backing away from the curb, leaving her dog, when Lafrano arrived and pulled open the door.

"Why don't you get out of your car and handle your responsibilities?" Lafrano says he asked her.

The woman shut the door and drove away - which is when Lafrano took a picture of her license plate and another one of her behind the wheel. When the police arrived, he turned them over."



Let's hope there are criminal charges for this jackass.

[RamboLiberal]

3. In San Francisco - I'd bet there will be charges

They do take the dog laws seriously there - as they should.

[EFerrari]

5. You bet. SF is a serious dog town. This woman

is in for a world of hurt.

[LiberalAndProud]

4. Some people should not have animals in their care.

This woman is one of them.

[arthritisR_US]

8. wouldn't she also be responsible for any medical expenses resulting from it? n/t

[greencharlie]

18. I just want to add one more thing...

the dog isn't necessarily vicious.

It attacked a small animal that happened to be a dog. It's "prey drive"... that natural thing that MANY dogs have that makes them attack small animals.

Before putting this dog to sleep, they need to evaluate it around people. If it's OK with people it MAY be adoptable by a normal owner.

I am a volunteer for a large no-kill shelter and rehab and exercise dogs frequently.

I'll tell you right now... 1/3 of dogs in a shelter are PERFECT dogs. 1/3 are good dogs that need a little work, some training. And 1/3 will be a handful... but MOST of those are re-hab-able.

[Writer]

6. I have turned on the "Pit Bull Thread" beacon...

to alert those thirsty for a new flame war. ;)

Unfortunately, that will cover up the quick action of this attentive veterinarian and the good Samaritan who caught the attacking dog owner's license plate. Everyone should feel good about the fortunes of that sweet little dog.

[RamboLiberal]

12. I think one big problem with pit bulls

is they attract the wrong kind of owner who gets one for all the wrong reasons in too many cases. Like some other breeds they can be a gladiator of a dog as Cesar Millan puts it. They need a good owner who knows the breed and takes responsibility for raising and training them correctly. Also there are too damn many bad backyard breeders of many pit bulls mixes.

Since this dumbass owner fled she is obviously one of these bad owners. Bust her ass good SF!

[Spinzonner]

17. Serious Question

Is there any practical way of requiring some breeds to have special licensing requirements and the owners to pass some special training and fulfill some licensing and haven those taken away if there are any 'bad marks' against them ?

Or is this likely to e ineffectual and only good until the first incident and a case of only being followed by the good guys ? Even if so maybe some of the naive and undisciplined might be disuaded from owning the breed.

[greencharlie]

7. I'll just say...

all dogs are the same... sweet as pie.

However dog OWNERS... there are really 2 distinct and different types...

I'll leave it at that.

[arthritisR_US]

9. :-) n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Exactly. This is clearly indicated in the aggressive dog's owner

abandoning the dog, trying to evade notice, while others were trying to separate and save the attacked dog. What kind of dog owner ABANDONS her dog? The kind that is not worthy of the dog in the first place.

[arthritisR_US]

14. yep, I'm with you both here. She was some nasty pond scumb..those poor dogs :( n/t

[Shell Beau]

10. This pit bull was obviously in the wrong person's care.

She fleeing says enough about what kind of person, and therefore dog owner, she is.

[arthritisR_US]

15. no kidding, I hope their dog laws effectively spay her! n/t

[snagglepuss]

13. What a great story. Really uplifting. Thanks for posting. nt

[TwilightGardener]

16. Great story, except the part about the vicious dog's owner fleeing.