POLL: Putting down dogs that bite.

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To me, Arabwel has the right of it. Unless there is a truly life or death situation, due process should be used to determine whether or not a dog -- or any other animal -- belonging to someone else should be put down. Due process implying, of course, that the whole truth comes out and all factors are considered before a decision is made.

 

What ever happened to the "reasonable person" test? If a dog is an immediate danger to you or a member of your party, down it goes. However, if a dog attacks you or your child, and then before you get a bead on it, it runs away, you can't go on a hunt for it. That crosses the line of being a vigilante. So we are back to the "reasonable person" test, is the animal an immediate threat or not?

AJ,

Cross said:

and you said:

As we live in the same state, I am curious, by state law, I don't believe that anyone has a right to "present" unless he or she, or an immediate family member are threatened with imminent harm. If you were walking down the street, and a complete stranger was being ripped to shreds by a dog, lion or tiger (I live near a place that has exotic animals, and I can hear them when I take the kids for a walk), technically I believe that you would have to call the authorities and attempt to stay out of harms way (in other words you can't put yourself into danger so that you can justify drawing your side arm). Is there an exception for animals that I am not aware of?

I am not trying to be hostile to you, I am just curious.
Thanks!

 

EJ, what I mean is say, the dog is sent to chase someone outside (I think it's done... I recall seeing articles about training dogs to do just that) And then someone seeing the dog jump a person and bite their arm in a police-doggish fashion, you know what I mean, and think "Damn, that dog is attacking that guy!" because the cop whop's working with the dog is further away out of sight, seeing as he's not as fast as the dog is, and the poor dog gets whacked. Does that make any sense?

And I agree, there are some "killer" dogs that are rerally sweet, and then there are lapdogs who want to kill anything is sioght. Been there, done that, got bitten.

(*trots off to hug her uncle's mangy mutt*)

 

Arabwel, yes, police dogs are used in that fashion, at least in Norway. It only happens, though, when a criminal is fleeing the police and they release the dog so that it can run him down. But theoretically, it could happen like you said.

I don't know about other countries, but here, attacking a police dog is considered (in court) as "assaulting a police officer". This actually happened a few years ago; someone kicked a police dog badly, and was tried and sentenced to prison time for assaulting a police officer on duty.