Cop shoots charging Rottweiler (Tucson, AZ)

[Rene Allegrini]

After reading hundreds of Pit Bull articles about dogs allowed to roam, attacking children and other animals, it now seems the news media is focusing on our breed. Does anyone see a pattern here? It won't be long before most, if not all, of the cities that have banned the aforementioned breed adds our our dogs to their lists. Can anyone say "Irresponsible Owners" here?


Cop shoots charging Rottweiler dead
By DAVID L. TEIBEL
Tucson Citizen


Cop shoots charging Rottweiler dead | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®

A Tucson police officer investigating a report of dogs chasing schoolchildren in an East Side neighborhood this morning shot and killed a Rottweiler.

The dog was shot about 8:30 a.m. when it charged as the officer was getting out of a patrol car.

After the officer fired, the other Rottweiler ran to its home in the 4700 block of East 31st Street, police spokesman Sgt. Decio Hopffer said. That dog was taken away from the scene by Pima Animal Care Center agents.

No one was injured by the dogs, Hopffer said.

An investigation will be conducted to determine if the shooting by Officer Michael Williams, was justified, Hopffer said. Such investigations are standard procedure when an officer fires a weapon.

Williams has been a Tucson police officer since June 1993.

This morning's incident comes three days after a 2-year-old boy was mauled to death by two family Rottweilers at their home near West Valencia Road and South Camino de Oeste.

In Monday's attack, Luis Fernando Romero Jr. was killed by the family pets when he wandered outside to a play area in the front yard, sheriff's detectives said. The home is in unincorporated Pima County.

Those dogs are being held in the Animal Care Center, said its enforcement operations supervisor, Jerry Sanchez. The center is trying to contact the boy's parents to see what should be done with the dogs, he added.

This afternoon, he said, agents were searching to see if the center has any record of the dogs in today's incident or their owners.
Sanchez said he expected the owners, whose names were not immediately available, would be cited at least on a leash law violation.

[hokisteph5]

The dog was shot about 8:30 a.m. when it charged as the officer was getting out of a patrol car.

No denying that irresponsible owners were at play here. I have to wonder about the charging because Samson would look like he was charging, but would actually be running up to get petted. When I'm out in public, though, both Samson and Gretchen are on their leashes. It's too easy for their actions to be misinterpreted.

[TR Young]

Originally Posted by Rene Allegrini

...Can anyone say "Irresponsible Owners" here?...

We can shout it from the rooftops, but it seems that nobody listens. It would be so great if we could form a national coalition and make a tv commercial about responsible ownership and buy some airtime to get the word out.

[kerry grant]

Thats exactly what is needed here in the uk,Since the Baby was killed here by the two Rottweilers on the pub roof and the two year old attacked my Rottie and me have been looked at as if we where mass murderers.Ignorance is a bad trait , but unfortunatly the human race is full of it.

[Bodo]

Not trying to take the dogs side here but wondering what dogs chasing schoolchildren means. Were they having fun with the kids, were they trying to do harm? I agree with Hokisteph5 that most rotties would look like they were charging only wanting to be petted or get some attention! Years and years ago I had a police scanner and listened to a call go in to the county sheriff's dept., about a rottweiler in someone's yard and if the deputies didnt show up quick, the landowner was gonna shoot the dog. It wasnt doing anything wrong or aggressive, it was that it was a "rottweiler"! Turns out my wife and I knew the people that owned the dog and it was as gentle as a lamb. Luckily, the owners were contacted and nothing bad happended. People have preconceived notions about dogs and about other races of people. If this could be overcome, it would be a miracle!!

[moondog]

Originally Posted by Bodo

Not trying to take the dogs side here but wondering what dogs chasing schoolchildren means. Were they having fun with the kids, were they trying to do harm? I agree with Hokisteph5 that most rotties would look like they were charging only wanting to be petted or get some attention!

It is unreasonable to expect the general public, or a police officer, to be able to discern the difference between an intense interest in attention and an intense interest in prey. The dog got shot because it was running at large, and no one in their right mind is going to give a strange dog the benefit of the doubt when a person is at risk of injury, precisely because there IS doubt when it comes to what triggered the behavior...and no time for dog-therapy or to call an evaluator to the scene.

The ONLY solution to the problem is to hold OWNERS responsible for the actions of their dogs and to nail them HARD for allowing them to run at large. Until that happens to a degree that people are not willing to risk going to jail because they can't keep their dogs confined, this kind of thing will continue.

[Rene Allegrini]

Originally Posted by TR Young

We can shout it from the rooftops, but it seems that nobody listens. It would be so great if we could form a national coalition and make a tv commercial about responsible ownership and buy some airtime to get the word out.

Now there is a good idea. Is there anyone willing to head up such an idea? I'd be willing to contribute towards the commerical's airtime. Imagine if ALL responsible owners contributed even a dollar how much we could come up with and spend it on a very worthy cause. Animal Planet here we come!

[jackdee]

I like the Idea too, how many POINTS would it take to do it I wonder.

[smileygirl]

Definately something I would contribute to! With alot of us that have opened our hearts to the outstanding rescue numbers and accepted the role of public education through responsible ownership issues, it would be wonderful to take it to a larger audience...Tina