Man's Best Friend

[residentofcre]

Network News learned a sad fact about Calvert County yesterday. Lusby is on every channel. A daughter will bury her father and one of their "pets".

This man was 77 years old. He probably worked hard all his life. He may have been a man of great faith or he may have been a shining example to a small boy. No matter what other accomplishments may have been credited to this man, he will be now be known as the man from Lusby who was mauled to death by the family dogs.

Newscasters interviewed the neighbors. Mothers told the reporters that they couldn't let their children play in their own back yard. They were held captive in their own homes while the neighbors "pets" barked and growled. They told the reporters that they had called animal control. How much more horrific would it have been if it had been a child mauled by these "pets".

Animal Control is reported to have visited the family in the past. This time there was no doubt about the fate of at least one of the "pets". This time the "pet" was shot on site.

These "pets" were caged. First they were tied and then they were caged in a room. There were not treated like family. They were not faithful companions or best friends. They were not heroic animals like Lassie or RinTinTin. These were animals treated like convicts for a crime they finally committed.

People all over Calvert County are mistreating dogs and cats. It just plain wrong to take any living animal and either leave it on the end of a chain or in a cage or even just dump it somewhere to scavange for food. It's just plain wrong to ignor the constant barking for some scrap of attention. What happened yesterday in Lusby is the saddest symptom of a manmade problem.

We need Animal Control laws and ordinances that have teeth as sharp as these "pets" had. While we are writing these ordinances and laws Calvert County Animal Control Officers need to start using common sense while enforcing the laws we do have. We need to protect both animals and people.

I have one final question. Which is worse, clogging the court docket or burying a neighbor?

I am a Candidate for Calvert County Commissioner. This is now and has always been one of the most important issues on my agenda.

www.beckytice.com
410-326-2624
301-862-5246 ext 36
11832 Arrowhead Trail
Lusby, MD 20657

 

[2ndAmendment]

So what do you do to protect the rights of dog owners? There are many people that just hate dogs and will complain about any dog any time. Do you propose recourse against wrongful accusations? If a pet owner has to defend the pet/themselves in court and the accusation is found false, do you support the accused getting reimbursed by the accuser for any and all costs for the defense?

 

[RoseRed]

Network News learned a sad fact about Calvert County yesterday. Lusby is on every channel. A daughter will bury her father and one of their "pets".

Why did you start another thread?

 

[2ndAmendment]

Why did you start another thread?

Politician trying to get name in front of public. Bandwagon. Look at me.

 

[kwillia]

I know alot of people that "crate" their animals. It would be hard pressed for prove how long said animals actually spend in their crates/cages. My point is that there are already laws in place against animal cruelty/neglect. What do you propose that would of made a difference in this situation? If those animals have not attacked/bitten before what do you expect the authorities to have done differently prior to this attack?

 

[willie]

So what do you do to protect the rights of dog owners? There are many people that just hate dogs and will complain about any dog any time. Do you propose recourse against wrongful accusations? If a pet owner has to defend the pet/themselves in court and the accusation is found false, do you support the accused getting reimbursed by the accuser for any and all costs for the defense?

The interview with the neighbor of the deceased indicated that the owner was very much protected. It appears that the dogs owner had little respect for the neighbors as is the case with many people that just should not have pets. Depends on what you read, 5 or seven dogs and a cat locked in separate rooms. I bet that smelled good. The dogs did not stand a chance of being docile in an environment like that.

 

[Sharon]

People all over Calvert County are mistreating dogs and cats.

I'd like to tell you what Mr. Bear said but it might get me banned.

 

[residentofcre]

Politician trying to get name in front of public. Bandwagon. Look at me.

I would never deny that being on SOMD Online does get me in front of a very knowledgeable group of people. I have come to respect the opinions of a good many of you. I have received a lot of good advice from this forum.

The reason I brought this to this forum 4 times was to call attention to the problem.

I even got a call at home last night.... Which is definitely cool...

Animal Control had visited the house before. The man was afraid of the dogs. The neighbors were afraid of the dogs. There was some glitch in the law that would not allow Animal Control to take the dogs out of the home in that situation.

There is something wrong with the law.

By the way... this was bad for everyone involved... Animal Control officers try to save animals and people. When something like this happens they not only have to put down an animal on the spot but they also get accused of being inadequate. They do an excellent job for no money but the law stops them.

There is something wrong with the law.

Yes I am running for office.... what I am saying in print in front of you is that I plan to work on this.

Becky Tice...

 

[residentofcre]

People all over Calvert County are abusing dogs & cats...

Yep I said it....

Here's another one.... People all over Calvert County are speeding.

You and I are not speeding but while that is true, there are people all over Calvert County that are speeding. Get it?



Let me re-phrase this:

There are a bunch of people in Calvert County that should not own animals. They are ignorant and/or cruel people. There is also something wrong with the law... good people are risking their lives to be animal control officers and their hands are tied by the law that was written decades ago.

I hope that makes things clearer...

 

[2ndAmendment]

The interview with the neighbor of the deceased indicated that the owner was very much protected. It appears that the dogs owner had little respect for the neighbors as is the case with many people that just should not have pets. Depends on what you read, 5 or seven dogs and a cat locked in separate rooms. I bet that smelled good. The dogs did not stand a chance of being docile in an environment like that.

I was not speaking to this case specifically. residentofcre was calling for changes in the law. I was asking about balance.

 

[2ndAmendment]

I would never deny that being on SOMD Online does get me in front of a very knowledgeable group of people. I have come to respect the opinions of a good many of you. I have received a lot of good advice from this forum.

The reason I brought this to this forum 4 times was to call attention to the problem.

I even got a call at home last night.... Which is definitely cool...

Animal Control had visited the house before. The man was afraid of the dogs. The neighbors were afraid of the dogs. There was some glitch in the law that would not allow Animal Control to take the dogs out of the home in that situation.

There is something wrong with the law.

By the way... this was bad for everyone involved... Animal Control officers try to save animals and people. When something like this happens they not only have to put down an animal on the spot but they also get accused of being inadequate. They do an excellent job for no money but the law stops them.

There is something wrong with the law.

Yes I am running for office.... what I am saying in print in front of you is that I plan to work on this.

Becky Tice...

Law cannot and never should make up for personal responsibility. Government is not supposed to be a nanny, but we are certainly creating a nanny state. If the owner of the dogs was afraid of them, he should have turned them in. Easy. Dogs are property. Dogs are euthanized (put to sleep) all the time for varied reasons by owners and by the government and even, horror of horrors, by the SPCA.

 

[residentofcre]

So for the neighbors that were afraid to let their children outside, too bad?

Do you think the owner [the daughter not the father] should face manslaughter charges?

 

[itsbob]

So what do you do to protect the rights of dog owners? There are many people that just hate dogs and will complain about any dog any time. Do you propose recourse against wrongful accusations? If a pet owner has to defend the pet/themselves in court and the accusation is found false, do you support the accused getting reimbursed by the accuser for any and all costs for the defense?

WHo gives a crap about the rights of the dog owner if they are interfering with the rights of neighbors enjoying their neighborhood, or even to the level of not being able to let your kids outside to play. AT that point, they have cost you your rights, and something should be done.

I used to go for walks in PA with a 45 in my belt, because people didn't care about the safety of the neighbors, and wouldn't tie their dogs out. I had ONE person get out of his chair when I threatened to shoot his dog if he didn't come get it. The dog was in the street, barking growling and baring his teeth, and basically wouldn't let me pass, and I damn sure wasn't going to turn my back on him. Now what if it was my 10 year old (at the time) daughter trying to walk home from a friends house.. we shouldn't do anything until the dog actually mauled her, or should we take the pet, and make the pet owner responsible??

 

[residentofcre]

WHo gives a crap about the rights of the dog owner if they are interfering with the rights of neighbors enjoying their neighborhood, or even to the level of not being able to let your kids outside to play. AT that point, they have cost you your rights, and something should be done.

I used to go for walks in PA with a 45 in my belt, because people didn't care about the safety of the neighbors, and wouldn't tie their dogs out. I had ONE person get out of his chair when I threatened to shoot his dog if he didn't come get it. The dog was in the street, barking growling and baring his teeth, and basically wouldn't let me pass, and I damn sure wasn't going to turn my back on him. Now what if it was my 10 year old (at the time) daughter trying to walk home from a friends house.. we shouldn't do anything until the dog actually mauled her, or should we take the pet, and make the pet owner responsible??

Thank God... finally someone is willing to have an honest dialogue....

People if you like what he said.... then you like my interpretation of the situation here......

I want to protect the children.... A child should be able to play in the sun or read a book under a tree in safety....

That's what I stand for.... Wanna Talk?

www.beckytice.com

 

[2ndAmendment]

So for the neighbors that were afraid to let their children outside, too bad?

No. Of course there should be recourse.

Do you think the owner [the daughter not the father] should face manslaughter charges?

No. No more than you should face manslaughter charges if your kid driving your car gets into an accident and kills someone and your kid has been drinking underage.

 

[Sharon]

I used to go for walks in PA with a 45 in my belt, because people didn't care about the safety of the neighbors, and wouldn't tie their dogs out. I had ONE person get out of his chair when I threatened to shoot his dog if he didn't come get it. The dog was in the street, barking growling and baring his teeth, and basically wouldn't let me pass,

Oh please! Becky wants to make it against the law to tie your dog out. In 20 years I never needed a .45 although I ran across my share of freaks when I used to run every morning. Dogs were usually the least of my problems. I've carried a stun gun and an ASP, at times, and only used one of them once. Rocks thrown at the animals pretty much took care of the problem if need be. People were a bigger problem.

Up the street (from where I live now) there used to be a pair of barking boxers who were usually behind a fence. One morning they got out and came after me. Luckily, the owner came speeding along & within minutes and picked them up; apologetically. The next time the dogs got out, they weren't so timid. I yelled and called for the owners from the street, while the dogs got closer and closer, nothing worked, to make them back off. Finally, I was able to pass and saw a sheriff's car up the road and told her. She drove down to the house but wouldn't even get out of the car because of the dogs. I could hear her beeping her horn and then setting off the car siren to get the owners attention to come out and take care of the problem. I think they scared her more than me. I didn't encounter the dogs on the way home and the people moved shortly after that. I never blamed the dogs though, it was the owners responsibility to take caution.

As in the case of these pit bulls, the owners are responsibile and if he was afraid of them then he got what he deserved. No one should ever be afraid of their own dog. If a person is that stupid they deserve what they get. Fortunately it didn't happen to anyone else.

Do you think the owner [the daughter not the father] should face manslaughter charges?

I think Dad's death is punishment enough in this case. Had it happened to someone outside the family then, yes, they should be charged.

 

[2ndAmendment]

WHo gives a crap about the rights of the dog owner if they are interfering with the rights of neighbors enjoying their neighborhood, or even to the level of not being able to let your kids outside to play. AT that point, they have cost you your rights, and something should be done.

I used to go for walks in PA with a 45 in my belt, because people didn't care about the safety of the neighbors, and wouldn't tie their dogs out. I had ONE person get out of his chair when I threatened to shoot his dog if he didn't come get it. The dog was in the street, barking growling and baring his teeth, and basically wouldn't let me pass, and I damn sure wasn't going to turn my back on him. Now what if it was my 10 year old (at the time) daughter trying to walk home from a friends house.. we shouldn't do anything until the dog actually mauled her, or should we take the pet, and make the pet owner responsible??

You are missing the point. Did you observe my post where I said I was not discussing this case in particular? Context is everything.

Try reading my post with that in mind. What I am saying is that there are complainers. People that hate all pets or people with pets. Are there bad dogs? Yep. Should they be euthanized? Maybe. or maybe shipped off to a "home for wayward animals". But there are also good dogs that will get a bad wrap just because the complainer does not like dogs.

I experienced it first hand. One neighbor complained about my doberman at our HOA meeting. I didn't even have to defend my dog. Everyone who was at the meeting jumped on the guy and said what a good, friendly dog my dog was. But there was that one complainer that could have filed charges even though unfounded and I would have had to go to court, expend time and money, bring witnesses, to defend my dog. In this case, I didn't, but it could have come to that.

What I am asking is if residentofcre wants to change the law, will there be balance? Will there be recompense of the dog owner for expenses defending a false charge? If there are not, a well healed "neighbor" could repeatedly take a good dog to court and bankrupt or force the good dog owner to move. That is equally not right as a bad dog causing problems in the neighborhood.

Does that make my stance clearer?

 

[residentofcre]

I am not against tying a dog sometimes.

I'm not against putting a dog in a pen sometimes.

It's not cruel to exercise a dog on a run sometimes.

It's cruel to chain or confine any animal all the time.

I am also advocating a dog park in our HOA so owners have a safe place to go and play with their dogs.

I also think it is wrong to ban a particular breed of any animal.

The laws we have on the books now don't protect anyone. They were written decades ago. They don't protect the owners, the animals, or the neighbors.

Yes... there has to be balance.... Believe me when I tell you that it is very easy to tell if an animal has been neglected or abused.

I recently helped to write barking dog rules for our HOA... the first in the County [maybe the State]. Some people want to do away with them. In the procedure to follow, our security is to record the barking dog to proove the barking was constant. That way, a neighbor that simply wants to cause trouble would be required to produce solid proof.

It's not perfect... some don't even think it good... but it's a start.... If those dogs [that killed the man in Lusby] were really hanging out of a window and grawling and barking viciously the Animal Control officer would have been able to take them into custody and we would not be having this discussion today.

Should an owner found innocent have recourse for his defense expenses?... I think that is definitely very fair.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Off topic:
Becky, Aren't you the one that refused to pay the CRE dues and had to be escorted from the gates to your home?

 

[mrweb]

I recently helped to write barking dog rules for our HOA... the first in the County [maybe the State]. Some people want to do away with them. In the procedure to follow, our security is to record the barking dog to proove the barking was constant. That way, a neighbor that simply wants to cause trouble would be required to produce solid proof.

Oh you did? What about this county ordinance......or did you write that too?

[font=Times New Roman, Times]SECTION VIII – PUBLIC NUISANCE[/font]

1. [font=Times New Roman, Times]Any dog or cat that barks or makes other harsh excessive noises so as to disturb the quiet, comfort, and repose of a member or members of the community as reflected by persons with normal sensitivities to noise, molests or bites passerby, runs at large, chases vehicles, attacks other domestic animals, deposits excretory matter on property other than that of the owner, shall be deemed a public nuisance.[/font]