Some Thoughts About Max - Page 2

Trailrider,

The dog being tied out plays a HUGE role here, how can you say this has nothing to do with the case!  If the dog was in a proper kennel or inside the VACANT house or contained in a secure fence this most likely would NOT have happened, period!  I am aware that alot of people leave their dogs tied out ALL THE TIME, unsupervised!  Live in a "red neck" town myself where the "red neck mentality" runs deep, the city animal control actually recommends this!  Just read it in the city ordinances for Claremore, OK.  The ordinances are on-line!  Still does not mean it is a RESPONSIBLE thing to do!  What about all those little kids that venture into a yard to get a ball and get eaten by the "pit bull" that is TIED out?????  The dog is still in IT'S YARD!  Just like Max was in HIS YARD!  I actually do not believe the statement that "Max was not tied out 24/7 and that he was a house dog."  Again, was the house not reported to be VACANT?  Still, It has everything to do with what the Mattia's did on that day! 

TIED OUT DOG=DEAD DOG! 

It dosen't matter how the dog died to me, well, it really does.  I do think the officer did go over board!  But, if you TIE OUT A DOG UNSUPERVISED it can hang it's self, which is probably worse than being shot, death by hanging is not a quick way to go!  Or just a number of things can happen! 

If they had a fenced yard and I don't even think they needed a sign saying BEWARE OF DOG!  It is "INTRUSION UPON YOUR RIGHT OF SECLUSION" almost the same as invasion of privacy, for a lawenforcement person to enter your property if it is fenced, gated and the gate is locked!  I would definately support this family and their tragedy if they were just responsible dog owners, because it is just that - A TRAGEDY FOR THE DOG! 

Trailrider, I actually have a 1/4 acre that is fenced JUST FOR MY DOGS!  And even with a 1/4 acre fenced I STILL DO NOT LET THEM OUT UNSUPERVISED!  We are also in the process of closing on a house with 3 acres, guess who will get the majority of the property?  THE DOGS!  Sooooo, Trailrider, even though I have dogs that are taken out to be worked I DO spend QUALITY time with each in their own FENCED yard!  I used to put my dogs out in the yard unsupervised till I went out and found my first H.O.T. dog dead because she had tried to climb your average chain link fence and caught her collar on the top and her feet were just 3 inches off the ground!  But, a person lives and learns best from their mistakes!  Just as the Mattia's have learned from theirs, but unfortunately it is at Max's expense!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

FURTHER MORE, I feel it is MY job as a pet owner and a Schutzhund enthusiast to PROTECT my dog from himself as well as the actions of others!  And the Mattia's failed Max here also! 

I have taken the natural ability for my dog to bite and refined it to give him POWER in protection and have taught him it is OK to bite in certain threatening situations, even if I DO NOT COMMAND HIM TO DO SO (ESCAPE BITE)!   IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT MY DOG FROM HIS OWN POOR JUDGEMENT!  THEY DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO REASON AND WEIGH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS!  I am of the opinion that the Mattia's failed their LOVED, TIED OUT PET HERE!

VICKIE

www.PowerHausKennels.com

Should Max have been tied out?  Most definitely not.  Should Max have been killed for being tied out?  I think that those of you who, for some reason that is beyond me,  want to justify what this cop did, are grasping at a pretty thin straw here.  Tieing a dog out seems to be a worse offence in your eyes than shooting that same dog 7, TIMES !

Vickie, once again,   You nailed it.

PSP,

Did you not READ my post.  Read it again!  I do not agree with how the officer conducted himself!  I am not, did not, will not defend the Mattia's or the officer!  I am not justifying the officers actions! 

BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MATTIA'S FAILED THEIR LOVED, UNSUPERVISED, TIED OUT DOG!  To me they were equally at fault!  Was the officer right in doing what he did?  I don't think so.  Were the Mattia's right in TIEING OUT THEIR SO SO LOVED PET, UNSUPERVISED?  I don't think so there either!  NO DOG should be killed for being tied out!  Tieing out the dog IS a worse offense to me!  What if the dog had hung it's self.....happens everyday, worked in a vet clinic for 9 years, I know!  You all who support this family for TIEING OUT THEIR LOVED UNSUPERVISED PET would flog and flame this person so bad they would want to hang themselves!  NOTE:  DEATH BY HANGING IS NOT AN EASY WAY TO GO!  IT IS NOT INSTANT!  Once again I will say,,,,,,,IF THIS DOG HAD BEEN PROPERLY CONTAINED OR SUPERVISED IT IS PROBABLE THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!  BUT THE MATTIA'S LOVED THIS DOG SOOOOOO MUCH THEY TIED IT TO THE F***ING FRONT PORTCH WITH A F***ING CHOKE COLLAR AND LEFT IT F***ING UNSUPERVISED!  BOTTOM LINE IS:

TIED OUT DOG = DEAD DOG!

And I am sorry for the loss.........the dog's loss, because the dog is the TRUE looser here!  He didn't deserve what he got from either the officer or the owner!

I am getting quite angry now!  Think I will go walk one of my poor mistreated dogs and have a glass of wine!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

Vickie:  I don't know you but you need to relax a little.  I hope the water and walk helped.  The posters above are not saying that it is a good thing or even an okay thing, to stake out a dog.  They are just saying that tieing out a dog does not equate to shooting a tied out dog 6 or 7 times.  Lets face it, there are times when it is understandable to tie out a dog.  If Max had been loose inside a fenced in yeard and the officer did the same thing he did, the dog would have still been shot dead by this officer.  Any doubt about that in anyones mind?  If you are of the mindset that you can walk into the "range" of a tied out GSD, then you are of the mindset that you can walk into his domain (read fenced in yard).

The officers actions sucked.  The dog owners actions sucked and the investigation sucked.

I repeat what I have posted in the past.  The ONLY individual involved in this whole incident, who did nothing wrong, was the dog.  At least as far as the evidence presented in the media indicates.  I do not fully trust the media (I will explain below), however, anyway you dice it, the officer and the investigation were inadequate.

I shot and killed someone while I was working in uniform.  It was front page news.  The media reported that I acted drunk and had alcohol on my breath when I did so.  I have been a non-drinker all of my life.  Period.  Where they got that "drunk" rumor from, was never addressed by them.  I do hold that against them.  However:

Too much is made here about right to seclusion, right to privacy, rights on private property, etc.  It is all great to believe in that, think like that and fight for that, but in reality, when it comes to police work, it is not the law.  If you had a fenced in yard, with ten dogs in it, five signs saying "Private Property, Stay Out", etc,.  It would not prohibite an officer of the law from entering to effect the arrest of someone or the investigation of a crime.  If an officer of the law has an arrest warrant (and this officer did), then he is justified to enter into the yard.  If he is attacked, by dog, human or bull, the officer is legally authorized to shoot to kill, not scare or wound.  If the officer has an arrest warrant and he is "sure" (the meaning of that word would have to be argued in court in each individual case), the officer would have the right to kick in the door of your house and come in to arrest whomever was listed on the warrant.  If your three dogs inside your house attacked the officer (just doing their dog job), then the officer would legally be allowed to shoot to kill them.

Having said all of that, my argument from the beginning of this reported incident is that the officer was legally justified in his actions (and that is what the investigation found), the officer has poor judgement, not enough reverence for life, poorly trained and supervised and either a coward or one of "those" individuals who legally carries a gun and "looks" for opportunities to use it, instead of avoiding it in a humane and common sense manner of someone who values life, human and animal.  I repeat, this Officer Long needs to be retrained and evaluated.  His tactics, judgement and actions were just plain bad.  Anyway you dice and slice it.

DR&FNO:  I think you hit the nail on the head. 

DR&FNO,

I totally agree with what you post!  But, in this situation if the owners had been responsible and the dog been contained properly I still maintain that this would probably not have happened!  They did not do their job as pet owners.

I seriously doubt that that officer would have kicked in the door on a suposed "child support" warrant/order, whatever! 

It just amazes me that so many people ignore the FACT that the pet owner put their own dog in harms way, wheather it be by shooting, hanging, strangulation, if it were an approachable dog even torture by some sick freak!  Anyway, I guess I am just outraged by the owners tieing up the dog and leaving it unsupervised.....guess I feel that the poor dog deserved better by the owners!  I maintain that the dog was the true victum.  The dog was the one who paid the price and it is all because he was tied out!

Makes me sad for the ole' boy, really!  He is the true looser in all this!

No matter how you roll the dice:

TIED OUT DOG = DEAD DOG! 

And people wanted to take up a collection so they could get a new dog....to tie up!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

Thank you Do Right for so eloquently putting this into perspective.  In my book, this is not so much about what is legal or illegal as it is about what is right or wrong.

PSP,

You are right and tieing out a dog and leaving it unsupervised is WRONG!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com