[Purple]

Blaze in happier times. Picture/supplied

Owner faced bloodbath after pet pitbull savaged



18.03.2008
By SASKIA KONYNENBURG
A KAMO family has been left devastated after a pet pitbull was badly mauled in a frenzied backyard attack.
The dog, called Blaze, was kept on a chain in the family's fenced garden and had little chance when a great dane/French mastiff leapt into the section.
Owner Sharron Te Maire-Kuha was called by the SPCA and told Blaze had been taken to a vet but would have to be put down. She rushed to be with her pet as it died.
"His injuries were horrific. He was covered in blood, had one eye missing and half his lip was gone. It was very traumatic," she said.
Ms Te Maire-Kuha took Blaze home so the family could say goodbye, but was confronted by a gruesome mess in the back yard.

"There was blood everywhere. I didn't want the children seeing it. There are still blood stains on the fence that I can't scrub off, and I had to clean up Blaze so that we could all say goodbye."
She said her three children and three grandchildren, who all live at the Kamo home, were distraught when Blaze wasn't there to welcome them home from school last Wednesday.
Despite being a pitbull, Ms Te Maire-Kuha said Blaze was a gentle, good natured dog.
"I'm so angry with the owners of the other dog. We'd done everything to make sure our dog was controlled ... What if their dog had killed one of my children?"
But Environmental Northland manager Keith Thompson - who is in charge of dog control in Whangarei - said it was a sad case of two good dog owners who had now both lost their pets.
The other dog, which had since been put down, was registered and had not been picked up before.
"It was a very friendly dog to humans, but not so much to other dogs."
Mr Thompson said when the owner visited the pound the morning after the incident, he had already made direct-credit arrangements with the SPCA to pay the vet bills.
"He was devastated, not only for the loss of his dog but for what it had done to the other dog."
Mr Thompson said the SPCA was still deciding whether to prosecute. Ms Te Maire-Kuha said pitbulls got "such a bad rap" and it was not always fair. "Our dog was lovely and I miss him every day. He was part of the family."



http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/lo...condsubsection=

[jasmine2008]

That is so terrible

[buddysmom]

It is terrible but it also makes me furious that she left the dog unsupervised and even more that she prolonged its suffering so "the family could say goodbye." Selfish idiot.

[jasmine2008]

Originally Posted by buddysmom It is terrible but it also makes me furious that she left the dog unsupervised and even more that she prolonged its suffering so "the family could say goodbye." Selfish idiot.

I totally agree she should have never prolonged his suffering personally i wouldn't want my kids or grandkids to remember my dog that way. I would rather them remember him as the playful loveable pup he was.

[Pitboyz08]

I am so sorry for your loss. Sometimes during an unexpected and tramatic event in ones lives emotions over ride common sense especially when it comes to a loved one. This dogs was contained in its own yard. Not every one can have a dog in a house (allergies, dog doesnt like being in the house ect) so just because the dog was outside does not mean the dog was not loved or cared for. I am so sorry for your loss and I am glad the owner of the other dog did the right thing and took full responsibilty for thier dogs actions. May Blaze run free and happy at Rainbows Bridge!!!

[FREAKSHOW]

Originally Posted by Pitboyz08 I am so sorry for your loss. Sometimes during an unexpected and tramatic event in ones lives emotions over ride common sense especially when it comes to a loved one. This dogs was contained in its own yard. Not every one can have a dog in a house (allergies, dog doesnt like being in the house ect) so just because the dog was outside does not mean the dog was not loved or cared for. I am so sorry for your loss and I am glad the owner of the other dog did the right thing and took full responsibilty for thier dogs actions. May Blaze run free and happy at Rainbows Bridge!!!

I agree.

[buddysmom]

Originally Posted by Pitboyz08 I am so sorry for your loss. Sometimes during an unexpected and tramatic event in ones lives emotions over ride common sense especially when it comes to a loved one. . This dogs was contained in its own yard. Not every one can have a dog in a house (allergies, dog doesnt like being in the house ect) so just because the dog was outside does not mean the dog was not loved or cared for. I am so sorry for your loss and I am glad the owner of the other dog did the right thing and took full responsibilty for thier dogs actions. May Blaze run free and happy at Rainbows Bridge!!!

Uh ... Reality check please! This was a NEWS ARTICLE. That is why it's in the "Pit Bulls in the News" section.

The person who lost their dog is not on this forum. If they were reading this I would not have written what I did. NEWS ARTICLES are subject to comment. On the other hand it is against forum rules to call ME, as another member, a "self involved uncompassionate IDIOT." I deserve and expect an apology.

[Miakoda]

My dogs are left chained outside when I'm not there to supervise. Personally, I've done my job in putting a fence around them and making sure each is on a secure chain set-up. I shouldn't have to worry about some irresponsible person allowing his dog to go on a rampage that will hurt my dogs.

Everything is life has risks. And in order to live life, one must take risks. So for me, I chose to take the "risk" of something happening to my dogs outside vs. me hoarding them away in kennels in a dark room inside for hours on end all because it makes me feel safer. I used to be that person.....until I sat back and saw how miserable my dogs were in those kennels for 8 hours during the day and then back in them at nighttime.

I don't think the person who lost his/her dog should be blamed at all. Hell, I had several people blame ME for Miakoda's death. For instance, I should've known better than to walk a "pit bull" on a leash while pushing a stroller. Whatever. I have that right and for my dogs' wellbeing, I am going to execute that right. I'm tired of people trying to get me to live like a paranoid hermit afraid of the what-ifs. We can either live our lives and take the bad with the good, or we can merely exist. The choice is yours.

[fearlessknight]

Simply amazing!

[annji]

Terrible story, don't see where it mentions the dog was not put to sleep before he went home. Can't believe they mentioned the other dogs' breeds. Her dog was secure in his fence. Proabably been there for years. We can't be all knowing and all seeing. We can't predict every little thing that will happen and prepare for it.

[buddysmom]

Whether to leave your dog unsupervised is a personal choice based on many factors. I don't fault the owner SO MUCH for that, but taking the mangled poor thing back home before putting it out of its misery was not a good call to say the very least.

[buddysmom]

Originally Posted by annji Terrible story, don't see where it mentions the dog was not put to sleep before he went home.

Come to think of it I didn't even consider the dog may have already been put down before she brought him home. Bringing the body home is OK, it's just that the article did not say "body" so I was assuming the worst. I hope I was wrong. Really I can't imagine a vet letting that happen.

[Pitboyz08]

I will apology for my ignorance in not realizing that this was a NEWS REPORT" and not a personal posting..my error. I do not and will not retract what I said and I will not apology to you because whether or not your comments where meant to be public or not the comments were still insensitive and uncaring. I hope and pray that someday in your life you wont come across an issue in which you would hope for some understanding and compassion as I truly believe in what comes around goes around. Compassion is free and doesnt cost anything but a little self humility.

[buddysmom]

Originally Posted by Pitboyz08 I will apology for my ignorance in not realizing that this was a NEWS REPORT" and not a personal posting..my error. I do not and will not retract what I said and I will not apology to you because whether or not your comments where meant to be public or not the comments were still insensitive and uncaring. I hope and pray that someday in your life you wont come across an issue in which you would hope for some understanding and compassion as I truly believe in what comes around goes around. Compassion is free and doesnt cost anything but a little self humility.

I am not lacking in compassion or humility regardless of what you may think. And i would NEVER say anything like I did if I thought there was any chance the woman who lost her dog would read it.

I stand by my statement that, if the lady delayed putting this dog out of his misery to bring him home so the family could say goodbye, that was indescribably selfish and cruel. Someone pointed out that she may have returned the body AFTER the dog was put down, which as I said would of course be OK and I hope to God that was the case.

Now whether you want to apologize or not, name calling of another member is against forum rules. This time a mod removed your offending words but I hope you will remember and not call me or any other member a derogatory name in the future.

[DoggyDaddy]

Originally Posted by buddysmom I am not lacking in compassion or humility regardless of what you may think. And i would NEVER say anything like I did if I thought there was any chance the woman who lost her dog would read it. I stand by my statement that, if the lady delayed putting this dog out of his misery to bring him home so the family could say goodbye, that was indescribably selfish and cruel. Someone pointed out that she may have returned the body AFTER the dog was put down, which as I said would of course be OK and I hope to God that was the case. Now whether you want to apologize or not, name calling of another member is against forum rules. This time a mod removed your offending words but I hope you will remember and not call me or any other member a derogatory name in the future.

The woman did not delay her dog's death. The article said the dog was euthanized at the vet and she was there to watch. Her children were not with her at the time.

[Rai_77]

Sad story, but I have to point this out:

"I'm so angry with the owners of the other dog. We'd done everything to make sure our dog was controlled ... What if their dog had killed one of my children?"

More ignorance about how HA and DA work.

[bahamutt99]

That is very sad. Just one of the many possibilities which inspire me to keep my dogs inside while we're away. But I can understand why people don't. In another time and place, maybe... Poor pup.

[fearlessknight]

Originally Posted by buddysmom but taking the mangled poor thing back home before putting it out of its misery was not a good call to say the very least.

That is absurd! I was having a hard time distinguishing whether or not it was PTS or she took it home that way......

Originally Posted by Pitboyz08 I will apology for my ignorance in not realizing that this was a NEWS REPORT" and not a personal posting..my error. I do not and will not retract what I said and I will not apology to you because whether or not your comments where meant to be public or not the comments were still insensitive and uncaring. I hope and pray that someday in your life you wont come across an issue in which you would hope for some understanding and compassion as I truly believe in what comes around goes around. Compassion is free and doesnt cost anything but a little self humility.

Nobody asked for an "apology" and not only that......while compassion is "free" there is also FREEDOM OF SPEECH and people (like it or not) are entitled to their OPINION/FEELINGS on the matter!
In the REAL world, people's dogs that die are not always innocent and there is not always room "compassion and understanding"! Most people that have sense, they feel for the dog, because in the end the dog is always either to blame or at fault in the eyes of the public/media when in fact it is the owners FAULT and lack of knowledge with either the breed or dogs in general (not saying that was the case here) I believe there may have been a word or two that was misinterpreted in this article and left it open for confusion and doubt. Regardless, either way......

Originally Posted by Rai_77 Sad story, but I have to point this out: "I'm so angry with the owners of the other dog. We'd done everything to make sure our dog was controlled ... What if their dog had killed one of my children?" More ignorance about how HA and DA work.

I COMPLETELY AGREE! That part got under my skin too......I mean damn, just because a freaking dog attacks and/or kills another dog DOES NOT MEAN that it would ever break human skin.....people really need to be educated before owning animals!

[fearlessknight]

Originally Posted by Purple Owner Sharron Te Maire-Kuha was called by the SPCA and told Blaze had been taken to a vet but would have to be put down. She rushed to be with her pet as it died. "His injuries were horrific. He was covered in blood, had one eye missing and half his lip was gone. It was very traumatic," she said. Ms Te Maire-Kuha took Blaze home so the family could say goodbye, but was confronted by a gruesome mess in the back yard. "There was blood everywhere. I didn't want the children seeing it. "I'm so angry with the owners of the other dog. We'd done everything to make sure our dog was controlled ... What if their dog had killed one of my children?"

This is ignorance at it's best IMO.....why in the hell would anyone say that?
And then, she doesn't want her kids to see the mess in the backyard, but she will let them see the mangled dog dead? LMAo....ummm ok! To each his own!

Originally Posted by DoggyDaddy The woman did not delay her dog's death. The article said the dog was euthanized at the vet and she was there to watch. Her children were not with her at the time.

After going back and re-reading the article I see now where it made it clear...I guess the names threw me off.....

[Patch O' Pits]

Run hard and play free at the Rainbow Bridge pretty baby Blaze