Update: McMinnville police fatally shoot attacking pit bull

Good Job Mac Police and Yamhill County Dog Control.

As a pitbull owner I'm glad that an aggressive dog is off the streets and unable to hurt anyone else. I also dislike News Resisters lust for headlines, like all news organizations. Everyone will launch on the 'pitbulls are killers' tag line reading the headline and no other details are given or are probably going to be given.

Wouldn't it be something if the 'victims' dog was the aggressor and the larger pitty responded (very poorly) to that?

My pitty has been barked/lunged at and sniped at by other dogs. Thankfully he stands still and watches without responding except to play, but why not fill in the details News Register?

Once again this story could be summed up in one sentence according to news media. It goes like this:

"Wandering killer suddenly strikes for no reason, injuring two people and another canine, unprovoked and without cause, leaving all to believe once again that pitbulls are bred to kill."

I'm all for killing any animal that attacks others, without cause. I do however, with dogs, disbelieve they walk up and down the sidewalks and attack people.

My dog was walking across the street towards my neighbors with tail wagging and tongue lolling, and for no cause they started shouting and a man kicked my dog. If my dog had bitten the man you would be seeing this headline again. Thankfully he pulled away and came back to me, stunned at the reaction. Many dogs would have reacted aggressively to that situation, regardless of breed.

When I had a Stafordshire Terrior (pitbull if you must) people would cross the street when we walked her. Funny thing was, her best friend was our 7lbs yorkie.

We owned a pitbull for 11 years and found him to be non-agressive. He didn't like wheels (skateboards, lawn mowers, loud cars) - I think it was the noise. He never bit anyone and was gentle around small children, as I'm sure he thought of himself as one of them. He would chase cats, but only if they ran from him - if a cat stood it's ground, the dog would lose interest. I believe these dogs to be as good as their 'people' train them. He was extremely strong (weighing in at 65 pounds) and one of his favorite pastimes was to roll a 17 pound bowling ball around the back yard with his nose - you did have to watch him or he'd roll it into your ankle or across your foot - which was quite painful. He never bit anyone.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/07/pit_bull_in_mcminnville_killed.html is an article about this case with much more information. The dogs owner, according to this article, was the person who received the most serious injuries. There may have been two pitbulls in the attack.

I believe that the police did do a good job, but there were four other women, myself included, who were fighting to help pull the pitbulls off, and who were also part if getting one of them to stop all together. One of the saddest parts about this whole situation was that there were three children who watched first hand the animal put down.

It doesn't matter if it was a pitbull or a poodle, any animal that is out of control like that needs to be dealt with appropriately.

In my opinion, dogs are raised to be the way they are by the owner. Either good or bad. It doesn't matter what breed it is. People need to get over this bad breed opinion. I live across the street from a Doberman and she is the kindest sweetest dog. Yet, I have seen vicious Dobermans. That's about all I have to say, but to Ralph, I am sorry that people treat your dog poorly. I am sure she was raised with love and caring.

Question: How did the pitbull breed come to be? That is, for what purpose was it originally bred?
Answer: to viciously kill other dogs in a dog fighting "pit". I say outlaw 'em.

I believe the breed was originally brought to America to be a babysitting breed. Unfortunately there were people who over breed or in breed them and used them for fighting.

Mack said:


Question: How did the pitbull breed come to be? That is, for what purpose was it originally bred?
Answer: to viciously kill other dogs in a dog fighting "pit". I say outlaw 'em.

Well Mack, I am sorry to say that you are sadly misinformed. The pitbull breed was originally bred as a farm dog to assist in herding cattle and hogs. Unfortunately humans have abused these beautiful dogs strength.

Some dogs, no matter how loved they are, like humans, can have an aggressive personality. Any dog can be aggressive, Pitbulls just happen to be the ones who are currently being spotlighted. Years ago it was German Shephards or Rots that were getting the bad wrap, now it is the Pitbulls turn.

My family owned a pitbull for nearly 10 years, and like DeeDee above said, our dog was a gentle giant. She weighed in at a 80lbs and was a staffordshire as well. She had hip dysplasia, and my son at the time was 2, he would lay on her and she would nudge him off and not hurt him. She was kind, and I feel that most are.

I wonder if the author(s) of this article could ask the police department why the officer didn't use a taser or pepper spray. Wasn't it just a few months ago that a sheriffs deputy was in a similar situation and also chose to use his gun?
As anyone who has read my posts on here over the years knows, I am a big supporter of our local law enforcement and think they do an excellent job. That said, I'm still curious as to why they used lethal force.

Mack I would think the officer would have only a split second to make a decision of what weapon to use. The Officer seeing what the dog is doing, ie.. attacking people and other pets made the right decision of using what he knew for sure would stop the dog. I for one would not want to use pepper spray to find out it had little affect on the attacking dog and get bit as a result. This animal could very easily have killed one of the women or children present and deadly force was completely justified in my mind.

In addition, tasers are temporary at best. This allows the Officer to put the suspect in custody using handcuffs, etc. What would you do after tasing this dog? Can't put any restraints on this animal to protect others and himself. Deadly force is the only option.

Well Mack, I guess the update to this story should answer your question.

retiredbs, Good point on the taser. I hadn't thought of that.
I think you are right, when it comes right down to it, the officer only has a split second to decide what to do and the most important thing is to stop the animal as quickly and as effectively as possible.
I can imagine he probably felt pretty bad having to end the dogs life like that, but it had to be done.

Hadn't seen the update...it does shed some good light on things. Just a bad situation for all involved.

I am so glad that the basset hound is okay. I think that for all those envolved tonight is going to be very hard. God bless the officer who was there and the women who all helped.

Very scary! My sister-in-law, Shannon, also saw the attack and got out of her car to try and help. She used her bag to attempt to fend off the dog, and help get it away from the smaller dog.

The officer did what was necessary. An entire can of Pepper Spray had been directed at the dog, by one of the women, and it still did not stop.

For whatever reason, this dog flipped it's lid, and went berserk. It is too bad it had to be put down right then and there, but choices were limited. Unfortunately, the end result for this dog, was the same. Once he bit a person there, that was that.

There were three young children that witnessed this. My niece and nephew, and the owner's little boy. The whole scene and events, have to be awfully traumatic.

I feel very bad for the owner. She tried very hard to stop the attack. Before anyone jumps to judgement, just remember that "Stuff happens", and it could happen to you, too.

As for "Pitbulls are bad", baloney! As I said, stuff happens. There is a tremendous amount of heartache in this incident. Thankfully, it did not turn out much, much worse. Leave cynicism out of it, and offer support to those needing it. That happens to be, everyone involved.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

A truly terrible situation for all involved. To the "pit bulls should be outlawed" crowd, and dog haters in general, please don't put too much faith in sensationalist headlines without doing your own research. Also read Ralph's comment above before coming to such strong, generalized opinions. Not all dogs are alike. This is not directed at News Resister so much as media in general.

BUT I have to ask, you guys still carry revolvers?

Stop critizising the NewsRegister for reporting the news - teh fact of the matter is, the pit bull was the one that attacked the other dog--- even if the other dog maybe barked at him or something (Ralph), the pit bull was the one who didn't respond well and attacked, I for one am glad an aggressive dog is no longer around to possibly attack one of my children or elderly friends. I'm sure the NR would have reported the breed in the headline no matter what, some of you are just to darn sensitive and dramatic, stop being deffensive and realize in this case, this PITBULL was A BAD DOG

It is sad all the way around. I commend the officer on how he handled the situation. When you have an agressive animal like that there is only one thing you can do. I am glad no children were hurt. But to the defence of pitbulls, it is how you raise them. I have a 100lbs pit/lab mix he is a gentle gient. His best friend is a boston terrier. People are often afraid of his size because he will just run up to you, but his problem is he thinks everyone is his friend. The only time he is aggressive is when you come to my gate and im not home. So far he has just warned people not to come back there. I agree this pitbull was a bad dog. People need to be careful when they raise a pitbull and take extra care not to make them mean.

I am the person who will cross the street to get away from a pit, the reason- I have not the strength to defend agaisnt such an animal nor desire to see what could happen if that particular dog decided he didn't like me. I have been stalked by a pit- yes stalked, and I have seen far too many owners be careless and not use caution when their dog is in public. I have also seen too many owners not provide proper fencing or attention when it comes to their pit- BUT, I have seen the same with other breeds as well.

Ultimately, it is the person behind the dog that I am weary of. Is the dog used solely as a guard, chained daily and never shown kindness? Is the dog a well socialized family pet who loves everyone when visiting a dog park?

Because there is no way to know, I treat them ALL WIith caution and care when I see one of any breed- chihuahua, schnauzer, or pit, I steer clear for my safety.

From the story, the owner yelled at the dog walker to get out of there- obviously she knew her dog had issues, because of this she was EXTREMELY irresponsible by having the dog outside of a fence where the passing public would be safe. She was also irresponsible for keeping a dog that had such issues to begin with. It should have been highly socialized as a pup, and trained properly, professionally even, since she knew there was a problem. She put the pedestrians in danger as well as her community. There's no place for ignorance when raising a 45-60 pound muscle machine with teeth.

Very sad outcome for all, especially the now dead dog.

Mack, you have a computer, use it to educate yourself before posting your comments!! Nowhere in the following regarding the pit bull breed does it say pits were originally bred "to viciously kill other dogs in a dog fighting "pit". " It says that some have been selectively bred for fighting. Like chella929 commented, people have abused them and their original purpose!

Wikipedia: The American Pit Bull Terrier is the product of interbreeding between old english terriers and english bulldogs to produce a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.[3] These dogs were initially bred in England and arrived in the United States with the founders. In the United States, these dogs were used as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions.[3] Some have been selectively bred for their fighting prowess

Coltygirl, do you know what is ironic? This breed is now banned in the United Kingdom. Just saw that this morning. I wasn't aware of this until I read an article about a town who put a pitbull down just because of its breed. Apparently it was a big issue with national animal rights groups who even offered to transfer the dog to the United States, but the town denied the request. It's sad, but ironic that the country where the pitbull was produced, now prohibits them to the point of killing them regardless of their behavior.

I found the article I was referencing. http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/11/12682079-lennox-dog-condemned-as-pitbull-is-put-to-death-in-belfast?pc=25&sp=25

Mack - when reading your question about lethal force vs. tase-ing a dog - you have obviously never been attacked by a large dog that lost its mind. You have split seconds to deal with 85 lbs. of snarling teeth and muscle and it attacks whatever gets in its way. There's no reasoning with a dog that has lost it. There were civilians in harm's way that the officer had to protect. I'm glad he did.

retiredbs,
WOW...they didn't even prove that the dog in this article was actually the breed. Tragic that people like Mack would have a young girl's beloved pet euthanized and not even let her say goodbye to the pet just because of how it looks, and not based on it's behavior...it truly is sad and absolutely heartless!!

To be clear, I agree that in the case here in McMinnville the police took the absolute right course of action. This dog was out of control and they didn't have any other choice. I just don't agree with banning or killing any living creature because of breed or sterotype.

Just for general information for those reading this article. I know several people who know the owner as well as who have lived with her and the dog. The dog that was shot and killed was a loving and kind pet, who lived and loved the children living in the home. He in fact was rescued by the owner, he had been servilely abused by his previous owner. His story had a very sad beginning and now a very sad ending. As for the actions of the police, given the extent of the attack they took the appropriate action. Its just a horrible situation altogether.

But isn't that the point Megger? Time and again this breed turns. There is a reason your home owners insurance rates go up ifyou have this breed (as well as 7 others).

I think what stood out was the owner yelling at the walker to get her dog out of there, she knew her dog was a threat by that warning, which tells us all that her dog may have shown aggression before- this being said, it was her responsibility to have the dog in an enclosed area like a fully fenced in yard (with appropriate fencing) to insure her dogs safety as well as that of the public.

It really is sad, I believe that pits can be good dogs if raised and socialized well, but I certainly don't trust any human behind the dog to do the right thing.

I think cat owners need to be held to the same standard as dog owners - keep them on a leash, don't let them roam around the neighborhood....I know, I know, I'm off topic, but I hate those darn cats in my yard getting into the kids's sandbox - do you think there would be a problem if I put signs around my property that state "WARNING: We are not cat-lovers, all cats entering this property will be aggresively persued until they leave, if they return, they will be shot." Any legal issues with that??? ;-)

Check with McMinnville Police, I believe in Yamhill County it is a Class C Felony, even if the animal is on your property. I am unable right off hand to locate the offense code, but I do have it.

No you really couldn't be more off topic Zen, and yes, there are legal issues. How do you think it would go if I did the same but substituted "cat" with "dog"? Jeez...

@ Manup. She loved him and trained him the best she could. I do not disagree that having the dogs out in an open part of the yard was an obvious mistake on her part, and from the update to this article you can see she is being held responsible for that. But I would also like to point that in a separate article pertaining to this the police stated that "any" dog no matter its breed or how loving it is with its own family can turn viscous when just the right dog walks by. I believe you can teach a dog new things but that doesn't mean you erase everything it learned in its past. In my own personal experience I have found that pit bulls are some of the most well trained and obedient dogs any of my friends have ever owned. I have also found them to be loving and nurturing to children. I've seen pit bulls watch and be mindful of children better than some adults. I once watched a family pit bull carefully watch a small child who was at the crawling stage about to start walking who had a fondness for pushing themselves around on their father's skateboard when they rolled themselves too far away the dog carefully pulled the end of the board back into the room. The simple fact of the matter is not only how you train your dog it is how you treat it. Dogs are meant to be pets, loved and treated like any other member of your family. Not a security system, or to make you feel like the biggest man on the block,or just to own for owning sake with only minimal attention shown to it. No dog is meant for that. I would just like to remind everyone of Petey. The sweet lovable dog with the ring around his eye from The Little Rascals. That dog wondered around onset day in and day out with a large group of children. We watched him in the black and white T.V. show and another one in the remake movie. Petey was a Pit Bull, and no one was scared of him.

And also Manup.After reviewing and reviewing this article, at no point in this article does it say the owner yelled for the woman to get out of there. One of the women was quoted by another as saying "leave us alone", but it does not state by anyone that the owner yelled at them to get out of there.