Pam Peebles, spokeswoman for the center, said the decision was made to euthanize the dog, a spayed female named Zasha, after she exhibited signs of aggression during an evaluation.
That behavior, exhibited during what Peebles described as “very benign handling” during the evaluation, coupled with the dog’s behavior on Jan 19, made euthanasia a wise decision, she said.
The dog, Peebles said, was not willing to allow people to handle her rear legs and tail, a sign perhaps of an underlying injury.
The incident began on Jan 19 as the owner, a 51-year-old woman, walked the two dogs. She threw a stick, the dogs began fighting over it and the woman attempted to separate the two.
“She loves her dogs and just jumped right in,” said Peebles. “That’s never a good plan.”
Police found the woman, bleeding profusely from her wounds, running down the street towards them.
As police provided first aid to the woman, officers Christopher Goodrow and Kim Brantley separated the dogs. One of the two, injured badly, was ultimately euthanized at T.J. O’Connor. The surving dog, Zasha, was held there for a 10-days to be monitored for signs of rabies.
The woman, treated at Baystate for her injuries, had the option of reclaiming the dog after that period but ultimately decided not to, Peebles said.
Although some believe that pit bulls are unusually aggressive dogs, Peebles [believes] that is not the case. “We don’t find any more levels of aggression in pit bulls than in Chihuahuas,” Peebles said.
[This is merely an opinion, not a fact.]
A given dog’s level of aggression is based on its own genetics, experiences and training, Peebles said, adding that pit bull attacks are more common in urban areas like Springfield because there are higher concentrations of them to be found as opposed to other breeds.
“Whether we are talking pit bull or black lab, big athletic dogs need to be managed and sometimes they don’t fit into our busy schedules. That type of dog needs a lot of exercise and it may not be a good fit,” Peebles said.
It’s important, Peebles said, to train dogs and focus on inappropriate behaviors that need to be fixed.
“Most dogs like to fall into place, they like to know the rules in the house,” Peebles said, adding that if such dogs are not given firm rules to follow, they will quickly make their own.
The Springfield incident was followed by similar one last Friday in Westfield in which a pit bull attacked its owner, a 2-year-old girl and a Westfield police officer at a Maple Street residence.
Investigators continue to probe that incident and the male dog, which is not neutered, is being held for its 10-day quarantine period at the at the Westfield Regional Animal Shelter.
Authorities speculated that the dog may have become jealous when as the owner, a woman, held the child. The owner was babysitting the little girl at the time of the incident.
The officer was bitten on the arm, the girl was bitten on the hand and the dog's owner was bitten on the thigh, Westfield Animal Control Officer Ken Frazer said. All three were treated at the hospital and later released, officials said.
(MassLive - Feb 1, 2012)
