A very upsetting headline on Thursday’s (March 15) Salford newspaper: early in the morning, around 0925h on Manchester Road, a man was walking his two dogs, one of them a grey and white lurcher named Rosie (both on strong canvas leads, hopefully, but the article does not say) while he had his 2 year old daughter in a pram.
Here is an example of what a short-haired lurcher like Rosie looks like. They also come in wire-haired varieties that look more terrier-ish. As in all dogs, temperaments vary according to the parentage of the dog, how it is raised, and the quality of its training and socialization.
He was approached by two obviously drunk men, who were walking a Staffie on a retractable lead (those are illegal in Canada because they do not allow full control of the dog).
Here is what a retractable lead (also called a “flexi lead”) looks like. The button can be pushed to shorten and lengthen the lead, but you must initially have full control of the dog with your voice so that it unfailingly obeys your command to walk at a certain length without pulling. A strong dog can easily snap even the larger ones if it breaks or pulls suddenly – even those calibrated to withstand the strength of large, muscular dogs.
The father with the lurcher and his child shortleashed Rosie and their other dog and tried to get by the drunks. The Staffie lunged at Rosie (the lurcher) and grabbed her by the neck. Rosie’s owner managed to get the Staffie off Rosie by putting his foot on the Staffie’s neck.
The drunk owners of the Staffie just watched and goaded their dog on!
Rosie had 20 stitches in her neck, and will be okay. Thank God the Staffie didn’t go for the little girl because Rosie was in the way. According to the paper, this is not a criminal offense. To me, it reinforces my belief that there are no such things as dangerous or bad dogs – only STUPID OWNERS. A properly trained Staffie, raised with love and discipline, makes a fine pet – same goes for other dogs the public regards as “dangerous”.
Harry is a "long stay" dog of he RSPCA Lincolnshire North East Branch, and desperately needs a home. Unfortunately, my DH and I aren't in a position to adopt a dog at this time, but I know Harry would make a lovely pet for someone!
