Get Well Soon

[Todd Wiedemann]

In light of the recent pit bull issues at TMJ4 (http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/9052611.html) we here at MilwaukeeHDTV would like to extend a "Get Well" to all those affected.

Mentioned in the link above was a "news operations manager."

One of our own, Sean O'Flaherty, has a title similar to that. Since no names are mentioned, we also hope that all is well, Sean.

Please let us know,

Thanks.

[viva-vegas]

Indeed it was Sean -

Sean O'Flaherty, a 57-year-old news operations manager, suffered several bites while drawing the dogs away from the injured woman, and a police sergeant suffered a bite to the hand while corralling the roaming animals.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=645076


Get Well Soon,

Craig

[Doug Mohr]

I hope Sean is doing better, I feel bad for him and the others involved but I have to air my disdain for the reporting of the story.

Yes four "Pit Bulls" (Pit Bulls is a rather generic term encompassing several different AKC breeds) attacked and caused significant injury.  What John at MADAC didn't say (and generally doesn't when he gives statements) is that when family pets are stolen and used as bait dogs for training fighting dogs (because family dogs are generally too docile to fight) they are starved, emotionally and physically abused, and given mass amounts of hormones to make them more aggressive and to rile up the fighting dogs they are training them with. That situation is common in Milwaukee yet always unmentioned because the story then loses some of its sensationalism.

I'm not excusing the dogs, they must be euthanized no matter what the circumstances, but to infer that a family pet who gets loose would go out and attack unprovoked is a sensationalism tactic since those types of attacks are a very rare occurrence.

Recently there was huge coverage of the man mauled by Ving Rhame's Mastiffs in LA. However, I have yet to see a single follow up story telling that the official coroner's report listed cause of death as a heart attack and that the minor abrasions (coroner's words) were likely caused when the dogs tried to wake up the man and drag him to a safe area. Despite my notification to the local media outlets, no follow ups have been aired to my knowledge. I guess they don't want the truth to interfere with the agenda of promoting public fear.

Again, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people injured, but the reporting could have been more factual and less commentary or at least include commentary from a breed behavior specialist.

Perhaps if the police and MADAC actually enforced the existing pet license laws and held dog owners responsible for the dog's actions we wouldn't have had this vicious attack.

Some interesting statistics:
you are 60 times more likely to be killed by a falling coconut,
50 times more likely to be killed by lightning,
5 times more likely to be killed by a cow
than you are to be killed by a Pit Bull

Sorry for the hijacking of this thread. I have no intention of belittling the painful injuries that those involved are suffering through.

Doug
Mastiff owner and rescue volunteer

[Paul S.]

Ghetto dog owners need to be shot in the face. Those poor dogs have to die because of sh1thead owners. I think people need to take a class and be certified before owning any dog.

Owner of 2 purebred German Rottweilers and a cute lil Lab/Pit mix.

[gparris]

Bad owners = bad dogs.
My neighbour has a couple of "killer" poodles (very sharp teeth)...don't get me started on my handing of these creatures (the owners).:mad:

[bubbaridesfast]

The only time in my life when I ever really had a fear of dogs was as a teen doing my paper route. The dogs that bothered me the most (by fay) were Schnauzers! The terrorized the hell out of me!

We currently have 2 very well-mannered dobermans and have had Rotts and a mastiff, step-son has 3 bull mastiffs. The only good dog is a large dog if you ask me.