at6
1st Sergeant
Today is National Dog Day in the U.S. Have you hugged your pooch today?
National Dog Day
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Today as in today? Or yesterday?
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at6
1st Sergeant
August 26th. That makes it yesterday, even though every day can be a personal national dog day. Torch, that is one pretty dog.
mikewint
Captain
'I'm dying:' Doomed Michigan jogger begged for life after two Cane Corsos attacked
A jogger bitten at least eight times by two massive Cane Corso dogs knew he was doomed, screaming and begging for his life as he bled out on a rural Michigan road.
Craig Sytsma, 46, was just a mile into a relaxed evening jog July 23 in Metamora Township when the 100-something pound dogs chased him down, clamping onto his arms, thigh, buttocks, chest and back, pulling him into a grassy ditch as horrified neighbors responded to his cries for help, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Edward Elmer was out mowing his lawn when he waved to Sytsma as he cruised down Thomas Road. But on his second pass, Elmer witnessed the attack.
"Sytsma was in the ditch being attacked by two large dogs. Elmer stated he approached Sytsma but realized he couldn't do much due to the size of the dogs," according to a police report obtained by the Free Press.
Elmer grabbed a gun from inside his house, raining four shots at the dogs and hitting one in the leg. They scattered, allowing Helen Barwig, Elmer's girlfriend, to be first to Sytsma's side.
Armed with paper towels and her training as a first responder, Barwig quickly realized there was little she could do. The divorced father of three "was losing a lot of blood and begged her not to let him die," the Free Press reported.
"I'm bleeding out, I'm dying," Sytsma gasped as Barwig used her belt as a tourniquet until she no longer felt a pulse.
The jogger was pronounced dead at a local hospital an hour after the 5:30 p.m. attack.
Sytsma wasn't identified until the next day because he left his car, identification and cell phone at Eltro Services, an engineering firm where he worked.
The 3-year-old dogs have since been euthanized and their owners, Valbona Lucaj, 44, and Sebastian Quagliata, 45, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The couple remains jailed on $500,000 bonds and are due in court Friday.
The canines were known to neighbors, police, the family vet and the owners themselves to be extremely dangerous and capable of doing damage.
The dogs attacked April Smith, 25, in 2012, and 73-year-old James Salego in November 2013.
Salego, who heard the gunshots and screaming during last month's attack, immediately suspected the Corsos: "those dogs are involved in something," he told his wife
The family veterinarian was concerned by the two animals aggression, writing "DWB!!!" meaning "dog will bite" at the bottom of a records of the dogs April visit to her office, the Free Press reported.
Seven other puppies seized from the owners' home have been sent to a rescue in Texas.
The two dogs who attacked, Princess and Toni, had tunneled out of an outdoor kennel sometime after Quagliata left in the morning for his job as a house painter.
A jogger bitten at least eight times by two massive Cane Corso dogs knew he was doomed, screaming and begging for his life as he bled out on a rural Michigan road.
Craig Sytsma, 46, was just a mile into a relaxed evening jog July 23 in Metamora Township when the 100-something pound dogs chased him down, clamping onto his arms, thigh, buttocks, chest and back, pulling him into a grassy ditch as horrified neighbors responded to his cries for help, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Edward Elmer was out mowing his lawn when he waved to Sytsma as he cruised down Thomas Road. But on his second pass, Elmer witnessed the attack.
"Sytsma was in the ditch being attacked by two large dogs. Elmer stated he approached Sytsma but realized he couldn't do much due to the size of the dogs," according to a police report obtained by the Free Press.
Elmer grabbed a gun from inside his house, raining four shots at the dogs and hitting one in the leg. They scattered, allowing Helen Barwig, Elmer's girlfriend, to be first to Sytsma's side.
Armed with paper towels and her training as a first responder, Barwig quickly realized there was little she could do. The divorced father of three "was losing a lot of blood and begged her not to let him die," the Free Press reported.
"I'm bleeding out, I'm dying," Sytsma gasped as Barwig used her belt as a tourniquet until she no longer felt a pulse.
The jogger was pronounced dead at a local hospital an hour after the 5:30 p.m. attack.
Sytsma wasn't identified until the next day because he left his car, identification and cell phone at Eltro Services, an engineering firm where he worked.
The 3-year-old dogs have since been euthanized and their owners, Valbona Lucaj, 44, and Sebastian Quagliata, 45, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The couple remains jailed on $500,000 bonds and are due in court Friday.
The canines were known to neighbors, police, the family vet and the owners themselves to be extremely dangerous and capable of doing damage.
The dogs attacked April Smith, 25, in 2012, and 73-year-old James Salego in November 2013.
Salego, who heard the gunshots and screaming during last month's attack, immediately suspected the Corsos: "those dogs are involved in something," he told his wife
The family veterinarian was concerned by the two animals aggression, writing "DWB!!!" meaning "dog will bite" at the bottom of a records of the dogs April visit to her office, the Free Press reported.
Seven other puppies seized from the owners' home have been sent to a rescue in Texas.
The two dogs who attacked, Princess and Toni, had tunneled out of an outdoor kennel sometime after Quagliata left in the morning for his job as a house painter.
Donivanp
Major
Yeah I read that,saddened me to do so. But like every breed out there the dog is a product of how you raise them and where you got them from. Out of all breeds the Pit bull gets the worst reputation,when you realise that in England many years ago they were used to protect royalties kids because their temperament was so easy going,Little Rascals dog was a Pit. With all dogs comes a responsibility to train,socialize and take care of them, more so when you do have breeds like Rotties,GSD's,Pit's etc..St.Bernards are supposed to have a great tempermant,one many years ago killed the dogs owners 2 kids. They found a pencil shoved in the dogs ear. I'm not going to sit here and blow smoke up your skirt and tell you that it's all the owners fault,some dogs are meant to do a job and instinct can take over that's just the way it is. I used to have a little Cocker Spaniel,meanest little SOB dog I ever knew,he didn't make it past 6 and to tell you the truth I was almost relieved we had to put him down.
mikewint
Captain
As the owner of one of the "Killer" breeds I know very well what reputation can do. Cheyan is as sweet as they come but she is protective and at 100lbs can be a handfull (or two). One paw swipe at a child and "Killer Dobe Attacks Child" is in the press. Breena is also over 100lbs and has no protective instinct but that paw packs a wallop. You mentioned the key word here which is SOCIALIZE. Animals who live alone with their owners can become ultraprotective. Breeding is also a problem. You mention Bernards which have become so poorly bread that they are not intelligent enough to distinguish a threat from a non-threat (Bernard attacks 3yo). Medical problems also play a role. My uncle had a Mastiff who I had played with since he was a puppy. At about 8yo or so he suddenly attacked us as we drove up. My uncle pulled him off the car but he still tried to attack. The vet found severe cataracts such that the dog was almost blind.
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imalko
Chief Master Sergeant
Didn't know that. But I hug them each day anyway...
Beautiful pictures in the posts above so far. Here's one photo of my little pack. The white one on the left was called Libi. She was the oldest and we lost her due to illness earlier this year. Now I'm left with other two - Blška and Lola. All are mix breeds which I saved from the street when they were puppies.
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Do it everyday...
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at6
1st Sergeant
Some pictures of mine. Somehow I ,managed to post photos twice. The small grayish one is Tinkerbell. The almost all white due to her age is Rosie, and the other is Rocky 'THE WONDERDOG".
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mikewint
Captain
mikewint
Captain
Well I know i'm being antropromorphic but one look into those big brown eyes and you know that there is a functioning intelligence, she sits on the couch and car seat like a human (well front paws down) and pouts when scolded. Never had a dog like her and that covers a lot of years and animals
Aaww, ya big softie, Mike. Lovely dog. I have to say I know exactly what you mean. I am a dog lover, but my wife isn't, so we don't have one, just a menagerie of chickens and ducks, as well as a cat, but I'd love a dog. My first, where I was a kid was a purebred Doberman, Warlord, named after his grandfather. He didn't have the clipped ears, so didn't look so fierce and although he was very vocal, he was a big softie, really. Liked vigorous play, but was never aggressive. We owned a series of Spaniels after Warlord, they were a different kettle of fish, very bright breed, but with a tendency to go a bit mental when they heard a loud bang, probably from being bred as gun dogs. They hated fireworks displays. The Spaniels had that intelligent look in their eye, especially Dudley, a Blue Roon Cocker Spaniel. He was quite intuitive and when any of us were sick, was the best comforter around. It was almost like we had a psychic link with him - very bright dog.
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mikewint
Captain
Dogs have no vocabulary to express themselves so body language and tone are very very important. Humans do this too and children are very good at it. As in she/he LOOKS angry, happy, sad, ect. Smell is also a huge factor. Sickness has a smell along with altered body language. As in dogs that can smell cancer. It is so very easy to antropromorphize. I do it too but then I'm old and the old grey brain ain't what she used to be.
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at6
1st Sergeant
Don't feel bad Mike. When I was young, I would say it is or was only a this or that. The older I became, the more attached to God's creatures I became. I may never eat a dog or a cat but will gobble venison, beef, birds, and fish with no sorrows what so ever. Never cared much for the taste of sheep, goats, or pigs.
Mike, I can't help but look at your Dobbin and think "I'm Batman". Or in her case Batwoman...
