• ‘Don’t try to reason’ • Pit bull type dogs • ‘Authority also needs to be enforced’ • ‘Don’t try to reason’ At some point, surely, it must become evident to somebody that the behavior of far too many pet
• ‘Don’t try to reason’ • Pit bull type dogs • ‘Authority also needs to be enforced’ •
‘Don’t try to reason’
At some point, surely, it must become evident to somebody that the behavior of far too many pet owners on this island can only be described as “deplorable,” and that something needs to be done about it.
I’m not going to rail against pit bulls and like breeds here. There is a serious problem on this island of people refusing to obey the leash law across the board. You are required, by law, to keep your dog on a leash no more than eight-feet long whenever it isn’t on your property or somewhere it has been deemed appropriate for it to be off leash.
There is absolutely no acceptable excuse for any dog to be off leash in a public space. Until local law enforcement gets serious about this, we will continue to have people and pets injured and terrorized due to the inexplicably rude and irresponsible behavior of certain pet owners who believe laws don’t apply to them.
I urge anyone living in an area where dogs are frequently loose to report these incidents to the Kauai Humane Society and the KPD. Get photographs. KHS needs visual proof of the problem. Don’t try to “reason” with these irresponsible pet owners — they have already demonstrated that they aren’t reasonable since they can’t follow a very simple law. Get evidence of the offense and turn it over to the proper authorities. Do it every time you see it. Help force greater adherence to and enforcement of the existing laws and end this ridiculous behavior.
Michael Mann
Lihue
Pit bull type dogs
Last week the island experienced another pit bull attack. Two pit bulls viciously attacked and killed a small dog and, after the pit bulls killed the dog, the owners of the dogs quickly left — leaving the woman owner of the small dog laying on the ground in tears by her small dead dog. Readers of The Garden Island will remember that just a few months ago a pit bull type dog attacked a child in a stroller. In that case, the mother and two men where able to successfully beat the pit bull away.
Some people — usually guys — feel that a pit bull is Mocho (tough). As a young Naval officer serving in the Naval Assault Group, I had the privilege of working with a number of Marine Recon units. I believe that there is nothing tougher (except the Navy Seals) than the Marines. Yet, let it be noted that the Marine Corp was the first branch of the military to ban pit bull type dogs (and Rottweilers and wolf-hybrid) from all Marine bases and all off base housing that are paid for by the military. This action was quickly followed by the Army with a similar total ban and then by the Air Force and Navy on a base by base basis. Pit bulls are also banned in 12 countries including, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. They are also banned in a number of U.S. cities.
There are approximately two million pit bull type dogs in the United States. This sounds like a big number, yet it is less than 3 percent of the 78 million dogs in the United States. In the United States this 3 percent is responsible for 42 percent of all emergency room visits related to dog bites or attacks and is responsible for 80 percent of all deaths due to dog attacks. Sadly, the individual most at risk of being killed by a pit bull is the first-born baby of a couple who have had a pit bull as a pet for at least one year.
The Marines know the difference between being tough and being stupid. The Marine position is: “These specific breeds present an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of our residents and are therefore prohibited.”
Joe Frisinger
Princeville
‘Authority also needs to be enforced’
People should really be careful of their dogs, especially if they are un-neutered and not trained well.
This isn’t the first time I have come across a pit bull attack story.
In regards to the recent pit bull attack, my dog Coco was attacked a year ago. Coco was tied up on his leash at his dog house when a loose pit bull came and killed him while we weren’t home.
Coco was only the first of three dog attacks in my neighborhood (Komohana Subdivision). My neighbors Chihuahua was killed by a group of dogs that got loose and my other neighbor’s dog was killed by a loose pit bull while in a fenced property. Lastly, my fellow classmate’s dog was attacked by pit bulls that got loose while she was walking her dog on a leash.
Authority also needs to enforced. I have reported Coco’s case a year ago to the Humane Society and no action has been taken place. The other attacks have been reported to the police, but I am unaware of the results. It is a big issue. These untrained dogs could kill more of our beloved pets, and even hurt some children in the process.
Jerik Centeno
Lihue
