I was alerted to this by an online petition to euthanize this K9.

http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/issues06/121106/news/121106nn1.html

I wanted to see if anyone knew more about the incident. It is disturbing to me that folks without knowing all the facts would advocate detroying this animal. I hope someone can tell me that the police force does not succumb to the pressures of a petition. I would hope there are policies and procedures in place to help protect an animal from such hysteria until the facts can be put into place, and the proper corrective actions taken. Sorry for the rant...this upsets me.

Here is the link to the petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?german

Is there anything to be done, other than just get upset? I don't know about this incident or this dog, but the article indicates some human mistakes. I wish I knew more as I would like to write a letter of support for the dog and the handler. My gut tells me the dog should not be destroyed for a human error.

I read the comments that people wrote along with their signitures... so sad how ignorent people can be and just jump along the ban wagen in such hysteria without knowing the facts.

Yea, I especially like the response from the rocket scientist who said....ANY dog that bites, no matter the breed, should be put down. Moron! All dogs bite.

How about Einstein who suggests...Give the dog a temperment test, then put it down (sounds like a death row argument)

I don't know much about police or personal protection dogs but it seems to me that the dog was following some training instincts - chasing prey, that sort of thing. To destroy an animal for something humans trained it to do seems unfair and harsh. I sympothize with the young boy and his family but once the hysteria has calmed down, surely they can see destroying the dog is not the answer. I hope that cooler heads prevail in this matter.

OK, I read the petition and the remarks. I was immediately struck by the writer's and petition's signers lack of literacy. It looks like they are all twelve years old. And that explains the mentality that's driving the move to kill (notice how no one could actually use the word) the dog.

You know if one of their kids were lost in the woods they would want one of those "dangerous" GSD's to find them. Can we start a petition to have all those people who signed that fixed? Also, the first sentence said that they urged them to CONSIDER putting the dog down. Which Abbotsford PD's reply should be, "Umm...No."

Some truly immature and ignorant statements being made on that petition.

Having said that, I think the dogs career is done, as the residents of that area will not rest until they know that dog is not around. I also think the department is going to pay dearly for this...both in monetary and public relations terms. They simply cannot keep that dog on the street.

I don't think the dog should be put down, but finding it a home or another department may prove difficult.

I have no idea what the laws in Canada are concerning the owner of a dog that attacks someone (criminal/civil).

I agree that many of the statements on that petition were ignorant and due to a knee-jerk reaction. The dog's prey drive probably kicked in when the child sledded past him. I doubt this was a situation he had been trained in. And it was human error in not latching the kennel properly.

That said, we must not forget that it was a young child that got seriously bitten. This makes the reaction, if not logical, at least understandable. From the article it seems as if the police department is handling the situation correctly by evaluating the dog and telling it's handlers to double lock kennels as well as yard gates to prevent possible future incidents.

If, after a thorough medical and training evaluation they find that the dog has an unreliable temperament or even a medical problem (i.e. brain tumor) that caused or contributed to the incident, the dog should be put down. On the other hand, if the dog tests ok, as I think he probably will, then the dog should be transferred to another department or possibly considered for military or other guard service.

The following is someone's comment on the website. Maybe someone should write and let her know that it's not a comment site or a blog...it's a petition to euthanize the dog and she just signed it!

 Quote:

It's wrong that this dog did bite the kid, but putting it to sleep isn't going to prove or solve anything. Putting animals to sleep for biting adults and children isn't the answer.. Why do I say that? Because I feel that the owners are at fault and should pay for what the dogs do, and the cop who owns this dog should be charged rather then the dog being killed for probably what was that cops fault.. My God, when is this killing spree with dogs going to stop? And from what I am reading, people only want the dog to be put to sleep to prove a point of "well, no other dog would get away with that, so why should this one"? Like I said, the dog shouldn't have bit the kid, but it's not his fault, and he shouldn't have to pay for that mistake with is life.

I sent a letter to the Abbotsford Police department stating my support of the method by which they are trying to determine the temperment of the dog, the details surrounding the incident and my support to his handler. Accidents are always hard. I think the Abbotsford Police Department will do the right thing by their K9 and the Handler...at least from what I have read it appears to be the right way.