Sunday, November 19, 2006

Killer dogs run wild

How are dogs starving and going into wild packs unless people have abandoning their dogs in the first place to start this? Nature taking it's course have now created the problem of dogs fending for themselves which are to feed and mate.

It's always a sad situation when children are killed. It's sadder still that these kind of situations could have been avoided by negligent owners that should never have abandoned their dogs in the first place to begin this dangerous senario from happening.

Humans, the most intelligent species on the planet given the ability to think and reason. So why are so many NOT?

Killer dogs run wild
Grandmother of mauling victim wants vicious strays done away with
By ELIZA BARLOW, EDMONTON SUN

A grieving granny lashed out yesterday at dog owners after her five-year-old grandson was mauled to death by a pack of frenzied dogs on a remote northern Alberta reserve.

Lance Ribbonleg, 5, dressed in snow pants and a parka, was attacked by about five dogs running loose on the North Tallcree First Nation around 6:45 p.m. Thursday, as he walked the short distance home after playing outside with friends.

A neighbour called police after witnessing a pack of about five dogs "grab" the child, said Fort Vermilion RCMP Sgt. Ryan Becker.

Some neighbours ran out to the road to chase the dogs away, but by the time they got there, it was too late.

Little Lance was pronounced dead by the side of the blood-soaked road. His face was so badly mangled in the savage mauling that dental records will likely be needed to officially confirm his identity, Becker said.

A Rottweiler and a German shepherd-cross were seized by Mounties and quarantined at a Fort Vermilion veterinary clinic.

But the other three dogs police believe were involved in the attack are still at large, running among an estimated 50 dogs that sources say are roaming the reserve at will.

Yesterday, Isabel Alook, a great-aunt who Lance knew as his grandmother, disputed reports from RCMP that the Rottweiler and German shepherd-cross had been tied up but broke loose of their tethers earlier in the evening.

When Mounties arrived, the two dogs were again tied up, Becker said, adding the dogs' owner, a band councillor, is "very upset."

But Alook claimed the dogs had been running loose for nearly a week. "(The owner) knows his dogs are mean and he didn't tie them up. They were loose since (last) Friday.

"Lance was just a little ways from home."

Dylan Thomas, acting chief executive officer of the Tallcree Tribal Government, refused to comment yesterday on whether the reserve has an animal control bylaw.

Becker said large populations of stray dogs running in packs are a problem on several northern native communities.

The problem isn't new.

On Nov. 27, 1999, five-year-old Cecilia Alook was killed by starving dogs outside her school in Garden River, on the Little Red River Cree Nation, about 115 km from Fort Vermilion.

Isabel Alook, also a relative of Cecilia, wants all stray and vicious dogs on the reserve to be shot.

Lance's mother Ruby couldn't be reached. Alook said the mother was inconsolable over the death of her little boy.

Lance and his mom recently moved to North Tallcree, home to about 300 people, from Fox Lake. Alook said Lance had just started the Aboriginal Headstart education program.

"He was a quiet little boy, a good little boy, and he was kind to people. He liked to play road hockey with the boys."

Becker said charges likely would not be laid. North Tallcree is 770 km northwest of Edmonton.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a known fact that the reserves needs better dog laws. When I use to go on a regular basis with my mother to visit friends, dogs would wander all over the place. It wasn't uncommon to see three or four dogs just walking by the side of the road, or on the road, etc...

My sister and several of my friends have adopted unwanted puppies found there. I know some independent rescues have what they call "spay runs" on the reserves - but there is only so much they can do when they're underfunded, and amount of dogs and puppies seems endless. I read on one of these sites that an unspayed female and her puppies could produce up to 67,000 dogs in five years. That's a lot of dogs and with no one to take care of them or to teach them proper manners you could end up with a real serious feral dog problem.

It would be nice if they could set up a permanent low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and maybe have mandatory obedience classes for dogs. But that takes a lot of man power and money

Conners said...

The point that boggles my mind is, why would anyone get an animal if they don't intend on keeping and maintaining them as part of their family? If they decide later, they don't want it, then find someone who does, at least.
Where are the laws of abandentment and cruelty?
It's sad problems like this that people don't bother to deal with until a child get's harmed and then they scream their fool heads off. Don't they realize that they created the problem?!!??!!!?
An example, take a small community of 1,000 people. Of those, there are probably 10 to 15 irresponsible and bad asses. Does the community just sit back and watch these few torrorize the town and do whatever they want...or does the town go to town council and have meetings to discuss remedies to the situations to elliminate the problems?
They would have to start somewhere without burying their heads in the sand.
Funding would cost too much, but gather the community together and working along side of the rescues, etc. is a good start and lower costs. It's them that are bettering their community afterall.
Maybe I'm too nieve?

Anonymous said...

THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE! Do you know this community? Are you from there? Have you ever been there? Have you seen the dogs? Do you personally know the person who wrote the article? Are you certain, without a doubt, that they have all the facts? Here are a few things to think about before you judge others!!!!