Greyhound to Get Reprieve

UPDATE: Dog that bit child twice might not be put down after all

By BILL ABRAMSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

July 03, 2010 12:00 AM

LAKEVILLE — It appears a reprieve is in the works for Firewall, the greyhound ordered euthanized by the selectmen after it bit a 2-year-old boy on two occasions.

If Firewall can be placed with a rescue organization that would absolve the town of any liabilty if the dog bites again, officials would be agreeable to that.

"We have to put him down if I can't find a place for him in 15 days," Animal Control Officer David Frates said at midweek, noting that the dog is being kept at the Lakeville shelter.

However, Frates predicted "one of the rescue organizations will take him. ... They could re-home him with a place with no children.

"He'll probably go to the rescue in Middleboro. ... (It) has a good reputation for placing greyhounds. They'll have to sign a paper that they know he bit someone and, if he bites someone again, we're not responsible."

At Monday's hearing before selectmen, it was disclosed that the greyhound was staying with Jennifer Safford at her Kensington Court apartment.

Safford allowed a woman she knew to move in with her boyfriend and 2-year-old son and that is when the biting incidents took place.

Safford took the dog because her daughter, Samantha Lilley of Fall River, could not care for it when her husband was called to active military duty. The Lilleys have a 1-year-old daughter.

"No matter if he bit or not, the greyhound adoption agency would take a dog and keep it rather than have it put down," Lilley said.

Safford, who was evicted when the apartment management learned of the dog's presence there, is moving to Manchester, N.H. She has expressed an interest in adopting the dog and taking him with her if she can get the necessary clearance.

Safford said her daughter worked at Raynham Park, where the greyhound, now 5 years old, raced and found out about Firewall there.

Frates was not sure that Safford would be able to adopt the dog, adding that would be up to the rescue agency.

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My initial thoughts were that the dog should be euthanized because it bit a human child; however, I stated that with the temperament of an APBT in mind. After reading up on the greyhound’s temperament, I found:

The Greyhound shines as a pet in a quiet household. He is sensitive, easily distracted, and somewhat distressed by noise and bustle. He's good with considerate children past the toddling stage, and he gets along well with other dogs. Cats, however, can be another story; he may consider them prey and chase them whenever the opportunity arises.

Unlike breeds that must be socialized as puppies to temper their dominant tendencies, the Greyhound needs early socialization to give it confidence and build self assurance. A Greyhound puppy that is not accustomed to noise and people at an early age can be excessively fearful of loud or persistent sounds and painfully timid with strangers.

The Greyhound's sensitive nature makes obedience training necessary and time-consuming. Training does build confidence and help forge a bond between dog and owner, but Greyhound owners must be extra patient and gentle to avoid unduly stressing the dog.

Like all sighthounds, Greyhounds must not be allowed to run free, for they may end up in the next state when they come to a halt. The drive to run and hunt is deeply ingrained, so fenced yards and leashes are a must.

Well, I know how two-year-olds can be so there is no telling what the child did that caused him to bite; in addition, there was a fight going on inside the home when one of the bites took place. This easily could have caused the dog to bite. I hope the rescue organization use good judgment when adopting Firewall out and don’t allow Safford to adopt him. Clearly, she isn’t capable of being a responsible owner.

Dog to be put down after biting child, 2, in Lakeville but not really- it is getting a reprieve

Dog to be put down after biting child, 2, in Lakeville

Order comes after unrelated savage attack on 5-year-old

A greyhound bit a 2-year old twice because of the mother’s and canine caregiver’s stupidity. The dog’s caregiver had a co-worker and the co-worker’s 2-year old son and boyfriend crashing at her place along with the greyhound, which she took in to help another friend. It sounds to me like someone doesn’t know how to say no to people and she is taken advantage of easily. That’s irrelevant though. Anyway, the dog bit the 2 year old once on May 8 and again on June 1. After the first incident one would think the girl’s mother would have found elsewhere to crash or take measures to ensure the dog was never around the child ever again. The 2 year old was probably left unsupervised with the dog and he probably pushed the dog’s buttons causing it to bite the child. I don’t fault the dog at all. Those idiots should have been supervising any interaction of the child and the dog if the mother truly had nowhere else to go. The child’s mom even admitted that an argument was taking place when the second incident occurred. What bothers me is that the dog bit a child twice and obviously shouldn’t be around children period. The fact is the dog bit a human not once but twice and needs to be euthanized. The selectman sentenced the dog to be euthanized, which is the responsible thing to do because it could bite another child in the future; however, the selectmen felt sorry for the dog and gave it a reprieve:

Selectmen gave the dog, Firewall, a bit of a reprieve and will ask a greyhound rescue group if it wants to try and place him, with the stipulation the town is released from all liability. But the window of opportunity is only 15 days, after which the dog will be put down, unless the owner appeals the decision.

Now, if this had been a pit bull or any dog faintly resembling a pit bull the town would be in the streets demanding death for the dog. Derek A Masky, one of the selectmen, states, “It was the owner’s responsibility to protect the child from the dog and that didn’t happen.”

I couldn’t agree with him more but then he says it “bothers him” that the dog is the one who is paying for the idiocy of the child’s mother. Would it bother him if it were a pit bull? Or a Rottweiler? Or a German Shepherd?

The owner of the greyhound and the caregiver do not believe the dog would have been sentenced to death if not for an unrelated attack on a 5-year old boy in town last week; the culprit was a 100lb American Bulldog who mauled a boy and its owner in an attempt to get it off the child.

The greyhound is going to be given a second chance if the greyhound rescue can adopt him out but the caregiver and its owner said they are going to try to adopt him, which should NEVER happen. These two are not responsible enough to have a dog. Period.