I agree with the sentiment of everyone, and to putting a stop to the unnecessary violence on my pet, but to say you would kill a human over it is crazy.

I know I am going to get some minues for what I am going to say, and I dont care. But you sound no different than crazy animal rights activists putting more value on an animals life then on a persons life.

All . . .

Some years ago I was walking down the sidewalk in a small town in the early evening when a labrador retriever began to cross the street about 30 yards in front of me. A car, which in my opinion had plenty of time to slow down or even safely swerve slightly to the left or right and not hit the dog, smacked right into the chest and ribcage of the dog at about 35 mph. There's no way the driver didn't know he hit the dog, but if anything, the driver stepped on the gas and took off.

Unfortunately, the impact did not kill the dog nor knock it out. Rather, the impact caused the dog to experience instant screaming, flailing, tortured agony. I instinctively ran out into the street and flagged down traffic. Cars stopped all over the street. I then ran to the dog, but the animal was biting and clawing at itself between its screams of agony. I suppressed an intense urge to vomit. There was no way I could grab the dog or calm it down. I knew its internal injuries were fatal, but were far too slow in getting there. It was a horrible situation.

Many people tried to help. Many people were crying. A few of us talked about jumping on the dog en mass while one of us strangled it, but no one, including me, had the nerve (or the strength) to do this.

I got on my phone. I told the emergency dispatcher the situation. I said I had a gun in my car and that the dog was in agony and needed to be put out of its misery right that second. The dispatcher started to tell me an officer was 10 minutes away and not to do anything. I held the phone up a few feet away from the dog while it screamed and rolled and bit at itself in ear-piercing agony. Then I asked the dispatcher to rethink what she had just told me. There was a brief silence. I thought I heard her sob and I forgave her. She said, "I didn't realize. Do what you have to do. Hurry. I'll back you."

I ran to my car (parked 100' down the street), retrieved my 10-22 from the trunk, and instantly ended the dog's agony. In the silence that followed I looked around. Everyone looked ill. A man had a pistol in his hand. A woman put a revolver back into her purse. Another man put a shotgun back into his pickup. It was clear to me that someone among us would have put the dog out of its misery if I had not.

A minute later (it may as well have been a century), a gray-haired police officer--not some rookie--rolled up, overheads flashing. I'm standing there in the street with my rifle in my hand. The one guy is standing there with a pistol in his hand. The butt of a revolver is sticking out of the one woman's purse. The shotgun is in plain sight on the seat through the still-open door of the other man's pickup.

The officer sees the dog on the road, sees how upset everyone is, and sees all our guns. He gets out of his car and immediately announces. "Dispatch told me the situation. I'm sorry I couldn't get her quicker."

The little town where this awful event unfolded was in a state that did not permit (at that time, and maybe not now either) concealed handguns. I'm pretty sure the state also did not permit people to stand in the street with rifles and pistols in their hands, or sticking out of their purses, or with shotguns in plain sight on a pickup seat.

The officer looked at me. He asked if I was the one who had made the call to Dispatch. I said yes. To my immense surprise, the officer said, "Thank you for doing my job for me." He apologized again for being slow to the scene. Nobody said anything.

I gave the officer a description of the car that had hit the dog. Several other people did the same. When we were finished, and without saying a word or doing anything about all the guns in plain sight--you know, like arresting us-- the officer opened the trunk on his cruiser, put some gloves on, gently wrapped the dog in a plastic sheet, carefully put the dog into the trunk, and drove away.

We all looked at each other, nodded a lot, said almost nothing, and went our separate ways.

TWD

Whatever it takes to immediately end the attack.

I would be really upset but I'm not a violent person. I would put an abrupt end to my dogs abuse and walk away. Then when the dude wakes up some morning with 4 flat tires who's the wiser.

On another note, don't let your dogs roam free...you are asking for trouble and to be liable for all sorts of things...keep your dog in the yard...fences and dog runs are not that expensive, and safer for your dog...nothing drives me crazy like dog crap in my drive way or knocked over garbage cans from the neighbors dogs.......

Outdoor Lover:
Why exactly did you come to this web-site?

My dog is a member of the family, he would die protecting me, and I owe him the same, period......though I would be more inclined to just end the attack, and not put the guy in the hospital, there is defense, and there is over-response...hard to judge if your not there in person however....

There is a lot to think about here-- after all we weren't there. Perhaps the person who ran down the dog panacked and thought the dog was fatally hurt. The person may have done what they thought was their only option--end the suffering. Obviously one or perhaps 2 carefull blows to the dog's skull should have put it out of it's misery. However if the dog was flailing away perhaps that would not have been as easy as it seems.
We do not know how upset the driver was or their skill with a hammer or machete.
We also do not know their age or size etc. We should be very carefull with this limited information, to make conclusions-- I realize this is a sensitive subject.
I am a dog owner myself and have 2 springers who I love dearly. I am ultimately responsible if they roam and get hurt. However I cannot believe that my dog's life can justify killing someone no matter what the circumstances.
I do believe that using sufficient force to stop an unjustified attack by a person against my dogs is areasonable response if asking them to please stop dosen't work-- but what would you do if your dog had attacted the person first or if they had a fear they were about to be bitten? It is important to stop and think first before just reacting don't you agree?

GOD BLESS YOU Mr Davidson ! GOD BLESS YOU !

your dog doesn't draw the line when it comes to protecting you so you shouldn't either!
outdoor lover: go love a squirrel!
you choose to own a dog and care for it and you take on the same responsibity as raising kids! do what you have to do to protect them! what a sh**ty way to put a dog out of misery! go knock on the door and explain the situation. let the owner decide what to do. he got less than he deserved!

My little lab/cocker spaniel dog saved my daughter from an attack by two loose neighborhood pit bulls. To paraphrase the Texans, "Don't mess with Kenan." I'd be right peeved if someone attacked him.

A few of you mentioned you'd like some more detail. To get it just click on the Post and Courier link in the above post...it will take you to the story. No doubt, things aren't always as simple as they seem... which is one reason the incident generated lots of chatter down here. -D

Id kick your @$$ for messing with my girlfriend I'd kill you for messing with my dog.

If a dog can yelp, it can survive. A hammer? Are you kidding me? This guy has some screws loose. The castle doctrine applies here and then some. If someone is using deadly force on my property and family member, they might get the same in return. I'm with the dog owner.

You know if a guy broke into your home waving a gun around, you'd show him how your gun works. So, if a guy was hitting my dog with a hammer, I'd hit him with a hammer.

I love my pets almost as much as my kids and I will defend them the same way.

T.W. Davidson -- Thanks for adding a truly heartfelt perspective on the story. -D

I didn't get past Outdoor Lover's post so if one of you already said this, I'm just backing you up. Most people don't even fall into the same category as a good dog. We should all strive to be as loyal and loving. When relatives have died, I grieved to myself. When my dogs and those of my close friends met their ends I cried like a baby. To say that I'd come unglued if someone were beating my best friend, my brother, with a hammer doesn't quite lay it all out there.

This was an idiotic blog question because most people would never bother a dog and most dog owners aren't stupid enough to let them play in traffic or menace people.

In this case it seems the guy was trying to deliver a mercy blow. Whether it was necessary is hard to know. I do know if I were sitting on a jury I'd probably convict the dog owner. I'd also probably acquit someone if they eliminated some problem dog that repeatedly entered their property or killed their stock, even if they used a 2x4.

A machete? Really? I have one in my tool shed, but as the first thing to grab in the car/truck?

A pistol is humane. A machete reminds me of a horror movie.

Those who said they didn't know the whole story are right. I'm a resident of this little town where the incident happened and it has caused much pain for the community. The man who was trying to euthanize the dog is a good person and had stopped several passersby to ask for a gun. He is also very active in the local animal rescue activities. There were no tags on the dog and it happened in a fairly rural area with no houses in site. The owner of the dog was driving home along the same rode and came upon the scene. Its been a terrible thing for everyone involved.

If someone was trying to harm any of my animals, I would take all necessary steps to protect my animals, and if it came to killing someone over it, so be it. We have rights to protect what is ours, my animals are like my kids, and I love them.

Yep, MB915, you got my minus 1. I place more value in my dog than I do in a scum bag who would harm him.

That why it's good to know where a big pig pen is if you follow my drift.

Perhaps there is more on the original article but this "blurb" doesn't do the story justice. Did the dog have a collar with a nametag? I keep control of my dogs and they don't get onto the streets, but some dogs are just escape artists; this dog came from a shelter, is he one??? So, the control people should back off a little until we know. However rjw hits the proverbial nail on the head (sorry for the bad pun)it wasn't this guy's dog and not his call to put him out of his misery, it's the owner's call. Even if he thought he was being considerate he was mostly an idiot. Did he deserve to be beaten almost to death??? well, it wasn't my dog, so NOPE; if it was my dog, then YES, dang right he'd be beaten!!!

Being a responsible Dog owner is of the utmost importance. Stop, Look, and Listen pays off when in the field hunting, training or at home. Stopping the forward momentum of the situation, checking the dog, and taking appropriate action would be a wise coarse of action. I have had to euthanize many of my dogs. It hurts, but whatever is best for the dog is most important. A knowledgeable dog owner would know what to do with the dog first and deal with the car driver after the dog had been attended to properly.

my dogs are my best pals and hunting buds, as well as a sizeable investment. not to mention basically helpless if under attack by a person (my brittany's and golden would bite you if you kicked them, never even heard them growl). intentially hurt my dog and the consequences would be dire and immediate.

Not sure what I would do. The situation would drive the response but nothing fatal, expecially with a hammer.

If I saw that happening too my dog I'd react first and ask questions later.

There is way too much missing information to get a good grip on this. If I came out of my house and saw that scene, I would be in jail too. If the dog had tags, easy choice to make by truck driver. If not, not as easy, but if you don't have a humane way to do it, leave and knock on a nearby house door. My dad had a similiar situation years ago while traveling for work. Truck in front of him hit a lab on the highway in Iowa, and kept going. My dad pulled over, being a dog lover and hunter knew the dog was done for. He pulled his .357 and finished the job. FYI no tags were anywhere on the dog.

that guy would have had a twelve gauge slug in him right now if he did anything to my dog.

I would do almost anything necesary to protect my dog cause from the moment its feet pass over the thresh hold of my house that dog is a part of my family.

This is a tough one not sure what I would do. Glad I taught my dogs not to cross streets without permission.

NOS but I have a dog question in the answer section and would appreciate advice from all. Please go to "Answers and look for my avatar. Thanks, Del

I know what i would do. My girlfriend knows where she stands with my dogs. My dogs and then her. Girlfriends come and go my dogs stay. If someone attacked my dogs pray it isn't you.

jamesti dont you mean
"Outdoor lover go hump a squirrel"?

It is one thing to put a dog out of its misery. It is another to beat it with a machete in trying to do so. I would not be very grateful to anyone who did that to my dog, but attacking someone and fracturing their skull is an over reaction.

Interesting how the press can conveniently leave things out to sensationalize. I was very suspicious when I read it. Thanks for filling us in, Byrdlady. Sounds like it was a stretch to call the assailant the dog's "owner". Was more or less a wild dog that sort of befriended him. Allowed to run loose and no collar or tags. The guy cared enough to almost kill another fella but not enough to properly take care of the dog? Not even in the most rudimentary fashion? I don't think that guy will stand a prayer in court. I think it will look like he was just looking for an excuse to club someone. I believe you, Byrdlady, this one is a complicated mess!

WA Mtnhunter, what would you have done if you were the driver? By the way, I don't think the dog was in a driveway.

The driver is an idiot for trying to "take care" of the dog instead of knocking on the door. Reading the whole story makes me think the best decision would be to not even stop. The owner is an idiot for freaking out and trying to kill the driver because he didn't do anything to keep his dog at home and took his chances and lost. Bad decisions by everybody involved, what idiots.

This is pheasant hunters wife. ya, trust your dog and your horse. u fk with my dogs, horses, my family, my barn cats, my dogs...if they can"t take you out themselves, I'm ready....bring it.....racoon....opossum...or a human....don't give two shts...its me, my family, my animals and friends..Don't care one way or the other...You r done...period end of story. I'm small but I'm adgile

oh and I forgot to mention I'm 99% accurate with rifle....bring IT....my family, friends and animals come waaaaaaay before u.

I love my dog to death, but if it was me in this situation, and my dog was hit, i would be extremely pissed and would stop the guy from attacking my dog by any means, but knowing that i could kill a guy by hitting him in the head with a hammer, i would not go to that extent because, even though its hard to say, a dogs life is not worth me going to prison for.

If it was me I would have probably kicked the crap out of the guy, but not do something that has the possibility of him dying.

Well, I read the story. Vets found no broken bones in that dog. Certainly no broken back as the driver diagnosed.

I had a wonderful small black lab twenty years ago. She never left the yard even though it wasn't fenced. My folks were coming from out of town to visit me and, because it was a nice spring day, the dog was outside laying in the yard while I was cleaning the house. Left the front door open to air things out. My folks rolled up and parked on the other side of the street. My dog, of course, knew them and their car. She crossed the street to meet them and was run over by a large 4x4 pickup. Front passenger tire went completely over her. What a horrible thing to see her spinning around, falling, and screaming. The guy stopped and was absolutely mortified. I ran out to the dog and immediately assured the fella that he was not at fault. I remember touching him gently on the shoulder. Anyway, I was able to scoop Ethyl into my rig and rush her a few blocks to the vets. No broken bones. Her pelvis was likely flexed but popped back into place. Though it looked like she was a goner at the scene, she recovered completely within a week or so. My five year-old lab was run over by a pickup end to end when she was eleven months old. My young son had left the back gate open and she followed someone down the street and then crossed to see someone else when she was hit. The driver got my number off her collar and called me on his cell. Pearl was flat out on the side of the street, skinned up all over, and bleeding from the nose. Fortunately, no blood from the ears. She had a fractured skull but we saved her. Today she's one helluva hunting dog and my best friend. I would say that both of these drivers could easily have assumed that my dogs needed to be put out of their misery on the spot. Glad they didn't make that decision and left it to me.

Regardless of method of "ownership", that apparently was his dog. My reaction would be the same whether it was a neighborhood mutt or a stray. I don't want to think about what I might do in the heat of the moment if someone were doing that to my Lab. Run over my dog in my driveway (a long way down to the county road) and you just became guilty of trespassing and animal cruelty. A capital offense? Hopefully not.

So sorry byrdlady.. sometimes i talk before thinking,(reading in this case). I hope this incedent resolves itself OK.Still I would go nuts if I saw someone beating my dog with anything! Social protocol goes a long way, I would hope if an accident occurred I would be given the right to call it, no matter how much I love my dog, I would rather have that than not know or worse yet catch someone doing what needed to be done anyway and do something stupid.

oh and I forgot to mention I'm 99% accurate with rifle....bring IT....my family, friends and animals come waaaaaaay before u.

You who would kill a person over a dog are sick, mentally disturbed and probably should not be allowed to own guns. A dog is a dog, not a human being. They are not a family member in normal homes, they are a pet. No dog should be in the same sentence when discussing the importance of human life.It sickens me to think that that you sick people , a good number of you, probably claim to be good Christians.I promise you that our Lord and Savior knows the difference between animals and His brothers and sisters. And he said forgive them, not kill them. maybe you should rethink your murderous thoughts.