On May 2, 2016, a woman was sitting at an outdoor table at a fast food restaurant with her Great Pyrenese, Lilly. Surveillance video shows the bright shape of the white dog sitting facing her owner. They sat apparently without incident for about 25 minutes. Then two small children walk by, walking calmly but very closely to the back of the dog. Suddenly, the dog turns on the children, grabs one of them, a two-year-old, by the shirt and pulls the boy under the table.
The child is quickly rescued and escapes with just a cut to the arm.
A few days later, the judge ordered that the dog either be sent to live on a ranch or be put to death.
Lilly’s owner has 30 days to appeal the decision before she must comply.
You can read more about the incident and watch a the surveillance video here.
So here is the question we at PCI are wondering about today. Was this the appropriate sentence for the dog in this story? Should dogs be put down as a preventative measure or should we reserve this punishment for more severe incidents.
It’s a tough question. After all, there are many stories of dog attacks that are devastating, especially if the victim is a child. It makes sense to do all we can to stop aggressive dogs after one incident before they do something much more severe, but is this fair to the dogs and to the owners of those dogs?
Tell us what you think. In your experience as a pet care professional, what should be done in situations like this? Did the judge make the right decision?
Comment on our Facebook page to let us know what you think.
