DOG KILLED BY TRANQUILIZER

I am not a dog warden fan, but I cannot fault the dog warden for what happened according to what I've heard about it.

First, the dog was loose and unlicensed.
Second, neighbors said that the dog "nipped" at people
Third, it was near a school and daycare/kindergarden

The deputy dog warden had the dog cornered on a porch. The options were try to noose the dog or shoot it with a tranquilizer. I worked for the humane society several years ago and know how hard it is to try and "noose" a dog with a catch pole. Very difficult. They are not stupid animals.
Now, whether the amount of tranquilizer was too much or the dog had health issues that along with the tranquilizer caused it's death are unknown.

I do not like to hear how this story ended, but if that dog had escaped from the porch and bit a child, I consider that an even worse ending.

Owning a dog/pet is a huge responsibility. Keeping it restrained in the owners yard or property should be the upmost duty of the owner. Once that dog becomes loose, authorities cannot be expected to know the dog's personality or what it might do.

Say what you will about Tom Skeldon and his policies and procedures, but in this case I feel that no blame is to be placed on the dog warden or it's deputies.

Say what you will about Tom Skeldon and his policies and procedures, but in this case I feel that no blame is to be placed on the dog warden or it's deputies.

My guess is that you feel this way due to a lack of empathy.

Skeldon and his Tonton Macoutes should be removed from Lucas county and given the same treatment any common thugs get.

Unless rabid, a 10 lb. dog is a minor threat to the the average adult and not ever to a someone with proper training. They have capture nooses. This was someone lacking in training, intelligence or both.

http://www.freshpets.com/Snarem-Capture-Nooses-EJ600-p/rp-600463.htm

He was TEN POUNDS for cryin' out loud!! get a blanket and toss it on him and ya got him!!

good gravy!!

You're right, I mean TEN POUNDS! My cat weighs 12 pounds! Things must be slow with pit bulls, huh? Skeletor must go-ASAP

Maybe we need a special license for "ten pounders"? Any dog over ten pounds, without a license, and proof of a million dollars in liability insurance-will invoke a shoot, I mean shoot to kill response.

The dog shouldn't have been loose in the first place, so it is the owners own damn fault. I don't care if its a 10 pound dog or not, dog's can be dangerous no matter how small they are.

I have a friend that got bit by a stray chihuahua and had to go through a series of shots and antibiotics because the bite became infected. This is why I carry pepper spray with me when I walk or ride a bike. If ya don't want your dog to get hurt keep the damn thing on a leash or in your damn yard.

The very fact that it was unlicensed right there tells you how responsible the “owner” was.

I feel bad for the innocent animal, but the owner should have not one thing to say about it.

I wish people cared about their fellow human beings as much as they cared about pets.

IMO, if you are scared shitless of a ten pound dog, what do you do when you see your own shadow?

Crap your pants?

Who said anything about being scared of a 10 pound dog??? It's not me that I worry about its my kids. When I'm walking or biking I usually have my children with me and my daughter is deathly afraid of dogs she doesn't know. Even a small dog can do damage to a child.

If I'm by myself I could care less until it starts to act aggressive. That is why I carry the OC spray.

10 bonus points to MadJack for his creative use of the Haitian merchants of death, the Tonton Macoutes.

The bottom line is this. When handling an unknown animal, no matter what the weight, you follow poicies and procedures. I have had to capture stray, wild, feral cats and dogs. They are not nice. They are not stupid. They do not stand there and allow you to noose them. Once any animal feels threatened, they take on instinctial behaviors.
No one knew if the dog was dangerous. By dangerous I do not mean 10 pounds of terror. How about considering the fact that the dog might have had been carrying rabies or another disease? A simple bite or "nip" from a rabid dog would have been horrible for anyone, even worse for a child.

I do not agree with everything the dog warden does or with all of it's policies, but in this case, I feel the situation was handled properly to protect citizens. I do feel sadness about the dog dying and for the owner. It is a set of circumstances filled with second guessing, but the bottom line is that Toledoans were protected and the dog was captured.

From HockeyFan: you follow poicies and procedures

Spoken like a true soldier. Sieg Heil!

I don't see anything wrong with pepper spray, but to shoot a 10 pound Pomeranian, with a load of dope intended to be used on a BIG dog, is bullshit. And the little dog wasn't chasing anyone, it was trying to enter its' house.

Maybe you are right madjack, once the dog was on the porch, they should have established a perimeter, had a committee assembled to evaluate the situation, done a study, consulted professonals, then taken action. Please submit the bill for all that to madjack.

Second, using pepperspray on a dog when you are trying to capture it is like pouring gas on a fire to put it out. It is entirely wrong. It will only scare and infuriate the dog. The dog was reported to be in the neighborhood of a preschool and the children's safety was the primary concern, not the safety of the dog. Our society does that. Puts the value of people and children higher than dogs. Weird, huh?
Just because a dog is on a porch, does not mean it lives there. I guess they should have asked the dog for identification.

Unless that dog had a limb in its mouth there was no reason for the taser.

These people are supposedly trained to deal with animals, right? These are the experts. Their solution to this rampaging Cujo-esque 10-pound monster and "menace to children" is to shoot it. Thank you Nanny State politicians.

It was in the neighborhood of a preschool? Thank God they shot it then, with all of the dog attacks we constantly hear about occurring at schools. There could have been a massacre! You can't have dogs loose around schools - there aren't any responsible adults watching out for kids at schools!

They should just go ahead and confiscate and kill all dogs so that there is no chance in the future that a dog could get loose and hold a city captive in fear like this ever again. It's just not worth the risk.

Asinine crap like this is just another way our country is spiraling down the bowl. No wonder we are in the shape we're in.

Not only that, by banning all dogs, criminals who are the REAL victims, will be safer, and won't be further persecuted for being screwed by the failed policies of the Bush administration

Here's an idea.

Read the freaking laws about owning a dog and follow them.

"Shoot" it? It was shot with a "tranquilizer", albeit apparently too large of dose. I guess that's why they don't use elephant guns on squirrels.

Small dog bites can be serious and send large men into shock. In today's litigious society, a yappy cur on a playground represents such a possibility.

Wulf, WTF you talking about?

"Shoot" it? It was shot with a "tranquilizer", albeit apparently too large of dose. I guess that's why they don't use elephant guns on squirrels.

Small dog bites can be serious and send large men into shock. In today's litigious society, a yappy cur on a playground represents such a possibility.

Wulf, WTF you talking about?

How could a 10 lb. dog pose a threat to anyone? It was apparently cornered trying to get back inside its home. It must have been terrified. I don't think the deputy warden handled this appropriately. The dog obviously should not have died and there should be an investigation.

Yeah, and a bee is another small animal that can hurt a big person. But is it OK to use a shotgun on one, even if a good shot can hit a bee with one? Then there's the people who stand on chairs when they see a mouse......

If someone is scared of a small Pomeranian-they should be in therapy. If anyone has the right to be terrified, it's the little dog. Tell you guys what-next time Tiny has a neighborhood as scared as if it was Lon Chaney Jr., I'll go get it, and won't hurt it, or get hurt.

We all agree this dig should not have died.
It is also true that this dog should not have been running free. I can't remember if it was allowed to roam or if got out.

By law, the animal should have been registered.
In Toledo, as in most municipalities, there are dog wardens in charge of controlling animals when they are not in compliance with the law.
Left alone it would have probably gone home when hungry but, Toledo's leaders have decided that they don't want dogs running the streets;hence dog catcher.

It seems a little much to tranquilize a little dog but, little dogs, as with any animal are instinctually programmed for defense.
Back an animal into a corner to see nature's defense at its best.

Personally I have been involved in the training of many police and shutzhund dogs including North America's best, and retrievers for trials and can tell you that any dog is capable of inflicting a painful, harmful and infectious bite.
It's not a matter of being afraid of little furry creatures, it's prudent to approach with caution.

I'm more afraid of the owners of dogs than I am of the dog because I believe most people lack the knowledge of how to train a healthy a well adjusted dog.

I've never met the Lucas County Dog Warden. I don't even live in Lucas County, But, I had the gumption to call him.

"Second, using pepperspray on a dog when you are trying to capture it is like pouring gas on a fire to put it out. It is entirely wrong. It will only scare and infuriate the dog"

Actually using peper spray on an attacking rot weiler DOES NOT work. Beleive it or not cold water in the face worked better. (I had this expierence once)

But i do have to agree using a tranquilzer on a freaking 10 pound dog is ridiculous.

They have capture loops. This was just nuts. There's really no excuse, no matter how the Dog Warden tries to frame it.

I have worked for the toledo humane society and have used the capture loops. No dog just stands there and allows you to loop them. The smaller the dog, the harder it is.

Until a necropsy is performed and the complete story of why the dog died is known, who can say why?

Whether or not the dog was licensed has nothing to do with it. If it was licensed, but still running loose, the deputy would still have used the tranquilizer to bring it down. The tranquilizer was probably way too much for the 10 lb. dog. These drugs lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Death comes pretty quickly. Very sad. If it were my dog, I would be pissed!

How could a 10 lb. dog running home to its front porch be a threat to the community? Gimme a break!

How the hell did the dog warden know that the very porch that the dog was on was his owners?
Are you a freaking idiot?
3 pound squirrels can be a threat to the community if it is carrying rabies or other disease.

Like I said, until you know for sure what killed that dog, who is to say too much tranquilizer was used?

Hockeyfan, get a grip. Don't need to be calling anyone a "freaking idiot." Lay off the coffee, eh? Geesh. Shooting a 10 lb. dog is obscene. Period!

Technically, I asked if you were a freaking idiot. I didn't call you one.

More thoughts about Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon on my blog.