[News] Woman Strangles Rottweiler After It Attacks Her Yorkie

[fasteddie]

Since the Rottweiler did attack first, the woman did need to defend herself. But there's a fine line between defense and outright killing the animal, which she did do. It's pretty hard to say what you can or can't do if something like this happens, which is a bit scary. But let's just all remember to keep our Yorkies safe when outside.
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PORT ST. LUCIE, FL -- Police are investigating a woman who strangled a neighbor's Rottweiler after it attacked her Yorkshire terrier.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the 130-pound Rottweiler, named Rox, bolted past owner Rebecca Hartley and grabbed Candy, a Yorkie owned by Robin Bush, in her mouth in the 2900 block of Southwest Ventura Street.

Bush said she was in the kitchen talking on the phone while her son, Jacob, 10, took Candy, who weighs about eight pounds, and her Chihuahua outside.

"I heard my son screaming and heard a cry from my Yorkie," she said. "It was a God-awful screech."

According to Hartley's statement to police, Bush threw a beer bottle at Rox and chased and kicked the dog. Bush's son then took the Yorkie inside.

"Bush then allegedly grabbed the Rottweiler's collar and began choking the animal, screaming she 'would have it killed,' " the report states. "Bush continued to choke the animal, then began slamming the dog's head against the side of her house."

Hartley, 20, said she was trying to calm 1-year-old Rox, but Bush twisted the dog's collar with one hand and had her other on Rox's snout, repeatedly striking the dog.

"I told her, 'You're killing my dog, you're killing my dog, someone please dial 911,'" Hartley said. "I could not get her to let go of the dog, and within two minutes or less Rox had suffocated."

Bush, who said she weighs about the same as Rox, said her actions were justified.

"The dog was as big as me, it seemed," Bush said. "I was afraid to let go of this dog because I thought it was going to hurt me. ... Nobody was helping me.

"I was trying to defend my animal, my child and myself," she said. "I didn't intentionally kill this dog."

Prosecutors are reviewing an animal cruelty warrant application to determine whether to issue a warrant for Bush's arrest, said Officer Robert Vega, police spokesman.

"There's always two sides to every story. The officer felt ... this should be written up and forwarded to the State Attorney's Office to make a final decision," Vega said.

Hartley said Rottweilers get a "bad rap" as being "ferocious," describing her dogs as "very friendly."

"You would think that out of instinct if someone were choking you, you would resist," said Hartley, a lifelong Port St. Lucie resident. "Rox did not resist at all, she just sat there calmly and felt the woman was playing with her."

Bush denied slamming the dog's head against the wall.

"I'm not a cruel person," Bush said, noting she tried to revive Rox. "I feel wholeheartedly my dog and myself were the victims."

Hartley said Bush had a "severe overreaction," and a witness told police Bush was "flipping out."

As for Candy, an animal control supervisor said the dog had three small marks on her belly that didn't puncture the skin. Bush said Candy is "traumatized" and "not moving well."

"You can't hardly pick her up; she just lets out a terrible cry," Bush said.

Eric Bush, 34, Robin's husband, said Candy was bitten more than once and will remain under a veterinarian's observation for possible internal injuries.

"They said it could be fatal," he said.

Hartley said the incident left her "kind of numb."

"On the one hand I want retribution, but you can't bring the dog back," she said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

[ingallsra]

Hmmmm.....not sure what to think about this one....

[Gypsy Rose]

I agree - it's a very badly written article for a start LOL!! Hope the yorkie is ok. Ana xx

[kewtee]

Poor dogs and poor humans, but -
Woah - some dog attacking MY dogs?
I don't think I would kill it, but kicking it so hard it broke something and would be terrified of me for the rest of it's life would definitely be an option!
My yorkies are my children and who ever hurts them answers to me...
In Denmark it is illegal to let dogs out without a leash - but in this small town people do it all the time. And some of them get pretty vicious too when they see the yorkies. But they only get close to us ONCE and my foot is somewhere on their body - hard. They never look in our direction again.
The alternative is to grab the other dog, take of the collar and drive it to a police station where it will be impounded - and the owner will loose it or get a big ticket.
And for the record, I have tried talking to some of the owners, they just look at me and laugh like I am some kind of idiot and says that it doesn't matter.

[Itspuppyluv]

That is horrible. Usually I am on the side of the dog attacked but not this time. To kill it she would have to keep on strangling the poor thing even after it had no fight left in it. It is sick. She's lucky it wasn't my dog.

[Julie1]

To strangle a rottie would take immense strength if it was still trying to attack - the way it wasr eproted over here in UK the dog licked her and was trying to be friendly to the woman who was strangling it which actually makes a lot of sense. Because the dog must have been cooperating with her and standing still or she simply couldn't have done it !

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

I try to forget this memory, but when I was about 12 years old, we boarded our horses on a ranch about three miles from our house. We would go there to ride. One day my mother asked me to take our miniature poodle out of the car to go potty (my mom always sat in the car with the poodle and waited while we rode the horse) His name was Peppy.

I had him on leash and, before I knew it the ranch owner's boxer (not on a leash since he was on his own property) was nose to nose to Peppy. I thought he just wanted to play or make friends, but, without so much as a growl, he grabbed my little poodle around the top of the neck and shoulders and would not let go. I pulled on the leash and began hitting the boxer in the head and body. Peppy was screaming and I got bit twice (both by Peppy who was trying to bite the boxer) My mother came out and got my poodle free once but the boxer jumped up on her (she is 5'2") and pulled Peppy away from her again. We finally got Peppy free and in the car and I had to lay in the back seat all the way to the emergency vet (it was a sunday) while Peppy screamed in pain.

The vet said he could do surgery and save his life but he wouldn't walk well. My parents loved that dog so we agreed to the expensive surgery. Peppy made it through the surgery but died two dies later when he had a seizure. I was traumatized for life by the incident and I have a hard time warming up to boxers.

All that happened to that boxer was that he was quarantined to his home for 30 days. I think this incident had something to do with my decision to become an attorney because I wanted to be able to DO SOMETHING to wrong doers when they they do something bad. Now, granted we were on private property and you could argue that the dog was "protecting his property" but this was a business. They boarded horses and should not have had a dog that would attack other dogs left to roam freely. There was a witness who said they heard the dog's owner (a teenage son of the business owner) "sic" the dog on my dog and tell him to "get 'im".

If a dog were ever to attack my dog again I would try as hard as I could to kill it! It is just inexcusable in my opinion and cannot be tolerated. Especially, if it was on my property, as it was in this case. This yorkie owner should be suing the rottweiler owner not the other way around. She is defintely the victim" in my opinion. I used to own rottweilers so I am not prejudiced against the breed but they are enormous and can easily over power a person.

[Josie's Mom]

SoCalyorkiLvr what an traumatic experience to go through. Thank you for sharing. I will always be careful when another dog comes near Josie. It's true, I guess you just never know. In this story's case I agree, the wrong person is sueing. People need to take responsibility for their pet's actions. Period.

[StewiesMom]

What an annoying news story. I agree with Erin. Its sad that a woman would be so cold-hearted and unsympathetic after this Rottweilier was obviously under its owner's control. The dog was carrying the Yorkie around in his mouth? Lots of female dogs do that to smaller dogs playing mommy.

I would NEVER attempt to hurt an animal, even if they were hurting Stewie. That is inexcusable. Watch your dog more closely, don't bring him/her everywhere and he/she has a better chance of being safe and happy. Don't blame others for your mistakes. If a dog jumps my fence and runs into my yard to attack, who do I blame except myself for not watching more closely or protecting my yard better?

[txshopper73]

Originally Posted by SoCalyorkiLvr

If a dog were ever to attack my dog again I would try as hard as I could to kill it! It is just inexcusable in my opinion and cannot be tolerated. Especially, if it was on my property, as it was in this case. This yorkie owner should be suing the rottweiler owner not the other way around. She is defintely the victim" in my opinion. I used to own rottweilers so I am not prejudiced against the breed but they are enormous and can easily over power a person.

I couldn't agree with you more. I too use to own a Rottie and even though he was my baby, he also out weighed me. Harley was 130 lbs of solid muscle. I have to wonder, if Rox would have attacked a child, would people be questioning the reasons for killing the dog? My yorkies are also my babies and I would treat them the same as I would my own child.

[Itspuppyluv]

There are two sides to every story but even the witness said she was flipping out. I don't believe the dog was attacking her or that she thought she was in danger so she couldn't let go. Everyone knows how strong a Rottweiler is and how much damage they can do yet she was able to strangle a dog that weighed as much as she did and walk away without a scratch! She took the law into her own hands. JMO

[SBAIRD]

I am sorry but I have to say that what the woman did is wrong. To say you would kill another animal!!! that is sad. Everyone says that they think of their dogs as their children and I do to. So then why would you want to kill another persons child. I was personaly attacked by a dog, I was playing in the yard and the dog came over to me(he was a BIG dog too). I started playing with him and then he jumped on me and I got scarred wich in turn scarred him and he bit me. My mom found me on the ground with the dog on top of me. It really wasnt the dogs fault I got scarred and in turn caused him to get scarred and he didnt know what to do. The owners of the dog paid the medical bill and that was all that happened. I actually became friends with that dog, and adopted him from the woman. He never hurt another living soul.

Look at it this way. If that dog wanted to hurt the yorkie he could have done some real damage. If that dog was aggresive I can garuntee that woman would not have been able to choke a 130lb dog.

Two wrongs dont make a right.

I see it like this, if it was a human who killed another human, they would be in jail. I dont see why it should be any different when a human kills a dog, or when a dog kills a human. Of course when that happens the dog gets put to sleep.

Dont take my words wrong, if a dog does something bad they should be punnished. How they are punnished is what needs to be looked at. In some cases the dogs need to be put to sleep, they are to aggresive. If it was just an accident and the dog has never shown any signs of being aggresive than something else needs to be done.

I also fully agree that the owner needs to take responsibility for what their dog did. In some cases the owner is at fault for the way they raised the dog.

[yorkiegirl2]

I'm sorry I know we all agree to disagree on somethings..But I have to agree with SoCalyorkiLvr on this one..The woman was probably so scared and yes she probably did flip out...and you don't know what you would do if you were in this position ..until you are. Me I would have done the same thing the woman did. She was protect her dog, her child, and herself. And if you have ahold of a dog that big you would be afraid to let it go. IMO any dog that attacks another animal will usually attack again and the next time it maybe a child.

[schatzie]

It is so hard to say what would happen when you find yourself in a panic situation.

I'am guessing that if I see my Schatzie in another dogs mouth, I will be doing anything in my power to free her, this might include harming the other dog or if need be killing it.

I would do the same if I myself, child, husband, or friend is personally being attacked by another dog or even a human!!

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

I would NEVER attempt to hurt an animal, even if they were hurting Stewie. That is inexcusable. ?

Kristy:

Do you really mean this?

By law, you have every right to defend yourself or others when they are being attacked, or even put in fear or apprehension of attack. I don't think that if you were out walking Stewie on a leash and a big dog came out of no where with no warning and attacked Stewie that you wouldn't try to save him by hitting the big dog to get him to release his grip. To me, doing nothing would be inexcusable. You are not only acting within the law to do so, imo, it is your moral obligation to defend others.