Chihuahua - Menacing Dog

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http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/half-blind-arthritic-chihuahua-classed-a-menace-by-city/story-e6frfku0-1226103181482

Half-blind, arthritic chihuahua classed a menace by city By Roanne Johnson From: Townsville Bulletin July 28, 2011 8:31AM Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrint

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Penny the chihuahua has been classed a menacing dog by council. Picture: Megan Taylor Source: Townsville Bulletin

Diane Christensen with Penny. Picture: Megan Taylor Source: Townsville Bulletin

PENNY, a half-blind 12-year-old chihuahua with an arthritic hip and one tooth, has been added to Townsville City Council's menacing dog's list.

"It is ludicrous and laughable that my little three kilogram lap dog would even scare someone," owner Diane Christensen told the Townsville Bulletin.

"She has a severe limp so her back legs often fall to one side when she walks, she has one tooth left and she is the quietest dog in the neighbourhood.

"Penny is very well behaved because she is always with me in my handbag when I'm out and she is timid too because she won't even stay in the yard alone."

But council animal control officers found last week there was enough evidence the pint-sized pooch "menaced a person causing fear" and "carried out a menacing attack" on a neighbour at a Bent St unit block in Mundingburra around December 1, 2010.

..They issued Ms Christensen, a 61-year-old pensioner, with a regulated dog fee of $300, which means her usual $30 dog registration is increased ten fold as Penny is now classed as a menacing dog.

"I cannot afford to pay that and I won't - which means I will probably have to put my little dog down," Ms Christensen said.

"She is my mate and I love her but I live fortnight to fortnight and I have no way of even finding the money after the fine and expense of putting up a new fence."

When council officers paid Ms Christensen a visit to investigate the claims they found the little black, white and tan dog in an unfenced yard and not on a lead, so the owner was fined $200 plus ordered to put a fence up.

"I had to get a loan from Centrelink for $500 to get a little picket fence to keep Penny in - even though she is hardly ever outside without me and is mainly a house dog," she said.

"I also have to buy her a muzzle and a lead if I want to take her out in public and put a sign up on my fence warning people that I have a menacing dog."

"I know she barks sometimes and is protective but this is absolutely ridiculous and I think it's just a vendetta against me from some neighbours."

Townsville City Council community and environment director Gavin Lyons said council received a complaint about Penny from a 78-year-old woman who lives nearby.

"She reported that the dog ran towards her growling and snapping at her legs on the stairs at her block of units, forcing her to cling to a hand rail," Mr Lyons said.

"The lady was distressed by the ordeal and after investigating the matter and taking evidence the council informed the owner of our intention to take action over the dog."

Mr Lyons said Ms Christensen, who has 14 days under state legislation to request a review, was just one of hundreds of reports that council receive every year of menacing dogs.

"We receive reports of over 500 dog attacks every year involving most breeds, and in most cases they occur because the animals are not on a leash and under proper restraint," he said.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/half-blind-arthritic-chihuahua-classed-a-menace-by-city/story-e6frfku0-1226103181482#ixzz1TMcyL17z

[Guest lavendergirl]

The dog could well have tripped the old lady on the stairs and caused a nasty fall. Not as silly as it seems for the dog to be declared a nuisance. A lead doesn't cost much money and a small area could have been cheaply fenced off for the dog's outside use.

[White Shepherd mom]

The dog could well have tripped the old lady on the stairs and caused a nasty fall. Not as silly as it seems for the dog to be declared a nuisance. A lead doesn't cost much money and a small area could have been cheaply fenced off for the dog's outside use.

I agree fully. It doesn't take much for a 78 year old to fall down stairs. Again the dog might suffer because of a clueless owner

[Tilly]

Size shouldn't come into it when a dog is declared a menace ... it should be judged on the actions - "dog ran towards her growling and snapping at her legs on the stairs at her block of units" is menacing behaviour.

I have only ever been bitten by small "friendly" dogs ... ;)

Edited July 28, 2011 by Tilly

[GeckoTree]

Part of the tick sheet brigade. And so she should request the review.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Poor little dog with a crappy owner. Loose dogs are a major bugbear for me, doesn't matter what size they are.

A little dog loose is in danger of becoming the victim of a car, another dog attack, even a cat or worse, some evil human. And yes, some people are frightened of even a tiny dog.

WHY can't the stupid owner keep the dog inside???

[Ons]

Size shouldn't come into it when a dog is declared a menace ... it should be judged on the actions - "dog ran towards her growling and snapping at her legs on the stairs at her block of units" is menacing behaviour.

I have only ever been bitten by small "friendly" dogs ... ;)

my friends' chihuahuas do this to me when i visit. I have been bitten by them. They snap at my dog at training and bark at her just when i was trying to get her confident about going into the shadows. they bite the trainer. Yet it is laughed at because they "are small" by their owners. Why should they be excused from this behaviour when my bigger dogs would be declared dangerous if they did this? Why do their owners allow them to behave like this when I would never allow my own dogs to and would be horrified if they did.

So I can well believe that this dog did run growling and menancing at the person.

[Miss B]

Stupid owner, should have kept the dog inside - not wandering around her unfenced yard.

[Maddy]

The dog could well have tripped the old lady on the stairs and caused a nasty fall. Not as silly as it seems for the dog to be declared a nuisance. A lead doesn't cost much money and a small area could have been cheaply fenced off for the dog's outside use.

I agree fully. It doesn't take much for a 78 year old to fall down stairs. Again the dog might suffer because of a clueless owner

It's not only the risk of a fall. As you age, your skin becomes much more fragile and tears very easily.

A nip from a tiny dog could cause an elderly person a lot of damage- I've seen the result of a carer just bumping an elderly woman's leg as she was moving something and the end result was far worse than you'd think (also a huge infection risk- dog bite and elderly person whose immune system isn't going to be as strong as a younger person's).

And as Tilly points out.. size alone does not make a dog safe or unsafe. I have large dogs and I've never been so much as growled at, let alone nipped.. but.. I have been bitten quite badly by a chihuahua before.

If anything, I worry more about small dogs because there is a perception that because they are small, they don't need to be on leash or trained (or PTS if they display the sort of HA which would normally see a large dog destroyed with no questions asked).

Typo

Edited July 28, 2011 by Hardy's Angel

[Henrietta]

No problem with this dog being declared menacing. As an owner of a small dog, with anti-social issues to boot, it makes me quite angry that folks do not protect others from their animals, and their animals from harm. My girl would never be allowed to wander in my front yard, she would never be allowed offlead except in private fenced properties.

The incident in question was completely preventable. Pity the owner is not taking responsibility for the incident.

Edit - oh, and is it ok to get shitty with people who don't care about small dogs behaving inappropriately? I take my role of guardian very seriously with my current girl who is well-managed and much improved, but in the future I hope to have small dogs that are a complete joy for everyone to be around and that I will be proud to have in the community.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Henrietta

[Guest lavendergirl]

The owner managed to get herself featured on A Current Affair last night. Cute little dog - pity about the owner. Hopefully some compromise can be reached and the little dog does not pay the price for the owners lack of thought for her neighbours.

[Brennan's Mum]

Size shouldn't come into it when a dog is declared a menace ... it should be judged on the actions - "dog ran towards her growling and snapping at her legs on the stairs at her block of units" is menacing behaviour.

I have only ever been bitten by small "friendly" dogs ... ;)

my friends' chihuahuas do this to me when i visit. I have been bitten by them. They snap at my dog at training and bark at her just when i was trying to get her confident about going into the shadows. they bite the trainer. Yet it is laughed at because they "are small" by their owners. Why should they be excused from this behaviour when my bigger dogs would be declared dangerous if they did this? Why do their owners allow them to behave like this when I would never allow my own dogs to and would be horrified if they did.

So I can well believe that this dog did run growling and menancing at the person.

I agree, I don't think size should be a factor. Just because a dog is small does not (or should not) give it an excuse for unacceptable behaviour.

[sandgrubber]

+1

An ankle biter is still a biter.

[WoofnHoof]

For some reason I had current affair on the other night and saw the story, the owner is playing everyone for a fool the dog should have been contained, since they kept going on about how old and feeble the dog is it should have been extremely easy to contain.

[Rozzie]

Someone paid her fine and will continue to register the dog for her. She didn't even seem grateful.

[poodlefan]

Someone paid her fine and will continue to register the dog for her. She didn't even seem grateful.

Let's hope she controls and contains her dog from now on.

Shite some dog owners make me cranky. I don't give a damn how small and old the dog is. It can still bite.

[WoofnHoof]

Someone paid her fine and will continue to register the dog for her. She didn't even seem grateful.

Let's hope she controls and contains her dog from now on.

Shite some dog owners make me cranky. I don't give a damn how small and old the dog is. It can still bite.

Not only that, some people really are genuinely scared of dogs even little dogs, and many children can become terrified of dogs without ever having been bitten, it doesn't have to bite to scare someone and people need to respect that.

[OSoSwift]

Someone paid her fine and will continue to register the dog for her. She didn't even seem grateful.

Let's hope she controls and contains her dog from now on.

Shite some dog owners make me cranky. I don't give a damn how small and old the dog is. It can still bite.

I definately agree

[Liath]

This dog lives in my mother in laws unit block. The dog is blind and has 1 tooth. The unit block is fully fenced but the council deemed it wasnt in a fenced area. The lady that reported the dog as menacing is not very popular.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Liath

[WoofnHoof]

This dog lives in my mother in laws unit block. The dog is blind and has 1 tooth. The unit block is fully fenced but the council deemed it wasnt in a fenced area. The lady that reported the dog as menacing is not very popular.

If the lady is scared of dogs and the dog rushed her it doesn't really matter whether the dog actually could bite or not, the fact that it was in a position to scare someone is enough and the owner should have kept it contained to her own area.