Heroic Dog Saves Woman from Abuser, Incites Change in Shelter Policy by Kwicko

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Heroic Dog Saves Woman from Abuser, Incites Change in Shelter Policy

POSTED BY: KWICKO
UPDATED: Monday, January 16, 2012 09:03
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VIEWED: 649
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Saturday, January 14, 2012 6:13 PM

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Quote:
When the Rose Brooks Center for women took in a domestic violence victim and her heroic dog, they bent the rules in doing so, setting the wheels in motion for a much needed change in policy.

Like most battered women’s shelters, the Rose Brooks Center did not accommodate pets. But this was no ordinary dog: when her boyfriend tried to kill the woman with a hammer, her fearless Great Dane jumped in the way, laying over her body and taking most of the blows until the man threw both of them out of a second story window. The dog suffered multiple broken bones in the attack, sparing his owner’s life in the process.

Despite their injuries, the woman was able to escape with her dog, and eventually made her way to the Rose Brooks Center. When they offered her a bed and told her no pets were allowed, she was defiant, and for the first time in its history, the shelter overlooked regulations and allowed the dog to stay.

Read more:

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/01/heroic-dog-saves-owner-from-abusive
-spouse-incites-change-in-shelter-policy/

This dog is a hero, and this woman is a hero to her dog. And their man is a piece of shit.

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 4:01 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Hard to believe a dog the size of a Great Dane would simply take shots like that, and not go canine on the dirt bag.

Dane's aren't too bright, are they ? Maybe he thought it was a game ?

Been around a few Danes, and I honestly don't know if they live long enough to out grow their puppy mind set.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 4:44 AM

KWICKO

I know from experience that a Dobermann would have torn him up. And I really wish she had a Dobermann.

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 6:33 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Only goes to show how little Rap knows about dogs. In general, the bigger the breed, the less agressive. Obviously there are exceptions, but Danes are the bigget babies in the world, and GREAT caretakers of children because of their gentleness. I don't think you'll find too many stories of agressive Danes.

The dog had apparently lived with both of them, or else the boyfriend was around long enough for him to know the guy...ergo, it's like beating your pet dog; how many of them turn on their owners? Some, yes, but most take it. The dog no doubt viewed the guy as his pack's alpha, along with the woman, which left the conundrum of protecting alpha 1 without harming alpha 2. He came up with the only solution he could.

Admittedly, Danes are not the sharpest tacks in the drawer...neither are most huskies, but smarts aren't the only important characteristics in a dog...or a human.

I'm thrilled they allowed the exception to their policy, it's only right. My heart goes out to those in shelters who can't keep their dogs; here and in S.F., the Humane Society keeps their dogs for them until they're able to take them back, for as long as it takes. Me, if I was homeless, I'd stay with my dogs rather than go to a shelter that wouldn't take them, but I know it's personal choice. I think she did great!

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 6:54 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Not sure I see the point of you taking shots at me, Niki.

No, I'm not an expert in dogs, or Great Danes, but I think I've been around enough dogs to know some basics. You agreed w/ me that Danes aren't all that bright , correct ? I know Dalmatians are really on the ' special ed' side of the scale, while many Huskies are actually quite bright. But stubborn as hell, which some may take for a lack of intelligence. You've had more experience in that dept, I'm guessing.

But most dogs, I'd suspect, if they get hit full on, instincts are going to kick in and there's gonna be SOME fight in them. It is remarkable that the dog chose self sacrifice, over self defense. It's an unusual case, regardless.

"The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. - Someone.

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 2:23 PM

KWICKO

Niki, read the whole article - they STARTED by making an exception for this woman's dog. Then they did some research, found out that some 40% of abused women stay in the relationship for the sake of their pets, and they changed their policy permanently to allow the pets to come with the women, in order to give them one less reason to stay in an abusive relationship.

Good move on their part, I say.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 5:15 PM

BYTEMITE

My grandma used to breed great danes. Can you imagine? She was 80 pounds and 4'6".

Yes, they were very gentle. I was an awful rotten little kid, and even they got on all right with me. Probably the only animals in my life that did, but then, they didn't have to live with me.

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 7:35 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Byte, your grandma was only 4'6???????? That's tiny. How short does someone have to be to be considered as having dwarfism? I know she wasn't short enough, but wondering where the line is?

I think shelters should decide whether to have pets. I imagine there are some that do and I think what happens where Niki lives is cool, the animal shelter will keep them until the woman is on her feet and able to take them back. I can definitely understand how a shelter would make an exception in this case.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Sunday, January 15, 2012 9:14 PM

BYTEMITE

Well, she had extremely stunted growth due to her habits. She was anorexic since she was a kid, and smoked about as long. It was the alcoholism that killed her though.

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Monday, January 16, 2012 9:03 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Sorry about the crack, Rap: 1) I should know you are fairly well versed in the way of dogs, and 2) wasn't warranted. NOT an excuse, but chalk it up to immediate reaction, since I do know Danes and the idea of one turning on someone surprised me, and the fact that big dogs are feared by many, which goes counter to reality and gets a visceral defensive reaction from me. Transference, nothing to do with you. I didn't think; usually it's people who don't understand dogs who make remarks like that, people who have been around big dogs usually know how most of them will take a LOT of abuse before turning on their alphas...some breeds more than others, of course, and having known Danes, I know they are among the biggest babies of all time and will NEVER turn on an owner unless severely abused over time.

Dalmies aren't the only dumb ones. What about Irish Setters? Smart when it comes to the hunting stuff they've been bred for, but otherwise, dumb as fenceposts (GENERALLY, there are exceptions to everything). And while SOME huskies are smart, most aren't all that bright--again, smart about what they're bred for (like instinctively going right if a musher tells them to go left and there's an unseen chasm there--which, by the way, also explains their independent nature) but Tashi, for all I love him to death, is pretty "special-ed" worthy. Kochak, I don't know how bright she is per se, but damn, she'd have made a great musher...she got "gee" and "haw" down immediately, and the slightest tug of the reins to one side or the other and she turns on a dime, even without the command. Tashi, not so much, especially if HE wants to go left and I say right...

But Danes will put up with TONS, and are gentle as hell...which tends to be the case more than not with the larger breeds. The opposite being true of small dogs, as we've all no doubt experienced. It's the middle-sized breeds, in my experience, which can more often go either way. We all know about small breeds like Jacks and such, but how many really big breeds of dogs does anyone know which are quick to rile? Mastiffs, Danes, Berners (one of my FAVORITE breeds), Giant Schnauzers, Great Pyrinese, Mals, Labs, Newfies, Bloodhounds, Irish Wolfhounds; how many have known any of those who are aggressive (unless trained/abused to be)? I don't count Rhodies, Collies, Dobies, Akitas (who DEFINITELY often have an alpha mentality!), Grey Ghosts and Setters, to me they're "medium". All the others are, in general, the biggest babies in the world. And in general not too bright (tho' Setters may take the cake for that...). I guarantee that most really big breeds, unless badly abused over time or scared and cornered, will do what they can not to defend themselves.

Little breeds, on the other hand... ;o) How many Chihuahuas, Jacks, Lhasas, Pekes, Pugs, Yorkies, Poms, have you run across who are mellow, as opposed to yappy/snappy? Exceptions include Cavs, which were BRED to be loved and loving and nothing else, and I don't count Beagles because nobody told them they were small--they'd generally rather play with big dogs than other small ones. But for fans of Victoria Stillwell ("It's Me or the Dog") or Cesar Milan, the little guy are the most frequent problems.

BIG caveat: Lest someone go after me for my generalizations, bear in mind that my ABSOLUTE mantra is that the dog reflects the owner. I definitely know people with mellow, sweet small dogs and know OF some (from news, etc.) who have aggressive big dogs, so there's absolutely no question in my mind that a bad dog is the reflection of a bad owner. I'm just talking generalities.

Big dogs are usually the gentlest, to the point of being great babysitters and adopting babies of other species (like Choey's big lab, who "mothered" everything from chicks to kittens). I meet a LOT of dogs, since I take ours to dog parks at least once a week, and I've always been keen on learning about dogs and dog breeds, so more often than not, this is what I've experienced.

That holds true to an extent for horses and people, too, if anyone's noticed. Small people are often the fiestiest, while big lugs like myself are more often less inclined to snappishness. You don't know me off the internet or you wouldn't laugh at that. I've only struck three people in my lifetime, and in one case, was holding a puppy while a housemate (a feisty small woman, it might be noted) was wailing on me something fierce. Jo attacked me numerous times and I never fought back...of course, in most of those cases, I could just sit on her.

For some reason, that doesn't always hold true for big men, dunno why but I'd like to, 'cuz from experience the only problems I had with employers were small men. You've heard about the "Napoleon complex"? I've experienced it many times...strangely, not from small women tho'. An anomaly to my theory.

And yeah, I didn't notice that this case caused the shelter to change their policy, thanx for pointing that out, it's encouraging. So many studies have shown that a dog (or a beloved/loving pet of any kind) can be SO helpful to people in crisis (like Katrina for example), it kinda gauls me that shelters, etc., don't take that into account. Those are the people who MOST need someone/something which gives unconditional love, in my opinion.

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