Presa Canario kills FLA woman

[shanti]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cdog22aug22,0,4877623.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

sad story :(

Mauling victim owned Presa Canario dog for protection

By Sallie James, Jennifer Gollan & Robert Nolin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

August 22, 2006

CORAL SPRINGS -- The huge guard dog named Xino had growled so many times in the past month, Lazaro Rivero was scared. He repeatedly warned his girlfriend, Shawna Willey, to be wary of the burly Presa Canario that they owned.

"I kept telling her it's not normal your pet growls at you," Rivero said tearfully Monday, as he spoke publicly of the attack for the first time. "I told her that these are the same dogs that did something in California to a lady in an apartment. I told her, `We don't need these dogs.' But she was so fascinated by the dog because he was big."

The 120-pound dog fatally attacked Willey on Friday as she bathed it, tearing out her jugular veins and biting her more than a half-dozen times on the back, arm and side while her 9-year-old daughter watched, police said. Officers shot the dog to death in the backyard of the couple's Coral Springs home in The Hills neighborhood.

*snip

[SteppingRazor]

1. Didn't this happen more than a week ago?

Locally, the sad part was that another person was mauled to death a few days later -- but oddly no mention of the poor black man who was killed. I guess it's more important when a young, white ex-stripper who lives in a million-dollar home gets mauled.

[shanti]

3. sorry

it's the first i'd heard of it. if it's a duplicate, please feel free to delete it.

[Shakespeare]

2. Why in the WORLD would anybody own one of these dogs?

Please, please don't start with all the bullshit about "there are no bad dogs;" presa canarios were bred to be vicious, violent fighting dogs, and are notoriously unpredictable--and deadly if they do attack.

You'd have to be out of your fucking mind to keep one of these.

[shanti]

6. i agree

although my thinking about dogs has changed considerably since i began watching the dog whisperer with cesar millan. no doubt he would be able to control a dog like this, but the general population? no freakin way.

[seabeyond]

8. seems to me it was not the people raising the dog, but the dog itself

which basically takes care of that argument.

i am disgusted with the defence of these dogs and other to the expenxe of human life...... children. just disgusted

[SoCalDem]

9. Why? because "some" people are drawn to "chic"

Remember the shar pei fad? Some people just had to have one....not because all of a sudden they discovered a fantastic dog.. they wanted one so that other people would stop them and say "what is that"?

My sister weighed 90 lbs, and insisted on having the biggest chow dog she could find..why? because they are "impressive and intimidating".. Of course she spent NOTHING on training him, and he bit her regularly, and she was afraid to sleep unless the door to the bedroom was latched.. (she eventually found a new home for him)..and immediately got two registered persian cats for thousands of dollars apiece...and paid someone to groom them..

I think it's the same for these dogs..

[SteppingRazor]

10. For the record, this case had nothing to do with "chic"...

the woman in question had a stalker ex-boyfriend, and got the dog for protection.

[gaspee]

11. The Irony, it burns.... (N/T)

[SteppingRazor]

14. Doesn't it, though? n/t

[SoCalDem]

16. There are many guard dogs. and just about any dog

can be neutralized with a stalker who has a gun.. It's too bad she could not have had a security system installed and some police protection.

or failing that, moving is the best way to get away from a stalker.. ( I know that people say it's not HER fault..why shoud SHE move...but if YOUR safety is at issue, I think moving is the safest thing to do)

[Midlodemocrat]

12. I just googled "presa canario" and there is a really frightening website

that trains them as guard dogs. I don't know much about the breed, but they look way too scary to me.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Obviously for the meat.

Which is the only legitimate reason anybody would own a dog.

And don't start with this "sentimental reasons" bullshit.

[Cha]

27. Fatal fascination! It takes all

kinds.

[MrModerate]

4. It's very sad -- especially the bit about her daughter watching . . .

When will people learn that these killers are not suitable pets?

[gaspee]

5. There are certain dogs

That should not be kept by anyone but trained professionals.

A caveat: I am not anti-ownership. I own six dogs, show them at dog shows and breed them. I do not sell puppies to any families with children under 12. And I don't make exceptions.

I am not someone who thinks there should be breed bans.

However, Presa Canarios are the direct descendents of the roman mastiffs. There are a couple of other breeds whose only purpose is to kill human beings. They do not make good pets. (DUH!) I cannot believe people would allow such dangerous dogs near their children.

Who in the world needs a dog like that for protection? Not people in the florida suburbs of all people.

It's a good thing the dog didn't kill people not directly responsible for it being in that situation. Imagine if the dog attacked neighbors.

And wasn't the growling from a very large, very aggressive dog enough of a clue. hell, I muzzle one of my males when I do his toenails and he's not big enough to be lethally dangerous.

Here's a good article on these dogs... remember, same breed that killed the woman in San Francisco.

Article in SFGATE

[Jeanette in FL]

13. Thanks for some very good information

I love the fact that you will not sell to any family with children under 12 years of age. I have seen numerous children biten by the family pet because the people never taught their damn kids to respect the animal, stay away from its food bowl, especially when the dog is eating. The next thing you know the dog is taken to the pound, only to see the people adopt or buy another dog within a few months. Makes me crazy.

All of my dogs are rescues. People just love the cute puppy, but when the dog starts to get a bit older and they need exercise, grooming, feeding, washing, how the novelty wears thin.

[SmokingJacket]

7. I feel most sorry for the child in this situation.

Imagine seeing a dog kill your mom.

[China_cat]

15. Lucky child.

That the dog didn't turn on her next.

[AnneD]

17. If the mother had

scolded or swatted the child in front of the dog, it could have thought it was protecting the child. A dog of this size and temperment requires (much like a gun) an educated owner. I have profound sympathy for the child. What a traumitizing thing to witness.
I have owned large breeds in the past and take pet ownership seriously. My dogs have always been trained. I am the Alpha Bitch so to speak and they know it.:evilgrin: Poor hubby is clueless about dogs and can never figure out why they act better for me than for him.
These dogs can be great working companions, but you have to be on top of your game.

[China_cat]

20. Dogs in bloodlust

seldom stop when there are other available targets.

I have dogs, too...large breed. And there ARE bad dogs that are not safe with anyone. Anyone who tries to say there isn't is a fool.

[AnneD]

25. You are right about the blood lust

but I politely disagree about bad dogs if you are referring to breeds. There can be a bad dog here and there in any breed-but no breed is all bad.

We grew up with a short haired chow-the best dog we ever had. Dad traveled and Mom was frequently alone in the house with us. After we had a break in, we got the chow. Fiercely protective of us kids and our home and was always with us when we played (protected us from a copperhead snake once and would clamp down on my sisters diaper and drag her back into our unfenced back yard when sis roamed to far). She would walk us to the crossing guard every school day and be there when we returned (We never trained her-she just did this stuff). After growing up with this dog-I was suprised to learn how bad she was suppose to be.

Worst dog I ever encountered was a collie in our neighborhood. I suspect he was abused at home and would threaten you by sneaking up and biting. My young daughter had to carry a board when out as protection. Yet the pit bull (Rufus) down the block was a sweetie and if he were out-he would stop the collie and walk with my daughter until she made it home.Poor Rufus got picked up one day (arrested so to speak) and we (and several other neighbors) went to court as character witnesses for him. We had a bail raising party for him when he came home.

Much of the behavior is how they are socialized. Would I ever have young kids around some dogs (esp P.C). Absolutly not. But these animals, when well chosen, can be socialized and trained to become good family members.

[China_cat]

26. No, I wasn't referring to breeds.

I was referring to individual dogs and anyone who says there are no bad dogs is a fool.

I also don't want anything to do with anyone who declared emphatically that their dog doesn't bite. Because they're fooling themselves. Any dog will bite given the right provocation. Just because yours hasn't met that level yet doesn't mean that it won't. My dogs are well socialized, very calm and have never bitten anyone. That doesn't mean that they won't, and I won't lie about it. When someone asks if they bite, I simply reply "they never have".

Of course, I know my dogs. And I would know if they were getting close to that provocation point and intervene.

[shanti]

29. well, according to

cesar millan, you and your husband needs to be a united front for dog, or else your dog will see your husband as just another member of the pack, so to speak.

[Ron Green]

18. Florida again. I'm keepin' track.

[uppityperson]

19. that poor child, watching this. eom

[leftchick]

21. I was shocked to see these dogs on Petfinder

look at the description, that is enough to scare you. No children under twelve? Who would want an animal like that?

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6731713



Notes: Presa Diesel is approximately 4 years old. He is housebroken and crate trained. He is good with other dogs and is a dominant male. He is not good with cats. He energy level is considered to be "Low". He is good with children 12 years of age. We just call him "the big dog". He's sweet-tempered, low energy, pushy and dominant. His behavior is typical of large, mastif-type breeds...low key and low energy and somewhat thick-headed. He listens once you have his attention and he enjoys affection and companionship. Currently he weighs 103 pounds but he's thin and will gain another 20-30 pounds, most likely. Because of his size and dominant nature he's best with older kids who are experienced with very large dogs. An experienced, large dog household is needed for this guy...he's a fabulous dog for someone who understands this breed. He does have cropped ears, completely cropped at the head, which is a typical crop for this breed.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

31. A lot of dogs won't be adopted to kids under 12.

Often times small dogs aren't adopted to families with small kids, because the kids can hurt the dog too easily. Just as often, large dogs aren't adopted to families with young kids, because the dog can too easily hurt a small child. It doesn't have anything to do with aggression, as dogs have to pass personality tests to be adopted out. A very large breed of dog can hurt a little kid quite easily and innocently just by playing too rough. Plus many people don't teach their kids how to play with animals properly.

[LostinVA]

23. Like poor Alexis Whipple

Just horrible...

[swimmernsecretsea]

24. I haven't seen a mention of the Diane Whipple case yet.

I saw the name "Presa Canario" and just shivered. The dogs were a Presa Canario/Mastiff mix. Diane was set upon by not one, but two. I won't repeat the details of the case; they're just too horrible. The circumstances were just as awful as well. The dogs were being cared for by a couple who were raising them for a white supremacist jailed in Pelican Bay.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2002/03/22/dogmaulgallery.DTL

"Whipple later moved to San Francisco, and came within seconds of qualifying for the U.S. 1996 Olympics team in track and field, for the 800 meters...She became a coach and teacher, assuming the position as the lacrosse coach at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California. She was often described as a beloved and memorable mentor. Whipple lived with her long term partner Sharon Smith, another lacrosse coach."
(From Wikipedia listing)

[KamaAina]

28. Post #5 above speaks of "the woman from San Francisco".

:(

[swimmernsecretsea]

30. I was writing and researching it when they posted

But it's good to remember a woman who tried to be a good influence and mentor to young women. The sad way she passed shouldn't be how we remember Diane, alas, but being aware and protecting others from dangerous animals is a part of her legacy.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

32. Presa Canarios are not dogs for most people.

They are a very large breed meant for guard work. In the right hands, they are safe dogs. However, they're not really suitable for most people. They require a very dominant person with extensive experience dealing with large, aggressive guard dogs.

She ignored the warning signs of this dog showing aggression towards her. Once a dog starts showing aggression towards its owner, it needs either massive amounts of training IMMEDIATELY or it needs to be put down. End of story. If she wanted a dog for protection, she would have been better off with a German Shepherd and even they're not suitable for everyone. It sucks that this woman died, but she was seriously asking for trouble.

In Hillsborough County, where Willey previously lived, she had several citations for animal violations, including having a vicious dog, allowing a dog at large and no registration of proof of vaccination. Those citations involved a pit bull, her mother said. Willey had not received any citations in Coral Springs, said Police Capt. James Hanrahan.

Since this woman already had previous citations, I would say she was an irresponsible owner, who didn't know how to control her own dogs. If you can't properly train, handle, or confine a dog (of any breed), you should not own that dog. I've owned an over-protective German Shepherd, however she listened to me completely and was never allowed to be in a situation where she could attack someone. If she ever showed aggression towards me or anyone in the house, she would have been gone.

Unfortunately, I think we're going to see a rise in attacks involving Presa Canarios, especially in areas that have put breed specific legislation in place. The people that were turning their pit bulls into vicious dogs aren't going to be stopped by banning pit-type dogs. They will simply turn to other breeds. Unfortunately, Presa Canarios are a much larger, more aggressive dog than a pit bull. What we need is stricter enforcment of laws involving dangerous dogs, dog fighting, and animal cruelty. For every breed that is banned, a new breed will take it's place. The root of the problem isn't the breed, it's the owner.