Mauling in Kapiti

UPDATED: Bulla, this good and loyal dog, described by his owner as rescued from abuse, is dead. His owner bailed on him leaving him in the pound to his fate. When the authorities tracked this owner down he signed Bulla over and Kapiti had their way and took his life.

Original Article:

A Mauling in Kapiti...But is it a Pit Bull?

Of course, the media have immediately dubbed the dog a Pit Bull. If it's got four legs, according to them it seems, it's a Pit Bull.

From Stuff.co.nz:

"An American pit bull terrier is testing new dog control laws on the Kapiti Coast after mauling a man who was fighting its owner.

During the attack, described by an onlooker as "something out of the meatworks", 56-year-old Peter Reid had a hunk of muscle ripped from his left arm and had his right arm bitten. He also suffered a bite on his torso - not from the dog, but from its owner.

Mr Reid, a truck driver, spent a week in Hutt Hospital undergoing three operations and may have permanently lost the full use of his left hand.

The incident took place in Campbell Ave, Paraparaumu, about 5.30pm on September 4 when the two men were fighting about a woman. Two-year-old Bulla jumped out of his master's car and attacked Mr Reid.

Mr Reid said he was "beating the hell" out of the other man and had him on his knees "when the dog got out and started tearing at me while the guy was booting me on the ground".

An onlooker said that, as the dog savaged Mr Reid, a neighbour yelled out, "Go and get your guns."

Four neighbours grabbed nail guns and tried to shoot the dog, while Mr Reid's 15-year-son fetched an axe.

"His arm was like a rag doll," the onlooker said. "It was like someone had taken a machete and sliced his arm right around. The dog was defending his owner, but it was like something out of the meatworks.

"It was like a mob attack, but they were just trying to get the dog off."

The owner is believed finally to have dragged Bulla off Mr Reid. A neighbour called for an ambulance, police arrived and a nurse driving past put a tourniquet on Mr Reid's arm before he was taken to hospital.

Mr Reid thinks he should have been interviewed sooner than eight days after the attack. He also believes the dog should have been seized immediately and that it must now be put down.

"Those dogs are very loyal to their owners but very savage when it comes to someone else."

Kapiti police are investigating.

Kapiti Coast District Council spokesman Tony Cronin said, given that the dog was defending its owner, animal control officers were weighing up whether to press for its destruction or have it registered as menacing or dangerous, which would mean it would have to be muzzled and under control.

The council would probably decide next week."

What's a dog (any dog) expected to do if the boss is getting a hammering?

As for the attack being like something from the meatworks, what do people think happens when a dog attacks in earnest? Consider the injuries people receive when police dogs maul them. A 2kg lapdog can kill you. So can your cat.

As we've said before, the nature of the incident dictates the severity of the attack and resultant injuries. Dogs are carnivorous predators with a bite that can break big bones.

Welcome to the real world.

As we know, the media will call in the usual 'experts' like Mark Vette, Bob Kerridge et al, to tell us that only Pit Bull Terriers can inflict such awful injuries and this is further justification for a total ban on the breed. Maybe it will work as well as Spain's effort.

Hopefully, this dog will not pay with his life for behaving like a dog. A good and loyal dog.