I'm obviously not happy that this man beat his dog, but I'm glad he did it in public, where it could be videotaped, and he could subsequently be arrested and charged. I'm seeing more and more stories like this lately, and it sickens me. I would hit the neighbor dogs if I had to, to save the cats (or a person), but I would never do something like this. I hope I never come upon this type of scene, because I would probably end up arrested for assaulting the person assaulting the animal. On the plus side, I've used MSPCA-Angell in the past, and they provide excellent care, so I hope this dog recovers and finds a loving home. This happened in the subway in Boston, and here's a link with more information.
Yes, more stories like this in the news lately...I can't watch them either. On the flip side, I just read a story about a 4 yr old girl that was killed by a Doberman mix that the family just adopted about a day or two ago. Seems she was just training him with a treat, she reached her hand out with the treat in it, the dog smelled it, stepped back, then next thing he did was go for her throat. The mom was injured trying to help the little girl. So sad.
@Denise Happyfeet I didn't watch the video. I usually don't in this type of case, because it pains me to see animals in distress. But, she is in good hands, and I trust that they won't give her back to this miscreant. I hope he never owns or is near another animal. Someone who'd do this in public doesn't need to be around animals, or children, for that matter. @Chrissy Page I'm also seeing stories like the one you mentioned more lately. I think a lot of people are getting animals without considering the implications of ownership, and maybe they're not ones that should have pets. If you have children, you are charged with their responsibility, and shouldn't take on an animal without ensuring the safety of both. Some children attack or otherwise harm animals, and the opposite obviously also happens. As I've mentioned on numerous occasions, my neighbors have pit bulls that they don't train or give the time and attention they require. Someone posted in the Facebook group last night about a pit bull getting out (I think it was the next door dog, but they said it was from a few streets up) and that it came at them and they threw rocks at it. Shortly after that, I saw the lady next door's car leaving, and I think maybe she saw the post and went looking for the dog. Having animals is a responsibility. Many people these days seem to think getting an animal is like buying stuffed toy, and it can be set aside when they're busy, or can be discarded when they get bored, or can't handle the responsibility.
I did just watch the video. It sounded as if the reporter said the judge revoked his bail 'on other charges', which sounds to me as if he was already out on bail for some other offense, although I could have misunderstood that, or it could have just been poorly worded. The dog is in foster care for now. The man is denying the charges. The cell phone video of the offense is difficult to see, and it may be deliberately blurred, so I found it okay to watch the video which was mainly the news report of the incident, with a bit showing Sarah (the dog) now, and she seems okay, although he put his full weight on her and was hitting and punching her, in addition to yelling at her. She's only 9 months old and seems very sweet. I'm sure she has a lot of energy, and as I stated above, some people just shouldn't have animals, because they're not suited to it, or aren't ready for the responsibility. Others just seem to enjoy being cruel. I certainly hope she doesn't end up back with him.
There is a guy here in Maine who used to be one of only a couple of people employed by the Christian Civic League in Maine whom I had always thought seemed a little strange, but who most people had thought was a pretty good guy, and who had run for the state legislature a couple of times. He was convicted of kicking a four-month-old puppy that was walking with its owner, a woman, on a hiking trail. The dog was on a leash, yet he kicked it hard enough to do some real damage. When my wife and I published a statewide monthly newspaper, I would come across him at least once a month because the Civic League helped to distribute the paper. I hadn't heard that anyone but me thought that he was strange, as I had mentioned to a few people who didn't seem to know what I was talking about. Although we were on the same side of most political issues, he wasn't someone I wanted to be photographed standing next to. I don't know what the dog kicking thing was all about since it was just a puppy, it was on a leash, and there was no indication that the dog had attacked him. Rather, I guess it just went up to him, trying to be friendly, as puppies often do. The woman who owned the dog didn't know the guy so it's not as if there had been an ongoing feud or anything. Of course, every news report identified him as a former employee of the Christian Civil League, and very few of them mentioned that he had been fired by the Civic League five years before the dog-kicking incident, or that he had then unsuccessfully sued the Civic League. He spent a few days in jail and paid a fine, as well as the dog's veterinary bill. Before the dog kicking, he had been fined for cheating in an election campaign. In order to qualify for public campaign funding, a candidate has to show that he has some support from the public, so they have to collect a specified number of contributions of at least $5 each, and he apparently falsified them, contributing his own money to the campaign under other people's names. Anyhow, I felt that I had been fairly observant to recognize that this guy was unstable at a time when everyone else apparently thought he was okay, just because they shared the same religion and politics. I don't even know what it was, as I don't recall that he had said anything particularly crazy. I am sure that some of you have had the experience where you just know that someone is strange even before they act upon their strangeness publicly. Maine has a small population, so I still run across him every now and then, and now he even looks crazy, and this is probably a campaign photo where he was trying to look his best.
He has crazy eyes. I've seen them on some I've run into on the street, but there are also some actors in Hollywood who appear to have crazy eyes. Of course the media often selects one aspect of a person's background that they feel will draw in readers for one reason or another, and these days, it seems anything to do with Christianity is a draw, particularly if there's some sort of negative feature to the person or his/her behavior. They don't seem to do the same for Islam. Muslims are the sacred cow these days, and people, the government, and news stations seem to go out of their way to cover up any sort of negativity that might tend to reflect poorly on Islam. I find it interesting to read/watch to see which issue will trump the other when there are competing special interests at play, such as a gay person who denounces Islam, or a black who supports Donald Trump. By the way, there was a reference to a previous criminal history in the comments of the original story. I couldn't get the link to work last night, but it sounded (assuming the person posting was referring to the man who beat his dog) as if it was a somewhat serious history.
I abhor mistreatment of defenceless animals. I would have to act with a swift quick to the owners nether regions. I am glad the dog is now safe.
I feel the same. It's a visceral reaction, and although that video will be helpful in proving the abuse, I wouldn't be able to stand there and video it. I'd have to get involved and stop the abuser one way or another. It looks to have been taken from a distance, so it could be that the videoer was across the MBTA (subway) platform, and unable to get close enough to stop him. It sounds as if he did speak with the man and tell him to stop, but I'm not that controlled of a person. I'd have to act.
@Diane Lane I have actually confronted two young boy's kicking a wild animal. I pushed the one boy who fell on the floor. I managed to call the police and the boys were arrested. The parents were horrified by their actions.
If I had children and they acted that way, I'd beat their behinds, and probably end up in jail for it. Unfortunately, many parents these days would have tried to have you arrested for pushing the boy, rather than being horrified. Still, if I encounter the situation, I'll do as you did, and push them, kick them, do whatever I can, to intervene and prevent the abuse.
@Diane Lane it's got to be an animal thing as I am very mild mannered as a rule. It's just the fact that poor creature is defenceless x