Dog Fight! – Why Weren’t They On Leashes?

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180 – November/December 2019

By Amy Fernandez
Dogwise, it’s been a relatively calm summer around here. But that never lasts. The big excitement of the moment is happening at Suffolk County District Court–which some would call a groundbreaking legal case. Of course, cynics like me see it as just one more case of dimwits with dogs.
Here’s the deal. A recent article in the New York Times reported, “things didn’t really get out of hand until the owners got involved.” And this nightmare involved three equally brainless two-legged participants.
Act One opened the evening of July 14, with three Hauppauge neighbors walking their dogs- two apparently sans leash. So, dogs being dogs, the Shih Tzu decides to take a bite out of the Pitbull, which was Rex, the central focus of this drama.
Now, if you know anything about Shih Tzu, you know that beneath that cute, cuddly exterior lurks a surprisingly strong-willed, forceful little beast. Therefore, given the circumstances, the result wasn’t too surprising.
Predictably, the Pitbull responded by grabbing the Shih Tzu, and that may have proceeded to a fateful conclusion- considering that neither one of these fools had any control over his dog, which, leash or no leash, is something worth considering before venturing into public with it. Because, as much as PETA and the mainstream media insist otherwise, dogs are NOT four-legged people. They’re dogs and, as such, usually act like dogs.
And that’s exactly what went down. The Shih Tzu owner, Toquoc Huynh, got them separated and wisely took his dog back in the house.
End of story? Not by a longshot. Dogs being dogs, and loving nothing better than a good fight, the scene immediately attracted dog number three like a magnet.
Also leashless, this one was described by the press as a Goldendoodle. (Don’t you love the way these anti- purebred groups cling to the trappings of legit dog breeding by pasting meaningless labels onto randomly bred dogs.) Anyway, the big, fuzzy, tan dog charged in and took over where the Shih Tzu left off.
Admittedly, Pitbull is a hotbutton term. Like Goldendoodle, it implies constructive, planned selection, but actually means genetic potluck. Even so, this non-breed has become the target of anti-dog legislation and a focal point of equally militant activism, none of it sensible or useful.
The fact is the Pitbull wasn’t the perpetrator of any of this mayhem. It was, however, a dog and a rightfully agitated one by that time. It was also, needless to say, the biggest, strongest protagonist in the escalating melee. At that point, the Shih Tzu owner, also apparently unable to resist a good fight, returned to the fray.
The owner of the Goldendoodle then latched onto the Pitbull’s neck, attempted to pry them apart and, as expected, failed but was bitten in the process. And that’s when things turned ugly.
Mr. Huynh jumped right in the action and grabbed the Pitbull in a chokehold. The Goldendoodle’s owner later admitted, “I thought it was going to be curtains for my dog.” So, Rex, the Pitbull, released his opponent but Mr. Huynh hung on, fearing that if he let go of the Pitbull it would turn around and bite him, which was pretty likely. Meanwhile, the Pitbull’s other owner arrived, but neither seemed willing or able to get their dog under control, or get a leash, as Mr. Huynh requested.
But there was apparently plenty of conversation, which obviously didn’t help and is technically heresay, therefore irrelevant to what happened. And what happened was what you’d expect. Right about the time the cops rolled in, Rex succumbed to the chokehold.
So, last Thursday, Mr. Huynh arrived at Suffolk County District Court facing misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He was greeted by a mob attired in #JusticeforRex shirts, demanding upgraded charges –including murder. Needless to say, it’s been an open invitation for internet diatribes and running commentary about losing a canine family member.
Yes, the outcome was tragic, but the real tragedy was that none of it should have happened at all. If these owners were so fond of their dogs, why weren’t they on leashes? The fact that Rex was a Pitbull certainly inflamed the rhetoric, but two unwarranted attacks in two minutes would put any dog on the defensive.
So now it will drag out in court. But whatever the outcome, you can be sure it’s not the last time brainless owners will make the news.

Click here to read the complete article
180 – November/December 2019

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=174365

Posted by AnthonyA on Nov 15 2019. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.