|
"All
men are intrinsical rascals, and I am only sorry that not being a dog
I can't bite them."
George
Gordon Noel (Lord) Byron (1788-1824)
(USA) — Late last
month was National Dog Bite Prevention Week 2002 (May 19-25),
sponsored by the American
Veterinary Medical Association, the American
Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. The event was designed
to raise public awareness of dog bite-related injuries in the USA and
was also highly promoted by the United States Postal Service—as you
may have guessed.
Well, we're happy to report that for the most part, our canine
cohabitants managed to control themselves nicely.
 (We'll
just overlook that little incident where Wags nearly took my finger
off while trying to poach a French fry at the McDonald's
drive-thru.) But rather, it was the rest of the animal
kingdom that evidently couldn't behave itself ...including a few
unruly humans.
Let's now take a slightly different perspective of Dog Bite Prevention
Week 2002:
(Canadians, watch out for this guy.)
1. Coyotes Bite Duck Dog
CALGARY, Alta. (Canada) — Most
of Calgary's estimated 200 wild coyotes are benign, the experts
say. And as Dave Elphinstone, natural area management co-ordinator
for the City of Calgary, points out: coyotes have every right to live
in the natural area. But problems sometimes arise when coyotes
meet their distant canine cousins: domestic dogs.
The Calgary
Herald reports that a pint-sized pooch named "Rudy"
was the unfortunate victim of a coyote attack on Monday morning, May
20, at Nose Hill Park. Rudy, a Duck Tolling Retriever (miniature
version of a Golden Retriever), was strolling around the off-leash area
of the park when he was confronted by a pack of coyotes.
"All of a sudden I looked around and he wasn't there," says
Rudy's guardian Terry McTravis, 44, "so I went back and looked
for him down the hill and saw five coyotes were running a circle
around him."
She stooped down and gathered up a handful of stones to throw at the
coyotes, but in the end Rudy managed to escape the scuffle without any
help.
He was rushed to nearby Calgary North Veterinary Hospital by Ms.
McTravis who describes, "The whole underneath his tummy is full
of bite marks."
(Photo: The Herald)
Rudy is
expected to make a full recovery, but it may be a while before he's
ready to frolic in the park again.
At any rate, wildlife officials urge area residents to keep their
dogs on leashes and to stay close to them at this time of year.
Mr. Elphinstone says the worst time is now, known as denning season
for coyotes (marked by bold behavior,
territoriality and occasional aggression).
Go figure that the
coyotes would plan their denning season smack in the
middle of Dog Bite Prevention Week. I wish they'd let us know
about these things...
|
What I think he's trying to tell us is: "National Dog Bite
Prevention Week was quite a mouthful!"
(Photo: Corbis)
2. Is That a Snake in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
BRIGHTON (UK) — Ok, this one
has absolutely nothing to do with a dog, but it's just too weird
to pass up.
The
Argus reported on Wednesday that a 60-year-old woman was
bitten by a snake that leaped from a man's jacket pocket as she left a
busy supermarket at St. James Street, Brighton.
 The woman, a nurse who chose not to be identified, told reporters that
the incident occurred on Monday at around 5:30pm. "I had come out of
Safeways and had my sleeves rolled up because it was quite warm," she
recounts.
"The man passed me and it happened in a flash. I saw a thing
flash towards me, quickly out and in. It hit me but I carried on walking further."
The woman looked down and noticed two puncture wounds with some blood
and a white liquid coming from them. She proceeded to the nearby
Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where she received powerful
antibiotics and antihistamines.
Knock,
knock.
Who's there?
Snakeskin.
Snakeskin who?
Snakeskin bite, so be
careful.
A public service
announcement from
your friends at dogsinthenews.com |
The snake-wielding madman was never found and is described as being of
Eastern European appearance, 5ft 8in, slim with dark hair. Anyone
with information is encouraged to call Inspector Julie Wakeford, of
Brighton and Hove police, on 0845 6070 999.
Well, at least he was polite enough to keep the snake in his jacket
(see The Scoop May 15: "Top
8 Things People Hide in their Underwear").
3. Barking Brothers Attack Police
with Fresh Fruit
WINNIPEG, MB (Canada) — We'll
wrap up this year's Dog Bite Prevention Week review with a reminder that
dogs aren't the only barking creatures that may pose a threat. In
Winnipeg last week, city police officers testified about a barrage of fruit
that was hurled from a 19th floor apartment, allegedly by the hands
of barking lunatics.
"It basically started raining onions and oranges, and I believe
there were some apples," Constable Todd Rolland testified on Tuesday.
Two former RCMP officers, brothers David and Daniel Dauphinee have
pleaded not guilty to charges that they were responsible for the June 2001
incident. But the prosecution alleged that after the attack was
over, the patrolling officers made their way to a room they suspected was
the origin of the "fruit storm" and found onion skins all over
the balcony.
An officer testified that the Dauphinee brothers themselves were in a
bed, and David "barked, like a large dog" when asked for his name.
(Yeah, nice try, but you don't fool any of us. Everyone knows
dogs aren't allowed on the bed.)
The two were apprehended without further incident and booked on
criminal charges. Is there such a thing as "assault with a
deadly watermelon"?
§§§
Headlines
Prev  Next
|
