The other end of the leash

It has been at the forefront of a lot of peoples minds lately....the plight of Lennox the dog. Lennox lived in Ireland with a family that loved him and took care of him and loved him even more. It then came to the attention of Dog Control that Lennox looked like a Pitbull and therefore was a danger to society. He was taken from his family, from the ones who loved him most and held in a cage, scared and alone until the time of his death at 7a.m. today when he was put down. All because he looked like a Pitbull. He hadn't bitten anyone, he wasn't a danger but despite protests, public outcry and the offer to take him to the US to a family that would love him, he was still put down. This makes me incredibly sad.


You know, I am not particularly a fan of the breed, but I find this kind of behavior reprehensible. Why on earth would someone barge in and take an animal, a pet, from a family because of its looks? I remember when I was grooming that a lady would bring her wolf hybrid dog into the store. That was a magnificent looking animal, and definitely a scary looking animal, but it was the most gentle giant I had ever met. If I had done what the authorities in Ireland had done, that animal would have been taken from a woman who loved him dearly and put down simply because he looked like a wolf. I also groomed two massive rottweilers that were trained to guard a junk yard. They were not vicious, but they were trained to protect with the huge heads that their particular breed of Rottie had been bred for. Again, gentle giants unless someone was in heat, then watch out! I ended up on a wet floor with that sweetie in a full nelson until someone arrived to help me put her back in her kennel. I had so many opportunities to groom and interact with pitbulls and not once did I get bitten or feel threatened by any of them! Now, you put a Yorkie anywhere near me and I am sure to get bitten or snapped at at least once. Those are nervous little furballs and are just as likely to leave a scar. No, they will not eat your cat, most likely they will freeze and pee on the spot if the local tomcat raises its back at it. Yes, a Pit is more likely to do that, but so would any other big dog that is taught to fight.


Bulldogs, for example, were used for "bull baiting" or "bear baiting". For the bull baiting, a dog was tethered to a bull and if the dog was able to bring the bull down by the ring in its snout, holding it down, it was declared a winner. They were specifically bred for this particular sport and were taught the viciousness that they displayed. Due to the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 in England, the sports of bull baiting, bear baiting and cockfighting were outlawed as animal cruelty. 


German Shepherds, which were originally used to protect and herd flocks were and are also coveted for their keen senses and as such are widely used for police and service purposes. This is an excerpt from Wikipedia regarding German Shepherds: Well-trained and socialized German Shepherd Dogs have a reputation as being very safe (seetemperament section below). However, in the United States, one 1996 source suggests that German Shepherd Dogs are responsible for more reported bitings than any other breed, and suggests a tendency to attack smaller breeds of dogs.^[26] An Australian report from 1999 provides statistics showing that German Shepherd Dogs are the third breed most likely to attack a person in some Australian locales.^[27]

According to the National Geographic Channel television show Dangerous Encounters, the bite of a German Shepherd Dog has a force of over 238 pounds (108 kg) (compared with that of a Rottweiler, over 265–328 pounds (120–149 kg) of force, a Pit bull, 235 pounds (107 kg) of force, a Labrador Retriever, of approximately 230 pounds (100 kg) of force, or a human, of approximately 86 pounds (39 kg) of force).^{[28]  The German Shepherd, however, is by and large one of the most popular breeds for service animals in the world because of its keen senses and ease of training.}

^{Labrador Retrievers, bred for hunting is another dog that was once considered vicious. It is said that Labradors have the highest bite ratio than even Pitbulls. Chow Chows, Chinese Shar Peis, Akitas, Wolfhounds, St Bernards, all of these have aggression tendencies if not handled and trained properly. Should they be banned or destroyed?}

American Pit Bull Terrier, English Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier,Bull Mastiff, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd (Alsatian), Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Japanese Akita, Japanese Tosa and Bandog.......all of these breeds have tendencies to aggression if they are not taught and handled correctly. Any of these, according to the Irish government could be taken from you in a heartbeat if they are not muzzled in public and on a strong, short lead and handled by someone over the age of 16 and who is able to control the dog.

Bottom line is, a dog is a trainable being. He or she is able to be loved and in a loving environment able to return that emotion and loyalty. Given the proper training they are most capable of giving back to the community, to their owners and even their Country. They are a part of our families. They are our protectors, our confidants, our friends, our furry children. When we lose them we lose a part of our hearts that we didn't know existed before they entered our lives. 

When that family lost Lennox, a part of them was destroyed right along with him.