Neighbors' quick moves save attacked dog's life

[Liberal_in_LA]

Neighbors' quick moves save attacked dog's life
C.W. Nevius

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Last week, Sophie was walking with her owner, University of San Francisco student Nicole Bromma, outside their apartment on Fulton Street. Bromma remembers seeing a woman walking a pit bull, hearing her scream "No!" and then seeing the dog, named Coco, grab Sophie by the throat and run across the street, shaking the Maltese viciously in her jaws.

"She looked like a rag in her mouth," Bromma said. "From the moment it grabbed her, I thought she was dead."

Bromma was screaming at the top of her lungs. We often hear about terrible things happening on the street and bystanders doing nothing.

So it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if nothing had happened. Sophie looked like a goner, the street was full of people heading to work, and Bromma felt helpless.

That's when we get to the good part.

-----------------------

But suddenly he wasn't alone. A guy in a Prius pulled over, jumped out of the car and jumped on the dogs. Another client of the pet hospital, waiting for treatment, rushed out to get a leash on Coco. Another man showed up, but in the confusion no one seems to remember what he looked like.

The four strangers managed to get the dogs apart. Sophie had huge gashes on her neck.

"Had it not happened in front of a pet hospital," Johnson said, "she would have died."

------------------

While Hunter was stitching Sophie up, everyone had forgotten about Coco's owner. Standing in Lafrano & Son auto-body shop on Fulton, Josh Lafrano spotted her running down the street to her car. She was backing away from the curb, leaving her dog, when Lafrano arrived and pulled open the door.

"Why don't you get out of your car and handle your responsibilities?" Lafrano says he asked her.

The woman shut the door and drove away - which is when Lafrano took a picture of her license plate and another one of her behind the wheel. When the police arrived, he turned them over.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/04/BA021D8U2I.DTL#ixzz0mzUJscqD

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I think Coco's owner is the one who should be put down..not just Coco.

"Josh Lafrano spotted her running down the street to her car. She was backing away from the curb, leaving her dog, when Lafrano arrived and pulled open the door.

"Why don't you get out of your car and handle your responsibilities?" Lafrano says he asked her.

The woman shut the door and drove away - which is when Lafrano took a picture of her license plate and another one of her behind the wheel. When the police arrived, he turned them over."




Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/04/BA021D8U2I.DTL#ixzz0mzWljYNd

[DJ13]

2. And on the same page....

Oakland police chase and gun down 'Bambi'

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/scavenger/detail?entry_id=62772

:mad:

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. I just posted that thread also. It was totally unnecessary. :-(

[uppityperson]

4. poor dogs, I hope they fine the carp out of Coco's "owner". eom

[Chulanowa]

5. Coco's owner needs a severe asskicking

First things first, I don't see pit bulls as the spawn of satan or whatever. I was a volunteer who took care of abandoned dogs for a time, and a lot of them were pits or mixes, and to be honest, I love the animals.

However, even with that said, there are certain rules with them. And it looks like Coco's owner broke the first commandment; leash the landshark. No matter how sweet or nice your pit bull (or for fuck's sake, labradoodle, even) is, you never take it anywhere without a leash. Period.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. I have a big Golden, who was on a leash when a neighbor's

small unleashed cocker mix ran a half a block to jump my dog.

What I regret was I stopped my dog from killing the little yapper.

The owner has made it a point to never walk on my street again, tho.

[flvegan]

7. What a great pet owner Coco had.

No leash, attacks another dog, then flees the scene leaving both Coco and her responsibilities behind. Loser.

[Fire1]

8. Stone loser! n/t

[MissMarple]

9. Coco may have a history of attacking, and if so, that may be why the owner ran.