Letter: There was a better way

NOTE: To keep the discussion in one place, I’ve linked this story to the Town Hall topic "Man shoots dog" instead of providing access to comments.  To participate in Town Hall, you must register under your own name and request posting access if you haven’t already done so.

The sad story of the killing of the Boston Terrier, Oreo, is all the more disturbing because it was totally unnecessary. Despite assertions to the contrary, there were actually a number of less drastic means available to stop the chasing behavior that was frightening the sheep. The most simple and quick solution would have been to turn the hose on him.  A 15 pound dog could be stopped this way, in fact, the pressure alone would probably knock him down.  As a dog trainer, I have found even a spray bottle to be hugely effective in halting unwanted behaviors, even with large "aggressive" breeds.  Certainly, a hose used on a dog that small would be quite an deterrent, since it is very effective with larger dogs.  It is my belief, based on a recent unpleasant experience that I had with Mr. Muteff, that less drastic measures were not employed because Mr. Muteff’s anger prompted him to take more violent action. 

This conclusion was reached after an recent incident, where Mr. Muteff called the police, and accused me of trespassing!  I was, in fact, on Ocean Colony property, with permission, searching for a loose dog (for a friend who had heard of the killing and was extremely worried that her dog may stray too close to the Muteff’s property and be injured or killed).  I was not on his property at any time, which he knew as he could clearly see me looking through his fence.  He ran towards me shouting "Can I help you with something?!"  That seemingly simple question was anything but, it sounded like a threat and with the speed with which he moving towards me I wanted only to get away from him and ran to my car. Had Mr. Muteff approached me in more normal manner I would have explained what I was doing, but he really spooked me and I don’t spook easily. After regaining my composure, I continued my search to the end of Redondo Beach Road.  Finding nothing, I was leaving the area when I found the road blocked by a raging Mr. Muteff, backed up by his family.  Thankfully, there were two police officers with them, as Mr. Muteff’s anger was now full blown and getting out of control. After moving the Muteff clan away from my car, the police questioned me and eventually determined that I had committed no crime. I was allowed to leave, but not until they had ensured that Mr. Muteff did not want to make a citizen’s arrest for trespass!  Obviously,  he had falsely reported me as a trespasser to the dispatcher and luckily for me, the officers did not believe him. (My friend’s dog was found safe and sound).

I was truly shocked with the entire incident, how an act as innocuous as looking through a fence, could trigger such instantaneous and intense anger. I understand that he may be feeling stressed-out because of the shooting, but his behavior to me was unreasonable, unacceptable, and pretty scary.  His wife, Pamela, kindly apologized for what happened, and we briefly talked about Oreo’s shooting.  She shared her belief that he was too fast to try to spray with the hose and I left it alone.  I felt sad for her, as I know she loves her animals and regrets what occurred.  It must have been a horrible thing to witness.  But given the rage leveled at me for my insignificant transgression, I can only guess what Oreo’s behavior triggered. 

For me, this is not about one group against another group, rancher vs.dog owner, etc.,etc., .  But rather, how to protect the interests of those who can not protect themselves, the animals.  In a conflict, they all deserve protection, and using archaic notions and laws as justification to inflict harm or death is not the way to do it.

It must be done in a manner that causes the least amount of harm to all.  Rational, clear headed thinking and the appropriate application of range laws can go a long way to prevent other tragedies such as this.

In closing, I wanted to let it be known that Oreo’s family are not irresponsible, uncaring dog owners.  They love their dogs dearly and went to great lengths and expense to ensure they were safely enclosed at all times, which was no easy task.  Their best efforts were thwarted by the carelessness of others, over which they have little control. Any dog owner could find themselves facing the same fate when the gardener, painter, contractor or housecleaner fails to shut the gate or door and their beloved dog crosses the path of one who reacts with a gun rather then a rational mind.

Krista Alexander
Half Moon Bay