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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- A man was arrested on charges of killing his neighbor's 17-year-old dog by place-kicking it like a football.

Chad Daniel Crawford, 23, was charged with cruelty to animals and vandalism Tuesday in the death of Gizmo, a 2-pound miniature Yorkshire terrier. Crawford was freed on $25,000 bail.

Jalani Lewis said he was in his apartment complex when he saw one of three men holding the dog like a football and then saw Crawford kick the animal.

Lewis said the dog flew through the air in a high arc, hit the pavement and rolled under a parked car. The dog was apparently dead when it hit the ground and the men were laughing, Lewis said.

Crawford said the accusations were false but declined further comment.

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FBI and Scotland Yard recognize that violence towards animals is one of five key indicators of a person who will commit violent acts against people. A past history of violence is a predictor of future aggression...

Animal abusers often suffer from low self-esteem, a history of family abuse, frustration and an inability to manage anger. Childhood cruelty may provide a child with a sense of power and mastery over animals. Typical factors are revenge, retaliation, intimidation, deviant arousal or peer pressure.

In one American study, 118 out of 135 criminals, including robbers and rapists, admitted that when they were children, they had burned, hanged and stabbed domestic animals.

78% of 63 people charged with animal cruelty had also been charged with violence or threats of violence against people (Jim McIsaac, Winnipeg Police Services).

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States are increasingly mandating felony-level convictions for animal cruelty in response to research indicating that people who are violent to animals are likely to be violent to humans -- a correlation commonly referred to as the Link. Suzanne Barnard, American Humane's vice president of public policy, will present research that shows premeditated torture or killing of animals is often a predictor of other types of violent behavior, such as child abuse, domestic violence, gang activity, and satanic ritual. In fact, the association between criminal violence and animal abuse is so common the FBI's profiles of serial killers include histories of animal abuse.

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I was feeding my friend's pigs over the weekend when one of the pigs suddenly bit me. I've got a nasty looking bite on my leg.

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I hope you got it treated....
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-08-2004, 12:23 PM:
 
See a doctor! Pigs can transmit a variety of diseases to humans, including rabies:

http://www.crt-online.org/pigs.html

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Public Health Issues Posed by the Use of Porcine Xenografts
T a b l e 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacterial Pathogens of Pigs Capable of Transmission to Humans Following Xenotransplantation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actinobacillus
Actinomyces pyogenes
Brucella suis
Campylobacter coli
Campylobacter jejuni
Chlamydia psittaci
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium septicum
Clostridium tetani
Corynebacterium suis
Enterobacteriaceae
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
Haemophilius species
Leptospira interrogans
Listeria monocytogenes
Mycobacterium avium
Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium fortuitum
Pasteurella multocida
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas pseudomallei
Salmonella cholerasuis
Salmonella typhimurium
Shigella species
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus species
Yersinia enterocolitica
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Dominic C. Borie, et al, "Microbiological Hazards Related to Xenotransplantation of Porcine Organs Into Man," Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 19, No. 5 (May 1998): 357.



T a b l e 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fungal, Parasitic, and Other Microbial Agents of Pigs Capable of Transmission to Humans Following Xenotransplantation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fungi Parasites and Protozoa Others
Aspergillus species Ascaris suum Prions
Candida albicans Babesia species Unknown agents
Coccidioides immitis Balantidium coli
Cryptococcus neoformans Capillaria hepatica
Histoplasma capsulatum Clonorchis sinesis
Microsporum nanum Cryptosporidium species
Petriellidium boydii Echinococcus granulosa
Prototheca Enlamoeba histolytica
Sporothrix schenkii Entamoeba polecki
Zygomyceles Fasciola hepatica
Nocardia asteroides Isospora species
Paragonimus westermani
Pneumocystis carinii
Sarcocystis species
Schistosoma species
Strongyloidews ransomi
Taenia species
Toxoplasma gondii
Trypanosoma cruzi
Trichinella spiralis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Dominic C. Borie, et al, "Microbiological Hazards Related to Xenotransplantation of Porcine Organs Into Man," Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 19, No. 5 (May 1998): 358.



T a b l e 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Porcine Viruses Capable of Transmission to Humans Following Xenotransplantation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Porcine adenovirus
Porcine cytomegalovirus
Porcine rotavirus
Porcine endogenous and exogenous retroviruses
Aujeszky's disease virus
Japanese encephalitis virus
Encephalomyocarditis virus
Vesicular stomatitis virus
Swine vesicular disease virus
Foot-and-mouth disease virus
Rabies virus
Swine influenza virus
Swine parainfluenza-1 virus
[Malaysian "Nipah" virus]
[Australian Paramyxovirus]

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-08-2004, 12:25 PM:
 
Yeah, man! Pigs, when kept clean, aren't really as nasty as many people think but, to be honest, a big pile of shit smells like Chanel No. 5 to a pig!

Antiseptic and a tetanus shot is in order if you're not up to date, even if the bite isn't bad enough to warrant stitches or other medical attention!

Come to think of it, let's take ol' Mr. Chad "Tennessee Trash" Crawford and let him go three rounds with a pen full of pigs like in the movie, "Hannibal"! That'll fix his little red wagon!

[ 04-08-2004, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Randy Stankey ]
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-08-2004, 01:27 PM:
 
It was very heart breaking to hear about that idiot kicking and killing a neighbor's dog in Tennessee. On another incident regarding 'Men's best friend', anyone hear and know the condition of the dog in California that was bitten twice by a Rattlesnake when he tried to protect his master, a little boy? The news with a video clip was featured on the CNN web site yesterday. The dog was reported in very serious condition and has a fifty percent chance to survive. As far as the man who kicked his neighbor's dog, I hope he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 04-08-2004, 01:54 PM:
 
Here's a link to the story (with pictures!) from the Tennesean:
http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/04/49497774.shtml?Element_ID=49497774

The way it describes the incident, you can't help but laugh. They go as far as to describe the arc the dog took and how the owner's eyes followed it through the air. Honestly, do we need that kind of description?

It's truly sick when someone does something like that to a small helpless animal, but there are a few points which make my sympathize with the owners a little less.

First off, it was a Yorkshire terrier, by far one of the most annoying dogs on the planet. Their incessent barking, running and nipping at the ankles, combined with its convenient football size and weight, could cause an unstable and irrational human being to snap and just punt the damn thing.

Second, the poor thing was 17 years old. I bet it was secretly hoping that someone would come along and just put it out of its misery one day. My ex girlfriend had a 15 1/2 year old Jack Russel and the thing was losing its hair AND its teeth. Its muddled and stressed barks echoed the plea of "kill me... kill me please..."

Third, the picture of Gizmo on the news website is CLEARLY an old picture. I'm sure at 17 that dog didn't look so cute and lovable, and that undermines Crawford's case.

Now before everyone goes more Ballistic than the people who produced Ecks vs Sever, I am in no way condoning what happened to the dog. I mean, the bastards killed something that couldn't defend itself in a despicable manner. But as far as people saying they "can't understand" why someone would do something like that, I provide these thoughts.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 04-08-2004, 02:05 PM:
 

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The way it describes the incident, you can't help but laugh.

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I find nothing to laugh about. It brings tears to my eyes.
 

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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 04-08-2004, 02:09 PM:
 
Maybe someone can hold these people down and let the owner kick them a couple times. Then we'll see if its so funny after that.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-08-2004, 02:24 PM:
 
I suppose Thomas could be the victim of "Reaction Formation", whereby one who is upset by an idea exhibits an opposite reaction to what one might expect. It's sort of like the way we feel afraid of nuclear war but make jokes about it as if to say, "If I laugh about war people won't think I'm afraid of getting nuked."

However, I have to agree with Thomas on one point. Keeping an animal alive when it is clearly too old and in too much pain to live a productive life anymore is immoral. Although I am against euthanasia when an animal isn't sick or injured, there's nothing wrong with giving it medication to make it comfortable until death comes naturally.

It's no excuse to torture an animal but I have to wonder why somebody would let a dog that old run around the neighborhood by itself without supervision.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-08-2004, 05:49 PM:
 
17 years is not an extreme age for a Yorkshire Terrier. There's no reason to put down an elderly dog just because it's old. You put it to sleep when its kidneys fail or something specific like that.

Like John, I find absolutely nothing to laugh about from that incident. Frankly, I'm quite amazed the dog's owners were able to restrain themselves from beating the living shit out of that mutant asshole that killed the dog. Hopefully the judge will give the perpetrator the maximum sentence on that felony vandalism charge.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-08-2004, 06:55 PM:
 
There was a horrible case, about a year back, of a teenage drug addict in Sunderland (north-east England) who, to spite the girlfriend he'd had an argument with, threw her cat off the 19th floor roof of her council block. I only hope that the courts which had to deal with him realised that if he was capable of doing that to one living creature, he's probably capable of doing it to another - who might be a human.
 

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Posted by Roger Katz (Member # 1625) on 04-08-2004, 10:12 PM:
 
The dog probably deserved it. I'd kill my neighbor's dog in an instant if I knew I could get away with it. A human being can only take the barking for hours and hours upon end and the being awoken at 11 PM, 4 AM, and 7 AM all in one night by barking and howling for so long.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-08-2004, 10:22 PM:
 
Roger, I know how you feel. But the dog doesn't know any better. Your neighbor needs the pummeling. Not the dog. He (or she) is the dumbass leaving the dog outside all hours of the night.

IMHO, if someone feels the need to keep their dog or cat outside 24/7 they don't need a pet in the first place. Pets should be able to be indoors. Not just for the neighborhood's peace and quiet, but also for the animal's health.
 

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Posted by Roger Katz (Member # 1625) on 04-08-2004, 10:25 PM:
 
They don't keep it out door 24/7, but they do let it in and out repeatedly every hour. I've tried calling the police, but my neighbor is a police officer, so I'm sure they just laugh at me.
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-08-2004, 10:49 PM:
 
I am with Thomas P on this. I laughed too when I read it before I read the part where the dog died. At that point, the absurdity sunk in. Not that I would have condoned it if the dog stayed alive. But the description leading up to it seemed so absurd and retarded that I just started laughing.

As much as I delpore this incident, I disagree with Bobby, that someone capable of doing whatever to a cat would do it to a human. Some people are good at separating humans from animals. It may be a common factor for serial killers, but not everyone who has those feelings have a tendency to become a serial killer.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-08-2004, 10:55 PM:
 
Rodger Said
"The dog probably deserved it. I'd kill my neighbor's dog in an instant if I knew I could get away with it."

Rodger,
Thats about as immature a comment as I've ever seen posted on this site. Its not the dogs fault, Its your own fault for not dealing with the owner in a prompt and legal way. You could make his life very miserable with a nice lawsuit....that would be the right thing to do.

As for the Yorkie, I also agree that the person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law available.

Mark
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-08-2004, 11:51 PM:
 

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Some people are good at separating humans from animals. It may be a common factor for serial killers, but not everyone who has those feelings have a tendency to become a serial killer.

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Someone willing to kill an animal just for some goofy fun is not very "human" in the first place. That's a big character flaw. The person may not necessarily be serial killer material (although the links John Pytlak provided underscore the very real chance the guy is a sociopath). But it is still despicable behavior. I would not associate at all with such a person, much less put any trust in him at all around kids, animals or anyone else.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-08-2004, 11:57 PM:
 
A barking dog is only doing its job. (Assuming it is reasonably well trained.)

The reason we have dogs is because they make good organic burglar alarms. All you have to do is feed it, pet it and give it a warm bed to sleep in. It will bark when anybody comes near the house to warn you. After a while, you learn the difference between an ordinary "greeting bark" and a "stranger bark". The dog learns to "shush" when you give the command.

Untrained or poorly behaved dogs are another matter. However, it's not necessarily the dog's fault. It's the master's fault. The dog is only following its instinct. It is the human who is responsible for training the dog to react the right way. It is the human who should be responsible if the dog disturbs the peace.

I once had a neighbor who let his yappy, little dog out every morning at 7:00 AM. I got fed up with it and took matters into my own hands:

One day, at about 6:45 AM I took out a crow call, opened my window and started calling crows. In about 90 seconds, every crow within a mile's radius had descended on my apartment building, making all kinds of noise. The neighbor with the yappy dog came out and started yelling, "What the hell is going on!?" I told him, "I'm calling crows." When he told me to stop making so much racket, I told him I would stop calling crows if he would keep the dog from barking.

I never heard another peep out of that dog!
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-09-2004, 01:55 AM:
 
Mark, I agree. I think Tom and Roger should get married since they seem to be "meant" for eachother...

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-09-2004, 02:15 AM:
 

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Someone willing to kill an animal just for some goofy fun is not very "human" in the first place. That's a big character flaw.

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Well, i wasn't referring to this incident. But I have seen a guy kick an annoying cat(though not like football). While I don't condone it, I won't classify him as someone predisposed to be a serial killer.

The guy in this newsstory, however, looks like a sicko.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-09-2004, 02:37 AM:
 
On the topic of animal sports equipment. In my bachelor days, I had a roomate who took a broom to a cat - baseball bat style - and batted it from our second floor balcony, across the parking lot, to the basement level driveway below! I remembered screaming at him when I saw what he was going to do, but it was too late. The cat landed on its feet (of course) with a thunk, and remained motionless for a few moments, then scurried away. At first, I thought he'd killed it.

I was incredulous. As much as I hate cats, I would never have done that. I might have put tape on its feet, but...
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 04-09-2004, 07:18 AM:
 
Had a cat that lived 19 years.

Last week, I rescued a 10 month old Dachshund puppy from an owner who had kicked the pup not once, but FOUR times. I kept the dog for a week, watching her cringe every time anyone reached out to pet her. She went to a new, and permanant home on Wednesday, 4/7.

People that hurt defenseless animals should be neutered.
 

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Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 04-09-2004, 09:08 AM:
 
Bruce just for you :

"This is Bob Barker reminding you to have your hillbilly spayed or neutered!"

 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-09-2004, 09:48 AM:
 
HAAAAAAHAHAhahahaha! That's funny!
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 04-09-2004, 10:05 AM:
 
I think the key to resisting the urge to be mean to a dog or cat that's annoying you is to think of it not as a "thing", but a living being that has feelings and needs.

I was raised out in the country and where I lived at the time, a lot of people would mistreat stray animals that came on their property. If an animal came up, it was common to throw rocks at it to run it off. Kicking stray unwanted animals off the porch was common. If someone hit an animal, many people just kept going. I never heard of any law enforcement getting involved in animal cruelty cases back then in that area. Of course, people had more land and more privacy, so lots of things could happen on people's property that others didn't know about.

When I moved to Huntsville, I was amazed at the difference in psychology concerning animals. I don't think I've ever seen anyone be mean to an animal in the 16 years I've been here. Most people have an animal living in their house, and put a lot of effort into caring for them. I had one friend that had six cats in his house, and he loved and cared for every one of them.

Cruelty to animals has become an offense that is worse than being cruel to a person. Anyone is nuts to be cruel to an animal in today's society. Some people seem to value animals more than people. There are people that will wreck their car and injure or kill people in the process to avoid hitting an animal on the road.

I value people's lives more than animals' lives, but I don't believe in mistreating cats and dogs.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-09-2004, 10:55 AM:
 
Well said, Evans.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-09-2004, 12:13 PM:
 
Most people will not put the value of an animal's life ahead of another person. This is a factor which is, quite frankly, totally irrelevant to animal cruelty. There are some who try to pose this view as a justification of committing various acts of cruelty and neglect on animals. I charge their argument as a "strawman" or just plain bullshit.

People should be outraged when someone is cruel to an animal. Why? Just like children, domestic animals (be it a pet dog, cat, pig, whatever) automatically put a great deal of trust in us. They have a certain kind of innocence about them that comes with that trust and vulnerability. To be cruel to dog or cat is to be a f**king sadistic pervert. There's no other way around it and I am 100% right to be that judgmental on it. Anyone who gets their kicks doing cruel things to animals is a damned nut job who should be under some strict psychiatric supervision.
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 04-09-2004, 01:16 PM:
 
Yes, and for the record, I was not in any way saying that one should commit any act of cruelty toward pet type animals regardless of whatever method of justification.

You're right that a [pet] animal develops a trust toward people, since it typically depends on a person to take care of it. One an animal gets in the habit of depending on a person to feed it, it's dependant on people from then on. Most animals in cities that live in people's houses are like that. Once someone domesticates an animal and makes it depend on them for survival, it adds a level of responsibility, since the animal is not likely to be as able to survive without a person taking care of it. Many people declaw cats, and once that's done, the cat will not be able to survive outside a home environment.

I can tell a big difference in my attitude toward animals as compared to 20 years ago. If I had the time to care for one and were at my house more, I wouldn't mind having a cat or dog. I know that pets can become best friends and it's been proven that people with pets often live longer because having the animal is like having a friend, and it reduces stress.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-09-2004, 06:43 PM:
 
"Cruelty to animals has become an offense that is worse than being cruel to a person. Anyone is nuts to be cruel to an animal in today's society. Some people seem to value animals more than people. There are people that will wreck their car and injure or kill people in the process to avoid hitting an animal on the road."

Very well put Evans... I am one of those people that value animals far more then most of the people I know. I would also zig or zag to avoid hitting one. Animals, unless they are larger than you, are for the most part completely helpless. Even then they sometimes depend on us for food and shelter to survive. A good example is the Polar Bear, which may be extinct in 50 to 100 years if left to fend for itself.... they're now all barely hanging in balance with the global warming situation.

Mark
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 04-09-2004, 07:14 PM:
 
Has Bob Barker been neutered?

Anyway, I'd rather be a hillbilly anyway. Now, where's Gummi Sue with my vittles?
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 04-14-2004, 02:30 PM:
 
An interesting question would be if the dog approached the murderers, or they went after it to kick it. The story doesn't say. And it probably won't since the media is notorious about not following up on stuff.

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I think the key to resisting the urge to be mean to a dog or cat that's annoying you is to think of it not as a "thing", but a living being that has feelings and needs.

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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy was mauled to death by his father's four pit bulls, and prosecutors were considering charges against the father ranging from child neglect to murder.

Roddie Philip Dumas Jr. was attacked in the fenced-in yard of his father's home Friday. Neighbors and a postal worker who heard the boy's screams rushed to the scene.

The boy's father, Roddie Philip Dumas Sr., 29, and his girlfriend, were inside the house but did not come outside until the dogs had already severely injured the boy, officials said.

"One had him on his neck. Two had him on the side. And one had him on the leg," said Edward Threatt, a neighbor. "They were pulling on him just like you do a rag doll."

A letter carrier threw his mailbag and then a wooden block at the dogs, which then ran away, Threatt said. But neighbors and police said the father then came outside and told the letter carrier to get off his property.

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died.

After searching Dumas' home, police charged him with drug and firearms felonies.

Prosecutors were considering additional charges ranging from child neglect to murder, although a murder charge is rare in such cases. Police said they want to find out why the boy was unsupervised and whether the adults in the house heard him cry for help.

Dumas was in jail Saturday on a $233,000 bond. A message at the jail referred callers to a Web site and it was unclear whether Dumas had legal representation.

Animal control officers seized the four dogs. It was not clear whether the dogs have a history of violent behavior.

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I doubt if the Charlotte, NC district attorney's office will be able to make a murder charge stick.

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