Jogger killed by dogs

[Paxtin's Mom]

Saw this on my local news website. So sad. I hate that someone lost their life, and that the dogs will be put down, but also that there will be people who grab hold of this and use it to try to ban all Mastiffs just like they do the pitbulls!
DETROIT — A pair of dogs attacked and mauled to death a man as he jogged down a quiet, dirt road in rural Michigan.

Craig Sytsma, 46, of Livonia died of his injuries Wednesday night at a local hospital, police in Metamora Township said.
"He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes," said Metamora police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene. Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived.
Sytsma worked in nearby Oxford and had apparently decided to go for a jog after leaving work.
The dogs were apparently running free on the road where the attack took place. Neighbors fired shots into the air to try to scare the dogs off the jogger.
Afterward, the dogs retreated to their owner's home.
The dogs are cane corsos, an Italian mastiff-type breed that the American Kennel Club says were property watchdogs that hunted wild boar in their native country. Their name derives from the Latin "cohors," meaning guardian or protector, according to information on the club's Website.
The dogs, which are younger than 5-years-old, are currently quarantined at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter while the investigation continues. Lapeer sheriff's Detective Jason Parks said the dogs were brought in by their owner. Authorities will seek to have the dogs destroyed if the owner relinquishes his rights to them or they will take the matter to court if he fights to keep them.
No decision has been made on criminal charges, but the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office is involved and the owner has retained an attorney.
Given the nature of the attack, Parks said, it would be in the public's best interest to destroy the dogs.
Parks described the dogs as black and brindle in color, well-muscled and aggressive. Cane corsos typically weigh 90-110 pounds, Parks said, noting that the dogs involved in the attack appear to be of average weight for the breed.
"They definitely react when people are inside the room. … They're aggressive dogs," Parks said.
Parks said authorities have not been able find anyone who recalls another fatal attack on a human by an animal in Lapeer County in at least 50 years.
"It's something that is out of the norm, and it's something you'd hope would never happen," Parks said.

 

[Wendylu]

Wow! I cannot imagine my CC ever doing that!


Wendylu

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Wow! I cannot imagine my CC ever doing that!


Wendylu

Not my girl, even if I were attacked, she wouldn't kill. Oh, she'd bite, but she'd stop once I was safe. There is no evil or anger in her.

I think the owner needs A Good Lawyer...a Very Good Lawyer. Cane Corsos are guardian breeds, but not vicious without provocation OR training. Warn you off the property, yes, chase you down the road and kill you, no. These dogs must have been attack trained.

 

[Wendylu]

Curiouser and curiouser. ..

 

[riverlady]

I can't imagine this either? Maybe I am just being naive but it smells wrong somehow.

 

[broccolini]

I think you are being naive.

We own large, powerful, guardian breed dogs. Left to their own devices, especially in a pack situation, they are absolutely capable of this.

You can't assume your dogs will be reasonable about what they deem a threat if they are running loose in the neighborhood.

Personally, I absolutely assume that my dogs might attack a dog or person if they are running loose. Their idea of threatening behavior doesn't always match up with actual threats. Sure, we all (I hope) socialize our dogs so that they recognize a wide range of normal, but that doesn't mean they won't encounter some new, benign situation that sets them off.

It sounds like these dogs didn't have the best owners and were probably not well socialized. How many of us have had puppies that barked at joggers/bicyclists/skateboarders? If they never learn that these things are not a threat then they will treat them like they are a threat.

Anyway, a sad situation to be sure, but I don't think these dogs had to be attack trained for this to happen. It's kind of what these dogs were bred to do. Assess threats and deal with them. If my female were to get loose and someone tried to catch her, I don't think that would end well.

 

[riverlady]

That's the other thing that crossed my mind, that they didn't have the best owners. Sad no matter what the situation.

 

[Wendylu]

Thank you, broccolini! Very good points. Even though I can't imagine Sacci doing that, I am constantly reminding my daughters to remember she is a 100-pound mastiff in a cute puppy body right now, and we can never forget that while we are playing with her. We have to focus on teaching and training her acceptable behavior NOW.

Even though she's not quite 8 weeks old, I got a glimpse of her protective nature today. While at a large family gathering, Sacci was relaxing under my chair. One of my "high energy" nephews reached under the chair to pet her. She growled and barked at him. I reminded him to never reach for her when she is that close to me or my daughters (or any time, for that matter) and to never pet her head or face.


Wendylu

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Michigan dog owner may be charged in fatal attack

Here's another link which gives more info re these dogs and their owner. I again say that this man needs to get a great lawyer. But more to the point, he needs to be banned from owning dogs because he Repeatedly Didn't Oversee His Dogs To Prevent This Behaviour.

With this history, it should be a lifetime ban. Jail time is a forgone conclusion.

 

[riverlady]

So, were they Cane Corsos or Bullmastiffs?

 

[JayHT]

Dogs are pack hunters. If the owner had not taken care of them properly, it is certainly rational that the dogs would revert back to the thousands or millions of years of evolution that are part of their genetic makeup. I am not too surprised. I have owned Corsos and did not allow them free reign of my property. I would argue anyone who does, is asking for an incident.

It rests with the owner of the dogs to have the responsibility of knowing where his animals are, and what they are doing. Not the dogs' fault. Unfortunately it sounds like it will be the dogs that receive the punishment. May their passing be peaceful and serene.

 

[Jenandchewie]

I can't imagine my Max doing something this vicious either, but I also don't fully trust him. He is never left unattended in the yard and is always walked on a leash. He is extremely well socialized and loves everybody he has met. We even had a gentleman run up to him, drop down to his knees and put his face in his, nose to nose all while yelling and waving his arms very animatedly. Ironically yelling about how he had been bit the day before by a little dog. (hmm...I can't imagine why.)
I have never been in a situation where his guardian instincts may be triggered, other than the situation above which he handled fabulously, while I was on pin and needles! I do, however understand what he could be capable of.

After reading a lot about the situation involved with these cane corsos, I believe the owners were at fault. Whether they trained them to attack or not, I don't know, but I highly doubt they were socialized, trained and most likely neglected. In the prior two years CC's (same dogs?) from the same owner had attacked twice. Seems something should have been done after the second attack at least. The owner is obviously not a responsible owner.

 

[Mag-Pie]

I think you are being naive.

We own large, powerful, guardian breed dogs. Left to their own devices, especially in a pack situation, they are absolutely capable of this.

You can't assume your dogs will be reasonable about what they deem a threat if they are running loose in the neighborhood.

Personally, I absolutely assume that my dogs might attack a dog or person if they are running loose. Their idea of threatening behavior doesn't always match up with actual threats. Sure, we all (I hope) socialize our dogs so that they recognize a wide range of normal, but that doesn't mean they won't encounter some new, benign situation that sets them off.

It sounds like these dogs didn't have the best owners and were probably not well socialized. How many of us have had puppies that barked at joggers/bicyclists/skateboarders? If they never learn that these things are not a threat then they will treat them like they are a threat.

Anyway, a sad situation to be sure, but I don't think these dogs had to be attack trained for this to happen. It's kind of what these dogs were bred to do. Assess threats and deal with them. If my female were to get loose and someone tried to catch her, I don't think that would end well.

I agree 100%!!! ^^^

I researched the shit out of this sad incident, since I live not too far from that area and this case stirred up a lot of talk around here. Also, I posted my thoughts about it in Thoughts on puppies being euthanized because of actions of adult dogs.

The owners were arraigned last Friday and charged with second-degree murder, and possessing a dangerous animal causing death. They have agreed to have the adult Cane Corso dogs euthanized. The agreement says the two dogs and a third CC will be killed as soon as possible. The seven puppies, aged eight weeks, and a four-month-old puppy will NOT be euthanized. The puppies will be given to an appropriate shelter, or animal rescue group, based on the determination of the Lapeer County Animal Control. They will be sterilized, and anyone who takes them from any shelter will have to be warned of the history of their family. In spite of all this, hopefully the puppies will be able to find good homes... Animal control has 60 days to see if a shelter to its liking will take the puppies in. If not, the fate of the puppies could go back to court. So for now, much of the details for the future of the puppies is still up in the air other than they will not be euthanized.

NEWS UPDATE: As of today, authorities say the dogs involved in the fatal mauling have been put to death last Monday, Aug. 4, and another adult cane corso that WASN'T involved in the attack was also euthanized on Friday, Aug. 1??? I don't exactly follow their logic on this one, but it's a sad mess all around.