Breedism?
The Basra family of Surrey, B.C., are understandably devestated since the local police shot their pit-bull/mastif mix Mason while responding to a dropped 911 call.
Apparently, Mason was playing with members of the family in the back yard of their home when an officer opened the back gate to respond to a 911 call thought to have originated in the home's basement suite. (The entrance to the basement suite is not in the back yard.) Curious, Mason ran over to see who the visitor was, and was mortally wounded by a gun shot at a distance of less than 1 foot away.
There are conflicting reports about whether or not Mason was an agressive dog with a history of biting, or just a playful family pet alerted to a possible intruder. However, it is unlikely that the officer was aware of such a possible history at the time of the incident.
Now, if average Joe Canadian saw a large dog running towards him, I could understand him possibly being afraid. Joe doesn't know the dog. Joe is not necessarily trained to evaluate a situation and its possible dangers in a split second. Police Officers, however, should have slightly more situational awareness than Joe Canadian. They should, at the very least, have noticed that members of the family were present with the dog in the yard, and were not in any visible or audible distress.
I may be going out on the proverbial limb here, but had Mason been a standard poodle, a giant schnauzer, or a bernese mountain dog, I doubt that the officer would have reacted in the same way. You see, most people do not understand canine body language. Instead, they rely on anthropomorphism to discern whether a dog is "friendly" or "vicious". A friendly dog is big, fluffy, and cuddly looking, well groomed, and probably drools a little bit. A vicious dog is muscular and athletic, "scowls" as a result of its puggish jaw or underbite, and "foams at the mouth" instead of drools. Wagging tails are mistaken for dominance, play bows mistaken for posturing for a lunge at the throat.
In my opinion, Mason was the innocent victim of breedism. My heart goes out to the Basra family for their inconsolable loss.
Comments
I agree with your assessment. Sort of reminds me of the way they deal with new immigrants arriving at Vancouver International Airport.
If you want to see something very depressing, go the the Toronto Humane Society web site and have a look at the dogs available for adoption. 90% are "bully" dogs without much chance of ever getting a new home.
Posted by: Dad at July 22, 2008 01:55 PM
So very sad. And you're completely right.
Posted by: heather at July 24, 2008 12:18 AM