[AngelinaLip]

(The below opinion is based solely on the actual television programs and not on any additional information (laws, etc. of a community, etc.) surrounding the programs.)

Yesterday, we were watching television, and we saw Dogs 101 as well as Cops. Let's start with Dogs 101...

Dogs 101: It's an "okay" program. It at least tells pros and cons of the breeds they introduce. Albeit, the pros and cons aren't complete, but it gives prospective owners a snapshot of the breed. On the episode we saw, they were introducing people to Rottweilers. It seemed okay until they got to this part...

"Care must be taken when owning a Rottweiler, and training must start from day one. A Rottweiler is second in fatalities from dog bites. [insert random info here about Rotties] Pit Bulls are number one in fatalities from dog bites."

"A Rottweiler has a powerful jaw: more powerful than Pit Bulls and German Shepherds."

The first statement would have been perfectly okay without them putting in the extra dig about Pit Bulls. The show was about Rottweilers. From what I recollect, I can't remember any other comparisons made from one dog breed to another in Dogs 101. The second statement...I thought there was a study performed by a Veterinarian from UGA showing that a dog bite PSI among Rotties, Shepherds, and Pit Bulls were the same? This study was also created to disprove the "locking jaws" statements.


Now onto "Cops." Ah, "Cops." Such interesting events on that show. Personally, I love 1990s "Cops:" mullets, tie dye and all!

This episode took place in Washington state. The officers arrive on the scene with two Pit Bulls running around a neighborhood, owned by a neighbor. Now, this neighborhood was just a simple subdivision in suburbia. The officers didn't give the camera man or viewers at home any background into it like, "this is a dangerous part of town." It looked like the Cleavers lived there.

This guy is outside saying, "yeah we were trapped in our homes because these dogs were running around. My wife grabbed our baby and ran, screaming, into the house." They show two Pitties (one an intact male) running from the police. The police, on the other hand, went something like this:

1. Police officer speaking in a calm voice to the two terrified dogs, making kissing noises, saying, "c'mon, buddy. Here, pal."

2. Police officer with pistol drawn, crouched down, jogging behind the dogs.

3. Police officer with an M4, drawn, sighting in on the Pit Bulls as they ran among a couple of yards, jogging after them.

4. Animal control guy.....standing by his truck.

These are not subjective point of views on my part. All of this can be seen in the episode. Officer #1 and #2 end up being able to chase the two dogs back into their own yard which was privacy fenced all the way around. However, there was one broken panel they got through, and that's how they escaped.

What made these dogs receive the label of "dangerous dogs?" The dogs slipped through the fence, and they went after a cat that was in the road. A "neighborhood cat" as one of the neighbors said. The dogs, in turn...doing what dogs do, had the cat in their mouth (one of the dogs.) Originally the AC officer told the witness, "well we don't know that the dogs killed the cat, right?" The witness says, "no - we didn't see them kill the cat. We just saw a cat in one of their mouths."

The owner shows up at her house, and Police Officer #1 tells her that her dogs got loose from the yard through a broken panel, and they killed a neighborhood cat. He tells her the dogs will be brought in, just as that town's procedure, and she would have to pay fines to get them back.

As this is going on, the AC Officer has a loose temporary leash (slip leash) around the dogs' necks and is saying, "c'mon, buddy, let's get you in there." The Pit Bull is wagging his tail as the officer puts him in the truck followed up by Pit Bull #2.

They end the episode with, "Both dogs will be euthanized. The owner decided with all that happened and the neighborhood that it's in the dogs best interest to be euthanized. So that's what we will do."

Dogs...euthanized? Over killing a cat? The dogs had no bite history. The dogs didn't go after any of the humans. A neighbor saw one of the dogs with a dead cat in its mouth. I should mention...neither dogs had any blood on them whatsoever either. "It's in the dogs' best interest?" Ask the dogs about that one.