Dog/Child story of a different kind. "Brave Dog Died To Save Children"

M

MissDeMeena

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2006
Messages
5,152
Location
Warwickshire
Visit site
A hero dog who lost his life trying to save a group of children from a Pit Bull attack has been awarded the top honour for pet bravery. George the Jack Russell was given a posthumous PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross, at a special ceremony in his home town.

He had been out for a walk with five local children, aged between three and 12 years old, when a pair of Pit Bull Terriers set upon them.

The 14-year-old dog sustained significant injuries as he shielded the youngsters from the attack. He later died from his wounds.

Hundreds of people, including the children he saved, turned out to honour George at the presentation in Manaia, New Zealand.

Governor-General Anand Satyanand handed over the award to George's owner, widower Alan Gay, on behalf of British veterinary charity PDSA.

The medal was hung around the neck of a statue of the brave dog, which has been erected in the town in his memory.

"There's no doubt that George was a small dog with a lion's share of courage," said PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin.

"Each account of his devotion to the five children on the day of the incident tells of a dog that was not afraid to face great fear in order to protect his friends.

"The children will never forget George's sacrifice and PDSA is proud to honour this exceptionally brave dog."

The PDSA Gold Medal is the highest honour for outstanding animal bravery and exceptional dedication.
 
oh - that made me feel a bit teary. How lovely. And how nice to be reminded that dogs and children can mix - I would hate my girls to grow up without a doggy friend.
A
 
oh bless him, that has really choked me. Why on earth do people still have pit bulls? I understand that it isn't always the breed as all dogs can be unpredictable.

RIP George, you must have been really scared but what a wonderful dog you were
 
I agree Kitsune, but normally the people who have them aren't rearing them properly and that is why they get a bad name.

As I said, I have nothing against the breeds as all dogs can be temperamental but I wish that dogs like this could only be licensed to people who know what they are doing.
 
How awful for an old boy to be put in this situation. Its time these pit bulls were licensed so no numpty's can get hold of them.
frown.gif
 
And how will that license be polices? Whats skills and experience would one need to have a Pit? You may know lots in theory but little in practise.
And who is going to pay for licensing?
 
What a brave dog! I do agree, I think Pit Bull/Staffordshire Terrier owners should meet a certain criteria and have certain facilities to minimise the risk of injury, and for breeders too. They can be lovely dogs, as long as they're handled correctly - like all dogs - but they are difficult.

Kitsune - You may have experience with Pits, but a lot of people don't, which is where it's going wrong. People not being sensible about their temperaments and needs, but wanting to make a statement/appear as a threat by having a dog such as a Pit Bull (I know not everybody is like this!). This is where licensing or something else could help. And as to how it could be policed, the RSPCA or somebody else could have a list of qualified breeders and owners, and people could apply, etc. As to how to stop people getting hold of these dogs, people will have to rely on tip-offs and the current system we have for animal cruelty, I suppose.
 
Registration of pit bulls does not work in this country, why would it be any different in NZ? The problem is that the the sort of people who fight dogs are 'underground' and wouldnt give two figs whether they had a licence or not. And why are staffies now being lumped into the 'dangerous dog' pot. My mongrel is thought to be staffie cross border terrier, she is the meekest, mildest dog I have ever known. Would she need half a licence, if so which end!

Three cheers for old George
 
I don't know much about Pit Bull Terriers, so did a quick google search and found this picture.. This is an American Pitt bull Terrier..
Yes, i'm sure there are nice ones out there.. but still ???
maxolive.jpg
 
SBT's, EBT's, Mastiffs, Rotties - the list of potentially dangerous dogs is massive, infact as proved eary last week a JRT can be fatal if its adversary is say, a small child.

Lets remind ourselves that we ride animals who have the propensity to crush our skills with a single kick. Should they too be licensed?....

The fact is you cannot really test for common sense, anyone can read up and know a lot in theory and pass a test - but fact is if unsuitable owners WANT one of these dogs, they will get their hands on them, regardless of whatever senseless licensing that our contry tries to enforce....
 
Kitsune - to be fair horse owners don't generally let their animals wander and a horse is prey animal not a pedator, so won't generally attack.

Just one look through the dogs homes and you will find a plethora of rotties, staffies and crosses available. The problem is that there are too many being bred, and the type of people these breeds seem to attract tend to be the rougher end of society.

I think testing or licencing would be no bad thing for all dogs, but I also wouldn't let these type of people have children either! So its a mute point.
 
FFS why do staffies get brought into it all the god damn time!!! Yes they were bred to fight, yes they can be vicious but for gad sake so can anydog!!! My friend had two chiwawa's and they were more vicious than any of my dogs and would kindly take your finger off if you went to pat them!!!!

Im so sick of people brandishing STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS as dangerous dogs, just because you dont hear of the horror stories of all the other breeds, staffs and alike have to be the worse!
mad.gif


And bless that little JRT for standing up for those children! But in MHO i recon the dogs may have gone for the JR (Im also not condoning this) and not the children but as they were PITBALL'S and children were present they had to be attacking them!!
crazy.gif


Rant over!!!
 
Cotswold - the fact that horses aren't allowed to wander is down to common sense, the fact still remains they too are dangerous animals if not handled correctly. Its not the animals at fault here but the idiots allowed to be around them.

Staffies were bred to fight bulls and not humans or each other - that only came in after bull baiting became a taboo sport.

I don't know why you are replying to me Stacie as I am a previous staffy owner. But the simple facts are a SBT has massive capacity for damage, its not the fact I personally think they are any more likely to turn than any other dog, its just if they do, they have massive crushing power in their jaws - an attribute that simply isn't present in a lot of other dogs.
 
Hi, all friends,

The story made me cry, and made me hug both my Jack Russell, and my Staffie cross, got licked in return.

Lighting a candle for little, brave George, love to him, BS xxx
 
[ QUOTE ]
FFS why do staffies get brought into it all the god damn time!!! Yes they were bred to fight, yes they can be vicious but for gad sake so can anydog!!! My friend had two chiwawa's and they were more vicious than any of my dogs and would kindly take your finger off if you went to pat them!!!!


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, chihuahuas may take you finger off if they turn nasty. Isn't that the point? Some breeds are physically capable of doing a lot more damage than that.

My aunt used to have a Neopolitan Mastiff. When I visited, we wouldn't even have him in the same room as the children. If he turned, the presence of adults was irrelevant - he was physically more powerful than us.
A
 
I would like to see a few more breeds banned, 3 of which I own myself, as suggested already, there are not enough responsible people in this world, and I would rather see the breeds banned, than abused, or banging their heads on kennel walls in sheer frustration, because they have been given up, once out of control and unsocialised, never or rarely to be secured another home.
It's sad but reality
frown.gif
*waits to poss get jumped on*
crazy.gif
:p
 
I don't disagree with banning breeds in the UK, its just sad that it has to come to this.

I have, all my life, wanted a Dogo or a Cane Corso- I'll never be able to have one unless I relocate. Why shouldn't I have a dog I have always wanted and done hours of research on - because of the fact a few senseless morons couldn't keep them? Its just a bit disheartenning for all those who would like a certain dog. I agree its for the greater good Cala, but I just think its a sad day when the country has to ban something because of the idiocy of a minority.
 
Poor little dog.
frown.gif


I agree that the pitt type dogs should be regulated. Yep, there are good and bad examples of every breed, but the facts are simple. These types of dogs (and the cross breeds) can do a lot more damage than other breeds when they bite.
 
I think there should be much stricter rules in place worldwide TBH. One of the first things I'd inforce was neautering of all pitts/pitt type so idiots can't just churn out puppies every year.

I know there are responsible people who own this breed, but let's face it, the majority of the dogs are owned by a certian type of people who only want the dog because it makes them look/feel tough.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What rules do you propose MAM?

[/ QUOTE ]

All dogs must be neutered (and by dogs I mean both boys and girls
wink.gif
)
Must be microchipped
Must wear a muzzle when out
Must be kept on a lead when out
Must be kept behind secure fencing at home
Any dog caught roaming will be held and the owner will be fined

I bet other people could chime in too. I honestly don't think that any responsible dog owner would mind any of those things. I know that I do most of them already.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top