Blue, Dog Sentenced To Die After Biting Toddler, Missing From Oregon Pet Hotel

ALBANY, Ore. -- Blue the dog had spent his days locked up in the Albany Pet Hotel, waiting while his death sentence is appealed. Now police say someone climbed the fence at the hotel, smashed a window and helped Blue the dog escape death row.

Albany police Lt. Casey Dorland said Monday that the only thing reported missing from the kennel is the fugitive canine. Police believe he was taken sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Blue was sentenced to die last fall after he bit a toddler, but his owner appealed. The dog has been housed at the pet hotel waiting for his case to be resolved.

Comments

[Grimway]

04:03 AM on 10/20/2011

Blue? If you need refuge let me know!

[Pearl Nestor]

11:59 PM on 10/19/2011

I had a neighbor some years back that owned a New England , she was a massive dog but as gentle as rain. She just gave birth to some puppies and the local neighborhood brats came by and was throwing stones at her and her puppies. Being a normal protective mother she bit one of the brats. Of course this brat had to go home and cry about it. My neighbor who was at work at the time came and asked me about what happened because he was going to be sued. I mentioned that If I were nursing my babies and someone came to throw stones at me I would bite too. He was taken aback because the brat left that part out of the story. They say kids don't lie, they DO!

[Goddess Athena]

01:10 PM on 10/19/2011

From the facts I've been able to find on this story, it seems like the owners did not train and socialize Blue. And if they allowed a toddler to put his face in the dog's food bowl while the dog was eating - that is just irresponsible.

I've had dogs since I was a kid. Our first dog was high strung and would bite if provoked, so my parents did not let us be around her unsupervised. She was the best watchdog ever, and my parents were determined to keep hwe, as we lived in an area that had a lot of summer homes and was very empty during the winter months. As an adult, I have trained my own dogs very carefully and made sure they are used to all sorts of people and situations. But I also understand that dogs will bite in certain situations, and have learned to watch mine very carefully when they are in a new or strange environment. It's all about being a responsbile pet owner.

[mclkarim]

12:17 PM on 10/19/2011

I don't think you can blame the dog. Little kids don't understand how to treat one, so they often do nasty things that they don't even realize they are doing. It is important to teach your kids about how to treat animals.

[Yorksgal]

11:37 AM on 10/19/2011

This is interesting and it states that the toddler climbed into the dog's food bowl! Who would allow that?

http://www.kval.com/news/local/121671094.html

http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/Death-row-dog-missing-in-Albany/cx9SaH9qNUOW9dqnD9LFqQ.cspx

Blue - run free little boy and live out your days happily.

[Robert Curry]

10:58 AM on 10/19/2011

As a teenager, I had a dog, (a sheltie/beagle/golden retriever mix) that was very protective of his food, and would come at ANYONE that attempted to take, or bother, his food dish once he began eating! Kids need to be taught to realize that dogs can be protective of their food, and/or their owners! My dog also LIKED to "Play Rough", and I would often tease him, and he would attack me, clamping down on my hand with enough force that his 35 pound body could hang on from my outstretched hand, but no harm was done, as his teeth were not very sharp, and my hands have tough skin, so we regularly played this "attack game"! --He was a very loyal and good companion and watch dog, until many years later when he died after being injured in an accident. Most ALL animals can bite, I learned this from my pet HAMSTERS at around the age of four!

[aviandonn]

10:40 PM on 10/18/2011

Toddlers can be annoying. I've wanted to bite a few over the years.

[mclkarim]

12:18 PM on 10/19/2011

Hehehehe!

[RockyMissouri]

07:51 PM on 10/19/2011

I've even wanted to take a nip of my own daughters, as well...... Little kids can be mean WITHOUT INTENDING TO..... it's hard to teach little kids to be patient....some learn very quickly......and for others..... it's harder for them to remember to be gentle...

[DeniseA]

04:40 AM on 10/20/2011

And toddlers are just too young. They don't have empathy, consideration of others or self control yet. I don't think they should be around dogs at all. Wait till age 5 or older and then closely supervise and keep teaching about how to behave around dogs.

[RockyMissouri]

10:34 PM on 10/18/2011

Little kids can be pests, and people expect dogs to be able to put up with a lot.....and it's not right for the dog to pay the price...

[exoticdoc2]

10:58 PM on 10/18/2011

So I take it you have more details as to what exactly occurred in this situation? Either way, a dog biting a child is not acceptable and a liability for any owner.

[Constance Trittin]

07:30 PM on 10/19/2011

Everyone needs to learn respect of each other. Every living thing on this earth deserves it. Humans being the higher species should be teaching this to their children. When this happens seems more like child abuse to me.

[mclkarim]

12:19 PM on 10/19/2011

AGREED!

[ShaneOToole]

10:19 PM on 10/18/2011

Toddlers should be kept away from dogs or very closely supervised to make sure they don't torment the dog. Toddlers have not yet developed sympathy for animals or self control, even though they are very innocent.
Also, most dogs are resource guarders. In the wild, dogs that don't guard their resources starve to death.

[dannywanny]

09:50 PM on 10/18/2011

God bless that burglar.

[DeniseA]

08:59 PM on 10/18/2011

Here's an excellent website dedicated to keeping both babies AND dogs safe.
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/category/dog-bites/

[peegan]

09:11 PM on 10/18/2011

Excellent site. The "Good dogs don't bite, do they?" was particularly informative.

[DeniseA]

10:04 PM on 10/18/2011

More excellent articles to help dog owning parents of toddlers

http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/how-to-not-magnetize-your-baby-part-2/
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/helping-toddlers-not-be-magnetized-to-dogs-part-3/
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/forsake-magnetization-gain-harmony-part-4/

[ShaneOToole]

10:14 PM on 10/18/2011

Mind if I give you vegan and hippie badges to finish your collection?!

[Kim Moore2011]

08:23 PM on 10/18/2011

I think someone let this little killer go and they should go to jail from freeing this beast. It's sad how some people put the lives of animals over the lives of humans. No dog or other type of animal should bite a human, especially a young child. I hope they this little killa can put him to sleep once and for all. Sigh!

[peegan]

08:54 PM on 10/18/2011

The dog didn't ki_ll anyone. I believe it was a nip to the face. People that own pets but don't understand that despite our considering them our little fur babies, they are animals, are what cause most of the problems. This child had his face in the dogs food bowl. It sounds like the dog gave a warning nip. If the dog had truly been aggressive, the child would have been far more seriously injured. I have three very sweet protective dogs that watch over my family, including three small children. But despite their gentle nature, I am still aware that they are dogs and take appropriate precautions. The only time I ever had a problem was with a wonderful old dog that has since passed that was very protective ( a bit too protective) of me when I was pregnant. But I am still vigilant.

[Kim Moore2011]

01:03 AM on 11/15/2011

It's a dog. A dog, is not a human. It's an animal. We are the humans.

[dannywanny]

09:53 PM on 10/18/2011

Family pets dont bite unless they have to protect themselves. No one appears to have investigated what the toddler was doing to the dog to make a tame animal act in self defense. Your ignorance is appalling.

[Kim Moore2011]

12:59 AM on 11/15/2011

You're putting a dog before a human, and I'm the ignorant one?

[reformtxcs]

08:23 PM on 10/18/2011

Anyone who places the safety of a dog about the safety of people is insane. My neighbor's police trained attack dog, came into my yard totally unprovoked and attacked me.....chewed my arm to shreds, only because I remained calm I wasn't completely mauled. The neighbor NEVER came to my aid....the dog finally retreated and saw me get up and came back for a second attack, luckily that time I was close enough to get into my home or I would have been killed. Long story short the crazy dog was NOT put down because our county does not have tough "one bite" laws, he butts the fence every day and growls and barks at me waiting for a THIRD opportunity to attack which I am sure will result in killing me this time. UNLESS you've been attacked by a dog you have no idea what you're talking about....none whatsoever. No human should have to suffer through a dog attack and close to thirty bite wounds and countless stitches and permanent scars without any recourse. Had I mauled the dog, I'd be in jail right now. Any dog that bites needs to be put down and their owner convicted.

[Mattie]

06:27 AM on 10/19/2011

The dog must have figured out, that you don't seem like a very nice person!

[mclkarim]

12:27 PM on 10/19/2011

Okay, for one thing, police K-9's don't attack unless ordered to, so I doubt this was a dog trained by the police.

You have rights. Did you call your local animal control? You can also sue your neighbor in civil court.

[oberlinkay91]

08:05 PM on 10/18/2011

Toddlers should not be around dogs that have never been around kids and parents need supervision of their kids. They may pull ears and do other things the dog doesn't like. Some dogs are just afraid of kids as some are kind of abusive towards them if parents don't teach them how to act around animals. If you get your dog as a pup do things like play with their ears, pull their tail and play with their feet. When I got my puppy, I did anything and everything to him. It will help them get used to different treatment and it will help out the vet. My dog lets me do anything I need to do to him with no trouble.

[DeniseA]

04:51 AM on 10/20/2011

And also very important to consistently teach children how to behave around dogs. Even your careful training/socialization might not be enough to prepare him for a toddler.
A child that is allowed to be rough to a dog is practicing unsafe behavior and learning that it's OK to treat an animal like a toy without feelings.

[oberlinkay91]

11:08 AM on 10/20/2011

Your right.. Parents have to do their part too. If you don't teach them that pets feel and do not deserve to be treated like something you play with they won't know any better. Thanks for adding!

[Deep Thinking Man]

07:49 PM on 10/18/2011

go Blue !!!!!...at least you had received a reprieve...that's much MORE than wolves receive...go Blue !!!!!

[floodberg]

08:21 PM on 10/18/2011

Or the mustangs in the western oil drilling areas, DTM; that put me into tears.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that Blue is already winging his way toward a new, safe home!  (At least I'm hoping!)