Human reasoning.What a concept!

I dont have a link for this story but here are some highlights or lowlights if you wish.

About 1 month ago a woman that lives in Tahoe City, NV was picking up her husband at the San Jose, CA airport. A few blocks from the airport, she was involved in a minor fender bender with a young man driving a black Ford Explorer. According to the woman, she rolled down her window to speak with the young fellow who had left his vehicle in an agitated state of mind. Before she knew what was happening the man reached in her open window, grabbed her little white dog, and threw him into the ongoing traffic where he was run over and killed. The woman had taken the dog to a local Vet clinic but nothing could be done.

Fast forward to the present. For some reason this gal went home to Nevada and waited a couple of weeks before she reported this incident to her local police department. There is not a whole lot to go on except the guys vehicle had Virginia plates and he was in his early twenties with a wispy beard of sorts. Im not certain but there may have been a witness or two. Now, this is the point I would like to raise for your comments.

This story is ALL OVER national news. Reward money has reached over $70,000.00 and is growing at an alarming rate. A DJ in San Francisco has taken up the cause and is beating the drums 24/7. The State of Virginia is sending pictures of registered drivers that might fit this profile. Think maybe this guy is digging in somewhere by now?

I love animals and if the facts are as presented, this act of road rage should not go unpunished if possible. However, where is this kind of indignant reaction when 6 year olds are blowing away classmates? Why are we so ready to take up arms for a little dog but reluctant to speak up over much more important issues.

What do you all think about this?

-- Sifting (through@the.rubble), March 08, 2000

Answers

I too am appalled at this event. But I am even more appalled if there is greater public outrage to cruelty to cuddly white doggies than there is to human beings. I sat IF, I don't know what rewards have been offerred to catch offenders of outrages to human beings.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 08, 2000.

At the time the dog was flying through the air, it was responsible for itself. The guy who threw the dog didn't run over it, therefore, he was only partially culpable. His crime was that he didn't throw the dog further, out of harms way, like over a bridge into a river, where it would have the opportunity to swim away.

It is also possible that the dog was taunting him.

-- cjs (cjs@noemail.com), March 08, 2000.

"Why are we so ready to take up arms for a little dog but reluctant to speak up over much more important issues."

Limited time. We can't fight all the battles we'd like, so we have to chose one to make the most impact.

Furthermore, I think we chose the battle that's most important to us. I've never had any kids, so that issue hasn't been all that important to me. If they're off shooting someone else's kid, I wouldn't have the first clue what to say or do about it.

I do my duty at the Humane Society, but I think this year I'm going to volunteer at the veterans hospital again, or maybe a home for the aged.

Hell, who knows,...I might volunteer at a soup kitchen in Taos so I can make sure Yourdon gets fed on occasion. (I'll make sure I add extra chicken bones so he can choke on 'em.)

~*~

-- laura (ladylogic@.....), March 08, 2000.

They have their own website offering a reward for the capture of the man who murdered this dog. It also has pictures of the poor thing.

Dogs Site

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), March 08, 2000.

Dog bites man isn't news. Man bites dog is news. Why? Because it is very unusual.

People like the unusual. They respond to the weird, strange and macabre.

No freak show ever went broke from lack of customers, no matter the moral indignation that was poured on them from the various communities.

Ever see a strip joint go out of business, unless it was forced to by a court or new zoning?

Same thing applies here. Nobody would have thought anything about it if the fellow had run over her dog and claimed it was an accident. If the dog had jumped out the window and gotten run over by someone else, no story. If he had put his arm in the window, and the dog bit him and jumped out to attack, and was killed, it MIGHT make the news. But he MURDERED the dog. Since that is quite uncommon, it makes a splash, probably a bigger splash than if he had shot the woman.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), March 08, 2000.

"However, where is this kind of indignant reaction when 6 year olds are blowing away classmates? Why are we so ready to take up arms for a little dog but reluctant to speak up over much more important issues. "

What rock have you been living under? I'd say that there has been a pretty massive reaction to the 6 year old shooting incident. In fact, I know a lot more about it than I really care to. Since all of the players are known in the shooting incident all that's left is voyeuristic curiosity. The jerk who tossed the dog into oncoming traffic is still out there, however. Anyone who shows that kind of blatant disregard for life will most likely have a few more skeletons come tumbling out of his closet (not literally, I hope!!) when they track him down.

-- Michael (123@456.789), March 08, 2000.

It has been proven in many studies that people who abuse animals, often end up abusing people. Many killers have a history of animal abuse. So a jerk that would throw a dog into oncoming traffic, would more than likely do the same to a person.

I hope they find him.

And as the above poster said, there has been an outpouring of concern about this situation. But it seems the little boy who did the shooting, wasn't living in the ideal home situation either. And he was only six, so what can be done?

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 08, 2000.

Something doesn't smell right about this story. It's a little fishy for me so I'm skeptical. Why did she wait a couple of weeks? Has anyone verified with the vet she took it to for treatment ? There aren't enough verifiable facts for me. IMHO, I think in time, she may even admit it was a hoax. The truth is out there, but we haven't heard it.

-- Aunt Bee (SheriffAndy@Mayberry.com), March 08, 2000.

Brrriiiiiiiiiiinnngggggg!!!

"Why did she wait a couple of weeks? Has anyone verified with the vet she took it to for treatment ? There aren't enough verifiable facts for me."

Aunt Bea gets the prize for being the logical.

---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@---/--@

~*~

-- laura (ladylogic@.......), March 08, 2000.

How very sad =o(

Perhaps she waited because she was afraid the guy would come after her or something. He could have found her from her license plate number.

People, don't delude yourself. Sickening acts of animal cruelty happen every minute of every day. I see no reason to doubt the truthfulness of this story.

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 08, 2000.

"He could have found her from her license plate number."

Oh, sure, leave it to you to think of that. (I always knew you were smart.) But, I have to ask, how many people have the knowledge and time to do that?

Most maggots are too busy sucking the life out of others to know that.

~*~

-- laura (ladylogic@....), March 08, 2000.

The vet verified that the dog was beyond saving. If some maniac had just approached me, grabbed my dog and thrown it into the street, where it horribly hurt, I doubt I would have been thinking about license plates.

I was a victim of road rage, and all because I wasn't going fast enough in the fast lane, even though I was over the speed limit. I was followed for three miles with a maniac following me, screaming obscenities, and endangering me and other drivers. Don't you imagine she was wondering what was he going to do to her, as he was walking towards her car.

Aunt Bea, why don't you call the police and verify the facts; you could also call the radio station and verify thier information. I understand they have investigated extensively.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 09, 2000.

"I do my duty at the Humane Society"... -Laura

Well, that clears up that mystery...

-- back in your cage (you@wild.girl), March 09, 2000.

Personally, I am glad that people are finally getting upset over the things that happen to animals. An animal is as helpless as a child, and possibly more so because they can't speak our language, and yet there are very few laws to protect animals. I am NOT opposed to child abuse laws, I'm saying that I would like to see at least some protection, in a similar vein, for animals.

-- Animal Lover (not@misanthrope.com), March 09, 2000.

Laura, I'm sure he could get it any number of ways. (ie. a friend that works at the DMV, P.I., etc)

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 09, 2000.

Animal Lover, I too would like to see more laws protecting animals. I can't begin to tell you how many stray animals we've taken in through the years.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 09, 2000.

Folks, I had contacted a source of mine in the San Jose area for an update on this story. He tells me that there is a Police Line-up scheduled for this afternoon (3PM, PDT) and he will keep me posted. Apparently they have a suspect in custody. I'll post any news on this thread as I get it. Book em Dano!

-- Sifting (through@the.rubble), March 09, 2000.

That is so cool, Sifting...

I, for one, am dying to hear how this turns out.

~*~

-- laura (ladylogic@.........), March 09, 2000.

11:54AM, PDT

I have some updated info to share with you on the Leo story:

(1). The Leo website (Link in post above) is managed by a good friend and neighbor of Saras that has taken care of Leo in the past.

(2). The San Jose P.D. is in the process of creating sketches from Sara and an eyewitness. After these have been completed they will be looking at the photos provided by the Virginia DMV.

I have been in contact with a friend that is highly placed with the San Jose P.D. and this case is getting a LOT of national/international attention. Needless to say they have other more serious cases on their plate but the media will not let this die. Ill post more when I get it.

-- Sifting (through@the.rubble), March 10, 2000.

Animal was thrown into traffic Owner of dog works on police sketch Owner of dog working with police on sketch

BY GEOFFREY TOMB

Mercury News Staff Writer

Sara McBurnett, whose dog was hurled into traffic in an act of road rage, on Thursday made her first return visit to San Jose since the incident. She spent 80 minutes at police headquarters working with a sketch artist to come up with a likeness of the man she said grabbed her dog, Leo.

A witness to the Feb. 11 incident will be interviewed today to work on the sketch, which police say may be ready for release early next week.

``We want to narrow this down to the correct suspect,'' said Rubens Dalaison, police spokesman.

``This has to be a slow process because we had so little to start with.'' Police also took a sample of the dark paint left on McBurnett's front bumper from the fender bender that led to the altercation on Airport Parkway near San Jose International Airport.

A paint chip could possibly pin down the exact color of the other vehicle, described as a sport-utility vehicle, probably a 1990-94 Ford Explorer or Expedition, with Virginia license plates.

The driver is described as a thin white male between the ages of 20 and 28 with a dark goatee, although one witness questioned the goatee.

He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and had a baseball cap on backward. McBurnett told police that when she rolled down her window to apologize for the fender bender, the man reached into her car, snatched her 10-year-old dog and tossed him into oncoming traffic.

The dog was run over and later died at a local veterinary hospital. If caught, the man could face felony charges for animal cruelty. If convicted, he could face a jail term of up to three years. McBurnett drove to San Jose on Thursday from her home in Incline Village, Nev., for what police originally said was a session to look at a gallery of photos of possible suspects.

That did not happen, Dalaison said.

The goal, he added, was to come up with an accurate sketch and then look at photos.

``We didn't want to confuse her. She's going just from memory,'' he added. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is cooperating with San Jose, providing driver's license photos for that line-up. Meanwhile, the reward fund at the Santa Clara Valley Humane Society continues to grow.

More than $50,000 has been pledged, and some $35,000 in cash is on hand.

Contact Geoffrey Tomb at gtomb@sjmercury.com or at (408) 920-5692.

I ran across this artical this morning and thought it might be of interest.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), March 11, 2000.