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  #1  
Old December 7th, 2003, 05:25 PM
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melanie melanie is offline
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Unhappy I Think Someone Is Trying To Hurt My Dog

MY DOG IS AN 8YO SHEPHERDX AND IS A GOOD GIRL, SHE HAS HAD GOOD TRAINING AND IS NOT A BARKER. I feel sick as I write this, this morning we went to the park as usual, we grabed a ball from the yard, just a tennis ball and of we went. after a few throws my girl Charlie droped the ball, sat down and gave me a funny look. I went over and grabbed the ball and a large spike went into my hand. i squeezed the ball and felt another, i had brought the ball at a cheap shop and thought it may have been a manufacturing fault, i have never had this after 8 years of cheap balls. so i checked her out thouroughly and she seems fine. we got home and i cut the ball open to find 3 large sewing needles inserted at various angles (im an avid sewer so i know a sewing needle when i see it). I dont know why someone would hurt her, everybody loves her, but some people ar just plain bad i suppose. although there was a deliver man who got a fright the other day (i was not home and my friend did not follow my instructions and had her in the house, my fault really). she didnt hurt him or anything just scared him, maybe ... NOW I AM TERRIFIED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I WILL CONTACT NEIGHBOURS, VETS AND THE POLICE TODAY JUST IN CASE. I WILL ALSO GO OVER HER TOYS AND THROW OUT ANY THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR. MY BIGGEST FEAR IN LIFE IS THAT SOMEONE MIGHT HURT HER OR PICK ON HER AND THAT MAY JUST HAVE BECOME A REALITY......
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Old December 7th, 2003, 06:35 PM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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This is horrible! Unfortunately there are sick and cruel people around who try and get even with someone by harming a defenseless animal.

Make sure your dog is never outside alone, and keep her toys in sight. If you go out with her, bring her toys back in the house.

If necessary, you can get a surveillance camera for a low price to check and see if anyone throws anything over the fence.

I'm glad Charlie was not really injured by this nutcase.
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Old December 7th, 2003, 07:24 PM
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I'm very confused...

you think the delivery man might have put sewing needles in your dog's tennis balls?

and if not... then someone at the park picked up your dog's tennis balls and inserted sewing needles into it while you were out in the very park with your dog??

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Old December 7th, 2003, 08:25 PM
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Carina Carina is offline
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This is awful - and you must be very careful & vigilant with Charlie.

BUT another possibility - Could this be a really nasty prank by someone who got to those balls before they were sold to you? Like in the store? It may be a good idea to contact the store and tell them about it. Heyyy...if you are in the US you could SUE them hahahahaha. (oops sorry.)

No but seriously - are you saying someone snuck into your yard and put three needles into a tennis ball because they want to kill her? Nasty as it sounds, three needles aren't likely to kill a dog anyhow. There's much more efficient ways to accomplish that.

So...I'm thinking you might want to look at other possibilities before assuming someone is out to kill your dog.
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Old December 7th, 2003, 09:19 PM
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I agree with LR and Carina, you need to watch her closely and not let her be alone.

I too think you should contact the store and make them aware of it and see if they got any similar complaints.

Thank Goodness Charlie wasn't hurt.
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Old December 7th, 2003, 11:03 PM
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I rang the store, they were as shocked as i was, but they are definatly sewing needles. to clarify, the ball was sitting in the back yard (could have been thrown from the street or from the drive way), we just grab one each morning and take it with us, i carried the ball to the park and nothing was felt, so it must have been her picking it up a few times to work them out, the police seem to think that it was designed so that she would chew it for a while and then get the surprise (lucky she is not a chewer). well all toys are put away and my little angel is sitting with me and is not allowed to be alone. i have spoken to all the people in the street(we are all dog owners and they love charlie), the police came and took a report, they even got a cuddle out of her, i have rung the local council and the local vets. with the delivery man thing, he actually harassed my girlfriend that was waiting for the delivery whilst i was out, he came back a secound time to harass her. i told her to keep the dog outside but she let her in, charlie barked at the man and he seemed scared, but we have since canceled out this line of inquiry. it is just so weird, we have no enemies (we have only lived here 8 months) and she gets along with everyone and she is not a barker and well behaved. it really is weird, thank god she wont take food from strangers and doesnt eat of the street (a big NO NO we taught her a long time ago) and she hates raw meat, so hopefully they will be useful preventatives also. so i wont be leaving her alone outside, the neighbors are now watching and her mummy would love to find the freaks who did this (i doubt it) it makes me sick to the stomach. the next person they do this to may not be so lucky. a friend is also lending me a camera for some survelience just to be sure. i am just so glad she is ok and not injured.
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Old December 7th, 2003, 11:10 PM
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You said that she's not a barker, but she barked at the delivery man. Maybe (with doggie instincts kicking in) there was something about this person that she didn't like, or thought that he would cause harm.

I hope your able to catch the (to put this nicely) meanies, and have charges pressed against them. Dogs know when something is going to happen, she's your guardian angel.

Good Luck with finding the weirdo's.
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Old December 7th, 2003, 11:53 PM
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melanie, you said the ball was in the backyard... could it be possible that it did not belong to your dog in the first place?
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Old December 8th, 2003, 01:52 AM
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by barker i mean that type of dog that barks at the birds and bees, she only barks when someone comes to the house or the postie goes by (one neighbour finds that rather handy). and there is a possibility that it was not meant for her, there are heaps of little barkers around here and we have them on 3 sides. its hard to tell but so far nothing has happened, but there are always those freaks out there who just want to be ego freaks ect. so i'm really hoping it is a one off, but I cant assume that and will be taking all the necessary precautions, it just really sucks that they have affected her lifestyle so much in one small action, i feel like her freedom has been removed from her, but hopefully not for too long.
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Old December 8th, 2003, 11:51 AM
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I hope she will have her freedom back soon too. I do hope that you catch the person who did that to her.

Keep me updated and let me know if you caught the person(s).

Did any of your neighbors have anything like this happen to them recently??
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Old December 8th, 2003, 11:49 PM
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You should never let dog play with a ball or toy that is not theirs.Even more so one that you have found.There are sickos out there who don't like dogs.I always end up with tons of tennis balls in the backyard.Kids would rather play ball on the streets then in a park.I am so glad though that Charlie was not hurt.And there was know way of you knowing that the needles were in there just by you holding it.When Charlie was biting down on it the needle just poked out.So if you see any balls or toys that are not hers in the backyard,throw them out.
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Old December 9th, 2003, 12:31 AM
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you shouldn't even keep ANY toys in the backyard.

they get SOOOOOOO dirty.


think about it.
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Old December 9th, 2003, 01:51 AM
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So you purchased this ball yourself from the store?

Sounds kind of odd doesn't it?

In order to get a sewing needle through the rubber of a tennis ball you'd probably need pliers, vice grips or something of that nature. AND it would be a difficult task as sewing needles bend easily.

If this is the case someone went to a lot of effort.

So what type of ball is this anyway? Are u sure it's yours and it wasn't a kids in the neighbourhood who coulda hit his/her ball over to your yard accidentally??? AND perhaps as kids do stupid/silly/experimentive things he/she coulda put the so called 'sewing' needles in the ball.

Sewing needles being easily identifiable with the slit opening for thread of course, correct??

Reminds me of the situation with the 'razor' blades in the halloween apples and needles in the candy.....of course in that situation it was found to be a hoax.

Good job your dog wasn't hurt isnt' it!

I'm wondering why you were squeezing at the ball after you got stabbed with the needle? Didn't you think that was dangerous to do? Hope you got a tetnus shot!

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Old December 9th, 2003, 02:39 AM
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thank you all for your concern and advice, charlie sends a big lick and tail wag. Well nothing else has happened so far, so good. it is just so weird, but all the neighbours are on the look out and charlie is staying with me, I am also checking the yard whenever she needs to go out. Even the police were surprised at the ball, it must have took alot of thinking to come up with and as you say, the effort to make it..and luba, im not sure if it was one of ours, it was just a tennis ball, we have (had) dozens so it could have easily been thrown in. but i have thrown them all away and marked a specific one which is easily identifiable. surly waggie your not serious about the dirt, she licks her own (and others) bums (and god knows what else), so a little soil shouldn't really matter
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Old December 9th, 2003, 04:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by wAggie
you shouldn't even keep ANY toys in the backyard.

they get SOOOOOOO dirty.


WAggie, are you for real??
Or do you just have this real fear of dirt (thinking of your responses in the cat bathing thread.)

Anyhow, dirt is fine, but needles are NOT! Melanie, it does seem odd but I'm glad your neighbors are looking out for you & nothing else has happened...hopefully it was just an isolated incident, some sicko tossing balls into yards or something. And hopefully the sicko gets caught...
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Old December 9th, 2003, 05:01 PM
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Well considering the current situation I'd keep the toys indoors as well... because of an obvious 'weirdo' around!


Marking the ball excellent idea!


Stupid people
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Old December 9th, 2003, 08:49 PM
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ladies... ladies.

forget the "fear of dirt" and think about the desire to be CLEAN and WASHED... smelling fresh?

correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't the ground in your backyard and parks been somewhat muddy with the rain and snow we've been having the past few weeks??!

of course, my dogs can bring their toys out (& as MANY as they like) but by bedtime or weather conditions (whichever comes first) all the toys are back in the house.

if the toys are left for extended periods, more than a "little" dirt will gather on the toys.... leave a bowl of water out and you'll know what I mean, shesh.


hey, here's an even BETTER reason why toys shouldn't be left outside...





















DOG-HATERS PUT SEWING NEEDLES INTO CHEAP TENNIS BALLS IN ORDER TO KILL OUR DOGS!!

(and NO, I'm not making light of this ultra SERIOUS issue )
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Old December 10th, 2003, 10:26 AM
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Ok is my dogs the only dogs that love to be filthy!!!! One has to go play in mud ever chance she gets and takes her toys in there too lol! She does get a bath after though.

My gosh i never ever thought about the dogs toys outside. I will bring them in from now on. In our area they still dogs. Being my Dal is a liver spot I'm always watching them anyways. I would never have thought people can be so cruel? But ..I guess it happens
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Old December 10th, 2003, 11:14 AM
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No.My Shepherds love to play in the dirt and muck.It's natural.Nothing that a little soap and water won't fix.And yes,there are alot of dog haters in this world.Sad wouldn't you say.And just remember,it you find a ball or toy that doesn't belong to your dog,throw it out.
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Old December 10th, 2003, 04:26 PM
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well it has been 3 days and nothing has happened which is fantastic, but im not relaxed yet, as a friend pointed out, they could wait for me to become lax and then do it again. hey waggie, to my knowledge it has never snowed where we live(we live in sunny Australia and it is currently 30 degrees celcius outside, but i wish it would snow and cool us down), but i do get your point, there is also parvo in the soil here and other diseases(charlie has had her shots). but there is always going to be weirdos in the world who would do anything for kicks, i just have to remain vigilant about all of this ....
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Old December 10th, 2003, 05:14 PM
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hahaha, oops!

I'm from good ol' Toronto, Canada!



and I see that of the two earlier posts, it seems somewhat foreign that my dog doesn't actually look forward to getting dirty...

In dog parks, there may be one or two dogs that seem to behave like pigs in mud, lol. out of 20-40 others...


yes my dog gets dirty, and he gets dirty from running around in the backyard. he favours some parts of the fence more than others when jumping high enough to see the neighbours' yards. by jumping around like that, he throws off the grass and turns our backyard into a "dirt-box"

lol
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Old December 11th, 2003, 03:53 PM
Murph's Mom Murph's Mom is offline
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Sunny Austalia, hey melanie? Maybe you woudn't mind enjoying that sun with your dog for all us winter bound folks right now!!

I mean thank heaven here in London we aren't buried in snow like some places but it sure has been getting cold, not that my Murphy minds.

My neighbour had someone fill her Kong with a liver treats that had been poisoned so "they" are definitely out there my friends and I guess we all take it for granted that everyone must be as nice as us!
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Old December 11th, 2003, 05:09 PM
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well waggie you are very lucky, charlie is one of the dirtiest dogs i have known. she just loves being filthy. her favorite scent is fish offal (dead fish), she just loves to find one at the river and rolls all over it and then gets offended when i freak out at her, i think she thinks i should find it very attractive, i think also she does it to impress her doggy friends who find it ever so appealing. oh and she loves a roll in mud and thinks sitting in the mud in the rain is alot of fun (it makes me wonder, my mum always commented on people that were to thick to come in out of the rain hmmmm). oh and she gets REALLY offended if we bath her, she wont look at me when i do it, she wont even take food she gets so put out, little bugger. and murphs mum, i have been checking evertything for food bits just in case someone tries to bait her, but she wont eat raw meat which is a bonus, she hates it and only likes her steak cooked well, ( i have offered it raw many times and she turns her nose up) so hopefully this is another precaution and she wont take food from strangers. and yes we are enjoying our lovely weather, although it looks like a hot christmas is coming.
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Old December 13th, 2003, 01:46 PM
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from a young age and a LOT of bonding, I'm sure you can "convert" any dog...

or at least reduce some REALLY unwanted behaviours.


then again, it looks like u REALLY don't mind all what she goes thru.

good for you, mom.
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