Raintree residents tell TLS that for nearly a week, three pit bulls have been terrorizing their neighborhood, and have also mauled two cats to death.
Police, and animal control reportedly attempted to capture the dogs several times, but to no avail.
“They keep running into random backyards, and when it was in my backyard the police were scared and banged on my door to let themselves in because they were scared!” a resident told TLS. “This is an insane situation – the police and animal control are dragging their feet about it. The kids and parents are afraid.”
Families are reportedly waiting at bus stops in their vehicles because of the loose dogs.
“We are living in real fear,” the resident said.
As of this posting, sources say, the dogs are still loose.
[TLS]
If an officer feels threatened enough to knock on the door he should have either tasered or shot the dog(s)
Shoot them
Agreed. Kill tell and arrest the owners.
This is nuts! Animal control came down several times with a butterfly net to try to catch the dogs. They are a disgrace! We have small children in the a neighborhood, and not resolving this is a disaster waiting to happen. Where are all the elected officials? no offer of help from anyone! elections are over and they go back into their self interest groups. This is not just a Raintree issue, this is a quality of life in Lakewood issue. If there is no resolve to this problem after WEEK, What are we to do???
Kill the dogs. People’s rights over rides animal rights.
These dogs have been on the loose a number of times and have been repeatedly returned to their owners. That is unacceptable. They should be confiscated and taken to the pound. I have been told that these dogs are owned for the purpose of illegal dog fighting and are being purposely underfed so they are starving and ready to attack.
Where are our elected officials when we need them?
Why do I see so many pit bulls around town? Can on ordinance be passed to make it illegal to own one?
this is totally absurd …why is this not taken care of!!!!!!!!
Agreed. Township should pass law against dangerous animals. And if so owns a pit bull , they should be legally responsible if their dogs hurt anyone. And police needs to shoot the dogs and arrest the owners
so judgement adjust the breed of dog maybe its there owner that raised them to be that way I own 2 pitbulls myself and they are the most precious harmless snuggling dogs ive ever owned. how about when one your kids hurt someone ill post they should be shot or killed (moderated) is wrong with people these days.
Tara,
Why do you equate a dog with a child?? Can you not recognize the difference between an animal and a human being???!?
You are part of the problem here. You feel that animals SHOULD be allowed to roam and terrorize us freely??. SICK!
Dogs were in my backyard on Teusday
POLICE were there with guns drawn, but did not shoot them
I live in raintree and have seen those dogs a few times and have never felt scared. I agree they shouldent be running around but never once have i even seen them get near people. On the matter of owning “dangerous”animals or pitbulls any animak can be dangerous pretty sure a 100 pound lab can do the same thing as a 100 pound pitbull but noone complains about them
number 11, tara, u are right about the first part of your comment, but to compare a dog with a human child who has a brain, feelings, lots of potential, the ability to give back to their parents, people in general, the world?!? that is so abslutely immoral of you! shooting a dangerous dog that can hurt people badly is in no way comparable to a kid who hit another!! yes, reprimand and punish him, but no, if you are a human with any feelings (or kids) u would never even type such a sentence…
Of course your answer is to shoot the poor dog. It is obviously b eing abused it needs help and to be rescued. I am pretty sure the police didn’t run into a house because they were scared, how ignorant to even say that. The owners should be arrested and the dogs rescued. What should the elected officials do? Another stupid comment!!!!!
Blame the owner not the breed.
There’s laws against leaving kids in the cars but people don’t follow those laws. Hitchhiking is illegal and people do that, even minors….
Every one wants “laws” and “elected Officials” to do something about the dogs and No One is mentioning blaming the owners! People need to take responsibility for their actions whether it be regarding dogs, kids, or anything.
First off I love all the aliases calling for killing the animals!? I will refer to you as “Keyboard Warriors” just like the ones who like to make antisemitic and racist comments hidden behind your keyboard …
Second maybe peoples cats shouldn’t be roaming around outside either! Its somewhat natural for dogs to go after feral and free roaming cats even the ones that live in peace with them at home! Just a thought but I wonder how many animals those cats have killed vs the 2 the dogs killed????
Third I have seen nothing about these dogs showing aggression towards humans. Approaching is not aggression! To touch on the RUMOR these are fighting dogs…Fighting dogs are not human aggressive in most cases but dog aggressive.
Forth hello people read your comments you act as if this is ISIS!? Look at your area, you have way more to worry about than 3 dogs running around lmbo.
Five pay full taxes and maybe your animal control will have the equipment, man power, and funds to spend more time on collecting your ISIS recruits…
Six I commend the officers for choosing to walk away vs using LETHAL FORCE in neighborhoods full of families and children!!!!
In other areas of Ocean County the citizens usually do their part to help catch the dogs which 98% of the time there are no issues. Its funny how Ive seen nothing on any of the multiple dogs sites for Ocean County asking for help with these terrorist dogs you all speak of…If people had I can assure you citizens would have come out on their own dime to help trap or lure these dogs. SMH at all of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
Why would you shoot the dogs? Can’t the ‘police’ AND animal control handle this in an orderly fashion way? Remember, the dogs are trying to survive, survival of the fitest. Put yourself in a dogs situation.
To resident, she’s part of the problem because she doesn’t agree with you? People shouldn’t have there dogs running around unsupervised, but to blame the whole breed of dog is absurd It’s the owner not the breed of dog, and you can’t be serious with the making it illegal to own a pit bull, lol really? Do you judge people the same way you just judged a whole breed of dogs? Probably so
To #11 and #16 please don’t judge, im; assuming you are not from this area, we as orthodox jews are not against dogs we are just not accustomed to them, we don’t own dogs and therefore our children are afraid, Now_ whereas most dogs wouldn’t cause any harm and they would just run by you or sniff you, these particular dogs have been mauling cats around the neighborhood, deeming them as “carnivorous” so yes they may be hungry and abused but therefore they are a danger to a neighborhood full of young children. It sounds as if you care more for animals than human beings, which i hope isn’t the case, how sad for you. As far as the police, they themselves had told me FIRST HAND that they were nervous about the dog and one of them was bitten by that exact type of pit bull once before, so he was afraid to be outside with it running around..Does this sit well with you? Maybe come down yourself and rescue these dogs so we are not at their mercy. thank you.
To #21 ( I cant believe we are referring to each others as numbers!? Own your comments peeps or dont make them!)
I totally understand in your community you might not be as dog friendly as me and I fully respect that! I would advise though introducing your children to dogs and other animals maybe in park or public settings. Break the cycle, pets of all kinds teach children empathy and have unconditional love to give. It will benefit your children to play with animals medically and emotionally science shows humans of all ages benefit from hands on time with animals,. Please do not take this wrong but you are doing a disservice to your children by not introducing them to animals not to mention how will they know how to behave around an animal with no experience? Why leave your kids in fear of mans best friend? Very silly… FYI two cats were killed yes its horrible but come on if your not for dogs I doubt you really cared about the cats either! Just an FYI these dogs were born carnivores they didnt become carnivores lol. You brought up a good point about the officers, now reread your words…The officers were nervous, one due to a past incident which I can fully understand but no were in your words did you say these animals gave the officer a REAL reason to be in fear. Did the dogs charge him? No or they would be dead! FYI my dog and cats are ALL rescue!!!! These dogs in question have been apprehended which is shown in the picture!? The dogs are actually showing happy behavior for a bunch of terrorist dogs and the officers seem to feel secure enough with their behavior to be holding them!? On another note I would never put the life of a child before an animal how dare you make such an ignorant statement to warrant your view…I have held more children in your area than you have toes and fingers, spent many times teaching children in your community how to fish at Shenandoah, and I live within a block of the Lakewood border!!! Why dont you come back at me in your real name….Mrs Annoyed
You don’t tazer a dog..much less Lakewood have them at all…just shoot the dogs..the owners will figure it out when the dogs are not at home.
As an orthodox owner of a pit mix, i must say that the same reasons that make them good family dogs also make them dangerous.pits have a very high pain tolerance; good if you are a two year old who is experimenting by hurting the family dog, very bad if one has decided to attack and you are smacking it and trying to get it to release. Theyjust don’t feel as much as an ordinary dog. Pits tend to be very protective and loyal, again, good if you are its family and there is a break in, bad if the dog is protecting a drug lords stash. Instincts play a big role and like many things the pits natural instincts can be used for good or bad. Even being an owner of one I seriously hesitate making blanket statements about the innocence of the breed.
Lakewood Scoop I have been a respectful follower from the beginning. I have even sent you pictures and info in the past. I love your site but PLEASE do not condone the killing of animals. Please do your part as a community influence to educate your followers. Pitbulls and dogs are not the only being created by God that has been given a bad rap due to misconceptions, media hype, and plain old ignorance….Do your followers truly believe these dogs really deserved to be shot in public? Think about that for a second. The ignorant comments should be deleted just like the antisemitic ones! Especially because they are making statements under aliases to begin with! I run multiple social media forums and running under fake names is not aloud, you might be surprised how fast the keyboard warriors cool down and think about what they say when its in their real name! Im truly sadden by the ignorance… These people need experience and education not a forum to call for violence towards a few dogs that ran a muck for a few days. Come on…
Melissa,
We appreciate your comments here and you bring up a few good points. The only one that I respectfully disagree with is the notion that these dogs cannot harm people. One simple google search will bring up many stories on Pitt bull violence. I urge you to put your family in a situation of despair for one moment and im sure that if you have no one to turn to and get help, you would be just as angry. the lack of response from the people entrusted with providing help is what is fueling these comments. Not the hatred of dogs!
Rain tree in lakewood or howell. It would be nice if you put more info of the location
The dogs should be shot, of course, if they are a menace and a danger to others. The owners should be given a hefty fine. I am not against dogs, but, dangerous dogs of course have to be kept away from being able to harm others and if not, then the law should step in and prosecute the owners and get rid of the dogs.
Hi Resident, I really do not like this alias stuff. I wish I could address you respectfully by name…Its not me or my comment that stated “the notion that these dogs cannot harm people. ” Never stated that nor would I ever. How about we stick to the facts here that being no humans were approached in an aggressive manner by these dogs. When people allow their cats to roam outside they actually are putting their pet in a predator vs prey scenario. I beg to differ with you on whats fueling these comments. Its not the lack of response from authorities its already been stated they tried to catch them a few times before today, its the fact people wanted these dogs shot publicly! Thats pretty sick and to use the “it might have happened” “You dont value humans” “What if it was your kid” excuses have no bearing here. Facts are NO HUMANS WERE ENGAGED by these dogs. Even residents have said they have seen them and have had no issues nor did the dogs make them feel threatened. Fact is 3 dogs got loose killed two cats(Which has not been confirmed just like they are fighting dogs that the animal control just lets skirt by!?). I am going to say it again how many animals do you think those cats have killed? Google it you will be blown away by what loose and feral cats do. They kill multiple species and as humans we just giggle and say “Oh Morris brought me a gift” come on should we shoot every animal that has killed another animal? Of course not. We are humans and we personalize everything, animals do not, prey is prey whether squirrel raccoon bird. Im actually sticking to the facts of this story not making it up as I go….Look at the faces of those dogs being held by the OFFICERS, do you really think they would be holding them if there was ANY inkling of aggression? On you referring to my kids, they have been raised with multiple animals and know how to behave. They actually have even had contact with aggressive ones newly out of rescue. Behavior and experience help for sure and I fully feel for those who have an unrealistic fear of animals. I feel bad their kids are raised without pets….On another note the reason you see so many pitbull incidents in the media is due to the attention it brings, biting labs and yorkies just dont bring the same sensational attention but I can assure you they have just as many victims under their belts as pitbulls.
I’m sorry but nobody shouldn’t be killing dogs just because people are scared doesn’t mean the dogs actually do something , some are friendly some people are just so stupid ! How can someone say that about killing a dog ! Imagine if you guys owned a dog would you like them to shoot it . Whoever is saying to shoot them if really stupid for saying that !
Alvarado calm down. What’s the point of this post?
I say we start Tomchei Klavim. Every home owner should put a bowl out for the neighborhood beggar Pitts. That way they will be fed, fat and friendly.
This is County Line East, Redondo, and every Street in between!
Melissa, I myself don’t mind dogs. But the fact is, some places have been considering banning pit bulls due to risk. They really have been known to attack without notice. My kids have been attacked by dog (although not in this instance) and they were quite traumatized. I agree, the whole shooting thing is a little much, although they should be contained or put down if they are in the midst of attacking or previously have.
Melissa, these cats were not “roaming” the neighborhood – the dogs got into a fenced yard and tore apart the cat enclosure to get at them. They are vicious and dangerous and must be taken care of. I’m all for animal’s rights, but I care a lot more about people’s rights.
I live in the area and I will give you the facts. There are two sets of two pit bulls that keep running loose. One pair got into a fenced backyard and killed cats that were someone’s personal pets. The other pair runs loose constantly, chasing kids and in a few instances, knocked them down and ran them over. The dogs are not trained. There have been times that animal control has come and the dogs just get loose again. The frustration stems from the fact that there seems to be nothing to do. We are told that the owners are warned but not penalized until something really bad happens. If the dogs are running down kids and killing pets, what’s to stop them from really harming someone?
Dont blame the breed blame the person or persons who raised the dogs
These comments are very interesting !!! I infact have a pit bull and she is the sweetest thing you could ever meet also might I add I have three young children who she is great around !!! I agree no they should not be running around that’s scary but half of the people running around Lakewood are scary as well and soo are half of the drivers let’s do the right thing hear catch them I’m sure they won’t hurt anyone
one of the sets of loose pit-bulls (the ones that knocked over a child at the bus stop) is owned by a neighbor who is renting his home. If the authorities will not stop the owner from responsibly controlling his animals perhaps pressure on the landlord to terminate his lease with his tenant would help. Hopefully he will move elsewhere – perhaps to a neighborhood with fewer young children.
melissa, from the time my children are very young i introduce them to “man’s best friend”. Firstly i absolutely love animals. But besides that, from a practical side point I think, like you do, that it is extremely important for them to be very comfortable around dogs. They are all around, on the streets, in parks and its silly if they will have to spend their lives in a panic every time they see a dog. Stories like this are unfortunate and upset me b/c it un-does all my hard work. Here we’ve spent years petting every dog we see. My kids go over to our neighbor to play with their adorable dogs. But then, after being chased by two enormous dogs it is only normal for them to develop a fear. And when dogs are friendly, loving why should they have to associate the thought of a dog with these loose, roaming, terrorizing pit-bulls?
Melissa Michaelson-
Great posts, every single one of them. Thank you for your wisdom and for trying to impart some (dare I say) common sense on this thread.
Thank you AFP, I truly appreciate your words!
I like animals, I like dogs.
But pits get me scared. I see so many posts about them being the sweetest family dogs, but – 62% of Americans killed by dogs from 2005-2013 were killed by pits (176/283)!
I’ve worked with dog bite victims in the past, and every single one of the dog bite victims I’ve seen has been mauled by a pit bull. In all cases, these were owners or family of the owners. One woman had adopted her 2 pits from a shelter and had never seen any sign o f trouble from them until they attacked her.
Humans may be responsible for dogs’ behavior – especially by breeding dogs over generations and decades for aggressiveness and fighting behavior.
These behaviors aren’t the dogs fault and no ones blaming the dogs. But I do believe people’s lives come over dogs’ lives, and dangerous dogs need to be put down, DESPITE its not being their fault.
And while pits are known for unprovoked and random ‘out of the blue’ attacks, there is also research indicating that aggressiveness toward animals CAN be a predictor of future aggressiveness toward humans.