nevadamedic
05-28-2007, 02:49 AM
A 95 year-old died after being attacked by her own dogs outside her Lower Valley home.
Family members told KFOX that, throughout Magdalena Silva's life, she always loved animals.
"If she saw animal, you know, on the street... her heart would break and she'd want to feed it or something. She loves animals, so it was completely unexpected," said Sarah Williams, Silva's great-granddaughter.
According to police, Silva was attempting to feed the dogs, a German shepherd and a Doberman pinscher, as she had done every morning.
"We just don't see dogs that are great family dogs that end up killing someone. I mean, that just doesn't happen. So, something probably provoked the dogs," said Wilbert Reid, owner of ReidSan Kennel & Training Center.
It may never be known what caused the dogs to attack. However, making sure they've been trained early can sometimes prevent these incidents from happening.
"What I found is that people [who] were never honest with their dogs when they were very young, or they pampered their dogs, or they didn't expose their dogs... rarely ever does a trained dog bite his owner because the dog understands that the owner is the one that's in charge," said Reid.
Reid has been training dogs for nearly 40 years and argues that responsibility for most dog attacks usually rests with the owner.
"When dogs are socialized and trained, you end up having a very good member of the family. When you don't do those things, then the unexpected, which is somewhat in the back of your mind expected, will happen," said Reid.
For family members, it's hard to accept the reality that a woman who loved animals so much was also killed by them.
"This was a very sad story, but the family's remaining strong and we're gonna get through this," said Williams.
Silva's daughter received minor injuries while trying to help her mother. Both dogs have been quarantined as the investigation into this case continues.
If you're ever in a situation where you're confronted by an aggressive dog, experts advise doing the following:
First, stand still and keep your arms close to your body. Also, try to shove something in the dog's mouth if possible. If you've fallen, roll up into a ball and protect your head with your arms and hands.
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/13394254/detail.html?subid=22105263&qs=1;bp=t
How sad. I have never heard of a dog killing their own owner, especally when the owner is kind and loving to them. Dogs are usually mean if you teach them to be or abuse them.
Family members told KFOX that, throughout Magdalena Silva's life, she always loved animals.
"If she saw animal, you know, on the street... her heart would break and she'd want to feed it or something. She loves animals, so it was completely unexpected," said Sarah Williams, Silva's great-granddaughter.
According to police, Silva was attempting to feed the dogs, a German shepherd and a Doberman pinscher, as she had done every morning.
"We just don't see dogs that are great family dogs that end up killing someone. I mean, that just doesn't happen. So, something probably provoked the dogs," said Wilbert Reid, owner of ReidSan Kennel & Training Center.
It may never be known what caused the dogs to attack. However, making sure they've been trained early can sometimes prevent these incidents from happening.
"What I found is that people [who] were never honest with their dogs when they were very young, or they pampered their dogs, or they didn't expose their dogs... rarely ever does a trained dog bite his owner because the dog understands that the owner is the one that's in charge," said Reid.
Reid has been training dogs for nearly 40 years and argues that responsibility for most dog attacks usually rests with the owner.
"When dogs are socialized and trained, you end up having a very good member of the family. When you don't do those things, then the unexpected, which is somewhat in the back of your mind expected, will happen," said Reid.
For family members, it's hard to accept the reality that a woman who loved animals so much was also killed by them.
"This was a very sad story, but the family's remaining strong and we're gonna get through this," said Williams.
Silva's daughter received minor injuries while trying to help her mother. Both dogs have been quarantined as the investigation into this case continues.
If you're ever in a situation where you're confronted by an aggressive dog, experts advise doing the following:
First, stand still and keep your arms close to your body. Also, try to shove something in the dog's mouth if possible. If you've fallen, roll up into a ball and protect your head with your arms and hands.
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/13394254/detail.html?subid=22105263&qs=1;bp=t
How sad. I have never heard of a dog killing their own owner, especally when the owner is kind and loving to them. Dogs are usually mean if you teach them to be or abuse them.