The Saga of Phineas, the dog on death row who caused a rift in a small town - Polidicks

[quote]Phineas had been a part of the Sanders family since 2010, a gift from a friend. They named the dog after a character from the cartoon “Phineas and Ferb.” [t]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/10/28/us/SALEM-4/SALEM-4-popup.jpg[/t] His journey to becoming a household name began on a sunny Friday afternoon in late June 2012. Lexie Sanders, 7 at the time, was eating a Popsicle in her backyard with two friends. As the girls were leaving, Lexie clutched the 25-foot rubber-coated cable that tethered Phineas to a chain-link fence, but she tripped. The next thing she knew, she said, her friend, Kendall Woolman, 7 at the time, had fallen and rolled beneath the high-sprung Chevy pickup truck in the driveway. Kendall screamed and cried. Lexie said she did not see Phineas bite Kendall, but the other friend, also 7, told the police that she saw him bite her left rib cage and drag her about four feet. Later that evening, Jarred Brown, the town’s code officer, took Phineas for what was supposed to be a 10-day quarantine while the case was investigated. But the four-year-old Labrador never returned. [t]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/10/28/us/SALEM-1/SALEM-1-popup.jpg[/t] After accusations arose of two previous unreported biting episodes, the Salem mayor, Gary Brown, deemed Phineas a vicious dog under town ordinance, and ordered him euthanized. The dog’s execution was delayed by a court appeal — and there was a brief, unexplained disappearance last fall — but then reinstated in March by Judge Scott Bernstein. City officials quickly moved Phineas to a secret location — it turned out to be the basement garage bay at the fire station — so he would not be snatched before his execution. Running out of options, Phineas supporters got in touch with the Lexus Project, a dog rescue operation based in New York State. The group set up a “Save Phineas” Facebook page that quickly drew tens of thousands of “likes” (now up to nearly 180,000) and was the catalyst behind a rally and “Save Phineas” billboards along an interstate highway. [t]http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/10/28/us/SALEM-3/SALEM-3-articleLarge-v2.jpg[/t] Kendall Woolman’s family said they received threats. Joseph P. Simon, a lawyer for the Sanders family, accused a relative of the Woolmans of calling Salem “his sandbox” and threatening to exert his influence on city officials to make sure Phineas died. The story caught the attention of David Backes, the captain of the St. Louis Blues hockey team, who offered to fly to Salem to rescue the dog and take it to a no-kill shelter. Approaching his execution date in late April, Phineas got another stay when Mr. Simon appealed for a new trial. With the case pending, Jackie Overby, a Salem resident, said she asked the city administrator, Clayton Lucas, if he could give her the dog so she could usher him away to safety. A few days later, she said, Mr. Lucas showed up at her job and said, “We want the dog gone,” and told her that they could make arrangements for her to secretly take him. ... In late May, city officials moved Phineas into Dr. J. J. Tune’s veterinary office near downtown, but the doctor said he feared that the dog would be stolen because of all the attention and because his clinic was not well secured. Sure enough, when Meridith Michaels opened the clinic about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, Phineas was nowhere to be found. No sign of forced entry, no clues. “My heart sank to the bottom of the ground,” she said. The Sanderses feared the worst — that someone had either taken him for ransom or killed him. Ms. Sanders, 28, searched the woods.[/quote] [url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/us/dogs-tale-from-death-row-to-doorstep.html?pagewanted=2]Find out how this riveting story ends![/url] [url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/us/dogs-tale-from-death-row-to-doorstep.html?pagewanted=1]Source: NYT[/url]

Well if you take the eyewitness accounts into consideration, it sounds like the dog bit the girl and dragged her under the car. And there were other biting incidents. I don't see why this dog is getting so much support.

[QUOTE=Explosions;42691597]Well if you take the eyewitness accounts into consideration, it sounds like the dog bit the girl and dragged her under the car. And there were other biting incidents. I don't see why this dog is getting so much support.[/QUOTE] And if it did bite with such force it would be able to drag someone several feet, there surely would be bitemarks, I dont think they were going to euthanize the dog just to be cartoon-villain evil.

The article says the Judge ruled that Phineas did not bite the girl.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;42691635]And if it did bite with such force it would be able to drag someone several feet, there surely would be bitemarks, I dont think they were going to euthanize the dog just to be cartoon-villain evil.[/QUOTE] Is it said that there were no marks?

holy shit they even have billboards [img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75262153/phina.png[/img]

[QUOTE=Tuskin;42691657]The article says the Judge ruled that Phineas did not bite the girl.[/QUOTE] Whoops, I thought it said otherwise.

[QUOTE=Tuskin;42691657]The article says the Judge ruled that Phineas did not bite the girl.[/QUOTE] Oh, must've missed that.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;42691686]Oh, must've missed that.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Explosions;42691675]Whoops, I thought it said otherwise.[/QUOTE] The quoted bit in the OP is not the entire article, there is a second page linked below it.

So basically, a girl accidentally tripped and rolled under a car, and a neighbor tried to claim the dog bit her and dragged her under it? And then more people tried to report that said dog also attacked two other people before off of eyewitness accounts alone? Damn, this dog's lucky such elaborate things happened to keep him alive and that the judge ruled against the witness accounts, most other dogs would've been euthanized far sooner.

Just for anyone who hasn't figured it out yet: The dog biting the girl and somehow dragging her under a truck OPPOSITE the fence he is tethered to is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. Nevermind a dog of that size (Smaller than the 7 year old in the picture) likely is not going to have the necessary strength to pull a seven-year-old down and into a tight space under a truck in the specified timeframe without the girl noticing. I've got three dogs here and I've seen exactly what they are and are not capable of. The entire case should have been thrown out right away on account that the simplest of forensic investigation would have pointed to the entire scenario as described being a complete impossibility. I can't help but think that a good deal of the cause of such drama is rooted in one of her so-called friends being jealous of her having such a fine breed of dog. Oh Labrador Retrievers truly are the best. Also note that a Labrador Retriever wouldn't have bit a child and dragged them under a car. They are not a breed known to act violently like that at random in my experience from the three I have.

You guys need to read the rest of it, about how the dog was stolen and hidden away, and there are secret codes and a weird guy in a fake beard.

[QUOTE='[Seed Eater];42691951']You guys need to read the rest of it, about how the dog was stolen and hidden away, and there are secret codes and a weird guy in a fake beard.[/QUOTE] The second page sounded like an eleven year old's version of a Tom Clancy book

I think if there were so many reports, remember two more were later brought up, that the case probably should have resulted in the dog labeled dangerous. Although where I live a dangerous dog can be kept if it is registered and certain rules are followed. [quote]accusations arose of two previous unreported biting episodes[/quote] People should not be so quick to assume the dog is innocent. People always assume that dogs are all sweet and would not hurt a fly, but some dogs can be aggressive and accusations should not be taken lightly. I dont even know why a judge should be able to decide if a bite takes place, that should be up to the responding officer. Changing the findings of a report so long after the original accusation seems odd. [QUOTE=certified;42691945] Also note that a Labrador Retriever wouldn't have bit a child and dragged them under a car. They are not a breed known to act violently like that at random in my experience from the three I have.[/QUOTE] Not according to the CDC, if they can kill they can bite. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ICqODc8.png[/IMG] Any dog can bite regardless of breed. Breed should not be an issue for an accusation I see it every time a dog attack is brought up.

Just to set you all at ease, if you read the second article "Dog's Tale" it makes note that in the end, it was determined that the dog had not bitten the child and was relieved of the accusations. [quote]...Yet in a final twist, Judge Bernstein essentially said Friday that the drama should never have happened. He ruled that Phineas did not even bite the girl and overturned the death sentence...[/quote]

[QUOTE=Keys;42692680]Just to set you all at ease, if you read the second article "Dog's Tale" it makes note that in the end, it was determined that the dog had not bitten the child and was relieved of the accusations.[/QUOTE] I wish it gave more details about how this was determined, because I dont see how a judge could make that call so long after the incident. The only girl who claimed she did not see the bite was the dogs owner. One friend said she saw the bite, the other said she was bit. It is also described in a way that the incident occurred because she could not hold the dog back. [quote] His journey to becoming a household name began on a sunny Friday afternoon in late June 2012. Lexie Sanders, 7 at the time, was eating a Popsicle in her backyard with two friends. As the girls were leaving, [b]Lexie clutched the 25-foot rubber-coated cable that tethered Phineas to a chain-link fence, but she tripped.[/b] The next thing she knew, she said, her friend, Kendall Woolman, 7 at the time, had fallen and rolled beneath the high-sprung Chevy pickup truck in the driveway. Kendall screamed and cried. Lexie said she did not see Phineas bite Kendall, [b]but the other friend, also 7, told the police that she saw him bite her left rib cage[/b] and drag her about four feet. [/quote]

[QUOTE=imptastick;42692485]I think if there were so many reports, remember two more were later brought up, that the case probably should have resulted in the dog labeled dangerous. Although where I live a dangerous dog can be kept if it is registered and certain rules are followed. People should not be so quick to assume the dog is innocent. People always assume that dogs are all sweet and would not hurt a fly, but some dogs can be aggressive and accusations should not be taken lightly. I dont even know why a judge should be able to decide if a bite takes place, that should be up to the responding officer. Changing the findings of a report so long after the original accusation seems odd. Not according to the CDC, if they can kill they can bite. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ICqODc8.png[/IMG] Any dog can bite regardless of breed. Breed should not be an issue for an accusation I see it every time a dog attack is brought up.[/QUOTE] so from 79 to 98, there were 5 fatalities, only 1 from a purebred, from one of the most popular dog breeds.

[QUOTE=iwancoppa;42694968]so from 79 to 98, there were 5 fatalities, only 1 from a purebred, from one of the most popular dog breeds.[/QUOTE] Not saying its common, just saying that it is possible for one to be aggressive. In other words the argument of "Labrador Retrievers aren't aggressive, so the dog is innocent" is flawed. Which is why I clarified by saying "Any dog can bite regardless of breed. Breed should not be an issue"

[QUOTE=certified;42691945]Just for anyone who hasn't figured it out yet: The dog biting the girl and somehow dragging her under a truck OPPOSITE the fence he is tethered to is PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. [/QUOTE] Does it say that in the article? What I'm getting from it is there's a fence but doesn't go into detail where it is, like how close to the driveway it is, so it is entirely possible that the dog had enough rope to pull the girl under the car if he had the strength to do it, especially if the dog was tied at the end closest to the truck. Also if it was impossible to have the dog go under the truck, then the little girl wouldn't have been able to either, the dog was completely loose with his rope so he could easily have gone under the truck if the little girl could too. The article states that everyone, including the owner of the dog, seen the little girl under the truck, which means it was possible for the little girl to get under there, and therefore the dog as well.

[QUOTE=supersoldier58;42695120]Does it say that in the article? What I'm getting from it is there's a fence but doesn't go into detail where it is, like how close to the driveway it is, so it is entirely possible that the dog had enough rope to pull the girl under the car if he had the strength to do it, especially if the dog was tied at the end closest to the truck. Also if it was impossible to have the dog go under the truck, then the little girl wouldn't have been able to either, the dog was completely loose with his rope so he could easily have gone under the truck if the little girl could too. The article states that everyone, including the owner of the dog, seen the little girl under the truck, which means it was possible for the little girl to get under there, and therefore the dog as well.[/QUOTE] All I need is an image of the scene going along with the described scenario, and I can very carefully tell you why the whole described scenario simply cannot be. I'm not denying that small beings such as a Labrador or a child can get under a truck, but from the scenario described, nothing in it adds up right at all. Here's our setup, three children, a dog, and a fence on the left side, a truck center, and nothing right side. Child X trips on something from the fence (Which the dog is supposedly tethered to), and a moment later finds Child Y under the truck. In this scenario, the dog would have had to very precisely SHOVE Child Y under the truck moving forward to get Child Y under the truck in the amount of time it takes for a seven year old to recover from a fall. The only way Dog could get into a position from here to DRAG Child Y under the truck would be to spin around in front of them, which considering the tether, would either trip up Child Z or chafe on X. At that, the weight from Y on the tether would make it considerably harder for a tethered Labrador (Which is smaller than a 7yrOld, by the picture) to drag Child Y under the truck that quickly. Otherwise, the Dog would have to be on the right side, dive under the truck, come out on the other end to grab Child Y BY HER RIBCAGE at chest-level (Remember, this Labrador is smaller than a 7yrOld), and then proceed to drag Child Y down below the truck in the matter of an estimated <2.5 seconds, of which Child Y is likely around the average 7yrOld weight at 50.6 pounds. However, the article implies that Phineas was on the same side as the three children, making this entire half a redundancy. Nevermind the fact that randomly attacking a neighbor who's likely been around many times and then proceeding to drag them into a tight space is extremely illogical even by the standards of a dog's mind functions. In short, yes, it is possible for the dog to pull a child under a truck... But under the given circumstances (2.5 second timelimit, child likely with greater mass than dog, location of alleged bite), the entire describe scenario is an impossibility.

"Hey Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" I'm so sorry, but it was too good to miss.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;42695622]"Hey Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!" I'm so sorry, but it was too good to miss.[/QUOTE] I feel like we need to question Ferb to know the real story.

A testimony from a seven year old isn't exactly watertight evidence. A little influence here and there and you can get them to say almost everything. Especially when it's a scary stranger in uniform and they just want to go home after seeing their friend get hit by a truck.

[QUOTE=certified;42695502]All I need is an image of the scene going along with the described scenario, and I can very carefully tell you why the whole described scenario simply cannot be. I'm not denying that small beings such as a Labrador or a child can get under a truck, but from the scenario described, nothing in it adds up right at all. Here's our setup, three children, a dog, and a fence on the left side, a truck center, and nothing right side. Child X trips on something from the fence (Which the dog is supposedly tethered to), and a moment later finds Child Y under the truck. In this scenario, the dog would have had to very precisely SHOVE Child Y under the truck moving forward to get Child Y under the truck in the amount of time it takes for a seven year old to recover from a fall. The only way Dog could get into a position from here to DRAG Child Y under the truck would be to spin around in front of them, which considering the tether, would either trip up Child Z or chafe on X. At that, the weight from Y on the tether would make it considerably harder for a tethered Labrador (Which is smaller than a 7yrOld, by the picture) to drag Child Y under the truck that quickly. Otherwise, the Dog would have to be on the right side, dive under the truck, come out on the other end to grab Child Y BY HER RIBCAGE at chest-level (Remember, this Labrador is smaller than a 7yrOld), and then proceed to drag Child Y down below the truck in the matter of an estimated <2.5 seconds, of which Child Y is likely around the average 7yrOld weight at 50.6 pounds. However, the article implies that Phineas was on the same side as the three children, making this entire half a redundancy. Nevermind the fact that randomly attacking a neighbor who's likely been around many times and then proceeding to drag them into a tight space is extremely illogical even by the standards of a dog's mind functions. In short, yes, it is possible for the dog to pull a child under a truck... But under the given circumstances (2.5 second timelimit, child likely with greater mass than dog, location of alleged bite), the entire describe scenario is an impossibility.[/QUOTE] Here is how I see it: 1) First of all the dog was being held back, which means that the dog was attempting to go to the other children as they left (I wont try to say whether it was playful or aggressive). The child was unable to hold back the dog, which shows it is moderately strong. [quote]Lexie clutched the 25-foot rubber-coated cable that tethered Phineas to a chain-link fence, but she tripped.[/quote] 2) After she lost control of the tether, something caused her friend to end up under the truck and screaming. Nobody denies this. [quote] The next thing she knew, she said, her friend, Kendall Woolman, 7 at the time, had fallen and rolled beneath the high-sprung Chevy pickup truck in the driveway. Kendall screamed and cried. [/quote] 3) Every witness except the dogs owner (who would have serious bias) claims the dog bit the girl. Once again the dog could have been trying to play, but either way the child was hurt/scared. [quote]Lexie said she did not see Phineas bite Kendall, but the other friend, also 7, told the police that she saw him bite her left rib cage and drag her about four feet.[/quote] 4. After learning the dog was under suspicion of biting a child, even before the story became sensationalized, other people came forward to say the dog had acted aggressive in the past. [quote]accusations arose of two previous unreported biting episodes[/quote] 5. People who were not even involved in the case began fighting to save the dog, based on information given by the owners (once again probably biased). 6. People stole the dog from a shelter rather than wait for the appeal to go through. 7. After a lot of drama and time wasted on trials, a judge decides that the dog has not bit anyone. This does not seem right to me, it does not say what evidence the judge had. It seems like he did it just to save the hassle of continuing the ordeal. Based on the information given by witnesses the dog most likely was responsible for hurting the little girl. What seems more likely that the responding officer would take the dog away for an attack that never occurred and the only witnesses who do not have the dog as a pet lied; or that the dogs owner did not want to say her dog hurt someone so she said the child just tripped and rolled under a vehicle after she lost control of her dog.

[QUOTE=Agoat;42696261]I feel like we need to question Ferb to know the real story.[/QUOTE] obviously Dr. Doofenshmirtz is behind this whole thing

Indeed the drama should not have occurred. If the dog bit her, then there would have been blood or bite marks at the very least. If not, then there wouldn't be anything on the kid. The fact that this rather obvious method of determining whether the kids lied or not is missing seems rather fishy.