Vet Stress Don’t "Tase" the dog...no matter what Taser Inc. says
It never fails. I write a column that mentions a product––no matter how innocently––and the corporations inevitably come out to get me.
This time I happened to address the obvious: Carrying a Taser stun gun to prevent dog attacks in puppy park settings is a bad idea. Dogs have been known to die. Unfortunately, I phrased it like this: “Though [Tasers are] considered relatively safe for humans, they’re often deadly for dogs. Don’t even think about it.”
Before you say it, you don’t have to tell me: I should know better by now. There was no good reason to say “often deadly for dogs” instead of “can be deadly to dogs.” It would have made all the difference between a lawyer who has to sit on her hands and take it and one that gets to write an annoying letter to my editor at the Miami Herald.
What was I thinking?
As I wrote this, I actually recall thinking that Tasers have not exactly been proven safe in humans. No matter how many young and healthy police officers “tase” themselves to prove their safety, everyone’s far from agreed that Tasers are safe. People have died, after all. About 450 in North America according to one source. Nonetheless, “considered relatively safe in humans” would keep me out of trouble, I surmised.
Wrong. Because it seems that should Tasers fall out of favor due to the potential for human lethality, the company’s backup marketing plan might involve arming every single UPS driver and Postal Service employee with a Taser to protect them against dog attacks.
By my measure, Taser people seem headed in this direction already. Though they’re not directly marketing their product for use against animals, they are backing down ever so slightly on their Taser-is-100%-safe-in-humans claim by issuing new guidelines urging users to aim away from the victim’s chest when firing the weapon. And, of course, they’re also going after animal people like me when we step beyond the limits of irrefutability. It seems like a safe bet, then, that Taser’s actively looking to the dog market. Otherwise, why bother with me?
Now, back to solving my predicament:
Dear Taser: Want me to write a clarification? I’ll do it. I’ll admit I was wrong in my phrasing. I cannot support the claim that dogs “often” die. But that doesn’t mean you’ll ever convince me a Taser is safely used against them. Nor does my emphatic opinion waver: A Taser has no place in a dog park.
This was Monday. After this exchange I was curious. How safe are Tasers when used against dogs? Because if this is the wave of the future, we all deserve to know, right?
A [very] brief search uncovered three media reports of dog deaths related to the use of a Taser (all in large-ish dogs). Yet it’s impossible to know whether this represents a larger percentage of Taser deaths than for humans. Thankfully, it seems we haven’t yet electrocuted enough animals to know.
Here's what we do know:
While PETA claims Tasers are tested on pigs, bulls and horses, PoliceOne.com provides anecdotal reports on using Tasers safely and effectively against pit bulls. Problem is, all the dogs involved in the reported events were presumably larger animals than, say, a French bulldog...or a Maltese. Notably, one young Chihuahua was reported to have survived a Taser gun’s wrath. But those who know Chihuahuas will also appreciate the unfair advantage conferred by Chihuahuadom.
So it was that I was unsure how to proceed with my investigation. That’s when I called a veterinary cardiologist of my acquaintance (who preferred to remain nameless, pointedly asking that I not ensnare him in my anti-corporate crusading web). I asked the obvious:
If ventricular fibrillation is the leading cause of death in Taser incidents and if the threshold for this deadly arrhythmia is lower in smaller sized animals, does it not stand to reason that the use of a Taser against a dog might be unsafe? Proving safety would require the company to “tase” lots of little dogs along with big ones given the species’ incredible variability in size. Or maybe they would just “tase” lots of baby pigs. Does this make sense?
After my wandering line of questioning, this specialist probably thought I was as crazy as a loon. But he agreed. You can’t prove a negative until you test it. And yes, ventricular fibrillation is more easily achieved by electrocution if you’re a small animal. Same goes for small humans. Taser International would never claim 100% safety in a human infant so why would they claim the same for our veterinary version: a Yorkiepoo?
That’s as far as I got with him.
To be honest, I believe the Taser issue to be profoundly disturbing on the human front––far more so than I previously understood it to be. After all, we tend to perceive the victims of deadly Taser incidents as drug-addled criminals intent on “death by cop”...or perhaps as cardiologically unsound individuals who have no business committing crimes in their condition. But criminality and drug use are beside the point in these cases––that is, if the Taser is intended as a safe alternative to guns.
Sure, it’s argued that even a lowly kitchen knife can kill a dog or a human more effectively than a Taser. But you’d be more likely to wield a pretty pink Taser against your neighbor’s charging dog than your set of stainless Henckels. Because if you thought it wouldn’t cause irreparable harm, using a Taser to break up a dog fight or keep your neighbor’s dog from biting your ankles as you bike might actually make sense.
Ultimately, however, I can’t get behind the notion of a “safe” Taser. Not when dogs have already died. If the idea is to supplant deadly force with disability whenever possible I agree it’s a laudable goal. But that means each and every time you use this weapon you’ve got to be prepared for the worst. And, somehow, I don’t see that as a ringing endorsement for packing voltage at the puppy park.
October 8th, 2009
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Add Comment26 Comments
OMG. I cannot tell you how much I hate, hate, hate these things. The number of instances when they are used INSTEAD of common sense negotiations with people (let alone dogs) is sky-high. They are pulled out and used when someone just asks "Why are you...?" and boom! they're writhing on the ground from being shocked by a cop with no common sense. From teens being just a little mouthy to seniors with hearing problems - if they don't jump instantaneously when a cop confronts them (even over minor issues), it's Tase first and ask questions later.
And then you hear from the cops who say, "hey, we could have shot them, but we wanted to go with a less aggressive response" to which I say - BS! The times when cops just haul out their guns and shoot dgs who "look dangerous" is to damn high as it is - but not way in hell do I want to see them even thinking that a Taser is justified either - over the sensible option of not being a jerk around a dog in the first place and calling AC to deal with a 'problem' dog. (Although the instances of AC being beyond stupid and even cruel with dogs is to be noted too.)
Any dog that is tased is going to suffer intense muscle contractions that could easily cause injuries, some perhaps permanent, and no dog that's tased is going to be a happy-gp-lucky pal for a while after. The work needed to resocialize and prevent aggression afterwards is obvious, and sadly, owners can never sue police officers or departments for the harm they do - since it's just a dog. Of course, since suits against POs and departments for tasing humans almost never result in any disciplinary action, what do I expect!
Sorry - totally irked and I'm going to pet my dogs now to help me calm down. I'll come back later when I'm not so mad.
KateH October 8th, 2009 12:08:40 PM
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/17/taser-injuries.html "One-third of people shot by Taser need medical attention"
And people think it's okay to carry one to a DOG PARK? Yikes.
Galadriel October 8th, 2009 12:09:15 PM
Silly question. I don't own a taser, and have no plans to get one. I also only have cats, but there are a lot of dogs in the neighborhood that go off their leash in the next door city park. It is not an official dog park and has a tiny sign that says dogs are not permitted, but they do bring them there anyways. Which is fine....
But I'm going to assume if I have a taser and I'm in a dog park, or any other park, and about to use it, that a dog is about to cause me bodily harm? My husband was bit by a small dog as we passed him with his owner on a sidewalk and had to have stitches in his leg. For ages after that he carried mace when we went on walks. Even since then, if we are approaching a dog that we don't know, we will pass to the other side to avoid walking by it. I hope that people aren't using tasers as simple training or obedience tool.
Jenny October 8th, 2009 12:18:03 PM
It must be in the air. I'd saved 3 Taser videos to upload to my blog a few days ago and hadn't gotten them loaded. They're there now with my captions now :)
PJBoosinger http://pjboosinger.viviti.com/ October 8th, 2009 01:35:33 PM
Jenny, While I can understand your reasoning, please do a favor and check that can of "mace" if you still have it. Verify that it's modern pepper spray and not a canister of Chemical Mace/tear gas. (Mace is a brand name and both types get called that. I'm not a fan of either but Chemical Mace has no effect on animals but can cause "severe blistering of the skin and permanent blindness [and] has a very high level of toxicity"
PJBoosinger October 8th, 2009 01:56:40 PM
PJB: I actually had a bulldog patient who died after a "macing." The dog hadn't even moved from his position on the porch when a FedEx driver tripped over him. The driver maced the dog simply because he was startled. FedEx never admitted any wrongdoing.
Dr. Patty Khuly October 8th, 2009 02:15:27 PM
Wow Dr. K. that story about the bulldog is scary! The FedEx, UPS, and mail guys all know my dog and just step over to deliver stuff. I'd hate to think someone might harm my completely calm, mellow, and sweet dog because THEY are startled. I understand people get startled, but sometimes I thikn they should just be able to use their legs and a good pair of running shoes.
As for tasers? Horrible things. Dangerous and the people who pull them out are hot-headed idiots most of the time. They're in the news more and more in my area and usually it's some cop who got angry and pulled it out on some person who wasn't doing anything majorly wrong.
Crysania October 8th, 2009 02:24:04 PM
Sorry about your patient. It used to happen a lot and that chemical mace is still out there.
It was the electric company meter reader who "maced" my first Lab. It apparently didn't even slow her down and she got a chunk of his leg as he went back over the fence. New guy missed the "on self-read" note on the file, hopped my locked fence gate. Afterward, swore it was pepper spray and not chemical mace (didn't persuade me) and it was the vet who got me started on the differences and side effects of each. I was 2L and had Law school syndrome so coerced them into paying all the bills and writing me a letter of apology. (Afraid my law school is notorious for feeding our egos and then the poor court clerks have to spend 6 months bleeding it out of us. Which is not to say those egos don't blow back up periodically :)
PJBoosinger October 8th, 2009 02:53:54 PM
Thanks for the info on Mace. We no longer have it so don't know what kind it was.
We know most of the dogs in the neighborhood where we live now, so feel it is less likely for these dogs to bite. As for the dog that did bite, the person did not seem surprised at all. We wished we had reported it, but didn't. He seemed so calm about it that the impression was it had happened before. My brother had a similar incident - being bit by a dog when he broke off the chain in his front yard. He chased him on his bike and he had to hit the back of a parked car and jump on to get away. He also had stitches. My cousin got bit a couple inches from the jugular when playing basketball with a friend at their house. So, I guess my only thought was, if I have a dog that is about to do harm like that, I'm going to use force.
Jenny October 8th, 2009 03:44:42 PM
Well, slight correction, I don't have any force to use personally. But if I did, I would use it and not be too concerned about a dog that is biting me for no reason.
Jenny October 8th, 2009 03:47:29 PM
Jenny, just try to remember the dog does have a reason. It's usually the "owner".
PJBoosinger October 8th, 2009 04:10:34 PM
Yes, I would think that would be poor training of the dog. My SIL is actually an dog behaviorist or whatever you call them, and I think she works with a lot of aggressive dogs. She says one of the biggest problems is that by the time she gets called to help out, the dog is usually so stressed and so bad, that sometimes it's really difficult to work on.
Jenny October 8th, 2009 04:13:15 PM
I didn't say that very well when I said "training" as that's only a part. But sometimes these dogs are very stressed too, and you have to deal with that.
Jenny October 8th, 2009 04:14:11 PM
As my first dog trainer told me, "it isn't the dog that needs trained, it's you the owner". My dogs do pretty well given their owner STILL isn't the best trained in the pack. It went pretty well for my first Lab because I had a trainer in almost immediately. My current babies got mucked up for 3 years after my strokes before I had enough working brain cells back to realize we were in bad shape and then I couldn't find a trainer willing to try. I count my lucky stars the brain cells mostly came back, followed by my reasonably well trained dogs. And I'm so lucky to have had cats that just rolled with the flow through it all.
PJBoosinger October 8th, 2009 04:24:18 PM
Yes, how true!
Jenny October 8th, 2009 04:31:47 PM
Doc, What's up with Daily Vet? (disappearing comments, reposting...) I know there's some major hacking out there right now; hope you're not getting hit by it. (They got the Texas Governor's re-election website but that was different. THAT was kinda funny :)
PJBoosinger October 8th, 2009 06:20:57 PM
Jenny - do you know if the dog that bit your cousin wasjust running loose and jumped up to nail him for no reason? Or was it tied up in the area where people were playing basketball - and your cousin invaded his space somehow?
And your brother on his bike - the stitches - were they from falling off or from crashing into the parked car? Or were they from the dog as he jumped onto the car to get your brother - who looked like a prey object as he went past a dog who was on a chain, and had owners who knew he got agitated under those circumstances?
Those instances, and the one with your husband getting bit by an owner who didn't seem to think that his dog shouldn't bite people - and you not reporting it - point more toward the almost total certainty that you really should look to focus blame on the dog owners more than the dogs themselves. You don't sound as if you'd care about using electrical shock on the dogs, - but you also don't sound like you think the owners shouldn't be held responsible. That's...slightly disturbing.
KateH October 8th, 2009 06:40:29 PM
In general, I feel Tasers are poor substitutes for common sense, self-discipline, good training, and good manners.
I won't say people should not carry and use them *when appropriate* but the thought of arming oneself *specifically* for a trip to the dog park strikes me as insane - If you need to be armed to go to your local dog park, you've got NO BUSINESS going there! Dog parks, if well run, are places of play and fun. If they're not well-run, you've got no call to be exposing your dog to that environment!
Meanwhile, if you've got problems at the park, there are far better solutions to the situation than zapping away like an ersatz Buck Rogers.
MaskedMan October 10th, 2009 03:44:33 AM
Just more proof: say anything to try to protect animals in this society that affects someones bottom line -- even a little bit, even potentially -- and the attacks and legal threats come flying. Soon you will probably receive a barrage of testimonials of questionable authenticity from dog owners who "tazed" a threatening dog in a park and all was well thanks to the fabulous torture device.
Just ask anyone whose ever posted a negative experience about a vet on a review site. Nothing like someone publicly expressing a negative opinion to suddenly inspire a wave of questionable positive reviews peppered with "industry insider" statistics that no real client knows and expressing nearly murderous hostility toward the person who posted the bad review.
Why, a story today on a puppy mill bust, with documented horrific conditions, even brought out of hte shadows some hateful people talking about how it's not bad for animals to live constantly in their own feces, patriotic freedoms/due process, property rights, deprivation of livelihood etc. Unbelievable.
Your response is the best one. If someone complains that you are giving them negative publicity, threatens, pulls all those tricks -- just give them more.
It is, after all, your 1st amendment right.
Stefani October 10th, 2009 07:48:11 AM
I think carrying tasers is worse than owning guns & could be possibly used with less thought of deadly force!
I've had a can of pepper spray in my vehicle for over 22 yrs. and have yet to take the cap off. The simple answer is to not take "chances" around strange dogs.
I'd rather face a reprimand than put myself in the position of spraying a dog & causing possible damage. Please don't misunderstand though, serious dog bites happen all the time, every year, to lots of delivery people.
Barb A./NH October 10th, 2009 07:57:20 PM
As much as I would be angered by the used of one of these products on my pet, I would much rather that than an actual bullet. By the way, that is the other option...
SC GA October 13th, 2009 05:47:00 PM
No, actually, in nearly all cases, there's a third option: having the officers trained beforehand in correct dog-handling techniques and correct interpretation of canine body language. Dogs have been tased for "dangerously aggressive" behavior when video of the incident shows the dog through appeasement gestures and calming signals all over the place.
The idea that it's acceptable for police officers and even animal control officers to have no training or experience whatsoever in normal dog behavior and how to handle dogs in situations the dog finds threatening is wrong, pernicious, and dangerous to everyone.
Lis October 15th, 2009 01:10:25 PM
KateH - Just now saw your questions. As to my cousins bite in the jugular, the dog was loose in the area. He was a german sheperd and known to be a bit hostile, but I don't believe he had ever done anything like that. I believe he was being protective.
My brothers stitches....The dog was chained in the front yard. He barked a lot and generally didn't seem like a very nice dog. He broke loose from his chain as my brother was biking. I don't believe the dog ever got on top of the car (he was one of those smally yippy dogs). He bit my brothers leg while he was still on the bike, and then my brother hit the car to escape. The stitches were from the dog, not the car.
I think you misunderstood my comments. I do think owners are responsible. My SIL is a pet trainer that works with difficult dogs, and finds many times owners wait too long and the cases aren't always resolvable.
I also said, I don't have anything I could use on a dog, but regardless of whether there is a bad owner or not, if I have a dog biting and attacking me, I have every right to protect myself. And the dog should be reported. Sometimes you find that the dog has done this several times before and we have had people in our area killed by dogs.
Jenny October 16th, 2009 11:48:17 AM
And I guess one clarification, the above comment was not aimed at dog parks...As someone mentioned above, if you have to arm yourself to go to the park, you probably shouldn't be there.
Jenny October 16th, 2009 11:51:27 AM
I live in Lubbock which must be the taser capital of the world. We have more instances of the police unnecessarily using tasers.
One such incidence made world news when one of our "finest" felt the need to tas a student at a bike rally because the kid didn't respond fast enough to a command he gave.
We currently are having a case where a man is suing the city of Lubbock because a police officer tased the man when it was unnecessary. There is a video on it. I don't know if it's on Utube, but it should be there.
Basically, the man was pulled over & the policeman told him to get out of the car. Before the man could comply, the officer tased him in the car. By the way, the officer took his time to hit the guy with the taser, so the guy wasn't a real theat to the officer. Then the officer yanked him out of the car. Hit him over the head & tased the guy again while the guy was leaning against his care. The officer threw the man on the ground & tased him. When the guy was on the ground, he was tased again! By the way, when this went to court, when it was time for the officer to testify, he had a panic attack & had to go to the hospital!
We've had sooo many tasing incidences & several of them led to deaths of the victims, it's hard to keep count of them.
Speaking of animal tasing, a friend of mine is a groomer & does grooming for our Lubbock Animal Control/Shelter so that they can be adopted. She's pulled as many as 5 or 6 taser barbs from these dogs. These dogs are the lucky ones, there have been many stories about officers tasing dogs, of course they were all justified, including the small dogs.
Bernice W October 19th, 2009 08:45:24 PM
Taser International issues it's very first warning :)
http://pjboosinger.viviti.com/entries/general/taser-international-issues-warning-finally
PJBoosinger October 22nd, 2009 07:02:25 AM
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