Arkansas Blog: Gone to the dogs UPDATE

An e-mail circulating around LR today hits me where I live. Literally.

The story is that a man walking a pair of huskies (photo above only for illustration, not actual dog) along Kavanaugh Blvd. about 3:30 p.m. Monday was set upon by two men along the promenade where Allsopp Park rises to meet the street. As the story goes, another jogger with a dog came along to help the man successfully resist efforts to take his dogs. The would-be robbers took offf on the foot trails that wind through the park.

I walked that stretch about 5:30 p.m. yesterday and again this morning with my fierce French bulldog (pictured). I encountered no evil doers. Robbers will have to pry Fifi from my cold, dead fingers, though she'd probably go willingly, given the chance. I don't mean to diminish the reported mugging. It's disturbing. Broad daylight. Major street. Dognappers. Sheesh.

Anybody else heard of similar recently?

UPDATE: On the jump an account of what happened from the girlfriend of the man who was attacked.

Here is a synopsis of what happened:

The 2 African-American men had dark complexions, roughly 5'7" and 5'10" 170 lbs and between the ages of 25 and 30. One was wearing a white tank and the other a white t-shirt with jeans.

They were walking up the paved path just behind the promenade on Kavanaugh coming up from Allsop Park. Chris (my boyfriend) was walking down the hill with my 2 dogs. They said "Hey man, nice dogs" and leaned down as if they were going to pet one. When Chris slowed down they snatched the leashes and tried to run off with the dogs. Chris had the leash wrapped around his wrist and was able to jerk them back. He yelled at the men to "back off" and they began to punch him until he fell. They then kicked him and tried to pull the leashes from him again. The dogs were very upset. The oldest began to bark and jump to get away and the youngest puppy (four months) was scared and began to yelp.

A female walker with her dog saw this happen and began yelling at the men while running towards them to help Chris. The men ran off into the woods and were not seen again.

The men did not make any requests for money or his belongings. We assume they wanted our Siberian Husky dogs to sell. There were no weapons that he saw either.

The dogs were fine and Chris left with minor injuries to his legs, ribs, and arms. Upon return home he called the police and filed a report.

Thank you again for your concern and I hope by getting word out to people in the area we may prevent situations like this occuring in the future.

Comments

Something tells me that you don't have to worry about anyone trying to steal your dog.

Posted by: Meet John Doe | July 22, 2008 11:39 AM

I walked Pippin the Russel terrier late last nite. I had a trusty .45 hanging out my back pocket. I had one incident several months ago with drunks in a slick, luxury pick-up who apparently thought it amusing
to jump the curb and come at me on the sidewalk. I yelled "You crazy fuck!" with all the remaining air in my lungs, ducked beside a tree and have never walked her at night without old trusty.

Posted by: eLwood | July 22, 2008 11:53 AM

Doe, insulting a man's dog puts you about 90 degrees to every one else on this blog.

Posted by: eLwood | July 22, 2008 11:58 AM

I agree with eLwood. Fifi is one fine bitch.

Posted by: slydog | July 22, 2008 12:02 PM

It has happened in the Meadowcliff area in SWLR.

Very scary stuff. You do know that they use the dogs for pit bull fighting training, right?

Posted by: Littlecrock | July 22, 2008 12:24 PM

Oh Max, this is heartbreaking! I love my dog more than people! To think of him with someone who has the ability to steal another person's best friend makes my stomach hurt. This begs of me to ask the question I find myself asking far too often, WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!?!?!?

I had not heard of this before. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by: lauryn. | July 22, 2008 12:40 PM

Stealing dogs is a hanging offense.

Posted by: Moxiemoron | July 22, 2008 12:54 PM

Who in their right mind goes after someone walking two huskies? Those things aren't known for being all that timid.

I don't even like dogs and I think the bulldog is cute.
Doesn't look too vicious though.

ARK. BLOG: Uh, no. Tongue in cheek.

Posted by: kretara | July 22, 2008 12:59 PM

"Stealing dogs is a hanging offense."--Moxiemoron

Amen!

Posted by: zelda | July 22, 2008 01:06 PM

As an animal lover I'm just sick. I hope the guy gets his babies back unharmed very soon.

ARK. BLOG: Sorry about lack of clarity. They did not succeed in stealing the dogs, though they tried.

Posted by: pollen | July 22, 2008 01:07 PM

No doubt the crazed men were after the 2 dogs for food. Oh how horrible life has become under Cheney-Bush that a person ain't safe walking their dogs on a public street in broad daylight! What has this country become when people try to steal yer pets for an quick alley BBQ?

If memory serves me, Huskies are cousins of Chows. That thought probably occurred to this hungry men and all their growling stomachs could do was send a message to their heads..CHOW CHOW EAT EAT! I love dogs, my dogs especially....why, their poop don't even stink to me any more. But I guess when we're starving sometime next year, I'll have to fake myself into thinking by cooking and eating them I am honoring them in the tradition of the ancient Native American custom of eating the flesh of your enemy killed in battle.

Let this dog attack strengthen your resolve to vote Obama in November. We must have regime change or no pet is safe!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | July 22, 2008 01:15 PM

Fifi already is famous for her Promenade strut on Google Street View.

Posted by: Quapaw | July 22, 2008 01:26 PM

Some of you just have no sense of humor whatsoever.

Posted by: Meet John Doe | July 22, 2008 02:37 PM

Thanks Max for the clarification. I'm glad everybody is ok. One more reason to adopt mutts. Not much resell value there. Hybrid vigor should not be undervalued either. Mutts don't get many of the afflictions known to plague upon their artificially selected cousins. Also, we never hear of puppy mills spitting out Heinz 57's. Now, if we could also figure out a way to keep mayors from letting them loose in the forest...

Posted by: pollen | July 22, 2008 02:49 PM

THIS NAILS IT. DBI YOU ARE A TOTAL IDIOT. CLUSTER FUDGE. WHAT A CRUDE , RUDE SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE SOB YOU ARE. ITS A SHAME YOU REPRODUCED.

GO BACK TO THE HILLS OR WHEREVER YOU CAME FROM.. PROBABLY NEW YORK CITY, THE HILLS ARE MUCH TOO GOOD FOR YOU. WHATTA CREEP.

Posted by: LargeAss | July 22, 2008 03:04 PM

Funny how I got a whiff of fried puppy from LargeAss's post. What's cha cooking in there on the stove, Large...a little poodle soup?

Posted by: Deathbyinches | July 22, 2008 03:08 PM

As if we don't have enough to worry about, now dognappers ! Maybe it is something endemic Hillcrest - or maybe its proximity to the State Hospital - but there have been a series of odd crimes on Kavanaugh, which is two blocks from my house.

I recall a couple of years ago a couple, from out of town even, was enjoying their lunch outside at Leo's. A strange man came and attacked them with - a piece of re-bar.

Within in months of that incident a woman was robbed of her purse - at the same place. I noticed the outdoor dining are of the new U.S. Pizza is at least gated - maybe that will keep the dognappers and rebar weilding wackos at bay.

On another point - is it just me or do the water fountains ( and dog water fountain ) along the promenade there never work ? I'm not sure if the city or the Hillcrest homeowner's association takes care of the pipes over there.

Posted by: hoglawyer | July 22, 2008 03:52 PM

DBI, you must be some kind of a freakin' murtishaw or something like that...wait, am I supposed to be putting all of this in upper case?

Posted by: Al Fornaut | July 22, 2008 05:55 PM

Hmmm. LargeAss likes dogs, I guess. Does this mean there is a smidgen of good in him somewhere? Nah. I just got through reading the baby's death thread some folks, LargeAss among them, tried to make into an abortion thread. He's probably the guy who spread the dog meat/Chinese restaurant rumor a few years ago and roared with laughter every time somebody repeated it to him.
Glad the dogs are ok. The guy too. (An afterthought that sounds terrible, huh?)
And Max, you need to teach Fifi to bite -- the right folks, of course. Don't know about you, but I've got a lot of respect for snappy little dogs. Or get her a big, big buddy or two. How about a couple of Great Danes? Believe me, someone who's not afraid of dogs, when I say that turning around and unexpectedly meeting two of those guys nose to nose, will make you gasp and freeze.

Posted by: Doigotta | July 22, 2008 06:24 PM

I walk that street all of the time. If you're packing heat then people leave you alone.

Posted by: strangelove | July 22, 2008 08:47 PM

They most likely were looking for dogs to help train dogs for fighting. They are used as bait and the dog in training learns to love the kill. Horrible, but real.

Posted by: Stump | July 22, 2008 09:13 PM

DBI, YOU EVIDENTLY SPEND TOO MUCH TIME SITTIN ON THE CURB LICKIN YOUR BALLZ. THATS WHAT YOU SMELLED.....
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW. HELL ALL THE BLOG DOES TOO AND JUST TO SHY TO ASK.

WHEN YOU COMIN OUT OF YOUR CLOSET.. OR HAS MIZZ DBI GOT THAT SUCKER NAILED SHUT. OH THE WAILIN, AND THE EMBARRASSMENT OF IT ALL. ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE. NOW I'M SURE.

OH ITS OK.. JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY IT. BE A REAL SPORT AND TAKE ALL THE GIRLS SHOPPIN

Posted by: LargeAss | July 22, 2008 10:00 PM

LARGE ASS, HOW MUCH ARE BUSH/MCCAIN PAYING YOU AND REDSTATE AND SEVERUS TO BE TROLLS? ALL I NEED IS A MODEST FEE. I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME MONEY. WHAT'S THE PAYOFF ON THE NUMBER OF TROLL POSTS? HOW DO I CONNECT WITH THE MAIN MONEY MAN? WHERE DO I APPLY? I COULD WRITE THIS STUFF WITHOUT THE INCOHERENCE OF YOUR METH HABIT AND MAKE A LOT MORE PERSUASIVE SENSE. HOOK ME UP, BROTHER.

Posted by: Wanda Tinasky | July 22, 2008 10:35 PM

There was a bunch of dogs taken in my area several years ago, and we heard they were being sold to labs for experiments. Don't know which is worse, labs or dog fights...

At least they were picking up dogs that were loose, not trying to grab them from walkers!

Posted by: rablib | July 23, 2008 01:34 AM

Max, can we please have an option to mute some folks? The idiot yelling has given me a migrane....

Posted by: BMoney | July 23, 2008 08:31 AM

Arkansas Blog

Gone to the dogs UPDATE

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