The_Evoker: That dog let the cat win.
hedwards: Not likely. I take it you've never seen a dog try to fight a cat, the cat pretty much always wins. It usually winds up approximately like that where the dog takes a shot and the cat swipes the nose with the claw and the dog runs off.
You'll see dogs chasing cats, but once the dog catches up, the dog pretty much always winds up getting its ass handed to it before slinking off with a nasty cut to the nose.
However, considering the camera placements, it does look like a bit of a set up.
Shinook: The dog clearly had issues.
This wasn't a territorial defense or an incident where the kid incited the dog, the dog was going out looking for prey and attacked the kid. If you watch the dog's behavior, he was clearly seeking, stalking, and attacking what he perceived as prey. IMO that represents a mental problem in a domesticated dog that is irresolvable.
I feel for pet owners who have to put down their pets because some stupid kid incited the dog into violence (most dogs can be triggered to attack if pushed hard enough), but not when the dog was going out, stalking the kid, then attacking him. I'm convinced the dog would have dragged the kid off and killed him if he had been allowed to do so.
We've had dogs with mental problems before and that turned violent similar to this dog, they were "sent to the farm". It was sad because they were great dogs at one point, but they snapped one day and never returned to normal. The life of a dangerous animal is not worth the damage they can cause to others and you really have no other option, either keep them and take the risk or put them down. In this case, putting the dog down was the right decision, it's only a matter of time before he attacks someone else.
hedwards: A lot of dog owners can't be bothered to properly train and discipline their dogs. I personally tend to hate dogs because their fucking owners are not qualified to care for animals. That and the odd ones that put dog shit in our fucking recycling bin because they can't be bothered to carry it back home. Not even the trash bin, the fucking recycling bin where they know we'll have to reach in there and grab it out.
Plus, dogs are just plain dirty.
OTOH, dogs are kind of delicious, so they're not all bad.
The same can be said about most cat owners. And I agree that when it comes to life or death, a cat will always win a fight against a dog. Cats are a lot more deadly than most people think. A cat could easily kill a human being if he or she is pissed off enough. Each one of them is like a mini Bruce Lee with claws and sharp teeth...