Everything can change in an instant. Tampa veterinarian Dr. Paul Gartenberg and his family learned this the hard way when their beloved dog, Padi, was “arrested” one day without warning. The charge: biting a small boy. The sentence: death.
That’s no joke. The rather draconian law states that this action puts Padi up for the death penalty. But like in any case, what actually happened is tangled up in witness testimonies and conflicting accounts, and the only two creatures who really know what happened — a dog and a four-year-old — aren’t able to describe the events.
This is Padi. He’s a rescued dog owned by veterinarian Dr. Paul Gartenberg and his family. Right now, he’s being held at the Manatee County Animal Shelter on death row.
As a rescue, he can be a bit skittish, and that fear took a bad turn one day.
Neither of the boy’s parents were present for the incident, instead, his 13-year-old babysitter was the only one supervising.
The boy’s mother was under the impression that Padi had approached her son and bitten him — that the pup was the aggressor.
Many people also feel that the babysitter, who was only 13, was too young to have been placed in charge of the four-year-old in public.
Dr. Gartenberg disagrees that Padi is at fault, and says that she was acting in self-defense.
He also says that he was never asked for a statement or affidavit.
People from the community have come out in support of Padi. Like Dr. Gartenberg, many folks feel that killing Padi is an inappropriate action to take.
Dr. Gartenberg and his family hope that by raising awareness of Padi’s plight — and that of many other wrongfully accused dogs — they can prevent the killing of animals.
Padi’s ordeal made the news, and people from around the world are rallying to his defense:
Padi’s trial is making people reconsider laws regarding animals and animal behavior, but it’s also making them think about how to properly educate people about interacting with animals in a safe and respectful manner. Remember: keep young children away from strange dogs, even if they’re on leashes! You could prevent injury — and tragedy.
We only wish the best for Padi and his family!
