After a second attack -- this time on grandma -- Congo and three of his playmates were euthanized.
Congo, as you may remember, was the dog who was sentenced to death last year after attacking Giovanni Rivera, a Honduran illegal immigrant who'd shown up at Congo's to do some landscaping work. According to the family, Rivera provoked the dogs and threw down Mrs. James during the incident, which led to Congo responding with a completely reasonable three-minute, 96-bite attack. Of course, Rivera's side of the story is much different: Congo is an insane, vicious dog, who attacks for no apparent reason.
In the end, after months of protests and arguments that were more about illegal immigration than biting dogs, Rivera got a six-figure settlement, while the James' beloved German Shepherd was spared. Everyone was happy and the case was closed, right?
Well... apparently not.
And this time, it's a bit different.
TRENTON, N.J. - Congo, a dog who sparked a debate on immigration after biting a Honduran landscaper, was euthanized Wednesday after attacking his owner's mother in Princeton Township.
Congo and three other German shepherds jumped on Constance Ladd on Tuesday afternoon, causing her to fall as she left Elizabeth James' house, according to Princeton Township police. The 75-year-old had puncture wounds and lacerations to her forearm, chest and head, police said, and she complained of pain in her hip.
Stepmother jokes aside, there is simply no way to excuse this sort of behavior, is there? Well, I can't think of one, but you have to give James credit for trying:
"wasn't an attack at all. It was dogs jumping."
Eh, maybe not. If the only provocation was turning the doorknob, you've got a pretty big problem. Or, more accurately, four problems. With teeth.
Disappointing end to this story. The natural inclination is to hope that Congo was simply protecting his family -- to hope that the landscaper was provoking the animals and pawing all over Mrs. James. Not because you hate Rivera or illegal immigrants or human beings, of course, but because nobody wants to see a dog killed if it can be avoided. No matter how cynical we may become as a society, we still cling to the hope that our dogs carry the best of traits. Love, loyalty, playfulness, and a complete and utter abstention from three-minute long bite-fests. In this case, however, it's looking like Rivera was telling the truth about Congo...