Soap Opera Actor Nick Santino Commits Suicide After Euthanizing His Dog Friend
Well, here's a giant cup of sads that will make you want to grab a bottle of something mind altering and hug your dog friend (if you don't have a dog friend within reach, just cuddle with a cat in a dog costume or bottle of Jack in a dog costume...) under the sheets for the rest of the day. Nick Santino, an actor who was on All My Children and Guiding Light, took the expressway to the heavens by downing a bunch of pills inside of his Upper West Side apartment last week. Nick left a suicide note where he wrote that he just couldn't go on after euthanizing his pit bull Rocco. Nick sent Rocco on a permanent nap, because his apartment building kept pressuring him to get rid of his dog. According to the New York Post, this is a piece of Nick's note:
“Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend. Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this."
Nick's problem with the bitches at 1 Lincoln Plaza started last year when they threw down a bunch of strict dog rules including banning all pit bulls. Rocco was a pit bull, so he was automatically a target of the building. The ban didn't affect pit bulls already living in the building, but Nick's friends and neighbors say he was still given shit for having one. Rocco wasn't allowed to ride in the main elevators and he couldn't be left by himself in Nick's apartment for more than 9 hours. One of Nick's neighbors say that she never heard Rocco bark, but somebody still complained about his barking and the building punished Nick with a $200 fine. Another neighbor said that building management harassed and poked at Nick about Rocco for months and months. Rocco's vet told Nick that the pit bull was becoming aggressive and he blamed it on his own depression.
On his 47th birthday last week, Nick decided to say goodbye to Rocco and his dog was put to sleep. Nick called his ex-girlfriend at around 2 the next morning. A few hours later, Nick's body was found in his bedroom by the police. He had overdosed on pills.
Nick's friends say that just like his dog Rocco, his remains will be cremated.
Euthanizing a beloved dog friend you spent almost all your time with will fuck your emotions up and I'm sure Nick's were already raw from his building management turning his home life into a living prison hell. Damn. Living in NYC is no fucking joke. If I would've known, I would've told Nick to come live in my building since dog piss (not from mine, I think) is part of the decor and the sound of a barking ass dog (not mine, okay maybe sometimes) is our official soundtrack.
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@Mickyholland
I'm not scared of pits unless they seem agressive and their main ower isn't around. I know how to handle myself around them. I just think that people don't take their potential for damage seriously. I get being annoyed that pits get a bad rap when their owners are more often at fault for what the dogs do. I just don't like when people try to make it seem like nothing is wrong. There are way too many pits and not enough responsible owners and no one wants to talk about ways to avoid this.
Sincerely,
Alana Smithee
@stefystef
From my experience in the erea I grew up in and still frequent the vast majority are not good owners. I'm talking about people who leave their pits chained in the backyard without any interaction or walking. There are a lot of parents that allow their teen sons to get pits without any monitoring of it. The dogs get loose and because they've never had any socializing some chase or attack. Because of that people call the dog pound instead of trying to catch the dog and take it to a rescue. My family has owned a pit, chow, German shepherd, and a couple rotties without incident so I know there are responsible owners because I am one and grew up being taught how to handle dogs. I just don't believe that most pit owners are responsible. I won't say none are but "most" seems a bit generous.
Sincerely,
Alana Smithee
Submitted by Helena on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 8:35am.
Jesus Christ, this is depressing! First, who kills a perfectly good dog? I don't understand why he couldn't have given his dog friend away? But now I'm sad because dude committed suicide afterward. Fucking sad shit all around!
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No shit!!! I think the vet was a little kooky too.... I don't know of a vet that would put down a perfectly healthy animal either, thank dog!! And, yes. If the dog meant that much to you, move! Shit, people are so fucking stupid sometimes.....
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"When I'm ready to get off, I'll get off"
The following have been banned from flying on British Airways:
-- pit bulls
-- Naomi Campbell
Apparently they are concerned about vicious creatures flying with the airline. And they discriminate against some dog breeds, too.
Couldn't he have just moved? Or given the dog away to a good home? He apparently wasn't right in the head.
This is so sad to me.
I remember that Dog Ban was all over the news. I think it is ridiculous. Most people with Pit Bull/Bully Breed dogs are very careful owners and their dogs are so friendly and kind.
I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and she is the sweetest dog in the world. Better than most people I know. But people move away from her like she's got the plague. Why? Because people are stupid. I wish my landlord would say some shit to me about my dogs. I have at least 5 apartments on my floor with dogs and 3 have at least 2 dogs. I better not hear SHIT from anyone.
Anyway, I am sorry to hear this man has killed himself after putting his dog down. Why put the dog down? Move! If you can afford to live at 1 Lincoln Plaza, you can afford to live pretty much anywhere in this town.
I think he already suffered from depression and the harassment (especially from those nasty ass old bittys who live in buildings like that- I hate them all) was too much. I wish he had moved. He could have come to my building. Love your doggies and kitties. And if you have problems, please let your friends know and they will help.
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Grow up, Demi, and do coke off toilet seats like the rest of us adults do!- Michael K, 1/26/12
Jesus Christ, this is depressing! First, who kills a perfectly good dog? I don't understand why he couldn't have given his dog friend away? But now I'm sad because dude committed suicide afterward. Fucking sad shit all around!
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Devil's advocate.
Submitted by Slutleena on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 12:22am.
I'm in shock ... and even more scared than I was before.
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"We are here on earth to do good for others.
What the others are here for, I don't know."
W.H. Auden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Sta...
Sincerely,
Alana Smithee
Submitted by TimC on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 7:37pm.
That's sad, but why the fuck do people who live in apartment buildings think it's a good idea to have a dog at all, but especially anything over 20 lbs? Sad to say, some people are just too stupid and pathetic to live.
And why are half of all the dogs up for adoption these days pit bulls? Even in the 80's I never saw pit bulls. It seems like they showed up in the 90's and now this one breed with jaws that can kill you in less than a minute must account for half the fucking dogs in this country. What the fuck does that say about how psycho Americans are becoming.
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Pitbulls have always been around and in large numbers is just now with the banning etc, less people want to own them or can own them so they are the majority of the dogs in shelters. In fact back in the early 20th century, they were the most popular breed. THe RCA dog, the dog in the Little Rascals, etc, were pitbull types.
and why does someone that has an apartment should only have a 20 lbs or less dog or no dog at all? as long as they are properly exercised, and one is a responsible dog owner an apartment should not keep you from owning a dog. I do not know who is pathetic and stupid to LIVE but it is not a dog owner in an apartment, maybe it is people making generalizations without facts to back them up.
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I miss you Sparky:
http://www.petco.com/content/StoriesMemorialWallDetails.aspx?featurestor...
Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strenght.
An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everybody Blind!
Save a
I've been dealing with the same shit. I have a pit and all the neighbors hate her and give me shit for having her. I know that it sucks. She's a really sweet dog and was horribly abused so she has some issues as do all abused animals.
One of the definitions of "not end well" in the dictionary of truth is: "crackhead leading a crackhead to Mexico..." MK--8/20/11
That's sad, but why the fuck do people who live in apartment buildings think it's a good idea to have a dog at all, but especially anything over 20 lbs? Sad to say, some people are just too stupid and pathetic to live.
And why are half of all the dogs up for adoption these days pit bulls? Even in the 80's I never saw pit bulls. It seems like they showed up in the 90's and now this one breed with jaws that can kill you in less than a minute must account for half the fucking dogs in this country. What the fuck does that say about how psycho Americans are becoming.
Grrrrrrr ... I've met the "nice" ones and been threatened by the "mean" ones and in the end - Pit Bulls - I hate 'em!
Heartbreaking. It's too bad Nick didn't get the help for himself and Rocco that they obviously needed. The poor guy couldn't have been thinking straight and must have felt trapped in a horrible situation.
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Vanity is the price of fame.
He should "of" just gotten a lawyer. There was no reason for him to have to move. Obviously he was depressed and it's not so simple that any of us know the answer but it has nothing to do with the dog being a pit bull. What they need to do is put Mike Vick and everyone like him in a gas chamber at the pound, anyone that has abused these animals and encouraged the natural tendency for aggression that shows up in some dogs of EVERY breed.
I'm not arguing.
ps it's "should have", not "should of." sorry but that sort of thing nullifies anything you say after it. anyone that says "just move" is also disqualified. Do you know how much that can cost? Not just the move itself but losing the lease he had? Like I said, not arguing. Just had to say my part.
Don't you have to sign a contract before you get in the apartment building about all the rules??
Major sads
1.He should of moved. I would have totally moved for my dog!!! or at least let a friend,/borded until I found a new place
2. Given to a rescue
3. I can't stand the fact that dog had to die for no reason
4.I am going to give my dog an extra hug
Submitted by TrashyWilma on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 1:06am.
@ TrashyWilma
Did you read my entire comment. At least giving the dog to an ASPCA or Humane Society would have given him a chance. There are people who adopt Pits from those places. I don't know this man or his entire story but based on what I've read it sounded more selfish than for the betterment of the dog.
The story is sad as depression is sad I don't fully blame him for his choice. I wonder if the vet who mentioned his depression tried to direct him towards getting help for himself at least for the sake of the dog. It's a sad story but he still had other options. I don't blame the co-op for his or his dogs death.
Sincerely,
Alana Smithee
YES! Any animal or human has the potential to attack and be aggressive. What people don't get is that Pits were bred to attack and be aggressive. Even if you believe that you can nurture that out of them if your dog just happens to decide to bite its jaws are made to cause more DAMAGE than most dogs. I get that there are people who are responsible pit owners but I live in an area where boys get them for the purpose of fighting. Even if they don't fight them they do not properly train them or socialize with them. I see on a daily basis pits roaming freely. No one knows by looking at it how it's been raised. Our local Humane Society is filled with Pits not because a co-op board has forced the others to release them but because of poor ownership. The vast majority of dogs are Pits and I believe it's becoming an epidemic if not only in the city I live. Changing the dogs name to Staffordshire Terrier will not work it's not fixing the situation. Maybe the Pit "lobby" should focus on limiting the numbers and advocating educated and safe ownership because you can't tell people the dogs are safe when people live around them in unsafe conditions.
Sincerely,
Alana Smithee
Bitter neurotic passive-aggressive bourgeois conformist cunts on co-op boards are all about power snipping balls shitting on freedom. Trust that in private they are clucking about their victory -- they got rid of the man who dared be an individual. Add the lawless thug gestapo NYPD run literally by the CIA and the cultural beacon that was once NYC is all but extinguished. Nobody interesting can survive in this city unless a hooker or drug dealer serving those who wish you dead.
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(c)2011, bitches.
Why didn't he just move?? He was a working actor with money. This sounds more like he planned to kill himself, but didn't want to leave his dog behind. Or maybe the dog was sick, and he could bare to be without the dog? I don't believe you can just walk into a vet and have a dog put down. And what kind of person just puts their dog down, because the management of your bldg is hassling you, you just move.
Sads all around.
Submitted by vegaschick on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 10:00am.
...
Anyhoo, regarding the story, I worked for a vet and they will never recommend euthanization unless it's a last resort, so maybe Rocco did have some issues that were best served by laying him to rest.
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This is what I was thinking. I'm sure you could find someone to kill a perfectly healthy pet, but i don't think it would be easy (i hope).
LisaRose: you *still* have a paper route? i didn't know they existed anymore. Someone throws papers from their car to our house these days.
I made my first mill. (ha!) with a paper route. hard work. one day i was bit on the ass by a giant sheepdog! damn those vicious eye-hiding menaces.
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Amnesty International
Shine a Light
Update from the NY Post: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/blaming_us_is_just_pit_bull...
Condo or co-op boards are just owners who've been elected by the other owners. In most cases, the rules have to be voted on by all owners. In this case, everyone agreed in 2010 to outlaw pit bulls, but Santino's dog was grandfathered in. I bet he had behavioral issues; his breed just made them more of an issue. (One report said that the vet found the dog to be "increasingly dangerous.")
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Please: It's "rahnday."
I wonder why he took pills when the dog told him to jump off the ruff.
Also:
That picture is heart-wrenching.
I'm finally going to brave posting on this subject because it made me too sad and at a loss for words to expound.
So, here goes:
Any 'animal' can be a potential danger because, eh, they are animals after all.
My cat once bit my hand DEEPLY because he didn't want a bath and the pain was excruciating as the toxins from his saliva started to do their 'dirty work'. My hand blew up by the next morning and my husband rushed me to the clinic and the Doctor said if the toxins had gone 'systemic' I'd be toe-taggin' it.
Even well-trained animals can be unpredictable and wiggy in certain isolated situations.
This guy could have championed the cause for furry critters rather than kill himself.
A shame he couldn't find a glimpse of hope in his intense grief and loss.
This isn't even a cautionary tale. It's just tragically senseless all the way around.
To start with- I' a huge dog lover- I'm even studying animal care at college and want to go on to study animal behaviour. I love my dogs so much (collie and collie/lab)but I don't like pit bulls at all. The amount of people who own pitbulls that later say (after an attack)- "I don't understand..he's never ever been violent before" is just chilling and heartbreaking.
KENNETH GARRISON
I was always one that said pits are fine and they're only mean if you train them to be that way. This thing made a liar out of me [after it attacked my baby son].
MAUREEN FAIBISH
We never trained them [our pit bulls] to do any kinds of vicious things...This is just a devastating tragedy.
MELANIE YOUNG
I didn’t believe he would ever hurt me...ever. That dog slept with me like a husband.
DONNA CASTELLI
I'd kiss them on the forehead. They were lovely dogs [until they killed a 12-year old boy].
DOUG PERRY
I always thought that maybe [pit bulls] were getting kind of a bad rep at one point, but this kind of changed my mind...I don't think pit bulls should be allowed for anyone to have. They are not a pet.
DAVID BLAIR
It was an instantaneous attack. No noise, no warning.
JOYCE LOVETTE
I haven't really been an advocate of the pit bull ordinance until now...Nothing was gonna stop those dogs. Nothing.
JASON HOWELL
[The pit bulls] ripped it to shreds. What could the child possibly have done to instigate that? I have a daughter who is 18 months old. And the look on the father's face is something I'll never forget, ever.
DANIELA SEXTON
The dog was just hanging on my face. ... I'll never forget that.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Chunks of muscle were missing from his limbs, leaving bone-deep divots papered over with grafted skin. The left side of his face bore two thick, half-moon scars where his cheek had been ripped open like a tent flap.
BROOKLYNN POLICE
Rocky [the pit bull] went wild in the midst of six playing and sleeping children, mauling Kamar.
MARJORIE BOYD
This is not just a bite. This is a mauling. This is an unprovoked mauling, and there's a big difference.
SCOTT SANDS
Margaret, if you hear me, call the cops. The [pit bull] is killing me!
MICHAEL JONES
This dog [pit bull] was trying to kill my daddy. That's all I could think about. I wasn’t going to let no dog take out my daddy.
ANDREW "MOSES" DIODATI
I was kicking one pit bull so hard that all four of its feet were in the air, but it still wouldn't let go.
SANDRA GOODWIN
We saw the pit bull running at us from about 150 yards away," Sandra said. "It was coming at us like a bullet.
ANGELA SILVA
I'm being attacked and I'm just looking for a place to put my son because he would have killed him in a second. So I found a garbage can and I placed my son in the garbage can.
CHARLENA SYLVESTERS
Seven months pregnant, he locked onto her stomach, and we had to get him off of her.
Dear God. I just read in today's paper that Rocco had been abused and Nick rescued him.
*tears*
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www.charitywater.org
www.theanimalrescuesite.com
www.modestneeds.org
Lord have mercy.
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"Two whores don't make a right"-- M.K.
"Any guy who values stick thin and young over smarts and personality isn't worth it and has NOTHING interesting to say anyway."-- Mrs. Kravitz
@Walker- Good luck with ANYONE feeling bad about the situation:
http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/29/soap-actor-dog-suicide/#.TyWCaa4TArc
Submitted by I_cant_hear_u on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 8:18am.
while talking to the surgeon he said that he sees more bites stemming from breeds other than pits that they have really gotten a bad rap but when they do attack the news is all over it
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It's because when they attack, however rarer it may be than other breeds, they kill or severely mutilate. Let's face it, all dogs can lose it once in a while, but if your dog has a massive built and the strength of a bull, than his losing his mind might prove fatal.
I've spent three years trying to move from a bad house until I found a dog-friendly place. This guy chose the apartment over the dog, so he definitely screw it. But I doubt he killed himself only due to this, probably it was a mix of factors that became unbearable.
OMG this is sooo sad.. Damn neighbors!! Now what? I hope you feel pain and misery for the rest of your days!!! Fuc*&n petty bastards.
It's sweet in a way. He loved Rocco so much that he took his own life to be with him. I just read that Nick was an orphan. So sad.
Okay, I'm gonna state the obvious here but, couldn't he just have MOVED to a dog friendly building?
@crazyassmom, (4:01 a.m.). So true. So many unloved dogs and cats languishing out there without a person to call their own. They offer true comfort and can make a world of difference to us and all they ask for is a bit of attention and shelter in return. Thanks for posting!:)
"But then as you're doing your thing, he's just laying there moaning like an old dog having a nightmare." MK
I think that every dog is a potential danger - that, of course, depends on how he is treated, but the first woman who received a face transplant got her face chewed off by her labrador.
I see people who mistreat their dogs so badly, that I wouldn't wonder if they'd come to chew off their faces as well.
A braintumor could be the reason why any dog starts to bite, no matter how well you treat him, no matter how well behaved he has been in the past.
I wouldn't want to have to deal with other people's dogs, and I'm honestly pretty annoyed by all these owners who let their dogs run free and don't even bother to get them on the leash when they're standing 2 feet away from me, barking and growling. "He doesn't do anything, he's such a sweetheart!" Yeah, sure.
Anyways; I may believe that this dog was a lamb, and I'm not about to slate the breed or anything, but if I love something, I do anything to keep it. Fuck NY if you aren't allowed to have your dog - then move, so what - better than this outcome, and I'm pretty sure he must've known what will happen. And I'm also pretty sure that the people who forced him to get rid of his dog don't give a flying fuck about his death - why doing them a favor?
I have known lots of families that have Pits and they are loving and protective of their people. However I have been terrorized by terriers *side eyes Dog*. Couldnt this guy move with his dog? He didnt have to have it killed then off himself.
As a pitbull owner and lover I won't even get into the breed debate, because it's a waste of my time. However saying all pitbulls are bad is like saying all black people commit crime. Just because they get exploited by the media doesn't mean what you hear is true.
Anyhoo, regarding the story, I worked for a vet and they will never recommend euthanization unless it's a last resort, so maybe Rocco did have some issues that were best served by laying him to rest.
Unbelievably sad story.
I have to laugh to keep from crying.
@ Evil - Ah DUHHHHH!
Submitted by boston61 on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 9:16am.
The problem with dogs is that they bark all day and cause noise pollution
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Are you retarded?
Sad but completely over the top.
The problem with dogs is that they bark all day and cause noise pollution in an already noisy world. And don't get me going on law owners.
i_cant_hear_u Holy cow. I'm so sorry
Submitted by JeanGenie on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 6:15am.
Wow. That just broke my heart.
I was raised with red nosed pits. My sister nor I were never attacked and grew up with a great respect for the breed. That being said, my daughter was attacked by my mothers Akita and had to have reconstructive plastic surgery to reconnect her lip that was ripped apart and her nose where her nostril was torn apart. She had to have over 80 stitches and the dogs tooth thankfully missed her eye by margin. Sorry I'm kinda getting off topic here point I wanted to make was, my moms dog was not a pit but while talking to the surgeon he said that he sees more bites stemming from breeds other than pits that they have really gotten a bad rap but when they do attack the news is all over it
I have a paper route and am surrounded by dogs and many many of them are pit bulls. Never once did I have a pit be aggressive toward me. I got bit by a German Shepherd mix once and it's the chihuahuas who want to rip my ankles off but even they don't touch me! I LOVE ALL dogs, even the one that bit me. I think that dog probably had pups and was trying to shoo me away.
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www.dungeonhordes.com
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This man had many reasons to be deeply blue. May he and his companion find serenity, wherever they are.
Prayers for you Nick. The whole world is in such pain. Be kind to others. Thanks listers for the stories about Nick's life.
"Doc, I don't want to fly anymore"
I just looked up his bio and he was an orphan who went from foster home to foster home. That makes it all the sadder. :(
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www.dungeonhordes.com
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ps my dog is brindle like his so I have the sads...
my dog is fully aware if he ever hurt someone I'd pull his tonsils out by hand with no anesthesia...
and you NEVER EVER leave any dog alone with a child, and you teach your child to respect animals. A dog is not a baby sitter. my child came home from school with a scar on his lip from running up on someone's strange dog without permission.... and he's been told many times how to treat animals, but he's stupid, so there you go. I told him again he could've got his face or lip tore off and that I wouldn't have blamed the dog either.
I wish I could attack dumbasses when they run up on me.....