Pit Bull Attacks

"Occure when pets lack PACK STRUCTURE"

Pit Bulls and Rots account for 67% of fatal dog attacks

pit bull

by Ed Frawley

As a breed I personally like Pit Bulls.

When properly raised, when pack structure has been established, when they have been obedience trained and socialized they are great family pets. Unfortunately there are many people in our society who ignore these very important responsibilities and the results are often catastrophic. This article is intended as a warning to Pit Bull owners who refuse to be responsible pet owners.

I should also point out that this is not just a Pit Bull issue. Similar problems can evolve in many breeds of dogs.

I have never owned a Pit but over the years I have been around a lot of them. In the past 35 years I have seen some very nicePit Bullat training seminars that I have attended or sponsored. Many are really cool dogs. Unfortunately many others become rank dangerous animals mostly because their owners have never established pack structure with their dogs.

This is a breed of dog that requires a solid foundation in pack structure. When irresponsible owners ignore pack behavior, rank drive issues and obedience training their dogs often become dangerous animals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined U.S. dog-attack fatalities from 1979 to 1998. During that period, dogs killed more than 300 Americans, and pit bulls, either purebred or crossbred, accounted for 76 of the deaths, the most of any breed. Purebred or crossbred Rottweillers were responsible for 44 deaths, the second highest. The CDC concluded that Rottweillers and pit bulls were responsible for 67 percent of fatal attacks.

I breed German Shepherds and Malinois, for various reasons I don't believe "everyone who wants a dog" should own one of our dogs, the same does for PB. The purpose for writing and maintaining this article is to hopefully convince potential owners to think before they buy a PB. This is not a breed to jump into without a game plan. If you are not sure of you want to do the training then don't get a Pit Bull.

As a general rule PBs that attack humans are not born with the instinct to kill a human. They get that way because their owners fail them. They get that way because owners:

1- DON'T ESTABLISH PACK STRUCTURE

2- THEY DON'T TRAIN THEIR DOGS

3- THEY DON'T CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT THE DOGS ARE ALLOWED

4- THEY DON'T PROPERLY SOCIALIZE THEIR DOGS

As a working breed, PBs were originally bred as fighting dogs. With most working breeds the majority of the dogs that are sold today have had the working ability bred out of them. Unfortunately because of ass holes like Michael Vick, this is not the case with PBs. But with this said that does not mean that PB's cannot be molded into safe well manored family pets - they can be.

Establishing Pack Structure with the Family Pet

DVD'S that will help solve these problems:

If you have a PB I strongly recommend that you get the DVD's I did titled ESTABLISHING PACK STRUCTURE WITH THE FAMILY PET and BASIC DOG OBEDIENCE. If you own a PB that is already showing signs of dominance and aggression I recommend that you get the DVD I did titled DEALING WITH DOMINANT AND AGGRESSIVE DOGS

I find it interesting how so many Pit Bull breeders (and PB owners) read this web page and then send me nasty nasty emails. These people would rather stick their head in a hole an ignore the problems their breed face.

Pit Bull Articles

This following article are a copulation of PB attacks that are recorded in the media starting in Feb 2007.

Dealing with Dominant & Aggressive Dogs

Woman Dies In Deltona Dog Attack

DELTONA, Fla. -- A woman visiting Central Florida from Texas was attacked and killed by a dog on Friday.Authorities identified the woman as Mary Diana Bernal, WESH 2 News reported.Rudy Bernal, the woman's husband, said he was shocked.

"He was dragging her, and all her scalp was hanging by her side. He wouldn't turn her loose. He would let her go and attack her again," Bernal said. "I saw police shoot the dog with a stun gun. That's the only way they could cut him loose."Family members said the pit bull attacked and killed Diana, then turned on her sister who was trying to help."When she went to help my wife," Bernal said, "the dog turned on her and tore off all her thumbs.

She was on the ground wrestling with the dog to get him loose."Eliasar Macias, the dog's owner, said he was horrified that his sister-in-law was killed and his wife was injured by the dog."My dog never had any problems. He was a real friendly dog until now," Macias said.Animal Control took the dog to the Halifax Humane Society, and officials said they plan to destroy it after Marcias agrees to surrender the animal.Officials said there are other animals in the home, and while investigation continues, the house will be cleared of all animals.

Pit Bull attacks toddler
2-year-old may lose sight in eye

05/19/2007

HESPERIA - A newly purchased pit bull attacked a 2-year-old boy, crushing the bone around his eye, breaking his jaw in two places and inflicting numerous puncture wounds.

The toddler, , wandered out the back door of the family's A Avenue home at 4 p.m. Thursday. He moved around to the side of the house, where he was attacked by the dog.

The family bought the adult male pit bull last month as a companion for the family's female pit bull.

"They don't have any reason to believe the child provoked the dog in any way," said Cindy Beavers, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. "The parents heard something going on and found the dog attacking the child."

Pit bulls were responsible for nearly one-third of the 238 fatal dog attacks in the United States during a 20-year study by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children are the most vulnerable of victims - 42 percent of dog-bite injuries were inflicted on kids younger than age 14.

Both pit bulls from the Hesperia home will remain quarantined until an investigation is complete. The dogs' fate was unknown Friday.

Deputies found a chain that may have kept the dog tied up, but it
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was unclear why the dog attacked the boy.

His parents immediately drove him to Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville. He was transferred to Loma Linda University Center late Thursday.

The boy has a crushed left orbital, which is the bone surrounding the eye, two jaw fractures and multiple bite and puncture wounds. All from the neck up. Doctors fear they will be unable to save the sight in the injured eye.

"Because they're dealing with a young child who doesn't have a strong immune system, injuries coupled with infection makes it really a life-threatening situation," Beavers said.

About 4.7million people are bitten every year by dogs, resulting in about 12 fatalities a year, according to federal statistics. Between 500,000 and 800,000 dog bites require medical treatment annually.

Pit bulls are ranked as the most dangerous breed and are blamed for 76 deaths in a federal study from 1979-1998. who likely will lose his sight in that eye Medical

Pit-bull attacks in San Bernardino County

MARCH 2006: TWENTYNINE PALMS - Four pit-bull mixes escape from a fenced yard and attack a 15-year-old boy walking by. He had huge chunks of skin ripped away and required two surgeries to reattach the skin.

FEBRUARY 2005: YUCAIPA - A woman walking near Seventh Street Park is attacked from behind by a pit bull. She scares it away by throwing dirt in its eyes before it can bite her.

AUGUST 2004: LOMA LINDA - A 6-year-old boy wanders into a woman's home. Her pit bull attacks him, biting him on his head, back, stomach and arm.

AUGUST 2003: A police officer shoots and kills a pit bull that severely mauls a 72-year-old woman after escaping from its yard. The woman suffers serious bites on her left leg.

DECEMBER 2001: FONTANA - A pit bull attacks a boy who is riding his skateboard down the sidewalk. When a man tries to intervene, the pit bull turns on him. Both victims suffer major injuries.

JUNE 2000: SAN BERNARDINO - A 5-year-old boy is walking to school with his older brother when a pit bull attacks him, breaking the right side of his jaw.

APRIL 2000: NEWBERRY SPRINGS - A 10-year-old boy dies after a pit bull attacks him while he walks down the road with a friend.

Remote Collar Training for the Pet Owner

Houston boy gets more than 200 stitches after pit bull bite

July 2, 2007, 2:43PM

A 6-year-old Houston boy spent three hours in surgery Sunday after being bitten in the face by a pit bull, his father said today.

"They stopped counting (stitches) at about 200," Brandon Palomo said, referring to repairs surgeons did on the face of his son, Logan Palomo, between noon and about 3 p.m. Sunday.

Logan was visiting his mother at her northwest Harris County home late Saturday when the dog bit him two or three times in the face, the father said.

The boy was listed in good condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital-The Medical Center today, a spokeswoman said.

The incident occurred in the 7300 block of Legacy Pines Drive off of Barker Cypress Road, said Sgt. Dana Wolfe of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

Harris County Animal Control officials went to the residence after deputies responded to the call but did not take the dog into custody because it is not a stray, Wolfe said.

The dog belong's to a male roommate of the mother's boyfriend, Wolfe said. Because the man was not charged with any crime, Wolfe declined to release the dog owner's name.

The mother's account of the incident correlated with the father's, according to sheriff's reports.

Wolfe said the mother told deputies that the boy was playing with the dog when it bit him.

Logan's father said he understands the dog is to be checked for rabies.

Logan suffered one or more bites on the left side of his face and at least one on the right side at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, his father said.

The left-side wound "looked like a puzzle piece missing" from his son's face, said Palomo, 26, a landscaping worker.

On the right side, the dog's teeth pierced Logan's face mainly above the eyebrow, narrowly missing a tear duct, the father said.

Although the wounds were "gorey" and required stitches in layers to repair, Logan was lucky, the father said.

"All these lacerations are around the eyes and nothing happened to the eyeballs," the father said.

There was little or no bone damage as well, he said.

Palomo said his son told him he was heading for bed and was trying to hug the dog good-night when it suddenly bit him.

The dog "rapidly chomped on him two or three times," Palomo said, his son told him. "It happened real fast."

He and his son live with Palomo's grandfather in the 1100 block of Louise in Houston's Heights area, the father said.

Palomo said he and Logan's mother are still married but have been separated for about three years.

Woman charged with felonies in dog attack

Five pit bulls attacked Union City man and his 3-year-old son, prosecutor says

08/10/2007 11:09:27 AM PDT

A Hayward woman has been charged with a pair of felonies after her five pit bulls attacked a man and his 3-year-old son last month in a park on the Union City-Hayward city limits, prosecutors said.

Shauna Dee Clark, 50, was charged earlier this week with two counts of failure to control vicious animals, according to court records. She was arraigned Tuesday at the Fremont Hall of Justice and is expected to return to court on Aug. 23 to enter a plea. Clark remains out of custody on $20,000 bail.

If found guilty at trial, she faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in county jail, Assistant District Attorney Colton Carmine said.

Prosecutors decided to file charges this week, nearly three weeks after Union City resident Luis Diaz and his 3-year-old son were attacked in Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park at the Union City-Hayward city limits on July 14, he said.

The victims were walking near the Tamarack Drive entrance in Union City when the pit bulls charged them, the prosecutor said. Diaz lifted his son above his head and took the brunt of the attack as the animals gnawed and clawed at his body for almost 10 minutes, Carmine said.

Diaz's son received a few bites and other wounds to his legs, but Diaz's injuries required surgery. "Very heroic what the father did. He probably saved his son's life," the prosecutor said. "He knew he could not go down or fall (or his son's injuries could have been worse.)"

The pit bulls were not on leashes when they attacked the man and his son, prosecutors said.

"You know how it is with these dogs, when they are together there is that pack mentality," Carmine said. "They should have been on chains."

The prosecutor said that he does not believe Clark knew the dogs would attack the pair, but added that she is legally responsible for her dogs and knew that they were vicious.

"Her dogs have a history of chasing people in her neighborhood, and one of them attacked a smaller breed dog (in the past)," Carmine said. That dog almost died, he said.

"This is a case where the elements of the crime are that you (the owner) know the dog and their propensity."

The five dogs were seized by police, but it was unclear Thursday where they are now.

"I do not know if they've been euthanized," Carmine said.

Father charged in dog attack

Police say they warned Bath man to watch boy around pit bull

Aug 9, 2007

BATH -- The father of a 6-year-old Bath boy killed by a pit bull dog July 29 has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

William D. Abbott, 33, of East William Street Extension in Bath, was arrested Wednesday by the Steuben County Sheriff's Department. He faces possible fines and up to a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor charge.

Abbott's son, Saben W. Jones-Abbott, was found unresponsive about 15 minutes after he had gone to feed the family dog. His injuries indicated the dog had attacked him.

The sheriff's department said in a press release that William Abbott had been previously warned about supervising the child around the dog. Details of the previous incident were not made public.

Abbott was arraigned in Bath Village Court by Justice Chauncey Watches. He was released without bail and is scheduled to reappear in court with a lawyer Aug. 20.

"The charge stems from Abbott's alleged failure to properly supervise his son as the child dealt with the dog and for his failure to check on the child," the press release said. "These circumstances arose after having been previously advised that such supervision was necessary, particularly around aggressive animals."

The child was pronounced dead shortly after the incident at Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital in Bath. The 6-month-old pit bull was destroyed at the request of the family.

The sheriff's office was assisted in the investigation by Steuben County Coroner Steve Copp and Steuben County SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator Scott Mazzo.

A funeral for the child, who was a student at Vernon E. Wightman Primary School in Bath, was held Saturday at the Avoca Funeral Home. The victim was also the son of Sommer Jones of Florida.

Man Saves Neighbor From Vicious Dog Attack

7/21/2007 7:37 PM

A Tulsa man will be honored this week for saving another man's life. Back in April, Michael Cook came to the rescue when a pitbull attacked his neighbor. The News On 6’s Chris Wright reports Cook will receive the Citizen Appreciation Award from Tulsa police on Tuesday, an honor his neighbor says he more than deserves.

Marvin Battle walks with a cane these days, but says considering what happen to him on April 25th, he can live with the limp.

"I can't bend my leg. I have to go through physical therapy,” said Battle. “I've been on a lot of pain medications. I have panic attacks and I have nightmares."

Those nightmares stem from a vicious pitbull attack. Cook was walking his 6-year-old Chow Chow, Xena, and his 2-year-old Pomeranian, Jazzy, when he says the pitbull came out of nowhere.

"I turned around to go back to the house, and the dog knocked me down,” Battle said. The pitbull killed the Pomeranian, injured the Chow, and then turned its attention to Battle.

"I'm fighting for my life here. If someone doesn't come help me or if this dog doesn't stop, I'm going to be killed. So all I'm thinking is saving my life,” Battle said.

Michael Cook heard all the commotion, grabbed his gun, and came outside. He says the only thing he'd ever shot at before was a target, and the margin for error was thin. Fortunately, the pitbull looked up for a split second, and Cook pulled the trigger.

"So I bent down to try and shoot the dog from the side. When I did, that's when he raised up, and I shot him in the head,” Cook said.

The pitbull was killed, and Battle, though injured severely, was alive. He says he owes his life to his neighbor, and the two, who did not know each other before the attack, have become friends.

"It was terrible. Had my neighbor Mike not come out and shot the dog, it would have killed me,” Battle said.

"I think we're becoming pretty good friends,” Cook said. “Turns out we have a lot more in common than I thought we did. Marvin's a good guy."

Cook spent a week in the hospital recovering from his injuries. No one knows exactly who owned the pitbull. Battle believes it belonged to his neighbors, who have several other pitbulls.

We talked to those neighbors Saturday, and they say the dog was not theirs.

Pack of pit bulls mauls man during early morning Deerfield attack

Posted March 2 2007, 12:50 PM EST

DEERFIELD BEACH FLA – A 28-year-old man was seriously injured after he was mauled early Friday morning by a pack of up to five pit-bull dogs, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

One of the pit bulls was shot and killed by deputies and another may have been wounded. Three dogs remain on the run.

The victim, Robert Wall, was hospitalized shortly after the 1:40 a.m. Friday attack by the dog pack in the Target parking lot at 1250 South Federal Highway, according to BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright.

Deputies first tried to rescue Wall by shooting one of the dogs with an electronic stun gun. The dogs scattered and Wall, who was mauled from head to toe, was then rushed to North Broward Medical Center. He remains hospitalized there.

Late Thursday around 11:30, deputies were sent to the Ashcroft home at 101 SE 11 Court, where the dogs had attacked and killed the family's rabbit and a guinea pig. Both had been kept on the front porch.

The dogs were also sighted running loose near the Rivertown Manor apartments at 1161 SE Sixth Ave.

When deputies finally spotted the dogs, they were trying to eat a cat, Coleman-Wright said.

Broward County Animal Control workers attempted to secure the dogs using a noose, but the animals became agitated and aggressive, forcing deputies to fire their guns, Coleman-Wright said. One dog was killed. It's unclear if a second dog was injured. Three dogs got away.

The pit bulls were all described as young and are believed to be about 1 year old. All had brown or reddish coats.

BSO detectives want to find the owner of the dogs and the remaining pit bulls before someone else is hurt.

Family Dog Leaves Boy In Critical Condition

By MIKE WELLS The Tampa Tribune
Published: Mar 2, 2007

PLANT CITY - For Ian Keo's family, a near-fatal dog attack was made all the more heart-wrenching because the dog that mauled the toddler was a family pet.

The 2-year-old remains in critical care at Tampa General Hospital, and his family is in anguish. The 2-year-old's grandmother, Kelley Ashley, said the incident Wednesday night will haunt her for the rest of her life because it might leave the child with lifelong scars.

"He's tough, he's fine, but I may have disfigured my baby's face," she said Thursday.
Ian suffered facial fractures, an eye injury and trauma to his neck and head, Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

The pit bull mix that mauled the toddler was euthanized Thursday morning.

The attack happened at 6 p.m. Wednesday as the child's great-grandmother, Willa Tick, 69, walked him outside with her to feed the family's dog, Callaway said. They live at 3408 Juanita Drive.
The child apparently tripped on the dog's chain, and the animal attacked him, Callaway said. Tick wrestled with the dog to get Ian to safety.

As of early Thursday, the boy remained in critical condition at Tampa General. The family has asked the hospital not to release details about his condition.

Hillsborough County Animal Services Investigator Dennis McCollough made the decision to euthanize the dog, he said.

The dog became aggressive because it was chained to a tree, it wasn't neutered and there was food involved, he said.

"Those are things we know that contribute to animal attacks," he said.

This year, 211 dog bites were reported in Hillsborough County. Fifty-six involved pit bulls or pit mixes, McCollough said.

"That's the animal of choice in our community," he said, and because there are so many pit bulls in the county "you're going to hear more and more stories about them."

Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said most dog-bite victims are the elderly and children. She cautioned adults never to leave children unattended with dogs.

"Any dog can bite - even the family pet," Ryan said.

Ground Work to Becoming a Pack Leader

eBOOK

Pit bulls attack girls leaving bus stop

Feb. 23, 2007, 12:32AM

Harris County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a pair of pit bulls that attacked two girls on their way home from school in north Harris County on Thursday afternoon, dragging one of them down the street as she screamed for help.

Although the two dogs had owners, authorities have not determined whether any charges will be filed. It's an incident that state legislators will likely point to as they continue to press this legislative session for stiffer penalties against owners who violate leash laws, allowing dangerous dogs to roam free.

Late Thursday, a 7-year-old girl remained hospitalized at Northeast Memorial Hospital, where her condition was unknown. She is expected to recover, authorities said.

Twelve-year-old Ruth Lopez, who was treated at the same hospital and released, said the dogs didn't attack at first.

Ruth said she was walking home from her school bus stop about 4 p.m. when the two pit bulls approached her in the 3900 block of Cypress Knee Lane. She said she froze as the black and white dogs approached, hoping they would leave her alone. They passed her, but when Lopez turned around to see if they had left, they were following her.

"They started chasing me and I started screaming," Ruth said. "I dropped my backpack and the white one got in front of me and I tripped, and the black one got behind me and grabbed my ankle with his teeth. I was crying and screaming."

She said a neighbor tried to beat the dogs away with a stick, but the dogs attacked him as well. Ruth and the neighbor then ran to a nearby truck and climbed into the bed.

Meanwhile, someone had called an ambulance, Ruth said. Five or 10 minutes after it arrived, the dogs attacked the 7-year-old girl farther down the street, dragging her along the sidewalk as neighbors and paramedics rushed to her aid.

The dogs finally released the girl and escaped into a nearby wooded area, where they were shot and killed by the deputies, who were searching for them in the brush.

"They pretty much do what they have to do to protect people," said Lt. John Martin, sheriff's spokesman.
After the attack, Carlos Lopez, Ruth's father, said pit bulls should be banned in Harris County.

"I know it's a nice-looking dog, but it's not a pet. My daughter was lucky," said Lopez, who said he had a pit bull puppy three years ago but gave it away because it was too aggressive.

Tougher penalties sought

A spate of pit bull attacks has compelled state lawmakers to introduce bills imposing stiffer penalties for owners of pit bulls that attack people.

Senate Bill 405, introduced by Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, will require tighter control of dogs.
Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, has introduced legislation to give Harris County the power to ban dangerous pets. He also is pushing another bill that allows the state's four largest counties — Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Bexar — to regulate animal sales by roadsides and in parking lots in unincorporated areas.

Other lawmakers are pushing bills aimed at increasing criminal penalties for owners whose dogs cause serious bodily injury or death.

It's currently a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

The owner of a dog that kills someone unprovoked could be charged with a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison under House Bill 1355 by Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown. Serious injury could draw a third-degree felony charge, punishable by two to 10 years. The owner would have to be criminally negligent or know that the dog was dangerous and fail to properly secure it.

Under a bill by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, a fatal dog attack could mean a third-degree felony charge for the owner, and a serious-injury attack would be a state jail felony carrying a sentence of up to two years.
In Conroe, the City Council recently passed a dangerous-dog ordinance designed to protect residents from dogs running at large in the community.

The ordinance requires dangerous dogs to be spayed or neutered, microchipped, handled on a leash by a capable person older than 18, and kept in an enclosure with 8-foot walls, a concrete floor and a roof.
The new law also carries fines of up to $500 per offense.

The proposed legislation was spurred by the attack of a 10-year-old San Antonio girl who died after being attacked by her neighbor's dog while trying to help the animal after it had gotten its collar caught on a chain-link fence.

Last Thanksgiving, a 4-year-old Houston boy was killed after he was attacked by two pit bulls. Pedro "Pitchy" Rios Jr. died after being injured by the dogs outside his home in east Harris County.

The boy and his 2-year-old brother, Peter, were playing outside when the pit bulls attacked. The younger boy managed to run away.

Pedro's mother, Rosa Isela Rios, intervened but was unable to save her son.

Dog attack sends woman to hospital
Naperville police say more charges possible

February 26, 2007

Naperville police are considering filing criminal charges against a woman following an incident, in which the dog she was walking allegedly attacked and mauled two smaller dogs and repeatedly bit their owner and a good samaritan.

DuPage County Animal Care and Control officers as of Friday had not decided the fate of the 5-year-old male mixed American Staffordshire terrier implicated in a melee that sent the owner of the smaller dogs to a hospital, police Lt. Dave Hoffman said.

The confrontation occurred at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 15, as Naperville resident Bonnie S. Toye was walking the terrier.

Hoffman said the alleged attack occurred on the 100 block of East Bailey Road, in the city's southeast side.
The police report indicated the dog began snarling and lunging after it apparently caught sight of a 44-year-old neighborhood woman walking her two pet Cairn terriers on the same sidewalk.

The owner of the Cairn terriers was repeatedly bitten by Toye's dog as she tried to rescue her pets. A passerby, a 57-year-old man, also was bitten several times after he came to the woman's aid, Hoffman said.

The man declined emergency medical treatment, but the owner of the Cairn terriers was taken by ambulance to Edward Hospital in Naperville. Hoffman said he did not know the severity of the woman's injuries or whether or not she remained hospitalized Friday.

Toye also was bitten during the fracas but not seriously injured, Hoffman said. She ultimately brought the dog under control and returned it to its owner's home not far from the scene, he said.

Toye, 48, was issued a municipal public nuisance citation, although Hoffman said additional charges "may be pending."

Dog kills dog, injures woman in attack

February 23, 2007

EFFORT — An 82-year-old woman was slightly hurt and her Yorkshire terrier was killed in a vicious dog attack Thursday morning in Chestnuthill Township.

Frances Andrews was walking Peppy, her 8-year-old Yorkie, along Deer Trail Drive in the Birches III development shortly after 10 a.m., when a neighbor's pit bull mix rushed at them and attacked Peppy.

Andrews picked Peppy up, cradled him in her arms and tried to protect him from the assault, but the aggressor dog managed to pry Peppy loose from Andrews' grasp.

Peppy was killed in the attack. Andrews was bitten three times, but was not seriously hurt.

"The dog must have gotten hold of Peppy's collar," a shaken but composed Andrews said Thursday night. "I'm lucky he did not tear me up."

Andrews, a widow who has lived in the Birches for 22 years, praised her neighbors in the close-knit community for helping her get through one of the worst days of her life.

"They were all so great today," she said.

One of those neighbors took Andrews to the Geisinger Medical Center in Mount Pocono to be sure she was OK.

The owner of the attacker dog, a woman who lives near Andrews, tried to call the dog back home during the incident, but did not leave her house to try to help, Andrews said.

"What I don't understand is why she didn't run to get her dog instead of just calling it," she said.

Once the attack ended with Peppy dead, the woman came outside, apologized and took her dog back in the house.

She did not stick around to speak with authorities, however, saying she had to take a family member to a pressing medical appointment, according to Andrews.

State police responded and sat in the woman's driveway, waiting for her to come home. They summoned Monroe County Dog Warden George Nixon, who impounded the dog.

The dog that killed Peppy had caused trouble in the neighborhood before, said both Andrews and her neighbor and friend Judy Delp.

"It chased me in my own yard about five days ago; I had to pick up Peppy and run back in the house," Andrews said.

Some residents of the neighborhood would not let their dogs out of their own yards for fear of the dog that killed Peppy, Delp said.

Andrews and Delp both said they heard the attacker dog was put down Thursday evening, but Nixon, the dog warden, could not be reached to confirm it.

Andrews, who had no other pets, said it will take a long time to recover from her loss.

"After I lost my husband that dog meant the world to me," she said.

The Pit Bull Placebo

Dog owner may face prison stretch

28 February 2007

THE owner of a dangerous dog which attacked a young boy could face a prison sentence as he is already on a suspended sentence for assault.

On Monday at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court, Michael Feehily, 38, of Norfolk Road, Huntingdon, changed his plea to guilty despite having denied since September a charge of having an out of control dog.

The charge follows the dog's attack on four-year-old George Brown in August of last year.

Feehily's partner, Toni Badcock, 30, has already served a prison sentence for similar charges relating to the same American bulldog, as she was at home without Feehily when the dog twice attacked children.

Following the second attack, George Brown had to undergo four hours of surgery and have 200 stitches after the dog seized him by the face. He had been playing with friends and his sister in Norfolk Road near his home. Another child, aged seven, also needed hospital treatment.

Following the attack the dog, Buddy, was destroyed. The animal had been re-homed with Feehily 11 months earlier from Wood Green Animal Shelters in Godmanchester.

Feehily was told he would have to appear at Peterborough Crown Court, at a date yet to be set, because his suspended sentence for assault causing actual bodily harm imposed on September 14, 2005 was still running.

In October, Ms Badcock, a mother of young children, was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of being in charge of an out of control dog.

Dog owner sentenced to jail, fines for dog attack

The victim, Colona resident Rocci Mascari, said it's a start.

The defendant, Kurt Davis, left the downtown Geneseo courtroom Wednesday visibly upset.
Mr. Davis, the owner of three pit bull terriers that ran onto Mr. Mascari's property June 30 and tore apart his 14-year-old German shepherd, was sentenced to 120 days in the Henry County Jail and placed on 18 months of conditional discharge by Judge Dana McReynolds.

Mr. Davis was also ordered to pay $1,494 to the county for housing his pit bulls after they attacked Mr. Mascari's dog, and fined $1,000.

"This is where the buck stops," Mr. Mascari said afterwards. "Next time, it could be a kid that's attacked."
Judge McReynolds found Mr. Davis guilty of reckless conduct, a Class A misdemeanor.

Assistant Henry County state's attorney James Cosby had asked for the maximum penalty of 364 days in jail, 30 months probation and a $2,500 fine.

In his closing arguments, Mr. Cosby said this isn't the first time Mr. Davis has had problems with his dogs. He said a similar incident happened in Bureau County, where Mr. Davis was placed on probation.
"That didn't get his attention," Mr. Cosby told the judge.

Mr. Cosby said Mr. Davis moved from Rock Island County due to dog problems, under the stipulation that if he left the county wouldn't press charges against him.

"Our patience is up," Mr. Cosby said. "He's not a responsible (dog) owner."

Mr. Mascari testified that Mr. Davis' dogs ran onto his property and mauled his dog so severely that she had to be euthanized. Testimony indicated Mr. Davis had five pit bull terriers loose with him while on his mother's property, which is adjacent to Mr. Mascari's.

Mr. Davis did not testify Wednesday, but his attorney, John McGehee, called several witnesses on his behalf.
Those witnesses testified the dogs in question were friendly with them and never harmed anyone.
Mr. Davis had no comment after Wednesday's hearing.

Judge McReynolds said if Mr. Davis pays all his fines and costs by March 30, his sentence will be reduced to 60 days in jail. Of that, he would serve 30 days with day-for-day credit, assuming he has no problems at the jail.

Mr. Mascari has a pending civil lawsuit against Mr. Davis and his mother, Judy Davis.

Last Update: Sunday, March 4, 2007. 9:09am (AEDT)

Child seriously injured in dog attack

Canberra police are yet to lay charges over a vicious dog attack that has left a four-year old boy in intensive care in hospital.

The child was playing with the animal while his family visited friends in Banks in Canberra's south on Friday night.

At 7pm AEDT, the american staffordshire-cross attacked, gripping the boy's head with its mouth.

Neighbours heard his mother scream and they had to beat the dog to death in order to free the four-year-old.

He suffered terrible facial and neck injuries and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Victim: Dog attack was unprovoked
Boy remains hospitalized with torn calf muscles

3-7-07

A 13-year-old Port Huron boy and his mother dispute a neighbor's report that a pit bull had been taunted before attacking Sunday in the 1400 block of Howard Street.
"I never messed with that dog," Kieta Palmer said in a phone conversation from his room at Port Huron Hospital. A neighbor on Monday said Kieta was among a group of boys who had taunted the pit bull in the past.

"I like dogs, but I don't like other people's dogs that I don't know," Kieta said.
Kieta has been in the hospital since the incident during which police said the 3-year-old pit bull, Chanes, jumped a chain-linked fence in his owner's backyard. The dog then bit Kieta, who was with two other boys, on the leg.

LaShay Phillips, Kieta's mother, said her son had surgery Monday to repair a torn muscle in his calf and is expected to be in the hospital for the rest of the week.
Police expect to turn the case against the dog's owner, Sherry Sterling, over to the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office. Sterling, who has said she plans to have Chanes put to sleep, is expected to face criminal charges for the incident.

Port Huron City Attorney John Livesay, who has reviewed the case, said he didn't see anything in the police report about Chanes having been taunted.
Livesay said city officials normally request charges against a dog's owner when it seriously injures someone. He said Kieta's injuries were the worst he's seen in the six years he's worked for the city.
"Whatever kind of dog you have, if it attacks some innocent bystander without provocation (then) you have the dog at your peril," Livesay said.

Kieta said he, his 11-year-old brother and a 14-year-old friend were walking in an alley when the dog jumped the fence. He said he tried to run but was slowed by deep snow.
Chanes caught him as he was entering the yard of his home, Kieta said. The dog grabbed his leg and kept biting, the boy said, even though his friend and brother were trying to get its attention.
"It just stayed on my leg the whole time, just gripping and ripping it," Kieta said. "My brother was kicking it and everything."

Police said Chanes didn't stop attacking Kieta until his grandfather punched the dog.
Phillips said the dog did not break any bones or sever tendons.

"The dog literally ripped (the muscle) right off his leg to where it didn't fall off, but it was hanging," she said.

7 March 2007

DOG PACK HORROR

An attack by wild dogs left a man needing more than 2000 stitches. Robert Wall, 28, was bitten 182 times on the head, arms and legs by four pit bulls and a chow in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Pit bull attack breeds fear

Thursday, March 8, 2007

It wasn't a fair fight:

Pit bull vs. poodle.

And the poodle was on a chain.

Guess which one won?

Monday afternoon, a loose pit bull ripped into the throat of Ruby, a 12-year-old poodle mix. Owner Patsy Downs, 61, had to put Ruby down the next day.

Still shaken, Downs grimaces and spits out, "They don't never have that dog on a leash."

That's not uncommon in Peoria, especially with pit bulls and especially on the South End. Moreover, Downs and her family say the neighborhood is so lousy with pit bulls that some residents stay inside.

"The neighbors say they can't put their kids out because of the dogs," Downs says.

Ruby, a spunky ball of fluff, served as something of a watchdog for Downs. The dog would bark like crazy whenever anyone would come near Downs' small rental home at 3035 W. Meidroth St.

From the cement stoop stretches a chain leash. Downs typically would put Ruby on the leash and watch as the pooch would do her business. That's what they did Monday afternoon.

But a pit bull appeared out of nowhere, dashed into the yard and snapped its jaws around Ruby's throat. The poodle fell prone and still, as if playing dead. The pit bull didn't attack again, but stayed next to Ruby, barking.

Downs called for help, and an animal-control officer arrived from the Peoria Animal Welfare Shelter. The officer captured the pit bull and took it to the pound.

Meanwhile, Downs and her family took Ruby to a veterinary hospital. Its neck had been crushed badly, making breathing difficult. The vet jabbed a tracheostomy tube into the dog's throat to allow breathing, then sent Ruby home with Downs to monitor the pooch's condition.

But the next day, Ruby's breathing grew worse, prompting another trip to the hospital. The vet said the prognosis looked bad.

Downs cradled Ruby in her arms one last time.

"I told her, 'It'll be all right,'" Downs says. "And I petted her."

Then she turned over the dog to be put out of its misery.

Says Downs' daughter Mary Jordan, "This was a family dog. It shouldn't have happened."

Meantime, PAWS contacted the owner of the pit bull, Angela Sierra, 3032 W. Seibold St., who recently had moved into the house behind Downs. Sierra's backyard is ringed by a chain-link fence, but Downs and her family say the pit bull - like many others - roamed the neighborhood off-leash.

Ruby's medical treatment and euthanization cost $636. Downs could ask Sierra to pay, but Downs isn't too hopeful - as Sierra has not so much as offered an apology for the dog attack.

I couldn't reach Sierra for comment. This matter apparently marks her first run-in with PAWS.

Sierra must decide what she wants done with her pet. To get it back, she would have to pay a $105 reclamation fee and a $125 fine, plus agree to get the animal spayed.

Until two years ago, Peoria city ordinances allowed PAWS to declare an attacking dog "vicious" and order it put down. But a 2005 state law now takes precedence. A dog can be deemed vicious and then euthanized only if a person is seriously hurt, or killed.

But in the case of a dog-on-dog attack, the offending animal - such as pit bull who bit Ruby - can be declared only "dangerous," bringing only penalties like fines. Only after three canine attacks can a dog be deemed vicious.

Downs isn't alone in her apprehension over roaming pit bulls. A block away on Seibold Street, an elderly woman recalls talking to a neighbor outside two weeks ago. She had been cradling her year-old miniature schnauzer when she saw two pit bulls run toward her. She panicked and ran, in the process dropping the dog.

"The pit bulls, they grabbed each end and pulled her apart," the woman says.

She didn't bother calling PAWS. Instead, she just buried her dog in her backyard.

PAWS director Lauren Malmberg has heard endless pit-bull horror stories. She doesn't doubt that an entire neighborhood could be gripped with fear.

"They should be," she says.

Though any type of dog can attack, pit bulls are bred to be aggressive, she says. They are a popular breed, especially on the South End, where many young men buy and breed the dogs as a statement of power.

Each year, PAWS handles about 450 dog-bite calls and 3,500 dogs. About 40 percent of those dogs are pit pulls. In fact, of the shelter's 26 stray cages, about half typically are filled with pit bulls on any given day.

Some get picked up. But most don't because the owners never show up. Because of their criminal past, many owners shy away from showing identification to any law enforcement, even dog catchers. So they instead leave the dog at PAWS and buy a new pit bull elsewhere - and often lose the replacement, as well.

"It's amazing how quickly these people go through these dogs," Malmberg says.

How to Break Up a Dog Fight

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Schoolboy loses lip in dog attack

Skin from John's leg was grafted onto his lip in a two-hour operation

A nine-year-old boy's top lip was ripped off when his pet dog tried to snatch a biscuit out of his mouth.

John Henderson needed a skin graft after the Staffordshire bull cross Simba attacked him at his home in North Shields, North Tyneside.

Parents Russell and Muriel have had the dog, which the family raised from a puppy, destroyed and have given away another Staffordshire bull terrier.

John must now wait six weeks before the extent of the damage is known.

Mrs Henderson said she would never have another dog in the house following the incident on 4 March.

She said: "It was horrible - our worst nightmare. I was in the kitchen with John and he asked if he could have a biscuit.

"He was stroking Simba, who was on the bench, then the dog went for it as John was eating it.

Skin graft

"The dog bit his lip and held on to it. He was just hanging on, and that is when he pulled the skin away.

"John was screaming and was trying to feel his mouth."

The schoolboy underwent a two-hour skin graft from his leg at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, and his mother believes he will need at least two more operations.

Staffordshire bull terriers are not one of the breeds subject to ownership or breeding restrictions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Island dog attack results in fine, probationary period

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

DAUPHIN ISLAND -- A dog owner was fined $500 Monday and told that his pit bull must go for six months on good behavior, following the December attack of a man who was taking an afternoon walk.
Bowen Allen pleaded guilty in Dauphin Island Municipal Court to charges of keeping dangerous animals, failing to inoculate them for rabies and allowing them to roam loose.

Shortly after the Dec. 9 attack, a police officer shot both of Allen's dogs when they rushed him. He was trying to contain the dogs in a nearby neighborhood until an animal control officer could arrive.

Allen's boxer was killed, but the pit bull survived. Because of its wounds, the dog's right rear leg was later amputated.

Monday's courtroom result didn't please the victim, Charles Bridges, 64, who was attacked in front of his Buchanan Street home as he began to take an afternoon walk. He suffered several nasty bites to his legs in the attack, but none of the injuries were debilitating.

"They're going to have a child mauled down here if they don't get the animal ordinance they need," Bridges said.

"On three legs or four," he said, referring to the pit bull, "that's a dangerous animal."

Bridges said he wants the remaining dog destroyed. But the town's animal control ordinance doesn't give Municipal Judge James Lackey the power to euthanize animals deemed to be dangerous, according to the town's prosecuting attorney, Jay Ross.

The Town Council last week discussed toughening up its animal control ordinance, but no action was taken.
Allen and members of his family who were present at Monday's court proceeding declined a Press-Register reporter's requests for comment.

Permitting one's pet to roam loose is a class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or up to three months in jail.

On that charge, Lackey gave Allen a 6-month probationary period.

For the other two offenses, Allen was fined $250 apiece, plus court costs, bringing the total amount owed to $900.

Dog attack witnesses sought

3/16/2007 3:42:49 PM

On March 11 at about 4 p.m. Steve Davies was walking his 20-week-old black Labrador in the park at the corner of Nutmeg and Jackson in Murrieta. Unprovoked, two pit bulls attacked his puppy, biting its back legs, he said.

When Davies picked up his puppy, a boxer joined the fray and bit at the Labrador. Davies said that at that point he held his dog above his head while the other three dogs lunged at him.

The puppy needed stitches in both legs and a drain in one due to a damaged muscle. Davies himself suffered puncture wounds to both his hands and arms. He is asking anyone who witnessed the attack to contact him, as he wishes to find the owners of the pit bulls and the boxer.

Dealing with the Dominant Dog

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Second Day Of Testimony Begins In Dog Attack Trial

CAMERON The trial of a man whose dogs killed a Milam County woman in 2005 entered its second day Tuesday.

Jose Hernandez is charged with criminally negligent homicide.

In November 2005, six of Hernandez's dogs attacked 76-year-old Lillian Stiles as she was gardening in her front yard of her home near Thorndale. (map)

Prosecutors say Hernandez, Stiles' next door neighbor, is to blame for letting the dangerous dogs loose.

The medical examiner told the court the dogs attacked the woman's face and head beyond recognition and broke her neck. That was tough for the family to hear.

"I think it's tough on our family because it brings up a lot of emotions of that day,” Stiles’ daughter Marilyn Shoemaker said. “It just all brings it back up again."

A vet testified that the kind of breed the dogs are--a pit bull rottweiler mix--is like a loaded gun. She said the dogs may have seen Stiles as prey.

“The dogs go to start an attack, and the others joined in,” veterinarian Valeri Bobbitt said. “Once they start, it's just a frenzy."

Hernandez says someone left the gate open while his family was away so he's not responsible.

Still, the Stiles would like an apology.

"We heard it's a small town, we heard he's afraid to come and say he's sorry,” Stiles’ granddaughter Nicki Williams said. “I did hear his wife prays everyday for my grandmother."

Hernandez says if he knew the dogs were dangerous he would have gotten rid of them.

Late Tuesday afternoon another witness testified Hernandez asked about dog fighting, but never fought his dogs.

That backs up testimony from the vet who said that she didn't think the dogs had been breed or trained to fight.

Pit bull terror

A MANSFIELD family are in shock after their 17-week-old Jack Russell puppy was killed in a vicious dog attack on Saturday morning.

The incident happened as nine-year-old Steven Hurst was walking his dog Tommy on the Bellamy Road estate when the young pup was set upon by a what he describes as a brown pit bull cross.

Steven took the badly injured pup back home to his mum Kathleen — who immediately rushed Tommy to the vets, but sadly they were unable to save him and he died on Sunday.

"It ran across the street and bit and dragged him," Steven told Chad. "I was shouting for help and a man driving by stopped and managed to get the dog off."

Yesterday heartbroken Steven and his mum were struggling to come to terms with the savage attack on their pet dog, which was a Christmas present for the High Oakham School pupil.

Said Kathleen: "We only had him for 10 weeks, but in that time we became really attached to him. He was not only Steven's dog but his friend too. And he was my friend, while Steven was at school.

"We were hoping on Saturday that he would be all right but on Sunday the vet called us in to say goodbye. When we saw him, his little tail was wagging because he thought he was coming home. We miss Tommy, he was a really loving dog."

The shocking incident was witnessed by farm worker Anthony Brooke, who stopped his car and ran across to drag the snarling dog off Tommy.

"I was driving past the park and heard a boy screaming 'a dog's killing my dog'," he said. "I stopped and wrestled the dog off the other one, but the poor little thing had been ripped limb from limb. It was very badly injured."

Vets say the injuries Tommy suffered were some of the worst they had ever seen on a dog so small.

Now Kathleen (29), of Bradmore Court, is calling on more action to be taken to make sure owners take greater responsibility for their dogs.

"I think the dogs on leads rule should be enforced more," she said. "This could have been a lot more serious –– if Steven had tried to stop the dog it could have bitten him. I do not want this kind of thing to happen to anyone else."

Police chiefs have confirmed they are investigating the attack on Tommy and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them immediately.

"This incident has led to great distress for the Hurst family and the circumstances of the attack are being investigated," said a spokesman.

"Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, the owner of a dog has a responsibility to look after and be in control of their animal and it is an offence if your dog is out of control in a public place. The penalty for breaking this law is a fine or a prison sentence."

What do you think about this story? What experiences have you had with killer dogs and out-of-control animals?

Grandma charged over dog attack

The grandmother of a five-year-old girl who was mauled to death by a dog has been charged with her death.

Ellie Lawrenson from Merseyside, was attacked by a pit bull dog which was owned by her uncle.

She was staying with her grandmother Jacqueline Simpson at the time of the attack on New Year's Eve 2006.

Police have also charged her uncle Kiel Simpson with having a pit bull, which is a breed of dog banned under law because they are considered dangerous.

Jacqueline Simpson has been charged with manslaughter.

Manslaughter is when a person didn't necessarily mean to kill somebody, but could be responsible for the death.

She suffered serious injuries trying to save Ellie from the dog during the attack.

Teen Saves Boy From Dog Attack

POSTED: 6:01 am MST April 3, 2007

TEMPE, Ariz. -- A heroic act by a 17-year-old Tempe boy Monday morning saved a 12-year-old boy from a vicious attack by two pit bulls. It happened at a trailer park near Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive as both boys were heading to school. The older boy, Jesus Jurado, said his neighbor's dogs didn't do anything when he walked by them but they attacked the younger boy who was walking behind him.

Jurado went back to aid the 12-year-old old, who had been bitten on the calf. He said both of them then climbed onto the roof of a parked car. Jurado said it appeared the dogs were going to get up on the car, so he got down, opened the car's front door and got the younger boy inside. Then, he said, the dogs came after him again and he got back onto the car's roof. Police arrived shortly after that and when the dogs went after the officers, they fired, nicking both animals. Animal control finally arrived and captured the dogs. Officials said they plan to have the animals euthanized. Police said the 12-year-old boy was treated at a hospital and released. Jurado had his shoe ripped by the dogs but wasn't hurt.

Woman Hospitalized After Dog Attack

Armed with only a fireplace shovel and stern voice, Poulsbo resident Jerry Sage confronted a 3-year-old chocolate-colored pit bull attacking his neighbor Tuesday morning. the pit bull. The two dogs left their owner’s yard through an open gate, according to police reports.

"I didn’t even think," Sage said of his actions. "It all happened so fast."

Terry Stump, a contractor working on a site next to the house where the dogs live, was outside when he heard a woman screaming for help.

He got in his car to look for the woman. When he drove onto the street, he saw the pit bull walking away while Sage stood over the woman, protecting her from the dog.

"One of my neighbors did a very heroic thing," Stump said about Sage. "I could hear the lady yelling; it was just awful. If he hadn’t gotten there when he did, I don’t know what would’ve happened."

Sage attempted to stop the woman’s bleeding by applying a sweater to the wounds on her foot and arms. Stump described the woman as "incoherent," saying that her "eyes were up in her head."

The pit bull had tried to pull the woman into its owner’s yard. A thin pool of blood remained in the driveway hours after the attack. The Poulsbo Fire Department arrived and took the woman to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton where she received stitches for the bite wounds. As of Tuesday evening, she was in fair condition and was expected to stay overnight at the hospital, Harrison spokeswoman Patti Hart said.

Poulsbo Police reports show that around 10:45 a.m., the pit bull and Great Dane got out of their owners’ yard, which is fenced-in and holds a sign reading "I can make it to the gate in 3 seconds. Can you?" The victim’s home is to the right of the house, while Sage and his wife live across the street.

In an attempt to get the Great Dane to return to its owner’s home, the victim threw biscuits into the yard, a strategy police said she’d learned from neighbors if the dog ever got out. The pit bull also went through the gate before attacking the woman.

This isn’t the first time the dog has attacked someone in the neighborhood, Poulsbo Police Sgt. Bill Playter confirmed.

An animal control officer from the Kitsap Humane Society took custody of the pit bull after the incident. The dog will be quarantined for 10 days, which is normal procedure, said Ben Duenas, an animal control officer.

The dog’s owner decline to comment, but according to Stump, she was very upset and is a "responsible pet owner."

Preventing Dog Bites
in Children

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NZ woman dies after dog attack

April 21, 2007 - 4:47PM

A 56-year-old New Zealand woman has died after being savaged by two dogs as she went for a morning walk this morning, police said.

It was not known what prompted the attack and the dogs have since been destroyed.

Virginia Ohlson suffered injuries to her lower limbs when she was mauled by the dogs in the central North Island town of Murupara.

Nearby residents heard the attack and raced to the woman's aid, but she died while being rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said the owner of the dogs - one believed to be a pit bull and the other a Staffordshire cross - was devastated by the attack and was cooperating fully with police.

"A decision as to what charges the owner of the dogs will face will not be made until after the investigation has been completed," he said.

"It is not clear what sparked the attack."

He said the cause of death was not yet known.

"A postmortem examination will be conducted later today. However, it is unclear when the result of that examination will be known," he added.

Ohlson lived in Murupara and regularly walked past the property where the dogs stayed.

Fatal Dog Attack On Woman Leads To Charges

56-year-old Virginia Ohlson died after being attacked by a pitbull as she was out for a walk near her home, and now criminal charges could soon follow

56-year-old Virginia Ohlson died after being attacked by a pitbull as she was out for a walk near her home, and now criminal charges could soon follow.

Neighbors heard the vicious attack and tried to get help there as soon as possible by calling ambulances to the scene. Virginia was alive when they arrived and was treated for cuts, supposidly to the lower leg. She died in the ambulance though on the way to the hospital, the Rotorua Hospital.

The cause of death was shock and truama.

The owner is working with police and the pitbull has been killed. This comes as a ban is being pushed to ban pitbulls in New Zealand.

Dogs though was being defended in this matter with groups such as The Kennel Club saying that the owners are responsible, not the dogs, for the offenses.

The owner of the dog could no face some serious charges for the
attack.

Dog attack injures woman in St. Paul

Last update: April 24, 2007 – 8:39 AM

The fourth serious dog attack in the Twin Cities in the past four weeks has sent a severely mauled woman to a St. Paul hospital.

In the latest incident, two pit bulls attacked Joann Jungmann, 59, of Willernie, as she was delivering legal papers to a St. Paul home on Monday afternoon.

The victim's close friend, Michael Holmes, said Jungmann was at a house when she passed a sign that said "Beware of Dog."

When the woman walked to the back of the home, Holmes, said, "both pit bulls jumped over the fence and started biting her."

Jungmann tried to climb into her car, but neighbors said the dogs kept dragging her out. Inside the car her own dog, a 65-pound Chesapeake Bay retriever, cowered away from the open door.

"She yelled, 'C'mon, Caleb, save me!' Of course, it probably would've gotten killed," Holmes said of Jungmann's dog.

Neighbors heard the woman scream and rushed to help. Witnesses got the pit bulls off the woman and called for help.

"Her hand that I could see was just mangled and she was hanging on to the kneecap and blood was running down the gutter and I tried holding her up the best I could," said Violet Kult.

Jungmann was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where she was in good condition Tuesday.

She was the latest victim in a string of Twin Cities dog attacks. The first three were in Minneapolis.

— On March 26, a 37-year-old woman was nearly killed after a pit bull and an American bulldog attacked her at a neighbor's home.

— On April 13, an 8-year-old boy was attacked as he walked home from school by a 140-pound Akita that got loose from a neighbor's yard.

— On April 20, a 4-year-old girl needed 13 staples to close a severe head wound after a dog attack.

The dogs in the latest attack were being held at the animal control center, where they were expected to remain in quarantine for rabies observation for 10 days, said St. Paul Animal Control supervisor Bill Stephenson.

He said the dogs' owner was considering giving his consent to euthanize the dogs. "He was pretty shaken up," Stephenson said.

Belfast woman recalls dog attack

An east Belfast woman has been describing the moment when her dog was attacked by a pit bull type terrier.

By:Tracey Magee

Gillian Donnelly`s terrifying ordeal was captured on a CCTV camera.

A peaceful Sunday morning walk became a terrifying nightmare for the east Belfast woman.

Gillian Donnelly was walking her dog Benji along the Woodstock Road when they were attacked by a pit bull type terrier.

In desperation she ran into a newsagent`s and its CCTV camera captured the frightening images.

Shocked staff and customers watched in horror as the dog repeatedly attacked Benji while Gillian tried desperately to free him from its jaws.

Finally the deranged animal let go of Benji when a customer beat it with a placard.

Panic-stricken Gillian then locked herself and her dog in a store room.

Benji is still recovering from his horrendous ordeal.

He needed emergency treatment for puncture wounds and severe bruising.

The dog which attacked Benji was finally located by the police and the Ulster Society For Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (USPCA) took the dog away.

Gillian says she has been deeply traumatised by what happened and believes all pit bull type dogs which are illegal should be taken off the streets.

Dog Parks

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Woman's dog attack terror

May 09, 2007 12:00

Dog bite to face

AN intellectually disabled woman yesterday recalled her terror as she was pinned to the ground and savagely bitten in the face by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Tammy Daley, 28, had her bottom lip and chin ripped open and her upper arm viciously bitten during the attack on Monday night at a house in Raymond Terrace, north of Newcastle.

Figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph reveal that staffies are involved in more attacks than any other breed - yet the breed is not on the State Government's restricted list.

The mauling happened in the dog's Watt St home, where Ms Daley had gone to visit friends.

Although visibly traumatised, Ms Daley said she remembered feeling the dog bite her lip.

"He grabbed my lip in his mouth and pulled me down on to the ground, and I was pushing him away," she said.

The dog was handed over by its owner to a council ranger who confirmed it would be destroyed.

Although Ms Daley suffered serious facial injuries, her aunt and carer Margo Beaven said she was lucky the dog did not grab hold of her throat - an action which would most likely have been fatal.

"She is lucky to be alive," Mrs Beaven said.

The dog's owner Karen Hodge was also wounded when she intervened in the attack.

She suffered a bite on the arm - but said it was out of character for the pet to have acted in such a malicious way.

"He's a lovely dog. He sleeps in bed with me, he's very gentle," she said.

Lower Hunter police acting Inspector Mark Watters said it was unknown if charges would be laid against Ms Hodge.

dog bite

Pit Bull Disfigures 3-Year-Old Girl's Face

Girl's Parents Want Dog Put Down

dog bite to 3-year-old girl's face

INDIANAPOLIS -- A 3-year-old girl is recovering from her injuries after she was bitten in the face by a neighbor's pit bull in the Mars Hill area of Indianapolis Saturday.Rayvin Crawford has been at Methodist Hospital since the attack. Her parents told 6News' Julie Pursley that she was playing with another child in the neighbor's yard when the dog bit her.

We allowed our 15-year-old son to walk her down there and play in the yard with the baby," said Carl Crawford, Rayvin's father. "The babies were playing with a ball. She missed the ball and the dog attacked the baby."Rayvin Crawford was carried home and taken to a hospital, where she underwent surgery and was given more than 200 stitches."Her face was ripped apart," said Rene Robinson, the girl's mother."Why these people would let the dog out in the yard with these children playing, I don't know," Crawford said.The 2-year-old male pit bull was taken to Animal Care and Control. Rayvin's parents want the dog put down, but authorities said the owner wants the dog back and that its fate will be up to a judge."A lot of other things could happen. The dog could be placed somewhere else or it could be euthanized, just depending on how the judge feels about this case," said Media Wilson, of Animal Care and Control.Rayvin's parents said doctors told them the girl might need more surgeries."We don't know if she's smiling. We don't know if she's sad. There's no emotion," said Rene Robinson, Ravin's mother. "She's not my … she's not the same."6News tried to contact the dog's owner, but was unable to reach that person. Pursley said the owner now faces about $700 in fines.

Man Injured In Pit Bull Attack

Neighbors Have Mixed Feelings About Dogs, Owners

dog bite

INDIANAPOLIS -- Just days after a 3-year-old girl was mauled by a pit bull, another dog attack has injured a 61-year-old man.Ed Stanley said he was checking around an investment property he had just bought in the 800 block of Gray Road when two pit bulls charged, trapping him in a corner."The smaller dog was working this leg and he got me -- several bites here," Stanley said.

Neighbors called for help as the dogs tore at Stanley's flesh."It seemed like it was about 10 hours fighting them off, but it was probably about two or three minutes," Stanley said.As Stanley bled, officers fire shots at one of the pit bulls. The dog went down, but then got up and ran."(They) shot the dog three times and he was still running. Eventually, it took a man with a shotgun to bring him down," Stanley said.The other pit bull got away.A neighbor who didn't want to be identified said vicious dogs run loose in the area. She owns a pit bull, but said she treats her animal with care."It's according to how you raise them," the woman said."They're (pit bulls) getting a bad rap," said Mark Miller, another neighbor. "There are some bad owners, but it's the owners, not the dog. Put the owners in jail."Another neighbor, Gary Sayer, said he worries about his granddaughter being outside with dogs running loose."She's our pride and joy. So, we don't want anything to happen to her," Sayer said.Stanley said he just doesn't want what happened to him to happen to others."I think if you've got them … just have a big fence, a big, strong fence," Stanley said.The dogs' owners have not been found.

Dog Bite Prison Term Upheld

LITTLE ROCK — The state Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a Sebastian County judge’s decision to revoke the suspension of a Fort Smith man’s sentence after the man’s dog bit a woman.

Circuit Judge James Marschewski ruled last June that Dustin McKinney had committed the offense of third-degree battery when his pit bull, Snugs, escaped from his yard and bit Sharon Sicard on the leg as she was passing his house on April 8, 2006.

Sicard was treated at an emergency room and referred to a plastic surgeon. Marschewski revoked McKinney’s suspended sentence for theft by threat, residential burglary and theft of property and reinstated McKinney’s original three-year prison term.

According to testimony at the revocation hearing, McKinney owned three dogs that were rarely on chains. The dogs had escaped from McKinney’s yard before and had sometimes bitten people, witnesses testified.

Snugs had shown a propensity to harm people and therefore could be considered a deadly weapon, Marschewski found. The judge concluded that McKinney should have been aware of the substantial and unjustified risk of harm in allowing Snugs to escape from his yard, which was surrounded by a 3-foot fence that Snugs was able to leap.

Marschewski sentenced McKinney to three years in prison.

Snugs and her six puppies were ordered destroyed in a separate hearing. Prosecutor Steve Tabor said the puppies likely had been imprinted with their mother’s aggressive tendencies.

McKinney admitted Snugs had been involved in at least one other biting incident, but on appeal he argued it was unclear whether other incidents described in testimony involved Snugs or one of his other dogs.

The Court of Appeals rejected McKinney’s claim of insufficient evidence.

“The preponderance of the evidence ... supports the circuit court’s conclusion that McKinney committed third-degree battery by negligently causing Sicard’s physical injury with a deadly weapon — his dog Snugs,” Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. wrote in the court’s unanimous opinion.

7-year-old stable after dog attack

Sunday, May 27, 2007

NORTHPORT - A 7-year-old boy attacked by a neighbor's pit bull in Northport was in stable condition at DCH Regional Medical Center, his mother said.

Kristin Townsend said her son, Koby, was attacked Thursday and has bite wounds on his left shoulder and bicep. She expected him to remain in the hospital at least through the weekend. Koby had just finished his first-grade year at Walker Elementary School

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Sgt. Andy Norris said the attack happened shortly after two pit bulls escaped from their pens during feeding at about 6:15 p.m.

Norris said a neighbor managed to pry the pit bull off of Koby, but then the dog turned and bit him as well before the dog's owner finally restrained the dog. Townsend said several neighbors who were volunteer firefighters kept Koby stabilized by giving him oxygen and applying pressure to his wounds until the ambulance arrived and took him to DCH.

"I'm scared this will happen again," Townsend told The Tuscaloosa News for a story Saturday. "Koby's never been bitten before, but one of his friends was bitten by one of the pit bulls in their yard a little more than six months ago." The dog that attacked Koby has been quarantined at a veterinarian clinic where it will stay for a minimum of 10 days, as is the procedure for dog bite cases.

The case remains under investigation.

Grandpa Rescues Toddler From Pit Bull Attack

Saturday, 26 May 2007, 8:42 PM CDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One Metro grandfather lived a nightmare on Saturday when he saw a dog attack his three-year-old granddaughter in Kansas City, Mo.

Raymond Stanley went outside to feed his cat around 10:30 a.m. and let his granddaughter O'Leah come with him. Raymond gave the toddler a biscuit to give a nearby pit bull, and turned away.

The next thing he heard was his granddaughter screaming.

"Just like that I was making the turn to go feed that cat, and he was on top of her - had her knocked down on the sidewalk like he was fighting another dog," Stanley said.

Stanley reacted quickly, pulling the dog off of his granddaughter.

"I started pulling the dog away from the little girl, and you can see I got all that blood all over me," Stanley said of the morning scare.

The little girl is at Children's Mercy Hospital, but will recover.

Robin Lilly has been training dogs for more than 25 years. Lilly said there are ways to prevent incident's like the one Stanley experienced.

"A small child should really never be allowed to give a dog treats," Lilly said. Lilly explained that a child's size and stature makes them want to hold a treat up at the animal, "so the dog's going to lunge for that treat, and a lot of times that's just exactly how accidents happen."

Lilly said you should always reiterate how important it is to be gentle with dogs, and teach them the proper way to approach the animal. She said you should keep in mind that not all dogs are friendly, and if one shows aggression, just slowly walk away.

Northport Boy Recovers from Pit-bull Attack

Saturday, 26 May 2007, 8:10 PM CDT

NORTHPORT, Ala(WBRC-TV MyFoxAL.com)-- A seven year-old Northport boy is recovering in the hospital from a pit bull attack.
    Koby Townsend was attacked Thursday and suffered bite wounds on his left shoulder and bicep.
    He's being treated at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.
    Police say it happened when two pit bulls escaped from their pens during feeding.
    A neighbor managed to pry the pit bull off of the child.
    The dog has been quarantined at a veterinarian clinic where it will remain for a minimum of 10 days, as is the procedure for dog bite cases.

Indianapolis girl has surgery after dog attack

May 25, 2007

A 7-year-old Indianapolis girl is recovering from surgery after a dog bit her, police said.

Camaya Fletcher was taken to Riley Hospital for Children after Rex, a pit bull, attacked her shortly after she and her mother walked the dog in Orchard Valley, a new-home neighborhood on the Northeastside.

Fletcher's mother, Kimberly Harris, was "dog-sitting" the animal, said Media Wilson, a spokeswoman for Indianapolis Animal Care & Control.

A part of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Animal Care & Control is investigating. No citations, if any, will be issued until the girl is out of harm's way, Wilson said.

The girl's condition was unavailable, although police said she underwent surgery on her arm. Family members declined to answer questions when contacted by phone.

Wilson said the dog was euthanized at the animal facility, 2600 S. Harding St. The dog had been shot three times by Mark Maxwell, a reserve officer with Indianapolis metropolitan police. The dog was alive upon arrival at the animal control facility about 8:30 p.m. The animal was euthanized with the consent of the owner, Mikel Dixon, of the 3600 block of Foxtail Drive.

Dogs Attack Santa Maria Mailman

"May 25, 2007 10:18 AM EST"

SANTA MARIA

A Santa Maria woman's dogs break loose attacking a mailman.

But one of Santa Maria's finest comes to the rescue.

The second dog attack in a week's time on the Central Coast sends a mail carrier to the hospital.

It happened just after noon Thursday on the 1700 block of north Lincoln in Santa Maria.

Last Thursday, two Nipomo children were attacked by an American bull dog.

Thursday, a mail carrier was savagely bitten by three pit bull mixes.

Sandra Moreno-Tannan was in the backyard feeding her three dogs, Bebe, Bubba, and Baby when the animals started to get agitated.

"They smelled the mailman and as they do, dogs for some reason don't like mailman. I don't know why. They got out," said Sandra Moreno-Tannan

The pit-bull lab mixes chased the mail-carrier down the street biting his arms and legs.

Corporal Jack Dunn of the Santa Maria Police Department was patrolling in the area and noticed the dogs attacking the postman.

Dunn immediately drove his car in the direction of the dogs and jumped out scaring them away.

The dogs were removed by animal control for observation.

Tannan isn't sure if she wants them back.

"Bebe is my husband's dog and he's sentenced to six to nine years to life in prison, so he probably won't be coming home to take care of her. She's just too big to handle. I can't walk her, she's too heavy," said Moreno-Tannan.

Tannan said she was more upset about the dogs injuring the mailman than them being taken away.

"Soldiers die everyday, firemen get burned, postman get bit. I don't know why dogs do it. But I feel really bad for him and his family and I hope he recovers soon," said Moreno-Tannan.

The victim, Eddie Canales, was taken to Marian Medical Center, treated and released with stitches to his arms and legs.

Action News spoke with Eddie Canales on the phone.

He is recovering at home.

He is a dog-owner himself but hopes "the ones that attacked him are destroyed".

Police have determined the incident was an accident as the dogs were restrained in the backyard and broke loose.

Chesterfield Officer Injured In Dog Attack

May 29, 2007

A Chesterfield County police officer is recovering after being attacked by two pitbulls early Tuesday morning.

According to police, it happened around 3 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of China Berry and Marbrett Drive. Authorities say the officer was on a routine patrol when the dogs attacked.

The officer suffered minor injuries during the incident. Responding officers were forced to shot the dogs, according to investigators.

Charges considered after dog attack

May 30, 2007

BAZETTA — The owner of a pit-bull mix may be charged today after the mauling of a 7-year-old girl during the weekend at Mosquito Lake State Park.

Alexis Foraker of Englewood Avenue, Austintown, was released Monday evening from Akron Children's Hospital where plastic surgery was performed on her face, according to Jeff Orth, assistant park manager.

Park police will meet today with the Trumbull County Prosecutor's office to determine what charges will be filed against dog owner Lance Peck, 35, of Champion, Orth said.

Orth explained that Peck was with his children at the park Monday afternoon when Alexis and a sibling asked Peck if they could pet his dog, which was on a leash.

The sibling was petting the dog, but it turned vicious and attacked Alexis, Orth said.

Peck put the dog and his children in his vehicle and was going to talk with Alexis' parents, but he became fearful of a confrontation with her family and left, Orth said.

Peck, who was found at home, admitted he owned the dog and to what had happened.

Dogs are permitted in the park, Orth pointed but, but must remain under control.

Bite victim still in hospital nearly a week after attack

Lodi officials want dog destroyed and owner barred from ownership

By Layla Bohm
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2007 8:15 AM PDT

An elderly Lodi man remains hospitalized nearly a week after a dog bit him Saturday, and city officials want the dog killed.

In court papers filed Thursday, Deputy City Attorney Janice Magdich asked that a judge declare the 3-year-old pit bull vicious and order it destroyed, and also asked that the owner be barred from owning dogs for three years.

The dog's owner, Sonja Gabales, did not immediately return a telephone message.

"I kind of feel sorry for them, but that dog is too dangerous," said Donald Morita, who is on strict bed-rest due to a fractured spine he suffered after the dog bit and knocked him over.

The black and white dog, Brutus, twice bit people last year and was also impounded three times in 2006 for running at -large, Magdich wrote in court papers.

It is only the fifth time the city has taken such action involving dogs in the seven years Stephen Schwabauer said he has worked as city attorney and previously as deputy city attorney. In four of those, the owner relinquished the dog. The fifth case went to trial and a judge ultimately ordered that the dog be destroyed.

On Saturday, according to a police report filed with the court papers, Morita walked up to Gabales' door in the 500 block of South Rose Street.

Morita, 85, intended to ask Gabales to keep the dog in her house while workers repaired a fence Gabales shares with Morita's sister. He was paying for the fence repairs because the dog regularly jumped the fence into his sister's yard, Morita said Thursday.

He had gotten halfway up the walkway when the 70-pound dog burst through an unlatched screen door, knocked Morita to the ground and bit his arm.

Morita remains in the hospital, where he has undergone surgery to reattach tendons and muscles in his arm and he needed 25 staples. He has a broken vertebra and a concussion.

Brutus, who is properly registered and vaccinated, is known to animal control officers and even bit Animal Services Officer Jennifer Bender in December, leaving tooth marks but not breaking the skin. The dog also bit a bicyclist last year, though the victim did not want to file a complaint.

At Bender's request, Gabales took the dog to the animal shelter to be quarantined, common procedure after a dog bite. Gabales told the officer that the dog is very protective of her daughter, and acknowledged that her screen door does not latch, Bender wrote in a report.

That acknowledgment, along with the dog's history, prompted city officials to file the court papers, citing Gabales' "apparent indifference to the need to secure her dog."

Gabales' case is being handled through a court process with a judge, rather than an administrative hearing, due to the "severity of the attack," Magdich said.

In a case last year, for instance, the city moved to have half a dozen pit bulls declared vicious after they were among 19 dogs seized from a Lodi home. That matter was handled administratively because the dogs displayed vicious behavior but had not attacked anyone, Magdich said.

Gabales' matter is set for a hearing June 11 in Lodi court.

An open letter to pit bull-defenders

You strut along the road with your four-legged magnum by your side.

Leashed, thank goodness.

But menacing nonetheless.

Your pit bull - complete with studded collar - does not impress.

It does not scream macho or gangsta.

All it says is "I'm stubborn enough to own a dog that is inclined to attack and sometimes requires a pry bar because its jaws lock so tight on its prey. I can't afford homeowners insurance because of this risky dog. No neighborhood will allow me in. And I owe thousands in animal-control fines."

That is how pit bull owners should be perceived.

Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite.

Pit bulls were already glorified by rappers. Now the suspicion that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is a heavyweight in the dog fighting world and possibly linked to as many as 55 pit bulls found at his home only fuels the cool dog perception.

Watch pit bull breeders cash in on No. 7.

Despite the deadly costs.

Of course, not all pit bull breeders and owners are involved in dog fighting. But eve



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