11/17/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Phenix City, AL—A child died after as many as a dozen dogs attacked him in East Alabama Monday afternoon, November 15, 2010. According to information provided by WTVM, the 5-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries after being mauled by the pack of dogs, which are not believed to be wild, at a Phenix City home after 1 p.m.

Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry said he believed the group of 12 dogs might have escaped from a fenced-in area prior to the brutal attack. Cason Bryant, 5, reportedly suffered numerous bite marks when the pack of aggressive dogs approached him at a home on McElvey Road.

The young child was rushed to an area hospital, though his severe wounds proved fatal shortly after. Bryant was sadly pronounced dead around 2:30 p.m.

Sarah Baxter, a friend of the victim’s family, said the boy’s mother, Jennifer Bryant is heartbroken by her loss. “She says she just want to wake up and just be a dream. The father is beyond grief right now,” Baxter contended.

Sumbry stressed the importance of keeping a watchful eye on children, particularly in households where pets are present. “I have a child myself, 6-years-old, and I have dogs… It just makes you be more aware of your child or children around pets,” Sumbry said.

“They’re pets, but never should any pet be left unsupervised anytime. My heart goes out to that family,” the county’s coroner added.

The dogs were all captured and taken to Auburn University, where they were expected to be used for research and then euthanized.

Additionally, the Cason Bryant Memorial Fund was set up in commemoration of the young boy. Donations are accepted and appreciated at any Wells Fargo or Columbus Bank and Trust.

Investigations into the fatal dog attack continue.

via Phenix City AL Animal Attack: Boy, 5, Dies After Being Mauled by Pack of Dogs | Justice News Flash | JusticeNewsFlash Release.

11/17/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Phenix City, AL—A child died after as many as a dozen dogs attacked him in East Alabama Monday afternoon, November 15, 2010. According to information provided by WTVM, the 5-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries after being mauled by the pack of dogs, which are not believed to be wild, at a Phenix City home after 1 p.m.

Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry said he believed the group of 12 dogs might have escaped from a fenced-in area prior to the brutal attack. Cason Bryant, 5, reportedly suffered numerous bite marks when the pack of aggressive dogs approached him at a home on McElvey Road.

The young child was rushed to an area hospital, though his severe wounds proved fatal shortly after. Bryant was sadly pronounced dead around 2:30 p.m.

Sarah Baxter, a friend of the victim’s family, said the boy’s mother, Jennifer Bryant is heartbroken by her loss. “She says she just want to wake up and just be a dream. The father is beyond grief right now,” Baxter contended.

Sumbry stressed the importance of keeping a watchful eye on children, particularly in households where pets are present. “I have a child myself, 6-years-old, and I have dogs… It just makes you be more aware of your child or children around pets,” Sumbry said.

“They’re pets, but never should any pet be left unsupervised anytime. My heart goes out to that family,” the county’s coroner added.

The dogs were all captured and taken to Auburn University, where they were expected to be used for research and then euthanized.

Additionally, the Cason Bryant Memorial Fund was set up in commemoration of the young boy. Donations are accepted and appreciated at any Wells Fargo or Columbus Bank and Trust.

Investigations into the fatal dog attack continue.

via Phenix City AL Animal Attack: Boy, 5, Dies After Being Mauled by Pack of Dogs | Justice News Flash | JusticeNewsFlash Release.

ROBBINSVILLE, N.C. — Graham County police say a 2-year-old boy remains in critical condition after being mauled by pit bulls that belonged to his grandmother.

Sheriff’s Capt. Joseph Jones said Monday the boy was bitten on his neck, stomach and legs while he was playing in his yard where several of the dogs were running free Saturday.

Police have quarantined five pit bulls at the Haywood County animal shelter and they likely will be killed. Jones said the family kept the dogs as pets and were not breeding them.

The boy’s grandmother told investigators she had been trying to give the dogs away.

Jones says no charges have been filed.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that a deputy shot one dog at the scene.

via NC toddler in critical condition after dog attack :: WRAL.com.

ACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A newborn baby is dead after being attacked by a pit bull in a Jacksonville home.

The newborn died at a hospital. Authorities have not released the baby’s name.

Department of Children and Families spokesman John Harrell says the state agency and police are investigating whether the baby was being supervised and whether the dog previously showed aggressive behavior.

City animal control officials say the young dog has been euthanized.

In a separate case Monday night, Manatee County deputies fatally shot a pit bull that charged them after attacking a 5-year-old boy in Bradenton. Authorities say the boy tried to climb a tree to get away but the dog bit into his arm and tried to pull him down.

Neither the boy’s name nor condition were released.

via Fla. newborn dies after pit bull attack at home – Florida AP – MiamiHerald.com.

An elderly Vincent woman is in critical condition after she fell outside her home Monday, was mauled by a wild dog or coyote, and not found until 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said the woman’s small dog was found attacked and killed outside the home at 2250 Moody Ridge Road, Vincent.

The homeowner, Julia Stevens, 75, was transported by Little Hocking Volunteer Fire Department squad to Camden Clark Memorial Hospital after she was found by a home-health aide.

“It appears her health concerns are more from exposure than from any of the bite marks,” Mincks said.

An officer’s report indicates the woman had bites on her lower left leg and her upper body. Police believe she may have fallen from her mobility scooter when it became stuck in a rut outside her home.

Mincks said the woman likely spent the entire night outside in the cold and rainy weather. The temperature early Tuesday dipped down to 41 degrees.

Washington County Dog Warden Steve Strahler said deputies are expected to follow up with Stevens to learn more about the incident, which will help him determine what his role will be.

“My understanding is that she was unconscious and unable to tell anyone exactly what happened,” Strahler said. “If we are able to determine it was a coyote, we’ll contact (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and assist them in trapping it.”

Strahler said there have been no reports of dogs at large in the area of the attack.

“We had a few a while back, but those have all been taken care of,” he said.

Strahler said he asked officers to describe the bite marks.

“It sounds like a coyote,” he said. “The measurement between the canines (teeth) was about an inch, and anything an inch or smaller is usually a coyote. Dogs are usually an inch-and-a-half to two-inches (apart).”

The police report did not indicate the breed of the dog that was killed.

“I wasn’t out there, but my understanding is that it was a small dog,” Strahler said.

via Woman in critical condition after wild animal attack – MariettaTimes.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Ohio, Community Information – The Marietta Times.

Williamsburg, MO (KSDK) — Even if there are a few scrapes between them, John Reynolds insist his dogs are friendly. All 17 of them. All pit bulls.

“They were like best buddies,” Reynolds says of his father the 84 year old Rev. John Reynolds and one of the pit bulls. “My dad would sit there and feed him off his spoon. They slept together.”

Reynolds says no one knew his dogs’ nature more than his father who owned the home and property where John raises the dogs.

Which makes what he found on Wednesday night, October 13th, even harder to understand.

“I could see that he’d been attacked by something,” Reynolds recalls.

He came home that night and found his father on the ground in the pen with severe bite marks. He did not survive the attack.

The sheriff’s department says the dogs were on the loose but, with the exception of one dog who was wounded, showed few signs of an attack given the severity of Rev. Reynolds’ injuries.

“They think that my dad might have been out here and they might have been playing or rough-housing and it got out of control,” Reynolds says of his conversations with investigators. “But I just can’t, I don’t believe it.”

He admits it’s only speculation, but Reynolds believes stray dogs or possibly even a mountain lion may have attacked his father and his pit bulls.

While extremely rare, the Sheriff says deputies have taken reports on, and had sightings of, mountain lions in Callaway County. The official report on Rev. Reynolds’ death only says his injuries were consistent with an animal attack.

“I know that there [are] a lot of people out there that are dead set against pit bulls and I’m sure they’re going to try to use this to get their point across,” says Reynolds, defending his dogs. “I know he wouldn’t like it,” he says of his late father.

The investigation is ongoing, but the Sheriff says there won’t be any charges since the property owner has passed away. The dogs won’t be seized because the county doesn’t have the resources to handle that

via Rev. John Reynolds found dead with severe bite marks | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO.

Williamsburg, MO (KSDK) — Even if there are a few scrapes between them, John Reynolds insist his dogs are friendly. All 17 of them. All pit bulls.

“They were like best buddies,” Reynolds says of his father the 84 year old Rev. John Reynolds and one of the pit bulls. “My dad would sit there and feed him off his spoon. They slept together.”

Reynolds says no one knew his dogs’ nature more than his father who owned the home and property where John raises the dogs.

Which makes what he found on Wednesday night, October 13th, even harder to understand.

“I could see that he’d been attacked by something,” Reynolds recalls.

He came home that night and found his father on the ground in the pen with severe bite marks. He did not survive the attack.

The sheriff’s department says the dogs were on the loose but, with the exception of one dog who was wounded, showed few signs of an attack given the severity of Rev. Reynolds’ injuries.

“They think that my dad might have been out here and they might have been playing or rough-housing and it got out of control,” Reynolds says of his conversations with investigators. “But I just can’t, I don’t believe it.”

He admits it’s only speculation, but Reynolds believes stray dogs or possibly even a mountain lion may have attacked his father and his pit bulls.

While extremely rare, the Sheriff says deputies have taken reports on, and had sightings of, mountain lions in Callaway County. The official report on Rev. Reynolds’ death only says his injuries were consistent with an animal attack.

“I know that there [are] a lot of people out there that are dead set against pit bulls and I’m sure they’re going to try to use this to get their point across,” says Reynolds, defending his dogs. “I know he wouldn’t like it,” he says of his late father.

The investigation is ongoing, but the Sheriff says there won’t be any charges since the property owner has passed away. The dogs won’t be seized because the county doesn’t have the resources to handle that

via Rev. John Reynolds found dead with severe bite marks | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO.

Orion Township — An Orion Township man bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake, Michigan’s only venomous snake, is recovering after being treated with anti-venom at a local hospital and released Friday evening.

The unidentified man was walking with his beagle in the woods behind his home around 6:45 p.m. when he was bitten, according to Sgt. Mark Buffa of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Beaumont Hospital spokeswoman Karen LeDuc said the man was brought in shortly after the bite.

“He was treated by an anti-venom we received from the Detroit Zoo, and released,” she said.

Buffa said the man’s dog was bit first. When he “came up to investigate, he got bit,” Buffa said.

The dog’s condition was unclear late Friday.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake is found in a variety of wetlands and woods throughout the lower peninsula.

It is the only Michigan snake with segmented rattles on the end of its tail and elliptical (“cat like”) vertical pupils in the eyes. The neck is narrow, contrasting with the wide head and body, and the head appears triangular in shape. It usually feeds on small rodents and frogs, and adults can grow to 2

to 3

feet long.

Friday’s incident marks the third snake bite involving an eastern massasauga rattlesnake in a month.

A dog was bitten by one in late September and also treated with anti-venom from the Detroit Zoo.

via Man recovering after rattlesnake bite | detnews.com | The Detroit News.

DELAWARE, Ohio — The actions of a neighbor may have saved the life of a 67-year-old man who was attacked and mauled on Tuesday by a group of dogs.

Family members said James Bright was walking to his aunt’s house, as he does each day, when four Cane Corsos began attacking him.

Louis Clegg said he came upon the scene and saw the dogs tearing away at Bright, 10TV’s Kevin Landers reported.

“(His) pants were tore apart, legs chewed up (and) the back of his head was mangled,” Clegg said.

Clegg said he jumped in his car and used the vehicle to scare the dogs away.

“I was a foot away from the man,” he said.  “I backed up, honked the horn and charged to scare them off.”

It was enough to stop the dogs from mauling Bright.  The owner of the dogs appeared a short time later and corralled the animals, Landers reported.

The owner, Virgil Mitchell III, has not been charged in connection with Tuesday’s attack, but court records showed he had been cited eight times from 2002 to 2008 for violations that included allowing his dogs to run at large and failing to immunize them for rabies, Landers reported.

Mitchell could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

The dogs were being held at the Delaware County Animal Shelter.

Each of the dogs involved in the attack was being kept in a separate cage, 10TV’s Shayla Reaves reported.

The county’s assistant dog warden could not comment on the case, but police said animal control officers were finishing paperwork in connection with the attack.

Charges were filed against the dog’s owner on Wednesday afternoon,  Reaves reported.

Bright, who was airlifted by helicopter to Grant Medical Center in Columbus after the attack, was expected to survive his wounds. He was recovering from skin grafting surgery Reaves reported.

Bright’s son told 10TV News that he spoke with his father, and his father expressed relief that it was him and not a child that was attacked.

“When I talked to my dad that’s the first thing he said, ‘Thank God it wasn’t a kid,’” said John Bright.

via Delaware Man Uses Car To Stop Dog Attack | WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio News.

MCMINN COUNTY (WRCB) –  An 85-year old woman is dead Saturday after being mauled by the family pet.  According to police it took bullets from 2 deputies and a neighbor to finally subdue the dog.

“It jumped out of the car and I actually helped her get it back in the car,” says neighbor Brandon Russell, describing an encounter he had with the dog.  “It was a real friendly dog.”

But Saturday at 151 County 492 in McMinn County, a pit-bull that had been part of the family for 9-years attacked and killed.

“I talked to the family members today, and the woman who owns the home,” says Russell.  “I told her I was very sorry about what happened.”

It was the 85-year-old mother of the woman who owns the home that was attacked.  Family members told Channel 3 off camera that she lives at the home.  However, the dog is usually kept outside so the elderly woman was not used to being around the pet.

Family members told police they were working in the yard Saturday morning when the attack happened inside.

“The daughter of the deceased came running out and got a neighbor,”  says detective, Eric Allman, with the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office..  “She gave him a gun and told him to shoot the dog.  All that did was back the dog away a little.”

Family members say they believe noise from construction work to the roof is what caused the dog to become aggressive enough to attack.

“When the first deputy arrived he went inside,” says Allman.  “The dog was still aggressive at that point.  He fired on the dog.”

It took two police officers and many rounds to finally kill the animal.  Russell says when he talked to family members soon after the incident they were beside themselves with grief.

“The daughter said she blames herself but it wasn’t her fault,” the neighbor says.

Police say every effort was made to rescue the 85-year-old, but she had already succumbed to her injuries.

The McMinn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.  Detective Allman says he doesn’t expect any charges to be filed.

——————————————

MCMINN COUNTY, TN (WRCB)– McMinn County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a tragic incident Saturday morning after an 85-year-old female was killed by a family-owned pit bull.

Police say Mattie Daugherty was killed after her nine-year-old pit bull attacked her inside her home around 11:45. The family told police that the dog would not allow anyone to approach Daugherty and that a neighbor had attempted to shoot it.

Officers Randy Gabrel and Tim Davis entered the home and also fired their weapons several times in attempt to rescue the victim.

Officer Gabrel risked his own safety and was able to remove the victim from the animal, and additional shots were fired by Officer Davis to finally subdue the dog.

Although every effort had been made to rescue the Daugherty, it was apparent that she had already passed away due to her severe wounds.

MCSO officers and detectives secured the scene and investigated the incident. No charges have been filed.

“This is a sad and tragic incident that bears little explanation,” says Sheriff Guy. “It was an unfortunate accident involving an animal that the family had owned for many years and had never had problems with. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they go through this difficult time.”

via McMinn County woman killed in pit bull attack – WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports.