A 4-year-old boy was critically injured in a dog attack inside a house where he was staying overnight in Kansas City.

The boy’s mother was staying at the house in the 3500 block of Terrace Street to clean it and she brought her son.

She told police she was sleeping about 2:30 a.m. when the sound of dogs barking inside the home woke her up. She went to see what was causing the barking and found two large Rottweiler dogs surrounding her son. At least one dog was biting her son. She pushed the dogs away and forced them outside. She then picked up her son, who had suffered bite marks over his entire body, and ran to a neighbor’s house, where she called 911.

An ambulance took the boy to a hospital, where he was listed in critical, but stable condition. A doctor told police it was the worst animal attack injuries he had ever seen.

Police were still investigating what caused the dogs to maul the boy. Police could not reach animal control officers in Kansas City so animal control officers from North Kansas City took the dogs away.

via 4-year-old critically hurt in dog attack – KansasCity.com.

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) – In the front row of Lake Grove Missionary Baptist Church Saturday morning, relatives held each other and wept as 71-year-old William Parker was memorialized.

“I just don’t want to see them close the casket,” said Parker’s daughter, Gardenia. “I don’t want them to close the casket.”

Gardenia Parker was overcome by emotional and physical pain after losing her father.  She was among the injured on July 20th, when two lose pit bulls attacked her, her father and two paramedics.

Gardenia survived, but William Parker went into heart failure and died.

Days after the attack, city officials moved controlling vicious and stray animals to the top of their priority list.

“Clearly we think it’s a problem,” city CAO George little said earlier this week. “It’s a problem we’d like to move forward on.”

City government is considering a number of animal control ordinances, including mandatory spay and neutering, and a finder’s fee for citizens who capture stray animals.

But changing animal control laws won’t reverse the Parker’s family tragedy.  Still, family members said knowing that William Parker didn’t die in vain will help them heal.

If you want to help William Parker’s family, you can make a contribution at any Bank of America branch. The official name of the account is “The William Alvin Parker Memorial Fund.”

via Family says goodbye to father killed in pit bull attack – WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS:.

CONCORD, Calif. (CBS/AP) A California man was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of felony child endangerment and possession of mischievous animals after three of his pit bulls attacked and killed his step grandson.

The 2-year-old victim, Jacob Busbee, was at home Thursday morning with his grandmother, uncle, and 4-year-old brother, when he walked into the garage and was attacked by the family dogs, reports CBS affiliate KPIX. The boy died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Authorities say that the three dogs involved, as well as the family’s two other dogs, were all euthanized hours after the boy’s attack.

The Step-grandfather, Steven Hayashi, 52, was being held on $250,000 bail.

via Pit Bull Owner Arrested for Fatal Dog Attack on 2-Year-Old Step-Grandson – Crimesider – CBS News.

CONCORD — A man whose pit bulls fatally mauled his 2-year-old stepgrandson expressed deep regret Friday about keeping the animals despite past violent behavior that included the killing of a family Chihuahua a year ago.

Steven Hayashi, 52, of Concord, spoke from jail about the death of Jacob Bisbee, who ambled into the family’s garage on Trailcreek Court on Thursday morning and was attacked by three of the family’s five pit bulls. Jacob died that morning at a hospital.

Hayashi was booked on suspicion of child endangerment and possession of a mischievous animal that causes a death and is being held on $120,000 bail. Prosecutors are expected to review the case early next week. All five of the dogs have been euthanized.

Hayashi’s wife, his 19-year-old son, and Jacob’s brother were at the house during the attack. Jacob’s father, Hayashi’s stepson, was at work.

Hayashi, who said he is not currently employed, was out with his 13-year-old son before coming home to the sight of police cars.

“I come home, my grandson is dead, and my dogs were responsible. I’m in jail, and my family might be persecuted or looked upon different than before,” he said, pausing and then adding, “I love children, especially my own grandkids.”

When he talked about Jacob, Hayashi’s eyes welled up and he started sobbing.

“He was a fun-loving boy. He liked playing with cars. That last (time) I saw him he came up to me and gave me a hug when I was cooking,” he said.

Hayashi said he and his wife looked after Jacob and his 4-year-old brother because the children’s father worked long days.

Although Hayashi said he made a tragic mistake keeping the animals around the two young boys, he doesn’t believe he should be jailed.

“I made a bad decision about keeping the dogs,” Hayashi said from an interview room at County Jail in Martinez. “I don’t take responsibility for Jacob’s death. However, I am responsible for not getting rid of those dogs when I should have.”

Hayashi said one or more of the dogs had killed his Chihuahua, Ruby, last year when he lived in Antioch.

“The reason I kept them is I didn’t have the heart to euthanize them” after Ruby’s death, he said.

A short time later, he relocated to Concord with his wife and two sons. About the same time, his stepson moved in, bringing along Jacob and his brother. The stepson is separated from the boys’ mother.

Until Thursday, Hayashi said he did not see anything wrong with having the animals — 1-year-old pups Max and C.J.; Kiwi and Jake, both 18 months old; and their mother, 3-year-old Sadie — living in the same house with small children.

He said all of the dogs except Kiwi, which he described as the aggressive one, were friendly around Jacob and his brother.

“Kiwi, that’s the one I didn’t trust,” Hayashi said, adding that he kept the children away from that dog.

Only Sadie, the dogs’ mother, was spayed. Hayashi said that he did not intend to own five pit bulls but that when he got Sadie from a pound in Lake County, neither he nor the staff knew she was pregnant.

Hayashi said he kept Sadie, Kiwi and Jake in the garage and let Max and C. J. roam free in the backyard. He let each dog free, one at a time, in the front yard, saying he was able to control them one-on-one without a leash.

He acknowledged neighbors’ claims Thursday that some of the dogs approached them aggressively, saying he did allow the animals to “explore” for a few minutes at a time when they were outside the house.

Hayashi said he is still trying to sort out exactly how Jacob got into the garage, which was usually locked with a deadbolt out of the boy’s reach.”Both me and my wife do not understand how he ended up in the garage,” Hayashi said. “This is the first time ever in the one year they stayed with us that Jacob has ever, ever gone inside the garage.”

The experience has left him with no affection for dogs of any kind. He said he once thought that owning the pit bulls, as long as he was careful, would not be a danger to his family. He has abandoned that thought.

“I used to think that way, too,” Hayashi said. “That’s what got me into this mess. Thinking they’re like regular dogs.

“I can understand a dog biting or nipping, but to maul somebody until he is dead, to tear out somebody’s face” shows pit bulls are particularly dangerous.

He said that is why he did not try to reclaim the animals after they were taken by animal services, effectively assuring that they would be euthanized.

via Stepgrandfather of mauled 2-year-old Concord boy: ‘I made a bad decision about keeping the dogs’ – San Jose Mercury News.

MEMPHIS, TN— Police still have not charged anyone connected to a deadly pit bull attack. William Parker, 71, died after two pit bulls attacked him while he was walking home from the store. His wife, Bessie, says her husband had a heart attack while being attacked by the dogs.

Memphis police have confirmed an officer was called to the apartment complex where the attack happened on July 18, 2010. The officer responded to a “dogs on the loose” call. Police say the viscous dogs had a person trapped inside a car. A spokesperson for the Memphis Police Department said animal control was never called to pick up the dogs because the owner was able to get the dogs back in the apartment.

The dogs belong to Bernard Humphrey. When police responded to the dog call, they discovered Humphrey was a sex offender who failed to register his new address. Humphrey was arrested for violating the sex offender registry law and the dogs were left at the apartment.

In addition to Parker, four others were injured. One was Gardenia Parker. She was attacked trying to save her father. “These little cuts and bruises is nothing. I can get over that part. I can’t get over losing my daddy,” said Parker. “I ain’t ever going to get my daddy back. I think justice needs to be done.”

Bessie Parker thinks Humphrey needs to be criminally charged. “The way I feel right now, they could give him the death penalty because he killed my husband,” said Parker, “I miss my husband. I can’t bring him back.”

The dogs are now at the animal shelter under quarantine.

The Parker’s had been together for more than fifty years. Bessie Parker now has to come up with the money needed to bury her husband. The couple had no insurance. Parker said, “I try to be strong for my daughter and my grand baby, this is all I got left now.”

via Wife Talks About Pit Bull Attack That Killed Her Husband|myEyewitnessNews.com, Memphis News, Entertainment, Videos, Business Search and Shopping.

Lincoln Park — A 5-year-old boy was found dead this morning in his home in the 1500 block of Empire, believed to have been mauled to death by a dog or dogs in the home.

Police Chief Thomas Karnes said the mother of Kyle Holland called police around 9:30 a.m. today when she found her son dead in an upstairs bedroom. The mother, Karnes said, told police she put her son to bed around 10:30-11 p.m. Sunday. He is believed to have been deceased for several hours before police arrived. Authorities described his wounds as “significant.”

“It was sometime during the night that this had taken place,” Karnes said. “It appears the child was attacked by an animal.”

Authorities took two dogs from the home — a 35-pound Labrador mix and the other, a 90-pound male dog described by the owner as a husky/German shepherd mix. The dogs belong to the live-in boyfriend of the boy’s mother.

“It’s been described as a wolf hybrid, but the owner denies that,” Karnes said.

Police have ruled the death a homicide. An autopsy will be performed Tuesday. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (313) 381-1800.

via Dog attack suspected in 5-year-old boy’s death | detnews.com | The Detroit News.

A Chihuahua died Sunday afternoon in the jaws of two pit bulls after they entered its south Richmond home and approached its owner’s newborn child, police say.

“The pit bulls apparently entered the residence through an open front door and approached a 22-day-old infant, whom the mom had been feeding,” said Dan Barrett, deputy director of the Contra Costa Animal Services department. “The family has a Chihuahua that confronted them. Of course, they focused their attention on the small dog.”

The larger animals seized the Chihuahua in their jaws and carried it out of the house, on the 300 block of South 7th Street. Authorities later found it dead nearby.

Richmond police officers responding to several 911 calls about the attack beginning at 4:35 p.m., and tracked the pit bulls to a home on the 300 block of South 4th Street, Sgt. Bisa French said. No people were hurt.

The owner did not surrender the dogs for euthanization, meaning Animal Services will conduct an investigation and may hold a hearing in a future to decide what to do with them.

County ordinance allows owners of animals accused of violent behavior an administrative hearing before the agency imposes fines, monitoring requirement or euthanization.

The family of the Chihuahua could not be reached for comment.

via Chihuahua died defending newborn from pit bulls in Richmond – San Jose Mercury News.

This is a strange story.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Officials say a Hinds County grand jury reached no conclusion on assigning guilt in the Feb. 12 mauling death of 5-year-old Anataisa Bingham of Terry.

Hinds County Sheriff’s depuites say Bingham died two days before her 6th birthday after a pit bull dog attacked her near the house where she lived with her grandparents.

DNA testing on a pit bull discovered at the scene showed the the dog did not attack the young girl.

Acting on a confidential tip, investigators also recovered the remains of a dead pit bull from a ditch near the area, but deputies say DNA testing on the animal was inconclusive.

The Clarion-Ledger reports no one has claimed ownership of the dead animal.

via Probe of Miss. fatal dog attack inconclusive – WDAM – Channel 7 – Serving Hattiesburg, Laurel and the Pine Belt.

LAKEVILLE — A Helen Street home was a horrific scene Wednesday afternoon, when a vicious pit bull attack left a 5-year-old boy and his babysitter seriously injured.

The boy, who lives next door to the 38-year-old babysitter, was reportedly in the woman’s living room shortly before 5 p.m. when her pet pit bull attacked him. When the woman tried to pull the dog off of the boy, the animal reportedly turned on her. After police arrived at the scene, an officer fired multiple rounds at the pit bull, killing the animal, neighbors said.

The boy and woman were both flown to hospitals by MedFlight helicopters.

via Boy, woman hospitalized after pit bull attack – Taunton, MA – The Taunton Gazette.

A newborn baby is dead after being attacked by a dog, Quebec provincial police say.

The attack happened in Saint-Barnabé-Sud, Que., on Monday afternoon.

Police said they received a call about the three-week-old girl around 3:30 p.m. ET.

Neighbours said the baby was in the home on Rang Bas-Saint-Amable with a pair of huskies — a male and a female.

The dogs did not belong to the family, but to a couple visiting the home, they said.

For an unknown reason, one of the dogs, believed to be the male, attacked the baby, said police.

A baby died in a dog attack in Saint-Barnabé-Sud, 60 kilometres east of Montreal. (CBC)”The investigation is just starting. What happened exactly, we will learn more over the coming hours,” said provincial police Sgt. Claude Denis.

The incident has shocked members of the small community and many people gathered outside the home where it happened, Radio-Canada's Jean-Philippe Cipriani reported from the scene.

Both of the dogs were taken away by humane society officials, who said tests would be done to confirm which of the animals was responsible for the attack and whether it was suffering from any problems, such as rabies.

“They are not aggressive dogs,” said Claude Dionne of the St-Hyacinthe SPCA. “They are just territorial dogs.”

Dionne said it was likely the dog responsible for the attack would be euthanized.

Since 1990, there have been 28 fatalities related to dog attacks in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. Of those killed, 85 per cent were children under 12 years of age.

Saint-Barnabé-Sud is about 60 kilometres east of Montreal.

via CBC News – Montreal – Dog kills Quebec newborn.