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:.

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.

A 4-year-old boy is in the hospital after being attacked by a pit bull at a relative's house this morning, San Bernardino police said.

The boy and his mother, residents of Taylor, Mich., were visiting family members in the 1500 block of West Windsor St, Lt. Jarrod Burguan wrote in a news release. The child was in the backyard when he picked up a toy and, without warning, the dog attacked, Burguan wrote.

The boy suffered severe bite injuries to his head, back, arms and hands. His mother, 35, and another resident, 72, also were bitten while separating the dog and child, police said. None of their names were released.

The dog is in custody of San Bernardino Animal Control, according to the release. No charges or arrests have been made.

via 4-year-old suffers severe bites in pit bull attack in San Bernardino – PE.com – Daily News Digest.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Tiger is taking it easy, spending the day in bed lying down. His owner Vivian Rovelo says this pit bull doesn't even have the energy to go outside.

“He didn't eat yesterday,” she said.

Vivian says normally the dog is very active.

“Yes. Running, playing, you can't imagine. He's a very excited dog.”

Tiger needs his rest a day after surviving an alligator attack at Lake Hunter just south of downtown Lakeland.

The dog was going for a walk around the lake, as he often does with Vivan's husband Oscar. With soaring temperatures, Tiger needed a water break.

“He was going to the lake, because it was hot. And the alligator attacked. The alligator wanted to take him,” said Rovelo.

Tiger fought back and got out of the alligator's grip. Then Vivian's husband pulled him to safety with the leash.

“He said, oh! Tiger, Tiger! And he pulled him out and the alligator was gone,” she said.

There are plenty battle scars, scrapes and scratches all over Tiger's body. But it appears he may have hurt the gator too. One of Tiger's teeth is cut in half.

And while there are alligator warning signs around the lake, Vivian says more are needed. “Let me tell you, you have to be careful in the lakes, everybody. Everybody walks over there, with dogs, with kids.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials do advise pets to swim, exercise, or drink near places alligators call home.

Vivan hopes Tiger is up and around and back to his old self soon. In the meantime, she's giving him love, and the run of a big comfy bed.

via Pit bull recovering from gator attack.

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Authorities say a 3-year-old boy has died after his family’s pit bull attacked him at a home in San Bernardino County.
The county’s Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a statement Sunday that 3-year-old Omar Martinez was declared dead at Saint Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley.

Authorities answered a 911 call Saturday afternoon, saying a boy was not breathing after a dog attack.

Paramedics found the boy unresponsive and took him to the hospital, where he was declared dead about two hours later.

Authorities say the dog was aggressive toward firefighters when they arrived at the Apple Valley home, and a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed the animal.

The coroner’s office says an autopsy will be conducted on the boy, and sheriff’s deputies and animal control officials are investigating the attack.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/10/state/n175715S56.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0dEyDpMfm

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UNION, W.VA. — Monroe County police plan to file more charges in a dog attack case now that the 70-year-old victim has died from his injuries.

Sheriff Michael Gravely says Lindside resident Lowell Bowden died in a Roanoke, Va. hospital on Friday.

Bowden was attacked by four or five pit bulls near his home last month. Four of the dogs have been euthanized, while police are determining if a fifth animal was part of the attack.

Four people were charged with misdemeanors stemming from the attack last week.

Gravely says Bowden’s death means police will soon file additional charges.

Link

KSDK — An elderly Flora, Illinois woman died Monday as a result of injuries sustained in a dog attack earlier in the day.

The incident took place just before 2:20 p.m. on Austin Avenue. The victim, identified as 85-year-old Rosie L. Humphries, was walking her dog when she was attacked by a pit bull.  The attacking dog mauled Humphries and her dog, a poodle.

Authorities said the pit bull broke free from its collar and attacked.  They had not received any complaints about the dog prior to the attack.

Police officers and residents administered first aid to Humphries until paramedics arrived.  Humphries was pronounced dead at the scene.  It was earlier reported she died at a hospital.  Humphries’ dog was also killed.

The attacking dog’s owner and police were able to contain the animal until Clay County Animal Control arrived to take the dog away.  The dog was later euthenized.

The owner of the pit bull could face charges.

Flora, Illinois is located about 100 miles east of St. Louis.

Link

A 2-year-old Prescott boy dies after being mauled by a pit bull. It happened Wednesday morning just after 9 a.m. off Bemis Road. The city of Prescott is Southwest of Little Rock.

Family and friends wouldn’t go on camera, but say the toddler saw a puppy and chased it to a backyard where the larger pit bull was. They know this because his 3-year-old brother followed him and than rushed home to alert the family.

Families, police and emergency personnel are distraught over the events that occurred Wednesday morning. Neighbor Bridgette Monroe recalls, “A lady came running from this way screaming, my baby, my baby.”

Monroe was in the process of moving and ran with the woman. She continues, “I was down there with the baby rubbing his arms and legs telling the baby it’s going to be ok.”

Monroe says the chained pit bulls hid in their dog houses. Her account of the scene is disturbing. “The babies’ jugular, throat was bitten and from his mouth up to his eye was bitten.”

Chief Brian Russell says, “It’s a 2-year-old baby and each of us have our own children; it destroys you and he’s not here because of something like this.”

Chief Russell says police and emergency crews arrived within minutes and he was airlifted to St. Michael’s where he was pronounced dead.

“There very well could be charges either way. We’ll just have to see where the investigation goes from here,” Chief Russell adds.

Richard Ray Smith points, “The dog attacked the kid right there.”

Smiths’ mother owns the dog; she was home when the incident happened. He says, “She stood over the baby until the ambulance got here.”

Smith continues, “The dog has been raised with us and all the kids have played with the dog. It’s not a violent dog, we don’t know what happened. I have grief for the family.”

But two doors down where the kids were staying, Kevin Taylor and Christy Godwin say they were afraid of the dogs and told the owners they were vicious.

Smith concludes, “We don’t want the family to be mad at us, it’s just an accident that happened.”

After our interview with Bridgette Monore, she found out she’s related to the toddler.

Animal Control is holding two adult pit bulls until the investigation is over; the puppy has not been caught.

Chief Russell says the owners were in compliance with the dog ordinance and the State Police is involved.

The sibling’s age 8-months, two and three-years-old stayed with Kevin Taylor and Christy Godwin while their mom worked. Godwin says they are like family.

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Dog bite to little girl’s face requires 50 stitchesMom stunned as pit bull attacks 1-year-old daughter

By Bill Cantwell
bcantwell@eagletribune.com

 

HAVERHILL — With her mom watching in shock, a 1-year-old girl was bit in the face by a pit bull, requiring the child to undergo extensive surgery and dozens of stitches.

Bianca Zangari-Dacey had surgery Wednesday night and is out of the hospital, but her grandfather is angry, saying the dog had bitten other people in the past and should have been seized by police before now.

Police said they have custody of the dog, which was removed from the 2 Jackson St. house where the girl was bitten. A detective will investigate and report back to police Chief Alan DeNaro and other officials in the department, who will decide whether the dog will be destroyed, said Deputy Chief Donald Thompson.

Bianca’s grandfather, Tim Dacey of Haverhill, said the girl and her mother, Katelyn Zangari of Haverhill, were visiting friends at the home of the adult pit bull when it bit the child’s face at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Katelyn Zangari said her daughter had played near the dog named Duchess several times in the past, never with a problem. She said another person who was in the room with them on Wednesday apparently stepped on the pit bull’s tail. The dog then turned in the direction of Bianca and bit her face, Zangari said.

Zangari said people at the home took Bianca to Merrimack Valley Hospital. She was then taken by ambulance to Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, where a surgeon stitched up the inside and outside of her face.

“She had a big gash down her cheek,” Dacey said.

Zangari said her daughter needed at least 50 stitches in total. She said doctors told her they will have to wait until Bianca heals to determine whether she will need other treatment, such as plastic surgery to improve the appearance of the scars. Bianca was released from the hospital Thursday morning.

“There was a lot of blood,” Zangari said of the attack, adding of the aftermath, “She was calm through the whole thing.”

She said her daughter was playing relatively normally yesterday, although she did occasionally say things like “Oh, oh, doggie.” Family members said they and doctors will watch Bianca closely for signs of emotional scarring.

“She’s probably going to be traumatized,” Dacey said. His son Justin Dacey is Bianca’s father.

Police said the dog’s owner is Elizabeth Kakides of 2 Jackson St. Yesterday, Kakides said she was not home when Bianca was bit, but that once the child was cared for she made arrangements to give up the dog, which is about 5 years old. She said she signed papers with the animal control officer giving permission for the dog to be destroyed.

“The MSPCA called me and told me the dog will be humanely put down,” Kakides said. “It breaks my heart, but it had to be done. Once a dog bites, that’s it. The baby got hurt and she was innocent.”

Kakides said the dog was up to date on its shots. She said the dog was actually owned by her former husband, who recently had gone to jail, and that she was caring for the dog. She said the pit bull has been around Bianca many times and there was never a problem. She said she has spoken to Zangari and her family several times since the incident.

“I told them how sorry I was,” Kakides said. “I feel terrible.”

Zangari said she does not want to cause problems for Kakides, and that she does not hold her responsible for the attack. But Dacey said he is angry that the dog had not been seized earlier by police and the city’s animal control officer, since it reportedly had bitten other people in the past, including an elderly woman in the Jackson Street neighborhood.

“They’re going to destroy the dog,”’ Dacey predicted. “It would be one thing if the dog never did this before, but it should have never been there (in the home on Wednesday) in the first place.”

Dacey said he also is angry because when he called police to report the bite after it happened, expecting they would immediately seize the dog, they told him the animal control officer was unavailable and that they had other responsibilities at that hour, which was near the time of the department’s shift change.

Yesterday, Thompson said the case is under investigation and, besides the future of the dog which is at the city animal shelter, police have not yet determined whether the owner will face any fines or criminal charges. He refused to comment further.

“We want to take a close look at this,” Thompson said.

Thompson said he would be happy to talk to Dacey about his complaint that police refused to respond properly to his phone call about the bite. Thompson said Dacey is welcome to contact him and police will review an audiotape of Dacey’s call to the station. All calls from the public are recorded.

Zangari said she expects the dog will be destroyed by police because of the attack.

“They are going to put the dog to sleep,” said Zangari, who added she was told by police to meet with them today to further discuss the incident.

The attack is the latest in a series of dog attacks on people in Haverhill in the last year that caused city leaders to review and toughen up local animal control laws. The attacks, several of which happened last year, involved various breeds, including pit bulls and a German shepherd.

Among the most severe attacks: Robert Stickney Jr., 11, of Haverhill was bit in the arm and leg by a 100-pound mixed breed mastiff/pit bull while visiting friends at a High Street house on April 24, 2008. He needed hundreds of stitches to close his wounds. Three weeks earlier, professional dog walker Kathleen McCorry-Moge, 45, of Haverhill was attacked by an unleashed pit bull while walking a dog on Powder House Avenue. The dogs that attacked Robert Stickney Jr. and McCorry-Moge were put to death, police said.