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.

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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.

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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.

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Steelers’ Son Hospitalized After Dog Attack

The young son of Steelers linebacker James Harrison is hospitalized after the family’s pet pit bull bit him when he started crying; but Harrison told KDKA’s John Shumway that his little boy will be just fine. 

The incident happened at Harrison’s Franklin Park home last night. 

According to a woman staying in Harrison’s home, the incident started when Harrison’s girlfriend removed the dog from a kennel so it could go outside. 

The woman said she then took the dog out along with the toddler. They had been petting the animal when the boy started crying, which reportedly provoked the dog. 

The animal bit the toddler’s leg before his mother intervened by jumping on him and shielding her son. 

The witness says the dog nipped at the boy’s mother – biting her several times before she managed to get the child to her. According to the woman, she ran towards the house and was able to get to the other side of a fence. The dog, however, did bite her on the leg in the process. 

Animal control was called to the scene and the dog was put into quarantine for 10 days. 

The Steelers say that the situation is a personal, family matter for Harrison; however, the team did release a statement today. 

“We are aware of this unfortunate situation. We express our concern for his family and hope that everyone involved makes a complete recovery,” according to Burt Lauten of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Meanwhile, the boy’s mother was treated at the hospital and released this morning, while the other woman was also treated and released. 

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Cougar attacks pregnant pit bull on Vancouver Island

 

 

CANWEST NEWS SERVICEMAY 21, 2009COMMENTS (5)

 

 

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. — A Vancouver Island resident drove off a cougar that attacked his dog on a trail near his home on Wednesday night.

Lance Glover was walking his pit bull, Sasha, when he encountered the animal lying in wait.

“I was talking on the phone, and I looked down and saw the cougar sitting beside the trail,” Glover said. “It jumped out and grabbed her, so I kicked at it and yelled at it, and it backed off. It came back twice. It wasn’t scared.”

During the exchange, the big cat grabbed a hold of Sasha’s rear, but Glover was able to kick it away. The American pit bull is pregnant, just a few weeks from giving birth. Glover believes the cougar is either very hungry or has simply become too habituated to people.

“I’m six-four and my dog weighs 70 pounds,” he said. “It didn’t even run away — it just walked. It’s definitely not scared of people.”

At the top of the trail, RCMP constables Jay Patovierta and Dawson McWade waited, shotguns at the ready, for a conservation officer to arrive.

It is believed to be the same cougar that menaced the same neighbourhood last month. Since that time, area residents have lost a number of cats, likely to the cougar. At that time, conservation officer Mike Newton advised that the big cat would be declared dangerous if it attacked a dog on a leash.

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Pitbull Attacks 6-year old Girl

A six-year old Lavista girl is recovering at home after a dog attack. The bite was so severe — skin was torn from her shoulder.

Aliyah Balquier appeared in good spirits. Her bandaged left arm and the missing dog next door are the obvious reminders of the day before.

“Aliyah was climbing up here and she went up to get the ball,” says her sister, Maya who is 9.

The children were playing with a plastic ball when it landed on the other side of the neighbor’s chainlink fence. Aliyah went to get it. When she leaned across the limp fence, the dog bit her.

The family says the dog’s owners were grilling when it happened and they had to repeatedly punch the dog just to get him to let go of Aliyah.

The dog took a chunk the size of a quarter from her arm. Even after doctor’s stiched up the wound, you could see the teeth marks around it.

The neighbor dog is now locked up at the Nebraska Humane Society.

The pit bull named Sticks is in quarantine. A judge will decide what will happen to him.

Because Sticks showed violent and aggressive behavior to the girl — his owner has been ticketed for harboring a dangerous animal.

Mark Langan with the Nebraska Humane Society says, “We really stress to dog owners try to keep control of your dog. If your dog becomes agitated when people come along the fenceline — monitor the situation to prevent the dog from jumping up and biting people and scaring people.”

Aliyah is on anti-biotics — waiting to see if rabies shots will be needed. The pitbull wasn’t up on its vaccinations.

At the very least — her sisters are watching out for her.

“I told her it’s going to be ok and don’t be scared,” saya Maya.

The girl’s mother says the dog’s owner came over and apologized Wednesday night. He also carried Aliyah to her porch.

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Father hospitalized for injuries from son’s pitbull attacks in Kentwood

by John Agar | The Grand Rapids Press

Tuesday May 19, 2009, 3:42 PM

KENTWOOD — Floyd “Al” Griffin, one of three people attacked by his son’s pit bulls, is hospitalized after he developed an infection from wounds to his hand.

Meanwhile, the dogs are under quarantine for 10 days by Kent County Animal Control.

RELATED STORYUnleashed blog: Owner bitten by pitbulls while living in Jeep with dogs gets ‘In the Doghouse’ award

 

Griffin, 53, was admitted to Metro Health Hospital on Monday after being examined by a hand surgeon. He could be released on Wednesday.

“This was a serious injury,” his wife, Kay Griffin, said.

The father was bringing a can of gasoline to his son, Chris Griffin, 29, who had been living in his Jeep Grand Cherokee with five pit bulls, when one of the dogs attacked him outside of a Kentwood apartment complex. The dogs also attacked Chris Griffin and his friend, Jacqueline Potts, 20.

All were taken by ambulance to a local hospital after the attack.

The father told The Press shortly after the attack that the dogs needed room to roam, and shouldn’t have been kept in the sport-utility vehicle.

He is in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

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Man Says Pit Bulls Attacked Him Twice In City Park

Posted: 4:26 pm EDT May 18, 2009Updated: 5:54 pm EDT May 18, 2009

ATLANTA – Animal control officials in Atlanta spent Monday trying to locate two very large pit bulls that a southwest Atlanta man said attacked him twice in a city park. The man said after he complained about the first attack, the owner let the dogs bite him again. 

After the man was attacked in the park, he walked two blocks and found some men to help him get an ambulance. While he was being helped, he said he saw the dogs and their owner getting away as police were arriving. 

Herbert Martin was working on his car on Ira Street when the victim walked up and asked someone to call 911. He was bleeding. 

“(He was bleeding) very badly, both arms. (It) seemed like he had a bit to the face. (It) tore his pants,” said Martin. 

As Martin called 911, the man told him he’d been in Pittman Park two blocks away when two pit bulls being walked by a woman attacked him. 

JEFF DORE: Man Says Dogs Attacked Him Twice At Park 

“And they attacked him. And she got the dogs off of him but then when he complained, he said, ‘You know you shouldn’t let those dogs do that to people,’ and she just let them go again on him. Like on purpose, is what he said,” said Martin. 

The victim described the dogs’ owner and her car to Martin and neighbor R.W. Smith. 

“He pointed to her,” said Smith. 

The victim pointed to a woman who lived on that block and who keeps two very large pit bulls chained on the porch of a vacant house across the street, according to Martin and Smith. 

Martin said when he sees the dogs, he “walks on the other side of the street.” 

Animal control cruised the neighborhood and left a message for the owner, but by then she had put the dogs in her car and left. 

Witnesses described the car as a 1998 or 1999 gold Grand Am with a temporary tag. 

The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital to be treated. There is no word on his condition.

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3 hospitalized after 5
pit bulls attack

Police say couple had been living in
Jeep

Updated: Sunday, 17 May 2009, 8:56 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 17 May 2009, 11:23 AM EDT

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) – Three people were hospitalized Sunday morning after being attacked by five of their own pit bulls.

It happened around 9 a.m. in the 4300 block of Forest Way Drive, near East Paris and 36th Street.

The owners of the dogs, 29-year-old Christopher Griffin and 20-year-old Jacqueline Potts, had been visiting friends living in the Eastland apartment complex on Saturday night when they ran out of gas as they were leaving. They decided to spend the night in their Jeep Grand Cherokee with the dogs.

Police say the couple had been living in the Jeep.

On Sunday morning, Griffin contacted his father, Floyd Griffin, who said he would bring gas. When he showed up, the dogs started fighting in the vehicle, and one escaped and attacked Floyd Griffin.

“He actually had me on the ground over here, he had me on the ground, he had my foot actually, he was actually whipping me back and forth,” Floyd Griffin said at the scene. “All over the pavement. You can see my blood over there on the side.”

Christopher Griffin and and Potts tried to prevent the dogs from fighting, but were hurt.

“As (Floyd Griffin) approached the car to put gas into the car, the dogs got into a fight,” said Sgt. Douglas Wegener of the Kentwood Police Department. “The boyfriend and girlfriend got into a fight, and the dogs turned on them and attacked them.”

Christopher Griffin suffered a bite to his right hand, and had large puncture wounds across his three middle fingers. His middle finger lost feeling. He also was bitten on the wrist, and his left bicep had a 5-inch puncture wound.

Potts was more seriously injured. Her right wrist and and hand were bloody and bitten. Her wrist was fractured in the attack.

The dog that attacked Floyd Griffin did damage as well. His right forearm was bitten and he suffered a puncture wound about 4 inches long.

Although none of the injuries were life threatening, Christopher Griffin and Potts were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Floyd Griffin drove himself to receive medical attention.

Four of the pit bulls were controlled by the owners when police arrived, but one, Sweet Pea, ran away. The dog later came back and was taken by animal control.

The dogs will stay in quarantine for at least the next 10 days. Whether the dogs will be put to sleep is up to Kent County animal control.

Before he went to the hospital, Floyd Griffin said this attack might have been avoidable.

“I’ve warned (Christopher Griffin) about this before, and they came out and came around the corner and jumped up and attacked me,” he said. “In fact, I’m ready to go over to emergency. It’s probably gonna need some stitches.”

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LIVE VIDEO: NASA Hubble spacewalk

Officer Nearly Loses Thumb in Pit Bull Attack

KTLA News

May 15, 2009

Pit Bull (KTLA-TV)

 

BELL GARDENS – An animal control officer had half her thumb severed in an attack by two pit bulls in Bell Gardens.

Officer Martha Muro was conducting a follow-up visit on a sanitation complaint at a home on Live Oak Street Thursday when the attack occurred, according to Captain Aaron Reyes of the Southeast Area Animal ControlAuthority.

As the 26-year-old officer spoke to the homeowner, two pitt bulls escaped through a hole in a chain-link gate and went after her.

Muro tried to escape but one of the dogs, a male, latched onto her baton and wrestled her to the ground.

The dog went after Muro’s face and neck and bit her, Reyes said. When the owner approached, Muro was able to break free and a neighbor called for help.

About half of the officer’s thumb was torn off.

The male pit bull was later euthanized, Reyes said.

The other dog, a female, was under observation.

Muro was hospitalized and doctors were trying to determine whether a recovered portion of her thumb could be re-attached, Reyes said.

The attack is under investigation.

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Two injured in dog attack

A Culpeper woman is credited with saving the life of her 3-year-old grandson after two pit bulls attacked them Wednesday morning.

http://media.gatewayva.com/cse/slideshow/pitbullattack/index.htm

According to county officials and neighbors, the attack happened southeast of town in the 21000 block of Mount Pony Road around 10:30 a.m.

Animal Control Director Jamie Bennett said the boy and the woman were walking near their home when the dogs attacked.

According to Star-Exponent correspondent Greg VanNostrand, the child received severe wounds to his head and scalp, forcing workers on the scene to apply a large white bandage. The woman suffered bite wounds below the waist.

Separate helicopters transported both to the hospital.

VanNostrand also reported that an emergency worker on the scene told the grandmother that her actions “saved the 3-year-old’s life.”

Authorities identified the woman only as Mrs. Keith Powers; the boy’s name was not known.

Neither the victims nor family members could be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon, and authorities did not have further information on their identities.

Although it is not clear to which hospital the victims were taken, neighbor Patty Hennage, who lives nearby on Blackjack Road, said the helicopters appeared to be headed south toward U.Va Medical Center in Charlottesville.

Hennage, a 16-year resident of the area, said the presence of helicopters alerted her that something bad had probably happened. Like many others nearby, she decided to investigate.

“I watched them load one person on the yellow helicopter, and it took off in the direction of (Charlottesville),” she said. “Then they loaded a second person onto the red helicopter.”

Hennage said she saw sheriff’s deputies at another nearby residence, but isn’t sure if any pit bulls live there.

Another neighbor, Amanda Kreitz, said she had recently contacted animal control with complaints about roaming pit bulls, but was unsure if animal control officers had investigated or if the dogs were directly linked to Wednesday’s attack.

“We called (animal control) Monday and Tuesday, and we were here the last three or four days,” she said, adding that she doesn’t think she would have missed their presence.

Kreitz’s mother, Elaine Dodson, also lives nearby. She said Powers lives about 3½ miles from U.S. 522 and that she believes the victims were about a mile away from their home.

“Her and her grandson, they walk every morning,” Dodson said.

Major Russell Lane of the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said the county’s animal control officers are in charge of the investigation and that deputies were on scene to offer assistance.

Sheriff Jim Branch added that since the incident falls within the scope of animal control’s duties, his agency is not heading the investigation. Branch added that the Sheriff’s Office is ready to assist if necessary.

Bennett said an animal control officer was the first person on the scene after emergency personnel were summoned. When he arrived, Bennett said, the officer reported that he was able to catch the dogs and place them in his vehicle without incident.

Animal control officers carry handguns, but typically use less lethal tools like batons and catch poles — essentially a long stick with a noose at one end — for routine contact with animals.

Other than lacking identification, Bennett said the dogs, which are unneutered males that appear to be between two and three years old, appear healthy.

In accordance with the law, Bennett said the dogs will be quarantined for 10 days. Then, they’ll be held for 12 days. If the dogs remain unclaimed, they will be euthanized.

If someone attempts to claim the dogs, Bennett said, the county will take the matter to court.

A less severe category for problem animals — a dangerous dog — also exists. In that case, Bennett said, owners are required to register the animal with officials and they must also take out an insurance policy and ensure the dog wears special identification.

The county employs about a dozen animal-control employees. They are responsible for responding to and investigating animal-related complaints and operating the county shelter.
Other incidents

In February, Culpeper police officers shot and killed a seven-year-old male pit bull after the dog behaved aggressively and tried to attack neighbors and officers near a residence on Hill Street.

Following an investigation, the officers were cleared of any wrongdoing, with Chief Scott Barlow saying they acted “within policy and within the scope of their authority.”

In that instance, Barlow said it appeared the animal got loose after someone accidentally left a door ajar. The dog’s owner was not charged, and no serious injuries were reported in that case.

In April, Rappahannock County authorities reported that an 11-year-old girl was hospitalized with bites to her face, neck, arms and legs after a pit bull attacked her at a friend’s house. After being removed from the scene, that dog was later put to sleep.

Link

Boy, grandmother mauled by pit bulls

3-year-old boy, grandmother flown to hospital after being mauled by dogs in Culpeper

BY DONNIE JOHNSTON

 

A 3-year-old Culpeper boy and his grandmother were airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center yesterday after they were attacked by two roaming pit bulls.

Hospital officials would not release any information on the child’s condition, but Culpeper Animal Control Director Jamie Bennett and a spokesman for the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said the boy suffered severe bites to his lip and the back of his head.

The grandmother, 47, suffered bites to her leg and arm, according to Bennett and the Sheriff’s Office. Neither victim’s wounds were considered life-threatening, officials said.

The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. According to Bennett, the grandmother and child were taking their daily walk in the 21000 block of Mount Pony Road near their home.

Bennett said she did not know how the attack began.

The two male pit bulls were still on the scene when animal-control officers and sheriff’s deputies arrived. Bennett said that both animals were taken into custody without incident.

“To look at these two dogs now you would never suspect that they could be aggressive,” Bennett said.

He said a woman in the Mount Pony area had called Monday and reported seeing two pit bulls running loose in the area the day before, but thought they were lost pets. The caller made no mention of aggressive behavior, Bennett said.

An animal-control officer drove through the area Monday afternoon, but did not see the animals, Bennett said.

The two dogs will be quarantined for 10 days, held for 48 additional hours and then euthanized if no one claims them, he said.

If the dogs’ owner can be found, the Animal Control Department will ask a judge to declare the dogs vicious and they will then probably be destroyed.

As far as possible charges against the owner, Bennett said, “There are no state codes [that were broken] as far as Animal Control is concerned.”

Bennett added that the dogs’ ears were not cropped, as they would be if they were used for fighting.

Link

Boy recovers from dog attack in Warren, receives 275 stitches

Published: Thu, May 14, 2009 @ 12:05 a.m.

By Ed Runyan

A fellow fifth-grader threw shoes at the dogs to help fight them off.

WARREN — The 10-year-old boy badly injured when three dogs attacked him early Tuesday in his neighbor’s front yard on Merriweather Street Northwest received hundreds of stitches in his head and leg, but is recovering at home.

De’Vonte Jackson was allowed to go home Tuesday night and was resting in his living room Wednesday afternoon.

He said one of the dogs attacked and bit his head, while the other two bit his leg. He has about 200 stitches in his head; about 75 in his leg.

He had little else to say about the vicious attack, only: “Why’d it have to be me?”

He also said he was not looking forward to possibly getting rabies shots. His mother, Tamara Jackson, said De’Vonte had received a tetanus shot but no rabies shots — yet.

Jackson said De’Vonte is likely to spend a couple weeks in a wheelchair because of the leg injury but might return to school as early as next week. He’s a fifth-grader at McGuffey Elementary.

No tests have been done so far to determine whether any ligament or other internal injuries are present, Tamara Jackson said, saying that will be determined in follow-up doctor visits.

De’Vonte was at a neighbor’s house, waiting for a ride to school, when the attack occurred, Jackson said.

When the three dogs began to attack, De’Vonte and Janaya Morgan, a fifth-grade friend, tried to fight them off.

De’Vonte punched and hit the dogs with his hands, while Janaya threw shoes and anything else she could find at the animals, Jackson said.

“I’m really proud of him,” she said of her son. “He was strong. He kept punching them and trying to get them off. If not, it could have been much worse.”

Janaya’s mother drove De’Vonte to his house and picked up Jackson so they could get De’Vonte to the hospital. On the way, a police officer and ambulance met them, and the ambulance took him the rest of the way.

“No 10-year-old should go through that,” Jackson said. “As a parent, that’s the last thing you want to see is your baby dripping in blood.”

It was the second time that morning that dogs attacked on that section of Merriweather. A 21-year-old newspaper carrier received minor injuries to his legs and went to the hospital when dogs attacked him at about 4:45 a.m.

Officers went to Merriweather within 10 minutes of the second attack at 8:22 a.m. and found the three dogs still there and killed them with shotguns.

John Onatz, Warren animal control officer, said it is preferable to catch such dogs rather than kill them, but there was a chance the dogs could have gotten away.

Patrol officers handle the shooting of dogs, Onatz said, because officers have shotguns and he does not. A shotgun is preferable to a pistol because the shotgun usually kills the animal with one shot, Onatz said.

At least one of the three dogs, a mostly black bull mastiff weighing about 110 pounds, had an expensive spiked collar on it, so it probably belonged to someone, Onatz said, but so far no one has come forward to claim ownership of any of the three.

The other dogs were a brindle-colored pit bull mix weighing about 70 pounds and a German shepherd mix weighing about 50 pounds, Onatz said.

Jackson said she hopes anyone who knows who the dogs belonged to will come forward to tell police “because they really need to be held accountable.”

An account for De’Vonte has been established at Huntington Bank to help with medical expenses, Jackson said.

Link

Pit bull attack at local gas station

A pit bull found running wild attacked at least three people at the Short Line Express gas station on Skypointe Drive in Centennial Hills.

The youngest victim is said to be just eight years old. She was with her dad getting gas when the dog approached them and began biting. An employee called the police after seeing them scrambling to the top of their car for safety.

As the dog attempted to jump onto their car, a Good Samaritan angled his SUV next to the vehicle so the man and his daughter could get away.

The pit bull, estimated to be 80 pounds, then ran inside of the Short Line Express Market at the gas station, where it bit another man. The man dragged the dog outside by the collar to keep a hold of it; the dog’s jaws locked on the man’s arm.

All three of the people who were bitten were treated at the hospital and should be okay.

Police at the scene reportedly shot and killed the pit bull, which was then removed by Las Vegas Animal Control. The dog was wearing a collar but did not have tags; police are working to find its owner.

Link

Girl recovering after pit bull attack

By Kurt Schauppner
For the Hi-Desert Star

Published: Saturday, May 9, 2009 1:32 AM CDT

TWENTYNINE PALMS — A 9-year-old Twentynine Palms girl is recovering after she wast bitten in the face by a pit bull shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday evening. The girl, whose name has not been released, was flown by helicopter to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment for lacerations to the face. She was attacked by the dog in the Turtle Rock housing development here.

City Animal Control Officer Rick Boyd said Friday that the pit bull was being held in quarantine at Palms-n-Paws Animal Shelter while officials conduct an investigation into the incident.

A Morongo Basin Ambulance crew gave the injured child a teddy bear during the ride from the housing development to Tom Nicoll Memorial Stadium at Twentynine Palms Junior High School, where she was transferred to the helicopter.

Link

Sad story all around. That picture makes it sadder, they don’t look like dangerous dogs.

PIT BULLS EUTHANIZED AFTER ATTACK ON WOMAN

Story Published: May 7, 2009 at 5:50 PM EDT

Story Updated: May 8, 2009 at 9:49 AM EDT 

Three pit bull dogs were euthanized Tuesday, as their owner complied with a judge’s order the dogs be killed.

The three – including a puppy – attacked a woman in Theresa in April.

The owner of the dogs wanted to fight the judge’s order, but didn’t have the money to do so.

Linda Wilcox was attacked as she was out walking.

“All of a sudden, they were on top of me,” Wilcox told 7 News at the time.

She was knocked down, hitting her head. And she got at least one bite.

“I just lay there screaming.”

Wilcox struggled with reporting the incident, she said, but ultimately decided she had to.

“I thought this could happen to somebody else.”

But Mary Cook, the owner of the dogs, found the judge’s order to be extreme.

“Just ’cause they’re ‘pits,’ that’s given them a bad name,” she said at the time. “There’s little dogs out here that bite worse than they could.”

She also said her dogs had never before attacked anyone, and thought her animals should get a second chance.

But Tuesday, the judge’s deadline, she took them to a veterinarian who euthanized them.

Link

Pit bulls attack door-to-door salesman

Posted On: Thursday, May. 7 2009 06:10 AM

By Victor O’Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

Killeen Animal Control quarantined three pit bulls Tuesday after they attacked a door-to-door salesman.

Lillian Bruner, 11, heard loud screams and dogs barking when she was reading outside about 7 p.m. Three white pit bulls attacked and bit a door-to-door security systems salesman in the leg near her grandfather’s home on Shawn and Greenlee drives, Lillian said.

The bite drew blood and left deep bite marks near the victim’s ankle. Lillian ran inside, and yelled for her aunt to get a gun and call 911.

Anne-Marie Bruner, Lillian’s mother, drove up to the scene and helped the man, who was in shock, she said.

The pit bulls then ran after her while she helped the man. They stopped when she turned the corner to bring the man to the house of her father, Bill Kingston.

Killeen police arrived about 45 minutes later and boarded over a hole in the fence that allowed the dogs to escape from their home, Anne-Marie said.

“At that point, it was just kind of surreal,” she said.

The victim declined to be transported by paramedics, opting to have his own doctor provide care and a tetanus shot, said Carroll Smith, Killeen police spokeswoman.

The animals were detained and quarantined by Killeen Animal Control Wednesday night. Smith said a process was in the early stages to have the animals declared vicious or dangerous animals. If declared so, the pit bulls could be euthanized or their owners have heavy fines and regulations placed on the animals.

The pit bulls have been a constant nuisance to the neighborhood, escaping from their fence frequently, Kingston said. The pit bulls cornered him outside his truck one morning in December.

“I honestly feared for my life that morning. They had my back to my pickup,” he said.

Barking from his neighbor’s dogs distracted the pit bulls and allowed Kingston to escape. Now, he carries a golf club for protection.

He called Animal Control that morning, but it was unable to remove the pit bulls because he was not attacked.

The dogs cornered Kingston again just before Christmas. He fought them off with a golf club and called the police. The dogs returned to their yard and were not detained, he said.

Kingston believes city ordinances should allow dogs to be removed before they bite someone, but understands the current laws kept police from taking action that could have prevented Tuesday’s attack.

“I feel these dogs ought to be put down with no question, especially now with a serious bite. I’m glad they’re gone. I’m sorry somebody had to get bit,” Kingston said.

Smith said more information would be available on the animals once the case is processed further through Animal Control.

Link

13-month-old recovering after family dog attack in Va. Beach

By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 1, 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH

A 13-month-old girl was flown to the hospital Friday night after being bitten by her family’s dog, a police spokesman said.

The girl’s injuries are not considered life-threatening, said detective John Allen.

Police were called to the 1000 block of Piney Marsh Court at about 6:45 p.m. Friday and found the child, who had been bitten in the head by the family’s pit bull mix dog, Allen said. The girl was flown to an local hospital for treatment and is recovering.

Animal control is investigating the incident.

Link

Mail carrier hospitalized after pit bull attack in Norwich

By GREG SMITH

Norwich Bulletin

Posted May 01, 2009 @ 12:05 AM

---

Norwich, Conn. —

Two pit bulls mauled a mail carrier walking his route Thursday on Harland Place in Norwich, leaving the man hospitalized with serious injuries.

The postal worker, Jeff Glenn, sustained multiple puncture wounds to his neck, leg and arm and a possible broken arm, according to witnesses. He was listed in fair condition late Thursday in the emergency room at The William W. Backus Hospital, according to hospital personnel.

The attack was reported at 3:17 p.m., at about the time handyman Tage Wright, 59, of Montville, was performing carpentry work at 25 Harland Place.

“I heard some screaming. I grabbed my framing hammer and went outside,” Wright said, pointing to an overturned plastic patio chair. “He was down on the ground scrambling with that chair and trying to fend off two pit bulls. They would have killed him.”

Undaunted when the dogs turned their attention to him, Wright said he waved the hammer and yelled, waiting for them to attack.

“They both looked like they were going to make a pass at me,” Wright said. “Maybe they know a mad carpenter with a framing hammer when they see one. They have teeth. I have a hammer.”

Dog owner David Holland Jr., 19, emerged from his home at 24 Harland Place to try to bring his dogs, Miracle and Fatboy, under control.

Holland said the dogs, an 8-month-old male and female, had chewed a hole in the back fence to escape, but normally are not vicious animals.

“When I came out, he was hitting the dogs with the chair,” Holland said of the mail carrier. “Even though I know he was protecting himself, it was making them more aggressive. They’re not just some vicious animals. They’re puppies.”

Norwich Animal Control has seized the two dogs and they will be under quarantine for 14 days at the city pound.

Holland was cited with two counts each of failure to vaccinate, failure to license, allowing dog to roam and harboring a nuisance dog with vicious disposition.

Holland said he volunteered to euthanize the dogs.

“Once they taste human blood, everything’s not going to be all right,” Holland said.

He wished Glenn a swift recovery.

A group of Holland’s neighbors, meanwhile, showed up late Thursday at Norwich police headquarters to complain about the constant problems associated with 24 Harland Place. Police confirmed they have responded to more than two dozen complaints at the residence in recent years.

The property is owned by Yi Len Wang and Xui Li Zheng, public records show.

Link

Van Buren Man Hurt In Pit Bull Attack

Police Arrest 3 On Suspicion Of Harboring Animal

VAN BUREN, Ark. – An elderly Van Buren man is recovering after being attacked by a pit bull.

 

Police said the victim was attacked in the 1700 block of Poplar Street. 

The victim told police which house he thought the dog and its owners came from, but they said the dog didn’t live there. 

Officers later arrested Michael Walker and Lori Cook on suspicion of obstructing governmental operations after another resident told police the dog was inside the house. 

A third man, Scott Pulliam, was also arrested on suspicion of harboring a vicious dog and allowing a dog to run at large without vaccinations or city tags. 

Investigators have quarantined the animal to see if it shows signs of disease.

Link

Pit Bull Attack in Columbia

COLUMBIA - Police detained a dog owner after several people reported two pit bulls got loose near the Kohl’s Department store.

The Columbia Police Department and Animal Control responded to a call around noon Wednesday.

According to police, 27-year-old Mark Adamson, the manager of GNC, suffered an injury to his right calf that is non-threatening. Officers found the victim and the dogs near the Kohl’s store.

An officer shot one of the dogs, killing it, after police say it advanced on him in an aggressive manner. The other dog ran southbound and officers have not located it.

Police detained the owner of dogs, 18-year-old Dakota Crites, and have no determined charges yet. They say there were other reports of victims that have not yet come forward.

According to police, Adamson diverted the attention of the dogs when they were chasing an unidentified woman through the parking lot. Officials say his actions may have prevented other people from being injured.

Anyone with information is asked to submit a tip to the Crimestoppers website at 875tips.com.

Link

It did attack four people. I don’t see how it could be trusted around people anymore. 

Peabody pit bull that attacked four sentenced to death

By Matthew K. Roy
Staff writer
 

PEABODY — The pit bull that attacked three women and a police officer at a Peabody mobile home park has received a death sentence.

The city’s animal control officer issued an order to have the dog, Bronson, euthanized within 90 days, police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said yesterday. Lilian Pinto made her decision after owner Brian Stevens and his lawyer appeared at a hearing last week in the Peabody police station.

Pinto based her ruling on the “totality” of the pit bull’s actions, Bonaiuto said.

Bronson is responsible for more than 50 wounds suffered by Cassandra Osgood, 23, of Danvers during an April 9 attack. The dog mauled her friend Sarah Malave, 24, of Middleton and injured Stevens’ girlfriend, Jamie Brickman, 27. Patrolman William Swaczyk is still recovering from arm injuries the dog inflicted when the officer wrestled it off Malave.

In 2007, Stevens suffered puncture wounds on his forearms, his right thigh and buttocks when the dog turned on him.

Stevens, 27, learned of Bronson’s fate over the weekend in a letter from the city.

“We knew that this was coming,” his lawyer, Jeremy Cohen, said yesterday. “We will appeal it to the chief of police, and we will ready an appeal after that to district court if it doesn’t go well.”

At the hearing last week before Pinto and Capt. Joseph Berardino, Cohen argued that Osgood and Malave provoked the dog. He accused them of using illegal drugs, wrestling inside the mobile home and falling on top of the animal. Osgood has denied using drugs and disputes Cohen’s claim that Brickman yelled at her and Malave to stop wrestling.

“Obviously, I believe, under the circumstances, that it is the right decision,” said Kevin Barry, Osgood’s lawyer.

The dog will continue to be kept at the Borash Veterinary Clinic in Peabody during what could be a lengthy appeal process.

“There is a life at stake here,” Cohen said, “and (Stevens) wants to pursue this as far as he can.”

Link

Breed of dog involved in NE Calgary attack identified

 

BY CHUCK CHIANG AND STEPHANE MASSINON, CALGARY HERALDAPRIL 27, 2009 7:25 PM

 

 

A male nine-month old Presa Canario is locked up in the Calgary animal shelter. He is the third dog to attack in the last month in the city. Police had to taser the dog three times to get it to comply.

Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald

CALGARY – Calgary animal services has identified the breed of dog which attacked two Calgarians Monday, sending both to hospital. It was the second such incident in the last three days.

Police say officers spotted the attack at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, in the Saddle Ridge area in northeast Calgary. Witnesses waved down the officers, noting that a dog was attacking two people – its male and female owners.

Officials said the animal became aggressive to the police on scene, forcing the officers to deploy a Taser on the dog. The animal, stunned, then ran from the scene and was followed to a home a few blocks away, where it was Tasered again, collared and captured.

Police say they considered shooting the animal, but its proximity to the front door of the home made such a move potentially too dangerous. Animal control officers were not available at the time of the attack.

The dog has been taken to Animal Services. It was Tasered three times in total but was not harmed.

Director of Animal and Bylaw Services Bill Bruce said the dog has been identified as a nine month old male preso canario, not a pit bull as originally thought.

The preso canario breed is relatively rare in Calgary, Bruce estimates there are six in the city, and is a large dog that can get up to 150 lbs.

While the dog is being held at Animal Services, its future has not yet been decided.

“It’s way too early. We need to get all the facts first,” said Bruce.

“We don’t generally charge an owner whose own dog bit him,” said Bruce, noting that the owner could be charged if there is a public safety issue at hand.

Both victims, believed to be in their 20s, were taken to hospital, treated and released for multiple puncture wounds and cuts on their hands and arms.

On Friday, two dogs attacked a woman and her toddler son in the front yard of the family’s home in the northeast. One of the dogs’ owner now faces charges for the mauling.

Link

Husband wants dog that attacked wife, son put down

 

BY GWENDOLYN RICHARDS, CALGARY HERALDAPRIL 27, 2009

 

 

Jody Caldwell’s wife and son were hurt by a neighbour’s dog.

Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald

A man dealing with a wife and son recovering from a dog attack last week thinks the animal responsible should be put down–but it could be weeks before a judge decides the canine’s fate.

Jody Caldwell said his wife Cari and two-year-old son Aengus are healing, and the family is trying to move past Friday night’s attack.

But with Caldwell having to wait two or three weeks before attending court on the matter, it’s hard to move on.

On Saturday, Caldwell had to identify the animal responsible for biting his toddler and mauling his wife’s arm.

The two were outside in the front yard of their Bedford Place N.E. home when Daisy, a nearly two-year-old boxer-pointer cross, and another dog came at them.

Caldwell, who was in the house putting away groceries, came out to see the attack unfolding.

Cari was holding Aengus, who had been running in the front yard.

“I fought the dog off my wife,” Caldwell said.

Both had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Caldwell, who has two dogs, said he thinks it’s appropriate the animal is put down.

“If it was one of our dogs that did it, we would push for destruction,” Caldwell said.

Daisy has been impounded and her owner faces two charges for the dog attacking two people and causing severe injury, and one for the dog being at large. The second dog, a pit bull-bull dog cross named Kitten, was also loose. Charges of being at large and chasing and threatening the Caldwells have been levied.

Daisy’s owners said Saturday that their dog loves people and has never done anything like this before.

Bylaw and animal services head Bill Bruce said the next step is for Daisy to go through a behaviour assessment to try to determine what triggered the attack.

“It’s a bit of a mystery right now,” he said.

The case is then expected to be decided by a judge, with bylaw and the dog’s owners making presentations.

Caldwell said he has been told he’ll probably have to go to court, but it could be two or three weeks from now.

Link

Pit bull victim says attack not her fault

By Alan Burke
Staff writer
 

PEABODY — Cassandra Osgood is angrily denouncing a strategy of blaming the victim — herself — for a vicious attack by a pit bull.

Osgood, of Danvers, singled out especially the accusation by the dog’s owner, Brian Stevens, and lawyer Jeremy Cohen that drug use was involved in the incident at a Peabody mobile home. She denies using drugs or alcohol prior to the attack.

Three women and a police officer were injured in the incident, with Osgood suffering the worst, sustaining up to 50 wounds and extensive scarring. A hearing was held Tuesday before Peabody police Capt. Joseph Berardino and Animal Control Officer Lilian Pinto to consider the dog’s fate. A decision is expected within 72 hours of the hearing.

“There is no doubt that the dog did this, but he was agitated into doing it,” Cohen told the hearing in an effort to save the animal. Rough play between Osgood and another woman set the dog off, he suggested.

Osgood, who says her wounds are not healing well, contrasts this strategy of blaming her for the attack with her own initial reaction to the ordeal. At first, she expressed sympathy for the dog and accepted an apology from Stevens.

“Now he’s accusing me of illegal drug use — No! (The dog) got me everywhere but my face. Now something’s wrong with my right arm. People need to see this. I’m feeling this dog needs to be put to sleep.”

She also denies the version of events presented by Stevens’ girlfriend, Jamie Brickman, who said she yelled at the girls to stop wrestling prior to the attack.

“This was just a bullet that missed me,” Osgood says. “Thank God he didn’t get my throat. Or my face. I’m scarred for life.” She adds that she now needs plastic surgery and doesn’t believe that she should have to pay for it.

Cohen has acknowledged that he expects an order to euthanize the animal, but that can be appealed to the District Court within 30 days.

Link

Terrible.

Pit Bull Attack

Police say a suburban Detroit family’s pit bull terrier fatally mauled a 1-year-old boy. Eastpointe police Lt. Darrell Corsi says the boy’s parents were home when he was attacked by the dog yesterday afternoon. The father, whose name was being withheld, shot the dog to death with a handgun. The boy was pronounced dead at a nearby Detroit hospital. Corsi says no one else was injured and no one else was in the house at the time. Corsi says police will send reports on the incident to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Link

This is a sad story all around.

Owner fatally beats pit bull after it bites woman

Associated Press

12:28 PM CDT, April 22, 2009

ANDERSON, Ind. – A man fatally beat and strangled his pit bull after the dog chased and repeatedly bit a 20-year-old woman, saying he did what was necessary after the attack. 

Kayla Greene received stitches for numerous bite wounds to her arms and buttocks that she suffered before the dog’s owner pulled the animal off her. 

The attack and the killing of the dog by Dustin Haskett, 25, are under investigation, and it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether he will face animal cruelty charges, city police Detective Mitch Carroll said. 

Greene said she was attacked Monday as she and her sister, Erin Greene, were walking to a convenience store and she tried to run away from the dog. 

Haskett said that once he pulled the dog away from Greene, he used the handle to a sledge hammer to beat the animal for five minutes. 

After beating the dog, Haskett says he saw that it was still breathing. “I had my foot on her throat until she was done,” he told The Herald Bulletin. 

Haskett said he did what he thought was necessary. 

“As far as animal cruelty, it wasn’t fun and games for me,” he said. 

Carroll said Haskett could face a misdemeanor charge of harboring an unimmunized animal and that the dog actions would be important in determining any cruelty charges. 

“It’s not as if he grabbed Fifi the poodle with a bow on her head and wrapped her around the tree,” Carroll said. “We’re talking about a vicious animal.” 

Haskett said he only had the dog for two days before the attack, but Carroll said the dog’s ownership was being investigated. 

The Greene said they have owned pit bulls before and don’t believe the breed is naturally more aggressive or vicious. Kayla Greene said she does not blame the dog, but the owner.

“It was raised mean,” she said. 

Link

That they euthanized this Mountain Lion seems crazy to me. First, if a crowd of people had gathered to watch it, it probably was not a real threat to any people (certainly no more than your random Pit Bull!). And second, according to comments on the original article, apparently a Mountain Lion Sanctuary was actively trying to get the Mountain Lion to live with them. This does not seem like a good decision.

Without Home in Zoo, Mountain Lion is Killed

By Myers Reece , 04-22-09

Officials for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks were unable to find a suitable home for a mountain lion captured in Columbia Falls over the weekend and were forced to euthanize the animal, according to a press release from regional FWP spokesman John Fraley. Here’s the full press release:  

A 120-pound adult male mountain lion that was captured Saturday evening in Columbia Falls was euthanized Tuesday night after it became clear that no accredited zoo could receive the animal. A local veterinarian assisted in euthanizing the cat.

According to FWP Wildlife Manager Jim Williams, mountain lions in urban areas potentially pose a significant threat to public safety, so FWP policy prohibits relocating captured lions into occupied lion habitat. Lions caught in urban areas are normally killed for reasons of public safety. In this case, FWP personnel in Helena conducted a search to locate an accredited zoo but none could take the animal.

The mountain lion was captured over the weekend. On Saturday evening, April 17, the lion was reported in a tree within the city limits of Columbia Falls at the intersection of 5th Avenue West and 12th Street. FWP Wildlife Conflict Specialist Erik Wenum received a call on the incident at 5:20 p.m. and responded. When Wenum arrived, a crowd had gathered to see the lion, which was about 30 feet up a tree. The Columbia Falls Fire Department arrived with a lift bucket to assist. FWP officials used a tranquilizer dart to capture the animal and the Columbia Falls Fire Department brought the tranquilized lion to the ground.

Wenum then transported the lion to a holding facility. The lion probably entered Columbia Falls via the nearby Flathead River corridor, ending up high in a tree in the middle of the residential area.

Link

Pit Bull Attacks Boy

By 

Jon Lewis 

@ April 21, 2009 6:52 AM Permalink | Comments (13)

(WSB Radio)  A four year old Rockdale County boy is recovering after undergoing surgery following an attack by a pit bull.

Nathaniel Stafford’s stepfather says the 4 year old is an animal lover. 

A friend left the dog, named Chaos, chained in the backyard.  When the boy wandered by, the dog went after him.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life,” says the stepfather, Brian Caron.  The dog ripped off the boy’s scalp and parts of his face.

“Right now they don’t if they’re going to be able to save his ear or not,” Caron says.  “They said if they can’t save it they’ll put an ear on for him.  Whether it’s fake or not, he’ll still have an ear.”

No charges will be filed against the dog’s owner.  The pit bull will be euthanized.

Link

These stories really seem to emerge with disturbing frequency.

Pit bull attacks, bites Woodburn woman in the face

by Stuart Tomlinson, The Oregonian

Friday April 17, 2009, 3:31 PM

A 62-year-old Woodburn woman was bitten in the face and seriously injured today by a pit bull that attacked her while she was walking her dog, police said.

Sgt. Jason Tlusty, a spokesman for the Woodburn Police Department, said the woman was walking her dog in the 2300 block of Miller Farm Road just after noon when her dog was attacked by a pit bull.

When the woman attempted to stop the attack, the pit bull turned on her and bit her in the face.

Tlusty said the wounds were not life-threatening, but they were serious. The woman, whose name was not released, was taken by ambulance to Meridian Park Hospital for treatment.

Police and code enforcement officers for Woodburn located the dog — a gray, juvenile pit bull — and its owner a short time later not far from where the attack occurred.

The 50-year-old owner told officers that the dog had gotten away from her. The dog was taken to the Marion County Animal Shelter where it will stay in quarantine for at least 10 days, said Officer Josh Rains.

After that, a municipal court judge will determine whether the dog’s behavior is classified as a level 3 or level 4 behavior.

Under Woodburn ordinances, the judge can decide to either order that the city euthanize the dog; have it sent to a secure animal shelter at the owner’s expense; or order the dog to be removed from the city limits.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Officer Josh Rains of the Woodburn Police Department at 503-982-2345.

Link

Person Taken To WCA Hospital After Pit Bull Attack

By Robert Rizzuto

POSTED: April 17, 2009

A Jamestown man was attacked by a pit bull Friday afternoon in front of 150 Barrows St. in Jamestown.

The victim has serious injuries and was taken to WCA Hospital, and the dog was taken away by the city’s animal control officer. The incident is under investigation and charges are pending against the owner.

A full report with pictures of the dog and owner will be in Saturday’s edition of The Post-Journal.

Link

Poor guy was attacked by two Pit Bulls while leaving his apartment. Follow the link for video coverage.

BILLINGS – A Billings man is in the hospital after facing his second pit bull attack in just six weeks. Westley Fuchs, 35, is listed in fair condition at St. Vincent Healthcare.
On Friday afternoon he was attacked by two pit bulls as he tried to leave his basement apartment at 1103 Sunnyside Lane. A neighbor called 9-1-1and soon a whole slew of city officials crowded the small street. 
“This is probably the worst pit bull attack that I’ve seen,” said Animal Control Officer Nancy Lindstrom. “We found two pit bulls loose in the front yard and a third inside the house.”
The dogs were stained with blood from the man they had just attacked, and continued to show signs of aggression.
“They were barking, when we approached they were lunging at the fence, jumping up on it,” Lindstrom said. 
Just to be safe, animal control officers called for backup from the Billings Police Department. If the dogs got too close, officers were prepared to act.
“If the dogs got too close to an officer, we asked that they shoot the dogs because we all want to go home at the end of the day too.”
Police said this was a particularly tense situation as the victim was basically trapped in the basement of the house as the dogs that just attacked him were loose in the front yard.
Officers were finally able to catch the dogs and Fuchs was able to get out of his home and on his way to the hospital. Lindstrom said the owner gave them permission to put the dogs down and they were euthanized Friday afternoon. She wanted to add that not all pit bulls are this aggressive. 
Animal control officers said Justin Lingle, the owner of the dogs, was cited for two counts of dangerous behavior and one count of an animal at large. Each count could come with six months of jail time or a fine of $500. Lingle could also have to pay restitution to the victim.

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These stories are far too common.

Pit bull attack: Investigation underway

CAPE CORAL: Animal Control officers are investigating a dog attack in the Cape. A woman was walking her dog along SW 41st Street, when she says a pit bull lunged at both of them.

Judy Soehnlein says the leather dog leash she uses made it home from her morning walk intact, but the 11-year-old Dalmatian it was holding was not so lucky.

“He’s got bites – about eight to ten bites around his neck where he latched on and wouldn’t let go,” she said.

Slick, the Dalmatian, is still getting those wounds treated and Soehnlein is recovering from hers.

Her bandages tell a terrifying story of an early morning pit bull attack right outside her Cape Coral home.

“I grabbed my hand and my arm was bleeding everywhere,” she said.

She calls it a split second struggle that will leave a lifetime of scars.

Animal Control officers say a neighbor’s pit bull, named Diesel, got loose and lunged for Soehnlein and Slick.

“I saw him coming around the corner. His feet were kicking up he was running fiercely,” she said.

Animal Control says it has happened before. They explained that just a week ago, Diesel attacked a small dog down the street.

Diesel’s owner has been cited seven times for letting the dog off his leash and for not having proper licensing or vaccinations.

For now, Soehnlein is in need of rabies shots and hoping someone will take action soon against the pit bull and its owner.

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Police report details Friday pit bull attack

A police report released Wednesday details a pit bull attack that happened Friday afternoon in Greenwood.

Police responded to the 9500 block of Stone Avenue North and found a large group of people holding a pit bull on the ground.

“The dog’s actions were very aggressive and he was fighting to break the hold,” officer Ryan Beck wrote in his report. “Officers instructed them not to get go until the dogs leash could be secured to a nearby fence post.

“I observed a great deal of blood both on the ground and around the dogs mouth from the attack.”

The owner of the pit bull was walking in the area when it began fighting with two off-leash dogs. The dog owners pulled the animals apart, and when the pit bull owner reached for the back of her dog’s neck, it bit her right forearm causing the woman to fall.

“Several people in the area saw (the victim) struggling with the dog and rushed to her aid,” Beck wrote. “They were able to insert a crow bar into the dogs’ mouth and eventually pry it away from (the woman’s) forearm.”

During that time, the man with the two off-leash dogs, believed to be Labradors, left and entered a nearby trailer.

After officers arrived and the dog had been leashed to the fence post, it leaped toward several people. An officer used a Taser on the dog, which calmed the animal.

The woman, who had a 3-inch laceration to her forearm, was taken to Harborview Medical Center. The man who had the Labradors did not respond to officer knocks on his trailer.

The animal was taken by humane law enforcement officers from the Seattle Animal Shelter.

In Seattle, pit bulls are more likely than any other dog to be classified as a danger to the community. Almost one in five dangerous-dog citations and warnings are for pit bulls, according to a 2008 analysis of city records shows by former P-I reporter Daniel Lathrop.