AL: Woman airlifted after dog attack
August 29, 2007
ANNISTON -- A 51-year-old Anniston woman mauled by four pit bulls was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital. Police in Anniston said Olivia Thompson was found just before 2 a.m. Friday, lying against a fence on McKleroy Avenue in the Blue Mountain area. She was yelling for help. When police arrived, one of the pit bulls charged the animal-control officer and was shot and killed.
Police Sgt. Allen George said Thompson received severe injuries to her scalp and extremities and was taken to Regional Medical Center, then airlifted to University Hospital in Birmingham where she was in intensive care Saturday. One of the three remaining dogs was captured at the scene, according to police, while two dogs were surrendered to police by David Zackery, the alleged owner.
The dogs were euthanized and sent to a state lab for rabies tests. Zackery was issued 10 citations at the scene, and police expect more charges. Police said the attack took place outside Zackery's residence.
-- AP
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Woman attacked by 4 pit bulls in fair condition, but still in ICU
By Dan Whisenhunt
Star Staff Writer
08-29-2007
In the wake of another high profile pit bull attack the Anniston City Council is looking for ways to tighten its animal control laws. The council discussed the strengths of several animal control ordinances around the state before its regular meeting on Tuesday, and Councilman Ben Little is calling for a special meeting to deal with the issue.
Anniston resident Olivia Thompson was found just before 2 a.m. Friday by a fence near the 3000 block of McKleroy Avenue, badly injured and yelling for help after an attack by four pit bulls. Thompson sustained major injuries to her scalp, arms and extremeties. A spokesman for University Hospitals Birmingham said Thompson, 51, was upgraded from critical to fair condition Tuesday but was still in the intensive care unit.
One of the dogs was shot by an animal control officer after it charged him. The remaining three have been euthanized, Thompson's daughter Melissa confirmed Tuesday.
The dogs' alleged owner, David Zackery was issued a total of 10 citations for infractions of city law including loud and vicious dogs running at large, no rabies tags and no licenses. Thompson's case is the second high-profile dog attack reported this summer. In June, a Golden Springs woman was attacked by a pit bull, and other recent dog attacks were reported in Goshen and Jacksonville.
Anniston City Manager George Monk told the Council Tuesday he authorized the use of funds from the city's traffic management program to allow for an additional officer to work overtime with animal control. Monk said the extra officer is helping to more strictly enforce compliance with city laws already on the books.
City attorney Polly Russell compiled a list of animal control laws in cities around the state, noting which ones she thought would work well in Anniston. The four main areas of the law the council should consider, Russell said, are how the city licenses animals, how residents confine them and the process for seizing and destroying vicious animals. Russell placed special emphasis on confinement, saying the city of Montgomery has a law mandating vicious dogs be kept behind a perimeter and a secondary fence. "I think the problem with the bites is the dogs are getting out," Russell said.
City Councilman Jeff Fink asked whether the city ought to focus on licensing vicious animals only. "My concern is not whether someone's Chihuahua is registered," Finks said. Fink and other council members requested staff recommendations on how it should change its existing law.
Melissa Thompson said something should be done to strengthen the city's animal control laws. "I wish they would do something about putting leashes on dogs," Thompson said. "This should be a wakeup call for a lot of people."
In other business Tuesday, the City Council:
• Approved zoning for Southern States Bank for a site at 615 Quintard Avenue.
• Approved the price of full-size police cars for the coming budget year from Sunny King Ford for $21,629 per vehicle.
• Approved the purchase of a 15 passenger van from Sunny King Ford for the Parks and Recreation Department for $23,350.
The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting is at 7 p.m., Sept. 11 at City Hall.
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
MN: Woman Attacked By Dogs Wants Breed 'Exterminated'
Esme Murphy, Reporting
Apr 24, 2007 10:57 pm US/Central
(WCCO) A woman who was a victim of a pit bull attack on Monday has said enough of the attacks and enough of the dogs. Joann Jungmann is in the hospital after two pit bulls jumped her. She told WCCO-TV she thought she was going to die. "I started screaming, 'Somebody help me, somebody help me!'" said Jungmann.
Jungmann is the fourth person in the Twin Cities to be attacked in just a month. Her arm is bitten to the bone and her legs are punctured. She described the slow-motion horror of the attack as the dogs were biting her she remembered news stories of other recent attacks. "What came to my head was that lady who almost died and that little boy and that little girl," she said.
The dogs' owner said he's sorry about the attack and that his dogs are now at animal control and will be put to sleep.
Jungmann said when she got to the front door Monday morning to try and serve some legal papers she read the sign that said go to the side door. At the side door there is a "Beware of Dog Sign". She said she never went into the yard, and that the dogs jumped over the fence. She said one neighbor called the dogs off and others rushed to help. "Another lady, she was kneeling down praying with me," Jungmann said.
She is grateful for those who helped and she is passionate about the breed that attacked her. "That breed of dogs, the pit bull should be exterminated from the face of the earth," she said.
Not all of the recent attacks in the Twin Cities were by pit bulls. The boy waiting for a school bus in Minneapolis that was severely bitten earlier this month was attacked by an Akita.
While Joann Jungmann's feelings toward pit bulls are understandable, some pit bull owners and rescue groups insist it is not the breed or the dog that is to blame in these cases but the owner. "If you target a specific breed, it's akin to racial profiling. There's just no basis for that," said Lisa Peterson, spokesman for the American Kennel Club. She added that "pit bull" is a catchall for crosses of three breeds of terrier.
Beth DeLaForest, a director of A Rotta Love Plus, a local rescue group of Rottweilers and pit bulls, said pit bulls may have a bad reputation, but there is no such thing as a bad breed of dog. "There is such a thing as bad owners," she said. "When situations like this happen, people tend to blame the wrong end of the leash. ... It's owner accountability. I don't think it's a pit bull problem, it's a social problem."
Keith Streff, director for investigations for the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley, disagrees. "To say that there are no bad pit bulls, I think is an injustice to public safety," he said. "The breed is innately hard-wired to be able to perform at peak capacity when it attacks."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. )
Source
Apr 24, 2007 10:57 pm US/Central
(WCCO) A woman who was a victim of a pit bull attack on Monday has said enough of the attacks and enough of the dogs. Joann Jungmann is in the hospital after two pit bulls jumped her. She told WCCO-TV she thought she was going to die. "I started screaming, 'Somebody help me, somebody help me!'" said Jungmann.
Jungmann is the fourth person in the Twin Cities to be attacked in just a month. Her arm is bitten to the bone and her legs are punctured. She described the slow-motion horror of the attack as the dogs were biting her she remembered news stories of other recent attacks. "What came to my head was that lady who almost died and that little boy and that little girl," she said.
The dogs' owner said he's sorry about the attack and that his dogs are now at animal control and will be put to sleep.
Jungmann said when she got to the front door Monday morning to try and serve some legal papers she read the sign that said go to the side door. At the side door there is a "Beware of Dog Sign". She said she never went into the yard, and that the dogs jumped over the fence. She said one neighbor called the dogs off and others rushed to help. "Another lady, she was kneeling down praying with me," Jungmann said.
She is grateful for those who helped and she is passionate about the breed that attacked her. "That breed of dogs, the pit bull should be exterminated from the face of the earth," she said.
Not all of the recent attacks in the Twin Cities were by pit bulls. The boy waiting for a school bus in Minneapolis that was severely bitten earlier this month was attacked by an Akita.
While Joann Jungmann's feelings toward pit bulls are understandable, some pit bull owners and rescue groups insist it is not the breed or the dog that is to blame in these cases but the owner. "If you target a specific breed, it's akin to racial profiling. There's just no basis for that," said Lisa Peterson, spokesman for the American Kennel Club. She added that "pit bull" is a catchall for crosses of three breeds of terrier.
Beth DeLaForest, a director of A Rotta Love Plus, a local rescue group of Rottweilers and pit bulls, said pit bulls may have a bad reputation, but there is no such thing as a bad breed of dog. "There is such a thing as bad owners," she said. "When situations like this happen, people tend to blame the wrong end of the leash. ... It's owner accountability. I don't think it's a pit bull problem, it's a social problem."
Keith Streff, director for investigations for the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley, disagrees. "To say that there are no bad pit bulls, I think is an injustice to public safety," he said. "The breed is innately hard-wired to be able to perform at peak capacity when it attacks."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. )
Source
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Dog Attack: Woman Downgraded, Pet To Be Euthanized
Mar 28, 2007 8:38 am US/Central
Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) Minneapolis A Twin Cities mother was downgraded Wednesday morning after surgery Tuesday night for wounds suffered in a vicious dog attack. A bulldog attacked Paula Ybarra in her Minneapolis neighborhood as she helped a friend work on his house. The attack nearly killed the single mother of three and Wednesday vets plan to put down the dog and a pit bull that was with him.
Ybarra and her kids were enjoying a warm spring night Monday at a friend's house helping him paint. "She brought the littlest one in to use the bathroom and grab her purse 'cause they were getting ready to go, when all this happened," said Tom Provost, Ybarra's brother.
A 160-pound American bulldog named Bo Bo attacked Ybarra in the neck cutting a hole in her windpipe and damaging a major artery and her voice box. Merlin, a 65-pound pit bull, was in the room.
Ybarra had stopped breathing when rescue workers arrived. She was downgraded to critical condition Wednesday morning at Hennepin County Medical Center after being in serious condition Tuesday evening.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," said Tom Mohrbacker, the dog's owner. The dogs' owner, Tom Mohrbacker, said the 5-year-old dogs were like his kids, but he decided to euthanize them because he's afraid of what they could do next. "My dog almost killed one of my good friends, what do you do?" said Mohrbacker. Mohrbacker said the bigger dog had become more aggressive in the last year. In December, Bo Bo bit the shoulder of a child. At that time animal investigators warned Mohrbacker he was trouble.
The woman's brother said she knew the dogs well and loved animals and had two dogs of her own. "I was very angry ... I spoke with Tom and other people who known the dogs. I'm not happy," said Provost.
Ybarra's recovery is expected to be a long one and the owner of the dog set up a memorial fund to help. Donations can be sent to any U.S. Bank in the name of Paula Ybarra.
Animal control is still investigating the case and there could be charges against the dogs' owner.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MN: Woman Recovering After Dog Attack
Apr 3, 2007 7:05 pm US/Central
Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) A woman who was viciously attacked by a bulldog in her Minneapolis neighborhood is still facing a very difficult recovery. Paula Ybarra is reaching new milestones all the time, but her wounds have left her without a voice at Hennepin County Medical Center. "Today she'll be eating solid foods," said Tom Provost, Paula's Brother.
Ybarra was at a friend's house last week when she took her daughter to the bathroom. The 4-year-old was knocked down by one of his two dogs. When Ybarra went to pick her up, the 160 pound American Bulldog bit her in the neck and another 65 pound Pitbull grabbed her foot.
Paula has a hole in her neck and damage to her larynx which has left her unable to speak. She will have a trachea in for another six to 10 weeks, but doctors are hopeful she will be able to talk again. "She's doing so well, everything looks promising. They're very happy with everything they're seeing so far," said Provost.
Ybarra has known the dogs' owner for 20 years. She said she didn't see any signs that the dogs were dangerous and didn't know the bigger dog had bit a child in December. She said at first she felt bad that the dogs were euthanized. However, now that the shock of the attack has worn off, she's starting to support euthanizing dogs at their first sign of vicious behavior. "I'm starting to agree, next this could have been a child," said Ybarra as she wrote out her thoughts on a clipboard. Ybarra, a dog lover and owner said she thinks of the animals as people. "Don't judge them all for what this one did," she wrote.
Ybarra is the single mother of three and worked two jobs to support her family. She said she will be able to keep both of her jobs. Her 4-year-old daughter was not injured and the attack has not caused Ybarra's three girls to be afraid of dogs. The biggest problem the children have right now is missing their mom while she is in the hospital.
To help the Ybarra family, you can send donations to any U.S. Bank in the Twin Cities in care of Paula Ybarra.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source
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Minneapolis settles dog-attack lawsuit
Published: Nov. 8, 2008 at 6:55 PM
MINNEAPOLIS, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Minneapolis has agreed to settle a suit brought by a woman who was almost killed by a friend's dogs in an attack witnessed by her young daughters. Paula Ybarra's lawsuit claimed the city was liable because Thomas Mohrbacker's dogs had been left in his possession after being declared dangerous. The city council approved a $367,000 payment Friday, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Ybarra's lawsuit against Mohrbacker is still pending.
The attack occurred when Ybarra was visiting Mohrbacker with her daughters, Adriana, 9, and Cassandra, 4. A 150-pound bulldog knocked Cassandra over, and then that dog and a 60-pound pit bull attacked her, biting her in the throat, when she bent down to pick the girl up.
In court papers filed in May, Ybarra said her medical bills totaled $225,000. She said she still had trouble breathing and was at high risk of stroke as a result of her injuries.
Source
Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) Minneapolis A Twin Cities mother was downgraded Wednesday morning after surgery Tuesday night for wounds suffered in a vicious dog attack. A bulldog attacked Paula Ybarra in her Minneapolis neighborhood as she helped a friend work on his house. The attack nearly killed the single mother of three and Wednesday vets plan to put down the dog and a pit bull that was with him.
Ybarra and her kids were enjoying a warm spring night Monday at a friend's house helping him paint. "She brought the littlest one in to use the bathroom and grab her purse 'cause they were getting ready to go, when all this happened," said Tom Provost, Ybarra's brother.
A 160-pound American bulldog named Bo Bo attacked Ybarra in the neck cutting a hole in her windpipe and damaging a major artery and her voice box. Merlin, a 65-pound pit bull, was in the room.
Ybarra had stopped breathing when rescue workers arrived. She was downgraded to critical condition Wednesday morning at Hennepin County Medical Center after being in serious condition Tuesday evening.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," said Tom Mohrbacker, the dog's owner. The dogs' owner, Tom Mohrbacker, said the 5-year-old dogs were like his kids, but he decided to euthanize them because he's afraid of what they could do next. "My dog almost killed one of my good friends, what do you do?" said Mohrbacker. Mohrbacker said the bigger dog had become more aggressive in the last year. In December, Bo Bo bit the shoulder of a child. At that time animal investigators warned Mohrbacker he was trouble.
The woman's brother said she knew the dogs well and loved animals and had two dogs of her own. "I was very angry ... I spoke with Tom and other people who known the dogs. I'm not happy," said Provost.
Ybarra's recovery is expected to be a long one and the owner of the dog set up a memorial fund to help. Donations can be sent to any U.S. Bank in the name of Paula Ybarra.
Animal control is still investigating the case and there could be charges against the dogs' owner.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source
MN: Woman Recovering After Dog Attack
Apr 3, 2007 7:05 pm US/Central
Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) A woman who was viciously attacked by a bulldog in her Minneapolis neighborhood is still facing a very difficult recovery. Paula Ybarra is reaching new milestones all the time, but her wounds have left her without a voice at Hennepin County Medical Center. "Today she'll be eating solid foods," said Tom Provost, Paula's Brother.
Ybarra was at a friend's house last week when she took her daughter to the bathroom. The 4-year-old was knocked down by one of his two dogs. When Ybarra went to pick her up, the 160 pound American Bulldog bit her in the neck and another 65 pound Pitbull grabbed her foot.
Paula has a hole in her neck and damage to her larynx which has left her unable to speak. She will have a trachea in for another six to 10 weeks, but doctors are hopeful she will be able to talk again. "She's doing so well, everything looks promising. They're very happy with everything they're seeing so far," said Provost.
Ybarra has known the dogs' owner for 20 years. She said she didn't see any signs that the dogs were dangerous and didn't know the bigger dog had bit a child in December. She said at first she felt bad that the dogs were euthanized. However, now that the shock of the attack has worn off, she's starting to support euthanizing dogs at their first sign of vicious behavior. "I'm starting to agree, next this could have been a child," said Ybarra as she wrote out her thoughts on a clipboard. Ybarra, a dog lover and owner said she thinks of the animals as people. "Don't judge them all for what this one did," she wrote.
Ybarra is the single mother of three and worked two jobs to support her family. She said she will be able to keep both of her jobs. Her 4-year-old daughter was not injured and the attack has not caused Ybarra's three girls to be afraid of dogs. The biggest problem the children have right now is missing their mom while she is in the hospital.
To help the Ybarra family, you can send donations to any U.S. Bank in the Twin Cities in care of Paula Ybarra.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Source
Minneapolis settles dog-attack lawsuit
Published: Nov. 8, 2008 at 6:55 PM
MINNEAPOLIS, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Minneapolis has agreed to settle a suit brought by a woman who was almost killed by a friend's dogs in an attack witnessed by her young daughters. Paula Ybarra's lawsuit claimed the city was liable because Thomas Mohrbacker's dogs had been left in his possession after being declared dangerous. The city council approved a $367,000 payment Friday, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Ybarra's lawsuit against Mohrbacker is still pending.
The attack occurred when Ybarra was visiting Mohrbacker with her daughters, Adriana, 9, and Cassandra, 4. A 150-pound bulldog knocked Cassandra over, and then that dog and a 60-pound pit bull attacked her, biting her in the throat, when she bent down to pick the girl up.
In court papers filed in May, Ybarra said her medical bills totaled $225,000. She said she still had trouble breathing and was at high risk of stroke as a result of her injuries.
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