Fighting dogs more common in Britain
Published: Feb. 22, 2009 at 1:04 AM
LONDON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Fighting dogs are becoming more common in Britain, including pit bulls and crosses with the outlawed breed, The Times of London reported.
Some experts say young gang members may be turning to dogs because of crackdowns on possessing guns and knives.
"It's a serious offense to be caught carrying a gun or knife," said Jan Eachus of the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals. "But if you are walking a status dog you're unlikely to get stopped."
The RSPCA said complaints about fighting dogs have soared in recent years. The group got 24 complaints in 2004 but the number rose to 137 in 2006 and 358 in 2007 -- when there were 132 calls about dog fights in streets and parks.
Ray Greenwood, 63, lost his 10-year-old Jack Russell when it was attacked by another dog in a London park. He said he apparently annoyed the young man who owned by other dog by hitting it with his umbrella in an effort to protect his terrier.
"He got hold of his dog and shouted, 'Get the pup,' before releasing," he said. "It just went for her. It is terrible that this can happen. My wife and I are devastated."
Source
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
TN: 6-Year-Old In Hospital After Dog Attack
TN: 6-Year-Old In Hospital After Dog Attack
Rottweiler Broke Loose, Bit Boy
POSTED: 12:56 pm CST February 18, 2009
UPDATED: 6:17 pm CST February 18, 2009
McMINNVILLE, Tenn. -- A 6-year-old boy is in the hospital after his uncle's dog attacked him. Alexander Whitaker was in the back yard Sunday in McMinnville when the rottweiler broke loose and bit the boy several times.
Whitaker was flown to a hospital in Chattanooga. The dog's owner, Brad McKinley, said Whitaker is responding well to treatment and should recover.
The dog was put down.
Source
Rottweiler Broke Loose, Bit Boy
POSTED: 12:56 pm CST February 18, 2009
UPDATED: 6:17 pm CST February 18, 2009
McMINNVILLE, Tenn. -- A 6-year-old boy is in the hospital after his uncle's dog attacked him. Alexander Whitaker was in the back yard Sunday in McMinnville when the rottweiler broke loose and bit the boy several times.
Whitaker was flown to a hospital in Chattanooga. The dog's owner, Brad McKinley, said Whitaker is responding well to treatment and should recover.
The dog was put down.
Source
UK: Worker attacked by dog in Derby street
UK: Worker attacked by dog in Derby street
Thursday, February 19, 2009, 08:00
THE victim of a vicious dog attack had to undergo surgery after the animal dragged him to the ground and broke his arm. John Holness has had his right arm pinned and may have to stay in hospital for five days. Police are now appealing for witnesses to the attack.
Mr Holness was walking to work at S&A Foods, in Normanton, when the German shepherd pounced on him. The dog dragged the 45-year-old to the ground before it was pulled away by its owner, who then ran off with his pet. Mr Holness said: "I was on my way to work when I saw this dog walking away from its owner and sniffing the ground.
"Before I knew it, the dog jumped up at me and clamped its teeth around my arm. It was strong and it pulled me to the ground. "I was shocked and terrified – I could not get it off my arm. Because I've had problems with my heart in the past, I was struggling to breathe and thought I might have an attack.
"I pleaded with the owner and kept on shouting for him to put the dog back on its lead. When it let go I was lying on the floor and thought it was going to go for me again, around the neck or something. The owner managed to grab it before it had another go at me. He said, 'Sorry about that, mate' and ran off, leaving me lying in the road."
Mr Holness was attacked in Castings Street at about 5.40pm on Monday. As he lay on the floor, he managed to get to his mobile phone and call an ambulance. But the factory worker, who has suffered from angina in the past, was so short of breath he could not speak. Passers-by came to his aid and called an ambulance, which took him to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary.
Mr Holness, of Crewe Street, who is married to Grace, 41, has been told he will have to remain there until tomorrow at least. He said: "I feel sure that if that dog had gone for me a second time, it could have killed me. I was lying helpless in the road. The dog and its owner need to be found. I am just thankful that I was at least able to put up a bit of a fight. If it had been a child, I dread to think what the outcome would have been."
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said officers were appealing for witnesses. She said: "Mr Holness was attacked by a German shepherd dog and suffered a break and cuts to his right arm. The dog was not on a lead and the owner, who was in his mid-40s, with long, dark hair, was wearing a high-visibility jacket and woolly hat. He went off in the direction of Coronation Street."
Witnesses, or anyone with information, should contact police on 0345 123 3333.
Source
Thursday, February 19, 2009, 08:00
THE victim of a vicious dog attack had to undergo surgery after the animal dragged him to the ground and broke his arm. John Holness has had his right arm pinned and may have to stay in hospital for five days. Police are now appealing for witnesses to the attack.
Mr Holness was walking to work at S&A Foods, in Normanton, when the German shepherd pounced on him. The dog dragged the 45-year-old to the ground before it was pulled away by its owner, who then ran off with his pet. Mr Holness said: "I was on my way to work when I saw this dog walking away from its owner and sniffing the ground.
"Before I knew it, the dog jumped up at me and clamped its teeth around my arm. It was strong and it pulled me to the ground. "I was shocked and terrified – I could not get it off my arm. Because I've had problems with my heart in the past, I was struggling to breathe and thought I might have an attack.
"I pleaded with the owner and kept on shouting for him to put the dog back on its lead. When it let go I was lying on the floor and thought it was going to go for me again, around the neck or something. The owner managed to grab it before it had another go at me. He said, 'Sorry about that, mate' and ran off, leaving me lying in the road."
Mr Holness was attacked in Castings Street at about 5.40pm on Monday. As he lay on the floor, he managed to get to his mobile phone and call an ambulance. But the factory worker, who has suffered from angina in the past, was so short of breath he could not speak. Passers-by came to his aid and called an ambulance, which took him to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary.
Mr Holness, of Crewe Street, who is married to Grace, 41, has been told he will have to remain there until tomorrow at least. He said: "I feel sure that if that dog had gone for me a second time, it could have killed me. I was lying helpless in the road. The dog and its owner need to be found. I am just thankful that I was at least able to put up a bit of a fight. If it had been a child, I dread to think what the outcome would have been."
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said officers were appealing for witnesses. She said: "Mr Holness was attacked by a German shepherd dog and suffered a break and cuts to his right arm. The dog was not on a lead and the owner, who was in his mid-40s, with long, dark hair, was wearing a high-visibility jacket and woolly hat. He went off in the direction of Coronation Street."
Witnesses, or anyone with information, should contact police on 0345 123 3333.
Source
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
NC: Mauling ends Oak Island’s leash-free beach season
NC: Mauling ends Oak Island’s leash-free beach season
By Shelby Sebens, Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 8:11 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 10:09 p.m.
Oak Island | When Janet Murray took her usual walk on the beach a little more than a month ago, she was in for a shock. An English bulldog attacked her, inflicting a thigh injury that sent her to the hospital.
Janet Murray holds a picture of her thigh, injured by a dog attack on the beach at Oak Island. Murray, who suffered 17 puncture wounds, shared her story with the town council who responded by changing the town's leash law. Now all dogs must be leashed year round at the beach.
Staff photo | Shelby Sebens
==============================================================
Her emotional description of the traumatic event prompted the Oak Island Town Council to vote 4-1 Tuesday to stop allowing dogs to run free on the beach from Oct. 15-March 15. That off-season beach period was an exception to the town rule requiring dogs to be leashed when off their owner’s property.
Murray said she left her home at Northeast 66th Street on Jan. 14 and found a starfish during her walk. But it was too cold to complete her usual trip to the pier, so she turned around near the 75th Street beach access point.
It was then that Murray noticed a dog pulling a woman by its leash. The woman soon bent down to set the dog free. The brown and white English bulldog set its sights on Murray and charged. Thinking the pup was friendly, Murray bent down ready to greet it. But the dog began digging its claws into her thigh, biting and pushing Murray to the sand. “He just mauled my right thigh,” she said, adding that she cracked a rib trying to push the dog off.
She paused in her account, fighting back tears. Finally able to pry the dog off, Murray started running toward a beach house. “I felt the blood coming down my sweatpants,” she said. After climbing stairs to the house and telling the woman who had followed with the bulldog in tow to get the dog away, Murray called her husband and 911. The attack caused severe bruising and 17 puncture wounds. She was sent to Dosher Memorial Hospital, where she received stitches and treatment for infection.
Murray said she has consulted a surgeon and may need plastic surgery to fix the wound.
After her story, Mayor Johnie Vereen urged the council to take action. “This lady did not aggravate that dog,” he said. “We’ve got to make a change here. I’ve seen too many bites.” Nancy Wilson, head of the animal control department, said in a report that since the ordinance went into effect, dog bites have been more severe.
The owner of the dog, who did not return a phone message left Wednesday afternoon, was issued a $150 citation. The dog was quarantined for 10 days and showed no signs of sickness or aggression, so it was returned to the owner, the report stated.
Wilson said in her report there have been two bites in the past two seasons and one on March 16. She said in all instances, such as this one, the owners were surprised their dogs bit.
Councilman Jeff Ensminger voted against changing the ordinance, saying it would be unfair to punish all dogs and dog owners for the acts of one. Though she voted for the change, Councilwoman Dara Royal originally wanted to consider allowing dogs to run free at certain times. She added changing the leash law won’t prevent bites because it “doesn’t mean people aren’t going to let their dogs off a leash.”
After Murray told her story, Betty Wallace, who runs a dog rescue group, urged the council to change the ordinance. She said even though dogs are her life, people should not have to fear walking on the beach. “This should never have happened,” she said.
Murray said she was pleased with the council’s decision. She said if a child had been the victim of the attack, they would be having a funeral instead of a discussion.
Shelby Sebens: 264-8005
shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Source
By Shelby Sebens, Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 8:11 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 10:09 p.m.
Oak Island | When Janet Murray took her usual walk on the beach a little more than a month ago, she was in for a shock. An English bulldog attacked her, inflicting a thigh injury that sent her to the hospital.
Janet Murray holds a picture of her thigh, injured by a dog attack on the beach at Oak Island. Murray, who suffered 17 puncture wounds, shared her story with the town council who responded by changing the town's leash law. Now all dogs must be leashed year round at the beach.
Staff photo | Shelby Sebens
==============================================================
Her emotional description of the traumatic event prompted the Oak Island Town Council to vote 4-1 Tuesday to stop allowing dogs to run free on the beach from Oct. 15-March 15. That off-season beach period was an exception to the town rule requiring dogs to be leashed when off their owner’s property.
Murray said she left her home at Northeast 66th Street on Jan. 14 and found a starfish during her walk. But it was too cold to complete her usual trip to the pier, so she turned around near the 75th Street beach access point.
It was then that Murray noticed a dog pulling a woman by its leash. The woman soon bent down to set the dog free. The brown and white English bulldog set its sights on Murray and charged. Thinking the pup was friendly, Murray bent down ready to greet it. But the dog began digging its claws into her thigh, biting and pushing Murray to the sand. “He just mauled my right thigh,” she said, adding that she cracked a rib trying to push the dog off.
She paused in her account, fighting back tears. Finally able to pry the dog off, Murray started running toward a beach house. “I felt the blood coming down my sweatpants,” she said. After climbing stairs to the house and telling the woman who had followed with the bulldog in tow to get the dog away, Murray called her husband and 911. The attack caused severe bruising and 17 puncture wounds. She was sent to Dosher Memorial Hospital, where she received stitches and treatment for infection.
Murray said she has consulted a surgeon and may need plastic surgery to fix the wound.
After her story, Mayor Johnie Vereen urged the council to take action. “This lady did not aggravate that dog,” he said. “We’ve got to make a change here. I’ve seen too many bites.” Nancy Wilson, head of the animal control department, said in a report that since the ordinance went into effect, dog bites have been more severe.
The owner of the dog, who did not return a phone message left Wednesday afternoon, was issued a $150 citation. The dog was quarantined for 10 days and showed no signs of sickness or aggression, so it was returned to the owner, the report stated.
Wilson said in her report there have been two bites in the past two seasons and one on March 16. She said in all instances, such as this one, the owners were surprised their dogs bit.
Councilman Jeff Ensminger voted against changing the ordinance, saying it would be unfair to punish all dogs and dog owners for the acts of one. Though she voted for the change, Councilwoman Dara Royal originally wanted to consider allowing dogs to run free at certain times. She added changing the leash law won’t prevent bites because it “doesn’t mean people aren’t going to let their dogs off a leash.”
After Murray told her story, Betty Wallace, who runs a dog rescue group, urged the council to change the ordinance. She said even though dogs are her life, people should not have to fear walking on the beach. “This should never have happened,” she said.
Murray said she was pleased with the council’s decision. She said if a child had been the victim of the attack, they would be having a funeral instead of a discussion.
Shelby Sebens: 264-8005
shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Source
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
TX: Pit bulldog shot, man injured after dog fight
TX: Pit bulldog shot, man injured after dog fight
February 17, 2009 - 5:50 PM
Jessica Holloway
A dog fight in Beaumont ended with injuries and a shooting.
Around ten Tuesday morning police were called to the 900 block of Heather. Officers say a pit bulldog got loose in the neighborhood, got into a neighbor's backyard and ended up getting into a fight with a German Shepherd. The 23 year old owner of the pit bull tried to break up the dog fight.
The German Shepherd ended up biting the 23 year old, breaking his arm and puncturing an artery. The man got away and called police. When officers arrived the dogs were still fighting. Both dogs were taken away by animal control for treatment.
Police say they had to shoot the pit bulldog to end the fight.
"He didn't want to. It's never a good deal. You can't just let something continue and let somebody's animal be destroyed," said Sgt. Mike Wickland.
Source
February 17, 2009 - 5:50 PM
Jessica Holloway
A dog fight in Beaumont ended with injuries and a shooting.
Around ten Tuesday morning police were called to the 900 block of Heather. Officers say a pit bulldog got loose in the neighborhood, got into a neighbor's backyard and ended up getting into a fight with a German Shepherd. The 23 year old owner of the pit bull tried to break up the dog fight.
The German Shepherd ended up biting the 23 year old, breaking his arm and puncturing an artery. The man got away and called police. When officers arrived the dogs were still fighting. Both dogs were taken away by animal control for treatment.
Police say they had to shoot the pit bulldog to end the fight.
"He didn't want to. It's never a good deal. You can't just let something continue and let somebody's animal be destroyed," said Sgt. Mike Wickland.
Source
UK: Devastated mum speaks out after fatal dog attack in Hatfield
06:55 - 17 February 2009
A DEVASTATED mother has urged people to come forward with information after her daughter's rabbit was mauled to death by two Staffordshire bull terriers.
The mum-of-four, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told the WHT that she came home from her daughter's school on Thursday afternoon to find eight-month old bunny Storm dead in her back garden. She said: "I am devastated. It was my eldest daughter's pet rabbit. She had only had him for two or three months. It was sad because she had such a good report from school and then she came home to this and there were tears for the evening."
Source
A DEVASTATED mother has urged people to come forward with information after her daughter's rabbit was mauled to death by two Staffordshire bull terriers.
The mum-of-four, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told the WHT that she came home from her daughter's school on Thursday afternoon to find eight-month old bunny Storm dead in her back garden. She said: "I am devastated. It was my eldest daughter's pet rabbit. She had only had him for two or three months. It was sad because she had such a good report from school and then she came home to this and there were tears for the evening."
Source
Monday, February 16, 2009
UK: Children see horror dog attack
7:50am Monday 16th February 2009
By Sarah Poole »
CHILDREN enjoying a birthday outing watched in horror as a dog savaged a deer. The mongrel caused havoc when it got into the deer pen at Smithills Open Farm, Bolton, while families were enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Then the dog turned on a farm manager who tried to stop the attack.
Children as young as four looked on as the terrified deer was chased into a fence, breaking its neck. The dog then started mauling the animal. Farm manager Carl Grimshaw was taking two birthday parties of four and five-year-olds on a tractor ride around the Bolton farm when he saw something was wrong. He said: “I noticed the deer were running around in a frightened state.
“Then I saw the dog and it was chasing them all — but it seemed to have singled out this particular one. The children were watching it all and were shocked and terrified to see the animals so out of control.” Fast-thinking Mr Grimshaw jumped off the tractor and hurdled over three fences to stop the dog.
But by the time he reached the spot where the deer was attacked, it was too late. “When I got to the third fence, the dog had scared the deer so much that it had run straight into the fence and broke its neck. The deer was being mauled by the dog and, when I tried to grab it, it bit me.”
Two women, who appeared to be the dog’s owners, fled the scene and the dog ran off towards the old garden centre to the back of the farm.
The pregnant fallow deer, which was due to give birth in June, was attacked at around 12.30pm yesterday. It is the third deer at the farm to be killed by a loose dog in the last 18 months. The women with the dog were in their late 20s and one was wearing a bright red coat.
Mr Grimshaw is asking anyone who may have seen the dog or its owners to contact the farm on 01204 595765.
Source
By Sarah Poole »
CHILDREN enjoying a birthday outing watched in horror as a dog savaged a deer. The mongrel caused havoc when it got into the deer pen at Smithills Open Farm, Bolton, while families were enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Then the dog turned on a farm manager who tried to stop the attack.
Children as young as four looked on as the terrified deer was chased into a fence, breaking its neck. The dog then started mauling the animal. Farm manager Carl Grimshaw was taking two birthday parties of four and five-year-olds on a tractor ride around the Bolton farm when he saw something was wrong. He said: “I noticed the deer were running around in a frightened state.
“Then I saw the dog and it was chasing them all — but it seemed to have singled out this particular one. The children were watching it all and were shocked and terrified to see the animals so out of control.” Fast-thinking Mr Grimshaw jumped off the tractor and hurdled over three fences to stop the dog.
But by the time he reached the spot where the deer was attacked, it was too late. “When I got to the third fence, the dog had scared the deer so much that it had run straight into the fence and broke its neck. The deer was being mauled by the dog and, when I tried to grab it, it bit me.”
Two women, who appeared to be the dog’s owners, fled the scene and the dog ran off towards the old garden centre to the back of the farm.
The pregnant fallow deer, which was due to give birth in June, was attacked at around 12.30pm yesterday. It is the third deer at the farm to be killed by a loose dog in the last 18 months. The women with the dog were in their late 20s and one was wearing a bright red coat.
Mr Grimshaw is asking anyone who may have seen the dog or its owners to contact the farm on 01204 595765.
Source
MI: Trial set in tot's dog mauling death
Rottweiler's owner faces up to 15 years in prison after the dog killed 4-month-old girl.
Christina Stolarz / The Detroit News
MOUNT CLEMENS -- Kylie Cox was a happy baby who never wanted to miss a thing. "She smiled a lot and she didn't like to sleep. She was very alert," said her grandmother, Lisa Livingston, 35, of Warren. "I have three kids of my own under the age of 4. I wanted them to all grow up together. She was blessing."
It's been a difficult year for Kylie's family as they cope with the loss of the 4-month-old, who was mauled to death on Sept. 12, 2007, by a Rottweiler at a gathering at a Warren home. They've held a funeral, celebrated her first birthday without her and, on Wednesday, head to Macomb Circuit Court for the trial of one of the dog's owners.
Christopher Fura, 20, is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony. While prosecutors acknowledge the death was unintended, they say Fura and his stepbrother, Jason Winters, both of Warren, were criminally negligent when they took their dog, Chopper, to a gathering even though they were aware the dog was aggressive.
In the two-week period the brothers owned the 120-pound dog, authorities say it bit Fura on the hand, growled at a child and fought with another dog. The dog was euthanized by Macomb County officials the day after the attack. "The defendant exhibited gross negligence by taking a dog he knew to be dangerous to another person's house without having the dog leashed or otherwise under control," Macomb Assistant Prosecutor Steve Kaplan said.
Winters, 23, was sentenced this year to 36 months of probation on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Fura originally pleaded no contest, but withdrew his plea this summer after his presentence report indicated he would spend six months in jail.
Fura's defense attorney, Kenneth Vernier, declined comment.
Authorities say the incident occurred after then-17-year-old Alexis Cox arrived at the home with her daughter. Cox placed Kylie, who was in her carrier, on the living room floor to go into the kitchen to make her a bottle. In the kitchen, she saw two of her acquaintances -- Fura and Winters -- playing video games, and then saw the dog.
"She didn't know the dog was in the house," Kaplan said. "She said, 'What's that dog doing here?' The dog ran into the living room, grabbed the baby ... and pulls it out of the car seat. Within seconds, literally, the death occurred." Cox said she has mixed feelings about the trial -- she'll be glad when it's over but she doesn't want to see the dog's owners. She said the support of her family and friends and memories of her daughter have helped her cope. "It doesn't get easier," said Cox. But, "I have her pictures all in my room."
Source
Christina Stolarz / The Detroit News
MOUNT CLEMENS -- Kylie Cox was a happy baby who never wanted to miss a thing. "She smiled a lot and she didn't like to sleep. She was very alert," said her grandmother, Lisa Livingston, 35, of Warren. "I have three kids of my own under the age of 4. I wanted them to all grow up together. She was blessing."
It's been a difficult year for Kylie's family as they cope with the loss of the 4-month-old, who was mauled to death on Sept. 12, 2007, by a Rottweiler at a gathering at a Warren home. They've held a funeral, celebrated her first birthday without her and, on Wednesday, head to Macomb Circuit Court for the trial of one of the dog's owners.
Christopher Fura, 20, is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony. While prosecutors acknowledge the death was unintended, they say Fura and his stepbrother, Jason Winters, both of Warren, were criminally negligent when they took their dog, Chopper, to a gathering even though they were aware the dog was aggressive.
In the two-week period the brothers owned the 120-pound dog, authorities say it bit Fura on the hand, growled at a child and fought with another dog. The dog was euthanized by Macomb County officials the day after the attack. "The defendant exhibited gross negligence by taking a dog he knew to be dangerous to another person's house without having the dog leashed or otherwise under control," Macomb Assistant Prosecutor Steve Kaplan said.
Winters, 23, was sentenced this year to 36 months of probation on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Fura originally pleaded no contest, but withdrew his plea this summer after his presentence report indicated he would spend six months in jail.
Fura's defense attorney, Kenneth Vernier, declined comment.
Authorities say the incident occurred after then-17-year-old Alexis Cox arrived at the home with her daughter. Cox placed Kylie, who was in her carrier, on the living room floor to go into the kitchen to make her a bottle. In the kitchen, she saw two of her acquaintances -- Fura and Winters -- playing video games, and then saw the dog.
"She didn't know the dog was in the house," Kaplan said. "She said, 'What's that dog doing here?' The dog ran into the living room, grabbed the baby ... and pulls it out of the car seat. Within seconds, literally, the death occurred." Cox said she has mixed feelings about the trial -- she'll be glad when it's over but she doesn't want to see the dog's owners. She said the support of her family and friends and memories of her daughter have helped her cope. "It doesn't get easier," said Cox. But, "I have her pictures all in my room."
Source
FL: Sheriff's Office: Dad shoots pit bull after it attacks wife, daughter
February 16, 2009
By PATRICIO G. BALONA, Staff Writer
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Volusia County animal control officers today are investigating a dog bite and shooting of the animal west of New Smyrna Beach, a sheriff spokesman said.
Preliminary reports indicate that a man called dispatchers at 10:35 a.m. saying that his family was attacked by his pit bull, said sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught. "The reporting party said his pit bull bit his wife and kid and that he has shot the dog," Haught said.
The dog bite victims are woman and girl, said EVAC spokesman Mark O' Keefe. Both refused medical attention, O'Keefe said.
Source
By PATRICIO G. BALONA, Staff Writer
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Volusia County animal control officers today are investigating a dog bite and shooting of the animal west of New Smyrna Beach, a sheriff spokesman said.
Preliminary reports indicate that a man called dispatchers at 10:35 a.m. saying that his family was attacked by his pit bull, said sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught. "The reporting party said his pit bull bit his wife and kid and that he has shot the dog," Haught said.
The dog bite victims are woman and girl, said EVAC spokesman Mark O' Keefe. Both refused medical attention, O'Keefe said.
Source
Sunday, February 15, 2009
OR: Dog attack sparks compelling questions
Vale incident raises visibility of vicious dog rules
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
Source
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
Source
Saturday, February 14, 2009
UK: Toddler Fatally Mauled While Granny Took a Nap
Toddler Fatally Mauled While Granny Took a Nap
An inquest is being held into the dog mauling death of a British toddler
February 14, 2009
An inquest is being held into the dog mauling death of a British toddler. Recent testamony shows that the little boy, Jaden Joseph Mack was fatally injured by the family dogs while his grandmother was sleeping. The grandmother had put him on a pillow on top of a table and dozed off.
The dogs, a Jack Russell and Staffordshire bull terrier pulled the infant from the table, mauling him to his death. They have since been destroyed.
In a statement released by the family of the infant after Jaden's death, they said: "We would like to stress to all families with young children and pet dogs that, no matter how much trust you have in your dog, something like this is always possible."
Source
An inquest is being held into the dog mauling death of a British toddler
February 14, 2009
An inquest is being held into the dog mauling death of a British toddler. Recent testamony shows that the little boy, Jaden Joseph Mack was fatally injured by the family dogs while his grandmother was sleeping. The grandmother had put him on a pillow on top of a table and dozed off.
The dogs, a Jack Russell and Staffordshire bull terrier pulled the infant from the table, mauling him to his death. They have since been destroyed.
In a statement released by the family of the infant after Jaden's death, they said: "We would like to stress to all families with young children and pet dogs that, no matter how much trust you have in your dog, something like this is always possible."
Source
WI: Calumet County boy treated after attack by family pets
The Post-Crescent • February 14, 2009
CHILTON — A 4-year-old boy who was badly injured in a dog attack Friday is the son of the dogs’ owners, Calumet County Sheriff Gerald Pagel said Saturday. The boy’s family declined to release updated information on the boy’s medical condition Saturday. He was listed in stable condition at Neenah’s Theda Clark Medical Center on Friday.
The boy received “numerous bites and lacerations on the face and the upper portion of his body” in an attack by two German shepherds described as family pets, Pagel said. The attack occurred in an outdoor area of the family’s Town of New Holstein residence, W2238 County HH.
The owners of the dogs, Mary and Patrick Dugan, operate a boarding kennel, the Pets Motel, at the same address. Attempts to reach Mary Dugan by telephone were not successful.
The dogs will be “quarantined at the owners’ residence for at least two weeks,” Pagel said.
Source
CHILTON — A 4-year-old boy who was badly injured in a dog attack Friday is the son of the dogs’ owners, Calumet County Sheriff Gerald Pagel said Saturday. The boy’s family declined to release updated information on the boy’s medical condition Saturday. He was listed in stable condition at Neenah’s Theda Clark Medical Center on Friday.
The boy received “numerous bites and lacerations on the face and the upper portion of his body” in an attack by two German shepherds described as family pets, Pagel said. The attack occurred in an outdoor area of the family’s Town of New Holstein residence, W2238 County HH.
The owners of the dogs, Mary and Patrick Dugan, operate a boarding kennel, the Pets Motel, at the same address. Attempts to reach Mary Dugan by telephone were not successful.
The dogs will be “quarantined at the owners’ residence for at least two weeks,” Pagel said.
Source
NE: 2-Year-Old Injured by Dog Bite
Posted: Feb 14, 2009 05:41 PM
Updated: Feb 14, 2009 05:41 PM
OMAHA (KPTM)- A 2-year-old is sent to the hospital today after being bit in the face by a dog. It happened around 1:30 this afternoon near 40th and Chicago. Investigators say it appears the girl was playing with the Chow/Shepherd mix when she grabbed its tale. That's when the dog turned around and bit the 2-year-old's cheek.
The Nebraska Humane Society says it was a fairly common bite. They did take the dog into custody but are unsure if any citations will be issued. The girl is expected to be okay.
Source++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dog Bite Sends Girl To Hospital
Listed in serious condition
Posted: 3:36 PM Feb 14, 2009
Last Updated: 9:48 PM Feb 14, 2009
Reporter: Mark Schneider
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.co
A 2-and-a-half-year-old Omaha girl was hospitalized in serious condition after being bitten by a neighbor's dog Saturday afternoon. Neighbors say the girl was playing with the dog near 40th and Chicago around 2 p.m. and pulled its tail. The dog then turned and bit her once on the face.
A neighbor said the dog always seemed to be friendly. “I know they have one (dog) and his name is Jake and he's a real friendly dog and a real good dog and I feed that dog and the cats up and down the alley all the time,” said Ben Franklin.
The dog is classified as a mixed-Chow breed and is current on all its shots and vaccinations. The Nebraska Humane Society has taken the dog for now, though there may not be any citations issued. The dog could be returned to the owner.
Source
Updated: Feb 14, 2009 05:41 PM
OMAHA (KPTM)- A 2-year-old is sent to the hospital today after being bit in the face by a dog. It happened around 1:30 this afternoon near 40th and Chicago. Investigators say it appears the girl was playing with the Chow/Shepherd mix when she grabbed its tale. That's when the dog turned around and bit the 2-year-old's cheek.
The Nebraska Humane Society says it was a fairly common bite. They did take the dog into custody but are unsure if any citations will be issued. The girl is expected to be okay.
Source
Dog Bite Sends Girl To Hospital
Listed in serious condition
Posted: 3:36 PM Feb 14, 2009
Last Updated: 9:48 PM Feb 14, 2009
Reporter: Mark Schneider
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.co
A 2-and-a-half-year-old Omaha girl was hospitalized in serious condition after being bitten by a neighbor's dog Saturday afternoon. Neighbors say the girl was playing with the dog near 40th and Chicago around 2 p.m. and pulled its tail. The dog then turned and bit her once on the face.
A neighbor said the dog always seemed to be friendly. “I know they have one (dog) and his name is Jake and he's a real friendly dog and a real good dog and I feed that dog and the cats up and down the alley all the time,” said Ben Franklin.
The dog is classified as a mixed-Chow breed and is current on all its shots and vaccinations. The Nebraska Humane Society has taken the dog for now, though there may not be any citations issued. The dog could be returned to the owner.
Source
OR: Dog attack sparks compelling questions
Vale incident raises visibility of vicious dog rules
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
Source
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
Source
OR: Dog attack sparks compelling questions
OR: Dog attack sparks compelling questions
Vale incident raises visibility of vicious dog rules
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
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Vale incident raises visibility of vicious dog rules
BY Katie Pizza, Argus Observer
Saturday, February 14, 2009 11:55 PM PST
Vale—In the wake of the attack of a 5-year-old boy by a mixed breed dog Jan. 3, one resident is angered and believes actions by sheriff’s deputies regarding pit bulls is not fair. A Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to be on patrol and spotted a black-colored dog inside an enclosed yard where it held the young boy by the arm and was dragging him around. The deputy yelled at the dog, which did not respond, and went to a gate and entered the yard to rescue the victim.
“The deputy had to kick the dog off the boy,” Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe told the Argus Observer in early January. After the boy was freed and in the deputy’s arms, the dog still attempted to continue the attack and had to be fought off, Wolfe said.
Once outside fence, the deputy closed the gate, but the dog was able to escape by crawling under the fence and ran to its home. The owner of the pit bull, boxer and black lab mix, Darlene Hicks, Vale, was cited for allowing her dog to run at-large and for a nuisance dog and not having the dog licensed. Wolfe said the boy was in his yard and had not bothered the dog.
Vale resident Donna Gay asserted that while Hicks, Vale, was furnished the opportunity to decide whether or not to put the animal down after attacking the boy, Gay’s pit bull, Mercedes, was not so lucky. She said, a few years ago, her pit bull escaped from her yard and was shot by a Malheur County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the deputy said the dog menaced a boy waiting at a bus stop a few homes down from her house.
Gay said she heard from a neighbor that the boy was throwing rocks at Mercedes and that she had never seen her dog act aggressive. Though she said Mercedes had recently had puppies, she did not believe that would contribute to any aggression since the incident did not take place near the puppies. She thought it was unfair that her dog was shot while the pit bull involved in the Jan. 3 incident was allowed to live. “She was shot right between the eyes,” Gay said.
Wolfe said it is up to the deputy’s discretion to decide what action to take. In the Jan. 3 incident, he said that deputy was more concerned with protecting the boy and getting him to safety than with the dog, which had already fled the scene.
Malheur County Deputy Oscar Rodriguez said, if a dog is acting aggressive on a resident’s property, property owners do have the right to take the action they feel is necessary to protect themselves and their family. The right also applies to residents who feel their livestock are being threatened by a dog. "You also have the right to call us and get a citation for the dog,” he said. This right also extends to law enforcement who are able to use whatever force is necessary to resolve the situation. “We have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.
He also said county ordinances demand pit bulls, bull terriers, mastiffs and about 10 to 15 other dog breeds must be put in five-sided pens with a concrete floor. If a concrete floor is not used in the pen, there must be at least two feet of soil beneath the pen so the dog can not dig out.
At a recent Vale City Council meeting, council members listened to residents regarding proposed changes to the city’s current dog ordinance. While no final decision was made, Vale City Manager Brent Barton said the ordinance could be hashed out further at the next council meeting.
Ledy VanKavage, an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that recovered pit bulls from dog fighter Michael Vick, said some officials will label dogs as pit bulls incorrectly. She said discriminating against breeds can be costly, since she believed the best and most accurate way to determine breeds to be DNA testing. “With the economy the way it is, does the city really want to pay for DNA testing for every mutt in the city?” she asked.
She also said irresponsible owners should not have their dogs singled out by any breed but should be forbidden from owning any dogs at all. “They can just go out and get a different breed of dog,” she said.
VanKavage spoke not about specific breeds of dogs, but of the specific dog involved in attacks. She said 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks are not sterilized and 25 percent of fatal dog attacks occur when the dogs are running in packs.
She also spoke highly of laws in Illinois, which consider any dog to be dangerous if it threatens a person or companion animal such as another dog, cat or horse. If this happens, the dog must be sterilized, which statistically reduces cases of bites, and have a microchip inserted to assist in tracking the animal. If the animal is walked, it must be muzzled and not walked by anyone under the age of 18. If the dog does bite someone, it is considered a class 2 felony, with the owner subject to 10 years in jail.
Law enforcement officials classified the dog in the Jan. 3 attack as a pit bull, boxer and black lab mix. Tne magazine editor simplified this classification of dog. “It’s a mongrel basically,” Wash.-based Animal People editor Merritt Clifton said. He also said insurance representatives and dog wardens will often classify the dog by what type of dog it looks like. This classification has little to do with genetics, he said, because often shelter operators are simply attempting to determine the risk the dog will fight with other dogs.
Though some might label pit bulls as aggressive, Clifton said pit bulls are often reactive because of the fact they were originally trained to hunt rats on ships. However, because of their size and their inability to pull large amounts of cargo from ships, they were not considered apt for either job and instead began being bred for dogfighting on the docks. This rat-killing, he said, has made them more reactive.
He also talked about the head-shaking mechanism pit bulls would use to kill the rat, which in bites causes the tearing of skin, causing more damage than other dog bites. However, he said this can be combated by pushing the arm or other appendage further into the dog’s mouth, which will force a release. This action, he said, is preferable to pulling away, though he said it may be hard to focus on such an action in the midst of an attack. Clifton said pit bulls make up a large percent of dogs in shelters. Though pit bulls made up about 10 percent of dogs killed in U.S. shelters in 1993, they now make up 50 percent plus since 2003.
This amounts to an average of about 1 million pit bulls per year, at an average age of about 18 months of age. About half are owner surrenders, and half are impounds by law enforcement. Clifton also said he believed attacks stem from a trigger that many may not be aware of, since human senses are not as acute as a dog’s. However, he said he believed dogs can be trained to calm their reactions. “What you’re really trying to do is teach the dog to count to 10,” he said.
Check out more local news at www.argusobserver.com
Source
Friday, February 13, 2009
IL: Country Club Hills man fights off dog attack
February 13, 2009
BY STEVE METSCH, Staff Writer
A Labrador has been taken from its owner and is being observed for rabies after it and a pit bull attacked a 34-year-old Country Club Hills man, police said. The dog is being kept for 10 days at a animal shelter in Chicago Ridge, police said. The pit bull died at the scene of the attack, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 17700 block of Sarah Lane in Country Club Hills, police said.
The man, whose injuries were not considered serious, was bitten by both dogs, police said. He was taken to South Suburban Hospital for treatment after he complained of a sore knee and swollen thumb, police said.
When the man saw the dogs running free about 3 p.m. Tuesday, he tried to grab them because he feared for the safety of neighborhood children, police said. The dogs were "somewhat aggressive," the man told police. A neighbor told police she heard the man yelling, "Someone help. The dogs are attacking me. Call 911."
When officers arrived at the scene, the dogs charged at them, growling and snarling, police said. Officers were able to subdue the Labrador. But the pit bull continued to struggle after being struck several times with a Taser, police said. The pit bull was strangled during repeated attempts to break free from a snaring device around its neck, police said.
The dogs' owner, Jelene Malone, 28, of 17750 Pheasant Lane, was given two tickets because her dogs bit the man, police said. Attempts to contact the man Thursday were not successful.
Steve Metsch can be contacted at smetsch@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5996.
Source
BY STEVE METSCH, Staff Writer
A Labrador has been taken from its owner and is being observed for rabies after it and a pit bull attacked a 34-year-old Country Club Hills man, police said. The dog is being kept for 10 days at a animal shelter in Chicago Ridge, police said. The pit bull died at the scene of the attack, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in the 17700 block of Sarah Lane in Country Club Hills, police said.
The man, whose injuries were not considered serious, was bitten by both dogs, police said. He was taken to South Suburban Hospital for treatment after he complained of a sore knee and swollen thumb, police said.
When the man saw the dogs running free about 3 p.m. Tuesday, he tried to grab them because he feared for the safety of neighborhood children, police said. The dogs were "somewhat aggressive," the man told police. A neighbor told police she heard the man yelling, "Someone help. The dogs are attacking me. Call 911."
When officers arrived at the scene, the dogs charged at them, growling and snarling, police said. Officers were able to subdue the Labrador. But the pit bull continued to struggle after being struck several times with a Taser, police said. The pit bull was strangled during repeated attempts to break free from a snaring device around its neck, police said.
The dogs' owner, Jelene Malone, 28, of 17750 Pheasant Lane, was given two tickets because her dogs bit the man, police said. Attempts to contact the man Thursday were not successful.
Steve Metsch can be contacted at smetsch@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5996.
Source
EUROPE: RSPCA ‘advise’ dog attack woman
Feb 13 2009 By Cara Simpson
A DOG owner has received a dressing down from the RSPCA after she was seen kicking and punching her pet. The Telegraph reported last week how concerned passers-by had seen the woman attacking the German shepherd-type dog, and the charity appealed for the woman to come forward.
Following the Telegraph story the woman contacted the RSPCA to say that her actions were misinterpreted. She also sent an email to the Telegraph, saying that the dog had bitten her as she tried to take a ball from its mouth.
She added: “I smacked him three times on the side of the mouth with my free hand to get him to release me. I then had to push him to the ground where he finally let go.”
The RSPCA’s National Cruelty and Advice Line received several calls from people who recognised the woman’s description as a result of the Telegraph story. An RSPCA inspector has advised the woman on disciplining her dog. Judith Haw, RSPCA spokeswoman, said: “Though the dog owner did contact us, we would have been able to find her from the information we received from callers.
“She has received formal advice from RSPCA inspector Steve Morrall with regards to her future conduct with the dog and he will continue to monitor the situation.”
The incident happened in Miners Lane, opposite the Miners Arms pub in Bedworth, on January 29.
Source
A DOG owner has received a dressing down from the RSPCA after she was seen kicking and punching her pet. The Telegraph reported last week how concerned passers-by had seen the woman attacking the German shepherd-type dog, and the charity appealed for the woman to come forward.
Following the Telegraph story the woman contacted the RSPCA to say that her actions were misinterpreted. She also sent an email to the Telegraph, saying that the dog had bitten her as she tried to take a ball from its mouth.
She added: “I smacked him three times on the side of the mouth with my free hand to get him to release me. I then had to push him to the ground where he finally let go.”
The RSPCA’s National Cruelty and Advice Line received several calls from people who recognised the woman’s description as a result of the Telegraph story. An RSPCA inspector has advised the woman on disciplining her dog. Judith Haw, RSPCA spokeswoman, said: “Though the dog owner did contact us, we would have been able to find her from the information we received from callers.
“She has received formal advice from RSPCA inspector Steve Morrall with regards to her future conduct with the dog and he will continue to monitor the situation.”
The incident happened in Miners Lane, opposite the Miners Arms pub in Bedworth, on January 29.
Source
IN: Pit bull owner in court over neighbor attack
Updated: Feb 13, 2009 12:40 PM
Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - The owner of the two pit bulls who attacked an Indianapolis great grandmother went to court Friday. The grandmother herself went back to surgery. Dog owner Lee Carroll ignored reporter questions leaving the courtroom Friday morning. Carroll heard charges against him for a vicious dog attack on his neighbor Brenda Hill.
The 61-year-old victim is undergoing more surgery after doctors removed her lower left leg. Her son, Greg Gilbert, said doctors want to make sure there is no infection. The attacked happened as Hill took out her trash. Prosecutors say Lee Carroll's two pit bulls dragged her off the porch. Prosecutors filed two counts for Failure to Restrain a Dog Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and two counts of Harboring a Non-Immunized Dog.
Within days of animal control officers euthanizing his two pit bulls, Animal Care and Control Director Doug Ray announced a new policy to adopt out certain pit bulls. Greg Gilbert is concerned about the new policy. "To me you are releasing vicious animals back in to the community. To me that doesn't make sense," Gilbert said.
In the probable cause affidavit, prosecutors say Lee Carroll got his dogs off Brenda Hill, said he was sorry and walked away as she lay on the ground for another 20 minutes. "It is a serious case. Brenda Hill was taking out her trash when she was attacked by two pit bulls. She almost lost her life," said Mario Massillamany, Marion County prosecutor's office.
Carroll is scheduled to come back to court in April to defend his former pets' actions. Lee Carroll goes back to court for a pretrial hearing April first. For now the judge ordered him to place a litter of puppies bred from his former pets into someone else's care.
Source
Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - The owner of the two pit bulls who attacked an Indianapolis great grandmother went to court Friday. The grandmother herself went back to surgery. Dog owner Lee Carroll ignored reporter questions leaving the courtroom Friday morning. Carroll heard charges against him for a vicious dog attack on his neighbor Brenda Hill.
The 61-year-old victim is undergoing more surgery after doctors removed her lower left leg. Her son, Greg Gilbert, said doctors want to make sure there is no infection. The attacked happened as Hill took out her trash. Prosecutors say Lee Carroll's two pit bulls dragged her off the porch. Prosecutors filed two counts for Failure to Restrain a Dog Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and two counts of Harboring a Non-Immunized Dog.
Within days of animal control officers euthanizing his two pit bulls, Animal Care and Control Director Doug Ray announced a new policy to adopt out certain pit bulls. Greg Gilbert is concerned about the new policy. "To me you are releasing vicious animals back in to the community. To me that doesn't make sense," Gilbert said.
In the probable cause affidavit, prosecutors say Lee Carroll got his dogs off Brenda Hill, said he was sorry and walked away as she lay on the ground for another 20 minutes. "It is a serious case. Brenda Hill was taking out her trash when she was attacked by two pit bulls. She almost lost her life," said Mario Massillamany, Marion County prosecutor's office.
Carroll is scheduled to come back to court in April to defend his former pets' actions. Lee Carroll goes back to court for a pretrial hearing April first. For now the judge ordered him to place a litter of puppies bred from his former pets into someone else's care.
Source
MN: Bitsy loses, owners question city’s new ordinance
Submitted by Nancy Huddleston on February 13, 2009 - 11:08am.
The verdict is in – Bitsy the long-haired dachshund is a potentially dangerous dog. The designation came about as a result of the first dangerous dog hearing where the city used an outside hearing officer to preside over a case, which was also the second time the updated ordinance was followed. Hearing examiner Karen E. Marty handed down the ruling Feb. 3 after presiding over an appeal hearing of a potentially dangerous dog citation against Bitsy that involved two very different stories about what happened on the morning of Nov. 26, 2008.
The case involved determining if Bitsy bit a 12-year-old girl who passed by two other children (a 7-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy) who were walking their family dogs (the dachshund and a chocolate Labrador) along South Park Drive. The dogs were on leashes and both sniffed at the 12-year-old girl’s shoes. But that’s where the story starts to differ. The 12-year-old girl told police and testified at the Jan. 26 appeal hearing that the dachshund “grabbed” the top of her left shoe and she had to call out to the other girl to get the dog to let go.
But the two other children told police and testified that Bitsy sniffed the girl’s shoe, slowed down as they passed on the sidewalk and the 7-year-old girl had to tug the dog a little to get her moving. Neither child recalled the 12-year-old yelling to them about Bitsy’s behavior. In her finding of facts, Marty said “whether T.F. actually called out, or S.Z. heard it, is unimportant. The issue at hand is the dog’s conduct.”
Marty also concluded that combining the different stories “paints this picture: Bitsy took a quick nip of T.F.’s shoe as Bitsy went by. S.Z. tugged on the leash and pulled Bitsy off, looking back at the time when Bitsy let go. Needing to tug Bitsy appeared to be a normal matter to S.Z. Having her shoe bitten and tugged on would be an abnormal part of walking to school and notable to T.F. The evidence supports finding that Bitsy bit T.F.’s shoe, long enough for T.F. to notice and for the shoe to tear, but let go before S.Z. saw what Bitsy was doing.”
At the hearing, when Marty asked the 12-year-old to elaborate, she said “the dog had bit me and the dog and the girl kept walking. And the dog’s mouth was still clenched around my foot.”
The girl told Marty she had to walk backwards because the dog kept biting her foot and she couldn’t move her foot, so she had turn around to tell the other girl to make Bitsy stop biting her. The girl estimated the time she first saw the dog to the time she had to yell out as 45 seconds.
During the hearing, the girl testified that her foot hurt, but she could still walk to school. She told a friend about the incident on the way to school, but when she got there she went to see the school nurse because her foot hurt more. The nurse examined the foot, cleaned the area, provided her with ice packs because it was swollen and called the girl’s mother. The nurse did not find that the skin was broken. The girl said the pain had subsided by that evening and by the next morning, the bruise was gone.
Marty also used the nurses’ report as evidence of the bite. “These independent notes, made shortly after the dog bite, provide strong evidence in support of T.F.’s statements.” Marty also said: “to find that Bitsy did not bite T.F.’s shoe, it would be necessary to ignore the independent verification from the school nurse.” The shoe was also used by Marty in her ruling as evidence, but in two different ways.
At first, Marty writes: “The evidence of the shoe also was unnecessary, because the statement given by the school nurse on the date of the incident included the statement that the shoe was torn.” But, then she wrote: “Seeing the shoe was helpful, though, since it revealed that the tear was at a seam, rather than through the fabric. If Bitsy had bitten through the shoe, it would have shown more aggressive conduct.”
Reaction to ruling
The mother of the 12-year-old girl gave a written statement to the newspaper in reaction to the ruling.“This has been a very difficult ordeal for my entire family to go through. After receiving a phone call from the school nurse informing me that my daughter had just sustained a dog bite, I did what most parents would have done, I notified the Savage Police Department. My concern was for the safety and well being of my child. I did not pursue any further action regarding this incident.
“At the request of the city, my daughter attended a hearing regarding the incident. The hearing was a very intimidating and stressful event for her to have to endure. I am glad that my daughter spoke the truth and that this chapter in our lives is finally closed.”
The owners of Bitsy, Steve and Christina Zielinski, said they appreciate the fact that the hearing officer believed their children, too. And they note the incident has been stressful for their family. While they are comforted by Marty’s statement in her ruling that “she accepts” the testimony at the hearing that they presented to show “their children were reliable witnesses and Bitsy is a good dog,” they are still dismayed.
Their frustration is with the process followed by the city to issue the citation, which they expressed before the hearing and continue to express now that a ruling has been made.
Source
The verdict is in – Bitsy the long-haired dachshund is a potentially dangerous dog. The designation came about as a result of the first dangerous dog hearing where the city used an outside hearing officer to preside over a case, which was also the second time the updated ordinance was followed. Hearing examiner Karen E. Marty handed down the ruling Feb. 3 after presiding over an appeal hearing of a potentially dangerous dog citation against Bitsy that involved two very different stories about what happened on the morning of Nov. 26, 2008.
The case involved determining if Bitsy bit a 12-year-old girl who passed by two other children (a 7-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy) who were walking their family dogs (the dachshund and a chocolate Labrador) along South Park Drive. The dogs were on leashes and both sniffed at the 12-year-old girl’s shoes. But that’s where the story starts to differ. The 12-year-old girl told police and testified at the Jan. 26 appeal hearing that the dachshund “grabbed” the top of her left shoe and she had to call out to the other girl to get the dog to let go.
But the two other children told police and testified that Bitsy sniffed the girl’s shoe, slowed down as they passed on the sidewalk and the 7-year-old girl had to tug the dog a little to get her moving. Neither child recalled the 12-year-old yelling to them about Bitsy’s behavior. In her finding of facts, Marty said “whether T.F. actually called out, or S.Z. heard it, is unimportant. The issue at hand is the dog’s conduct.”
Marty also concluded that combining the different stories “paints this picture: Bitsy took a quick nip of T.F.’s shoe as Bitsy went by. S.Z. tugged on the leash and pulled Bitsy off, looking back at the time when Bitsy let go. Needing to tug Bitsy appeared to be a normal matter to S.Z. Having her shoe bitten and tugged on would be an abnormal part of walking to school and notable to T.F. The evidence supports finding that Bitsy bit T.F.’s shoe, long enough for T.F. to notice and for the shoe to tear, but let go before S.Z. saw what Bitsy was doing.”
At the hearing, when Marty asked the 12-year-old to elaborate, she said “the dog had bit me and the dog and the girl kept walking. And the dog’s mouth was still clenched around my foot.”
The girl told Marty she had to walk backwards because the dog kept biting her foot and she couldn’t move her foot, so she had turn around to tell the other girl to make Bitsy stop biting her. The girl estimated the time she first saw the dog to the time she had to yell out as 45 seconds.
During the hearing, the girl testified that her foot hurt, but she could still walk to school. She told a friend about the incident on the way to school, but when she got there she went to see the school nurse because her foot hurt more. The nurse examined the foot, cleaned the area, provided her with ice packs because it was swollen and called the girl’s mother. The nurse did not find that the skin was broken. The girl said the pain had subsided by that evening and by the next morning, the bruise was gone.
Marty also used the nurses’ report as evidence of the bite. “These independent notes, made shortly after the dog bite, provide strong evidence in support of T.F.’s statements.” Marty also said: “to find that Bitsy did not bite T.F.’s shoe, it would be necessary to ignore the independent verification from the school nurse.” The shoe was also used by Marty in her ruling as evidence, but in two different ways.
At first, Marty writes: “The evidence of the shoe also was unnecessary, because the statement given by the school nurse on the date of the incident included the statement that the shoe was torn.” But, then she wrote: “Seeing the shoe was helpful, though, since it revealed that the tear was at a seam, rather than through the fabric. If Bitsy had bitten through the shoe, it would have shown more aggressive conduct.”
Reaction to ruling
The mother of the 12-year-old girl gave a written statement to the newspaper in reaction to the ruling.“This has been a very difficult ordeal for my entire family to go through. After receiving a phone call from the school nurse informing me that my daughter had just sustained a dog bite, I did what most parents would have done, I notified the Savage Police Department. My concern was for the safety and well being of my child. I did not pursue any further action regarding this incident.
“At the request of the city, my daughter attended a hearing regarding the incident. The hearing was a very intimidating and stressful event for her to have to endure. I am glad that my daughter spoke the truth and that this chapter in our lives is finally closed.”
The owners of Bitsy, Steve and Christina Zielinski, said they appreciate the fact that the hearing officer believed their children, too. And they note the incident has been stressful for their family. While they are comforted by Marty’s statement in her ruling that “she accepts” the testimony at the hearing that they presented to show “their children were reliable witnesses and Bitsy is a good dog,” they are still dismayed.
Their frustration is with the process followed by the city to issue the citation, which they expressed before the hearing and continue to express now that a ruling has been made.
Source
WI: Woman seriously injured when attacked by dogs
By: Special from Bloomer Advance 02/13/2009
On Friday, Feb. 2, Kathleen Benish, 68, Tilden was attacked and mauled by four dogs as she walked along 115th Street in the township of Tilden. The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of a woman that had been bitten by some dogs at 1:41 p.m. Friday, requesting an ambulance. As Tilden First Responders arrived on the scene, they quickly realized they were dealing with more than a dog bite.
Benish had been knocked to the ground by four dogs, described as Lab/German Shepard mix, each weighing 60-80 pounds. The dogs drug her into the ditch and ripped her clothing off in the attack, mauling and biting as they dragged her in the snow before the owner of the dogs, Matthew Mikula, 12776 115th St., came out of his residence and got the dogs to stop attacking Benish.
Benish suffered multiple severe bites and torn skin over her entire body. She was transported to Bloomer Hospital, and then transferred to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire by Bloomer Ambulance.
The sheriff's report states that Mikula was cooperative with law enforcement and the dogs were taken to a local veterinarian for quarantine and observation.
The sheriff's department will consult with the County's Corporation Counsel in the determining the disposition of the dogs when the quarantine period is over. Once the investigation is complete the case will be sent to the District Attorney's office for review of charges that may be filed against the owner of the dogs.
Source
On Friday, Feb. 2, Kathleen Benish, 68, Tilden was attacked and mauled by four dogs as she walked along 115th Street in the township of Tilden. The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of a woman that had been bitten by some dogs at 1:41 p.m. Friday, requesting an ambulance. As Tilden First Responders arrived on the scene, they quickly realized they were dealing with more than a dog bite.
Benish had been knocked to the ground by four dogs, described as Lab/German Shepard mix, each weighing 60-80 pounds. The dogs drug her into the ditch and ripped her clothing off in the attack, mauling and biting as they dragged her in the snow before the owner of the dogs, Matthew Mikula, 12776 115th St., came out of his residence and got the dogs to stop attacking Benish.
Benish suffered multiple severe bites and torn skin over her entire body. She was transported to Bloomer Hospital, and then transferred to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire by Bloomer Ambulance.
The sheriff's report states that Mikula was cooperative with law enforcement and the dogs were taken to a local veterinarian for quarantine and observation.
The sheriff's department will consult with the County's Corporation Counsel in the determining the disposition of the dogs when the quarantine period is over. Once the investigation is complete the case will be sent to the District Attorney's office for review of charges that may be filed against the owner of the dogs.
Source
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