Pit Bull Attacks Dad, Daughter In Douglas County
Dec 29, 2009 12:47 pm US/Mountain
Reporting: Brooke Rogers
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The Douglas County Sheriff's Department says charges will be filed against the owner of a pit bull that attacked two people over the weekend.
A woman and her father were attacked near Roxborough Park. The attack happened Sunday morning when the daughter was walking a friend's dog on Ponderosa Trail near her parents' home. The pit bull attacked the dog and then bit her and her father.
"The daughter initially fended off the first dog attack," Deputy Attila Denes said. "She then called her father to help load the animal into a vehicle to take to the vet. At that point the pitbull resumed its attack and bit both of them."
The pit bull is now being quarantined at the Buddy Center in Castle Rock. The daughter suffered a broken finger. Her father has puncture wounds.
There is no ban on pit bulls in Douglas County.
"There is a good possibility some charges will be filed, but at this point that hasn't been determined," said Denes.
The dog that was attacked by the pit bull was treated by a veterinarian and is back home.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Source: http://cbs4denver.com/local/pitbull.attack.father.2.1395738.html
=================================
Douglas Co. pit bull seized after attacks
By Howard Pankratz
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/28/2009 04:10:17 PM MST
Updated: 12/28/2009 04:41:53 PM MST
A young pit bull was seized Sunday after it allegedly attacked a dog, a woman and her father in the Roxborough community. The woman was walking in the 4600 block of Ponderosa Trail when the 8- to 10-month-old pit bull attacked her dog, a Hungarian hunting dog called a vizsla, said Joe Stafford, the field services manager for Douglas County Animal Services.
Stafford said that when the woman and her father intervened and attempted to load the vizsla into a vehicle, the pit bull attacked a second time, biting the woman on the thumb and her father on the hand and forearm. Stafford said that his officers responded and apprehended the pit bull, which is now in quarantine. He said that the injuries to the vizsla, the woman and her father were not life-threatening.
Stafford said the owner of the pit bull lives near Roxborough, but is currently out of town. Stafford said charges will be filed, but just how severe they will be depend on the extent of the injuries inflicted by the pit bull.
He said that pit bulls are not banned in Douglas County and there was no previous history of problems with the pit bull. Stafford said charges could be petty offenses such as "animal at large" or "failure to control a vicious animal." A more serious charge could potentially be filed called "unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog."
Stafford said that Douglas County has about 180 dog bite cases a year and that less than 1 percent involve pit bulls. He said dog owners in Douglas County tend to be good owners and pit bulls living there are well-behaved.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14082331#ixzz0b7lKBEBW
Showing posts with label pitties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pitties. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
AR: Alleged Dog Attack Leaves Trumann Woman Scarred
AR: Alleged Dog Attack Leaves Trumann Woman Scarred
Posted: Dec 28, 2009
by Stan Morris e-mail | Twitter
TRUMANN, AR (KAIT) - A Trumann woman says she experienced one of the scariest moments of her life on the night before Christmas. That's when she describes a horrible dog attack that left her knee torn completely open.
Ollie Lawless says she heard cries for help. When she opened the door, a woman and her small child stood asking for help. The child had been attacked by a dog, according to animal control. They asked Lawless to use her phone to dial 911, so she let them in as she describes. But the door wasn't pulled shut and moments later, Lawless says the same dog that attacked the girl charged into her home and went directly for her. She says she was sitting down when the dog latched its jaws into her knee, tearing it open. "I was sitting in the chair over there and he just started attacking," said Ollie Lawless.
She is angry not just due to the attack but because she says she reported the dog to the city multiple times and it was allowed to remain free. She describes the dog as being aggressive toward children on many occasions but says it remained at the home, outside on a chain.
Trumann City Employee Billy Ray Williams, who is one of the individuals who has animal control responsibilities, says he had gone to the pit bull owner's home before. "I have been out to talk to the people about putting their dog up," he said, but he adds that they did not heed his warnings. Region 8 News could not get a comment on the incident from anyone in the home where the dog lived.
But Ollie Lawless's stance on the incident is crystal clear, "I think the dog should have been dead because we have called the dog pound numerous times about this dog."
©2009 KAIT All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Source: http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11739218
Posted: Dec 28, 2009
by Stan Morris e-mail | Twitter
TRUMANN, AR (KAIT) - A Trumann woman says she experienced one of the scariest moments of her life on the night before Christmas. That's when she describes a horrible dog attack that left her knee torn completely open.
Ollie Lawless says she heard cries for help. When she opened the door, a woman and her small child stood asking for help. The child had been attacked by a dog, according to animal control. They asked Lawless to use her phone to dial 911, so she let them in as she describes. But the door wasn't pulled shut and moments later, Lawless says the same dog that attacked the girl charged into her home and went directly for her. She says she was sitting down when the dog latched its jaws into her knee, tearing it open. "I was sitting in the chair over there and he just started attacking," said Ollie Lawless.
She is angry not just due to the attack but because she says she reported the dog to the city multiple times and it was allowed to remain free. She describes the dog as being aggressive toward children on many occasions but says it remained at the home, outside on a chain.
Trumann City Employee Billy Ray Williams, who is one of the individuals who has animal control responsibilities, says he had gone to the pit bull owner's home before. "I have been out to talk to the people about putting their dog up," he said, but he adds that they did not heed his warnings. Region 8 News could not get a comment on the incident from anyone in the home where the dog lived.
But Ollie Lawless's stance on the incident is crystal clear, "I think the dog should have been dead because we have called the dog pound numerous times about this dog."
©2009 KAIT All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Source: http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11739218
AZ: Glendale Police Kill 2 Pit Bulls
AZ: Glendale Police Kill 2 Pit Bulls
By Dustine Gardiner
December 28, 2009 6:07PM
The Arizona Republic
Glendale police shot and killed two pit bulls Monday after the dogs tried to attack a boy and the officers.
Police responded to a dog attack call in the neighborhood near 71st and Orangewood avenues at about 4 p.m. Residents said that the dogs had been chasing a juvenile on a bicycle.
Once on the scene, officers found the dogs to be similarly aggressive and shot them out of self defense, said Detective Mark Lankford, a spokesman for Glendale police. One of the dogs was run over. "The dog survived (being run down) and was still aggressive, so he (the officer) got out and shot it," Lankford said. Lankford said the owner of the dogs has previously been cited for letting the animals loose.
Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/12/28/20091228gl-pitbulls1228.html
By Dustine Gardiner
December 28, 2009 6:07PM
The Arizona Republic
Glendale police shot and killed two pit bulls Monday after the dogs tried to attack a boy and the officers.
Police responded to a dog attack call in the neighborhood near 71st and Orangewood avenues at about 4 p.m. Residents said that the dogs had been chasing a juvenile on a bicycle.
Once on the scene, officers found the dogs to be similarly aggressive and shot them out of self defense, said Detective Mark Lankford, a spokesman for Glendale police. One of the dogs was run over. "The dog survived (being run down) and was still aggressive, so he (the officer) got out and shot it," Lankford said. Lankford said the owner of the dogs has previously been cited for letting the animals loose.
Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/12/28/20091228gl-pitbulls1228.html
FL: End of a long journey former ‘bait dog’ Pokey adjusting to people, pets in foster home
End of a long journey former ‘bait dog’ Pokey adjusting to people, pets in foster home
By RICHARD DYMOND - rdymond@bradenton.com
EAST MANATEE — One day, more than a year ago, a skinny, frightened pit bull tip-toed out of the woods behind the 12 Oaks Plaza at State Road 70 and Interstate 75 and froze under the gaze of a hairdresser on her break from nearby Supercuts. Who knows why, but at that very moment a connection was forged between the skittish 2-year-old dog — eventually named Poke — and Kristen Pondillo, the hairdresser.
Try as she might, Pondillo and others could not get close enough to Poke to capture her so she could get medical care. When anyone got close in fact, Poke would run back into the woods where, it is assumed, she lived a homeless existence, hidden under trees, nursing her wounds from abuse.
Undeterred, Pondillo and her fellow cosmetologists at Supercuts, including Caroline Nylan, Carolyn Bologna and Angela Cedeno, fed Poke dry food daily out of a Tupperware bowl in the hope that one day the dog would surrender to compassionate humans. The signal for feeding was a whistle from Pondillo and the dog would poke its head out of the woods and come running, thereby earning her name. It got to the point where Poke would take food from Pondillo’s hand. But the dog still would not let the hairdresser pet her.
On holidays, when the shop was closed, Pondillo came to the woods, whistled, and Poke came running to get fed. The women of Supercuts, who fed the dog on Pondillo’s days off, called many animal services and organizations, but because Poke was so skittish, no one felt comfortable helping.
But Pondillo didn’t give up.
She enlisted Manatee Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tim Eason, who routinely handles animal cases. Numerous times, Eason tried to shoot a dart with a tranquilizer into Poke, but every time he pulled up in his car, the dog sensed something was different and ran into the woods.
One day, six months ago, Poke came out of the woods with her collar completely imbedded in her neck. Her neck was split open. A sense of urgency gripped Pondillo and a scheme was hatched. Pondillo went out one day and Eason parked away and cautiously walked up behind the dog. Either Poke had an off moment or she was ready for help. A dart found its mark and before she could retreat to the woods, she fell, knocked out by the anesthesia.
Mary Anne McDevitt, of Bradenton-based Safe Haven Animal Rescue of Florida, chokes up when she talks about the dog. She eventually joined with UnderDog Rescue to help get medical assistance. Poke’s teeth had been filed down and the nerves exposed, McDevitt said. She was, in the dog fighting world, a “bait dog,” McDevitt said.
A bait dog is a dog chosen to encourage other young dogs to fight. They gnawed on Poke and the dog’s teeth were filed down so that she could not retaliate. Someone donated $1,500 so the first round of dental care could be performed, eliminating the pain the dog was in, McDevitt said. Poke still has more than $1,500 worth of dental work that needs to be done, McDevitt said.
Two weeks ago, Carla Hebert, of Lakewood Ranch, agreed to foster Poke until she finds a forever family, McDevitt said. Hebert has renamed her Pokey. “She started out as timid and shy, afraid of people and other animals,” Hebert said. “Now, she is a low maintenance dog that plays well with most other dogs and is housebroken. She takes time to get used to people, but once she does, she will play. I saw her playing with her reflection in the mirror the other day.”
About a month ago, when Pokey was in the animal hospital for treatment, Pondillo went to see her. Pondillo stood far away and whistled. Pokey lifted her head and looked all around. Pondillo tried to approach her but Pokey was not ready and backed up. Pondillo realized the dog still needed time. What broke Pondillo’s heart is that she couldn’t adopt Poke. “I wanted her really bad,” Pondillo said. “But I live in a small townhouse with no real place for her to run and it wouldn’t be fair to her.”
When Pondillo got the news that Poke had found a foster mom, she said she was beyond happy. Even though she couldn’t foster the dog, she felt as if she had. “We all felt peaceful about it,” Pondillo said. “We were all thrilled and so happy. We had all felt she would die in the woods.”
Those interested in adopting Pokey are requested to contact McDevitt at (941) 224-0307 or (941) 742-3972.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 6686.
Source: http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/story/1939446.html
By RICHARD DYMOND - rdymond@bradenton.com
EAST MANATEE — One day, more than a year ago, a skinny, frightened pit bull tip-toed out of the woods behind the 12 Oaks Plaza at State Road 70 and Interstate 75 and froze under the gaze of a hairdresser on her break from nearby Supercuts. Who knows why, but at that very moment a connection was forged between the skittish 2-year-old dog — eventually named Poke — and Kristen Pondillo, the hairdresser.
Try as she might, Pondillo and others could not get close enough to Poke to capture her so she could get medical care. When anyone got close in fact, Poke would run back into the woods where, it is assumed, she lived a homeless existence, hidden under trees, nursing her wounds from abuse.
Undeterred, Pondillo and her fellow cosmetologists at Supercuts, including Caroline Nylan, Carolyn Bologna and Angela Cedeno, fed Poke dry food daily out of a Tupperware bowl in the hope that one day the dog would surrender to compassionate humans. The signal for feeding was a whistle from Pondillo and the dog would poke its head out of the woods and come running, thereby earning her name. It got to the point where Poke would take food from Pondillo’s hand. But the dog still would not let the hairdresser pet her.
On holidays, when the shop was closed, Pondillo came to the woods, whistled, and Poke came running to get fed. The women of Supercuts, who fed the dog on Pondillo’s days off, called many animal services and organizations, but because Poke was so skittish, no one felt comfortable helping.
But Pondillo didn’t give up.
She enlisted Manatee Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tim Eason, who routinely handles animal cases. Numerous times, Eason tried to shoot a dart with a tranquilizer into Poke, but every time he pulled up in his car, the dog sensed something was different and ran into the woods.
One day, six months ago, Poke came out of the woods with her collar completely imbedded in her neck. Her neck was split open. A sense of urgency gripped Pondillo and a scheme was hatched. Pondillo went out one day and Eason parked away and cautiously walked up behind the dog. Either Poke had an off moment or she was ready for help. A dart found its mark and before she could retreat to the woods, she fell, knocked out by the anesthesia.
Mary Anne McDevitt, of Bradenton-based Safe Haven Animal Rescue of Florida, chokes up when she talks about the dog. She eventually joined with UnderDog Rescue to help get medical assistance. Poke’s teeth had been filed down and the nerves exposed, McDevitt said. She was, in the dog fighting world, a “bait dog,” McDevitt said.
A bait dog is a dog chosen to encourage other young dogs to fight. They gnawed on Poke and the dog’s teeth were filed down so that she could not retaliate. Someone donated $1,500 so the first round of dental care could be performed, eliminating the pain the dog was in, McDevitt said. Poke still has more than $1,500 worth of dental work that needs to be done, McDevitt said.
Two weeks ago, Carla Hebert, of Lakewood Ranch, agreed to foster Poke until she finds a forever family, McDevitt said. Hebert has renamed her Pokey. “She started out as timid and shy, afraid of people and other animals,” Hebert said. “Now, she is a low maintenance dog that plays well with most other dogs and is housebroken. She takes time to get used to people, but once she does, she will play. I saw her playing with her reflection in the mirror the other day.”
About a month ago, when Pokey was in the animal hospital for treatment, Pondillo went to see her. Pondillo stood far away and whistled. Pokey lifted her head and looked all around. Pondillo tried to approach her but Pokey was not ready and backed up. Pondillo realized the dog still needed time. What broke Pondillo’s heart is that she couldn’t adopt Poke. “I wanted her really bad,” Pondillo said. “But I live in a small townhouse with no real place for her to run and it wouldn’t be fair to her.”
When Pondillo got the news that Poke had found a foster mom, she said she was beyond happy. Even though she couldn’t foster the dog, she felt as if she had. “We all felt peaceful about it,” Pondillo said. “We were all thrilled and so happy. We had all felt she would die in the woods.”
Those interested in adopting Pokey are requested to contact McDevitt at (941) 224-0307 or (941) 742-3972.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 6686.
Source: http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/story/1939446.html
Sunday, December 27, 2009
NJ: Five Kids Attacked by Bulldogs in NJ
Five Kids Attacked by Bulldogs in NJ
Posted by Paul Napoli
December 27, 2009 12:45 AM
Two American bulldogs attacked five neighborhood children in Winslow, NJ on Monday. Police say the two dogs escaped their owner’s backyard. Four children, ages 9-12, played outside of their home in the 100 block of Villanova Court in the Sicklerville section of the township when the dogs approached. The frightened children ran inside the house, but the dogs pursued them and managed to get inside.
14-year-old Brandon Quann heard screaming and ran to their aid of his young siblings and a relative, fighting the dogs off with a shovel. Quaan then ran outside the house, luring the dogs away, suffering the dogs attack on his arms and legs until the dog’s owner arrived and subdued the animals.
The bulldogs’ owners, Jean and Sherri Cruz of Melwood Court, surrendered the dogs to authorities, who euthanized the two bulldogs after Monday’s attack. The dogs will undergo rabies testing. The Cruzes face a fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail for the municipal offense, according to municipal official.
Winslow Police Capt. Robert Boisvert said these same dogs broke out of their fence and bit a township man as he tried to protect his grandchildren on November 27. Brandon Quann was admitted the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment of multiple puncture wounds on the hands and legs.
Personal injuries resulting from dog bites are categorized as general negligence injuries. Dog bite cases can be complex depending on the severity of the injuries sustained. Dog bite injury claims can take into account medical bills, lost wages, the costs of future plastic surgery and other medical care, pain and suffering, and mental health counseling should the victim develop a need for it. If you or a loved one is the victim of a dog attack, call Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP today at 888-529-4669. Only an experienced attorney can help you determine if your claim has merit and, if so, recover the compensation you deserve.
Source: http://newyorkcity.injuryboard.com/miscellaneous/five-kids-attacked-by-bulldogs-in-nj.aspx?googleid=276168
Posted by Paul Napoli
December 27, 2009 12:45 AM
Two American bulldogs attacked five neighborhood children in Winslow, NJ on Monday. Police say the two dogs escaped their owner’s backyard. Four children, ages 9-12, played outside of their home in the 100 block of Villanova Court in the Sicklerville section of the township when the dogs approached. The frightened children ran inside the house, but the dogs pursued them and managed to get inside.
14-year-old Brandon Quann heard screaming and ran to their aid of his young siblings and a relative, fighting the dogs off with a shovel. Quaan then ran outside the house, luring the dogs away, suffering the dogs attack on his arms and legs until the dog’s owner arrived and subdued the animals.
The bulldogs’ owners, Jean and Sherri Cruz of Melwood Court, surrendered the dogs to authorities, who euthanized the two bulldogs after Monday’s attack. The dogs will undergo rabies testing. The Cruzes face a fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail for the municipal offense, according to municipal official.
Winslow Police Capt. Robert Boisvert said these same dogs broke out of their fence and bit a township man as he tried to protect his grandchildren on November 27. Brandon Quann was admitted the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment of multiple puncture wounds on the hands and legs.
Personal injuries resulting from dog bites are categorized as general negligence injuries. Dog bite cases can be complex depending on the severity of the injuries sustained. Dog bite injury claims can take into account medical bills, lost wages, the costs of future plastic surgery and other medical care, pain and suffering, and mental health counseling should the victim develop a need for it. If you or a loved one is the victim of a dog attack, call Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP today at 888-529-4669. Only an experienced attorney can help you determine if your claim has merit and, if so, recover the compensation you deserve.
Source: http://newyorkcity.injuryboard.com/miscellaneous/five-kids-attacked-by-bulldogs-in-nj.aspx?googleid=276168
CA: Pit bulls responsible for disproportionate number of attacks
Pit bulls responsible for disproportionate number of attacks
By Joe Frisinger
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Parents generally place their children with baby sitters assuming the caregiver’s home is safe. That is probably what the parents of 16-month old Destiny Marie Knox of New Albany, Miss., thought before Destiny was killed last month by the baby sitter’s pit bull. That attack was the nation’s third fatal mauling of a young child by a pit bull in a two-week period. All three children were in a baby sitter’s care.
Perhaps you have heard people say: “Our pit bull is the friendliest dog a family can have.” Well, it seems that families in greatest danger of pit bull attacks are those with infants or very young children.
The breed that developed into pit bulls was first bred in England, Ireland and Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. The initial purpose was to breed a very strong dog for herding cattle. As time went on, the strongest such dogs were bred for aggression and for the sport of dog fighting. To this day, pit bulls are the dog of choice for dog fighting. Dog fighting is illegal in Europe, the United States and many other countries, but it continues to take place.
Pit bull-type dogs only represent 2 percent of the dogs in the United States. However, of the number of people killed by dogs in the United States, the vast majority have been attacked by pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2 percent of our population have experienced a dog bite. The vast majority of such bites are minor and only one out of six receive any type of medical attention, according to the CDC. Pit bull bites are, however, unique as virtually all such bites require medical attention. Pit bulls are also unique in their manner of attack. Other dogs target the victim’s hands, arms or legs. Pit bulls tend to initially target the victim’s face, especially in the case of infants and small children.
Almost 500 towns and cities in the United States, including Denver and San Francisco, have adopted some type of breed specific regulations. The state of Ohio has declared the pit bull breed “vicious” and requires owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance, securely constrain the dog when on the owner’s property and use a chain-link leash when off property.
The U.S. military has taken the strongest stance of all regarding pit bulls. The Army, Air Force and Marines have banned pit bull type-dogs from all military facilities, both here and overseas. Some Navy facilities have taken similar steps. They also prohibit visitors bringing such dogs on these facilities. The Marine Corps bans pit bulls, Rottweilers, wolf hybrids and their mixes because, as stated by Col. Richard P. Flatau Jr., “These specific breeds present an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of our residents and are therefore prohibited.” Now, the Marines are not only very brave, they are also very smart.
Deaths caused by auto malfunctioning, such as recently occurred in San Diego County, are rare, as is death by dog bite. But, if it became known that the vast majority of such auto malfunctioning deaths occurred in a model that represented only 2 percent of autos, then I would expect that few people would consider owning such cars. Pit bull-type dogs are only 2 percent of the dog population but consistently – year after year – they cause the vast majority of dog bite/attack deaths. From an insurance actuarial viewpoint, this ratio is off the charts.
Frisinger, a La Jolla resident, is a retired human resources director.
==========
Pit bulls and related breeds of dog are frequently called dangerous, an assertion others call misguided. The U.S. Marine Corps recently issued an order banning pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf-hybrid breeds and mixes on its bases, including Camp Pendleton and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station by October 2012. The Marine Corps said it made the decision, after reviewing statistics on its bases and national numbers, to “ensure the continued health and safety” of base residents.
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/27/pit-bulls-responsible-disproportionate-number-atta/
By Joe Frisinger
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Parents generally place their children with baby sitters assuming the caregiver’s home is safe. That is probably what the parents of 16-month old Destiny Marie Knox of New Albany, Miss., thought before Destiny was killed last month by the baby sitter’s pit bull. That attack was the nation’s third fatal mauling of a young child by a pit bull in a two-week period. All three children were in a baby sitter’s care.
Perhaps you have heard people say: “Our pit bull is the friendliest dog a family can have.” Well, it seems that families in greatest danger of pit bull attacks are those with infants or very young children.
The breed that developed into pit bulls was first bred in England, Ireland and Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. The initial purpose was to breed a very strong dog for herding cattle. As time went on, the strongest such dogs were bred for aggression and for the sport of dog fighting. To this day, pit bulls are the dog of choice for dog fighting. Dog fighting is illegal in Europe, the United States and many other countries, but it continues to take place.
Pit bull-type dogs only represent 2 percent of the dogs in the United States. However, of the number of people killed by dogs in the United States, the vast majority have been attacked by pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2 percent of our population have experienced a dog bite. The vast majority of such bites are minor and only one out of six receive any type of medical attention, according to the CDC. Pit bull bites are, however, unique as virtually all such bites require medical attention. Pit bulls are also unique in their manner of attack. Other dogs target the victim’s hands, arms or legs. Pit bulls tend to initially target the victim’s face, especially in the case of infants and small children.
Almost 500 towns and cities in the United States, including Denver and San Francisco, have adopted some type of breed specific regulations. The state of Ohio has declared the pit bull breed “vicious” and requires owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance, securely constrain the dog when on the owner’s property and use a chain-link leash when off property.
The U.S. military has taken the strongest stance of all regarding pit bulls. The Army, Air Force and Marines have banned pit bull type-dogs from all military facilities, both here and overseas. Some Navy facilities have taken similar steps. They also prohibit visitors bringing such dogs on these facilities. The Marine Corps bans pit bulls, Rottweilers, wolf hybrids and their mixes because, as stated by Col. Richard P. Flatau Jr., “These specific breeds present an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of our residents and are therefore prohibited.” Now, the Marines are not only very brave, they are also very smart.
Deaths caused by auto malfunctioning, such as recently occurred in San Diego County, are rare, as is death by dog bite. But, if it became known that the vast majority of such auto malfunctioning deaths occurred in a model that represented only 2 percent of autos, then I would expect that few people would consider owning such cars. Pit bull-type dogs are only 2 percent of the dog population but consistently – year after year – they cause the vast majority of dog bite/attack deaths. From an insurance actuarial viewpoint, this ratio is off the charts.
Frisinger, a La Jolla resident, is a retired human resources director.
==========
Pit bulls and related breeds of dog are frequently called dangerous, an assertion others call misguided. The U.S. Marine Corps recently issued an order banning pit bulls, Rottweilers and wolf-hybrid breeds and mixes on its bases, including Camp Pendleton and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station by October 2012. The Marine Corps said it made the decision, after reviewing statistics on its bases and national numbers, to “ensure the continued health and safety” of base residents.
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/27/pit-bulls-responsible-disproportionate-number-atta/
Saturday, December 26, 2009
VA: Pit bulls turn violent, kill 1
VA: Culpepper's top 10 stories of 2009
Pit bulls turn violent, kill 1
Four unexpected pit bull attacks escalated into two mauling cases, a local officer killing a reported aggressive dog and the death of a toddler — all in the Piedmont region this year.
It all started in February when Culpeper Town Police responded to an aggressive pit bull call in the 400 block of Hill Street in Culpeper. When police arrived, the dog reportedly charged an officer, forcing him to shoot and kill it. No residents were hurt in that incident.
Two months later in April, an 11-year-old Rappahannock County girl was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medial Center with severe bite wounds to the face, neck, arms and legs after being attacked by a 1-year-old pit bull. That dog was euthanized.
In May, a Culpeper woman was credited with saving her 3-year-old grandson’s life when they were attacked by two raging pit bulls. Tammy Powers, 47, and her grandson Hunter Ryder were walking in the 21000 block of Mount Pony Road when the animals attacked. A few days later, dog owner Jamie Whitmer claimed the two male dogs and signed over custody to the county. After a 10-day quarantine, those dogs were euthanized.
The most tragic dog attack in this region occurred in September when a 23-month-old girl was mauled to death by a pit bull in Orange. According to reports, Jasmine Deane wandered outside her home during the evening and was found with multiple wounds all over her body. The dog owners voluntarily surrendered the dog to animal control officers and it was also euthanized.
Source: http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/culpepers_top_10_stories_of_2009/49293/
Pit bulls turn violent, kill 1
Four unexpected pit bull attacks escalated into two mauling cases, a local officer killing a reported aggressive dog and the death of a toddler — all in the Piedmont region this year.
It all started in February when Culpeper Town Police responded to an aggressive pit bull call in the 400 block of Hill Street in Culpeper. When police arrived, the dog reportedly charged an officer, forcing him to shoot and kill it. No residents were hurt in that incident.
Two months later in April, an 11-year-old Rappahannock County girl was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medial Center with severe bite wounds to the face, neck, arms and legs after being attacked by a 1-year-old pit bull. That dog was euthanized.
In May, a Culpeper woman was credited with saving her 3-year-old grandson’s life when they were attacked by two raging pit bulls. Tammy Powers, 47, and her grandson Hunter Ryder were walking in the 21000 block of Mount Pony Road when the animals attacked. A few days later, dog owner Jamie Whitmer claimed the two male dogs and signed over custody to the county. After a 10-day quarantine, those dogs were euthanized.
The most tragic dog attack in this region occurred in September when a 23-month-old girl was mauled to death by a pit bull in Orange. According to reports, Jasmine Deane wandered outside her home during the evening and was found with multiple wounds all over her body. The dog owners voluntarily surrendered the dog to animal control officers and it was also euthanized.
Source: http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/culpepers_top_10_stories_of_2009/49293/
AUST: Woman hospitalised after dog attack
Woman hospitalised after dog attack
Posted 5 hours 1 minute ago
Updated 4 hours 19 minutes ago
A woman is being treated in hospital after being attacked by two dogs in her home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
Paramedics say two Staffordshire Bull Terriers followed the 70-year-old into her house, at the corner of Wilson Crescent and Arthur Street in Dromana, at 2:30pm AEDT.
She badly cut her wrist when she tried in vain to stop the animals killing her dog.
The woman's brother, Tony Hakim, says the terriers raced after her poodle.
"The other two dogs, they came in from outside, running after her dog, and she tried to stop them and they started biting her too, and they killed the other one," he said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/26/2780965.htm?section=justin
==========================
Posted 5 hours 1 minute ago
Updated 4 hours 19 minutes ago
A woman is being treated in hospital after being attacked by two dogs in her home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
Paramedics say two Staffordshire Bull Terriers followed the 70-year-old into her house, at the corner of Wilson Crescent and Arthur Street in Dromana, at 2:30pm AEDT.
She badly cut her wrist when she tried in vain to stop the animals killing her dog.
The woman's brother, Tony Hakim, says the terriers raced after her poodle.
"The other two dogs, they came in from outside, running after her dog, and she tried to stop them and they started biting her too, and they killed the other one," he said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/26/2780965.htm?section=justin
==========================
Woman witnesses fatal dog mauling
Saturday, December 26, 2009 » 10:18pm A 70-year-old Victorian woman saw her pet dog mauled to death by two dogs who followed her into her home. The attacking dogs followed the woman inside as she brought her shopping into her house in Dromana on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, a Victoria Police spokesman said.
The pair, believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers, savaged her dog, Fluffy, to death, and the woman was bitten as she tried to stop them. The owner of the intruding dogs is talking to police and a council ranger has collected them.
Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Lauren Nowak said the woman suffered a deep wrist wound as she tried to stop the attack. She said the woman managed to flee the house, locking one of the attacking dogs inside with her dead dog, before calling for help.
The woman received treatment at the scene but will be taken to hospital to receive the appropriate medical shots. The fate of the dogs is now a council matter, a police spokesman said.
Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National-Regional/2009/12/26/Woman_witnesses_fatal_dog_mauling_411005.html
The pair, believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers, savaged her dog, Fluffy, to death, and the woman was bitten as she tried to stop them. The owner of the intruding dogs is talking to police and a council ranger has collected them.
Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Lauren Nowak said the woman suffered a deep wrist wound as she tried to stop the attack. She said the woman managed to flee the house, locking one of the attacking dogs inside with her dead dog, before calling for help.
The woman received treatment at the scene but will be taken to hospital to receive the appropriate medical shots. The fate of the dogs is now a council matter, a police spokesman said.
Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National-Regional/2009/12/26/Woman_witnesses_fatal_dog_mauling_411005.html
IL: Pipelines give pets new leashes on life
Pipelines give pets new leashes on life
Animals transported from areas where finding them new homes is unlikely
By John Keilman Tribune reporter
December 26, 2009
Gordo and Goblin, sweet-tempered pit bull mixes, were not long for this world when Candy Thomas met them in a downstate pound. The puppies had been corralled by animal control, and their owner, unable to afford the $50 impound fee, decided to relinquish them. But Thomas, who runs a rescue operation near Carbondale, thought they had a good shot at finding a home -- one that would be hundreds of miles away.
That's how the dogs ended up in a van headed north this week, two of the latest passengers in a pipeline that transports animals from southern Illinois, or even from other states, in the hope they'll find a better future in the subdivisions and condo towers of greater Chicago.
A change of scenery does not guarantee success: Most of the animals end up in shelters, albeit no-kill ones, which then must try to arrange adoptions. But advocates across the state say the animals' chances are far better here than in rural areas, where depressed incomes and an overwhelming abundance of dogs and cats make happy endings rare.
"Those are the lucky ones who get on that van," said Sally Matay of Illinois Animal Rescue, which brings up 60 or so animals every week. "The majority get adopted very quickly. Just given the chance for a good home, they get one."
Nationally, the Best Friends Animal Society began transporting small-breed dogs from Los Angeles shelters to other states two years ago, after finding other areas "that have not only a shortage of small dogs for adoption, but waiting lists for them," said Elizabeth Oreck, Los Angeles programs manager. Best Friends, based in Utah, also transported dogs rescued from Midwestern puppy mills to the East Coast through its Pup My Ride campaign, which passed through Midway Airport last month and was featured in a Tribune article. Oreck said there may be other similar efforts under way, but she was not aware of any that operated on as large a scale as Best Friends, which has found 2,500 dogs new homes, she said.
Matay's group, which is about 2 years old, formalized a practice that has been going on for years. Pet lovers in the Chicago area, hearing about dogs and cats facing euthanasia downstate, would drive there to retrieve the animals. Some rural animal control officers say that without such efforts, few of the dogs and cats they take in stand a chance. "My adoption rate is pretty pitiful," said Sandy Millman, Richland County's animal control officer. "We adopted 28 animals this year and impounded 824."
She and others say many downstate residents don't spay or neuter their animals because they find it too expensive or don't believe it's important. What's more, they said, the plague of unemployment has prompted more people to try breeding dogs as a business. When the puppies don't sell, they are usually abandoned or dropped off at the local pound.
Dr. Dena Heflin, a veterinarian in the small town of Iuka, 85 miles east of St. Louis, said most people in the area aren't sentimental about their animals. "I worked in Naperville for 13 years, and there is a huge, different mentality from there to here," she said. "You still have a lot of people here who love their pets, and they do whatever they can to keep them healthy, but the majority do just what they have to to get by. And most of those, it's barely even that."
Animal control officials around Chicago, though, said abuse, neglect and full shelters are a fact of life here too. Some had mixed feelings about the importation of more cats and dogs. "There's certainly a need in Chicago," said Cherie Travis of Chicago Animal Care and Control, which has had to euthanize about half of the 20,000 animals it has impounded this year. "There's a misconception among people that the problem is just downstate or in other states."
Dr. Robyn Barbiers of Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society, an organization that takes in about 7,500 animals a year, said the region still seems to have room for dogs, especially puppies. "You have to make sure you're not bringing animals in at the expense of animals in the city," she said. "For the most part, though, there is a nice balance going on."
Save-a-Pet Adoption Center in Grayslake harbors mostly local animals, but it has accepted many from other areas too. Shelter manager Dana Deutsch said the group recently took in 18 dogs auctioned by a Missouri puppy breeder. "A life is a life is a life, whether it's here or down south," she said.
Illinois Animal Rescue focuses on pets that seem likely to be adopted quickly, though hard cases can make the trip too. A van load that arrived Tuesday included four terriers with matted fur and fearful eyes. Julie Marry-Falkenberry, the volunteer at the wheel, said they had been recovered from an animal hoarder.
But most of the 52 animals in her vehicle seemed happy and well-adjusted, bounding out of their crates as Marry-Falkenberry transferred them to other volunteers in a Joliet parking lot. One handsome boxer-shepherd preened in the back seat of a car as he awaited a ride to Huntley's Animal House Shelter. "We rescued him literally one hour before he was to be euthanized," Matay said. "He'll get adopted out right away."
Two dogs already had a permanent home lined up. Kelly Hjorth and Michael Olsen, of Crystal Lake, bought their first house in August but felt it wouldn't be complete without animal companions. They discovered a favorite pair online, and on a recent evening, volunteers delivered Gordo and Goblin to their new home.
The 8-month-old brothers beat a merry tattoo with their tails as they darted through the couple's split-level, pausing only to feast from matching food bowls set beside the Christmas tree. Finally they collapsed on the couch, their mouths lolling open as Hjorth and Olsen scratched the dogs' muzzles and bellies. "They are awesome," said Hjorth, 25, a special education teacher. "We are all about giving second chances, and this is definitely a second chance for them."
Tribune reporter Lisa Black contributed to this report. jkeilman@tribune.com
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pet-pipeline-26-dec26,0,4431080.story?page=1
Animals transported from areas where finding them new homes is unlikely
By John Keilman Tribune reporter
December 26, 2009
Gordo and Goblin, sweet-tempered pit bull mixes, were not long for this world when Candy Thomas met them in a downstate pound. The puppies had been corralled by animal control, and their owner, unable to afford the $50 impound fee, decided to relinquish them. But Thomas, who runs a rescue operation near Carbondale, thought they had a good shot at finding a home -- one that would be hundreds of miles away.
That's how the dogs ended up in a van headed north this week, two of the latest passengers in a pipeline that transports animals from southern Illinois, or even from other states, in the hope they'll find a better future in the subdivisions and condo towers of greater Chicago.
A change of scenery does not guarantee success: Most of the animals end up in shelters, albeit no-kill ones, which then must try to arrange adoptions. But advocates across the state say the animals' chances are far better here than in rural areas, where depressed incomes and an overwhelming abundance of dogs and cats make happy endings rare.
"Those are the lucky ones who get on that van," said Sally Matay of Illinois Animal Rescue, which brings up 60 or so animals every week. "The majority get adopted very quickly. Just given the chance for a good home, they get one."
Nationally, the Best Friends Animal Society began transporting small-breed dogs from Los Angeles shelters to other states two years ago, after finding other areas "that have not only a shortage of small dogs for adoption, but waiting lists for them," said Elizabeth Oreck, Los Angeles programs manager. Best Friends, based in Utah, also transported dogs rescued from Midwestern puppy mills to the East Coast through its Pup My Ride campaign, which passed through Midway Airport last month and was featured in a Tribune article. Oreck said there may be other similar efforts under way, but she was not aware of any that operated on as large a scale as Best Friends, which has found 2,500 dogs new homes, she said.
Matay's group, which is about 2 years old, formalized a practice that has been going on for years. Pet lovers in the Chicago area, hearing about dogs and cats facing euthanasia downstate, would drive there to retrieve the animals. Some rural animal control officers say that without such efforts, few of the dogs and cats they take in stand a chance. "My adoption rate is pretty pitiful," said Sandy Millman, Richland County's animal control officer. "We adopted 28 animals this year and impounded 824."
She and others say many downstate residents don't spay or neuter their animals because they find it too expensive or don't believe it's important. What's more, they said, the plague of unemployment has prompted more people to try breeding dogs as a business. When the puppies don't sell, they are usually abandoned or dropped off at the local pound.
Dr. Dena Heflin, a veterinarian in the small town of Iuka, 85 miles east of St. Louis, said most people in the area aren't sentimental about their animals. "I worked in Naperville for 13 years, and there is a huge, different mentality from there to here," she said. "You still have a lot of people here who love their pets, and they do whatever they can to keep them healthy, but the majority do just what they have to to get by. And most of those, it's barely even that."
Animal control officials around Chicago, though, said abuse, neglect and full shelters are a fact of life here too. Some had mixed feelings about the importation of more cats and dogs. "There's certainly a need in Chicago," said Cherie Travis of Chicago Animal Care and Control, which has had to euthanize about half of the 20,000 animals it has impounded this year. "There's a misconception among people that the problem is just downstate or in other states."
Dr. Robyn Barbiers of Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society, an organization that takes in about 7,500 animals a year, said the region still seems to have room for dogs, especially puppies. "You have to make sure you're not bringing animals in at the expense of animals in the city," she said. "For the most part, though, there is a nice balance going on."
Save-a-Pet Adoption Center in Grayslake harbors mostly local animals, but it has accepted many from other areas too. Shelter manager Dana Deutsch said the group recently took in 18 dogs auctioned by a Missouri puppy breeder. "A life is a life is a life, whether it's here or down south," she said.
Illinois Animal Rescue focuses on pets that seem likely to be adopted quickly, though hard cases can make the trip too. A van load that arrived Tuesday included four terriers with matted fur and fearful eyes. Julie Marry-Falkenberry, the volunteer at the wheel, said they had been recovered from an animal hoarder.
But most of the 52 animals in her vehicle seemed happy and well-adjusted, bounding out of their crates as Marry-Falkenberry transferred them to other volunteers in a Joliet parking lot. One handsome boxer-shepherd preened in the back seat of a car as he awaited a ride to Huntley's Animal House Shelter. "We rescued him literally one hour before he was to be euthanized," Matay said. "He'll get adopted out right away."
Two dogs already had a permanent home lined up. Kelly Hjorth and Michael Olsen, of Crystal Lake, bought their first house in August but felt it wouldn't be complete without animal companions. They discovered a favorite pair online, and on a recent evening, volunteers delivered Gordo and Goblin to their new home.
The 8-month-old brothers beat a merry tattoo with their tails as they darted through the couple's split-level, pausing only to feast from matching food bowls set beside the Christmas tree. Finally they collapsed on the couch, their mouths lolling open as Hjorth and Olsen scratched the dogs' muzzles and bellies. "They are awesome," said Hjorth, 25, a special education teacher. "We are all about giving second chances, and this is definitely a second chance for them."
Tribune reporter Lisa Black contributed to this report. jkeilman@tribune.com
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-pet-pipeline-26-dec26,0,4431080.story?page=1
Thursday, December 24, 2009
UK: Dog involved in a second biting incident
By MICHAEL D. McELWAIN (mmcelwain@reviewonline.com)
POSTED: December 24, 2009
EAST LIVERPOOL - A dog owner facing charges of being unable to confine or restrain a dog in one dog bite incident is now involved in another.
Tawnia A. Jenkins, 39, of Huston Avenue, is accused of not confining or restraining a pit bull, and on Nov. 17, the dog reportedly bit a woman. The victim had to receive more than 50 stitches, according to a preliminary report.
Additionally, a postal carrier provided a written letter to the Columbiana County Dog Warden regarding problems with the dogs at Jenkins' residence. On Dec. 13, and while the pit bull was still under quarantine, it bit a 36-year-old male, according to information from East Liverpool Health Commissioner Gary Ryan. The male who was bitten went to East Liverpool City Hospital for x-rays and stitches in his upper forearm.
Ryan added that he checked on the dog to make sure after the 10-day quarantine period the dog was still alive. According to information in the case file, Ryan reminded Jenkins she was still required by state law to provide a veterinarian report to the East Liverpool Health Department. As of last week, Jenkins had not produced the report.
In East Liverpool Municipal Court on Wednesday, a recognizance bond for Jenkins was set at $10,000. A pretrial hearing is set for 1 p.m. Jan. 28 on a count of failure to confine or restrain a dog and for a separate case of possession of drug paraphernalia.
During the court hearing, Judge Melissa Byers-Emmerling ordered the black, pit bull-type dog be held by the Columbiana County Dog Warden immediately. According to the court file, the judge added that all necessary force may be used to apprehend the dog in question.
Source: http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/522326.html?nav=5188
POSTED: December 24, 2009
EAST LIVERPOOL - A dog owner facing charges of being unable to confine or restrain a dog in one dog bite incident is now involved in another.
Tawnia A. Jenkins, 39, of Huston Avenue, is accused of not confining or restraining a pit bull, and on Nov. 17, the dog reportedly bit a woman. The victim had to receive more than 50 stitches, according to a preliminary report.
Additionally, a postal carrier provided a written letter to the Columbiana County Dog Warden regarding problems with the dogs at Jenkins' residence. On Dec. 13, and while the pit bull was still under quarantine, it bit a 36-year-old male, according to information from East Liverpool Health Commissioner Gary Ryan. The male who was bitten went to East Liverpool City Hospital for x-rays and stitches in his upper forearm.
Ryan added that he checked on the dog to make sure after the 10-day quarantine period the dog was still alive. According to information in the case file, Ryan reminded Jenkins she was still required by state law to provide a veterinarian report to the East Liverpool Health Department. As of last week, Jenkins had not produced the report.
In East Liverpool Municipal Court on Wednesday, a recognizance bond for Jenkins was set at $10,000. A pretrial hearing is set for 1 p.m. Jan. 28 on a count of failure to confine or restrain a dog and for a separate case of possession of drug paraphernalia.
During the court hearing, Judge Melissa Byers-Emmerling ordered the black, pit bull-type dog be held by the Columbiana County Dog Warden immediately. According to the court file, the judge added that all necessary force may be used to apprehend the dog in question.
Source: http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/522326.html?nav=5188
MN: Former Vick Dog Meets Third Graders
Former Vick dog meets third graders
Still bearing scars on his chest and front legs, Hector, a pit bull that was part of Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation, mingled with third-graders Tuesday at the Barack and Michelle Obama Learning Elementary School in St. Paul.
Hector, one of 52 dogs rescued from the NFL quarterback’s dogfighting operation, is now a registered therapy dog. His school visit was part of an educational program sponsored by A Rotta Love Plus, a pit bull and Rottweiler rescue group. The 4-year-old dog was placed with a family in Rochester, Minn.
“He’s the sweetest dog in the world,” said Kellie Dillner, of the rescue organization. “It’s hard to imagine him having to act any other way.” The 55-pound dog received several hugs and lots of attention from the students, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.
Vick, a former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback, served 18 months in prison for his role in dogfighting, in which several dogs were killed and dozens more injured. He was reinstated to the NFL and joined the Philadelphia Eagles in September.
(Photo: Hector with owner Clara Yori of Rochester. By Kyndell Harkness, Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Source: http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/12/24/former-vick-dog-meets-third-graders/
UK: Dog Attack Tenant Gets Suspended Sentence
UK: Dog Attack Tenant Gets Suspended Sentence
On Tuesday Ms Hope was committed to 28 days prison after it emerged she was still keeping a dog. The order was suspended until July 2010 and will not be put into force if Ms Hope removes any dogs from her home and does not allow them to come back.
Duncan Forbes, Chief Executive of Bron Afon Community Housing, said: ‘On this occasion we had two witnesses who saw dogs in the home so we prepared a case for court. One witness said that after knocking the front door it was opened and ‘a Staffordshire bull terrier which was inside the house came charging towards the front door.’ The person who opened the door had to hold the dog back. This was exactly what happened to our member of staff that was attacked. We don’t know if that was the same dog but the injunction said she was not allowed to keep any dogs at that address.’
He added that Ms Hope had shown ‘she has no interest in protecting the safety of our staff, visitors or her neighbours. It could easily have been a child knocking on her door.’ He added that the association has also been granted a possession order for a separate breach of tenancy conditions and non-payment of rent.
Source
A housing association tenant has been given a suspended prison sentence after disobeying a court injunction forbidding her keeping dogs at her home.
Bron Afon Community Housing had taken out the injunction earlier in the year after one of its housing officers needed 30 stitches after part of her lip was ripped away after visiting the home of Nicola Hope, of Capel Newydd Avenue, Blaenavon. She was mauled by Ms Hope’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier.On Tuesday Ms Hope was committed to 28 days prison after it emerged she was still keeping a dog. The order was suspended until July 2010 and will not be put into force if Ms Hope removes any dogs from her home and does not allow them to come back.
Duncan Forbes, Chief Executive of Bron Afon Community Housing, said: ‘On this occasion we had two witnesses who saw dogs in the home so we prepared a case for court. One witness said that after knocking the front door it was opened and ‘a Staffordshire bull terrier which was inside the house came charging towards the front door.’ The person who opened the door had to hold the dog back. This was exactly what happened to our member of staff that was attacked. We don’t know if that was the same dog but the injunction said she was not allowed to keep any dogs at that address.’
He added that Ms Hope had shown ‘she has no interest in protecting the safety of our staff, visitors or her neighbours. It could easily have been a child knocking on her door.’ He added that the association has also been granted a possession order for a separate breach of tenancy conditions and non-payment of rent.
Source
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
MA: Wellesly's Spynergy helping raise funds for abused dog
Wellesley's Spynergy helping raise funds for abused dog
Loading multimedia... 
Severely wounded, Turtle will need a lot of veterinarary care. Wellesley's Spynergy is holding a fundraiser to help defray those costs.
GateHouse News Service
Wellesley —
A severely wounded dog, believed to have been hurt during a grisly dog-fighting exercise, is getting help from a Wellesley spin class.
Spynergy spinning studio on Washington Street will offer a $20 spin class Jan. 16 at 11 a.m., with all proceeds going to help Turtle – a 3 year-old female pit bull found on the side of a Hyde Park road earlier this month.
Leslie Mann, a fundraiser organizer, said Turtle may have been used as a “bait dog” — tied up and attacked — to test the strength of other fighting dogs.
A passerby found her and called 911. Rescuers named the dog Turtle. Despite the abuse she suffered, Turtle is a friendly dog who shows no signs of aggression, Mann said.
Mann said Turtle is now at the Animal Rescue League but money is needed to help her recover from injuries, including bite wounds. “Animal shelters are having serious financial hardships during this recession,” she said.
Exercise and an abused dog may seem an unlikely pair, but Mann said it’s a good combination. “You get a great workout while helping a great cause,” she said. To sign up, go to www.arlboston.org/spynergy
OH: Girl recovering from severe dog bite
OH: Girl recovering from severe dog bite
CHICAGO HEIGHTS (STNG) -- Sticking out through the tip of Girthamarie Gary's middle finger is a metal pin. Doctors inserted the pin, which travels the length of her entire finger, so that her finger will have a structure until the bone heals and the tissue inside her finger is able to grow back the right way.
The 15-year-old sophomore at Bloom High School has had the pin in her finger ever since a dog tore into her hand at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Edgewood Avenue.
Catina Jones, 37, 1520 Edgewood Ave., was subsequently given a ticket for not having a city license for her dog, which is still around.
The day she was bit, Girthamarie was traveling from her home in the 400 block of Hickory Street to the Chicago Heights Public Library, 25 W. 15th St., she said. She was walking with her little sister on a sidewalk along Lincoln Highway when she ran into Jones, who was walking her dog on a leash on the sidewalk.
Girthamarie said that when she walked past the dog, it bit her leg and hand. The attack lasted about five minutes. "It was horrible," she said. "The hand was bleeding and I couldn't feel anything."
When dog removed its teeth from her hand, she saw that the animal had bitten the tip off of her ring finger and left her middle finger hanging "by some tissue and some bone."
Following the bite, Girthamarie said the dog owner got frightened and ran off with her pooch, leaving the girl bleeding on the sidewalk. "I hope they get the lady because she ran off and left her," Girthamarie's mother, Diane Beattie-Gary said. "She could have bled to death, she's just a kid."
Paramedics were called to the scene and she was transferred to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights and then to Munster Hospital in Indiana. She got hand surgery at the University of Chicago hospital and was released Nov. 25, she said.
Aside from having the pin sticking out of her finger, she has to wash her wounds every day, coat them in anti-bacterial cream and insulate her hand in a brown, gauzy wrap. Most of the time she cannot feel the pin sticking out her hand - unless she accidentally bangs it against something else.
"When you bump it, there's an intense burning pain," she said, adding that the finger hurts when it gets exposed to cold weather. Otherwise, her finger lacks all feeling. Girthamarie said the wrapped-up hand is an embarrassment and it keeps her from playing volleyball with her friends among other activities she used to enjoy.
In light of the attack, Girthamarie and her mom said they have contacted an attorney and plan to sue Jones for medical expenses. Beattie-Gary also said she hoped the dog would be put down and that more charges would be filed against Jones.
On Wednesday, Jones denied that she or any of her family members were walking the dog Nov. 21. She said her two-year-old pit bull Star, which she keeps in her basement, is a gentle animal that would not maim another human. "I have no clue who this person was," she said about the victim. "I have a big yard and a park across from my street. Why the hell would I walk my dog on Route 30?"
Furthermore, she said she learned about the biting for the first time when police contacted her, and that she has bought a city license for her dog after receiving her ticket.
Source: http://www.wbbm780.com/Girl-recovering-from-severe-dog-bite/5963121
CHICAGO HEIGHTS (STNG) -- Sticking out through the tip of Girthamarie Gary's middle finger is a metal pin. Doctors inserted the pin, which travels the length of her entire finger, so that her finger will have a structure until the bone heals and the tissue inside her finger is able to grow back the right way.
The 15-year-old sophomore at Bloom High School has had the pin in her finger ever since a dog tore into her hand at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Edgewood Avenue.
Catina Jones, 37, 1520 Edgewood Ave., was subsequently given a ticket for not having a city license for her dog, which is still around.
The day she was bit, Girthamarie was traveling from her home in the 400 block of Hickory Street to the Chicago Heights Public Library, 25 W. 15th St., she said. She was walking with her little sister on a sidewalk along Lincoln Highway when she ran into Jones, who was walking her dog on a leash on the sidewalk.
Girthamarie said that when she walked past the dog, it bit her leg and hand. The attack lasted about five minutes. "It was horrible," she said. "The hand was bleeding and I couldn't feel anything."
When dog removed its teeth from her hand, she saw that the animal had bitten the tip off of her ring finger and left her middle finger hanging "by some tissue and some bone."
Following the bite, Girthamarie said the dog owner got frightened and ran off with her pooch, leaving the girl bleeding on the sidewalk. "I hope they get the lady because she ran off and left her," Girthamarie's mother, Diane Beattie-Gary said. "She could have bled to death, she's just a kid."
Paramedics were called to the scene and she was transferred to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights and then to Munster Hospital in Indiana. She got hand surgery at the University of Chicago hospital and was released Nov. 25, she said.
Aside from having the pin sticking out of her finger, she has to wash her wounds every day, coat them in anti-bacterial cream and insulate her hand in a brown, gauzy wrap. Most of the time she cannot feel the pin sticking out her hand - unless she accidentally bangs it against something else.
"When you bump it, there's an intense burning pain," she said, adding that the finger hurts when it gets exposed to cold weather. Otherwise, her finger lacks all feeling. Girthamarie said the wrapped-up hand is an embarrassment and it keeps her from playing volleyball with her friends among other activities she used to enjoy.
In light of the attack, Girthamarie and her mom said they have contacted an attorney and plan to sue Jones for medical expenses. Beattie-Gary also said she hoped the dog would be put down and that more charges would be filed against Jones.
On Wednesday, Jones denied that she or any of her family members were walking the dog Nov. 21. She said her two-year-old pit bull Star, which she keeps in her basement, is a gentle animal that would not maim another human. "I have no clue who this person was," she said about the victim. "I have a big yard and a park across from my street. Why the hell would I walk my dog on Route 30?"
Furthermore, she said she learned about the biting for the first time when police contacted her, and that she has bought a city license for her dog after receiving her ticket.
Source: http://www.wbbm780.com/Girl-recovering-from-severe-dog-bite/5963121
Friday, December 11, 2009
NJ: Animal cruelty charges lodged against pet owners
NJ: Animal cruelty charges lodged against pet owners
A Belford woman pleaded guilty to 81 counts of failure to provide proper sustenance to her pets last week, according to Chief Victor "Buddy" Amato of the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
Amato said Marlene D. Sandford was fined $5,000 Dec. 11 in Middletown Municipal Court by Judge Michael Puglisi.
Sandford was charged with 81 counts of animal cruelty on July 23; Amato said MCSPCA law enforcement personnel removed more than 100 dogs from her house. "Several were pregnant. Many dogs died at the shelter," he said.
Sandford also pleaded guilty to seven other charges, including animal abuse, Amato said, and was ordered to pay $7,000, for a total of $12,00 in fines. She will also be subject to unannounced inspections by the MCSPCA and was ordered by the court to comply in a timely manner with all township zoning ordinances regarding kennels.
Amato said most of the dogs recovered were purebred Chihuahuas and that all of the animals removed became the property of the shelter.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
In another case, Amato said a Neptune man was charged with abandoning his dog.
According to Amato, Stephen Wilkerson, of Neptune, came to the Eatontown shelter on Dec. 8 to surrender his female American pit bull.
Amato said he was informed that he would have to make an appointment to do so and that there was a wait of a week. He was also informed that the dog could be surrendered immediately at the Associated Humane Society Shelter on Shafto Road.
According to Amato, Wilkerson left and drove to Old Deal Road in Eatontown, and was seen by a witness allegedly taking the dog into the woods, running back to the car and leaving.
The witness took down the license plate number and called Eatontown police, who intercepted Wilkerson and detained him, Amato said.
MCSPCA Law enforcement personnel and Eatontown police placed him under arrest. Wilkerson was charged with four counts of animal cruelty, one criminal and one civil count for abandonment, and one criminal charge and one civil charge of abuse of a living creature.
According to Amato, the charges carry a minimum of $2,000 in fines. A court date will be set in Eatontown. Amato said the young female pit bull is at the shelter and available for a foster home.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.htmlhttp://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
A Belford woman pleaded guilty to 81 counts of failure to provide proper sustenance to her pets last week, according to Chief Victor "Buddy" Amato of the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.
Amato said Marlene D. Sandford was fined $5,000 Dec. 11 in Middletown Municipal Court by Judge Michael Puglisi.
Sandford was charged with 81 counts of animal cruelty on July 23; Amato said MCSPCA law enforcement personnel removed more than 100 dogs from her house. "Several were pregnant. Many dogs died at the shelter," he said.
Sandford also pleaded guilty to seven other charges, including animal abuse, Amato said, and was ordered to pay $7,000, for a total of $12,00 in fines. She will also be subject to unannounced inspections by the MCSPCA and was ordered by the court to comply in a timely manner with all township zoning ordinances regarding kennels.
Amato said most of the dogs recovered were purebred Chihuahuas and that all of the animals removed became the property of the shelter.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
In another case, Amato said a Neptune man was charged with abandoning his dog.
According to Amato, Stephen Wilkerson, of Neptune, came to the Eatontown shelter on Dec. 8 to surrender his female American pit bull.
Amato said he was informed that he would have to make an appointment to do so and that there was a wait of a week. He was also informed that the dog could be surrendered immediately at the Associated Humane Society Shelter on Shafto Road.
According to Amato, Wilkerson left and drove to Old Deal Road in Eatontown, and was seen by a witness allegedly taking the dog into the woods, running back to the car and leaving.
The witness took down the license plate number and called Eatontown police, who intercepted Wilkerson and detained him, Amato said.
MCSPCA Law enforcement personnel and Eatontown police placed him under arrest. Wilkerson was charged with four counts of animal cruelty, one criminal and one civil count for abandonment, and one criminal charge and one civil charge of abuse of a living creature.
According to Amato, the charges carry a minimum of $2,000 in fines. A court date will be set in Eatontown. Amato said the young female pit bull is at the shelter and available for a foster home.
Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.htmlhttp://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2009/1224/front_page/017.html
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