Pit Bull-Mix Owner "Surprised" by Sudden Attack
Pit Bull-Mix Attacks 6-Year OldMadras, OR - Oregon area pit bull attacks continue to fill the DogsBite Blog. Two weeks ago, in Madras (120 miles from Portland), 6-year old Jolyssa was "suddenly" attacked by the family pit bull-mix. Detective Tanner Stanfill of the Madras Police Department said, "[The attack] was severe enough to cause numerous stitches the child needed to put her face back together." The dog named Ryder latched onto her left cheek, nearly ripping it off.
From left: Jolyssa, Brandon Grob, Ryder (pit bull boxer-mix).The 9-month old dog is a pit bull boxer-mix. The dog's owner, Brandon Grob, says his dog is not violent. He told reporters, "I can't get him to bite me when we play." On November 12th, Grob says the family was folding laundry on the bed, when something happened. "It was just sudden," Grob said. "All of a sudden she screamed, and I looked over and she had her face in the blankets." Grob did not know how bad it was until the blankets were lifted.
The "unpredictable aggression" of pit bulls is well documented. The evidence was used to uphold the Denver and Ontario pit bull bans.
The victim's family rushed her to Mountain View Hospital in Madras. Doctors there sent her to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend for treatment. Here she underwent surgery, and had 57 stitches. Currently, Jolyssa is doing well and has returned to school. After the attack, Ryder was taken to Jefferson County Dog Control, where he's been quarantined for 10 days, following the county's standard policy. Grob was later cited for having a "nuisance canine."
As the countdown to Ryder's euthanization grows near, Grob appears to be heartbroken. He tearfully tells reporters, "It sucks, because I can't go see my dog. I can't go see him or anything because he's considered a 'Level 3' danger to the neighborhood." The family says Ryder
isn't a biter,
isn't aggressive, and
is a family pet. But now that the dog has severely bitten Jolyssa, police and the Jefferson County Dog Control do not want to return the dog to the family.
Renee Davidson, a Jefferson County dog control officer, said, "He's fine one minute, not fine the next. He growls and barks, tries to bite at people." The dog's owner had five days to file an appeal to try and get Ryder back, but his time ran out Monday. Grob says it's too costly and time-consuming to appeal the decision, with the deadline at hand, and the family likely wouldn't feel comfortable with Ryder back in the house, anyway (imagine that).
Common sense and a sincere concern for the child's welfare appear to be lacking in this tragedy. Fortunately, Ryder is set to be put down today.Related articles:11/21/08:
Pit Bull Attack Stopped by 4 Men and Police Gunfire in Oregon11/24/08:
Girl Attacked by Pit Bull in Vancouver, Washington06/18/08:
Expert: Pit Bulls Are More Unpredictable than Ever09/09/08:
Top Dog Experts Fooled and Surprised by Pit Bulls
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