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Over 150 dog breeds populate the US. Studies show that two breeds account for nearly 70% of bites that end in death and serious injury. We must regulate these breeds or risk the safety of our families and pets.

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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Systematic Failures in New York

Monster Lawsuits Brewing
New York City - The finger pointing has begun in New York. Which city agency is responsible for the systematic failures that led to the horrific mauling of Heny Piotrowski? Within 24 hours, two more victims were struck by pit bulls, 2-year old Kamar Reynolds had his ear ripped off and two New York firefighters got attacked too, one suffered severe bites to his leg and the other to his hand.

Animal advocates are blaming the city, because in the pit bull mess, animal folks are never at fault. After Piotrowski was attacked, neighbors said they had called 911 and 311 countless times in the past year hoping authorities would seize the dogs. Both police and animal control said they had no detailed reports of the dogs, despite acknowledging that 9 calls were logged about them.

The point of breed-specific laws is to avoid this confusion.

Laws that directly target pit bulls allow authorities to act after one phone call. They don't have to send a warning letter (which can take weeks). They don't have to document one bite then wait for another bite before taking action. The very basis of breed-specific law is to allow authorities to harshly fine the owner or seize the animal before an attack.

The State of Ohio, which deems pit bulls as "vicious," is a perfect example. Pit bull owners are required to carry $100,000 in liability coverage, have a secure on-property pen and use a chain-link leash when off-property. When animal control is called in, they check these rules. Nine times out of ten, the pit bull owner is breaking all of them, which really racks up the fines.

If the owner can't pay, a judge can force the animal's surrender.

Without laws to target the breed, everybody pays for the pit bull problem. In the instance of Heny Piotrowski, Kama Reynolds and the two firefighters -- whose combined medical costs will breach a million dollars -- the city of New York and taxpayers will shell out the medical costs on top of legal bills, which may triple the medical costs. The pit bull owners? They won't pay a dime.

Related article:
07/03/08: Coverage of the Henry Piotrowski Pit Bull Mauling

Labels: new york

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Saturday, July 5, 2008

Brooklyn Boy Gets His Ear Reattached

Charged with Possession of a Pit Bull
Brooklyn, NY - The Brooklyn tot romped around his hospital bed yesterday, a day after surgeons reattached the ear he almost lost in a pit bull attack. Kamar snacked on chicken and rice and played with his siblings. His stitches, cuts and bruises kept him from smiling, but his siblings giggled throughout the afternoon.

The boy was in the basement of his cousin's home when 24-year-old Frantz Cesar went berserk. After his wife, Tiffany, ordered him out of the house, Cesar kicked out an air conditioner and threw his pit bull, Rocky, through the open window. Rocky went wild in the midst of six playing and sleeping children, mauling Kamar. Cesar was arraigned on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon -- the pit bull -- and held in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Judge Robert Kalish issued orders of protection for the Reynolds family and Cesar's wife. Cesar came to court in baggy black pants and kept quite during the hearing. But his lawyer Paul Lieberman said although the case was "horrible and tragic, it was an accident." Kamar's angry dad, Lamont Reynolds, 31, said he's avoiding Cesar for fear he might hurt Cesar the way his son was hurt. "I might just be behind bars with him," he said.

Rocky was euthanized.

Related article:
07/03/08: Coverage of the Henry Piotrowski Pit Bull Mauling

Labels: new york

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 1 comments |

Pit Bull Owner Charged in the Staten Island Mauling

James McNair, 28, Charged
Staten Island, NY - After two pit bulls brutally attacked an elderly man, a spokesman for the Staten Island district attorney’s office, William J. Smith, said the dog owner is facing multiple charges. James McNair, 28, faces second-degree assault charges in addition to an earlier charge of having unleashed dogs without collars or tags.

The victim, Henry S. Piotrowski, 90, was attacked on July 1st about 11 a.m. in his backyard on John Street, which is adjacent to Mr. McNair’s backyard in the Elm Park neighborhood. It was not until a neighbor, Reginald Bell, ran at the dogs with a butcher knife that they stopped. It is reported that Piotrowski suffered not only one amputation, but three. He remains in critical condition.

Mr. McNair is a registered sex offender. He was released from state prison in 2004 after serving a sentence for third-degree rape. Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly called the attack on Mr. Piotrowski "a horrendous situation." Then he said what many law enforcement officers have known for twenty years: "In some areas [the dogs] are being used as weapons."

Twenty years and counting; hardly a new phenomenon.

Law enforcement officials, animal control officers, animal rights groups and legislators have known since the mid 1980's that pit bulls and criminals have been inextricably linked and that pit bulls were being used as weapons then and continue to be today. The 1987 Sports Illustrated cover article, "The Pit Bull, Friend or Killer?" by EM Swift spells it out clearly.

"San Diego investigators also were told that local members of motorcycle gangs were stashing their drugs beneath the doghouses of their pit bulls. ''Street dope dealers and street gangs have gone to pit bulls,'' says Budd Johnson, an inspector for the U.S. Marshals Service who is based in San Diego. Law enforcement officials are seeing the same thing all over the country, and the pit bull populations in urban areas have mushroomed as a result. There have also been instances when pit bulls were used in armed robberies, in effect taking the place of a weapon, and one case in which a 16-year-old girl was raped by a man who allegedly threatened her with his two pit bulls.''

Labels: new york

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Friday, July 4, 2008

Miniature Dachshund Gnaws Off Owner's Toe

Beloved Dog Euthanized
Alton, IL - An woman says her miniature dachshund gnawed off her right big toe while she was asleep. Linda Floyd told said that her beloved Roscoe was euthanized out of safety concerns. The 56-year-old says she has no feeling in her toes because of nerve damage from diabetes. She discovered the toe missing after waking from a nap. A veterinarian says the toe had been bandaged because of a healing hangnail, which may have attracted the dog.

Linda's story is wildly different than pit bull owner Terry Smith, who is paralyzed from the waist down. After his pit bull, China, chewed off four of his toes, animal control returned the dog to Terry. None of Terry's toes were recovered from the incident. The story of Terry was first reported December 10, 2007. Five months later, China was reported stolen, perhaps by someone that had "safety concerns" for Terry.

Related articles:
05/15/08: Missing: China, the Pit Bull that Chewed Off Owners Toes
12/10/07: Pit Bull Chews off Toes as Paralyzed Owner Sleeps

Labels: pit bull owner

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2006 Fatality: 56-year-old Pablo Rudolfo Fleites

Man Killed by Penned Male Boxer
Miami Dade, Fl - On August 30th 2006, South Florida reported it's second fatal dog attack just a few weeks apart. 56-year-old Pablo Rudolfo Fleites was found dead in the pen of a 5-year-old male boxer. The dog had the man's blood all over its body when police found the victim. The incident happened in Southwest Miami-Dade. Animal services euthanized the dog after the attack.

Police tried to learn what may have provoked the attack and why Fleites was in the dog's pen. Fleites lived on a shed on the property, which is a three-acre farm. A second dog, a 6-month-old female boxer, also was in the pen but was not believed to have been involved in the attack. Officers did not take the female dog away. Earlier in the month, a woman was killed while trying to bath her dog, a 120lb presa canario.

Related articles:
07/03/08: 2006 Fatality: Shawna Willey, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida
06/14/08: 2007 Fatality: Mary Diana Bernal Killed by In-Law's Pit Bull
04/01/08: 2007 Fatality: Carshena Benjamin Case Closed, Unresolved

Labels: Fatality

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2006 Fatality: Shawna Willey, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida

Mauled by Family Presa Canario
Coral Springs, FL - On August 18th, 2006, a woman was attacked and killed by her presa canario while trying to give the dog a bath. Her daughter witnessed the brutal attack by the 120-pound dog and alerted a neighbor who called authorities. It was not clear what made the dog attack, according to Coral Springs Police spokesman Rich Nicorvo.

When police arrived at the house, the officers saw the dog standing over the woman's body in the backyard near the swimming pool. The dog made aggressive movements toward the officers when they entered the yard, so they shot and killed it. According to court records, Willey had been cited in Hillsborough County several years prior for having dangerous dogs.

In 2001, a San Francisco woman, Diane Whipple, was fatally mauled by two 100-pound-plus Presa Canarios outside her apartment.

Related articles:
06/14/08: 2007 Fatality: Mary Diana Bernal Killed by In-Law's Pit Bull
04/01/08: 2007 Fatality: Carshena Benjamin Case Closed, Unresolved

Labels: Fatality

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Surrey Jogger Vows to Carry Hatchet After Pit Bull Attack

"It was an instantaneous attack"
Surrey, BC - Another pit bull attack has one Surrey resident threatening to carry a hatchet to protect himself and his dog. David Blair, 50, tells reporters, "I do not want to hear one more news report about a dog that hurt a child or an old person or killed a beloved pet." Blair was recently attacked by a leashed pit bull as he and his young German shepherd, Sadie, jogged along the river.

"As we passed this man, his [leashed] dog just ripped away from him and attacked my dog," said Blair.

Blair, who kneed the pit bull in the head, said the pit bull still managed to bite Sadie. It also nicked Blair on the knee. The owner, after regaining control of his dog, just said, "Hey, sorry, man," and kept going. Like many victims of pit bull attacks, Blair was bewildered, "I just thought, 'My God, this kind of dog shouldn't be out in public.' What if it was a toddler or an elderly lady?"

Blair has seen his share of wild bears and wolves in his life. He said, "This dog acted exactly the same. It was an instantaneous attack. No noise, no warning." Blair's words perfectly describe the genetic traits that characterize a pit bull attack. What Blair leaves out is that unlike a wild animal, pit bulls do not retreat. Mankind had the courtesy of breeding the natural instinct of survival out of pit bulls.

In other news:

A Real Surrey Sob Story
Surrey, BC - Due to the recent scourge of pit bull attacks in Surrey, one of our favorite organizations -- the Surrey SPCA -- blames the media for the rising number of unadoptable pit bulls. Forget the victims of these attacks, including: Sean Bajwa, Chris Bublitz and her guide dog Valerie and Judy Evans and her dog Tasha. Instead, let's talk about the many pit bulls left "high and dry" at the Surrey dog tank.

We picked up 15 boxes of Kleenex before writing this story because we knew we would shed enough tears to fill up an ocean just thinking about these unadopted dogs whose previous owners dumped them. There are always two sides to a story, particularly when it comes to the pit bull problem. There's the torn up victim and the misunderstood dog. According to the Surrey SPCA, the pit bull is the only victim.

Janice Levers -- who works with Lorie Chortyke -- would have you believe that the media is responsible for the unadopted pit bulls left sitting in cement cages. Such groups are perfectly aware of the overpopulation of pit bulls, which leads to countless euthanizations, but they often do not support pit bull sterilization laws. Instead, they blame the media for the number of unredeemable pits.

Every now and again, they also hurl blame at the irresponsible pit bull owner. Lever would like you to believe that a few bad owners pulled off the monstrosity known as the pit bull problem. "It is a concern that all pit bulls suffer when one dog owner behaves irresponsibly. It is the dog that ultimately pays the price." We're cracking open the Kleenex boxes now. The tears are gushing out like a mad flowing river.

Related articles:
06/22/08: Pit Bulls Attack in Surrey Again; Owner and Dogs Flee the Scene
05/30/08: Flashback: Surrey SPCA Has History of Troubling Attitude
05/25/08: Bajwa Family Plans to Sue the City of Surrey, the SPCA and RCMP
05/13/08: Pit Bull Attacks Seeing Guide Dog in Surrey

Labels: spca, surrey

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 3 comments |

Antioch Residents Join Forces to Reclaim Neighborhood

Guardians of the Glen
Antioch, CA - The City of Antioch (population about 100,000) appears quite family friendly. But a group of residents in the Lone Tree Glen subdivision know otherwise. They have formed a front against what they say are rowdy and destructive teens running roughshod through the streets. They call themselves the "Guardians of the Glen," and they want their neighborhood back.

Their stories are disturbing: gangs of kids brawling in the streets, property vandalized or not properly maintained, houses burglarized and juveniles threatening neighbors. The group claims the community pool has been trashed repeatedly too. Sun chairs and patio tables are often dumped in the deep end, and one resident said condoms have been fished out of the water.

Their story wouldn't be complete without pit bulls.

Charlotte moved to Lone Tree Glen in 2006. She said a teen recently threatened to sic his pit bull on her. After she stood her ground, the teen threatened to get a ".45" and shoot her. Ashley Marie suffered a similar fate. "I was getting my kids out of the car. They were across the street and kept telling the pit bull, 'Go get her.' One day, I had the cops out to my house six or seven times. It's just crazy."

DogsBite.org hopes the citizens of the Lone Tree Glen have a safe 4th of July.

Labels: trapped in home

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 1 comments |

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Coverage of the Henry Piotrowski Pit Bull Mauling

Staten Island, NY - World War II veteran Henry Piotrowski, 90-years old, was severely mauled by two pit bulls while standing in his backyard. Henry suffered three amputations and countless secondary side effects in the attack. DogsBite.org will keep a list of growing stories about Henry Piotrowski and what, if anything, local policymakers intend to do in the aftermath of his fate.

How Will New York Policymakers Pick Up the Pieces?

07/06/08: Systematic Failures in New York
07/05/08: Pit Bull Owner Charged in the Staten Island Mauling
07/03/08: Cliff Notes: Pit Bull Ban Attempts in New York

07/03/08: Will the Tragedy of Henry Piotrowski Move New York Policymakers to Act?
07/03/08: Henry Piotrowski, 90, Suffers 3 Amputations After Pit Bull Attack
07/02/08: Staten Island Pit Bull Owner Charged with Felony
07/02/08: 90-Year Old Suffers Amputations After Pit Bull Attack on Staten Island
06/12/08: Bill Stops Convicted Drug Dealers from Owning Dogs Over 20lbs
05/12/08: 11 Years of Police Gunfire: Pit Bulls Top the Charts
04/25/08: Flashback: Brandon Dillingham 2003, Attacked by Loose Pit Bull

Labels: new york

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Cliff Notes: Pit Bull Ban Attempts in New York

Tough Town for a Ban
Manhattan, NY - A New York City website, the Gotham Gazette, recently mocked up a quick history of the pit bull problem in the area. The Gazette is published by the Citizens Union Foundation of the City of New York, the non-profit research and education affiliate of a good-government group. More simply said, they operate by the citizens and for the citizens.

Chances are this week’s string of pit bull attacks will bring back calls to ban ownership of the dogs in New York. There have been routine attempts at banning the animals since 1989, when the city’s health department put a temporary freeze on the pit bull population. And in 2004 -- and again in 2006 -- Staten Island City Councilmember Michael McMahon proposed a bill that condemned the State Assembly’s standing ban on “breed specific” dangerous dog-related legislation. If the the latest pit bull rampage does open up debate, expect some opposition from the animal rights crowd -- one pro-pit bull Web site lists McMahon, now running for Congress, under "[people] who want to kill your dog."

The article references PETA and the city's attempts to "thin out" JFK's feral cat population. The article leaves out that the ASPCA, who bitterly opposes pit bull regulation, is headquartered in Manhattan. DogsBite.org thinks the Manhattan-Staten Island area would surely be a feisty battleground if a breed-specific law ever did gain traction. PETA -- who supports banning the breed -- and the ASPCA could do ferocious tiger-on-bear battle.

In 2006, New York City Councilmember Peter Vallone attempted to pass a pit bull ban. Vallone's ordinance did not apply to existing pit bull owners -- no dogs would be forced from their homes. His proposal was canned.

Related article:
07/03/08: Coverage of the Henry Piotrowski Pit Bull Mauling

Labels: new york

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Will the Tragedy of Henry Piotrowski Move New York Policymakers to Act?

In simple terms: No. DogsBite.org does not expect New York policymakers to take meaningful action after the recent spate of pit bull attacks that include the tragedy of Henry Piotrowski, who has now suffered three amputations, and the young Brooklyn boy, who just had his ear ripped off by a pit bull. It is reported that half of the boy's face was torn open. His aunt had to cover his head in a sheet to "hold in the ear and the blood."

The State of New York is laden with a breed-specific prohibition law and politicians unwilling to stand up to it.

Instead, politicians like Senator Bill Larkin claim victory for passing laws that prohibit all dogs over the weight of 20lbs. Owners of dogs that do not support breed-specific regulations for pit bulls, place their own dogs at risk to this rising trend. If policymakers are prohibited from specifically addressing the "Pit Bull Problem" they're forced to treat all dogs over a certain weight similarly. (The ASPCA supports this latter treatment).

Back in May, the New York City police department released a detailed report to the city council that showed the last 11 years of police gunfire. According to the report, officers shot more pit bulls than people, and of the dogs shot by officers, 70% were pit bulls. New York city officials are keenly aware of the depth of the pit bull problem, in addition to its lengthily history, which harks back to the mid 1980s.

DogsBite.org does not believe that New York policymakers have a vested interest in addressing the pit bull problem. We don't believe their major newspapers, such as the New York Times, do either. They like to cover topics like Michael Vick's "Victory Dogs," but they have forgotten the many pit bull victims that have come from the area over the last 20 years. Henry Piotrowski will soon be another one.

Related articles:
07/03/08: Henry Piotrowski, 90, Suffers 3 Amputations After Pit Bull Attack
07/02/08: Staten Island Pit Bull Owner Charged with Felony
07/02/08: 90-Year Old Suffers Amputations After Pit Bull Attack on Staten Island
06/12/08: Bill Stops Convicted Drug Dealers from Owning Dogs Over 20lbs
05/12/08: 11 Years of Police Gunfire: Pit Bulls Top the Charts
04/25/08: Flashback: Brandon Dillingham 2003, Attacked by a Loose Pit Bull

Labels: Staten Island

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 3 comments |

Henry Piotrowski, 90, Suffers 3 Amputations After Pit Bull Attack

Henry Piotrowski, World War II Veteran
Staten Island, NY - Newspapers are now reporting that Henry Piotrowski has suffered not one, but three amputations due to the pit bull attack. DogsBite.org reminds readers that 90-year old individuals do not heal easily. The risk factor of infection for a person over 50 is highly amplified. If a person is nearly double that age, the factor must take on exponential meaning.

In one of two known medical reports about pit bull injury, doctors in Texas -- the pit bull killing capital in the US -- examined an 83-year old man that endured a "sustained attack" by two pit bulls. A sustained attack is described as an attack that lasts 15 minutes or longer. The term was derived from pit bull injury. Survivors of these attacks suffer massive tissue loss -- body regions completely degloved -- amputation, primary and secondary infections and organ failure.

The report, Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review, was published in 1988 and has been used in court evidence to describe the unique differences pit bulls cause due to their deadly "lock and shake" bite trait. The authors write:

"Most breeds do not repeatedly bite their victims, however, a pit bull attack has been compared to a shark attack and often results in multiple bites and extensive soft-tissue loss...Pit bulls tend to inflict more serious bite wounds than do other breeds because they tend to attack the deep muscles, hold on, and shake."

This report was published twenty years ago and the analysis is just as real today. The authors detail the catastrophic wounds and surgical procedures endured by the 83-year old victim, including "meshed split-thickness skin grafts, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oliguric renal failure (kidney failure)" and the amputation of his left arm. The victim died on the 42nd hospital day from complications stemming from the attack and cardiac arrhythmia.

Henry Piotrowski has already suffered three amputations.

There are no words to describe what Henry has endured and continues to endure as you read this sentence.

Related article:
07/02/08: Staten Island Pit Bull Owner Charged with Felony
07/02/08: 90-Year Old Suffers Amputations After Pit Bull Attack on Staten Island

Labels: lifeflight victims

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06/27-02/08 Pit Bulls Shot By Police

#167: Pit Bull Latches On to Omaha Officer's Arm
06/27/08 | Omaha, NE
Summary: A pit bull "broke free" from it's leash and latched onto an officer's arm. Officer Shawn Leclair shot the dog once, killing it. Then drove himself to the hospital with his other arm.
Pits killed: 1

#168: Yakima Police Shoot Pit Bull Multiple Times
06/27/08 | Yakima, WA
Summary: Police shot a pit bull multiple times during an attempt to locate a suspect wanted by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. The dog died from the wounds.
Pits killed: 1

#169: Omaha Cops Shoot Another Pit Bull
07/01/08 | Omaha, NE
Summary: Police rushed to the scene after a pit bull snapped its chain and attacked a man mowing his lawn. The officer shot the dog.

#170: Pit Bull Shot After Attacking Child and Adult
07/01/08 | Erie, PA
Summary: Police shot and killed a pit bull that attacked its owner and a 10-year-old boy at a home. Photo shows officers placing the pit bull in a body bag.
Pits killed: 1

#171: Guns, Crack Cocaine and a Dead Pit Bull
07/02/08 | Minneapolis, MN
Summary: Recovered from the crime scene were a loaded gun, crack cocaine and a pit bull killed after charging an officer.
Pits killed: 1

#172: Virden Cops Shoot Pit Bull that Attacks Woman
07/02/08 | Virden, IL
Summary: A Virden police officer shot a pit bull to death Saturday morning after the dog charged a bicycle rider and then the officer.
Pits killed: 1

Labels: Police shooting

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 3 comments |

Animal Control Officers Bit by Pit Bull Responding to Attack

Pit Bull Jumps Through Window, Attacks Little Girl
Stockton, CA - Two animal control officers were attacked by a pit bull while following up on a report that a dog had leapt through an open window, crossed a street and bit a girl in an unprovoked attack. Both officers were taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released. The extent of the injuries to the young girl was unavailable.

According to Ernest Molieri of the San Joaquin County Animal Control Division, when the two county officers arrived at the house, the dog attacked them, inflicting deep puncture wounds in the left arm and midsection of one officer and the thumb of the other. He said. "It was the worst dog attack on county animal control officers in recent memory."

After being injured, the officer who had been bitten in the midsection was able to retrieve the necessary equipment to restrain the dog while the other officer held the dog in a bearhug. Gerald Eqes, one of the victims, says the county has not provided enough safety for animal control officers to do their jobs effectively. "We have been asking for vests, Tasers and sidearms," he said.

The requests have gone unmet.

In other news

Owner of Pit Bulls Has Both Arms Amputated
Greensburg, IN - Recently, Annette Williams was viciously attacked by her two pit bulls (no one knows why). When the story was reported, Williams had lost one arm. Now, she has lost both arms from the elbow down. The family has set up a donation fund. It is doubtful that the ASPCA, who misleads the public, into thinking, "it's all in how you raise'm!" will donate a dime. We doubt any pit bull owners will give a cent either.

Rottweiler Attacks Owner; Dog Had Bite Record
Pottsville, PA - In a separate attack that also involves a dog owner, a rottweiler named Zeus tore up its owner Shannon Reed, 25. She is currently in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Upon her request, the dog was euthanized. Last year, Zeus bit an 18-year old woman. The attack was not sufficient enough to legally label the dog as "dangerous." Officials sent the dog home so that it could attack again -- and it did!

Related article:
06/19/08: Pit Bull in Greensburg Chews Off Owners Arm

Labels: Animal Control, pit bull owner

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 9 comments |

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Charlotte Returns Home; Family Supports Pit Bull Ban

Will Undergo More Surgery Soon
Omaha, NE - The 15-month-old girl severely hurt by a pit bull last week has returned home. Charlotte Blevins has undergone two surgeries to repair her scalp already. Her family says she'll get another operation tomorrow. "She seems to be doing really good. She's a trooper," said Wendy Blevins, Charlotte's mother.

You can't tell by the girl's attitude but the bandages and drainage tubes she carries are reminders of how seriously the little girl was hurt. "It was absolutely mortifyingly horrible," said Wendy. While Charlotte's head injuries look serious, her parents said doctors are more concerned about her arm -- the two lacerations are over a half-inch deep.

After the attack, Omaha leaders started talking about restrictions on pit bulls. Options include an all out ban. Wendy Blevins believes the talk is long overdue. "It's time to stop sleeping on this. Something needs to be done," said Wendy. Like some victims of attacks, Wendy has been moved to help prevent future tragedies. "My mission is to not have this happen to other families."

Charlotte Blevins Charitable Fund
Please visit any First National or U.S. Bank to donate to the Blevins fund.

Related article:
Coverage of the Omaha Pit Bull Attack - DogsBite.org

Labels: omaha

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 1 comments |

Staten Island Pit Bull Owner Charged with Felony

Henry Piotrowski, World War II Veteran
Staten Island, NY - The owner of the pit bulls who mauled a 90-year-old man in a Staten Island neighborhood faces felony charges in the attack. The District Attorney's office has announced that James McNair, 28, a registered sex offender, has been charged with second-degree assault, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison if convicted at trial.

The victim, World War II veteran Henry Piotrowski, lost a leg and could possibly lose an arm after the two pit bulls entered his yard and violently attacked him. The New York Times reports that Mr. Piotrowski, who was widely known as “Henny,” played bingo at the local church. He occasionally took the bus to Atlantic City until a robbery a few years ago made him fearful of leaving home.

The number of senior citizens that continue to endure vicious attacks by pit bulls ought to make every policymaker wake up.

These senior citizens are almost always doing one of three things when they are attacked: gardening, taking out the trash or getting the mail. Few stories are as reprehensible as an elderly citizen, who has served his country in battle, worked an honest job, paid his taxes and has finally entered his twilight years only to be violently torn to pieces by the neighbor's pit bulls.

Related articles:
07/02/08: 90-Year Old Suffers Amputations After Pit Bull Attack on Staten Island

Labels: lifeflight victims

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 4 comments |

90-Year Old Suffers Amputations After Pit Bull Attack on Staten Island

Loads of Crime Scene Tape
Staten Island, NY - In a developing story, a 90-year-old man was mauled by two pit bulls in a brutal attack in Staten Island's Port Richmond neighborhood. The victim, Henry Piotrowski, was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, and is listed in critical condition. His left leg has been amputated at the knee, and he'll likely lose one of his arms as well.

Please note the number of first responders at the scene:

His niece, Lainey Suttuon said, "We're pretty sure the [left] arm is going to go, too." Saving the left arm would require a 10-to-12-hour operation, and doctors are reluctant to submit her elderly uncle to the ordeal. Also, his right leg is fractured. "The next three days are very critical. He lost a lot of blood," said Ms. Sutton, who drove from Hillsborough, N.J., after hearing about the attack.

James McNair, 28, the dogs' owner, was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the gruesome incident, police said. The animals were put down. Charges against McNair -- a registered sex offender -- are pending. (The 11-year old child in the video lived at the dog owner's home along with a woman that denied owning the dogs and declined to comment.)

The attack occurred just after 11am on July 1st. In describing a sustained attack, neighbor Reginald Bell said that, "The dogs were actually eating him alive." Bell was drawn outside his home after he heard the victim screaming for help. He spotted the dogs on top of Piotrowski in the man's back yard. Bell said. "His legs were eaten to the bone. His arms were eaten to the bone."

Bell said he ran inside his home, called 911, then grabbed a butcher's knife and chased the dogs away from their defenseless victim. The pit bulls had fled by the time police arrived. Cops searched the neighborhood before locating the dogs inside a nearby house. More than an hour after the attack, officers were seen carrying the pit bulls, Popeye and Brutus, out of the home.

Related articles:
05/16/08: 2006 Fatality: Second Trial Begins for Pit Bull Owner in Kansas City
11/02/08: 2007 Fatality: Tina Marie Canterbury Killed by Her Two Red Nose...
06/14/08: 2007 Fatality: Mary Diana Bernal Killed by In-Law's Pit Bull

Labels: lifeflight victims

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 5 comments |

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Omaha Man Mowing Lawn Attacked by Pit Bull

Attacks Nearing Epidemic
Omaha, NE - Police rushed to the scene of yet another pit bull attack in Omaha. Witnesses tell police the dog snapped its chain and attacked a man who was mowing a nearby lawn. The man has a bite wound to his leg, but was not seriously hurt. The dog ran off after the attack, and a police officer shot it a few houses away. Police ticketed the owner of the pit bull.

Pit bull advocates will say, "It was the lawnmower's fault."

This is the fourth pit bull attack in Omaha in the last week, and the sixth headline media attack in the past few months. Last Wednesday a pit bull "slipped" it's leash and attacked little Charlotte, ripping off her scalp. She spent several days in the hospital and is looking at 5 long years of treatment. Just a block away, and nearly at the same time, a pit bull attacked a boy, biting him on the arm.

The victim count is growing:

The city of Omaha and the Humane Society are working on an ordinance to crack down on dangerous dogs. Hopefully it will include strong pit bull regulations. The first proposals will be heard in less than two weeks time.

Related articles:
Coverage of the Omaha Pit Bull Attack - DogsBite.org

Labels: omaha

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 5 comments |

Springfield Postal Official Pressures Council for Stricter Dog Laws

USPS Manager Wants Change
Springfield, IL - A postal official asked the Springfield City Council’s public affairs and safety committee to do something about dangerous dogs. Just what should be done, however, isn’t clear. Scott Cheeseman, manager of customer service for the post office in Springfield, said three letter carriers were attacked last week by pit bull type dogs, a resident was too.

He added that one carrier will be off work for 10 days. There have been eight attacks this year in a city that averages three annually, he said. "What I ask is the City of Springfield to adopt tougher standards for animals." Other than stronger leash laws and stiffer fines, Cheeseman had no specific suggestions. He said he’d like to see a ban on pit bulls but doesn’t think that’s realistic.  

Thanks to the ASPCA, Illinois is prohibited from passing breed-specific laws.

Ledy Vankavage, the senior director of legal training and legislation for the ASPCA, was instrumental in passing this law. Currently, she is in Omaha possibly trying to hoodwink city officials into believing that "anti-tethering" laws will stop violent pit bull attacks. She is also the owner of three pit bulls, a breed that kills countless pets among other atrocities.

As a reminder, the letter "P" in the ASPCA stands for "Prevention" of cruelty to animals, not "Perpetuaton."

Of the eight last human attacks in the combined cities of Omaha and Springfied, it appears only 1 involved a "chained" (tethered) pit bull, which snapped its chain then attacked. Anti-tethering laws clearly have little to do with the problem either city is experiencing. It's uplifting to hear a Postal Service manager acknowledge the specific issue that pit bulls present.

Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards said the council might take some kind of action, especially if the attacks continue. The problem is that there is little action too take. Springfield is undergoing a breed-specific problem and is forbidden to create laws to target it. Looks like Springfield -- and every other Illinois city -- is stuck with upping fines for an unleashed dog.

A $25 dollar fine -- that ought to stop these serious maulings.

Labels: Mailman, omaha

posted by bitbypit | permalink | 5 comments |

Dog Owner Flees After Vicious Attack in Cape Cod Area

Small Town Left Struck and Wondering
Hyannis, ME - Keith Harrison had no warning before the dog attacked. Perhaps unknowingly, he next describes classic pit bull behavior. He said, "It didn't even growl or bark first. It just snapped at me." As he moved between a pickup truck and a car in the parking lot, he was more worried about being hit by the truck than anything else.

That's when the animal in the back of the truck lunged at Harrison, almost ripping off his lower lip. He did not get a good look at the dog, but thinks it may have been a black Labrador mix. Then heard a voice say the dog had its shots before the truck sped off. As he stood by holding his lip together, he said he wished he had gotten the license plate.

It couldn't be more clear that Harrison is dealing with a pit bull owner and his dog.

Harrison thinks the truck was a grey or silver late '90s Ford. Barnstable animal control and police have few other clues to go on in tracking down the animal's owner. After the attack, he said he flagged a cab for a ride to Cape Cod Hospital where he spent several painful hours before being stitched up by a specialist to prevent scarring.

Harrison, a landscaper on Nantucket during the summer, must eat his meals through a straw and does not know how he will pay his medical bills, which will be substantial. Toss cosmetic surgery on top of this and he's well into 5 digits. He will have to see a doctor on Nantucket and still undergo the rabies treatment just in case the truck's driver was lying.

Barnstable animal control officer Charles Lewis is unaware of the pit bull owner trends we see at DogsBite.org on a daily basis. He offers up an unexposed viewpoint that used to make sense, but does not anymore. "This type of random attack where the dog and its owner are unknown is unusual," he said. "The majority of the bites are to a family member."