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Pit Bulls Attack Grandmother's Dog While Gardening
Grandma Wisely Saves Self
Amador County, CA - Back in July, Elisa Teel was almost finished pruning her herbs when she saw the two pit bulls. They had squeezed through a small gap at the bottom of a chain link fence separating her yard from her neighbor's. Moments later, Teel found herself faced with two impossible options: race inside and shut the door or remain outside and suffer the violent attack that her dog did.
Teel chose the latter option and by doing so remains alive with the use of each limb. What transpired next left her dog Sammy with serious injuries, led to the euthanasia of three pit bulls and Teel demanding one more.
She still has vivid memories of the attack. After shutting the door, she ran to her bedroom overlooking the backyard and banged repeatedly on the window. Teel watched the pit bulls drag Sammy from one end of the yard to another, tearing holes into his body.
Hearing Teel's screams, a neighbor across the street called the police. Other neighbors stepped in and broke up the fight, allowing Teel to reopen her door. Sammy sprinted through, blood flying from his wounds and unable to sit on his ripped up haunch. "I'm just going hysterical because I'm just looking at the holes in his body," said Teel. She then brought Sammy to the Jackson Creek Veterinary Clinic.
The genetic trait of "animal-aggression" in pit bulls maims and kills countless pets. The same trait often leads to severe injury and even death when a human intervenes. A senior citizen that chooses to intervene in such an attack risks substantial injuries. In this instance, Teel managed to get three of the offending dogs put down. She still wants another dog destroyed that she says was also involved in the attack.
In other news:Pit Bull Leaps Fence, Attacks 75-Year Old Woman
Bethlehem, PA - A day after Teel's news article came out, a 75-year-old woman was injured after her neighbor's pit bull jumped over a fence and bit her numerous times. According to Bethlehem police Lt. Joseph Kimock, Millie Valenti was bitten on the arms and legs by a pit bull owned by her neighbor, Lisa Rodriguez.
Valenti told police she was sitting on a chair on her porch when the dog scaled a 3-foot-high fence and attacked her. She told police that a neighbor, wielding a broom, beat the dog until he stopped. According to police, Valenti suffered numerous bite marks on her legs and arms and a chunk of flesh is missing from her leg.
She was treated and released from Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. Rodriguez was cited for harboring a dangerous dog. Kimock said the dog was seized and quarantined. He said police were at Rodriguez's home in June for a report of the dog attempting to bite someone, but no charges were filed.
We hope the dog was not returned to Rodriguez and that Valenti can freely sit upon her porch without the fear of being attacked by her neighbor's dog.
Related articles:
06/05/08: Pit Bulls Jump Fence, Attack Woman, 77, Gardening
05/25/08: Senior Citizens Are Continuously Mauled by Dangerous DogsLabels: garden attack, Grandparents
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Flashback: Kelly Edwards Speaks Out After Pit Bull Attack
 62-Year Old Victim Attacked by 3 Pit Bulls
Winder, GA - As September 4th, 2007 dawned, family members stayed close to Kelly Edwards' hospital bedside. Kelly was attacked by three pit bulls and sustained serious injury to his arms, legs and torso. Kelly said he remembers the attack as he went for his walk that day. "The small one came out and leaped for me and got me on my side, and I fell. Then, when I was on the ground they were snapping at me and biting me." During the sustained, 10 minute attack, Kelly said he tried his best to fight the dogs off. A neighbor saw the attack and began hitting the dogs with a stick. The neighbor's son rushed out with a gun and shot one of the dog's dead. Edwards said if David Banner hadn't stepped in with a gun, he might be dead. His daughter Kathy said:"If it had been just a couple more minutes, as much blood as he's lost, we wouldn't have him anymore." Edwards and his daughters hoped he wouldn't need rabies shots and that he'll soon be out of the hospital. They also hoped other dog owners learn from his ordeal and that they need to restrain their dogs. As most victims say after a brutal attack, Edwards added, "It’s bad what happened, but if it had been a child, that child would not have made it."
Related articles:
05/14/08: 76-Year Old Woman Taking Out Trash Attacked by 3 Pit Bulls
03/16/08: Pit Bull Attacks 75-Year Old Woman Retrieving MailLabels: Grandparents
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Pit Bulls Jump Fence, Attack Woman, 77, Gardening
 A Backyard is No Longer Safe
Columbus, OH - The owner of three pit bulls could face charges for not properly constraining his dogs after his 77-year old neighbor was bitten by one of them. Franklin County animal control officers report that the attack was vicious and that the woman was badly injured -- the bite left exposed bone. Police officers arrived on scene with weapons drawn.
The woman was gardening when the animals jumped the fence and attacked her. After animal control took all three dogs away, one of the dog owners, showed remorse for the victim, "I don't really care what happens to me or the dogs, (but) I'm responsible," said James Halbirt, "I'm concerned with (the woman). I want to make sure she's OK. She's a great person."
Halbirt said that all three dogs were animals that he rescued. The other dog owner, a woman who was not named, blabbed on video about how the dogs "had never shown aggression before." As if she had never heard of a pit bull suddenly attacking. As if her pit bull might have a different set of genes than every other pit bull. Maybe the facility where the two owners rescued the dogs told them, "Enough love will make the dog's genes disappear."
Unpredictability is a trait that has been selectively bred into pit bulls. This trait cannot be "loved" out of a pit bull. Related articles:
05/27/08: Three Pit Bulls Bust Out of Enclosure, Attack Boy
05/15/08: Screenshots: Pit Bull Scales Fence, Terrorizes NeighborLabels: garden attack, Grandparents
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Elderly Man Attacked by Pit Bulls Lucky to Be Alive
 19-Year Old Pit Bull Owner Sentenced
UPDATE 06/03/08: Esmeralda Alvarado, 19, who's pit bulls attacked a 75-year-old man, was sentenced to one year of probation and a $2,200 fine. In March, her two pit bulls viciously attacked Hopeton Hewett. He suffered a sprained back and severe bites on one arm. The article does not mention restitution. DogsBite.org can't imagine his injuries cost less than $50,000.
03/31/08: Dog Attack Renews Debate
After Hopeton Hewett was attacked by two pit bulls unprovoked on his own property, the pit bull debate resurfaced in Omaha. The news agency reporting the incident, WOWT.com, had a reliable source on hand. Nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa, has had a successful pit bull ban in place for three years. City council member Lynne Branigan says:"The number of incidents that have been reported have been almost zero, since the ban has been in place." More precisely, after 1 year of the ban, the number of pit bull bites dropped by more than 50%, the subsequent year, another 50% and yet another 50% by the third year. Since the ban was instituted January 1, 2005, the percentage of bite bull bites dropped from 23% to 10% in 2005, 5% in 2006 and 2% in 2007. Branigan encourages Omaha city council to look at a similar measure, which would prevent an attack like Hopeton Hewett suffered.
Fortunately for Hewett, both dogs were up to date on their shots. Regarding the crying, 19-year old pit bull owner, Esmeralda Alvarado, who "didn't know how her dogs got out," the Nebraska Humane Society said that animal control officers were called out to her property two weeks ago because the same dogs were running loose. 03/27/08: Hopeton Hewett, 75, Attacked by Two Pit BullsEsmeralda Alvarado said she does not know how two of her pit bulls escaped from her home, who proceeded to hunt down and attack a 75-year-old neighbor before one of the dogs was shot and killed by police. Hopeton Hewett was taken in serious condition to a hospital, where he was treated and released. A police officer later shot and killed one dog as it charged a Nebraska Humane Society officer. Animal control ticketed Alvarado on suspicion of two counts of harboring a dangerous animal. "I don't even understand how they got out in the first place," 19-year-old Alvarado said as tears filled her eyes. "I don't know." Hewett was walking outside when the attack occurred. He heard a noise behind him, when he turned, two black pit bulls jumped him and drug him to the ground. One dog chomped on Hewett's left forearm, leaving a deep bite wound. 03/27/08: Man Attacked By Two Pit BullsOmaha, NE - In a developing story, a man was attacked by two pit bulls at 38th and Corby Wednesday afternoon. A neighbor tells Channel 6 News the victim is 76-year-old H. Hewitt and that he was bitten on the arm and dragged by the dogs. His condition has not been disclosed. "He said the dogs got me, the dogs got me," says Carolyn Walker. "I didn't understand at first, then I see he's bleeding all over." An Omaha Police officer shot and killed one of the pit bulls. The other was last seen in a nearby wooded area, which was checked for several hours before authorities called off the search. It will be periodically searched. Related articles:05/25/08: Senior Citizens: Most US Policymakers Do Not Care if You Are Mauled...05/14/08: 76-Year Old Woman Taking Out Trash Attacked by 3 Pit BullsLabels: Grandparents, Nebraska, omaha
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Senior Citizens Are Continuously Mauled by Dangerous Dogs
Gardening Grandma, Attacked by Pit Bull
Columbus, OH - In a trend that plummets many U.S. policymakers to the bottom of the ocean, another senior citizen was viciously mauled while gardening on her own property. The pit bull, who had never shown aggression before, hopped the fence and attacked her. A blood-spattered shoe was all that remained after medics raced 77-year old Ruth Sowers to the hospital.
Dog warden Joe Rock told reporters that Sowers had been gardening that afternoon when a pit bull leapt the fence from the neighboring property and seized her right leg. Sowers was rushed to the hospital and treated for severe dog bite injuries. This same scenario -- attacked while gardening -- killed Jimmie Mae McConnell and Lillian Stiles and likely others.
Neighbors saw Sowers try to free herself from the dog and eventually gain safety on a nearby porch. Meanwhile the dog’s owner, James Halbirt, told Captain Rock that the dog had never exhibited any aggressive behavior in the past. The Halbirts have children in their home and own two other pit bulls in addition to the one that attacked Mrs. Sowers.
All three dogs are being held at the county animal shelter until a judge decides if they should be destroyed. Halbirt was issued 4 citations for each dog, including charges of failure to confine a vicious dog and failure to carry the mandatory insurance policy ($100,000 per pit bull dog). So who will pay for the victim's medical bills? The 77-year old victim of course.
Related articles:
04/09/08: Cell Phone Video Captures Pit Bull Attacking Boy
03/27/08: Pit Bulls on Attack in Ohio, Latest Victim a 6-Year Old GirlLabels: garden attack, Grandparents
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2006 Fatality: Second Trial Begins for Pit Bull Owner in Kansas City
 Sentenced: 4 Years in Prison
UPDATE 05/16/08: Today Lee was sentenced to four years in prison plus two years probation for a fatal pit bull attack on Jimmie Mae McConnell. The pit bull jumped Lee's fence and attacked and killed Jimmie as she gardened in her backyard. DogsBite.org hopes the McConnel family can heal now. A Victory of this kind is far better than no victory at all.
04/02/08: Derick D. Lee Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter
Jurors found Derick D. Lee guilty of involuntary manslaughter after his pit bull attacked and killed Jimmie Mae McConnell in 2006. Wyandotte County Attorney Jerome A. Gorman said that Lee should be held accountable because pit bulls had been banned by a local ordinance for years. The jury agreed.
Lee’s mother, Terri Lee, said her family is very sorry for what happened to McConnell. But she believes Wyandotte County’s Unified Government is trying to make an example out of her son. She said the government is negligent for failing to enforce its ordinance.
04/01/08: Derick D. Lee Charged for Manslaughter After Dogs Kill Neighbor
Kansas City, KA - On July 27th, 2006, Jimmie Mae McConnell, 71, was mauled to death in her garden by a pair of dogs; the dogs jumped her fence to attack her. The pit bull was still on her when firefighters and paramedics arrived. They used an axe and a pole, items usually used to pull down ceilings, to remove the dog. At the time of the attack, pit bulls were banned in Kansas CityThe owner of the dogs, Derick D. Lee, 34, is now on trial for the second time and faces involuntary manslaughter charges. The first trial ended in a hung jury. The official cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrhythmia brought on by the trauma of the attack. In the first trial, Lee's defense claimed, "the dog was not his and that it was a stray." Defense said that McConnell had such severe heart disease that using a tiller in the garden could have caused her death. Defense also said there could have been other dogs responsible for the attack.
District Attorney Jerome Gorman announced after the trial that he would try the case again. Gorman said he found after speaking with jurors in the first trial that the majority had favored a guilty verdict. His decision brought relief to McConnell's family members, who have attended every hearing and were adamant that another trial be held.
Family members said that Jimmie had been afraid of the neighbor's dogs for nearly a year before the attack. The dogs had menaced her from behind the fence, growling and barking aggressively as she gardened. She once told her son, Chris McConnell that, "One day, one of those dogs are going to get me." They finally did. Her death left behind 6 children and a husband.
Related articles:
05/20/07: Man To Be Tried Again in Attack
07/28/06: 71-Year Old Kansas City Woman Killed by Pit BullLabels: Dog Trials, Fatality, garden attack, Grandparents
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76-Year Old Woman Taking Out Trash Attacked by 3 Pit Bulls
Pit Bulls Put to Death; No Word on Charges
Texas City, TX - This makes the third senior citizen in several months attacked by pit bulls while taking out the trash. Because the dogs were loose, this case may qualify for the penalties Lillian's Law doles out. The dog owner might want to ask himself if having three pit bulls is worth 10 years behind bars.As soon as the jury is shown the woman's injuries, you can bet they won't have much sympathy for Brown. The dogs attacked Minnie Davis while she was taking out her trash. Police said Davis crawled back into her house to escape, suffering severe bites on both legs. Davis was hospitalized at the University of Texas Medical Center. She is reportedly seriously hurt, but will survive. A UTMB spokeswoman said that Davis did not want her condition released.
Neighbor Michelle Reiter, 25, said she heard Davis' screams and went outside to help. She said she didn't realize the pit bulls were loose. "I didn't even get all the way to the fence and three pit bulls charged from straight across the street." She screamed for her husband while kicking and stomping to keep the pit bulls from getting a firm grip on her leg."I was trying to make sure I didn't die," she said. The dogs' owner, Javaras Brown, 25, could not be reached for comment, but Reiter said children living with Brown released the dogs from runners and they jumped a fence. She said animal control had previously responded to complaints about the loose dogs loose. The article does not state if the owner was cited for the past violations.
Related article:
04/14/08: Dangerous Dogs Make it Unsafe to Take Out the TrashLabels: Grandparents
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Aurora Grandmother of Attacking Pit Bull Fined $1,000
 30-Days Suspended Jail Time
Aurora, CO - Phyliss Sharp, whose pit bull mauled her granddaughter, was given 30-days of suspended jail time and a $1,000 fine. Sharp was convicted of keeping a vicious animal and a restricted breed. She is not allowed to have another dog, must allow unannounced inspections by animal control and must pay restitution for up to one year.
The 4-year-old family dog attacked Sharp's granddaughter while they were playing in their Aurora apartment. The dog bit 4-year-old Neveah Marner's face and refused to let go until her father pulled the dog off the girl. The girl lost three teeth and suffered deep cuts across her face in the attack. She's had plastic surgery and will need more.
The dog had lived with the family since Neveah was born and had never hurt anyone, according to Sharp. Her pit bull was not licensed in Aurora. Despite the attack, Sharp said Neveah is not mad at the dog. In what can only be described as disturbing, Sharp tells 9News a conversation she had with her granddaughter:"She asked me if Blue said she was sorry and I said she did," said Phyllis Sharp. "She said, 'Does Blue say she loves me?' and I said, 'Yes.'" Related article:
04/26/08: Nominated: Grandmother of the YearLabels: Grandparents
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Grandmother's Pit Bull Attacks Grandchild in Phoenix
 9-Year Old Mauled by Grandmother's Pit Bull
Phoenix, AZ - Another grandparent that owns a pit bull is suffering the results after the dog attacked her grandson. DogsBite.org calls on the AARP to educate members about what breeds of dogs are appropriate to have near grandchildren -- not pit bulls.
This past weekend a 9-year-old boy was viciously attacked by his grandmother’s pit bull in Phoenix. Police say the attack occurred on Saturday afternoon near 73rd Avenue and McDowell at the boy’s grandmother’s house. Emergency crews responded to reports of an injured person in the afternoon.
One witness says the dog was biting the boy "all over his body, including his right arm, his back, his neck, his face and his left arm." Police say the boy may have walked up to a group of puppies, which prompted the attack. The dog's owners have asked to have the dog taken away.Labels: Grandparents
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"Vicious" Bites the Dust After Tumble with Grandma
Pit Bull Mix Owner Blames Victim
Minneapolis, MN - Last month, Margaret Johnston, 70, was on a stroll with her grandson and miniature schnauzer when Vicious attacked her dog. Johnston was bitten on the leg when she intervened. She said she "rassled with the dog" and both ended up rolling down a hill.
Vicious' owner, Jacquelyn English, was charged with three misdemeanors alleging that her dog caused harm, was at large and unlicensed. English's son, Ronnie English, 21, said Vicious "wasn't really vicious" and blamed Johnston for being bitten by his 70-pound dog."The lady socked him," said Ronnie. "What kind of idiot really gets in the middle of a dog fight?" Johnston said she has no regrets about stepping in to defend her 11-pound Schultzie. "It wouldn't have happened if they [Vicious' owners] had kept their dog under control." Johnston's dog, was killed at the time of the attack.
Vicious was quarantined at an animal hospital for 10 days, then put down last Sunday at the owner's request. The English family and the city said that Vicious was not rabid and that all of his shots were current, meaning Johnston was able to halt her rabies shots.
Ronnie English added that Vicious, which he got as a puppy, had never attacked anyone before, but that he felt forced to have the dog put down because it would have been too expensive to meet all the municipal requirements in order to keep the dog.
Related article:
04/28/08: Grandma Battles Pit Bull-Mix that Bites Her and Kills Her DogLabels: Grandparents
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Grandma Battles Pit Bull-Mix that Bites Her and Kills Her Dog
Grandma Must Endure Lengthily Rabies Shots
Minneapolis, MN - Margaret Johnston, 70, was out for an afternoon stroll with her 2-year-old grandson and dog, when a pit bull-mix attacked her dog. She intervened to save her pet and had a chunk taken out of her leg by the attacking dog. Johnson is now undergoing a series of rabies vaccination shots for the bite.
The 3-5 rabies vaccination shots costs about $2,000. Johnston said she was walking with Schultzie, her miniature schnauzer, as two neighbor girls pushed her grandson, Hunter, in his stroller. The pit bull mix came up from behind them and attacked her dog. She was bitten on the right leg as she tried to break up the dogs, but not before her pet was killed.
After killing her dog, the pit bull mix turned its attention to Johnston and pounced on her, sending them both down a hill in the 3100 block of 80th Street. She punched the dog several times. Once the girls, on spring break from elementary school, came to her aid, the dog fled north through a grocery store parking lot.
The police seized the dog late Friday. It will be quarantined for 10 days at the South St. Paul Animal Hospital. Johnston, retired after 30 years as an emergency room nurse at Regions Hospital, said she had never seen the dog before and has never had trouble in her 20 years of walking Schultzie or other family dogs in the neighborhood.
Why Mrs. Johnston needs the rabies shot series is unclear. We are following up.
In other news:Pit Bull Taken by SPCA After Biting Postal Worker
Visalia, CA - A 70-pound pit bull dog was impounded and could be put down after biting a U.S. postal worker Wednesday afternoon in a central Visalia neighborhood. Fortunately, the postal worker was not seriously hurt, appearing to have suffered only scratches behind her right ankle.
Suzanne Longoria, whose son owns the 5-year-old pit bull, "Corduroy," said the animal and two smaller dogs in the backyard pushed open a wooden gate as the postal worker was walking by. Longoria and her daughters said the postal worker tried to get away but that Corduroy nipped her in the lower leg. One of Longoria's daughters pulled the dog away from the postal worker and took it inside.
Family Bullmastiff Bites Woman
Cooper City, FL - A family bullmastiff turned vicious Thursday, sending a 19-year-old Cooper City woman to the hospital with a bitten leg. The attack happened about 12:30 pm, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Stephanie Barry, 19, was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. She was conscious and alert when authorities arrived. The normally friendly pet was chasing the family's Chihuahua around the living room as Barry was sleeping. The dog, which was a stray the family took in a year ago, then turned on the woman, biting her on the right leg.Labels: Grandparents
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Lubbock, TX - Elderly Man Attacked by Dog
Dog Attacks Elderly Man
Lubbock (Lubbexico), TX - Dog attacks in Lubbock have reached epidemic proportions. Loose dogs -- mainly pit bulls and pit bull-mixes -- are attacking livestock, pets and human beings at a rate that far outpaces other communities.
Just yesterday, a vicious attack to an 89-year-old Lubbock man occurred. EMS took the victim, Henry Clark Todd to Covenant Medical Center, while Lubbock Animal Control searched for the dogs that attacked him.
Family members say Todd was on his way inside his home when three dogs approached him. After one dog attacked him, Todd picked up a water hose, trying to defend himself, but one dog severely injured his arm before the pack ran off."He sustained some pretty serious injuries to his right arm," Animal Services Director Kevin Overstreet said. A neighbor, David Chirillo said, "It's not uncommon for me to be out walking around in the front yard and see stray dogs or in the alley behind my house when I'm throwing away trash, so it's kind of uncomfortable." Chirillo thinks strays are becoming a problem.But does he understand that this degree of a stray dog problem exists mainly in third world countries? Lubbexico; it's got a memorable sound.
Related article:
03/21/08: Pit Bull Epidemic in Lubbock, Texas (Jan-Mar 2008)Labels: Grandparents, lubbock
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Vicious' Dog Put Down After Second Bite to Grandson
Owner Kills Dog Fails to Report Second Bite
Des Moines, IA - A woman who appealed to the Des Moines City Council that her dog was not vicious had the animal killed this month after it bit her grandson a second time.
On March 9, Christy Wilkins-Hartmann's Samoyed, Misha, caused a large gash on the upper lip of Ian Wilkins, 7. Part of the lip had to be reattached. The animal was declared vicious in late 2006. Police said Hartmann took the dog to an animal clinic and had it killed almost immediately after the bite, but did not report the incident to animal control officers.'
Police officers were able to recover the dog's remains at the animal clinic and test for rabies. Test results were negative. Hartmann was ticketed for failure to report a dog bite, failure to maintain proper insurance on a vicious dog, failure to have a current rabies vaccination and failure to have a current dog license.
Raudabaugh said Misha also bit Ian on the lip in December 2005. The dog bit Uriel Chavez, then 5, on the side of his face in September 2006. Misha was declared a vicious dog in an Oct. 2, 2006, letter to Hartmann from Raudabaugh. The declaration required the animal to be licensed as vicious or removed from the city. Wilkins-Hartmann appealed.
An administrative hearing was held on Oct. 6, 2006, and the declaration was upheld by a hearing officer. Hartmann then appealed to the Des Moines City Council, which voted 5-1 in November 2006 to uphold the decision. Officials said Hartmann then licensed Misha and obtained insurance, but the canine liability policy expired in November and was only good for a previous address.Labels: Grandparents
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Pit Bull Attacks 75-Year Old Woman Retrieving Mail
Pit Bull Mauls 75-Year Old Woman Retrieving Mail
Interlachen, FL - Putnam County deputies say 75-year-old Barbara Pritt of Interlachen was on her way to her mailbox when her neighbor’s pit bull terrier attacked her in her yard. Pritt escaped from the 8-month old dog and called 911 from her home.Out of breath, she told the operator "My finger is just almost torn off, and I haven’t even looked at my legs, but they sure are hurting." According to the investigator’s report, the dog had mauled Pritt so badly that a good portion of one of her calves was torn off. Detectives also say her finger had to be re-attached at the hospital.
Even suffering from immense pain, Pritt remained amazingly calm. She can be heard on the 911 call giving her neighbor (the dog owner) instructions: “Betty, go in there and go down the hall to the bathroom. There’s a shelf there with a lot of towels on it. Get me a towel.”Pritt often asked the 911 operator if the ambulance was on its way, and she explained she was in pain. She also told him, "I’m gonna start a petition to outlaw all pit bulls or whatever these things are." Sheriff Dean Kelly said, "It’s probably safe to say that the family’s never had trouble with this dog doing this before, but all of a sudden -- for whatever reason -- it decided to attack." His deputies gave the dog’s owners two citations. One was for having a dog that was roaming and the second was for having a dog that wasn’t completely vaccinated.Labels: Grandparents
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Dangerous Dogs Make it Unsafe to Take Out the Trash
 Ruby Greenway, 87, Attacked by Pit Bull
Anderson, SC - Ruby Greenway is recovering at home after being attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull when she tried to take out the trash. She sustained a deep wound to her leg from the terrifying encounter. She must return to the hospital because doctors were unable to completely stitch the wound until it begins to heal.
Recently in Tennessee, an elderly man was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull while rolling his trashcan out to the street -- this was an act he had performed hundreds of times before, but this time his life was imperiled. About 10 days ago, in Alabama, two American bulldogs attacked a woman and her leashed dog as she went out to fetch the paper. Another act all Americans should feel safe doing.
Last October, 65 year old Rosalie Bivins was attacked and killed by a pack of pit bulls as she stepped out of her house to get her mail. Because of dangerous dogs, US citizens are unable to take out their trash, fetch their newspaper or check their mailbox without being at their mercy. This is a hideous crime that not only destroys lives; it destroys neighborhoods, community spirit and faith in completing mundane tasks safely in the environment of our homes and yards.
Ruby Greenway said the attack was very scary -- the dog took a "chunk out" of her leg. She tried to use the trashcan as a shield, but the dog overpowered her. During the attack she became dizzy, but thought if she passed out, the dog would kill her. She was only able to get away because a passer-by and two family members rushed to her aid.
Ms. Greenway has been living at her home on Lanford Street for 50 years. She said she's never been afraid of dogs before. She is now though, as many of us are. Pit bull type dogs consistently attack nonthreatening human beings who are outside of the dog' s property lines. This harks back to the pit bull's "high prey drive," which more and more targets people, not just animals.
DogsBite.org honors Ruby Greenway. Herself and her story will not be forgotten. Related articles:
03/13/08: Pair of American Bulldogs Attacks a Woman
03/12/08: Citizen Speaks Out After Pit Bull Attacks Elderly Man
03/10/08: Grandparents and grandchildren: A deadly combination with dangerous dogsLabels: Grandparents
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Tennessee Citizen Speaks Out After Pit Bull Attacks Elderly Man
Dog Owners Have Responsibility Toward Human Beings
Nashville, TN - The people of Tennessee continue writing to their newspapers. Beth Mitchell tells a story we know too well at DogsBite.org. Published in full from the Tennessean.com:
"Two weeks ago Sunday, an elderly man was attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull while rolling his trash container to the street in Green Hills. This is an action that he had performed hundreds of times before, but for whatever reasons, his life was imperiled as he did this mundane task.The pit bull was on a leash held by a youngster and when it saw the elderly neighbor, it jerked away from the child and went for him. The results were severe facial lacerations primarily to his nose, possible trauma to the eyes, and, in addition to the physical outcome of this dog attack, he will suffer emotionally for a long, long time. Needless to say, the medical expenses are adding up. No one knows what triggered the attack. We will never know. I think this is a warning to all of us who own and love our dogs to ensure the safety of our own beloved family members, our neighbors, and the public in general by always, always keeping the dog on a secure leash which is held by an adult.
The use of a muzzle is sometimes called for, too.
Along with owning certain breeds of dogs, comes great responsibility toward our fellow man and, sometimes, dog. Safety first should be our first goal as dog owners.
I hope we will all learn something from this tragic occurrence. I know I will."Labels: chain snap, Grandparents, letter to the editor
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Grandparents and Grandchildren: A Deadly Combination with Dangerous Dogs
DogsBite.org - More and more grandchildren are being victimized by dangerous dogs while in the care of their grandparents. Sometimes the grandparent owns the dog, but more frequently, he or she is watching the dog for a relative or friend. In the past seven months alone, four child fatalities have resulted due to this combination:
01/04/08: Andrew Stein Fatality
12/13/07: Holden Jernigan Fatality
09/25/07: Karson Dilan Gilroy Fatality
08/18/07: Elijah Rackley Fatality
What we understand about dog bite fatalities is that for each fatality there are at least 670 hospitalizations, 16,000 emergency room visits, 21,000 clinic visits, and 187,000 non-medically treated bites. In the past two days, DogsBite.org has reported 2 serious child maulings while visiting their grandparent's house.
03/08/08: Family Rottweiler and Pit-Mix Attack Grandson
03/09/08: 4-Year Old Severely Injured by Dog Grandparents Watching
Grandparents and adults over the age of 50 are also frequently victimized by dangerous dogs. In 2007, 36% of dog bite fatalities were victims 50 years and older. Pit bull type dogs were reported in 8 of the 12 instances followed by: German Shepherd 2, Wolf Hybrid 1, Chow-mix 1, Doberman 1.
12/17/07: Blanche Broduer, 76, Rabun County, GA
10/15/07: Rosalie Bivins, 65, Ada, OK
10/05/07: Jane Doe, 73, Pahrump, NV
09/13/07: Edward Gierlach, 91, Livingston, MI
09/13/07: Cheryl Harper, 56, Livingston, MI
06/29/07: Mary Diana Bernal, 62, Deltona, FL
06/17/07: Phyllis Carroll, 63, Connersville, IN
05/25/07: Magdelena Silva, 96, El Paso, TX
05/13/07: Celestino Rangel, 90, San Antonio, TX
03/16/07: Pamela Rushing, 50, Friendswood, TX
02/15/07: James Chapple, Jr, 59, Memphis, TN
01/15/07: Linda Mittino, 69, Afton, MO
Public education about these facts must be distributed to senior citizens. DogsBite.org asks the AARP and similar organizations to educate their members about the danger of owning or temporarily caring for dangerous dogs. The grave risk they pose to the grandparent and the grandchild, can cause catastrophic results. Please see our dog safety guidelines here.Labels: Grandparents
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Pit Bull Attacks Elderly Woman; Owner Denies It
Pit Bull Attacks Woman and Her Dog in Alabama
Colbert County, AL - Louise Tinsley says her neighbor's pit bull mix attacked her and killed her poodle Saturday. She says, "He got my Fluffy in his mouth and flew across that yard."
The incident started when Louise, her son, and Fluffy came through the front door. The pit bull bolted inside and went after Fluffy. Louise tried to protect her dog, so the pit bull went after Louise. Trying to protect his mother, the son picked up a plastic container and thrust it at the pit bull. Naturally, the pit bull next went after the son."He [the pit bull] took a dive toward me," Louise said. "I hit the sidewalk and I broke my arm, but he did have me here on my hip, on my leg with his mouth." In fine pit bull owner form, the owner claims his pit bull mix Rusty didn't do it. "Well, well my dog was in the house," says owner Kenneth Hill. "Well, well if he got loose I don't know. He might, well anything can happen when it comes to animals."
Tinsley's family paid to put the dog in quarantine. In eight days that dog will be back in that backyard and there is no law in the state of Alabama that can prevent this, says Janice Venable, Tinsley's daughter-in-law.
The family asks that you to contact your Alabama legislator and ask that the law be changed.
Find Alabama legislators hereLabels: Grandparents
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4-Year Old Severely Injured By Dog Grandparents Watching
4-Year Receives 80 Stitches after Bullmastiff Attack
Agawam, MA - A 4-year-old boy, badly bitten in the face last week by a bullmastiff, is recovering at home. Gilbert Hall, the boy's grandfather, had been watching the 150-pound dog for an friend when the boy's father, George Sidor entered the home with his son. Sidor had been petting the dog when it lunged for his son, biting him in the back, and as the boy turned, it bit him in the face.
Halls said that, "the dog was going for his eyes." Sidor managed to pull the dog off his son, and the boy was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where he received 80 stitches. Georgie is expected to have his stitches removed today. The plastic surgeon is pleased with the boy's progress but he still suffers nightmares and is afraid to return to his grandparents' home.
Hall said the dog, up until the attack, had been very friendly. He adds that "Everybody thought he was fine. It was a good thing we had been in the room at the time, you never know what might have happened." Hall said the attack was the worst day of his, and other family members' lives.
In Massachusetts, there is an effort to create a statewide, online dangerous dog registry. Information on each dangerous dog would be available to the public and include: a photograph, the name of the animal and a physical description, the dangerous acts it has committed, owner information and associated trial docket information.Labels: Grandparents
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Elderly Woman Knocked Out by Dog Attack
Elderly Woman Knocked Out By Dog Attack
Cookeville, TN - Elise Holt, 86, is recovering from injuries she sustained after being severely bitten by a Rottweiler while walking her granddaughter's dog Mojo. Last Friday, after the two made it to the bottom of the driveway, Holt looked up and saw the black Rottweiler staring at them from across the street. She scooped up Mojo and turned back up the driveway when the Rottweiler attacked.
From a kitchen window, a family member said they saw Holt on the ground with her arms bleeding and knocked out, but clutching onto Mojo. Meanwhile, the Rottweiler was still standing over Holt. Cookeville police found the Rottweiler several blocks away, where it was later shot and killed. Holt's son, Harold, said the dog's owner has absolute liability for what happened to his mother.
Instead the owner was cited for violating the state’s leash law.
In other news:Dangerous Dogs Attack and Kill Chihuahua
Independence, MO - An American Bulldog and Chow-lab mix got out of their fenced yard through an open gate and attacked and killed a family's Chihuahua. Animal Control officers took the dogs, each weighing more than 100 pounds, and planned to hold them until a decision was made about what to do with them. Chris Keightley witnessed the killing:"My dog was going crazy, so I looked out the window, and these two dogs had this dog like a chew toy, just fighting over it, and it was real gruesome." Pit Bull Rottweiler-Mix Attacks 4-Year Old
Canton, MI - A 4-year old is in the hospital after being attacked by what was apparently the family dog. The child was reportedly playing with the dog in the backyard of his grandfather's house when the dog attacked. The dog was described as a pit bull rottweiler-mix. The child has been taken to University Medical Center with serious facial injuries.
Woman Recovers After Dog Attacks
Macon, GA - Tina Merritt of Lizella, thought she would take a bike ride through her neighborhood. Little did she know, packs of unleashed dogs, were roaming around. She said she saw about seven to ten dogs coming toward her. As she tried to fight them off, more seem to appear. She suffered bite marks, but to what degree is unknown.
Bibb County law states that a dog must be under control by a person with a leash.
Tina Merritt says none of those dogs were under any supervision, and she thought this may be the last time she saw her family.Labels: Grandparents
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Stray dogs, including 2 pit bulls, picked up in Manteca
Stray Dogs Picked up in Manteca
Manteca, CA - Manteca is in the news again, and so is our favorite Animal Control Officer Cindy Schick. Wednesday morning, officers received a call that two pit bulls and a chihuahua were loose and would not let an elderly woman and her grandchildren out of her car.
Joanne Lund, a neighbor, called animal control about the loose dogs. "Those dogs live next door to me, and they're dangerous," Lund said. "The woman in her car was in her late 70s and was taking her grandchildren to school."
Schick said that Animal services has had problems before with one of the pit bulls and the Chihuahua, adding the owners recently bought another pit bull."The dogs do have an attitude when out on the street," she said. DogsBite.org notes that these irresponsible owners now have 3 dogs instead of 2, and 2 of which are pit bulls. This can't make neighbors feel too happy or safe.Labels: Grandparents
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Elgin woman mauled by pit bulls
Hunt for Pit Bull Owner Continues
UPDATE 1/30/08: Elgin police still are searching for the owner of a pit bull that attacked a woman Monday morning outside her apartment. If police can't find the owner, no charges can be filed. Had the city required pit bulls to be microchipped, the owner could have easily been identified.
The victim, Kyle Mellinger, suffered injuries requiring plastic surgery on her forehead and stitches on her right arm. Her dog, Teddy, lost an eye in the attack. Mellinger has since been released from Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. Monday's incident was the fourth and most serious dog bite incident reported to Elgin police this year.
1/28/08: Elgin woman Mauled by Two Pit Bulls
Elgin, IL - A 53-year-old Elgin woman walking her dog was mauled by two pit bulls this morning. The woman's injuries did not appear to be life threatening. She was taken to Provena St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment.
The attack occurred about 10 a.m. in front of a two-unit apartment at 203 Gertrude St. on the city's near west side. Several hours after the attack, blood spatterings could still be seen at the apartment's front wood stoop, concrete sidewalk and door frame. Both dogs were captured by Elgin Animal Control and police are looking for the owner of the dogs.Labels: Grandparents
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Another Citizen Intervenes to Stop a Pit Bull Attack
 Driver Runs Over Pit Bull Twice
Australia - The driver of a Ute vehicle in the Northern Territory of Australia rammed a crazed pit bull twice as it attacked an elderly couple's dog. After the second ram, the pit bull let go of Tinkie. The couple took Tinkie to her to a veterinarian and paid $4,000 for life-saving surgery.
"Poor old Tinkie -- I thought she was gone," Tinkerbell's owner Aileen Smitt told the NT News. Mrs Smitt, 78, and her 84-year-old husband Eric were in their home in Virginia, 30km south of Darwin, when they began to hear barking and yelps outside. "I [leant] over the fence hitting the pitbull with a plastic broom," Mrs Smitt said.
Then she said, "Out of nowhere, a red Ute came screaming down the road and came up and ran into the pitbull." As the relentless attack continued, the driver backed up and hit the dog again. That's when the pit bull let Tinkie go and she ran off and collapsed. She said that the two men got out of the car and asked if she was okay. She just walked away to find Tinker.
"I was so angry," she said. "We thought about putting her down -- but couldn't do it.Labels: Grandparents
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Killer dog euthanized for attack on poodle
Killer Dog Euthanized for Attack on Poodle
One of two dogs that attacked and killed an elderly widow's poodle has been euthanized and its owner is facing hefty fines, after bylaw officers used tips from Sun readers to track down the offending animals.
Marilyn Johnston was walking her miniature poodle, Molly when two large dogs suddenly attacked from behind, with one grabbing Molly in its jaws and shaking her violently. Officers went door-to-door in the southeast neighbourhood of Fairview and found the dogs, a Blue Heeler Mix and a Rottweiller mix.
The owner has a number of charges, including the standard $1,000 fine given when a dog attacks or kills another dog. Because the owner was co-operative, the fines could be reduced.Labels: Grandparents
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Pit Bull-Mix Attacks Toddler and Grandmother
Attacking Dog Bit a Man Last Year
San Jose, CA - The pit bull mix that savaged the face of a 20-month-old girl and attacked her grandmother Sunday night had been involved in another attack more than a year before, authorities revealed Monday - prompting animal control officers at the time to warn that the dog could be considered dangerous.
The previous attack involved 41-year-old man whose arm was bitten. The dog's owner was identified as Lourdes Martinez, was required only to license the dog - Tazz, an un-neutered, 70-pound, 4-year-old boxer/pit bull - to avoid any penalties.
Sunday about 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Cinco, 48, Martinez's sister, came in carrying 20 month old granddaughter, Anna. When the door opened, Martinez told officials, Tazz growled protectively. Cinco screamed and the dog jumped up and bit her. Cinco attempted to get the child out of harm's way but the dog bit the child too.
The pit bull mix ripped away flesh from Anna's lip to her jawline, exposing her skeletal structure. Cinco suffered injuries to her ears, face and legs as she tried to separate the dog from her granddaughter. The dog has since been euthanized.Labels: Grandparents, toddler attack
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Greyhounds Quarantined After Biting Elderly Man, Killing His Dog
Greyhounds Quarantined After Biting Elderly Man, Killing His Dog
81 year old Richard Graeber was walking his 2 yorkies and a miniature collie when 4 greyhounds escaped from their home and attacked Graeber's dogs. He was bitten trying to free one of his dogs. A good samaritan tried to assist Graeber who stabbed one of the greyhounds in the neck but one of the yorkies was killed despite their efforts. The greyhounds are are under quarantine, hopefully, they will be destroyed.Labels: Grandparents
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posted by karen | permalink |
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2 Pit Bulls Attack, Injure Elderly Woman and Her Dog
2 Pit Bulls Attack, Injure Woman, 61, and Her Dog
Jacksonville, FL - Arline Weisenborn was walking her rat terrier dachshund, Buddy, on Berry Avenue off Arlington Road and Atlantic Boulevard when she passed a home with two pit bulls. She told police the dogs saw them, managed to pop the gate latch and went after them.
Weisenborn scooped up Buddy as the two pit bulls began tearing away at her legs. They also mauled her right arm and a finger. They knocked her down and the male pit bull grabbed Buddy's hind quarters, "so I kicked the dog in the head," Weisenborn said. She grabbed an empty garbage can and covered her hobbled little dog.
Neighbor Gary Walters, 55, heard her screams and distracted them. Walters told news reporters he threw some tree limbs at the dogs and chased them away. "It was mighty terrifying," Weisenborn said. "They would have killed me if the man down the street didn't come help."
She got out of the hospital Wednesday with the addition of 27 staples in her left leg, 10 to 15 in the right leg and 15 to 20 in her right arm. Buddy was left with a big gash. She and Walters said they hadn't had any problems with the pit bulls before, although she had been attacked once before by other dogs on the block.Labels: Grandparents
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