School Secretary Attacked by Pit Bull on Campus

911 Call:  School Secretary Attacked by Pit Bull on Campus

School officials say the dog followed a parent into the office.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- A school secretary is recovering after emergency surgery for a ruptured artery she suffered when she was attacked by a pit bull that wandered into her office in Garden Grove.

It happened about 3 p.m. Tuesday at Woodbury Elementary School.

"The dog followed a parent into the office," said Alan Trudell, spokesman for the Garden Grove Unified School District.

The secretary, 65-year-old Marilyn Reyes, was trying to get the dog out of the office when she was attacked.

The bite punctured an artery in Reyes' arm.

School employees, including the principal, were able to restrained the dog and called 911.

According to Trudell, the dog owner lives close to the school and told officials that one of his children may have left the door open, allowing the dog to escape.

The dog was shot by animal control officers with a tranquilizer and taken into custody.

The dog will be euthanized if the owner "surrenders" it to officials.

Otherwise, the dog's fate will be decided after the 10-day period.

Reyes was transported to Fountain Valley Hospital Tuesday where she underwent a two-hour surgery to repair the ruptured artery.

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“According to Trudell, the dog owner lives close to the school and told officials that one of his children may have left the door open, allowing the dog to escape.”

This is another example of irresponsible ownership even if it was a child that left the door open. I have a 2 yr old who loves keys, doors, and using keys to open the door but I have taken the necessary measures to make sure he will never open the front door and let Kangol out. The owner of this dog should have been aware of where his dog was and what his children were doing.

“Responsible owners NEVER let their dog roam. Notice I did not say "allow" - I said "let". This means they are careful and do not allow "accidents" to happen. They take precautions and spend the time and money to contain their dog appropriately. They are smarter than their dog...”(Diane Jessup).

Because of this owner’s irresponsibility that put his/her dog in an inappropriate situation that caused him to react in such a manner his dog’s fate looks grim. A principal’s office is definitely an unsuitable place for a loose dog- no matter the breed! I wish the secretary a speedy recovery.

Diane Jessup and her Boldogs

Official Pit Bull Site of Diane Jessup



Anyone who owns a pit bull, thinking of owning a pit bull, or loathes pit bull-type dogs should check out Diane Jessup's very edifying site on the American Pit Bull Terrier. She is a breed steward, interested in preserving the original APBT; most people today have no idea what a true American Pit Bull Terrier even looks like-- they certainly aren't blue!

I didn't have Kangol fixed until he was three, mostly because I wanted to breed him so I'd always have a little Kangol; however, the more I informed myself via her site and research, I learned that was not the right thing to do. In addition, I had just become a mother to a human baby and while Kangol was not aggressive, I didn't want to take a chance. Thus, after thinking hard about Diane Jessup's advice, as well as Dr. Bickley's (Kangol's veterinarian and BEST VET EVER!) expertise, I had him fixed and Kangol has never been happier!

I encourage everyone to check out Diane Jessup's informative site because it could teach even the most experienced pit bull owner something.

It covers everything from breed history to aggression to pit bull sports. Also check out this wonderful book by Jessup called The Dog Who Spoke with Gods. It's a thrilling novel about a pit bull named Damien, used for scientific research. I was reluctant to read it because I thought it would be too sad- sad it was but I'm so glad I read it.

Jessup is a champion breeder, although she doesn't sell her dogs to the public. Jessup states:

I titled my first dog in 1975. From my early teens on, I worked in the guard dog business then became a certified police K-9 trainer/instructor in 1977. I enjoyed my time as a professional trainer, but my true love was working my own dogs. In the mid-80's I got my first pit bull, Dread, and settled on the kennel name of "Bandog," being something of an Anglophile and canine historian. The term "Bandog" was used in the Middle Ages to denote dogs used in the British Isles as home guardian dogs. However, I changed the name to "Boldog" in 2003, to avoid confusion associated with those who breed pit bull mix breeds and call them "Bandogs."

 
She and her personal dogs have earned 60 training titles in sports such as weight pulling and DVG schutzhund. She only produces dogs for her law dogs program she runs. It is a great program called Law Dogs USA
and it was started after 9/11 in response to the lack of American detection dogs. Jessup states, "The LawDogsUSA effort was designed to introduce the American detection dog handler to America's finest breed - the American pit bull" (LawDogsUSA).


 
I commend Jessup in her efforts to preserve this truly amazing breed and I am thankful I stumbled across her site many years ago as her "pit bull wisdom" helped me in becoming a better, more responsible owner.