From My Google Alerts- September 26, 2010

In Detroit, a Samoyed dog stood up to an Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, and he was bitten twice. Anti-venom from the Detroit Zoo saved his life. To his owner he is a 114-pound White Knight.

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__________A dog is a true hero after his barking saved his family from a house fire in Dubois. No breed of dog is mentioned in the article.

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In Braddock, PA, a 10-year old girl was attacked by a dog after its collar broke from its chain. The girl was attempting to feed the dog crackers. The girl's cousin described her injuries. "Her leg got cut, bite on her arm, scratch underneath her eye and a gash by her left ear, so the dog did scratch and bite," said Anthony Price. The dog's owner was surprised about the attack. "I have five kids of my own. I have a 6-month old grandson that plays beside him. Every kid in the neighborhood knows him. He has never done anything like this, ever." Police helped take the dog away from the home. I am curious as to where the girl’s parents were during all of this. No dog breed mentioned here either.

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A pit bull was shot and killed by police Saturday afternoon after a family called 911 and reported the dog was "terrorizing them”." The dog belonged to James King, a police dispatcher, who was not home at 2229 W. 10th St. when the pit bull escaped through a window, Sgt. Jess Neal said. It was the second pit bull shooting in Muncie since August; the first dog that was shot belonged to a retired 911 supervisor and it was fighting with a German shepherd. Police administrators responded in August by saying they were considering buying tranquilizer guns. As of Saturday, however, police still did not have tranquilizer guns. "It's not an option for us," Neal said. "We don't carry tranquilizers."

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A pit bull and nine pit bull pups were rescued from a house fire in a Port Orange, Florida house fire. A Chihuahua and a cat were not so lucky though and died from smoke inhalation. Port Orange Fire Marshal Chief Christopher Weir ruled the fire was electrical and caused a total loss of about $125,000. RIP little Chihuahua and kitty cat.

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Positive Pit Bull Press: Pit Bull Saves Family From House Fire!

Family says dog tried to pull baby out of burning home

BRISTOL — The Elkhart County Red Cross is calling a Bristol pit bull a hero after he alerted his family to a fire, and even tried to pull a 3-month-old baby girl away from the danger.

The fire started around 3 a.m. Thursday in a hallway and quickly spread throughout the home.

“It sounds like the real hero here is the family pit bull,” said Frank Connolly, assistant executive director of the Elkhart County Red Cross. “Apparently ‘Thor’ woke the family up and even tried to pull the baby and bassinet out of the house. Lately we have learned how important pets can be to a family, and this is as stark an example as I’ve ever seen.”

The family says Thor barked and jumped on them until they woke up. Then he grabbed the baby's bassinet and dragged it to the front door.

"He's the hero today. He's the man," said Kemper Hunter, Thor's owner. "We turned around to look for the bassinet that was at the head of the bed, and it's at the door. All we got to do is open the door and go out. [Thor's] like 'Let's roll, dad! It's time to go, I got you.'"

No one in the family was injured, but their home was heavily damaged. The Red Cross is providing short-term housing as well as food, blankets, clothing and a crib for the baby.

Donations to the family may be directed through the Elkhart County Red Cross. Call (574) 293-6519.

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POSITIVE PIT BULL PRESS!!

Pit Bull Saves Family From Fire

What an awesome baby dogs! He is a true model canine for all pit bull type dogs and a true hero to his family. Nice work, Thor! Funny, though, how the term “pit bull” escaped the title. Now, if this was a negative story you know the font would be bolded, underlined, and all caps shouting PIT BULL. How irritating.

Judge the Pit BullNeeds Skin Grafts

NEWSTRACKER: canine fire survivor still needs skin grafts

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Record

What's new: Judge, the pit bull who barely survived a fire that destroyed his family home in Riverdale, needs more skin grafts to heal the severe burns over half his body.

"The skin was stretched so thin in places that it ripped," Symone Negrini, the dog's owner, said of prior grafts.

But that didn't stop the courageous pup, who has captured the community's hearts, from making a guest appearance on the "Rachael Ray" show to be aired July 15 at 10 a.m. on Channel 7.

"He really loved her and was so well behaved," said Negrini, on leave from her job as an animal control officer in Bloomingdale.

Rescued from the fighting ring, the 5-year-old pit bull is helping now to rescue the family as it rebounds. "Judge is the one who has kept our spirits up, the one who inspires us," said Negrini. "He's the reason we get up in the morning because he needs us. He's the one who puts smiles on our faces, and not much does lately."

Background: Fabrizio and Symone and their four children, ages 7 to 13, miss the nine pets that perished in the Feb. 10, 2009, fire. Living in a rental home, they wait for their insurance company's OK to rebuild — "The children are still having a very rough time because they want to go home," Negrini said.

She applies antibiotic cream to Judge's wounds every day and covers them with a clean T-shirt that he'll need for life.

"Skin would fall off in my hand, but he has never flinched, never got angry, never growled or tried to get away," she said of her "miracle dog."

Fund-raisers helped pay for Judge's skin grafts and knee surgery — more than $23,000. But money is needed more than ever. "Everything we have goes for him," Negrini said. "We don't have a dime."

What's next: A motorcycle run fund-raiser for Judge's skin grafts is planned for Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the Oakland Elks Lodge, 33 Ramapo Valley Road. Hot dogs and beverages will follow in the pavilion behind the lodge.

Donations for Judge and his family may be sent to the Negrini Family Fire Fund, Lakeland Bank, 28 Main St., Bloomingdale 07403.

— Elaine D'Aurizio

What's new: Judge, the pit bull who barely survived a firethat destroyed his family home in Riverdale, needs more skin grafts to heal the severe burns over half his body.

"The skin was stretched so thin in places that it ripped," Symone Negrini, the dog's owner, said of prior grafts.
But that didn't stop the courageous pup, who has captured the community's hearts, from making a guest appearance on the "Rachael Ray" show to be aired July 15 at 10 a.m. on Channel 7.
"He really loved her and was so well behaved," said Negrini, on leave from her job as an animal control officer in Bloomingdale.
Rescued from the fighting ring, the 5-year-old pit bull is helping now to rescue the family as it rebounds. "Judge is the one who has kept our spirits up, the one who inspires us," said Negrini. "He's the reason we get up in the morning because he needs us. He's the one who puts smiles on our faces, and not much does lately."
Background: Fabrizio and Symone and their four children, ages 7 to 13, miss the nine pets that perished in the Feb. 10, 2009, fire. Living in a rental home, they wait for their insurance company's OK to rebuild — "The children are still having a very rough time because they want to go home," Negrini said.
She applies antibiotic cream to Judge's wounds every day and covers them with a clean T-shirt that he'll need for life.
"Skin would fall off in my hand, but he has never flinched, never got angry, never growled or tried to get away," she said of her "miracle dog."
Fund-raisers helped pay for Judge's skin grafts and knee surgery — more than $23,000. But money is needed more than ever. "Everything we have goes for him," Negrini said. "We don't have a dime."
What's next: A motorcycle run fund-raiser for Judge's skin grafts is planned for Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the Oakland Elks Lodge, 33 Ramapo Valley Road. Hot dogs and beverages will follow in the pavilion behind the lodge.
Donations for Judge and his family may be sent to the Negrini Family Fire Fund, Lakeland Bank, 28 Main St., Bloomingdale 07403.
— Elaine D'Aurizio
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Oh you beautiful brave little baby, you have brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. You are truly an amazing dog and you are living up to every good aspect of your breed and then some. I'm so sorry for what you have endured but you have made it so far and I have a feeling you will bless your family with many more smiles over the years. I wish there was more I could do to help you; I am going to share your story though via email, Facebook, and my blog. I wish you and your family the best!