A man in West Haven severely beat his Golden Retriever puppyand he was arrested; however, he was released on $7500 bail. Let’s hope he doesn’t assault a person on his way home from jail.
__________________________________
In Golden Gate Park, on July 1, three people were bitten by loose dogs. One was a female shepherd mix and the other was a male pit bull, reportedly intact and used to breed illegally. Police have suggested the dogs were living with someone in a homeless camp. While the female dog was easily captured, the male gave police a run for their money causing them to open fire and graze the dog’s face. Both dogs were wearing harnesses so I bet their owner(s) weren’t too far.
Deputies responded to a home on Rabbit Run Lane near Winkler's Creek to find the dog (a mastiff) already secured and a child with severe facial bites.
The headline is not too frightening:
Child hospitalized after family dog bites him in the face
Fortunately for the Mastiff breed there isn’t a headline demonizing them such as:
Mastiff savagely mauls boy’s face; Brutal scene
__________________________________________
A German shepherd bit a 16-year-old boy on June 21, 2010. He was jogging to a friend’s birthday party when the dog attacked him. The dog supposedly bit a 13-year-old last year but no charges were filed against the dog’s owners because they paid the child’s medical bills. After the dog attacked this time, it still wasn’t impounded because it had a kennel and was up to date on vaccinations. The dog has since been destroyed though, after a court order was filed to have the dog euthanized.
Council actions send zero tolerance message to local dog owners
By Deb Kunkle
Published:
Thursday, June 17, 20102:06 PM CDT
OELWEIN — Three local dog owners came away disappointed with council rulings following vicious dog hearings Monday at City Hall. The hearings were appeals made after police reports were filed on two animals of the commonly referred to pit bull classification (American pit bull terrier/Staffordshire terrier breed). The police officers involved in the incidents determined the animals to be vicious dogs and in violation of Section 19-26 of the Oelwein City Code.
In the first instance, police were summoned to the 10 block of Seventh Avenue NW shortly after 5 p.m. on May 18. Two pit bulls had cornered and were scaring an elderly couple in their garage. When the officer arrived, the animals fled the area. A second call to police referred to two brown dogs in the backyard at 124 Seventh Ave. N.W. Police arrived and observed two brown pit bulls harassing the resident’s animal, which was tied and secured in the backyard.
According to the report, the larger of the two pit bulls, “Dozer,” showed aggression, growled and barked at Patrolman Jesse Paul. The smaller pit bull approached and allowed the officer to pet him. However, the officer was nipped by the smaller dog when he latched onto the animal’s collar — an act, Paul said that was out of fear after being caught and did not hurt him.
The aggressive behavior of Dozer did not cease until his owner Timothy Kaylor came into sight.
Officer Paul reported the same dog has been cited previously and been the subject of a vicious dog hearing four years ago and Kaylor has also been cited for animal at large violation.
Kaylor told the council his dogs are not vicious and have been raised around his four children ages 10 months to 7 years. He said his dogs are family pets – indoor dogs - and have never so much as growled at his kids. In his letter of appeal Kaylor said he didn’t contest the fact that his dogs were at large, but insisted they are not vicious.
The council moved to deny his appeal. Officer Paul was directed to explain compliance requirements, but Kaylor told the council he would be moving out of town rather than lose his family pets.
The second hearing involved a pit bull named “Otis” attacking another dog as it was being walked by its owner. In this case, the 70-pound pit bull was on a leash controlled by a nine-year-old boy.
Chris Bergeson was walking her blind, seven-year-old Chinese shar-pei, also on a leash. Bergeson told the council she saw the boy and pit bull and tried to avoid contact with them but the dog charged and attacked her dog, biting and growling in an aggressive manner. She also fell to the ground as she separated the two dogs.
Then the pit bull came at the shar-pei a second time and Bergeson said she had to kick the animal in the face and scream at it before it stopped. She said the boy had no control over the animal.
The boy apologized to her and pulled the dog away, taking it home.
______________________________
Sounds to me like someone needs to keep his dogs from running loose and a parent somewhere needs their head examined for not supervising a 9 year old walking a pit bull— a 70lb pit no less. Idiots!
Lower Township pit bull that mauled elderly woman faces a house arrest of sorts
The dog that attacked a pet shop owner will not be euthanized. The dog, Dozer, has been declared a “potentially dangerous dog.” The victim is satisfied with the decision because she wasn’t out to have the dog killed; she blames the owner, not the dog. The dog’s owner will have to pay some hefty fines and have a hefty insurance policy in order to keep the dog. I personally think the judge should have a ordered the dog euthanized because this seems like a human aggressive dog; he should have at least ordered the owner to have the dog neutered because the owner claims his female dog was in heat in turn leading the dog to attack.
Tigre’s owner Oscar Alarcon said, “[I have] seen only small alligators at the lake during his daily walks and didn't realize larger alligators lived there, too.”
Okay… As a rule where there are little alligators, snakes, bears, rats, or whatever then there are usually big alligators, snakes, bears, and rats.
I’m glad Tigre is going to be okay and the WD and I wish him a speedy recovery!!!
__________________________________________
Unrestrained pit bull attacks dog in downtown Mount Shasta
The owner of this pit bull is obviously an irresponsible and ignorant idiot. He was covering the dog’s eyes with his hands and assuring the owner of the cocker spaniel that everything was OK; the cocker spaniel was on a leash and the pit bull was not. The cocker spaniel owner felt he did not have the situation under control and started to cross the street but the dog attacked before she could get to the other side.
My heart goes out to the doggy that lost his life and his owner. As for the irresponsible idiot who did not have his dog on a leash and thought covering the dog’s eyes was going to help then I hope he is never allowed to own a dog ever again. Idiots like him are the reason responsible owners are punished.
___________________________________
Pit Bull Hanged in Playground
$3,500 reward being offered in the gruesome killing
I urge anyone with information about this tragic killingplease call the authorities. Whoever did this awful crime needs to be brought to justice because if he or she can do this to a dog and leave her on a PLAYGROUND then think about what he or she can do to a CHILD ON THE PLAYGROUND!
In Alabama, a woman used her pit bull/chow mix dog to deter the police from taking her to a mental evaluation; it bit one officer. I think these officers handled the situation appropriately though. Instead of shooting and killing the dog they used another means to subdue the animal—A TRANQUILIZER GUN. The woman sounds very unsound and obviously doesn’t need a pet of any kind.
_____________________
(Source: The Montana Standard)By Justin Post, The Montana Standard, Butte
District 4 Commissioner Terry Schultz said his proposed ordinance is in response to what he sees as a growing number of pit bulls attacking other animals.
He said animal control in the city-county responds to a large number of pit bull complaints, and he would like to take action before a person is injured.
"I'm really concerned about that because if it's a small child you've got a problem," Schultz said Monday.
Schultz plans to present the matter to commissioners during this week's meeting, but says it would be sent to committee for further discussion.
He is proposing to require all pit bulls leashed when they are within 100 yards of any place where people gather, including homes, businesses, churches and schools.
A first-time offense would cost the owner $100, followed by a $250 fine and forfeiture of the dog on a second offense.
As his ordinance is proposed, pet owners would be forbidden from having a pit bull unleashed, even in a fenced yard on their property if another home is within 100 yards.
"I don't want them out in the backyard without a tether," said Schultz, who owns no pets.
Schultz said he also is proposing this ordinance after a pit bull attacked another dog in his district.
"We just had an incident in my district and I just think it's time to stop it," he said.
Yet Erin Wall, director of the city-county's animal shelter, said she disagrees with any ordinance that would require owners to keep an animal tied outside.
"Would any person like to be tied up when they were outside?" she asked.
Wall says pit bulls are her favorite breed, and says the animals are wrongly stereotyped as being vicious, aggressive dogs.
"I would have a pit bull in a second," she said. "I think they are amazing. We sensationalize their aggressiveness."
She believes any dog can be aggressive in the hands of the wrong owner and argues that pit bulls, when treated and cared for properly, are great pets.
"Any breed can be mean; it doesn't matter if it's a pit bull or a Chihuahua," Wall said.
Commissioners meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the third floor of the courthouse, 155 W. Granite.
-- Reporter Justin Post may be reached at Justin.post@lee.net or by telephone, 496-5572.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Montana Standard, Butte
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
________________________________
OK this commissioner in Butte Silver Bow is an idiot. According to reporter Justin Post, one commissioner proposes the city should “mak[e] it illegal to have the dogs unleashed in residential areas -- regardless of whether they are on private property.”
Now, I don’t disagree, as I am a firm advocate for leash laws; however, Commissioner Terry Shultz states, “… [Per his proposed ordinance], pet owners would be forbidden from having a pit bull unleashed, even in a fenced yard on their property if another home is within 100 yards.”
A non-pet owner Shultz insists they should be tied up even if they are in the backyard. That’s just stupid, not to mention it violates several county anti-tethering laws in Georgia.
“Schultz said he also is proposing this ordinance after a pit bull attacked another dog in his district.” Yes, that is usually when bogus proposals come to light- when something happens.
The article says, “Critics of breed bans argue it's not the animals but their owners who are responsible for attacks like that on Cathy.” Owner irresponsibility causes most dogs to attack — no matter the breed. The owner should have made sure his fence was escape proof and if he wasn’t home when the attack happened, the dogs should have been inside.
The victim’s son, Tom Kovak, says, “"I just hope that he's punished for what happened and pit bulls are banned from Sterling Heights" The owner should be punished but banning pits isn’t going to improve the city’s said pit attack problem. Every dog has the potential to bite; it is a natural canine reaction. My bite is much worse than my dog’s bite ever could be so you might want to proscribe me too.
________________________________
Another pit bull shot by an officer this week. The cop was off duty and said the dog aggressively came running up so he shot it; it didn’t bite him. The shot missed any vital organs but he is now deemed a DANGEROUS DOG, which I think is bogus. Granted I wasn’t there but the dog didn’t bite him and some people that are scared of dogs often have a different opinion of what is considered aggressive. The officer wasn’t bit but if this is true, “Hadley told police that the dog has a reputation of running loose and for attacking small dogs in the neighborhood.” Then the owner should be charged and should be dealt with accordingly.
__________________________________
13-year-old confesses to beating pit bull with a rock
In Baltimore, a 13-year-old girl confessed to the April 2010 beating of a female pit bull. This sadistic child continuously struck the dog in the head with a rock while it was tied to a pole. Lock her up NOW and throw away the key!! This story is cacophonously comparable to one that happened in Baltimore last month involving 3 children, all boys around age 12; however, that dog wasn’t so lucky. What is going on with your children, Baltimore?
By HEATHER HEYDENS Posted May 30, 2010 @ 05:00 AM Holland, MI — I could not agree more with the May 25 letter from Lori Cooper regarding pit bulls. I too have a problem with pit bulls in the city of Holland. And it actually has more to do with the two-legged creatures holding their leashes (if there is a leash at all) than with the pit bulls themselves.
I will agree with her on this comment
I also believe that the current enforcement in Holland with regards to these dogs is too lax. I see them all the time, leashed and unleashed, and it is scary.
Why is it scary? Understandable if the dog is lunging and acting aggressively toward her but it is ignorant to find a dog (no matter the breed) “scary” if it is leashed, behaving, and minding its own business.
Pit Bulls have become the popular dog of choice for a lot of people. It seems like most people adopt these dogs for all the wrong reasons. Some people get a pit bull because it is the "cool" thing to do. But pets aren't purses, and people who jump into pit bull ownership without the essential training and education can often do more harm than good.
Another very true point
Many pit bull owners, are ill-informed and have unrealistic expectations of what the dogs are capable of doing.
While this is true, there are thousands of educated pit bull owners in America. Remember there are millions of pit bulls in this country.
Some argue that the pit bull is a wonderfully tolerant and manageable dog, a loving companion to man. However, when it comes to the safety of my family, I err on the side of caution with these dogs.
This is her own personal choice, one for which I will not criticize her for making, but because she doesn’t own one then she shouldn’t even be commenting about family pit bulls at all.
I can't help it,. When I see someone walking their pit bull — even ones that are leashed — I am terrified. I am scared for my 5-year-old son. I am concerned for the neighborhood children who may not know any better than to approach a strange dog.
The author makes no mention of ever having been attacked by a pit bull and it seems she has been a victim of media hysteria in deciding her position on pits.
Why should we have to live with this kind of fear? Do you own these dogs for protection and if so, protection from what? If you own a pit bull because of their love and affection, have you given any thought to a safer alternative such as a Labrador?
Now, she is getting ridiculous. She is acting as though pit bulls run in a terroristic gang raiding and looting homes while murdering all men, women, and children. I am not denying pit bulls have done serious harm in the past but 9 times out of 10, the media inaccurately reports a pit bull as the offender when it turns out to be an entirely different breed thus pit bull attacks aren’t as recurrent as you think.
Please, if you own a pit bull, make sure it is properly restrained. If you are an advocate for the pit bull breed and feel you are a responsible owner to one of these dogs, please step up to the plate. Get involved and see what you can do to help alleviate this problem plaguing the city of Holland. Chickens would be great — they may be messy but at least I don't have to worry about being mauled by one.
Yes, because chickens are the answer to the pit bull overpopulation… Hence the dire need for a sarcasm font
Copyright 2010 The Holland Sentinel. Some rights reserved
By Justin Post, The Montana Standard, Butte 