From My Google Alerts- September 28, 2010

A roaming pit bull was shot and killed Tuesday by Glendale police responding to calls that the dog had trapped clients in a rehab facility. The dog chased a client from the Glendale Adventist Drug and Alcohol Center into the building and it was scratching at the door. The clients were scared to exit the building so they called police to the scene. Two officers and a police sergeant saw the pit bull near the building and parked on one end of the block to assess the situation, he said. It was then that the dog slanted its ears back and began sprinting toward the officers. Officers first shot the dog with a rubber bullet, but it didn't stop and continued running toward them. That's when they used regular ammunition, killing the dog, Montecuollo said. "Unfortunately, officers killed the dog, but stopped the threat," he said.

So where in the world was AC? I find it hard to believe there was nothing they could have done to get the animal under control. The dog in question NEVER ACTUALLY BIT ANYONE. I hate news articles like this because the media always twists situations like this to make pit bulls seem so horrible. All I inferred from the described behavior of the pit bull is that it was scratching the door of the building not that it was aggressively trying to gain access to the building and kill everybody.

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Jonathan Whitworth and his family are suing the city of Columbia after a raid on the family’s house ended with the family pit bull being shot by police and a 7-year-old held at gunpoint. The horrific YouTube video is forever burned into my mind of this sad, unnecessary incident. Whitworth is suing the city of Columbia and several police officers, claiming his family's constitutional rights were violated, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.

On February 11, a Columbia SWAT team busted down Whitworth's door, killed his pit bull (you can hear the dog squealing and whimpering on the video), wounded his corgi/pit bull mix, rounded up his wife and 7-year-old son, held them at gunpoint just a few feet from the now dead dog, and handcuffed him. In all, officers fired seven shots. The police did all of this because they believed Whitworth was a "major marijuana distributor." A small amount of weed, a pipe, and a grinder was all that was found in the home. Some “major marijuana distributor” Mr. Whitworth was, huh?

This video is graphic and I don’t recommend watching it; I wish I had not watched it; however, it is an accurate display of law enforcement abusing their power. So sad……….

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In Florence County, SC, an ordinance on tethering has been proposed and the reactions are mostly positive. The proposed ordinance creates regulations for tethers that restrain dogs 6 months or older to houses, trees, garages or other stationary objects. The ordinance aims to prevent dogs from being tethered outdoors during extreme heat or cold, thunderstorms and floods. It states that a tether can’t be more than a tenth of the dog’s weight and that a tether must be attached to a “properly fitting” harness or collar — not directly to a dog’s neck. The tether must be at least 12 feet long, and it must be positioned to prevent injury, strangulation, or entanglement. It also must have a swivel on at least one end in order to prevent tangling. The time allowed for tethering a dog is limited to no more than one hour at a time and no more than three hours in a 24-hour period.
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A Kansas City, Missouri woman has shed 150 pounds in under two years thanks to the most athletic dog of the year (and well, last year too). Please make sure to watch the video in the original article. This woman looks incredible now! She adopted a shelter dog a year and a half ago and soon learned of the dog’s insatiable desire to run. Great story!
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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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Pit Bull's Bad Rep: How Much is the Media to Blame?

In July, the Denver Post published a provocative article questioning the role of the media in the pit bulls' "bad rap," including the tendency to over-report attacks instigated by "pit-bull-type" dogs while under-reporting incidents involving other breeds.

You don't need to look very hard or be very bright to come to the conclusion that pit bull attacks sell papers. The National Canine Research Council recently issued a report that shows how similar attacks over a four-day period involving four different types of dogs resulted in significantly different media exposure. And the ASPCA issued a statement that the media has repeatedly told them that they have no interest in reporting attacks involving non-pit-bull-type dogs.

Petey

Last year, the Dogtime.com blog posted a story about a TV station in Mobile, Alabama that mentioned the breed in 100% of dog bite stories involving pits. Pit bulls, however, were only involved in about 20% of the dog bites in the community (also behind Labs).
To explore the potential bias of his own news agency, the reporter from the Denver Post looked at article headlines over the past five years and found that the paper had covered 20 different stories involving dog attacks. Nine had the breed of dog in the headlines and eight named pit bulls. (One named a Rottweiler.) When you put this into the context that "pit bulls" make up only 8% of the dog bites reported in the state of Colorado — and aren't even the top biting dog in the state (Labs were #1) — you might begin to wonder why the city of Denver went to the trouble of banning the breed in the first place.
(It's interesting to note that the term "pit bull" is a slang term used to describe three distinct breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These three targeted breeds achieved a combined passing canine temperament score of 86.6% — a higher passing percentage than the Golden Retriever's 83.6%.)
So how does the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting fare, you ask? Inspired by the Denver Post story, I did a quick search in the Chronicle's archives for "dog attack," which yielded 34 stories about specific dog attacks on humans written between January 1, 2005 and today. While 22 of those articles mentioned the breed in the headline (100% named pit bulls as the attackers), the other 12 articles, which involved attacks by other breeds (including shepherd mixes, Boxers and a Golder Retriever mix), had only generic "dog attack" headlines, rather than outing the specific breed. Media bias? It certainly looks that way, but I'll let you be the judge.
Nearly every time a pit-bull-attack story appears in the news, it ignites new fervor for breed-specific legislation (BSL). However, the mass banning of specific breeds has been shown to be ineffectual when it comes to dog-bite prevention. Most BSL legislation that has been implemented has been costly, problematic to enforce and has ultimately not solved the problem. Most laws on the books contain vague language to determine what a pit bull is and often completely ignore the responsibility of the owner. Spaying and neutering of animals, proper training and socialization and responsible breeding are all important factors in preventing dog bites.
In Denver's case, the apparent media bias of its newspapers and television stations has helped spur countless lawsuits, the senseless killing of thousands of dogs and mountains of legal fees paid at taxpayer expense to support a ban that hasn't helped to solve the problem for which it was originally proposed: to reduce the overall number of dog bite incidents.
Share your thoughts about BSL and media bias here or on the Bay Area Pets Facebook page.
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Excellent article!

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Chases Off Gun Gang Who Attacked Girl Owner

Dog chases off gun gang who attacked girl owner 

Last updated at 12:12 AM on 13th September 2010

A Staffordshire bull terrier chased a gunman from the family home following an attack on his owner.

A pet dog chased a gunman from the family home following an attack on his owner.
Three masked men burst into the house in Winstanley, Wigan, while the family was in the living room watching TV on Friday night.
During the commotion, the Staffordshire bull terrier bit the leg of one of the men, who was carrying a gun, and he hit the dog.
When the family’s 22-year-old daughter got up to protect the dog, the man struck her several times on the head with his gun, leaving a cut, which required treatment.
But the brave dog continued to bite the man until the three-man gang fled the house empty-handed.
Then it gave chase and, forcing the gunman to drop his weapon in the garden, pulled him to the ground, but he struggled free and escaped down a nearby footpath.
Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington, of Greater Manchester Police, said yesterday: ‘To attack a defenseless young woman with a pistol is a shameful act and these men need to be caught and spend years looking at the four walls of a jail cell.
‘Unless you have been through this sort of ordeal, it is impossible to know how this family is feeling having had the sanctity of their home invaded by three cowards carrying guns.’
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What an awesome dog! Great positive press! This baby dogs deserves a huge marrowbone, a 5pounder!!! Good job, Courageous Dog, and I hope they catch whoever is responsible for trying to harm this family. I did find the comments by readers of this article very interesting. Here are a few of them:

1.   Come on Daily Mail, make up your minds.
Are they Devil Dogs or Angel Dogs?

2.   Interesting, but of course not surprising how you omit the breed of dog from your title here. If this had been a dog attack your title would have screamed - STAFF/PIT BULL TYPE!!!. Disgusting, and I am surprised you even printed a positive story. Such is the ignorance and hype that is todays headline grabbing media. Ill informed misinformation spewed forth that only advances such tragic hysteria to the uneducated masses. In turn causing so much death and fear of this wrongly maligned breed..
Staffies and pits are are a wonderful breed of dog Loyal, loving, smart and brave. GOOD BOY , GOOD JOB!!

3.   It's ironic how differently the dog is described when it's biting a gunman, than if it had bitten say a child. Former makes it brave and loyal, the latter makes it vicious and ought to be put down. A dog doesn't differentiate the same and there's no reason it wouldn't have reacted the same to a child throwing a tantrum and hitting it or it's owner. I don't think this means it needs put down, not if it's owner controls it properly, but it's just a good example of the way people respond differently to exactly the same thing dependant on the victim.

4.   I don't think this means it needs put down, not if it's owner controls it properly, but it's just a good example of the way people respond differently to exactly the same thing dependant on the victim.
- Linda, UK, 12/9/2010 3:42

RE:
Biting a gunman and chewing off a 3 year old's face is rather different, even in the brain of a dog.

5.   Interesting. The same breed of dog people jump on a bandwagon to ban because they are all "evil", or "deadly". It's nice to see the dogs get one back.
Atta boy. You show them.

Volusia County Deputy Shoots; Kills Dog That Lunged at Him

Volusia deputy shoots; kills dog that lunged at him

By Gary Taylor, Orlando Sentinel

9:24 PM EDT, August 13, 2010

A Volusia County deputy sheriff responding to a disturbance call in Pierson this afternoon shot and killed a large dog that lunged at him, authorities said.

Deputy Charles Hillyard arrived at a residence in the 800 block of U.S. Highway 17 shortly before 12:30 p.m., Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. As soon as he got there a large dog ran toward him. He asked a man walking behind the dog if the dog bites, but before he got an answer the animal went into a full sprint toward him, Davidson said.

As the dog lunged at the Hillyard, he fired two shots from his department-issued handgun and killed the dog, Davidson said.

The disturbance reportedly involved a drunken man with a metal pole, but deputies determined no crime had been committed, Davidson said

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The dog’s breed or even type is not mentioned anywhere in this article. Interesting. It must not have been a pit bull type dog or else it would have been blasted all over the article and the article would have contained some irrelevant and unrelated incident involving a pit bull type dog.

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Check out KC Dog Blog’s post about the issue of Parade magazine that came out today. Excellent write up!

Reporting about pit bulls in the media is biased | Fetch — The Denver Post

The media takes its lumps over reporting about pit bulls

A female pit bull, one of three put bulls involved in the mauling of a 10-year-old boy in 2005, is held at Aurora Animal Care.

Monika Courtney had something on her mind and she wanted me to know about it.
The Evergreen freelance writer and self-described “animal advocate” was upset about a headline she saw on a Denver television news story: “Pit bull attacks 6-year-old girl.”
Courtney didn’t deny the incident happened. But the outspoken opponent of legislation banning a specific breed of dog didn’t believe the breed would have been mentioned if it were something other than a pit bull — that’s if the story had even been done in the first place.
In short, she believed the media blew it. She’s not the first person I’ve encountered who feels that way. In fact, pit bull supporters in general seem to think the media has helped stereotype the breed as vicious and dangerous while failing to offer other views or context, such as whether or not the pit bull owner’s negligence is to blame for an attack.
So I asked Courtney to explain why she felt that way. Here, in her own words, edited for space, is what she e-mailed me:

Black Lab Attacked Girl, age 2, Over Fourth of July Weekend

Dog attacks, injures 2-year-old girl at holiday gathering in Helvetia

Published: Monday, July 05, 2010, 6:17 PM     Updated: Monday, July 05, 2010, 7:24 PM

Bear, a black Labrador, attacked a 2-year-old girl at a family gathering Sunday in Helvetia. The dog caused deep cuts to the child's neck, face, head and severed the top of her ear. She's expected to survive.

From My Google Alerts- July 6, 2010

Aurora police dog bites wrong man

The Denver Post

AURORA — Aurora police have removed a K9 dog from duty after the animal bit the wrong person during a foot pursuit, a police spokesman told 9News. The incident happened Saturday about 4:30 p.m. near Boston Street and East Colfax Avenue, police Detective Bob Friel said.
Police had surrounded a room at the Carriage Motor Inn to arrest Reginald Hawthorne, 21, on a warrant for sexual assault, Friel told the television station.
When Hawthorne ran from the motel, police sent a K9 dog after him, 9News said, but the dog bit Juan Ramirez as he worked outside his taco stand a block from the motel.
Ramirez is recovering from bite and scratch injuries, 9News said. Police are conducting a review.
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Well, that sucks for the man who was bitten; however, how is the dog supposed to differentiate between the sexual assaulter and the taco stand dude?

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Alleged Animal Abuse
In Memphis, TN, a man is behind bars for picking up his dog, said to be a pit bull, and throwing it seven feet away from him after he was ticketed for allowing the animal to run loose. He then did it again, all in front of the police who ticketed him. Hence, this idiot abused his dog because he is an careless and negligent owner. I hope they do not return the dog to him because he will probably do a lot worse next time. Let’s hope AC doesn’t drop the ball either and euthanize it for being a pit bull. Find the dog a good forever home.
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Elgin mayor taught these pits, but not owner, some manners

July 5, 2010

By Jeff Ward For Sun-Times Media

Californians, you can keep your Terminator because we have the Schockinator.
That's right. You may have Ah-nuld the governor, but we have Ed the mayor. Elgin's motto really ought to be "Our mayor kicks ass!" However, I have to say my previous motto suggestion, "You might want to watch out for the pit bulls," is looking better and better.
You see, the mayor was walking Rako, his 2-year-old German shepherd, by a house in the 200 block of Plum Street at 9:30 p.m. June 24 when two pit bulls took exception. Little did they know they messed with the wrong man.
One of the pits began circling the pair, and when it lunged, Schock kicked it, sending the bewildered beast scurrying for cover. Before the second pit bull realized the error of his ways, Ed whacked it with a spare leash, dispatching it, too. Neither the mayor nor Rako sustained any injuries.
In a previous column, I described routing a Doberman, a Rottweiler and a German shepherd, but in my three pit bull confrontations, the best I could do was stand my ground. Schock credits Rako's even temperament for keeping the situation within the bounds of reason. But if it's all the same to you, I'll never write anything negative about Elgin again because I'm terrified of getting on the mayor's bad side.
And speaking of even dispositions, with the pit bulls on the run, Schock was willing to let the whole thing go, but that all changed when a teenage girl descended from the porch to retrieve the fleeing dogs. Schock explained, "I realized she was just a kid and these things happen, but when I tried to give her a bit of lecture on responsible pet ownership, she dropped the F-bomb on me for kicking her dog."
So Schock told her, "If you're going to be a smart-ass about it, I'm going to call the cops." Having learned nothing from the fate of her dogs, the insolent brat retorted, "Call the police. I don't care," so Schock dialed 911. This exchange is yet further proof of my long-held theorem that teenagers should be rarely seen and never heard.
As it turns out, our impertinent pet owner made an exceptionally bad choice, because she ended up with five citations -- two for no dog collars or rabies tags, one for loose dogs, one for the attack and yet another for having dangerous dogs. Those fines could hit $4,000 under the stricter Elgin dog ordinance passed last March. I don't think she's going to be getting her allowance any time soon.
Of course, the teenager disputes the mayor's version of events, claiming her perfect pit bulls were the modicum of politeness and personality. That still doesn't explain the lack of collars, leashes or rabies tags.
Despite my newfound fear of getting whacked with a leash, I dared to ask the mayor if this wasn't a message from God. After all, having now faced down two of these heinous creatures, shouldn't Elgin reconsider its failed pit bull ban?
"I think the current ordinance is a better answer," Schock responded. "We have to let that ordinance work. If you're an irresponsible dog owner, it's going to cost you a lot of money. Those dog owners might want to reconsider dog ownership. Word is going to get around on this one." (Schock's always been a master of understatement.)
Considering Elgin police had to shoot two charging pit bulls over the Memorial Day weekend, and on June 29 a pit bull mix plowed through a locked screen door to bite an Elgin postal worker, it's a good thing Schock's the mayor and I'm not. I wouldn't be nearly so magnanimous.
Because we agree the real problem is almost always the pet owner, this re-emphasizes a query I've posed before. "What kind of person would want to own a pit bull?" I'll tell you. In general, it's someone with low self-esteem who sees a powerful, domination-determined animal as an extension of themselves. It's someone who, after their pit bull attacks you, has the nerve to hit you with the F-bomb for kicking their dog. Although I love Schock's ordinance optimism, even the threat of a multi-thousand-dollar fine will not deter that kind of thinking.
But, to quote a famous movie, "Dangerous dog ordinance? We don't need no stinking dangerous dog ordinance!" If you're nervous about walking little Fifi down Elgin's streets, simply call upon the Schockinator. Legend has it he can send a pack of pit bulls into full flight with a mere glance. I'm thinkin' Harrison Ford plays the mayor.
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I hope this teenage owner of these dogs is fined a lot of money. Stiffer penalties for irresponsible dog owners! There is no good excuse for her dogs not to have been a leash or off her property. Then to top it off she cusses the mayor for kicking her dog, which had just attacked him. Give me a break little girl. You get what you get you little dumbass. Excuse my language but that pisses me off that the mayor/victim was going to let bygones be bygones but she had to run off at the mouth. Idiot…

As for the comments regarding the author’s question about who would want to own a pit bull, he needs to rethink that statement as it does nothing for him except to show everyone how ignorant he really is.

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PLUMSTEAD: Bravery award for dog hurt saving owner in machete attack

10:39am Wednesday 7th July 2010

By Kelly Smale

A BRAVE dog has been awarded the animal equivalent of the George Cross after protecting its owner from a gang wielding machetes.
Staffordshire bull terrier Oi was posthumously honoured with the highest award for civilian animal bravery, the PDSA Gold Medal.
The 15-year-old pet leapt into action when a gang armed with machetes forced their way into her family’s home in July 2008.
Owner Patricia Adshead, of Maxey Road, Plumstead, was making a cup of tea when three men wearing balaclavas broke into her home.
Her ex-husband came running downstairs to help.
Ms Adshead said: “He kicked one of them down the stairs but another severed his hand. It was hanging by a thread.”
The 62-year-old added: “I was trapped in the kitchen with Oi and one of the men. He raised the machete over my head.
“Oi jumped up and bit his hand. He brought the machete down on her head but she still chased him out of the house.
“If she hadn’t gone for him I would have been dead. She saved my life.”
Oi was rushed to the Thamesmead PDSA PetAid hospital, The Freda Powell Centre, in Eynsham Drive.
The mother of four said: “The PDSA saved her life. They did a fantastic job and gave her another two years.
“I only wish Oi could have lived long enough to accept her medal.”
Oi died from cancer in March.
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals charity gives free health care to animals owned by people on low incomes.

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This Staffie was a true hero and model canine rep for pit bull dogs. She lived up to her name as a loyal companion and put her own life at risk to help her beloved owner. What is truly amazing is that she survived the attack and lived another two years before succumbing to cancer. What an awesome baby dogs!! Congrats, Oi!!