Friday, June 21, 2013

Lets send vicious dogs to Ohio and put them on Petfinder!

You know how sometimes you look at a situation and you think "this is bad" but it actually turns out to be even worse?  Boston the two time mauler Presa Canario in Ohio is just like that.  To refresh your memory, please click here.

Before I get too far into this post I would like to give you the thoughts of someone else on this topic.  Here are the words of Dog Bite Attorney Ken Phillips, written last year after the death of Rebecca Carey.

Dog Bite Law Blog

Adoption and Rescue Groups Should Be Licensed

A college student who had a passion for rescuing dogs is dead, killed by the same dogs she wanted to save. (See Rebecca Carey, Georgia Student, Killed by Dogs She Rescued.) The breeds of the dogs are interesting: two pit bulls, a boxer mix and two Presas.
All rescues. She was out to prove a point, namely that breeds known for their violence toward people can be tamed with enough loving care. Unfortunately she was going about it the wrong way. One of those dogs, in the hands of a skilled behaviorist, would be risky enough during the training, and would remain a safety hazard afterwards. But trying to deal with 5 of them at once? 
Remember, a rescue dog is an abandoned dog. One must wonder why the dog was abandoned. Was there a reason why it was sent to the animal shelter? It is folly to assume that only bad people abandon their dogs. When a dog is violent toward people, good parents, good animal control officers, and good cops send the dog to the shelter. Not all abandoned dogs are good dogs. 
As one of many rescuers who have been injured or killed by dogs in the recent past, Rebecca Carey has helped to prove two other points. One is that we need to enact restrictions on the number of dogs that can be kept at a residence. 
There are laws that forbid people from having more than a certain number of dogs. Generally these are considered to be zoning restrictions but such laws also are safety laws. Not only for the safety of the person who has the urge to hoard animals, but also for the safety of friends and neighbors. It has been established that there is a pack instinct in dogs and that normally docile dogs can become aggressive toward humans when the dogs act in concert. For that reason, and to prevent a person from going out on the street with 5 leashes attached to 5 muscular dogs, I have urged the enactment of laws restricting the number of dogs that can be present at a residence, with the number being sharply reduced in the case of larger, more muscular dogs, including pit bulls, Presas, Rotties and the like.
The other point is that adoption and rescue groups need to be licensed.
I am hearing, almost daily, about unsuspecting people who adopt a dog, get attacked by the dog, and then learn that the adoption organization knew that the dog was violent toward people but did not provide a warning about the dog. People like Rebecca Carey -- I call them "humaniacs" -- do not recognize the dangers inherent in such dogs. For that reason, I am urging the enactment of laws that regulate adoption organizations, to the extent necessary to make all of them accountable and to prevent the humaniacs from recycling known dangerous dogs into communities.

.Back to our topic, Boston the California Presa Canario.  After attacking the same five year old child twice, sending that child to the hospital for treatment both times, Boston was declared dangerous and ordered out of town (Pleasanton California) or to be euthanized.  Boston's owner, Marc Kornberg, chose to send Boston to a "rehabilitation  and training facility" in Rittman Ohio.  Why Ohio?  We will talk about that in another post

Boston's new home has in the past been called Utopia Kennel, Utopia Rescue and Rehabilitation, and now Presa Canario Rehabilitation and Rescue Center.  All fabulous names but the reality is a small private home in a community with a two dog per residence limit.


Boston: Presa Canario, Dog; Rittman, OH

Meet Boston at his new home, the Presa Canario Rehabilitation and Rescue, owned and run by Kristine Kay Maxwell.  If you want more information on Boston just look for him on PETFINDER!!!!!!  This dog, too dangerous to remain in the community where his history is known is now offered as an adoptable dog, in Ohio, with absolutely no mention of his history.  Click here for the Petfinder listing.

Here is the text of the Petfinder ad.

BOSTON

Presa Canario/Mastiff Mix: An adoptable dog in Rittman, OH

Large • Adult • Male
Boston came all the way from California..hes 6yrs old.Hes never been raised with young children and although he does like them he does not tolerate toddlers around him.He doesn't like there fast movements,hugging distrurbing his sleep ect.He was raised very well and cared for.Hes very smart,obediant and very eager to please.he bonds very strongly with his owner.He is surprisingly social for a presa..he welcomes strangers with a wagging tail and smile when in the company of his owner.Hes been very well socialized and it shows in his temperament.He is very protective like all presas are and has a fierce bark.But when he knows theres no danger and your not a threat to him or his owner hes a very sweet dog.He is not shy ,has never been beaten..he walks amazing on a leash with just a regular collar,he will walk right beside you and obey every command you give him.Hes completely housetrained..he hates being crated and destroyed 2 the frsit day he came here but has accepted it he just prefers not to be in it and he doesn't need to be only here I have young children so he has to be crated but we go on a lot of walks so he doesn't get bored.He listens very well off leash in my fenced yard.He has been reactive to the dogs in the house while hes crated but comepletly ignored dogs on the street.Im goin to introduce him to my female presa shortly as she very non threatening.He cannot be in a home with a dominant female or male..and no small dogs or cats.He must have a fenced yard..no exceptions! And you must have experience with this breed..not just have been around them you must have owned one.He is one of the best presas ive ever had the pleasure of meeting and someone will be very lucky to get him.Hes comepltly vetted...no out of state adoptions for Boston.If your interested in adoption or meeting Boston please call or email for more info on him and how he came to be at our rescue.
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Sorry about the spelling errors, they are not mine, they are in the ad.  


This quote appears just below the Petfinder ad. 

MORE ABOUT BOSTONSpayed/Neutered • Up-to-date with routine shots • House trained • Prefers a home without: cats, dogs, young children


Boston "prefers" a home without cats, dogs, or children.  If such a home exists, do you think that possibly the neighbors might have cats, dogs, or children?  Might the neighbors have a concern about Boston moving into the neighborhood?  I think they might, and given the information not shared, the neighbors will have no idea what is coming. 


Kristine Kay Maxwell's neighbors might have a clue.  Maxwell lives in a community with a two dog limit per household which Maxwell feels should not apply to her.  For a link to a news story about her legal troubles please click here.  At the time the article was written Maxwell was four dogs over the limit.


Here is a Facebook past by one of Maxwell's friends explaining the situation and urging Facebook members to harass community leaders for enforcing local law.   

Gremlin
Friends, this is very upsetting to us. The pack and I are very upset to hear that our good friend Kristine Maxwell is having a problem with the city of Rittman, Ohio (Wayne County). They are giving her a hard-time about helping dogs and listening to some people that are not very nice.
Kristine always helps dogs people would not want because they are less than perfect in some folks eyes! Please call or email the City Manager and the Mayor in Rittman and let them know that Our Pack and All Our Extended Pack Members (that's you great guys) STAND WITH KRISTINE MAXWELL AND UTOPIA KENNELS
Rittman City Manager - lboggs@rittman.com

Rittman Mayor - wrobertson@rittman.com

City Hall Phone - 330 925 2045

One of the rescues got out and ran down the street, and when the police returned the dog they saw she had over the 2 animal limit. She stated that they were rescues and are currently looking for homes but they didn't care and told her that they had to go or she would be charged $150 for each one over the 2 allowed each day. SHe steps up and helps so many dogs in need as an interim home until a foster can be found. I can't even count how many dogs who would have been dead if it wasn't for her.

Here is a link to the Petfinder listing for Maxwell's Presa Canario Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.  Please read it carefully, ignoring the obvious spelling errors.  Maxwell will take any Presa Canario with behavior issues for a $100 surrender fee and quickly list the dog on Petfinder with a $300 adoption fee.

Interestingly, Maxwell states that she will not place these dogs with families including children under 13 years of age.  Maxwell has children in her home, the youngest is 7 years old.  Do Maxwell's children have friends over to visit?  Do the parents of those children have a clue what Maxwell has in her home?   Keep in mind that Boston is uninsurable after two attacks and a dangerous dog designation in the state of California.

An article from the Pleasanton Weekly discussed Boston's attacks on the child and felony charges against Boston's owner and the child's mother.  Comments got interesting and specific on Maxwell's Rehabilitation and Rescue Center.    These two comments obviously got under her skin.

Posted by GetaClue, a resident of another community, on Jun 11, 2013 at 9:01 am
GetaClue is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
This dog is not going to a dog rehab and the judge and Ac were prewarned of what type of place this aggressive dog is going to. They don't care it is out of their hands now and out of their state. They should be ashamed for putting the Ohio community in danger. I hope the Ohio news picks up on this real quick and looks into what qualifications this person has to be a behavioral trainer of a human aggressive dog, look where the animal will be kept and know that said person is already over the legal limit of animals in her care as well as how many times her children have been biten and it has gone unreported to the authorities. I pray this dog does not get out like so many have , that have been running at large from her so called rescue. The Judge should be ashamed because even the AC recommended the dog be pts. Any dog that bites a child not once but twice in the face is aggressive. It does not matter if the child hugged the dog that is not cause for a dog to bite a child. I also agree the owner and the parent are at fault but something should have been done the first time. I hope all her supporters reading this thread start looking into who and what you are supporting because you do not know what type of person you are dealing with.


This is Maxwell's comment made on PleasantonWeekley.com  Again, ignore the spelling, she also seem to have problems with time, 23 years? 20 years? 22 years?  
Posted by Kristine Maxwell, a resident of another community, on Jun 13, 2013 at 7:54 pm
The constant bickering on here is not only immature but its unnecessary.Im the one who owns the rescue where Boston is.It was my decision after much research on this case to bring him here to my rehab facility.I don't want anyones approval here cause this is my rescue and ive ran it successfully for 23 years and I definatly don't want anyone speaking on my behalf which is why im reluctantly posting this.Ive been a part of this case since the day after the bite happened,and not just with the owner but with the magistrate,Sheriff,and animal control officer.Boston is not a vicious dog or he would never have been released to me and he will be rehomed when I see fit in an adult only home..which is the case for all adult dogs we rescue.Ive had presas my whole life and like pits,rotties or any other breed if there with an uneducated owner they can and will get into trouble.They like all the others are not born mean.If you havnt owned one don't judge one cause of a paragraph you read on google.I have more than 20 yrs experience with behavior modification so im fully capable of making the decision to rehome this dog or not and after all the stress hes been under hes been nothing but a very sweet dog the first few days hes been here(which can be when they show the most aggression if there going to).On Boston page on my petfinder it clearly states no children in several places.not just on his bio but my main page also.It also states to email for the info in how he came to be at the rescue which we write this often as most of the dogs we get at the rehab center have bitten a human or another animal and no dog with a bite history is ever adopted out without the adopter knowing 100% of the entire situation .Its a small bio not room to write a story and its something id rather say than type.My rescue started 22yrs ago and was called Utopia..the reason it was changed was to mnay people thought we were an all breed rescue and no one new there was a rescue for presas..no hidden agenda there just a name change to help the shelters find us.There is no fb page for my rescue and hasn't been for a long time cause I have zero tolerance for drama and that's all rescue is.I don't need fb to justify my rescue..my experience and many wonderful references speak for themselves.I would never adopt out a vicious dog or a dog I thought was a danger to the public,i have kids to.Boston has been evaluated by several people and even at the shelter shown nothing but kindness to comeplete strangers.My own dogs wouldnt be as behaved as he has been if they went through what he did.Its disturbing the lies being posted on here..and more so about my kids.Its really sad that no one has yet to call or email me personally but would rather post things publicily that they cannot prove.All my contact info Is on my petfinder...my home has always been open to anyone so if anyone has doubts about my rescue,me or boston feel free to email,call or come over.We are very proud of what we do,how hard we work and the rescue weve built and always welcome visitors.And if my name isn't on a post here its not from me so please don't assume it is.I will not respond or post here 

This woman has difficulty with her own life timeline, and paints herself a victim because local officials have the audacity to remind her that the law says just TWO dogs per household while she feels that six dogs suits her style better.  She feels that it is her right to transplant out of state maulers into Rittman Ohio and is offended that others disapprove.

For a final insight on Maxwell we will take a look at her Facebook page.  Maxwell is telling another Facebook user to buy a bogus service dog vest on eBay, instant "service dog" and the photographs are hers.  Maxwell might consider that the purchase of a vest on eBay does not constitute actual "service dog" status.  Maxwell is instructing the Facebook user to violate Federal law.  For those keeping score, Maxwell has repeatedly broken local law by keeping far more dogs than local law allows and for failing to contain those dogs. Maxwell has broken state law, Boston is a declared dangerous dog in California and has been trafficked at Maxwell's request to Ohio and is uninsurable. Dangerous dogs must be insured.  Maxwell is in violation of Federal law for falsification of service dog status.  This is the very woman who has decided that it is her right to peddle this dangerous dog on Petfinder, as a pet, to an Ohio resident.  God help us all.  

 



Share · January 18

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Does this look like a good thing for Ohio?

An article from the San Francisco Chronicle, dated  6/8/2013 gives details on two attacks by the same dog, on the same child.  The dog is Presa Canario owned by Marc Kornberg.  The child is the son of a female visitor in Kornberg's apartment.  On March 6th of this year the child had been left alone in a room with the dog and was bitten in the face requiring hospital treatment.  At that time the dog was temporarily placed in home quarantine.

On May 19th the same child was left alone in a room with the same dog with the same result.  The child was again treated at a local hospital.  This time the dog was seized.  Both Kornberg and the child's mother, Myrvete Lila have been charged with felony child endangerment.  

The dog was sent to an unspecified "rehabilitation and training facility" in Ohio.  Was the appropriate County Dog Warden notified that this proven dangerous dog had been sent to his jurisdiction?  What kind of containment does this unspecified facility offer?  What are the qualifications of the person who will be "training and rehabilitating" this known dangerous dog?  What is the ultimate disposition of this dog?  Will it be placed in an Ohio community exposing Ohio children to the same danger that injured a California child, twice?   

These questions should be answered.  The Bones affair exposed the dangers of trafficking dogs with a violent history across state lines for the purposes of rehabilitation and and/or sanctuary care.  To refresh your memory.  
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/another-look-at-how-hb-14-fails-ohio.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/bones-update.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/bones-eight-days-and-counting-1132012.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/for-situation-with-absolutely-no-news.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/regulating-rescue-industry-bones-day-10.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/01/bones-day-17-still-missing.html
http://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-bones-saga-continues.html

What guarantees the safety and security of Ohio residents this time?

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Update 6/8/2013     8 PM
Someone posting a comment on this article on the Pleasanton Patch claims that the dog will /has been sent to a facility in Rittman Ohio.  That would be Wayne County and the County Dog Warden is Nate Broehl.

Jake Kennel June 8, 2013 at 07:43 am
Sad that the dog is going to be going into a bad situtation and now the whole neighbor hood will be in danger and have to watch their children.The judge was advised of what was going on at this so called facility and rehabiltation center. Rittman Ohio please keep your kids safe.

Look out Nate!  

Pit bull roundup update 6/7/2013

I promised myself I would not get so far behind on pit bull news so here we are again.

Dateline Dayton!
6/7/2013

A Dayton VA Medical Center worker was cornered by two pit bulls as he was picking up trash on the grounds.  Dayton police were called but were unable to locate the dogs after the dogs retreated into a nearby wooded area.  Dayton Police called animal control but, and we will get back to this particular issue, animal control was too busy to respond.

WSTN2 News sent reporters who were able to film the dogs running in and out of traffic.  Neighbors report that the dogs have been a problem for some time now.Per WDTM.com  "Adolphe Grigsby said, "I guess they crawl up under the fence and they just chase after you, attack you, and bark, growl at you, and you don't know if they're going to bite you or not."
He worries about the children who play outside and his mother.
"I always carry me a stick with a little nail stuck in it for protection because I have to walk everyday up and down here and my mother she can't, she'll never get away from them. She's 89 years old."  
Mr. Grigsby sates he has not called animal control to report these two dogs.
Montgomery County animal control reportedly responded to 10,460 calls last year.  Montgomery County Animal Control is a very busy place but a call from Dayton police regarding menacing pit bulls at a  VA hospital in a residential area should be a priority.   

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Cincinnati Ohio                                                                                                                             6/6/2013
Cincinnati police used a taser twenty three times on a five year old pit bull after the pit bull  attacked a yellow Lab being walked by  its owner, Ted McGraw.  Mr. McGraw and a neighborhood resident who tried to help were both bitten.  McGraw had bites on his hands and the neighbor required eleven stitches.  McGraw's dog is still in the care of a veterinarian.  The pit bull mix is in the custody of the  SPCA.  The pit bull's owner, Kenneth McKinney, is currently in jail.  McKinney's stepson, Donald Shelton has been caring for the dog for the last eight months.  Shelton stated "She's a nice dog. No never had any problems. I don't know like she was in a kennel in the back. She was fenced up. She might have jumped up and hit the latch and broke loose."    McKinney will be charged under the city's vicious dog laws.    
Per WKRC "Police say this is the second price hill pit bull attack in just the last two weeks.
"We had one where it's in a local park walking a dog. As they're walking two pit bulls not on a leash engage and attack the small dog. The dog ultimately died, as the handler was trying to separate the pits and his dog the dogs engaged the handler, the handler sustained some pretty serious injuries on the hands arm and face." Catpn. Neville with the Cincinnati Police said.  
When police arrived on the scene this morning they had to tase CC 23 times before an SPCA officer secured her. 
According to the officer involved in this, as soon as she would left off the taser, the dog would aggressively get up and move towards her and one of the victims.

That's why she had to cycle the taser so many times. Captain Neville says some of these dogs are so powerful virtually nothing stops them and that's why sometimes they end up getting shot and killed.

 It should be noted that Cincinnati dropped its pit bull ban last year after the Ohio Legislature passed HB 14.  This capitulation to pit bull advocacy was not in the best interests of peaceful residents of that city.  


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An overlooked pit bull story from 4/24/2013
Cincinnati Ohio

A police officer shot and killed a pit bull after the dog bit him in the arm.  The officer and his partner were responding to a domestic disturbance call when a man appeared with the dog.  Police asked him to restrain his dog but he did not, he ordered the dog to attack police.  Another police officer was injured in a fall during the confrontation.  The officer was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.  The pit bull owner was arrested.   




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Pit bull roundup 6/5/2013

I always intend to keep up to date with Ohio pit bull news but it just gets ahead of me.  I will try to catch up. There will a very random order to this mess.

Here is a good one to start with.
Dayton Ohio, June 2, 2013

A Dayton area grandmother, out for her regular four mile walk was attacked by a "large white dog."  The breed of dog is not named.  A bit of back story, a recent development on breed specific advocacy blogs and facebook pages urges breed specific advocates to pressure news media to omit the breed of dog instead of the insane statements of breed defense that have become so very common.

Please watch the video and name that dog.

Per the victim, she was walking past a home when the home owner let his dog out.  The dog attacked the walker without provocation, as the victim stated "this dog was not playing."  The dog owner walked over and pulled his dog off the victim. She asked him to call for police and an ambulance and he told her it was not necessary!!!!   She struggled home and made the calls herself.

The victim very reasonably wants the dog owner to be punished for breaking the law.  This punishment would involve the Montgomery County Dog Warden, Mark Kumpf, vocal supporter of HB 14.  The law that Mr. Kumpf promoted as a way for dog wardens to deal with vicious dogs sets out a complex procedure to declare a dog vicious.  It is Mark Kumpf's job to set the process in motion and I hope he does it.  For those who might want to review the process, click here.

For record keeping purposes, in the 15 months since the Ohio Legislature passed the bill that proponents promised would "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs" there have been four fatal dog attacks in Ohio.

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May 11, 2013
Dayton again.

Two pit bull dogs were removed from cages in the back yard of an abandoned home.  The cages were filled with fecal matter, no food was reported, minimal dirty water was available.  The neighbor who called in the complaint stated the dogs howled all night.  She also stated that no one had lived in the house since last winter, "someone" stops by occasionally to feed the dogs.  Sometimes a pit bull's worst nightmare is his owner.

Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden is apparently a busy man.

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May 28, 2013
Dayton again, who would have thought?

Five dogs were pulled from homes on Helena Street and Brightwood Ave.  This is an apparent dog fighting operation.  The article calls the dogs "mixed breeds" but the video shows, wait for it....
pit bulls.  One seldom stumbles upon bands of dog fighters using Golden Retrievers or Chihuahuas.

5 dogs severely injured by dog fighting photo

Per whiotv.com, two of the dogs were so severely injured that they were euthanized.  In an on-camera interview Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden stated that the injuries indicated that the dogs were "forced to fight" and that an investigation is in progress.

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May 28, 2013
Dayton Ohio, what are the chances?

A 79 year old woman was bitten by her neighbor's dog.  She believes the dog to be a pit bull.  She was treated at the scene.  

Woman, 79, bitten by neighbor’s dog photo

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May 21, 2013
Mansfield Ohio

A tipster reported a man videotaping his pit bull killing a cat.

According to the report three or four men were walking two pit bulls. The men were seen chasing cats out from under parked cars toward the dogs, who caught and killed them.  Police were unable to locate the men but did find a dead cat on the sidewalk.  Richland County Dog Warden  Dave Jordan stated the perpetrators could face a second-degree misdemeanor, which might rate a maximum 90 day jail sentence and a $750 fine.

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May 10, 2013
Youngstown Ohio

An abandoned commercial building on Market street was raided by Youngstown police and dog wardens. Per Deputy Dog Warden Dave Nelson all the signs of dog fighting were there.  Blood, bleach, and a cash box were found in the building.  Urine and feces were found in every room.  The only dog on the premises was a "friendly female pit bull that appeared to have just had puppies."



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April 22, 2013
Toledo Ohio

In a story not reported by the Toledo Blade, four people were sent to local hospitals with a variety of injuries after they intervened in an attack by a pit bull on another dog.  Witnesses stated that the pit bull had been at large for much of the day prior to attacking the other dog.  Police tried to subdue the pit bull but were unable to do so, they shot it to protect the public.  Witness  Jeremiah Colston stated "I saw the dog chewing up some people,"There was just so much blood."

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June 2, 2013
Wellsville Ohio

An eighteen year old girl was attacked by a dog reported to be an American Bulldog, which is a pit bull derivative.  The story is a tangled one involving a domestic dispute, possibly over cell phones.  As is frequently done, the attack was described as a "freak thing" a dog just protecting his master.  Per The Morning Journal "Neighbor Sheryl Colgrove, who lives across the street, said she is familiar with the dog, and at one time wanted to buy it. "He's not vicious. He knows me," she said, identifying the dog as an American bulldog named Hoss.
"This is the first time he's ever done anything likes this. He's not aggressive at all," she said. "That took everybody by surprise."
 Victim Tina Springer was life flighted to Allegheny General Hospital.  Dog owner Amanda Bender explains the attack in this article from the Reviewonline.com.  Feel free to read the details.  Bender makes the required statements "the attack was uncharacteristic of a dog that, before Saturday, had been the ideal pet since the couple acquired it earlier this year.
"I don't think he should be put down. He is such a sweet dog," she said. "He's never been aggressive."Bender said she doesn't understand the dog's actions, especially since Springer and the dog have gotten along well. "He was laying on her lap on the couch. He loves that woman," she said. "Our children have known it since it was a puppy."
Bender said she wouldn't want her children around the dog now. The fact that the attack happened in her home haunts her.
"I keep waking up in cold sweats," she said. "I'm still dreaming about it and wishing it never happened."
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May 18, 2013
Letter to the editor of the ChillicotheGazette.com

The letter writer begins with the title "Dog Attacks More Common Than You Think."  She talks about her beloved Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix named Pippin, and the very special relationship between the dog and her young son.  She goes on to describe the attack on her dog, in her yard, by two pit bulls.  A neighbor drove off the pit bulls and called her at work, she rushed home and took  Pippin to a local vet.  Pippin lived only 48 hours after the attack, the letter writer does not give a dollar figure for the treatment of her dog.  I'm sure the bill is huge.

She does state that authorities had no trouble locating the pit bulls, the dogs had FOUR prior charges.  She lists them.  The dogs were found, and again returned to the owners. The pit bull owners did not bother to show up for their hearing on May 3rd, did not pay their fine, have not paid medical expenses for Pippin or the other injured dogs despite promises to do so.  Pippin's owner was not permitted to give the judge her side of the story.  So just how is Ohio's new law, written by breed specific advocates at an out of state animal rights PAC, helping dog wardens deal with vicious dogs?

Who speaks for the gentle Pippins of this state?  Who speaks for the children who love them?

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May 7, 2013
Letter to the Editor of the ChillicotheGazette.com

"Vicious Dogs Have No Place In Chillicothe"
This letter writer describes TWO pit bull attacks on her little dog named J Puppy, both attacks were by the same dog.  Sadly, J Puppy did not survive  the second attack.  The letter writer states that police did exactly what they were supposed to do but the courts let her down.  Please remember that Ohio's new law promises to protect Ohio residents by giving dog wardens the "tools they need to deal with vicious dogs."

The dog owner's attorney was able to postpone so many times that the judge apparently got bored, reduced the charges and allowed the pit bull owner to walk away.  This is a quote from the letter "This is what happened the first time my puppy and I were attacked. All the judge heard was one side of the story. I did not get a chance to tell the judge what happened. I was knocked to the ground so hard that I broke my elbow and wrist.
Is this justice? Why wasn’t I allowed to tell the judge what happened to me? When is enough, enough? What’s it going to take to have these dogs removed from the home — will it be a child mauled or killed? Should another animal’s life be taken by these vicious dogs?
I talked to the dog warden and she said they cannot remove the dogs, only a court can do that."
Why don't Judges in Chillicothe allow victims to speak?  The letter writer asks the question and it is an excellent question "What has happened to justice in Chillicothe?"

For more information on this attack please click here.

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April 26, 2013
Milan Ohio

A Cocker Spaniel mix named Ruggles was attacked inside the home of the owner by a pit bull that entered when the home owner opened the back door.  The Cocker Spaniel was dragged from the home by the pit bull.  When deputies arrived they had to beat the pit bull in order to get it to release Ruggles. Ruggles was treated at the Lorain Animal Clinic and did survive.

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South Toledo Ohio
In an article published 4/12/2013, Carl Steward of Toledo was indicted on six counts of dog fighting for allegedly possessing six pit bull dogs that investigators state were "trained for dog fighting."  Police found the dogs while investigating a report of a break in at Steward's home. Also found in the home were dog training equipment, syringes, and drugs commonly given to dogs.  

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April 1, 2013
Montgomery County Ohio

A sad end to a search for one of two pit bulls that escaped from their owner's home through a hole in a fence.  One of the dogs was found a week later and returned to the owners through the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden).  Several weeks later the remaining pit bull was found shot to death.  "The dog had been shot in the head and dumped at the location. It had wounds consistent with being in a dogfight, according to ARC Director Mark Kumpf.  Kumpf said he believes Onyx was grabbed by a third party and forced to fight another dog. Kumpf said he believes it was killed by the handler when it lost the fight."  “He was victimized because of his breed,” Kumpf said.
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $5000 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the death of this dog.  This is a heinous crime but the HSUS does not offer rewards like this for information leading to arrest and conviction of owners of pit bulls that maul and kill other dogs.  Why is that? Did the HSUS consider a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction the three or four Mansfield Ohio men that chased peaceful cats out from under cars so they could videotape their dogs killing them?   Nope.   
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3/6/2013
Ravenna Ohio
From the "a pit bull's worst nightmare may well be its owner files" the Portage County APL is investigating the death of a female pit bull found in an empty parking lot.  An APL spokesman stated that the dog had a TV cable tightly embedded in her neck and extra cable wrapped around her body, a rope was hanging out of her mouth and the body appeared to have been dragged by a vehicle.
Dead dog found in Portage County_20130306135421_JPG

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3/26/2013
Akron Ohio
More from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare may well be its owner" file. The owner of twelve starving pit bull mixes found in an Akron house entered a guilty plea on animal cruelty charges and has been ordered to pay $1500 and will not be allowed to own a dog for a period of five years.  This dog owner was very fortunate and the guilty plea was a good idea.  Also found in the home were a treadmill, bite sticks and syringes.  Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor, dog fighting is a felony.  
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3/22/2013
Massilon Ohio
A dog was shot by a Stark County Deputy Dog Warden.  The dog warden was responding to a call and got out of his vehicle on a public roadway.  He was rushed by three "American Bulldog pit bull type dogs."  The dogs became so aggressive that he was forced to use his gun in self defense, wounding one of the dogs. The deputy transported the injured dog to a veterinary clinic for treatment.  The dog is expected to make a full recovery.  The owner of the dogs was charged with failure to control, failure to vaccinate and failure to register the dogs.      
An investigation of the incident determined that the deputy followed procedures and properly acted in self defense.  
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April 19, 2013
Sandusky Ohio  
The quick actions of two Sandusky police officers are credited with saving a 74 year old man and his jack Russel Terrier from two attacking pit bulls.  The victim, Paul Aviles, had bite marks on his hands and arms, the injuries to the Jack Russel are not given.  This quote is from the Sandusky Register "“Officers observed two pit bulls around a male subject lying prone face down on the ground,” a Sandusky police report said. “This subject, later identified as Paul Aviles, was lying still on the ground with these two dogs circling around him. They kept on nudging at Aviles as if they were attempting to get to something underneath him.” 
Sandusky police Officer Brad Wilson jumped out of his cruiser and yelled at the dogs, one of which charged at him. He zapped one dog with a Taser, prompting both animals to run off.  
“When Aviles stood up he was holding onto a small dog,” the report said. 
Aviles and the dog were covered in blood. Officers put them into the cruiser, then ran after the pit bulls. 
One of the pit bulls fell down, then got up and charged, the report said. When an officer zapped it with a Taser again, it died. Officers then snared the other dog and took it to the Erie County dog pound."  
The 42 year old owner of  the pit bulls, Rebecca Hush, was charged with two counts of dogs at large. 


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For more information on Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden, and his involvement with the passage of HB 14, the law that deregulated pit bulls in Ohio and created the nightmare "due process" for the owners of vicious dogs please click here