The last Death and Excuses post went up on March 22nd. Four human fatalities in under a week brings us to this sad place again. How many deaths will it take until legislators take their responsibilities seriously and regulate bully breed dogs?
3/26/2014
Houma LA
A four year old girl was attacked inside her mother's apartment by a by a massive pit bull as she was
watching television with her mother. The pit bull was owned by the mother's boyfriend. The pit bull was so aggressive that the mother had to barricade herself and the child in a bedroom. When police arrived at the scene the injured child was passed out a window to waiting first responders. Police shot the pit bull three times through a window while it was still in the apartment and shot it 10 more times when officers attempted to enter. Police described the pit bull as "a monster."
Mia DeRouen did not survive her injuries.
Please click
here for news conference video. The Houma Police Chief gives a full account of the event.
Mia DeRouen with Niko, the pit bull that killed her.
Mia's mother, Megan Touchet with Niko
Niko's owner, Kerry Dominique. Classic bathroom selfie.
Niko was a valuable stud dog. Registered as an American Bully, Niko's stud fee was $1500.
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It should be noted that the killer pit bull, Niko (BTM's Hidden Treasure) is an exquisitely documented pit bull. B
y clicking on all the dogs in the three generations shown in his pedigree you will note that they are all UKC American Pit Bull Terriers. Per the American Bully Kennel Club website,
all UKC American Pit Bull Terriers and AKC American Staffordshire Terriers will be registered as an American Bully.
Incredibly but not unexpectedly,
pit bull advocacy is attempting to deny the breed on this attack. The pit bull "expert" casting doubt here is none other than Ken Foster, head of the Sula Foundation (named after one of his pit bulls, Sula). Click
here for a not to be missed interview by Foster. The Sula Foundation rescues pit bulls and places them as pets. One group of pit bulls placed by the Sula Foundation came from a
dog fight bust in Biloxi,
these off-the-chain, game bred and ring tested pit bulls may have been placed in a community near you. Some of these dogs were trafficked across state lines and into communities without disclosing their history. The interstate transport of dogs seized from dog fighters has become trendy. The
ASPCA is also involved. In this article the proud new owner of a pit fighter testifies that her dog is just a sweetie, plays with cats, a great addition to the family. She adopted the dog in March, she has only had it for a few weeks. Chances that the Sula Foundation or the ASPCA would be willing to pay the medical expenses of a victim of one of these dogs are slim. Whatever happened to the pit bull advocacy claim that pit bulls are "only mean if you teach them to be mean"? By that standard off-the-chain pit fighters would be the most dangerous dogs in the world and the ASPCA favors placing these dogs in family homes as pets? The interstate transport of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting is a violation of federal law but the interstate transport of those same dogs for the purpose of rehoming, with no disclosure of their previous status as game bred, ring experienced pit fighters is NOT a violation of any law? Does this make sense to anyone? Let me be clear here, dog fighting is a horrible crime and deserves investigation and prosecution of those involved. Placement of game bred pit bulls in peaceful communities where children play, pets are walked, livestock is kept does not end well and the victims pay the bills. But, I digress.
In another twist, it has been reported that
Niko's sire has produced human aggressive dogs and the owner of Kimbo is "investigating" these reports.
The investigation of this attack appears to be at a standstill,
Touchet and Dominique are refusing to speak with law enforcement on advice of their lawyers.
Special permits may be required for pit bulls kept in the in the Parish in the future.
More on the placement of seized game bred pit bulls being placed as pets, click
here.
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3/31/2014
Holmes County MS
Three year old Christopher Malone was killed by two pit bulls. The pit bulls "somehow" got out of a pen and fatally mauled the child. Christopher was dead at the scene. Per KTRE "
Sheriff deputies say Malone's mother tried to save him, "The children were outside playing and she missed her child and when she went around to look for him that's when she saw the dogs on him and she went up there to try to get the dogs off her child and she ended up getting bit too," said Captain Sam Chambers with the Holmes County Sheriff's Department."
The little boy's Aunt stated "
"The dog just jumped him and took him down and drugged him in the back and killed him, ate him up," said Lucy Mayze, an aunt of the victim."
The dogs were removed by Animal Control. The boy's aunt referred to the pit bulls as "puppies." Click
here for video.
Christopher Malone, what a beautiful child.
Blood stained killer pit bull on his way to the Animal Control truck.
The Holmes County
Sheriff wants a pit bull ban.
For a discussion of BSL in the state please click
here, excellent graphics.
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3/31/2014
Kaufman TX
Eighty five year old Dorothy Hamilton was mauled to death in her own home by two pit bulls owned by her son, Michael Hamilton. The pit bulls had been locked in a bedroom but they broke through a door to attack and kill Mrs. Hamilton.
Animal Control put the two aggressive pit bulls down, and removed six more pit bulls from the property. The remaining pit bulls were expected to be euthanized.
Neighbors have complained about dogs at this residence in the past.
For video please click
here.
* * *
4/6/2014
Riverside AL
John Harvard, age 5, was killed by a pit bull. John and his nine year old brother were playing in their yard when the 80 pound pit bull came onto the property and attacked John. The nine year old was unable to pull the pit bull off his little brother so he ran to get his father. The father shot at the dog. John was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive. The pit bull belonged to a neighbor and there was no history of violence from this dog.
The pit bull was eight months old.
For video please click
here.
The pit bull was euthanized.
Please click
this link for video of an interview with the parents of John Harvard.
Leash laws are now being considered for this community. Leash laws are the first choice of local lawmakers. That paragon of responsible pit bull ownership and pit bull advocacy Clay Hundenshire has this to say about leash laws in the comments following an article titled
Father of boy Killed by Pit Bull Says Leash Law would Have Saved His Son
Clay Hundenshire · Top Commenter · Virginia Tech
Death by dog is extremely rare. Leash laws are good, and can prevent issues. That said, I take my dogs hiking a lot, and when in the forest, they are not on a leash. I see someone heading my way, I call my dogs and leash them. It is common respect and prevents any possible issue. My dogs love running free, and I try my best to go places where I will not see anyone, or we're all on the same page.
Death by dog is not "exceedingly rare." So far this year sixteen Americans have been killed by dogs. After admitting that leashing dogs is a responsible practice Hundenshire freely admits that he takes the leashes off as soon as he thinks nobody will see him because his dogs "love running free." Dogs will always see other park users, pets, and wildlife before their owners do. Mr. Hundenshire is always going to be several beats behind, several lethal beats behind. Given the inability of pit bulls to "turn off" once they target it is just a matter of time before one of these pit bulls hurts someone. Scroll on down through the comments below to see what else Hundenshire had to say.
4/17/2014 Update. Mr. Hundenshire continues to comment. More of his thoughts have been added to the Clay Hundenshire section below.
* * *
Now lets take a look at the response of the pit bull community to these deaths. Some of these comments are filled with falsehoods and denial, some with hate, some just make no sense. Why would anyone think these comments were appropriate after the death of a human?
Cheryl • 14 days ago
You display a great deal of ignorance about the breed. ANY dog can be dangerous - it has to do with how and who raises them. But knee jerkers like you have no intention to alter their prejudices based on silly little things like facts.
Guest • 16 days ago
Pit bulls are not vicious killers they are like any other dog. Every dog has the ability to kill pit bulls are the only ones you see in the news
Guest • 16 days ago
Great Danes, mastiffs, and Saint Bernard's can all weight over 130 lbs. so not only pit bulls are that big. Pit bulls are pets I currently have 2 of them. My parents gave me my first pit bull when I was 1 years old.
memcop, alabama, United States, 2 weeks ago
I am a pitbull owner and let me say, my dog is the nicest prettiest dog ever! Her name is Mia and she is so loving and caring! Who cares if some pitbull killed a random child? IT was the kid's fault for being close to the dog. I don't care if this dog killed the child, it had every right to react naturally. I hate people who want to ban pitbulls.
memcop, alabama, United States, 2 weeks ago
Agreed! Stupid child's fault for getting near the dog! All the dog was doing was using it's natural instincts!
KalebT, Denham Springs, 2 weeks ago
Oh my God, you idiots are really showing off your ignorance. I was raised with and helped raise 15 Pitbulls, along with breeding and raising their pups until they were old enough to be sold to a loving home. NONE of the dogs EVER attacked myself, my family, friends, strangers, or the other dogs. It's NOT the breed, it's how they're raised. Do you HONESTLY believe that aggression is bred into them?! Go take a biology class, mk? These dogs are the perfect companion if raised properly and to say they have "no place in society" is not only an awful thing to say, but it's just downright stupid.
Why does everyone always bash on the pitbulls? It depends on how you raise the dog. If the dog is violent, then probably so are the owners.
morgyb, nyc, United Kingdom, 2 weeks ago
As a young woman who has rescued 11 pitbulls from horrible conditions in the shelter and on the street I can speak from a place of absolute knowledge. Each of you that wrote negative comments about these dogs must have absolutely NO experience with them and just obtain your information from sensationalized publications like Dailymail. They are smart, loving, loyal and fun. Incredible dogs. I can almost guarantee that the dog who mauled this child was of mixed breed as there isn't even such a thing as a pitbull - so stop judging and start doing something to help the homeless population of dogs at the shelter. Step up folks
David Martin · Top Commenter
get real. In the 70's it was all about German Shepherds and Dobermans. In the 80's it was Husky's and Rotwiellers. And you can't compare beagles to pits because they are not the same size. If your comparison was a pit and a boxer, or a pit and a German Shepherd you'd have a point. Your analogy doesn't work. Saying pits are bred for violence is like saying all blacks are bred to be athletic or all asians are bred to be smart. If you don't want a pit, don't get one, but don't blame the breed for the owner.
David Martin · Top Commenter
Louis Stevenson Your point? Most pit bull deaths are family members. Most of any dog attack is on a family member.
David Martin · Top Commenter
Marcie Muir no... The idiot owners would just get a rottwieller, or something else. You know Hitler thought the same way you do.
Tim T Sheets · CHCP- The College of Health Care Professions
sorry but that's asinine because it's not the animal, but the owner of the animal that makes them the way they are. I should know i was attacked by a beagle before, but not once have i ever been attacked by a pitbull.
Tim T Sheets · CHCP- The College of Health Care Professions
Your an idiot breeding them is raising them they were bred aggressive because we made them that way so it's our own fault don't blame the dog blame humanity
Astigmatism against a single bread????
Keith Ramsey · Top Commenter
Louis Stevenson - I'm amazed how stupid people come out of the woodwork to condemn this breed when they nothing about it, except the news media hype. Looking at the video... they are NOT PITTBULLS... they are at best mix breeds.... which means they are not PITTS. I've seen this repeated recently... dogs that are not PITTS at all are misidentified as Pitts just because of this astigmatism that people have against a single bread. Grow up and get over it. People who are hating on a breed are, in most cases, not smart enough to identify the breed.
Robin Parrish · Weatherford, Texas
SAD THING IS IF THIS WERE ANY OTHER TYPE BREED OF DOG NO ONE WOULD HEAR ABOUT IT. ITS NOT THE BREED IS THE OWNERS. HOW WOULD YOU ACT IF YOU WERE STUCK IN A ROOM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS??? DID THEY HAVE FOOD?? WATER? GET LET OUTSIDE? I THINK I MIGHT BE A LITTLE PISSED OFF AT THE FIRST PERSON I SEEN WHEN I FINALLY GOT BROKE FREE FROM BEING HELD UP IN A ROOM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE!!! THESE SO CALLED VICIOUS PIT BULLS WERE ONCE NANNY DOGS!!! EDUCATE PEOPLE!!!
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Jax Ashlee Terrell · North Garland High School
I wonder if the reporters even saw the dogs or spoke with anyone before reporting that they were pit bulls. Inst that how news station work now? Dog attack, oh it was pit bulls. Oh but they look like poodles, lets get new pics so it wont f up our story.
Robert Livingston · Top Commenter · TCU
"Despite this bad rap, a well-bred, well-socialized and well-trained pit bull is one of the most delightful, intelligent and gentle dogs imaginable. It is truly a shame that the media continues to portray such a warped image of this beautiful, loyal and affectionate breed. Pit bulls once enjoyed a wonderful reputation. Some of the most famous dogs in American history were pit bulls. A pit bull named Stubby, a decorated hero during World War One, earned several medals and was even honored at the White House. During duty, he warned soldiers of gas attacks, found wounded men in need of help and listened for oncoming artillery rounds. Pit bulls have been featured in well-known advertising campaigns for companies such as Levis, Buster Brown Shoes and Wells Fargo. The image of a pit bull, which was considered a symbol of unflagging bravery and reliability, represented the United States on recruiting and propaganda posters during World War One. Many famous figures, including Helen Keller, President Theodore Roosevelt, General George Patton, President Woodrow Wilson, Fred Astaire and Humphrey Bogart, shared their lives and homes with pit bulls".
Randy Phinney
They call any dog a pit bull to sensationalize the story and boost their ratings. The dogs pictured obviously are not pit bulls. The reporter couldn't stop saying "pit bull". The sheeple believe whatever the guy on the news tells them.
Sarah Michelle Key · Works at Croft Automation
You need to educate yourself, they are not " a breed whose purpose was to fight" They were once called the nanny dog because of their loyalty and protective nature, especially with children. Educate yourself before pontificating and removing any doubt that on this topic, you are ignorant.
Sarah Balderson · University of Texas at Dallas
Not ALL pit bulls are bad or vicious. Cesar Millan uses them to help train other dogs. He would tell you that it's not the breed, it's how they are raised and handled. A Chihuahua bites more people but they aren't seen as vicious because they are so small. Only dumb people who don't know much about dogs think that all pit bulls are mean and have violent behavior. If you are that afraid, just keep cats for pets. You probably don't deserve the loyalty and companionship of a pit bull in the 1st place anyways. That for sure goes for this XXXXXXXXX guy who thinks no one should have a pit. You only hear about pit bull attacks on the news because that's all the news will cover. Don't be ignorant.
Sarah Balderson · University of Texas at Dallas
Ignorance is bliss. Keep it that way if that's what makes you happy sir. As for us pit owners, we will continue to love our loyal dogs and squash every preconceived notion that you cast on us. They don't need owners like you anyways, so I guess we are all better off keeping our opinions and living with them.
Lisa has missed the part where the dog's pedigree, three generations is available for public review.
Lisa Sanders • 11 days ago
And no, "trotting out the nanny dog myth" would NOT be any better, the fact is this poster is actually educated about what a Pit Bull actually is...a Pit Bull is the nick name for ONE breed...the American Pit Bull Terrier, not a blanket term for any short haired, muscled, blocky head and has a tail dog. there are breed standards for a reason, and as far as rescue groups and finding him labeled as something on Google...are VERY VERY often wrong, innocently, ignorantly or purposely...so it means nothing. if a dogs lineage is UNKNOWN..its a mutt, plain and simple, there is no way of knowing unless the dogs lineage is able to be proven...MISINFORMATION, like breed identification, and the "nanny dog myth" are all EQUALLY detrimental to the dog world....not just the bull dog world
Why is it ok to judge by breed but not by race?
EUPRAXIA 1Clay Hundenshire
Lisa Sanders MJC • 11 days ago
and you obviously have no idea what you are talking about dogs or breeds or otherwise......Pit Bulls and ANY other fighting breed of dog were NEVER "bred to attack without warning or provocation" , they were bred to be extremely people friendly, smart, aware of their surroundings, focused and agile. Pit Bulls (like ANY other breed of dog) give plenty of warnings before they bite or attack. Rarely is any attack from any breed EVER unprovoked. and even in this case, the dog was an intact male, WITH a female in heat IN the house....thats a recipe for disaster with ANY dog, much less any LARGE dog.
Lisa Sanders • 11 days ago
Because people lie, bc they don't want to admit that letting their kid rude the dog like a horse and jump on his back was stupid, because they think it's so cute when fluffy snarls and licks his lips and has big white eyes and is trying to get away, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OBLIVIOUS AND STUPID and the kinds of PEOPLE that typically let things like this happen are totally irresponsible and shouldn't own ANY dog. Because people are ignorant and uneducated and don't know what signs to look for, because the TRUTH doesn't make a good media story...
PICK ONE, PICK ALL,
Lisa Sanders • 11 days ago
if you look at a chicken, but someone tells you its a duck...do you believe them? same concept, these quack statistics that are compiled from "classified ads" LMAO....you and the people placing and purchasing from those classified ads wouldnt know a pit bull if it bit them, (pun totally intended).
AGAIN...bother to really educate yourself, the links with the information needed to explain UKC classifications was provided above.....take that, learn what you can from it, then Google stuff to further that knowledge....BUT, you wont...because you want an innocent population to be blamed for the action of a few.....you know what would be REALLY ironic?...if you were black.
"Exposing a closed mind to facts is like shining light on the iris of the eye—it just closes more tightly."......With that being said, I myself own an AmStaff! He is a sweety and have run across many who believe "it's only a matter of time before he shows his true colors". Really?? People do not realize that "Petey" from the original "Our Gang", was an AmStaff. Ignorant people work my last nerve :)
pit_lover • 11 days ago
Are you so stupid that you must comprehend things soon f!cking literal? Do you just not have any f!cking common sense?? I understand if you don't. Many people nowadays don't. You must be one of them. I must not judge you, for I do not know you. But continue on if you must.
In a pen. So resident vs. family dogs. A VERY important distinction to make. Where were the adults? Was this child a visitor to the property? What level of socialisation did these dogs achieve? What age were these dogs when taken from their mother and littermates? What socio-economic demographic and were these dogs used as 'guard' dogs? Was food involved? Too many very relevant questions are not answered by simply stating what the dog's breed is believed to be.
