Things have been pretty much the same in Ohio since the last Roundup was posted on 4/28/2014. Here we go, hope you have your coffee.
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4/30/2014
Springfield Ohio
Residents of the Brentwood Square apartment complex are complaining about two pit bulls at large. It just so happens that these two pit bulls come from a household cited four years ago for pit bulls at large. One resident stated "“It doesn’t matter who, if someone is walking by and they hear you coming, they will come out and chase after you,” said Jamie Watts, who lives in the complex and has five children.
The dogs are fenced in, Watts said, but find ways to get out.
Her children are afraid to wait at the bus stop alone, she said, because they fear the dogs will get out.
She worries even more for her 13-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy.
“If these dogs ran after her, she’d fall. She would fall and they would have her. What can you do? She is 13 and she should be able to play our here like any other child,” she said.
Residents have complained to the Clark County Sheriff's office and to the local Humane Society as well but were told that they need proof before they can take action. One neighbor stated he has been chased to his car many times and he keeps a baseball bat next to his front door "in case he ever needs it to fight off the dogs." What happened to Ohio's new dangerous dog law, written by Best Friends Animal Society "finally giving dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs""? HB 14 has been a predictable failure and the Ohio Legislature is looking at changes that will actually protect the public. More on this later.
It is a damn shame that a whole neighborhood is held captive by a pit bull owner who refuses to contain his aggressive pit bulls.
This is the fence that is supposed to contain the pit bulls.
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4/30/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
Sylvester Forte was found guilty of failing to confine his pit bulls and received a $100 fine plus an order that he never have pit bulls on his property again for the mauling of Beulah Sheafe. The judge stated that this was toughest sentence Forte could receive under current law. One of Forte's pit bulls was shot at the scene and the other will be euthanized. The pit bulls ripped off part of Mrs. Sheafe's scalp and removed a quarter pound of flesh from her leg. Mrs. Sheafe spoke to the judge and to a reporter. Please watch the video of this tiny but courageous lady calling for a pit bull ban. Quick review, Cincinnati had a pit bull ban but dropped it to satisfy the demands of pit bull advocates after HB 14, the predictable failure, gave dog wardens "the tools they need to deal with dangerous dogs." The Ohio legislature is considering changes to the law since the mauling death of Klonda Richey. For more information on the mauling of Beulah Sheafe please click here.
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4/23/2014
Cleveland Ohio
From the "a pit bull's worst nightmare is not the safety advocate but rather his own owner" files. William Congress was arrested for abuse of his pit bull mix puppy. Around Christmas time Congress texted photos to a roommate showing that he hurt the dog for tearing up the floor. An investigation by the Animal Protective League revealed the dog had a head injury, broken leg, plus other injuries and evidence of strangulation. Congress is facing animal abuse charges, the dog is recovering at the APL.
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5/1/2014
Huber Heights Ohio/Dayton
The pit bull that attacked a utility worker last month was euthanized. The pit bull owner stated that she was unaware that the utility worker was on the property when she let the dog out. The decision to euthanize was made at a meeting between the pit bull owner and Montgomery Animal Resource officers. Mark Kumpf has one less pit bull in his shelter.
For additional information on this attack please click here.
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5/2/2014
Dayton Ohio
Another story from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare might just be his own owner" files. Almost two years ago a pit bull was abandoned in the basement of a home. The dog was found and taken to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton to recover. "We found Alex in the basement, completely emaciated, not moving, very close to death in fact probably just a day or so away from death," said Brian Weltge, President of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton.
"He was just bones, they say he was living on a mattress, eating a mattress for food and no water," said Drescher.
It took Alexander three days to have the strength to lift his head and a week for him to be able to walk.
A kind couple has chosen this pit bull, now known as Alexander the Great, after two years in the shelter . Please click on the link for video of Alexander shortly after entering the shelter, his condition was shocking.
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5/3/2014
Dayton Ohio - again
A postal worker was bitten by a pit bull. Per WDTN Channel 2 News "The victim told police he was delivering mail in the 600 block of Huffman Avenue around 11 a.m. Friday when a large pit bull came running through the front screen door of a home and charged at him. The dog bit his right calf."
The pit bull's owner stated that the pit bull was not vaccinated or licensed. The pit bull owner was issued a citation for a minor misdemeanor for failure to vaccinate. WOW, current Ohio law, written to "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs" is really working, a minor misdemeanor citation... wow! Given the no follow-up policy of the Montgomery County Dog Warden this citation is an insult to the residents of Dayton.
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5/5/2014
Dayton AGAIN
A nine year old girl was bitten in the face by her grandparents pit bull/Shar-Pei mix dog. The girl was in the home with the 2 1/2 year old dog while her grandmother worked in her garden. Per WHIO " Police tell us the girl suffered two gashing wounds to her face, each believed to be four to five inches in length. One of the wounds was from her ear to her jaw. The other was from her nose to her jaw, according to police at the scene.
Joshua Cusick, with the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, said the child may have been playing with one of the dog's toys when the incident occurred.
The grandparents were given a citation because "Felony" was not properly licensed, police said.
The girl's grandfather attempts to load Felony into the van. It was reported that the dog will likely be euthanized.
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5/6/2014
Springfield Ohio
A three year old boy, attacked by a leashed pit bull, required more than 200 stitches. Ricky Preston (also identified as Ricky Conley) was playing in the backyard of his grandmother's home when the leashed pit bull broke free and "charged into the yard" and grabbed the child by the head, shaking him and had to be beaten off the child. Rickey was transferred to Dayton Children's Hospital . The Clark County Humane Society quarantined the dog. The pit bull's owner, a neighborhood resident, was cited for failure to control, failure to vaccinate, and failure to license, all minor misdemeanors. The pit bull owner, Robert Rife, attempted to simply walk away from police but was taken into custody. Per WDTN News "Officers say Rife was drunk and walking with the dog to a nearby convenience store for more beer." " The Springfield Humane Society took the pit bull, but Rickey’s mom Crystall says Rife needs to be punished. “I think they need to give him a child endangerment because he knew the dog would bite because he tells everybody that the dog bites and it’ll tear somebody up. He shouldn’t have had it coming down here with it.”
How is HB14, written by Best Friends Animal Society working out for Ohio residents? A spectacular and predictable failure. Remember the phrase given to us by Representative Barbara Sears who partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to bring this mess to Ohio HB 14 "finally gives dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs."
The charges against Rife were upgraded to fourth degree misdemeanors in a 5/27/2014 report. Each charge carries up to a 30 day jail sentence. It is hoped that he receives the max. Rife is a repeat offender. Per WDTN News "2 NEWS checked with the Clark County Humane Society who told our reporter that Rife has been prosecuted several times for animal cruelty. Most recently in 2012, he was found guilty of charges that he confined and abused 12 dogs in a small garage he was living in. He served jail time and was ordered not to own any animals for at least a year, but that order expired when he got this new pit bull."
The pit bull was euthanized and found to have rabies. PLEASE click here for video that shows some of the dogs taken from Rife on the previous abuse charges, and video of Rife in court. Don't miss Rife in court!
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5/5/2014
Cleveland Ohio
Petey the pit bull mix has gone missing. Petey was out for a walk with his foster family when he saw a deer and broke free. The dog was last seen near Stafford Road in Chagrin Falls, wearing a black and red collar and dragging a blue leash. Per Fox 8 News "The staff at the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter is desperate to find the dog. “We are devoted to this dog, he’s like our dog. He hasn’t had a family. We’ve been his family. Now he is out there missing, and we don’t know how he is, and it is very nerve-racking and we are scared for him and we just want him back. The foster family is devastated and they want him back.”
It is believed that Petey was shot in the head before he was rescued which left "some markings" on his head.
Anyone sighting Petey is asked to call the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter or the Sheriffs Department. I would think twice about approaching Petey. Here is some information on him from a Kennel manager "He even hangs out at the front desk, and it’s not just because he’s a shelter favorite, but because he needs socialization.
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5/7/2014
Powhatan Point Ohio
A delegation of 10 residents approached the Village Council about pit bulls posing problems in their neighborhood. A Saint Clairsville woman was commended for quick action regarding these dogs. The balance of the article is behind a pay wall at this time.
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5/11/2014
Columbus Ohio
Patricia Cooley went for a walk with her dog on Mother's Day. She was attacked by a pit bull and rescued by a neighbor. Cooley states she has bites all over her body except for her face and neck.
Per WBNS News "Cooley says as the dog began to tear the flesh and clothes off her body, she wondered if anyone would hear her screams as the pit bull chewed a hole in her calf, biting her inner thighs, back and buttocks. “Had it not been for the neighbors (to) shield me to get the dog off of me, I thought I was gone", she said. Putting herself at risk, neighbor Charlyne English she says it was all she could do to convince the dog to stop. “He would take big chunks; he was actually going for blood," said English."
The owner of the pit bull is incarcerated and the dog was in the care of another. The dog has been euthanized, it had not been vaccinated. For news video of this attack please click here. Note the Total Designation by breed from the Franklin County Dog Warden available at this link. Pit bulls are the big winners in Nuisance, Dangerous, and Vicious dog designations in the County. Which leads us to the next attack.
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5/11/2014
Columbus Ohio
A Columbus grandmother was also attacked on Mother's Day. Paula Chatman was unloading her groceries from her car which was parked in her garage when she was attacked by her neighbor's pit bull. Chatman's son heard her screams and came to her rescue, scaring the dog away with a pole. Mrs. Chatman has bites from her toes to her knees, she has 35 puncture wounds.
The pit bull owner had no comment for reporters. His dog is now designated as dangerous with all the restrictions that come with the designation. This was the first reported bite from this pit bull. Please note that statistically speaking this is "one bite" but the victim has 35 puncture wounds. This is the problem with pit bull advocates who endlessly blather about "bite counts." An attack like this, or an attack that kills a human with a hundred bites noted at autopsy is one statistical "bite."
A side item that might be considered here is the high profile attempt of Columbus breed advocates to force the community of Reynoldsburg to drop their breed ban and embrace breed neutral law. Non-resident pit bull fanciers from Columbus and Dayton have been speaking at Reynoldsburg City Council meetings since last year in hopes of ending the successful breed ban. They are led by a Columbus resident who has made the same demands in other communities. The pit bulls for Reynoldsburg group is represented by Dayton lawyer Tammy Nortman, formerly with the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, who has testified that the definition of pit bulls does not exist and she points to the AKC for backup on this. It is true that the AKC does not recognise pit bulls, they register American Staffordshire Terriers. The UKC was founded for the purpose of registering pit bulls as American Pit Bull Terriers. If one has an AKC American Staffordshire Terrier they may double register that dog as a UKC APBT under the single registration process. If you can double register the same dog as a AKC Amstaff and as a UKC APBT then the dogs are the same breed. But I digress, Nortman considers the Reynoldsburg breed ban unconstitutional. Lawyer Nortman might review the Ohio Supreme Court ruling State of Ohio v. Anderson for both a definition and verification of constitutionality. Nortman also states that the Reynoldsburg breed ban violates the ADA even though there are have been no service pit bulls in the community. For video of Nortman claiming that visual identification of breed can't be done please click here. The AKC should be made aware, every dog show ever held is based upon visual identification of breeds and this travesty must stop.
There are no pit bull victims in Reynoldsburg to voice an opinion because the dogs are banned but right next door in Columbus things are very different. Columbus has had three serious attacks since the ad hoc committee, formed in response to demands made by the Pit bulls for Reynoldsburg group, began to meet. The two above and the April 27th attack on child and four adults. The boy lost an ear in the attack. His father and three other adults were also attacked by the same pit bull. Animal Control removed three adult pit bulls from the residence and six puppies.
How is breed neutral law working out for Columbus and Dayton? It would seem logical that breed specific advocates from communities with breed specific problems would keep a low profile and quietly work on preventing attacks their own towns.
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I offer this one without comment. Mostly. Columbus Ohio ranks 9th in the nation for dog attacks on mail carriers. Dayton is in a tie for 28th place. I do not find Reynoldsburg on the national list.
Here is a map.
Ohio is ranks third in the nation for dog bite claims. Ohio had 948 claims with a cost of 19.9 million dollars.
Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf stated " “We hope to reduce the number of dog bite incidents through education,”
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5/17/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
A 10 year old boy was bitten by a neighbor's pit bull. The boy was playing in his own yard when he was attacked. The child was treated at Children's Hospital Medical Center for a severe bite to his leg . The pit bull owner was cited.
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5/18/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
Tammy Tucker was attacked by her own three pit bulls, raised from puppies and they slept in her bed. She stated that "it was her fault" and that the trigger for the attack was stating the lawn mower. Family and neighbors were unable to beat the dogs off Tucker. Police were called and the responding officers described the attack as "she was being eaten alive" by her own dogs. Shots were fired into the ground to scare the pit bulls away but one pit bull would not release the victim/owner and was shot. Unbelievably, per the neighbors, the dogs have attacked both Mrs. Tucker and her husband in the past. Equally unbelievably, while his wife was still in intensive care Art Tucker tried to get the dogs back. A spokesman for the SPCA said during an on camera interview that this may be a precedent setting case, the owner/victim may be cited for the dogs being vicious because of the seriousness of her injuries. The primary consideration is the safety of the neighborhood and these dogs may not be returned. Video is available at this link.
Mrs. Tucker spoke with a reporter from her hospital bed stating that she had concerns about her pit bulls behaviors and worked with a trainer to "change herself" but now she realizes that it was the dogs. The two surviving dogs were euthanized. Tucker is recovering from one of the most severe maulings ever seen at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
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5/19/2014
Miamisburg Ohio
Miamisburg police shot a charging pit bull. Police were investigating a break in when a neighborhood resident let their two year old pit bull out. The dog ran at police officers standing in front of the house. Per WHIO "Officers were on the sidewalk using a police canine to track possible suspects who broke into a storage room of a house in the 800 block of Seibert Avenue. They were able to track the suspects for about two blocks. "
The pit bull was shot but not seriously injured. The dog owner received a summons for failure to control.
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5/21/2014
Colerain Township Ohio
Per Cincinnati.com "According to court records, Brown let his pit bull "Tank" loose as a weapon on Sgt. Scott Owen and Lt. Mike Owens as they attempted to arrest Beard on open warrants. Beard ran upstairs into a residence, passing Tank, who bit Sgt. Owen on the left arm and then attempted to attack Lt. Owens, police wrote in a sworn statement. Lt. Owens was forced to fatally shoot the animal to stop the threat."
Courtney Beard
Dewayne Brown
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5/23/2014 Dayton Ohio - again
Dog fighting equipment and cocaine were found in a Dayton house. Per WHIO "Two dogs believed to be pitbulls were taken from the home on Weaver Avenue. Police said dog fighting equipment and blood were found in the garage, and dog fighting has possibly taken place at the home.
Just what the Montgomery Animal Resource needs, two more pit bulls, taken from an apparent dog fighting location. No arrests have been made.* * *
5/22/2014
Columbus Ohio - again
A recent Ohio State graduate filed a complaint that Columbus Police wrongfully shot her Lab/pit bull mix. Police tell a different story, they state that they acted in self defense as they were attempting to execute an arrest warrant against her boyfriend for domestic violence. Per WBNS10TV "A charge, she says she now wishes she could wipe away because when police moved in, her dog, Nala, became an unintended target."When I came to the door, I cracked it like this and looked out, then Nala came beside me and stuck her nose out here," said victim, Cartier Townsend.
"They said put your dog away. I will shoot your dog. Those two statements. That is all that they said to me," said Townsend.
A spokesperson for Columbus police tells 10TV the officers, at the time, told her to secure the dog.
"I tried to put her away and even when she ran out of her cage, I told them, don't shoot her. She's not going to try to bite you guys," said Townsend.
Police say, after they repeatedly told her to close the cage, Townsend jumped in the officer's way and the dog ran toward them growling. Police deployed a taser prior to shooting the dog. Neighbors have made statements to police and the shooting is being investigated. The boyfriend was arrested.
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5/23/2014
Akron Ohio
Two stray dogs, appearing to be pit bulls and "appeared to be foaming at the mouth" were noted in the vicinity of Smith Elementary School, a parent notified the school and the school went into lockdown for nearly an hour until the dogs were picked up by the dog warden. The dogs also chased two people just outside the school.
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5/24/2014
Dayton Ohio - who would think?
A pit bull bit a woman's wrist. The pit bull's owner stated that the victim is a friend of his wife. She came to the door and the pit bull jumped on the door, pushed it open, bit the woman's wrist and refused to release. The victim was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment of a large laceration, she had lost a significant amount of blood. Wait for it... the dog has a history of biting, it had bitten a small child. Wait for it... the actual owner of the dog is incarcerated and has been for the last year. The pit bull was surrendered to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. Just what Kark kumpf needs, another biting pit bull.
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Dayton Ohio - who would think?
A pit bull bit a woman's wrist. The pit bull's owner stated that the victim is a friend of his wife. She came to the door and the pit bull jumped on the door, pushed it open, bit the woman's wrist and refused to release. The victim was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment of a large laceration, she had lost a significant amount of blood. Wait for it... the dog has a history of biting, it had bitten a small child. Wait for it... the actual owner of the dog is incarcerated and has been for the last year. The pit bull was surrendered to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. Just what Kark kumpf needs, another biting pit bull.
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5/31/2014
DAYTON Ohio
An attack that no one will ever hear about. A labrador attacked a Yorkiepoo. The Labrador was beaten by his owner and was apparently fearful of his owner. The owner of the Labrador was given a court summons for the bite. The Yorkiepoo suffered a three inch gash in his neck. Nobody died.
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Now for some good news. There is an effort to fix the mess left behind when Barbara Sears partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to create and pass HB 14 two years ago. HB 541 has been introduced by Representative Terry Blair and Representative Roland Winburn. Per WHIO " The proposed legislation would revise state law on vicious and dangerous dogs to do the following:
DAYTON Ohio
An attack that no one will ever hear about. A labrador attacked a Yorkiepoo. The Labrador was beaten by his owner and was apparently fearful of his owner. The owner of the Labrador was given a court summons for the bite. The Yorkiepoo suffered a three inch gash in his neck. Nobody died.
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Now for some good news. There is an effort to fix the mess left behind when Barbara Sears partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to create and pass HB 14 two years ago. HB 541 has been introduced by Representative Terry Blair and Representative Roland Winburn. Per WHIO " The proposed legislation would revise state law on vicious and dangerous dogs to do the following:
* Require the destruction of dogs that kill humans or companion animals;
* Require investigators to notify the dog's owner that there has been a complaint, even if no citation is issued for a violation;
* Mandate that the dog owner respond within 48 hours of receiving notice of a complaint or be fined $25. If the owner fails to respond within seven days, a court may issue an arrest warrant for the dog owner;
* And, require the owner to keep a dog leashed or penned regardless of whether the dog is on the owner's property.
The bill also would allow owners accused of violating the dog law to assert in their defense that the dog was teased, tormented or abused by a person or that the dog attacked while the person was trespassing or committing some other criminal act on the dog owner's property."
