Pit bull Roundup 7/29/2014 Maulings, dead pets, attacks upon garden statuary, and mailmen carrying machetes.

This will be a long post.  I apologise in advance. Dayton Ohio is again over represented but Cincinnati is making a serious challenge.   Get comfy...

6/5/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A pit bull that was rescued from a dog fighting operation was stolen from the automobile of the new owner at 2 AM  while the car was parked in front of a bar.  The new owner had possession of Ryder the pit bull for just one day.

Anyone seeing this dog is asked to call Dayton police at 333-2677.  Just what Dayton needs, a game bred pit fighter in the community.

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6/6/2014
DAYTON Ohio
A 13 year old babysitter was attacked by a "family dog."  Per WHIO "Police said the teen and two girls, ages 5 and 7, were in the backyard on a swing set when one of the girls accidentally hit the mixed-breed dog. The dog became aggressive toward the girls, when the babysitter stepped in and tried to push the dog back. -

Neighbors, and workers at a nearby home heard the children's screams and were able to beat the dog back. Montgomery County ARC workers removed the dog.  The babysitter was transported to a hospital for treatment.

The breed of the dog is not mentioned but a photo was provided.
 

This is a pit bull.

This is the result of a pit bull attack.

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6/5/2014

Rossford Ohio

A Rossford woman has been charged after her pit bull killed a cat.  A witness stated that he saw the pit bull kill the cat while it was hiding under a car and drag the body into the road.  Police followed the dog home where it jumped a fence and was let into the house by owner Danielle Madden.  Madden will be charged for the dog being loose, and unregistered.  Madden will also be charged with disorderly conduct.  

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6/8/2014

Cincinnati Ohio

A pit bull was shot and killed by police after it lunged at them.  The pit bull was running loose in the street, police first used a stun gun twice in attempts to control the animal with no success.    The pit bull's owner was charged with failure to control.

This report, also out of Cincinnati,  deals with the difficulties in actually charging the owners of vicious dogs.  

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6/7/2014
Cincinnati Ohio

Angel Galen was being held on $20,000 bond at the Hamilton County Detention Center charged with inducing panic and failure to confine a dangerous dog.  According to the charges, Galen was arguing with other people when he let his pit bull out in order to "scare others and cause alarm."  Galen directed his pit bull to attack a 57 year old man who was bitten in the hand.  Police arrived and shot the pit bull.


Galen's mug shot.  It appears that the "argument" was lively.


Angel Galen in court

Additional Cincinnati area pit bull news, Per WCPO News "The number of pit bull attacks reported so far this year in Hamilton County (Cincinnati is located in Hamilton County)  is  on pace to top the total reported in 2013, according to a WCPO analysis.

Hamilton County Health Department data show 38 bite incidents involving pit bulls or pit bull mix breeds as of May 11, 2014. The data show 74 total pit bull bite incidents reported in 2013."

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6/11/2014
Wadsworth Ohio

The city is considering changes to local animal control laws.  The proposed changes would allow police officers to shoot dogs attacking dogs or cats. Per WadsworthPost.com "Law Director Norman Brague explained that the city’s current ordinance states that it is legal to shoot a dog if that dog is attacking another animal other than a dog or a cat.

“This is right out of the Ohio Revised Code,” Brague said at a recent committee of the whole meeting. “The intent of the statute really is to protect livestock.”

The proposed amendment would allow for a dog to be shot if it is attacking another dog or a cat, but only a law enforcement officer would be allowed to shoot the dog as discharging a firearm is illegal within city limits. Hiscock explained that an officer would not shoot at a dog if the dog was trying to attack a wild animal such as a squirrel or a rabbit.

The changes were proposed after an April 29th incident where two dogs of an unspecified breed attacked other dogs, including a leashed dog, that dog's owner fell and suffered serious injuries. There were other reports of attacks by the same two dogs that evening, including one that was being held in the arms of his owner, and an attack upon a concrete statue of a dog.  Let that last part sink in.  

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Lima Ohio

Lima Ohio Police will again be enforcing Lima's pit bull ordinance after a yearlong suspension to re-write the law to comply Ohio law.  

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6/13/2014

DAYTON Ohio

A Dayton man is wanted on possible felony assault charges after he was said to have set his two pit bulls on his roommate.  The victim was waiting for police on the front porch when they arrived.   

Police reported that the two pit bulls were very aggressive, appearing to be full blooded pits with one weighing approximately 120 pounds, the other closer to 100 pounds.  The owner of the pit bulls fled as police entered the home, attempting to control the pit bulls with a catch pole.  Other officers waited on the porch with their service weapons drawn.   Montgomery County ARC staff removed the pit bulls from the premises.  It is not known if they will be returned to the owner.  Per WHIO " the dogs have been the subject of four recent citations -- including for "dogs at large" and "dogs without tags." Neighbors have called police constantly, he said, lodging complaints about the dogs just hanging around in the street and running loose."

One of the pit bulls prior to removal from the house.

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6/14/2014
DAYTON Ohio

Police shot a pit bull, said to be a puppy, as it was reportedly charging police officers.  Police answered a call that two pit bulls and a bullmastiff were at large, aggressive, charging at Dayton residents and taxpayers, and trying to attack other dogs.  This batch of dangerous dogs was rounded up but one of them was able to run into an alley where two more pit bulls charged out of a fenced yard and charged at police.  A police officer fired a shotgun at the pit bulls, hitting the smaller of the two.  Things went all downhill from there.  Per WHIO "Following the incident, a large crowd of neighbors gathered, some becoming unruly, which resulted in one arrest for disorderly conduct.

The owner of the dog that was shot, 30-year-old Curtis Gifford, was issued a summons for failure to control dogs.

Curtis, who owns a licensed kennel, disputes that his show dogs charged police. He said he thinks his dog was shot while inside his fenced-in yard.

"I show my dogs. This is a show dog. This is a dog that will never be able to be shown again. I paid $5,000 for this dog," he said.

The dog was taken by Animal Resource Center officers to an emergency veterinary clinic.

The pit bull owners claim that police shot the wrong dog.  They claim that their 4 month old puppy was "trained to stay in the yard" and estimate the value of the puppy at $5000.   The pit bull owners deny the police version of the incident although they did not witness it.  "“I heard my neighbor screaming, ‘They shot your dog, they shot your dog’ and then when I went out there I found my puppy laying in a pool of blood,” said Gifford."

Dayton police deserve hazardous duty pay.    

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6/15/2014

Reynoldsburg Ohio

A local pit bull owner complains that she has been targeted by police.  The pit bull owner appeared on a local television news segment a week earlier to speak about the Reynoldsburg pit bull ban controversy.   Ms. Ingmire lives in Reynoldsburg, a community with a breed ban, and proudly showed her pit bull to reporters. After the video aired Ingmire was visited by Reynoldsburg police and ticked, three times.  Reynoldsburg city council is expected to vote July 28th on whether to keep or drop the pit bull ban. Per WBNS10 "In the meantime, Ingmire says she's preparing herself for the worst.  "I may have to move, you know I can't continue to pay citations every two weeks,"  

Update - The Reynoldsburg City Council has voted to retain the community's breed ban.  More on this in another post.  THANK YOU REYNOLDSBURG CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU TO REYNOLDSBURG RESIDENTS WHO WORKED HARD TO SAVE THIS LAW!

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6/9/2014

Sandusky Ohio

A local pit bull owner writes to the Sandusky Register "Why wasn't my pit bull allowed within Ohio Bike Week's Block Party?  I would like to know why every time I take my pit bull down to Ohio Bike Week, I get told to leave.  I walk past several police officers who just smile and wave, then one comes up to me and says, 'Due to health department regulations, dogs are not allowed down here.'  Then, they have four officers escort me out.  So I take my dog home and return downtown only to see dogs all over the place.  I am getting tired of being treated this way.  It is not fair to judge my dog by the breed.  Jess from Sandusky."            

My first thought is that Jess might have learned from having the same experience several times.  Here is the response from police.  "The Sandusky Police Department and event organizers determined after the first year or two of (Ohio) Bike Week that any animal, other than service dogs, wouldn't be permitted in the event venue.  

Dogs were barking, growling or attempting to attack each other the first years of the event.  The volume of children, adults and very congested walking areas isn't safe to have animals in the event areas.  

Although the writer has a pit bull, we don't have breed-specific enforcement. It is all animals — dogs, snakes, or other animals.  Although some dogs might be nice, others could not be if mixed in an environment that is very loud, extremely congested or attacked by another dog, stepped on, fallen on or any other scenario that can be probable with this venue.

All of our officers have been instructed to have dogs or other animals removed from the venue. Have some slipped by, yes probably but at some point an officer most likely will have advised the owners to remove their animals from the venue.  There are signs posted on the barricades that are blocking access into the venue to advise of the restrictions.  

The decision to not allow animals is for the safety of the animals and all of those children and adults that are coming to enjoy this venue."

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6/6/2014

South Euclid Ohio

A local woman was cited by police for keeping her pit bull under "deplorable conditions"  up to and including when the chained dog jumped over a fence, while still chained, choking it.  At the time of this incident the dog was reportedly "covered in dog feces and it had no water.  This was the third incident involving this pit bull, described as "skinny, lethargic, and not combative."  The owner, Carla Wilkerson, has been charged with five first-degree misdemeanor charges of neglecting animals and one first-degree misdemeanor charge for failing to obtain dog tags.  The pit bull has been returned to the owner because the local dog warden has no place to house it.    

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6/20/2014

Conneaut Ohio

Another case from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare may well be his owner" files.  Gary Ratliff pleaded guilty to cruelty to companion animals after being charged for killing a dog with a hammer because he did not want it any longer and could not find a buyer for it.  Ratliff will spend a month in jail, pay fines, and be prohibited from owning animals for life. Ratliff's brother brought the dead pit bull mix to the police station in April and told police his brother had killed it.  

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6/20/2014

Cincinnati Ohio

Cincinnati police shot and killed a pit bull that menaced a man who was mowing his lawn, and helped catch another pit bull involved in the same incident.  A neighbor saw the pit bulls menacing the man and called police.  The pit bulls were aggressive to police as well.  Animal Control picked up the surviving pit bull.  

  

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6/23/2014

Columbus Ohio

Fran Benson's 13 week old puppy was attacked by the neighbor's pit bulls twice in one week.  The most recent attack required emergency veterinary treatment for deep wounds on his neck and his groin.   Benson's neighbors have SEVEN pit bulls. The pit bull's owners told reporters that her pit bulls don't like the neighbors (Benson) and that it was a simple mistake.  * eye roll * The pit bull that attacked the puppy was euthanized and the pit bull owner was cited for having five unlicensed dogs in her home.  

                                                   

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6/24/2014

Campbell Ohio

After attacks on three small dogs, one of them was was killed, neighbors are circulating a petition to have the attacking pit bull removed from the neighborhood.  The pit bull's owner declined to comment to The Vindicator's reporters.  The neighbors should not have to circulate a petition to have a three time offender removed from the community. 

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7/4/2014
Hamilton Ohio

A pit bull, with injuries that might indicate dog fighting, was found dead in a local park.  The dog was found in the Great Miami River.  Per WHIO " HPD and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dog Warden are investigating the circumstances surrounding the dog’s death.

The agencies are asking for help in determining who the owner of the dog is and any information of possible criminal activity involving the illegal fighting of dogs.

A $500 cash reward is being offered for information leading to criminal charges.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hamilton Police Public Affairs Section via Facebook or by phone at 513-868-5811, ext. 2007.

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 7/12/2014
DAYTON Ohio  

A Dayton neighborhood is being terrorized loose dogs, many of them pit bulls.  Residents are afraid to hang out their laundry or take out the garbage, the mailman carries mace AND A MACHETE because he is attacked WEEKLY.  A  neighborhood  association meeting is being held to discuss ways to regain a quality of life in the community ""They are very aggressive. On leashes, without leashes. And they're everywhere. and its better that we all come together to find out how we can help each other," Weaver St. resident Patricia Rickman said."

This quote comes from Mayor Nan Whaley "Mayor Nan Whaley says the city has to start at the root of the issue. Change how dogs are treated and housed and in turn change their behavior.
"It's complaint driven like all housing issues in our city, so you can now and it's enforced," Mayor Whaley expelled. "We have to set community standards. We have to count on our neighborhoods and people in our neighborhoods to help enforce those."
To report a loose dog or any dog chained up for extended periods of time call the city at 898-4457.
It is not the job of residents of the community to enforce the law, that is the job of Montgomery County ARC.  So far that enforcement has been almost non existent.

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7/15/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A Chow mix dog was attacked and killed by two loose pit bulls.  The Chow mix was tied in the yard of his owner when the stray pit bulls attacked and killed him, the attack was witnessed by neighbors and described as "playing tug of war" with the body.  The attacking dogs were identified as pit bulls by Montgomery ARC staff.  They were not aggressive toward animal control officers and were taken to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  Just what Mark Kumpf needs, two more pit bulls.  

The residence where the attack occurred.

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7/17/2014
Cincinnati Ohio  

A ten year old girl was bitten in the face by a pit bull as she was playing outside in her neighborhood.  A neighbor saw the attack, called the child's father, then called 911. Per Cincinnati.com ""A neighborhood child was just bit by a pit bull. I would like to have a cruiser come over because I want to report it. That dog should not have been loose," the woman told dispatchers, according to a recording of the call.

The child was treated at the scene for a minor cut to her ankle and expected to make a full recovery, he said.

The dog's owner is a neighbor of the child's. Deborah Anderson, 61, was cited for having a dog at large and the animal bite, Smith said."

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7/20/2014
Batavia Township Ohio

An eight year old girl was bitten on the face by a pit bull/ boxer mix   as she was visiting a friend.  She required hundreds of stitches to her face.  Raelynn Liming was at a sleepover at a friend's house when the dog attacked her without provocation.  Neighbors are stunned, neighborhood children play with this dog and have never seen any hint of violent behavior.  Per WLWT " Deputies said Raelynn was sitting on the floor watching TV when a family dog approached and bit her on the face, near the lower lip area, causing an open wound.

“Her whole lip, jaw, everything was just hanging down,” said Kathy Liming, the victim’s grandmother.

Raelynn was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Cincinnati Children's Hospital by helicopter for surgery.  Reminder - Zainabou Drame is still at Cincinnati Children's Hospital nearly two months after her near fatal mauling.  Did Cinnamon Dixon DO treat Raelynn in the Emergency Room?

 
 Raelynn Liming after surgery.

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7/22/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A man looking for work was attacked by a pit bull that got out of a homeowner's yard as the victim, a tree trimmer, was speaking with the home owner.  The victim was bitten on the wrist and thumb, he was treated at the scene.  The dog owner was cited for misdemeanor charges of having an unlicensed dog and failure to control.  The dog owner will also be liable for any medical bills incurred by the victim.  Dayton police Sgt. Mark Spiers stated that while he is no dog breeder and expert on pit bulls, "I just know that they appear to be more aggressive than other dogs."  Clear thinking.


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7/21/2014
Bedford Heights Ohio

A Yorkie was mauled to death by a pit bull as the little dog played in the backyard of his owner. According to police reports the pit bull broke free of a chain held by a seven year old boy.   Janiene Jennings, the owner of the Yorkie named Stax  stated"The dog snatched my baby and ran over there and killed him," "He was just flailing my dog like a chew toy."

The child was under the supervision of someone other than the pit bull's owner.  The child will not face charges, no decision has been made on charges for the pit bull owner or the adult present at the time of the attack.

Stax

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7/25/2014
Sandusky Ohio

Rebecca Hush has pleaded no contest to a vicious dog violation.  The charges stemmed from an April 2013 attack attack by her two pit bulls upon retired auto worker Paul Aviles and his Jack Russell Terrier Scooter.   Aviles was walking Scooter when the two pit bulls ran up behind him and attacked the little dog. Aviles was injured when he tried to protect his pet. Aviles told reporters that he bit one of the pit bulls in the leg "I bit him as long and as hard as I could."  "They were like demons."  Witnesses called police, who also battled the pit bulls.   One of the pit bulls died after being tasered, the other was eventually returned to Hush after she satisfied requirements for containment of the animal.

Scooter eventually recovered, Aviles suffered hand injuries and lost his wedding ring during the attack.   Per the Sandusky Register "Aviles said the city prosecutor's office has given him little information and said he's unsure how hard the city will press to make Hush pay restitution to cover Scooter's vet bills and Aviles' medical bills, which Aviles said come to a considerable sum of money.

"I was left in the dark about what they were going to do about the charges," he said. "I was mainly concerned about my situation. They said they were going to negotiate that."

"They're doing all of this negotiation without me," he said.

The city prosecutor, Lynne Gast-King, and Hush's lawyer, public defender's office attorney Darrell Steltenpohl could not be reached for comment after calls were placed to their offices this week. 

Hush pleaded guilty in 2000 to a dog at large charge and paid $55 in court costs, records show."

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We will  end with some good news.  Zainabou Drame is expected to go home from the hospital in August.  

Cincinnati breed specific advocates cross state lines.

When we left Cincinnati in the last post, pit bulls were a hot topic in the news and justifiably so.  Cincinnati has seen more than its share of maulings since the breed ban was dropped in 2012.  Just weeks after pit bull advocacy declared victory with the fall of the breed ban Cincinnati had a fatal mauling.  Ronnel Brown was killed by his pit bull designer mix dog.  He owned the dog for several years but kept the dog under the radar. With the fall of the breed ban he had nothing to fear and obtained two more of the same pit bull designer mix keeping all three dogs in his apartment.  Brown's own dog killed him.

Cincinnati saw the serious mauling of a judicial candidate's wife as she was posting election signs.

The near fatal pit bull mauling of senior citizen Beulah Sheafe brought the underwhelming penalties to the the owner of the pit bulls, a $100 fine and an order to never have pit bulls on his property again.  Mrs. Sheafe has stated that pit bulls should be banned in Cincinnati.   

A near fatal mauling of a pit bull owner by her own three pit bulls made the headlines of Cincinnati newspapers.  Police stated that it appeared that Tammy Tucker was being "eaten alive" by her own pit bulls. Police gunfire was required to save Mrs. Tucker.  This was not the first time Tucker's pit bulls had attacked her, and they had bitten her husband as well.   Mrs. Tucker told a reporter that she was aware that her dogs were vicious but she tried to "change herself" but now realizes that it was the dogs that were the problem. 

Since the attack on the six year old Cincinnati child, and the attacks discussed in our last post, things have not been quiet in the Cincinnati area.  Just over the state line, In Covington KY a man was mauled while attempting to break up a fight between two female pit bulls.  The pit bulls were euthanized.    This comment was posted on the news article " Maybe they were walking home from the pro pit bull rally they just had downtown?? Lol here we go again!!"  The public gets it.  So does the media.  Below is the opinion of the Cincinnati Enquirer.





Kathy Wilson writes at CityBeat.com I would ask all pitbull owners to pause all their emotional transference, all their misguided anger, the claims of breed discrimination and hatred, even and especially all their pitbull pride and think for five uninterrupted minutes about the terror, confusion and silence of Zainabou Drame, whose life was irrevocably changed when two pits latched onto her face, maimed her and stole her voice"

More from Kathy Wilson " Irresponsible pitbull owners fit a profile. There is something inherently ominous, mysterious, latently vicious and even irresponsibly deadly about pitbulls and their owners that most people are either afraid of or unable to name."

Here is a letter to the editor with the title "Pit bulls should be eliminated" .  Here is another titled "Reinstate citywide ban of pit bulls."   And another titled "City Council, reinstate the ban immediately."   More opinion from the public, this one is titled "Most attacks by few dog breeds"  (pit bulls are the big winner here.)   Still more "Place strict limitations on the problem breed."  Cincinnati.com asks "Should pit bull ban be reinstated?"   The words on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer are a quote from Bebe Wilker as she spoke to reporters after the mauling of her little dog by a pit bull that escaped from the yard of a neighborhood residence.  Wilker had to fight for her pet's life as the owner of the pit bull stood on her porch shouting "that's not my dog."  Per Cincinnati.com  "Bartles spent 10 hours in surgery and recovery and has since returned home. Bite marks from the pit bull's jaws are clearly visible on the back of his neck. "Bartles still has no use of his right front leg," Wilker said. He walks on three paws and "falls down a lot. It just makes me sick."



While controversy about pit bulls swirls through Cincinnati there is some good news for Zainabou Drame. She is now out of the coma and is now on a feeding tube.  An unnamed organization has offered to pay all Zainabou's medical bills.   This is a stunningly generous offer!

Given the political climate, one would think that Cincinnati's pit bull activists would hunker down and try to quietly ride out the storm. One would be wrong.  Cincinnati pit bull advocates are prancing across state lines to lobby in favor of pit bulls in Ft. Thomas Kentucky, a community with a long standing pit bull ban.  These pit bull advocates have a connection, that connection is the Cincinnati SPCA.


Here is a link to the officers list of the Cincinnati SPCA. Please note the names.   Remember the research we looked at in the last post?  "Ownership of High Risk (vicious dogs) as a Marker for Deviant Behavior" Please review the list of the authors of this 2006 material.  Herald Dates, head of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed. Barbara Boat, trustee of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed.   Andrew Mahlman of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed. Jacklyn Barnes and Frank Putnam are both affiliated with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where Cincinnati's most recent pit bull mauling victim is being treated, are also listed as authors of the material.

What happened since 2006 to change the viewpoint of these influential individuals?  In 2007 the Michael Vick case brought pit bulls into the mainstream culture of the United States and with that brought the recognition that pit bulls and money are directly connected.  Best Friends Animal Society cashed in big time with millions of dollars donated in support of the pit bulls they accepted from the dispersal of Vicks dogs.    Pit bull advocacy is very profitable.  For example, in 2008 (the 2007 BFAS annual report was unavailable)  Best Friends received $35,763,158 in direct public support.   In 2012 (the most recent annual report available) Best Friends received  $57,473,171. Best Friends is a huge supporter of pit bulls.  The HSUS and ASPCA went into pit bull based fund raising overdrive and were rewarded.  Follow the money.

One might also consider following the blood.  The 31 year summary available at this link is a stunning visual. Since January 1, 2007 one hundred and fifty eight Americans have been killed by pit bulls and their mixes, this includes the two fatal attacks upon children from this past weekend. Please google any of the names to confirm the information.  In the seven year period from 2000 to 2007 eighty one Americans were killed by pit bulls and their mixes.

As usual, I have digressed, back to the Cincinnati SPCA advocacy in Ft. Thomas.  From Ft. Thomas Matters "Another voice from Cincinnati addressed council Monday night, as well. Cincinnati-based attorney Jim Tomaszewski, who was instrumental in overturning Cincinnati’s breed specific legislation two years ago, explained to council that his experience has shown “no correlation between between breed specific legislation and public safety."  Mr. Thomaszewski is a member of the Board at the Cincinnati SPCA and was a driving force in the campaign to drop Cincinnati's breed ban.  As we have seen from editorials and letters to the editor, dropping the breed ban in Cincinnati has become exceedingly unpopular recently.

Why is the Cincinnati SPCA so fixated on bullying Ft. Thomas to accept pit bulls? Possibly the numbers of pit bulls languishing in the Cincinnati SPCA might have something to do with it.   On 7/22/2014 the Cincinnati SPCA has 25 adoptable dogs listed on their website, 23 of them are pit bulls, one is a VERY pit bull looking "Labrador Retriever" and one GSD. The Cincinnati SPCA places animals in "the tri- state area" which includes Ft. Thomas.  

Shana Brockelman, dog trainer for the Cincinnati SPCA, residing in Batavia Ohio made the trip to Ft. Thomas to speak.  Minutes of the meeting do not indicate that Brockelman disclosed her connection to the Cincinnati SPCA. Brockelman was strongly in favor of pit bulls.

Another high profile Ohio resident voicing an opinion on Ft. Thomas law was Cinnamon Dixon DO.

Cinnamon Dixon, DO of Cincinnati is named as an authority on dog bites and she feels that a ban on pit bulls is not necessary.  It is important to point out that Dr. Dixon is a pediatric emergency room doctor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  It is also important to remember that Zainabou Drame is a patient at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  Please note that this letter is on hospital letterhead stationery and dated May 31, 2014, just days before the near fatal attack on Zainabou Drame.

Did Dr. Dixon change her opinion after the attack on Drame, or soften her approach?  Nope, she doubled down and partnered with Dr. Brit Anderson to write this opinion published on Cincinnati.com "  We agree with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s assertion that “a well-planned proactive community approach can make a substantial impact.” This approach does not include breed-specific legislation, but rather a well-organized multidisciplinary strategy tailored to the community. We must move past the breed debate and focus efforts on common-sense, effective strategies that work for our community." 
BRIT ANDERSON & CINNAMON DIXON

Brit Anderson, MD, and Cinnamon Dixon, DO, MPH, are emergency medicine physicians at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
 Please follow the link and read the whole piece.

I find Dr. Dixon's claim to be an "expert" on dog bites as claimed by Councilman Jay Fossett, a stretch.   A google search for Dr. Dixon's research brings up two papers, one of them turns up with two titles but is the same material.  In this paper Dr. Dixon and her research partners surveyed 300 pairs of parents and children in the Emergency Room for non-urgent problems of any kind, only 11% were in the emergency room because they had been bitten by a dog.  The questions related to knowledge of behaviors exhibited by children and how those behaviors might impact the chances of being bitten.  There was no mention of any dogs being simply dangerous and that prevention strategies might be ineffective.  This smacks of blaming the victim.  This research was published in 2012 but Dr. Dixon et al cite material published in 2000 for numbers of fatalities per year, and material published in 2001 for the numbers of dog bites seen in the Emergency Room.  This is deliberate manipulation of data to minimize the problem.

In this paper  Dr. Dixon DO is listed as Cinnamon Dixon MD,  what is her actual title?  Cincinnati Children's Hospital lists her as a DO. Can she make up her mind?  In any case, she partners with  Barbara Boat PhD, if you  go back to the link to officers of the Cincinnati SPCA you will find Boat listed as a trustee of the Cincinnati SPCA.  This paper looks at just 34 pediatric dog bite victims, all non urgent, none injured badly enough to be admitted to the hospital.   These patients were contacted one month after medical treatment and enrolled in the study.  After parents completed a brief questionnaire they were given a book titled "Good Dog! Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training," a dog training book written by children.   After interaction with patients and their parents the researchers concluded that children may experience PTSD following dog bites and that more dog bite education is needed.  Still no indication that the bite may not be the fault of the child's behavior but rather the result of an interaction with a simply dangerous dog.

Dr. Dixon made this statement to a reporter for the Dayton Daily News.  “The summertime is definitely are more significant time for dog bites,” said Cinnamon Dixon, DO, MPH, pediatric emergency physician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “Children usually are bit by their own dogs or another known dog. They may be walking through a neighbor’s yard and the dog may feel threatened and attack.”  The dog may feel threatened and attack?  This is blaming the victim and for a physician who acknowledges PTSD after a dog attack, a very inappropriate remark.

Just a week or so after the article written by Dr. Dixon and Dr. Anderson appeared, another article appeared, written by another doctor at Cincinnati Children's. This doctor is far senior to Dr. Dixon and he does not share her opinion.  Dr. David Billmire is professor and director of the Division of Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center.   His opinion?  There is no need for pit bulls.  Please read the entire piece but here is Dr. Billmire's conclusion.

Based on my extensive experience, I believe that the risk posed by pit bulls is equivalent to placing a loaded gun with the safety off on the coffee table. In my opinion, these dogs should be banned. I know this is an unpopular stand in some circles, but how many mauled children do we have to see before we realize the folly of allowing these dogs to exist?

The arguments made by advocates of these dogs are the same arguments made by people who feel that assault weapons are an essential part of daily living. There are plenty of breeds available that peacefully coexist with human society. There is no need for pit bulls.

 I expect we may return to Cincinnati and to Ft. Thomas.  Interesting times.

Death in Dayton for the second time this year. Updated 7/21/2014

7/21/2014 Update.




The baby killed by his step grandmother's pit bull yesterday has been identified as Jonathon Quarles Jr. of Indianapolis Indiana.  In today's report by WDTN News, another violent incident involving the same pit bull has been found.  Per WDTN News "   The United States Postal Service told 2 NEWS that a carrier was charged by a dog at the same address on April 25, 2014.  A postal service spokesperson says the dog tried to bite the carrier’s leg, but the carrier was able to get his mail satchel between his leg and dog.  He was not bitten."


Dayton Ohio, again
7/20/2014



We will take a short break from our discussion of Cincinnati pit bull violence to talk about pit bull violence in Dayton.

A Dayton pit bull has killed a seven month old baby boy today.  The baby was in the care of his step grandmother, the pit bull was hers.  A neighbor called 911 stating "She just knocked on my door, bangin' on my door. She had a baby in her hand and the baby's not breathing. I need you to get here now."

Montgomery County Animal Resource Center records indicate an American Staffordshire Terrier is kept at the residence.  AKC American Staffordshire Terriers can be double registered as UKC American Pit Bull Terriers through the single registration process, they are the same dogs.

The killer pit bull was removed from the home by Montgomery ARC staff.  The dog has a history of attack.  Per ABC 22 News "A Dayton police report indicates police have responded to the address for a control of dogs prior to this incident.
On June 3, 2014 a Dayton woman, Isabelle Crickmore was walking her beagle in front of 2219 Riverside Drive when a pit bull attacked her dog.   Click here for video.  
"She had three lacerations, 11 staples," said Crickmore.
There is a criminal misdemeanor complaint against the grandmother for that attack. Court documents show a pre-trial for Crickmore's complaint was post-poned last week.
"It just really irks me because this could have been taken care of," said Crickmore.

Family members state that the baby was visiting from Indiana.  It was also reported that the pit bull was a family dog, "a pleasant animal for the family" that jumped over a gate to attack and kill the baby boy.  It was reported that the step grandmother tried to get her dog off the baby but could not.   Watch the video here and see if you might agree that this was a "pleasant" dog.

Just  what was learned from the death of Klonda Richey last February?  What processes have been improved to protect innocent citizens of Dayton?  It should be noted that there have been no charges filed in the mauling death of Klonda Richey to date.  This dog had a violent history and was in the legal system.

This baby was the 8th dog bite related fatality in Ohio since HB 14 was passed in 2012.  Historical note, Ohio had 6 dog bite related fatalities in the 25 years prior to the passage of HB 14, the bill that "finally gives dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs."  It is also important to note that Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf was instrumental in promotion and passage of HB 14.  

Public opinion in Dayton has been hard on Dog Warden Mark Kumpf, hard on pit bulls at large on the streets, hard on pit bull violence.   Looks to be getting worse.  How long will the  Montgomery County Commissioners protect their failed dog warden?  The citizens of Dayton deserve better.  Type "Dayton" into the search box at the top left of this blog page and see how many hits you get.  This city is a pit bull disaster.

Ms. Crickmore is correct "this could have been taken care of" and should have.