Getting back to work on some of the backlog here. These stories appear in no particular order.
11/2/2014
Copley Ohio
Police were called to the scene of a dog fight at a residence on Summit Road. Upon arrival police found a dead pit bull, apparently stabbed to death with two butcher knives conveniently laying on the ground next to the dead pit bull. Here is the story, a neighborhood couple took their leashed dogs out for a walk and the neighbor's pit bull charged them, attacking one of the leashed dogs taking that dog's head into its mouth. The owner of the leashed dogs grabbed the pit bull by the neck and kicked it with no success. The owner of the pit bull arrived and also began kicking his pit bull to get it off the leashed dog, again no success. The owner of the leashed dog went into his home and returned with the knives which he used to stab the attacking pit bull off his dog. The leashed dog was rushed to a veterinarian. A police report was made and forwarded to the local dog warden. Click here for a report, scan down the column to Copley news.
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11/28/2014
Columbus Ohio
A feel good story, I'm holding my breath and hoping the warm feelings last. A Columbus police officer rescued a pit mix puppy trapped in a car after a motor vehicle accident in early November. The officer saw the puppy a few weeks later on the Franklin County shelter's website after the owner surrendered the dog. Why? Not included in the story. In any case, the warm hearted police officer and his wife decided to rescue the pup again. This pit mix joins a household already including a Great Dane and a Boxer. Many pit bulls do not show aggression until about two years of age. Good luck.
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12/4/2014
New York City
This is follow up on the Bones story. Type "Bones" into the site search block and you will get more than you ever wanted to know on Bones, the dog implicated in a murder in New York. Bones was placed with a "rescue" dedicated to dangerous dogs located appropriately enough in a garage in a densely populated neighborhood in Toledo Ohio by the Lexus Project. Bones mysteriously went missing but months later it was revealed that Bones was never missing but rather buried in the yard. No explanation was ever offered.
Shaun Dyer was convicted murder for the death of David Shadha and sentenced to 25 years to life.
Here is the story per the New York Post.
" The fatal spat began when Dyer accused Shadha of stealing his keys, then ordered his pitbull, “Bones,” to attack him. While a moving truck waited for Shadha downstairs, Dyer whacked him with the pipe at least 18 times, prosecutors said.
* eye roll * The strain of the eviction?
It was a difficult day in David Shadha's life too, and his last. And yes, that is Shadha's blood on Bones in the photo.
Sources state that Dyer has a history of two dozen arrests.
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11/1/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
A woman was injured by a pit bull that per reports "hurt the woman's ankle." The pit bull is owned by Anthony Easton who was accused of assault in the incident. A grand jury did not indict Easton on domestic violence charges but Easton remained in jail on several protection orders violations. Nice guy.
A rally was held in order to bring public awareness to the issue of domestic violence.
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12/14/2014
Akron Ohio
Indictments were returned by a federal grand jury against ringleaders of a national dog fighting ring raided by Akron police in November. Ten people were indicted,a total of forty seven people were arrested, those remaining are expected to face charges in Summit County.
Yes, that is blood on the walls of the pit. For more information on this story please click here.
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12/21/2014
Fremont Ohio
A sixteen week old pit bull puppy was reportedly taken by coyotes while a caretaker was filling food and water dishes. Puppy caretaker Dallas Critchet reported "“I was standing right there, but here’s these three coyotes coming up on him, and they grabbed him and shook him once, and took off with him into the corn field,” Critchet said. “They weren’t more than 30 yards away from me.” " We had a routine, but then these coyotes just came up out of nowhere and grabbed him, and he was gone, It hurt real bad to lose him like that.”
Coyotes are known to be in the area and this was not Critchet's first encounter with them. Sandusky County Wildlife officer Matthew Leibengood stated "My best advice is is for people to always accompany their pets outside." Good advice.
The style of this attack is remarkably similar to the attack behavior of pit bulls and for those who witness their pets grabbed by the neck by pit bulls, shaken and carried off it"hurts real bad" as well.
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12/24/2014
Mayfield Village Ohio
A resident complained to police that two pit bulls were on her front porch. Police were able to lure one of the dogs to its home on SOM Center Road. The 22 year old pit bull owner was cited for animal at large. This is the second time she has cited for the same offense since October. Another "responsible pit bull owner."
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12/30/2014
Dayton Ohio
A Dayton police officer was treated for a dog bite injury after he was bitten by a pit bull. Per WHIO
"The dog was loose in the house on West Third while the officer spoke to roommates about a dispute late last night.
" The fatal spat began when Dyer accused Shadha of stealing his keys, then ordered his pitbull, “Bones,” to attack him. While a moving truck waited for Shadha downstairs, Dyer whacked him with the pipe at least 18 times, prosecutors said.
He then panicked and tried to clean up the gory scene, but there was too much blood.
So Dyer left his ferociously barking dog in the apartment with Shadha’s mutilated corpse and decided to saunter over to a nearby grocery store to buy orange juice, yogurt and milk.
After he ate, Dyer led a marshall into the blood-soaked apartment and feigned surprise when they were confronted by the grisly crime scene.
At trial, Dyer argued that Shadha rushed at him with a bat and he’d only defended himself, but jurors didn’t buy it.
At Thursday’s hearing, defense lawyer Jim McQueeney asked the judge for leniency, given the strain Dyer was under over the eviction.
“This arose on a very difficult day in my client’s life,” McQueeney said. “The maximum sentence should be reserved for the most heinous cases, most brutal cases and this is just not one of them.”* eye roll * The strain of the eviction?
It was a difficult day in David Shadha's life too, and his last. And yes, that is Shadha's blood on Bones in the photo.
Sources state that Dyer has a history of two dozen arrests.
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11/1/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
A woman was injured by a pit bull that per reports "hurt the woman's ankle." The pit bull is owned by Anthony Easton who was accused of assault in the incident. A grand jury did not indict Easton on domestic violence charges but Easton remained in jail on several protection orders violations. Nice guy.
A rally was held in order to bring public awareness to the issue of domestic violence.
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12/14/2014
Akron Ohio
Indictments were returned by a federal grand jury against ringleaders of a national dog fighting ring raided by Akron police in November. Ten people were indicted,a total of forty seven people were arrested, those remaining are expected to face charges in Summit County.
Yes, that is blood on the walls of the pit. For more information on this story please click here.
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12/21/2014
Fremont Ohio
A sixteen week old pit bull puppy was reportedly taken by coyotes while a caretaker was filling food and water dishes. Puppy caretaker Dallas Critchet reported "“I was standing right there, but here’s these three coyotes coming up on him, and they grabbed him and shook him once, and took off with him into the corn field,” Critchet said. “They weren’t more than 30 yards away from me.” " We had a routine, but then these coyotes just came up out of nowhere and grabbed him, and he was gone, It hurt real bad to lose him like that.”
Coyotes are known to be in the area and this was not Critchet's first encounter with them. Sandusky County Wildlife officer Matthew Leibengood stated "My best advice is is for people to always accompany their pets outside." Good advice.
The style of this attack is remarkably similar to the attack behavior of pit bulls and for those who witness their pets grabbed by the neck by pit bulls, shaken and carried off it"hurts real bad" as well.
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12/24/2014
Mayfield Village Ohio
A resident complained to police that two pit bulls were on her front porch. Police were able to lure one of the dogs to its home on SOM Center Road. The 22 year old pit bull owner was cited for animal at large. This is the second time she has cited for the same offense since October. Another "responsible pit bull owner."
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12/30/2014
Dayton Ohio
A Dayton police officer was treated for a dog bite injury after he was bitten by a pit bull. Per WHIO
"The dog was loose in the house on West Third while the officer spoke to roommates about a dispute late last night.
It ran upstairs after biting the officer, the report states.
I think the moral of this story is confine your pit bull when police are called.
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12/31/204
Akron Ohio
On Christmas Eve five dogs were seized from the home of an Akron man who is one of those arrested in the November dog fighting raid. Humane officials spoke with Robbie Hollis at his home, noting that Hollis had four pit bulls and one German Shepherd mix living in unsanitary conditions, without water or shelter, and exhibiting body sores. A treadmill, harness, and powdered supplement used for muscle building were also found on the property. Hollis faces six counts of animal cruelty.
Hollis is one of those expected to be charged in Summit County, he was arrested in November with being a spectator at a dog fight. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge.
Akron Ohio has restrictions on pit bulls.
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1/4/2015
Dayton Ohio
Dayton police were called to a South Hedges Street home in response to a pit bull attack. The victim stated to police that he was walking home from a grocery store when he saw a pit bull loose in a back yard. The pit bull charged the man who climbed a fence in an attempt to get away. The victim was bitten on the arm and also injured his knee while climbing the fence. The victim also stated that this was not his first experience with this particular pit bull. Police records showed a previous call to the home after the off-leash pit bull charged someone.
The dog was identified as "red nose male pit bull, had all his shots and was registered." The owner told police he let the dog out in the yard without a leash.
Has the Montgomery County dog warden considered designating this pit bull as dangerous?
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1/12/2015
Columbus Ohio
This is another installment of "a pit bull's worst nightmare may well be his owner." Two Columbus pit bulls were in the news for exposure to bitter cold, one rescued and one dead. The two pit bulls were found at homes on the same street. One pit bull was frozen to death after being left behind by evicted owners. MJ, the surviving pit bull was chained in a yard, underweight, under protected from the cold, and covered in body sores.
MJ was taken to the Capitol Area Humane Society where records indicate that humane officers responded to a neglect call for the same pit bull at the same address a year ago.
MJ's owner faces animal neglect charges.
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1/18/2015
Dayton Ohio
A pit bull named Precious bit a Dayton woman in the leg as she was picking up a friend from a house on North Harbine Avenue. Precious is owned by the victim's great nephew. The victim stated that Precious has bitten other people in the past and and that there are two other dogs in the household that appear aggressive. Anybody seen Mark Kumpf lately?
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1/20/2015
Cincinnati Ohio
Cincinnati city council is considering three different proposals related to dangerous dogs. There is debate on the inclusion of criminal penalties in addition to fines. I find this incredible, this is the city where Zainabou Drame was mauled nearly to death causing two months hospitalization in addition to lifelong disability to this child with a million dollars and counting in medical bills. The owner of the pit bulls has not been charged "because there was no appropriate charge to make."
Per WVSU "Council Member Kevin Flynn said criminals will likely ignore additional misdemeanor penalties.
"They're doing activities that go far beyond what we as a city can penalize criminally," Flynn said. "About the only thing we can do, and it's a lot easier to get recovery, is go after them civilly."
Helloooo, FELONY charges are appropriate. Civil court does nothing for a victim. Looking for an easy way out does not serve the purpose of public safety.
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1/27/2015 Newark Ohio
For the second time this month a pit bull has bitten a local resident. On Jan 18th a pit bull bit a man in the face causing injury. The owner of the pit bull also faces outstanding charges dating back to September for failing to have insurance on a vicious dog and a violation of quarantine, plus charges on an exotic animals violation.
On January 13 it was reported that a man had been bitten by a pit bull as he was walking his leashed dog. The leashed dog was attacked by the pit bull and the owner was bitten as he fought to protect his dog. It is an interesting factoid that January 13 happened to be the date of a city council meeting where breed specific advocates planned to speak in favor of dropping the local pit bull ban.
On January 30th the Newark Advocate reported a third pit bull bite causing injury to a resident. Per the Newark Advocate " Sgt. Paul Davis said there does not appear to be any evidence the victim did anything to provoke the dog. He said police do take and receive reports of dog bites involving dogs that are not classified as pit bulls, but Newark has not received any so far this year.
“Pit bulls are the majority,” Davis said."
Pit bull owners continue to complain that local law is unfair to them. *eye roll*
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1/27/2015 Port Clinton Ohio
A Port Clinton Ohio pit bull is being called a hero for doing what pit bulls do. It bit someone but this time the person bitten was a burglar. Tony Byrd Jr., owner of Mama the pit bull, heard screams coming from the front of the house. By the time he got there he saw the burglar shut the front door and run toward a dark vehicle, leaving a trail of blood in the snow. Well done Mama. Medical professionals have been asked to report any suspicious dog bite injuries.
Mama the pit bull.
