Pit bull roundup 3/9/2016. Pit bull owners go to jail, pit bulls held by the Cincinnati SPCA die of negligence, pit bull holds Dayton residents hostage, pit bulls attack children, adults and police, Bosco the Biter declared dangerous.

1/20/2016
Lima Ohio
Allen County

The owner of the pit bulls that attacked an off duty Lima police officer in October has been found guilty on seven counts, including harboring more than one pit bull per residence (Lima regulates pit bulls), and failure to leash or muzzle the two pit bulls involved.  Officer Mark Link has been off work for three months and has endured five surgeries.

A victim's Statement was read in court "Unprovoked and irresponsible attack from the defendant's two pit bull dogs. My wife and children have suffered, and the city of Lima community has suffered," 

Douglas Jackson, the pit bull owner faces a maximum of 180 days in jail for each count plus a $1000 fine for each count.  I will do the math for you, that is 1260 days in jail and $7000.




Allen County Commissioners honored mail carrier Scott Eversole with a resolution of appreciation for his quick actions stepping in to assist officer Link.  Per LimaOhio.com"Scott Eversole was delivering mail in the 900 block of North Elizabeth Street on Oct. 19 when he noticed two pit bulls playing in a yard. He was originally going to leave and complete delivering mail on that part of his route later when he noticed out of the corner of his eye a man leaving his house and going to his car. The man, Lima Police Patrolman Mark Link, was then attacked by the two dogs, who knocked him to the ground and began biting his face.

“I saw that they hit him and were going after him as hard as they could, and he was struggling to get back on his feet,” Eversole said. “It was then I went over with my bag, the best weapon I had, and I took it off my shoulder and began to swing it as hard as I could and knocked them off him enough for him to be able to jump on the car.”

Allen County commissioners present a resolution of appreciation to mail carrier Scott Eversole.  Dog warden Julie Shellhammer thanks him for saving the life of a police officer.  The appreciation is well deserved, mail carriers are too often the victims of pit bull attacks and Mr. Eversole was well aware of the risks but took action anyway.  Well done!

Late update - Douglas Jackson, pit bull owner goes to jail.  


                                                                    * * *

1/20/2016
Cincinnati Ohio
Hamilton County

The wildly pit bull centric Cincinnati SPCA was transferring a pit bull mix between two facilities when a staff member did not follow protocol, leaving the dog alone in a van for 16 hours, in January.  The dog was found to be in a hypothermic state and was euthanized.  Four staff members were disciplined but have kept their jobs.  The Cincinnati SPCA transports 7000 dog a year per WLWTnews.  Why were they moving it?  The Cincinnati website SPCA shows roughly 130 available pit bulls.   There are plenty to go around. 



                                                              * * *

1/21/2016
DAYTON Ohio
Montgomery County

A stray pit bull turned up on the doorstep of  a Dayton apartment, parked himself there, menaced residents and did not allow residents to enter or leave their apartments. One resident was forced to delay his trip to the local store, needing formula for his baby and food for his young daughter, to watch a 30 minute ordeal by local police to control the thing.  The resident described the dog as a pit bull complete with dog fighter ear trim.  Video of the dog backs up this breed identification.  The WHIO reporter identified the dog as a Cane Corso.  Why?  Who can say? The cage card on the pit bull's cage at the Animal Resource Center also identified the thing as a pit bull.  The short legs identify the dog as a pit bull.  Checking the AKC website, the only markings noted for the breed are masks, not the classic white pit bull chest we see on the dog in the ARC cage.  Why play games?     

                                                           * * *

1/26/2016
Mansfield Ohio
Richland County

A ten year old girl was attacked by dogs that witnesses describe as pit bulls.  The girl was walking with friends when the two pit bulls began to chase her, knocking her to the ground and biting her.  The girl was able to run home, witnesses chased the pit bulls away with a shovel.  The child required hospital treatment for her injuries.  

Police were called, a sergeant with the sheriffs department attempted to tase one of the pit bulls but was unsuccessful.  The County dog warden's department was able to locate the owner, she is 19 years old.  Think she has insurance to cover the little girl's medical bills?  

Raina Drescher, pit bull owner stated she owns one of the pit bulls but she "cares for" the other pit bull claiming that it is a neighborhood stray.  Per the NewsJournal " (County Dog warden) Jordan said under state law, Deschner qualifies as a keeper and harborer of the stray dog because she admitted to allowing it into her home and feeding it and she never reported the dog to the warden's office." The county dog warden charged Drescher with two counts of having a dog at large and one count of failure to vaccinate.  Sounds like the dog warden was not much impressed with the denial of ownership of the second pit bull.  Drescher's pit bull was declared a dangerous dog.  Insurance, confinement, warning signs, microchip requirement and a special dog license go with the dangerous dog designation.  

From the NewsJournal " Jordan said Deschner was surprised to hear her dog acted aggressively as it does not act that way in her home, where she has children.

The warden advised Deschner it is not uncommon for dogs to act differently out of the home and warned her of the dangers of letting the dog loose again. While the charges for a first offense are minor misdemeanors, the severity of charges increases on the second offense."

Checking Mansfield Municipal code I find this information

(4)    A.   "Vicious dog" means a dog that, without provocation and subject to subsection (a)(4)B. hereof:

            1.   Has killed or caused serious injury to any person,

            2.   Has caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person, or has killed another domesticated animal,

            3.   Belongs to a breed known as the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier or Staffordshire Terrier, or any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding the breeds aforestated so as to be identifiable as partially of any one of such breeds...

   (b)    Vicious dogs are hereby prohibited within the jurisdictional limits of the City.

Mansfield bans pit bulls.  There is a reason that communities ban pit bulls and this pit bull owner needs to be charged with violation of local law.   

  

                                                               * * *

1/27/2016
Cleveland Heights Ohio
Cuyahoga County

A pit bull was shot and killed by a Cleveland Heights police officer as it attacked a woman.  Per NewsNet5 " An officer said that he responded to a 911 call from a woman who said she was being attacked by a dog.

When the officer arrived, he said she was screaming and a dog was biting her arm. The officer told the woman to drop on the ground and try to separate herself from the dog. The officer tried to separate her from the dog, as well, but they could not.

The officer shot the dog in the neck and it retreated, but then circled back and the officer shot it again, this time in the eye.

The officer called for an ambulance and the woman was hospitalized. The dog died."

The pit bull involved in this attack was on home quarantine for biting a child earlier this month.  The pit bull owner was cited for harboring a vicious dog and for failure to insure a vicious dog.  Yet again, both victims pay their own medical bills.

Click here for the officer's body cam video.

For more on this attack click here,  and here.  For video of the attack victim and her mother making a call at the police department to thank the police officer who saved her, click here. Watch the victim's reaction as a police dog is led through the room.  It is never over for the victim.

                                                                                 * * *

2/29/2016
Newark Ohio
Licking County

A Newark police officer was bitten by a pit bull mix while responding to a call from a citizen about the dog.  The complainant stated the pit mix was acting aggressively and apparently made an accurate assessment of the animal's behavior.  As the police officer was speaking with the pit mix's owner the officer was bitten by the pit mix.  The officer was treated and released at Licking Memorial Hospital. Here is a shocker, the pit mix was not in compliance with Newark's law requiring liability insurance and special dog tags for pit bulls.



                                                                  * * *

3/8/2016
Cleves Ohio
Hamilton County

An unlicensed pit bull, harbored very near a school, has bitten two people in a week. The first victim was a girl walking home from school. The second victim was a man walking past Worthington's home.  The pit bull owner, Vicki Worthington, has offered to pay the medical bills for the victims. I would not hold my breath waiting for a check..She has been cited by the SPCA in the past. Worthington was allowed to keep her two time mauler and she paid her fines.  In the first attack the pit bull crawled under a gate to atack the teenager, in the second attack the pit bull burst through the gate to attack the male passerby.

Did anyone learn anything here?  


Photos show the male victim's injuries.

For a complete report on this, plus video, please click here.  Please note, the linked fox19 article mentions a fatal pit bull attack in the Cleves area.  The fatality was not a human, it was a pit bull, with three other pit bulls shot by police.  Here is what I had to say about it at the time.


Cleves Ohio

In a story posted August 26, 2013 Fox19 reports that three pit bulls were shot by police, one fatally.  This attack did not make local news at the time of the attack but surfaced a week later due to contact between the family of the pit bull owner and Fox 19.  The dog owners were looking for support but refused to speak with reporters.  The story is pretty outrageous.  Per reports, the three pit bulls were at large in the neighborhood and menacing neighbors.  A woman who was unable to leave her home due to the dogs menacing presence called the SPCA.  SPCA officers responded with police back up.  The SPCA  officer attempted to collar one of the pit bulls with a "control bar" which was attacked by the remaining two pit bulls. Hang on,  there is a lot of story to go here.  An elderly man approached and stated that he was the owner, without stating if he owned the dogs or the property.  SPCA officers report that they were threatened by the man.  I can't improve on this so I will just quote Fox19 " The man allegedly told the officer to leave and said several times he would "bust" the SPCA officer's head. After trying twice to control the dogs with a stick, according to paperwork, that man was then attacked by the dogs.

"At that point, the gentleman picked up a stick and started hitting the dogs or threatening the dogs, or whatever, and the dogs turned on him," Rutzlaff told FOX19.

SPCA officer John Sturgill said in his statement that that man then started screaming "save me" and "help me."

After screaming at the dogs to move along, Sturgill says they charged himself and a deputy, who opened fire. 

Screaming for law enforcement to shoot your own pit bull as it mauls the hand that feeds it is not uncommon. A change of heart after the fact is not uncommon either.  Here is a Facebook page set up to create sympathy for the maulers.  The family wants "justice" for their dogs.  Has there been any consideration of justice for the neighbors?  In statements to police, neighbors have complained that they are afraid to walk outside and one neighbor stated that "the dogs have charged me and my family several times."  Per the video report, the SPCA responded same address in July for a complaint that the same dogs were running loose.


For more information please click here.

                                                       * * *

3/1/2016
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County

I have to admit to being completely bored with the continuing drama surrounding Bosco the Biter, harbored by the Lucas County Pit Crew.  I was pleased to see that a Fulton County judge has ruled Bosco the Biter dangerous.  For more information on this attack click here.

Under current Ohio law a dangerous dog is a dog that has caused injury other that serious injury to a person without provocation, Bosco's bite fit the parameters of the law. Judge Jeffrey Robinson stated "The statute doesn't provide a lot of leeway."  The dangerous dog designation brings regulation to the care and placement of Bosco the Biter.

Reading through the Blade article you will come to this clueless quote from Keating speaking about Bosco the Biter " He's been around all kinds of people and all kinds of situations and not once has he shown a bit of aggression."  Hellooo? Bosco was declared dangerous because he bit his new owner.

Keating and two others in the Lucas County Pit Crew face legal charges related to the Bosco affair and a jury trial is scheduled for June 24th.


This was Bosco's promotional photo publicly shared on Facebook and by 13abc.com.

For more on this affair please click here,  Previous blog posts dealing with the Fulton County/Jean Keating disagreement may be reviewed by clicking here and here.

For video of an interview with Keating please click here.  Quoted from the 13 abc.com interview   "You know when the life of an animal is at stake you have to speak up" "it is not a crime to speak up and out against an injustice that is your right as an American" stated Jean Keating.  It should be kept in mind that when the lives of peaceful people are at stake, at risk because of the thoughtless placement of dogs bred for blood sport with good-hearted people unaware of the danger, it is the right and responsibility of the knowledgeable public to speak up.

 For the County Sheriff's department statement click here.

                                                            * * *

There is a great deal more Ohio pit bull absurdity to cover but I have and enough for the day.  I will end with a Florida story sent to this blog by a reader.  An entire neighborhood has been terrorized by a pack of pit bulls owned by a neighborhood resident.  A peaceful dog walker was forced to shoot one of the pit bulls to protect his own dog.  Nobody wants to shoot a dog but sometimes you have to take action.  A 16 year old boy was bitten by the same pit bulls.  Local law enforcement has made multiple visits to the pit bull owner's home and written multiple citations totaling thousands of dollars in fines.    Per WPTV in West Palm Beach

"Everybody around here would benefit by them being gone with those dogs," John says. "People are afraid to go out their houses."

That frustrated resident (is) getting his wish Monday.

Animal control stepped in - opening up an investigation and removing 5 pit bulls from the home. 

"We've been out there, we've issued thousands of dollars in citations, civil fines, and they're still running loose," says Captain Dave Walesky with Animal Control. "They were running loose yesterday.  Captain Walesky says despite the fact they've been out to the home multiple times, the laws make it tough to actually remove the dogs.  "It's very hard to take someone's animal away from them when it's inside the house. In this case she was willing to allow us to come here." The owner, not wanting to talk to us camera, says two of the dogs were able to dig their way out from behind the fence. She was emotional after their removal, saying her dogs aren't aggressive.  "I'm sorry, I'm am so sorry. I don't know what to do to make it better," she tells us. "I'm so sorry. But these dogs...I love them, and they're not bad dogs."  

This particular pit bull owner was not sorry until one of her pit bulls was shot and the five other pit bulls were taken from her.  Animal control has been out on complaints on this pack of dogs many times, the owner had the opportunity to modify her behavior at any step along the way.  That is what she could have done to "make it better" and keep her dogs.  Too late for that now.    

Why are the owners of dogs so problematic that an entire neighborhood is held hostage completely unable to view their animals as they exist, dangerous, menacing, biting creatures.  The owner of the pack stated "these dogs, I love them... and they're not bad dogs."   What might be her definition of "bad dogs" be if hers don't qualify?  This is reminiscent of the claim made by Ohio breed advocate Keating  speaking of Bosco the Biter"not once has he shown a bit of aggression"  in an interview dealing with the legal issues surrounding a bite by the very dog she is talking about.  Why can't pit bull owners and advocates connect the dots?

God help us all, this is the problem.  In Florida, in Ohio, in every state.  The peaceful public has the right to walk their dogs, walk to school, stroll to the mailbox,  get in their car to go to the store,  and any other peaceful task without being mauled by violent dogs, most often pit bulls. 

Pit bull roundup, Greater Cleveland area edition. Pit bull hell.

I'm going to begin this post with an editorial by longtime Cleveland newsman Dominic Mancuso of WOIO News.  Wise words.  Please note an important statistic included, between July 2014 and July 2015 fully 143 pit bull incidents were reported in Cleveland alone.  

"Their quiet summer day was pierced by a woman’s scream. When several Shaker Heights residents rushed out of their homes to see what was happening, what they saw will be hard to forget: a woman being mauled by a pit bull. Seventy-one-year-old Annie Williams died from her wounds. She was the grandmother of the pit bull's owner.

Our hearts go out to a family mourning their loss. But this tragedy ignites a debate that rises with the heat of summer, when incidents between dogs and humans spike. According to the city's division of animal control and safety, a minimum of 143 incidents with pit bulls were reported between July 2014 and 2015.

Pit bulls have their defenders, but out of all the dog breeds, pit bulls and pit mixes are responsible for over a quarter of all human fatalities from dog attacks, that’s according to a 20-year study by the Centers for Disease Control.

The debate over what to do with pit bulls will never be a walk in the park. But for a breed of dog long-known for aggressive and unpredictable behavior, we should proceed with caution and common sense.

I'm Dominic Mancuso and that's how we see it."   

Click on the link for video.  

Out of an apparent abundance of caution and  "fairness" to pit bull advocates Mr. Mancuso cites very old CDC statistics.  The CDC stopped including breed in their stats in 2000.  In 2014 pit bulls were responsible for 64% of all dog bite related fatalities in the United states.  In 2013 pit bulls were responsible for 78% of all dog bite related fatalities in the United States.   In fact, since the CDC quit including breed in dog attack stats in 2000 fully 264 Americans have been killed by pit bulls.  Again, please note Mancuso's stats from Cleveland Animal Control and safety.  These are current, 143 "incidents" involving pit bulls between July 2014 and July 2015.  

                                                                                    * * *
7/13/2015
Shaker Heights Ohio
Cuyahoga County

Still no identification on exactly who owns the pit bull that killed Annie Williams in Shaker Heights in July.  The family is talking to a well known attorney specializing in dog attacks.  A wise choice. 



  Shaker Heights is taking a look at their regulations to see if more can be done to protect residents.                                                                                               

                                                                                * * *


7/13/2015
Chardon Ohio
Geauga County

The very next day after the horrific mauling death of Annie Williams in Shaker Heights Ohio a seven month old baby girl was severely injured by two pit bulls fighting in the family home. The baby was transferred to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center and then life-flighted to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland for treatment, listed in serious condition. This attack occurred the VERY NEXT DAY after the pit bull mauling death of Annie Williams in Shaker Heights Ohio.  Pit bull advocacy has no response to this... crickets.

Here is an interesting note on the Chardon attack.  A neighbor had TWICE reported an aggressive dog at location of the attack.  This complaint was made to Geauga County dog warden Matt Granito.  Dog Warden Granito was president of the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association at the time HB 14 was passed to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio.  Granito campaigned hard for the bill, well aware that it was written by an out-of-state animal welfare organization, Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab Utah.  This bill was sold to the Ohio Legislature as a way to "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs" but Granito fell back on Mark Kumpf's protocol of sending a severely worded "warning letter" to the dog owners.



Dog Warden Granito identified both dogs as pit bulls.  He makes some clear thinking comments on the dangers of pit bulls, along with complaints that current law does not permit him to act.  He should have thought of this before he got involved with the bold efforts of Best Friends Animal Society to change Ohio law. Per WKYC.com
"Animal wardens are aware of dogs that should be classified and treated as dangerous. But they say that, under recent changes to Ohio law, they can't do a thing until the animal attacks, and then they can only hope the injuries are not serious.  "It's unfortunate the law is like that because now we've got to wait for the next victim before we can classify that dog as dangerous or vicious," said Matt Granito, the Geauga County Dog Warden."
You are responsible for these changes Matt!!  You should also know that Ohio law allows the use of affidavits for the purpose of filing complaints.  A two day educational seminar held in Dayton last fall dealt with this very issue and a staff member of the Montgomery County prosecutors office introduced an affidavit form for this purpose and she stated that dog wardens were being encouraged to become notaries so the paperwork could be filed quickly.  Please contact the Montgomery County prosecutor's office for details in case you missed the two day seminar for animal control professionals and law enforcement.

 For video of Granito's sudden change of attitude please click here.  We can only hope that Granito, and Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden, after their whole hearted support for HB 14 will do the right thing and fully support and publicly back Senator Bill Beagle's SB 151 WITH the originally proposed statewide register of dangerous dogs listed with location, owner, description, AND BREED.  Best Friends has demanded that breed be left out of the official records.  This is outrageous.

Final word on this attack, the family wants both the dogs back.  What part of "your child was so badly injured that she required life flight transportation to a trauma center and spent nearly a week in the hospital" do these people fail to understand?

                                                              * * *


7/13/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County    


We talked about this attack in the last Pit bull Roundup but we are looking at current events in Cleveland.  We will review.  
  Avon Lake residents are demanding justice, and laws to protect the public after Cyrus,  a pit bull owned by Earle Hall and being walked by Kimberly Larson Killed a Beagle/Corgi mix owned by the Lyman family, on the property of the Lyman family on June 19th.   Daisy, the Beagle/Corgi mix suffered two punctured lungs and crushed ribs and had to be euthanized.  Per the Morning Journal "In a police report, responding officers wrote that Hall said Cyrus was rescued from the Animal Protective League and is “dog aggressive” and was used as a bait dog."  

Translation - Hall bought a secondhand pit bull from the Cleveland Animal Protective league, the pit bull has scars from dog fighting, the dog is stone aggressive as one would expect from a game bred, pit tested, fighting dog and he felt it was appropriate to bring this animal into a peaceful community and allow a woman to walk this animal without a gun or other weapon to protect the public.

The city's court did not declare Cyrus dangerous.  Per the Morning Journal "Avon Lake Municipal Court didn’t give Cyrus the “dangerous dog” designation, having only interacted with Larson, and, according to her, Daisy was the aggressor, not Cyrus."      

Holy cow! Cyrus was not quarantined or removed from the community and the Lymans were not given the hearing date so they could tell their story in court. 

Residents unhappy/outraged  with this spoke to city council and the article quotes two city council members, Safety  Commission chairman David Kos "hopes"  that in future dogs like Cyrus could be removed from the neighborhood until legal remedies are resolved.  Jennifer Fenderbosch remarked that Cyrus was on a retractable leash at the time of the attack and that the animal warden advised her that these leashes are not appropriate for walking dogs.  

Here is a flashback. Kos and Fenderbosch are responsible for repealing the Avon Lake pit bull ban in 2012.  Kos worked at this for 3 1/2 YEARS.  Per the Avon Lake Patch ""There was a couple of us, myself and Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch, who strongly advocated removing pit bull from the definition of vicious," Kos said."

Councilman David Kos, hold him responsible Avon Lake voters. 

                                                          * * *

8/10/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County

Another little dog killed by pit bulls in Avon Lake.  On 8/9/2015 Avon Lake police were called for a "dog fight" but this was not a dogfight it was the brutal fatal mauling of a Shih Tzu being walked by its owner. The owner told police that the pit bulls ran up to his little dog and attacked without provocation.  The Shih Tzu died at the scene, his owner was treated by paramedics for injuries received as he tried to protect his pet.  

The pit bull owner, David Golas of Avon Lake, was cited for two counts of animal at large.  The Avon Lake Prosecutor is " pursuing provisions under Section 955.11 of the Ohio Revised Code to designate the two dogs as dangerous dogs."

The pit bull owner stated that his dogs "got loose from his backyard because a gate was unsecured." Classic excuse, with the previous breed ban,  removed by Councilman David Kos, these dogs would not reside in the community.

Look at the police presence here.  Tell me again how breed neutral law saves taxpayer dollars.


Bella the Shih Tzu, her owner told reporters "she was a lovable, loving dog.  The poor thing didn't stand a chance." Indeed.


The home of the pit bull owner showing the gate that was not secured..  One can expect that there will be insurance here.

It appears that Avon Lake city officials got the message after the death of Daisy.   Per TV3 the prosecutor is doing the right thing.  It is not the first time these pit bulls have been at large, watch the video.


Poor Bella and her owner.
Neighbors, and their dogs gathered at the home of Bella's owners in a show of support.  
Per Newsnet 5 "Perry Pascarella, 81, was grateful to see the community support as dogs large and small stopped outside his home on Tuesday.

Pascarella said his neighbors wanted to come by to “thank little Bella for her life.”

These are good people.

                                                                  * * *

8/27/2015
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County Ohio

Speaking of ShihTzus, there is a very lucky ShihTzu in Cleveland.  Tiny little Fire was attacked TWICE by the same pit bull and survived.  A neighborhood pit bull owner reportedly walks his mauler without benefit of a leash, past Johnie Neal's home. Mrs. Neal and her granddaughter own Fire.  Per 19Actionnews " There were actually two attacks. The first was in the front yard; the second was after the family got Fire up on the porch.  The pit bull mix tossed Fire off the porch" "It had her in her mouth and dropped her, Fire was out like she was dead."

Keep in mind that both of the attacks occurred in Mrs. Neal's yard.  The pit bull owner explained the situation this way "the dog was trained to keep furry critters out of the yard, like squirrels, rabbits, and skunks, and may have mistaken Fire for one."  How can pit bull owners say this stuff?  Do they even think before they speak?

The pit bull lives blocks away from the Neal's home.  Fire was on the property of his owner.

So far the pit bull owner is refusing to pay any of Fire's vet bills.

Fire's x-ray.


Fire

For video click here.


5/1/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County Ohio

We talked about this attack in the last Pit Bull Roundup but I include it to give context for the outrageous number of pit bull attacks in the Greater Cleveland so far this summer.

The owner of two pit bulls that attacked and killed a Pomeranian was cited for two counts of failure to confine and one count of failure to license.  This was the second attack for the pit bulls belonging to "responsible pit bull owner" Alton Goshen Jr, age 24.  Think he has insurance?  I don't.

Just to keep everyone on the same page I will repeat what I wrote for the last roundup. Here it is.
5/1/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

Alton Goshen Jr., "responsible pit bull owner" owns two pit bulls that have attacked TWICE in a month and BOTH of these attacks have killed someone else's dog.  Why did Goshen's pit bulls get a second kill?  Glad you asked but I have no answer for this. Police officer Richard Broz stated, after the second kill, per the Morning News Journal "Broz reported he has dealt with the dogs on several occasions and never observed any aggression toward people, but they had aggression toward other animals."

Per Ohio Revised Code
 (a) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that, without provocation, and subject to division (A)(1)(b) of this section, has done any of the following:

(i) Caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person;

(ii) Killed another dog;

(iii) Been the subject of a third or subsequent violation of division (C) of section 955.22 of the Revised Code.

Per the Ohio Revised Code 955.11  Click here for the requirements for harboring a dangerous dog in Ohio.

On March 31, 2015 Goshen's pit bulls attacked and killed another dog that was leashed and in the yard of the owner. Ohio law says the pits are dangerous dogs after the first kill.  Why wasn't the message given to Goshen?

 An April 24th Goshen's pit bulls attacked, killed, and attempted to dismember a Pomeranian, leashed and in the yard of it's owner.  The Pomeranian's owner "told police she tried to chase the dogs off, but one of them started growling at her, so fearing she would be bit, she backed off and waited for help."

On April 27th one of Goshen's pits was reported at large and police were called.  Officer Broz responded and confronted the pit bull.  The pit then ran back into Goshen's yard through an open gate.  Please review AGAIN the requirements for keeping dangerous dogs in Ohio per the Ohio Revised Code.

Per the Morning Journal "Goshen secured the gate at the time but as of April 27 did not make any improvements suggested so the dogs would not escape again, the report stated." 

 Improvements SUGGESTED?

Police cited Goshen for two counts of failure to confine dogs and one count of failure to have a dog license. Police recommended the maximum penalty allowed by law for the offenses due to the repeat incidents, the emotional trauma of the owners of the dead dogs and the quality of life of the other neighbors in the area. 

                                                               * * *

8/10/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County Ohio

A dog described as a pit mix or a Boxer mix jumped a fence and killed a Yorkie on the property of the Yorkie owner.  The little dog's owner tried to distract the attacking dog with a rake until the owner of the pit mix/Boxer mix could climb the fence and retrieve his mauler.  The Yorkie's owner has not decided if she will file charges.

Why not?

                                                          * * *
                                                               

The family of Annie Williams is lobbying for regulation of pit bulls.  "We're all going to be very proactive in making sure that what happened to our grandmother does not continue to happen to other people,” said Tequila Williams. “What does it take for legislation, for representatives, for the law to see that this is an animal that no matter how kind you are to it, it cannot be controlled."

They have set up a foundation in Mrs. Williams memory, Any Salvation.  Mrs. Williams possessions will be given to those in need. 

                                                            * * *

Cleveland Heights Ohio is studying dog bite legislation after a pit bull attack on June 11, 2015.  I'm going to let Cleveland.com tell the story of that attack.
" The attack occurred at about 4 p.m. The victim was gardening outside her house when the pit bull approached her sport utility vehicle, which was parked in the street. Her dog was in the SUV, and the vehicle's rear hatch was open.

The woman walked to her SUV to secure her dog. The pit bull bit the woman's leg, then jumped on top of her, biting both her legs. After a few seconds, the dog let the woman go and chased a cat. 

The woman drove herself to Cleveland Clinic, where she received several stitches and a tetanus shot. She said she and her neighbors have seen the pit bull running loose in the past and have called police, believing the dog is dangerous.

Meanwhile, police spotted the pit bull walking through yards on Elbon. Officers tried but failed to capture the dog. After about 15, a boy arrived and said the pit bull belonged to his mother. He walked the dog back to his house on Elbon and locked the dog inside.

The pit bull's owner, 37, then arrived home. She apologized and said her son must not have locked the home's front door, allowing the animal to escape.

The pit bull was quarantined in a kennel for 10 days. The owner was cited for animals not under control, vicious dog biting a person and having a vicious animal. "

No word on the condition of the cat or on reimbursement of medical expenses for the victim.


Cleveland Heights City Council.

                                                               * * *

Avon Lake residents are demanding tougher laws.  "It turns out there's quite an undercurrent here in Avon Lake," Pascarella (owner of the Shih Tzu) said. "People are frightened of the dogs that are around."

                                                                    * * *
8/13/2015
Orange Village
Cuyahoga County  Ohio

Orange Village is looking at increasing penalties for aggressive, or vicious dogs.  Per Cleveland.com 

"A dog owner can currently face a minor misdemeanor, which carries a $250 fine, should his animal bite, or act like it wants to bite, someone.

Legislation will be presented in September to increase the charge to a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The owner of a vicious animal could face fines and up to 60 days in jail if their animal injures a person or another animal.

According to Orange Law Director Stephen Byron, the village's new law will be more aggressive than current state laws.

In Ohio, a dog is not considered vicious until it bites someone. The "one bite law"makes a dog's owner liable if injury is inflicted by a dog or if the dog previously bit a person or acted like it wanted to."

Orange Village is about to open a new dog park and officials want to keep it peaceful.

Pit bull roundup

The sheer numbers of outrageous pit bull events in Ohio has caused a huge backlog in our inbox.  We will get back to this mess soon but here is a bit of late year housekeeping.


Toledo Ohio
12/2/2014

From the files labeled "a pit bull's worst nightmare may be her owner" we have Jovie.  Jovie the pit bull puppy was surrendered to a rescue when she was three months old and weighed three pounds.  A local veterinarian stated that Jovie's weight was about half what it should have been and that she was "living on borrowed time."  The puppy is now in the care of the Lucas County Pit Crew.  At five months Jovie is up to seven pounds and her condition is greatly improved.

Jessica Bell, Jovie's former owner is a foster for the Toledo PET Bull project.  Bell is unable to account for the condition of the pup and she continues to foster dogs.  Bell stated that Jovie was "skinny" when she got her and offered proof that the dog had been seen by a veterinarian who found nothing wrong.

Given the involvement of the Lucas County Pit Crew, Jean Keating is heavily quoted.  Donations toward medical care for Jovie are, of course, being accepted by the Lucas County Pit Crew.

Is is unexplained how it was determined that Jovie is a pit bull, nobody can identify pit bulls.   It is also difficult to understand how those who claim to love the breed can fail to impact the numbers of pit bulls bred in backyards across the United States.  Roughly a million pit bulls die in American shelters EVERY YEAR.  Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay for pit bulls cut down on the suffering of dogs like Jovie?  Dogs not conceived can't starve, suffer, or die.

                                                                        * * *

10/31/2014
Toledo Ohio

This story may have been missed previously and no one should miss a pit bull attack that was actually covered by the Toledo Blade.

Toledo police shot and killed a pit bull observed to be attacking a woman.  Prior to being shot the dog was witnessed menacing two pedestrians and charged police as well.

When the dust settled and statements were taken it was revealed that the victim, the woman attacked was protecting her children from the dog. They had all been attacked by the same pit bull.  Substitute Beagle for pit bull in this story and see if it makes sense.  Nope, not for me either.  

                                                                        * * *

11/2014
Dayton

Dayton police were called for an animal complaint.  A leashed pit bull was charging the door of a house preventing the home owner from taking his children to school.  Police were able to catch the leash and lead the pit bull away from the home but as it was being walked toward the police cruiser the pit bull became aggressive and bit the officer.  The dog was transported to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center run by county dog warden Mark Kumpf, for quarantine.  The officer was treated for his injuries.

The Dayton Police department has purchased catch poles for use in situations like this one.  Guns work too, see the next few stories.


                                                                      * * *
                                                       

11/17/2014
Fremont Ohio

Fremont police shot and killed a pit bull after it attacked an eight year old boy and charged police responding to the call.  The call was described by the News-Messenger "  Officers arrived and saw a brown pit bull on top of the juvenile, with the child screaming for help. The eight year-old boy was inside a fenced-in area with the dog, according to the report, with the animal actively dragging the boy around the yard." 

Police fired one shot killing the dog and ending the attack.  The Sandusky County Health Department and Sandusky County EMS also responded to the call.

                                                                        * * *

 11/24/2014
Cleveland Heights Ohio

An eight year old boy was hospitalized after he was attacked by a pit bull belonging to the family of his friend.  The boys were walking home from school when they arrived at the home of the boy who owned the pit bull.  The boys entered the fenced yard and approached the house when the two year old pit bull bit the boy on his hand and wrist.  The child was taken to Euclid Hospital and later transferred to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital for treatment.

The pit bull's owner was charged with having a vicious dog unconfined and lacking a permit and insurance for that vicious dog.  The taxpayer will receive the bill for this attack eventually.  The pit bull owner reported that his pit bull had no history of biting.  *eye roll *

                                                                    * * *

12/8/2014
Dayton Ohio

A report shows that Dayton police often shoot dogs that are aggressive, 50 since 2011.  Per Hometownnewsstations.com "Data shows police shoot at dogs more often than people, with shootings occurring during drug raids, welfare checks, investigations, traffic stops and chases through yards and alleys.

Police tell the Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1zhfrFZ ) that using deadly force often is a split-second decision and provides the only guarantee to stop an aggressive animal from potentially causing harm.

Lt. Matthew Dickey, commander of the department's West Patrol Operations Division, says that getting bit by a dog can cause serious and sometimes permanent injuries.

Animal advocates say they understand what police go through but encourage more training to deal with canine confrontations.

Easy for advocates to say but police officers deserve to go home uninjured at the end of their shift. Those who don't want their dogs shot should keep their dogs safely confined.  This protects the public, police, and the dog.  

                                                                               * * * 

11/2014

Cincinnati Ohio

Fundraisers continue for six year old Zainabou Drame, mauled by the neighbor's pit bulls in June.  An event held at the Horseshoe Casino and hosted by the Sentinel Black Police Officer's Association also honored the four police officers who saved Zainabou's life.  Click here for a link to the story and links to previous articles on Zainabou's recovery.  The event was attended by hundreds of people, the money raised will go directly toward Zainabou's medical bills which near a million dollars so far.  

One of the honored police officers, Kyle Strunk, was interviewed and he described the scene as police arrived per WLWT "Strunk said he'll never forget the image of that as they pulled up, seeing grown men and women vomiting on the street, reacting to what they had just witnessed.

"That's not a sight you see very often, you know, adults can't even look. They had to look away based on the violence of it,”

Zainabou has returned to school and was visited at school by Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell and several police officers.   City police have never wavered in their support for this child.

Zainabou lost her tongue in the attack, she is unable to speak or swallow and is fed through a tube.

The owner of the dogs was not charged for the attack because there "was no law on the books that fit."

                                                                 

                                                                        * * *

12/1/2014

Medina Ohio    

Augusta and Burdett Crandall pleaded no contest to misdemeanor animal cruelty charges that they starved their two dogs, a pit bull and a Boxer.  The couple has not yet been sentenced.  The dogs were confiscated in August by the Medina Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  That organization received $10,300 in donations for the care of these two dogs.

Charges look appropriate to me.  These are the dogs.

Sometimes things get better. The tan and white dog in the center of this photo is the recovered pit bull.

                                                                                                            * * *

12/8/2014

Bellefontaine Ohio  

In a classic leap of logic the pit bull Belle, rescued from a dogfighting operation in Cleveland has been declared a "bait dog" in order to make her story more acceptable and make her more adoptable. 

Bait dog?  Bell has scars on her face, possibly she just fought and/or lost.   WHIO has declared Bell "heroic" why?   Bell is available for adoption into your neighborhood.  Good luck.  Contact the Ohio Animal Cruelty Task Force, a volunteer organization with no apparent connections to any larger humane organization.

Who will be responsible if Belle attacks?  Who will pay the medical bills of the victim.  Pit bull advocates remind the public ad nauseum  "its all in how you raise 'em" and Belle is game bred and pit experienced.

                                                              * * *

11/20/2014

Bolivar Missouri  

Mia and Tebow in better times.

A three year old girl mauled by her grandparents American Bulldog (pit bull derivative) will be treated for her injuries at Cincinnati's Shriners Hospital for Children, one of my very favorite organizations.  Mia Kraft was scheduled to her her first surgery at Shriners in early December.  

A bit of history here, Mia's grandparents have owned Tebow since the dog was 8 weeks old and Mia has spent a great deal of time with the dog.  There was no history of violence from this dog.  Mia's mother has no insurance to cover medical expenses and will be billed for the surgeries done prior to Mia's arrival in Ohio.