Meltdowns that anyone could see coming.

We will take a break from the endless pit bull attacks in Ohio to take a better look at a couple of things that have been topics of discussion here in the past.

First, the uproar over a pit bull that has gone missing since it was placed with Steffen Baldwin.  Those who placed Remi, a designated dangerous dog from Trumbull County, with Baldwin because of his self-proclaimed expertise with dangerous dogs are justifiably anxious and angry that they are receiving no information as to the location and status of the dog.  These folks believed in the dog and backed up that belief up with cash. Where did it go?

Here is the short version of the story and we are sharing it per request.

Remi's Story:
For those of you that don't have time to read the lengthy version below here's a quick rundown. We saved Remi in May of 2016. He was deemed a dangerous dog through really no fault of his own. We had to hire legal counsel to save his life. We rehabilitated Remi in our home for 4 months and invested thousands in him. We reached the point that he needed to go somewhere who had a broader network of possible adopters due to his title. We gave Steffen $1,000 to polish Remi up and find him his forever home. We've asked multiple times for updated pics and to go visit Remi which Steffen had verbally agreed to. There have been no updated pics on his social media pages either. Fast forward 7 months later we still have not been allowed to visit Remi and we have no pics since Sept. Steffen failed to register Remi this year with the state for his Dangerous dog license. We are concerned for Remi's safety and concerned if he is even alive. We are asking everyone to please share Remi's story in hopes that Steffen allows us to see him or somebody knows where he actually is because Steffen claims he no longer has him and one of his volunteers do.

For the full story, please click here.  Make some popcorn and read the comments.

It should be noted that Baldwin has started another rescue with his friend Luke Westerman, Columbus Pets Alive! is the name.  ACT Ohio, Baldwin's personal, home-based rescue will merge into Columbus Pets Alive! on June 1, 2017. The facebook pages for this organization are down, shocking.  Here is a link to another promotional page for Baldwin's new group. It is also a blank at the moment.

As of this morning, we find that Baldwin's personal Facebook page is gone.  The Facebook page for his dog training business, Save Them Dog Training is full of demands for information on Remi.  It is important to note that Remi dog requires a dangerous dog license which has not been obtained by Baldwin in violation of state law.  Baldwin knows better, he is or has been, a humane agent for Union County.

This quote from the couple who trusted Baldwin with Remi. 

"NOW HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART. Remi is a Dangerous Dog in the State of OH and if all of the laws set in place for DD is not followed it can lead to criminal charges and the dog can loose his life. I called the Union County dog warden to find out if Remi was ever transferred to another owner or if Steffen registered him for the 2017 year. The answer I received made my heart sink. Remi was never registered for the 2017 year for his Dangerous dog license and NONE of Steffens dogs had their dog licenses renewed yet for the year. Mind you this was Mid March. The dog warden has stopped responding and Steffen still won't allow me to see Remi. Remi still belongs to ACT Oh and is still his dog. Why wasn't he registered for the year, if a volunteer had him, why was ownership not transferred and she didn't file for Remi's 2017 license???"

Mr. Baldwin can clear up this matter by simply responding to the questions and complaints but has chosen to avoid them. Why?  Has he licensed his own dogs yet?

Steffen Baldwin turns up in a fair number of posts on this blog but one covers a great deal of back story.  Please click here.


Baldwin also appears in the next story, a follow up on Bosco the Biter.

Quick review, Bosco was a stray pit bull picked up in Toledo and placed by the Lucas County Pit Crew with a family in Fulton County Ohio. Bosco bit the new owner on the third day in his new home and was returned to that rescue group.  There is no love lost between Fulton County officials and the Lucas County Pit Crew.
Click here for background information on Bosco and the legal problems he created for the Lucas County Pit Crew.  There are lots of links.



Bosco was eventually placed with a breed expert in Arizona, conveniently getting him out of Ohio where he was a designated dangerous dog.  Things are still not going well for Bosco but the new owner is relying on long distance training tips and advice from others, including Steffen Baldwin.

Per Bosco's new owner "Bosco is the greatest little dog…who happens to have a real problem with anxiety.

I have postponed writing this post, because it’s hard to admit that sometimes the things you have always done are not working.  Kevin and I have had challenging dogs in the past, but they have easily responded to all of our positive reinforcement without issue.  That hasn’t been true of Bosco."

Click here for the story of Bosco's current meltdown, up to and including "acting out" against his new owners. This couple is building their lives around creating a bubble of calm around a dog apparently so "stressed" that anything can trigger dangerous behavior.  Baldwin comes into the story with this quote.

"The final straw was when he was so stressed by a walk that he acted out towards Kevin.  The situation was no longer okay.  Something had to be done…not just for safety, but for Bosco’s happiness.

So, with the help of our vet, a behaviorist in Florida, and a dog trainer who I trust implicitly (yes I mean you Steffen Baldwin) we started Operation Make Bosco Happy.  We are primarily depending on nutraceuticals…nutritional supplements to help him become calmer.  Along with exercise and some other calmative items, we are working to help Bosco accept his world.So here’s what is currently in our arsenal:

• A DAP collar. This is a pheromone collar that works through the dog’s own body heat.  It gives out the same calming scents a mother dog gives out to her puppies.  Each collar lasts about a month.  You can also get a diffuser to plug in and flood your whole house with this calming scent.
• NutriClear Free by Biotics is a nutritional supplement for detoxification and metabolic clearing. It is a powder that you mix with water (it smells like a vanilla milkshake).  Bosco thinks it is the tastiest thing ever and slurps it down before I can even stand up from setting the bowl on the floor.
• ComposurePro supplement treats which have been proven to lower anxiety levels in dogs and cats.
• Phosphatidylcholine by Biotics. According to their website this is “a supplemental source of this important phosoholipid, which is a major constituent of cell membranes, and is important for normal cellular membrane function and repair”.
• Bio-B Complex by Biotics, a high potency dose of important B complex vitamins
• A treadmill for exercise. Walks are currently to upsetting to Bosco.  Everything in the world is seen as dangerous.  With time we are hoping to resume walks, which should be a happy activity for a dog.  In the meantime, a few minutes of treadmill time will help lower his anxiety level.
• Rescue Remedy in his water.  RR is a great natural calmative.
• A minute dose of Clonidine, which is an anti-anxiety medication.

Is " Operation Make Bosco Happy" making Bosco safe?  Are nutraceuticals REALLY going to fix Bosco? Who will guarantee the safety of Bosco's neighbors?  Will the insurance of the Lucas County Pit Crew cover the expenses of anyone injured by Bosco's anxiety?  Will Baldwin's insurance cover medical bills for humans or pets injured when Bosco's anxiety gets the better of him?  Baldwin also gave long distance training advice the owner of another rescue dog, Joe Dirt.  This did not go well either, Joe Dirt was appropriately euthanized after two serious attacks on his rescuer.  Links to the advice given by Baldwin are broken but here is the announcement of Joe's passing.  

Are those intent on saving dangerous dogs even concerned with the safety of the peaceful public?  Do they consider the safety of their neighbors?  Do they consider the safety of other folks peaceful pets?  Are we just opportunities to "socialize" their dangerous dogs?

The president of the Lucas County Pit Crew, Jean Keating, was Ohio's premier breed advocate until Steffen Baldwin moved into the state and began his campaign of self-promotion.  It is now a toss up for who gets the championship title.  Both these breed advocates are currently in questionable positions.

For the final chapter of the Bosco story please click here.  

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.  


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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. 



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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?     

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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.   

  

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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.

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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.



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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.

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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.

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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, Fulton County drama continues, take this pit bull PLEASE and we will throw in a gift card, real police dogs and pit bull "police dogs"

12/30/2015
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County



Just when we thought we were done with 2015 this turned up.  another "take this pit bull PLEASE" offering.  This one comes with a $50 gift card!  Simon is waiting for you at the Cleveland City Pound.  An opportunity like this is rare, better hurry.



The Cleveland Pitties Facebook page features lots of available pit bulls.  Simon must be special because he is the only one that comes with a gift card.

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1/1/2016
Columbus Ohio
Franklin County

King the pit bull was promoted by a local TV station in November.  The cheerful video stated clearly that King is dog aggressive (And presumably other animals as well.  Got a cat?  Probably King is a poor choice for you)  and was available to an adopter without other dogs in the household.  Does the widow next door have a Poodle?  The Franklin County shelter has given no consideration to the widow's Poodle in their eagerness to get King out the door.

On January 1st the NBC4 News trots King out again.  Now King is now in the custody of the I Have a Dream Rescue.  The rescue's trainer assures the public that King  "may slowly be introduced to other dogs" and after he has had some time to decompress he will be available for adoption to someone willing to "work with him."




The rescue still promotes King as only suitable for a household with no other dogs. It is not likely that King has changed much in just a few weeks.  The desperation to place this aggressive animal increases.

On January 1st 2016 a search on the Petfinder website for pit bulls in Ohio gives us 18,497 available pit bulls, this is JUST on the Petfinder site.  Why would anyone choose a known dog aggressive pit bull picked up as a stray (failed in at least one household, that's why he was on the streets) taken to a County Shelter where he was deemed too risky to adopt out directly to the public, and transferred to a rescue to limit liability for the county?

Mandatory neuter and spay would solve a lot of problems here.

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1/2/2016
Sandusky Ohio
Erie County

It is only January 2nd and the Sandusky police scanner sounds a warning "a caller advises that an attacking pit bull is running loose on E. Forrest Dr."  So much for a peaceful start to the new year in Sandusky!

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1/3/2016
Akron Ohio
Summit County

I'm stuck on "take this pit bull PLEASE" listings and I need to get over it, but just one more.  I promise.  This is Clyde.





I swear, Clyde is listed as a Basset Hound!!!! You can visit this "Basset Hound" at the Summit County Animal Control facility.  Lets change the available pit bull count to 18,498.

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1/3/2016
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County

Cleveland police shot at two Bull Mastiffs that were attacking another dog. A neighborhood resident was also attacked. Lets not even pretend that we don't know that Bull Mastiffs are 60% Mastiff and 40% pit bull.  The condition of the dogs, and the human victim were not reported.



Update - New reports indicate that the attacking dog was a "bull Mastiff mix" and it was shot while attacking a pedestrian and the pedestrian's dog.  The attacking dog was killed.  Appropriate.

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1/3/2016
Medina County Ohio

The Medina County Sheriffs Department has made a $12,400 deposit on two new police dogs, both German Shepherds.  The price for each dog is $12,400, total of $24,800.  These dogs were bred in Slovakia and trained in the Czech language for tracking and narcotics detection.  The dogs were imported by Excel K-9 Services.

Please note, these dogs were bred for police work.  They are already trained for tracking and narcotics detection but will not be ready to begin working for another 14 weeks.  They will have an additional six or eight weeks of individual training plus another six weeks of training with two deputies.  Please note this is 14 more weeks of training for these two, already trained police dogs. This will be important later.

This training is normal for police dogs, they are working dogs. Congratulations to Medina County!


The new Medina County police dogs were purchased with money raised by the community.  Wonderful story!


Here is where we are going to take a look at other police dogs.  The Cities of Poughkeespie New York, and the Normangee Texas have new police dogs too.  They both have new pit bull K9 officers. This is a non traditional choice and there is an explanation for this.  That answer is the relentless promotion of pit bulls by the Animal Farm Foundation.

A bit of background here.  New York state is the home of Jane Berkey, wildly wealthy heiress and pit bull fanatic.  She owns both the Animal Farm Foundation and the National Canine Research Foundation, both are run out offices on her farm in rural New York state, in Dutchess County New York to be exact.  The money train that funds pit bull advocacy leaves the station from Berkey's farm. Poughkeepsie in the county seat for Dutchess County New York.

Some economic facts on Poughkeepsie from Wikipedia. " The median household income in the city was $29,389, and the median income for a family was $35,779. Males had a median income of $31,956 versus $25,711 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,759. About 18.4% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over."

Poughkeepsie is not a big money community and one would expect that a K9 officer (remember the purchase price of the German Shepherds in Medina County) given free of charge to the city police department would be accepted.  Especially when that gift comes from a prominent member of the community.

Enter Kiah, pit bull police dog provided to the cash strapped Poughkeepsie police department free of charge, a gift from the Animal Farm Foundation.  Kiah is expected to serve as a narcotics detection dog and as a tracking dog, AND, as a "breed ambassador."  Who could see that coming?  Kiah was a stray found in a Texas shelter, as was Wilson, a pit bull police dog given to the Normangee Texas Police department by the Animal Farm Foundation.

Background information on Normangee Texas from Wikipedia "As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 719 people, 277 households, and 185 families residing in the town. "
"The median income for a household in the town was $28,594, and the median income for a family was $34,444. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $16,042 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,336. About 16.1% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over."
A very small town with economic challenges.

The feel good piece written about Wilson gives a bit more information on the pit bull police dogs provided by the Animal Farm Foundation.  These dogs have received all of FOUR WEEKS of training.   Video on the Normangee link tells us that the Animal Farm Foundation has provided seven of these strays-to-K9-officers-in-just-four-weeks to police departments across the United States.  Presumably these dogs were accepted by police departments with economic challenges.

Kiah and Wilson will have specialized duties, drug sniffer and tracker, not your typical police K9. These limited duties will keep Kiah and Wilson out of high stress situations where their prey drive might lead to injury to the public.  Oh, they will be "breed ambassadors" alright, lots of photo ops with the pit bulls posed in front of police cars, this is pure publicity stunt.

Click here for the thoughts of another blogger on the free pit bull police dogs, and the man behind the fraud.  Thank you to the blogger at the Sudden, Random, Unprovoked and Violent  Blog!

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1/5/2016
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County

The drama over Bosco the pit bull continues.  Quick review.  Bosco was a stray, picked up October 18th in Toledo Ohio  Bosco was placed with a Fulton County family by the Lucas County Pit Crew, headed by Jean Keating.  Bosco bit a member of his new family just three days after placement, December 26th.  Click here for the back story, it will be found in about the middle of the post.

Bosco has been designated a dangerous dog by the Fulton County Dog Warden and is in quarantine at the Fulton County Pound.  Jean Keating plans to fight this, and goes on to state that "There is a really good chance that Bosco wasn't even involved."  By making this statement Keating, who was not present at the time of Bosco's attack, has called the victim of the attack a liar, as well as all those present at the time.  Keating speculates that since there was another dog inside the house at the time of the bite, that dog was responsible for the bite.  Keating points to a year old bite report for that dog as her proof.

After Bosco's bite, the victim's wife called the Lucas County Pit Crew requesting immediate pick up of the pit bull, The family was uncomfortable keeping Bosco because they have children.  Logical. The victim went to a local hospital for stitches.  Bosco was taken by a representative of the Pit Crew to a Pike Township foster home for quarantine. The Lucas County Pit Crew resisted efforts by local authorities to quarantine Bosco at the Fulton County Pound. Keating refused to reveal the location of Bosco and gave the Fulton County Health Department contact information for her attorney.  Dale Emich, the attorney, gave up the address a day later.  Bosco's fosters refused to turn the dog over to authorities so the county obtained a warrant and seized the pit bull.  Bosco is now quarantined at the Fulton County Pound.

Keating continues to threaten the Fulton County Dog Warden with a lawsuit and ethics complaint. Laughably, she stated "It's misuse of your public office to target an individual or a specific organization because you're angry" while she is targeting the dog warden and the county commissioners because she is angry. Keating has targeted this dog warden for an extended period of time, this is not a new behavior.  The dog warden did not bite Bosco's new owner, the dog placed by the Lucas County Pit Crew bit the new owner. That is the responsibility of the Lucas County Pit Crew.

The dog warden did exactly as he was supposed to do, per the law pushed on the residents of Ohio by Jean Keating and Barbara Sears. For a bit of background here we are going to stroll over to national blog Sudden, Random, Unprovoked, and Violent for a blast from the past video interview by Keating.  She makes this statement regarding the law written by lawyers for Best Friends Animal Society (headquartered in Utah) for Ohio. "[The new law] is much more proactive. It identifies dangerous dogs before they hurt people. That's where our focus needs to be: identifying these dogs long before these incidents occur. Dog attacks occur with every breed, in every city, and most of them are equally horrific.¹ Keating wants dangerous dogs identified before they hurt someone but she did not focus on Bosco, she passed him on with the statement that he was just "jumpy."

The Pit Crew, responsible for placement of Bosco,  did not identify Bosco as a dangerous dog prior to the December 26th bite of the new owner. They continue to deny this despite the bite report and quarantine of Bosco. Dog Warden Banister did as his job requires. After "the incident" he declared Bosco dangerous and quarantined him.  Hating and persecuting the man for doing his job is unproductive.  PLEASE click on the link to watch Keating's interview.  My favorite part of the video is Tom Skeldon getting the opportunity to say "I told you so" about the  failure of the Keating/Sears bill.  Read the thoughts of the SRUV blogger on the failure of the "proactive" Keating/Sears bill.

I digress.  A quote from the Blade "Ms. Keating said Bosco is being treated as a pawn as part of a disagreement between the rescue and Fulton County.  The group is participating in grass-roots efforts to investigate the pound's overall operations, they have been critical of the dog warden, county commissioners, and county policies."  A second quote "We have pending litigation with (dog warden Brian) Banister in another situation. We've shown the public that he doesn't do his job.  He saw an opportunity to take it out on this poor dog."

Wow, I can't imagine why Fulton County officials do not favor Ms. Keating or her Lucas County organization.

It is important to note that a county dog license is considered proof of ownership of a dog.  The Lucas County Pit Crew did not bother to obtain a license for Bosco in Lucas County or in Fulton County.  The Pit Crew did not license Bosco until the day after they picked him up, December 27th. I can't explain this but a quote from the Toledo Blade states "The tag number listed in the sheriff's report returns two different registrants in 2014 and 2015, and neither dog listed to those owners matches Bosco's description."  What tag did the Pit Crew put on Bosco?

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1/6/2016
Wauseon Ohio
Fulton County

Fulton County officials have filed criminal charges against Jean Keating, head of the Lucas County Pit Crew, and against volunteers Kevin Bauer and Andrea Walters.  All three face misdemeanor charges in Fulton County Western District Court.   Keating and Walters face second degree misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business and a minor misdemeanor charge for violating a rabies quarantine.  Bauer is facing a charge of violating a rabies quarantine.  Hearings are scheduled on February 9th.

In a first ever event, Keating refused to comment to Blade reporters.  Keating is now represented by a new attorney, Kirsten Knight, Knight did also not respond to Blade requests for comments either.

A quote from the Blade "The Pit Crew's board of directors released a short statement on the charges Tuesday afternoon.  'The Lucas County Pit Crew is an all volunteer, non profit organization that is comprised of dedicated individuals who will always stand up and speak our when they feel a dog is being mistreated.  Nobody within the organization engaged in any criminal conduct and the evidence will speak for itself.  Our focus remains on the return of Bosco to our care unharmed."

The Pit Crew will file for a court hearing to contest the dangerous dog designation given by Fulton County Dog Warden Brian Banister.

The Fulton County Commissioners have issued a statement "Upon expiration of the quarantine, the dog's owners will be responsible for the dog."  Fulton County considers the Fulton County couple who adopted Bosco from the Lucas County Pit Crew to be the legal owners.  Keating considers the Pit Crew to be the lawful owners of Bosco.  Keating claims that the couple transferred ownership of Bosco to the Pit Crew when the dog was picked up but the dog was not signed over.

Crowd funding to pay the Pit Crew's legal expenses for this fiasco totaled $3000 on the first day.  Pit bull activists have never donated a cent to a pit bull victim to pay medical bills but they donate $3000 to defend a biter, Remember, Pet Finder tells us that there are 18,497 available pit bulls in Ohio and this one, a biter, gets $3000 donated for legal expenses.
   
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After all that drama, lets remember why we are here.



This is Xavier Strickland.  He was walking with his mother in their Detroit neighborhood on the day of his attack, December 2nd.  Xavier's mother is a volunteer at the local grade school, that was their destination.  Xavier and his mother were attacked by three pit bulls, Xavier was dragged across the street and under a gate, mauled and disemboweled by four pit bulls.  His mother, and horrified neighbors were unable to reach him, the gate was locked.

This is Judge Lydia Nance-Adams listening to witness testimony at a preliminary hearing for the owner of the pit bulls.  The only possible appropriate response.



Judge Nance-Adams was asked by the defense attorney to reduce the one million dollar bond for the pit bull owner.  The judge refused.

1/7/2016 Update
The owner of the pit bulls that killed Xavier Strickland will stand trial on second degree murder charges. Per WTKG "A judge said Thursday there's enough evidence to send Geneke Lyons to trial on the murder charge and other crimes."


For more information please click here.

Pregnant woman attacked by pit bull in pit bull centric Toledo Ohio, and the first ever Hello Bully Hero Award. Congratulations to the publisher of the Toledo Blade

I am going to post this quickly.  This article appeared in the Toledo Blade and the Blade is not known for reporting on pit bull attacks.  It is not expected that this link will remain live for very long.

Thirty year old Maria Drake,  21 weeks pregnant, was attacked by her pit bull today.  Mrs. Drake was bitten on her thumb, left inner thigh, left breast, and right forearm.  She was taken by ambulance to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center per Dog Warden Julie Lyle.  She was in still in surgery at the time of publication.

 Jesse  Drake, husband of the victim, stated that the 1 1/2 year old pit bull had never shown any signs of aggression and often played with the four children, ages 11, 7, 6, and 4. Mr. Drake said the fetus was not harmed by the attack.

It was reported that the 71 pound, unneutered pit bull attacked Mrs. Drake when she went into the yard where it was playing with the children.  Per Mr. Drake, the neighbor's children had been poking the dog with  sticks and it was "riled up" and redirected on the victim.

The dog has been surrendered to Animal Control.  It will be held for a 10 day quarantine and is expected to be euthanized.

.... An update on the above story.  The 13abc.com report with video is considerably different from the previously linked article. The previous version might have been sanitized just a bit.  Per 13abc.com "A Toledo woman is in the hospital after her dog attacked her. Police said if they hadn't gotten there when they did the outcome of the attack might have been very different."   Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle made the on-camera statement  "We don't have any idea at this point. I don't think that it's a fatal injury, but I think she is severely injured, is what we are understanding at this point," . 

It is reported that the the neighbors were not taunting the dog, they hit the fence in an effort to distract the pit bull as it attacked the pregnant woman for 15 minutes prior to the arrival of first responders.   13abc.com interviews a neighbor who was a witness"  "A real big pit bull was just attacking her like trying to rip her arm off," said Margie Troiano, a neighbor of the victim. "So, we tried hitting the fence to try to get it to get off of her, but it didn't want to get off."

Neighbors then tried stabbing the dog, identified as a pit bull by the Dog Warden. It would not release its grip on the woman.

"The dog had her for about 15 minutes before anyone showed up," Troiano said. 

Firefighters arrived and had to physically and forcefully break the dog's grip."

For additional information on this attack please click here.  First responders are interviewed and show the tools they used to force the pit bull off his owner.


Speaking of the Toledo Blade, congratulations to Blade publisher and editor-in-chief John Robinson Block.  Mr. Block has been honored with the first ever "Hello Bully Hero" award presented by the breed specific advocacy organization Hello Bully of Cranberry Township Pennsylvania.  The award was presented at the group's Lovers not Fighters Gala.  Hello Bully promotes the Hello Bully Hero award as an annual recognition of greatness in the community.

A quote from the Toledo Blade article on this honor "Jean Keating, founder and president of Lucas County Pit Crew, said Mr. Block helped change both Lucas County and state law in terms of how “pit bulls” are treated. Mr. Block and The Blade were critical of former Dog Warden Tom Skeldon, who believed all “pit bulls” should be killed."

 Family members of the twenty five Americans killed by pit bulls since the passage of HB 14 were not invited.

Ohio's breed specific advoacte, Jean Keating

One constant in seven years of FOI documents relating to HB14, and previous attempts to remove regulation from pit bulls in Ohio is Jean Keating. There is never a point where Keating introduced herself by letter, no "Dear Legislator, my name is Jean Keating and I would like to share my thoughts with you." She turned up regularly with letters, pit bull advocacy material, and forwards of news stories on attacks by any other breed, but never comments on actual pit bull mauling deaths. Keating is a tremendous favorite of the Toledo Blade, she is frequently quoted and photographed. It is impossible to conceal her identity by simply calling her "the breed specific advocate" her public profile has been too high for too long. Keating is a co-founder of the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates and President of the Lucas County Pit Crew.

Keating is friendly with Barbara Sears, this is clear. Keating addresses Sears in letters as "Dear Barb." Some letters begin with business and end with status updates on Keating's children and mother. From the correspondence, it is not clear whether these two women have been friends in the community or their friendship is purely political. Keating wrote on several occasions "I will do anything to get this law passed." She pretty much did just that.

A letter to Representative Garrison, dated April 10, 2009 gives insight into what drives Keating. "I am a law abiding citizen and responsible dog owner, as such, I should have the right to own any breed of dog I believe I can properly care for. The failings of others should not restrict my rights. People can smoke and drink alcohol, even while pregnant. Those things have been proven to kill at alarming rates. There are millions of dogs in this country and less than 30 deaths per year from all breeds combined. That makes dogs remarkably safe. So why can't I own the dog of my choosing? I recognize that even though I am a responsible dog owner, others may not be. Why does their behavior destroy my rights?"

A letter to Sears dated April 13, 2009 gives additional thoughts. "Where does all this leave a responsible dog owner? Personally, it infuriates me and causes me to look through the real estate pages of neighboring Michigan. My own family dog has been Canine Good Citizen certified, has a microchip and is never taken into Toledo for fear he would be killed. As an AKC registered American Staffordshire Terrier, he isn't even a pit bull. (note - An AKC American Staffordshire Terrier may be double registered as a UKC American Pit Bull Terrier, obviously they are one and the same) However, according to the ORC he is vicious, he has never displayed a single aggressive behavior and yet I am subjected to restrictions that other owners aren't. My own son was bitten by a dog a few years ago and that dog's owner has no restrictions. Where is the sense in that? I think that is the nonsense that has caused Ohio citizens great grief. The experts know why dogs bites (sic), why aren't we listening?"

Early 2009 is the start of advocacy overdrive for Keating. Many letters and forwards of information taken from breed specific advocacy websites, comments on attacks and bites from different breeds, but no mention of serious pit bull maulings or deaths. It should be noted that in the United States there were 14 pit bull mauling deaths in 2009, but Keating had no comment on them.  See notes below for an update on pit bull fatality statistics since 2009.

In a letter to Sears dated February 21, 2009 Keating wants the removal of the designation of vicious for pit bulls (which removes insurance and containment requirements). Due process was not a concern for Keating. (A bit later we will get to the reason for the due process addition to proposed changes in Ohio law.) Keating complains that despite the strong breed specific law in Toledo at that time, bite counts are going up so obviously the law is not working. A document provided by Lucas County and found in Barbara Sears records showing dog bite counts from 2001 to 2008 gives a different perspective.

In 2001 there were 697 dog bites recorded by the county
in 2002 there were 617 bites
in 2003 there were 550 bites
in 2004 there were 526 bites
in 2005 there were 432 bites
in 2006 there were 428 bites
in 2007 there were 329 bites
in 2008 there were 403 bites.

The trend is steadily downward for the period with a single year, 2007, as an outlier with a more significant drop in bites. In the setting of County dog bites, Keating's complaint looks dishonest. It must be noted that during the entire period covered by the table, Tom Skeldon was Dog Warden in Lucas County. Tom Skeldon was driven into retirement by personal and professional attacks from the Toledo Blade, and Keating's organizations. Attacks and service calls increased dramatically in the first year after Skeldon's retirement, as reported in the Toledo Blade. A January 31, 2011 Blade article by reporter JC Reindl states Dog Warden service calls increased to 5,427, up 162 from 2009. Dog attack investigations increased to 434, up from 357 in 2009.

In an additional letter to Sears, with the same date 2/21/2009, Keating gives her thoughts on changes to Ohio law. "There are also some states, like Virginia, that require "vicious dogs" to be registered differently and they pay higher license fees. I don't believe that people are going to like that, but it could be a concession later to appease some folks. If you search the Virginia Vicious Dog site, it lists the address, owner, breed, and offense the dog committed. That is harsh but it has created a safer state."

Keating does not think "people" will like to pay higher license fees for legally declared vicious dogs and a public listing of those dogs is "harsh"? What does Keating think about the medical bills generated by those legally declared vicious dogs? Without insurance the victims paid them, not the dog owner. A public listing of the dogs is "harsh"? That public listing allows neighbors to be aware of dangers in their neighborhood, it helps protect children. This is "harsh" for the dog owner? Has breed specific advocacy ever considered the rights of the peaceful public?


In a letter dated 3/19/2009 from Keating to Sears, Keating announces statements of support for HB79 (an earlier version of HB14) from Best Friends and the AKC. " I have put out requests to about 15 more national organizations asking for support. I should be able to give you a list by the end of the week of the responses I receive." It stuns me that a private citizen has taken it upon herself to negotiate Ohio law with special interest groups.

On April 2, 2009 Keating writes to Sears Legislative aide about a "letter writing party." "Annie, we had the first of our scheduled "letter writing parties" tonight. We had a great turnout and got coverage from two TV stations. I have about 150 letters to stuff in the mail." Were legislators made aware that the letters that were turning up in their mail were not spontaneous letters of support, but were generated wholesale, at the request of Keating?

A revealing letter from Keating, undated, but the letters she supplies were dated April 2009, gives additional insight into Keating's unbounded advocacy. "Some of the kids at the school where I work are doing a government project. They are upset that I don't bring my dogs to school anymore. I explained why to them and they wanted to help. Their teacher helped them but didn't understand that Barb introduced the bill. They worked so hard on their letters I said I would send them. Thanks, Jean" Jean Keating is using her job at a school to influence children to write to legislators in support of her own pet project. Were the children's parents aware of the manipulation of their sons and daughters?

Keating is the connection between Representative Sears and Best Friends Animal Society's Senior Legislative Attorney, Ledy Vankavage. In a Toledo Blade article dated 11/6/2009, "Dog Advocate says 'pit bulls' are unfairly demonized. Canine Profiling cited as ineffective approach" Blade writer Carl Ryan states that "Vankavage is Senior Legislative Analyst for Best Friends, the group that rescued disgraced NFL player Michael Vick's approximately 50 "pit bulls" which have been rehabilitated and adopted out."   This statement is clearly not factual, Best Friends had little to do with the seizure of Vick's dogs. Best Friends took 22 of the dogs, most were to be lifelong sanctuary dogs.  Reporter Ryan goes on to say "Ms. Vankavage was in Toledo at the invitation of Jean Keating and her organization The Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates." Barbara Sears attended this meeting at the invitation of Keating.

I am going to digress a bit here, Please hang in there with me.  Best Friends signed a contract as part of the process to receive the 22 high profile Vicktory pits bulls. One of the terms of contract stated that the dogs were not to be used for fund raising purposes but Best Friends has used  these dogs in shameless solicitation of donations. A 2012 revision of Best Friends Terrier Initiatives page has removed acknowledgement of their agreement with the Federal Government not to use the Vick Dogs for fundraising and has removed the "Donate Now" button.  The contract may be read here, the non fundraising clause is located on page 5 under Indemnification and Publicity, section H.  Records are difficult to come by but it appears that only a few of the dogs taken by Best Friends have been placed but  Best Friends has a new marketing program for some of the aging Vick pit bulls.  Best Friends has put the Vicktory pit Layla on Petfinder.  In the Petfinder ad Best Friends states that Layla is aggressive, should be the only "pet" in the household, and that she has Babesia, a communicable disease common in fighting pit bulls.  Just what every neighborhood needs.  The contract between Best Friends and the United States Government has this stipulation "The Rescue Organization will be prohibited from transferring the dog or dogs to another rescue organization without the written consent of the United States Department of Agriculture.  This stipulation is located on page 8 of the document. Has Best Friends obtained the consent of the Federal Government to offer an acknowledged aggressive dog with a communicable disease on Petfinder?   But I have strayed too far from my original story.

A letter dated 11/30/2009 from Vankavage to Representative Sears begins "It was a pleasure to meet you at the presentation on canine profiling...... As promised, here is a first draft of an amendment for HB79 (an earlier bill introduced by Sears to deregulate pit bulls) that might enable you to garner more support from urban legislators. (The addition of due process) Lauren Gallagher, our new public service attorney crafted the amendment. ... Please let me know if you need any more help. If you need me to come to testify at any hearings do not hesitate to call me." The attached document is an early form of HB 14. The article, letter, and document make it clear that Representative Sears worked with the Utah based animal rights PAC as early as 2009. Sears allowed an out-of-state animal rights PAC to write Ohio law, to suit the agenda of that PAC.

Keating was also the go-between to pass on the 2011 version of Ohio law, as written by Best Friends Animal Society to Barbara Sears. On February 17, 2011 Keating sends this to Sears "Barb, I am attaching comments from Laura Allen on Best Friends draft of Ohio's Dangerous Dog law for your review. Laura Allen is the founder of Animal Law Coalition and is an attorney who specializes in animal issues. She is also reviewing the due process language. Thanks, Jean Keating" Keating, a private citizen, appears to be working independently of the Ohio Legislature to negotiate changes to Ohio law.

We have looked at a great deal of background on the major forces behind HB 14. I will close this post with the story of Wendy the "Service Pit Bull in Training." Wendy made a personal appearance at the December 6, 2011 Senate hearing on HB 14.  She was brought into the hearing room by Jean Keating. There was nothing subtle about Wendy's entrance, it was "enthusiastic" for lack of a better word. The white pit bull made a bee line for the row of seated pit bull advocates. She was welcomed by each one of them, it appeared that each one of them had food for the dog. Keating began to speak, Wendy paid no attention to her whatsoever.

"I have brought Wendy with me today. Wendy is being trained as a service animal for a young child with post-traumatic stress disorder, sensory integration dysfunction, low muscle tone, and panic attacks. Wendy was chosen because she has the temperament and physical characteristics to perform the work needed to assist this child in leading a more normal life. Those same physical characteristics currently identify Wendy as a vicious dog under Ohio law. The American Staffordshire Terrier, which is a breed commonly referred to as a pit bull type is a popular choice for a service animal because of some unique qualities. They are hardy, athletic, and very socially connected dogs. They are also very easy to train as they are eager to please."


During Keating's testimony Wendy stood at the end of her leash and looked about the room, wandering a bit and returning to her line of friends, and their handsful of food. Wendy proved to be such a distraction that Keating was unable to remain in the hearing room after her testimony. She took Wendy out into the hall, where Wendy killed time by barking.

Interestingly, this was not Wendy's first appearance at a Statehouse hearing. Wendy accompanied Keating to a hearing in the Ohio House in June of 2011.  Actual service dogs in training are taught to remain quiet, lay down upon command, not seek attention or food from strangers, and focus attention on their handler. Wendy had none of these skills in December, what kind of "training" did she receive in the previous six months? This dog was chosen because she was "easy to train and eager to please?"

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Updated fatality statistics.
In 2009 there were 32 dog mauling fatalities in the United States.  Of this total 14 were due to pit bulls, 44%

In 2010 there were 33 dog mauling fatalities in the United States.  Of this total 22 were due to pit bulls, 67%

In 2011 there were 31 dog mauling fatalities in the United States.  Of this total 22 were due to pit bulls, 77%

In 2012 there were 38 dog mauling fatalities in the United States. Of this total 23 were due to pit bulls, 61%

In 2013 from January 1st to March 1st there have been 5 fatal dog maulings in the United States.   Of this total 5 were due to pit bulls, 100%