Ohio pit bull roundup - A pit bull's worst nightmare might be his owner, a pit bull owner may be the worst nightmare for a neighborhood, attacks on pregnant women,families and children, pit bulls and drug raids, and a normal dog owner bites back.

We are working our way through the backlog of Ohio pit bull news but not caught up yet.  There is no order to this.

2/22/2015
Richland Ohio

The Richland Public Health Department is looking for a white and brown pit bull wearing a collar.  The pit bull bit a person and remains at large.  Authorities warn against anyone attempting to restrain the dog.

                                                              * * *

3/10/2015
Trenton Ohio

From the "a pit bull's worst nightmare is likely to be his owner" file.  Two hikers found a dead pit bull tied to a tree in a remote wooded area of a local park.  The pit bull appeared to have strangled himself struggling against the very short cord.   One of the hikers had this to say " "It didn't look abused. It didn't look malnourished at all. It looked like a really good looking dog, a healthy dog, but I guess they didn't want it" 

The hiker went on to tell the reporter that as he and his cousin were on their way out of the woods they met a man with a small, sick dog that he intended to abandon in the woods to die.  The cousins were able to talk the man into taking his dog to a shelter.  What is going on in the Woodsdale Park?


                                                                    * * *

2/23/2015
Xenia Ohio

More from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare his likely to be his owner" file.  Kane the pit bull is dead, starved (37 pounds roughly half what Kane would have been expected to weigh), heavily infested with parasites, and frozen.  Kane's owner, Jason Michael Smith Jr. was incarcerated and care of Kane was passed to Smith's friend Steven Gale.  Kane was being kept at Gale's house but apparently Gale did not bother to care for a dog in his own yard.  How much effort would have been involved here?

Neighbors brought food, blankets heated in their dryers, and hay for bedding but were unable to save Kane.  Per WHIO "Weeks ago, county animal control agents told the owner to put up tarp to shelter the dog from the biting wind. According to the National Weather Service, record-setting low temperatures registered in the single digits and wind chills were making it “feel like” well below zero."
Xenia is in Green County Ohio.  Both Smith and Gale have been charged in the death of Kane the pit bull.  Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay be better than this?
 
Jason Michael Smith JR. booking photo

                                                                * * *

2/3/2015
Berea Ohio

Zora the deaf pit bull is looking for a special home.  Zora, housed at the Berea Animal Rescue Shelter for the last six months, has been in training with a shelter trainer.  Watch the video, this is a big, 70 pound, two year old, active dog.  The trainer remarked "she does need management when she plays, she doesn't know when to stop."


3/10/2015 Zora found her special home.  Now known as Zoey, the pit bull is the new companion of a six year old deaf child.  Per Cleveland.com "Gilliam had been thinking of getting a dog for about three years, but the right one had not come along. All that changed when Gilliam's mother, Jean Stuart, brought a newspaper article to her daughter's attention. Zoey was the subject of a "Needs a home" feature in the Sun newspapers.  "I said, 'Oh my God, Courtney, this is the dog for you!' Mike's deaf, she's deaf, and so we went and looked at her," Stuart says."  "Both Gilliam and her mother believe pit bulls do not deserve their reputation for being a "bad breed."

  I sincerely hope nothing goes wrong here. 

                                                               * * *    

3/16/2015    

DAYTON Ohio    

A six year old girl required treatment at Dayton Children's Hospital after she was attacked by a pit bull as she was playing with friends in her neighborhood.  The pit bull, owned by Curtis Jones, ran into the street and bit the child on her thigh, requiring seven stitches.  The girl's father told a Dayton Daily News Reporter that “Her friends try to pull her on top of a car so the dog couldn’t reach her” “But she couldn’t get away.” 

Curtis Jones was arrested and charged with failure to control an animal.  No information was given on disposition of the pit bull.      

Curtis Jones booking photo

                                                     * * *
4/6/2015
DAYTON Ohio   
 Dayton police were called to the scene of a pit bull attack upon a pregnant  woman.  Per Fox45 " According to the pregnant woman, who police interviewed later at the hospital, she was approached by two pit bull dogs, which became aggressive. She said she used her coat and purse to prevent one dog from biting her stomach. The other dog, however, bit her hand. Police says she had one cut on her right hand and several cuts on her left hand; however, she was not injured elsewhere.

Police spoke to the resident at the home where the dogs were being kept but a friend of the injured woman stated that the dogs the resident showed to the police were not the pit bulls that attacked her friend.  How many pit bulls does the resident have?  Might be something Montgomery County dog warden Mark Kumpf could check out.  
                                              

                                                                  * * *

This one is for Steffen              

4/4/2015                          

Hoxie AR

A Hoxie family adopted a pit bull after being told that the pit bull showed no signs of aggression. “She seemed like the sweetest dog I've ever seen,” Hilderbran said. “She was very well mannered and very calm. I'd seen her around other dogs, we watched her around our daughter before, without me holding her and she seemed fine with her.”Three days later the pit bull attacked the four year old daughter. Did relocation change the dog? Apparently not.  After attacking the child the pit bull escaped the home and was shot by police due to aggression toward officers.  See video. 

                                                            * * *

3/1/2015

DAYTON Ohio   

Back to the "a pit bull's worst nightmare is likely to be its owner" files for this one.  Dayton firefighters pulled a pit bull out of a burning vacant home.  

This is a pit bull.

Why is a pit bull left behind in a vacant house?  My guess would be irresponsible owner.  Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay be better than abandoning pit bulls? Just what Montgomery County dog warden Mark Kumpf needs in his shelter, another abandoned pit bull.  

                                                                    * * *

2/8/2015

DAYTON Ohio

A pit bull, tied in a backyard in Dayton broke free and attacked a passerby.  The victim required treatment at a local hospital.  The pit bull owner was cited for failure to license his pit bull.  The victim plans to press charges.  Go for it! 

                                                              * * *

4/10/2015

Kettering Ohio

In a story you will never see on the news, a Kettering woman is unable to receive home delivery of her mail because the neighbor's Lab runs loose and postal employees feel threatened.  Video is included with the story.  

                                                            * * *

2/7/2015

Columbus Ohio  

I don't even know how to describe this one.  Keep this guy in mind when you read a comment on a pit bull attack news story.  The comment that begins with "well I'm a responsible pit bull owner."  Given England's profession he has lots of time during the day to comment on pit bull attacks. 

We begin with this quote from the Columbus Dispatch "The South Side man who was shot and wounded yesterday morning by Columbus police was wanted on a charge of beating a man into a coma during a road-rage dispute last fall, police said."

Police arrived at the home of James England, age 28, to arrest him for an assaulting two men with a steel pipe during a road rage incident.in October. At that time England went ballistic after three men yelled at him to slow down as he drove through a trailer park. How might one deal with the supreme insult of having people yell at you to slow down?  You jump out of your truck and beat them with a section of steel pipe, as Mr. England did.  The most seriously injured victim was hospitalized for a week.  

Fast forward to February.  When police arrived at the front door to arrest him England ran out the back door of his house.  Officers patiently waiting at the back door grabbed England through the partially boarded up and broken door.  During the struggle one of the police officers was dragged partially into the home and at this point England's dogs, an American Bulldog and a pit bull rushed the police (what else would someone like this own?)  An attempt was made to  subdue England with a tazer but the tazer did not connect.  England, with one wrist in handcuffs, was able to run back into his house.  Police shot at the dogs but found that they had hit England instead.  England was seriously wounded and transported to a local hospital

Neighborhood residents were not particularity upset with this.  Burglaries and theft in the neighborhood increased dramatically after England moved in last year.  England openly admitted to dealing heroin from the house.  

One neighbor stated  “Traffic in and out of there was ridiculous.”  Once while feeding birds and having a cigarette, the neighbor said he was startled by a stranger who ran through his yard carrying a Sony PlayStation. "

England has a police record going back 10 years with convictions for burglary, assault, drug possession, and breaking and entering.   The neighbors will not miss him.  The pit bull and the American Bulldog were not injured, no mention was made of their final destination.  Please watch the video where the neighbor talks about a drug raid at England's house.  Mr. England was sure that his neighbors had ratted him out so he  threatened to shoot everyone in the neighborhood.  A "responsible pit bull owner" for sure.

Booking photo for James England.

                                                              * * *

3/17/2015
Lima Ohio

Speaking of drug raids we will move on to this one.  A "no knock" drug raid was conducted at a home in Lima Ohio. A SWAT team entered the home and shouted for the home owner to cage his pit bull. The story gets odd here.  Susan and James Smith claim that after they caged Lulu the pit bull a police officer kicked the cage open allowing Lulu to escape. The Smiths state that Lulu was not aggressive and "would never hurt a fly".  Per the Smiths, the dog ran into a bedroom where she was shot five times by a police officer.  Lulu then ran into a neighbor's yard where she was shot three more times.  "Meanwhile Smith was being beaten by officers."

Police reports indicate the dog was shot three times but the location of that shooting is not noted.  No complaints of excessive force by police against Smith or his pit bull have been made to the Allen County Sheriffs Office.  Seems like five shots fired in a bedroom would be pretty easy to prove.  Both Susan and James Smith have been charged with keeping a disorderly house (they can do that?), resisting arrest, and obstructing official business.  Police would not release a statement on drugs found in the home due to the ongoing investigation.  Mr. Smith stated that a pound of weed had been found in his home.

Lulu the pit bull was shot and killed by police.

                                                              * * *

3/17/2015
Sandusky Ohio  

This festive St. Patricks Day story comes from the Sandusky Register.  Picture it, there is a discussion between neighbors about couches that had been in the yard of a pit bull owner for weeks.  The neighbors are not pleased with the look.  Per the Register "In response, the men began exchanging words in the neighbor's yard, while the neighbor was holding onto a leash connected to his pit bull, according to a Sandusky police report. The man then asked his neighbor if his dog was licensed.

“Do you want to get close enough to see? Get him!,” the neighbor allegedly said. It was at that point the dog bit the man on his right hip, the victim claimed."

As the dog owner describes it, the neighbor began swearing at him about the couches.  The dog owner stated that he warned the man that his dog was vicious, calling it a Mastiff.  This story gets weird too.  The pit bull owner claims that his neighbor "kept inching closer and making threatening movements."  Somehow this sounds fishy but the pit bull owner went on to claim that he never ordered the dog to attack, the pit bull "only lunged and bit the man because it was protecting its owner."

The prosecutor is reviewing the case.

                                                                       * * *

4/2/2015
Sandusky Ohio

A civil lawsuit has been filed against Rebecca Hush, who pleaded no contest to a vicious dog complaint but has not yet been sentenced .  Per the Sandusky Register "The lawsuit, filed late last year, seeks at least $75,000 of damages for medical expenses, injuries and related losses and an additional $225,000 in punitive damages. The case has been assigned to Common Pleas Judge Tygh Tone. The lawsuit also names Carol Ann Franks, Hush's mother, as a defendant, stating Hush lives with her mother. 

The plaintiff, Paul Aviles, was walking his Jack Russel Terrier at Battery Park when Scooter the JRT was attacked by two pit bulls that had escaped from Hush's yard.  Mr Aviles was injured when he tried to protect his little dog.  Hush claims that Aviles was tormenting her dogs and trespassing on her property.   * eye roll *  
  

I love this photo of Scooter!     

More about this story can be found near the end of this 2014 Roundup post.   The story came from this Register article.  An interesting note on Mr. Aviles, during the struggle to protect his dog he bit one of the pit bulls " I bit him as long and as hard as I could," Aviles said. "They were like demons."

A passerby called police who "battled" the pit bulls, Tazing one of them.  That pit bull died.  The other pit bull was eventually returned to Hush.  Records indicate Hush pleaded guilty to a dog at large charge in 2000.

                                                                        * * *

4/16/2015

Columbus Ohio  

A pit bull attacked a young mother, her three year old child, and an 85 year old man in Columbus, The mother was walking her child to school when "the dog came out of nowhere." Shanna Harvey picked up her child to protect her and "took all the pain."  The attack was witnessed by 85 year old John Barnette, Mr. Barnette was unable to assist Shanna Harvey and her little girl because just moments before he had been bitten by the same pit bull.  Per ABC6 "Norma Roberts initially told Humane Agents, neighbors and ABC 6/Fox 28 that the dog wasn't hers. "I'm dog sitting," she said. "Their house in Indiana burned down and I opened up my home."

But Franklin County Animal Control says she lied. Late Thursday afternoon Roberts turned the dog over to animal control and admitted the dog was hers."

Roberts will be charged with failure to control a vicious dog, the fine for this is $1000 and/or up to six months in jail. The pit bull was not vaccinated.  It will be destroyed and tested for rabies.

Pit bull roundup 2/28/14

I have not published a Pit  Bull Roundup since 11/17/2013 and need to clean up the backlog.  Here we go, these will not be in any consecutive order.  Get comfy.

Columbus Ohio
October 14, 2013

I think I missed this one in my last post.  The HSUS is offering a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for beating a pit bull.



Pit bulls are subject to horrendous abuse.  Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay to prevent the birth of dogs destined to suffer be a good thing?  Roughly a million pit  bulls are euthanized in American Shelters every year.  Why are those who claim to love these dogs so strongly opposed to any attempt to prevent suffering?

Why has the HSUS never donated $5000 toward the medical expenses of a human pit bull victim?  Why has the HSUS never donated $5000 toward the vet bills of an animal victim of pit bull attack?   I guess it is a matter of priorities.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Reynoldsburg Ohio
11/29/2013

Pit bull advocacy is attempting to overthrow BSL in Reynoldsburg Ohio.  Brad Hauser purchased a home in Reynoldsburg.  Pit bulls have been banned in the community since 1996 but Hauser obtained a pit bull in defiance of the law and now seeks to make local law suit his taste.      



This photo of Hauser's dog was provided to the Columbus Dispatch by Mr. Hauser.  Please note that his dog is posed in a public place without any restraint.  Presumably a community with a breed ban would also have a leash law but possibly I am just too picky.

In any case, Hauser took his complaint to city council but did not get the response he hoped for.  Per the Columbus Dispatch "The council listened, but nothing happened. Hauser and Schwartzkopf went back a few more times, requesting that the ordinance be changed. On Nov. 12, council President Doug Joseph appointed a handful of people, including Hauser, to a committee to review the ordinance. But two weeks later, the council dissolved the committee, concerned that it was skewed toward pit bull advocates and that several of its members didn’t live in Reynoldsburg.

Some council members say they don’t think that most of the city’s residents want to change the pit bull rule. Councilman Cornelius McGrady said he has received more than 200 emails on the issue, but fewer than 25 came from Reynoldsburg residents.  “You are not going to change the opinion of 36,000 residents in six months,” he said."

"“I just see no reason to change the law,” said Reynoldsburg City Councilman Mel Clemens."

"Councilman Scott Barrett, who acknowledged that he’s “not a fan of the breed,” said the committee could help the council “assure the views of our residents are heard and not just those solely made from lobbyists.”

It is notable that the council was aware that many of  the advocates were lobbyists and not local residents. 

Hauser is keeping his dog at his girlfriend's home in Columbus at this time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

2/2/2014

Dayton Ohio

From Mark Kumpf, County Dog Warden of Montgomery County, territory.  A pit bull/bulldog mix at large on a public street was shot in the jaw.  The dog owner stated that his dog  "got loose" from his yard and "approached" two teenagers, one of them shot the dog.  

This unfortunate shooting could have been avoided by simply keeping the dog on the owner's property.  People have the right to walk public streets in the community.  One man's "approach" may well be two teenagers "charge" or "menace."  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

11/11/2013

Pepper Pike Ohio

A "somehow" event.  A pit bull "somehow" nosed open a screen door and escaped from the home.  When an Animal Control officer arrived with a catch pole the pit bull jumped and went broke through a screened window.  The dog was seen at large two days later but authorities were unable to catch him.  The pit bull was caught in a t rap later in the day.   Pepper Pike police contacted Woodmere police to see if this was the same pit bull  reported missing two weeks earlier.  

  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11/18/2013

Toledo Ohio

As reported in the Toledo Blade, Ohio's breed specific advocate Jean Keating's Lucas County Pit Crew is attempting to gain control of six game bred, fight experienced pit  bulls seized in a dog fight investigation.  Keating is collecting contributions to cover the cost of bringing professional pit  bull advocates Donna Reynolds and Tim Racer of California's BADRAP to Ohio to evaluate these dogs for rehabilitation and placement.  Per The Blade "Our No. 1 priority is that their lives be spared and they be given an opportunity to be evaluated and go on to have a second chance at a decent life,” said Jean Keating, executive director of the Lucas County Pit Crew."

Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle has a slightly different priority "“We’re not looking to put dogs out in the community [that] are not safe.”

Charles McDonald, assistant Lucas County Prosecutor, stated “Obviously the goal is to find a situation where safety is paramount — both for the dogs and any individual that may be in contact with the animals.”

For a 12/22/2013 update on these dogs please click here.  Donna Reynolds and Tim Racer, San Francisco pit bull advocates, were flown to Toledo to assess these pit bulls.  Reynolds stated  “They’ve never had a leader,” Ms. Reynolds added. “As soon as you give them a game plan, a leader, and some training, they immediately become better dogs.”  Simple as that, give 'em a game plan and a little training is all it will take to make companion dogs of them.  Historic note here, Racer and Reynolds run the nationally known pit bull advocacy organization called BADRAP.  BADRAP offers pit bull evaluations and educational programs.  Darla Napora was a BADRAP member.  Six months pregnant Napora was killed in her own home by by her own pit bull.  If BADRAP ever had the opportunity to "educate" they sure missed it with one of their own members.  

.   
Darla and Greg Napora.

But I digress.  Back to Toledo's game bred pit fighters.

County Dog Warden Julie Lyle is not so sure that Racer and Reynolds opinions should be taken as fact.  Lyle stated that the county will not place these dogs with the public but will send them to rescues. " “Our hope is that all of these dogs will be placed with rescue groups that have the resources and knowledge to turn them into what they could be,” she said. “We do not place dogs that are human-aggressive and there is one [Bear] who has shown us he might be willing to be human-aggressive. It really just depends on what groups step forward and can take them.”  Lyle is talking to groups in Chicago and New York.  

For a 1/7/2014 update on these dogs please click here.  Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle made the decision to euthanize two of the six game bred pit fighters stating " “We're a public-safety agency and we can't place dogs that could be a danger to the community.”

The Lucas County Pit Crew has taken one of the pit bulls and the remaining three are still housed at the Lucas County Care and Control shelter awaiting placement in somebody else's community.  

Personal opinion here, if a dog is too dangerous to remain in a community it is too dangerous to move to another community.  A change of address will not change the dog.    


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11/21/2013
Parma Ohio

Breed specific advocacy has the small town of Parma Ohio in it's sights.  The improbably named Animal Guardians for a Prosperous Parma  uses classic pit bull talking points "unfairly vicious reputation" "no greater danger than other breeds of dogs" "increased emphasis on owner accountability" " the majority of reported attacks are due to mistreatment or neglect."  No other breed of dog requires this level of advocacy or excuse creation.  

Per Cleveland.com,  Animal Guardians for a Prosperous Parma spokesperson Denise Geschwender stated " it’s discriminatory not to allow Parma residents to own the type of dog of their choice. She said the pit bull ban serves as a deterrent to people considering moving to the city, and hurts the business of animal-care professionals because the dogs can’t be transported into the city.

“It’s almost like living under a dictatorship,” she said. “…A lot of people won’t move to Parma because of the type of dog they have.”

Reportedly Parma City Council is not impressed with Geschwender's claims.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

1/22/1014

Mansfield Ohio

The Health Department is looking for a dog "described as a pit bull" after the dog bit a Mansfield City man.

The dog is still at large and local authorities warn the public not to approach the dog, call the Dog Warden at once.   

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11/26/2013

Xenia Ohio  

A seven year old girl was taken to a local hospital after being attacked by the family pet, an American Bulldog, a breed created by using pit bulls as foundation stock as well as other breeds.   Per WHIO " The animal control officer said the child was bitten by the pure breed dog, which he said people might mistake for a pit bull, and the injury was "bad enough to go get medical care."

""When we arrived the dog was sitting with the girl. The dog was not attacking her," Johnson said. "Essentially what had occurred was the little girl had taken the dog out to play. The dog became aggressive and grabbed the little girl, kind of took her around the yard a little bit pulling her by the leg."

Johnson said the neighbors saw the attack and called police. When officers arrived the attack was over and the dog was sitting outside by the victim.

Johnson said the mother came out to get control of the dog. She apparently was unaware of what happened until she saw the police cruisers.

The dog owner will have to appear in court for failure to control the dog and failure to license the dog.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

12/4/2013                                                                                                                                 Riverside Ohio

A boy reported to be 8 or 9 years old was transported to Dayton Children's Hospital after being attacked by a neighbor's pit bull mix who "got out of a makeshift crate" while the child was playing with a football in his own yard.  

Neighbors rescued the boy from the attack by using sticks and "other implements" to beat back the dog, who is  appropriately named "Havoc."

The victim's uncle paints a vivid picture of the attack.  Per the Dayton Daily news  "The boy's uncle, Tyler Campbell, tells News Center 7 that the neighborhood has had trouble with the dog in the past, noting the dog "gets out all the time" and chases people and pets in the neighborhood.Campbell said his son and the victim were playing in the yard with another relative when the dog got loose."It busted out of the cage, pinned my nephew against the house and started biting him on the legs," the uncle said.The dog's owner was not at home when the attack occurred. Campbell said the owner drove up not too long after neighbors had come to the boy's defense."They picked up whatever they could pick up," Campbell said of the neighbors. "The dog wasn't stopping."

The Dayton Daily news states that the dog owner has been cited for allowing the dog to get loose and for the attack.  There is no mention that Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf has begun the process of declaring Havoc a dangerous dog.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11/28/2013
Newark Ohio

Local pit bull owners seeking to bypass local law are attempting to use the AKC CGC test to avoid local law requiring insurance, special registration, muzzles, and restraining them in public.  The AKC CGC test was not designed for this purpose and the AKC will certainly accept no responsibility for injuries caused by dogs passing the test.  Bad deal for Newark residents.

The Newark Advocate agrees.  It appears that Newark is open to the proposal but lawmakers apparently are unaware that pit bulls have a distinct advantage with the already outrageously easy AKC CGC.  Extreme pit bull advocacy pays a bounty of $150 per pit bull for passing the AKC CGC.  This money from heaven comes from the Animal Farm Foundation (mission statement "Securing equal treatment and opportunity for all "pit bull" dogs).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

12/9/2013
Steubenville Ohio

Teresa Moorehead shot one of her pit bulls after it "went after" her.  Police were called and they had to shoot the pit bull a second time.  It should be noted that Moorehead's faces charges after her pit bulls attacked two area women the week prior to the attack on Moorehead, by her own pit bull.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

12/14/2013
Cincinnati Ohio

A 73 year old woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was attacked by two pit bulls.  The victim was walking on the sidewalk outside her home when two pit bulls "charged through the front door of a house and took her down."  Per WCPO News "The dog's owner managed to get one of the pit bulls off the woman and inside the home but the second dog charged at a responding officer. In response, the officer fired multiple shots at the pit bull, McShane said, hitting it twice. The dog did not survive.

The sergeant said the dogs' owner was attacked when he attempted to help the woman. He was taken to Jewish Hospital for treatment and released Sunday."

A witness described the attack "One (dog) took a leg and one (dog) took an arm. They just took her down. They just tore her up savagely,"

For video of the witness speaking with a reporter please click here.
Police Sgt Dan McShane told reporters that one of the pit bulls tried to attack the first officer on the scene.  That officer fired several shots killing the pit bull.

In the mandatory bull owner comment, the owner of these pit bulls, Sylvester Forte said this about his one of his dogs "He is not aggressive. If you look at him, he will run,"

Cincinnati repealed a pit bull ban shortly after the passage of HB 14.  Peaceful Cincinnati residents are not pleased with the changes they see in their city.   

Please watch the video on the above link.  Look at the number of first responders.  How much do you think this attack cost the city of Cincinnati?  Not included is the medical care of the victim and of the pit bull owner as well.    


Victim Bulah Shaef  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

12/23/2013

Glendale Ohio

For a seasonal story, this one is hard to beat.  An injured pit bull was found curled up inside an outdoor nativity scene.  It is fortunate that the nativity was all statuary with no live animals otherwise area children might have emotionally scarred by what they might have seen.  The Cincinnati Pit Crew will place the dog somewhere.   

Update - The dog has been placed just in time for Christmas. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

2/12/2014

Hancock County Ohio

A Hancock County Humane Society volunteer was seriously injured in a pit bull attack while at the shelter.  The Humane Society director stated that she did not think the pit bull was trying to hurt the volunteer but dog warden Dana Berger does not think the bites were "play bites."  The  pit bull was euthanized.

Per WRIN.com "As a result the Humane Society is implementing new safety measures. Krugh says a panic button and more security cameras will be installed at the shelter, and volunteers will use the buddy system when interacting with dogs."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

12/30/13

Cleves Ohio

A man was attacked by two pit bulls while he was at a home on Main street to buy something.  After he left the home the dog owner turned the pit bulls loose, the victim was bitten on the arm and on the leg.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/14/14

Zanesville Ohio

Joshua Davis was fined $125 plus court costs for three counts of failing  to license his dogs and one count of dog at large for the attack on a neighbor who was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull terrier at Davis's home.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

1/10/14

Erie County Ohio

An Erie County child was transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital after being bitten by his father's pit bull.  The injuries were to the child's face.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

1/13/14

Middletown Ohio

A six year old girl was attacked by a pit bull as she, her mother, and her little sister were visiting a friend's house.   Per the Dayton Daily news The girl had lacerations to her left cheek, above her eye and on her nose, and her face was also swollen, according to the police report. She was taken to Atrium Medical Center for treatment, where she stayed for two days.

“There was blood everywhere… I was in so much shock I thought I was going to pass out cause there was so much blood,” Combs said. “She’s traumatized, she doesn’t want anybody near her face. She’s so scared I think I’m going to have to do counseling for her it’s that bad.”

A Cincinnati area pit bull advocate, Max Webster,  took this opportunity to speak in favor of the breed. “Any dog is capable of equally as much damage as another dog,” said Max Webster, an advocate with Cincinnati Pit Crew. “It’s all in how they are managed.”

Cincinnati Pit Crew volunteer are working to change the stigma that pit bulls are vicious and threatening. Advocates take in unadoptable dogs and work to rehabilitate them, with the goal of making them adoptable, according to Webster.

“It’s a shame things like that happen,” Webster said of the Middletown incident. “But it’s almost unavoidable when there are people out there that just don’t know how to handle a dog and unfortunately that dog ends up being a pit bull.”

Max Webster and his Dog Sasha.   Incredibly Webster had this to say about Sasha "Webster recently adopted Sasha, a pit bull mix. The dog was aggressive and couldn’t be around other dogs or people, Webster said.“She was found in a crack house. … She came from a bad situation,” Webster said. Now, Sasha is a member of Webster’s family. “She’s my kid, she’s my baby I tuck her in at night and kiss her,” Webster said. “I use her as a therapy dog where we go to hospitals and nursing homes and visit with patients there. Her calming energy is perfect for that situation.”

Does anyone think that taking a recently acquired pit bull mix that is known to be aggressive around dogs and people to hospitals and nursing homes is good idea?  Mr. Webster is attempting to make a point and he risks hospital patients and the frail elderly in order to do it.  This is shameful. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/14/14                                                                                                               Lorain Ohio

A six year old boy was attacked by a pit bull as he was playing with other children in his neighborhood.  Neighbors and the boy's family members ran out to help him and the family Labrador Retriever fought with the pit bull. Police arrived and tazed both dogs, the pit bull four times.  The pit bull continued to be aggressive so the police shot it. The victim's grandmother stated that she has seen the pit bull tied in a neighbor's yard.  The neighbor denied ownership.  Per The Morning Journal "When the alleged owner of the pit bull attempted to intervene, the man suffered a hand injury. Lorain Police Capt. Roger Watkins said the man “may or may not lose his finger.” Click here for video.  Warning, the child's family defends pit bulls.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/15/14                                                                                                               Lorain Ohio  

For the second day in a row Lorain police were forced to shoot a pit bull.  Lorain police were called to a Livingston Ave home where a pit bull had attacked its owners.  When police arrived they were confronted by a pit bull stained with blood.  The dog would not allow them to get out of their police cruisers.  Eventually the pit bull walked to the front porch of the home where police attempted to control it with a noose pole.  They were not successful and were forced to shot the pit bull.  The Morning Journal described the situation "Police then entered the house where they encountered Stephanie Nau and her boyfriend, Adrian Alexander. The couple told police that Alexander was about to sit down in the living room when the dog lunged at him and started biting him.

Nau entered the room and grabbed the dog by its collar when it turned on her, biting her on the wrist, the report stated.

The dog held its grip on Nau as Alexander attempted to free her. Alexander stabbed the dog with a knife but was not able to free Nau from the dog’s grip, the report stated.

When the dog eventually let go of Nau, it returned its attention to Alexander. Nau opened the front door of the home and the dog ran outside, according to the report.

Nau was escorted to an ambulance and taken to the hospital by LifeCare. The Lorain County Dog Warden took possession of the deceased dog.

Alexander told officers the incident was not the first time his dog had turned on him, the report stated."

Does this make sense?  Given the pit bull's history why did these people keep this dog? 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

1/30/14                                                                                                           Cleveland Ohio

In an attack that you never hear about, an off duty Cleveland city school police officer shot  two Rottweilers attacking a man near the street.  It was reported that the dogs had attacked three others in the area.  All four victims were treated at a local hospital. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/27/14                                                                                                               Rocky River Ohio  

A newly rescued pit bull killed another pit bull in the home of her new owner.  "Dog attack, Bidwell Avenue: A resident reported on Jan. 27 that one of her pit bulls killed another pit bull in the house. She told police that she rescued “Venus,” the female pit bull, and brought her home to her other pit bull, “Trooper.” She stated that they got along well the past two days. However, when she returned home from work, she found Trooper dead in the dining room. She called the police for fear Venus might harm her. Venus was taken by the Animal Control officer to the kennel."

Crate and rotate, crate and rotate.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 1/31/14                                                                                                           Trotwood Ohio

Two pit bulls attack a Chihuahua mix.  The little dog's owner and a neighbor were able to rescue it but both were injured in the process.  Per the Dayton Daily News " A neighbor who witnessed the incident said a knife was used on the two stray dogs to get them off the Chihuahua shih tzu mix, although police have not confirmed that report. Both strays, found bloodied, were located down the street and were removed from the scene by an animal resource officer.Snow at the scene of the dog attach in the 200 block of Miller Avenue was also stained with blood"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1/29/14

Union Twp Ohio

In another attack that nobody will ever hear about, an infant was attacked by a Husky.   The infant was flown to a local hospital for treatment, the injuries were classified as minor.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * *

2/4/14

Lancaster Ohio

An American Bulldog, by definition a mix based on pit bull bloodlines, attacked the owner's two children.  Both children were admitted to Fairfield Medical Center and transferred to Nationwide Children s Hospital in Columbus Ohio.  Per the Marion Star "   Neighbors in the 600 block of North Maple Street came over to help contain the dog. Fuentes called Lancaster police, and when officers arrived the dog was still being aggressive. According to police reports, an officer used a Taser on the dog after it charged him and attempted to bite his leg.  The Fairfield County Dog Warden was called in to take the dog, which is under a quarantine to ensure rabies wasn’t a factor.  “They’re putting him down (today),” Sandra Fuentes said. The family purchased the dog from a family in Pleasantville that also had children but lacked space to care for the dog. Fuentes said she talked to the family after the attack and the former owners said that in the three years they owned him, they had never seen aggression from the dog and were sorry they had “re-homed him.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

2/9/14

Dayton Ohio - Mark Kumpf's territory

Police searching for a robbery suspect spotted a pit bull chained inside a garage with no food, heat, water, and laying on a sheet of ice.  Per police reports the dog was aggressive toward them and "appeared vicious."  The home owner allowed police into the house where two additional chained adult pit bulls were found and  two pit bull puppies. All pit bulls appeared malnourished.  All five pit bulls were taken to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.   

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

2/13/14
Dayton Ohio

The mayor of Dayton Ohio admits that the city has a problem with vicious dogs.  The shit has hit the fan in Dayton since the mauling death of Klonda Richey on 2/7/14.  The Montgomery County Health Department stated that last year 176 dogs were quarantined because they bit someone.

Dayton's mayor is calling for change as are Ohio lawmakers.  Per WDTN News "Mayor Nan Whaley told 2 NEWS she believes the city has an issue with dogs, but is hampered by weak state legislation.

“We will be looking into if there is more the city can do and again, this is a partnership effort,” said Whaley. She said it will take tougher statewide ordinances, cooperation with the county’s Animal Resource Center and the Dayton Police Department.

Changes to the Best Friends Animal Society crafted Ohio vicious dog law would be VERY appropriate. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I think this is enough for the moment.  We will return to the pit bull roundup when my head stops spinning.