Another pit bull death in Akron Ohio, Updated 10/7/2021

 10/3/2021

Akron Ohio 

Summit County

A sixteen-month-old child was killed by pit bulls in Akron Ohio.  Details are sketchy at this time but it is reported that the little girl was in the living room of a home when a disagreement broke out between a 20-year-old man and a woman, not the parents of the child.  Two pit bulls were present in the room per Fox 8 News and police feel that the argument "riled up the pit bulls" enough that the dogs attacked the child.  The little girl was transported to Akron Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead. 

Akron's last pit bull fatality was in 2020, also a small child.  This is the twenty-third dog attack fatality in Ohio since the Ohio Legislature passed HB 14 to deregulate pit bulls in the state.  That bill was written by the legal staff at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab Utah.  Why is an organization located in Utah writing law for the State of Ohio?  Good question and I can't answer it. 

Best Friends assured Ohio residents that their "breed-neutral" bill would make our communities safer.  Quick review, 23 deaths in the nine years since HB 14 was passed.  In the decade prior to the passage of HB 14 Ohio had 5 fatal dog attacks. Does this sound safer to you? Best Friends breed-neutral law has been a colossal failure but they don't accept responsibility for it.  How do these people sleep at night?      

Update - The child has been named, she was Ka'Vay Louis-Calderon.  A heartbreaking video shows a beautiful and loved child. 

Details revealed include a bite history for one of the dogs and that the child was frequently in the home and had lived there in the past. 

Ka'Vay's parents hope to start a foundation to help victims of vicious dog attacks.

  

Seven-month-old Akron child killed by family pit bull. Update 12/14/2020, no charges and the pit bull is still alive.

8/7/2020
Akron Ohio
Summit County.



A seven-month-old boy being watched by his grandmother was attacked by the family pit bull Friday afternoon.  The boy was transported to Akron Children's Hospital but has died.

The child's grandmother was also bitten by the dog but she refused treatment.

Summit County Animal Control is holding the pit bull. No charges will be filed.  

There are no further details at this time.  An autopsy was performed but results are not available at this time. 

This is the nineteenth fatal dog attack in Ohio since the Ohio Legislature passed HB 14, the bill that was written by Utah based Best Friends Animal Society deregulating pit bulls and rewriting Ohio dangerous dog laws.  Ohio residents were assured that HB 14 would make Ohio communities safer.  In the eight years since HB 14 was passed Ohio has seen 12 fatal pit bull attacks and 7 fatal dog attacks by all other breeds combined.  In the full decade prior to the passage of HB 14, there were 5 fatal dog attacks in Ohio.  Sound safer to anyone?

Akron does regulate pit bulls, here is the text of Akron law dealing with pit bulls. 

E.

Any person owning, keeping, possessing, harboring, maintaining, or having the care, custody, or control of a Pit Bull, Canary Dog or American Bulldog or vicious dog shall:

1.

Identify the dog by having the dog wear, at all times, a fluorescent green collar available upon payment of a fee, from Customer Service;

2.

Post on the premises, in a conspicuous place where the dog is kept, at least one city-issued warning sign available, upon payment of a fee, from Customer Service. The sign shall be visible and capable of being read from the public highway or street;

3.

Identify the dog by having the dog tattooed with a code number provided by the Customer Service Division;

4.

Notify the Customer Service Division within twenty-four hours if the Pit Bull, Canary Dog or American Bulldog or vicious dog has died or has been sold or donated, and provide the Customer Service Division with the name, address, and telephone number of the new owner;

5.

Keep the dog secured at all times by one of the following means:

a.

Keep the dog inside the owner's home;

b.

Keep the dog in a locked enclosure which has a top, and has a concrete base with the fencing securely attached or anchored to the concrete perimeter to a depth of six inches;

c.

Keep the dog muzzled and on a chain-link leash that is not more than six feet in length which is held in the hand of a person who is of suitable age and discretion and is outside with the dog.

6.

Pay a fee and annually, between January 2 and January 20, and whenever a dog is newly obtained, register the dog with the Customer Service Division; at the time of registration provide proof of liability insurance with an insurer authorized to write liability insurance in this state providing coverage in each occurrence, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than fifty thousand dollars because of damage or bodily injury to or death of a person caused by the dog and shall provide a certificate of insurance to Customer Service at the time the collar required by § 92.25(E)(1) is obtained;

7.

Ensure that the dog does not go unconfined on the premises of another or be at large within the city;

8.

Annually license the dog, if the dog is more than three months of age, with the County Auditor. Failure of any dog at any time to wear a valid license tag shall be prima facie evidence of lack of licensing;

9.

Vaccinate the dog against rabies by a licensed veterinarian at least once every three years; a tag indicating that said dog has been vaccinated against rabies must be worn by the dog at all times. Failure of any dog at any time to wear the rabies vaccination tag issued by the licensed veterinarian who administered the vaccine shall be prima facie evidence of the dog's lack of vaccination against rabies;

10.

Provide two color photos of the dog to Customer Service at the time the collar required by § 92.25(E)(1) is obtained. Provide one color photo of dog showing the tattoo number after the dog has been tattooed.


12/14/2020 Update - Police state that there will be no charges.  The Pit bull is apparently still alive and being held by Summit County Animal Control. 

Why?   

Pit bull roundup, short form 4/26/2019 Pit bulls on the roof, repeat offender pit bulls back with owners who can't contain them, pit attacks with multiple victims by pits with a multiple bite history, dog fighters harboring pitbulls (surprise) and interesting out of state rulings.

It has been far too long since the last Pit Bull Roundup, this is not due to lack of material but rather to the futility of reporting what does not change.  We are so far behind in reporting Ohio pit bull attacks that we will never catch up. Today we share a few recent attacks with many more to follow.

We will begin.

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12/24/2018
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

4/2/2019
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County

The Lorain County Dog Warden was called to remove a pit bull from a roof.  This is not unusual with pit bulls but unheard of with Irish Setters or Beagles.




Cleveland Police were called for a similar scenario.  A dog had been tied up on a second story porch, jumped the railing and was found dangling off the front of the house.  Police were able to rescue the dog, a pit bull.  Video is available by clicking here.  The pit bull was uninjured and ran off after his rescue.  Bet the neighbors were thrilled.



Have police ever been called for a Pug on the roof?






                                                              * * *

3/13/2019
Greenville Ohio
Darke County

A couple was joyfully reunited with a pit bull that they had lost two different times.  The couple, Jason Hunt and Hillary Frech, live outside New Madison. Their 6-year-old red-nose pitbull terrier, Kiara, had run off once before, prompting a man who worked nearby to threaten to kill the animal if it strayed back onto his property. When Kiara vanished again in September of last year, they feared that was just what had happened.


The threat was not enough to convince the pit bull owners to improve containment and supervision of their pit bull.  Kiara vanished again, gone for months until they saw a posting from the Darke County Shelter.  There she was, held in a shelter that does not adopt pit bulls directly to the public.  In order to reclaim the pit bull that the owners clearly can't contain or control, Hunt and Frech had to rely on a rescue as an intermediary 501c3 rescue to avoid liability for the County shelter.

Now that they have their repeat runaway pit bull back will containment improve?  Not likely.  It's a revolving door for pit bulls.




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3/5/2019
Akron Ohio
Summit County

This story is hard to follow.  Please hang in there.  Three people were hospitalized and a mail carrier was injured in multiple dog attacks by the same dogs on the same day.

A woman, peacefully walking in her own community was attacked by three "dogs".  Three men driving by noted the attack in progress and stopped to help the woman.  These courageous men were unable to pull the dogs off their victim so they changed tactics and beat them off.  The victim was transported to a local hospital with extensive injuries.

Prior to the attack upon the woman reported above, three other people reported attacks by three "dogs."  A second woman reported being attacked as she attempted to get out of her own van.  Hearing the victim's screams, a man came to help her.  The man was attacked as well.  Both of these two victims were transported to a local hospital with extensive injuries.

The "dogs" ran away and attacked a mail carrier.  The mail carrier sprayed the "dogs" with mace but was bitten on the thigh. The "dogs" were picked up by animal control.

Photos of the three dogs are found on this link.  They are all pit bulls but we already knew that.

Update 4/9/2019

The pit bull owner, Diane Yanke, had a pre-trial hearing in Akron, she has been charged with 21 misdemeanors, including five counts of having vicious dogs, t hr ee counts of physical harm, not having insurance and not having her pit bulls confined.  Per ABC News 5, Cleveland "  Criminal charges, related to controlling pit bulls, have been filed against Yanke three others times since September. In one case, a 62-year-old man was bitten, suffering a puncture wound on his right arm.

One case was dismissed. In the second case, Yanke was found guilty of having a vicious dog and for not securing a pit bull. She was given 180 days in jail, but the time was suspended. She was also fined $500.

In the third case, Yanke was convicted of not securing a pit bull. Her 60-day jail sentence was suspended and she was fined $50.

Diane Yanke in court.                                                            

Update 4/26/2019
Pretrial is scheduled for 4/26/2019.  Pit bull owner Diane Yanke still harbors pit bulls and the first victim in the March 4th Akron attack, Social Worker Sarah Friddle refuses to back down.  This will play out in court.

Yanke's dogs were put down but she still has another dog.  Bet her neighbors are thrilled.

                                                                        * * *
These are not Ohio stories but one out of Iowa has a lot to do with the Reynoldsburg ruling so we are throwing it out there for your consideration.  The other is a change in law in Citrus County Florida that indicates a long overdue change in direction with the treatment of vicious dogs.  We begin with Citrus County.  Citrus County has had far too many violent dog attacks and has changed shelter procedures in an effort to better protect public safety. Per the Citrus County Chronicle " commissioners gave unanimous approval Tuesday to a set of procedures designed to provide closer care of dogs and cats, preparing them for adoption.

In doing so, the board removed the rule giving rescue organizations five days to retrieve dogs considered dangerous or too aggressive for adoption.

The five-day hold was eliminated, but also the county will no longer provide dogs to rescue groups that it would not allow for adoption."   

If a dog is too vicious to adopt out directly to the public it is inappropriate for handing over to a rescue that will adopt it out into a peaceful community.  Logic is a beautiful thing.  

On to Iowa.  The Iowa Supreme Court backed the rights of a community to declare a dog dangerous.  Pinky (a pit bull) attacked a cat and was declared a dangerous dog.

After the attack, Des Moines animal control declared Pinky a vicious dog/high risk based on her breed, and a dangerous dog based upon her conduct.  Local law required insurance and proof of vaccination from her original owner, Charles Brickell.  Brickell did not challenge the high-risk designation of his dog at the time he obtained Pinky but let insurance and vaccination lapse for six years until Pinky's attack upon Rebel the neighbor's cat.  When Pinky was seized by animal control, Brickell sold Pinky to Diana Helmers, the owner of an animal rescue located outside the city of Des Moines. This began a three-year slog through the courts.  The end result was an evenly divided Supreme Court ruling.  The evenly divided ruling deferred to the lower court ruling that declared the Des Moines high-risk dog law constitutional.  Here is a link to the final brief from the City of Des Moines.  Bottom line, the constitutionality of Des Moines proactive law was upheld.

Can it be hoped that these rulings might indicate a change for the better in protecting the peaceful public from violent dogs?



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4/4/2019
Columbus Ohio
Franklin County

Twenty dogs were "rescued" from the property of German Sanchez, in addition, a dead dog was found.  Sanchez was charged with one count of dog fighting and one count of possession of crack cocaine.  Sanchez was found during an investigation into drug trafficking and his connection to dog fighting became clear.
Thirteen of the dogs were mature pit bulls, one was a Yorkie, six puppies of an unspecified breed were "rescued" per Mark Gofstein, a spokesman for the Franklin County sheriff's office.  The dogs are in the custody of the Columbus Humane Society.   “To be able to get all of these dogs away from a horrible situation is a good days work,” Gofstein said."
At least 13 of these dogs are game bred, pit tested fighting dogs. Their situation was horrible but the peaceful public is not responsible for this and should not be put at risk by any foolish, reckless attempt to turn at least 13 pit tested fighting dogs into pets.   The Yorkie should be a safe placement.    German Sanchez, booking photo.

                                                     

Year end roundup, part one. Schoolyard attacks, home invasion attacks, recidivist pit bull abusers/owners, "take this pit bull, PLEASE", and letter carriers deserve combat pay.

This is going to be a year end round up.  I will try to get to all the attacks that did not make a      roundup earlier in the year.  Get some coffee, this will be a long post.

  11/23/2015
Sandusky Ohio


Here is item off a police scanner.  A caller reported to Sandusky police that a pair of pit bulls were actively trying to rip through a door of the caller's home.

Picture it. 

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11/30/2015
Painesville Ohio
Lake County  

An at-large pit bull mix entered a Painesville schoolyard while students were outside on the playground.  The animal circled the 60 students before targeting on one little girl, grabbing her by the arm.  A horrified volunteer aide rushed to the child, attempting to shield the little girl with her own body.  Per FoxNews8  Zalar rushed over to help, wrapped her arms around Leah and wedged her leg between the girl and the dog.

“He would not let her go,” said Zalar.She said she continued to spin in circles until the dog finally let go, but then another fight began.“It took me backwards and down; it threw me on the ground,” she said.The courageous aide then threw herself on top of Leah and covered her head until the dog finally ran off."

The little girl required 26 stitches in her arm to close her wounds.  The aide, Laura Zalar, was treated for multiple puncture woulds, deep muscle strain, and bruising.  

The three year old pit bull dog had escaped from the property of the owner who lived near the school.  The owner is being charged with dangerous dog at large.  The pit bull was held by the Lake County dog warden for a 10 day quarantine.

Interesting timing on this.  Just hours later and a few miles away Shaker Heights pit bull advocates returned to Shaker Heights City Council chambers with empty leashes in their hands to protest a pit bull ban being considered by that community. I bet a breed ban looks real good to the parents of Painesville schoolchildren.

I hope the Painesville City Council recognizes Laura Zalar for her courageous action to save a local child.  I also hope Shaker Heights City Council recognizes the danger of allowing unregulated pit bulls in the community.  

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12/16/2015
Lebanon Ohio
Warren County

An 84 year old woman was attacked inside her own home, by a pit bull.  Two pit bulls followed the woman's caregiver, who had been walking the woman's Pekingese.  One of the pit bulls had already attacked the woman's caregiver and the woman's Pekingese on the front porch.  The 84 year old opened her door to assist the caregiver and the little dog when the pit bull entered the house, attacked the elderly home owner and killed the little dog.   Click here for video.  

The dogs were declared dangerous dogs, the neighbor/pit bull owner will have the opportunity to protest the designation.  Why would you? 

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12/4/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center gained custody of two more pit bulls, plus a dog of unspecified breed,  just what they needed.  A "responsible pit bull owner" left her four year old daughter alone in the care of the two "nanny dog" pups and another dog for an unspecified length of time.  The mother was arrested on a misdemeanor child endangering charge when she returned home, the child was turned over to Montgomery County Children Services.   

For video please click here and here.  




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12/7/2015
Akron Ohio
Summit County

Markee Turner, recidivist pit bull abuser, was sentenced to 40 hours of community service at the Summit County animal shelter.  Turner was also sentenced to one year of probation and prohibited from owning or harboring animals for five years.  Turner has been found in possession of starving pit bulls twice this year. Interestingly, equipment used in conditioning dogs for the purpose of dog fighting was found in Turner's home in July.  Bet nobody suspected that.

 
Booking photo for Markee Turner. Another "responsible pit bull owner." Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay for pit bulls, preventing the creation of dogs destined to suffer, be better than this?  

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12/6/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County  

The Toledo Blade rejoices that yet another test used to screen dogs for aggression prior to offering them to the public for placement has been scrapped.  Pit bull advocacy has been chipping away at any screning test that pit bulls can't pass, claiming that the test is not predictive of aggression in the home. Dogs that are food guarders (aggressive around food) have been sent to rescues for "rehabilitation" (at taxpayer expense) prior to placement but now even that safety precaution is gone.  Lucas County will continue to use the SAFER test, developed by the ASPCA, to screen dogs but it should be noted that the ASPCA will no longer certify those who administer the test.  With the number of attacks by recently re-homed shelter dogs this year the ASPCA may be responding to potential liability issues by dropping their certification process.  This quote from the announcement by the ASPCA "We have found that while individuals conduct the assessment and demonstrate they can score correctly for their certification, they are not consistently assessing in that manner throughout the year."     

The safety of the public is a very low priority here. This article comes from the Toledo Blade so we have the required quote from Jean Keating.

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12/4/2015
Columbus Ohio
Franklin County

A known aggressive pit bull held at the Franklin county shelter has received the classic Facebook "please find someone to take this creature" plea.  King is reported to be just a sweetheart with people but is admittedly animal aggressive.  The warning from shelter staff is that King is NOT safe to take to the park but they hope that just the right rescue or new owner will step up for King.  Want a known aggressive dog?  Who wouldn't?    


King could be just what you are looking for, the neighbors will love him.  

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11/26/2015
Cincinnati Ohio

The good people of Cincinnati have not forgotten Zainabou Drame and her family.  The Drame Family was treated to an elegant Thanksgiving dinner at Boi Na Braza Brazilian Steakhouse.  The family won a 7.5 million dollar settlement but do not expect to see any of it.  Zainabou's medical bills are over a million dollars and growing.  


Zainabou Drame is incredibly brave, and surrounded by the positive energy of her loving family.  

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10/9/2015
Batavia Ohio
Clermont County

A newly adopted pit bull attacked the special needs daughter of the new owner.  Bruno the pit bull was euthanized but the owner has concerns about the safety of her neighbors.  While Bruno is no longer a problem, Bruno's  parents are still in the community and presumably still pumping out puppies, they are said to be just as aggressive as Bruno.  Neighbors state that they have witnessed multiple attacks in the area in the last year. Part of the problem is the Clermont County shelter which is under new management.  Dog attacks prior to 2015 are no longer part of their records.

Mandatory neuter and spay would be very helpful here.

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10/23/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

"Responsible pit bull owners" Ronald and Mary Kincer called in a stray dog complaint on a dog called Lazarus.  The dog died of severe malnutrition and dehydration a few days after pick up by animal control.  An investigation revealed that the Kincers were not concerned about a stray, they were calling in on their OWN DOG.  The Kincers have been charged with, among other charges, knowingly committing an act of cruelty against a companion animal.

There is video at this link, take a good look at this poor dog.  Wouldn't mandatory neuter and spay be better than this?  Dogs not conceived do not suffer.  The neuter and spay surgery would be free to pit bull owners.  PetSmart Charities, Best Friends, the Animal Farm Foundation, or the Petco Foundation will make grants for this purpose.  Oh, I forgot, pit bull owners turn this screaming deal down because it is a breed specific offer.     


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10/16/2015
Toldeo Ohio
Lucas County

As if Toledo needed any more pit bull promotion, a parking lot party to raise awareness for pit bulls was scheduled during Pit Bull Awareness Month.  Those attending the event were encouraged to bring their own dogs along to meet pit bulls.  Good idea?

The event sponsor, the Pet Bull project has 11 pit bulls available at this time.  Lucas County Animal Care and Control has a total of 28 available dogs,  despite the whimsical breed IDs given, at least 26 of these dogs are pit bulls or pit mixes.  The Lucas County Pit Crew has 28 pit bulls available for adoption.   Does anybody see any lack of awareness for pit bulls in Lucas County?   


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9/17/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County

Pit bull owner David Golas took the easy way out and pleaded no contest in Avon Lake Municipal Court to two charges of allowing his pit bulls to run at large.  Golas's pit bulls killed a Shih Tzu and bit the owner of the Shih Tzu as he attempted to protect his pet.   Perry Pascarella described the August 10th attack "These two large dogs came out of nowhere and attacked Bella," he said in a recent interview. "It was horrible. I kicked them and kicked them, but they would not let her go. Each dog had part of Bella in its mouth. I dropped to my knees and started punching the dogs as hard as I could, but they ignored me. I grabbed one around the throat, but it was like wrapping my hands around a steel pipe.

"They seemed so evil," he continued. "They killed my kind, sweet, gentle Bella."

By the time Golas pried his dogs off Bella, the Shih Tzu was dead. Police arrived and noticed Pascarella had been bitten on the hand.

Golas was fined the maximum $300.  Per Cleveland.com Golas' lawyer, Timothy Fitzgerald, said the no contest plea was made to put and end to the "isolated incident." He said Golas has no problem living up to the rules pertaining to dangerous dogs.

"Golas has been following those rules all along, like responsible pet owners," he said.

Bella

Here are my  thoughts on this.  The death of someone else's pet and the injury to his neighbor was not an "isolated incident" that Golas should just put behind him.  If Golas had been living up to the rules, as other actually responsible dog owners do, Bella would be alive and her owner would be uninjured.  Avon Lake would not have passed a new law to deal with irresponsible dog owners and vicious dogs.  

The Pascarellas have filed a lawsuit against Golas and his wife.  Per the Morning Journal "The lawsuit stated that Melinda Golas had signed a contract that gave her a notice that Sandy was a dangerous dog. The lawsuit also stated that Sandy cannot roam or be alone with children younger than 10. On a date prior to Aug. 10, the Golas family knew that their gate did not close or lock properly, the lawsuit claims."

This was not the first incident involving the Golas pit bulls. It was reported that in early 2014 Golas was walking his dogs when they bowled over a 5 year old boy, causing him to cry.  The little boy's own dog ran to the child to protect him.  Golas released his pit bulls, allowing them to attack the child's dog, pinning it to the ground, biting its neck and drawing blood.  At this point Mr. Golas attempted to restrain his pit bulls.

Mr. Golas's pit bulls have been declared dangerous and must be confined per Ohio law.

Save us all from "responsible pit bull owners."

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10/12/2015
New Philadelphia Ohio
Tuscarawas County

Vivian VanCamp reported that she got up early, hearing her own dog barking.  She looked out her window and saw what appeared to be a pit bull and a dead kitten.  She tried to shoo the dog away but it came up to her house and slammed into her storm door in an attempt to get at her own dog, still in the house.  She reported that she saw a second dog, it looked similar to the first.  Later she saw the dogs kill another one of her two month old kittens.  Ms. VanCamp was afraid to step out of her own home and was unable to allow her own dog out in her yard.  By the time the county dog warden arrived to investigate the pit bulls were gone.  Six kittens were killed and two more are missing.  

Ms. VanCamp wants to know who owns these dogs, she wants that owner to be aware of exactly what the dogs did.  Very reasonable.  Mark Rogo, an apparent pit bull apologist, following the comment pattern of Bob Cronk, commented on this story.  Spelling and grammar are foreign to pit bull activists.

Mark Rogo

Rank 635

You can keep trying but your finally losing the battle. How many other breeds have done the same thing don't hear about those you hipakrets."

Mr. Rogo, boldly,  has no sympathy for the kittens or the owner but acknowledges that the peaceful public is at a disadvantage.  He apparently sees this as a good thing.  "hipakrets"?  Spell check, it is on your computer.

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9/12/2015
Marysville Ohio
Union County

We have dealt with this particular pit bull in the past.  The name is Zach, he was at the Franklin County Shelter as a rescue only.  The back story, Zach hit the lottery and was adopted but returned in less than an hour after biting the new owner. Zach also lunged at the shelter veterinarian, two strikes, no longer available to the general public, the liability was too great.  Steffen Baldwin of ACT Ohio and OABD stepped up to take Zach.  The plan was to rehabilitate Zach and adopt him out to the public.  As of 9/12/2015 Zach was still available (wonder why?) but anyone who might have been interested should have acted sooner.  Just recently Baldwin announced to his Facebook followers that he would keep this gem of a pit bull himself.

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9/2/2015
Brunswick Ohio
Medina Ohio

A Brunswick home owner reported that her Husky had been attacked and seriously injured  by a pit bull. The Husky owner had to hit the pit bull with a baseball bat to get it to release her dog.  The pit bull was harbored by a neighbor living two doors down.  Nice neighbor.


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8/28/2015
South Euclid Ohio
Cuyahoga County

A letter carrier was bitten by a pit bull as he was walking his route.  The letter carrier was bitten on his wrist and inner thigh but was able to grab the pit bull's collar and pin the thing to the ground until the owner could come out and drag his mauler back in the house.  Records show that the same pit bull bit another letter carrier last summer.  Has it be declared a dangerous dog yet?  How many letter carriers is this pit bull allowed to bite before the Cuyahoga County dog warden takes action?


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9/9/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

Speaking of pit bull attacks on mailmen,  Dayton letter carrier Robert Mays was attacked as he approached a Drury street home. A pit bull named Kali jumped out a window to bite Mays on the hand and upper arm.  The pit bull owner stated she was sleeping in the house with the windows open. The pit bull owner was cited and will have to appear in court.

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6/18/2015
Oregon Ohio
Lucas County

And more attacks on letter carriers.  A postal worker was hospitalized after being bitten on the hand and on the leg by a pit bull mix.  



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8/31/2015
Piqua Ohio
Miami County

Piqua police responded to call reporting pit bulls chasing a pedestrian. The pedestrian attempted to chase the pit bulls away by throwing rocks at them. By the time police arrived the pit bulls were back inside the home of the owner.  As the officer  tried to speak with the pit bull owner through the screen door a white pit bull ran at the door "growling and snarling" causing the officer to believe the dog would come through the screen.  The officer backed away from the residence but the genius pit bull owner opened the door allowing the pit bull to escape.  Per the Daily Call "“Unfortunately, the dog did not stop,”  The officer fired one shot at the dog when it was approximately two feet away from him.

“Unfortunately, the dog was deceased then from that one gun shot wound,” .

The Piqua Police Department has received complaints about pit bulls running at large in connection with this residence in the past.

Who could see that one coming?

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4/19/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

A Dayton woman with a CCW permit shot a pit bull attacking her dog.  The family had gone out for a late evening walk taking the baby and the dog when a stray pit bull approached and attacked Ashley Busby's dog.  Busby did what she needed to do to protect her family then she called police to report the shooting. When police arrived the pit bull was found dead in the middle of the street.  Per ABC22  Busby said she feels guilty she had to shoot a dog because she is an animal lover, "I'm a dog person. Like, I love dogs. I grew up around dogs."

I can't find fault with this story at all.  Correct priorities. Well done.  Nothing for Mark Kumpf to clean up.



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4/16/2015
Mansfield Ohio
Richland County

The Richland County shelter is full of pit bulls but Mansfield, the largest city in the county, has a breed ban so pit bulls may not be placed in that city.  The kennel supervisor Monique Hypes was quoted as saying "the shelter has difficulty finding adopters for pit bulls because of their violent reputation." 
but also went on to say “They’re wonderful dogs. That’s not to say that all our dogs are perfect. There are some that have issues, but most are okay,” said Hypes. What? 

Hypes pulled out the pit bull advocates "big guns" a Facebook post begging for adopters.
 The post said, “Our shelter is maxed out on space for larger breed dogs and pitties!! We NEED your HELP!!”

It is not the fault of the public that the shelter is full of pit bulls, it is not the fault of the law that the shelter is full of pit bulls.  If pit bull activists want to fix the problem they need to stop breeding pit bulls with no prospects of a permanent home.   Problem solved,


Hypes with pit bull Bruno.

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2/27/2015
Lancaster Ohio
Fairfield County

.A seven year old boy was attacked by a pit bull that belonged to a family member.  Cole Robinson was flown to Nationwide Children's Hospital for surgery and treatment, he was listed in fair condition.  The attack was unprovoked and the pit bull had no reported history of aggression. The dog was taken to the Fairfield County shelter.

Cole Robinson

The dog was euthanized by request of the owner.

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5/16/2015
Dayton Ohio
Montgomery County

A positive pit bull story.  An armed intruder was stopped by the family pit bull and an armed and angry mother.  Per WOIO " Police arrived as the suspect, identified as 48-year-old David Allen Polk, was leaving. They found him bloody and bruised. He was handcuffed, when police said they found a knife in his front pants pocket, and then was taken to Grandview Hospital, the report stated.

Polk, who stands 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs 225 pounds, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on suspicion of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony. He is being held without bond awaiting arraignment on Monday, online jail records show.

Give credit where credit is due.  This is a scary looking dude.

Booking photo for David Allen Polk.

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6/2/2015
DAYTON Ohio
Montgomery County

A woman suffered a severe injury when a pit bull owned by a friend bit her face.  The 23 year old victim states she was petting the dog and it was licking her face. She turned to look at the television and the dog attacked.

Thomas Hine, the pit bull owner admitted that this was the pit bulls second attack.  The same pit bull bit a neighbor in April and the dog had just come off quarantine.  Hine told police he gave the dog away but the person who took the dog gave it back.  Shocking, I know.

What will Mark Kumpf do with this two time biter?  Here is the answer. the owner was given a quarantine form.  Classic.

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6/5/2015
Cincinnati Ohio
Hamilton County

Cincinnati police were called out to an apartment building for complaint of two pit bulls fighting in a hallway. When police arrived they carried a shotgun into the building, smart.  The pit bulls lost interest in fighting each other, one turned on police so they shot it.  BOOM, done, dust off your hands and go home.  Good work!

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Enough for this post but we will be back later today or tomorrow with more Ohio pit bull insanity.  I have searched the internet for a blog featuring attacks by Ohio Yorkies, or Ohio Poodles, or Ohio Beagles and found zip.  I will continue the search.

Pit bull roundup 10/25/2015. Attacks on children and adults, little dogs mauled to death, pits shot by police and by citizens, clueless rescue angels.

7/28/2015
DAYTON Ohio
Montgomery County

A Dayton teenager was bitten in the face by a neighbor's pit bull.  The pit bull ran from the owner's yard to attack the 14 year old. The girl required stitches to her upper lip and will require dental implant surgery to replace a tooth knocked out  by the the neighbor's pit.  The dog was known to the girl and considered safe and friendly.  As always,  the pit bull owner believes that her dog did not bite the girl but instead "got excited" jumped on the girl, knocked out her tooth and scratched her but did not bite her.

ABC22 News in Dayton began this story with "Another day, another dog bite in Dayton.  This time a 14 year old girl."  It was reported that as of July Dayton Children's Hospital had treated 126 children for dog bites. Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley promises to look into tougher laws to protect the public from vicious dogs. Getting to be routine in Dayton.  Please keep in mind that the Montgomery County commissioners gave Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County dog warden, a raise this year while admitting that the year had been "difficult."

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7/14/2015
Port Clinton Ohio
Ottawa County

A 10 year old pit bull jumped a fence in Port Clinton to kill a seven year old Pomeranian in the yard of the Pomeranian owner and then went on to go after the owner of the dead Pomeranian.  The girlfriend of  Astro the pit bull's owner, took control of Astro after the attack, a responding Police officer put Astro in the back of his cruiser and followed procedure by notifying the county dog warden. The dog warden refused to respond to the scene and told police to release Astro right back to the owner "because the dog attacked another dog and not a human being."  Even the pit bull owner was surprised by this and promised to have Astro put down after the 10 day rabies confinement.  William Yount, owner of Astro was charged with the misdemeanor Failure to Confine a Dangerous Dog with a possible fine of $250.



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6/2/2015
North Canton Ohio
Stark County

A North Canton family dropped off their little eight pound Pomeranian/Poodle mix dog at Promway Kennels, they were on their way out of town for a business trip.  They have used Promway Kennels many times in the past and were pleased at the care Shadow received.  Things did not go so well this time.

 Kennel owner Bill "Novotny said a kennel employee mistakenly put Shadow in the area where two lab-pit bull mix dogs were and they attacked Shadow.  The dogs were rescued from a shelter and Novotny said he was trying to find them a home.

Novotny said steps have been taken to make sure something like this doesn't happen again and he said the dogs have been euthanized. "I feel terrible," said Promway Kennels owner Bill Novotny.

At the time of the Newsnet5 news article dealing with this senseless death the owner of Promway Kennel, Bill Novotny, had not apologized to Shadow's owners and appears in the video with this story calling the mistake leading to Shadow being in the same run with the pit mixes as "unfortunate."  Do you think Novotny learned anything here?

The answer to that is no.  Below is a Facebook post made by Bill Novotny in early July of this year, just weeks after the mauling death of little Shadow.  Please take a look at the Facebook page for Promway Kennels. Novotny is STILL pulling unplaceable pit bulls from shelters, fostering and adopting out these pit bulls from his business.  That business is caring for other people's beloved pets.  Please spend a few minutes watching the videos of Novotny's interviews.  He is relaxed, genial, smiling, while talking about the death of a client.  While a "trusted employee" may have made an "unfortunate mistake" leading to the death of eight pound Shadow, the big mistake was made by Novotny. He is responsible for housing rescue pit bulls at the Promway facility.  Novotny made the choice to harbor and "work with" the pit bull that killed Shadow.  Novotny stated that the killer pit bull was euthanized but he has apparently learned nothing from Shadow's death.

From the Promway Kennels Facebook page.

Promway Kennels

July 13 · 

Fosters that are currently at Promway- call Bill (330-494-8100) between 8am-5pm to set up a time to meet them - we would love for them to find their forever home!

  More on the available pit bull Dalton.  Background information, Dalton has been at Promway, waiting for placement for 3 1/2 YEARS.  Dalton has his own Facebook page.
   

Promway Kennels added 2 new photos.

September 1 · 

Dalton is enjoying his morning with some cuddle time.

For those who might be looking for a second hand, apparently unplaceable pit bull, GOOD NEWS, Dalton and Lexi are still available.  Novotny also places non-pit bulls and finds takers for these dogs but the pits stay on and on.  Does this tell him something?

NEWSFLASH, There is a  reason these pit bulls are in the rescue system. They have already failed in at least one household, likely more, killed another dog, killed a cat, bit the owner, bit a neighbor, jumped a fence and created a dangerous nuisance in a neighborhood, cited by animal control, the classic reasons for surrender of a pit bull.  Relocating these secondhand maulers is a dangerous business.  Shadow paid with his life.  Pit bull advocacy refuses to learn.  Promway kennels has been in business for 30 years, there is no excuse for the death of Shadow. Bill Novotny knows better.


For additional video please click here.

As it might be suspected, this particular attack touched a nerve with me. I will end this section of the post with a meme from the Facebook page for Dalton of Promway (the unplaceable pit bull) posted May 30th, just prior to the pit bull mauling death of Shadow..



Clueless?  Yes.  Sanctimonious?  Yes.  Learning from the death of a client's dog in an attack that that may well be a kick in the financial bottom line of your business?  Nope.  Why do pit bull activists feel that the peaceful public just needs a little "education" about pit bulls?  The actual news educates us every day. Educate yourselves.                                                      


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 6/12/2015
South Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

Per the Toledo Blade, a Lucas County deputy dog warden and two police officers responded to an animal complaint.  A resident stated that he had been walking in an alley when he was attacked by three dogs that had escaped from Jay Rummel's residence.  When the animal control officer was serving the citation for failure to confine the dogs to Rummel, Rummel's 20 year old roommate Brandon Gill opened the door and let the three dogs out again, disobeying a direct order from police to keep the door shut. After the dogs were let out they charged police.  The lead dog was shot several times. Per police reports, after the dog was shot Gill "came off the porch and started swinging at the officers."  After a brief struggle Gill was taken into custody, charged with felonious assault on a police officer, ordered held at the Lucas County jail in lieu of the bond pending a preliminary hearing.

The dog, a pit bull (surprise!) was taken to a local veterinarian but the injuries were noted to be very serious.  Rummell surrendered his pit bull to  Lucas County Canine Care and Control.  Julie Lyle, Lucas County dog warden, stated the pit bull had been shot in the left front leg, left shoulder area, and right leg.  The pit bull was euthanized.

Animal Control officers investigating this incident discovered that a second of Rummell's pit bulls was also involved in the biting incident earlier in the day.  This pit bull was seized and declared vicious.  Rummell stated to reporters that his dogs were not aggressive with people (despite biting a passerby and charging police) had not bitten anyone in the past but could be "territorial."  Rummell was allowed to keep the remaining pit bull.

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6/5/2015
Norton Ohio
Summit County

From the Norton Ohio Police blotter. Police were called to a Norton Avenue residence June 5 after a man reported his dogs were attacked by a pit bull that was running loose in the area. Officers observed bite wounds on one dog’s head and neck and the other dog’s snout. The pit bull had been corralled and the county dog warden was notified.  


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7/1/2015
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County

A federal judge in Cleveland sentenced the organizer of an Akron dog fighting ring to two years in prison.  The raid on the Akron dog fighting ring has been covered in Scorched Earth blogs several times.

 Per WDTN News "56-year-old Alvin Banks apologized during the hearing Tuesday, saying he grew up with people who had dogs fight and didn’t realize the practice is inhumane. He pleaded guilty in April to five charges, three related to dog-fighting, a felon in possession of a firearm, and marijuana possession."  

"He didn't realize the practice (of dog fighting) is inhumane?"  You can't make this stuff up.  Mr. Banks will have two years to think about this.




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6/5/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

Two pit bulls were shot by a citizen in Toledo but the Toledo Blade did not cover the story. A Toledo dog owner found his neighbor's two pit bulls attacking his own German Shepherd, in his own yard.  Per the Chronicle " a 29-year-old man from Toledo heard dogs growling in his front yard. He found his German shepherd pinned down by the neighbor’s two pit bulls. One of the pit bulls was biting the dog’s neck, while the other one was on top of the German shepherd biting his hindquarters. 

After attempts to scare the dogs failed, the man went into his house and retrieved his shotgun. He fired one warning shot, and when the dogs continued their attack, he shot at each of the pit bulls. Although the dogs retreated, one returned and approached the man"  That pit bull was shot and killed.

The pit bull owner stated that his son had left a gate open allowing the pit bulls to escape and he understands why his pit bulls were shot.   The German Shepherd was reported to be in critical condition at a local veterinary hospital.

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5/19/2015
Toledo Ohio
Lucas County

A Toledo woman surrendered 14 dogs to a local Humane Society after Toledo police responded to a noise complaint of dogs barking.  The residence where the dogs were housed had no furniture and was unoccupied other than the 20 dogs found there.  The owner stated that she was in the process of buying the house but humane officials referred to the residence as "unsanitary because of fecal matter and urine"  Just picture it.

Per the Toledo Blade "  The owner said she first bought a female from a man selling puppies on the street, and could not afford to get her spayed then. The dog got pregnant, and the situation spiraled from there as the dogs continued to breed.

She said she made a number of attempts but was unable to find homes or a rescue for many of the dogs that she said are “pit bull” and German shepherd mixes.

“It got out of hand,” she said. “I love dogs, and I thought I could do it on my own. ... I knew I needed help, but every place I contacted would either not call me back or tried to send me in a different direction, which always never helped.”

 My guess is that neighbors are VERY pleased with the removal of these dogs.

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5/8/2015

Youngstown Ohio

Mahoning County

A Youngstown woman, walking in a local park was attacked by a pit bull.

“Horrifying” and “terrifying”... Those are two words used by a south side woman to describe her encounter with a dog while exercising at a city park.

June Calhoun was taking a late morning walk at Jackson Park in the area of Lenox and Windsor Streets, when she found herself caught in a pitbull's stare.

"I didn't hear him. I didn't see where he came from. He jumped at me."

After the dog knocked June down, she found a stick and threw it at him. He backed off, but as she was trying to get up, he jumped on her again.

"Oh they can jump so high. Unbelievable! And he's muscle, you know, he knocked me down."

Her arms took the brunt of the dog's aggression because June was trying to protect a more vital part of her body.

"I don't know where I got that strength, but I was going to survive because he was trying to go for my neck. And why I was putting my arms up like that."

Calhoun was able to signal a jeep passing by as the dog was distracted.

"And I was able to run over to the truck but he saw me again and came after me again. I was able to get in the truck before he get to me."

June says the dog ripped the skin on her right wrist. She also has bites on her left hand, arm and knee. Her right shoulder was also injured in the attack.

The pit bull was unlicensed. The Mahoning County dog warden expected to file charges for failure to control and failure to license. The dog was being quarantined in the owner's possession.  

Youngstown Ohio regulates pit bulls but Ohio pit bull activists ignore attacks like the one on Mrs. Calhoun and are demanding removal of Youngstown BSL.  There have been no offers by pit bull advocacy to cover Mrs. Calhoun's medical bills.  

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5/13/2015

West Chester Ohio

Butler County

A tiny Poodle was attacked by a pit bull, and a Cane Corso mix at a school bus stop, in full view of the Poodle owner, her  children, neighborhood children, AND a school bus full of children.  Watch the video here.  These children are traumatized, the neighbors are traumatized and the dogs are at large regularly. "I heard all this screaming, and I ran out, and Gracie was over in the next yard, laying in the grass with this huge open wound, looked like no hair and no skin," neighbor Nan Adler said. The two adult dogs involved in the attack on little Gracie the poodle are frequent offenders, West Chester police took them to the Butler County dog warden's facility a month prior to this attack.   

Our old friend Kurt Merbs makes this statement on camera " "Unfortunately, the dog actually has to die to make the dog dangerous," Merbs said. "To stipulate a dog is dangerous, it has to bite a person, which in this case it did not, or it has to kill another dog."

Little Gracie lived, she was released to go home six days after the attack.  As Merbs has stated, the pit bull and the Cane Corso mix will not be designated as dangerous.  

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In honor of yesterday's National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day we will end this post with the image of another child killed by a pit bull. The child is Mia DeRouen, 4 years old, killed by Niko, the dog in the photo.  This monster pit bull was owned by Mia's mother's boyfriend.   Mia was killed inside her mother's apartment as she and her mother watched television together.  When police arrived in response to the 911 call the dog was so violent that Mia had to be handed out a bedroom window to first responders for transport to a hospital. The pit bull was shot by police. It required 13 bullets to stop Niko.