Sunday, August 17, 2014

Death and Excuses. God help us. 8/16/2014


Vicious dogs have been busy since the last Death and Excuses post.  Get comfy, this is a long post.



pit-bull mauled
Rita Pepe, age 93, of Branford CT was attacked by a pit bull owned by a family friend on April 13th.  Mrs. Pepe was out for a walk when she was attacked. She died of complications of her injuries on May 25th.  Per the New Haven Register " The April 13 police report states that after Booker’s owner, Matthew Radulski, took the dog for a walk, he walked back inside his house. He reportedly told police that once he took the leash off of Booker the dog ran out the back door. Police state that Radulski ran after the dog and discovered a group of people standing at the corner of Harbor Street and McKinnel Court, just steps from his house. The group was yelling for help and Radulski told police he saw Booker circling Rita Pepe. Radulski added that he was forced to strike Booker over the head numerous times with a rock in order to get him away from Pepe.

Booker's owner, and a family friend of Rita Pepe told reporters that he was devastated but"it's just one of those freak things."

 Booker had been adopted from the town's Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter last September. Laura Burban, Shelter Director would not comment when asked if Booker had been euthanized.  The original listing for Booker stated "he is a friendly dog who loves to play."  Shelter staff stated he "never expressed a propensity for violence and underwent extensive evaluations conducted by staff and trainers."  Booker was returned to the shelter after the attack.




Rita Pepe

Laura Burban, Director of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter is on record with this victim blaming statement  "One of the hardest things to do is to rehabilitate a vicious animal," says Laura, who was once attacked by a pit bull. "It's hard to find trainers, facilities; people who'll adopt. It's easier to euthanize…than sit at a computer for five hours and find a place for that pit bull with an attitude. But it can be done and then other shelters will see they can do it, too."

Ms. Burban described the attack on Pepe in this quote from the Branford Eagle "Burban, who is well-trained in dog behavior, said the dog “was focused on that woman. And later I found out she was walking with a cane. I wonder if he felt threatened because of the cane, that the cane was a threat and he went after the cane.  I just don’t know what was going through his head.”
As for the 911 calls describing the dog as biting other people, she said the dog was lunging after the two men who intervened to save the woman’s life. The rescuers fended off the dog. Booker did not bite them though it may have appeared that way to witnesses.   
One more outrageous quote from Shelter Director Burban " One of the sons with whom we spoke said: “I don’t know what triggered the dog to act. With that breed anything is possible.”
Burban disagreed.
“Everyone is focusing on his breed. This was a dog issue, not a breed issue,” Burban said. “This was specifically his issue. What people don’t recognize is that there are golden retrievers and yellow labs that bite every day and don’t get this kind of media attention,” she said.
“Do they do the same damage? If you looked up some of the stories you would see that golden retrievers have killed children and done all kinds of other terrible things. But we never hear about it.”
Here is a link to the Dan Cosgrove Animal Center's mission statement.  It begins with the words "to protect the public" but it appears that the safety of the public is not Mrs. Burban's concern.   What did Burban do with Booker?  Why is Burban making public policy decisions given her personal commitment to saving  known dangerous dogs, in this case a dog that has killed a human?

pit bull named Booker
This is Booker, if you see this dog call your local police.

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6/8/14
Springfield Twp Michigan



Holden William Garrison, age two and a half months, was attacked by a family dog.  Holden was transported to a local hospital and airlifted to William Beaumont Hospital where he died.

At the time of the attack Holden was being held by an 18 year old uncle who was sitting on a couch.  The dog, identified as a Catahoula Cattle Hound, jumped on the couch and was pushed off.  The dog jumped back onto the couch and attacked the infant's head and neck.  Interestingly, the dog's name was "Precious."  It appears that Precious has been euthanized.

  
William Garrision

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7/20/2014
Dayton Ohio

Infant’s dog-mauling death ruled accident photo

Jonathan Quarles Jr., age seven months,  was killed by his step grandmother's pit bull.  For more information please see this post. The dog had a recent history of  attack.  On April 25th Montgomery County Animal Resource Center employees responded to a complaint that a postal service employee had been attacked by the dog.  "“…A large dog came from around the right side of the house and charged the letter carrier,” USPS spokesman David Van Allen said in an email. “The dog tried to bite the carrier’s leg, but the carrier was able to get his mail satchel between his leg and the dog, preventing being bitten.”

Kimico Hardy, the owner of the pit bull was cited for failing to have a license and was given education. Hardy bought a license for her dog 5 days later. It appears that the "education" given to Hardy did not change much.  On June 3rd neighbor Isabell Crickmore was walking her Beagle past Hardy's house when the pit bull ran out of the house and attacked the Beagle.  Crickmore's dog required eleven staples to his leg.  Hardy did not pay the vet bill.  Mrs Crickmore stated of the attack that killed Jonathan Quarles Jr. “It could’ve all been avoided,”  “Something needs to be done. That dog definitely needs to go for sure now.”

Woman claims dog that killed baby attacked her beagle gallery
Isabelle Crickmore, complained that the same dog attacked her Beagle.

Mrs. Crickmore is correct.  HB 14, the law that sold to the Ohio Legislature as "finally giving dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs" should have triggered action after the first attack, and again after the second attack.  Even after two documented attacks Hardy's dog had never been designated as dangerous by County Dog Warden  Mark Kumpf, a huge supporter of HB 14.  "It could have been avoided."

pit bull kills baby in Dayton
Two previous attacks by this pit bull did not trigger action by Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf.  The third attack killed a baby.

Homicide detectives are working the case.
Infant’s dog-mauling death ruled accident photo

Historical note, no charges have ever been brought in the Dayton Ohio mauling death of Klonda Richey, killed by her neighbor's dogs in February.  Richey had dozens of complaints against the dogs.

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7/20/14
Riverview Florida

Logan Shepard, 4, died after being attacked by the two dogs Saturday in Riverview. The dogs were surrendered to authorities by the boy’s uncle, Billy Frederick Sr., and were euthanized.

Four year old Logan Sheppard was killed by two pit bulls owned by his aunt and uncle.  Logan and his mother Stephanie Grouix, had walked to the home of sister.  Logan was given a bowl of ice cream while the adults went into another room to smoke pot.  A fifteen year old relative was in charge of babysitting.  The pit bulls were reportedly put into a pen in the yard.  Neighbors doubt this, they report that the dogs were frequently loose on the fenced property.  When the adults heard Logan scream they realized that he was no longer in the house.  Logan's screams also drew the attention of police, nearby conducting a traffic stop.  When police arrived the pit bulls were standing over Logan's body.  Logan was dead at the scene.

Logan's family also owned pit bulls, his father had three pits.  His mother identified herself on her Facebook page as a proud pit bull owner.  The death was ruled an accident, there will be no charges. The Lexus Project was unable to file papers in time to save these dogs, the dogs were put down.

It’s not known how Logan Shepard, 4, came into direct contact with the pit bulls.
Logan Sheppard
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7/23/2014
Metamora MI

cane corsos kill jogger in metamora

Forty six year old Craig Sytsma was attacked by two Cane Corsos with previous bite histories as he was jogging.  A neighbor who was cutting his grass told police he waved to Sytsma as he jogged by and on his next pass with the mower he saw Sytsma in a ditch being mauled by the dogs.  Police were called to the area for a complaint of gunshots fired but found that a neighbor had fired a gun to scare the dogs off their victim.  Craig Sytsma's last words per the first responder giving CPR were "I'm bleeding out, I'm dying."  Sytsma was transported to a local hospital but did not survive.   The dogs were taken to Lapeer County Animal Control.  Per the Detroit Free Press "One of two dogs that fatally mauled a Livonia man this week as he jogged along a road in southern Lapeer County had been involved in at least one prior attack, according to a woman who said she sued the owners after being bitten two years ago"  ".She said she filed a lawsuit against the owners, which has been settled. She said the owners have no fence around their house, which was one of the stipulations in the lawsuit."
cane corsos kill jogger in metamoracane corsos kill jogger in metamora

Valbona Lucaj, left, and Sebastiano Quagliata are charged with second-degree murder in 71A District Court in Lapeer on Friday, August 1, 2014.
Valbonica Lucaj in court.                                                              Sebastiano Quagliata in court.

The story becomes more complicated.  The owners of the Cane Corsos, a married couple, she from Albania, he from Italy, both were in the country illegally.  Valbona Lucaj paid an immigration official a $3000 bribe for granting her asylum, her husband arrived in this country as a tourist and simply never left.  Deportation proceedings against the couple  have been underway since 2005.   Apparently the previous attacks have largely been ignored by local officials.  Per the Detroit Free Press "In the two years leading up to when their dogs mauled to death a jogger, a Metamora couple faced little legal consequences as their dogs attacked and bit walkers and terrorized the neighborhood, according to records obtained by the Free Press.  Indeed, when Valbona Lucaj, 44, and Sebastiano Quagliata, 45, were issued two civil infraction tickets in 2013 after their dogs charged an older man and bit him in the leg, they didn’t show up for court. Ultimately, they paid $280 in fines, and the case was closed.  A Free Press review of police, court and animal control records, along with interviews of neighbors, found authorities took little action in the face of a growing menace."
Craig Sytsma
Craig Sytsma

The couple has been charged with second degree murder.  A total of three adult Cane Corsos owned by Lucaj and her husband have been euthanized.  Eight puppies of the same breed were taken from the property but will not be euthanized.  They are expected to be transported to a Cane Corso Rescue in Texas.  The offspring of dogs so vicious that they were implicated in multiple attacks and a fatal mauling, what could go wrong?  Per MichiganLive "Investigators sought out several prior people who purchased puppies from the couple and succeeded in talking with several.
One man said he purchased a dog roughly seven weeks before the incident and, according to police reports, Quagliata made several statements to him including:
  • "Quagliata would not refer to himself as a breeder but stated that he (had) been doing this for 10 years."
  • "Quagliata stated that these were aggressive dogs and he raised them to be very aggressive."
  • After an inquiry to see the parents of the puppies, "Quagliata declined the request stating that nobody can get close to them. Quatliata made reference that if anyone gets on his property, they don't leave."
Texas really needs these puppies.

Animal Control is paid to protect the safety of the public.  Incompetence, or reluctance to do the actual job led to the death of this good man.

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8/4/2014
Madison Twp Ohio

Dog attack in Madison Twp, Butler County. (Photo/WLWT)

Cindy Whisman, age 59, was killed in her own back yard by her adult daughter's pit bull.  Mrs. Whisman was babysitting for her daughter's child at the time of her death.  Neighbors witnessed the attack, one came to her aid brandishing a walking stick to beat the dog back but Whisman was dead at the scene.  For more information on this attack please click here.

Southwest Ohio, fatal pit bull attack, cindy whisman
Pit bull owner Julie Whisman, daughter of the deceased.   Julie had second thoughts about signing off on the euthanization of her pit bull.  Thankfully common sense prevailed.  Polo was euthanized 8/7/2014.  

Historical note, this is the ninth dog mauling fatality in the state of Ohio since the passage of HB 14 in 2012. In the previous 25 years Ohio had six fatal dog attacks.  HB 14 was sold to the Ohio Legislature as the way to "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs."  Epic fail.

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8/7/2014
Fanning Springs Florida

Joel Chirieleison, age six, was killed by two pit bulls owned by his aunt.  The child was staying at the home of his aunt, Heather Claar, along with his grandfather who lives in Ohio but was in Florida on vacation.

Joel had gone outside to play.  Claar's pit bulls had been let out in the yard and Claar was preparing to visit other family.  It was reported that Joel was out of his aunt's sight for 10 to 15 minutes.  Claar looked outside and saw Joel on the ground.  The child was dead at the scene.  A total of six dogs were removed from the property, the two pit bulls suspected of the attack, and four others found in pens on the property.   There were no witnesses to the attack.  Joel was not a stranger to the pit bulls and had been around them regularly. There have no reports of problems with any of the dogs.  For video please click here.

Aunts two pit bulls kill boy
Joel Chirieleison.

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8/9/2014
St. Charles County MO



Deriah Solem, age 22 months, was attacked by the family pit bull on 8/7/2014, she died on 8/9/2014 at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center.  The 80 pound pit bull mix had no recorded bite history but the family stated that the dog had become aggressive.  The pit bull had been shut in a back bedroom while Deriah's grandmother fed her and her two brothers.  It is unclear how the pit bull got out of the bedroom or why it attacked the toddler.  Deriah was bitten in the face, neck, back, and abdomen.  The grandmother, while attempting to assist Deriah, was also injured, she lost the tips of two fingers on each hand.   The grandmother shouted to the boys, ages 5 and 8, to get out of the house in case the pit bull turned on them too.  The boys ran to the home of the next door neighbor, Jonathan Banta.  Banta stated "“I ran over to the house, and the dog was on top of the little girl, and her grandma had her hands around the dog’s neck trying to pry it off,” he said.
Banta had left his cellphone at home and said he was unable to use the grandmother’s because in her panic she couldn’t remember her password, so he ran back home and told his fiancee to call an ambulance.
“I grabbed a steak knife – that’s all I could find at the time — went back over there, and the dog still wouldn’t get off, so I stabbed it multiple times."  For video of an interview with Banta please click here.The 10 year old pit bull was euthanized per family request.  

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8/13/2014
Goulds Florida



Javon Jade Jr., age 4, was killed by a pit bull owned by his father.  Police were called to the home for a missing child report.  Javon's body was found in the fenced yard, his teddy bear was sound near the body.  Per CBSMiamiNeighbors told CBS4’s Gary Nelson that the boy was staying with his father, Javon Dade, Sr. in the home and the family had at least two dogs who they described as being very aggressive. They said when the family’s dogs were out in the yard they didn’t go near the fence.
“They always bark so we try to keep them away because they’re pit bulls,” neighbor Janet Howard said." 

Goulds is located in Miami-Dade County and pit bulls are banned there.  Miami-Dade Animal Services went into breed misidentification overdrive naming the male dog a pit bull and five other dogs on the property as "terrier mixes," and later American Bulldog x Lab mixes, Terrier x Boxer mixes.

The family had been living on the property for only a few months, the landlord stated that the dogs were on his property without his knowledge and when he became aware of the pit bulls last week they were ordered out within seven days.  After Javon's death the dogs were taken to the Miami-Dade Animal Services shelter where Dahlia Canes showed up to make a statement of defence for the pit bulls.
(Courtesy: Miami-Dade Animal Services)(Courtesy: Miami-Dade Animal Services)
Here are the dogs, they are all pit bulls.  Get real.  The male is a pit bull, two of the dogs are females and three are puppies.  You can't get American Bulldog x Lab mixes or Terrier x Boxer mixes from a cross that includes a pit bull as the sire.

Head pit bull advocate in Miami-Dade, Dahlia Canes had this to say "“It is not about the breed,” said Dahlia Canes, the director of the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. “Every dog is an individual just like we are. They should evaluate them as individuals.”

We will talk about Ms. Canes statement a bit later.

Javon Dade Jr.

For video please click here.

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We are going to take a short detour to get a bit more understanding of Canes statement about evaluating the dogs as individuals and not considering their breed, their DNA, their genetic heritage.

This is an Ohio blog and two of the fatalities in this post were in Ohio so we will start here.  A recent Newark Advocate article was written about the efforts of Andrea Langley, pit bull advocate, of Heath Ohio who has recently created a change.org petition to the Licking County Commissioners  to "stop euthanizing every pit bull entering the Licking County Shelter after three days.  Allow them to be adopted.  Allow rescue organizations access to any pit bull."

Now there are some sticky spots in Mrs. Langley's request.  The Licking County Dog Warden, John Silva, stated that while state law mandates a 72 hour hold the shelter does not euthanize strays until five days have elapsed, the average is six days.  The shelter has a 91% live release rate and industry standard considers any shelter with a 90% live release to be "'no-kill."  In addition, pit bulls may be returned to their owners, puppies and young dogs are released to rescues.  Silva went on to say "However, we do not put pit bulls up for adoption.  The liability is obvious.  Since the department has no way of knowing the history and training of older pit bulls, they are not adopted out from the shelter.  News reports from across the state and nation still support the pit bull's reputation as often harming, mauling, or killing people."  "You go back to risk management.  We were founded for public safety."

How refreshing, a dog warden doing his job.  Silva provided a chart showing stats for 2013 and 2014 to date.  So far this year 14 pit bulls have been euthanized at the Licking County Shelter and 6 have been released to rescues.  These numbers do not appear to require hysteria or petitions. Licking County County Commissioners are reluctant to change a policy that serves to protect the residents of Licking County.  

Langley is not persuaded  and this quote comes from the Newark Advocate  " Langley maintains that all dogs can have a tendency to bite and that the local shelter is unfairly targeting pit bulls.  "They're killing perfectly nice dogs.  If the state of Ohio can change its stance (on pit bulls), I would think that a dog pound would too."  Langley made no reference to the victims of pit bull attacks.

I wondered if Langley's omission of the recent deaths by pit bull attacks was unique to her viewpoint so I dug a little deeper.

Florida has two pit bull fatalities listed above.

Pit Bull Awareness of Florida  has a Facebook page.  Was there a discussion of what might be going wrong with seven pit bull fatalities in the United States since the end of May?  Why no, nothing mentioned.

Central Florida Pit Bull Rescue has a page.  Nothing here either.

Ohio has two pit bull fatalities listed above.

The Lucas County Pit Crew has a Facebook page.  Nothing here but endless listings for available pit bulls.

The Cincinnati Pit Crew  has a Facebook page.  Nothing here but more listings for available pit bulls and fundraising events.

Pit bulls for Reynoldsburg has a Facebook page.  Lots of complaints about Reynoldsburg City Council's recent vote to keep the breed ban but absolutely no mention of victims.  Interestingly, the father of a four year old girl killed by a pit bull earlier this year made a comment on this page recently.  His comment was deleted by the page administrator but a comment made in response to him was retained.

Animal Guardians for a Prosperous Parma  has a Facebook page.  This group also challenged a breed ban this year and lost.  More complaints about the failure of City Council to listen to their "facts" but no mention of the suffering of victims.

Surely advocates on the national level would be more introspective.  But no, here is a link to Ledy Vankavage, lawyer and registered lobbyist for Best Friends Animal Society rejoicing over her pit bull win in Delaware.   Here is her quote "Whoohooo! Yesterday was a great day for Delaware dogs and cats. Our Best Friends Animal Society bill to get rid of the stigma of "dangerous" was signed into law along with 3 other bills. Governor Jack Markell and his team rock!" 

Delaware SB 425, signed into law 7/31/2014 now allows game bred, pit trained and tested pit bulls seized from dog fighting operations to be individually evaluated and placed with families as pets.  Will these pit bulls be microchipped?  Will the new owner know about the dog's breeding, training, and history?  Who will be financially responsible for these pit bulls?    Pit bull advocates seldom meet a pit bull that they do not feel can be rehabilitated.  The Huffington Post article on this bill fails to mention pit bull victims but does mention that Ms. Vankavage has her sights on Michigan for a similar bill.  Michigan has been swamped with pit bull attacks in recent months.  Vankavage calls these bills "common sense",  she said "Since the Michael Vick dogs, we've learned that every dog should be evaluated as an individual and deserves a chance to be loved."

Innocent children deserve the chance to be grow up loved, healthy, and whole.  Babysitting grandmothers deserve the chance to see these children grow up.

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This post is very long so we will only use a few of the classic comments.  No other breed requires this level of advocacy.  Has anyone ever seen comments like these made about Beagles?  Why would anyone think these comments were appropriate for news stories about the deaths of children and a grandmother? 

Rumor has it that Have_Some_Common_Sense is a new identity for Clay Hundenshire, he also uses Fast Eddie, and Snowbird, plus heaven knows how many others.  Clay sees a mauling death in breed ban area as a failure of the law.  No, it indicates that pit bull owners do not obey laws and it perfectly illustrates the wisdom of the law.  People die.   
A pit bull ban that isn't working or enforced, who would have thought that?

Here Clay reminds us of a 14 year old news story.   


A child has been killed by a Pomeranian, so your logic is seriously flawed.Dog are animals, dogs have teeth and shouldn't be left around children....any dog....any size.
Here is a link to a news story where Clay makes countless comments, I can't bear to read them all, he is out of control.

SARA GOAD
This IS the grandmother’s fault. I have 2 pits and I’ve never had a problem and yes, they are very gentle. But, Mr friends has a bunch of pits and she doesn’t socialize them. She too, keeps them locked in a room when people come over and this is so when someone who comes in the house, besides the owner, will indeed be attached. This IS that grandmother’s fault!
LOL Charly???
CHARLY
Youre right Christina evan though i dont own a pitbull i can see its just more media propaganda.better news if its a pitbull and did everyone forget the MIX part of this story wonder what else it was mixed with maybe on of the more loved killers lol
Connie Frey Spurlock · Works at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville



XXXXXX, you're wrong. There's plenty of evidence in history to support the claim that the breed was once known as a nanny dog. Specifically created? By whom? A higher power? The Big Bang?

 I have no idea what this guy is thinking...
Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
XXXXXXX The child is not dead, much like the young boy who was killed earlier in Ferguson, so her being alive is a good thing, do not be upset that the child is hurt, because not all dogs are bad, if you train a dog to be bad, it will be, animals usually hold a vibration of pure positive energy, the only reason they hold something else is if it is not tuned to love and feels fear, other than that, this dog should not have had to return to Heaven so soon.

Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
XXXXXXXXX The child is more alive than you or I and why worry about someone who has never owned a pitbull?

Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
XXXXX Jesus needs no defense, nor to the people that have transitioned into the next dimension, both science and God can explain it, the only problem is you can't because your emotions cloud your judgement because your pissed at a God made animal provided with man made upbringing and upset that man's ways helped not only to contribute to the death of the child, but a black man, potentially left businesses messed up on West Florissant and also resulted in the dog being transitioned as well.

Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
XXXXXXXXX The question remains have any of your fearful pit people ever owned one?

Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
Todo was not murders, didn't you watch the wizard of oz?

Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
XXXX pick a side, animals do as nature instructs, people try to control, Release and let go, the child is with Mike Brown and Robin Williams and all of them are in Heaven, so why are you so pissed off? Release your idol.
Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
 Oh and by the way, they are terriers and if it wasn't for individuals like you who weren't nosey into other peoples business, no one would have to worry about insurance policies, your the type of person that would go have sex with th neighbors dog and husband and get mad when both of them would bite you.... call State Farm after that you mean old person you.
Joseph OnaMission Colvin ·  ·  Top Commenter · Volunteer at Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
 Pitbulls being nice is not a myth, but give a chihuahua meth and I bet it will be 20 times worse, WAIT A MINUTE??? You give people meth and they will be twenty times worse, let's stir the pot with some pot and they should be cool.... have you ever seen the movieFriday After Next? Serious note, if you put anything in a human or animal that is not native its going to react funny, that includes drugs or lower based energies, like fear. Usually pitbulls are very sweet, they only become bad when you train them to be bad, period, much like any other animal.

I just can't deal with Joe's "thoughts" anymore, lets move on.


Charles Henderson · Francis Howell Central High School
David Schmitz did your mother not hug you enough has a child? Did your daddy touch you at night? Were you beaten like a red headed step child? Please explain to me your justification for being a complete uneducated ignorant prick.

Yes, I am a owner of one pure bred pit bull and one pit bull mix, both are completely well tempered and loving dogs. The only true danger from a pit bull is it's gas, those farts can clear a room about as fast as a canister of mustard gas.

The truth is, any breed can be vicious. Any breed can attack and kill. But it's ignorant assholes like you who are too fucking dumb to at the real problem. All you see is breed, not the owners, not the living conditions of the dog.

How about you grow the fuck up, pull your head out of your ass, and start acting your fucking age, not your IQ.
Andrew Bricker ·  Top Commenter · Owner at My own business
Just HAD to assume it was a pit bull, huh? Police said it was a "mixed breed". Have two pitties and they are the best breed on earth IMO. Ignoramuses like you perpetuate their baseless poor reputation.
Andrew Bricker ·  Top Commenter · Ownerat My own business
Ben Fine - couldn't agree more. Just an intolerant internet troll. People get real brave behind a keyboard. If a pit bull fatality is likely I don't think I'd mind Mr. XXXXXX becoming a "statistic" to support his case.
Valerie Paige Halford Omg...are we really going to sit here and judge Pits? Yes they are a bully breed dog..we have one BUT their tempermant comes from their blood lines and how they are raised. Did you know that Lassies dog breed is #1 to attack and kill children while The little Rascals dog was a Pit who never hurt anyone? If I saw a random Pit walking around I would avoid it but I do that with ANY dog. And @christian that's because Pits have the bully breed name..do some research. Whenever a child on here gets attacked and killed by other dogs they leave the name of the breed out.

Kimberly Cebulak Denton Pit bull are formally know as nanny dogs. Any dog can and will attack. Stop blaming one breed!

Millions of breeds???
Courtney Beth Thompson Darrell Dugger is right, why would you see reports or news stories about chihuahuas or other small breed dogs attacking children? Because they would never get publicity THIS reaction. A pit bull is just that, one of the millions of breeds out there that are totally misunderstood and misconceived. The breed has absolutely nothing to do with their behavior, any animal can turn regardless of type because it's their nature. Raising it right lowers the risk sure, but if you're so concerned of your animal "snapping" then you shouldn't have an animal at all.


Destiney Hill Honestly its the grandmother fault not the dogs and not the childs, that dog was 10 years old and probably very set in his ways not uwe to children and probably had bad joint pain and the child who was more than likely unsupervised probably pulled on his tail or leg and set him off.

Meghan Hicks Pit bulls are actually one of the most loyal sweetest dogs there could b !!! All depends on how they r treated my daughter was a baby and she could pull bones out of my pits mouth and the dog knew better than to even flinch at her!!! Pit bulls are always getting a bad name for other people's stupidity like yeah lets lock my dog away from ppl and then all of a sudden it gets loose see stupidity is the reason y these tragic things happen sad a little baby had to b the victim of it

Kimberly Cebulak Denton My sister has two pits and they are sweet as can be and where raised right and they where very strick with them. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BREED BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BASH THEM. AND MORE LIKELY THE CHILD PROBABLY BULLED ITS TAIL OR SOMETHING IT DIDNT LIKE!

Kimmie Sorden Clearly there is more to this story How dare KSDK put this up there with out stating the reason. Media outlets like you guys are the reasons why pit bulls get such a bad rap. There was a REASON this dog attacked. But know your stupid headline has to stay pit bull. Pitiful. Unlike your crappy reporting, Fox2now said it was a mixed breed. Ridiculous, shame on you guys.

Sue Bresler Here we go again!! People running their mouths about pit bulls and how dangerous they are...it makes me sick!! You all listen to the media and believe their comments. Any type of dog could do this and Im sure that 95% of you that are bad mouthing the breed wouldnt know a true pit bull if it sat on your lap!!! So very sorry this happened but until you know for sure it was a pit STFU!!!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Pit bull advocacy is trying to fix the problem from the wrong end.


This post is pure personal opinion and a rant brought on by continued personal attacks on the families of fatally injured children, children critically injured, or the owners of pets that have been mauled or killed by pit bulls.  When a victim's family member uses his/her First Amendment right to speak out and to lobby for laws protecting the public the most despicable breed advocates go insane.  Instead of taking a long, hard look at the problem and looking for a way to do anything purposeful about it they heap up the abuse.  Can this solve anything? Is this a tactic for "responsible" dog owners?  Attempts to hide the bloodshed by shutting up the survivors are not good policy.  Here are just three examples, and these are fairly mild, some of the personal attacks get even worse.




Photo



Does any sane person think this is a tactic that comes from a position of strength?  This is the demographic that pit bull advocacy attracts.  Here is my suggestion to high level pit bull advocacy (Best Friends Animal Society, Animal Farm Foundation, HSUS, ASPCA, AVMA)  shut this down.  No sane person is favorably impressed.  Look for a way to end the violence, own the problem, consider the victims.  Pit bull advocacy absolutely ignores victims.  Look at the websites for Best Friends Animal Society, and the Animal Farm Foundation. You will see suggestions on starting a local "Pit Crew," on increasing the numbers of pit bulls placed by your local shelter, marketing pit bulls, on lobbying for changes in local law but nothing about protecting your neighbors  or your own children from your pit bull.

Speaking of local laws, pit bull owners ignore them.  It is a common tactic for the owner of a banned breed dog to demand local laws be changed to suit their personal choices instead of simply making the choice to live in a city where your dog is legal.  Consideration for neighbors is not a factor.   Rebuffed attempts to bully communities into changing laws to suit breed specific advocates are met with outrage and promises to sue.   These attempts are primarily led by people who do not reside in the target communities, Ft. Thomas's advocates came primarily from Cincinnati.  Reynoldsburg's advocates came primarily from Columbus and Dayton.  The fact that Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus have insane numbers of pit bull attacks is not lost on city councils.  One cannot call any of these cities a breed neutral Shangri La.

Here are some suggestions for outraged pit bull advocates.

First, have some respect for the grief of families of the fatally injured.  Do not attempt to deny the family members their constitutional right to speak.   Do not post photos of your personal pit bulls on victim's Facebook pages and tell the world just how sweet they are.  Do not libel these heartbroken people.  Do not deny the facts of the death, they are documented in police reports.

Second, consider ways that pit bull advocates might solve the problems.  Stop breeding pit bulls with no realistic chance for a normal life.  By normal life I mean a household where the dog will reside peacefully for a lifetime.  Backyard breeders crank out pit bulls at a rate that results in the euthanization of roughly a million pit bulls in American Shelters EVERY YEAR. This is tax free income based on suffering  The statistic is shocking and the peaceful public can't impact it.  Only pit bull owners can do this.  It is not our fault.

Stop the practice of shelters and rescues placing pit bulls with people who are not equipped to care for them responsibly.  Young adults who are renters are not appropriate owners for pit bulls and are unlikely to have insurance to cover the medical bills of victims.  Victims and taxpayers will suffer the financial repercussions of an attack, this can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  These young adults are likely to move frequently.  Will they take their pit bulls along or will they take them right back to the shelter, or give the dogs to some other person who is not equipped to responsibly keep the dog, or just abandon the dog?  Families with young children are not appropriate for pit bulls,yesterday a child in Florida was killed by the family pit bulls. Today a toddler in the St. Louis area  is in critical condition, attacked by the family pit bulls.  A near fatal mauling of a Cincinnati child in June and two recent deaths in Ohio due to pit bull attacks, both family pit bulls.  The issue of shelters overloaded with pit bulls can't be fixed with an adoption campaign. American shelters are drowning in unplaceable pit bulls, stop breeding them!  Only pit bull owners can fix this.

Stop the propaganda.  Citing in-house "research" produced by pit bull advocacy organizations as unbiased fact is as outrageous as the campaign by the Tobacco Institute to convince the public that there was no connection between smoking and cancer.  The organizations supporting pit bull advocacy have one thing in common, they are not in the business of protecting the safety of the public, they are set up to protect the interests of breed specific advocacy, the dog lobby, and animal rights.

Quit complaining about canine discrimination.  It is not discrimination to acknowledge breed.  Discrimination is a human condition, your pit bull does not suffer from sleepless nights over this.

There is no organized opposition to Beagles, none to Poodles, not for Pugs.  These dogs are not killing people.  Pit bull owners need to clean up their own mess. When pit bull owners accept responsibility for the problems with their dogs and fix their problems pit bulls will cease to have problems.  Here is a link to someone else's thoughts, this comes from the Terrierman's Daily Dose blog, he calls this post "Pit bulls in the River.  Profound.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Ohio woman killed by her daughter's pit bull. Will Ohio lawmakers PLEASE quit allowing breed specific advocates/animal rights advocates write and influence Ohio law!


Police: Woman killed by dog photo

Cindy Whisman, a 59 year old grandmother was killed by her daughter's pit bull as she was babysitting her grandson at her home in Madison Township Ohio.  Cindy Whisman was dead at the scene, her two year old grandson was found uninjured in the yard when a neighbor rushed to help, beating the pit bull away with a walking stick.
Fatal Dog Attack gallery
Neighbor Wayne Walker with his walking stick.

Julie Whisman, daughter of Cindy Whisman and the owner of the pit bull, named Polo, stated that her son and another dog were in the yard  at the time of the attack.  Julie Whisman identified both her dogs as pit bulls. Other sources have identified the dog not involved in the fatal attack as a Lab or a Lab/German Shepherd mix.  Julie Whisman stated "As far as I know my neighbor told me she saw her and the dog outside,"  "She thought they were playing back and forth like this, then all of a sudden she saw her on the ground and kept saying Polo, Polo, because that was the dog's name, and she was rolling over, so she (the neighbor) called 911 and then she didn't see her no more."  The 911 call included this  “Hurry! My neighbor’s dog is biting her,” the woman tells the dispatcher in between cries for help. “It’s a pit bull, she’s all bloody.”

There was no history of violence from either of Julie Whisman's dogs.  Per WCPO, Whisman will have the option of going through a hearing process if she wants the dog back.  Whisman stated to a reporter that she does not want Polo back but she had this to say about Polo “He loved my son. He would never hurt my son. They played together– my son would sit on him, lay on him. Smack him in the face. He wouldn’t do anything,”    



Cindy Whisman, killed by her daughter's pit bull.

Since the passage of HB 14 in 2012 Ohio has had nine fatal dog attacks, four by pit bulls, one by dogs identified repeatedly by the victim in complaints to animal control as pit/mastiff mixes, and four by all other breeds combined.  Historical note - in the previous 25 years Ohio had six fatal pit bull attacks and six fatal attacks by all other breeds combined.  HB14, sold to foolish legislators as "finally giving dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs"  is an epic fail.  Here is another historical note, HB 14 was written by Ledy Vankavage's staff at Best Friends Animal Society headquartered in Kanab Utah, the deal was brokered by private citizen and pit bull advocate Jean Keating, and pushed through the Ohio Legislature by Keating's personal friend, Representative Barbara Sears assisted with a media blitz by the Toledo Blade.  All these facts come from documents obtained via public records requests.

Just a week or so ago Jean Keating was interviewed for a story by NBC24.com.  She stated on camera that Ohio law since the passage of HB 14 is "much more proactive, it identifies dogs that are dangerous before they hurt people."   Given the nine fatalities, not so much.  Watch the video, Tom Skeldon is also interviewed. He gives very honest information.  Per NBC24.com "Skeldon says the amended law was a mistake. "At the rate we're going, you're going to have a lot more deaths due to dogs. And, it doesn't have to be that way." Skeldon has the opportunity to say "I told you so."  


This is Polo.

8/5/2014 Update.  Julie Whisman is having second thoughts about Polo.  Per WHIO "Julie Whisman, Cindy’s daughter and the dog’s owner, said today she wants to see the results of that investigation and better understand what happened before making a determination about Polo’s fate. She said after thinking about the situation for 24 hours, she is “indecisive.” 

There is a link to video of Polo at the shelter. The reported stated that Polo was aggressive to both dogs and the dog warden.  

This is insane.  The dog is a killer.  The death has been ruled accidental.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Pit bull Roundup 7/29/2014 Maulings, dead pets, attacks upon garden statuary, and mailmen carrying machetes.

This will be a long post.  I apologise in advance. Dayton Ohio is again over represented but Cincinnati is making a serious challenge.   Get comfy...

6/5/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A pit bull that was rescued from a dog fighting operation was stolen from the automobile of the new owner at 2 AM  while the car was parked in front of a bar.  The new owner had possession of Ryder the pit bull for just one day.
Ryder the dog is missing photo
Anyone seeing this dog is asked to call Dayton police at 333-2677.  Just what Dayton needs, a game bred pit fighter in the community.

                                                                                     * * *

6/6/2014
DAYTON Ohio
A 13 year old babysitter was attacked by a "family dog."  Per WHIO "Police said the teen and two girls, ages 5 and 7, were in the backyard on a swing set when one of the girls accidentally hit the mixed-breed dog. The dog became aggressive toward the girls, when the babysitter stepped in and tried to push the dog back. -

Neighbors, and workers at a nearby home heard the children's screams and were able to beat the dog back. Montgomery County ARC workers removed the dog.  The babysitter was transported to a hospital for treatment.

The breed of the dog is not mentioned but a photo was provided.
 Teen bitten by dog photo
This is a pit bull.

This is the result of a pit bull attack.
Dog bite photo

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6/5/2014
Rossford Ohio

A Rossford woman has been charged after her pit bull killed a cat.  A witness stated that he saw the pit bull kill the cat while it was hiding under a car and drag the body into the road.  Police followed the dog home where it jumped a fence and was let into the house by owner Danielle Madden.  Madden will be charged for the dog being loose, and unregistered.  Madden will also be charged with disorderly conduct.  


                                                                       * * *

6/8/2014
Cincinnati Ohio

A pit bull was shot and killed by police after it lunged at them.  The pit bull was running loose in the street, police first used a stun gun twice in attempts to control the animal with no success.    The pit bull's owner was charged with failure to control.

This report, also out of Cincinnati,  deals with the difficulties in actually charging the owners of vicious dogs.  

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6/7/2014
Cincinnati Ohio

Angel Galen was being held on $20,000 bond at the Hamilton County Detention Center charged with inducing panic and failure to confine a dangerous dog.  According to the charges, Galen was arguing with other people when he let his pit bull out in order to "scare others and cause alarm."  Galen directed his pit bull to attack a 57 year old man who was bitten in the hand.  Police arrived and shot the pit bull.

png
Galen's mug shot.  It appears that the "argument" was lively.

Angel Galen in court. (FOX19)
Angel Galen in court

Additional Cincinnati area pit bull news, Per WCPO News "The number of pit bull attacks reported so far this year in Hamilton County (Cincinnati is located in Hamilton County)  is  on pace to top the total reported in 2013, according to a WCPO analysis.
Hamilton County Health Department data show 38 bite incidents involving pit bulls or pit bull mix breeds as of May 11, 2014. The data show 74 total pit bull bite incidents reported in 2013."
                                                                              * * *

6/11/2014
Wadsworth Ohio

The city is considering changes to local animal control laws.  The proposed changes would allow police officers to shoot dogs attacking dogs or cats. Per WadsworthPost.com "Law Director Norman Brague explained that the city’s current ordinance states that it is legal to shoot a dog if that dog is attacking another animal other than a dog or a cat.

“This is right out of the Ohio Revised Code,” Brague said at a recent committee of the whole meeting. “The intent of the statute really is to protect livestock.”
The proposed amendment would allow for a dog to be shot if it is attacking another dog or a cat, but only a law enforcement officer would be allowed to shoot the dog as discharging a firearm is illegal within city limits. Hiscock explained that an officer would not shoot at a dog if the dog was trying to attack a wild animal such as a squirrel or a rabbit.
The changes were proposed after an April 29th incident where two dogs of an unspecified breed attacked other dogs, including a leashed dog, that dog's owner fell and suffered serious injuries. There were other reports of attacks by the same two dogs that evening, including one that was being held in the arms of his owner, and an attack upon a concrete statue of a dog.  Let that last part sink in.  


                                                                         * * *                                                                                6/11/2014
Lima Ohio
Lima Ohio Police will again be enforcing Lima's pit bull ordinance after a yearlong suspension to re-write the law to comply Ohio law.  
                                                                     * * *                                                                                    
6/13/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A Dayton man is wanted on possible felony assault charges after he was said to have set his two pit bulls on his roommate.  The victim was waiting for police on the front porch when they arrived.   
Indianola Avenue dog bite incident, Dayton, June 13, 2014 photo

Police reported that the two pit bulls were very aggressive, appearing to be full blooded pits with one weighing approximately 120 pounds, the other closer to 100 pounds.  The owner of the pit bulls fled as police entered the home, attempting to control the pit bulls with a catch pole.  Other officers waited on the porch with their service weapons drawn.   Montgomery County ARC staff removed the pit bulls from the premises.  It is not known if they will be returned to the owner.  Per WHIO " the dogs have been the subject of four recent citations -- including for "dogs at large" and "dogs without tags." Neighbors have called police constantly, he said, lodging complaints about the dogs just hanging around in the street and running loose."

Indianola Avenue dog bite incident, Dayton, June 13, 2014 photo
One of the pit bulls prior to removal from the house.

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6/14/2014
DAYTON Ohio

Police shot a pit bull, said to be a puppy, as it was reportedly charging police officers.  Police answered a call that two pit bulls and a bullmastiff were at large, aggressive, charging at Dayton residents and taxpayers, and trying to attack other dogs.  This batch of dangerous dogs was rounded up but one of them was able to run into an alley where two more pit bulls charged out of a fenced yard and charged at police.  A police officer fired a shotgun at the pit bulls, hitting the smaller of the two.  Things went all downhill from there.  Per WHIO "Following the incident, a large crowd of neighbors gathered, some becoming unruly, which resulted in one arrest for disorderly conduct.
The owner of the dog that was shot, 30-year-old Curtis Gifford, was issued a summons for failure to control dogs.
Curtis, who owns a licensed kennel, disputes that his show dogs charged police. He said he thinks his dog was shot while inside his fenced-in yard.
"I show my dogs. This is a show dog. This is a dog that will never be able to be shown again. I paid $5,000 for this dog," he said.
The dog was taken by Animal Resource Center officers to an emergency veterinary clinic.
Tim Chesnut / Staff
The pit bull owners claim that police shot the wrong dog.  They claim that their 4 month old puppy was "trained to stay in the yard" and estimate the value of the puppy at $5000.   The pit bull owners deny the police version of the incident although they did not witness it.  "“I heard my neighbor screaming, ‘They shot your dog, they shot your dog’ and then when I went out there I found my puppy laying in a pool of blood,” said Gifford."

Dayton police deserve hazardous duty pay.    

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6/15/2014
Reynoldsburg Ohio

A local pit bull owner complains that she has been targeted by police.  The pit bull owner appeared on a local television news segment a week earlier to speak about the Reynoldsburg pit bull ban controversy.   Ms. Ingmire lives in Reynoldsburg, a community with a breed ban, and proudly showed her pit bull to reporters. After the video aired Ingmire was visited by Reynoldsburg police and ticked, three times.  Reynoldsburg city council is expected to vote July 28th on whether to keep or drop the pit bull ban. Per WBNS10 "In the meantime, Ingmire says she's preparing herself for the worst.  "I may have to move, you know I can't continue to pay citations every two weeks,"  

Update - The Reynoldsburg City Council has voted to retain the community's breed ban.  More on this in another post.  THANK YOU REYNOLDSBURG CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU TO REYNOLDSBURG RESIDENTS WHO WORKED HARD TO SAVE THIS LAW!
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6/9/2014
Sandusky Ohio

A local pit bull owner writes to the Sandusky Register "Why wasn't my pit bull allowed within Ohio Bike Week's Block Party?  I would like to know why every time I take my pit bull down to Ohio Bike Week, I get told to leave.  I walk past several police officers who just smile and wave, then one comes up to me and says, 'Due to health department regulations, dogs are not allowed down here.'  Then, they have four officers escort me out.  So I take my dog home and return downtown only to see dogs all over the place.  I am getting tired of being treated this way.  It is not fair to judge my dog by the breed.  Jess from Sandusky."            

My first thought is that Jess might have learned from having the same experience several times.  Here is the response from police.  "The Sandusky Police Department and event organizers determined after the first year or two of (Ohio) Bike Week that any animal, other than service dogs, wouldn't be permitted in the event venue.  
Dogs were barking, growling or attempting to attack each other the first years of the event.  The volume of children, adults and very congested walking areas isn't safe to have animals in the event areas.  
Although the writer has a pit bull, we don't have breed-specific enforcement. It is all animals — dogs, snakes, or other animals.  Although some dogs might be nice, others could not be if mixed in an environment that is very loud, extremely congested or attacked by another dog, stepped on, fallen on or any other scenario that can be probable with this venue.
All of our officers have been instructed to have dogs or other animals removed from the venue. Have some slipped by, yes probably but at some point an officer most likely will have advised the owners to remove their animals from the venue.  There are signs posted on the barricades that are blocking access into the venue to advise of the restrictions.  
The decision to not allow animals is for the safety of the animals and all of those children and adults that are coming to enjoy this venue."

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6/6/2014
South Euclid Ohio
A local woman was cited by police for keeping her pit bull under "deplorable conditions"  up to and including when the chained dog jumped over a fence, while still chained, choking it.  At the time of this incident the dog was reportedly "covered in dog feces and it had no water.  This was the third incident involving this pit bull, described as "skinny, lethargic, and not combative."  The owner, Carla Wilkerson, has been charged with five first-degree misdemeanor charges of neglecting animals and one first-degree misdemeanor charge for failing to obtain dog tags.  The pit bull has been returned to the owner because the local dog warden has no place to house it.    

                                                                     * * *
6/20/2014
Conneaut Ohio
Another case from the "a pit bull's worst nightmare may well be his owner" files.  Gary Ratliff pleaded guilty to cruelty to companion animals after being charged for killing a dog with a hammer because he did not want it any longer and could not find a buyer for it.  Ratliff will spend a month in jail, pay fines, and be prohibited from owning animals for life. Ratliff's brother brought the dead pit bull mix to the police station in April and told police his brother had killed it.  

                                                                  * * *
6/20/2014
Cincinnati Ohio
Cincinnati police shot and killed a pit bull that menaced a man who was mowing his lawn, and helped catch another pit bull involved in the same incident.  A neighbor saw the pit bulls menacing the man and called police.  The pit bulls were aggressive to police as well.  Animal Control picked up the surviving pit bull.  
  

                                                                * * * 
6/23/2014
Columbus Ohio
Fran Benson's 13 week old puppy was attacked by the neighbor's pit bulls twice in one week.  The most recent attack required emergency veterinary treatment for deep wounds on his neck and his groin.   Benson's neighbors have SEVEN pit bulls. The pit bull's owners told reporters that her pit bulls don't like the neighbors (Benson) and that it was a simple mistake.  * eye roll * The pit bull that attacked the puppy was euthanized and the pit bull owner was cited for having five unlicensed dogs in her home.  
                                                   
                                                             * * *
6/24/2014
Campbell Ohio
After attacks on three small dogs, one of them was was killed, neighbors are circulating a petition to have the attacking pit bull removed from the neighborhood.  The pit bull's owner declined to comment to The Vindicator's reporters.  The neighbors should not have to circulate a petition to have a three time offender removed from the community. 

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7/4/2014
Hamilton Ohio

A pit bull, with injuries that might indicate dog fighting, was found dead in a local park.  The dog was found in the Great Miami River.  Per WHIO " HPD and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dog Warden are investigating the circumstances surrounding the dog’s death.
The agencies are asking for help in determining who the owner of the dog is and any information of possible criminal activity involving the illegal fighting of dogs.
A $500 cash reward is being offered for information leading to criminal charges.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hamilton Police Public Affairs Section via Facebook or by phone at 513-868-5811, ext. 2007.


                                                                       * * *

 7/12/2014
DAYTON Ohio  

A Dayton neighborhood is being terrorized loose dogs, many of them pit bulls.  Residents are afraid to hang out their laundry or take out the garbage, the mailman carries mace AND A MACHETE because he is attacked WEEKLY.  A  neighborhood  association meeting is being held to discuss ways to regain a quality of life in the community ""They are very aggressive. On leashes, without leashes. And they're everywhere. and its better that we all come together to find out how we can help each other," Weaver St. resident Patricia Rickman said."

This quote comes from Mayor Nan Whaley "Mayor Nan Whaley says the city has to start at the root of the issue. Change how dogs are treated and housed and in turn change their behavior.
"It's complaint driven like all housing issues in our city, so you can now and it's enforced," Mayor Whaley expelled. "We have to set community standards. We have to count on our neighborhoods and people in our neighborhoods to help enforce those."
To report a loose dog or any dog chained up for extended periods of time call the city at 898-4457.
It is not the job of residents of the community to enforce the law, that is the job of Montgomery County ARC.  So far that enforcement has been almost non existent.

                                                                    * * *

7/15/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A Chow mix dog was attacked and killed by two loose pit bulls.  The Chow mix was tied in the yard of his owner when the stray pit bulls attacked and killed him, the attack was witnessed by neighbors and described as "playing tug of war" with the body.  The attacking dogs were identified as pit bulls by Montgomery ARC staff.  They were not aggressive toward animal control officers and were taken to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  Just what Mark Kumpf needs, two more pit bulls.  
A chow mix named Bear was tied up in this Wesleyan Road yard when he was attacked by two loose dogs July 15, 2014. photo
The residence where the attack occurred.

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7/17/2014
Cincinnati Ohio  

A ten year old girl was bitten in the face by a pit bull as she was playing outside in her neighborhood.  A neighbor saw the attack, called the child's father, then called 911. Per Cincinnati.com ""A neighborhood child was just bit by a pit bull. I would like to have a cruiser come over because I want to report it. That dog should not have been loose," the woman told dispatchers, according to a recording of the call.
The child was treated at the scene for a minor cut to her ankle and expected to make a full recovery, he said.
The dog's owner is a neighbor of the child's. Deborah Anderson, 61, was cited for having a dog at large and the animal bite, Smith said."
                                                            * * *

7/20/2014
Batavia Township Ohio

An eight year old girl was bitten on the face by a pit bull/ boxer mix   as she was visiting a friend.  She required hundreds of stitches to her face.  Raelynn Liming was at a sleepover at a friend's house when the dog attacked her without provocation.  Neighbors are stunned, neighborhood children play with this dog and have never seen any hint of violent behavior.  Per WLWT " Deputies said Raelynn was sitting on the floor watching TV when a family dog approached and bit her on the face, near the lower lip area, causing an open wound.
“Her whole lip, jaw, everything was just hanging down,” said Kathy Liming, the victim’s grandmother.
Raelynn was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Cincinnati Children's Hospital by helicopter for surgery.  Reminder - Zainabou Drame is still at Cincinnati Children's Hospital nearly two months after her near fatal mauling.  Did Cinnamon Dixon DO treat Raelynn in the Emergency Room?
 
 Raelynn Liming after surgery.

                                                                * * *
7/22/2014
DAYTON Ohio

A man looking for work was attacked by a pit bull that got out of a homeowner's yard as the victim, a tree trimmer, was speaking with the home owner.  The victim was bitten on the wrist and thumb, he was treated at the scene.  The dog owner was cited for misdemeanor charges of having an unlicensed dog and failure to control.  The dog owner will also be liable for any medical bills incurred by the victim.  Dayton police Sgt. Mark Spiers stated that while he is no dog breeder and expert on pit bulls, "I just know that they appear to be more aggressive than other dogs."  Clear thinking.
Haller Avenue pit bull bite victim, Dayton, July 22, 2014 photo

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7/21/2014
Bedford Heights Ohio

A Yorkie was mauled to death by a pit bull as the little dog played in the backyard of his owner. According to police reports the pit bull broke free of a chain held by a seven year old boy.   Janiene Jennings, the owner of the Yorkie named Stax  stated"The dog snatched my baby and ran over there and killed him," "He was just flailing my dog like a chew toy."

The child was under the supervision of someone other than the pit bull's owner.  The child will not face charges, no decision has been made on charges for the pit bull owner or the adult present at the time of the attack.
Stax
Stax

                                                                     * * *

7/25/2014
Sandusky Ohio

Rebecca Hush has pleaded no contest to a vicious dog violation.  The charges stemmed from an April 2013 attack attack by her two pit bulls upon retired auto worker Paul Aviles and his Jack Russell Terrier Scooter.   Aviles was walking Scooter when the two pit bulls ran up behind him and attacked the little dog. Aviles was injured when he tried to protect his pet. Aviles told reporters that he bit one of the pit bulls in the leg "I bit him as long and as hard as I could."  "They were like demons."  Witnesses called police, who also battled the pit bulls.   One of the pit bulls died after being tasered, the other was eventually returned to Hush after she satisfied requirements for containment of the animal.

Scooter eventually recovered, Aviles suffered hand injuries and lost his wedding ring during the attack.   Per the Sandusky Register "Aviles said the city prosecutor's office has given him little information and said he's unsure how hard the city will press to make Hush pay restitution to cover Scooter's vet bills and Aviles' medical bills, which Aviles said come to a considerable sum of money.
"I was left in the dark about what they were going to do about the charges," he said. "I was mainly concerned about my situation. They said they were going to negotiate that."
"They're doing all of this negotiation without me," he said.
The city prosecutor, Lynne Gast-King, and Hush's lawyer, public defender's office attorney Darrell Steltenpohl could not be reached for comment after calls were placed to their offices this week. 
Hush pleaded guilty in 2000 to a dog at large charge and paid $55 in court costs, records show."


                                                          * * *

We will  end with some good news.  Zainabou Drame is expected to go home from the hospital in August.  

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Cincinnati breed specific advocates cross state lines.


When we left Cincinnati in the last post, pit bulls were a hot topic in the news and justifiably so.  Cincinnati has seen more than its share of maulings since the breed ban was dropped in 2012.  Just weeks after pit bull advocacy declared victory with the fall of the breed ban Cincinnati had a fatal mauling.  Ronnel Brown was killed by his pit bull designer mix dog.  He owned the dog for several years but kept the dog under the radar. With the fall of the breed ban he had nothing to fear and obtained two more of the same pit bull designer mix keeping all three dogs in his apartment.  Brown's own dog killed him.

Cincinnati saw the serious mauling of a judicial candidate's wife as she was posting election signs.

The near fatal pit bull mauling of senior citizen Beulah Sheafe brought the underwhelming penalties to the the owner of the pit bulls, a $100 fine and an order to never have pit bulls on his property again.  Mrs. Sheafe has stated that pit bulls should be banned in Cincinnati.   

A near fatal mauling of a pit bull owner by her own three pit bulls made the headlines of Cincinnati newspapers.  Police stated that it appeared that Tammy Tucker was being "eaten alive" by her own pit bulls. Police gunfire was required to save Mrs. Tucker.  This was not the first time Tucker's pit bulls had attacked her, and they had bitten her husband as well.   Mrs. Tucker told a reporter that she was aware that her dogs were vicious but she tried to "change herself" but now realizes that it was the dogs that were the problem. 

Since the attack on the six year old Cincinnati child, and the attacks discussed in our last post, things have not been quiet in the Cincinnati area.  Just over the state line, In Covington KY a man was mauled while attempting to break up a fight between two female pit bulls.  The pit bulls were euthanized.    This comment was posted on the news article " Maybe they were walking home from the pro pit bull rally they just had downtown?? Lol here we go again!!"  The public gets it.  So does the media.  Below is the opinion of the Cincinnati Enquirer.





Kathy Wilson writes at CityBeat.com I would ask all pitbull owners to pause all their emotional transference, all their misguided anger, the claims of breed discrimination and hatred, even and especially all their pitbull pride and think for five uninterrupted minutes about the terror, confusion and silence of Zainabou Drame, whose life was irrevocably changed when two pits latched onto her face, maimed her and stole her voice"

More from Kathy Wilson " Irresponsible pitbull owners fit a profileThere is something inherently ominous, mysterious, latently vicious and even irresponsibly deadly about pitbulls and their owners that most people are either afraid of or unable to name."

Here is a letter to the editor with the title "Pit bulls should be eliminated" .  Here is another titled "Reinstate citywide ban of pit bulls."   And another titled "City Council, reinstate the ban immediately."   More opinion from the public, this one is titled "Most attacks by few dog breeds"  (pit bulls are the big winner here.)   Still more "Place strict limitations on the problem breed."  Cincinnati.com asks "Should pit bull ban be reinstated?"   The words on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer are a quote from Bebe Wilker as she spoke to reporters after the mauling of her little dog by a pit bull that escaped from the yard of a neighborhood residence.  Wilker had to fight for her pet's life as the owner of the pit bull stood on her porch shouting "that's not my dog."  Per Cincinnati.com  "Bartles spent 10 hours in surgery and recovery and has since returned home. Bite marks from the pit bull's jaws are clearly visible on the back of his neck. "Bartles still has no use of his right front leg," Wilker said. He walks on three paws and "falls down a lot. It just makes me sick."

Pitt Bull part II 5.jpg

While controversy about pit bulls swirls through Cincinnati there is some good news for Zainabou Drame. She is now out of the coma and is now on a feeding tube.  An unnamed organization has offered to pay all Zainabou's medical bills.   This is a stunningly generous offer!

Given the political climate, one would think that Cincinnati's pit bull activists would hunker down and try to quietly ride out the storm. One would be wrong.  Cincinnati pit bull advocates are prancing across state lines to lobby in favor of pit bulls in Ft. Thomas Kentucky, a community with a long standing pit bull ban.  These pit bull advocates have a connection, that connection is the Cincinnati SPCA.


Here is a link to the officers list of the Cincinnati SPCA. Please note the names.   Remember the research we looked at in the last post?  "Ownership of High Risk (vicious dogs) as a Marker for Deviant Behavior" Please review the list of the authors of this 2006 material.  Herald Dates, head of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed. Barbara Boat, trustee of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed.   Andrew Mahlman of the Cincinnati SPCA is listed. Jacklyn Barnes and Frank Putnam are both affiliated with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where Cincinnati's most recent pit bull mauling victim is being treated, are also listed as authors of the material.

What happened since 2006 to change the viewpoint of these influential individuals?  In 2007 the Michael Vick case brought pit bulls into the mainstream culture of the United States and with that brought the recognition that pit bulls and money are directly connected.  Best Friends Animal Society cashed in big time with millions of dollars donated in support of the pit bulls they accepted from the dispersal of Vicks dogs.    Pit bull advocacy is very profitable.  For example, in 2008 (the 2007 BFAS annual report was unavailable)  Best Friends received $35,763,158 in direct public support.   In 2012 (the most recent annual report available) Best Friends received  $57,473,171. Best Friends is a huge supporter of pit bulls.  The HSUS and ASPCA went into pit bull based fund raising overdrive and were rewarded.  Follow the money.

One might also consider following the blood.  The 31 year summary available at this link is a stunning visual. Since January 1, 2007 one hundred and fifty eight Americans have been killed by pit bulls and their mixes, this includes the two fatal attacks upon children from this past weekend. Please google any of the names to confirm the information.  In the seven year period from 2000 to 2007 eighty one Americans were killed by pit bulls and their mixes.

As usual, I have digressed, back to the Cincinnati SPCA advocacy in Ft. Thomas.  From Ft. Thomas Matters "Another voice from Cincinnati addressed council Monday night, as well. Cincinnati-based attorney Jim Tomaszewski, who was instrumental in overturning Cincinnati’s breed specific legislation two years ago, explained to council that his experience has shown “no correlation between between breed specific legislation and public safety."  Mr. Thomaszewski is a member of the Board at the Cincinnati SPCA and was a driving force in the campaign to drop Cincinnati's breed ban.  As we have seen from editorials and letters to the editor, dropping the breed ban in Cincinnati has become exceedingly unpopular recently.

Why is the Cincinnati SPCA so fixated on bullying Ft. Thomas to accept pit bulls? Possibly the numbers of pit bulls languishing in the Cincinnati SPCA might have something to do with it.   On 7/22/2014 the Cincinnati SPCA has 25 adoptable dogs listed on their website, 23 of them are pit bulls, one is a VERY pit bull looking "Labrador Retriever" and one GSD. The Cincinnati SPCA places animals in "the tri- state area" which includes Ft. Thomas.  

Shana Brockelman, dog trainer for the Cincinnati SPCA, residing in Batavia Ohio made the trip to Ft. Thomas to speak.  Minutes of the meeting do not indicate that Brockelman disclosed her connection to the Cincinnati SPCA. Brockelman was strongly in favor of pit bulls.

Another high profile Ohio resident voicing an opinion on Ft. Thomas law was Cinnamon Dixon DO.

Cinnamon Dixon, DO of Cincinnati is named as an authority on dog bites and she feels that a ban on pit bulls is not necessary.  It is important to point out that Dr. Dixon is a pediatric emergency room doctor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  It is also important to remember that Zainabou Drame is a patient at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.  Please note that this letter is on hospital letterhead stationery and dated May 31, 2014, just days before the near fatal attack on Zainabou Drame.


Did Dr. Dixon change her opinion after the attack on Drame, or soften her approach?  Nope, she doubled down and partnered with Dr. Brit Anderson to write this opinion published on Cincinnati.com "  We agree with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s assertion that “a well-planned proactive community approach can make a substantial impact.” This approach does not include breed-specific legislation, but rather a well-organized multidisciplinary strategy tailored to the community. We must move past the breed debate and focus efforts on common-sense, effective strategies that work for our community." 
BRIT ANDERSON & CINNAMON DIXON

Brit Anderson, MD, and Cinnamon Dixon, DO, MPH, are emergency medicine physicians at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

 Please follow the link and read the whole piece.

I find Dr. Dixon's claim to be an "expert" on dog bites as claimed by Councilman Jay Fossett, a stretch.   A google search for Dr. Dixon's research brings up two papers, one of them turns up with two titles but is the same material.  In this paper Dr. Dixon and her research partners surveyed 300 pairs of parents and children in the Emergency Room for non-urgent problems of any kind, only 11% were in the emergency room because they had been bitten by a dog.  The questions related to knowledge of behaviors exhibited by children and how those behaviors might impact the chances of being bitten.  There was no mention of any dogs being simply dangerous and that prevention strategies might be ineffective.  This smacks of blaming the victim.  This research was published in 2012 but Dr. Dixon et al cite material published in 2000 for numbers of fatalities per year, and material published in 2001 for the numbers of dog bites seen in the Emergency Room.  This is deliberate manipulation of data to minimize the problem.

In this paper  Dr. Dixon DO is listed as Cinnamon Dixon MD,  what is her actual title?  Cincinnati Children's Hospital lists her as a DO. Can she make up her mind?  In any case, she partners with  Barbara Boat PhD, if you  go back to the link to officers of the Cincinnati SPCA you will find Boat listed as a trustee of the Cincinnati SPCA.  This paper looks at just 34 pediatric dog bite victims, all non urgent, none injured badly enough to be admitted to the hospital.   These patients were contacted one month after medical treatment and enrolled in the study.  After parents completed a brief questionnaire they were given a book titled "Good Dog! Kids Teach Kids About Dog Behavior and Training," a dog training book written by children.   After interaction with patients and their parents the researchers concluded that children may experience PTSD following dog bites and that more dog bite education is needed.  Still no indication that the bite may not be the fault of the child's behavior but rather the result of an interaction with a simply dangerous dog.

Dr. Dixon made this statement to a reporter for the Dayton Daily News.  “The summertime is definitely are more significant time for dog bites,” said Cinnamon Dixon, DO, MPH, pediatric emergency physician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “Children usually are bit by their own dogs or another known dog. They may be walking through a neighbor’s yard and the dog may feel threatened and attack.”  The dog may feel threatened and attack?  This is blaming the victim and for a physician who acknowledges PTSD after a dog attack, a very inappropriate remark.

Just a week or so after the article written by Dr. Dixon and Dr. Anderson appeared, another article appeared, written by another doctor at Cincinnati Children's. This doctor is far senior to Dr. Dixon and he does not share her opinion.  Dr. David Billmire is professor and director of the Division of Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center.   His opinion?  There is no need for pit bulls.  Please read the entire piece but here is Dr. Billmire's conclusion.
Based on my extensive experience, I believe that the risk posed by pit bulls is equivalent to placing a loaded gun with the safety off on the coffee table. In my opinion, these dogs should be banned. I know this is an unpopular stand in some circles, but how many mauled children do we have to see before we realize the folly of allowing these dogs to exist?
The arguments made by advocates of these dogs are the same arguments made by people who feel that assault weapons are an essential part of daily living. There are plenty of breeds available that peacefully coexist with human society. There is no need for pit bulls.
 I expect we may return to Cincinnati and to Ft. Thomas.  Interesting times.





Sunday, July 20, 2014

Death in Dayton for the second time this year. Updated 7/21/2014

7/21/2014 Update.

Jonathon Quarles, Jr.


The baby killed by his step grandmother's pit bull yesterday has been identified as Jonathon Quarles Jr. of Indianapolis Indiana.  In today's report by WDTN News, another violent incident involving the same pit bull has been found.  Per WDTN News "   The United States Postal Service told 2 NEWS that a carrier was charged by a dog at the same address on April 25, 2014.  A postal service spokesperson says the dog tried to bite the carrier’s leg, but the carrier was able to get his mail satchel between his leg and dog.  He was not bitten."


Dayton Ohio, again
7/20/2014

Scene of fatal dog attack gallery

We will take a short break from our discussion of Cincinnati pit bull violence to talk about pit bull violence in Dayton.

A Dayton pit bull has killed a seven month old baby boy today.  The baby was in the care of his step grandmother, the pit bull was hers.  A neighbor called 911 stating "She just knocked on my door, bangin' on my door. She had a baby in her hand and the baby's not breathing. I need you to get here now."

Montgomery County Animal Resource Center records indicate an American Staffordshire Terrier is kept at the residence.  AKC American Staffordshire Terriers can be double registered as UKC American Pit Bull Terriers through the single registration process, they are the same dogs.

The killer pit bull was removed from the home by Montgomery ARC staff.  The dog has a history of attack.  Per ABC 22 News "A Dayton police report indicates police have responded to the address for a control of dogs prior to this incident.
On June 3, 2014 a Dayton woman, Isabelle Crickmore was walking her beagle in front of 2219 Riverside Drive when a pit bull attacked her dog.   Click here for video.  
"She had three lacerations, 11 staples," said Crickmore.
There is a criminal misdemeanor complaint against the grandmother for that attack. Court documents show a pre-trial for Crickmore's complaint was post-poned last week.
"It just really irks me because this could have been taken care of," said Crickmore.

family pit bull kills baby in dayton, ohio


Family members state that the baby was visiting from Indiana.  It was also reported that the pit bull was a family dog, "a pleasant animal for the family" that jumped over a gate to attack and kill the baby boy.  It was reported that the step grandmother tried to get her dog off the baby but could not.   Watch the video here and see if you might agree that this was a "pleasant" dog.

Just  what was learned from the death of Klonda Richey last February?  What processes have been improved to protect innocent citizens of Dayton?  It should be noted that there have been no charges filed in the mauling death of Klonda Richey to date.  This dog had a violent history and was in the legal system.

This baby was the 8th dog bite related fatality in Ohio since HB 14 was passed in 2012.  Historical note, Ohio had 6 dog bite related fatalities in the 25 years prior to the passage of HB 14, the bill that "finally gives dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs."  It is also important to note that Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf was instrumental in promotion and passage of HB 14.  

Public opinion in Dayton has been hard on Dog Warden Mark Kumpf, hard on pit bulls at large on the streets, hard on pit bull violence.   Looks to be getting worse.  How long will the  Montgomery County Commissioners protect their failed dog warden?  The citizens of Dayton deserve better.  Type "Dayton" into the search box at the top left of this blog page and see how many hits you get.  This city is a pit bull disaster.

Ms. Crickmore is correct "this could have been taken care of" and should have.