Pit bulls jump through windows to attack the elderly, get run out of classy neighborhoods, bite children, menace police and the peaceful public, and one fortunate pit bull gets a happy ending.

This long overdue post is the usual mix of outrageous attacks but please hang in there to the end.  

7/4/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

A 74 year old woman was injured when two pit bulls attacked her, and her Beagle.  The pit bulls jumped through the window of a home to attack.  Dayton police were unable to locate the pit bull owner.  They might try checking ownership of the home.

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7/28/2017

Moreland Hills Ohio

Cuyahoga County

A Moreland Hills resident called local police to notify them that he had just run a dog that he felt might be a pit bull off his property after it barked at and lunged at his cat.  He was not pleased. Per a notice titled "Death threat issued against loose dog" in the Chagrin Valley Community Blog "He wanted police to warn the owner that he would shoot the dog to protect his grandchildren and pets if any future threat to their safety arose.

Police were unable to locate the dog, which had a collar and took off toward Murwood Drive. Special attention was planned for the neighborhood.

This is a genteel and wealthy community.  Residents are not given much to threats of violence. 

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8/3/2017

Cincinnati Ohio
Hamilton County  

A Cincinnati man, working on his car was actively menaced by two free-roaming pit bulls.  He was forced to jump into the engine compartment of the car to avoid being bitten, injuring himself in the process.  He called Cincinnati police who were unable to locate the dogs.  The concerned citizen was told that the ASPCA was "unavailable today" to look for the dogs.  Per Fox 19 News Now  "I'm up in the engine component of my car and the both of them are up as high as they can get barking and I grab a tool and I'm swinging, saying, 'get down, get down.' It was terrifying."

A man driving by and honked his horn scaring the dogs off, and he was able to run inside and call 911.

He said what angers him the most is that it took 45 minutes for police to show up and then they left without locating the dogs.

Don said the pit bulls came back and he had to call 911 again. 

In the call to 911 you can hear Don tell the dispatcher, "Somebody's going to get hurt because you won't sent anybody over here to do anything."

The dispatcher responds saying, "If the officer told you there is nothing he can do about it and the SPCA is not available today, there isn't anything else I can do for you."

Don said he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I said, 'you got to be kidding me. I'm reporting that there's two loose pit bulls that attacked me. They are still out here on the street. This has been over an hour now and you guys are telling me there's nothing you can do,'" he said. 

After the two calls to police, the SPCA did find two pit bulls a few blocks away on Akochia Ave. Police said because Don was in a safe location his call was not as high of a priority."  
It must be noted that Cincinnati is infested with pit bulls.  Looking at the Cincinnati SPCA website on 112/2/2017 we find 93 available dogs, 81 of them are pit bulls, 11 are other breeds, one dog has no photo.  A few of the non-pit bulls are senior dogs and look to be good choices for a family looking for a pet.   

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7/26/2017

Pataskala Ohio
Licking County

The Newark Advocate reports that a four-year-old boy was bitten on the cheek by a pit bull as the child and his mother were visiting a friend. Emergency treatment was declined and a report was forwarded from police to the dog warden. 

Newark Ohio surrendered to pit bull advocacy a year or so ago, the Newark Advocate supported this effort.  

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9/11/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

A Dayton pit bull owner, apparently aware that Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf sets no standards whatsoever,  allowed his dog off leash.  This off-leash pit bull menaced a police officer who was simply doing his job.  The officer shot pittie, enraging pittie's owner.  The dog owner punched out the police cruiser and was arrested.  
  

Michael Melvin, age 50.
Don't want pittie shot?  Keep pittie under control and don't allow him to menace police.  Police have guns. 

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9/13/2017

New Philadelphia Ohio

Tuscarawas County

Along with positive placement stats, County Dog Warden Terry Warner is aware that some dogs are aggressive and he will not place them in homes.   Excellent! Per the Times Reporter "Warner said he does not want to euthanize any good dogs, nor does he want to place an aggressive dog in an adoptive home."

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9/14/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

Another failure for Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf, a pit bull with a history of being at large was at it again and got shot with a BB gun prior to the arrival of Dayton police.  The pit bull owner told police the dog "got away" from his daughter and began charging at neighborhood residents, some on their own porches. The pit bull owner was charged with failure to control.  Will Kumpf actually do his job and cite this pit bull per state law?

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11/16/2017
Marion Ohio
Marion County

A sheriff's deputy was attacked by two pit bulls during a drug raid and was injured when he shot himself in the foot during the attack.  Pit bulls present at a drug raid?  Who would think?
Per the Marion Star "  the sheriff's office had received multiple calls about drug activity at the house and that law enforcement had set up undercover drug buys there before obtaining a search warrant.

Shortly after forcing his way into the house alongside other officers, Deputy Mike Wheeler was attacked by two pit bulls, Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said. Wheeler fired two shots, one of which went through his foot." " "the dogs "backed (Wheeler) into a corner," were biting at him and jumping at his chest.

One pit bull died at the scene.

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11/12/2017

Hubbard Ohio  

I want to finish this post by giving respect and credit where respect and credit are due.
Four years ago Litsa and Angelo Kargakos adopted a clearly abused pit bull, Petey.  Per WKBN News "Petey was living a nightmare, chained up without food or water in a backyard on the south side of Youngstown.

“He was completely emaciated,” Litsa said. “He was highly-heart-worm positive and his muzzle was duct taped as well.”

To make matters worse, Petey feared humans and became aggressive when they got close. That made adopting him difficult.

“He would try to bite me,” Angelo said. “He would growl and jump towards me. 

With lots of love and patience, Petey warmed up to Angelo and Litsa.

Now, on the outside, Petey seems completely normal. But the emotional scars of his abuse will never go away.

“It is a happy ending for Petey because he is in a loving home and he is happy,” Angelo said. “But he could never be a normal dog. We could never walk him in a park.”

“They suffer for this the rest of their lives,” Litsa said. “It’s not like they get rescued and everything’s perfect at that point. He’ll suffer psychologically until the day he dies.”

Petey, now responsibly and lovingly owned, lives with six other dogs and two cats. Angelo states Petey is the "greatest dog in the world" and a daddy's boy, his constant shadow.  There is video with this story and it is wonderful.  I recommend watching it.  This couple was well aware of what they were getting when they took Petey but they took him anyway and made a success of it but continue to be responsible with him.  You can't do better than that. 

 
The names Litsa and Angelo Kargakos might be familiar to readers of this blog.  This couple placed a troubled pit bull named Remi with an Ohio breed advocate self-promoted as an expert in rehabilitating dangerous dogs.  The Kargakos' made 100% responsible decisions when placing Remi, backed up with a large cash donation and mention in their wills.  Sadly, it did not end well for Remi, link to the story below.

I have nothing but respect for Litsa and Angelo Kargakos.  Thank you for restoring my faith.

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Links to photographs are broken, stick with the text.

https://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2017/04/meltdowns-that-anyone-could-see-coming.html

https://scorchedearththepoliticsofpitb.blogspot.com/2017/04/follow-up-on-remi-missing-pit-bull-he.html

    

Another sad dog attack fatality in Ohio and thoughts on the organization that is now holding the killer dog, a German Shepherd described by neighbors as vicious. What are we doing with dangerous dogs? A two part post.

Another fatal dog attack in Ohio, this time Cleveland.  Two week old Sophia Booth was killed inside the family home by a four year old German Shepherd.  Sophia was in a first floor bedroom when the dog escaped from the kitchen where it had been confined.  The dog bit the infant in the head.  Sophia was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, a trauma center in Cleveland, where she died.

The dog was considered vicious by neighbors, one stated on camera the he crossed the street to avoid the animal that he called a "vicious junk yard dog".  Another neighbor stated "The dog was vicious. I don't know why you would have that type of dog around your child." She kindly added that the family was in her prayers.

Given the neighbor's statements about the German Shepherd, this is a dog that would be on the radar of Cleveland Animal Control when SB 195 is passed by the Ohio Legislature.  SB 195 was written to tighten up Ohio law and clean up the mess created when legislators allowed animal rights lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society to re-write Ohio law.  Since the passage of HB 14 five years ago, fifteen Ohio residents have been killed by dogs.  In the decade prior to the passage of HB 14, five Ohio residents were killed by dogs. Draw your own conclusions.

SB 195 mandates dog wardens to investigate vicious dog complaints made by the public.  Currently there is little to no response to complaints.  When the public is convinced that their concerns will be taken seriously they will make those calls and communities will become safer. If Sophia Booth's neighbors had complained about the dog and those complaints were properly investigated would she have died? Possibly not. The dogs that killed Klonda Richey, Jonathan Quarles Jr, and Maurice Brown were all well known to animal control but allowed to remain in the community.  It should also be noted that all three of these fatal dog mauling attacks occurred in Montgomery County Ohio. The County Dog Warden is Mark Kumpf.  Dog Warden Kumpf has moved from an enforcement model in his county to an education model that is not working, clearly.

This is text from the Court of Appeals ruling that allows the family of Klonda Richey to sue Mark Kumpf
 {¶ 5} In July 2006, Defendant-Appellee, Mark Kumpf, was hired as the Director of the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (“ARC”) and as the MontgomeryCounty, Ohio, Dog Warden. Kumpf was still serving in those capacities at the time of Richey’s death. Kumpf had been involved in animal control since the early 1990’s, and had changed his philosophy from an “enforcement mode” to an “education mode.” In the enforcement mode, Kumpf’s approach had been to see how many animals he could pickup, how fast the animals could be gotten off the road, and how many summonses he could write. In this mode, he averaged 100 to 150 citations per month. In contrast,Kumpf’s education approach involved issuing fewer summonses and focusing citations on the more serious cases.{¶ 6} After Kumpf came to Montgomery County in 2006, he changed the focus of the ARC from enforcement to education. The number of citations issued to citizens dropped by more than 33 percent in the first two years of his tenure. At first, Kumpf’s bosses were concerned about a drop in revenue. However, Kumpf pointed out that he had taken in 2,000 fewer animals, and that licensing and adoption revenues had increased.{¶ 7} Kumpf also instructed his deputy wardens to write fewer citations because he believed the courts were not doing their job, and were notoriously unhelpful with citation fines and enforcement. In the two years before Richey’s death, out of more than 20,000 calls about animals, only about 697 (about 3.4 percent) resulted in citations. Of 60,000 dogs in Montgomery County, only 12 were designated as “nuisance” or -4-“dangerous” dogs in 2013.{¶ 8} Kumpf was under the impression that before an animal control officer can issue a citation for a “dog at large,” the officer must witness the dog off an owner’s property and not under the owner’s immediate control. However, at Kumpf’s direction,officers were not patrolling. In addition, also at Kumpf’s direction, dispatchers routinely refused to answer phone calls requesting service during business hours. Instead,dispatchers pushed a “divert” button on the phone and calls were sent to voicemail. All of the calls Klonda Richey made to ARC went to voicemail.   

The court is describing taxpayer funded sloth.  Please feel free to read the whole thing. This court ruling perfectly illustrates the failure of the animal control "education" model and just how boldly it was used in Montgomery County Ohio.  This model is used all over our state and the peaceful public is tired of it.    

The loopholes pranced through by Ohio dog wardens must be closed.  SB 195 mandates actual investigation in response to public complaints and it MUST be passed.  The Ohio Senate passed it, as SB 151, unanimously just prior to the end of the last legislative session but the session ended before the bill could be introduced into the Ohio House.  




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Part Two of our post.

The German Shepherd that killed Sophia Booth was taken by the City of Cleveland Kennels. The City of Cleveland Kennels is a strange world but not unusual for an American shelter . It is animal advocacy without thought to public safety. What will they do with the dog?  "Rehabilitate" it?  Send it to a rescue? Adopt it out? Dogs that kill should be euthanized but rescue angels just hate that option.

Here is a bit of background on the City of Cleveland Kennels.

The City of Cleveland Kennels runs a program they call City Dogs. The program exists to promote placements for pit bulls warehoused in the City of Cleveland Kennels.  Currently the City of Cleveland Kennel lists 86 available dogs, 82 of them are pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

Here is the official description of the City Dogs program as noted on the Friends of the Cleveland Kennel website. City Dogs Cleveland is the adoption program of The City of Cleveland’s Division of Animal Care and Control (CACC). This program is supported by Friends of the Cleveland Kennel (501c3). The City Dogs mission is to increase adoptions from the City Kennel by changing the image of the pit bulls who make up the majority of the kennel population, by preparing all adoptable dogs in the kennel for lives in loving homes and by creating as many opportunities as possible for the public to meet and get to know our dogs for the terrific pets they are meant to be."

One pit bull recently placed from the City Dogs program attacked a full grown horse in the Cleveland Metroparks only a week after it was adopted.  The dog was adopted on 7/27/17 and attacked on 8/2/2017. This was a "terrific pet"? You can't wave a magic wand and "change the image" of pit bulls because that magic wand does not change DNA.
 
Shelters frequently get dogs that are simply impossible to place due to obvious aggression.  The City of Cleveland recently used the time honored tactic of sending the dogs across state lines to a new area where the dogs are unknown. City Dogs recently sent several of Cleveland's unplaceable pit bulls to Longmont Humane society in Longmont Colorado, long known for quick and questionable "rehabilitation" of  pit bulls known to be vicious and dangerous, we will get to that shortly.  Here is a photo of the City Dogs team getting ready to send Cleveland pit bulls to Colorado, a 1329 mile trip.  I hope no taxpayer dollars were spent on this.

   

Here is a look inside the truck. No Chihuahuas making this trip.  

                
Another getting ready to be loaded into the truck.




Does Longmont need any more pit bulls?  The answer is clearly no. Hang in there with me for a short trip through the insanity that is no-kill pit bull advocacy.  Here is a link to a video of Dr. Pam Reid PhD on the topic of Sheltering Dangerous dogs. The video runs nearly 40 minutes and you will never get those 40 minutes back but she makes points that I don't think she intended to make.  View the whole thing but pay attention at about 27 minutes and 43 seconds into the video.  She begins to tell the story of Dragon, a pit bull seized in a dog fighting case, purchased by an informant and fought several times.  Keep in mind that Dragon is game bred, pit trained and tested and was involved in a dog fighting operation. If, as breed advocates love to tell us, "it's all in how you raise 'em" dogs seized in dog fight busts are the most dangerous dogs on earth.  That does not trouble breed advocates. Dragon, living evidence, was held at a shelter for an extended period of time and became a favorite of the ATF agents involved with the case. PLEASE watch Dragon's introduction to live dogs.  This dog is simply vicious but the ATF agents, while they did not want to actually take Dragon home to their own families, they wanted him rehabilitated and placed, they liked him. You just can't account for personal taste.

Dragon was transported across state lines from Virginia to the Longmont Humane Society in Colorado.  Aimee Sadler is, or was, the trainer in charge of "remedial socialization" at Longmont. While Sadler has been in charge of "rehabilitating" MANY pit bulls, Dragon, a pit fighter from Virginia, was her first pit bull seized in a dog fight bust. Sadler felt he was "rehabilitated" and on the adoption floor just FIVE DAYS after arrival at Longmont. Please watch the video to see the magical process.  Dragon was eventually paced with a family, I bet their neighbors were thrilled.

It should be remembered that Longmont has a sketchy reputation for "rehabilitation."  A 2013 Times-Call article titled Longmont Humane Society Faces Dangerous Dog Case stated " in 2012, nearly 16 percent of reported dog bites in Longmont were traced to dogs adopted out of the Longmont Humane Society. So far in 2013, 13 percent of reported bites were from humane society dogs."  

Here are just a few cases that made the news.

In 2014, Longmont Humane Society placed a pit bull with a young woman.  The dog had a history of aggression while in the shelter prior to placement and had been previously placed and returned for an unknown reason. Aggression would be a safe bet. The dog went missing after the new owner left it with friends and eventually turned up in Portland Oregon in the possession of a 16 year old girl. The Longmont graduate pit bull made the news for killing a Pomeranian while on a streetcar. Longmont Humane Society offered to transport the pit bull back to Colorado for the legal owner but that offer was, not surprisingly, refused.

Here is a photo of the Pomeranian.

In 2013, Bridgett,  a pit bull owned by the Longmont Humane Society and fostered by volunteers escaped and attacked a leashed dog being walked in the neighborhood by his owner, just 4 days after being placed in the household.  Here is Bridgett's history " Longmont animal control officers investigated the case and learned that Bridgette had a history of biting animals and humans and a judge declared her to be a "dangerous dog" in Mesa County. According to police records, in October 2012, she bit a handler who pulled on her leash after Bridgette charged to attack two kenneled dogs. In March 2013, her previous owner was walking her on a leash and she saw another dog and bit through her leash to attack it. She badly injured the miniature schnauzer in that case.

Mesa County officials who reviewed the attacks ruled that Bridgette was a dangerous dog and required that her owners surrender her. She was allowed to be released if her owners opted to surrender her to the Longmont Humane Society, police reports show.

Her previous owners had taken her to the Longmont Humane Society before the dangerous dog hearing, according to police reports. After she was surrendered, police records noted, she got into a fight at the humane society in May 2013. She was in training to work on aggressive behaviors. Trainers ultimately determined she was progressing well and she was released to a foster family when a volunteer at the humane society offered to foster her, police reported." 
"Progressing well"? Are there any clear thinking adults associated with Longmont Humane Society?

In 2012 Chocolate, a newly placed pit bull from the Longmont Humane Society attacked and killed a leashed Yorkie being walked by her owner.  Shelter staff told the new pit bull owner that Chocolate, was "selective about dogs she got along with" but had gotten into a "fight" while at the shelter. This statement candy coats a vicious dog that went on to kill a tiny and beloved pet in full view of her hysterical owner.

The frenzy to "save them all" without thought for public safety puts the public at risk.  Longmont Colorado and Montgomery County Ohio are extreme examples of the failure of current public policy regarding vicious dogs but these practices exist all over the United States. These are the organizations tasked with protecting the public.  Where are the adults?


Does Longmont Colorado need Cleveland's pit bulls?  No.

Does Ohio law need to be changed for the purpose of public safety?  YES!

Good news and bad news. Bills to toughen Ohio law pertaining to vicious dogs introduced into the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. Month old baby killed by pit bulls in Mt. Vernon Ohio

SB 151, passed unanimously in the Ohio Senate just prior to the end of the session last year, has been reintroduced into both the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House as SB 195 and HB 352.
  The purpose of these bills is to toughen Ohio laws pertaining to vicious dogs. Since the passage of HB 14 in 2012, Ohio has seen an incredible jump in dog attack fatalities.  Including the death of a baby killed today in Mt. Vernon Ohio,  14 Ohioans have been killed by dogs in our state in the slightly over 5 years since the Ohio Legislature allowed Best Friends Animal Society to rewrite Ohio law.  The previous decade saw 5 fatal dog attacks in the state.  Draw your own conclusions.

Per the Dayton Daily News " The bills call for:

• Mandating that dog owners respond to warnings or postings from dog wardens;

• Requiring dog wardens to follow up on every complaint filed;

• Clarifying that dog wardens have arrest authority;

• Allowing wardens to take sworn affidavits from people who witness dangerous dog behaviors;

• Adding penalties for owners who fail to follow existing rules governing the sale or transfer of dogs labeled dangerous;

• Adding penalties for owners who fail to register their dangerous dogs with authorities;

• Extending the ban on dog ownership for those convicted of violent felonies to five years from three years;

• Extending the dog ownership ban to those convicted of child abuse charges"

"Owners could be charged with a fifth-degree felony, even if it’s a first offense. A dog would automatically be destroyed if it kills a person and a judge would decide if it should be euthanized in cases where the dog seriously injures a person."

State Senator Bill Beagle, author, and sponsor of the bill noted current Ohio law gives dogs "one free growl, one free bite, and one free kill.  Giving dogs a 'one-time pass' causes dangerous dogs to get a second chance to harm someone."

We sincerely hope for passage of this law very soon.

In today's news, Barrett Ethan Hagans, age one month, was apparently killed by dogs in his father's Knox County Ohio home.  The baby had been in a bassinet. Two pit bulls were removed from the home by the county dog warden. The investigation is ongoing.  There is no reported history on the family pit bulls at this time.




9/21/2017 Update.  The two pit bulls have been euthanized. 

9/27/2017 Update.  The Knox County Coroner confirms that one-month-old Barrett Hagens was killed by the family pit bulls. Coroner Dr. Jennifer Ogle stated the baby died of "extensive blunt and crush force injuries with puncture injuries."

9/29/2017 Update.  The killer pit bull was identified by examination of gastric contents during necropsy.  There is no doubt here.

Pit bull roundup 7/30/2017 Mayhem continues in the Buckeye State, children in critical condition, police are menaced by pit bulls, church goers menaced by pit bulls, pit bulls shot by police and the general public as well.

Ohio now proudly ranks second in dog bite claims in the United States.  Per Cleveland.com "Although Ohio has the seventh-largest population, it's No. 2 in insurance claims for dog bites.

The Buckeye state last year had 1,009 insurance claims for dog bites, behind only California, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Ohio is ahead of New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Texas and Indiana."  Please keep in mind that pit bull owners are no longer required to carry insurance so they just skip that step in responsible ownership. Pit bull victims don't get settlements, they just pay the bills for their own attacks. 

This post will introduce a new, shorter post format to the Scorched Earth blog. This break with Scorched Earth tradition will serve two purposes.  

First, the short post format will reduce reports to the stark basics of life in our state since Representative  Barbara Sears allowed lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab Utah to write law for the State of Ohio.  

Second, the short post format will also allow us to clean up the backlog as quickly as possible. It has proven to be impossible to keep up with pit bull mayhem in the state.  

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5/30/2017

Reynoldsburg Ohio

Franklin County and Licking County

A Reynoldsburg police officer was called to a local school for an animal complaint.  The officer was menaced by a loose pit bull (Reynoldsburg bans pit bulls).  The dog owner was cited for allowing her dogs to run at large AT A SCHOOL.  The dog owner refused to accept her citation.   Think she has insurance?  

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5/8/2017

Dayton Ohio

Montgomery County

A 7-year-old boy was attacked by a pit bull mix and required hospital treatment.  Per WHIO News "  The victim’s father told police the dog was “an ongoing issue with the residents in the neighborhood.” 

  This is not surprising, the county dog warden is Mark Kumpf.  Police contacted the dog owner, a 22-year-old man who claims to be willing to cover the victim's medical expenses. Don't hold your breath. The claim was made that the dog would be surrendered to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  Again, don't hold your breath.   Think the 22 year old pit bull owner has insurance?  Nope, I don't think so either. 

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5/28/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

An aggressive dog of unreported breed was shot by Dayton Police as it menaced church goers and charged police.  A second menacing dog was taken to Mark Kumpf's Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  Video with this story clearly shows a pit bull chained on the property where the dogs were housed.  These dogs were known to be aggressive but obviously, Mark Kumpf has yet again, failed to protect the residents of his county.   

  

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5/30/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

Dayton police were called to a home where neighbors reported an aggressive dog on the roof.  The dog and a second dog at the address were reportedly unlicensed.  Montgomery County Animal Resource Center staff left a sternly worded post-it note for the owners. 

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5/2017

Kenton Ohio

Hardin County

A pit bull attacked a leashed dog being walked in a Kenton neighborhood.  The pit bull owner was cited for a violation of the city's dangerous and vicious dog ordinance.

 

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5/29/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County Ohio

News that you will never hear reported, a Dayton woman was bitten by a Chihuahua. Per the Dayton Daily News "The 34-year-old female victim said she was walking along when a tan and brown small Chihuahua ran toward her. The dog tried to bite her left ankle, but she shook the animal off and ran home.  The woman was not injured.

The dog owner, a 35-year-old woman living on Suman Avenue, was given a warning.

A sternly worded post-it note would be the traditional warning from the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  What kind of warning is given by Dayton Police?

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4/25/2017

Cleveland Ohio

Cuyahoga County

A Cleveland man was attacked by his own pit bull and taken to a Trauma Center for treatment.  His condition was listed as serious.  The victim's wife stabbed the pit bull to end the attack.  The pit bull was confiscated.  Here is how News 5 describes the attack "When police arrived on the scene, the wife of the man who was being attacked, Ethel Taylor, had blood splattered across her shirt.

She told police that the dog "attacked my husband and you need to kill that dog."

Taylor said she went to take a bath when she heard dogs barking in front of her house. She followed the noise to discover that her husband, Cedric Gardner, was being attacked by their pit bull.

Gardner told his wife to grab the gun but she couldn't find it.

Taylor went to the kitchen and found the biggest knife she could find and started to stab the dog repeatedly, according to a news release. Taylor pulled out her taser after stabbing the dog didn't work.

The dog let go of Gardner and retreated to the back of a pickup truck that was parked on the street."

Think this happens to Beagle owners?   

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5/8/2017

Defiance Ohio

Defiance County

A 40 year old man shot his girlfriend's pit bull mix in self defense.  He attempted to put the thing outside after it tore up his house so it began to attack him.  Beagles do this all the time. 

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5/17/2017

Mt Vernon Ohio

Knox County

A pit bull was shot while attacking a neighbor's dog, on the neighbor's property.  The shots came from a second floor window.  The property owner heard the attack in progress and could see two little girls trying to pull the pit bull off the property owner's dog.  The property owner felt that the girls and his own dog were in trouble so he took immediate action.  The property owner reported the shooting to local police, there were no charges.

As is the norm, the pit bull owner did not see the attack but claimed that the property owner was irresponsible.  She also claimed that her dog was not vicious (shot during an attack but not vicious).  You can't make this stuff up.  Video is available on the link.

   Pacman died after he was was shot three times from an upstairs window.  He would still be sleeping on the couch if he had been responsibly confined.  Don't want your dog shot?  Keep him at home.

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5/17/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

A pit bull owner let his American Staffordshire Terrier out to prance around the neighborhood on Mother's Day.  Boi Boi the Amstaff was shot by a neighbor.  Boi Boi's owner did not see the shot because he was not present but theorizes that the neighbor noted Boi Boi at large and went into his home to get a gun.  The neighbor stated he did not mean to hit the dog, just scare it away.  No charges were filed.  Video is available on the link.

Don't want your dog shot?  Keep him at home and under your supervision and control.

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5/10/2017

Canton Ohio

Stark County

A 76 year old woman was attacked by a neighbor's  bully breed dog when she took her own dog outside.  The  victim suffered deep bites and required hospital treatment.  The bully breed dog was surrendered to local authorities for euthanization. Stark County dog warden Jon Barber offers the classic excuses for the attack.  "I’m sure the dog could’ve been a very nice dog, but I’m not sure the environment that the dog came from, it ever had an opportunity. These bully-type dogs get a bad stereotype, but realistically, it’s the circumstances of how they were raised and how they’re brought up that led to this. It’s upbringing and social environment (that matter). This dog (is believed to have been) isolated, not socialized. So when it got loose, it reacted this way.”

Why do dog wardens repeat this crap?  They are paid to protect the safety of the public.  Who will pay the victim's medical bills?

Think there is insurance?

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6/22/2017

Columbus Ohio

Franklin County

A Columbus police officer, serving a warrant on a known drug house in that city, was attacked by a pit bull.  The pit bull was shot in self defense.  Per 10tv "The woman they were looking for initially came to the door, but then retreated inside. The officer followed her inside, at which point he says a pit bull was “put on” him.

The officer opened fire, killing the dog.

The officer was treated at the scene for his injuries.

The woman was taken into custody, as well as a second person police located while trying to clear the home."

Funny how Beagles do not figure into stories like this.

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7/24/2017

Bellefontaine Ohio  

A child looking for permission to search for his lost drone was attacked by two pit bulls harbored at a Belfontaine residence.  The boy was transported to a hospital for treatment of wounds to his face, arms, chest, groin, and back.  The pit bull owner was cited for two counts each of dog at large and failure to vaccinate.  Per the Bellefontaine Examiner "The dogs were taken from the residence by the Logan County Dog Warden, who later reported one of the dogs became extremely aggressive as he removed it from his pickup truck to a kennel. It broke its metal collar and ran off."

 This is not a dog that should be tolerated at large in the community.

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7/30/2017

DAYTON Ohio

Montgomery County

More news from Dog Warden Mark Kumpf's neighborhood.  Dayton police shot a pit bull after it attacked THREE Dayton residents. 

A Dayton police officer heard a woman screaming for help. Th woman, covered in blood, told two officers that there were others in a home being attacked by the dog. The officers could see the menacing pit, covered in blood, as it approached them aggressively.    The pit bull was shot in the nose. Medics found a second victim in the yard of the house.

Police made the decision to terminate the threat and euthanize the dog.  Later interviews with the victims revealed an attack earlier in the day by the same pit bull upon a third victim. Per WHIO " An interview with the dog bite victims revealed the dog had bitten a man earlier in the day in an unrelated domestic dispute. After the incident, the dog tried jumping on the owner and accidentally ripped a toenail off, which the owner said caused the dog to be upset “ever since.”

The dog shortly began attacking the people in the house."              

Mark Kumpf's staff arrived to remove the corpse. 

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7/4/2017

Cleveland Ohio

Cuyahoga County

A six-year-old girl was admitted to Cleveland Metro in critical condition after she was attacked by the family pit bull.  Two adult females were also attacked.  The pit bull was shot by an off-duty Cuyahoga County sheriff's officer.  Handy to have someone close by to shoot the pit bull.  But wait,  it becomes even handier, the off duty officer was a resident of the household and he was the owner of the dog.  Both the owner, Michael Shaw Jr. and his pit bull have a record of charges in another northern Ohio community.  Per Cleveland 19 News "Records from Euclid Municipal Court show Michael Shaw Jr. was cited in February 2016 for five dog-related offenses. Shaw received citations for dog running at large, excessive animal noise, failing to register his animal, failing to provide the dog with adequate food and water, and nuisance activities involving an animal. The nuisance activities charge was amended to a disorderly conduct charge in July 2017, which Shaw pleaded guilty to. All other charges against Shaw were dropped.

According to the incident report obtained from Euclid Police, Shaw's white and brown pit bull was repeatedly getting out of his backyard. On February 21, 2016, the dog was running wild in the neighborhood and police responded to the home. Prior to police arriving, a neighbor was able to get the dog back into the yard, and used trash cans to block yard's entrance. The dog escaped again and the neighbor called police back to report the dog out yet again.

Shaw went to court for the citations and the dog was "moved out of the city" according to the Euclid Municipal Court docket.

Neighbors at the Cleveland address had previously called the dog warden complaining that the dog was "vicious."

Anastasia Highsmith, six-year-old victim. 

After the attack on Anastasia, neighbors want aggressive dogs out of their neighborhood. Per the 19 new story " Two neighbors spoke about the aggressive dog problem on their street, saying there are at least half a dozen pit bulls on the block and they all seem aggressive. Lee Covert has lived on W. 22nd Street his entire life and can’t understand the need for aggressive dogs in the neighborhood. According to Covert, the same dog that attacked on July 4 had recently gotten loose and police were called because a neighbor couldn’t get into her car." 

What are elected officials thinking when they allow breed advocates to block regulation of dangerous dogs and create unsafe neighborhoods? Was allowing a proven irresponsible pit bull owner to simply move his dangerous pit bull to another community an acceptable solution?  Not from a public safety point of view.  Cleveland's dangerous dog law is clearly written but poorly enforced.  Required insurance appears to be completely ignored.  
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We will return to this mess shortly.

Another pit bull attack fatality in Ohio.

A Fostoria Ohio pit bull owner died Thursday evening after he was bitten as he attempted to stop an attack by his pit bull, Mia, upon a leashed pit bull being walked in the neighborhood.

Here is the story per WTOLl1News "Just after 11 p.m. Thursday night, 60-year-old Michael Parks let his pit bull Mia outside. The dog ran across Davoli street and began fighting with another pit bull being walked on a leash by its owner." "While trying to break up the scuffle, Michael was bit directly on his recently installed dialysis shunt and began bleeding profusely. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night."Mr. Parks family is surprised. They describe Mia as a "gentle giant" who played with neighborhood children.  Per the family "everybody loved Mia, "she was not vicious at all."

How many times will we hear the same statements made by shocked pit bull owners?  When will Ohio lawmakers admit the mistake they made when they allowed Best Friends Animal Society to write Ohio law?  Does Ohio Representative Barbara Sears feel any responsibility for the fatal attacks since she joined with Best Friends to pass HB 14 to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio?

This is the second dialysis patient killed by a pit bull since passage of HB 14 in 2012. Ronnel Brown was attacked by his pit bull designer dog mix.  He was bitten on his dialysis shunt and bled out in his apartment while first responders waited for police to arrive and shoot the violent dog before they could get to their patient.  

 
Blood stained pavement.


For those interested in fatal dog attacks in Ohio since passage of HB 14, here is more information. It should be noted that in the decade prior to passage of HB 14 Ohio had six fatal dog attacks.  In the five years since the passage of the law written by lawyers employed by Best Friends Animal Society Ohio has had thirteen fatal dog attacks. How good does HB 14 look now? 

The first fatality was Makayla Darnell, 3 weeks old, killed by her grandmother’s pit bull.    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/18/three-day-old-baby-girl-mauled-to-death-by-family-dog-in-ohio.html

The second was Ronnell Brown, a 40-year-old man, killed by his designer dog pit bull mix.  Brown was a dialysis patient and the report was that the dog tore his dialysis graft during the attack and he quickly bled to death.  First responders had to wait for police to shoot the dog before they could get to Brown and by then it was too late.  http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/avondale/avondale-man-dies-after-attacked-by-dog  BTW, Brown had two puppies of the same breed mix in his apartment at the time of the mauling and area residents lined up to adopt these puppies.  http://www.wafb.com/story/18997840/man-dies-after-being-mauled-by-dog

The third was Dawn Jergens, 76 years old killed by her own two dogs, Cane Corsos.  What was a 76-year-old woman doing with two Cane Corsos? 

http://www.whio.com//news/news/trotwood-woman-76-killed-by-pet-dogs/nR34M/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOR3-UmoUZk

Number 4 was Elizabeth Hurt, 94 years, attacked by the family Boston Terriers.  She died a couple of weeks later.  http://www.abc22now.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/wkef_vid_10115.shtml

The fifth was Rachael Honabarger, 35 years old, killed by her family German Shepherd.  http://www.coshoctontribune.com/article/20130504/NEWS01/305040004/Woman-dies-after-dog-attack?nclick_check=1

Mia Gibson was number six, three months old, killed by family dogs, two Shiba Inus.   http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/11/dog-bite-death.html

The seventh was 57-year-old Klonda Richey of Dayton Ohio, killed by dogs that she called pit mastiff mixes.     http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/dog-mauling-investigation-continues-owners-out-jai/ndJ3W/  Misdemeanor charges, Andrew Nason got 180 days in prison and community service.  Julie Custer got 90 days in jail and community service. 

Eight,  Jonathan Quarles Jr age 7 months.  http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/dog-owner-indicted-in-fatal-mauling-of-8-month-old/nm45C/

http://wdtn.com/2014/08/04/woman-whose-dog-killed-baby-guilty-in-another-case/

Pit bull owner Kimiko Hardy was sentenced to 3 years in prison.     

Nine. Cindy Whisman, age 59, killed by her daughter’s pit bull while babysitting her toddler grandson in Madison Twp. Ohio.  Death ruled accidental, no charges.  

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/04/butler-co-coroner-responds-to-reported-dog-attack/13583555/

Ten.  Aiden Jonathon Grimm, three days old was killed by a Shepherd mix dog inside his grandmother’s home.  The coroner’s report stated there were no bite injuries on the body.  It appeared that the dog picked the infant up by the head to remove the child from a laundry basket serving as a temporary crib.  All the dogs in this household slept in laundry baskets. 

http://www.wfmj.com/story/31180204/death-of-youngstown-infant-ruled-an-accident

Eleven. Annie Williams, age 71, a great grandmother, was killed by a family member’s pit bull.  The dog was owned by Bobbie Green and her adult son Leon Morton.  Leon Morton pleaded guilty to felony charges to spare his mother a possible jail term.  Morton was sentenced to 30 months in prison with credit for 106 days already served.

http://www.cleveland19.com/story/29533488/woman-dies-following-pit-bull-attack

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2016/04/prison_sentence_dealt_for_keep.html

Twelve. Maurice Brown, age 60 years, was killed by a pit bull kept chained in a Dayton Ohio Back yard on April 25, 2017. 

http://www.whio.com/news/local/dog-attack-family-man-killed-pit-bull-wants-answers-action/cc6fIH9GaSECPK8nHBRF2N/

Thirteen. Michael Parks, 60, of Fostoria Ohio.  This dialysis patient was bitten as he attempted to break up a dog fight between his pit bull and a leashed pit bull being walked in the neighborhood. Parks was bitten on his dialysis shunt and bled out. 
  http://www.wtol.com/story/35943544/fostoria-man-dies-after-being-bitten-while-breaking-up-pit-bull-fight

7/23/2017 Update.  The Toledo Blade, the most pit bull positive newspaper in the country has finally reported this fatality but neglects to note the breed of dogs involved.  The Blade simply does not report pit bull attacks. The Blade did mention the condition of the attacked dog, very serious and may not survive.

 http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2017/07/23/Fostoria-man-fatally-mauled-after-breaking-up-dogfight.html