Thank God the Huffington Post's Pit Bull Week is over.

I got up this morning intending to write a Huffington Post Pit Bull Week wrap up  but I can't beat this one so I will just link to the post at Your Law Scholar.  Please follow the link and allow the message to sink in.
Here is the summary "So, Pit Bull week is over now, and life will return to normal.  Of course, nothing seemed to change this week for the pit bulls themselves.  They continued to maul, maim and kill at about the same rate they normally do.  They couldn’t even behave for a week while the preacher was visiting.  Hell, they couldn’t even behave for a single day.  And perhaps most alarming is that while the Huffington Post was posting articles of sweet and misunderstood nanny dogs wearing tutus and flower wreaths every couple of hours, they seemed to have missed every single story about a human being getting mauled and killed by these same misunderstood dogs.  Or maybe they didn’t miss them, they just ignored them.  Those horrific incidents didn’t fit the #PitBullWeek narrative, so maybe they were suppressed.  Maybe if they post enough stories of nice pit bulls, they can change their genetic predisposition to maul and kill, and change those headlines to more closely match the Pit Bull Week propaganda.  Here’s to hoping, and looking forward to next year’s festivities (sarcasm)."

I highly recommend the book featured on the Your Law Scholar page.

While we are closing the door on this year's Huffington Post Pit Bull Week please keep in mind the elderly Muncie woman who lost part of her jaw in a Pit Bull Week attack, by the family pit bull..

Remember Nichole Cartee, killed by the family pit bull while she was attempting to protect her mother from the berserking thing.  This pit bull had a history of violent attack but the family chose to hide this fact.  Did not prove to be a particularly good plan of action.


Remember the 18 month old still in critical condition after bring attacked by a family pit bull,

The elderly woman who lost her hand, lower arm, and knee cap in a mauling by her own sister's pit bull and will face a long and difficult rehab with her life changing and disabling injuries?  Think about her.

Cathy Wheatcraft is being mourned in her community.  Her landlord had this to say.  ""She was a very sweet, loving, caring, and kind person and I am sorry it was a sad tragedy and it never should have happened like this,” said JoAnn Burton, the woman who was renting her home to Wheatcraft."

Cathy Wheatcraft


Three teenagers were menaced by a large pit bull, and a pit mix dog while walking home from school.  While the boys were being interviewed by reporters the dogs reappeared and they menaced the reporters and the boys.  When animal control arrived the two dogs menaced them as well.  There is no mention of the disposition of these dogs, the owner comments that she kept them.  See the comments below.
    

This fence is not keeping anything contained and sure not protecting the neighbors from these dogs.
                                                
Interesting comments on this article.  Here is one from the dog owner, Eve Walker "August 28, 2015 6:30 pm 6:30 pm

I’m the owner of the dogs and I have five kids from ages 3 to 13 years old and they are not harmful at all. I’ve never had any issues with them tell this. There has to be more to this then what I was told, I still have them both here with me and was not taken away.

Here is a comment from a neighbor that tells a different story. August 28, 2015 7:17 pm 7:17 pm

Its definitely the owners I personally called the animal control on those exact dogs and those exact owners. And now this.

The brown one tore up everything in our yards even our garbage cans. He would guard peoples front doors so they couldnt get out and was being vicious to everyone. Animal control did nada.

And another neighbor "Well Eva Walker, my daughter and grandchild walk past there every day and my daughter says she’s scared s******s every time she gets near your property. ******************************************************And if Animal Services is paying attention here you need to listen to Billy Williams and see if these dog’s are being neglected.
 Lets just back away from this "responsible pit bull owner's mess.

How about the absolutely common-as-dirt story out of Delaware about police called to the scene of a menacing pit bull at large.  As soon as they got of their patrol car the pit bull charged them, forcing them to shoot the thing dead.  No police officer wants to shoot a dog but it is the officer's job to protect the public.  It was not a surprise that police had responded to similar calls at the same address, same dog owner.  Evidently the "responsible pit bull owner" so loved by pit bull advocates. 
                  .   

The Huffington Post's week long pit bull celebration is over, thank God.  The event was created by young blogger Arin Greenwood who seeks to make the world over because her family had a cold pit but she is unable to see those injured or killed by the hot ones infesting communities all over the United States.  Normal dogs do not require the hysterical level of advocacy seen on the Huffington Post's Pit Bull Week blog page.  Lets just hose off the blood and start again.
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Pit Bull Week at the Huffington Post, a screaming success, with the emphasis on the screams. Updated AGAIN

As we have come to expect, the Huffington Post has again floundered into pit bull advocacy with their week long celebration of pit bulls currently in progress.

Pit bulls in the Carolinas apparently missed the memo on the festivities. Or, possibly this is how pit bulls celebrate.

Update - To add to the misery of Huffington Post's Pit Bull week we have sad news of the critical mauling of an 18 month old child in Fayetteville North Carolina last night.  The child was attacked while his grandfather stepped out onto the porch and his mother stepped out to speak to him.  The child is in very critical condition at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.  The pit bull was euthanized. Child endangerment charges are possible. Video is available at the link, this was a massive pit bull.

Update 8/27/2015
Four Oaks North Carolina

Two people were injured in a pit bull attack at the Traveler's Inn.  When police arrived on scene they found the pit bull with it's jaws clamped down on a woman's arm.  Officers attempted to remove pittie from his victim but were not successful so they shot it.  One of the victims is in serious condition.  I suspect that the residents of North Carolina and of South Carolina will be delighted to see the end of the Huffington Post's Pit Bull Week. The link includes video of firemen hosing the blood off the parking lot.  One seldom sees this after Pug attacks.  

 
Still photo of the scene.

 

8/22/2015
Spartanburg North Carolina



Porsche Nichole Cartee, age 25, was killed by the family pit bull, inside the family home, while attempting to protect her mother from the berserking pit bull.  Spike, the pit bull, has been owned and loved by the Cartee family for 10 years.  Spike was euthanized after the attack.  A quote from GoUpstate "Authorities say the pit bull "just snapped" when it began attacking the mother. Cartee's sister was also injured. Her mother was hospitalized and her injuries may require surgery, while Cartee's sister received treatment on scene."

Keep that word "snapped" in mind, we will get back to it.  This was not Spike's first violent episode, he had attacked the victim's mother in the past resulting in hospitalization but this was not reported to local authorities in an effort to protect the dog.

More from GoUpstate "Beverly Powell, mother of the victim's boyfriend, said she advised the family to get rid of the dog after the previous attack. She also said she was once attacked by another pit bull in her own yard but managed to get away with no permanent damage so Cartee's killing hits close to home for her.

"The sadness is that I told Nicole's mother, ‘What is it going to take for you to get rid of this dog?' And now it's killed her daughter," Beverly Powell said.

Porsche Nichole Cartee


Spike the pit bull.



8/24/2015
Cathy Wheatcraft, age 48, of Davie County North Carolina was mauled to death by a pit bull.  Wheatcraft  was walking to the mailbox when she was attacked by her neighbor Latisha Young's pit bull, named Patch.  Sheena Truesdale, age 31, was attacked by Patch as well and is in stable condition at a local hospital. The attack was still in progress when police arrived on the scene, the pit bull was shot dead. Patch apparently escaped from Young's home through a window while Young was not at home.  Here is the official excuse "Young usually kept the dog in her home but on Monday a storm rolled through the Cooleemee area. Davie County Sheriff Andy Stokes said that may have riled the dog and caused it to escape from home through a window while Young was not at home."

Ms. Truesdale described the attack on Wheatcraft "“When I got out here she was just laying on her stomach; she had her hands above her head and her shirt was pulled up,” said neighbor Sheena Truesdale, 31, who soon became a second victim.

“I was like ‘Patch, go home,’ and he didn’t pay attention to me, he went on licking on the lady,” 

And more on the attack  " Truesdale said Patch was a good dog and she had no idea why it attacked; a testament which was echoed by Young’s mother, Frances Tyson.

“I got a call and it said that Patch had broken out the house and killed a lady,” Tyson said. “When I pulled up and I saw all the ambulances and stuff I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ I said, ‘It’s true.’”

“Something caused him to snap, they don’t know what it was,” Tyson said. “I just pray that the Lord just touch each and every one that’s involved.”

It was a pit bull and it went pit and killed somebody.  Why are people still wondering why the damn things snap?

The same pit bull was declared a nuisance last May when it was also at large and attacked another dog.  Young was cited at that time for failure to vaccinate.


Cathy Wheatcraft, killed by her neighbor's pit bull.


Latisha Young, owner of Patches the killer pit bull.



8/25/2015
Greenville South Carolina
Teresa Wells was attacked by her sister's pit bull, named Bull, losing an arm and a kneecap.  The dog had to be shot off  the victim,  but Heather Perez,  stated to reporters that the dog was not aggressive, he was a "good dog."  Perez purchased Bull as a Mother's Day gift for her mother, Angela Kennedy.

I'm going to let Fox News tell this story.

Greenville deputies said they heard the dog ripped off one victim's arm while en route to the scene. When they arrived on scene, the victim was still being attacked as the dog continued to chew on her arm, according to deputies. Kennedy, the owner of the dog said she and Bull, as the dog was called, were sitting on a porch when her sister pulled up on a moped. Family members said Bull would often react to loud noises and those noises would scare him.

Kennedy said when her sister, Teresa Wells, got off the moped, then called Bull's name, the dog attacked her sister.

"When Teresa come back, I had him on the leash and she called him over and when she called him over there he grabbed her by her leg- and it was from then on. He wouldn't let her go, he ripped her knee cap off," Kennedy said.

An on-scene deputy put herself in harm's way and fired shots, killing the dog, according to officers. The deputy then tried to stop Wells' bleeding. In addition to losing a limb, she also suffered several leg wounds. 

Kennedy said she tried to stop Bull, but he then attacked her. She has several gashes and bite marks on her arms and legs, but suffered non life-threatening injuries. 

Greenville County spokesman Bob Mihalic said the dog attacked its owner, on her own property. Due to those facts, there is no charge that animal control officers could file in the case.




Click here for an interview with a witness.  

Click here for a statement by law enforcement.

Who gives their mother a pit bull for Mother's Day? "Not aggressive"?  "He was a good dog"?



Here is a map showing the locations of the fatal pit bull attacks on Porsche Nichole Cartee and Cathy Wheatcraft, plus the traumatic amputation pit bull attack on Teresa Wells, and for context includes the location of the July mauling pit bull mauling death of Joshua Strother.

Keep in mind that this is Huffington Post's Pit Bull Week.

In the bizarre world of  Huffington Post pit bull advocacy we are treated to quotes like this one from HuffPo's Arin Greenwood "Pit bulls are dogs. Just dogs. Gloriously, dogs. Like all dogs, they need love, socialization, supervision -- the whole usual shebang."

Greenwood goes on to classic pit bull talking points and hysteria about breed bans legally passed by communities using their home rule rights to protect peaceful citizens and violated by pit bull owners who claim to be unaware of local law.  For added color Greenwood tells the story of her family pit bull.  My guess is that the owners of Spike, Bull, and Patch would tell similar stories.

Arin Greenwood, Huffington Post blogger.  An experienced journalist with valuable insights on public policy?  Nope, I don't think so either.

There is a great deal more claptrap included in the daily HuffPo Pit Bull Week blog postings but you will have to go looking for it.  I will not post links.  The hysteria to place these dogs jumps off the screen. Pit bull dogs posted on websites with rescuers in other states feeling instant mystical connections, marshaling networks of transporters and temporary fosters in order to import a specific dog while countless very similar dogs are warehoused in a local shelter.  There is no sense or logic here.

Jean Keating, Ohio's pit bull advocate has stepped up to blog for the HuffPo and she tells the story of pit bull rescue from the inside, while beginning with premise that "you can't define what a pit bull is and we need to move away from breed labeling."  How can you run a breed specific rescue when you can't define the dogs?


A bit of background here.   It should be remembered that Keating's rescue, run out of her home, is considered a problem in her hometown.  She has been notified by city officials that she is in violation of city law limiting the number of dogs that may be kept.  Here is a quote from the wildly Keating supportive Toledo Blade "Resident Jean Keating questioned council recently on why she was told by Bob Oberly, zoning administrator, that she was in violation of a city ordinance limiting the number of dogs on a residential property. She told council she wanted limits on dogs removed from the code. “I think dogs are considered property, and people should have as many as they can care for," she told council at a recent meeting."  She went on "“Why do we need this? I could effectively manage eight or 10 dogs on my property,”  City code limits residential property owners to three dogs.     

Evidently Keating's neighbors do not share her opinion and don't think she can care for as many as she houses, the violation notification was sent to Keating because of a complaint by a neighbor but Keating demanded a change in local law to suit her personal preferences.  Apparently the city did not cave to Keating's demands.  Click here for a link to a July 2014 interview at Keating's rescue facility in what appears to be a commercial location.  On camera Keating makes the absurd claim that passage of HB 14 makes Ohio safer by allowing dog wardens to identify dangerous dogs before an "incident" but fact does not bear this out.  In the three years since the passage of HB 14 ten people have been killed by dogs (half of those by pit bulls).  In the previous DECADE?  Six fatal attacks in the state. A bill has been introduced into the Ohio Senate to clean up the mess created by the passage of HB 14. You can't make this stuff up. But I digress.   

Breed specific advocates would make better use of time, money, and effort by EDUCATING PIT BULL OWNERS TO NEUTER AND SPAY THEIR DOGS.  The only way the pit bull problem will be solved is by a drastic decrease in the numbers of pit bull produced and the peaceful public can't do that.  Only pit Bull advocacy can create a humane solution here.

The summary for this rambling post is this.  While the HuffPo's string of pit bull advocates are creating feel-the-love pit bull advocacy posts, women and children in the Carolinas are not feeling the love. Two of them are feeling nothing because they are dead, another will be learning to manage her life after the traumatic amputation of her arm and massive injuries to her leg.  A difficult transition for a woman who formerly tooled around town on a moped.

So far Pit Bull Week has not gone well.  Possibly the HuffPo might consider a Pug Week, or a Beagle Week for a bit less controversy, and blood.

Pit bull roundup, Greater Cleveland area edition. Pit bull hell.

I'm going to begin this post with an editorial by longtime Cleveland newsman Dominic Mancuso of WOIO News.  Wise words.  Please note an important statistic included, between July 2014 and July 2015 fully 143 pit bull incidents were reported in Cleveland alone.  

"Their quiet summer day was pierced by a woman’s scream. When several Shaker Heights residents rushed out of their homes to see what was happening, what they saw will be hard to forget: a woman being mauled by a pit bull. Seventy-one-year-old Annie Williams died from her wounds. She was the grandmother of the pit bull's owner.

Our hearts go out to a family mourning their loss. But this tragedy ignites a debate that rises with the heat of summer, when incidents between dogs and humans spike. According to the city's division of animal control and safety, a minimum of 143 incidents with pit bulls were reported between July 2014 and 2015.

Pit bulls have their defenders, but out of all the dog breeds, pit bulls and pit mixes are responsible for over a quarter of all human fatalities from dog attacks, that’s according to a 20-year study by the Centers for Disease Control.

The debate over what to do with pit bulls will never be a walk in the park. But for a breed of dog long-known for aggressive and unpredictable behavior, we should proceed with caution and common sense.

I'm Dominic Mancuso and that's how we see it."   

Click on the link for video.  

Out of an apparent abundance of caution and  "fairness" to pit bull advocates Mr. Mancuso cites very old CDC statistics.  The CDC stopped including breed in their stats in 2000.  In 2014 pit bulls were responsible for 64% of all dog bite related fatalities in the United states.  In 2013 pit bulls were responsible for 78% of all dog bite related fatalities in the United States.   In fact, since the CDC quit including breed in dog attack stats in 2000 fully 264 Americans have been killed by pit bulls.  Again, please note Mancuso's stats from Cleveland Animal Control and safety.  These are current, 143 "incidents" involving pit bulls between July 2014 and July 2015.  

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7/13/2015
Shaker Heights Ohio
Cuyahoga County

Still no identification on exactly who owns the pit bull that killed Annie Williams in Shaker Heights in July.  The family is talking to a well known attorney specializing in dog attacks.  A wise choice. 



  Shaker Heights is taking a look at their regulations to see if more can be done to protect residents.                                                                                               

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7/13/2015
Chardon Ohio
Geauga County

The very next day after the horrific mauling death of Annie Williams in Shaker Heights Ohio a seven month old baby girl was severely injured by two pit bulls fighting in the family home. The baby was transferred to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center and then life-flighted to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland for treatment, listed in serious condition. This attack occurred the VERY NEXT DAY after the pit bull mauling death of Annie Williams in Shaker Heights Ohio.  Pit bull advocacy has no response to this... crickets.

Here is an interesting note on the Chardon attack.  A neighbor had TWICE reported an aggressive dog at location of the attack.  This complaint was made to Geauga County dog warden Matt Granito.  Dog Warden Granito was president of the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association at the time HB 14 was passed to deregulate pit bulls in Ohio.  Granito campaigned hard for the bill, well aware that it was written by an out-of-state animal welfare organization, Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab Utah.  This bill was sold to the Ohio Legislature as a way to "finally give dog wardens the tools to deal with dangerous dogs" but Granito fell back on Mark Kumpf's protocol of sending a severely worded "warning letter" to the dog owners.



Dog Warden Granito identified both dogs as pit bulls.  He makes some clear thinking comments on the dangers of pit bulls, along with complaints that current law does not permit him to act.  He should have thought of this before he got involved with the bold efforts of Best Friends Animal Society to change Ohio law. Per WKYC.com
"Animal wardens are aware of dogs that should be classified and treated as dangerous. But they say that, under recent changes to Ohio law, they can't do a thing until the animal attacks, and then they can only hope the injuries are not serious.  "It's unfortunate the law is like that because now we've got to wait for the next victim before we can classify that dog as dangerous or vicious," said Matt Granito, the Geauga County Dog Warden."
You are responsible for these changes Matt!!  You should also know that Ohio law allows the use of affidavits for the purpose of filing complaints.  A two day educational seminar held in Dayton last fall dealt with this very issue and a staff member of the Montgomery County prosecutors office introduced an affidavit form for this purpose and she stated that dog wardens were being encouraged to become notaries so the paperwork could be filed quickly.  Please contact the Montgomery County prosecutor's office for details in case you missed the two day seminar for animal control professionals and law enforcement.

 For video of Granito's sudden change of attitude please click here.  We can only hope that Granito, and Mark Kumpf, Montgomery County Dog Warden, after their whole hearted support for HB 14 will do the right thing and fully support and publicly back Senator Bill Beagle's SB 151 WITH the originally proposed statewide register of dangerous dogs listed with location, owner, description, AND BREED.  Best Friends has demanded that breed be left out of the official records.  This is outrageous.

Final word on this attack, the family wants both the dogs back.  What part of "your child was so badly injured that she required life flight transportation to a trauma center and spent nearly a week in the hospital" do these people fail to understand?

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7/13/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County    


We talked about this attack in the last Pit bull Roundup but we are looking at current events in Cleveland.  We will review.  
  Avon Lake residents are demanding justice, and laws to protect the public after Cyrus,  a pit bull owned by Earle Hall and being walked by Kimberly Larson Killed a Beagle/Corgi mix owned by the Lyman family, on the property of the Lyman family on June 19th.   Daisy, the Beagle/Corgi mix suffered two punctured lungs and crushed ribs and had to be euthanized.  Per the Morning Journal "In a police report, responding officers wrote that Hall said Cyrus was rescued from the Animal Protective League and is “dog aggressive” and was used as a bait dog."  

Translation - Hall bought a secondhand pit bull from the Cleveland Animal Protective league, the pit bull has scars from dog fighting, the dog is stone aggressive as one would expect from a game bred, pit tested, fighting dog and he felt it was appropriate to bring this animal into a peaceful community and allow a woman to walk this animal without a gun or other weapon to protect the public.

The city's court did not declare Cyrus dangerous.  Per the Morning Journal "Avon Lake Municipal Court didn’t give Cyrus the “dangerous dog” designation, having only interacted with Larson, and, according to her, Daisy was the aggressor, not Cyrus."      

Holy cow! Cyrus was not quarantined or removed from the community and the Lymans were not given the hearing date so they could tell their story in court. 

Residents unhappy/outraged  with this spoke to city council and the article quotes two city council members, Safety  Commission chairman David Kos "hopes"  that in future dogs like Cyrus could be removed from the neighborhood until legal remedies are resolved.  Jennifer Fenderbosch remarked that Cyrus was on a retractable leash at the time of the attack and that the animal warden advised her that these leashes are not appropriate for walking dogs.  

Here is a flashback. Kos and Fenderbosch are responsible for repealing the Avon Lake pit bull ban in 2012.  Kos worked at this for 3 1/2 YEARS.  Per the Avon Lake Patch ""There was a couple of us, myself and Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch, who strongly advocated removing pit bull from the definition of vicious," Kos said."

Councilman David Kos, hold him responsible Avon Lake voters. 

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8/10/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County

Another little dog killed by pit bulls in Avon Lake.  On 8/9/2015 Avon Lake police were called for a "dog fight" but this was not a dogfight it was the brutal fatal mauling of a Shih Tzu being walked by its owner. The owner told police that the pit bulls ran up to his little dog and attacked without provocation.  The Shih Tzu died at the scene, his owner was treated by paramedics for injuries received as he tried to protect his pet.  

The pit bull owner, David Golas of Avon Lake, was cited for two counts of animal at large.  The Avon Lake Prosecutor is " pursuing provisions under Section 955.11 of the Ohio Revised Code to designate the two dogs as dangerous dogs."

The pit bull owner stated that his dogs "got loose from his backyard because a gate was unsecured." Classic excuse, with the previous breed ban,  removed by Councilman David Kos, these dogs would not reside in the community.

Look at the police presence here.  Tell me again how breed neutral law saves taxpayer dollars.


Bella the Shih Tzu, her owner told reporters "she was a lovable, loving dog.  The poor thing didn't stand a chance." Indeed.


The home of the pit bull owner showing the gate that was not secured..  One can expect that there will be insurance here.

It appears that Avon Lake city officials got the message after the death of Daisy.   Per TV3 the prosecutor is doing the right thing.  It is not the first time these pit bulls have been at large, watch the video.


Poor Bella and her owner.
Neighbors, and their dogs gathered at the home of Bella's owners in a show of support.  
Per Newsnet 5 "Perry Pascarella, 81, was grateful to see the community support as dogs large and small stopped outside his home on Tuesday.

Pascarella said his neighbors wanted to come by to “thank little Bella for her life.”

These are good people.

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8/27/2015
Cleveland Ohio
Cuyahoga County Ohio

Speaking of ShihTzus, there is a very lucky ShihTzu in Cleveland.  Tiny little Fire was attacked TWICE by the same pit bull and survived.  A neighborhood pit bull owner reportedly walks his mauler without benefit of a leash, past Johnie Neal's home. Mrs. Neal and her granddaughter own Fire.  Per 19Actionnews " There were actually two attacks. The first was in the front yard; the second was after the family got Fire up on the porch.  The pit bull mix tossed Fire off the porch" "It had her in her mouth and dropped her, Fire was out like she was dead."

Keep in mind that both of the attacks occurred in Mrs. Neal's yard.  The pit bull owner explained the situation this way "the dog was trained to keep furry critters out of the yard, like squirrels, rabbits, and skunks, and may have mistaken Fire for one."  How can pit bull owners say this stuff?  Do they even think before they speak?

The pit bull lives blocks away from the Neal's home.  Fire was on the property of his owner.

So far the pit bull owner is refusing to pay any of Fire's vet bills.

Fire's x-ray.


Fire

For video click here.


5/1/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County Ohio

We talked about this attack in the last Pit Bull Roundup but I include it to give context for the outrageous number of pit bull attacks in the Greater Cleveland so far this summer.

The owner of two pit bulls that attacked and killed a Pomeranian was cited for two counts of failure to confine and one count of failure to license.  This was the second attack for the pit bulls belonging to "responsible pit bull owner" Alton Goshen Jr, age 24.  Think he has insurance?  I don't.

Just to keep everyone on the same page I will repeat what I wrote for the last roundup. Here it is.
5/1/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

Alton Goshen Jr., "responsible pit bull owner" owns two pit bulls that have attacked TWICE in a month and BOTH of these attacks have killed someone else's dog.  Why did Goshen's pit bulls get a second kill?  Glad you asked but I have no answer for this. Police officer Richard Broz stated, after the second kill, per the Morning News Journal "Broz reported he has dealt with the dogs on several occasions and never observed any aggression toward people, but they had aggression toward other animals."

Per Ohio Revised Code
 (a) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that, without provocation, and subject to division (A)(1)(b) of this section, has done any of the following:

(i) Caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person;

(ii) Killed another dog;

(iii) Been the subject of a third or subsequent violation of division (C) of section 955.22 of the Revised Code.

Per the Ohio Revised Code 955.11  Click here for the requirements for harboring a dangerous dog in Ohio.

On March 31, 2015 Goshen's pit bulls attacked and killed another dog that was leashed and in the yard of the owner. Ohio law says the pits are dangerous dogs after the first kill.  Why wasn't the message given to Goshen?

 An April 24th Goshen's pit bulls attacked, killed, and attempted to dismember a Pomeranian, leashed and in the yard of it's owner.  The Pomeranian's owner "told police she tried to chase the dogs off, but one of them started growling at her, so fearing she would be bit, she backed off and waited for help."

On April 27th one of Goshen's pits was reported at large and police were called.  Officer Broz responded and confronted the pit bull.  The pit then ran back into Goshen's yard through an open gate.  Please review AGAIN the requirements for keeping dangerous dogs in Ohio per the Ohio Revised Code.

Per the Morning Journal "Goshen secured the gate at the time but as of April 27 did not make any improvements suggested so the dogs would not escape again, the report stated." 

 Improvements SUGGESTED?

Police cited Goshen for two counts of failure to confine dogs and one count of failure to have a dog license. Police recommended the maximum penalty allowed by law for the offenses due to the repeat incidents, the emotional trauma of the owners of the dead dogs and the quality of life of the other neighbors in the area. 

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8/10/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County Ohio

A dog described as a pit mix or a Boxer mix jumped a fence and killed a Yorkie on the property of the Yorkie owner.  The little dog's owner tried to distract the attacking dog with a rake until the owner of the pit mix/Boxer mix could climb the fence and retrieve his mauler.  The Yorkie's owner has not decided if she will file charges.

Why not?

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The family of Annie Williams is lobbying for regulation of pit bulls.  "We're all going to be very proactive in making sure that what happened to our grandmother does not continue to happen to other people,” said Tequila Williams. “What does it take for legislation, for representatives, for the law to see that this is an animal that no matter how kind you are to it, it cannot be controlled."

They have set up a foundation in Mrs. Williams memory, Any Salvation.  Mrs. Williams possessions will be given to those in need. 

                                                            * * *

Cleveland Heights Ohio is studying dog bite legislation after a pit bull attack on June 11, 2015.  I'm going to let Cleveland.com tell the story of that attack.
" The attack occurred at about 4 p.m. The victim was gardening outside her house when the pit bull approached her sport utility vehicle, which was parked in the street. Her dog was in the SUV, and the vehicle's rear hatch was open.

The woman walked to her SUV to secure her dog. The pit bull bit the woman's leg, then jumped on top of her, biting both her legs. After a few seconds, the dog let the woman go and chased a cat. 

The woman drove herself to Cleveland Clinic, where she received several stitches and a tetanus shot. She said she and her neighbors have seen the pit bull running loose in the past and have called police, believing the dog is dangerous.

Meanwhile, police spotted the pit bull walking through yards on Elbon. Officers tried but failed to capture the dog. After about 15, a boy arrived and said the pit bull belonged to his mother. He walked the dog back to his house on Elbon and locked the dog inside.

The pit bull's owner, 37, then arrived home. She apologized and said her son must not have locked the home's front door, allowing the animal to escape.

The pit bull was quarantined in a kennel for 10 days. The owner was cited for animals not under control, vicious dog biting a person and having a vicious animal. "

No word on the condition of the cat or on reimbursement of medical expenses for the victim.


Cleveland Heights City Council.

                                                               * * *

Avon Lake residents are demanding tougher laws.  "It turns out there's quite an undercurrent here in Avon Lake," Pascarella (owner of the Shih Tzu) said. "People are frightened of the dogs that are around."

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8/13/2015
Orange Village
Cuyahoga County  Ohio

Orange Village is looking at increasing penalties for aggressive, or vicious dogs.  Per Cleveland.com 

"A dog owner can currently face a minor misdemeanor, which carries a $250 fine, should his animal bite, or act like it wants to bite, someone.

Legislation will be presented in September to increase the charge to a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The owner of a vicious animal could face fines and up to 60 days in jail if their animal injures a person or another animal.

According to Orange Law Director Stephen Byron, the village's new law will be more aggressive than current state laws.

In Ohio, a dog is not considered vicious until it bites someone. The "one bite law"makes a dog's owner liable if injury is inflicted by a dog or if the dog previously bit a person or acted like it wanted to."

Orange Village is about to open a new dog park and officials want to keep it peaceful.

Ohio pit bull roundup 7/27/2015. I can't keep up.

We are miles behind on the Pit Bull Roundup.  There is no logical order here, please bear with me.  sometimes life interferes with blogging.  We will cover the backlog in manageable chunks.  Northern Ohio is currently a pit bull hell.  We will get to it soon.  I have not forgotten the Pibble March but simply can't keep up.

A new feature, we will note the county for these attacks.  Always good to know who is responsible.  

4/20/2015
Lockland Ohio
Hamilton County Ohio

You can't make this stuff up.  Two boys were running down a street, running from a pit bull.  One of the boys jumped into the bed of a pickup truck to get away from the dog.  A man who apparently owned the truck fired a shot.  Possibly he thought the boy was going to steal it.  The boys got scared and ran off, unhurt and were picked up by police after 911 calls were made.  Police attempted to talk to the man in the home about the shot that was fired.  Things all went to hell at this point and the SWAT team was called in.  The SWAT team let off an explosive charge and used a bull horn to talk the man out of him home peacefully.  Please share links to incidents where a Beagle at large turned into a SWAT team event.

 


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4/20/2015
Madison Twp Ohio
Franklin County Ohio
A woman was attacked by a dog while she was feeding her son's dog.  A pit bull mix bit the woman in the face and head, she was transported to a Dayton area hospital for treatment.  Police are investigating.


Here is an update to the story... wait for it... the dog that bit the woman was her own dog.  The dog will be euthanized, and hopefully the owner will be charged with making a false statement to police.

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4/21/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

An 18 year old woman, being treated for pit bull bite injuries at Mercy Regional Medical Center told police that "people at 2714 Reid Ave. took control of the dog and asked her not to call police, saying the dog has bitten people before and will be killed by the Lorain County dog warden."  And this would be a bad thing? How many bites does this mauler get?

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4/21/2015
Huber Heights Ohio
Montgomery County

A 14 year old Cattle Dog named Henry was minding his own business in his owner's fenced yard was attacked by the neighbor's two dogs, a pit bull and a Boxer.  In order to attack the peaceful old dog the pit bull and the Boxer broke through a privacy fence.  This is not the first time these two dogs have broken through the privacy fence and attacked Henry.
 

Lenise Knight, Henry's owner did not report it to authorities because she wanted to be a "good neighbor."  Apparently the owner of the pit bull and the Boxer has no such ambitions.

Knight has had enough.  She complained to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center expecting the  pit bull and the Boxer would be picked up.  Remember folks, the dog warden in Montgomery county is none other that MARK KUMPF.

Wait for it.... she was told that by state law dogs can only be picked up after THREE documented attacks on dogs.  This is lazy enforcement and apparently the Montgomery County Dog Warden Mark Kumpf and the Montgomery County Commissioners learned nothing from TWO fatal dog attacks in the County last year.  Klonda Richey made dozens of complaints against the dogs that she called pit/mastiff mixes that eventually killed her.  Nothing of substance was done, sternly worded post-it notes stuck on the dog owner's front door were the best that Kumpf's staff would do.  Klonda Richey died a unimaginably painful and bloody death.   A seven month old child visiting from out of state was killed by an American Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull) with a menacing complaint from the USPS, and an attack on a leashed dog being walked on the sidewalk.  Legal action had been postponed at the time of the baby's death.

Ms. Knight makes a strong point with her thoughts here.  Henry is expected to recover from the attack. However, Knight wants people to learn from her mistake so they can protect their families.

“You have to report these dogs if you feel like you are in danger,” she said. “That way it can be on record and the dogs can be removed.”

Always start that paper trail.



6/8/2015
Sandusky County Ohio

Two pit bulls attack a dog chained in the owner's yard.   A police report was filed.

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5/1/2015
Lorain Ohio
Lorain County

Alton Goshen Jr., "responsible pit bull owner" owns two pit bulls that have attacked TWICE in a month and BOTH of these attacks have killed someone else's dog.  Why did Goshen's pit bulls get a second kill?  Glad you asked but I have no answer for this. Police officer Richard Broz stated, after the second kill, per the Morning News Journal "Broz reported he has dealt with the dogs on several occasions and never observed any aggression toward people, but they had aggression toward other animals."


 (a) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that, without provocation, and subject to division (A)(1)(b) of this section, has done any of the following:

(i) Caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person;

(ii) Killed another dog;

(iii) Been the subject of a third or subsequent violation of division (C) of section 955.22 of the Revised Code.

Per the Ohio Revised Code 955.11  Click here for the requirements for harboring a dangerous dog in Ohio.  

On March 31, 2015 Goshen's pit bulls attacked and killed another dog that was leashed and in the yard of the owner. Ohio law says the pits are dangerous dogs after the first kill.  Why wasn't the message given to Goshen?

 An April 24th Goshen's pit bulls attacked, killed, and attempted to dismember a Pomeranian, leashed and in the yard of it's owner.  The Pomerania owner "told police she tried to chase the dogs off, but one of them started growling at her, so fearing she would be bit, she backed off and waited for help."

On April 27th one of Goshen's pits was reported at large and police were called.  Officer Broz responded and confronted the pit bull.  The pit then ran back into Goshen's yard through an open gate.  Please review AGAIN the requirements for keeping dangerous dogs in Ohio per the Ohio Revised Code.

Per the Morning Journal "Goshen secured the gate at the time but as of April 27 did not make any improvements suggested so the dogs would not escape again, the report stated." 

 Improvements SUGGESTED?

Police cited Goshen for two counts of failure to confine dogs and one count of failure to have a dog license. Police recommended the maximum penalty allowed by law for the offenses due to the repeat incidents, the emotional trauma of the owners of the dead dogs and the quality of life of the other neighbors in the area. 

                                                                      * * *

6/25/2015
Avon Lake Ohio
Lorain County Ohio

Kimberly Larson, owner of a pit bull named Cyrus, entered a plea of "no contest" to a charge of dog at large after her pit mix killed another dog.  Per Action 19 news " Police say the Pit Bull, named Cyrus, was being walked by his owner on Orchard Park Drive when Daisy, a Corgi Beagle mix began barking and ran towards him.

Cyrus slipped out of his harness and went after Daisy. Cyrus's owner struggled to pull him off Daisy and two neighbors came to help.

Daisy died.  Larson was found guilty and paid a fine of $150.  Remember this story.  It will become bigger news in the future.

Dayton pit bull owner indicted in the 2014 mauling death of Jonathan Quarles Jr.

A Dayton dog owner was indicted on six felony charges in the fatal mauling of Jonathan Quarles Jr. on July 20th of last year.  Kimiko Hardy was aware that her pit bull was dangerous prior to the fatal mauling of her step grandson in July of 2014.  Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr.spoke to the media today, announcing the felony charges against Hardy.

Per WHIO Hardy’s dog, Bussa, had previously charged a letter carrier in April 2014, which led the worker to miss work for two weeks and the U.S. Postal Service to refuse to deliver mail to the home for six months, the release stated. Also, just weeks before the fatal attack, Bussa bit and attacked another dog in June 2014. Following the second incident, Hardy attended required classes at the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center on responsible dog ownership, according to the prosecutor’s office.

“This defendant was well aware that her dog was a dangerous, even vicious animal, yet she failed to properly control the animal and it killed a completely helpless infant,” Heck stated.

Hardy pleaded no  contest to charges in the attack on the other dog and paid a $172 fine.
.
Hardy was indicted by the Grand Jury for four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of endangering children, and one count of failure to confine a vicious dog.  Ms. Hardy is not in custody.

It might be of interest that the Dayton Dog Warden, Mark Kumpf was also well aware of the danger of Hardy's pit bull prior to the death of Jonathan Quarles Jr., as was the Prosecutor's office.



Bussa was euthanized in September of 2014.

Compare the costs of incarceration of the owners of violent dogs versus the cost of BSL. Please.

Animals 24-7 gives us something to think about.  "Punishing the deed costs twice as much as banning dogs of fighting breeds.  

 "DES MOINES, DETROIT, SYRACUSE––What does the “bully breed” advocacy mantra “punish the deed, not the breed” really cost society?
Punishing just three people whose “bully breed” dogs recently ran amok, causing two human fatalities, may cost the taxpayers of Iowa, Michigan, and New York state upward of $1 million, according to the Vera Institute of Justice’s 2012 estimate that the annual cost of incarceration in the U.S. is $31,286 per inmate."

"The annual cost to society of the 40-odd fatal dog attacks in the U.S. per year is presently upward of $147 million, according to that actuarial calculator, of which about $100 million results from fatal pit bull attacks,  and most of the rest from attacks by other “bully breeds” including Cane Corsos,  Presa Canarios,  bull mastiffs,  Dogo Argentinos,  and Rottweilers.
The cost to taxpayers of enforcing breed-specific legislation prohibiting pit bulls and other dogs of recent fighting ancestry is by contrast about 2% of animal control expenditure, in counties that enforce such legislation: about 67¢ per household per year, or potentially about $77 million per year, barely half the present cost of fatal attacks, if pit bulls and other fighting breeds were banned throughout the entire United States."

Please read the complete post. Please keep in mind, punishing the owners after a mauling still leaves this.

Dayton disgrace

Dayton residents were appalled by the actions of the Montgomery County Commissioners when they refused to fire Montgomery County dog warden Mark Kumpf after the mauling death of Klonda Richey in February of 2014.  Ms. Richey had made dozens of complaints about her neighbor's dogs and the response of the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, headed by Mark Kumpf, was to put sternly worded post-it notes on the front door of the dog owners with absolutely zero follow up.  Klonda Richey also went to the courts for protection but was, astonishingly, refused a protection order and never offered the opportunity to file an affidavit on the dogs.  Klonda Richey made the statement "those dogs are going to kill me" and she was right.  Klonda Richey's violent and bloody death brought international attention to the city of Dayton Ohio.


Photo of the scene of Klonda Richey's death.

Dog warden Kumpf claimed that Ms. Richey's death was a "tragic accident" and despite the public record of Richey's complaints, Montgomery County officials stood behind him.

Fast forward to July of 2014 and Dayton had another fatal dog attack, this time a seven month old baby in Dayton for a family visit.  Click here for more information on the mauling death of Jonathan Quarles Jr. This part is important, the Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull) that killed little Jonathan Quarles Jr. ALSO had a record with the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.  This one had menaced a mailman and the USPS reported it.  The Montgomery County ARC staff "educated" the owner, yep, that will solve the problem.

Well no, actually it did not solve the problem.  That very same pit bull attacked a leashed dog being walked in the neighborhood.  The Montgomery County ARC responded with charges BUT the hearing on those charges was postponed, for no apparent reason.  Just days after the date of the postponed hearing the pit bull mauled a seven month old baby to death.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Kumpf has to stand alone as the only dog warden in history with TWO fatal attacks in a six month period, all dogs involved having prior histories with county animal control and no definitive action taken.

What is the result?  Glad you asked.  The Montgomery County Commissioners have given Mark Kumpf a RAISE!

In an article titled "Montgomery County dog warden praised after 'difficult year."
From the Dayton Daily News "The head of the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center has received a pay raise based on a good 2014 job evaluation — a move criticized by some residents who say the agency did not do enough to prevent two fatal dog attacks last year.

Mark Kumpf, director of the Animal Resource Center, was given a wage increase of 2.5 percent, from $80,562 a year to $82,576. This decision has angered family members, friends and neighbors of Klonda Richey, who was mauled by two mixed-mastiff dogs in February, 2014, outside her Dayton home.

  Mark Kumpf publicity photo

Klonda Richey had several "difficult years" ending in her violent death.  At only seven months old, Jonathan Quarles never had time for a "difficult year" or the joyous years of a normal childhood.

The family of Klonda Richey has filed a lawsuit against Montgomery County and Mark Kumpf.  The Quarles family has the right to do the same.  I suspect the liability in the Quarles case would be huge since the county had reason to know that their animal control department was not protecting the safety of the residents of the county.

Don't miss the video with this news story on Kumpf's raise.

Mr. Kumpf is a liability to Montgomery County and to the Ohio Dog Warden's Association as well, Kumpf remains president of that organization.  The OCDWA cannot be taken seriously when they retain an internationally disgraced dog warden as their president.    

Lets not forget the victims of Kumpf's failure to act.


Klonda Richey



Jonathan Quarles Jr.

Click here for an interesting bit of video of a Dayton woman who got the sternly worded post it notes on her front door.  Note that Montgomery County ARC never followed up on the tickets AND they did not even respond to her phone calls.

Click here for more thoughts on Montgomery County.

Kumpf got a RAISE based on a good evaluation "after a difficult year"?  What planet do these people come from?