California: Victims describe harrowing Wilmington dog attack

CALIFORNIA -- In what must have appeared like a scene from a movie, Alfredo Ramos clung tenuously to the fence, unable to get to safety.

Alfredo Ramos lies in bed with his leg and arms bandaged 
after a vicious attack by two dogs Tuesday in Wilmington.

Two angry dogs clamped down on his legs with their teeth, trying to pull him down.

"They bit up my shoe," the Wilmington man said. "It was no use. They were just attacking me."

Ramos, 35, and two other victims of Tuesday afternoon's mauling described their horrifying ordeal in detail Wednesday, explaining how they tried to fend off two 70-pound dogs seemingly intent on killing them.

Each showed off bite wounds on their arms, legs and torsos. Bandages covered at least 60 stitches on Ramos' right leg and wounds to his arm, including a chunk of flesh ripped away from his left forearm.

"It's really chewed up," he said.

Ramos knew the dogs were trouble. They had chased him before. When he saw them Monday in their yard, they looked aggressive.


Rita Torres recounts a vicious 
attack by two dogs she survived 
Tuesday in Wilmington

On Tuesday, he and his 71-year-old mother-in-law, Rita Torres, saw the dogs roaming free on the sidewalk as they walked just a few blocks to Wilmington Park Elementary School to pick up Ramos' 5-year-old son and a 7-year-old boy they care for after school.

"By the time we passed again with my son and the kid we baby-sit, I knew they were sort of not looking at us right," he said.

Fearing the dogs might attack, Ramos told the children to run ahead. The children were gone when the canines pounced.

The dogs - a male boxer and American bulldog mix, and a male pit bull terrier and Akita mix - rushed toward Torres, biting her buttocks and legs, as she walked with Ramos through an alley.

Showing teeth marks on her legs, Torres said in Spanish that she was terrified, especially when the dogs got close to her face.

Ramos rushed toward the dogs to protect her, taking out his keys and stabbing one dog on the top of the head.

"They got more angry and went after me," he said. "They really came harder and harder. They ripped a chunk of my arm and my calf and took a few bites of my foot."

Ramos managed to get away, running toward a fence. He leaped onto it and tried to climb it, but the dogs grabbed him.

"Once he bit my pants, then he got hold of my shoe and then he got hold of my legs," Ramos said.

Torres said she screamed for help, picking up a discarded carton and then a bag of clothes, and hurling them at the dogs.

"(Ramos) was hanging, covered in blood," she said.

As she yelled, a neighbor pulled his car into the alley. Ramos yelled, too.

"If nobody would have come to the rescue, the dogs wouldn't have stopped," Ramos said. "I was screaming so far, `Somebody help me, help me!' It could have been a lot worse."

Seeing the car, the dogs ran to a nearby park. Ramos jumped onto the car's roof.

Just blocks away, Rafael Marquez Arce, 65, sat on a bench in the East Wilmington Greenbelt, a narrow park with swings, grass and plenty of children who had just been dismissed from Wilmington Park school.

In these three photos, Rafael Marquez Arce shows
his numerous wounds on his chest, arms and legs.

Arce said he saw the dogs coming toward him. He jumped up, but they lunged at him, biting his arm, chest and legs.

Children and parents in the park scrambled for safety.

He tried to fight them off, but they got angrier. Another man, seeing what was happening, ran over with a blanket and flicked it at the dogs, trying to lure them away from Arce.


The dogs took the bait, grabbing onto the blanket with their jaws and trying to pull it from him. The man dragged the dogs toward a slide and climbed up it. The dogs gave up, released the blanket and trotted away.

Police, firefighters and animal control officers arrived a short time later. Animal control officers found the dogs at a house in the 1500 block of East Denni Street. They had run home.

The owner, hearing how much it would cost to quarantine them while they were under investigation, relinquished his rights to the animals and surrendered them to the officers.

The dogs are in quarantine at the San Pedro animal shelter. Animal control Capt. Daniel Pantoja said the mauling is under investigation and the dogs will either be destroyed or adopted by a rescue group if that is deemed appropriate.

Chuco, an intact male Boxer and American Bulldog mix

The victims are taking antibiotics in case the dogs are determined to have rabies. Pantoja said the dogs, Cisco and Chuco, were unlicensed and unaltered.

The owner was cited for letting dangerous dogs run free.

Ramos and his mother-in-law said they were grateful the dogs did not attack any children.

The Dennis Street house where the dogs live is owned by Gonzalo Anguiano and Leonor Anguiano. A man who lives in the residence, Rick Hernandez, returned a message left by the Daily Breeze.

He said he cared for the dogs for the last year for the owners, but hung up twice when asked questions about why the dogs were allowed to run free.

Cisco, an intact male pit bull terrier and Akita mix

The man, neighbors said, has walked the dogs without leashes, and has previously allowed them to roam free.

"I'm angry because they have given us problems before," Ramos said. "I've been chased by that dog before. I had warned my mother-in-law about those two dogs."

(Daily Breeze - April 29, 2011)

Read More:

• Dogs severely maul 71-year-old woman and 2 men in Wilmington park
• One of 2 dogs in Wilmington attack to be destroyed, other adopted

Animal Cruelty Offender in Trouble Again

WEST VIRGINIA -- One year after 90 malnourished dogs, horses and mules were taken from his home in Prichard, Gary Belcher is in trouble again.

According to Wayne County Prosecutor Tom Plymale, Belcher was charged with two misdemeanors Thursday after seven dogs were taken from his home. Belcher was charged with fourth-offense cruelty to animals and violating an order that he was not to have dogs on his property for five years.

Anita Asbury at the Huntington-Cabell-Wayne Animal Shelter told WSAZ.com the dogs were underweight, and many of them had skin conditions. One seemed to have a large tumor on its neck.

The dogs are being taken to the vet Saturday morning to be checked out.

Belcher told WSAZ.com the dogs did not belong to him, that they belong to his son-in-law, Alfred Smith.

(WSAZ - April 29, 2011)

Pennsylvania: Heather Castor, 26, charged with two counts of animal cruelty

Full Name: Heather Castor
Gender: Female
Birthdate: 10/29/1984
Height: 5'09"
Weight: 140 lbs
Hair Color: BROWN
Eye Color: HAZEL
Arrest Age: 26
Arrest Date: 04/30/2011
Arrest Location: Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Charges
#1 POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
STATUTE: 35780-113A32

#2 THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING-MOVABLE PROPERTY
STATUTE: 183921A

#3 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: ABUSE ANIMALS
STATUTE: 185511C

#4 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: ABUSE ANIMALS
STATUTE: 185511C

#5 CARELESS DRIVING 25
STATUTE: 753714

Illinois: Veterinarian Dr. Debra Rykoff and John Breseman who run Fur Keeps Animal Rescue posted Diane Eldrup's $25,000 bond - now they're complaining that people are mad at them

ILLINOIS -- The operators of Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills say they have come under attack for posting the $25,000 bond to free Diane Eldrup, who is alleged to have starved more than 19 dogs to death at Muddy Paws boarding and rescue facility in Deer Park.

Veterinarian Dr. Debra Rykoff and her partner, John Breseman, who run Fur Keeps, said they were tired of the attacks and have decided to speak out.

Rykoff said she has had her tires slashed, an investment home in Huntley broken into, and Breseman has received written threats.

Rykoff and Breseman believe that an online is another attack by people who are angry that they posted bail for Edrup.

“Her son and my daughter were friends, but we had lost touch with her. We bailed her out and that’s when these things started happening,” Rykoff said.

 

The whole place had to be demolished

Rykoff said she knew Eldrup for about three years, and that Eldrup was always willing to help out as a volunteer at Fur Keeps. She said sometimes volunteers wouldn’t show up, but Eldrup would always be available at the drop of a hat.

“I don’t have a clue what happened her,” Rykoff said. “The person we knew is not the person we bailed out.”

Rykoff performs spays and neuters for many rescue organizations and she did some for Muddy Paws as well, she said.

Rykoff said she had lost touch with Eldrup for about six months.

“She had been keeping nine of our hard-to-adopt dogs, but she stopped veterinary care and stopped returning phone calls, so in November, we went to take them back. She seemed odd,” recalled Rykoff.

Rykoff said she did not go inside the facility at that time.

“I’m feeling really guilty that I didn’t go in there,” Rykoff said.

The tragedy at Muddy Paws was discovered in December and Eldrup was charged with felony counts of aggravated cruelty and animal torture.

Rykoff said she provided the bail out of concern for Eldup’s 9-year-old son.

“It was the right thing to do. You’re innocent until proven guilty. If she did something because she was mentally ill, then she should get help, not be crucified It’s ridiculous,” Rykoff said. “She is broken and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to fix her.”

She said she didn’t realize the consequences when she posted bail for Eldrup, but she does not regret it.

She said she felt it was a good example to her 9-year-old daughter that you help a friend in trouble. Rykoff’s daughter was a friend of Eldrup’s son.

“Are we going to cave in and not bail her our because it’s the hard thing to do?” Rykoff said.

Hey moron, Diane Eldrup was found GUILTY!

She said she is willing to make hard choices, like running the rescue.

Is this photo showing Diane Eldrup or Debra Rykoff's
property? Either way it looks HORRIBLE.

“Other vets spend money on fancy houses and cars. I spend it on the rescue,” Rykoff said. She said she subsidizes Fur Keeps at about $60,000 to $70,000 per year from her personal income. - prove it

Peter Hays, a volunteer foster for Fur Keeps, believes attacks on the rescue are unfair.

“When you blaze a trail and do something other people won’t do, you come under criticism,” Hays said.

Fur Keeps regularly takes in dogs that other rescues won’t take, said Mary Ann Wikens, Hays wife.

“She takes in a lot of animals other people won’t take. Other shelters would put them to sleep,” Wilkens said.

Breseman said many of the animals Fur Keeps takes in come from puppy mills and adverse situations. They come to the shelter with a host of health problems.

“A lot of the dogs come in bad shape. People lost their jobs and lost their homes and they’re not taking care of the dogs,” Breseman said.

Rykoff said running the shelter has become more difficult because there are more animals in need of rescue and less people willing to adopt.

Hays attested to Rykoff’s love of animals. He noted that she was one of the first vets to go to New Orleans and care for animals injured during Hurricane Katrina. Supporters of Fur Keeps started a petition to clear the rescue and Rykoff’s reputation, and have also been posting words of support on Fur Keeps Facebook page.

Rykoff said she had always wanted to be a veterinarian.

“I used to save worms on the sidewalk and would paint blood on my rocking horse so I could put a bandaid on it,” she said.

Breseman said claims that animals at Fur Keeps aren’t being cared for properly are unfounded. He said the dogs eat expensive, high-quality food, Flint River Ranch. He said the shelter spends $3,000 per month on dry food, alone. The shelter houses about 40 dogs and about 40 cats, he said.

They are idiots. Wasting all that money on "high quality expensive" dog food when the person who adopts the dog is most likely NOT GOING TO CONTINUE PAYING RIDICULOUS PRICES FOR GOURMET DOG FOOD.

He refuted claims that the dogs are kept in the barn stalls all day. He said they are let out into the indoor arena and volunteers come to walk them outside.

 

Breseman said the barn stalls are scrubbed with bleach. He admitted it can be difficult to keep up with cobwebs in the barn.

Rykoff said she wants people to come out to Fur Keeps and see it for themselves, before passing judgment.

“Come out and see if for yourself,” Rykoff said. “What we could use is a lot more money and a lot more staff,” she said.

(Patch - April 30, 2011)

Earlier:

• Illinois: 18 dead dogs found at Deer Park rescue called Muddy Paws; owner Diane Eldrup arrested
• Illinois: Most of the 17 dead dogs found at Muddy Paws Dog Rescue were found inside living area of house, says attorney
• Illinois: Diane Eldrup, owner of Muddy Paws Dog Rescue, faces 32 counts of animal cruelty
• Illinois: Investigators searching for more dead animals at Diane Eldrup's Muddy Paws Dog Rescue facility
• Illinois: What Diane Eldrup's husband Kurt Eldrup saw inside Muddy Paws Dog Rescue concentration camp
• Illinois: Editorial "Many failures led to animals being abused and killed at Diane Eldrup's Muddy Paws Dog Rescue"
• Illinois: Diane Eldrup and Muddy Paws Dog Rescue mess dates back to 2009
• Illinois: Diane Eldrup, 48, denies newest charges in animal abuse case

Pennsylvania: Greenwich Township police rescue ducklings trapped in Pohatcong Township drain

PENNSYLVANIA -- A group of ducklings trapped in a Pohatcong Township storm drain got a hand up from Greenwich Township police this afternoon.

Greenwich Township police officer, Sean McLaughlin, uses a make-shift
 snare to reach into a storm drain. Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOP

  

Greenwich Township police officers, Scott Moeller, left and Sean
McLaughlin, stand by as a New Jersey State Dept. of Transportation worker
removes the storm drain cover, to allow police access to the trapped ducklings.
Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOP

A Greenwich police officer used a snare to lift up the squeaking ducklings, one by one, from the drain.

Police said the mother duck and her brood were on the Greenwich side of Route 22 and then got snarled in traffic as they crossed near New Brunswick Avenue.

 

 

 

 

Greenwich Township police officer, Sean McLaughlin, holds a duckling
he rescued from a storm drain. When asked what the duckling's name
was, he replied, "Lucky". Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOP



It's not clear how the ducklings got separated from their mother or in the storm drain, but police said they'd try to reunite them.

(Lehigh Valley Live - April 30, 2011)

Connecticut: Tara Bryson and Michael Hearl are drug dealers (and animal abusers!)

Wealthy people get all the breaks - it's the American way. After getting her 'drug dealer' charge pleaded down to basically a possession charge, Bryson and Hearl somehow talked the state of Connecticut to hand them $50,000 in taxpayer money to 'start a goat milk business'. They then starved the animals to death and may have sickened hundreds of people as they lied about the milk being pasteurized. 

Is Connecticut going to grow a pair this time and properly prosecute these career criminals???!

CONNECTICUT -- An executive at a Ridgefield hedge fund is accused of diversifying her investments and dabbling in the illegal world of marijuana farming will not go to jail.

Tara Bryson, 36, and her boyfriend, Michael Hearl, 38, were arrested in July and police seized more than 200 pot plants from the couple’s (million dollar) Butterfield Road home,the Newtown Bee reported at the time.

 

Bryson’s arrest report shows Connecticut State police found over 203 marijuana plants in her million dollar Newtown home so the charges being dropped down from "cultivation of marijuana" to only "possession less than four ounces" appears to be a lucky break given to wealthy people with connections. 

I previously reported her live-in boyfriend Michael Hearl also plead guilty and will serve two years in jail; which reads like he took one for team because Tara Bryson won’t be joining him in the slammer.

The hit to Bryson’s wallet appears to be only in the form of legal cost because the State is asking her to pay a measly $15 fine.

If the State had held to the original pot farm cultivation charges, they’d filed against Bryson last July, she’d be facing felony charges and up to 7 years prison time.

Bryson ran investor relations for New Stream Capital, which her brother, David Bryson, co-founded, Forbes reports. Her hedge fund clients have included Veronica Hearst, Elizabeth Taylor and Kathy Ireland, Forbes reports.

Bryson was suspended when an article about the arrest surfaced, a New Stream spokesperson told Forbes.

Hearl told Forbes that they farm goats, not weed and they did not “have that many plants.”

By "not many," he meant 203 plants, according to the arrest report.

The couple received a $50,000 grant from the state this year to transform their Ridgefield property into a goat farm, according to New York magazine.

This is why the government is corrupt. Why would anyone give this woman $50,000 when she is a convicted drug dealer? Do you think the state would just hand you $50,000 if you told them you lived in a million-dollar home, was a convicted drug dealer and wanted government assistance to buy some goats and "start a farm"? They would laugh you right out the door!

 

 

The goat business was probably a sham to hide money
laundering or a continued drug dealing business

The hedge fund Bryson was a part of has run into its share of problems, Dealbreaker.com reports, and has filed for bankruptcy, according to Business Insider.

(NBC Connecticut - April 27, 2011)

Pit bull Mastiff mix euthanized after biting child

FLORIDA -- A pit bull stabbed by its owner after it attacked a 2-year-old girl has been euthanized, officials said.

The stab wounds were so severe that the pit bull mastiff couldn't have been adopted, said Marti Ryan, Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman. The dog, named Fresh, was euthanized this morning.

"The dog was in serious pain," Ryan said. "That was the humane thing to do."

The incident happened Wednesday night in a garage at 10146 Bloomfield Hills Drive in Thonotosassa.

The unneutered dog bit the toddler's face and upper body when she offered it a treat.

The owner stabbed the 85-pound pit bull in the face to get it off the child, animal control officers said.

Ryan said she did not know the condition of the child, who was taken to a hospital. The toddler's name has not been released.

A man and woman also were injured in the incident, both suffering bites to the arm.

There have been no prior issues or complaints regarding the dog or its owners, Ryan said.

Officers cited the owners because they could not show proof of vaccination and tags. But Ryan said charges are unlikely because the incident involved a dog attacking a family member, not a neighbor or stranger.

"The child has suffered, the family has suffered and the dog has suffered," she said. "It's tragic."

Ryan recommends that young children not be allowed to feed the family dog or be left unsupervised with a dog.

(Tampa Bay Online - April 28, 2011)

Earlier:

• Pit Bull Mastiff mixed stabbed to stop its attack on toddler

Vicious Dog Shot On College Campus

NORTH CAROLINA  — A pit bull was shot and later quarantined after the animal attacked an Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College employee.

The pit bull's owner, Joseph Garcia, of Hazelwood Road, was cited for the bite and not securing an animal during transport. Both violations carry a $50 fine.

The brindle-colored pit bull, named Riggs, was left unsecured Tuesday in the back of a pickup truck while the owner registered for classes, according to A-B Tech officials.

The dog jumped from the truck about 4 p.m. A female student on campus encountered the pit bull, and the animal attempted to attack her. A-B Tech maintenance worker Jason Robinson intervened and was bitten on his right hand, according to a release from the Police Department.

After the attack, the dog continued to wander the campus and menace people, according to law enforcement. Sgt. Don Stout, an A-B Tech officer, eventually encountered Riggs and shot the pit bull in the cheek, Police Department Lt. Wally Welch said.

The animal ran into the woods, and law enforcement officials located the dog several hours later.

The animal received nonlife-threatening injuries. It was treated and released into the custody of law enforcement and is being held at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter.

“Our primary objective if there is a bite is to secure the animal because human health is at risk,” said Brenda Sears, who heads the animal control division at the city.

Welch said the animal appeared to have its current shots.

“He did have a tag that suggested that it was up-to-date, but because of the nature of the incident we wanted to investigate,” Welch said.

Garcia has had contact with animal control officials previously.

Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Lt. Kevin Calhoun said a different dog owned by Garcia was acting aggressively in Garcia's neighborhood in August 2010.

The county put restrictions on the animal, but it was eventually hit by a car.

Sears said the city has limited authority over the animal because Garcia lives in the county.

The animal will be required to wear a muzzle and be secured at all times when inside the city limits.

A phone number for Garcia was not available, and he couldn't be reached for comment.

(Citizen-Times - Apr. 27, 2011)

Read More:

• Dog shot after biting Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College worker

Pit Bull Mastiff mixed stabbed to stop its attack on toddler

FLORIDA -- An unneutered pit bull mastiff attacked and injured a 2-year-old girl tonight in Thonotosassa after the child tried feeding the dog a treat, officials said.

The incident happened in a garage at 10146 Bloomfield Hills Drive when the dog reacted to the child trying to feed it, Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said.

"A dog may sometimes mistake the uncoordinated movement of a child for teasing," she said.

The child was taken to a hospital after being bitten twice in the face and once in the chest by the 3-year-old dog, named Fresh, said Michael Anthony, an animal control officer with Hillsborough County.

Two adults also were injured during the incident.

A man suffered a minor bite injury to the arm, and a woman was taken to a hospital after being bitten on the arm as well, Anthony said. The extent of her injuries isn't immediately available.

The owner stabbed the dog in the face to get the animal off the child, Anthony said.

Animal control officials said they haven't had prior issues with the dog.

The pet's owners surrendered the dog to animal control.

Ryan said the dog's owners would be cited because they could not show proof of vaccination and tags.

(Tampa Bay Online - April 27, 2011)

Dogs euthanized in New Lisbon

WISCONSIN -- Two dogs that injured two people and killed another dog in the city of New Lisbon were voluntarily euthanized Friday by the owner, Police Chief Brent Granger said Tuesday.

But that grisly resolution to two separate dog attacks is no comfort to Cynthia Allds, whose seven pound toy poodle Garrigan died in the second attack.

"He didn't have a chance," Allds said last week.

A banner the dog owner posted in her yard.

Allds suffered a bite on a finger and a jammed hip when she tried to intervene in the melee that ensued when three dogs entered her yard at 404 W. Liberty St.

"I knew what they had done to [another victim], but I wasn't going to let them shred my dog," Allds said.

The same dogs attacked March 31, according to the report of the New Lisbon Police Department. The victim in that attack declined to comment for this report and asked that her name and other identifying information be withheld.

According to the police report, the trouble began March 31 when three dogs owned by April Decker, 508 W. Court St., attacked a woman's dog outside her residence in the 500 block of South Washington Street.

The victim told a police officer that she was walking her dog at about 9 a.m. on Washington Street, which intersects with West Court Street, when she saw two black dogs and a third, smaller, white dog approaching.

The black dogs attacked her dog and one of the three dogs bit her, the woman said. New Lisbon First Responders and a Camp Douglas ambulance responded to the scene, according to the police report. The woman was treated at Hess Memorial Hospital for a cut to a finger that needed 11 stitches to close. Her dog suffered bite wounds.

New Lisbon Police Chief Brent Granger said that, because the dogs could not immediately be located, he alerted New Lisbon schools and several daycare centers to keep children indoors. "It was just a precautionary measure," Granger said.

The attacking dogs were later located in the 500 block of South Forest Street and returned to Decker's home without incident, according to the police report.

Because of uncertainty about which dog had bitten the woman, police issued three animal bite orders to Decker, who was also cited and fined $200.50 for dogs running at large, an ordinance violation.

A bite order requires that dog owners quarantine dogs for 10 days and provide proof within 24 hours that dogs have been vaccinated against rabies, according to copies of the orders provided by police. According to the records, Decker complied and provided proof that all three dogs had been recently vaccinated. The dogs were also legally licensed, according to police records.

Then, at 5:40 p.m. on April 12, a police officer was called to Allds' home at 404 W. Liberty St.

According to the police report, Allds told the investigating officer that she had been outside her home with her toy poodle when two Rottweilers and a small white dog entered her yard.

One of the Rottweilers picked the toy poodle up in its mouth and repeatedly bit it, Allds said. A male person arrived, collected the three dogs and drove away, Allds told police. The toy poodle died immediately of its injuries.

Police determined that the three dogs that entered Allds' yard were the same three involved in the March 31 attack.

According to the police report, Decker was to be issued eight citations totalling $2,108 for the second attack, though some or all of the citations would be dismissed if Decker cooperated promptly with an order to euthanize two of the dogs - the Rottweiler mixes.

On April 18, four days before the dogs were to be euthanized, the front yard of the home at 508 W. Court St. displayed a banner protesting the order to euthanize the dogs and two mock graves. A woman who answered the door identified herself as April but declined to give a last name.

"I feel horrible about it," the woman said. "My kids are grieving, too, and I take responsibility for that."

The woman said she was "very remorseful" and said she hoped Allds would contact her so she could apologize.

Allds said she did not think contacting Decker was her duty. "I guess I didn't feel I should go seeking an apology," she said.

Allds said she acquired Garrigan when he was a puppy about four years ago, shortly after the death of her husband. Like any dog owner, she always knew the day would come when she would have to bury her pet.

"But I would never, ever have thought it would happen this way," Allds said.

(Star Times - April 27, 2011)

Dogs severely maul 71-year-old woman and 2 men in Wilmington park

CALIFORNIA -- Two dogs seriously mauled a 71-year-old woman and two men Tuesday in a Wilmington park crowded with children.

The owner immediately relinquished the dogs to animal control officials, who placed them in quarantine.

Chuco, an intact male Boxer and American Bulldog mix, is one of the two
dogs involved in an attack on a 71-year-old woman and two men.

The victims, including a 65-year-old man and the woman's 35-year-old son-in-law, were in surgery Tuesday afternoon, all suffering from severe bite wounds, Los Angeles City Animal Control Capt. Daniel Pantoja said.

"This is bad," Pantoja said. "These dogs will not be going back to that property."

Officials described the dogs as a white male Pit Bull terrier and Akita mix named Cisco, and his father, a brown Boxer and American Bulldog mix named Chuco. Both weigh about 70 pounds.

Alfredo Ramos, 35, describes the horrific attack. Bandages
cover at least 60 stitches on Ramos' right leg and wounds to his
arm, including a chunk of flesh ripped away from his left forearm.

The attack at the East Wilmington Greenbelt in the 1100 block of Coil Avenue occurred about 1:35 p.m., 10 minutes after nearby Wilmington Park Elementary School was dismissed for the day.

Noe Ortega, 17, said he had just collected his 7-year-old sister, Sofia, from school when they heard a commotion coming from the park. Adults and children were rushing from it, scattering into the surrounding streets.

"I looked and I saw two dogs attacking a man," Noe said. "They were biting him. They bit his arms. They were biting him in the butt. He was saying, `Help!' His arms were all bloody and his shirt was stained with blood."

Another man wrapped a blanket around his hands and tried to grab the dogs. The dogs went after him, Noe said.

Across the street at the Wilmington Park school, Principal Adriana Nakano's students already had been dismissed, but some remained on campus for after-school activities.

"I had them close the gates," Nakano said. "I didn't want (the dogs) coming on campus."

Pantoja said Noe might have actually been watching the woman, not one of the male victims, under assault.

"Her son-in-law went to her rescue and ended up being mauled himself," Pantoja said.

Firefighters treated the victims, who were taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach.

The victims will require stitches and skin grafts, Pantoja said.

The woman suffered severe cuts and bite wounds to her buttocks and legs. The dogs caused deep cuts to the 65-year-old man's arms, his chest and legs.

The younger man had severe tear and bite wounds to his legs and feet.

"He was on the floor trying to kick the dog off of him," Pantoja said.

Rafael Marquez Arce, 65, shows his injuries

The dogs ran off when more people moved in to shoo them away.

Police officers, firefighters and animal control officers swarmed into the neighborhood looking for them.

Animal control officers soon found them. They had run home, where the owner immediately surrendered them when he learned he would have to pay for them to be quarantined to check for rabies.

The owner, whose name was not released, was cited for a misdemeanor for allowing dangerous dogs to roam free, Pantoja said.

Animal control officials caged the dogs at the city's shelter in San Pedro. Once the 10-day quarantine is over, they will be destroyed or possibly given to a rescue group, he said.

Cisco, an intact male Pit Bull terrier and Akita mix, is one of the
two dogs involved in an attack on three men.

The white dog, Pantoja said, had blood on his face when he arrived at the shelter.

One dog had a gash on the top of its head, apparently from keys a victim slammed onto its head to break free, Pantoja said.

(Daily Breeze - April 26, 2011)

Read More:

• Victims describe harrowing Wilmington dog attack
• One of 2 dogs in Wilmington attack to be destroyed, other adopted
• Elderly Woman, Two Men Attacked by Dogs Near Wilmington Park

Pit Bull Bites 5-Year-Old

NEBRASKA -- A 5-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after being bitten in the face by a pit bull on Monday night.

The Nebraska Humane Society responded to the area of 58th and Erskine streets around 8 p.m. for a report of a child being attacked by a dog.

Mark Langan with the Nebraska Humane Society said the girl was petting a pit bull when another pit bull bit the girl in the chin. The girl was at her mom's friend's house under the care of a 13-year-old neighbor at the time. The 5-year-old's mom took her to a hospital, where she had to get several stitches.

Langan said the bite punctured the girl's skin, but she is expected to be OK.

Officials said they were unable to locate the dog or its owners until Tuesday morning.

The dog's owner, who did not have pit bull insurance, was cited for harboring a dangerous animal, authorities said. The dog has been placed in a 10-day quarantine until the issue goes before a judge.

The dog's owner told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the dogs had no history of problems. They also said the neighbor knew the dogs well and shouldn't have let them get near the girl.

WHAT THE VIDEO CLIP SAYS:
"Wagging its tail and looking every bit as friendly as its owner insists it is, this pit bull is taken from its home by Animal Control... but as they attempt to put it away, a glimpse of its true behavior."

"Left with one of her pit bulls, still the owner is still visibly upset. Her husband avoided officers all of Monday night and into Tuesday morning."

"Police and Animal Control Officers surrounded the home Tuesday morning and issued a search warrant to seize the dog. Finally the owner came home and let them in. They issued citations for harboring a dangerous animal and not having the required pit bull liability insurance."

(KETV - April 25, 2011)

Grandma Saves Baby From Dog Mauling

MASSACHUSETTS -- A Haverhilll grandmother said she and a friend narrowly escaped seeing her baby granddaughter get mauled by two charging German Shepherds earlier this month, but both are suffering from leg wounds as a result of the attack.

Laurie Adams, 49, said she and a friend were walking her 1-year-old granddaughter Averey on April 15 when the two dogs came charging at the baby's stroller, the Lawrence Eagle Tribune reported.

The two women shielded the baby, but both suffered bite wounds to their lower legs. Adams was bitten twice and her friend was bitten five or six times, she said.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! ... I just got attacked, my and my friend, by two German shepherds!" Adams can be heard screaming on the 911 call made to police. "Oh my God! I'm going to pass out."

The dogs attacked twice and Adams believes they were trying to get at the baby. They were saved by police, fire and animal control crews who arrived at the scene near Adams' Birch Avenue home.

"She didn't get bit because we jumped on top of her so the dogs couldn't attack her," Adams said.

Both women were taken to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment.

The dogs were being looked after by a Western Avenue resident who said their owner was out of town. She was fined $100 for violating the city's leash law, police said.

The person living here took the responsibility of caring
for the dogs; they should have ensured that these
aggressive dogs could not escape their property

(Boston Channel - April 26, 2011)

North Carolina: Tiny dog killed by pit bull at condominium complex

NORTH CAROLINA -- Jackson, a Morkie terrier, packed a lot of life in his 18 months.

Poor Jackson never had a chance

He wore glasses and "posed" with Marilyn Monroe on his Facebook fan page, "Askin' Jackson." On the page, the spunky dog answered questions about relationships.

Jackson died Sunday after being attacked by a pit bull in the hallway of the condominium on Rivertree Lane in western Winston-Salem where he lived with his owner, Jonathon Epstein.

The pit bull, which belonged to a neighbor, bit Jackson on the head, authorities said Monday.

Jackson died on the way to the veterinarian.

"I don't want what happened to Jackson to happen to any other dog or kid," Epstein said.

The attack happened Sunday about 1:30 p.m., according to the Forsyth County Department of Animal Control.

A Morkie is a mix of a Yorkshire terrier and a Maltese. The dogs are small. Jackson weighed about 5 pounds.

Epstein and Jackson were returning from a walk when the pit bull and two poodles ran out of the condominium across the hall, officials said.

The pit bull bit Jackson on the head, seriously injuring him. Epstein said he tried to lift his dog out of the way but the pit bull bit anyway.

An Animal Control investigator spoke to Erica Reaves, the pit bull's owner, who said she wasn't home when Jackson was attacked.

Reaves' mother told the investigator that she and Reaves' stepfather were taking the dogs out for a walk.

When they opened their door, all of the dogs started barking. The pit bull ran out and bit Jackson, she said.

Reaves said Monday evening that the [pit bull], a 7-year-old female, "is a good-hearted dog." Reaves declined to give the dog's name (NOTE: Other news stories, plus the owner's own Myspace pages, lists the pit bull's name as "LEXIE" -see below) but said she gets along with people and nothing like this incident had happened before with the dog.

"It is unfortunate that some dogs don't like each other," Reaves said.

Reaves said her 19-month-old son was near the door when the attack occurred. The dog was protecting the boy when it attacked Jackson, she said.

Animal Control plans to declare the pit bull a dangerous dog because of the attack, said Tim Jennings, the director of the animal-control department.

After the declaration, Reaves will have to have her dog spayed, confine her to a six-sided enclosure and post warnings.

Reaves told the investigator that she plans to take her dog to her father's home in a rural area. For now, the pit bull still lives in their home.

Epstein said in an email that he was lucky that he wasn't attacked as well.

"The bottom line is that along that owning a dog comes responsibility," he said. "Anybody who (has) owned a dog before and was serious about it knows that training a dog is the simplest thing in the world."

(Winston-Salem Journal - April 26, 2011)

Read More:

• Tiny dog's death points to need for tighter policies on dogs that kill
• Dog Dies After Neighbor's Pit Bull Attack

Pit bull owner's Myspace photos (captions as imagined, artistic liberty):

Quoted on her Myspace page:

" MY PITT BULL LEXIE HAS MY HEART! I LOVE PUPPIES,

MAKE THAT ALL CUTE FURRY ANIMALS!"