Pit Bull nearly kills German Shepherd

CALIFORNIA - Ken Vergini was taking his German Shepherd for an evening walk, as he has done for years, when the dog was attacked and nearly killed.

         Ken Vergini's German Shepherd is recovering from an attack by a

               vicious pit bull while they were out for an evening walk.

The Simi Valley man was walking along Burrell Avenue on April 19 when "a pit bull jumped the fence and went right for my dog's neck," Vergini recalled.

What followed were four or five minutes of terror as another man fought to unclench the pit bull terrier's jaws from his dog's neck. In the process, the man was bitten and injured, Vergini said.

Vergini's encounter may reinforce perceptions that pit bulls can be merciless dogs, sometimes killers. Ventura County has recently seen a rash of attacks by pit bulls.

Others, however, say pit bull terriers can be gentle, kind dogs.

In fiscal year 2008-09, the latest for which statistics were available, 1,617 animal bites were reported to the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department. Of these, dogs accounted for 1,260 bites, or 78 percent.

Pit bull bites often top the list of those reported to the department. Bites serious enough to warrant someone being treated at a hospital must be reported, said Monica Nolan, the department's director.

There were 121 reported pit bull bites in 2008-09. Chihuahuas were second, with 119 reported bites. Labrador retrievers were third with 74, and German shepherds fourth with 72 bites reported. Boxers were fifth with 34, and Jack Russell terriers were sixth with 23.

Nolan said pit bull bites are generally more severe than Chihuahua bites because pit bulls have stronger mouths and jaws.

"Pit bulls are a terrier breed, and they are built to grab prey and hold on to prey. ... Chihuahua bites are quick bites," Nolan said.

Chihuahuas may account for more overall bites than pit bulls, she said, but many may go unreported.

Nolan said some pit bulls that come through her department are among "some of the gentlest dogs I have ever seen in my life."

That sentiment was shared by Caroline Squires, president of Animal Rescue volunteers, a nonprofit based in Simi Valley that seeks homes for dogs and cats.

"They can be among the sweetest and nicest dogs around," she said.

DETERMINING FACTORS
One key to whether a pit bull terrier is a four-legged demon is how it was raised, Nolan said.

"Early socialization is very important," she said, particularly educating the dogs to be kind and accepting of other dogs.

The animal services department strongly encourages all those adopting a pit bull to take it to an obedience class.

"It's very important to learn the proper way to communicate with your dog," she said.

In fact, adoption fees include obedience classes.

How a pit bull turns out is largely the owner's responsibility, Nolan said.

Mike Aranda, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, said there's an adage among canine handlers: "The brains run up the leash," meaning it's the person handling the dog who is responsible.

He worked as a sheriff's canine handler for four years, and he agrees the breed can be gentle. But the pit bull that clashed with Vergini's dog apparently wasn't one of the gentle ones.

The German shepherd's neck was badly mauled in an attack Vergini said "was totally unprovoked."

"There was a lot of blood," he said. "I thought my dog was going to die."

Afterward, he rushed his dog to a pet care center in Thousand Oaks, where it was given anesthesia and operated on.

Vergini had spent $1,000 in medical bills for his dog at one point. He expects that could easily climb to $3,000 or $4,000 in the weeks ahead, depending on how much more care the dog needs.

Other dogs aren't the only targets of an angry pit bull. Ray Daniels, owner of a restaurant in Simi Valley, said his granddaughter, Shay Sisson, 7, was attacked by a pit bull recently while playing in a nearby backyard.

Daniels said the dog badly injured the girl's face and she required numerous stitches at a hospital. He said the experience has left him more determined to make local laws tougher on owners of pit bull terriers.

"They need to be held more accountable for what their dogs do," he said, adding that he would like to see the breed banned from the county, though he doesn't think this is likely.

Simi Valley police said they did not respond to the attack on Daniels' granddaughter, adding that the county's animal control department did.

PIT BULLS IN THE NEWS
Whether the breed's reputation is founded or not, the aggressive pit bulls make headlines:

• On April 15, a pit bull knocked a boy off his bike and bit him as he rode along the 3400 block of Citrus Street in El Rio, Ventura County sheriff's deputies said. The dog, estimated to weigh around 100 pounds, backed off while the boy was on the ground. The boy got up and ran to a relative's house. The dog was put into quarantine for 10 days.
• On April 20, a Ventura police officer shot and killed a pit bull after it charged him as officers were responding to a call about a domestic disturbance along the 1100 block of South Saticoy Avenue. A second pit bull backed off, police said.
• On April 16, officers confiscated nearly two dozen pit bulls in the backyard of an El Rio house along the 300 block of Salem Avenue. Aranda said some of the dogs were malnourished. Deputies also found evidence that at least three had been in a fight. Denise Callaway, a supervisor with animal services, said only three could be handled safely.

Unfortunately, Squires said, one negative story about the breed can overshadow 100 positive ones. As with county animal control, Squires' group has a lot of pit bulls awaiting adoption.

Among them is Monty. Rescuers found him shot and burned in the desert. His wounds were so severe that one of his hind legs had to be amputated, Squires said.

"After numerous surgeries and lots of love, he has been given a clean bill of health," Squires said.

Part of the reason for the surplus of pit bulls like Monty, Squires said, is that some people are reluctant to adopt the breed because of misconceptions.

"We have a surplus of pit bulls and Chihuahuas," she said.

(Ventura County Star - May 13, 2011)