My husband, naked from a shower, fought the attackers off, even though one of the dogs lunged at him twice.
Our dog suffered deep bite wounds to a hind leg and was treated at a vet clinic in Gadsden. The pit bulls' owners promised the dogs would never be allowed off their chains again, so we did not file a complaint.
In March, the same two pit bulls were allowed off their chains. They savagely mutilated our beautiful Weimaraner, Bleu, who died that night from massive blood loss and trauma to his entire body.
The pit bulls broke two of his legs, broke ribs, tore one ear and part of his scalp loose from his skull, and they perforated both carotid, both femoral and both brachial arteries — death wounds.
This attack occurred on our property within 20 feet of our empty farm house, where three children had lived until a few weeks before the attack. My grandchildren, ages 2 and 4, were at my house 800 feet away during the attack. They had been in the yard playing with Bleu that morning.
Bleu did not seek help at our house like he did during the first attack, and I comfort myself believing he stayed at our barn, rather than bring those killers to my house where my grandchildren were.
If the owner had let the dogs off of their chains earlier, my grandchildren and I would be buried alongside Bleu. My husband had fought them off before and knows I could not have saved my grandchildren or myself.
My husband found our beautiful Weimaraner, Bleu, just to the right of this blood-stained wall, under a utility trailer.
He said when he found him he said "Oh Bleu" and Bleu, still alive, started wagging his little tail. My husband, a tough as nails bastard, still cries when he talks about this.
"Bleu was savagely killed by two pit bulls who live through the woods from us. It was the second time they had attacked Bleu. My husband was able to stop the first attack and he was assured that the dogs would never be let off their chains again. But they were let loose again, and last Friday they killed him on our property.
Unbelievably, our county has no law allowing officers to remove these dogs or to even interview the owners.
The owners have no remorse and have stated they will not have their killers put to sleep. They characterize it as a “dog fight,” despite the fact that there was no blood on Bleu's mouth or teeth, which would have indicated he was able to bite at least once during the attack.
Etowah County Sheriff's deputies saw Bleu's body and were visibly moved by the extent of blood spray and bloody paw prints at our barn doors where Bleu attempted to escape his killers, but they said they were unable to do anything about the attack and referred us to animal control.
An animal control officer came three days later, viewed the scene, saw the pictures and told us he had no authority to even interview the killers' owners. He said that his main job was rabies vaccination compliance.
The animal control officer went on to say that pit bulls were not vicious animals, that he personally has a pit bull terrier that is wonderful with kids, and that if we shot the dogs toward the road, toward a house, from our house or in their yard, we would go to prison.
He said that if we tried a civil law suit, we wouldn't win. And Etowah County has no local law to have these vicious killers taken when the owners are clearly irresponsible.
This animal control officer, if he really said all this, needs to be fired - because he's completely WRONG.
Since Bleu's death, I have begun thoroughly researching pit bull attack statistics, as well as Alabama law regarding pit bulls.
I've learned that pit bulls are responsible for more than 50 percent of fatal dog attacks nationwide, with Rottweilers responsible for more than 20 percent. Pit bulls and Rottweilers combined account for three-fourths of all fatal dog attacks in the U.S.
Statistics do not lie. Whether it is the breed or the owner is irrelevant; these facts prove that pit bulls are dangerous animals.
My research has shown that a pit bull may live its entire life being a gentle family pet, without any sign of aggression.
But if provoked for whatever reason, a pit bull attacks relentlessly until its victim is dead, unless forced off. This is why pit bulls are not used by law enforcement or the military. They cannot be called off the attack once they've started.
A 6-month pregnant California woman, Darla Napora, was killed in her home by her pit bull. Her husband came in to find her bloodied, mutilated body, with the bloody pit bull hovering over her. He forced the dog into a bedroom, where it escaped into the yard and was killed by law enforcement officers for threatening behavior.
However, the couple had two pit bulls and the other was found in a bedroom with no sign of blood or involvement in the attack.
The point is, if this couple had been told that she was going to be killed by one of their pit bulls and had to choose which one, would they have been able to tell? What signs might have been present that they missed, or were there no signs at all until he attacked? There is no obvious gauge on a pit bull labeling it as the killer type versus the friendly type, and people have no telepathic ability to tell the difference.
Also, Darla's husband expressed disbelief that his dog could (and would) do something like that, saying they'd treated the dogs like members of the family (basically they did all the things you're supposed to do with pets) - and can't bring himself to "blame" the dog, or pit bulls.
The statistics show that the attacks are commensurate with the number of pit bulls now living in households.
When statistics were first collected, very few people owned pit bulls, but as the pit bull-ignorant public began adopting pit bulls to toughen up their image or prove they can control a dangerous animal, the number of vicious maulings increased, as well.
Consistent statewide laws should be passed concerning ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous animals. Although other breeds such as Rottweilers are considered dangerous, pit bulls are the greatest danger to the greatest number of people and animals.
There should not be variation from city to city, county to county. There should be statewide laws enforceable by any law enforcement officer in the state.
Certain cities have laws requiring $100,000 liability insurance for pit bulls, registration of pit bulls with law enforcement, double fencing in the yard, and requirements that pit bulls must be muzzled if on a leash off their property.
Sterilization should also be a requirement so this breed can die off except in controlled environments. This type of legislation would greatly discourage adoption of pit bulls.
To any pit bull advocates who may take offense at my stand on this subject, I want you to first ask yourself these questions and answer honestly:
Why specifically do you want a pit bull? What about a pit bull is more appealing than adopting any other breed of dog? Why don't you believe the evidence that shows pit bulls cannot be called off an attack once it starts? Are you willing to view graphic pictures of people and animals mauled by pit bulls and then tell those people that there was about a 48-percent chance they wouldn't have been attacked, that they were just unlucky? Can you visualize your child, neighbor,
yourself with arms chewed off, face torn off, neck ripped open, and state with assurance that none of this can happen to you or those close to you in the presence of a pit bull? Do you defend pit bulls because you have a need to have a cause to argue?
I am asking for our lawmakers at every level to form task forces researching the statistics, then create laws protecting the innocent public from needless dog attacks.
My grandchildren will never be allowed to play in my yard until the pit bulls who killed Bleu are gone. The owners are irresponsible and the dogs will attack again if let off the chains.
The organization Dogsbite.org has a nationwide fact collecting site that should be viewed by everyone on both sides of this issue — there will only be one side of the issue after that.
Pam Ashley is a registered nurse living in the Gadsden area.
Update: After I told my story, the pit bull lobby has attacked, slandered and threatened me. They don't want me talking about that fact that two pit bull dogs that had been in my yard often over 2 years, eaten with Bleu, been petted by me and my grandson, tore Bleu apart and left him to die in a blood-sprayed puddle behind one of our barns."
This is what you can expect when you speak up. This was posted on the pro-pit bull Facebook page "The Common Sense Pit Bull":
Speaking about liars, we know that there is a Weimaraner, Bleu, whose owner claims was killed by the neighbor's 2 pit bulls. However, you will find NO REPORT of this "attack" because Bleu was run over by a car and not killed by pit bulls. On the liar's own FB page, she states that her dog was attacked by "a neighbor's pit bull and American Bulldog". Is it that hard to remember 2 different breeds, or is she intentionally calling them both pit bulls (i.e. LYING) to further a sensationalized agenda of fear, hate and murder? The liar is a nurse so knows all the medical terms to SOUND convincing. This liar tossed their dog in the back of a truck surrounded by garbage to be disposed of...and deceptively whores the pictures of this poor animal all over Facebook as a "pit bull victim". A lying bigot demonizing pit bulls because she cannot accept the fact that her irresponsibility as a dog owner is responsible for the death of her dog. We appreciate the opportunity to expose liars who have the audacity to contaminate our posts with their biohazardous lies. BUSTED.
(Tuscaloosa News - April 1, 2012)
