The emaciated Leona in that cage bears little resemblance to the Leona that Boccuti owns now — a hulking 75-pound American bulldog-pit bull mix with loving light brown eyes and a fierce attachment to her red ball.
“That’s horrible, but we’re good now though, huh?” Boccuti asked as Leona’s tail thumped back and forth, her ball in her mouth.
Boccuti, a Canton native who now lives in Olmsted Falls, adopted Leona from the Humane Society of Summit County six years ago. She had already been there for a year and a half after being seized from her previous owners for animal cruelty.
Leona’s story is the story of many pit bull mixes. Of the 725 dogs that the humane society brought in last year, almost 220 were pit bull mixes — most of whom waited, on average, three times longer to be adopted than any other type of dog in the shelter.
“A sad fact is that pit bull mixes are the most commonly bred and most commonly abused in Summit County,” said Diane Johnson, the humane society’s president and chief executive. “Because there are simply more of them and vast misconceptions about them, dogs that look like pit bulls tend to experience a longer stay at our facility prior to adoption.”
To ease some of the stigma surrounding pit bulls, the humane society is hosting a “Pittie Party” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at its headquarters in Twinsburg, where all pit bull mixes will be available for adoption for 50 percent off. Pit bull adoptions are 25 percent off every other day until the end of the month.
Regular dog adoption fees are $175 for puppies younger than 6 months, $125 for adult dogs 6 months to 6 years and $50 for senior dogs 7 and older.
In addition, all month long, the humane society has been posting pit bull “mythbusters” and success stories on its social media pages to dispel misconceptions.
Mythbusters
One of the major myths the humane society is targeting is that pit bulls are a breed in the first place. The term “pit bull” doesn’t refer to a specific breed, but rather to a group of dogs in the terrier family that have stocky, muscular builds, short hair and wide faces.
Johnson said pit bulls are often portrayed in the media as dangerous, but CLAIMS danger “depends on the dog more than the breed.” That’s why the humane society conducts standardized behavioral testing on each of its dogs individually to match them with the proper home environment.
“Pit bull bites fit a certain common narrative and fuel a public fear of pit bulls,” Johnson said.
Marianne Kay of Solon said she’s fostered 129 dogs from the Humane Society of Summit County. Of those, 124 have been pit mixes.
In her three years volunteering there, she’s worked with pit bulls from a variety of backgrounds, including dogs that were neglected to abused.
She said their behaviors have varied, but she never had any problems with them acting violent — in fact, she adopted a few along the way, including her current pit bull mix, Mia.
“A dog is what you make it,” Kay said. “Any dog can bite.”
The Akron dog warden’s office has responded to 230 dog bites since the beginning of 2013, a majority of them being from some version of a pit bull mix.
“That number might be rather high, but that’s only because there’s so many [pit bulls] out there,” said Ron Dowdy, the Akron dog warden. “In my honest, humble opinion, if you had 10 dogs of each breed out there, I think it would pretty much be the same. … Most pit bulls we deal with are friendly, but you’re going to have your exceptions to every breed.”
Times changing
Dozens of organizations from the local to the national level have spoken out against breed-restrictive legislation, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Bar Association and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Ohio was the last state in the country to revoke its “vicious label” of pit bulls in 2012. There are only a handful of cities in Ohio that outright ban pit bull mix ownership, including Lakewood. Many Ohio cities have breed-specific legislation, though, including Akron.
Pit bull mixes in Akron are still considered vicious, and people who own them must follow a list of regulations, including paying an annual fee, posting a city-issued warning sign in their yards and suiting the dog with a city-issued fluorescent green collar. Jeff Fusco, an Akron councilman who proposed the regulations in 2010, said he did so following a pit bull attack on a woman and a large community outcry.
But Boccuti said he’s seen change in the attitude surrounding pit bull mixes since then — right around the same time he adopted Leona — thanks to heightened awareness about them.
Leona is the second pit bull Boccuti has owned, but she’s likely not the last.
“She’s way more grateful than the rest of my dogs. You can just tell, she just knows I brought her home,” said Bocutti, who owns four dogs with his wife, Jessica.
“[Pit bulls] are just loyal, sweet dogs. I’ll always have one now, forever.”
Cats will have the same discount rate as pit bull mixes during the Pittie Party and for the month of September. To see all adoptable animals, visit https://www.summithumane.org/adopt.
BEFORE YOU ADOPT A PIT BULL, DO YOUR RESEARCH - READ THE STORIES FROM THESE OHIO PIT BULL VICTIMS:
"Got attacked by pit bull yesterday morning in Bellevue Ohio"
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| Ohio: Cindy Whisman, 59, died after being attacked by her daughter’s pit bull in the backyard of her home |
Ohio: "So I just left Marymount hospital, my neighbors
pit bull attacked my daughter"
Ohio: Woman being chased by Pit Bull runs inside police station.
Pit Bull follows her, trying to attack everyone so police shoot it
Ohio: Dawn Sacco arrested after her Pit Bull Lab mix ran
up and attacked a neighbor on their own property
What the family Pit Bull did to this young girl (below)
Ohio: Three aggressive Pit bulls attack woman's
tethered dog on its own property
Ohio: Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr. had
been cited FIVE TIMES by Animal Control before his Pit Bull
nearly killed a six-year-old girl
 |
Ohio: Three aggressive Pit bulls attack woman's
tethered dog on its own property
Ohio: Cuyahoga County Corrections Officer Michael Shaw Jr. had
been cited FIVE TIMES by Animal Control before his Pit Bull
nearly killed a six-year-old girl
 |
| Ohio: Unlicensed pit bulls attacked and killed elderly woman's Sheltie named Princess, authorities say |
Ohio: Maurice Brown, mauled to death by Pit Bulls
Ohio: "It grabbed her lower half and was pulling down on
the dog or just actually his weight pulling down as he grabbed
Charlotte. It was pulling me down as well, and then the other
pit bull jumped on me."
Ohio: Man begs his wife to shoot their pit bull after it attacks him.
She can't find the gun but grabs the biggest knife in the kitchen
she can find and starts stabbing the dog. When that had no effect,
she tased it, saving her husband's life
Ohio: Avon Lake neighborhood terrorized and attacked
by neighbor's vicious pit bulls
“I thought I was going to die – I really thought I was going
to die,” Holloway says after being attacked by a Pit Bull.
Ohio: Dayton police kill Pit Bull after it attacks three people
Ohio: Knox County sheriff investigating report
that infant was killed by Pit Bull
the dog or just actually his weight pulling down as he grabbed
Charlotte. It was pulling me down as well, and then the other
pit bull jumped on me."
Ohio: Man begs his wife to shoot their pit bull after it attacks him.
She can't find the gun but grabs the biggest knife in the kitchen
she can find and starts stabbing the dog. When that had no effect,
she tased it, saving her husband's life
Ohio: Avon Lake neighborhood terrorized and attacked
by neighbor's vicious pit bulls
“I thought I was going to die – I really thought I was going
to die,” Holloway says after being attacked by a Pit Bull.
Ohio: Dayton police kill Pit Bull after it attacks three people
Ohio: Knox County sheriff investigating report
that infant was killed by Pit Bull
NEED MORE? LET'S ASK THESE NON-OHIO VICTIMS:
RIP Teddy. Killed by the pit bull, above
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| Michigan: Her 'cheeks are missing:' Pit bull mauls young girl in foster home, lawsuit says |
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| Virginia: Fairfax County Animal Shelter continue to adopt vicious dogs. Now, a Pit bull repeatedly returned to shelter for aggression attacks and kills Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |
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| Pennsylvania: Woman's beloved dog mauled to death by pit bull. How many bodies have to continue to pile up?! |
 |
| Dog attack survivor, 50, who lost his arm, leg and EAR after he was viciously mauled by a dozen pit bulls reveals he is haunted by nightmares |
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| Toddler's ear ripped off in Jurupa Valley dog attack |
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| North Carolina woman fatally mauled when she goes to feed boyfriend's 2 pit bulls |
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| Onslow Co. boy out of hospital following pit bull attack |
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| Cochrane boy, 7, ‘doing good’ after pit bull attack |
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| Owners of pit bull that viciously mauled boy refuse to give it up because they feel 'bullied' |
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| North Carolina: Cathy Wheatcraft had just gotten her mail and was walking back to her house when her neighbor's pit bull attacked and then killed her |
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| California: Emilio Rios Carranza Sr., 65, killed by pit bull/boxer mixes |
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| Delaware: Dachshund being walked on leash is mauled to death by two loose pit bulls |
 |
| Maine: Owner of pit bulls she knew were aggressive, broke through TWO fences to attack and kill Boston Terrier puppy |
 |
| Texas: Yorkie was killed by killed by pit bull; devasted owner says dog walker then tried to flee with the 3 pit bulls |
 |
| Michigan: Xavier Strickland, 4, mauled to death by pit bulls |
 |
| Michigan: Grandmother, 71, is mauled and killed by a pit bull inside her home as neighbors hear her scream for help |
 |
| Arizona: Kayden Begay, visiting his grandparents, is mauled to death by their neighbor's 12 pit bulls |
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| Colorado: Woman killed by son’s pit bulls |
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| South Africa: Two pit bulls attacked and killed Marchen Hoffman, 6, who tried to run |
 |
| Kansas: Piper Dunbar, 2, attacked and killed by two pit bulls that belonged to a family friend |
 |
| United Kingdom: Four-month-old Archie Joe Darby killed and Daniel-Jay Darby, 2, seriously injured by aunt's pit bull |
 |
| United Kingdom: Stephen Hodgson, 45, attacked and killed by his pit bull mix named Buster |
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| Little girl, 8, loses an arm after being attacked by two pit bulls |
 |
| Child Recovers After Damaging Pit Bull Attack in Isanti County |
|
| OHIO -- Dog recovering after pit bull attack |
 |
| VIRGINIA: "RIP to my son's dog Justice! Killed by a pit bull today. Damn I miss this dog." |
 |
| Florida: Pit bull, which has already mauled and killed a cat and a dog in the past, attacks woman and her Dachshund, tries to bite Animal Control officer as well |
 |
| United Kingdom: "He didn't stand a chance", says mom after beloved dog ripped from daughter's arms and ripped apart by pit bull |
 |
| United Kingdom: Owner flees after his three pit bulls attack and kill little dog named Alfie |
 |
| Texas: Chihuahua named Chica-Chica doesn't survive after being attacked by two pit bulls, which broke her spine in half |
 |
| Virginia: Pit bull breaks through a solid fence to attack little dog, nearly killing him |
 |
| 'I thought I was going to die' |
 |
| Woman, 67, suffers serious dog bite trying to save puppy from pit bull attack |
 |
| Pit bull terriers kill Chihuahua, injure woman |
 |
| Little dog dies 4 days after pit bull mauling |
 |
| Florida: Logan, 4, killed by his uncle's pit bulls |
 |
| South Africa: Sweet looking dog mauled by two loose pit bulls on its own property |
 |
| Illinois: "She was bitten 8 times [by the pit bull] which caused 10 bite wounds, one of which opened up her stomach, that caused her intestines to come out." |
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| Woman loses part of leg after pit bulls 'raised in a loving home' attack |
 |
| North Carolina: While spending the weekend with her dad and grandma, little girl attacked by their neighbor's pit bull |
 |
| Pennsylvania: Little girl attacked in the face by her grandfather's pit bull |
 |
| Washington: Young woman protects baby from pit bull attack; is viciously mauled |
 |
| "It depends on how they're raised... I think I raised them properly" says owner of pit bulls which mauled his grandmother |
 |
| 3-Year-Old Braelynn Rayne Coulter Killed By Pit Bull |
 |
| Texas: Norberto Legardo, 83, Killed in Pit Bull Attack |
 |
| Tennessee: Family wonders why their beloved pit bull, raised from a puppy, tried to kill its owners |
 |
| Alabama: Mother stabs her pit bull to death to stop attack on her four-year-old son |
 |
| Mississippi: Biloxi teen who saved his baby brother after they were both attacked by neighbor's pit bull MUST HAVE LEG AMPUTATED |
 |
| Oklahoma: Carolyn Sue Lamp, 68, attacked and killed by three pit bulls and a Rottweiler |
 |
| Boyfriend of woman killed by her own pit bull: 'I've never seen a dog more aggressive' |
 |
| Massachusetts: Little Chihuahua named Foxy is attacked and mauled to death by pit bull |
 California: Horse attacked by a Pit Bull  |
| New Zealand: Cat attacked by two pit bulls; injuries are too great for his little body and he dies at the vet |
 |
| Texas: Lucy, mauled and killed by pit bulls |
 |
| New York: Marley attacked & killed by a pit bull |
 |
| South Carolina: Little dog named Termite horribly mauled by loose pit bull |
 |
| California: Two pit bulls mauled a horse in an attack sovicious the animal had to be put down |
 |
| Alabama: Little Chihuahua has giant holes ripped into his back from pit bull attack |
 |
| Connecticut: Hero UPS driver beats pit bull in the head with a shovel to save Collie being attacked |
 |
| California: Man's little Chihuahua lucky to be alive after being attacked by a pit bull; left with Frankenstein-looking stitches on her back |
 |
| California: Emako Mendoza killed in her own yard by neighbor's pit bulls |
 |
| Iowa: Jordyn Arndt, 4, killed by pit bull |
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| United Kingdom: Cat dies after getting 'ripped apart' by pit bull |
 |
| Pennsylvania: Miniature Pinscher attacked and killed by neighbor's pit bull |
 |
| Two-Month-Old Boy Dead in Pit Bull Attack |
 |
| 10-year-old mauled by family Pit Bull. "I cried," Jeremy said. "He was my best friend." |
 |
| Boynton Beach toddler recovering after pit bull bite to face |
 |
| Police: Family lied about daughter's dog attack to protect family pit bull |
 |
| New York: Family remembers 9-year-old Long Island girl mauled to death by pit bull as horse-drawn carriage carries her casket |
 |
| Upstate New York baby mauled to death by family’s pit bull |
 |
| New York: Pregnant woman is attacked and two of her dogs killed by the same pit bulls which attacked this Boxer (below) the previous week |
 |
| Illinois: Miniature poodle attacked and killed by loose pit bull |
 |
| South Dakota: Woman attacked and her Dachshund named Gunner viciously mauled to death by neighbor's pit bulls |
Canada: Diane Watson's beloved dog Buddy was mauled
to death by a Pit Bull. She asks that her story be told.
Georgia: Man takes in stray, injured Pit Bull. Pit Bull repays his kindness
by trying to kill his little buddy Roscoe, ripping his jaws in half
Texas: "I'm so hurt right now and sad my dog was taken
from me tonight from a pit bull who attacked him"
North Carolina: "They tore her apart," says woman whose
beloved Chihuahua was mauled to death by Pit Bulls
Nevada: "My beloved dog Ringo was attacked by a pit
bull while we were waiting for my child's morning school bus"
Missouri: Two Pit Bulls ran into woman's yard attacking her
small dogs, killing their seven-month-old Sheltie named Sadie
and injuring their other Sheltie
United Kingdom: “She was the loveliest, friendliest, wee dog
and everybody loved her,” said Doris of her beloved little dog
which was mauled to death by a Pit Bull
New York: Tiny dog named Nala mauled by Pit Bull while at the park
Kansas: Pit bulls rip face and ears off of large bull and it may
end up dying. Bull's owner says despite this, she still trusts Pit Bulls.
Texas: Pekingese named Annabelle mauled by Pit Bull
which has apparently been terrorizing the neighborhood
Australia: After their Pit Bulls maul Schnauzer, owners provided fake
names and phone numbers and ran off with their maulers. Police tell
them it's a "civil matter" and won't get involved.
Oklahoma: Neighbor's Pit Bull busts through fence to attack
family's dog on their own property
New York: "This afternoon, my beloved black cat
Shadow was attacked and killed by a stray pit bull"
Texas: Chihuahua attacked and killed by pit bull;
moron tells her not to blame pit bulls
Georgia: Sweet cat dies after Pit Bull attacks her and crushes her lung
California: Two months after being attacked by Pit Bull, horse
and owner still dealing with the aftermath
New Mexico: Man raising money for his mom after her Corgi was
mauled by a Pit Bull tells us, "I have nothing against Pit Bulls"
Illinois: Pit Bull fractures Poodle's spinal cord in vicious attack
Florida: "Our Little Bit was killed today by a pit bull"
California: Poodle mix named Lukey attacked by neighbor's Pit Bull
Florida: Shar Pei puppy named Sushi is attacked by a Pit Bull which
broke her jaw in two places. Does it surprise you that the Pit Bull
owner won't pay the bills?
Illinois: Shih Tzu named Daddy the latest victim of Pit Bulls;
mauled to death by neighbor's Pit Bull
United Kingdom: Owner too scared to walk dog after
Pit Bull attack in Connah's Quay
Canada: Woman who says she always believed 'it's how they're
trained' sees her beloved ten-year-old dog torn into pieces right
in front of her by two Pit Bulls
California: Cat named Speedy mauled by Pit Bull which
pulled him through his fenced yard
California: Dog's chest ripped open after Pit Bull attack
New Mexico: Sunny's little body couldn't handle all the trauma
after being attacked by two Pit Bulls. She dies after her owners
spend $8,000 trying to save her life
Hawaii: "He had my dog and was thrashing him back and forth
like a shark" Pit bulls that attacked woman and her Maltese
have attacked people, pets twice before - and nothing was
done about it
Georgia: Man attacked and his little Bichon named Ellie
was torn apart by two Pit Bulls
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