Bermuda: Silver lining after pit bull attacks woman's Corgi Terrier mix

BERMUDA -- Katherine Houston described seeing her dog being attacked by a loose pit bull as a nightmare.

However, now with her dog on the road to recovery, Ms Houston is trying to turn the incident into a positive by using it to support the Bermuda Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“It felt like it would make everything right,” she said. “My son and I got our very first dog right here at the SPCA shelter.

“When these things happen, you have got to respond, and we have to do something to help groups like the SPCA. We have to be community minded.”

Ms Houston said that on August 28 she was walking her pet, Nevada, near Cut Road in St George’s when the dog was attacked by a loose pit bull who gripped the Corgi - Terrier cross by the neck.

“It was out of nowhere,” she said. “He didn’t even whimper. It didn’t last too long but from his neck to his shoulders his skin was ripped off.

“When I told Dr Jennifer Fullerton that he didn’t even whimper, she said he was in a strangle hold. It was pretty horrendous. It was a nightmare.”

She said a stranger drove her and Nevada to a veterinarian, and it was there she noticed that she herself had suffered a puncture wound to her forearm.

While Nevada was treated for his injuries, complications arose in the form of a series of bacterial infections which required antibiotics and a second emergency surgery.

Ms Houston said the owners of the pit bull involved in the attack stepped forward in the wake of the incident and offered to reimburse her for the cost of treatment, which over the last two months rose to about $3,000.

They should have put their vicious dog down. 

However, after some thought, she decided that she would donate the reimbursement checks to the SPCA as they come in so that other animals could benefit.

Deborah Titterton Narraway, executive director at the SPCA, said the donation came at a time when the charity was working on improving its facilities so it can keep better care of dogs.

“The SPCA lives off of community involvement and everything we do is based on what the community gives, so we are grateful for any donation,” she said.

“The timing of this is just wonderful. We have had a full shelter now since I have been here, with every type of dog.”

While she said that redoing the kennels entirely would cost “a few million dollars,” there are a number of less costly changes and improvements that can be made.

“We have a donor who has come forward who has offered to help us put in acoustics to help the reverberation,” she said.

“A lot of the dogs that come here don’t have the best background, and most are coming in are nervous even if they come from a loving home.”

She said that the charity was also looking to install a “pocket door” so that people who come to see the cats don’t have to first walk past the kennels — something that can cause the dogs unnecessary stress.

The SPCA are also hoping to make use of an exterior run, improving it so that it could be used for large dogs or dogs that require additional space.

“We want to be able to better handle whatever comes in through the door, and that is exactly how these funds are going to be used,” she said.

(Royal Gazette - Nov 5, 2016)

Bermuda: Neighbor rejects father's dog attack claims

BERMUDA -- A neighbor who says she witnessed an attack by a pit bull on a little boy has rejected claims from the child’s father that bystanders did nothing to help.

The woman said she heard the eight-year-old’s “heart-wrenching screams” on Sunday afternoon and ran outside her house barefoot to find out what was happening.

Her husband, meanwhile, picked up a cane and rushed over to the yard in Southampton where the dog was still clinging to the child’s upper arm.

“My husband did go over there and calmed the boy down,” she said. “He said ‘I know you’re hurt but stop screaming’. It was because of my husband that the dog let go.

“I want the father to know that people didn’t think twice before helping. You see a kid that needs help and you go and give help.

“Another young man who was there — a visitor at the house — also tried to help and was bitten on the hand. No one stood and watched his child get attacked.”

The 34-year-old woman told The Royal Gazette that her surveillance cameras recorded the attack and her husband called the Department of Environmental Protection twice to offer to hand over the footage and give a statement. “No one has returned the calls,” she said.

As previously reported by this newspaper, the boy was playing in a friend’s backyard where the dog was tethered, when it broke free and attacked him.

The victim fled his friend’s property, ran home and was later treated at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for bad bites to his upper arm, including two deep puncture wounds. He returned to school yesterday.

The dog, an illegal pit bull, was surrendered to the animal wardens by its owner.

Yesterday, we reported that the boy’s father was angry with witnesses whom he claimed saw the attack and were willing to give statements to the authorities but not help his son.

The female neighbor disputed that and said she took offence at the remarks, particularly as the father wasn’t present and didn’t see what happened.

She said once the boy was free from the dog’s grasp he, understandably, ran off terrified. “I’m outside, barefoot, trying to help him, running down the road after him saying ‘are you hurt?’. He just took off. He ran over a little tribe road. Afterwards, we asked the kids around here where he lived and they said ‘he lives way over there’ in another neighborhood.

“Every time I thought about the little boy’s screams that night it hurt my heart. Our first instincts were to go and help him.”

The woman alleged that the dog was regularly tethered in its back yard and local youngsters would taunt it, stepping on to the property to run and jump in front of it and make loud noises.

She claimed her husband had only recently warned the dog’s owner to come out of his property when he heard the animal barking so he could see what was happening.

The neighbor questioned why police hadn’t knocked on doors to investigate the attack, since it was reported to them. And she queried why head government animal warden Jeffrey Benevides hadn’t yet followed up on the phone calls from her husband.

“We have plenty of witnesses willing to assist,” she said. “There has been no police presence here to find out what happened. This guy’s dog has bitten someone.”

She added that wardens seemed eager to seize dogs on the banned list of breeds without the animals harming anyone yet less willing to prosecute owners whose dogs have attacked someone.

A police spokesman said earlier this week that officers did respond to reports of the attack but the inquiry was being handled by animal wardens.

A Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the illegal pit bull was “humanely euthanized after it was voluntarily surrendered”.

He added: “Investigations are ongoing. However, prosecution is dependent on a number of factors, including identification of witnesses.”

Campaign group Punish the Deed not the Breed said in a statement: “Incidents like these reinforce our position that the current policy as it relates to breed restrictions and prohibition of certain breeds is ineffective.

“The ban on bull-breed-type dogs is directly responsible for increased dog welfare problems with bull-breed-type dogs and public safety issues.

“This behaviour encourages unsuitable owners to covet these dogs where they are overbred, under-socialised, and often severely mistreated.

“Dog owners need to be held accountable for 100 per cent of their pets’ behaviour.

“Not all dogs and owners can be placed in the same category. It is unfair that educated and compliant dog owners are punished for the handful of irresponsible owners that present the bull-type dogs in a negative light.

“There are many on-island options for dog owners to educate themselves on breed traits and behavioural triggers. However, until an emphasis is placed on responsible ownership and reflected in a coherent and sensible dog policy which demands of all owners to adhere to a minimum standard of education and responsibility, the dogs will continue to suffer and so will public safety.”

(Royal Gazette - Feb 12, 2016)

Bermuda: Anger as dog attack case dismissed on technicality

BERMUDA -- The devastated owner of a dog mauled to death by a neighbor’s boxer has blasted prosecutors and animal wardens after charges against the animal’s owner were dismissed on a legal technicality.

Amy Ponnampalam’s dachshund, Annie, was killed in the attack in November last year, while her other dachshund, Briea, was seriously injured as a result.

The boxer’s owner, John Tomlinson, was due to face charges stemming from the incident in Magistrates’ Court yesterday, but the case was dismissed because prosecutors failed to bring it to court within six months of the offence.

Ms Ponnampalam described the dismissal as a “major operational failure” on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

“I find it unacceptable that this situation could have occurred and hold the Government bodies involved wholly responsible for this outcome,” she said.

“Ensuring that a charge is made and brought to court within the legislated time requirements is the most fundamental of considerations in any judicial proceeding, and it is inexcusable that both the DPP and Department of Environmental Protection have failed in this instance.

“I was absolutely astounded to hear that outcome. I feel incredibly let down. Ms Ponnampalam said she had been assured by animal wardens that they would be handling the case.

“From the start, the animal wardens had control of this case and the DPP were prosecuting on their behalf,” she explained.

Ms Ponnampalam said she spoke to animal wardens and prosecutor Larissa Burgess after the case was dismissed, but was told that the matter would be raised internally at both Government bodies and that she was not permitted to be involved in that process.

She said she had been keen to have the matter go to court and that she had contacted animal wardens twice since giving her witness statement in February to ascertain the progress of the case, but their responses were uninformative.

The animals wardens did not allude to a deadline to which they should have been working.

“This should have been an open and shut case,” Ms Ponnampalam said.

“With eye witnesses and veterinary reports, this case should only ever have been about the sentencing.”

She said she was disheartened by the course of events and that it was “deeply unfortunate that the failure of the Government bodies involved has facilitated this”.

She also expressed concern that the boxer she believes killed her dog remains in the neighbourhood. But she added: “As a victim, it appears that I have no recourse in this matter. I have absolutely no faith that anything will be done.”

Ms Burgess refused to provide The Royal Gazette with any information about the charges that Mr Tomlinson would have faced and declined to comment on the case. Mr Tomlinson could not be reached for comment.

A Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment spokesman said yesterday that Animal Wardens in this case “discharged their duties as expected and in accordance with established protocols”, while the DPP did not respond to a request for comment by press time last night.

The matter was dismissed when defence lawyer Saul Dismont drew attention to a section of the Criminal Code that stipulates that a prosecution for a summary offence must, unless otherwise expressly provided, begin within a period of six months after the offence is committed.

While prosecutor Ms Burgess disagreed with his interpretation of the section, she conceded that yesterday’s court date was not within that six-month timeframe.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo concluded that the case was “out of time”, dismissed the matter and discharged the defendant.

Mr Tomlinson owned three boxers, which were able to get on to Ms Ponnampalam’s Smith’s property last November because the electric fencing on his property was not maintained.

One of his two male boxers is believed to be responsible for carrying out the fatal attack.

Ms Ponnampalam was at work when she received a call from Endsmeet Animal Hospital informing her of the incident.

A neighbour saw the boxer mauling the second dog and shooed it away, but arrived on the scene too late to save Annie.

(Royal Gazette - June 18, 2015)

Earlier:

• Owner devastated by fatal dog-on-dog attack

Bermuda: Owner devastated after her Dachshund is mauled to death by neighbor's Boxer

BERMUDA -- A woman has spoken of her devastation after one of her dogs was mauled to death in an attack by a neighbor’s boxer.

Amy Ponnampalam’s dachshund Annie was killed and her other dachshund Briea was critically injured as a result of the attack last Wednesday.

The male boxer has been seized by the authorities and its owners, John and Sarah Tomlinson, are under investigation by the government’s animal warden. The fencing on their property was not functioning, which enabled their three boxers to trespass on to Ms Ponnampalam’s Smith’s property. One of the two male boxers is believed to have carried out the attack.

The other two boxers have been given an absolute discharge while the male boxer in question continues to be held pending the construction of an enclosure around the owners’ Smith’s property as recommended by the Department of Environmental Protection. It is unclear whether the animal could be euthanized as a result of the attack.

Ms Ponnampalam told The Royal Gazette: “I was devastated when I received the call, I couldn’t talk — I was just beside myself. I believe, as do my neighbours, that the dog is a threat to the community. This could have been a child.”

Ms Ponnampalam was at work last Wednesday when she received a call from Endsmeet Animal Hospital informing her of the attack. A neighbour saw the boxer mauling the second dog and shooed it away but arrived too late on the scene to save Annie. Endsmeet arrived to give medical attention to the surviving dachshund, Briea.

As a result of the attack, Briea sustained a deep bite wound to her groin which has caused bleeding from her arteries and she has trauma and bruising to her rib cage. She also injured a tooth but is too weak to undergo surgery to repair it at present. Ms Ponnampalam was advised by Endsmeet staff not to view the body of Annie.

According to the Dogs Act 2008, a person who keeps a dog commits an offence if the dog causes death or injury to a person, or the animal strays off the property of the keeper. Ms Ponnampalam has sent a statement to the animal warden and is working on a legal case against the boxers’ owners.

Mr Tomlinson confirmed that the electric fence was not working adequately. He sent a message to Ms Ponnampalam saying: “We are overwhelmed with sadness that we have been a part of something that has caused you such terrible grief. As dog owners like you we empathise with the love you have for your dogs. Please note that we are thinking of you constantly and if there’s anything we can do to support you at this time please just reach out.”

Ms Ponnampalam said her dog Briea is back home and has started to venture back out into the garden. “She is healing but subdued and clearly puzzled as to where her companion is,” she said.
Ms Ponnampalam described Annie as, “sweet-natured and loving”.

“She was the sweetest dog. She was a beautiful animal both outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly, she had lovely long hair and was very pretty and inwardly she was just so sweet. She was very soppy and very protective of us — Annie was always our protector even though she was so little she would always protect the house. I think that is maybe what happened — she took the brunt of the attack because she always stood up for Briea.

“It’s just been me and these two dogs for years and I will miss her terribly now she is gone. Briea and Annie were inseparable. Briea has never known her life without Annie. It’s so sad and painful to think how she lost her life, it’s quite horrific.”

(Royal Gazette  - Nov 26, 2014) 

Two attacked by pit bulls

BERMUDA -- At  1:30pm on Sunday, police responded to a report of a 41year old man who was bitten  in what appears to be an unprovoked attack by a black pit-bull terrier outside of a residence on Mission Lane in Pembroke. 

This resulted in area residents coming to the aid of the man and pulling the dog off of him, the dog then fled the area. 

The man was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. The Dog warden has been  informed and inquiries into the matter are underway.

In an unrelated incident, on Sunday a police officer was executing a warrant at a residence on Coral Hill Lane in Warwick, when he was bitten by a pit- bull terrier.

The officer sustained a puncture wound to his left thigh, he was treated and released from KEMH. 

The Dog was found to be illegal and seized by the dog warden.

An investigation into this matter is now ongoing.

(Bermuda Sun - Dec 23, 2013)

Bermuda: Rottweiler owner fined $7,000 after boy is attacked, ordered to pay up to $10,000 in medical bills

BERMUDA -- A Warwick man whose Rottweiler attacked a 13-year-old boy was yesterday fined $7,000.

[Note: A check of the currency rates shows that $7000 in Bermudian dollars equals $7000 in US dollars.]

Reuben Waldron, of Bulkhead Drive, pleaded guilty to owning a dog that injured another person.

The dog bit the child multiple times, injuring his face, left arm and the left side of his abdomen, Magistrates’ Court heard.

Reuben Waldron with one of his Rottweilers

Prosecutor Cindy Clarke said the injuries from the dog bites were severe enough to require surgery.

The incident happened while the 43-year-old and the boy were walking Waldron’s two Rottweilers on July 30, Ms Clarke said.

Waldron had walked away, leaving the 13-year-old handling the dog alone, when the boy was attacked.

In court yesterday, Waldron said that the boy was familiar with his dogs and was helping train the dog at the time of the attack.

“During the whole summer, [he] had been coming to my house and both of us had been walking the dogs,” Waldron said. “I was just 30 or 40 feet away.”

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner asked what triggered the dog’s attack.

Waldron said that a number of things could have caused it, and he was too far away at the time to know exactly what happened.

He added, “I am totally sorry for what has happened.”

“This is the first time anything like this has happened” in his 15 years of owning Rottweilers, Waldron added.

He also pleaded guilty to a second charge of having the dog without a licence, between May 1 and July 31.

Mr Warner fined Waldron $2,000 for possession of the dog that injured the boy and $5,000 for having an unlicensed dog.

He also ordered Waldron to pay any injury costs for the child up to $10,000.

OWNER TRIED TO GET JUDGE TO "REHOME" VICIOUS DOG

Mr Warner ordered that the dog be euthanized despite Waldron’s request to be able to give the dog to a “better-suited” owner.

This is called NIMBY = not in my backyard. It's when cities and towns "rehome" vicious dogs into other communities, typically without any restrictions or documentation that would let everyone in this other community know what the dog had done. This is done to simply wash their hands of the problem - not caring if the dog then mauls and kills someone in this new community it's living in. Thankfully, this judge said NO to that idea.

(The Royal Gazette - Aug 29, 2013)

Man Charged In Court After Dog Attacks Woman

BERMUDA -- Appearing in Magistrates Court this morning [July 24], Kevin Burgess, 33 pleaded guilty to keeping a pit bull that caused damage to a woman passing by on a public road.

He was fined $2,000 and ordered to make restitution of over $800 for the victim’s out-of-pocket expenses.

Senior Magistrate Archie Warner was told that in January 2013, the woman was walking on the public road by Point Mart in Pembroke. She was attacked by a pit bull that, at the time, was on a rope and chain leash that was being held by another man.

The dog bit into her arm and held its grip for some time. The bite perforated her skin, caused bleeding, and required medical attention including regular observation and tetanus shots that extended over weeks. The victim had to take an extended time off work due to the attack.

The Magistrate was also told that the pit bull was finally taken off the woman by the actions of Burgess and his brother who used their hands to force open the dog’s jaws, thus freeing the woman’s arm.

Kevin Burgess told the Magistrate that the dog had since been put down by a veterinarian.

Explaining to the Magistrate, Kevin Burgess said that he had not been aware that the dog was out of his yard. He said: “My boy came and took the dog out of the yard. I didn’t even know it was out of my yard. He washes my car and cuts my grass.”

A second charge of  not having a valid licence for the dog was also laid and Kevin Burgess pleaded not guilty to this charge.

Kevin’s brother, Keyvon Burgess, pleaded not guilty to charges of breeding a pit bull without a licence and keeping a pit bull without a licence. Keyvon Burgess was granted bail of $2,000 and goes on trial in September 2013.

(bernews.com - July 24, 2013)

Dog attacks 92-year-old

BERMUDA -- Around 7pm on Tuesday, February 5, police officers responded to a reported dog attack in the Great Bay Road, St. George’s area involving a female walker and a pit-bull dog.

The victim, a 92-year-old St. George’s woman, was treated for arm injuries at the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre and later released.

The Government Dog Warden also attended this incident and seized the dog reportedly involved pending further inquiries.

(Bermuda Sun - Feb 6, 2013)

Pit bull’s owner apologises for attack on small dog

BERMUDA -- A Pit bull owner has issued a heartfelt apology for her animal’s attack on a small dog which fuelled controversy over Bermuda’s banned list.

The woman described the offending dog, Diamond, as a much-loved family pet which is popular with children, but escaped its home on the afternoon of the incident.

Her seven-year-old daughter is heartbroken at the prospect of Diamond being put down, according to the mother, who asked to be named as Mrs Smith.

Warwick resident Richard Keane says his 30lb terrier-mongrel Meg needed 15 stitches after her neck and chest were ripped open in an unprovoked attack by Diamond in his Harbour Road garden on Saturday, May 12.

Mr Keane reacted by calling for Environment Minister Marc Bean to explain why he hopes to relax a ban on Pit bulls.

Mr Bean is refusing to answer any questions about his plan, which he announced on a ZBM talk show earlier this month.

Mrs Smith told The Royal Gazette Diamond is now in the hands of a dog warden and she understands a court case is imminent to determine the pet’s future.

“We’re so sorry for what happened. The children left the door slightly ajar and Diamond must have followed them out and then this has happened,” she said.

“We miss her and we are very sorry for what has happened and we feel fully responsible, but we really, really want her to come home. We are putting in extra safety precautions to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Diamond previously belonged to Mrs Smith’s 90-year-old grandfather who died last Christmas and, according to Mrs Smith, enjoys playing dress-up games and giving rides to her daughter.

Mr Keane described Diamond as “an aggressive piece of meat”, but Mrs Smith argued: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Pit bull or not. All dogs have the potential to be aggressive with each other, even if they are from the same household.

“They are territorial, that’s their job.”

Mr Bean has told radio listeners he could add Pit bulls to a list of dogs which are no longer banned, including Rottweilers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and German Shepherds, as long as their owners act responsibly.

It’s understood Mr Bean met a committee of experts earlier this week to discuss the subject.

The Minister declined to comment when asked if he had come to a decision, or had any thoughts on the ban.

Last night the OBA Michael Fahy issued a statement which said: “We have concluded that the breed should remain on the banned list until Government gets serious about making the current laws and regulations effective.

“If the law had been enforced strictly, for example, there would be no pit bulls in Bermuda under the age of eight years. But there are more pit bulls than ever now.

“Illegal breeding of pit bulls has to be stopped. There is only a small gene pool of these animals in Bermuda, and inbreeding, which is rampant, contributes to the aggression and unpredictability of the local breed population.

“The dog licensing system in the Ministry of the Environment seems to be ineffective. There is a huge number of unlicensed dogs on the system (and no doubt not on the system), and the animal wardens seem to have been unable to bring their owners to book.”

Mr Fahy said the Dogs Act should be re-examined, and amended to provide a range of severe penalty options for owners who fail to take proper care of their dogs, in addition to ordering that a dog should be put down.

He said owners of dogs that attack other animals or humans must be prosecuted, and they “must understand that careless handling of their dogs can result in serious penalties, perhaps including being sent to prison”.

“Once these things measures have been put in place and Government has demonstrated its ability to move forward with them, we believe pit bulls could be moved from the banned list to a ‘Restricted List’, which imposes conditions which must be met by the owner of a pit bull,” he said.

(Royal Gazette - May 25, 2012)

Police kill dog after attack

BERMUDA (UK) -- Police yesterday shot and killed a dog after it attacked and injured two people near Angle Street.

According to Acting Chief Inspector Cal Smith, at around 12.38pm yesterday, police officers and a dog warden responded to a report of animal cruelty in the area of Court Street and Elliot Street.

However, after police spoke with the 19-year-old suspect, the teenager ran, turning his dog on the officers.

The dog, believed to be a brown pit bull, attacked a passerby and a dog warden before an armed officer shot the animal. “He determined that the nature of the attack required the use of lethal force and he discharged his firearm,” Mr Smith said. “Two shots were fired at the dog and the dog died from its injuries.

“In keeping with our policy on the use of police firearms an inquiry has commenced immediately to ensure that all protocols were followed, but at this early stage it appears that the firearm was discharged in accordance with and under the authority of our policies.”

The teenage suspect was arrested by officers with the assistance of members of the public by chase, and yesterday afternoon remained in custody. Mr Smith said the shooting was the only police shooting in “recent days,” but The Royal Gazette understands that it was actually the first incident in which Bermuda police fired live rounds on duty.

In January 2001, Police officers shot Stephen Proctor with rubber bullets after he threatened family members in a rooftop standoff on Rockywood Drive.

Following the incident, police both armed and unarmed blocked off access to the area while forensics officers photographed the scene and removed the animal's body.

A forensics officer carries a dog warden's noose as
evidence  following the shooting of a dog near the
junction of Union and Angle Streets. The dog was
shot dead by police after the owner set it upon dog
wardens and police officers yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Protection said that dog wardens are trained in the use of bite sticks and control poles to fend off dog attacks. “However, in this particular case, those options were not enough to control the animal,” the spokeswoman said. “Wardens are not trained in the use of tazers or stun/tranquilliser guns.”

One woman who lives in the area said she didn't see the incident, but heard the gunshots and thought it had been another gang shooting.

“I heard gunshots and thought, ‘Oh no, not again',” she said. “We seem to get shootings every month now.”

Another resident said: “All of this foolishness going on and they shoot a dog? It's ridiculous.”

As the news broke yesterday, The Royal Gazette's website received dozens of comments, both supporting and condemning the shooting of the dog.

One poster, Bda Jayme, wrote: “They should have tazed the dog and shot the owner.”

T Williams wrote: “Animal cruelty ... I can't believe they shot the dog. not even try to restrain it ... even a spurt of pepper spray would have made it retreat instantly.

“To protect ourselves doesn't mean we have to kill ... but I guess that is the example they want to set.”

However Dwain Smith defended the officer's actions, saying: “In the US a dog is considered a weapon if it is set upon an officer. There have been many cases where police have killed dogs.

“There is definitely no pleas[ing] Bermudians, as the police are damned if they do and damned if they don't.”

(Royal Gazette - May 28, 2011)