Officer shoots, kills pit bull after attack

ARIZONA -- A woman is in serious condition after being mauled by a pit bull she was watching for a friend.

Police say shortly after 3pm Tuesday, Lucio Guerra called police reporting a woman was being attacked by a pit bull dog at an apartment complex near 61st avenue and Bethany Home Road.

"The owner was hitting the dog with chains," Guerra said, "but it wouldn't get off."

According to Glendale Police spokesperson Tracey Breeden, when officers arrived, the pit bull was biting and attacking the 27-year-old woman. When one of the officers tried to pull the dog off the woman, the dog started to attack him.

Police say the officer feared for his life and shot and killed the dog.

The woman was transported to a local hospital. Police say she was bitten on the back of her neck down to her spine.

The woman is in serious condition, but expected to survive.

No officers were hurt as a result of the incident.

Guerra said that the dog's owner had small bite wounds to his leg, but should be fine.

(abc15 - Jan 31, 2012)

Small dog killed by pit bull

IOWA -- Animal Control officials are investigating a dog attack that left a Maltese dead on its front porch.

A resident in the 1700 block of Butler Street called authorities when a stray pit bull attacked the small dog about 10:20 a.m. Monday, according to Waterloo police.

The pit bull was captured without incident, and no people were injured, police said.

The Maltese was outside its home at the time of the attack.

A person at the home said he didn't know who the pit bull belonged to and didn't know who owned it, but he declined to comment further.

(WCF Courier - Jan 31, 2012)

Debe Bell Found Guilty On 35 Counts Of Animal Cruelty

COLORADO -- Debe Bell, 59, a Colorado rabbit farmer who operated Six Bells Farm, has been found guilty on 35 counts of animal cruelty, The Denver Post reports.

Bell was charged with 55 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty after authorities raided her Six Bell's Farm in Arvada in July of 2011 and found the rabbits in "inhumane and cruel" conditions, 7News reports.

Bell, shown here, insisted her rabbits were well cared for

She was found not guilty of animal cruelty in the deaths of 20 rabbits found in a freezer on the farm's property.

Jefferson County Sherrif's Office released this press statement about the shocking conditions the rabbits were kept in, "After Officers and veterinarians' did an initial inspection of the rabbits and the conditions they were being kept in, it was determined that the 200 rabbits needed to be seized for their welfare. The rabbits are being transported to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds for further evaluation and care by Foothills Animal Shelter."

The arrest affidavit describes horrifying conditions:

• Piles of feces and pools of urine in many cases so profound that the animals are sitting or lying in it.
• Impossible to determine sex of many of the rabbits due to severely matted and filthy coats.
• Unacceptably high ammonia levels caused by excessive urine.
• Many of the rabbit's coats are so severely matted that they cannot urinate or defacate without extreme difficulty.
• There is a lack of food and water, resulting in "terrible dehydration" which is evidenced by "tacky gums."
• 75% more rabbits housed in the shed than the space allows.

The arrest affidavit went on to describe rabbits with severe eye discharge, nasal discharge and even a dead rabbit and another with a neurological disease.

When Animal Control Officers and medical personnel placed clean bowls of water in front of the rabbits, the sick animals "lunged" at the bowls of water.

Like a puppy mill breeder, the animal for sale is kept clean
and posed in a cute setting while the 'breeder' stock are
left to languish in misery (photo from Bell's website)

However, this is the reality for the rabbits

Bell's attorney, Elizabeth Kearney, hoped to beat the charges against her client with the claim that Bell's rabbits should be considered livestock, not pets, and that Jefferson County Sherrif's are incorrectly enforcing standards for domesticated animals, according to The Denver Post.

Bell is scheduled for sentencing in March, she could receive up to 18 months in jail for each count of animal cruelty.

Photos taken at the scene of Six Bell's Farm animal cruelty call in July 2011. The animals were seized due to the conditions, following a search warrant

(Huffington Post Colorado - Jan 30, 2012)

Earlier:

• Sheriff's Dept releases arrest warrant in rabbit seizure

California: Owner to stand trial in pit-bull attack on elderly Santa Rosa man

CALIFORNIA -- His wound is mostly healed but the memory is still fresh of the vicious pit bull attack that left Bill Siemsen of Santa Rosa with a deep gash on his leg and his own dog limping in pain.

A day before his 90th birthday in December, Siemsen was sitting in front of his Marlow Road house when a 70- to 80-pound pit bull bolted from a neighbor's yard and jumped his black lab, Luna.

Siemsen tried to smack the pit bull with his cane and it turned on him, clamping its jaws around his lower left leg.

It didn't let go until its owner ran up, punched it and yanked it away by its collar.

“It just grabbed my leg and shook it,” Siemsen said Monday, recalling the Dec. 12 attack. “Blood was spurting all over.”

Siemsen and his dog survived, but the pit bull with a history of violent behavior was put down.

And its owner, Armando Flores, 47, an ex-convict from Ventura County who had been visiting Siemsen's neighbors, could be sent back to prison if a jury determines he allowed the dog to escape.

On Monday, a Sonoma County judge ordered Flores to stand trial on a felony charge of allowing a vicious animal to run loose.

Judge Gary Medvigy agreed with prosecutors that Flores did not exercise enough care in handling “Blue,” who had been designated a dangerous animal just weeks before attacking Siemsen.

Medvigy also said Flores may have been drinking at the time.

“This is a dangerous breed,” Medvigy said in issuing his ruling. “Certainly someone handling a dangerous animal needs to have all his wits about him.”

The judge's finding sets the stage for a March 2 trial, in which Flores faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

The ruling came after a preliminary hearing that included testimony from an off-duty Santa Rosa police officer who witnessed the attack.

Stephen Bussell testified that he was driving past Siemsen's house Dec. 12 when he spotted a large, muscular dog [attacking] Siemsen's smaller black lab.

Bussell said he pulled into the driveway, got out and watched as the dogs moved closer to Siemsen, who was sitting in a chair.

When Siemsen tried to break up the fight by hitting the pit bull with his cane, the dog turned on him and began mauling his leg.

“I was getting ready to pull my off-duty weapon out and shoot the dog,” Bussell testified.

Just at that moment, Flores punched his dog, grabbed its collar and pulled it away.

Siemsen was left with a large gash on his leg.

The elderly man did not testify in person. Instead, his comments were recorded last week and submitted to the judge.

Flores was arrested after deputies arrived and determined his dog had a history of aggressive behavior and attacking other animals.

Justin Foster, a county animal control officer, testified the pit bull received the potentially dangerous animal designation Nov. 3 after complaints of other attacks on dogs.

Medvigy denied a request from Flores' lawyer, Karen Silver, to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, who argued he was trying to control the dog when it broke free.

Prosecutor Robin Hammond said it was clear Flores was not engaging in ordinary care of a dog with an aggressive past. The breed, she argued, tends to be “dangerous and violent.”

“I think it's common knowledge,” Hammond said.

Meanwhile, Siemsen feels some comfort in the fact the dog that attacked him was euthanized. But as he sat in his favorite patio chair Monday, he could hear from the barking across the fence that his neighbor had already found a replacement.

“They've got a new pit bull puppy,” said his caretaker, Anne Williams.

(Press Democrat - Jan 30, 2012)

Earlier:

• Owner arrested after his pit bull attacks and mauls an 89 year-old man

Two-year-old undergoes emergency surgery after dog attack

AUSTRIA -- A two-year-old boy will undergo two operations after he was attacked by his family’s dog. Young Bennet was badly injured on Sunday afternoon when the dog suddenly bit him on the left side of his face.

"It was just a normal Sunday. We were drinking coffee in the kitchen and my daughter was on the first floor with Bennet", explained Grandpa Hans-Jürgen T.

The two-year-old was playing on the floor when the American Staffordshire terrier, Ike attacked. Mother, Sharona M. fought to get the dog off her child but the boy was left covered in blood and seriously injured.

The boy was flown by emergency services from Bernstein bei Oberwart to the children’s clinic in Graz for emergency surgery. Bennet will undergo further surgery next week.  Much of the two-year-olds face has been left severely swollen and his face has been covered in a thick bandage.

The reason for the dog’s unexpected attack is still unknown. "Ike has lived with me for eight years," explained Sharona M. Both Bennet’s Aunt Eveline and Grandpa live in the house with the animal and have never had any problems with him.

"It is difficult. I have to ask myself if I can leave Bennet alone with him. It is a big responsibility. I must still decide," said the mother. The family still maintained on Sunday that they wished to keep the dog but it is being held in Graz in the meantime.

(Austria Times - Jan 31, 2012)

Trial Underway In Toddler Dog Attack

NORTH CAROLINA -- Testimony began Tuesday in the felony child abuse trial of a man facing those charges because his son was mauled by a family dog.

Camp Lejeune Lance Corporal Brennan Michael Listle, 21, is in Onslow County Superior Court before Judge Charles Henry almost a year after his 22-month-old son was attacked by a pit bull, which has since been put down.

Among those witnesses called Tuesday was an animal control officer.

Listle faces child abuse and neglect charges because investigators said he was outside in the front of his home smoking a cigarette while the toddler boy was attacked by the dog in a fenced-in back yard.

After the attack, the child was taken to the Naval Hospital aboard Camp Lejeune then to the hospital in Greenville which serves as the area's trauma center. The boy underwent two surgeries for his injuries which included neck fractures of the cervical spine, which was a fracture in two of the seven bones (Vertebrae C6 and C7) in the neck cervical region.

Immediately after the attack last February, Detective Sergeant John Getty said: "You just cannot be smoking cigarettes out in front of your residence, with a couple other Marines from his company and just say, 'Go play in the backyard.' This parent needs to learn by his mistake."

Listle sat in the courtroom Tuesday with his hands mostly folded in front of him, but sometimes covering his mouth as he listened to testimony.

(WCTI - Jan 31, 2012)

Earlier:

• Father Charged After Pit Bull Attacks Son

Pit bull Tasered after attacking 3 people

WISCONSIN -- A Madison police officer had to use a Taser on a pit bull terrier Tuesday morning after the dog attacked its owner and two passersby who came to the owner's aid.

Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain told madison.com the 7-month old pit bull terrier became aggressive while the owner was walking the dog in the 600 block of East Washington Avenue at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"The dog latched onto the clothing of the three, first being the coat of the owner," DeSpain said.

The dog then lunged at the two people trying to help, but only found fabric instead of skin, and no injuries were reported.

After the dog was Tasered by the officer, an animal control officer called to the scene took the pit bull terrier, and the owner of the dog was cited for allowing an animal to disturb the peace, DeSpain said.

(Madison.com - January 31, 2012)

Officer kills pit bull that attacked him, K-9 dog

KENTUCKY -- A Louisville Metro Police officer fatally shot a pit bull dog that was attacking the officer and a police K-9 dog in southwestern Louisville, police said.

The K-9 dog, a Belgian Malinois named Banjo, was treated for cuts on its side and the owner of the pit bull was cited by animal control officers for not having the dog under proper control, said Carey Klain, a spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Police.

The Louisville Metro K-9 Unit was assisting a Narcotics Unit investigation in the 5400 block of Maryman Road at 6:40 p.m. when a pit bull from a home across the street began attacking the K-9 dog, Klain said.

The pit bull appears to be unrelated to the narcotics investigation, she said.

Police would not release the name of the officer involved and continues to be on duty. A use of force report will be filed, Klain said.

(Courier Journal - Jan 31, 2012)

Dogs That Mauled Child To Be Put Down

TEXAS -- The City of Fort Worth decided Tuesday morning to put down four dogs that attacked a toddler in the family's back yard the day before.

The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office could not provide a specific update on the medical condition of 18-month-old Chance Walker, Jr., but said the boy's injuries are not life-threatening.

The child was attacked about 4 p.m. behind the family's home in the 7800 block of Eastland Ave., near Lake Worth. That's in unincorporated Tarrant County, but the City of Fort Worth has custody of the animals.

A neighbor called 911 yesterday after hearing a woman scream. Sheriff's deputies say the little boy crawled through a doggie door into the back yard where four Boxer dogs attacked him. His parents were asleep inside when the accident happened.

"When I got to the back yard, I saw the grandfather and he had the baby in his arms," said neighbor Linda Kucker. "His ear was bit almost completely off. It was hanging by a little piece of skin in the back."

Four generations of the Walker family live on the street, and emotions ran high in the aftermath of the tragic accident.

At one point, the child's great-grandfather crossed the street where television crews were set up and threatened reporters and photographers.

[In the video, he storms across the street and demands to know if the tv crew is filming him. Duh. Then he smacks the microphone. A reporter tells him not to touch the equipment so Papaw snarls, "How 'bout I touch yer face?!" Nice one. Stay classy, Papaw.

Didn't Tom Brokaw call them the Greatest Generation? Papaw Walker must have missed that meeting.]

Then the boy's grandmother flew into a rage when a neighbor made a remark about the accident, and assaulted the woman in front of deputies and FOX 4's camera. Lena Walker was handcuffed and charged.

Anyone see that Wife Swap episode where the guy
said he was gonna put a sign up in the front yard
saying 'Don't feed the Sasquatch'? Heh.

Mamaw gets herself cuffed and stuffed on camera.

Another neighbor said she was scared of the entire situation -- and the Walker family.

"We've been very scared of the dogs," said Tiffany Shaw. "But we're also scared of them, so we're really not sure what to do."

(KDFW - Jan 31, 2012)

Earlier:

• Toddler Mauled by Family Dogs

Retired cop’s dog mauled in park by bull terrier

UNITED KINGDOM -- A retired policewoman frantically tried to fend off a savage stray bull terrier as it mauled her tiny poodle in a South Shields park.

Horrified Dianne Broadhurst, 61, kicked and punched the beast as it repeatedly bit into her pet Cindy’s neck.

Dianne Broadhurst s dogs, poodle Cindy and Highland Terrier
Scooter were attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier. Shown
with nieces Katie, left, and Emma, who helped rescue the dogs.

Passers-by hauled it off, only to let it go before Miss Broadhurst could reach safety outside South Marine Park.

The bull terrier charged again, launching a second frenzied attack on her defenceless dog.

Cindy suffered at least 15 puncture wounds to her neck and a tea cup-size gash to her head, and needed emergency treatment.

Today, Miss Broadhurst told of her terror as she spotted the animal sprint towards her at 9.30am on Wednesday, near the Ocean Road gate.

And she demanded laws dealing with dangerous dogs are tightened.

The ex-Thames Valley Police officer said: “It was at the top of the hill and I was at the bottom – it spotted Cindy and began running at her.

“There was nothing I could do as it sank its teeth into her neck and wouldn’t let go. I was kicking it hard, but scarily it didn’t bat an eye, it just kept attacking. I was screaming for help, but nothing I could do would stop it. It was tearing at Cindy’s throat – there was blood everywhere, it was pouring from her throat. This is going to haunt me forever. I thought she was going to die.”

“Each attack probably lasted just a minute, but it seemed like hours. It was the most traumatic thing I’ve ever seen. This dog could kill a child. They are a vile breed of dog. I want the owner caught and prosecuted.

“The police say there is little they can do under the Dangerous Dogs Act as the attack was on another dog. That needs to change.”

Cindy, 11, was initially saved when two youths grabbed the bull terrier and held it. But they let it go before Miss Broadhurst could escape out of view, leading to another attack.

Her screams alerted her nieces, Katie, 20, and Emma Henson, 17, who live nearby and freed Cindy.

Police and South Tyneside Council’s dog warden arrived and removed the attack dog, which is being kept in kennels and has not been claimed.

Her second dog, West Highland terrier Scooter, six, slipped her leash and escaped with a bite to an ear.

Miss Broadhurst, who moved to South Shields after retiring in 1995, said Cindy spent eight hours at a vet’s surgery, which cost almost £300.

Staffordshire bull terriers are not banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Northumbria Police confirmed a dog was removed from the scene and that inquiries were continuing.

A council spokesman said: “A dog warden attended the scene at the request of police and removed the dog, which is being housed in kennels while investigations are carried out.”

In June 2009, Town Hall bosses introduced by-laws ordering owners to keep pets on leads in parks and cemeteries. They are looking to expand that ruling into town centres.

(Shields Gazette - Jan 30, 2012)

Chatham County pit bull faces 'dangerous dog' hearing

GEORGIA -- A Chatham County couple faces a hearing to determine if their dog should be considered a “dangerous dog” after he escaped his pen and attacked a 6-year-old girl Sunday.

The girl was taken by her parents, Matthew Barlow and Pamela Sellars, to a hospital where she was treated for lacerations and bruising on her face. She was released after treatment.

One of the owners of the dog pulled him away and took the girl to her parents, said Julian Miller, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman.

Oreo, a 60-pound, black and white pit bull mix, was impounded by Savannah-Chatham police Animal Control and West Chatham Precinct officers after he bit the girl on the face on East Hopeton Court in West Chatham County about 6 p.m.

Michael and Patricia Wooten had been keeping Oreo in the pen inside the fenced yard with two other dogs since he was picked up running at large by Animal Control officers in a previous incident. The dogs escaped Sunday when the three neighborhood girls were playing and handling dishes used to feed the dogs.

Because of his history, Oreo was impounded and a hearing will be requested to designate him a “dangerous dog.”

If that occurs, his owners will be required to register him as such, have him neutered and micro-chipped,  must carry a $25,000 security bond and take extra precautions to contain him. Animal Control must approve of those precautions before the dog is returned.

The statement issued by police Monday referred to Oreo as a pit bull mix, but Michael Wooten said the dog is an American Bulldog.

The Wootens said they don’t want Oreo back.

“Once a dog does that, it might do that again,” Michael Wooten said. “I hope they don’t kill it. I hope they find it a good home. I’m really sorry it happened,” he said.

Michael Wooten, owner of the pit bull

The Wootens said they never saw Oreo show signs of violence before Sunday, but Barlow said he had seen the dog growl aggressively at a neighbor. Barlow also said in the years he’s lived on East Hopeton Court, he’s seen various dogs the Wootens owned behaving aggressively and even attacking smaller dogs in the neighborhood.

“But when somebody calls the law, they miraculously let them keep the dogs,” Barlow said.

Barlow said he feels something should have been done about the dogs before now because Sunday’s incident was not the first time police have gotten involved with the Wootens regarding their dogs. He said he doesn’t blame police; he blames the laws, which he said aren’t working.

“I’m happy they came to my house and told me the dog will not be returning to the neighborhood,” Barlow said. “But it took my daughter getting attacked for that to happen.”

(Savannah Now - Jan 31, 2012)

Toddler Mauled by Family Dogs

TEXAS -- A child was rushed to the hospital Monday afternoon after being attacked by at least four dogs.

The incident happened in the 7800 block of Eastland Avenue near Lake Worth in Tarrant County.

The sheriff's department said an 18-month-old boy crawled through a pet door and managed to get into his family’s backyard while his parents were asleep.

There were four Boxers and several other dogs in the yard. They bit him around his head and face.

Little Chance Walker Jr

Neighbors said they ran to help after they heard screams. The boy was bloody and in pretty bad shape when he was taken by ground ambulance to Cook Children’s Medical Center, they said.

The sheriff's department does plan to take the four Boxers for observation.

Also, the boy's grandmother was detained for allegedly assaulting a neighbor who confronted her about her dogs' aggression. It is unclear if she faces any criminal charges.

(KDFW - Jan 30, 2012)

Teenager savaged by dog tells of horrific attack

UNITED KINGDOM -- A father has appealed for no other family to have to experience the sort of bull terrier attack which left his son requiring extensive surgery.

Police said a 13-year-old boy was attacked by “a Pit Bull-type dog” on Lonsdale Road in Armagh on Saturday evening. The boy was taken to hospital for treatment and police seized the dog.

One man was arrested and was yesterday released on police bail, pending a report to the prosecution service.

The injured boy, Eoin Toal, was setting off for pizza with some friends to celebrate one of their birthdays.

“We were just walking down the street and this man with the dog asked us for directions to the bus depot,” Eoin told the News Letter.

“And then his dog just took out on us. It was stuck on my leg for about 10 seconds. My friend kicked it on the head and then it let go.”

He said it was a “small fat dog”. His injuries were so severe that they left his father in shock.

Eoin does not yet know for certain how well he will recover. Yesterday he was transferred from Craigavon Area Hospital to the Ulster Hospital for specialist treatment.

“The pain is really bad,” he said.

Eoin’s father, Declan, said he was going public on the issue “because I don’t want any other children going through this”.

“Anyone who owns a dog like that, it should be muzzled. It is not a dog for children. I have a wee girl of seven and if it had got a hold of her face she would have been destroyed.”

He said his son has severe injuries down one side of his leg and is likely to require skin grafts.

“We think he will make a full recovery,” he said.

“The first thing I knew about it was when Eoin rang me to tell me he had been bitten by a dog. I thought, ‘it’s a dog bite, how bad can it be?’ But when I saw the extent of his injuries I felt sick and was in a state of shock.”

Maeve Kelly’s son is Eoin’s best friend and was with him at the time of the attack.

“After the dog let go, Eoin kept asking ‘am I going to die?’” she said. “It was my son that kicked the dog and got it to let go. Eoin said afterwards that he had saved his life.”

She said the boys were in a group of five and were left sick and deeply traumatised.

“They are now very worried about walking up the street,” she said.

“Eoin is an absolutely fantastic footballer and had just captained Armagh U13s to win the league earlier that day.”

William Irwin MLA thanked police for their “swift intervention”.

He added: “I understand that the dog has now been put down which of course under these circumstances is absolutely the correct and only course of action.”

A spokesman for Armagh City Council said that the dog was not a Pit Bull, but a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is lawful to own. A spokesman said the dog showed no sign of aggression whatsoever with council staff, but was humanely destroyed yesterday because it had committed an attack.

A USPCA spokesman said it is now an arrestable offence to have an outlawed breed or to have a “dangerously out of control” dog, regardless of the breed.

(News Letter - Jan 31, 2012)

Mother re-arrested in baby death case

CANADA -- A 19-year-old woman accused of manslaughter in the death of her three-week-old baby will learn Tuesday if she'll be granted bail on a new charge of obstructing justice.

In June 2010 the woman, who was 17 at the time, was with her mother on the balcony of their home in Saint-Barnabé-Sud, near Saint-Hyacinthe.

That's when one of the family's dogs, a husky, attacked and killed the teenager's 21-day-old daughter. The baby was left strapped in a car seat in the kitchen while the two women were smoking outside.

Both women were arrested, and the baby's mother was charged with manslaughter. The baby's grandmother was later released after the Crown decided there was not enough evidence to press charges.

The 19-year-old woman's trial was set to begin Monday, but prosecutors revealed that she was arrested once again last week and charged with obstruction of justice after she allegedly attempted to influence her mother's testimony leading up to the trial -- which had been set to begin Monday.

 The identities of the accused and her family are protected because the 19-year-old was a minor at the time of the incident.

EARLIER: [The baby's father] said there were three dogs inside the house: a male and two females, one of which was in a cage with young puppies.

He said the women were too shocked to see which of the two loose dogs was responsible for the attack.

The dogs had been around since the baby's birth and had never posed a problem, he said.

"They weren't aggressive," he said. "When strangers came to the door, they didn't even bark. There was no sign that this could happen."

(CBC News - Jan 30, 2012)

Dog attack leads to arrest for warrants and marijuana possession

NEBRASKA -- A man whose loose pit bull attacked a woman and her Golden Retriever was arrested Saturday after Lincoln police found several outstanding warrants for him and more than five ounces of marijuana in his pockets.

Chad Winters' pit bull attacked the other dog, which was leashed, and its owner Saturday morning in the 5300 block of Walker Avenue, according to a news release from the Lincoln Police Department.

The 51-year-old woman was bitten on the left hand and thigh when she tried to pull the pit bull off her dog. She was treated at a hospital for her injuries, and the pit bull was captured by Animal Control, which is investigating the incident, according to the news release.

Winters, 33, was not home when the attack happened, according to police.

Officers later found him at 63rd Street and Aylesworth Avenue and took him into custody for possession of marijuana, as well as warrants for possession of marijuana, willful reckless driving and failure to comply, according to the news release.

Winters remained in jail Monday evening.

(Journal Star - Jan 30, 2012)

KY boy, 6, dies after being attacked by dog

KENTUCKY --  6-year-old boy who was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Sunday evening after he was attacked by a dog in south central Kentucky has died.

Officials told Nashville's News 2 the child died around 3 a.m.

Police in Oak Grove, just over the Tennessee state line, said the boy was visiting friends when he was bitten in the face by a small German shepherd.

Animal control workers removed the dog, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Charges weren't immediately released.

(WATE - Jan 30, 2012)

Earlier:

• Young boy is mauled by dog

Child hospitalized after suspected dog attack

TEXAS -- A 10-year-old boy in Dallas Children's Hospital is recovering from wounds his mother said was caused by a neighbor's dogs.

"He's going to be disfigured for the rest of his life."

Angela Milliorn's son Triston  said two dogs attacked him next door to her home. 

The woman who lives next door said the wife of the dog owner called Triston and some children playing in the area to help catch one of her dogs that got loose.

"She had told me that she hollered for the kids to help her ( get the dogs up)," Milliorn said. "The pit bull dog turned on Triston and got a hold of him and couldn't get him off."

Dona Voluntine didn't see the attack but knew about a pit bull in the neighbor's yard.

"If you're going to have a dog like that you need to make sure that it can't get out," she said.  

Owner Michael Pirtle said he had both restrained by leashes and that one was even in a kennel. But one got out anyway.

"I asked the Upshur County Sheriff's Office what do I need to do," he said. "They said, 'you had the dogs confined in your back yard what else can you do you can't put em in a concrete box.'"

Pirtle said he hopes Triston makes a full recovery but he doesn't believe the boy's wounds were caused by a dog. He said he thinks Triston got hurt climbing over a fence while trying to find the dog.

"It's [the wound] shaved off," he said. "It's not like a dog had bit jerked and tore."

But Tristan's mom does not agree.

"I want them put down," she said. "What would you want to happen if it was your child."

The Upshur County Sheriff's Office has quarantined the two dogs.

(KYTX - Jan 21, 2012)

Grandfather cut in vicious attack

AUSTRALIA -- A man is pleading with dog owners to take better responsibility for their pets after a savage dog attack left him with a sliced artery in his right hand.

Mick Ole, of Avenell Heights, was taking his beloved maltese-shih tzu cross dog, Henry, for their usual afternoon walk on Wednesday, along an easement next to cane fields, when a small dog ran around the corner towards them.

"I didn't want Henry to go stupid, so I picked him up," he said.

As the 74-year-old picked up his pet, a second, much bigger dog also came running with his eyes firmly fixed on Henry.

"I turned to save (Henry) and the second dog grabbed me," he said.

"Just as well he got me, because he would have killed Henry then and there."

Mr Ole said both dogs were wearing a collar and lead, but the owner had not been holding on to them.

"(The owner) probably didn't think there'd be anyone there," he said.
"She said, 'sorry', but I said, 'don't you realise you should hold on to your lead at all times?'"

The dog bit through his right hand to the artery, and he was left with several other puncture wounds that required urgent medical treatment at Bundaberg Hospital.

"It took the doctor a while to stop the bleeding," he said.

Apart from the apology, Mr Ole said the other dog's owner did not even come to his aid.

"We had to come all the way back down the easement," he said.

"It was hurting like hell."

Mr Ole said if it had been a child in the dog's path, the situation could have had terrifying consequences.

"If it had gotten hold of a child, it would have been horrific," he said.

He said the attack could have easily been prevented.

"Keep your dog on a lead and hold on to it," he said.

Mr Ole and his wife, Kay, only moved to Bundaberg from Gladstone in May last year and say they had never seen the two dogs before, and were looking to make a complaint to Bundaberg Regional Council.

Council health and environment spokeswoman Mary Wilkinson said it was the owner's responsibility to ensure the dogs were properly restrained if they were not on private property.

"If you have an animal, it must be under your control," she said.

Cr Wilkinson said aside from several council-approved off-leash areas, everywhere else required dogs to be on a lead.

"In this case, the dogs had their leads on but they were taking their leads for a walk," she said.

Cr Wilkinson said the matter could not be investigated until an official complaint was made.

(News Mail - Jan 28, 2012)

Owner blames county for events causing dog’s death

MARYLAND -- A dog responsible for an attack that contributed to a man’s hospitalization will be put down, according to Charles County Animal Control Division and an account from the animal’s owner.

On Jan. 18, a neighbor’s wandering Akita burst into Lee Duer’s Waldorf home and attacked one of his two German shepherds, Duer said Monday.

“This dog made Shadow,” his black German shepherd, “look like a puppy. He grabbed ahold of Shadow around his neck, grabbed him around by the neck and pulled him on the ground,” Duer recalled.

Having a claw hammer close at hand, Duer joined the fracas.

“I just started beating the hell out of the dog’s head, right between the dog’s ears,” Duer said, eventually driving the intruder back into the yard.

Shadow was treated by a veterinarian for several bite wounds on his neck, Duer said. His owner needed more medical attention.

He wasn’t bitten, but “I was breathing so hard, and when you talk about the adrenaline rush, good grief!” he said. He couldn’t stop gasping, and when his chest felt tight, his adult daughter called 911.

He was taken to Civista Medical Center in La Plata, where the doctors diagnosed and treated a heart problem. He wasn’t discharged for three days, Duer said.

Despite everything, Duer said he holds no ill will toward his neighbor, Kevin Burke, or his dog and did not plan to press charges, though he hoped Burke would pay Shadow’s vet bill.

Burke was cited for having a dog at large and fined $35, a copy of the citation shows.

Burke surrendered the Akita, named Harrison, to animal control of Wednesday. He will be euthanized at the Tri-County Animal Shelter in Hughesville after a 10-day quarantine imposed on animals that have bitten or scratched recently, said Burke and Animal Control Chief Ed Tucker.

“Unfortunately, what happened with Mr. Duer was, one of the kids, the boy, the knucklehead, goes outside. I guess he forgot something and while he wasn’t paying attention, [Harrison] went out. I didn’t even know the dog was out of the house that morning. He was in the back, and whenever he gets free he always runs toward the woods and the stream behind it. He saw Mr. Duer’s dog in the backyard, sees Mr. Duer’s dog bark, and it’s on,” Burke said.

Burke said animal control was ultimately responsible for the attack because officers didn’t respond to his complaints about neighbors and their dogs taunting Harrison, causing him to be aggressive toward other dogs.

Burke also said some neighbors, but not Duer, had called in false complaints about Harrison. Tucker said the department investigates all complaints.

Burke had been cited other times when Harrison was at large and scrapped with other dogs, Burke and Tucker said, incidents Burke said were the fault of neighbors’ animals.

After the fight in Duer’s house, Burke tried to hand Harrison, who is younger than 2 years old, over to an Akita rescue group but wasn’t able to. He said he was horrified that Duer, with whom he is friendly, fell ill.

“I felt bad for Mr. Duer. It got to the point where I realized it was only sensible thing to do” to get rid of Harrison. “It didn’t make sense to have him around here,” Burke said.

Burke made the call Wednesday, but, angry at animal control, he refused to sign the paper officially relinquishing the dog. Eventually, the officer took Harrison anyway, Burke said.

(Southern Maryland News - Jan. 27, 2012)

Oil City boy injured in pit bull attack at home

PENNSYLVANIA -- A 9-year-old Oil City boy suffered severe injuries to his face after he was attacked by his family's pit bull at his home on Wednesday, police said.

Police did not release the boy's identity. The boy was bitten several times in the face in an unprovoked attack, police said.

Police said the dog was at the foot of the bed as the boy was dressing for school Wednesday morning.

The pit bull then jumped at the boy's face and bit him several times.

The boy was taken to UPMC Northwest in Seneca, Cranberry Township, then later transported to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

(Erie Times-News - Jan 28, 2012)