Fifth-grader’s arm mauled in pit bull attack

RIO RANCHO, NM -- The pit bull whose vicious attack on an 11-year-old Cielo Vista Elementary fifth-grader could return home today, but its owners will apparently face no reprisals.

The same can't be said for the victim, Cosmos Skelton, who bears an ugly series of 37 stitches that curl up the side of his forearm.

The attack occurred Easter Sunday at the Northern Meadows home of Joseph Kraus shortly after Skelton, a frequent visitor, had stepped inside, along with two girls who live there.

The dog, Angus, was rarely inside the house because of his temperament, Skelton said. And when the two girls saw the animal, they both fled, leaving Skelton alone with it.

"I guess he thought I was an intruder," he said. "I backed up against the wall and threw my arms up in the air and he must have taken it as a threat."

The dog chomped down on Skelton's arm and its grip was so powerful that Kraus and two other people had to pry the dog's jaws open from Skelton's arm.

It finally let go after somebody dumped a bucket of water on it, he said.

"I was getting bit and my arm felt numb," Skelton said. "I just felt this gigantic mouth on my arm."

Once freed, he managed to stumble outside and his older brother, who was also visiting the house, helped him to their nearby home and his father rushed the boy to Albuquerque's Presbyterian Hospital.

Cosmos' father wants the dog put down

"It was a big cut, deep into the tissue," said the father, Daniel Skelton. "Every time he moved his fingers, you could see the muscles and tendons in his arm moving."

Nothing inside his arm was severed so the long-term prognosis is favorable, the father said, but the antibiotics that Cosmos was originally prescribed weren't effective so the boy had to return to the hospital last week to be re-examined.

"He's doing OK now," Daniel Skelton said. "Monday was his first day back to school. He was nervous about it getting it bumped though."

The pit bull's owner reacts when questioned by a reporter

Meanwhile, Angus could be returning home after a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

The owners have until 5 p.m. today to pick up the dog, after which it could be adopted out or put down, said police spokesman John Francis.

Raised from a pup, this owner cannot explain why her
socialized, family dog would suddenly go on the attack

A Rio Rancho Police report showed the dog had been vaccinated for rabies in December. But neither it, nor any of the other three dogs on the premises, are registered or licensed. The owners have until Thursday to show animal control the proper paperwork.

Daniel Skelton said he's been told by the dog's owners that Angus had attacked one of their own children and also another dog. The owners had originally planned to euthanize the dog, but recently said in a local television broadcast that they planned to keep it. The phone number at the Kraus residence is not accepting phone calls.

Skelton, whose family has three dogs of its own, including a pit bull mix that Cosmos rescued, said he has nothing against the breed.

"We're not anti-dogs and we're not anti pit bulls," he said. "But it goes to the way this dog is. You can't go back and make it a puppy again."

And since the attack occurred inside the home, neither the dog nor its owners will face penalties under city ordinances, Francis said.

That, Skelton says, is wrong. At the very least, he said, the family should be cited for the unlicensed dogs, which carries a $100 fine for each animal.

(Rio Rancho Observer, May 4, 2011)

Read More:

• Boy, 11, Recalls Pit Bull Attack
• Pit Bull won't be put down after attacking boy

UPDATE:

Dog That Bit Boy Will Be Destroyed

A pit bull that tore a chunk out of a Rio Rancho boy’s arm will be euthanized.

Police spokesman John Francis said Friday the owner of the dog that bit 12-year-old Cosmos Skelton voluntarily turned the animal over to police and agreed to euthanization.

He said the owner also provided proof of vaccinations and got city licenses for three other pets.

The boy’s father, Daniel Skelton, could not be reached for comment.

The attack occurred on April 24, when the dog bit the boy’s right arm and caused wounds that required dozens of stitches.

It happened in the home where the dog lived. Cosmos Skelton had gone there to play with children who lived in the home, something he frequently did, according to his father.

After the attack, Francis said the dog owner agreed to voluntarily quarantine the dog while police conducted an investigation. But she initially told a local TV station she would not have the dog put down.

Francis said police couldn’t force the owner to euthanize the dog because the incident occurred inside the home where the animal lived and didn’t violate city ordinances.

That angered Daniel Skelton, and spurred Rio Rancho dog trainer and behavior specialist Dianne Sullivan of Good Dog Training Center and Doggie Resort in Rio Rancho to say the animal should be euthanized because it might pose a risk to other children.

(Rio Rancho Journal - May 7, 2011)

Dangerous breeds 'should all be shot'

NEW ZEALAND -- The mother of an 8-year-old Dunedin boy whose ear was ripped in half when he was mauled by a dog says dangerous breeds "should all be shot".

Carley Ludlow (31) was speaking to the Otago Daily Times the day after her son, Jayden Taggart, had half his left ear ripped off by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier inside a Wakari home on Friday night.

Miss Ludlow said her son and his father were visiting the home of family friends when the attack occurred about 8.45pm.

Jayden's father witnessed the attack and pulled the dog off, fishing the torn ear out of the dog's mouth before rushing his son to Dunedin Hospital by car immediately after the attack, she said.

Doctors managed to reattach the ear during surgery lasting several hours, and a battered but grinning Jayden on Saturday told the Otago Daily Times his injuries were "not that sore" and he still did not fear dogs.

He needed about 60 stitches to reattach his left ear and close puncture wounds on his face, right ear, shoulder, arm and hand following the attack, and could not remember much after the incident.

"Just a dog bit my ear," was all he could recall, he said.

The dog - a 5-year-old named Chaos - was destroyed on Saturday morning, after the owner agreed to hand over the animal to Dunedin City Council animal control staff.

Miss Ludlow said the incident showed Staffordshire bull terriers and other breeds, such as pit bulls, "should all be shot".

"If people continue to have them, then they can kiss their kids goodbye."

However, Miss Ludlow and the dog's owner disagreed about whether the attack was unprovoked.

Miss Ludlow said her son had been lying on a bed when the dog "just jumped up and started mauling him", while the woman who owned the dog - who would not be named - said Jayden had been "tormenting" the animal that day.

"He's a good dog. He was neutered. It was just a freak accident and I'm extremely sorry about what happened to Jayden," the owner said.

The attack had been "very quick" and left all those involved in shock, she said.

They had agreed to have the dog destroyed rather than risk a similar attack happening again, even though she and her own children were "gutted" at the loss of their family pet, the owner said.

Miss Ludlow said her son was "doing OK" despite his injuries, and it appeared circulation was returning to his reattached ear.

She did not blame the dog's owner and did not want further action taken by police "as long as the dog's dead".

Senior Sergeant Mel Aitken said police were still investigating the "pretty nasty" attack, and no decision about charges had yet been made.

Council animal control team leader Ros MacGill said there was no record of any other aggressive behaviour by the dog, and the owners had been "very co-operative" in handing over the animal to be destroyed.

The attack was "a very unfortunate" reminder to keep children safe from excitable or dominant dogs, she said.

(Otago Daily Times - May 2, 2011)

Much ado-dle-doo about noisy birds

MAINE -- For Julie Sutherland there was no choice: If she didn’t take the 25 roosters home, they would become someone’s dinner.

The time to act came in June, when she overheard a comment at a farm store in Portland where she buys grain for her horses.

“He said he wanted to make kabobs out of them,” Sutherland said this week.

So, she boxed them up and took them to her farm on Ledge Hill Road in Raymond.

For her neighbor Wayne Gelston, that’s when life at home became unbearable.

“I have to sleep with earplugs in,” said Gelston, who lives diagonally across the street from Sutherland. “They crow all day long. They never stop.”

Gelston played a recording of the roosters to the town’s select board at a meeting last month. On Tuesday, the board will consider amending its barking-dog ordinance to apply to all noisy animals, which would enable the town to fine their owners for infractions.

Sutherland, however, is in no immediate danger of being penalized. For the past few weeks, she has kept the now-grown roosters in a storage room in her barn, where they can’t be heard from outside.

She put the birds there to protect them from a wild dog that’s been stalking the neighborhood and has already killed about half of the flock. Once the dog is caught, she said, the birds will be back in the yard.

On a recent afternoon, the 13 roosters that remain were hopping up and down two shelving units in the barn, cocking their heads and crowing. Sutherland said she can tell some apart by the pitch of their crows alone. She has names for most of them.

There are two black roosters, Boss and Boss’ brother. The white ones are Snow and Snowball. Ruby and Red have feathers the color of rust, and Handsome and The Gimp are flecked with blue.

Sutherland, 50, moved to Raymond from Yarmouth last year with her boyfriend, two horses, four cats and two dogs. “We just wanted to get a little farther out,” she said.

She thinks noises from farm animals should be an accepted part of rural life.

“This is country,” Sutherland said.

The same sentiment was expressed at a public hearing in Cape Elizabeth on Monday. Town councilors there also are considering a proposal to fine owners of noisy farm animals.

About 10 residents spoke against the proposal at the hearing, and the council decided to continue the discussion in a workshop.

For Gelston, 59, the regulations are needed for retaining the little luxuries in life.

A salesman for a food distributor, Gelston said he just wants to sleep past 7 a.m. on his days off from work. He wants to garden and sit on his porch with his wife. Those are activities he can’t enjoy when the roosters are around.

“We leave the house just to get away from it,” he said.

Town staff put together two proposed ordinances for the select board to consider at its 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday. Neither prohibits anyone in Raymond from owning a rooster. The proposed penalties for violating the noise ordinance range from a written warning for a first offense to a maximum of $500 for multiple offenses.

If an ordinance is adopted, Gelston assures that he won’t be shy about lodging complaints.

“If it gets like this again, I’ll call every day,” he said. “I won’t give up.”

(Press Herald - November 19, 2011)

Owner of pit bull that killed poodle appeals dog's death sentence

WINFIELD, KS -- A trial date has been set for a Winfield man who is appealing a city judge's ruling that calls for the man's pet pit bull to be humanely destroyed.

District Court Judge Nick St. Peter has set the bench trial for 9 a.m. Aug. 5 at the Cowley County Courthouse in Winfield. Because the infractions associated with the appeal are relatively minor, defendant Aaron Cole is not entitled to a jury trial, so Judge St. Peter will decide if the animal is spared.

Cole was cited for dog at large and no city dog license following an incident the morning of May 15 in which his two pit bull dogs were said to have gotten loose and entered a local home.

The home's owner, who has not been identified by name, said she awoke to find the dogs in her house and her pet poodle the victim of an attack. The poodle died.

The woman had been sleeping with the back door of her home open so her dogs could come and go to use the restroom, according to police.

Cole has not disputed the charges for which he was cited. Instead he has appealed city judge Tom Herlocker's determination that one of the dogs, a male named Seven, is vicious and should be destroyed.
The incident happened in a neighborhood on E. Sixth. Seven was captured by Winfield Police and has been in the custody of the court ever since.

A female pit bull was returned to Cole and his family. [WHY?!!!!]

The city has until July 8 to notify the court if it intends to hire an expert witness. The defense has until July 18 to make the same notification. Pretrial motions are to be filed by July 18 as well.

The city agreed to make the dog available to the defense should any testing or examinations be necessary. Judge St. Peter also said Cole can make an arrangement to have the dog housed at another secure location – such as a kennel service – if that could save him money on the cost for housing the animal.

The expense of caring for the dog while the case is appealed is left to Cole.

(NewsCow - June 28, 2011)

Read More:

• Pair of pit bulls enter local home, kill a poodle

Dog owner horrified by vicious attack

CANADA -- After watching her small pooch mauled by a larger dog, Melanie Dyke is demanding consequences.

Angel, a seven-year-old miniature pincher, was let out from “doggy daycare” Monday afternoon and wandered around to the front of a Thorncliffe-area duplex where she ran afoul of a considerably bigger dog belonging to a neighbour.

Dyke said an exchange of barking turned gruesome when the bigger animal attacked her “football-sized” pet, puncturing flesh and tearing patches of skin.

“We try to make sure they are not out at the same time — we didn’t realize (the other dog was there),” said Angel’s owner.

“The other dog just ran in, grabbed her, picked her up and shook her.”

Dyke’s friend, who owned the home, tried to intervene but in the seconds it took to reach her, Angel was on the ground.

Many stitches and a drainage tube later, Angel is recovering at home, but is not eating, drinking or doing much of anything beyond just laying there, stunned by antibiotics and pain killers.

“It’s not good,” said Dyke.

But the bigger concern for her is not Angel — Dyke alleges this is the fourth time this particular neighbour’s dog has attacked another animal without much in the way of provocation.

“It’s not safe,” said Dyke.

“What happens if next time it’s a small child? This is already a vicious dog.”

Bill Bruce, director of the city’s Animal and Bylaw Services, agreed.

“It needs to be dealt with and dealt with quickly — aggressive behaviour tends to escalate,” he said.

Bruce said the city will investigate once he gets details from Dyke.

He said there is no such thing as a free bite — his people investigate every complaint they receive — unless it turns out there was some justifiable provocation.

If a dog is defending itself there is unlikely to be charges.

But it is rare that a charge of some sort is not laid, said Bruce, noting Calgary is strict on animal attacks.

There is a $250 fine for aggressive acts or $1,000 if another animal dies as a result.

Conviction could also lead to specific terms being legally imposed on an animal’s owner, such as having to muzzle the animal or take it for behavioural training.

(Calgary Sun - May 31, 2011)

Mums tells of seeing beloved pet cat being mauled

UNITED KINGDOM -- A HEARTBROKEN mum who claims her pet cat was mauled to death by a neighbour’s dog hit out yesterday after being told the case has been thrown out at court.

Karen Hallan and her children have been left devastated by the death of their beloved cat, Tipsy.

A neighbour – Lorraine McCann – was charged with allowing her Staffordshire Bull Terrier to kill Tipsy but denied the offence.

Now Karen has been told the charge against Ms McCann was thrown out at Paisley Sheriff Court because no child or adult was involved in the dog attack.

“I feel let down by the courts,” said 31-year-old Karen. “I was shocked when I was told the case wouldn’t be going ahead.

“They’re saying the case was thrown out because there wasn’t any risk to a human in the attack but, to me, a life is a life, even if people don’t think that cats are very important.

“It seems to me that someone needs to be attacked before the courts are willing to do anything about a dangerous dog and I find that really disappointing.”

Mum-of-four Karen claims that she and her young sons could only watch in horror as Ms McCann’s dog mauled Tipsy.

The cat died instantly when it was bitten on the head in the back garden of a block of flats in Morar Drive, Foxbar, Paisley.

Karen – who lives with her partner Ian and children Christopher, nine; Jack, seven; Sophie, three; and five-month-old Ryan – said: “I was absolutely horrified when I saw the dog go for Tipsy. She was such an affectionate wee cat and I’d had her for 10 years and loved her to bits.

“She never stood a chance as that dog bit into her head.

“What’s worse is that Christopher and Jack saw it happen too. They were terrified and Christopher has been having nightmares about what happened.

“Since Tipsy was killed, I have kept the kids away from the back garden and we’re moving away from Morar Drive soon.”

Ms McCann, 27, was accused of being the owner of the dog when it was dangerously out of control and attacked the cat in Morar Drive in March.

The charge stated that the dog bit the cat on the head and shook it violently until it was dead.

Ms McCann denied the charge and was set to stand trial before it was successfully argued that a legal loophole should lead to the case being dismissed.

The decision has infuriated Karen and Ian, who have hit out at the justice system.

Ian, 35, said: “In my opinion, that dog is obviously out of control and it now has a taste for blood, so I find it shocking that it has been allowed to remain with its owner.”

Ms McCann was not available for comment when the Paisley Daily Express visited her home yesterday.

No-one at the Crown Office was available to discuss the case against Ms McCann.

(Paisley Express - May 31, 2011)

Pet Pit Bull Attacks Woman

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI -- A Rochester Hills woman reported being attacked by her own pit bull last week.

She told sheriff's deputies she was sitting at her computer inside her Oakridge Drive home when the dog bit her on her right bicep and then again on her left forearm.

She put the dog into a closet until deputies arrived. Sheriff's deputies said as soon as they got near the closet the dog began to "growl and bark aggressively."

Animal control officers removed the dog and the woman was treated and released at Crittenton Hospital.

(Rochester-Rochester Hills Patch - May 31, 2011)

Rhode Island: Woman's Pomeranian attacked, killed in park by American Bulldog

RHODE ISLAND -- One minute Patricia Capuano was walking her beloved 14-pound Pomeranian named Foxy at a park on Gano Street in Providence on Monday.

The next minute, she was begging for its life.

"I was on my knees and crying and praying to God and Jesus to help me, 'Don't let him die, don't let him die, dear God, don't let him die,'" she said.

But Foxy was gone in a matter of minutes.

"The dog was on top of him, killing him," Capuano said. "(It had) the back of his neck, and wouldn't let him go."

Bella, the dog that attacked and killed Foxy, has been quarantined for 10 days at the Providence Animal Shelter.

The dog didn't have any tags and lunged at the Pomeranian, according to Foxy's owner.

"I said, 'Don't worry Foxy, I'm getting you to the vet' and he went 'Ungh,'" Capuano said.

Bella was described as an American bulldog.

Capuano said the dog was with its owner when suddenly it took off with its leash attached and the owner running after it.

"I said, 'Look at your dog, how does he feel now?' He says, 'He's got blood all over him.' And he says, 'He's had a good lunch.'"

 

NBC 10 went to the home of the man who told police he was just taking care of Bella at the time of the attack. No one came to the door.

Police haven't found the owners of Bella, who will be called to a city hearing to determine the future of their dog.

"We'll be going with a vicious dog hearing under Rhode Island state law to determine if the dog is vicious," said Dave Holden, director of the Providence Animal Control.

Capuano said she's still shaken and that life without Foxy will never be the same.

"In my heart, I'm devastated. It's like my child. He loved me so much. He just loved me."

(NBC10 - May 31, 2011)

Man stabs pit bull to death to end attack on his dog

SPARTANBURG, SC -- A 55-year-old Spartanburg man says he was forced to stab a pit bull when it attacked his dog Tuesday afternoon.

 

Officers said they responded to a house on Lucerne Drive after a call reporting a dog bite. The officers said they found Victor Hajek and his basset hound covered in blood.

 

Hajek told officers that he was walking his leashed dog when he heard several dogs barking, including a pit bull that Hajek was usually chained to the far side of a fence near where he was walking his dog.

 

Hajek said the pit bull jumped the fence and charged at him and his dog. Hajek said he tried to pick up his dog, but the pit bull lunged at them, knocking him down and grabbing the basset hound’s ear.

 

Hajek said he held onto his dog because he was afraid the pit bull would carry the dog away and kill him.

 

Hajek said the pit bull would not let the basset hound go, so he got out a pocket knife he had and stabbed the pit bull repeatedly until it let go of his dog.

 

Officers said the pit bull ran about 75 feet and collapsed.

 

After checking on Hajek and his dog, officers said they checked on the pit bull that was still alive when they arrived. The officers said the pit bull had about 3 feet of chain attached to its collar. An animal control officer arrived at the scene and took the pit bull to the Humane Society to be seen by a veterinarian, but the dog died before it could be treated.

 

Officers said that they were unable to reach the pit bull's owner, but left a message for the owner to call Public Safety.

 

Investigators said the pit bull did not have any license or rabies tags. Officers said Hajek showed them records indicated that his dog’s vaccinations are up to date.

 

The investigation is continuing, but no charges have been filed.

(WYFF - May 31, 2011)

Read More:

• Spartanburg man stabs pit bull 20 times while defending his basset hound

12-year-old charged with abusing kitten

VIRGINIA -- On Saturday, May 28, 2011 Suffolk Animal Control received a report that a 12-year-old had abused a 7-week-old kitten.

Police say some children were playing with the kitten when the 12-year-old grabbed the kitten and threw it up against a wall. He then began hitting the kitten with a stick; then pulled out a knife and said he was going to cut the kitten. Police say another child approached him and smacked the knife out of his hand.

The children that were playing with the kitten picked it up and put in a box, thinking it was dead. The kitten was found in the grass unresponsive when an Animal Control officer picked it up, saying it opened its eyes and 'meowed'.

The kitten was taken to the vet where it was treated for a broken leg and bruises to the lungs and abdomen.

The 12-year-old was charged with one count of misdemeanor cruelty.

The kitten will be available for adoption this Friday.

(WTKR - May 31, 2011)

Father, daughter attacked by pit bulls

NEW YORK -- A father and daughter preaching door to door in Greenburgh find themselves fighting for their lives after being viciously attacked by two pit bulls.

Animal control officers were forced to kill one of the dogs when it turned on them.

Greenburgh police officers says they have never seen a dog this violent before and coming face to face with it over the weekend, they were then faced with making a split second decision.

"It was a pretty chaotic scene when the first officers got there," said Sgt. Anthony McVeigh.

That chaotic scene was at a cluster of houses on Juniper Hill Road where a 90 pound pit bull viciously attacked a man and his 18-year old daughter.

Police say, they are members of the First White Plains Seventh Day Adventist Church.

They had left the church and headed up the street, passing out flyers door to door.

When they headed down the driveway to 103, where there are "beware of dog" and "no tresspassing" signs the pit bull suddenly attacked.

The dog's owner while trying to pull his dog away was also severely bitten on his hands. A neighbor saying he was in the hospital.

Responding officers, Sgt. Anthony McVeigh, and Officer Steven Deastis with the special operations unit had to capture the dog and remove it.

"We did get a dart into it and thought it was sedated well enough. We got a snare pole onto the dog," adds McVeigh.

"This dog almost took out our animal-control officer," said Detective Sgt. Frank Pumillo of the Greenburgh police. "It was a pretty horrific attack, one of the worst I've seen."

But then as they were ready to take it out of the house, the dog turned unexpectedly violent again at which point Officer Deastis fired, killing the dog.

The officer shows how close the pit bull came to biting
the face of the animal control officer, prompting the other
officer to fire two shots, killing the dog

(WABC - May 31, 2011)

Read More:

• Greenburgh pit bulls attack man, daughter passing out church fliers

Dog owner horrified by vicious attack

CANADA -- After watching her small pooch mauled by a larger dog, Melanie Dyke is demanding consequences.

Angel, a seven-year-old miniature pincher, was let out from “doggy daycare” Monday afternoon and wandered around to the front of a Thorncliffe-area duplex where she ran afoul of a considerably bigger dog belonging to a neighbour.

Dyke said an exchange of barking turned gruesome when the bigger animal attacked her “football-sized” pet, puncturing flesh and tearing patches of skin.

“We try to make sure they are not out at the same time — we didn’t realize (the other dog was there),” said Angel’s owner.

“The other dog just ran in, grabbed her, picked her up and shook her.”

Dyke’s friend, who owned the home, tried to intervene but in the seconds it took to reach her, Angel was on the ground.

Many stitches and a drainage tube later, Angel is recovering at home, but is not eating, drinking or doing much of anything beyond just laying there, stunned by antibiotics and pain killers.

“It’s not good,” said Dyke.

But the bigger concern for her is not Angel — Dyke alleges this is the fourth time this particular neighbour’s dog has attacked another animal without much in the way of provocation.

“It’s not safe,” said Dyke.

“What happens if next time it’s a small child? This is already a vicious dog.”

Bill Bruce, director of the city’s Animal and Bylaw Services, agreed.

“It needs to be dealt with and dealt with quickly — aggressive behaviour tends to escalate,” he said.
Bruce said the city will investigate once he gets details from Dyke.

He said there is no such thing as a free bite — his people investigate every complaint they receive — unless it turns out there was some justifiable provocation.

If a dog is defending itself there is unlikely to be charges.

But it is rare that a charge of some sort is not laid, said Bruce, noting Calgary is strict on animal attacks.

There is a $250 fine for aggressive acts or $1,000 if another animal dies as a result.

Conviction could also lead to specific terms being legally imposed on an animal’s owner, such as having to muzzle the animal or take it for behavioural training

(Calgary Sun - May 31, 2011)

Police: Vt man threw puppy, broke its leg

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT -- A Vermont man is charged with animal cruelty after police said he threw a puppy across a room, breaking its leg.

David A. Levchuk, 29, of St. Johnsbury, took the injured five-month-old part Chihuahua puppy named Sophie to a veterinary clinic, saying he found it injured near his apartment. His girlfriend told police he'd thrown the dog after it urinated on his bed.

Levchuk pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge Monday, and a Caledonia Superior Court judge released him on conditions, including that he not own any animals and turn over any he does own to a humane society.

The Caledonian-Record says the dog, whose leg was put in a cast after the March 30 incident, is recovering and in foster care.
(WGGB - May 26, 2011)

Dog dies after being left in parked vehicle

NORTH PLATTE, NE -- A North Platte man faces up to 2 years in prison after leaving his pet dog inside his vehicle during an 80-degree day while taking care of personal business at Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

Ted Cook exited the hospital to find his dog in distress and contacted the North Platte Animal Shelter.

Animal Control Officer John Petit responded to the call and arrived to an unresponsive animal.

"We arrived to find the dog laying on the ground in distress," said Petit. "We rushed him to a local veterinarian and by the time we arrived the dog was already brain dead and died a short time later."

Petit said that Cook initially reported that he was only in the hospital for 5 minutes, but later said it was 15 minutes.

"The vet said it was likely more than that," said Petit. "The dog's body temperature wouldn't even register on the vet's thermometer, which maxes out at 120 degrees. It can get hot really quick inside a vehicle and it's important to know that if you go out on errands, don't take your dog with you."
(North Platte Telegraph - May 26, 2011)

Animal Cruelty arrest made in Covington County

ANDALUSIA, AL -- On Thursday May 26th 2011 Deputies arrested Christopher Shannon Hall of Airport Rd in Andalusia on 9 counts of Cruelty to Animals 2nd.

The arrest was a result of numerous complaints about a residence on Hester’s Store Road in Red Level where Mr. Hall was keeping numerous Bulldogs that were being staked out on chains around the property with no food or water.

At two different times deputies have found one of the dogs deceased and still on the chain.

“From the complaints and deputy reports, Mr. Hall was (allegedly) keeping the dogs there on a family member’s property without food or water,” he said. “At two different times, deputies found one of the dogs deceased and still on the chain.”

The property belonged to a family member of Mr. Hall. He was booked into the Covington Co jail on a total of $27,000 bond.

Cruelty to Animals is a Class A misdemeanor. Andalusia Animal Control Officers assisted in the removal of the animals to the Andalusia Pound.

One of the dogs chained on the property 

This dead bulldog is one of the numerous dogs
Hall is accused of starving.

(WKNI - May 26, 2011)

Read More:

• Andalusia man hit with 9 counts of Animal Cruelty
• Man accused of starving dogs

Aurora Man trying to get Animal Abuse Charges Dropped

AURORA, IL -- An Aurora man with a history of animal abuse is seeking to have charges that he beat his dog with a chair leg dropped.

What a six foot tall, 350 pound monster looks like

The attorney for Phillip Rinn filed a motion to quash Friday in Kane County court, where Rinn is facing felony charges of animal cruelty for the alleged beating of his German shepherd mix dog last November.

The motion says Kane County sheriff’s officers illegally searched Rinn’s house and found evidence used to charge him. Rinn, 42, was coerced into consenting to the search, and had told the officers that he had not struck the dog, but had only yelled at it, according to the motion.

His defense agues that, in their opinion, police obtained the evidence illegally. They are trying to convince the judge of this so that it cannot be used in the prosecution.

However, a previous prosecution motion said a witness peered into Rinn’s windows and saw him swinging a club-like object in a downward fashion over and over again, and that whenever Rinn swung the object down, the witness heard the sound of a dog loudly crying.

When police entered the residence, they found the dog with injuries to its mouth and a facial fracture, and nearby they found a broom handle and a splintered chair leg that appeared to have blood on it, according to the document.

The dog was turned over to the country animal control department, which later found a foster home for it.

Rinn is facing felony charges in the incident because he was convicted in the 1990s for killing his pet dog by dragging it behind his car. He is free on bond as he awaits trial, but is not allowed to own any dog as a condition of his bond.

(Chicago Breaking News - May 28, 2011)

Read More:

• Judge: Aurora man can’t have his dog back
• Dog killer faces new abuse charge
• New Animal Cruelty Charges For Man in ’93 Dog Killing
• Man Learns He Gave Beloved Pet to Abuser

Suspect lets pit bulls loose on cops, dogs shot and killed

CHICAGO, IL -- Chicago police shot and killed two pit bulls after their owner ordered the animals to attack the officers, police said.

Police were investigating a report of gunshots in the 2500 block of North McVicker Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they went to the home of 23-year-old Ivan Bernabe.

While inside talking with Bernabe’s parents, the officers saw him outside, so they walked outside and asked him to come over and speak with them on a porch, police said.

Instead, Bernabe opened a gate and let two pit bulls loose before saying, “Go get them — sic ‘em,” police said.

The officers shot the dogs before arresting Bernabe, who was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer and aggravated assault, police said. No one was bitten or injured during the incident.

(Sun-Times - May 1, 2011)

Memphis police track disturbing new dog fighting trend

MEMPHIS, TN -- Memphis police are trying to crack down on a disturbing new dog fighting trend.

The next time you hear loud music from the car next to yours, pay attention.  According to Memphis Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Karen Rudolph, the people inside may be committing a crime other than violating a noise ordinance.

"There's other things to look for just than the loud music," she said. "There could be a cover up for the dog fighting, which is called 'trunking.'"

Trunking is not the typical dog fighting that often makes headlines and results in arrests.  It's a new and disturbing trend. 

"Apparently what they're doing is they're taking two dogs they're putting them in the trunk of the car," Rudolph said.

Suspects may leave the car parked or drive around with the music up very loud.  They let the dogs fight until one of them is dead, and then pop open the trunk and declare a winner. 

"It's really scary, and it's usually younger kids," said John Robinson of the Memphis/Shelby County Humane Society. "It's people just popping up and doing things like that, but that is becoming more and more popular."

Memphis police have been training officers on trunking since it came to their attention about a year ago.  But often, it's difficult for the public to know it is happening.

"It's very challenging for officers and also citizens to even know that it's going on," Rudolph said.

Police want dog fighters to know officers are being trained on trunking, and they'll be watching and listening. 

Rudolph said anyone considering committing this animal cruelty crime should know that trunking is a felony, just like any other kind of dog fighting. 

"Any dog fighting will be handled the same way," she said. "Just because they're in the trunk it doesn't stop it."

A former dog fighter discusses how he would
fight his dog this way. When asked, he said he didn't care
about the dogs other than their job and existance to be
for the purpose of making him money. 

(WMCTV - May 20, 2011)

Read More:

• Trunking: The Hidden World of Dog Fighting

Woman Attacked By Rottweiler

PENNSYLVANIA -- A woman said she was attacked by a Rottweiler while she walked her dog Thursday morning in Knoxville.

The reporter points to where the dog easily escaped
this four foot chain link fence

Channel 11's Jodine Costanzo spoke to the woman who was taken to an area hospital to be treated for her injuries. The woman said she suffered bruising and had to have stitches after her neighbor's dog got loose and went after her Collie mix [Smokey].

"The dog went after her dog. She broke it up, and it [the Rottweiler] jumped up and bit her in the eye," said the victim's daughter. "I think she's more angry than scared. Thank God she didn't lose her eye."

Animal control Officers said the dog was behind a fence that was latched but was able to use its power to break through the fence.

Neighbors said while the Rottweiler is large, it has never shown signs of aggression before.

Smokey was being walked by its owner

The victim shows the injuries to her face
from the Rottweiler's attack

"My kids have actually been in the house a few times playing. I never heard anything about the dog being aggressive," one neighbor said.

Animal control officer said the dog owner was cited in the attack. The Rottweiler had its rabies vaccine and is being quarantined in its owner's home for 10 days.

[NOTE: The video clip says that the owner was given three citations and that the dog was NOT current on its rabies vaccination and therefore had to be quarantined at the shelter.]

(WPXI - May 5, 2011)

2 Vicious Strays Terrorize Westside Neighborhood

Neighbors On Segura Street Report Dog Attacks On Children

Fabian Vera voices his concerns about the strays

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Some residents in a Westside neighborhood report living in fear because of two vicious dogs that have been on the loose and roaming the streets for the last two weeks.

Chris Smith, who lives on Segura Street, told KSAT that the two dogs, a Rottweiler and pit bull mix, have been growling at people and chasing them for the past two weeks.

Smith said Monday that his neighborhood has not been the same since two strays started roaming around their street.

"A lot of people would ride their bikes here. A lot of kids walk to school here," said Smith. "And you don't see them anymore. They're just afraid to walk up this block now."

KSAT's cameras only captured the pit bull mix on Monday afternoon, but neighbors said the two dogs attack when they are together, which is a concern for Smith, who has two children, ages 5 and 8.

"I know if one of my kids gets bit, I'm going to lose it," he said.

The Pit bull mix seen roaming the streets

Fabian Vera, whose mother lives the next street over, told KSAT he is also concerned.

"Especially the kids, they can't defend themselves. They're too little," he said. "The dog should be behind the fence or chained up at least."

Smith said that last week, he had to use a stick to fight the dogs off his nephew who was coming home from school and that the two dogs came after him.

KSAT cameras captured what appears to be a Chow mix
and a German Shepherd mix roaming the streets

"When I was walking from the store with my kids, the dogs tried to attack me as well," he said. "And I had to rush my kids inside the yard and tried to get them away from the dogs."

Smith said he has made numerous calls to the city's Animal Care Services, but that the dogs are still on the loose.

KSAT called Animal Care Services and several other city agencies on Monday, but as of Monday afternoon, the calls were not returned.

Vera shows what he and his neighbors have to
deal with whenever they leave their homes

(KSAT - May 9, 2011)