New York: After her elderly Husky is mauled by two Pit Bulls, owner finds out that courts can't order vicious dog owners to pay up unless you can prove they knew their dog was vicious. Now she's stuck with a critically injured dog and the bills.

NEW YORK -- This is Blaze, a gentle 11-year old Husky face-licking machine whose favorite thing to do  is to hike on trails and country roads.  Because she is a “wolfdog,” and because old age and arthritis are creeping up on her, her owner is diligent in the goal of walking her at least three miles a day.

Which is what we were doing one fateful Saturday evening when we got attacked by an unleashed mother and daughter pit bull duo on a country road.

The pit bulls pounced on Blaze, the mother locking onto Blaze’s throat and dragging her to the ground; as the daughter proceeded to chow on Blaze’s front legs like they were Thanksgiving dinner.  I desperately screamed for help, but no one responded.  

For what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes, I tried to pull the dogs off, hit them with rocks, branches, etc. but this also had absolutely no effect, and I endured multiple puncture wounds that had to be treated at the emergency room that evening due to infection. 

Ultimately, I was able to grab the choke collar of the smaller dog and drag her into an unlocked car that was parked nearby.  But when the mother saw the choke collar in my hand, she became threatened by it, and she finally let go of Blaze’s neck and trotted back towards her home.

With the neck lock broken, traumatized Blaze was finally able to stand, and limped down the road, the leash dangling on her side, and a trail of blood behind her.  My friends helped me bring her to the vet, who said the wounds were serious and he wasn’t sure if she would make it through the night.  Before shaving off her fur and cleaning up the wounds, he said it would cost $600 to euthanize and cremate her; or about $1,500 to proceed with emergency care.

But when I picked her up the next day, the bill had increased to $2,200 that I simply did not have.  In addition, the vet cautioned that the wounds were serious, and further vet visits would be required.

Blaze came home and started a long process of recovery.  The antibiotics that she was on had very little effect on the wounds, so she had to go back to the vet to get a different antibiotic and more painkillers.  This time, the antibiotics worked, but it took a full three weeks from the day of the attack until the last “plug” of puss came out of the deepest puncture wound.

At that point, the vet said he would no longer see Blaze until we cleared the $2,300 bill.

In the meantime, the pit bull owner refused to help with the bill and was brought to small claims court.  The judge was sympathetic to Blaze’s case, but he ruled this October 2017 that while the pit bull owner had a moral responsibility to pay for the medical expenses, the Judge could not mandate it.  

Turns out there is a law in New York State that says if there is no previous indication of an animal’s viciousness, then the owner can’t be held legally responsible for damages when the animal's behavior changes.  

I don't know why the judge couldn't rule on property damage. After all, animals are considered property. If this guy had knocked down your mailbox, he'd have to pay for damages. If he had let a shopping cart hit your car in the parking lot of the grocery store, he'd have to pay for damages. I think a creative judge could have figured something out...

Because of the long recovery, Blaze’s muscles have atrophied and the injuries and/or arthritis settled in.  To this date, Blaze still has not regained her former speed or gait, and she often limps and trips.  In addition, about six months after the attack, Blaze came down with urinary and/or kidney infection, likely a candida overgrowth or damaged kidneys from the antibiotics and medications that she was on.

Despite this, Blaze is eating well, drinking (maybe a bit too much), and still loves her walks on the rail trail.

However, she desperately needs a follow-up visit with the vet to see if anything else is blocking her recovery.  As of this point, the medical bills are about $2,300, but she needs lab work to find out if she has a UTI, yeast overgrowth, decreased kidney function or arthritis from all of the antibiotics and painkillers she was on.  This could be up to another $500.

Please consider helping Blaze come to a full recovery so she can enjoy her senior years without a lot of pain.  As a wolfdog, she needs to walk and run 3 to 5 miles a day to maintain flexibility and joint health.  If unresolved medical issues from the pit bull attack prevent her from doing this, she will certainly have to be put down a lot sooner.

We would be grateful for any help you can give!!!!!!!!!!

GoFundMe: Blaze's Vet Bills From Dog Attack
Created October 19, 2017
Debra Durstewitz
  Animals
  SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY
$100 of $2,800 goal
Raised by 1 person in 3 days

Wisconsin: Boston Terrier named JoyJoy saved by his Mom who beat Pit Bull off with a stick

WISCONSIN -- Mary Bleier posted on Facebook July 10 at 9:00pm ·
Very traumatic day today.

Walking my 19 lb Boston Terrier, Joyjoy in the park. We were attacked by a pit bull. I saw owner take leash off his collar. I carry a hiking stick. 

Saw the pit bull coming & was yelling at it. He attacked my pup who fought back initially, then my pup was screaming while I was beating the pit bull with my hiking stick, didn't seem to faze him. 

Owner, older female was coming after her dog, saying he got loose, saying he's so protective of her, but her dog would not stop attacking & then ran away from her. Several kids were in the park, they took off.

I felt a muscle in my arm tear from beating on that pit bull & had a painful time lifting Joyjoy, but did get her up in my arms & put her on top of a picnic table, pit bull still running loose, guessing pit bull would come back after us. IT DID!!

I started beating it with my hiking stick again & when owner got close he took off again. I shakily called 911, but forgot to hit the green SEND button. Tried again & got thru. Delavan police came immediately. Took down info while another officer was helping catch the pit bull. Tammy Carlton Monteith & Randy came to help me get to vet.

She is battered, bruised, nothing broken, but has stitches in her leg. Has pain pills & antibiotics, can't walk on leg for 5 days.

Thank you very much for all the help Tammy Carlton Monteith & Randy. Love you both so much. Poor puppy, she's in so much pain. I go see my doctor tomorrow for what I believe in torn muscle in my right arm.

I'm thinking of buying a taser. NEVER want that to happen again. Praying God heals my little girl & that owner of pit bull pays the vet bill $176 so far.

Carol Phillips - Mary, I can't believe this- soo terrible! I actually just had a terrible encounter myself a few weeks ago, with a pitbull. He trapped me, while I was winding up my hose in the corner of my house. Long story. I was very lucky. I'm not over it. Been terrified ever since.I will tell U story when I see You. Sure hope your arm will be ok. And Joy Joy. My heart goes out to U.

Mary Bleier - So sorry Carol Phillips. I want to hear your story too! I'll be there this month, no more baseball games. : D

Becky Weidner - I know you don't know me, I'm friends with Tammy Stirmel, so your post came up in my feed when she commented. I am so sorry you had to go through that. May I ask in which park this happened?

My beagle and I were attacked by a pitbull owned by an older lady who lives near Phoenix Park. If this is the same woman and dog, its happened several times before and something needs to be done.

My dog was bitten but the skin wasn't broken. He had a sore spot for awhile. I my case she was given a first offense ticket and had to have her dog on a 10 day confinement at home. It happened at least one other time after and if this is the third time, she may have to have it put down.

Every time I walk past her house, the dog tries to come through the second story window and many times the screen falls out. I suggest that if you don't want to carry a firearm or a taser, carry a spray bottle of ammonia and spray the dog directly in the eyes. It won't have any choice but to stop attacking. I hope you both recover soon.

Linda Hensgen - If not, you are probably entitled to sue in small claims court, but I am in Illinois. I had to do that after a pit bull attack on me and my golden and no response from an irresponsible neighbor.

Trudy Jury Hicks - Mary are u pressing charges????

Jim Bleier - There is a police report, I don't have it yet. Police Dept will call me when it's ready. I already signed a request for it. Yes, I'm thinking of retaining an attorney.

UPDATE:
Mary Bleier
July 11 at 1:36pm ·
She hasnt moved all day so far. Only when I lift her into the rolling basket to go potty. So sorry for her.

 

 

New Mexico: Hiker describes terrifying pit bull attack in Santa Fe National Forest; owner fled with dog

NEW MEXICO -- "If someone accosted you in the woods with an axe, wouldn't you think there would be some penalty for that? Because the results would be the same."

Latrell Bellard is furious over what happened when he went for a hike in the Santa Fe National Forest last week.

"I was resting on the side of the trail on a rock and a Pit Bull came up the trail by itself and then jumped on me, attacking me. I was able to defend myself with my hiking stick."

Bellard says he stopped the 80-pound dog with that stick, but it attacked again, clawing his legs and arms, trying to bite him.

Bellard says the attack lasted nearly 10 minutes with him doing all he could to fight off the Pit Bull.

When the Pit Bull's owner finally waddled up the trail, she was anything but remorseful.  She screamed at him, "Don't you beat on my dog you ____ _____ and she tried to stick me with her hiking pole. I'm almost speechless when she said that."

OWNER FLED WITH BITE DOG
She then ran off with her vicious dog and disappeared, leaving him injured from the attack.

This happens so often, Pit Bull owners fleeing with their dogs, it's been coined "PIT AND RUN"

"The rules are, you either have your dog on a leash or under your control. That dog was definitely not under anyone's control.," said Julie Anne Overton, representative for the Santa Fe National Forest.

So will the owner of that dog face charges?

Bellard called Santa Fe County Animal Control and filed a report. Animal Control claims they couldn't find the dog or its owner.

 

 

Bellard says he's worried about other people who could encounter this nutbag and her vicious dog.

"She might want to rethink who's more valuable; the dog or the person," said Bellard.

Uh, she already decided when she beat you with her hiking pole - her mauler is more important. If you'd been lying there bleeding out, she would have grabbed her dog and fled, leaving you to die.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(KOAT - June 9, 2017)

California: Helen Woodward Animal Center holds special fundraiser for dog from Mexico severely abused by owners, then attacked by pit bulls

CALIFORNIA -- The Helen Woodward Animal Center of Rancho Santa Fe announced Monday that a special fund will support veterinary care for a 2-year-old Pointer mix that was severely abused by his owner and neighbors, and survived a pit bull attack in Mexico.

Named Dwayne "The Rock" for his steadfast strength and sweet disposition, the dog was rescued in Tijuana, Mexico and brought to the United States.

According to the rescuer, Dwayne's owner bound the canine with a crude wire muzzle, kicked him and beat him with sticks. 
 
After the owner was jailed on an unrelated offense, the dog wandered the streets, where residents disgusted by his deformities threw stones and scalding water at him, the rescuer said.

Dwayne was also attacked by a pair of pit bulls. He was left with a deformed muzzle that made his breathing labored, and injuries to his front right leg and elbow, skin and coat.

The dog remains good-natured despite his his ordeal, according to center President and CEO Mike Arms.

"This beautiful dog took all the despicable abuse and neglect man can show to an animal, and still he wouldn't turn on mankind,'' Arms said. "Helping animals like this is at the heart of Helen Woodward Animal Center. This is what we stand for and we'll do everything we can to care for him and protect him.''

People can make donations for the canine's care via AnimalCenter.org/RescueDwayne.

Money raised will be used to enlist specialists who can provide Dwayne with reconstructive surgery, according to center officials. They said Dwayne's injuries were so extensive, and projected veterinary costs so high, that none of the rescuers' usual shelter contacts would accept him.

Dwayne is currently living with a foster family, and will be made available for adoption after he is fully recovered, according to the center.

(KUSI - May 18, 2017)

Arizona: After little dog mauled by pit bull, Pima Animal Care Center hands the dog back over to its owner, does nothing about charging the owner with having a vicioius dog - and 4 days later, the same pit bull attacks a little girl's dog, killing it right in front of her

ARIZONA -- IT'S CLAIMED THAT "staffing issues" at the Pima Animal Care Center played a role in an “unusual” case where a pit bull mauled a dog to death in Sahuarita just four days after it attacked another dog out on a walk with its owner.

An official with PACC, which handles animal control for Sahuarita, acknowledged the agency didn't thoroughly investigate the first attack until after the second, fatal attack, because claims they are 'short-staffed' and has a backlog of hundreds of calls.

Hey morons. If you've got "hundreds" of backlogged calls, here's an idea. Throw out all the barking complaints. Throw out all the calls about stray cats roaming around. Throw out all the 'stray, non-aggressive dog roaming loose' calls. Throw out all the 'cats peeing in my bushes' calls. Throw out all the 'lady walks her dog on a leash and lets it poop in my yard' calls. 

FOCUS ON THE VICIOUS DOG CALLS!

The first attack occurred about 11 a.m. Feb. 17 in the 13000 block of South Camino Paso Corto, in Rancho Sahuarita. A woman was walking her terrier mix, Kuro, and her miniature Doberman Pinscher, Pippy, when she came across the pit bull.

“I crossed the street and when I got to the other side, we came face to face with this loose dog. I hadn’t seen it,” said the woman, who the Sahuarita Sun is not identifying because she is a victim.

“It sniffed Kuro and then just attacked. It latched onto his throat. I was yelling at it and I started hitting the dog and it wasn’t responding at all.”

Another woman ran across the street and started hitting the dog, too, the woman said.

“It just wouldn’t let go and I thought my dog was dead,” she said. Moments later, a man jumped his fence and started “whaling” on the dog and it finally let go, the woman said.

“It was just so traumatizing,” she said. “I’m a small person and I realized in that moment how weak and helpless I was against this dog.”

She said the group of strangers helped avoid a worse outcome for 14-pound Kuro.

“They really saved my dog’s life. If it had gone on any longer, he’d be dead,” she said. “I didn’t get any of their names and I just want to thank everyone who helped out.”

Friends called the Sahuarita Police Department as she rushed Kuro to a vet.

According to PACC records, a man followed the pit bull to the backyard of a home in the 800 block of West Camino Capria and confined it. A police officer contacted PACC, which sent a field officer to impound the pit bull, later identified as 9-year-old Gabby.

Shortly before 3 p.m. that day, the vicious pit bull was released to her owners, Gilbert Guerra and Yesenia Gonzalez.

Adam Ricci, PACC field services manager, calling the case “unusual,” claims they had no legal grounds to hold the pit bull after the first attack. He claims they were unable to reach Kuro’s owner because they didn’t have a correct phone number for her and claims they couldn’t file citations without witness statements.

“At that point in time, we only had third-party information. We didn’t have any witnesses,” Ricci said.

Although Sahuarita police had provided the PACC officer with the address of Kuro’s owner, PACC didn’t have the staffing to make contact with her immediately, Ricci said.

The incident was classified as a Priority Two call and joined a queue of more than 150 other Priority Two calls, which typically take PACC officers seven to 14 days to respond to, Ricci said.

I don't believe that they have 150 other calls sitting there. That's impossible. Do a FOIA and prove it. You're telling me they have officers in trucks, driving around and not one single person could drive to the victim's house -- WHEN YOU CLAIM THAT THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO RELEASE A VICIOUS DOG BACK TO ITS OWNERS??!!

Priority One calls involve such things as rabies exposure, bite calls in which the animal is still at large, and calls where first responders such as police need immediate assistance, Ricci said. PACC has five or six officers handling pending calls, which often exceed 400, he said.

“We do the best we possibly can with the resources available to us,” Ricci said.

Gabby was released after her owners paid $128, which included an impoundment fee and a late licensing fee because they had let her license lapse, Ricci said.

Second attack results in a dog being mauled to death by the same pit bull, thanks to the Pima Animal Care Center

Four days later, a 10-year-old girl and her friend were collecting donations door-to-door for a cancer charity with the girl's 2-year-old dog, Buddy, according to PACC reports.

When they arrived at the Guerra/Gonzalez home, the mother of one of the girls told the Sahuarita Sun that the other girl went to the door. Her daughter stood in the driveway with both leashed dogs.

The vicious pit bull, which had just been handed back over to its moronic owners by the Pima Animal Care Center, pushed her way out when a child opened the door a crack and immediately attacked Buddy, one of the two dogs, the girl's mother said.

“My daughter was so scared she let go of the leash and grabbed the other dog,” she said.

Several neighbors heard the girls’ screams and ran to help, according to reports. One used a stick to beat the pit bull and pried its jaws apart, releasing Buddy. 

The girls ran to a home across the street.

“I thought both girls had been attacked,” the mother said. “I saw (the friend) covered in blood and I said, ‘Oh my God, what happened? What’s going on?’ and (the girl) said, ‘It’s not mine, it’s my dog’s.’”

Both girls were sobbing and the dogs' owner pleaded for help but it was too late, the mother said.

“My daughter told me, ‘The dog attacked Buddy and I let the leash go. It’s my fault. It’s my fault,” she said.

The woman called 911 and was transferred to PACC. She then called the other girl’s mother.

Gonzalez arrived home a short time later, according to the mother.

“The first thing she said was, ‘Oh, they’re going to put her down. It’s happened before,’” she said. “I asked her, ‘Why do you still have the dog if it’s happened before?’ But she never answered me.”

PACC arrived and took the pit bull away.

The Sahuarita Sun could not reach the pit bull’s owners or the family of the girl who lost her dog.

Adam Ricci, field services manager at the Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) admitted that NO EFFORTS were made to reach Kuro’s owner in the FOUR DAYS between the time they discovered they had a wrong phone number for her and the time of the pit bull's fatal attack on the second dog. 

I see lots of dollar signs $$$ and a lawsuit facing the Pima Animal Care Center for gross negligence.  

Related: Arizona: After woman is terrorized by her neighbor's pit bulls, Pima Animal Care Manager ADAM RICCI refuses to enforce Pima County's own vicious dog laws. Why? Turns out he's founder of a pit bull advocacy group!

After Buddy was killed, the pit bull was impounded again and the PACC officer, using the address previously provided by Sahuarita police, went to Kuro’s owner and asked if she could identify the pit bull, which she did.

Sahuarita is among several communities that contract with PACC for animal control services. The town's contract ends June 30. Last month, Teri Bankhead, assistant to town manager Kelly Udall, said Sahuarita will likely extend the contract despite a 140 percent increase over the last four years.

In that interview for a different story, Bankhead said Sahuarita receives few complaints about PACC’s services.

“We’re always looking into making sure we get the best service, the best response times, but yes, generally, I’d say we’re happy with their services,” she said.

Owners given tickets

Knowing that they had screwed up royally by not doing anything about the pit bull after the first attack, officers quickly issued the pit bull’s owners two “leash law” citations and two “keeping dangerous animal” citations and ordered to appear in Sahuarita Municipal Court on March 21.

They were also advised that if they wanted to bring the pit bull home, they would be required to appear before a public hearing officer and abide by conditions geared toward keeping the public safe.

Gonzalez initially said she wanted to bring the pit bull home, but the couple ended up relinquishing the dog - likely after they saw all the restrictions and costs involved in order to keep the killer dog should it be deemed vicious in court - and she was euthanized Feb. 27.

Each “keeping dangerous animal” citation carries a fine of at least $100 and no more than six months' jail time. A first-time lease-law violation is punishable by a fine of up to $300 and a second-time violation carries the same fine. The couple could also be ordered to pay restitution, not to exceed $1,000 per victim, Ricci said.

Kuro, who is 9, underwent surgery for lacerations to his throat and was hospitalized overnight, her owner said. Her vet bill came to nearly $1,500.

“Kuro’s fine now, but he doesn’t have as much spunk,” her owner said.

The woman relayed her story to a Sahuarita police officer the day of the attack, but was unaware PACC officers needed to speak to her as well. She felt “just terrible” when she heard about the attack on Buddy.

“I feel really bad about the girls; I almost feel like it was my fault he got back out, but I thought I did my due diligence by talking to the police. I thought the dog was still locked up,” she said. “I had no idea they would let it go home. Why would they? It didn’t make any sense to me.”

(Sahuarita Sun - March 10, 2017)

Earlier:

• Arizona: Because adopters clearly don't want certain breeds of dogs, Pima Animal Care Center will be removing breed labels from kennels and refusing to say what kind of dog it is that is up for adoption
• Arizona: After woman is terrorized by her neighbor's pit bulls, Pima Animal Care Manager ADAM RICCI refuses to enforce Pima County's own vicious dog laws. Why? Turns out he's founder of a pit bull advocacy group!

Ohio: 7-year-old boy attacked by neighbor's pit bull-boxer mix

OHIO -- A 7-year-old boy is recovering after being attacked by a dog at a Dayton house.

Police responded to a call about a dog bite at 622 South Smithville Road around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

When officers arrived, they spoke with the bite victim’s father in an alley by the house. The man said a pit bull/boxer mix dog had bitten his 7-year-old son several times.

The child was taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital for treatment.

The man said the dog lived at a house just down the street on South Smithville Road. Officers went to that location and spoke with the dog’s owner, Jeremy Ryan, 22.

Ryan said he was not home when the attack happened. He said the child was at his house in the 700 block of South Smithville Road in the yard when the child was bitten.

Another child reportedly hit the dog with a stick to get it to stop biting the boy.

The victim’s father told police the dog was “an ongoing issue with the residents in the neighborhood,” Nabel wrote.

The owner of the dog Jeremy Ryan, 22, said the animal weighed 60-70 pounds. The dog was not at the house, and the man said the woman who owned the house was taking it to the Animal Resource Center.

Ryan said he would be willing to pay for the medical bills for the boy who was bitten.

When officers returned to the victim's home, the boy was home from the hospital. The boy was bitten five times in the back.

The boy confirmed he was at the house in the 700 block of S. Smithville Road, in the yard, when he was attacked.

Police issued a summons for the dog’s owner for Control of Dogs.

The case remains under investigation.

(WDTN - May 8, 2017)

Pennsylvania: WFMZ changes dog that mauled its owner to death from a "Pit Bull Boxer mix" to a "Boxer mix" in its story

PENNSYLVANIA --  A neighborhood in Lehigh County was still reeling Friday following a deadly dog attack. The dog killed its owner in Upper Macungie Township on Thursday.

On Friday, a man told 69 News that his grandson was bitten in the face by the same dog several years ago. Between 20 and 30 people die from dog attacks each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dog trainers said your dog's body language speaks volumes about its temperament.

"Standing over her, almost appeared like he was guarding her," David Rachman, a neighbor and chief of the Slatington Police Department, said as he described the scene he encountered Thursday.

A boxer mix attacked its owner, Lisa Green, on the deck of her home.

The original story described the dog as being a Pit bull / Boxer mix. Neighbors say it was clearly a Pit Bull.

"Started to lick the blood off her head," Rachman said. "Then nuzzled his nose, flipped her head up, grabbed her by the throat and then thrashed around."

That's when Rachman, standing below, shot the dog in the leg.

"Backed off, started yelping and sat down by her feet," he added.

But the damage was done. Green, 32, was killed. Neighbors said she'd had the 3-year-old dog for most of its life.

"I never saw the dog. I think I saw it twice since she's been her for several years," Rachman said.

At this time, it's not clear what led to the viscous attack.

Ali Brown, a 20-year dog trainer at Neffs, Lehigh County-based Great Companions, recommends all dogs get a temperament test. She said any one of three traits can lead to a dog mauling: a genetic issue, a behavioral issue created by its environment, or a medical condition like rabies, which, Brown said, is extremely rare in dogs.

"I can almost guarantee you it's not all of a sudden," she said.

Brown said the body language cues can be subtle, but watch for constant staring, forward-leaning posture, and freezing, when a dog just stops.

"You don't see it, don't read it. You're ignoring it that builds and the stress and tension builds and you have a big problem," Brown added.

She said most don't see or are able to read the the signs, and then the worst can happen in a split second. She said just because a dog attacks another dog that's not a precursor to attacking a human.

Officials are still waiting to see if the dog that killed Green ever had a rabies test, and if not, one will be done.

(WFMZ - April 28, 2017)

Earlier:

• Pennsylvania: Lisa Green, 32, mauled to death by her beloved Pit Bull / Boxer mix

Pennsylvania: Off-duty chief who shot attacking dog: 'He grabbed her by neck, shook her like a rag doll'

PENNSYLVANIA -- Slatington police Chief David Rachman had taken a personal day Thursday, but as he was returning from a trip to the bank, he saw his neighbors frantically running around, screaming for help, in their Upper Macungie Township neighborhood.

The neighbors stopped him in his truck, yelling "a dog had killed a kid or a lady back there," referring to the rear of a house, the chief said Friday after returning to work.

Rachman followed the neighbors to the house in the 900 block of Spring White Drive, where he saw a woman lying on a second-floor deck, motionless with her head, neck and face covered in blood. The woman's 3 1/2-year-old pit bull-boxer mix was hovering over the woman's head, he said.

The chief went back to his truck, grabbed his off-duty .380-caliber handgun and called Lehigh County dispatchers to alert them that he was going to fire on the dog if it attacked again.

The dog continued the attack, he said, grabbing the woman by the neck. Rachman fired twice, hitting the dog once in the leg, he said. The dog yelped, then backed away, he said.

"It wasn't barking at all, it was quiet standing over her," he said.

Lisa Green, 32, was bleeding badly at the scene of the 1:30 p.m. attack, and died at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Green was described by neighbors as kind and lovely, but they said she often kept to herself.

The dog was euthanized hours after the attack at the Lehigh County Humane Society, according to Executive Director Mary Schafer. The dog weighed 25 to 30 pounds and appeared to be healthy and well cared for, she said.

Thirty pounds??? That can't be right.

Schafer said she's waiting to hear from state officials to see if they'll order rabies testing. However, she said the dog does not appear to have any diseases.

"We probably will not know what caused the dog to attack in such a fashion," she said. "It is a rare occurrence when a dog turns on its owner."

Before Rachman ended the attack by shooting the dog, other neighbors had tried unsuccessfully to stop the dog.

Loretta Ottinger, a next-door neighbor, said she heard Green calling, "Someone help me!" She went to a window and saw the dog, biting Green's legs, neck and head.

Ottinger said she first hit the dog with a meaty hambone, then with a stick. But the mauling continued.

Another neighbor then went to Rachman, who lives across the street.

After grabbing his gun, Rachman drew it on the dog. Rachman said the dog went behind Green's neck and flipped her head up.

Then he attacked again.

"He grabbed her by the neck again and shook her like a rag doll," Rachman said.

Not wanting to hit the victim and obstructed by the railing on the deck, Rachman missed his first shot. He got in a better position and fired again, this time hitting the dog.

Neighbors said Green had the dog, named Leon, for about 2 1/2 years.

Ottinger, the neighbor, said Green was really close with her dog, but hadn't taken it for a "walk in a while, since he was younger." Rachman said he rarely saw the dog.

"I've seen it twice, which is unusual," he said.

Rachman said he can't understand what caused the dog to turn on its owner.

"The way he attacked her, that's the way animals kill," he said. "His intention was to kill her."

Schafer said the dog showed no signs of being abused and had been fed and cared for by the same owner for more than two years. Sometimes, she said, dogs can turn feral if they are confined and without human interaction, but that doesn't appear to be what happened in this case.

Schafer said she can only recall one other attack where a dog turned viciously on its longtime owner. In that incident about two decades ago, she said the owner lost a hand in the attack.

"We went back and researched it and found that it had been purchased from someone who had been in-breeding dogs," she said.

According to the state's health care cost containment council, 15 people in Lehigh County and 14 in Northampton County were hospitalized from serious dog attacks in 2014, the most recent statistics, which do not include dog bites in which the victim did not require hospitalization.

There were no reported fatal dog attacks in the state in 2014 or 2013 and two deaths in 2012, one a child and the other an elderly man, according to the council's statistics.

About 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2013 examined 256 dog bite-related deaths between 2000 and 2009. According to the study, in 223 cases, no one was able to intervene in the attack.

The study said most deaths, 218, involved people with little or no familiarity with the dog. The dogs in 195 of the attacks were kept isolated from regular positive human interaction and in 54 cases there was a history of owner abuse, according to the study.

Since the attack, the humane society has been inundated with calls and messages both for and against pit bulls, Schafer said, describing the breed as "the most overbred and abused animal in the U.S. today."

She said the only way to combat overbreeding and abuse is through legislation, education and spaying and neutering pets.

"You can't just breed your pit bull in your home with anything ," she said. "The overbreeding is ridiculous."

(McCall.com - April 28, 2017)

Earlier:

• Pennsylvania: Lisa Green, 32, mauled to death by her beloved Pit Bull / Boxer mix
• Pennsylvania: WFMZ changes dog that mauled its owner to death from a "Pit Bull Boxer mix" to a "Boxer mix" in its story

Pennsylvania: Lisa Green, 32, mauled to death by her beloved Pit Bull / Boxer mix

PENNSYLVANIA -- An Upper Macungie Township woman was mauled to death by her dog Thursday afternoon on the rear deck of her home, despite the attempts of neighbors to draw the dog away, police and witnesses said.

An off-duty police officer eventually ended the attack by shooting the dog once in its leg, but it was too late.

Lisa Green, 32, of the 900 block of Spring White Drive in Breinigsville, bled badly on the scene, neighbors said. She was taken by Cetronia Ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where she was pronounced dead.

  

 

Loretta Ottinger, a next-door neighbor, said she heard Green calling, "Someone help me!"

She went to a window and saw the dog, a 3-1/2-year-old pit bull-boxer mix, biting at Green's legs, neck and head.

Ottinger said she tried to stop the dog's attack, first by hitting it with a hambone and leaving the ham, and then by hitting the dog with a stick. But the mauling continued.

 "I had a ham in my refrigerator, I thought, bribe him with the ham so that I can get her," Ottinger explained. 

"So I'm dialing 9-1-1, I went up to the deck and I hit him with the ham, thinking [he'd quit attacking her] and he'd go after [the ham]," Ottinger said. 

"I thought if Lisa could get free and roll over, the dog would be off her jugular. But he ignored the ham -- he was so engrossed in attacking her. He was just picking her up and throwing her down."

Ottinger yelled to Green to roll over, to protect her head and neck from the dog.

By that point, however, Green was unresponsive. "Her head just leaned to the side. She didn't respond," Ottinger said.

Ottinger then grabbed a four-foot-long piece of wood from another neighbor and rammed it through the deck slats at the dog, who fought back.

"I tried to stab the dog's eyes with the board. I hit his eye once, but he grabbed the board in his mouth and he broke it," she said. "Then I didn't know what to do. He started mauling her some more."

Meanwhile, neighbor Vidya Chellapilla called off-duty Slatington police Chief David Rachman, who also lives nearby. Rachman rushed over and fired his handgun twice, wounding the dog once.

The Morning Call provided more details from the off-duty police officer that shot the dog, Slatington police chief David Rachman.

Neighbors stopped him while he was in his truck, he said, yelling that a dog had killed a woman. He went behind the home and saw Green lying motionless on the second-floor deck with her head, neck and face covered in blood. He then retrieved his .380-caliber handgun from his truck.

The chief said the dog kept attacking her neck, so he shot it.

"He grabbed her by the neck again and shook her like a rag doll. She was flopping around." - Slatington police chief David Rachman.

Just before firing on the dog, he said the dog actually "started to lick the blood off her face" and head. "Then he nuzzled his nose, flipped her head up, grabbed her by the throat and then thrashed around," Rachman said. 

That's when Rachman, standing below the victim, shot the dog in the leg.

Chellapilla said that, after being shot, the dog became calm, hovered over Green a moment and then limped to the far side of the deck, where it simply sat down looking at them.

Pennsylvania Dog Warden Orlando Aguire tranquilized the dog and took it into custody. The dog was taken to the Lehigh County Humane Society where, Aguire said, it will be put to death.

The dog also will be tested in an attempt to help determine what touched off the violence, he said.

Green had the dog, named Leon, for about 2-1/2 years, Ottinger said.

"She was really close with her dog," she said. "It was a pit bull. They're pretty strong dogs."

PREVIOUS ATTACK ON NEIGHBOR'S DOG

Rachman, however, said he rarely saw the dog, which is unusual he noted. Two years earlier, Green's dog attacked another neighbor's Siberian Husky, Rachman said.

WFMZ learned that a man's grandson was bitten in the face by the same dog several years ago.

As to why the dog turned on its owner, Rachman has no idea. "The way he attacked her, that's the way animals kill," he said. "His intention was to kill her."

Ottinger said that even after witnessing the attack and seeing Green motionless on the blood-stained back deck, she had hope she would survive.

"I just thought she was going to make it," she said. "She was too young to die."

Ottinger shook her head.

"I love dogs," she said, "but wow, I just don't know why anyone would get a pit bull."

She remembered her neighbor, whom she described as "a lovely woman, athletic, always looked impeccably neat," a good neighbor who kindly shoveled the Ottinger driveway after the last winter snow.

  

Unverified photos of a Lisa Green who lives
in Breiningsville, Pennsylvania -- where the
fatal dog attack occurred

 "She kept to herself, but we'd take walks together," Ottinger said. "We never took the dog for a walk, and I hadn't seen her take the dog for a walk in a while, since he was younger."

Green grew up in the Palmerton area and was a graduate of Lehigh University, Ottinger said. She was a manager for a Bed, Bath & Beyond store, she said.

Upper Macungie police Chief Edgardo Colon said the attack was still happening when township arrived, but ended soon after. Officers secured the secured the dog, he said.

The case remains under investigation by Upper Macungie police, the Lehigh County coroner's office and the dog warden.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 to 30 people are killed each year in dog attacks.

(McCall.com - April 27, 2017)

California: The incredible moment a brave mother shields her two-year-old son while two dogs attack them as they try to get into their home

CALIFORNIA -- Shocking surveillance footage has captured the moment a mother managed to save her two-year-old son as two dogs viciously mauled them outside their house.

The attack occurred in Anaheim, California, on Tuesday. It started when the boy was set upon by the two dogs in the front yard.

His mother then came to rescue to him, grabbing him and trying to run inside their home, but at the front door she realized she couldn't find her keys.

 

Spencer Bishop, the boy's father and woman's husband, was at work at the time. He said he has seen the surveillance footage but cannot watch it again because it is too shocking.

 

'It was just a constant battle - five to seven minutes of just terror,' Mr Bishop told KTLA. 'She was screaming and yelling for help and luckily we had two neighbors (nearby). One lady came over with a stick to try and prod them off.'

The woman was able to get the dogs off the two by using the stick and pulling them away. The mother and her son then managed to get inside the house and call 911.

 

The little boy was rushed to to hospital, and is now recovering from extensive injuries.

'He has a big laceration in his face, in his leg, he's had multiple stitches and he had to have plastic surgery on his face,' Mr Bishop said.

 

 

'There are no words to explain how you feel, unless you have a child and see your child or wife go through something like that. My wife is a hero.'

Fortunately, Mr Bishop said his wife suffered only minor lacerations. She is also now recovering.

The footage shows the mother at one point holding her son overhead.

Neighbors were able to hold the dogs until authorities arrived at the scene.

Animal control officers have now taken the dogs into custody. An investigation will look into the history of the dogs and whether there are any prior incidents.

Criminal charged may be brought against the owner pending the outcome of that investigation.

(Daily Mail - Nov 10, 2016)