New Jersey: Pit bulls with violent history attack man riding bike in Plainfield

NEW JERSEY -- A man was bitten by two dogs with a history of attacks as he rode his bicycle in Plainfield Tuesday night, authorities said today.

John Hill, 49, of Plainfield, was riding past a home on South Avenue when the dogs ran from the porch and attacked him, police Sgt. Michael Casperson said.

Hill was bitten in the right calf and ankle, the right forearm, and the left buttocks, Casperson said. He was treated for his wounds at the scene and taken to JFK Medical Center in Edison. Police did not know his current condition.

The dogs, two male pit mixes named Blue and Chico, were taken in and quarantined by the Associated Humane Societies in Newark, said Scott Crawford, the group’s assistant executive director.

The AHS has taken in Blue and Chico multiple times, Crawford said, most recently in July when Blue bit a little girl on the leg. Before that, their encounters had all been related to the dogs running loose, he said.

AHS Officer Orlando Delgado was told by Union County sheriff’s officers at the scene that both dogs were on top of Hill when they arrived, so it was unclear which dog was the attacker, though Crawford said evidence pointed to Blue.

The South Avenue house where the dogs lived has a fence, but is lacking a gate, according to Delgado.

The dogs’ owner, Gary Parks Jr., told Delgado the dogs' aggressive behavior can sometimes be activated by loud noises, such as passing trucks, or other dogs.

“They’re in good shape, they were definitely taken care of, pretty clean looking,” Crawford said.

“They’re friendly when they’re around us, but I guess they have certain triggers that set them off.”

[Hmm, well a tiger may not attack you right away, but it eventually will 'trigger' something that will make it want to eat you.]

The next step for the dogs and their owner will be decided by Plainfield, Crawford said.

“As a humane society we can make recommendations, but it all goes through the town,” Crawford said. “From our standpoint, the first thing they should be doing is fixing the property.”

There is a possibility that the courts could deem the dogs vicious, since they have attacked multiple people, and then order the humane society to euthanize them, something Crawford said happens “on occasion.”

(NJ.com - Oct 16, 2013)