Nebraska: Officer Forced To Shoot Two Dogs Attacking Another Dog

NEBRASKA -- A quiet walk with her new pet turns terrifying for a Papillion woman. Out of nowhere three roaming dogs attack her young Labrador and wouldn't let go. It took gunshots from a police officer to end the mauling.

He may not answer to lucky but Duke sure is, after surviving a three-dog attack. Duke's owner Jodi Sutton said, “One up here on his neck and another trying to grab these legs. And the third had his teeth in his hind quarters. We don't know the full extent of his injuries yet."

 

About noon Tuesday, Jodi Sutton just left home with Duke on a leash when three unleashed Alapaha Blue Bulldogs approached, sniffed, then tore into the 10 month old Chocolate Lab.

"I kicked them as hard as I could but they just pulled him down harder," said Jodi.

Forced to leave Duke; Jodi ran to her home phone and called 911.

She told WOWT 6 News she couldn't wait for authorities to arrive, she had to act right away to save Duke. So she went into her garage, grabbed a shovel and tried to beat off the three attacking dogs.

"I hit em but I couldn't believe it did nothing," Jodi said.

A Papillion Police officer arrived and used pepper-spray, but again, the three dogs wouldn't stop attacking Duke. So the officer shot and killed one of the Alapahas.

  

“The other two scattered and went across the street," she said.

Disoriented Duke also hobbled across the street only to be attacked again. Jodi said, “The officer shot the second dog."

The Nebraska Humane Society seized the third loose dog. Its owner turned over ownership to the Humane Society.

Jodi rushed Duke to a vet who sutured several serious wounds. But she is also left with emotional scars. Jodi Sutton said "I wanted to sit and bawl like I failed him in some way because I had to leave him with them tearing at him."

 

The owner of the three dogs is identified as 59-year-old Billy Thompson who lives about a block from the attack scene. He's been cited by the Nebraska Humane Society for numerous violations including harboring dangerous dogs.

Thompson tells Six On Your Side that he disputes that his year old dogs are dangerous and says they had never attacked before. He says they accidentally got out of his backyard fence. Thompson says he'll apologize and pay the vet bill. He understands the officer's action shooting his dogs in the heat of the moment.

(WOWT - Jan 15, 2016)

Portsmouth couple charged after Alapaha American bulldog "show dog" mauled 5-year-old

VIRGINIA -- A bulldog recognized as the "Best Beast in the East" mauled a 5-year-old girl last month in the Simonsdale neighborhood, according to court documents.

Phillip Lee Butler II, 36, and his wife, Amanda, were charged with having a vicious dog after the Sept. 20 attack on Kearney Way.

Following a search of the couple's home last week, police filed several additional felony charges against Phillip Butler.

Among them: two counts of maliciously shooting into an occupied building, two counts of reckless handling of a firearm and one count of distribution of marijuana.

A hearing on the felony charges is set for Oct. 16 in General District Court. A trial on the vicious dog charges is set for Nov. 30.

According to court documents, the "show dog," an Alapaha American bulldog named Yuma, attacked the girl about 9 p.m. while she was playing outside with other children. The dog ran out of the Butler's home without provocation, the probable-cause summary said.

She suffered "deep lacerations to her face and other lacerations and bruising on her arms, legs, back, torso and buttocks," according to a search warrant affidavit.

The girl was taken to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, where she was seen by a plastic surgeon.

The affidavit indicated Butler, a father of one, posted videos on Facebook of attack dogs, including one the day before Yuma bit the child. A witness to the attack on the girl told police Butler routinely walked Yuma wearing a harness that read, "Trained attack dog, do not touch" or something similar, the affidavit said.

The search warrant indicated police seized two "do not pet" collars, as well as a bamboo clatter stick, an "agitation whip," other miscellaneous training aids and four "Best Beast in the East" awards.

 

Police also requested a search warrant of the dog owner’s Facebook account. The court document suggested the page contained alarming posts including many pictures of a dog and videos of attack dogs, including one where a bait dog had been attacked by Yuma requiring stitches.

While searching the Butler's home, police also found evidence of other crimes. Among other things, they spotted "several bullet holes throughout the location," court documents said. Amanda Butler told police her husband had repeatedly gotten angry and fired shots inside the house with a .45-calber handgun, court documents said. She also said he stabbed a closet door with a knife.

Amanda Butler estimated the incidents began in 2002, court documents said.

Inside the Butler's garage last week, police located a hydroponic marijuana grow operation, court documents said.

(The Virginian-Pilot - ‎Oct 7, 2015‎)

Killer dog to be destroyed despite owner's pleas

UNITED KINGDOM -- A French Mastiff, part of a pack which mauled a pensioner to death last year will be destroyed, a judge has ruled.

Gloria Knowles, 71, was savagely killed in her daughter's back garden in Rutland Drive, Morden, on October 30th 2012.

Three of the dogs involved in the frenzied attack - another French mastiff, a female American bulldog and a male Alapaha blue blood bulldog - all owned by the grandmother's daughter Beverly Mason, have previously been destroyed at the behest of the police.

On Wednesday Ms Mason's ex husband Dylan Mason, who found Ms Knowles brutally mauled, was banned from keeping dogs for five years at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

He also learned his dog Ranger will be put down after being kept in police custody since the attack.

District Judge Sheila Bayne told Mr Mason: "You are a man who has a history of violence. When you arrived at the address and saw what had happened to Gloria Knowles you tried to strangle one of the dogs.

Gloria Knowles

"I'm not satisfied you can keep Ranger under control. You showed a lack of insight when you kept a female on heat with two unneutered males in the first place."

Ranger was accused by police investigators of inflicting one of 11 bite marks found on Mrs Knowles.

Speaking last month, Mr Mason said of Ranger: "He’s one of those dogs that would just lollop about.

"He was slobbery and he would come up and lick you and was a very placid kind of dog."

He added: "Whatever part he played it was probably totally minimal, if any. He’s not a danger to the public and he never has been and I don’t believe he ever will be. I just think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

At the hearing, lawyer Tina Hay, working on Mr Mason's behalf, had attempted to persuade the judge Ranger was a "placid" animal who would "flight rather than fight" and suggested Mr Mason was willing to give up ownership if the dog could be kept at a dogs home.

Judge Bayne was unconvinced and ordered unemployed Mr Mason to pay £500 in costs and ordered Ranger's destruction.

(Sutton Guardian - Nov 16, 2013)

Earlier:

• Great-gran dies after being mauled by daughter's five dogs
• Ex-husband whose bull mastiff mauled his mother-in-law to death launches court battle to SAVE his pet from lethal injection

Florida: Panhandle boy dies after attack by bulldogs

FLORIDA -- A 7-year-old boy who was mauled by two bulldogs in his front yard died from his injuries Sunday afternoon.

Tyler Jett was pronounced dead at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday after being attacked Tuesday, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

BCSO will be looking into additional charges against Edward Daniels Jr., owner of the dogs who attacked Tyler. Additional charges could range from culpable negligence to manslaughter, according to BCSO officials.

An Alapaha blue blood bulldog named Fat Boy and a brindle bulldog named MJ escaped from Daniels’ property on Kelly Court in Callaway as Tyler was riding his bike shortly after returning home from school. Witnesses said the dogs chased after another boy before turning their attention to Tyler.

Family members came to Tyler’s aid and chased the dogs back to Daniels’ home. The mauling resulted in a punctured carotid artery and ultimately the boy’s death. Tyler had been in the pediatric intensive care unit at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Pensacola.

Officials investigating the attack found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Daniels home and arrested him on drug charges. On Wednesday, he was charged with tampering with evidence, for allegedly washing blood from the dog’s face after the attack.

 

State law calls for any animal involved in a severe injury or death of a human to be euthanized within 10 working days if an appeal is not filed. Daniels was notified Wednesday so without Daniels himself filing the appeal the bulldogs will be put down Saturday. Fat Boy and MJ are being held at Bay County Animal Control.

Daniels remained in jail Sunday evening under bond totaling $29,000.

Four daschund puppies in the home have been returned to Daniels’ mother, who also lives in the house, Bay County spokeswoman Valerie Sale said Sunday.

(News Herald - April 7, 2013)

Earlier:

• Benefit Cookout For Dog Attack Victim
• Taking Care of Tyler, 7-Year-Old Attacked by Pit Bull Mix
• Arrest Made in Callaway Pit Bull Mix Attack