Texas: Family's dog to be euthanized after attacking their 6-year-old daughter

Note: There is a discrepancy in defining the dog. The article first says it's a Pit Bull; later they refer to it as an American Bulldog mix. It may be a Pit Bull / American Bulldog. Either way, it's what's referred to as a "bully breed", the ones known for attacking the most

TEXAS -- A 6-year-old old girl had to be taken to a Tyler hospital Monday after she was attacked by her family's pit bull in the Winona area.

At around 9:15 a.m., two animal control officers and a deputy constable responded to the home in the 12500 block of 18th Avenue.

The Smith County Sheriff's Office stated the child was taken to a hospital by the 6-year-old girl's grandparents. The family did not accept EMS help, according to Smith County Animal Control.

The 1-year-old American bulldog mix was tethered until officials arrived.

SURPRISED OWNERS
The parents of the child reported the dog attack was unprovoked. They also stated there were no display of past aggression in the three months they had owned the pet.

The child had been playing with the dog inside the fenced-in front yard when the child began screaming because she did not want to leave the dog. The dog then attacked the child, biting both of her legs.

Smith County Animal Control has requested for confirmation of the dog’s vaccinations. The dog was surrendered to Animal Control Officers upon arrival to be euthanized and submitted for rabies testing.

The child's name will not be released.

(East Texas Matters - April 2, 2018)

Canada: Family says American Bulldogs that mauled little boy had previously mauled their dog to death - and that nothing was done it

CANADA -- A Wallaceburg family is feeling a number of different feelings after hearing that a little boy in their neighbourhood was attacked by two American Bulldogs, because they say the two dogs have attacked before.

AMERICAN BULLDOGS HAD KILLED BEFORE
Nick and Lisa Persyn say their dog Jordan, a Jack Russell / Labrador Retriever was also attacked by the same two American Bulldogs in October of last year, and later died from his injuries three weeks later. 

They say they want changes in the way dog attacks are reported and addressed so that incidents don't happen over and over again.

The condition of a three-year-old Wallaceburg boy Tucker Marcolin, who was attacked by two dogs on Monday, is improving as he remains in a Michigan hospital.

Marcolin, 3, was attacked by a dog while sledding at Wallaceburg's Jaycee Park down the street from his house with his babysitter and six-year-old brother.

Police said two dogs escaped from their home and attacked the three-year-old child around 5 p.m.

PRIOR ATTACK RESULTING IN DEATH
The incident with the Persyns happened at Jaycee Park as well. They took their dog and their two-year-old daughter to the park on Oct. 20.

While at the park, two dogs, who they say were unattended, charged at Jordan.

“They got Jordan on one side of the neck and the other dog came around the other side of me and got him on the other side of his neck,” said Lisa Persyn. She tried to kick the dogs off of her dog, but they wouldn't stop them.

JORDAN WAS MAULED TO DEATH BY THE AMERICAN BULLDOGS

“They just had this growl and this determination that this is what they were going to do and they were going to tear him apart,” Lisa Persyn said.

Nick Persyn, a mountain of a man at almost six-foot-eight, covered up his dog to prevent it from being attacked.

“The dogs were jumping on me and over me and trying to get in wherever they can to bite him,” Nick Persyn said.

The Persyns said the attack went on for almost 15 minutes.

“They were just relentless. It was the most vicious thing,” Persyn said.

JORDAN SUFFERED THREE WEEKS BEFORE FINALLY DYING
They say up to the incident their dog was doing well for an older dog, but that  Jordan wasn't same after the attack. He had been hurt pretty badly and wasn't eating after the incident. He kept on getting sick. Jordan developed bleeding stomach ulcers and died three weeks after the attack.

The incident haunts the Persyns.

The Persyns said they wanted something done about the dogs. They warned neighbours and contacted Pet and Wildlife Rescue (PAWR). Lisa Persyn credited PAWR for following up on the incident, and said they were working on the file, but said more should've been done.

“Those dogs should've been euthanized,” Lisa Persyn said. “These dogs were out for blood, this was different, this wasn't just a little nip.... If he (Nick) wasn't there (Jordan) would've been done right there.”

The incident also left the Persyns with a $1,000 veterinary bill.

After hearing about the incident with Tucker Marcolin on Monday, they said their hearts broke after hearing from neighbours that the dogs attacked again, this time a little boy.

The Persyns said there was feelings of guilt that they didn't get the job done in pushing for action against the dogs. They said they felt flustered.

“Something needs to be done or changed, so that an attack at that level things have to happen more than a slap on the wrist,” Lisa Persyn said.

Three year-old Tucker Marcolin

They said the dogs have terrorized the neighbourhood in the past, the Persyns said, prior to the two attacks.

The Courier Press attempted to get a comment via social media from the woman who neighbours say owns the dogs, but she hasn't yet responded.

During Monday's incident a man and woman visiting family on Larkwood Street immediately ran to the park to help the young boy and babysitter, police said.

Tucker's six-year-old brother ran to safety and the injured boy was carried from the scene to a home as 911 was called, police said. The babysitter, who sustained non-life threatening injuries, was treated and released from hospital.

The injured boy was taken to the Sydenham Campus of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and was later transferred to a Michigan hospital for further medical treatment.

The dogs were identified and seized by Pet and Animal Wildlife Rescue and are currently in quarantine.

The community has rallied around the boy, as a GoFundMe set up on Tuesday, has raised over $18,000 in just under 24 hours. The goal for the campaign was $2,500 and that figure was surpassed in the first hour of the campaign.

In an update on the page, it said Tucker has had a few surgeries, and things are looking up.

“Tucker "The Tank" is a strong little boy who will get through this, he is currently in Detroit and will be there for over a week while he is monitored 24/7 healing,” they wrote in an update.

In an update on the GoFundMe page, it said it's expected that Tucker will make a full recovery. The GoFundMe page said Tucker had lots of stitches on his face and leg.

The money raised is aimed at helping the family with travel costs and the lost time from work for the parents.

Police continue to seek information from the public as the investigation into the incident continues.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Const. Ed Vannoord at edmondv@chatham-kent.ca or at 519-436-6600 ext. 8668. Anonymous calls can also be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

(Chatham Daily News CA - February 8, 2018)

Ohio: Woman trying to find someone who wants her Cane Corso Pit Bull mix that wants to attack and kill animals

OHIO -- Kelsie Fae  posted on the Facebook group page Animals Looking for New Homes in Ohio January 25, 2018 at 8:47pm

looking to re-home my two dogs. Lucci is a brindle cane corso / pit bull/ American staffordshire pit terrier mix. He is 6 1/2 years old, NOT GOOD with cats. 

Millie is a blue and white (possibly bully?) pit bull / bulldog mix. She is 7 years old. Not sure about cats.

NOT WILLING TO SEPARATE SO DON'T BOTHER ASKING. They have an unbreakable bond and they are not good when separated, they will not eat or use the bathroom or anything. Trying my hardest to not take them back to the shelter so please help me find a home for them!!!

They have to be the only dogs in the home. Lucci is not good with males, Millie was recently attacked by another female while trying to re-home so she is traumatized from the attack.

They’re extremely good, well behaved dogs. Both good with kids and babies, although that does not mean to treat them like they’re toys because they are living creatures. They love cuddling and playing. I just want a good home for my babies and I will do anything it takes to find them one.

I have contacted multiple rescues multiple times and I haven’t heard back from any, so there’s no point in leaving rescues I can get ahold of because they never get back ahold of me.

Florida: Miami Gardens man seriously hurt after American Bulldog / Jack Russell mix attacked him; owner blames him for being attacked

FLORIDA -- A man was seriously hurt after he was bitten by a dog Wednesday in Miami Gardens.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Felipe Lay said the attack happened about 3:45 p.m. in the 3700 block of Northwest 161st Street.

The man's injuries were so severe he was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, where he was listed in stable condition.

OWNER BLAMING THE VICTIM FOR BEING ATTACKED

Nadhir Ebanks, the owner of the 3-year-old Jack Russell Terrier and American bulldog mix, told Local 10 News that the victim is his next-door neighbor who was outside doing yard work at a different neighbor's house with a tree trimmer.

 

 

Ebanks said the dog, whose name is Alba, began barking at the neighbor, and "escaped his property", ran down the street to where the victim was and was barking and behaving aggressively.

Ebanks says he told the man not to move, but says the victim "panicked and swung the tree trimmer at Alba several times".

Ebanks claims that his dog didn't attack his neighbor until after it was struck with the tree trimmer. Neighbors said the man suffered bite wounds to both his legs and both sides of his neck.

OK so if Ebanks saw all of this, how did this man end up being mauled with "bite wounds to both his legs and both sides of his neck"? Where was he? Why didn't he grab his dog? The fact that he was bitten on both sides of the neck means the dog had time to pull him down and continue the attack. WHERE WAS NADHIR EBANKS ALL THIS TIME???

Oh and it gets even better... not only was he seriously mauled so the point where he had to be taken by helicopter to the hospital, Animal Control didn't even take the dog. They let him quarantine it at home (giving him plenty of time to move it out of the city and hide it from them).

Animal Services said the dog had no known history of attacks. Miami-Dade County Animal Services evaluated Alba and placed the dog under quarantine for 10 days AT THE OWNER'S HOUSE.

(Local10 - January 17, 2018)

United Kingdom: Girl, 10, mauled by American Bulldog at Bristol house still in hospital three days after attack

UNITED KINGDOM -- A child who was mauled by a dog at a house in Bristol is still in hospital – three days after the attack.

The girl, aged 10, was bitten by what police believe to be an American Bulldog at a property in Britton Gardens, Kingswood, in the early hours of January 8.

She suffered an injury to her side following the incident and was taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital, which is where she is still believed to be receiving treatment.

Two people who were arrested in connection with the incident, a 28-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, have since been released under investigation.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said enquiries were ongoing. The dog was seized following the attack on the girl, which was reported to the emergency services between 2.30am and 3am.

Paramedics arrived at the scene first, dispatching a rapid response car and double-crewed ambulance.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police were on the scene by 3am.

PC Sean Underwood, who attended the incident, wished the little girl a speedy recovery on social media.

Posting on his work Twitter account, PC Underwood said: “This was an awful incident for the team and I to attend on my last night shift. Hope the young girl is making a fast recovery.”

(Bristol Post UK - January 11, 2018)

South Carolina: Elderly man, 77, brutally attacked, 'dragged away' by American Bulldogs on Upstate golf course

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A 77-year-old man was brutally attacked by two dogs Wednesday morning on an Upstate golf course, according to Sgt. Ryan Flood, with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Flood said just after 9 a.m., the man was walking on the Links O’Tryon Golf Course on New Cut Road in Campobello.

 

Prior to the dogs attacking the elderly man, they were terrorizing staff and customers at the Dimitri's Restaurant. Waitress Dana Jordan recorded video with her phone of the two American Bulldogs milling about the entrance, barking and growling at them.

Another news article says Animal Control was called, but when they arrived, the dogs had already disappeared. Two hours later they got the call about the man being mauled at the golf course.

He said two dogs approached the man and began to “brutally attack him.”

The victim was at one point “dragged to a creek area” by the dogs, Jamie Nelson, director of Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement, told TV station WSPA.

A witness called 911 and two firefighters from the Gowensville Fire Department arrived and were able to get the dogs away from the man.

 

When deputies arrived, they said they found the man with substantial bite marks on his body, Flood said.

He was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

“I’ve never seen any stray dogs," Josh Phillips, a resident near the course, said. "This is the first time I’ve heard of anything like this happening here.”

 

 

Flood said the mix-breed dogs did not have any identifiers on them and are being considered strays.

 

 

The dogs were captured by the Spartanburg County Animal Control and taken to Greenville County Animal Control. The dogs will remain in their care pending an investigation.

A woman at the shelter said the dogs are boxer bulldogs [No, no. They're American Bulldogs]. Animal Control is asking anyone who recognizes the dogs to call them at 864-467-7595.

  

VIDEO NEWS CLIP #1:

VIDEO NEWS CLIP #2:

(WYFF4 - January 10, 2018)

(December 2017) Connecticut: Owner of aggressive American Bulldog ordered to wear muzzle when in public claims it's too stressful for his autistic son

CONNECTICUT -- Tensions are running high after a resident on Friday took to Facebook to question the muzzling of a dog that its owner CLAIMS "comforts his autistic son".

Steven Frischling’s post on the Niantic Beach Bums page details a May incident in which an American Bulldog named Sally got loose from 5 Wildwood Drive, where Frischling’s ex-girlfriend Susannah Seefeldt lives. The post has garnered more than 200 comments.

The post fails to describe an earlier April event in which Sally allegedly left a dog walker and another dog with moderate to serious injuries.

Because the May incident was the second time Sally had been cited as a nuisance dog, the animal control officer issued a muzzle order for Sally. The officer additionally charged Frischling’s ex-partner, Susannah Seefeldt, with misdemeanor owning a nuisance dog.

Frischling, the subject of an ongoing civil suit regarding the April case, is calling on the town to overturn its order to muzzle Sally. He said the dog used to comfort his son on walks along the beach or even from the house to the bus. Now his son has horrific fits at the sight of Sally in a muzzle.

“I’m not asking for anything hard here,” Frischling said Wednesday. “Just basic common sense.”

Police Chief Mike Finkelstein, who was not the chief when either incident occurred, said the town is working with the State’s Attorney’s Office and the court on the case.

While the court nolled, or opted not to prosecute, Seefeldt’s charge, the judge also warned removal of the muzzle could lead to arrest.

The key, Finkelstein said, is to determine whether the judge issued a new order or simply reminded the defendants of the animal control officer’s order. Town officials would be reticent to overstep a judge’s order, he explained.

The town has asked for a transcript of the appearance.

April 6, 2017

According to a police document, a UPS driver on April 6 reported one dog had attacked a woman and another dog near 26 Old Black Point Road. On arrival, police said they spoke with three witnesses, two of whom said they fought off a black-and-white pit bull and watched it run to 5 Wildwood Drive.

Police said the black-and-white dog had dragged the woman, injuring her shoulder and leaving cuts on her elbow and hand. The aggressor also tore a large chunk of skin from the neck area of the victim dog, they said. Photos of the small dog show extensive amounts of blood.

Frischling said he was using the restroom that day when his son opened the door, allowing the dog to slip out. He was issued infractions for allowing a dog to roam and owning a nuisance dog. The dog additionally was quarantined for 14 days.

Frischling said Wednesday he believes Sally wasn’t involved in the attack — he took photos of her shortly after it occurred and saw no blood on her white face.

He also said he doesn’t know why he was issued the infractions when it’s his ex-wife’s dog.

Records list Sally as a black-and-white American Bulldog that was licensed to Frischling at the time of the incident. The breed is sometimes considered to be of the pit bull type, though that’s the subject of much debate [mostly from people who claim "there is no such thing as a pit bull!" All bully breeds are Pit Bulls and they all have been bred to have a propensity for sudden, unprovoked violence].

According to the town clerk’s office, Sally is no longer licensed; the dog was put in Seefeldt’s name in October, but the check bounced and another never was provided.

Civil suit

Two women in June launched a civil suit against Frischling in response to the April incident: Anne Rudge-Pinkham, the 91-year-old owner of the attacked dog, and Tammie Schenking, who was walking the dog that day.

The suit alleges Schenking sustained injuries to her neck, shoulders, ribs, left leg, right elbow and vocal cords, all of which required medical care. It further states Rudge-Pinkham’s dog had to undergo surgery because of its injuries.

The suit seeks $15,000 in damages.

Can you imagine this dog running towards you, barking, 

growling and trying to attack you and your pets?

Records show Frischling in September asked the court to dismiss the case because he doesn’t own Sally or live at 5 Wildwood Drive. The judge denied Frischling’s motion.

In November, the plaintiffs moved to have Seefeldt added as a defendant. The judge granted that motion.

The case is ongoing.

Click here to read the document filed regarding the lawsuit.

May 3, 2017

Police on May 3 returned to 5 Wildwood Drive, this time because Sally had pulled the spiral stake she was tethered to out of the ground.

Why is a known-to-be-aggressive large American Bulldog being 'staked' in the ground in the yard and left unatttended? The very fact that they thought this was a good idea -- right after the first attack -- tells you a lot about them.

According to a police report, Sally ran toward a woman walking her dog in front of the home, causing the woman to fall. Seefeldt, outside at the time, ran over and regained control of Sally.

According to the report, the woman initially said she didn’t believe her dog was hurt in the incident, but later reported having found a small laceration under its collar.

The police file shows Seefeldt in the past had spoken to the woman "about Sally and her issues with small dogs."

Frischling on Wednesday took issue with the photos police had on file for the incident, which were not taken by officers. There’s no timestamp, no frame of reference and, Frischling said, no way to know for sure the mark came from Sally.

Finkelstein said his department has since changed policies to ensure officers take quality photos at each incident.

All they had to do was document who claims to have taken the photo and when they received it. That person would be required to come to court to be sworn in as a witness to testify that they are the one who took the photo on X date. This person is opening themselves up to perjury charges if they are lying. Frischling is grasping at straws, thinking this is some conspiracy with doctored photos.

Frischling also said he’s wondering why his dog got a muzzle for its second nuisance incident when no bite occurred.

According to state statutes, a dog can be a nuisance “by reason of vicious disposition or excessive barking or other disturbance.” In other words, a biting incident isn’t a prerequisite.

The response

Hundreds of people reacted to Frischling’s Facebook post. Many called on the town to revoke the muzzle order so Frischling's child could find some peace. Some of those commenters didn’t appear to be aware of the April incident that preceded May’s.

Others questioned Frischling’s use of a community forum for a personal issue, especially when his civil suit is ongoing.

Frischling said he tried to seek mediation with the town through a third party, but was denied the option. The town attorney, without the paperwork at his disposal, declined to comment on the reason mediation was denied.

First Selectman Mark Nickerson also declined to comment on the case.

"We go through these processes to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep everybody safe," Finkelstein said.

Frischling stressed he has no ill will toward the town and doesn’t intend to sue it.

“I just want what’s best for my kid,” he said.

In this case, Steven Frischling has been ordered to keep his vicious American Bulldog muzzled whenever it's out in public. Steven Frischling claims his autistic son has tantrums, outbursts and pokes his own ears until they bleed --- simply at the sight of their dog wearing this muzzle.

People with autism do have challenges. However, change is a part of life. 

Steven Frischling's son will have to deal with change when they move homes, when one of his parents change jobs and time schedules, if his parents have a new baby, when they purchase a new car and swap out the old one, when he has to change schools, when they go to a new restaurant, when they go to a new city/state on vacation, when someone passes away. He'll certainly have to adjust to change when this American Bulldog eventually dies. 

So Steven Frischling's argument about this dog being muzzled is not winning me over. The dog is not required to have a muzzle on when its inside its own home with the family. 

The muzzle protects everyone else from Steven Frischling's dog, which has shown itself to be unpredictable, aggressive and willing to attack - not just other animals but human beings as well.

 

(The Day - December 28, 2017)

New Zealand: Pit Bull / American Bulldog mix rushs over to park playground and mauls little girl

NEW ZEALAND -- A 6-year-old girl had to undergo plastic surgery after a dog attacked her at a Canterbury park.

The girl is recovering at home following the incident at Rangiora's Good Street Reserve on Sunday afternoon.

Francesca Laffey said daughter, Chloe, was "definitely a tough little thing, a wee battler".

Chloe was at the park with her grandmother when a dog attacked her.

"She was playing on the flying fox when the dog jumped up and bit her," her mother said.

The dog's owners were at the park when the incident happened.

Chloe had to undergo an hour-long surgery for the wound on her chest and was left with several stitches.

Francesca Laffey said it was too soon to know what effect the incident would have on her daughter's confidence around dogs.

"There will probably be some effects I'm sure, but as I say she is a tough wee thing so hopefully she bounces back and doesn't let it affect her too much."

Waimakariri District Council spokesman Matt McIlraith said the dog, an American Bulldog / Pit Bull mix, was euthanized on Monday night.

Laffey said that was a relief to her and the family.

"We are animal lovers, but if a dog is capable of doing something like this then there is always the chance it could do it again and I would hate for another family to go through this."

Laffey said Chloe had asked her questions about the attack, including why it happened.

"She has told me she wished she had never gone to the park.

"We've just told her it wasn't her fault at all and that she should never have to worry about going to the park and playing."

Laffey urged dog owners to keep their animals off playgrounds.

"You would hope that dogs would not be off leads and on children's playgrounds; there is too much opportunity for them to get over-excited and things can happen.

"I would also urge parents who are concerned about dogs in playgrounds to have the courage to approach the owners and tell them."

McIlraith said the council implored dog owners to look after their pets in public spaces and keep them under control.

"This is particularly relevant with summer on us as pets and their owners are out in force in public places around the district, making the most of the great weather."

Chloe would be off school for a while, but was "still perky", her mother said. "I've had to remind her not do things and take it easy."

The council was still investigating the attack and was yet to decide whether it would prosecute the dog's owners.

(Stuff NZ - November 29 2017)