Australia: Deadly South African Boerboel that left a 10-year-old girl fighting for life in hospital with wounds to her head, neck and groin is put down after savage attack

AUSTRALIA -- A family's deadly dog which mauled a 10-year-old girl has been put down after a savage attack left the girl fighting for her life.

Two unregistered dogs were seized by council officers after the girl was left with shocking injuries from her own pet in the Melbourne suburb of Berwick on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday evening, the City of Casey Council confirmed a South African Boerboel had been 'destroyed' with the owner's permission.

The council said: 'The dog believed to be responsible for the attack has been identified as a South African Boerboel, while the second dog has been identified as a Bull Mastiff. Neither dogs were registered with the City of Casey.'

The council on Monday revealed they have previously issued four infringements to the dogs' owner.

Officers were called to the same home in December after the family's other dog, a Bull Mastiff, acted aggressively towards a passer-by.

But the incident wasn't considered severe enough to seize the dog from its owners, who were slapped with a fine.

The council said the previous infringements imposed on the family were for biting a person, the dog being 'at large' at night and failing to register two dogs.

Earlier, hero neighbors described the moment they saved the girl who was 'thrown around like a rag doll' as she was viciously mauled by her own dog.

 

 

 

Dr Liz Walker, Chief Executive of the RSPCA, described the attack as a 'tragic and devastating event', but urged the family to consider having the dog euthanized.

'This is a discussion for the family and the council. But It would have to be something they would seriously consider,' Dr Walker told the broadcaster.

The girl remains in hospital and is lucky to be alive, according to neighbors who helped saved her.

Jimmy Baird was at home watching television with his wife when they heard screaming from a nearby house.

'A young girl came out saying her sister was being attacked by the dog,' he said.

Mr Baird and another neighbor ran to the home where they found the terrified girl banging on a door trying to get away from the dog.

'We tried to get the door open. As I opened the door, this massive head was coming through the door frothing at the mouth. It was obviously going to go us,' Mr Baird told Nine Network on Monday.

The men went around to the side of the house and distracted the dog, allowing the girl to escape.

'I'm glad we were there because the young girl probably wouldn't have survived,' Mr Baird said.

Another neighbor told 3AW their mother and their mother's boyfriend were at the gym when the dog attacked.

The neighbors said the mother seemed more concerned about her pets than her daughters.

"Not once was there, 'Where's my daughter? How is she?' It was just... [about] the dogs", said one neighbor.

 

 

She was covered in dirt, leaves, blood, yeah, just in shock

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said dog owners need to take responsibility for their animals.

'If you own an animal then it is your primary responsibility to make sure that you have control of that animal and that it doesn't pose a risk to others,' Andrews said.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the matter would be handled by the local council but added the incident served as a reminder for people to keep control of their dogs.

'Whether they're in your backyard or out on the street, it doesn't absolve your responsibility of keeping your animals under control,' Mr Ashton said.

Note: Neither of these Boerboels attacked the little girl, but
I'm posting so you get an idea how big these dogs are.

(Daily Mail - March 5, 2018)

Alabama: Two-year-old girl attacked by family's Rhodesian Ridgeback / German Shepherd mix; grandfather also attacked when he intervened

ALABAMA -- Two people injured in a dog attack Wednesday afternoon have been released from hospitals after treatment.

A Labrador / Bulldog mix Rhodesian Ridgeback / German Shepherd was identified as the dog that attacked Kairi Sky Burleson in her yard, and then attacked her grandfather, Michael Perry Burleson on the left arm near the elbow, damaging an artery, said Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper.

The two-year-old was taken to Cullman Regional by a family member for treatment, while the grandfather was flown to North Huntsville Hospital. Both were released after treatment, Culpepper said.

Cullman Fire and Rescue and Cullman Emergency Medical Services personnel were the first to arrive at the scene and began treatment of the victims.

FAMILY SHOT AND KILLED DOG BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED
A Cullman police officer arrived and reported the dog, which was estimated at 2 years old and weighing 100 pounds, was shot and killed before responders arrived.

The body of the dog, which was a family pet, was sent to a veterinarian to be tested for rabies, Culpepper said.

Mikayla says the dog was a Rhodesian Ridgeback and German Shepherd mix and that their veterinarian thinks the dog may have been poisoned "because he's never heard of a dog that lets a baby" play with it like this little girl did and then turn on her. 

The dog may not have been poisoned but may have had some medical ailment (cancer eating away at its stomach, etc) that meant it was in pain. If it were my dog, I'd get a necropsy in order to eliminate all possibilities as this was a dog that was raised around the child, around family members, etc. - it wasn't just chained to a tree and ignored. 

Now certainly one could argue, "Well you never say any of this when it's Pit Bull that attack family members!" - and they would be right. Because Pit Bulls have shown time and time again that they're unstable, unpredictable and have a trigger that sends them from being calm to trying to kill. A 'nice' Pit bull that goes its whole life without attacking and killing something is an exception to the rule. This dog attack was an anomaly so a necropsy should be conducted.

(Cullman Times Online - Jan 25, 2018)

Connecticut: Jessica DePaolis had 19 dogs in her home; she's been arrested after an English Bulldog went on the attack

CONNECTICUT -- Police and firefighters had to pull off a dramatic rescue of two children and their aunt in October after their English Bulldog began attacking them, an arrest warrant said.

Now the owner of the bulldog, who had 20 dogs in her Fairview Street home, is facing charges including animal cruelty, risk of injury and reckless endangerment, as well as charges related to a Monday incident.

Police officers were called to 62 Fairview St., the home of Jessica DePaolis, on Oct. 23 after receiving a 911 call reporting that an English bulldog was attacking people and other dogs.

Officers found four people injured, including DePaolis’ 7- and 13-year-old children, her aunt and a neighbor who was trying to help.

The children and the aunt were hiding from the bulldog, which had just killed a Chihuahua, in a first-floor bedroom.

A fire department ladder had to be used to get the three out of the house.

DePaolis’s 7-year-old son’s injuries were so severe that he needed surgery, police said.

The Chihuahua killed by the bulldog had recently given birth to three puppies which were two weeks old, an arrest warrant said.

Officers found 20 dogs, including the male bulldog, which had gone on a rampage after DePaolis left for her job in New York that morning.

A judge agreed in November to give custody of the remaining 19 dogs to the city.

While responding to a domestic violence incident Monday, police served DePaolis with an arrest warrant charging her with 19 counts of animal cruelty, reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a child in connection with the October incident.

In connection with Monday’s incident, details of which are not being released, she has been charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a child, Lt. Jeanette Portalatin said.

This building has two addresses: 62 Fairview and 

64 Fairview. She had 20 dogs stuffed into this duplex.

DePaolis was released on $35,000 bond after her arraignment in New Britain Superior Court Tuesday.

In October, the dogs were living in what were described as squalid conditions, with feces and urine on the floor and in their cages. All had fleas, and some had other medical issues. At least one dog was emaciated, police said.

She had previously been cited for illegal breeding in March, police said.

DePaolis had nine Chihuahua puppies of varying ages, five adult bulldogs and six adult Chihuahuas living in the house.

The puppies that had lost their mother were given immediately to Monkey Pack Rescue, where they had to be bottle-fed every few hours, said Police Sgt. Paula Keller, who heads the city’s Animal Control Division.

The other six puppies and two of the adult Chihuahuas were also placed with the rescue organization, which is working on getting them vaccinated and spayed or neutered before they are placed in good homes. The bulldogs were also slated for adoption, Keller said in November.

She's been churning out puppies for years.

(NBC Connecticut -January 24, 2018)

Earlier:

• Connecticut: City given custody of dogs seized from breeder Jessica DePaolis

Georgia: 3-year-old boy flown to Atlanta hospital after being attacked by his family's dog

GEORGIA -- A 3-year-old boy is recovering at an Atlanta hospital after he was bitten in his head by the family dog, an official said.

The child was flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital after the attack Thursday, Polk County police Chief Kenny Dodd told the Polk County Standard Journal.

The incident happened at a residence near Rockmart.

The dog is being held after the attack, Dodd said. The type of dog is not known.

The boy received stitches to his head, according to the report.

(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Jan. 5, 2018)

(November 2017) Louisiana: Pit Bull mix attacks boy within hours of being adopted from the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter

LOUISIANA -- Ashley Prater posted on Facebook November 28, 2017 ·

Last Sunday me, my mom, and son attended Pet Fest in Lafreniere Park with the intentions of adopting a dog for my mom. She lost her dog earlier this year and decided it was time for a new family member. My mom wanted a bigger dog as opposed to the smaller breed of dog she had previously.

We finally decided on Caesar, a supposed Mastiff mixed breed dog. Caesar was very friendly and we spent 3 hours with him before deciding to adopt him.

A lady who worked at the shelter told her that she had taken Caesar home with her to foster him and he was very sweet. She said that if he didn’t get adopted that day she would take him back to her home because she refused to let such a sweet dog go back to the shelter.

This is what Caesar did to my son less than 2 hours after we got him home. Me and my son were sitting on the floor petting him and he viciously attacked him.

My son did not do anything that i can see to provoke this attack. My son spent a day in the hospital due to Caesar’s attack.

 

 

Kenner Animal Control picked the dog up the same day and told us that Caesar was not a Mastiff mixed but in fact a Pit Bull, Boxer, and German Shepherd mix.

I am very disappointed in the East Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter for not disclosing this information. And now that i have had time to reflect on this traumatic event, a lot of the dogs up for adoption looked like pit bulls but NONE of their tags said that they were.

Unfortunate that now my son is traumatized and does not even want to look at another dog. And quite frankly i don’t blame him. Shame on u Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter.

  

 

Five-year-old boy attacked by family's dog

Nola.com

By Littice Bacon-Blood | Updated December 5, 2017 8:27 AM

Ashley Prater said her 5-year-old-son Marcus was attacked by the family’s pet dog, Caesar, shortly after the dog was brought home after being adopted at the Jefferson SPCA's Pet Fest in Lafreniere Park on Nov. 26. The child spent the day in the hospital being treated for bites and scratches to his face, head, chest and arms, Prater said.

An attack by the family’s recently adopted dog sent 5-year-old Marcus to the hospital with multiple bites on his face, head and chest that required stitches, his mother Ashley Prater said.

Ashley Prater hugs Caesar, a dog the family adopted during Pet Fest at Lafreniere Park on Nov 26. Prater said Caesar attacked her 5-year-old son shortly after the family brought him home.

Ashley Prater said the Jefferson Parish animal shelter incorrectly labeled Caesar’s breed as a Mastiff mix. She said she posted pictures of her son’s injuries on social media to warn parents to “do their own research” before adopting a shelter pet.

 

Did the shelter purposely call it a Mastiff mix rather

than a Pit Bull mix in order to sucker someone into adopting it?

Connecticut: City given custody of 19 dogs seized from breeder Jessica DePaolis

CONNECTICUT -- A judge agreed Monday to give the city custody of 19 dogs taken from the home of a Fairview Street woman after one of them, a bulldog, attacked four people, including her two children.

Officers were called to 62 Fairview St., home of Jessica DePaolis, on Oct. 23 after receiving calls reporting that a bulldog was attacking people and other dogs.

Officers found four people injured including DePaolis’ two children, ages 7 and 13, her aunt and a neighbor who was trying to help.

Her 7-year-old son’s injuries were so severe that he needed surgery, police said.

A Chihuahua that had recently given birth to three puppies was killed by the bulldog, police said.

Officers found 19 dogs, including the male bulldog, which had gone on his rampage while DePaolis wasn’t home.

The dogs were living in what were described as squalid conditions, with feces and urine on the floor and in their cages. All had fleas, and some had other medical issues. One dog was emaciated, police said.

The Chihuahua that was killed was the mother of three puppies, which were two weeks old.

DePaolis had nine Chihuahua puppies of varying ages, five adult bulldogs and six adult Chihuahuas.

The puppies that had lost their mother were given immediately to Monkey Pack Rescue, where they had to be bottle-fed every few hours, said Police Sgt. Paula Keller, who heads the city’s Animal Control Division.

The other six puppies and two of the adult Chihuahuas were also placed with the rescue organization, which is working on getting them vaccinated and spayed or neutered before they are placed in good homes.

The dogs were seized that day and Keller sought to have to have the city permanently take custody of them by filing for ownership in New Britain Superior Court.

DePaolis told Judge Robert Young Monday that she had been "overwhelmed" by having so many dogs, but had tried to take care of them properly.

“I don’t believe I was neglectful at all,” she claimed.

Young called the situation “abhorrent” and said he was stunned by her “lack of self-awareness.”

“They were neglected, treated cruelly and they are not to be returned” to DePaolis’ custody, Young said.

The judge also ordered DePaolis to pay the city $15 per dog per day, for their care from Oct. 23 until Monday. She was also ordered to pay the dogs’s medical bills.

DePaolis will be facing criminal charges, police said.

She was led from the courthouse in handcuffs after being charged with not paying a fine connected to a ticket she received in March, when she was cited for self-vaccinating her dogs, which is illegal in Connecticut.

Two of the bulldogs have adoptions pending and two with health issues will be going to bulldog rescue organizations, Keller said.

(New Britain Herald - November 6, 2017)

Australia: Sue Lopicich was running a rescue at her boarding facility. She was just mauled to death by her Bull Mastiff, which neighbors say was "known to be aggressive"

AUSTRALIA -- A woman who ran a boarding kennel and animal rescue has been attacked and mauled to death by a bull mastiff in the Perth suburb of Southern River.

Sue Lopicich, aged in her 50s, was attacked on Tuesday afternoon at the property on Terrier Place, which also serves as Barko's Boarding Kennel.

Police said she was declared dead by paramedics a short time later.

The City of Gosnells said rangers were called to the property about 1:45pm to collect a dog that was preventing police from accessing the woman's body.

A council spokesman told the ABC that two dogs — a bull mastiff and a Staffordshire bull terrier — had been seized and impounded by rangers.

It is believed the bull mastiff caused Ms Lopicich's death, and the council said it would be euthanized.

"The police have advised that they believe the bull mastiff, currently being held by the city at the request of police, caused the death of Mrs Lopicich," the council said in a statement.

"The police advised the Staffordshire pit bull terrier was not involved, and he will be returned to the family. The city extends its sincerest sympathies to Mrs Lopicich's family and friends."

Director of governance Grant Bradbrook said it had been distressing for council workers who attended the scene.

"We've provided counselling for the two rangers that attended," he said. "It wasn't a nice job to have to attend, so they've been supported."

He said the dogs were registered to the owner of the property and no previous complaints about them had been received.

'Body found by daughter'

Neighbor Greg Bal said he did not hear any signs of a struggle at the property.

He said Ms Lopicich's body was found by her daughter, who came to check on her mother after concerns were raised when she did not turn up for work at a local childcare centre.

Dog 'known to be aggressive'

A dog that mauled a woman to death at her home in Perth’s south-east was known by neighbors to be aggressive and was almost always locked away from visitors.

The bull mastiff dog responsible for the 58-year-old’s death was understood to be a pet she had had for the past four years.

Neighbor Greg Ball said the dog taken away was named Stirling and that he was saddened but not surprised by the fatal attack.

“If someone went in there, those dogs would have to be locked away,” he said. “Very few people could get near them.

“There have been a number of incidents there. If I’m honest, we had been waiting for something like that to happen.

“Some dogs just can’t be saved.”

Neighbor Kerrie Pearce said there had been a number of dog fights at the property and Ms Lopicich had been injured in the past trying to break them up.

"I never liked what she did down there, she used to just mingle them in together and you can't mingle them together, you've got to keep them separate," she said.

"She liked to have them as like a pack, but you can't have rescue dogs as a pack."

Another neighbor, who did not provide their name, said Ms Lopicich was passionate about dogs and dedicated her life to their care, especially rescue dogs.

Police have told the ABC her death was not being treated as suspicious and a report would be prepared for the coroner.

(ABC AU - August 2, 2017)

(July 2017) Kansas: Angela Fassnacht and Antone Galdmez can't explain why their American Bulldog-Boxer mix tried to kill Angela so they tell themselves (and us) that the dog "must have been abused" before they got it

KANSAS -- The cries of "Help me! Help me! Help me!" rang out about 11:10 a.m. Monday, as Daniel Dreher was sitting down to eat lunch at his home with Katherine Bower.

He ran outside to find his neighbor, Angela Fassnacht, 55, being mauled by her 60-pound dog.

“If we hadn’t been home having lunch, I don’t think anyone would have heard her,” Dreher said later. “I said, ‘Katherine, it’s raining. It’s probably kids playing.’ It kept getting louder and louder. Some lady started screaming, ‘Help me! Help me! Help me!’ ”

Because of Dreher’s efforts, Fassnacht got away from Alvin, an American Bulldog and boxer mix. But not before suffering numerous bit injuries.

She was transported to Salina Regional Health Center, then to Wichita's Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis, where she was in critical condition with multiple wounds from the attack.

“God bless you guys for being, at the right moment, good neighbors,” Fassnacht's husband, Antone Galdmez, said later to Dreher and Bower.

“You are a hero,” he told Dreher, who had to tear through a fence to distract the dog, which had been on top of Fassnacht, who was on the ground in the backyard of her home at 501 W. Iron. Dreher and Bower live south of Fassnacht and Galdmez.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Dreher said he looked over a 6-foot privacy fence and saw the dog was on top of Fassnacht.

“I ran out here and the dog was attacking her, but I couldn’t get over the fence,” Dreher said. “I wish I could have gotten in faster.”

Bower called police and Dreher started pulling the fence apart, which briefly distracted the dog.

“He jump back on her. I yelled, ‘Get back, boy.’ That dog was going to kill that woman,” Dreher said.

He broke a couple of boards in the fence to get into the backyard.

“He jumped on her again. I grabbed a board. I didn’t hit the dog,” Dreher said.

Once inside the backyard, he was able to slap the board to distract the dog again.

“It scared him and she opened the door just in time. As soon as she opened the door that dog hit that door,” Dreher said. “He was going to kill her. One hundred percent he was going to kill her. He attacked her three times. He was going for her face.”

Bower assisted Fassnacht before emergency medical services workers arrived.

“She was pretty tore up,” Bower said.

“It wasn’t the dog’s fault. It wasn’t my wife’s fault,” Galdmez said.

“He got spooked somehow,” Dreher said.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Vanessa Cowie, the Salina Animal Shelter animal services manager, said several events led up to the attack.

“It was a complicated situation,” she said.

She said criminal charges probably won't be filed in connection with the attack.

“Statistically dogs that are unaltered (like Alvin) are more likely to be involved in a bite,” she said. “I do think that dog bites are complicated. I never recommend having multiple dogs in one household that are not spayed or neutered.”

Alvin was taken Monday to the Salina Animal Shelter.

Galdmez said he and his wife had owned Alvin for only about seven weeks, and [insist on believing that] the dog "probably" had been abused.

He said they purchased Alvin online because he looked like a dog they had owned that had died.

“We found a dog that looked exactly like Clark,” he said. “We noticed right away when we got him that he had been abused. I told him, ‘Alvin, we are going to show you some love.’ ”

(Salina.com - July 31, 2017)

Nevada: Let's play guess the breed! ___ attacked a neighbor, then attacked its owner, then attacked its other owner. Police say it was "physically latched onto" her arm. Taser had no effect on the ____ which then tried to attack officers so they shot it dead.

NEVADA -- Sparks police shot and killed a dog that reportedly bit and injured three people Friday night.

At around 8 p.m., officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1000 block of El Rancho Drive on a report of an assault and battery between neighbors, a news release from the Sparks Police Department said.

If the location is the Banbridge Apartments, it's a low-income housing project.

One of the victims reported being bit by a dog during the assault.

While officers were gathering information from the victim, "officers heard screaming coming from a neighboring apartment where the other party in the assault and battery lived."

According to the release, a male adult - later identified as one of the owners of the dog - was bleeding from his arm. 

"The officers heard a female screaming and found the female in the entry way to an apartment with the dog biting her and being physically latched onto the female's upper arm," the release said. 

The female victim was later found to be the second owner.

According to the release, officers tried to physically remove the dog and then taser it when the dog reportedly tried to bite the officers. An officer then shot the dog twice and killed it. 

The breed of the dog was unknown.

Officers used a tourniquet to stop the female victim's bleeding. The owners were transported to a local hospital for treatment and the neighbor declined medical attention.

No arrests were made in the assault and battery case at this time, but will be submitted to the Sparks City Attorney for possible charges.

(RGJ - July 10, 2017)

California: Cane Corso breeder mauled by two of her dogs; police shot and killed one, animal control captured the other

CALIFORNIA -- A large dog was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Harbor City after authorities said it and another dog attacked its owner.

Authorities received calls about a woman being attacked by a dog in the 1600 block of West 216th Street around 12:30 p.m.

 

A black Cane Corso named Achilles and a gray Cane Corso named 

Storm were the dogs attacking. Unknown if Achilles is in this photo. 

  

  

 

When officers arrived, they were approached by two dogs and an officer-involved shooting occurred. At least one of the dogs was killed and covered with a sheet. The other dog ran away and was later caught by animal control officers.

The woman, 36, was found badly mauled in her backyard. She was taken to a local hospital, where she underwent surgery for serious injuries.

 

Authorities said the woman was attacked by her own dogs, who are Cane Corsos (aka Italian Mastiffs). It was unclear what led to the attack.

The unnamed woman runs Hendoe's Cane Corsos and breeds them.

One of the neighbors, Joanne, said she was surprised to hear about the attack because one of the dogs, named Achilles, is friendly. She said the woman did get a new Cane Corso not too long ago and wondered if that contributed to the problem.

 

 

"I'm very shocked and saddened that one of the dogs had to lose their lives and the woman had to be injured so severely. I mean it's just a really sad situation," Joanne said.

The woman and her boyfriend, Lovell Henderson run a Cane Corso breeding business out of their home called Hendoe's Cane Corsos.

Henderson said he came home and saw Achilles had been killed. Their other dog, named Storm, was the one who had run off.

Henderson says his dogs are the best breed he's ever owned. He said he has three Cane Corsos, and one was inside the home at the time of the attack. He believes it was Storm who attacked his girlfriend.

This is Storm, one of the dogs that attacked its owner

He also believes authorities shot Achilles because he wouldn't let them inside the home. Henderson said he has never had any trouble from either dog and has no idea what happened.

It's unclear what will happen to the second dog. Henderson said he understands if Storm needs to be put down for attacking his girlfriend.

The investigation was ongoing.

Achilles, seen here, is one of the dogs which attacked its owner

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(ABC7 - July 10, 2017)