Attack by Staffordshire bull terrier in Mapperley leaves owner and pet traumatised

UNITED KINGDOM -- Traumatized grandfather Frank Harris is recovering at home after he and his dog were attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

The dog sank his teeth into the shoulder of the 67-year-old from Mapperley, before turning on his four-year-old pet – a Bedlington terrier called Ash – who vets said was just half a centimetre away from losing his leg after the terrifying ordeal on Saturday night.

Mr Harris was walking Ash along Woodthorpe Drive as dusk fell and spotted a couple walking their dog in the distance.

"It was getting dark so I am not sure if they saw me," he said. "But the next thing I knew, the dog was running towards me and Ash, and sent me flying."

The dog started on the retired headteacher, biting his shoulder, before moving onto his pet, who he mauled whilst Mr Harris tried to fight him off.

"Ash was screaming like he was a rabbit being slaughtered," he said. "All I could do was fight to get the dog off him and try and save him."

Neighbours came to the aid of Mr Harris, who then rushed his pet to the vets.

He was told that if the bite had been 0.5cm higher, Ash would have to have had his leg amputated.

"It cost us £350 to go to the vets and he is still so unwell," said Mr Harris. "He is on antibiotics and is just lying around the house.

"It is going to take him some time before I can socialise him again and make him confident enough to go out."

But it was not just the dog that has been shaken up.

"I am physically fine, but I do feel a bit traumatised," said Mr Harris. "Just seeing that dog coming towards us, with his muscles bristling, he was so strong.

"I may be 67, but I am still fairly fit. There are a lot of elderly people around here with dogs, and children, and I just dread to think what would have happened to them if the dog had come at them."

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed a report had been made to them after an incident at the entrance of Woodthorpe Park.

A spokeswoman said: "The dog was described as a very muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and the couple were described as a white male and female, both in their 20s."

Mr Harris also reported it to the city council's dog wardens, but a spokeswoman said the matter would be dealt with by the police.

If you saw the incident or have any more information, contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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April: Lisa Eaton received 12 stitches after trying to protect her dog from being attacked.
The 42-year-old was walking her two cockapoos at Seaford Park, in Wollaton, when a lurcher got aggressive and attacked.

August: Maria Lane was left covered in blood after a Staffordshire bull terrier savaged her two-year-old poodle-Jack Russell cross in West Bridgford.

September: Jacqueline Gee's 10-year-old lurcher was mauled and left needing emergency surgery after it was savaged by a pitbull on Breaston Fields near Sawley.

(Nottingham Post - October 15, 2014)

Man hurt defending pet dog in horror attack in Padiham

UNITED KINGDOM -- A father-of-three has admitted being in charge of a “Pit Bull Terrier-type” dog which savaged a man and his pet in Padiham.

Daniel Riley (24) was walking his friend’s dog along Padiham Greenway when it launched an attack on Nicholas Lee and his Bedlington Terrier dog.

The victim was left with severe cuts to his hands in the attack and his pet suffered serious wounds and needed emergency veterinary treatment, a court heard.

Riley, of Kings Drive, admitted being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control in public, before Burnley Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told Riley’s friend had a pet, described as a “Pit Bull Terrier” dog, and was said to be reluctant to walk it herself because the animal was so strong.

The defendant made arrangements to walk the woman’s dog along with his own on May 14th.

Andrew Robinson (prosecution) said the woman claimed she handed Riley a muzzle and said the animal needed to wear it as a “safety precaution” because of the dog’s size and strength. The muzzle was not placed on the dog and the defendant denies ever being told by the woman.

Mr Robinson said Riley was walking with the dog off the leash when it launched the attack on Mr Lee and his pet.

He said the dog grabbed Mr Lee’s pet around the neck and “tossed it around”. As he tried to prize the animal’s jaw apart, Mr Lee suffered puncture wounds to his hands and needed hospital treatment and his dog was badly wounded. The court was told Riley, who also suffered injuries to his hands, had been apologetic. The offending animal and Riley’s dog were both destroyed after the attack.

Nick Cassidy (defending) said Riley denied the woman had told him to muzzle the dog and claimed he had walked the animal on numerous occasion with her partner without problem or signs of aggression.

He said Riley took the dog back to the woman and told her to contact police.

Mr Cassidy added: “He is remorseful. He is well aware this incident is truly horrific and he apologises.”

The case was adjourned for a Newton hearing on September 10th before he can be sentenced.

(Burnley Express - July 29, 2013)

Owner distaught after dog is killed

UNITED KINGDOM -- A heartbroken dog owner has described the moment his pet was mauled to death by a red mastiff.

John Tooze was walking his dog Scruff on Heavers Meadow, Selhurst, on Sunday, when the eight-year-old bedlington terrier was attacked at about 11.45am.

Mr Tooze, 75, said Scruff was roaming in the park when a red coloured dog bound up and got him by the neck.

He said: "It had him in it's muscular grip, Scruff was yelping and squealing, rolling his eyes then he just stopped.

"I kept saying 'call your dog off, call your dog off,' but the owner just kept telling to me beat the dog.

"He could only restrain it by tying it's hind legs together with its leash and dragging it away backwards."

Passers-by rushed Mr Tooze and Scruff to a nearby vet in Thornton Heath, but his injuries were too severe for him to be saved.

Mr Tooze said: "The vet said Scruff's ribs were all broken after being severely crushed and his chest cavity was perforated.

"It is very upsetting, we are still crying here. He was a great part of my life, I got very attached."

The incident has been reported to police, but the owner of the mastiff, a black male believed to be in his 30s, refused to give his name before leaving the scene.

Mr Tooze said he feared for the safety of other dogs and children.

He said: "The vet said to me it is not the dog, it is the owner and that was right. They way it just bounded up and got him by the throat was absolute menace.

"It could attack another dog or a child, people need to look out because it is still out there."

(Croydon Guardian - Nov 1, 2012)

Owner's quick thinking saved dog during pit bull attack

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Harrisburg man said his dog could have easily died when a pit bull got loose from its owner during a walk last week.

Steve Dailey lives on Green Street in Uptown Harrisburg. He told abc27 he was on N. 3rd Street with his dog 'Beddy' when he spotted a large female pit bull standing on a corner.

He said it was clear the dog had spotted Beddy, and within seconds the animal pulled away from her owner and jumped on Beddy's back. That's when Dailey took action.

"I just somehow miraculously took my dog and with all my force just grabbed her and pulled her up into the air, and at the last second the pit bull got the tail end of my dog," he said.

Beddy sustained puncture wounds to her tail and buttocks, but is expected to recover.

Dailey said the experience was traumatic, especially because it's not his first run-in with pit bulls. Four years ago, a pit bull got loose from its owner and killed Dailey's cat.

"It came into my driveway and just grabbed a hold of my cat and ended her life," he said.

Animal advocates insist pit bulls can be very loving animals, but get a bad reputation when they fall under bad ownership.

Well, goodness, collies used to be very popular in the 1950s
when "Lassie" was on TV. So, of course, there were
TONS of Collie maulings on children and animals!

Patti Hippler of the Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance said pit bulls are in the news a lot these days, much like other breeds have been in years past. She said it's always important to know the type of dog before you commit to owning.

"Behavior is not breed-specific," she said. "It is partially shaped by the environment the dog is raised in."

[Please, Ms. Hippler, explain to us why there are so many "attacked by their own pit bulls" stories. How many "attcked by their own Whippets" stories we've read this year? Let's keep pretending it's these monstrous owners who beat and abuse these dogs and "make" them mean rather than accepting and dealing with the fact that they're inherently aggressive.]

In this case, Dailey said the owner's reaction to his incident is a red flag.

"She was going to hit her and I told her it wasn't the dog's fault, it was her fault," he said.

The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area told abc27 it typically takes in 200-300 pit bulls each year.

That number is now being capped to approximately 150, but the Humane Society, along with CPAA, offers free spay-neuter for city residents with pit bulls.

(WHTM - May 15, 2012)

Family dog killed by neighbor's pit bulls

FLORIDA -- A Lake Mary family said goodbye to their dog, which was killed by a neighbor's pit bulls.

Lake Mary police said Chewy was attacked Monday in the Brabb family's front yard on Gehr Lane.

Neighbor Jackie Crawford heard the owner of the pit bulls, Kathy Hammond, screaming and watched as Hammond tried pulling her dogs off Chewy.

A neighbor called 911.

"There's a lady out here getting attacked by a bunch of dogs. She's screaming. There's blood. She's asking for help.  I'm not going over there."

Chewy died in the attack.

A Seminole County deputy said he used his baton against the pit bulls, but the dogs then began approaching him.

"They were circling around him. I thought, 'You just need to shoot them,'" said Crawford.

He fired, killing two of the pit bulls. The third pit bull survived.

Brabb says Chewy did hold on until his daughter came home from school.

"When Chewy heard her voice, he kind of picked his head up a little. His breathing picked up. Within a minute it had stopped. He had passed. I think he was waiting for her to say goodbye," Brabb said.

Because the third dog is back home, the Brabb family remains uneasy. They said all of the dogs are aggressive, and that they have called animal control about them.

RIP Chewy

"If my kids had been home, it could've been one of them," said . "I don't understand what has to happen for this to not happen again."

Hammonds declined to speak to Local 6. A relative of Hammonds said she was sorry and that her dogs hadn't acted aggressive before.

Animal services said a citation would be issued. Lake Mary police say it has answered eight complaints about the home since June.

 Even now, the surviving dog cannot be declared vicious.

"Florida statutes require that the animal be involved in more than one attack before we can deem the dog dangerous," said Morgan Woodward with Seminole County Animal Services.

(WKMG - Jan 11, 2012)