North Carolina: Mother, young son mauled on Easter Sunday. Pit Bull won't stop when beaten with tree trimmers; only relents when repeatedly stabbed

LEE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA -- A local mother and her young son are recovering at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill after being attacked by a dog in Sanford on Easter Sunday.

The attack happened while they were visiting family in the 4000 block of Lee Avenue in Sanford this weekend.

The community is rallying around Tiffany Griffis and her 2-year-old son Cameron Moore to help care for her other three children while she recovers.

Griffis's cousin, Destiny Godfrey, was there when it happened.

She said the dog went for the 2-year-old first. Griffis was able to lift him above her head, but the dog then started going for her legs.

Godfrey said they were dropping off a plate of food to her when a nearby dog escaped from a neighbor's yard.

The bottom of the neighbor's chain-linked fence was unsecured.

The battle to stop the attack was a desperate one according to Godfrey, who tried to stop the dog by hitting him with garden shears.

When that didn't work she moved to more extreme measures.

"The next thing I thought was 'God, what do I do,'" she said, "And it's like I heard this voice in my head telling me 'stab him, stab him,' and I grabbed the biggest knife I could see, and I just started stabbing him."

Godfrey said while Cameron is expected to be released from the hospital today, after a bite to his left thigh, Griffis' injuries are much more extensive.

Her fingertips and both legs were mauled. Griffis and Cameron were airlifted to UNC Hospitals following the attack.

Godfrey said that while Griffis' surgery for her legs went well, it's unclear what the road ahead may bring.

Godfrey said she worries about what this could mean for her cousin, a single mother supporting four children.

At first, I thought with so many young children and being referred to as a "single mother", she is a widow. But it seems she has a fiance who (based on their Facebook posts) appears to be the father of her three youngest children. 

Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy, but whatever happened to people getting married before they start having children?? Yes, what happened to her and her little boy is horrific and she will definitely need donations for her long-term medical care that isn't covered by insurance, but the father of her three children - who she is not married to - is the one who should be buying diapers and clothing for his children. 

Note: I've been making at effort at blurring out the faces of children when I locate and post their parents' social media photos in relation to an article, but since the article didn't blur the faces of these children, I didn't either.

According to Lee County Animal Control, they are holding the dog for a 10 day observation period. The dog is set to be euthanized afterward.

Same photo on both of their FB pages

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NORTH CAROLINA -- Crystal Underwood Burris is with Tiffany Griffis. Posted on Facebook April 1, 2018 ·

Pray warriors need serious prayer. They were attacked by pit bull. She is having surgery to save her leg and the baby was bit in vital areas .....please pray!

(WTVD - April 2, 2018)

Links:

• Tiffany Griffis Facebook
• Cory Moore Facebook

Utah: St George Police Department dragging its feet on beating death of little Yorkie, hoping this case will go away

UTAH -- A St. George family is grieving after their dog was killed.

The dog's owner, Nancy Limburg, told FOX 13 her neighbor used gardening shears (pruning shears, hedge shears) to hit and kill their two pound Yorkshire terrier.

Limburg said not only did her neighbor kill the dog, but he did it in front of her 12-year-old daughter, who was with their dog outside moments before.

"Chewy" had been a beloved family pet, until Friday afternoon when Limburg let Chewy out front with her 12-year-old daughter Hailey watching him.

“The next thing I know Hailey come running in, yelling ‘The neighbor just killed Chewy, the neighbor just killed Chewy,’” said Limburg.

Limburg, her 18-year-old daughter and her younger daughter ran outside.

“I was just asking him ‘Why did you kill my dog? What did he do that was such a huge threat that you needed to kill him?’

He turned and pointed to his vinyl fence behind him and said he was worried for the safety of his dogs and I said 'Your dogs are behind the fence',” said Limburg.

The neighbor, according to Limburg, started accusing her daughter Hailey of making Chewy run onto his property.

“He started blaming my younger daughter Hailey. He was so mad and, for him to say those things about my daughter with that weapon (the pruning shears) in his hand, that's the reason I started taking pictures.”

Limburg took pictures of her neighbor holding the sheers and of her dead dog bleeding on the ground.

St. George police officers arrived later that afternoon and interviewed Limburg’s family and the neighbor.

ST. GEORGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRYING TO JUSTIFY WHY THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING

Officers did not arrest the neighbor, but a news release from St. George PD (below) indicated they are continuing to investigate.

"The St. George Police Department does feel that this incident is significant and has had a significant impact on the children and family who own the dog. Our goal is to fully and effectively investigate ALL aspects of this incident to determine what legal options for criminal charges we have and then to proceed with the most appropriate and effective option. We understand, with the emotions involved, how it might seem that the 'police are doing nothing about it,' but that is not the case. We are trying to do the RIGHT thing to address this situation," the news release said.

Chewy's family described him as a lovable and great companion.

“He was very playful. He would let [Hailey] dress him up in doll clothes and kind of push him around in a little stroller when she was little," Limburg said, adding that Chewy was "harmless."

Chewy had even been "debarked," so he wasn’t making any loud noises, but Chewy did run onto their neighbor’s property. According to Limburg, the neighbor’s two dogs were barking and that is why Chewy ran across the street to the neighbor’s house.

Deann Shepherd, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Humane Society of Utah, said she feels for the family.

“This is a deplorable situation. There should have been another situation to handle a two pound dog coming at you,” said Shepherd.

She also said St. George police were right in not making any arrests and applauded their action. She explained Utah law states dogs are property, and because this was not torture, it was not a felony. However if convicted, the neighbor could face a class A misdemeanor, at worst, one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

“We do applaud the St. George Police Department for looking into this and doing their due diligence to investigate this case. In the past it unfortunately could have been just brushed aside.  We do hope that full charges are brought against this assailant when the investigation closes," Shepherd said.

In the meantime, Limburg said she is scared to be at home with her two daughters, with their alleged violent neighbor living in the same cul-de-sac.

They have posted pictures of a burial for Chewy and now hope justice is served.

“He was our family dog. As little as he was, he knew he was loved and we are going to miss him," Limburg said.

Press release from St. George police:

On  November 11th, at approximately 4:30 p.m., St. George Police Officers were dispatched to a report of a dog that had been killed in the area of 2040 East, in St. George. It was reported that the dog was killed by a neighbor. What is known and is not in dispute, is that a small dog entered the neighbor’s yard and approached the man, who was maintaining his landscaping. The man swung a long handled pruning sheer at the dog when it approached him. The sheers ended up striking the dog in the head, killing it instantly. As sad as it is that the dog was hit and killed, the circumstances were worsened by the fact that the incident was witnessed by the dog owner’s juvenile daughter.

Officers responded to the report and received statements from all of the parties involved. Additional information was provided that required officers to conduct some follow up interviews. An attempt was made to contact additional witnesses in the neighborhood, those efforts are ongoing, and the preliminary information was reviewed at that time to determine if there was a clear course of action that could be taken.

RIP little Chewy

In this case there are conflicting accounts of what the suspect was intending to do when he encountered the animal. This conflict makes it more difficult to determine what the suspect INTENDED to do when he encountered the dog. There are many factors which can give insight into his mindset and therein lies the challenge. This was not an offense that happened in the presence of an officer and as such an arrest can only be made under a narrow set of circumstances. We have been, and will continue to be in contact with the prosecutor’s office to determine the appropriate course of action.

The St. George Police Department does feel that this incident is significant and has had a significant impact on the children and family who own the dog. Our goal is to fully and effectively investigate ALL aspects of this incident to determine what legal options for criminal charges we have and then to proceed with the most appropriate and effective option.

We understand, with the emotions involved, how it might seem that the “police are doing nothing about it,” but that is not the case. We are trying to do the RIGHT thing to address this situation.

Where this is an ongoing investigation we can’t discuss the factors and details that play into the final decision, we are working to establish what they are. We feel badly for the family that lost their pet and understand the impact it has had on them.

(Fox13 - Nov 14, 2016)

Earlier:

• Utah: St. George Police try to explain why they haven't arrested the man who beat a tiny Yorkie to death with pruning shears

Utah: St. George Police try to explain why they haven't arrested the man who beat a tiny Yorkie to death with pruning shears

UTAH -- After posts on social media began attracting major attention, the St. George Police Department has issued a statement on the case of a dog that was hit and killed by a man with pruning shears after the dog ran onto the man’s property.

According to St. George PD, officers responded to a home in the area of 2040 East around 4:30 p.m. Friday on report that a man had killed his neighbor’s dog.

 

Police said the dog entered the neighbor’s yard as the man was maintaining his landscaping, and the man swung pruning shears at the dog when it approached him.

“The sheers (sic) ended up striking the dog in the head, killing it instantly,” police stated on Facebook Saturday. “As sad as it is that the dog was hit and killed, the circumstances were worsened by the fact that the incident was witnessed by the dog owner’s juvenile daughter.”

If it killed the tiny dog "instantly", why is the dog's body lying next to the sidewalk rather than still in his yard??? Duh. The dog did not die instantly.

The owner of the dog, named “Chewy”, stated on Facebook that all her tiny two-pound dog did was run into the man’s yard.

Police stated that at this time they are still in the process of gathering information. They say the relevant criminal code is aggravated cruelty to an animal, and they stated that charges would depend on a person’s mental intent at the time of the incident.

“We must be able to show an intent level to determine what penalties may be imposed if the suspect is convicted,” police stated. “It also impacts what options the officer has when determining whether to cite or arrest a suspect.”

Police said that there are conflicting reports about what the suspect was intending to do when he swung his shears at the dog, and they said no police were present so they cannot make an arrest based on what they know so far.

Police further stated they will continue to work with the prosecutor’s office to determine if charges will be filed.

They closed by addressing community concerns about the case:

“The St. George Police Department does feel that this incident is significant and has had a significant impact on the children and family who own the dog. Our goal is to fully and effectively investigate ALL aspects of this incident to determine what legal options for criminal charges we have and then to proceed with the most appropriate and effective option.

"We understand, with the emotions involved, how it might seem that the “police are doing nothing about it,” but that is not the case. We are trying to do the RIGHT thing to address this situation.

Where this is an ongoing investigation we can’t discuss the factors and details that play into the final decision, we are working to establish what they are. We feel badly for the family that lost their pet and understand the impact it has had on them.”

(Fox13 - Nov 12, 2016)

Pit Bulls Attack Woman In Backyard Of Local Home

TEXAS -- A Killeen woman was taken to a local hospital after she was bitten on the back and arm Friday morning when she stepped in to try to stop two of her pit bulls from attacking a third pit bull in the backyard of her home.

Officers were sent at around 11:15 a.m. Friday in the house at 5101 Lions Gate Lane in Killeen in response to a report of the attack.

Neighbors said they heard the woman screaming and several ran to try to help.

One man used the yard shears he was carrying to try to fend of the dogs and another man grabbed a rifle as a pit bull in another yard tried to jump a fence in order to join the fight, neighbors said.

None of the dogs was removed from the property at the request of the owner, police said.

No further details were immediately available.

The incident occurred in the same part of the city where a 2-year-old boy was killed and an 8-year-old girl was injured when a group of children walking home from a neighborhood playground was attacked by a bull mastiff on March 1.

The dog ran out from the garage of a home in the 4100 block of Pennington Avenue in Killeen and first attacked the girl.

An 18-year-old boy who was walking with the younger children was able to get the dog off the girl, but the animal immediately turned on the small boy, grabbed him and dragged him down the road, police said.

Both children were taken to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, but the injuries suffered by the 2-year-old were so severe doctors could not save him.

No charges have been filed in connection with the attack.

On April 14 three pit bulls attacked a 12-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and a 26-year-old woman who was trying to help the children in the area of Cody Poe Road and Armadillo Drive in Killeen.
Their injuries weren’t life threatening, police said.

Officers shot one of the dogs and the other two ran away.

The dog officers shot was euthanized and sent to Austin to be tested for rabies.

On Feb. 17, 2-year-old Je'vaeh Mayes of Temple died at Scott & White Hospital after a pit bull her family was watching for a friend attacked her in the backyard of her home after she slipped out of the house without her parents' knowledge.
(KWTX - April 25, 2014)http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Pit-Bulls-Attack-Woman-In-Backyard-Of-Local-Home-256731581.html

Ohio: Pit bull attacks woman and her Beagle while they're in their own yard. Animal Control doesn't bother showing up for more than 2 hours.

‎OHIO -- A pit bull attacked a woman and another dog in Youngstown Friday afternoon.

Nathaniel Riggle said he and Alison Morris were clearing brush in her backyard on Shelby Road when a pit bull charged at them and the dogs in their care.

The 150 pound black and brown spotted pit bull cornered them on the back porch.

Riggle said the dog bit one of Moriss' legs and one of her beagles.

"It was extremely stressful because I was beating this dog with these cutters and it seemed to have no effect. He just kept charging at us and was determined to attack the dog and attack us," he said.

The dog described as having tags and a pink carabiner around its neck, ran away.

NO RESPONSE FROM ANIMAL CONTROL

Riggle called 911 and followed the dog in his car for about two hours waiting for Mahoning County Deputy Dog Warden Dave Nelson who was tied up on another call.

During that time, Riggle said he saw the dog attack four other dogs and go after a woman who he warned about the animal.

When Nelson did arrive, the dog was not in the area.

Nelson said there were too many incidents at the same time and not enough manpower.

What call were you on that it took you more than 2 hours to arrive? An active dog attack is a Priority 1 call. Show us your call logs and prove you were on something just as serious and not sitting in the parking lot at the shelter eating your lunch.

(WFMJ - April 28, 2012)