(April 2018) Virginia: Mail carrier reassigned after pepper spraying dogs: ‘Our kids are afraid of the mailman’

HENRICO COUNTY, VIRGINIA -- Some Henrico residents say they have a new postal carrier thanks to a CBS 6 Problem Solvers investigation into their dogs being pepper sprayed.

The alleged incidents happened in the Westham neighborhood.

Melissa Banta says her dog Willow was sprayed in her yard April 2, when she was outside playing with her kids.

“The mailman sort of walked up behind us and when the dog saw the mailman over my shoulder she ran towards him barking and as soon as I saw what was happening and I got up and ran up with her and said, ‘it’s okay, it’s okay she’s nice’ and I saw him get out his pepper spray. I asked him don’t spray her, please don’t spray her, she won’t hurt you and then he sprayed her anyway,” Banta said.

“I asked him why he did that, and just sort of said I don’t think I got her too bad and walked away across the street to keep delivering mail.”

Banta immediately went inside to get her husband while she washed Willow’s eyes out, so her children did not come in contact with the repellant.

“He ran after him to find out what his name was, and the mailman covered his badge and would not let him know his name,” said Banta.

A week prior, Banta’s neighbor Bonnie Edwards says her dog Odis was sprayed by the same carrier after her nine-year-old son accidentally let the dog out while he was delivering their mail.

“I thought he was going to help me catch Odis,” said nine-year-old Reid Edwards. “He seemed really nice with the safari hat and everything I thought he was going to be nice. He just pulled out the pepper spray from his pocket,” he added. “In my mind, I’m like oh no and then he sprayed it. Odis took one step back, eyes closed shut and then sprayed it again. I feel really bad for Odis. I was crying.”

“My dog looked pathetic, my son was wandering hysterically through the house locking himself in the room thinking that it was his fault,” Reid’s mother Bonnie said. “When we were washing the dog, the fumes were getting up into our face and making me gag. It could have easily been him if he’d been a couple of feet closer.”

Statistics show that Richmond had the most dog attacks on carriers than any Virginia city, with 22 attacks last year. The USPS policy states that carriers can use repellents to defend themselves against attacks, but not when there is a danger of spraying people.

“It’s good to know the mailmen have a way to protect themselves, but at the same time we want to make sure the people are protected and that our dogs are treated fairly,” said Banta.

The neighbors reached out to their local post office.

“We tried to call and form a complaint,” said Banta. “We called the direct supervisor first and he wasn’t very receptive to us. He yelled at us and still wouldn’t give us the mailman’s name.”

Banta then called his supervisor.

“She felt like the mailman did what he was trained to do,” she said.

“We were very discouraged,” said Banta. “We felt like there was nothing we could really do to prevent this from happening again and were worried because the mailman comes every single day and we’re out here with our kids a lot. We’re concerned that it’s going to happen again, and our kids are really afraid of the mailman now.”

When she says they didn’t get answers, they wrote the USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. CBS 6 also made an inquiry.

“Once you all got involved we’ve gotten a very kind call from the postmaster saying what can we do? And has decided to give us a new mail carrier starting immediately. That’s what we were hoping for and we’re excited for the change,” said Edwards.

A USPS spokesperson said they were unable to reach anyone in the Richmond office on this case but released the following statement.

“The Postal Service takes the issue of dog bite prevention very seriously.

We ask that you share dog bite prevention tips with customers – it helps:

While the number of dog attacks in the city of Richmond remained about the same in 2017 as with the previous year, the number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide decreased in the same timeframe. The decline is linked to safety measures that the Postal Service introduced in recent years, including Package Pickup and Mobile Delivery Device features that alert letter carriers to dogs on their routes. We are encouraged by the progress and are grateful to pet owners for their support.

Dog bites can be reduced by following these tips:

• If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.
• Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the person handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If a dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.
• Additional tips are available on the Postal Service’s YouTube channel.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week runs through Saturday. The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,244 in 2017 — more than 500 fewer than 2016.

(WTVR - April 11, 2018)

Missouri: Stuck 8 days in a Taney County pipe, Jack the Labrador catches a break

MISSOURI -- No one's sure why Jack crawled into a Taney County culvert.

But the hefty pooch somehow got himself stuck about eight feet into the 15-foot underground pipe — and may have been there for as many as eight days before his owners found him.

With no way to get Jack out, his owners called for help.

The cavalry — a Central Taney County Fire Rescue crew — was quick to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

Volunteer firefighter Jeff Romines photographed Jack's ordeal, which involved one fire truck, one service truck, a backhoe and six human rescuers.

Romines, the department's training officer, said Jack's owners said the dog had been missing for more than a week.

When the owner went to check the mail, he heard whimpering and called for help.

"Jack's a pretty good-sized Labrador, and he's a little chubby," Romines said. "One end of the culvert was blocked, so when he tried to turn around, he got stuck."

Romines said the dog's hind legs had fallen asleep, exacerbating the problem.

Jack was lucky in another way, too. Taney County had some significant rain while Jack was in the pipe.

"He's lucky the ditch didn't fill up while he was in there," he said.

According to the fire department, Jack was lodged so far into the pipe that firefighters had to dig out part of the homeowner's driveway to access the pipe.

Then they used a special saw to cut through the metal culvert, made a bigger hole with the Jaws of Life, and pulled the weakened pup to safety.

Jack was so weak that rescuers had to help him out of the hole.

After some water and a brief rest, Jack was taken home to rest on his favorite bed. Firefighters said it appears Jack will be fine.

Assisting with Jack's rescue were Taney County Animal Control and Taney County Road & Bridge, which responded with a backhoe.

(Springfield News-Leader - May 2, 2018)

Pennsylvania: Woman claims man stabbed her Pit Bull mix for no reason; doesn't mention the dog was loose and tried to attack man

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA -- When I read the GoFundMe page, I immediately suspected the owner, Jesse Mortimer, wasn't being 100% truthful. She says:

"A man was passing by our home while Clark was outside, on his leash, to go potty. The man suddenly stabbed Clark when Clark went up onto the sidewalk to greet him. He showed no aggression towards the man, as he is a very sweet boy. The man then immediately took off, leaving our poor boy bleeding out on the street. He was stabbed in the lower abdomen, close the lungs and stomach."

If this dog is leashed he wouldn't have had an opportunity to get to the sidewalk. If a person has a reasonable fear of being attacked, they are legally allowed to protect themselves.

When we get to the news story, which is one-sided on her part, we get the truth:

Wednesday night, Clark was outside on a leash when a man walked toward Fretts' home on Burrows Street. Clark started barking.

"He said, 'Girl, get your dogs in,' so I was like, all right, I'm going to make sure they're all contained," Fretts said.

In the process of getting Clark inside, the dog slipped out of his collar and ran toward the man.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Clark is a friendly dog, claims its owners.

"When we adopted him, he had no record of aggressive behavior," owner Greta Fretts said.

Wednesday night, Clark was outside on a leash when a man walked toward Fretts' home on Burrows Street. Clark started barking.

"He said, 'Girl, get your dogs in,' so I was like, all right, I'm going to make sure they're all contained," Fretts said.

In the process of getting Clark inside, the dog slipped out of his collar and ran toward the man.

Fretts is adamant that Clark wasn't attacking the man, but said that as the dog ran toward the passerby, Clark was stabbed by the man, who then ran away.

"Not real aggressive or anything," Fretts said. "He was just trying to run and greet him like he usually would anyone else, and the guy had a knife already and stabbed him in the said."

Immediately, Fretts applied pressure to the wound. She and her roommate got Clark to a veterinarian at Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center in the North Hills.

"It penetrated his chest cavity and caused an injury to the lung, so it was a very deep wound," Dr. Kelsey Sutcliffe said. "He's a young, otherwise healthy dog. I think his prognosis is excellent, as long as he continues to do as well as he has."

Pittsburgh police are investigating the incident.

(WTAE - April 11, 2018)

Missouri: Pit Bull kills 13-month-old Missouri girl. Her babysitter is charged with manslaughter

MISSOURI -- A southeast Missouri woman faces manslaughter charges after a dog she was keeping killed the 13-month-old girl she was baby-sitting.

The Cape Girardeau County, Mo., prosecutor filed a second-degree involuntary manslaughter charge against Erica N. Jordan “for acting with criminal negligence that resulted in the death" of the girl, Loxli Chavez, said a police department statement.

Jordan was arrested last week and posted bond, court records show. Loxli was attacked March 9 at Jordan’s home in Cape Girardeau and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

KFVS 12 reported that an autopsy showed she died from two puncture wounds to the skull.

The Southeast Missourian reported the dog, named Smokey, was part Pit Bull, Labrador and Malamute.

Jordan told police that she was keeping the dog at her home for her brother and that the dog was “not good with kids," the newspaper reported.

The woman said the dog had bitten her son "about a year ago", but claimed she thought the dog had calmed down after being neutered.

Loxli's mother, Tia Bailey, said she wasn't informed of the attack on Jordan’s son, or of the dog's behavior around children, the newspaper reported. Jordan had started baby-sitting the girl and her 5-year-old sister earlier in the week of the attack.

In court records, the babysitter described hearing “screaming and crying” and saw “blood everywhere” when the dog mauled the girl, the newspaper reported. She said she pulled the dog off the child and called 911.

The dog was taken to a shelter and is expected to be euthanized, per protocol, police said.

Following Loxli's death, the community raised more than $4,800 through GoFundMe to help the family.

"Loxli was full of life, she was happy, strong and was always full of joy," said a statement on the fundraising website. "She is also described as having a beautiful attitude. She would wrinkle up her nose and snort. Just a couple of weeks ago she started taking her first steps. Today, Loxli's life was cut too short by a tragic accident. ... It was all (too) unexpected."

Baby Loxli Willow Chavez Memorial
Created March 9, 2018
Jeremy Verhines
on behalf of Michelle Seabaugh
  Medical
  SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA

On March 9, 2018, Loxli Willow Chavez went to be with the Lord. Loxli was born on February 4, 2017. Loxli was born premature, weighed 3lbs, 3 oz. She was a warrior and made it out of the NICU and went home with her parents. Loxli was full of life, she was happy, strong and was always full of joy. She is also described as having a beautiful attitude. She would wrinkle up her nose and snort. Just a couple of weeks ago she started taking her first steps.

Today, Loxli's life was cut too short by a tragic accident. The family is devastated and in shock right now if you can imagine. It was all to unexpected.

The funds that are raised will help the family with support through this tragedy. As you can expect, returning back to normal life and routine is going to take some time. The family has limited income to live on and any support you offer will go farther than you can ever imagine.

I set the goal high because that just a fraction of the real picture of what they will need to be able to take care of the accommodations they are responsible for. In addition, they are going to need support in their healing, grieving the loss of their child, and being able to take the time they need to recover and start over.

The father and mother have been through many rough trials. Life has thrown them many curve balls and they continue to do their best to make ends meet. They are going to need our support through this time and financial gifts will ease the stress and concerns they already have.

(Ledger Enquirer - April 12, 2018)

Earlier:

• Missouri: Babysitter Erica Jordan, 33, knew dog in deadly mauling was aggressive with children, say court documents

Missouri: Babysitter Erica Jordan, 33, knew dog in deadly mauling was aggressive with children, say court documents

MISSOURI -- A 33-year-old Cape Girardeau woman has been charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter after her brother’s Pit Bull / Labrador / Malamute mix fatally attacked a 13-month-old girl she was babysitting last month.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh announced the charge Friday against Erica N. Jordan of 46 N. Hanover St. The charge alleges “criminal negligence.”

Jordan was arrested and posted a $5,000 surety bond. As a condition of her release on bond, Judge Benjamin Lewis barred Jordan from caring for any children in her home other than her biological children, Limbaugh said in a news release.

“These charges come after a careful review of the evidence, an opportunity to speak with the victim’s family and follow-up investigations with witnesses,” the release stated.

The girl, Loxli Chavez, was taken to a hospital where she later died from “severe injuries,” according to a probable-cause statement.

The attack occurred March 9 at Jordan’s home.

In an interview with police, Jordan said the dog, named Smokey, weighed between 30 and 40 pounds. She said she was keeping the dog temporarily for her brother, according to the probable-cause statement from police Sgt. Darren Estes.

Jordan said she began babysitting Loxli and Loxli’s 5-year-old sister, Juniper, on March 5, Estes wrote. Jordan said Loxli’s parents knew about the dog, according to the statement.

Estes wrote “Jordan stated she frequently lets the dog loose, but sometimes placed the dog into her son’s room because the dog is ‘not good with kids.’”

She recalled the dog had “attacked” her son, biting him in the head about a year ago.

Jordan said the dog had since been neutered and “she thought the dog had ‘calmed down,’” Estes wrote.

Jordan said Smokey was drinking water from a dog bowl within a few feet of Loxli just before the attack. She said she suddenly “heard screaming and crying” and saw “blood everywhere, ”according to the probable-cause statement.

She said in the statement she tried to pull the dog away, but “he was so aggressive” and “just kept going for the baby.”

Jordan said she finally pulled Smokey off the girl and secured him in a closed bedroom. She then called 911.

Tia Bailey, the victim’s mother, told police it was never disclosed to her before the attack Smokey previously attacked Jordan’s child. Bailey said Jordan had reassured her the dog would not pose a risk to her children, according to the statement.

If convicted, Jordan faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, the prosecutor said.

Police said after the attack the dog was impounded and would be euthanized.

(Southeast Missourian - April 7, 2018)

South Carolina: Labrador mix rescued after she was seen limping and dragging a leg-hold trap on her crushed foot

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA -- An online video of a dog being rescued after her foot was crushed in a metal coyote trap has gone viral.

The video shot by California animal rescuers Eldad Hagar and Loreta Frankonyte, with Hope For Paws, was posted March 20 on YouTube and Facebook.

In less than a week, it was watched nearly 548,000 times on YouTube and shared more than 4,500 times on Facebook.

Someone in Gaston in Lexington County called Hagar and told him that the black Labrador Retriever mix had lived in a forest for about a year before she stepped on a metal foot-hold spring trap intended for a coyote.

Steel-jaw spring traps are legal in South Carolina and several other states.

 

 

 

Animal control officers had been trying unsuccessfully for five days to trap or catch the dog, which was clearly in severe pain, so someone called Hope for Paws for help.

Hagar and Frankonyte flew in from California and searched along with officers for a full day. They thought the dog might be afraid of the officers, so they asked to search alone on the second day.

They set a humane trap for the dog, but she avoided it. She had no human contact for a year, so she would not allow anyone to get near her, but even from a distance, it was clear the heavy trap she was dragging had crushed her right front paw.

 

 

Finally, when they got close enough to the dog, Frankonyte sat on the ground and tossed pieces of cheeseburger to her, talking reassuringly for more than two hours as the dog inched closer. But suddenly the dog got spooked and retreated into the woods.

Hagar had several soccer nets that he used in captures in California shipped to him overnight. They recruited volunteers who helped spread out the nets around an area where the dog had been spotted between some trees and a building. The volunteers then closed in on the dog, cornering her so that Hagar could snap her with a noose.

They rushed the dog to a Lexington County animal hospital.

The dog was anesthetized, and the rusty trap was pried off her foot. While she was at the animal hospital. It was also discovered that she had heartworm.

Hagar and Frankonyte stayed another day to be sure the dog which they named Hermione, was medically stable, before making the three-day drive across the country. They stopped each day to have a veterinarian change the bandages. Hagar said that every day, Hermione would lose more bone from her decaying foot.

  

 

 

 

They took Hermione to Dr. Robert Olds, a veterinary surgeon in West Los Angeles, who performed two reconstructive surgeries on her foot.

The healing took a couple of months, but when the bandages came off, Hermione began to immediately to walk and even trot around on her reconstructed paw while continuously wagging her tail.

She was treated for several months for heartworms, but Hagar announced last week that Hermione is completely healthy and ready to be adopted.

Hagar asked those who saw the video and who follow him online to encourage changing laws to outlaw metal spring traps.

CRUEL AND BARBARIC LEG-HOLD TRAPS
According to analysis by the Law Library of Congress, more than 100 countries worldwide ban steel-jaw traps.

The United States is not one of them.

Their use is banned or restricted in several U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington.

In South Carolina, steel-jaw foot-hold or leg-hold traps can be used without a license, with the only stipulation being that traps must be checked at least once daily, from two hours before sunrise to two hours after sunset.

VIDEO OF RESCUE:

(WYFF - March 26, 2018)