Jamaica: Sharon Tomlinson tells of the horror of March 1, 2014 when her four-year -old daughter was mauled by a pit bull

JAMAICA -- I  stood and watched my daughter scream 'Mummy, help me' as her eyes rolled over and she went silent, tears flowing from her eyes ... ."

This began Sharon Tomlinson's account of having to witness her five-year-old daughter being mauled mercilessly by a 57-pound pit bull in a friend's backyard.

What started out as a beautiful day ended with tearful eyes and tainted hearts, but thankfully and more importantly, a testimony.

"On March 1, 2014, while my son was participating in the Digicel Grassroots Football programme at Manchester High School, I took my two younger children to visit a past student who was having social issues. My five-year-old daughter, Taj-Lee, who always behaved adventurously, ventured around the back of the house, where 'Sadam', the pit bull, was chained, to play with him while we were indoors. My last child, who was four years old at the time, ran to tell us that the dog was biting Taj-Lee. The owner sprang from her seat and I followed.

When we rounded the side of the house, Sadam had already ripped her scalp off of her skull and had her left leg in his mouth tossing her about like a rag doll."

For a split second, Tomlinson froze as her daughter screamed for help, but then, without giving it any thought, took the 'bull by horn' and sought to rescue her child.

"I lost fear and gathered strength. I ran over to the dog and grabbed him, not knowing that once the dogs bite down, their jaws lock. The owner picked up a truck rim and dropped it on his head, to no avail. I grabbed the dog around his throat shouting 'Let her go!' Nothing. In order to save her, I had to rip her leg from his mouth and the blood was spewing like a broken pipe."

At that very moment, Sharon began praying and speaking life over her child. The possibility that her precious daughter would leave her was not a thought she was willing to welcome.

OVER 70 STITCHES

"On the way to the hospital, she kept saying, 'Mummy, I am sorry'. My heart was breaking. She kept slipping in and out of consciousness, and a voice said sing 'Jesus loves me this I know', and I coaxed her to sing. Also, I kept asking her whose birthday it was, and she said 'Tajaun'. I prayed as we sped along the road with flashing lights to the emergency room."

As five nurses and doctors fought to save her daughter's leg and life, all Tomlinson could do was hope for the best and look to the Master Healer.

"She received a total of over 70 stitches in her head and on the left leg in a four-hour procedure. She was sedated but never slept. She recounted the ordeal and the doctor was amazed and asked if she was autistic. But God is good. The
X-ray she did after, showed no internal damages," Tomlinson recounted.

The principal of the Charagape Elementary School has had her fair share of obstacles - from having three siblings die at a tender age, seeing a breakdown in her family structure, caring for her mentally ill mother, moving from Guyana and settling in Jamaica to even experiencing a student dying in her hands. But she maintains that one should never doubt God and holds Him as the ultimate author of her life.

"Last year, my car was seized for failing to pay my taxes on time. In November 2014, a biopsy showed squamous cells on my cervix, and on June 26, 2015, after completing an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of my neck, it showed that my cervical bones were degenerating, which was causing the numbness in my right side and other parts of my body. Through everything, I am still working and making ends meet because, through all of my trials, and some I have not listed, God has still taken care of me. I never got a chance to doubt Him because those who know me well will testify that I am overly positive, thankful, and always seeking a solution."

She added, "I am happy for my family and friends from Guyana. God has blessed me with four dynamic children for whom I live, and all that I earn is for them."

(The Gleaner - July 18, 2015)

East Lincoln Woman Charged In Dognapping

NEBRASKA -- An eastern Lincoln County woman has been charged in the disappearance of Boh, the German Shepherd who was reported missing from Forest Lawn Cemetery in Lincolnton. Boh was recovered in northern Mecklenburg County and returned to his owners Thursday night (March 6th).

 The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department reported that following up on tips called in by the citizens, Sheriff’s Detective F. Runyon secured warrants on Dana Jacobs Hartness, 36, of 253 N. Highway 16, Apt. 11 charging her with one felony count of Larceny of a Dog and one misdemeanor count of Possession of Stolen Goods. She had not yet been arrested as of midday Friday.

 

The theft is believed to have occurred at Forest Lawn Cemetery on East Highway 150 on February 28th. A person working at the cemetery reported seeing a woman put the dog in her car and drive off.

The German Shepard dog that goes by the name of Boh was recovered in the Birkdale Village area.

A woman who was out for an evening meal saw the dog wandering around that location and an officer helped her put the dog in her car. She began checking for lost dog reports and discovered the dog was stolen from Lincolnton. The owners, Brad Beal and Tina Kennedy, went to that location and picked up Boh and returned him home.

 The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone who called in information about the incident and worked to get the dog returned to the owner.

After they brought Boh home, Tina posted on Facebook:

"If it hadn't been for every one of you caring, sharing, posting, searching, loving, and praying, this may have had a different ending. We can't thank you enough, and all of you are forever in our hearts.

His picture was posted by the young ladies who found him in the parking lot at Birkdale. A friend Lynn Red shared it. Brad's daughter, Kristin, saw the pic and knew it was Boh. She called her dad, and just as I walked in the door from work, he showed me the pic and we were ecstatic. He was on the phone with Lynn, who had the young ladies' number and address. I called, verified it was Boh, and we immediately left to get him.

I will post more on Boh tomorrow, but for now, just know he is home safe, healthy, happy, and extremely tired. He knows he is loved, and we look forward to meeting as many of you in the future as possible. Regardless, we will forever be friends on Facebook, and Boh's page. Thanks again, and God bless all of you."

(Lincoln Herald - March 7, 2014)

Pennsylvania: Small dog attacked by pit bull on Saturday has died

PENNSYLVANIA -- A small dog attacked by a pit bull in the Leavells Crossing neighborhood on Saturday has died, making it the second dog in less than two months killed in a dog attack in Spotsylvania County.

Amy Clark said her 17-year-old daughter was walking their 13-year-old shih tzu through the neighborhood shortly before 4 p.m. on Saturday when a pit bull ran from the front porch of its home in the 5500 block of Leavells Crossing Drive and attacked the dog.

Clark said her dog, which weighed 10 pounds and was named Maggie, died shortly after being taken to an emergency veterinary clinic.

The pit bull was surrendered to Spotsylvania animal control deputies and has been euthanized, said Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Capt. William Tydings, who oversees the animal control division.

He said deputies were still investigating the incident on Monday.

The latest attack occurred one day after a Spotsylvania General District Court judge declared another pit bull a dangerous dog. That dog had killed a 10-pound Maltese on Jan. 12 as its owner walked it through the Lancaster Gate neighborhood.

That pit bull’s owner was fined $50 on a misdemeanor charge of failing to keep the dog on her property, but was allowed to reclaim it and take it home.

Tydings said his staff investigates several dog attacks on other animals in a year but he couldn’t recall any attacks on people since the death of 82-year-old Dorothy Sullivan in 2005.

“For some reason, right now we’re getting more dangerous dog cases than usual,” he said. He said it was a coincidence that the two cases came so close together.

He also said that attacks by pit bulls are no more common than from any other breed and at one point a dachshund in Spotsylvania was on the Virginia Dangerous Dog Registry.

Hey, Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Capt. William Tydings. When a Weenie Dog bites you it's similar to a Chihuahua bite. When a pit bull bites you, you lose your arms, your eyeball -- like this lady below. Or you lose your life.

(The Free Lance Star - March 10, 2014)

Pony’s suffering and death leads to cruelty charge for illegal alien

TEXAS -- Deputies arrested a man on an animal cruelty charge Wesdnesday after witnesses reported finding an injured, dehydrated pony tied to a tree in Western Lake Estates that had to be euthanized due to its condition.

Animal control officers with the Parker County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 4800 block of Marlboro Country Road Monday when a caller reported an approximately 7-year-old Shetland pony, tangled in a 20-foot rope tied to a tree, was lying on its back with its feet in the air.

 

The caller obtained help from a nearby resident and the witnesses were able to untangle the pony.

However, the animal, which reportedly had a hind leg injury, a matted coat covered in dirt and sweat and was breathing heavily, was unable to stand or walk when it was set free, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the neighbors gave the animal water and it drank a large amount within minutes.

“The horse dug a three-foot-wide hole in the ground by struggling in attempts to free himself,” Animal Control Supervisor Karen Kessler said. “He was overheated and his condition was extremely poor.”

A veterinarian who was called to examine the pony advised that the animal needed to be euthanized due to its severe health issues - including a dislocated left hip, suspected internal injuries, head lacerations, dehydration, trauma and rope burns.

There was no food or water nearby and no grass for grazing, according to Kessler, who reported that a bucket, located about 30 feet away from the animal, was empty.

Kessler said the animal’s face had been pinned between his front legs for a long period of time and the pony suffered rope burns across its body.

Witnesses reported the pony had been tied to the tree since at least Saturday.

“This horse suffered needlessly at the hands of a suspect who had a blatant lack of respect for a living creature,” Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said. “The suspect did not provide even the basic needs of an adequate pen, water and food. This horse was deliberately placed in a dangerous position and it cost him his life.”

The equine’s owner, Ivan Garcia, 34, reported the animal stolen later that day. However, he initially denied living in the home where the pony was found, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, which reported that Garcia later told deputies that he lied about the pony being stolen because he was scared.

Ivan Garcia

Garcia, who also had misdemeanor traffic-related warrants, was arrested Wednesday on a felony warrant for cruelty to livestock.

He was being held in the Parker County Jail Wednesday night without bond on an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainer, as well.

Other incidents
Parker County deputies also arrested a man last week after he reportedly beat a cat on the head, killing it.

Franky Lynn Hatcher, 43, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals.

A family member reportedly called deputies after seeing Hatcher dispose of a bloody black cat March 17 and told the responding deputy that Hatcher believed cats are evil.

Hatcher reportedly told a responding deputy who asked why he killed the cat that, “The cat had a convict in his brain and was under the influence of the undertow.”

Hatcher provided the deputy with a written statement that he struck the cat on the head with a piece of wood and killed the animal so it wouldn’t get other cats at his family member’s house sick.

After being arrested on a warrant Friday, Hatcher remained in the Parker County Jail Wednesday evening with bond set at $2,000.

Hatcher was also arrested on a charge of cruelty to livestock animals in June. However, the charge was dismissed in November.

Parker County sheriff’s investigators are also seeking information regarding the owners of two dogs rescued by animal control officers Wednesday.

Animal control responded to a call from a passerby who spotted two large black male dogs chained together and running down the center of State Highway 199 in Springtown.

The animals’ collars were connected by a short piece of heavy-duty link chain, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the dogs appeared to be Newfoundland/Labrador mix breeds.

“The older dog is estimated to be about 2-to-3 years of age, which was chained to a younger dog about 1-year-old,” Kessler said. “They were intentionally bound together in a cruel fashion and allowed to run free in a high-traffic area.”

Anyone with information regarding the owners of the dogs is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (817) 594-8845.

(The Weatherford Democrat - Mar 27, 2014)

Mom, daughter attacked by boyfriend's pit bull

TEXAS -- A 2-year-old girl was airlifted to the hospital Monday morning after being mauled by a pit bull in League City. Her mother was also injured while trying to protect her.

Police say Chelsi Camp, 23, was pet sitting the dog for her boyfriend when the animal suddenly attacked the toddler.

 

The dog bit Camp as she tried to get it away from her child and she called 911. Police say the dog had the victims cornered in a bathroom when an officer arrived.

"When our officer arrived on scene the dog was still attacking both," said Reagan Pena with the League City Police Department.

The officer shot the dog once to stop the attack. 

 

Police said Camp’s daughter had severe injuries to the face and head. Memorial Hermann Hospital is not releasing information about her condition.

Camp is in good condition at Memorial Hermann with injuries on her hands and arms.

"I’m just praying that her and her daughter are OK," said neighbor and friend Keri Reese through tears. "I have a 2 year old, as well, and I can only imagine what they’re going through. So I’m just praying that they’re OK."

"So sad. So young to have something like that happen to you and your family. It’s horrible," said neighbor Benjamin Hernandez. "It’s so sad what a dog can do, that caliber of a dog, could to do one’s body, tear it up like that."

The attack happened at the Avana at South Shore apartments in the 2800 block of E. League City Parkway shortly before 8:45 a.m.

Camp is a manager at the complex.

League City police say charges are unlikely in this case.

The dog was still alive after the officer shot it so it was euthanized by animal control officers.

(KHOU - Mar 31, 2014)

Pit bulls attack 3 before being shot

CALIFORNIA -- Three rampaging pit bulls attacked three Bay Terraces residents and sent them scrambling for safety Tuesday morning before a San Diego police officer shot the dogs.

The dogs all died after the barrage of gunfire on Petal Drive, near Dillard Street, about 8:30 a.m.

A 78-year-old retired Navy chief was bitten first, when he went outside to get his newspaper. The animals then charged a woman and bit her ankle before she could scale a neighbor’s 4-foot fence.

Then the dogs turned on 19-year-old Michael Ward, who stepped out of his Petal Drive house to find out why a woman was yelling.

“She was trying to get away from three large pit bulls,” Ward said. “Then they came chasing after me. One bit my thigh and one bit the side of my ribs.

“I was like, I’ve got to get out of here. They went pretty fast, ran after me, jumped on me. I closed the door behind me real fast.”

A police officer arrived while the dogs were near Ward’s house, and shot all three animals. Two died in the street another was euthanized at a veterinary clinic because of its severe wounds, said county Department of Animal Services Lt. Kalani Hudson.

Hudson said the dogs had no ID tags or microchips, and the owner had not come forward. Residents said they’d never seen the dogs before in the usually quiet neighborhood.

Carolyn Law was in her Dillard Street home when she heard numerous gunshots and dogs yelping in pain. She looked down onto Petal Street from her backyard.

“An officer had his gun drawn and a dog was in the gutter,” Law said. “Then I saw the dog get up. That was shocking. That dog was Cujo. The officer shot him one more time, and it was still standing, then he shot it one more time and it fell.”

Amy Hastings and her niece, on Petal Street, also heard the gunfire and went outside to find a neighbor woman in their yard.

“She said the dogs attacked her. She was bit on the back of her ankle. We brought her inside and gave her a blanket,” Hastings said. She said she was relieved to find that her own pit bull mix was not involved.

Paramedics bandaged the woman’s wounds and Ward’s. The older man was taken to a hospital with minor to moderate wounds.

His neighbor on Dillard, Rosalinda Falaminiano, said the man gets his paper from the driveway every morning, and takes walks with his wife.

“We don’t have any dogs on this end of the street, but there are pit bulls on Petal and Jouglard,” Falaminiano said. “This is a quiet neighborhood, an older neighborhood.”

Across Dillard, homeowner Giovanni Jefferson, 28, said the gunfire woke him up.

“Nine gunshots were my alarm clock,” he said. “I told my wife, ‘oh no, time to move.’”

Statistics compiled by DogsBite.org show that pit bulls were responsible for 25 of the 32 fatal dog bites in the United States last year. Bull mastiffs and German shepherds were each blamed for killing two people. Supporters of the pit bull point out it is a very common breed, and contend it is no more likely than other breeds to attack if raised with proper training, love and responsible ownership.

(U-T San Diego - April 1, 2014)

South Carolina: Mitchell Driggers, 31, charged for pit bull attack on state worker in Dillon County

SOUTH CAROLINA -- An employee of South Carolina's environmental agency was put into a coma earlier this month after he was attacked by two pit bull dogs in Dillon County; the man who owned at least one of the dogs turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning.

Dillon County Sheriff's Office Capt. Cliff Arnette says on Tuesday, February 4, an employee of the Department of Health and Environmental Control was responding to a work-related call on Wilderness Place when he encountered the dogs.

He managed to call 911, but when deputies got on scene the dogs were still attacking the man. They had to immediately take action, shooting the dogs as EMS rushed the man to the hospital.

The employee was listed in critical condition. While the sheriff's office does not want his name released, a family member says he was put into a medically-induced coma.

The dogs were being tested for rabies while the Dillon County Sheriff's Office investigated who may be at fault for the attack.

On Tuesday morning, 31-year-old Mitchell Driggers turned himself in and was charged with owning a dangerous animal which attacks and injuries a human being. The bond hearing was held Tuesday morning in front of a magistrate judge.

The neighborhood where the attack occurred is located between Dillon and Little Rock. Part of the investigation looked into the law, to see if an ordinance is in place for that section of the county that requires owners to keep their pets locked up or on a leash.

"Our thoughts are with the employee at this time," stated DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley shortly after the attack was reported.

(WMBF - March 31, 2014)

Earlier:

• South Carolina: Mitchell Driggers, 31, facing charges after his pit bulls attacked a man so severely he was put into a coma
• South Carolina: Animal control says it's possible four dogs attacked an 83-year-old woman

Supervisor defends animal control visit to house where dead dog found

ILLINOIS -- The supervisor of Whiteside County Animal Control says they did everything they could when they checked on a complaint that Joseph Nelson was moving and left a dog in a cage in his basement.

Animal Control officers went to Nelson’s home on March 14, 2014. More than one week later, two men hired to clean the home Nelson had moved from found a dead pit bull locked in a cage.

The discovery leaves many wondering why animal control didn’t do more.

“They didn’t hear anything, see anything, and they didn’t smell any type of odor,” said Vanessa Scott, a supervisor at Whiteside County Animal Control.

Scott said Nelson wasn’t home when their two officers arrived. The officers did notice a TV on the porch.

“With the owner moving out, we figured that he was still there.  That’s why they left a door tag for him to contact us,” Scott said.

They say Nelson never did contact Animal Control.

Nelson was arrested Friday, March 28, and he was charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

“If it’s a rental, we can get in contact with the landlord and see if he can let us in. And, if we have enough evidence and we believe something’s in the house, we can contact the local police department to see if they can assist us in some way,” Scott said.

“We just didn’t have enough evidence,” Scott said.

Scott says they followed protocol, but she still thinks about the ‘what ifs.’

“We wonder if there is more that we could have done,” Scott said.

(WQAD - March 31, 2014)

Earlier:

• Dog abandoned and left to die in cage at Rock Falls home

260 cats removed from 'crazy cat house' in Philly

PENNSYLVANIA -- Animal welfare authorities say they removed about 260 cats from a Philadelphia home with a sign that proclaims it "the crazy cat house."

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Wednesday that officials had been working with the owner of the northeast Philadelphia property for several weeks.

 

A sign on a fence outside the home reads, "I'm the crazy cat lady. And this is the crazy cat house."

Spokeswoman Sara Eremus says conditions in the home have deteriorated to the point that the animals had to be removed by officers wearing respirators.

So workers spent Wednesday loading the animals into crates to take them to the SPCA's north Philadelphia shelter, where veterinarians were examining them.

No charges were immediately filed. The homeowner wasn't identified.

(Hawaii News Now - Mar 26, 2014)

"I hit him at one point in the back of the head, and it didn't even phase him. It was like bouncing off a concrete block."

FLORIDA -- A woman walking her two small dogs was attacked by another dog in Orange County on Friday morning.

Erica Bolivar said she went for a walk at 10:30 a.m. with her dogs, Peanuts and Butter, and her 18-month-old son, Sebastian. Matis, an American bulldog belonging to a neighbor, got loose and attacked her and her dogs on Barberry Drive.

 

 

 

"He started biting my Chihuahua, biting him on the neck and ribs. He bit me over here on the leg," Bolivar said.

"He kept biting and biting and biting and I had to push the baby in the stroller so he wouldn't bite him. That was my biggest fear."

Neighbor David Porter ran outside and fought the dog off with a baseball bat.

"I didn't know what to do, other than to use the bat," said neighbor Dan Porter. "I hit him at one point in the back of the head, and it didn't even phase him.  It was like bouncing off a concrete block."

Bolivar suffered a wound to her leg and a punctured lip but was not taken to the hospital.

Her Chihuahua was seriously injured and rushed to the vet.

Orange County Animal Control officials said Matis showed a high level of aggression and will be put to sleep.

 

 

In the video, the dog's owner says his dog, Matis, is a "sweetheart".

The dog owner

(WESH Orlando - Mar 28, 2014)

Officer Reportedly Attacked by Pit Bulls Returns to Work

TENNESSEE -- A law enforcement officer who says he was attacked by two pit bulls returned to work, Friday.

Asst. Chief Dave Chaffin at the Bradford Police Department informed WBBJ by email that he is a little sore, but able to return to work.

Chaffin was reportedly attacked after responding to a call about the dogs roaming on East Main Street early Thursday morning.

Chaffin followed the dogs along the adjacent Cantrell Street, where the dog’s owner lives.

According to police, the dogs charged Chaffin in the driveway as he stepped out of his patrol car, knocked him down then bit several times rolling Chaffin into the street.

The dogs’ owner says her pit bulls are always secured and that her pit bulls are very sweet and have never bitten anyone before. Montgomery believes her dogs would only bite when provoked.

Police said both dogs were taken to the pound to be quarantined until a judge decides their fate.

(WBBJ - Mar 28, 2014)

Mississippi Co. woman faces animal abuse, assault charges

MISSISSIPPI -- A Mississippi County woman is facing animal abuse and assault charges.

According to Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore, a Mississippi County woman has been arrested after an animal abuse investigation by his department.

Four times in recent months, Sheriff Moore said the sheriff’s department has been contacted about an aggressive pit bull that had reportedly attacked or attempted to attack several county residents.

The investigation began last month, when Deputy Marc Tragesser was dispatched to investigate allegations that a pit bull had attacked a resident in the Delmo Project community, located south of East Prairie.

Upon his arrival, Deputy Tragesser met with the victim and a witness, both of whom reported seeing Maria Gammons outside her home with a large pit bull. When it saw the men, it allegedly ran toward the witness but was restrained by a shock collar controlled by Gammons.

They say the dog then turned his aggression toward the victim, but this time, Gammons began to curse the man, and did not restrain her dog. The man, whom has previously been attacked by the same animal, was able to repel the attack by hitting the animal with a lawn ornament.

A few weeks later, Sheriff Moore said the man was allegedly attacked by the same animal as he walked out to his mailbox. This time, the man was able to fight off the aggressive animal with a small brick.

After each complaint, Chief Deputy Charlie Marcum and Deputy Tragesser contacted Gammons, but each time, she denied the allegations. She reportedly told the deputies her dog was friendly and always leashed, but was unable to show them the leash.

According to the Deputy’s report, Maria Gammons’ failure to provide adequate care and control for her pet placed the dog in a situation which resulted in substantial harm to the animal.

“It’s not fair to the animal to put it in that situation,” Sheriff Moore said, “and it’s not fair to those who are afraid to walk around their own property.”

Maria Lynn Gammons, 28, of East Prairie, was charged with animal abuse and assault, third degree, both class A misdemeanors punishable upon conviction by up to one year in the county jail.
Gammons was released from custody Tuesday evening, after posting $250 bond.

(KFVS - Mar 29, 2014)

Roaming Dogs Attack & Kill West Richland Family Cat

WASHINGTON --  A West Richland woman is distraught after she says a group of roaming dogs attacked and killed her cat.

The Orman's actually think the dogs could be from around their neighborhood. They say they saw collars on most of them.

Three year-old Angel the cat was in the yard Thursday morning like she is every day, but she could not survive the group of dogs roaming onto her yard out for blood.

The attack happened just off of West Van Giesen Street on South 40th Avenue. When the Orman's came out after noticing something was wrong through the window, they were too late.

Loretta Orman had been researching the breeds of dogs she thinks they watched run off from their yard.

"We were looking out the window and my husband saw her lying there and she didn't look right. He said something's wrong. All of a sudden I jumped up too and we saw a dog going back to her on the ground. We ran out there and the dogs ran away. She was gone," she explained.

As sad as they are, the Orman's think this could all have been avoided if others were more accountable for their animals. When we spoke with officers Friday they explained that in the city of West Richland if your dog is off your property it needs to be on a leash.

(KULR - Mar 29, 2014)

Man sentenced to 30 days for beating dogs with sledge hammer

OKLAHOMA -- A Tulsa man was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to beating two dogs in the head with a sledge hammer because "he did not own a gun."

Robert Beach, Jr. , 40, was sentenced on Friday to two concurrent sentences of 30 days in the Tulsa County jail with credit for time served.

According to the affidavit, on Sept. 23, 2012, an animal welfare officer responded to Beach’s residence after a complaint of a dog bite.

The first dog was described as an eight-month-old female brindle Boxer named “Little Girl,” the second described as a two-year-old female tan Boxer mix named “Lil’ F------.”

According to witness reports, Little Girl’s puppies escaped Beach’s fenced backyard and entered a neighbor’s yard. Two girls began playing with the puppies. At that time, one of the puppies yelped and the two adult dogs jumped the fence and attacked one of the girls. The girl received punctures to her hand and arm and several lacerations to her chin and throat, according to court documents.

Beach heard the commotion and entered the backyard to retrieve the dogs. According to police records, he wanted to “kill the dogs as quickly and painlessly as possible.”

Using a five-pound sledge hammer, he hit the two dogs in the head, according to documents.

Beach was previously convicted of second-degree burglary in 1992 and possession with intent to distribute in 1998, according to records.

Beach was fined $300 for each charge and assessed two $75 fines for victim compensation.

According to Oklahoma law, acts of cruelty to animals is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary not exceeding five years, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding $5,000.

(KJRH - Mar 29, 2014)

Pit Bull Shot Dead During Attack

CALIFORNIA -- On Friday March 28, at about 9:47 A.M., the Blythe Police Department received a phone call from a female subject reporting that she had been attacked by a “pit bull,” and that the dog was now attacking her dog.

Blythe City Animal Control and Police Officers responded to the canal bank in the 500 block of S. Seventh Street. When the first Officer arrived, he found the victim lying on the canal bank, and the pit bull fighting with the victim’s smaller dog.

As the officer approached, the pit bull turned its attention back to the victim. The dog jumped on the victim as she lay in the ground. The officer yelled at the dog, and the dog turned toward the officer and began to run at him. The dog aggressively approached the officer, and the officer shot and killed the dog.

The victim was transported to Palo Verde Hospital by Blythe Ambulance, and was later airlifted to another facility for further treatment.

City of Blythe Animal Control is continuing the investigation.

(The Desert Independent - March 29, 2014)

Boomer child seriously injured by dogs

NORTH CAROLINA -- A young girl who was seriously injured by dogs while playing in her yard in Boomer late Wednesday afternoon is now at home recovering, said Wilkes Animal Control Director Junior Simmons.

Simmons said the child’s grandmother looked out a window and saw a female pit bull dog and its four five-month-old puppies attacking the child in the yard. He said the grandmother looked out the window because her dog, a Chihuahua, started barking from inside the house.

He said the woman rushed out to help her granddaughter and was bitten on an arm and a leg while trying to get the dogs away from the child. A man who is related to the child and the grandmother started hitting the dogs with a board to get them away, said Simmons.

The child was then taken to Wilkes Regional Medical Center, where Simmons said she was treated for bites and scratches over much of her body. He said the child has since been released from the hospital. Simmons said she is either 9 or 10 years old.

Simmons said the man who owns the five dogs that attacked the child lives across the street from where the incident occurred. He said the man voluntarily let animal control officers have the dogs. The dogs didn’t have current rabies vaccinations and were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies, he said, but the test results aren’t yet back.

The yard where the incident occurred is along Big Country Drive, which is off High Rock Road.

Simmons said he didn’t know what prompted the attack and that the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident. Simmons said animal control officers didn’t interview the child and that he didn’t know if anyone from the sheriff’s department has interviewed her for details about what happened.

Simmons said the mother dog appeared to be a full blooded pit bull and the puppies, weighing about 35 pounds each, appeared to be part pit bull

(Wilkes Journal-Patriot - March 29, 2014)

Three Staffordshire bull terriers savage dog in 'horror' attack in Cambridge park - then turn on terrified owner

UNITED KINGDOM -- A distraught woman has told of the “mayhem” wrought by three Staffies who savaged her pet pooch and bit her as she fought them off in a Cambridge park.

Liz McIntyre, 49, was walking her Springer Spaniel Sidney, 4, in Bramblefields nature reserve, off Laxton Way in East Chesterton, when the pack of Staffordshire bull terriers launched the attack as a group of schoolchildren looked on in horror.

The Chesterton resident told how one of the dogs ran from across the other side of the field and sunk its teeth into her pet before two more dogs joined in.

She said: “My dog was playing with his ball when the Staffie ran across directly at him and started attacking him. 

"Two other Staffies that were off their leads then joined in and started savaging my dog. My dog was on his back screaming. It was complete mayhem - horrible and frightening. I tried to pull the dog off and it bit into my hand.

“A teacher who was with a group of schoolchildren on a nature ramble came over to help and the teacher sprayed water on the dogs. The woman owner of the first Staffie walked over slowly and then pulled her dog by the back legs but could hardly shift it – she had no control over it.

“It was a terrifying experience. Sidney was bitten all over and had to have his ear stitched up and my hand was bleeding. “The teacher and the schoolchildren were wonderful and I am grateful for their help.”

The mother-of-two called Cambridgeshire police after the incident which happened at about 4pm on Tuesday.

She said: “The police came to see me and said that because they are not ‘dangerous’ dogs it may be a civil matter. I would hope that this incident will open a debate on dangerous dogs and what should be done about them.”

A Cambridgeshire force spokesman said officers are looking into the incident.

Mrs McIntyre has also reported the incident to Cambridge City Council.

The authority says that under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an “offence to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control” in a public place.

The latest dog attack comes after a visually impaired woman was left “completely vulnerable” after her guide dog was badly injured by two dogs.

Yellow labrador Neda was walking with her owner in an area of south Cambridge in November when the dogs attacked the 8-year-old causing several wounds that needed stitches.

(www.cambridge-news.co.uk - Mar 28, 2014)

For months, you feed and care for your daughter's dog and love it as though it were your own. One day, it decides to kill you. What type of dog could this be? Hmm...

CALIFORNIA -- I had been caring for my daughter's dog for a few months. She had never showed any kind of aggression toward me or anyone else.

On March 2, 2014, she and I were coming back from a walk. We entered the house and she jumped on me. I thought she was wanting to play at first, until she started biting me.

It became more out of control. I fought her for half an hour trying to keep her off me, protecting my neck and face. She was too fast and too strong. I knew at that moment I was going to die. I became so exhausted I could no longer fight her off.



Lavonne Preston after Pit Bull attack at Mercy Hospital

When I pushed her away, within seconds she was on me. Then her chain fell off her neck and she fell to her side, losing her balance. I crawled to get on top of her and put my bloody arms on her head to hold it down while I wrapped the chain around her mouth, then the leash around her neck and to a door knob.

I then crawled to my bedroom and shut the door to call 911. The police and paramedics arrived and would not enter the house because of the dog. I went outside and the paramedic cut my sleeves as they were drenched in blood. I saw the mauling and torn apart arm that the dog did to me as I saw the bone in my arm. I was in shock and thought I'd lose my arm.

This was the most devastating frightening thing I'd ever gone through in my life. I fought for my life with a dog that I'd never guess would attack me. She just turned on me, for no reason.

The Doctors told me how lucky I was to come out of the attack alive. I ended up with severe wounds to my arms, bites to my stomach, legs and chest. I'm so happy this dog didn't go off on a child, or even anyone else.

-- Lavonne Preston, Redding, California

(Redding.com - March 28, 2014)

Sexton: Life-altering dog attack leaves man with debt, few options

NORTH CAROLINA -- Dog bites man typically is not all that interesting. But when a dog bite results in a man racking up medical bills of more than $60,000, well, that’s different.

Ronald Coleman, you have our attention.

“I only had surgery when the swelling wouldn’t go down and I couldn’t open doors or tie my shoes,” said Coleman, tracing the arc of scars on his left arm and hand. “I knew it was going to be expensive.”

Ligaments were torn from the bone. Two rods were put into his hand. Having reconstructive surgery isn’t cheap.

Worse than the injury, though, is what he found out afterward. The dog’s owner — or more specifically, his homeowner’s insurance policy — won’t be held legally responsible for helping pay the bills.

Like every other dog that’s not a pit bull or a Rottweiler in this state, the mutt that took a chunk out of Ronald Coleman basically gets one free bite and Coleman’s left with a mountain of debt.

‘Never forget it’
Coleman moved south to Winston-Salem from Maryland late last summer looking for a fresh start.
He’d been a firefighter in Prince Georges County, and figured he could apply for the same job here.

That plan derailed, though, on Sept. 6 on a sidewalk just a few yards from his place near downtown.

“Twelve-eighteen in the afternoon. I’ll never forget it.”

He heard the familiar sound of a dog sniffing around the bushes in front of a house at 655 N. Spring St. but he didn’t think too much of it.

“I’ve been around dogs all my life,” Coleman said. “I’ve been afraid of them. That’s why I didn’t run.”

What happened next is the stuff that causes nightmares. The dog, later identified by Forsyth County Animal Control officers as a 7-year-old brown Labrador Retriever / Mastiff mix named Colt, started barking and came after Coleman.

“Something in my head said turn around – you know those strange feelings you get – and the dog jumped on top of me and knocked me to the ground,” he said.

The dog also had a grip on Coleman’s left hand, shaking it violently back and forth as if it had a hold on a chew toy. Coleman said he struck it two or three times with his right hand before the animal left “as if somebody had called him. He went straight to the back door.”

Dazed and bleeding, Coleman dialed 911. An ambulance and a sheriff’s deputy assigned to Animal Control responded. The officer, Kevin Breen, showed Coleman what amounts to a canine photo lineup book in his computer.

Breen knocked on the door in front of the house where the attack took place and noticed a large chocolate lab. A woman who answered the door, Constance Hill, told the officer that the dog belonged to her son, who was at work.

“I asked (her) if the dog had been (roaming around loose) and she said yes and that she believed the backyard gate may have been left open,” Breen wrote in his report.

Bad options
At that point, Stanford Hill Jr. returned home. He told Breen that Colt indeed belonged to his son, who was away.

Because the dog’s vaccinations were up to date and it had no history of aggression, Breen approved a period of home quarantine as long as the dog remained indoors. The Hills’ house has a Beware of Dog sign displayed on the front door.

None of that helps Coleman, though, as he has now learned a hard lesson in North Carolina law.

After he realized he couldn’t avoid a costly surgery, he hired an attorney, James Roane, to see what his options were.

And what he learned stinks on ice.

Because Colt has no history and isn’t considered a dangerous breed, he gets what amounts to a get-out-of-the-pound free card and his owners likely have no legal responsibility to pay for any of the damage caused by their pet.

“In North Carolina and almost all states, in order to prove negligence you have to show foreseeability,” Roane said. “Was the incident reasonably foreseeable? … If a dog is a non-dangerous breed like a retriever or no history of aggressiveness, there probably won’t be negligence.”

The insurance company – it’s not clear from court papers which one – has offered $10,000, a far cry from the total owed. A letter Roane sent to Coleman last week makes it clear that the offer won’t get any better.

“Unfortunately this means that a portion of your medical bills will remain outstanding,” the letter reads.

Coleman could file suit anyway but he’ll lose. So what does he do? What would you do?

“I’ve exhausted all my savings and I’m behind on my rent now,” he said. “I’m going to have to take it. They have me over a barrel. … The doctor says I should go to therapy but I’m not going to. I can’t afford those bills, too.

“I just don’t understand. If I have a dog and it bites you, how am I not responsible?”

(Winston-Salem Journal - March 29, 2014)

New York's Finest: Police Officer Rescues Deer From Lights

NEW YORK -- Police officers are often called into action to assist people that are in need of help.  But recently, one off-duty police officer from Hudson, New York was able to use his skills to help another creature in distress.

Police officer Kevin Sweet was off-duty when he drove by his mother’s home to check on her.  While driving, he noticed something in the ditch that needed some special attention, and it was probably the last thing Officer Sweet probably expected to see. 

 

 

A young deer tangled in a long string of Christmas lights.  The Christmas lights were wrapped around it’s neck and front legs, making it impossible for the young deer to run away or even move. Sweet says that the young deer was having a hard time, and didn’t know what to do.

That’s when Officer Sweet jumped into action.

Talking as calmly as he could to the distressed animal, Officer Sweet, carrying only his IPhone and a pocket knife, slowly walked toward the frightened deer.  Sweet says,

I approached it slowly, talked to it and was able to free if from the Christmas lights.

Sweet was able to record the rescue on his IPhone.

After the Christmas lights were cut away from the frightened deer,  Sweet waited to make sure the deer was able to get up,  move freely and wasn’t injured.  The deer stood, and simply looked at Sweet, as if knowing that this man that just saved him from the tangled Christmas lights was his hero.

Officer Sweet said that be put some apples out for the animal, which were all gone an hour later.

(KIKN - Mar 24, 2014)