Hunters Free Elk Calf Stuck in Barb Wire Fence

MONTANA -- There’s nothing that makes a hunt more enjoyable and exciting than seeing wild animals up-close on the landscape. A couple of bow hunters, however, had an extremely different kind of up-close-and-personal encounter during a recent hunt in Montana.

 

“It wasn't a good sight upon initially walking up to her,” said Seth Wheeler, a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation from Montana. 

 

Wheeler and hunting partner Jim Loomis came across an elk calf stuck in a barb wire fence. Its front right and rear left legs were so tightly tangled in the four-strand fencing that it could only lay on its back. It took the two hunters 30 to 45 minutes of work to finally free the calf. 

Once free, it was so zapped of energy that it could not move. Loomis drew close, removed the water bladder from his backpack and offered it to the calf. It drank and drank. 

 

“It seemed like she knew we were there to help her,” said Wheeler. 

 

Eventually Loomis and Wheeler went on their way knowing they did all they could to help. 

 

Loomis shares his water

 

“We left her laying there with her head up looking around. She was still very weak. We did not go back to that area hunting, so I cannot say beyond a reasonable doubt that she indeed did survive,” added Wheeler. “With that said, she looked like she was on her way to recovery and we at least gave her a chance.

"We are hunters, but above all we are conservationists and wanted nothing more than to save this majestic animal!”

 

(Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation - Oct 7, 2014)

Sea lion has become a regular at fishmonger's shop and will even queue for an hour to pick up some tuna

ECUADOR -- This sea lion is one of the regulars at a fishery as she stands on her flippers patiently queuing up for her fish supper.

The cheeky mammal made her way from the sea to the fish stall and waited for her turn for an hour.
After being given scraps of fish by the generous fishmonger, the sea lion made her way back to the sea.

Sea lion waddles up to stall before getting on her hind legs to see what's on offer

Locals do not touch the sea mammal nor interact with her

These heart-warming pictures were taken by photographer Kristhian Castro, during a visit to Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, Ecuador.

The 38-year-old Colombian took the fishy photographs at a port a herring's throw from the sea.

Mr Castro said: 'The sea lion is looking for fish scraps left over from the filleting process which is usually found in the fishing port.

'I found it very interesting, I really enjoyed the moment because it's like the sea lion is a customer. I expected to find wildlife in large quantity; it was so surprising to see that the animals there are not afraid of humans.

'It was so funny to observe how it was standing on its back flippers. The sea lion was standing for about an hour. It took several fish scraps and later jumped back into the sea.

'The fish being sold were Wizzard Fish and Bigeye tuna. The fishing stall is close to the sea, just 2½ metres away, and there is a raised platform 1½ metres above the surface of the water. To return to the water, it just jumps in.'

Photos taken during a visit to Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, Ecuador

 

The fish being sold were Wizzard Fish and Bigeye tuna

Mr Castro said that this isn't a big deal for people who live there, he said: 'For locals it's normal. They are accustomed to the proximity of the wildlife, but they never touch the animals nor interact with them.

'I especially love the photos that show the harmony between man and animals, as a result of the respect for the wildlife in this community.'

(Daily Mail - Oct 27, 2014)

Woman calls in police over 'crocodile' in garden - only to be told it was an inflatable toy

UNITED KINGDOM -- A mother called in animal experts fearing an escaped crocodile was on the loose in her garden - before being told it was in fact an inflatable toy.

The woman, Plymouth, asked neighbours for assistance but called police after they agreed it was too dangerous to approach the creature without protection.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police attended and called a team of wildlife experts from Dartmoor Zoo, who set off with snare poles, nets and riot shields.

The officers threw water over the crocodile from a safe distance and gingerly approached when it did not move. It was then that they realised it was an inflatable toy.

It was removed from the garden and placed in police custody, while the Dartmoor Zoo team were stood down.

"I was making my lunch in the kitchen and looked out into the back garden," the home owner, who did not wish to be named, said.

"It was pouring with rain and I saw what I thought was a crocodile in the garden. I went to my neighbour's house to ask if they would come and have a look at it.

"They did think it was a baby crocodile and suggested calling the RSPCA or the police but we decided to call the police as I have a three-year-old and was worried.

"A policeman and a policewoman arrived and at that point we were all a bit suspicious because it hadn't moved. One of the police officers bravely went out to have a look. They threw water on it and it didn't move. I'm absolutely mortified."

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that officers attended the incident following the woman's call at 12.20pm.

"We received a call from a concerned member of the public reporting that an escaped crocodile was in their garden, approximately 3ft in length," the force spokesman said.

"The caller was concerned for her child and the RSPCA and Dartmoor Zoo were informed and on their way to the zoo. Police officers attended and bravely investigated. The beast turned out to be an inflatable toy crocodile. Police have apprehended the crocodile."

A spokesman for Dartmoor Zoo said experts were regularly called out to deal with escaped pets including lizards and snakes.

He said the zoo received a call from police at around 12.30pm and assembled a team to attend the garden within 15 minutes.

"The team were on the road with all the equipment needed," the zoo spokesman said. "They were halfway there when we received a call from the police to say it was a toy.

"Our team have a variety of equipment to deal with such situations, including snare poles, nets on poles and riot shields.

"We also have dart guns but did not bring them on this occasion."

(Standard UK - Oct 15, 2014)

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Stuffed, toy tiger tied to top of SUV spurs 911 call



Animal control officers called to protect neighborhood from stuffed tiger



United Kingdom: Officers rush to help dog hit by car, happy to see it was just a stuffed dog toy lying in road

Pit bull on death row after biting 2 children

IOWA -- A pit bull was impounded and deemed dangerous in Des Moines after the animal bit a second child this year, according to Des Moines police.

The dog, Cash, and his owner Heather Hildreth, who live at Park Winds Apartments in Des Moines' east side, were cited after the latest incident on Sept. 28.

 

That afternoon Cash bit Jashawn Fleming, 7, multiple times, according to a police report. The dog knocked the boy to the ground and bit him in the chest and wrist, sending him to the hospital with several puncture wounds.

The male dog was not up to date with its rabies vaccination or insurance, both of which are necessary in Des Moines for owning a pit bull, according to Des Moines Police Sgt. James Butler, chief humane officer for the city.

  

  

"We've never banned pit bulls. You can have them but there are additional ownership measures you have to take," Butler said.

Butler said Cash was deemed dangerous because he was involved in in a similar attack on the playground at the West Winds apartments earlier this year on April 22.

"My main goal is to reduce probability of risk to our citizens and other animals," he said.

The April event involved another 7-year-old boy, who received stitches at the hospital for a "penny-sized tooth puncture," a police report said.

 

The owner says he was just protecting her... by attacking the little boy

Butler said the dangerous dog status means the dog should be put to sleep within a few days. But that action has been delayed by an appeal for an administrative hearing in the city, which took place early this week.

The city's public hearing officer is expected to make a final judgment this week. If that decision upholds Butler's "dangerous dog" ruling, Hildreth may then file an appeal in Polk County District Court as a final effort to save her dog's life.

In West Des Moines, a similar situation lasted nine months with a pit bull known as Killer. That dog, who was renamed Jimmy and relocated to Des Moines, was involved in multiple biting incidents and sentenced to death by West Des Moines city officials.

The city ultimately reversed its decision and reached a settlement with Jaysen McCleary after the Des Moines resident and attorney filed lawsuits and an appeal to Iowa Supreme Court.

(DesMoinesRegister.com - Oct 16, 2014)

United Kingdom: Schoolgirl, 12, could be scarred for life after being mauled by friend’s dog

UNITED KINGDOM -- Georgia Sigourney, from Cambridge, was lying on the floor at her friend’s home when she nudged the Siberian Husky by accident, causing it to lunge at her.

And the 12-year-old may now have scars for life, after the out-of-control dog clamped its teeth into the tissue around her mouth and cheeks, tearing away chunks of flesh.

‘It’s horrendous, I was absolutely devastated,’ said her father Chris, 34.

‘She’s very upset and scared of dogs now. She’s really nervous. Her friend just locked herself in the bathroom so she was alone with the dog.’

Georgia was rushed to Addrenbrooke’s Hospital, where she received 50 stitches – 31 externally and 20 internally.

Mr Sigourney said he wanted to thank doctors for their work, but added that the experience will still haunt his daughter for the rest of her life.

Police have seized the dog, which had only been with its new owners for 24 hours.

The dog owner, Sara White

The family who owned the dog refused to comment on the incident.

(Metro - Oct 31, 2014)

Sheriff Arpaio says "Mickey the pit bull an 'exemplary inmate'"

ARIZONA -- Mickey, the pit bull whose life was spared after mauling a 4-year-old Phoenix boy in February, is an "exemplary inmate," according to Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

"Mickey is a great dog," Arpaio said. "I know it's a life sentence, but it seems like he's enjoying himself."

 

Arpaio testified Thursday before Phoenix Municipal Court Judge Deborah Griffith at a hearing to discuss the dog's status.

 

Mickey has been defanged, neutered and microchipped and will remain housed in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's Animal Safe Haven center for the rest of his life. MASH is a no-kill animal shelter.

Mickey was placed in the MASH Unit after Griffith ruled he be sent to a permanent animal-rehabilitation center instead of being euthanized. Throughout the heated legal battle, animal lovers petitioned for the dog's life to be spared.

His mom says she doesn't care whether the dog lives or dies at this point, she
is focused on helping her son heal both physically and mentally

 

Mickey is isolated from other dogs and is allowed outside recreational time on the building's roof. The MASH Unit, housed in the former First Avenue Jail, has a covered roof that functions as an outdoor play center.

Mickey is taken to the roof several times a day, and employees at the MASH Unit described Mickey as a docile dog who loves to chew on bones.

Attorney John Schill, who represents Mickey's trust, the Companion Animal Trust for the Benefit of Mickey, said he visits the dog once a week. The trust covers veterinary costs, food and toys.

"MASH money is not paying for any of his expenses," he said.

Are the pit bull lovers donating any money
this little boy whose face was torn off?

 

During the hearing on Thursday, Griffith clarified that Mickey isn't allowed outside the jail, even under supervised care, after Schill questioned whether the dog was allowed to go for walks outside the MASH Unit.

"I appreciate MASH for providing a place for him," Griffith said. "It sounds like he's doing well."
Mickey's next status conference is scheduled for May 14.

(AZ Central - Oct 30, 2014)

Earlier:

• Boy disfigured and in critical condition while nutbags clamor to protest, raise money and try to save pit bull's life
• Mauling of Phoenix boy keys debate over fate of pit bull

Related:

• The Truth About the Lexus Project
• For the Love of Kevin

Robeson Co. Woman Killed By Pit Bull Attack

NORTH CAROLINA -- An 83-year-old Robeson County woman has died after being mauled by four pit bulls. Alemeaner Dial was attacked by the dogs in her front yard last Saturday. She was taken off life support Friday morning.

The dogs belonged to Dial's granddaughter who had been living with her since the summer.

"As I pulled into the driveway I could see three dogs on my grandmother and I just did everything I could getting here as quick as possible,” said the woman's grandson, Johnathan Dial.

Johnathan Dial was the first to arrive last Saturday night after neighbors heard screams coming from his grandmother. She was being attacked by four pit bull dogs. When Dial got there he said his grandmother Alemeaner Dial was on her back crying for help, all four dogs surrounding her.

"I'm glad I got to her when I did. Lord knows I wish I had gotten to her long before...the dogs had to have been on her for a long time,” said Dial.

Dial says the dogs quickly ran off after he yelled and clapped his hands together. He says his grandmother's scalp had been removed and all of her limbs were severely mauled.

Dial shot and killed one of the dogs, the other three had run off and were soon caught by animal control. They have now been euthanized.

Dial says the family had made efforts to have these dogs removed from where his grandmother was living but nothing ever happened. The Robeson County Health Department says the owners were not in any violation.

"What you have to realize is animal control looks at are the animals vaccinated and are they confined? And in this case they were. And the fact that the house is inside the confinement is no different than the dog being inside the house,” said Bill Smith, Robeson County Health Department director.

Dial says this incident with his grandmother should be a warning sign for everyone.

"Everybody knows pit bulls are dangerous, whether they are around a little child or a young man or an elderly person. Pit bulls, they ought to be watched,” said Dial.

The family is mourning a loss they feel like could have been prevented.

(TWC News - ‎Oct 31, 2014‎)

Girl airlifted to hospital after possible dog attack

FLORIDA -- A 5-year-old found bleeding in a yard on Burgess Avenue in Cocoa on Thursday may have been attacked by dogs.

The girl was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in critical condition. The dogs implicated were stained with blood when impounded after the attack, investigators said.

When they finished with the helpless little girl at her house down a private drive, she lay barely conscious and bleeding badly.

"She was out of it, she was not responsive, she was barely breathing because she was all clogged up," said Frank Orwig, the girl's father. "It's gonna be touch and go for the next few days until she gets through this initial trauma."

No one saw what happened, but her injuries were consistent with an animal attack, deputies said.

"She was laying there in the field unconscious with blood on her. I ran out and picked her up, carried her in the house and tried to find where the blood was coming from. It was just so much," Orwig said.

He said the dog that led the attack had been abandoned on his property by a friend. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is investigating the attack.

Most watched: Man accidentally shoots ex-girlfriend inside home

"As they were family dogs, there were no witnesses to it. So we're not pursuing the criminal side of that right now," said Dave Jacobs, with the Sheriff's Office.

(WESH Orlando - ‎Oct 31, 2014‎)

Pit Bull Rescued from Animal Shelter Attacks 5-Year-Old Boy 2 Weeks After Adoption

UTAH -- Instead of preparing for the fun of Halloween festivities, a 5-year-old Clearfield, Utah, boy is hospitalized in serious condition on Thursday, after surgery to repair internal damage and close the serious wounds he suffered when he was attacked on Wednesday by the family’s newly adopted Pit Bull, reports KSL.

The attack occurred about 1:00 p.m. at the family’s home in the 1100 block of South State in Clearfield, the report says. No one actually saw what happened, according to Davis County Animal Care and Control Director Clint Thacker.

 The 2-1/2-year-old neutered, male Pit Bull and the child were reportedly alone together in the yard playing. When the mother went outside she found the dog on top of the mauled body of her child. 

Police officials believe the Pit Bull attacked the child and dragged him through the yard, Thacker said. The boy's family had just adopted the dog from the local animal shelter two weeks before, according to KSL.

Thacker told the Salt Lake City Tribune that the boy sustained broken ribs, a gash over his eye, a facial bite that nearly removed an ear, and multiple slashing wounds on his stomach so severe that paramedics found him with his intestines on the point of spilling out, Thacker said.

"I heard that there were some intestines that came out," he said. "It was a through-bite that tore into the inner part of the child — the actual cavity. It didn't just break the skin; it punctured into the bowels."

Animal control officers captured the Pit Bull in the back yard. The owners  relinquished the animal to Davis County Animal Care and Control and requested that it be euthanized.  Rabies tests will be conducted on the dog.

The boy was transported to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City by ambulance and AirMed, according to Thacker.

Thacker said doctors anticipate that  the 5-year-old will stay hospitalized for at least another week. He is expected to physically recover. However, Thatcher said he fears deep, psychological wounds will affect the boy for a lifetime.

"It was very severe and very unfortunate,” he said, “this child may now be afraid of dogs for the rest of his life."

(Opposing Views - Oct 31, 2014)

Earlier:

• Clearfield boy severely mauled by family's pit bull

Authorities refuse to release information regarding fatal Rottweiler attack on boy

WISCONSIN -- Three days after a 7-year-old boy was killed by a dog, Dodge County Sheriff Pat Ninmann is continuing to refuse to release details of what she has called a "tragic incident."

Logan T. Meyer was "severely bitten" by a Rottweiler about 5:20 p.m. Friday, according to an updated press release issued by Ninmann late Monday morning. The release also indicated the dog was owned by the family.

"At this time, further names, addresses, and any additional information in regards to the nature of the incident and the animal will not be released out of respect to the family," Ninmann said in the release.

Ninmann also noted in the release that the family had no interest in speaking to the media and she went on to say "the Sheriff's Office would like to express our sincere sympathies to the family in regards to this terribly tragic incident. Sheriff Ninmann asks that you keep the family in your thoughts and prayers."

The Reporter asked Ninmann several questions about the incident, including its location, what happened and the name of the family. She declined to release those details, claiming the incident is "under investigation."

Over the weekend, Dodge County Sheriff's Office Lt. Brian Loos told media the sheriff's office does not anticipate filing criminal charges. So it is unclear at this time what is under investigation.

Balancing test?
Ninmann said she had weighed the release of information against the public's right to know and the public's right to know did not outweigh withholding information.

In a written statement emailed to The Reporter, Ninmann said:

"Pursuant to s. 19.35 (1)(a), Wis. Stats., a balancing test will be conducted, by the custodian of the record, when statute nor case law absolutely requires release of a record(s). Application of the balancing test must include the weighing of competing interests involved and determine whether the public interest in disclosure is outweighed by public interest favoring non-disclosure.

"Elements of our record are currently being withheld after current review and application of this balancing test. The benefit to public at large is currently outweighed by potential emotional impact to those citizens involved if certain aspects of the record is [sic] released at this time.

"Further, this is, at this time, an open and on-going law enforcement investigation. We will withhold those elements of record that, if released, could negatively impact any future witness statements or gathering of evidentiary information."

Ninmann declined to comment when asked how release of the address of the incident or the family's name/occupation would negatively impact the investigation.

Platinum K9
Online records indicate the family recently moved to the area to open a "dog protection" business called Platinum K9 Protection.

Magon Tomasiewicz, who identifies herself as Logan Meyer's aunt, created an online donation option through gofundme.com to assist the family. She set a goal of $20,000 and there was more than $6,000 pledged by Monday morning.

"Words cannot express how loved this little boy was and how much he will be missed by his parents: Tiffany Smith, Rob Meyer and Jessie Smith; and his siblings: Jordan, Izzy Jr. and Halee; as well as all his extended family," she said.

Tomasiewicz noted that her brother and his wife recently moved and started their own business and were in between insurance. She thanked people in advance for financial contributions, saying it will help her family "worry about one less thing."

The site includes a photo of a boy, presumably Logan, and the same boy in what appears to be a family photo: mother, father and two siblings.

The family photo shows them in front of a business listed as Platinum K9 Protection on Highway 67 in Iron Ridge. The company Facebook page opened Oct. 14.

Jessie Smith is listed as the owner of Platinum K9 Protection since Oct. 12. His Facebook biography lists him as a former Dougherty County, Georgia, police officer and a U.S. Army veteran.

Information roadblocks
While Sgt. Dale Schmidt would not comment on the dog bite incident, the sheriff-elect said roadblocks with the media will be lifted when he officially takes office in January. Schmidt defeated Ninmann by a margin of 300 votes in the Republican primary election in August. However, Ninmann has launched a write-in campaign for Nov. 4.

"The employees here are aware of (Ninmann's withholding of information)," said Schmidt. "(Former Sheriff Todd Nehls) had a very good relationship in working with the media, and I plan to go back to doing some of the same things he did when he ran the sheriff's office."

Schmidt said he would not restrict the flow of information.

"I'm not going to restrict media releases to be issued just through me," Schmidt said. "While the information will come out as I see fit, it will be released as soon as possible. But honestly, we've never seen anything quite like this."

This isn't the first fatal dog attack in Dodge County in recent years. In 2010, a 4-year-old girl was killed in the town of Hubbard when she was attacked by a boxer. Information on that incident was released by then-Sheriff Todd Nehls.

Ninmann also refused to release details when a child was severely injured in a lawn mower incident in Theresa earlier this year.

Warning signs?
Certified professional dog trainer Jake Guell of Lomira said he is interested in learning what transpired before the fatal attack. Without the information, it is hard to tell what went wrong, he said.
"The biggest thing I would say, is usually dogs aren't unprovoked," Guell said, adding it is likely there was a missed communication between dog and human.

Guell said a dog may perceive a person, a child in particular, as threat or as prey. Previous warning signs often are missed by families. Growling is common and a tell-tale sign of stress but "displacement behaviors" in dogs may include tongue flicking, excessive yawning, excessive scratching or tightening the corners of the mouth.

"(Tongue flicking) doesn't mean they're hungry, it means they're stressed," he said.

A dog who doesn't get results from warning behaviors, may go to the "next level" of behavior that could include biting.

"Once a dog learns what works, they will rehearse it," Guell said. "If a threat goes away, and a warning sign didn't work, they will use (a behavior) that worked."

Guell said it will be very important to learn what the child was doing, what the dog was doing and what the environment was like before the attack.

"(Rottweilers are) powerful and have one of the strongest psi (pounds per square inch) of bite pressure (of dog breeds)," Guell said. "They are strong and bred to protect. A lot of them now are being bred to be companions. (But) any dog can be provoked."

(FDL Reporter - Oct 28, 2014)

Earlier:

• Dodge County boy, 7, killed in dog attack
• Neighbors react to deadly dog attack
• Child killed in Hustisford dog attack identified

Woman left terrified to leave the house after being mauled by pal's pet

UNITED KINGDOM -- A WOMAN has been left terrified to leave her house after being mauled by a dog.

Lindsay Pearson’s eyebrow was “hanging off” after being attacked by the dog earlier this month.
Now she faces months of hospital visits to monitor her injuries, with the college graduate needing corrective surgery in six months.

Lindsay was left with blood streaming down her face after trying to clap a new puppy at a house - the owner of which she knows well.

As she tried to show affection to the new addition, the owner’s existing dog, a bull mastiff / bulldog cross, lunged for her, biting her above her eye.

Now the 26-year-old has been left scarred for life after the attack.

A distraught Lindsay, of Kilmarnock, said: “The dog was always kept behind the gate, but the owner said it was good with people, just not other dogs. It’s been fine with me before, but I’ve found out since it has attacked the owner and others. I was going to clap the pup and the dog has gone for me and bit me on the face.”

Lindsay’s dad and partner, Chelsea, were in the car and came to help her, grabbing a towel to stem the blood pouring from her face.

“I can’t really remember what happened, everything was just a blur because of the pain,” she added. “I asked if I was bleeding and dad said my eyebrow was hanging off. They took me to Crosshouse hospital – I was there for over six-and-a-half hours”

Lindsay was left needing 40 stitches to the wound and has been in and out of hospital for check ups. Surgery to fully repair her injury is inevitable, but to what extent, she doesn’t yet know. That will see her go for an x-ray to determine whether, as suspected, her bone has been chipped.

She added: “The left side of my face is numb and the scar is really sore.”

Lindsay didn’t want to press any charges over the incident, but has been left upset at the owner, who has blamed her for the attack.

Her partner said the police gave the owner the dog back with a warning, saying if it were to bite anyone else it would get put down. Now Chelsea wants to make people aware of dangerous dogs, especially this one.

She said: “After the attack we heard it had bitten someone before. Lindsay nearly lost her eye and will be scarred for life, as well as having to have surgery to correct her eyebrow due to part of the tissue been ripped out.

“I have a dog myself, so would hate to see anyone’s pet put down, but it’s known to everyone as being a dangerous dog and the police aren’t taking us seriously.”

Now Lindsay is scared to leave the house. Even a dog barking makes her jump.

She said: “I went to the shops with my dad the other day, but I felt really scared and nervous. I couldn’t wait to get home. My neighbour’s dog was attacked by another dog the other day and I heard the barking - it scared me. I’m okay with our dog, but I don’t feel confident around others now.”

But Lindsay is also concerned for the safety of the children in the house where she was attacked, as well as others who may come across it. A Staffordshire bull terrier owner herself, Lindsay has no issues with the breed of dog but admitted she is concerned about what the dog could do next.

She added: “I think it should be put down, but it hasn’t been yet. The police gave the dog back to the owner – I don’t want to create any problems, but then I started getting the blame.

“It wasn’t my fault I was attacked. There are kids in the house and I don’t want it to happen to them. The owner says it is fine with them, but that doesn’t mean anything – it’s attacked before and it’s unsafe to have a dog like that near kids.”

(Scottish Daily Record - Oct 30, 2014)

Clearfield boy severely mauled by family's pit bull

UTAH -- A 5-year-old boy was severely mauled by his family’s pit bull Wednesday, officials said.

The boy was outside playing when he was attacked by the dog, said Clint Thacker, director of Davis County Animal Control & Services.

Emergency personnel were called to the residence at about 1100 S. State St. at 12:30 p.m., Thacker said.

A woman at the home looked out the window and saw something suspicious, Thacker said. When she ran outside the dog was standing over the boy.

“He received multiple lacerations to the stomach and to the side, to the point the intestines were coming out,” Thacker said.

The boy’s ear was almost torn off, his ribs were broken and he also had a bite over his eye, Thacker said.

The boy was flown by LifeFlight to Primary Children’s Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. Thacker said he was told the boy would recover, but would be staying at the hospital for the next week for observation.

The dog’s rabies shots were not up to date.

“We have had no prior histories with this dog,” Thacker said.

The family turned the dog over to officials and it has been euthanized, Thacker said. Tests will be done to see if it had rabies.

“We don’t know the circumstances as to why the dog attacked the child,” Thacker said.

Thacker said parents should teach children not to bother dogs when they are sleeping, eating or playing with their favorite toy because these could trigger an attack.

(Standard-Examiner - October 30, 2014)

Delaware: Surgeons Reattach Emily Ruckle's Arm After Pit Bull Attack

DELAWARE -- Nine surgeries and four weeks after a pit bull attack nearly ripped the arm off an 8-year-old girl, the child returned to her Delaware home with her limb reattached to her body.

"First he bit me on the hip to knock me down and then he grabbed my arm, but he was going for the back of my neck," described Emily Ruckle, the daughter of Newark, Delaware city councilman Todd Ruckle.

  

  

Emily, who spent the past month at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, was viciously attacked Sept. 27 by an abandoned pit bull named Frank, who her family was housing in a separate in-law suite at their Adelene Drive home in Newark, Delaware.

Her 15-year-old sister fought the dog off before police arrived and carried Emily, who was critically injured, past the violent pit bull.

The girl was airlifted to CHOP that afternoon and underwent a 12-hour surgery, the first of nine operations, to save her right arm.

Doctors said more procedures and treatment are necessary for Emily to regain use of her limb, but the young girl was happy to be heading home.

"I'm really, really, really, really excited," said Emily, who planned to celebrate with dinner at Chick-fil-A.

"She's a tough cookie," added her mom, Maria McGuinness Ruckle, who told concerned friends and relatives in a Sept. 28 Facebook post, "The doctor told us this was the worse dog [attack] she has ever seen and this is her specialty."

"I collapsed after I saw her," Maria said. "There's nothing that can compare to seeing your child unconscious in that kind of condition."

Newark Police, who credited Emily's older sister with saving her life, fatally shot the pit bull shortly after the brutal attack because its aggressive behavior prevented medics from treating the child.

When Emily left the hospital Tuesday, she headed directly to the police station to personally thank the officers who came to her aid.

Emily's father, Todd, was elected to his first-term as councilman in April 2014, according to the Newark city website.

(NBC 10 Philadelphia - ‎Oct 29, 2014‎)

Earlier:

• Newark councilman's daughter, 8, critically injured in pit bull attack
• Daughter, 8, of Newark politician critically injured after pit bull attack in her home
• Am I in heaven?' girl attacked by pit bull asks

Centerville man accused of hanging mother’s dog, blaming estranged wife

GEORGIA -- A Centerville man is accused of hanging his mother’s dog to death and then planting false evidence to blame his estranged wife, police said.

Antonio Robert Aquino, 29, was charged Wednesday with aggravated animal cruelty and false statements and writings, both felonies, said Centerville police Chief Sid Andrews.

Aquino was also charged with tampering with evidence and false report of a crime, both misdemeanors. He was being held at the Houston County jail.

On Oct. 20, Centerville police were summoned by Aquino to the Montrose Lane home he shares with his mother.

He showed police the dead dog, a Dachshund named Dixie, hanging from a vacuum cleaner cord that was wrapped around the door knob of an outdoor utility closet, Andrews said.

Aquino laid the blame on his estranged wife and continued to call investigators throughout the week, including a call in which he claimed he found evidence, Andrews said. Aquino is accused of planting hair he claimed belonged to his estranged wife on a privacy fence. He told police he thought she climbed over the fence and killed the dog.

After ruling out the estranged wife, police began to look at Aquino. He was asked to speak with detectives Wednesday. He first denied his involvement but ultimately confessed, Andrews said.

Aquino said he killed the dog to get back at his estranged wife, Andrews said.

(Macon.com - Oct 29, 2014)

Checotah man charged with animal cruelty after more than 30 dogs found starving, filthy at his home

OKLAHOMA -- A Checotah man faces 10 counts of animal cruelty after authorities rescued dozens of dogs from his home.

Deputies from the McIntosh County Sheriff's Office arrested 62-year-old Jackie Welch after they received a complaint about animal neglect.

In an affidavit, a deputy says when he went to investigate the complaint, he saw several dogs in the yard as well as one already dead and decaying.

He wrote in the affidavit, "There was a foul odor coming from the residence that smelled of fecal matter, urine and decaying carcasses."

 

 

 

Upon closer inspection, the deputy says in the affidavit that he also saw several dogs in cages inside the home that were "clearly neglected to the point of near starvation."

Deputies got a search warrant and called in local firefighters to help remove the animals. Because of the overwhelming smell, the deputy says in the affidavit that the men "removed the dogs while wearing hazardous material suits with external breathing apparatus."

Deputies called volunteers at the Checotah Animal Shelter to help find temporary shelter for more than 30 dogs rescued from the home.

"All, except for a few, were in cages," says Kate Paris, the director of the Checotah Animal Shelter. "Most of the cages were too small, and they had a lot of urine and feces in there about six inches deep."

 

Paris says none of the dogs had any food or water, and most of them had very little hair left on them because of all the fleas. She says many of the dogs are now blind or suffer from serious eye problems due to the amount of animal waste found in the home.

Paris says she dealt with only two other animal cruelty cases that could compare to this one.
"This is the worst (though)," she says. "This is the worst."

Despite their terrible condition of the animals, Paris says they proved to be friendly and even joyful to see her and the other volunteers.

 

 

"I've never seen anything like it -- they were so happy," she says. "It was like they just couldn't believe that somebody was helping them."

A few of the dogs are now staying at the Checotah Animal Shelter, while Paris sent some of the worst cases to foster homes as well as another shelter in Eufaula. She says the dogs are nowhere ready to adopt, and most of them will end up going to a shelter in Colorado for animals with special needs.

(KJRH - Oct 29, 2014)