Kansas: Dr. Randy Grill addresses council after being attacked by pit bulls during walks in Wellington

KANSAS -- Dr. Randy Grill has lived a lot of places including Northern sub-Saharan Ethiopia where there are dogs who “lived off the land and are free to roam.”

But upon retiring and returning to Wellington, Grill said he never feared more about dogs than he does here.

Grill was at the Wellington City Council meeting Tuesday evening asking that the city take a closer look at its dog law which he believes is outdated.

Grill was a popular dentist in Wellington in the 1980s and early 1990s and returned to live here just a few months ago. He is an avid walker, and likes to walk about 4 to 6 miles from his house across from Washington Elementary school.

But his walks have not been that tranquil. He states in a letter sent to the council:

“In the last month, I have been attacked three times by Pit Bull dogs on my daily walk with Millie, the young dog I rescued a while back. I never let her on property with a home on it… I love dogs and have a tender heart and remember years back having to stop my truck when I ran over a rabbit so I could cry. That said, I have not slept well after my last pit bull attack. I passed out from exhaustion trying to fight this dog off me and Millie.

Long story short, is to save my dog I tried to cut the retractable leash that was on Millie so she could out run our attackers. I could not cut this leash in a panic.”

Grill said the incident occurred on the 1600 block of North B.

He continues:

“The pit bull in question did release her (his dog) shoulder neck area when I kicked it in the rib cage with all the 68-year-old strength I had. Then when the pit bull jumped at me my pocket knife was handy to bury it in the attacking dog’s back with all my strength.”

He said 911 was called by one of the several adults that came to the rescue. He does not remember all but the first 90 seconds of this attack as he found himself on the ground waking up after he didn’t know how long.

“The Wellington Police are serious and good about filing the report, talking to witnesses and getting the information for the City Attorney to follow through. But the laws are outdated and lame and due to lack of definitions and needed actions, ties everyone’s hands but the offending dog and its owner. A young couple possibly saved me from further attack and serious harm by defending me while I was out.”

Grill said he didn’t believe in outlawing pit bulls was the solution. However, he does believe that a new law needs to be enacted with more teeth that prosecutes the offending dog owner.

Wellington City Councilman Jim Valentine is a proponent of more severe dog laws.

“If anyone who has ever been bit by a dog, and I have, it is like someone slapping you with barbwire,” Valentine said. “I got a real interest in this and we are going to pursue it. This council and the new council have a responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of our citizens. And I’m going to make sure we are air tight on this.”

The council agreed to hold a work session on January 23. In the meantime a change of leadership will be taking place. On Jan. 8, the council will be initiating three new members: Jennifer Heersche, Joe Soria and Kevin Dodds. At least two were in attendance from the audience at the meeting Tuesday night.

Wellington Police Chief Tracy Heath is also working on gathering dog bite information.

Whether or not pit bulls are the source of most dog attacks, it most certainly considered to be the two most deadly dog breeds in America according to dogbites.org.

In a 12-year period from 2005 to 2016, canines killed 392 Americans with pit bulls and rottweilers accounting for 76 percent of the deaths, according to the website:

It is important to point out that since 2005, pit bulls and their mixes have inflicted fatal dog attacks at nearly six times the rate as rottweilers. It is well documented by experts and humane groups that pit bulls pose a substantial danger due to their selective breeding for dog fighting. Unlike other dog breeds, pit bulls frequently fail to communicate intention prior to an attack; possess a lethal bite style (hold and shake) and a ruinous, strategic manner of attack (gameness).

Valentine said he too would like a law that specifically targets dog owner and would like to initiate a law that could require a stiff fine. He, though, would rather keep the law more generalized and not target pit bulls specifically.

Currently, there are 88 Kansas municipalities that ban pit bulls. Argonia is currently the only Sumner County municipality that bans pit bulls in Sumner County.

(sumnernewscow - January 3, 2018)

PIT BULL ATTACKS IN KANSAS:


Kansas: Nine-year-old boy faces months of surgeries after pit bull attack, family says


Kansas: Seven-year-old Topeka boy attacked in the face by neighbor William Weber Jr's pit bull


Kansas: Little girl attacked by Pit Bull; "you could see the bone in her arm"


Kansas: Three people bitten by 2 dogs at Chesney Park; one dog shot, survives


Kansas: "My sweet cocker spaniel was killed by my mom's pit bull today"


Wichita family's plight over pit bull highlights limits of animal control staff


Pit bulls can be sweet, but they also figure prominently in Wichita attacks, officials say


Kansas: Labrador attacked by Pit Bull at dog park; Pit Bull's owner just stood there


Woman attacked by her beloved pit bull recovering in hospital



Kansas: Topeka dog owner, Angelo Aldridge, 29, makes pleas tied to 2015 dog attack in Chesney park


Kansas: Postal worker says dog attack was 'horrendous'


Kansas: Man, angered after reading about pit bull attack on little girl asks for prayers for her. He doesn't get them.


Kansas: Woman posts photo of her friend who'd been attacked by a pit bull last year; still enduring surgeries as a result


Kansas: Jessica Thimmesch, 35, hid her illegal pit bull for two years - until it attacked a child visiting her residence


Kansas: Piper Dunbar, 2, attacked and killed by two pit bulls that belonged to family friend.
http://fourleggedfriendsandenemies.blogspot.com/2016/09/kansas-piper-dunbar-2-attacked-and.html


Kansas: Man simply walking down the street is attacked by two pit bulls


Kansas: Prayers requested for woman mauled by two pit bulls


Kansas: What's worse than being attacked by a pit bull? Being attacked by a pit bull while trapped in an elevator with it


Kansas: Stray Scottish Terrier attacked by a pit bull


Kansas: Dani Bonanno's pit bull attacked a neighbor and an animal control officer, but she refuses to surrender the dog


Kansas: Pit bulls rip face and ears off of large bull and it may end up dying. Bull's owner says despite this, she still trusts Pit Bulls.

Kansas: Child in critical condition after being attacked by a stray pit bull mix. Police searching for the dog

Kansas: 6-year-old girl hospitalized after being attacked by relative's pit bull

KANSAS BREED SPECIFIC RELATED STORIES:

Kansas: David Foley ignores town's BSL and gets two Pit Bulls; now whines that it's not fair

Owner of banned Pit bull back in court in Salina, Kansas

California: Man and his little Jack Russell slowly recovering after horrific pit bull attack on Catalina Island

CALIFORNIA -- On a beautiful April day, John Brady went for a walk with his dog, a Jack Russell Terrier named Josh, who Brady describes as his best friend.

They were on the Avalon Pier on Santa Catalina Island when two large, muscular pit bulls came running towards them.

John saw them coming and yanked little Josh up in his arms to protect him and, although Josh ended up being mauled by the pit bulls, John ended up suffering the brunt of the vicious attack.

 

The pit bulls' owner, who lives on a boat in the marina, was less than helpful. She wailed and cried and acted helpless while the pit bulls mauled John and Josh. John and Josh lucked out during this attack - one of the pit bulls was so excited at the opportunity to kill someone/something that it latched on to the 2nd pit bull. This gave Josh and John the opportunity to escape. Eventually, a Harbor Patrol officer grabbed one of the pit bulls by the hind legs and dragged it away from the 2nd pit bull and then someone else grabbed it.

 

John's injuries were so severe that he was taken by a helicopter to the hospital. Speaking to a reporter from his hospital bed, John expressed relief that Josh, despite his injuries, would be OK.

“They attacked my little dog, Josh,” Brady said. “Almost killed him, almost killed me.”

"It was so scary," he said, his eyes welling up with tears while recalling the horrific attack. "I was just face to the ground, and just being chewed on by ... I couldn't even call them dogs."

“My dog is alive, and I put my body over him because he’s my best friend in the world,” Brady said.

 

 

John's family set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Josh's vet bills as well as John's medical bills that aren't covered. He has retained an attorney, but there's no guarantee that he will ever get any money out of the pit bull's owner. Plus, even if he got a judgment against her, it could be years before he saw one red cent (think OJ and the victims' families who have received hardly anything in the last 20 years despite being awarded millions in civil damages). 

The horrific attack garnered a lot of media attention thanks to the video that was recorded during the attack. John's family posted some updates along with photos to show how John is slowly recovering along with his best little buddy Josh.

Video Clip - You can hear Josh screaming

   

  

 

April 22, 2017 Update:
Thank you to every single person that has shared this post, donated and prayed for my family! Each and everyone of you hold a special place in my families heart! My dad is still in the hospital but is in the process of being transferred to one closer to home and that will start the process of skin grafts. Josh goes in for his vet visit tomorrow since he's been home. It's been a hectic and stressful time for my family and we couldn't be more blessed to have you all behind us ❤️❤️

April 23, 2017 Update:
Dad and Josh were reunited outside the hospital today! Josh still has his stitches on his side and dads slowly recovering ❤️

April 25, 2017 Update:
Dad is home!! He is home with a portable machine that is still sucking out the fluids in his left leg. He will now have home healthcare. They need the tissue to build up a little more in his leg and then the skin graphs will begin. In a couple days Josh gets his stitches out so he's still on doggy bed rest. We are so happy to have Dad and Josh home together! Thank you everyone for keeping my family in your prayers❤️ God is good!

 

  

Earlier:

• California: Woman's two pit bulls seriously maul man and his little Jack Russell named Josh

California: Woman's two pit bulls seriously maul man and his little Jack Russell named Josh

CALIFORNIA -- A man was airlifted to a Los Angeles hospital after two pit bulls attacked him and his Jack Russell terrier on Santa Catalina Island.

CBS Los Angeles reports the attack, which occurred Wednesday on the Avalon Pier, was caught on cellphone video by a tourist.

  

John Brady protected his little buddy Josh as long as he
could then hands him off to this guy, saving his life

  

 

In the video clip (at the bottom of this page), you can see John hand Josh off to someone, but the pit bull wearing the harness is still attached to his right arm so he can't get away. The pit bull owner is sitting there with a weak grip on the harness - not doing anything (how about you poke its eyeball out lady, throw the damn thing into the ocean?) while her 2nd pit bull has re-directed onto the pit bull in the harness and has a death grip on its face and is tugging. 

Thank God, it was so focused on the pit bull that it didn't grab John by the face while he was lying there trying to get his arm free.  Eventually, it looks like the pit bull owner shoves her fingers into the harnessed pit bull's mouth and it lets go of John and bystanders drag him away.

The pit bull owner, I will give her some credit for not releasing the harnessed pit bull and running away. Despite the weak grip she had on it, she still held on while people around trying to figure out what to do. An Avalon Harbor Patrol officer shows up and you can hear someone instructing him what to do. He gets behind the unharnessed pit bull and first grabs it by the tail [bad idea], but then grabs it by the hind legs and starts dragging it down the ramp.

Brady was injured so severely that he had to be airlifted to UCLA Harbor Medical Center.

The victim, John Brady of Huntington Beach, told CBS Los Angeles Thursday from his hospital bed that he had taken a boat trip out to Catalina with his dog, Josh.

He said the two were strolling on the pier when two 11-year-old pit bulls went after his dog.

When he attempted to protect Josh, the pit bulls came after him, ripping out a piece of his calf and biting both his arms, he said.

"All I did is lift my dog off the ground and I was being chewed on instantly," he recalled, his voice quavering. "I knew I was going to die. I was screaming for help, and everybody was just watching ... until the last second."

 

 

Brady, a fisherman, said at one point he pulled out a pocket knife and began stabbing the dogs to stop the attack.

A pier with all those fishing boats... and no one had a giant butcher knife or metal pipe or something to beat these dogs with??? This being California, we can be assured that, thanks to Jerry Brown, no one had a gun (except the criminals).

“They attacked my little dog, Josh,” Brady said. “Almost killed him, almost killed me.”

"It was so scary," he said, his eyes welling up with tears while recalling the horrific attack. "I was just face to the ground, and just being chewed on by ... I couldn't even call them dogs."

“My dog is alive, and I put my body over him because he’s my best friend in the world,” Brady said.

Brady received skin grafts on both legs, describing one leg and being nearly “chewed off.” He’ll need several more surgeries, he said.

 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the pit bulls are owned by a woman who lives on a boat in Avalon.

She agreed to have both of them euthanized, deputies said.

Brady told CBS2 he will have to undergo numerous surgeries.

Meanwhile, Josh underwent surgery Thursday for a gash under his leg. He is expected to make a full recovery.

There was no word on whether any charges would be filed in the case.  However, John Brady and his family have hired an attorney.

Good! This woman lives on a boat in Catalina -- SHE HAS MONEY!

GoFundMe link: "Emergency vet bills for my dads dog"
Created April 19, 2017 by Brooke Brady
  Animals
  HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA

Tuesday afternoon my father and his dog were attacked while walking back to the dock in Catalina island. 2 pit bulls not on a leash came after my dad's dog. My dad out of instinct tried protecting his dog. Emergency treatment was needed for his dog as well as himself.

 Please if there is anything that you can give to help it will be greatly appreciated! My dad is currently in the hospital and underwent surgery as well.

My family and I Thank you everyone who took the time to read this

Update 1
Update!! Josh (my dads dog) is being released from the vet in Catalina tomorrow and comes home. He still has a long journey ahead of healing and more vet visits to get better here at home.

We've reached our goal to pay the vet in Catalina, but still need to raise money for the bills we will have to pay here. Thank you everyone!!

Update 2
Thank you to every single person that has shared this post, donated and prayed for my family! Each and everyone of you hold a special place in my families heart!

My dad is still in the hospital but is in the process of being transferred to one closer to home and that will start the process of skin grafts. Josh goes in for his vet visit tomorrow since he's been home.

It's been a hectic and stressful time for my family and we couldn't be more blessed to have you all behind us ❤️❤️

 

Video Clip - You can hear Josh screaming

(CBS News - April 21, 2017)