NORTHPORT, ALABAMA -- A woman who has been running a dog rescue out of her home said she's shutting down her operation after allegedly receiving threats.
And she's telling her side after one of her Pit Bulls attacked and viciously mauled her neighbor's pet.
Stacey Jordan has been fostering dogs out of her home for nearly 5 years. But after recent events, Jordan said she's closing up shop.
“People talking about driving by and shooting the dogs in my yard. I can't continue to do this community service and have my life threatened,” said Jordan, who says she's the director of "Southern Paws Animal Rescue".
Jordan said this has been going on since one of her dogs attacked a neighbor's pet.
But she told us she's not completely to blame, sharing this surveillance video of a boy going to her yard and letting her pit bull out before the attack.
“I am not without concern for the safety of my neighbors and the safety of their pets. I'm not going to say I'm without fault or without mistakes but I've made every effort possible to correct,” said Jordan.
She said she got collars to prevent her dogs from barking so much and an electric fence to keep them in her yard. “We've also enrolled them in a training program,” said Jordan.
A former rescue worker of Jordan's said conditions were poor at her previous rescue site.
“Twenty and 30 dogs sometimes in a neighborhood residential. These people are afraid. If you're going to run something, run it right. Run it safely. You can't have vicious dogs on your property,” said Darlene Richardson.
Jordan said all she wanted to do is help animals. “I look at those little faces and I know that if I don't take them, they are going to end up having something bad happen to them,” said Jordan.
Her statement right there is your red flag. She thinks only she can save them, including the vicious Pit Bull that nearly killed her neighbor's Poodle.
Northport has an ordinance which states: you can have 3 dogs per enclosure that's within 50 feet of another home but it doesn't specify the total number of dogs one can have.
Northport city leaders said they are taking a closer look at the rule.
NEW YORK -- Our dog Bella is a rescue who shows nothing but love to our family. Late last night she was attacked by a Pit bull who had a history of going after other dogs. Bella has wounds around her eye and by her chest, which thankfully didn’t reach her lungs but the worst part is her badly fractured jaw.
We need your help raising money in hopes of life saving jaw surgery. Anything is appreciated, we just don’t want to lose our Bella like this!
Update 1
Our baby pup is out of surgery! Thankfully they were able to take care of her jaw and don’t think it’ll have any long term affects after its 6 weeks of healing. The gash on her side will just need to be flushed of fluids every few days. Unfortunately her left eye had ruptured and needed to be removed.
She’s in recovery but we have a long road ahead of us and our Bella is going to have some adjusting to do. Any small amount to continue to cover her care is greatly appreciated, you truly have no idea how much it means to us. We thank everyone (x1000000) who has donated to help us cover the veterinary bills
Update 2
Bella’s got a bag to drain any fluid for her gash, she has tape to keep her jaw closed for 6 weeks with just enough room to be able to eat, drink and give us her kisses which she loves to do. She’s eating well, taking her meds and already wants to run all over which we sadly have to keep her from doing.
Thankfully, the total was a little lower than vets initially said and came to around $4,700. We still have to take her back a few times which is gonna cost us a bit and she’s eating special food for post op. But anything more is just an extra wonderful bonus at this point to help us pay off the loan and make sure we can give her the best recovery options.
Also spreading the word and getting people to realize that you have to give proper love and attention to your animals especially pit bulls because they already have a bad rep as is and it breaks our heart.
ARIZONA -- Two Siberian Huskies who attacked three dogs and a cat Monday morning, killing three of them, were released to their owner overnight until town attorneys were sure they had standing to seize them.
Sahuarita Animal Control Officer Andrew Vargas seized the dogs around 2 p.m. Tuesday after he was given the OK, Sahuarita Police Lt. Sam Almodova said.
Sahuarita police received a call about 9:40 a.m. Monday about two Siberian Huskies running wild and jumping into backyards in the 14000 block of Camino El Foso in central Rancho Sahuarita, Almodova said.
“Once the officers and animal control officer got in the area, a resident flagged them down and said the dogs were in his backyard,” Almodova said. “The dogs were friendly toward our animal control officer and they were able to be captured.”
This means they're extremely animal aggressive with an inherent prey drive that cannot be 'fixed'. There are many dogs, including Pit Bulls, that don't necessarily select humans to attack but if they get in the way of them trying to kill another animal, that human will also be attacked. Their desire to attack and kill overrides anything any owner can do - except never let it around other animals. Most owners are too lazy to ensure the safety of others.
A short time later, Almodova said police received another call indicating two poodles and a cat had been attacked and killed earlier.
Officers determined the Huskies were responsible for jumping into other people's fenced yards, chasing, attacking and killing the animals.
Demetrius Kavathas, 30, was cited on two counts each of Prohibited Acts for the bites, vaccinations required, license required and dogs at large, police said.
The dogs were taken to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona on Monday then released to an owner before the end of the day, Almodova said.
When property is seized, the town wants to ensure they are on solid legal footing, so the decision was made to allow the Huskies’ owner to retrieve the dogs while attorneys reviewed the case, Almodova said.
“This was the first incident we’ve had in town (under new policies) and it’s taken a while to make sure no one’s rights were being violated and that we’ve done everything correctly,” Almodova said Tuesday afternoon.
Babies and Huskies do NOT mix
Sahuarita signed a three-year contract with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona last year to shelter animals, and hired Vargas as the town’s first animal control officer. It severed ties with Pima County last May, citing soaring costs.
A hearing to determine the dogs’ fate will be held before the town magistrate in coming days, Almodova said. The owner can pay a bond of $500 for each dog to retrieve them before that.
WHY AREN'T THEY BEING EUTHANIZED???
On Monday, Kavathas had to have the dogs vaccinated and licensed to keep them, the lieutenant said.
A woman who answered the door at the Kavathas home declined to speak with a reporter Tuesday morning.
Likely, the "woman who answered the door" is Adrianna Kavathas, wife and co-owner of the killer dogs.
Hearing screams
Nadia Pischanski was sound asleep when she was awakened by her mother’s screams on Monday.
She discovered two Siberian Huskies in her backyard on Camino El Foso. The dogs were on either side of her dog, Tigre, tugging on the Chow/Husky mix’s ears, she said.
Pischanski grabbed a broom and joined her mom in screaming at the dogs. The dogs would retreat for a few seconds only to return to harass Tigre, who is 14.
“We kept protecting our dog,” Pischanski said. “We’d take turns yelling at them. My mom protected him while I called 911.”
Eventually, the dogs wandered out of her view, she said. She soon overheard a neighbor speaking to police. After several minutes, she flagged down the officers as they were leaving to tell them her dog had been injured. Tigre had a puncture wound on his head.
On Tuesday morning, Pischanski said Tigre appeared exhausted from the ordeal.
“He can barely walk,” she said.
While speaking with the officers, Pischanski said she learned the Huskies are suspected of killing the poodles and a cat.
“When I went to bed (Monday night) I could hear horrible noises, but I thought my dog had killed a bird,” she said. “I didn’t go out because I didn’t want to see that.”
FLORIDA -- Seminole County officials seek to strengthen penalties against people whose aggressive pets attack other animals.
A Casselberry woman, whose dog was killed last year by unleashed dogs, said she welcomes the proposed changes to the current penalty, which is less than $30.
Donna Syracuse said she still thinks of the Sunday evening in November, when two large dogs charged at her 7-pound Yorkipoo, Reese.
"The pain of it -- it's just like a hole in my heart," she said. "The one just came at Reese and grabbed her and shook her and just kept shaking her. At one point, I went to grab Reese and she bit me."
The injured dog died on the way to an animal clinic.
"I still cry when I look at her pictures. She was my constant companion," Syracuse said. "She was full of love and full of life."
Syracuse said the punishment for the dogs' owner was also devastating.
"It was almost embarrassing," she said. "I mean, for a first offense, it was $27.50."
She and her wife joined their neighbors in launching an online petition, which caused Casselberry officials to meet with representatives from Seminole County Animal Services.
A plan for an ordinance proposal was created three months later. Seminole County officials received approval for a draft last week.
The county said that although it's still sorting out the specifics, it's committed to stiffening fines and penalties for irresponsible owners of aggressive pets who attack other pets.
Officials continue to study enforcement tactics in other counties to customize a plan for Seminole County.
"If her death was going to do anything, at least it would have some meaning -- that it would be able to hopefully prevent others from having to go through the pain that we had to go through and still go through," Syracuse said.
The city of Casselberry plans to hold a meeting Wednesday to discuss the proposal.
The county said it hopes to have the proposal ready by the end of March.
TEXAS -- Telma Garza posted on Facebook March 3, 2018 ·
This week my fur baby Precious was attacked for a 2nd time by a pit bull! She looks a bit rough but she is healing quick. She definately has more lives than a cat! Thank God!!!
DELAWARE -- After four days of avoiding questions about Wilmington police's response to a dog attack in which a senior citizen was injured and a dog was killed, the city issued a press release saying it should've handled the situation differently.
Wilmington police Chief Robert Tracy said he reviewed the incident that occurred Monday night in the Cool Spring neighborhood and "concluded that a police officer should have been dispatched to the scene."
"The chief said should future events of a similar nature occur involving a dog attack in progress, a police officer will be sent to the scene of the incident," the news release said.
Diane Olin White, 66, said she and her two dogs were attacked by a stray pit bull after 9:30 p.m. on Monday.
A neighbor called 911 at 9:46 p.m. while the attack was ongoing, but the dispatcher did not send a police car to assist. Instead, she referred the case to a state animal control official, who didn't make it to the scene until around 10:35 p.m., a neighbor said.
Dispatchers are instructed to send reports about animal-on-animal incidents to the state's Office of Animal Welfare, according to City Councilwoman Loretta Walsh. But the dispatcher should have used "common sense" and considered that a person was at risk, too, Walsh said.
White and her boxer mix Stella survived with injuries from the attack, but 12-year-old Darcy, a small white poodle and Jack Russell mix, was crushed and mauled to death.
The chief said the Police Department interviewed White and other witnesses and also reviewed the 911 call. (Scroll down to listen to the audio.)
“From all that we have learned about this tragic incident, it appears that the dog had been severely injured very quickly and died soon after being attacked by the other dog,” Tracy said.
“While we can’t be certain that an immediate response from a police officer or state animal control officer would have saved this animal, I still feel that city police should have been in a position to assist if possible."
He added: "I am a dog owner, and I know what this loss must mean to the citizen who lost her animal. I express my regrets to the owner and to the other community members who came to the assistance of the owner and her animal.”
After regular business hours, the state's animal control response system is staffed by on-call officers who may not be close enough to an incident’s location to provide an immediate response, Tracy said.
The Office of Animal Welfare confirmed it got a call Monday night after normal business hours.
"The answering service quickly relayed the report to the on-call officer, who was already in the field due to being dispatched to another call in southern New Castle County, and he immediately headed to Wilmington, arriving on scene in approximately 30 minutes," said Andrea Wojcik of the Office of Health and Risk Communication.
The chief said in the news release that regardless of the way the state response system is configured, he has still concluded that a city police officer should have been sent to the scene.
The News Journal filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Tuesday with New Castle County and the city for the 911 call related to the incident. The county provided their piece of audio by Thursday morning.
The city did not provide its section of the 911 call before The News Journal published its story.
On Friday afternoon, after dozens of city residents expressed their disappointment in the police response, the chief released the tape as part of "an effort to shed more light on this incident" because "it’s important for the public to hear what the 911 call taker heard," the news release said.
The call is three minutes and six seconds long.
"911, what is your emergency?" the city dispatcher said.
"Hi, please come to the corner of Van Buren and Cool Spring park," said the caller, White's neighbor Heather Hook. "We have a loose pit bull, and it just attacked a dog really badly. We're trying to hold it, and we don't know what to do."
The dispatcher asked where Hook is located, and Hook told her again. Hook then passed the phone to a nearby teenager, who again gave the location.
"Whose dog is it?" the dispatcher asked.
It's not until the two minute and 20-second mark, when White is on the line, that the dispatcher asks, "Are you injured? Do you need an ambulance?"
Animal welfare officials told the Mayor's Office on Friday that no one has stepped forward to claim ownership of pit bull, which has been quarantined to detect whether the animal exhibits symptoms of rabies.
If an owner is found, the animal welfare office will pursue "dangerous dog charges" under the state statute, the city said. If no owner is identified, the animal will be euthanized after the quarantine period ends.
Helen with her surviving dog Stella
The city still has not returned calls from The News Journal about the incident, nor answered questions submitted by email.
White said she is pleased the next animal emergency will get a police response.
"I’m sorry it took a tragedy for it to get changed," she said. "But I’m glad something good came out of it."
DELAWARE -- In the 911 call, Wilmington resident Heather Hook was clear: She needed help.
"There's a pit bull loose, and it's attacking a dog, and we're trying to hold it, and it's hurt a dog," she says frantically on the recording from Monday night.
A New Castle County dispatcher said he would transfer her to Wilmington police.
"No, please! Come right away," she said as the call was sent to the city.
"911, what is your emergency?" the city dispatcher said.
"Hi, please come to the corner of Van Buren and Cool Spring park. We have a loose pit bull, and it just attacked a dog really badly."
Wilmington police didn't show up, according to residents.
The incident exposes a "glitch" in the Police Department's procedure for handling animal incidents, City Councilwoman Loretta Walsh said. "More common sense should’ve been used."
For Cool Spring resident Diane Olin White, 66, the night started like any other. Around 9:30 p.m., she was walking her two dogs – Stella, a brown 50-pound boxer mix, and Darcy, a white 17-pound poodle and Jack Russell mix.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a stray pit bull ran up to her dogs and started viciously attacking them, she said.
It went for Stella first, digging its teeth into her, but when White started hitting the pit bull to protect Stella, the pit went for 12-year-old Darcy.
The "monster" went back and forth between White's two pets for what seemed like forever to White.
Recalling advice from a veterinarian, the former school teacher tried to force her fist into the pit's mouth to prevent it from ripping her animals apart. She said she was bitten in the process.
"I felt like it was in Revelations and Evil had attacked my dogs," she said.
White "screamed and screamed and screamed," alerting neighbors.
Hook heard the commotion and ran into the street to help, she said, but the pit bull had already badly hurt Darcy.
"Diane was lying on the pit bull screaming when I got there, and Darcy was twisted in its jaws," she said. "The Pit Bull was eviscerating her dog, just chomping on it."
Hook called 911 at 9:46 p.m. Soon after Hook was transferred to the city police dispatcher, White was able to release Darcy from the pit's grip. Hook handed the phone to a nearby teenager so she could help Darcy.
"(Darcy's) blood had soaked through my shirt, down my arms," she said. "It was bad."
As for the police, "nobody came," White said.
Hook believes the city referred the case to the state's office of animal welfare because 10 minutes after the 911 call, Hook got a call from a state animal control officer.
According to Hook, he said he was out of the area and wouldn't be able to immediately respond to the scene.
"He said he was backed up and couldn’t make it up there in time," she said.
Hook didn't have much time to protest.
Other neighbors took control of the pit bull, which eventually calmed down, and White and Hook rushed to a vet. Stella suffered puncture wounds and survived, but it was too late for Darcy.
"There was nothing they could do," White said. "He didn’t have a heartbeat. He was gone."
Around 10:35 p.m., state animal control officers picked up the pit bull, neighbor Greg Luna said. That's about an hour after the attack, according to White.
An animal welfare officer met White at the hospital to take a report after 11 p.m., she said. At that point, she felt it was too little, too late.
"If you say you [won't] come, what's Plan B? Obviously, he didn’t have a Plan B."
White said she is devastated by the loss of her beloved dog and disappointed with Wilmington police.
"If there is somebody or something that is being attacked, get there," she said. "I’m angry. And I’m so sad there’s not even a word to describe the grief."
The longtime animal rescuer and 24-year resident of the city said even if police had responded, it may not have saved Darcy's life. But things also could have been worse.
"I could’ve been killed," said White, who has scrapes and bruises, is taking a "powerful antibiotic" and required a tetanus shot.
Hook, too, was surprised the neighborhood was left to fend for itself.
"I assume when you call 911 and tell the police to come, they come," she said.
But apparently, it's not always that simple.
Dispatchers are instructed to send reports about animal-on-animal incidents to the state's Office of Animal Welfare, according to Walsh. That's what they did, Walsh said, but perhaps didn't consider that a person was at risk, too.
"I think the call-taker followed protocol," said Walsh, the City Council's public safety chair. "But they should know they can go off protocol in a very dire situation, and this was a dire situation."
White said she was contacted by a Wilmington police inspector who said the department is reviewing the incident. According to White, the inspector admitted that "there should have been a response" and said the dispatcher will be disciplined.
Officially, Wilmington police would not acknowledge whether a mistake was made.
Despite repeated interview requests over three days, Sgt. Stephanie Castellani, public information officer for the Wilmington Police Department, refused to take questions about this incident.
The News Journal obtained the first part of Hook's 911 call from New Castle County. A request was submitted to the city for the rest of it, but officials have not yet provided it.
Update: The entire 3 minutes has now been released.
AUDIO CALL TO 911:
The Office of Animal Welfare confirmed it got a call Monday night after normal business hours.
"The answering service quickly relayed the report to the on-call officer, who was already in the field due to being dispatched to another call in southern New Castle County, and he immediately headed to Wilmington, arriving on scene in approximately 30 minutes," said Andrea Wojcik of the Office of Health and Risk Communication.
Wojcik declined to answer several specific questions citing an internal policy.
The pit bull was taken to the Brandywine Valley SPCA where it is on rabies quarantine, Wojcik said. At the conclusion of the quarantine, the dog will be euthanized if no owner comes forward.
White wants it to be put down.
"I've never been scared in the city," White said. "This is enough now that I’d like to leave."
