WISCONSIN -- Kathy M. Loomis shared Kathryn Aiken's post on Facebook January 2, 2018 ·
Please help find the owner of the pit bull that attacked this sweet Shiba Inu near 15th and Main Streets in Racine, WI.
Kathryn Aiken posted on Facebook December 28, 2017 ·
Please share: $500 Reward offered for information that directly leads to the identification and location of the pit bull and its owner who attacked my family!!
On Dec 22, 2017, our 14-year old dog and my husband Marty Aiken were attacked by an unleashed, brindle colored, low to the ground, pit bull, named “Lovely”. “Lovely” had cropped ears and was most likely a fight dog (No, no, no. It's just a Pit Bull; they have an inherent drive to find other animals and kill them).
The attack occurred on the corner of 15th Street and Main St in Racine Wi. The dog likely lives within walking distance of 15th Street and Lake Michigan.
Please text or call 262-664-3731 with any information. Your help is greatly appreciated! — with Marty Aiken at Southside Historic District.
PENNSYLVANIA -- An Easton mom wants the owner of the dog that attacked her daughter to come forward.
The pit bull bit the four year old girl on Wednesday and the attack could have been a lot worse.
The first concern is finding out if the dog is up to date on its rabies shots.
The second and more alarming part is Kristi Heinick says a person watched the attack. When she went to the home, the person living there claimed to not be the dog's owner.
Heinick and her daughter Khloe take that walk twice a day. They go around the block with their dog, a Shiba Inu named Doggie, and then home.
On Wednesday afternoon, that walk was interrupted when a pit bull got in the way.
"She saw the dog in the yard and she told me it went through the fence," said Heinick.
"I said, 'Stay still,'" Heinick recalled Thursday. "He just came running. He latched on and was throwing Doggie around, and he was out for blood."
Heinick was able to grab the collar of the pit bull, and then it turned the focus to Khloe, biting into her left thigh, tearing into the flesh and muscle on the inner and outer parts of her leg.
"Words can't even describe what I was thinking,” added Heinick. “I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I was just screaming at the top of my lungs."
Doggie, a Shiba Inu, suffered a puncture in the right side of his neck under his ear, but he was up and eating on Thursday, Heinick said. He's 13 and Khloe's best friend, Heinick said. Last year, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and also suffers from seizures.
"My dog is basically deaf and he was turned around so he didn't even see the dog, and he didn't even hear it," Heinick said. "He didn't have a chance to fight back."
Heinick is very grateful to residents who ran out of their homes after the attack and two motorists who stopped and got out to help, one of whom ran across St. John Street to retrieve Doggie after he bolted.
"The people there, they kept her calm," she said of Khloe. "They tried to keep Doggie calm. I can't thank them enough. I don't know who they were, but they were angels that day."
Heinick dialed 911 and Easton police and the Easton Emergency Squad responded, rushing Khloe for treatment.
"It just keeps replaying in my head and I have her asking, 'Mommy, why was the dog so mean? Why did he do this to me. Are all dogs mean like him?'" Heinick said. "I keep telling her, 'I don't know. If I knew I would tell you.'"
Some are still open puncture wounds and her mother says the medical staff had to sedate Khloe so they could use 19 stitches to close the largest wound.
"She just keeps asking why, why is the dog so mean,” said Heinick. “We are animal lovers."
The tenant whose yard the dog ran out from claimed he didn't know whose dog it was.
69 News knocked on the door of the home at 153 Kleinhans Street, but no one would come to the door.
Easton animal control says they are investigating, but that doesn't help Heinick get closure
"Come forward, take responsibility, and give this child some justice,” said Heinick.
Heinick had been a defender of pit bulls, but that's changed.
"Unfortunately I've always been one to defend them and give them the benefit of the doubt, but after what I saw yesterday that might change -- because we did nothing," she said.
Heinick and Khloe had been walking with Doggie to take lunch to Heinick's boyfriend and Khloe's dad, James Rose, at his job on Hilton Street. She almost always carries pepper spray with her but didn't on Wednesday. Anyway, she was told afterward the spray would've likely had little effect on the dog and that she and Khloe would have gotten the worst of it.
"I was told it would piss the dog off" and that bear spray would be a better choice for self-defense against an attacking dog, Heinick said.
Thursday morning, when she let Doggie out, she was clutching a boxcutter, she said: "I didn't want to go out empty-handed."
"I took the dog out this morning and stood on the porch for 10 minutes looking around," Heinick said. "I just keep thinking the dog is going to run up behind me."
Heinick has lived in her home 13 years, and the day before the attack was the first time she'd seen that dog that attacked Khloe and Doggie. She'd long feared a dog attack after seeing strays in the past.
"It wasn't a loose pit bull. It was a a pit bull in a yard that ran out of his fenced-in yard," she said. "But we walk every day around South Side and we have had dogs come up to us, and it was something that's been in the back of my mind that came to reality."
CALIFORNIA -- A man who was caught on camera shockingly abusing his puppy will not serve any jail time.
Zixuan Liu pleaded no contest in a San Francisco court last week to criminal animal abuse against his 10-month-old Shiba Inu, Aniki.
The 26-year-old was filmed by an elevator security camera dragging his pooch along the ground outside the lift, before pulling Aniki back towards him and kicking him in the head.
Once inside the elevator, Liu waited for the door to close and then stomped on the 10-month-old pup’s head three times.
He then picked Aniki up by his snout and carried him to the elevator door, before dropping him to the floor as the door opened.
The 26-year-old then delivered another hard kick to Aniki to get him out of the elevator, with the boot sending the poor dog flying out into the hallway.
Liu was arrested on May 13, according to San Francisco Animal Care and Control.
The group said in a statement that part of the 26-year-old's plea included provisions meaning he will not be allowed to have a pet in future, and he must complete community service work, attend counseling sessions, and cover the costs of Aniki's care at its shelter.
He will also serve three years probation.
Vet staff at the shelter treated the pup for cuts and bruises, while also having it play with other animals as a way to improve his mental state.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control said it is pleased with the punishment handed down to Liu.
You must have low expectations if you're happy with him getting probation. This wasn't neglectful cruelty, as in his dog was riddled with parasites which made him lose weight. This was overt animal cruelty - a deviant, psychotic drive to torture and abuse a helpless creature.
'We're pleased with the outcome of this case,' executive director Virginia Donohue said, ABC7 reports.
'Animal cruelty is horrible. Animal Care and Control strives to help the animals who are victimized and hold abusers accountable for their actions.'
District Attorney George Gascón added it was important to punish Liu - and any others who abuse animals - because it is a 'reflection' on the city.
'Anytime we can prove that animal abuse has occurred, we will hold offenders responsible in a court of law,' he said, according to ABC7.
Aniki has been sent off to an animal shelter in Nevada, which will handle the 10-month-old's adoption process.
Interestingly, no mugshot ever released. This likely means he had an attorney who was able to prevent its release. Which means he and his family have money.
CALIFORNIA -- Our poor Simba was attacked over Memorial Day Weekend by a large Pit bull in the neighborhood.
He has suffered major complications from his surgery to repair the severe injuries which he suffered. He needs intensive care to survive and if he gets it, the skilled doctors at SAGE have told us he can survive.
His muscles have been torn open and he doesn't even have enough skin left from the attack to get stitches that will close up the wound. We have gone to several doctors and he needs this intensive treatment that will give us a very good chance at saving his life.
Simba, before the attack
Many of you have met Simba and he is a sweet and quirky pup who loves people and other pets. Simba has been a part of our family and your lives since he was a puppy and we can't bear to let his life go.
It would mean the world if you could help us save his life.
Here are some memories we have of Simba...I'm sure you all have wonderful memories with him as well. My friends from back home in Belmont, friends from UC Davis, and those who have met him in San Francisco...he's been a friend to you all.
UPDATE 1
Dear Friends and Family of Simba,
I wanted to thank you all for your support and kindness during this hard time. Simba is healing and the doctors say he is making good progress. He still has a long road to recovery but his chances are getting better with every treatment. Thanks to your help, you have given us the chance to keep his treatment going under the care of very capable and compassionate doctors and surgeons.
Although the expenses for Simba far surpass what I can afford today, I have been fortunate enough to secure a private beneficiary and loan for the remainder of his treatment. We are continuing to work with the police to track down the owner and dog and hope to do what we can to protect others from having a serious incident like this.
I deeply appreciate your generosity and I would never ask for more than we needed. I will be closing the GoFundMe as of today. The outpour of help and generosity was overwhelming and I am so thankful to have the support of you all.
GoFundMe is an amazing place to turn to when you are faced with an unexpected tragedy such as Simba's. I encourage all of you to not feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help when you need it, no matter what the circumstance as long as it is the right thing to do. I hope to pay this all forward one day and I hope to be there for you in your time of need.
Although the GoFundMe is closed, I'll continue to provide you updates on his progress so that you all know what you've done for him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he needs them more than ever today. I am eternally grateful for your compassion and help.
Thank you,
Katrina
Help spread the word!
UPDATE 2
Simba is thankful for your care and help today for his procedure. He was very good at the doctor's office and he only let out one yelp from the pain but he was very strong and got through it.
FLORIDA -- A jjudge on Tuesday sentenced a UCF student accused of beating his small dog to death last
year to three years of probation, court records show.
Luke Stribling, 20, pleaded no contest to two counts of animal cruelty and faced up to five years in prison, according to court records. A judge instead ordered he serve probation and complete 100 hours of community service.
Stribling also was ordered to complete anger management courses and is not allowed to own or take care of any pets, records show.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies started investigating in June 2016 after Stribling brought his 17-week-old Shiba Inu puppy to a veterinarian with several fractures. He allegedly told the vet his dog broke its leg a few days earlier when it got caught between two wooden slats in the floor, an arrest report states.
The vet treated the dog but didn’t notify deputies. About two weeks later, Stribling brought the dog, named Julian, into another veterinarian’s office dead, the report states.
Investigators were then called and a necropsy found the puppy had been beaten to death. It had a fractured rib, sternum and abdomen, along with traumatic head injuries, according to the report.
Court records show Stribling also was ordered to attend psychological counseling and pay a fine of $1,000 to an animal charity during his probation.
VIRGINIA -- Caitlin Kinsey posted on Facebook, December 23, 2016 ·
Lately I've put a good few posts up about our new [Shiba Inu] puppy. I know it seems like I talk about him a lot, but right now I'm going to say he's curled up in bed next to me, and I'm thanking God for that.
Because at about 7 pm tonight, I was taking him to do his business...and that's when he was attacked by a full-grown pit bull. I had no time, he was on us in less than 2 seconds. Next thing I know, my baby is yelping and screaming, on his back underneath this monster.
I was terrified, but I knew I couldn't lose him, I couldn't let this happen. I dove between them, doing my best to push the dog away. I was able to get him off, and Roshi ran for it, but the dog dove back onto him again. Jon was inside and didn't even hear it, I was alone against this dog.
The dog ran down the street, and I knew I had to call the police. I'll be hearing from animal control tomorrow. We washed all the grime off him, and by some miracle, it looks like he only has one scratch and it isn't bleeding. It's a minor wound. Right now, he's resting and I'll be getting him to the vet as soon as possible just to be sure.
Just last night, I found out something that not only made me angry, but made Jon pretty pissed, too. Some people probably remember pretty well that back before Thanksgiving, our puppy (who also happens to be my support animal), was attacked by a pit bull. Old news, I dealt with it and spoke to the owners.
What I didn't know, or rather what the owners failed to tell me, was that the pit bull had attacked two other animals before. I guess they got scared when I got banged up, because I'm a human and that makes it a much bigger deal. They even told me they knew the gate was broken, they just didn't want to pay for it(it was supposed to be their landlord's responsibility to pay, supposedly). They never told me their pit had attacked before!
If I'd known then that this has happened before, I would not have hesitated to press charges. That dog is a danger to the people living here. Jon took Roshi out one evening to do his business, and when he came back in he told me how the pit had jumped against the gate trying to get out. The only thing about this situation that makes me happy is the simple fact that those people and their stupid monster of a dog are moving after the New Year. Thank God.
I met the owner of the pit bull on Friday, before Jon and I left for a weekend with my family. First, I wanted to be assured that the gate would be fixed and that this would NOT happen again. He promised me that he had called someone out to fix it and it was 100% secure. I've seen the work since we spoke, it looks secure. He is also still keeping the pit bull inside his home instead of behind the fence, which I think he did as a show of remorse for the incident, because I did not ask him to do it.
He also completely understood why I had to call the police and animal control. A few people have been suggesting that maybe the dog just wanted to play; I mentioned this to him and he laughed. He told me that dog doesn't know how to play, it's never been socialized in its life, and that the more likely cause was simply that the dog felt its territory was being violated. We had a very civil talk, and hopefully I'll be able to put this completely behind me soon.
As for the people who suggested the dog was playing, I have something to say. I understand trying to look on the bright side, but even if it was playing, it does not change the fact that a 65 lb. full-grown pit bull pinned my 11.5 lb. 4 month old Shiba Inu to the ground. Twice. Plain and simple, my puppy could've died. I'm just so relieved that he's okay physically and mentally.
MICHIGAN -- A 23-year-old man faces two felony charges after witnesses reported seeing him abusing his dog, police said.
Zihao Li was arraigned last week in 55th District Court on one count each of animal cruelty and attempted animal cruelty, Meridian Township police said in a news release.
Police said they were called to an apartment complex on Hannah Boulevard on Nov. 15 after residents saw a man abusing a dog. The residents intervened and took custody of the animal until officers arrived.
The dog is a young Shiba Inu named Donuts, Meridian Township police Capt. Greg Frenger said. It was taken to the Michigan State University Veterinary Clinic and later transferred to the Ingham County Animal Control shelter.
The dog was treated for a broken leg and remains in the custody of animal control, police said.
A second dog belonging to Li was placed in protective custody by animal control. He is not accused of abusing that dog, Frenger said.
A hearing to determine whether Li should stand trial on the charges is set for Nov. 29. Court records did not list an attorney for him.
Note: He may be going by the name Eric Li.
Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to call township police at 853-4800 or make an anonymous tip through the department's social media sites.
FLORIDA -- A University of Central Florida (UCF) college student was arrested Friday after tormenting, mutilating and ultimately killing his 17-week-old puppy, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
The incident that led to the arrest began on June 12 when Luke Stribling, 20, brought his Shiba Inu puppy named Julian to the vet. Shibas are small Japanese dogs that have been in the U.S. about 60 years, according to the American Kennel Club.
Stribling told workers at East Orlando Animal Hospital that the pup had broken his leg two days earlier when it got caught between two wooden slats on the floor, arrest records show. A veterinarian took X-rays and found several additional fractures.
The veterinarian reported Stribling to county animal services for allowing the dog, who was shaking, to suffer for two days before bringing him in for treatment, deputies said.
On June 26, animal-services workers were called to Waterford Lakes Animal Clinic after Stribling brought in Julian, who was dead, a veterinarian told investigators.
The vet said the dog was kicked to death at Stribling's home, records show. Stribling admitted to investigators that he "hit the dog multiple times because he was frustrated" because the dog was urinating in the house, an arrest report states.
X-rays found Julian had a fractured rib, sternum and abdomen and had been beaten to death. A necropsy found that he had traumatic lesions and head injuries.
Deputies arrested Stribling on Friday afternoon, and he posted his $1,500 bond almost immediately and was released.
Records show Stribling took a four-hour course on responsible pet ownership at Orange County Animal Services earlier this month.
He also paid a $256 fine.
Full Name: Luke Stribling
Arrest Age: 20
Gender: Male
City: Oviedo, Florida
Date: 09/30/2016
Arresting Agency: ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE
Charge:
COLORADO -- Richard Busse and his family were devastated when they lost their family dog after it was attacked by their neighbor's dogs last December.
Their neighbor was charged with unlawful ownership of dangerous dogs after the incident, and the dogs involved in the brutal attack were taken away. But now a plea deal is going to allow the neighbor to keep both dogs.
Months later, the loss of their Shiba Inu, named Kia, still hurts.
Busse recounted the horrible day to 11 News' Danielle Kreutter.
"I heard a knock at the door, a frantic knock at the door...there was an elderly man...he said, 'There are two big dogs in your backyard killing a little one!' He's like, 'They're killing it!' Then I heard the noise."
Busse raced outside.
"I saw these two huge dogs [inside my OWN FENCED YARD] I recognize from my other neighbor. Running around my dog as he lays down on the ground. ... I pick up my dog and carry him over to the patio to check out his injuries. He's bleeding profusely, although he's still kind conscious and stumbling around. He's obviously in pain."
This photo was taken just after Kia had been viciously attacked by the neighbor's two dogs who invaded her yard. Kia could not be saved and died from the horrific injuries.
The Busses rushed Kia to Powers Pet Emergency, where a veterinarian report said Kia died following injuries consistent with "dog attack wounds, hypovolemic shock and blood loss."
"He just couldn't hang on anymore and he ended up passing away," Busse said.
The family was beside themselves with grief.
"He was a family member to us. He went everywhere with us. We took him on walks; we put him through training. We were just devastated. We cried for a whole week," Busse said.
You can see Kia's blood trail as she tried to get inside the house after being mortally wounded by the neighbor's two vicious dogs
The dogs involved in the attack -- an Alaskan Malamute and a Golden Retriever / Siberian Husky mix -- had gotten in the Busses' yard by breaking a hole in the fence, the family later learned. They were removed from their owner pending the outcome of a trial, which was scheduled for this week.
But the night before the trial, the Busse family got a call from the district attorney's office.
"[The office said] 'Hey there's no need for you to show up tomorrow. The DA has offered a plea deal for the defendant, and the defendant has accepted,'" Busse said.
The plea deal would allow the neighbor to keep both of the dogs that attacked Kia.
"What really frustrates us is that we weren't consulted. ... They killed another dog. They're dangerous; we expected one of them to be euthanized. That's what I know we thought would be good for justice," Busse told Kreutter.
As part of the sentencing, the neighbor is under a 12-month unsupervised probation. He has to build an enclosure for the dogs and is not allowed to own or possess any dogs other than the two involved in the attack. He will also be subject to random inspections from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.
11 News found the hole in the fence, and it has been boarded up -- but there are several weak posts separating the two yards.
Kreutter also tried talking to the neighbor Wednesday, but when she knocked on their door, no one answered. A dog could be heard barking inside the house.
Since Kia's death, the Busses have gotten a new dog and are scared to hear that the dogs that killed their last pet may be moving back in.
"They have killed once, they could kill again. What if it is a small child? What if it's someone else's dog? What if it's our dog again?" Busse asked.
11 News has reached out to the DA's office for a comment on that plea deal and are waiting to hear back.
KENTUCKY -- A man and woman pleaded guilty Thursday to animal cruelty charges.
Edward Raymond Baker III and Danielle Elizabeth Boucher were indicted on six felony counts last summer for torturing dogs in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood.
The prosecutor offered the couple a plea deal.
Boucher and Baker sat side-by-side as Judge Olu Stevens read the allegations against them.
The couple was evicted from a home in the 2100 block of Pirtle Street in March 2015.
Days after they vacated the house, Metro Animal Services said the landlord arrived and heard a whining sound in the cellar, where one dog was confined in a kennel.
“A small brown dog had its upper and lower jaw trapped in the wire door of the kennel, had mucus on its eyes and was bleeding from its gums,” Stevens said.
A video of two people struggling with cutting tools for several minutes before freeing the dog, was used as evidence in court.
Another dog was found dead from starvation in the couple's backyard.
According to court records, Boucher told an investigator they had left the house six days earlier.
While her charges were reduced to cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, Baker's were much more serious.
The prosecutor recommended that Baker plead guilty to two felonies or go to trial.
Baker was given two 5-year PRISON sentences to be served concurrently (instead of consecutively which would have kept him in prison for 10 years). The commonwealth's attorney opposes any probation for him.
Boucher was sentenced to 180 days, but she won't have to serve anytime if she stays out of trouble for a year.
Under their plea agreements, the couple cannot own any animals for the length of their sentences and any probationary period.
Meanwhile, the rescued dog, Lucy, is ready for adoption. If you can give her a good home, contact Louisville Metro Animal Services.
