Washington: Pit bull mauled man in a car, then jumped out car's open window to continue attack

PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON -- A man is recovering from a brutal dog attack in Pierce County.

Pierce County Sheriff deputies said the victim had several deep bite marks on his face, arms, and legs.

The department said on Wednesday, a deputy responded to a 911 call reporting a dog attack in progress in the 15500 block of 119th Ave. Ct. E. in Puyallup's South Hill neighborhood.

When the deputy arrived on scene, deputies said the victim was on the ground covered in blood and neighbors, like Jon Zemanek, were trying to help the victim.

Zemanek said he heard screams for help and ran outside thinking it was his dog thatwas loose, but he saw the pit bull attacking the man by his front yard and he didn't hesitate to help.

"The first thing I could think of was to grab his jaw and try to pull,” said Zemanek.

Zemanek still has the punctures from the pit bull's teeth sinking into his fingers.

He tried to pry the dog's jaw off a man's arm before grabbing a metal pry bar.

“Lot of shaking myself,” said Zemanek. “I couldn’t believe I did what I did."

Deputies said the victim and a woman had been "playfully" arguing in a car when the dog lunged at the man and bit him in the face.

They pulled over by Zemanek’s yard, the man ran out but the dog went after him.

At one point neighbors said they helped the woman get the dog back into her car, but it jumped out of an open window, ran after the man again, caught him and began mauling him a second time.

"There was a lot of blood, there was a lot of blood all over,” said Zemanek.

A responding deputy finally fired shots at the dog, killing it after it let go then started circling the man, ready to attack again.

Neighbors said the whole situation was so frantic and uncontrollable; they don't think there was any other way to stop the dog.

“I never like to see an animal get put down unless it absolutely has too,” said Zemanek.

(KOMO News - May 4, 2018)

Connecticut: Pit Bull Shot After Attacking Man In Fairfield County

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT -- A Bridgeport police officer was forced to shoot a dog Tuesday evening after it severely mauled a man in the middle of a domestic dispute, said Bridgeport officials.

The incident, which took place at 127 Polk Street,  occurred when a pit bull began attacking the man who was having a domestic dispute and officers were called, said Av Harris, spokesman for the Bridgeport Police Department.

"One of our police officers had to shoot the dog to stop the attack," Harris said.

According to Harris, the dog was still alive Tuesday evening, but he was not sure of its condition.

The man was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment.

(Fairfield Daily Voice - March 28, 2018)

Washington: Pit Bulls attack each other, then attack both of their owners before one dog is finally shot by police

WASHINGTON -- Shortly after 9:00 this morning, Yakima Police officers responded to the 1200 block of Roosevelt Avenue, in reference to a report of a domestic violence incident.

The first arriving officer was immediately attacked by a pit bull dog. The officer responded by shooting the dog twice. The dog did survive and City of Yakima Animal control officers took custody of the dog.

A subsequent investigation revealed that this particular dog had initially broken through its fence to attack a neighboring pit bull. The owners of the dogs attempted to separate them and were both attacked with one of the owners transported to a local hospital.

The other pit bull was not immediately located. City of Yakima Animal Control officers will be responsible for any enforcement action in this case.

The investigation revealed that the reported domestic violence issue was actually the owners in the process of separating the two fighting pit bulls.

(KNDO/KNDU - March 19, 2018)

Illinois: Authorities close out the case of Dorothy Ford, 76, who was attacked and mauled to death by her own Pit Bull back in December

ILLINOIS -- The death of a woman who was mauled by a pit bull last year in south suburban Alsip has been ruled an accident by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Officers were called about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 2017 when someone reported the woman was being attacked by a dog in the backyard of a home in the 11600 block of South Komensky, according to Alsip police.

Dorothy Ford, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering multiple injuries during the attack, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

On Monday, the medical examiner’s office announced her death had been ruled an accident following an investigation by the agency.

Both Ford and the dog, which was described as a pet, lived at the home, authorities said. The dog was killed by officers when they arrived and found it acting aggressively.

At the time of the attack, police said no complaints involving the dog were previously reported to authorities.

No charges or citations were filed in the case.

 

 

 

(Chicago Sun Times - March 12, 2018)

Earlier:

• Illinois: 76-year-old woman mauled to death by her own Pit Bull

Missouri: Pit Bull owner complains after her dog is shot while attacking police K9

MISSOURI -- June Tucker's vicious 5-year-old pit bull, named "Repo," is in an animal hospital with two bullet wounds. He was shot by an Overland Police Department officer near Mary Ridge Park Monday night.

"He just doesn't deserve to be shot and just to leave him on the porch to bleed to death," complains Tucker.

 

Tucker said she took her dog out for a walk around 10:30 p.m. using a belt as a leash. But she said the dog got 'spooked' and pulled the leash out of her hand and ran off.

BTW, in the video we find that her 'leash' is actually a belt. A belt. Serioiusly. I'm starting to doubt that she was ever 'walking' him in the first place. Likely she just let her mauler roam around the neighborhood all the time because she was too lazy to properly walk him with a collar and leash.

Tucker didn't bother to go after her Pit Bull, a breed of dog known for roaming and seeking victims to attack... Instead, Tucker said she went back in the house and assumed whenever her dog was through breaking the law and roaming loose, it would return soon.

At the same time, Overland police officers were searching the neighborhood for a prowler.

"It was like, maybe fifteen seconds and that's when you hear boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," said Tucker.

According to Overland Police Chief Michael Laws, the pit bull came running from a dark area and attacked the department K-9, named "Tzar."

"And according to the witnesses we interviewed and the officers who were there, had him by the throat and had him pinned to the ground," said Laws.

Chief Laws said the K-9 was able to break free and the pit bull backed up, but then the pit bull started coming at the K-9. Laws said that's when the officer shot the dog.

"I was a K-9 officer years ago and we're all dog lovers. So we hate to see anything like this happen but we also have to defend our property and our animals. The dog is a part of our department, a valuable member of our police department," said Laws.

Because Tucker won't stop running her mouth about how the police 'unfairly' shot her nasty dog, they say they're seeking charges against her.

(KMOV - February 20, 2018)

Ohio: Trooper honored for saving elderly man's life after he was attacked by his daughter's Boxer

OHIO -- Roy Warner’s recovery from a dog attack has been slow and steady.

He spent 21 days in a Cleveland hospital and has had about 10 surgeries to date.

Monday afternoon, the 72-year-old man took a moment to pause his recovery to honor the Ohio Highway Patrol trooper who stopped the attack by killing the dog.

“He didn’t just rescue me. He saved my life,” Warner said. “I fought with this dog for about 15 minutes. I was losing my consciousness and my strength when Joe arrived. If he had stopped to put out a cigarette, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Trooper Joseph Glascox doesn’t smoke, but Warner’s reference to how even just a few-seconds-long act could have changed the outcome of the day was not lost on anyone in the room at the Elyria post of the Highway Patrol where Warner and Glascox reunited as the state agency honored Glascox with the highway patrol’s Certificate of Recognition.

Patrol Capt. Chris Zurcher said the troopers often use scanners so they can hear all the radio traffic available, including that of other law enforcement agencies and fire departments.

“This isn’t the first time, especially in this case, they saved a life because of it,” he said. “… Joe showed up, used his training, made the scene safe, was able to dispose of the dog and quickly attend to Roy, and here he is with us today.”

On Oct. 26, Glascox said he was dealing with a traffic stop in Brighton Township when he heard scanner traffic that a large dog was mauling a man. He immediately went to the New London home on state Route 18.

The dog, an older boxer, was on top of Warner. Warner was lying on his left side just inside the threshold of the front door. He was bleeding heavily and yelling for Glascox to shoot the dog.

The dog also bit Warner’s wife, but she was able to get away to make the 911 call.

Glascox said he yelled at the dog, hoping it would look up so he could have a better shot. It didn’t. Glascox fired one shot.

“I decided to go with what I had. I didn’t want to retreat back to my car and grab my rifle. I just went with the weapon I had and took the shot,” he said.

Video of the incident provided by the patrol doesn’t show the moment when Glascox shot the dog, but in the video you can hear audio of the first gunshot and the dog whimper loudly. Then, you can hear two more shots. The first shot slowed the dog down, but didn’t stop it. It charged at the Glascox. The trooper fired two more shots.

Looking back, Glascox, said the incident was less about him being heroic and more about him being at the right place at the right time.

“We are very rarely at that time of night in that area of the county because it’s close to shift change, us as well as the Sheriff’s (Office),” he said. “This is kind of one of those things where everything happened perfectly. All I did was stop the attack.’’

Glascox credited others with contributing to the outcome including the Wellington Fire Department, dispatchers, Life Flight and MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

 

 

 

 

Roy Warner’s daughter, Rhonda Warner, said she was grateful for every working piece of the puzzle that saved her father.

“I don’t like to think about that, but I’m really glad he was there when he was and he acted so quickly,” she said. “I don’t think my dad would have made it had that not taken place.”

Warner has not returned to his home. He also has Parkinson’s disease and is recovering at a local rehabilitation center.

“He is recovering every day,” she said.

The Warner family home at 52967 state Route 18 is split into two living quarters with a door that separates the two areas, essentially making it a duplex. Roy Warner and his wife, Vesta Warner, lived there alongside other family members. The dogs belonged to his granddaughter.

 

 

 

 

In a Facebook post shortly after the incident, Rybecca Lynn Kubisen said the dog reacted naturally to protect the family when her grandfather mistakenly went into her home instead of his. There were at least three dogs at the home at the time of the attack. The county dog warden determined the remaining dogs were no threat to the family and allowed them to stay at the home.

DISGRACED LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIME FAMILY

Warner is a former Lorain County Drug Task Force officer. Warner; his wife, Vesta Warner; their daughter, Robyn Kubisen; and her ex-husband, Bart Kubisen, who is a former Lorain County Jail guard, faced criminal charges for allegedly stealing money from an elderly man and using the funds for personal expenses including the purchase of the home. The charges against the Kubisens have been resolved. The Warners’ charges still are pending.

 

 

 

COMMENT TO STORY:
Fair story. This miserable family is a mess, full of pit bulls and boxers (backyard breeders), Robyn plead guilty (even if she withdrew it) and Warner hasn't solved his criminal charges. This so-called victim needs to take care of some serious personal issues in the home.

(The Chronicle-Telegram - February 6, 2018)

Earlier:

• Ohio: Elderly man, 72, in critical condition after being attacked by his family's dog. His wife was also attacked by the dog before police shot it.

California: Off-Duty LAPD Officer Shoots Pit Bull Attacking Woman

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA -- An off-duty Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a dog that attacked a woman and her dog.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon in the city of Ventura.

Ventura police Cpl. Tank Sears tells the Ventura County Star the LAPD officer was driving by and stopped to help as the woman and her dog were being attacked by a pit bull terrier.

Sears says the woman had already been injured and when the pit bull tried to attack her again, the officer fired.

The Los Angeles Police Department is conducting a use-of-force investigation. Detective Meghan Aguilar says that is standard for any employee who discharges a firearm.

(Ventura County Star - Jan. 26, 2018)

Australia: Jo says there's a reason this Pit Bull ripped its owner's arm off; claims they were 'nanny dogs'

AUSTRALIA -- Jo Bryant posted on Facebook February 6, 2018 ·

Ridiculous. If a dog attacks, it has a reason. For decades pit bulls were nanny dogs because they could be trusted.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Pit Bulls were NEVER called nanny dogs -- until recently when Pit Bull defenders began saying that in an effort to prevent people from focusing on how many people, pets and livestock Pit Bulls have attacked and killed.

Earlier:

• Florida: Last year, woman's "gentle" Pit Bull, that she'd owned for nine years, ate her arm

Florida: Owner of Pit Bull that was shot by police claims it wasn't justified - even though the Pit Bull had previously attacked a woman and was menacing another man that very night

FLORIDA -- A family woke up to find that its dog had been shot twice by a police officer.

The officer said the Pit Bull was dangerous and lunged at him, but the family said it doesn't buy that story.

DONNA WOOD: CERTIFIED FROOT LOOP

The Titusville family is looking for answers.

Police responded to reports Saturday morning that a dog named Prince was loose in the neighborhood.

According to the case report, the Titusville officer who responded to the scene said he forgot to turn on his body camera before firing two shots at the dog.

 

 

He said Prince lunged at him, but now the family wants proof.

"I want a justifiable reason, proof, which I'm now not going to get. Justice for my dog," said Donna Wood, the dog's owner.

Wood said she was sleeping at her mother's house early Saturday morning when she was woken up by the news that an officer had shot her pit bull.

"The officer actually shot my dog through his nostril, through his jaw, taking off his back teeth and messing up his back jaw," Wood said.

Just before 10 a.m. Saturday, neighbor Michael Shimshock called police to report two dogs loose at the home.

He said he had been walking his own dog at the time when the large gray dog charged at them, acting like it was going to attack them.

"I stood my ground, yelled get back and a few choice words," he said.

Shimshock wasn't hurt and called 911 after the dog eventually backed off.

 

 

Officer Lincoln Strom said he forgot to activate his body camera (likely because it was more of an Animal Control call; he knew he was at the owner's house because neighbors knew who the dogs belonged to BECAUSE THEY WERE REPEATEDLY LOOSE so this officer thought he'd bang on the door, have the dumb owners put their dogs back inside the house and be on his way), but while he tried to knock on the front door, the Pit Bull lunged at him, with his mouth open.

That's when Strom fired two shots hitting the dog in the face.

Well, that proves the dog was coming at him if it was shot in the face.

"He was one of my kids and I had no choice but to put him down and put him out of his misery," Wood said.

According to the police report, Animal Control has responded to the home no less than four times and she was cited for this VERY SAME PIT BULL biting a woman. 

Wood claims he didn't do it.

"He's never bitten, attacked a dog, attacked a cat, attacked a kid, a squirrel, nothing," she said.

Notice she didn't say, "He's never bitten, attacked a person". That's a subconscious slip - if she was certain her pibble was innocent she would have included that as well "He's never bitten, attacked a person". 

Also, what about the neighbor who was nearly attacked by her Pit Bull -- and who called the police to come out. What was her dog doing running loose in the first place??? And what about the other FOUR TIMES Animal Control was at her house?

WESH 2 News contacted Animal Control to ask for more information about Prince and his history at the address, and we are waiting to hear from officials.

NEWS CLIP:

(WESH - January 29, 2018)

(More photos added) Massachusetts: Pit Bull owner refuses to get out of the way when officer wants to shoot Pit Bull ripping guts out of little Dachshund. Now the Doxie is dead, its owner stuck with $20,000 in vet bills and the Pit Bull owner won't talk to police

MASSACHUSETTS -- A routine dog-walking trip on the afternoon of Dec. 19 in the waterfront neighborhood has completely upended Amy Schlegel’s life – leaving her coping with the death of the family dog at the jaws of a loose Pit bull and trying to figure out how to pay more than $20,000 in vet bills.

It’s been a hard lesson, she told the Record, but it’s a lesson that she hopes can enlighten dog owners around the city – especially before the dog park opens on the corner of Broadway and Admiral’s Hill, which is ironically where she and her dog was attacked.

“Our backs were turned and there was no warning,” she said. “We passed the Pit bull and its owner on the sidewalk and something must have tipped it off. It came running after us at full speed and lit into my dog’s neck. I had absolutely no warning. It was a surprise attack. I didn’t see it coming because our backs were turned. It seemed like forever, but it was probably five minutes in total.

"My dog Fitzgerald is now gone and I have $22,000 in veterinarian bills and very little legal recourse or help. The key is that it was on public property and so there isn’t much anyone can do, I’m told.”

According to the police report, around 3 p.m., police were on patrol in the Lower Broadway area when they encountered two women screaming and a Pit bull attacking a Dachshund.

“The Pit bull was repeatedly biting and eating the skin of the smaller Dachshund dog as the Dachshund was laying helplessly on the sidewalk bleeding profusely with the Pit bull on top of him viciously and continuously biting him,” read the report.

Officers approached the scene and found Schlegel and the Pit bull’s owner trying to separate the dogs. Both women had injuries to their hands as the Pit Bull had bitten them too.

The officer quickly moved to shoot the Pit bull because it was clearly killing the Dachshund, but the owner of the Pit bull got in front of the officer and prevented him from shooting the dog. 

Even after the officer ordered her numerous times to move, she refused and her dog continued to rip at the innards of Fitzgerald. 

Finally, the officer shoved her out of the way and shot the Pit bull, stopping the attack. 

The Pit bull was taken to Angell Animal Hospital, where it died later.

The more important victim, little Fitzgerald, was rushed to another animal hospital, and after 11 days and many procedures, he died too.

“That additional time she stood there in front of the officer I’m convinced is what killed Fitzgerald,” she said. “The bites that happened to his stomach during that time are what really injured him to where he couldn’t recover.”

As horrible as the attack was, and the loss of her dog, it is the aftermath that has opened Schlegel’s eyes – and she now believes that the community needs to be starkly aware of what she is convinced will happen once the dog park opens.

Police follow up investigations yielded little cooperation from the other dog owner, and she never brought any information on the dog to police or answered her door – despite police indicating that they could observe her inside the apartment several times.

Nonetheless, Schlegel found that there are probably many, many more such attacks that go unreported or undocumented. She said when an attack happens on private property, insurance covers any losses. However, on public property, if the offending owner doesn’t cooperate, not much can happen.

“This is the kind of thing that could really change somebody’s life in an instant,” she said. “That dog park is going to be a nexus and I think attacks there are going to be inevitable. Something serious is going to happen there. It needs to be addressed beforehand. They say they’re going to have a big dog area and a small dog area, but I don’t know if people are going to abide by that. And how many people are going to volunteer information at the dog park that they own a vicious dog?”

Schlegel hopes that there might be a way to enhance the current laws to help police to initiate criminal charges against owners involved in attacks on public property. Right now, that is nearly impossible, she said.

Meanwhile, one idea she believes might help to bolster the cause is to start a record keeping system outside of the police. She said she would like to see the City create a dog attack hotline for statistical purposes.

She said she hopes it all points to some sort of reforms that Chelsea might be able to lead on.

“Bigger cities have tried things like bans and lost,” she said. “Chelsea is relatively small compared to Boston and you can get things done. There isn’t a lot of gridlock. Maybe this is a place where we can get something done that can be a model for other places. There is a huge hole here and it is attacks on public property. I’m hoping this will help the general public. It can change someone’s life forever. I’m a perfect example of that.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

GoFundMe: Justice for Fitzgerald
Created December 23, 2017
Amy Schlegel
  Animals
  CHELSEA, MA

My 6-year-old long-haired Dachshund Fitzgerald and I were attacked on the street on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 by a pit bull that--incredulously--had slipped out of its harness. The attack was unprovoked and the most horrific, bloody few minutes of my life.

The tragic attack ended when the police intervened and shot the Pit bull, which later died.

About 75% of Fitz's 20lb. body sustained grievous injury, according to the Veterinarian Dr. Kimberly Helmbold, of Blue Pearl Emergency and Specialty Pet Hospital,  in Charlestown, MA, where Fitz was triaged and operated on by
 Small Animal Surgeon Dr. Matthew Cleveland for 4 hours that night.

Fitzgerald and the Veterinarians did everything they could to save him but, after 10 days in the ICU, and many complications from his extensive injuries, Fitz passed on December 30.

We were so blessed to be able to adopt Fitz from BuddyDog, a shelter in Sudbury, MA, 2-1/2 years ago. He brought such joy to our lives--every day. His loss has been absolutely devastating. He was our 12 year-old son's First and Forever dog, my best buddy and constant companion, and my ailing husband's solace.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all our family, friends, neighbors, and good citizens who have found us through GoFundMe, who grieve with us over this completely senseless and avoidable tragedy. I will recover from my physical wounds, but the psychological trauma and memory of the vicious Pit bull repeatedly lunging, jumping, biting, and eventually pulling Fitzgerald out of my arms, eviscerating him in front of my eyes, will take a very long time to recover from.

Many people think justice in these Pit bull attacks is simply a matter of suing the other dog owner for veterinary and other medical expenses as well as pain and suffering. Guess again. If the owner is a Renter, you are out of luck if they don't carry Renter's Insurance (who does? Only if Landlords require it!)--even if that person tries to do the right thing--which is unfortunately not the case here.

I am initiating a push to pass an ordinance in my small city (which already has the support of the City Manager) to require owners of Pit bull-type dogs and dogs deemed dangerous, if they have bitten before, to wear a muzzle in ALL public spaces. This includes Chelsea's first official off-leash dog park, the entrance to which is, ironically, where the attack that killed Fitzgerald took place.

You will not find me at that dog park--ever. Even if every Pit bull-type owner does the Right Thing. There must be some justice for Fitzgerald. I must do what I can to ensure that no other person goes through what I went through and -- God forbid -- loses a child or beloved pet to these unpredictable creatures.

(Chelsea Record - January 26, 2018)