Maine: Greater Androscoggin Humane Society knowingly put a vicious Pit Bull on the adoption floor and let someone leave the shelter with the dog. It immediately mauled a Yorkie to death and broke the hand of its owner who tried to save it

LEWISTON, MAINE -- A Lewiston family's dog was mauled to death by a pit bull that was up for adoption at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society.

Dee Santos says she and her children are devastated over the brutal death of their beloved Yorkshire Terrier named Rocco.

"He was like family,” Santos said. “Everybody loved him, my neighbors, everybody that used to come to my house."

Santos says her 17-year-old daughter suffered a mental breakdown after witnessing the death of the family dog and being bitten, which broke her hand.

A friend of the teen had gone to the shelter and "borrowed" the Pit Bull.

The shelter apparently lets people take adoptable dogs for a walk, but the shelter claims they told the girl's friend to avoid other animals while walking the Pit Bull.

If the shelter knew it was animal aggressive, why would they even try to adopt it out??? Yeah we know. To either keep their euthanasia numbers down or they simply don't care that vicious, animal aggressive dogs attack and kill other animals.

This person immediately took the Pit Bull to his friend's house.

Santos says as soon as the pit bull entered the apartment it went straight for the family's Yorkie tearing the little animal apart.

"Everything happened so fast," Santos said.

They say the harder they tried to pull the two dogs apart, the harder he bit down.

Santos and her children tried to stop the Pit Bull from killing their dog. The Pit Bull then attacked her daughter, breaking the bones in her hand. The dog also attacked her daughter's friend.

"All of my three kids witnessed everything,” Santos said. “And it was brutal. I mean, the way that dog looked like a monster."

Santos said, " I lost my dog, nothing will replace that. Nothing. That's very sad right now. I lost my dog and I have my daughter in the hospital. That's two of the people I love the most."

SHELTER CLAIMS THEY'RE SURPRISED
The humane society director Steven Dostie says he feels "awful" about what happened. He claims the Pit Bull had shown no signs of aggression before the deadly attack.

Dostie said the shelter’s instructions for the dog also included a warning that it shouldn’t be around cats or young children. But, he said, the dog had not been a problem since it arrived at the shelter in February. It was merely “a little rambunctious,” he claimed.

Oh yeah? Then why would you tell people to keep away from other animals and not to take it to the dog park if you didn't know it was aggressive? You all knew this dog was vicious - and yet you were still trying to foist it on people.

The pit bull will be quarantined for ten days to make sure it doesn't have rabies, then will be euthanized.

Santos said she got Rocco, who weighed 4 pounds, from a breeder five years ago. He made himself part of the family, she said.

“We spoiled him big time,” Santos said. “He was like another son for me. He was such a good dog. He was a doll. He was all love.”

(WMTW - March 20, 2018)

Texas: "My baby was just attacked by a pit bull"

TEXAS -- Felicia Jarrett posted on Facebook March 20, 2018 ·

My baby was just attacked by a pit bull

Florida: Woman pushing to change laws after owner of dogs which attacked and mauled her Yorkiepoo to death is fined just $27.50 - and allowed to keep his killer dogs

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.

(WFTV - March 6, 2018)

Earlier:

• Florida: After their small dog is mauled to death, family starts petition to make city do something about vicious dogs

New Jersey: Man kills Pit Bull to stop its attack on his mother's little Yorkie

NEW JERSEY -- Yowanda Carstarphen posted on Facebook February 11, 2018 ·

My Yorkie was attacked by a pit bull last night.

It busted through my front yard.

Thanks to my son, he killed the pit and saved my little buddy and my Diamond was distraught now they are laying side by side Diamond will be his healer

While at the hospital my grand told me Diamond was wondering around the house barking.

She was happy to see King we he came home now she stays by his side
I prayed that my dog would survive
😢❤️

Florida: "This week I will pick up the remains of my Yorkie, Jill, from the vet. She was killed by a pit bull "

FLORIDA -- Jennifer Levy posted on Facebook February 5, 2018 ·

This week I will pick up the remains of my Yorkie, Jill, from the vet. She was killed by a pit bull a week ago,at Okeeheelee dog park. The dog that killed her is still alive but impounded at Animal Control.

No apologize's from the owner and I understand that I have no legal recourse. I believe that the owner should pay for her cremation and, at the very least, pay her purchase price. I know that this will not bring her back but somewhere there needs to be responsibility for ones actions.

In memory of my beloved Jill, I miss you terribly.

Earlier:

• Florida: Yorkshire Terrier attacked, killed by Pit Bull at the dog park. Pit Bull then proceeds to attack another dog
• Florida: Fernando Gonzalez given civil citations after the Pit Bull he claimed wasn't his attacked two dogs at dog park, killing a Yorkie and biting man who tried to stop it

Texas: "This is my Mr. Riski Bean. He was killed a week ago by a pit bull"

TEXAS -- Mark Shadowens posted on the Facebook page Yorkie Addiction on February 2, 2018 ▪

This is my Mr. Riski Bean. He was killed a week ago by a pit bull. He was a big part of my world. Only four years old.

I would sure like to have another.

Rest in peace my little buddy until I can hold you again...

Florida: Fernando Gonzalez given civil citations after the Pit Bull he claimed wasn't his attacked two dogs at dog park, killing a Yorkie and biting man who tried to stop it

FLORIDA --  A pit bull killed a woman's Yorkshire terrier Saturday afternoon and injured a man at Okeeheelee Park in Palm Beach County.

The attack occurred at Pooch Pines Dog Park inside Okeeheelee Park just before 4 p.m.

An incident report said the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office contacted animal care and control about a gray pit bull attacking and killing a small dog.

 

 

When ACC arrived, a PBSO deputy was standing with the pit bull, tethered temporarily to a tree.

Although the dog was very aggressive, the ACC worker was able to use a catch pole to load the dog into his vehicle.

A witness who was hurt, Vincent Johnson, told the animal care and control worker that he saw a woman, identified as Jennifer Levy, walking her dogs near the dog park area.

As her dog was relieving itself, Johnson said he spotted the pit bull running loose and attacking Levy's Yorkshire terrier.

Johnson said he tried to grab the pit bull and punched it so it would let go of the little dog, but he was unsuccessful.

The pit bull was brought to the park by Fernando Matta Gonzalez and Estephany Marquez, according to the case report.

Gonzalez lost control of the dog and it attacked the Yorkie.

Johnson said his bite injury occurred when he was trying to get control of the dog and stop the attack.

 

 

A report said Johnson’s suffered a puncture wound with a slight skin tear the size of the tip of a pencil eraser.

Levy said she was leaving the Pooch Pines Dog Park and had just exited the gated area with her two dogs at the time of the attack.

She said her 8-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Jill had stopped by a grassy area near a sidewalk and began to relieve itself.

Levy said she saw the pit bull as her dog finished relieving itself and began walking off.  That’s when the pit bull suddenly ran to them and grabbed her dog.

She said the pit bull continuously bit and shook her dog like a rag doll, not letting go. Levy said she was in shock and the owner of the dog did nothing but stand there while his Pit Bull was killing her Yorkie.

Animal care and control later spoke to Gonzalez about the attack.

Gonzalez said CLAIMED he did not own the pit bull but had found it Saturday at the Pooch Pines Dog Park at Okeeheelee Park. Gonzalez said he left the park with the dog to take it to Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.

Gonzalez said when he took it to the Peggy Adams, he was told that the dog had to be up to date with vaccinations, so he returned to the dog park. However, Peggy Adams was later contacted and said HE'S LYING - that they had no record of Gonzalez visiting their facility on Saturday.

Once Gonzalez arrived back at Okeeheelee Park, he said the pit bull became excited when he saw the Yorkshire terrier and it broke free.

 

 

Since Gonzalez was in care / custody / control of the pit bull at the time of this attack, ACC cited him for:

• Failure to properly confine dog
• Failure to vaccinate dog against rabies
• Failure to comply with county tag requirements
• Failure to comply with county sterilization program

These look like county law violations -- essentially civil citations, not criminal. Nothing will be on his criminal record to show that he let his monster dog attack and kill another and attack human beings. So, for example, he moves to another city or state, gets another mauler and it does the same thing, no one will know he has a history of being irresponsible and owning vicious dogs because nothing will show on his criminal history. 

He should be charged with a felony for lying to investigators. It's his dog.

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(WPTV - January 29, 2018)

Earlier:

• Florida: Yorkshire Terrier attacked, killed by Pit Bull at the dog park. Pit Bull then proceeds to attack another dog

Florida: Yorkshire Terrier attacked, killed by Pit Bull at the dog park. Pit Bull then proceeds to attack another dog

FLORIDA -- A West Palm Beach woman is mourning the loss of her Yorkshire Terrier after it was attacked and killed by a Pit bull outside a popular dog park.

It happened Saturday afternoon at Pooch Pines Dog Park.

WPBF 25 News obtained cellphone video of the moments following the gruesome scene.

The pit bull was brought to the park by Fernando Matta Gonzalez and Estephany Marquez, according to the case report.

 

It shows two men breaking up a fight between two dogs. trying to stop a Pit Bull in the middle of attacking another dog.

However, Jennifer Levy said minutes earlier she was leaving the park with her two dogs when one was attacked.

"When I bent down to clean-up after her, the pit bull came behind her," said Levy.

Levy watched in horror as a blue and white Pit Bull brutally mauled and killed her black and brown Yorkshire Terrier named "Jill."

 

"He shook her around like a rag doll and walked up and down the sidewalk with her inside his mouth before he finally dropped her," said Levy.

CAROLE SCHAPUIS TRIES TO CONVINCE YOU THAT ANY DOG COULD HAVE DONE THIS...

Carole Schapuis is the President at Pet Haven Animal Rescue in Loxahatchee. She owns two pit bulls and several years ago was attacked by another.

"Animals which are not neutered have a lot of built-up testosterone. This happened to be a pit bull. It can be any breed," said Schapuis.

No Carole, it didn't just "happen to be a Pit Bull". It's almost always the same type of dog. Don't give this woman or her 'rescue' any money; she clearly has an agenda with Pit Bulls.

Levy said she attempted to break the animals apart, while the owners stood by and watched.

However, the two people who brought the Pit Bull to the park insisted to investigators at Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control they did not own the dog.

Instead, they CLAIMED THEY'D JUST FOUND THE DOG earlier in the day and attempted to bring it to Peggy Animal Rescue League, but they would not accept it.

When investigators checked with the rescue they declined that claim and said no one contacted them about taking in a stray Pit Bull.

Yeah, when I find stray Pit Bulls I always head straight to the dog park with them!!!

Levy said while she is leery of Pit Bulls, this will not stop her from going to the dog park.

"A totally out of ordinary situation," said Levy. "If they're large dogs. Get them trained. Just be responsible. Not every dog is a candidate for a dog park."

The pit bull responsible for this brutal attack is being quarantined at Palm Beach Animal Care & Control.

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(WPBF - February 1, 2018)