Loose Pit Bull Attacks 4 People, Dog Sitter Cited



Quiet and
unassuming. Until it attacks

 CLARKSVILLE, TN -- A Clarksville dog sitter is in trouble after a pit bull in his care broke loose from the back yard and attacked four people. The dog is being held by Animal Control as investigators try to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.

Luckily the victims are okay. A 13-year-old girl had to be rushed to the hospital after being bitten as she got off the school bus.

After an attack like this, administrators with Animal Control said the best thing to do now is put the animal down.

The dog sitter, Derek Johnson was really shaken up by all of this. He was actually caring for the dog for an ex-girlfriend, but he takes full responsibility for the dog and its actions.

"I don't want parents living in fear with their kids going outside. They should have peace of mind you know, I want them to feel safe in the neighborhood that's what you're supposed to feel," Johnson told NewsChannel 5.

Not one, but two pit bulls were
able to 'hop' this privacy fence

The dog, a 2-year-old pit bull named Nova, is now under isolation in the custody of Montgomery County Animal Control. The animal was not placed on a chain and was able to hop a gate and escape the back yard [there were 2 pit bulls that escaped, but only one is being identified as the attacking dog].

The pit bull then went on to attack four people in the span of about 30 minutes before animal control was able to round it up.

Homeowners in the area said it was a pretty scary scene. They're glad the animal has been removed from the neighborhood.

"The kids even today they said ‘any dogs around?' I said ‘no, that dog is gone, don't worry about it,'" said homeowner Vicky Craft.

Johnson was cited by Clarksville police for having a dog at large. He said he did go to each of the victims and their families and apologized for the whole innocent.

13-year-old Aliyah Lambert

Administrators with Montgomery County Animal Control said this is the first documented issue with Nova, however they're investigating a report that the dog may have bitten a child once before.

Timeline:
2:40pm: 13 year-old girl knocked to the ground, bitten on arm and thigh
3:30pm: 35 year-old man bitten on wrist
3:50pm: 6 year-old boy bitten on back
4:00pm: 30 year-old woman bitten on ankle

(WTVF, May 19, 2011)

Read More:

• Pit bull charges, bites four Clarksville neighbors
• Pit bull attacks 4 people in Clarksville

Built Ford tough

COVINGTON — A Covington 4-year-old is living up to his name: He’s “built Ford tough.”

Ford Smith was airlifted to Oklahoma University Children’s Hospital on Dec. 19 after being attacked in his yard by a Bull Mastiff.

Bitten on the throat, Ford’s worst injuries were to his trachea. He spent six nights in intensive care and two more nights in a pediatric room before returning to Covington to resume life at home, so healed that some of the scars are difficult to spot.

“The doctor said he’s very lucky,” said Ford’s mother, Tiffany Smith.

Because of scar tissue on Ford’s vocal chords, his voice is soft now.

“I do have a voice,” Ford said.

“You have a voice, it’s just kind of quiet,” his mother responded.

It’s not known yet whether his voice will return as strong as it was before, his parents, Tiffany and Brian Smith said. It may come back on its own, or he may require more surgery. But they are amazed at how rapidly Ford has healed, and warmed by the outpouring of care and affection for the lad during his ordeal.

Other than his voice, nothing else about Ford could be described as “weak.” On Thursday afternoon, Ford drove the same Power Wheels police cruiser he was driving around the yard when the dog attacked him.

His brother, Parker, 6, is the one who alerted their parents that day Ford was in trouble. Riding along in the car when the dog appeared, Parker jumped out and ran to tell Brian what was happening. Good thing he did, since Ford was unable to cry out because of the holes in his trachea.

“He couldn’t make any noise because of the throat injury, and the dog wasn’t making any noise either,” Tiffany said.

Brian drove the dog away from Ford while Tiffany called 911.

Tiffany said people kept up with Ford’s progress as he healed by checking on her Facebook page for status updates. Messages of support poured in from people the family didn’t even know, Tiffany said.

“It was just amazing. People who don’t even know him were praying for him,” Tiffany said.

Ford had a Christmas Eve visit from Bob Stoops, head football coach at the University of Oklahoma. He was one of 186 visitors who stopped by the hospital, brought cards and brought food.

Tiffany teared up when she recalled the EagleMed paramedic’s assessment of Ford.

“He said he was so brave, the bravest patient he’s had all year,” Tiffany said.

The air ambulance staff has promised to take Ford up for another flight — one he can enjoy instead of suffer through.

But little Ford isn’t the only one in the family who’s tough.

“We’re probably all stronger because of this,” Brian Smith said. “It was a tough first six days. It’s tough to watch your son go through that much pain. I think we’ve all learned a lot from it.”

(Enid News and Eagle, December 31, 2010)

Pit Bulls Kill Neighbor's Family Dog

Maynard the Jack Russell

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Summer Jones and her family are distraught at losing their dog Maynard.

She says her neighbor's pit bulls killed him. It happened Saturday morning on NW 139th Street.

"The two pits had him by his throat and were just ripping his throat and thrashing him around it was horrible. We had to watch our family pet of twelve years get murdered and my child watched the whole thing" says Jones.

Chauncey Westbrook, another neighbor says the dogs at the home get out all the time and they're concerned for their safety.

"My husband was walking to the mailbox and he had to call for my neighbor to come out because they were charging at him," says Westbrook. She also says her husband had the climb a fence to get away from the dogs.

The owners of the pit bulls did not want to talk on camera.


Woefully inadequate fencing for pit bulls

 As we we tried to gather information, a commotion erupted between three families.

The pit bull owners told us they feel very badly for their neighbor's loss. They also say the jack russell terrier gets in their yard all the time and their dogs have never hurt anyone before.

"It's very possible that those dogs could have reached through, grabbed him and pulled him through the fence and ripped him and mauled him that way."

"It makes me angry because now we have a dead dog and if they're going to attack another dog, then we know that they're going to attack our kids," says Westbrook.

"It's horrible, it's horrible that I had to sacrifice a dog to get something done about it. At least it wasn't a kid but is it going to be next time?" says Jones.

(WFOR, May 1, 2011)

Tennessee: "Most of her left arm is gone, all down her legs there's bites, chunks missing out of her legs". Family says Pit Bull was sweet before it attacked a 79-year-old woman

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE -- A 79-year-old woman, left bleeding and naked in her front yard after the family pit bull attacked her Tuesday, is still in the hospital.

The Weaver family says Buddy the pit bull was a member of their family for more than 2-years, but Tuesday something set the dog off, and it turned on the great-grandmother who was just trying to enjoy the nice day.

When Keith Weaver left his home in Northwest Knox County, his mom and dog were just sitting outside, "And the dog was sitting on the porch wagging it's tail, and the only thing I can think is she got up to go into the house or something and kicked at him to move to get out of her way, because he was laying right here in front of the door," Keith said.

But, just a short time later, a neighbor heard Mary Kathryn Weaver, 79, screaming from the front yard.

Brittany Weaver, the victim's granddaughter, said, "My neighbor came over and he had a BB gun and he was shooting the pit bull over and over and it wasn't even phasing him." 

So Brittany says the neighbor tried a larger gun, and fired a rifle into the air, scaring the 150-pound dog, as described by the owner, off of the petite woman.

"Most of her left arm is gone, all down her legs there's bites, chunks missing out of her legs," Brittany said.

The family says the dog actually ripped all of her clothes to shreds, and left deep cuts to her leg and hip area, as well as scratches on her ribs, and Mary Kathryn will have to get a skin graft on her arm.

Brittany said, "If it wouldn't have been for the neighbor, he probably would have hurt her even worse."

The Knox County Sheriff's Office found the dog hiding under a neighbors house, and deputies say they had to shoot and kill the dog to keep it from escaping.

The Weaver family says they're happy they don't have to see the dog that could have killed Mary Kathryn.

"If you have a dog from a puppy, it licks on you, rubs on you, barks at somebody if they come in your yard or something, and then it just turns on your mom," Keith said, adding, "My advice to anybody who's got a pit bull, get rid of it."

Raised right, never abused, loved by the entire family. And yet it still tries to kill Grandma. Let's see someone try to explain this one.

Mary Kathryn Weaver was stable at UT Medical Center Wednesday, and her family says they're just praying she does not get any infections.

The dog's body was taken to Young Williams Animal Shelter for evaluation, and to test for rabies.

(WVLT, May 12, 2011)

Read More:

• Knox County woman recovering after attack by son's pit bull dog
• Family pit bull mauls 79-year-old Knox Co. woman
• Dog mauling victim recovers

School Bus Driver Talks About Dog Attack

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD -- Barry Jones is being called a hero. Witnesses say Jones was defending children from a vicious dog that boarded his school bus.

Jones said he's been a bus driver for 14 years. Wednesday morning, he was put to the test when an American Bulldog boarded with a group of students and began attacking.

"It was mostly terrifying," he said.

Jones said he had about 35 elementary school kids on the bus at the time.

"The kids started running up to the bus. I never saw what was frightening them," Jones said he opened the doors and soon realized the dog was running to the back.

"All the kids were jumping around, screaming. I was trying to kick the dog, and hit the dog. He was jumping on the seat," he said.

Jones chased the dog off the bus. But the dog got back on. Jones says he grabbed the dog once again by the back of its neck and forced it off the bus.

Some parents say what Jones did was heroic.

"I'm very thankful to Mr. Jones," said Alvina Brooks.

Jones will hear more thank-yous when he returns to work Friday morning. But for him, it's bittersweet.

"It made me feel good in a way and sad in a way, that the dog was able to harm some of my kids," he said.

Police shot and killed the dog. They are still trying to locate the dog's owner. Animal Management officers are still waiting for results from a rabies test.

(WUSA - May 19, 2011)

Read More:

• Bus Driver Hailed as Hero in Dog Attack
• Bulldog jumps on school bus, attacks children
• Police kill bulldog that attacked kids
• Dog attack on Pr. George’s school bus injures four students
• Dog Attacks Children at Bus Stop
• Rabies Shots Recommended for Kids Bitten in Bus Dog Attack

Madison Woman Attacked By Dog In Home

MADISON, SD -- A Madison woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of facial injuries after being attacked in a home by a dog authorities described as a pit bull.

Police Chief Chuck Pulford says the 59-year-old woman was a guest at the home Tuesday. He says a child opened the door to a room where the dog had been secured, and the dog attacked the woman.

Pulford says the mixed-breed dog was euthanized because its shots were outdated. The body will be tested for rabies.

The condition of the woman was not known. The dog's owner was not cited.

(KELO-TV - May 5, 2011)

Tot mauled to death by dog was often left alone, neighbors say

NEW YORK -- The parents of a tragic Brooklyn tot savagely mauled by his [boyfriend]'s pumped-up pooch often left the boy alone with the killer dog, neighbors said Sunday.

"He had no chance," said neighbor Sabrina Ramos. "I don't know how someone would leave a child that small with a dog that big."

Neither Jayelin Graham's mother, Saquina "Honey" Jubeark, nor his stepfather, Damian "Dread
 Jones, have been charged in the boy's horrific death late Friday. [CORRECTION: They were not married. Ergo, he was NOT the boy's stepfather.]

Investigators say the brutal pooch - a 65-pound Cane Corso named "Machete" - chomped down on the 4-year-old boy's throat after his mom left him and his siblings alone with the animal.

Jayelin died from injuries to his right carotid artery, larynx, trachea and esophagus, said the city medical examiner's office.

Neighbors say Jones, 29, trained his dogs to be killers.

"The dogs are vicious," Ramos said. "I wouldn't stand outside with that big one around. I wouldn't let my child outside if that dog was out."

Jones has a rap sheet with busts for weapons possession, kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment, records show.

Ramos said investigators from the Administration for Children's Services often visited the apartment when the family first moved in two years ago, but the visits tapered off.

A spokeswoman for the ACS declined to comment pending the outcome of an investigation.

The apartment where Jayelin Graham
was killed is stained with his blood.

(NY Daily News - May 29, 2011)