Mint Hill horse attacked by dogs – again

NORTH CAROLINA -- The 32-year-old Mint Hill horse that was attacked by two pit bulls in January is a victim again.

Lincolnton resident Kris Keener cares for her horse, Joker,
who was attacked by two dogs on the morning of Aug. 23.

Two different dogs attacked Joker Aug. 23 while the female horse was roaming in her pasture off Dan Hood Road. Her injuries this time were more severe: about 100 puncture wounds and 60 stitches.

And property owner Bill Williamson is wondering when the Town of Mint Hill will consider passing a “dangerous dog” ordinance to ensure pet owners are held accountable.

Williamson, 63, suffered a heart attack in his front yard Feb. 1 after a neighbor’s two pit bulls chased and attacked Joker. Police used cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and a portable defibrillator to revive Williamson.

The dogs, 2-year-olds named Hank and Gizmo, were classified as “dangerous” and were euthanized by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control in May.

Mint Hill commissioners decided then not to explore having its own dog ordinance.

“When are you going to say this is serious enough to do something? It’s about time (town officials) need to worry,” Williamson said. “Someone’s got to start taking responsibility to take care of these dogs. Until a person dies then no one is concerned. It’s not an ‘if,’ it’s a ‘when.’ Something needs to be done.”

Williamson said he went searching for Joker after she didn’t come to the barn to be fed about 8 a.m. Tuesday. He found her standing by the pond, bleeding profusely from several deep wounds and saw two dogs, at least one of which was a pit bull, in the pasture with blood on them. He doesn’t know whom the dogs belong to.

Animal Care & Control took more than three hours to respond to his call, he said. When the officer arrived she didn’t know that a horse had been injured, only that dogs were spotted running loose, Williamson said.

That’s frustrating to the family, too.

“Where is Animal Control? Where is this service we’re paying for?” he said.

According to Animal Care & Control records, when Williamson called at about 8:30 a.m. he told dispatchers his horse had been attacked by two dogs but that they were no longer on his property, department spokeswoman Melissa Knicely said. This type of call provides for a four-hour response time, she said. An Animal Control officer arrived about 11:15 a.m. and after talking with Williamson, searched for the dogs until about 2:30 p.m. The officer didn’t find the dogs, but the agency has arranged to set up a dog trap on the property if the dogs return, Knicely said.

‘Every time I turn around, I’m ­looking for dogs’

A veterinarian had to amputate part of Joker’s ear mauled by the dogs and spent three hours sewing her mangled lip back together, Williamson said. She has bite marks under her thick mane and an open gash on the bottom of her neck that was too big for stitches. The veterinarian prescribed antibiotics and pain medication, in hopes the wound will drain and heal on its own, Williamson said.

Joker belongs to Kris Keener of Lincolnton but the Williamsons have cared for her for more than 30 years. Keener kept vigil with Joker Tuesday and Wednesday.

“What are we going to do with the horse? We can’t sit here 24 (hours a day), seven (days a week),” Williamson said. “Every time I turn around, I’m looking for dogs. We shouldn’t have to live like this.”

Mint Hill Commissioner Lloyd Austin first broached the subject of a “dangerous dog” ordinance after 6-year-old Jakob Clark was mauled by a family member’s pit bull in December. He dropped the idea in April, saying he decided not to push the issue “unless we have another incident.”

But after learning this week about the latest attack, Austin said he feels that Mecklenburg County animal ordinances are sufficient in Mint Hill.

“Honestly, that’s going to be a problem between (Williamson) and the dog owner,” he said. “From everything I’ve been told, (county ordinances) are well enough. I don’t know of anything we should do as a town.”

(Matthews Mind Hill Weekly - August 26, 2011)

Taft Police Officer Shoots, Kills Pit Bull

CALIFORNIA -- An off-duty Taft police officer shoots and kills a pit bull as it attacks her dog.
Police say the officer awoke to sounds of dogs fighting in the back yard of her Bakersfield home.

 It happened in a quiet neighborhood near Wible and Taft Highway just after 8 a.m. Thursday.

 

Police say when the Taft officer went into the back yard of her home to rescue her dog, the pit bull charged her, and that’s when she opened fire.

 "This morning she was awakened by the sounds of possibly her dog being attacked by the neighbor’s pit bull dog," said Bakersfield police Sgt. Orbin Love.

 The officer grabbed her gun and fired multiple times killing the dog.

"It appears she has had prior contact with the neighbor regarding the dog gaining access to her back yard," Love said.

 Neighbors say they are sad the dog was killed but they understand.

"I'’d do the same thing. I’m animal lover, and I don'’t like to see animals attack each other," said one neighbor who asked not to be identified.

 “I hear about a lot of dogs getting loose and a lot of dogs attacking people, and you know you have to have self-defense for your self and for your kids and for your other dogs," said neighbor Denise Ashley.

 Police say it’s a clear cut case of self-defense. Bakersfield police say it is legal to shot a dog in defense of your pet as long as you are legally carrying the gun.

 “

It appears at this time like she fired shots in self defense of herself, her family and her two dogs," Love said.

 Neighbors say loose dogs are a problem in the area.

"I put my dogs on leashes, and sometimes we do see some loose dogs, and I get scared just in case one of the dogs was to attack my dog," Ashley said.

Taft police say it’s not yet clear if the officer used her service weapon to shoot the dog. Bakersfield police say no charges will be filed in the case.

(Turnto23 - Aug 25, 2011)

Pit Bull Put Down After Killing Dog In Arvada

COLORADO -- A pit bull that attacked and disemboweled another dog in an Arvada neighborhood was put down Wednesday.

Arvada police confirmed that the dog owners euthanized the pit bull, and the landlords said they served an eviction notice because of the attack reports.

RIP Uno

Janelle Jerman was walking her 2-year-old Yorkie mix Uno on Monday night near 62nd Place and Yukon Court, when she said two pit bulls jumped out of a car window and attacked.

"They grabbed my dog and disemboweled him right in front of me," said Jerman. "I just screamed for all I was worth. The neighbors came running and the owners of the dog did come and drag the dog off of mine."

Her dog died a short time later, while in surgery.

The story sounds all too familiar to neighbor Kimberly Greene.

"It's just horrible that this happened to someone else," said Greene.

Her West Highland terrier, Chloe, still has the stitches where her leg was amputated. Three weeks ago, Green said that the same pit bull that killed Uno attacked her dog.

"The dog came out of nowhere, like a hawk attacking a mouse, and just got her and didn't let go," said Greene.

7NEWS Reporter Jaclyn Allen tried to talk to the owners, but they didn't answer the door.

Arvada Police spokeswoman Susan Medina said police are still investigating what happened, but that if it's not a person who was attacked, police don't automatically remove dogs.

She said a summons had been issued against the owners for the first attack.

Jerman said she thinks Arvada needs tougher laws against aggressive pets, so that what happened to Uno doesn't happen to other dogs.

"He brought me so much joy and so much happiness," said Jerman. "I did everything right. I took her to training. We walked on-leash. How do you prepare for something like this?"

Some neighbors were relieved to hear the pit bull had been put down, but said it was too little too late.

"That dog should have been hauled away the first time it attacked that first dog," said Lisa Briles.
Briles said she and other neighbors have repeatedly called animal control to report aggressive behavior.

"I had animal control officers tell me I needed to learn how to be civilized with my neighbors," said Briles.

Arvada Police Spokeswoman Susan Medina said officers routinely see dog-on-dog attacks, and they are not treated the same as attacks on people, which is why the dogs weren't immediately confiscated.

"They're due their day in court," said Medina. "We did operate within the perimeters of what our procedures are."

Medina said after Uno was attacked, police gave the dog owners an option: a court order to euthanize the dog or take responsibility themselves. Medina said the owners put down the pit bull at a local animal hospital.

Medina said the second dog involved in the attack was an Australian Shepherd, not a pit bull, and that while it did also jump out of the car window, it did not actually attack the other dog.

Pit bull owners house. The dogs jumped out of
the white SUV and mauled Uno to death

Jerman said the dogs were working in tandem, and that the second dog was aggressively "herding" people to keep them away while the pit bull killed Uno.

Police, who were canvassing the neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, said they were investigating charges against the dog owners.

Medina did not have details about the previous history of the pit bull, but Jerman said officers told her the owners were issued a summons last year for having a vicious dog

(KMGH Denver-Aug 25, 2011)

Abused, dead horses discovered in Parker County

TEXAS -- Parker County Sheriff’s investigators are investigating the death of nine horses.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said deputies and animal control officers responded to the 400 block of Old Brock Road Friday, Aug. 12, 2011, around noon.

When animal control officers arrived on scene, they discoverer eight horses which were found deceased throughout the property. Another gelding was found alive. A local veterinarian took the young horse back to his facilities for treatment and testing. He was later euthanized due to liver and renal failure.

A total of six mares, two geldings and one filly died.

The official cause of death is pending the investigation, Fowler said.

There was no water, hay or feed on the property for the horses. According the veterinarian, the horses had been deceased for at least two days, and without water for several days.

“With the temperatures as high as they have been, it’s imperative to keep fresh water and adequate food for any animal,” Fowler said. “Our investigators are questioning several subjects and charges are pending for the person or persons responsible for this unfortunate incident.”

(Community News - August 23, 2011)

Owner of pit bulls that allegedly attacked 60-year-old Wyoming man faces 15-year felony

WYOMING -- The owner of a pair of late pit bulls who escaped their garage holding area and attacked a 60-year-old man faces up to 15 years in prison as his case heads to trial next month.

Joseph Honorable, 29, is charged with owning a dangerous animal, normally a felony with a four-year maximum sentence, but because Honorable has a slew of prior convictions -- some dating back to 1998, he is charged as four-time repeat offender which bumps the maximum sentence to 15 years, according to court records.

This spring, 60-year-old William Ward told a Wyoming District Court judge that on April 5, he was bringing his waste container to the curb in front of his home on 31st Street SW near Byron Center Avenue when the male and female pit bulls came running toward him.

Ward said the dogs acted as a team to attack him as he struggled to keep the container between him and the animals, one of the dogs circled around and came after him.

 Ward said one of the dogs leaped toward his face and he raised his arm to protect his head and neck and the dog latched on to the limb bringing the man to the ground and breaking the arm.

Ward said he got up and tried to further protect himself when one of the dogs came at him again and he fell breaking the other arm.

Ward's sister was able to fend off the dogs using an umbrella.

Ward now has metal plates and screws holding his arms together and he still has virtually no use of his right arm that prevented him from working at his job in shipping and receiving.

After the hearing Judge Steve Timmers ordered county animal control to destroy the dogs because they represented a danger. The dogs had been kept in a garage in the mid-Wyoming neighborhood and escaped from their pen before attacking Ward, according to Honorable.

So far, Honorable has not been able to reach a plea agreement with the state, but Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Gregory Boer said the two sides continue to talk.

Honorable is slated to be tried before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock on Sept. 19. He remains free on a $10,000 person recognizance bond.

(Mlive - August 23, 2012)

Bull Mastiff tears pet to shreds in front of children

UNITED KINGDOM -- A MOTHER was recovering yesterday after suffering horrific injuries protecting her children from a crazed dog that “ripped” their puppy to pieces.

Karen Greaves, 31, her four-month-old daughter Amelia and son Dylan, five, were enjoying a picnic in a park with their Cavalier King Charles spaniel Molly when they were attacked by a nine-stone bull mastiff.

The crazed dog was with its female owner but not on a lead. Within seconds it had mauled 10-month-old Molly to death.

It then knocked Amelia’s buggy to the ground. Fearing it was about to attack her crying baby and her brother, Karen grabbed the mastiff and wrestled it to the ground.

A group of teenagers shepherded the children to safety as she and the owner pinned the dog to the ground until police arrived at Platt Fields park in Manchester.

But travel agent Karen received serious wounds to her hands and arms as she was repeatedly bitten.
She spent three days in hospital undergoing surgery and will be scarred for life. The dog was seized by police and taken away by vets. It is expected it will be destroyed.

At her home in Withington, Manchester, Karen said: “The dog seemed to just snap. I did everything I could to try to wrestle it from Molly but it had a look in its eyes that said it wasn’t going to stop for anything.

“Eventually it spat her out after ripping her apart and continued to go wild, knocking Amelia’s buggy to the ground.

“My children were screaming. I feared for them so I lay across the dog’s back and put my hands in its mouth and it basically ate my hands. They looked like they had been in a shredder and were covered in blood.

‘It was devastating to see your puppy killed in front of your eyes and my son has taken it very badly, it has traumatised him.’

(Express UK - August 23, 2011)

Dogs killed after 'vicious' attack on toddler

AUSTRALIA -- Two dogs that mauled a three-year-old Mount Isa boy late last week have been put down.

The Staffordshire terriers were handed over to Mount Isa City Council after the attack at 6.30pm on Thursday night which occurred when a boy and his parents had been visiting a friend's house in Parkside.

On Friday, the child was flown to Brisbane by Careflight and was believed to be in need of plastic surgery after the dog attack, which was described as vicious by ambulance officers at the scene.

Queensland Ambulance Service Mount Isa officer-in-charge Matt Steer said the boy was in a stable condition and his injuries were serious but not life threatening.

"He received severe facial, arm and leg injuries after being set on by two dogs," Mr Steer said.

"It's quite devastating for everyone who was involved because there was no warning."

Mount Isa Police investigated the incident on Friday and at this stage, no charges would be laid.

Acting Superintendent Brian Cannon said as far as police were concerned the attack had been a "sad event" and a "terrible accident".

"It's not a situation where anyone has committed an offence from a policing perspective but our thoughts are with the child and we hope for a speedy recovery," he said.

The dog attack is just one of more than 50 reported in the past year to Mount Isa City Council.

Last financial year there were 56 complaints of dog attacks which were investigated and there were seven reported just last month.

This latest attack of a child comes about a year after a four-year-old boy was mauled by two dogs at his Kaeser Road home. In that instance the dogs were also destroyed.

Mount Isa council chief executive officer Bhan Pratap said dog attacks were treated very seriously and the preference was always to have the animals destroyed if they injured a person or animal.

"We appreciate the cooperation of the owners of the dog in this case who immediately surrendered the dogs to council," Mr Pratap said.

"Both dogs were unregistered so we issued the owners with an infringement notice but because the attack occurred in a backyard there can be no other punishment under council bylaws."

The owners were fined $400.

(North West Star - August 23, 2011)