GEORGIA -- A 21-month-old toddler has died after being attacked by seven pit bulls in coastal Georgia Wednesday, according to police.
Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith says the little girl was mauled in the yard by dogs her family owned.
Authorities say the unidentified girl's grandmother was asleep when she heard a commotion and saw the girl being attacked as she looked out of her window.
Authorities say the dogs, pit bulls and pit bull mixes, have been euthanized by Bryan County Animal Control.
At around 6.30pm, police received a 911 call from a home on Elm Drive in Ellabell about a toddler who had been attacked by a pack of dogs, Savannah Morning News reported.
The victim's grandmother, who was napping at the time, woke up to see the pit bulls mauling her granddaughter, but she could not stop the attack.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was unclear Wednesday night if charges would be filed in the case.
First responders said that by the time they arrived at the scene, the child's body was already cold, suggesting that she has been dead for some time.
Bryan County Deputy Sheriff James Beatty told the News that the girl's 12-year-old brother may have taken her out to play in the backyard and either forgot she was there, or thought she had returned.
Another way the toddler could have left the house was through the doggy door.
According to officials, the family had nine dogs in total, and the child often played with all of them.
The two dogs that were not involved in the attack were spared. They were not pit bulls.
(Daily Mail - March 28, 2013)
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Mark Kelly's daughter's dog kills baby sea lion; gun advocates call for background checks on dogs
CALIFORNIA -- Gun advocates are calling for background checks on dogs after former astronaut Mark Kelly’s daughter’s dog killed a baby sea lion.
Kelly, the husband of wounded former congresswoman Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords, has been campaigning for gun controls, including background checks for gun buyers.
On Saturday, Kelly's daughter was walking her dog on a California beach when the dog bolted, ripping the leash from her hand and fatally attacking a beached baby sea lion.
Video showed Kelly's daughter and two other women struggling for several minutes to pull the dog off the sea lion. Kelly then arrived and shook the dog's head until it released the mammal, which later died.
Laguna police said they wouldn't file charges because the dog had been leashed and was legally on the beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also says it doesn't expect to take legal action. Marine animals are protected by federal law.
[If you are not in control of your animal, if it "rips the leash out of your hand" to run and attack and maul something to death then you are in violation of leash laws. You must maintain control over your pet when walking it. Clearly, she did not.
And they struggled "for several minutes" to stop their killer dog? Why are they "struggling" in the first place? Their killer dog should be obedient to their commands. Can you imagine the terror and pain this seal pup experienced while being mauled to death by Kelly's bulldog?]
The gun rights advocates who have commented on Kelly's Facebook page today included several who suggested that background checks be considered for dogs whose owners can't control them, or those that are a threat to the public.
(Denver Channel - March 26, 2013)
Kelly, the husband of wounded former congresswoman Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords, has been campaigning for gun controls, including background checks for gun buyers.
On Saturday, Kelly's daughter was walking her dog on a California beach when the dog bolted, ripping the leash from her hand and fatally attacking a beached baby sea lion.
Video showed Kelly's daughter and two other women struggling for several minutes to pull the dog off the sea lion. Kelly then arrived and shook the dog's head until it released the mammal, which later died.
 |
| Yeah, that's a great way to pull your killer dog off an innocent animal. Just sit there. |
Laguna police said they wouldn't file charges because the dog had been leashed and was legally on the beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also says it doesn't expect to take legal action. Marine animals are protected by federal law.
[If you are not in control of your animal, if it "rips the leash out of your hand" to run and attack and maul something to death then you are in violation of leash laws. You must maintain control over your pet when walking it. Clearly, she did not.
And they struggled "for several minutes" to stop their killer dog? Why are they "struggling" in the first place? Their killer dog should be obedient to their commands. Can you imagine the terror and pain this seal pup experienced while being mauled to death by Kelly's bulldog?]
The gun rights advocates who have commented on Kelly's Facebook page today included several who suggested that background checks be considered for dogs whose owners can't control them, or those that are a threat to the public.
(Denver Channel - March 26, 2013)
Mother saves son from dog attack in Scott Township
PENNSYLVANIA -- A 5-year-old boy was recovering Saturday after an attack by a pack of dogs.
Amber Lynn Bayer said her son, Cameron, was playing at the home of a family friend when a dog attacked the boy and four others joined in.
"The dogs came heading for me," Cameron said.
"I just keep hearing him screaming in my head," Bayer said. "It's like I almost can feel the dogs biting him, and I cannot let go of that."
Bayer said she wasn't far away and immediately jumped on the small boy to protect him. Eventually, both were able to escape.
"It's traumatizing to me because that's my baby," she said.
Cameron has 20 staples in the back of his head, as well as stitches and scars all over his body. His mother suffered a broken hand.
"He's going to be scared for a very long time. He's going to be afraid of dogs. It really took a toll on the both of us," Bayer said.
As the family tries to heal, Bayer said she holds no ill will toward her friend, who owns the dogs. "I think it was a freak accident because their dogs are very well tamed," she said.
Animal Control officers removed the dogs from the friend's home Friday. Police in Scott Township are investigating the incident.
(WTAE - Mar 24, 2013)
Amber Lynn Bayer said her son, Cameron, was playing at the home of a family friend when a dog attacked the boy and four others joined in.
"The dogs came heading for me," Cameron said.
"I just keep hearing him screaming in my head," Bayer said. "It's like I almost can feel the dogs biting him, and I cannot let go of that."
Bayer said she wasn't far away and immediately jumped on the small boy to protect him. Eventually, both were able to escape.
"It's traumatizing to me because that's my baby," she said.
Cameron has 20 staples in the back of his head, as well as stitches and scars all over his body. His mother suffered a broken hand.
"He's going to be scared for a very long time. He's going to be afraid of dogs. It really took a toll on the both of us," Bayer said.
As the family tries to heal, Bayer said she holds no ill will toward her friend, who owns the dogs. "I think it was a freak accident because their dogs are very well tamed," she said.
Animal Control officers removed the dogs from the friend's home Friday. Police in Scott Township are investigating the incident.
(WTAE - Mar 24, 2013)
2/28/13: Painful memory: Arm injuries, costs linger after dog attack
ILLINOIS -- When Scott Ijams first heard his wife, Connie, he looked up to find a pit bull jumping on her.
“She’s a pit bull lover, so I just thought she and the dog were enjoying playing or something,” he said.
Moments later, Scott realized something was very wrong.
“It got to be a horrific scream,” he said. “I saw her coming off the porch with this dog all over her and I just went to her and went after the dog.”
It was the afternoon of Oct. 24 and the newly married couple was earning some extra cash for the upcoming holidays by delivering Yellowbooks to residents in Bloomington. That day, their route included the 1200 block of Orchard Road in Bloomington.
The dog, named Bo, ran through a screen door and jumped on her. Scott Ijams came to her rescue, but the dog then turned on him.
“I was covered in mud and blood and a police officer told me I looked like I needed a long shower,” he said. “But I didn’t care. I just had to get that dog off of her.”
A man across the street saw the commotion and began honking his horn and driving his vehicle toward the scene. The dog eventually backed away and the owner, Shanie Doss, gained control of the dog.
Under a 2006 Bloomington city ordinance, all dog and cat owners must register their pets with animal control officials. If they fail to do so, their pets can be seized.
The adult dog was registered, but it was taken because of the brutality of the attack.
It was later euthanized, and two weeks ago Doss was charged with reckless conduct with the possibility of causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. She is scheduled for arraignment on March 8 in circuit court.
The Ijams are hoping restitution is applied to any conviction.
Police and rescue personnel arrived on the scene and realized that Scott Ijams had suffered cuts to his arms, but Connie Ijams had lost a lot of blood. Her arms were torn up and she was in pain.
“It was scary,” Connie Ijams said. “Just real scary.”
She and her husband were taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. Connie underwent four hours of surgery as doctors worked to repair injuries to her damaged skin, arm tissues and tendons. By the time she was sewn up, doctors counted more than 200 stitches.
She spent 10 days in the hospital and had a second surgery. The scars on her arms are still visible, and she suffered nerve damage in her arms.
“The doctor said that it is a good thing I have a little meat on my arms or I might have been in serious trouble,” she said.
Understandably, the attack changed her life.
“I’m just always really nervous,” she said. “I drop things. I shake. I have nightmares. I still cry. I’m in pain constantly and the medical bills continue to pile up.
“I’m doing OK, but I don’t have any feeling in my arms. I can’t lift up my little pinky. But if I have an itch, it does no use to scratch it because I can’t feel anything in my arms and hands. My arm feels like your mouth does after getting a shot at the dentist. It just feels numb.”
She has an appointment in March when doctors will be able to better determine the extent of the nerve damage in her arm. They’ve told her more surgeries are likely in her future.
“It’s really been difficult and traumatic for both of them,” said Scott Ijams’ cousin, Tina Hubbs. “They are both terrific people, and the holidays were really difficult for them because of all of this.”
To help out, Hubbs is helping to organize a Sunday benefit to raise money for medical expenses. The event at Eagles Aerie No. 527, 313 S. Main St., Bloomington, will feature live music, auctions and drawings.
“The bill for the hospital stay alone was $73,000,” Connie said. “Insurance paid for a great deal of that, but there are so many expenses. I am not even sure how much it has been now.”
Hubbs said several local businesses have donated food and gifts for the event.
For the couple, the event also will allow them to thank everyone who has helped and supported them.
“There’s been a blessing in this because all of our family and friends have been awesome since this happened,” Connie said. “I have had people I don’t even know visit or give me words of encouragement and that really has meant a lot.”
(Pantagraph - Feb 28, 2013)
Earlier:
“She’s a pit bull lover, so I just thought she and the dog were enjoying playing or something,” he said.
Moments later, Scott realized something was very wrong.
“It got to be a horrific scream,” he said. “I saw her coming off the porch with this dog all over her and I just went to her and went after the dog.”
 |
| Connie and Scott Ijams talk, Wednesday, February 27, 2013, about the severe injuries she received as a result of a dog attack as they were delivering phone books last October |
It was the afternoon of Oct. 24 and the newly married couple was earning some extra cash for the upcoming holidays by delivering Yellowbooks to residents in Bloomington. That day, their route included the 1200 block of Orchard Road in Bloomington.
The dog, named Bo, ran through a screen door and jumped on her. Scott Ijams came to her rescue, but the dog then turned on him.
“I was covered in mud and blood and a police officer told me I looked like I needed a long shower,” he said. “But I didn’t care. I just had to get that dog off of her.”
A man across the street saw the commotion and began honking his horn and driving his vehicle toward the scene. The dog eventually backed away and the owner, Shanie Doss, gained control of the dog.
Under a 2006 Bloomington city ordinance, all dog and cat owners must register their pets with animal control officials. If they fail to do so, their pets can be seized.
The adult dog was registered, but it was taken because of the brutality of the attack.
It was later euthanized, and two weeks ago Doss was charged with reckless conduct with the possibility of causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. She is scheduled for arraignment on March 8 in circuit court.
The Ijams are hoping restitution is applied to any conviction.
Police and rescue personnel arrived on the scene and realized that Scott Ijams had suffered cuts to his arms, but Connie Ijams had lost a lot of blood. Her arms were torn up and she was in pain.
“It was scary,” Connie Ijams said. “Just real scary.”
She and her husband were taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. Connie underwent four hours of surgery as doctors worked to repair injuries to her damaged skin, arm tissues and tendons. By the time she was sewn up, doctors counted more than 200 stitches.
She spent 10 days in the hospital and had a second surgery. The scars on her arms are still visible, and she suffered nerve damage in her arms.
“The doctor said that it is a good thing I have a little meat on my arms or I might have been in serious trouble,” she said.
Understandably, the attack changed her life.
“I’m just always really nervous,” she said. “I drop things. I shake. I have nightmares. I still cry. I’m in pain constantly and the medical bills continue to pile up.
“I’m doing OK, but I don’t have any feeling in my arms. I can’t lift up my little pinky. But if I have an itch, it does no use to scratch it because I can’t feel anything in my arms and hands. My arm feels like your mouth does after getting a shot at the dentist. It just feels numb.”
She has an appointment in March when doctors will be able to better determine the extent of the nerve damage in her arm. They’ve told her more surgeries are likely in her future.
“It’s really been difficult and traumatic for both of them,” said Scott Ijams’ cousin, Tina Hubbs. “They are both terrific people, and the holidays were really difficult for them because of all of this.”
To help out, Hubbs is helping to organize a Sunday benefit to raise money for medical expenses. The event at Eagles Aerie No. 527, 313 S. Main St., Bloomington, will feature live music, auctions and drawings.
“The bill for the hospital stay alone was $73,000,” Connie said. “Insurance paid for a great deal of that, but there are so many expenses. I am not even sure how much it has been now.”
Hubbs said several local businesses have donated food and gifts for the event.
For the couple, the event also will allow them to thank everyone who has helped and supported them.
“There’s been a blessing in this because all of our family and friends have been awesome since this happened,” Connie said. “I have had people I don’t even know visit or give me words of encouragement and that really has meant a lot.”
(Pantagraph - Feb 28, 2013)
Earlier:
Canada: Chihuahua bravely stepped in when little girl attacked by Pit Bull
CANADA -- She's tiny - but fierce.
Meet Honey, a four-pound Chihuahua that fights well above her weight. As Anne Marie and Paul Desrochers stand in the front yard of their Chilliwack home, the dog patters around the lawn, stopping now and then to let out a playful but protective bark.
Later, the dog heads inside with the family. It takes Honey several tries before its small, plump body makes the leap onto the couch.
While resting on the lap of eight-year-old Jenna, the granddaughter of Anne Marie and Paul, Honey happily licks Jenna's chin.
"No, Honey," says Jenna. With a purple-polished nail, the child gently directs the dog's attention toward a camera snapping their photo. "Look that way."
The tiny and obedient pup is quite possibly the reason Jenna is alive.
"It's a good thing she was here because if she wasn't, Jenna might not be here," said Paul of the brave rescue Honey performed last week, when his granddaughter was attacked by an escaped pit bull.
Jenna, who was on spring break last week, was at her grandparents' home for a sleepover Tuesday. Soon after arriving, the girl went into the yard to look for bunnies.
Within minutes, disaster struck.
According to Anne Marie, a neighbor was trying to get her pit bull mix into her fenced yard when it escaped and headed straight for Jenna.
The girl ran toward the house but the Pit Bull, an adult male, knocked Jenna over and clamped onto her head.
Honey, 4, ran to Jenna's rescue.
"She just did enough to distract that dog and then it chased her," recalled Anne Marie.
In the brief moment that Honey drew the pit bull's attention from Jenna, the neighbour was able to regain control of her dog. Honey then ran to the front door of the home and alerted Anne Marie to what happened.
"It was that yelp like you're hurt," Anne Marie said.
She came to the door and saw Honey bloodied and covered in marks that looked like bites. She then saw Jenna and the neighbour - Jenna was holding her face.
The neighbor, who was in tears, said, "My dog's bit Jenna," and Anne Marie ran over.
"When she let her hand go I just screamed," the grandmother said.
On one side of her head a chunk of skin had been ripped off and her skull was showing. She had injuries to her left eye. There was another wound to the other side of her head. She was covered in blood. The grandparents rushed Jenna to hospital.
Mom Leslie was out with her cousin when Anne Marie called to tell her what happened and to meet them at Chilliwack General Hospital.
"It's just immediate panic," Leslie said. "Knowing which dog did it, I did not know what I would see when I got there. I assumed it was going to be bad."
Leslie arrived at the hospital first and when Jenna walked in she "just lost it."
"I didn't know if she still had an eye - there was just so much blood," Leslie recalled.
Doctors began to work on Jenna immediately. It took three hours and hundreds of stitches to repair the damage. Jenna will see a plastic surgeon Wednesday. Through everything, Jenna didn't shed a tear.
On the way home, when they stopped at the drugstore, Jenna turned to Anne Marie and said, "Well, it's a good thing I didn't get hurt, right Nanny?"
The owner voluntarily euthanized the dog the day after the attack.
(The Province - Mar 27, 2013)
Meet Honey, a four-pound Chihuahua that fights well above her weight. As Anne Marie and Paul Desrochers stand in the front yard of their Chilliwack home, the dog patters around the lawn, stopping now and then to let out a playful but protective bark.
Later, the dog heads inside with the family. It takes Honey several tries before its small, plump body makes the leap onto the couch.
While resting on the lap of eight-year-old Jenna, the granddaughter of Anne Marie and Paul, Honey happily licks Jenna's chin.
"No, Honey," says Jenna. With a purple-polished nail, the child gently directs the dog's attention toward a camera snapping their photo. "Look that way."
The tiny and obedient pup is quite possibly the reason Jenna is alive.
"It's a good thing she was here because if she wasn't, Jenna might not be here," said Paul of the brave rescue Honey performed last week, when his granddaughter was attacked by an escaped pit bull.
Jenna, who was on spring break last week, was at her grandparents' home for a sleepover Tuesday. Soon after arriving, the girl went into the yard to look for bunnies.
Within minutes, disaster struck.
According to Anne Marie, a neighbor was trying to get her pit bull mix into her fenced yard when it escaped and headed straight for Jenna.
The girl ran toward the house but the Pit Bull, an adult male, knocked Jenna over and clamped onto her head.
Honey, 4, ran to Jenna's rescue.
"She just did enough to distract that dog and then it chased her," recalled Anne Marie.
In the brief moment that Honey drew the pit bull's attention from Jenna, the neighbour was able to regain control of her dog. Honey then ran to the front door of the home and alerted Anne Marie to what happened.
"It was that yelp like you're hurt," Anne Marie said.
She came to the door and saw Honey bloodied and covered in marks that looked like bites. She then saw Jenna and the neighbour - Jenna was holding her face.
The neighbor, who was in tears, said, "My dog's bit Jenna," and Anne Marie ran over.
"When she let her hand go I just screamed," the grandmother said.
On one side of her head a chunk of skin had been ripped off and her skull was showing. She had injuries to her left eye. There was another wound to the other side of her head. She was covered in blood. The grandparents rushed Jenna to hospital.
Mom Leslie was out with her cousin when Anne Marie called to tell her what happened and to meet them at Chilliwack General Hospital.
"It's just immediate panic," Leslie said. "Knowing which dog did it, I did not know what I would see when I got there. I assumed it was going to be bad."
Leslie arrived at the hospital first and when Jenna walked in she "just lost it."
"I didn't know if she still had an eye - there was just so much blood," Leslie recalled.
Doctors began to work on Jenna immediately. It took three hours and hundreds of stitches to repair the damage. Jenna will see a plastic surgeon Wednesday. Through everything, Jenna didn't shed a tear.
On the way home, when they stopped at the drugstore, Jenna turned to Anne Marie and said, "Well, it's a good thing I didn't get hurt, right Nanny?"
The owner voluntarily euthanized the dog the day after the attack.
(The Province - Mar 27, 2013)
Five Severely Emaciated Horses Rescued
OHIO -- Five severely emaciated horses are now in safe hands after being rescued from a property in Montville earlier this month.
According to the Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village, complaints started pouring in at the end of February about the horses’ deteriorating state.
When agents responded, a woman and her daughter were unwilling to hand over their animals, said Christian Courtwright with Rescue Village.
Finally, the horses were seized on March 2.
Under veterinary care, they’re being treated for “visible injuries” and severe neglect. In fact, Courtwright said on a scale from 0-9 of physical condition, most of them were either a 1 or a 2.
The case is now in the hands of the prosecutor’s office. The owners, who reportedly left the state, could face five counts of animal cruelty.
Anyone with more information regarding this case can call the Geauga County Humane Society’s Rescue Village at (440) 338-4819.
Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this story as they become available.
(fox8 - Mar 22, 2013)
According to the Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village, complaints started pouring in at the end of February about the horses’ deteriorating state.
When agents responded, a woman and her daughter were unwilling to hand over their animals, said Christian Courtwright with Rescue Village.
Finally, the horses were seized on March 2.
Under veterinary care, they’re being treated for “visible injuries” and severe neglect. In fact, Courtwright said on a scale from 0-9 of physical condition, most of them were either a 1 or a 2.
The case is now in the hands of the prosecutor’s office. The owners, who reportedly left the state, could face five counts of animal cruelty.
Anyone with more information regarding this case can call the Geauga County Humane Society’s Rescue Village at (440) 338-4819.
Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this story as they become available.
(fox8 - Mar 22, 2013)
Dramatic 911 call as guard dogs attack teen
MASSACHUSETTS -- Two guard dogs have been put down after attacking a teenager.
The 14-year-old boy was mauled by guard dogs after police say he jumped the fence at a construction site where he had played with the dogs many times before.
“I can’t recognize my own grandson, my baby,” cried the grandmother of victim, Brandon Marchetti.
“He knew that those dogs were friendly. He knew them by name. He didn’t randomly do it. This is my son. This dog, I understand dogs are supposed to do their job, but these dogs were eating him,” said Raymond Marchette, the victim’s father.
Brandon was there with a 12-year-old friend who called 9-1-1, watching from nearby and trying to get his friend help.
Dispatcher: Tell him help is on the way
Dispatcher: Where are they biting him?
Caller : Like on the arms, legs, inside (unintelligible)
9-1-1: Who's dogs are they?
Caller: I’m not sure. They're two Rottweilers.
Dispatcher: Are they anywhere near his head?
Caller: Yeah
Dispatcher: Tell him help is on the way.
Police shot one of the two Rottweiler dogs but he kept attacking. Firefighters finally turned a water hose on the dogs and got them to back off so they could get to the 14-year-old.
"You think you get shot you would run away, but they just didn’t. They stayed there and luckily the hose line got them away,” said Michael O’Hara, Revere Fire Department.
Brandon is recovering in the hospital but with some pretty serious injuries.
“He has a cut here, a laceration across his eye and multiple chunks taken out of his side. It’s just been a really tough day,” said Marchette.
The two dogs were taken away by animal rescue. Police said the owner and dogs did nothing wrong, but the owner felt so bad that he had the dogs put down.
(WHDH - Mar 23, 2013)
The 14-year-old boy was mauled by guard dogs after police say he jumped the fence at a construction site where he had played with the dogs many times before.
“I can’t recognize my own grandson, my baby,” cried the grandmother of victim, Brandon Marchetti.
“He knew that those dogs were friendly. He knew them by name. He didn’t randomly do it. This is my son. This dog, I understand dogs are supposed to do their job, but these dogs were eating him,” said Raymond Marchette, the victim’s father.
Brandon was there with a 12-year-old friend who called 9-1-1, watching from nearby and trying to get his friend help.
Dispatcher: Tell him help is on the way
Dispatcher: Where are they biting him?
Caller : Like on the arms, legs, inside (unintelligible)
9-1-1: Who's dogs are they?
Caller: I’m not sure. They're two Rottweilers.
Dispatcher: Are they anywhere near his head?
Caller: Yeah
Dispatcher: Tell him help is on the way.
Police shot one of the two Rottweiler dogs but he kept attacking. Firefighters finally turned a water hose on the dogs and got them to back off so they could get to the 14-year-old.
"You think you get shot you would run away, but they just didn’t. They stayed there and luckily the hose line got them away,” said Michael O’Hara, Revere Fire Department.
Brandon is recovering in the hospital but with some pretty serious injuries.
“He has a cut here, a laceration across his eye and multiple chunks taken out of his side. It’s just been a really tough day,” said Marchette.
The two dogs were taken away by animal rescue. Police said the owner and dogs did nothing wrong, but the owner felt so bad that he had the dogs put down.
(WHDH - Mar 23, 2013)
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