FLORIDA -- A Broward Sheriff`s Office detective who went to a home in Davie on Monday to arrest a man on a probation violation was bitten by a pit bull as five of the animals sprang from the man's yard.
Detective Christopher Dale, 25, was bitten on the left calf by one of the pit bulls, Sheriff`s Office spokesman Al Gordon said. He was treated at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood and released.
Dale had gone to a home in the 5700 block of Southwest 38th Street to arrest Wayne Allen Luno, 25, on a warrant charging him with violation of probation for battery on a law enforcement officer, Gordon said.
When Dale arrived at the home at 5:30 p.m., he went to the front door and began talking to a woman, Gordon said.
As the detective talked with the woman, five pit bulls came running from the back yard, and one bit Dale on the calf. Dale kicked the dog, which then let go of his leg, Gordon said.
The woman at first said the dog was hers, but later said she was taking care of it for a friend. The animal was taken into the custody of Broward County Animal Control and will be kept for 10 days to determine whether it has rabies, Gordon said.
Luno was taken into custody on the warrant and was being held without bail at the Broward County Jail on Monday night, Gordon said. There were no charges in the biting incident, Gordon said.
(Sun Sentinel - October 18, 1988)
Tuesday, October 18, 1988
Thursday, September 29, 1988
Florida: Accused of beating a tiny kitten to death and feeding it to his pit bull, Michael Biondi, 21, now accused of breaking into shelter and stealing his dogs back
FLORIDA -- A man accused earlier this week of feeding a kitten to his pit bull terrier has been charged with breaking into the Broward County Animal Control Division and removing his dog and another pit bull.
Hollywood resident Michael Biondi, 21, of the 2100 block of Cleveland Street, surrendered to police on Tuesday at the Broward County Courthouse, but refused to tell authorities where the missing dogs were. One of the missing dogs is Biondi`s pet.
Biondi was charged with burglary, two counts of petty theft and felony criminal mischief for breaking into the facility at 1871 SW 40th St. and removing the dogs, sheriff`s spokesman George Crolius said. Biondi was being held in the Broward County Jail on Wednesday in lieu of $1,550 bail.
Biondi`s dog was taken away by Broward County Animal Control after a neighbor said he saw Biondi standing over the dog as it repeatedly bit a cat last Thursday. Biondi was charged with animal cruelty in connection with the cat incident.
The other missing pit bull, a 35-pound, brown-and-white female, had been quarantined for rabies observation since Sept. 21 after biting a Carver Ranches man. The dog was supposed to remain quarantined until Saturday, according to state regulations, said Larry Atwell, Animal Control assistant director.
"Should the dog not be recovered (by Saturday), that would mean we cannot tell the (dog bite victim) if the dog is healthy," said Sgt. Sherry Schlueter, supervisor of the sheriff`s agricultural crimes/animal abuse unit. "It would be up to the man to decide if he wanted to undergo rabies shots."
The victim, Bob Hough, could not be located for comment.
County health officials, however, said it is unlikely the missing pit bull is infected with rabies.
Steve Dennison, assistant environmental health director at the Broward County Public Health Unit, said the most recent case of a rabies-infected animal was a bat in 1984. A domestic animal has not been found with rabies in the county since 1955, when a cat contracted the disease, Dennison said.
"The odds are pretty good the animal wasn`t rabid," he said.
Dennison also said rabies shots no longer consist of a 21-shot series in the abdomen. Current treatment is a series of five shots in the arm during a two- week period, he said.
The dogs were reported missing on Tuesday morning after Animal Control employees found two empty cages, and discovered holes cut in chain-link fences and gates enclosing the compound, Atwell said.
"We suspect that he was probably trying to rescue his dog," Schlueter said. "He probably mistakenly believed it would automatically be killed."
(Sun Sentinel - September 29, 1988)
Earlier:
Hollywood resident Michael Biondi, 21, of the 2100 block of Cleveland Street, surrendered to police on Tuesday at the Broward County Courthouse, but refused to tell authorities where the missing dogs were. One of the missing dogs is Biondi`s pet.
Biondi was charged with burglary, two counts of petty theft and felony criminal mischief for breaking into the facility at 1871 SW 40th St. and removing the dogs, sheriff`s spokesman George Crolius said. Biondi was being held in the Broward County Jail on Wednesday in lieu of $1,550 bail.
Biondi`s dog was taken away by Broward County Animal Control after a neighbor said he saw Biondi standing over the dog as it repeatedly bit a cat last Thursday. Biondi was charged with animal cruelty in connection with the cat incident.
The other missing pit bull, a 35-pound, brown-and-white female, had been quarantined for rabies observation since Sept. 21 after biting a Carver Ranches man. The dog was supposed to remain quarantined until Saturday, according to state regulations, said Larry Atwell, Animal Control assistant director.
"Should the dog not be recovered (by Saturday), that would mean we cannot tell the (dog bite victim) if the dog is healthy," said Sgt. Sherry Schlueter, supervisor of the sheriff`s agricultural crimes/animal abuse unit. "It would be up to the man to decide if he wanted to undergo rabies shots."
The victim, Bob Hough, could not be located for comment.
County health officials, however, said it is unlikely the missing pit bull is infected with rabies.
Steve Dennison, assistant environmental health director at the Broward County Public Health Unit, said the most recent case of a rabies-infected animal was a bat in 1984. A domestic animal has not been found with rabies in the county since 1955, when a cat contracted the disease, Dennison said.
"The odds are pretty good the animal wasn`t rabid," he said.
Dennison also said rabies shots no longer consist of a 21-shot series in the abdomen. Current treatment is a series of five shots in the arm during a two- week period, he said.
The dogs were reported missing on Tuesday morning after Animal Control employees found two empty cages, and discovered holes cut in chain-link fences and gates enclosing the compound, Atwell said.
"We suspect that he was probably trying to rescue his dog," Schlueter said. "He probably mistakenly believed it would automatically be killed."
(Sun Sentinel - September 29, 1988)
Earlier:
Tuesday, September 27, 1988
Florida: Michael Biondi, 21, accused of beating a tiny kitten to death and then holding the kitten's broken and battered body up in the air and letting his pit bull rip it to pieces
FLORIDA -- The owner of a pit bull terrier was charged with cruelty to animals on Monday after police said he was seen feeding a kitten to his dog.
Michael Biondi, 21, of the 2100 block of Cleveland St., was accused of feeding the kitten to the dog on Thursday, Broward Sheriff`s Office spokesman Al Gordon said.
A Hollywood police officer, who arrived at the scene after a neighbor called police, said he witnessed Biondi standing over the dog as it was continually biting the cat, Gordon said.
An autopsy of the cat revealed that it had died of blows to the head and mid- section and was killed before the dog got to it, Gordon said.
The dog was taken away by Broward County Animal Control and Biondi was issued a notice to appear in court, Gordon said. The cruely charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
(Sun Sentinel - September 27, 1988)
Michael Biondi, 21, of the 2100 block of Cleveland St., was accused of feeding the kitten to the dog on Thursday, Broward Sheriff`s Office spokesman Al Gordon said.
A Hollywood police officer, who arrived at the scene after a neighbor called police, said he witnessed Biondi standing over the dog as it was continually biting the cat, Gordon said.
An autopsy of the cat revealed that it had died of blows to the head and mid- section and was killed before the dog got to it, Gordon said.
The dog was taken away by Broward County Animal Control and Biondi was issued a notice to appear in court, Gordon said. The cruely charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
(Sun Sentinel - September 27, 1988)
Tuesday, August 23, 1988
Maryland: Gene Barber tried to say he shot and killed disabled woman's dog because it menaced him, but the judge didn't buy it. Barber got 3 months in the county jail and 6 years probation for animal cruelty
MARYLAND -- Gene Henry Barber may not have understood the consequences of firing a .22-caliber bullet into the chest of Lady, a 4-year-old German shepherd who lived near him at the Maryland Manor Mobile Park 15 miles south of here.
But now he has three months in jail to think about it.
In what animal activists said is part of a trend toward stiffer sentences in cruelty cases, Barber was sentenced last week to 90 days in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on joint charges of animal cruelty and discharging a weapon in a populated area.
He was also put on six years' probation and ordered to pay $1,000 restitution to Lady's owner, Gail Johnson, 45, for the death of her pet.
"Society is just too sophisticated to have people just go around shooting someone else's dog," said District Judge Lawrence Rushworth, who found Barber guilty Wednesday in a nonjury trial and imposed sentence the same day.
In his only other animal cruelty case, which involved the bow-and-arrow shooting two years ago of a dog found rummaging in a trash can, Rushworth imposed a similar sentence. He said he takes animal cruelty charges seriously because of the emotional attachment between owners and their pets.
"I don't know what value you can put on a dog. I am sure that if you own a dog, you put the value substantially high," Rushworth said, adding that in Johnson's case, "one could not help but feel sorry for this . . . woman who had lost her pet."
Johnson, who has used a wheelchair since the removal of a brain tumor in September, lives with family friend Thomas Strempek in a trailer near Barber's at the mobile home park in Harwood, south of Annapolis.
According to Strempek, the Jan. 31 shooting deprived Johnson of her closest companion. The dog would stroll alongside her electric wheelchair when they went for walks, and always obey her commands.
"She cried for days," said Strempek, 62. "She missed that dog because that dog was her best friend, really."
Strempek said Barber had threatened to kill Lady several times because he said the dog barked at him in a menacing way, a claim Rushworth dismissed as "not believable" in the absence of any evidence that Lady ever tried to attack or bite him.
On the day of the shooting, while Lady cavorted with Johnson's grandson and some neighborhood children, Strempek said Barber provoked the dog twice by squirting it with a hose.
Although he said he was surprised by the sentence and claims he would never have suggested a jail term for the shooting (why not???), Strempek said, "I am not upset that {Barber} got time to think" about killing the dog.
Barber could not be reached for comment. Assistant State's Attorney John LeCornu, who prosecuted the case, said he will probably be released from jail pending an appeal.
(Washington Post - August 23, 1988)
But now he has three months in jail to think about it.
In what animal activists said is part of a trend toward stiffer sentences in cruelty cases, Barber was sentenced last week to 90 days in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on joint charges of animal cruelty and discharging a weapon in a populated area.
He was also put on six years' probation and ordered to pay $1,000 restitution to Lady's owner, Gail Johnson, 45, for the death of her pet.
"Society is just too sophisticated to have people just go around shooting someone else's dog," said District Judge Lawrence Rushworth, who found Barber guilty Wednesday in a nonjury trial and imposed sentence the same day.
In his only other animal cruelty case, which involved the bow-and-arrow shooting two years ago of a dog found rummaging in a trash can, Rushworth imposed a similar sentence. He said he takes animal cruelty charges seriously because of the emotional attachment between owners and their pets.
"I don't know what value you can put on a dog. I am sure that if you own a dog, you put the value substantially high," Rushworth said, adding that in Johnson's case, "one could not help but feel sorry for this . . . woman who had lost her pet."
Johnson, who has used a wheelchair since the removal of a brain tumor in September, lives with family friend Thomas Strempek in a trailer near Barber's at the mobile home park in Harwood, south of Annapolis.
According to Strempek, the Jan. 31 shooting deprived Johnson of her closest companion. The dog would stroll alongside her electric wheelchair when they went for walks, and always obey her commands.
"She cried for days," said Strempek, 62. "She missed that dog because that dog was her best friend, really."
Strempek said Barber had threatened to kill Lady several times because he said the dog barked at him in a menacing way, a claim Rushworth dismissed as "not believable" in the absence of any evidence that Lady ever tried to attack or bite him.
On the day of the shooting, while Lady cavorted with Johnson's grandson and some neighborhood children, Strempek said Barber provoked the dog twice by squirting it with a hose.
Although he said he was surprised by the sentence and claims he would never have suggested a jail term for the shooting (why not???), Strempek said, "I am not upset that {Barber} got time to think" about killing the dog.
Barber could not be reached for comment. Assistant State's Attorney John LeCornu, who prosecuted the case, said he will probably be released from jail pending an appeal.
(Washington Post - August 23, 1988)
Thursday, August 4, 1988
Florida: Numerous Attack By Pit Bulls Triggers Call For More Regulations
FLORIDA -- An attack on a teen-age boy by two pit bulls in an neighborhood where unleashed dogs have been a problem for years has some residents demanding more county regulations of dogs and the banning of pit bull ownership.
"I'm tired of people not being able to walk the streets. People who live around here have been terrorized by those dogs," the boy's father, Dennis Kauffman Sr., said.
Dennis Kauffman Jr., 14, of the 4300 block of Northeast 13th Avenue, south of Deerfield Beach, was walking home on Tuesday after mowing the lawn at an aunt's house when two pit bulls ran from a nearby yard and attacked him. He was mauled in five parts of his body.
Even before the attack, the neighborhood homeowners association had scheduled a meeting for tonight with an official of the Broward Sheriff's Office on the problem of unleashed, vicious dogs.
Kauffman was bitten by a different pit bull last year. That dog, which belonged to a neighbor just two houses away, had also attacked another resident.
"I think they should be outlawed," said Erika Termyna, 67, who was bitten on her arms and legs. "They're dangerous, very dangerous. Shoot them all down, period."
Termyna owns a Doberman Pinscher.
Neighborhood residents said there are two other homes in the area with pit bulls. At both locations, several pit bulls are raised and bred, they said.
In the last month, in other parts of Broward County, there have been two other serious dog attacks.
Anna Young, 76, of the 5900 block of Northwest 41st Terrace, near North Lauderdale, was mauled by two mixed breed dogs owned by her son. She remains in a coma at Northwest Regional Hospital in Margate. The dogs had attacked a mail carrier six months before.
Also in July, a pit bull jumped from a pickup truck in Plantation and bit a woman on the leg in a parking lot.
The man identified as the owner of the dogs that bit Kauffman could not be reached for comment. Joey LaCross, who also owns two pit bull puppies, was out of town, according to relatives at his house in the 5000 block of Northeast 14th Street.
Kauffman's father said he will ask the homeowners association to get involved in the fight to better regulate dogs.
Thelma Ramsey, program director for the Pompano Beach Highlands Civic Improvement Association, said the organization has been trying for years to get county officials to address the problem of unleashed dogs.
The association petitioned the County Commission to give the county's Animal Control Division more money and more power to cite violators.
"I think it's getting out of hand with pit bulls and other animals. It's not fair to the animal and not fair to others," Ramsey said.
The County Commission had adopted a regulation that required pit bull owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance, but it was struck down by a court ruling in 1986.
Larry Atwell, assistant director of the Animal Control Division, said the dogs that bit Kauffman are being held for a required 10 days rabies watch. One of the dogs was shot in the lip by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Bounassi as they ran toward him after the attack on Kauffman.
Atwell said the physical structure of a pit bull makes its bite more severe because of its ability to lock its jaws once it has bitten a victim. He said pit bulls are both naturally vicious and bred or trained to be vicious.
He said LaCross was in violation of the county's leash law and also had not had the dogs vaccinated or tagged. He said LaCross would have to pay a $56 fine for each dog.
The Sheriff's Office considered but then rejected filing charges of aggravated battery against LaCross. It can't be proven that he intended for the dogs to attack, Sheriff's Office spokesman George Crolius said. However, he said, the dogs may be taken from the owner and destroyed under the county's vicious dog law.
(Sun Sentinel - August 4, 1988)
"I'm tired of people not being able to walk the streets. People who live around here have been terrorized by those dogs," the boy's father, Dennis Kauffman Sr., said.
Dennis Kauffman Jr., 14, of the 4300 block of Northeast 13th Avenue, south of Deerfield Beach, was walking home on Tuesday after mowing the lawn at an aunt's house when two pit bulls ran from a nearby yard and attacked him. He was mauled in five parts of his body.
Even before the attack, the neighborhood homeowners association had scheduled a meeting for tonight with an official of the Broward Sheriff's Office on the problem of unleashed, vicious dogs.
Kauffman was bitten by a different pit bull last year. That dog, which belonged to a neighbor just two houses away, had also attacked another resident.
"I think they should be outlawed," said Erika Termyna, 67, who was bitten on her arms and legs. "They're dangerous, very dangerous. Shoot them all down, period."
Termyna owns a Doberman Pinscher.
Neighborhood residents said there are two other homes in the area with pit bulls. At both locations, several pit bulls are raised and bred, they said.
In the last month, in other parts of Broward County, there have been two other serious dog attacks.
Anna Young, 76, of the 5900 block of Northwest 41st Terrace, near North Lauderdale, was mauled by two mixed breed dogs owned by her son. She remains in a coma at Northwest Regional Hospital in Margate. The dogs had attacked a mail carrier six months before.
Also in July, a pit bull jumped from a pickup truck in Plantation and bit a woman on the leg in a parking lot.
The man identified as the owner of the dogs that bit Kauffman could not be reached for comment. Joey LaCross, who also owns two pit bull puppies, was out of town, according to relatives at his house in the 5000 block of Northeast 14th Street.
Kauffman's father said he will ask the homeowners association to get involved in the fight to better regulate dogs.
Thelma Ramsey, program director for the Pompano Beach Highlands Civic Improvement Association, said the organization has been trying for years to get county officials to address the problem of unleashed dogs.
The association petitioned the County Commission to give the county's Animal Control Division more money and more power to cite violators.
"I think it's getting out of hand with pit bulls and other animals. It's not fair to the animal and not fair to others," Ramsey said.
The County Commission had adopted a regulation that required pit bull owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance, but it was struck down by a court ruling in 1986.
Larry Atwell, assistant director of the Animal Control Division, said the dogs that bit Kauffman are being held for a required 10 days rabies watch. One of the dogs was shot in the lip by Sheriff's Deputy Michael Bounassi as they ran toward him after the attack on Kauffman.
Atwell said the physical structure of a pit bull makes its bite more severe because of its ability to lock its jaws once it has bitten a victim. He said pit bulls are both naturally vicious and bred or trained to be vicious.
He said LaCross was in violation of the county's leash law and also had not had the dogs vaccinated or tagged. He said LaCross would have to pay a $56 fine for each dog.
The Sheriff's Office considered but then rejected filing charges of aggravated battery against LaCross. It can't be proven that he intended for the dogs to attack, Sheriff's Office spokesman George Crolius said. However, he said, the dogs may be taken from the owner and destroyed under the county's vicious dog law.
(Sun Sentinel - August 4, 1988)
Friday, March 25, 1988
Illinois: Officer Shoots Man, Is Bitten By Pit Bull
ILLINOIS -- An undercover Chicago police officer shot a man who allegedly tried to rob him by using a pit bull terrier and was then bitten by the dog Wednesday night, police said.
The man who was shot, identified only as Eric Baker, was hit in the ear during the struggle. He was listed in good condition at Illinois Masonic Hospital, a hospital spokesman said.
Jose Reyes, 30, a youth officer assigned to the Special Investigations Unit, was bitten in the hand and abdomen by the pit bull and was listed in good condition, the hospital spokesman said.
Reyes was doing undercover work on Belmont Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. when two youths approached him and allegedly tried to rob him, police said.
When Reyes told them to go away, the youths allegedly returned with a pit bull and threatened Reyes, police said.
Reyes` partner, Officer Lawrence Corey, who was across the street, ran over and grabbed one of the youths. The dog attacked Reyes, and in a struggle with the youths Reyes shot Baker, police said.
(Chicago Tribune - March 24, 1988)
Earlier:
The man who was shot, identified only as Eric Baker, was hit in the ear during the struggle. He was listed in good condition at Illinois Masonic Hospital, a hospital spokesman said.
Jose Reyes, 30, a youth officer assigned to the Special Investigations Unit, was bitten in the hand and abdomen by the pit bull and was listed in good condition, the hospital spokesman said.
Reyes was doing undercover work on Belmont Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. when two youths approached him and allegedly tried to rob him, police said.
When Reyes told them to go away, the youths allegedly returned with a pit bull and threatened Reyes, police said.
Reyes` partner, Officer Lawrence Corey, who was across the street, ran over and grabbed one of the youths. The dog attacked Reyes, and in a struggle with the youths Reyes shot Baker, police said.
(Chicago Tribune - March 24, 1988)
Earlier:
Illinois: An undercover Chicago police officer shot a man who allegedly tried to rob him by using a pit bull terrier and was then bitten by the dog
ILLINOIS -- An undercover Chicago police officer shot a man who allegedly tried to rob him by using a pit bull terrier and was then bitten by the dog Wednesday night, police said.
The man who was shot, identified only as Eric Baker, was hit in the ear during the struggle. He was listed in good condition at Illinois Masonic Hospital, a hospital spokesman said.
Jose Reyes, 30, a youth officer assigned to the Special Investigations Unit, was bitten in the hand and abdomen by the pit bull and was listed in good condition, the hospital spokesman said.
Reyes was doing undercover work on Belmont Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. when two youths approached him and allegedly tried to rob him, police said.
When Reyes told them to go away, the youths allegedly returned with a pit bull and threatened Reyes, police said.
Reyes` partner, Officer Lawrence Corey, who was across the street, ran over and grabbed one of the youths. The dog attacked Reyes, and in a struggle with the youths Reyes shot Baker, police said.
(Chicago Tribune - March 24, 1988)
The man who was shot, identified only as Eric Baker, was hit in the ear during the struggle. He was listed in good condition at Illinois Masonic Hospital, a hospital spokesman said.
Jose Reyes, 30, a youth officer assigned to the Special Investigations Unit, was bitten in the hand and abdomen by the pit bull and was listed in good condition, the hospital spokesman said.
Reyes was doing undercover work on Belmont Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. when two youths approached him and allegedly tried to rob him, police said.
When Reyes told them to go away, the youths allegedly returned with a pit bull and threatened Reyes, police said.
Reyes` partner, Officer Lawrence Corey, who was across the street, ran over and grabbed one of the youths. The dog attacked Reyes, and in a struggle with the youths Reyes shot Baker, police said.
(Chicago Tribune - March 24, 1988)
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