RHODE ISLAND -- The parents of a 6-day-old girl killed by the family dog on Wednesday at first thought the child was only slightly hurt, according to police.
Coventry police say the father of Alexis McDermott told them he got a call from his wife on Tuesday morning saying something was wrong with the baby.
Scott McDermott said he returned home and he and his wife, Cindy, checked on Alexis. Cindy had found a small amount of blood on the baby's head, but Scott McDermott told police when they examined the baby together, it appeared the wound was minor, as the bleeding had stopped, according to a news release from Coventry police.
Cindy's mother came to the house, and the three decided to drive the baby to the hospital. Alexis stopped breathing on the way, and the family brought her to a West Warwick fire station for medical help.
The baby was taken to Kent County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy determined the baby died from "injuries to multiple internal organs and internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma" from multiple dog bites, police said.
Police said Scott McDermott told them his wife said she had left the baby in a portable crib while she went into the kitchen. She heard Alexis crying and returned to find the baby on the floor with the dog, a male Husky, nearby.
Cindy McDermott has not yet spoken with police. They said she is too upset to meet with detectives.
Coventry police released a statement Thursday, but did not return phone calls seeking further comment.
No telephone listing for the family could immediately be found.
The dog is being held by animal control. Its fate has not been determined.
Police said Scott McDermott told them there had been no problems with the dog in the past and the dog had not shown any aggression to the baby since she came home from the hospital.
While dog attacks are not the leading cause of injury to children, they are also not uncommon, said Dr. Michael Shannon, director of emergency services at Children's Hospital in Boston.
"Just in the past month, I've seen at least five children with serious injuries from a dog," he said.
Children's behavior makes them more likely to provoke an attack than adults, and their size makes them more vulnerable because an attack on a child more likely to hit a vital organ, Shannon said.
Maria Wah-Fitta, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island Department of Health, said the department tracks childhood deaths, and a review of those records since 1998 found no instances of death by dog bite.
Of 27 people who died from dog bites in 1997-98, 19 were children under the age of 15, according to data on the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says children - and boys from 5 to 9, in particular - have the highest rate of emergency department visits stemming from dog attacks.
(Sun Journal - July 15, 2005)
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Friday, July 15, 2005
Three Norcross men allegedly responsible for 37 pit bull being neglected
GEORGIA -- Three Norcross men allegedly responsible for 37 pit bull dogs are being held without bond on drug charges while officials determine whether the trio will also face animal cruelty charges.
Officer Darren Moloney, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, said police are waiting until a doctor has had a better chance to look at the animals and assess their condition before deciding whether to charge Tyrone Laval Drayton, 19; Raymond Barry Washington, 25; and John Holmes, 21, with cruelty to animals.
A Gwinnett Animal Control officer arrived at the 6089 Williams Road residence Tuesday morning to look into reports of animal cruelty.
Upon arrival, the officer observed multiple pit-bull dogs, several of which appeared to be severely physically neglected, police reports said.
The officer also saw what appeared to be marijuana when he made contact with the men, at which point he detained them and obtained a search warrant.
Police reports indicate some of the puppies were suffering from severe malnutrition and a veterinarian at the scene said the animals were exhibiting signs consistent with neglect and physical cruelty.
There were also several shallow graves in the backyard of the residence where the remains of a puppy were found in a black, plastic garbage bag.
Moloney said one puppy was currently under a doctor's care because it was in pretty bad shape, but it appeared it would live.
"I was shocked when I arrived at the scene," Moloney said. "It's hard to see anybody doing anything like that to animals."
Neighbors of the men also expressed feelings of shock when they found out how many dogs there were.
"Why would someone have 37 pit bulls?" Leon Vuong said. "I'm glad someone called, but I feel bad for those dogs."
"I'm thankful Gwinnett County stayed on the ball," Phyllis Harris said when told there were 37 dogs. "But I had no idea there were that many. I thought there were about six."
Neighbors also said they are relieved that police intervened because the dogs were becoming a nuisance.
"It was really annoying because we heard those dogs barking all the time," Vuong said. "Maybe now we'll have some peace and quiet."
Harris, whose property backs up to that of the three men, said that she sometimes heard gunfire in the middle of the night and in the afternoon coming from that residence.
Moloney said police had been looking into the residence for some time for alleged drug activity.
The three men are being held in police custody on drug-related charges.
Animal cruelty charges of the first degree carry a maximum year in jail or a fine of $5,000 or both.
Moloney said police were not yet sure of what would happen to the dogs and they were being held by animal control as evidence.
(Gwinnett Daily Post - July 14, 2005)
Officer Darren Moloney, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department, said police are waiting until a doctor has had a better chance to look at the animals and assess their condition before deciding whether to charge Tyrone Laval Drayton, 19; Raymond Barry Washington, 25; and John Holmes, 21, with cruelty to animals.
A Gwinnett Animal Control officer arrived at the 6089 Williams Road residence Tuesday morning to look into reports of animal cruelty.
Upon arrival, the officer observed multiple pit-bull dogs, several of which appeared to be severely physically neglected, police reports said.
The officer also saw what appeared to be marijuana when he made contact with the men, at which point he detained them and obtained a search warrant.
Police reports indicate some of the puppies were suffering from severe malnutrition and a veterinarian at the scene said the animals were exhibiting signs consistent with neglect and physical cruelty.
There were also several shallow graves in the backyard of the residence where the remains of a puppy were found in a black, plastic garbage bag.
Moloney said one puppy was currently under a doctor's care because it was in pretty bad shape, but it appeared it would live.
"I was shocked when I arrived at the scene," Moloney said. "It's hard to see anybody doing anything like that to animals."
Neighbors of the men also expressed feelings of shock when they found out how many dogs there were.
"Why would someone have 37 pit bulls?" Leon Vuong said. "I'm glad someone called, but I feel bad for those dogs."
"I'm thankful Gwinnett County stayed on the ball," Phyllis Harris said when told there were 37 dogs. "But I had no idea there were that many. I thought there were about six."
Neighbors also said they are relieved that police intervened because the dogs were becoming a nuisance.
"It was really annoying because we heard those dogs barking all the time," Vuong said. "Maybe now we'll have some peace and quiet."
Harris, whose property backs up to that of the three men, said that she sometimes heard gunfire in the middle of the night and in the afternoon coming from that residence.
Moloney said police had been looking into the residence for some time for alleged drug activity.
The three men are being held in police custody on drug-related charges.
Animal cruelty charges of the first degree carry a maximum year in jail or a fine of $5,000 or both.
Moloney said police were not yet sure of what would happen to the dogs and they were being held by animal control as evidence.
(Gwinnett Daily Post - July 14, 2005)
Thursday, July 7, 2005
Pennsylvania: Elizabeth Jovanov's refusal to have vicious pit bull euthanized nets nearly $20,000 in fines
PENNSYLVANIA -- Elizabeth Jovanov has racked up nearly $20,000 in fines to date because of her son’s refusal to have Slim – their 2-year-old Staffordshire pit bull terrier – put to sleep.
“Me putting my dog to sleep is like me putting my kid to sleep. I’d pay a lifetime of fines before I’d let that happen,” said Traian Jovanov, 20, of North Pine Street.
City health officer Mark Thompson ordered Elizabeth Jovanov to have the dog put down after the dog allegedly attacked U.S. Postal Service employee Andrew Debalko while he was delivering mail on May 31.
She was caring for the dog because her son was jailed on a probation violation.
The dog attacked people “without provocation on three occasions over a 30-month period, inflicting bodily harm on each,” according to a citation Thompson filed on June 15 with District Justice Joseph Zola.
The citation, which carries a $600-per-day fine for each day of the violation, states that Jovanov was charged with failing to comply with Thompson’s order to euthanize the dog.
The fine stands at about $19,800.
Good luck getting her to pay it.
Three unprovoked attacks by a dangerous dog can result in mandatory euthanasia, although the officer may direct that the dog be euthanized after only one severe attack, the city’s new dangerous dog law states.
An employee at Zola’s office said no plea had been entered on the “failure to euthanize” citation or two others related to the incident. A hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 25.
Elizabeth Jovanov also was cited by Thompson for having an animal running at large, and by state dog warden James Spencer for harboring a dangerous dog. Those charges carry maximum $300 fines.
Within 14 days of a city police or health officer’s determination that the dog is dangerous, the owner can appeal the determination to a three-member panel consisting of a local veterinarian, a dog trainer and someone experienced with various dog breeds.
Traian Jovanov said he was unaware of the city’s appeal process and doesn’t believe his dog is dangerous.
Thompson said the dog was loose and off the owner’s property when it bit Debalko, but Jovanov said the dog was leashed and bit the mailman when Debalko put his hand near the dog’s face while handing mail to Jovanov’s sister.
Debalko did not return a call seeking comment.
Jovanov said he doesn’t believe his dog was at fault in that incident or in two previous attacks in 2003 and 2004.
Jovanov said a man with whom he was arguing in 2003 kicked his dog in the face while getting on his bicycle, and that the dog jumped around the man but never bit him.
He said a man delivering laundry to his parent’s tenants in 2004 was bitten after he entered the back yard of the residence, even though signs were posted warning people of a dog on the premises.
However, the 2004 bite victim – Christian Rubio of Beaver Meadows – told a reporterhe never entered the yard, that the dog was loose in front of the house and that there were no warning signs posted. Rubio’s name appears on a witness list for the July 25 hearing.
For the 2003 incident, Traian Jovanov was charged with and pleaded guilty to failure to have his dog licensed and vaccinated against rabies. For the 2004 incident, he was charged with and found guilty of failure to keep his dog under control and have it vaccinated.
Jovanov said his mother, who had hip surgery last week and was unavailable for comment for this story, told him she would handle the current legal situation.
He said he hopes the order to euthanize the dog isn’t enforceable because the law went into effect after the 2003 and 2004 incidents.
Jovanov said he wants to move to the Poconos so the dog can have space to run and not be subject to “unfair” city laws. He said he accepted the dog from its previous owners when it was about 7 months old and showed signs of abuse. He said he intended to give the dog away, but fell in love with it and couldn’t bear to part with it.
“You can come back two years later and I’m still going to have this dog. I might be racked up with fines, but I’ll still have this dog,” Jovanov said.
(Indiana Gazette - July 7, 2005)
“Me putting my dog to sleep is like me putting my kid to sleep. I’d pay a lifetime of fines before I’d let that happen,” said Traian Jovanov, 20, of North Pine Street.
City health officer Mark Thompson ordered Elizabeth Jovanov to have the dog put down after the dog allegedly attacked U.S. Postal Service employee Andrew Debalko while he was delivering mail on May 31.
She was caring for the dog because her son was jailed on a probation violation.
The dog attacked people “without provocation on three occasions over a 30-month period, inflicting bodily harm on each,” according to a citation Thompson filed on June 15 with District Justice Joseph Zola.
The citation, which carries a $600-per-day fine for each day of the violation, states that Jovanov was charged with failing to comply with Thompson’s order to euthanize the dog.
The fine stands at about $19,800.
Good luck getting her to pay it.
Three unprovoked attacks by a dangerous dog can result in mandatory euthanasia, although the officer may direct that the dog be euthanized after only one severe attack, the city’s new dangerous dog law states.
An employee at Zola’s office said no plea had been entered on the “failure to euthanize” citation or two others related to the incident. A hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 25.
Elizabeth Jovanov also was cited by Thompson for having an animal running at large, and by state dog warden James Spencer for harboring a dangerous dog. Those charges carry maximum $300 fines.
Within 14 days of a city police or health officer’s determination that the dog is dangerous, the owner can appeal the determination to a three-member panel consisting of a local veterinarian, a dog trainer and someone experienced with various dog breeds.
Traian Jovanov said he was unaware of the city’s appeal process and doesn’t believe his dog is dangerous.
Thompson said the dog was loose and off the owner’s property when it bit Debalko, but Jovanov said the dog was leashed and bit the mailman when Debalko put his hand near the dog’s face while handing mail to Jovanov’s sister.
Debalko did not return a call seeking comment.
Jovanov said he doesn’t believe his dog was at fault in that incident or in two previous attacks in 2003 and 2004.
Jovanov said a man with whom he was arguing in 2003 kicked his dog in the face while getting on his bicycle, and that the dog jumped around the man but never bit him.
He said a man delivering laundry to his parent’s tenants in 2004 was bitten after he entered the back yard of the residence, even though signs were posted warning people of a dog on the premises.
However, the 2004 bite victim – Christian Rubio of Beaver Meadows – told a reporterhe never entered the yard, that the dog was loose in front of the house and that there were no warning signs posted. Rubio’s name appears on a witness list for the July 25 hearing.
For the 2003 incident, Traian Jovanov was charged with and pleaded guilty to failure to have his dog licensed and vaccinated against rabies. For the 2004 incident, he was charged with and found guilty of failure to keep his dog under control and have it vaccinated.
Jovanov said his mother, who had hip surgery last week and was unavailable for comment for this story, told him she would handle the current legal situation.
He said he hopes the order to euthanize the dog isn’t enforceable because the law went into effect after the 2003 and 2004 incidents.
Jovanov said he wants to move to the Poconos so the dog can have space to run and not be subject to “unfair” city laws. He said he accepted the dog from its previous owners when it was about 7 months old and showed signs of abuse. He said he intended to give the dog away, but fell in love with it and couldn’t bear to part with it.
“You can come back two years later and I’m still going to have this dog. I might be racked up with fines, but I’ll still have this dog,” Jovanov said.
(Indiana Gazette - July 7, 2005)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Illinois: Convicted animal abuser and cat hoarder Lynda Smith, 63, and her husband, Larry Smith, 66, suing city for $6 million, claiming harassment
ILLINOIS -- An Aurora couple are suing the city for $6 million in damages, claiming city representatives have harassed them for years.
Lynda and Larry Smith filed the suit June 16 in Kane County Circuit Court. The suit also asks a foreclosure case the city brought against them in September be dropped. The foreclosure case was based on liens imposed for housing code violations that are almost 10 years old.
Lynda Smith, 63, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and asthma, says in the lawsuit that she has begun taking 21 new medications since the foreclosure was filed. Those medications include antidepressants, pills for high blood pressure, and drugs to control her Parkinson's disease. She has gone to the emergency room at least five times since she found out about the foreclosure, the suit says.
Larry Smith, 66, from whom she has been separated for years, uses a wheelchair and is in a rehabilitation center.
Lynda Smith is known in Aurora for her affinity toward animals. In August and September 2003, Aurora Animal Control removed 26 cats and a dog from Smith's residence and her brother's residence about a block away, according to animal control manager Linda Nass.
Smith concedes that her house "sank into disrepair," according to the lawsuit, because of her and her husband's disabilities.
But her attorney, Judd Lofchie, said Lynda Smith was granted a "reasonable accommodation" for additional time to fix code violations because of her disabilities.
Lofchie said that with help from advocates Lynda Smith has made 40 of 46 repairs required by the city inspections department. The suit was filed after the city imposed a daily fine of $500 per remaining housing code violation.
Lynda Smith is scheduled to appear Thursday in Aurora Housing Court.
(Chicago Tribune - June 30, 2005)
Earlier:
Lynda and Larry Smith filed the suit June 16 in Kane County Circuit Court. The suit also asks a foreclosure case the city brought against them in September be dropped. The foreclosure case was based on liens imposed for housing code violations that are almost 10 years old.
Lynda Smith, 63, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and asthma, says in the lawsuit that she has begun taking 21 new medications since the foreclosure was filed. Those medications include antidepressants, pills for high blood pressure, and drugs to control her Parkinson's disease. She has gone to the emergency room at least five times since she found out about the foreclosure, the suit says.
Larry Smith, 66, from whom she has been separated for years, uses a wheelchair and is in a rehabilitation center.
Lynda Smith is known in Aurora for her affinity toward animals. In August and September 2003, Aurora Animal Control removed 26 cats and a dog from Smith's residence and her brother's residence about a block away, according to animal control manager Linda Nass.
Smith concedes that her house "sank into disrepair," according to the lawsuit, because of her and her husband's disabilities.
But her attorney, Judd Lofchie, said Lynda Smith was granted a "reasonable accommodation" for additional time to fix code violations because of her disabilities.
Lofchie said that with help from advocates Lynda Smith has made 40 of 46 repairs required by the city inspections department. The suit was filed after the city imposed a daily fine of $500 per remaining housing code violation.
Lynda Smith is scheduled to appear Thursday in Aurora Housing Court.
(Chicago Tribune - June 30, 2005)
Earlier:
- Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith, 62, still making excuses as to why she abused and neglect the animals
- Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith found guilty, given probation. She and her husband Larry Smith still in denial
- Illinois: Cat hoarder Lynda Smith, 63, appealing her animal cruelty conviction
- Illinois: New state's attorney John Barsanti doesn't care about animals suffering at the hands of Lynda Smith
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Idaho: Despite her home being covered in feces, urine and reeking over overpowering ammonia levels, Gale McVay insists she was caring for her 123 cats properly
IDAHO -- A Boise, Idaho, woman accused of keeping more than 100 cats at her home in less then pristine conditions blasted the "heavy-handed" tactics of authorities.
Fifty-nine-year-old Gale McVay faces jail time if convicted of animal cruelty and neglect charges, reported the Boise (Idaho) Statesman Saturday.
"I'm outraged," McVay said. "They're my life, I love my cats. I've done the very best for them."
Animal control officers raided McVay's house Wednesday, while she was in the hospital. Idaho Humane Society spokeswoman Dee Fugit said they found 123 cats, many gravely ill, in a home covered in feces and urine.
McVay disputed the Humane Society's characterization of her and her home and although she said she didn't know about a dead cat found under the sofa, she did admit that some of her rescued cats had a flea problem.
Experts say a common misconception about animal hoarders is that they are people who simply took on too much and fell behind, or got overwhelmed, by the care and feeding of the animals they rescued from certain death.
In reality, hoarders compulsively collect animals and/or allow them to reproduce even as conditions deteriorate. They lack awareness and sympathy for the creatures they inadvertently torture in the name of rescue, said the Boston vet, Dr. Gary Patronek.
"I think of these as little animal concentration camps. It's disturbing," said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society. "The animals suffer horribly."
2010 Update:
Gale McVay died on Oct 27, 2009 at the age of 63. Her obituary says she fought a long battle with Alzeimer's disease and dementia. These two illnesses may explain why she was so irrational about the squalid conditions of her home and the sick and dying cats she insisted were "fine".
(UPI - June 25, 2005)
Fifty-nine-year-old Gale McVay faces jail time if convicted of animal cruelty and neglect charges, reported the Boise (Idaho) Statesman Saturday.
"I'm outraged," McVay said. "They're my life, I love my cats. I've done the very best for them."
Animal control officers raided McVay's house Wednesday, while she was in the hospital. Idaho Humane Society spokeswoman Dee Fugit said they found 123 cats, many gravely ill, in a home covered in feces and urine.
McVay disputed the Humane Society's characterization of her and her home and although she said she didn't know about a dead cat found under the sofa, she did admit that some of her rescued cats had a flea problem.
Experts say a common misconception about animal hoarders is that they are people who simply took on too much and fell behind, or got overwhelmed, by the care and feeding of the animals they rescued from certain death.
In reality, hoarders compulsively collect animals and/or allow them to reproduce even as conditions deteriorate. They lack awareness and sympathy for the creatures they inadvertently torture in the name of rescue, said the Boston vet, Dr. Gary Patronek.
"I think of these as little animal concentration camps. It's disturbing," said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, executive director of the Idaho Humane Society. "The animals suffer horribly."
2010 Update:
Gale McVay died on Oct 27, 2009 at the age of 63. Her obituary says she fought a long battle with Alzeimer's disease and dementia. These two illnesses may explain why she was so irrational about the squalid conditions of her home and the sick and dying cats she insisted were "fine".
(UPI - June 25, 2005)
Sunday, June 5, 2005
California: San Francisco boy, 12, killed by his family's pit bulls
Shocked Inner Sunset neighbors call 911 after hearing mother scream, 'Help me!'
CALIFORNIA -- A 12-year-old boy left alone with his family's two pit bulls was mauled to death by the dogs Friday inside a Sunset District apartment in San Francisco, authorities said.The boy, identified as Nicholas Scott Faibish, was attacked in a building across from Golden Gate Park by the 80-pound dogs, a male named Rex and a female named Ella.
The boy's mother, Maureen Faibish, arrived home at 711 Lincoln Way about 3:15 p.m. to discover the tragedy, investigators said.
"Get them out of here!" she screamed over and over, neighbor Donna Castelli said. Another neighbor heard the commotion, ran outside and saw the mother, covered in blood, through her apartment window.
A police officer shot and killed Ella when the dog prevented him from entering the apartment, a police spokesman said. The other dog was captured in the backyard and taken to the animal shelter.
Paramedics tried and failed to resuscitate the boy at the scene. Investigators would not say whether he was alive when his mother found him.
There was no immediate explanation for what triggered the dogs' attack.
Shocked neighbors said the dogs were often friendly, affectionate and well-behaved.
 |
| A San Francisco police officer stands guard outside an apartment near Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Friday, June 3, 2005 where a boy was fatally mauled by a pit bull, according to authorities. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) Photo: PAUL SAKUMA |
"The dogs were sweethearts," said Art Austin, Castelli's husband. "I never thought they were vicious. They were really nice. I would pet them, and my wife would kiss them on the forehead."
But 13-year-old neighbor Aaron Vinnik said he saw the dogs regularly and they were not always well-behaved.
"The dogs barked at us, and one of them, the white-and-brown one, he came (at) us," Aaron said.
He said the dogs were "sometimes nice, sometimes mean."
Veterinarian Robert Arrick, who had treated the pit bulls at Park Animal Hospital, said he and his staff "never had a bad experience with them."
He said the boy's father, Steve Faibish, "walked (the dogs) up and down Ninth Avenue, in and out of stores -- there was never any problem.
"They were Steve's dogs, really," Arrick said. "I never saw the mother with the dogs. I don't think they were ever given obedience training per se.
"I have no idea what happened in that house -- it just boggles the mind. These seemed like the nicest dogs -- it's that old conundrum about pit bulls."
Maureen Faibish and other family members were interviewed by police Friday night and were not available for comment.
Dr. Carl Friedman, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said at least one of the dogs had been in protective custody at the animal shelter about a year ago.
"I don't know exactly why," he said. "It didn't have anything to do with showing signs of aggression."
Friedman said Rex was in the shelter Friday night, isolated from other dogs.
"He did seem to have blood on him," Friedman said. "He didn't seem injured in any way. He's a pretty big guy. He (wasn't) very aggressive in the vehicle."
Friedman said pit bulls are notoriously unpredictable.
"You can ask 10 different people if they think pit bulls are inherently aggressive or not, and you will probably get 11 different answers," he said.
A teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, where Nicholas attended sixth grade, said the boy's family was planning to move to Oregon after the school year. The boy had not been to school on Friday, and a school attendance clerk who attempted to call the family home found the line had been disconnected.
Nick, as the teacher knew him, liked talking about his dogs, playing computer games and being with his friends, she said.
"He's so similar to all boys his age, very similar," said the teacher, who asked not to be identified. "I'm just devastated. This is just so unreal."
Diane Panagotacos, the principal at Roosevelt, said Friday night that Nicholas had adjusted well to middle school.
"I just remember freckles on him," she said. "I kind of remember him just being animated. I saw smiles on his face, that's what I remember. I remember a happy youngster. ... It's just so sad to hear the circumstances.
"We're having our eighth-grade dinner dance right now, and we haven't told any of the kids," Panagotacos said. "Monday, we will definitely need to deal with this -- grief counselors, whatever the kids and staff need." She put her hands over her face and began to cry.
Ony Ozonsi, an eighth-grader at Roosevelt, remembered Nicholas as a bubbly boy who stood out even to him, two grades ahead.
"He was a happy little kid," Ony said. "He liked to play with the other kids a lot and was always here after school."
 |
| Dog Attack photo Courtesy of KPIX Photo: Courtesy Of KPIX |
Police Chief Heather Fong and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White were among the authorities at the scene of the attack.
"It's a very tragic situation," Hayes-White said. "The city family offers its deepest sympathy and condolences."
Nicholas lived in the apartment with his parents and a younger sister and brother.
A neighbor who lives in an adjacent building and asked not to be identified said she had called 911 after hearing Nicholas' mother screaming, "Help me! Help me!"
She ran out to a catwalk, looked through the Faibish family's window and saw that the mother's face and hands were covered with blood.
The neighbor said she had seen the dogs earlier Friday lounging in front of the two-story wood-shingled apartment building.
 |
| A dog named Rex is brought in a cage to San Francisco Animal Care and Control after being found at the scene of a fatality where a boy named Nicholas Scott Faibish was mauled. San Francisco Chronicle/ Deanne Fitzmaurice Photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice |
Castelli was among those who said the two dogs seemed tame. They would run around the backyard of the apartment building but were always on a leash when in public, she said.
"I'd kiss them on the forehead," Castelli said. "They were lovely dogs."
Michelle O'Leary, a neighbor on Lincoln Way, said the pit bulls were puppies, not fully mature.
"They were nice dogs but rambunctious," she said. "They weren't as well socialized as they could be. They would come bounding and run up to you. They would come bounding and run up to my dog. They didn't seem to have social awareness."
A man identified by neighbors as Nicholas' grandfather spoke briefly outside his residence on Lawton Street, a few blocks from where the boy lived. "I can't talk right now, I'm in a state of shock," he said.
Dog maulings in the Bay Area
March 29, 2005: An 11-year-old Concord boy, JaQuan Rice Jr., was mauled by two pit bulls as he walked near his home. Neighbors rushed to his rescue, with one firing a handgun to scare the dogs away. The owner of pit bulls, Jeff Bray, 28, was charged with owning a mischievous loose animal that causes serious bodily injury to someone, which is a felony. Bray has pleaded not guilty.
June 29, 2004: An 88-year-old Concord woman was injured after a neighbor's pit bull pulled her from her walker and mauled her. The woman, Mabel Wong, suffered extensive injuries to her face, ears and arms in an attack that an animal control officer said she was lucky to survive. No charges were filed against the owner.
Nov. 23, 2003: A pit bull was shot, a police officer and a dog walker were rushed to the hospital, and a police horse was badly hurt after the off- leash dog attacked the horse in Golden Gate Park. The pit bull was later allowed to remain with its owner but must be leashed and muzzled in public and registered as a vicious and dangerous dog.
June 18, 2001: Three pit bulls mauled a 10-year-old Richmond boy, Shawn Jones, as he rode his bicycle in his neighborhood, severely injuring his face and tearing off both his ears. The boy has undergone numerous surgeries since the attack.
The dogs were killed by lethal injection two years later. Dog owner Benjamin Moore was charged with two misdemeanor counts of concealing the dogs afterward, but prosecutors shelved the charges after Moore was sentenced on drug charges.
March 17, 2001: Two San Francisco police officers fired about 30 shots to kill a pit bull in the Ocean View district after a woman was bitten trying to separate him from her akita.
Jan. 26, 2001: Diane Whipple, a 33-year-old lacrosse coach at St. Mary's College, was killed in a Presa Canario attack in the hallway of her Pacific Heights apartment building in San Francisco. The two dogs were owned by attorneys Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, who kept them in their apartment on the same floor: Bane, weighing more than 120 pounds, inflicted the fatal wounds. His mate, Hera, may have also taken part in the attack.
The dogs were owned by Paul "Cornfed" Schneider, a high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang who was serving a life sentence. Bane was destroyed shortly after the attack. Hera was later given a lethal injection.
Noel and Knoller were each sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter in 2002 and have been freed on parole, though an appeals court has ordered a lower court judge to reconsider his ruling overturning Knoller's murder conviction. If that conviction is reinstated, she could return to prison.
June 19, 1996: An 8-year-old boy, John Young, was mauled to death by two rottweilers on an East Oakland street. Oakland police shot and killed the dogs. The Alameda County district attorney decided not to file charges against the owner of the dogs.
(San Francisco Gate - June 4, 2005)
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Illinois: Devarryl Joiner's pit bull that bit a 12 year old just last month has now mauled a 3-year-old girl
ILLINOIS -- A dog that mauled a 3-year-old Chicago girl Sunday had been confiscated by the city last month after it bit another child, then released 10 days later.
The 60-pound pit bull reportedly broke loose from its chain in a Northwest Side home Sunday and attacked Akina Jackson, who was visiting the home.
The dog knocked the girl down, bit her face and ear and dragged her across the yard and sidewalk before neighbors could rescue her.
The dog was euthanized Sunday night. Authorities declined to discuss the condition of the girl, who was released from the hospital Monday.
Just last month Bruno, a 1-year-old pit bull owned by Devarryl Joiner of the 1600 block of North Moody Avenue, bit a 12-year-old boy on the hand and was quarantined for 10 days by the city's Department of Animal Care and Control, spokeswoman Melanie Sobel said.
Joiner was cited for failing to restrain and muzzle his dog, police spokesman Matthew Jackson said. He faces fines ranging from $300 to $10,000, Sobel said. He is scheduled to appear before a hearing officer on June 17.
(Chicago Tribune - May 9, 2005)
The 60-pound pit bull reportedly broke loose from its chain in a Northwest Side home Sunday and attacked Akina Jackson, who was visiting the home.
The dog knocked the girl down, bit her face and ear and dragged her across the yard and sidewalk before neighbors could rescue her.
The dog was euthanized Sunday night. Authorities declined to discuss the condition of the girl, who was released from the hospital Monday.
Just last month Bruno, a 1-year-old pit bull owned by Devarryl Joiner of the 1600 block of North Moody Avenue, bit a 12-year-old boy on the hand and was quarantined for 10 days by the city's Department of Animal Care and Control, spokeswoman Melanie Sobel said.
Joiner was cited for failing to restrain and muzzle his dog, police spokesman Matthew Jackson said. He faces fines ranging from $300 to $10,000, Sobel said. He is scheduled to appear before a hearing officer on June 17.
(Chicago Tribune - May 9, 2005)
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