Golden Retriever attacked by pit bull in Breckenridge

COLORADO -- Breckenridge Police were notified shortly after a woman’s golden retriever was attacked by another dog near Upper Blue Elementary.

Carol Gerard said she and her friend were walking back to her car from the school when the dog ran up and attacked her golden retriever, unprovoked.

“It didn’t bark or hesitate. It just attacked,” Gerard said. “I was trying to kick the pit bull, but I got tangled and fell, and was dragged along screaming.”

 

 

The owner ran up and pulled the dog away, but by then Gerard’s dog had already been seriously injured. She took her golden retriever to a veterinarian in Silverthorne, who spent more than an hour stitching the dog’s wounds.

 

“They thought that the bite might have been all the way down to the bone. I’m not sure if she’s gonna have any residual damage or not,” Gerard said. “The scary part is I could not have stopped it if the owner hadn’t come.”

 

Breckenridge Police officer Tiffany Perez was dispatched to the scene shortly after the attack, to help search for the pit bull, that had a black brindle coat, white legs, and was estimated to weigh 40-50 pounds. The owner was described as a male in his 30s, standing at five-feet nine-inches tall, with short hair.

“The scary part is I could not have stopped it if the owner hadn’t come.” -- Carol Gerard, owner of dog that was attacked

According to the police report, the dog came running toward Gerard, her friend and her dog from the Airport Road Car Wash before the owner and his two friends ran over to stop the dog. While the dog was leashed, the owner said the dog is normally attached to a chain.

 

“I don’t care about the owner’s liability, but I am very worried about his dog. It needs to be put down,” Gerard said. “What if a child runs by that dog?”

 

While Breckenridge Police said dog attacks in Summit County are not very common, Summit County Sheriff’s officers responded to one in 2013, where two pit bulls attacked a beagle at the top of Hoosier Pass, where spectators gathered to watch the USA Pro Challenge bike race.

 

A deputy shot and killed one of the attacking pit bulls. The beagle survived the attack, but had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

 

(Post Independent - Sept 29, 2015)

United Kingdom: Wirral man jailed for breaking puppy's jaw is convicted child killer who changed his name

UNITED KINGDOM -- A Wirral man jailed for breaking a puppy’s jaw is a former soldier who changed his name after being jailed for the manslaughter of his own son, the ECHO can reveal.

Lee Michael (DOB 1-27-1981), now 34 years old, was 22 and known as Lee Khair when he was sentenced to seven years in prison for killing two-year-old Ryan Franklin-Khair.

Winchester Crown Court heard the tot had a brain injury and bruises all over his body while under the care of Michael, originally from Sheffield, at his girlfriend Catherine Franklin’s house in Dorset.

He told police he awoke at 5.30am to find Ryan at the bottom of a flight of stairs, and put him in the recovery position and tried to revive him.

The youngster was taken to Southampton General Hospital but never regained consciousness and died days later on May 29, 2002.

The trial heard Michael, who was stationed at Worthy Down Barracks in Winchester, told paramedics and hospital staff his son had "fallen" down a flight of stairs.

But he was jailed after a jury found him guilty at trial, and served three years of his sentence.

Michael, of no fixed address, is understood to have developed a career in fitness after his release from prison.

He was sentenced today at Wirral Magistrates’ Court over attacks on two animals, a black and tan female pug puppy called Babs and a grey male cat called Lary, in Thingwall.

District Judge Michael Abelson said: “The facts of this case have chilling echoes of the attack on his child which led to his death.”

Michael pleaded guilty plea to five charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal before skipping bail.

He was traced in London and brought back to Merseyside for sentencing. He was jailed for 24 weeks.

In a letter to the judge, Michael, who changed his name nine years ago, said the dog had been injured after he swiped him from the bed in his sleep. A vet’s report said the injuries were far more serious than would have been caused by falling from a bed.

The court heard Michael, who has worked across Wirral as a personal trainer, had pulled the cat from its hiding place behind the fridge by its tail, causing it to soil itself. He then turned the shower on it and it died two days later.

Michael told the court: “It’s taken me over 30 years to realize my faults in life and due to these things I know I am reckless and I shouldn’t be responsible for anything that requires extra care and focus. I apologize for all the negativity I’ve caused in my life.”

Puppy Babs who had his jaw broken by owner Lee Michael

Michael was handed a lifetime ban from keeping animals. He was ordered to pay £2,424 costs and told probation would monitor him for 12 months after his release from prison. He was told this was the strictest sentence the law could impose on him.

Judge Abelson said: “I think you’re an extremely dangerous man. In the context of this case you’re one of the most dangerous men in relation to animals I’ve ever come across.”

Speaking about Michael’s disappearance to London, where he had been working under a different name, the judge said: “I believe quite simply you didn’t want to face justice. It was only through luck and good police work they tracked you down.”

(Liverpool Echo UK - Sept 29, 2015)

Arizona: Kimonnie Garbutt, 19, charged with animal cruelty

ARIZONA -- No other information about this case could be found. She's such a cute girl in her photo - it's depressing to think that she neglected/abused an animal.

Name: Kimonnie Garbutt
Sex: Female
Race: White
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 142lbs
DOB: 10/23/1995
Age at arrest: 19
Booking date: 09/30/2015
Booked by: Maricopa County Sheriff Office
Charge:

• Animal Cruel Neglect Phys Inj 

California: Five foot python found abandoned in its aquarium inside dumpster

CALIFORNIA -- A 5-foot python was found in a dumpster in Fontana Wednesday morning.

Fontana Animal Services officers received a call around 5:30 a.m. regarding a python found inside of an aquarium left in an apartment complex dumpster in the 16900 block of Reed Street.

The video clip is funny because Carlos Lozano, who found the snake inside a fish tank dumped into the dumpster said when he called police to tell them about it, the dispatcher thought he was saying "pipe bomb" when he was saying "python" so he had to clear up the confusion and tell them, "No, it's a snake!" Heh.

 

 

When officers arrived, they found the python and took it to the Western Riverside Animal Shelter. Animal Services Supervisor Jamie Simmons said the snake was unresponsive and cold to the touch. It was wrapped in a warm towel and then placed inside a warm office room.

Within an hour, the reptile responded well to the warmth. Reptiles can die from exposure to extremely cold temperatures.

 

The snake will not be up for adoption because he is an exotic animal, and it may likely go to a rescue facility. The Fontana Police Department is looking into the incident and asks anyone with information to call (909) 356-TIPS.

Anyone who leaves an animal to die in a dumpster or displays animal cruelty faces felony charges, according to California law.

(ABC7 - Oct 28, 2015)

Mississippi: Mother wants owner of pit bull charged after child attacked

MISSISSIPPI -- A Leake County child is recovering from a dog attack that required medical attention. Now her mother wants the dog's owner charged.

Eight-year-old TrenNetta Motley was bitten on the left leg on September 10th, when her mother sent her across the street to pay their rent.

The dog, which they describe as a pit-bull type, was at the home of George Black. TrenNetta's mother says she suffered a deep wound that required stitches.

In a Leake County incident report, Black stated that he pulled the dog off the child and was not aware she was coming to the home.

"When I did take the money, I saw the dog on the porch. He wasn't on a cable thing and I took off running. I put the money on the ground. Bit me at the back of my leg," TrenNetta said.

"My report said that Mr. Black was supposed to have been taking the dog off the premises. Have the dog been off premises? No it haven't," said Kenyetta Motley, the child's mother.

We were unable to reach George Black for comment.

Leake County authorities say there are no pit bull bans or ordinances in the county.

(WLOX - Sept 28, 2015)

Connecticut: Dueling lawsuits filed in 2013 Norwich pit bull attack on woman and her grandchildren

CONNECTICUT -- The 2013 attack on a Norwich woman and her two grandchildren by pit bulls owned by a neighbor has led to the filing of two lawsuits last week in New London Superior Court.

One of them – by the father of the children – seeks damages of at least $15,000 for physical and emotional trauma as a result of the incident while the other by the dogs’ owner, Sheri Speer, appeals an August decision by the state Department of Agriculture allowing the city to proceed with euthanizing the animals, which have been in its custody since October 2013.

In a 12-count suit, Marquice Downing said the Oct. 8, 2013, confrontation has left his children with permanent emotional and physical scars and accused Speer of being an irresponsible owner.

An inquiry prepared in November 2014 by Bruce Sherman, a hearing officer appointed by the state’s agriculture commissioner, describes a violent attack on Lisa Hall and two of her grandchildren, Marlena Downing, who was almost 5 at the time, and her brother Marquice Jr., who was 9 months old.

Hall was walking past the house at 151 Talman St., owned by Speer, when the dogs crossed the street toward them.

“One dog initiated an attack on 9-month-old Marquice Jr., knocking over a stroller with him in it and inflicting a wound over his eye,” Sherman wrote. “Marlena, in an effort to protect her brother, put her arm in between him and the attacking dog.”

Sherman said Marlena’s 4-year-old sister Audrena ran inside an apartment unit and was not injured.

“The dog that initiated the attack on Marquice … then attacked Marlena inflicting severe bite injuries that resulted in deep soft tissue injuries and a broken arm,” Sherman’s report says.

Speer was later charged with two counts each of dogs roaming at large, having unlicensed dogs and having nuisance dogs with a vicious disposition. She was also charged with one count of failing to get a required rabies vaccination for one of the dogs.

She also reportedly was uncooperative with authorities during their early investigation. Police and Animal Control Officer Michelle Lombardi said they were unable to determine which of the two dogs was responsible for attacking Hall and her grandchildren, and both were seized.

“The defendant created an inherently dangerous condition by failing to properly restrain, kennel and care for her dogs … Said actions were unreasonable and created a nuisance at large,” Downing's suit states. “As a result of the defendant’s actions, she allowed a dangerous nuisance to exist, causing permanent disabling injuries to the plaintiff.”

Randall Ortega, an attorney representing the Downings, could not be reached for comment Monday. The suit was filed Thursday in New London Superior Court.

On Sept. 21, Speer sued the state and Lombardi over the pending destruction order, asserting that when officers responded, they were unsure whether the dogs belonged to Speer and other pit bulls were known to have roamed the area.

The suit said Speer kept her dogs “in a fenced enclosure in her backyard home,” and a subsequent destruction order for Skyler and Dolly was done without further investigation about other dogs in the neighborhood.

“If her dogs are destroyed, the loss of companionship and emotional distress Ms. Speer would endure is indescribable. The sentimental value is overwhelming,” Speer’s attorney, Edward Bona, wrote in the suit. “Ms. Speer’s loss of companionship and enjoyment of having Skyler and Dolly cannot be redressed by monetary damages, or measured by pecuniary standards.”

Though she was uninjured, court filings said Audrena has “recurring nightmares and a fear of dogs” since the incident and “serious emotional effects, which will likely have permanent damaging psychological effects.”

Speer’s suit has an answer date of Oct. 27, while the Downings has a return date of Oct. 20.

(Norwich Bulletin - Sept 28, 2015)

Earlier:

• Owner Fights For Lives Of 2 Pit Bulls That Attacked Children

Dogs rescued from Crenshaw Co. after horrific abuse, neglect

ALABAMA -- Three dogs found injured and starving on the streets of Crenshaw County are now being cared for by a well-known animal rescue group in New York. Veterinarians in New York City believe one of the animals was sexually abused.

Animal Tails Rescue in Crenshaw County rushed three dogs, a Weimaraner and two pit bulls, to Rescue Dogs Rock, a New York City-based group that specializes in animal abuse, neglect and cruelty cases.

The dogs were located in different places throughout Crenshaw County in terrible condition and were transported to the northeast this past weekend for specialized care.

"We try to respond as quickly as we can to emergency cases as we get them in," said Sandra Kilpatrick, co-founder of Animal Tails Rescue. "They were definitely horrifying. They were from all different areas of the county. They had medical needs that were very severe."

Animal Tails Rescue worked with Rescue Dogs Rock NYC in the past in other situations involving severely neglected animals.

"I knew if they could possibly help us they would and thank goodness they did. We didn't have the funds to do what needed to be done to them and Rescue Dogs Rock did," Kilpatrick added.

One dog, a pit bull mix named Peaches, was raped, according to Rescue Dogs Rock NYC’s vets. Stacey Silverstein, one of the founders from Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, relayed the information over the phone Monday.

Authorities believe this dog was sexually abused

There are conflicting opinions on the dog's injuries, however. Kim Thiem with the Crenshaw County Animal Society said Peaches was treated by a local veterinarian who found no signs of tearing or sexual assault.

Rescue Dogs Rocks NYC posted pictures of Peaches and her injuries to their Facebook page, stating: "It's horrific to think of the pain this poor puppy was forced to endure... Peaches has suffered more than any living being should, yet, of course, remains sweet and gentle."

The group also received Amelia, a Weimaraner, with a large leg wound and other injuries and scars all over her body. Rescuers believe she could have been used as a bait dog in a dog fighting operation.

“Amelia's wound is no prettier up close & personal. It is just disgusting, open, infected & appallingly huge. We cannot imagine how this happened,” Rescue Dogs Rock posted on their Facebook page.

 

Glenda, a pit bull, was also transferred from Crenshaw County to New York with mastitis, a bacterial infection in the milk ducts of female dogs. Rescuers say she is in the worst shape, emaciated and suffering from ruptured mammary tumors.

Silverstein says Rescue Dogs Rock NYC takes “the worst of the worst cases” of animal brutality from across the country and she called the most recent cases from Crenshaw County “severe.”
She stressed that the dogs are receiving all necessary medical treatment and will be brought to full health. Her group will work to find each of them forever homes.

“They fell into the right hands. They’re going to be well taken care of,” she said.

The care and rehabilitation for Peaches, Glenda and Amelia will cost thousands of dollars and anyone interested in donating can do so by clicking here.

"These are three of the worst cases that any of us have ever seen," said Jessica Evans with Animal Tails Rescue. "It's just heartbreaking and it's why we do what we do because they don't have a voice and without us, they're going to end up dead on the street and go through suffering that is not fair."

Since April, Animal Tails Rescue has transported more than 100 dogs out of Crenshaw County that have been abused, abandoned, starved, etc. Members of the group say what Peaches, Amelia and Glenda are enduring sheds light on the ongoing problems in the area with neglect and mistreatment of animals.

Crenshaw County does not have a shelter. Volunteers have been helping foster animals but the situation has reached a critical point.

"We have a stray issue in this county and because there are so many strays, many of them are being thrown off on the side of the road to fend for themselves and they can't. They wind up starving. They wind up killing animals for food. They wind up being feral and wild and it's hard for those animals," Kilpatrick said.

On Monday night, the organization received promising news in their fight to establish a privately-run animal refuge in the county. An anonymous donor's bid to purchase a county-owned building was accepted by the commission and the facility will be used for Animal Tails Rescue's operations once it is up and running.

"We're hoping that with the ongoing support of the community and other areas of the state, that we can finally have a place for these animals in Crenshaw County to go when they need help," Kilpatrick added.

The group plans to report the cases involving Peaches, Amelia and Glenda to authorities but their primary focus was saving the dogs’ lives and getting them off the streets and seeing they received immediate medical attention.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office.

To donate to Animal Tails Rescue and their ongoing efforts, click here.

(Fox Carolina - Sept 29, 2015)