(April 2018) Pennsylvania: Owner complains after her Pit Bull is shot while attacking another dog; sets up GoFundMe to sue the victim

WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA -- Owners of the pit bull that was shot and killed after attacking another dog in Wilkes-Barre are grieving the loss of their pet.

The pit bull's owner says he tried to stop the attack and feels lucky that he wasn't shot.

"I had to bury him myself. I couldn't stop crying. I teared up."

Alejandro Loria still can't believe that he had to bury his pit bull named Batman in his backyard.

Sunday morning, Loria was taking Batman for a morning walk around his neighborhood in south Wilkes-Barre. Batman broke away from his leash and started attacking a couple's dog.

"I'm trying to pull my dog away from their dog and I hear the woman saying 'Shoot the dog!' I'm screaming 'No! No!' My girlfriend comes out the house because she hears me screaming. The guy shoots the gun. I'm maybe three feet away. I can't even hear what happens afterwards," Loria recalled.

Wilkes-Barre police report that a woman fired two shots, but Loria says it was her boyfriend who had the gun and shot Batman. Loria's girlfriend initially thought he got hit.

"I heard my boyfriend screaming, 'No, don't shoot, don't shoot!' and I heard a gunshot and I went outside. I thought they shot my boyfriend and I saw my dog and my dog was bleeding pretty bad," said Courtney Rivera.

BLAMING THE VICTIM

"They acted too quick. Right there, what I did as soon as I saw my dog's leash and collar broke, I ran after him and I got on top of him. I attacked my dog just so he could stop attacking their dog. He was just standing there in shock. He should've jumped on his dog as well," Loria added.

Batman was taken to a veterinarian but did not survive.

Loria says he will also have to pay a fine for letting Batman get loose.

Alejandro's girlfriend Courtney Rivera set up a GoFundMe saying:

my dog was shot and killed by a neighbor. And my boyfriend is the only one being charged please help us raise money to take the people to court for shooting my dog.

Courtney had a previous GoFundMe page listed, trying to raise money to "get my baby back". I'm assuming the state either took him or placed him with a relative until she got her s*** together... SMH

COMMENTS FROM THE NEWS ARTICLE:

  

 

(WNEP - April 24, 2018)

Earlier:

• Pennsylvania: Woman shoots pit bull to stop dog attack on her dog

Florida: Child in ICU after pit bull attack; owner pulled a "Pit And Run" and fled with dog

FLORIDA -- Three-year-old Payton Church is recovering at Tampa General Hospital after his mom says he was attacked by a pit bull in Clearwater last week.

Mersadis Tuttle, Payton's mother, tells News Channel 8 her son was with his grandmother last Wednesday when it happened. The two were sitting on a bench, eating lunch near the RCS Food Bank on South Myrtle Avenue and Druid Road.

The child went to throw away trash when the grandmother said a medium-sized pit bull came up to the child, licked his face and then attacked him.

The dog's owner did not have the dog on a leash.

The grandmother asked a witness to dial 911 while she rushed the child to the nearest hospital - Morton Plant ER. Payton received 11 stitches.

According to Tuttle, the witness never called police and the dog and owner disappeared. She filed a police report Saturday after leaving the hospital.

Unfortunately, Payton had to return to the emergency room after his wounds became infected. He is currently in the ICU at Tampa General Hospital.

Tuttle is asking anyone with any information on the dog and it's owner to contact authorities.

She has created a GoFundMe page to help with his care.

GOFUNDME: Paytons Dog Bite Recovery
Created April 28, 2018
Mersadis Tuttle
  Emergencies
  TAMPA, FL

Hello everyone. I have been very over whelmed as this is the most traumatizing thing as a parent I have ever dealt with. There are no words to describe truly the mental agony this has put on our family.

On April 25th, Payton was bitten by a Pit bull on his face. The Pit bull was on a leash, however the leash was not being held on to as it should. The Pit bull licked Payton and then snapped him in the face at the same instance.

"PIT AND RUN"
The owner and the dog left when Payton was taken to the hospital and have not been found. Clearwater Animal Control and Clearwater Police Department are doing what they can to locate them. Unfortunately the odds of finding them is extremely low.

Payton is expected to recover but has since been put back in the hospital due to an infection in the tissue around his eyelids and in one of the lacerations.

Unfortunately with dog bites, infection is very common. Hopefully we will have answers as soon as tomorrow rather plastic surgery is needed. We have quite a lot ahead of us in the coming weeks. This has put a huge unexpected financial strain on our family. I have had so many people reach out asking if there is anything they can do to help.

Previously I have declined any help however the circumstances have continually changed. All I ask of anyone and everyone is too please not harm your own family's financial well being to help mine. We appreciate anything. Pictures following the attack.    

Update 1
I want to say thank you to everyone. It is a blessing to have people we have never met, help us. It really means a lot to our family.

It has almost been a week since Payton was bit by a dog. Unfortunately we still have absolutely no idea who the owner is or where the dog may be.

A Clearwater Police Department Officer has said, "The chances of finding them are extremely low."

We really hope someone takes responsibility for what their pet has done to our son.

Payton has been such a brave and strong kiddo through all of this. It has taken a couple different antibiotics to get the infection under control. This has been our upmost concern. Infections from dog bites can potentially be fatal. There will also be no more procedures which is a huge relief!

The swelling in his face continues to go down along with the bruising. I am so thankful his grandmother was holding his hand when this happened and reacted in the manner she did as it could have been so much worse.

Payton is such a lucky kid to have only abstained the injuries he did. It is common for dog bites to take 6 months to 1 year to fully heal and we do still have a long road ahead of us to full recovery. We ask that everyone please continue to pray for our family and again, your help means so much to us.

(WKRG - April 30, 2018)

Washington: Pit bull mauled man in a car, then jumped out car's open window to continue attack

PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON -- A man is recovering from a brutal dog attack in Pierce County.

Pierce County Sheriff deputies said the victim had several deep bite marks on his face, arms, and legs.

The department said on Wednesday, a deputy responded to a 911 call reporting a dog attack in progress in the 15500 block of 119th Ave. Ct. E. in Puyallup's South Hill neighborhood.

When the deputy arrived on scene, deputies said the victim was on the ground covered in blood and neighbors, like Jon Zemanek, were trying to help the victim.

Zemanek said he heard screams for help and ran outside thinking it was his dog thatwas loose, but he saw the pit bull attacking the man by his front yard and he didn't hesitate to help.

"The first thing I could think of was to grab his jaw and try to pull,” said Zemanek.

Zemanek still has the punctures from the pit bull's teeth sinking into his fingers.

He tried to pry the dog's jaw off a man's arm before grabbing a metal pry bar.

“Lot of shaking myself,” said Zemanek. “I couldn’t believe I did what I did."

Deputies said the victim and a woman had been "playfully" arguing in a car when the dog lunged at the man and bit him in the face.

They pulled over by Zemanek’s yard, the man ran out but the dog went after him.

At one point neighbors said they helped the woman get the dog back into her car, but it jumped out of an open window, ran after the man again, caught him and began mauling him a second time.

"There was a lot of blood, there was a lot of blood all over,” said Zemanek.

A responding deputy finally fired shots at the dog, killing it after it let go then started circling the man, ready to attack again.

Neighbors said the whole situation was so frantic and uncontrollable; they don't think there was any other way to stop the dog.

“I never like to see an animal get put down unless it absolutely has too,” said Zemanek.

(KOMO News - May 4, 2018)

California: Hungry bear breaks into a house to snack on bread and fruit before being chased away by deputies

LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA -- A hungry bear broke into a California home and snacked on bread and fruit before deputies were able to chase it away.

Footage from inside the house in Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, shows the bear rifling through bags of groceries on a kitchen island.

It was posted to Facebook on Thursday by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, which branded the animal 'hungry and fearless'.

Bears are coming out of hibernation and deputies say this particular bear broke into the house specifically to look for food.

Fortunately the bear was chased away without causing any injuries or property damage.

The Sheriff's Office wrote online: 'This afternoon, this hungry and fearless bear broke into a home at Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, to get some groceries.

'The homeowners called us, and our deputies were able to chase him out of the house, after he snacked on some fruit and bread!

'As bears are coming out of hibernation, please use utmost caution if you encounter them.

'In this case, the homeowners were very grateful to the deputies who got the bear out of their house with no injuries and no property damage.'

FACEBOOK POST
Placer County Sheriff's Office is at Northstar California Resort.

This afternoon, this hungry and fearless bear broke into a home at Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, to get some groceries. The homeowners called us, and our deputies were able to chase him out of the house, after he snacked on some fruit and bread!

As bears are coming out of hibernation, please use utmost caution if you encounter them. In this case, the homeowners were very grateful to the deputies who got the bear out of their house with no injuries and no property damage.

 

(Daily Mail - May 5, 2018)

(April 2018) Pennsylvania: Woman shoots pit bull to stop dog attack on her dog

WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA -- A woman shot a pit bull that attacked her dog as they walked in South Wilkes-Barre on Sunday morning, according to police.

Officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of Regent and Brook streets at about 8 a.m. Sunday, police said in a news release.

A woman told police that as she and her boyfriend walked their dog, it was attacked by a pit bull that broke free of its owner, Alejandro Loria.

After unsuccessful attempts to stop the attack, the woman fired two shots from her firearm, striking the pit bull, police said.

The woman legally possessed the firearm, according to police. The injured pit bull was taken for treatment, police said.

Alejandro Loria, 27, the owner of the pit bull, was cited by an animal enforcement officer, police said.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Meanwhile, here's the sob story article from WNEP:

Pit Bull Shot, Later Dies
A pet dog was shot and killed on a city street, and neighbors now question why it had to happen.

Neighbors in Wilkes-Barre are trying to wrap their heads around what happened early Sunday morning. A massive pit bull that was known in the neighborhood for giving sweet kisses was shot and later died.

Seriously, in the video, the newscaster says, "A massive pit bull that was known in the neighborhood for giving sweet kisses was shot and later died". What kind of ridiculous one-sided reporting is that? GIVING SWEET KISSES???! 

Morons.

That pit bull went by the name Batman, and he's now buried behind his owner's house a day after being shot for allegedly attacking a couple and their dog. The woman who shot Batman tells police she feared for her safety.

Blood stains remain at the intersection of Brook and Regent Streets in Wilkes-Barre. Nearby, a freshly dug grave sits in the backyard of an apartment building with a grave marker that reads: "Batman."

 

 

It should say, "Here lies a vicious dog that was shot

while trying to kill another dog and its owners"

Batman is the large, gray pit bull that police say was shot around 8 a.m. Sunday.

A woman told police that while she and her boyfriend were walking their dog, Batman got away from one of its owners and started attacking. The victim, who legally owned her gun, fired two shots, hitting Batman once.

People say Batman was well known in the neighborhood.

"Very friendly dog, but it was a big dog, so people were afraid of it. I had seen it in this area a couple of times and it was friendly, but because of the size, people were afraid of it," Greg Winslow said.

Batman is now buried behind the apartment. His leashes are on top of the marker. Originally, animal enforcement responded to the incident and brought Batman to a local animal hospital.

"When we got there, they said the dog lost so much blood that it's best that we just put it down," Winslow said. "Stuff like this should never happen in this area. We have enough problems with people just dumping animals and not wanting to take care of them, let alone killing them."

Animal enforcement tells Newswatch 16 the owner of the dog faces a citation for the dog not being under control. Police say there was no violation of the law when the woman fired shots.

 

 

 

(Citizens Voice - April 23, 2018)

Wisconsin: "Prayers needed, Shadow attacked by pit bull, here at the Emergency Vet"

WISCONSIN -- Elsa Sauceda is feeling heartbroken. Posted on Facebook May 4, 2018 ·

Prayers needed, Shadow attacked by pit bull, here at the Emergency Vet...

North Carolina: Amanda Davis charged with Animal Cruelty after leaving her pet squirrel to cook inside hot car

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA -- A woman was arrested after leaving her pet squirrel in a hot car that reached temperatures over 100°F, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.

The owner of the "Sugar Glider" flying squirrel, Amanda Davis, has been charged with ill treatment of animals.

Around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1,  Animal Care and Control responded to a call regarding an animal locked inside of a car at 302 Aiken Avenue. The Animal Care and Control officer was alerted to the animal being in the car around 1:15 p.m., and says that his office may have been notified as early as 12:00 p.m. that same day.

Police said Davis' roommate became concerned and called police after she saw Davis put the animal in her blue Honda Accord before leaving the house.

When officers arrived they found the a window cracked slightly and a cage covered in blankets in the backseat. 

The temperature inside the car was 114°F at the time, according to Animal Care and Control. No food or water were left with the animal.

Authorities removed the squirrel from the car just after 3:00 p.m. Davis arrived on scene about five minutes after the animal was taken out of the car. She told officers she had put it in the car around 1:00 p.m. and left.

She was arrested and charged, and Animal Care and Control took custody of the animal, telling Davis she could pick it up at a later date.

What?! She shouldn't get this poor squirrel back!

(Fox5 - May 3, 2018)