Three women injured in Bradenton dog attack, deputies say

^{Tribune staff – Published: April 5, 2015}

Three Bradenton women who were looking after a relative’s pit bull were attacked by the dog Sunday, Manatee deputies said.

Tami Padgett, 55, was house sitting the 4-year-old dog with her twin daughters Brooke and Brianna Farnsworth, both 18, in the 14000 block of 7th Avenue East. When Brook Farnsworth went to the pool area to get the dog it attacked her. Brianna Farnsworth and Padgett were attacked when they came to her aid, deputies said.

Mother and daughters hospitalized after dog attack

^{10 News Staff, WTSP – 7:43 p.m. EDT April 5, 2015}

The twin daughters and their mother were able to escape from the dog by entering the living room separating themselves from the dog with the sliding glass door.

Brooke, Brianna and Tami were all hospitalized in stable condition.

Animal Control responded and impounded the dog.

Three taken to hospital after dog attack

^{By Wfts Web – 8:39 PM, Apr 5, 2015}

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla – Three people hospitalized after dog attacks them.It happened at the 14000 block of 7^th Avenue East in Manatee County.Brooke Farnsworth was at the house with her mother, Tami Padgett, that was house sitting a four year old Pit Bull for her niece.Farnsworth went to get the dog from a screened in porch when she was attacked by the dog.Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-sarasota-manatee/three-taken-to-hospital-after-dog-attack

3 women are hospitalized after being attacked by pit bull in East Manatee

^{BY JAMES A. JONES JR. – [email protected] – April 6, 2015}

An 18-year old woman went to retrieve the dog from the pool/lanai area in the 14000 block of Seventh Avenue East, when she was attacked.

The woman’s twin sister, and her mother immediately went to her aid and were also attacked in the pool/lanai area, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The attack occurred at 2:15 p.m.

The three women were able to escape from the dog by entering the living room and closing a sliding glass door behind them.

They were all hospitalized in stable condition.

The 45-year-old mother was the most seriously injured, said sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow.

Trauma patients in Manatee County are normally taken to Blake Medical Center.

Manatee Animal Services responded and impounded the dog. The mother had been sitting the dog for her niece.

Pit bull that attacked 3 Tampa Bay-area women euthanized; 1 victim remains hospitalized

^{THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – April 07, 2015 – 7:58 am EDT}

BRADENTON, Florida — A pit bull that authorities say attacked three Tampa Bay-area women has been euthanized.

Manatee County’s interim director of animal services says the male dog was aggressive toward staff and too dangerous to keep at the shelter. Bill Hutchinson says he got permission from county health officials to euthanize the dog Monday instead of waiting the usual 10 days to see if it showed signs of rabies.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is, like all the ‘bully’ breeds, one of this group of descendants of the British ‘bull and terrier’ type fighting bulldogs. Once imported into the United States, it was bred up to be bigger again, and again used in baiting animals and in dogfighting. The American Kennel Club (founded 1884) was unwilling to register these fighting dogs, so in 1898 the United Kennel Club was founded specifically to register working pit-fighting dogs and to promote dogfighting. In order to be registered, a dog had to first win three pit fights^7,8,9. The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) became a ‘breed’. As dogfighting declined in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, Colby (the most famous and prolific breeder of these dogs) began to search for a new market and began promoting the APBT as family pets^10,11. This despite the fact that his breeding lines included child killers¹².

The APBT is of medium intelligence, and it is athletic. They have plenty of energy and exuberance for life. They are affectionate companions are often referred to as a “nanny dog”, which leads many families to believe that they are suitable companions for children. Many can live happily with children and never have an issue, but there are many cases of the family pit bull suddenly attacking or killing a child in the household. The Pit Bull advocacy group BADRAP recently retracted their original “nanny dog” statements (https://www.facebook.com/BADRAP.org/posts/10151460774472399 )¹³. In 2013, in the United States, 16 children were killed by Pit Bulls and their mixes. Most of these children were killed by family pet pit bulls that had never been neglected or abused and had always loved the child. As with all breeds, the traits needed for their original tasks remain in the dogs – in this case, the sudden explosive aggression that was necessary to survive in the fighting pit. An APBT may never show this aggression, but if it does there will be no warning and the attack will not be easy to stop. Extreme caution should always be taken when this breed interacts with children. They are fun loving dogs that have “clownish” behaviors. Despite, their many positive qualities, this breed may not be suitable for everyone. Their high energy requires a family that can accommodate and appreciate this aspect of their personality. They usually do best with active families. Many American Pit Bull Terriers get calmer as they age and an older dog may work for a more reserved family.

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS

This is a list of dog breeds that have a history of being potentially dangerous to people, especially children. Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness understands that any dog has the ability to bite or inflict serious harm to humans. This list consists of several dog breeds that have a higher than average number of recorded human fatalities. Please use extreme caution if you choose to bring one of these breeds into your home. Rental communities and homeowners insurance may restrict many of the dog breeds on this list due to the likelihood of a serious incident.

Pit Bulls, Mastiff, and Rottweiler lead in fatalities and are listed first. The rest of the breeds are listed in alphabetical order:

Pit Bull Terrier Family