Sunrise Beach, MO – Pit bull owner, James Woods, facing municipal charges after death of neighbor’s dog (4/24/15)


Sunrise Police Chief Shoots Pit Bull After Dogs, Jogger Are Attacked

553a9bf0db128.imagePosted: Friday, April 24, 2015 2:14 pm | Updated: 3:50 pm, Fri Apr 24, 2015. – by Janet Dabbs & LakeExpo.com Staff

SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — The Sunrise Beach Police Chief fatally shot an attacking pit bull last month, and authorities say the dog’s owner is facing municipal charges.

The dogs are thought to be associated with a string of recent attacks in the area.

The Sunrise Beach Police Department was called on Saturday, March 21 to a report of a vicious attack by two pit bulls on Center Road in Sunrise Beach, which resulted in the death of the dog.

According to Sunrise Beach Police Chief David Slavens, the two pit bulls attacked a dog while it was in its own yard. Chief Slavens says the attack happened in front of the owner and her 12-year-old granddaughter. The dog was seriously injured and had to be euthanized, and according to Chief Slavens, the child was traumatized due to witnessing the attack.

Chief Slavens said the owner of the dogs is James Wood, of Sunrise Beach. Slavens said Wood has a history of charges in Morgan County, where he used live, for vicious dog attacks. The only charges visible through CaseNet were four recent ones for an Animal At Large in Sunrise Beach. Slavens said Wood is the owner of four pit bulls.

In addition to the March 21 attack, those pit bulls reportedly attacked another dog in Sunrise Beach, in a separate incident.

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American Pit Bull Terrier

Pitbull-dog-pitbull-wallpapers-pictures-new-fresh-images-of-pitbull-dog-free-download_1423632703414_13228541_ver1.0_640_480The ‘bull and terrier’ type was originally developed in England in the early 19thcentury. The lineage goes back to the mastiff / molosser types, including what we now call the Olde English Bulldogge, that were used for bear-, bull- and horse-baiting from the 12th through the 18th century. This isn’t the bear-baiting we think of today, when hunters feed bears in order to bring them out in the open to shoot them. Rather, the bear, bull or horse was confined in a public arena where the mastiff ‘bulldogs’ would slowly tear them apart alive for the public’s amusement1,2,3,4,5.

The popularity of this ‘sport’ declined as education became more emphasized in urban society of the Industrial Revolution and literacy among the population grew (from about 30% in the 17th century to 62% by 1800)6.  The ‘sport’ was banned altogether by Act of Parliament in 1835.

The lovers of blood ‘sports’ turned to dogfighting to satisfy their fancy, breeding the large, mastiff-type bulldogs to smaller working terriers to get dogs both smaller and more agile, easier to keep and to hide, but just as willing to attack and fight to the death. With the rise of the kennel clubs and the desire to distinguish dogs by looks and pedigree as well as by performance, this ‘bull and terrier’ type eventually divided into many official breeds. They all share the same ancestry and function, distinguishing themselves mostly by slight differences in appearance.

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 fights7,8,9. 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 pets10,11. This despite the fact that his breeding lines included child killers12.

Click here to learn more about the American Pit Bull Terrier


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:

potentially-dangerous-dog-300x300Pit Bull Terrier Family

Mastiffs

Rottweiler

Akita

Boxer

Alaskan Malamute

Chow Chow

Doberman Pinscher

German Shepherd

Shar Pei

Siberian Husky

Wolf Hybrid