Deadly pit bull attack: Breed can be risky because it won’t let go, dog warden says

^{By Elizabeth Doran | [email protected] – Email the author | Follow on Twitter on November 16, 2015 at 3:45 PM}

The 2-year-old pit bull named Diesel was in the family’s living room about 7:15 p.m. Sunday playing with Lisa M. Cittadino’s three daughters ages 7, 10 and 12 when Diesel turned on the child, deputies said. Cittadino, 32, toid police she turned her back momentarily and heard screams from her son and daughters.

Police said the child was near the dog’s food dish, which may have caused the dog to attack.

Gardinier did say that pit bulls are more dangerous than other breeds because they are hard to stop once they have started to attack.

“The thing about pit bulls is if things go wrong, they go very, very wrong,” she said. “If one attacks, it’s very hard to get them to stop. They are bred to latch on, to hang on, and that’s what they do.

“It’s very difficult to get them to release whatever they’ve latched onto, much more so than say with a German shepherd,” she said.

Children are especially vulnerable because they are at eye level with a pit bull, leaving the child’s face right at the dog’s mouth, Gardinier said.

Generally, Gardinier said she doesn’t recommend pit bulls as pets for families with young children, although it does depend on the dog, she said.

“As a general rule, I’d recommend families get a golden retriever,” she said.

Child killed in Oneida County dog attack

The 11-month-old child was taken to St. Elizabeth after the attack

MARSHALL (WSYR-TV)

An 11-month-old child in Oneida County is dead after he was attacked by the family’s dog Sunday evening.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the dog, a 2-year-old pit-bull named “Diesel,” was playing with the child and three other children at their home in the town of Marshall when the attack occurred.

Deputies arrived at the home and found 32-year-old Lisa Cittadino trying to give the child first aid.

Cittadino said she had turned her back on the children when she heard screaming.

She struggled to pull the dog off the child and then called 911.

The child was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Utica, where he died.

http://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/child-killed-in-oneida-county-dog-attack

Dog euthanized after fatal attack on baby in Oneida County

^{By Elizabeth Doran | [email protected] – Email the author | Follow on Twitter on November 17, 2015 at 12:53 PM, updated November 17, 2015 at 1:10 PM}

The family dog involved in the fatal attack of an 11-month-old boy in Oneida County Monday has been euthanized, according to the dog warden in Verona.

Verona Dog Warden Susan Gardinier said Diesel – a pit bull/sharpei mix – was euthanized today at the veterinarian in Wampsville. The family pet was 2 years old.

The animal attacked Lisa M. Cittadino’s 11-month-old son Sunday night while he was in the family’s living room playing with Cittadino’s three daughters. The baby died from his injuries, and Oneida County sheriff’s deputies said Cittadino asked that the dog be euthanized.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/dog_euthanized_after_fatal_attack_on_baby_in_oneida_county.html

2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull-Mix Kills Child in Oneida County, New York

DogsBite.org reports

UPDATE 11/17/15: The dog involved in the death of an 11-month old boy has been euthanized, according to officials. Verona dog warden Susan Gardinier said that Diesel, identified as a 2-year old pit bull-shar pei mix,¹ was put down today at the veterinarian in Wampsville. On Sunday night, the dog fatally attacked Lisa Cittadino’s baby while the animal was in the living room playing with three of the baby’s sisters, ages 7, 10 and 12. All three sisters witnessed the horrific attack.

¹The photograph from a family member’s Facebook page posted a year ago (November 20, 2014) shows a pit bull-shar pei mix at about 1-year in age. Color and size descriptions were not provided in any media reports.

American Pit Bull Terrier

The American Pit Bull Terrier has a history and bloodline deep rooted in the blood sports of animal baiting and dogfighting. As with all breeds, they retain their original traits. They often to do not accept other animals, especially dogs, and can be extremely aggressive towards them. They may accept animals they are raised with, but have been known to kill other family pets even after years of living together happily.

Most APBT puppies get along fantastically with other animals, including dogs. Puppies often love to play with and have companionship with other animals. This often gives owners a false sense of security. As the APBT matures, their relationship with other animals can change drastically. Often dog aggression issues emerge from 1-3 years in age, but some dog’s exhibit aggression as early as 6 months of age. They often will actively seek out other dogs to engage in fighting with and have broken their collars, crashed through windows, and torn through fences to do so, and one recently leaped from an apartment 2^nd story balcony, to get to a dog. They can get along with other dogs at times, but things can escalate quickly and they can attack suddenly and for no apparent reason. They often redirect onto humans who try to break up the fight¹⁴. Extreme caution should be used with all animal interactions and owners should never be completely comfortable. They can be unpredictable and a dog that plays nicely with dogs for years can suddenly change. Many owners have been shocked to see their beloved pet’s fighting instincts suddenly surface. It is highly recommended that the APBT is separated from other animals in the household when they cannot be supervised¹⁵. This is not a breed that is suitable for interactions at off leash dog parks¹⁶.

It is recommended that American Pit Bull Terrier owners have and carry a break stick¹⁷. A break stick is a device designed to open a Pit Bull type dog’s mouth while it is engaged in fighting. Pit Bull type breeds have a very distinctive fighting style and often will latch on their opponent and not let go. They usually will shake the other animal violently when they are latched on. This can cause horrific damage quickly. The break stick was designed by dog fighters to be inserted into the Pit Bull’s mouth and release his grip. The original purpose was to safely end a dog fight. The break stick often is the ONLY thing that will release the dog’s grip. People have been known to hit Pit Bulls with objects such as a bat or even shoot them and the dog still will not let go. Bully Breed owners should always have one handy in cause of an emergency. The break stick is not safe to use on other breeds of dogs and is only recommended for dogs in the Pit Bull family that were once used for dog fighting purposes.

Click here to learn more about the American Pit Bull Terrier

Shar Pei

The Shar Pei is an ancient and distinguished “wrinkle” dog which is also known as the Chinese Shar Pei. This breed originates from the Guangdong province of China and was bred to guard palaces. For a time period they were used for hunting and herding stock animals. Shar-Peis are considered a rare breed from the Han Dynasty (c. 200 B.C.) and were not recognized by the AKC until 1991. The breed gained some popularity in the 1970’s in the United States. Many breeders rushed to produce these unique canines which caused the breed’s physical characteristics to change. Their wrinkles and rounded snout were exaggerated compared to their ancestors and as a result they developed a significant number of health issues. The name Shar-Pei is believed to come from the Cantonese word “sa peih”, which translates literally to “sand skin”.

Click here to learn more about the Shar Pei

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

Mastiffs

Doberman Pinscher

German Shepherd

Shar Pei

Siberian Husky

Wolf Hybrid

2015 Dog Bite Related Fatalities in the U.S.

Updated after each fatality following fact finding research on Protect Children From Pit Bulls & Other Dangerous Dogs on Facebook

35 Dog Bite Related Fatality
by Breed.
27 by Pit Bull/Pit Bull Mix
2 by Rottweiler
1 by Golden/mixed breed
1 by American bulldog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Labrador mix
4 Unknown/Pending

By Age :
14 Children
22 Adult

By State :

NM – 1 death
MD – 1 death
FL – 3 death
IA – 1 death
AR – 1 death
PA – 1 death
W. VA – 1 death
TX – 5 death
SD – 1 death
AR – 1 death
GA – 1 death
NV – 1 death
IL – 1 death
OK – 3 death
NC – 2 death
OH – 1 death
SC – 1 death
AL – 1 death
CA – 3 death
WV – 1 death
NY – 2 death
TN – 1 death
MI – 2 death

Names and ages of the deceased:

Unidentified Native American – about 40 y,o. – Gallup, NM – Pack of Feral Dogs [1.2.15]

Eugene W. Smith – 87- Frederick, MD – 1 Pit Bull [1.7.15]

Declin Moss – 18 months – Brooksville, FL – 2 Pit Bulls [1.19.15]

Malaki Mildward – 7yrs old – College Springs, IA – 2 Pit Bull/Bull Dog Mix [1.22.15]

Fredrick Crutchfield – 63 yrs old – Johnson county, AR – Pit Bull [ 2.4.15]

TayLynn DeVaughn – 2 yrs old – Pittsburgh, PA – Pit Bull [2.22.15]

Roy Higgenbotham – 62 yrs old – WHEELING, W.Va. – Pit Bull [3.8.15]

Betty Wood – 78 yrs old – SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX – Rottweiler [3.12.15]

Julia Charging Whirlwind – 49 yrs old – WHITE RIVER, SD – Pending [3.14.15]

Detrick Johnson – 36 yrs old – JEFFERSON COUNTY, AR – 7 Pit Bulls [3.21.15]

Neta Lee Adams – 81 yrs old – WASHINGTON, GA – Pending [3.31.15]

Kenneth Ford – 79 yrs old – NYE COUNTY, NV – Pit Bulls [4.14.15]

Brayden Wilson – 2 months old – Dallas, TX – Pit Bull [4.19.15]

Gaege Anthony Ramirez – 7 yrs old – NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – Pending [5.2.15]

James W. Nevils III – 5 yrs old – Chicago, IL – Pit Bull – [5.25.15]

Jordon Tyson Collins – 3 yrs old – Lawton, OK – Pit Bull – [6.28.15]

Norberto Legarda – 83 yrs old – Pecos, TX – Pit Bulls – [7.2.15]

Joshua Phillip Strother – 6 yrs old – Hendersonville, NC – Pit Bull – [7.7.15]

Annie L. Williams – 71 yrs old – Shaker Heights, OH – Pit Bull – [7.12.15]

Carolyn Lamp – 67 yrs old – COWETA, Ok – 3 Pit Bull/1 Rottweiler – [7.24.15]

Porsche Nicole Cartee – 25 yrs old – SPARTANBURG, SC – Pit Bull – [8.22.15]

Cathy Wheatcraft – 48 yrs old – DAVIE COUNTY, N.C. – Pit Bull – [8.24.15]

Barbara McCormick – 65 yrs old – Autauga County , AL – Golden/Mix – [8.2.15]

Emilio Rios Sr – 65 yrs old – Riverside County, CA. Pit Bulls – [8.8.15]

Carmen Reigada – 91 yrs old – Miami, FL. – American bulldog,Rhodesian Ridgeback, Labrador mix – [9.22.15]

Lamarkus Hakeem Hicks – 2 yrs old – Martinsburg, WV – Pit Bull – [9.28.15]

Edgar Brown – 60 yrs old – OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. – Pit Bulls – [10.16.15]

Tanner Smith – 5 yrs old – Vidor, TX – Pit Bulls – [10.19.15]

Amiyah Dunston – 9 yrs old – Elmont, NY – Pit Bull – [11.8.15]

Anthony Riggs – 57 yrs old – Madison County ,TN – Rottweiler – [11.12.15]

Carter Hartle – 11 months old – MARSHALL, NY – Pit Bull – [11.15.15]

Xavier Strickland – 4 yrs old – Detroit, MI – Pit Bulls – [12.2.15]

Rebecca Lillian-Kay Hardy – 22 yrs old – Port Huron, MI – Pit Bull, Husky-mix – [12.3.15]

Maria Torres – 57 yrs old – Gridley, CA – Pit Bulls – [12.16.15]

Nyjah Espinosa – 2 yrs old – Miami-Dade, Fl – Pit Bull Type (American Bulldog) – [12.20.15]

On average in 2015 someone was killed by a pit bull every 13 days. Some of these pit bull attacks were from the family dog that was well trained and had never shown signs of aggression before. The only common factor in these severe and often fatal attacks is not abuse or lack of training, it is breed. Choose the breed of dog you trust the lives of your loved ones with wisely.