Dog Attacks In The News


Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness believes it is important to stay informed on current affairs and issues relating to animal welfare and public safety. The following news links will feature information that may play a role in our mission. Daxton’s Friends believes that the media does an accurate job in reporting canine related incidents involving any breed of canine and does not find there is substantial evidence that only certain breeds are reported. However, many canine related incidents involving attacks on other canines do not make media news. If you have been involved in a canine attack, find a canine related incident that you think we should share, or just have a good dog story to tell, please e-mail us at [email protected]. *Abusive and/or deceitful emails are subject to being published in full.*

December 2014

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Joliet Residents Tell of Vicious Dogs Terrorizing North Reed Street

Four residents have complained to the cops about the dogs and blame them for a vicious mauling.

By  – December 31, 2014 at 3:02pm

Two pit bulls and a Rottweiler have run loose around Joliet’s North Reed Street and attacked at least four other dogs, viciously mauling one, residents said.

“Our fear is a child” will fall prey to the pack of dogs, said Doreen Swanson, who said her own two pets were beset by the hounds from Reed Street.

Swanson’s husband, Bob Swanson, was walking the couple’s two dogs, Jackson and Mack, about 10 p.m. Nov. 25 when the pit bulls and Rottweiler charged at them, he said.

“The three of them came rushing across,” Bob Swanson said. “The guy rushed out. He was yelling at his dogs. They weren’t paying attention to him. He was kicking at them.”

One of Bob Swanson’s dogs suffered puncture wounds and the other had scratches around its neck, he said, but they were “not as bad as poor Harley here.”

Harley is a shepherd-mix belonging to neighbor Sarah Tyrell. Harley had to undergo surgery and has two drains implanted in her body because of the Christmas Eve attack, Tyrell said. Harley is now too frightened to venture out to her own yard alone.

Read more: http://patch.com/illinois/joliet/joliet-residents-tell-vicious-dogs-terrorizing-north-reed-street-0


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Pitbull-Rottweiler badly mauls 16-day-old baby, dog put down

BY MARCUS HONDRO – December 29,2014
A 16-day-old baby girl is in hospital in Victoria, B.C. after being mauled badly by the family’s pitbullRottweiler pet dog. The Victoria Times-Colonist reports the girl has non-life threatening facial injuries that may require plastic surgery.The dog who attacked the baby had been in the family 17 years.

Pitbulls are responsible for the greatest amount of dog attacks, injuries from dog attacks and deaths from dog attacks in Canada and the U.S.. That is despite the fact they do not rank in the top ten most popular dogs to own list, or near the top ten, in Canada (where they are banned in some provinces) or the U.S.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/health/pitbull-rottweiler-badly-mauls-16-day-old-baby-dog-put-down/article/422117#ixzz3NItxczNv

UPDATE:

Pit Bull-Mix That Mauled 16-Day-Old Baby Was Declared Dangerous In 2007

By Phyllis M Daugherty, Wed, December 31, 2014

AUTHORITIES KNEW THE DOG WAS DANGEROUS

A neighbor, who feared reprisal and would not give her name, is reported as saying, “I feel this whole situation could have been prevented. That dog wasn’t a nice dog.” She said she would often call police or pound officers to report that Buck was not muzzled when being walked around the neighborhood.

“The owners, Saanich police and the pound all knew that dog was aggressive and dangerous,” she said.

Paul Gill lives in the house with his wife, mother, brother and the baby, th eProvince reports. His brother, Rashpal Gill spoke to the Times Colonist and said, “I don’t think the dog should have been put down. I don’t think the dog should have been in the house. It was a bunch of different situations.”

He denied that the dog was aggressive, “[The dog] probably didn’t know any better,” he said, “It maybe thought the baby was a toy for all I know.”

Another neighbor told the Province, “It got to the point where people weren’t even walking down that way because they were afraid of the dog coming out.” She said she and several other neighbors had called police to complain about the Pit Bull.

Read more: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/pit-bull-mix-mauled-16-day-old-baby-was-declared-dangerous-2007


2014-12-29_10h32_11FBI agent shoots dog in Glen Burnie Park

By WTOP – December 28, 2014

WASHINGTON — Authorities say they are investigating an incident in which a  federal agent walking his dog  shot and killed another dog in a park in Glen Burnie, Md.

According to a report by WMAR-TV, an FBI agent fatally shot a Great Dane after the dog broke free from a grandmother walking the dog Friday morning at a footbridge near Hopkins Corner.

Carol Feldhaus told the television station that she was walking to the footbridge with the five-year-old dog named Flynn, which is her daughter’s family dog. She was walking with her four-year-old grandson, who witnessed the entire incident. According to the woman, she approached the  narrow footbridge and saw the man on the other side, walking his own dog.

She yelled to let the three pass, but the man started across anyway. The Great Dane leaped at the little dog, dragging Feldhaus down. Flynn attacked the little dog and as Feldhaus lay on the ground, she heard shots ring out, she told the television station.

Read more: http://wtop.com/news/2014/12/fbi-agent-shoots-dog-glen-burnie-park/


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Officer fatally shooting family’s dog sparks uproar in small MO town

Posted: Dec 24, 2014 1:53 PM CST – By DeAnn Smith, Digital Content Manager – By Josh Marshall, News Reporter

RAY COUNTY, MO (KCTV) –

A family’s dog was shot three times by a small town police officer. That much is fact.

But the events that sparked the death of the golden retriever has sparked much controversy in Camden, which has a population of just 191.

The Wilhite family is asking for justice after they say the police officer shot the dog in their own yard.

“I just felt like I just watched one of my family members be murdered,” said Rhiannon Wilhite.

The police officer says he was protecting himself and others say the family refused to control the aggressive dog.

The Wilhite family dog, Marley, was a 4-year-old golden retriever and chow mix.

“He was a good dog,” said Raymond Wilhite.

He and his former wife say the dog has not had any history of aggression, but others disagree.

Read more: http://www.kctv5.com/story/27703814/officer-fatally-shooting-familys-dog-sparks-uproar-in-small-mo-town#ixzz3N2oaZHn5


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The holding cage of a female American Blue Heeler/Mix dog at the Rockingham County Animal Shelter on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, in Wentworth, NC. The dog is one of 15 being held at the shelter after a pack of dogs may have killed a man walking along McCollum Road who was in the area visiting from Mexico.

Few details in fatal Madison dog attack

Posted: Sunday, December 28, 2014 9:58 pm – By Danielle Battaglia/News & Record [email protected]

A month after a man visiting from Mexico was found dead, family members still don’t have answers to what caused his death.

On Nov. 23, 62-year-old Jose Cruz Cazares Robles went for a walk, leaving his family’s home on Bethany Road in Madison. He never returned.

The next day Rockingham County sheriff’s deputies found Robles’ body at the bottom of a steep embankment on McCollum Road.

He was covered in dog bites.

His clothes and shoes were ripped from his body and left several yards away.

A family member said in a phone interview Tuesday that investigators told him not to talk to the media.

On Nov. 24, the sheriff’s office obtained warrants to take 15 dogs belonging to Daniel McCollum at 1122 McCollum Road in Madison, the residence across from where Robles’ body was found.

The dogs are being held at the Rockingham County Animal Shelter in Wentworth.

Read more: http://www.news-record.com/news/local_news/few-details-in-fatal-madison-dog-attack/article_8362fd96-8f06-11e4-987a-5b15eb1dad37.html


Gloucester resident Gretchen Hines discusses her experience with a local leash law after she was attacked by a dog while running.

Some Gloucester residents want leash law expanded

 – December 29, 2014

GLOUCESTER — Gretchen Hines was just three weeks away from achieving her goal of running her first marathon when nightmare struck.

Hines had just set out on a quick run near her home off of Borden Road in Gloucester County on the evening of Oct. 16 when she passed by a familiar home with a dog in the yard. Hines said she had seen the German shepherd before but it had never ventured out the yard. It did on this evening.

The dog attacked Hines, tearing at her ankle and thigh, dragging her to the ground and striking at her elbow as it went for her face.

Neighbors heard Hines’ cries for help and were able to scare the dog away and call 911.

But the damage was done – nine wounds, multiple punctures and mental scars she said she may never lose.

Read more: http://www.dailypress.com/news/gloucester-county/dp-nws-evg-mid-glouc-leash-law-20141229-story.html


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Family faces tragedy days after toddler attacked by dog

Woman’s daughter attacked by dog; Husband passes away days later

Ryan SmithBy  – December 26, 2014

DES MOINES, Iowa —One local mother is thankful her daughter is back home, recovering after she was attacked by a dog, but another tragedy struck days after the attack.

The 1-year-old was bit in the face a few weeks ago and required 20 stitches in her cheek, lip and near her eye.

“When I originally saw it, it was really deep on her face and I didn’t know if they’d be able to fix that,” Tanya Thompson, the girl’s mother, said.

Family friends were babysitting the girl when the incident happened.

Initially the couple told officers they did not own a dog. After an investigation, the couple were charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, police said.

“I think they got scared, so they lied, which is unfair to us because of all of the stuff that we are going to be dealing with to lie to me,” Thompson said.

Read more: http://www.kcci.com/news/local-family-faces-tragedy-days-after-toddler-attacked-by-dog/30395094


Arkansas pit bull attack

Official: Three-Year-Old In Medically-Induced Coma After Dogs Attack Her

POSTED 3:06 PM, DECEMBER 26, 2014, BY

SMACKOVER, Ark. (KTHV) – A toddler was reportedly taken to a hospital after a dog attack Tuesday evening in Smackover on W. 7th Street.

According to Chief Michael Fife with Smackover police, a woman was moving in with two elderly men to help take care of them. She reportedly opened a door inside the house, and three pit bull-mixed dogs ran out, and onto the front porch. They are said to have then attacked the woman’s daughter, a 3-year-old.

Chief Fife said the girl was flown to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, and as of Wednesday morning, she was listed as being in stable, but critical condition after undergoing surgery.

On Friday, Charles Hartsell with El Dorado Animal Control told THV11 that the toddler is in a medically induced coma. Officials at Arkansas Children’s Hospital were unable to comment on the situation.

Read more: http://5newsonline.com/2014/12/26/official-three-year-old-in-medically-induced-coma-after-dogs-attack-her/


df-raipur-32 bitten by stray dog in Amlidih

Dec 29, 2014, 11.03 AM IST

RAIPUR: A 24-year -old woman was bitten by a stray dog while another kid was also injured on Sunday. It was only a day back when citizens in Raipur shared with TOI their disappointment over municipal body`s failure to control dog menace in city. The incident took place at Amlidih where a dog attacked Deepa Gurnani and she sustained severe injuries in hands and legs.

She was immediately rushed to hospital. No sooner a family on scooter which passed by from the same spot was attacked by the same dog. According to witnesses, the dog caught hold of a 7-year-old boy`s leg by its teeth and tried to pull him down.

Read more: http://www.nyoooz.com/news/raipur/2-bitten-by-stray-dog-in-amlidih/31840.html


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Stephanie Strasburg | Trib Total MediaJoe Garrubba, 50, of Baldwin, tugs on a stick with his dog Frank as they play at the South Park dog park in Bethel Park on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. Garrubba says he tries to bring Frank out several times a week to get a run in, more in the winter. His more aggressive dogs he keeps home, he says.

Off-leash dog spaces more popular in Western Pa., but owners take risk

 By Bob Bauder – Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014, 5:10 p.m.

 

Juanita Nolte said the fenced-in, off-leash dog run at South Park is the perfect spot for Murry, her German Shepherd, to expend excess energy while romping and socializing with other dogs.

Nolte, 60, of Dormont said dogs sometimes get into dust-ups, but nothing serious like the puppy killed last month by a greyhound while mixing with other dogs at Frick Park in Pittsburgh’s East End.

“You’ll get an aggressive dog every once in awhile, but if the owners are responsible, they’ll be OK,” Nolte said while keeping an eye on Murry on a recent brisk Thursday at South Park. “You just break it up. It’s like a bunch of 2-year-olds at a playground.”

Dog parks are becoming more popular as municipalities set aside areas for the benefit of residents who can let their pets roam free while watching from the sidelines. The dogs make friends with other animals and owners say they have an opportunity to know their neighbors.

But animal experts say owners should be aware that tragedies like the one at Frick Park can happen in off-leash areas.

“In my opinion, you’re taking a risk, because there are a lot of people who bring dogs that probably shouldn’t be there, and a lot of people bring dogs not knowing how they’re going to react,” said Mary Withrow, community outreach coordinator for theAnimal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Larimer. “I know it’s nice for dogs to be able to run around, but I don’t know how you fix (the problem of) people who bring dogs that probably shouldn’t be there.”

Withrow said she wouldn’t take her pit bull to an off-leash area.

“He’s the nicest guy in the world,” she said of her dog, but said she worries another dog might attack him.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/7105765-74/dog-park-dogs#ixzz3N2uwHgMt
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook


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Christmas Day dog attack turns neighbors against each other

POSTED 8:11 PM, DECEMBER 26, 2014, BY , UPDATED AT 10:14PM, DECEMBER 26, 2014

HAZEL GREEN, Ala. (WHNT) — The final straw.

On Christmas Day, a 10 pound Yorkie named Mickey was attacked on the front yard of her owner’s home in the Hazelwood Subdivision in Madison County.

The vicious attack left Mickey with dozens of stitches from bite wounds, and possible internal bleeding. So far, her owners have paid more than $1,000 in vet bills and she is not out of the woods yet.

Patricia McNeese says the attack is not the first and it won’t be the last if something is not done fast.

“I am very concerned about the safety of not only the pets in our neighborhood, but children and adults as well,” McNeese said.

Neighbors claim one dog, a 10-year-old brown lab mix that can be found wandering the streets of the neighborhood, is responsible for more than six attacks on other dogs. A neighborhood woman also claims she was bitten by the same dog. McNeese and other neighbors who did not want to talk on camera say they have all tried talking with the dog’s owner, but the owner refuses to admit the dog is a problem and won’t make the dog stay off everyone else’s property.

Read more: http://whnt.com/2014/12/26/christmas-day-dog-attack-turns-neighbors-against-each-other/


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Is there a Constitutional right of self-defense against attacking animals?

Posted by  –  Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 2:00pm

Facts of the Case

The defendant describes the facts as follows:  He was driving home from a concert with his 36-week-pregnant girlfriend when he had an urgent need to urinate.  He pulled over on the side of a residential neighborhood, stepped from his vehicle, and immediately upon unzipping was set upon by two dogs.  He drew his pistol and fired numerous rounds at the dogs, a couple even when the dogs were in clear flight.  (Eight pieces of 9mm brass would later be found–the Doberman, struck several times, would survive.) The defendant would later be contacted by police and provide a statement in which he said he and his girlfriend and been alone and that there were no other witnesses to the events.

The girlfriend, on the other hand, tells a far less sympathetic narrative.  She testified that they had left the concert because they were kicked out due to the defendant’s intoxication, and that they left alone and without anyone following them (a fact that will become relevant shortly).  She said that before the defendant stepped out of the vehicle they had observed a dog running about, and she had encouraged him to continue to drive to another location.  Instead, the defendant stopped, stepped out of the vehicle, and immediately began firing.  The girlfriend feared he had just shot the dog. When he got back in the vehicle he told her that he was “going to clean up the neighborhood that his son was going to be forced to grow up in,” in apparent reference to the baby his girlfriend would soon birth.

The girlfriend went on to testify that the defendant drove erratically the rest of the way to her home, almost having several accidents. Upon being dropped off at home she called 911, and reported his drunk driving, license plate number, and the possible shooting of the dog.  Police were dispatched to the defendant’s home, but he had not yet returned.  When the defendant learned he was being sought by the police he contacted them and arranged to come in and give a statement–that would be the statement in which he would say, among much else, that there had been no other witnesses.

Read more: http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/12/is-there-a-constitutional-right-of-self-defense-against-attacking-animals/


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Riverside County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Django and Deputy Matt Saidleman

JURUPA VALLEY: Sheriff’s K-9 injured in attack by dog that gets shot

BY BRIAN ROKOS / STAFF WRITER – Published: Dec. 19, 2014 Updated: 11:54 p.m.

Django, a Riverside County sheriff’s K-9, was recovering from injuries suffered Friday, Dec. 19, after it was attacked by another dog in Jurupa Valley, a department spokesman said.

A deputy shot Django’s attacker to death, Deputy Armando Munoz said.

About 3:30 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 10200 block of 50th Street in Jurupa Valley. Deputies entered the property through an open gate to contact the caller, Munoz said.

As they entered, a loose dog attacked Django, Munoz said. Deputies made several attempts to detach the attacker from Django but were unsuccessfully, Munoz said. That’s when the deputy shot the other dog.

Read more: http://www.pe.com/articles/django-756739-munoz-dog.html


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Woman Who Fostered Dogs Dies After They Turn on Her

Action 10 news – December 16, 2014

FLOUR BLUFF- A woman in her 60’s, popular in her Flour Bluff neighborhood for taking care of and fostering stray dogs, was found dead early Monday evening.

A neighbor discovered the body of Rita Woodard in the backyard of her home in the 1200 block of Preston Street just after 5 PM.

Corpus Christi Police were called to the home off the SPID frontage road near Flour Bluff Road, they quickly called Animal Control officers as at least four dogs were still loose in the backyard.

Officers say in addition to the four dogs in the yard, there were two others in cages inside the home.

Evidence at the scene suggested that Woodard had bite marks on her body.

Click here to read more


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A sheriff’s deputy in Colorado was off-duty at his daughter’s soccer game when his K9 escaped from the car and attacked a Shih Tzu, who later died. VPC

Deputy’s K9 escapes car, attacks Shih Tzu

USA TODAY NETWORK – Raquel Villanueva, KUSA-TV3:03 p.m. EST December 23, 2014

An off-duty Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy was at a park in Thornton, Colo., watching a soccer tournament when his K9 escaped his car and attacked a Shih Tzu.

The Shih Tzu, owned by a woman in her 70s, later died.

“Our hearts go out to the owners of the dog that was killed,” Sheriff Tony Spurlock said in a statement. “As dog lovers ourselves, we know how hard it is when a family loses a pet. We assure them that we are conducting a thorough internal investigation into how this happened and we are fully cooperating with the Thornton Police Department.”

The Dec. 21 incident, which happened at Trail Winds Park, is under investigation. The K-9, named Freia, has been quarantined and is not working as a police dog.

The off-duty deputy Greg Wilson was cited for “dog at large” and “animal attack.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/23/k9-colorado-douglas-county-sheriff-shih-tzu/20807559/


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Christopher Camejo, 29, and Claudia Scarbrough, 31, both of 8352 W. Oak St. in Crystal River, are charged with manslaughter and child neglect.

Citrus County detectives arrest mother and father of child killed by family dogs

Parents facing manslaughter, neglect charges – By Jacqueline Ingles – 6:48 PM, Dec 22, 2014

Citrus County detectives arrested the parents of 2-year-old Christopher Camejo who was killed Dec. 6 by the family’s Rottweilers.Christopher Camejo, 29, and Claudia Scarbrough, 31, both of 8352 W. Oak St. in Crystal River, are charged with manslaughter and child neglect.According to detectives, on the day of the incident both parents were home but were not supervising their three children.The two other children, a 5-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, were taken into the care of the  Florida Department of Children and Families, according to law enforcement.“The arrests made in this case are a direct result of the hard work of detectives Kat Powers and Cregg Dalton, plus the hours of effort put forth by everyone in the agency who was involved,” said Sgt. Steven Casada, supervisor of the Special Victims Unit, in a written statement.Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-citrus-hernando/citrus-county-detectives-arrest-mother-and-father-of-child-killed-by-family-dogs

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Oklahoma City Police say because the dog was no longer attacking the woman when they arrived, and she made the decision to press charges 24 hours after the attack, they were unable to take the dog.

Woman Mauled By Dog At NW OKC Apartment Complex

Posted: Dec 22, 2014 5:34 PM CST Updated: Dec 22, 2014 8:19 PM CST – BY JESSICA HOLLEY

OKLAHOMA CITY –An Oklahoma City woman said she was mauled by a neighbor’s dog. She decided to press charges against that dog, who is still with his owner.Animal welfare officials said they are in the process of taking that dog into custody. The victim’s mother told News 9, until it’s gone, she won’t feel safe outside her home.Rita Hodge said she is still haunted by the shrieks of her daughter screaming on Thursday night.“I close my eyes at night and I hear my daughter scream,” said Hodge.Hodge told News 9 the attack happened a few steps out of her apartment as her daughter walked to the parking lot. The boxer broke free from his owner and charged after Hodge’s daughter.“I heard a dog barking and then all of the sudden, it turned from a dog barking to a bark and a growl. And within seconds I heard my daughter scream,” she said.

 

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Former Police Deputy Legally Kills Man’s Dog In Texas

By Michael Allen, Mon, December 15, 2014

Kenneth Wayne Flynn, a former Fort Worth police deputy, escaped indictment last Wednesday.

Flynn fatally shot a German Shepherd on Sept. 29 after he was told the dog had killed his cat.

He retired from the force on Oct. 31 after being charged with animal cruelty, but the Tarrant County grand jury killed the charge.

“We’re glad the grand jury took a careful look at the case and correctly applied Texas law that allows an individual to kill a dangerous dog that’s just attacked one of their cats,” Robert Rogers, Flynn’s defense lawyer, told the Star-Telegram.

Texas law does allow someone to kill a dog or coyote that has attacked a domestic animal:

Sec. 822.013. DOGS OR COYOTES THAT ATTACK ANIMALS. (a) A dog or coyote that is attacking, is about to attack, or has recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowls may be killed by:

(1) any person witnessing the attack; or

(2) the attacked animal’s owner or a person acting on behalf of the owner if the owner or person has knowledge of the attack.

(b) A person who kills a dog or coyote as provided by this section is not liable for damages to the owner, keeper, or person in control of the dog or coyote.

Click here to read more

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Screams, then gunfire as neighbor shoots attacking dogs

POSTED 7:09 PM, DECEMBER 15, 2014, BY

Chesterfield, Va. — A Chesterfield man was rushed to the hospital, after being attacked by a dog around 9 a.m. Monday, in the 1500 block of Walnut Drive.

The attack ended with a neighbor grabbing a gun.

Neighbors said that neighborhood’s usual quietness was shattered by screams for help and multiple gunshots.

Many in the neighborhood were getting their children to the bus stop.

Click here to read more

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The Grant Parish Police Jury voted Thursday to form a committee that would look at animal-control issues and start work on possible ordinances. (Photo: Town Talk file photo)

Grant committee to explore animal-control issues

By Melissa Gregory | [email protected] | 12:28 p.m. CST December 12, 2014

The Grant Parish Police Jury voted unanimously Thursday night to form a committee to draft ordinances dealing with animal-control issues.

The move comes two weeks after a dog attack on 85-year-old Bobbie Cheveallier near Pollock. Cheveallier died Nov. 29 at Rapides Regional Medical Center. An investigation is continuing into the circumstances surrounding the attack, but some of the dogs and owners have been identified.

No other information is available for release yet, said Grant Sheriff Steve McCain.

Earlier story: Pollock woman critical after mauling by stray dogs

Earlier story: Grant Parish woman mauled by dogs dies

Both he and Alexandria Animal Shelter Superintendent Henry Wimbley addressed jurors about how they might approach animal-control issues in the mostly rural parish.

McCain said he spent part of Thursday meeting with Julia Breaux-Melancon, the Louisiana state director for the Humane Society of the United States. It was her second trip to the parish, he said.

A lawyer, Breaux-Melancon left suggestions for a potential ordinance on how and when an animal could be deemed vicious or dangerous, he said. McCain asked that jurors consider that language.

Click here to read more

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Max is usually OK with people, but he bit someone recently after they ignored his growling. (Photo: Special to the Statesman Journal)

Dog didn’t bite ‘out of the blue’; learn cues

Martha Allen, Statesman Journal9:02 p.m. PST December 11, 2014

Dear Gwen, I have a problem and don’t know what to do. My dog, Max, suddenly bit my brother, just out of the blue. Max is a 4-year-old standard poodle mix. Here’s what happened:

This morning, my dog was lying in bed with me (he usually sleeps with me) and my brother came in to wake me up, and the dog growled at him. We argued because I did not want to get up, and I think Max could sense that I was agitated. He’s extremely protective over me but had never gone to the point of biting.

Max growled again, and my brother said “What’s wrong?” and leaned down to pet him, and Max made a horrible sound while lunging at him and biting him hard enough to puncture his lip and give a few small lacerations on the chin. He has never done anything like this before, and we don’t know what to do. I am worried that something like this could happen again. Does he need to be put down? We love him so much, and that would be a tragedy. But my brother is really angry.

The dog has some pretty bad anxiety issues, which he had been taking medication for, but we recently got him off the medication gently, and he has been fully off it for about three weeks. We did this because he had made great progress in his behavior. Should we put him back on it? — Worried

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Picture by: MICHAEL ZAMORA

City deals with uptick in reported dog bites

CORPUS CHRISTI – Raul Chapa-Villalobos said a man’s best friend should stand on two legs.

The 17-year-old was bit and chased home last month by a Labrador mix he said has bitten before.

“I don’t trust (dogs) anymore,” he said.

Chapa-Villalobos said he was stepping off a school bus when he spotted the yellow lab. He remembers cringing from the dog’s barks from a distance every day after school but that day, the dog was on the other side of the fence.

“He ran toward me, barking,” Chapa-Villalobos said. “Then I felt his teeth pierce (my calf).”

He is one of more than 650 dog bite cases this year to which Corpus Christi Animal Care Services has responded.

Ranging from “nippers” to dogs that are ultimately deemed dangerous to the public, the data reflects a peak in bite cases in the last six years. As of October, bite cases outnumber annual totals since 2009, according to Animal Care Services records.

But officials said the peak in numbers is likely due to more people asking authorities to get involved.

“It does look like a peak but there has been a lot more public education in reporting the bites,” said Steven Bly, interim program manager for Animal Care Services.

Click here to read more

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Attorney Newell to Represent Steelton Dog Bite Victim

Perkasie, PA — (ReleaseWire) — 12/11/2014 — On November 25, 2014, PA dog attack attorney, Thomas J. Newell, Esquire was hired by the mother of a 7 year old Dauphin County dog attack victim. The little boy was bitten by a neighbor’s pit bull on 8/26/14.

PA Dog Law charges were filed to MJ-12202-NT-0000581-2014 before District Justice Kenneth Lenker by PA Dog Warden Michael Zeigler. The 2 citations were for Harboring a Dangerous Dog and Failure to Confine.

At the October 2, 2014 hearing, the Steelton, PA dog bite victim testified that the defendants’ pit bull crawled under a fence, pursued him down an alley by Front Street and bit his face and left leg. The pit bull owners were found guilty of both PA Dog Law charges.

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Family devastated by loss of toddler in Citrus dog attack

Posted: Dec 08, 2014 1:28 PM CST – Updated: Dec 08, 2014 1:28 PM CST – By Chip Osowski

CRYSTAL RIVER, FL (WFLA) –Christopher Camejo’s grandfather Joaquin calls his grandson’s death a tragic accident after the 2-year-old was attacked and killed by a dog.

At the time of the attack, Joaquin Camejo had gone fishing with a buddy. The little boy was in the care of his mother and Joaquin’s girlfriend, Kimberly Fisher.

Fisher tells News Channel 8, she stepped inside to use the restroom when the toddler slipped out of the house.

“That’s all it took,” said Fisher, in tears. “Had I not gone to the bathroom, this would’ve never happened,” She says the dogs had never been aggressive towards the children.

Animal control officers removed four Rottweilers and another dog from the home. Joaquin Camejo has surrendered the rottweilers.

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Some species of dogs like the white pitbull in the back of this trailer were rounded up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation last month under Braedon’s Law, which bans some dog breeds. The roundups were sparked by the death of Jayla Rodriguez, 8, who was killed in an apparent dog attack. (Photo by Chris Huber – Rapid City Journal)

Before death, girl had bond with dog-attack victim

December 8th, 2014 – Seth Tupper Journal staff

Some on the reservation say Jayla’s death was the sad and predictable result of the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s failure to deal with the reservation’s longstanding dog problem. The tribe responded with a two-day roundup of an untold number of dogs in the town of Pine Ridge — some dogs were killed, others were given to a rescue group — and tribal officials are pondering their next move.

Similar circumstances existed after the 2003 attack on Braedon, when outrage prompted the passage of Braedon’s Law in 2006 and an amendment to strengthen the law in 2007.

Fillspipe said Braedon, who was then 5, was riding a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle with another boy when the ATV ran out of fuel near Sharp’s Corner, a small outpost within the vast reservation. The other boy went for help, and Braedon was mauled by two pit bulls that roamed over from their owners’ nearby residence. The owners saw the attack and chased the pit bulls off.

It took hundreds of stitches to close wounds on Braedon’s face and head. An ear had to be reattached. His eye was nearly torn out, and the crease of his nose was ripped.

He underwent 15 facial reconstruction surgeries over seven years. For his post-traumatic stress disorder, he attended weekly counseling sessions that dwindled to twice a month and finally six-month check-ins.

“He still has some nightmares,” Fillspipe said.

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Faribault left with no shelter to quarantine dangerous dogs

By BRAD PHENOW – Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 5:00 pm

What’s the best way to quarantine a dog following an unprovoked attack? That’s something the city of Faribault is left to decide now that no shelters will take the dogs.

When a dog is identified as dangerous, or potentially dangerous following an attack, the dog is required to go through 10-day quarantine. If the dog is up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, this can be done at home. If they are not, the quarantine is to be done at a boarding kennel or veterinarian, according to the city ordinance that was amended in 2009.

But one aspect of that ordinance is no longer being fulfilled. As of now, no facility has signed up to take those dogs from the city.

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A man transporting marijuana over the border with Mexico says a Border Patrol dog mauled him—and the U.S. needs to pay.

Drug Smuggler Sues U.S. Over Dog Bite

Caitlin Dickson – FRONTIER CUJO – 12.10.14

Jose Manuel Marino-Najera had been walking through the desert with a bundle of marijuana on his back for three days when he ran out of water. The 31-year-old father of one had been working on a grape harvest in Caborca, a border city on the Mexican side of the Sonoran Desert, when he found out about an opportunity to get to New York. He had an uncle there and, hopefully, would find work. Crossing the border illegally, with the help of coyotes, or smugglers, is typically a very expensive endeavor. But Marino had found a group willing to help him make his way north free of charge. In fact, they would pay him if he made it. All he had to do was carry a backpack filled with marijuana across the border with him.

Marino and the others in his group, all of them hauling marijuana on their backs, had made it to the Arizona side of the desert through an undesignated port of entry when they decided to stop. Dehydrated and feeling weary, Marino lay down beside another migrant under a tree and fell asleep. When he awoke, his arm was allegedly being mauled by a Border Patrol dog.

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Dog attack victim

Brandon PD responds to child’s dog bite

Posted: Dec 06, 2014 10:36 PM CST – Updated: Dec 08, 2014 2:31 PM CST
By Annette Peagler

BRANDON, MS (Mississippi News Now) –

A Brandon couple is searching for answers after their 10-year-old son was attacked by a dog during the annual Brandon Christmas parade.

Diego Reinoso suffered bites to his cheek and neck and had to get six stitches.

Meanwhile his parents are upset because they feel they haven’t received clear answers from police. We have reaction from both parties.

“I was very scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Diego.

Diego is recovering after he says he was attacked by what police describe as a large breed dog.

“I asked the owner if I could pet it and he said yes. And I guess the dog was growling on the inside, but it seemed like he was shivering and when I pet him like two or three times that’s when he jumped and bit me on my neck,” Diego added.

We obtained photos from the family that show Diego’s injuries.

Brandon Police Chief William Thompson said witnesses observed Diego playing rough with the dog and the owner allegedly asked Diego to stop, but his parents said that’s not what happened.

“The owner held the dog underneath his mouth so my son can pet him. And the next thing my son says is he was on the ground when the dog threw him to the concrete and was just shaking him back and forth until he passed out,” Diego’s mother, Misty Reinoso said.

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Water bottle used to stop vicious dog during attack in City Heights

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