Dog bites two children near Springfield, MO
http://www.ky3.com/news/local/80388767.html
Story Published: Dec 30, 2009 at 10:07 PM CST
Story Updated: Dec 31, 2009 at 11:46 AM CST
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Greene County sherff's deputies are investigating a dog attack that hurt two children. They say a 5-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl were bitten Wednesday night in what the family calls an unprovoked attack by their boxer mix inside their home on North O'Hara Avenue, just north of Springfield.
Because the children were bitten by their own dog in their own home, it will be up to the family to decide what happens to the pet. Springfield-Greene County Animal Control officers recommend a 10-day quarantine to see if the dog shows signs of rabies.
The children suffered cuts, their parents took them to a hospital in Springfield for treatment. Deputies say the family recently purchased the dog from a friend.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Aggressive Jack Russell has family worried (Florida)
Aggressive Jack Russell makes her fear for grandkids
by Dr. Lisa Radosta
Question: I have two Jack Russell Terriers, both males. One is 9 years old, who we had first, and then about three years ago we rescued another who is now 4 years old.
The 4-year-old is terribly food aggressive, and also hates it when we bother him on his blanket, and a few other things set him off. I’ve never had to deal with this kind of behavior in a dog before. He has bitten my son and my husband, and I’m fearful he’ll bite my grandkids. How do I deal with this aggressive behavior? Otherwise, he’s a sweetie!! Thank you for any help I can get. — Rhonda
Answer: Owners frequently tell me that their dog bites in certain circumstances and is great in others.
Aggression is serious and should be treated as soon as it is noticed to keep it from progressing. When a dog has bitten, you should see a board certified veterinary behaviorist first to get you on the right track immediately. You can find one at www.dacvb.org. Most types of aggression can be treated effectively.
Next, keep your grandkids safe by putting him in a separate room or outside in a secure back yard when they are there. If he has already bitten, he is not safe with the grandkids. It simply isn’t worth the risk. Until you can get in to see a veterinary behaviorist, avoid provoking him so he doesn’t practice these negative behaviors any longer.
For example, feed him in a separate location behind a baby gate so that no one bothers him while he is eating. He will be happier and everyone will be safer.
Belgian Malinois police dog kills dog, injures woman (California)
Euthanized canine linked to previous attack on woman
BY LESLIE GRIFFY • Lgriffy@thecalifornian.com • January 16, 2010
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office dog that was put down after killing another dog this week had attacked a woman less than seven months earlier.
Codi Campoli filed a claim against the county seeking an unspecified amount of money after the dog, known as Bosco, attacked her on the morning of June 22 on San Juan Grade Road. On Friday, the county rejected the claim, often filed as the first step in a lawsuit against a government agency, officials said.
Euthanization
While the June incident didn't make headlines, Bosco was in the news this week, when officials had to euthanize him after he attacked two dogs, killing one, in Aromas. Bosco had gotten outside around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Monterey County sheriff's Cmdr. Mike Richards declined to comment about the Campoli incident, because of the potential lawsuit.
It's unclear how Bosco and Campoli crossed paths or how the bite occurred. Campoli's attorney said his client was "brutally attacked and mauled."
"This was a very dangerous animal," said Orestes Cross, attorney at the San Francisco-based Waltson Cross. "Thank God that animal got loose at 3 a.m. and that no other person suffered what Ms. Campoli has experienced, or someone would surely be dead right now."
While Richards declined to comment on the case, the day Bosco's death was announced, he pointed to several cases that the Belgian malinois worked — including the seizure of millions of dollars worth of cocaine in Los Banos last year.
"[Bosco] was a very valuable member of this office. This is a tragedy all around," Richards said at the time.
It's unclear what kind of investigation the department did into Bosco after he bit Campoli. Sheriff's Office policy says "each dog bite is unique and must be reviewed under the circumstances it occurred."
Retired police dog seriously bites neck, legs (Tennessee)
Dog bite lawsuit settled for $20,000
http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=2DEC9719-19B9-E2E2-67356BFB9EFEA0C5
Mary Jo Denton
Herald-Citizen Staff Thursday, Jan 14, 2010
COOKEVILLE -- A $2 million dog bite lawsuit against the City of Cookeville and the Cookeville Police Department has been settled for $20,000. The lawsuit was filed last year over a bite by Melo, a trained police dog which has since been taken out of service. The incident happened two years ago when Melo escaped his handler, Officer Chase Mathis, and attacked an innocent man who was taking garbage out at a Cookeville bar.
Ryan Patrick Moody, who was working as a bouncer at The Library bar on South Jefferson Avenue back in 2008 and who was attacked by the dog, filed the lawsuit against the city, the police department, the officer, and Police Chief Bob Terry. The suit was based on an incident which happened at 3 a.m. March 14, 2008, when Moody, a college student, walked out the back door of the bar to take the trash out.
Not far away in an area behind the Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ, Officer Mathis had just stopped his car and let the dog out to relieve itself. The dog was not on a leash, and after apparently hearing a noise coming from the bar area, the animal took off running in that direction and attacked Moody.The lawsuit Moody later filed said the dog attempted to bite his neck and that he tried to fight the dog off using empty trash cans. He said he jumped into the bed of a truck, but the dog circled the truck, then jumped up into the truck bed and attacked, biting Moody's leg.
Officer Mathis ran to the scene and worked to get the dog off Moody, and other officers soon arrived and helped get the dog subdued, the suit said. Moody suffered serious leg wounds and had to undergo surgery. The suit claimed that Melo had a history of vicious attacks which were known by the police force and that the police department either disregarded the fact or were negligent by keeping the dog in service.
Last month, the lawsuit came to Circuit Court before Judge Amy Hollars for a settlement which had been worked out between Moody and the city's attorney. Court documents show that in exchange for $20,000, Moody settled his claims against all the defendants forever. The documents also note that the settlement "cannot be construed as an admission of liability" on the part of any of the defendants. "This is full and final release for any and all claims for personal injuries, property damages, pain and suffering, and any and all other claims or actions," one court document says. Moody was represented by Knoxville attorney Brent Morris, and Cookeville attorney Dan Rader represented the City of Cookeville and the Cookeville Police Department.
Rhodesian Ridgeback bites off man's fingers (Wisconsin)
Dog bites off finger of UPS delivery man
By Ken Leiviska / Capital Newspapers
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/469583
ROCK SPRINGS — A UPS delivery man lost the tip of his right index finger when a dog bit him last week in a classic dog-versus-mail-carrier incident.
According to the Sauk County sheriff’s report, Richard Hehenberger, 50 from North Freedom, was injured when a Rhodesian Ridgeback in excess of 100 pounds, bit him on the hand while he was delivering a package to the Rock Springs residence of Rebecca Mellenthin at E7246 Schmidt Road on the morning of Jan. 6.
According to the report, "She (Mellenthin) stated when Rick (Hehenberger) began to put the packages down on the step, the dog lunged at him breaking free of Rebecca’s hold and did bite the tip of his finger off."
The tip of the finger was kept in a glove and placed in the freezer of the residence until medical personnel arrived, the report states, while the rest of the finger and hand were wrapped in gauze.
Loganville First Responders arrived on the scene initially, and Reedsburg Ambulance transported Hehenberger to St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo. The Sauk County Humane Society followed up on the incident, running several tests to confirm the animal was current with its rabies shot and other vaccinations.
In addition to testing, the animal was quarantined at the residence for 10 days, during which three separate visits from a veterinarian were made to verify it didn’t have rabies.
According to the American Kennel Club Web site, the Rhodesian Ridgeback was originally bred in South Africa to hunt big game, including lions, which packs of 20 or more completed successfully with great regularity. The AKC also characterizes the breed as athletic, energetic and typically even tempered and reserved around strangers.
Christian Russo, Sauk County Humane Society director, said most breeds of dogs were originally bred to hunt in some capacity, so proper training is necessary.
Because Rhodesian’s are athletic and intelligent, it is important they receive plenty of exercise, he said. However, Russo added that the slightest thing could have made the dog react the way it did with Hehenberger.
Russo said anything from getting too close to the dog’s face, to the dog simply wanting to play with the packages being delivered could have led to the unfortunate incident. Trusting the owner of a pet is usually the most prudent practice, he added.
"The best thing to do is to leave an animal alone unless its owner invites you into their space because they’ll know the temperament of their pet the best," Russo said.
Small mixed breed bites while leashed (Palm Beach, FL)
Leashed dog bites woman's leg while she's out walking
http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/news/2010/01/15/dogbitemmk0116.html
By MARGIE KACOHADaily News Staff Writer
Friday, January 15, 2010
Palm Beach police are investigating a dog bite that occurred Wednesday morning in the 600 block of North County Road.
According to the report, a 67-year-old woman was walking north on the sidewalk when she was bitten on the middle of her lower left leg by a dog on a leash with professional dog walker John Hirsekorn.
He was walking two dogs at the time, both leashed, and was heading south when the reported bite occurred.
The woman said that "the dog did not bark and gave little warning prior to the attack," the report says.
Hirsekorn told police he was distracted by an incoming cell phone call as he approached the woman. According to police, he stayed with the woman, called for help and let her use his phone.
She was bleeding from the bite and attended to by Palm Beach Fire-Rescue, but declined to go to the hospital.
Police described the dog that bit the woman as a 6-year-old mixed breed weighing about 30-35 pounds.
"I did not observe any aggressive behavior from the animal at the scene, or later, at the house," the officer said in the report.
"I had no idea the dog would behave that way," Hirsekorn said Friday. "It was as much of a shock to me as it was to her."
Appliance repairman reflects on shih tzu, shepherd attacks
Bitten by a dog bite tale
By Alan Linda The Daily Journal
Published 12:00 p.m., January 19, 2010
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2010/jan/19/bitten-dog-bite-tale/
This woman wrote a letter to a newspaper man who hands out advice about people’s pets: “Dear Dr. Dog (Not his real name, but it should be.): I have a four-year-old dog who is precious, but I am having a bit of a problem. She gets very aggressive when I take her for walks. She has never bitten anyone yet, but she is absolutely uncontrollable. When I try to calm her down, she bites me.”
Before I go any further, perhaps it would be helpful to first divide people into a group that has been bitten by a dog, and a group that hasn’t. Obviously, opinion as to whether one feels strongly about dogs that bite will depend ultimately on whether you’ve been bitten.
Remember, I spent many years making service calls on folks’ appliances. Furnaces, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and so forth. On many calls, the home owner would say: “Oh, go ahead on in. Precious is in the house but she doesn’t bite.”
Maybe I could have determined if lying about ones dog also meant lying about “the check is in the mail.” I knocked on the door. And I walked in. And shortly found Precious, a 20-pound ball of white fur, hanging off my posterior, jaws locked tight.
Liars. Just like this woman. Her dog never bites, but has bitten her. Perhaps her extended logic here is true: The dog never bites anyone but her. Hmmmmm.
So she goes on to say that “my dog is great with people, and wants to know what to do.” Before we get to Dr. Dog’s answer, I have an opinion on what to do, but it would be based on an experience I had with a large German Shepard, out on Mr. Notathomegooninthedogwon’tcare’s farm, which dog kept me pinned inside the storm door, trying to fend it off with the only thing I had on me, a blue magic marker. The door was locked, I couldn’t go in, and I was trapped in between the storm door and the entry door. Eventually, after several harrowing minutes, the dog chewed the magic marker out of my hand, laid down with it and shredded it. Now, drooling blue froth, he came for me again. Finally, the dog got bored and left, which left me considering the likelihood that it was hiding just out of sight, waiting for me to make a run for the service van. Which I eventually did.
The worst part is, after telling one of my very first customers about their dog chasing me around, and them obviously not believing me, it became apparent to me that no dog owner truly believes that their dog would bite anyone. So it became useless to point out that their dog was dangerous. They never believed me.
I pulled my van into the garage of a split entry, because I could walk out the kitchen-garage entrance and get right into it. On the first trip back to find a nut driver to remove the dishwasher front panel, the little white dog fastened her teeth onto my trouser leg and hung on, growling and digging in. The owner was watching TV in the living room, and said nothing. I finally got rid of the dog, got the tool, removed the cover, and had to go back to the van for something else. The dog once again hung on my pant’s leg, not even big enough to really get into the meaty part of my leg.
After four or five trips of this nonsense—and the guy had to know, he was less than fifteen feet away—I finally dragged my leg with the dog attached firmly to it out to the step in the garage, kicked my foot vigorously out at the van, and saw the dog come loose and WHOOOOMPPP!!! Into the side of the van flew the dog. “YIPE YIPE YIPE YIPE” cried the dog, now run off and hiding somewhere. My first thought was that I would catch heck from the guy for bouncing his white puppy off my, well, white van. Instead, his voice boomed out from the living room: “About time you did that!”
Dr. Dog replied to the lady who wrote in: “You should cradle your dog, because it just needs love that it obviously didn’t get as a puppy.”
Um, Dr. Dog? She said it was a Shih Tzu (pronounced ‘Poop’ Sue), which must weigh over forty pounds, minimum. Real good advice, disregarding the fact that cradling a dog that bites her already leaves some of the veracity of your customer advice lagging.
Back on the farm, growing up, I don’t think this was the advice generally accepted as constructive.
But then, we never had a dog whose name rhymed with manure.
By Alan Linda The Daily Journal
Published 12:00 p.m., January 19, 2010
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2010/jan/19/bitten-dog-bite-tale/
This woman wrote a letter to a newspaper man who hands out advice about people’s pets: “Dear Dr. Dog (Not his real name, but it should be.): I have a four-year-old dog who is precious, but I am having a bit of a problem. She gets very aggressive when I take her for walks. She has never bitten anyone yet, but she is absolutely uncontrollable. When I try to calm her down, she bites me.”
Before I go any further, perhaps it would be helpful to first divide people into a group that has been bitten by a dog, and a group that hasn’t. Obviously, opinion as to whether one feels strongly about dogs that bite will depend ultimately on whether you’ve been bitten.
Remember, I spent many years making service calls on folks’ appliances. Furnaces, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and so forth. On many calls, the home owner would say: “Oh, go ahead on in. Precious is in the house but she doesn’t bite.”
Maybe I could have determined if lying about ones dog also meant lying about “the check is in the mail.” I knocked on the door. And I walked in. And shortly found Precious, a 20-pound ball of white fur, hanging off my posterior, jaws locked tight.
Liars. Just like this woman. Her dog never bites, but has bitten her. Perhaps her extended logic here is true: The dog never bites anyone but her. Hmmmmm.
So she goes on to say that “my dog is great with people, and wants to know what to do.” Before we get to Dr. Dog’s answer, I have an opinion on what to do, but it would be based on an experience I had with a large German Shepard, out on Mr. Notathomegooninthedogwon’tcare’s farm, which dog kept me pinned inside the storm door, trying to fend it off with the only thing I had on me, a blue magic marker. The door was locked, I couldn’t go in, and I was trapped in between the storm door and the entry door. Eventually, after several harrowing minutes, the dog chewed the magic marker out of my hand, laid down with it and shredded it. Now, drooling blue froth, he came for me again. Finally, the dog got bored and left, which left me considering the likelihood that it was hiding just out of sight, waiting for me to make a run for the service van. Which I eventually did.
The worst part is, after telling one of my very first customers about their dog chasing me around, and them obviously not believing me, it became apparent to me that no dog owner truly believes that their dog would bite anyone. So it became useless to point out that their dog was dangerous. They never believed me.
I pulled my van into the garage of a split entry, because I could walk out the kitchen-garage entrance and get right into it. On the first trip back to find a nut driver to remove the dishwasher front panel, the little white dog fastened her teeth onto my trouser leg and hung on, growling and digging in. The owner was watching TV in the living room, and said nothing. I finally got rid of the dog, got the tool, removed the cover, and had to go back to the van for something else. The dog once again hung on my pant’s leg, not even big enough to really get into the meaty part of my leg.
After four or five trips of this nonsense—and the guy had to know, he was less than fifteen feet away—I finally dragged my leg with the dog attached firmly to it out to the step in the garage, kicked my foot vigorously out at the van, and saw the dog come loose and WHOOOOMPPP!!! Into the side of the van flew the dog. “YIPE YIPE YIPE YIPE” cried the dog, now run off and hiding somewhere. My first thought was that I would catch heck from the guy for bouncing his white puppy off my, well, white van. Instead, his voice boomed out from the living room: “About time you did that!”
Dr. Dog replied to the lady who wrote in: “You should cradle your dog, because it just needs love that it obviously didn’t get as a puppy.”
Um, Dr. Dog? She said it was a Shih Tzu (pronounced ‘Poop’ Sue), which must weigh over forty pounds, minimum. Real good advice, disregarding the fact that cradling a dog that bites her already leaves some of the veracity of your customer advice lagging.
Back on the farm, growing up, I don’t think this was the advice generally accepted as constructive.
But then, we never had a dog whose name rhymed with manure.
Australia's meter readers agree: all breeds, all sizes bite
Aurora's watchdog snapping
PHILIPPA DUNCAN
January 24, 2010 09:14am
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/01/24/123685_tasmania-news.html
THE Ombudsman will put the bite on Aurora to change its controversial policy to protect meter readers from dogs.
More than a dozen irate dog owners have complained to the Ombudsman about the policy that requires dogs to be tied up or locked away for up to seven business days to allow meter readers safe entry to properties.
"We've heard some concerning stories," Ombudsman Simon Allston said.
"Dogs having to be tied up for many days in a row in the hot sun. We have certain thoughts about it, so we need to talk to them about changing practice."
He said the number of complaints represented "big community concern".
But Aurora is making no apologies for the policy, which was introduced after a dog tore a body part off a meter reader.
The horrific attack cost the company $100,000 in workers' compensation and the meter reader was too traumatised to return to the job.
To prove its point that dogs can go from snoozing to vicious in an instant, Aurora released a photograph of a dog at Dodges Ferry seconds before it attacked a meter reader.
The second photo shows the resulting dog bite on the meter reader's thigh.
The policy was applied in 2005 but was tightened last year when dog attacks continued.
In 2005-06 there were 11 dog bites and in 2008-09 there were six.
Meter readers used to rely on their own judgment when entering properties but now they cannot enter a property where a dog lives unless they know the dog or can see it is restrained.
If a dog is not home or is tied up around the back of a house out of sight, meter readers will still not enter the property.
Customers are then sent "guesstimate" bills and asked to restrain their dogs for three working days before and after the next reading date.
In the last billing quarter, Aurora refused to read 1352 meters because of dogs, about 0.5 per cent of all meters.
Aurora customer connections manager David Eyles said the constant and potential threat of dog attacks caused great stress for the meter readers.
He said Tasmania's dog population had grown and all breeds had the potential to be aggressive.
"It is not possible to make a distinction between dangerous and non-threatening dogs on the basis of size," Mr Eyles said.
"We have had recorded dog bites from small breeds, which often have needle-like teeth."
He said Aurora's first priority was the safety of its personnel.
The Ombudsman will meet Aurora representatives next month.
THE METER READER
Yards of peril where dog is king
NAME a dog breed, and chances are meter reader Mark Allison has been bitten or attacked by one.
"I've lost count, I have been bitten so many times," he said.
"Back then, you just took your chances."
The one that sticks in his mind is a german shepherd several years ago.
The owner had assured Aurora the dog would not be home, but, as always, Mr Allison rounded the back of the house with a pounding heart.
"The dog was two to three metres from me. I had the clipboard in my hand but before I could swing it he latched on to my hand and would not let go. There was blood going everywhere," he said.
The trained guard dog would not let go of the soft flesh of his inner wrist and Mr Allison had to drag it to the gate, twisting its head.
"That's what did it for me," he said.
"It is the worst pain I have ever felt and I've broken bones there is nothing like it."
Mr Allison's job managing Aurora's meter readers keeps him in the office most days but last week he took time out to go meter reading with the Sunday Tasmanian to explain the perils of the job.
His eyes were peeled for any sign of a dog and he spotted a german shepherd snoozing on a couch at Seven Mile Beach minutes before the Sunday Tasmanian could locate the dog.
"There he is, having a look at us," Mr Allison said.
"He's probably all right but you just don't know and the meter box is right there.
"We wouldn't go into this property."
Another "no-go" zone is a house with a long driveway and shut gate.
There is no sign of a dog but records show one lives there.
The driveway is judged too long to make a run for safety if a dog attacks.
Mr Allison said his experience had taught him that all dogs could turn vicious.
He said he had been attacked by dogs that had wagged their tails and let him pat them, normally docile breeds like red setters and golden retrievers, dogs that are as totally placid when their owners are around, and dogs as small as milk cartons.
"They are small but they hurt and they are so fast," he said.
"I used to have dogs but I don't now because I know what they're capable of and I have children."
THE DOG OWNER
Animals suffer, people stressed
BLUE-HEELER cross Leah was tied up or locked inside for six long hot days last week and in the end it was all for nothing.
Unbeknown to her minder, Sandy Bay's Chris Szczypka, an Aurora meter reader had come on the fourth day and, not seeing the dog, left without reading the meter.
"She was tied up for the six days for no point," she said.
"They had come on Thursday and stood outside the gate and did a guesstimate.
"She was tied up.
"They would have heard her barking.
"You can hear she is around the back.
"Animals suffer because of their [Aurora's] lack of consideration."
Mrs Szczypka has been on the other side of Aurora's dog policy.
For six working days she has either been "grounded" at home or dashing back to check on Leah.
"If I had not come home, she could have died from dehydration," she said.
"It really got to me, I just broke down in the end."
For two years Mrs Szczypka has been looking after her son's dog, Leah.
"She's a teddy bear," she said.
But that has meant that for two years Mrs Szczypka has had problems getting Aurora to read her meter.
Last week her patience was stretched to the limit and she took her complaint to the ombudsman.
"I don't want to be dramatic but it's really tough and I am just dreading the next quarter," she said.
"I've heard of some people taking leave so they can get their meters read.
"Hundreds of people are in this situation and they're stressed out of their minds."
Mrs Szczypka said it was unreasonable for Aurora to ask people to keep their dogs restrained for so long.
"One day I can handle," she said.
"I wouldn't mind if they could say Monday or Wednesday."
Great Danes attack boy (Houston, TX)
Boy recovering after Great Dane attack
by khou.com staff
Posted on January 26, 2010 at 11:41 AM
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Boy-recovering-after-Great-Dane-attack-82695097.html
HOUSTON—A 5-year-old boy who was viciously attacked by two Great Danes over the weekend should be released from the hospital in the next few days.
Doctors treated the boy for a skull fracture and lacerations after the attack, which happened Saturday while the boy was riding his bike along Shannon Circle near FM 149.
The dogs’ owners were cited for not having current vaccinations for their animals.
The dogs were put in the custody of Montgomery County Animal Control, where they will be euthanized after a 10-day quarantine period to determine if they have rabies.
German Shepherd/Labrador mix bites boy (Michigan)
Man charged in dog attack
By STACY LANGLEYTribune Staff Writer
Published: Friday, January 22, 2010 7:59 AM EST
http://www.michigansthumb.com/articles/2010/01/22/news/local_news/doc4b599e738901f784568802.txt
BAD AXE — A 37-year-old Harbor Beach man was arraigned earlier this week on two misdemeanor charges in connection with the August dog attack of a 2-year-old Sherman Township boy.
According to Trooper Brian McComb of the Michigan State Police post in Bad Axe, Randy M. Weiss appeared in Huron County District Court on Tuesday, where he was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of having an unlicensed dog and stray dog.
The charges stem from an Aug. 20, 2009, incident in which Luke Volmering, 2, sustained bites to his head, face and eye area.Volmering was feeding the family dog outdoors at his home, along Purdy Road, just west of Schock Road, when a stray dog, described as a German Shepherd/Labrador mix, wondered into the Volmering’s yard and attacked the boy.
Volmering, was taken to Harbor Beach Community Hospital for treatment of his injuries, and later was transported to Children’s Hospital in Detroit for further medical treatment.The day following the attack, the boy’s father, Richard Volmering, was at the Purdy Road home when he heard one of his other children scream.
He went outside and noticed the stray dog had returned and was being very aggressive.McComb reports Richard Volmering shot the dog. The dog was taken to a veterinarian in Harbor Beach and was later taken to Lansing to be tested for rabies. The results released to the Huron County Health Department indicated the 6-year-old German Shepherd/Labrador mix tested negative for rabies.A pretrial date for Weiss was set for Feb. 11. Bond in the case was set at $1,000/10 percent.
Mixed breeds dogs kill - and labelled pit bulls! (Chicago, IL)
Dog attack kills man in home
Daughter was raising animals in their Far South Side home, police say
By Deanese Williams-Harris and Angie Leventis Lourgos, Tribune reporters
January 18, 2010
A Far South Side woman came home to find her father covered in blood, apparently killed by a pack of dogs she was raising in their home, police said.After evaluating the pets on Monday, animal control officials said four adult dogs found at the scene would most likely be euthanized. But they were uncertain what would happen to two puppies that were also there."Dogs don't normally attack people in their own homes, so there's a lot to investigate," said Cherie Travis, animal care and control commissioner.
Johnny Wilson, 56, was found late Sunday with numerous bite marks on his body in the living room of his home in the 10200 block of South Aberdeen Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Other sources said he suffered extensive head, chest and upper body injuries.The medical examiner's office on Monday ruled that Wilson died of hemorrhaging from injuries from a dog attack. The examiner concluded that Wilson's death was accidental.
Police said the dogs were pit bulls. Travis said they're mixed-breed, but she couldn't name the breeds until further evaluation. Animal behaviorist Suzanne Hetts said fatal dog attacks are typically caused by factors such as the personality of each dog involved, how they interact with one another, whether the dogs were spayed or neutered, and their relationship with people in the home.
Dogs in a group can act differently than each would individually. When one dog acts, the others tend to "jump in and do the same thing," said Hetts, an expert with Animal Behavior Associates Inc. in Littleton, Colo.She added that a dog's breed isn't the most important factor."Usually it's a perfect-storm situation, with a lot of things that lead up to the attack," Hetts said.Avantis Smith, 31, a neighbor, said he found it hard to believe that the dogs had attacked Wilson."She had them under control," said Smith, who has lived next door for 20 years. He said the daughter and her family stayed in his home Sunday night. Smith said she was stunned and couldn't explain what had happened.
Smith added that he had seen Wilson walking the dogs in the past."They always obeyed him. I don't see any reason for them to attack him," said Ruffin Davis, 62, another neighbor.A niece of Wilson's said he worked for the post office and his wife died within about the past year.Tracy Wilson, 38, who lives in Virginia, said she came to visit Chicago relatives around Christmas but couldn't see her uncle because he was working too much."And I never gave him a hug. I'm just heartbroken right now," Wilson said.She described him as caring and generous. "He'd give the shirt off his back, that's just how he was," she said.
Boxers cause 35 stitches (Orange Park, FL)
Dog attack wound takes 35 stitches to close
Clay Today January 26, 2010 4 Comments
http://www.claytodayonline.com/content/1932_1.php
Clay Today staff
ORANGE PARK – An Orange Park woman attacked by two dogs Saturday, Jan. 23, continues to be traumatized by the incident in the Harbor Island subdivision, her daughter says.
“She will wake up screaming, reliving it all,” said Barbara Ham, whose mother, Carole Munyon Honsinger, had to receive 35 stitches in her arm as a result of attack in the 1400 block of Starboard Court.
The dogs’ owner says she feels terrible about the attack and may not retrieve them from Clay County Animal Care and Control, which had just returned the two 18-month-old purebred Boxers after they were involved in another attack about four weeks ago.
“I don’t know what I should do,” said Janie Oliver, the Boxers’ owner. “They are like part of the family but I never want them to hurt anyone again.”
Honsinger, 64, of Pirates Cove Lane was walking her dog Duke, a shitzu, and had her 8-year-old granddaughter with her about 6 p.m. when two Boxer-breed dogs attacked them. According to a Clay County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the dogs knocked Honsinger to the ground and began biting her as they attempted to fight her dog.
Neighbors who heard Honsinger’s screams for help came to her aid, causing the dogs to run off, the report says. Habor Island residents Christopher Stuhlman, 22, and Jeffrey Cavanaugh, 30, were in their garages when they heard Honsinger, ran to the scene and chased away the dogs, the report says.
Honsinger’s granddaughter, who was on a scooter, was not injured. A passerby put her in a car so that the dogs couldn’t get to her, Ham said.
The dogs attacked again moments later at the corner of Starboard Court and Harbor Island Drive as Laura Vidak was walking her two dogs. Vidak and a neighbor who helped fight off the dogs, Robert Shulenburg, received minor bite wounds as well. Vidak had a small puncture on her left middle finger and Shulenburg received a scratch or bite mark on his right arm, the report says.
The dogs are in the custody of Clay County Animal Care and Control, agency Director Gail Flakes said Monday. A neighbor let them into the backyard of the owner’s property on Starboard Court but an animal control officer later went to the home and retrieved them, she said.
Flakes confirmed the dogs also were involved in a separate bite incident prior to Saturday’s attack and were recently returned to Oliver after a 10-day quarantine period. Reached Monday on her day off, Flakes said she did not have immediate access to records concerning the other incident.
“We have to gather all the pertinent information and then make a determination on whether they are declared fierce. This is a normal procedure in these types of cases,” Flakes said.
If declared fierce, CCAC could require the owner to take actions ranging from ordering the owner to the dogs under constant human control to erecting more effective barriers to keep the animals penned. Flakes said those decisions will be made after meeting with her staff.
Oliver will also be required to pay “reclaim fees” before the dogs are released. Flakes said the fee amount can vary depending on several factors.
“Some owners decide they don’t want to pay the reclaim the fees,” Flakes said. “I haven’t talked to (the owner) yet so I have no idea what their feelings are.”
The boxers’ owner, Janie Oliver, blamed the animals escape in the most recent incident on a friend of a woman who is dog sitting for her. Oliver said the friend couldn’t get inside the home, so we went to a back gate and didn’t latch it well.
Oliver, a registered nurse who was working when the attack happened, said she feels terrible about the incident.
“I am really a good dog owner and I feel bad for the people involved.
I wasn’t there. I wish I could have avoided it and I am sorry that it did,” she said. “My heart goes out to this woman.”
The 1 ½ year-old pure bred Boxers, a male and female, have lived with her family since they were puppies. She said her teenage daughter has held parties at the home with many children there and never had a problem with the dogs.
At times they do get aggressive with her other dog, a Chihuahua. “They try to nip at her and she nips back at them,” Oliver said.
Describing herself as a single mother working three jobs, Oliver said she often walks the dogs late at night when she gets home from her third job. Accusations that the dogs are not properly cared for or are ignored are not true, she said.
She acknowledged the dogs also were involved in a previous incident. In that case another resident’s dog was bitten when contractors working on her house accidentally let the animals get out, Oliver said.
“I paid that person’s vet bills,” Oliver said. “She came to me with the vet bill and I paid it. It was $113.”
Honsinger, who was taken by ambulance to Orange Park Medical Center for treatment, is taking pain and anxiety medications as she recuperates, Ham said.
“The injuries are very severe,” Ham said. “She lost a tremendous amount of blood.”
Clay Today January 26, 2010 4 Comments
http://www.claytodayonline.com/content/1932_1.php
Clay Today staff
ORANGE PARK – An Orange Park woman attacked by two dogs Saturday, Jan. 23, continues to be traumatized by the incident in the Harbor Island subdivision, her daughter says.
“She will wake up screaming, reliving it all,” said Barbara Ham, whose mother, Carole Munyon Honsinger, had to receive 35 stitches in her arm as a result of attack in the 1400 block of Starboard Court.
The dogs’ owner says she feels terrible about the attack and may not retrieve them from Clay County Animal Care and Control, which had just returned the two 18-month-old purebred Boxers after they were involved in another attack about four weeks ago.
“I don’t know what I should do,” said Janie Oliver, the Boxers’ owner. “They are like part of the family but I never want them to hurt anyone again.”
Honsinger, 64, of Pirates Cove Lane was walking her dog Duke, a shitzu, and had her 8-year-old granddaughter with her about 6 p.m. when two Boxer-breed dogs attacked them. According to a Clay County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the dogs knocked Honsinger to the ground and began biting her as they attempted to fight her dog.
Neighbors who heard Honsinger’s screams for help came to her aid, causing the dogs to run off, the report says. Habor Island residents Christopher Stuhlman, 22, and Jeffrey Cavanaugh, 30, were in their garages when they heard Honsinger, ran to the scene and chased away the dogs, the report says.
Honsinger’s granddaughter, who was on a scooter, was not injured. A passerby put her in a car so that the dogs couldn’t get to her, Ham said.
The dogs attacked again moments later at the corner of Starboard Court and Harbor Island Drive as Laura Vidak was walking her two dogs. Vidak and a neighbor who helped fight off the dogs, Robert Shulenburg, received minor bite wounds as well. Vidak had a small puncture on her left middle finger and Shulenburg received a scratch or bite mark on his right arm, the report says.
The dogs are in the custody of Clay County Animal Care and Control, agency Director Gail Flakes said Monday. A neighbor let them into the backyard of the owner’s property on Starboard Court but an animal control officer later went to the home and retrieved them, she said.
Flakes confirmed the dogs also were involved in a separate bite incident prior to Saturday’s attack and were recently returned to Oliver after a 10-day quarantine period. Reached Monday on her day off, Flakes said she did not have immediate access to records concerning the other incident.
“We have to gather all the pertinent information and then make a determination on whether they are declared fierce. This is a normal procedure in these types of cases,” Flakes said.
If declared fierce, CCAC could require the owner to take actions ranging from ordering the owner to the dogs under constant human control to erecting more effective barriers to keep the animals penned. Flakes said those decisions will be made after meeting with her staff.
Oliver will also be required to pay “reclaim fees” before the dogs are released. Flakes said the fee amount can vary depending on several factors.
“Some owners decide they don’t want to pay the reclaim the fees,” Flakes said. “I haven’t talked to (the owner) yet so I have no idea what their feelings are.”
The boxers’ owner, Janie Oliver, blamed the animals escape in the most recent incident on a friend of a woman who is dog sitting for her. Oliver said the friend couldn’t get inside the home, so we went to a back gate and didn’t latch it well.
Oliver, a registered nurse who was working when the attack happened, said she feels terrible about the incident.
“I am really a good dog owner and I feel bad for the people involved.
I wasn’t there. I wish I could have avoided it and I am sorry that it did,” she said. “My heart goes out to this woman.”
The 1 ½ year-old pure bred Boxers, a male and female, have lived with her family since they were puppies. She said her teenage daughter has held parties at the home with many children there and never had a problem with the dogs.
At times they do get aggressive with her other dog, a Chihuahua. “They try to nip at her and she nips back at them,” Oliver said.
Describing herself as a single mother working three jobs, Oliver said she often walks the dogs late at night when she gets home from her third job. Accusations that the dogs are not properly cared for or are ignored are not true, she said.
She acknowledged the dogs also were involved in a previous incident. In that case another resident’s dog was bitten when contractors working on her house accidentally let the animals get out, Oliver said.
“I paid that person’s vet bills,” Oliver said. “She came to me with the vet bill and I paid it. It was $113.”
Honsinger, who was taken by ambulance to Orange Park Medical Center for treatment, is taking pain and anxiety medications as she recuperates, Ham said.
“The injuries are very severe,” Ham said. “She lost a tremendous amount of blood.”
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Pit bull abuse case (Saanich, BC)
Saanich woman banned from owning animals for three years
January 7, 2010. For immediate release.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/news-and-events/media-room/press-releases/saanich-woman-banned-from.html
A North Saanich woman who allowed her dog to suffer with a broken jaw, pneumonia and a collapsed lung has been banned from owning animals for three years.
Iris Crystal Jones was handed the ban after pleading guilty to animal cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
"This was a horrific case of neglect," said BC SPCA special provincial constable Erika Paul, "and unfortunately it took a little dog paying the ultimate price to ensure no other animals will be neglected for the next three years."
Paul says the case of Sherbert, a young female adult pit bull owned by Jones, was among the more disturbing she's encountered in her 14-year career. Sherbert was declined veterinary care after sustaining blunt force trauma to her jaw and later developed other complications.
"She was just such a sweet little dog whose every breath was a struggle because of the collapsed lung," says Paul. "She would pant and heave while her broken jaw dangled and swayed."
Sherbert was seized by the SPCA in February 2009. Coughing and wheezing, Sherbert was discovered crammed in a kennel with another large pit bull.
Paul immediately took Sherbert to a veterinarian, where the gentle dog spent a week fighting for her life. The veterinarian tapped Sherbert's chest and removed more than four litres of air. She was also given antibiotics, fluids, pain medication and several additional chest taps but she continued to decline, and was eventually euthanized to relieve her suffering.
"This is a tragedy that could have been prevented," said Paul.
The BC SPCA conducts close to 4,800 cruelty investigations a year and is reliant on donations from the public to continue its work. To report animal cruelty, find out more about the BC SPCA or pledge your support, visit
January 7, 2010. For immediate release.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/news-and-events/media-room/press-releases/saanich-woman-banned-from.html
A North Saanich woman who allowed her dog to suffer with a broken jaw, pneumonia and a collapsed lung has been banned from owning animals for three years.
Iris Crystal Jones was handed the ban after pleading guilty to animal cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
"This was a horrific case of neglect," said BC SPCA special provincial constable Erika Paul, "and unfortunately it took a little dog paying the ultimate price to ensure no other animals will be neglected for the next three years."
Paul says the case of Sherbert, a young female adult pit bull owned by Jones, was among the more disturbing she's encountered in her 14-year career. Sherbert was declined veterinary care after sustaining blunt force trauma to her jaw and later developed other complications.
"She was just such a sweet little dog whose every breath was a struggle because of the collapsed lung," says Paul. "She would pant and heave while her broken jaw dangled and swayed."
Sherbert was seized by the SPCA in February 2009. Coughing and wheezing, Sherbert was discovered crammed in a kennel with another large pit bull.
Paul immediately took Sherbert to a veterinarian, where the gentle dog spent a week fighting for her life. The veterinarian tapped Sherbert's chest and removed more than four litres of air. She was also given antibiotics, fluids, pain medication and several additional chest taps but she continued to decline, and was eventually euthanized to relieve her suffering.
"This is a tragedy that could have been prevented," said Paul.
The BC SPCA conducts close to 4,800 cruelty investigations a year and is reliant on donations from the public to continue its work. To report animal cruelty, find out more about the BC SPCA or pledge your support, visit
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