Wow. It's been quite the couple of weeks. Omaha is going crazy. California is even more crazy. It's summer time and more people and dogs are out than at other times of year. I've got a lot to cover so I'm going to keep a lot of the stuff short and sweet, but still at least make it informative. I'm going to break this into two sections, this one is bites and attacks, the next one will be all other types of stories.
A mountain biker near Vail, Colorado was attacked by two Great Pyrenees dogs while she was biking. The dogs were running loose near the racing trail. The biker, Renee Legro suffered a fractured ankle and 68 stitches following the attack. Note the breed of dog involved was not listed in the headline.
Fairhaven (MA) Dog owner speaks out after attack
Her poodle was mauled by a bull mastiff that was off leash. THe poodle suffered major injuries including a severed spine. Note once again the headline.
A Yakima (WA) area jogger was attacked severely by an "Akita-Shepherd Mix" yesterday. This is just one of a series of attacks in the Yakima area this summer...in spite of the city's 20 year old ban on pit bulls.
A four year old boy in Buena Vista was attacked by a Labrador retriever. The boy and his mom were visiting the dog's owner in order to purchase a children's carnival ride. The boy received several lacerations to his head and face from the attack, includinging several stitches in two different areas of his head.
An Ottawa (Ontario) man was forced to save his wife and his dog from an attack by a 130 lbs Bouvier. The dog, owned by the nieghbors, corssed over the family's 3 acre property and attacked the pregnant wife and family dog. Darren Gibb was able to tackle the dog and save his family. His dog needed $1000 in veterinary care and his wife is going to have to have a tetanus shot and antibiotics.
Turns out Gibb wasn't the first one to complain about the dog, as people had complained about the dog previously but nothing was done. Gibb lives in Ottawa Ontario, where they banned pit bulls in 2005 to improve 'public safety'. There is no substitute law for enforcing leash laws and dealing with irresponsible owners.
Girl has 200 stitches on face following dog attack
The 9 year old Putnam County, FL girl was mauled by a clearly mixed-breed dog over the weekend. The girl was apparently coloing with some colored pencils one rolled away from her and near the dog, when she went to go get the pencil, the dog attacked her, badly ripping her cheek.
Girl on mend recoving from 'pit bull" attack
Hey, look what "breed" makes the headline! This Gulfport, MS girl was attacked by her neighbor's dog. They went over to visit the neighbor, but the girl went into the back yard and up to the 'pit bull' that was "in heat and chained outside". It was also over 90 degrees with very high humidity in Gulfport on Wednesday. Chained dogs and young children continue to be a recipe for bites, while 'pit bulls' continue to make headlines while other types of dogs don't.
PetSmart Groomer in Rockaway Township (DE?) bitten by Chow Mix
The folks at PetSmart say that bites like this are quite rare, but one employee ended up with a "small but deep" bite from this dog while gromming it. Groomers, be careful out there.
Vermont town looking to deal with Husky that is accused of killing sheep
Rutland Town Select is meeting to decide the fate of a Siberian Husky that is accused of attaking and injuring a neighbor's sheep.
"Pit bull" bites 10 year old girl
A man used a PVC pipe to strike this dog in Fargo, ND that bit a 10 year old girl. The bite did not break the girl's skin and represents what the vast majority of bites are in this country, which are small bites that do not require medical treatment.
Pit Bull/Mastiff attacks Dallas Mail Carrier
The mail carrier was bitten by a Mastiff/Pit bull mix while on his route in Dallas last week. The dog busted through a door (I'm assuming a screen door), and attacked a mail carrier. I do think it's interesting though that the news crew here went into the animal shelter and just shot video of a random 'pit bull' and not of the dog that was involved in the attack. The dog had bitten a neighbor 3 weeks ago.
Dog attacks boy, mayor shoots dog
A Pierson, IA boy was attacked and taken to the Sioux City hospital when a brown 'pit bull' bit theboy on the ankle while he was riding his bike. The mayor of this small town, went home, grabbed a gun and went out into the street and shot the dog in the street. This is a very unusual story and I think there is a lot more to it than this story says. The bite seemed pretty small for such a harsh action by Yosimite Sam the town mayor.
Toddler trapped in room during brutal dog fight in Friendswood, TX
A young 13 month old infant was trapped alone in a room when the family's two dogs began fighting with each other in the infant's room. The dogs were believed to be an American Bulldog and a French Mastiff. The child's parents called the police for help, appparently scared of their own dogs, waited for police to arrive before they helped their toddler in a blood-covered room. The child's parents have been charged with child endangerment.
Friendswood incidentally was home to a fatal mauling of Pamela Rushing last year by her Catahoula/Bulldog mix.
Lebanon, MO woman wants law changed after child attacked by dog
A Lebanon, MO woman's 2 year old child was attacked by the neighbor's Bull Terrier last week and now wants laws changed to protect future children. The woman left her son, Sean King, in the neighbor's yard to play in the sandbox without adult supervision with the neighbor's dog (with whom the woman and Sean were not familiar. Sean thankfully will be fine (his ear was mangled), but if any law should be changed it should be changed to prevent parents from leaving their yound children alone with strange dogs.
Dog attacks helpers after owner dies
A 150 pound Great Dane/Bull Mastiff mix attacked a Portland woman this week. The dog was sitting at its owner's side -- the owner had apparently died by a heart attack. Something like the death of an owner can be traumatizing for a dog, and it seems that there is little doubt that this dog was protecting its dead owner. The woman, Jenn Scott, is recovering at the hospital following a three hour surgery.
While the dog was 150 lbs, it still didn't prevent one "news' source from declaring the dog to be a pit bull.
"Dog" bite sends Johnson City (TN) girl to Hospital
A German Shepherd/Grean Dane mix attacked a 9 year old Johnson City girl. According to one witness report, the girl was "sitting on the dog and had the chain wrapped around the dog's neck.". The dog was tethered at the time of the bite.
A Pottsville (PA) woman was put int he hospital when her Rottweiler attacked her, giving her serious leg injuries. The dog had previously bitten someone on June 7. I really like Marjorie's line about this. "A dog attack is never a dog's first sign of aggression, it's the last." If your dog is showing signs of aggression, take it to a trainer today.
With all the dog bites that have made the news in the past two weeks, there are 16 different breeds represented in the attacks. The talk of banning specific breeds because of their attacking is absolutely absurd. You must deal with off-leash dogs, dogs that are tethered as their primary form of containment, dogs that have shown previous signs of aggression and dealing with young children left alone with dogs. Until we do that, we will continue to have dog bites and attacks.
Legislation and other stories to come later this weekend.
It baffles me why the groomer's bite made the news. That's such a non-news-event. It just goes with the job. Same with veterinary medicine. Drama drama drama.
Posted by: katie | July 13, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I am the mother of the little boy that was attacked in Lebanon, MO. The story you told was completely incorrect to say the least. My son was at the neighbors being watched because she was a state daycare. The dog was not outside at the time I left. The grandma came over and didn't realize my son was still there and she let the dog out to use the bathroom. I loved how you made the story look as if the human was in the wrong. Get your story straight before you tell lies. I would appreciate it if you would take the story off your website unless you want a class action lawsuit. It wouldn't be hard considering I am a paralegal at a Law Firm.
Posted by: Rhonda | June 25, 2013 at 01:32 PM
Thanks Rhonda for the clarification. The story I pulled was from the media story of the event. Not sure why a state licensed daycare would have a dog that would bite a child or how a person would let said dog out without knowing that a child was present (at a daycare, I think you'd assume there was always a child present). Was there an adult out with your son at the time he was bitten? Or was he left alone in the back yard without supervision by the daycare?
Posted by: Brent | June 25, 2013 at 02:33 PM