It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me -- so this is the first weekly roundup we've had in awhile. I'm going to cover most of the stuff from this past week, but I'm going to go back and pick up some of the stories from the past 2 weeks as well...but not of them. I don't know that anyone would take the time to read them all anyway even if I did. Have a great week....
Cities and Laws
Highland Park and Elgin, IL are both considering changes to their dangerous dog ordinance. At least one of the cities has wisely already backed away from the idea of restricting particular breeds.
At least one member of the Des Moines, IA city council is pushing for a ban on 'pit bulls' in the city. The article of course mentiones that Council Bluffs enacted a ban in 2004, but fails to mention that the city continues to have asimilar number of dog bites and attacks as it did before the ban was put in place.
Fayette, AL passed a ban on 'pit bulls' this week. At least one city council member admitted that it was in part because he thinks there are people involved in dog fighting in their community but they have been unable to stop the activity. I have never understood how city council members think that they can stop a felony activity with a misdemeanor law....
A "German Shepherd Chow Mix" (that looks way more like a Blue Heeler to me) has apparently been menacing a neighborhood in Springfield, MO -- having been involved in at least 2 bites in the past month. Springfield passed a ban on 'pit bulls' 3 years ago but has not been very good at dealing with menacing dogs of other breeds. Earlier this year, a state representative from Springfield's Labrador was caught off-leash and involved in a couple of different bite incidents.
Dog Bites and Attacks
A 28 year old Sylvia, NC woman was charged with felony child abuse when her 7 year old son was severely attacked by the family's Shar-Pei/Chow mix.
Two children in Horell, NY were bitten by two "pit bulls' that escaped what sounds like a really crappily build kennel (that was too short and involved using chicken wire). The owner of the dogs was charged with 20 different offenses after the incident.
An 8 year old boy had to be taken to the hospital in Wenatchee, WA after being bitten by a Pug.
A 6 year old Anderson, IN boy was attacked by a Rottweiler. The Rottweiler got away from his owner because the owner was reportedly intoxicated at the time and lost control of the dog. The dog owner has been put in jail.
In Ft Lauderdale, FL, a young girl was bitten by a 'pit bull' that was apparently confined by a chain that it broke free from. Chaining as a primary form of confinement is not a recommended way of keeping a dog.
In Clarksville, WV, a man was cited after his 'pit bull' escaped from his backyard where it had been chained and bit an 8 year old girl who was riding a bicycle. There was a similar incident in Ambridge, PA where a dog broke free from its chain.
In Lakeville, MA, an Alaskan Malamute is accused of killing another man's dog.
A four year old Riverside (CA) boy was hospitalized after being bitten on the face by a Retreiver Collie mix. The boy and his friend were playing with the dog without adult supervision.
A 70 year old Washington woman died two weeks ago when her dog, a miniature Schnauzer, was attacked by a Labrador retriever when they were out on a walk. The off-leash Lab attacked her dog, and the woman died of a heart attack while trying to defend her dog.
A 2year old Shelton, WA girl was bitten in the face by a mixed-breed dog that was being walked on a leash. The girld reached out to touch the dog and the dog bit her.
A 10 year old Montpelier, IN boy was bitten in the face by the family's yellow Labrador. The boy required surgery for his wounds.
An 8 year old Mississippi boy required 30 stitches after being bitten in the leg by a Chow mix.
A 12 year old Laredo, TX boy was severely bitten by a "Husky" that left the boy hospitalized. The dog is going to be allowed to live because it is assumed that the boy, because of his lack of knowledge about animal behavior, did not realize he was doing something that would provoke the dog. I am knowledgeable enough abou tthe dog to comment on whether that is a good decision or not, but I do think it's interesting how this is being portrayed vs how similar attacks by pit bulls are often handled.
A Husky/Rottweiler mix attacked a man and sent him to the hospital with serious injuries in Ottawa. Ottawa is covered by the Ontario ban on pit bulls -- which still is not working to improve public safety.
I post these stories not to create concerns about the safety of dogs. Dogs remain extremely safe animals to have around in homes with even the most basic of management. I post these to show the wide array of dog breeds that are involved in attacks, and that each attack has its own set of circumstances that led up to the attack occurring - of which breed is irrelevant. We must focus on these causes of attacks if we want to improve the situation.
UK Dangerous Dogs Act -- still failing
I could almost do my own round up on the UK's failings from the past 3 weeks. But their ban on four breeds of dogs continues to be a failure. Attacks from the past three weeks include ones by a German Shepherd, Akita, Akita-Doberman mix, Rottweiler and a Collie, Sheepdog, Akita and Mastiffs. The UK continues to prove that even if you ban certain breeds of dogs, there will always be another breed that causes problems. If you want to solve the problem, you must focus on irresponsible dog owners.
A three month old toddler was killed in the UK after his grandmother left him out on a kitchen table unattended with two dogs while she slept. The two dogs dragged the child off the table (the baby was badly injured in the fall) and bit the infant several times -- leading to the infant's death. This is another awful tragedy, that could have been easily avoided, if instead of blaming breeds of dogs for attacks the government in the UK would have focused on responsible dog ownership instead -- like not leaving your tot alone with two dogs.
A report thatMerseyside has reportedly spent nearly 1 million pounds (nearly $2 million) in the past 3 1/2 years enforcing the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK.
Animal Cruelty
A Mesa, AZ woman was arrested for animal cruelty after she left a cage containing two emaciated puppies and another dog's skull in front of the Mesa Animal Care and Control facility.
A pit bull puppy was found in a wooded area in Uniontown, PA without food or water and confined by a heavy chain with a heavy lock on it.
Animal Shelters
The Henderson County (TX) animal shelter is in a finanical crunch that has left them with a food shortage. While I get that money is tight in these times, their solution isn't really a solution at all. Their solution is that if they cannot afford to feed the animals they will begin euthanizing them -- not trying to raise more money for food or adopting them into homes. Why would euthanasia be their first response to the crisis?
Residents and animal welfare professionals in Pittsylvania County, VA are calling for changes at the county shelter because the kill rate is too high, shelter too dirty, and operating hours too few. This is exactly the type of change we should all demand in our own cities if city/counter shelters are not doing an adequate job.
Miscelanious
This is a good overview of the LollaPAWlooza event in Kansas City last weekend raised nearly $5,000 for the new local animal shelter in KCMO.
A great article from fetchdog on Hector, one of the dogs formerly owned by Michael Vick, who is now a trained therapy dog.
Speaking of Hector, Roo Yori, Hector's owner, has started a blog that includes a wealth of stories about Hector and his Frisbee Catching housemate Wallace over at Pit Bull United -- definitely worth checking out.
A great article from "The Bark" on 'pit bulls' that are being used in Law Enforcement work.
Having grown up with Dobermans I find this ridiculous. You would think lessons would be learned here.
Our Dobies were fabulous family companions and there was such a fear of them. It seemed silly to me at the time and seems silly now. Breed bans DO NOT work.
Posted by: Marthina McClay | June 28, 2009 at 11:01 AM