The Fall pit bull season has gotten off to a quick start in Michigan, with the locals amassing an early 3-0 record. The early scores are highlighted below. A number of attacks against More Vulnerable Animal Companions and officers of the law (and very likely other unreported attacks against humans) have been omitted.
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"The dog attacked, destroying approximately 70 percent of her face."
Kyla Kelly, 9 yo; Warren, Michigan
On August 7, 2015, a pit bull belonging to Matt Abare escaped from its home and attacked Kyla Kelly. Kyla was rushed to St John Hospital and Medical Center and faces years of reconstructive surgery.
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Alecia Finch, attacked September 2, 2015
Photo by Nick Gonzales, MLive
Photo by Nick Gonzales, MLive
The dog, Max, had bitten a 12-year-old boy about 90 minutes before he turned on Alecia, according to a Jackson police report.. . . [Alecia] went to Allegiance Health shortly after the attack and was transferred to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, where she underwent plastic surgery on her face and received 50 to 75 stitches. Alecia required several rounds of rabies shots as the dog was not vaccinated.
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On September 10, 2015, an Eaton County lawn service employee was attacked by a pit bull. The Lansing State Journal filed a brief account of the attack, based on information from the Sheriff's Department. SRUV wrote to the LSJ journalist with a request for additional information. Our letter, in a slightly edited form, is copied below:
According to the account published in the LSJ, "The deputy arrived to find the dog still biting and dragging the victim in the back yard." This implies the attack lasted for a few minutes, at a minimum. The wounds would therefore have been severe.
Was the employee a man or a woman? Were there dismemberments or amputations?
Whose dog was it -- did it belong to the property owner or a neighbor? Have charges been filed? Was the dog licensed? Neutered?
Does the company that employed the victim have insurance which covers the employee's medical expenses?
We would appreciate the courtesy of a prompt reply.
The Editors
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SRUV has yet to receive a reply.With a 3-0 record the Michigan pit bulls are off to a devastating Fall season. We can expect dozens of similar attacks before the end of the year, leaving in their wake a toll of grief that is largely unacknowledged by newspapers, city councils, county commissions, and state legislators.
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Sources:
Girl requires plastic surgery, up to 75 stitches following pitbull attack
September 16, 2015; Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Pit bull to be euthanized after attacking two dogs, killing one
September 11, 2015; News Herald
Pit bull killed after attacking lawn service employee
September 10, 2015; Lansing State Journal
(September 2, 2015; unreported attack on Alecia Finch covered on Sept 16)
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office: Pit bull seized after biting deputy in Pontiac
August 31, 2015; Oakland Press News
Suspect's pit bull attacks Sheriff K-9 during arrest
August 13, 2015; MLive
Parents speak out day after daughter is mauled by neighbor's dog
August 8, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK
Girl, 9, bit by pitbull-type dog, Warren police say
August 8, 2015; Detroit Free Press
9-year-old attacked by pit bull in Warren
August 7, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK
Girl, 9, injured in pit bull attack
August 7, 2015; Detroit News
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks in Michigan
Statistics:
View or download the current PDF
2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015
32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015
This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.
Google News: Today's pit bull attacks
2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.
Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.
Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.
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