Leazaun Thornton's pit bull

Revised: December 29, 2013; 15:39 GMT

On November 1, 2013 Leazaun Thornton of Reynoldsburg, Ohio was cited for harboring a pit bull. Reynoldsburg, a suburb of Columbus, approved legislation in 1996 which prohibits the keeping of vicious dogs, including pit bulls.

Ms. Thornton is contesting the citation, claiming that her dog is a cross between a Cane Corso and a Presa Canario and is considered to be a mastiff, not a pit bull.

* * * * *

In a related incident, 65-year old Anne Murray of Wilton, CT was attacked by her pit bull on November 11th, 2013. The family pet gnawed off one arm above the elbow and the other arm below the elbow. Her entire body was covered with bites.

What is the connection between harboring a mixed-breed dog in Reynoldsburg, OH and the horrifying pit bull attack in Wilton, Connecticut? The connection is that advocates of fighting breeds habitually attempt to confuse the issue by arguing about the breed of the dog, which is an irrelevant diversion in nearly every instance.

In Reynoldsburg Leazaun Thornton claimed her dog was not a pit bull but a mix between a Cane Corso and a Presa Canario. Ms Thornton's case is related to the simultaneous effort by Reynoldsburg pit bull advocates to overturn the city's pit bull ban which has been in effect since 1996.

In the Wilton case pit bull advocates from around the state, including Kayte Zowine, Allyson Halm, and Racquel Trapp¹ all claimed the dog was not a pit bull. The controversy about the breed of the dog that ate Anne Murray's hands simmered until Wilton police Capt. John Lynch briefed the Wilton board of selectmen on the matter, and said the dog wasn't a pit bull but an American Staffordshire Terrier. The issue may ultimately have been resolved when the ASPCA acknowledged that the dog was a pit bull.

All these breeds (and others) are pit bull type dogs.

It is not uncommon for breeders of American Pit Bull Terriers to register their dogs as both American Pit Bull Terriers (in the United Kennel Club) and American Staffordshire Terriers (in the American Kennel Club). It is also not uncommon for breeders of American Staffordshire Terriers to dual register their dogs as both American Staffordshire Terriers (in the AKC) and American Pit Bull Terriers (in the UKC). If both kennel clubs are willing to cross-register these dogs it's evident they are the same dog under different names.

Ms Thornton does not claim that her dog is a pure-bred Cane Corso or Presa Canario (the breed responsible for the notorious Dianne Whipple mauling); she claims it is a cross-breed. Pit bulls historically have been interbred and crossbred for a broad range of shapes and sizes.²  They have been crossed with mastiff type dogs for increased bulk for so long that in many individuals it's impossible to distinguish a specific lineage; and all of these crossbreeds are therefore referred to as pit bull type dogs.

* * * * * 

Omaha NE Municipal Code Section 6-163
For purposes of this section, pit bull shall be defined as any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentina, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, American Bulldog, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of the above breeds (more so than any other breed), or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds.

* * * * *
Notes:
¹  Kayte Zowine is co-director of the Bridgeport-based  Project Precious Rescue; Allyson Halm is president of Adopt-a-Dog Inc., and Racquel Trapp is director of Angel Capone Pit Bull Rescue in Bridgeport.
²  See the SRUV version of Find the Pit Bull.

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.

Posts on pit bull identification:

Jabberwocky;
Pit bulls don't exist

Sources for Reynoldsburg:
Eight member committee will review pit bull law
   This Week Community News, November 23, 2013

Residents want Reynoldsburg to reconsider law on pit bulls

   This Week Community News, July 16, 2013

Burrnaby stands by pit bull "vicious" dog bylaw

   The Province, October 2, 2013

Sources for attack on Anne Murray:

Dog in Monday’s attack was a pit bull
   Wilton Bulletin
Was dog that viciously attacked Wilton woman a 'pit bull?'

   Norwalk Citizen, November 20, 2013

'Pit bull' label clarified in Wilton case

   Norwalk Citizen, November 20, 2013

‘He's mauling me!’ Owner loses one arm, part of other

   NY Daily News, November 13, 2013 

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
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

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Puppycide

On November 4th, 2013, an alarming article appeared in The National Review. The article by Charles C. W. Cooke appeared under a title sure to raise the blood pressure of anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of an adorable puppy: Puppycide. 

Cooke is one of the young Turks of the Libertarian movement. He makes regular appearances as a talking head on right-leaning TV programs and writes a column for The National Review. What could have motivated him (or the Editors) to devote valuable space in TNR to an animal welfare issue when he could just as well have been piling on the health care debacle instead?

Charles C. W. Cooke

Animals and politics often make strange bedfellows, but there is more to this story than meets the eye.

* * * * *

The origins of the article lie in the efforts by an obscure libertarian filmmaker to fund a film about the shooting of dogs by police. Patrick Reasonover, the producer/director/auteur of a proposed film with the working title of Puppycide, launched a fundraising campaign on the crowdsourcing service Kickstarter.¹   Reasonover set a fundraising goal of $100,000 and the campaign was set to run for 25 days, from October 21 through November 15. If fundraising failed to reach the $100,000 goal the pledges would be returned to the donors.

News of the proposed film filtered out to libertarian blogs and the contributions dribbled in.  As the campaign clock ticked Reasonover worked the phones, email, and airwaves to speed up donations. The people given to wearing tin foil hats tuned in.²  Supporters posted notices like the following blog post on Living Freedom:

I received an email update from them today saying that anybody who donates $150 or more will now get all of these items:

• This Just Announced Hoodie
• Signed Movie Poster
• Bandana and Frisbee
• DVD of finished film
• Bumper sticker
• Digital download of the finished film
• And campaign updates

* * * * *

The momentum began to build and several mainstream media outlets published stories about the fundraising campaign. Radley Balko pitched the film in the Huffington Post. A piece appeared in an online version of The Atlantic. As the campaign wore on Reasonover finally received coverage in the crown jewel of the libertarian media, The National Review.

You might ask yourself if there's more to this story than a libertarian perspective of animal welfare. The answer is yes: the story is really about pit bulls, cop haters, and a libertarian magazine called Reason.

Balko, who pitched Puppycide in the Huffington Post, is the author of two books critical of the police and is a former writer for Reason. He is also interviewed in the film. Riggs, the author of the piece in The Atlantic, is also a former associate editor at Reason. The Reason index shows dozens of articles about pit bulls, Breed Specific Legislation, and puppycide. At least five of the articles, about the shooting of dogs by police, use the following manipulative image as an icon:

Reason is an incubator for anti-cop journalists. The writers are willing to use any subject, including animal welfare, as long as it includes an anti-cop angle.

* * * * *

But are libertarians interested in animal rights? An analysis of the Reason articles shows that is far from true. Reason simply found a nascent issue which provides a platform for their anti-police posture, one which unfairly exploits the passion of millions of true animal welfare advocates. The Huffington Post and The National Review were both used, perhaps unwittingly, as platforms by the cop-hating fringe of the libertarian movement.

There is no recorded case of police shooting a puppy; neither The Huffington Post nor The National Review offered a clarification of this critical point. Their tacit acceptance of such an explosive term is reminiscent of the old days of yellow journalism. The libertarian publications failed to mention how often law enforcement officers are confronted by fighting breeds.

Proponents of laws requiring police and sheriff’s deputies to be trained in dog behavior note that U.S. law enforcement officers shot at least 210 dogs in the first four months of 2013, contending that many of the shootings were avoidable. ANIMAL PEOPLE confirmed 33 of the shootings, which targeted 31 pit bulls and two Rottweilers. The dogs had killed more than 70 other animals, and killed or injured 28 people. Among the injured were nine police officers, three animal control officers, and a police dog.³

Police have, on rare occasions, shot innocent dogs. Rather than treating these shootings as unfortunate accidents, and acknowledging the dangerous situations that law enforcement officers face, some libertarians have exploited the issue for their own political ends.

Puppycide is not an animal welfare film; it is an anti-cop polemic.


* * * * *

Notes:
¹ Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, content, or funding by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially from an online community.
² . . . the use of the term has been associated with paranoia and conspiracy theories. The supposed reasons for their use include the prevention of perceived harassment from governments, spies or paranormal beings. (Wikipedia, Tin foil hat)
³ Excerpted from a comment in response to the article in The National Review. The comment was posted by Merritt Clifton on Monday November 4, 2013; 2:22 pm.


Journalism:
Puppycide
   The National Review, November 4, 2013
Kickstarter Campaign Seeks Funding for Puppycide Documentary
   Huffington Post, October 29, 2013
Is a Pet Dog Really Killed by a Police Officer Every 98 Minutes?
   The Atlantic Cities, October 24, 2013


Other sources:
Puppycide page at Kickstarter
Ozymandias Media
Reason.com; index of articles about police shooting of pit bulls
Dogs Shot by Cops, Animal Legal Defense Fund


Libertarian Media:

A call to action to end unaccountable shootings
   23hgold, November 17, 2013
Puppycide documentary moves forward
   Cato Institute, November 14, 2013
Puppycide Kickstarter campaign; the last three days
   Living Freedom, November 12, 2013

Militarized Police Shooting Hundreds of Thousands of Dogs in America

   Silver Doctors, November 11, 2013
Police shooting of thousands of dogs in America
   Liberty Rising Radio, November 11, 2013 (40 minute audio interview)
Puppycide: Can a documentary save lives?
   Police State USA, November 11, 2013
CA Residents Protest Puppycide
   The Lisbon Reporter, October 23, 2013
“Puppycide” Documentary Seeks to End National Tragedy
   NH Insider, October 22, 2013

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, published by Animal People. To view or download the current PDF click here. This page may also include information from Dogsbite and Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Information on euthanasia rates is from Pit bulls and Political Recklessness, by Merritt Clifton. Shelter  intake and euthanasia rates are published annually in the July/August edition of Animal People.

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Burnaby NewsLeader

To: The Burnaby NewsLeader

Re: SFU math prof questions city's  use of stats, September 30, 2013

 On Monday, September 31, the Burnaby BC Council voted unanimously to approve changes to their animal control bylaws. The new law establishes increased fees and fines for infractions by vicious dogs, of which pit bulls are the only breed specified.

On the day before the Council vote the NewsLeader published an article which cast doubt on the proposed bylaw changes. We are writing to correct several misrepresentations in your article.

* * * * *

She [Mary-Catherine Kropinski] also questioned the report's use of statistics from the U.S.-based dog-bite victims group, dogbites.org, on pitbulls being responsible for a high number of fatal American dog attacks.

In the six day period from October 30 through November 4, 2013, there were three fatal pit bull attacks. There have been a total of 27 fatal dog attacks in the US and Canada during calendar year 2013; 24 of them have been committed by pit bulls.

Your article appears to question whether these attacks occurred, even though each attack is thoroughly documented. If Ms Kropinski dismisses the data on dogsbite she must explain how these deaths occurred; it is not enough to discount the data without proving how it is incorrect.

* * * * *

Rebeka Breder, a lawyer who specializes in animal law, said focusing on the breed does not ensure public safety.

Nothing can ensure public safety, so Ms Breder is technically correct in making that claim.

But regulating pit bulls does without question reduce the number of fatal and disfiguring pit bull attacks. In 1989 Miami-Dade county in Florida passed legislation restricting pit bulls, and remains the only county in Florida with Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). Since that time Miami-Dade has experienced no fatal pit bull attacks, while 18 people have been killed by pit bulls elsewhere in Florida.

Statistics such as these are repeated across the country: where well-written BSL laws are enforced, the number of pit bull attacks causing death or grievous injury declines.¹

Conversely, also in 1989 California passed a statewide law which prohibited municipalities in the state from passing BSL ordinances. Since that time the pit bull population has ballooned and there have been at least 38 fatal pit bull attacks in California.

* * * * *

These are documented cases, as is every fatal pit bull attack on Dogsbite and on Fatal Pit Bull Attacks. The NewsLeader has, without cause, attempted to cast doubt on these fatal attacks, and thereby slandered a responsible public safety and victim's advocacy organization.

Advocates of fighting breeds have long attempted to discredit the accurate reporting of fatal pit bull attacks. The attempt to suppress disagreeable news is reminiscent of attempts by political parties (and before them, fascist governments) to control the news.

Many animal advocates believe that pit bulls deserve the same protections we accord to other dogs. SRUV and millions of other committed animal advocates believe that human and animal victims are more deserving of protections than the type of dog responsible for 89% of the fatal dog attacks this year.

Well-intentioned animal advocates like Ms Kripinski and her dogsitter must realize where the danger lies. Perhaps when the death rate in Canada approaches that in the US, they will. But by that time it may be too late to do anything about it.


* * * * *

Sources:

Pregnant cows attacked by pit bulls
   CBC News, October 14, 2013
Burnaby stands by pit bull 'vicious dog' bylaw, increases fines
   The Province, October 2, 2013
Council approves new pit bull fines
   Burnaby NewsLeader, October 2, 2013
Farwell pit bull victims shocked by lack of city action
   Revelstoke Times Review, October 1, 2013
Problem pit bulls are relocated
   Chilliwack Times, September 24, 2013
Pit bulls terrorizing neighborhood
   CBC News, September 16, 2013
Pit bull attacks raise call for tough restrictions
   Huffington Post B.C., September 13, 2013
Burnaby council looks at new rules and higher fees for owners of ‘vicious dogs’
   Global News, September 10, 2013
Dog trainer defends pit bulls after attacks on children
   CBC News (audio file), August 28, 2013

Two four-year-old children in B.C. have been mauled by pit bulls in the past week. Dog trainer Shelagh Begg says the media is to blame for the breed's bad reputation.
It's time to ban pit bulls in B.C.

   The Province, August 30, 2012

Animallawyer balks at dog bite bylaw amendment

   Vancouver Courier, October 19, 2011


Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, published by Animal People. To view or download the current PDF click here. This page may also include information from Dogsbite and Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Information on euthanasia rates is from Pit bulls and Political Recklessness, by Merritt Clifton. Shelter  intake and euthanasia rates are published annually in the July/August edition of Animal People.

Research
¹ Effectiveness of breed-specific legislation in decreasing the incidence of dog-bite injury hospitalisations in people in the Canadian province of Manitoba
Malathi Raghavan, et al; University of Manitoba

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

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Texas Timeline

SRUV stopped logging attacks in February, 2016.
This log represents only a few of the more notable recent pit bull attacks in Texas before that date.

* * * * * 

Mailman Injured in Pit Bull Attack
   February 16, 2016; KIII South Texas TV

Arlington Dog Loses Leg in Brutal Attack; Owner Wants Changes
   January 19, 2016; CBS DFW

Two pit bulls attack and kill neighbor's dogs in Canutillo
   January 3, 2016; KFOX14

2015

Man, officer attacked by pack of pit bulls in south San Antonio
   December 15, 2015; KENS 5 San Antonio TX

Stranger's heroism saves mother, child from dog attack
   November 24, 2015; KHOU

Woman, daughter attacked by their four pit bulls
   November 13, 2015; KSAT ABC12

Rosharon woman seriously injured in dog attack
   November 6, 2015; KHOU
Shirley Sanders was evacuated by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Bryan officers credited with saving man's life after pit bull attack
   November 3, 2015; The Eagle

Three People Attacked by Dogs in North Houston
   October 26, 2015; ABC 13

El Paso sheriff's deputy bitten by stray animal
   October 22, 2015; KFOX 14

Woman's dog mauled by same pit bulls who killed Texas boy
   October 21, 2015; WMAZ
   A Vidor, Texas woman said the same dogs who killed a 5-year-old boy in Orange County Sunday viciously mauled her puppy last year. This comes after our Texas station, KBMT reported Monday night that the two pit bulls attacked a little girl and her mom.

FATAL ATTACK
Texas boy, 5, mauled to death by two pit bulls at home of family friend
   October 20, 2015; Daily News

Dog Allegedly Mauls Goats Leaving Ten Dead
   October 2, 2015; KWTX

5-Year Old Girl Recovering After Pit Bull Attack
   September 29, 2015; KWIX.com

Elderly Woman Brutally Attacked by Dogs in Houston's Southside
   September 9, 2015; ABC 13 Eyewitness News

Winnetka Heights dog attack: scary reminder of why strays issue must be fixed
   August 19, 2015; Dallas Morning News

Two pit bulls attack men in two separate West Side incidents
   August 15, 2015; KSAT ABC 12 San Antonio

Two Pit Bulls Attack 6-Year-Old Child, One Euthanized by Owner
   August 14, 2015; San Angelo Live

Woman, little girl in hospital after being mauled by two pit bulls
   August 5, 2015; KPRC Houston

Boston Terrier dies protecting children from pit bull attack
   July 13, 2015; ABC 13 Eyewitness News Houston

Charges to be filed after woman attacked by 4 dogs
   July 9, 2015; KVUE, Kyle TX

Pitbull Owner Charged
July 8, 2015; Tyler Star News (Texas)
According to police reports the two Pitbulls have been documented attacking people and other animals on five separate occasions.

FATAL ATTACK -- Pecos, TX
Elderly Man Killed After Being Attacked by Pit Bull
   July 2, 2015; NewsWest 9

Pit bull shot, killed after attacking Smith County workers
   June 30, 2015; Tyler Morning Telegraph

3-year-old Lawton Boy Dies After Pitbull Attack

CANINE HOMICIDE

  June 29, 2015; KFDX Fox Texoma

Postal worker attacked by pit bull during mail route
   June 17, 2015; KHOU

Dog attacks HPD officer near Midtown
   June 9, 2015; Click2Houston

Woman injured, dog dead after 4 pit bulls attack them in Kyle
   June 12, 2015; KVUE ABC

Pit bull snatches child from mother's grasp
   June 4, 2015; Tyler Morning Telegraph

Couple And Pet Survive Dog Attack, Want Pitbull-Mix Punished
   June 1, 2015; CBS DFW

Longview woman's pit bulls attacked 4 people
   May 30, 2015; Longview News Journal

Sondra Rene’ Kroll

May 14, 2015; Midland Reporter-Telegram
Pit-bull attacks 6-year-old girl

May 5, 2015; KWTX Waco
Weekend Pit Bull Attack Leaves 2 People, Dog Injured

April 27, 2015; KRISTV.com Corpus Christy
Aggressive dog shot and killed

April 20, 2015; CBS DFW
Pit Bull Mauling Death Being Referred To Grand Jury

April 19, 2015; NBC5 DFW.com
CANINE HOMICIDE
2-Month-Old Boy Dead in Pit Bull Attack

April 17, 2015; Killeen Daily Herald
Woman charged after alleged Cove pit bull attack

April 10, 2015; Killeen TX
Pit bull attack sends girl, 6, to hospital

April 1, 2015; MyHighPlains, TX
Waco Police Officer Saves Woman From Pit Bull Attack

March 10, 2015; Marshall, TX
1 arrested in vicious dog attack resulting in hospitalization of 83-year-old
On February 9, 2015, at 8:45 am, Sarah Harper, an 83-year-old retired teacher, was attacked in her front yard by two pit bull type dogs o . . . . The victim, a great-grandmother and longtime Marshall resident, remains in ICU while she recovers.

March 7, 2015; Lorena, TX
Mother, daughter injured in a pit bull attack

March 3, 2015; El Paso, TX
11-month-old girl recovering from dog attack in Montana Vista

February 14, 2015; Cypress, TX
Poodle nearly killed while saving girl from pit bull attack
My children's hero on GoFundMe.com

February 9, 2015; Marshall, TX
1 arrested in vicious dog attack resulting in hospitalization of 83-year-old

February 5, 2015; Collin County TX (CBS DFW)
3 Members Of Family Hospitalized After Pit Bull Attack
Mother, 2 daughters recovering after pit bull attack

It looked like a war zone. . . There was quite a bit of blood. Everyone was really shaken in the neighborhood and just really worried about them and praying for them, Williams said, adding that online reaction to the attack isn’t making things better. . . . So many people defending pit bulls and feeling sorry for the dog that got shot. He was shot while he was attacking a woman.

February 5, 2015; Kingsville, TX
Girl attacked by pit bulls in Kingsville
   . . . the girl was rushed to the hospital in Kingsville but was later flown to Driscoll Children's Hospital.

January 20, 2015; Waco, TX
Officer hears screams, rescues local woman from pit bull attack

January 14, 2015; Waco, TX
Pit bull attacks local girl playing in her yard

January 13, 2015; El Paso, TX
Loose pit bull mauls family dog, family calls for harsher punishment

January 3, 2015; Henderson County, TX
Pit bull shot after attack


2014

December 30, 2014; Hidalgo County, TX
Man in critical condition after pit bull attack

December 17, 2014; Houston, TX
Man attacked by two pit bulls in North Houston

November 23, 2014; Katy, TX
Owner could regain custody of 3 pit bulls that attacked neighbor

October 27, 2014; Texas City, TX

Woman sues owners of dog killed by her pit bulls

October 22, 2014; Grand Prairie, TX
Neighbors Want Pit Bull Gone After Attack

October 20, 2014; Amarillo, TX
Pit bull bites man, dog shot by officer

October 20, 2014; Lubbock, TX
Police release 911 audio on pit bull attack near North Lubbock mobile home park

September 24, 2014; Seagoville, TX
Two pit bulls shot, killed after attacking another dog

September 16, 2014; Houston, TX
Pit bull attacks woman walking in NE Houston

September 9, 2014; Nacogdoches, TX
Nacogdoches man saves child, woman from pit bull attack

September 3, 2014; Waxahachie, TX
Pit bull attacks grandmother

August 11, 2014; Victoria, TX
Pit bull shot after charging resident, officer
When officers arrived at the home, the dog charged an officer and was shot a second time by the officer . . .

August 10, 2014; El Paso, TX

Pit bull attack sends man to hospital

August 6, 2014; Houston, TX
2 pit bulls attack woman in her driveway

July 23, 2014; North Austin
Animal control investigates dog attack in N Austin

June 29, 2014; Plano
Man hospitalized following pit bull attack

June 19, 2014; San Antonio
Woman attacked by pit bull
Savannah says Animal Care Services picked up the dog but . . . the dog is back at the house and on the street.  She also claims ACS never called to give her an update on the pit bull's rabies tests and she has since had to have a series of 13 painful rabies shots.

June 11, 2014; Houston
Pit bull attack sends woman to hospital

June 4, 2014; Waco
Three pit bulls attack man, woman

May 29, 2014; Burke
Boy, 8, injured in attack by three pit bulls

May 24, 2014; Horizon City
Pit bull attacks 11-yo boy

May 12, 2014; Midland
Midland woman bit by pit bull; fears for neighborhood children

May 8, 2014; New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
Resident seeks assistance from repeated attacks by marauding pit bulls

May 5, 2014; Houston
Houston man hospitalized after attack by three pit bulls

April 25, 2014
Bautmont man with Down syndrome hospitalized after attack by three pit bulls

April 25, 2014
Pit bulls attack owner in her backyard
The incident occurred in the same part of the city where a 2-year-old boy was killed and an 8-year-old girl was injured when a group of children walking home from a neighborhood playground was attacked by a bull mastiff on March 1. On April 14 three pit bulls attacked a 12-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and a 26-year-old woman who was trying to help the children in the area of Cody Poe Road and Armadillo Drive in Killeen. On Feb. 17, 2-year-old Je'vaeh Mayes of Temple died at Scott & White Hospital after a pit bull her family was watching for a friend attacked her in the backyard of her home. . . 

April 21, 2014, Alvin TX
(previously unreported pit bull attack)
Mother recalls attack on 2-yo daughter
She shoved her fist into the dog's mouth and even bit its ear off all while telling her daughter to turn over so she didn't choke on blood.

April 14, 2014; San Antonio, TX
CANINE HOMICIDE
This dog not for everyone
(Account of previously unreported attack)
An 83 year old woman died two weeks after her neighbor's dog attacked her. The victim, Petra Aguirre, was mauled March 31 as she fed her cats in the backyard of her west-side home.

April 14, 2014, Killeen, TX
Pack of pit bulls attack three, including two children
Witnesses said they saw three pit bulls attack a 12-year-old girl, a 11-year-old boy and a 26-year-old woman who was trying to help the children get away from the dogs.
2 children, woman in stable condition after attack by pit bulls

April 14, 2014, Houston TX
2 pit bulls attack pedestrian

April 9, 2014, Dallas TX
11-yo boy attacked outside apartment building

March 31, 2014, Kaufman, TX
CANINE HOMICIDE
85-yo woman found dead in her home of pit bull attack

March 31, 2014, League City, TX
2-year old airlifted after attack by pit bull owned by mother's boyfriend

March 28, Harris County TX
Off duty deputy shoots pit bull
Two pit bulls come into his unfenced backyard. The dog’s owner later told deputies it bit him earlier in the day.

March 25, Temple (Bell County) TX
Family pet killed in pit bull attack

March 20, Houston, Harris County TX
Man, deputy attacked during attack
They then turned on a 50-year-old man who sitting on his porch.  The dogs savagely attacked the man, biting him to the bone.  "I was trying to save his life, they were dragging him all through the yard."

March 18, Oak Cliff (Dallas) TX
5-year old boy attacked by pit bull
A witness told police that the dog had bitten the boy once before.

March 5, Houston TX
Neighbor helps jogger attacked by 2 pit bulls
They were playing tug of war with her. One was pulling this way and the other was pulling that way, trying to tear her apart. I ran down there and dove on top of her. That’s all I could do. Just put myself between her and the dog.

March 1, Killeen TX
CANINE FATALITY
Bull mastiff kills 2 yo boy and injures 8 yo girl

Feb 17, Temple TX
CANINE FATALITY
2-yo girl mauled to death

January 21, McAllen TX
Pit bull attack on small dog being walked by a woman and her daughter in park

January 5, Houston TX
CANINE HOMICIDE
1 dead, 2 more injured as 3 pit bulls attack


* * * * *

2013

December 27, Corpus Christi, TX
Three-Year Old Boy Attacked by Neighbor's Pit Bull

December 26, San Angelo TX
5 pit bulls attack man on bicycle
Tom Green County does not have a Leash Law, Pearce said, and law enforcement officials cannot to much to control the issue. “It’s getting to be a really bad problem, There’s no county animal officer. There’s not a leash law in the county.”

December 21, Conroe, TX
Neighbor fights off dogs’ brutal attack on horse
Zamora then grabbed several four-inch thick dry fire logs stacked in his front yard and wielded them at the pit bulls, but the dogs would not release their mouths, jaws tightly clenched around the horse’s legs and mouth.

December 17, Jacksonville TX

Toddler airlifted to Dallas hospital after dog attack

We talked to the mother yesterday and she said he was stable; he has a breathing tube, but the techs also went on to say that he had suffered a stroke, but that he was responsive

December 3, Forth Worth

Investigators trying to find owner of pit bulls that kill dog, attack man and daughter

Animal control officers conducted three sweeps for strays in the neighborhood last month . . . there have been 678 stray dogs picked up this year, including 70 in November.

December 1, Missouri City

Pit bull quarantined after attacking Missouri City woman and her border collie

November 10, San Antonio
Pit bull attacks have neighborhood living in fear

Larkin Garcia is left with just one Chihuahua after he says he witnessed two neighborhood Pit Bulls killing his other two dogs over the past three months. “My neighbor's dog been killed across the street. Their dogs, the two of them, have been killed. Down the road another one has been killed. And then a Siamese cat.”

November 8, Corpus Christy

Elderly woman attacked by pit bull

October 16, Laredo

Pit bull attacks six year old child

The father had to unlock the dog’s jaws to release the child.

October 16, Odessa

Odessa dog attacked and killed  by two pit bulls

An Odessa family is warning neighbors after two pit bulls killed their beloved family pet "Chuco”. Odessa Police and Animal Control would not respond to the incident because it was not an emergency.

Chuco

October 11, San Antonio

Pit bull shot dead after mauling teen

September 23; Monahans
Pit bull attacks hospitalize two teens

Only fighting with one arm of course the pit bulls really got him and dragged him to the ally.

September 19, Houston

Three dogs killed in two separate pit bull attacks within 24-hour period

Investigators say two pit bulls barged through a fence, got into a house through the doggie door and then attacked two Jack Russell Terrier dogs named Lucy and Jackson. Lucy was killed in the family home, and Jackson died at an animal hospital.

August 30, Katy

96-year-old man dies after 3 pit bulls attack

The lower part of one of the man’s legs was missing and there were bite marks on his body

August 27, Houston

Pit bull mix mauls 2-year old

The toddler sustained multiple lacerations covering half of his face, across his scalp and forehead, and down his cheek, in addition to multiple deep puncture wounds in his back.

August 21, Houston

Dog attack victim shoots pit bull

The dog survived and was taken to the vet by its owner. The bite victim was sent to the hospital by ambulance to be treated. Police would not say if anyone would face charges over the incident.

July 15, SW Houston

Pit bulls chase, attack woman walking her dog

A camera captured the two pit bull mixes darting across the street like missiles towards Elrod and Bailey.

July 12, San Antonio

Woman attacked by pair of pit bulls

July 10, Harris County

Texas teen suffers 100 puncture wounds in pit bull attack

The two 8-month-old dogs had the girl pinned on the ground and were reportedly biting her repeatedly. . . .

July 3, Austin

Pit Bull Attacks Maltese in Petco Store

. . . a 16-year-old girl came to the store with a pit bull that weighed about 90 pounds. The maltese was with its owner, an elderly woman. . . . the pit bull soon broke away from the young owner and ran through the store dragging its leash until it found the maltese.

June 26, June 29, Jasper County

Two attacks in one week

June 27, Lubbock

Lubbock 7-year-old hospitalized after attack

Saving Grace Pit Bull Rescue volunteer Jane Brewer said . . . the city picked up about 2,040 pit bulls last year and few were claimed by owners.

June 12, Houston

Pit bull owner refuses surrender order

The owner of a pitbull in southwest Houston has refused to surrender his dog for a 10-day quarantine period, after it attacked a woman on May 29. As a consequence the victim was required to undergo a series of rabies vaccinations and the owner has accumulated nearly $7,000 in fines.

June 10, Plano

Plano teen attacked by pit bull

The pit bull has not been aggressive or violent toward the shelter staff, according to officials, and will be released back to her owners next Tuesday . . . .

May 8, Beeville

Victim of Vicious Pit Bull Attack in Beeville Speaks Out

He suffered some serious injuries because he chose to intervene and take on the dog, but both he and the dog's owner cannot believe that the dog they both loved so much could become so vicious. "It's just, it's hard to understand, because he was such a good dog. He slept with me at night. He took care of me," Malcom said. "We're dog lovers. We never expected that to happen. I don't understand what happened. It was almost like he was cursed or something, like somebody had him under a curse."

May 6, North Austin

Pit bull owner charged in unprovoked attack

The dog reportedly bit her on the arm and on her left breast, causing severe injuries. She had to yank her arm out of the dog's mouth and had to be hospitalized.

March 21, Baytown

Neighbors' dogs attack Baytown girl

February 19, Sabinal

CANINE HOMICIDE

Outrage After 2-Year-Old Killed by Pitbull in Texas

Isaiah Ray Aguilar was playing with his brother in the front yard when the balloon blew toward the home of the next door neighbor and onto the path of a chained pitbull. . . . The dog has not been euthanized, and city officials say they don’t believe they have the right to put the dog to sleep.

January 23, Willis, Montgomery County

Pit bull attacks baby and mother

An 18-month-old boy and his mother are recovering at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas, after being attacked by a pit bull at their home. . . . This is the second time in less than a week a child has been attacked by a pit bull under similar circumstances in Montgomery County.

January 22, Montgomery County

CANINE HOMICIDE

4-year-old killed in pit bull attack

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Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
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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Importing Pit Bulls

In recent years the US has exported their pit bull problems to Canada. It's impossible to know which problem is worse: exporting the culture of pit bull advocacy, or exporting the actual dogs.

START,¹  a company that transports animals for animal rescues, lists over a dozen animal rescue organizations, on a page titled Our Partners Up North.  START is a Los Angeles area company, and the partners on this page are located in Oregon and Washington. ²

START is one of a number of companies established to move surplus shelter dogs, many of which are pit bulls, around the country. Here is a rough outline of the way START and other transporters operate:

• The shelters (in Southern California for this example) have surplus dogs they can no longer keep, and which they are unwilling to euthanize.
• Local "Rescue" organizations come to the shelters and assume responsibility for the dogs.
• The "Rescue" organizations arrange for many of these dogs to be transported out of the area, in this case to the Pacific NW.
• When they reach their interim destinations the dogs are handed off to local "Rescue" organizations, while they are awaiting shipment to their final destinations.
• Arrangements are made for many of these dogs to be shipped across the border into British Columbia.
• When they arrive in Canada they are once again delivered to "Rescue" organizations or foster homes. Ultimately some of the dogs are sold to unwitting new owners in the parking lots of shipping centers. The less fortunate dogs are taken by illicit dog breeders and dog fighters.

* * * * *

An incident last spring offers graphic testimony to the hazards a dog may encounter on this voyage. I-5 is the artery which carries these dogs north to Canada. The final 150 miles of the route, from Olympia to Bellingham, offers numerous stopover points for pit bulls before they cross over into Canada.

On May 12, 2013, Keith Eckert of Edmonds, a half hour north of Seattle, filmed a dog fight in his neighbor's back yard. Within days the video went viral.

As a result of the video police descended on the house of Rose Marie Adams-Beutler and removed fourteen pit bulls. Neighbors claimed that Adams had been fostering or keeping pit bulls for at least three years in filthy conditions.

It's difficult if not impossible to verify the number of pit bulls that are moved into Canada. But there is no more authoritative source than Cindy Marabito³ of Reunion Rescue. Marabito responded to the video with justifiable outrage. What is interesting in her article is the open acknowledgement that these dogs were part of a rescue operation (as opposed to simple animal hoarding), and were likely on their way to Canada.

Sadie, the dog being tortured in the video is reported to have come from a California shelter, perhaps on one of the many transports bringing high-kill death row shelter dogs to 'safe refuge' and 'sanctuary' in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Reading Marabito's account, the account of Rose Adams' son, and the earlier, bitter internecine intrigues of other rescue bloggers (here) paints a tawdry portrait of a dysfunctional band of pit bull advocates, some of whom are in need of rescue themselves.

* * * * *

The Burnaby council recently responded with courage to the growing pit bull menace by reinforcing their dangerous dog bylaws. According to an account in the Burnaby NewsLeader the belief persists that irresponsible owners are at the root of the problem.

There have been twenty fatal dog attacks on humans so far in 2013; pit bulls have accounted for nineteen of those attacks. There have been four hundred twenty-one disfiguring attacks on humans this year, three hundred seventy-seven of them by pit bulls.

Pit bulls undoubtedly attract irresponsible owners; is there any question that fighting breeds would be the weapon of choice for these people? But this alone doesn't account for the astonishing fact that pit bulls are responsible for 96% of the fatal dog attacks, when they comprise only 5-6% of the canine population. Too many of these attacks occurred in the homes of those who have unwittingly adopted pit bulls, and the victim is often a family member who has loved the dog until the moment of the attack.

Strengthening local bylaws is a good beginning to the control of this public safety menace. But strengthening the provincial laws which allow unregulated entry of these dogs into Canada is the surest way to control the long-term effects of a burgeoning pit bull problem.

* * * * *

Notes:
¹ Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team
² A similar pattern exists on the east coast with dogs that are shipped from southern states (and Puerto Rico) to the northern states.
³ Marabito is the author of Pit Bull Nation, hosts a pit bull blog, and is the director of two pit bull rescue organizations. She is also known for her account of the mauling death of Darlene Napora (see here).


US Sources:
California pit bull ripped apart at Washington state "rescue"
   Examiner; May 15, 2013
Dog owner investigated for animal cruelty
   Komo news; May 14, 2013
Animal abuse and filthy conditions caught on tape
   Animal Law News and and Abuse; March 24, 2013
'She Fell Off a Ladder' is PR Spin
   Pacifica Patch; August 18, 2011

Canadian Sources:
Pregnant cows attacked by pit bulls
   CBC News, October 14, 2013
Burnaby stands by pit bull 'vicious dog' bylaw, increases fines
   The Province, October 2, 2013
Council approves new pit bull fines
   Burnaby NewsLeader, October 2, 2013
Farwell pit bull victims shocked by lack of city action
   Revelstoke Times Review, October 1, 2013
Problem pit bulls are relocated
   Chilliwack Times, September 24, 2013
Pit bulls terrorizing neighborhood
   CBC News, September 16, 2013
Pit bull attacks raise call for tough restrictions
   Huffington Post B.C., September 13, 2013
Burnaby council looks at new rules and higher fees for owners of ‘vicious dogs’
   Global News, September 10, 2013
Dog trainer defends pit bulls after attacks on children
   CBC News (audio file), August 28, 2013

Two four-year-old children in B.C. have been mauled by pit bulls in the past week. Dog trainer Shelagh Begg says the media is to blame for the breed's bad reputation.
It's time to ban pit bulls in B.C.

   The Province, August 30, 2012


US: Three fatal pit bull attacks in one week:
Kindergartner dies after pit bull attack
   KTVB, September 27, 2013
Pit bulls kill toddler; Grandmother, uncle arrested
   The Sun (San Bernardino, CA), Sept 24, 2013
Little boy mauled by pit bulls in Gilbert, AZ
   FoxPhoenix.com, September 22, 2013


Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, published by Animal People. To view or download the current PDF click here. This page may also include information from Dogsbite and Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Information on euthanasia rates is from Pit bulls and Political Recklessness, by Merritt Clifton. Shelter  intake and euthanasia rates are published annually in the July/August edition of Animal People.

Research
Effectiveness of breed-specific legislation in decreasing the incidence of dog-bite injury hospitalisations in people in the Canadian province of Manitoba
Malathi Raghavan, et al; University of Manitoba

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks







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