Michigan's Mistake

The attack last week on Candela, a prize mare at Hampton Green Farm, was the culmination of a frenzied month of pit bull attacks in Michigan. A pit bull from the neighboring property entered the stables at Hampton Green and attacked Candela in her stall. The attacks propelled Michigan to the top of the pit bull news. Two years ago Michigan legislators were presented with an opportunity to prevent these attacks, but failed to act.

On June 7, 2011, HB 4714 was introduced before the Michigan Legislature by Rep. Timothy Bledsoe of Grosse Pointe. This progressive legislation called for a ten-year plan of restrictions on breeding and mandated sterilization, during which all living pit bulls would presumably live out their lives in peace. It was a landmark of intelligent animal welfare legislation and there was no reason to expect the violent response it engendered.

The response from pit bull advocacy groups was swift and decisive. Fred Kray¹ immediately posted a call to action on the StopBSL web page. On the following day the American Kennel Club launched their effort to kill the bill:

A bill that would ultimately ban the ownership of several dog breeds² in Michigan was introduced yesterday in the House of Representatives. While no hearings have been scheduled yet, it is important that Michigan residents take the time to contact the House Regulatory Reform Committee and their Representative and ask them to oppose this measure (Scroll down for contact information and talking points).
   ~ ~ American Kennel Club News

The AKC page included a Government Relations hot line number, talking points for pit bull advocates, letters, and the names and contact information for Michigan legislators. More importantly, AKC attorneys drew up a letter to Rep. Hugh Crawford, (R-Novi) Chair of the House Regulatory Reform Committee that would oversee the bill's passage through the house.

Representative Crawford responded within minutes and announced that he would not schedule hearings on the legislation, effectively scuttling it. The AKC responded with gratitude:

(Thursday, June 09, 2011)

The American Kennel Club has been informed by the Chairman of the Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee that he will not be hearing House Bill 4714. This bill would have ultimately banned ownership of several dog breeds in the state.

The AKC thanks Representative Hugh Crawford for listening to the concerns of responsible Michigan dog owners and agreeing to not proceed with this legislation.

I don't think the state needs to be in the business of being canine police, said Rep. Crawford. He was wrong; it is the state's business, and the responsibility of the legislators, to protect the public safety. But Crawford made certain the bill would not receive a fair hearing; the attempt to control dangerous dogs in Michigan was over before it began.

The recent attacks prove that Rep. Bledsoe, the courageous sponsor of this landmark legislation, was right. If his legislation had been enacted Michigan would now be two years into a plan that would have virtually eliminated these attacks.




See also: Timeline of pit bull attacks in Michigan

* * * * *

Sources:

Proposed pit bull ban shelved
   June 12, 2011; South Bend Tribune (reprinted from Detroit Free Press)

Attempt to ban pit bull ownership in Michigan is shelved
  June 10, 2011; Detroit Free Press (original story at this url is no longer available)

Statewide BSL will not get a hearing
   June 9, 2011; American Kennel Club

Michigan House panel puts the brakes on pit bull ban
   June 9, 2011; Detroit Free Press

Why Michigan lawmakers won't ban pit bulls
   June 9, 2011; Grand Rapids Press

Michigan House introduces statewide BSL bill
   June 8, 2011; American Kennel Club

HB 4714 would ban “pit bulls” statewide
  June 7, 2011; STOPBSL..org

Michigan House Bill 4714


Notes:
¹   Fred Kray, of Pit Bull Legal Network and Pit Bull Legal Network Radio
²  All of the "several breeds" referred to by the AKC are pit bull type dogs.


Related Posts:
   AKC Self-Destructs
   Attitudes Soften





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Any dog in Cincinnati: Postscript

Revised: June 26, 2014; 21:47 GMT
Revised: June 27, 2014; 17:59 GMT

Following the recent pit bull attack on 6-year-old Zainabou Drame in suburban Cincinnati, Mike Retzlaff, Director of Operations at the Cincinnati SPCA, expressed his belief that any breed of dog is likely to run down the street, enter a neighbor's yard, and maul a child the way Zainabou was mauled.¹

The attack on Zainabou is only one of an escalating string of attacks since Cincinnati's BSL was rescinded in 2012.²   Katy Blanton of the Cincinnati Pit Crew is the go-to person for the Cincinnati media following pit bull attacks, and she has been kept busy in recent weeks. Seeking comment from a pit bull advocate after a pit bull attack may be questionable journalism, but it has become established practice.

In the wake of the attack on Zainabou, while she remained in an induced coma, Ms Blanton organized a rally for pit bull advocates, which received extensive coverage. The following week Ms Blanton was called upon again, when Tammy Tucker, the victim of a previous Cincinnati pit bull mauling, was interviewed.

Ms Tucker was nearly killed in her home by her three pit bulls in May. We treated them like kids, like babies, [were] never mean to them. They weren't raised to fight other dogs, said Tucker's husband. During the attack, which the Tuckers are unable to explain, the dogs never stopped chewing on Ms Tucker. Officer Yvonne Gutapfel said, I had to get him off her, he was going to keep eating her.

How did pit bull advocate Katy Blanton of the Cincinnati Pit Crew respond to the attack on Tammy Tucker?

Accidents will happen and so you have to be able to recognize and look at -- well this happened and reflect back on how it happened, what the circumstances were and change that keep that from happening again.

And then, piling nonsense on top of nonsense, Ms Blanton reaffirmed Mr Retzlaff's dreadful assertion that any of our lovely dog breeds are prone to the same quirks of behavior that would lead them to attack their owners in this way:

She [Blanton] argues it's not just a pit bull problem, but all breeds, especially in a home with multiple dogs.

It is reprehensible that pit bull advocates would try to convince owners of other breeds that their dogs may kill and eat them, in the manner of pit bulls. But advocates of fighting breeds, including Mr Retzlaff,  Ms Blanton, and Ms VanKavage, persist in this corruption of reality.


* * * * *

Notes:
¹ Details of that attack and the comments made by Mr Retzlaff can be found in Any dog in Cincinnati.
² See What has changed since Cincinnati lifted its ban on pit bulls? (see below)


Sources:
Pit bull owners rally in support of breed
   June 17, 2014; WLWT
Woman, 73, in rehabilitation after pit bull attack
   Dec 13, 2013; Fox 19


Sources: Attack on Tammy Tucker

Former pit bull owner recovering after attack
   June 23, 2014; Fox 19

Text of the original story of the attack on Ms Tucker on WKRC TV Cincinnati has been archived; portions appear on this ghoulish web page (reader advisory).

The WKRC video broadcast (with comments by Cincinnati SPCA President Harold Dates)  is now available here (viewer advisory).


What Has Changed Since Cincinnati Lifted It's Pit Bull Ban?
By Denise A Justin
Read the full article: Opposing Views; Tue, June 10, 2014

City Council members are reportedly now discussing what has happened since the city’s ban on Pit Bulls was lifted in May 2012, at the urging of advocates against breed-specific legislation (BSL).

“The city of Cincinnati still has a ban on vicious dogs. Now, a vicious dog is defined as one that has been trained for fighting, is kept for fighting or “without provocation has inflicted severe injury on a person.” In May 2012, it dropped the clause which also included “a dog commonly defined as a pit bull,” Cincinati.com explains.

Local 12 reports that members of the Law and Public Safety Committee are now looking for ways to make the vicious dog laws easier to enforce and to enhance or add provisions regarding owner responsibility. They will also be looking at options at the state level.

“Local 12 also learned about two more pit bull attacks over the weekend,” reports Rick Jaffe. Police reportedly shot and killed a Pit Bull being used to attack people, and on Sunday police shot and killed a pit bull that was running toward children playing and then turned on officers after he was first tazed.”

"That's four dead pit bulls in this city in less than a week,” Jaffe states.

Other links:
Katy Blanton
Katy Blanton
Cincinnati Pit Crew
Cincinnati Pit Crew

Statistics:

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014

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

This page may also include information from Dogsbite and Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

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Charges Pending: II

Revised: June 20, 2014; 23:45 GMT
Revised: June 24, 2014; 17;07 GMT
Revised: July 3, 2014; 00:19 GMT

Listed below are a few of the more notable recent pit bull attack cases with legal proceedings.

* * * * * 

July 1, 2014; Houston, TX
Two charged in deadly Houston pit bull attack
We used to have to show that the owner knows the dog is dangerous. Now we just have to show they failed to secure the dog, and the dog participated in an unprovoked attack, said District Attorney Devon Anderson.

* * * * * 

June 23, 2014; Rio Rancho, NM
Owner charged with animal cruelty in pit bull attack
The owner is being charged with animal cruelty and having potentially dangerous and vicious dogs.

* * * * *

June 17, 2014; Jackson MS
My grandbaby almost died because of my dogs
Donald Mullins and Tompkins were charged with child endangerment after the attack. Simpson County court officials said the case will be presented to a grand jury in September.

Victoria Wilcher, attacked April 9, 2014

* * * * * 

June 17, 2014; Blackburn, UK
Man charged after baby girl savaged to death by pit bull type dog in his home
Chloe King, 21, and her boyfriend Lee Wright, 27, were originally questioned by police on suspicion of manslaughter. However, Wright has been charged with possession or having the custody of a fighting dog and conspiracy to supply cannabis. No further action will be taken against Ms. King.

* * * * * 

June 16, 2014; Cincinnati, OH
County attempting to seize home of dog owner in pit bull attack
June 5, 2014; Cincinnati, OH
Dog owner jailed after pit bulls attack
They knocked her down then the dogs started chewing on her face and blood started coming everywhere. They ripped her jaw off. . . .  Charges are pending in relation to the dog attack

* * * * *

June 12, 2014; Lantana, FL
Pit bulls euthanized after attacking man
ACC officials said it's unclear if Maldonado will be cited. They also said . . . that the dogs had been investigated before.

* * * * * 

June 12, 2014; West Branch, MI
Owners of Ogemaw County pit bull that attacked Auburn girl not to face criminal charges

* * * * *

June 7, 2014; Marion, IL
Woman gets 30 weekends in jail for dog attack on boy
A southern Illinois judge has ordered a woman to spend 30 weekends in jail for recklessly letting her pit bull mix dogs run free when they attacked a boy in 2010.

* * * * *

June 6, 2014, Chicago, IL
Pit bull attack leads to rare vicious dog court case
"I would believe that dog probably should've been destroyed with the degree of wounds that he inflicted," Goolsby said. But Animal Control and the state's attorney decided to release the dog, with restrictions, as part of an agreement approved by a Cook County judge. 

* * * * *

May 19, 2014; Houma, LA
Fatal pit bull attack investigation at a standstill
After nearly two months of trying to speak with Megan Touchet, the mother who was also injured in the attack, and her boyfriend, Kerry Dominique, Duplantis says detectives are still being told that they are reluctant to speak. He says detectives have stopped trying.

Mia DeRouen; d. April 1, 2014

* * * * * 

May 7, 2014; Wilmington, DE
4-year old killed in pit bull attack
Warburton said no charges have been filed, but the investigation by her officers and Delaware State Police continues.
Pit bull attack under investigation in Wilmington
No charges were filed or expected to be filed by state police, said Sgt. Paul Shavack, a spokesman for the agency.

* * * * * 

April 25, 2014; Volusia, FL
2nd pit bull killed after attacks in Volusia neighborhood
Both cases are closed and no charges were filed in either case.

* * * * * 

April 21, 2014; Ashton, IL

Dogs' owner not to be charged
The owner of three pit bulls that attacked and seriously injured 63-year-old Aneda Ebert will not face criminal charges, Ogle County State's Attorney Mike Rock said in a news release.

* * * * *

April 18, 2014; Yonkers, NYC
Yonkers family outraged after dog mauled by pit bull
A family from Yonkers is outraged after they say their dog was attacked and killed, and they say there were no consequences for the dog that did it, or for his family.

* * * * *

April 14, 2014; Branford, CT
93-yo woman mauled by pit bull mix
Branford dog that attacked 93-yo woman may be euthanized
Police said they are still investigating, but do not plan to file criminal charges at this point.

* * * * * 

March 31, 2014; League City, TX
2-yo airlifted after attacked by pit bull owned by mother's boyfriend
It’s so sad what a dog can do, that caliber of a dog, could to do one’s body, tear it up like that, said a neighbor. . . . League City police say charges are unlikely in this case.

* * * * *

March 11, 2014; High Point, NC
No charges to be filed in pit bull death
Three-year-old Braelynn Rayne Coulter died Feb. 24 after she was attacked by the family pit bull at her home in High Point.

Braelynn Rayne Coulter, d. February 24, 2014

* * * * *

January 17, 2014; Bloomington, IL
County euthanizes dogs in fatal attack

Kara Elizabeth Hartrich, d. January 17, 2014

Sometimes, if we know there is a dangerous dog involved, because of a prior documented history to attacks, then we can make an argument of criminal wrongdoing.  In this circumstance, the dog(s) involved did not have a prior documented history of bites. Kara’s death is a tragedy, but not all tragedies are criminal. My heart goes out to the Hartrich family.

* * * * * 

December 14, 2013; Valdosta, GA
Suit filed in case of woman killed by dog
The husband of a woman attacked and killed by a pit bull has filed a wrongful death suit against Lowndes County, its animal shelter and the residents of the home where the attack occurred.

* * * * *

The case of Nga Woodhead . . . 

Nga Woodhead; d. November 5, 2013

November 7, 2013; Spanaway, WA
Charges possible in fatal Spanaway dog attack
TACOMA — Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist says his office is considering possible negligence or recklessness charges against the owner of two pit bull dogs that fatally attacked a 65-year-old woman in Spanaway.

June 8, 2014; Tacoma, WA
$1.12 million award in fatal pit bull attack
Quezada appeared in court without an attorney. He was never charged with a crime. . . . . Prosecutors reviewed the case for three months, but could not build sufficient evidence to support a criminal charge; it was too difficult to prove Quezada knew his dogs were dangerous before they escaped.

* * * * *
Related Posts:
Charges Pending        (May 26, 2013)
Charges Pending II    (June 20, 2014)
Charges Pending III   (Sept 02, 2014)
Charges Pending IV   (March 01 2015)
Charges Pending V     (Forthcoming )

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Any Dog in Cincinnati

Revised: June 16, 2014; 16:52 GMT

Any dog is capable of any act, at any point in time.
-- Michael Linke, CEO of the RSPCA, ACT

Any dog has the ability to attack ... any dog will attack when it gets aroused to a certain point.
-- Dr Jane Dunnett, Werribee Veterinary Hospital

* * * * *

Four-year-old Ayen Chol died as she clung to her mother's feet when a pit bull owned by Nick Josevski ran down the street and entered the Chol residence in Melbourne, Australia. The pit bull continued the attack despite the desperate efforts of family members to save their daughter.

The statements above by Mr Linke and Dr Dunnett were made following the fatal attack on Ayen. The horror of Mr Link's utterance, and thousands of similar comments by other pit bull advocates,¹ may not be readily apparent.

The horror, for those who require an explanation, is twofold. First, it demonstrates a depraved indifference to the suffering of this child and her family. Secondly, the statement is often made for no other reason than to defend the type of dog that killed the child.

And there are more reasons why this reasoning is repugnant. A third reason this statement (and its variants) is so horrible is that it encourages a coarsening of  the human-canine bond. If we come to believe that any dog is capable of killing our children we must believe that all dogs, our labradors and retrievers, the dogs who have curled on our hearths for millennia, are potential killers of our children. The result would be a persistent, lingering suspicion that the companion animals we have invited into our homes might kill us. We could no longer sustain unconditional love for our canine companions, and the human-canine bond would be ruptured. There are signs this change is underway.

A fourth reason the statement is horrible is that it is often uttered at the most surprising and illogical moments, often as a non sequitur, for example after a child's death. It is also uttered randomly in interviews and press releases. The phrase has become a kind of Chinese water torture and now innocent animal advocates repeat it without realizing the full implications.

* * * * * 

There's a pit bull out here eating a little baby!

That was the 911 call from a neighbor who saw two pit bulls maul 6-year-old Zainabou Drame in suburban Cincinnati on June 4th, 2014. Her jaw was basically ripped off, according to her grandfather. She lost most of the skin from her face and her tongue is gone. She received trauma to her entire body. At last report Zainabou remained in an induced coma. The officers at the scene were overcome by the scene they encountered:

It’s really indescribable and something no person should ever have to see and something we’ll never forget. I don’t want to get too graphic but I saw the brown dog, which was the bigger of the two dogs and he had the girl’s head in his mouth. He was slinging it around, thrashing his head back and forth with her in his mouth.

Mike Retzlaff serves as Director of Operations at the Cincinnati SPCA. Apparently one of his duties is to pretend that pit bulls are like any other dog.

A lot of times dogs like this will be used as guard dogs, and you can use any dog -- a lab, it could be a pit bull, it could be a German shepherd, you can make any dog mean.
   -- Mike Retzlaff, SPCA

Mr Retzlaff may have been interviewed by the WCPO news program On Your Side; but Mr Retzlaff is not on the side of Zainabou Drame nor on the side of the public. What good could possibly result from convincing the public that any dog, your Golden Retriever or Australian Shepherd for example, might take your child's head in its maw and try to dismember her? Mr Retzlaff may want to convince the public that pit bulls are as placid as any other dog, but it is pit bulls that kill more humans than all other dog breeds combined.

Mr Retzlaff has the affrontry to claim, in effect, that the breed of dogs that attacked Zainabou is irrelevant. This is a repugnant claim from an animal welfare executive and public servant who should be working on behalf of all of us. Mr Retzlaff, Ms VanKavage, and the hundreds of others who perpetrate the cruel fraud that pit bulls are like any other dog fail to see themselves as public servants; they do not represent us.


* * * * * *

Notes:

¹ Included among those who use the Any Dog formulation is, most famously, Ledy VanKavage, Senior Legislative Attorney and National Manager of Best Friends Animal Society's Pit Bull Terrier Initiative. Ms Van Kavage has worked tirelessly for years to instill the Any dog can bite concept into the public consciousness, in statements to the press and in visits to students at law schools. A small sample of her work is included in the following selection:

Any dog can bite.
   Bonnie Beaver, DVM;  in Fighting Fido, by Martha Neil (ABA Journal, Jan 2003)

The APDT is fully aware that any dog can bite, any dog can maim, and any dog can kill.
-- The Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Any dog can bite.
   Ledy VanKavage, Huffington Post,  April 8, 2014

Any dog can bite.
    Ledy VanKavage; City Weekly, September 18, 2013

Any dog's capable of attacking.
    Michael Davis, president of the National American Pit Bull Terrier Association
    Detroit Free Press, June 9, 2011, reprinted in the South Bend Tribune

Any dog can bite.
   Ledy VanKavage; Salt Lake City Tribune, September 27, 2010

Any dog can bite.
   Ledy VanKavage; Freemont, OH Update, November 7, 2009

Any dog can bite.
   Ledy VaKavage; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 27, 2009



Sources:

SPCA evaluating 3rd pit bull found during Westwood attack
    June 10, 2014; WCPO 9

Gruesome attack sparks debate on how to handle certain dog breeds
    June 10, 2014; WLWT5

Girl still in coma days after attack
    June 9, 2014; Cincinnati Enquirer

Girl's family says 6-year-old suffered horrific injuries
    June 4, 2014 WCPO



Related Posts:

The Chol Inquest (Aug 30, 2012)

Ax3Redux (Sept 13, 2011)

RSPCA Act (Aug 26, 2011)

All dogs bite (Aug 13, 2011)

Fierce Chihuahuas (March 3, 2012)








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Timeline of pit bull attacks on police

SRUV has logged only occasional attacks on police and other public servants since January 2016.

* * * * *

2016

Deputy forced to shoot pitbull who was attacking sheriff's K9
   August 14, 2016; KPNX Mesa AZ

Pit bull shot after attacking K9 outside courthouse
   April 28, 2016; ABC6, Franklin County, Ohio

Dog shot, killed while attacking K9
   March 29, 2016; KTVB.com (Boise ID) & Idaho Statesman

Dog killed by Dover police officer 'split-second decision' for safety of residents
   March 21, 2016; New Philadelphia (OH) Times Reporter

Off-duty NYPD officer saves K-9 partner from runaway pit bull on Long Island
   February 24, 2016; NY Daily News

Spokane County deputy shoots dog attacking him and K9 Laslo
   January 26, 2016; Spokesman-Review

2015

Bullet grazes Michigan State Police dog as troopers stop pit bull attack
   December 15, 2015; MLive

Dog euthanized after attacking Cocoa police officer
   December 11, 2015; WESH Orlando

Muncie police officer attacked by pit bull; owner faces charges
   December 11, 2015; The IndieChannel RTV 6 ABC

Dog owner set pitbull on officer
   December 7, 2015; Phoenix, Durban, SA

Dog killed after attacking officer
   November 20, 2015; Lancaster (OH) Eagle-Gazette

Pit bull attacks, bites officer
   November 19, 2015; NW Florida Daily News

Glendale pit bull attacked officer, shot to death
   November 6, 2015; ABC 15 Arizona

Officer suffers bites to face, hand trying to save woman from dog attack
   October 29, 2015; WBTV (Davidson, NC)

Animal control officer severely injured in pit bull attack
   October 29, 2015; WSB TV 2 (Columbus GA)

Pit bull attacked police dog as it chased a suspected car thief
   October 28, 2015; KOMO News (Centralia WA)

2 pit bulls attack off-duty Lima Police Department officer
   October 20, 2015; LimaOhio

Police Shoot, Kill Pit Bulls in Corona After Dogs 'Terrorize' Neighborhood
   October 5, 2015; NBC 5 Los Angeles

Man arrested after claiming Tyler police officer shot his pit bull
   September 24, 2015; Tyler Morning Telegraph

Police shoot, kill dog after two pit-bull type canines attack Manheim Township woman and police
   September 21, 2015; The Patriot-News

Pit bulls attack animal control officer
   September 11, 2015; KESQ CBS 2

August 13, 2015; MLive
Suspect's pit bull attacks Sheriff K-9 during arrest

August 9, 2015; KSFY ABC
Sioux Falls police shoot pit bull that tried to attack

July 27, 2015; Johnson City Press (TN)
Police dog killed by stray dog in Roan Mountain

Gunner was attacked by a stray dog he had not seen around the area before. He said the stray dog was a silver pit bull mix.

July 24, 2015; Chicago Sun-Times
Police officer fatally shoots pit bull in Chatham

July 21m 2915; KRON 4 San Francisco
US Mint Police Shoot Pit Bull After Dog Attacks 3 People

July 13, 2015; WSB TV2 Atlanta
Animal shelter employee attacked by pit bull mix
The DeKalb County Animal shelter is currently holding ". . . around 300 dogs. The shelter was built in the 1950s to hold about 150 so with two in a run we can easily house them."

July 13, 2015; CBS Boston
Pit bull attacks officer conducting security check

July 9, 2015; KNOP, North Platte
Pitbull Shot by Officer in McCook

July 9, 2015; KOLO ABC 8
Reno Police Shoot and Injure Pit Bull That Attacked Officers

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.

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

June 22, 2015; Tulsa's Channel 8 ABC
Pit bull to be put down after attack on postman
My Dad used to be a postal worker, mail carrier, he was attacked by a dog, matter of fact a pitbull, snapped, broke his ankle and he retired from the post office after that.

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

June 15, 2015; KTVU
Officer kills pit bull after dog injures him during welfare check

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

June 5, 2015; Fox 19 Now
Police shoot, kill pit bull about to attack officer

June 4, 2015; Washington Times
Upstate NY cop shoots, kills pit bull after it attacks him

May 23, 2015; WKMG Local 6 (Panama City FL)
2 women, deputy attacked by pit bull

May 1, 2015; KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh
Shenango Twp. Police Officer Attacked By Pit Bull, Officer’s Partner Shoots Dog

April 23, 2015; NY Post
Vicious pit bull attacks NYPD patrol horse

April 23, 2015; Fall River (MA) Wicked Local
Fall River police officer kills attacking dog while trying to arrest owner

The dog, named Precious, was known to be vicious and had tried to bite police officers who previously arrested the dog’s owner, Reinaldo Santiago, 30, of 196 Irving St. Last year, Fall River Animal Control briefly took custody of the dog when it bit the property owner, according to a police report.

April 18, 2015; WHO TV 13 Fort Dodge IA
Fort Dodge Police Shoot Attacking Pit Bull

April 17, 2015; LV Sun
Officer shoots, kills pit bull after it attacked police dog

March 8, 2015; Wilcox Township, MI
Pit bull attacks Newaygo Co. deputy

February 25, 2915; Missoula County, MT
Montana Highway Patrol troopers attacked by woman, pit bull
Both troopers and Johnston were transferred to St. Patrick Hospital for treatment, . . . 

February 9, 2015; Ellicott City, MD
Howard police officer shoots, kills pit bull
Citing animal control records and statements from neighbors, police said the residence "has a long history of animal complaints, including citations for dogs running loose and acting dangerously."

February 8, 2015; Tulsa, OK
Pit bull charges officer, gets shot

January 28, 2015; Biloxi MS
Pit bull attacks narcotics agent during search of home

January 28, 2015; Jackson MS
Officer shoots charging pit bull

January 27, 2015
2 pit bulls attack Miami-Dade police

January 23, 2015
Officer shoots pit bull after dog attacks fellow officer

January 8, 2015
Springfield [OR] police officer shoots, injures pit bull that attacked him

January 6, 2015; Charlotte, NC
Officers shoot, Tazer pit bulls that attacked at homeless camp

January 4, 2015; Philadelphia, PA
Officer injured in pit bull attack in Brewerytown

2014

December 30, 2014; New Castle County, Delaware
Pit bull shot after attack on K-9

December 11, 2014
Vancouver [OR] police officer kills pit bull after being bitten in arrest of suspected child molester

December 5, 2014; San Gabriel Valley Tribune,  East Valinda, CA
Pit bull fatally shot after attacking deputy

November 20, 2014; San Francisco Chronicle, SF, CA
Vallejo officer shoots, kills attacking pit bull
The pit bull bit down on the officer and then “began to violently pull the officer around the property,” DeJesus said.

November 12, 2014; WLTX19 Kershaw County, SC
Deputy Shoots Pit Bull After Attack
The deputy yelled at the dog but the animal keep moving towards [him] . . . . the deputy drew his handgun and shot the dog in the chest and leg. The dog then stopped and walked away.

November 7, 2014; Police News
Mass. deputy shoots, kills pit bull after attack on officers

October 24, 2014; Baldwin Cty, AL
Baldwin County deputy shot, killed pit bulls that attacked cats
One deputy shot the attacking pit bull and at that time the second dog charged him as well. That dog was also shot. Both dogs perished along with at least one cat that the pit bulls had been attacking.

October 3, 2014; El Paso, TX
Police shoot dog after it bites animal control officer
"I've been noticing that the dogs were getting kind of weird and violent, and so I've been trying to find homes for them," the owner said.

September 26, 2014; Chicago, IL
Police dog attacked by two pit bulls

September 20, 2014; Marshfield, WI
Pit bull shot following attack of police officers

August 22, 2014; Norfolk VA
Humane officer hospitalized after pit bull rampage

August 18, 2014; Harper Woods, MI
Bullet fragment injures officer during pit bull attack

August 18, 2014; Celina OH
Officer shoots attacking pit bull

August 17, 2014; Topeka, KS
Topeka officer shoots, kills pit bull

August 6, 2014; Middleton, OH
Officers shoot pit bull during drug raid

July 30, 2014; Athens, GA

Pit bull attacks boy, responding police officer

During the dog's rampage he killed another dog, severely bit a 10-year-old boy at the scene and then bit the arm of one of the officers before that officer was able to pull his weapon and shoot the dog, killing it.

July 21, 2014; Racine, WI
Police shoot two dogs; one dead

July 16, 2014, Mechanicsville, MD
Trooper shoots, wounds pit bull in attack
Witnesses told investigators that the dog has bitten others in the past.

July 11, 2014; New Haven, CT
Pit bull attacks cop

July 10, 2014; Saltillo, MS
Lee County pit bull attack
According to the Sheriff, Finney was injured from head to toe, . . . 

July 9, 2014; Flint, MI
Flint police shot 120-pound pit bull after it attacked 14-year-old boy
Nolden said during the softball game, he saw a teenage girl walking the pit bull around the baseball diamond area. Nolden said the girl was having trouble controlling the large, leashed dog . . . "She could not handle the dog. It was obvious, because the dog was pulling her all over the place, . . . .'"

July 3, 2014; Fountain County, Indiana
Fountain County deputy attacked by pit bull

July 3, 2014; WNCN.com
Owner of four pit bulls arrested after dogs attack woman and charge deputy

June 28, 2014
Pit bull shot, killed after attacking North Middleton Township police officer

June 26, 2014; NBC5 Chicago
Vernon Hills Police Shoot Attacking Pit Bull

June 13, 2013
Riverside K-9 accidentally sot by deputy during pit bull attack
They were walking across a residential yard when a large pit bull jumped out of an open window and attacked Tessa.

June 9, 2014; WDRB,com
New Albany senior citizen injured after pit bull attacks

June 8, 2014; Cincinnati.com
Pit bull shot, killed by police
The officer struck the dog twice with a stun gun, with no effect. The dog then lunged at the officer's leg.

June 5, 2014; South Bend Tribune
South Bend police officer shoots pit bull

June 5, 2014, Wall Street Journal (AP)
Hudson Valley cop kills pit bull after attack

June 5, 2014; Asbury Park Press
Howell officer shoots in pit bull attack

May 25, 2014; The Oregonian
Trooper shoots pit bull that attacked during arrest near Grant's Pass

May 23, 2014, First Coast News
Pit bull attacks, injures deputies in St Augustine

May 22, 2014; KCBD
Two in custody after pit bull attacks Lubbock, TX officer

May 22, 2014, CBS Pittsburgh (KDKA2)
Pit bulls quarantined after attacking officers

May 20, 2014; Cincinnati Enquirer
Police kill pit bull, arrest two, in drug investigation
Colerain Township police shot and killed a pit bull after it bit a sergeant and was about to attack a lieutenant during a drug investigation Tuesday.

May 19, 2014; York Dispatch
Two West Manheim officers attacked by pit bull at fire scene

May 17, 2014; The Virginian-Pilot
Newport News shoots pit bull after attack

May 12, 2014, WOFL Fox Orlando
Orlando police officer attacked by two pit bulls

May 8, 2014
Pit bull shot and killed after biting Kalamazoo Public Safety officer

April 24, 2014; SF Chronicle
SF police shoot charging pit bull

April 8, 2014, KREM
K9 recovers after Spokane Valley pit bull attack

April 4, 2014; TMZ
Pit bull attacks police horse outside Dodger's Stadium

March 26, 2014; Quad-City Times
Pit bull injures Davenport police officer

March 24, 2014; ABC30 Action News Los Angeles CA
Pit bull gravely wounded after attacking officer
The pit bull's owner was arrested for allegedly urging his two dogs to attack the officer following a minor confrontation. One of the pit bulls latched onto her upper thigh before it was shot.

March 20, 2014; Click2Houston
Pit bulls attack neighbors, deputy

March 17, 2014; Arizona Family
Police shoot pit bull after attack

March 1, 2014; Chicago Tribune
2 bitten by pit bull that was shot by police
A loose pit bull that was charging towards a Chicago police officer was shot after it bit a 17-year-old boy and a man this morning in the South Shore neighborhood.

February 6, 2014; CBS Charlotte (Dillon, South Carolina)
State worker in coma after pit bull attack
DILLON, S.C. (AP) — An employee of South Carolina’s environmental agency is in a coma after he was attacked by a two pit bull dogs in Dillon County.
   Sheriff’s Capt. Cliff Arnett says an employee of the Department of Health and Environmental Control was working in a rural area Tuesday when he encountered the dogs.
   The man managed to call 911. He is listed in critical condition in a hospital. A family member says he has been put into a medically induced coma. The man’s name has not been released.
   Deputies shot the dogs and will test them for rabies.
See also: Google news search for this incident


Previous attacks on officers:

November 11, 2013; Albany Herald, Albany NY
Albany drug unit officer shoots, kills attacking pit bull

August 24, 2013; Turnto10.com, Warwick, RI
Police officer attacked on duty by pit bull

July 16, 2013; KDKA2 McKeesport PA
Officer hospitalized after pit bull attack
The officer was bitten on the left thigh and left forearm and remains hospitalized. 

Related post:  Puppycide

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Statistics:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 32+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.

View or download the current PDF

Record 33 fatal pit bull attacks & 459 disfigurements in 2015

2015 Dog Bite Related Fatalities (Daxton's Friends)

Fatal Pit Bull Attacks

Today's pit bull attacks

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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