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2012 Dog Bite Fatality: 'Visiting' Child Killed by PTSD Service Dog in Kentucky

"Anything Can Happen"
UPDATE 01/31/11: New information has been revealed about a 6-year old boy killed by a trained "medical service dog." One can thank the last and current presidential administrations for the failure to require any certified training for service dogs under the revised ADA requirements. This particular dog was allegedly trained to help its veteran owner who suffers from PTSD. So the first thing this dog should have done in response to a scream is to kill?

The basics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

• Re-experiencing symptoms - Vivid flashbacks, where the person relives the trauma over and over (and certainly during nightmares)
  
• Avoidance symptoms - Numbness; trouble remembering the traumatic event
• Hyper arousal symptoms - Feeling "on edge" and/or having angry outbursts
  

The explanation of this boy's death through the eyes of a service dog trainer:

"It's not that he wanted to brutally kill this child it's that he was confused on what was going on that screams were coming out and he wanted to fix it" ... "Dogs have teeth, what can you say? Anything can happen at a split moment. It could be anything from the little boy screaming at a split moment"1 ... "My initial thought was maybe he nipped, and the child began screaming and the dog panicked and he wanted to fix the scream so he went for the mouth and the face area which is why he went for the attack" - Leah Patterson, PTSD dog trainer.

So when the dog's owner, who suffers from PTSD wakes up screaming upon reliving the horrific event, it's perfectly normal and acceptable for his trained medical service dog to attack and kill him? The entire "point" of a PTSD service dog is that it ought to be "bomb-proof." Due to the great failure of the ADA in recognizing the volume of huckster dog trainers, we can expect to see more "Pattersons," violent attacks and deaths by so-called trained service dogs.

Charges against the dog's owner may be pending.2

01/31/12: PTSD Service Dog Kills Child
Oak Grove, KY - In a developing story, a dog trained to help a soldier with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder killed a 6-year old boy. The young boy and his family were visiting the Fort Campbell soldier's home Sunday afternoon when the mauling occurred. Police say the dog attacked the boy in the yard of the home. The child was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he died from his injuries Monday morning. The dog is described as a "small German shepherd."


Related video

Related articles:
08/17/10: Department of Justice Axes Monkeys, Other Creatures From Service Animals
08/13/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 4-Year Old Boy Killed by Grandfather's Rottweiler in Ozark
09/27/10: 'Fully Vetted' Pit Nutters and Their Service Dogs
08/27/10: 2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Kills Visiting 4-Year Old Girl in Dodge County

Labels: 2012 Dog Bite Fatality, Visiting Child

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull in Montgomery Co.

Father Issues Statement
UPDATE 01/19/12: The father of little boy killed by a pit bull last weekend, Jeremy Valdez, has issued a statement about his son's death. The child had been in his sole care and custody for over the past year. Baby Jace, however, had been visiting his mother for the week where she lives with her parents in Montgomery County. The child's grandmother, who was hospitalized for shock after the attack, is the owner of the pit bull and was the only adult present during the incident.

Portion of Jeremy's Statement
Jeremy Valdez is deeply saddened from the tragic loss of his 16 month old son, Jace Paul Valdez, from the pit bull attack which occurred Saturday evening. Baby Jace had been in Mr. Valdez’s sole care and custody for over the past year; however the child was visiting his mother for the week where she resides with her parents at their home in Montgomery County and where the attack occurred.
While Mr. Valdez has been informed that baby Jace was left alone and unsupervised in the presence of the pit bull, he is uncertain of many of the details surrounding the events. Detectives are still investigating the facts of that night and whether or not criminal charges will be brought, if any, against any of the residents of the household where the fatality occurred.
In the honor of the life of his son, Mr. Valdez, with the assistance of Wells Fargo Bank, has created a Memorial Fund to help with costs associated with the burial and funeral of Baby Jace. Proceeds from the fund will also go to help support the raising of awareness of the risks associated with leaving small children alone in the presence of large animals. Donations of any amount can be made to the Jace Paul Valdez Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo banking branch. Existing customers of Wells Fargo can make donations via online by logging-on and donating to account number #1815588239 under the charitable contributions section on the website.

Jace Paul Valdez Memorial Fund
A memorial fund has been set up under the name, "Jace Paul Valdez Memorial Fund." Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo branch.

01/15/12: Mauling Investigation Continues
Magnolia, TX - On Saturday evening, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office responded to a fatal pit bull mauling in the 27000 block of Medina Circle. Lt. Dan Norris told reporter Scott Engle, "When deputies arrived, they found that a one-year old male child had been mauled to death inside the home by the family pit bull. When deputies tried to control the dog, the dog turned and lunged at one of the deputies. The deputies had to shoot and kill the dog inside the home."1

The west Montgomery County home where the incident occurred belonged to the deceased baby's grandparents. At the time of the attack, the grandmother had been in the home with the child. The 45-year old grandmother was not injured by the dog, but due to emotional trauma, she was taken away by ambulance to a local hospital. Authorities have not yet located the mother of the baby and it is still unknown, which adults -- the parents or grandparents -- owned the dog.

The mother and child, Jace Valdez, had reportedly recently moved in with the grandparents.


Related articles:
10/05/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Amarillo Newborn Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix
09/05/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Two-Week Old Baby Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix
01/15/10: Grandmother Charged in Fatal Pit Bull Mauling Dies Before Trial
09/02/09: Grandmother and Mother Charged in 2007 Death of Seth Lovitt

Labels: 2012 Dog Bite Fatality, Fatalpitbullattacks.com, Infant Fatality, Texas Pit Bull Fatality

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Victim of Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury Dies on Christmas Eve

New Charges Filed
UPDATE 01/18/12: Authorities filed new charges against the owners of two pit bulls that savagely mauled a woman, who later died from her injuries. The new charges against Alba Cornelio and her daughter, Carla Cornelio, include involuntary manslaughter and death from a mischievous animal. Both pleaded not guilty. In a previous court hearing, their defense attorney, Donovan Dunnion, claimed that the dogs were "running away from a swarm of bees" at the time of the attack.

12/27/11: Suffers Another Amputation
New information about the death of Emako Mendoza has been reported. In the months following the June 18 mauling, Mendoza underwent eight surgeries after the two immediate amputations. Less than three weeks ago, her right leg was also amputated due infection within the bone. After months of attempted rehabilitation, Emako's heart stopped on Christmas Eve. Her husband James Mendoza said, "She was so tired ... she wanted to come home so bad. But she didn't make it."

12/27/11: Pit Bull Attack Victim Dies
San Diego, CA - 76-year old Emako Mendoza, who was nearly mauled to death by her neighbors two pit bulls in June, died on Christmas Eve, according to a family member. Mendoza was hospitalized in critical condition following the June 18 mauling and underwent the amputation of her left arm and left leg. It's unknown at this time if authorities will file new charges against the owners of the pit bulls, Alba Medina Cornelio, 39, and her daughter, Carla Ramirez Cornelio, 19.

DogsBite.org prays for Emako's husband, James, and her surviving family members.

Related video

Related articles:
08/23/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Tucson Man Succumbs to Injuries After Attack by Pet Pit Bull
06/15/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 74-Year Old Man Dies After Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury

Labels: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality, Amputation Injury, California Pit Bull Fatality, Disfigurement Injury, Fatalpitbullattacks.com

30-Year Summary: Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada

September 1982 to December 26, 2011

DogsBite.org - Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has released a 30-year summary of his report, Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 26, 2011, highlighting trends involving pit bulls. The data shows that fatal and serious maulings by pit bulls have greatly escalated in the past 10 years. Furthermore, 39% of the total number of pit bull attacks and 42% of the fatalities have occurred since the 2007 Michael Vick case alone.

See: Full news release.

DogsBite.org has reproduced the 30-year summary by Clifton in full below.

Summary
2011 brought the most total pit bull attacks, second most pit bull attacks on children, most pit bull attacks on adults, third most pit bull fatalities, and most pit bull disfigurements in the 30 years that I have kept track of the data.
This is the data from the past 20 years, with the 1992 data representing the first 10 years of data collection:

Summary of Pit Bull Incidents

YEAR	ATTACKS		CHILDREN		ADULTS		KILLED		MAIMED
	Total	Year	Total	Year	Total	Year	Total	Year	Total	Year
1992	103		43		60		18		35
2002	729	86	345	45	247	22	62	6	392	54
2003	857	128	395	50	303	56	75	13	463	71
2004	936	79	433	38	329	26	83	8	501	38
2005	1080	144	494	61	369	40	97	14	582	81
2006	1194	114	523	29	416	47	111	14	645	63
2007	1268	74	553	30	438	22	123	12	682	37
2008	1392	124	593	40	473	35	137	14	734	52
2009	1553	161	665	72	524	51	161	24	825	91
2010	1797	244	774	109	604	80	190	29	966	141
2011	2092	295	876	102	715	111	213	23	1164	198

Discussion
I don't like to make much of the year-to-year fluctuations, since the differences between any given year and the years before and after are well within the possibilities of chance.
The cumulative trends, though, are another matter.
Note, first of all, that the first 10 years of data collection included fewer pit bull attacks than in seven of the past 10 years, and barely a third as many as in 2011 alone. All of the numbers from the first 10 years of data collection look like a single year's worth of data from recent years.

• 65% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past 10 years.
• 39% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past four years alone. This corresponds with the time frame within which the Best Friends Animal Society and the American Humane Association ramped up their pit bull advocacy, in the wake of the Michael Vick case.
• 14% of the total attacks occurred in the last year alone, and 26% in the past two years.
• 61% of the pit bull attacks on children have occurred in the past 10 years; 37% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.
• 65% of the pit bull attacks on adults have occurred in the past 10 years; 39% in the past four years; 27% in the past two years.
• 71% of the pit bull fatalities have occurred in the past 10 years; 42% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.
• 66% of the pit bull disfigurements have occurred in the past 10 years; 41% in the past four years; 29% in the past two years.

These cumulative trends are not within the possibilities of chance. They show a situation which has slipped out of any semblance of control, even compared to the situation of 10 years ago.
- Merritt Clifton, editor Animal People

Related statistics:

• Report: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008
  
• 2011 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2010 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2009 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2008 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2007 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2006 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
• 2005 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org

Related articles:
07/26/11: ANIMAL PEOPLE Editor Responds to Fact Cooker Article by Mark Robison
11/30/10: Collection of Best Friends Animal Society Related Posts - DogsBite.org

Labels: Amputation Injury, Animal People, Disfigurement Injury, Dog Bite Statistics, Pit Bull Statistics

Pit Bull Attack Victims May Have New Hope to Recover from Landlords After Maulings

DogsBite.org files amicus brief in landmark appeals case that hopes to expand liability out to landlords when a tenant's pit bull attacks. Personal injury attorneys may soon have a new argument in their tool chest and landlords may have new concerns.

Austin, TX January 16, 2012 -- DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, announces amicus brief filing in Solesky v. Tracey, recently argued in the Court of Appeals of Maryland. The case involves the parents of a young boy seeking damages for injuries inflicted by a pit bull owned by a landlord's tenant. Using a new legal theory, the plaintiff hopes to uphold that landlords may be liable when a tenant's pit bull attacks a person.

The amicus brief, which literally is, a "friend of the court" was filed due to DogsBite.org's strong interest in this subject matter, the protection of pit bull attack victims in circumstances when a renter is "judgment proof," has no means to pay the medical bills of the victim, has insufficient coverage or was refused coverage by his or her insurance carrier due to owning this type of dog breed. In the case of Solesky v. Tracey, the claims against the dog's owners were discharged in bankruptcy.

See: Full news release.

Related articles:
06/16/11: Website Launch: Pit Bull Attacks - The Survivors | Pitbullattacks.org
01/31/11: Parent of Mauling Victim Responds to North Carolina Pit Bull Fatality
03/10/10: Dangerous By Default: Extreme Breeds by Anthony Solesky
10/28/09: In Massachusetts, Landlords May Be Liable When Tenant's Pit Bull Attacks

Labels: Amicus Brief, Dominic Solesky, Judgment Proof, Landlord Liability, Solesky v Tracey

Saving Man's Best Friend

How Dangerous Breed Advocates are Redefining Our Relationships with Dogs and Why We Should Stop Them

By Branwyne Finch
A guest writer for the DogsBite.org Blog.

It was like so many other pit bull attacks; totally unprovoked. Sixty-two-year-old Joseph Finley went jogging in Rainbow Beach Park, Chicago, after his overnight shift at a hospital. It was a Monday morning at 6:00 AM, when two loose pit bulls attacked him. A neighbor who heard his cries came to his aid, trying to fend the dogs off with a baseball bat, to no avail. Mr. Finley was mauled severely, the dogs attacking relentlessly, tearing at his arms, legs and face. "They were just going after the man like he was a piece of steak," said Stanley Lee, the good Samaritan who tried to intervene. The dogs continued attacking Mr. Finley until they were shot dead by police. Mr.Finley was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
Local and national news outlets picked up the story, and predictably, the comments under each news article revealed the bizarre psyche of pit bull advocates. Was there empathy for the victim? Was there a condemnation of the backyard breeding practices that produces killer dogs? Hardly.
"There is no proof this was done by pit bulls". Pit bull fanatics suggested that, unless there was a photo, a DNA test, and a sworn affidavit from the owner, the dogs responsible could NOT have been pit bulls. "The owner must have trained them to fight." Alternately, some pit bull advocates felt that the owner "failed" to train these dogs NOT to attack people. Others felt that the owner of the two dogs was "irresponsible"-- not for owning vicious animals capable of killing an innocent neighbor, but for "allowing them to get loose".

Pit Bull Apologists Flog Comment Sections

As serious pit bull attacks increase in frequency across the United States, a pattern has emerged; pit bull apologists show up en mass to comment on the news stories and demonstrate their misanthropic worldview. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a reported attack, pit bull apologists show no empathy for the victim, but often for the "poor dog", who they insist, was "abused or mistreated" or perhaps "not trained and socialized". In many cases, pit bull advocates show an alarming lack of normal and appropriate response to human tragedy, and seem totally disconnected from accepted social mores. In cases where children have been severely mauled, or even killed, pit bull lovers will show up defending the dogs, seemingly oblivious to the fact that an article about a dead or dying child is NOT the place to demand attention. Victims are often blamed for the attack, as pit bull apologists will insist that these dogs would never attack unless "provoked".
It has become increasingly apparent that a relatively small but vocal group of people who are fanciers of dangerous dog breeds have managed to form an unholy alliance with the dog breeder lobby and animal welfare organizations to ensure that the breeding and ownership of dangerous dogs goes completely unregulated. The cost to the dogs has been tremendous. Pit bull type dogs are now abused, abandoned, and euthanized in greater numbers than any other dog breed in history. Dog fighting, though now a felony in all 50 states, funds an enormous underground economy, with the breeding and selling of fighting dogs a lucrative and legal source of income for criminals and animal abusers.
The price paid by victims of pit bull attacks is incalculable. From 2005 to 2011, pit bulls killed 127 Americans. The number of serious and disfiguring injuries caused by these dogs is exponentially greater, and harder to calculate. Yet these numbers pale in comparison to the most common victims of pit bull attacks -- other domestic pets. Since dog-on-dog attacks are seldom covered by media outlets, the frightening frequency of news stories about family dogs killed or seriously injured by a neighbor's pit bull indicates the problem is much more serious than reported.

Rebranding Pit Bulls as a Perfect Family Pet

Given these facts, one would imagine the logical response that fanciers of "normal" dog breeds would have. For instance, a call for cracking down on criminals and backyard breeders producing the glut of unstable dogs, a call for breed clubs to redefine ethical breeding practices, and a strong commitment to breeding away from the aggressive behavior, including dog aggression that defines the pit bull breed. The sad reality is, none of this has happened. Instead, animal welfare organizations and backyard breeders have manipulated the lunatic fringe of the nation's dog lovers in an attempt to redefine what is "normal" behavior in a family pet. For the criminals and backyard breeders, a lot is at stake: pit bulls have become a cash crop for the underclass; a source of quick cash for drugs, alcohol and more. Most of the dogs produced by "pit bull breeders"-- gang members, dog fighters, drug dealers and aimless young people who lack the work ethic to make an honest living -- end up dumped or abandoned into our nation's shelter system. Since most middle class families looking for a pet dog do NOT want a fighting breed, and since many of these poorly bred dogs have been purpose-bred for aggressive temperaments, shelters and animal welfare organizations find themselves deluged with unadoptable pit bulls.
How has the animal welfare community dealt with the constant glut of unwanted dogs? Euthanizing healthy animals has become an issue with donors, who have embraced the concept of "No Kill" animal sheltering. While it is safe and politically correct to advocate spay and neuter education, education has not been effective with pit bull breeders who, even in the Northeast where dog overpopulation is not a problem, rely on breeding pit bulls for income. So the solution has been to launch a massive PR campaign to market and "re-brand" these dogs as the perfect family pet.
Animal welfare organizations quickly found strong support from dog breeder lobbyists, who have a financial interest in fighting any and all regulation on animal breeding. They also found support with owners of the pit bull breeds. Pit bull owners, it seemed, were a vocal and aggressive group. Most were young, female, under-educated, yet web savvy. With no practical knowledge of basic animal husbandry or the science of genetics, they eagerly believed, and repeated, any Internet source that supported their worldview. A fabricated history of the pit bull breed sprouted up on a few Internet sites and was embellished and repeated over and over until it became "fact". The dogs were "nanny dogs" that babysat children! The dogs were farm dogs, herding dogs, and "cherished family pets". They were "America's dog", the most popular dog in the country "at one time". The dogs had to be "forced" to fight and were "naturally friendly toward humans". None of this manufactured history of the breed can be supported with facts. The writings of virtually all famous dog fighters reveal a much darker past.

The Emergence of Pit Bull "Rescue" Groups

As the glut of abandoned pit bulls increased, "pit bull rescue" organizations appeared and began promoting the dogs also. With no major animal welfare organization to refute their claims, these rescues quickly learned how to push all the right buttons with dog loving donors. They used abused and abandoned fighting dogs to solicit donations, labeling any scarred up ex-fighter a "bait dog"; they used language from the civil rights movement to declare the public's fear of pit bulls as "discrimination". They blamed the increasingly frequent pit bull attacks on "irresponsible owners". The indisputable genetic tendency for pit bulls to display dangerous levels of dog aggression were minimized as "easily managed".
Instead of the age-old common sense method of trying to match families with dogs whose behaviors would be a good fit with their lifestyle, rescues and shelters began trying to "sell" the public on pit bulls. As rescuing a dog became increasingly popular and the politically correct way to acquire a family pet, the rescue community had to up the anti; it wasn't enough for a family to adopt a popular dog breed who would find a home anyway. You could demonstrate your moral superiority by adopting an "unwanted" pit bull that would surely otherwise face euthanization if you didn't! In fact, adopting a pit bull with behavioral problems that needed "rehabilitation" elevated you to sainthood! You could join one of hundreds of online communities where your ego would be stroked by strangers who fawned over you with exclamations of "Bless you for helping a Pittie!" For the young, the bored and the gullible, the instant status amongst other pit bull owners became an almost irresistible draw.
There was only one problem with this marketing campaign; it worked too well. As dog fighting continued to flourish, and breeding pit bulls to guard drug ops, as thug fashion accessories, weapons, or cheap burglar alarms increased, more and more pit bulls found their way into our communities. Clueless owners, who believed the mantra of pit bull advocates -- it's all how you raise them -- were shocked when their "sweet pittie" grew up and ripped the throat out of the neighbor's elderly beagle. What happens when a marketing campaign comes up against the science of genetics? The headline making attacks showed no sign of abating. Pit bull apologists offered no solutions, but instead decided to redefine what a normal family pet is.
Backed into a rhetorical corner, pit bull advocacy has had to put all their eggs in one basket; the "irresponsible owner" excuse. By anthropomorphizing dogs into misunderstood, furry people, its easier to deny the basic fact that they are selectively bred, "man made" domestic animals, whose physical appearance and behavior is greatly controlled by genetics. This fundamental fact is understood by farmers breeding livestock and ten-year-old 4-H'rs breeding rabbits to show at the county fair. Yet in the world of pit bull advocacy, breed becomes irrelevant, dogs are labeled as "individuals", whose temperament and behavior can be quickly determined in a ten minute shelter "temperament test". And how to explain the frequent and serious attacks on humans and other pets? That is blamed on a "lack of training" and "irresponsible owners."
Pit bull apologists want us to believe that every family dog is an accident waiting to happen. "Any dog is capable of these things" they whine. They blame parents for the attacks on children. In a pit bull fanatic's world, a dog can "never" be left alone with a child "even for a minute." Really? Does anyone actually believe that a family can live that way? Does the average family fear the family dog so much that they have to crate him every time they use the bathroom or answer the phone? Do you tether the dog to your waist as you do chores around the house? And what of attacks on children playing in their own backyards, or riding a bike on their own street? Once again, the pit bull apologists blame the parents for "not supervising" their children. In their world, it's the responsibility of the rest of us to be ever vigilant for attacking dogs. Is that the way most people expect to live in a civilized society?

What Exactly Is a "Responsible Dog Owner?"

What, in essence, makes a good pet? According to pit bull advocates, dog owners need "training and education" to own a dog. Is that even remotely realistic or practical? Should every dog owner be required to have a PhD in animal behavior, take special training classes, learn to read their "body language", and carry special equipment (like a break stick for prying your pit bull off of another dog)? Does the average American family -- the "good enough" dog owner -- really have the time, the desire, and the money to invest in managing a dog that if anything goes wrong, will pose a deadly threat to their neighbors?
And what, exactly, is a responsible dog owner? Pit bull apologists define a responsible dog owner as someone whose dog remains contained on their property. They do NOT consider it "irresponsible" to own a dog that, if it gets loose, will attack and kill a neighbor or another pet. They have labeled unprovoked aggression in pet dogs as normal dog behavior -- just "dogs being dogs". If a pit bull gets loose and puts a meter reader in intensive care, the dog is excused for just "protecting his territory". If a pit bull chews through a wooden fence to disembowel the neighbor's collie, he was "just being a dog" and "some dogs don't like other dogs." They deliberately put "dog bites" in the same category as "dog maulings". For them, a border collie that nips the heels of playing children is just as aggressive as a pit bull that breaks bones and causes limb amputations.
In the world of the pit bull fanatic, society must change to accommodate their fetish for a dangerous dog breed. They excuse the right of pit breeders to continue to breed dogs with the genetic drive and physical ability to kill other dogs. They consider the occasional dead child or permanently disabled adult victim of pit bull attacks a price worth paying for their right to keep aggressive dogs as "pets". They insist that pit bulls represent the "new normal" in our relationship with domestic dogs, and we Americans had better just get used to it. For many of us who remember what owning a dog used to mean, remaining silent is no longer possible.
Growing up in 60's and 70's, dogs were a common sight in my working class neighborhood. In those days, there were no leash laws, and spaying and neutering your dog was not common practice. Dogs and kids often roamed unsupervised. Dogs existed along side us. They played ball with us in the street, chased cars, occasionally knocked over trash cans and ate what was inside. There were no training classes, no "puppy kindergarten". They lived on cheap supermarket food and table scraps. Occasionally they roamed beyond our neighborhood, but they always came home.
Dog fights were common, especially amongst unneutered males; we kids regularly broke them up. None of us was ever bitten or injured breaking up one of these fights. In fact, with the exception of an occasional scrape, the dogs themselves never really injured each other. And while a dog might bark at a stranger or the mailman, it was generally understood that an aggressive dog would not be tolerated in this neighborhood environment. There was an unspoken social contract with neighbors: a dog that posed a danger to your neighbor or their children would be "gotten rid of". No excuses were made for aggressive dogs. There was no talk of "rehab", or doggy psychologists. The definition of "family pet" was clear and understood.
Luckily, no one ever had to "get rid" of a dog in the neighborhood of my childhood. I remember with great affection the collection of "Heinze 57" mutts I grew up with; dogs whose watered down genetic heritage made them amazingly stable and even-tempered. They followed us to school, and (sometimes) met us again at the end of the day. They slept on the bed with us, played in the snow with us, followed us around as we played games. They blew our cover during hide and seek, comforted us when we fell and cried over a scraped knee. Dog bites happened, but were never serious. A child got nipped by an excited dog while riding a bike or a neighbor's cranky, elderly collie would snap at us if we startled her awake. No one was ever seriously injured, no trips to the ER or stitches required. Dogs integrated seamlessly into our world, and we were grateful for their companionship.

How Did We Survive Our Childhoods?

The idea that a pet dog could be dangerous was completely foreign to us. If you had told me 40 years ago that it would become fairly common for "pet" dogs to maul or even kill humans, I would have called you crazy. Yet here we are today. What has changed in the relationship between families and dogs? How did we all survive our childhoods? Current advice regarding dog ownership would indicate that we were in grave danger of untrained dogs, dogs in "packs", dogs not spayed or neutered, and totally unsupervised kids. What kept us safe and allowed us to develop this wonderful relationship with our dogs was twofold: 1.) A community commitment to owning safe and friendly pets, and 2.) An absence of dangerous dog breeds. It's this very relationship we risk today when we accept the death and disfigurement of innocents as the occasional result of dog ownership.
When the "experts" in animal welfare organizations excuse pit bull attacks by telling us that "any" dog is capable of killing us, what does this mean for the future of our pets? Can we believe these same "experts" who tell us that therapy dogs are perfectly safe to have around children and the elderly? If explosive and unpredictable aggression in dogs is considered a "normal" part of dog behavior, can we expect to see dogs banned from more and more public places? If injury from a dog attack is considered an acceptable risk for dog owners, will dog ownership eventually be banned by all rental properties, homeowners and condo associations as "too risky"? Will our children grow up believing that all dogs are dangerous and unpredictable, and that they can never approach or interact with any dog they don't know? Will they be robbed of the joy of relationships with various canine friends?
The "experts" have descended upon Chicago to pledge "tougher penalties" for "irresponsible" dog owners. Yet across the country, owners of dangerous dogs are being punished for attacks with prison time, stiff fines, and probation. None of these penalties have served as a deterrent, or have resulted in a reduction of dog attacks. The reality is that most owners of aggressive dogs don't really believe their animals are capable of killing someone, until it happens. And punishing owners of violent dogs after an attack does nothing to help victims. Such punishments won't give a mauling victim back her face and it won't bring a dead child back to life. That's why it is time for people who love dogs and humans to stand up and say "enough".
My life shouldn't depend on whether or not my neighborhood pit bull owner forgets to lock a gate. No one should own a dog for a "pet" that, if he gets loose, will attack and kill the first person or dog he comes across. Pit bulls have been selectively bred to do just that, and the histrionic wailing of the legions of online "pit bull mommies" should be ignored. Breed bans are an option for some cities, but are in no way necessary. There is certainly NO reason for any "responsible" pit bull owner to have to give up their dog either. Its time for cool heads and grown ups to step in and outlaw the breeding of pit bulls. Mandatory spay and neuter laws won't affect responsible dog owners, but will put an end to dog fighting, and pit bulls inflicting attacks upon pets and humans. Such laws will also end the shelter killing of hundreds of thousands of these dogs.
And maybe, just maybe, we can salvage our relationship with the family dog before it is lost forever.

Learn more:
Is an American Bulldog a Pit Bull?
The Pit Bull Hoax: The ATTS
The Nanny Dog Myth Revealed

Related articles:
01/04/12: 2011 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
11/19/11: 1911 Pit Bull Terrier Depicted as ‘Outcast American’ to Victimize the Breed
10/22/11: Mother of Two Responds to 'Pit Bull Awareness Day' in Massachusetts
01/03/11: Parent of Mauling Victim Responds to North Carolina Pit Bull Fatality
09/17/10: Craven Desires: Weekly Frankenmauler Round Up Collection
10/30/10: Collection of Best Friends Animal Society Related Posts - DogsBite.org
03/20/10: Dog Bite Victim Attorney Responds to 'Blame the Victim' Comment
02/06/10: Pet Pit Bull Unleashes Explosive Attack on Owner and Two Others in Hoboken
10/28/09: In Massachusetts, Landlords May Be Liable When Tenant's Pit Bull Attacks
08/24/09: 2009 U.S. Shelter Data: Pit Bulls Account for 58% of Dogs Euthanized
06/29/09: I'm Tired of 'Pit Bulls Before People,' A Response to Carrie Pollare
01/28/09: Lancaster Passes Mandatory Pit Bull and Rottweiler Sterilization Law
09/29/08: Break Sticks: A Tool Used to Pry Open a Pit Bull's Jaws

Labels: Activist, Guest Writer, Pit Bull Propaganda

Georgia Pit Bull Owner is Convicted After 8-Year Old Girl Suffers Amputation

Images of Erin Ingram, her father and first responders on March 9 outside her home.

Jury Convicts
Lithonia, GA - On March 9, 2010, Erin Ingram, then 8-years old, was nearly mauled to death just outside her home by two pit bulls owned by a neighbor. The first responder images depict a grisly scene, and it was. In a rare event, a journalist sought out Erin's police report and published it online. Erin quickly underwent the amputation of the lower part of her left arm along with many other surgeries as doctors tried to stave off additional disfigurements and maimings.

The Criminal Trial

This week, the criminal trial of the dogs' owner, Twyann Vaughn, unfolded in a Decatur courtroom. Portions of segments were even recorded by the media. Jurors listened to the 911 call where Erin is heard screaming in the background. Tearful neighbors described how they could not get the pit bulls to let go of her. Vaughn was charged with two counts of reckless conduct, violation of the county's vicious dog ordinance and not having her pit bulls immunized for rabies.

Six "misdemeanors" to be exact.

Jurors also heard testimony from Erin's father and the little girl herself. "I was screaming for help," she told the courtroom. Did you see anybody else around, the prosecutor asked? "No." What was going through your mind then? "That I was going to die," Erin said. Though not shown in the news video, jurors received an up-close, personal view of Erin's disfiguring injuries. Her father, Tommy Ingram, described his daughter's wounds as looking like "shredded meat."

I really can't put it into words ... To sit there and look at your child, you look at the arms and it looked like shredded meat.

On Friday, the jury returned a guilty verdict after the defense called two witnesses who testified that the pit bulls were "extremely nice." Jurors deliberated just over 90 minutes. Judge Dax Lopez then sentenced Vaughn to 16 months in jail and 36 months on probation. Prosecutors had asked for four years in jail. The maximum penalty was five years, for six misdemeanors -- A "felony" provision after a life-threatening dog attack in the State of Georgia is likely light years away.

Now that the criminal trial is complete, DogsBite.org hopes that Erin and members of her family are able to heal in a way that was not possible before.

Related video

Related articles:
12/09/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Lowndes County Woman Killed by Pit Bull
06/28/11: 1999 Dog Bite Fatality: Savannah Boy Killed by Pit Bull; Father Reflects Upon Attack
05/03/10: Pit Bull Scalp Attack Victim, Brianna Watkins, Recuperating

Labels: Amputation Injury, Disfigurement Injury, Erin Ingram, Georgia Pit Bull Mauling

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