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Monday, March 31, 2008


Boy, 10, Mauled by Rottweilers Remains in Intensive Care

Davie, Florida boy Mauled by Two Rottweilers
Broward County, FL - 10-year old, Christian Franco, was violently attacked by two rottweilers when he entered a neighbor's backyard to retrieve an errant ball on Friday. Neighbor George Evans, 54, who heard the boy's shrieks across the street in the Shenandoah community and ran to his aid.
"He was covered in blood," said Evans. "You couldn't even see his face. He was bitten all over."
Christian underwent about seven hours of surgery Saturday. He had a grapefruit-size gouge on the lower back quarter of his scalp, gashes on his forehead and right thigh, a puncture wound on his right cheek, numerous bites on his hip and back and a left eye swollen shut.

Doctors at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale told family after surgery that the boy would remain in intensive care for several days while he is watched closely for internal bleeding and infections.
His eye probably will heal, but he will undergo a skin graft to restore his scalp, said Benjamin Mendez, the boy's grandfather.

The dogs -- 2-year-old male rottweilers named Buddy and Bear -- were quarantined briefly Friday evening before police determined the attack was an accident, said Davie police spokesman Lt. Bill Coyne. Mayor Tom Truex said Davie does not have a dangerous dog law.

State Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, is leading an effort in the Legislature to allow municipalities to tighten controls on dangerous dog breeds.
Broward Animal Care and Regulation officials cited the owner, Victor Cantelmo (who also has a knee-high statue of a black rottweiler by his front door), for not having his pets licensed or vaccinated. According to a Broward County Animal Care database, Cantelmo has four dogs whose registrations expired in 2005. 

Rottweilers are known as calm, strong, agile, guard dogs, according to the American Kennel Club.
Neighbors say that Cantelmo moved to the neighborhood with his wife and two teenage daughters about four years ago. Cantelmo is a retired New York City firefighter.
Too bad Cantelmo failed to review dog bite fatality statistics for the last 20 years. Had he done so, he would have learned that rottweilers are second only to pit bulls in their violence, particularly toward children.
Related articles:
03/18/08: Rottweiler Kills Ten-Year Old Boy in Finland
09/12/07: Kylie Cox - 2007 Fatality Victim
07/12/07: Tiffany Pauley - 2007 Fatality Victim
01/29/07: Taylor Kitlica - 2007 Fatality Victim
01/24/07: Matthew Logan Johnson - 2007 Fatality Victim

posted by bitbypit  |  permalink  |  3 comments  |iconemail  |iconsubscribe  |iconcomment rss 
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3 comments:

Anonymous Anonymous  |  3/31/2008 4:27 AM  |  Flag  
Bravo Zulu to the heroic neighbor, he probably saved the boys life.

How is that Broward Animal "Un"control can ascertain the dogs elapsed registration status so quickly post attack, yet does nothing to enforce the law "real time"?

The costs of this boys medical treatment alone would pay for a system to track and enforce dog registrations.

Anonymous schultz  |  3/31/2008 10:35 AM  |  Flag  
usually, i feel sorry for people whose dogs bite a kid in this scenario (regardless of breed) and i was ready to cut this rott owner some slack until i read that he had NOT licensed or vaccinated his dogs!!!
whether a kid wanders over a property line or a crack heads trespasses with malicious intent, if a dog bites without a rabies shot, the owner should be charged with a felony!
the punishment for failing to license & vaccinate your dog, should be be so severe that no one will fail to do it.

Anonymous David  |  4/01/2008 8:07 AM  |  Flag  
I was working at an empty house yesterday and the lady from next door came over. She told me the guy that used to live there was arrested for running a meth lab. She also pointed out he used to chain his Rottweiller to the front porch, the chain was still there. She retired two years ago and was afraid to go outside if the dog was out. She has lived there for 20 years. I took the dog chain to a person that owns a pet store and was told not to chain a dog that weighed more than 50lbs with that chain. She also said that a 50lbs pit bull or Rottweiller would break that chain.
I wonder how many of our retired people are living in fear. She complained to authorities a couple of times but was afraid to make to much trouble. If it were my mom or grandma, my brothers and I, would have went to have a little talk with the guy.
Our town is only 12,000. You think this only happens in the big towns, it is everywhere.
Wabash,Indiana

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