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Orlando Mayor Receives Award and Praise for Stopping Pit Bull Attack

Pet Owners Call Mayor Dyer a Hero for Saving Jack Russell
Orlando, FL - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who saved a Jack Russell terrier from the jaws of a pit bull last month, received a "Pet's Best Friend" award at the 41st Annual Pet Fair at Loch Haven Park from the hands of Orlando Science Center officials. Chairman Michael said, "On behalf of pets everywhere, we honor the mayor today."

Dyer said he has received more attention for this act than for any of his political successes, including congratulatory e-mails from far and wide and Internet praise from pet aficionados. "I've been in public office for years, and I think I've accomplished a lot, or a little bit, at least," he said. "But I have never had more response from any single thing than this."

Mayor Dyer, pit bulls have been maiming and killing our pets and livestock for decades. These crimes almost always go unpunished. You are a hero to many pet owners!

Spider-Man, the pit bull that attacked the terrier, is still sitting in the Orange County animal shelter. The pit bull's owner, James Valentine, continues to say that his dog is good-natured and would not attack anyone.

Related articles:
03/20/08: Owner of Pit Bull Subdued by Orlando Mayor Steps Forward
03/11/08: Orlando Mayor Rescues Terrier from Jaws of Pit Bull

Other Florida news

Rottweiler Attacks Woman, Her Small Dog In Port St. John
Port St. John, FL - A Rottweiler attacked a woman and her Shih Tzu in Brevard County while they were walking Friday morning. Luana Hinton's hand and arm are both swollen and her little Shih Tzu has bloody bite marks all over his body.

She said she tried to fight off the big Rottweiler, but he wouldn't stop attacking. So she did the only thing she could, scream for help. A neighbor heard her screaming and chased the dog away. Brevard County deputies said the dog escaped from a backyard just a few doors from where Luana lives.

The rottweiler owners did not want to talk to Eyewitness News on camera, but said the dog has never been aggressive before. Animal Services took the dog and cited the couple for not properly securing it and allowing it to get loose. The citations come with fines that could go up to nearly $600.

Pit Bull Attacks 9-Year Old in Palm Beach
Palm Beach County, FL - In a separate Florida county, a nine-year old girl was attacked by a pit bull on Saturday. The attack happened in Suburban West Palm Beach. Relatives say Elizabeth Cisneros rode her bike down the street to her friend’s home. Moments later, they claim, she was attacked.

Deputies say the neighbor's pit bull bit the third-grader in her chest and leg. She was taken as a trauma alert to Saint Mary's Medical Center. Her stepfather says he never would have let Elizabeth go to the friend’s home had he known the owners had a pit bull. Angel Vazquez tells NewsChannel 5:

"Absolutey not. Who trusts the pit bulls?" They are not for keeping around kids.