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Pit Bulls Continue to Maul Pets at Alarming Rate

Pit Bull Kills Pomeranian in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA - A woman was recently attacked and her pet dog killed by a neighbor’s pit bull. Lori Venters said she was outside her home on Cherry Street with her little pomeranian when the neighbors' pit bull charged out of the garage. She says the animal knocked her down and badly injured her dog, crushing its pelvis. Her dog had to be put to sleep.

After Venters' husband called the police to have the dog taken away he was told that officers could not because the pit bull did not bite a person. This is standard operating procedure in many cities. While dog bite human victims have it bad, animals that are attacked have it worse. Venters was thrown to the ground and her pet was fatally attacked. Bakersfield has no laws to address the issue from a public safety standpoint.

In other news:

Pit Bull Attacks Jack Russell in Stewartville
Stewartville, MN - The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office reports that a pit bull terrier flew out of its backyard and attacked a Jack Russell that was being walked by its owner. The pit bull had been in the yard with its owner, an 18-year-old man. A woman was walking her dog in front of the house. The pit bull bolted and bit the terrier in the neck and chest. Fortunately, the woman was not injured.

The pit bull's owner helped pull his dog off the passing dog, which had to be taken to a veterinarian. The degree of injury the dog suffered is unkown. The owner was ticketed for allowing a dog to run at large, as well as for owning an unlicensed dog. Both are misdemeanor charges; treated like a parking violation. This was an unprovoked attack on a person's leashed dog. The next attack will injure another dog and a human being.

Dog owners that enjoy walking their animals are prime victims for pit bull attacks. They are also repeatedly victimized afterward. The city may not impound the attacking dog (the dog will continue to be an "at risk" animal to other pets); the attacking dog's owner will get a $15 ticket; and the victimized dog may rack up large medical bills and still die. The only option for recourse may be a civil suit with a slim margin of success.

Related articles:
07/11/08: Elderly Woman's Dog Attacked by Pit Bull
06/24/08: Leashed Put Bull, Tank, Kills Yoda -- No Warning Before Attack