BSL Debate Begins
Elkhart, IN - On July 16, a 4-year old girl's nose was bitten off by a pit bull in the City of Elkhart. Police say DaMonica Paul was in a neighbor's yard with the neighbor's dog when it attacked. Damonica recently went through an extensive surgery to re-attach the nose at Riley Hospital for Children. According to Pastor Kevin Adams, "Doctors said this is the first time they've ever had a case this serious." After the surgery, doctors say her condition may worsen before it improves.
DaMonica will have another surgery this week and likely several more over the next couple of years. Because of the child's skyrocketing medical expenses, the family is looking for help. A bank fund is expected be set up for DaMonica by the end of the week. The owner of the pit bull, Tracy Crisler, tried to blame the attack on someone else's dog. An investigation, however, showed that her pit bull, Sierra, was the culprit and likely also bit a 15-year-old boy earlier this year.
The DaMonica incident follows the violent February attack involving pit bull owner Scott Sands. At the time, Scott's dog Buddy had been having a barking match through a shared wall with the landlord's dog. Buddy grew so frustrated -- unable to attack the other dog -- that he launched a "redirected" attack onto his owner. Scott nearly lost one of his arms due to the severe injury Buddy inflicted on him. He underwent extensive surgeries and skin grafts to each of his arms.
In response to these attacks and a string of others, city officials are now considering a pit bull law. Elkhart City Council President Rod Roberson recently told the South Bend Tribune, "I would go as far as necessary to ensure our residences are safe. I realize a lot of the fault is the owner's. But what do you tell DaMonica Paul, the 4-year-old that was bit -- 'I'm sorry'? Pit bulls are like a loaded gun, I agree with that. But a loaded gun can't get up and shoot someone."
Related articles:
02/19/09: Elkhart Pit Bull Owner May Suffer Amputation After "Redirected" Attack
06/26/08: Pit Bulls Maul Oregon Man's Face; LifeFlight Helicopter Called
04/19/08: Tonya Potter: "I Can't Look at Myself in the Mirror"
Looks like we have another pit bull breeder lobbyist running an animal shelter
"Anne Reel, director of the Elkhart County Humane Society, believes pit bulls are being unfairly singled out, both locally and nationally. Although she couldn't provide exact numbers, Reel said pit bulls are not the top biting dog in Elkhart County. Small dogs, she said, still bite the most."
And the commenters response to her comments below. Anne Reel is clearly a liability for the county.
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"Isn't it sort of ironic that these same sort of people seem to wiggle their way into a position that I feel that they shouldn't have. Thus their opinion is biased. The same thing happened over in South Bend where the head of the St. Joseph county humane society was against naming a breed specific concerning pit bulls.
After being attacked by a pit bull in my own yard and spending 9 days in the hospital I have actively campaigned to have pit bulls banned from this county."
Anne Reel, the director of the Elkhart County Humane Society, spouts off about "breed discrimination" yet her own facility DOES NOT adopt out pit bulls!
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/44306402.html
“I mean you wouldn't keep your children in a situation like this, and animals deserve the same quality of life that we as humans [do], and they are looking to us for that quality of life,” said Anne Reel of the Humane Society … The pit bull puppies were turned over to the Humane Society. Current policy does not allow this breed to be given out for adoption. Most likely they will be turned over to a pet rescue organization."
Reel may be a liability for the county, but her shelter is not due to their BREED-SPECIFIC policy of not adopting out pits.
Since when does some local small time county shelter director talk about pit bulls NATIONALLY? How would she even know?
This woman has no business being in this job. If she wants to promote pit bulls and lie about them, then she should go work for the dog fighters.
"Although she couldn't provide exact numbers"
What kind of Director cannot supply bite numbers?
Here is Anne Reel doing the dirty work for pit bull breeders and dog fighters.
These city councilors need to know that this woman is a menace, and she's a liar flat out.
http://www.elkhartindiana.org/egov/docs/1243609941_820373.pdf
But Mama Dog she is just handing these dogs out to anonymous "rescue groups." God knows who they are or what they are doing with these dogs! But that is bringing liability to the county.
She's a pit shuffler. She probably is shuffling off biting cases and maybe hiding them.
"Although she couldn't provide exact numbers"
because she knows what the numbers are and she doesn't want to give out that kind of damning information.
Council Bluffs banned pit bulls in the fall of 2004 after a terrible season of 29 attacks for 2004.
2005: 19
2006: 9
2007: 2
2008: 0
so far in 2009: 0
No extra staff hired. No adjusted budgets. Bans work. Do the right thing. Land sharks, canine frankenstein, dynamite with a tail…pit bulls are different.
It is not the propensity to attack.
It is the damage suffered from an attack which justifies differential treatement towards pit bulls. A man made problem.
Pit mix takes another nose…
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http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/51818912.html
1987: "In the past week alone, a 3-year-old Ohio girl lost part of her nose after she was attacked by her family's pit bull…"
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/12/us/series-of-pit-bull-attacks-stirs-a-clamor-for-laws.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
Let's hope the Elkhart City Council resists the siren song of the Pro-maulers from Indy Bit Crew. In Indianapolis, they helped craft the new dangerous dog law which produced a 33 percent increase in Pit Bull attacks.
EPIC FAIL…unless the goal was to look out for Pit breeders like Lee Carroll.
In St. Joseph County, the head of the animal control and humane society is Dr. Carol Ecker who does not adopt out pits. She is very knowledgeable about the pit bull and would not be opposed to a mandatory spay and neuter of the pits. So the writer above is incorrect on the St. Joe County head —perhaps they are thinking of the South Bend Humane Society.