Monthly Archives: May 2013

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DogsBite.org Featured as Guest Columnist in Support of Pit Bull Bans -- Orlando Sentinel

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DogsBite.org - On May 7, The Orlando Sentinel contacted DogsBite.org to contribute to a regular feature called The Front Burner, a pro-con editorial segment. The topic matter was whether to ban pit bulls. DogsBite.org submitted our 630 word piece in support of banning pit bulls on May 15. The Sentinel published the piece on May 24. We are republishing the article in full on the DogsBite.org Blog one week later to include the associated source citations, 13 in total. Banning P… [Read full blog post]
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DogsBite.org Launches Campaign: Pledge to Become Informed

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Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Sharply Rise in 2013 DogsBite.org - Today we launched an urgent pledge campaign on Causes.com to inform more Americans about the escalation of fatal pit bull attacks this year. In the first 5 months of 2013, pit bulls inflicted 13 of the 14 attacks that resulted in human death -- 93%. This is well above the average of 60% over the combined 8-year period of 2005 to 2012. If the current rate of fatalities inflicted by pit bulls continues, 33 Americans will lose… [Read full blog post]
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DogsBite.org Publishes Rebuttal Letter in Defense of Texas Medical Study

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Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs DogsBite.org - In April 2011, the Annals of Surgery published a study about severe and fatal injuries inflicted by pit bulls, Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs, produced by Texas doctors. The study concluded: "Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantial… [Read full blog post]
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National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 19-25, 2013)

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Dog Bite Injury Severity and Bowl-A-Thon Event DogsBite.org - In an ongoing tradition, we comment during National Dog Bite Prevention Week that there is no National Dog Mauling Prevention Week, a far more serious health and safety issue. The distinction between preventing dog "bites" and preventing dog "maulings" -- injuries involving maiming, loss of limbs and death -- is urgent. Over 600 jurisdictions in the U.S. regulate dangerous dog breeds, primarily pit bulls, to… [Read full blog post]
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2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Paralyzed Man Pulled from Wheelchair Dies After Dog Attack

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Carlton Freeman, 80-years old, was killed by four dogs in Harleyville. No Criminal Charges UPDATE 05/21/13: The Dorchester County Sheriff's announced today that no charges would be filed in the death of Carlton Freeman, a double amputee who died after being mauled by four dogs described as pit bulls. The decision comes after an investigation was carried out by multiple county agencies. Though the dogs were initially thought to belong to a neighbor, authorities later dete… [Read full blog post]
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2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Owner Convicted of Second-Degree Murder After Dogs Kill Antelope Valley Woman

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Sentenced to 15-Years UPDATE 10/03/14: On Friday, Alex Donald Jackson was sentenced to 15-years in state prison for the murder of Pamela Marie Devitt -- the 63-year old woman was mauled to death by four of Jackson's loose pit bulls on May 9, 2013. Devitt suffered catastrophic injuries in the violent attack; she died while being transported to the hospital. In August of this year, a jury found Jackson guilty of second-degree murder in connection to her death and guilty of multi… [Read full blog post]
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DogsBite.org Releases 8-Year U.S. Dog Bite Fatality State Map (2005 to 2012) and Discussion Notes

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Dog Bite Fatality State Map DogsBite.org - For several years now, after posting our annual fatal dog bite statistics in January, we release a combined year dog bite fatality chart that depicts the breeds most responsible for these deaths. For instance, in both the 7-year and 8-year combined charts, pit bulls contributed to 60% of the total recorded deaths. For more visual information, we've created a combined year dog bite fatality state map that shows the number of dog bite… [Read full blog post]
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2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Coshocton Woman Dies After Vicious Dog Attack

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Insights from Behaviorist UPDATE 04/07/13: The dog mauling death of Rachael Honabarger, 35-years old of Coshocton, Ohio, has many readers questioning why a German shepherd would inflict a sustained and deadly attack upon an adult family member. The questioning began early on when the dog was initially reported to weigh 150 pounds. This weight fell into a more acceptable weight of a male German shepherd, 104 pounds, after the dog was weighed, euthanized and tested for rabi… [Read full blog post]