Posted on August 16, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

Vote in Miami-Dade County to Repeal Pit Bull Ban Fails by Wide Margin

63% Favor Ban | Results PDF
Miami, FL - Back in March, DogsBite.org wrote about the state legislative attempt, spearheaded by Rep. Carlos Trujillo, to repeal the Miami-Dade pit bull ban (HB 997) and its Senate counterpart (SB 1322). What put a halt to that effort was an agreement by Miami-Dade Commissioners to place the item on a countywide ballot on August 14 and let the public decide. By late evening of the 14th, the voice of the public was clear: Do not repeal the Miami-Dade County pit bull ban.

In the end, 63% of voters chose to keep the 23-year old pit bull ban.

Well-organized pit bull advocates complained that 5-months was not enough time to "reeducate" the public using pro-pit bull propaganda. However, the language of the referendum was in favor of repealing the pit bull ban, as it was written to deliver a "yes" response. Furthermore, media outlets, most notably the Miami Herald, were overwhelming in support of repealing the ban. Those who wanted to keep the ban were absent of organized efforts and help from major media.

Referendum question:
"Shall the ordinance repealing the County's 23 year old law prohibiting
the ownership of pit bulls as a dangerous breed of dogs become
effective?"

So how did supporters of the pit bull ban under the circumstances of a confusing ballot question, no grassroots organization or significant help from media outlets -- or fading stars like Miami Marlins pitcher Mark Buehrle -- manage to pull off a 63% victory? The answer may in part be that the majority of Americans disfavor living next door to a pit bull. In a 2009 poll conducted by Animal People, 68% of respondents agreed they would prefer not to live next door to a pit bull.

It is also worth mentioning from our March post that since the 1989 enactment of the Miami-Dade County pit bull ban, no citizen has been mauled to death by a pit bull. According to the Fatal Pit Bull Attacks website, 17 Florida citizens have been killed by pit bulls since the ordinance was enacted. None of these deaths occurred in Miami-Dade County. With the continuance of the ban, child fatalities due to severe dog maulings might remain at zero in Miami-Dade.1

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Florida Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1The Fatal Pit Bull Attacks website only tracks fatalities by pit bulls and does so back to 1858. DogsBite.org only has a definitive record of "all fatal dog attacks" by breed from 2005 forward. It is unknown if Miami-Dade County suffered child fatalities due to dog breeds other than pit bulls between 1989 and 2004.

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

Dog Bites Increase 35% in Austin After the Adoption of 'No-Kill' Policy

2007-2011 Dog Bite Data
Austin, TX - DogsBite.org recently reviewed 5-years of dog bite data gained from the City of Austin under the Freedom of Information Act. The data shows that dog bites have increased substantially since the city adopted a No-Kill policy in 2010. Between 2009 and 2011, dog bites increased 35%. The primary offenders of all bites were pit bulls and their mixes, responsible for 22% (1,288), followed by Labradors and their mixes, which inflicted 12% (682) of bites during the 5-year period.

Total Dog Bites By Year (2007-2011)

Year	Dog Bites
2007	1015
2008	1065
2009	1074
2010	1222
2011	1449
Total	5825

Top Biting Breeds Combined Years (2007-2011)

Top Biting Breed	Total Bites	% Total
Pit bull	1288	22%
Labrador	682	12%
Chihuahua	476	8%
German Shepherd	334	6%
Uknown	223	4%

Dog Breed Populations

The City of Austin ended its Pet Licensing Program in 2008/2009. Therefore the last year anyone can evaluate the population of dog breeds is 2007. Though pit bulls and their mixes weighed in as the second most popular dog breed in 2007, making up 10% (1,551) of the registered dog population (15,871), pit bulls out bit the most popular breed, Labradors and their mixes representing 18% of the registered dogs (2,832), by nearly a 2 to 1 margin over the 5-year period.

Pet licensing programs are employed extensively across the country by city and county animal service departments to fund animal control services and to gauge the population of pets within a city. Currently and moving forward, Austin Animal Services has no such funding or population data. Furthermore, Austin pet owners are not contributing even modestly more than non-pet owners through annual low cost pet licensing fees to benefit citywide animal control services.

Both No-Kill Shelters "Filled to the Gills"

In November 2011, Austin Animal Services moved into a new $12 million dollar shelter facility to meet the city's No-Kill goals. After one week of opening, the facility was over capacity. Currently, the old shelter, which was only intended to be used as an overflow facility, and the new facility are "filled to the gills" with animals with no end in sight. Austin taxpayers fund both facilities, without a dime extra provided by animal owners through basic, routine pet licensing fees.

As noted in the late July Austin Chronicle article, Austin Animal Services will be asking for a budgetary expansion of $1 million dollars this year, which would be the second consecutive substantial increase for the department. All of this is needed (and possibly even a third facility?) to maintain the No-Kill initiative -- a 10% kill rate. Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith told the Chronicle, "We're figuring this out as we go along," which hardly provides assurances.

Is No-Kill "Delusional?"

First and foremost, animal lovers and the general public alike support shelter reform methods that lower euthanizations and increase adoptions. The problem with the No-Kill movement is that it focuses nearly solely on "more adoptions" and opposes measures such as mandatory sterilization to reduce intake in the first place. No-Kill places the burden of the overpopulation of unwanted animals onto the public instead of upon its true source: accidental and intentional breeding.

Given that pit bulls and their mixes flog open admission shelters across the country and account for nearly a million euthanizations annually, any city attempting to achieve No-Kill must face this challenge, as well as what to do with any incoming dogs with behavioral problems, such as biting and aggression. Foster? Rehome? Adopt out? Warehouse? No-Kill has proven time and again to do all four and even after the dog has been returned to them again and again.

So a clearer picture of No-Kill reads: re-foster, re-rehome, re-adopt out and re-warehouse dogs with behavioral problems instead of humane euthanization.

When No-Kill Meets "Reality"

If readers missed the Delaware County, Ohio class action lawsuit filed in April, do read (See: Court filing). We expect more lawsuits like this in the future. Briefly, victims of multiple attacks sued the Humane Society of Delaware County (HSDC), a No-Kill group, alleging the entity knowingly adopted, fostered out and placed dangerous dogs into residential neighborhoods, despite knowing the dogs had been recommended for euthanization for public safety concerns.

It is a telling story involving the president of HSDC and his wife, Michael and Judith Prasse, creating a homespun hoarding operation at their own residence to spare the deaths of known dangerous dogs. One of the dogs ended up attacking two people and two pet dogs in the neighborhood as a result. Plaintiffs also sued John Doe Defendants 1-25 -- persons who adopted, fostered out and placed known dangerous dogs in the public in association with HSDC.1

Speaking of hoarding, nothing quite spells out "No-Kill meets reality" more aptly. In mid July, Spindletop pit bull "refuge" in Willis, Texas was invaded by dozens of law enforcement officers and the HSUS after reports of pit bulls warehoused and stacked in crates not even large enough for the dog to stand up. Authorities seized 298 dogs. Many of the dogs were "unadoptable" pit bulls, shipped to Spindletop from around the country in hopes of finding the dog a "forever home."

Snacksized Dog recently published an in-depth post about Spindletop. It portrays a number of No-Kill rescue angles that could not adopt out or keep a dog-aggressive pit bull, so instead shipped it off to Spindletop. All the while, fooling themselves into believing that a dog-aggressive dog could live out the rest of its days peacefully along side nearly 300 other dogs and goats and chickens on a ranch. Snacksized Dog states the obvious though oblivious to No-Kill followers:

"There is no magic land where dog-aggressive dogs can live out their natural lives in peace and tranquility."

No-Kill Trumps Public Safety

DogsBite.org does not believe the care of animals is in good hands when under the spell of No-Kill that again fails to focus on the source of over capacity shelters -- endless incoming animals. Animal services departments either infected with or pushed to the brink by rabid No-Kill followers typically have the priority imbalance of "meet the 10% kill rate at all cost," even if this results in the reduction of adoption screening and behavior testing, both designed to keep the public safe.

It is no mystery why dog bites in Austin jumped 35% after adopting No-Kill.

1There was also John Doe Plantiffs 1-25; this includes persons who unknowingly adopted or fostered dangerous dogs from the HSDC and its agents. In other words, the HSDC concealed the dogs' biting history to these persons.

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

Bay County Animal Hospital Worker Suffers Catastrophic Injury in Pit Bull Attack

Co-Workers Clarify Attack
UPDATE 07/25/12: Clarifying information has come out regarding the recent mauling of an employee by a pit bull being housed at a Parkway Animal Hospital facility. Laura Miller was brutally attacked by the pit bull last Thursday after trying to save a poodle that had run into the pit bull's pen. The pit bull clamped down onto Miller's right shoulder "slinging her violently," according to one co-worker. Miller suffered an amputation from the shoulder down among other injuries.

Miller's co-workers came forward Tuesday to dispel inaccurate rumors about what actually happened.1 As Miller was being attacked, she managed to grab her cellphone and speed-dial one co-worker named Calloway. Miller told her, "the dog swung it out of her hand," and her screaming implied the rest. Though not at the facility, Calloway alerted others at the clinic who came to Miller's rescue. Co-workers grabbed brushes with long handles and began beating the dog.

The pit bull eventually released its grip, but "continued to circle its prey," said Andrea Workman, a veterinary technician. "We were a little bit scared he was going to come back to her." After they were able to move the dog into its kennel, Workman tried to stop the bleeding the best she could by applying pressure. A responding police officer told Workman, "Honey I used to be in the medical field. I don't give her a snowball's chance in hell of even making it to the hospital."

Miller did survive and was in stable condition late Tuesday at Bay Medical Center.

07/20/12: Victim Still in ICU
Callaway, FL - In a still unfolding story, an employee at Parkway Animal Hospital was brutally attacked by a pit bull being housed at the facility on Thursday. Two women working in the hospital responded and found Laura Miller under attack by the dog. The pit bull had the victim's armpit area in its mouth and was violently shaking her, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office. The most recent video states the pit bull was still locked onto her when police officers arrived.

Once EMS arrived, Miller was treated for life threatening wounds and taken to Bay Medical Center. She had suffered several bites to her arm, neck, and upper torso.

The BCSO report states the victim was taken into surgery at Bay Medical Center and had her arm amputated at the shoulder. The report says she also may have suffered brain damage from the blood loss she sustained. wjhg.com

The owner of Parkway Animal Hospital, Karen Collier, told police officers that the pit bull had been housed at the facility several times before and had "never been aggressive." This same sentiment was told to police officers by the unnamed owners of the dog, who also added that the pit bull had "been in the same house with children." Bay County Animal Control2 now has custody of the attacking dog. Meanwhile, the victim Laura Miller, is apparently improving, minus a whole arm.

Our heart goes out to Laura Miller and her family members.

1It's unclear what rumors were circulating about this attack. But for these co-workers to come out with such strong language, "it was game on" and "the pit bull latched onto Laura's right shoulder, slinging her violently" and
"circling its prey" indicates these rumors blamed Miller for provoking the attack.
2Who can forget Bay County Animal Control and its former director Jim (James) Crosby?

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Avondale Man Mauled to Death by Pit Bull-Type Dog

Apartment where Ronnel Brown was killed by his pit bull-cross dog, named Kilo.

Killed by Pit Bull-Cross
UPDATE 07/11/12: Ronnel Brown, 40-years old, was mauled to death by a dog the Cincinnati SPCA is calling an Alapaha blue-blood bulldog, one of several breeds achieved by crossing the "old southern white bulldog" and the American pit bull terrier.1 (See: Early bloodlines, note the Colby pit bull at the top right). Neither the AKC nor UKC kennel clubs recognize this dog breed.2 According to Brown's sister, the dog that killed her brother was also his "pride and joy."

"(Kilo) was his pride and joy. He was very gentle with him. Both the dog gentle with my brother and my brother gentle with the dog." -DeLisa Brown

A separate article shows the victim was undergoing dialysis when the attack occurred. Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco told FOX 19 news, "He was on dialysis and had a device in his forearm that during the scuffle with the dog, the dog bit him in the forearm and ripped a hole in that device, that led to a lot of blood loss." Sammarco also described the bite wounds as deep and that it is unknown how much of a role the damaged device played in Brown's death.

What is known is that when paramedics arrived at the victim's apartment the dog was "berserk, out-of-control." Responding medical personnel had to wait up to ten minutes for police to arrive and shoot the dog to death before entering the man's home. Brown was dead by the time they reached him. Two puppies were also found in the victim's apartment. It is unknown if they are offspring. FOX 19 reports that many people have contacted the SPCA hoping to adopt one.3

Investigators tell Local 12 that 40 year old Ronnel Brown called 9-1-1 himself. He told dispatchers that he had been attacked by his 80 pound American bulldog and he believed he was going to pass out. When paramedics arrived, they could not enter the apartment because the dog was "berserk, out-of-control," according to Harold Dates of the SPCA.

Police officers were called and they were forced to shoot the dog several times before it died. Paramedics found Brown inside the apartment, dead.

Officials with the SPCA tell Local 12 there were also two puppies in the apartment-a male and a female-which are now in the care of the SPCA. And they found bags of marijuana in the apartment. - Local 12, July 11, 2012

07/11/12: Man Killed by Own Dog
Cincinnati, OH - In a developing story, a 40-year old man was mauled to death early Wednesday by his pet pit bull-type dog. Investigators say the victim, Ronnel Brown, called 911 and told dispatchers that he had been attacked by his dog and thought he was going to pass out. When firefighters arrived, they could not enter the apartment because the animal was so vicious. Police officers shot and killed the dog. Paramedics then entered and found Brown dead inside.

Upon arrival, the fire department was unable to gain entry into the victim's apartment because of the dog, which was an American pit bull/bull mastiff mix. The Police Department responded and shot the dog dead. The SPCA arrived a few moments later.

Officers entered the apartment and located the victim. He has been identified as Ronnel Brown, 40. Police are calling his death accidental.
According to the Hamilton County coroner's office, the man was on dialysis and had an IV. He had been bitten several times and appears to have bled to death.

Mike Retzlaff, operation director at SPCA, says a necropsy will be performed on the dog. There were two puppies with the dog, but its unclear if they were related to the dog. - Fox 19, July 11, 2012

Two puppies were also discovered at the home of Ronnel Brown along with bags of marijuana.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1Under Ohio's definition of a pit bull, "a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog," (See: Ohio v. Anderson) the Alapaha blue-blood bulldog would be classified as a pit bull.
2Untrue with other pit bull-type dogs (fighting breeds) including the dogo Argentino, presa canario and others.
3Because at the end of the day, "abnormal" dog owners want to raise the likely offspring of a man-killer.

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