Posted on September 10, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

New Blog Dispels 'Bloodhound' Myth Invented by Pit Bull Advocate

Scapegoats: Part 1
DogsBite.org - Back in August, The Truth About Pit Bulls ripped the rug out from under the Nanny Dog myth invented by pit bull fancier Lillian Rant in 1971. This month, the authors tackle the Bloodhound myth penned by Karen Delise, the former owner of the Nation Canine Research Council, and perpetuated by Jane Berkey, the company's new owner. The myth operates by blurring the lines about historic bloodhound breeds so that citizens are left believing that McGruff the Crime Dog once "tormented the populace."

"Pit bulls weren't always considered dangerous dogs -- that honor has shifted from breed to breed throughout history. In the 1880s, bloodhounds tormented the populace. In the early 20th century, Newfoundlands were the canine terrors. By the 1960s and 1970s German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers led the pack, until Rottweilers took over in the '90s. And today it's pit bulls." (Erin Carlyle, "Dangerous Dogs of North Minneapolis," City Pages, August 25, 2010)

There were indeed savage bloodhounds in the late 1800s, but they where not "real" bloodhounds, which have zero offenses in the 27-year dog attack report compiled by Merritt Clifton of Animal People. According to the writers of Scapegoats, the two ferocious breeds that were used to "capture runaway slaves, exterminate the Seminole Indians and terrorize union soldiers" were the Cuban and Siberian bloodhounds. Unsurprisingly, the breeds share a common ancestry with the pit bull.

"The White English Bulldog Preservation Society describes Cuban Bloodhounds as similar to the Presa Canario or the Dogo Argentino, dogs that most people classify as pit bull type dogs. The WEBPS describes the dog used by the United States Army during the Seminole Indian War, “This dog depicted could easily be mistaken for an APBT, yet history records this to be a Cuban Bloodhound, known in the south today as the Brindle Bulldog.” The WEBPS claims that only the name is extinct, not the dog and that it still exists in the south as the Brindle Bulldog. The Cuban Bloodhound was not a scent hound, it bore absolutely no physical or temperamental resemblence to the true British Bloodhound. The Cuban Bloodhound was in fact a big game hunting and guarding dog, much like the Presa or the Dogo. A dog with a violent function. It was bred to be a fearless dog that used brute force to capture runaway slaves, exterminate the Seminole Indians and terrorize union soldiers."

To learn more about the Bloodhound myth, please read the complete post.

It is important to point out that many public references in the future may contain the Bloodhound myth, such as news stories, anti-BSL talking points and pit bull mauling threads. Followers of DogsBite.org, and those who actively support our position in the pit bull debate, must be aware of this. Please report all Bloodhound myth references to the Comments section of the Scapegoats blog post or directly to Craven Desires. Bloodhound owners, fanciers and rescuers should as well.

Related articles:
08/18/10: New Blog Dispels "Nanny Dog" Myth Invented by Pit Bull Fanciers

Photo: The Truth About Pit Bulls

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: McMinn County Woman Mauled to Death by Family Pit Bull

Family Blames Noise
UPDATE 09/04/10: An update from WRCB reveals that the owner of the pit bull was actually Mattie's daughter who did not offer her name in the news report. As suspected, the family (and unnamed pit bull owner) is blaming the brutal attack on "noise" from construction work being done on the home. Back in January, Johnny Wilson was killed by his daughter's six pit bulls. That daughter (also unnamed) suggested the attack was due to her father's "loud" voice.

View Related video

09/04/10: Sheriff: "No Reason" for Attack
Sheriff Joe Guy said that Daugherty's pit bull "attacked her for no reason." Guy's language is unsurprising; pit bulls were selectively bred for unpredictable explosive aggression. A critical question, however, is the length of the attack -- from the time the dog clamped down on the victim to the time it was shot dead and released the victim. The answer would help readers understand the unique traits a pit bull displays when it attacks. Was the episode 8 minutes, 16 minutes?1

But Saturday morning that changed. Guy says Daugherty, her family, and a neighbor were doing work on Daugherty's house at 151 County Road 492 near Etowah. Daugherty went inside, while her family worked outside. That's when Guy says the pit bull jumped on the woman and wouldn't let go.

Her family found her inside, with the dog standing over her. They couldn't get close, so a neighbor tried to shoot the pet.

"Unfortunately that didn't work," Guy said. "Our officers arrived and they also fired their weapons to try to get the dog to release and it would not."

Officer Randy Gabrel finally got the dog away, and Officer Tim Davis fired additional shots and killed it. They then tried to rescue Daugherty, but it was too late. (Jana Barnello, NewsChannel9.com)

2010 Fatality Update

DogsBite.org has recorded 24 U.S. dog bite fatalities so far this year. Pit bulls are responsible for 67% (16). This is the same percentage recorded at the end of July (See: Mid Year Results: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities from January 1 to July 22, 2010). In the past 16 days, there have been 5 U.S. fatal dog attacks, 4 involving pit bulls: Tracey Payne, 46-years old (GA), Jerry Yates, 69-years old (CA), Jason Walter, 7-years old (IL), Taylor Becker, 4-years old (WI) and Mattie Daugherty (TN).

09/04/10: Victim: Mattie Daugherty
Etowah, TN - In a developing story, an elderly woman was mauled to death by her pet pit bull. Sheriff Joe Guy said that 85-year old Mattie Daugherty of McMinn County was killed after her 9-year old pit bull attacked her inside her home. Prior to police arriving, a neighbor shot the dog, but the animal continued its brutal assault. Arriving officers fired multiple shots into the pit bull finally killing it. Daugherty died on scene due to the devastating injuries inflicted by her pet.

1How will the pit bull community explain this fatal attack? For starters, the animal suffered from a rare brain or nervous disorder or the "noise" of the remodeling triggered the incident.

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

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Kills Visiting 4-Year Old Girl in Dodge County

Taylor Becker, 4, of Hustisford, was mauled to death by a family friend's dog.

Backyard Breeders
UPDATE 08/27/10: In an update that can only be described as "subtle bomb dropping," the Beauprey family had only owned the 5-year old dog, named Rocky, for 3 to 4 months prior to the attack that killed Taylor. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls then let slip that there were also five puppies inside the home that Rocky sired. There is no mention of an adult female dog. Authorities say charges are unlikely,1 but they are researching the dog's history and where it came from.

"The boxer is currently in custody at the Dodge County Humane Society. The sheriff said it's likely, at the owner's request, that the dog will be euthanized.
"We're in no hurry," [Dodge County Sheriff] Nehls said. "I think eventually euthanasia is going to take place; the dog will be put down. But we want to wait the 10 days, get some tests from the dog to see if the dog did have some rabies so that we can share that with the family. It may be a concern with the other five puppies on the scene."
The boxer is the father of those puppies, but the puppies were not outside at the time of the incident." (Channel3000.com)

Readers, you are witnessing yet another instance -- which there are too many to count -- of the offspring of a dog guilty of killing a person being "preserved" instead of humanely culled.

08/26/10: Photo Released of Offending Dog
The Wisconsin State Journal has released a photo of the dog, which appears to be a boxer. It's unclear when the photograph was taken or why the sudden change of heart by the Dodge County Humane Society. The little girl's parents, Jennifer and Brian Becker of Hustisford, had been visiting the home of Steven and Stefanie Beauprey when the horrible attack occurred. At the time, the child was alone with the dog in the backyard. An autopsy is being conducted today.

08/26/10: Victim Identified, Taylor Becker
Authorities on Thursday morning identified the victim as Taylor Becker of Hustisford. Neighbors said the home belongs to Steven and Stefanie Beauprey. Troy Erickson, also a neighbor, witnessed the attack. He was on his way to work when he passed what he thought was the dog playing with a piece of carpet or a doll. "I saw the dog chewing on her and dragging her around," Erickson said. "I thought 'Oh my God, I can’t believe I'm seeing this, this can’t be happening.'"

Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist and adjunct zoology professor at UW-Madison, makes the following distorted statement in the article: "There are about 15 dog-related fatalities per year in the United States." (The actual tally is double this amount.) She added that, "A lot of the problems that dogs run into are related to an inability to deal with emotional arousal. As a result, dogs can become aggressive in situations even if they don't start out that way."

The last statement seemingly concerns the split second arousal period of a pit bull to reach explosive aggression, uncommon in other breeds.

08/26/10: Humane Group Disallows Photos
The victim's name will be released following the conclusion of a death investigation being conducted by the Sheriff's Department and the Dodge County Medical Examiner's Office. The Dodge County Humane Society, who took the dog, will not allow photos to be taken of the animal. This may be due to the fact that the dog is not a "boxer," but is a pit bull or pit bull-mix. This would hardly be the first time a publicly funded county humane group has covered up a U.S. pit bull fatality.

08/25/10: Dog Kills Visiting Child in Backyard
Hubbard Township, WI - In a developing story, a 4-year old girl was killed by a dog Wednesday in Hubbard Township, according to the Dodge County sheriff. The victim was "visiting the home" where the attack happened. Both families knew each other, and the girl had been to the home before. The dog, described as a boxer, was on a "leash and chain" in the backyard, but slipped out of it's collar before or during the attack. The leash was long enough to access the location of the attack.

1It is EXTREMELY dangerous to leave a child alone with a chained, unaltered male dog that has recently sired puppies. How does one "get to know" an animal in 3 to 4 months that is left chained outside the family home? DogsBite.org continues to be alarmed by the horrendous "State of Illinois system" regarding child welfare and protection laws. Several recent examples include: Alex Angulo and Gabrial Mandrell-Sauerhage.

Photo: Wisconsin State Journal

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: La Salle Student, 7, Mauled to Death by Four Dogs

Jason Walters, 7-years old, was killed by a pack of dogs while visiting the Eric Shanklin farm.

Death Due to Dog Bites
UPDATE 08/26/10: An autopsy conducted showed the boy suffered multiple puncture wounds from dog bites. "One of the puncture wounds was in his carotid artery, and one was in his femoral artery," Coroner David Lenz Jr. said. "Death would have resulted in a few seconds from either one of those." The owner of the three pit bulls was a rental tenant of a mobile home on Shanklin's property who had moved in just a few months ago. Shanklin owns the mixed-breed dog.

      Four dogs, including three described as pit bulls and one of mixed breeds, were captured at the scene and taken to the Marshall County Veterinary clinic. All four were euthanized Wednesday morning by county veterinarian Allan McCully and then taken to a state lab in Galesburg for rabies testing, Russell said.
      An initial news release said the dogs were owned by “other residents of the property,” but Russell later clarified that to say that Shanklin owned the mixed-breed dog. The other three were owned by a rental tenant of a mobile home on the property, whom Russell would not immediately identify.
      The woman and her dogs had moved in there just a few months ago, said Billie Lindstrom, one of the closest neighbors of the site. Lindstrom and her husband, Dick, and their son and his family live in homes just east of the Shanklin property along a county blacktop called Wenona Road. Gary Smith, Peoria Journal Star, August 25, 2010

08/26/10: Student Killed by Four Dogs
La Salle, IL - Four dogs killed a 7-year old boy Wednesday morning at the Eric Shanklin Farm between Varna and Wenona. According to a report issued by the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, "Jason T. Walter, 7, was outside the rural residence when he was attacked by a number of dogs. Family members found him lying in the driveway outside the residence and called 911." Marshall County Coroner Dave Lenz pronounced Walter dead a short time later.

The initial Sheriff's report stated, "Four dogs, three pit bulls and a mixed breed, owned by other residents on the property were captured and taken to the Marshall County veterinary clinic to be euthanized and taken to Galesburg for further investigation." Sheriff Rob Russell initially said that Shanklin personally owned the mixed breed, but he did not provide any other information on the ownership of the dogs. Walter was a student in the second grade at Northwest School, La Salle.

Photo: PJstar.com

DogsBite blog ::