Posted on August 24, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 U.S. Shelter Data: Pit Bulls Account for 58% of Dogs Euthanized

Animal People July/August 2009
DogsBite.org - The latest issue of Animal People News, which projects 2009 shelter killings based on 2006-2008 data1, reports that a decade of "adoption focus" has failed to reduce these deaths, with the decade's average at 4.5, right where it was in 1999. The data shows that campaigns designed to reduce shelter killing chiefly by increasing adoption, instead of preventing the births of cats and dogs most likely to enter shelters and be killed, have been ineffective.

Among the unadoptables in 2009, based on the 2006-2008 figures, will be about 1.8 million cats, believed to be mostly feral, and as many as 967,300 pit bulls. Of the 1,663,167 shelter dogs projected to be euthanized in 2009, pit bulls account for 58%. The increased pit bull killing rate, it was 50% in 2007, exists despite the fact that pit bulls are not more than 5% of the total U.S. dog population, according to the article, and that serious efforts have been taken to reduce this rate.

Pit Bulls Killed at Similar Rate as Steers

"Of the total U.S. pit bull population of circa 3.5 million, about a third arrive at a shelter in any given year, at an average age of about 18 months. This is the same average age and rate, relative to their number on farms, at which steers go to slaughter.
Two-thirds to 80% of the pit bulls entering shelters are surrendered by their keepers. Most of the rest are impounded, either for behavior or as victims of abuse and neglect." ANIMAL PEOPLE July/August 2009

Cities with Pit Bull Laws (BSL) Kill Fewer

Page 10 of the article shows a regional breakdown of shelter killing during the 3-year period. A side bar chart titled, "The Effect of Breed-Specific ByLaws on City Pit Bull Terrier Killing Rates" is also included. As seen in the chart, the City of Denver, which bans new pit bulls, also euthanizes the fewest pit bulls. While the national average of pit bulls euthanized per 1,000 human residents is 3.15, the rate in Denver is only .14. Of the city's total shelter killing, pit bulls accounted for 3%.

The City of Cincinnati, which also bans new pit bulls, shows a pit bull euthanization rate that is less than half of the national average 1.34. As noted in the article, pit bulls made up a much smaller part of total shelter killing in Cincinnati (10%) than in Milwaukee (18%) or Indianapolis (17%), two cities of similar demographic profile. Lastly, the chart includes San Francisco data pre-BSL (43%) and post-BSL (29%), a 14% drop after the 2006 enactment of a pit bull sterilization law.

1The ANIMAL PEOPLE projection of regional and national shelter killing tolls each year is based on compiling the tolls from every open admission shelter handling significant numbers of animals in specific cities, counties, or states. The sample base each year is proportionately weighted to ensure regional balance. Only data from the three most recent fiscal years is used.

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Double Dog Bite Fatality: Senior Couple Killed by Pack of Dogs in Oglethorpe County

Dogs Euthanized archived
UPDATE 08/18/09: Authorities have rounded up 16 dogs (11 dogs and 5 puppies) suspected in the attack that killed two people. The court-ordered euthanasia of the mongrel dogs1 began Tuesday. Authorities are still seeking two other dogs seen in the area. It was also reported that the Schweders owned 20 cats and seven dogs (eight if Sherry's missing dog is included). There were no witnesses to the attack, and their bodies were found a few hundred feet from their home.

Sheriff's deputies, code enforcement officers and other officials spent most of Monday and Tuesday rounding up 11 adult dogs and five puppies, Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Capt. Shalon Huff said. One more was trapped Wednesday morning, leaving one still to be captured, she said.

"We're just lucky this hasn't happened before," said Susan Fornash, director of the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter in Danielsville, where the captured dogs were held before being euthanized Tuesday under orders from a local judge ...

It took about 90 minutes to euthanize all 16 dogs, several of which were maggot-infested, Fornash said. No one asked that they be checked for rabies, and the sheriff directed that the carcasses be cremated immediately, she said. - CNN, August 20, 2009

08/17/09: Dogs Kill Two People archived
Lexington, GA - A retired college professor and his wife were found dead Saturday along a rural northeast Georgia road after being mauled by a dozen dogs the night before. Oglethorpe County Corner James Matthews said it was impossible to determine "what kind" of dogs killed Lothar Karl Schweder, 77, and his wife, Sherry Schweder, 65, (also known as Sherry Allen) a longtime UGA librarian. Matthews said the suspected dogs were not aggressive when he arrived on scene.

The owner of the dogs, Howard Thaxton, had moved away from his home about a month ago. Neighbor Lanier Bridges said the dogs remained on the property after medical problems forced him to leave. A friend would bring him over to feed the dogs, Bridges said. He added that the dogs had never been a problem in the past. According to Matthews, Thaxton's dogs were rounded up Monday by animal control officers and showed no signs of malnourishment or rabies.

A report from Fox 5 News shows some of the dogs in a video clip, which appear to be mixed combinations of German Shepherds, Labs, Chows, and Dobermans and bred among each other as well. Investigators believe Sherry went for a walk Friday night when she was attacked by the animals. When she didn't come home, her husband went to look for her. He drove down the road in his car and when he discovered her body, he got out. The same dogs then attacked him.

As the investigation into the double fatal attack continues to unfold, open questions remain. First and foremost, are Thaxton's dogs actually to blame? The Schweder's reportedly owned 6 dogs, but no further information was provided about them. Matthews, who lives just two miles down the road from the attack, said: "There are a lot of weird circumstances with this one," he said. "I've been a coroner for 28 years, and this is one of the weirdest cases I've investigated."

deadly pack attack, Oglethorpe County, Sherry and Lothar Schweder

1The term "mongrel dog" refers to a lack of breed distinction amongst dogs born in the wild, or born into homes due to their owners allowing free roaming. We've gathered some of the dog images into a viewable PDF file. It must be noted that the first image appears to show a full-blooded Doberman Pinscher.

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Hardy County

Justin Kummer, just a few days old, was killed by a family pit bull, in Rio, WV.

3 Months or 3 Years?
UPDATE 08/18/09: The original article from the MetroNews has been updated to reflect new information, as well as a new time frame for owning the pit bull. Authorities now say the pit bull was purchased "three years" ago from a relative who lives in Maryland. To determine if charges apply, authorities are checking on the dog's history. Deputy Burrows told reporters, "I need to wait and speak with the agency where the dog is from to see if they had any complaints."

The Cumberland Times-News, however, continues to report that the offending pit bull is "1-year old," making a purchase three years ago, of the dog that killed a 3-day old baby, impossible.

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Leesburg Man, 20, Killed by His Two Pit Bulls Trying to Break up Fight

Carter Delaney, 20-years old, was attacked and killed by his brother's two pit bulls.

5 Dogs Found
UPDATE 08/12/09: The Washington Post reports that a total of 5 dogs were found inside the home: one pit bull puppy and caged cocker spaniel both unharmed, one dead pug-mix and two pit bulls "covered in blood," according to Adrienne Lawson of Loudoun County Animal Control. Delaney's brother and owner of the pit bulls, Thomas Delaney, will meet with police today to determine the fate of the dogs. No further information was provided about the pit bull puppy.

08/11/09: Autopsy Shows Death by Dog Bites
Autopsy results show that Carter Patrick Ridge Delaney died from lack of blood and oxygen due to multiple dog bite injuries. His body, along with a dead pug-mix and two pit bulls, was found inside of his grandfather's home by his grandfather. The pit bulls were owned by Delaney's brother, who was not identified, but Delaney was reportedly the dogs' caretaker. Police say the dogs were licensed and vaccinated. There is no indication the pit bulls were being used for dogfighting.

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