Posted on March 26, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

As Certain Legislators Jockey to Pass a State Preemption Bill, Rolla Boy Sustains Life-Threatening Injuries in Pit Bull Attack

A 13-year old Rolla boy suffered life-threatening injuries in violent pit bull attack.

Police News Release
Rolla, MO - On March 22, the Rolla Police Department reported a violent pit bull mauling that left a 13-year old boy with life-threatening injuries. The attack in Rolla came as certain members of the Missouri legislature, once again, attempt to pass a preemption bill that will bar cities and counties from enacting breed-specific laws. Nearly every year since 2014, the Pit Bull Lobby has introduced preemption bills in this Midwest state. So far, these special interest legislative efforts have failed.

"Upon arrival, officers found a 13-year-old male who had life threatening injuries due to the attack. The child was delivering cupcakes to his next-door neighbor when the Pit bull got off his chain and began mauling the child. The owners of the Pit bull began attempting to restrain it, but the Pit bull had the child pinned to the ground while biting the head, neck, and face of the boy. Several adults began pulling the Pit bull from the boy, but the Pit bull was able to break free again and returned to mauling the boy. After repeated attempts, the adults were able to remove the Pit bull from the child and get him to safety, the family and another neighbor began life saving measures by administering first aid." - Rolla Police

Real Lives & Studies

Since 2011, over a dozen peer-reviewed retrospective medical studies from Level 1 trauma centers spanning all major geographical regions in the United States -- Northeast, Southeast, South, Southwest, Midwest, West Coast and Northwest -- all report similar findings. Pit bulls are inflicting a higher prevalence of injuries than all other breeds of dogs. The majority of these studies also report that pit bulls are inflicting a higher severity of injuries compared with other dog breeds.

"The data showed that compared with other dog breeds, pit bull terriers inflicted more complex wounds, were often unprovoked, and went off property to attack ... The probability of a bite resulting in a complex wound was 4.4 times higher for pit bulls compared with the other top-biting breeds ... and the odds of an off-property attack by a pit bull was 2.7 times greater than that for all other breeds." (Khan 2020)

"Our data were consistent with others, in that an operative intervention was more than 3 times as likely to be associated with a pit bull injury than with any other breed. Half of the operations performed on children in this study as well as the only mortality resulted from a pit bull injury. Our data revealed that pit bull breeds were more than 2.5 times as likely as other breeds to bite in multiple anatomical locations." (Golinko, 2017)

What do these findings look like when reading a police or news report of pit bull violence? They look exactly like the attack in Rolla. "Noah suffered extreme injuries during the dog attack. His throat, arteries and voice box were exposed; tissue, skin and muscle is missing from his face" and "Reconstruction will require extensive additional surgeries … doctors will have to graft skin and tissue from his thigh to reconstruct his face." The teenager also suffered a collapsed lung.

We recently wrote to Missouri legislators about this attack because it clearly illustrates why some cities adopt breed-specific laws: 1.) The severity of injuries inflicted by pit bulls and 2.) The inability for nearby adults to quickly stop the attack. Rolla police stated: "Pit bull was able to break free again and returned to mauling the boy. After repeated attempts, the adults were able to remove the Pit bull from the child." One adult also sustained a dislocated shoulder during the attack.

"Repeated attempts" are indicative of a pit bull biting in multiple anatomical locations (Golinko, 2017). The West Virginia study (Kahn, 2020) even went further by assigning a definition to a "mauling event" (≥ 3 complex wounds in different anatomical regions). Of injuries inflicted by pit bulls in the study, simple wounds represented 16.3%, complex wounds 83.7%, fractures 36.8% and "mauling" injuries 24%. Pit bulls inflicted 71% of all mauling injuries in the Kahn study.

Subject: OPPOSE SB 107 - National dog bite victims' group

Dear Honorable Senate Leadership Members,

My name is Colleen Lynn and I am the founder of DogsBite.org, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in October 2007 and incorporated in December 2009, becoming the first national dog bite victims’ organization in the United States dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks.

Leadership members may soon be reviewing SB 107 (companion bill HB 365), which will prohibit local governments from regulating specific dog breeds, primarily pit bulls. Over the weekend, a 13-year old boy in Rolla, Missouri was terribly injured by a pit bull in the “head, neck and face” and illustrates why some cities enact breed-specific laws.

I urge you to oppose SB 107/HB 365.

The GoFundMe for Noah describes his injuries further:

"Noah suffered extreme injuries during the dog attack. His throat, arteries and voice box were exposed; tissue, skin and muscle is missing from his face. The dog ripped out Noah’s parotid gland (spit gland) and fractured his jaw. Doctors are uncertain if Noah will regain feeling in the right side of his face or his mouth … He is in Children’s ICU undergoing extensive medical treatment … early surgeries are focused on cleaning and stabilizing the areas impacted by the attack, and mapping the nerves and arteries in his face. Reconstruction will require extensive additional surgeries … doctors will have to graft skin and tissue from his thigh to reconstruct his face."

There are nearly always two elements in a violent pit bull mauling: severe injuries and the inability for nearby adults to stop the attack. In the Rolla attack, "Several adults began pulling the dog from the boy, but it broke free again and returned to mauling the boy … one of the adults sustained a dislocated shoulder during the attack."

Please oppose SB 107/HB 365.

The State should not interfere with the right of local governments to proactively protect their citizens.

Sincerely,

Colleen Lynn
Founder & President
DogsBite.org

Noah's Fundraiser

So far, the GoFundMe for Noah has raised over $32,000. That is close to covering the cost of the airlift to Children's Hospital in St. Louis, which can exceed $30,000. Ambulance air transport (which states cannot price cap1) is often not covered by insurance plans or is subject to the deductible and co-insurance clause. Given the "major injuries" the teenager sustained to his "head, neck and face," his treatment costs will likely be a quarter of a million dollars or beyond.

Certainly, the owners of the pit bull will not pay a dime. Who thinks a home with a chained pit bull has a homeowner's policy covering canine injuries? Missouri is a strict liability state, but if the dog owner is uninsured or underinsured, there isn't a legal case to pursue. Noah was attacked while "delivering cupcakes" to his next-door neighbor. Up until that time, he had his whole life ahead of him. Now, for the foreseeable future, he will be in an ICU bed due to someone else's pet choice.

Missouri Attacks

We seldom write about fatal or nonfatal pit bull maulings in Missouri. For many years, that state, along with Iowa and Kansas, have held the highest concentration of breed-specific laws in the country. That could change this year in Missouri if legislators pass this preemption bill. The city of Rolla never opted to have a pit bull ordinance, but 85 other jurisdictions in the state have. Those jurisdictions want to prevent damaging "first attacks" by a dog breed with well identified risks.

Noah's attack also involved a chained pit bull, which we hear about less often in modern times. Since 2010, chained dog attacks comprised 5% of all fatalities. During the CDC study period of 1989 to 1994, they accounted for as high as 18%. A great number of anti-chaining laws have been adopted since. This pit bull also broke its chain to attack. We have known since 1987 that pit bulls are 14 times more likely to break constraint to attack than all other dog breeds combined.

Summary

Noah is under the care of amazing specialists, but he still has a long road ahead of him. He was repeatedly attacked by a pit bull in the head-neck region that took several adults multiple attempts before they could free the child from the dog. He suffered "extreme" injuries in the attack, including bites to his head, face and neck, a fractured jaw and a collapsed lung. Doctors will have to graft skin and tissue from his thigh to reconstruct his face. The definition of a "mauling event."

Meanwhile, certain Missouri legislators are once again jockeying to pass a preemption bill that will prohibit local governments from preventing damaging "first attacks" by pit bulls. Such legislation only protects pit bull owners, including irresponsible pit bull owners like this one, whose dog was unvaccinated and chained in the owner's yard. We hope Missouri legislators make the right choice by continuing to allow local governments the authority to proactively protect their citizens.

The child's grandmother has been keeping family and friends updated on Noah's condition.

1Air Ambulance transport operates in federal airspace, so states are preempted from regulating the price. Though this ConsumerReports document is from 2017, and a summary from insurance companies is from 2019, they sum up the current dismal state of affairs. Congress actually has to DO something, which is unlikely. One attorney noted that there is little reason to take a dog bite case involving an airlift because the cost cuts so deeply into the settlement. Pit bulls have long been the official "LifeFlight dog," requiring more airlifts than all other breeds combined. So, in addition to most of their owners being uninsured, victims are also stuck with a massive airlift bill.

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Pocket Bully Inflicts Bite to Head, Killing Baby Girl in Springfield, Illinois

A’Myrikal Jolynn Hull died after being bitten on the head by a "pocket bully."

Bull Breed Kills Baby
Springfield, IL - A 1-year old girl is dead after being bitten on the head by a pocket bully, which is a squat "designer" pit bull hybrid breed. The breed name is misleading, as these dogs can be quite large (weighty) due to their heavy muscular build. There is an "extreme" version as well. " The pocket bully variety, "is simply shorter than the standard American bully," according to the ABKC website, and "are not to be penalized for exhibiting heavily muscled, massive, bulky body type."

The attack occurred in the 800 block of Indiana Avenue. Family members said the baby got too close to the dog while it was eating from a food bowl. Two teenage uncles has to pry the dog off her, indicating the bite was far more disastrous than a bite-and-release. The attacker was a female pocket bull. Family members said the dog had no violent history with humans or other dogs. Family member Cory Painter said she was in disbelief. "The dog [has] never snapped before."

EMS rushed the baby to HSHS St. John’s Regional Trauma Center. She was pronounced dead at 9:26 pm. The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, issued a statement confirming her death. An autopsy will be scheduled. The coroner's office and the Springfield Police Department are investigating her death. A GoFundMe identified the baby as A’Myrikal Jolynn Hull. "Unfortunately tragedy hit tonight! And she was attacked by the family pet of 4 years," states the fundraiser.

Last year, also in Illinois, there was significant media attention after a shorty bull, -- a "designer" bull breed unrecognized by the AKC and UKC -- attacked and killed its owner, 52-year old Lisa Urso. That dog had a history of aggression, including attacking her boyfriend twice in the weeks leading up to the fatal biting incident. Many newspaper headlines declared at the time that a "French bulldog" killed this able-bodied 52-year old female. Those headlines were inaccurate.

Suspected Dogs

One of the child's grandmothers is engaged to a man affiliated with "Antwaun Kang Kennels Readus," a Springfield-based pocket bully breeder. These two dogs are seen on her fiancé's page. Given their age of at least 4-years old, both are likely suspects. The fawn colored dog is a female.1 The sex of the tri-colored dog is also female. The grandmother commented on both dogs, "My baby," and "Mommy fur baby." It was reported the child's mother lived at her grandmother's home.

Suspected pocket bullies in the grandmother's household that are at least 4-years old.

Household Confirmed

As we suspected above, A’Myrikal lived with her grandmother Bobbie Jo Stengel (Bobbie Jo Franklin on Facebook), according to a report by The State-Journal Register. Stengel is also the child's guardian. Cory Painter, who organized the child's fundraiser, told the Register the dog's behavior was out of character. "The baby walked by the dog as she was eating and reached for her food," Painter said. "This is nothing new. The dog would eat snacks out of the baby's hand."

However, on Thursday, the dog latched onto her head and would not let go. The child's two teenage uncle's had to pry the dog off of her.

Painter has known Stengel for 17 years and lives close by. The two share a 6-year old grandson, who witnessed the violent attack on his younger sister. The boy is now staying with Painter. She said he did not sleep after the attack and believes that counseling would be beneficial. "He doesn't understand all of this," Painter said. "So I think that getting him the right kind of help immediately is going to be very important." The dog is currently being held by Sangamon County Animal Control.

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

1"Kang's Tiny" is so elite, she has her own Facebook page and is pictured on the kennel's marketing materials.

Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Boy Killed, Mother Severely Injured in Violent Pit Bull Attack at Carteret Home

Aziz Ahmed, 3, was killed and his mother injured in a violent dog attack in Carteret.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 03/30/21: As expected, criminal charges will not be filed after the multi-victim attack by two pit bulls that killed 3-year old Aziz Ahmed and seriously injured his mother on March 16. New Jersey lacks a felony dog attack law, whereas California, Michigan and Texas do not. In short, there are no criminal codes available for prosecutors to charge the dog owner with. This is a travesty. State legislators are currently looking at legislation, but it's future is uncertain.

Two state legislators representing Carteret are looking to see that change for future dog attacks.

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, both D-Middlesex, have joined as prime sponsors of the "Responsible Dog Ownership Act" in the state Assembly that would enact stronger laws about the leashing and fencing of dogs, as well as enacting stronger and even criminal penalties for irresponsible dog owners.

Under the bill, which is expected to come up for a vote in May, dog owners found in violation of leashing or restrain regulations could face a fine of up to $500.

In addition, anyone who allows a dog to roam without a leash or restraint in a park or other public area where a child may be present, and the dog seriously injures or kills a child, could be found guilty of a third-degree crime and face incarceration.1 If the dog inflicts bodily injury, the person faces a fourth-degree crime and if the dog is loose or threatens a child, the person faces a disorderly persons offense. - MyCentralNewJersey.com

The child's mother, identified as Shabana Mohammad, was released from the hospital on March 25. A vigil was held on March 28, where attendees called for "Aziz Law." A co-worker of the boy's father said, "He was murdered by those dogs, and the owners should be held liable." The fundraiser to help the family relocate to a new home has has reached over $225,000. The vigil was the first and likely only time Aziz's parents have returned to their home on Laurel Street.

At least three separate civil claims can be brought, according to attorney David Cowhey, who specializes in dog attacks. "The little boy died through pain and suffering. The mother has medical bills and also the mental distress of watching these pit bulls kill her son right in front of her. And thirdly, the little boys watching through the window went through extreme emotional distress," he said. All three are contingent on whether the dog owner has a homeowner's insurance policy.

Finally, a word about Defeated Prosecutor Syndrome and Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. It is always devastating when there are no criminal codes available to prosecutors. Ciccone, however, never contacted Aziz's family before issuing her decision in emails to private citizens on March 23. Lacking in courage and courtesy, Ciccone also did not hold a press conference about her decision, which would have forced her to face media and public scrutiny.

Ciccone's actions are so sheepish and cowardly, they are literally "beyond the pale." Our hearts go out to Aziz's family members.

03/17/21: Relatives Speak Out
On Wednesday, Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman issued a statement confirming that two unregistered pit bulls inflicted the multi-victim attack yesterday. At 4:30 pm Tuesday, a pair of pit bulls from a neighboring home on Birch Street breached a fence and entered into the backyard of a home on East Laurel Street. The dogs viciously attacked and killed a 3-year old boy and severely injured his mother. She remains hospitalized. Police shot and killed both dogs.

The young boy's family had moved to the home a few weeks earlier from Brooklyn. They are a father, mother and three young boys, reports Patch. Neighbors are stunned and heartbroken. Some broke down crying when interviewed by Patch Wednesday morning. One neighbor, Steve Koch, told Patch he heard the police gunfire. "I heard a single loud bang," he said. "I went outside and saw all the cop cars and ambulances. I saw an adult being carried out on a stretcher."

Carteret Fire dispatch audio logs: "I have a 3-year old with total evisceration, open to the face, head and thighs." - Broadcastify.com

CBS New York interviewed the child's relatives. The child's name is Aziz. Relatives said the boy's parents had pleaded with the dogs' owners to control their dogs. "The mother went to the neighbor two times to let her know the dog is wild. It is out of hand. And you know, the owner laughed it off," one female relative said. "This cost an innocent child his life," another said. "If you are not safe in your own yard, where are you safe at?" asked another. Relatives said the dogs "dug their way in."

A GoFundMe has raised over $50,000 with the goal of $250,000 to help the Ahmed family purchase a new home. A growing memorial outside the child's home includes: flowers, balloons, and candles. One relative told NJ.com that Aziz was the youngest of three sons and that his 10-year old brother witnessed the brutal attacks. “Imagine how traumatizing it’s gonna have to be for his 10-year-old brother to have to see that from the screen of the window,” the relative said.

Finally, the New York Post also published photos of the two suspected pit bulls from the owner's Instagram page -- we were correct about the dogs. Their names are Logan (black) and Rocky (brown and white). Both dogs were roaming in the area of East Laurel Street in October and were picked up by the Carteret Police Department. The Found Animals of Carteret NJ Facebook page called them "2 loveable guys." According to the boy's relatives, the dogs were habitually loose.

03/16/21: Dogs Kill Child, Injure Mother
Carteret, NJ - A 3-year old boy is dead and a mother left severely injured after a violent dog attack at a home in Carteret. Authorities responded to a residence in the 100 block of East Laurel Street in Carteret about 4:30 pm. The deadly attack occurred inside the family's fenced-in backyard. A neighbor said the dog (singular) came into the rear yard from underneath a fence. Two medivac air transports were called. The child was later pronounced dead. Two dogs are reportedly involved.

Video from ABC 7 shows crime scene investigators and police officers collecting evidence in the backyard. Apparently, the mother and her child had only recently moved into the home. A neighbor heard the mother frantically shouting. When he looked out his window, he initially thought she was playing with the dogs. When he realized it was a vicious attack, he called 911. Police shot and killed the dogs, according to ABC 7. The breed information has not been released by police.

A woman who knows the dog's owner told ABC 7, "The dog never showed any kind of aggression before, so it's just very surprising."

We obtained the audio dispatch files of Carteret Fire from Broadcastify.com. When medics arrived at the scene, the dogs were still "running loose." Two minutes later, "Get me a medivac!" Police sirens blare in the background. Next, they coordinate a landing zone. At 13 minutes, there is a status update. "We are responding to Laurel. Do we have an update on the condition?" Medic answered: “I have a 3-year old with total evisceration, open to the face, head and thighs."

Footage from NBC New York shows that the medivac landed at a nearby location. One can see EMT doing chest compressions on a small person lying in a stretcher. Witnesses said the dogs live at a home on the opposite side of the victim's backyard in the 100 block of Birch Street. The dogs burrowed under or broke through the fence-line to attack the boy. A news crew knocked on the dog owner's door, but no one answered. A "Beware of Dog" sign hung on their fence.

Suspected Dogs

Middlesex County property records indicate who owns the property in the 100 block of Birch Street. According to the owner's Facebook page, he owns up to three pit bulls. These very same pit bulls -- two of the three dogs -- were found "running in the area of Laurel Street" on October 23, 2020, according to the Found Animals of Carteret NJ Facebook page. "If anyone knows who their owner is please have them contact the Carteret Police Department." The owner was located.

By late morning Wednesday, multiple media outlets began confirming that two pit bulls carried out the attacks. Officials said the dogs were not registered with the borough. Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman said in a statement that the boy's mother remains hospitalized. The investigation is ongoing by the Carteret Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office. The owner of the dogs has not been named by police. It is unclear if the owner will face charges.

Two pit bulls belonging to Santos Rodriguez were found running loose in October of last year. On March 19, 2021, police confirmed these are the same pit bulls involved in the fatal attack.

Crime scene investigators in the backyard of the home were the fatal dog mauling occurred.

1Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years’ imprisonment, with a four-year presumptive sentence. Examples include aggravated criminal sexual contact, arson, and motor vehicle theft. (See: New Jersey Felony (Indictable Offenses) Crimes by Class and Sentences)

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

Third Pit Bull Adopted Since Aurora Repealed its Pit Bull Ban Inflicts Level 5 Bite to Child's Face

Dog Passed SAFER Test - "No Small Dogs in Home!"

Level 5 bite injuries to a 5-year old boy inflicted by a recently adopted pit bull.

Council Member Reacts
Aurora, CO - On February 13, a stray pit bull was transferred to the Aurora Animal Shelter from Alameda East Veterinary Hospital. "He had dog bite wounds to his whole body" and "deep bite wounds to the chest." Cotto (AKA Malone) was listed as a neutered American Staffordshire terrier. On February 18, the dog underwent a SAFER evaluation and easily passed, but showed serious dog aggression to small dogs, "No small dogs or cats in home," states the evaluation.

The dog was adopted to 24-year old Austin Chavez on February 27. A week later, the dog inflicted a Level 5 bite to a boy's face. Chavez started driving to the hospital and flagged down a police officer, who provided him an escort. Chavez later explained to the officer that Cotto suddenly jumped off the couch and attacked the boy's face. "Cotto did not let go," states the police report, so Chavez "reached over and under Cotto's upper and lower jaw and pried his mouth open."

Chavez then locked Cotto into the bathroom and rushed the boy to the hospital. Chavez told the officer, "when he got Cotto from the shelter they told him he was a good dog around kids, which is why he got him," states the report. Chavez said he did not feel safe going home to collect Cotto, but he eventually did (to avoid pick up fees from animal control). Chavez took the dog to the Denver Dumb Friends League, a private shelter, where they humanely euthanized the dog.

View the Aurora Police Incident Report and the dog's SAFER Shelter Evaluation

"This dog came to the shelter from Alameda East as a stray. He was presumbly attacked by a dog. He had dog bite wounds to his whole body. The right front carpus was swolle, 2 lacerations to front left paw pads and deep bite wounds to the chest. He was treated for all of these wounds The torn pad wounds will take some more time to heal, and may require further treatment. Please follow up with your veterinarian regarding this condition. Aurora Animal Shelter is not responsible for any further treatment and/or diagnosis of this condition."

In January, Aurora City Council members repealed the pit bull ban, which took effect on February 14. The unprovoked Level 5 bite occurred three weeks later. The primary debate about the repeal concerned whether voters or city council should decide it. In 2014, voters elected to keep the pit bull ban by a wide margin. Council members repealed the ban in a 7-3 vote anyway. At that time, the city was also threaten with a lawsuit by Matt Snider for "delegitimizing the voters' decision."

Aurora City Councilmember David Gruber, who voted against the repeal, described the facial attack as "heartbreaking" to KDVR. "We just heard from experts [we] shouldn’t fear them, they are no more dangerous than any other dog. Then to find out, low and behold -- three to four months after we made a vote to allow them -- here we go, just breaks my heart,” Gruber said. The lifting of the ban that was in place since 2005 should’ve been voted on by Aurora residents, Gruber said.

Who were the "experts" Gruber referred to? In January, Dr. Apryl Steele, President and CEO of the Denver Dumb Friends League provided a statement to Aurora City Council members in support of the repeal. In it, Steele falsely claimed the city "would be safer" if they repealed the ban because this would allow "citizens to adopt a pit bull from an organization that has several full-time behavior experts evaluating the animal" prior to adoption, instead of obtaining the dog from a breeder.

Every council member is concerned about the safety of our community. This is an issue we take very seriously at the Dumb Friends League. This is exactly why it is vital to create a community where pit bull puppies can be socialized without fear of having them confiscated. This is also why allowing your citizens to adopt a pit bull from an organization that has several full-time behavior experts evaluating the animal prior to making it available, rather than obtaining it from underground resources motivated by profit, is imperative. The fear of bringing the dog out in public, sourcing pit bulls from unscreened dog dealers, and not providing them with veterinary care or training all increase risks to your citizens … Why does this change need to be made now? Too many families have been broken up because their family dog is a banned breed. Please vote to repeal the pit bull ban so that your community can be safer, and families can remain whole." | Read full statement - Dr. Apryl Steele, President and CEO of the Denver Dumb Friends League

The difference between a "dog trainer" at the Aurora Animal Shelter1 evaluating a pit bull versus "obtaining it from underground resources motivated by profit" is a coin flip. SAFER does not even measure the dog's sociability, which is the basis of our preferred test, Assess-A-Pet Protocol by Sue Sternberg. No test can measure unpredictable aggression either -- the hallmark of the pit bull breed. Cotto was also a stray pit bull that was found with serious dog-on-dog fighting injuries.

The Bullshit Meter

Steele scores a 95 on the Bullshit Meter (100 being the highest). Adopting out stray pit bulls does not make a community safer. Falsely implying that SAFER evaluations of pit bulls by "full-time behavior experts" are more accurate than a coin flip does not make a community safer. Falsely implying that any shelter behavior test is "science" is bullshit. Claiming that a pit bull ban repeal will allow "families to remain whole" ignores the families and dogs victimized by pit bull violence.

This victim is a 5-year old boy. There will be many more child victims of pit bull attacks in Aurora due to council members repealing the ban. However, there will be far more seriously mauled and dead canine victims of pit bull violence, primarily small dog breeds. This does not make a community safer, nor does it help families "remain whole." The Aurora Animal Shelter was perfectly fine adopting out Cotto, who if given a chance, would destroy a beloved small dog.

NO SMALL DOGS OR CATS/SMALL ANIMALS IN HOME!!!

Recommend no dog parks due to intense behavior with smaller dogs

Small dog test: Tested with A213618 (M American Eskimo mix) -- As helper dog walked towards the fence line, test dog displayed confident body posture, ears forward, mouth closed, tail straight up, staring at helper dog. Once he was close to the fence, he rushed to the fence and displayed stiff body posture (tail up not moving, ears forward, mouth closed, staring at helper dog). Nose to nose, test dog pulled at the end of the leash to greet helper dog while displaying stiff body posture, tail up not moving, ears forward, mouth closed, intently sniffing helper dog. Test dog then began to slightly wag his tail side to side and handler was able to redirect him away from focusing on helper dog at this point. -DEA

Last week, we published about two European peer-reviewed studies that examined dog-on-dog attacks and dog-killing aggression. We also asked readers a question: Why is there a glaring absence of data and concern about dog-on-dog attacks in the US and UK by institutions and nonprofits that claim to "protect" and "advocate" for dogs? Both studies showed that pit bull breeds were the chief offenders, inflicting up to 5 times more attacks on dogs than all other breeds.

Our answer was the following: "because investigating the prevalence of dog-on-dog attacks and dog-killing attacks could result in more breed-specific legislation, an outcome that multimillion dollar humane and veterinary organizations sorely want to avoid -- even at the cost of pet dogs lives, especially small dogs lives. Motivations of the Denver Dumb Friends League and Aurora Animal Shelter, which urged Aurora officials to repeal the pit bull ban, are cut from the same cloth.

Experience with Pit Bulls?

The Bullshit Meter is especially relevant to Aurora and Denver, given that both had long-term pit bull bans (each over 15 years). Thus, the intake levels of pit bulls remained low and municipal animal shelters could not even adopt out pit bulls. These shelters, for at least 15 years, have largely been removed from the responsibility of assessing pit bulls for adoption. As we can see by Aurora's dismal adoption record, 1 in 3 pit bulls adopted out thus far has resulted in disaster.

"Very affectionate and people oriented boy" and "Thinks he's a lap dog and will sit in your lap to give you hugs and kisses" - Aurora shelter evaluator

Like Cotto, many pit bulls come into shelters as strays with unknown backgrounds. Cotto also came in with fighting injuries. The SAFER test does not measure sociability, nor can it measure unpredictable aggression or many other types of aggression. The small dog test, at least, showed "intense behavior with smaller dogs." Despite the low reliability of many shelter tests today, Cotto was still a completely inappropriate dog for a young family with two small children like this one.

after level 5 bite, bullshit meter increases

The Denver Dumb Friends League President & CEO nearly maxed out the Bullshit Meter.

LEVEL 5 BITE in #Aurora—Level 6 is death. The 3rd pit bull adopted out to the public in Aurora after city lifted its pit bull ban. "In the letter sent to city councilmembers, it states that the child suffered a Level 5 bite” https://t.co/H0P43MTam9

— DogsBite.org (@dogsbite) March 11, 2021

1The SAFER evaluation was performed by "Desirae A. CPDT-KA," the lowest level of certification. She is a "dog trainer" not a an "animal behaviorist" or "behavior consultant." Add this factor to the bullshit by Denver Dumb Friends League who falsely claimed, "behavior experts" would evaluate dogs prior to adoption. If Aurora falsely communicated to the adopter that an "expert" evaluated this dog, it's just one more reason to sue the city.

SAFER deaths:
04/29/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Rehomed by Humane Society Kills Newborn Baby
07/07/15: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Adopted Out Pit Bull Kills 6-Year Old Boy in North Carolina

DogsBite blog ::

Dog Passed SAFER Test - "No Small Dogs in Home!"