Fourth Death by County Pit Bull in One Year
Offending pit bull picked up a week earlier in Balboa Park in San Diego.1
U.S. Pit Bull Kills
Tijuana - Last Thursday, a 4-year old Tijuana girl was mauled to death by her grandfather's new pit bull. Godofredo Cruz Martinez, 55-years old, said he found the dog in Balboa Park in San Diego a week earlier. He brought the dog home because it seemed "very playful." The pit bull was tied up in the family's yard when it attacked and killed América Viridiana. At the time of the attack, the little girl's mother was not home; she was under the care of her mother's two sisters.
In the wake of her death, the Director of Investigations of the Deputy Justice in Tijuana, Sergio Lagunas Molina, urged those with "pit bull" dogs to take special care with them to avoid causing injury to a person. "They are aggressive by nature," Molina said. Police arrested both sisters, Carla Francisca Cruz Bustamante, 28, and Cristina García, 26. The child's grandfather may also be subject to criminal penalties. A Criminal Judge will make this determination.2
San Diego County Pit Bulls
América's death marks the fourth fatal attack inflicted by a San Diego County pit bull in one year. Last Christmas Eve, 76-year old Emako Mendoza succumbed to the catastrophic injuries inflicted by her neighbor's pit bulls in June of 2011. In March, letter carrier Diane Jansen died due to a hemorrhagic stroke with dog bites as a contributing factor after being attacked by a pit bull on her route. In June, an 8-month old boy was killed by a pet pit bull living in his home.
Despite the trail of bloody deaths left by San Diego County pit bulls in the U.S. and abroad in a single year, as well as dog bite statistics showing that pit bulls are out biting the top most popular dog breed, Labs, by a 2 to 1 ratio, we believe that Dan DeSousa,3 a public information officer for the county Department of Animal Services, will continue being a "mouthpiece" for pit bull owners and breeders and refuse any discussion of a mandatory pit bull sterilization law.
"We are of the opinion that it's not the breed (to blame for an attack), it's the owner of that particular dog," Dan DeSousa, 10News.com, 06/14/12
To better show the contrast of "mouthpiece" Dan DeSousa, who apparently speaks on behalf of the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services, we look to the language of San Bernardino County. In 2010, the county enacted a mandatory pit bull sterilization law after the breed inflicted four deaths in five years. San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control helped craft the law to increase public safety and lower the annual euthanizations of pit bulls.
"This ordinance has the objectives of reducing the clear overpopulation of pit bulls in our County, encouraging responsible pet ownership and, most important, reducing the number of vicious attacks on people," said First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who worked with the County’s Animal Care & Control Division to create the ordinance. "In the past five years, four people in San Bernardino County have been killed by this breed, and just this year there have been seven attacks by pit bulls. No other breed has viciously attacked or killed anyone in that time."
Which county would you rather live in?
2DogsBite.org thanks a reader for helping to translate the Spanish articles. Please report errors in comments.
3In the State of California it is legal to regulate dog breeds via spay/neuter laws. Municipalities are prohibited from declaring a particular breed "vicious" or "dangerous." See: San Bernardino County's pit bull brochure.
Related articles:
07/01/12: Pit Bulls Lead 'Bite' Counts Across U.S. Cities and Counties
06/19/12: 2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Pet Pit Bull Kills Infant in San Diego County
03/09/12: 2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Letter Carrier Dies After Pit Bull Attack in Escondido
01/18/12: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Victim of Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury Dies on Christmas Eve
02/06/10: Ecuador Joins International Trend: Bans Pit Bulls and Rottweilers as Pets
"LT Dan" needs a new line of work outside the Public Safety Sector.
Bite rate for San Diego were recently released and the numbers for Pit Bulls are not defendable:
San Di-Letgo-my-leggo, CA Bite rate data:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/16/grappling-with-dog-bites/?page=1#article
Highest rate in the analysis:
Pit bull, 8.85 bites per 100 pit bulls
“Pit bull” does not include the American Staffordshire terrier, which had 2.37 bites per 100.Pit bulls had by far the highest rate of reported bites — almost three times more than the next highest breed’s.
Second-highest rate in the analysis:
Rottweiler, 3.03 bites per 100 rottweilers
An average rate in the analysis:
Bichon frise, 1.57 bites per 100 bichons frises
Lowest rates in the analysis:
Pug, 0.35 bites per 100 pugs
Golden retriever, 0.34 bites per 100 golden retrievers
Source: San Diego County Department of Animal Services
PS! Added Bonus: Now that Bill Bruce has retired in Calgary the truth is coming out:
Calgary data from 2003 indicate that certain breeds are overrepresented when it comes to aggressive incidents such as bites, chases and injuries. Nearly two per cent of German Shepherds, five per cent of Rottweilers and their crosses, and 15 per cent of pit bulls had been involved in an incident http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Police+probe+whether+vicious+attack+deliberate/7119098/story.html#ixzz24A3ZOZ8s
Saywhat?!?
Four dead by Pit Bull from one community in one year and they don't find this alarming?
I wonder what other product produced from one location would be allowed to kill four people and not have some sort of a recall or at the very least have local authorities screaming at the top of their lungs. Instead we get pandering and humaniac statements about "its all how you raise them".
I could no more love out my dogs instinct to herd then I could win the Miss America contest.
It saddens me that the human and animal toll rises on a daily basis and it is simply because our governments are failing to protect us.
I think the only thing officials will ever respond to is if there are huge lawsuits with huge settlements. Deceased and maimed people and pets obviously do not matter to them.
Boy, Tijuana sure doesn't mess around. The sisters get arrested. Grandfather make face criminal charges. Official says that pit bulls are aggressive by nature.
And, get this, there isn't an outcry of aggrieved rescue angels. I guess that, in Mexico, the word "rescue" is reserved for humans in danger.
Mexico, I like your style.
Maybe that's why pit-pusher Millan was so desperate to leave Mexico?
My son was 6yrs old when he was mauled by my neighbors pitbull. My neighbors pit lived with her and her two children ages 6yrs and 8yrs. I watched her grand babies walk & pull on the pit & he just layed there. So when she was at the hospital with her son who had sezures, i thought it would be fine to bring her dog to my place. The second day the pit was at my house my son and four of his friends were kneeling around the coffie table playing legos. I was standing near my son the pit for no reason jumped on my son and started bitting his head. I grabbed the pits collar and pulled with all my strength. It took me two mins to pull him off my son. My son got up and locked himself into the bathroom. I secured the pit and ran to my son but he was so terrfied he wouldn't unlock the door. Finally i convensed him the pit was locked up and he opened the door. I was horrified about what i saw. My son was standing there with blood everywhere and a peice of his face between his eye and scalp was missing. When we got to the hospital was when we learned all of his injuries. Beside the missing skin he had several laserations on his head. I believe my son is only alive because i was standing close enough to get the pit off before he could kill him. This pit was a family dog and unpevoked. I now believe pitbulls have no place in this world. At the least there should be a law that pitbull owners should not have children in there presents.
Ms. Elliott, I hope your son has healed well.
Thank you for sharing your private, personal story. It is touching and very informative.
I wish you and your son all the best.