Girl, 3, rescued from pitbull's jaws

NEIGHBOURS rescued a girl from disfigurement or death after a pitbull attacked her and was in the process of chewing on the infant's face.

Three-year-old Nathalia Jones's rescuers found her being mauled by the dog near her home on Thursday. She was last night a patient at the San Fernando General Hospital. It took 30 stitches to close the wounds.

"The dog grabbed my child's head and was biting. And when people see this they began pulling away the dog. I still can't believe I could have lost my baby. I appreciate all those people who helped my daughter," her father, Nicholas Jones, said yesterday.

At hospital yesterday, Nathalia's left eye was barely open and there was a ragged line of stitches on her face and head, her father said.

The incident occurred at Bayshore Road, Marabella, around 2.30 p.m. The child lived a short distance away at Sooknanan Street.

"She went to play with her cousin on the road. The dog was nearby, but it was tied with a long rope. I don't know what happened, but that is an aggressive dog. My daughter was walking near the dog when it just jump on her," he said.

"I want something to be done about this. I am not allowing this to go just so. My child is in so much pain. Money cannot make her feel better. The police has to do something about this dog," said Jones.

The Dangerous Dogs Act was passed in 2000 under the UNC administration but is yet to be proclaimed.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 2000 The facts at a glance.

This act was instituted to protect citizens from the threat of dangerous dog and by extension negligent owners.

The ‘dangerous dogs’ named in the act to date are Pit bull Terrier (or any dog bred from a pit bull), Fila Brasileiro & Japanese Tosa.

All dangerous dogs under the act must pay a license fee of $500.00 annually. To obtain a license:

1) The premises where they are kept must be inspected by the Local Authority and passed and the issued certificate presented. This means that if the inspector finds the compound or premises unable to contain the animal (low gates/walls, hole in fence etc.) then it would not be passed nor would a certificate be granted.

2) An insurance policy which provides coverage for any claim of injury or death no less than $250 000.00 must be secured.

3) A certificate stating that the dog has been spayed/neutered (this surgical procedure must be done within 3 months of the act coming into force).

With the approved license come a metal tag that must be worn by the dog at all times. If this license is not gotten the owner can be fined $50 00.00 and imprisoned for a year. If the owner does not insure his/her dog there can be a fine of $75 000.00 and 3 years imprisonment.

If you own a dangerous dog you must keep it under control at all times. If you lose control of the animal in a public place you can be fined $50 000.00 and imprisoned for 1 year. In many cases the dog can be said to be dangerously out of control even if it has not bitten someone.

No one under the age of 18 may own a dangerous dog.

If your dog attacks someone out side the premises it is licensed to be in you will be held liable.

If someone is on your premises with the intention of committing a criminal offense and is damaged by your dog only then would you not be liable.

It is illegal to import and breed a dangerous dog.

The license expires on the day a year after it has been issued.

The local authority will keep a register on all the particulars of these dogs (certificates of premise inspection, neuter, insurance policy etc.)

Each dog must have a metal label bearing the registration number AND have that number tattooed in the inner ear.

The law has been debated in both Houses of Parliament and passed by both houses. The final step of making it law is for the President to proclaim it. This has not been done as the Local Authorities have to put machinery in place to deal with the multiple facets of the law (i.e. Train inspectors, develop pounds for unwanted / confiscated dogs…)

This proclamation can happen at any time. If you do own a ‘dangerous dog’ it would be wise to start checking that your premises are indeed escape proof and that your dogs are spayed/neutered.

WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN ENFORCED?

Nice try - but the owner/developer of that web site intentionally chose deceptive (or even wrong) pictures for different breeds.

Then, they further found other, often very rare, international breeds (with similar or even same lineage and original purpose) as the American Pit Bull, searched for photos that looked the most like Pit Bull Terriers, then put together that page.

I won’t even bother going dog-by-dog to point out the false labels, mis-identified pictures, and mis-statements. It isn’t worth my time.

Kind of like those who defend the “Religion of Peace®”....

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