to this issue of Sports Illustrated...
The sensationalize treatment propagated to a widespread audience
and the elements that have come to abuse and misuse this dog
became aware of the dog for the first time.
Posted on 04/19/2009 8:15:39 PM PDT by Chet 99
Pit bull dragged victim 'like a rag doll'
By Alan Burke
Staff writer
DANVERS — While it was happening, Cassandra Osgood, 23, thought she was going to die.
The pit bull that attacked her on Thursday, April 9, at a Peabody mobile home inflicted more than 50 wounds, even biting to the bone, tearing away skin, muscle and fat. At one point, the savage attack left her to shelter alone behind a glass door, lying in a pool of her own blood while the dog scratched at the glass trying to get at her.
Even so, Osgood said, "I feel bad for everyone in the situation." That includes the dog's owner, Brian Stevens, 27; the dog's other victims, like Sarah Malave, 24, and even Bronson, the dog himself. "He's practically on death row. ... I'm an animal lover."
The attack followed a moment of high spirits, she said, where Osgood momentarily wrestled with Malave. The two women fell back on the couch, Osgood said, when the dog sprang, perhaps meaning to protect Jamie Brickman, 27, girlfriend of the absent Stevens.
Before that, there was no warning.
"The dog was happy," Osgood said. "It was wagging its tail."
It had been the same on previous visits. "I never saw any aggression. But he's a pit bull. Pit bulls can snap at the drop of a dime."
The other two women in the room tried frantically to stop the attack, with Brickman also sustaining injuries.
"They threw water on him. ... They tried putting a wire on him to pull him off me." The assault continued. "The length of time he was biting me felt like forever. ... He bit through my sneaker." He tore at her arm, opening her flesh to the bone.
"He dragged me around the house like a rag doll."
When, for some reason, the attack stopped, Malave urged Osgood, "Run! Into the other room!" The pair fled, but the door couldn't be secured, Osgood said, and the dog began slamming against it. Malave couldn't hold it shut, and the animal finally forced his way in.
"He jumped on her," Osgood said. "But there was nothing I could do." She staggered to another room, a computer station with a sliding glass door, and she lay there holding the door shut with her foot. Before long, the pit bull was at the glass, relentless, like some creature from a horror movie, trying to force his way in, she said.
"He was jumping up on the door," Osgood said. "I could hear them outside going, 'Cassandra is still in there!' ... It was so long to get me out."
Police had arrived by then. Patrolman William Swaczyk had rescued Malave — with help from Patrolmen Mark Bettencourt, Tony Santos, Leo Cunha and Lt. John McCorry. In the process, Swaczyk was attacked by the dog, who locked his jaws on the officer's arm.
With the dog still roaming the home, rescuers had to take Osgood out through a small window. "I was screaming," she said, remembering the pain. "I was thinking of my baby." Her son, Joshua, is 11 months old. "I was thinking, 'What if my son had been there?' Thank God my son was not with me. If he was with me ... it's a fact if that dog had got hold of a baby that baby would not survive."
Another bit of good luck, the attack spared her face. She theorizes that her arms fared so poorly because she was protecting her face.
Paramedics urged, "Stay with us, Cassandra. Stay with us." She watched them push the muscle and flesh back into her arm before sewing it up to protect against infection. She thought she might lose it.
When she was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital, the staff cut her clothes off her. Doctors told boyfriend Kurt Mason that he might not want to see her given the extent of her wounds. "I can handle it," he said.
Returning home on Tuesday, she's on a strong regimen of painkillers. She's lost some feeling in her foot and hopes the doctors are right that it will return.
"When I got home and looked in the mirror, looking in a full-body mirror, that's when it hit me. ... I'm going to need plastic surgery." She mused quietly that she would have to approach the upcoming summer season with emphasis on short sleeves carefully. "It's very hard to look at myself. ... The scars I'm going to have are terrible."
Bandaged now, she said, "I look like a mummy."
Yet, that's only a minor concern. "The important thing is not being able to pick up my son."
The fate of the animal remains in doubt. Borash Veterinary Clinic in Peabody, where Bronson is currently kenneled, declined to comment. Animal Control Officer Lilian Pinto also declined to comment.
Police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said he was unclear on the procedure for dealing with a dog that's attacked a person, and no hearing has been scheduled.
"There are ongoing talks with the owner's attorney," he said. "We're working through the process."
An only child, Osgood's father disappeared long ago and she is relying on her mother along with Mason — "He has to do everything." — and Mass Health — "A nurse comes every other day." She had been due to start a new job at Zales the day before the attack. A lawyer friend has offered help, but Osgood isn't certain what the lawyer can do about this.
"I'm a strong woman," she said. "I'm a little too brave. I don't fear things." She pauses. "It's going to be different for me now."
I think one of the problems with Pits is that they don’t just bite, but when they attack its to kill...Its in the breed.
On the other hand, a dear friend of mine who also retired from nursing got herself a purebred pit puppy from a reputable breeder because she was going to be living alone after a divorce, and wanted a safety measure in case there was an intruder, to give her time to get to her pistol. Same reason I love having my mastiff, as a widow, although I bought him for a birthday present for my now deceased husband.
I used to raise Springer Spaniels. Beautiful dogs, but if any one of them bit - or threatened to bite - one of my kids, they would have been off my property in a heartbeat.
Many dogs are bred to have certain traits. Ever notice that Pointers actually POINT? Springers, and other bird dogs, will crouch low and spring up to catch their prey. Unfortunately, pit bulls have been bred to fight to the death, and few stand a chance against those powerful jaws.
I have heard that before. with your other hand go for the eyes...
It only took a couple of minutes after my post before they had links to this article and all moved over here. One had said she would only donate to FR if Chet did not post for 1 week....
>I’d really like to know what percentage of the pits involved in attacks are spayed/neutered, and I suspect it’s quite small. <
Another aspect for you to consider. Spaying/neutering is done primarily by dog owners who take responsibility for their pets. These owners’ dogs are less likely to be in situations where they attack people or other animals, due to the fact that the owners are more likely to leash, to train, and to confine their animals.
While neutering can help keep a young dog from developing aggression, it will not cure behavior problems. Training and good management are far more likely to correct problems of aggression.
Good response..LO .but don’t be too hard on the metamucil, being old, I do need it from time to time.
If you don’t know the difference between an ankle biter you can stomp on and pit that wants to tear your throat out, your missing some serious thought process. Is there any significance in the fact that you love large potentially dangers dogs with balls. Some passive-agressive people I have know use their dogs to satisfy their own emotional make-up If I am wrong, I apologize.
“One had said she would only donate to FR if Chet did not post for 1 week....”
Now granny dont be telling fibs.
Poster you’re bad mouthing had already donated.
If you look closely you’ll discover
she has pledge another $40 on top of her prior donation
regardless of what Chet does.
Also if you look at the first few posts of the thread
someone expressed concern that Chet’s silliness
would stop us from donating.
I pointed out that I had thought of that
and covered the potential problem
in the last sentence of my vanity.
You know, spreading malicious gossip is nasty
in young school girls and old grannies as well
Still waiting to hear if the Chetheads
are going to do any fund raising.
Years ago my brother had a pit bull. Whenever we’d visit the dog would sit and watch every move my two children made. It was very scary. One day the dog went missing. Several weeks later it was learned he had bitten a girl down the street and her father blew him away with a shot gun. The man should have been given a medal.
"If I am wrong, I apologize." Apology accepted. All my dogs are neutered and spayed, and have been for 38 years, because I am not a breeder and don't want to be. My husband and I needed large yard dogs on the farm to protect the stock (checkens, turkeys, geese, goats, horses, etc) and the little guys just can't handle the kind of predators we have here in the Ozarks. I like small dogs, but am under no illusions about their temperaments, train them well, and keep an awareness that any one of them can rip a human face to shreds.
So again, apology accepted. Cocker spaniels tend to be irritable, and dachshunds bad-tempered. Both can inflict far more than a scratch, if not brought up properly.
Good Grief goat granny! , check out post #43
Sorry JA, thought you were gone.
And the ones who aren’t are as stupid as a f**** brick.
Hey, I appreciate the support. I was kind of flabbergasted about the way granny misread my posts. Maybe she mistook me for somebody else.
To: kanawa
Please keep me updated,if he holds off for a week will donate...
BTW i think this is a fun idea,but i hate to think how many pitbull stories will be posted after day 7...
That cadre of pit lovers have taken on a crusade against Chet. Like little kids holding their hands over their ears and saying LALALA I don't want to hear it..
It seems she says she will donate if Chet doesn't post for a week.
As I and others said on the other thread. Don't click if you don't like....On the other thread you said you would not answer me anymore...can't keep that promise can you.. Did you say she didn't say what she said? Who's lying? And I have no reason to check out her donations. What are you, nuts that I should check others peoples records.. I took her at her word.
While they’re talking about their Metamucil, I think I’ll get some sleep. We should be friendly, tomorrow, and ask about the state of their bowels.
Good night, FRiend. :D
Night Judith Anne
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