Woman Fatally Mauled In Pit Bull Attack

AP ^ | 2.7.05

[ambrose]

Lanett Woman Fatally Mauled In Pit Bull Attack

Owner Could Face Criminally Negligent Homicide, Manslaughter

POSTED: 3:43 pm CST February 7, 2005

LANETT, Ala. -- Authorities have said criminal charges could be filed against the owner of a pit bull after the animal attacked and killed an elderly Lanett woman Friday afternoon.

Police Chief Ron Docimo said 70-year-old Barbara Pilkington died from severe face and neck injuries when she was mauled at about 5 p.m. on a city street. Lanett Fire Chief A.J. Johnson said he was forced to kill the pit bull after the dog displayed aggressive behavior toward him.

Docimo said the Chambers County District Attorney's Office will determine if criminal charges are warranted. He said the owner, whose name was withheld, could face charges ranging from criminally negligent homicide to manslaughter.

Docimo said he also wants to know whether Lanett has an ordinance on the books, requiring all animals be properly restrained.

Tests are being conducted to determine if the dog had rabies.

[HairOfTheDog]

Can't you guys agree to disagree?

Sure, if ambrose would stop posting every "Pit Bull attacks someting" article he sees, and someone didn't come on the threads within 3 replies and say "but pit bulls are like teddy bears, they just get bad press", I'd never say a word about it again ;~D

As it sits now, I feel like I need to say what I think ;~D

[HairOfTheDog]

Never mind that I've been fostering and TRAINING dogs for the past 8 years. But because my opinions don't match yours, I naturally must "know crap about dogs" since I don't agree with you.

There's a lot of dog experience on this thread, and also a lot of propaganda pushed by breed fanciers. I've been there... I know that the popular PC culture in dog circles is to not malign the poor breed, but change it's image... unfortunately, people breeding FOR aggression, people training and nurturing viciousness, far outnumber the few people who choose to try to pass off propoganda in hopes of changing the future.

To say that years of breeding selectively for fighting dogs means nothing is to say a lot of working dog people have been wasting their energy all these years breeding for any other function. Truth is, retrievers retrieve, pointers point, border collies herd things, and pit bulls fight to the death.

[daylate-dollarshort]

Canadian Study~~~~~~

For the following reasons the Planning and Development Department recommends removal of the restricted dog breed category and concentration of enforcement action only on individual dogs that have shown aggressive behaviour:

 
--In every city surveyed the pit bull breeds are not the major problem, and even in cities that do not restrict pit bull breeds they are not the major “problem” dogs.
 
--Therefore the justification used for restricting ‘pit bulls’ applies equally to several other breeds, that is - some individuals of the given breed did attack and injure humans. If carried through to its logical conclusion this would lead to the situation of banning numerous very popular breeds. For example:
 
----In Edmonton in 2001, human victims required medical attention from attacks by: Siberian Husky, Akita, American Eskimo, Border Collie, Cockapoo, Collie, Doberman, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Pit bull, and Rottweiler.

----In Edmonton, the dog breeds of which greater than 1% of the total number licensed of that breed were involved in aggressive incidents include Great Danes, Dalmatians, Mastiffs, Akitas, Rottweilers and Pit bulls.

--The statistics from the Capital Health Region taken since 1997, show four other breeds with the same number of incidents as pit bulls, and eleven breeds with a greater number of incidents.
 
--There is no objective method of establishing the lineage of crossbreeds or dogs not registered with a national kennel club. The result is an inconsistent enforcement practice.
 
--Restricting one breed may lead owners who desire strong or intimidating dogs to purchase other non-restricted breeds with similar temperament and qualities.

--At least five highly regarded professional organizations support dangerous dog legislation but have taken a position against breed specific bylaws, claiming that aggressiveness in dogs is often a product of inappropriate methods of genetic selection, rearing and training.

These organizations are:
The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies;
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association;
The National Companion Animal Coalition (Canadian);
The American Veterinary Medical Association; and
The Humane Society of the United States.


Records from the Capital Health Region of Dog Bites to humans where skin was punctured

Records from Jan 1, 1997 to March 13, 2003
Total number of bites is 1540

All breeds with 10 or more bites during the time span
Average per month is 20.8
Average per year is 249.7

Dog Breed including Crosses
Number of Incidents
% of Total Incidents

German Shepherd
291
18.90%

Rottweiler
135
8.77%

Labrador Retriever
104
6.75%

Collie
101
6.56%

American Eskimo
46
2.99%

Husky
41
2.66%

Poodle
39
2.53%

Spaniels
31
2.01%

Chow Chow
28
1.82%

Lhasa Apsos
28
1.82%

Dalmation
24
1.56%

Pit Bulls
23
1.49%

Border Collie
23
1.49%

Doberman
23
1.49%

Shih Tzu
23
1.49%

Blue Heeler
23
1.49%

Golden Retriever
21
1.36%

Sheltie
19
1.23%

Boxer
16
1.04%

Austalian Shepherd
16
1.04%

Jack Russell Terrier
13
.84%

Bichon Frise
13
.84%

Dachshund
11
.71%

Great Pyrenees
11
.71%

Bouvier de Flandres
10
.65%

Total
1113
72.27%

  There is also an Australian Study and a study (referred to above) by the CDC which reach the same conclusion.

[Bellflower]

I took my dog to a doggie park and someone there had a pit bull. They were cutting the dog on the neck and making it bleed. They apparently thought it was cool to keep there dog mean. I wish I had my cell phone with me. I got my dog away fast.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am not in favor of bans... as I said in 12.

I am just giving an educated customer review of my experience with the breed. Of all the dogs I've ever worked with, and all the pet and working dog breeds that have been developed, they are, in my not-so-humble opinion, the worst choice for any job except dog fighting.

[Twinkie]

I probably wouldn't know how to place a picture in a post. There is so much about computers that I have skirted over. I got in that habit when I HAD to learn how to do word processing; I learned just enough to do whatever job was at hand. If I had to do a brochure on the thing, it might be a year or two before I had to do another, so I would forget how I did this and that (importing graphics) and would have to look up how to do it all over again.

[kanawa]

personal experience of a pit bull jumping a seven foot fence to attack my wife while she was walking our dogs.

She was not. She grabbed the dog's collar and wrestled him down, as he was after our three Bichons. Luckily, a man was cutting his grass two houses down and came to help her out.

"She ran,dragging three dogs on leashes behind her, to a yard where a man was cutting his grass. He shielded her and the dogs; another man across the street grabbed the pit by the collar and wrestled him to the ground and put his knee on the dog's neck"link

I love your story, it changes every time you tell it.

[kanawa]

Pit Bulls that are bred by a responsible breeder and kept by responsible owners are excellent pets, including excellent family pets.

Dogs kept by irresponsible owners, whether they are Pitts, Dobies, Shepherds, Rottis, Labs, or any other kind of dogs, are often badly (or not at all) trained, improperly socialized, and host to a number of problems from mauling people to digging up the carpet.

Bump and Welcome to FR.

[CampDoha]

Thanks. :D

[Dooderbutt]

Don't you even DARE compare me to someone who apologizes for radical Islamics!

I happen to have a pit bull who's 4.5 years old and has never even growled at someone. His lineage is stellar (not one attack ever in his line). He's the most gentle, loving animal I've ever had the opportunity to know. Many of my friends own pit bulls and they have NEVER had problems. We are all responsible owners, who happen to know that these animals are loyal, sweet companions in the right hands. Damn, a neighbor of ours had Chihuahuas that would maul the hell out of you when you went into their house (difference is you can drop kick one of those). America's Funniest videos shows these little yapper dogs attacking husbands when they try to touch their wives and that's "cute". Aw, look at wittle Sparky trying to bite us when we try to give him a bath...etc, etc. Dammit, the point you guys are trying to make makes absolutely no sense. "A pit bull (gun) is inherently dangerous because a pit bull (gun) was made to kill, so let's ban all pit bulls (guns)".

Media tends to hype up any sensational story. Do you remember when Dobermans were unstable, vicious attack dogs whose brain grew too large for their heads so they'd snap and kill everything in sight?

There should be more laws to punish irresponsible owners...actually there are laws, they should be ENFORCED.

[Dooderbutt]

A woman two streets over walks her pit with a muzzle on its face. When we walk on the other side of the street, the woman has to use all her strength to keep the dog from dragging her over.

Well that owner is an irresponsible owner who should never own any large breed dog if she can't control it. Rebel (my dog) weighs 96 pounds and heels when I walk him. He won't even chase a cat or squirrel while I'm walking him. I weigh 105 pounds. I knew he was going to be a big dog (although, I will admit, I didn't think he'd get that big), so I made sure that he's well trained, and that he knows I'm boss.

[1john2 3and4]

Hmmm

[Darnright]

>That is total obfuscation. We are not talking about dog bites. We are talking about vicious attacks by dogs. Please stay on subject. If you have an example of a golden retriever mauling someone, then let's have it.<

Ok, you do have a point, but you have to remember, your average thug, who is going to own a dog capable of mauling a human, is attracted to "bad" dogs, not to family dogs like golden retrievers.

Pit bulls are the dog of choice for such people. They get off on the fact they have a dangerous dog (until of course the blasted thing mauls someone, then they say "he's never bitten before", to save their sorry hides). On the other hand, there are responsible people who own pit bull type dogs all their lives, and their dogs never, ever pose a danger to even a fly.

Bottom line? If their dog injures a person, prosecute the owners for assault with a deadly weapon, and throw them in jail.

[Protagoras]

I don't understand why Pit Bulls are always getting such terrible press, because if they are raised properly, they are very friendly, very sweet dogs.

And if not, they have the capacity and the inclination to kill people.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Media tends to hype up any sensational story. Do you remember when Dobermans were unstable, vicious attack dogs whose brain grew too large for their heads so they'd snap and kill everything in sight?"

Here on FR, you'll find that the MSM is wrong about absolutely everything EXCEPT Pit bulls. Any Pit bull story presented by the main stream media is thoroughly unbiased and a pure, objective representation of the absolute truth. < /sarcasm>

I know from personal experience that a pit bull, raised in accordance with the New Skete principles will do just fine. Like in any human / dog relationship, an owner that fails to establish him/herself as the alpha is asking for trouble from the dog, be it a Chihuaha or Irish Wolfhound...

Dog owners should be held accountable. If they cannot shoulder the responsibilities of dog ownership, they should not own a dog. Some people here apparently believe we can't have enough laws, and their irrational fear of a breed, fueled by the media's sensationalist coverage sparks a reaction to ban the source of their fear.

[Eric Stanley]

That's where you're very wrong. I know people who raise pit bulls to be nice dogs. I know I do. I have one. Mine is as nice as any other dog. So you have no room to say that people don't raise them to be nice dogs. Besides Golden Retrievers suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eric Stanley]

That's a load of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eric Stanley]

That's because the owener doesn't want to get in as much trouble. The dog wouldn't have mauled someone unless they weren't friendly or if the owner was being attacked.

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to Free Republic... May your posts and your taste in dogs mature when you've finally finished puberty.

[BJungNan]

That's a load of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is?