Posted on 11/03/2005 8:09:52 AM PST by Millee
A 10-year-old Aurora boy is clinging to life after his family's three pit bulls mauled him Wednesday afternoon as he was trying to get into his home.
Greg Jones Jr. was attacked in his back yard in the 16600 block of East Asbury Avenue, near Naples Court. He was rushed to Children's Hospital in Denver, where he remains in critical condition.
He was bitten on his head, face, throat, arms and legs. Neighbors who fought away the dogs said one dog even appeared to be gnawing on the boy's neck.
Neighbors say the fourth grader returned home from school just after 3 p.m. and couldn't get in the locked front door so he tried the side gate to the back yard and as he jumped over the wooden fence, they heard him scream.
"We looked over (the) fence and three of them were just literally attacking this little boy and he was calling (the dogs) by their names, but they wouldn't let go of him," said neighbor Trish Millard.
One neighbor grabbed a bat and two others, wielding large sticks, started yelling to distract the dogs, who had the boys in their jaws.
Neighbor Mike Bruschel said the dogs didn't let go until he and others got about 10 feet away.
"It was horrific. I've never seen anything like that in my life," he said.
"He was just on the ground and they were attacking him," said witness Jerrome Millard. "One dog had him by his legs. The other one had him by his arms. The other one had his neck."
"The dog had him by the neck. It was like he was just a doll," said neighbor Jeff Witmer.
Neighbors eventually got the dogs to back off and called for help.
Two of the dogs were taken into custody by Aurora Animal Control. Police officers shot the third dog as it attempted to escape from the scene. That dog was transported to Alameda East Veterinary Hospital and subsequently euthanized.
Two more puppies were also taken from the home Wednesday night.
All of the surviving dogs have been taken to an animal shelter. There's no word yet if any charges will be filed in this case.
Animal control says only the euthanized dog was licensed in Aurora. There had been no prior reports or incidents involving the dogs.
The boy's sister said the family was taking care of one of the dogs for a friend in Denver, who was no longer allowed to have them because of Denver's strict pit bull ban.
Danielle Carson said she has asked that all the dogs be euthanized.
Two years ago the same dog owner was cited for keeping too many dogs and allowing them to run free.
Aurora recently passed a law banning pit bulls and several other breeds. The law takes effect Jan. 31. Under the new ordinance, new pit bulls will be allowed but Aurora residents who already have pit bulls will be allowed to keep them if they pay a $200 registration fee, carry $100,000 in liability insurance and have the dog microchipped.
Chomp
Dog of peace...the Islamic breed of dogs. Let's all sing kumbaya...
Prayers for the child ping!
BUMP
Amen.
I think people who own these doga are idiots in denial! I had a friend who had an American Staffordshire Terrier. It was a sweet, friendly dog of 8 years, which he had bred several times. A real sweetie. One day he was on the phone with a friend, and, out of nowhere, his "baby" attacked him. His friend heard him screaming and called the police. My friend was able to knock the dog out with a softball bat. He was almost dead when the police and paramedics arrived because he'd lost so much blood. 80 some stitches in his right thigh. He looked like a pin cushion. Dog just went nuts!
Very sad, poor kid. :(
These dogs are an uncontrolled cocked and loaded gun.
And I don't want to hear any sob stories from FReepers about "My Fluffy would never hurt nobody...you people are against guns too I bet..." and other posts.
If a pit bull, Rottweiler, or any other violent animal even puts a paw on my yard, he/she will be shot dead
Poor kid; I hope he recovers without to much damage. :-(
The apartments we live in have a 25lb limit on dogs, but I see people walking pits & boxers at night. It scares the crap out of me, sometimes.
Treat ownership of these dogs as if the dog were a car. Liability Insurance. $500,000 policy MINIMUM! with additional insurance riders required per additinal dog.
I know it's a beurocratic nightmare, but victims suffer a lifetime from irresponsible dog owners and their vicious dogs.
When I was 10, I was attacked by a neighbor's dog that got loose. They were throwing garbage cans at it to try to get it off me as I held on to the side of a pool fence for dear life. I received 27 stitches in one leg, and have a tooth mark in the other. I am permanently scarred.
The owners of the dog were SO concerned for my welfare and well-being after being traumatized by THEIR animal, that they came to see me ZERO times when I got out of the hospital.
Real nice people they were.
Me too! Everybody who owns one of these monsters thinks that their dog is the exception and wouldn't hurt anyone...until it turns on them or their kid or a baby. It's too late then. These breeds need to be exterminated.
And I think that initially these dogs were protecting their territory from someone they saw as an intruder. The difference here is a lab would have recognized a member of the family.
Pits not only have a strong pack mentality (if one attacks, they'll all attack), but once they start an attack it is nearly impossible to stop them. And with the strength of their jaws, they can inflict far more damage quicker than any other dog.
Pit bulls attack and almost kill a kid!
There is a reason these dogs are being banned. This is it. They cannot be trusted, no matter how well you think you know them.
Never, ever let a pit bull or pit bull mix near your home, your children, your other pets.
How can you say that about the kindest, most loving, protective, sweet, gentle, cuddily, adorable beasts known to man? Obviously this young punk provoked these wonderful pets. He probably looked them in the eye or some other atrocity.
I suppose the parents leave dynamite laying on the stove too.

gREAT!!!!
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