Pit Bulls Attack Two Women In Aurora (IL)

(CBS) AURORA, Ill. A pair of pit bulls attacked two women Saturday morning in front of an Aurora apartment complex, forcing police to shoot one of the dogs.

Police were called at 3:30 a.m. to an apartment complex in the 900 block of Second Avenue in Aurora for a report that the dogs were attacking the woman, according to a police news release.

An officer found the 44-year-old woman lying on the ground after the dogs had bitten her repeatedly. The officer tried to lure the dogs off the woman, the release said.

At that point, a bystander ran from the apartment building to the street, and the dogs tried to attack him but he defended himself successfully with a stick, the release said.

The police officer then yelled to try to distract the dogs, and one of them ran toward him and forced him to fire one shot. The dog was hit in the head and later euthanized by the Aurora Animal Control and Care Division, the release said. The other dog ran away.

An investigation indicated that the woman had arrived home and was walking toward the building when the dogs attacked her. A second victim, this one a 33-year-old woman, told police the dogs also attacked her in the same place, the release said.

Both victims were taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. The 44-year-old woman was treated for bites to her right hand and foot and left leg, while the 33-year-old woman was treated for a bite to her left forearm, the release said.

The second dog was not found, and as of late Saturday morning, the owners of the dog were unknown, the release said.

2 pit bulls rescue Nebraska woman from red chow

1 hour, 7 minutes ago

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Two dogs whose breed has a reputation for being mean played the roles of rescuers for a woman who was being attacked by another dog.

A red chow was on top of Angie Pecoraro, 22, in her yard on Monday when two pit bulls jumped over a fence and fought off the chow, Nebraska Humane Society spokeswoman Pam Wiese said.

Witnesses said the chow had bitten Pecoraro several times on her hands, arms and stomach, Wiese said.

An ambulance took Pecoraro to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Wiese said.

The Humane Society impounded the chow, and its owner was ticketed for not having the dog restrained and for harboring a dangerous animal. It will be quarantined to make sure it doesn't have rabies, Wiese said.

This happened last year I think. I know it's the exception, rather than the rule, but I couldn't resist!

That is NOT the exception to the rule! People, when are you going to stop relying on the media for your FACTS?! They are not a service provided free by well-meaning do-gooders. They are out to make money, and when it comes to things like this, they have about as much clout as the tabloids.

After years of fearing these dogs, I decided to do my own research on the subject and was absolutely dumbfounded when I found the truth about them. Of course you will more often hear of the bad with this breed, as you did with rotts and dobies and gsds years ago. Next, I am almost certain, are dogo canarios, cane corso mastiffs, and american bulldogs. The reason is that people who don't bother to do their research are the majority, and will buy into the story, and therefore line the reporter's pockets!

I will agree that there are some pit bull owners out there in denial about what their dogs are capable of, but any responsible owner knows the dog's strengths and weaknesses, and trains/socializes accordingly. Not to mention, the 99.999998% of the some four million of these dogs never seen at all because they are safe at home with their owners, where they should be.

And why, exactly, is the chow not being euthanized? ANY dog that attacks a person unprovoked deserves to never reproduce and take the long walk IMHO.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.