Posted on 06/15/2006 6:38:54 PM PDT by SLB
A 9-year-old boy was attacked and bitten by a pit bull in the Morand Manor housing area of Fort Knox June 7.
Bryce Burkett was riding his bicycle with his 12-year-old brother Brandon near their home when the dog jumped its back yard fence and ran up to Bryce, knocked him down, and began biting his thigh and side, said Angela Burkett, the boys mother.
The attack happened between 6:15 and 6:30 that evening, Burkett said.
My son (Brandon) came running up the street, yelling that (Bryce) had gotten bitten by a pit bull, she said. We all took off running.
Nearby, Staff Sgt. Jawara Middleton had just gotten home from his sons baseball game when he heard his mother-in-law shouting, That kid needs help!
I looked down the street, and I saw this dog jumping at this kid, Middleton said. I ran down there, not even thinking of what kind of dog it was.
Middleton said he became worried when he realized the dog was a pit bull.
From what I understand, the dog was chewing (on Bryce), and working its way up, Burkett said.
Middleton said he charged at the animal, shouting to try to scare it away from the boy.
Once the dog saw me coming down there, he kind of backed off, he said.
Middleton picked up Bryces bicycle and positioned it between the dog and the boy, and shouted for his wife to come help. She and Brandon helped Bryce inside, he said. Middleton had identified the animal as belonging to a neighbor, and using the bicycle, he forced it back to the back yard it had escaped from and into its cage.
Bryce, meanwhile, suffered scratches to his arms and bites to his thigh and side, including at least two deep puncture wounds.
The pit bull was about six months old and weighed between 70 and 80 pounds, Burkett said.
Military police responded to the 911 call, and Bryce was taken to Ireland Army Community Hospital where he was treated and released, Burkett said. The animal was moved off-post for quarantine immediately following the incident.
Its scary, Burkett said. I dont think people really think about it until a tragedy happens, and because there wasnt a death here, people arent going to take it seriously.
Its not the first dog attack on Fort Knox. Staff Sgt. Anthony Etheridge, then a drill sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, was hospitalized after a Rottweiler attacked him as he was coming to the aid of a small child in the Pritchard Place housing area Feb. 14, 2005.
Of the 104 animal bite cases treated at Ireland Hospital in 2005, dogs were involved in 79, according to figures released by the hospital.
Although Knox has regulations designed to keep animals safely under control, some residentsincluding Burkettare concerned that they arent being enforced.
If you walk through the post right now, there are violations all throughout housing, she said.
Loose dogs and cats roam the housing areas almost constantly, she said. But its the larger breeds, specifically pit bulls and Rottweilers, that cause her the most concern.
Theyre status dogs, she said. Theres no other use for that type of dog than for status and protection... and you dont need protection on a military base.
Jennifer Smith, a pit bull owner who also lives in Morand Manor, agreed that many people purchase pit bulls and Rottweilers for the wrong reasons.
A lot of people get them to make them look tough, without researching the breed, Smith said.
Her pit bull terrier, Apollo, was certified a Canine Good Citizen by the American Kennel Club in February.
Smith said that dog breeds arent the problem-its dog care.
If people were made to have control over their dogs, we wouldnt have these problems, she said. Ive seen MPs pick up the same dog over and over.
She worries that incidents such as the one involving Bryce Burkett will lead to what she considers an unfair ban on specific breeds; namely pit bulls and Rottweilers.
With pit bull bans, responsible dog owners are the ones who are punished, she said. The bad dog owners will just move on to another breed, and the same problems will occur.
Irelands statistics back up her claim. The 79 dog bites treated at the hospital in 2005 involved 32 breeds.
Smith said she and her family-and their two dogs-are in the process of moving off post in order to avoid conflict if such a ban should be put into effect on Fort Knox.
Burkett suggested that post units could conduct unannounced inspections of pet-owning Soldiers quarters to make sure they were observing established policies on pet control, similar to the way barracks and vehicle inspections are conducted.
If youre going to own an animal, youve got take care of it as you would your own child, Burkett said. You cant just lock it up in a cage and put it in the back yard and expect that everythings going to be all right.
Officials at the Post Veterinary Clinic said they had heard no discussion on enacting any breed-specific ban for Fort Knox. But Burkett and Smith agree that the bite incident calls for some kind of action.
I think they need to enforce the regulations we have, Smith said.
I dont know what will happen as a result of this, Burkett said. I really, really hope that something changes... If theyre going to pass something, theyve got to actively enforce it.
I know what a Cur is. Hunters use curs and dogos interchangably when hunting.
I still don't think you understand that a pit bull was never a breed. A pit bull was what the dog was called that went into the pit. The AKC's naming a breed, American Pit Bull Terrier, doesn't change that. Dog fighting was around way before the AKC.
The legal definition that homeowners insurance and local laws are using for banning recognize the pit bull type. That is why the legal definition encompasses so many breeds AND mutts. It is the legal definition that is following the lead of the Dangerous Dogs Act. The Dangerous Dogs Act's definition is any dog of the type known as pit bull terrier. That is NOT exclusive to American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Pit Bull Terrier is only ONE type of pit bull.
My partner breeds hunting dogs. That includes curs, dogos and APBT.
Curs and dogos are usually sent out together (and interbred) because one is better at sounding off and the other is better at tracking.
So you are right, I never heard of a cur. /sarc
Are the curs you know Black Mouth Curs? Are they hounds?
Black mouth and mountain.
It's the eyes...(Corgi's have the second most beautiful.) I once knew a pitbull with eyes like that. She cannot be replaced.
It doesn't matter whether a person owns a Bull Mastif or a Toy Poodle, a responsible dog owner who loves their dog will not allow their pet to wander and get into trouble. Pets are like kids - you should always know where they are. Punish irresponsible dog owners and you'll soon solve the dog problem.
The conservative position also shows true compassion and love for all creatures great and small.
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