Owner of killer pit bulls afraid of criminal charges

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | November 13, 2007 | Don Jacobs

[zipper]

http://www.kcentv.com/news/c-article.php?cid=12&nid=638

Killeen Boy killed by a Pitbull laid to rest
Updated: Nov 13, 2007 10:19pm
Friends and family said goodbye to an 11-year-old Killeen boy who will be remembered as a fun child full of life.

“He was very friendly, he was very nice to everyone and he was constantly smiling,” classmate William Lyman said.

Seth Lovitt was attacked by his family Pitbull last week while he and his younger brother were playing.

Family members really want NBC 6 News to stress that the dog was not a vicious dog.

They said in the dog’s mind he was only protecting family and they hope the tragedy they have had to endure teaches others a lesson.....

[zipper]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5280694.html

Nov. 7, 2007, 5:44AM
Pit bull kills 11-year-old Killeen boy

Associated Press

KILLEEN — An 11-year-old boy has died after being bitten on the neck by his family’s pit bull, police said.

The Killeen Police Department said the dog jumped from the couch at Seth Lovitt when the boy was running through his home with his little brother Tuesday evening. The dog knocked Seth to the ground and bit him.

Seth’s grandmother and mother restrained the dog and called 911.

Seth was pronounced dead about two hours later at Darnall Army Medical Center, police said.....

[zipper]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/12n-1105dogattack-CP.html

Family dog mauls, kills girl
Melissa Blasius
12 News
Nov. 5, 2007 10:30 PM

A 4-year-old playing in her backyard was attacked and killed by her pet dog Monday afternoon. The attack occurred at the family’s rural home near Central Avenue and Happy Valley Road.

A family friend, Dani During, says Tori Whitehurst loved the color blue and cowboy boots. She had won a Halloween contest last week for her cheerleader costume.

During tells 12 News both parents were at work at the time of the attack. A 59-year-old, live-in nanny was watching Tori and her older sister. The children were swinging in the backyard. During says the nanny went inside for a couple of minutes to get a camera when the dog attacked. The nanny reportedly tried to break up the attack by spraying the 80-pound American bulldog with a hose.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says deputies arrived approximately 10 minutes after the 911 call. They saw the dog laying next to the fatally wounded child. When the dog became aggressive toward the deputies, the sheriff says they tased the animal, then shot it.....

[thegreatbeast]

You ever watch Cribs? It's a show about nouveau riche pop culture icons who spend their fortunes on opulent & ostentatious new digs thinking that the gravy train will last forever and that they'll never have to sweat the $20,000 per month mortgage payments. Well, if you do, you'll notice that a number of the Snoop Doggs and sports heroes showing off their fenced off kennels. In those kennels you'll invariably see their collection of pit bulls.
Those dogs are not lying on the couches in the McMansions. The pit bulls aren't romping with the kids. No, the pit bulls are a sort of status symbol of the owner's wealth and machismo. These are the same people who travel in the same milieu as Michael Vick. They are not Nature's Gentlemen.
My point is that there are a lot of stupid people and there are a lot of cruel people populating this world. What people like these are doing keeping dogs is beyond human ken but we haven't managed to outlaw them from doing so. Stupid, cruel masters breeding & training for aggression will create some monsters but that is no reason to condemn a breed. The fine collection of pit bull horror stories you've collected is anecdotal and only represents a small percentage of the breed, probably no greater than the percentage of the population in our prisons.
I'd also point out that every editor in the country is cognizant that these pit bull maulings are popular currency and move them to the news wires as soon as they hit their desks.
My only point is that we should look at the owner in order to explain the behavior of the dog at the beginning of any investigation into an incident.

[tuffydoodle]

LOL, I clicked on that link, not thinking of how loud my speakers are turned up. Dueling Banjos (banjoes?) started blaring, it’s 4:30 a.m. and I’m the only one up. Scared the heck out of me. Great link, though. Did I hit the nail on the head, or what?!

[cva66snipe]

My cousin lives within a few hundred feet of where this happened. Glad the dogs are destroyed. Too bad the owners arrogance cost a persons life.

[Abathar]

LOL Your right, that’s what happens when you type and work at the same time after about 10 cups of coffee...

[zipper]

Stupid, cruel masters breeding & training for aggression will create some monsters but that is no reason to condemn a breed.

I don't have to. The evidence speaks for itself. Note that all these stories are just from the last few days!

The fine collection of pit bull horror stories you've collected is anecdotal and only represents a small percentage of the breed, probably no greater than the percentage of the population in our prisons.

And I don't want people that need to be locked up out roaming the streets either.

My only point is that we should look at the owner in order to explain the behavior of the dog at the beginning of any investigation into an incident.

You need to examine these "anecdotes" more closely. These are not stories of rich athlete thugs with 20,000 dollar mortgages whose fighting dogs escaped from their pens. They are average people, often with children, who might as well have entrusted their lives to wild tigers or wolves in their homes -- the results would have been similar.

[zipper]

You did! Perfect!

That music did seem really loud — I wasn’t expecting that either.

[CholeraJoe]

My cul-de-sac has a “Shoot on sight” policy for pit bulls.

[zipper]

I’m sorry to hear that — I’ll bet the whole neighborhood was surprised but not shocked that this happened.

The dogs’ owner is of course singing a different tune now — scared that he’ll be indicted for involuntary manslaughter. And he probably will be. What a loser.

[zipper]

My cul-de-sac has a “Shoot on sight” policy for pit bulls.

Sounds good to me.

I was reading the owner's manual to my car the other day -- it says my car will speed up and turn towards any pit bulls it senses with the IPBD (Infrared Pit Bull Detector).

Ya just gotta love technology.

[zipper]

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1044564&format=text

Biting pit bull shot dead by cop

By Marie Szaniszlo
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 | http://www.bostonherald.com
A Boston police officer shot and killed a pit bull early yesterday after it allegedly bit two men and another dog, police said.

Officers responding to a call about a person bitten by a dog at 59 Wareham St. found not one but two victims and a dog that they said were bitten.

The pit pull allegedly approached an officer, who opened fire and killed the dog, police said.

One of the two men was treated at Boston Medical Center for nonlife-threatening injuries.

The officer who killed the dog also was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

The Police Department’s Firearm Discharge Investigation Team is investigating the incident.....

[Kenny Bunk]

I see no reason why this fine breed should not be permitted to share cells with their owners. Your harsh and prejudicial remarks ignore the fact that these fine dogs give their owners hours of pleasure during those brief periods when they are not PI (Presently Incarcerated) or whiling away those halcyon hours waithing for methamphetamine precursors to arrive from Mexico.

What are a child or two, or the odd mail carrier compared to this obvious and widespread social benefit?

[zipper]

LOL!! Exactly.

I wonder if Mark Levin would have said “in the end, we humans are the lucky ones” if Sprite had been a pit bull instead of a Spaniel mix? Would the book have sold so well if it were named “Rescuing Killa”, with the liner notes written by Michael Vick?

[Bogtrotter52]

Let’s....25 years old, lives with mommy, no job, on disability for questionable reasons. Sounds like a comlete and total LOSER. Charge him.

[Bogtrotter52]

Amazing. I read through the whole first page of posts and have not seen one “Well, they may not be real pit bulls” comment yet. Or any pictures of cute pit bull puppies. Sure they are coming though.