Toddler attacked by pit bull at Longview park

KGW ^

[Chet 99]

05:58 PM PDT on Thursday, April 23, 2009

By WAYNE HAVRELLY, kgw.com

Longview pit bull attack

LONGVIEW, Wash. -- The search is on for a dangerous pit bull that Longview police say bit a 3-year-old boy who was eating lunch with his mom in Victoria Freeman park Wednesday afternoon.

The boy suffered serious bite marks to his cheek and was treated at OHSU. Thursday afternoon, animal control officers with the Cowlitz County Humane Society searched the neighborhood for the white pitbull with brown brindle markings.

It ran off after the boys mom punched it during the attack. Newschannel 8 spoke with several neighbors who said the dog is a stray that's been hanging out in the area.

Pastor Bradley lives across the street from the park and says his own great great grandson was playing with the dog right before the attack.

"Jeramiah has been playing with the pit bull and he feeds it, so it's not a bad dog. It's just hungry," said Paster Bradley.

But animal control officers are worried the dog could attack again. The neighborhood is surrounded by homes and apartments and is filled with small children.

The stray pitbull is white with brown spots, if you see it the cowlitz county Human Society wants to hear from you right away.

[Salamander]

I have little with Ibizans for 20 years now.

Even *I* won’t take on a Basenji....;-D

[my little Portuguese Podengo is quite enough weirdness for me]

[Scythian]

CDC Reports Prevalence Of Worms Transmitted By Dogs And Cats To Humans Is Higher Than Previously Understood

Cross species? Hardly, Anything that can infect your cat and dog will be quite happy to live in you, even dog heartworm is being transmitted to humans now by misquito bytes.

[Salamander]

“”misquito bytes” [sic]

Then I’ll be sure to avoid cyber-pests.

[having said that, I guess this means I won’t be communicating with you, any more.]

[Salamander]

“Your cats are trying to kill you” ping.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/87767.php

[God, how I detest zoophobics]....:))

[Slings and Arrows]

Thanks, I’ll post it on its own thread. (I’d rather not give our local monomaniac any more attention.)

[shibumi]

On the subject of monomania and OCD I attempted a cyber-intervention, but to no avail:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2236643/posts?page=11#11

[Salamander]

LOL!

He/she is definitely one of the “weirdest” characters I’ve found on FR, to date.

[Salamander]

What?
No electric “therapy” offered?

Gotta take out all them nasty “brain worms”, too...;]

[although here, we just call it “seeing snakes”]

[Slings and Arrows]

Frustrating, for sure, but you can’t help him until he admits he has a problem.

[Slings and Arrows]

Maybe if we told Chet that Zer0 was a pit bull...

[Tammy8]

Hubby and I raised Queensland Heelers years ago- in fact hubby had one of the first red females I ever saw. Your dog is indeed part Queensland, I can’t tell what the cross is, but I don’t see Pit in your dog.

What gave you the idea that your dog is a Pit? I see a fat red heeler cross. BTW we had some heelers that were agressive in nature so it is good to keep up your guard. We had a female that I did not trust for an instant around cats, small dogs, or children. We didn’t have children or small pets yet or I would not have had her. I had a blue male that was the sweetest thing on earth and loved everybody and everything. I raised him from a puppy and we got the female after she was mistreated as a pup so it does make a difference.

I agree that most shelter workers cannot identify a dog breed any better than the average person- but I think they got the heeler part right on your dog.

[Salamander]

As if pit bulls aren’t already maligned enough.

[LongElegantLegs]

What gave you the idea that your dog is a Pit? I see a fat red heeler cross.

Like I said, it's a lot of little things. He weighs about 80lbs, and despite his wide body, he's not got a pinch of fat on him. You can feel every rib without having to push, although you can't really see them because he's got that coarse heeler coat. We walk three miles a day, and he pulls weight for fun. The vet tells me that he's one of the fittest dogs she's ever seen. (insert glow of pride here)

You may be thinking that he looks nothing like an AmStaff, which is true. But he has a lot in common with the leggier, unregistered pits one sees around here. More like this dog:

Than this one:

He's a good dog, anyway. Not much a heading instinct but he's a better hunter than I'd like. He brings in possums, squirrels, and the occasional feral cat. He's good with the kids but not jumpy or hyper.

[Salamander]

The little red pit I had was leggy, elegantly built, graceful ....almost greyhound-like...yet she was a pit.

If not not for her gargoyle face, you could have mistaken her for some kind of short sight hound.

Contrary to popular opinion, they don’t all look like Mack truck hood ornaments....:)

[LongElegantLegs]

Yes, there is an amazing amount of variation within the type...making an effective ban damn near impossible.

[Salamander]

And therein lies the root problem.

A LOT of non-”pit” dogs who just happen to be “chunky” looking or big-headed will be exiled or euthanized for NO GOOD REASON other than their appearance.

“Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer”
[William Blackstone]

Every dog of any breed must be “judged” solely upon its individual merits.
The owner of every dog who bites or kills -must- be prosecuted as an accessory to the “crime”, no excuses.

I could almost guarantee that IF that were enforced, you’d see a LOT less dog “attacks”.

Crack down HARD on the owners of those who raise vicious dogs and the problem will be solved.

Just last week, we ran into a skinny little punk being dragged into the vet’s office by a 5-6 month old red pit pup in a harness. [you can see the errors mounting, already]

The pup was in no way under control and growled at everyone.

We were getting our prescription at the counter and paying our bill and the dog lunged at me, growling.

I casually met his lunge with a good knuckle-rap across the snout and command of NO!.
The look of shock and confusion on his face as he instantly sat down was hilarious.
Apparently, nobody had ever interfered with his ‘reign of terror’ before and simply chose not put up with his crap.

I tried to tell the kid that the dog had on a leash that the dog needed discipline NOW or disaster was not far away.

Instead of taking my advice, the little twerp grinned and said “Yeah...he’s the bad boy of the litter”.
[while making feeble attempts to get the dog to “sit” by shoving down on his rump with the most pitiful, whiny “commands” I’ve ever heard uttered to a dog]

It was obvious that he was actually ‘getting off’ on the dog’s unacceptable behavior.

While hubby finished paying, I worked with the dog a bit, giving sharp “NO” commands every time he growled and the pup was responding positively.

Then, on the way home, I got bitched out for “interfering” because the kid had a “funny look on his face” as if he were insulted.

So what.

If he doesn’t get over feeling “insulted” and start aggressive, corrective training -now-, that lovely, intelligent little dog will be dead before it’s a year old and it *will* be that -kid’s- fault.

[LongElegantLegs]

Yes, an adorable biker chick comes up and starts schooling his dog...I'm sure he was VERY insulted. :-P He's probably still bragging about it to his friends.

Crack down HARD on the owners of those who raise vicious dogs and the problem will be solved.

I agree, but that solution is way too simple to ever be implemented. The government has to make things complicated and useless.

A little pit pup followed me home from my walk the other week; I left it outside and it wandered over to my neighbor's house, and she decided to keep it because it was so sweet. I told her it was a pit bull and she didn't seem to care, but a few days later I found out that it had killed one of their rabbits so they threw it out. I wish she had told me before getting rid of it, as I probably could have found someone responsible to take care of it.

[Salamander]

I’d say he was more intimidated and feeling “hen pecked”, myself...:))

[the man who taught me dog training was “Mr SCHMIDT!”, which you have to practically yell with all your Germanic accent might...I often wondered if he’d “fled here in the 40s” and for better or worse, I not only picked up his skill but his demeanor. “Macht Schnell!” I had Dobermans, then. It worked.]...LOL

What a shame about the pup.

I have dogs who were, for millenia, created and bred to hunt rabbits.
I also have pet rabbits.

Somehow, via the technological magic and miracles of dog fences and rabbit runs, no one’s ever been hurt.

And that works *both* ways because “Psycho Bunny” ain’t one bit impressed by the “hounds”. In fact, she charged to the *front* of her run, jumped up and punched Djinni in the nose, once.

[every once in a great while, Djinni runs at PB’s enclosure...but pulls up 3 or 4 feet short...she remembers]...;-D