Jurors hear chilling 911 call, see images of San Antonio senior being mauled by dog

My San Antonio ^ | January 19, 2018 | Elizabeth Zavala

[Norski]

“Let go! Let go!” the boy cried in a video shown in court Thursday as he used a stick to try to stop a 70-pound pit bull named “Bully” that dragged, chewed, broke and tore at an elderly San Antonio woman’s arm until a police officer shot the dog to death.

The graphic images were taken from the doorbell of Doris Mixon Smith, who was 72 on March 6, 2017, when her next-door neighbors’ pet somehow got out of its yard and attacked her — for at least five minutes — as she was gardening.

Mixon Smith’s arm was severed just below the elbow, and the skin and flesh on the right side of her face was ripped and torn, from the eyebrow to her chin

[Norski]

Fire Extinguishers have been found to be almost as effective as firearms, and here are some other suggestions. The author, Merritt Clifton, writes on animals of all types and has been collecting stats on dog bites and maulings for over 30 years.

http://www.animals24-7.org/2017/06/25/15-real-life-tips-for-surviving-a-dog-attack/

[Aliska]

My feelings, too, at least grandfathered out, quickly as possible. Once some kids were selling these cute little puppies at the gas station, and I asked what kind they were. Pit bulls. The thought ran through my head that it might be worth it for $20 apiece which is what they were asking to buy and take somewhere to be euthanized. But I didn't think I could quite do that. Furthermore, I doubt any animal people would do it if they were healthy.

There are tons of videos of people who rescue them and feel sorry for them. Almost do, especially a pure white one dumped to die in a FL preserve. Should be good hunting grounds there though. I hate to see them suffer. Better that they get put down. Just too risky. But I couldn't do anything inhumane to them unless they were attacking me.

[publius911]

Always a pit bull

No real comment.
These "accidents" should be treated at least as attempted second degree murder. With the appropriate punishment...

Never less than 5 years minimum.

Until stupidity becomes a serious felony...

[CottonBall]

it’s ok, i think it’s funny when people do that. the more off topic, the funnier it is because i don’t always figure it out before reading it all and wondering what i missed in the article, lol

i’m worried some mean dog would attack my little yorkie. he thinks he’s big and has tried to attack lots of big dogs. i’ve always pulled him back but one day a mean one might take him up on it. they usually treat him like a little annoying gnat, not something to take seriously.

[wastedyears]

The husband received 4 years, and the wife received ten years probation.

Unrelated, but not surprising - the man goes to jail, the woman doesn't.

[CottonBall]

great article, thanks for posting it.

“Pits and Rotts, together with their recognizable mixes, make up about 7% of the U.S. dog population, but account for 70% of the fatalities and 83% of the disfigurements.”

i guess that answers my questions.

i don’t think i could carry a fire extinguisher with my on walks with my yorkie, but i will start carrying my bear spray. If the problem the article states with pepper spray is the small size, then the larger can of bear spray might be effective enough.

[CottonBall]

That article doesn’t say why the woman only got probation though. I’d like to know more details. All owners of Pitbulls ought to go to jail.

[Aliska]

Thanks and thanks for the link on combatting an attacking dog. If it is attacking a person including me, a kid or another dog, I might look for help but wouldn't care about being humane. Locally sometimes it has taken cops five shots to drop an attacking dog. And they have to get there.. In time.

Some have beaten them off with shovels, etc., but maybe not high enough rate to gamble on unless it's all you've got. But to try to get the attacker to grab the handle (person goes from behind and know what they are doing - I have read a lot of the article), anything is better than nothing.

Somebody suggested a cattle prod but it sounded too iffy to carry on a walk. Also ammonia. Don't know.

As to your little yorkie, I don't blame you because those little ones don't stand a chance. And if you have a little cage, time and it could attack you instead. But it's those damn jaws, and they are probably lightning fast. Once that they've somehow got to be made to let go.

The wind can blow stuff you spray back at you, probably not a fire extinguisher. Let me know if you come up with something nearly foolproof.

My gf told me about getting attacked by a German Shepherd. She climbed onto the roof of a parked car, still snapped at her. The owner came out, and she was so mad she said "I want that dog dead!". I guess the owner did have it euthanized, maybe with some unfriendly persuasion from authorities or something.

.

[DallasGal]

Next door neighbor has 4. They had been jumping on the fence (old wooden) and 1 kept coming into my yard. I happened to walk out when that happened the first time. Dog charged my 14 y/o cattle dog. Backed down when I came out. Ok, 1 time, I’ll give you a pass.

They broke more boards. As I was going to block it with bricks one of them tried to come through. Neighbor’s son was out there. Told him to pull the dog back or I was dropping brick on it’s head.

That was the last time I went out back without my pistol. Talked to neighbor, he said dogs were just defending territory. Fine if they aren’t busting down the fence. I had fence replaced between our yards. Same one that tried to get me tried to get my landscaper. He called animal control.

AC came out, left note for owner. A week later his dogs went nuts barking. Back neighbor has 2 labs. A bark fest for over an hour ensued and you could hear the pits charging the fence. It was ridiculous.

I’m guessing that AC was called again. From that point, I have rarely heard his dog outside. I have since adopted another dog. The only time my boy goes nuts and raises his hackles is on the rare occasion his are out at the same time. Interesting reaction that he doesn’t have with the back neighbor’s labs.

I have friends who have pits and they are sweet dogs, but I would never have one. I don’t trust them or Chihuahuas (vicious little yappy dogs)

[Aliska]

OMG, that is some scary stuff. I'd be on edge all the time that there would be a bad incident even if not you or your dogs. It would make me furious actually, but you can only do so much.

My neighbor has 3, one a chihuahua which don't bother me too much but never cared for them. The bigger one really frightened me one night, but they are pretty considerate.

The ones before that went out on a weekend, left their friend's dog and 2 of theirs out in the back yard which is well fenced. But they barked non-stop for almost 12 hours. Finally I called another neighbor who calls the police, he came me over, said he'd called and I should, too. I did reluctantly.

The police came up. Shortly after they came home. It was worse for me because our houses are so close together and no insulation. The one dog would get at the back door and bark for hours. It was right by my bedroom.

I wrote a polite note and taped it to their door. I never had any trouble after that that I can remember.

I guess I've been lucky so far, have been scared a few times but bitten just once as far as I can remember, didn't break much skin, probably just snapped at me. The worst bite I ever got was sticking my finger in a rabbit's cage. They've got sharp, strong teeth, and my finger really bled and hurt. But my parents didn't make a fuss about it; it was my stupid curiosity.

Still your situation is much worse and dangerous, authorities or not. They're usually there too late and ineffective.

[OldMissileer]

Furthermore, I doubt any animal people would do it if they were healthy.

Euthanize them yourself.

I have no problem putting a 22 into the skull of any nasty animal. If you live in a rural area there is no problem. If you live in an area where you are not allowed to discharge a firearm then get one of those cheap fixed-blade survival knives and put it in their skull.

Pit Bulls are bred to be fighter/killers. It is in their DNA. I knew a dog-loving family raise to mutts and then a Pit Bull from birth. When that stinking Pit Bull was about 13 months old it tried to attack a stranger who was walking on a sidewalk. It was leashed but with their younger daughter and if she hadn't been able to hold on I would have stepped in and popped it with my 45ACP carry piece.

Pit Bulls are trash.

[OldMissileer]

Pits and Rotts, together with their recognizable mixes, make up about 7% of the U.S. dog population...

They may make up only 7% of the Nation's dog population but they seem to make up about 80%+ of the animal shelter population.

When my son and I went to look for a new rescue dog a few years ago we went to four different shelters and found that each shelter had maybe one or two that were not Pit Bulls.

[trebb]

Yep - and there’s always idiots claiming pit bulls are getting a bad rap...they say because some are bad doesn’t make them all bad and then turn around and say the opposite about illegals - w/o seeing the fallacy in their reasoning...

[logi_cal869]

“Stupid people” need to be rounded up and put down - along with all others that have a known propensity for being stupid. And the progenitors of stupid people should be jailed.

There: Fixed.

[Norski]

I think that there is an article in 2009 Psychology Today that addresses this.