Pit Bulls Examined After Fatal Mauling

Las Vegas Sun ^ | June 5, 2005 | GREG SANDOVAL

[SLB]

Authorities examined two pit bulls as they attempted Saturday to reconstruct the details of the fatal mauling of a 12-year-old boy in his home. Investigators late Friday conducted an examination of the body of the female pit bull, Ella, who was shot dead by a police officer after Nicholas Faibish was discovered in his Sunset District home by his mother. The second dog, Rex, was examined Saturday at the shelter where the 80-pound dog is being held.

Both dogs, pets of the boy's family, were examined by veterinarian Dr. Bing Dilts and a police forensic expert, according to Deb Campbell, a spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control.

Blood was found on Rex's fur, but Campbell declined to disclose any other details. Authorities are still uncertain if both dogs attacked the boy. More tests are scheduled for Monday.

Faibish, who had been home alone with the dogs, was found lying on the floor in a bedroom of his home Friday afternoon. He was covered in blood from wounds throughout his body and a significant injury to his head, according to a source close to the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The room was "torn up," said the source. "It looked like he put up a hell of a fight."

Police revealed Saturday that both dogs confronted the first police officer on the scene.

"When he arrived at the flat he radioed in and said he was faced with two vicious dogs," said police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens. "He shot one of the dogs and the other ran away."

Rex, found hiding in a crawl space outside, was captured. He didn't exhibit any aggressive behavior at that time, according to Gittens.

Rex is being held by Animal Care and Control in the same isolation area were two Presa Canario dogs were kept after mauling to death 33-year-old Diane Whipple in 2001.

Several neighbors said they heard both dogs growling and barking inside the victim's apartment late Thursday night.

Neighbors also said that one of the dogs went missing last year and was later recovered by Animal Care and Control. Campbell confirmed that one of the animals spent time at the facility but she did not know the reason for the stay.

The dogs were described as "sweethearts," by one neighbor but not everyone remembered them as particularly friendly.

Asked about the dogs' behavior, 13-year-old neighbor Aaron Vinnick said: "Sometimes nice, sometimes mean."

Michelle O'Leary, who lives around the corner from the victim's home, said that the dogs appeared to be treated well by the boy and his family.

Not long ago, neighbors said, the victim and his brother found a patch of wet cement where the sidewalk was being repaired and scrawled the words "Rex SF."

"It was obvious he loved those dogs," O'Leary said.

The incident has shaken dog owners in San Francisco. Campbell said that several people arrived at Animal Care and Control on Saturday to drop off their pit bulls.

"What happens is that people start thinking about their liability and safety," Campbell said. "The pit bulls that killed the boy were described as friendly and people start looking at their friendly dog and asking if it could do the same thing."

The shelter accepted the dogs and will perform an "aggression assessment" to determine whether a dog poses a safety hazard. If the dog passes, the dog is put up for adoption. If it does not, it is destroyed.

[Wayland]

These dogs should only be allowed in zoos next to the tiger exhibits. We should not be waiting for a politician's child or grandchild is mauled to death before the right laws are enacted to address these time bombs.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Same case as posted on THR I believe.

[mvpel]

This is my friendly dog, Heidi. She's actually friendly, as opposed to conditionally friendly.

She enjoyed playing chase with a little Miniature Pinscher when we lived in California:

They'd trade off - sometimes Be'mi would chase Heidi, too.

If she gets bothered by grabby children, she simply leaves the area.

We brought her over to a friends' house yesterday afternoon for a big party - they have a Boston Terrier puppy named Mitzi and an elderly German Shepherd name Sascha. They got along just fine, though there was a bit of grumping by Sascha when young Heidi got too forward by licking Mitzi's head as she does with our cat from time to time. From that point on, Sascha felt she had to keep a close eye on Heidi, which Heidi didn't appreciate very much.

[Trust but Verify]

I wonder what pit bull apologists will say about this case? The dogs weren't trained to fight, there were no ealrier signs of visciousness, they killed their owner, not an intruder. Hmmm......

[SLB]

I had not checked on The High Road. I imagine the comments there would involve quick and decisive response. FR has gotten a little too PC in some of these cases.

[fivekid]

Your Heidi is a carbon copy of my timber.

wish I could post a pic. We had a mini pincher,used to call

her "The ankle biter" always thought she was a big dog.

she would take on my other sheps no problem....

Tough little dog she was.

[Ditter]

The pit bull apologist will say that pit bulls are misunderstood and they are loving pets. Did you expect them to say something different?

[Tijeras_Slim]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=141507

[Carry_Okie]

Banning breeds concerns me. It's akin to banning assault weapons. If insurers charged an owner according to the risk associated with keeping the dog, only those committed to the breed would bother to own one.

Problem solved.

[dawn53]

My personal opinion is that any dog will bite. (Had a friend who believed that her dog would never bite anyone, then he took a chunk out of the mailman's leg.)

I've known dogs from labs, and goldens to toy dogs that bit.

We have a Weim, she loves people, very friendly, never had any problem with biting anyone (she won't even put her teeth on you in play because it was something we taught her was a "no-no") but I don't trust any dog, even her, especially around small children. I watch her like a hawk when babysitting my niece's kids.

But most dogs wouldn't kill. There's something about certain breeds that instinctually make them more prone to kill.

[fivekid]

Maybe it is just me, but every pit bull i have seen

are always mangled up. A friend of ours had one,

named it princess(LOL) nasty dog she was. would fight

with anything! People, animals cars. Scary dog.

and they say i am nuts to own German Shepard's......

[Wayland]

A lot of people do not have such insurance. You way would only address the problem if you made insurance mandatory. That is a law I would rather not see passed.

Consider this bread like a tiger or a lion. The bread does not need to be eradicated, it should be put in zoos.

[jocon307]

"...only those committed to the breed would bother to own one. Problem solved."

With all due respect, not for this family.

[TNdandelion]

I'd say that some people just don't understand dog behavior and instead of clueing themselves in, they assume that banning a particular breed of dog makes them safe.

I propose we ban children next. Makes as much sense.

[Lazamataz]

Oh no! More Borg assimilation!

[Lazamataz]

I propose we ban children next.

I've long proposed this.

[Carry_Okie]

That is a law I would rather not see passed.

Pray tell, why? Do you have a problem with people required to be responsible for their purchases?

The bread does not need to be eradicated, it should be put in zoos.

Any dog can be raised to be vicious. I have Dutch Shepherds. They are an outstanding animal bred for police work. There are those who consider all police dogs vicious.

European fascists took the dogs right after they took the guns, and for good reason.

[demkicker]

Reading two violent pit bull stories on FR in one day is enough to make me nuts. I've decided the owners of these dogs are to blame. How much more proof does anyone need to know this is a rotten & dangerous breed?

Check this one out!

[Carry_Okie]

With all due respect, not for this family.

Nothing is going to repair the damage for them, but anybody dumb enough to leave two dogs alone routinely and not expect behavior problems is crazy. They will bond to each other more than their handlers. Professionals kennel them separately.