Posted on 08/21/2007 8:00:32 PM PDT by paulat
Woman mauled by home-invading pit bulls
07:45 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 21, 2007
KING5.com Staff
Animal control officers say the victim was covered in blood after the dogs attacked PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - In what deputies describe as the worst mauling they've ever seen, two pit bulls entered a Wauna-area home via the pet door and attacked a woman in her bed.
Pierce County Sheriff's Dept. spokesman Ed Troyer said a neighbor's Jack Russell terrier also entered the home in the 10600 block of 132nd St. Court NW through the dog door and the pit bulls attacked the terrier named Romeo.
The 59-year-old woman was in bed, in her room. Neighbors say she was sound asleep when the attack happened. She managed to get away, run to her car, lock herself in and call 911. Even after fighting off the dogs, she was in pretty bad shape.
Bernard Choi / KING 5 News
Two pit bulls entered a Pierce County home and attacked a woman in her bed.
"Pretty much from head-to-toe, she was covered in blood," said Pierce County Animal Control officer Brian Bowman.
Troyer said firefighters locked the pit bulls in the house until deputies arrived. Officers had to use pepper spray and fight the dogs to get them into custody.
The woman was taken to St. Joseph Hospital, where she was listed in satisfactory condition. The terrier was taken to an animal hospital, where he died Tuesday afternoon.
The pit bulls were taken to the Pierce County Humane Society, where they will remain until the case is resolved.
The pit bulls also attacked a Jack Russell terrier named Romeo.
Troyer said the owner of the pit bulls has been identified and lives on the same street as the victim. KING 5 went to the home, but nobody answered the door. Neighbors say they have had problems in the past with the two pit bulls running wild.
Information will be given to prosecutors, who will decide what, if any, charges will be filed against the owners. Animal control officers say they will recommend gross misdemeanor charges at the very least.
We don' neeed no steenkin' laws -- just a lack of witnesses....
Pound for pound, perhaps. And I agree that the great dane would be in big trouble. But some larger breeds can easily kill a pit in a defensive situation just as a fair heavy weight can easily beat a great lightweight.
Tosas, filas, boerboels, and a few other big mastiffs will make short work of a pit because they are much bigger and stronger. They don’t have to be “gamer” because the 50-60 lbs pit is simply going to have its spine snapped by the 150 lb to 220 lb dog.
With the exception of the Tosa, these mastiffs are not fighting dogs, but protective breeds. Consequently, when I say they would make short work of the pit, I am saying that would be the case in a pit attack situation - I’m not talking about dog fighting, which is an abomination.
One fila owner had a pit charge him on his property, and before he realized what was happening his fila had grabbed the pit and was bashing it against a tree trunk. The pit didn’t survive.
The problem with the pit is that it (like the Tosa) is bred for dog aggression. When you couple that genetic drive with left hand side of the bell curve owners, you get a dog that is very dangerous.
If you live in a neighborhood with pits, having a pet boerboel, fila, or cane corso would provide a good first line of defense, which should be backed up with a .357 or larger caliber.
Just heard Romeo, the Jack Russell Terrier that probably saved the woman’s life, giving her the time to run away to get to her car...died.
Bless him.
DK
Maybe you need to set out some rat poison to get those dirty rats that have been bothering you?
The only thing that stops me is that the owner actually likes the vile things and I hate to cause too much grief to neighbors. I'm more of a live and let live person, but she's really pushing the envelope.
I'm a cat person, not a dog person, and hate that so many Americans think of themselves as their pets' "mommies" and "daddies." It turns my stomach to hear it because it's so feminized and morally demented! However (and one of the reasons I'm against breed banning for pit bulls, Rottweilers, or any other breed), dogs are unique and valuable to human kind -- dogs, including pit bulls (just ask kanawa) will willingly die to protect their human masters. Dogs deserve a very special place in all human hearts. Still, right-minded people will discreetly kill remotely errant pit bulls in their neighborhoods because it's the responsible thing to do for everyone who lives there, especially kids and the elderly. Pit bull owners beware -- the onus is on you to protect your dog from the public at large, not the other way around.
You neighbor is a live-and-let-die person. Deal with it.
IMHO, the main problem with Pit Bulls is that their owners, due to a fundamentally unjust society, are away from home for long periods of time. They are often serving time in local and federal prisons on a variety of charges trumped up by "Pit Bull Haters," or undergoing extensive medical treatment for burns suffered when their home laboratories blow up because local fire departments are also in on this tragic conspiracy against this fine breed. Thus, they are not at home to discipline and train these wonderful pets.
I just wish you could see the boundless joy expressed by these jolly pets when they see "Mom," and "Dad," walking through those iron gates! In those precious months when their owners are free, Pit Bulls show their warmth and affection, while earning the temporarily-at-liberty owner respect in the hood.
I ask for fairness; fairness and balance. Sure Pit Bulls take out a child or two, perhaps occasionally the odd mail carrier, one or two joggers, or a senior ccitizen. But what's that trifling casualty list against the hours of pleasure these fine dogs give the upstanding citizens who care for and love them?
Much could be gained by allowing Pit Bulls to share their owners' cells, during those tragically inevitable periods when the supporters of this incredibly affectionate breed are forced by an unjust world to suffer durance vile.
One of those dogs on your ass is bad enough but two??? Heart pounding, anxiety and fear coursing through her veins...no chance she would be able to get hold of a gun and shoot. A dog that can tow a small car can shake someone like a rag doll if agitated enough....
[sound of shotgun being pumped]
"Hey! All y'all! Shut your eyes now, okay?"
I think I qualified the statement sufficiently.
I’d never be able to make those shots, but someone might . . . . unless their shooting hand/arm had gotten chewed up.
They aren't the dog's "parents." They're its owners. There's a very big difference.
It doesn't matter whether the owner is bad or good. I hear arguments about canine free will here on the pit bull threads that are laughable. A good owner might help to overcome the breeding, a bad owner will make things worse--but the dog is not a blank slate. He has been bred to kill, and to kill in a noisy and entertaining fashion.
I think the best thing a citizen can do at this point is to demand of our homeowners' insurers that they not cover certain breeds of dogs--that will identify the remaining pits as pets of the improvident and thus a danger.
And our local shelters should not attempt to place any pits in homes--just euthenize them immedicately.
In case you didn’t quite understand my post, I despise Jack Russel Terriers. They have lousy proportions, ugly little beady eyes, hair that gets into everything, piercing little yaphound voices, and ridiculous tails, whether docked or not.
My neighbour has a pair that are trained to within an inch of their lives, and they still yap at unholy hours, jump up on some people without permission, and carry on doing whatever they please when not “under harness”.
They act like large hairy tailed rats on speed and acid. This is the case for every Russell I’ve seen or met, and it’s disgusting. If any of my dogs were half as ill-mannered, I’d take them out for that “ride in the woods”.
That said, I’d quite happily own another pitbull/cross. If it showed the least amount of agression towards humans, that trip to the woods would occur immediately.
Funny how when a breed one is fond of for whatever reason is maligned, those who like them will come to their defense, isn’t it?
That little babble about rats, I have a peke-pom mix that will out-rat any little hellion Russell. I had a fox terrier that would do the same, and the lab/whippet/pit cross my brother had used to evict raccoons and beavers. Oh, and cats were doing a dandy job before the Russell was bred (for hunting WEASELS, BTW).
Those with an irrational and media hyped fear of pitbulls, I feel badly for you. It’s a pity that even among our little community some react with emotion rather than logic concerning these animals. I dislike Jack Russels, but went into hyperbole mode after reading the overwrought anti-pit posts. Those who enjoy them, good for you. You can even bring them to visit, but only for a few hours. After that, I won’t be responsible for the 2 collie’s discipliinary actions.
Rachel Ray has owned a series of pits. Blew my mind. Now there's a deep pocket!! She's making money faster than Martha Stewart.
Perhaps a second fence with a declared free fire zone between.
My friend had to get rid of his Jack Russell. He gave it to relatives.
It wasn’t mean, it was just too wild. The thing would jump up and down in place four a solid hour.
He decided it wasn’t the right dog for him in an apartment. He gave it to his relatives who have a fenced backyard. The energy was nonstop.
Very true. The Jack Russell terriers my in-laws have and have had are hyper, crazy animals who engage in dominance displays to every visitor, even those who have visited multiple times, like me. Of course, the real problem is their indulgent owners.
BTW, I have nothing at all against JRs. A friend has them and they have always been well behaved. They’re great watchdogs because they make enough noise for any 10 other dogs when someone approaches. She doesn’t take any nonsense from them, though.
That said, if I were to own a dog, I would not likely get a JR. The energy levels are way too high for me. They have springs in those legs and know how to use them.
Yes, little dogs can be aggressive and there seems to be a correlation to that and size, but a smaller dog I could defend myself against. A pit is just way to strong and unstoppable for its size.
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