Posted on 10/03/2007 4:47:54 PM PDT by Travis McGee
MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- A 42-year-old woman was fatally mauled by her two pit bulls, which also attacked the victim's son and a sheriff's deputy before both dogs were shot and killed on Tuesday morning, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Tina Marie Canterbury was dead by 8:15 a.m. when Clay deputies arrived at the scene in the 2400 block of Cosmos Avenue, off county Road 218 West.
"She was a wonderful, wonderful person to be around -- always smiling and always happy. It brightened up the room when she walked in," said Billie Cantebury, the victim's cousin.
"We have two full-blooded red-nosed pits and they just attacked our mom," a second son is heard saying on one of the 911 calls. "We can't get to my mom and my brother just went out there and they attacked him too. They don't need to get out of the ambulance or the dogs will try to get them, too."
The victim's 21-year-old son, Cody Canterbury, was also attacked by one of the dogs -- bitten in the throat -- but was not severely injured.
The dogs could be heard in the background of one of the 911 calls.
A family friend at the home at the time shot at the dogs with a 9mm handgun, but the dogs were still alive and one of them lunged at an arriving deputy before it was shot and killed.
The other dog got loose. The sheriff's office issued a dangerous dog alert while Clay County animal control officers and sheriff's deputies tracked down and the second dog. It was found in a wooded area about two hours later, shot and killed.
"It is a tragic and horrific situation that brings to light the danger of these type of animals," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said. "These dogs had never bitten a human before, but they did today -- they did turn on their owner."
Authorities said they did not know what circumstances caused the dogs to attack Canterbury.
The victim's husband, who was out of town on business at the time, is returning home to be with his family.
Billie Cantebury said the dogs were his cousin's companions when her husband was away on business.
"They were house pets, and they literally slept with her when he wasn't home. She would take them out and put them in their pin and walk them and stuff," he said.
The dogs were two years old and had been raised since puppies by Cantebury.
Beseler said the dogs were behind a fence that had a beware-of-dogs sign and the county had never had an animal complaint at the home.
Middleburg is in NE Florida, in Clay County, about 20 miles SW of Jacksonville.
IBTPBDA
In Before the Pit Bull Defenders Arrive
Every pit bull owner should get an automatic pre-posthumous Darwin award...
They are such sweet loving animals....
/s
At the linked article, there has been quite a discussion thread of comments. Many folks still defend the breed. “She must have done something....”
Just damn.. To be involved and to witness your own mother being killed is horrific.
Apparently, the pit bulls’ eyes were bigger than their stomachs.
When they’re a week old.
I wonder how much crossover there is between the folks who defend pit bulls and the folks who love tattoos? I'll have to do a study of posts.
How about IQ generally?
when will people learn - samething happened to my friend - didnt die but 2 weeks in hospital.
If I were to be surprised by some creature like this (or a pack of them) and I were carrying one of two concealed carry revolvers, which would I have the best chance with: .38 special (with let's say, 125 grain hp's) or .22 magnum, loaded with a typical .22wmr hp round?
I have my opinion, but the question is open for discussion...
Update: Amarillo Girl Mauled by Pit Bull
A pit bull is euthanized after attacking an Amarillo girl. An attack the Amarillo Animal Control Department is calling the most brutal they've seen in years.
The young victim's mother tells us she is still bleeding from the attack, and that she has already received more than a hundred stitches and the nerves in her leg may be permanently damaged.
Five girls were playing on a neighbor's trampoline when their pit bull viciously mauled 7 year old Brittany Tennison's leg last night.
"I'm just really upset that this happened to my daughter. It's hard to see her sitting up in the hospital bed on morphine and her leg, it just looks ripped apart," says her mother.
Another neighbor, Richard Baca, who came to her aid, says it took him and the dog's owner to pry the dog loose.
"It was going vicious at her like it just wanted to mangle and tear her leg off...it was ugly."
According to Animal Control the case was reviewed for felony criminal charges, but will not be filed because the dog was confined to it's own property. However, the girls family says they do feel the dog's owner acted irresponsibly.
"I think the community and everywhere in the united states should take a stand against those dogs because they should be accountable for that...it's just not right." said her grandmother.
"Time will tell. All I know right now is my daughters sitting in the hospital and she has over a hundred stitches in her leg from a dog mauling her like that."
Animal Control says if you or your child is attacked by a dog, make sure to stay still and protect you head and neck.
(My note: "and good luck doing that, if you're 7 years old.")
All dogs see their owners as part of their pack and they will establish a pack order if you don't. I sure that from the dogs' perspective, she was getting uppity and needed some correction. That wouldn't have happened if she had established herself as the alpha female in the pack.
Nah, IQ does not generally relate to either classiness or common sense.
I think you gotta go for penetration, so 38 over 22 for sure. The head is a small whipping around target, I’d go for center mass, and empty the mag.
So, it’s the woman’s fault, because she wasn’t “the dog whisperer.”
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