Woman viciously attacked by pitbull; Dog attacked at least three other times (probation for dogs?)

Iknowbakersfield ^

[chance33_98]

Woman viciously attacked by pitbull; Dog attacked at least three other times

By Maya Sanchez

KGET 17 News

08/27/02

Bakersfield - An Oildale woman wants some answers as to why a vicious dog, with a history of assault wasn't restrained.

Charlotte Reintz says it took just seconds yesterday for a pitbull to attack her.

She says she's traumatized and wonders why something wasn't done about the dog that has apparently attacked, not once, not twice, but at least three previous times.

Reintz was viciously attacked by a pitbull on Belle Avenue in Oildale while walking to a friend's house Sunday.

"I put my shirt out like this and it just started biting my shirt to keep it from biting me any more and it seemed like forever before somebody came out there," said Reintz.

Her piercing screams sent neighbors rushing from their homes to rescue her.

"I got up to see what it was and we brought her here in the yard," said neighbor Kenneth Caudillo. "The guy next door helped get the dog off of her and we helped her call 911."

Neighbors say the traumatic assault should never have happened.

"This animal had a dangerous order placed on it in Sept. of 2001, after a couple of incidents which required the animal to be maintained within its yard on a tether not less than 12 feet," said Steve McCalley of Kern County Environmental Health. "Apparently it has not been maintained consistent with the dangerous order."

Now, Reintz is nursing wounds in her hands, legs, and chest area, but she says her injuries run deep.

Reintz says she can't comment on whether she'll pursue any type of legal action in light of the attack.

The dog will remain under quarantine at the animal shelter pending the outcome of the investigation.

The owner has five business days to appeal the quarantine order before the dog is put down.

[Snowy]

I am raising my Pit and Aussie to work and protect my livestock, nothing more, nothing less.

Just curious. Why did you choose a pit bull for this job? There are many other dogs that are actually bred for this.

www.dogbreedinfo.com

[hoosierskypilot]

Dogs get stereotyped, too.

I used to have a Dobe back when people thought Dobes were evil. Turns out though, that when someone wanted a mean dog, he'd buy a Dobe, treat it mean, and then, you've got a mean dog.

Used to say 95% people on earth weren't fit to raise dogs, much less children. Guess that's still right.

[hoosierskypilot]

"But dogs like this do not belong in the city
NOR do they belong in the COUNTRY!"

Yea, they belong in the country. In the country, folks just shoot'em. Why waste time dialing 911? City folks ain't got no sense, nohow.

[hoosierskypilot]

"I didn't mean to give anyone the indication that I beat my dogs all the time..."

Too late, now! You've had it! The ASPCA is after you! This is America. You can murder your unborn children, kill 3000 people on 9/11 (and we'll even give you welfare while you're planning it), kidnap and murder more children, but do not discipline your dog!

San Jose, CA. Guy grabs woman's dog out of her car and throws it into traffic. Dog dies. Man is in prison. Woman never has to work again because she is on disability. Says she cannot drive past that spot to get to work anymore. CA judge bought it. Give me a break.

[hoosierskypilot]

"You have to be a responsible owner though (that's what's missing in this story)."

You betcha! People treat dogs about the way they treat children: have'm but don't raise'm. Too much trouble. Sooner or later, though, comes back to haunt'em.

[dtel]

Actually snowy, I didn't set out to get a pit or an aussie.
We saved the Aussie at 9 days old, from being euthanized, because she had too much white to suit the breeder.
We bottle raised her and she is doing well.
The pit was given to us by my wives friend, who raises them, he needed a good home.
In my lifetime, not one dog I have ever owned has ever attacked a person.
This simply will not fly, as I mentioned earlier. I am as strong willed as any animal, including my bull. Who by the way is halter broke and is really just a big old baby.
I have been around Pits before and actually find them to be a very well mannered dog.
The reason we took the Pit is because of coyotes, and I did not want my Aussie trying to take them on by herself. We also have a lot of feral hogs out here and they can also be pretty nasty little devils.
I did not get the dog to fight or attack people, he will have a job to do and will be trained to do that job.
I am running a working ranch and can not afford to lose livestock to predators. As I mentioned earlier, one of my prize heifers is now missing part of her tail because of wild dogs or coyotes. I have a duty to protect my livestock.

[Egregious Philbin]

I'm jealous that you have a pit and an Aussie. Two dog breeds I really like. I have my pit, and I really can't afford to get another dog, though i'd like one.

I just wanted to let you know I have found my pit bull, now 11 years old, to be a very trainable dog. Haven't trained him to do anything important, but I suppose he could. We've invented a million variations on the game of catch. Just recently I found out, by accident, that he was pretty good as a "search and rescue" dog. I keep making it more challenging him for him to find his toy and he gets it every time. You'd think that he'd only be good for guard duty (that's the only thing I haven't tried to train him to do), but he's pretty clever.

[jpsb]

My Newfy likes to knock over small creatures, ping them to the ground and them lick them. Drives the little kids and puppies crazy, but they also ways come back to play so I don't think it is such a bad thing. Cats on the other hand get really pissed at being pinged to the ground.

[dtel]

...but he's pretty clever.

This is what I am noticing with both of them.

We took them to the lower pasture yesterday for the first time and showed them some coyote dung, within ten minutes they had picked up scent to another pile and wanted to go to the woods and look around.

I was pretty impressed.

[B4Ranch]

Myself, I'm fussy and want head shots. My 22.250 will give me those out to 450 yds. with light winds.

[jpsb]

Well you are missing out on some very fine dogs, Newfoundlands are extremely sweet natured dogs and they are very big too. Almost as nice are St B's, and bull mastifs.

Pit bulls are wonderful dogs if the are well breed (good breeder that is not breeding for aggression) and raised as a family pet. The problem with bits is that too many breeders are breeding for aggression and to many buyers are buying pits as guard/protection dogs. The end result is the breed is ruined. Too bad cause pit bulls really are good dogs. Oh well

[jpsb]

What you need is a Great Py-an-ness. Best damn dog there is for watching over live stock.

[dtel]

Pitbulls are to news services like the Sharks of 2001... other dog breed attacks simply fail to make news copy...though you can probably call your local doggie impound to find out who's been picked up for bites.
American Pitbull Terriers have been the face of terror for the last ten years, before that we had the Doberman scares.
Most Americans forget that this breed of dogs was named "The American Dog" in 1914....ie. best loved family pet. These Terriers were used in advertising media: the RCA dog staring into the grammophone and Buster Browns dog. Who can forget the childrens film reels classics "Little Rascals"....
Anyway, as a decidedly non-redneck and new Pit owner....I have forgone my previously held prejudices based on ignorance in relation to this breed. They are truly wonderful dogs who like many other breeds can be both mistreated and mistrained.


77 posted on 8/28/02 11:56 AM Central by Katya

---

I didn't want this to get lost in the white noise.
Excellent post.

[flyervet]

I've had several Chows, all of whom have been rescued. I'm sure that there are mean Chows out there, just as I'm sure there are mean Golden Retrievers. After coming home with us, our Chows have never bitten anyone, not even us. They're sweet, loyal dogs who get a bad rap. I do like the fact that their reputation keeps people from asking if they can pet or play with our dogs when we go for walks- I wouldn't let a stranger touch my child and I won't let one touch my dog.

[flyervet]

Chows are no more unpredictable than any other dog, with proper discipline and training. Chows are very independant and intelligent and aren't terribly motivated to please their people. You have to be more stubborn and determined than the Chow.

[dtel]

I have heard that before, my neighbor when we lived in town had one and it kind of soured me on them.
I realize the dog was not in his element, but he was also kind of goofy.

[flyervet]

I've been around dogs my whole life. The only dog that ever bit me was a Golden. We were in training class with one of our dogs (a rescue Chow) and the Golden decided she wanted the treats I had hidden behind my back. Her owner had let her off lead "just for a second, she's such a sweet dog normally," and she bit my hand to get at the treats. I let out a yell and my Chow started barking, which is when the Golden went for his throat. The owner was shrieking "What did you do to make her act like that?" and the teacher helped me break up the fight.

Maybe that Golden was such a sweet dog normally, but her owner was an idiot.

[flyervet]

One of our Chows managed to slip out the door one morning while I was on my way to work. He saw our hostile, dog-hating kitty cat and chased her, caught her, held her down and licked her, head to tail, then literally rolled her over and licked her from face to tail. She was screetching and yowling the entire time. It must have looked like a big, blue, wet towel was coming at her face. After he was done, he let her go and stood there, goofy-a@@ grin on his face, wagging his tail and watched her run away. She looked like she'd fallen into a swimming pool. Damndest thing I've ever seen.

[dtel]

You're correct.
It is very easy to judge all dogs by a few bad ones, which is why I am trying to be patient on this thread.

[flyervet]

I have a soft spot in my heart for so-called "dangerous dogs". Too often, these dogs are the victims of ignorance. I'm not sure which is worse, people who beat and abuse their dogs in the hopes of training them, or people who forget that dogs aren't four-legged humans.

Dogs are sentient creatures with their own needs, desires, and agendas. They don't understand English very well, they don't process the world in the same way that we do, and they don't exist solely to please us and do our bidding. A small child running and tumbling toward a dog may look cute to you or I, but the dog sees an animal near its own size coming toward it with alarming speed and force. Who wouldn't perceive that as a threat? A strange human bringing his hand quickly into a dogs blind spot to pet the dog may look like a benign gesture to us, but the dog has no idea who this person is and what they might do. Who among us in the dogs position, might not let out a growl, or worse?

I keep strangers, animals and humans alike, away from my dogs because my dogs can't assess a potential threat with the same accuracy I can. A dog's sense of self-preservation is just different, and I respect that. I also respect the stranger's right to self-preservation. That is why I have not had a problem with biting. My dogs don't know that most humans aren't a danger, and I know that some humans are a danger. I give my dogs time to become comfortable before allowing a stranger to get too close to them, and I do not allow any small child free access to my dog. To do otherwise would be to invite disaster.