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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Authorities say a Philadelphia woman found dead in her home had been fatally mauled by her own dogs. Autopsy results were released Thursday on 50-year-old Carmen Ramos.

Pit bulls have a pretty crummy reputation these days. Between the myth of a pit bull’s “locking jaw” and the constant news stories depicting the dogs as ruthless-attackers of innocent children, it’s no wonder that many people have grown afraid of the breed. The fact is these dogs are no more evil than any other breed. Indeed, pit bulls usually score very high on dog temperament testing, they have a passing rate of 84% compared to the average dog score of 77%, and their sweet disposition around children has earned them the nickname of “nanny dog

An Oklahoma family credits their dog DBoy with protecting them from a gun-wielding intruder who barged into their home. Roberta Trawick says her pit bull leapt to defend her and her family. The intruder, who is still at large, "came in, pointed a gun at me and said, ‘Get down on the ground'," Trawick told Oklahoma City’s News 9. Then, Trawick says DBoy immediately ran in from another room and was ready to attack. The gunman shot DBoy three times -- twice in the head -- before running off after apparently being spooked by the dog. "It is amazing, it's...

Any dog who can pretend to snore while keeping one eye open on the sly is a keeper for sure! And as far as her new family is concerned—not to mention the entire neighborhood—Scarlet the pit bull is more than just a keeper. She’s an inspiration. Wes and Melissia McBride of Rolla, Missouri, were on the Best Friends website hoping to find a dog to adopt. At first, they thought perhaps one of the Vicktory dogs, but most of them are still not ready for homes. When they contacted Best Friends, the adoption staffers pointed them toward Scarlet on Adorable...

LULING, Texas – Caldwell County investigators say a 2-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a pit bull dog. The child was found in his backyard Thursday afternoon with the dog nearby. Deputies haven’t said whether or not if it was the family’s dog. The animal has been picked up and is now in the custody animal control officers. News 4 WOAI has a crew there and will update as more details become available.

ACTON - Johnny Depp and his canine entourage rushed to greet a visitor to their property with a flurry of tail wags and hand licks through a chain-link fence. The young American Staffordshire terrier mix was rescued from death row at a shelter. Now, the happy, outgoing and well-behaved dog is awaiting adoption and a new home with a loving family. Unfortunately, not all dogs like Johnny are as lucky. Johnny, his canine friends Tyler and Annie and many other dogs are based on 2½ acres at actress and philanthropist Linda Blair's Rescued Animal Wellness Center. Blair formed the nonprofit...

SEOUL (AFP) - An America woman blinked back tears of joy Tuesday as she cuddled puppies cloned in South Korea from her beloved former pit bull terrier. < > "They are perfectly the same as their daddy. I am in heaven here. I am a happy person," McKinney said, recalling her years with Booger who saved her life by chasing off a ferocious mastiff which bit her severely. < > Ra said the university would undertake an ethical review of his firm's business to prevent indiscreet cloning. "For my next project, I will consider cloning camels for rich people in...

AMARILLO — A miniature horse given to a boy with brain cancer by the Make-A-Wish Foundation was killed by a pair of pit bulls who were found roaming in his yard, authorities said. The 31-inch tall horse, Anniversary, was donated by the foundation to 3-year-old Christian Vasquez in late August. Christian, who was diagnosed in January with a malignant form of brain cancer, received a pull cart, a blanket, a halter and a bridle set from the foundation on Saturday, said Jelaine Workman, executive director for the foundation's Amarillo chapter. Two days later, Anniversary was found dead on his property...

Yet another dog attack in the Antelope Valley has resulted in death. This time, the victim was a nearly 10-year-old female golden retriever-chow mix named Nakita, who was in her own back yard the morning of Oct. 10 when the attack occurred, according to Monique Alexander, Nakita's owner. Alexander said she left her home in the 1600 block of East Norberry Street at about 6:30 a.m. Oct. 10, headed to a business meeting. Nakita was in the yard, she said. When she returned at 1 p.m., Alexander said, she opened the door to let her dog inside. "Normally, she's at...

If John Erickson hadn't had his gun with him when a neighbor's pit bull attacked him, there's no telling how bad things might have been. Erickson, 22, was walking up to his house on 400 South near 700 West in Orem on Wednesday when a neighbor's pit bull bit him from behind. As he rode his scooter to his house around 8:30 p.m., Erickson saw the dog sitting calmly while a neighborhood girl petted it. Then he parked and took three or four steps toward his house when the dog bit him. "All of a sudden the dog grabbed my...

GAINESVILLE - A teenager who needed 900 stitches after her family's pit bull attacked her is recovering at home. Amanda Boyles, 19, of Interlachen, suffered facial lacerations and a damaged artery that required surgery after the dog lunged at her face while they were playing Thursday. Deputies said the woman's father, Felton Boyles, pried the dog off his daughter at it shook her head back and forth in its grip.

Toddler dies after pit bull attack From Live5 News Authorities say a toddler was mauled to death when the family pit bull got loose from inside a laundry room and attacked the young boy. Brian Palmer died Tuesday morning from his injuries. He would have turned two-years-old in August. The 2-year-old dog was euthanized, and its head was sent to Columbia for testing. Authorities say the dog had killed a family cat and fought with another dog within the last month. There were --no-- adults in the house when the attack occurred and the oldest of four children at the...