"Massive" pit bull attacks child, biting 5yo girl in the face - owner wants him back (FL)

Saturday, March 25, 2017

10AM

180 block of Villacrest Drive

Crestview, Florida (Okaloosa County)

Normal

Paige Woody responds to an ad asking for people to dogsit a woman's 2 dogs.  She takes her 5-year-old daughter, Zoey, along to meet the lady and her pets and learn how to care for them. 

On Saturday, the owner asked her to come over so she could show Paige how to apply a horsefly spray to the dogs. Paige went into the backyard with the dogs and their owner and left Zoey in the house. She says the owner told her the dogs were great with children, but Paige didn't want to take a chance and didn't want to leave Zoey in the car. She and the owner were talking near the patio door when Zoey started tapping on the glass, clearly getting impatient. 

"I kept telling her, 'Hold on, baby, hold on, baby,' " Paige said. "Then I cracked the door so she could hear me better."

 

Not

One of the dogs is a pit bull.  It attacks Zoey, biting her in the face so hard it fracture her jaw in multiple places, and tears off one of her eyelids.  It also attacks her mother and its owner when they attempt to stop the attack.

That's when Mandingo lunged through the partially open door, grabbed the little girl by the face and dragged her into the yard, according to Paige.
The dogs' owner was holding off the other dog, Bella, while Paige fought with Mandingo to try to get Zoey free. As soon as he released her, she covered her daughter's body with her own.
"I lay on top of her like a shell," Paige said.

Attack location

Aftermath

Paige Woody and the unnamed pit owner are taken to North Okaloosa Medical Center with injuries.  Woody needs 28 staples and stitches for her injuries.

Zoey is flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Pensacola, undergoes a 9-hour surgery and is placed in the ICU.  Her father, Jonny Green, arrives and finds

"They didn't want me to see one side of her face, it was so bad," he said. "The side of her face I could see was bad, too. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen." 

and

"I'm so upset," he said. "I'm so angry. I'm just thankful that she's still with us. It could have been much worse, as bad as it is... It wouldn't have taken much more for her not to be with us right now."

The pit bulls were seized by Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and quarantined at their shelter.  Executive Director Dee Thompson described the animals as “pit bull mixes,” said there was blood on both animals, and the male was “highly aggressive,” requiring two officers to remove it from the owner’s property. She also says the pit bulls’ owner has said she wants them back. Spectating neighbor Trent Mctyoe said the first animal removed looked like a pit bull mix but the second – presumably the more aggressive, more difficult to handle male – was all pit bull:

“Kind of grayish, smoky colored pit bull, pretty good sized pit bull.”

Mandingo, male pit bull which mauled child

Pit Bull Owner Says

The unnamed pit owner is keeping a low profile, but Zoey's family says she and her daughter have been uncooperative and insincere.  They told the Woodys that they had already euthanized the pits; at the same time, they were informing animal control that yes, they did indeed want them back after the quarantine period was up.  The pits have not been surrendered, so it appears that the owners will attempt to get back their violent pet.

Animal Control Says (video)
PAWS Animal control officer Andrea Warren is interviewed and says that the pit bull, which is named Mandingo, is "massive" and that while she initially arrived at the home alone to seize the animals, once she saw the size of the pit bull and heard the details of the attack, she requested more assistance.  She calls the large pit bull "dominant" and says it dragged her into a doorway when she catch-poled it.  She also says that it was one of the few times in her career that she considered the chance of a crated dog escaping while she was driving it back to the shelter.  She speaks of looking in the rear-view mirror of the animal control van, thinking it was easily big and aggressive enough to break free, and thinking there's no way she'd stay in that van if that pit bull got loose.

Pit Bull Nation Says

Zoey's family sets up a GoFundMe to help pay her growing medical bills, and amidst the banal expressions of good will and regret are some zesty efforts at educating people about pit bulls.  Because classy.

Marissa Brown

While I feel for your family, this could have happened with ANY breed. I've been bitten/lunged at by more small dogs or "family pets" than anything. Some dogs just have a mean streak, and unfortunately in this instance it was a pitbull. I also heard this was a neighbors dog or a neighbors property. Their home insurance might cover your medical bills: good luck.

Shell Bell

I truly feel for you wife and little one and sending all my prayers! Marrisa was correct if it was a beighbors dog I would look into home owners insurance company possibly covering medical expenses. That aside there are many avenues of help. I wish them both a speedy and full recovery! @ Hannah Honey...where i understand your defensive nature due to the situation...espcially if you are close to the family...your statement is wrong and false. Dog attacks CAN happen via any breed of dog...infact my fellow nursing friend and her dog were attacked by a Shepard 3wks ago and as i was walking my dogs at the park another shepard attacked and bit a kid on a skateboard pretty good from what I saw as I offered him assistance...any animal can turn because at the end of the day they are wild. You cannot fully domesticate an animal...that is what CANT happen. Most people fail to realize that most animal aggression come simply from fear. I grew up with Pitbulls and own a very loving one who was once a rescue. I am not here to argue what happend...its horrific and sad...i will sincerely be praying over time for that wife and sweet baby...however I noticed your comment and wanted to respond to that as well. They also are not the most dispised breed...they are the most misunderstood yet sought after breed. Id ask you to please not add to the stigma by trying to pass your opinion as fact when it is not. This is coming from someone with a wide range and years of expirence rehabilitating rescue dogs of all breeds to include pitbulls.

https://www.gofundme.com/evj94r-help-for-zoey

http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/20170329/child-mother-mauled-by-pit-bull-photos

http://weartv.com/news/local/crestview-toddler-recovering-from-dog-attack

http://local15tv.com/news/local/dog-attack-sends-three-to-hospital

http://weartv.com/news/local/dog-attack-in-crestview-sends-5-year-old-girl-two-others-to-hosptial

3-legged pit bull overcomes disability to attack and maul 6lb dog in park (CA)

Enzo before attack

Thursday, March 16, 2017
1pm
Rose Garden, Santa Barbara Mission
Santa Barbara, California 

Normal
Kelly Marie, a tourist in Santa Barbara, enjoys a beautiful public park with her two dogs, Quinn and Enzo. Both are small dogs and are leashed.  Another dog owner, a young man, unleashes his dog, who is larger than Enzo but has only three legs, nearby. 

Not
The three-legged dog is a pit bull.  It charges and attacks Enzo from behind, biting into his neck and tearing into his cheek.  It locks onto Enzo's neck until it nearly severs it, then runs off with its owner.  The pit bull's owner takes his violent pet into his car and drives away so fast he nearly hits some other parked cars in the lot.

"From behind me, a dog jumped over and grabbed my six-pound chihuahua and it was a tan, three-legged pit bull... He grabbed him by the neck and was shaking him around,"


Consequences

Enzo after attack

Enzo after attack

Enzo after attack

A woman who witnessed the incident reports, "[Enzo] had its neck almost completely severed. I stepped in, told her to wrap him in my beach blanket, grabbed her other dog, and rushed them to my car. Meanwhile, the guy sped away. Almost hitting parked cars."


"He spent three hours in surgery and re-attached all the skin," 

A dog endures a horrific attack and painful 3-hour surgery and recovery
A dog's owners endure the attack on their dog, and must pay for emergency surgery ($4k+)
A pit bull has a run in the park, mauls a dog, and pops back in daddy's car for a ride
A pit bull owner watches his pit exercise itself in a public park, then gets some exercise running to his car with his violent pet, and has an exciting speeding-away-from-the-scene moment.  He's now tucked up somewhere with his bloody pet, probably accepting accolades for adopting a tripod pit.

BOLO in Santa Barbara


Tan 3-legged pit bull with young Asian male owner.

The owner of the dog that attacked is described as an Asian man in his mid-20s. His car had stickers on the back and Marie said she was able to get a partial license plate of either JGH065 or JQH065.

The car is also described as a black VW wagon. One media report says he's suspected of being from Lompoc.


Links
https://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=183048

http://www.ksby.com/story/34942671/police-investigating-dog-on-dog-attack-outside-santa-barbara-mission

http://www.keyt.com/lifestyle/pets/couples-pet-dog-recovering-after-vicious-pit-bull-attack/401411785

https://www.gofundme.com/enzos-surgery-expenses (photo and words below from the GoFundMe)

 On March 16, 2017 our sweet little 6.5lb mutt, Enzo, was lying in the grass soaking in the sun at Rose Garden of the Santa Barbara Mission when a unleashed three-legged pitbull grabbed him by the neck and began shaking him.  After a while the owner of the pitbull was able to free Enzo, but immediately fled the scene with his dog. Enzo's neck almost completely severed and his left cheek was torn open. He had a three-hour surgery last night and is stable, but critical condition.  This is going to be a long journy of recovery for the little guy. Anything that you can contuibute to this unexpected expense would be helpful. The 5k is based on the vet's estimate for the surgery and hospitalization of $4400, plus follow-up visits to our vet back home in San Pedro.  All donations in excess of our actual expenses will be sent to Santa Barbara Animal Rescue.

Presa Canario bites woman's skull; Milwaukee animal control planning on releasing it to owner

Sunday, March 5, 2017
Eula Court, Glendale, Wisconsin 

Lori Turner and John Whitehead

Normal
Lori Turner is walking with neighbor John Whitehead near their homes.  They see another neighbor’s 117lb dog escape from his home.  Whitehead, eying the size of the dog, says he’s not getting anywhere near it. Turner, who’s met the dog before, isn’t worried.  The dog’s owner comes outside to retrieve his dog.

Not
The dog is a giant dog-fighting breed, specifically a Presa Canario, a Spanish mastiff breed created to hunt wild hogs and as dog-fighters.  When its owner comes outside to get it, it charges and attacks Turner.

"My head was inside of his mouth.”

The giant fighting-breed dog attacks Turner by biting her in the head, using its wide, heavy jaws to take an entire human skull into its mouth, and biting down. 

Whitehead, a football coach, saves her life by tackling both dog and owner, knocking them off Turner.

 "This dog is significantly larger than Lori. I heard it before. I saw it moving and there was no question it would have killed her. It would have been over,"

Lori Turner's skull, aftera Presa Canario attacks her

Official Response
The dog is quarantined by Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC).  They plan to release it to the owner after the rabies quarantine has ended. 

"The circumstance that caused them to bite doesn't make them an aggressive dog all the time. It was a certain set of circumstances that led up to a point where the dog felt it had to bite," Kathy Shillinglaw with MADACC said. 

MADACC attempts to normalize the dog’s extraordinary and violent behavior by implying this sort of thing – attacking a strange woman off-property by biting her in the head – is just what a normal guard breed does.   

"This is a large, guarding breed dog. That is, their purpose is to guard -- and people use them for guarding and protection," said Karen Sparapani of MADACC.

Negative public reaction to having giant, skull-biting pit bull released to owner who named it Anubis, after an Egyption god of death.

A friend of Turner’s started a Change.org petition to stop the dog being returned to its owner and the neighborhood.  In 4 days, it got 250 signatures.  They intend to present the petition to city council.

Presa Canario "Anubis" held by animal control after it attacked a woman by biting her in the head

The dog
Anubis is a 117lb dog, claimed Presa Canario.  In news photos, it is apparent that Anubis has a fighting crop – the ears have been cropped very short, in the style of fighting dogs (prevents the soft flaps from being used and ripped away in fights). In common with very few pet dogs and virtually all pit bulls and similar breeds, Anubis has a history of multiple owners and a vague current residence.  Formerly owned by a Milwaukee man, he was recently sold to a man in Oconomowoc.  The dog – and presumably its owner – were staying in Glendale, but the person who owns or rents the Glendale home is not the dog’s owner.   Neighbors say the dog has been seen loose multiple times prior to the attack.

Dog expert says

An expert says the breed itself is not dangerous. But is massive and protective and should be under control at all times -- even in its own yard.

So a harmless breed can also be massive and protective and should be under control 24/7?  I think you have to choose here – either it’s harmless or it’s likely to be dangerous if not under external control.

Then the comment about the own yard, which perhaps unintentionally implies the attack took place in the owner’s yard.  

Chilling final paragraphs (FOX story)

Again, as far as the dog's owner is concerned, he does not live in Glendale. The dog is up to date on shots -- and that breed often sells for thousands of dollars. The owner has expressed interest in picking it up. Where Anubis goes from there is a question.

It should NOT be a question decided by the owner based on his/her financial investment.  This is a public safety issue, not one of property rights to the dog or emotional/financial attachment by the owner.  This dog didn’t just run off the owner’s property, it tried to kill someone without provocation.  It needs to be euthanized.

The Breed
The Presa Canario is a giant bulldog breed.  It originated in Spain’s Canary Islands, and the name translates to Canary Dog.  They were originally created as to hunt wild pigs (hog dogs) and for dog fighting – the two basic purposes of all bulldog breeds.  These two pursuits – mauling to death large animals and attacking and killing their own species – required the same wide mouth and heavy jaw, and the same low trigger point and mindless relentlessness of the medium-sized breeds known as the pit bulls.   And like them, the Presa has an ugly history of violence against humans.

 The Presa’s size and aggression has made it significantly less popular than the pit bulls; it’s more difficult to maintain and control 150lb dogs, and it’s harder to claim they’re harmless when they’re that large and that aggressive.  But despite their small numbers, they’ve made a name for themselves as killers.  It was two Presas that killed Diane Whipple inside her San Francisco apartment building in 2001; the case was a nationwide sensation in large part because at the time it was unthinkable that a dog could and would kill an adult.  Almost all prior fatal dog attacks had been on infants and children, who are far more vulnerable to a dog bite.  The Presas, by contrast, ripped out Diane Whipple’s trachea, biting and tearing at her so violently she was stripped of nearly all her clothing, and the coroner testified she had bite wounds all over her body.  The Presa Canarios in that case introduced America to the mauling. 

Other Presa attacks include the 2006 fatal mauling of Shawna Willey by her own dog, 120lb Xino.  She owned two Presa Canarios and a pit bull.  Xino ripped out her throat while her 9-year-old daughter watched; it bit her over six times on the back, arm and sides, and was shot to death by police.  The trigger? Willey had been bathing the animal.   In 2012, Rebecca Carey was mauled to death by multiple dogs, including two Presa Canarios.  She owned a Presa, 2 pit bulls and a Boxer mix, and was dogsitting a friend’s Presa.  Animal Control subsequently euthanized all 5 animals after police found a bloodbath they initially assumed to be a homicide.   

The Animal control agency 

MADACC- Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission
Opened in 1999, MADACC serves 19 municipalities and is open-intake.  Its creation enabled the Wisconsin Humane Society to go to a model where they could choose which animals to accept, and thus reduce their euthanization rate.Has volunteer group, Friends of MADACC, which commissioned a study in 2011 by UC-Davis. It showed that in 2012, MADACC euthanized 5,357 animals

"The circumstance that caused them to bite doesn't make them an aggressive dog all the time. It was a certain set of circumstances that led up to a point where the dog felt it had to bite," Kathy Shillinglaw with MADACC said.

Shillinglaw is the outreach coordinator and volunteer coordinator. She appears to have replaced Jessica Huber.

"This is a large, guarding breed dog. That is, their purpose is to guard -- and people use them for guarding and protection," said Karen Sparapani of MADACC.

Sparapani is the executive director, hired in 2013. She was previously the director of Elmbrook Humane Society.  In a 2013 interview, she said becoming no-kill was not her goal, as that was not the intended use for the shelter.  Her comments on a 2016 attack by two pit bulls on two teenaged girls was that Dachshunds and Labradors bite more than pit bulls, and that just because a dog bites doesn’t make it a bad dog.  She doesn’t comment on whether more Dachshunds attack so violently that police have to shoot them down to end the attack. 

She replaced Kevin Wilken, who moved to Saginaw County Animal Control Center in Michigan. He was reviled for routinely euthanizing pit bulls for space without temperament testing, purely based on how difficult they were to rehome.  He was blunt about it: 

“Every shelter’s overwhelmed with them,” Wilken says. “In summer time they didn’t even get temperament testing a lot of times because there were so many. You’re only able to place so many pit bulls."  

Wilken was fired by Saginaw in 2014 after a state review; one issue mentioned was the disrepair of dog kennels, one failure of which led to a dog “latching on” to another dog’s foot through a broken door and doing so much damage the victim was euthanized. His successor LeeAnn Ridley was also fired. 

Links

http://fox6now.com/2017/03/10/my-head-felt-like-it-was-in-a-vice-after-dog-attack-petition-aims-to-keep-animal-from-returning-to-neighborhood/

https://www.change.org/p/glendale-city-hall-stop-dangerous-attack-dog-from-returning-to-family-friendly-neighborhood

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-08-22/news/0608210508_1_pit-bull-shawna-willey-presa-canarios

http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2013/04/17/where-dogs-go-to-die/

http://www.mynorthshorenow.com/story/news/local/brown-deer/2016/09/30/dog-shot-police-after-attacking-14-year-old-girls-in-brown-deer/91322708/

"Would not let go, just dragging him like a rag doll.” 2 pit bulls torture collie to death

Thursday, March 9, 2017
Afternoon
Norfolk, Virginia 

Normal
Terry Haddock comes home from work early to prepare for her father's 81st birthday.  Her dog Cody, an 8-year-old Collie, uses his doggie door to go outside and relax in their fenced yard. Nearby, two loose dogs wander through the suburban neighborhood.

Not
The two loose dogs are pit bulls. They jump Haddock's fence and attack Cody.  She hears barking and goes to investigate.  Seeing the pit bulls mauling her pet, she grabs a broom and runs out screaming.  The pit bulls pause to watch her.

They looked at me and thought about it for a minute and that is what concerned me," Haddock said. "I thought they might even leap towards me."

The pit bulls finally leave, jumping back over the fence.  Haddockcalls 911, and Norfolk Animal Control helps her get Cody to a vet.  The family dog initially survives with emergency care, but days the next day.

"It is with a heavy heart that I need to tell you that my sweet Cody passed this morning due to internal injuries. Cody fought hard to live but his wounds and the trauma was more than he could overcome."

Consequences

Victims
Cody is brutally mauled in his own yard; he dies after hours of pain and fear.
Haddock witnesses both the mauling and the suffering of her pet.
Animal control spends hours helping Haddock and then searching for the pit bulls.


Criminals
Two pit bulls enjoy mauling a dog to death, then run free.
A pit bull owner enjoys the pleasure of owning a pet without the pesky responsibilities of walking, exercising or containing it to his/her property.
A pit bull owner enjoys the pleasures of  owning a pair of extremely dangerous weapons without any real legal controls on his/her acquisition, handling or loss of control of them.

Links
 http://www.13newsnow.com/news/update-dog-that-suffered-attack-by-two-other-dogs-passes-away/421627948

https://www.gofundme.com/cody-the-collies-urgent-care

5 Labradors attack children as a pack, are ordered euthanized; owner refuses to surrender dogs

June 10, 2016

Ponteix, Saskatchewan

Canada

Normal

Two 13-year-old girls, Kayla Keith and Zoe Desautels, walk along a small town street with 14-year-old friend Jasper Gian.  They pass in front of Robert Charles Carpenter’s house, where he lives with Saphrine Ng and several dogs.  Carpenter breeds Labrador Retrievers.  Five of his dogs see the children approaching, and leave the yard through a broken gate.  They approach the three young teens.

Not

The dogs surround the children, circling them.  Kayla later testifies that she lives with dogs, including a large dog, and is comfortable with them, but that these dogs appear unfriendly, their tails aren’t wagging, and they quickly become aggressive; one bites Kayla on the hand, another bites Zoe hard but without breaking skin.  The teens stand close together, and the dogs jump at them.  

Jasper rides his bike away, luring the dogs away from the girls, and rides to a friend’s house.  The dogs chase him; when he drops the bike and runs toward the house, one dog bites him on the thigh. The girls, meanwhile, head for Zoe’s house to escape.  

The dogs return and surround the girls again.  Kayla takes a step back, and the dogs attack her.  From that point, they focus on her, which gives Zoe a chance to run for help.  Kayla tries to put a tree between herself and the dogs, but they run around it and knock her down, then attack her while she’s on the ground.  They bite her arms and legs, pinning her down as she kicks and pushes at them. She manages to get up, and run to a nearby house. As she runs up the steps of the house, the dogs continue to attack, and she continues to kick them off – she says they back off a little every time she kicks, but keep coming back.  She says there are a lot of hard bites, some puncturing her skin and some not.

Vicious dog owner says

When it becomes clear that authorities are serious about the attack, Robert  Carpenter admits that one of the five dogs, Rainbow, has bitten before.  He blames the attack on her and says he'll euthanize her, but claims the other dogs - Joey, Winnie, Lily, Chubbs - were blameless.  

During the trial, Carpenter blames the victims, saying that Kayla provoked her attack by running away and that people should know better than to look dogs in the eye and run away from them.  He also maintains that the dogs were just playing, that they routinely play-fight very roughly among themselves, and that the reason he thinks the attack was just play was that they could have done more damage to the victims if they'd wanted to.

Judge says

Every judge who looks at the case is unimpressed with Carpenter's perspective.  It's best summed up by the sentencing judge: 

I consider Mr. Carpenter’s general attitude to the dogs and his downplaying of the seriousness of the attack as a relevant consideration.  I find that Mr. Carpenter lacks insight into the seriousness of the attack on the teens.  He also lacks insight into the potential harm that the dogs present to other people. In his argument at trial, as well as in his sentencing submissions, he held to the belief that the teens in some way provoked the dogs.  He had argued that by running away, Kayla provoked the attack, as people should know not to look dogs in the eyes and not to run if they come up to them.

[37]           Mr. Carpenter does not understand that the cause of the attack does not lie in the actions of the victims but in the aggressive actions of the dogs.  I found that Mr. Carpenter generally sees the attack as the dogs playing, as that is how his dogs aggressively play and play fight.  He said his dogs pretend to attack each other and play around and that is just dog behaviour.  He contends that only Rainbow bit anyone, despite all of the witnesses, being the three teens, describing all of the dogs attacking and biting.

[38]           Mr. Carpenter’s statement that the dogs could have done much more harm if they were serious about doing harm also shows his lack of insight into the degree of harm done to the two teens, as he minimizes the harm done to them.

[39]           Mr. Carpenter’s lack of insight to the danger that his dogs present leaves me little confidence that he would be responsible in the long term to ensure that his dogs did not harm another person.

Consequences

Jasper Gian (14) was chased by a pack of large dogs and bitten on the thigh.

Zoe Desautels (13) was traumatized from hearing her friend being mauled by dogs and screaming.

Kayla Keith (13) was bitten hard and repeatedly on her upper and lower thigh, calf and knee areas.

The 5 dogs were ordered humanely euthanized.

Robert Charles Carpenter was found guilty of two counts of owning dogs that attacked people, and repeatedly appealed the euthanization order.  He has not surrendered the dogs to authorities as required, and has been charged with obstruction.

Links

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/pack-of-dogs-to-be-euthanized-after-attacking-ponteix-teens-1.3838941

http://www.parklandonline.com/pack-of-dogs-to-be-euthanized-after-attacking-ponteix-teens/

https://www.canlii.org/en/sk/skqb/doc/2017/2017skqb34/2017skqb34.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAHcG9udGVpeAAAAAAB&resultIndex=1

https://www.canlii.org/en/sk/skpc/doc/2016/2016skpc139/2016skpc139.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAHcG9udGVpeAAAAAAB&resultIndex=2