or stab it

mesa, arizona

Maricopa County Sheriff's officials are trying to sort out an incident in which a pit bull was stabbed to death at a home in east Mesa.

Deputy Lindsey Smith said that around noon Saturday, deputies responded to a call of a domestic dispute at the home near Ellsworth Road and University Drive.

Smith said the two parties involved had apparently left the residence together without injury to one another.

In the meantime, a pit bull was found with stab wounds.

Smith said it is believed the male subject stabbed the dog and that there was evidence of a struggle between the animal and the man.

Apparently both parties involved in the dispute are from out of state and it appeared they have left Arizona, Smith said.

Smith said the homeowners were out of state at the time, but know the two subjects involved in the incident.

She said the circumstances surrounding the dog's injuries are unclear, but investigators are not ruling out self defense.

lincoln, nebraska

A brutal attack on a pit bull lands a Lincoln man in jail. Lincoln Police tell Action 3 News that 48-year old ANTHONY HOLLMAN stabbed the dog, after getting into a fight with his girlfriend early this morning.

Investigators say at one point, Hollman started to poke his girlfriend's dog with a broomstick. The dog turned around and bit him in the leg. That's when police say, the man grabbed a butcher knife and started stabbing the dog. The animal has severe wounds to its head, neck and side. The Humane Society took the dog in for treatment. The pit bull is still alive, but veterinarians cannot say it he will survive.

Hollman went to a hospital to be treated for his bite, then police arrested him and hauled him off to jail. He's charged with a felony count of animal cruelty, and a misdemeanor count of child neglect, because his girlfriend's 15-year-old son witnessed what happened.

for the record, i think the dog was justified in biting this idiot.

Dog shot, man arrested in Cottonwood confrontation

bakersfield, california

A Bakersfield man was under arrest Friday after authorities say he beat his paralyzed father while high on drugs.

Sheriff's officials say the man's dog bit a deputy, and in turn, the deputy shot the dog.

Lonnie Haynes Jr., 42, struggled a bit with deputies after they Tasered him.

As he was led away in handcuffs, Channel 17's Emily Moore asked Haynes if he had tried to shoot police officers.

"How in the hell I'm gonna threaten to shoot anything?" he answered. "Police shot my dog for nothing. I got witnesses. This is private property down here. They ain't got no reason to come down and shoot."

But deputies say they had plenty of reasons.

It all started about 6:30 p.m. Thursday when a deputy responded to a home in the 1300 block of Cottonwood Road for a report that someone was high on drugs and trashing the house.

"When the deputy arrived, the subject's pit bull ran off the porch and came after the deputy and grabbed the deputy's foot," said Sheriff's Lt. Steve Hansen. "The deputy was able to kick the dog loose."

But the dog reportedly came after the deputy again, and that's when he shot the dog twice.

According to deputies, Haynes said he was going to get a gun, and went back in the house. The deputy called for back-up and waited outside.

"Apparently between the time of the shooting of the dog and when deputies actually got into the house he'd gone back into the house and assaulted his father who happens to be a paraplegic," said Lt. Hansen.

Deputies say the elderly man suffered minor injuries.

Haynes' daughter showed up at the scene, stunned.

"I'm really, really shocked," said Akeiliah Haynes. "I don't know what happened. I just know he was really angry earlier today."

The dog was euthanized because of its injuries.

The deputy who was bitten was not hurt.

Court records show Lonnie Haynes Jr. has a lengthy criminal record, including battery on a police officer and domestic violence

Woman said pit bull was protecting her

fulton county, georgia

She said her 4-year-old pit bull was doing what he was supposed to do – protecting her – when she let the excited dog out of the house early Friday after seeing a man trying to hide underneath her car.

“I thought someone was breaking into my car … with all the robberies going on in my neighborhood,” Vinson told the AJC. “It happened so fast.”

That was when a Fulton County policeman shot and killed Vinson’s pit bull as the dog attacked a handcuffed suspected prowler the officer had just chased through a neighborhood off Old National Highway, according to spokesman Scott McBride.

“He was so smart. He knew who the perpetrator was. He didn’t go to the officer. He went straight for the perpetrator,” Vinson said. “My dog is gone now.”

Vinson said she got J-Bo when he was only weeks old. “He’s always been with me,” Vinson said, adding that while he was protective he only barked if someone came into her yard.

“He puts up a good bark,” said Vinson, 23.

According to the police report, an officer was dispatched to investigate a report that a man was looking into cars parked along Old Bill Cook Road. The report said the man, identified as Meco Bernard Brown, ran when the officer called out to him.

The chase through several back yards ended on Sturbridge Way in Vinson’s yard, about 30 feet from her front door.

The report said the officer heard barking from inside the house as he was putting handcuffs on Brown, 31, of College Park, and moments later someone opened the screen door to let the excited dog outside.

Vinson said J-Bo was ordinarily on a leash when outside the house. She said J-Bo responded to commands and would have stopped the attack if she had reached him in time.

“The dog circled the curb where I was placed with my offender, who was lying face down and handcuffed behind the back,” the report said. “The pit bull struck and grabbed hold of the offender’s jacket collar. I repeatedly yelled that I was the police loud enough to be heard and ordered the residents to come get the dog.”

A visitor with a gun came out and fired once into the air, according to the report.

“The residents of the home were hollering and I continued to state that I was the police as I shined my flashlight on the departmental patch on my shoulder,” the officer wrote.

It was then the man went back inside. The man, Christopher Rich, 27, of Fairburn was charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.

“At this point the pit bull had latched on to the offender’s neck and would not let go,” according to the report.

That is when the officer shot and killed J-Bo.

McBride said Brown, charged with misdemeanor obstruction of a police officer, had suffered a "pretty serious" dog bite to the neck” that required a trip to the hospital.

Vinson said she didn’t see the shooting but she heard it as she was getting her shoes to go outside to get J-Bo.

“I knowed they had killed my dog,” said Vinson, who works at a daycare center. “He just laid there. He died instantly.”

Vinson said the policeman offered condolences for killing J-Bo. “I just wish he would have taken a different avenue. The dog was to protect us. He did what he was supposed to do. He was just protecting us.”

wow. stupid people. i can't believe she released dog during an arrest.

link with video

officer shoots dog

rock hill, south carolina

A Rock Hill police officer shot a pit bull because of its aggressive manner.

Family questions SWAT drug search that led to dog’s death

columbia, missouri

A man arrested on suspicion of drug charges and child endangerment said he is concerned with the actions of police who shot two dogs they described as “aggressive” while serving a drug-related search warrant at his home earlier this month in southwest Columbia.

Police arrested JONATHAN E. WHITWORTH, 25, of 1501 Kinloch Court on Feb. 11 on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and second-degree child endangerment.

A police SWAT team entered Whitworth’s residence around 8:30 p.m. suspecting a large amount of marijuana at the location, police spokeswoman Officer Jessie Haden said. SWAT members encountered a pit bull upon entry, held back and then fatally shot the dog, which officers said was acting in an uncontrollably aggressive manner.

Whitworth was arrested, and his wife and 7-year-old son were present during the SWAT raid, Haden said. A second dog, which Whitworth’s attorney Jeff Hilbrenner described as a corgi, also was shot but was not killed.

“The family is concerned with what happened,” Hilbrenner said. “We don’t feel like what happened in the home was appropriate. The priority right now for us is the misdemeanor charges.”

Police discovered a grinder, a pipe and a small amount of marijuana, Haden said. Because the SWAT team acts on the most updated information available, the team wanted to enter the house before marijuana believed to be at the location could be distributed, she said.

“If you let too much time go by, then the drugs are not there,” she said.

Drug distributors traditionally have a history with firearms (and pit bulls), which is why the SWAT team is used when executing such warrants, Haden said. If the SWAT team believed they could have executed the warrant successfully during the daytime when the wife and child were not present, they would have, she said.

OPD officer shoots, kills attacking dog

orlando, florida

An officer with the Orlando Police Department shot and killed an aggressive pit bull Monday as it attacked him, a report today shows.

Officers Livio Beccaccio and Andre Tankovich went to the 4200 block of Solomon Drive before 9 p.m. Monday after officials received a report of an "aggressive pit bull that was attacking people,'' a report says.

Attempts to capture the dog failed, according to a brief report from Beccaccio released today.

He wrote that the dog attempted to attack him.

"The dog was shot and killed,'' the report said.

It marks at least the second time this month that law-enforcement officers in Orange County shot a reportedly aggressive pit bull.

Earlier this month, a pit bull attacked a 3-year-old boy who was his father in their back yard.

Later, several deputies spotted the pit bull near the home on Coral Reef Drive in east Orange County, and spotted a small amount of what appeared to be blood on his chin.

The pit bull barked at the deputies, took an "aggressive posture," and then began to walk toward the deputies, a sheriff's report said.

That's when, a deputy reported, he felt threatened for his safety

The deputy said he fired two shots at the pit bull, striking the dog in the chest. The dog continued to move, so the deputy fired a final shot at the dog's head to euthanize it.

On Saturday in Marion County, a 3-year-old girl reportedly left alone in her family's backyard with four dogs was mauled to death by one of them, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.

Following the child's death, Marion County Animal Services picked up four American Bulldogs – one male and three females – from Haaker's Dream Bulldog Ranch, on NE 25th Ave., where the attack occurred.

Authorities said Monday that at least one dog will be euthanized.

Deputy shoots dog

onslow county, north carolina

A Narcotics Agent with the Onslow County Sheriff's Department shot a pit bull Saturday night while serving a search warrant in the Southwest area, authorities said.

The dog attacked the agent, according to a press release from the department.

The pit bull has been treated and is being monitored, according to the release. The animal is expected to recover from its wounds.

6 dogs shot during drug raid near Elgin school

Alejandro Campos-Rivera

ELGIN, ILLINOIS Raiding a home across the street from Ellis Middle School that reportedly was being used as an indoor marijuana farm, a task force of police also discovered 21 vicious pit bulls that apparently were being trained for dogfighting. Officers said that when the dogs began attacking them and each other, police shot six of them to death and trapped the other 15.

The raid happened about 11 p.m. Friday at 210 N. Liberty St., as traffic was blocked off on the busy artery between Villa and Laurel streets. The man who lived at the home, 37-year-old Alejandro Campos-Rivera, was charged with unlawful production of cannabis plants, a class 2 felony, and aggravated animal cruelty, a class 4 felony. Police were trying to determine if the drug charge could be upgraded because of the home's proximity to the school.

The raid happened about 11 p.m. Friday at 210 N. Liberty St., as traffic was blocked off on the busy artery between Villa and Laurel streets. The man who lived at the home, 37-year-old Alejandro Campos-Rivera, was charged with unlawful production of cannabis plants, a class 2 felony, and aggravated animal cruelty, a class 4 felony. Police were trying to determine if the drug charge could be upgraded because of the home's proximity to the school.

His bail was set Saturday morning at $750,000. He was being held in the Kane County jail pending a March 5 hearing.

Alejandro Campos-Rivera was charged with unlawful production of cannabis plants, a class 2 felony, and aggravated animal cruelty, a class 4 felony during a drug raid on

February 20.

His bail was set Saturday morning at $750,000. He was being held in the Kane County jail pending a March 5 hearing.

"We knew that he had pit bulls, so we brought along animal control officers, hoping we'd be able to capture them safely with nooses," Deputy Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said. "But there turned out to be 21 of them and they were extremely aggressive. Some broke out of their cages and had to be shot."

He said three of the animals that broke loose jumped on a fourth one and began tearing it apart before police shot them. After the gruesome scene was brought under control, Swoboda said, police found pool cues and sticks with gnaw marks on them, apparently used to beat or train the dogs. They also found raw meat on the floor.

Swoboda said the dog cages were in the basement while marijuana plants were found throughout the home. He said the plants had electric lights over them, a system to deliver water to each plant and a mechanism to dry out the fully-grown plants.

Swoboda said police do not believe dogfighting matches were held at the house. But "these dogs clearly were not being raised as pets," he said.

City code enforcement officers declared the house unfit for habitation and boarded up the windows. The surviving dogs were taken to the Golf Rose Animal Hospital in Schaumburg.

38-Year-Old Woman Killed In Pit Bull Attack

philadelphia, pennsylvania

Philadelphia police and animal control officers are investigating an incident in which a dog brutally attacked and killed a 38-year-old woman.

According to police, the attack took place Saturday morning at a home on the 1400 block of East Oxford Avenue in North Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police responding to the scene were forced to shoot and kill two pit bulls on the scene.

Officials from the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association remain on the scene to remove additional dogs from the premises.

The identity of the victim has not yet been released.

An investigation into this incident is ongoing.

civilian shootings: my favorites

kern county, california

On Friday, two dogs died because of confrontations either with a person or another dog. But it's not always the dogs who are the victims.

Gun shots rang out in a north Bakersfield neighborhood Friday morning. At a home on Alta Vista Drive, a pit-bull from next door broke into a yard. The man who lives there says he shot the dog in self defense.

"A homeowner who was in his own backyard was tending to his dogs when a neighboring pit bull jumped the fence and attempted to attack the homeowner," said Sgt. Bill Ware of the Bakersfield Police Department.

In a separate incident, Velma Criswell's husband says he wishes he'd had a gun to protect his wife when they were both attacked two weeks ago. They were delivering food to a family in Taft when that family's dog ran up and bit Velma, then wouldn't let go.

Criswell says she feared for her life. "I'm going to die, it's going to kill me, I was sure it would have killed me if it had gotten to my throat or my face," she said.

It took her husband, who also sustained bites, and another man to get the dog off her. She was in the hospital for four days and may have to go back for additional surgeries, and the medical bills are adding up. "I'll be lucky if I get off with a hundred thousand dollars," said Criswell.

"In this case the dog has more rights than my parents do," said Criswell's daughter, Roberta Jimerson. Jimerson says that after reporting the dog to Kern County Animal Control, it was quarantined and then let go. She says officers told her it was a civil matter and they'd have to sue to get anything else done.

In a south Bakersfield neighborhod Friday afternoon, it was another dog that was the victim. "I see one dog having another dog in its mouth, tearing it apart like it was some little doll. And I was just like wow! I might be concerned about kids that play around the neighborhood," said Erin Martinez, who witnessed the dog attack.

Police say the man involved in the dog shooting was within his rights and was carrying his gun legally.

And in Criswell's case, animal control says in any such attack, they go out, interview all parties and observe the dog to determine if it's dangerous or vicious.

Pit bull shot by police, wanted man arrested in Caldwell

JASON COLE BRADFORD

caldwell, idaho

Caldwell police officials say an officer had to shoot a pit bull that attacked a K-9 police dog during a standoff Friday morning.

Caldwell police parole absconder Jason Bradford eventually turned himself in, following the short standoff with the CPD tactical response team at a home at 5251 Obsidian Way around 9:15 a.m. Friday.

Caldwell Police Chief Chris Allgood said Bradford was accompanied by the pit bull when he tried to run away from the home Friday morning. The pit bull attacked a K-9 dog and the officer shot it.

At that point, Bradford ran back inside the home. A short negotiation ensued. Two adults and a child, who live at the home, came out first. Bradford then surrendered without incident minutes later, Allgood said.

Treasure Valley law enforcement agencies had been looking for the 36-year-old Bradford in earnest since Feb. 12, when he avoided capture by Boise police after they said Bradford tried to run over two officers before he crashed a stolen car and ran away following a short pursuit.

Police say Bradford wrecked the stolen car in the Targee/Shoshone streets neighborhood in the early evening on Feb. 12 and got away, despite officers setting up a five block perimeter to catch him.

Boise police found a gun at the accident scene. Caldwell police called in their tactical response team Friday after getting a tip on Bradford's location, because they suspected he may have been armed and was prone to violence, Allgood said.

Bradford is being held in the Canyon County Jail on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, filed in connection with the Feb. 12 incident, and a warrant for a felony parole violation.

Bradford has a lengthy criminal history, including a felony second degree kidnapping conviction from 2003 and a variety of misdemeanor crimes, like domestic disturbance, battery, and DUI, according to Idaho court records.

Police shoot pit bull that bit passerby

merced, california

Police shot and killed a six-year old pit bull Thursday morning after it attacked a 37-year old man and later tried to attack police officers.

The victim had several serious wounds, none of them life threatening, police said. The victim was taken to a Modesto hospital for treatment.

The Merced resident told police he was returning from a store on the 2100 block of Keely Avenue when the dog attacked him, said Merced Police Lt. Andre Matthews.

On his way to the store the bite victim said he saw the dog fenced in a yard with two smaller pit bulls, police said. When he returned, the dogs seemed agitated and were jumping up and down on the fence.

The larger dog pushed on the fence hard enough to open the gate and the dog ran out and bit the man's left forearm, legs and ankle, Matthews said.

Neighbors were able to temporarily chase the dog away.

A police officer driving by the neighborhood spotted the injured man and stopped to offer him first aid, Matthews said.

As the police officer helped the man, the dog returned the scene and ran aggressively toward the police, police said in a news release. In response, police fired shots at the dog.

This is just one of several recent dog attacks and dog shootings in the Merced area involving the Merced police.

Police said they continue to educate pet owners about their responsibility when it comes to aggressive animals, Matthews said.

"Pet owners are encouraged to contact Merced Police Department Animal Control, the Merced County Animal Shelter, the SPCA or any local veterinarian with questions about responsible pet ownership," Matthews added.

Police are still investigating the attack and charges against the dog's owners have not been filed.

update

the pit nutter is now saying the victim was the aggressor because he trespassed onto his property. the pit nutter's name RICKY RAMIERZ.

and for all of the "probably wasn't even a pit bull" nutters...

Martin deputy shoots pit bull to death that was attacking other dog

martin county, florida

INDIANTOWN — A Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed a pit bull mix that had entered a woman’s yard and attacked her dog Wednesday.

A 21-year-old woman called 911 when the 70-pound dog attacked her 40-pound mixed breed dog at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 14900 block of Southwest Shawnee Street, the Sheriff’s Office report states.

Two deputies responded to the call. Deputy Stephen Winegard said he and the other deputy used pepper spray on the pit bull with no results. The pit bull had the smaller dog clutched in its mouth and was dragging and shaking it, the deputies said. Winegard shot the pit bull twice, ending the attack and killing the pit bull, he said.

A couple of hours after the attack, the pit bull’s owner, Jesus Alvarez, 35, contacted the Sheriff’s Office.

“Though he was upset with the loss of his dog, he stated he understood the choice I was forced to make,” Winegard said in his report. “He stated once his dog attacked, it would have been impossible for me to pull him off his prey without possible injury to myself.”

This story will be updated with more information when it becomes available.

Ocean Springs Mayor wants tougher laws on vicious dogs

ocean springs, mississippi

It didn't happen in her city, but Connie Moran says a pit bull attack shows why her city needs tougher animal laws. The Ocean Springs Mayor points to the incident Tuesday in the county when a man shot and killed a pitbull that charged some children. Moran says that's why the city needs a new vicious dog law.

Temarie Perry owns two pit bulls, including 8-year-old Sassy. She says her dogs never attack anyone because they're usually in the house or on a leash.

"I don't put them in a situation to where they get hurt or killed or hurt and kill someone else or something else," Temarie Perry said.

Perry says she is so upset about the incident Tuesday. A pit bull was shot after neighbors say the animal charged two children. She says dogs shouldn't be loose, and owners should be held responsible if something bad happens.

"Don't blame the breed, blame the deed. Blame what the person did, and go after the people."

Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran is aggressively working with the Board of Alderman to put stiffer laws on the books about vicious dogs in the city.

Mayor Moran says the current ordinance is vague.

"Right now it is so old, and as they go through the different ordnances, they have keep referring back to subsection so and so," Mayor Moran said.

The mayor says a new law would be transparent. Basically, all breeds that bite people will be punished and owners will be slapped with a hefty fine.

"It is a matter of public safety. It is their responsibility to contain their animal, make sure they're fenced in, enclosed, and muzzled."

Owners would also be required to register their dogs with the city.

"We want to make sure our citizens are safe."

Ocean Springs Police Department said in the past three years, there have 39 dog attacks in the city. The mayor says that's too many, and she's pushing to get a new law in enacted as soon as possible.

"A couple of weeks ago a man was running along East Beach. Although the pit bull was on a leash, the dog managed to get away and attacked him, and we just can't let this happen. We have to do something to strength our ordinance."

Mayor Moran is planning a meeting with other city leaders this week to discuss possible changes to the ordinance. She hopes leaders will adopt a new ordinance by next month.

these people named their pit bull VICK! how SICK is that?

norfolk, virginia

A pit bull shot by an off-duty Norfolk police officer shortly after midnight on Tuesday has been cremated without notifying the owners beforehand.

The family not only wanted to bury their dog, Vick, but they also wanted the evidence of where and how many times the dog was shot.

Christine Jarvis, Vick's owner, received a phone call saying the dog had been cremated after an animal control officer told them the night of the shooting that the dog would be tagged and kept in a freezer until a necropsy could be performed. Christine says, "I told them I wanted him back because I wanted to bury him."

However, Christine says the officer returned the next day and the dog was cremated with several other dogs.

News Channel 3 has learned "Pet Cremation Services" in Virginia Beach contracts with Norfolk Animal Control to cremate the city's dead animals. Christine has no idea if a necropsy was ever done.

The supervisor at "Pet Cremation Services" says there is no way of knowing if Vick was brought in.

News Channel 3 has asked Norfolk Animal Control and Norfolk Police officials several times about why the mistake happened, and what their policies are when handling a dog as evidence. Each request has been answered, but with a refusal to answer the question, saying a higher-ranking official will get back to us.

Karen Parker-Chesson, A Norfolk Police spokesperson, sent News Channel 3 a statement saying, "Proper procedure was followed in the matter of the deceased animal's remains. The department personnel will contact the family today."

Dallas police shoot two dogs during Red Bird arrest

dallas, texas

Dallas police arrested a robbery suspect after a standoff this morning in Red Bird.

James Farley was arrested on an aggravated robbery warrant shortly before 10 a.m. at a home in the 700 block of Oceanview Drive, police said. Police did not immediately provide information on what crime Farley is suspected in.

Police initially believed Farley had barricaded himself inside the home after officers arrived to execute the arrest warrant. Officers shot two pit bullterriers at the home during a brief standoff, police said.

Farley was taken into custody without further incident, police said

Pit bull terrifies neighborhood

jackson county, mississippi

Jackson County Sheriff's deputies say leash laws are often ignored, frightening residents. Tuesday afternoon, people in one neighborhood had a harrowing experience with one pit bull on the loose.

They say it started on Orange Street outside of Ocean Springs when a pit bull ran into Steve Lance's home, aimed at a schnauzer named Princess.

"I couldn't tell if it was attacking the dog or attacking my wife, and it was a pretty scary thing," said Lance. "I picked it up by the collar and threw it out of the house."

Neighbors said the dog's next target were five year old twins, Steven and Spencer Westberry. The children were getting into a car with their grandmother Carol Brown.

"The pit bull started chasing us toward the car," said Brown. "And for some reason the dog set his eyes on Steven, and he started to lunge toward him as he got to the car."

They said the dog leapt partially into the car before another neighbor, David Martinez, lured the dog away with a stick. He said he was attempting to deflect the dog's attention from the boys by inviting the dog into a tussle with himself.

"I have a child myself, and she plays out in the neighborhood. And there's a lot of kids out here, so I'd expect somebody to do that for my kids, too," Martinez said.

As the dog approached Martinez, neighbors said Steve Lance approached the pit bull with a gun and shot it. He said the dog turned its eye on Lance, and Lance shot again. Police said overall, Lance shot the dog three times, ending what neighbors call a terrifying experience.

"I felt like we had to take the dog you know and put it down," Lance said. "And that's what I felt like, we couldn't have a dog like that in the neighborhood. I didn't know whose it belonged to until after it was all over with."

He found out later the owners were also neighbors. They were charged with a leash law violation. Lance faces no charges for his action against the pit bull.

Several residents said the incident reminded them of this past weekend when a child was killed in a pit bull attack in the Jackson area. They said they're grateful because the outcome here could have been much different.

"They [pit bulls] have a massive amount of pressure in their bite," Lance said. "It could snap a little child. It could snap its arm in two in just no time at all."

"You're talking about a 5-year-old kid and a pit bull," said Kristen McIlwain of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. "It could have been worse. I think the neighbor did an outstanding job on the kids' behalf."

Neighbors say they had reported the dog to animal control earlier in the weekend. Police say the dog was picked up Monday, but the owners came to get it shortly after.

the pit nutters were charged, the shooter was not :)

Police find torn-apart body, 3 dogs in house

liberty, ohio

Township police made a gruesome discovery Tuesday evening at a Hadley Avenue house — a dismembered body. Police believe the body is that of a man and most likely the resident of the house.

Police Chief Richard Tisone said police believe the man’s three dogs were responsible for the dismemberment.

Tisone was not ready to identify the man for the record Tuesday night or give a specific address, but he said that police believe the man lived in the house by himself.

The body was to be taken to the coroner’s office in Akron today, Tisone said. He said police should have an official identification today.

Tisone said a neighbor who had not seen the man in weeks alerted police to check on him. He said that when police arrived, the snow around the house was undisturbed. When officers looked inside, they saw body parts strewn around.

He said the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County was called, and one of the dogs was rescued. Two others, a pit bull and a Rottweiler, were shot by police because they were vicious, he said.

Tisone said the house was cold and in deplorable condition.

He said police aren’t speculating how long the man had been dead. Tisone said he didn’t know if the man had been sick.

He added that police have had calls over the past 10 years from people who were intimidated by the man’s dogs.

But Robert Byrne, a neighbor, said he wasn’t aware of any problems with the dogs.

“I knew him,” said Byrne, adding that the victim would help him from time to time around his house or yard.

“He’s a decent kid. He didn’t bother nobody.”

He said the victim often walked his dogs down the street or rode a bicycle with them, and they were always on leashes.

He said that people may have been bothered by barking, because the dogs would often go outside and sit on a second-floor roof.

“The dogs’d be out there and bark a lot,” he said. “I never had no real problems with them.”

Byrne said he hasn’t seen his neighbor in weeks.

He said he heard the dogs barking from time to time.

Byrne said his neighbor was in his 30s or 40s and lived alone. He said he did not appear to have a lot of visitors.

Young Girl Seriously Injured In Pit Bull Attack

lobelville, tennessee

The family said 6-year-old Trinity Cummings lost her right ear after an attack by a neighbor's pit bull. The attack happened in Lobelville on Tuesday.

The girl went outside to get a water bottle from her parent's car, but when she didn't come back, her siblings went looking for her.

They found her in the woods near their home, covered in blood and unconscious with the dog standing over her.

Cummings 16-year-old brother shot the pit bull before police arrived. The little girl is at Vanderbilt in stable condition.

NewsChannel 5 reporter Brent Frazier will have more on this story tonight on NewsChannel 5 at 10 p.m.

Another Dog is Shot After Pit Bull Attacks Wausau Police Officer

pit nutter ELIZABETH EVERSOLE

wausau, wisconsin

Another dog in Wausau is shot, after an officer says the pit bull attacked him.

The officer says it happened when he was following up on a domestic disturbance early Monday morning.

Luckily, the officer was not seriously injured.

The Wausau deputy chief says the attack happened at about 1 yesterday morning on Prospect Avenue, when officers were bringing an intoxicated woman home.

He says the woman started arguing with someone she lived with, and that's when their dog ran out of the house.

The deputy chief says the dog began walking toward the officer, growling at him.

That's when he says the dog jumped at the officer, biting him on the left forearm.

"The officer pulled his arm and got it away from the dog. The dog then began circling the officer, continuing to growl and bare his teeth, at which point the officer discharged one round from his sidearm, striking the do in the abdomen," says Deputy Chief Bryan Hilts.

The gun shot did not kill the dog.

It was taken to a veterinary clinic for treatment, but the vet could not work on the animal because she said it was too aggressive.

The homeowner then took the dog home, its condition is not known.

The case has been handed over to the city attorney to determine the animal's fate and if any criminal charges will be filed.

One of the residents was arrested after the attack for violating her probation, stemming from OWI charges and driving with a revoked license.

She hasn't been charged yet.

The deputy chief says the officer was justified for shooting the animal.

UPDATE

The city of Wausau has impounded a pit bull that bit a police officer last week.

The dog’s owner, Elizabeth Eversole, turned the animal over to the Marathon County Humane Society on Saturday. She has until Friday to ask for a trial to contest the impoundment.

Eversole can get the dog back if a municipal judge finds that she didn’t break any city ordinances regulating dangerous animals. Otherwise, the judge can order the dog destroyed or set restrictions on how Eversole can keep it on her property.

Eversole has also been summoned into municipal court March 19th to face charges of owning a vicious and dangerous animal. If convicted, she faces a $114 forfeiture.

The dog bit Officer Jon Kindlarski as he was responding to a call of two women fighting on Prospect Avenue early February 15. The bite didn’t pierce Kindlarski’s skin because he was wearing a thick jacket but did cause blood blusters.

Kindlarski managed to get free and shot the dog once after the animal continued to growl at him.

Dog shot by police officer in Salt Lake City park

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Salt Lake City police are investigating a shooting that happened Tuesday afternoon in a park near 1100 South and West Temple. The incident began with the two girls screaming for help after they were approached by two dogs, one of which was a pit bull.

There had been a report of some dogs running loose in the area, and plain-clothes Salt Lake City officer was on the scene when the dogs approached the girls and their puppy.

The officer had called animal control, but they were not on the scene yet when the girls started to scream. The officer told them to move away from the pit bull, and then he fired several shots at the dog. At least one bullet hit the animal.

Following the shooting, witnesses voiced concern over the officer's actions.

"It shouldn't have happened. It should not have happened," said witness Doug Schwartz. "He should have assessed the situation better, realized that the dog wasn't a threat, and shouldn't have come into a park wanting to firing off shots at a dog that was playing with little girls."

spoken like a pit nutter

"We've spoken with several witnesses in the area," said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robyn Snyder. "We will conduct an investigation to see if it was justified."

Both of the dogs were caught and taken away by animal control. We are unsure of the injured dog's condition at this time.

this updated link states the pit bull started to attack another dog.

Pit bull shot by police euthanized, owners cited

A pit bull shot by a Salt Lake City police officer Tuesday later died of its injuries.

The dog was one of two pit bulls that escaped from their home and harassed several neighborhood children.

The officer shot the pit bull after it began to attack another dog. A girl had been holding her own dog over her head to protect it, but she dropped the dog and the officer told her and another girl to run.

The dogs' owners were cited, said April Harris, shelter operations manager of Salt Lake County Animal Services.

Both dogs were taken to a veterinarian.

"The one that was shot was euthanized due to the severity of the injuries," she said.

The other dog was returned to its owners. Both were licensed and vaccinated, Harris said.

"If there had been a bite and it had broken any skin we would have taken the dog into quarantine for 10 days," Harris said.

Falls patrolman shoots and kills large dog attacking fellow officer

niagara falls, new york

A city patrol officer shot a 90-pound dog to death this morning as it was attacking a fellow officer.

Officer William D. Kutis fired one shot to kill the pit bull about 7:20 a.m., after it knocked down and bit Officer Philip Tripi, who was unsuccessful in fighting off the animal, Lt. Michael Kachurek said.

Tripi had eight bite marks on his arm and one on his leg. The dead dog was turned over to the SPCA and will be tested for rabies by the Niagara County Health Department, Kachurek said.

The incident began as Kutis and Tripi responded to a report of a burglary in progress at an apartment house at 2018 Grand Ave.

They found an exterior door open, and Kutis went inside to investigate while Tripi remained on the porch.

Kutis entered a common hallway on the first floor and was talking to Kathy Mount Pleasant when the dog bounded out of her apartment.

The pit bull ran past Kutis and down the stairs onto the porch, where it bowled over Tripi and started to bite him.

It appeared it was simply a case of bad timing, Kachurek said, not an intentional dog attack.

Tripi had difficulty getting his footing because of slippery conditions, and Mount Pleasant's daughter, Alexandra, 19, the owner of the dog, was unsuccessful in calling off the pit bull, according to a police report.

Eventually, Tripi managed to get to his knees, grab the dog by the collar and hold it out as far as he could. Kutis then shot and killed the dog.

Tripi was released after treatment in Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

Kachurek said Alexandra Mount Pleasant was cited for having an unlicensed dog and failure to property restrain it.

Police also tracked down the man who allegedly entered the building, starting the whole episode. Officers reported that Alexandra Mount Pleasant's estranged boyfriend, Milton Daniels IV, 21, of Niagara Street, was charged with second-degree criminal trespassing.

State trooper shoots, kills pit bull

Millington, Maryland

State police say a trooper shot and killed a pit bull who attacked another officer at a home in rural Queen Anne's County.

It happened Thursday night in Millington. Police were responding to a report of a man firing a handgun during a party at his home.

Twenty-three-year-old George Thomas allegedly fired the gun at the ceiling and held it to the head of his sister, 20-year-old Jessica Thomas.

George Thomas faces charges including first-degree assault and reckless endangerment. His sister has been charged with trying to impede the troopers who responded to the scene.

Police say the dog attacked the troopers as they were arresting Jessica Thomas and a 17-year-old girl.

Dying pit bull found in Auburn woods tied to tree, shot

auburn, new hampshire

Auburn police came on a gruesome scene yesterday after receiving a report of a pit bull tied to a tree in the woods off Route 28 Bypass that had been shot several times.

Officers found the dog still alive, but with severe wounds. They put the animal down at the scene.

The pit bull was male, tan and white male, nuetered, and approximately three to five years old.

"The dog's ears were not cropped as many pit bull dogs are," said a statement from Auburn police, who are asking for the public's help identifying the owner of the dog.

If anyone has any information they are asked to contact the Auburn Police Department at 603-483-2922.

UPDATE

Police say a man turned himself in Saturday morning after seeing WMUR's broadcast on a dog tied to a tree and shot.

Police charged ADAM LAMOTTE, 39, from Manchester with Class B felony for cruelty to animals.

Lamotte was released on $5,000 bail and will be appearing in Candia District Court on April 7th.

Police say Lamotte went into detail about how the dog had been vicious.

Thursday afternoon a person walking their dog in woods off the Route 28 bypass came upon the pit bull and called police.

When police arrived, the dog was still alive, but its injuries were determined to be too severe, so the dog was euthanized.

The dog was described as a tan and white neutered male, about 3 to 5 years old. The dog's ears were not cropped.

Police said they believe the dog was left either Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

while i am sympathetic to the desire to kill aggressive dogs, this fucktard should have done the right thing and took it to a vet. you don't take ANY dog into the woods shoot it and leave it to die.

www.unionleader.com

Adam Lamotte, a Manchester man who turned himself in to police yesterday for shooting his dog, says he "made a terrible mistake" when he decided to euthanize the animal himself instead of taking him to a vet.

Lamotte, 39, is charged with one felony count of animal cruelty, which carries a possible sentence of 3 1/2 to seven years in prison, according to Auburn police. Lamotte's 5-year-old pit bull, Buster, was found Thursday afternoon, tied to a tree and dying from gunshot wounds in a wooded area off the Route 28 bypass in Auburn.

Lamotte was released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail. An arraignment is scheduled in Candia District Court on April 7.

Lamotte, who works in maintenance, yesterday said the tan and white dog he'd raised from a pup was "the greatest dog in the world."

Buster always slept in bed with Lamotte and his wife. "He had to be covered up and everything or he'd whine," he said. "He was a big baby."

But about a year ago, Buster started going after family members when they started to leave the house. "He would basically attack us, try to grab our ankles or our hands or whatever," he said. "We had to lock him in a room if we knew somebody was leaving."

About a month ago, Buster bit Lamotte's wrist, sending him to the emergency room for stitches. He brought the dog to a vet, who diagnosed the animal with separation anxiety, and put him on the anti-anxiety medication Clomicalm.

A few nights ago, Lamotte said, Buster went after Lamotte's 17-year-old son, tearing his pant leg off. Lamotte said he worried what would happen if the dog went after his 10-year-old daughter. "I couldn't take that chance."

He decided to put Buster down himself. The 78-pound dog was afraid of veterinarians, Lamotte said. "And, I don't know, in my warped thinking, I thought I was doing the right thing."

"It sounds absurd but somehow it was better, me doing it."

Around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Lamotte said, he took Buster to the trails on Manchester Water Works property, a favorite spot for the two of them, and let him run for a while off-leash.

Then he called the dog to him and shot him in the head with a handgun. But Buster didn't die. "He didn't make a sound. He just looked at me," he said. "It was terrible."

He fired the gun two more times but isn't sure whether he hit the dog. "I've never shot anything in my life."

Then, he said, "I just panicked."

"I didn't know what to do. I tied him to a tree and left."

Lamotte said he believed Buster was dying when he left him.

Early yesterday morning, Lamotte went to a drugstore for coffee and the newspaper and saw his dead dog's photo on the front page of The New Hampshire Union Leader. And he learned that the dog had lived through the night, tied to the tree, and had to be put down by the Auburn animal control officer.

"That was horrible. I can't even describe it," he said.

Lamotte called Auburn police and turned himself in.

He also had to face telling his wife what he'd done; he had told the family he had taken Buster to a vet to be euthanized. He still hasn't told his three kids the truth.

Lamotte called what he did "the biggest regret of my life."

"I should have went to the vet and just had him euthanized," he said.

"I wasn't trying to be cruel to my dog. I know that doesn't make any sense, but it's true. I wasn't trying to leave him tied to a tree all night. That wasn't what I set out to do."

"He's my dog. And we loved him."

Sheriff investigating deputy's shooting of pit bull

grimesland, north carolina

The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Grimesland family’s complaint about the shooting death of the family dog by a deputy last week as a 10-year-old family member stood close by.

Conflicting accounts given by the deputy and the young girl who watched the Feb. 1 incident spurred the investigation, Chief Rick Fisher said Thursday.

Preliminary accounts indicate that Deputies J.E. Neal and K.R. Waters were dispatched to the home on Black Jack-Grimesland Road in response to a neighbor’s complaint of loud music, an investigator said.

The music was coming from a barn adjacent to the house, according to both Ravonda Green, the child’s mother, and the deputy’s report.

Her son had left the stereo on and closed the door with the dog, a pit bull, inside before going to another family member’s home nearby, Green said.

The girl went to the barn to turn the music down, and the dog ran from the barn and began to bark at Neal.

What happened after that is in dispute, according to separate accounts Neal gave his supervisor and the girl gave her mother.

Neal told his supervisor that the dog attacked him when the girl opened the barn door, leaving him no choice but to shoot it in self-defense, Fisher said.

Green shared her daughter’s account of the incident.

The girl had gone to the barn to turn the music down, and the dog ran out of the barn and began to bark at Neal, Green said. She said the dog was trained to obey family commands and halted when the girl told it to, but continued to bark at Neal.

The girl was unable to stop the dog’s barking, and she became concerned for its safety when she saw Neal searching for something at his belt, Green said.

Her daughter began to reach for the dog with the intent of pulling it behind her, but as she did so, Neal pulled his gun and shot it once in the head, killing it, according to Green’s report of her daughter’s account.

Neal’s preliminary report to Fisher was that the dog charged him and appeared to be attacking him, leaving him no option but to shoot it.

Both parties agreed that the girl was standing nearby when the shot was fired, but accounts differ about her precise location.

“That is one of the things we will investigate,” Fisher said. “There are some issues that weren’t included in the original report, so we will investigate those.”

Green said the deputy’s choice to shoot the dog was of particular concern because her daughter was standing there.

“I could have lost a child as well as a dog that day,” she said.

The chief limited his comments — “in fairness to both parties” — because he is faced with an active investigation.

“It’s an emotional situation, and I certainly understand her being emotional about it. In her shoes, I would be, too. But we will look into the facts and see what we come up with,” Fisher said.

If a deputy is found to have fired his or her weapon inappropriately, consequences may include retraining, disciplinary action or both, Fisher said.

UPDATE

A Pitt County deputy acted appropriately and was justified in killing a family dog Feb. 1, despite conflicting accounts of what occurred, a chief who investigated the incident said Tuesday.

“The deputy acted in self-defense. There were two deputies at the scene and both made the independent judgment to resort to deadly force, although only one actually used the force,” Chief Rick Fisher said.

A 10-year-old girl at the home on Black Jack-Grimesland Road said she was standing with the dog, a pit bull, and was reaching for its collar when the deputy J.E. Neal shot it once in the head.

Fisher said his deputies reported the girl was inside a shed several feet away.

“Both deputies wrote independent reports saying that the girl was in the confines of the barn when the shot was discharged, then she exited the barn immediately after the shot was fired,” Fisher said.

The child, Lamyiah Green, said she was standing behind and just to the side of the dog, within a foot or two, and was reaching for its collar when the deputy pulled his gun and fired.

Green said she answered her door that Monday and was asked by Neal to turn the loud music down that was playing in the shed, located 15-16 feet behind the mobile home.

“They asked me if there was an adult at home, and I told them my dad was here, but they didn’t ask me to get him,” the child said.

Green then walked across a wooden deck and into the shed to turn the music off, allowing the pit bull to walk out, she said. When the dog saw Neal standing at a distance of about 10 feet, it began barking at him. The girl gave the dog, named Diamond, a command to sit, which it obeyed, she said.

Deputy K.R. Waters was standing further away, at the end of the mobile home, according to Green. The dog continued barking at the deputies and made them fearful, all present at the scene agreed.

Green said the dog did not attack the deputy, but she could tell Neal was frightened and saw him reaching around on his belt trying to find something.

“He said he couldn’t find his mace,” Green said.

She said she then reached for the dog’s collar to pull it back into the barn, but at the same time Neal pulled his gun and shot the dog once through the head, and Green pulled her hand back and ran into the house.

Green’s father, Kenneth Parker, came out of the house with his daughter, and Neal told her he was sorry for shooting the dog in front of her, according to the child’s account of the incident.

“It was scary, I was nervous. I really thought she (the dog) was going to get up and attack him, but he reached for his gun before I could grab her,” Green said.

The child’s mother, Ravonda Green, said she was at her father’s home nearby when the incident occurred and came home immediately afterward.

Green said she understands if the deputy thought his safety was endangered, but is concerned about her daughter’s safety in the situation.

“If they knew there was an adult present, why didn’t they insist on speaking with him? There were two deputies there, and at least one of them could have gone to get her father, especially if they heard the dog barking and were scared and thought there could be trouble with it,” Green said.

The girl’s mother said her daughter’s shoes were splattered with the dog’s blood, but she washed it off so the child could wear them.

“Why would my daughter just let that dog go out there after those deputies and not go and try to stop it if it was barking and wouldn’t stop?”

Ravonda Green said she understands the deputies were unaware the dog was well trained and posed no threat.

“I just want them to admit they were wrong to shoot it while Lamyiah was standing right there. As nervous as they were, they could have missed the dog when they shot and I could have lost a child as well as a dog.”

Fisher said Tuesday the case is closed and no further action would be taken.

Green is adamant that the office admit her daughter was endangered and she wants the deputies retrained to prevent future incidents.

Pitbull attacks owner and officers in Preston

preston, connecticut

State Troopers shot and killed a pitbull Thursday night who police said had attacked both the homeowner and the town’s animal control officer.

State Troopers from Troop E in Montville responded at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to 56 Long Society Road in Preston for reports of a pitbull who had attacked its owner.

Troopers administered medical aid to the injured homeowner and the dog was kept in the bathroom until Preston Animal Control Officer Patti Daniels arrived.

As the homeowner was leading the dog to Daniels' vehicle, police said the dog broke free jumped on Daniels who fell backwards onto the ground where she was attacked and bitten by the dog.

Police were able to get the dog off but then shot the dog when it started to advance in a threatening manner towards the troopers, the homeowner and Daniels.

The extent of the injuries sustained by the homeowner is unknown. Daniels was treated and released from The William W. Backus Hospital.

police shoot pit bulls after they attack their owner

tauranga, australia

A Tauranga man attacked by his pet pit bulls at home managed to fight them off and shut them in a room before calling emergency services for help.

The 34-year-old was in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital yesterday after surgery for multiple lacerations to his scalp, face and arms.

The two female bull terrier cross dogs, one aged nine and the other 18 months, were shot by police when they arrived at the house at Hairini, near Welcome Bay.

Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said their owner lost a lot of blood and was on the verge of unconsciousness when police arrived just after 6am.

The man's injuries were "pretty horrific".

"He was in a pretty bad way when they [ambulance officers] got there."

St John Ambulance paramedics called police because they thought it would be too dangerous to go inside the house, he said.

Tauranga District Council animal control manager Brent Lincoln said the man was able to fend off the attack and shut the dogs in a room before calling 111.

The dogs were both registered and had no previous history of attacks.

A report of a man separating two dogs fighting in the same area the day before was not believed to be connected to the attack, he said.

Meanwhile, a Te Aroha mother whose 13-year-old son was mauled in July 2008 by four pig-hunting dogs while biking along a rural road said she had received only half of the reparations ordered by the court against the dogs' owner.

Stewart Witeri, 37, was convicted and ordered to pay $5000 in reparations.

Only $2500 had been paid and payments stopped about six months ago, according to the mother, who did not want to be named.

She had been told Witeri had left the district. "I've contacted the court but there has been no follow-up."

She said the money received had been put towards her son's recuperation. "He is slowly getting back to normal. He was very afraid of going outside the front gate.

"He recently got a road bike and he has been able to ride around the area and overcome his fears."

The mother said community work was a better option than increasing jail sentences for owners of dangerous dogs.

Owners should be made to attend the victim's ongoing recuperation and recovery, she said.

"In our case we weren't interested in the owner going to jail – it was an accident, he didn't set the dogs onto my son.

"We would have preferred it if he had been made to attend all the times, over months and months, my son had his wounds treated so he could see himself the damage his dogs did.

"My son screamed the hospital down he was in so much pain – that's when the owner should have been there, to see how much pain he was going through."

K-9 Officer Fatally Shoots Charging Pit Bull

Bossier City, Louisiana

A Bossier City K-9 officer fatally shot a pit bull that charged at him and lunged at his police dog, city spokesman Mark Natale said.

Police went to a house in the 400 block of Kelly Street to arrest Larry Darnell Caldwell, 20, on a warrant charging him with one count of armed robbery. As officers were escorting him to a patrol car, a dog darted out the front door and into the backyard, where he encountered the K-9 officer and his dog, Natale said.

Caldwell was arrested in connection with an armed robbery of a person Jan. 23 in the 1400 block of Traffic Street. He was booked into Bossier City Jail, where jailers turned up an unrelated bench warrant out of Shreveport, authorities said.

Police shoot vicious dog 12 times

plainview, texas

It took 12 gunshots to stop an aggressive pit bull from attacking police officers Wednesday afternoon.

According to a police report, officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of Quincy around 4:50 p.m. after receiving a report that a child had been bitten by a loose pit bull.

The report states that the dog had trapped two children on the roof of a vehicle.

When officers attempted to approach the children to check for injuries, the female pit bull approached them in an aggressive manner, which forced one of the officers to fire a 12-gauge shotgun.

The injured dog then headed to the north side of Quincy toward the alley. When officers pursued the dog, she again turned and threatened the officers, causing one of them to fire a second shotgun blast.

The dog then headed back toward the front of the residence where the children and another officer were standing, causing that officer to fire three 12-gauge rounds. When that failed to stop the dog, three officers fired a total of seven .40-caliber pistol rounds, which finally killed the animal, the report stated.

The child who was bitten was treated for minor injuries at the scene by Plainview EMS.

Animal control officers plan to send the dog to Austin for testing and were looking for the owner of the animal.

Once located, the owner could be cited for having a loose dog and no tags and fined more than $100.

cop shoots dog (not a pit bull) while checking on a 911 call

commerce city, colorado

Zoey was a mutt adopted from an animal shelter in 2003.

She had never bitten anyone, her owners said, although she'd always bark at visitors who came to their 10-acre property in Commerce City.

About 3 p.m., Wednesday, Zoey was shot dead by a Commerce City police officer.

Julia and Frank Agazio say what happened was inexcusable.

"It's like losing one of your kids," said Frank Agazio. "Zoey was my best friend."

The Commerce City police say the officer did the only thing she could, shoot a "vicious dog" who threatened her.

An investigation into the incident is on-going.

When the shooting happened on Wednesday, Julia Agazio had just been out of the hospital a few days where she had had major surgery.

The couple's answering machine wasn't operating properly. Since the couple was receiving a lot of calls from doctors and friends concerned about, or checking on, Julia Agazio, Frank was trying to fix it.

In doing so he accidentally hit a pre-programmed 911 button.

When he did, the Commerce City Police called back to find out if everything was OK. He told them everything was fine.

Commerce City police decided to send an officer to the residence to make sure - without telling the Agazios they would soon be there.

Officer Chris Dickey, spokesman for the Commerce City Police Department, said that such a response is customary police work.

"The officer was responding to a 911 call to determine the validity of what was going on," said Dickey. "It is our responsibility."

He said the female officer - who he declined to identify by name or length of service - walked through an open gate on the Agazio driveway, said Dickey.

There, said Dickey, she was confronted by "three, large vicious dogs."

Dickey said the officer shot Zoey as the dog attempted to attack her.

The officer is still on duty and is still carrying her weapon. The shooting is not the same as where an officer shoots a human and is placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

The Agazios tell a different version of events.

They claim that moments before the shooting, Zoey, along with the other two dogs, were on a porch being fed biscuits by Frank's 82-year-old father.

They believe the two other dogs stayed with Frank's father.

When the officer approached, Zoey, who has always acted as the couple's watchdog, apparently heard the officer and started barking at her as she always did at visitors.

The Agazios said the officer had walked at least 40 yards on to their property when she pulled the trigger once. The shot struck Zoey in the chest.

At the time she was shot, the Agazios said Zoey was 10 feet away from the officer.

Julia Agazio is particularly outraged.

She said Zoey was a loyal dog — weighing about 35 pounds — who always "stayed by your side."

"Our family is totally devastated over the murder of our dog," said Julia Agazio. "We are still in shock and can't believe that a cop can sneak into your yard invited and just shoot your dog in the heart."

Julia Agazio said the 10-acre property has been in the Agazio family since 1924 when her husband's grandfather came to Commerce City from Italy and began farming on the acreage. She said the Agazios are law-abiding, upstanding citizens who have never been in any trouble.

She said last year the Commerce City "dog catcher" did come to their property and rescued another of their dogs, which had fallen down a well.

Dickey, the spokesman for the Commerce City Police Department, said he was not aware of any record of prior police calls to the Agazio home.

The Agazios say they wish that the female officer, if she was concerned about the dog, would have called the police dispatcher and had the Agazios restrain their pet. And they wonder why the officer didn't use a Taser or pepper spray.

"We receive constant deliveries from UPS, Fed Ex, the mail man and other various delivery services and none of these people have ever been attacked by our 'vicious' dogs," said Julia Agazio.

The most profound impact of the shooting has been on their 13-year-old daughter Maria, who fainted after seeing her pet being shot.

"Her first interaction with those who are meant to serve and protect ended up with them murdering her dog right in front of her," said Maria's mother. "No longer is Zoey on her little rug at the front door where she lay for the last seven years."

Pit bull attacks 3-year-old in Orange County

ORLANDO, FLORIDA Orange County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a pit bull that attacked a 3-year-old boy who was playing with his father in a back yard, according to authorities.

The incident happened this morning at a home in the 2700 block of Coral Reef Drive in east Orange County, south of the University of Central Florida.

The child, who was bitten several times on the face, was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orange County fire officials said. His condition is not known.

The child's father, who also was bitten in the attack, said the dog "came out of nowhere" and attacked the 3-year-old, according to deputies.

Deputies tried to corner the dog but had to shoot it because it was so aggressive.

The dog was not wearing any tags, and deputies went door to door to try to locate the animal's owner.

The dog will be tested for rabies.

this link says the same pit bull attacked a little dog the week before attacking the boy.

www.wftv.com

Pit bull shot and killed by Hoboken police after mauling three residents in apartment

hoboken, new jersey

Police shot and killed a violent pit bull around midnight last night after it harmed three victims, including its owner, police said in a statement Friday.

The incident happened at a luxury building in uptown Hoboken after the first victim, a 42-year-old male resident, called police and alleged that he was bitten by a roommate’s pit bull named “Giant."

When police arrived, the victim was being treated outside the building by emergency medical technicians for severe bites to his right ankle. The victim told police he had been bitten by the same pit bull last week.

Police saw a another pit bull unleashed in the lobby of the building, they said. Moments later, “Giant” also appeared in the lobby with blood on its face and body, police said.

Police attempted to secure the lobby, which was made difficult due to two motion-sensor doors. At one point both dogs activated the doors, police said, but then fled back into the lobby and then back into the apartment.

The dog's owner, a 26-year-old female Hoboken resident, appeared near the lobby, but despite repeated warnings by police not to enter the lobby or apartment, the female owner entered her apartment. She was then bitten and mauled repeatedly in her lower extremities by “Giant,” causing massive trauma and blood loss, police said.

Hoboken Police, assisted by the Port Authority Police Emergency Service Unit, then entered the apartment by a window to rescue the female victim. She was carried out the window into an awaiting ambulance, where she was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) for treatment.

Police managed to barricade and beat off the violent pit bull and barricade it with furniture in the apartment. While the dog was partly secured by police, a third victim, a 41-year-old female Hoboken resident, attempted to enter the apartment after being repeatedly warned not to enter by police who were inside the apartment securing the pit bull.

The female victim screamed, and the pit bull became loose and immediately mauled her, causing serious bodily injury to her legs.

Police again beat the pit bull off of the victim. The third victim was also rushed to JCMC, requiring emergency surgery for her injuries.

Based on the totality of the circumstances and the immediate danger to officers and the public, Sgt. Edmund Drishti drew his weapon and shot and killed the pit bull with a single bullet to the head, police said.

The Humane Society of Newark, N.J., removed the dog. The second pit bull, which apparently did not injure or bite anyone, was snared and tranquilized by the Port Authority Police. This dog later expired and the owner is unknown at this point, according to the Humane Society.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office was notified, standard protocol when a law enforcement officer discharges his weapon, but no criminal charges are expected.

The Hoboken Board of Health was also notified about the incident and will conduct a separate investigation to determine if any health ordinances were violated by the dog’s owner, including proper registration of the dog.

Neither dogs wore Hoboken dog tags, only dog collars, police said.

The female owner told police that “Giant” had bitten another dog in a Hoboken dog park several weeks ago.

Police Chief Anthony Falco commended Drishti and all of the officers. “There was no other alternative available but to terminate this violent pit bull,” he said. -- TJC

Lansing Police Kill Pit bull

lansing, michigan

Lansing Police shoot and kill a pit bull this morning.

It happened around 11am on the 200 block of Shepard Street.

Police officers were looking for a man with outstanding felony warrants.

When police approached the man he ran into a house and that's where the dog charged the officers.

The man then ran from the scene and was caught a short time later by police.

Police say when the man ran out of the house he slipped and fell, about a block away, injuring his foot.

Officers say he was taken to a local hospital and could face more charges.

Police officer shoots pit bull

CLAIREMONT MESA A 1-year-old pit bull was euthanized after being shot four times by a police officer in Clairemont Mesa Sunday morning.

Officers were called to Derrick Avenue and Genesee Drive just before 7 a.m. after a woman called to say the dog and another pit bull were loose and aggressively menacing people including an elderly couple, San Diego police said.

The woman had to jump into the back of a pickup to get away from them, police said.

When officers arrived the dogs charged at them prompting one officer to open fire. One of the dogs was hit four times and the other ran off into a canyon, said Lt. Dan DeSousa of the county’s Department of Animal Services.

The second dog was found later and the owner was ticketed.

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputy shoots pit bull after Metairie woman attacked by two dogs

metairie, louisiana

A Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff shot and killed one of two pit bulls accused of attacking a Metairie woman on Friday and arrested the dogs' owner for allegedly allowing them to roam freely.

The incident occurred in the 1000 block of South Starrett Road in Metairie just after Noon, according to Sheriff's Office incident and arrest reports. Deputies were dispatched to a residence in that block after reports of a dog attack.

The victim, a 36-year-old woman who lives on the street, said the she was bitten on the leg by the dogs, according to the reports. The woman had made it back inside of her residence by the time deputies arrived, but they noticed a vehicle in her driveway with a caved-in roof and blood running down the rear window, the incident report said.

As the deputies approached the victim's front door, a pair of pit bulls charged out of the backyard of a home at 927 S. Starrett Road., the incident report said. While one dog came to a halt, the second dog kept running and lunged to bite the deputy, the incident report said.

The deputy opened fire, hitting the dog three times. Both animals ran back inside of the home at 927 S. Starrett Road. Jefferson Parish Animal Control officers arrived and collected the dogs.

The victim refused treatment at the scene, but said she would go to the hospital on her own, the incident report said.

The wounded dog was taken to Metairie Small Animal Hospital for emergency veterinary care, according to Tiffany Peperone, interim director for the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter.

"They stabilized it, but it had severe injuries. The owner released the animal to the animal shelter and it was euthanized," said Peperone, who confirmed that the owner would be held responsible for the veterinary bills related to the dog's treatment.

The owner, Kim Hutson, 48, of 927 S. Starrett Road, Metairie, was not at home at the time of the attack. She was taken into custody Saturday and booked with letting dogs run at large and having dogs that cause a public nuisance, according to Peperone and Sheriff's Office arrest reports. She was also held on three unrelated traffic attachments.

Hutson could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Peperone said the Hutson has not relinquished ownership of the second pit bull, which is being held under observation by the shelter. Officials will determine the dog's temperament and hold an adjudication hearing to determine exactly what happened.

3 Calif. children mauled by pack of escaped dogs

fontana, california

A 5-year-old California girl who was mauled along with two siblings by a pack of escaped dogs remained hospitalized Tuesday and was unable to breath on her own, police said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was walking with her mother and three siblings along train tracks when they were attacked Monday afternoon by five dogs that escaped a nearby yard by digging under a fence, said Fontana police Sgt. Jeff Decker.

One dog, a mastiff, pulled the girl from her mother's hand and "and tossed the child around like a rag doll," Decker said.

The girl suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and numerous bites. She remained hospitalized in critical condition and was breathing with the help of a ventilator, Decker said.

Her brother, who is about 7, also remained hospitalized after needing 237 staples to close a leg wound, he said.

The girl's sister, who is about 8, was treated for leg and arm injuries, Decker said.

Shortly after the attack, police found the dogs near their home. One was shot when it attacked an officer and the other four - the mastiff and what appeared to be pit bull mixes - were taken to an animal shelter, Decker said.

They were quarantined until it is determined whether they have rabies and whether they should be destroyed, he said.

The owners, who cooperated with police, could be cited for failing to properly confine their pets but they were not immediately ticketed, he said.

"My understanding is they are very sorry about what happened," Decker said.

yeah, let's wait and see if they fight to keep these dogs alive, maybe even hire tia torres.

Fontana is in San Bernardino County, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

Police officer attacked by pit bull, then by dog's owner

Willie James Sims, 46, is accused of attacking a Newport News police officer after his dog attacked the officer. Sims was arrested and charged with assault of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct while intoxicated, drunk in public, obstruction of justice, assault and battery on a family member, and having a dangerous or vicious dog.

newport news, virginia

A Newport News police officer responding to a domestic disturbance on Sunday was attacked by a pit bull and then by the dog's owner.

The officer, whose name was not released to the media, was treated for injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.

The dog's owner, 46-year-old Willie James Sims, was arrested and charged with assault of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct while intoxicated, drunk in public, obstruction of justice, assault and battery on a family member, and having a dangerous or vicious dog.

Police spokesman Harold Eley said officers responded around noon Sunday to a home in the 4600 block of Madison Avenue after receiving a call reporting a domestic disturbance between a married couple. When the woman opened the door for the officers, an adult male pit bull charged through the door and bit an officer on the left hand and forearm.

The officer drew his gun and fired two shots, striking the dog. At that point, Eley said, Sims ran out of the house and began attacking the injured officer. The officer used pepper spray to stop him.

Animal Control was called to take care of the injured dog. Sims is being held without bond. Eley said the police department is investigating the incident because it involved an officer discharging his weapon.