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A man who whose dog bit a bystander after the bystander tried to stop him from punching the dog was arrested on multiple charges early Tuesday morning, including animal cruelty. The dog, described as a pit bull by police and witnesses, bit the bystander and was later choked so hard by the owner with the leash and collar that it trembled and defecated, according to a Gainesville Police Department report. Witness Kami Hotchkiss said she and her friends saw Rene Paul Cohn Jr., 34, of 1740 NW Second Ave., outside his home dragging and kicking the white dog and trying to get it to bite the people just after midnight. Full Article … [Read more...]

PALATKA, Fla. -- Putnam County Sheriff's deputies tell Action News a Rottweiler found in the yard of a home off East Towles Avenue in Palatka may be responsible for biting a man's head and face.  Sgt. Hancel Woods says a Good samaritan stopped to help the man, who was kneeling on the side of the road. "He was somewhat upright on the side of the road, possibly on his knees, trying to get her attention so she stopped. He apparently said something to her about a dog and that's all she was able to get." Woods says the woman stayed with the man until help arrived. The man, who suffered from severe injuries to his head, scalp and face, was able to tell a paramedic that a Rottweiler was responsible before he was flown to Shands Gainesville for immediate surgery. Police soon found a 90-pound Rottweiler in a neighboring yard, and took it into custody. … [Read more...]

In August, the White House issued a statement against breed discrimination. The statement issued was an adoption of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's community-based approach to prevent dog bites: Research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are ineffective and a waste of public resources. In 2000, the CDC looked at 20 years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the U.S. They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people, and that it's impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds. The CDC noted that the types of people who exploit dogs aren't deterred by breed regulations. Dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they're intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive. For all those reasons, the CDC officially recommends against breed-specific legislation, which they call inappropriate Full article … [Read more...]

A pit bull mix that bit and seriously injured a Chicago Animal Care and Control worker Saturday was euthanized after the incident, officials said. The stray dog was being held at the pound and was scheduled to be euthanized if not claimed by an owner when it bit the woman several times Saturday morning. The woman, 47, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious to critical condition. Her husband instructed the hospital not to disclose any information about her condition, hospital spokeswoman Dianne Hunter said Sunday. Full Article … [Read more...]

The White House denounced dog breed-specific legislation, such as Denver's ban on pit bulls, as “a bad idea” in a statement last month. So, how will the edict from Washington impact Denver? Not at all—at least for now. The White House statement, which was in response to a petition calling for the federal prohibition of such laws, was more of an empty threat than an indication of any potential federal action against dog laws like Denver’s—but it does reflects a rising trend against breed-specific legislation. Full Article … [Read more...]

A dog owner arrested Thursday was charged with murder in an attack involving a frenzied pack of dogs that killed a 63-year-old woman who suffered more than 150 puncture wounds in the mauling. Pamela Devitt was attacked on the morning of May 9 by dogs in on a Littlerock road in the southeastern Antelope Valley, northeast of Los Angeles. Hours after the attack, authorities served a search warrant on a nearby home, confiscated eight dogs and arrested their owner on suspicion of growing marijuana. Six pit bulls and two mixed breed dogs — some with blood on their coats and muzzles — were taken from the home of Alex Jackson, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. DNA tests on the blood confirmed that it was that of the victim, which led investigators to the 29-year- old Jackson, who was charged Wednesday with murder. He was arrested Thursday at his home and bail was set at $1.5 million. Arraignment is scheduled for Friday. If convicted, Jackson, pictured below, … [Read more...]

A single mother of four lost both of her legs and one of her arms when a single bite from one of her dogs infected her with a bacteria that sent her body into a septic shock. Christine Caron, 49, of Ottawa, Canada, was placed in an induced coma for a month and a half three days after one of her Shih Tzu mixes bit her hand during a game of tug-of-war on May 22. When she woke up, as she told CBCS News, "My feet were black, and my arm was sort of — it was mummified." Full Article … [Read more...]

A 90-pound Neapolitan Mastiff-pitbull mix was shot by a deputy after it attacked two men in an unincorporated area of Riverside County near Murrieta Friday morning. The attacks left the 80-year-old father of the dog’s owner severely injured. Also hurt was an air- conditioning repairman who was working at the house in 39000 block of Salinas Drive. “This was a really bad one,” said John Welsh, a spokesman for the county’s Animal Services Department. Around 9 a.m., a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy was called out to the scene of vicious dog report. Upon arriving, the deputy found the 80-year-old man “in the garage being mauled,” according to a report written by Temecula Police Sgt. Terry Jones. According to the report, the dog charged the deputy, prompting the shooting. The animal was hit twice, but survived and left the scene. The four-year-old dog eventually was found at a nearby home in the 39000 block of Tangletree Way, where it was impounded by a Riverside County Animal … [Read more...]

A Saginaw city worker was attacked and bitten by a dog on Oakwood near Webber on the city's East Side today and taken to a hospital for treatment, according to an official. Saginaw police officers responded to a house at 2004 Oakwood along with Saginaw County Animal Control officers and MMR about 11 a.m., according to Saginaw County 911. The city water department employee was attacked while working on the 2000 block of Oakwood, according to a preliminary report received by Saginaw Employee Services Director Dennis Jordan. Jordan said he could not confirm any further details about the incident and declined to release the worker's name. Saginaw County Animal Control Director Kevin Wilken said he believes three dogs were involved in the incident, though he could not confirm if one or more actually bit the city worker. Wilken said animal control officers were called out to the property around 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, and are currently headed back to the Saginaw County Animal Care … [Read more...]

Police said a United States Postal worker was hospitalized after she was attacked by a dog in Florissant on Saturday. According to USPS, the letter carrier said she was walking past a house in the 1600 block of Fernbrook when a Mastiff-Boxer mix attacked her. The victim said during the attack, the dog tore into her leg, causing nerve damage. The woman also sufferered bite wounds to her arms. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Officials said she was scheduled to be released sometime Monday afternoon. The dog's owner said 2 1/2-year-old Chevy was being watched at a friend's home because the dog's owner travels a lot for his job. The female friend had been taking care of the dog since Demember at her home on Fernbrook. USPS officials said there have been 31 dog-biting cases in the St. Louis area in the past 12 months. Officials said it was up to each individual letter carrier if they want to bypass a house because they think it’s dangerous. … [Read more...]