Thursday, November 30, 2006

Keeping people safe from dangerous dogs

This article in the WBIR.COM 10NEWS EXTRA shows people are starting to get it!!!
10NEWS EXTRA: Keeping people safe from dangerous dogs

Watch VIDEO
- Click here to watch this video


The Animal Control board has a new plan to determine if a dog is dangerous or not.

Related Links
Click here for a look at animal laws in various states.
Click here for tips on preventing dog bites.

Every year more than 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs. How to keep people safe, while being fair to dog owners, is an issue facing community leaders all over the country and the world, as well as here in our area.

"There's always been that special relationship between man and dog, our best friend," said Middlesboro, Kentucky City Council member Dewey Morgan.

What would we do without our dogs? It is a question that hit home for some pit bull owners in Middlesboro, Kentucky.

Last spring, city council members considered an ordinance that would have banned all pit bulls in the city limits.

"It was when we had so many people came forward in opposition to it, and it denoted that we must as council people look at it a little more closely and see what their concern was," said Morgan.

They listened and decided on a law that allows all dogs, with some conditions.

"Put the responsibility on the owner, and we know there's good owners and there's bad owners," said Morgan.

Many of the city's complaints were coming from people worried their kids would be hurt by pit bulls at the park.

Now with the new ordinance, dogs are banned from public parks and public events in Middlesboro.

Children younger than 14 years old cannot walk dogs in public by themselves, and every dog has to be on a leash no longer than eight feet long.

We saw several dogs in Middlesboro whose owners were not following the new ordinance. Despite that, the new law has cut down on complaints.

"As we stand right now I'm pretty happy with what the city did, and I'm satisfied and obviously the public is because there doesn't seem to be a public outcry on this issue at this moment," said Morgan.

Middlesboro was not alone considering a ban on pit bulls. The United Kingdom has banned its citizens from owning four breeds, including pit bulls, since 1991. The Canadian province of Ontario bans them and so does the city of Denver.

But a number of states have non-breed specific laws putting restrictions on ownership of any dangerous dog. Those states include Oklahoma, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia and Ohio.

"If it had been the only way to go would be to ban those animals, I would have voted that way, but if there was another way around it and I think we reached the best of all worlds," said Morgan.

Herryn Herzog , Reporter

Friday, November 24, 2006

Bully Fund Raiser Vests Now Available

I've been waiting for the vests to come in. I know Shasta will LOVE hers!!! Now if I could only wait until Christmas to give it to her. *giggle*

Please Don't Bully Me Fundraiser - Fleece Vests Now Available!

http://www.brok.ca/ is pleased to bring you the Please Don’t Bully Me fundraiser!

Make a donation and help us raise money to support the legal challenge of Bill 132 – fighting Breed Specific Legislation in Ontario, Canada – and receive a gift exclusively from http://www.brok.ca/ .

Depending on the amount you wish to donate, you can choose from our Don’t Bully Me California cotton fleece dog vests, our Please Don’t Bully Me cotton dog tees, our classic dog bandanas or our Dirty Paws Here dirty dog towels – all available in a wide variety of colours.

Please visit http://www.brok.ca/ to view the poster and donation form.

Order now while supplies last!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Holiday Cards for Banned Aid Coalition

Holiday Cards for Banned Aid Coalition

Hey Everyone!!

The holidays are almost here and what better way to support BAC and show your holiday spirit then by giving BAC Holiday cards?!?!? Please see attached flyer.

These festive holiday cards are only being offered for a short time and in a
limited quantity. All proceeds will be donated to the BAC Legal Challenge
Fund.

Happy Holidays!!!



Advocates for the Underdog

A Proud Member of the Banned Aid Coalition
www.advocatesfortheunderdog.com

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Killer dogs run wild

How are dogs starving and going into wild packs unless people have abandoning their dogs in the first place to start this? Nature taking it's course have now created the problem of dogs fending for themselves which are to feed and mate.

It's always a sad situation when children are killed. It's sadder still that these kind of situations could have been avoided by negligent owners that should never have abandoned their dogs in the first place to begin this dangerous senario from happening.

Humans, the most intelligent species on the planet given the ability to think and reason. So why are so many NOT?

Killer dogs run wild
Grandmother of mauling victim wants vicious strays done away with
By ELIZA BARLOW, EDMONTON SUN

A grieving granny lashed out yesterday at dog owners after her five-year-old grandson was mauled to death by a pack of frenzied dogs on a remote northern Alberta reserve.

Lance Ribbonleg, 5, dressed in snow pants and a parka, was attacked by about five dogs running loose on the North Tallcree First Nation around 6:45 p.m. Thursday, as he walked the short distance home after playing outside with friends.

A neighbour called police after witnessing a pack of about five dogs "grab" the child, said Fort Vermilion RCMP Sgt. Ryan Becker.

Some neighbours ran out to the road to chase the dogs away, but by the time they got there, it was too late.

Little Lance was pronounced dead by the side of the blood-soaked road. His face was so badly mangled in the savage mauling that dental records will likely be needed to officially confirm his identity, Becker said.

A Rottweiler and a German shepherd-cross were seized by Mounties and quarantined at a Fort Vermilion veterinary clinic.

But the other three dogs police believe were involved in the attack are still at large, running among an estimated 50 dogs that sources say are roaming the reserve at will.

Yesterday, Isabel Alook, a great-aunt who Lance knew as his grandmother, disputed reports from RCMP that the Rottweiler and German shepherd-cross had been tied up but broke loose of their tethers earlier in the evening.

When Mounties arrived, the two dogs were again tied up, Becker said, adding the dogs' owner, a band councillor, is "very upset."

But Alook claimed the dogs had been running loose for nearly a week. "(The owner) knows his dogs are mean and he didn't tie them up. They were loose since (last) Friday.

"Lance was just a little ways from home."

Dylan Thomas, acting chief executive officer of the Tallcree Tribal Government, refused to comment yesterday on whether the reserve has an animal control bylaw.

Becker said large populations of stray dogs running in packs are a problem on several northern native communities.

The problem isn't new.

On Nov. 27, 1999, five-year-old Cecilia Alook was killed by starving dogs outside her school in Garden River, on the Little Red River Cree Nation, about 115 km from Fort Vermilion.

Isabel Alook, also a relative of Cecilia, wants all stray and vicious dogs on the reserve to be shot.

Lance's mother Ruby couldn't be reached. Alook said the mother was inconsolable over the death of her little boy.

Lance and his mom recently moved to North Tallcree, home to about 300 people, from Fox Lake. Alook said Lance had just started the Aboriginal Headstart education program.

"He was a quiet little boy, a good little boy, and he was kind to people. He liked to play road hockey with the boys."

Becker said charges likely would not be laid. North Tallcree is 770 km northwest of Edmonton.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

City County Council passes dangerous dog ordinance

Now THIS is the more along the right way of thinking, other than tethering! But it does make some great points. An extensive educational program should also be brought into focus, as many people and children are victims because of lack of knowledge.

Little Johnny doesn't understand he can't play with the strangers dog down the street like he does his own dog.

Many owners, especially first time owners don't realize the necessities needed for the different breeds and the types of excerise needed. Many believe a pup will learn on their own and turn out like Aunt Sally's dog, only as the pup starts to destroy furnature, and clothes, they assume they have a stupid dog. Once the dog has problems from lack of learning, many get taken down a country road and dropped off.

Education is IMPORTANT and people need to learn how to maintain, contain and train their dogs as well as parents and parents teaching their children, but it is a good start.

You can find this article in the Indianapolis Eyewitness News.

City County Council passes dangerous dog ordinance

Nov 14, 2006 11:34 AM EST
Mary Milz/Eyewitness News


At one time the proposal was aimed at specific breeds. That was changed.


A pit bull attack left Amaya Hess disfigured and near death.



The vote to pass the proposal was unanimous.

Indianapolis - After months of debate, Indianapolis has a new dangerous dog ordinance. The City County Council passed it unanimously Monday night following about 20 minutes of discussion.

The new law defines a dangerous dog based on its behavior, not its breed. A dog is defined as dangerous if it injures or chases someone in a menacing way or attacks another animal.

The ordinance requires such dogs to be properly confined, limits ownership to two and prohibits the tethering of any dog between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Pet owners who violate the ordinance face initial fines of $500 and $1,000 for a second offense.

"This puts the accountability on the pet owner," said Councilor Ron Gibson.

The ordinance was triggered by the near-fatal mauling of little Amaya Hess, attacked by a pit bull in May. While some called for banning pit bulls, others said the problem wasn't bad dogs, but bad owners. The ordinance was amended several times before Monday's final vote.

"We had compromise after compromise after compromise," said Councilor Rozelle Boyd.

Leslie Fatum, Administrator of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control said she was pleased with the ordinance, but added her agency would need "more people and more resources" to enforce it and to staff the new appeals process set up for owners.

The new law takes effect January 1, 2007

Read the specifics on the ordinance.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Cross-examinations and court hearing

There's some great gifts and Christmas cards soon to be on sale to help the Defense fund. If you haven't done your Christmas shopping yet, check out the items first. You'll be putting smiles on friends and loved one, plus helping in the fight against BSL too.

Now for some long, awaited GOOD news!

Cross-examinations over the next 2 weeks!
Wed Nov 15, 2006

As you all know, there was a delay in our case due to the Government introducing new information is an update on the motion, etc....

Cross-examinations will start Thursday, November 16th and will wrap up on Tuesday, November 28th.

The court hearing has been set for December 21, at 10:00 a.m. Courtroom to be confirmed.

This is very good news – there was some concern that the hearing would be put off until January.

Troubled Owners, Troubled Dogs?

This article was in the Windsor Star. This post is as rediculas as my last one. Who thinks up these theories???

Troubled owners, troubled dogs?
Crime, choice of pet linked Dalson Chen and Sonja Puzic, with files from Shannon Proudfoot, CanWest News Service Windsor Star; with files from CanWest News Service
Wednesday, November 15, 2006

People who own "high-risk" dogs such as pit bulls are more likely to have past criminal convictions than other dog owners, says a new study.

But Natalie Kemeny, a local pit bull owner and advocate, was shocked bythe suggestion.

"Where we live, and the people that I know, that information is truly false."I'm not a criminal," said the 36-year-old."I've never even gone through a red light. And I own a pit bull-typedog."

In a study published in the current issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, researchers from the University of Cincinnatiexamined a sample of 355 dogs and their owners.The authors categorized as "high-risk" all pit-bull-type dogs, as well as dogs of breeds that had killed or seriously injured a person without provocation, or killed another dog.
Of the sample group, 164 dogs including pit bulls, Rottweilers, Akitasand chows fell into the "high-risk" category.

Every one of their owners was found to have at least one criminal conviction or traffic citationon record.Only 27 per cent of those with "low-risk" dogs such as beagles, spaniels and collies were found to have past legal troubles.
The study also suggests that owners of "high-risk" canines are almost seven times more likely than other dog owners to have been convicted of aggressive crimes, eight times more likely to have drug convictions, and five times more likely to have alcohol-related convictions.

"For some persons, owning a dog that has a reputation for aggression is considered a highly desirable feature," the study notes.

But Kemeny said she'd like to know how the researchers collected their sample group.

"Where did they go to do this survey, the local prison?"

Co-founder of the Windsor-based pit bull rescue coalition Advocates forthe Underdog, Kemeny said she doesn't know any owners of pit bull-typedogs that have ever been convicted of a crime.
"I, myself, am a professional. My rescue partner works for RE/MAXrealty," she said. "We have over 850 people on our mailing list, and we know them all.... They all have full-time professional jobs."

Although pit bull ownership is restricted by Ontario legislation,Windsor city council preceded the province by introducing a city-wideban on pit bulls in September 2004.

The city's licensing commissioner, Diane Sibley, said the new study was the first she had heard of a correlation between "high-risk" dog breeds and their owners' criminal records.

"There was nothing like this when we (introduced the pit bull ban)," she said. "In fact, that was one of the criticisms we received -- that there wasn't enough information to impose the ban."

Sibley said she was "definitely interested" in learning more about the study and said she would look into it.Windsor-Essex County Humane Society president Doug Jeffery also said the study sounds interesting, but warned that people should be careful about how they interpret it.

"There are pit bulls that are legal in Windsor that are not owned by criminals. I know those people," he said.

Jeffery said the bite of any large dog can be severe, and the matter comes down to the irresponsibility of owners -- "whether it be someone with a criminal background or someone who is just stupid, to put it very bluntly."

STUDY QUESTIONED

Owners of dogs like pit bulls and Rottweilers are being as badly stereotyped as their pets, says a local dog trainer.

"I know people that own pit bull terriers that are police officers,"said Mike Beckett, owner of 21st Century K9 and a professional dogtrainer for 10 years.

A past Rottweiler owner and current pit bull owner, Beckett said he feels the University of Cincinnati study is "one more thing for people to hate these dogs, and to hate the people that own these dogs."

In classes, he's never seen pit bull or Rottweiler owners to be criminal types.

Beckett said he was once walking a muzzled pit bull when they were confronted by an aggressive dachshund and its irate owner.

"Just becauseI choose a dog like this, doesn't mean I can't walk down the street too."

-- Dalson ChenRan with fact box "Study Questioned" which has been appended to the story.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

CNN's Nancy Grace Interview Transcripts

CNN.com Transcripts

NANCY GRACE
Dad`s Pitbulls Kill 1-Year-Old
Aired November 7, 2006 - 20:00:00 ET


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, a South Carolina community in shock after four pitbulls maul a 1-year-old baby to death, his own father facing murder one charges.And tonight, a firefighter mom disappears, seemingly vanishing into thin air, leaving behind three little children, including a 6-month old left home alone. Could she still be alive? Tonight, we follow the trial.

First to South Carolina, pitbulls once again a deadly weapon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) told us the child was in the bed, sleeping. And he went outside for a very short period of time (INAUDIBLE) And when he returned in the house, the dogs dragged the child to the kitchen floor, and the child (INAUDIBLE) kitchen floor bleeding very badly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening, everybody. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. Pitbulls a deadly weapon? Once again, we hear about a little child mauled to death by a dangerous dog. Out to Court TV`s Jean Casarez. What happened?

JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV: Well, Nancy, 25-year-old Michael Young (ph) was living with his mother, raising by himself his 22-month-old little boy. They just moved into their brand-new home, and he also brought long his four pitbulls that were living with his mother but always stayed outside. But they stayed inside Saturday night. He went out for about five minutes to talk with his landlord, who was also his boss. He came back in, his little boy was on the kitchen floor, mauled to death.

GRACE: Jane Velez-Mitchell, did you just see those particular -- those pitbulls right there fighting?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Yes. Pitbulls fight, but...

GRACE: That was a yes/no. Can you imagine leaving a child, a 1-year- old child, with that?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Nancy, you are absolutely right. That was a mistake, but it was a mistake made by a human being. We can`t demonize pitbulls because this father, as much as I sympathize with his grief right now, made some crucial mistakes. He had moved into a new trailer, and yet he let those animals in with his son and left them alone for five minutes. Now, these were animals that were used to being tethered outside, chained outside, which is something that...

GRACE: Do you see that baby? Do you see the baby? The baby is dead. And you`re telling me it`s not the dogs` fault!

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I am telling you...

GRACE: OK!~

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... it`s not the dogs` fault.

GRACE: Jean Casarez, have they gotten the doggie death penalty?

CASAREZ: Well, yes, they have, all four dogs. By the way, when investigators walked into the house, the dogs were wagging their tails. They were not attacking. They were very docile. But yes, all four dogs were euthanized, and they`ve been sent for rabies examinations.

GRACE: What do you mean, they`ve been sent? You mean their brains have been sent to be studied, to determine whether they have rabies.

CASAREZ: Yes. I didn`t want to get as graphic, but yes, their heads were cut off and their heads have been taken to be studied for rabies.

GRACE: Take a listen to this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told us that his child was in the bed, sleeping. He went outside for a very short period of time, five to ten minutes, to speak with his new landlord and bossman (ph), and when he returned in the house, the dogs had dragged the child to the kitchen floor, and the child was laying on the kitchen floor, bleeding very badly.

I went there prepared to do battle with four vicious pitbulls, using bite sleeves and correction collars. We opened the door and called the dogs to us, and they came with wagging tails and jumping all over us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: There have been a series of cases involving not only pitbulls, presa canarios, various dogs trained to fight, with the reputation of being deadly, one case after the next after the next. What about it, Jane Velez- Mitchell? There have been many, many -- a string of cases likes this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure. There`s one in San Francisco, where a mother is accused of child endangerment because her 12-year-old son was mauled by two pitbulls and he had approximately 140 injuries. The common denominator here is that you don`t put children in close proximity to pitbulls. You don`t put a horse in an apartment, a one-bedroom apartment, and then blame it if it knocks something over. You don`t put a bull in a china shop, and you don`t put pitbulls and leave them alone with a child.

In this last case, the one that happened Saturday night in South Carolina, this little boy is 25 to 30 pounds. That is the weight of the smallest of the four pitbulls.

GRACE: Well, you know what, Jane Velez-Mitchell? Long story short, there are multiple cases -- and I`m referring specifically to a San Francisco case. The victim was literally an all-American girl. Her name, Diane Whipple. She was a very slight young lady. She was on the American -- all-American lacrosse team. She was minding her own business, coming in from bringing the groceries, leaving her apartment, trying to get in or out the door regarding the groceries. These two dogs, huge presa canario dogs, attack, tear the woman apart, tear the pants off her body, chew her up. They were not being restrained.

So what you`re telling me is that you can`t think of a single scenario, after I`ve told you about the Whipple case, where dogs attack?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: No, I think that we have to be very careful about making sure that these animals are kept in appropriate living situations. All I`m concerned about -- and a lot of animal advocates tonight are concerned about demonizing the entire breed because these animals are either trained to fight or not kept properly, not spayed and neutered. You know, when they`re not neutered, they`re much more aggressive. And in a lot of these cases, they have not. They`ve been mated and they`ve been bred to fight. They have not been cared for properly.

(CROSSTALK)

CASAREZ: ... that case could be differentiated, the Whipple case, from this case, from everything we know, because in the Whipple case, that dog was bred to fight. And many times, pitbulls are bred to fight.

From everything we know about the South Carolina case, these dogs were docile. They were quiet. They were house pets. They were not bred to fight.

GRACE: Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These dogs were more dangerous than a loaded gun. And I call them like a time bomb because at least with a gun, you have to pull the trigger. But these dogs would go off on their own, over and over and over again, without warning, and that`s what made them so dangerous. And Diane Whipple didn`t get enough warning to get away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s screaming. She`s yelling. She`s hitting at the dog. She`s trying to get -- keep her whole body around Ms. Whipple to protect Ms. Whipple from the jaws of this berserk beast. The dog is pulling at her clothing, even underneath Marjorie, even though she`s under -- even though Ms. Whipple is underneath Marjorie, Ms. Whipple is being bitten on her sides, on her back.(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: These dogs have just killed a 1-year-old baby boy. Let`s go out to the lawyers, unchaining now Mickey Sherman and Anne Bremner, Mickey Sherman out of the New York jurisdiction, Anne Bremner from the Seattle jurisdiction. So Mickey Sherman, there`s no doubt in my mind that these dogs should have rightly been put down. And I don`t see a problem with the father facing a murder charge.

MICKEY SHERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, you can`t believe - - you`ll get such an argument from so many people about even killing the dogs. I mean...

GRACE: What about the baby?

(CROSSTALK)

SHERMAN: Did you...

GRACE: Forget the dog, what about the baby?

SHERMAN: Did you hear what Jane said? It`s not the dog`s fault. And let me tell you, her opinion is really echoed...

GRACE: Oh, right! Guns don`t...

SHERMAN: ... by so many people...

GRACE: ... kill, people do!

SHERMAN: Well, no, I`m telling you...

GRACE: Save your breath!

SHERMAN: People would rather see their children be marched off to reform school before their dog gets a criminal record. I`m telling you, people get crazy over dogs and animal rights. And what was Jane`s phrase, which is appropriate, demonization of the breed. People are really concerned about ill treatment of animals, even when they do horrible things.

GRACE: Ill treatment of animals?

SHERMAN: Yes. I`m telling you...

GRACE: Mickey, you know, this is -- I`ve got to say, outrageous -- a 1-year-old baby boy lying in the floor! Did you hear -- you know what?

Let`s go out to Dr. Daniel Spitz, forensic pathologist. Dr. Spitz, can you please describe what happened to this little baby, what he lived through before he died. The last thing he saw was a mouthful of fang!

DR. DANIEL SPITZ, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST, MEDICAL EXAMINER: Well, there`s no question that four dogs attacking this child would not be a pretty sight. There would be a tremendous amount of injury. The fangs of these dogs would rapidly penetrate the skin of this child. The major blood vessels are only a short distance underneath the skin, so those blood vessels are going to be penetrated and bleeding is going to be rapid. Certainly, it`s a painful and a traumatizing death.

GRACE: Let`s go back out to the lawyers, Mickey Sherman, Anne Bremner. Let`s talk about statutes. Are you guys familiar with statutes? They`re sprinkled across the country regarding breeds like pitbulls, Anne Bremner.

ANNE BREMNER, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Well, yes. But Nancy, the thing in a case like this -- in the Whipple case, it was thrown out. That verdict of guilty was thrown out by the judge after the fact. And in this case, you know, you`ve got a dog...

GRACE: I asked you about statutes.

BREMNER: Well, I mean, the bottom line, Nancy, is you`ve got to have some viciousness, some propensity shown, something in advance. It`s foreseeability, Trial 101, Nancy, that you`re not going to get negligent homicide or abuse of a child in a case like this unless there was some knowledge on the part of this particular parent.

And you know, with dogs, I defended the Seattle police dogs in a case where they said use of police dogs is deadly force. Ten-week trial, the jurors said, You`re barking up the wrong tree.

GRACE: Mickey, I want to go back to what I asked Anne Bremner regarding statutes. The both of are you dancing all around it!

BREMNER: No, actually...

SHERMAN: No, it`s...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: There are statutes enacted because of dogs just like this!

SHERMAN: There`s broadly stated statutes, basically reckless endangerment. You do anything, any series of events that you set in motion...

GRACE: Right.

SHERMAN: ... that will cause the death or impairment of the morals (ph) or the health of a child. And that`s probably what they would go under here. But the better question, the bigger question, Nancy, is, Do you really need to prosecute this guy? He`s raising his child. His mother -- the mother has deserted the child. He`s raising a 22 -- year-old (SIC). Did he intentionally expect this to happen? Did he have any past...

BREMNER: Right.

SHERMAN: ... knowledge that his dogs were dangerous? He made a mistake, a stupid mistake. But do you think he`s going to learn any bigger lesson if we put him in jail, other than having lost his child in such a horrible way?

GRACE: Well, do you think any criminal will learn a lesson? It`s not all about rehabilitation, Mickey Sherman.

SHERMAN: It`s about deterrence. It`s about deterrence.

GRACE: And it`s about punishment!

SHERMAN: Anybody who is going to have to learn a lesson, have learned a lesson enough instead of having to be prosecuted when their child is dead -- there`s no useful purpose in that, none whatsoever.

GRACE: Out to Mike Brooks, former D.C. cop and former fed. Mike, there have been a number of cases very similar to this one.

MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE, SERVED ON FBI TERRORISM TASK FORCE: Nancy, I`ve seen the pitbulls both docile and I`ve seen them also in attack mode. And you know, again, it`s the environment they`re put into. One morning, we served a search warrant. We came around. We had animal control with us. There were two pitbulls in the back. We came around with the loops. We went ahead and looped a dog. As I was coming around the back and I was sweeping the backyard with the flashlight on my sub-gun (ph), there was a golden retriever lying dead in the backyard because it had been put in there to use as bait with these dogs.

Now, these dogs were raised to fight. It was the owners that raised them this way. And you also see them walking around neighborhoods with big, thick chains around their necks to strengthen their necks for dog fighting.

But again, these dogs were not raised to fight. But you know, did he need to have four pitbulls? Why have four pitbulls and one little boy? And he should not have left those children alone. Again -- but I have to agree on certain things. There are no bad dogs, there`s bad owners.

GRACE: OK, Mike, I wouldn`t have a problem leaving a 1-year-old baby boy possibly with four little kittens or with four little turtles or maybe with four little wiener dogs. But four pitbulls?

BROOKS: Nancy...

GRACE: Why would anybody even have four pitbulls in the house?

BROOKS: That`s -- that was exactly what my question I just posed a second ago. But I`ve also...

GRACE: I mean -- no, no!

BROOKS: But I`ve also...

GRACE: It`s about the dog...

BROOKS: ... seen poodles...

GRACE: ... Brooks! It`s about the dog, too!

BROOKS: It is.

GRACE: Kittens don`t attack you and rip your throat out!

BROOKS: But I have seen poodles attack kids in the face and the neck and do serious damage to them, too.

GRACE: OK, wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wait! Do you have a big, long list of poodle murders? That is total BS! No, laugh all you want to~!

BROOKS: I`m not laughing.

GRACE: But you know, when it happens to somebody that you know or somebody in your neighborhood, when a dog like this breaks through a chainlink fence and attacks someone, when a dog like those two presa canarios leap away from their owner and literally bite a young girl to death, I don`t know -- you need to drink the coffee and wake up, Mike!

BROOKS: No, well, he does need to be charged. It needs to be looked at. There is a death investigation. He could be charged with neglect, with homicide by neglect.

There should not -- he should not have left that little boy alone. You know, was he -- was the little boy playing with these dogs and it got a little rough? Because Nancy, the one thing about these dogs...

GRACE: Got a little rough?

BROOKS: Well, that -- we don`t...

GRACE: Whoa, whoa! Wa-wait! I want to see his face, Elizabeth!

BROOKS: Let me finish. Let me finish.

GRACE: I want to see Brooks`s face! They got a little rough.

BROOKS: No...

GRACE: They ate the baby! The baby is dead! They`ve had their heads chopped off, Mike.

BROOKS: What I`m saying is, Nancy, he was probably playing. They were -- the police said there`s one scenario, that possibly he was playing with the dogs. It got a little rough. You know, maybe he poked one of them in the eye. And these kind of dogs, these aren`t the kind of dogs you play like that with. And once it tastes blood...

GRACE: Oh, so you admit that...

BROOKS: Once they...

GRACE: ... apparently, genetically, these type of dogs can be easily angered and attack.

BROOKS: Absolutely. And once they taste blood, that`s it.

GRACE: Well, there`s a fine how-do-you-do. Once they taste blood, that`s it.

Joining us from Bamberg, South Carolina, Deputy Sheriff Norris Williams. He is with the Bamberg County sheriff`s office. Sir, thank you for being with us. Tell us about what you have observed in this case.

DEP. SHERIFF NORRIS WILLIAMS, BAMBERG COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, Nancy, this has been a very hard case for all of us here to deal with, especially dealing with the loss of a 1-year-old child. But it was not a typical pitbull case. We`ve dealt with several pitbull cases here very recently, where the typical pitbull owner is training their dogs to be vicious. This was not the case. We did not know that originally. Once we were told what happened, we just assumed that these dogs were your usual vicious pitbulls. When we approached these dogs, they were far from that. They were every bit of what I would consider a docile house dog.

GRACE: You know, I understand what you`re saying. And believe me, advertisers have clued into that for the last 25 years. If you see a wagging tail on a dog, then suddenly, your heart melts. I just can`t get the picture of this child there on the floor being mauled to death at 1 year old out of my mind.

Let`s go out to the lines. Anna in North Carolina. Hi, Anna.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. My question is -- I have a pitbull. I also have a 3-year-old and a 3 -- month-old. Never would I enter another dog into my home because I know what my pitbull would do. And never would I put my children in the same room alone with my pitbull. Why would he have four pitbulls, if they were just house dogs?

GRACE: Can I ask you a question? Because we always grew up having dogs, having more than one dog, cats, everything, but never a dog that was known to attack. I mean, how can a dog have a bad reputation? But guess what? Pitbulls and Rottweilers do have bad reputations. And Anna, were you ever -- I mean, it sounds like you`ve got your condition under control, but are you ever worried about having a pitbull and a baby?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, my 3 -- month-old, he doesn`t go outside. My 3-year-old only goes out with supervision. My pitbull is not on no chain. She`s never been trained to fight. She`s never been around any other dog like that. I do have a neighbor who has two Rottweilers. When she is loose and roams the neighborhood, the Rottweilers do aggress her, and they would fight. They would cause blood. But my dog has never showed any signs of aggression. And I would never take that chance as a parent because my child does come before my dog.

GRACE: Back out to Deputy Sheriff Norris Williams. Sheriff Williams, again, thank you for being with us. I know you`re in a tough spot. Have you ever actually seen a case like this in your jurisdiction?

WILLIAMS: No, ma`am. This was a...

GRACE: So this is a first for you.

WILLIAMS: Yes, ma`am, this was a first for me, and by far one of the worst situations I`ve ever dealt with in seven years of law enforcement.

GRACE: Don`t you have a pitbull?

WILLIAMS: I do. I have a pitbull of my own, and I also have three small children 7, 6 and 4.

GRACE: Why do you have a pitbull?

WILLIAMS: I have a pitbull because we confiscated several pitbulls from a fighting arena, and I brought them home to my kennel because I`m a canine handler and I have several kennels at my home. And my daughter fell in love with this one in particular, so I kept it as a pet. However, it stays outside in an outside kennel.

GRACE: Cities banning pitbulls -- Denver, Toronto. The list goes on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The baby and dogs may have started out playing, then things got rough. Michael Young rushed his son to the emergency room, but the boy died. The baby`s father told investigators he wanted to leave the pitbulls outside but didn`t have enough time to build a post or fence before dark, so he brought the dogs in for the night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went there prepared to do battle with four vicious pitbulls, using bite sleeves and correction collars. We opened the door and called the dogs to us, and they came with wagging tails and jumping all over us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A South Carolina community in shock tonight, a father possibly being charged with murder one after his four pitbulls mauled this little child, a 1-year-old baby, to death inside the house.

Back out to Deputy Sheriff Norris Williams. Why were the dogs chained up anyway if they had never exhibited behavioral problems?

WILLIAMS: Well, the father told us that he was not a big fan of dogs in the house. He liked the breed of pitbulls, and where he lived previously, he just kept them outside. I don`t know the living conditions. I don`t know if they were tied down or if they were in a kennel, but they were outside dogs.

GRACE: Out to you Marcy Setter. She is here with Dakota Blue. She is the director of education and PR with the Pitbull Rescue Central. With her, Dakota. It`s a 4-year-old American pitbull terrier. Explain to me why pitbulls are often falsely identified, according to you, as attack dogs.

MARCY SETTER, PIT BULL RESCUE CENTRAL: Well, they`re often misidentified because pitbull is not a breed of dog. Pitbull is a term...

GRACE: Whoa, whoa! how big is that head he`s got?

SETTER: Yes, she`s got -- she`s a little -- she`s large. She`s about 67 pounds.

GRACE: Tell me about that jaw. Has she ever gotten anything in her mouth that she wouldn`t let go of?

SETTER: No, not at all.

GRACE: Like an arm?

SETTER: No, not at all. Don`t -- you can`t judge based on incidents like that.

GRACE: So what`s your take on what happened in this case?

SETTER: What`s my take? I read the articles, and I see they were outside dogs. There was mentioning of the dogs being chained. Four of them in a trailer with a child left alone is just not a safe thing.

GRACE: But if it were four kittens or four beagle dogs, we wouldn`t have that problem.

SETTER: Sure, you would. There are reported cases of Dachshunds and Pomeranians fatally killing people, as a matter of fact.

GRACE: Really? Because I couldn`t find...

SETTER: Absolutely.

GRACE: ... a single one on the Internet.

SETTER: Pomeranian, 2002 out of California. A Dachshund out of Kentucky. Absolutely.

GRACE: Let me tell you we`re armed with a computer here on the set.

SETTER: Go ahead. Absolutely look them up. Actually, you can go to my Web site...

GRACE: You`re on, Marcy!

SETTER: ... and see a lot of them.(

COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: A 1-year-old baby mauled to death by two killing -- four killing machines, pitbulls left alone with a 1-year-old baby boy. Tonight, a South Carolina community reeling.

Let`s go straight back out to Dr. Daniel Spitz, forensic pathologist. The cause of death in this case, what is it?

SPITZ: Well, it would be pretty simple. Basically, these puncture wounds that these dogs are going to inflict are going to result in a tremendous amount of blood loss, mainly from blood vessels of the neck, the carotid arteries, the jugular veins. So blood loss is going to be cause of this child`s death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three, strike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When a pit bull bites, they don`t let go. They`ll rip. The bites can be more serious. They`re very strong dogs. The dog will be more committed to remaining with the bite so that the bite continues instead of latching on or letting go. Sometimes (INAUDIBLE) possibly broken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: The U.K. banned pit bulls in 1991. We now know 21 percent of all attacks on humans are by pit bulls. Take a look at this. Now, I`ve got to tell Marcy, she`s absolutely correct. There was one attack in 2001 by a Pomeranian, one attack in 2002 by a dachshund. She`s absolutely right, both on 6-week-old infants. Back out to Jane Velez-Mitchell. Your opinion is that -- let me get this straight. Forget about the dead baby, it`s the four dogs that were mistreated?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely not. I want to save lives. And the way to save lives is not by banning pit bulls; it`s by banning the breeding of pit bulls. The people who are breeding the pit bulls to fighting machines, those are the ones who are the real culprits here, because they`re sending out all these thousands and thousands of animals. If we ban the breeding of pit bulls and then made sure that the remaining pit bulls were placed in appropriate homes where they were not in close proximity to children, that would be the solution. And that would be fair to the animal, and it would save a lot of lives. And I have to say one thing about this particular case. Those animals were chained up outside the trailer, according to the reports. Chaining an animal is a form of torture. There is a national movement to stop chaining of animals across the country, legislation that`s being pushed. The reason is it`s a form of torture. And then when you let the animal off the chain, there`s all this pent up energy that become aggressiveness. Now, these animals, these four pit bulls, were put into the trailer after being used to being trained. They`re put into a new trailer where they just moved in. They`re disoriented, and they`re let off their chains, and then they`re left alone with a 22-month-old child. That is sheer insanity.

GRACE: Well, to me it`s like leaving a child alone with a machine gun or an Uzi or near an open fire. Take a listen to this statistic. There have been 279 dog attack fatalities -- not just dog attacks, but dog attack fatalities -- in the U.S. in less than 20 years, in only 17 years, 279 dog attack fatalities. Dogs identified as pit bulls responsible for 60 of those attacks, over 20 percent, followed by Rottweilers, responsible for 29 attacks. To Dr. Leslie Austin, psychotherapist, explain.

LESLIE AUSTIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Nancy, when you mix humans and dogs, the psychology is different. Too many people treat their dogs like their kids, and they`re not. You have to understand the behavior. I would never have a pit bull with a young child. In the appropriate circumstances, pit bulls can be great dogs, but you have to know the behavior and the psychology of your animal and treat them appropriately. If a dog commits a bad act, it is 100 percent human trainer error, 100 percent humans have messed up that dog and not understood the nature of the animal.

GRACE: Back to Jean Casarez, Court TV correspondent, Jean, again, the facts as they relate to this particular human attack.

JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV: Well, I think that`s an important point, because the focus tonight has been brought on pit bulls, but investigators now are looking very narrowly in South Carolina at this particular case. What about these dogs? Did they ever exhibit this behavior before? Why were they chained up previously outside at the other home? What did the owner know about pit bulls? Because, to own a pit bull, you need to have some knowledge about what they are capable of. And if they do smell or sniff blood, that they are very aggressive at point. And what investigators are trying to determine, was this an accident or is this a crime?

GRACE: Let`s go out to the lawyers. Joining us tonight, Mickey Sherman and Anne Bremner. Let`s talk about this possible charge that the father is facing. A South Carolina community totally torn apart. Should this father face murder one charges? Out to you, Mickey Sherman. What are the possible charges?

MICKEY SHERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Some kind of reckless endangerment kind of charge. But, you know, the best, most effective witness is the sheriff who`s just been on, Sheriff Williams, who is on the scene and explained what his opinion of the dogs, that they were docile.

GRACE: That`s after the attack.

SHERMAN: Well, that`s the law enforcement person there.

GRACE: That`s after the attack.

SHERMAN: He`s also an expert on dogs. He`s got dogs himself.

GRACE: Oh, is your defense some other dude did it?

SHERMAN: No, he`s...

GRACE: Just because they were wagging their tails -- I mean, Ted Bundy smiled in the courtroom. What difference does that make?

SHERMAN: He has dogs himself. He knows the breed. And he saw these dogs after the attack. You know, dogs aren`t exactly going to put on some airs after they do something wrong.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Well, are you saying the dog did not do the attack? I mean, how they acted afterwards has absolutely nothing to do with this.

SHERMAN: I think it has to do with their vicious temper.

GRACE: And even the law is in a lot of jurisdictions, behavior after the fact is inadmissible.

SHERMAN: Bottom line is, it`s a civil case. It`s a lawsuit.

GRACE: Oh, you don`t like that, do you? You don`t like it when I quote the law. You hate that. Ixnay on the aw-lay.

SHERMAN: That`s a cheap trick. That`s a cheap trick.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Right. What about it, Anne Bremner, possible charges?

ANNE BREMNER, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Well, Nancy, it`s possible like a negligent homicide, but the fact is, look at the behavior before the fact. You know, there are no bad dogs. I mean, people make bad dogs.

GRACE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

BREMNER: But, Nancy...

GRACE: The dogs ate a baby.

BREMNER: Here`s the thing, Nancy. It`s like, you know...

GRACE: There are no bad dogs. OK, thanks, Anne.

BREMNER: No, I`m not done yet, though...

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: ... possible charges.

BREMNER: ... possible charges are probably negligent homicide, but it`s not here because...

GRACE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow it down, high-profile lawyer.

BREMNER: OK, Nancy, I`ll slow it down.

GRACE: OK, you know what? I`ll tell you two the possible charges. All right, you`ve got a possible felony murder.

BREMNER: True.

GRACE: About whether a pit bulls are allowed under these circumstances and a death occurred. You`ve got a possible involuntary manslaughter, illegal act, keeping pit blues in an illegal manner, also it`s around a child. In my mind, those are the two charges. So let me make it easy for you: Agree or disagree, Mickey Sherman?

SHERMAN: Disagree. What jury is going to find this guy guilty of murder? There`s so no intent in this case.

GRACE: I would go with an involuntary manslaughter.

SHERMAN: And that ain`t going to happen. The man made a mistake, and it was a mistake that was not so foreseeable, according to the expert on the scene.

GRACE: Not foreseeable?

SHERMAN: No.

GRACE: The number-one attack dog in this country is the pit bull. He`s got four locked in the kitchen, people.

SHERMAN: Twenty-seven deaths in the country?

GRACE: No, no, no, no, no, 279. Multiply that by 10, Mick.

SHERMAN: By 10?

GRACE: Yes, you said 27. It`s nearly 280.

SHERMAN: The percentage is infinitely small. More people die from choking on pudding.

GRACE: Really?

SHERMAN: I checked the -- no, but it sounds like a pretty good statistic though.

GRACE: OK, I didn`t think so. Let`s go back out to Mike Brooks, former D.C. cop and former fed. Mike, the reality is that this dog was banned in 1991 in the U.K. There are multiple cities that have rules governing pit bulls. And I know all the dog lovers are angry right now. I`m a dog lover. But not dogs that attack children, Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE: I agree, Nancy. I mean, I`m a dog lover. I have dogs. You know, but there`s some dogs that -- you know, at my gym, I go to a gym in Decatur. And there`s this large poodle that runs around in there. And you never know.

GRACE: He`s back on poodles again?

BROOKS: Absolutely. Look, I have -- as a volunteer firemen, I`ve seen what poodles can do. You don`t know how many dog bite reports I`ve taken over the years.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: OK, you know what? I`m going to come back when you`re ready to get -- leave the poodles alone, and get back on point.

BROOKS: OK, you`re going to talk about Daschunds, Pomeranians, German shepherds?

GRACE: Listen...

BROOKS: Look, I`ve been bitten by police dogs before, Nancy. Let me guess...

GRACE: What do you mean by police dogs, German shepherd dogs?

BROOKS: Yes, German shepherds.

GRACE: You were bitten because?

BROOKS: Well, I happened to reach down and grab a tennis ball while we were doing a bomb sweep of the Davis Cup match, and the dog bit me.

GRACE: And the dog was trained? Was it a trained dog?

BROOKS: Yes, it was. And the owner had to come over and actually grab him by his collar and pull him off my arm.

GRACE: Trained to attack? Trained to attack?

BROOKS: It was actually dual. It was a bomb detection dog and an attack dog, which a lot of dog experts don`t believe that they should be cross-trained like that, either.

GRACE: Let`s go to the lines. Roy in Missouri. Hi, Roy.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: What`s your question, dear?

CALLER: Well, I have two questions. Where exactly -- I mean, how long did this gentleman own these dogs before this happened? And where was he during the 10 minutes the attack occurred?

GRACE: I know that he was outside for the 10 moments that the attack occurred. He was outside. I believe his boss had driven up and he left the baby inside. Jean Casarez, I know that he had had these dogs at a prior home with his mom and the mom told him, "When you go, the dogs go." Do you have any idea how long had he had them?

CASAREZ: Well, I think he had them for a while. Now, the dogs weren`t that old. There were four of them, two males, two females, 2 years old was the oldest one, 10 months was the youngest one, 65 pounds was the largest one, 35 to 40 were the other three.

GRACE: All I can say -- dog lovers get mad at me -- but the death penalty for these four pit bulls.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Although this intersection is only a couple of hundred feet from Margaret`s house, this road is miles from anywhere. There`s no bus service, and there`s no cab service in this area. Now, we know Margaret left her car and her cell phone, so the question tonight is, where is Margaret?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main suspicion would be that she is just not in this area at this point. We don`t have much pushing us in any other direction at this point, just that she has vanished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, to Warren Township. A firefighter mom seemingly vanishes into thin air leaving behind three children, including a 6-month- old child home alone. This does not sound like Margaret. To Court TV correspondent Jean Casarez, Jean, what happened?

CASAREZ: Well, now, Nancy, it`s day 28. She disappeared Tuesday, October 10th. That was the last time that her husband saw her mid- afternoon. He waited 48 hours to call police, but then he did on that Thursday, just about the same time, and he says that he didn`t call because she had exhibited this behavior before and he thought she was just coming home.

GRACE: To Eric Martin, Central New Jersey Search and Rescue. He led the search for Margaret Haddican-McEnroe. Eric, thank you for being with us. I`m not quite sure I understand why the husband waited 48 hours to report his wife missing.

ERIC MARTIN, LEADS SEARCH FOR MISSING MOTHER: Well, Nancy, he had waited in the past because she had walked away or left in the past before. She usually has come home on her own within 24 hours. The question we had is, why did he wait an additional 24 hours after that? And there`s just a lot of pieces that aren`t coming together on that case.

GRACE: Eric, has that been documented that she actually did leave the home for 24 hours in the past?

MARTIN: Well, as per the Warren P.D. and the Somerset County prosecutor, which have been doing a phenomenal job on this case, yes, she`s had a number of situations...

GRACE: Well, if he didn`t report it, then how would they know?

MARTIN: If he didn`t report it? Because that`s her family. It seems like there had been a number of situations that have happened in the past between the two where she`s left the home.

GRACE: Question: Is this information all coming from the husband or from other family members that she had vanished in the past for 24 hours?

MARTIN: Well, primarily, from what we were told, this is coming from the husband. But the police department has done investigation and interview with the family members now to get a better vibe on what`s going on.

GRACE: What can you tell me about the search, Eric?

MARTIN: Well, right now, we were brought in on day number nine. It`s kind of difficult for a land search and rescue team to really have anything to go on, that late into the situation. Clues usually disappears, scents, tracks, prints, a lot of evidence. Right now, what we did was we originally put her in a despondent category and followed reflex tasking, which means basically...

GRACE: Despondent?

MARTIN: Yes, we had been told that she was a postpartum depression.

GRACE: Who told you that?

MARTIN: The husband, through the police department.

GRACE: So the husband again is your source?

MARTIN: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: OK.

MARTIN: And what we end up doing is, at that moment, because of the fact it`s so long into the search, we basically go with statistical data and theoretical data. If she is despondent, usually they want to seek solitude. With postpartum depression, it doesn`t really seem -- we don`t have any hard evidence that would lead us to believe that she would have had any intent to do any type of injury or harm to herself.

GRACE: Did she take her cellphone?

MARTIN: No, she had -- the police department stated that she had destroyed the cellphone in the home.

GRACE: Oh, really? Says who?

MARTIN: Says the husband, and also the police department. And the police department did have her destroyed phone.

GRACE: Well, how does the police department know she destroyed her cellphone?

MARTIN: Well, that`s a great, great point.

GRACE: Well, what do you mean "destroyed"?

MARTIN: Well, it seems that what happened was it was broken in pieces. I`m not really sure.

GRACE: She broke her own cellphone into pieces?

MARTIN: I can`t say she broke her cellphone. I can say that her cell phone was broken.

GRACE: OK, because I thought I heard you say -- now, I`m not trying to antagonize you. I`m on your side. I want to help find her, OK? But I thought I heard you say she destroyed her own cell phone?

MARTIN: As per a quote from the police department, that was what the husband had stated. And you`re not antagonizing me. At this point, you`re being very helpful in us finding this young lady.

GRACE: OK. Officer -- with me, a special guest, Eric Martin from Central New Jersey Search and Rescue -- were any tests done within the home, such as forensic tests?

MARTIN: No, ma`am. No, ma`am whatsoever. At this point, we were basically taking this as a missing person, which to my understanding, with the Warren Police Department and the Somerset County prosecutor`s office, she`s still being listed as a missing person. It hasn`t gone into a criminal investigation as of yet.

GRACE: Take a listen to what the husband had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY MCENROE, HUSBAND OF MISSING WOMAN: She could be almost anywhere. She`s got friends and family throughout the country. We have our share of problems, but everything seemed to be working out with my stepdaughter and stuff, so it seemed very good. I actually think that she wants to come back now, but she might be afraid to. And she has no reason to be afraid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because she`s been gone so long?

MCENROE: And a lot of people are looking for her, and she might be a little freaked out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Freaked out over what? Back to you, Eric Martin. He said "our share of problems." Those were his words. Has there ever been a domestic call to this home that you know of?

MARTIN: There was a domestic call the day prior to her leaving the house. The Warren Police Department did respond to the household on a domestic. It was basically resolved prior to their arrival, and there was no follow-up, from what we were informed, by the Warren Police Department.

GRACE: When we say "domestic," Dr. Leslie Austin -- Leslie joining us, psychotherapist -- why do we call it "domestic"? Domestic sounds so nice. It sounds like you`re about to come home, and you`re going to sit on a nice, cushy sofa, and turn on the TV, and smell some chicken soup in the kitchen. That`s not what a domestic is.

AUSTIN: No, we`re using it in the narrow sense of the word, as in the home or in the home-family environment. And most crimes are committed by people who are known to the victim. So it`s the first place you look when somebody`s gone missing or you suspect foul play. You look in the domestic situation in the home, with the relatives, with friends, with partners, to see, is there any possibility of foul play there?

GRACE: Out to the lines, Lee in California. Hi, Lee.

CALLER: Hi, how you doing? GRACE: Good, dear. What`s your question?

CALLER: Where`s the baby at this point? I mean, it seemed...(

CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Oh, good question. What about it, Jean? Where`s the baby?

CASAREZ: I think the baby is still with the father. And there are two young children, three children, actually, at home still with the father.

GRACE: And I`ve got another question. To you, Jane Velez-Mitchell. I heard Eric Martin say that -- I believe it was Eric say -- the Somerset County district attorney`s office is involved. Why would they be involved if it`s not a criminal investigation?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, a very good question. There are some very interesting aspects to this case, most notably that the husband has reportedly refused to take a polygraph. And, of course, all of the information we`re getting from him, as you pointed out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re all concerned, very concerned. And if she`s out there, we really hope very much that she`ll get in contact with someone, she`ll get in contact with the police, she`ll call us. We all love her. We want her home; we want her back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A firefighter mom has seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving behind three children, including a 6-month-old baby left unattended at home. Let`s go out to the lawyers, Mickey Sherman, Anne Bremner. Anne Bremner, it`s not to be harsh, but statistically we always start with a look at the husband...

BREMNER: Sure.

GRACE: ... or boyfriend or within the home. Why?

BREMNER: Well, because oftentimes the husbands are involved. And those are the stats. But, you know, listen, in defense of the husband -- so I`m going to be in defense of the dogs, too, Nancy, it`s all -- I say...

GRACE: I don`t know if he wants to be lumped in with some killer dogs, devil dogs.

BREMNER: No, but the thing is, but if you`re going to say that all the dachshunds and the shepherds and the pit bulls and the poodles are killers...

(CROSSTALK)

BREMNER: ... I`m getting to the story, then you`re going to say all the husbands are killers based upon the fact that there`s some stats that say husbands are killers. I`m not getting married, if that`s the case, but it`s a fallacy to use that as a proposition to say he did it. There`s no evidence here to say that he did.

GRACE: Correct. Mickey Sherman, why do we always start with the husband, the boyfriend, the loved one? And, also, what`s the deal with not taking a polygraph?

SHERMAN: Well, statistically, you`re always more likely to be killed by someone you love. It`s just the American way, I guess. But the bottom line is...

GRACE: No, it`s not because it`s the American way. It`s because statistically it is the boyfriend or husband or ex-lover that does the deed.

SHERMAN: Because that`s the person who most enrages the other person. Usually you don`t enrage other strangers. I`m not it`s justifiable homicide, but that`s the statistics. And your (INAUDIBLE) cross- examination, saying that all the information came from the husband, I mean, you`re really giving this guy a hard time. I`ve got two words for that: Jennifer Wilbanks, OK?

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: You know what? You got me so good on that one, but I never thought it was the fiancee. I thought some meth-head had dumped her in the trunk and taken off with her. And you know what? She got me good. I hope she`s happy tonight. Maybe she`s still cutting grass as community service.

Very quickly, everyone, as we go to break, let`s remember Army National Guard Sergeant Lawrence Parrish, Lebanon, Missouri. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Sergeant Lawrence Parrish, American hero.

Thank you to our guests. If you haven`t voted yet, there may still be time. See you tomorrow night. Goodnight, friend.

END

Friday, November 10, 2006

PETA caught red handed

Canada Free Press âEUR"
Toronto, Canada
We Spell Hypocrisy P-E-T-A
By ConsumerFreedom.com
October 31, 2006

Two employees of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are expected to turn themselves over to Southampton, VA police to facecharges of grand and petty larceny.

Earlier this week, Carrie BethEdwards and Andrea Florence Benoit, riding in a PETA-owned van, allegedly snatched a hunting dog from the side of the road. A witness alerted a local animal control officer who stopped the van and forced the two to hand over the kidnapped canine. The dog's radio trackingcollar had been removed and thrown into the street. That collar, pluswhat a police detective described as "markings on the side of [the dog] indicating that it belonged to a specific person," clearly showed thatit was not a stray in need of a home, but a hunting hound set roamingthe countryside -- a practice that's perfectly legal in Southampton County.

Given PETA's well-documented habit of killing the animals it takes in, the captured pooch would likely have met the business end of aeuthanizing needle in no time flat if law enforcement hadn't intervened.

Between 1998 and 2005, the very group that claims to advocate for animals' "rights" killed over 14,400 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals." Since they only took in about 17,800 animals, that amounts to a death rate of about 80 percent -- nearly three times higher than that of the Norfolk (VA) SPCA, located less than 4 miles from PETA's headquarters.

These new legal troubles couldn't have come at a worse time for PETA.

On November 13, two other employees of the Virginia-based animal rights group will (finally) be tried on 22 felony counts of Animal Cruelty and 3 counts of Obtaining Property By False Pretenses.

In June 2005, PETA workers Andrew Cook and Adria Hinkle were arrested in Ahoskie, NorthCarolina after police observed them throwing bags filled with dead dogs and cats into a trash dumpster. As witnesses from the Bertie County (NC) Animal Shelter and the Ahoskie Animal Hospital later confirmed, Cook and Hinkle had collected the animals earlier that day with the promise that PETA would find them adoptive homes.

The Center For Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Mark Holland launched campaign for animal cruelty bill

You will find this information on Mark Holland's Animal Issue Page.

Mark Holland launches campaign for animal cruelty bill

Mark Holland believes strongly in the need to reform the Criminal Code to better protect animals from intentional cruelty, and he has worked to raise the profile of this issue since first being elected in 2004.

On October 30, 2006, Mark introduced Bill C-373 in the House of Commons, which is identical to the former Bill C-50, introduced by the Liberal government in the 38th Parliament. He is also launching a national campaign for animal cruelty law reform, which he hopes to make an all-party effort, and he is urging the Conservative government to introduce his bill as government legislation.

Provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with animal cruelty have changed very little since 1892 and they are extremely antiquated. This has often made it difficult to obtain convictions against animal abusers, and when convictions are obtained, the penalties are often too light. These laws were also written at a time when animals were protected by virtue of being property.

Shocking cases of animal abuse are often in the news. Most recently, in Didsbury, Alberta, a Labrador-border collie cross named Daisy Duke was tortured and dragged for a kilometre behind a vehicle, with duct tape around her legs and mouth and leaving a trail of blood. She had to be euthanized she was so badly injured, and her owner and a juvenile have been charged.

Serious violent criminals such as serial killers often begin with animal abuse, which can be an early indicator of crimes against people. Therefore, effective animal cruelty legislation can allow the justice system to intervene early in people who might go on to other serious crimes.

In 1999, the federal government introduced legislation to reform animal cruelty provisions as part of a larger omnibus bill of Criminal Code reforms. Over the years, the bill was broken up and many changes were made to address concerns of hunters, anglers, and others who use animals in their livelihoods. The revised bill was actually passed by the House of Commons several times in the springs of 2002 and 2003, but the House of Commons and Senate could not agree on amendments, and the bill has died a number of times on the order paper. Bill C-50, introduced in May 2005, was similar to previous bills, but addressed a concern raised in the Senate about aboriginal hunting rights. C-373 makes no changes from the former C-50.

The bill has always enjoyed support from major animal welfare groups, but in the fall of 2004, it obtained the support of most organizations representing animal use industries. This support, however, was shattered when an ineffective bill was introduced as a diversionary tactic in the Senate by Senator John G. Bryden. That bill, currently known as S-213, is strongly opposed by Mark and by animal welfare organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

Please watch this page for further information about this initiative.

What can you do to help?

Many Canadians have asked how they can help to pass effective animal cruelty legislation. There are a number of things you can do, but the most helpful is to write to your Member of Parliament, Senators, and Justice Minister Vic Toews. We would like MPs and Senators to do the following:

Indicate that they wish to join an all-party team of MPs and Senators in support of the general principles of C-373.

Indicate that they oppose Bill S-213, the bill introduced by Senator John G. Bryden, which is inadequate and is a diversionary tactic.

Urge the government to introduce a government bill based on C-373.

For more information, including how to contact your MP, Senators and Minister Toews, please click here.

Replies of candidates running in London's Municiple elections

With the municipal elections underway in London, Ontario, this is a good chance to find out what the candidates views are in London. I'm going to cut a paste an email I received from Emily, AFTU.

I have posed a few short questions to candidates where and when I can.

Ward 2 – Steve Pohill came to my door and basically looked at his toes and told me people BOUGHT pitbulls for all the wrong reasons and what did I think of muzzling ALL large breed dogs in the city . . .then Daphne walked over and dropped her toy at his feet – you should have seen his expression!

Tim Gatten – board of control – basically said he knows he doesn’t have the “dog owners vote” and doesn’t care, he will be elected anyways and that his friend was attacked by a dog last year so I can tell “all my friends” who have the same questions as me that he is for the bylaws and would make more.

I emailed Ms. Barber back and said it wasn’t a “campaign” but a group of concerned individuals (dog owners and not) that cared about their rights and freedoms within their municpality. And below are direct email replies:

I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to call you yet, things have been a little hectic so I'm glad you emailed me about this issue. Its much easier to respond later at night when I know I won't be disturbing anyone like I would if I phoned! I did not favour breed specific legislation from a personal point of view and would not vote to enact such a bylaw as a councillor.

I don't believe it is the breed of dog which makes it dangerous, rather it is more likely the conditioning provided by the owner, regardless of breed. If the provincial legislation is quashed by the court, it would be a good opportunity - as well as legally prudent - to repeal the municipal bylaw.

As for my position on dangerous dogs in London, I feel there should be adequate safeguards for the public but as for which ones specifically, I would ask your advice for what might be reasonable.

I am concerned with the contract for Animal Care and Control in London. It would appear they are not compassionate in their care for found animals and quickly put them down without spending the time to find their owners. From anecdotal experience, I've heard they go door to door in the Cherryhill apartments telling seniors they must buy a cat license for their pet or face the prospect of losing it. I don't believe this is the way any organization should behave.

It is my understanding that the AC&C contract was renewed for 5 years but the terms of the contract have yet to be finished. Perhaps the new council can move quickly to address some of these concerns in the contract.

Thank you for taking the time to email me. If you would still like, I am willing to contact you by phone to further discuss the issues. And, of course, you can always contact me.

All the best, Stephen Turner Candidate - Ward 6 519-495-1578

Ms. Barber:

Hi Emily,

I received this exact same question from another constituent, so I assume there is a campaign in progress on this issue. I will tell you the same as I told the other person. I am not a big fan of the pitbull legislation. I don't believe it is possible to legally define a pitbull. I believe that an animal, like a human being, should be judged on its behaviour rather than some undetermined physical characteristics.

I'm sorry to be this brief. Your questions deserve a longer answer, but I simply don't have the time to go through all the nuances before the vote on November the 13th. all I can say is that I have encountered a number of dogs that have been described to me as pitbulls that I have found to be very sociable. That should be the criterion for the restrictions placed on certain dogs, in my estimation.

I have heard that the Humane Society is currently awash with dogs that may fit the pitbull description that have now become unadoptable. That is not an appropriate way to treat animals.

Sincerely,

Gina Barber

John Walsh

Dear Emily: Thank you for your Email. I already answered the same questions for Lester Lundy. I tried to copy the answers into your email but it didn'twork. so I will answer them again.----- Original Message ----- : Questions for Election Candidates

Dear Mr. Walsh

With the upcoming municipal election I was hoping you would have a chance to answer a couple of questions I have in order to help me make my decisionon whom to vote for.

My concerns lie with the municipal bylaws regards dogs, Animal Care and Control and the Dangerous Dog laws/Pit bull Ban, specifically how this effects London.

I would be very interesting in hearing your thoughts/feeling on the Bill132 revisions to the Dog Owners Liability Act and how it effects public safety given that prior to this provincial legislation London entertained a Dangerous Dog bylaw targeting 4 specific breeds.I think the whole Dog Control Act should be revisited by a committee of owners, members of coucnil, interested citizens and possibly the police.

There groups should examine all the problems (disregarding past lawsand actions) if the dog owners Liability Act is defeated and develop a planto bring to council. I have been associated with dogs all my life and there are some that I like and many that I don't like. That does not make them wrong or less valuable to their owners, it simple means that for the protection of the public the committee (discussed above) will have to make recommendations to the council before the act is passed.

I am curious as to what you would do/want for London come the repeal of Bill 132 (as it being challenged in the Supreme Court of Canada)?

The committee mentioned above would immediately come into play and would have to quickly make recommendataions to council.

Would you proceed with the 4-breed municipal ban?

I am not sure that that is the answer. If is an answer but again the committee would have to examine the implications of any action taken by council or other levels of government.

What restrictions would remain (of any) Pitbull/large breed dog owners?

I am sorry but I do not know. It is an area where expert help is neededfrom the goups mentioned above.

I personally am not impressed by Pitbull dogs probably because of the images that is in our minds of these dogs, I would therefore recommend that the committee draft effective actions for control of Pitbull and other dogs in the same catagory.

How would you plan to enforce these restrictions?

While I am not a Native person I think that their "healing circle' concept for this type of offence might be interesting and possible the best. The owner would have a chance to talk to the victim and a concensus should be arrived at. This is only one method. I am sure that there are many otheres that need to be addresssed.

Would there be any exemptions given for Service Dogs?

Yes absolutely. These dogs are trained and should be expected to react properly regardless of the circumstances. If an incident occures that the dog must be sent for more training or retirement.

Given that the current system of bylaw enforcement in regards to AnimalCareI assume that my "reactive" you mean that the bylaw enforcement officers will "lower the boom" on these animals. I think this would be wrong unless the violation was so flagreant that immediate action is necessary and Control is very much reactive as opposed to pro-active, what are your plan/hopes for the future?

I appreciate your time, and look forward to your answers. Sorry that some of my answers are vague but it is because I am not on council and do not kno what has happened in the past. That doens''t mean to say that it will be the same in the future.

Please look at my website www.controllersjohn.ca

If you would like to discuss it further please call me at PHONE: 519.673.3612

Gord Hume

As this issue is before the Supreme Court, I think it is prudent to wait until that case if disposed of and then consider what options municipalities have.

GORD

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Boy Killed By Pit Bulls

Boy Killed By Pit Bulls
By Jason Boyer, jboyer@wagt.com














A father from Bamberg County will be charged with homicide by child neglect after his son was killed by pit bulls.Michael Young Junior and 22-month-old son Allen moved into their new home on Sweet Pea Road in Bamberg Saturday night.

"Where he had been living before he had his four pit bulls tied outside," said Bamberg County Sheriff Edward Darnell.

But Young had not tied his dogs up outside his new home yet, he was letting the four dogs stay the night indoors.

Saturday after putting his son to bed, he stepped outside to talk with his landlord.

Says Sheriff Darnell, "He was out there just a matter of minutes and when he went back in he saw the dogs with the child. They had taken the child from the bed into the kitchen."Allen was found bleeding on the kitchen floor.

His dad rushed him to the Bamberg County Hospital.

"The doctors were comfortable that he was not going to make it when he left," says Bamberg County Deputy Norris Williams. "But they did everything they could in hopes that as professionals they were wrong."

Allen Young died just after 1 o'clock Sunday morning.

"These particular pit bulls had not been a problem," says Sheriff Darnell. It's just they had been on the outside. We found out this little boy had pet them before and even helped feed them."

"There are a lot of dogs in homes with children today...but I think good common sense will tell you that you don't keep your 1-year-old child in the bed asleep with this type of dog in the home."

The Sheriff's Office says Michael Young will be charged later this week with homicide by child neglect.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Reintroduction of Animal Cruelty - Legislation Bill C-50

Reintroduction of Animal Cruelty Legislation

Mark Holland reintroduced Bill C-50 in the House of Commons. This is a very important bill. Please write to your federal MP urging him/her to support it. For further info go to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies website (http://www.cfhs.ca/) .

Please cross post this to anyone you know who is concerned about the importance of increasing the penalties for cruelty to animals.

Time to speak up, people....

For London Residence:

House of Commons Irene Mathyssen
Federal Political Experience
Caucus:* NDP
Constituency: London-Fanshawe
Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 995-2901
Fax: (613) 943-8717
EMail: Mathyssen.I@parl.gc.ca
Preferred Language: English

Constituency Offices
1700 Dundas Street (Main Office)
London, Ontario
N5W 3C9
Telephone: (519) 685-4745
Fax: (519) 685-1462

House of Commons Hon. Sue Barnes
Federal Political Experience
Caucus:* Liberal
Constituency: London West
Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-6674
Fax: (613) 996-6772
EMail: Barnes.S@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* www.suebarnes.on.ca/
Preferred Language: English

Constituency Offices
460A Springbank Drive,
London, Ontario
N6J 1G8
Telephone: (519) 473-5955
Fax: (519) 473-7333

Let's get crackin' and get this bill in place!

Friday, November 03, 2006

DeSoto may ban some dog breeds

In the Dallas Morning News comes this article today. I wonder how many dogs involved really are of the bullie breeds. The general public and the media have such a broad perception of what a Pit bull is, that Boxers and Jack Russel Terriers are only a couple of mistaken dogs that they call Pit bulls.

DeSoto may ban some dog breeds

After pit bulls' attack on officer, other incidents, forum planned
By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News

DESOTO – Earlier this year, two pit bulls attacked and bit a DeSoto police officer. And in another case, a pit bull escaped from its yard and trapped some neighbors in their home, forcing authorities to take drastic action.

"He got on their porch and wouldn't let them leave. We had to shoot that one, and we've had to shoot several others," said DeSoto police Capt. Ron Smith. "Unfortunately, the number of calls is increasing, and it usually involves pits.

"For some reason, that breed is more susceptible to bad training or breeding, and can easily become an aggressive dog."

Because of the recent spate of canine aggressiveness, city leaders plan to take another look at DeSoto's animal ordinance – which could lead to banning certain breeds, officials say.

But first, they want to hear what residents think.

"Rather than jump in and try to make changes to our ordinance, the council decided it would be worthwhile to have a forum for the community to come forward and talk about dogs," said City Manager Jim Baugh.

"We want to know what they like or don't like about dogs, whether it's chasing cars or digging under fences, or whether they would like us to consider banning certain breeds from the city."

One possibility at the Dec. 7 session could be the banning of all large dogs.
City leaders acknowledge that prospect could raise questions.

"Do you ban all dogs over 50 pounds?" asked Mayor Michael Hurtt. "Because then you've got the Old English sheepdog who's never bitten anyone."

The mayor acknowledged, though, that his personal concern is pit bulls, which include several breeds, such as the American pit bull terrier and Staffordshire bull terriers.

"Unfortunately, the complaints I've heard are pretty specific to pit bulls," Mr. Hurtt said. "We've heard from so many residents the last couple of years who have been bothered by them."

The problem lies more with the owners than the dogs, Capt. Smith said. He's seen pit bulls, as well as Rottweilers and other breeds commonly perceived as vicious, that are very social and friendly.

"If you mistreat them or train them to be aggressive, then it causes problems," he said.

Mr. Hurtt said vicious-dog problems in DeSoto go back as far as November 1993, when a female Rottweiler killed a 5-year-old child after digging out of its pen.

Pit bulls have been banned in Denver since 1989. Miami and Cincinnati followed with bans, and last year Ontario became the first Canadian province to prohibit pit bulls. Richardson passed an ordinance restricting ownership of the dogs in 1987, but it was struck down two years later by a Dallas appeals court.

DeSoto officials also may face legal roadblocks if they try to ban pit bulls or any specific breed.

"They can't do it under state law. They can only regulate the behavior, not the breed," said Jay Sabatucci, regional program manager for the Humane Society of the United States.

Mr. Sabatucci said that under Texas' Health and Safety Code, cities are allowed to regulate the handling of vicious or dangerous dogs, regardless of the breed.

"The Humane Society does not encourage specific breed legislation," Mr. Sabatucci said. "It's just bad law."

In recent years, increased growth in DeSoto has resulted in smaller yards and people living closer together, Mr. Hurtt said, and that can magnify any pet problems. Barking dogs and canines running loose in neighborhoods are among the complaints he's hearing more often, he said.

"In the area I live in, there is an apartment across the street with a family that has three pit bulls living in the apartment," said Mr. Hurtt, whose last two dogs lived 13 and 16 years. "I love animals, I believe in animals, but we've grown from a small community to a larger city, and it's time we had a discussion."

Other options officials may consider include limiting the number of animals in a specific space.

"We don't want to have some knee-jerk reaction to the people that scream the loudest," Mr. Hurtt said. "We want to know if this is a widespread problem or if people are OK with our ordinance."

The current DeSoto animal ordinance is relatively common, with such standard requirements as leashes and vaccinations.

Eight-year DeSoto resident Joe Pickens recently acquired two part chow, part pit bull puppies. He said responsible ownership is the key to raising safe dogs.

"I keep mine in the house or in the back yard, where I have a big board so they can't dig out," Mr. Pickens said. "They shouldn't ban a breed, just single out the dogs that are problems."

Cynthia Birl doesn't have any pets but sees no reason to change the city's animal ordinance. She's more concerned about the coyotes in her neighborhood than the dogs, which she said haven't caused her any problems since she moved to DeSoto 10 months ago.

Mr. Baugh hopes attendance at next month's meeting includes people with all sorts of dog concerns, both good and bad.

"We want to hear from people who have an issue and people who like the way we're doing things," Mr. Baugh said. "We need to hear from everybody."

E-mail kgoolsby@dallasnews.com

Great Legal Defense Fundraisers

Please Don't Bully Me Fundraiser

www.brok.ca is pleased to announce the Please Don't
Bully Me fundraiser!

Make a donation and help us raise money to support the legal challenge of
Bill 132 - fighting Breed Specific Legislation in Ontario, Canada - and
receive a gift exclusively from www.brok.ca.

Depending on the amount you wish to donate, you can choose from our Please
Don't Bully Me embroidered doggie tees, bandanas or our Dirty Paws Here
doggie towels - all available in a wide variety of colours.

Canadian residents donate before December 5, 2006 and US residents
donate before November 24, 2006 to receive your gift in time for Christmas.

2007 Beautiful Staffies and their Ladies Calendar

53 shopping days until Christmas!

Don't forget to order your calendar! Visit www.staffordcanada.com to
order your calendar now.

The holidays coming and for a $20 donation to the legal fund you can
have a unique gift to give out to friends and family. Also a great
hostess gift for that dog loving friend, Secret Santa at work.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

‘Playing’ with dog leads to 39 stitches; girl’s great-aunt says mastiff/pit bull didn’t realize he did wrong

Here I go repeating myself, but while all this was going on, where was the adult supervision? I would think, playing or not, there would be tremendously loud screaming coming from the two girls as Caitlyn was being bitten.

It doesn't say the age of the dog to know whether the dog was still young, but the important thing here is if you have children...no, I retract that and say, that all dogs should be taught 'gentle' and children should be taught not to excite a dog regardless of breed. Weight factor alone shows that a playful dog and a seven year old is going to end up hurt, even if it's from a bump.

I'm not convinced of the 'rag doll' theory and it sounds to me like this biting of hair is a game that was played more often than this once. Why would anybody allow a dog to bite hair as a game? Basically, it seems this dog was set up to fail by not teaching it properly, as were the girls for not being taught dog bite prevention.

I'm not saying accidents will never happen, but in cases like this it was avoidable if only an adult had been there and corrected both the girls and the dog before harm was done.

This article is in the Palatka Daily News.

‘Playing’ with dog leads to 39 stitches; girl’s great-aunt says mastiff/pit bull didn’t realize he did wrong

By Ron Bartlett

A Bostwick girl was rushed to the hospital after being mauled by a neighbor’s dog on Monday afternoon, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Caitlyn Gill, 7, was playing with another girl and the girl’s dog, reported to be a 90-pound bull mastiff/pit bull mix, when, in what was perceived to be a playful act, the animal began biting at her hair. The snapping continued to her face, opening up her nose and right cheek, one eyelid, puncturing a hole in the back of her head and eventually requiring 39 stitches.

“I don’t really actually think that this was a vicious attack,” said Kathleen Sanders, Caitlyn’s great-aunt. “Afterward (the dog) was just wagging his tail. He didn’t have a clue that he did anything wrong.”

Caitlyn was sedated and taken to Shands at UF, where a plastic surgeon performed over two hours of surgery to repair the damage. Sanders said that Doctors expect she will have to make several return visits.

Sanders said the owners of the dog were going to kill it right there, but the sheriff’s office intervened and called Animal Control, which took possession of the dog for a mandated 10-day quarantine. After that, the animal will be released to the owners, to do with it as they will.

“The story isn’t about a vicious dog attack,” Sanders said. “Playful can cause this also. They’ve got that personality and mentality and they take a little girl’s hair and think of it as a rag doll. It happened so quickly.”

Sanders added that the dog’s owners are devastated, and did not leave the emergency room while Caitlyn was in surgery. She said that Caitlyn was not mad at the dog at all.

Sanders said that she has raised Labrador retrievers for years and can’t comprehend owners who choose dogs with a reputation for aggression.

“They say, ‘aww, they wouldn’t hurt a thing.’ Really — I don’t believe it.”

PCSO Capt. Phil Altice, assistant chief of special services, which oversees Animal Control, said that he doesn’t think that it’s fair to single out any particular breed of dog as being more vicious.

“Any dog is liable to bite, whether it be a Chihuahua or a pit bull,” he said.

“Of course, a pit bull — when it bites someone, people go bananas.”

In a research study by the CDC on dog bite-related fatalities between 1979 and 1996, pits and pit mixes accounted for 70 of the 199 total deaths recorded, equating to a ratio of more than one in three. German shepherds were listed second, responsible for 30 deaths during the same period. Since 1993, rottweilers have been involved in more fatalities than any other breed.

In that same study, Florida was listed fourth among all states in dog-related fatalities with 14, trailing only Alaska (18), Texas (26) and California (30).

There are currently restrictions on the ownership of American Pit Bulls in several places in the U.S. and abroad.

They are banned in the United Kingdom under the 1991 Dangerous Dog Act and will be destroyed and their owner prosecuted if discovered there. In 2005, Ontario banned their sale, import or breeding. That same year in the U.S., Denver reinstated a ban prohibiting “pit bull” type dogs and has subsequently euthanized over 1,000 animals — despite the protests of animal right activists, who point to the fact there has been no decrease in the overall number of dog bites. Miami and Cincinnati have also enacted bans.

In 2001, an estimated 368,245 persons were treated in U.S. hospitals for non-fatal dog bite-related injuries, with rates highest among children aged 5-9.

According to the sheriff’s office, law enforcement in the county responds to 300-400 animal bites annually.