Badly injured child is improving after dog attack (second separate attack by pits in hours)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10367794

Published Thursday June 26, 2008
Badly injured child is improving after dog attack
BY TOM SHAW AND JASON KUIPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS

The day after a brutal pit bull attack, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and at least five Omaha City Council members say they're open to discussing some kind of pit bull ban for Omaha.


Charlotte Blevins following surgery for her injuries suffered in a dog attack.

The 15-month-old girl who was severely injured Wednesday was upgraded to serious condition today by doctors at Creighton University Medical Center. Charlotte Blevins had surgery Wednesday night.

Her injuries are not considered to be life threatening, Omaha police said.

In response to the pit bull attack, city officials will hold a series of meetings with the Nebraska Humane Society and Omaha police. A number of cities, including Council Bluffs, have banned pit bulls.

The number of pit bull bites in Council Bluffs has dropped dramatically since the ban took effect in 2005, and this year there have been no such bites, according to the city.

In Omaha, 48 pit bull bites have been reported to the Nebraska Humane Society this year.



Charlotte and another toddler, 17-month-old Cade Spring, were attacked along with their mothers about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday near 14th and Pine Streets.

Wendy Blevins, 29, and Carley Spring, 30, were taking their children for a walk in a red Radio Flyer wagon when a neighbor's pit bull attacked.

snip

"I know, I understand about the kids, but that's my baby," Agerson said as she went to talk with Humane Society officials.

Agerson was cited for harboring a dangerous animal, menacing behavior and improper restraint, said Police Officer Michael Pecha.

Mark Langan, the Humane Society's vice president of field operations, said the dog was licensed and his vaccinations were up to date. He said Duke will be held for 10 days to monitor him for rabies. Agerson has relinquished control of him, and he will be euthanized at the end of 10 days, Langan said.

Neighbors said the dog had seemed aggressive in the past and not obedient to his owners. Noel Thompson said the dog had gotten loose before and had come up to her kids in their yard, just north of where Agerson lives.

Hours later, another pit bull attack was reported about two blocks away. About 7 p.m. Wednesday, a 12-year-old boy who knocked on a door near 13th and Hickory Streets was bitten after the dog's owner opened the door.

The boy was taken to a local hospital, where he received stitches, the Humane Society said.

The owner of the dog was cited for harboring a dangerous animal. The dog was taken away by the Humane Society.

World-Herald staff writers Maggie O'Brien and Kevin Cole contributed to this report.

FULL story at link.

[Recursion]

1. I have seen so many breeds identified as "pit bulls" in reports

People have taken to calling any large mollosier a "pit bull": Rotts (remember the Rottweiler panic from 20 years ago?), Danes, Mastiffs, etc. I take any appearance of the phrase "pit bull" in the press with a grain of salt.

When a friend met my brother's pit bull she said "he's really cute. How big is he going to get?"

He said, "He's fully grown"

"But he's small. I thought pit bulls were huge"

It's a common misconception, as if the "Terrier" in "American Staffordshire Terrier" was just there for show.

[hedgehog]

4. Hard to say what it is from the picture

[Recursion]

6. Yeah, it's the right size

And some AmStaffs are that color, so could be. I just mean in general I'm hesitant to believe reporters know what they're talking about :)

[razorman]

5. That's true. "Pit Bull" is used the same way "Rottweiler" and "Doberman" used to be.

It is supposed to be the big badass dog that they want you to be afraid of. Actually, I see the same sort of media scare tactics used when they make sure you know that an "SUV" was involved in an incident.
They won't simply say that a "car", "truck" or "automobile" went out of control, for instance. You must fear the SUV and the Pit Bull.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. 'Scare tactics'

Do you apply the same label to such detail as "The suspect was described as a black male about 30 years old..."?

[hedgehog]

16. Assuming that people identify all big, badass dogs as pit bulls,

do pit bull bans cut down on the number of big, badass dogs? Do people who've been breeding "pit bulls" go out of business, or do they start properly identifying the Doberman/Rotweiler/?/German Shepherd mixes they've been selling all along?

[Dora]

7. There is a picture of the dog in question at the link. nt

[uppityperson]

8. Find the Pit Bull, which of these are a pit bull?(getting tired of posting this)

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
http://www.coldsteelpits.com/coldsteelfindthepitbull.htm
http://www.mnp13.com/FindThePitBull/FindThePitBull.aspx

And, for fun, one more:

[flvegan]

2. I feel badly for the kid.

I shake my head at the stupidity of a pit bull ban.

:popcorn:

[depakid]

10. Once again- one doesn't hear these stories anymore in Australian states

Why? Because people finally got sick of them and did something rational to protect their citizens:

NSW to put bite on pit bulls

Premier Bob Carr has announced a ban on pit bulls and other similar dogs in New South Wales.

Under a plan announced in Parliament it will be an offence to breed, sell, give away or acquire pit bulls, American pit bulls, Japanese tosas, Argentinian fighting dogs and Brazilian fighting dogs.

All current owners of the dogs will have to have them de-sexed once the new laws are passed.

Mr Carr says while the new laws are strong, the Government needed to go further.

"A pit bull is a killing machine on a leash and too often someone ends up in emergency after an encounter with one of these dogs," he said.

The state's Local Government Minister will be charged with taking up the issue nationally at the next local government ministerial council.

The plan comes after five-year-old Jordan Wisby was mauled by a pit bull terrier on his way home from school last Friday.

He suffered head and arm injuries in the unprovoked attack by the dog, which by New South Wales law should have been locked up or restrained.

Jordan's father Stephen Wisby says he is impressed his son's case has had such sway.

"Overwhelmed from the fact that we're still coming down from our experience with this situation. It's happened all too quick for us. Obviously this has been an issue for a very long time and it must have been the straw that broke the camels back," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1359021.htm

[flvegan]

Guess if

you banned cars and alcohol, you wouldn't hear about folks demise from a DUI. "Rational" indeed.

[depakid]

19. That's a pretty silly argument

Fact is, pit bulls and several other breeds account for the vast majority of serious attacks. Take them out of the mix, and irresponsible owners (which are found anywhere) can do a whole lot less harm.

Kinda like Australian gun laws that ban ownership of high capacity handguns and rifle magazines along with pump action shotguns.

The occasional shooting still occurs, but FAR more rarely- to the point where what routinely happens in the states is BIG news- headline news, sometimes for weeks.

[flvegan]

21. Actually

my argument falls right in line with the two bans (pit bulls and specific firearms). Seems the idea is to ban things that in the wrong hands can be dangerous. You know, like cars and alcohol.

[depakid]

27. We do have laws regarding cars and alcohol

Lots of them!

Though obviously, due to the nature of the what's involved, it's not the same deal- nor does rational analysis of the specific problems compel similar policy solutions.

[Omaha Steve]

20. Instead of a ban....

Certain license requirements could work. A minimum liability policy. Fence. Oversight on site on a regular basis.

We have a German Pointer & 2 Rat Terriers.

[flvegan]

22. Mandatory spay/neuter first of all.

There, suffice to say, would go a good deal of the problem. I think all dogs should have some form of training, too. If your dog isn't trained, he/she can't leave the yard. If that means you have to buy a 6 foot fence, then so be it.

I read in the other article that this particular dog was allegedly taunted by children with a lawnmower.

[MiniMe]

24. But of course, not the children that he attacked.

Personally, I don't care what breed the dog is, that dog needs to be put down. I'd say the same thing if it was a lab or a golden retriever or any other breed or mutt.

[flvegan]

26. That wasn't my point.

And I tend to agree with you on his pending euthanasia.

[depakid]

29. Registration and certain other requirements are also in place

under the companion animals act:

http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/Files/Information/dandogs11.pdf

Trouble is I think that certain breeds attract certain types of (irresponsible or macho) owners- and NSW law seems to me predicated on that recognition.

From the act:

Restricted dogs

It is now an offence in New South Wales to sell, acquire or breed dogs on the restricted dog list.

Restricted dogs in NSW are the same as those currently on the prohibited list of importations into Australia. However changes to the legislation now include offspring of restricted dogs on that list, as follows:

(a) American Pitbull terrier or Pitbull Terrier
(b) Japanese tosa
(c) Dogo Argentino (Argentinean fighting dog)
(d) Fila Brasiliero (Brazilian fighting dog)
(e) Any dog declared by a council under Division 6 of the Act
to be a restricted dog... or a cross-breed of any such breed or kind of dog.

[flvegan]

46. Fantastic to punish everyone based on the few.

Let me know when New South Wales bans all men because a few rob stores.

[Critters2]

44. Seems like it's working in Council Bluffs.

Pit bull attacks in Omaha this year--48

Pit bull attacks in Council Bluffs this year--0


Where's the down side?

[flvegan]

45. Nevermind.

I'm done here.

[bowens43]

3. Are you saying that it wasn't a pit bull?

[hedgehog]

9. I'm curious how this woman ended up with this dog. I have a dog I

am very careful to keep under leash at all times. He was abandoned in my car as a puppy and has gotten a little nervous around strangers as he's aged. He's not the dog I would have chosen, but this is his home. I can understand how soeone can end up with a dog that isn't the friendliest critter. If someone goes out to get a "guard dog", they're taking on a risk. I'm not referring to a properly trained dog, but any number of Rotts, pit bulls and mixes that people get because they want big mean dogs.

On edit: are people who want a big mean dog more likely to end up with a big, mean dog regardless of the puppy they start with? I think a lot of the bad rep that pit bulls get is based on the nature of a lot of people who parade "pit bulls" around.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. So you're an advocate for gun control?

Is that what you're trying to say?

[Recursion]

13. The parallels between "pit bull" and "assault weapon" are legion nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Or, say, black people.

I bet black on white crime used to be a lot lower in sunset communities.

[MiniMe]

12. I think the original thing that I read on this said that it was a pit bull mix

It also sounded like the dog had acted agressively before and also had gotten free before. It didn't sound like there was any reason other than maybe the sound of the wagon bothered the dog for the dog to go after them like that. Whatever the reason, and whatever the breed, that particular dog needs to be put down. The one that attacked the toddler's that is.

[uppityperson]

18. Thank you. Nice to see someone else thinking this.

[MiniMe]

23. Just curious...

Do you agree that the dog needs to be put down? Personally, I don't care if its a lab or a pit, any dog like that is a danger to others, especially if it gets out of the yard. IMHO, putting this particular dog down has nothing to do with what breed it is. I have 2 dogs at home, but if either one of them ever did something like that, I would have no question as to if the dog should be put down or not. I can't imagine either of them doing anything like that, but you never know.

[uppityperson]

25. Yes, I do.

I live with 1 big dog, 3 cats, varied smaller fluffy and feathered critters. I love these guys very much. But. They are my pets. I am the owner, the Queen Dog. Our dog got uppity with some smaller dogs and I immediately got a muzzle for him, and kept him on a short leash. If he'd kept it up, if he'd done anything against a person, I would be heartbroken but would have had him euthinazed.

I lived with a dog once that I ended up having to do this to, turned out he was a wolf/husky mix. The day he lifted his lip at me when I tried to go past him out the door was the day I decided when his owner got home we were going to have a talk. He'd bit his owner while being held and scolded for killing a chicken. It came down to the dog or me. And if the dog stayed, I was going to call animal control because he was dangerous.

That was very difficult to do but necessary. And yes, I think this dog needs to be killed. The other alternative is lock him in an escape proof prisonyard, but that would not be good for him either.

People take precedence. Sometimes dogs are too aggressive and, though it may be someone's "baby", people take precedence.

[uppityperson]

17. Original story says pit bull mix. Yes, shame on you again.

So the first story on this you posted that said "mix" wasn't enough? You have to search for a story that doesn't include that in its headline? See, this is what I was talking about on the other thread. See how it morphs from "mix" to OMG a DAY of PITBULL ATTACK!!!

This takes the focus away from the kid and puts it onto they hysteria that dog attacks can be prevented it only badasspitbulls are banned. This takes the focus away from irresponsible owners and bad dogs and puts it squarely on 1 breed.

Here is your original posting, original link and description:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10366998 "Charlotte Blevins was critically injured after being yanked from the wagon by a 2-year-old pit bull mix named Duke. Her mother, 29-year-old Wendy Blevins, was bitten in the neck." And it said there that this dog had been agressive before. So, bad dog? or OMG PITBULL!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3523665&mesg_id=3523665

Here is link to post elsewhere here of find the pitbull
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3525921&mesg_id=3526026

Those poor kids.

[Omaha Steve]

28. The article is local

We in Omaha have been hearing about the first attack from TV and radio as pit bull only for 24 hours around the clock. No mix was included. This story only says 2 pits.

"The day after a brutal pit bull attack."

"Hours later, another pit bull attack was reported about two blocks away."

[angrycarpenter]

30. I have personally seen the damage they can do.

Eight years ago I was like many, I defended my pitbull to the hilt. Up until He attacked my father I would have said he was harmless.

My father made the mistake of getting inside the rope limit. He jumped and caught him by the arm, pulling him to the ground. The dog could not get to his throat so he chewed mercilessly on his chest. He mangled my father hands when he was trying to get him off. I ran out and put my hand in his mouth so dad could get away, I was likewise badly bit.

He was rushed to the hospital where he got 40-something stitches to close the wounds.

A bulldog has the potential to do grievous harm to even a full grown man, I have seen It. That dog was raised from birth by me and was a gentle, highly talented dog. I loved him like a child. When he attacked the feeling of betrayal was overwhelming. I will never own another and I will never, never turn my back to one.

[uppityperson]

32. I was attacked by a golden lab. All dogs have potential to do grievous harm to people.

The bigger the dog, the bigger the potential also. I have also been bit by a nasty chihuahua and by a small 20 # mixed breed dog. Every dog has the potential. Even previously gentle dogs.

[Marrah_G]

35. Size, jaw and power all play a part.

I am of the firm view that all large breed dogs should require by law both training of the animal and training of the owner.

[angrycarpenter]

39. my post really has no point other than.

My families bad experience from owning one of these dogs and my opinion on them. I think banning bulldogs is a little out of line, but many who have them do not have the ability to keep them confined 100% of the time.

Bulldogs are escape artists, They can dig under any fence and snap most dog chains. If they want to really get loose they will find a way if it takes forever.

I live in the country, it is common to see them running loose in my neighborhood, my girlfriend cannot even go out for a walk for fear of big dogs running loose.

[Marrah_G]

33. omg I am so sorry

That had to be heartbreaking. I hope your dad fully recovered.

[angrycarpenter]

40. He is fine

he recovered fully but the nasty scars are still there.

I required no medical care and only have faint scars now.

We are both leery of big dogs now.

[uppityperson]

38. I hope he is ok and you are also. That sounds horrible.

I know people who are terrified of any dog and can understand the reason why. I also know people who poopoo any fear of dogs and they don't understand.

When my friend's husky/wolf mix stood me off, looked me in the eye and lifted a lip as I tried to go past to open the door, I immediately backed off slowly, and got somewhere safe until his owner came home. Then told what happened and the dog was gone the next day. It scared the crap out of me.

Hoping you both recover.

[SoCalDem]

31. Not just pit bulls.. My friend's 3 daughters were mauled by two Rottweilers

on their way to school.. The 5 year old ended up with 800 stitches, the 7 yr old had about 500, and the 12 yr old who tried to pull the dogs off her sisters, spent two weeks in the hospital, and still walks with a limp from the torn calf muscle she got ..she's now into her 20's.. her stitches were not even counted, since she had 2 or 3 surgeries, and had wounds on her arms, back, both legs and one foot.. The dogs ripped of her shoe, and dragged her by her foot.. She and a quick thinking lady who saw it happen, saved those two little girls, but not without injury to themselves..

How did it "happen".. the girls were waiting for the school bus, and a home nearby had a broken gate-latch.. that's ALL it took to "create" tens of thousands of dollars worth of hospital care for 4 people, and a lifetime of scars and fears..

One family member brought a stuffed toy to the 5 yr old when she was hospitalized, and the girl broke into tears when she said it looked like a "doggie"...

They sued, but it was futile, since the people who "owned" the dogs had nothing, and they were devastated to think that their pets had done this.. The dogs were euthanized, and the family's medical insurance paid most of the bills..but that family was never the same again..

[EFerrari]

37. I just came home from a walk where once again, I feel like calling the police

or SOMEONE.

There is a couple around the corner that keep a pitbull in the entryway to their home. When s/he is in there, the dog barks. I've never seen that dog on a leash getting exercise. Sometimes I walk by that house and hear clearly impaired people shouting at each other and a lot of noise. When I walk by and their gate is open, I'm on full red alert.

Today, one of them were trying to take the dog to the vet as I was walking up the block. (I know that because he was talking out loud to the dog.) He had trouble getting the leash on and I immediately found a safe place for me and my dog to wait until I saw them drive off.

It's a tragedy waiting to happen. And some neighbor will pay and so will that dog who is clearly being neglected. Shit.

[Binka]

34. "I know, I understand about the kids, but that's my baby," Agerson said

What a fucking asshole she is. Her fucking dog mauled a REAL baby. Fuckwittage. Slob. She looks like total trailer trash.

[shanti]

36. poor little angel!

:cry: she'll never trust dogs again :( ms. agerson's attitude is despicable, imo!

[Marrah_G]

41. "I know, I understand about the kids, but that's my baby,"

And THAT folks is the real issue.

A dog is not your baby. A dog is not human. A Dog is a Dog is a Dog.

If you do not understand that completely you have no right owning one, ESPECIALLY a breed powerful enough to kill.

[uppityperson]

42. THAT is the problem indeed.

[EFerrari]

43. I finally did call the PD and animal control and they can't help me

because nothing has happened yet.

There's a pitty around the block who never gets exercise and who is in the care of drugging kids who make a lot of noise and who sometimes keep their gate open. I never know if a frustated pitbull will charge out of that open gate. I'm afraid to walk by that house any more. And there are seniors and kids out here.

I don't know what I'm supposed to look for that would trigger a welfare check. What's between "I can't see the dog" and "the dog mauled me? :(