Pit Bulls

Colusa woman killed in possible dog mauling
Dave Marquis Last updated 15 days ago Posted: 1/5/2011

COLUSA, CA - Police are investigating the death of a 51-year-old woman who may have been mauled by her own pit bull.

Investigators said Linda Leal Castillo was found dead by her husband in the backyard of their home in the 100 block of Bridge Street just before 7:30 Tuesday morning. Enrique Leal ran to the next door neighbor's house and asked them to call 911.

"It's a very numbing situation. I think we're all still trying to grasp at the idea of how horrific it all happened," said Quinte Leal, the victim's daughter-in-law.

Colusa police said arriving firefighters found extensive head and neck trauma "consistent with a dog attack."

Neighbors said Leal was very close to her white, pit bull mix, named Toby. Another dog the couple kept was confined to a pen in the backyard.

"We never had any problems with them, especially with the kids around, never, ever," said Lupe Diaz, whose parents live next door.

Colusa police have asked for help from forensics experts with the State Department of Justice. They are hoping an autopsy, to be performed on Wednesday, will help explain exactly what happened.

Leal was battling liver cancer and had been weakened by the disease.

Neighbors said they did not hear any sign of a struggle and that they could not imagine Leal being hurt by her own dog.

"She fell outside or something and the dog, since they were really, really close, the dog probably tried to drag her back in or let the guy know that she was outside in danger," speculated Diaz.

The dog was taken by Colusa County Animal Control and later euthanized with Mr. Leal's consent.

Colusa woman was alive before dog mauling

January 05, 2011 11:42:00 PM
By Todd R. Hansen/Tri-County Newspapers

The Colusa woman found dead in her yard Tuesday morning was alive when her own dog mauled her, the Colusa County Coroner's Office reported Wednesday.

Linda Leal, 51, was found by her husband sometime after 7 a.m., her neck showing signs of a dog attack, and the family's mixed breed pit bull had her blood on him.

"She was still alive during the mauling," sheriff's Lt. Shane Maxey said Wednesday after an autopsy was performed by a pathologist from the Forensic Medical Group in Roseville.

"The cause of death is pending toxicology, which could take a month or so."

The time of death has not been determined either, Maxey said.

Maxey said the toxicology tests are necessary "to make sure she didn't have something in her system that put her in that position."

Enrique Leal told investigators that the last time he saw his wife was about 7 p.m. Monday when he went upstairs to bed. He reported she was fine at that time.

Because of Linda Leal's apparent health issues, she slept downstairs, authorities reported.

Enrique Leal came downstairs about 7 a.m. Tuesday and could not find his wife in the house. He found her outside in the yard, Colusa interim Police Chief Ross Stark reported.

Leal called paramedics, who brought in the police after determining she was dead.

The dog was taken from the property and later put down. A second family dog, one with a history of some violence, was penned at the time, but also removed from the property, officials said.

The couple had been married for nine years, officials said.

Police: Moreno Valley woman mauled to death by neighbor’s dogs
Christina Casey was pronounced dead Nov. 2 after her body was found by neighbors in the backyard of the Aqueduct Way home that she rented.

By Jose Arballo Jr., SWRNN
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A 53-year-old Moreno Valley woman died after being attacked by her neighbor’s dogs, said Sgt. Jaime Briones.

Christina Casey was pronounced dead Nov. 2 after her body was found by neighbors in the backyard of the Aqueduct Way home that she rented, Briones said in a news release. Officers determined that the woman had suffered major injuries consistent with a dog mauling, Briones said.

It was eventually determined that the Casey sustained multiple dog bites that ultimately lead to her death. Several dogs in the neighborhood were quarantined, including the victim’s collie that was found near her in the backyard. Briones said a forensic dentist confirmed that two large, pit bull/ Weimaraner mix dogs, owned by neighbors living nearby were responsible for the canine bites. In addition, Briones said, a forensic dentist concluded that the victim’s small collie did not cause any of the injuries. The owners of the dogs are not being identified at this time.

This matter is being referred to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether or not charges will be filed against the dog owners.

Pit bull victim critically injured

08:40 PM PDT on Friday, October 15, 2010

By SARAH BURGE
The Press-Enterprise

A 65-year-old man was in critical condition Friday, a day after he was mauled by his nephew's pit bull in the backyard of the family's Murrieta home, authorities said.

The man was alone with the pit bull, named Shadow, and two chihuahuas at the home in the 24400 block of Tuscola Circle late Thursday afternoon, said Monique Middleton, a supervisor with Animal Friends of the Valleys, which provides animal control services for Murrieta.

Murrieta police Lt. Dennis Vrooman said the man was in the backyard disciplining the dog when it turned on him, biting his arm and mauling his throat and groin.

A neighbor heard the attack and called 911. Because the victim was unable to speak when officers arrived, it was not clear whether the disciplining was physical or only verbal, Vrooman said.

Police did not release the victim's name.

Middleton said police and animal control officers found blood and flesh all over the patio. Officers had to subdue the 1 ½-year-old unneutered male pit bull with two shots from a dart gun.

The victim, who lost a lot of blood in the attack, was on a breathing tube in an intensive care unit Friday, Middleton said.

The owner of the pit bull, who is in his 20s, signed a release that will allow animal control to euthanize the dog without court action, Middleton said. The dog will be killed after a 10-day holding period.

Murrieta man dies two months after dog attack

07:04 AM PST on Thursday, December 9, 2010

By JOHN ASBURY
The Press-Enterprise

Riverside County coroner's officials ruled Wednesday that a Murrieta man died this week as a result of a pit bull attack nearly two months ago.

Edward Mitchell, 67, died Sunday from injuries he suffered when the family dog mauled him Oct. 14 at his nephew's home on Tuscola Circle, according to the coroner's office. Mitchell lived at the home, authorities said.

Mitchell dropped something in the backyard and then struggled over the object with the dog, which became aggressive, said Monique Middleton, Animal Friends of the Valley animal control supervisor. The dog lunged for Mitchell's neck and also attacked his arm and groin, she said.

Middleton said she had to tranquilize the dog twice as it charged at police officers. There may have been a history of someone playing roughly with the dog, she said.

"This was all play for him," Middleton said. "This dog enjoyed the attack."

Paramedics treated Mitchell at the home for severe bleeding and a bite to the neck, Murrieta police Lt. Dennis Vrooman said. Mitchell was admitted to a convalescent home for follow-up care. He later returned to the home, where he died Sunday.

Mitchell had medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, but the coroner's office ruled that the dog bites caused his death.

At the nephew's home Wednesday, two women who answered the door said they were unaware that the dog bites had caused Mitchell's death. They declined to talk about it further.

The dog was euthanized just after the attack.

Police: Man killed by family dog

by Tonya Brown
Posted: 11.18.2010 at 1:04 PM

A pit bull is in the custody of the Dillon County Sheriff's Office after deputies say it attacked and killed its owner Wednesday.

That morning, the mother of 25-year-old Justin Lane, found him dead on the couch - covered in blood. Police determined Lane's dog, Smoke, attacked and killed him.

Tiffany Dalrymple lives near the home on Skillet Drive in Latta. "It was very scary that something like that could happen right here next door to my neighbor."

Neighbors say the pit bull mainly stayed outside chained up, but because of bad weather Tuesday night, Lane decided to bring him inside. According to a couple of Lane's close friends, Lane got the dog when it was just 6 weeks old. The pit bull is now two years old, and they say the dog was very friendly and never harmed anyone. They say Lane raised the animal in a loving way and taught it to be gentle and kind.

Still, Jill Nelson of Dillon, has her doubts about pit bulls. "Think about how many people being bitten and killed by them. Had a little boy in Dillon not too long ago killed by dogs like that."

She's talking about the killing of 10-year-old John Matthew Davis. In 2006, he was mauled to death by several dogs. Some of them were pit bulls. Tiffany Dalrymple says as she and Lane's friends are grieving, they're just trying to remember the good things about him. "He was a good family guy, good brother, good son. He loved his mother a lot. What happened was really sad. He's going to be missed."

Lane's pit bull is in police custody.

Deputies say their investigation could result in the animal being euthanized.

Police say this investigation is on-going, but they hope to have it wrapped up in the coming days.

Lane's pit bull is in police custody.

Deputies say their investigation could result in the animal being euthanized.

Clearly something did happen. Clearly Tico is not making these up out of thin air.

Phoenix pit bull attacks hurt 3 people, 1 dog severely
by Samantha Valtierra Bush - Mar. 22, 2011 12:05 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

Two pit bulls on the loose in a Phoenix neighborhood attacked three people and left a pet dog with injuries so severe the dog was put down.

Suzanne McGee, who lives near Interstate 17 and Union Hills Drive, said she left her 12-year-old schnauzer-chihuahua mix, Baby, alone in the front yard of their house for a few minutes.

The yard has no fence but Baby, who is blind, knew a path to the yard and back into the house, she said. McGee said she was inside the house and heard Baby bark, then yelp.

McGee yelled for her husband to help Baby. He ran outside and found their dog being attacked by two pit bulls, one white and the other white and brown.

The husband bent down to get Baby and was bitten on his face. He punched one of the pit bulls in the face, McGee said. McGee's 20-year-old son went to help and was bitten in the leg. The pit bulls ran away.

McGee said her husband came inside carrying Baby and both were covered in Baby's blood. McGee said her husband was also bleeding but not seriously.

The brown-and-white pit bull was captured by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control close to McGee's house, said Lt. John Reynolds, field supervisor for the animal agency. The white pit bull led animal control officers on a chase around the area and at some points on the freeway, Reynolds said.

The dog was captured in a cul-de-sac on Bailey Street near 26th Avenue and Thunderbird Road, Reynolds said.

Animal Care and Control officers confirmed that there was a third victim who was bitten by the same dogs Tuesday. That victim had minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. No details about that attack were released.

The dogs did not have any collars or tags, and officers have not located an owner. The dogs will be taken to the animal control facility and held in quarantine for 10 days to determine if they have rabies, Reynolds said. The dogs must be held all 10 days even if an owner claims them sooner, said April Hollis of Animal Care and Control. If they are not claimed within the 10 days, the dogs will be put down because they are too dangerous to be adopted, Hollis said.

Reynolds said the dogs were not aggressive toward the officers when they were caught. Reynolds said it is common for animals that are not usually aggressive toward humans to bite a human if the human intervenes in an attack on another animal.

Baby was put down because her back was broken in the attack, McGee said. McGee said she was deeply saddened by the loss.

"I'm really mad at myself for leaving her alone," McGee said through tears.

McGee added that she had never seen the dogs before and did not know where they may have come from.

McGee's daughter Charice McGee, 18, said she was shaken by the incident.

"It's scary because they attacked my dad, too, and my dad is a pretty big guy," Charice said. "I wouldn't have made it because I'm smaller."

McGee said she was relieved that the dogs were caught because she owns other pets and there are small children in the area.

I'm missing your point. It's fine if you are doing so but are you in disagreement with me? If so, where/how?

I'm also unclear as to what OldGoat is agreeing (and implied diasagreeing with)?