Pit Bulls

5-year-old bitten on face, neck by pit bull
CHANDA NEELY , Morning Journal Writer

LORAIN -- Five-year-old Daymeon Banks had to undergo surgery on his face and neck after he was bitten by a pit bull Thursday afternoon. The latest pit bull attack in the city could prompt legislation to ban the dog.
''It scared me,'' said 11-year-old Ashley Garrettson, who witnessed the attack. ''Daymeon was screaming, ?"Let me go,' and crying.''

Daymeon was playing with his puppy and other children outside his baby-sitter's Livingston Avenue home around 3:30 p.m. when a stray pit bull tried to attack the boy's puppy.

''He went to get the puppy from that dog,'' said Misty Stump, Daymeon's baby-sitter. ''Instead of getting the puppy, the dog got him.''

Witnesses say Daymeon bent down to pick up the puppy and the pit bull bit him on the right side of his face and neck.

''A big dog ran at me and bite me,'' Daymeon told officer Joseph Kapronica at Community Regional Medical Center.

''The dog bit Daymeon in the ear,'' Ashley said. ''When he touched it, his hand was full of nothing but blood.''

''Daymeon had blood all over his shirt,'' Stump added.

Daymeon was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center by his grandfather. He was transported to Rainbow Babies and Childrens hospital where he underwent surgery. The hospital could not release information yesterday.

''They did surgery on him and he's OK,'' Stump said.

Lisa Banks, Daymeon's mother, could not be reached for comment.

Police searched the area after the attack for a white pit bull with brown spots, but were unable to find it. The dog was last seen running from Livingston Avenue down an alley toward Broadway, according to police. If the owner is found, he could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

''There have been five serious dog bite incidents this year and they all involve pit bulls,'' Law Director Mark Provenza said. ''If the dog is running at-large and not confined properly, they could face charges for confinement of dogs. They also could face charges for not having liability insurance if they don't have insurance or don't have enough insurance on the dog and if the dog isn't registered. All the charges are first degree misdemeanors.''

City council could consider legislation that will ban pit bulls as pets, according to Provenza.

''What's being considered is basically a reflection of House Bill 568 that bans pit bulls throughout the state of Ohio,'' Provenza said. ''What's been proposed is making it a violation (to possess the dog), a misdemeanor in the first degree with a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.''

With the whereabouts of the pit bull still unknown, the children were being cautious when they went outside to play yesterday.

''It scared me so bad,'' Ashley said.

''I have been petrified since this happened,'' Stump said. ''I'd never let anything happen to Daymeon purposely. I love those kids. I feel so bad. It just breaks my heart.''

'01 attack victim 'totally traumatized'
BY MAGGIE O'BRIEN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The adoptive mother of an 8-year-old Omaha boy whose genitalia were torn off in a 2001 pit bull attack said she thinks the dogs are dangerous and should be banned from the city.

"I'm probably speaking selfishly as a mother," said Deb Krmpotic, whose adopted son, Bodi, was attacked when he was 18 months old. "We just don't know what makes those dogs tick."

Wednesday's pit bull attack of two children and their mothers at 14th and Pine Streets has raised the question of whether to ban the animals in Omaha. City Councilman Jim Vokal, who represents the area where Wednesday's attack took place, met Friday morning with Nebraska Humane Society officials.

"The thing we all agreed to is that something needs to be done," Vokal said.

Another Humane Society meeting planned for Monday will involve Mayor Mike Fahey, other council members and police officials.

Bodi, known then as Shane, was sleeping when the pit bull attacked him.

The dog, named Gator, belonged to his mother's boyfriend. It had been abused.

Both the mother and the boyfriend were sentenced to time in jail for the attack, and the boy was placed in a foster home before Krmpotic adopted him.

"Dogs need love, too, but for some reason, that breed just can't get it right," Krmpotic said.

She said her son today is a kind, sweet-natured kid who dearly loves his pet golden retriever, Boo. He sometimes fears other dogs, though, and Krmpotic said the attack's psychological aftermath, in part, forced him to repeat kindergarten.

"He was totally traumatized," she said. "It's affected him emotionally. We had to keep him back because his speech wasn't there."

Bodi, who will start second grade this fall at Bryan Elementary School in the Millard district, has a long road ahead of him.

After he turns 12 or so, Bodi will have to begin receiving testosterone shots, a regimen that will continue for the rest of his life. He also faces many reconstructive surgeries, and he won't be able to father children.

Krmpotic worries that mean-spirited junior high and high school kids will make fun of him. Still, she said, she knows that Bodi's perseverance, strength and kindness will overcome any challenge he encounters.

"Bodi bounces back with smiles, and he's always for the underdog," Krmpotic said. "That's what makes him special."

Pit Bull Attacks Omaha Police Officer

Updated:

Omaha, NE - Another pit bull goes on the attack in Omaha. This time an Omaha police officer is the victim.

The attack happened on Thursday night near 40th and Vinton Streets. It is the third pit bull attack in two days.

Police tell Action 3 News Officer Shawn Leclair was responding to a fireworks complaint in the neighborhood. Catherine Conrad was walking her pit bull nearby when the dog broke loose from its leash and charged at Officer Leclair. The dog chomped down on the cop's arm.

Leclair managed to shake off the dog. When the pit bull charged him a second time, the officer shot and killed it. Leclair drove himself to the hospital where doctors treated him for minor injuries.

Police cited the dog's owner for harboring a dangerous animal. Police also say the dog's remains are being tested because it was not registered or up to date on its shots.

Mayor Fahey to Consider Pit Bull Ban

Posted:
Omaha City Hall- Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey is now considering a move to ban pit bulls in the city, and the Mayor is not alone.

When a pit bull bit two mother's and their two babies on Wednesday, it was the fifth pit bull attack in Omaha so far this year, and according to the Mayor one of the most horrible,."This is a terrible event the poor child was brutally mauled."

And the Mayor says he will now look into the possibility of some kind of ban on pit bulls, "I'm the first one to care a great deal about animals but there is a responsibility that goes along with having a dog."

In 2006 there were 109 pit bull bites in Omaha. In 2007 there were 88. So far this year 48 pit bull bites. Fahey noting, "Whether it's fair or not we've had more problems with pit bulls than most other breeds."

The City Council is interested in a ban, but nothing's definite.

...

Pit Bull Attack Sends 4 People to the Hospital

Nabil Molai

OMAHA (KPTM) - Two mothers and their young kids are in the hospital Wednesday night, one in critical condition; this after a pit bull attack Wednesday afternoon.

A 15-month-old girl, Charlotte Blevins is in critical condition. Her mother, Wendy Blevins is also at the hospital in serious condition. A seventeen-month-old boy and his mother are in the hospital as well all after a pit bull got away from his owner around three-thirty in the afternoon.

A "beware of dog" sign warns people about getting too close to the house. Neighbors say for good reason, after they've seen a two-year-old pit bull get loose. In the past, its owner was able to control it in time. But on Wednesday, that was not the case.

Mark Langan with the Humane Society says, "An adult female was walking down this street pulling a wagon with two small kids." Investigators say the kids were strapped in the red wagon at the same time the owner of the pit bull was walking her dog.

Neighbors say that's when the pit bull named duke got out of his leash. Stephan Ray lives just across the street from the attack says, "He was just crazy, he just went crazy."

The dog then attacked the kids. Ray says, "The mom was beating on Duke to get him off, he just kept salvaging the baby, and then he reached out and bit her in the neck." He ran out to save them. "The mother was hysterical, the baby was bleeding everywhere, she was just like please, please help me, help my baby, so I rushed the two women with their children, the dog was still jumping at us," Ray says.

Ray was able to take them inside his house, and call 911. He says, "I got towels and started rapping it around the baby's head, and around the other mother too, and we looked and she had four punctured wounds around her neck." Ray was most worried about 15-month-old Charlotte Blevins. "It ripped her whole scalp off, it was in the wagon, I rapped it in a bag and gave it to police, they took it to the hospital hopefully to attach it back to her head."

Family members tell us Charlotte Blevins went into surgery right away at Creighton Medical Center; her mother Wendy is still in serious condition.

The other little boy, Cade Spring and his mom Carly are doing okay.

The owner of the dog was ticketed for harboring a dangerous animal and investigators say more charges could be added. The dog will be in quarantine for ten days and will be at the shelter until the court decides what to do with him.

Pit Bull Attacks Small Child
Guilford County Animal Shelter is investigating the incident that happened Monday. The child remains in the hospital listed in fair condition. The dog is being held at the animal shelter.

Greensboro, NC-- Guilford County Animal Control is investigating a pit bull attack Monday that left a small child hospitalized.

The attack happened Monday afternoon at the child's home. The dog is a family pet.

Animal Control tells WFMY News 2 that the child is a one year old girl.

The child was bitten after she tried to touch the dog's newborn puppies.

The dog is being held at the Guilford County Animal Shelter. They expect to keep the dog for 10 day.

The stay could be longer if they can't determine if the dog has current vaccinations for rabies. Animal Control says the investigation in the the incident is ongoing.

The girl is recovering at Moses Cone Hospital.

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Dog Owner Charged With Assault In Pit Bull Attack On S.I. Man


Authorities upgraded charges Wednesday against the owner of two pit bulls that mauled and wounded a 90-year-old man on Staten Island.

James McNair, 28, is now facing second-degree assault charges in addition to an earlier charge of having unleashed the dogs with no collars or tags. McNair has also been charged with possession of fireworks that police say were found in his home.

McNair is expected to be arraigned Thursday morning.

Police say McNair's dogs attacked Henry Piotrowski, pictured above, outside his home on John Street in Port Richmond Tuesday morning. Piotrowski remains hospitalized in critical condition after having one of his legs amputated.

A neighbor who heard the attack grabbed a knife and was able to chase the dogs away, but not before the dogs had severly injured Piotrowski.

"I hear a voice saying help me help me so I go over there to see who is calling me and I'm thinking it's a joke," said the neighbor. "This guy is looking like he is covered with paint lying on his back playing with his dogs. But he's not actually playing with his dogs; these dogs are chewing on him."

Local residents said the dogs' owner should be held responsible.

"The dogs are their responsibility. And you're putting people in harm's way and I believe that they should be held accountable for whatever that dog does," said a local.

"These are dangerous dogs," said another. "They shouldn't be allowed to be free and run around like this."

But, McNair's friend, Anthony Mahoney, feels the dogs, Brutus and Popeye, must have been provoked to attack like they did.

"I knew the dogs. I didn't know them long, I just met them recently, but from when I met them, they were nice and friendly," said Mahoney. "They didn't try and harm anybody."

The dogs were tracked down at McNair's house and were tranquilized by animal care and control. Late in the day, the dogs were euthanized and tested for rabies.

McNair is a registered sex offender. The Staten Island district attorney says McNair was released from prison in 2004 after serving time on a third degree rape charge.

Pit Bull Attacks Man who was Mowing Lawn

Omaha, NE - Police rush to the scene of another pit bull attack in Omaha. The latest case happened Tuesday afternoon at 28th Avenue and Sprague Streets.

Witnesses tell police the dog broke its chain and attacked a man who was mowing a nearby lawn. The man has a bite wound to his leg, but was not seriously hurt.

The dog ran off after the attack. A police officer shot it a few houses away. The dog survived the bullet, but will be put down at the Nebraska Humane Society.

Police ticketed the owner of the pit bull.

This is the fourth pit bull attack in Omaha in the past week. Last Wednesday, a pit bull attacked two toddlers and two mothers as they were walking near 40th and Vinton. One of the toddlers, a little girl named Charlotte Blevins, spent several days in the hospital. Later that same night, a pit bull attacked a boy just a block away. He's recovering from a bite to his arm. The very next day, another pit bull attacked a police officer near 3210 South 40th Street.

The city of Omaha and the Humane Society are working on a possible ordinance to crack down on dangerous dogs. It could include a partial, or total ban.