Tag Archives: Arm yourself

Yorkshire terrier

Innocent happy walk on sunny day proves fatal to Yorkie because of a pit bull

Name: JAS
Victim: Pet
Location: neighborhood street, Maryland
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

I have a 17-year-old paraplegic Bichon and a 6-pound Yorkie, Ava. At the start of October 2022, rain had kept us indoors for at least 4 days. It finally stopped on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, so I decided to get the dog stroller for the Bichon out and take us for a walk. The neighborhood loop is a little under a mile. Both dogs were happy to be out in the fresh air and little Ava was keeping up with me on her leash.

We reached a point where two alleys meet across the street we were walking on. I spotted a white year-old American Staffordshire Terrier pit bull on a leash with a middle school girl and her friend. They had been running in the alley and the dog was worked up in play. In four seconds it pulled its leash out of the girl’s hand, raced to us, grabbed and shook Ava, crushed her, and dropped her. The girls were horrified, grabbed the leash and did a pit-and-run with the pit bull. We have not been able to locate the owners.

Ava died immediately.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
On the positive side, I have been supported by my neighborhood, made new friends and feel very loved. Ava died on a happy day, but the shock is still with me. The news was posted on the Community Facebook page and on a “Nextdoor” news app. Ava’s death has raised awareness on responsible dog ownership. One person wrote that a lose Yorkie is a nuisance, but a lose pit bull is a tragedy waiting to happen. I have been advised to carry mace. Today an adult male walked his pit bull past my yard and could barely restrain it. Yesterday a couple with a baby walked their pit bull past my house.

Legal Consequences
If I had picked my Yorkie up and been bitten I would have a criminal case against the owner. If Ava had lived, the vet said she would have needed $30,000 worth of surgery only to live the rest of her life in pain and with PTSD.

The dog loving owners in my neighborhood are looking for the pit bull that killed Ava. The police and Animal Control cannot do anything without an address. The owners never should have allowed these girls to be put in the position of losing control of their young pit bull. The girls are also victims. Can they trust this pit when it fully develops into its muscle? Will it kill again, attack even them maybe?

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
If you own a pit bull, please be a responsible owner and muzzle your animal when off your property.  Genetics are difficult to train out of an animal.

People should not have to be afraid to walk their dogs. But thanks to pit bulls, we now live in a world where some dog owners are arming themselves.

Pit bull behind fence

Pit bulls terrorize neighbors, try to scale fence

Name: Will D.
Victim: Adult
Location: Walking between homes in urban neighborhood, Oklahoma
Year of attack: 2021

Tell us about the attack

My 50-year-old son was walking between homes to go to the backyard of a rental home he owns. A tall chain link fence separates the house from a neighboring one. Two pit bulls in the neighboring yard went crazy and tried to scale the fence. One nailed him on the shoulder by his neck. He said it was aiming for his jugular vein. He’s lucky he’s tall, about 6 feet. A shorter person would have been maimed. He bled some and his shirt is ruined. The pits weren’t licensed or vaccinated and have been destroyed. The renters of his house told him they had been afraid to allow their three little girls out into the yard to play because of those pit bulls next door going into a frenzy every time they saw the kids.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I am much more aware now. I am rural and live alone. A pit bull runs loose from time to time. Before my husband died this pit bull tried to terrorize us, especially me. At times it would stand and bark and growl and act menacing to the point my husband would tell me to go inside. He had a very gruff, loud voice and it seemed to give the dog pause when he yelled at it. Still, it worried him and he told me to never stay out if that dog came around. He went to the little town nearby and put the word out to everyone that pit bull was terrorizing us and it would be shot if it ever came around again. Apparently word got back to the owners and I haven’t seen it since. However, my husband before he died instructed me to carry a pistol while I’m gardening and I do. Worries me more than ever with him gone.

Legal Consequences
Son’s case: the city killed the dogs.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls are unpredictable and vicious. They tried to attack my son, a stranger. They had terrorized three little girls and the family to the point where the children were not allowed to play outside. No one would expect a short dog to be able to climb a 5 to 6′ fence but these demonic dogs can do so. A fence is not a safety net if there are pit bulls.

Baby stroller

Neighbor’s pit bull attacks child in stroller and dog

Name: Eryn
Victim: Adult, Child, Pet
Location: Sidewalk, Colorado
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

Tuesday October 4, 2022, I took my 11-month-old girl for a stroll in her stroller around the block with our 2-year-old Blue Merle Aussie, named Mabel. During our short walk, a pit bull mix broke through the fencing of a neighbor’s yard and aggressively ran at my child’s stroller. I stepped in the way and the pit bit into my right hand, lacerating and puncturing my finger. Our Aussie stepped in between to protect my daughter and me. The pit was relentless, ripping and shredding Mabel’s underbelly region, tearing chunks of tissue off the bone of her legs and leaving puncture markers all over her body. I fought with everything I had to get the pit mix off her to no avail! Thankfully a neighbor offered a rake and honked a car horn to scare off the pit. Mabel was rushed to an ER for surgery and I required medical care for my hand.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
Sadly Mabel will forever have mobility limitations due to the attack. My daughter was traumatized by the experience.

I don’t think I will ever feel safe again walking in the neighborhood without a weapon and pepper spray.

Legal Consequences
The owner was given a warning for not fencing the dog properly. More legal action will be taken but at this time the owners were given a warning and all I could do was write a complaint to animal control.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls are killing machines; once they start a fight they won’t stop until they kill. They are unpredictable and will attack unprovoked, sadly attacking even children.

City park

Pit bull on flimsy retractable leash launches unprovoked attack in city park

Name: Christopher
Victim: Pet
Location: Walking in city park, Pennsylvania
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

I was walking my pharaoh hound at Schiavoni Park in Hummelstown, PA when passing a couple with two leashed pit bulls. One of the pit bulls charged unexpectedly with no provocation and because the owner just had her pits on flimsy retractable leashes, she instantly lost control of it. It bit and tore my dog’s back leg which required surgery. I was very lucky that I wasn’t injured as well.

The owner tells me it was an accident and her pit isn’t dangerous. I said I beg to differ since your dog just attacked mine out of the blue for no reason.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
It’s a recent event so I’m sure there more issues to come for me and my dog.

Legal Consequences
In process.

The lack of protection that local and state government provide to the community is deplorable. Everything is down to me to report. There is almost zero help from the authorities.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
The pit bull is a dangerous fighting breed. Yes, other dogs can occasionally though rarely be dangerous, but the proclivity to attack, the frequency and the physical damage that results from a pit bull “bite” is NOT the same as that of normal dogs.

This attack was unprovoked. Make sure you carry a weapon or object to protect yourself because you will be no match for a pit bull otherwise.

The mindless support of the pit bull breed and its aggressive behavior is an abomination.