Thursday, September 17, 2015

Michigan Pit Bulls 3; Victims 0


The Fall pit bull season has gotten off to a quick start in Michigan, with the locals amassing an early 3-0 record. The early scores are highlighted below. A number of attacks against More Vulnerable Animal Companions and officers of the law (and very likely other unreported attacks against humans) have been omitted.

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"The dog attacked, destroying approximately 70 percent of her face."

Kyla Kelly, 9 yo; Warren, Michigan

On August 7, 2015, a pit bull belonging to Matt Abare escaped from its home and attacked Kyla Kelly. Kyla was rushed to St John Hospital and Medical Center and faces years of reconstructive surgery.

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Alecia Finch, attacked September 2, 2015
Photo by Nick Gonzales, MLive
The dog, Max, had bitten a 12-year-old boy about 90 minutes before he turned on Alecia, according to a Jackson police report.
. . . [Alecia] went to Allegiance Health shortly after the attack and was transferred to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, where she underwent plastic surgery on her face and received 50 to 75 stitches. Alecia required several rounds of rabies shots as the dog was not vaccinated.

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On September 10, 2015, an Eaton County lawn service employee was attacked by a pit bull. The Lansing State Journal filed a brief account of the attack, based on information from the Sheriff's Department. SRUV wrote to the LSJ journalist with a request for additional information. Our letter, in a slightly edited form, is copied below:
According to the account published in the LSJ, "The deputy arrived to find the dog still biting and dragging the victim in the back yard." This implies the attack lasted for a few minutes, at a minimum. The wounds would therefore have been severe.

Was the employee a man or a woman? Were there dismemberments or amputations?

Whose dog was it -- did it belong to the property owner or a neighbor? Have charges been filed? Was the dog licensed? Neutered?

Does the company that employed the victim have insurance which covers the employee's medical expenses?

We would appreciate the courtesy of a prompt reply.
The Editors
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SRUV has yet to receive a reply.

With a 3-0 record the Michigan pit bulls are off to a devastating Fall season. We can expect dozens of similar attacks before the end of the year, leaving in their wake a toll of grief that is largely unacknowledged by newspapers, city councils, county commissions, and state legislators.

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Sources:
Girl requires plastic surgery, up to 75 stitches following pitbull attack
   September 16, 2015; Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Pit bull to be euthanized after attacking two dogs, killing one
   September 11, 2015; News Herald

Pit bull killed after attacking lawn service employee
   September 10, 2015; Lansing State Journal

(September 2, 2015; unreported attack on Alecia Finch covered on Sept 16)

Oakland County Sheriff’s Office: Pit bull seized after biting deputy in Pontiac
   August 31, 2015; Oakland Press News

Suspect's pit bull attacks Sheriff K-9 during arrest
   August 13, 2015; MLive

Parents speak out day after daughter is mauled by neighbor's dog
   August 8, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK

Girl, 9, bit by pitbull-type dog, Warren police say
   August 8, 2015; Detroit Free Press

9-year-old attacked by pit bull in Warren
   August 7, 2015; Fox 2 Detroit WJBK

Girl, 9, injured in pit bull attack
   August 7, 2015; Detroit News

Fatal Pit Bull Attacks in Michigan



Full screen map in new tab
Interactive map courtesy of Dogsbite.org

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.
View or download the current PDF

2014 Year-end report of dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; January 3, 2015

32 years of logging fatal & disfiguring dog attacks
   Animals 24-7; September 27, 2014
How many other animals did pit bulls kill in 2014?
   Animals 24-7; January 27, 2015

This page may also include information from Dogsbite &Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks

2014 Dog Bite Related Fatalities on Daxton's Friends
Index of canine fatalities on Daxton's Friends

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" must be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.




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