Lorain/Elyria, OH
Pit bull mauls its owner
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ELYRIA — A 22-year-old man is recovering from a vicious pit bull attack Wednesday night that nearly punctured his lung and mangled his right arm, Elyria police said.Matthew Galati, 22, was left bloodied when his pet, Capone, turned on him at 7:42 p.m. at his Monticello Circle home, according to a report.
His girlfriend, Pam Chernosky, 22, said the dog’s teeth barely missed piercing Galati’s lung. A nursing supervisor at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland said Galati was in fair condition Thursday.
County Dog Warden Jack Szlempa said a Labrador that Galati also owns ate Capone’s food, causing him to attack.
When Galati tried to pull them apart, he was mauled by Capone. Chernosky had to beat the animal with a baseball bat until it released its grip, the report said.
Szlempa said Capone is “massively strong” and tangled with an animal control officer for 20 minutes before he could be subdued and loaded on a truck bound for the county kennel.
Capone will be put down, he said. The Lab, meanwhile, was uninjured.
The police report said officers couldn’t verify whether Galati has the $100,000 insurance Ohio law requires of pit bull owners.
Pit bulls have a deserved reputation for being ferocious, but that doesn’t mean they should be banned altogether, county Animal Protective League humane officer Denise Willis said.
“When you’re walking them, they should be muzzled. This is a dog that requires a lot of discipline. I don’t think kids should be walking them down the street like I see all the time,” she said. “They have a locking jaw on them, which makes their bite much harder than most dogs, so they can cause a lot of damage.”
Whether a pit bull becomes dangerous depends on who raises them, who feeds them and how they are treated, she said. Willis said she believes people should be more cautious before purchasing pit bulls.
Szlempa said everyone should be taking protective steps when handling dogs. He said his department has seen a sudden rise in the number of reported of dog bites, but he couldn’t pinpoint any one cause.
Cities across the country have taken steps to ban pit bulls with varying degrees of success.
Last year, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld Toledo’s ban on pit bulls, which had been contested.
The case law set a precedent for other towns, though Lorain opted not to ban the breed last year after a debate sparked by an attack on 7-year-old Georgia Rice at her friend’s East Avenue home.
Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.
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There’s been too many incidents with pit bulls attacking loving owners who didn’t mistreat them. They are a dangerous breed. Denise Willis said she sees kids walking these dogs down the street all the time. So do I when I come to Elyria. More teenagers than children though. Many of these dogs being walked have large chains being used for the leash. Loving family pet?
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Hate to say it but if you are going to own a Pit Bull, these are the consequences you’re going to face. Pit bull’s are NOT a pet and iwill to end up getting you sued. I hope to God and owner of a Pit Bull has the dog come at me or my family. I own everything you’ve every owned and hoped to buy.
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I am finding it difficult to believe that someone in Animal Control really believes the ‘locking jaws’ myth. That has been scientifically proven to be absurd. The bully breeds have the same structure as any other dog, and they do not rate at the top in bite pressure tests. This is simply a case of an owner that did not train or could not train his dog to prevent food aggression. Many dogs are food aggressive. Even the ones that are best buddies 24 x 7 can become food aggressive. The so-called ‘pit bulls’ are the most popular in the U.S. at this time, and of course the number of incidents will be proprortionately higher. The BREEDS are wonderful dogs WHEN PROPERLY TRAINED AND HANDLED. Every single dog bite or attack has a human cause. There is nothing wrong with the breeds. And of course, if this had been a Golden Retriever, it would have never hit the news. Do you all really think the ‘pit bull’ is the only dog that bites? Labradors have been doing some havoc lately, should we ban them too? And TOLEDO DOES NOT HAVE A BREED BAN, THEY HAVE BREED RESTRICTIONS. Do your homework!
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I cannot believe that people are still on that “pitbulls are not pets” or “pitbulls can’t be trusted” kick.. it’s amusing actually. I have been raised around pitbulls almost my entire life, and so have my children and have yet to see any of this aggressiveness that people love to preach about but most have not experienced. Its amazing that after all this time, people still would rather jump on a bandwagon and believe the bad than to see the good. ANY animal is only as good as its breeding and upbringing. POINT BLANK. Of course you have the bad seeds that attain a pitbull and make them mean, aggressive or even worse, fighters.. the absolutely there are going to be negative feelings and fears. What about the pits who are family pets? The pits who are NOT mistreated and have come from careful breeding to assure temperment is excellent?? We have a pitbull that looks as mean as they come, but has yet to even so much as hurt a fliy. My mother’s shar-pei attacked this poor animal so much that the shar-pei had to be put down because the pit just would NOT fight back. Or what about the pit that we had years ago and had to fight a nosey neighbor about because she was ‘fearful’ of her life around this animal, who was ALWAYS on a leash and NEVER displayed any aggressive behavior? How one day we were walking our pit down the street.. yes.. children.. imagine that… and THAT NEIGHBOR’S POODLE… lets go there again, her POODLE came out and attacked my pit, and my pit refused to fight back.. but my dog was the threat. Pits are strong animals yes. Pits have a bad rep, yes they do, but how many people get seriously injured or classified as mauled by a poodle? Noone, and why? Because there is no strength in them compared to a pit. I think that owners should be screened, should be able to prove capability of having the insurance required, and should have to buy from reputible breeders. Thats a perfect world.. unfortunately this is nowhere near a pefect world and people will continue to abuse the right to have such a beautiful animal. I just think that the other side should be looked at as well.. pitbulls are not monsters, they are very capable of being loving loyal and wonderful family pets when treated and raised with respect to their breed.
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Poetic justice
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. o you know what dog bites the most each year… a Dalmatian…
I wish the media would get off the pit bull ban wagon.. it used to be German Shepherds, then Rotweillers.. .now pit bulls..
How about those nasty Chihuahuas or cocker spaniels? I would love to hear those stories.
I too have always owned pits.. they are the best dog for children, cats, families, single owners.. you name it.
Like any animal, they require training.. and young punks have turned them into status symbols. Don’t punish the dogs – punish the owners
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I agree…. All dogs have the ability to bite someone. Unfortunately, what usually happens is they find themselves in the hands of an irresponsible owner. Sometimes in the hands of one who uses force and intimidation to “toughen the dog up”. What is their response going to be then - to act out.
Not sure what the reason was in this case. I heard it had something to do with the other dog in the house.
IMO - Pit’s are a powerful dog that fall prey to unresponsible owners - If that were not the case the ORC would not read the following:
(iii) Belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog. The ownership, keeping, or harboring of such a breed of dog shall be prima-facie evidence of the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a vicious dog.
I do agree with most that they don’t deserve persecution based on their breed however, people need to take responsibility for them. I have seen far too many running loose on the streets which usually ends in a ride to the pound and then to euthenasia.
I have a very large dog (very sweet and docile). It is my responsibility to make sure she is confined, liscensed, etc….
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Just one quick question…
What would you rather get hit with?
A pool cue…
or…..
A baseball bat…
Physics alone accounts for the strength of the bite of ANY short snouted muscular dog. I’d much rather be bitten by a dalmation than a pit bull any day.
Pit bulls are NOT the most popular breed in the country, in FACT they make up just 2% of the dog population. Yet they are responsible for over 35% of the fatal attacks alone in this country, and are responsible for 90% of unprovoked dog bites in urban settings.
Pit bulls, and bulldogs were bred (trained) for many things, one major trait was to grab onto the snout of a 2000 lb bull while it was being either castrated or slaughtered. AND HOLD ON EVEN WHILE SEVERLY INJURED. The “locking jaw” is a physical characteristic myth, but certainly not an “attitude” myth. They were bred to hold on, and when attacking they do just that.
After this need was eliminated ny technology, it was discovered they would make great fighting dogs.
It is a proven requirement that a pit bull be trained intensively if it is to become a family pet, 90% of other dog breeds do not require this type of handling.
Pete the dog on the Little Rascals was an American Pit Pull.
This dogs propensity towards aggressive behavior and overwhelming need for an educated, strong-willed trainer make it a “loaded weapon with 4 paws”. As with weapons, comes responsibility. Unfortunately, in urban settings such as ours, many pit bull owners are not the responsible type.
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Thank you Raven for the facts. Some folks take the time to do some research.
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Sorry Raven and Jack Miller…You are wrong….
Pitbulls most likely are the most popular breed in the country. Contact any Urban shelter. AKC “registrations” are not even close to actual dog populations in the US. There are also the UKC and the APBR that register pit bulls but unfortunately all the backyard breeders of the dog have caused them to be way under represented by “official” statistics. (as well as getting them into the hands of people who have no business owning any sort of pet let alone having children)
Also, licensing of them is typically about 10% of the actual pit bull population in a community. See Cleveland kennel (2.5% licensed but make up 25% of kennel population). Due to 1)irresponsible owners and 2) responsible owners who license them as something else or not at all for fear of being targeted.
The leading biters in most Ohio counties from official health department statistics are German Shepards and Labs by leaps and bounds.
Both of my Pit Bulls are registered by Therapy Dogs International.
Pit bulls sell papers on a slow news day. Labs don’t.
If the young people who get these dogs got smart and really wanted to hurt people they would get German Shepards and Rots…2 breeds specifically bred for guarding and man biting and twice as big. Why do you think they make such great police and military dogs?
I will bet you dollars to donuts that the dog “Capone” was abused by the young punk owner or he would not have named him “Capone” for image and intimidation.
It is scientifically proven in studies that Pit bulls don’t “turn” on owners. There are always signs and prior behavior “issues” that are either not dealt with or encouraged for aggression like any other dog.
Also the warden above was completely false in several statements above and just aiding in perpetuating the myth.
further….
THE REAL PIT BULL
Just the Facts: “Pitting” the Risks Into Perspective
By Tracy Doyle
1.) Since 1992, the breed most involved in fatal attacks has been the Rottweiler, not the pit bull.
2.) Although there are no accurate or even near accurate census records for dogs in the U.S., in some populations pit bulls are estimated to comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it a very popular breed. Considering that there were an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 10% of that population, there would be approximately 5.3 million pit bulls in our society. In 2000, 13 pit bulls were involved in 8 fatal attacks. That is roughly ONE dog out of 204,000 - or .000385 percent of the pit bull population.
3.) Over the 37-year period from 1965-2001, pit bulls have been blamed for an average of 2.48 human fatalities per year.
4.) About 40 people (children) per year die by drowning in 5-gallon water pails. A person, during their lifetime, is 16 times more likely to drown in a 5-gallon water pail than to be killed by a pit bull.
5.) Approximately 50 children in the US are killed every year by their cribs - 25 times the number of children and adults killed by pit bulls.
6.) Approximately 150 people are killed every year by falling coconuts. Therefore, you are more than 60 TIMES MORE LIKELY to be killed by a PALM TREE than a pit bull.
7.) Each year, 350 people drown in their bathtubs. You are 151 times more likely to be killed by your bathtub than you are by a pit bull.
8.) It is estimated that about 500 deaths per year are caused by aspirin. You are more than 200 times more likely to die from taking aspirin than from a pit bull attack.
9.) Every year, more than 2,000 children in the U.S. are killed by their parents or guardians either through abuse or neglect. A child is more than 800 times more likely to be killed by their adult caretaker than by a pit bull.
10.) It is estimated that 5,000,000 dogs per year are killed in shelters. Since in many places pit bulls make up 30-50% of the shelter population, and are less likely to be considered for placement than any other breed, guessing that 25% of those dogs killed is a reasonable estimate. Therefore, it can be assumed that perhaps 1.25 million pit bulls are killed per year.
Therefore - it is at least a HALF MILLION TIMES MORE LIKELY that a pit bull will be killed by a HUMAN than the other way around.
11.) For every pit bull who kills, there are hundreds of thousands that DON’T.
———
In the year 2000, pit bulls were involved in 8 fatalities.
From the National Safety Council: Numbers of Deaths Due to Injury, United States in 2000:
Bitten or struck by dog (all breeds), 26
Bitten or struck by other mammals, 65
Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods, 9
Bitten or crushed by other reptiles, 31
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub, 341
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool, 567
Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, 327
Ignition or melting of nightwear, 9
Contact with hot tap-water, 55
Contact with venomous snakes and lizards, 12
Contact with venomous spiders, 5
Contact with hornets, wasps and bees, 54
Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant, 9
Nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics, and antirheumatics, 176
Alcohol, 302
Legal intervention involving firearm discharge, 270
Legal execution, 80
Article resources:
Most of the dog bite fatality info from CDC/HSUS studies; stats from the book “Fatal Dog Attacks†by Karen Delise.
Additional statistics from both the CDC and the National Safety Council.
The percentage of overall pit bull populations in shelters was drawn from various shelter/rescue statistical data.
One note on pit bull population estimates that are floating around out there – I believe the pit bull population numbers are grossly underestimated by AKC-leaning “experts†(Alan Beck comes to mind, for one). At the time I wrote that piece, I did some searching on Petfinder for all the pit bull “varieties†(APBT, AmStaff, Staffordshire whatevers, bull terriers) and I’m darned if I can remember the results, but it was something quite stunning – especially considering that many shelters won’t even place them up for adoption. In my opinion, that’s a much more accurate way of estimating the pit bull population than figuring the percentage of AKC registered AmStaffs as compared to all AKC registrations, which is how I know Alan Beck does his figuring, as well as some other. There is a large population of urban dogs which remain invisible to the middle- and upper-class fanciers, and this is where I believe the larger segment of the pit bull population remains.
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Sorry Zeppo but your wrong…I think if a Lab mauled somebody you would read it in the paper because it rarely happens. Keep defending this unpredictable breed with fabricated facts, I’ll just keep reading the headlines about how another pit mauled somebody. Are all Lab owners responsible? They must be because you never hear of them mauling their owner. So I don’t want to hear “the bad pits are victims of bad owners”…bullcrap, it’s the breed. So what if your pit or another pit that you know has not attacked. Consider yourself lucky. All dogs are not the same, would you agree that some pets are better with children then others? If you agree with that statement, then take note of this one…PITBULL(in general)DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS!
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Wow alot of fuzzy numbers and confusing quotes…
The fact is that of all the dog attacks that were recorded, German Shepherds and Chow Chow’s hold the record.
For all the “FATAL” dog attacks Rottweilers and Pitbulls hold that record.
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ZEPPO - Stats that you posted have nothing to do with pit bulls. Comparing the number of people drowning, falling, and getting killed by falling coconuts to pit bull attacks is the worse example of statistic comparison I’ve seen in awhile. They have nothing to do with the ugly pit bull breed. Why don’t you Google ‘pit bull attacks owner’? This site http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pitbull-attacks-deadly.html tries to justify this; Recently here in Louisville, Kentucky a 14-month old girl was mauled to death by the families Pit Bull. The mother was feeding her daughter when the Pit Bull “snapped” and attacked the infant killing her. As usual, this site tries to make it the fault of the owner without proof. How about this Google result, the second one listed, Two pet pit bulls with no apparent history of aggression and described as well-kept attacked and killed their owner inside his suburban … The results go on ad infinitum.
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hmmmm….guess I was wrong in my earlier post, looks like pitbulls have the most attacks as well.
1982-2007
Breed………………….Bodily harm…….Deaths…….Maimings
Pit bulls……………………1194…………….116………….654
Rottweiler………………..427……………….63…………..232
Wolf-dog hybrid…………79……………….19……………43
German Shepherd……..70………………..9…………….42
Chow……………………….51………………..6…………….34
Akita………………………..48………………..1…………….39
source: dogsbite.org
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Well…I am quite impressed with all the factual information. However, all the facts in the world would not convince me to own a pit bull. Any time a person brings a dog into a household they are taking a risk. That dog needs to be trained properly and taught well. There is always a risk of having an aggressive dog that is unsafe around children or people at the park. Hopefully every dog owner would try their best to make sure their dog is a safe dog, but reality is you never know. If you already know the negative history surrounding the pit bull, why would anyone intentionally choose a dog that has a history of being aggressive? Yes, there are nice pits out there, but why take more of a chance? They wouldn’t require a 100,000 insurance policy if there wasn’t some proven facts to support this. As the owner of six dogs of various shapes and sizes (NON being a pit), I would never bring a pit into my household with my children and other animals because it is simply too much of a risk. This hype around pit bulls is there for a reason!!!
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Uh guys…and ladies…here’s another one…hot off the wire.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/04/14/dnt.pit.bull.attack.kotv
Remember…they only make up 2% of the population…but according to Zippo, they were responsible for 30.7% of deaths caused by dog.
So that means I should have heard 98 other stories about other dogs attacking kids in the past week…where were they?
2 stories in 2 weeks…both involving pit bulls, and I’m not even looking.
Maybe we should ALL open our eyes…and look a little harder.
I challenge you pit bull “apologists” to find stories about children being mauled in the past 14 days…by a breed other than pit bulls…try Google, just to be fair.
Let me save you some time…Google “pit bull attack” and any other dog you can think of and see what you come up with.
The results are overwhelming…END OF STORY
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I own 2 pit bulls and have had them for 7 years. I also have a 2 year old son and a pug. The pug is more aggresive than the pits. Which if you have any clue about pugs, you know they are just big lazies. People buy these $50 pit bull puppies (that you don’t know what they are mixed with or what blood line they are) and either 1 try to give it a good home, but it turns out to either be a good dog (50% of the time) or it doesn’t fight like they want it to and they just open the door and let them go or shoot them. I paid $2000 for my dogs and I know their blood line back for 7 generations. My dogs win dog shows, they go to nursing homes and visit and also go to the neighborhood park and play with the kids. My pug and my son romp and play with my dogs and I feel safer than ever. Bottom line, their isn’t a harsh enough punishment for the dumb ass people, young punks, and gang bangers who think its cool to fight them. Michael Vick got away with a slap on the wrist. I am a responsible owner and my dogs are not treated badly. People fight chicken but they aren’t being banned! If you recall…last year a pomeranian mauled a little girls face almost completely off…it was on the new for one day and never heard of again. People…I for one AM NOT getting rid of my dogs and for those of you who only see this issue and a sue happy answer…get a life! Instead of trying to steel someone else’s. You are a loser
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This is gonna be a riot…..
Swillard….
In the future, if you’d like any of your posts to be taken seriously, please take 3 minutes to do some research before opening your big mouth about something you are obviously biased about.
Number one…I’m not a loser. I run my own business, have two daughters in college, my wife is a professional, I own my own home, do not use profanity in my posts, have never sued anyone and have never been arrested…In most circles, I’m most likely NOT a loser.
Number two…The baby you mention was a six week old baby girl who died after being mauled in her crib by a Pomeranian while her babysitter went and got her a bottle. This horrible incident happened in October of 2000.
Number three…Come down off that “high horse” that you are on and use the brain God gave you and learn about Google. (I have been accused of the high-horse thing as well) Please type the following:
“Pomeranian kills” 219 hits…207 about same story
“Pomeranians kill” 0 hits
“Golden Retriever kills” 37 hits…none human…mostly same question about chickens
“Golden Retrievers kill” 8 hits….6 are same question
Here’s the funny one….
“Pit bull kills” 11,500…now that’s scary
“Pit bulls kill” 30,500…you have two yourself…you may wanna worry a bit.
Now I know what you’re gonna say…Pit Bulls sell papers.
No, “kills” sells papers….”attacks” sells papers, the pit bull is just a gory afterthought.
Please read my previous posts…read them all, and check them for accuracy, through “respected” means, not “pit friendly” sites.
You may have two wonderful dogs, but the overwhelming majority of dog stories in this country are about the pit…
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ctreader the stats you quote come from an obviously biased source and originally the data comes from an animal rights activist out of wa state that only used data from media accounts that he could find. he also failed to include any citations in his “report”. there are no known stats that are truly reliable for that time period. here is a site that refutes the stats you used and provides accurate documentation of the data. dog bites data
example, the author of the data you used “located 264 fatal dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada from 1982 to 2006 through the collection of newspaper articles. The Centers for Disease Control and the National Canine Research Council have documented 477 fatal dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada during this same period.”
also, the CDC states on there site; “CDC
A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.”
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To all of you who want to ban a pit bull… I have an even greater concern. We have a group of people in this country….. many in Southwestern Elyria who by statistical percentages kill more people and commit more crimes than any other.
We just need to get the constitution changed to outlaw them…. please join my group. I plan on introducing legislation that will make this “crime” prone group illegal to breed or live near.
I am sure anyone who can see outlawing a pitbull based on statistics or news headlines who suredly vote to outlaw people of the African race….. It’s only fair…. right??????
Now see how absurd bans are.
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here is a few attacks by non pits this year how many were repeatedly posted across the web?
Jack Russell kills baby Jan 2008
dog attack link
4 breeds (Labrador, German Shepherd, Boerbul and Spaniel) attack man april 2008
dog attack link
German Shepherd mauls girl april 2008
dog attack link
German Shepherd attacks boy
dog attack link
Labrador attacks girl April 2008
dog attack link
Golden Labrador puts boy in serious condition March 2008
dog attack link
Cocker Spaniel attacks woman April 2008
dog attack link
Boxers mauled woman May 2008
dog attack link
Golden Lab-type dog mauls little girl may 2008
dog attack link
Hunting dogs maul toddler May 2008
dog attack link
English mastiff attack May 2008
dog attack link
Chow-Husky mix attack May 2008
dog attack link
Boston Terrier bites off woman’s nose 2008
dog attack link
Shepherd-chow cross mauls girl May 2008
dog attack link
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Not all car drivers are dangerous, and I won’t argue that all pit bulls are dangerous.
However, I would like to see the owners of certain dogs, and possibly all dogs, be required to purchase liability insurance for their dogs, payment based on statistics regarding several factors that the insurance companies’ actuarials will determine.
If, by law, I have to be financially responsible for my car, why shouldn’t I be responsible for my dog?
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Mr. Gob…the only thing that is absurd is your post and the only other thing that should be banned besides Pitbulls is you.
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Look little Raven…I am biased and will stay that way. The pomeranian I was talking about was not in 2000. Its was in 2007. So…look if your daughter was to be fighting and aggressive are you going to ban her from your fmaily? No I think not. Yes I can compare the two because my dog is like my child. If you had a pit bull that was loyal and nice temperment, you would feel the same way. I have seen aggresive pit bulls but they are only like that because someone trained them to be like that or they were provoked. Bottom line, I have done my research and I know that the government should put a harsher punishment on the owners caught fighting the dogs or mistreating them. I feel if you have your dog secured in a fenced yard, in a kennel with a top and a lock, you are doing everything to keep your dog safe and other people. For gods sake we are really makeing this so important, take some time and try to focus on other issues like people being murdered or child being molested. If you are that for killing thousands of innocent family pets then you need to rethink things and realize that criminals aren’t killed for the crimes they commit. PUNISH THE DEED NOT THE BREED> Thanks for being understanding and I hope you realize that animals have rights too.
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One more thing…the reason you don’t hear or see articles in newspapers and internet is because people take the bad rep of pit bulls and add their 2 cents whether true or not. If I am going to “take the risk” of a pit bull into my home, u are too with any animal. I have had a golden retriever and she was very aggresive towards men…thats just how she was when we rescued her but I didn’t kill her, or post articles everywhere about her. If I am going to take all the precautions and have my insurance, it’s my right to have my dog. If people can have children and family member that are criminals, I can damn sure have a loving family pet. For those of you who say pit bulls CAN’T be nice dogs, come see mine.
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Wake up people. Any animal, no matter how loving and gentle they can be, if place in the right circumstances can and will become aggresive. I have had many dogs in my life and they have all been the same way. Most of them were trained in schools of obedience and were the most loving animals. I remember two retrivers we had and they were great dogs. They lived with us for 15 years. Two things about them were 1) Don’t mess with their food, 2) Don’t let them see a rabbit or squrrial in the yard because there was no way you would get them apart. Other wise they would never hurt anything. Any animal can and will turn in the right circumstances. Some never do, but they can. Humans and animals do the same thing. It is called servival. Think about it.
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“2) Don’t let them see a rabbit or squrrial in the yard because there was no way you would get them apart.”
Unfortunately some pit bulls treat children who make eye contact with them, like little bunny rabbit and rip ‘em open just to see what’s inside.
If a pit bull looks at you funny, you should be justified in blowing it’s freaking head off.
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My only response to any of this is that I firmly believe and have seen it happen that any animal regardless of training or breed can attack. Also and I will defere to my vets experience ” Pit bulls were bred to fight and kill their opponent” He refuses to accept any as patients. There is no way to rationalise the fact that these dogs were not physically and emotionally bred to fight in the ring. I own a rather large German Shepherd and almost lost him to one of these dogs. The only thing that saved him was the owner calling off the attack. Shepherds and all working breeds were bred to protect the heard from predators. Now they protect their families. Labs and hunting dogs use their mouths to retrieve so if you get near their food or toys they may nip. I also do feel sorry for some pit bull owners because they actually do believe that they own a great dog that would never hurt any thing. And I am sure that many of you who do own them and have had great succes can be proud of you responsible ownership. As has been said many times in this thread it isn’t the dumb animals fault. Those that are aggressive are only following orders. Unfortunately the rest of us have to suffer when one rogue decides to attack.
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First of all not one person on this website has any right to comment about this artical because not one of these people were there during this attack or prior to this incident nor do any of you know me or capone to proplerly comment on this situation. Nor have you been brutally attacked by something you love with all your heart.
With that being said Jason Hawk did you just make most of this story up for good news publicity because i dont know were you got your information from? Capone attacked me completely unprovoked and it had nothing to with my other dog or their food or food aggression!!!
I am an animal lover especially dogs and my dogs could not possibly have been trained, treated or raised any better than they were. Capone was my spoiled little baby
who was raised with love and compassion and was never taught to be rough or aggressive nor did he ever show any previous signs of agression towards any one or anything. That dog was with me 24 hrs. a day and even went to work with me and slept in bed with me. He was a loving companion and family pet that always socialized with other people, young children and other dogs who wouuld all consider him harmless, gentle, loving, and everyone would say “he would never hurt a fly” or fight back against a poodle.
Capone in plain english was a little baby whos sweetness would win your heart over. He was not
just another mean pit raised by an unresponsible owner
and he definately wasn’t raised by “some young punk” looking for a “status symbol” or misuseing the dog for fighting purposes.
Before this incident occured pit bulls were my favorite breed of dogs and i too believed that it is all in how you raise handle and treat the dog but i had raised capone from the time he was a puppy until the night he turned on me and viciously attacked me nearly 2 and a half years later and now i truely believe IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE OWNERS FAULT, NEVER THE DOGS FAULT, IT IS SIMPLY THE BREED ITSELF PERIOD. i dont care how nice wonderfull and loving your pit is dont think for one second that they wont turn on you. Minutes before this attack capone was on my lap licking my face…mans best friend?
I almost lost my life to this dog and am lucky to still have my arm. For those who underestimate their strength and dont believe that gentle, loving pits can suddenly snap and turn bad for absoluelty no reason you will soon have to unfortunately find out the truth when your loving dosile family pet that you swore by (as I did) turns on you
with every intention on going till one of you is dead
and nearly kills you for absolutly no reason.
I loved capone very much and I know he loved me too and i know had i heard this same story previous to being attacked it would not have changed my mind about him or convinced me that he could do such an awful thing to anyone let alone me but regaurdless of what any expert
or vet says it is the breed itself and i know for a fact because i have experienced it first hand so please listen when i say no matter how good of a dog you pit bull is it is only a matter of time before their true instincts become unleashed and you never know where or on who.
You litteraly own a calm, loving, gentle walking time bomb ready to explode at any minute weather provoked or not!!!
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Screw all the numbers and statistics, this man is alive and I say my thoughts are with you especially with losing a loved companion. Glad your ok
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The guy sounds like one of those motorcycle riders who is dead set against having the “man” force him to wear a helmet…
…until he smashes his face against a curb and a nasty road rash eats half his face, THEN he sees the light.
Oh well, at least his dog tried to eat him and not some innocent child.
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“Capone in plain english was a little baby whos sweetness would win your heart over.”
…and if that doesn’t work, he’ll win over your heart, by going directly through your rib cage.
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I’m so sorry you had to go through that Matt! I do so appreciate you sharing your story, even though I am sure it was painful for you! If you were able to reach just one such dog owner it will have been worth it. Thank you!
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Ummm…
Who names their sweet, precious little bundle of joy that wouldn’t hurt a fly…
…after the most vicious & notorious gangsters in U.S. History?
**no… he was named after my Uncle Al Capone, a butcher in Cleveland, not that monster guy**
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Honestly, It is terrible what happened to this gentleman and to the little kid in Lorain/Elyria.. Pit bulls are dangerous. You don’t know when or what will make them snap, but they do. It is like a skitso.. one min they are your friend and the next they are looking at you like you are their next victim. I do believe that the any dog that is held as a vicious animal should be musled. I have a neighbor that walks their dog.. and yet no musle. I do not let them walk on my property, because I have a baby that is crawling around. I don’t want to make funeral arrangements. They respect my property and walk on the other side of the street, but these dogs need muzzled. I feel bad for this fellow, because he is losing his friend, but coming from someone that just went through such an ordile. Should tell the world the truth, that no scientist study or government data shows. Do we not remember the 2 breeds of dogs trained by Hitler to attack the jews and other threats? Pitts, German Shepards.
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“Capone was my spoiled little baby.” matgalCAP
The sentence says it all. Just the name of the dog speaks volumes about the ignorance of the owner. Naming the dog after America’s best known ruthless gangster?
And then spoiling a Pit Bull? Pit Bulls are not to be spoiled. Pit Bulls are to be owned by highly responsible people who have either the PROVEN ability to train dogs or the money to pay for very good training.
Young punks should not be allowed to own Pit Bulls to increase their “bad boy” images.
The “locking jaw” comment by Animal Protective League humane officer Denise Willis is ridiculous. Considering that animals are her JOB she should educate herself better.
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Dan S. please stop trying to act like a big shot know it all!!!
Your sarcastic remarks dont move me and I feel you are a very insensitve person for making this story your personal comedy hour and trying to be funny.
My Dogs name has no signifigance to this situation so please leave the name out of the picture and see the facts!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any dogs name does not determine its personallity, if it were a poodle named capone you would think its funny but since he was from a “vicious dog breed” the name capone is wrong? My Dog had a big white stripe going through his face that resembled the scared face of Al Capone so am I wrong for chosing that name? Did that name make him attack me? I DONT THINK SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had this news story not released his name would you have a different outlook on the story? What if the dogs name was Angel? How funny would that be…….get the point yet?
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redhead pitbulls are not supose to be spoiled? Are they suppose to be beaten and fought? Are they suppose to be mean, vicious, agressive wild animals?
Just because my dog was spoiled does not mean he had no disipline and i am not a responsible owner! Do you or have you ever owned a pitbull? If so i feel sorry for it or any other animal you own if you think spoiling them makes them bad!
My labs name is rex and i spoil him too, do you have a problem with that? should i take away all his toys, treats and exercise time and make him sleep in the basement or something? Was rex the name of the most notorious gangster too? Since I named my other dog rex does that make me ignorant……no more than you are if the name of my dog gives you a certain image of me and you know nothing about me and have never even met me….that sounds like ignorance!
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matgalCAP, the name that you chose to give your Pit Bull is indicative of the image that you were trying to project to others. Quit trying to deny it. Once the dog tried to eat you, you have back pedaled and and tried to convince everyone that the name CAPONE (aka gangster) wasn’t meant to be a part of your “tough guy” image.
Previous to becoming a human chew toy you wouldn’t have denied this.
As for SPOILING a Pit Bull; here is a definition of SPOIL from the online Merriam-Webster dictionary:
SPOIL: : to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise
Notice that it says to IMPAIR the disposition or character. Pit Bulls are NOT to be SPOILED.
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And yes, I own two Black Labs that I trained using the Koehler Method of Dog Training. You can probably get this book at the library or research his methods online.
My dogs are trained to be off the lead in all situations. That is the true test of a well trained dog.
I have a feeling that this is all a waste of my time, but…
Learning about hierarchy of the pack is essential when owning more than one dog. You *should* be the pack leader. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you were. Spoiling dogs would lead me to believe that they thought that you were lower than they were in the pack.
The dog toys are MY toys. They are put away when I decide play time is over. The dog food is MY food. I am the pack leader and I eat my human food first and then they eat their food. They sleep on my bed, but I am the pack leader and it is ME who gets in bed first followed by the second in rank and then third. When we go outside it is ME who goes out the door first.
Your dogs should have been unable to get anywhere near each other at feeding time. Huge mistake. My dogs eat in separate rooms with a door closed between them. I don’t THINK that they would have a problem with each other, but this way they can eat in peace and not worry about what the other dog is doing and not feel rushed because they fear that the other dog might steal a couple of morsels, etc.
Dogs are actually calmer and experience less stress when the hierarchy of the pack is respected.
There’s definitely no need to feel sorry for my animals. They are very happy and I’d bet everything that I have that they will never try to eat me.
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matgalCAP,
Don’t argue with these idiots, they will drag you down to thier level and beat you with experience.
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Well hell… why doesn’t someone just tell the doggy to not bite the hand that feeds you?
Why argue about the most popular breed or fatal attacks. People just wanna get their panties in a wad cause well, it makes their day interesting.
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“What if the dogs name was Angel? How funny would that be…….get the point yet?”
Angel would be appropriate…
…Angel of Death!
Dude… your dog dried to eat your liver.
Were you without blood circulating to your brain for any amount of time after the attack?
As far as trying to “move you”…
I wouldn’t dream of trying to change the mind of someone of your ilk.
You know, the kind of person who can’t quite learn some of the basics of life, like not playing with gasoline and matches, or letting one’s children play on the freeway, unless you learn about these things first hand.
Somewhere along the line, you never learned that pit bulls are dangerous animals when owned by idiots, until you were handed your spleen, by your precious puppy, that only wanted to play fetch after all.
Look, dogs are pack animals who determine who the Alpha Male is, by the occasional fight, which sometimes results in death.
So, how freaking smart is it to invite a dog in your house that you can’t actually take in a fair fight?
You should have rolled over and showed that dog your belly, then maybe he would have left you alone and then dragged your girlfriend off and mated with her.
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“The police report said officers couldn’t verify whether Galati has the $100,000 insurance Ohio law requires of pit bull owners.”
…gee, I wonder
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Dan S. said “I wouldn’t dream of trying to change the mind of someone of your ilk.
You know, the kind of person who can’t quite learn some of the basics of life,”
You mean basics like compassion, understanding and kindness Dan?
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“You mean basics like compassion, understanding and kindness Dan?”
My cup runneth over…
…when it comes to innocent bystanders who are victimized by the actions of people, who place themselves and other in harms way, due to some kind of imaginary perceived right, to be a dangerous idiot.
I hope this fool goes to jail for not insuring that dog, and is then held civilly liable for each and every dollar spent cleaning up his mess, including all medical costs.
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I’m absolutely amazed that you people can draw such outrageous conclusions about this man without knowing a damn thing about him, aside from his dogs name is Capone and its a pit bull.
You people amaze me.
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“…without knowing a damn thing about him, aside from his dogs name is Capone and its a pit bull. “
…you left out the part about the dog coming close to killing a human being and then taking the dog warden 20 minutes to subdue the thing AFTER it was beat with a baseball bat by the owner.
**Did you see that guy just blow that other guy’s head off?!
What kind of gun did he use?
What?
Yeah, you obviously don’t know jack s**t unless you know what kind of gun was used, you judgmental a-hole!**
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Matt.. I said before.. It is sad that this happened to you. I pray that people will take into light what these breeds can do along with many others. I had a black Spanish Cocker Spaniel as a kid. I was very sick at the age of 15 with scarlet fever and didn’t eat to well. It made me even worse, but one afternoon I told my mom how hungry I was, so she made me a sandwich, prior to that my dog had gotten a pork chop off a plate on the counter, My dog took off running into the dining room grabbed his pork chop and dropped it off on my chest. How in the hell did he know what I wanted. Yet that same evening my brother came over to check on me and sat at the end of the couch where I was laying, my dog jumped up at full force and went straight for his neck. No one was allowed near me the whole time. My parents would have to chain the dog up outside just to help me during my illness. Animals have a sense of ownership. They really own you, so whether it be a dog or cat or whateve.. you just never know. I had a cat wake my husband up by biting him when I passed out from Low Blood Sugar, yet the cat would bite him or claw at him for no reason at all any other time.
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Dan S, that wasnt my point.
My point is that you’re drawing crazy conclusion about him as an idividual and dont know a damn thing about him. This man almost being KILLED by his PET, doesnt make him a piece of shit, as you clearly would like to conclude.
Dan S, you need something better to do with you’re time. Seems all you do it sit on CT and criticize people for not being up to your “standards.” Whatever the hell that might be.
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