May 29, 2014 DeKalb police seek pit bull that attacked woman

UPDATE: Dog owner in DeKalb bite incident comes forward.  He may have come forward after being discovered trying to ditch his mauling pit bull on craigslist.
May 20, 2014
DeKalb - DeKalb residents lobbied the city for 5 years to have a dog park, and just 6 months after it opened, a pit bull attacked a woman so severely that she required reconstructive surgery on her arm and a 3 day hospital stay.  The pit bull owners just walked away.  The victim and her significant other don't blame pit bulls, but they intend to stay away from the park for a while.

DeKalb police are searching for the pit bull and owners and are asking for the public's help to find the them because the victim will have to undergo rabies shots if the pit bull can't be found.  And because it is important that the dog be found, no one is playing the "no one can identify a pit bull" game or pretending that it might be just any ol' 90 to 120 pound grey mutt with a white chest and silver choke collar.

There are plenty of other people with grey pit bulls frequenting the park and they are upset that they are being scrutinized as possible suspects.

How to help
People believe the pit bull's name is Buddha and the people with the pit bull were three men in their twenties.  Two men were white and one was indian or hispanic.

Anyone with information about the pit bull or its owners is asked to call DeKalb Police Department's nonemergency number at 815-748-8400. They can also leave an anonymous tip with DeKalb County Crime Stoppers at 815-895-3272.

On January 15, 2014, The Northern Star news outlet ran a story about the dog park being non-descriminatory.   DeKalb resident AJ Edwards, who owns a miniature pinscher, said, "My favorite part of DeKalb having a dog park is there are no restrictions that ban certain dog breeds — like Doberman pinschers, pit bulls and the like — due to them being labeled as “aggressive.” This is a wonderful rule and I commend the city of DeKalb for being open to all breeds.

The dog park’s regulation sign states that, “No dogs known to be aggressive toward other dogs or people may enter the area,” and that owners are responsible for keeping an eye out on their dogs.

“I’m excited that I can take my pit bull somewhere with other dogs knowing that there is not a bias toward the breed I have,” said senior sociology major Cameron Stingily. “They sometimes have size and breed restrictions, but they don’t here so I’m happy.”
Read more:
Daily Chronicle
Daily Chronicle
Katz Dog Park in DeKalb facebook page
Northern Star

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Sep 25, 2012 Dekalb pit bull kills dog - woman seeks stronger laws for dogs that attack pets

Sep 25, 2012 Dekalb pit bull kills dog - woman seeks stronger laws for dogs that attack pets

DeKalb - "Lilly meant the world to Doris Sermovitz."

Lilly, a miniature schnauzer, helped Sernovitz lose 70 pounds.  Lilly gave her a reason to get up and go for walks which helped her lose weight.  Then, during one of their walks, a pit bull escaped from a yard and mauled Lilly who died in Sernovitz' arms.  Servovitz was bitten by the pit bull.

"She also has trouble sleeping at night. Sernovitz’s boyfriend used to place Lilly on her in bed, and she would hold her as she fell asleep. Now, she has nightmares about dog attacks."

The pit bull had attacked a husky previously.  The pit bull owner has been unusually compassionate.  He said he had the pit bull put down because he didn't want this to happen again and he said he realized that it would have been difficult for Sernovitz to see the pit bull remain in her neighborhood.  He also sent her a condolence card with his phone number.

Police chief Gene Lowery stated that owners can only be penalized if a dog in public maims or kills a person and that there is no recourse in Illinois code for dogs attacking other dogs. 

He is wrong.  The pit bull had previously attacked a husky, and could have been designated dangerous for that offense.  

In addition, Lowery states that nothing can be done unless a dog maims or kills a person.  He is wrong again.  A dog can be deemed dangerous if it "behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified threat of serious physical injury or death to a person or a companion animal or a dog that, without justification, bites a person and does not cause serious physical injury."

Illinois law also states that the owner of a dog is liable for any injury caused by a dog.  And state law does not limit municipalities' power to enact ordinances to further control and regulate dogs.

Lowery states that he supports legislation that only takes effect after a person or pet is attacked rather than acting proactively to prevent further horrors described here.

DeKalb is a home rule municipality which means that if residents of Dekalb prefer to not have pit bulls in their community, they may regulate pit bulls by banning them or by mandating that owners be responsible by requiring any or all of the following:
1. One million dollar liability insurance policy on the pit bull
2. All pit bulls be spayed or neutered
3. Secure fencing that might include 6 ft privacy fence and 6 sided kennels with a top and a cement
4. mandatory muzzling

Many municipalities fear two issues related to breed specific legislation concerning pit bull.  The first problem they fear is pit bull identification.  However, over 600 municipalities across the US have breed specific legislation and have been successfully able to enact a procedure for identifying pit bulls.  These ordinances have occasionally been challenged in court, but have withstood those challenges.

The second concern is the cost associated with enforcing BSL.  Best Friends Animal Society has created a wildly inaccurate "calculator" to scare municipalities with unbelievably fantastic costs.  The BSL calculator has been proven to be bogus.

Recently, that BSL calculator calculated that it cost 3 million dollars a year to enforce the 28 year old pit bull ban in Miami-Dade county.  When asked about this, the head animal control officer said that their entire budget is less than 3 million dollars and that enforcing BSL only cost 2 to 3 percent of their entire budget.

That does not seem to high a price to pay to protect residents from the horror of pit bull maulings on people and on beloved pets.  We all can agree that Doris Semovitz lost more than a pet and more than a companion that day she lost Lilly.

Read more:

Daily Chronicle 

Comment after story:

Diane D., Sycamore, Il (dkd607) wrote on September 25, 2012 2:46 p.m. ...

My Sheltie and I were attacked last summer at the Sycamore cemetary by a pitbull. Thankfully with the help of many neighbors we survived. Fortunately the pitbull was put to sleep because that area has many children and other dogs and obviously the pitbull could not be trusted. I did not get compensated by the owner and that is wrong. If you own a dog, you take full responsibilty for that animal. No animal can be trusted and owners need to be liable for them. I am sorry Ms. Sernovitz for your loss, I know what you are going through.

file photos of the breeds attacked

Related posts:
Sep 13, 2012 Berwyn pit bulls attack woman, police officer and kill small dog
Sep 06, 2012 Dog Owner: 'Neighbor's Pit Bull Killed My Dog'
Aug 13, 2012 Family tries to recover after fatal attack on pet
Jul 10, 2012 Waukegan woman’s canine companion killed by pit bull
Mar 27, 2012 Family Looking For Owner Of Pit Bull That Killed Their Pet

Nov 16, 1988 Pit Bull Restrictions Weighed In De Kalb

De Kalb Proposal Follows Fatal Mauling Of Student

De Kalb - The City of De Kalb may restrict ownership of pit bull terriers after last week`s fatal mauling of a Northern Illinois University student by pit bulls in Kane County.

City Manager Mark Stevens told the City Council Monday that he has asked City Attorney Ron Matakaitis to research the legalities of the issue after De Kalb residents called his office voicing fears about the breed of dog.

There are 23 pit bulls registered in De Kalb County, seven in the City of De Kalb, according to Karen Grush, a De Kalb County Health Department administrator.

Last Thursday, a pit bull mauled to death Kevin Cull, 25, of 120 Gurler St., De Kalb, a master`s degree candidate in chemistry who was to graduate from NIU in December. The mauling took place in front of a house in unincorporated Geneva Township that Cull apparently was visiting.

Read more:
Chicago Tribune
http://trib.in/1EWsij3

Nov 12, 1988 Dekalb Pit Bull Kills NIU Student Kevin Cull

Dekalb - Northern Illinois University graduate student Kevin B. Kull, 25, was mauled to death by at least one and possibly two pit bull terriers shortly before 6:30 p.m. on November 10th according to Kane county Sheriff F. John Fandall. Cull was attacked as he was walking up the driveway at a friend's home.  After being attacked by the dogs, he apparently retreated to his car, where he was found by Michael Hatchel.

"He was covered in blood," said Hatchel.  "He said he was in pain and wanted to die."

Cull was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m. at Central DuPage Hospital where he was taken by Geneva Fire Department paramedics.

Cull bled to death after an artery was severed in his arm, Randall said.  He had been bitten numerous times.

Two dogs, Sergeant and Colonel, one weighing about 90 pounds and the other about 75 pounds, were taken from the home by Rodger Stutz, Kane County animal control warden, after the attack.  They are being held at a veterinary clinic in Oswego.

John Carnahan, Cull's chemistry adviser, said Cull was an excellent student with a promising future.

He already had published three articles in professional journals and had a job offer when he graduated in December, Carnahan said.

Read more:
Chicago Tribune 
The Rockford Register Star
The Milwaukee Journal