Pit Bull Attacks and Dogfighting in Illinois

Oct 18 2013 Chicago pit bulls severely maul woman and kills her chihuahua

Chicago - A Calumet Heights woman is Stroger Hospital in critical condition as a result of three pit bulls attacking her and attacking and killing her chihuahua. A witness said that the victim was taking her chihuahua for a walk in the alley when the three pit bulls escaped containment and launched a lethal, unprovoked, off property attack on the woman and chihuahua.

The witness says that the pit bulls had flayed the woman from her ankle to her knee - removing all the skin. This is a type of horrific injury virtually unique to pit bull attacks.

The owner of the dogs was also taken to the hospital for bites she received trying, with others to beat the dogs off with bricks and boards. The owner says she's not a bad person, that she's sorry, and that the pit bulls were her and her children's protection.

In an unusual move for Chicago animal control, they removed the pit bulls on the same day as the attack. And it is reported that the pit bull owner will receive some tickets for flaying a woman alive.

Read more:
CBS
NBC Accessed: 2013-10-20. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/6KV8tEp95)

Related posts:
Aug 31, 2013 Chicago pit bulls critically injure man
Aug 02, 2013 Pit bull attacks in Little Village
Jun 03, 2013 Two Chicago pit bulls maul 3 year old boy
May 15, 2013 Pit bull attacks two in Englewood
Mar 21, 2012 When animals attack - Chicago Pit bulls lead Chicago Bite counts

Oct 3, 2013 Peoria pit bulls top biter

Peoria - Councilwoman Beth Akeson spoke at the first of two public forums about proposed changes to the city's animal control ordinances.

Changes in dangerous dog laws are being sought after a series of pit bull attacks. Akeson cited statistics that show that pit bulls bite more than any other kind of dog in Peoria.

She also sought to educate Peoria residents on the increased dangers that pit bulls present by showing photographs of a pit bull attack victim's injuries which were so horrific, some people had to leave the room.

Other pit bull attack victims

While Akeson reminded the forum attendees that Peoria can ban pit bulls if other measures fail, for the time being a ban on pit bulls has been taken off the table.

Evidence that Best Friends Animal Society have been consulted is that one person came toting a "therapy pit bull" and that "reckless owner" legislation is being looked at. The reckless owner ordinances can only come into play after a mauling has taken place and are as difficult to enforce as dangerous dog restrictions.

Peoria Journal Star

Sep 11, 2013 Owners of pit bull mauling victim Shibui want felony charge

Wauconda - Lisa and Paul Didier, the owners of a Shih Tzu named Shibui, have discovered through their own investigation that the pit bull that killed Shibui had attacked before and had been declared dangerous. Under Illinois law, the owner of a dangerous dog who allows the dog to attack again can be charged with a Class 4 felony. He could be fined up to $25,000 and jailed for up to 3 years.

The Didiers say they want to set a precedent for prosecuting irresponsible owners.

The Lake County Journal, which published this story, felt compelled to publish a companion piece that basically asserted that the pit bull that had attacked many times, and ultimately killed a little dog for enjoyment, ought to have been "rehabilitated" and put out into the community again. Fortunately, the pit bull was euthanized after the attack.

Contact the Lake County Illinois State's Attorney, Michael Nerheim, and let him know about pit bulls and irresponsible pit bull ownership:

18 N. County Street, 3rd Floor
Waukegan, IL 60085
847.377.3000
statesattorney@lakecountyil.gov

Read more:
Lake County Journal
http://bit.ly/1F1Z6dR

Related posts:
Jul 24, 2013 Pit bull kills beloved Shih Tzu in Wauconda park
Jan 30, 2013 Lake County defines "animal aggressive" as new category of dangerous dogs
Mar 2, 2008 Pit bull attacks on the rise, Ledy VanKavage thwarts all attempts to protect people and pets

Sep 11, 2013 Bloomington pit bull commits two separate attacks on people

Pit bull and Beagle get loose - pit bull attacks people beagle doesn't

Bloomington - A female pit bull and a male beagle mix got loose. The female pit bull attacked a newspaper carrier and then an hour later attacked a runner. The intact male beagle mix accompanying the pit bull didn't bite anyone while it was running at large.

Animal Control convinced the owner of the dogs to give up the puppies as well as the pit bull to allow the female pit bull mauler to nurse the puppies while she is in a 10 day rabies observation confinement.

The owner has been previously cited for dogs at large.

Read more:
Central Illinois Proud
Pantagraph

Aug 31, 2013 Glenwood: yet another Illinois town grappling with pit bull problem

Glenwood - The village has enacted a non-breed specific dangerous dog ordinance in response to a pit bull problem. Every single Illinois municipal area that has looked at stronger dangerous dog statutes has been prompted to do so because of pit bull attacks.

"[Police Chief Demitrous Cook] said he has noticed a lot of pit bulls and Cane Corsos in the village and that a recent situation occurred in which a pit bull kept jumping a fence to get at a neighbor woman's bull dog, which was injured.

"She was afraid to let her children in the yard," Cook said.

Cook said he was once chased by a pit bull while walking in the village and that Glenwood officers have twice had to shoot pit bulls."

Glenwood joins Peoria, Bloomington, Galesburg, Macomb, Lake county, Cary, Carmi, Skokie, Elgin, Arlington Heights, Waukegan and Wilmington in attempting to address a pit bull problem with non-breed specific dangerous dog laws in the last couple years.

When is Illinois going to realize that the emperor has no clothes and pit bulls are an unwarranted threat to human and pet safety?

Read more:
NWI

Related posts:
Galesburg It is your turn to get it right
May 20, 2013 Peoria Discusses ways to limit dog attacks
Apr 11, 2013 Bloomington pit bull attack prompts change in dangerous, vicious dog ordinance
Jan 30, 2013 Lake County defines "animal aggressive" as new category of dangerous dogs

It is Time, Elgin

Jun 23, 2012 Cary will look into dog bites
May 25, 2012 Carmi citizens want pit bull ban

May 21, 2012 Skokie considers stricter law after 3 pit bull-on-dog attacks
May 15, 2013 Macomb city leaders attempt to control pit bull attacks with dangerous dog laws
May 09, 2012 Waukegan approves pet ordinance

December 20, 2011 Arlington Hgts. toughens penalties for dangerous animals following pit bull attack

May 01, 2011 Wilmington eyes stronger animal control ordinance

Aug 31, 2013 Chicago pit bulls critically injure man

UPDATE: The victim Nikita Taylor is recovering. And after saying there was nothing they could do and allowing the pit bulls to stay on the property, CACC returned and impounded the pit bulls.

Chicago - Nikita Hampton Taylor was horrifically attacked by 6 pit bulls while walking down a sidewalk past a fenced yard. The pit bulls escaped the fence and launched a "pit bull frenzy" attack. One witness said she couldn't tell if his arm was still attached and that the dogs had ripped the skin off half his face. Another said there was so much blood, you couldn't tell where his wounds were.

Even though neighbors have been so scared of those dogs that they no longer are able to walk down that part of the street, animal control claims they can't figure out how to keep the neighborhood safe from the dogs. And as if to cement home the fact that they are completely useless, animal control said its just fine that the pit bulls be put back in the yard they just demonstrated they can escape from when they feel like attacking people.

WALTER FIELDS blaming the victim

The owner, WALTER FIELDS, claims his pit bulls are sweet little pups, and further claims that the young man was so stupid that he taunted 4 to 6 pit bulls that everyone in the neighborhood is afraid of by repeatedly kicking the gate so hard that he loosened the gate himself - and he expects us to believe that crock! Oh, wait, animal control evidently has the utmost confidence in FIELDS' word even though they've given him dozens of tickets. FIELDS believes he has received too many tickets and doesn't see why his dogs should be taken away - because, get this, "they don't randomly bite people."

the multitude of maulers behind fence they escaped from

"Police said, of the 13 citations issued, six were for not having required licenses for the dogs, four were for failure to keep the animals under restraint, and three were for lack of rabies vaccinations."

If there were no rabies vaccinations, then the pits, by Illinois law, must be impounded and held for 10 days observation. Chicago animal control is not following Illinois law.

Further, Cook county law states: When the biting animal is currently inoculated with rabies vaccine the animal's health shall be reported by the veterinarian to the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control on the first and tenth days of the observation period for rabies.

Chicago ordinance also states: 7-12-090 Owner's responsibility where animal has bitten another animal or person. (b) After notification by the owner pursuant to subsection (a)(1), the executive director may impound, at the owner's expense, any animal that has bitten any other animal or person to make a dangerous animal investigation pursuant to Section 7-12-050(f).

(c) In the event of severe injury or death to a person, the executive director SHALL impound the animal, at the owner's expense, as set forth above in Section 7-12-050(f)

... And animal control says, "there's nothing we can do..." They are lying. They just don't feel like they need to obey the law because WALTER FIELDS' neighbors don't count. But, CACC is breaking the law by leaving those pits in that yard after they seriously mauled a man. Not only can they impound the maulers, it is mandated that they do so.

If the pit bulls lived next to this home, they'd be impounded:

Hey Hey Mayor Emanuel

Aug 27, 2013 Bolingbrook police shoot pit bull attacking puggle

Bolingbrook - Police were called to a Bolingbrook home on August, 16 when a newly adopted pit bull attacked and would not leg go of the pit bull owner's other dog, a puggle. According to the owner, after playing with her son and Hogan, the puggle, with no warning or provocation, the young female pit bull attacked Hogan and persisted in the attack for at least 10 minutes before police arrived. Shapiro's 1.5 year old son was a foot away from the attack when it began.

The responding officers asked for permission to shoot the pit bull in order to save Hogan who was by that time blue with severe wounds to his neck and groin. With permission, an officer shot and killed the pit bull. The ghastly and dangerous attack and shooting were not reported in the media.

The pit bull, Khaleesi, had been imported to Illinois from Kentucky in late March by Dawn Teeter Nicosia of The Dog House Humane Group in McHenry, IL according to info from facebook pages and petfinder. Khaleesi lived for several months with a foster named Kristie Hilton in Elgin until Khaleesi was adopted by Shapiro in June. Hilton described Khaleesi as "a gentle soul" who "has not met a dog or person she doesn't like" and displayed several photos of Khaleesi with other pit bulls in her home on her facebook page.

The owner had several photos of the pit bull with her puggle, and the puggle seemed completely at ease with it; He never saw it coming. And now he'll never be the same.

Kaleesi benefits from professional photographs and great write-up on petfinder to get adopted.

Evidently, Khaleesi the Kentucky pit bull loved people and dogs...so she was adopted to a family with a toddler and an adorable puggle.

Then the attack happened.

J D S

August 17 via mobile

Long post! Please only read if you want details on Hogan & Khalees's incident. Warning may be graphic and heartbreaking news.

Yesterday was a the most difficult day of my life. I want to share with my friends what happened but I only want to have to explain it once.

Our morning routine was quickly changed. My dog Khalees (or keesy as I called her) went after Hogan (Lewis's Dog). She was not agitated or aggravated and she attacked for no known human reason. It had to be a dog thing because minutes before they were waking up & playing with (her child) before we went outside to potty. So anyway she got ahold of his neck wear he could not defend himself. The tugging & tearing went on for over 10 mins till police arrived. They quickly assessed the dogs & seen Hogan was not going to hold on much longer. His face was blue and both dogs were exhausted. The officer & I then needed to make a choice as what to do. Unfortunately Khalees had to be put down. She was beyond reason, water being thrown on, or prying her off..every time she let go shed just get a bigger hold then she went for his groin and this was sure to kill him in seconds..I had been screaming & crying for about 15 mins by then. Everything is kind of a blur in & out.

Lewis arrived on the scene 3 mins later. He rushed Hogan to the vet because I had (her child) (rather a neighbor did) and I was in no shape to drive from shaking & crying so hard at what just happened. I was so distraught I couldn't think right. It was 7:30am by now..and I had to go see my girl Keesy. I won't give details but from what I seen she didn't have a mark on her except blood on her face from her wound. I cleaned her up while praying for her to find her Heaven and go there & be at peace & play with my doggie Pepe who passed away a few years ago. I'm beside myself for now losing her. So all this while Lewis is at Vet with Hogan who had lost a lot of blood & they had to stop the bleeding asap before Hogan lost too much. I was so worried he'd not make it. He had to have surgery where his neck & leg arteries were. And it was a "process" the vet said as to putting him back together. He has stitches from his head to his jowl & further down his neck. Puncture wounds all over & then a large area of repair down by his groin. The vet was so kind to take 1/2 payment down before treatment & we could pay the remainder when we picked him up later. Today he's back for another visit, and back Monday to remove the three draining tubes put at the sites. He has a way to go to be back our fat lazy ol' Hogan but he should be ok. The vet said she never had a better more determined patient. It's hard to say I'm happy that Hogan is ok when I'm so sad for losing Khalees. But it's the situation our family is left with.

A generous donation to Hogans Vet bill was called into VCA Animal Hospital by Khalees's foster Mom Kristie Hilton.

Also Thank you to Officer Bill Smith for all his help & coming to our house this morning with condolence card for us & a get well card, treats & toy for Hogan.

This tragic day will remain in our memories forever as will my love for Khaleesi.

Life can change so quickly. Love everyone & make them as happy as it were the last day you see them because it happened to me. I was a great doggie Mommy & I know Keesy loves me. I feel her still here with me. I keep looking in the back yard for her. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Thanks for caring enough to read this post.

Hogan will never be the same.