Jan 30, 2013 Lake County defines "animal aggressive" as new category of dangerous dogs

Lake County - After a pit bull attacked a Lake County Board member's dog, the board has implemented a new county ordinance that creates the category of "animal-aggressive" which describes a dog that without justification causes serious injury or death to another owned animal and it gives county animal care and control the authority to impound the dog while an investigation is being conducted in all parts of unincorporated Lake County and in all but 12 communities.
Cindy, the Bichon Maltese savaged by a pit bull in her own yard
Based on the severity of the attack and/or previous history, the dog could be euthanized.

County board member Diane Hewitt lives in Waukegan, so the new ordinance unfortunately will not protect her own community from animal aggressive dogs, however Waukegan's ordinance does allow animal control to impound the dog during the investigation.  Luckily, the pit bull's owner voluntarily gave up his dog to be euthanized.

The county will share the language in the new ordinance with the 12 communities that do not contract with the county for animal services, such as Waukegn, and hopes those communities will adopt the same "animal-aggressive" designation.

Hewitt said of dog-on-dog attacks, “It’s something that is happening more and more.”

Last year there were 500 reported dog-on-dog attacks, thirty percent of the 2,000 reported bites in Lake county.  About 16 were fatal, and 50 resulted in serious injuries.  Four percent of the bites were wild animals biting domestic animals and the other 66% were animal bites to humans.

Hewitt's twelve pound bichon maltese named Cindy was savaged while on a leash in her own yard.  The pit bull had jumped out of its fenced yard to get to Cindy to attack her.  Hewitt was told Cindy died, but luckily, she survived after $2,000 worth of medical bills.  Cindy is not the same innocent soul she used to be.

Hewitt found that the pit bull that attacked Cindy had previous attack incidents that neighbors had not reported.

Hewitt wants people to know that they should always file a complaint for all attacks and incidences of aggression for the community's sake.  If all incidents are reported, neighbors stand a better chance of being able to rid their neighborhood of very real menace dogs like this animal-aggressive pit bull represent.

Savage, unprovoked, off property attacks by pit bulls on other pets have been a catalyst to prompt strengthened dangerous dog laws all over the state of Illinois.  Many communities want to ban pit bulls but they can't because lobbyists wrote Illinois state dangerous dog legislation, known as Anna's Law, to protect pit bulls at the expense of people and pets.

This "animal aggressive" designation is a great idea and a huge step forward, and hopefully many more communities will adopt an "animal aggressive" designation to combat pit bulls.  But, really, state legislators need to remove the ban on BSL so pit bulls can be regulated directly before they have a chance to savage a pet.  Pit bulls are the main inspiration for dangerous dog legislation propposed in Illinois in recent years.  You can find some of those communities that are trying to keep their residents safe despite being hamstrung by Anna's law in the "related posts" section below.

Read more:
Mundelein Suntimes
Daily Herald
Chicago Tribune

Related posts:
Jul 13, 2012 Talk of the County Waukegan outlaw pit bulls
Jul 10, 2012 Waukegan woman’s canine companion killed by pit bull
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 16, 2012 Bloomington may review pet registration law after pit bull attack
May 09, 2012 Waukegan approves pet ordinance
Feb 07, 2012 Family’s pet mauled by pit-bull type dog
December 20, 2011 Arlington Hgts. toughens penalties for dangerous animals following pit bull attack
Aug 08, 2011 Police want more teeth to proposed dangerous dog ordinance
Nov 16, 2010 Pit bull that inspired Machesney Park law faces euthanasia

Jan 15, 2013 Oak Park Pit Bull Sends Fox Hound To The Vet

Oak Park - A couple of weeks ago, I was going out to my garage-parked car with my briefcase, a cup of coffee and our American foxhound mix Lucy, who was on a leash. I bring her to my daughter's house most mornings where she gets to play with her dog.

As is my normal routine, prior to putting her in the car, I opened the garage door leading to our alley and before I knew what had happened my dog bolted out of my grasp and was in an all-out fight with a pit bull who was also leashed and walking with its owner down our alley. I found out that the dog's owner is not a resident of our immediate neighborhood.

Before I knew it, I had dropped everything I had and found my adrenaline-charged self prying my dog out of the jaws of the pit bull. The short version of the story is that my dog survived, but not without a trip to the vet, numerous scratches and lots of pain. With the help of her loving family and some antibiotics she will be fine. The incident was disturbing in many ways, most of which became clear to me after it was over.

My dog does not have an aggressive personality. However, like most dogs, she will go into protective mode if threatened and a growling pit bull a couple of feet from the apron of our garage constituted a major threat to her and me. She reacted as most dogs would, probably even protecting me over her, and I feel very lucky that neither one of us were hurt more seriously.

In hindsight it would be easy to say I reacted foolishly, but I am sure I acted like many of us would. I was so startled that when adrenaline took over I pulled my dog away with my hands inches from the pit bull's mouth. The reaction of the owner of the other dog was to shriek at the top of her lungs.

I feel strongly that the woman walking this dog had no business in our alley. Use the sidewalk. If you have a dog that is potentially dangerous, put a muzzle on it. Alleys are an extension of our yards. There are no sidewalks there. Respect the fact that we, as homeowners, should be entitled to a bit of privacy. I don't want to have to worry every time I open my garage door that I have to brace myself for the "surprise" that might be out there. I don't want anyone in our alley for any reason unless they belong there. Especially someone with a potentially dangerous dog. I don't linger in your alley ... please don't linger in mine.

Eric Priceman

Oak Park

Read more:
Oakpark.com

Jan 14, 2013 Man let pit bull attack his mother three times.

UPDATE: Deisel the pit bull belonged to RUSIN's girlfriend.

Oak Lawn - JEREMY RUSIN, 21, was charged with battery, domestic battery and assault when he let his pit bull, Deisel, attack his mother three times.  He is being held on $20,0000 bond.
JEREMY RUSIN sicced his pit bull on his mother
RUSIN stood by and watched as Deisel mauled his mother, and he assaulted  an alarmed passerby who called police.

According to police, RUSIN's mother was taken to the hospital by her sister.

Amazingly and bizarrely, animal control was not called to control and confiscate the dog.  Instead, police told RUSIN's girlfriend to take the dog to Animal Welfare League even though they had judged Deisel to be "aggressive and unapproachable."

Read more:
Oak Lawn Patch
ABC Local

Related posts - pit bulls used as weapons:
Dec 16, 2012 Pit bulls killed by police during drug bust
Dec 05, 2012 Chicago police shoot pit bull sicced on them by thieves
Aug 15, 2012 Officers fatally shoot dog while serving warrant in Englewood

Jan 13, 2013 Pit bulls found with wounds consistent with dogfighting


Chicago - Police arrested JARCIVIUS TAYLOR and found drugs, weapons, and pit bulls with injuries consistent with dogfighting in the West Pullman neighborhood

Read more:

Jan 11, 2013 Pit bulls deemed vicious and put down


Murphysboro - Two pit bulls were deemed vicious after they acted aggressively and cornered someone.  The owners were not keeping their pit bulls contained.

Read more:
Murphysboro American

Jan 07, 2013 Batavia Pit bull attack and near miss recounted


Batavia - A labrador owner walking her dog saw a pit bull run across a busy road straight at her and her dog.  The pit was struck and killed by a SUV.  The labrador owner was upset seeing the pit bull killed and seeing how upset the pit bull owner and SUV driver were.  But she is also worried because she believes that pit bull might have been charging towards her dog to attack it.  She may never walk her dog again.

Another commenter adds that her dog was just attacked by her neighbor's pit bull to the tune of $1,000.

Read more:
Batavia Patch

Jan 02, 2013 Pit bull bites visiting family member in the face


Midlothian - Pit bull bites person unprovoked.  The victim was treated at the emergency room and received stitches.

Read more:
Oak Forest Patch

Jan 2, 2013 Jogger who lost leg wants pit bull regulation

Joseph Finley's detailed description of his attack on ABC local from a year ago:


 Chicago - Joseph Finley lost his leg on January 1, 2012 after he was attacked by two pit bulls that escaped their yard.  A year later, Finley is still recovering mentally and physically from the attack.

Finley says it has been difficult to overcome a "mental state of not wanting to accept that my leg wasn’t there anymore."

Finley wants to remind people that the recovery from this kind of of devastating attack will take years.  He wants to use his experience to call for tougher pit bull legislation in Chicago and Illinois  to save others from the devastation and disability he will take years to overcome.

Help Joseph Finley get the word out that Chicago and Illinois need strong pit bull laws:

Chicago Mayor's Office:
City of Chicago Feedback form
Twitter - Mayor's Office
Twitter - Rahm Emanuel
Facebook - Chicago's Mayor's Office
Facebook - Rahm Emanuel
Phone:
     within Chicago: 311
     outside of Chicago: 312.744.5000

Chicago Wards and Alderman email addresses

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez
phone: 312.603.5440
statesattorney@cookcountyil.gov

Metropolitan Mayors Caucus - 272 mayors from the Chicago metropolitan area
David E. Bennett, Executive Director
phone: 312.201.4505
fax: 312.258.1851
e-mail: dbennett@mayorscaucus.org

Allison Mild Clements, Director of Housing Initiatives:
phone: 312.201.4507
fax: 312.258.1851
e-mail: amilld@mayorscaucus.org

Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives
phone: 312.201.4506
fax: 312.258.1851
e-mail: emakra@mayorscaucus.org

Illinois Attorney General - Lisa Madigan
email
Phone: Chicago office: 312.814.3000 
            Springfield office: 217.782.1090

Read more:
CBS local Accessed: 2013-01-02. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6DNbdyE26)

 Related posts:
Oct 25, 2012 Boomington couple attacked by pit bulls, hospitalized with very serious injuries
Oct 18, 2012 Pit bull that attacks elderly woman and her dog is shot dead
Sep 13, 2012 Berwyn pit bulls attack woman, police officer and kill small dog
Jun 23, 2012 Cary will look into dog bites