Pit Bull Attacks and Dogfighting in Illinois: Joliet

Showing posts with label Joliet. Show all posts

Aug 01, 2017 Aggressive Joliet Pit Bull Menaces Man While Loose

Joliet - Another loose, aggressive pit bull menaces a victim, this time a man. The pit bull grabbed the man’s hand but did not bite down. The pit bull's owner is Ramon Rosas-Vazquez.

Apparently, Joliet is attempting to name and shame irresponsible pit bull owners in a vain attempt to curb their massive pit bull attack problem instead of doing the right thing, which is to ban pit bulls in Joliet.

Joliet Backyard Breeders making the problem worse:

Jul 31, 2017 Aggressive Joliet Pit Bull Nearly Attacks Two Children

Joliet - A father was luck to be able to protect his children from a loose, aggressive pit bull. The pit bull owner’s was identified and his name and photo were published online in an apparent attempt to deter the massive number of Joliet residents with pit bulls from letting their pit bulls attack innocents. So far, it is not working. Joliet needs a ban and it needs a ban more than most places.

Irresponsible Joliet Pit Bull Owner FELICIANO D. VELASCO

The Herald News

Feb 21, 2017 Joliet’s Pit Bull Problems So Bad Police Dept Hires Dangerous Dog Officer

Joliet - Joliet will hire a part time police officer whose sole job will be to follow-up on dangerous dog calls. Last year in July the city revealed that they had had 11 dangerous dog hearings concerning 17 dog attacks in 7 months. The city admitted that most attacks were committed by pit bulls, but would not give exact numbers. In August, after that city report on dangerous dogs, another serious pit bull attack left a woman nearly dead.

Joliet needs a Pit Bull Ban to Protect Families

Even though Joliet is a home-rule city and could have gone the safer and more cost effective route of banning pit bulls, they instead decided to enact more breed neutral laws that only take effect after an attack happens and to budget for an extra police officer position dedicated solely to following up on dangerous dog calls. Hopefully this works because Joliet is being swamped with serious pit bull attacks.

Aug 15, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Nearly Kill Woman

Jul 10, 2016 Most Joliet Dog Attacks are by Pit Bulls; Residents Reporting More
Feb 25, 2016 Another Joliet Pit Bull Attack Reveals Weakness in Law
Feb 10, 2016 Joliet City Council Committee Continues to Look at Vicious Dog Ordinance
Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws
Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog
Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job
UPDATE Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Sep 13, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacked 79 year-old Ice Cream Man

Joliet - “If you’re from Joliet many of you have seen Manuel (aka Pancho) pushing his cart through Joliet… I decided to launch this campaign to help Pancho, a hard working 79 year old Joliet paltero man with back problems that was also recently attacked by a pitbull. He’s been pushing his cart all around Joliet for as long as I can remember and we’d like to help him out with his bills which include medical bills due to the pitbull attack in which he suffered from numerous bites while selling his ice cream.”

Joliet Needs to Protect Their Most Valuable and Beloved People

This attack was never reported in the news.

Read more:
Gofundme

Related posts:
2016 Illinois Cities With Pit Bull Problems That Won't or Can't Implement BSL

Aug 15, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Nearly Kill Woman

Joliet - A woman who was cleaning her father’s enclosed backyard while he was away was attacked by two pit bulls being kept there. A neighbor called 911 when she heard screaming. When police arrived, they saw one pit bull mauling the woman’s head, and the other mauling her leg. Police shot the pit bull mauling the woman’s leg and both pit bulls ran away.

The woman said the dogs attacked with no warning and that she thought she was going to die. Her injuries were considered possibly life-threatening, but she is expected to survive.

This being Illinois, comments on some of the news stories quickly devolved into inane bullying where protecting pit bulls and blaming the owner is merely an extension of virulent racism and classism. A photo of the entire block where the incident took place shows a typical middle class neighborhood.

The block where this nearly fatal pit bull attack took place

Feb 25, 2016 Another Joliet Pit Bull Attack Reveals Weakness in Law

Feb 10, 2016 Joliet City Council Committee Continues to Look at Vicious Dog Ordinance

Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog

Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

UPDATE Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 10, 2016 Most Joliet Dog Attacks are by Pit Bulls; Residents Reporting More

Joliet - The city has been plagued by pit bull attacks in recent months and the Joliet city council created new breed neutral dangerous dog laws that only take effect after an attack even though as a home rule city, they have the power to enact a pit bull ban.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 11 hearings on 17 dog attacks. Some hearings involved one dog committing multiple attacks. Most of the dog attacks were committed by pit bulls.

The city has noted that they have received more dangerous dog complaints and attribute that to increased city attention and “growing public awareness that something can be done.”

Read more:
The Herald News

Related posts:
Feb 25, 2016 Another Joliet Pit Bull Attack Reveals Weakness in Law

Feb 10, 2016 Joliet City Council Committee Continues to Look at Vicious Dog Ordinance

Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog

Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

UPDATE Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Feb 25, 2016 Another Joliet Pit Bull Attack Reveals Weakness in Law

Joliet - Stewart Warren was walking her two Yorkshire terriers on Marion street when a pit bull attacked on of them. The injured dog was treated for a broken rib and a dislocated shoulder. The animal hospital charged Warren $3,512.

Warren told the council, “This dog is still in my neighborhood.”

“I’ve had people tell me to get a concealed carry permit in case something like this happens again.”

Committee members studying the problem note that the changes to the Dangerous Dog Ordinance does not address what happens at the time of an attack. No provisions have been made to mandate who must respond to a dog attack call 24/7 or how to make sure the dangerous dog is removed from the neighborhood. They note that it is wrong that people be terrorized by dangerous dogs left in the neighborhood until a hearing can take place.

Their concerns are well placed and hopefully they will address those issues. But a breed neutral ordinance that only comes into effect after the fact will not stop little dogs, their owners or children from being horrifically attacked. Joliet needs a ban on new pit bulls.

The Herald-News

WJOL

Feb 10, 2016 Joliet City Council Committee Continues to Look at Vicious Dog Ordinance

Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog

Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

UPDATE Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Feb 10, 2016 Joliet City Council Committee Continues to Look at Vicious Dog Ordinance

Joliet - The City Council Land Use and Legislative Committee continues to work on a vicious dog ordinance. And the basics are already in place.

Joliet City Attorney Marty Shannahan presented a proposal to the committee Tuesday night. And while some fine-tuning is still needed when it comes to verbiage and enforcement, committee member Jan Quillman says the idea of taking extreme last resort action such as euthanization is in there; when it’s a dog that has been determined to cause servere injury or even death to another animal or a person. This would happen after three major incidents.Meanwhile, if there is a first incident, there would be an official dog registration, where neighbors moving in could see if there are dangerous dogs nearby. But Quillman points out that the dog owner would be able to appeal the incidents to a hearing officer.

Another important thing, Quillman says, would be judging each situation individually. Because sometimes, as we know, dogs are provoked; by children or by adults.

Quillman added that this is not designed to protect people from specific breeds, it’s designed to protect people from irresponsible dog owners. And first and foremost, it’s still a matter of getting township, city, and county authorities together; so that if something happens after the township animal control office is closed, immediate action can be taken. The committee hopes to have a final ordinance before the City Council in the near future.

WJOL

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog

Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Jun 13, 2010 Pit Bull Attacks Child in Father's Arms

May 14, 2010 Four Pit Bulls Escape Joliet Yard, Kill Neighbor's Dog Mar 18, 2010 Joliet Pit Bull Shot After Attack

Dec 03, 2008 Man kills pit bull during mauling

Jan 29, 2008 Joliet Girl Recovering From Pit Bull Attack

Jun 18, 2007 Joliet Woman Hospitalized in Pit Bull Attack

Jul 28, 2004 Pit Bull Attacks Joliet Mailman

Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws

JOLIET – Residents who have faced attacks by vicious dogs demanded on Monday that the city toughen up ordinances they said now leave neighbors vulnerable to attacks.

They included Greg Hidlebaugh, who shot one of two pit bulls who were attacking him, his wife and their dog Jan. 15 in the Timbers Edge Villas subdivision.

Hidlebaugh and other residents from the subdivision said the same two dogs have repeatedly attacked or chased people in the subdivision, and nothing has been done to stop them.

“The city police come out. Animal Control is called. Nothing gets done,” Hidlebaugh said. “This is an ongoing thing, and nothing gets done.”

The residents’ comments added some urgency to the Joliet City Council Legislative and Land Use Committee’s review of the city’s vicious dog ordinance Monday, which started out as a matter of clarifying language in the ordinance without making major changes.

Seven different residents spoke out about personal experiences dealing with vicious dogs.

“We live in a nice community, and everyone’s walking around with sticks in their hands,” said Tina Magro, another Timbers Edge Villas resident.

Hidlebaugh pointed out one of his neighbors in the audience, a 70-year-old man who was chased into his house by the two pit bulls one day when he went to get his newspaper.

The Herald-News

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog
Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job
Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Jun 13, 2010 Pit Bull Attacks Child in Father's Arms

May 14, 2010 Four Pit Bulls Escape Joliet Yard, Kill Neighbor's Dog Mar 18, 2010 Joliet Pit Bull Shot After Attack
Dec 03, 2008 Man kills pit bull during mauling
Jan 29, 2008 Joliet Girl Recovering From Pit Bull Attack
Jun 18, 2007 Joliet Woman Hospitalized in Pit Bull Attack
Jul 28, 2004 Pit Bull Attacks Joliet Mailman

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog

Joliet - BARBARA SZCZUROWSKI, 60, of the 3300 block of Timbers Edge, was charged with dog bite. The arrest occurred at SZCZUROWSKI’s home.

Officers with the Joliet Police Department responded to a call of a dog bite around 7:55 a.m., according to Joliet Deputy Chief Ed Gregory. As they arrived in the area, they heard gunshots. Officers found a 59-year-old off-duty Forest Preserve District of Will County officer and retired Will County deputy with a gun.

The off-duty officer had received a call from his wife saying that she and her dog, Hannah, a medium-sized brown mix dog, were being attacked by two pit bulls, Mocha and Nala. One pit bull had Hannah by the throat while the other had her by the hind quarters. A neighbor who saw the incident had called the husband, as well.

One of the pit bulls bit the woman so hard it had broken her wrist. A 6-inch tooth also was found at the scene, Gregory said.

The owners got the pit bulls to release their dog, Hannah, and then Hannah ran away.

“Mocha began to run after our off-duty in an aggressive manner,” Gregory said. “He removed his hand gun and discharged three to four rounds, striking it in the face and front leg area.”

Mocha then returned home.

The off-duty officer and his wife later found Hannah on the porch of their home in the 1900 block of Timber Edge, which is the next street over from Timber Edge Circle, but then Nala, one of the pit bulls showed up and Hanna was attacked again.

“This is when our female victim was assisted by other neighbors and started striking the dog with a baseball bat.”

The pit bull ran back to its residence and was brought inside by owner BARBARA SZCZUROWSKI.

Joliet Township Animal Control was called out, but wouldn’t take Mocha because of the severe injuries. The dog was taken to the vet and put down.

Hannah sustained around 60 puncture wounds to her body, but is expected to survive.

Neighbors told police this isn’t the first time the pit bulls have been aggressive and running at large.

SZCZUROWSKI was cited for having a dangerous dog and dogs running at large and was sent a note by the city’s legal department to turn Nala over to Animal Control to determine if the dog is dangerous or vicious.

SZCZUROWSKI’s pit bulls had attacked before in 2013 and the city of Joliet attempted to have SZCZUROWSKI’s dogs deemed dangerous or vicious, but a judge dismissed the charges.

If anyone plans to sue in this case, they better keep a good eye on SZCZUROWSKI because the condo association has filed an injunction against her which may be the reason that her condo is now apparently up for sale.

Joliet Patch

Jan 25, 2016 Joliet Pit Bull Attacks Prompt Demands for Tougher Vicious Dog Laws

Jan 11, 2016 Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Jun 13, 2010 Pit Bull Attacks Child in Father's Arms

May 14, 2010 Four Pit Bulls Escape Joliet Yard, Kill Neighbor's Dog Mar 18, 2010 Joliet Pit Bull Shot After Attack

Dec 03, 2008 Man kills pit bull during mauling

Jan 29, 2008 Joliet Girl Recovering From Pit Bull Attack

Jun 18, 2007 Joliet Woman Hospitalized in Pit Bull Attack

Jul 28, 2004 Pit Bull Attacks Joliet Mailman

Jan 11, 2016 Lawsuit: Four Joliet Pit bulls Attack Home Health Care Worker On the Job

Joliet - A home health care worker has filed a lawsuit against a client who owned four pit bulls that attacked her when she came to the home on the job.

Letisia Rivera, the health care worker, was suffered injuries to her head, torso, arms, hands, wrists, shoulders, buttocks, back neck, nerves, and nervous system when the four pit bulls attacked her as the owner opened the door.

After she ran inside the home to get away from the dogs, the pit bull owner let one of the pit bulls back inside where it attacked her again.

Read more:

Joliet Patch

Jan 22, 2016 Joliet Pit Bulls Break Owner's Bones and Maul Dog
Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Jun 13, 2010 Pit Bull Attacks Child in Father's Arms

UPDATE Dec 31, 2014 Joliet Dangerous Pit Bulls and Vicious Rottweiler Terrorizing North Reed Street

UPDATE - Titan the vicious rottweiler has been found. He wasn't "on the outskirts of Indiana" after all. Nope, JACKLYN VAVRIK seems to have told a fib. VAVRIK doesn't get to keep the deemed vicious rottweiler. Rescue angels right there in McHenry County plan on rehabilitating him and what then? Adopt out Titan with the vicious designation? VAVRIK gets to keep her two pit bulls, one of which has been deemed dangerous. She has until April to get adequate fencing.

UPDATE - The irresponsible dangerous dog owner, JACKLYN VAVRIK, has gotten rid of the rottweiler, which has been designated dangerous, and claims she doesn't know where it is except that it might be "on the outskirts of Indiana. (?)" So, some neighborhood can anticipate mauled dogs and people thanks to JACKLYN.

VAVRIK also claims that her pit bull that was also deemed dangerous is not and that it did not do any of the biting - that's all on the rottweiler. She gets to keep the dangerous dog if she meets a bunch of requirements.

Joliet - Two pit bulls and a Rottweiler have run loose around Joliet’s North Reed Street and attacked at least four other dogs, viciously mauling one, residents said.

“Our fear is a child” will fall prey to the pack of dogs, said Doreen Swanson, who said her own two pets were beset by the hounds from Reed Street.

Harley is a shepherd-mix belonging to neighbor Sarah Tyrell. Harley had to undergo surgery and has two drains implanted in her body because of the Christmas Eve attack, Tyrell said. Harley is now too frightened to venture out to her own yard alone.

Another neighbor, Helene Heldorfer, also complained to the police about the Reed Street Rottweiler. Heldorder was walking her cairn terrier, Buffy, the morning of Sept. 22 when it emerged from a back yard and attacked, according to a police report.

Jaclyn Vavrik, 29, 507 N. Reed, Joliet, arrested by the Will County Sheriff’s Office and booked
into the Will County jail on Sept. 15 on two counts of domestic battery. 9/16/2014

The dog’s owner, identified in the report as JACLYN VAVRIK, 29, explained that she could not find a leash for her Rottweiler, Titan, so she let him “out in her backyard and he took off to the front yard and did bite ‘Buffy,’” police said. “Vavrik stated to (the officer) that she would pay the vet bills because they were at fault.” Think she'll follow through?

Read More:
The Herald-News
Joliet Patch

Jul 15, 2014 Pit Bull Owners Stiff Cabbie, Sic Pit Bull on Police Who Shoot it

Joliet - Real winner pit bull owners, who police say appeared very wasted, stiffed a cabbie in front of their house. When the cabbie called police, the couple refused to talk to police, threatened to sic their crazy pit bull on them, and then did sic their crazy aggressive pit bull on police who were forced to shoot and kill it. The pit bull owners were charged with several offenses including possession of drug paraphernalia, battery and theft of labor.

Such a lovely tribute for the mauler unleashed on the police

BL - is that jim beam

DN - Damn thing's got a saddle on him.

Joyce Lewandowski- you funny D! that's his harness,,,lmao,,lmfao

DN - and who's gonna stop him if he wanes to run? he could pull a car

RARS - Beautiful dog!! Oh you too Joyce.

Joyce Lewandowski - can't stop him dave thats why i thinkn bout the shock collar,,,he's a beast, and a lap puppy

Joyce Lewandowski - That dogs beautiful,,yes em is,,yex em is,,,,

KD - We have to take this picture have it printed and framed because he is a beautiful dog and this is a beautiful picture. yez he is...yez he is... but he's a mean SOB

Joyce Lewandowski - He was laying on my leg, he was so happy I was home, prob. Wont leave him that long again, it was sweet to see how much he loves me, but terribly pitt a full...

KD - Aww. I wish he was nicer I would have come over there and been with him so he wouldn't have been alone you know sit with him lay with him and stuff like that poor baby....

Nov 09, 2011 Lawsuit claims Joliet police killed woman’s dog

By Jon Seidel jseidel@suntimes.com

A Crest Hill woman claims in a lawsuit Joliet police shot and killed her pit bull, Pebbles, while executing a search warrant at her home last fall.

Herald News

Oct 22, 2010 Police: Suspected Drug Dealer had 82 Grams of Packaged Cocaine in Home

By Dennis Sullivan Special to Tribune

Joliet –– A suspected drug dealer is being held in the Will County Adult Detention facility in lieu of $300,000 bail.

–––––––

Joliet Deputy Police Chief Trafton said Gutierrez and his wife cooperated with the arrest, but police “neutralized a pit bull” in the home that was preparing to attack them.

Jun 13, 2010 Pit Bull Attacks Child in Father's Arms

JOLIET -- A 3-year-old boy was attacked Thursday night by a pit bull dog, Joliet police said.The child was with his father and in the yard of 1008 Helen Ave., Joliet police said. The black dog wearing a red collar bit the boy on the thigh while his father was holding him, police said.

The Herald News Police Blotter

May 14, 2010 Four Pit Bulls Escape Joliet Yard, Kill Neighbor's Dog

JOLIET - Four pit bulls escaped from a Joliet man's yard earlier this week, injuring two neighborhood dogs –– one of them fatally –– before police arrived, police said.

Alberto Guzman, 37, had been keeping six adult pit bulls and six pit bull puppies at his residence in the 2500 block of Ruth Fitzgerald Drive and was cited for having too many dogs in violation of local ordinances. Guzman turned the dogs in the attack over to animal control, police said.

Chicago Tribune Accessed: 2012-01-01. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/64MRsySXc)

Mar 18, 2010 Joliet Pit Bull Shot After Attack

Joliet - Police shot and killed a dog that kept attacking another dog and its owner Wednesday.

The victim was walking the black dog around 3:35 p.m. near Catherine and Cleary streets when a loose tan pit bull ran up and started fighting with the other dog.

"When the owner and other witnesses attempted to separate the animals, the pit bull bit the man on his right hand," Deputy Chief Mike Trafton said.

The dogs were separated as officers arrived, but the loose dog reportedly tried attacking again when officers shot it.

Trafton said no citations had been issued, but police were planning to interview the pit bull's owner.

Hoka Hay

The Herald News

Dec 03, 2008 Man kills pit bull during mauling

JOLIET — A man wielding a knife killed a pit bull mix that was mauling its owner in the yard of a home in the 200 block of Criswell Street, police said.

Both men were taken to Silver Cross Hospital, where the dog owner was treated for "brutal" bites to his leg and face, and the rescuer for bites to his hands, officials said.

Chicago Tribune

Jan 29, 2008 Joliet Girl Recovering From Pit Bull Attack

Joliet - A Joliet girl remains hospitalized after she was attacked Friday by a pit bull on her way home from school. The 9-year-old needed more than 30 stitches to close her wounds.

The third grader is in good spirits even though she almost lost her life in a terrifying pit bull attack. She and her family wanted to tell the story Tuesday with the hope that other dog owners will pay attention and do their best to prevent dog attacks.

Cierra Anyaso was smiling Tuesday even though her left leg is bandaged up with more than 30 stitches. Friday, as she was getting off the school bus in the 1300-block of Cecilia in Joliet, a pit bull charged her and her friend.

Read more:
ABC 7 Chicago