Apr 12, 2008 Pit bull victim is thankful to be alive

By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons and Mary Owen, Tribune reporters

Chicago – A woman who was attacked by five pit bulls spoke about the harrowing experience from her hospital bed Friday, saying she felt fortunate to be alive.
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Gabriela Munoz Lopez was walking in the 6600 block of South Richmond Avenue on Thursday afternoon on her way to pick her children up from school when the dogs came barreling toward her out of nowhere, she said.
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Lopez, a Walgreens clerk and a mother of three, lives a few blocks from where she was attacked. Lopez said her rescuer visited her in the hospital. "I was crying because I couldn't find the right words to say 'thank you,'" she said.

Chicago Tribune
Accessed: 2012-02-01. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/658nxBwP5)
Chicago Defender

Apr 11, 2008 Chicago woman attacked by pack of pit bulls

Chicago - A woman was attacked by five pit pulls as she walked along a South Side Chicago street.

There are so many bites and so many stitches that Gabriela Munoz says she has lost count. The 32-year old pharmacy worker -- a single mom with four kids -- is thankful to be alive. And she is determined that her children not see her as anything but a strong and protective mother.

"I don't want them to get scared," she said.

Munoz won't let her children visit her in Advocate Christ Medical Center and see her in her condition, the victim of a swarming by five pit bull dogs, four puppies and their mother, who escaped from their back yard and launched themselves on her as she walked to pick up her 12- and 10-year olds from the school a half block away.

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WLS Accessed: 2011-12-22. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/647oglkDB)

Mar 17, 2008 Lawsuit: Pit bulls’ Owner Blamed in St. Clair County Personal Injury Suit

East St. Louis  - A woman who claims she was viciously attacked by pit bulls is suing the dogs’ owner in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

Paula Johnson claims an attack took place Jan. 29, 2002, in her mother’s back yard at 715 North 24th St. in East St. Louis.

Defendant Annie Johnson lives nearby at 721 North 24th St., according to the complaint filed March 11.

“On January 29, 2002, the Defendant allowed her Pit Bull dogs to run unconfined, unrestrained and unsupervised,” the complaint states.

Plaintiff Johnson claims she was in great fear for her safety.

“One of the pit bulls bit the Plaintiff’s hand, then bit into her arm and would not let go, and began throwing the Plaintiff about,” the complaint states.

“The attack continued until the Defendant, who had been watching from an upstairs window in her house, came out and called off her dogs.”

Johnson claims she sustained bites and lacerations, severe soft tissue damage and scars,

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The Madison-St.Clair Record

Mar 2, 2008 Pit bull attacks on the rise, Ledy VanKavage thwarts all attempts to protect people and pets

There have been numerous pit bulls attacks across Southern Illinois and many subsequent attempts by municipalities to strengthen laws governing vicious dogs.

Danny Tucker, animal control officer in Herrin, recently spoke out about an attack in that community in which two pit bulls killed a dog that was chained up in its owner's yard.

The most recent reported incident is a weekend attack in West Frankfort. Franklin County Animal Control Supervisor Jarrett Broy said a pit bull attacked its owner after having lived in the home for eight months and showing no previous signs of aggression.

Articles published in The Southern Illinoisan show Murphysboro officials attempting to have two pit bulls declared vicious in February after the dogs had been named in several incidents, including the death of another resident's dog.

In October 2007, the city council in Johnston City revised a vicious dog ordinance that made specific reference to pit bulls. The revision made the ordinance non-breed-specific.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got involved in Cutler in February 2006, for an attempt in that community to create ordinances specifically naming pit bulls.

Officials against Cutler's attempt to single out the breed said the decision to name pit bulls and Rottweilers, specifically, stemmed from the nature of their breeds' reputation and not a specific incident.

In 2006, the vicious dog problem had gotten so bad in Illinois that Gov. Rod Blagojevich got involved with the signing of three bills aimed to curtail attacks.

The laws didn't name any specific breeds but did tighten the leash on owners.

Saline County felt the burden of the battle over vicious dogs and those who love them in July 2005, when a pit bull terrier named Frankie caught the public's attention.

Frankie was declared vicious after being accused of biting five Saline County residents, but his owner was given the option to keep the dog under strongly regulated guidelines. After conferences with public officials, the owner decided to have the dog euthanized.

The City of Zeigler chose to take the non-breed-specific approach to its vicious dog ordinances, in November 2004, but added language that better enabled the city to hold owners responsible for their dogs' actions.

The move to tighten the laws came after a pit bull and a mixed breed attacked several animals and were captured and destroyed.

Read more:
The Southern
Accessed: 2012-02-01. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/658qjA19z)

March 2, 2008 Communities across Illinois are prevented from addressing pit bull problems

Vicious dogs Lead to Stronger Laws

Carbondale – There have been numerous pit bulls attacks across Southern Illinois and many subsequent attempts by municipalities to strengthen laws governing vicious dogs.

Despite many communities across the state recognizing that they have a specific problem with pit bulls committing dangerous and vicious acts, these communities are hamstrung by Ryan's Law's ban on Breed Specific Legislation.

Herrin, West Frankfort, Murphysboro, Johnston City, Cutler, Saline county, and Zeigler have all suffered from pit bull problems. Don't forget the tragic results in Johnston City after their pit bull ban was called out as illegal by the ASPCA.

Read more:

The Southern

Accessed: 2011-12-22. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/647qQ1dxH)

Feb 28, 2008 Pit bull owner allowed declared dangrous pit to attack child

Danville – A city case against Bob Pape, owner of Pape Memorial Home & Gardens will go to trial.

Pape's pit bull dog allegedly snapped at a 2-year-old boy on Jan. 27 while the boy was attending a visitation for his grandfather at the funeral home. The dog, named Blue, typically accompanies Pape to work.

The dog had previously been declared dangerous. Since then, Pape has been required to keep the dog muzzled and leashed when not at home.

Pape said the dog was leashed but not muzzled when the incident occurred on Jan. 27.

The News-Gazette  Accessed: 2012-02-19. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/65a5asKOI)

Feb 19, 2008 Pit Bulls Attack Man Walking Dog on Northwest Side

Chicago - Police fatally shot a pit bull and were searching for a second one Monday afternoon after the animals attacked a man walking his dogs on the Northwest Side.

Chicago Needs BSL

The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. in the 3700 block of West Agatite Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood, Officer Tom Polick said.

The man called 911 on his cell phone, and police officers who responded fatally shot one of the pit bulls. The other pit bull ran away.

Read more:
Chicago Tribune

Related posts:
Chicago Pit Bull Attacks