Pit Bull Attacks and Dogfighting in Illinois

May 09, 2012 Waukegan approves pet ordinance

"We deal with dangerous dogs. Waukegan is known for them. Unfortunately, we are a town for pit bulls." - AC officer Nicole Garza
Waukegan is trying to cope with it's pit bull attack problem hampered by state law that forbids breed specific laws to address breed specific problems.

Waukegan – Fifth Ward Ald. Edith Newsome told the council that a child in her ward was attacked by a pit bull two weeks ago (no media coverage), and said “we have to have something in place to protect our residents.
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New regulations covering the ownership and treatment of animals won unanimous approval from the City Council on Monday...
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This law was made specifically for people who are just plain irresponsible,” said 1st Ward Ald. Sam Cunningham. “The unfortunate part is people have really become fascinated with owning pit bulls. (Those) irresponsible owners are causing havoc in the city of Waukegan. ... This is a good ordinance for us.”

by Dan Moran
Read more:
Lake County News-Sun Accessed: 2012-05-10. (Archived by WebCite^®at http://www.webcitation.org/67YqJKcdg)

Related posts:
Feb 07, 2012 Family’s pet mauled by pit-bull type dog
Apr 15, 2011 Animal control cuts may bite back in Waukegan
Sep 12, 2008 Waukegan Teenager Hurt in Pit Bull Attack
Oct 4, 2006 Pit Bull Mauls 8-year old Girl Owner Charged with Reckless Conduct

May 09, 2012 Man stabs dog to make attack stop

Granville – A pit bull was killed after attacking another dog Friday evening in Granville, police said today.
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It chased another dog across the street, according to Moore.
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Keith Smoode and a friend attempted to stop the pit bull while it was attacking Smoode’s dog. When they tried to pull the pit bull off the other dog, the collar broke, Moore said.
Even when they tried to hit the pit bull, it wouldn’t stop its attack, Moore said. Finally, they stabbed the pit bull with a knife to end the attack, he said.
The pit bull died and the other dog, which was a German Shepherd mix, was taken to the veterinarian and is expected to live, Moore said.

by Shannon Crawley-Serpette
Read more:
News Tribune Accessed: 2012-05-10. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/67ZIxl8x4)

May 07, 2012 Pit bull attack takes precious pet from family

RIP Mickey

Skokie – The sudden death of Mickey on March 13 has left mother and son grieving and heartbroken, all the more so because they never believed such a thing could happen.

Shyam, now 23, was walking the dog a few blocks from his home when a loose pit bull raced from his owner’s property and attacked Mickey, killing him at the scene.
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“I never imagined the dog would be completely loose and able to attack,” he said. “I never thought anyone would leave such a dog unattended and completely without a leash.”

He also thought the man standing in the driveway with the pit bull had the dog under control.

Within five seconds though, Mickey was dead, Shyam said.
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Mickey’s soft-spoken distraught owner walked the few blocks home in despair and without the best friend with whom he had left.

To Mickey with love...

Dear Mickey,

I miss you incredibly. I am so sorry I took you out for a walk that day. I wish I would have never taken you with me. Never in a million years would I have imagined this to happen. Words cannot describe how disturbed I am by the tragic nature of your passing.

You didn’t deserve to leave this way. You always exuded a sense of strength that inspired me to be more brave and gave me courage. It’s because of you that I was able to get through life’s toughest moments. You helped me in the awkward transition from adolescence to adulthood.

You brought joy into my life and you took away my pain. You never left my side. I will never forget you, along with each and every day that I have spent with you. I believe you were an angel that saved my life.

The nine years I spent with you were among the happiest of my life. Losing you has left a deep void in my heart, a void that can never be replaced. I’m sorry for any troubles you had to face because of me. I never intended to hurt you.

It was an honor to have been in your life amidst your gentle, compassionate presence. It’s an injustice that you had to endure an agonizing demise, and there was nothing I could do to protect or save you. I wish and pray that wherever you are, you are not suffering anymore and your soul is at peace.

Please remember me and all the blissful times that we shared. I hope to meet you in another life.

Love eternally,Shyam

May 07, 2012 Pit bull attacks in Skokie lead to ordinance changes

Animal control in Skokie sees pit bulls being responsible for 14% of vicious dog attacks as a good thing.

Skokie – The Skokie Health Department is looking to strengthen its ordinance pertaining to “vicious animals” after two dog attacks in March. Both attacking dogs were pit bulls. One pit bull killed a small dog and the other pit bull injured the owner of the small dog he saved from an attack.

“We usually only have two a year out of 2,500 licensed dogs,” Skokie Health Director Dr. Catherine Counard said. “To have two attacks in a month is very unusual. They were two different dogs.”

14 percent of vicious animal attacks in Skokie over the years have involved pit bulls.

This is a first - animal control looking at 14% bite attack rate and touting that as a GOOD statistic. It is doubtful that pit bulls represent 14% of the dog population over the years. Pit bull advocates themselves generally say pit bulls represent 7% of the total dog population. With the pit bull population rate growing quickly in some areas, averaging the pit bull attack rate over "the last few years" is likely a tactic to hide a recent and sharp increase in pit bull attacks.

Read more:Skokie Review Accessed: 2013-05-23. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/6Gq9qHZ8R)

Apr 29, 2012 Recently Adopted Pit Bull Savagely Attacks Basset Hound

The unpredictable nature of predatory pit bull attacks cannot be "caught" by temperament testing which is known to be unreliably inadequate for all breeds. Unpredictability is one of the traits that make pit bulls uniquely dangerous. This is just the latest attack by a newly adopted pit bull in the last couple months.

The comments get whacky, but true to form, the other pit bull fanatics blame the fanatic owner and the fanatic owner blames the shelter. And, like all nutter reasoning, it is two fries short of a happy meal and no one states the obvious.

file photo of a basset hound

Elgin – Glen and Nancy Moss of Elgin bought Carson on April 1 and renamed him Smithers. Three days later, the dog mauled a neighbor’s basset hound before attacking Nancy’s leg as she tried to separate the dogs.

The basset hound required about $1,100 in veterinary costs; Nancy Moss was hospitalized for two days. Her husband said that because the dog twisted when he was biting down, it created tears that stitches could not fix.
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“Something snapped in the dog,” Glen Moss said. “This was flat-out rage.”

by Sarah Sutschek
Read more:
Northwest Herald Accessed: 2012-04-30. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/67IwPiFcq)

Apr 25, 2012 Dangerous pit bulls on N. Sheffield ave in Chicago

Chicago - Has anyone had any negative interactions with a pit bull named Madison (AKA Patches) living near Sheridan and Byron? This dog recently attacked my dog and bit me, and I know it has a history of several attacks on dogs in the neighborhood- specifically near Seminary and Byron, near the cemetary. Animal Control and CPD have been slow to react to this dangerous animal in the neighborhood.

I'm curious to know what the owner looks like? If its a middle aged man with blonde hair, then yes I've had two separate interactions with him and the dog.

I just keep my dog away and cross the street when he approaches. He isn't aware just how serious of an issue his dog has.

It's important to contact the police and file a report. Especially

If the dog bit you and broke the skin. This way if the dog should bite someone again there's a record of it.

Hi Grace. Sounds like a different dog and owner. This dog is owned by a white female with short hair, late 20's, approximately 5'4".

I have filed a police report and Animal Control has been contacted. Thanks.

Everyblock Chicago

Apr 19, 2012 Girl Recovering from Dog Attack

Fairfield – An 8-year-old girl in Fairfield, Illinois, is recovering after being attacked by a dog on Tuesday.
Fairfield City Police say the girl was spending the night at a friend's house when an 80 pound pit bull owned by Brandon Skelton attacker her.
Skelton was visiting the mother of the victim's friend.
The girl was taken to the Fairfield Memorial Hospital, where she received 60 stitches.
The pit bull was put down today, and the adults who were present during the attack say no citations will be issued.

By: Chris Veech
Tristate homepage Accessed: 2012-04-19. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/673QZUEvw)