Pit Bull Attacks and Dogfighting in Illinois

Jul 05, 2012 Owners of pit bull ticketed following Naperville attack

A pit bull that attacked and injured a teenage boy early last week at a home on Naperville’s far southwest side has been designated a “dangerous dog” by police, but will be allowed to continue living with its owners.

Police Sgt. Gregg Bell on Thursday confirmed the owners of the 3-year-old male pit bull have received a municipal “nuisance” citation in connection with the attack, “as well as the animal being declared a ‘dangerous dog’” by city animal control officers.

“With the designator of ‘dangerous dog,’ the owner has to take several precautions,” Bell said in an email. Conditions of continued ownership include “having the dog muzzled whenever the dog is off their property,” Bell said.

By Bill Bird
Naperville Sun Accessed: 2012-07-11. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/695Nm5AFz)

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Jun 27, 2012 Naperville cops probe pit bull attack on boy

Jul 05, 2012 Roscoe police officer shoots, kills pit bull

After the fourth of July celebrations, animal rescues, shelters and animal controls reported picking up dozens of frightened strays that had been frightened by the fire works, bolted and become lost. That is what normal dogs do. This pit bull, startled by loud bangs coped with its anxiety by attacking people and a dog. Pit bulls are different.

Roscoe - A Roscoe police officer thought a pit bull was about to attack him and possibly nearby Fourth of July revelers Wednesday when he shot and killed the animal, Chief Jamie Evans said.

The officer was responding about 10 p.m. to a report of a woman being attacked by a pit bull in the open backyard of a residence near Talentina Trail and Lemon Grass Lane.

There were reports of as many as two dozen people celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks in the immediate area.

Evans said the officer discovered a woman struggling with the animal. The owner was walking her dogs on leashes when fireworks may have spooked the animal.

By Jeff Kolkey
Read more:
RR Star Accessed: 2012-07-12. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/696ccBXlf)

Jul 03, 2012 Quincy boy recovering after pit bull attack, dog still being sought

UPDATE: A Quincy family wants to prevent what happened to them from happening to someone else.
A Sunday afternoon turned out to be anything but lazy for one 4-year-old boy and his family.
April Walker was taking a friend home at 5th and Sycamore in Quincy.
Her 4-year-old son, Jacob, hopped out of her van when a pit bull came around a house and attacked him out of the blue.
Four-year-old Jacob Walker has 16 to 17 stitches in his face from Sunday's dog attack.
"He just started growling. I was arm-length away from Jacob. No sooner I look back at Jacob, the dog came running at me. It went right through my legs, had Jacob down on the ground. I was trying to grab Jacob and get him away from the dog. I kicked him. I grabbed Jacob in my arms. I threw him over my shoulder. The dog was still trying to grab at him. At that point when he was still trying to grab at him, the indoor was still open, so I put Jacob in the van. I jumped in right behind him, and I shut the van door. I hopped into the driver's seat, and I took Jacob straight to the ER," April Walker said.
Jacob's mother, April, said the dog was running around loose. She said she's not sure what made the dog go after Jacob and not her.
"There was no one else around. Jacob wasn't doing anything. He had just gotten out of the van. I was coming right behind him," she said. "We weren't doing anything to upset this dog, period."

An outrageously predatory attack

Quincy - A pit bull that attacked a young child Sunday near Fifth and Sycamore has not been found, and authorities are asking local residents to be on the lookout for the dog.

The attack took place at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday. Family members say Jacob Walker, 3, was attacked by the dog as he stood beside his mother, April Walker, and neither did anything to provoke the attack.

By Rodney Hart

Jul 03, 2012 Suit: Chicago Cop Matthew Bracken failed to stop his pit bull from ‘gruesomely killing’ smaller dog

Officer Ahole has been named and sued.

Chicago - A Chicago Police officer failed to restrain his “vicious” pit bull from mauling and “gruesomely killing” a small dog at Montrose Beach while his owner and children watched, a lawsuit filed Tuesday claims.

When someone tried to stop the March attack, the off-duty officer came over and asked, “Why are you punching my f------ dog?” the suit claims.

MATTHEW J. BRACKEN was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks more than $200,000 in damages.
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by Allison Horton
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Chicago Sun Times Accessed: 2012-07-03. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/68tVFeOUz)

Related post: Apr 18, 2012 Cop suspended over dog attack at Montrose Beach

Jun 28, 2012 Dog bites hand of USPS worker

CRYSTAL LAKE – A pit bull bit a U.S. Postal Service worker’s hand Tuesday as he worked his Crystal Lake mail route, officials said.

The dog, named Lucy, was unleashed and unattended when the bite occurred at 2:44 p.m. Emergency workers found Lucy on the front porch of her home in the 800 block of Boxwood Drive. Her owner arrived shortly after the incident.

by Lawerence Synett
Read more:
Northwest Herald Accessed: 2012-06-28. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/68lGwYBxS)

Jun 27, 2012 Naperville cops probe pit bull attack on boy

Naperville - An attack by a pit bull on Naperville’s southwest side sent a teenage boy to the hospital.
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“I remember hearing both boys laughing at first, then something like, ‘Whoa! Whoa! Down! Then the screaming started.”

“The dog ... was growling and attacking the boy and had ahold of his arm and would not let go. The other boy yelled at the dog and tried to pull him off, but the dog kept attacking, and the boy being attacked kept screaming.”
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“It was a horrifying experience, and as far as I could tell unprovoked, and I won’t soon forget that boy’s screams,” the resident said.

“I am more concerned about that dog. I think it should be put down, or at the very least removed from the home. It would be a big relief to know the dog is gone.”

By Bill Bird
Read more:
Naperville Sun Accessed: 2012-06-28. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/68lRsL9m9)

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Feb 26, 2007 Dog Attack Sends Woman to Hospital
Dec 27, 2011 Wilmette boy treated for injuries after pit bull attack

Jun 25, 2012 Elgin police shoot 23 dogs, killing 19, since 2008

Mike Danahey's report reveals that Elgin has had far more reports of dangerous dog attacks and bites than a comparable city of Aurora. Most of them were pit bulls. Elgin police have had to shoot far more dogs than Aurora, but in both cities, pit bulls are the type of dog they are forced to shoot the most.

(Click to make larger.) Note that one dangerous dog owner lives in an apartment building and in two other areas, home owners are hemmed in by multiple dangerous dogs within blocks of each other. Ah, the good life in Elgin!

Elgin - Since Jan. 1, 2008, Elgin police have shot a total of 23 dogs over the course of responding to 16 separate calls. All but four of the shootings resulted in killing the dogs — significantly more than in the larger Kane County cities of Aurora or Naperville.

Theriault said that during that period, 348 tickets were issued for dogs roaming at large; 180 were citations for a dog not having a collar and tags; 141 were for not having rabies vaccinations; 111 were issued for bites or attacks; 107 were for animals displaying dangerous behavior; four were for dogs in heat roaming loose; and two were for having farm animals in town.

He also noted that between Jan. 1, 2008, and March 20, 2012, 9,901 dog complaint calls were made in Elgin, 392 of those initially coming in as dog bites.

Yes, you read that right, Elgin received 9,901 dog complaint calls in a span of 4 years and 3 months.

by Mike Danahey
Read more:
Courier News Accessed: 2012-07-02. (Archived by WebCite^® at http://www.webcitation.org/68rwIVaaZ)