Tulsa Toddler Attacked By Pit Bull Recovering;
Dog's Future In Question
Posted: Oct 04, 2010 4:46 PM CDT
The dog that attacked the girl is in Quarantine.
Paityn LeMaster has about a dozen stitches in her back.
TULSA, Oklahoma -- The 2-year-old girl that was attacked by a pit bull Sunday is recovering at home. She was released from the hospital later that evening.
The dog that attacked the girl is being watched closely by the Tulsa County Animal Control--his future is questionable.
The petite 2-year-old girl, Paityn LeMaster, is bandaged and bruised. Witnesses describe a horrific scene.
"The dog jumped out of the front door and just grabbed her and just started throwing her around like a ragdoll," said Tammy Willhite, who witnessed the attack.
Willhite was watching Paityn at the Rose Rock Apartments near 17th and South Memorial, and they went to her neighbor's to ask a favor. That's where they ran into Rufus, a pit bull.
"She was screaming and I just grabbed her and started running back to my apartment, blood was squirting all over her and out of her head and all over me," she said.
Leonard Bond was letting Rufus and his owner stay with him at his apartment when the attack happened. "Boom! It happened quick, real quick," Bond said.
He says Rufus mostly stays indoors and the only problem the 70-pound dog has is it doesn't like other dogs.
"I've known him for almost a year and as far as I know, the dog doesn't like other dogs because they raised him by himself," Bond said.
Bond and Willhite have different takes on how the dog bite unfolded, but they agree on one thing. They say Rufus has always been a sweet, gentle dog.
"I've never seen him or heard of him hurting a person before... at least not as long as he's lived here he hasn't." Bond said.
Paityn is now laid up on her back, and it hurts to move. She needed about a dozen stitches.
"It doesn't matter to me if it's pit bulls or poodles, once you see something like that, there's something wrong, something wrong with that dog." Willhite said.
Animal control officers did not give a citation to the owner, saying the dog was confined in the apartment. The dog is being held at the animal shelter for the next 10 days.
It can return home after the rabies quarantine. The toddler's mother says she plans to sue the dog owner.
Dog's Future In Question
Posted: Oct 04, 2010 4:46 PM CDT
The dog that attacked the girl is in Quarantine.
Paityn LeMaster has about a dozen stitches in her back.
TULSA, Oklahoma -- The 2-year-old girl that was attacked by a pit bull Sunday is recovering at home. She was released from the hospital later that evening.
The dog that attacked the girl is being watched closely by the Tulsa County Animal Control--his future is questionable.
The petite 2-year-old girl, Paityn LeMaster, is bandaged and bruised. Witnesses describe a horrific scene.
"The dog jumped out of the front door and just grabbed her and just started throwing her around like a ragdoll," said Tammy Willhite, who witnessed the attack.
Willhite was watching Paityn at the Rose Rock Apartments near 17th and South Memorial, and they went to her neighbor's to ask a favor. That's where they ran into Rufus, a pit bull.
"She was screaming and I just grabbed her and started running back to my apartment, blood was squirting all over her and out of her head and all over me," she said.
Leonard Bond was letting Rufus and his owner stay with him at his apartment when the attack happened. "Boom! It happened quick, real quick," Bond said.
He says Rufus mostly stays indoors and the only problem the 70-pound dog has is it doesn't like other dogs.
"I've known him for almost a year and as far as I know, the dog doesn't like other dogs because they raised him by himself," Bond said.
Bond and Willhite have different takes on how the dog bite unfolded, but they agree on one thing. They say Rufus has always been a sweet, gentle dog.
"I've never seen him or heard of him hurting a person before... at least not as long as he's lived here he hasn't." Bond said.
Paityn is now laid up on her back, and it hurts to move. She needed about a dozen stitches.
"It doesn't matter to me if it's pit bulls or poodles, once you see something like that, there's something wrong, something wrong with that dog." Willhite said.
Animal control officers did not give a citation to the owner, saying the dog was confined in the apartment. The dog is being held at the animal shelter for the next 10 days.
It can return home after the rabies quarantine. The toddler's mother says she plans to sue the dog owner.
I know your a vet, and I also know that poodles have the worst bite record of any breed on record.
But I also have a good friend that is on a drug enforcment group. His observations are that most drug houses have multiple PB's in the house.
I've read books for many years that singled out the PB as the greatest fighting dog ever bred.
Michael Vick can verify this.
Not dissing the breed, just bringing out the facts.
They are bred for a "no quit" drive and thats what makes the ones that do attack dangerous. The bad breeding is what produces the people biters. Most of the well bred pits dont bite people. There are way too many out there that will and thats bad. Again I am not picking on pits . I have known several that were wonderful pets. You can own a mutt that bites somebody and not get sued over it , but , if you have a pit and it bites prepare to be sued and lose.
And to a pit that is bred and trained to fight (meaning the fight/prey drive is high, but attacking humans and handlers is not acceptable), unfortunately a child will look more like a target than a human.
I imagine Rufus, who didn't like other dogs, confused the pool child with another dog or small animal.
This is not dissing the breed, but it is the type of thing to consider when owning a dog, especially one as effective at what is does as a pit bull. I have an old and grumpy 30 pound mini-pin / full size dachshund mix, and I certainly keep him away from strangers and kids. He's not offensively aggressive per se, but defensive as if you reach at him to pet him or whatever.
I imagine Rufus, who didn't like other dogs, confused the pool child with another dog or small animal.
This is not dissing the breed, but it is the type of thing to consider when owning a dog, especially one as effective at what is does as a pit bull. I have an old and grumpy 30 pound mini-pin / full size dachshund mix, and I certainly keep him away from strangers and kids. He's not offensively aggressive per se, but defensive as if you reach at him to pet him or whatever.
I understand where you are coming from Pa Pa. I think all chows should be put to death. I have been bitten by two.
I think we have way too many pits here in OK and I think that has led to bad breeding.
I think we have way too many pits here in OK and I think that has led to bad breeding.
I got over 200 stitches in my face in the 3rd grade. I thought it was a lab, but my mom tells me it was a doberman. Anyway, they put the dog down right away.
We have a mostly pit mutt, and a mostly rottweiler mutt. They are both very friendly dogs, but I always worry about what might happen, as we have many, many kids in the neighborhood, and most are scared of them. I don't worry because one is a pit, and the other a rott. I worry because they are dogs, and the possiblility, large or small, is still there.
Our neighbors pit bit me this summer. She is still alive, we are still neighborly. Still, I don't care for that dog.
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We have a mostly pit mutt, and a mostly rottweiler mutt. They are both very friendly dogs, but I always worry about what might happen, as we have many, many kids in the neighborhood, and most are scared of them. I don't worry because one is a pit, and the other a rott. I worry because they are dogs, and the possiblility, large or small, is still there.
Our neighbors pit bit me this summer. She is still alive, we are still neighborly. Still, I don't care for that dog.
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I am not buying it. I have owned more than a couple of GSDs who are bred, among other things, for their high drive for use in schutzhund competitions. It is, without a doubt, the owner's irresponsible handling of those dogs that creates the problem.
Here is Jackie ... the dog I described earlier.
http://austerlitzshepherds.com/austerlitz/jackie.html
Shadow was another of Suzanne's dogs. He was extremely protective of both Scott and I, but never, ever attempted to bite anyone. Unfortunately I had to have him put to sleep earlier this year.
And Biscuit, the dog I let Positive Discontent have, was well on his way to competing in schutzhund competitions (so his drive is well documented) but routine x-rays showed problems with his elbows. There is a thread about him in the Photos Forum. You couldn't ask for a gentler dog.
It is not about the drive bred into the dog. It is about the owners lack of responsibility -- whether deliberate or unintentional, the result is still the same. Like SoonerDVM, I have seen way too many dogs lose their lives for no other reason than people are just plain old stupid.
What happened to this little girl is not the dog's fault, but I promise you the dog will pay the price for it.
Thats a fine looking dog BB.
