84-year-old man stable after being mauled by two dogs

[Enrique]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/zephyrhills-man-now-in-stable-condition-after-dog-attack/1186060

ZEPHYRHILLS — The dogs escaped Saturday from their home on Chancey Road through a hole in the fence, authorities said. Maurice Vankinscott repaired the hole that day, he later told deputies, and figured the problem was solved.

He didn't know his girlfriend's dogs escaped the yard again Sunday. Or that they ran down the street and attacked 84-year-old John Ashmore as he picked up his morning paper.

The two dogs — a pit bull mix and a boxer mix — knocked Ashmore down about 7:40 a.m. Sunday and began biting and clawing his arms and legs. Ashmore spent much of Sunday in surgery for his critical injuries, and by Monday was listed in stable condition at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is still investigating to determine whether any charges will be filed. Deputies said the dogs belonged to Olga Melendez, 36, who lives down the street with Vankinscott.

(...)

[cwydro]

1. Definitely the dog days of August on DU...

corndogs and pit bulls; there was even a pomeranian in there somewhere.

Craxy crazy dog days.

[roody]

2. Dogs need to walk and run.

I suspect that most of these killer dogs do not get taken out on walks. As my dog and I walk around town in the nighttime for an hour, we hear many barks from frustrated ignored dogs, locked up in their yards. It is sickening.

[Shagbark Hickory]

8. Yep. They were probably chained up or staked down in the back yard since they were puppies.

[guitar man]

11. In reading through dog attack reports

There are an alarming number of dogs who attacked people that lived miserable existences like that, chanied up, unloved, forgotten :(

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. There was a neighbor that had a pitbull puppy chained up to a tree in the back yard....

That is illegal here now but at the time it wasn't.
I called animal control out every day.
It had no shelter, no water, it was just chained up to a small tree. In the sweltering heat.
The people in the house just up and left. Probably renting the place.

[guitar man]

13. That's so sad

I rescued a pit mix about 15 years ago that had been left behind to die, she was chained up for probably 10 days or more alone with no food or water. That dog could snap bugs out of the air like crazy, I have no doubt that's what she ate while she was chained up there

[XemaSab]

19. My dog was found running down the street dragging a chain around her neck

She wound up at the pound, and that's where we found each other. :D

But she's a killer. She's killed rats, mice, possums, lizards, all manner of insects, and even a bird.

She's an English shepherd, and they're known for having a strong predatory drive, but I really get the feeling that she had to kill to eat some days when she was at her old house. When we brought her here she was about a year old, and I don't think she'd ever really been in the house before. She peed in the house a couple times right in front of us, and she also tried to eat food off of the lit stove!

She's mostly a good dog now, but I think her former owners were really mean to her and she certainly still has her days.

[guitar man]

22. Yeah I know how that is

I'm a real sucker for a dog with a hard luck story, I'd take them all home if I could :P

[XemaSab]

32. Update: she just killed a skunk

You want a dog? :P

[guitar man]

34. Haha!!

Omg I bet she smells just wonderful x(

[TorchTheWitch]

14. biggest thing I miss about my dog

aside from the general missing of him as he's not alive anymore. Even on only three legs with his cancer he could still for quite some time go on our nighttime walks - they just had to be a whole lot shorter and I had to make him slow down a whole lot (he had much better footing in the ice and snow than I did even on only three legs - it was ALWAYS me that slipped and slid and landed on my ass). It wasn't until around the last month of his life that I had to put my foot down with him about going for even the ultra-short walks (and he was very upset about that), but it was just too much for him anymore.

I really miss our long excursions every night. That was my big bonding time with him in which I told him all about my day, we worked out all my issues, solved all the worlds problems and discovered all the mysteries of the universe. And he always pretended very convincingly to actually give a shit.

God almighty, I miss him so.

Only one of my neighbors on this street that has a dog takes it out on the leash every day (actually him or his daughter takes Missy out at night). All the houses on our street are row homes with postage stamp sized "yards".... they aren't yards, they're more like potty stations. Most of the people that live here have a dog. And aside from one neighbor, all these dogs are large breed dogs (except for one that was a medium sized one but he was extremely old and arthritic). I feel so bad for them that they are NEVER taken out on the leash. They're never played with in their yards either. They just let the dogs out into the yards and ignore them out there. EVERY one of them just sits in their yard doing nothing but continually barking at NOTHING - just random bored barking. They're NEVER told to be quiet either. The worst offender is the next door neighbor with the enormously fat Mastiff.

In fact, the one neighbor with the small breed dog moved in last fall was the first small breed dog my dog ever saw in his whole life. We NEVER saw a small breed dog in all the years of my walking him every night or early in the morning all over creation. We ran into or saw LOTS of medium sized or large breed dogs, but never ONCE a small breed dog out on a walk. My dog just didn't know what to make of that little dog when they moved in since he'd never seen such a small dog before. For awhile he didn't want to get anywhere near it, and when I tried to get them to meet, he'd try hiding behind me. Took him months of watching it before he finally seemed to decide it was just a dog despite it's size and was "safe". That dog doesn't even spend any time out it its yard. He goes out, immediately does his business and is immediately taken back in the house.

[roody]

31. At least in the house, the dog is

getting some love.

[TorchTheWitch]

40. dogs need exercise more than "love"

And not getting enough exercise is what is the cause of most behavioral and training problems. Making sure your dog has proper exercise and is getting proper socialization IS love. Dogs are not genetically predisposed to fart around the house all day, and in farting around the house all day they also aren't being properly socialized. And if that's what they do in the yard as well, then having a yard is no different than having them cooped up in a house.

Affection is no substitute for proper care. Just like people, dogs need to move their bodies to drain off energy, and they need mental stimulation through interaction with other people, other dogs and their environment outside the walls of the house/yard so they don't get irritable, overweight, antisocial, aggressive and downright neurotic. And they need a HELL of a lot more exercise and mental stimulation than most people realize.

Is it any wonder that there are so many dangerously aggressive dogs when most dog owners are totally clueless on what the needs of their dog even ARE? Keeping them cooped up in a yard or in the house most of the time on their own isn't healthy for them, and giving them a lot of affection CANNOT make up for their other needs anymore than it would be for you. A dog needs proper food and clean water, proper medical care, proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation and a clean environment MORE than they need lots of affection. Seeing to it that All of a dog's needs are met IS love.

[guitar man]

41. +1000

Tired dogs are happy dogs :)

And while they aren't genetically predisposed to fart around, some of them are certainly predisposed to fart! x(

[JanMichael]

3. God I hate stories like this. I swear there should be a law agaist owning large...

...dangerous dogs without a background check and an inspection of the fencing where they will be kept.

Far too many egos are stroked by owning a potentially brutal pet and the rare but occasional result like this makes me sick.

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. In many places it already is.

[TorchTheWitch]

15. pit bulls aren't large breed dogs

They're medium sized dogs. Even the males only get to around 35 - 55 lbs.

ANY dog has the potential to act aggressively and do something dangerous to someone else in the right circumstances. This is why dog owners MUST properly socialize their dogs and never completely trust them taking all precautions that their dogs can never act aggressively and dangerously without good cause.

On Edit - oops, for some reason I was thinking this was the story about the pregnant woman that was mauled.

[JanMichael]

23. Ok then add medium sized dangerous dogs. I doubt my 14lb JR will kill anyone.

I also looked up the size ranges and it was around 30-90lbs not that magical 50lb number.

But we obviously agree that precautions MUST (which could mean "should" or be a law) be traken which would include an safe and secure fence when said owner is busy drinking bear (or sleeping or walking in the mall or dealing crack)inside.

[TorchTheWitch]

30. 90 lbs. is a mix

And would not be accepted for registry. Some males can get past the "magic" number of 55 pounds, but certainly not by much unless it was a terribly fat dog.

Personally, I don't think dogs should be left to their own devices in their yards, and mine never was. A yard is for going to the bathroom or playing with the dog not to be left in it on their own getting into mischief and not exercising. Dogs in yards generally do no exercising on their own unless they are playing with another dog or a person. Yards are often used an an excuse by people to not exercise or properly socialize their dogs. I hate it when I see dog descriptions that mention the dog needs a yard or a large yard. No dog needs a yard. They need proper exercise, and a yard is not needed for that.

[RebelOne]

39. Not true. I had a pure bred pit bull that weighed 93 pounds. n/t

[flvegan]

16. Define "dangerous"

Since we're now talking premeditation here. Just an outline of what breeds we ban without a background check.

[valerief]

4. I knew at least one would have some pit bull in it. nt

[flvegan]

29. That's how prejudice works. n/t

[valerief]

35. No, it's genetic. They're bred to attack and kill. nt

[uppityperson]

36. You mean bred to be gentle towards humans while able to attack other animals?

That breeding? Or do you mean the machoistic assholes that take dogs, abuse them, and get them to be vicious out of fear? Or do you mean like people of color being bred to be bright enough to only work in ag fields?

[valerief]

37. They mauled a man in OP. They always maul and kill people in all the articles about them. nt

[uppityperson]

38. links to a bunch of positive articles...They are there, just not as widely spread about.

These first 2 are pit bull friendly sites, but they gathered a bunch of articles about positive pit bull things.
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/HeroicPitties/HeroicPitties.htm
http://bslnews.org/pit-bull-heroes-hall-of-fame/

Quick search find these:
News report on a pit bull hero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hBgbSbrbzQ

http://www.fox28.com/story/12777922/pit-bull-is-hailed-a-hero

They're calling it a "phenomenal act of heroism by a dog." And that "dog" happens to be a pit bull.

While it seems pit bulls get a bad rep at times, one is being credited for saving the lives of his Bristol family members Thursday night.

"It started here on the back porch, they said, underneath it. We have no idea how the fire started."

When the fire began, Kemper Hunter, his girlfriend Sarah Laughlin and their three month old baby, Shelby, were asleep. They woke up to their pit bull "Thor" jumping persistently on the bed....

There are many stories out there, but they are not as passed around as the bad stories. Could it be they don't sell papers or news as well?


http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100820owner_dog_was_my_hero_during_knife_attack/

A Southbridge woman is hailing her 5-year-old pit bull as a hero after the dog was stabbed multiple times while protecting her from an enraged boyfriend wielding a 12-inch serrated knife.

“She’s my hero,” Marie Wells, 31, said of Princess, who is hospitalized on the grounds of the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. “I was not injured thanks to Princess.”

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/pit-bull-saves-woman-now-faces-death

A miracle happened for Kalena Mallon on July 23.Mallon, who suffers from a rare heart condition, passed out on a busy roadway just three houses down from her home.

Bystanders didn't rush to the ailing woman's side, but a dog did - a Pit bull mysteriously appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

The dog, whom Mallon is calling Faith, rushed to the middle of the busy roadway and stood over the unconscious woman, barking at cars that threatened to hit her.

The honking of horns outside alerted Mallon's husband to a problem outside. When he spotted his wife lying in the road, he rushed to carry her home....

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/former-fighting-dog-leads-his-own-rescuer-to-an-ill-woman-saving-her-life

Daddy is a special dog...an ambassador for his breed with an exceptional personality. Daddy, like too many of his breed, had been used for dog-fighting before he was rescued, his body bears the scars of his past abuses.
(clip)
Just last week, Daddy again proved to Parisa that the saving of his life was worthwhile. Daddy and Parisa were taking a walk when the normally excellent walker, Daddy, began pulling Parisa down a side street.

His behavior was unexpected and unusual. Parisa was on the brink of frustration with the dog when she noticed a woman in distress.

The determined Pit Bull pulled Parisa to the distressed woman. The person had a heart condition and she was experiencing pain and on the brink of collapse when Parisa and Daddy reached her. Daddy immediately launched into investigative mode - sniffing the woman all over, trying to determine the source of her distress....

news.change.org/stories/pit-bull-hero-of-the-week

Buster is a Chihuahua-Terrier mix. He was attacked Saturday morning.
"He woke me up at 6:30 to do his thing. I let him out and I came out with him," said Jodi Robinette of Littleton. "And about a minute later, he screamed like I've never heard an animal scream." Robinette ran after Buster and the coyote behind her home at 949 West Peakview Circle near Angeline Little Greenway Park.

"And right when I came around this corner, the coyote had my dog in his mouth, shaking him as he was running,” she said. "And then, I see the coyote at the very middle of this field drop my dog."

Turns out the neighbor’s pit bulls were going after the coyote....

http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/stray-pit-bull-saves-woman-child-from-attacker-993

The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."

The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.

The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements.

Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled.

[RebelOne]

5. Another pit bull storty that the media jumps on.

I would really like to see a photo of this supposedly pit bull mix.

[Walk away]

6. I have been working with dogs for 20 years and I always believed there are no bad dogs...

The problem is that some breeds need to be trained and socialized more than others and even within breeds there is a behavioral bell curve.

All dog should be secured behind fences or on leash. They should also be trained and socialized. When you drive a car you must do it by the rules and learn how to do it safely. It should be the same with dog ownership.

Two years ago an elderly woman in the next town was attacked and terribly injured by a Pitbull that escaped his fence. She was walking a Maltese puppy at the time. It was really horrible. The only thing that saved her life was the Boxer/Pitbull from the same yard who jumped the fence and fought the Pitbull off the woman who had laid down over her puppy in order to save him.

What made one dog attack a person while the other risked his own to save her? They came from the same home and grew up together. We may never know but it's sure as shit that this could have been avoided with a little work on the part of the owner.

[guitar man]

7. Mixed with what I wonder?

I notice the story mentions the molosser breeds but fails to mention what they were mixed with.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. I'd guess they were mixed with Pug

As in RePugLican.

[TorchTheWitch]

28. it doesn't matter

Dog behavior is dog behavior. It's the TRAINING and SOCIALIZATION that matters. Some breeds of dogs just have more of a potential toward aggressive behavior than other breeds, but ALL that matters is TRAINING and SOCIALIZATION as well as ALL dog owners being aware that ANY dog can act in a dangerously aggressive manner and to take all precautions to keep people and other animals from harm.

[flvegan]

17. Boxer and pit bull? Ban all molosser breeds as inherently dangerous.

Fuck you, Boston Terrier. You vicious, horrible, bred for death killing machine.

[seabeyond]

18. damn good thing the man was not needlessly fearful. worked well for him. nt

[flvegan]

20. Yeah, damn good thing.

He'd have been hiding under his bed every damn minute of every damn day fearful of that one lightning strike that would end him (psst...more common).

[seabeyond]

21. that is a pretty simple one. walk indoors when the lightening comes.... nt

[flvegan]

24. Predicting lightning strikes now.

You are truly extraordinary. Applause.

[uppityperson]

25. Next thing, you'll be telling her to avoid ladders. geesh, what IS your problem

:sarcasm: just in case

[seabeyond]

26. lmfao.... seriously? nt

[flvegan]

27. Yes. What of it?

[Union Scribe]

33. I'm sure he just fell off a ladder.

Pits don't attack people, ladders do.

[miyazaki]

42. ha, good one. Hope that tough old man comes out ok. n/t