1 Dead, 3 Injured in Pit Bull Attack in Downtown Memphis

[The Straight Story]

1 Dead, 3 Injured in Pit Bull Attack in Downtown Memphis

MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis police say an elderly man is dead and his daughter is in critical condition after a pit bull attack that also injured two firefighters.

According to police, officers were called to 230 North Manassas Street around noon, Tuesday, July 20, 2010, about an elderly man who was attacked by a pit bull dog. When police arrived, they discovered the elderly man and a woman, the man’s daughter, who had been attacked by two pit bulls.

Police say when Memphis Fire Department paramedics tried to treat the victims, the dogs attacked the paramedics as well.

The elderly man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His daughter was taken in critical condition. The two firefighters are in non-critical. Police say a possible fifth victim showed up at a hospital to be treated for dog bite wounds.

Stay with myEyewitnessNews.com for the latest on this situation.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/1-Dead-3-Injured-in-Pit-Bull-Attack-in-Downtown/T2JNoSpFLUm2-XjvndZSNA.cspx

[lib2DaBone]

1. Pit Bulls are a sweet , loving, misunderstood breed.... in 3...2....1.....

[TwilightGardener]

4. Or, "it's not really a pit bull, people call every mean dog a pit bull..."

[JonLP24]

6. "Pit bull" is a generic term, often used by the media

It is not a breed. It is used to describe several breeds in the Molassar family where many dogs that belong to it have similar traits and characteristics.

As to the poster you replied to. There are misconceptions.

[guitar man]

8. exactly

+1

[Obamanaut]

15. With the understanding that I know almost nothing about dog breeds,

I googled ‘pit bull breed’, and it would seem that I am not alone. That must be why there is misunderstanding:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanpitbull.htm Shows a dog they call a pit bull terrier

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/breedinfo.html Starts out showing info about “Pit Bull Breed”

I used to mow my sister’s yard before she died last year. Her neighbor had a dog they called a ‘pit bull’, and kept it in a 12’ square fence type kennel. There was no shade, so the dog had dug itself a tunnel to escape the sun.

I visited my sister every morning for coffee, and every morning I went over to check the dog’s water bowl, which was usually empty when I arrived. No people were at home that time of day.

The kennel wire was only 4 feet high, so it was easy for the dog to put his hands (front paws) on the top rail to get a thorough petting. In return for a couple of bowls of water every morning and a head scratch, I was repaid with a serious arm slurping.

One day the dog was out when I arrived, and I was treated to the antics of about 50 pounds worth of lap dog.

Those folks neither deserved nor wanted a dog, and finally found him a new home. I couldn’t take him, because we already had five furkids.

This post was not meant to be argumentative, but give an idea why so many people might call so many different dogs ‘pit bulls’, and to give one anecdote as to how they can be a very sweet dog. I think a dog’s attitude/behavior reflects that of it’s human family.

[JonLP24]

16. There is the

American Pit Bull Terrier which is a dog I own. They are generally smaller than other Molassar breeds as mine is a female that is only 35-40 lbs. My Gordon Setters weigh more and could do a lot more damage if abused or neglected. My point is that breed ALONE is not responsible for every dog that is labeled one in stories like this.

Also Bull Mastiff and several breeds with the word 'terrier' are generally considered "pit bulls" by the media. I got that your post wasn't argumentative and I appreciate your reply.

[Sta au]

17. Exactly

I own a dog that requires me to actually pay more for licenses because she's "one of the dangerous breeds". She's an Akita, one of the most loyal and loving dog breeds I've ever owned next to a pug. She's great with kids, loving, empathetic, and quite possibly the least aggressive animals I've been around. Yet somehow she's dangerous.

[TwilightGardener]

9. AAANNDD I prove my point...

[safeinOhio]

2. Sure hope the owner is

found and charged. I carry concealed for dog attacks and have used my weapon only for that reason.

[jaksavage]

3. Always the Pits

Why oh why do so many go bad?

[Nostradammit]

5. Largely because they've become a status symbol

for those who have no business owning pets.

[guitar man]

7. Because

"Pitbull" is not a breed, it's a description the media has cooked up for any foul tempered, stocky built dog they want to apply it to. If actual data was available accurately broken down by actual breed,(AKC) American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, Bull Terrier, , (UKC) American Pit Bull Terrier , American Bulldog and so on and so forth, I think the actual data would tell a much different story than what is being told.

As it is, a Boxer Lab mix could easily go down in a police report as a "pitbull". I've personally seen it happen, more than once.

[niyad]

10. one community (forget where--saw it here on DU recently) has passed a law describing aggressive

behaviour, NOT breed. makes sense to me--one of the most aggressive, and violent, dogs I have ever encountered was a yorkshire terrier (the little monster actually bit me). the rottweilers bred by friends of mine acted like lap cats around me. . .

[guitar man]

12. That's good policy

I won't have a rank,mean dog around and I have had Staffies and APBTs and mixes thereof all my life. The only real attack I ever suffered was from a German Shepard I was boarding for a friend while he was out of town and one of my "pits" saved my ass. A mean dog is a mean dog no matter what the breed or variety.

[roguevalley]

19. people don't raise them right and they seldom get the exercise they

need to be calm and happy. dogs are not ornaments and they feel things. they act the way they are treated. pits are all too often abused and neglected and when they don't behave are slapped around.

[flvegan]

11. Some people really shouldn't be allowed to write news articles.

This one is simply horrible.

At any rate, I feel for the man's family and hope the other injured folks are okay.

[RamboLiberal]

13. One of those wonderful owners who shouldn't have a dog

The owner of the dogs was arrested this past weekend for violating the sex offender registry act.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/20/national/main6696220.shtml

[LWolf]

14. What a surprise.

Not.

How much harm can one person cause to others?

[BrklynLiberal]

18. Hope that the stupid, irresponsible People who are the owners of these dogs is being taken into

custody....and will be prosecuted for a MEANINGFUL crime...not just let go with a misdemeanor of some sort.

[shireen]

20. that is so sad

i watched the video ... this lady lost her husband of 50 years in that attack by two dogs. He was walking back from the store. He died of a heart attack during the attack. The dogs attacked his daughter and the two paramedics that tried to help them. Another person was also injured by these dogs. It was a heart-breaking tragedy.

The dogs had been terrorizing the neighborhood. Police had taken no action when a complaint was filed last Saturday; they just issued a citation to the owner. The dog owner failed to train the dogs so they would not pose a danger to others, or at the very least, failed to protect others from their aggressive behavior. The police failed to protect the people who were being terrorized by the dogs, and by extension, the dog's owners.

Were the dogs "bad" for attacking? That question makes no sense. Dogs don't think like humans. Domestication over thousands of years and selective breeding to suit our needs does not give dogs the gift of human perception. Whatever innate unique characteristics the dog possesses, his or her human owner is ultimately responsible for molding the dog's behavior so that it never poses a threat to other people and animals. I don't know why those dogs were so aggressive towards people. But their owners were clearly at fault for not doing anything to protect their neighbors, and for that, the owners deserve to be charged and convicted for manslaughter. As for the dogs ... personally, I wish they could be rehabilitated and given a second chance. But they're not celebrities like the Vick dogs. Resources for properly caring for them are scarce, probably non-existent. Sadly, they'll probably be euthanized.

I'm crazy about dogs. I've felt a deep bond and love for many dogs I've had the joy to know. But love isn't enough. Ownership comes with responsibility and a recognition that dogs don't see the world through human eyes!

[shireen]

21. deleted duplicate. nt