Entertainment for Killer Pit Owners

[Hancock]

Wed Sept 21, 2011 Baytown Sun

This Monday started off as usual for Baytown resident Beverly Valentino but quickly turned tragic. Now the 63-year-old wants to warn others so they won’t suffer the same heartbreak that she is suffering.

The 63-year-old stepped out of her East James Street townhouse with her dog Bella on a leash, setting out for their usual outside time when a large, cream-colored male pit bull appeared out of nowhere with the apparent intent of getting hold of the tiny 13-pound Maltese-Poodle mix.

“He chased her back into the house and killed her,” Valentino said. “It was terrible.”

As the pit bull got hold of the smaller dog Valentino tried to stop it.

“I was hitting it with a half-full two-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper,” she said. “I know, I know … it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. It could have turned on me. But it didn’t. It just seemed to want to kill Bella. There was blood everywhere and I just couldn’t do anything to help her.”

Valentino called police and officers with the Baytown Police Department and an animal services officer soon appeared, went into the townhouse and captured the pit bull while Valentino waited outside, sure that her little dog was dead.

“It didn’t seem to have any problem with people,” said Valentino. “It went right outside with Officer Rogers (Baytown Animal Services Officer Cammie Rogers).”

Rogers went back in to retrieve Bella who was, amazingly, still alive. Friends of Valentino helped her get the little dog to her veterinarian but despite efforts to save her, she died soon after. Her throat was crushed during the pit bull’s attack.

Valentino has heard more about pit bulls in her neighborhood that has her worried.

“That same morning, a pit bull tried to get my neighbor when she was walking her little dog but she managed to get back inside and slam the door shut,” Valentino said. “Afterwards you could see the scratches on the door where the pit bull tried to get in.”

She believes that was the same dog that later killed her Bella, but says it is not the only loose pit bull in the area. One of her neighbors saw an animal services officer picking up two pit bulls on a nearby street and another neighbor saw another pit bull running loose on Fayle.

“I wonder if somebody around here is breeding them and keeping them for fighting,” said Valentino.

Baytown’s Director of Animal Services, Marti Lechner, doesn’t think so.

“We had an owner surrender two pit bulls that day, but they weren’t running loose,” she said.

Lechner said her department does more than just drive around looking for loose dogs, though they do that too.

“We are working closely with the Post Office,” she said. “Their carriers travel the same streets every day so if they see dogs running loose they call us.”

Lechner urged citizens to do the same.

As for Valentino, Lechner said it sounded like there was just nothing she could have done to save her little dog from the attacking pit bull. That dog, which wore no collar or tags and was not microchipped, is now in custody of Lechner’s department and will be euthanized unless an owner claims it within five days of the incident.

The problem in this situation, Lechner said, was caused by the pit bull’s owner, who did not contain the dog, as city ordinance requires.

The only advice Lechner could offer people like Valentino was to perhaps carry a stick or golf club to ward off possible attacks when walking their dogs.

Valentino hopes the pit bull’s owner will claim it or at least fess up to owning the dog, even if they don’t want it back.

“I think they should pay for the vet bill,” she said. “That’s the least they should do for my Bella.”


Nice Doggy.

[Hancock]

There are two running around plumwood near E James. Light brown and black. They will attack you. I'm waiting on my chance. Shotgun locked and loaded.

[Hurry Up]

This is horrible!

[Hancock]

Golf Club....... You only get one swing, better make it count. I feel better with that shotgun barrel in thier mouth. Lights out.

It's called defending yourself, self defence. You have a CHL, use it.

[Hurry Up]

We have a pit that runs our neighborhood here at work. He is the sweetest dog ever. He meets me at the gate every morning when I'm opening up waiting on his doggy treat. Yesterday he came by and gave me a bark and a tail wag. Hair standing up on his back. He was on a mission after the lab that had just passed by. Didn't see him this morning when I got here. All stray dogs can be dangerous.

[shanghai]

Maybe there's a dog in heat nearby.
I know that makes the male dogs antsy. My Clifford is the most docile dog I've ever owned, as are most Great Danes, but the other day the lawn men left the gate open. I was getting ready to go to work, called Lucy in and kenneled her up, let Cliff out and finished getting dressed, called him in...no Clifford. Looked out and the gate was wide open and my heart stopped. Not only is he menacing looking due to his size, he's FAST!! Saw him a couple of doors down...deet de dee'ing in the neighbor's yard. I knew when he saw me he would shine me on and go the other way, so I grabbed Lucy (who was in heat, the purpose of this story/novel) thinking that would entice him...nah, wasn't interested. Got the SUV and went down and parked in front of the neighbor's house with the hatch open. The neighbor had his dog out, petting him, some kind of older hairy dog like a cocker/lab mix and for some unknown reason, took his collar off. I told him, you might wanna put your dog inside for now because my little one is in heat and the big one is kind of excitable right now. He just said nahhhh, he's an old guy and he's never been around other dogs...needless to say, his dog started shaking, Clifford started shaking and sniffing, his dog growled, Cliff snarled, and it was on.
I told him, "SMACK CLIFFORD, YA CAN'T HURT HIM, JUST SCARE HIM AWAY AND PUT YOUR DOG UP!!" What a dumbass. The lady of the house was watering the flowers....youi know where this is going...they were all yelling, I was holding the little dog, the man was in the middle of the dogs and here comes the woman with the FIRE HOSE SIZED WATER HOSE...she squirts the man, the dogs, and then for some weird reason, turned and squirted ME! Cliff ran and jumped in the car, the man ran and checked on his dog, the lady went back to watering the flowers. I asked the man if his dog was ok. He said, "I think he shook him", I'm like, he did not shake him, he might have bitten him, is he bleeding? Nope.
So...I went home, put Clifford in his kennel after scolding him for scaring the peewaddly outta me, called work and told them I would be a few minutes late, gave them both a cookie and went to work WET. I haven't seen the man OR the dog since...
I'm just sayin', maybe there's a dog in heat somewhere nearby...

[Hurry Up]

Maybe so Shang because our normal shop dog has been missing for nearly a week now. He may be out hunting women!

[WarHawk]

I will defend mine, if a dog attacks me or mine...there will be a dead dog and the owner will NOT enjoy the aftermath.

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/s...5.htm#s822_012

§ 822.012
§ 822.013 <- this one

[shanghai]

I completely understand that, WH. I would too, if I had a "mine" to defend. My dogs don't run loose, and matter of fact, don't get out often enough to socialize. That's probably not a good thing. My other JRT Turbo, was taken out every day from the time he was big enough to walk in the grass, to go to the mailbox, sans leash. He was tiny enough and slow enough as a pup that I could catch him if he tried any funny business. After a few trips outside, he would run to the edge of the grass and STOP. He knew better than to go into the road, or suffer the wrath of the flyswatter. Clifford and Lucy, however, have never been out front off of a leash, so if they were to get out of the yard, they would bolt, toot sweet. My old butt couldn't catch either one of them. It would serve me right if someone got them because of my negligence, but I do try to be a responsible dog owner.

[...]

I just don't see how something so tragic is "entertainment"