Memphis firefighter recalls 'surreal' pit bull attack

As Memphis Fire Department workers tried to save the life of an elderly man who had been attacked by two pit bulls, onlookers cried out a warning.


"Before you know it, everyone started screaming, 'Here come the dogs!' and there were two dogs charging us," said Lt. Ray Pelletier, a firefighter and paramedic on the scene shortly after noon Tuesday near Poplar and Manassas.

The emergency workers moved to shield the 71-year-old victim, William Parker, who died in the attack.

"I tried to get the (Fire Department) crew members behind me, and I took a long spine board and put it between us and the dogs and tried to protect the whole scene," said Pelletier, who was bitten on the calf.

But the dogs kept coming, forcing the rescuers away from Parker, who was down on the ground, Pelletier said.

"As long as we were there with the patient, the dogs were attacking us," said Pelletier. "If we got within 15 or 20 feet from the patient, the dogs moved in."

Parker's daughter, Gardenia Parker, was bitten as she tried to help her father, along with neighborhood resident Kevin Stringfellow and firefighter Ken Hartfield.

"It was surreal," Pelletier said.

Eventually police arrived and corralled the dogs, allowing the paramedics to work.

Parker did not survive the ordeal, suffering a heart attack at the scene.

The dogs are owned by Bernard Humphrey, who had been taken into police custody on Sunday because he failed to update his address for the sex-offender registry.

Police discovered Humphrey's registry offense after being called to his apartment on Manassas on Sunday because the dogs had a man trapped at his car.

Department officials say the dogs were "contained" in an apartment Sunday and Memphis Animal Services was not called to collect them.

Police haven't said if Humphrey will face charges related to the Tuesday attacks by his dogs.

The dogs are in quarantine at the Memphis Animal Shelter. An abundance of pit bulls and pit bull mixes at the facility has prompted Memphis City Council member Shea Flinn to propose a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for the breed.

His proposal wasn't inspired by the behavior of the breed, he says, but the proliferation of pit bulls in Memphis.

"If it had been 80 percent Chihuahuas (populating the shelter), it would have been a Chihuahuas thing," Flinn said.

The ordinance is still being written and will not be breed-specific, he said.

Last October, three pit bulls attacked a Cordova woman as she walked her son's dog, biting her more than 50 times on her arms and legs.

And in April, an 8-year-old girl in Raleigh was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull an hour before the start of her birthday party.

The child required extensive surgery and a five-day hospital stay.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/22/firefighter-recalls-surreal-dog-attack/



Unrelated Pit Bull attack in Memphis TN.
Also, this is a new Pit Bull attack story that happened in Memphis TN.

(Memphis 11/21/2010) An eight-year-old girl attacked by a pit bull in Whitehaven was recovering at home, after being released from LeBonheur Children's Hospital with 42 stitches.

FAST FACTS:


Eight-year-old Terriona Rhea was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull on Saturday afternoon.

Rhea received 42 stitches at LeBonheur Children's Hospital.

She said she still loves dogs.

Pit Bulls kills 2 yr. old child in attack

Cordened off: The cul-de-sac in Concord, California, is still closed as police investigate the mauling of toddler Jacob Bisbee by the pit bull terriers



A 2-year-old Concord, Calif. boy is dead after he was attacked by his family's pitbulls at home.

Police say the child walked into the garage where the three pitbulls are kept around 8:45 a.m. Thursday when the animals attacked.

The child was severely injured and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Police say two adult relatives and a young sibling were home at the time. The Contra Costa County Animal Services department is assisting in the investigation.

The child's death comes amid a recent series of pitbull attacks that have renewed calls to put restrictions on owning the breed, which was developed for fighting.
 
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/22/national/main6703350.shtml

Memphis man killed in Pit Bull attack, others injured.

FAST FACTS:


Elderly man killed, three other hurt in pit bull attack

Two firefighters were hurt when they attempted to help the man

(Memphis 7/20/2010) One person is dead and others are hurt after a pit bull attack in Memphis this afternoon. The man apparently died from a heart attack following the Pit Bull attack.

The attack happened at 230 N. Manassas near the intersection of Manassas and Poplar Avenues.

 71-year-old William Parker was attacked by two dogs while walking from one yard to another.


Parker died after being taken to the hospital.

When firefighters arrived on the scene to treat the man, two of them were attacked.

Lt. Ray Pelletier and Ken Hartfield are being treated at a Methodist University Hospital and released.

William Parker's daughter Gardelia and Kevin Stringfellow were also injured and are listed in good condition.

Bernard Humphrey is the owner of the Pit Bulls.  His own mother kicked him AND the dogs out because she was so scared.


This is not the first fatal Pit Bull attack in Memphis.

In 1990, a schoolteacher, Betty Lou Stidham, was mauled to death by her neighbors Pit Bull in a vicious attack.



THIS IS WHY THEY NEED TO BE BANNED OR HIGHLY REGULATED!

THERE ARE TOO MANY JUST PLAIN STUPID PEOPLE OWNING THESE DOGS!
THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO ENSURE THEY ARE ONLY OWNED BY COMPETENT PEOPLE THAT WILL MAKE SURE THE DOG DOES NOT CAUSE TROUBLE OR KILL SOMEONE, SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON LAWMAKERS? HOW MANY MORE TRAGIC DEATHS DO WE HAVE TO SEE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE?
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OUTCRY FROM THE PUBLIC THAT DOES NOT LET UP UNTIL THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!


Unrelated to this attack, another Pit Bull has attacked in Memphis

Also, this is a new Pit Bull attack story that happened in Memphis TN.

(Memphis 11/21/2010) An eight-year-old girl attacked by a pit bull in Whitehaven was recovering at home, after being released from LeBonheur Children's Hospital with 42 stitches.

FAST FACTS:


Eight-year-old Terriona Rhea was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull on Saturday afternoon.

Rhea received 42 stitches at LeBonheur Children's Hospital.

She said she still loves dogs.

Favorite Pit Bull quote--

Like a hand grenade, they are inert until you pull the pin. Once the pin is pulled, there is nothing you can do to stop the explosion.
--Gary Wilkes

PIT BULLS By Gary Wilkes - A must read!

Dogsbite.org originally posted this this morning.
I am reposting because I feel there cannot be too many of these circulating the internet.

http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/pit-bulls-gary-wilkes-spring-2010-off-lead.pdf

David Letterman says "Pit Bulls will kill you!"

LEAVE DAVID LETTERMAN ALONE!!!!!








As some of you may know, I am signed up on just about every friggin Pit Bull info email list that can be subscribed to.
I got an email yesterday from one regarding David Letterman talking bad about Pit Bull dogs to an audience of millions, and now everyone needed to bombard the stations and say how wrong he is.  The message is spreading like wildfire now.

Well actually, I would like to personally thank David Letterman for saying what he said. It has got to be hard to stand in front of millions of people and say what he said..
David Letterman is my hero of the week!!

Here is a copy of the email I received--

Please send this out far and wide.


On Thursday night, David Letterman made hugely disparaging comments about pit bulls, yet again, when he was talking to Kyra Sedgwick, as she has a dog that looks like a pit. Among other things, he said pits will chew your face off, attack your throat in the middle of the night, and that if you want to have a life in front of you, you should not get a pit. This is the second time he has done this – he did it the last time Sedgwick was on the show.

Please leave you comments at the following link:

http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php

In the top box, choose the “The Late Show with David Letterman” and fill in your details and comment.

For him to make comments like that on one of the most popular shows on national TV is unacceptable and does huge damage to these dogs.

Let me correct you there, PIT BULLS are doing damage to Pit Bulls!  Pit Bull owners feel like they have to attack anyone that speaks the truth.

MCABSL clarifies some things, to make killers look better to the public.

Earlier this week I blogger about an article about the loophole in Miami's service dog law that Pit Bull lovers and enthusiasts in Miami are grossly taking advantage of-- http://bslforpitsmakessense.blogspot.com/2010/07/pit-bulls-as-therapy-dogs-in-miami.html


And yesterday MCABSL came out with their own email to clarify a few things, which I thought was a bunch of bull because it is loaded with lies and fallacies!


Dear Board Members, Members and dog lovers:


The Miami Herald recently ran an article about “pit bulls” used as service dogs in Miami Dade County despite the ban on dogs that animal control officers believe look like “pit bulls”. We would like to clarify some statements made in the article and correct others.



Miami Dade County’s ban on these dogs was grandfathered in when Florida made it illegal to discriminate based on a dog’s breed. Dogs that look like pit bulls are protected elsewhere in Florida from discrimination based on breed.



Larry Steinhauser is quoted as saying the pit bulls he has seen are “aggressive”. Of course, we don’t know whether he has seen one or two or any “pit bulls”. People cannot look at most dogs and accurately determine their breed. Recently, in Denver Dr. Victoria Voith did a little test on animal shelter directors, dog trainers and others who work with dogs. They were asked to view 20 dogs on a videotape and identify each one by breed including whether the dog was a purebred or a mix. The professionals were surprised by how few dogs they identified correctly by breed. Voith believes as many as 75% of the pit bull identifications made by shelter workers, animal control or law enforcement are wrong. She is the author of Shelter Medicine: A Comparison of Visual and DNA Identifications of BREEDS of Dogs. As DNA testing becomes more reliable, it is proving that many of the dogs identified as pit bull are actually a mix of dozens of breeds with little or none of the DNA of pit bull type dogs.



That means a lot of dogs condemned by BSL are not even "pit bull" breeds.



In the last two legislative sessions pit bull bans like those proposed by Mr. Steinhauser were defeated. That is because legislators understand breed bans don’t work to make communities safe. Study after study has proven this. Dogs don't bite because of breed or appearance; they bite out of fear that could have been the result of poor socialization, neglect, abuse, tethering or confinement or isolation. In other words, it is the owner's negligent or criminal actions that are responsible, not the dog's breed or appearance.



Breed bans penalize responsible owners and mean the death of dogs that are not in any way dangerous. Breed discrimination is also very costly for communities. Think of it. It means taxpayers are paying animal control officers to run around and hunt down and kill dogs they think are pit bulls when we know even trained professionals cannot identify the breed of most dogs.



We would have like to see Mr. Steinhauser come to our Annual MCABSL BBQ Pit Event or Ernie Sims Pitbulls on Parade Event (in Tally). He would have the chance to meet dozens of Pit Bulls, Staffies and mixes and experience the true temperament and standard of these incredible dogs. We think if he had attended this event, he would have realized you can’t predict whether a dog may bite based on appearance or breed or what you think the breed may be. He also would have had a great time with some wonderful dogs!



The other person quoted in the article is Ms. Janet Severt, from New Horizons Service Dogs in Orlando, Florida, She is quoted as stating that although she disagrees with the ban she would never train a Pit Bull as a Service Dog. But remember the Center for Disease Control states: “There is no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.” In some “Bite Lists“ the top biters are Labs and Golden Retrievers which Ms. Severt recommends and trains as Service Dogs!



Again, it is not possible to predict whether a dog may bite based on appearance or some belief about breed.



There have been a number of Pits, Staffies and mixes who have been service dogs. There is Ruby who visited Hialeah Hospital and Ice Pop who constantly visits hospitals and has raised more than $10,000.00 dollars for charities by offering $1.00 per kiss…They were both rescued from inhumane conditions as pups. The list goes on...Pits, Staffies and their mixes make wonderful service dogs! Miami-Dade County’s recognition that pit bulls can be service dogs proves how illogical and irrational the breed ban is. And how tragic for the dogs and the people who love them.



Respectfully,
Dahlia Canes~Edel Miedes-Directors

The Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation.