Please come back to see when and where and updates of the next event below.

Please come back to see when, where and for new updates of the next events.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Why a Walk for Victims?

Here in Tucson, there have recently been several pit bull and other dangerous dog attacks on people and on their pets. 

There is no doubt that public awareness needs to be brought to this issue, as these type of attacks continue to occur. For these victims, there is a long physical recovery period, if the victim does survive the attack; however, the psychological impact of these attacks are often severe and long lasting as well.  One victim speaks of the psychological impact here:

"I usually stay up until 4-5 in the morning because I just can't sleep due to the nightmares. What are the nightmares about? The pit bull attack (my dog) and I experienced. When I close my eyes, I can see that helpless look on (my dog's) face, and when I go to sleep, the attack is played out all over again in my nightmares. I also have nightmares about the pit bull attacking and killing my friends and family, and dreaming about a pit bull tearing my little sister apart is just unbearable."

Below are the most recent attacks perpetrated by pit bulls and other dangerous dogs.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) A Tucson-area woman is recovering after authorities say she was attacked by two dogs. Northwest Fire Capt. Adam Goldberg tells KGUN-TV (http://bit.ly/xM5lFo) the victim is 89.
The Pima County Animal Care Center says the dogs are pit bulls that escaped from their owner's backyard Wednesday through an unlocked gate.
The sheriff's department says the woman was getting her mail when she was attacked.
Officials say neighbors helped capture the pit bulls. The dogs are in quarantine. (KGUN 9)
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/142124613.html
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Two dogs viciously attack another canine in Midtown then move on to that canine's owner. Next, they turn on a man rushing to help, leaving the animal lover and Good Samaritan no choice than to take deadly action. The victim in that attack, Marisa Miranda, spoke out to 9OYS. She says the attack has stolen her sense of security.
Miranda owns Bon Bon, a Chow mix. They've been together for the last 12 years. She was used to walking him everyday without incident, until the day of the attack. She says she's now scared to go on walks in the neighborhood.
Earlier in the week, Pima County Animal Care confirmed one of the dogs who attacked Bon Bon and Miranda was a pit bull mix. That dog was shot and killed. The other ran away.
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/140523843.html

Pit bull attack victim dies

 TUCSON - The man who was severely injured when his pit bull savagely mauled him two weeks ago succumbed to his injuries this morning.
A statement from the family of Michael Cook reads:
"We are saddened to inform your news team that around 1:30am this morning Michael Cook succumbed to his injuries and has passed away."
Cook was attacked outside his home on August 3. His 16-year-old son says "Butch," a 6-year-old Pitbuill mix, had just been neutered and was medicated when the attack occurred.
Cook was bitten on his arms, neck, stomach, and leg, and all or part of both his arms were amputated.
Cook's family has established a memorial find on his children's behalf to help with funeral expenses. Donations can be made towards "The Michael Cook Fund."
Pictured: A vintage photo of a young Michael Cook, provided by his family. (KVOA.com)
TUCSON (KGUN9- TV) - Another pit bull attack in Tucson left one man injured and two dogs dead.  Police shot and killed two pit bulls in an East side neighborhood after they attacked an elderly man and his golden retriever early Wednesday morning.
Jim Skevington was walking his dog when two of his neighbors' pit bulls attacked.  Neighbors tried to stop it and called police but the dogs didn't back down. (KGUN 9)
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/131151728.html
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Another pit bull attack in Tucson---this time on the east side.
The attack injured a woman, and left her dog dead.
The woman was walking her dog at apartments near Golf Links and Pantano Thursday when the pit bull attacked her dog and she tried to protect her pet.
It's the latest in a string of high profile attacks by dangerous dogs. (KGUN 9)
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/132831913.html
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A 7 year-old girl went to the hospital for treatment Tuesday night after the family dog bite her on the arm.
Emergency crews responded to the residence located in the 4200 block of East Benson Highway after 6:15 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Deputy Dawn Barkman with the Pima County Sheriff's Department told KGUN9 that the dog, a pit bull mix, left a serious dog bite to the girl's arm. The injury while serious is believed to be non life threatening. (KGUN 9)
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/139924503.html

Dog Attack Statistics

Victims of serious dog attacks often suffer acute damage, which may require $250,000 to one million dollars in specialized medical care treatment. Reconstructive surgery, such as skin grafting, tissue expansion and scar diminishment, often requires multiple procedures over a period of years. In many instances, insurance and the dog owner pays little of this amount, if any.

Pit bull terriers and Rottweilers are the most dangerous of the dog breeds according to statistics.  Research shows that during the 7-year period from 2005 to 2011, these two breeds accounted for 74% of the total recorded fatal attacks.  By compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2011, a report by Animal People shows that pit bulls (215) and rottweilers (81) and their mixes accounted for 64% of the total recorded fatal attacks, which totaled 466.

It is important to point out that fatal dog attacks committed by pit bulls and their mixes more than doubles the attacks inflicted by rottweilers. It is well documented by experts and humane groups, that pit bulls pose a substantial danger due to their selective breeding for dogfighting. Unlike other dog breeds, pit bulls frequently fail to communicate intention prior to an attack (surprise attacks); possess a lethal bite style (hold and shake) and a ruinous manner of attack (gameness). (Dogsbite.org)

(Chart representing study by Merritt Clifton of Animal People, September 1982-December 2011)

(This study is ongoing and continues to be updated as attacks occur)

25 comments:

  1. this walk ushers in a whole new brave attitude in dealing with the zealots...BRAVO!!!

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  2. I'm in Tucson and am looking forward to joining this walk. Perhaps it might motivate the Tucson Police Department and the Pima Animal Couldn't Care Less Center to see pit bulls for the public safety threat that they are.

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    1. Anonymous, I am so glad to hear that you will join us! Once we get all the permits established, there will be a press release with all the information included! Looking forward to seeing a great group of people for this walk!

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  3. cant wait, My dog was killed by pit bulls and the pit bull owner didnt pay any of the bills,it came into our house and killed our dog in front of my 6 year old and we even had to change the carpet as it was full of blood,some of it my own.

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    1. Anonymous, I am so very sorry to hear about your dog. This is exactly the kind of thing we are all sick and tired of. This is why it is time for the voices of victims to be heard. I know a bunch of people that have had the same experience you've had, unfortunately. I'm so glad you'll be joining us!

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  4. Bravo is right. A tiny step that will make a big impact no matter how many people show up it is a start. Showing support for the pets, grandmas, teens and babes shredded by pitbulls is important. Pitbull victims have lost everything including homes and businesses as the expenses are so great. Pitbull owners always deny their dog could do something like this so it will happen again and again. Show those lazy politicians you mean business and want the community safe for kids and pedestrians and people checking their mail. Maybe someday we won't need pitbull victim walks if we all show up for this one.

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  5. I keep thinking of all the souls who happen chance by this blog, and are so happy to this being organized. And of course they think the same thing we do, "I wonder if the organizer of this walk is being harshly harassed"...keep on keeping on brave souls, together, we will accomplish this.

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  6. Here's an example of what we're up against:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57415283/judge-gives-tenn-dog-on-death-row-a-reprieve/

    Note the misuse of the word "rescue" in the final paragraph. Harboring a pit bull is not rescue, because that word implies heroism.

    IMHO, the proper use of the word "rescue" is in a context like a firefighter carrying a child out of a burning building. Or the Coast Guard pulling New Orleans residents off the rooftops of their flooded homes after Hurricane Katrina.

    Saving a dangerous dog from euthanasia is not heroic. It's foolish. What if the dog attacks somebody in the so-called "rescue" center? Who will pay for that person's medical care and rehabilitation? I doubt that it will be the donors to this "save the poor widdle pibble" campaign.

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    1. Anonymous, I agree with you completely on this. It is nothing but foolish to "rescue" this pit bull, that has already injured people and other pets. It is not "heroic," but it is indeed the mentality that we are up against. This pit bull's owner raised over $17,000 in donations to "save" her pit bull, yet didn't pay a dime to the victims for their medical and Vet bills.

      This is absolutely foolish and ridiculous if you ask me. Something is VERY wrong with our society that we can do so much for a dog that has hurt people and pets, and care absolutely nothing for the victims of the same dog.

      It is also completely inhumane to keep a dog, any dog, in a cage for over a year, with very little, if any, socialization. This will indeed make this dog more fearful, and more aggressive. This dog will now go to a "rescue" to live out the rest of its miserable life in confinement. This is NOT fair to the dog, and MORE than unfair to the victims, who people seem to care nothing about.

      That's why we are doing this walk. These victims need a voice, and we are going to be that voice.

      Thank you for your comments.

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  7. This was in today's Arizona Daily Star:

    http://azstarnet.com/news/local/homes-needed-for-dogs-in-tucson/article_344b1d3e-8eea-11e1-b757-0019bb2963f4.html

    Look at the large photo in the center. That dog sure looks like a pit bull mix, doesn't it? And check out the smaller photos. Some of them look like pit bulls.

    Methinks that the Pima Animal Care Center, in an effort to not look like the bad guys of euthanasia, is going to be creating more dog attack victims. I suspect that PACC has been infiltrated by the animal rights extremists, and that's not a good thing for our community.

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    1. You're absolutely right, Anonymous. This is NOT a good thing for our community. These dogs are being pushed to be adopted and most certainly will create more attack victims.

      If you ask me, Tucson needs to adopt the same policy as the Nogales shelter who states that they no longer allow pit bull dog adoptions, because "it's too much of a liability." It seems, for some strange reason, that the Mayor and City Council of Tucson care nothing about the victims they are creating through these adoptions, and through all of the backyard breeding.

      I don't know about you, Anonymous, but almost every single day, I see another few cardboard signs up along the streets that read, "Pit bull puppies for sale." This town is overrun with pit bulls, which continues to create more victims.

      It's time that the victims' voices are heard, and we're going to make sure that happens. So glad you're joining us in doing so.

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  8. This is the second time in less than a year for the screening of this movie:

    http://tucsoncitizen.com/tucson-tails/2012/05/02/tucson-pit-bull-documentary-may-5-screening-room/

    Methinks that our local pit nutters are starting to get a tad worried. Especially in light of this:

    http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/149318705.html

    Not to mention this recent appellate court decision:

    http://blog.dogsbite.org/2012/04/maryland-court-of-appeals-holds-pit.html

    Speaking of marches, we aren't the only ones out there. A few weeks ago, I saw a pit bull parade on the sidewalk outside the Food Conspiracy Co-op on 4th Avenue. Fortunately, I was inside the store -- and I stayed there until the parade passed by.

    Best thing I can say is that all of the parading pit bulls were leashed. But I still didn't want to mess with them.

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    1. Anonymous, I would totally agree with you on this one as well. They are definitely getting nervous, although I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I don't how much trouble their gonna start making. Makes me wonder.

      Our walk is coming along well, and soon we'll be announcing date/time/location and everything....we'll be doing a press release. I hope you have signed up for the google email group. You can sign up right here on the blog...this way, you'll get all updates about the walk via email...when you enter your email, no one else will be able to see it. I hope you will join us at the walk.
      Thank you for your feedback.

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  9. Here in Tucson and Pima County, animal control isn't part of the solution. To the contrary -- they're part of the problem. Look at the rescue group that heads this list:

    http://www.pimaanimalcare.org/services/rescuegrps.asp

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    1. You're right, Anonymous. I definitely agree with you there! They're always pushing pit bulls out of the humane society/shelters around here. It's time to stop pushing pits. With this walk coming together, and people coming together to promote awareness and honor victims, victims hopefully will no longer feel they have to be quiet. It's time to speak up and speak out! We can do so, and we will! The pit pushing needs to stop! We need to adopt the rules of the Nogales shelters that no longer adopt out pit bulls because they're "too much of a liability!" Together we can make a difference, and we CAN save lives! Thank you, hope you join us in walking for victims.

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    2. Glad to hear that the walk plans are progressing. In the meantime, there's this really cool rally we can go to:

      http://www.azpm.org/arts-and-life/story/2012/5/24/1747-calling-all-bulldogs-its-roundup-time/

      Money quote: For those who say that the violent nature is something that is predisposed in pit bulls, Kira Cozzens, president of Born Guilty Kennels, argues that any dog can be aggressive and that ultimately it is in the way the owner raises them.

      "It's just about the training," she says. "You need to socialize them with other animals and with other people. Don't shelter them and make them to be this 'guard dog' that everyone wants them to be."

      Booths for pit bull rescue will be accepting donations at the event, and a raffle will be held for a female pit bull.

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    3. Thanks so much for the heads up on this, Quiet Neighbor! I commented on it for them, but I won't attend. I think it's sick that they're even doing this right after a Tucson resident gets severely mauled. Disgusting!

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  10. Good Work, my dear!!

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    1. Thank you Anonymous! It's nice to see positive comments amidst the vile, crude, rude, illiterate pit bull defender comments.

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  11. All these walks to save pit bulls, never for the victims, never to raise funds for victims, only for their pits. It's about time that someone stood up for the victims and the time is now with this walk.

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    1. Agree completely! It is definitely time for the voices of the VICTIMS to be heard! Thank you!

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  12. I wish I lived close enough to join you all! I think it is a wonderful, brave thing you're doing to help bring awareness to the VICTIMS of pit bulls. Thank you!

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    1. Hi Dayna! We too wish you could join us, but we know you'll be with us in spirit. Please help us spread the word about the Walk, and thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback!

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  13. For those who can't walk cause of disabilities... and for those who don't want to walk ...there will be music, and fun in the park, too. It is going to be a WALK/Party/Community festival it appears

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  14. Saleena Wickward is my daughter, I don't know if you saw the news on her from 4/19/2010, but she, well all of us are on the victims list. I wish sooo badly that I could be there and show support~ soooo badly!!! I'm so glad there's others that understand the grief, loss, and disparity that our family has been through. It absolutely changed everyone of our lives. So many just really don't understand. I watched my daughter die that day and though we have a different version of her, part of her will be gone forever I'm afraid. I've attached an email I sent to Parents Against Dog Chaining (to whom have actually been in contact with me since, and started the foundation as victims themselves. AWESOME PEOPLE!) I hope it doesn't offend anyone.....

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