San Antonio, Texas girl killed......

[RioBravoReptiles]

Jan. 14, 2007, 11:18AM
San Antonio girl trying to help pit bull killed
Associated Press
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SAN ANTONIO — A 10-year-old girl has died after being attacked by her neighbor's dog while trying to help the animal after it had gotten its collar caught on a chain link fence.
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Amber Jones was in her backyard Friday afternoon practicing cheerleadering moves when she noticed that in an attempt to jump over the fence, the pit bull was caught. As she had done several times before, she asked her mom if she could help the dog. The mother said yes. When the girl went to the dog's rescue, the dog attacked her.
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Hearing her daughter's screams, Lori Jones ran into the backyard. The dog had bitten Amber in the stomach and was attached to her neck.
Amber's mother tried to push the dog off. A man rushed to help and got the dog away from both mother and daughter. The family does not know the man but said if he had not been there the dog could have attacked Lori Jones as well.
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Amber was airlifted to University Hospital, where she died a couple of hours later. "You just try to keep it together," her father, Robert Jones, said the day after her death. "We're hanging together and trying to reason it out."
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The dog was put into the custody of Animal Services and will likely be euthanized because it killed someone, said Animal Cruelty Investigator Eddie Wright. There will be a hearing during which the owners of the dog will have a chance to defend the animal. That hearing has to be held within 10 days of the incident, he said.
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Robert Jones said "the family that owns the dog did come to their house to apologize for what happened".
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[Cristina]

omg!!! thats awful ...poor girl...poor family

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[MAG_Pythons]

that stinks - the girl shouldn't have died .... and yet more bad press for pitts

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[luker3232]

I have been attacked by a pitbull before it wasnt fun. I still have scars. i would much rather get bit from a 12 foot snake than mauled by another pit. poor girl.

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[hunters327]

That is so terrible.
We should all keep this family in our prayers.

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[barrychapman]

Originally Posted by RioBravoReptiles

Jan. 14, 2007, 11:18AM
San Antonio girl trying to help pit bull killed
Associated Press
.
SAN ANTONIO — A 10-year-old girl has died after being attacked by her neighbor's dog while trying to help the animal after it had gotten its collar caught on a chain link fence.
.
Amber Jones was in her backyard Friday afternoon practicing cheerleadering moves when she noticed that in an attempt to jump over the fence, the pit bull was caught. As she had done several times before, she asked her mom if she could help the dog. The mother said yes. When the girl went to the dog's rescue, the dog attacked her.
.
Hearing her daughter's screams, Lori Jones ran into the backyard. The dog had bitten Amber in the stomach and was attached to her neck.
Amber's mother tried to push the dog off. A man rushed to help and got the dog away from both mother and daughter. The family does not know the man but said if he had not been there the dog could have attacked Lori Jones as well.
.
Amber was airlifted to University Hospital, where she died a couple of hours later. "You just try to keep it together," her father, Robert Jones, said the day after her death. "We're hanging together and trying to reason it out."
.
The dog was put into the custody of Animal Services and will likely be euthanized because it killed someone, said Animal Cruelty Investigator Eddie Wright. There will be a hearing during which the owners of the dog will have a chance to defend the animal. That hearing has to be held within 10 days of the incident, he said.
.
Robert Jones said "the family that owns the dog did come to their house to apologize for what happened".
.

this happens way too often to simply 'punish the deed'

that entire breed of animals are all ticking time bombs

[dball]

Originally Posted by barrychapman

this happens way too often to simply 'punish the deed'
that entire breed of animals are all ticking time bombs

Wow!

You do know that

1) Pitbulls are the most popular dog owned in the United Stated by a large margin.

2) They also are most popular with drug dealers and other scum alike that want their dogs to be agressive.

3) The vast majority of these stories are not actually pitbulls. Unless they post a picture of the dog you cannot be sure. And they rarely do. Most the time it turns out the animal was not a pit, but that rarely makes the news. Wonder why?

I have seen stories where the pitbull that attacked was actually a rottweiler.



No wonder you see all these stories. But lets punish the breed. Thats not ignorant at all.

Why don't you ask responsible pitbull owners their take on the situation. Better yet, lets see the owners of these "pitbulls" that attacked.

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[smash_57]

Originally Posted by dball

Wow!
You do know that
1) Pitbulls are the most popular dog owned in the United Stated by a large margin.
2) They also are most popular with drug dealers and other scumbags alike that want their dogs to be agressive.
3) The vast majority of these stories are not actually pitbulls. Unless they post a picture of the dog you cannot be sure. And they rarely do. Most the time it turns out the animal was not a pit, but that rarely makes the news. Wonder why?
I have seen stories where the pitbull that attacked was actually a rottweiler.
No wonder you see all these stories. But lets punish the breed. Thats not ignorant at all.
Why don't you ask responsible pitbull owners their take on the situation. Better yet, lets see the owners of these "pitbulls" that attacked.

AMEN!!

This is a tragedy. Very very sad that this little girl lost her life.

and just an fyi - more children die every year choking on latex balloons than being killed by dogs in general, nevermind the specific breeds. Let's ban latex!! It's dangerous!!

~Jennifer

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[Ranger]

I am absolutely shocked that a pit bull would do that! After all, trustworthy, knowledgable people have said again and again (and again, and again, and again), that it's not the breed, it's the deed.

Give it up folks - it's the breed. At some point, coincidences become patterns, and when patterns become predictable, it is NEGLIGENT to not act to protect the innocent.

When these things happen, there should be a hot shot for the dog, and a warm jail cell for the owner.

Let the flaming commence!

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[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by smash_57

AMEN!!
This is a tragedy. Very very sad that this little girl lost her life.
and just an fyi - more children die every year choking on latex balloons than being killed by dogs in general, nevermind the specific breeds. Let's ban latex!! It's dangerous!!
~Jennifer

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Interesting! I posted the info about this tragedy as a way to put retpile-related injury and death in perspective. When I see an article where a cocker spaniel or a reptile (or a ballon, I suppose, if I was into collecting ballons, not animals) causes the death of a ten year-old near me I will likely post that as well.
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But ok... Multiple choice question....
Hypothetically speaking.. you would support a ban (or strict rules of ownership) on Pit bull dogs or any breed if the ban would:
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1) Save only one-half of the children reported to be killed by Pits in the press.
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2) Save 1/4 of the children reprted to be killed by Pits in the press.
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3) Save 10 children from savage injury or death.
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4) Prevent the death of 1 little girl.
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5) Never, I'll fight any rules or bans and they can pry my Pit out of my stiff fingers after the animal-cops have tasered me to the floor.
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Yeah.. that's not really a fair survey.. but it approximates the choices facing some communities because no reasonable alternatives are discussed.
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Gus.

[Ranger]

Originally Posted by RioBravoReptiles

Yeah.. that's not really a fair survey.. but it approximates the choices facing some communities because no reasonable alternatives are discussed.
Gus.

Gus, I'm in no way looking for conflict (honest), but I have to say, I've never heard any reasonable alternatives offered concerning this topic. There seem to be two crowds on this one; the kill em all crowd, and the "a dog is a dog" crowd.

In your opinion, which I generally respect, what is the reasonable middle ground?

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[smash_57]

Originally Posted by RioBravoReptiles

.
When I see an article where a cocker spaniel or a reptile (or a ballon, I suppose, if I was into collecting ballons, not animals) causes the death of a ten year-old near me I will likely post that as well.
.
But ok... Multiple choice question....
Hypothetically speaking.. you would support a ban (or strict rules of ownership) on Pit bull dogs or any breed if the ban would:
.
1) Save only one-half of the children reported to be killed by Pits in the press.
.
2) Save 1/4 of the children reprted to be killed by Pits in the press.
.
3) Save 10 children from savage injury or death.
.
4) Prevent the death of 1 little girl.
.
5) Never, I'll fight any rules or bans and they can pry my Pit out of my stiff fingers after the animal-cops have tasered me to the floor.
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Yeah.. that's not really a fair survey.. but it approximates the choices facing some communities because no reasonable alternatives are discussed.
.
Gus.

You will never see an article about a little girl choking to death by a balloon, because it wouldn't make headlines.

I am all for strict rules of ownership. If most animal control units had the staff needed to enforce the current laws, we wouldn't have half the problem we do now.

Breed bans won't help anything. The law abiding citizens will give up their animals tearfully, and the thugs who raise them irresponsably will hide them. And when they're caught and the dogs are taken, they'll find another breed.

Reasonable alternatives, as you posted, are the answer. Unfortunately, in some places, those aren't the steps taken. Hopefully Texas will continue to fight BSL and search out those alternatives.

~Jennifer

[smash_57]

So, I assume you've actually looked at the numbers, then, before you decided to trust what the media says?
Or is the media right when they say pit bulls are a dangerous pet, but they're wrong when they say no one should own boa because of the risk that it will strangle you in your sleep?
Remember back when Rottweilers were the big bad dangerous breed? How about Dobermans? German Shepards? Pit Bulls happen to be what the media has decided to sensationalize right now.
Have you ever met a pit bull that was raised properly? When I take mine out in public, not only do most people ask what breed he is, but when I tell them he's a pittie, their reaction is of total surprise because they thought pit bulls were big mean vicious dogs, when in reality, most aren't.
~Jennifer

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[JuliusSqueezer]

I don't think they should be banned any more than I think guns should be banned but if a gun or a dog is left unattended and a child gets ahold of it or anyone for that matter is exposed to danger because of your choice of pets or weapons and lack of properly containing them and guarding the innocent from them....I don't care how sweet and harmless or unloaded they are. Guns and several breeds of dogs have triggers and anyone negligent should be accountable at minimum with manslaughter penalties. If it's blatent, 2nd degree murder. If it's encouraged...("get her cujo")...1st degree murder. When a few people get properly punished, then I think more people will take greater care of putting up the right kind of fences and not allowing the dogs (however sweet they may be) to run amuck...so no. Don't punish the breed or the deed. Punish the owner of the dog that isn't keeping it contained.

I had to take the law into my own hands once with a next door neighbor and his pitbull. They didn't have a fence. They had a doghouse and a short chain but that wasn't being used much. For the most part, the dog just ran wild. Pretty much everytime I walked out my front door there was a pitbull at the bottom of the steps growling and barking at me. I was married to my now exwife at that time and she was very pregnant so I was more than a little concerned about this dog. It killed several cats and a couple of other neighborhood dogs including my cat. It only bit me once I called animal control and they came and got the dog once. The neighbors paid the fine and then kept the dog chained during the hours that animal control was open and let him run at night and on weekends. I called and complained and they said they have to catch the dog off the chain unless there was an attack to report. They couldn't do anything about it. Not wanting to wait for a mauling of someone I cared about, I shot the dog in my front yard. Wrong? maybe, maybe not. I guess you would have had to have been there to fully understand. The dogs name was Boo. Oddly enough when they moved out, the people that bought their house moved in and they had a Chow. Guess what the Chow's name was. Boo ...weird huh? lol

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[smash_57]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

Punish the owner of the dog that isn't keeping it contained.

Exactly!!

[Nonconformist]

Who said pitbulls are the most popular American breed?

That's just not true.

AKC Dog Registration Statistics

Not even in the top ten.

The most popular breed has been Labrador retrievers for as long as I can remember.


Does the AKC even recognize it as a breed? I think they may lump them in with American Staffordshire terriers (which by the way - clocks in as the 63rd most popular breed in America).

The word "pitbull" doesn't even make the AKC list.

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[RioBravoReptiles]

Originally Posted by smash_57

So, I assume you've actually looked at the numbers, then, before you decided to trust what the media says?
....Jennifer

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So your answer is #5, you'll never support any rules about keeping Pit bulls. (because the media is wrong about exactly how many kids are being mauled and killed by pits?)
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I'm sensitive to your argument, but only from the standpoint that media accuracy does effect us all, not because it makes me think that Pit bulls mauling or killing kids is acceptable.. because the numbers reported may be off.
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You're very aggressive in your defense of your rights. And it seems I'm your current target! But if I was your publicity advisor I'd suggest you start your own thread where you can hype how average Pits are and attack the press for inaccuracy, or slant. This would be a better place for simple sympathy.. Soapboxing here in answer to the report of another child killed reads a little shrill.
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And.. I love your cute photos! But be glad the press is not so irresponsible as you say. Otherwise there would be a photo of that little girl's bloody clothes (or ripped flesh) to accompany that story. And that would be the end of the story.
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Good luck.. Gus.

[barrychapman]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

I don't think they should be banned any more than I think guns should be banned

i think it is more like, guns should be allowed - but ban the automatic weapons that are designed for uses outside of what guns are generally permitted for in the US.

Just like dogs, dogs should be allowed as pets, but there are the ones who routinely appear in the news because they have killed or mauled another dog or human.

[Ranger]

The analogy of guns to pitbulls is inadequate at best. A gun is an inanimate object that requires human intervention before it harms anyone. A dog has a mind of its own.

A dog may work persistently to defeat the measures its owner has taken to secure it. But no gun ever unlocked the safe by itself, left the house, and hurt someone. Many a dog has left the yard and injured someone.

Certainly guns have been handled irresponsibly, resulting in tragedy. In those cases, a human was the acive agent, and should be held accountable.

Even the most conscientious owner cannot assure that his dog will never get out.

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[mpgt]

Thanks for posting this Gus. Sorry to hear about the little girl. I can't imagine what her family must be going through. It doesn't seem wise for her mom to let her assist a dog in that circumstance though.

I'll start the other thread so this one can stay on topic.

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