Toddler Mauled, Dog Put Down

03/6/07
www.wral.com

Durham — A toddler was mauled by a family dog outside her home Tuesday morning.

Jamie Gunter said he saw a commotion outside 512 Trinity Ave. and saw a pit bull with what appeared to be a doll in its mouth. Gunter then determined the dog had attacked a child that lived next door, and he jumped the fence and kicked the dog to get the child out of the animal's mouth.

Jaida Riviera suffered injuries to her head and arms. She was recovering at home Tuesday evening.

Police said the girl was playing with a puppy in her back yard when the 3-year-old pit bull, which was owned by her family, suddenly attacked her. The girl's legs became wrapped in the dog's chains, and she couldn't escape, police said.

The family surrendered the dog to Durham Animal Control officers, and it was immediately put down because it lacked an immunization record.

The dog’s body is being tested for rabies.

 

CHAINED DOG MAULS TODDLER

COALITION CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE BAN ON DOG CHAINING IN
DURHAM AND ORANGE COUNTIES
 

Durham, NC. . . The mauling today of a 3-year old girl by a chained dog in Durham has prompted a community organization to call for an immediate and total ban on dog chaining in Durham and Orange Counties.  The girl was attacked by a dog chained in her own backyard, and the dog’s chain became wrapped around the girl’s leg, preventing her escape.  She was taken to the hospital with injuries to her face and head.
 
“This preventable tragedy points to the urgent need for a ban on the dangerous and cruel practice of chaining dogs,” said Amanda Arrington, a spokesperson for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs, a group of Triangle Area residents advocating for anti-chaining ordinances.  “We have asked our local officials in Orange and Durham Counties to take action on this issue, and this incident graphically demonstrates what is at stake.”
 
“Chaining dogs makes them aggressive and clearly a danger to any child who crosses their path,” Amanda Arrington, a Durham resident, continued.  “Our hearts go out to this child who Is the victim of this
terrible and preventable attack.” 
 
The Centers for Disease Control has found chained dogs 2.8 more times likely to bite, and the American Veterinary Medical Association has warned: "Never tether or chain your dog because this can contribute to aggressive behavior." 
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits chaining as the primary means of confinement under the federal Animal Welfare Act.  Nearly 100 cities, counties and states in the U.S. ban or severely restrict the
practice of chaining dogs.
 
“One of the reasons chained dogs pose a risk to public safety is that they are deprived of socialization and exercise.  In addition to being
dangerous, this practice is inhumane and must no longer be tolerated by our communities.  We are calling for a total ban on dog chaining in Orange and Durham Counties and for communities to come together
to offer alternatives for keeping dogs and people safe."  said Suzanne Roy an Orange County Coalition member.

DURHAM — A 3-year-old girl is in stable condition at Duke University Hospital after being bitten numerous times by a pit bull this morning.

Jaida Riviera was home with her mother and an older sibling at 512 E. Trinity Ave. when one of their pit bull puppies relieved itself inside the residence, said Kammie Michael, police spokeswoman. Jaida then took the puppy outside and got too close to its father, who was chained to a fence. The adult dog then attacked Jaida, biting her numerous times on the back of the head.

A neighbor witnessing the incident ran across the street and started kicking the dog, Michael said. When that didn't work, he grabbed a board and hit the dog twice before it let go.

The adult dog was taken into custody by Durham County Animal Control. Police are currently not looking to file charges but the incident is under investigation.

 

Family's pit bull attacks 3-year-old

BY RAY GRONBERG : The Herald-Sun
gronberg@heraldsun.com
Mar 6, 2007 : 11:45 pm ET

DURHAM -- A 3-year-old girl is recovering from injuries she suffered Tuesday morning when a pit bull that belonged to her family attacked her in the yard of her East Trinity Avenue home.

Authorities said a neighbor, Jamie Gunter, pulled Jaida Riviera away from the dog and summoned help. Riviera's family surrendered the dog to Durham County Animal Control, which euthanized it and is testing the remains for rabies.

Officials don't know if the dog had been vaccinated. "We have no record of it," Animal Control Director Cindy Bailey said, adding that that fact, combined with the extent of the girl's injuries, prompted her staff to kill the 65-pound animal rather than put it in quarantine for observation.

Jaida suffered bites to her head and upper torso, Bailey said.

Durham police said the attack began about 10:45 a.m., shortly after Jaida took a puppy out into the yard. She was home with her mother and another child who Bailey said was 5 years old.

The pit bull was chained in the yard. Authorities aren't sure what triggered the attack, but it is clear that it continued for some minutes because Jaida got tangled in the dog's chain.

Gunter, who lives on the same block, was walking to his truck to retrieve some papers when he noticed the older child screaming and yelling, and saw that the pit bull was attacking something.

Looking closer, he saw that the victim was a small child. He moved in and kicked the dog in hopes of convincing it to break off the attack. When that didn't work, he armed himself with a wooden post and hit the animal with it twice. That made the dog back away. It sat barking as Gunter freed Jaida from the chain and spirited the little girl away.

"It looked like [the attack had] been going on a couple minutes," Gunter said. "She was wrapped up five to seven times with the chain, and she was bloody plus dirty. She was just lucky she was lying on her face to where he couldn't get to her throat."

Gunter said he took Jaida into her family's house, put her on a couch and called 911. The girl's mother apparently learned of the attack when Gunter brought Jaida inside, and was quite upset.

The dog had not previously been a problem, Gunter added.

"The kids wave at me and I wave at them. They play out there all the time," he said. "I don't understand what happened this time. It's really strange."

Jaida's injuries aren't considered life-threatening. As of Tuesday afternoon, she was in stable condition at Duke University Hospital, Durham Police Department spokeswoman Kammie Michael said.

Michael added that as of Tuesday, police hadn't filed any charges in the case.

Tuesday's attack did draw notice from a local advocacy group that's been lobbying officials in Durham and Orange counties to bar dog owners from leaving their dogs chained outside. Supporters of the ban say chaining makes dogs more prone to bark and bite.

"Chaining dogs makes them aggressive and clearly a danger to any child who crosses their path," said Amanda Arrington, a Durham resident and spokeswoman for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs.

County officials have been pondering the request, but haven't been in a hurry to move legislation through channels. Their main worry is that a new law would be difficult to enforce.

"My personal feeling is it's a good thing, but it's going to take a lot of planning to make it happen and a lot of enforcement from Animal Control," County Commissioner Becky Heron said earlier this year. "And they don't have the persons on staff to do that."

Bailey said an incident like Tuesday's makes "a very strong argument" for an anti-chaining law, though there are also strong arguments on the other side and "a lot of reality factors to the issue."