Pit Bull And Wolf-Dog Attack, Kill Lambs; Owner Fights Back With Shotgun

July 25, 2013

A pit bull and a hybrid wolf-dog are being blamed for the deaths of eight lambs Thursday in Cantonment.

The two dogs attacked and mauled about nine Katahdin Lambs located in a fenced pasture behind a residence on Cooley Road, just off Highway 29, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

The homeowner was able to retrieve a shotgun to defend the lambs, Sena Maddison, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said. He shot and killed the pit bull terrier. The hybrid wolf-dog fled from the scene. It was located and captured a short time later by Escambia County Animal Control.

Eight of the lambs died as a result of the dog attack.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

58 Responses to “Pit Bull And Wolf-Dog Attack, Kill Lambs; Owner Fights Back With Shotgun”

  1. JenG on July 30th, 2013 8:10 am

    When I was 3 years old, I was attacked by a pack of strays in my neighborhood. Luckily, I had a huge winter jacket on. The worst damage was the Chihuahua pulling out my hair. None of the dogs involved were Pit Bulls or Rottweilers, one was a Black Lab.
    Pack mentality is bad! I feel so bad for the loss the man suffered & the suffering of those animals.
    I now own 3 dogs including an American Pit Bull Terrier…he is very playful & loving. I had to change my homeowners insurance because he wasn’t a covered breed. We took out additional liability insurance, enrolled him in training classes, neutered, micro chipped, walk/exercise him regularly & in the process of installing a privacy fence.
    Bad owners make bad dogs…I agree that there are some dogs that are aggressive & that pits inflict significant damage when they attack, but any dog that attacks inflicts damage.
    Pit owners should have to do exactly what I’ve done, but owners of other types of dogs should be held accountable for their animals as well.

  2. jeeperman on July 28th, 2013 5:36 pm

    My point has been proven…………………
    Of all the pro-pitbull supporters defending the breed…………………….
    None can bring themselves to admit that the breed has been genetically engineered for years to have more destructive power than most other dogs.
    They all want to harp on the fact that dachshunds or toy poodles, etc. bite more often.
    So what if they do?
    Do they rip faces off or strip arms of flesh and break bones in 30 seconds?
    Bunch of blind bleeding hearts.

  3. David Huie Green on July 28th, 2013 5:22 pm

    The Center for Disease Control has an interesting study on Dog Bite Related Fatalities at

    http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

    It has some interesting statements such as
    “fatal bites constitute less than0.00001% of all dog bites annually”
    and
    “For example, a study in Denver of medically-attended dog bites in 1991 suggested that male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs, sexually intact dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs, and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs.”
    and
    “We noticed in the fatal cases, that less than one half of 1% of DBRF were caused by leashed animals off the owners’ property.”

    It also mentions the tendency of dogs to be more vicious when in packs than alone, the danger of fences too low to keep dogs in, the danger of owners not being held responsible. It didn’t mention Chihuahuas or Poodles at all. They excluded unknown breeds and other factors such as something else actually killing the person but that left them with 72% of the fatalities to use. It wasn’t like they only looked at five percent and drew strange results.

    Read it if you wish. Ignore it if you prefer.

    David for Tribbles

  4. Ellie on July 28th, 2013 7:17 am

    One thing I have noticed is that back in the 60s most dog attacks were German Shepherds, In the 1970s, it was dobermans. Then it was rottweilers. Now it is pit bulls. Look back ten or fifteen years ago and you never heard stories about pit bulls and now they are all over.
    First of all, pit bulls were not bred to fight. They were bred as herders and hunters. The ones that showed human aggression in the litter were put down because they were needed to work with humans. Too bad that they became the dog of choice for the lucrative underground dog fighters. Second – NO dog should be running loose. If these were hungry, abandoned dogs, they are going to look for prey to feed themselves. This is not a harmful instinct, it is a survival instinct. And third of all, if you have never heard of other dogs biting – well the #1 dog biter is the daschaund. Spaniels can have “sudden rage incidents”.

  5. David Huie Green on July 28th, 2013 6:02 am

    REGARDING:
    “You’re grossly exaggerating your point.”

    You are right.
    It is always possible the dog might die before it happened.

    David for safe explosives

  6. Josh Grace on July 27th, 2013 3:09 pm

    > Its not a question of if pittbulls will attack, its WHEN.

    This sounds pithy and clever, but it’s not true. All pit bulls are capable of attack, sure. The bigger they are, the more destructive that could be. We can argue whether that’s the fault of the breed, irresponsible owners, or both. I think it’s unregulated backyard breeders and people who are too stupid or lazy to understand that owning a big dog is a 24/7 responsibility. Not everyone is up to that, and not every household is a suitable environment for a pit bull or whatever.

    But the overwhelming majority of dogs — even the ones labeled “dangerous” breeds — will go through their lives without ever harming a human or another animal.

    You’re grossly exaggerating your point.

  7. Chuck Ritchie on July 27th, 2013 9:24 am

    Not ALL Pitbulls, Rotwillers, Death Terriers are bad…….just the live ones.

  8. Wolf dog owner on July 27th, 2013 7:32 am

    As a owner of a wolf dog myself I apologize for the behavior of ignorant owners that do not take the responsible actions to properly contain their animals and train their animals from birth. These animals are not something that can be thought of as a regular dog nor are they a wolf but they also are a very loving animal that if treated the proper way can be a very rewarding companion, with the proper guidance. Are they an animal for everyone NO, you have to have knowledge, facilities, time, patience, the right type of wolf dog, Again it is a predator/ prey drive when a dog or wolf dog pit or boxer or poodle or any dogs pack up. It is in their nature to chase and with these two it escalated and got way out of control to the point of killing! Yes these two need to be put down, do I blame the animals No, is it the breeds fault, NO, It lay the soul responsibility of the owner!!! They need to pay back all that was lost to the owners of the sheep also money that they would have made on the sheep and any other damages that were made, as well as any other court cost!! They are giving us a bad name that own our dogs, and again we are sorry for your loss. sincerely A Wolf Dog Owner

  9. CD on July 27th, 2013 1:17 am

    Think I’ll stick with my toy poodles. Haven’t heard of toy poodles mauling people or livestock.

  10. David Huie Green on July 26th, 2013 8:01 pm

    You say your pit wouldn’t do these things because you raised him right.
    Even if we assume that is all it takes, that does not change the damage they do if not raised right.
    Are we to assume only pit owners ever don’t raise their dogs right?
    That is the only other explanation for the disproportionately large number of pits associated with killing of humans by dogs.
    Note I haven’t called for their extinction but we should face facts.
    (Lots of them will kill other animals for fun, not just pits.)

    David for perfect owners

  11. pitt bull owner on July 26th, 2013 5:55 pm

    I have owned several pittbulls and none has ever harmed anyone or any other animal . you people have no idea what you are talking about it is all how you raise your dog .Don’t get me wrong im very disturbed to hear about this mans loss . Why aren’t you speaking out about the wolf dog oh yea guess they are not a threat . Heres a true story for my grandmothers house was broken into and tv and pc was stolen my bully bull pit was in the house a the time and still no attack . PITTS ARE WHAT YOU MAKE THEM

  12. paul on July 26th, 2013 1:20 pm

    I have a Wolfdog and he wouldn’t do this because I don’t let him hang around pitbulls :)

  13. Jonathan on July 26th, 2013 12:29 pm

    When a dog breed has been bred for many years to be a ruthless killer, he’s essentially in the same class of animals as a lion, tiger, or bear. We easily regulate the three latter animals. If your dog was bred to be a killer, by breed & history, and if his breed has been a verifiable problem more than your average dog, then you should have to jump through the same hoops and requirements to keep him as you would for a lion, tiger, or bear. And you should be held criminally responsible for any damage done by the dog, as if you had done that same act yourself.

  14. Chris on July 26th, 2013 10:28 am

    I spoke with my friend the other day about this issue, He was the victim in this case and lost much more than a just a few sheep. This is going to set him back several years of income as many of the sheep were with lambs that were already sold or spoken for. His chickens and pheasants were disappearing one by one. He said the wolf hybrid was going for the throats. The pit was ripping ears,jaws and the faces apart. The sheep killed by the pit suffered pretty bad.

  15. Ali on July 26th, 2013 6:05 am

    Is it really true that all dogs can bite? Lol….it’s not that Pits bite, it’s that they attack and maul. Sounds like the dachshunds that particular vet comes in contact with must be half pit/ half dachshund. Those wiener dogs need to calm down and quit mauling people before they get labeled to…laugh out loud!

  16. Alarmed & Armed on July 25th, 2013 11:11 pm

    What I cannot believe are the people on here defending pittbulls and the terror of death they unleashed on the 9 lambs here! Wow! Those lambs could have been kids at a summer camp!

    Would you have still defended that to? You all need mental evaluations! My goodness.

    Do you defend violent criminals to the same way you defend these murderous dogs?

    They will think of ANY excuse to own a pittbull out of ignorance. Its NOT cool to own a pittbull and when you’re sitting and screaming for help in a pool of your own blood after being mauled by your sweet little pittbull, will you have a change of thought?

    -Alarmed & Armed

  17. Alarmed & Armed on July 25th, 2013 10:58 pm

    Wow! Here we go again!

    Here come all the bleeding hearts for pittbulls once again. Can’t say I didn’t tell ya so!

    Its not a question of if pittbulls will attack, its WHEN. When that time comes, will you have a gun to defend yourself? I will.

    -Alarmed & Armed

  18. Mikey on July 25th, 2013 7:54 pm

    Regan, sorry about your animals. Glad that you are ok and hope you can at least recover some of the cost from the irresponsible owner.

  19. chris1 on July 25th, 2013 7:53 pm

    Pit bulls should be exterminated.
    This animal love is sickening.
    Ever feel any love for the cute cow when your eating your burger?

  20. tom on July 25th, 2013 4:18 pm

    @ Roxie…..I don’t think people are really concerned about your wiener dog biting people. All breeds of dogs are prone to biting. The thing that concerns people are that pit bulls don’t just bite, they maul and kill their prey. Big difference. I can bandage up my wound from little phoo-phoo but not a wound from your pit bull. Pit bulls are and have been rated the most LETHAL dog in the US for years. Several countries have actually banned the breed, but here we just continue to let kids and live stock be killed by them. I can promise a pit bull will only make one trip through my yard.

  21. lee77 on July 25th, 2013 3:46 pm

    @Regan: I’m sorry you lost your livestock. You indicate you, or at least the deputies, know the identity of the owner of these two marauding monsters, so I hope you sue him for the lost sheep. Of course, if the person is like most pit bull owners, he doesn’t have the proverbial pot!

  22. Mark on July 25th, 2013 3:38 pm

    There are a lot of comments defending Pits and others calling for their extinction. I USED to be one of those people that would tell you it is the owner, and not the dogs fault if a dog is aggressive. However, I have changed my mind and believe that some breeds are naturally more aggressive than others.

    When I was in the Navy, a guy I was stationed with bought a Pit when his son was born. The had a big house on a half acre fenced lot with TONS of room for the dog to run and play. They would take the dog out for walks at least every other day, and that dog got more belly rubs that I have ever seen in my life. Seemed like a great dog.

    Then one day, 5 years later, his son walks by the dog with an ice cream cone, and the dog (in front of witnesses), lunged at the kid, and started ripping into his hand/arm taking something like 40 stitches to close. If my friend had not dove on the dog, the damage to his son could have been much worse. They had the dog put down the next day. Very sad.

    ANY dog can be aggressive, and a lot of owners are to blame! The minute you start playing the “pull/tug” game with a Pit (or any dog), or any game that gets the dog “snapping”, you are bringing out their natural aggressions, and you are also showing the dog you approve of this behavior.

    Owner responsibility has to be the norm. If you have ANY dog that attacks someone, YOU should be liable for all medical expenses, loss of work, etc.

    I have two fairly large dogs that are lab/mastiff mixed. They are very sweet and show NO aggressive tendencies, but I will NEVER leave them alone with a child, and when they are around my grandchildren, I ensure I am within arms length when my dogs are around kids.

    I’ve read more than 6 stories in the past couple years of people that have left their children alone with their Pit for “just a moment”, only to come back and find their child mauled. I have occasionally heard of other breeds, but the majority of these stories involve Pits.

    Animals are just that, animals. We have to be aware of them at all times, wether they are our pets or not.

  23. EMD on July 25th, 2013 2:36 pm

    Do something useful with your big dogs, especially those who think it macho to have a mean killer dog. I met a man that bragged about what his dogs might do to me if they broke loose(Hmmmm perhaps a drug dealer?).

    Something useful would be training dogs to be gentle and helpful and take them to visit the people in nursing homes that may love to have a dog to pet. It seems to do those folks good. Or, train them for rescue or for helping the handicapped.

    I am very leery of folks who enjoy seeing animals killing one another. Sounds like a lot of repressed anger to me. Learn to be assertive. Much better choice.

  24. Heather on July 25th, 2013 2:12 pm

    obviously, not all pits are bad. And not all pits attack. and sometimes, its the owner, not the dog…blah, blah, blah. We can’t control people any more than we can control the dogs who “snap”. So whether you want to blame the dogs or the bad owner…same results.

    So, to echo someone else…All dogs have the ability to attack & we can probably all tell a story about any breed of dog that was a family pet, and “without reason” turned on a family member…but id take my chances with any other breed, other than a pitbull.

  25. Regan on July 25th, 2013 12:46 pm

    These were my sheep that were killed. The only reason the wolf survived was he ran between me and my neighbors house, and I would not shoot for safety reasons. If you wish to have a dangerous breed of dog, either a pit OR wolf hybrid, fine. I will not tell you what you should or should not have. However, I am out over three grand worth of stock, which is part of my income, and am set back two years in my herd development….all because a jackass cannot confine his dog. The dogs are probably smarter than the owner….oh, and by the way, the deputies said there have been several complaints about the dogs, and the owner was made aware.

  26. Rachel on July 25th, 2013 12:32 pm

    @ Dave would it be so bad to stop commenting on breeds that apparently you know NOTHING about. This is sad and tragic BUT why muct we wrap ALL pit bulls into one catergory. Kind of like humans or ANY other animal for that matter. REALLY? GET educated.

  27. Roxie on July 25th, 2013 12:25 pm

    Well, @ Judy, as an owner of both bullies and dachshunds I can honestly say the only one that has ever bitten anyone was the dachshund. My vet says that is the number one dog to bite at his practice too. How would you like if dachshunds were added to BSL? ” Pit bull ” isn’t even a breed. Its a lumping of several breeds that are distinct with their own traits and all the mixes thrown in with no accounting of what they are mixed with. Luckily the person my dachshund bit was an animal lover and handled the situation in an understanding manner. Now the dachshund is put up whenever we have company and the Staffie and APBT are lying on the floor getting all the attention. Oh and thanks for continuing to breed dogs while so many are being killed daily in animal controls all across our nation. Even beloved doxies, goldies, and labbies end up being killed. One thing you learn in rescue is all breeds are thought of as disposable by many arrogant selfish people.

  28. BentStraight on July 25th, 2013 11:59 am

    With pet ownership comes RESPONSIBILITY, dogs without tags should be euthanized if no one claims them in 3 days (regardless of breed) and there should be HEFTY fines and jail time for having unregistered pets. When a tagged & registered dog commits a violation the owner should be appropriately charged assuming ALL responsibility for any damage or injury the animal has done. If people want to have aggressive animals fine, but they should be prepared to pay fines and SERVE JAIL TIME for the acts their animals have done. (a few owners may also have to be euthanized as well!)

  29. Ben on July 25th, 2013 11:23 am

    Your dogs are always just sweet babies that wouldn’t hurt a fly…until they do.

  30. Devastating Dave on July 25th, 2013 11:12 am

    Would it be so bad to just stop breeding pit bulls? Please, let this dangerous breed become a thing of the past.

  31. Jerry A on July 25th, 2013 10:46 am

    @ Pitbull Lover: There is one thing in your post that I agree with and that is any dog any breed can attack. What you so obviously leave out is that there is no other dog on the face of the earth that attackes with the tenacity and viciousness as that of a pit bull. Their jaw strength is unsurpassed by any other breed. If I was ever attacked I would hope it would be a toy poodle and not a pit bull.

    You can say what you want about them being raised right they won’t attack. That is pure nonsense. There are too many documented cases where these breeds that have turned on a family member that raised them. I recall on incident where a family’s pit bull attacked and killed their 5 month old daughter. What could a 5 month old have done to provoke this animal?

    I agree any breed of dog can turn on a moments notice, but as I said, none with the tenacity and viciousness of a pit bull. If you have 3, I wish you the best and pray that they never turn on you or any of your family members.

  32. NWFLA Linda on July 25th, 2013 10:44 am

    This incident and last week’s mauling are horrific. Thankfully the livestock owner was armed; too bad someone wasn’t nearby during last week’s attack. Both could have been avoided if the dogs’ owners exhibited personal responsibility. Consider this, do you want to turn over to the government – county, state, or federal – even more authority over what law abiding, responsible citizens may/may not own? Do you want a government employee paying you a visit with a clipboard and attitude to say the dog(s) you own and care for must be euthanized because of their breed, the designation of which may change depending on someone’s opinion? Breed banning is comparable to gun banning. Do we want the government telling law abiding north Escambia residents the kind or number of guns they may own? Do we ban an entire breed because of incidents like these and ban all .357s because someone is killed or injured by one? Every single gun, every single dog has lethal potential. The owner turns benign into deadly either intentionally or thru ignorance. There seems to be an overabundance of pit bulls perhaps because of owners who want to appear powerful and macho via their dog and who breed these dogs for profit and street cred. Instead of keeping them in business, adopt from the local animal shelter or rescue groups. Eliminate those who profit at the expense of your safety and the humane treatment of the dogs. These dogs and their temperament are exploited by those who choose involvement in dog fighting. It’s illegal. It’s wrong morally, from a humane standpoint, and from the associated crime standpoint. Report it. Safeguard your community, your family, and the lives of the dogs involved – both those used for fighting and those often stolen to be used as bait.

  33. lee77 on July 25th, 2013 10:21 am

    @Karla: While it is true that wolves, and most other animals in the wild, attack only for food or out of fear, dogs are unnatural creatures created by man and they DO attack and kill purely for sport. Dogs will come upon a flock of chickens, sheep, goats, or whatever and chase down and kill every one they possibly can. If this weren’t true, how do you explain that eight of this man’s lambs were wantonly murdered? Are you saying a pit bull and a wolf hybrid ate EIGHT lambs?! (I’ll bet they didn’t eat a single bite of any one of those animals!) Videos of dogs chasing down and killing livestock and wildlife show them enjoying themselves as they rip defenseless animals limb-from-limb.

    Double standards? Dogs aren’t human, they are animals and animals have no rights. If they did, I’m sure all those cows, pigs and chickens down at the slaughterhouse would be demanding their rights not to be turned into dinner!

  34. David Huie Green on July 25th, 2013 10:19 am

    REGARDING:
    “If you look through history, bible etc you will find out the greatest predator on earth are HUMANS, this animals are just trying to survive in a evil world”

    Actually, it’s cats. Cats will torture their prey until it is dead then just walk away, having lost interest.

    David for better cats

  35. David Huie Green on July 25th, 2013 10:15 am

    CONTEMPLATING:
    “there is no such thing as a genetic trait for aggressiveness, ”

    Tell it to the dogs and the ASPCA.
    Maybe that will make it true.

    And let’s be honest, aggressiveness all by itself is meaningless. An agressive worm is still just a worm, but a slightly aggressive behemoth is still a behemoth.
    Or in this case, if a dog is not only apt to bite but also able to do great damage when biting, that dog would be more dangerous than a minature poodle, for example.

    David for better wolves

  36. judy on July 25th, 2013 9:56 am

    As a breeder of Dachshunds, I have to say that if you look at the history of the pitbulls have to believe the facts. Too many people are dying or injured by this breed. Everyone says it is safe if they are raised correct. Well, facts dispute that. Now you have hybrid dogs that will kill. Wake up people, look at the facts. And by the way, once a dog kills it will kill again…either human or animal. They have to be put down then

  37. Roxie on July 25th, 2013 9:45 am

    The problem in any of these attacks are the dog’s owners not the dogs. Many many breeds of dogs bite, attack, maul and kill. You will find stories online of dogs from dachshunds and pomeranians to great danes and everything in between involved in bad situations, sometimes fatal incidents. In every situation you will find human irresponsibility. Many people don’t want to accept that or do what is necessary to deal with this core issue that accounts for dogs hurting others. These particular dogs should not have been allowed to roam freely. Find the people responsible for allowing that to happen and deal with them. Is there a leash law in this county? If so pressure authorities to enact it. If not well maybe the citizens should demand one and demand owners who violate it to pay. Trying to ban breeds won’t solve the problem. You will just have other neglected, roaming dogs doing the same kind of thing because no one solved the root problem. So many people expect animals to have more sense and accountability then humans. A lot of times that seems to be the case when u read some of the comments made in situations like this but it is really sad.

  38. curious on July 25th, 2013 9:34 am

    Good for the home owner, a lot of these people laugh & say ours is the neighborhood dog but your stuff better not go over to theirs 1 time or they’ll be voting for you to get a fence, I told 1 years ago if they wanted me to get a fence for them to put it up, needless to say I didn’t get one the, years later after we installed one, we had a dog to get in our fence & I called owner & they said oh he’s so bad, they thought it was funny or I call the animal control about a dog digging holes all around our fence trying to get in to our dog & they ask me, is she in heat? It doesn’t matter to me, the dog was doing his best to get in, but she is spayed.

  39. Dogowner on July 25th, 2013 9:26 am

    Bob –

    ‘Pit bulls’ aren’t even a breed of dog. It is a named coined to collectively refer to several breeds of terriers. And there is no such thing as a genetic trait for aggressiveness, that is taught after birth, just like in humans.

  40. Pitbull Lover on July 25th, 2013 9:22 am

    Any time there is a dog attack and it involves the breed of a pitbull the world ends, satan has made his appearance, ANY DOG CAN ATTACK!, it doesnt matter what breed they are but no one every makes a big deal out other dog breeds just 2 weeks ago a little girl was attacked but her FAMILY lab last month a boy got attack by a friends bull mastiff i can show you a beagle thats always on the lose that will naw your leg off (which i live in an area with a leash law) i am not saying what the dogs did was right but dont sterotype on the breed, an animal raised in agresstion will be agressive, i have 3 pitbulls and all of them are sweet babies and to persue a ban against them is like forcing me out of my home which i have every right to live in i pay my bills and my taxes for everyone on government assistants to live, I would never give up my dogs who they stand by proudly of my 3yr son. Alot of people make a bad name for a good dog, behind a bad dog is a bad owner

  41. Erica on July 25th, 2013 8:50 am

    My brother has 2 pitbulls one is a rescue and the other he raised from a puppy. I have been uncomfortable around them the whole time. My parents and my brother kept telling me that if they are raised right then they are no danger to me or other animals. Since then they ganged up and killed my declawed 18 year old cat and a ladies small dog that was on a leash in a park. They tell me that german shepherds kill more people every year that pitts. I hate to say it but I have no use for Pitbulls. No matter how they were raised…. You can’t change genetics!!!! The whole breed needs to be outlawed!!!

  42. Karla on July 25th, 2013 8:47 am

    This is so unfair…. If you look through history, bible etc you will find out the greatest predator on earth are HUMANS, this animals are just trying to survive in a evil world… Remenber they dont attack out of anger , hate, discrimination. They do it out of fear or humger which we all have survival instic .also remember we humans are the oneswho are invanding their natural habitad.
    Why arent we so auregious about people killing babies or raping them they are the ones should be killed and banned from earth.

    Lets stop having double standarts

  43. Brit on July 25th, 2013 8:46 am

    It’s interesting that everyone here in the comments has latched onto the fact that a “pit” was involved and has completely disregarded the fact that there was another dog of another breed as well. All breeds have the chance of harming other animals or humans. Irresponsible dog ownership caused this, not the specific breeds.

  44. Atmore G on July 25th, 2013 8:43 am

    I would NEVER consider owning a pit bull… I do not trust them, I would not approach them, and I would not tolerate one being on my property.. They are vicious and unpredictable, and once they attack a person or animal, they do not stop.. I will never be convinced that one can be raised in a good home and remain docile.. These dogs are very dangerous, and anything can trigger an attack.. I would guess that a vast majority of attacks on people and pets involve pit bulls.. I also agree that we need to pass a law to ban these dogs..

  45. jcellops on July 25th, 2013 8:35 am

    i live around the corner from the attack….a week ago, i almost lost my kitty to loose dog(s) coming onto my property….all i know is that it had big feet, as the tracks were found in my dirt pile- my daughter said that a few days before, she saw two dogs loose, (boxer and a black and white dog) roaming our street- its heartbreaking to hear of the lamb attack

  46. ron on July 25th, 2013 8:26 am

    some years ago a coworker was singing praises of her sweet pit bull. A week later it bit her nose off . I relate pit bulls to drug dealers and criminals. I do not allow my tenants to have any dangerous type animals. All pit bulls are sweet UNTIL they aren’t.
    Look at statistics people. Anyone I see with a pit bull I immediately deduct 50 IQ points from them and assume they either manufacture or deal drugs. You cannot remove the vicious nature of a pit bull any more than you can tame a Zebra. They have no value in society.

  47. Jerry A on July 25th, 2013 8:12 am

    Is it going to take a county ordinance such as the one in Miami-Dade to stop these vicious animal attacks. Remember it took the mauling of an 8 year old little girl to get the ordinance passed in Miami, what is it going to take in Escambia. The city where I grew up just passed an ordinance last week banning pit bulls anywhere within the city limits. If one is captured the owner is fined and the dog is put down within a few days.

    One attack is one too many, but we have had two withing the same number of weeks. This problem is getting out of hand and must be stopped.

  48. jeeperman on July 25th, 2013 8:11 am

    The leash law applies south of Nine Mile Road or maybe Ten Mile Road.
    The “leash law” north of there is called a 22.

  49. Atmore G on July 25th, 2013 8:10 am

    Did you ever read or hear about a Collie, or a Spaniel, or a Jack Russell, Basset Hound, or Beagle mauling animals or people? There may be a few by Rotweilers, or Dobermans, but I would imagine that at least 90% of these attacks that we read about involve Pit Bulls.. You will never see me trust them, approach them, or allow them on my property..

  50. Pitbull Hater on July 25th, 2013 7:55 am

    It,s really a shame that I can not even take my Golden retriever and little dog out for a wake because I fear another dog mainly a pit bull will come around us, I know me nor my dogs would stand a chance , from what I understand their is no leash law in Cantonment, it must be true because I see so many dogs running around my area ,,my neighbor has a new dog AGAIN every couple months they come and go , now she has another one ,don,t know why , the dog is outside running around all the time , in all kinds of weather ,it sits on her front porch wanting in the house when its raining or hot, never see no water or food out, she never lets it in , her back yard is fenced in but she is just so irresponsible she lets it run all day,I guess she just gets the dogs for decoration or something , it will soon disappear and then she will get another one, I am about ready to make a phone call about her,the ones that just open their front door and lets their dogs out to just run the neighborhood need to take responsibility for their action and their animals actions.

  51. jeeperman on July 25th, 2013 7:42 am

    The same pitbull owners will never acknowledge that the breed has been bred to do damage.
    They do not want to admit that fact.
    Yea sure they can be sweet and never hurt a fly.
    But they have the potential to inflict greater damage than 98% of other breeds.
    You heard it hear first folks.
    You want a vicious Pitbull or a vicious Dachshund coming after you?

  52. Bob on July 25th, 2013 7:24 am

    I keep hearing from Pitbull owners that Pit bulls are misunderstood and are very sweet. Am I crazy or were they not genetically bred to fight in “pits”. Thus the name Pitbull. I think Siegfried & Roy In Las Vegas thought their Tigers were misunderstood and sweet until one of them nearly ate Roy. Can’t fight genetics !

  53. Who Knows on July 25th, 2013 6:49 am

    Those who own the pit bulls will be the very first to say it’s not the dogs fault– I have a site on my FB that reports all pit bull attacks, not only in the States but in other countries as well and there are new reports daily on the mauling and or killing of an owner, a neighbor or a child. I agree with you Sarah Grace.. but too many don’t keep the dogs locked up to prevent such loss of life to humans and other animals. It’s too bad the innocent pay the price for their neglect.

  54. Nathan on July 25th, 2013 6:31 am

    Make the dog owner pay for your loss, Maybe just maybe they might learn RESPONSIABLITY !!

  55. JT on July 25th, 2013 6:08 am

    Hopefully these recent situations will get the attention of animal control. I recently had a very aggressive stray that they refused to respond to. The lady told me to call 911 if the dog was aggressive. After five days of this dog coming at my family I had to put it down.

  56. Friction against the machine on July 25th, 2013 6:05 am

    Not all pitbulls are bad…it’s bad that these unfortunate events puts a bad light on the entire breed….supposedly there is a coyote-wild dog cross that kills livestock just for the sake of killing-scary stuff in the woods these days!

  57. Jane on July 25th, 2013 5:26 am

    Last year a brindle colored pit bull attacked my cat…cost=$361. It then attempted to attack a neighbor’s small child. This dog came into our neighborhood several times, and we all started keeping shotguns close at all times. Eventually it went away somewhere. The dog had been well fed and belonged to someone who obviously did not care that it was a problem. I have to blame the owners for allowing this dog to run loose and create problems, and if we knew who owned it I am sure something would have been done. Sometimes the shotgun is your only alternative for protecting your animals/property/self.

  58. Sarah Grace on July 25th, 2013 1:15 am

    I’m glad that at least one of the dogs is dead and hope the other one is put down soon! That is twice that a known vicious breed of dog has hurt or killed in the area in the last week or so. If the owners of those breeds care anything about them, they should keep them inside the house or in a kennel so that they can not harm anyone and no one can harm the dogs! Most attacks by dogs are by pit bulls, and other violent, large breeds that are not trained well. The owners of the animals should have to pay for the lambs. It is just rediculous to not tend to animals with harmful instincts. I think the owners should also have to pay a fine to the court system. How would anyone like it if those mean dogs came on your property and hurt your animals, your children, or yourself? It is just not right to allow animals to come before people!