Large Number Of Savage Dog Attacks In Nsw

[Maxiewolf]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8262554/large-number-of-savage-dog-attacks-in-nsw

An "alarming number" of savage dog attacks have taken place across NSW in the past day.

The state's ambulance service said paramedics have treated twelve people for dog bites from a range of different breeds since Thursday afternoon.

One attack got so out of hand on Friday morning, police were forced to taser the animal.

A statement from the NSW ambulance service said: "Paramedics have treated an alarming number of dog bites in the last 24 hour period.

"The Ambulance Service of NSW would like to remind members of the community of the need to keep an eye out for dogs, in particular those that are not on a leash."

A pit bull terrier mauled its owner while she was speaking to police at a house in Hassell St, Parramatta, about an earlier attack the pet was thought to have been involved in.

"As a result of the dog attacking the female owner and not releasing its grip, they've tasered the dog and the dog has then obviously retreated," Acting Inspector Cindy Noakes told Nine News.

The woman was taken to Westmead Hospital, while another man was bleeding from the head after being attacked by the same dog earlier in the day.

Last night, four people were set upon by pit bull terriers outside a Fairfield shopping centre at around 10.30pm, with a 10-year-old girl needing stitches.

Her mother, Faye Hamman, and two men who helped rescue the females, aged 48 and 39, were also bitten by the animals, which were tied up outside the centre.

"They were quite big and scary and ran after us and when I tried to get out of the way they kept attacking us," Ms Hamman told Nine News.

"I was kicking and kicking them telling them to go away but they kept attacking me," said her daughter, Jasmine.

The dogs' owner returned to the dogs after the attack, calmed them down and left the scene. He has since turned himself into police.

This unprecedented spate of dog attacks began yesterday afternoon when a 65-year-old man was bitten on the leg at Safety Beach, north of Coffs Harbour.

A 70-year-old man was then bitten in Ermington, a second man was attacked in Bourke while another was hospitalised in Bankstown in a serious condition. A 17-year-old girl was also mauled in Liverpool late last night.

The attacks have left people calling for stricter measures around pet ownership.

A poll conducted by ninemsn showed of the almost 100,000 people who voted, 79 per cent believed pit bulls should be banned in Australia.

"We're almost getting to a situation where if you have a dog, it's compulsory to have that dog trained," said Dr Peter Higgins, from Dogs NSW. "If the owners aren't responsible, they're the ones to blame."

A toddler also had his face bitten at midday today in Cranebook and was treated by paramedics at home.

An Emu Heights woman was taken to Penrith Hospital, at 3pm today, after a dog bit her hand.

ETA:

"We're almost getting to a situation where if you have a dog, it's compulsory to have that dog trained," said Dr Peter Higgins, from Dogs NSW. "If the owners aren't responsible, they're the ones to blame."

OMDOG! DUH!!!

This is going to have alot of bad media driven fallout thats for sure... and WHERE is the sudden mass influx of pitbulls coming from?? is there a plague or something? (oh yeah its called mass hysteria... )Who is "expertly" Identifying these dogs??

Edited June 17, 2011 by Maxiewolf

[Nekhbet]

full moon ... dogs are bound to go berzerk

[Red Fox]

I found this part quite confusing:

Last night, four people were set upon by pit bull terriers outside a Fairfield shopping centre at around 10.30pm, with a 10-year-old girl needing stitches.

Her mother, Faye Hamman, and two men who helped rescue the females, aged 48 and 39, were also bitten by the animals, which were tied up outside the centre.

"They were quite big and scary and ran after us and when I tried to get out of the way they kept attacking us," Ms Hamman told Nine News.

"I was kicking and kicking them telling them to go away but they kept attacking me," said her daughter, Jasmine.

Where they tied up or not? And if they were then why get yourself and your child close enough to be "attacked"?

MW don't you know, if it's got a big head or a red nose it's a pitbull for sure...

[anniek]

full moon ... dogs are bound to go berzerk

especially the untrained ones

[RottnBullies]

full moon ... dogs are bound to go berzerk

especially the untrained ones

Or maybe they're just reacting to their bezerk moronic owners that most have to put up with!

[Maxiewolf]

Full moon, its not the dogs.... its the "lunar'tics" who own them *crickets*

[sandgrubber]

I don't see anything funny about this. Bad reporting, as usual. But I feel for the people who got bitten.

How about a law that makes it possible to sue a journo for misidentification of breed. That would reduce the newspaper pitt bull population.

That said, in this case it looks like the Parramatta dog (see photos and text posted in the Dogs Attack 4 People thread) was a pit bull and the police are pursuing banned breed charges against the owner of the dogs in the shopping center incident. If they were all pitties it going to end out as a major jump in support for BSL

Edited June 17, 2011 by sandgrubber

[Maxiewolf]

Should be covered by the same laws as you cant name a suspect till its proven, why can these reporters just assume they know the breeds? Bull Terrier? Does that idiot woman even know the difference? or the implications of lazilly leaving off "American Pitt" out o the name?

We dont need another innocent breed banned just because of stupid mistakes that the public take with absolute seriousness and run with them.

it was "sensationalist" reporting... instead of reporting it as the seperate incidents... bundling it together to make it seem like suddenly all the "pit bulls" have gone mad. Im sure now alot of people are very very worried about someone coming to the door to try and take their "Bull"" breed cos of silly news handling like this.

Yes I feel very sorry for the people who where bitten, its a hard and traumatic thing to deal with and move on from. But this kidn fo reporting has to stop. Though I dont know how they would police it .. tougher laws on having your dog trained most certainly woudlnt go astray. Councils should be providing free community dog training classes as a starting point... what do we pay registration for? They want al this money for registration/rates.. start giving some more back instead of using it to fund filling bloody potholes on roads noone drives on or trim trees where noone walks.

[Keira&Phoenix]

Notice how they only mentioned the breed of the dog if it was a pitbull. There were what 5 or so other attacks in this period of time and yet no breed is mentioned in those attacks. Sensationalist reporting all right and bloody biased. So sick of these stories.

[PetSitters]

I found this part quite confusing:

Last night, four people were set upon by pit bull terriers outside a Fairfield shopping centre at around 10.30pm, with a 10-year-old girl needing stitches.

Her mother, Faye Hamman, and two men who helped rescue the females, aged 48 and 39, were also bitten by the animals, which were tied up outside the centre.

"They were quite big and scary and ran after us and when I tried to get out of the way they kept attacking us," Ms Hamman told Nine News.

"I was kicking and kicking them telling them to go away but they kept attacking me," said her daughter, Jasmine.

Where they tied up or not? And if they were then why get yourself and your child close enough to be "attacked"?

MW don't you know, if it's got a big head or a red nose it's a pitbull for sure...

These were tied up and broke away which is a management error on the owners part. But a tethered dog is no threat and people need to leave them alone IMHO

[PetSitters]

Notice how they only mentioned the breed of the dog if it was a pitbull. There were what 5 or so other attacks in this period of time and yet no breed is mentioned in those attacks. Sensationalist reporting all right and bloody biased. So sick of these stories.

There is no such breed as a "Pitbull" anyway, perhaps it's a term given for a dog of Bull breed origin that bites someone? The media doesn't report them APBT's or Amstaff's, it's just "Pitbull" which could mean anything really?

[ruthless]

The bull breed that was tasered was protecting it's owner from being assaulted

[Online Pets]

The bull breed that was tasered was protecting it's owner from being assaulted

By mauling its owner?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

It was a love bite, she still has her arm and the injuries were described as minor.

Maybe the dog went for the policeman - which explains the readied tazar and she blocked it with her arm and the dog spat her out. That's the trouble with the news reports - we know something happened that involved an owner,their dog and a policeman but nothing more.

[RottnBullies]

There Is something not right about that last story, I feel the dog may have reacted from a domestic involved at the house

[KOE]

The breed does not matter, people were attacked, and the dogs should be euthanised.

There is no longer any tolerence for dogs and aggression any more.

All these dog attacks will eventually do, is bring NSW into line with most other states and start limiting the numbers of dogs people are allowed to keep.

And until morons stop getting WHOLE DOGS and the breeders and the same morons who get them dont desex, it will continue to happen.

[Keira&Phoenix]

Notice how they only mentioned the breed of the dog if it was a pitbull. There were what 5 or so other attacks in this period of time and yet no breed is mentioned in those attacks. Sensationalist reporting all right and bloody biased. So sick of these stories.

There is no such breed as a "Pitbull" anyway, perhaps it's a term given for a dog of Bull breed origin that bites someone? The media doesn't report them APBT's or Amstaff's, it's just "Pitbull" which could mean anything really?

No the term Pitbull used correctly describes any APBT and any cross there of. In Australia the term is used to describe any dog that has a square head and of medium height/muscular build because people don't actually know what they are talking about. They are not using Pitbull because it is a term to describe any dog of bull breed origin that bites someone its used as a way to scare monger and villify a breed. If what you said was truth the true APBT would not be a restricted breed or all bull breeds would be restricated. The term pitbull is used because the true breed the APBT has been made into a child eating, people mauling horror story and everyone thinks they are evil dogs who will turn at any moment and maul someone when in truth if cared for socialised and trained properly they are beautiful dogs.

There is no such thing as an "english staffy" or "staffy" either but both terms are used to describe Staffordshire Bull Terriers and crosses of SBTs that look similar.

And this still does not take away from the fact that there were 5 other attacks where the breed of dog was blatantly ignored in the report because they were not bull breeds (or similar looking dogs) that could be described as a pitbull.

ETA also if what you said was true no dogs would be in danger of being seized and destroyed as pitbulls unless they bit someone because apparently that is what makes them a "pitbull".

Edited June 18, 2011 by Keira&Phoenix

[shelby-001]

Notice how they only mentioned the breed of the dog if it was a pitbull. There were what 5 or so other attacks in this period of time and yet no breed is mentioned in those attacks. Sensationalist reporting all right and bloody biased. So sick of these stories.

That was the first thing that jumped out at me as well.

[RottnBullies]

Notice how they only mentioned the breed of the dog if it was a pitbull. There were what 5 or so other attacks in this period of time and yet no breed is mentioned in those attacks. Sensationalist reporting all right and bloody biased. So sick of these stories.

That was the first thing that jumped out at me as well.

Yep, It's not the first time this has happened either, and more than likely not the last... the sad fact Is headlines that read Pit Bull blah blah Is a money/attention spinner for the media

Lord help the public try to come come to terms and deal with the fact that the Lab or another popular breed makes It through to the headlines! Because to them It's just not possible and It just doesn't get that same reaction does It.

[GeckoTree]

Increase in attacks, or increase of newspapers reporting them?

A bit of both, with the population increase of dogs over the years, and continuing to grow steadily, incidents involving dog attacks will naturally rise and the reporting of them in the crap sheets people buy will rise as well.