I'm a medical rep and I have some rural areas of Louisiana in my territory. While in the hinterlands, I always ask about local goings-on (who knew there was a Smoked Meat Festival in Ville Platte?). So, yesterday I walk into a clinic just outside of Ville Platte and ask the same, chit-chatty questions and I get the reply "Did you hear about the old lady getting attacked by three pit bulls?"  At that point, I had not but could pretty much predict what I was going to hear.

In Ville Platte, there is this little old lady that apparently has a tinge of senility and walks daily all over the small town picking up cans to recycle for cash. It's not that she NEEDS the money but (see above reference to senility) but feels she just has to collect cans. She is a bit of an institution apparently and fairly well known, harmless and nice if you talk to her. This past Sunday, she goes out to collect cans around the little town and gets attacked by three pit bulls that have gotten loose from wherever they were being kept.

In the mauling, the 83 year old gets it pretty bad. Both of her ears were chewed/ripped off, one bicep completely mangled and a lower leg torn up so badly it will be taken off below the knee. I hear all of this from a nurse that worked with an attending surgeon who treated the little old lady.

One of the dogs is shot by a police officer at the scene. The other two captured and later euthanized.

Link to story

For you folk too lazy to click the link, here's the story from a local TV station:



Elderly Woman Severely Injured in Pit Bull Attack

Posted: Aug 25, 2008 06:10 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 25, 2008 07:44 PM EDT

Elderly Woman Attacked


"There's this lady - pitbulls are eating her up, and I panicked."  That's what John Vidrine heard from his dad early Sunday morning, who ran in to get help for 83 year old Luna McDaniel.  Neighbors say three pit bulls from this yard attacked her.  Relatives say she'll survive, but she'll likely lose an ear and a foot from her injuries.  "It was racing through my mind - I thought that poor lady," says Vidrine.

"There's no way my dogs could have gotten out of there," says Theo Doucet, pointing to his shed.  He wasn't home at the time of the attack, but he says he left the animals locked in this shed.  Doucet doesn't know how they got free, but he thinks McDaniel walked into the yard looking for empty cans.  "She was on the other side - she must have thought I had cans on the other side," says Doucet.

Neighbors say Ville Platte Police officers shot one of the dogs the other two are in police custody awaiting their fate.  "I ain't no vicious person - I wish this never happened," says Doucet.

McDaneil's children don't think she walked past the fence into Doucet's yard, and they say her recovery could take months.  Ville Platte Police say their investigation continues.  But for now - Doucet has been charged for not keeping the dogs locked up.



I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right?

Quoted: I'm a medical rep and I have some rural areas of Louisiana in my territory. While in the hinterlands, I always ask about local goings-on (who knew there was a Smoked Meat Festival in Ville Platte?). So, yesterday I walk into a clinic just outside of Ville Platte and ask the same, chit-chatty questions and I get the reply "Did you hear about the old lady getting attacked by three pit bulls?"  At that point, I had not but could pretty much predict what I was going to hear. In Ville Platte, there is this little old lady that apparently has a tinge of senility and walks daily all over the small town picking up cans to recycle for cash. It's not that she NEEDS the money but (see above reference to senility) but feels she just has to collect cans. She is a bit of an institution apparently and fairly well known, harmless and nice if you talk to her. This past Sunday, she goes out to collect cans around the little town and gets attacked by three pit bulls that have gotten loose from wherever they were being kept. In the mauling, the 83 year old gets it pretty bad. Both of her ears were chewed/ripped off, one bicep completely mangled and a lower leg torn up so badly it will be taken off below the knee. I hear all of this from a nurse that worked with an attending surgeon who treated the little old lady. One of the dogs is shot by a police officer at the scene. The other two captured and later euthanized. Link to story For you folk too lazy to click the link, here's the story from a local TV station: Elderly Woman Severely Injured in Pit Bull Attack Posted: Aug 25, 2008 06:10 PM EDT Updated: Aug 25, 2008 07:44 PM EDT Elderly Woman Attacked "There's this lady - pitbulls are eating her up, and I panicked."  That's what John Vidrine heard from his dad early Sunday morning, who ran in to get help for 83 year old Luna McDaniel.  Neighbors say three pit bulls from this yard attacked her.  Relatives say she'll survive, but she'll likely lose an ear and a foot from her injuries.  "It was racing through my mind - I thought that poor lady," says Vidrine. "There's no way my dogs could have gotten out of there," says Theo Doucet, pointing to his shed.  He wasn't home at the time of the attack, but he says he left the animals locked in this shed.  Doucet doesn't know how they got free, but he thinks McDaniel walked into the yard looking for empty cans.  "She was on the other side - she must have thought I had cans on the other side," says Doucet. Neighbors say Ville Platte Police officers shot one of the dogs the other two are in police custody awaiting their fate.  "I ain't no vicious person - I wish this never happened," says Doucet. McDaneil's children don't think she walked past the fence into Doucet's yard, and they say her recovery could take months.  Ville Platte Police say their investigation continues.  But for now - Doucet has been charged for not keeping the dogs locked up. I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right?

Yeah it happens and people still don't treat their pits like a loaded gun. It's an instinct thing, if you've ever seen a beagle on a rabbit that is how a pit gets once the switch flicks. You can sit there all  day and talk about what a personable pup your bubba is chances you've yet to see your pit in kill mode.

Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right?

It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them.

Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed.

Wow.

3 Pits roaming around the countryside in a pack totally unattended.

Let me guess, the owner was a highly respected member of the community who instilled discipline and obedience into these animals, right?

My former Rottie (whom I got when she was 3-4) would easily have gnawed on someone if she thought it was what she wanted to do right then.........    

Dogs are like people: some good, some bad. It's mostly in how they're raised.    

Quoted: Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right? It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them. Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed.

Yup. The "fire" is that the underclass got their hands on these animals and we all know how that goes.

Land Sharks

I've got no use for Pits.

Or chows.

Or cockers (yes, few people realize that cockers are known for being biters).



I'm sure someone will not be able to resist the temptation to make a joke of the last statement.


For every story you find about a golden retriever "mauling" I'll find about a bazillion goldens that are slobber-happy-lap dogs.


For every pit mauling,.....I'll find at least 15 or so that aren't bad.   Those are not good ratios.
(obviously the last statement is not based in any research and purely speculative and made to emphasis a point---so please don't get all bent on it.)

Quoted: Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right? It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them. Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed.

But arn't pits worse just because of the ability to latch on?

what do you sell? i'm in medical diagnostic sales myself.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right? It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them. Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed. But arn't pits worse just because of the ability to latch on?

And it seems that a dog that is most likely going to go into "Murder, death, kill" mode if not correctly brought up seems like a bad general purpose pet.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right? It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them. Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed. But arn't pits worse just because of the ability to latch on? And it seems that a dog that is most likely going to go into "Murder, death, kill" mode if not correctly brought up seems like a bad general purpose pet.

MDK!

I know a girl...absolutely beautiful. Two years ago, she got bit in the face by a friend's pit. Eight facial reconstructive surgeries later, she looks almost normal. Normal, except for the liquids that occasionally dribble out the left side of her mouth

Quoted: I've got no use for Pits. Or chows. Or cockers (yes, few people realize that cockers are known for being biters). I'm sure someone will not be able to resist the temptation to make a joke of the last statement. For every story you find about a golden retriever "mauling" I'll find about a bazillion goldens that are slobber-happy-lap dogs. For every pit mauling,.....I'll find at least 15 or so that aren't bad.   Those are not good ratios. (obviously the last statement is not based in any research and purely speculative and made to emphasis a point---so please don't get all bent on it.)

When the ratios you invent conflict with the experience of animal psychologists, vets, dog trainers and breeders, some folks are bound to get worked up, I guess.

In before the "there is no such breed" apologists.  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right? It's the mentality of the people who raise and keep them. Over the years/decades the "bad-azz" dog breed comes and goes.  The same kind of things used to be said about German Shepherds, Dobermans, and some  other breeds as well.  Bad people raise and keep vicious dogs of whatever breed is the current fad, it's not the fault of the breed. But arn't pits worse just because of the ability to latch on?

If you mean that their jaws lock, this is not true.

But, some become strong enough that letting go is up to them (somewhat).

You'll see this from dogs that get hung by their owners.

Quoted: In before the "there is no such breed" apologists.

I don't know what they have to apologize for but interestingly enough, there are written pedigrees of Pitbulls dating back to the late 1700's.

Quoted: I try to keep an open mind. I KNOW there are some Pit Bull fans on this site. I respect your opinion. But, you have to concede there has got to be some fire to all this smoke when it comes to Pit Bulls, right?

nothing to concede. Jackass owner usually kept them locked up in a shed? Great guy right there. I would bet $$ they don't get much attention and the affection people give other dogs. Sadly many pit owners buy them for the "tough" image and treat them like crap.

bad idiot owner + powerful dog that needs lots of good socializing = disaster

Not as many apologists responding as I would have figured.

Tag.