Fatal dog mauling/Owner charged with murder

[Dumpling]

It's hit or miss on links for very old forum posts, but it's nice
to get a sampler of what people posted back when.

[archfan]

...I packed a few "Greenies" and a unit of pepper spray and she followed me down to her house. The owners were
in and gratefully accepted the treats and fed a couple to their very
well behaved little dogs that were inside.
...

I would have to restrain the impulse to roll up a newspaper and whack the owner.

[Lowell]

And again... this time a 4 year old in Hazel Park.

Dog killed 4-year-old as mother tried to fight it off


Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK
The mom turned her back on her sweet, 4-year-old boy just for a moment.

And that, police said, is when Bolo, the pit bull, pounced. It violently and viciously mauled Benjamin Cobb to death, as his 38-year-old Hazel Park mother, Brandi Halterman, tried to fight the 60-pound animal off, stabbing it, first with nearby scissors, then with a steak knife she ran to the kitchen to get.
https://freep-mi.newsmemory.com/?pub...8ab347_134115b

[jcole]

And again... this time a 4 year old in Hazel Park.

Dog killed 4-year-old as mother tried to fight it off


Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK
The mom turned her back on her sweet, 4-year-old boy just for a moment.

And that, police said, is when Bolo, the pit bull, pounced. It violently and viciously mauled Benjamin Cobb to death, as his 38-year-old Hazel Park mother, Brandi Halterman, tried to fight the 60-pound animal off, stabbing it, first with nearby scissors, then with a steak knife she ran to the kitchen to get.
https://freep-mi.newsmemory.com/?pub...8ab347_134115b

I work at the library right near where the live and the whole town is in shock; they were simply doing a favor for a friend and keeping the dog for a few days while the friend moved. She was in the room with her son and daughter and turned her back for a minute to do something, heard the growl, ran over and the dog was locked on.
I feel so badly for this mother and the teen aged daughter who was there. She called 911 immediately but nothing could be done

[Zacha341]

^^ Heartbreaking! I knew it was a pit as soon as they said how many stitches the survivor had to get. That extra LOCKING grip associated with pits and other breeds is something else.

I have house sats friends cats, but decline ANY dog. A skittish cat in a new environment may go and hide or growl/ hiss in a corner but a dog in a new setting can go really bad, really fast.

[softailrider]

I feel badly for that mother too, but you have to wonder where her head was. Taking care of a pit bull when she has a four year old in the house was a recipe for disaster from the get - go.

[Uncledave54]

I've said it before, I'll say it again..... exterminate this piece of shit breed!

[Richard]

^ 8000 people are bitten by venomous snakes every year,no call to eradicate snakes.

It is not the breed,it is the owners that have no buisness owning them and a society that creates a need for measures in place to protect ones safety and security.

Dobermans,German shepherds,rotwilers have all had thier place in the limelight as breeds to eliminate,guns are a more economical means of protection but there is also a push to eliminate them.

The simple solution is to just change society to the point where the inhabitants do not need to use means of protection for thier families and property.

Outside of that there is always going to be in place something that has a detrimental side.

We could just eliminate the pos that are causing the need to implement protective measures in the first place.

[Johnnny5]

^ 8000 people are bitten by venomous snakes every year,no call to eradicate snakes.

It is not the breed,it is the owners that have no buisness owning them and a society that creates a need for measures in place to protect ones safety and security.

Dobermans,German shepherds,rotwilers have all had thier place in the limelight as breeds to eliminate,guns are a more economical means of protection but there is also a push to eliminate them.

Do sane people defend those that allow venomous snakes to interact and even sleep with their children? Of course not, and for good reason.

There are a countless number venomous snakes in this country, yet they kill just a handful of people each year. Pit Bulls kill more than two dozen Americans each year on average and maul thousands more [[Many of them children). Pit Bulls and Pit mixes make up close to 70% all fatal dog attacks, but are less than 15% of the dog population. It's not the dogs fault that they are what they are, but it's also not just a case of lousy owners.

[Richard]

Do sane people defend those that allow venomous snakes to interact and even sleep with their children? Of course not, and for good reason.

There are a countless number venomous snakes in this country, yet they kill just a handful of people each year. Pit Bulls kill more than two dozen Americans each year on average and maul thousands more [[Many of them children). Pit Bulls and Pit mixes make up close to 70% all fatal dog attacks, but are less than 15% of the dog population. It's not the dogs fault that they are what they are, but it's also not just a case of lousy owners.

So the answer is to just kill em all until we figure it out?

Granted the thread is about pits but when 15 teenagers PER DAY were dying because of cell phone distraction there was no rush to kill or remove the cell phones from society in order to protect it.

The decision was made that it was an exceptable amount of deaths in order to retain the ability of talking on the phone while driving,so who actually determines that?

We seem to have two sets of rules according to what we personally prefer and actions we take.

[bartocktoo]

So the answer is to just kill em all until we figure it out?

Granted the thread is about pits but when 15 teenagers PER DAY were dying because of cell phone distraction there was no rush to kill or remove the cell phones from society in order to protect it.

The decision was made that it was an exceptable amount of deaths in order to retain the ability of talking on the phone while driving,so who actually determines that?

We seem to have two sets of rules according to what we personally prefer and actions we take.

So 15 teenagers a day are dying because of their own decisions, and you are comparing this to animals and whether to put some of them down? Are you advocating for putting people down? No offense but this is as dumb an argument I've ever heard about anything.

[Richard]

So 15 teenagers a day are dying because of their own decisions, and you are comparing this to animals and whether to put some of them down? Are you advocating for putting people down? No offense but this is as dumb an argument I've ever heard about anything.

no offense taken because I did not include the ones they took out in the process,one kid here with 22 texts in 10 minutes on the freeway took out four others,a mother and her child and two others,so one car took out 4 others that had no choice in the matter.

The statistics were based only on the actual teenage deaths.

But in the long term states have implemented more restrictions which seem to have little effect.

I really was not comparing or advocating anything other then pointing out inconsistencies in the elimination of everything that we feel is the threat in society.

A woman was out for her morning jog and a tree fell on her,killing her.

Houses burn deaths occur,transportation accidents happen,deaths occur,innocent victims are basically a sad way of life,but in all of those cases we look for solutions to lower the statistics rate.

Until it comes to Pitbulls,then the only solution is to kill them all.

Mine needed an operation,nobody would provide it without neutering her first,when strays are brought to the shelters they are sent directly to the gas chamber,there already is a process of elimination of the breed in the system when 90% of the population does not even have a clue of what a pit bull actually is.

Interesting enough I have been around the pick the evil breed of vicious dog of the year and the only one I have ever been bitten by was a little Taco Bell rat dog.

People say that the little rat dogs do not kill you like a pit but if they hit the right vein in your shin or ankle and you have less then 3 minutes.

[Dumpling]

So sorry to hear of the loss of another small child in this terrifying
manner!

I've just finished rereading "One At A Time: A Week in an American
Animal Shelter" by Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer. It was printed in
about 2003. I gave the earlier copy to a couple that had helped to
rescue neighborhood dogs when they retired and moved away.
[[If you are a big animal lover you may need Kleenex if you read
this book.)

A BIG takeaway from this book is that a better run animal shelter
has a public education component that PREVENTS stray companion
animals from ever being brought to the animal shelter in the first
place.
One particular that might seem pretty unimportant that would be
a great help is to be sure that each and every cat or dog always
has identifying information: ideally both a microchip and a collar
with contact information. For an animal shelter that has to
closely manage its resources and cage space, every stray animal
with an ID is one that could be taken home.

[Dumpling]

"Cisco" in this book was the dog that was both roaming loose
and acting aggressively. On being surrendered he was taken
straight to the euthanasia room. By and large the animals
were not aggressive initially though some dogs became
"kennel crazy" when not adopted soon enough and also
had to be put down when they reached that phase.

[softailrider]

I work at the library right near where the live and the whole town is in shock; they were simply doing a favor for a friend and keeping the dog for a few days while the friend moved. She was in the room with her son and daughter and turned her back for a minute to do something, heard the growl, ran over and the dog was locked on.
I feel so badly for this mother and the teen aged daughter who was there. She called 911 immediately but nothing could be done

This women had a 4 year old boy, with a 4 year old you can barely even blink. How she could bring a friends pit bull into her house with children there is just beyond my comprehension. I don’t see a huge difference between this lady and that guy on the SW side who couldn’t keep his dogs contained.

I have had dogs most of my life but I don’t have one now. I do not feel safe around pit bulls. I would say most of the dogs I see running around loose are pits or pit mixes. I understand some people find them delightful, personally I don’t like that breed.

[Meddle]

Certain breeds should be like guns and other risky behavior ... MASSIVE insurance premiums and civil liability. If you have or partake, be prepared to be held financially liable.

Criminal charges as in the original story of this thread. Negligence charges for the adults involved are fitting for the most recent episode.

[jcole]

I think the mother has been punished enough, losing a child and all.

[K-slice]

These animals don't have a place in urban/suburban communities, plain and simple.

[Johnnny5]

So the answer is to just kill em all until we figure it out?

I'd be fine with that, but I'm slightly cold hearted and they're not my dogs.

My suggestion would be mandatory licensing and strict enforcement of existing Pits. With forced sterilization and implanted ID chips in ten years the only Pit Bull related deaths we'd have to worry about would be the dogs themselves dying of old age. In 2019 the Pit Bull serves no purpose that could not be handled by another large breed that doesn't share the same propensity to fatally maul human beings.

[jcole]

One of the major problems with this is that there is no breed called "Pit Bull". There are several Bully breeds, but what we see and think of as Pit Bulls are usually mixed breed dogs and many look nothing like the dog we refer to that way. The 3 main breeds that people associate as Pits are

1. American Staffordshire Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. Bull Terrier These are legitimate AKC breeds and aren't known for being killers and in a lot of cities that have banned "Pit Bulls" cases have been won by proving, via DNA, that the dogs are one of the above breeds, at least partly. The pit bulls we see wandering the streets are usually very mixed with labradors, Boxers, other terrier breeds, etc and are sometimes unrecognizable as a pit breed. There IS an American Pitbull but it's not recognized by the AKC.

I'd be fine with that, but I'm slightly cold hearted and they're not my dogs.

My suggestion would be mandatory licensing and strict enforcement of existing Pits. With forced sterilization and implanted ID chips in ten years the only Pit Bull related deaths we'd have to worry about would be the dogs themselves dying of old age. In 2019 the Pit Bull serves no purpose that could not be handled by another large breed that doesn't share the same propensity to fatally maul human beings.

[Richard]

I'd be fine with that, but I'm slightly cold hearted and they're not my dogs.

My suggestion would be mandatory licensing and strict enforcement of existing Pits. With forced sterilization and implanted ID chips in ten years the only Pit Bull related deaths we'd have to worry about would be the dogs themselves dying of old age. In 2019 the Pit Bull serves no purpose that could not be handled by another large breed that doesn't share the same propensity to fatally maul human beings.

it kinda defeats the purpose if you have a dog that licks somebody to death that comes on your property or threatens your family.

They have their place and purpose,like seatbelts,you can regulate and pass all kinds of laws but yet people still seem to be dying in car crashes.

Outside of the guy that was running from the police and jumped my fence to a big surprise most are scared to even go near my property because of the dog,so she worked as a deterrent.

She passed and I will find another pit but only as a pup that I can condition and train.

[Richard]

One of the major problems with this is that there is no breed called "Pit Bull". There are several Bully breeds, but what we see and think of as Pit Bulls are usually mixed breed dogs and many look nothing like the dog we refer to that way. The 3 main breeds that people associate as Pits are

1. American Staffordshire Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. Bull Terrier These are legitimate AKC breeds and aren't known for being killers and in a lot of cities that have banned "Pit Bulls" cases have been won by proving, via DNA, that the dogs are one of the above breeds, at least partly. The pit bulls we see wandering the streets are usually very mixed with labradors, Boxers, other terrier breeds, etc and are sometimes unrecognizable as a pit breed. There IS an American Pitbull but it's not recognized by the AKC.

This.

Fueled by the media,it’s like calling every Ford a mustang even if it is a SUV.

[Johnnny5]

One of the major problems with this is that there is no breed called "Pit Bull". There are several Bully breeds, but what we see and think of as Pit Bulls are usually mixed breed dogs and many look nothing like the dog we refer to that way. The 3 main breeds that people associate as Pits are

1. American Staffordshire Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. Bull Terrier These are legitimate AKC breeds and aren't known for being killers and in a lot of cities that have banned "Pit Bulls" cases have been won by proving, via DNA, that the dogs are one of the above breeds, at least partly. The pit bulls we see wandering the streets are usually very mixed with labradors, Boxers, other terrier breeds, etc and are sometimes unrecognizable as a pit breed. There IS an American Pitbull but it's not recognized by the AKC.

Not really a problem in my eyes. Just add all 3 "Bully" breeds and the questionables to the banned list. That still leaves would be dog owners with a few hundred other choices and greatly reduces the future odds of me having to read about another kid getting killed or mauled.

[Lowell]

I think the mother has been punished enough, losing a child and all.

Amen to that. I can't imagine the horror of losing a child so savagely in front of one's eyes and the immense burden of guilt she will bear for choosing to do what was an act of kindness. My heart goes out to her and her daughter, both who must be suffering immensely.

[bartocktoo]

no offense taken because I did not include the ones they took out in the process,one kid here with 22 texts in 10 minutes on the freeway took out four others,a mother and her child and two others,so one car took out 4 others that had no choice in the matter.

The statistics were based only on the actual teenage deaths.

But in the long term states have implemented more restrictions which seem to have little effect.

I really was not comparing or advocating anything other then pointing out inconsistencies in the elimination of everything that we feel is the threat in society.

A woman was out for her morning jog and a tree fell on her,killing her.

Houses burn deaths occur,transportation accidents happen,deaths occur,innocent victims are basically a sad way of life,but in all of those cases we look for solutions to lower the statistics rate.

Until it comes to Pitbulls,then the only solution is to kill them all.

Mine needed an operation,nobody would provide it without neutering her first,when strays are brought to the shelters they are sent directly to the gas chamber,there already is a process of elimination of the breed in the system when 90% of the population does not even have a clue of what a pit bull actually is.

Interesting enough I have been around the pick the evil breed of vicious dog of the year and the only one I have ever been bitten by was a little Taco Bell rat dog.

People say that the little rat dogs do not kill you like a pit but if they hit the right vein in your shin or ankle and you have less then 3 minutes.

Ah got you. Sorry for the rudeness.