A San Pedro man shot and killed a pit bull that turned on him after attacking a neighbor’s cat April 15, 2009, the Daily Breeze reports. The dog attack began when the cat’s owner started screaming for help as her pet was being attacked by a loose pit bull. The man armed himself with a handgun from his house before walking outside to help. The dog charged towards the man as he walked down his driveway when he shot and killed it. The pit bull, which Los Angeles police officials said, weighed at least 60 pounds, had apparently escaped from another neighbor’s yard and then attacked the woman’s cat.
The woman had attempted to rescue her cat and even tried hitting the dog with a broom and then a brick. But according to the woman, the pit bull held onto the cat and “was just tearing it up.” The badly injured cat had to be euthanized at a local veterinary hospital. The pit bull’s owner was not cited because animal control officers had not seen the pit bull out of the yard or unleashed, first hand.
My heart goes out to the woman who lost her cat in this brutal dog attack. These incidents tend to be brushed aside because they don’t involve any people. However, to pet owners, losing a pet especially in such a sudden, violent manner is devastating.
I’m deeply concerned that animal control officials did not take sufficient steps to hold the owner accountable. It is indeed fortunate that the man was able to get to his gun and shoot the pit bull in time. Based on this report, this dog seems to have been determined to attack and kill. The man, had he not been armed, could have easily been an unfortunate dog attack victim.
Pit bull advocates consistently deny that dog attacks have anything to do with breed. However, statistics show otherwise. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics, pit bulls attack adults nearly as often as they attack children, a characteristic not found in any other breed. The CDC’s numbers show that between the years 1979 and 1998 at least 25 breeds of dogs were involved in 238 human dog bite related fatalities. Pit bulls and rottweilers were involved in more than half of these deaths – about 60 percent.
In this particular San Pedro dog attack, there are many questions. How did the pit bull get out of the yard? Was there a door open or was the dog unrestrained? Was this the first time the dog had escaped or run loose? If you have been attacked by a loose dog and have suffered serious injuries, remember that you have rights under California Law, which holds dog owners liable for such attacks. If you have been a victim of a vicious dog attack, please contact experienced California dog bite lawyers who can help protect your rights and help you secure compensation for medical treatment and other related expenses.