California Injury Blog

The debate about pit bulls is getting louder in one Southern California community after a vicious dog bite incident in Fontana involving five pit bull mixes almost killed 5-year-old Destiny Colon and injured three of her siblings. Also, recently, a 3-year-old Apple Valley boy was fatally attacked by the family's pit bull. A Hesperia woman recently suffered a broken arm after her own pit bull attacked her in October. With these and other recently recorded cases, there appears to be no shortage of dog attacks involving pit bulls.

Why is that? Some say that it is not the dogs' fault. Pit bull advocates say that this breed gets a bad rap because of "neglect by irresponsible owners." However, according to a recent article in The San Bernardino Sun, many in the local community, who have witnessed vicious behavior by pit bulls and pit bull mixes, say that pit bulls have a natural "mean streak" compared to other breeds of dogs.

Continue reading "Should Pit Bulls be Regulated as a Breed?" »

Tom Atkinson, 56, was injured in a dog bite incident in an Escondido gated community, according to a news report in the North County Times. He was apparently finishing a jog on Rock View Glen in the Emerald Heights development when he noticed what looked like two loose pit bull mix dogs growling at a neighbor and his leashed dog. As Atkinson walked on, the dogs lunged at him. He fought them off and they ran away, but returned and bit him several times. Atkinson sustained a bite to the forearm and another deep bite to the thigh. The report states that the owners of the dogs have chosen to euthanize the 5-year-old dogs, which have been the subject of prior complaints.

My heart goes out to Atkinson, who is dealing with dog bite injuries. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Jogger Attacked by Dogs in San Diego" »

Three children were injured, one critically, in a Fontana dog bite incident after a pack of five pit bull mixes attacked them. The Press-Enterprise reports that the children -- Princess Colon, 7, Hector Perez, 6, Destiny Colon, 5, and a 3-year-old - were on their way to a park the afternoon of February 1, 2010, with their mother Josie Arellano, when the dogs attacked them. Destiny suffered critical injuries and bites while Hector had to get 235 stitches and Princess, 18 stitches to close up the tears and bites.

Continue reading "Pack of Dogs Attack Three Children in San Bernardino" »

A 64-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was injured in a dog bite incident on January 1, 2010 in Watsonville, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to a news report in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the woman was walking in the neighborhood the afternoon of New Year's Day when a pit bull broke free of a tether in an unfenced backyard and attacked the woman, biting her on her left calf. Officials are considering filing charges against the dog owner.

Continue reading "Dog Bite Injures Woman" »

Denise Friedrich, an animal control officer in San Jose sustained severe dog bite injuries after two pit bull mixes attacked her the morning of November 3, 2009. According to a news report in the San Jose Mercury News, Friedrich was responding to a complaint from Bikramjit Singh, a homeowner, that the two dogs had strayed into his backyard. When Friedrich got into the backyard, one of the dogs started to attack her. When she tried to fend off the pit bull with her baton, the other dog started to bite her as well. A police officer who came to Friedrich's rescue eventually shot both dogs because they lunged at him. Friedrich's suffered nine dog bites on her arms, legs and buttocks.

Continue reading "Vicious Dogs Bite Animal Control Officer in San Jose" »

A 1-year-old child was fatally injured in a San Francisco area dog bite incident, according to a KSEE news report. The dog attack occurred evening of October 23, 2009 in Delhi, California, when the child who was being watched by his babysitter was suddenly grabbed by the sitter's 65-pound pit bull. The dog grabbed the child by the throat and dragged him around the yard. The babysitter told Merced County Sheriff's deputies that she had to stab the dog with a fork several times to get it to release the child. She then called 911 and then began to drive the baby to a hospital herself. She was stopped by police for erratic driving. The child was then rushed to an area hospital where he died. The pit bull has been quarantined. No charges have been filed yet in connection with this dog bite incident as an investigation is pending.

Continue reading "San Francisco Area Fatal Dog Bite Incident" »

The California dog bite lawyers at BISNAR | CHASE understand how traumatic dog attacks can be. Sharon Holland, 54, suffered serious injuries in one such brutal dog attack in San Diego after she was attacked by three mastiffs. The attack was so horrific that it traumatized those who witnessed it. In fact, those who saw the dogs attack her say they are surprised that Holland is even alive. Holland's family members say she was admitted with serious bite wounds after the attack on October 10, 2009, but that now her life is in danger because the wounds have become infected and she had to be rushed to the emergency room.

Continue reading "Update: Woman Critically Injured in San Diego Dog Attack" »

Editor's Note: As a few of our readers have pointed out, our source info was partially incorrect when this post was originally written. The attacking dogs were not pit bulls as originally thought, they were mastiffs. We will post an update in the near future on this event.

A woman was seriously injured in a California dog bite incident in National City on October 10, 2009 after she was attacked by three pit bulls. According to a 10news report, the woman, who has not yet been identified, was walking along the 2700 block of Granger Avenue when the dogs jumped on her and knocked her down. Christey James who apparently saw the injured woman lying unconscious on the ground and bleeding from her arms, called 911. The victim was hospitalized with injuries. Animal control officials now have possession of the three pit bulls. The dogs' owner has also apparently been identified.

Continue reading "Three Pit Bulls Injure Woman In San Diego Dog Bite Incident " »

Susan Herman, 60, was killed in a Ventura car accident the evening of August 24, 2009 after she was struck by a teen driver while walking her dog, the Ventura County Star reports. Herman was hit on Shoreline Drive near Surfers Point, Ventura police said. She was not far from a crosswalk and was apparently headed for a walk along the beach with her dog when she was struck. Herman was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her dog died at the scene. The 16-year-old driver remained at the scene. Police say he did not appear to be speeding, but an investigation is ongoing. Officials say the segment of the road where the accident occurred, curves as drivers head westbound and the teen driver may not have seen the woman in time to avoid the collision.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Susan Herman for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. They will be in my prayers.

Continue reading "Ventura Car Accident Kills Woman and Her Dog" »

A police officer in Glendora, who was responding to reports of a vicious pit bull at a local residence, became a Los Angeles dog bite victim, according to an article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The incident occurred the evening of May 31, 2009 in the 700 block of Hunters Trail. The officer suffered puncture wounds to his leg, but is expected to recover. Neighborhood residents apparently called police to report an unleashed pit bull that had children trapped in a car.

When the officer arrived at the scene, the dog ran down the street and back into its own yard. The dog bite occurred when the officer attempted to close the gate to contain the dog inside the yard. The dog's owner was cited for violating the leash law and having an unlicensed dog. The pit bull was taken away by animal control officials.

I wish this police officer the very best for a quick and complete recovery from his dog bite injuries. Here was an officer trying to protect a few children from a vicious dog and he got bitten and personally injured in the process. I commend the police officer for putting himself in danger to protect young citizens. He did his job well.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Dog Bite Incident Injures Police Officer" »

This is Dog Bite Prevention Week -- a good time to consider the ways we can help prevent dog bite accidents. There is a lot of useful information out there for dog owners and others on how to prevent dog attacks. It is estimated that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. About 800,000 Americans who receive medical attention for dog bites each year are children. When a dog bites a child, the victim's small size makes the bite more likely to result in severe personal injury.

A majority of dog bite injuries in young children occur during everyday activities when interacting with familiar dogs. With the safety of children in mind, this year the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is introducing The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD, an educational tool aimed at teaching children, 3 to 6 years old, and their parents how to avoid dog bite accidents.

Children are also frequently bitten on the face, which can result in severe cuts, infection or scarring. Plastic surgeons, just in the last year, have performed more than 16,000 reconstructive surgeries involving dog bites. There are three times more dog bites than there are brain injuries and still, there is very little information out there not only for community members who want to stay safe, but for dog owners about the importance of responsible dog ownership.

Continue reading "Dog Bite Accidents Continue to Victimize Children the Most" »

Martha Muro, a 26-year-old animal control officer lost part of her thumb in a Los Angeles dog bite accident when she was on the job. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the May 14, 2009 dog attack occurred when Muro was making a follow-up visit to a house on Live Oak Street to ensure that a dog owner had cleaned up "excessive dog feces" on his property. As Muro was talking to the owner at the front door, two pit bulls that were in the side yard, began lunging at a chain-link gate. Muro retreated from the front yard, but the dogs escaped, broke through a hole in a front gate.

A male pit bull grabbed onto Muro's baton and pushed her to the ground. The dog was "going for her face and neck," officials said. Muro was able to break free after a neighbor got help. The male pit bull was turned over to authorities by its owner and euthanized. Tests are underway to determine if there are any medical causes for the dog's aggression including rabies. The second pit bull, a female, has been quarantined for observation.

My heart goes out to Martha Muro, the animal control officer, who was involved in the pit bull attack as she was performing her job. Apparently doctors are still evaluating whether the severed thumb section, which was found later, can be reattached. I wish Muro the very best for a quick and complete physical as well as emotional recovery.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Dog Bite Accident" »

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.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Dog Attack" »

Gordon Lykins, 48, of Winterhaven, California, has died recently from injuries he suffered in a March 28, 2009 vicious dog bite attack in the community, which is located in the California-Arizona border. Lykins was apparently mauled by a pack of dogs that were running lose in the Bard area, near White Road, the Yuma Sun reports. A surgeon at Yuma Regional Medical Center reportedly said it was the worst case of trauma he had ever seen.

Police are still investigating and are yet to file charges against the dogs' owner who apparently owned 11 of these mixed breeds dogs. All the dogs were removed from his home and taken to an animal shelter. Those dogs are believed to have been loose at the time of the attack, but police are trying to piece together evidence. The main challenge, officials say, is to prove that the dogs taken from that owner's property were the ones that attacked Lykins. Police are also looking for any eyewitnesses who can identify the dogs. The unidentified dog owner, who lives near the area where Lykins was attacked, called in the dog attack.

My heart goes out to the family of Gordon Lykins and Lykins himself for the extreme trauma, pain and suffering he must have endured the last couple of weeks. I offer my deepest sympathies to them.

Continue reading "Fatal California Dog Attack: Man Dies After Being Attacked by Loose Pack of Dogs" »

Los Angeles County Dog Attack Injures Three

Three people including a 79-year-old woman were injured in a Chatsworth dog attack, KTLA News reports. The incident occurred on March 19, 2009 in the 11900 block of Hiawatha Street in Chatsworth when the elderly woman with a walker was attacked by two large boxer dogs. The dogs bit the woman and knocked her to the ground. Two men, who heard her screams for help, tried to get the dogs away from her. The dogs attacked the Good Samaritans as well.

One of them – a 58-year-old man – was bitten on the right wrist and suffered "serious injuries that are potentially debilitating," according to Los Angeles County Fire Department officials. Another 51-year-old man got a three-inch cut on his arm as he struggled with the dogs. Firefighters eventually managed to confine the dogs to a nearby yard. The animals have been impounded and the dogs' owner has been identified but not cited or arrested.

I'm extremely relieved that this vicious dog attack did not result in any fatalities. I shudder to imagine what might have happened to the elderly woman had it not been for these two men who came to her rescue. They are the real heroes here and I commend both for their courage in trying to stop this Los Angeles dog attack. I wish all three of the injured victims the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Dog Attack" »

Fatal Dog Attack in Riverside County

Hill A. Williams Jr., 38, of Rancho Mirage was killed in an apparent Riverside dog attack after his own mastiffs mauled him to death, according to an article in The Desert Sun. Williams, apparently lived alone with his dogs and was found dead in his backyard on March 16, 2009. The dogs that weighed 115 pounds and 90 pounds each were turned over to animal control officials by Williams' girlfriend and were euthanized. Officials still do not know what triggered this vicious dog attack.

Neighbors told officials that Williams may have been trying to breed the two mastiffs. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services confirmed that neither dog was spayed or neutered and said the behavior of any animal is highly unpredictable when it is focused on mating.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Hill A. Williams Jr., who was tragically killed in this vicious dog attack. I offer my deepest sympathies to them.

I'm relieved that no one else was hurt or killed by these animals. In such a situation, the attack could easily have been on someone else – a young child who was visiting, a neighbor, someone who came to work for him. This is how dog attacks occur. And it is well established that a pair of dogs or more are more likely to attack than a single animal.

Continue reading "Riverside Dog Bite" »

Long Beach Girl Injured in Los Angeles Dog Attack

A 2-year-old Long Beach girl has been hospitalized with dog bite injuries after she was attacked by the family's cocker spaniel. According to this news article in the Los Angeles Daily News, the dog attack occurred at the home in the 1800 block of Gardenia Avenue on March 16, 2009. Long Beach fire officials and animal control officers, who responded to the emergency call, say the girl suffered deep cuts to her face.

The dog was taken into custody. It will be quarantined for 10 days when the dog will be evaluated for signs of disease. Depending on the results, officials will decide what to do with the dog. Officials say the girl's mother is "upset" and has not made a request to get the dog back.

My heart goes out to the family of this young girl who must be going through a tough time with their daughter's injuries caused by their own dog. I will pray for her quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Dog Attack" »

The city of Lancaster is considering adopting strict penalties for owners of potentially dangerous and vicious dogs – particularly pit bulls and Rottweilers – which they say are used as weapons of intimidation by the area’s gang members. According to this news report in the Los Angeles Times, the proposed ordinance would also require spaying and neutering of all varieties of pit bulls and Rottweilers including mixed breeds that have the predominant physical characteristics of those breeds.

If this ordinance is approved, Lancaster will join many other cities in Los Angeles County that have adopted similar dangerous dog ordinances. But in this case, the city is going one step further by specifically identifying dogs that are potentially dangerous or vicious. California law allows government agencies to target specific breeds for spaying and neutering, but these specific breeds cannot be officially branded “vicious.” Under Lancaster’s ordinance, a hearing officer could determine an individual dog to be vicious if for example they behave aggressively. City officials say they particularly want to use this ordinance to crack down on local gang members.

Such ordinances almost always offend owners of pit bulls and Rottweilers, who understandably have a soft corner in their hearts for these animals. They argue that there is no scientific evidence that genetics cause a breed of dog to be aggressive, vicious or dangerous. While it is true that irresponsible or negligent dog owners should be punished or be held liable in dog attacks, consider these statistics. According to a news report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for more than 70 percent of dog attack fatalities in the United States between the years 1979 and 1996. This report clearly shows that when it comes to dangerous dog breeds, pit bulls and Rottweilers really do lead the pack.

Continue reading "Lancaster Considering New Dangerous Dog Ordinance" »

A woman was attacked in downtown Chula Vista by two pit bulls early morning on January 12, 2009 when she was walking her dog, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune news report. Two men who lived nearby apparently heard the woman scream for help on Jefferson Avenue near K Street.

One of the men, 30-year-old Lawrence Kijanka, said he and another man screamed at the pit bulls and chased them about a block away. The woman, who was attacked by the pit bulls, was trying to protect a small black dog she was walking. Kijanka said he saw the woman on the ground with blood on her forehead and apparent bite marks on her arms and legs. Chula Vista animal control officials have put the pit bulls under quarantine. There is no word about the dogs’ owner.

My heart goes out to the woman who was injured in this horrific San Diego County dog attack. I wish her the very best for a quick physical and emotional recovery as these vicious dog attacks can be extremely traumatic

Continue reading "Chula Vista Woman and Dog Attacked by Pit Bulls" »

Retired Marine Douglas Perry, 58, of Anaheim, was forced to stab and kill a loose pit bull that attacked his wife, Vicki Perry, and their two dogs. Both Douglas and his wife were injured in the dog bite attack, which occurred when the couple was walking their two dogs – a Siberian husky and an American Eskimo – in the 2800 block of West Elmlawn Drive in Anaheim. Our source for this blog was this news report in The Orange County Register.

Douglas Perry said a black and white pit bull pounced on Vicki and their Siberian husky and they “were rolling in a ball on the ground.” The husky was seriously injured and had to undergo surgery, but is expected to survive. Douglas Perry then went into a neighbor’s house, got a kitchen knife and stabbed the pit bull two times. It was only then that the dog let go of its “prey,” staggered away, collapsed and died on the street.

My heart goes out to this couple. What a tough, emotional day for them! Douglas Perry says it was hard for him to kill the pit bull because he is a dog lover. I wish the couple a speedy and complete recovery from this brutal dog attack. I’m relieved that both their dogs survived this brutal attack.

Continue reading "Orange County Pit Bull Attack Injures Couple and their Two Dogs" »