Pit bull that injured Omaha woman yesterday fought 'to the very end'

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10558916

Published Sunday February 8, 2009
Pit bull that injured Omaha woman fought 'to the very end'
BY TOM SHAW AND JUDITH NYGREN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS

Omaha firefighter Stan Shearer knew that he was going to help a woman who had been attacked by a pit bull Sunday night.

But Shearer and the other firefighters didn't know how desperate the scene was until they got to the house at 5922 S. 186th Ave.

The attack happened just before 6 p.m., reportedly after the dog had growled at an infant in the home. The woman was attacked when she tried to distract the dog from the baby.

"The dog was still after the victim," Shearer said. "She had pinned him against the door of the bathroom. The dog's body was in the hallway and the head was in the bathroom."

The woman, 48-year-old Lorrie Ellis, had retreated to the bathroom after being attacked by the 95-pound, three-year-old male pit bull. The victim was crying for help. Shouts could be heard in the background of the 911 call made by the girlfriend of the dog's owner, who is Ellis' son.

Shearer and the other firefighters went into action.


FULL story at link.

[PeaceNikki]

1. It's awfully rare for a pit to be 95 lbs.

Color me skeptical this is another story made more colorful by the media.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. The family member described it as a Pit-Bull.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Where?

It doesn't say that. In fact, it says they declined interviews.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. In the link. There is a link to the 911 call.

[PeaceNikki]

10. Ah, yes... I see ti now.

The 911 caller did say it was a pit.

[Ten Bears]

3. 95 lbs isn't as rare

as a pit bull apologist would have you believe.

[PeaceNikki]

5. HA! "A pit bull apologist".

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

11. No, breeds come in certain sizes, and the various breeds lumped together as pit bulls all run around

40-50 lbs full grown.

A 95 lb "pit bull" is either some other molosser misidentified or a mix of a pit and a much larger dog with a vaguely similar body shape, presumably some kind of mastiff.

I'd bet on misidentification. My family has boxers and they get mistaken for pitties all the time, because people who don't know dick about dogs but think that they do seem to think any dog bigger than a bread box with a squarish head is a pit bull (and that any such dog, no matter how well behaved, leashed, etc is seconds away from eating their children. It's a media-driven phobia.)

[Omaha Steve]

12. We had a boxer

We had the same problem with her being identified incorrectly.

[ferrous wheel]

4. I've seen a LOT of pitbulls and none were ever over about 45 lb.

No way any ever reach 95.

[RebelOne]

14. My son has 6 rescue pit bulls and most of them are over 50 pounds. n/t

[ferrous wheel]

15. Fifty is about 45. (Within ~10%)

Thanks for the confirmation.

[RebelOne]

13. No, it is not. I had a pit bull that was 96 pounds. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

7. From the article

Even if it isn't a pit bull (perhaps a mix), it didn't even have a rabies shot. It didn't comply with the law on dangerous dogs. And it was ready to attack a small child according to the family!!! That is a dangerous dog. The liability insurance would have gone a long way.

The dog from this attack last (http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10559335) year wasn't insured. The victims can't cover the cost of the several required operations. IF you own the breed or a mix, follow the law.


The son, who was not identified, will be cited for failing to license or vaccinate the dog, Langan said. He also will be cited for not purchasing $100,000 in liability insurance for the pit bull, a rule adopted by the City of Omaha last year after a series of pit bull attacks.

The attack took place outside the city limits, but Omaha's dangerous dog rules apply to suburban areas of the county within three miles of Omaha.

Each of the three misdemeanor citations carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $500 fine, Langan said.

snip

A Siberian Husky bit a 2-month-old baby in Bellevue causing fractured ribs. Also, a 9-year old boy was bitten in the face by a rat terrier in Omaha while commanding the dog away from the trash. The boy received stitches on his nose, Langan said.


We have 2 rat terriers. About 15 pounds each. The have had their shots. Have tags. And are insured. So is our 70 pound pointer.

OS

[Greyhound]

9. THIS IS TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS! THOSE BEASTS SHOULD BE

... Ooh, it's all sparkly and shiny. Look...
:rofl: