Staff report
LUMBERTON — Seven dogs that killed a Pembroke woman earlier this week were euthanized on Friday.
According to Health Director Bill Smith, the dogs were at least part pit bull, contradicting an earlier report that they were German shepherds.
They were seized from a Pembroke home on Tuesday after they killed a 53-year-old Pembroke woman in the backyard of her home at 17 Sharon Lane. The victim, Betty Jo Hunt, was a rescuer and apparently was trying to break up a dogfight when she was attacked.
The dogs were immediately impounded at the Robeson County Animal Shelter, where they were held until they were euthanized on Friday. Smith said that county protocol requires that any animals that cause life-threatening injuries or kill a person be euthanized.
A pug that Hunt was trying to protect from an attack by the pitbulls has also died, according to Smith.
Two other dogs seized from Hunt’s home are being held in isolation at the shelter and will continue to be assessed, Smith said. All of the dogs at Hunt’s home were rescued animals.
Smith said that all of the dogs involved in the attack were mixed breeds with pitbull features and several were “very aggressive.”
Smith said that none of the animals had been rescued from the county shelter. He said the shelter is careful not to adopt out potentially dangerous dogs, but animals that are typically well-behaved can become aggressive in a pack.
Hunt, who worked with Claws and Paws animal rescue, is remembered as an animal lover who opened her home to stray dogs. She was a widow, mother of three and worked at a law office in downtown Lumberton.
See also: Dog attack and List of fatal dog attacks in the United States
Some studies that have been performed on the number of human deaths caused by dog bite trauma have surveyed news media stories for reports of dog bite-related fatalities. This methodology is subject to several potential sources of error: some fatal attacks may not have been reported; a study might not find all of the relevant news reports; and the potential for misidentification of dog breeds,[2] although courts in the United States[31][32] and Canada[33][34] have ruled that expert identification, when using published breed standards, is sufficient for the enforcement of breed-specific legislation. It is possible to distinguish dogs by breed using DNA testing,[34] but test results for any one dog can vary widely depending upon the laboratory that performs the test and the number of purebred dog breeds in the laboratory's DNA database.[35]
One 9-year (1979–1988) review of fatal dog attacks in the United States determined that, of the 101 attacks where breed was recorded, pit bulls were implicated in 42 of those attacks (41.6%).[36] A 1991 study found that 94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked, compared to 43% for other breeds.[37] One 5-year (1989–1994) review of fatal dog attacks in the United States determined that pit bulls and pit bull mixed breeds were implicated in 24 (28.6%) of the 84 deaths where breed was recorded.[38]
One 15-year (1991–2005) review of dog attack fatalities investigated by the Kentucky Medical Examiner determined that pit bulls were implicated in 5 of the 11 fatal attacks (45.4%).[39] Another 15-year (1994–2009) review of patients admitted to a Level I Trauma Center with dog bites determined that pit bulls were involved in most of these attacks: of the 228 patients treated, the breed of dog was recorded in 82 attacks, and of these, 29 (35%) attacks were attributed to pit bulls. All other dogs combined accounted for the remaining 65% of attacks.[40] In 44.8% of the attacks, the dog belonged to the victim's family.[40] The authors state:
Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites.[40]
One 5-year (2001–2005) review of dog attack victims admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia determined that pit bull terriers were implicated in more than half of bites. Of the 551 patients treated, breed was identified in 269 cases. Of these 269 patients, 137 (50.9%) were attacked by pit bulls.[41] The authors write:
...the overwhelming number of bites involving pit bull terriers in this study and others certainly has some degree of validity when it comes to identifying bite-prone breeds. Pit bull terriers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers were the offending breeds implicated in our study and have accounted for the majority of dog bites according to other investigators.[41]
One review of the medical literature found that pit bulls and pit bull cross-breeds were involved in between 42 and 45% of dog attacks.[42] Fatalities were most often reported in children, with 70% of victims being under the age of 10.[42]
www.google.com; PIT BULL
Pit bull dog owners have a personality issue, they think they're tough. Look at Snoopp dog, and other gang members walking down local streets with their mixed bred pits... I'm cool, I'm mean, and the rest of us are thinking you're stupid..
Pit bulls should be kept in cages or on tour with circus's like other wild animals.