Post by RealPitBull on Jan 21, 2008 8:38:37 GMT -5
By Susannah Bryan | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
January 21, 2008
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbdogpark0120sbjan21,0,7949686.story
It may start with a growl, or no warning at all. Before you know it, your dog is under attack.
"It's like kids in a school yard," said Robert Hammesfahr, an animal behaviorist near Jacksonville. "That's my ball, and I'm going to knock your block off. Only dogs have teeth. And dogs will settle things by biting each other."
It happened to Weston resident Linda Blair and her greyhound, recently ambushed by a pit bull at Barkham at Markham Dog Park in Sunrise.
Beauty and the pit bull tussled over a red ball. Beauty, a former racing dog, gave a warning growl before the pit bull ripped into her neck and stomach in the Dec. 29 attack. Blair, 62, rushed Beauty to the vet for emergency surgery.
The bloody attack might have been avoided had the pit bull been muzzled, said Blair, who hopes the dog's owner will come forward and help pay her $2,000 vet bill.
A trip to the dog park can be fun and safe, as long as pet owners follow the rules and stay alert, said Cherise Williams, animal care specialist for Broward County's Parks and Recreation Division.
"There are things you can do to make sure your visit is the best it can be," Williams said.
Good behavior, she said, starts with the owner.
"If you're uptight, that's telling your dog to be uptight. You need to relax, so the dog can relax."
Hammesfahr, the animal behaviorist, recommends visiting the park before taking your dog, just as you might check out a playground for a child.
"Take your 7-year-old kid to a nice playground, and there's children of all ages and backgrounds," he said. "See how they're playing before you push your kid through the door."
Barkham at Markham, the only county-run dog park in Broward, has logged about five dog-biting incidents a year since opening in March 2005, said Toni Peyton, safety manager for county parks.
But not everyone reports an attack. And some report it too late and with little information, making it hard to track down the owner, Williams said.
Blair did not report the attack on Beauty until four days later. She also filed a report with the Sunrise Police Department but was only able to give a vague description of the man and his vehicle, Lt. Robert Voss said.
Should park officials find the man back at Markham Park, they will issue a trespass warning and tell him not to return, Williams said. Because of the incident, the county is now considering installing security cameras at Markham's dog park, she added.
Char Davidson, a Davie resident and friend of Blair's, said she stopped taking her two greyhounds to Markham Park three months ago after too many run-ins with aggressive dogs and nonchalant owners.
"Beauty's lucky she's alive," said Davidson, who witnessed a deadly pit bull attack on a greyhound 15 years ago in New York. "They dragged it away and it was screaming. It was like a horror story. It will never leave my mind."
Beauty, a white and fawn-colored greyhound with soft brown eyes, has been recuperating at home, where she has her own room, own bed and own TV.
She goes to the vet four times a week to have her bandages changed. A 20-inch scar stretches from her neck to her torso.
"I didn't cry until I got to the vet and then I broke down," Blair recalled. "Just to see your dog at death's door. This dog means the world to us. Best pet you could ever ask for."
Blair said friends have spotted the man and his pit bull back at Markham Park several times since the attack. For now, she plans to steer clear of the place. "I'll never bring my dog to that park again — never."
The day Beauty was attacked, Blair's husband left a note on a bulletin board at the entrance to the dog park asking the pit bull's owner to contact them. They are still waiting on his call.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7929.
January 21, 2008
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbdogpark0120sbjan21,0,7949686.story
It may start with a growl, or no warning at all. Before you know it, your dog is under attack.
"It's like kids in a school yard," said Robert Hammesfahr, an animal behaviorist near Jacksonville. "That's my ball, and I'm going to knock your block off. Only dogs have teeth. And dogs will settle things by biting each other."
It happened to Weston resident Linda Blair and her greyhound, recently ambushed by a pit bull at Barkham at Markham Dog Park in Sunrise.
Beauty and the pit bull tussled over a red ball. Beauty, a former racing dog, gave a warning growl before the pit bull ripped into her neck and stomach in the Dec. 29 attack. Blair, 62, rushed Beauty to the vet for emergency surgery.
The bloody attack might have been avoided had the pit bull been muzzled, said Blair, who hopes the dog's owner will come forward and help pay her $2,000 vet bill.
A trip to the dog park can be fun and safe, as long as pet owners follow the rules and stay alert, said Cherise Williams, animal care specialist for Broward County's Parks and Recreation Division.
"There are things you can do to make sure your visit is the best it can be," Williams said.
Good behavior, she said, starts with the owner.
"If you're uptight, that's telling your dog to be uptight. You need to relax, so the dog can relax."
Hammesfahr, the animal behaviorist, recommends visiting the park before taking your dog, just as you might check out a playground for a child.
"Take your 7-year-old kid to a nice playground, and there's children of all ages and backgrounds," he said. "See how they're playing before you push your kid through the door."
Barkham at Markham, the only county-run dog park in Broward, has logged about five dog-biting incidents a year since opening in March 2005, said Toni Peyton, safety manager for county parks.
But not everyone reports an attack. And some report it too late and with little information, making it hard to track down the owner, Williams said.
Blair did not report the attack on Beauty until four days later. She also filed a report with the Sunrise Police Department but was only able to give a vague description of the man and his vehicle, Lt. Robert Voss said.
Should park officials find the man back at Markham Park, they will issue a trespass warning and tell him not to return, Williams said. Because of the incident, the county is now considering installing security cameras at Markham's dog park, she added.
Char Davidson, a Davie resident and friend of Blair's, said she stopped taking her two greyhounds to Markham Park three months ago after too many run-ins with aggressive dogs and nonchalant owners.
"Beauty's lucky she's alive," said Davidson, who witnessed a deadly pit bull attack on a greyhound 15 years ago in New York. "They dragged it away and it was screaming. It was like a horror story. It will never leave my mind."
Beauty, a white and fawn-colored greyhound with soft brown eyes, has been recuperating at home, where she has her own room, own bed and own TV.
She goes to the vet four times a week to have her bandages changed. A 20-inch scar stretches from her neck to her torso.
"I didn't cry until I got to the vet and then I broke down," Blair recalled. "Just to see your dog at death's door. This dog means the world to us. Best pet you could ever ask for."
Blair said friends have spotted the man and his pit bull back at Markham Park several times since the attack. For now, she plans to steer clear of the place. "I'll never bring my dog to that park again — never."
The day Beauty was attacked, Blair's husband left a note on a bulletin board at the entrance to the dog park asking the pit bull's owner to contact them. They are still waiting on his call.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7929.