Dog Attacks, Nearly Chews Woman's Foot Off At Central Florida Dog Show

[The Straight Story]

Dog Attacks, Nearly Chews Woman's Foot Off At Central Florida Show
Woman Dragged Around Dog Show, Witnesses Say

A large dog nearly severed the foot of a woman in her 50s during a sudden attack at Wickham Park Pavilion in Melbourne, Fla., Sunday as a crowd of people watched in horror, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today.

Witnesses said the dog, an Akita owned by Sally Jaffe of Mims, pounced on the woman and chewed on her left ankle.

The victim screamed as she was knocked to the ground, the report said.

The adult dog, larger than a German shepherd, dragged the woman at one point during the attack.

The reason for the attack was not clear.

The dog was not entered in the show, which continued after the attack, said organizer Glenda Stephenson, who has seen very few dog attacks during her years of doing dog shows.

http://www.local6.com/news/11372949/detail.html

[JNelson6563]

1. Yanno, I read this stuff & marvel

I would kick the crap out of any dog that approached me. Come up snarling to me? Watch me kick the crap out of you.

When I see a story of an adult being mauled or killed I know it is a lack of education. There are so many ways to dominate an aggressive dog, there is no reason a full grown (or even mostly full grown) adult cannot take control of a dog situation.

Julie

[Lurking Dem]

4. And if the dog weighs the same as you?

I don't know what the situation was here. I have never heard of an Akita acting like this, frankly.

But some dogs, when they lock their jaws on you, they aren't going to let go unless you kill them.

[xultar]

8. True. Some people have no clue. They think a dog that growls always attacks and

a dog that is quiet won't. Silly bullshit stereotype thinking that will get people messed up in a real situation.

[Clark2008]

9. Really?

Akitas are notoriously agressive!

http://www.akitalove.com/rehome.html

My hubby's an insurance agent and his company won't write a homeowners policy for people who own Akitas (along with some other breeds, like Pit Bulls, etc.).

[Lurking Dem]

14. I've known people with both breeds

and have simply never known one to act like that.

I didn't mean that they don't - only it was out of my purview.

I know they were bred from fighting dogs but I have never even read of any Akita attacks. Maybe because they are a minority breed so it's just a sheer numbers issue.

[Clark2008]

54. It probably is.

For example, the infamous OJ Akita - the "other" Kato - was a baby, a real sweetie, who, much to Nicole and Ron's detriment, wouldn't mount an offensive.

I happen to like all dogs, even Akitas and Pits, and have never had a problem with any of them, but I do know what I can and can't get in trouble with owning as both a mother and a homeowner.

[Horse with no Name]

23. We had an 4-yr old boy that was playing in his backyard

His Grandmother was sitting in a chair watching him. There was a pit bull dog two yards over chained to a tire.
For some reason, the presence of the child two yards over irritated the pit and he got loose from his chain and jumped two fences and mauled this child.
His jaws locked on this child's head and shook him back and forth like a chew toy. The Grandmother threw water on him, kicked him and nothing could make the dog release his bite.
She finally went into the house and got a gun and shot the dog to get him to release his death grip on this child's head.
When it was all over (besides the emotional trauma), the child was scalped.
You are correct. When they lock down THEY are the only ones that decide when they are going to let go.

[hollowdweller]

46. Glad Grandma Had A Gun!

My wife has been attacked twice, once by a Rott and once by a Pit, both times she was unarmed. Luckily the owner was nearby but she never goes out in the field anymore without at least a knife.

[xultar]

5. You really don't understand the situation. I know dog trainers who have been attacked

and the dog's attacks have come out of the blue. Like if a metor fell out of the sky.

The dog was the lady's pet. It probably didn't show any aggressive traits prior to that.

My dog sitter has been sitting for a dog for over 10 years and he just attacked her. He'd shown no aggressive tendencies ever. The attack came out of the blue.

I think you should get to know a little more about situations like this before spouting off that you'd have time to kick the dog. Sometimes you won't know it is comming. So your comments are totally uneducated about situations such as this.

And if anyone EVAH kick my dog just for growling I would beat the shit out of their ass.

[Clark2008]

13. And kicking wouldn't work anyway.

Don't you like "know-it-alls?"

Kicking would further enrage the dog.

If nothing has worked to ease the dog away from you, be prepared to be attacked. If you have anything in your hand, use it to shield your body. A jacket, purse, briefcase, or hat can be useful in this situation though it will only buy you a few seconds to consider your next move. Hold the object out as the dog attempts to bite so that the dog bites the object instead of you. Never kick a dog while it is facing you. A dog's reaction time can be ten times that of humans. The only thing you can do is attempt to fend off the dog and hope the attack ends. If you have something heavy in your hand you can attempt to hit the dog over the head with it. If you use something light that won't do much damage, it may only make the dog fight harder.

If the dog is large enough to knock you over, ball up in the fetal position and protect your head and neck with your arms the best you can. If you do not resist and do not scream, the dog may stop the attack before it becomes deadly. Teach your children to hold their arms up over their face and neck if a dog advances on them. This will stop them from biting the neck and face. Pepper spray can be a handy thing to take with you on all outings. Pepper spray will deter some dogs and will do nothing to others. Even this is not a full proof tool for fending off a vicious dog.

http://md.essortment.com/survivebeingat_tuoa.htm

I she'll tell us that while in her community, working with all these Dems, she learned first-hand how to handle dog attacks and those of us who also worked in our community with folks like, I don't know, the HUMANE SOCIETY, don't know what we're talking about.

:eyes:

[JNelson6563]

50. It's an expression

like your pal said "kick their ass"....there ain't much actual kicking involved. Being a selective literalist is fun, isn't it?

Oy.

Julie--wondering if internet ankle-biters own ankle-biter dogs in RL

[Clark2008]

53. Nope - a 45-pound mutt and a 60-pound Golden

And a 30-pound cocker.

No ankle biters here.

But, thanks for missing the point entirely.

[knitter4democracy]

19. My dog was attacked like that--no warning.

He was at the kennel while we were on vacation, and when the owner put him in the run with another dog she thought she knew, the bitch flew at my dog and tried to kill him. The owner, at high risk, I might add, came running back in, and the dog went for her while her assistant dragged my dog out. I was on my way to pick him up, so I was there soon and able to get him to the vet.

She said that the oddest thing about it was there was no sound--Charlie didn't whine, and the bitch didn't growl or anything. Odd.

Btw, my aunt had akitas, and they're known for suddenly turning, and yes, you have to get quite dominant with them to make sure they know. My aunt's dogs never did anything like that, though. He sounds like he was messed up to attack that way. Loving dogs when they know they're not alpha, though.

[youngdem]

16. Good for you, tough guy, but this was an Akita attack on a 50 year old woman

My 50 year old-ish aunt could not fight off my Jack Russell.

[Lurking Dem]

25. Watch it there youngun!

I'm pulling 40 on a trailer hitch and you're making me feel old!

[youngdem]

26. Actually, due to marriage, I am close in age to the aunt

sorry about that, though.

:hi:

[Lurking Dem]

30. dang whippersnappers

:hi:

[xultar]

39. BUHWAWAWA!

[DemBones DemBones]

24. The story says the Akita "pounced on" the victim,

which leads me to believe there was no warning, no chance to avert the attack. It also says that the dog "dragged" the woman, which suggests that the woman is small, possibly frail.

We don't know all the details here, but it's possible the dog would have done more harm to the victim if the victim had attempted to "kick the crap out of" it.

The dog's owner was there but she doesn't seem to have done anything to stop the attack.

[jmowreader]

51. An Akita is a powerful dog

One could drag an average-size, average-strength person, no problem.

[Autobot77]

33. I hope you wouldn't kick my dog if she approached

Of course she wouldn't be snarling, she would be wagging her tail and wanting you to pet her and be your friend. Also shes just 25 lbs. and a beagle a breed not known for being vicious.

[Forkboy]

37. That post is dumb enough that the candidates in your sig would have a field day.

My cat would give you a run for your money,let alone a full grown Dane or pissed off pitbull.

[flvegan]

44. 2 things:

1. Kicking the crap out of "any dog that approached (you)" is a fantastic way to wind up with felony cruelty charges against you;
2. Dog snarls, you start kicking...the dog will probably be defending him/herself after chewing you a new one.

This is really a terribly stupid thing to say. Your foot is no match for a faster and likely stronger animal with a mouth full of teeth and a higher pain threshold.

[hlthe2b]

45. "SO many ways to dominate an aggressive dog" boy oh boy...

First of all, the goal is to subdue. Kicking is only going to 1. make the dog more aggressive towards you; 2. give him an easy target--your foot.

I have had to subdue large aggressive dogs before...I can assure you, that is NOT the way.

[tnlefty]

55. When my husband worked in a line crew, he subdued dogs with a

pocketknife as he'd been bitten one too many times. He never cut a dog that hadn't put it's teeth into him first. And the damndest thing the owner(s) would at time still be standing there and saying, 'ah it won't bite' after the dog had already bitten him.

I owned a really docile cocker spaniel for years and I never told anyone that she wouldn't bite, because I knew under the right set of circumstances she would.

[JNelson6563]

49. Mea culpa

I failed to mention the obvious, that if the dog were acting obviously aggressive it would get the business end of some counter aggression.

I know dogs pretty well, have always had them and know when they are going to be agressive and when they aren't. I've had all kinds and sizes of dogs and have always been able to master them. I realize some people do not "know" dogs and some do not have good health and wouldn't be able to fend for themselves if attacked by a larger, aggressive dog.

There, I think that covers all the addendums.

Julie--who always gets a kick out of the self-righteousness at DU

[Hekate]

58. Really? Like a Presa Canario perhaps?

I'm referring to the San Francisco case where a woman was mauled to death at the front door of her condo by the neighbors' two beasts. The dog-owners' case in court was that the woman showed timidity, was menstruating, all that kind of thing -- yeah, sure, each of the dogs weighed more than she did, and it was all her fault. Fortunately, the jury didn't buy it.

As for the woman at the dog show: the last thing a participant is going to expect is that a random snarl is going to turn into a full-fledged attack. What you would expect is that all the dogs there would be well-trained and accompanied by humans who know how to handle them. Therefore, I'm surprised the woman who was attacked by the Akita wasn't rescued faster, unless this all happened very fast.

If you personally ever do find yourself at a dog show next to a nervous or aggressive dog, I seriously doubt you'd want to kick the stuffing out of it without more provocation than a snarl.

Hekate

[LiberalFighter]

2. I thought that dogs not entered were not allowed in

[Lautremont]

3. He was a judge. (nt)

[xultar]

6. Not necessairly true especially for outdoor events.

[LiberalFighter]

12. Oh!

[The Straight Story]

7. He was hired by another dog who got a low score....(nt)

[LiberalFighter]

11. How much was the Akita paid for the attack?

[The Straight Story]

15. 2 scooby snacks :) (nt)

[LiberalFighter]

42. That doesn't even amount to a snack for dog that big.

[A HERETIC I AM]

21. ...

:spray: :spray: :rofl: :rofl:

Sort of a Canine version of the Nancy Kerrigan hit job?

[ebayfool]

36. ..... I almost sucked my cereal down my windpipe!

:spank:

[live love laugh]

41. So the dog was a Republican then? n/t

[InvisibleTouch]

10. The worst thing I've ever seen at a dog show...

...was a male dog casually lifting a leg to pee on one of the bystanders. Guess I've been lucky!

[LiberalFighter]

17. I've been lucky... one person in our rescue op has had a few misfortunes

A few times they whizzed on her feet and once on her purse.

[Lurking Dem]

18. I'm thinkin' that was a demerit.

:+

[InvisibleTouch]

22. Fortunately the judge didn't see it...

...and it wasn't one of my dogs, of course! :)

[kenny blankenship]

20. That will teach those judges to grab your balls!

[Codeine]

27. But was there rat poison in the foot? nt

[newfie11]

28. Dog shows

My husband and I show our dogs (not Akitas). In every premium
list I have ever looked at no dog is allowed in the area if it
is not to be shown. This is never enforced. I would hope the
owner faces some charges as this is stupidity to bring a
aggressive dog into that setting.

[Hekate]

60. That rule makes a lot of sense. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Hekate

[kestrel91316]

29. An Akita? Why am I not surprised? Though I must admit I rather

expected it to have been a Rottweiler, GSD, or Chow.

And I KNEW it was not any sort of pit bull type. Long professional experience.

Memo to breeders: Start paying more attention to temperament and less to conformation. Give up the ribbons. Do the right thing.

[Lurking Dem]

31. Interested in your opinion

on how much of this is the breed and how much is the owner? Should this dog have even been at the show?

My mother-in-law, for instance, has never owned a well behaved dog. The common denominator is her. But don't try and tell her that!

[kestrel91316]

34. Well, for starters, I think the ONLY dogs at dog shows should be

the dogs IN THE SHOW. This is basic common sense from an infectious disease control standpoint. And there are gonna be a LOT of unneutered males around, so any unfamiliar dogs are really gonna run the chance of riling things up.

Was the dog in question by any chance an INTACT male (boy, I think I already know the answe to THAT question)? Had the owner ever taken it to a complete obedience class series(I bet NOT)?

It took stupid official policy, dumb owner, and naughty dog to pull this off. Everybody has to share in the blame.

[Lurking Dem]

40. Thanks!

Sounds reasonable.

[brettdale]

32. Im guessing

That dog wouldnt win dog of the year, or cutest dog.

[Catchawave]

35. Whew...it wasn't a dachshund

:evilgrin:

Akitas with the wrong owner is like selling a glock to a ten year old child.

[The Straight Story]

38. Man that's harsh - I like it :)

I have a mini-dachshund, he couldn't bite a hot dog in half without serious issues.

He can do some mean squirrel chasing though :)

[Lurking Dem]

43. I'll preface this by stating up front

that I generally hate small little dogs. They bug me. And they tend to be kinda hyper. I was always a German Shepherd kinda girl.


But I was at the airport once and this woman was letting her toy dachshund stretch its legs (HA!) in the woman's room of the Admiral's Club and that was one of the cutest damn things I have ever seen in my life.

I wanted one but was afraid my cat (affectionately known as El Gato Grande) would eat it.

[Red_Viking]

47. I lived with a guy who had an Akita

That son of a bitching dog was a fear-biter, and my boyfriend didn't do anything about it. His answer was always that the person who was bitten did something to provoke the dog. Once, my then 7-year-old daughter was watching TV, sitting in the floor, when I heard her yelling. I ran into the other room and the Akita was up over her back, trying to bite her in the face. We got him off her.

Then, he killed one of my beloved cats that I'd had for 15 years.

Then I moved out.

Sheesh.

I have nothing against dogs, but I do have something against owners who don't train their dogs.

Oh, and I worked with a woman who had Akitas, and those dogs were well trained. Except, two of them got in a fight once, and when she tried to separate them, one of them bit the tip off one of her fingers. Ack.


Peace,

RV

[S n o w b a l l]

48. Before everyone here gives Akitas a bad rap...

I have to say...I have an Akita and had one previously. Neither one ever showed any aggression towards people. They can be aggressive towards strange dogs. My (fixed) male was but not my female. They were both raised with a cat and a smaller dog and they were/are very gentle and affectionate with them. The story behind this breed is that the Japanese would use them to protect their children.

ANY dog can be aggressive with the wrong owner & unfortunately, a few stupid people and a few bad dogs can screw it up for the rest of us. I had a friend who got 20 stiches in her lip from a Yorkie attack.

My homeowners insurance isn't any higher because I own an Akita and I really hope the reputation of this breed isn't spoiled by a few bad examples.

[flvegan]

52. Yeah, well, what you stated

surely punches a shitpile of holes in the "discussion" that is taken up by the pitbull haters here.

Sorry, it's the breed. People have nothing to do with it. Move along, nothing to see here.

Do I REALLY need the sarcasm smilie? Didn't think so.

[S n o w b a l l]

62. I'll be sure and get in on the next thread

& argue the same for pit bulls. It always amuses me when people who've never owned a breed proclaim to be an expert. I'd like to think that DUers were more cognizant of media distortion.

[Marrah_G]

61. I think the problem is owners with the wrong breed

There are certain breeds that really do need a strong owner or they will think they are an alpha dog. My boyfriend owned Malmutes, but they were fantastic because HE was a good owner. He had a background in dealing with strong dogs (he was a sentry dog soldier in nam). His dogs knew he was the boss, they loved and respected him and he loved and respected them.

I would bet in this case it was an owner who didn't understand the breed, which is sad. That owner should have been able to stop his/her dog immediately.

I did have a dog once that bit, but it was a different case. She had been abused (I adopted her from the spca) and every once in a while someone would move the wrong way (always a male) and she would lash out. After she bit my friend and drew blood I had to send her to live with an ex in an isolated home. I just couldn't risk her nipping a nieghborhood child. I still miss her :(

[Sabriel]

56. Sorry, I thought this was another Katie Couric thread. n/t

[leftofthedial]

57. they lose points on that

I think.

[RamboLiberal]

59. This story says the woman attacked was in her 70's

Poor woman that age wouldn't stand a chance. Look at enlarged photo on site - she looks like she's elderly.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/BREAKINGNEWS/70325012

A large dog suddenly attacked a woman at a dog show competition at Wickham Park Pavilion this afternoon.

The crowd watched in horror as the dog, an Akita owned by Sally Jaffe of Mims, pounced on the woman and chewed on her left ankle for several seconds, just yards from the area where the competition took place.

Maria Patman, 70, of Geneva screamed as she was knocked to the ground. The adult dog, larger than a German shepherd, dragged the woman at one point during the attack, according to witnesses.

And reading comments by people who claim they were there apparently the Akita (there's some dispute if it was an Akita since the owner raises Anatolian Shepherds which are big dogs) was there as a rally competitor.

[fromtheinside]

63. What if you knew

the following about this situation:

A) This akita has attacked a person's foot before at a dog show last year. He has a foot thing and he's seriously mentally ill.
B) The breeder of this akita accused (almost certainly falsly) his previous owner of abuse, and blamed all temperament issues on that.
C) The breeder put this akita in another home after the first bite incident rather than euthanize.
D) This akita has documented thyroid issues which are a major cause of aggression in dogs.
E) This breeder claims absolutely no culpability.

Does this change anyone's take on the situation?

This is all hypothetical of course...;)

[The Straight Story]

64. I don't really have a take on it - and welcome to DU!

Sometimes, dogs bite people. Always have, always will.