Dog bite severity varies by the breed of dog, and studies have found that pit bull–type dogs have both a high rate of reported bites and a high rate of severe injuries, compared to other non–pit bull–type dogs.
Pit bull–type dogs are extensively used in the United States for dogfighting, a practice that has continued despite being outlawed. Several nations and jurisdictions restrict the ownership of pit bull–type dogs through breed-specific legislation.
Watched the video and read the article. No proof this was a pit bull.
Setting aside the breed of the dog… this dog should be put down immediately. If the owners of the dog where good owners (clearly not) they would have put it down immediately after the incident without hesitation.
The dog attacked a child unprovoked. The only solution is euthanasia at this point, unfortunately. There is no way to guarantee the dog will never be around children, and it clearly sees children as prey.
It should be legally required for all pit bulls to be sterilized. End the breed!
Nine-year-old Daniella Schlauch needed hundreds of stitches and staples in her head -- and nearly lost an eye and ear -- after the dog attacked as she was getting into a car outside her home.
The 4th grader suffered a concussion, head, foot and hand wounds. Part of her ear had to be reattached.
"He could've killed me if no one was out there," she told CBS News New York.
She said the animal suddenly leaped at her and bit her, unprovoked.
"It pulled me down to the ground and it wouldn't let go," she said. "He was just really shaking my head right here, then he let go for a second and started doing it on my head up here."
"Locked onto her and wouldn't let go, and my husband jumped on top of the dog," her mom, Theresa Schlauch, said.
"I jumped on his back and I just held his neck down, and my other daughter pulled his legs up," her dad, Pat Schlauch, said.
The dog's owner eventually pulled the animal away and told the Schlauchs it got out a back door. There was no backyard fence.
"The dog was, been known to easily just open the latch on the back door and escape, which he has done numerous times before," the girl's brother, George Schlauch, said.
The Schlauch family believes the dog is still next door. They filed a dangerous dog application, claiming it chased a child and viciously approached their front door.
"I want the dog to be removed from the home because we're afraid to go outside of our house because the dog is still unrestrained and it can escape and attack someone else," Teresa Schlauch said.
The owner was issued a summons for an unlicensed dog, must get a dog license and quarantine it for 10 days to determine rabies status.
"It's like that the dog who attacked my sister has more rights than she does right now," George Schlauch said.
Dangerous dog cases are heard by a district court judge within five days. The judge can order a dog be retrained, removed or even euthanized.
The dog owner could not be reached for comment.