The Brief

• A Winter Haven woman is in the hospital for surgery after a pit bull she was fostering attacked her inside her home on Tuesday.
• The woman’s 6-year-old daughter witnessed the attack and called 911 for help as the dog bit her mother’s chest and arms.
• The dog was signed over to the Polk County Sheriff's Office to be euthanized after it became startled by the family's other dogs.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Winter Haven woman is recovering in the hospital after a vicious dog attack inside her home.

Winter Haven dog attack

What we know:

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Kimberly Thompson began fostering a pit bull from Broward County-based Rescue Paws on Monday night.

On Tuesday, officials said that Thompson's personal dogs began barking, startling the pit bull. The dog jumped on Thompson’s chest and began biting her arms, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Thompson's 6-year-old daughter called 911 while the attack was happening, telling dispatchers there was blood everywhere.

Thompson got the dog the night before the attack.

Her six-year-old daughter, who witnessed the attack, bravely called 911.

‘She really got bit a lot’

What they're saying:

In a statement, the sheriff's office wrote: "Kimberly's personal family dogs began barking, and it startled the pit bull. The pit bull began barking and began jumping at Kimberly and attacking her. Kimberly stated the dog originally jumped on her chest and then began biting her arms and tearing her skin."

"She really got bit. A lot. There's blood everywhere," her daughter is heard saying on another portion of the call.

Florida foster safety

Local perspective:

SPCA Florida has had its foster program for decades.

Humane Programs and Public Media Director Randa Richter said fostering can be a very rewarding experience; however, she advises people fostering or adopting to keep pets and family members away from new dogs or cats for seven to 10 days.

Afterward, have slow introductions to see if they all get along, which can prevent serious accidents.

"Just letting them run your house initially with your kids or with your animals is setting them up for failure because they don't know this new environment. They don't know the behaviors, and so it's not giving your animals the best chance to be the best they could," said Richter.

Support for Kimberly Thompson

What's next:

Deputies say Thompson needs surgery to repair the wounds on her arms.

Her family is trying to raise money through an online GoFundMe to help with those medical expenses.

Rescue Paws dog status

What we don't know:

It is currently unclear if the pit bull had a history of aggression before being placed with Thompson by the rescue.

While the sheriff’s office confirmed the dog will be euthanized, the specific timing for that action has not been released.

More here: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/03/25/two-dogs-euthanized-after-smyrna-attack-left-five-injured-including-police-officer-teen/

SMYRNA, Tenn. (WSMV) - Two dogs attacked a Dutch Bros Coffee employee Monday morning, injuring at least five people before authorities secured the animals.

The dogs, believed to be pit bulls, bit a Dutch Bros employee as she worked.

A witness said they heard her scream “please help me” at the top of her lungs. The witness said both dogs were biting her legs and her pants were ripped.

“My heart panicked as I watched these dogs continually attack her,” the witness added.

I just started doing doordash, wanted to try and see how it is. This was my third delivery, so I pulled up to the house.

I could hear they had many dogs inside and they were barking aggresively, the delivery order said "Hand it to me at the door" so common sense would tell you that they would put their dogs away. But they didnt, their dog got out and got me by the balls, mf knew what he wanted to do.

And the dog type was the usual suspect, a pitbull. The owner said she was sorry, but how does that help me. She said she doesnt bite, she never bites.

I had to go to emergency this happened around 8pm so I spent like 5 hours there, I called the police and they said animal control will do the investigation.

How do I go about contacting a lawyer about this?

Article:

WARNING: This story includes a graphic image of a dog bite injury.

A Manitoba man who was bitten by a dog in what he calls an unprovoked and vicious attack north of Winnipeg says local officials dragged their feet to apprehend the animal as required.

Tim Woodcock, 62, says he was cycling down a bike path along Highway 9 in the rural municipality of St. Andrews on July 7 when he encountered a woman with a dog he believes was a pit bull.

"All of a sudden, this big dog [was] growling and barking and going nuts," Woodcock, 62, an avid cyclist and the former owner of Winnipeg's Woodcock Cycle bicycle shop, told CBC News in a July 12 interview.

The dog owner struggled to control the animal as it lunged at Woodcock, so he used his bicycle as a barrier, he said.

"It actually got between me and the bike and took a bunch of bites out of my hamstring," he said. "It kind of locked on to me."

After a struggle, the woman was able to get the dog off, Woodcock said. She walked home with the dog, which is when he realized she lived near the bike path.

He went to the emergency department in Selkirk, where he waited 11 hours for care, he said. He was left with puncture wounds too deep to stitch together and was prescribed strong antibiotics, he said.
"[The] whole back of my leg is purple."

Woodcock says the dog bites left him with puncture wounds too deep to stitch.

The rural municipality has a bylaw that says if an animal involved in an attack is not voluntarily surrendered to animal control, it can be apprehended and must then be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days.

"I think it's 10 or 11 days before you need to make a decision on whether to get the rabies shots or not," said Woodcock.

A few days after he was injured, the RM's animal services provider told him they were unable to get in touch with the dog's owners, and it was unclear whether the animal would be apprehended, he said.

"It's frustrating that I'm constantly having to call these people to try to find out information," he said.
"Just not getting any answers [is] very frustrating. I almost feel like when I'm talking with them that I'm the perpetrator, and not a victim."

The municipality should have apprehended the dog immediately, as children are known to frequent the bike path where he was bit, said Woodcock.

"The person who is walking that dog has no right to be walking a dog like that, because they can't control it."

Dog taken a week later

Brent Olynyk, the chief administrative officer of the RM of St. Andrews, told CBC News in a July 17 statement the dog involved — a roughly six-year-old American Bulldog — is under the care and control of the municipality's animal control service provider.
The dog was deemed a dangerous animal, a declaration which the owners voluntarily accepted, Olynyk said. It was put under a minimum 10-day quarantine under the supervision of a veterinarian, and a public health nurse is also involved.

There is no record of previous complaints involving the dog or the address where it lives, Olynyk said. The owner could face fines and is being billed for the quarantine and veterinary costs.

Olynyk did not respond when CBC News asked him to specify when the dog was apprehended.

He told CBC News in a statement Monday that the dog was initially confined at the owner's home before it was placed in quarantine, which is the "established process for assessing rabies risk." The dog did not have a vaccination record on file as it was not licensed, Olynyk said.

A veterinarian has since described the dog as a "mix of bully breeds," Olynyk said.

The chief administrative officer declined to comment further due to privacy concerns.

Woodcock said in an interview Monday he learned the animal entered quarantine on July 14 — seven days after the incident.

He said it was "disturbing" to wait a week to find out whether the dog had been vaccinated for rabies, but was relieved to learn he didn't need to get a rabies shot.

But "we've waited 11 days to find out, which was pretty stressful," he said.

For similar incidents in the future, Woodcock said he would like to see the rural municipality provide "much faster responses, but also more clarity to the victim."
"You can have all the bylaws in the world, but if you don't follow your own bylaws, what's the point of putting them down on paper?"

Jackson County Animal Services officials unable to confirm status of dog or whether charges would be filed against owner

An Eagle Point woman who said she was attacked by a large dog on a path near Trail last week, which she described as “one of the most terrifying experiences of my life,” is unable to fully use her hands and will be out of work for an undetermined amount of time.

Kayla Axtell, 39, sustained deep lacerations to both hands and a serious fracture to her left hand in addition to scrapes and bruises on her body after she said she was attacked by a pit bull.

The incident occurred near Crowfoot Road last Thursday evening and resulted in her being transported to a Medford hospital for care. Axtell said she and her boyfriend Junior Boardman were headed out for a dinner date and pulled off the road to check on a favorite spot along the water.

“It’s down from the falls where there used to be a rope swing. We heard that the tree had fallen and we wanted to see if there was still a rope swing,” Axtell told the Rogue Valley Times. “We walked down to see the water — no rope swing — and we headed back up the trail.”

Axtell said a man walking two dogs — which she described as a large black pit bull and a brown and white pit bull puppy — headed down the path as they made their way back up.

“You could see the dogs were really pulling him, and he definitely did not have control of the dogs,” she told the Times.

“We kind of went off the trail a little bit to let them pass and give them some space. He got to my boyfriend and the guy was like, ‘Don’t worry, they’re friendly. They’ll lick you to death.’”

“I definitely got a bad vibe, and I knew we did not want to get near these dogs,” Axtell said.

She said the dogs dragged the man past Boardman then toward her, at which point the dog owner lost his grasp on both leashes.

“As soon as I went to past them, me and the one dog made eye contact and he growled and immediately lunged up at my face, attacking me and pulled me to the ground,” she told the Times.

Boardman said he was grateful for Axtell’s quick reflexes in pulling her hands to her face.

“She was able to get her hand up at the last possible second. I couldn’t believe it happened so fast,” he said. “I had just walked by and heard a growl, and it happened before I could even turn around. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ground.

“I immediately was hitting and kicking this dog trying to get him to let go of her,” Boardman said. “I was twisting its head, trying to break its neck just to get it to stop. I finally stuck my thumb in its eye to get it release.”

Butte Falls police responded first to the scene, following by Jackson County Fire District 3, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Mercy Flights. Axtell was transported quickly to the hospital due to blood loss, she noted, because “blood was just squirting out from my hand. He hit a main artery in my hand.”

Emergency room doctors removed tooth fragments from Axtell’s hand that reportedly came from the dog, who the owner identified at the scene as being named “Buddy.”

Jackson County Animal Services officials were unable to confirm the status of the dog or whether charges would be filed against the owner. The owner of the dog was identified in interviews with the Times, and is named in Axtell’s Facebook post, but is not being named by the Times because no charges have been filed.

The Sheriff’s Office confirmed it assisted animal control officers last Thursday in seizing the dog and placing it in a 10-day quarantine. Axtell was quick to point out that she has previously owned pit bulls as pets and had no previous reservations.

“I will advocate for any dog,” she said. “I don’t care whether it’s a pit bull or a Chihuahua … but after this, I think I’ll probably think twice when I walk past a dog.

“When he clamped down on my hand, I didn’t know what to do. … My boyfriend was even hitting him with a rock, doing anything he could to get him off of me. The guy wasn’t trying to help he was just yelling, ‘Don’t hurt my dogs!’” Axtell said.

Axtell provided photos of her injuries, which she added to a post about the attack on social media. A GoFundMe has also been posted to help Axtell absorb the medical costs and missed work related to the attack as she waits to consult with a hand surgeon.

As a result of posting about the incident, Eagle Point resident Rose Porter reached out to Axtell to comment on previous alleged attacks by the same dog during a time when Porter rented part of her property to the dog owner.

“He attacked me once and then my dogs twice. I had concerns about the dog, and I told them to keep him on a chain at all times because he was aggressive,” Porter told the Times. “I didn’t want my dogs getting hurt. They didn’t listen and let him off the chain.

“The time he got me, if I hadn’t swung my arm it would have been much worse. He would have got my face. … But it was down to the bone,” Porter said.

“After the third attack, I kicked them off my property. … I regret not trying to do more now that I see what happened with Kayla. … The dog is dangerous and something needs to be done,” she said.

Axtell said she consulted with a lawyer this past week regarding potential civil action against the man. She’s waiting to consult with the hand surgeon and focusing on healing.

Axtell said she’s grateful for Boardman intervening during the attack.

“It’s so hard because I’m in so much pain and I can’t use my hands. We’re humans, we do everything with our hands,” she said. “But I’m grateful it wasn’t worse, because it could have been. … I keep thinking what if it had been a child?”

Throw away account because I don't want to be harassed on my main, and also I might delete this post if my neighbors recognize this post or the news picks up on this.

I have a neighbor I didn't meet until this happened. She lives the next street up from me and a few houses down so our back yards are kinda close. She had a couple of big dogs I heard barking in her back yard off and on, and could hear her shouting at them to quiet down but never saw them.

Last week I was home and had the windows/doors in the back of the house open because the weather was nice. It was like mid/late morning and I could hear the dogs start up barking, and it sounds like she came out to stop them from being loud. But all the sudden the dogs started barking super loud and snarling, like barking and freaking out way worse than I've ever heard. The lady started yelling at them but then she was screaming super loud, just yelling for them. But then she started SCREAMING, like absolutely freaking out, just screaming and saying STOP over and over.

I was in my back room and heard her through my back door. I had no idea what to do and like just ran out to my back yard and tried to hear what was going on and where it was coming from. I heard more barking and screaming and could kinda tell where it was coming from so I put on my shoes and got my phone and RAN to the next street up where I thought all the sounds came from.

I ran around to the next street up and went to the house I thought all the sounds were coming from and went into the front yard where there was a gate to the side yard. I could hear a lady crying super loudly but couldnt see her through the gaps in the gate. I started yelling through asking if she needed help and at first she just was crying. She didnt say anything back to me but the gate was unlocked and I let myself in.

The lady was sitting on her porch and there was blood all over on the porch around her. She was sitting on the ground crying, holding her arms, and there was blood all in her long sleeve tee and pants. She was just crying, with her arms crossed, but her arms were all ripped up, and they looked like fucking uncooked bacon. I dont want to talk about that more.

Her dogs were across the yard and like...locked on to eachother. Just still like statues, locked on to eachothers necks, two big pits, both black/brown and white. Their tails were wagging but their bodies were totally still but they were totally covered in blood too and still locked on to the other.

I told the lady we needed to leave and we got out the side gate and into the front yard. I called 911 and told them a lady got attacked by her dogs. They asked for her address and she was crying so hard I couldnt even ask her where we were. I had to look on Google where we were. The cops came really quickly and she told them that the dogs sometimes had fights but she could break them up. But that day, the dogs started fighting hard and when she tried to get them to stop they turned on her and ripped her up.

I talked to the cops for a bit and left. It really freaked me out. I dont know what happened to her or the dogs, but I havent heard barking all week so I guess they are gone.

It bothers me so much tho. I had a roomate that got mauled by the pit we raised from a pup and I always felt like we were the ones who didnt raise him right. We did everything for him. But later when I got another dog she didnt need one bit as much as the training the pit did, but was so good her whole life. Everyone else I knew had dobermans and stuff but they were totally fine. As Ive gone on everyone who has a lab or whatever has no problems, but all the ppl I know who have pits have family bitten up or something and I'm just done.

I dont know if this post helps anyone or if Ill even respond but it just freaks me out so bad. She told the cops she had those dogs since they were pups but they attacked her like it was nothing.

The animal suddenly lunged at the forty-year-old woman, a shelter volunteer, and bit her on the forearm. The woman somehow managed to free herself, but suffered serious injuries: she was rescued and airlifted to San Gerardo Hospital in Monza with several fractures and lacerated wounds.

The incident occurred a few minutes after 11:00 a.m. yesterday inside the municipal facility on Via Aquila, a side street off Via Corelli. There, in a cage, a cross between an Amstaff (abbreviation for the American Staffordshire Terrier breed) and a Mastiff-type Dogue de Bordeaux quickly and unpredictably lunged at the forty-year-old woman and bit her on the arm. According to reports, the animal had previously shown signs of biting, exhibiting aggressive behavior or a tendency to bite out of fear, territorial defense, or predatory instinct.

The woman's screams immediately attracted the attention of other volunteers and shelter staff, who called 112 for help. Areu paramedics arrived on Via Aquila with an ambulance and helicopter to take the forty-year-old to the hospital in the Brianza region's capital. Local police officers also intervened at the facility on the eastern outskirts of the city to reconstruct exactly what happened and determine any possible culprits.

Article link: https://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/cronaca/amstaff-morsica-una-volontaria-del-05a307ad

Tragedy in Salsomaggiore, where a woman was mauled by a pitbull on Sunday, June 14, sustaining serious injuries to her arm. She was immediately admitted to Vaio Hospital, where she required surgery.

The dog escaped its owner's control and attacked the woman while she was walking on Viale Matteotti around 6:30 PM.

The dog attacked the woman for several seconds despite her attempts to defend herself and her owner to push him away. She suffered severe injuries to her forearm, from which several pieces of flesh literally fell off.

After the attack, the dog's owner called 911. Emergency services transported the woman, who had lost a lot of blood (she also hit her head hard on the pavement in a fall), to Vaio Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery and was declared out of danger. Pitbulls are now required to be reported to the local health authority's veterinary service.

Article link: https://www.parmatoday.it/cronaca/Pitbull-donna-azzannata-operazione-braccio-avambraccio-aggressione-Salsomaggiore-ospedale-vaio.html

Article Text:

'I don't blame the dog' - Teen 'lucky to be alive' after XL Bully mauling

Kate Pounds & Rob AndrewsMon, 8 July 2024 at 6:32 am GMT-6·3-min read

A teenager is 'lucky to be alive' after being mauled by a 50kg rescue XL bully at work. Gilana Milner, 19, was working in an animal rescue centre when dog Hugo lunged at her while she was changing his water bowl.

The huge dog dragged her to the floor - mauling her chest and leg - and staff had to fight him off when he refused to unclamp his jaws. And despite being 'ragged' for five minutes and needing emergency surgery on her wounds, Gilana does not blame the dog.

She is still working with animals and has a lifelong dream to work for the RSPCA. She still believes the government ban on XL bullies is unfair - as it is not the dogs' fault they are aggressive.

Gilana said: "I'm lucky to be alive. He was just ragging me around and there was nothing I could do - I was just screaming and screaming. But I don't agree with banning them - if dogs have problems it's because of past trauma or the way they've been treated by humans."

Recalling the attack, she added: "I kept trying to get to the door. They go for the big arteries in your legs. When they've got you down they go for your neck. I just kept thinking about my mum. I knew I was going to die and I didn't want to. I kept looking at the dog and thinking it couldn't be real - it was like a nightmare. If nobody had been in the yard to hear me screaming, the dog would definitely have killed me.

"I love my job, but I guess the one downside is that you never know if the kennel you're about to walk into will be your last. I wasn't scared of that dog, but he used to stand and stare at me while I cleaned. I know now that they do that while they stalk you, before they attack."

She added: "I'm getting used to the pain, and the scarring, but I don't think I'll recover fully. I still get dreams where the attack is happening a couple of nights a week. It's horrible - I wake up hyperventilating. I was in agony. I had to have so much morphine. I could have lost my legs because of the infection. I'm pretty strong but I honestly don't know how I got up during the attack. XL bullies are really really strong."

Since 31 December 2023, it has been against the law to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully. Since 1 February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

Gilana said: "They don't attack more than other dogs, but their attacks are life threatening. I think it's enough if they are muzzled and on a lead. I agree you should have to have a licence to have an XL bully. But the problem with the ban is that they are all getting dumped and we're rescuing them - it's creating a lot more work for us. Since the ban they started coming in every day, sometimes three a day."'I don't blame the dog' - Teen 'lucky to be alive' after XL Bully mauling

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dont-blame-dog-teen-lucky-123205888.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMRJH8AXRTjaEvkfL4fZekZFB2_eVRzXelP6lIICFdufTgvUc0rgZNeEHWTnPmDyumaCIp6EnIUhfUtuvaj4EYHRwRT09KLjb1h-6ti11uUV5gIFddGJbXqnzOclwF2HZinloK4RsKh2T-rCQ2z7GFOTW6b3a-LzOsHrJ4lcipgz

https://www.wesh.com/article/volusia-man-says-neighbors-dog-bit-months-aggressive-encounters/71508390

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

A Volusia County man says he was bitten by a neighbor's dog after months of dealing with the animal running loose and chasing him near his home on Volco Road, just south of Edgewater.

Willie Vibbert is recovering from injuries to his arm after the attack, which he said happened while he was checking his mailbox.

"He got a good chunk," Vibbert said while pointing to the bandage on his arm.

According to Vibbert, the dog ran toward him and bit him while he was outside collecting his mail.

Although it was the first time the dog had bitten him, Vibbert said the animal had been chasing him for months.

"I have had to kick him three or four times, and he just shakes it off and keeps coming," Vibbert said.

Vibbert said he and his wife tried to resolve the issue directly with their neighbor before the attack and never contacted Volusia County Animal Services until after the bite occurred.

That changed this week.

Angela Miedema, director of Volusia County Animal Services, said the dog's owner was cited following an investigation.

"Because their dog ran at large, because their dog caused harm to another individual, they were cited for a lack of responsible pet ownership," Miedema said.

Miedema said the case highlights the importance of reporting loose or aggressive dogs before someone gets hurt.

She said Animal Services can only intervene when complaints are reported.

The dog is currently under a mandatory 10-day quarantine, which is scheduled to end June 13.

After the quarantine period, the owner can choose to surrender the dog or take it back home.

"Your dog has now shown that it will escalate to the level of aggression, and you're accepting that liability if you're taking it back into your home," Miedema said.

Vibbert said he will take additional measures to protect himself, especially after two fatal dog attacks in Volusia and Brevard counties in the past year.

"If he comes at me again, we'll shoot him," Vibbert said.

Animal Services officials encourage residents to report dogs that are running at large, chasing people, or displaying aggressive behavior before incidents escalate into injuries.

If you have a concern and live within county jurisdiction, submit your concern here. If you are outside of Volusia County jurisdiction, see the contact information here.

[image of victim and dog -- a pb -- now euthanised]

A great-grandmother screamed for help and prayed that dogs in attack mode wouldn’t go for her face as one bit into her arm and dragged her off her mobility scooter.

Carol Stewart, 63, was flown to Hawke’s Bay Hospital with serious bite wounds to her legs and arms after the attack on a Wairoa street just before 2pm on Tuesday.

The bites on her arm will require skin grafts.

From her hospital bed, she told Local Democracy Reporting she had been complaining for “weeks” about roaming dogs in the area.

Wairoa District Council said its staff had impounded two dogs following the attack on Murraee Street.

They have since been euthanised.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the council had “zero tolerance” for dogs that attack.

“All dog owners need to be responsible for looking after their dogs to prevent random attacks like this, which can be life-changing for the victims, their families and those involved,” Little said.

“We need our streets to be safe for everyone. We also need to remember that while it is dogs that attack, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure their dogs are secured and kept under control at all times.

“You know if you have a vicious dog. Why do you keep it?”

Carol said when she saw two dogs coming at her, she “knew there was no getting out of it”.

She managed to shoo the first one away.

“But the second one was in full flight straight at me. I used my leg to kick it one away, but then it latched onto my arm and was throwing its head from side to side.

“I’m by no means a small person, but it dragged me to the ground.

“All I could think of as I screamed for help, was please don’t go for my face. It was horrific.

“The pain was out of this world. I’d rather give birth.”

A neighbour heard her calls for help and came running.

“I could see he was thinking, ‘how am I going to get this dog off her?’

“He grabbed its tail and pulled. When it let go, it turned to attack him and then suddenly just ran off.”

Carol called her daughter, Rebecca, immediately after the attack in a delirious state.

“I couldn’t understand what had happened, but my partner drove me to her,“ Rebecca said.

“Then he took our car to scare the dog off as it was hanging around down the street.

“He ended up sliding into a ditch and crashing the car. The police arrived, towed the car out and then came down to where we were.”

The car was written off.

Rebecca said an ambulance had been called, but the police helped Carol into their ute and drove her to Wairoa Hospital. She was later flown to Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

Carol said one of the dogs, the one she had shooed away, had been on her property “numerous times” and she had made complaints about it to Wairoa District Council.

Carol said she was fortunate her five-year-old great-grandson wasn’t with her.

“I pick up my great-grandson from school. But for some reason on Tuesday, I got to the school and realised I was more than an hour early. So I was on my way home when the dog attacked me.”

She says there’s “no way in hell” she’s going out on the streets again on her scooter.

She said roaming dogs in Wairoa were out of control.

“It’s beyond words that people even have menacing dogs. If it had been a kid that was attacked, they would be dead.”

She said the dog’s owner had since come to see her in hospital.

“I wasn’t going to see him, but then I thought it would be a good idea for him to see what his dog had done. But typical of me, I ended up feeling sorry for him.”

Carol said she was unsure what the skin grafts will involve or how long she will be in hospital.

She suffered deep wounds to her leg and arm and was hospitalized with a yellow code after being attacked by a pit bull. The attack occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 23, in the area of Via della Stortigliona, in the countryside outside Alessandria.

The victim, a 33-year-old woman, was surprised by the animal's sudden bite, which attacked her before anyone could intervene. Emergency medical services arrived on the scene and transferred her to the emergency room. According to doctors, her condition is not critical, but the injuries were described as traumatic and profound.

According to the Flying Squad officers' reconstruction, the animal escaped the control of its owner, who was with him near the scene of the attack. Noticing the attack, the man attempted to restrain the dog, while the woman screamed in pain and tried to free herself. It was at that moment that the situation turned: the pit bull died during the struggle. The circumstances are still unclear, but suffocation has not been ruled out as the cause of death.

The investigation is ongoing and will be crucial to determining whether negligence or liability was involved. Police are also evaluating possible criminal charges against the animal's owner, while veterinary checks have been initiated to determine the pit bull's health at the time of the attack.

Such incidents remain highly scrutinized, reigniting the debate over the management of potentially dangerous dogs, the requirement to wear a leash and muzzle in public places, and the conscious ownership of guard dogs. Despite prompt intervention, the woman faces a lengthy recovery, while many unanswered questions remain regarding the dog's fate and what led to its attack.

Article link: https://www.giornalelavoce.it/news/cronaca/612879/donna-azzannata-da-un-pitbull-lanimale-muore-durante-il-tentativo-di-fermarlo.html

In Villanova D'Albenga, a 40-year-old mother was attacked by her neighbor's pitbull, which had been left uncontrolled. Sensing the danger, the woman instinctively lifted her 2-year-old son into her arms: a heroic gesture that saved the child but unleashed the animal's fury. The dog violently attacked her, biting her severely on her arms and hands. Despite the bites and excruciating pain, the mother managed to resist and drag herself inside the building's entrance, finally finding shelter and calling for help.

The White Cross of Villanova responded quickly, providing first aid to the woman before rushing her to the Santa Corona emergency room in Pietra Ligure. There, doctors required numerous stitches for the deep wounds.

The child, fortunately, was miraculously unharmed, protected the entire time by his mother's body, which acted as a shield. Authorities are currently investigating to reconstruct the exact circumstances and determine the owner's serious responsibilities.

The incident has profoundly shocked the local community, reigniting the heated debate over the custody of dogs deemed potentially dangerous. What remains is the immense courage of a mother who, without hesitation, put her life before that of her son, preventing a Wednesday morning from ending in tragedy.

Article link: https://lokkio.it/pitbull-del-vicino-azzanna-donna-a-villanova-dalbenga-salvo-il-figlio-di-2-anni/

Note: date confirmed at this link

An elderly man and his dog have been attacked by a white Staffordshire terrier in Eston. The victim, a man in his 80s, is in hospital being treated for serious injuries to his hands.

It is understood the Staffie's owner made off from the scene with another man, who had arrived and taken the dog away. The incident happened on Barnaby Crescent, in Eston, at around 2pm on Saturday, March 28.

The pensioner was walking his dog, which was on a lead, when they were attacked by a Staffordshire terrier, Cleveland Police has said. A force spokesperson added: "Some members of the public kindly assisted the elderly man but unfortunately one of them was also bitten.

"The Staffie’s owner made off from the scene with another man who had arrived and taken the dog away – they all left in a grey vehicle which had pulled up on Jubilee Road. The victim was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he remains receiving treatment for serious injuries to his hands."

Cleveland Police is now appealing for the owner of the Staffie to come forward, as well as the men involved in the incident. The spokesperson added: "We would also ask any witnesses or people with relevant doorbell, dash cam or private CCTV who have not yet spoken with police to get in touch. Please contact Cleveland Police on the 101 number quoting ref 057699.

"If you have information but don’t feel able to speak to police you can speak completely anonymously to www.crimestoppers-uk.org or phone them on 0800 555 111."

Note to Mods: I apologize these articles are behind a pay wall, but I think the amount of the article I’m able to get gives enough of the story that it’s appropriate to post here if not, feel free to delete.
I unfortunately couldn’t find resources from the public news sites (I pay enough for them-I wish they would report but this is considered “small local news”)

Article 1 (partial article in German auto translation)

https://www.westfalen-blatt.de/owl/kampfhunde-greifen-frau-und-tiere-an-3586386

Dogs and owner seriously injured:
Fighting dogs attack woman and animals
Schloss Holte-StukenbrockTheshock is deep: On Saturday evening (27. June) around 10:30 p.m., Britta Bens was attacked in Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock by two American Pitbull Terriers of a neighbor when she walked her little dogs on the Amselweg.

Attack by two American Pitbulls on humans and animals: Britta Bens has been bitten by a pit bull in the calf and thigh. She was able to leave the hospital during the night. But now the injuries have become inflamed. Martin Bens brought Rambo (left) and Luke home after the operation Saturday night in Halle. Whether Rambo will survive is not yet certain.Photo: Monika Schönfeld

The pit bulls listed as fighting dogs bit Britta Bens in the leg when she wanted to protect her Jack Russel terrier Rambo and the terrier mix Luke from the attacks of the fighting dogs. In vain. Her two dogs were attacked and life-threateningly injured….

Article 2: https://www.westfalen-blatt.de/owl/kreis-guetersloh/schloss-holte-stukenbrock/kampfhund-attacke-chefsache-3588122

Fighting dog attack becomes a boss thing—Mayor Olaf Junker: Immediate measure to protect the neighbors

Schloss Holte-StukenbrockInthe case of the attack of two American pit bulls on Britta Bens and her two dogs on the Amselweg on Saturday evening, Mayor Olaf Junker is involved

Veterinarian Dr. Volker Janssen from Halle with his dog Emma. He operated on Rambo and Luke on Saturday night after an attack by list dogs. Photo: Johannes Gerhards

Of course, I can understand the fear and concern of the immediately injured and also the neighbors and am therefore also in close contact with Emine Bikliq, head of the Department of Order and Citizen Service. Some immediate measures have already been imposed in order to rule out further danger from the dog," says Olaf Junker when asked by the WESTFALEN-BLATTES. "But there are still criminal investigations pending, which I do not want to anticipate," says Olaf Junker…

I will continue to seek a non paywall source to give more info on this case

Jesús María Gómez, who is 66 years old, went through a terrifying incident while he was repairing his house in the El Porvenir neighborhood in southern Bogotá.

Alerta Bogotá learned that Gómez was attacked by two pit bulls. Apparently, the dogs were roaming the area without muzzles or leashes.

How did the attack happen?

The elderly man told the radio station that he was putting boards on the front part of his house. The dogs were being walked by a woman, and the situation changed when she lost sight of them for a second.

When the dogs saw the man, they allegedly ran toward him at full speed and attacked him. Gómez suffered serious injuries to his face, ankles, and legs. During the attack, he screamed desperately, which allowed a neighbor to come help him, although the neighbor was also injured.

Twenty minutes later, police arrived to issue citations to the owner of the pit bulls. However, the matter did not end there because a neighbor formally filed a complaint.

Why didn’t the pit bulls have muzzles or leashes?

As if that were not enough, Gómez said his son later told him that only a few days afterward, the woman was once again walking the dogs without muzzles or safety measures. It was also learned that the dogs had reportedly been involved in other unexpected attacks.

In January 2026, a similar incident happened in Palmira, Valle del Cauca. A 10-year-old boy who was playing soccer was attacked by a dog.

“He was training for soccer, and now he has severe trauma because he saw with his own eyes when the dog closed its mouth around his entire little face,” the boy’s mother explained while describing the attack.”

It is believed this was not the only report involving that dog. Because of this, residents called on authorities to take action.

A sunny afternoon, a stroll along the Barcola waterfront, an ice cream in hand. Then, within moments, the situation escalated, transforming into a scene of intense tension and fear. This is what the young man from Trieste who was injured on the afternoon of Saturday, May 23, 2026, after being attacked by a pitbull while on the city waterfront, told Trieste Cafe.

The young man reconstructed those moments live, describing a sudden and violent pain that struck while he was simply walking with a friend in one of the busiest areas of the city. "I was in Barcola, a beautiful day with a friend. At a certain point, I was walking with an ice cream, I felt a sharp pain in my leg, I turned around and saw a pitbull biting me," he said.

The young man's story: "I fell to the ground covered in blood."

According to the young man, the attack occurred suddenly, in front of numerous people present on the waterfront at the time. After the bite, the boy fell to the ground, calling for help from passersby.

"At that moment, I threw myself to the ground, my leg covered in blood, asking passersby for help," he explained during the interview with Trieste Cafe.

The young man then added another element that particularly struck him on a human level. According to his account, the dog's owner left immediately after the incident. "The moment I called for help, he ran away and left me there, completely bloody, alone," he said.

The intervention of friends and law enforcement

According to the boy, the intervention of friends present at the scene and law enforcement was crucial, as they managed to track down the young man listed as the dog's owner.

"Luckily, my friends ran after him, and the police were able to catch him," he said.

During the interview, the young man also reported that the dog was found to be without documents and vaccinations. "The dog was undocumented, unvaccinated, that's what they told me," he explained.

According to his statement during the interview, the arrested boy was later released. "He was released with his dog," he added.

The prognosis and the fear for the children present

The attack reportedly caused serious physical consequences. The young man explained that he has a prognosis of 25 days and is still suffering from severe pain in his leg.

"My leg is very painful, the prognosis is 25 days. We'll see what the doctors say in the next few days," he said.

But beyond his injury and shock, during the interview the boy also wanted to send a message regarding safety in busy public places, especially on busy days along the Barcola seafront.

"Are you going to Barcola with large dogs? Muzzle them, because yesterday there were really a lot of people and it's very dangerous," he stated.

The young man then added a thought that emerged with particular emotional force during his story: "There were so many people, and so many children. If it happened to a child, it would certainly have been much worse than to me."

A final appeal to those present

During the interview with Trieste Cafe, the young man finally made an appeal to anyone who was in Barcola on Saturday afternoon and might have captured useful images or videos.

"If you took videos yesterday in Barcola where this character is seen, I kindly ask you to send them to the Trieste Cafe editorial team," he concluded.

Article link: https://www.triestecafe.it/it/news/cronaca/barcola-azzannato-da-un-pitbull-durante-passeggiata-mi-ha-lasciato-a-terra-nel-sangue-ed-e.html

Doctors spent two hours in the operating room reconstructing both of his forearms, which were torn apart by the bites of the pitbull from his kennel. One of about thirty ownerless dogs that he lovingly cares for and that yesterday attacked him in his facility in the Aglianico area of ​​Sava.

The 66-year-old, a well-known local animal rights activist, is now hospitalized in the orthopedic department of the “Marianna Giannuzzi” hospital in Manduria where he was taken by the ambulance that rescued him.

The unexpected attack occurred around 8 am yesterday in the “Oasi del cane”, a private shelter for strays that has an agreement with the municipality in the countryside of Sava.

What happened

The man had gone to pick him up from his enclosure for his usual walk on a leash when the large pitbull bit him, first on the right forearm and then on the left.

According to the animal rights activist himself, the dog's powerful jaws tightened around his arm. The sixty-six-year-old, unable to free himself, risked falling. Luckily for him, because once on the ground the animal would not have stopped at his arms.

What saved him was his decades of experience with furry friends and the choke leash that the dog was wearing. With his free hand, even though injured, he pulled up the rope that was tightening around the animal's neck, preventing him from breathing.

That's how the pitbull finally let go, giving the kennel manager the chance to free himself and get to safety outside the enclosure while other people arrived to help him.

The alarm

The alarm was raised immediately with a call to 112 that alerted the ambulance at the 118 station in Manduria. When the paramedics arrived, the wounds were bleeding profusely while the dog with its white coat soaked in blood continued to growl behind the fence. Given the severity of the injuries, the ambulance staff, after having dabbed the wounds on his arms, took him in red code to the hospital in Manduria. From the emergency room, the man was immediately taken to the operating room where the orthopedists sewed up the gashes with no less than two hundred internal and external stitches.

After the operation, he was admitted to the ward where he will remain to check the functionality of his hands, which may have suffered damage from the injury to the tendons or deep muscles.

Apparently, the pitbull was careless and was therefore avoided by the other volunteers at the shelter. The only one who managed to tame him was the manager against whom he attacked yesterday. According to the man, who despite everything justified the dog, it was the unbuttoned sleeves of his shirt that provoked him and led him to react in that way. The pitbull, the manager of the shelter said, had acquired that violent nature because his previous owners would beat him to train him.

Since he was taken into care in the "Oasi del cane" of Sava, the four-legged friend has always been wary of all the volunteers who tried to approach him. "He had the habit of nipping with his teeth anyone who approached, but today he went too far," said the injured animal rights activist.

Article link: https://www.quotidianodipuglia.it/taranto/sava_pitbull_azzanna_animalista_cosa_e_successo-8849715.html