Essex County Dog Attack: Pit Bull Bites Pet, Owner

Editor's Note: The pictured pit bull is not the one involved in the below article.

Authorities reported that a serious dog attack involving a pit bull took place in Essex County last week.

According to the Nutley Police Department, an officer heard a woman screaming around 2:40 p.m. on April 15 in the area of Centre Street and Ravine Avenue.

When the officer arrived on the scene, he allegedly saw a brown pit bull attacking a smaller dog and its owner. The officer reportedly wrestled the pit bull to the ground, but it wouldn’t release its clasp around the smaller dog’s throat.

The officer eventually managed to free the smaller dog, which emergency responders then transported to a local animal hospital to treat for a lacerated ear and puncture wounds to its neck.

In addition, the attacked dog’s owner was taken to the hospital after she suffered bite wounds to her hand and leg while she was trying to protect her pet, police stated.

Police said that the pit bull's owner – a Midland Park woman – stated the canine was involved in a separate biting incident in the past.

The woman reportedly gave the dog to a Nutley family “on a trial basis” prior to last week’s attack, police said.

The Nutley woman in possession of the dog at the time was issued a summons for having an unlicensed dog and another for having a vicious animal, police stated.

Nutley Police Chief Thomas Strumolo said that it was fortunate that the officer was in the area at the time of the attack and was able to separate the dogs before any other injuries took place.

Strumolo stated in a release that “there is presently no law in place prohibiting a resident from acquiring certain breeds of dogs.”

Nutley Police Director and Mayor Alphonse Petracco stated that “one attack is one too many” and “dog owners need to be responsible for the actions of their pets,” including licensing them and keeping them confined to a secure area.

NUTLEY INFANT ATTACKED

Another pit bull-related attack that took place on March 25 left a Nutley infant in need of more than 70 stitches and three plastic surgeries.

According to police, the incident took place when the dog – reportedly a pit bull mix - ran out of a Satterthwaite Avenue house.

The canine then allegedly attacked an 11-month-old infant who was being pushed in a stroller by her mother, police said.

The incident is still under investigation and is due to be heard in court, police stated on Wednesday.

• See related article: Pit Bull Mix Attacks Nutley Infant: More Details Released

PATCH READERS SPEAK

Several Patch readers have expressed vociferous opposition to the notion of having pit bulls as house pets.

Following a story about an alleged pit bull attack at South Mountain Reservation on Nov. 9, several readers reached out to us to express their concern about the inherent risks of the dog breed.

• See related article: Off-Leash Dog Attacks Man In South Mountain Reservation: Police

“What we’ve discovered keeping track of the many daily incidents is that for every 110 dog attacks on humans resulting in hospitalization, 100 are perpetrated by pit bulls,” alleges Solange McInnis, a member of Daxton’s Friends, an advocacy group for public safety and animal welfare formed in honor of Daxton Borchardt, who passed away in 2013 due to severe injuries sustained in a dog attack.

However, in a 2015 Patch poll, readers also expressed equal parts support for pit bulls as pets.

"The many that I have taken from shelters have never hurt a soul," one reader wrote.

"There are facts, and then there are myths and fear mongers," another reader stated.

• See related article: N.J. Readers Weigh In: Are Pit Bulls Dangerous?

ABOUT PIT BULLS... AND THEIR OWNERS

Several animal organizations caution against equating all pit bulls with aggressive behavior.

“Pit bulls have physical and mental characteristics that make them excellent partners for responsible, active and caring owners,” according to Pit Bull Rescue Central.

“These same outstanding qualities can, however, be challenging for people who don’t have a lot of experience with dog ownership or have limited understanding of the breed," Pit Bull rescue Central adds.

The ASCPA states on its website:

“Some pit bulls were selected and bred for their fighting ability. That means that they may be more likely than other breeds to fight with dogs. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be around other dogs or that they’re unpredictably aggressive. Other pit bulls were specifically bred for work and companionship. These dogs have long been popular family pets, noted for their gentleness, affection and loyalty. And even those pit bulls bred to fight other animals were not prone to aggressiveness toward people."

The ASPCA continues:

“The reality is that dogs of many breeds can be selectively bred or trained to develop aggressive traits. Therefore the responsible ownership of any dog requires a commitment to proper socialization, humane training and conscientious supervision. All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together.”

See the ASPCA’s full position statement on pit bulls here.

BITE STATISTICS AND PIT BULLS

"Bites and attacks are effects, to which there are always causes ," the American Pit Bull Foundation states on its website.

"Whether an owner understands the reason for the behavior or not, there is always an underlying cause to a bite or an attack. Pain and fear are two leading causes. In 2005, at a local animal hospital in Charlotte, NC, a bite report had to be filed when a technician reached into an unconscious dog’s mouth to find a source of bleeding. The very ill and sedated dog went into convulsions as a seizure came on, and the technician’s skin was broken on her hand when the dog began to seize. You won’t find these details on the bite report from 2005, but you will find that a 'bite' occurred by a Pit Bull."

"Secondly in regards to statistics, when Pit Bulls are routinely mis-identified, it is more than plausible to see how their numbers are high on reports even though they are rated very high by the American Temperament Test Society as friendly dogs... Greyhounds, Boxers, French Bulldogs, and Presa Canarios all come in brindle colorations, but brindle colored dogs often get labeled as Pit Bulls, though they may not have an ounce of bully breed in their DNA. Dogo Argentinos are a Mastif variety, yet are routinely mislabeled as Pit Bulls. All of the above are important considerations to be made when researching statistics."

Sign up for Patch NJ email newsletters here.

File photo: Wikimedia Commons