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Tag: dog mauling

  • Tara the Cat to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch

    Viral YouTube feline hero Tara the Cat is scheduled to symbolically throw the first pitch at a Class A baseball game between the Bakersfield Blaze and the Lancaster JetHawks next Tuesday.

    A surveillance video of Tara scaring off a dog who was attacking 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo in his family’s driveway has garnered over 18 million views after being posted on May 14. An 8-month-old neighborhood Labrador-Chow mix came from behind a parked SUV and attacked preschooler Triantafilo as he was riding his bike Tuesday, biting him in the left calf, and knocking him to the ground.

    Gray tabby Tara, a former stray who had bonded with Jeremy when he was an infant, quickly barreled in, pushing the dog off the boy:

    Jeremy’s mother Erica Triantafilo quickly rushed in and took Jeremy to an urgent care center, where he received 10 stitches and an antibiotic shot. The preschooler took the rest of the week off from class, and during a Wednesday interview with ABC Network News Correspondent David Wright, Jeremy commented, “A mean dog hurt me. He tried to bite me. The cat saved me. My kitty’s a hero.”

    Tara the Cat, with the help of the Triantafilo family, will “throw” the first ceremonial pitch at 7:15 p.m. on May 20 at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield, followed by the minor-league game’s first pitch at 7:30.

    Bakersfield police spokesman Sgt. Joe Grubbs said the offending dog will be quarantined for 10 days and subsequently put down.

    Jeremy’s father Roger Triantafilo commented, “A lot of people have gotten comments about our neighbors, and I want to say I am not blaming, we are not blaming them. Accidents happen. It was a dog and things happen.”

    In other cat news, organic kitty litter has been suspected of causing a nuclear waste containment breach in New Mexico.

    Image via Twitter

  • Tornado Survivor Killed: 5-Year Old Boy Mauled By Dog

    A 5-year old boy was killed on Sunday when the pet of a family friend attacked him, severely wounding his head and neck.

    The boy–whose name hasn’t been released yet–was staying with friends of his parents in Jessieville, Arkansas, while the parents worked to salvage and rebuild their home in Moore, Oklahoma. The family’s Bullmastiff reportedly became aggressive when the boy got upset and started to cry and attacked him; the owner says she tried to pull the dog off but was too late. The animal ran away after the attack but was later shot dead by a friend of the owners.

    The heartbreaking story comes as a shock to the community of Moore, where everyone is working to rebuild their lives after the deadly tornado system that rocked the town last month.

    “To me, it’s heartbreaking,” Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Scott Hinojosa said. “I’ve got a 5-year-old daughter. You can’t imagine what this family and friends are going through right now.”

    Authorities are considering pressing charges on the family, but no decision has been made yet.

    Image: DogBreedInfo.com

  • Dog Pack Murder: California Man Arrested

    A California man has been arrested after four of his pit bulls attacked a 63-year old jogger earlier this month and killed her.

    29-year old Alex Jackson was taken into custody and charged with felony manslaughter after his dogs attacked Pamela Devitt and mauled her to death. He has also been charged with animal negligence and faces several charges related to growing marijuana.

    Officials say Devitt suffered 150-200 puncture wounds on her body; after obtaining a warrant following her death, authorities found eight dogs At Jackson’s home, six of which were pit bulls. DNA testing revealed that four of the dogs were involved in Devitt’s death.

    “I do not blame the dogs. I don’t blame pit bulls,” the victim’s husband, Ben Devitt, said. “I blame people who don’t take responsibility for their animals.”

    Jackson could face life in prison if he’s convicted.

    Sadly, this isn’t the first incident involving dog mauling this year; earlier this month, a South Carolina double-amputee was killed after he was dragged from his wheelchair by four dogs.