An Omaha toddler underwent surgery Wednesday night to reattach her scalp after a pit bull attacked her and three other people. Police identified the most seriously injured as 15-month-old Charlotte Blevins.
The attack happened at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday near 13th and Pine streets.
Fahey's office said his thoughts and prayers are with the victims. The mayor will be scheduling a meeting with the Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska Humane Society to discuss options that could prevent similar situations, Fahey's office said.
Stefan Ray said he saw Wednesday's attack happen and ran to help.
"He kept on attacking them. He kept trying to jump on them," said Ray.
Police said two mothers were pulling two children in a wagon when the dog came out of its collar and attacked. Ray said the dog pulled Blevins from the wagon by the scalp.
"The baby was bald. Bloody and bald. I took a wet towel and wrapped it around her head like a turban," said Ray.
The toddler's mother, 29-year-old Wendy Blevins was bit by the dog when she tried to get between the animal and her toddler.
"The mother bent over her baby and when she did he grabbed the baby by the head and pulled her out of the wagon," Ray said.
Witnesses said the whole attack happened in less than 30 seconds.
The witness said the dog's owner, Tina Agerson, tried to restrain the 2-year-old pit bull, named Duke, but the dog continued to attack.
One of the mother's sustained bites to her neck. The dog bit the other woman on the hand.
The dog's owner said she was walking her dog when he escaped from the leash. She said the mother blocked her as she tried to pull her dog off the children.
Mark Langan, of the Nebraska Humane Society, said the owner was ticketed on suspicion of harboring a dangerous animal. He said more charges may be pending. Langan said the dog will be held for 10 days and will be put to sleep.
Both children in the wagon, and their mothers were hurt, police said.
The other mother and child are identified as 30-year-old Carley Spring and her 17-month-old son, Cade.
All the dog bite victims, except Charlotte, were treated for their injuries and released from the hospital.
Langan said the a cloth leash was not sufficient to restrain the dog.
"When you're talking a strong, aggressive dog like this, whether it be a pit bull or a type of dog that's very strong in nature, cloth leashes aren't going to keep these dogs contained or restrained," said Langan.
A block away from that scene, around 7 p.m., police said another pit bull attacked a 12-year-old boy, biting him on the arm
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OMAHA, Neb. -- The owners of a golden retriever said they watched as a pit bull attacked and killed their puppy at an Omaha pet store.
Wednesday night, a judge decided against impounding the pit bull and ordered the Nebraska Humane Society to return the dog to its owners.
The incident happened on Monday at the PetsMart near Oakview Mall. Jessica Rosenthal said both her puppy and the pit bull had been dropped off for grooming services. She said she had just arrived to pick up her pup when the pit bull somehow got out of its kennel and rushed toward the puppy.
"I started yelling, 'Oh, my God,' to get someone's attention," Rosenthal said. "Then I ran in, my husband ran in and straddled the pitbull. I grabbed the puppy. It was just dangling -- just hanging there."
The dog died less than an hour after the attack.
Rosenthal said she and her family had only owned Bailey for a month.
The Nebraska Humane Society took custody of the pit bull. Officials said it appeared the dog has been well taken care of and is loved by its family.
NHS Vice President of field operations Mark Langan said the pit bull's family is sickened by what happened. He said that even though they weren't there at the time of the attack, they will be ticketed for harboring a dangerous animal.
"The ordinance specifically states that the owner -- whether the dog is in their possession or not -- the owner is responsible for that dog's actions," Langan said.
Langan said investigators have not yet determined whether PetsMart faces any liability. The attack was caught on videotape inside the store, and Langan said officials will continue to analyze the images.
PetsMart said it is investigating, too. A representative said the pit bull should never have been able to get out of the kennel.
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Two boys were mauled by two pit bulls Friday evening in La Vista, suffering serious bites and resulting in hospital stays.
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The boys, ages 8 and 12, suffered wounds to their arms, legs and buttocks, and, in the 8-year-old’s case, possibly a broken wrist, said Mark Langan, vice president of field operations for the Nebraska Humane Society.
The attacks happened about 7:30 p.m. in a residential neighborhood near 75th and Harrison Streets, where the boys were playing together.
The boys were taken to separate hospitals one to Bergan Mercy Medical Center, the other to Midlands Hospital in Papillion and were still being treated Friday night.
The dogs’ owner, whose name was not immediately released, was issued several citations by the La Vista Police. The most serious citation was two counts of harboring a dangerous animal.
The dogs were impounded by the humane society
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An Omaha woman remained hospitalized Tuesday after being attacked by her own dogs in her own home. She suffered injuries to her arms and legs.
Fifty-year-old Victoria Stewart was attacked by her pit bulls on Sunday.
She says the dogs had never been aggressive before but she told police that over the past week the dogs had been acting strange.
No one can be sure why the dogs attacked their owner but some believe the fireworks shows may have played a role. Many dogs have a difficult time coping with the explosives.
According to police reports, Ms. Stewart was on a living room chair watching TV when her dogs, Thunder and Lightning, attacked.
Mark Langan, vice president of field operations for the Nebraska Humane Society says this is one of the worst bite situations he's seen.
Langan is reluctant to put the blame on fireworks but he says, "The dogs had been very skittish ever since the Fourth of July with all the fireworks around her, the Rosenblatt fireworks, which were less than a mile away from her address."
Both Thunder and Lightning have been euthanized.
There are about 50 more stories hear in the Omaha metro that i can post if you like.
YUP/THEIR SUCH NICE LIL DOGGIES
