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BILL VARIANPets can act dangerously territorial at unpredictable times, warn officials. They say tough responses to even first offenses are justified.
TAMPA - Once again, a pit bullterrier attacked a child last week, biting her on the chest, neck, mouth and right forearm, during a family get-together.
The 14-year-old girl's sister had brought the year-old pup to the home on N Willow Avenue to play with another family dog.
"Then, for an unknown reason, the pit bull turned on the teen and attacked her," said Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin.
The girl survived, but it was a scary reminder of the attack by two mixed-breed pit bulls recently that left an 8-year-old Tampa boy dead in his back yard.
And just Monday night, a 140-pound Rottweiler attacked its owners in Port Richey, sending a 53-year-old woman to the hospital with a mangled left arm.
Animal control workers have been struggling for years with how to deal with dangerous dogs. Backed by state law, they have adopted tougher rules and fines for owners of violent dogs. Repeat offenders can even face criminal charges.
"We are focusing on public safety," said Dennis McCullough, investigations supervisor for the Hillsborough County Animal Services Department. "We realize that people love their dogs. But when a dog commits an extremely serious incident, we're going to treat it real serious."
Under state law, dogs can be classified as dangerous if they attack someone and cause severe injury, if they attack and kill another animal, if they have been used for dog fighting and even if they approach someone in a menacing enough fashion to cause that person to be afraid.
Pinellas County takes one of the most aggressive stands in the state. If the dog meets any of the qualifying state criteria, it is automatically euthanized. In Hillsborough, a dog is automatically sentenced to death only if it has caused severe injury - meaning broken bones or bites that require stitches. But Hillsborough does assess a fine of $450 on all owners of dangerous dogs.
Pinellas changed its policy six years ago, when the county determined that many dangerous dogs were repeat offenders.
"Despite the requirements, 15 percent of them were violating those parameters and were actually biting people in some instances," said Dr. Kenny Mitchell, director of Pinellas County Animal Services. "Commissioners had heard enough. They decided that was enough."
Hillsborough and Pasco counties still take a little more redemptive tack. In all but the most serious attacks, while they encourage euthanasia, they allow an alternative, but it can prove costly.
The owner must adhere to strict rules. Outdoors, the dog must be accompanied at all times, leashed and muzzled. If the dog stays outside, it must be in a kennel with a concrete pad and an enclosed roof. Dangerous-dog signs must be posted on the property.
Hillsborough charges a $500 annual registration fee, and the animals end up pictured on the county's Web site, along with an address.
An owner can get a cheaper way out. If he or she submits to a series of educational steps, like watching a video and taking the dog to obedience school, the original $450 fine can be lowered to $25.
"The message we want to send people is we don't want your money," said McCullough, the Hillsborough investigations supervisor. "If we fine you and it doesn't change the actions of your dog, we failed."
Hillsborough has just over 50 dogs labeled dangerous. Pinellas, by contrast, which has a few left over that were grandfathered before its mandatory euthanasia rule, has only 10.
Hillsborough has a dog classification below dangerous. Dogs that might snap at the mailman or chase a cyclist down the street can be labeled as having dangerous propensities. They, too, can be assessed a $450 fine. The classification serves as a warning that the dog could be found dangerous in the future.
Pet owners should know one thing, say animal specialists.
"Never leave your children unattended with dogs, period," said Lynne Deddo, a supervisor for Pasco Animal Control. "Maybe because I work in a profession and see it all the time, if you don't own an animal, I would never leave it unattended, especially with children."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that children are the victims in more than 50 percent of dog bites in America. Children are also much more likely to have to visit an emergency room due to a bite, as most bites occur in the facial area.
Dogs tend to be territorial. And outside their territory, they may seek to define their territory against any perceived threat.
Some people blame serious injuries on breeds of dogs, particularly the pit bull. Indeed, pit bulls top Hillsborough's list of dangerous dogs.
But McCullough says any dog can become a threat, particularly to a child.
"Don't assume that your pet is not Godzilla," he said. "He may not be Godzilla with you, but he may not be that way with everybody."