Yesterday, cops were called to contain one wild and crazy cat—and today we have a story from the exact opposite end of the spectrum: a heroic pit bull took a bullet in the head for his owner during an attempted home invasion robbery. And he somehow survived! “This is like, one in a million,” Dr. Greg Panarello, whose veterinary clinic operated on Kilo, told the Post. “He’s very lucky.”
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Results tagged “pitbull”
Heroic Hound Takes Bullet In The Head Saving Owner During Robbery
Friend On Actor's Suicide: "The Dog Thing Was The Last Straw"
The funeral for the Upper West Side soap opera actor who committed suicide after euthanizing his beloved pet dog took place on Monday. Nick Santino committed suicide last week the day after his 47th birthday, and the NY Post alleged that in his suicide note he said it was because he was wracked with guilt and grief over euthanizing his pit bull Rocco, following harassment and pressure from his condo board. Outside his funeral at St. Athanasius Church in Brooklyn, Santino's friend Sara Schwartz told the Post that she believes the death of Rocco was the tipping point for Santino: “It’s more than the dog. I definitely think the dog thing was the last straw. It gave him a reason to do it. If that didn’t happen, he may have lived a long life...He wanted to be in heaven with the dog.”
Brooklyn Pit Bull Hoarder Going Through Separation Anxiety
Despite the fact that pit bulls are the bitiest dogs in NYC, we generally feel like they've been given a bit of a bad rap (the pro-pit bull website is literally "badrap.org"). But that doesn't mean keeping 18 of them in your house is such a great idea, which is exactly what a 57-year-old Brooklyn woman from Tobago has been doing. And she isn't ashamed that she's a pit bull hoarder: “I guess I am...I love them like they are my kids. And they love me like I am their mom.”
Condo Member Doesn't Want To Be Blamed For Actor's Suicide (Or His Dog's Euthanasia)
This week, an Upper West Side soap opera actor committed suicide, and the NY Post alleged that in his suicide note he said it was because he was wracked with guilt and grief over euthanizing his beloved pet dog Rocco. Nick Santino euthanized Rocco this past Tuesday—on Santino’s 47th birthday—after being under pressure from his apartment condo to get rid of the dog. Marilyn Fireman, a board member at his building at 1 Lincoln Plaza, responded to the allegations: “I’m sorry the man is dead, but it has nothing to do with the pet policy. You just assumed that [his suicide] was a result of a board’s decision.”
Actor Commits Suicide After Euthanizing Beloved Dog
An Upper West Side soap opera actor committed suicide this week—according to the Post, he wrote in his suicide note that he was wracked with grief over euthanizing his beloved pet dog Rocco. Nick Santino euthanized Rocco this past Tuesday, on Santino’s 47th birthday, under pressure from his apartment condo to get rid of the dog. "Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend," Santino wrote in a suicide note, according to close friend Stuart Sarnoff. "Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn't deserve this."
Man May Have Used Pit Bull To Kill Roommate In Grisly UES Murder
An Upper East Side man was arraigned yesterday for bludgeoning his roommate to death—and police now believe he may have used his pit bull as a weapon in the attack. Shaun Dyer was arrested last month after city marshals discovered roommate David Shahda's dead body when they went to their shared apartment to deliver eviction papers. Police say Dyer "bludgeoned his roommate to death with some sort of cylindrical object," adding that there were "fresh bite wounds" on his body—but people who know Bones the pit bull say he isn't vicious at all: "He had a horrible owner, but he's a wonderful dog," one source told the Post.
"Vicious" Pit Bull That Mauled LI Woman's Face On The Loose
A 62-year-old woman was seriously injured by two pit bulls yesterday on Long Island, and police are now warning locals to stay inside. Victim Sashi Sharma was bitten by the dogs on her face, head, legs and arms, mangling her left arm badly. She was able to call 911 and scream that she was being mauled; police shot and killed one of the dogs, while the other escaped. "This dog is vicious," warned Detective Lt. Kevin Smith of Nassau County Police.
No Jail Time For Bronx Woman Who Starved Dog To Death
Animal rights activists were outraged over the light sentence a Bronx woman received for allowing her pit bull to die of starvation. Cherika Alvarez, 30, was sentenced to 20 days of community service and barred from owning or handling pets for three years after Judge Robert Sackett found her guilty of animal cruelty last August 17. A visibly-shaken Alvarez claimed she would never intentionally hurt even a cockroach, sobbing in the courtroom, "I didn’t want any of this to happen. I will feel this for the rest of my life."
Video: It's Labor Day Weekend, Here's A Horse Licking A Dog
Labor Day Weekend is the symbolic end of the summer, and people have been going totally bonkers as a result. The news has been filled with execution-style murders, tragedies, domestic violence shadiness, cyclist deaths and butt sniffers. Just this morning, Mayor Bloomberg stated that there were 25 shootings reported in the city last night alone! Everyone needs to take a step back, say "serenity now," and try to peaceably enjoy the rest of the break before reality kicks in on Tuesday. To that end, here's a video of an adorable bulldog getting licked by a cop's horse. Remember: be like the bulldog, enjoy the last summer licking, and play safe kids.
Pack of Stray Dogs Apparently Adds To Mets' Fans Sadness
It's not easy being a Mets fan. The club doesn't win very often, and even when they do put some wins together, there always seems to be bad news following them. So it should come as little surprise to fans of the team that a pack of dogs is now hunting them down.
Bronx Woman Convicted Of Animal Cruelty, Leaving Her Dog To Starve To Death
The Bronx woman who was accused of abandoning her pit bull to starve to death after she was evicted from her apartment was convicted of animal cruelty today. Cherika Alvarez, 30, was found guilty of leaving behind 18-month-old pup Alize after she was evicted from her apartment in mid-November 2009. The dog was found six weeks later with two razor blades, ketchup packs, sharp pieces of wood and garbage in her stomach. "She left Alizé in that apartment like garbage and she walked away," said Bronx Assistant District Attorney Megan Mellem.
Woman On Trial For Abandoning Pit Bull Which Was Found Dead With Razorblades In Stomach
A Bronx woman is accused of abandoning her pit bull to starve to death after she was evicted from her apartment. Cherika Alvarez, 30, is on trial for leaving behind 18-month-old pup Alize after she was evicted from her apartment in mid-November 2009. The dog was found weeks later with two razorblades, ketchup packs, sharp pieces of wood and garbage in her stomach. Alize's body was so badly decomposed that officials "had to scrape her off the floor," Alvarez tearfully testified.
Pet Dog Tragically Kills Four-Year-Old In Brooklyn
A four-year-old Brooklyn boy was mauled to death by his family's pet dog last night. Jayelin Graham's mother screamed in horror as the powerful Cane Corso tore into his throat. "That little boy looked like a rag doll. The dog ripped the baby's throat out," one woman who saw him taken from his apartment told the Post.
Robber May Have Faked Being Deaf Mute For Last 3 Years
It seems that one thief has read (or watched) "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" one too many times: A psychologist says that an accused robber has been faking being deaf and mute for the last three years. And with 64 adjournments under his belt, Wendy Gabriel's plan seems to be working. "There is no dysfunction. He's not speaking because he doesn't want to," psychologist Barry Winkler told the News.
Police Fatally Shoot Pit Bull During Domestic Dispute Call
Police mistakenly shot and killed a pit bull in the Bronx today while responding to a domestic dispute call. Lillian Martinez told the Post that she called police in the evening on Feb. 18 during a heated verbal argument with her husband, Anthony; cops had been called to the home for domestic violence at least once before. Cops were greeted at the door by their four-year-old red-nosed pit bull, Loc: “My husband heard the echo of the dog barking and clapped his hands twice. Before the dog could respond to him, there was one shot, then a second shot. My husband said he was shot in the head.”
Penelope The Pit Bull Moves To D.C.
A small update on the pit bull puppy that was discovered tied to the Williamsburg Bridge during a snowstorm last week... she's with her new family (in D.C.) and looks happy as can be. Her new humans named her Penelope, and Nick at Scouting NY (who helped save and deliver her to her new home) reports that "when she arrived at her new home, she was timid at first, and even refused to go anywhere near the bed due to some sort of past training. They quickly broke her of this, and she spent the night cuddled up with them until late the next morning."
One Puppy Gets Home, Many More Need Saving
After her mug made the rounds on the internet yesterday, a lot of homes were offered to the half-frozen dog found tied to the Williamsburg Bridge (she's like the Ted Williams of canines!). Now one of the people responsible for saving him, Nick at Scouting NY, reports that he dropped the little lady off to her new home last night.
Let's Save This Cute Puppy Today
Last year we found a dog wandering the streets of Williamsburg and took him in to the office. After a trip to the vet, a microchip was discovered, and the dog and owner were reunited. Sadly, not all stories end this way, and earlier this week Nick Carr at ScoutingNY took in a dog that was left tied to the Williamsburg Bridge's pedestrian walkway... during the snowstorm. He says his friend found the dog "shivering, completely drenched and half-frozen... we’re almost certain her owners left her out in it overnight to die." She was taken to the vet, bathed, fed and is now rotating between the friends; Carr says "she’s been a doll. Hasn’t barked once—in fact, I think the only sound I’ve heard was when she began whimpering when I left the room."
Dog Bites Man, Man Sues Bar
A beer deliveryman dropping of Bud Lite to Williamsburg's Lucky Dog is now suing that establishment after allegedly being attacked by a dog there! According to the NY Post, Edward O'Farril claims he was "traumatized" when the Bedford Avenue bar's pet pit bull "viciously attacked him" as he was bringing in some kegs this summer. He told them he was bit on the thigh while he "was just working, minding my business. It was chained up and it got me anyway."
Times Gets Smackdown For Investigating Paladino's Dog
Although it's easy to get bogged down in everything Carl Paladino hates, there are plenty of things he loves: Newsday, cluttered desks, being "not intimidatable," and most of all, his dog Duke. Duke travels with Paladino wherever he goes, loves "The O'Reilly Factor", and has bitten other dogs on the campaign trail. Although Duke is generally referred to as a pit bull, the Times wasn't sure what breed he was exactly, so they went to find out. And Paladino's team FREAKED OUT.
Pit Bull Attack in the Bronx
Early this morning, a pair of vicious pit bulls broke free from their home in the Bronx and attacked two people walking down the street. According to the Daily News, the dogs bit the 55-year-old man and 25-year-old woman on the feet and legs as they ran from them around 12:30 a.m.
Should "Beware of Dog" Signs Be Multilingual?
The Chinese restaurant worker who was mauled by three pit bulls Sunday morning claims the dogs' owner was more concerned with her pets' safety than his gruesome injuries. Xiu Ming Li was visited in his hospital bed by the Daily News yesterday, and the tabloid paints the scene in classic maudlin brush strokes: "Blood seeped from fresh white gauze covering bite marks on his arms and legs. His right ear—where he lost an earlobe—was also wrapped in gauze. His wife sat at his bedside, her eyes full of tears." Somewhere, off in the distance, a dog barked?
Pit Bulls Maul Chinese Delivery Man Dropping Menus
A pit bull died yesterday after mauling a Chinese restaurant owner trying to slide a menu under the door of a house in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Xiu Ming Li, 52, was mauled by three pit bulls during the attack, and is currently listed in stable condition at Kings County Hospital with bites on his legs, arm and head. One of his earlobes was also chewed off! The dogs' owner, Samantha Sing, and the landlord, Desiree Murray, heard the dogs' barking and rushed outside to try and stop them. "He was saying ‘Help me, help me," Murray tells the Post. "He was just lying there. They would have killed him."
After Saving NJ Family, Dog Dies In Fire
According to the AP, a pit bull's barks alerted nine people about a fire in a Hammonton, NJ home. But while the humans escaped, the dog died in the blaze. "Detective John Panarello says none of the [nine] adults and children in the ranch-style home were hurt. All were sleeping when the dog began barking around 4:30 a.m., and when they went to investigate they soon realized the house was engulfed in flames. As they fled the home, a newspaper delivery person who happened to be in the area noticed the flames and called 911." The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Staten Island Pit Bull Euthanized, Then Decapitated
A Staten Island woman is traumatized after her 5-year-old pit bull was decapitated by the Department of Health after he was euthanized. The pit bull, Rocky, who had to be put down after his kidneys failed, bit a lab tech on the way to the euthanasia room. Worried about a possible rabies infection, the DOH refused to return Rocky's remains until his vaccination records—which were up to date—were reviewed. Then, not satisfied without a tissue test, they took Rocky's head off without the owner's permission to examine his brain tissue. Owner Laurie Chappell told the Staten Island Advance, "That dog was all I had. Now after 10 days his head is in Manhattan and his body is in Travis. It’s horrible."
Worries Over Possible Dogfighting In Prospect Park
According to the Post, some Prospect Park-goers are on the "lookout for signs of dogfighting...The Brooklyn DA's Office has asked for their help after receiving two complaints. One Park Slope resident contacted authorities after spotting what looked like dogfight training at about 7:30 a.m. last Sunday. The dog owner, who asked not to be named, said she saw four pit bulls tied to trees near the picnic house and a man baiting another pit bull into attacking a second man holding a cushion." Which sounds horrible. The Parks Department received an anonymous call last summer "about pit-bull training near the Parade Ground."
Long Island Dog Needs Viagra For Heart Condition
Ingrid, a six-year-old Pit Bull Terrier from Long Island, is close to running out of her supply of little blue libido pills, which are currently keeping her life-threatening heart condition stable. After being diagnosed with a heart condition a Vet told the shelter that Viagra, which was originally created to treat hypertension, could help blood flow to Ingrid's heart. It worked, and now the shelter is looking for more donations.
Pit Bull Killer Is "Devastated," But Has No Regrets
The man who shot and killed a 4-year-old pit bull on Long Island is speaking out and defending his actions. Yesterday it was reported that Timothy Devine was waiting for his daughter to get home from school (it turns out she's 18-years-old), when he saw the pit bull following a child on a bike. He called 911, but ended up shooting the dog, which he described as being "very agitated," before they arrived.
Long Island Man Fatally Shoots Pit Bull
A 43-year-old man in Setauket shot and killed a 4-year-old pit bull he claims was terrorizing children, reports Newsday. Timothy Devine called 911 on Tuesday afternoon alerting officials to a pit bull chasing people in the area just as kids were about to come home from school. Ten minutes later he called back saying he killed the dog, who was allegedly chasing a girl who had just gotten off the bus. Devine owns a registered handgun, and he told police he "attracted the dog toward him and away from one girl who was a particular target." After being shot, the dog walked back to his own home, where he died on the front steps. No charges have been filed.
Parks Dept. Employee Wants Death Row Dog To Be Put Down
Snoop, the dog who bit a father and daughter in the Bronx, has another enemy in the Parks Department worker who broke up the attack. The pit bull has been dodging a lethal injection on death row through the help of his lawyer, but yesterday his victims spoke out against him, saying he needs to be put down.
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