Brooklyn Child Dies After Dog Attack
News article summary
CCX Media reported that on July 19, 2024, two dogs attacked a three-year-old child who died days later from his injuries. His parent have decided to donate his organs to help other children and have started a GoFundMe to help with some of the medical costs from injuries the mother suffered during the attack as well. We encourage you to contribute to the GoFundMe if you so desire which you can do here.
The mother was visiting the owner of the dogs when the attack occurred. The dogs in question were listed as pitbulls by the police officers responding to the attack and by bulldogs by the family in their GoFundMe. I am going to assume the family has it closer to right. Dogs and Purses reported that these were American Bully and Pibull mixes. Either breed is definitely capable of this type of attack.
The reporting does not indicate why the attack occurred, only that one dog suddenly lunged at the child and attacked and the other responded by attacking as well. Bystanders tried to fight off the dogs with hammers and pick axes. The dogs were shot by police when they arrived which killed one and wounded the other.
Experiences with dog attacks
I’ve experienced a couple of scares as a dog sitter from both pitbulls and bulldogs preying on dogs smaller than them or even close to their size and once they attack they don’t stop until there’s a physical barrier blocking them from doing so or they are incapacitated. It’s easy sitting on the couch to think you can fend off a 70-80lb bulldog mix but having done this a couple of times, it is basically impossible. It happens suddenly so there’s no time to get the right items to defend yourself unless you have them on you at the time.
Tips to defend yourself:
Given the number of attacks and the fact that they seem to be on the rise, I think it helps to put out the best practices for defending from dog attacks. For you dog lovers out there, just remember: I love dogs too but when it comes to protecting yourself, kids, or other dogs, you have to do what you have to do:
Create a barrier
Physically separate yourself from the attacking dog if you can. Jumping a fence is best but staying behind or on top of a trash can, park bench, or even holding out your purse or other items that physically separate you from the dog is best. If they cannot actually engage in a fight with you, it’s just a matter of holding them off until they give up or you can get to help.
Do not let them knock you down
You cannot let them knock you down. Once you are on the ground, your neck, head, face, and internal organs are much closer to the dog’s mouth which can make an already dangerous situation potentially fatal.
Obstruct their breathing
Punching and hitting dogs doesn’t work well. In a pinch when you can’t do anything else, sure, go for it, but dogs don’t react to being hit when they are in attack mode and they have such a low center of gravity that even if you’re a professional fighter you won’t be able to get optimal leverage into your strikes either from a standing or down position. If they have a collar on, grab the collar and twist it clockwise or counterclockwise to tighten it quickly and if you’re able to simultaneously grab one of their back legs or somehow maneuver to fix their body position, you can cut off their breathing. If they can’t breathe, they can’t attack.
Alternatively, you can try to shove any items that are available directly into their mouths. I only recommend this if you’re already in a down position and being bitten. Obviously putting limbs anywhere near their mouths isn’t advisable but if you’re already being bitten, trying to lodge an item in their mouth and throat instead of your body is recommended.
Dog Defense Items:
If you want to always be prepared for a dog attack, there are two items I recommend:
Pepper Spray (Paid Link)*
Pepper spray doesn’t just work on human attackers, it is a great and non lethal deterrent for dogs.
ASP is the leader in protection batons and this is the one I recommend. I couldn’t find a good alternative sold by Amazon or any other outlets that were not just as pricey. You want this one because it is collapsible and easy to carry but you can extend it to use it as a longer weapon. Unfortunately, this website is not sponsored by or affiliated with ASP but they are the best.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to take any of the advice above to heart or buy some protection items, you do need to prepare yourself to deal with dog attacks because they aren’t going away and owners are not getting better at keeping their dogs secured.
*K9chronicles.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
