Original Story: detroitnews.com
The victim of a brutal mauling in Detroit this month is seeking at least $25,000 in damages from the owners of the dogs, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court.
“The defendant in this case, acted in a way that terrorized this block … and put not just our client at great risk but to others — children, for example — who walked by this home almost everyday,” said attorney Mark Bernstein of the Farmington Hills-based Sam Bernstein Law Firm, which filed the suit. “That’s why this case in our opinion is enormously important.”
Steven Constantine, 50, of Detroit was walking in the 4500 block of Pennsylvania on Oct. 2 when about 12 dogs, pit bulls and mixes, attacked “and began eating him alive and only stopped when law enforcement utilized handguns,” according to the lawsuit. He was found nearly naked with severe wounds to his hands and feet. A Warren Dog Bite Lawyer represents victims of dog bites and animal attacks.
The owners of the dogs are listed as Derrick Felton and Elizabeth Collins Felton in the lawsuit.
The attack was so vicious, according to a Detroit police investigation, that arriving medics “were unable to exit their rig because the dogs were too aggressive” and police were forced to shoot at two of the dogs, killing one. The remaining dogs ran back to their home nearby and later euthanized, police said.
Derrick Felton was arrested the day of the attack on an unrelated warrant. No charges have been filed in the attack. A Warren Personal Injury Lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
The suit claims the Feltons were negligent and failed to take proper precautions with the dogs.
In statements to police, Felton and Constantine acknowledged the dogs barked and growled “a lot.” Constantine also said the dogs were known to “go after people.”
Constantine remains at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Since the attack, part of his left arm and left leg have been amputated, according to the suit. His right foot was reattached, and doctors said his right arm is unlikely to function, Bernstein said.
“Right now he’s in a circumstance where he can’t ring for the nurse,” he said.
Bernstein said his firm has handled other animal attack cases but the facts of this one were especially egregious.
“Enough is enough,” he said Monday night. “This is not about pit bulls, it’s about people … It’s about irresponsible, reckless people who need to be held accountable.”
Showing posts with label Animal Attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Attack. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
WITNESSES TO FATAL ATTACK ON JOGGER DESCRIBE DOGS AS 'HANGING FROM HIM'
Original Story: Detroitnews.com
Lapeer— The first person who tried to help a Livonia man during a fatal mauling testified Friday the two large dogs were “hanging from him” before being chased off with gunfire.
Edward Elmer said he was on a riding lawnmower cutting his lawn along Thomas Road in Metamora Township and waved to jogger Craig Sytsma just minutes before the July 23 attack by the Cane Corsos.
When Elmer heard Sytsma screaming he tried to go to the man’s aid but backpedaled when one of the animals looked at him menacingly. He then yelled to his girlfriend, Helen Barwig, “to get a gun,” he testified during the second day of a preliminary hearing for the dogs’ owners. A Warren dog bite lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
Elmer said he fired one shot in the air from the .44 Magnum handgun and one dog released its grip on Sytsma and just stood and looked at him as if it was going to attack Elmer. Elmer fired a second shot and heard one animal “yelp” and the two dogs ran off.
Sebastiano Quagliata, and Valbona Lucaj, 44, are both charged with second-degree murder and harboring a dangerous animal in the bleeding death of Sytsma, 46. Lapeer District Judge Laura Barnard will decide if there is enough evidence for them to stand trial on the charges, which carry up to life in prison.
After the dogs ran off, Barwig tried to stop Sytsma’s bleeding with a roll of paper towels.
“It (blood) was pouring out, gushing out,” testified Barwig, who said Sytsma appeared to have suffered deep wounds to his right and left sides. A Mt. Clemens dog bite lawyer has experience representing animal attack victims.
“At one point he said they got an artery and he was going to die,” she said, her voice breaking.
As they waited for an ambulance to arrive, Barwig, who is an emergency medical technician, said she could not get a pulse from Sytsma, who went limp.
She tried CPR for several minutes but was unable to revive him.
During the rescue efforts, one of the dogs returned and Elmer said he fired again at the animal and it turned away.
Two other people testified Friday they had had been attacked by Quagliata and Lucaj’s dogs.
April Smith, 25, said she and a sister were walking their leashed dogs on Thomas in May 2012 when they were attacked by one of the Cane Corsos, which bit Smith three times in the back of the leg. A Grosse Pointe dog bite lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
Jim Salego said he was walking on the street in November 2013 when he was surrounded by three growling Cane Corsos he kept at bay briefly with a walking stick before one of them bit him in the leg and the animals were called off by Quagliata.
“He (Quagliata) came out yelling ‘Don’t call cops. I will pay. I will take you to the hospital,’ ” said Salego, who said his leg was bleeding and he did call the police.
Salego said the bite required stitches and when he later asked police “what happened to the dogs” he said he was told the matter would be handled by the county animal control division.
Salego and Smith have since sued Quagliata and Lucaj for damages.
In testimony last week, veterinarian Dr. Sherry Wallace said Quagliata and Lucaj were warned weeks before the fatal attack their dogs were dangerous and should be seen by an animal behaviorist.
Wallace testified the two dogs tried to bite her and co-workers during routine examinations to be weighed and had to be restrained by Lucaj and the couple’s teenage children. She warned the couple the dogs were aggressive and dangerous.
The two Cane Corsos and another adult dog that had been involved in a previous attack have all since been destroyed. Seven puppies kept in the home have been turned over to an animal rescue group in Texas, authorities said.
The couple remain jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond each, pending resumption of the exam 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12.
Lapeer— The first person who tried to help a Livonia man during a fatal mauling testified Friday the two large dogs were “hanging from him” before being chased off with gunfire.
Edward Elmer said he was on a riding lawnmower cutting his lawn along Thomas Road in Metamora Township and waved to jogger Craig Sytsma just minutes before the July 23 attack by the Cane Corsos.
When Elmer heard Sytsma screaming he tried to go to the man’s aid but backpedaled when one of the animals looked at him menacingly. He then yelled to his girlfriend, Helen Barwig, “to get a gun,” he testified during the second day of a preliminary hearing for the dogs’ owners. A Warren dog bite lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
Elmer said he fired one shot in the air from the .44 Magnum handgun and one dog released its grip on Sytsma and just stood and looked at him as if it was going to attack Elmer. Elmer fired a second shot and heard one animal “yelp” and the two dogs ran off.
Sebastiano Quagliata, and Valbona Lucaj, 44, are both charged with second-degree murder and harboring a dangerous animal in the bleeding death of Sytsma, 46. Lapeer District Judge Laura Barnard will decide if there is enough evidence for them to stand trial on the charges, which carry up to life in prison.
After the dogs ran off, Barwig tried to stop Sytsma’s bleeding with a roll of paper towels.
“It (blood) was pouring out, gushing out,” testified Barwig, who said Sytsma appeared to have suffered deep wounds to his right and left sides. A Mt. Clemens dog bite lawyer has experience representing animal attack victims.
“At one point he said they got an artery and he was going to die,” she said, her voice breaking.
As they waited for an ambulance to arrive, Barwig, who is an emergency medical technician, said she could not get a pulse from Sytsma, who went limp.
She tried CPR for several minutes but was unable to revive him.
During the rescue efforts, one of the dogs returned and Elmer said he fired again at the animal and it turned away.
Two other people testified Friday they had had been attacked by Quagliata and Lucaj’s dogs.
April Smith, 25, said she and a sister were walking their leashed dogs on Thomas in May 2012 when they were attacked by one of the Cane Corsos, which bit Smith three times in the back of the leg. A Grosse Pointe dog bite lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
Jim Salego said he was walking on the street in November 2013 when he was surrounded by three growling Cane Corsos he kept at bay briefly with a walking stick before one of them bit him in the leg and the animals were called off by Quagliata.
“He (Quagliata) came out yelling ‘Don’t call cops. I will pay. I will take you to the hospital,’ ” said Salego, who said his leg was bleeding and he did call the police.
Salego said the bite required stitches and when he later asked police “what happened to the dogs” he said he was told the matter would be handled by the county animal control division.
Salego and Smith have since sued Quagliata and Lucaj for damages.
In testimony last week, veterinarian Dr. Sherry Wallace said Quagliata and Lucaj were warned weeks before the fatal attack their dogs were dangerous and should be seen by an animal behaviorist.
Wallace testified the two dogs tried to bite her and co-workers during routine examinations to be weighed and had to be restrained by Lucaj and the couple’s teenage children. She warned the couple the dogs were aggressive and dangerous.
The two Cane Corsos and another adult dog that had been involved in a previous attack have all since been destroyed. Seven puppies kept in the home have been turned over to an animal rescue group in Texas, authorities said.
The couple remain jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond each, pending resumption of the exam 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12.
Friday, July 25, 2014
1 OF THE EXOTIC DOGS THAT KILLED LIVONIA MAN ATTACKED WOMAN IN 2012
Original Story: Freep.com
One of two dogs that fatally mauled a Livonia man this week as he jogged along a road in southern Lapeer County had been involved in at least one prior attack, according to a woman who said she sued the owners after being bitten two years ago.
Craig Sytsma, 46, died Wednesday evening after he was attacked by a pair of Cane Corsos — an exotic breed of dogs bred to hunt wild boar in their native Italy — along a quiet, dirt road in rural Metamora Township, just north of the Oakland County line.
“He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes,” said Metamora Township Police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene.
Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived. He died of his injuries at a local hospital, police said.
Oxford resident April Smith said she was attacked in 2012 by one of the dogs and is horrified that the owner is still in possession of the dogs.
“It’s just crazy to me,” Smith said. “Animal control should have done something. It should have never gone this far. The fact this has led to a death, it’s sickening.”
? Related: Michigan officials search for dog pack after Saginaw attack
? Related: Flint owners of dogs that attack could face jail time
Sytsma worked for Eltro Services in nearby Oxford in northern Oakland County and had apparently decided to jog after leaving work.
Cane Corsos are an Italian mastiff-type breed that the American Kennel Club says were property watchdogs that hunted wild boar in their native country. Their name derives from the Latin “Cohors,” meaning guardian or protector, according to information on the club’s website.
The dogs, which are younger than 5 years old, are quarantined at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter while the investigation continues. Lapeer County Sheriff’s Detective Jason Parks said the dogs were brought in by their owner, a 45-year-old man, and authorities will seek to have the dogs destroyed if he relinquishes his rights to them or they will take the matter to court if he fights to keep them. Parks said it would be in the public’s best interest to destroy the dogs, given the nature of the attack.
No decision has been made on criminal charges, but the Lapeer County Prosecutor’s Office is involved, and the owner has retained an attorney. The owner could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Under Michigan law, a person may be charged with involuntary manslaughter if he or she owns a dog involved in a fatal attack on a human. In 2008, a Livingston County woman was sentenced to 3½ years in prison after her American bulldogs mauled to death a neighbor man and a woman who was jogging along the road.
The Cane Corsos involved in this week’s attack were described by Parks as black and brindle in color, well-muscled and aggressive. Cane Corsos typically weigh 90-110 pounds, Parks said, noting that the dogs involved in the attack appear to be of average weight for the breed.
“They definitely react when people are inside the room. … They’re aggressive dogs,” Parks said.
Katherine Houpt, the principal consultant of the Animal Behavior Consultants of Northern Michigan and a board-certified American College of Veterinary Behaviorist, said aggressive behavior among Cane Corsos is not uncommon.
“They are banned in some countries, like England,” Houpt said. “I don’t think they’re known for attacking familiar people as much as unfamiliar people. These dogs were obviously not under control.”
Houpt said experts recommend that only someone who has a great sense of responsibility should own a dog of this breed.
“You have to wonder why someone would get a dog who is known to be so aggressive,” she said.
The dogs were apparently running free on the 5500 block of Thomas Road where the attack took place. Neighbors fired shots into the air to try to scare the dogs off the jogger.
Afterward, the dogs retreated to their owner’s home, where there is at least one other dog and an unknown number of puppies, although Parks said authorities do not know the breed.
Authorities have been called to the area at least twice for dog bites in the past, with one incident happening in 2013, Parks said. He did not have information about the result of the calls.
Smith said she and her sister were walking two dogs in the 5500 block of Thomas Road in May 2012 when she was attacked by one of the Cane Corsos.
“When I was attacked, I didn’t even see it running up to us until it was directly behind me with its teeth out and growling viciously. We were about three houses past the yard the dog lives in, so he ran 50 yards to catch up to us. He tore my leg in three different places and I had to get medical attention. There was a lot of bloodshed and it was very severe. I had bruising for months and had to endure physical therapy. This caused me a lot pain.”
Smith said the attack was stopped by the owner’s son who was around 14 or 15 at the time.
“He called the dog and it came off of me,” she said. “Obviously it’s very territorial.”
She said she filed a lawsuit against the owners, which has been settled. She said she was represented by Sam Bernstein’s law office but declined to give out any more details. She said the owners have no fence around their house, which was one of the stipulations in the lawsuit.
“I cannot believe this happened to someone,” Smith said. “I’m not mad at the dogs, I’m so upset with the owners. I thought something would be done with these dogs, but nothing was done. Nothing was ever done. Those dogs are vicious. It’s not a joke.”
Parks said authorities have not been able find anyone who recalls another fatal attack on a human by an animal in Lapeer County in at least 50 years.
“It’s something that is out of the norm, and it’s something you’d hope would never happen,” Parks said.
One of two dogs that fatally mauled a Livonia man this week as he jogged along a road in southern Lapeer County had been involved in at least one prior attack, according to a woman who said she sued the owners after being bitten two years ago.
Craig Sytsma, 46, died Wednesday evening after he was attacked by a pair of Cane Corsos — an exotic breed of dogs bred to hunt wild boar in their native Italy — along a quiet, dirt road in rural Metamora Township, just north of the Oakland County line.
“He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes,” said Metamora Township Police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene.
Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived. He died of his injuries at a local hospital, police said.
Oxford resident April Smith said she was attacked in 2012 by one of the dogs and is horrified that the owner is still in possession of the dogs.
“It’s just crazy to me,” Smith said. “Animal control should have done something. It should have never gone this far. The fact this has led to a death, it’s sickening.”
? Related: Michigan officials search for dog pack after Saginaw attack
? Related: Flint owners of dogs that attack could face jail time
Sytsma worked for Eltro Services in nearby Oxford in northern Oakland County and had apparently decided to jog after leaving work.
Cane Corsos are an Italian mastiff-type breed that the American Kennel Club says were property watchdogs that hunted wild boar in their native country. Their name derives from the Latin “Cohors,” meaning guardian or protector, according to information on the club’s website.
The dogs, which are younger than 5 years old, are quarantined at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter while the investigation continues. Lapeer County Sheriff’s Detective Jason Parks said the dogs were brought in by their owner, a 45-year-old man, and authorities will seek to have the dogs destroyed if he relinquishes his rights to them or they will take the matter to court if he fights to keep them. Parks said it would be in the public’s best interest to destroy the dogs, given the nature of the attack.
No decision has been made on criminal charges, but the Lapeer County Prosecutor’s Office is involved, and the owner has retained an attorney. The owner could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Under Michigan law, a person may be charged with involuntary manslaughter if he or she owns a dog involved in a fatal attack on a human. In 2008, a Livingston County woman was sentenced to 3½ years in prison after her American bulldogs mauled to death a neighbor man and a woman who was jogging along the road.
The Cane Corsos involved in this week’s attack were described by Parks as black and brindle in color, well-muscled and aggressive. Cane Corsos typically weigh 90-110 pounds, Parks said, noting that the dogs involved in the attack appear to be of average weight for the breed.
“They definitely react when people are inside the room. … They’re aggressive dogs,” Parks said.
Katherine Houpt, the principal consultant of the Animal Behavior Consultants of Northern Michigan and a board-certified American College of Veterinary Behaviorist, said aggressive behavior among Cane Corsos is not uncommon.
“They are banned in some countries, like England,” Houpt said. “I don’t think they’re known for attacking familiar people as much as unfamiliar people. These dogs were obviously not under control.”
Houpt said experts recommend that only someone who has a great sense of responsibility should own a dog of this breed.
“You have to wonder why someone would get a dog who is known to be so aggressive,” she said.
The dogs were apparently running free on the 5500 block of Thomas Road where the attack took place. Neighbors fired shots into the air to try to scare the dogs off the jogger.
Afterward, the dogs retreated to their owner’s home, where there is at least one other dog and an unknown number of puppies, although Parks said authorities do not know the breed.
Authorities have been called to the area at least twice for dog bites in the past, with one incident happening in 2013, Parks said. He did not have information about the result of the calls.
Smith said she and her sister were walking two dogs in the 5500 block of Thomas Road in May 2012 when she was attacked by one of the Cane Corsos.
“When I was attacked, I didn’t even see it running up to us until it was directly behind me with its teeth out and growling viciously. We were about three houses past the yard the dog lives in, so he ran 50 yards to catch up to us. He tore my leg in three different places and I had to get medical attention. There was a lot of bloodshed and it was very severe. I had bruising for months and had to endure physical therapy. This caused me a lot pain.”
Smith said the attack was stopped by the owner’s son who was around 14 or 15 at the time.
“He called the dog and it came off of me,” she said. “Obviously it’s very territorial.”
She said she filed a lawsuit against the owners, which has been settled. She said she was represented by Sam Bernstein’s law office but declined to give out any more details. She said the owners have no fence around their house, which was one of the stipulations in the lawsuit.
“I cannot believe this happened to someone,” Smith said. “I’m not mad at the dogs, I’m so upset with the owners. I thought something would be done with these dogs, but nothing was done. Nothing was ever done. Those dogs are vicious. It’s not a joke.”
Parks said authorities have not been able find anyone who recalls another fatal attack on a human by an animal in Lapeer County in at least 50 years.
“It’s something that is out of the norm, and it’s something you’d hope would never happen,” Parks said.
MAN OUT FOR JOG MAULED TO DEATH BY 2 DOGS IN MICHIGAN
Original Story: USAToday.com,
DETROIT — A pair of dogs attacked and mauled to death a man as he jogged down a quiet, dirt road in rural Michigan. A Mt. Clemens dog bite lawyer said dogs often attack in packs.
Craig Sytsma, 46, of Livonia died of his injuries Wednesday night at a local hospital, police in Metamora Township said.
"He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes," said Metamora police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene. Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived.
Sytsma worked in nearby Oxford and had apparently decided to go for a jog after leaving work.
The dogs were apparently running free on the road where the attack took place. Neighbors fired shots into the air to try to scare the dogs off the jogger.
Afterward, the dogs retreated to their owner's home.
The dogs are cane corsos, an Italian mastiff-type breed that the American Kennel Club says were property watchdogs that hunted wild boar in their native country. Their name derives from the Latin "cohors," meaning guardian or protector, according to information on the club's Website.
The dogs, which are younger than 5-years-old, are currently quarantined at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter while the investigation continues. Lapeer sheriff's Detective Jason Parks said the dogs were brought in by their owner. Authorities will seek to have the dogs destroyed if the owner relinquishes his rights to them or they will take the matter to court if he fights to keep them.
No decision has been made on criminal charges, but the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office is involved and the owner has possibly retained a Warren dog bite lawyer.
Given the nature of the attack, Parks said, it would be in the public's best interest to destroy the dogs.
Parks described the dogs as black and brindle in color, well-muscled and aggressive. Cane corsos typically weigh 90-110 pounds, Parks said, noting that the dogs involved in the attack appear to be of average weight for the breed.
"They definitely react when people are inside the room. … They're aggressive dogs," Parks said.
Parks said authorities have not been able find anyone who recalls another fatal attack on a human by an animal in Lapeer County in at least 50 years.
"It's something that is out of the norm, and it's something you'd hope would never happen," Parks said.
DETROIT — A pair of dogs attacked and mauled to death a man as he jogged down a quiet, dirt road in rural Michigan. A Mt. Clemens dog bite lawyer said dogs often attack in packs.
Craig Sytsma, 46, of Livonia died of his injuries Wednesday night at a local hospital, police in Metamora Township said.
"He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes," said Metamora police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene. Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived.
Sytsma worked in nearby Oxford and had apparently decided to go for a jog after leaving work.
The dogs were apparently running free on the road where the attack took place. Neighbors fired shots into the air to try to scare the dogs off the jogger.
Afterward, the dogs retreated to their owner's home.
The dogs are cane corsos, an Italian mastiff-type breed that the American Kennel Club says were property watchdogs that hunted wild boar in their native country. Their name derives from the Latin "cohors," meaning guardian or protector, according to information on the club's Website.
The dogs, which are younger than 5-years-old, are currently quarantined at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter while the investigation continues. Lapeer sheriff's Detective Jason Parks said the dogs were brought in by their owner. Authorities will seek to have the dogs destroyed if the owner relinquishes his rights to them or they will take the matter to court if he fights to keep them.
No decision has been made on criminal charges, but the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office is involved and the owner has possibly retained a Warren dog bite lawyer.
Given the nature of the attack, Parks said, it would be in the public's best interest to destroy the dogs.
Parks described the dogs as black and brindle in color, well-muscled and aggressive. Cane corsos typically weigh 90-110 pounds, Parks said, noting that the dogs involved in the attack appear to be of average weight for the breed.
"They definitely react when people are inside the room. … They're aggressive dogs," Parks said.
Parks said authorities have not been able find anyone who recalls another fatal attack on a human by an animal in Lapeer County in at least 50 years.
"It's something that is out of the norm, and it's something you'd hope would never happen," Parks said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
