Pit Bull Attacks 4 Year Old at South Carolina Christmas Party
CHARLESTON—A joyous celebration turned into tragedy when 4-year-old Christopher Ranly was attacked by a family pit bull while attending a Christmas party at his uncle’s home near Walterboro, South Carolina, on Saturday.
Christopher, known as “Little Chris,” his mother, Brandy, and his 2-year-old sister live in Greeneville, Tennessee. His father, “Big Chris,” works in South Carolina and sometimes doesn’t get to see his wife and children for months. They united at the uncle’s house for the holiday festivities.
According to reports, the little boy picked up an apple and, when he walked outside to eat it, the pit bull attacked him.
“All of a sudden people were running in, screaming that one of the babies had been mauled,” Brandy Ranly told the Hilton Head Island Packet. “That’s when I heard someone say ‘Christopher.” The mother said she ran outside to find the dog shaking her 30-pound son so violently that the boy’s shoe flew off and the back of his head was shredded. “It could have killed him,” Brandy Ranly said.
Brandy’s brother-in-law, who works for a wildlife and pest control company, pried open the dog’s jaw and pulled the little boy away to save him.
The dog appears to have a current rabies shot and was on the owner’s property, so no laws were broken and he is being allowed to stay at the home, Tim Lynes, director of Colleton County Animal and Environmental Control, said. “We won’t take the animal as long as the owner can secure it,” which means the dog can’t have contact with people or other animals, the Sun News reports.
The uncle, Joe Ranly, who owns the male pit bull, named Stat, said it was because the pit bull was on a chain and the boy walked into his territory. He is not sure yet what decision will be made regarding keeping the dog.
“Little Chris” is still recovering at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, with over 30 staples and a drain in his scalp, according to Sun News.
Sources:
http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/12/19/2558925/child-recovering-from-pit-bull.html
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
Sign-Up Now for the Opposing Views Daily Newsletter
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
Here's another article to clarify some questions on the subject of what is happening with pit bulls. Pit Bulls--Will More Adoptions End Shelter Killings?
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/animal-rights/pit-bulls-will-more-adoptions-end-shelter-killings
Doctors and nurses opinion about pitbulls: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Pit-bulls-reputation-takes-new-hit-1370739.php#page-1
Walter, please keep reading opposingviews and contributing to our knowledge. I am fascinated by the information in the links you have provided. I hope you will review the full article list and read some of the other postings on pit bulls. We have been documenting many of these incidents to attempt to make people look at reality. Owning a pit bull is a special responsibility, even if it is a very well behaved and obedient dog.
In my opinion, the protection of this breed needs to extend to both sides of the issue. We must protect people and pets from attack. Also, we must protect pit bulls from abuse and exploitation and from being stolen from naive owners. We need to assure that they are not being neglected, chained in yards and deliberately mistreated. The dog is not here voluntarily. It was bred for a purpose that should not exist. It is being overbred to fill the shelters and assure that law enforcement will not have the resources to develop sustainable programs directed at the lucrative dog fighting industry which is purposely perpetuating the problem.
The statistics in the University Hospital study are staggering but bare out what is appearing in the press from all over the world:
"Among the grisly statistics the study cites: Pit bulls were responsible for 65 percent of all fatal dog attacks nationally in 2008. In Texas in 2007, seven fatal attacks occurred, six involving pit bulls. Someone in the United States is killed by a pit bull every 14 days. One body part is severed and lost in pit bull attacks every 5.4 days."
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Pit-bulls-reputation-takes-new-hit-1370739.php#ixzz1hcSOyHNq
There's another very serious issue that is also not being considered. Because pit bulls are breeding with non-pits, especially in areas where people do not spay/neuter their pets and can't afford the fencing necessary to contain these dog, it is becoming difficult to tell if a dog that appears to be a Lab or Golden Retriever mix (or other nondescript mutt) is part pit bull. Thus, there are increasing attacks by dogs adopted from shelters/rescuers where it was not discernible or was intentionally not disclosed that the dog might be dangerous--especially to other pets. There ought to be required transparency where the "experts" know it may be a pit bull and don't tell adopters.
I´m from Argentina, here the pitbull issue is growing up in importance, every day you see in the media violent attacks from this breed, without being very popular, like labradores or german shepherds. Some defenders of this breed say that they are not violent by nature, but have strong prey instinct, that doesnt make any sense. Sorry my bad english, im still learning but i think that my point of view is understandable.
Literally, half of all pit bull owners could be killed by their dogs tonight, and the other half would be online tomorrow explaining away the incident.
Isn't that so true. I've also notice any video's showing pit attacks on other animals that they try to get them removed. They don't want any potential owners to see what they are capable of. I used to walk my dogs three miles a day all year long. I finally quit ,due to dogs loose in their yard, attacking my dogs. They were Shephards, Dobermans, Rotties, etc. However they owners were always able to get their dogs off my dogs with no problem. When my 200lb Mastiff was attacked by 2 pitbulls only a gun got them off of him. I'm not for breed bans because I don't think they work. What I am for is severe penalties for dog owners who's dog cause severe injury or death on humans or other animals. I think then people would be more vigilant.
Walter, your English is excellent and your point is extremely important. The magnitude of the devestation done to the lives of innocent people in almost every country without any remedial action is alarming. New Zeland and Australia are taking some very strong steps to try to curb this issue.
We cannot ignore that these are lives that will never be the same (if the victim survives) and often the attack causes the loss of normalcy for the rest of the person's life.
You are very accurate about the defenders of the breed--it seems that the fact that pets are dying in large numbers and that people cannot even take their dog for a walk without fear doesn't matter because if the attack is by a pit bull it is just "normal dog aggression." But it is not "normal" behavior for other breeds and it is certainly not fair to the victims, human or animal.
Thank you, Denise. Another good point is the opinion of physicians that attended persons attacked by dogs, almost all of them agree in one thing: the most hideous and masive wounds are made by pitbulls. An example of that and more here: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Pit-bulls-reputation-takes-new-hit-1370739.php#page-1