NC: Onslow Co. - Sheriff Supports BSL

Those in and around Onslow County, NC need to be aware of and attend future Board of Commissioners' meetings in the event Sheriff Brown encourages the Board to take up the issue of banning specific breeds of dogs in the county. Keep in mind, this is a precautionary measure -- nothing has been proposed in Onslow County at this time.

Board of Commissioner meeting schedules can be found at this link:

Welcome to Onslow County

Upcoming meetings are February 21; and March 7 and 21. Meetings start at 7:00 p.m.

Family pet needs to be right fit
February 09, 2011 6:28 AM
LINDELL KAY

In an era where people run background checks on everyone from potential love interests to their plumber, officials and animal experts are left scratching their heads as to why some pet owners aren't checking to see what kind of dog they're bringing home to their children.

Two Piney Green area toddlers were mauled by family dogs in similar, but unrelated incidents in the last week. In both cases, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown - who said he supports a ban on aggressive dog breeds - said previous owners had given up the dogs for being too aggressive.

Potential pet owners really need to look into the background of any dog they plan to adopt and pay heed to any warning signs, said Gail Whipple, founder and president of Carolina Animal Protection Society, which has helped find homes for dogs and cats for 34 years.

Brown said after a pit bull killed a cat, the animal's owner gave the dog to a 20-year-old Marine. A month later, on Jan. 30, the pit bull mauled the Marine's 22-month-old son in their backyard while the child way playing unattended. The child's father, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Brennan Michael Listle, was charged Friday with felony child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor by neglect.

Authorities are still investigating the Monday mauling of a 23-month-old girl by a boxer bulldog mix while in her home within a few steps of her father. The girl's father pulled the dog away from his daughter almost immediately, Brown said. The girl's mother took her to Onslow Memorial Hospital where she was treated for puncture wounds to the face and head and released.

Also in the mix this past week was a Friday night pit bull attack on law enforcement officers serving a no-knock search warrant on an alleged drug house in the Georgetown area. One of the dogs was shot dead by a deputy.
Don't blame the breed

Not all pit bulls are aggressive, said Jacksonville resident Lee Nolan, founder and president of the Guardians, a pro-pit bull club.

"Pit bulls are actually the most people-friendly dogs you could own," she said. "Since they are so fiercely loyal some selfish people have made a sport out of fighting them, but it is not the dogs' fault."

Raising a non-aggressive pit bull is about understanding the dog and making sure the dog understands its master, Nolan said.

Pit bulls require socialization and routine, just like all dogs, she said.

"If a pit bull is stuck out in the backyard tied to a tree for a long period of time, it is going to go crazy when it's finally let go," she said. "But it will be much calmer if the owner lets the dog run or walks the dog several times a week."

Nolan - who owned 10 pit bulls until the oldest, a 13-year-old dog she had brought with her to Jacksonville from New York years ago, died two weeks ago - said most pit bull attacks actually involve some type of mixed-breed or some other breed of dog altogether.
"When someone says pit bulls are too dangerous my first question is 'Have you ever been around a pit bull?' And most people answer they haven't," she said.

Pet ownership is about proper fit and responsibility, she said.

The right fit

Whipple, of CAPS, said a lot of thought needs to go into what type of dog a family adopts including whether family members have possible allergies and, most importantly, the animal's temperament.

Poodles, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and spaniels are the best bets for families with small children, Whipple said.

"Retrievers are laid back dogs," she said. "They make wonderful companions."
She said spaniels are very gentle with children.

Swansboro resident George El-Asmar said he loves his cocker spaniel, Lilly, which he has owned for 3½ years.

"She is my baby, my life," he said while playing with the dog Tuesday.

Dogs of a mixed pedigree from any of these breeds are ideal, Whipple said.

"Mixed-breed dogs live longer and have less health problems," she said, adding that any dog a family adopts should be spayed or neutered, which extends life span, improves health and makes for a more docile animal.

Jacksonville resident Jean Rachide adopted a golden retriever from Whipple's organization about a year ago. She said the 3-year-old dog is very loving and playful with her grand nephew.

"Buster has won over my parents who used to be afraid of every dog," she said.
The dog is also very gentle with Rachide's four cats, she said.

Banning breeds

Sheriff Brown said he believes the county should follow the lead of Camp Lejeune and ban aggressive dog breeds.

The base rule, which went into effect in April, bans pit bulls, rottweilers, wolf hybrids and any other breed determined to be aggressive. Base residents are allowed to keep dogs of those breeds, especially pets that pre-dated the order, aboard base housing only with a special permit.

"I believe the operators of our military facilities make good decisions based on solid research, and the county would do well to follow the same policy," Brown said.

Lejeune's dog-banning decision was based partially on the 2008 pit bull-mauling death of a 3-year-old boy in base housing, according to a letter written by Col. Rich Flatau, who was the commanding officer of Camp Lejeune at the time.

In a letter, Flatau said his decision to impose the new rules was "not hasty or ill-conceived, and it is the right thing to do in order to reduce unacceptable risk to people ... aboard the base of serious injury or death from attacks by dogs."

The area has seen several high-profile incidents involving pit bulls in recent years.

In July, a pit bull jumped a fence and attacked a woman in the Southwest area.

In February 2010, a deputy killed a pit bull that attacked him during the serving of a search warrant in the Southwest area.

In October 2009, county commissioners established a committee to research possible changes to animal-related ordinances.

In September 2009, more than 50 pit bulls were found in squalid conditions by deputies serving a drug-related search warrant in the Southwest area.

In August 2009, a pit bull puppy chewed the toes of an infant while his parents were sleeping in their Southwest area home. The couple later pleaded guilty to child abuse charges.

In September 2008, a deputy shot a pit bull that attacked him in his Verona front yard.

Contact Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456 or [email protected]. Read his crime blog, "Off the Cuff," at Off the Cuff - With Lindell Kay : Jacksonville Daily News.

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