Dogs Owner Carries Coffin of Attack Dog Victim
The coffin of a five-year-old girl who was killed by a pit bull terrier in Merseyside was carried into church by the owner of the attack dog that had killed the little girl.
Ellie Lawrenson was fatally mauled by the animal at her grandmother's house in St Helens, on New Year's Day.
The dog belonged to her uncle, 23-year-old Kiel Simpson, who also lives at the house.
Mr Simpson was one of four pallbearers at Ellie's funeral at Eccleston Christ Church, St Helens, on Thursday.
The coffin arrived at the sandstone church on a white carriage, pulled by two white horses.
Ellie's parents, Darren Lawrenson and Lyndsey Simpson, and Ellie's grandmother Jackie Simpson travelled to the service in black limousines, with Miss Simpson's siblings, Kiel and Kelsey.
Jackie Simpson was babysitting Ellie while her parents, who also have a baby son, went out to celebrate the New Year.
About 60 mourners were in the church for the funeral.
Afterwards, the funeral cortege left for a private ceremony, understood to be a cremation.
Kiel Simpson was questioned by police over Ellie's death but was not arrested.
The animal, which was destroyed, was subsequently found to be among the breeds prohibited by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/6250859.stm?ls
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Police shock Riverside man after he orders dog to attack officer
RIVERSIDE — Police used their Taser stun guns to subdue a man Wednesday night after he ordered his dogs to attack his girlfriend and a police officer.
Anthony Shoemaker, 46, was arrested and taken to the Montgomery County Jail on charges of felony assault and aggravated menacing as well as several misdemeanor offenses.
Extras
Riverside police were called to Shoemaker's home at 3760 Old Troy Pike about 11 p.m. after his girlfriend called 911 and told police Shoemaker was commanding his boxer-pit bull to bite her, according to a report filed by Officer James Vance.
Dispatchers could hear Shoemaker in the background, yelling at his girlfriend and threatening to fight with any officer responding to her call, according to the report.
When officers arrived, Shoemaker came outside and ordered his Great Dane to go after one of the officers. Shoemaker also threatened to kill officers if they shot his dogs.
Officers then shot Shoemaker simultaneously with their Tasers — a gun-like device that shoots barbs attached to wires that carry an electrical current — until they were finally able to place him in custody.
Officers said they believed Shoemaker was intoxicated. Police told the girlfriend that the dog — they didn't specify which — would be quarantined for 10 days by the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/11/ddn011207taser.html
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Pit bull attacks owners
Courier & Press staff
Originally published 11:57 a.m., January 10, 2007
Updated 11:57 a.m., January 10, 2007
Neighbors of two women who were attacked by a pit bull described the scene as gruesome.
The women, Susan C. James, 39, and her daugther, 20-year-old Tia Franz, were both taken to Deaconess hospital with injuries described by police as "extreme."
Police responded to a call around 8:30 this morning. At the scene, they found Franz on the ground in the back yard of her home at 1216 Harriet St. The dog, a white pit bull named Felony, was still biting and aggressively attacking her.
Neighbors said they'd been trying to remove the dog for at least 10 minutes before police arrived. Evansville Police Officer Jason Cullum fired a single shot at Felony to make the dog release his bite on Franz, but the dog continued to attack her. Cullum and Officer Dave Burris fired two additional times before the dog released Franz.
Felony died from the gunshots.
The women told officers it all started after the women got into a heated argument and the dog suddenly “just went off” and attacked James first. Franz then reportedly tried to get the dog away from her mother, but the dog turned on Franz and chased and bit her through three rooms in the house, then into the back yard.
Neighbors who heard the screams called 911.
Police said James has severe injuries to her hands and arms, and Franz has severe injuries to her hands, arms, chest, abdomen and right side.
Medical personnel told police they believed both victims would require surgery for their injuries.
The dog's body was removed from the scene by animal control.
Standing feet away from James and Franz's front porch, which was spattered with drops of blood, Jennifer Walker said the attack at first looked "like a murder scene." Walker stood outside with residents of the block discussing the attack hours after both victims were taken to Deaconess.
"It looked so bad I had to turn away at one point, I thought I was going to get sick," Walker said.
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