[nfbwatlk] Fw:arrest in Fort Worth guide dog attack

Mon Oct 9 09:58:12 CDT 2006

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marion & Martin
To: NFBF List ; flagdu list
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 5:47 AM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] arrest in Fort Worth guide dog attack

Dear Florida Federationists,
    Because of the lack of prosecution of such cases in Florida, this is a
very important case for us to follow. Please read on!
Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala

Pit bulls' owner arrested in attack

dfw/archives_title

Posted on Sat, Oct. 07, 2006

Pit bulls' owner arrested in attack

By DEANNA BOYD
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

FORT WORTH -- The owner of two pit bulls that attacked a 72-year-old blind
woman and her guide dog last month has been arrested; he is accused of
recklessly
permitting the attack by not properly restraining his dogs.

Lazaro Vazquez Sr., 49, was arrested at his home Thursday afternoon on a
warrant for attack on an assistance animal, a relatively new and rarely used
state-jail
felony punishable by up to two years behind bars. He remained in the
Mansfield Jail on Friday with bail set at $10,000.

"Because of the seriousness and viciousness of the attack by these two pit
bulls -- who were not properly restrained -- on a frail, blind 72-year-old
woman
and her seeing-eye dog, we felt that it was necessary to pursue criminal
charges," Fort Worth police Sgt. J.D. Moore said.

The attack occurred Sept. 3 in the 3700 block of Bridalwreath Drive. It
began as the woman, who is also partially deaf, and her black Labrador mix
guide
dog, Ryder, waited for a ride to church.

The woman tried desperately to save her dog, according to an arrest warrant.

The woman told Detective M.L. Evans that as they waited, Ryder suddenly
stood up, indicating that he saw a loose dog ahead.

The woman held Ryder's leash tightly and waited for the loose dog's
"friendly approach."

Instead, a large dog lunged for Ryder's throat. The woman then heard the
sounds of a dogfight and a second dog joining in the attack.

As she tried to separate the dogs, the woman tripped and fell to the
pavement. Bleeding and screaming for help, she felt Ryder being lifted off
the ground
and yanked out of reach.

She crawled toward Ryder and reached for him, feeling teeth embedded in his
neck and a second dog holding onto his right cheek, shaking it from side to
side. The woman reached inside one pit bull's mouth to try to break its grip
and felt the pressure of three bites.

The woman then bit one of the pit bulls in the hope of stopping the attack,
but she was unsuccessful.

The attack finally ended after the woman heard people yelling and car horns
honking and felt water being thrown on her and the dogs.

The woman was treated at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. Off-duty
paramedics took Ryder to the I-20 Animal Medical Center in Arlington. Moore
said that
the guide dog survived his injuries but remains in therapy.

After the attack, officers found a brown 4-year-old female pit bull and
white 3-year-old male in the area, their coats stained with blood. A third
pit bull,
a white 1-year-old female not involved in the attack, was found in the front
yard of the Vazquez home on nearby Longmeadow Way.

Vazquez told police that the dogs were kept in a kennel in the back yard,
which is also fenced. He said the dogs had been let out of the kennel that
morning
and had apparently escaped through an opening in the fence, the affidavit
states.

"I knew this was going to happen if they got out," the affidavit quotes
Vazquez's 19-year-old son as telling officers at the scene.

Officers noted that the fence was in poor condition and had a "Beware of
dog" sign attached to it.

"They knew these dogs were mean. They knew they should have kept the dogs in
the kennel in the back yard," Moore said. "They let them out of the kennel
when it was obvious the fence was in disrepair."

Vazquez relinquished all three pit bulls to animal control officers to be
euthanized.

His son, Lazaro Vazquez Jr., previously told the Star-Telegram that the
family had never seen the pit bulls behave aggressively toward people or
other dogs
and that they were sorry for what happened. The family did not return a
message seeking comment Friday.

Animal control officers issued nine citations to the senior Vazquez after
the attack: three for not having proof of rabies vaccinations, three for not
registering
the dogs with the city and three for not restraining the animals.

Moore said that to avoid double jeopardy, investigators went to municipal
court last week and had the citations -- which had not been paid --
dismissed.

Rarely used law

Under a Texas law that went into effect in September 2003, people commit a
crime if they intentionally, knowingly or recklessly incite or permit an
animal
they own or that is in their custody to attack, injure or kill an assistance
animal.

The crime is a Class A misdemeanor if the assistance animal is attacked, a
state jail felony if it is injured and third-degree felony if it is killed.
Deanna Boyd, 817-390-7655
dboyd at star-telegram.com

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----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:swampfox1833 at verizon.net Marion & Martin
To:
mailto:nfbf-l at nfbnet.org NFBF List
; mailto:flagdu at yahoogroups.com flagdu list
Sent:
Monday, October 09, 2006 5:47 AM
Subject:
[Nfbf-l] arrest in Fort Worth guide dog attack
Dear Florida Federationists,
    Because of the lack of prosecution of such cases in Florida, this is a
very important case for us to follow. Please read on!
Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala
Pit bulls' owner arrested in attack
dfw/archives_title
Posted on Sat, Oct. 07, 2006
Pit bulls' owner arrested in attack
By DEANNA BOYD
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
FORT WORTH -- The owner of two pit bulls that attacked a 72-year-old blind
woman and her guide dog last month has been arrested; he is accused of
recklessly
permitting the attack by not properly restraining his dogs.
Lazaro Vazquez Sr., 49, was arrested at his home Thursday afternoon on a
warrant for attack on an assistance animal, a relatively new and rarely used
state-jail
felony punishable by up to two years behind bars. He remained in the
Mansfield Jail on Friday with bail set at $10,000.
"Because of the seriousness and viciousness of the attack by these two pit
bulls -- who were not properly restrained -- on a frail, blind 72-year-old
woman
and her seeing-eye dog, we felt that it was necessary to pursue criminal
charges," Fort Worth police Sgt. J.D. Moore said.
The attack occurred Sept. 3 in the 3700 block of Bridalwreath Drive. It
began as the woman, who is also partially deaf, and her black Labrador mix
guide
dog, Ryder, waited for a ride to church.
The woman tried desperately to save her dog, according to an arrest warrant.
The woman told Detective M.L. Evans that as they waited, Ryder suddenly
stood up, indicating that he saw a loose dog ahead.
The woman held Ryder's leash tightly and waited for the loose dog's
"friendly approach."
Instead, a large dog lunged for Ryder's throat. The woman then heard the
sounds of a dogfight and a second dog joining in the attack.
As she tried to separate the dogs, the woman tripped and fell to the
pavement. Bleeding and screaming for help, she felt Ryder being lifted off
the ground
and yanked out of reach.
She crawled toward Ryder and reached for him, feeling teeth embedded in his
neck and a second dog holding onto his right cheek, shaking it from side to
side. The woman reached inside one pit bull's mouth to try to break its grip
and felt the pressure of three bites.
The woman then bit one of the pit bulls in the hope of stopping the attack,
but she was unsuccessful.
The attack finally ended after the woman heard people yelling and car horns
honking and felt water being thrown on her and the dogs.
The woman was treated at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. Off-duty
paramedics took Ryder to the I-20 Animal Medical Center in Arlington. Moore
said that
the guide dog survived his injuries but remains in therapy.
After the attack, officers found a brown 4-year-old female pit bull and
white 3-year-old male in the area, their coats stained with blood. A third
pit bull,
a white 1-year-old female not involved in the attack, was found in the front
yard of the Vazquez home on nearby Longmeadow Way.
Vazquez told police that the dogs were kept in a kennel in the back yard,
which is also fenced. He said the dogs had been let out of the kennel that
morning
and had apparently escaped through an opening in the fence, the affidavit
states.
"I knew this was going to happen if they got out," the affidavit quotes
Vazquez's 19-year-old son as telling officers at the scene.
Officers noted that the fence was in poor condition and had a "Beware of
dog" sign attached to it.
"They knew these dogs were mean. They knew they should have kept the dogs in
the kennel in the back yard," Moore said. "They let them out of the kennel
when it was obvious the fence was in disrepair."
Vazquez relinquished all three pit bulls to animal control officers to be
euthanized.
His son, Lazaro Vazquez Jr., previously told the Star-Telegram that the
family had never seen the pit bulls behave aggressively toward people or
other dogs
and that they were sorry for what happened. The family did not return a
message seeking comment Friday.
Animal control officers issued nine citations to the senior Vazquez after
the attack: three for not having proof of rabies vaccinations, three for not
registering
the dogs with the city and three for not restraining the animals.
Moore said that to avoid double jeopardy, investigators went to municipal
court last week and had the citations -- which had not been paid -- 
dismissed.
Rarely used law
Under a Texas law that went into effect in September 2003, people commit a
crime if they intentionally, knowingly or recklessly incite or permit an
animal
they own or that is in their custody to attack, injure or kill an assistance
animal.
The crime is a Class A misdemeanor if the assistance animal is attacked, a
state jail felony if it is injured and third-degree felony if it is killed.
Deanna Boyd, 817-390-7655
mailto:dboyd at star-telegram.com dboyd at star-telegram.com
© 2006 Star-Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.dfw.com http://www.dfw.com
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