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1.) Family's pit bull dog kills toddler in Collin CountyAuthor: Megan Doren Metro North Bureau of The Dallas Morning News THE Publish Date: October 24, 1990Word Count: 691Document ID: 0ED3D13554C125DEMcKINNEY -- An 18-month-old girl died Tuesday after she and her grandmother were attacked by one of the family's four pit bull dogs, officialssaid.

The attack occurred in the front yard of the family's rural Collin County home, where the dogs were chained.

The girl's grandfather said Tuesday that the dogs had never before hurt anyone and that the child had played with them before. "She rode thosedogs in the house like they were

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1.) Dead girl's family to keep dogsFather doesn't blame pit bullsAuthor: Megan Doren Metro North Bureau of The Dallas Morning News THE Publish Date: October 25, 1990Word Count: 796Document ID: 0ED3D135ABD92733MELISSA -- The Collin County couple whose 18-month-old daughter was killed by a pit bull terrier Tuesday plans to keep its other two pit bulls.

The dogs have been good pets and "it's hard to get rid of something like that that you've been close to for so many years,'James Cole, father ofJessica Cole, said Wednesday.

"Before we had Jessica, they (the dogs) were our babies,'he said. Shortly after Jessica

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Wednesday, October 24, 1990

Family's pit bull dog killstoddler in Collin CountyBy Megan DorenMetro North Bureau of The Dallas Morning News

McKINNEY — An 18-month-oldgirl died Tuesday after she and hergrandmother were attacked by oneof the family's four pit bull dogs, offi-cials said.

The attack occurred in the frontyard of the family's rural CollinCounty home, where the dogs werechained.

The girl's grandfather said Tues-day that the dogs had never beforehurt anyone and that the child hadplayed with them before. "She rodethose dogs in the house like theywere horses," said Charles Cole, 56.

! Other victims. 12A

Jessica Anne Cole suffered severehead injuries and bites on her bodyand was pronounced dead at 12:55p.m. at North Texas Medical Centerin McKinney, officials said.

Mary Jane Cole, 55, underwentsurgery for bites on her hands andlegs after she and her granddaugh-ter were taken to the hospital by aMcKinney Fire Department ambu-lance, officials said. Hospital officialswould not comment on her condi-tion late Tuesday.

Collin County sheriffs Lt TomPlease see DOG on Page 12A.

12 A Wednesday, October 24, 1990 HF

Dog killstoddlerin CollinContinued from Page 1A.Francis said the incident will be re-ferred to a grand jury to determinewhether criminal charges should befiled.

The grandmother told officialsthat she was keeping the child whileher parents, James and Debby Cole,were at work. The victim's grand-parents live in a house, and thechild's family lives in a mobile homeat the front of the property, on StateHighway 121 about one mile north-east of Melissa, Lt. Francis said.

Mary Jane Cole told authoritiesthat she was getting ready to driveinto town from her house. On theway out, she stopped her car at themobile home. The dogs are keptchained nearby. Mrs. Cole and thegirl got out of the car to go inside themobile home, but the girl pulledaway from her, went around the carnear the dogs and was attacked, Mrs.Cole told officials.

Mrs. Cole said she rushed aroundthe car, where the dog was still maul-ing the child. Mrs. Cole was bittenwhile getting the child away.

At the hospital, the girl's grandfa-ther said that the dogs had neverbeen vicious and that the little girlhad played with them.

"I've raised the dogs from pups.They never hurt anybody," saidCharles Cole.

The girl's father, James Cole, toldTerry Sanner, a field agent for theCollin County medical examiner,that he never left the child aroundany of the dogs and that the dogswere always chained. He told Mr.Sanner that he raised the 4-year-oldmale dog from a puppy and that hebreeds pit bulls.

"The father was really shakenup," said Mr. Sanner. "He and his fa-ther are truck drivers, and normallythey would have been gone (out oftown) but they'd just gotten in whenthey were called that this hap-pened." '

The dog was picked up by thecounty animal control officer, thenkilled at a McKinney veterinarianclinic about two hours after the at-

006firm VICTIMS;Here are the people who have diedfrom dog-bite injuries in the UnitedStates so far this year:Jan. 17 — Marjee Lilly, 70, Los An-geles. Victim attacked by two pitbulls while feeding dogs at grand-son's house.Jan. 21 — Anna Lynn Pagliaro, 5days old, Florence, N.J. Attackedby the family's Siberian husky whilesleeping in crib.Feb. 7 — Lillian Butler, 72,Memphis, Tenn. Pit bull escapedfrom neighboring yard and at-tacked her.March 15 — Tonya M. Elliott, 2Vz,Forest Township, Mich. Victimwandered into yard where she wasattacked by a chained wolf hybrid.March 26 — Laurene MacLeod,35, West Palm Beach, Fla. Policeon break-in call sent their Germanshepherd police dog into house;dog bit victim twice.April 9 — Norma Faith Jordan, 4,Coosada, Ala. Two mixed-breedstrays attacked the victim in herfront yard while her mother was in -the back yard hanging laundry.April 10 — Paul Mahler, 28 days,Mat-Su Valley, Alaska. Victim'smother entered mother wolf hy-brid's pen while wolf was in laborand held infant to animal's face.Wolf's tooth pierced baby's skull.April 12 — James C. Mills, 81,Gwinette County, Ga. Details un-certain. Chained pit bullcrossbreed found with body ofneighbor.May 5 — Jerry Lee Cornell, 3,Talkeetna, Alaska. Husky-SOURCE: Humane Society ot the United States

malamute sled dog broke a tetherand attacked boy at a birthdayparty.May 6 — Gage H. Rache, 6 daysold, Lacey, Wash. Victim attackedby husky while sleeping in crib.June 18 — Betty Lou Stidham, 57,Memphis, Tenn. Two pit bulls at-tacked victim for 20 minutes whileshe was outside getting mail.June 28 — Kelsie Prove, 2 months,Dalton, Ohio. Attacked by uncle'spit bull-shepherd crossbreed whilewatching television with grand-mother.July 1 — Jason Lee Wilson, 5,Seneca, S.C. Rottweiler-pit bullcrossbreed attacked victim whileplaying in yard.July 18 — Tionna Kenny, 6months, Morgan Park, III. Victimattacked by pit bull after motherleft child with a neighbor.Aug. 24 — Richard S. Stitch II, 1V4,Bremerton, Wash. Victim attackedby family's Akita while playing onfloor with sister.Sept. 12 — Patricia Roberts, 48,Walterboro, S.C. After victim hadepileptic seizure, she was attackedby seven stray dogs that she andher husband had been feeding.Sept. 26 — Mary Elisabeth Leffew,1 month, Pima Co., Ariz. Victimwas killed by the family's pethusky-rnalamute as she slept in abassinet.Oct. 23 — Jessica Anne Cole, 18months, Collin County. Victim waskilled by family pit bull dog chainedin the yard. Grandmother injuredwhile trying to rescue her.Collin County authorities.

Child killedby pit bulldog

COLLINCOUNTY

tack, said county animal control su-pervisor Sidney Auten. The dog'shead has been sent to Austin for ra-bies tests, he said. The three otherdogs were not confiscated.

"They're (the dogs) not in any le-gal violation; they are chained upsecurely," Mr. Auten said.

Mr. Sanner said the girl's fathertold him he did not think the threedogs would attack anyone.

Scripps Hmtard News Service, The Dallas Morning NewsJessica's death is the 18th in the

United States this year from dog at-tacks, according to figures from theHumane Society of the United States.The national Centers for DiseaseControl, which studied dog-relateddeaths nationwide from 1979 to 1988,estimates there are about 20 suchkillings annually.

Most victims are children — 70percent are under 10, according tothe study. Pit bulls are the breedmost often responsible for deadly at-tacks — about 42 percent of the fatal-ities. German shepherds rank sec-ond, at IS percent, followed byhuskies, at 12 percent.

Of the 17 fatal attacks docu-mented by the Humane Society of theUnited States this year, seven werecaused by pit bulls or pit bullcrossbreeds.

Sta// writer Nita Thurman and theScripps Howard News Service contrib-~uted to this report.

Dead girl's family to keep dogsBy Megan DorenMetro Nort/i Bureau o/ The Dallas Morning News

MELISSA — The Collin County couplewhose 18-month-old daughter was killed by apit bull terrier Tuesday plans to keep itsother two pit bulls.

The dogs have been good pets and "it'shard to get rid of something like that thatyou've been close to for so many years,"James Cole, father of Jessica Cole, saidWednesday.•' "Before we had Jessica, they (the dogs)were our babies," he said. At first, after Jes-sica died, "we said we were going to get rid ofall of the dogs, but that was before the shockwore off," Mr. Cole said.

The girl suffered severe head injuries

Father doesn'tblame pit bullswhen the dog mauled her and was pro-nounced dead at North Texas Medical Centerin McKinney. That dog and three others allwere on chains in the family's front yard.

The dog that attacked Jessica was takenaway by a county animal control officer andkilled.

Mr. Cole, who cried as he held a photo-graph of his daughter, said Jessica used toride the dogs like horses in the house andthat he raised the dog that attacked her. He

said the dog was one of the hundreds he hasbred in the last eight years.

Mr. Cole said the other two pit bulls arethe mother and grandmother of the dog thatmauled Jessica. One of them is his wife's dogand goes everywhere with her, he said.

"Debby said there's no way we're gettingrid of Jewel," he said. "She's an average dogand she'll attack a cat like any average dog,but she wouldn't hurt a person for anythingin the world."

A fourth pit bull at the house belongs to afriend and was there to be bred. Mr. Cole saidthe dog would be returned to its owners.

Tearful family members said Wednesdaythat they had been trying to get Jessica'sPlease see DEAD on Page 40A.

Jessica Cole... was killed bya pit bull terrier Tuesday.

DeacT girl's parents to keep dogsContinued from Page 33A.

mother to restall day because she was so upset. Butthey said it was difficult becausefriends and relatives kept coming tothe house to give their condolences.

"In a way, I hold animositytoward the dog that did this, but Ifeel remorse that he had to be de-stroyed, and I don't believe he real-ized what he was doing. He thoughtit was a game," Mr. Cole said. "Hewas like a big puppy, and every timewe'd walk out of the house, he'djump up and want to play. I hate thathe had to be killed."

Jessica's grandmother, Mary JaneCole, who had surgery for injuriesshe suffered while getting the girlaway from the dog, was in fair condi-tion Wednesday and was expected tobe released from the hospital thisweekend, family members said.I ' The attack occurred when Jessicapulled away from her grandmotherand walked near the dogs.

Jessica's death was the 18th in the

tacks, according to figures from theHumane Society of the United States.Pit bulls are the breed most often re-sponsible for deadly attacks.

But Mr. Cole said he doesn't be-lieve the pit bull is more dangerousthan any other breed and believes ithas been criticized unfairly.

"There's very little difference if ithad been a Doberman, a Rottweileror a German shepherd or any otheranimal that could attack," Mr. Colesaid. "It's just that they don't havethe strength and the jaw pressurethat pit bulls do, and with a pit bullthey're usually killed a lot quicker."

He called the breed "a victim ofthe circumstances as much asthey're a cause of it."

Mr. Cole said he has been breed-ing fewer pit bulls because of thebad publicity the breed has receivedin recent years.

He compared concerns about pitbulls to concerns about trucks in ac-cidents.

"It's not that trucks have morewrecks than cars do, but people are

lot more damage," he said."We don't have any animosity

toward the other dogs. It's just one ofthose things," Mr. Cole said. "It'd beno different than if she'd fell in aswimming pool."

"In a small neighborhood wheneverybody hears about somethinglike that, half of the people in theneighborhood will cement up theirpools."

He also said the male dog in-volved in the attack had a differenttemperament than the three femaledogs.

"He was a little more roughhouseand more playful and when youcame out to pet him he'd almostknock you down, but he wasn'tmean.

"I wasn't there, but I imagine inmy mind what happened was thatshe got knocked down and startedscreaming and then my mother prob-ably started screaming," said Mr.Cole. "It was just a game to him. I be-lieve he started playing and I thinkwith all the screaming and holler-

Thursday, October 25, 1990