Family refuses to turn over pit bull that bit 5-year-old boy
LONGVIEW, Wash. - People here are on a desperate search to find a pit bull that attacked a child, badly injuring him.
The owners of the dog showed no remorse Friday for the 5-year-old, and they are still hiding their dog.
"I'm not going to give up a dog that's pregnant," said one of the dog's owners, 18-year-old Nik Vasquez. "It's like my best friend. I'm not going to just give it up."
It is crucial to get this dog because it has not had its rabies vaccinations, and the little boy will now have to go through a very painful series of shots to make sure he doesn't get the viral disease.
The dog attacked the boy in a Longview neighborhood Sunday afternoon while he was riding his bike. Families who live in the neighborhood said they live in fear of this dog.
The massive chunk the dog took out of the boy's right leg looks like a shark bite.
To make matters worse the owners refuse to tell Humane Society officers and police where the dog is now.
Vasquez argued that the boy was kicking at his dog and throwing rocks at it.
But Vasquez' neighbor, Greg Barnett, told a different story, saying, "I've never seen that. I have never seen that, no."
Neighbors also said the dog is vicious and attacks without being provoked.
Additionally, there is not supposed to be a dog like that in the apartment the Vasquez' live in, according to the complex's policy.
Neighbors and Humane Society officers said the dog really belongs to Vasquez' 39-year-old mother, Kimberly Vasquez.
The officers said Vasquez gave the Humane Society a rabies-shot record after the pit bull bit a man by the name of Robert Parker in the knee in April, but they said it was forged.
A Cowlitz County Humane Society officer said Kimberly Vasquez' name was on those documents along with the forged signature of a local veterinarian.
Vasquez, who has a long criminal record of forgeries and thefts for which she was sentenced to more than two years in prison, said she didn't forge the rabies record. She said someone else did and gave it to her, but she would not say who that was.
Nik Vasquez said he didn't know if the dog ever had any shots.
Neighbors said they are fed up with the family and their dog scaring everyone. Mike Baker said the dog has bared its teeth, chased him and his two small children back into their apartment.
The Humane Society has turned over all of its records to the Cowlitz County prosecuting attorney's office.
The landlord said the apartment is not even rented to the Vasquezes but to another woman. The landlord is posting a 72-hour notice telling everyone in that apartment to get out along with their dog.
time to arrest these losers and get some real records from a vet and see where we stand. these dog owners act like the dogs are human and have rights above people.Â
arrest these losers!!!
Pit bulls are like children. It's all in the way they're raised. Gang kids are the same. Yes, it's the parents fault - usually.
 @S If you knew anything at all about dog-breeding, you wouldn't make such an ignorant comment. Dogs are NOTHING "like children." Dogs are bred for specific purposes and different breeds have different characteristics. This is the reason fox hunters don't choose a Great Dane to chase fox, ranchers don't choose French poodles to tend animals, and bird hunters don't choose Siberian huskies to retrieve game. Before you make another asinine comment, please go to the library, check out some books on dog-breeding and eugenics, AND READ THEM!Â
I HATE people like this!!! If I didn't know better I would swear these were the same people that lived in my neighborhood when my oldest was in the first grade.  My son was walking home from school and this dog got out of the fence and attacked my son.  If it wasnt for the adult walking with my son that dog would of done much worse damage and or even killed my boy.  The dog shook and dragged my son so hard it knocked off his shoes and but rubbed holes in his clothes. Â
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These people act the same way.  Took no responsibility and tried to blame it on my son because he "walked to close to the fence" .  When I went over there later that day they tried to deny it and say their dogs do not get out of the fence and right after that the dog got out and chased me back into my car.  So I called animal control and the police.
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Because this was the first time the dog attacked someone they made it so the dog could not be in the city limits. Â It took a couple of months but these people did move. Â
Pit bulls were bred for one purpose and that purpose isn't for playing or entertaining. They are mean and vicious by nature.  When found, the dog should be destroyed, especially since this is not the first time it has attacked someone. There WILL be a next time if something isn't done.
 @mkamom The worst thing I have to worry about with my 3 year old nieces Pit, is being loved. Sorry your experiences are not the same.
 @cath  @mkamom That's what all pit nutters say until their sweet, loving "pittie" attacks and badly injures or kills someone! Then they start whining: "I can't understand what happened. He/she was always such a good dog ... no signs of aggression ... Blah, Blah, Blah!"
You are pathetically misinformed about pitbulls. Unfotunately, because of negligent owners, THIS dog will need to be destroyed. However, 99% of these animals are sweet and friendly.
 @wondering YOU have not been around "99% of these animals," so you are way off base making such a comment. Additionally, the problem isn't whether "some" (certainly NOT 99%) of these land-sharks are friendly, the problem is the damage these monsters do when they attack. And for your pathetically misinformed information, most pit bulls that attack their owners and members of their owners' families have been considered "sweet and friendly" up until the time they suddenly attack and try to kill someone!
 @Lee  @wondering yes pitbulls are very strong and powerfull but a pit bull if trained will attack to keep others away from family and its home but they wont just attack, also i have two pit bulls both males we never have any problems my two little sister go outside and play with the dogs and hug them squeeze them they even hit and throw things at them and my dogs never bark or attack we raised our pits with love and very little violence and we also keep them very active. that just goes to show that they are horrible owners and have poorly trained there dog i believe the owners should be arrested and charged not the poor dog who was only doing what was taught  toÂ
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 @Khre'Riov Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu Jail them like they would one harboring a criminal!  I agree!  If he loves this dog so much then he wont mind doing time for it.
Apparently my comment was removed for some reason. I said nothing out of the way..
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Sorry Dand, I was down for a couple of day's - monitor went out and had to get a new one! Otherwise I'd have replied sooner!
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Yeah, they need to go to jail until they hand over the dog. But I think they need to undergo the treatment just like this little boy..
I love my dog. Not anywhere near as much as any child, though.
As a dog owner, if someone is throwing rocks at my dog, it is my responsibility to either stop the child (by asking nicely) or get my dog out of that situation ASAP. Because, I know if the child gets hurt, I am responsible, and because I don't want my dog to get hurt.
But, I tend to believe the neighbor over this "person".
withhold their fraudaulent foodstamps and all other leeched welfares until they give the dog up.
@Phuzz or just put them all back in jail
A female pit which is already aggressive will become even more aggressive when pregnant. If this aggressive tendency is genetic, that pit will birth a litter of mostly aggressive dogs. The dog and it's litter must be destroyed! I'd extend that mandate to the owner(s), but that's too much of a stretch . . . . .
. . . . . or is it?!
@Gravity Works! Absolutely! Just like kids born to criminals will become criminals! Or kids born to stupid parents will be stupid, too....right, Gravity Works?
 @Mikey  @Gravity Another fool who knows nothing about dog-breeding! Breeding dogs is NOT the same as raising children. Dogs reach maturity in a matter of months, it takes humans 21 years (sometimes more) and during that time, humans are influenced by a numerous environmental factors. The same isn't true of dogs. Pit bull breeders who want more aggressive dogs breed already aggressive pit bulls and the offspring is as, if not more, aggressive than the parents, and the most aggressive dogs from the litter are, in turn bred to produce even more aggressive dogs. Go to the library and check out some books on dog-breeding, animal husbandry, genetics and eugenics if you don't believe me! While the manner in which a dog is raised and training can impact a dog's behavior to some extent, the genetic tendencies of its parents are still there and with pit bulls, if they attack, those genetic tendencies surface and someone, or someone's pet or livestock, usually ends up badly injured or dead!
 @Mikey  Thank you, Lee.  Just for some background information, I served as a volunteer trainer and socializer as well as on the Board of Directors as a Founding Member of a local pitbull rescue and sanctuary for nearly 10 years.  I have to say that folks such as wondering and Mikey are typical of those who have fallen for the media hype and hysteria surrounding "dangerous dogs".
@Gravity Works!  Obiously you know nothing about dogs. Just because the owners caused the dog via its upbringing to be a mean dog does not mean that the pups would be born "aggressive". God you people don't have a clue
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 @wondering  @Gravity No, YOU don't have a clue! Read some books on dog-breeding and eugenics and you will see that aggressive dogs produce aggressive offspring!
She doesn't want to "give up" a pregnant predatory monster - or is she just shielding a monster - so that she can procur this dog's puppies - and profitably sell them off - one by one?Â
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Come on, hon. Where's the high road in any of that? For all we and your VICTIM KNOWS -  you just might have trained your pregnant predatory pitt bull to intentionally go after young children with the express intent of mauling them. So give up the  disengenuous "I just love my pregnant dog" spiel - once and for all. No one is buying any of that.Â
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The law enforcement verified facts that are known about your cruelly predatory, viscious out of control predatory dog is enough. If you cannot produce the dog - you should go to jail until you do. And the state should ensure you do not profit from your dog's puppies - ever.Â
@englishdaisy You really should stop posting such drivel. Save it for your Psycho Book Club or Slasher Quilting Bee.
"Vasquez, who has a long criminal record of forgeries and thefts for which she was sentenced to more than two years in prison, said she didn't forge the rabies record. She said someone else did and gave it to her, but she would not say who that was."
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That statement all by itself tells a story. A family that feels they are above the law, and can do as they feel.
They all need some time to realize the seriousness of their crimes. Some time behind bars perhaps. Although that would cost the taxpayers. It is too bad the system was slow in taking the dog out when it bit the first person. The only time the system seems to work effieciently is when the media steps in to wake people up.
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I feel sorry for the child that was injured, it is too bad the people responsible do not want to own up to their responsibilities. If the dog had bitten one of my kids, it would have died quickly if I was able to grab anything to take it out.
How much taxpayer $$$ will these people cost?
Kimberly Vasquez should be charged with asault with a deadly weapon. Her and her family should be charged with obstruction of justce and held until th dog is turned over. The complete lack of regard for anyone but themselves is gross.Â
I don't care how sweet your bloody dog is it bites me or my kids i am going to put a bullet in it. this proves that some people should not be allowed to have pets. if you know your dog has issues with children in the neighborhood keep it away from the kids, simple as that. these people need to step up and 1 pay for the medical expenses for the damage caused by their dog, and 2 need to turn the dog over to have it checked for rabies. i have nothing against the breed this was clearly the owners fault for not having control of their pet.
@Jeremy   Thank you for putting the blame where it belongs - on the trashy owners and not the dog.
 @wondering Trashy owners choose trashy dogs and there's nothing that says TRASH like a pit bull!
The dog is his best friend? Guess he doesn't have any human friends. Guess this just proves what people are saying...pit bulls aren't the problem; their owners are the problem.
@Nobody And in 99% of the cases involving dogs, the owner IS the problem. The rest are where the animal is sick or injured.
What a waste of air, and I'm not talking about the dog.
When will people learn,,,,bit bulls are too dangerous to own.
 @sortbait Not necessarily. It really is ownership, too. A bad owner will usually not result in a "good" dog regardless of breed. What IS important is to know and understand the characteristics of the breed you are buying and, if for some silly reason you insist on a purebred, know the breeder, their background, and some history about the parents of the pup(s) you are buying. If you put a Pit (or german shepherd, or doberman, or rottie, or chow chow or those ankle-biters or whatever else breed fits the bill) in a bad situation the outcome will not be positive. Each dog breed has its quirks. I know plenty of good Pits and responsible owners.
@CTWU ......wouldn't you agree though, that the physical characteristics of this breed make a much more damaging attack because of jaw strength and the genetic "lock on" and tearing nature of their bites?
 @Rob C  @CTWU Countless studies have been done (search the internet) and there is no reliable study to indicate anything is different between these dogs and other dogs. They are, however, bred to not release until given a command by their owners. Pleasing their owners is the fundamental tendency that makes them used as fighting dogs. The aggression is bred in and also taught if that is what the owner wishes from the dog.
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Aside from being vermin collectors, they were historically bred to be family, or nurse, dogs designed to take care of young children while the adults were working in the fields. The fiercely protective nature of "their" family made these dogs ideal for being an extra hand. A great example of this comes from Laura Ingalls Wilder. In real life (not tv), the family dog known as Jack was actually a bulldog (slightly different than a "pit bull" which is most often visually like an American Staffordshire Terrier).
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According to the American Kennel Club, it is believed that the American Staffordshire Terrier was bred from a bulldog (known as excellent family pets because of their tendency to form strong bonds with children and tend to be gentle and protective) and some type of terrier combination (such as a bull terrier which they identify as being an exceedingly friendly dog with a sweet and fun-loving disposition). That's the nature these animals are supposed to have. That's why people say its the ownership and breeding that cause the problems.
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Any dog bite can hurt and cause serious injury or death. Its just how they play and feed. All canines are genetically designed to rip and tear their meal (aka flesh and bone). Through the domestication process we've taken this basic need away from them and replaced it with kibble. This is also why it is important to let dogs play with toys, each other, friends and family, etc. We are redirecting their basic need and replacing it with one that fits a domesticated lifestyle and encourages play, not attack.
@Jeremy "clearly be put away or put down ".......... Really?
Jeremy - I fully agree!  Let a judge pass down a court order for the Vasquez waste of space to produce the dog or be found in contempt of court with a mandatory stay in the hoosegow until the dog is produced, quarantined and finally put down with extreme prejudice!
 @Rob C  @CTWU Any breed can be bad, this was clearly the fault of an irresponsible owner. all medium to large dogs have the jaw strength to do what this one did. Judge the deed not the breed. Clearly the owners need to be put away or put down.
I would think it would be a relatively simple process to get a court order demanding they produce the dog...and locking the owner up for contempt until it is produced.
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I am a great lover of dogs, but you don't put a 5 year old kid through a rabies treatment to protect a dog, even one carrying puppies. And a well-trained, socialized dog does not menace people, even if they throw sticks at it.
These people are not above the law, if they refuse to turn over the dog and are hiding it from authorities then they should be arrested plain and simple. Once that happens I am sure the animal will mysteriously turn up.
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Poor kid that looks like it hurt.
I can't understand why the police can't have a warrant to search and seize after this because it seems like they have probable cause. Oh, and the ONLY reason this idiot 18 yr old Vasquez does not want to give up his dog, about which he keeps making a point of it's pregnancy is because of $$$ as he sees those pups as his next income infusion. This "family" of criminals should be really looked into because I think it would lead to dog-fighting rings in terms of the pup's sire, and the pups future buyers. This is no "pet pit bull" and he probably did not let it breed randomly. No vet records is a way of keeping fighting dogs on the down-low.
Bad, irrational, immature and selfish dog-"owner" people, for sure. Dangerous dog for sure. Lazy animal control, lazy landlord and lazy police who all should have done their jobs before this 5 year old was bit: animal control/police should have made sure to investigate and possibly seize dog after first bite plus cite the owners and investigate further and put stipulations on the owners. The landlord should be keeping order and lawfulness on his property which means making tenants abide by the lease. He did not even know who was living there??? Wow.
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The other tenants should have been calling the cops and the landlord often and early to complain about these trash tenants. This dog bite was truly preventable if any of the afore-mentioned people had made a serious effort to deal with this before it got to this point. I see no reason why these dog "owners" have not been jailed already to force them to give up the dog. Jail them/sue them/shame them/picket them/spy on them/sic the media on them...whatever it takes. I admit to being surprised no one had not already shot this out-of-control dog already, much as I hate the thought of shooting a dog...but for that town I would have expected it before this.
 @whirledworld Somebody should have given that dog a good dose of bear pepper spray to make it weary of people.
The Vasquez's are exactly the type of people who should not own dogs of any breed. They are irresponsible, belligerent, and criminals to boot. In this case, the dog needs to be found, tested for rabies and then put down.
 @theobserver Do you know how they test for rabies on animals ???
 @cptmac11  @theobserver Posthumously, as in vivisection?
 @theobserver Put the owner down as well.
Lock them all up. And not just until the dog is found. They are criminals And give THEM the painful rabies shots, too. After all, they may have been bitten and, well, we may be saving their lives, right?
@Mechanic - I think that is a GREAT idea - make the whole Vasquez family go through the rabies shots. Very good! Oh how I wish that could happen.
 @Twinksmom  @Mechanic -- and make THEM pay for the whole series for everyone, as well as the dog!