Woman sues: Pit bull bit her in class

[LisaS]

Woman sues: Pit bull bit her in class
ALSIP | 'I was lucky' at obedience school

June 2, 2008
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BY STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter/spatterson@suntimes.com

This was no way to impress the teachers at the Canine Obedience College.

A pit bull owned by a Chicago man bit a woman at the Alsip school during a class last year. Now the woman is suing the dog's owner and the school, claiming they didn't do enough to prevent the attack or respond appropriately.

Kelly Wirtz, of Oak Lawn, still has a scar from the 37 stitches she got after the dog clamped down on her arm.

"My husband had to keep punching [the dog] in the head before it would let go," she said. "I was lucky, really, because it could have been a lot worse. If it had been a child, it would have been devastating. And they have no procedure, nothing, for how to handle it."

Jim Wirtz was there with the family's German shorthaired pointer, Peyton, and his wife came to observe. Just before class was to begin, she brought Peyton a toy.

As she walked in front of the row of dogs, the leashed pit bull lunged at her and started biting, she said.

Darryl Tabor, who has owned the dog school for 25 years, said it was the first biting incident they've had in decades -- and happened only because Kelly Wirtz "walked right in front of the pit bull. I feel bad for the lady, but obviously she wasn't thinking."

Wirtz's attorney, Michael McCready, said Robert Brazel should have better controlled the dog, while the facility was also negligent.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks more than $30,000. Brazel didn't return a call.

[still_me]

I don't see how it was the schools fault, but that dog definetely has some issues. You should be able to walk in front of an animal without having to worry if it is going to lunge and bite you. If she walked by sqeaking the toy in it's face, then I'd see a problem.

[Still_Tbog]

Just because she walked in front of the pit bull? Whaaaaaaaaat? I am sorry, but if I had a dog that I knew would react like that just simply from someone walking by it, that dog wouldnt be in my family anymore, much less in public.

[HammBugga]

What, you're not allowed to walk right in front of a bit bull? Damn.

[BeachMama]

Hmmm. I wonder if there is more to the story.

[Theywerepert]

Hmmm. I wonder if there is more to the story.

Me too.

[LisaS]

Hmmm. I wonder if there is more to the story.
here is the link
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/982467,CST-NWS-bite02good.article

[RaisingThemLeft]

That is crazy! I mean the dog biting her is crazy, and the school's comments are crazy, not that the fact that she's sueing is crazy. I don't see how they are trying to place the blame on her for walking by a dog. You should be able to walk by a dog that is out in public without it biting you. If the dog is that batshit crazy it should have been put down long ago and NOT in obediance training with other dogs and people.

[TuetonicWillow]

I feel bad for the lady, but obviously she wasn't thinking.

What a jackass.

[JudyJudyJudy]

And hopefully the jackass is going to lose the lawsuit. I might have had more sympathy for the school's owner if he were not such a jackass.

[Carolina]

I feel bad for the woman, but how are you just going to walk right in front of a row of dogs you are not even familiar with!? There's a reason why these dogs were in an obedience school. I think somebody should have warned her not to walk by these dogs. They are animals, after all. You can't predict what an animal is going to do, especially one that you are not familiar with.

[AuLait]

I've taken many many dog obedience classes, and assisted with teaching many more and not ONCE was anyone ever warned, "Don't walk in front of the dogs!". It is assumed that owners have control of their dogs. If they do not, they need to be in private classes. Its ludicrous to say that this woman wasn't thinking by simply walking past the dogs. In a typical obedience class, there are lots of people moving, lots of dogs moving, lots of distractions. You aren't given a 10x10 spot to stay to yourself with no one ever moving around you.

Ridiculous. So ridiculous that I wonder if there are some important details being left out. As presented though, I hope the woman wins the lawsuit.

[Carolina]

I've taken many many dog obedience classes, and assisted with teaching many more and not ONCE was anyone ever warned, "Don't walk in front of the dogs!". It is assumed that owners have control of their dogs. If they do not, they need to be in private classes. Its ludicrous to say that this woman wasn't thinking by simply walking past the dogs. In a typical obedience class, there are lots of people moving, lots of dogs moving, lots of distractions. You aren't given a 10x10 spot to stay to yourself with no one ever moving around you.

Ridiculous. So ridiculous that I wonder if there are some important details being left out. As presented though, I hope the woman wins the lawsuit.

Yeah, I also wonder if some important details were left out, and where the heck was the owner of this dog!?

It's not good to assume that all dog owners have control of their dogs. I've seen plenty of clueless ppl go to obedience classes thinking that's going to fix any problems they got with their dogs.

Even though you don't get a lot of room to yourself and your dog that's training, there's a reason why you are supposed to keep a distance between dogs and dog owners.

If that dog was leashed and ended up biting her, she must have come very close to the dog.

[Still_Tbog]

If your dog is going to snap like that, they need a lot more than just an obedience class.

[JulieBaby]

There has to be more to the story. I mean, if this were the whole story, the dog wouldve have exhibited agressive behavior way before this woman walked past him.

Edited to Add: Yes I do feel bad for the woman, no one should ever experience a dog bite. Its sad. BUt please remember that when a 'dreaded' pit bull bites the media always 'forgets' to tell the whole story, always placing the dogs as the unpredictable blood thirsty monsters.

[KerryS]

happened only because Kelly Wirtz "walked right in front of the pit bull. I feel bad for the lady, but obviously she wasn't thinking."

That's a problem??

Geez, it's a dog, not a LION.

[KerryS]

I feel bad for the woman, but how are you just going to walk right in front of a row of dogs you are not even familiar with!? There's a reason why these dogs were in an obedience school. I think somebody should have warned her not to walk by these dogs. They are animals, after all. You can't predict what an animal is going to do, especially one that you are not familiar with.

Even in obedience school, it's understood (or SHOULD be) that vicious dogs shouldn't be there around other people and dogs.

Dogs who don't know how to walk on leash or come go to obedience school. Obedience school, in a group setting, is NOT for dogs who are going to attack.

[JulieBaby]

Also wanted to ask: How are the acceptances do dog classes handled in the US?

I know for a fact that here dogs are evaluated first, before they are put into a class for food/people/animal agression, shyness, behavioral problems etc.

We dont just throw a bunch of dogs together because the owners are willing to pay

[BeachMama]

here is the link
Oh, I didn't mean that you didn't post the entire article. I meant that maybe the article itself didn't tell both sides.

[BeachMama]

here is the link
Oh, I didn't mean that you didn't post the entire article. I meant that maybe the article itself didn't tell both sides. Or the complete story.