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Created: Posted on August 29, 2013 by Colleen Lynn
East Texas Woman Severely Mauled by Pit Bull at 'Dog Friendly' Private RV Park
Couple Warns of Hidden Dangers and Unknown Information
Lorrie George was mauled by a pit bull at an East Texas RV park on November 12th, 2012.
Willis, TX - Last November, Lorrie George, 59-years old, was viciously attacked by a tethered pit bull while visiting a friend at a private RV park in Willis, Texas. The injury nearly cost Lorrie her left leg. What follows in this post, told through the eyes of Lorrie and her partner Thomas, is what led up to the mauling and what unfolded in its aftermath. Like many pit bull attacks that end in horrific injury, the local media did not report Lorrie's attack, not even after the couple reached out to them.
Our documentation of Lorrie's attack describes in detail how the legal and law enforcement system in Texas deserted Lorrie and Thomas, primarily due to the location and conditions of the attack and a pit bull owner who was uninsured. The couple's story is filled with frustration and sadness, a disbelief this could happen to them, and worse, any number of new unsuspecting victims. The only relief they feel today is in knowing that Lorrie's attack may have prevented the death of a child.
Issues covered in this blog post include: The day of the attack and the history of Tank, a nine-time biter leading up to the mauling, a closer look at Tank's first recorded bite and lack of injury severity tracked, the rejection of their case by four attorneys and the crime victims' compensation program, the bungled or non-dog bite investigation, the "vicious dog loop" and how charity to an irresponsible friend comes at a price, finally, the change the couple would like to see in Texas state law.
Click here to see terminology that explains the various types of private RV parks.
The Day of the Attack
See full album to view more images of different perspectives of the RV lot.
On November 12th, 2012, Veterans Day,1 Lorrie and Thomas drove to Park on the Lake RV Park, a privately owned RV park in Willis, Texas. The park does not require trailer insurance, allows for the indefinite stay of residents and is "dog friendly." The couple was on their way to visit Denise,2 a friend who needed help with an electrical problem in her towable RV. The couple knew Denise from their time spent working together at nearby Hide E Hole Equine Therapy Center.
Denise owned a male pit bull named Tank that was about 2.75 years old. Both Lorrie and Thomas were wary of the dog and had experienced minor bites from the animal when Denise lived and worked at the equine center. Part of the reason why Denise was asked to leave the center was due to Tank. The dog had gone after one of the horses and ended up with a solid kick to the head.3 On November 12th, Lorrie and Thomas still lived and worked at the equine center.
When the two arrived at about 2 p.m., Denise tied Tank up to a makeshift low wooden barrier near the back of her trailer and the three went inside to have coffee and talk. After about an hour of visiting together, Denise asked Thomas to look at her electrical system located in the back of her trailer. All three adults exited; Thomas and Denise walked to the back. Denise noticed that Tank had gotten tangled up in his long rope over the past hour. She started to untangle her dog.
Lorrie exited moving away from Thomas and Denise, toward the adjacent lot and the estuary, which ran behind the trailers. Lorrie edged away, keeping her distance from Tank, but had no idea of the length of his rope, which was 20 to 25 feet. Thomas stated in an email to DogsBite.org, "The next thing I know is that TANK had Lorrie by the leg. Lorrie was standing in the easement between Denise's trailer and her neighbor's trailer, the dog should not have been able to reach Lorrie."
"For tenant #66 to use that cooker he would be standing where Lorrie was attacked," Thomas wrote.
A portion of Lorrie's written statement. Read statement in full.
Tank was laying very still on the ground, he did not bark or growl and all of a sudden, like a bolt of lighting he grabbed hold of my left leg just above the knee. He bit into my leg, and I fell to the ground. I thought for a moment that he would let go but he continued to bite me harder and started growling and shaking me like a toy.
I screamed for Tommy and cried Tank is attacking me. Tommy jumped on Tank and tried to get him to release his grip on my leg. Tommy then yelled for Denise to help him get Tank off of me. Tank refused to release his grip on me, even with Denise and Tommy trying to pry him off of me. The pain was intense and I have never been so terrified in my life. They finally got him to release me for a second and then he bit me again on the lower part of my leg.
Once again they struggled to pry him loose from my leg. When he finally released me Tommy was yelling to me to move away but I couldn't move. I went into shock, I had my hand gripping my pant leg very tightly, thinking I was preventing my leg from bleeding.
I looked down at my leg and saw huge gashes, it looked like I was attacked by a shark. - Lorrie Ruth George
While Lorrie was on the ground holding her mangled leg together, other people in the park rushed over to help. One woman standing nearby even lifted her skirt to show Lorrie the wound where Tank had bitten her a few days earlier. The gathering crowd assured Lorrie that 911 had been called and that an ambulance was on the way. Thomas asked for a blanket to help keep Lorrie from going into shock. The ambulance did arrive quickly, but to Lorrie it felt like an eternity.
"Finally, I felt myself being placed onto a gurney and hoisted into an ambulance," she said.
She was transported to the ER at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Woodlands. Lorrie writes in her statement that the doctor was undecided about what to do. "He acted like he had never seen a dog bite this bad," she wrote. She remained in the ER for about six hours; nearly two were spent working on her primary thigh injury. Just before releasing her, doctors realized they had missed the entire lower wound on her leg, which was bad enough to elicit concern for skin grafting.
Neither Lorrie nor Thomas understood why she was not kept overnight. The Woodlands hospital is a Level III trauma center, equipped to stabilize and transfer trauma patients to Level I, but with limited beds. Both were comforted by the ambulance paramedics, who stayed with them in the ER for a long time. Thomas had ridden in the front seat. On the way to the ER, Thomas said the ambulance driver told him, "I have never seen a bite as bad as hers. It looked like a shark attack."
Lorrie wrote in her statement that she spent the next week: "confined to bed, only getting up to use the bathroom." Because of the open wounds, "there was a lot of leakage of blood, which ruined my clothes and bedding," she wrote. Her injuries had to be washed and bandaged twice a day. In a phone call with DogsBite.org, she said she doesn't know how she could have coped without Thomas' help. Denise did not contact her during this time to ask about her welfare, she said.
Seven days after the attack, Lorrie had a follow up visit with a local doctor in Conroe. At that time, her wounds looked okay with no signs of infection. She was told to return on the 27th to have the stitches removed. But on the morning of the 24th, both she and Thomas knew that something was wrong. She wrote that her wound "smelled like rotting meat." Thomas took her back to the ER at Herman Memorial Woodlands where they told them that gangrene was a real danger.
The immediate cleaning of her wounds and new antibiotics staved off the threat.
Thomas said that Lorrie was bedridden with her injuries for two months. Her medical bills exceeded $10,000, using the full amount of her Medicare insurance. Lorrie had needed an eye operation before the dog attack to repair a torn retina, "or she may go blind in that eye," Thomas said. She was also being treated for glaucoma in both eyes. Due to the allocation of funds to treat the mauling injury, Lorrie will have to wait until next year for new treatment covered by Medicare.
The pit bull owner had no insurance and is a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient. Recovering compensation from her was futile.
Lorrie is also an SSI recipient. She has a neurological brain disorder. Before the mauling, she had been staying at the equine therapy center to be near the horses. After two years of living at the center, she believed her condition was improving. "The attack changed all that," she wrote in her statement. Nine months after the attack, Lorrie said that her injuries have healed, "but I don't think my brain has," she said. Her left leg, she explained, "just doesn't feel like her other one anymore."
Sensitivity and pain in the upper injury still comes and goes, she said. She described it as a kind of "restless leg syndrome, like there are no ends there," referring to nerve endings. She said it still causes her sleeping problems. The scarring isn't bad, she said, but she'll be wearing long pants to an upcoming social event. The worst part about today, she said, is the continued mental frustration. Meanwhile, "the dog owner goes on," Lorrie said, "as if nothing ever happened."
She added that to this day, Denise has never offered her an apology.4
The History of "Tank"
By the age of approximately 2.75 years old, Tank had bitten at least seven different people and gone after a horse.5 Lorrie and Thomas knew about most of these bites before the November 12th mauling. They uncovered more in the months following. Lessons both have learned since the RV park attack is that all dog bites should be reported to help future victims and to create a paper trail for a dangerous dog designation and that all dog bites are legally required to be reported as well.6
Both were also surprised to learn that waiving medical treatment for minor dog bites could result in developing serious health complications. Lorrie said that an unfamiliar dog bit her in the past that had come from a vacant lot. She reported that bite because she was afraid of rabies. "Tank had his tags," Thomas said, "so we knew that rabies was not a threat." Lorrie and Thomas are hardly unique. Many people have no idea that minor dog bites can still lead to serious infection.
While working at the equine therapy center during Denise's stay, both Lorrie and Thomas each were bitten twice by Tank. The first pair were "nips," they said, the second pair left puncture wounds. Through conversations with Denise, they learned that Tank had bitten a female friend at the center along with Denise's own granddaughter. After Denise and her dog became indefinite residents at Park on the Lake, beginning in early October 2012, Tank inflicted more bites.7
As we talked on the phone, both Lorrie and Thomas were surprised at the number of bites when they began adding them up in earnest.
One bite at the RV park was to Lisa, the woman who raised her skirt just after Tank attacked Lorrie. Another incident involved Denise's neighbor at the RV park. Denise told Lorrie and Thomas the man reported the bite incident to park management.8 Yet, the county animal control agency has no record of it. Had the agency been notified, Park on the Lake might have been made aware it was Tank's second documented bite, placing the entity further into the "liability equation."
In 2010, Tank bit another woman at the equine center. The caveat being that the 2010 bite (or mauling) was reported and documented by the county animal control agency.
Reviewing the 2010 Reported Bite
The 2010 biting incident and 2012 mauling at Park on the Lake fell under the jurisdiction of Montgomery County Animal Control (MCAC). Thomas believes that Denise began living and working at the center in December 2009. Not long after, a relative of the center's owner had a litter of pit bulls. Two puppies were given to the center. Denise took the male and the equine owner's son took the female. Tank's first documented bite occurred at the center on June 6th, 2010.
Lorrie and Thomas began living and working at the equine therapy center in April 2011. Thomas recalled Denise telling him about the 2010 incident at some point during their overlapping stay at the center. According to the MCAC bite report, the dog "jumped from truck through open window" and attacked a visiting 35-year old female. The circumstance of the attack is listed as "unprovoked" on the bite report. Tank was quarantined at MCAC then released back to its owner.
The 2010 bite report shows that the incident occurred at 9102 Longmire Road, Conroe, Texas, the address of Hide E Hole Acres Equine Therapy Center. As explained, Denise had already been living and working at the facility for seven months. However, the home address she provided to MCAC was a specific lot at Park on the Lake RV Park, the very lot where the 2012 mauling transpires. One can only speculate as to why Denise provided the wrong home address.
According to Thomas' recollection, Denise had not resided at Park on the Lake before October 2012. Seven of the known ten bites by Tank occurred while Denise was living at the equine center. Lorrie and Thomas learned about four of the bites because Denise spoke of them freely. Denise, seemingly, was a ticking liability time bomb for any landlord or property owner that rented to or housed her and Tank. Maybe this is why she provided the wrong home address to MCAC?9
How Serious was the First Reported Bite?
When Thomas contacted DogsBite.org in late May of this year, he sent the 2010 and Lorrie's bite report. Tank's "bite" was listed as "unprovoked" in both reports. The area of injury was similar too. Tank bit both female victims on the thigh. Notably, the "severity" of injury on each report was listed simply as "puncture" (please review Lorrie's injury photo again). To gain a better understanding of this insufficient definition of injury severity on the bite reports, DogsBite.org wrote to MCAC.
We first wrote on June 6th, asking if there were only two levels of dog bite injury severity: puncture and non-puncture? We received a response saying the email was forwarded to the appropriate person. A response did not arrive. We wrote again on July 8th, asking the same question. This time a response did come and to our surprise, at some point after Lorrie's mauling (Possibly between June 6th and July 8th?), MCAC altered how they documented dog bite injury severity.
Q. Are there only two options under severity -- puncture and non puncture?
"We currently have several changed our report to reflect the following wound types:
a) Contact Only
b) Scratch Only
c) Broken Skin and Open Wound
d) No Known Contact Test Only
e) Severe Attack
f) Attack Resulting in Death." - MCAC, July 8, 2013
Q. Does Montgomery County internally or otherwise track severity levels of dog bite injuries?
"Pursuant to Texas Law there are three types of actions that are necessary dealing with dogs:
a) Multiple Acts that place a person in fear it would attack and cause bodily injury
b) Bite Wounds causing Bodily Injury
c) Severe Bite Wounds or Death" - MCAC, July 8, 2013
The "puncture vs. non-puncture" only distinction on a dog bite report is an artifact from decades ago, back when rabies was still the major reason why public agencies tracked dog bites. The primary questions in response to any bite case back then were: "Did the bite break the skin?" Meaning, "Is there a threat of rabies transmission?" and "Is the dog vaccinated?" This tracking method was routine until the early 1980s, when the era of dangerous dog breeds erupted.
In this day and age we live in a new reality -- destructive maulings. New criteria for recording injury severity have become important for three reasons. 1.) Victims like Lorrie who are trying to pursue civil lawsuits. Was Tank's first documented bite a "Scratch Only" or was it a "Severe Attack?" 2.) When a first (or any) attack is a "Severe Attack," it cannot be obfuscated as a mere puncture injury, and 3.) Provide relevant, detailed information to pursue a dangerous dog designation.
While we do not know the degree of injury in the 2010 attack, other aspects of that incident are known. Tank jumping from a truck through an open window to attack a woman unprovoked appears to qualify under Texas state law as an act qualifying a dangerous dog designation -- this being the dog's first unprovoked aggressive act, not multiple victims later. How different would Lorrie and Thomas' life be today if Tank had been given a dangerous dog designation in 2010?10
822.041. Definitions
(2) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that:
(A) makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own; or
(B) commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person.
We predict that Montgomery County will log many pit bull maulings in the future qualifying as "Severe Attack" and "Attack Resulting in Death." As noted in our March report, Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013, Montgomery is the third leading county in the State of Texas for fatal dog attacks, and whose crime-related newspaper, Montgomery County Police Reporter, runs articles like, "Montgomery County recorded yet another Pit Bull attack."
Just a few days before this article, a pit bull killed a 4-year old boy in Montgomery County.
WILLIS — Early Tuesday afternoon, Montgomery County recorded yet another Pit Bull attack. This one occurred in the 100 block of Straughter at Rogers Road. Willis Police responded along with Montgomery County Hospital District. They arrived to find an 18-month-old male, bitten in the face, neck, and side. His mother was also bitten and scratched, but not severely.
MCHD transported both to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The boy remains in critical condition as of this writing, but is expected to recover.11 - Montgomery County Police Reporter
Rejection after Rejection by Attorneys
Lorrie and Thomas knew right away that pursing the dog owner was unfeasible. Why couldn't they pursue Park on the Lake? They turned to attorneys to find out. The answers given to them were not to their liking. Nine months after the mauling, four attorneys have rejected their case so far. Pursuing a landlord or landowner in the State of Texas is viable, but is further complicated when the attack occurs in a private RV park. Among other legal issues, there is a two-part test:
A landlord or landowner in this state can be held liable for failing to rid premises of a known dangerous dog ... The Baker court set forth a two-part test: "(1) the injury must have occurred in a common area under the control of the landlord; and (2) the landlord must have had actual or imputed knowledge of the particular dog's vicious propensities." - Dogbitelaw.com
The frustration of abandonment by the attorneys is best summed up by Thomas who wrote in an email to DogsBite.org: "What I don't understand is why almost every park restricts dangerous dogs for fear of liability, and this park and attorneys are trying to claim there is no liability." This is an honest question that we do not have enough legal background to answer, except that in a nutshell, their case is difficult to pursue, particularly given that Denise was uninsured (judgment proof).
What arises over and over again in the case of Lorrie and Thomas is that they are simply Shit Out of Luck. Between the lack of a better paper trail on Tank to the rental living arrangements of Denise at the time -- no trailer insurance required at Park on the Lake -- and a legal system that can't function without both, victims of serious dog maulings are thrust into a nearly impossible situation. Obtaining compensation for medical bills under this scenario is at best grim.
Even when riding inside a speeding ambulance and a paramedic confesses to your partner, "I have never seen a bite as bad as hers," as was the case with Lorrie, there may be no means to recover compensation. Due to mandatory insurance for road vehicles and homes under financing, this is usually untrue in those scenarios. Your best bet is to understand the conditions that caused this terrible outcome for Lorrie and Thomas and avoid placing yourself in a similar situation.
How many readers have ever considered the risk of encountering a dangerous dog at a private RV park or campground area? Lorrie and Thomas hope you consider it now.
Crime Victims' Compensation Program
Still, not all hope was lost for the couple. The equine center's husband is a former Harris County sheriff. He recommended that Lorrie apply to the Texas Crime Victims' Compensation program. Many states have a similar program for victims of violent crimes, though qualifying and procedural operations may differ widely. The Texas program denied Lorrie's application. The violent pit bull mauling that could have led to the amputation of her whole left leg was not considered a crime.
DogsBite.org contacted the victims' program to learn more. "In what scenario would Lorrie have qualified?" we asked. Generally, qualifying applicants are determined on a case-by-case basis, we were told. Yet, if the dog owner had been issued a criminal citation, for instance, an at large citation,12 Lorrie's application might have been approved. The victims' compensation program is looking for "criminal conduct." This does not always require a criminal citation, but it helps.
Tank was not running at large during the attack. Some, however, could argue the dog was, tethered to a 20-25 foot rope in a cramped RV park.
Tank's perilous tethering, which reached into three RV lots, two belonging to other campers, should have been a violation of a local, county or state tethering law13 and certainly in violation of park rules. Yet, the private RV park had no known tethering rules. No citation was given. Denise was also current on her dog's vaccinations, again, no citation. Tank was guilty of previous bites, but there is no application of the state felony dog attack law, Lillian's Law, because?14
The law only applies to a loose dog, or a "dangerous dog" that is not confined.
After the November 12th mauling, the dangerous dog designation did kick in. Denise immediately put Tank down. She did not have an interest in complying with the designation, which would have mandated $100,000 in liability insurance, special containment rules and more. IF Tank had been designated a dangerous dog before it attacked Lorrie (and still attacked) and Denise failed to comply with these restrictions, these failures could have resulted in serious criminal citations.
Again, the victim's compensation program is looking for "criminal conduct." Did the conduct of that person pose substantial injury? Denise knew that Tank was a repeat biter. It was dangerous for her to tether Tank to a 20 to 25 foot rope in an RV park setting, but the program did not believe this to be criminal conduct. If "unattended" tethered Tank had attacked a neighboring child standing in the easement area while the adults were inside Denise's trailer, would that have qualified?
Possibly yes? 1.) The dog would have been unattended and 2.) The child was not a friend or guest of Denise like Lorrie and Thomas were.
By talking to the victims' program, we also learned that there is a 3-year statute of limitations and an appeals process. However, when we notified Thomas about this, he said they only had a 30-day window to appeal (See: appeals process). They declined to appeal because they found an attorney who dumped the case 4-months later, as did two other attorneys after a few months and one who wouldn't take the case at all. Thomas said the whole thing was "sort of a trick."
The victim's program is considered the "payor of last resort," according to their application. Lorrie's Medicare insurance had maxed out. The dog owner was uninsured. But Lorrie did not meet the most basic eligibility requirement: "Victims of violent crime who suffer physical or mental harm as a direct result of the crime." In Lorrie's case, and umpteen other damaging dog maulings, assault or aggravated assault by a pit bull is not equivalent to assault by a "person."15
Who is the payor of last resort?
• All other available third party resources (for example, Medicare, Medicaid, personal health insurance, workers' compensation and settlements) must meet their legal obligations to pay crime-related expenses.
• The Crime Victims' Compensation Program must be notified before a civil lawsuit is filed in relation to the crime, if restitution is ordered by the criminal court, or if any party receives the proceeds of a settlement.
• CVC is considered the payor of last resort.
Bungled Dog Bite Investigation?
Was the investigation of Lorrie's biting incident "bungled" as the couple suspects, or was it a typical dog bite investigation? Thomas said there were three agencies involved in Lorrie's case: Willis Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and MCAC. He said that he had great difficulty trying to reach all three to learn more about reports that might have been written about her case. It turns out there were none, except for the basic bite report by MCAC.
Thomas said it took at least 30-days to obtain this report from MCAC, which often comes as a shock to dog bite victims, but isn't an uncommon time frame. More disturbing to Thomas is that he was never interviewed or called by the other responding agencies. "They were on the scene as Lorrie was being hoisted into the ambulance," he said. "So what happened?" He also asked DogsBite.org, "Why after leaving multiple messages at the agencies did no one return my calls?"
While we cannot respond on behalf of those agencies, we hear the same questions from many dog bite victims. We believe the answer is stated on the first page of Lorrie's bite report. "Synopsis: Victim was visiting owner, she walked past the bite case dog where it was tied and it bit." How would the synopsis have been written had an assailant pulverized Lorrie's leg by beating her with a steel baseball bat? Injuries suffered by dog bite victims are routinely minimized.
We have a suggestion for how Lorrie's bite synopsis should have been written:
The dog latched onto the victim then re-attacked the victim and re-attacked the victim causing massive injuries to her left thigh.
"The dog bit" scenario would be natural prior to the early 1980s, before pit bulls began pouring into the public in record numbers (See: leakage period) causing an explosion of injuries leaving victims "unrecognizable as a human being," and by 1986, described as a canine that attacks "like a shark." Since 1986, pit bulls have brutally mauled to death 275 Americans. But still, nearly 30-years later, the MCAC bite report merely describes the repeated assault upon Lorrie as "it bit."
As indicated by MCAC, new guidelines have been established for tracking dog bite injury severity level. This is a step in the right direction, particularly for a county well rehearsed in serious and fatal pit bull maulings and a long history of dogfighting, fighting dog breeding and related crimes. Another step in the right direction would be to review San Antonio's program rolled out in 2012, billed as "one of the most proactive approaches in the state to support dog bite victims."16
No Crime = No Investigation
With criminal conduct absent in this case, at least according to Texas laws, there was no basis for Willis Police or Montgomery County Sheriff's Department to investigate. This is true regarding the victims' compensation program as well. Lorrie and Thomas do not understand this, nor does any dog mauling victim. Lorrie asked us, "So, Denise can go out and do the same thing again? Isn't that a crime?" The answer to her first question is Yes. The answer to her second question is No.
The "vicious dog loop" is particularly ghastly in One Free Bite states like Texas.
Yes, Denise can obtain a new pit bull. That dog can attack once (no liability due to One Free Bite rule).17 That dog can attack again, now the owner is liable, but who cares if she has no insurance or assets? Then she puts the dog down to avoid the dangerous dog designation. Then the loop can play again and again. If one of the secondary attacks by the same dog is serious and occurs off the dog owner's property, Denise "might" be charged under the state felony dog attack law.
Most people can't imagine the "vicious dog loop" could be true.18 Most people also can't imagine being abandoned by a legal and law enforcement system the way Lorrie and Thomas were. This, however, is the way it is in Texas. Lorrie's mauling did fall into the gray area of occurring on private RV park property with quasi-residential property borders by a tethered dog. Yet, the result could have been the same had the attack occurred on the property of a home Denise was renting.
An uninsured dog owner is an uninsured dog owner wherever he or she goes.
"Tolerance" Comes with at a Risk
Like many dog bite scenarios, Lorrie was attacked while visiting a friend's home. Both Lorrie and Thomas were untrusting of Tank, but did not believe that his previous behavior was foretelling of a relentless, sustained pit bull mauling. Nor were they aware that by entering onto the dog owner's property, they would give up all mechanisms to receive compensation for the serious injuries inflicted by the animal. What average person would know this? It's buried in dog bite laws.
DogsBite.org has never spoken to any victims who had knowledge of civil or criminal liability of a dog mauling prior to being attacked.
For some, a lingering question might be: "Why, knowing about Tank, would the couple do this woman a favor by going to her home (trailer in this case) to check her electrical system?" See how Denise just walked away? Not even bothering to apologize? Lorrie and Thomas are caring people. It never occurred to them that being "nice" and "tolerant" to a friend with a risky dog could end this extremely, Lorrie in fear of losing her whole left leg and Denise able to walk away scot-free.
Lorrie and Thomas represent the majority of Americans who are charitable to friends who own hazardous dogs. Their friendship comes first instead of their own personal health and safety. The primary reason why is because they do not even know they have made this choice. This information is hidden from the public eye. The forced recognition comes only after a brutal attack and trip to the ER on a gurney, complete with hanging IV bags and the smell of a sterilized room.
DogsBite.org cautions that you need to protect yourself and your family first. There are systems in place for this.
There is no perfection in animal control agencies, but due to state rabies control and quarantining laws (in every state), all dog bites should be reported and are taken seriously for this reason. Being "understanding" with owners of high-risk dogs, as Lorrie's account shows, ended in a severe mauling and the total abandonment by the legal and law enforcement system in Texas. This, of course, was coupled by being a "visiting guest" on an uninsured renter's property.
These are extremely painful lessons to learn in hindsight, especially after the infliction of terrible injuries and shelling out thousands in medical bills. On top of this, Lorrie and Thomas had no insight that Denise is a "dime a dozen" when it comes to reckless owners of dangerous dog breeds: multiple bites, dangerous tethering (and other idiotic restraint practices) and naturally no insurance. Nor did they know that many of them ride the "vicious dog loop" over and over again.
Reforming Texas State Law
On a state level, Lorrie and Thomas would like to see the adoption of mandatory insurance for owners of known dangerous dog breeds. If by doing this the right way -- only targeting well established dangerous dog breeds -- causes an all out war by the well-funded dangerous dog breed lobby, the couple would also be satisfied by applying the law to all dog breeds. That way, the owners of ankle biters can help pay for dog mauling injuries that are likened to "shark attacks."
The couple also believes that "Dog Friendly" private RV parks should require:
Proof of insurance on the motorized or towable RV.
Special restrictions or the prohibition of known dangerous dog breeds.
Clear tethering guidelines, including the maximum length of the tether.
Security or staff that enforces these rules.
Security or staff trained in emergency response procedures.19
Lorrie and Thomas' Checklist When Visiting "Dog Friendly" Private RV Parks
Check to see if proof of insurance and registration on the motorized or towable RV is required upon checking in. If not, reconsider your stay.
Check to see if there are restrictions, such as, "only small dogs allowed" or breed-specific restrictions, such as, no pit bulls or rottweilers.20 If the dog or pet friendly private RV park has neither condition, reconsider your stay.
Check to see if there are tethering guidelines, including the maximum length of the tether and how long of period the animal can be tied up. If there are no written tethering guidelines, reconsider your stay.
If you find yourself driving on FM 830 on the outskirts of Willis, Texas21 in either direction, do not stop and exit your vehicle AT ALL. As Thomas commented to DogsBite.org, "Expect to be treated worse than a dog."22
Park on the Lake RV Park in Willis, Texas
In addition to hoping that Lorrie's attack saved the life of a child -- Tank was euthanized after Lorrie's attack -- the couple truly hoped that Park on the Lake would alter their park policies after the mauling to better protect the safety of their residents and guests. DogsBite.org wrote to the company on August 23rd asking two simple questions, but did not receive a response as of pre-press time, August 28th. Surely, our questions could have been easy enough to respond to:
What are Park on the Lake's current park rules concerning dogs?
Has there been a policy change since the November 12th, 2012 attack that seriously injured Lorrie?
So we headed to the park's website.23 Given that "dog run" is still listed as a park amenity, we presume the "all dog breed" policy is still in place. Notably absent from the park's website are the words "pet" and "pet friendly" and "dog friendly." Instead, Park on the Lake advertises the park as the "friendliest place to park" and a "family-friendly RV park." DogsBite.org looked through at least a hundred photos on their website and Facebook page, not a single one showed a dog.
Thomas believes this is deceptive advertising, "Is it a family-friendly park or a dog-friendly park?" he asked.
Tank was the farthest thing from "family-friendly" imaginable. Again, if we are to believe Denise's story, that park management was told that her dog had bitten her neighbor, any responsible park manager would have kicked the dog out then. Whatever may be the case, Lorrie paid the price. While Tank is no longer a threat to park residents, any current or arriving pit bulls and rottweilers are, especially if tied to a long rope in a packed environment described as, "sardines in a can."
Below is a collection of Park on the Lake RV Park reviews from various websites.
Park On The Lake
12351 FM 830 Road
Willis, TX 77318
Mar 2013, RV Park Reviews - We left after several hours. It is a place for permanent housing in very old RV's. Dirt road, very crowded and overall unsightly. We camped here in a Motorhome. - Anonymous
Mar 2013, Google Reviews - …There are A LOT of full-timers in the park and lot of campers that are parked full time with no apparent tenants. Some have porches in need of repair and lots of extra STUFF stacked around and under trailers … We moved after 4 nights ... could not take the dirt tracking in another day! Will not be going back! - Jacquelyn Carter
Sep 2012, SuperPages.com - The worst rv park I have ever been too. Very dangerous place. People drive thru at speeds up to and over 40 mph. Posted speed is 5 mph. We sent numerous complaints to office and they where never addressed. Many drunks stumbling around...loud music all hrs day/night. No security... its not an rv park, rather a trailer park....STAY AWAY...there will be law suits soon against that getto of a campground. - Anonymous
Jan 2011, RV Park Reviews - Disappointed after seeing website. Sites are small. Mostly permanent residents with cluttered sites. Camp bathrooms have no paper products or light bulbs.They should board them shut if they aren't going to clean them and make them of use. Seems more like a trailer park than campground as campers don't go walking and visiting like in most campgrounds. We camped here in a Motorhome. - Anonymous
Date Unknown, Doggies Welcome - this park is not what it appears to be. they have no working security (although they will tell you they do). i have witnessed numerous assults in the park from campers on other campers. they claim to have working internet, but you get kicked off every 3-5 mins..the staff are rude and disrespectful of campers wishes. i will never return and i advise any one and everyone to stay away... - maps.google.com
Date Unknown, Camping.About.com - Drive on past this place! Most of the park dwellers live there full time. I had a neighbor who party right outside my window to late hours of the night. Dogs running wide. Turned water off twice. Promised internet service and had none. I paid for a full month and stayed only two weeks. Management very, very rude and refused to pay remaining two weeks. Then after I left they made a fraudulent charge on my credit card and I had to report it to the police. Drive on past this trashy place. - Park on the Lake, Willis, Texas, Member jo12345678
Sep 2009, RV Park Reviews - It appears as if most of the guests were semi-permanent so most of the sites were cluttered. The sites were small, crowded, and I would not stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Sep 2008, SuperPages.com - … Dusty roads and the sites are too close together. We felt like sardines in a can. We could hear the neighbor's TV and their cabinet doors slamming. - guest82352
Definitions - Private RV Parks, The Basics
Types of RV parks and language basics.
Affiliated private RV parks are known as the nicest parks and can require a membership. Such parks may require proof of vehicle registration and insurance when checking in. Security is often provided with actual security cars that drive the grounds. The average stay is 2-days to 2-weeks. Some private RV parks (affiliated or not) allow for "semi-permanent" or seasonal residents, an average stay of 1-2 months. Overnight stayers in seasonal parks are often called "transient."
A "slum park" is equivalent to a "trailer park" and can allow for the indefinite stay of tenants (aka "full-timers"), slowly turning the park into a slum. Such parks may also have semi-permanent and transient residents. Some private RV parks allow for dogs, others do not. Some "dog friendly" private RV parks also have breed or size restrictions. In this specific case, the owner of the pit bull lived in an "all dog breed friendly" private RV park that allows for the indefinite stay of tenants.
Motorized and towable RV insurance basics.
Motorized RVs, like all automobiles on the road, require insurance. Towable RVs that are under a financing plan also require insurance. If a towable RV is fully paid for, insurance is optional for the owner. Towable RV insurance is often attached to the towing vehicle's insurance policy and might also be included in a homeowner's umbrella policy. More or less, this is true across all 50 states.24 In this specific case, the towable RV trailer owned by the dog owner was not insured.
State and national campgrounds / RV parks.
Though not part of this specific case, public campgrounds, such as state and national parks and recreational facilities that have RV hook ups, often 1.) Do not have breed restrictions, 2.) Do not require vehicle registration and insurance and 3.) Are limited to a 2-week stay. These parks usually have Rangers, law enforcement officers trained in emergency medical response, public safety and education. These often wide-ranging parks also have extensive park rules.25
Contents of this post were gathered through direct phone calls and emails with Lorrie and Thomas and several Texas agencies over a 12-week period. DogsBite.org honors Lorrie and Thomas for their perseverance and compassion to help others from sharing their same fate.
1In 2012, Veterans Day was observed on Monday, November 12.
2Lorrie and Thomas said that Denise no longer resides at the RV park.
3The dog was knocked unconscious.
4Fourteen days after the attack, Denise posted a disturbing meme on her Facebook page, shared from "I love pit bulls."
5Individuals followed by bites: Lorrie (3), Thomas (2), Denise's granddaughter (1), two female friends of Denise (2), RV park male (1) and RV Park female (1).
6Willis, Texas § 90.040 (E) Any person having knowledge of an animal bite to a human will report the incident to the Animal Control Officer, Code Enforcement Officer, a city police officer, or the City Health Authority Director as soon as possible after the incident.
Montgomery County, Texas SECTION VI. When a dog or cat that has bitten a human has been identified, the owner or custodian shall place the animal in quarantine, as required by the Rabies Control Act of 1981, § 826.042 TX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE, and the rules of the Texas Board of Health, and amendments thereto.
7Denise resided in a cottage with a fenced yard at the equine center, which at least limited the dog. It was obscenely reckless of her to take that dog to an RV park setting, which prohibits fence installation. Park on the Lake also specifically prohibits installing, "any pet carriers or cages or houses around your campsite." After the November mauling, Thomas obtained a copy of the park's rules.
8That's all Lorrie and Thomas know, what Denise told them. The couple never spoke directly with her neighbor.
9Both DogsBite.org and Thomas are still stumped about this and how Denise was related to Park on the Lake in 2010. Recall, she provided MCAC the address right down to the lot number where the mauling occurred 2.5 years later. Thomas believes that prior to moving into the cottage on the equine center in December 2009 (staying through early October 2012), Denise lived in a rented trailer next to the center. Prior to that, she lived in a house down the street from the center on Longmire Road. Prior to that, she lived in different RV park where she met Lorrie and Thomas.
10The 2010 bite report basically consists of a single sentence and no injury severity. So yes, this is speculation on our part on whether or not this attack might have led to a dangerous dog designation. However, towards the end of writing this post (Aug 22), we learned from Thomas that after the 2010 incident, Denise sent Tank to Louisiana to live with her son. Shipping a dog across state lines to live with a relative is yet another sign the 2010 incident was serious. Owners of dangerous biting dogs commonly take these same measures. By the time Lorrie and Thomas begin staying at the center in April 2011, Tank is back.
11Not even the Montgomery County Police Reporter reported Lorrie's attack.
12An at large dog citation is a criminal offense in Texas (Sec. 826.034), but it was not the example provided as a "hypothetical" by the program. The provided example was a criminal citation for "owning a dangerous dog." In Texas, this citation (usually) has two requirements: 1.) The dog attacked previously and was given the legal designation of a dangerous dog and 2.) the dog attacked AGAIN. This is not true in other states. Many jurisdictions in the U.S. will cite an owner for "owning a dangerous dog" after the dog's first attack.
13Texas has a statewide tethering law (821.077), which also has an exclusion for "camping and recreational" areas:
Sec. 821.078. EXCEPTIONS. Section 821.077 does not apply to:
(2) a dog restrained in compliance with the requirements of a camping or recreational area as defined by a federal, state, or local authority or jurisdiction.
How would this apply to a private RV park, or would it at all? Chasing an ever-moving shadow, we contacted Montgomery County to see if we could learn more. The woman on the phone thought that a tethering law was a "leash law." When we pointed out these are two separate things, she forwarded the call to animal control. At that point we hung up, as animal control only offers a recorded message.
14You are Shit Out of Luck when a dog tethered to a 20 to 25 foot rope in a private RV park mauls you in an easement area, the strip between two lots and accessed by both parties.
15In the January fatal pit bull mauling of the Montgomery County boy, there was no crime either. The boy climbed over a fence into his neighbor's yard and was brutally attacked by a chained pit bull. It's perfectly okay for Texas dog owners to have "killing machines" in their yards, just as long as the animal does the mauling, maiming and killing on the dog owner's property.
16Such programs often emerge as the result of public outcry after too many serious and fatal dog maulings, which was the case in San Antonio. Montgomery County is well on their way to the same scenario. There is no need to wait for the deaths and injuries to keep piling up.
17Technically, one only has to prove the owner knew or should have known of the dog's vicious propensities. The One Free Bite term arose from the legal community because a documented previous bite is the easiest way to achieve this.
18To our knowledge, the loop occurs in all 50 states. In strict liability states, at least the first mauling is not free, contracting the loop. Though knowledge about "repeat offenders" is quite well understood in law enforcement, it is rarely applied to owners of dangerous dogs.
19After Lorrie was attacked, she said one of the RV park managers ran over to help. While she was down on the ground he blurted out something like, "You'll be okay! We'll run a marathon after this!" At this point, she was in shock, so his statement was that much more "surreal."
20Sunset Shores on Lake Conroe has a classic description in its park rules, "Pets must not have an aggressive nature or be of a breed generally considered aggressive by the public."
21Don't forget that the City of Willis is where the 2012 Spindletop pit bull rescue bust when down. Willis was also home to William David Townsend Jr., involved in drug-trafficking and fighting pit bulls and suspected in the 2006 murder of Thomas Weigner Jr. who ran a multimillion dollar pit bull breeding operation in Liberty County. Willis only has a population of about 6,000 people!
22We recommend driving through the entire East Texas region without stopping given its long known dogfighting history and its subsequent production of explosive maulers.
23We do not know the details of "under new management" that is shown on the park's website. We do know, according to Park on the Lake's Facebook page, that the new website was announced on November 1, 2012. Lorrie was attacked 11-days later, so presumably the "new management" was in place at the time she was attacked.
24According to our conversation with a GEICO RV insurance agent. She was very helpful.
25Rangers can issue and enforce citations. In Texas, state park Rangers have the discretion to determine if a pet is dangerous or poses a hazard. Section 59.134 (c)(2) "It is an offense for any person to" … (G) possess a noisy, vicious, or dangerous pet, or a pet which creates a disturbance to or hazard within a state park."
03/20/13: Report: Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013
01/20/13: 2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Chained Pit Bull Kills Montgomery County Boy
02/20/12: What Happens When A Victim Does Not Report a Dog Bite?
05/21/11: Texas Doctors Produce Study: Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs
09/19/10: Dog Attacks, Trends and Dog Law Coverage of Texas
Photos: Provided by Lorrie and Thomas | See: Full press release
This entry was posted in Dog Bite Law & Lawsuits, Special Reports, Survivors of Vicious Dog Attacks and tagged Broken System, East Texas, Lillian's Law, Medicare, Montgomery County, Park on the Lake, Private RV Park, Texas, Vicious Dog Loop by Colleen Lynn. Bookmark the permalink. Report a Broken Link
15 thoughts on "East Texas Woman Severely Mauled by Pit Bull at 'Dog Friendly' Private RV Park"
Jaloney on August 29, 2013 at 6:12 am said:
What a horrible thing to happen in a public park. These attacks in campgrounds are on the rise, and campground owners are not doing enough to insure that pitbulls and other dangerous dogs are kept out. I went to two campgrounds last summer that assured me that they did not let these dogs in, and then I saw them on the premises after I checked in. Just another horrible loophole. This sure doesn't promote tourism.
I went to different campgrounds last summer and asked about pitbulls on the premises. The management assured me that they don't allow them.. then after I check in.. I saw the dogs on the premises. This is a horrible thing to have to worry about when you are supposed to be kicking back and enjoying nature. I hope this woman can recover some damages somehow, and the campground legal loopholes can be tightened up. Shame on the Texas Media for not reporting this story.
vintage on August 29, 2013 at 10:12 am said:
Hard to believe that a doctor at Houston's Memorial Hermann would be shaken by a mauling victim. MH gets so many pit trauma cases that the Military should be training deploying Corspman and Medics there.
It's sickening!
snack sized dog on August 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm said:
This is horrifying in so many ways. This place advertises itself as a vacation spot for people with campers – anyone could happen by and be subjected to this – and the same could happen at many campgrounds.
I don't understand why she WASNT transferred to another hospital once stabilized – seeing her wounds after she had evidently been released is horrific.
You cannot "be charitable" or forgiving or tolerant of people with dangerous dogs. You do not know if they're insured and you do know they have no obligation to be responsible for their choices.
I hope Lorrie heals well. They were very persistent in trying to get remedy, but got nowhere. And all because someone chose to keep a kind of animal they don't need and has been bred to inflict sharklike wounds on people.
The the laws – or absence of them – show this. Before pit bulls leaked into the general public, there were virtually no vicious and dangerous dog definitions – there was no need for different categories of bite trauma – because normal dogs generally produce punctures and tears and rarely killed or maimed. Now pit bulls are dismembering people and there is nothing in the legal code to reflect that danger.
And just wow – "21Don't forget that the City of Willis is where the 2012 Spindletop pit bull rescue bust when down. Willis was also home to William David Townsend Jr., involved in drug-trafficking and fighting pit bulls and suspected in the 2006 murder of Thomas Weigner Jr. who ran a multi-million dollar pit bull breeding operation in Liberty County. Willis only has a population of about 6,000 people!"
Lorrie and Thomas are right – just don't get out of your car anywhere near there. Shows you what a healthy dogfighting culture and the world's largest pit bull "rescue" can do to a place.
Thanks for telling their story. There are so many stories to tell.
Don Bauermeister on August 29, 2013 at 6:31 pm said:
The owner of this dog is a puke.
How many bites until you realize the dog needs to be put down.
Get some common sense lady! This should have never happened.
The the Texas Legislature, do your job! Like President Ronald Reagan said, "Government exists to protect us from each other… Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
Texas is a crying shame.
Peace be with these victims and the many more who have similar stories across this country and around the world.
vintage on August 30, 2013 at 8:00 am said:
We have a Pit Bull Problem Houston!
March 2013, Baytown, TX; 12 year old girl flown to Houston's Memorial Hermann (Again!!) after going over to pit mix owning friend's house.
Jan 2013, Montgomery County, TX; 4 year old Christian Germanous becomes Texas' 44th pit bull DBRF victim. Mauled by neighbor's pit bull, life flighted and later dies at the hospital DBRF!
July 2012, Cold Spring, TX; Man airlifted to Memorial Herman Hospital in Houston after pit bull attack. The woman he was walking with was merely transported by ambulance.
Sep 2011, Harris County, TX; Newborn boy used as a chew toy by the "family" Pit-lab mix. Airlifted to local hospital where he doesn't survive DBRF!
July 2011, Harris County, TX; 10 year old boy pulled off his bike by neighbor's containment breaking pit bulls. "The boy was mauled on his upper torso and lower legs," Gilliland wrote. "He was Life Flighted from the area and is in good condition."
Aug 2010, Houston, TX; Middle aged woman savaged by three loose pit bulls. Life flighted to hospital
Nov 2009, Houston, TX; Pit Bull mauls it's owner. The woman is airlifted to Memorial Hermann after being rescued by her neighbor
Nov 2008, Willis, TX; 8 year old boy life flighted to Memorial Herman Hospital after being pulled off his bike and mauled by his neighbor's pit bulls. Family sets up medical fund to pay for the medical expenses
Nov 2006, Harris County TX; 4 year old Pedro Rios is mauled by neighbor's loose pit bull. Flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston where he dies
Oct 2005, Harris County, TX; 4 year old boy mauled by two loose pit bulls while walking with his mother to bus stop. Passerby's rescue and police respond and shoot the animals. Life flighted to Memorial Herman Hospital
April 2004, Houston, TX; 12 year old boy pulled off his bike and mauled by fence jumping pit bull belonging to his neighbor. Airlifted to Memorial Hermann
Casie on August 30, 2013 at 5:04 pm said:
Not only is this terrifying…but that there is no recourse for this poor woman is unimaginable. I would expect that of a third world country but not the United States. Things must change!
Jeff Deejay Bogart on August 30, 2013 at 12:15 pm said:
It just goes to show you that you can't even be friends with people that own pit bulls. Not even an "I'm sorry" that my landshark almost tore your leg off.
It reminds me of the "stop BSL" people standing up at the Watertown, WI city counsel meeting last week. "Its not fair" that I have to have a $100,000 liability insurance policy because I own an unpredictable and dangerous fighting breed. After all, they are "just like any other dog"
After Dax was killed, the first thing I do when meeting someone for the first time is find out what kind of dog they have. If its a pit bull, I walk away and never speak to them again. I know its prejudice but I don't care.
I've heard this before and it is true. "By the time someone finds DogsBite.org, it's already too late"
Max Gold on September 1, 2013 at 2:01 am said:
I relate strongly to this story, although I am from Australia, I was invited to a private property to perform a quote for my lawn maintenance business. I was only at the property for a minute before two large pitbulls set upon me and attacked. I suffered a serious leg injury and spent a week in hospital and for 6 months I was unable to walk and a host of other complications. I was granted no victim of crimes compensation, as no crime was considered to have occurred. After 4 years, next month I finally get to see a judge and a courtroom regarding civil liability. To this day I have had to pay for everything myself. I had to sell my business, had to sell specialist equipment, the losses go on and on. I lost complete faith in our system and see it as a disgrace. To think that this is tolerated in a civilized society is beyond imagination. I will NEVER be the same again, and not just physically. I hope that good fortune shines on this couple somewhere along the way.
Your Quiet Neighbor on September 2, 2013 at 12:23 am said:
If something bills itself as "dog friendly," I stay the hell away from it. All too often, "dog friendly" means that the dogs count for everything and humans matter not at all. This Texas case is yet another example.
Melinda Crow on October 19, 2013 at 5:28 pm said:
I am the owner of an RV park with a no-dog policy that was put in place following a dog attack that killed one miniature horse and mauled another. It is absolutely incredible how people react to our policy. We have been verbally abused and have had bad reviews written about our place by people who we turned away because they had dogs.
We have discovered just how hard it is to stand up to people who are clueless, both to the harm dogs can inflict and to the liability issues they pose.
Thank you for a detailed look at this story.
w smith on March 17, 2014 at 11:28 pm said:
I kind of feel sick to my stomach now because we visited an RV park in Concan, Tx. Directly across from Garner State Park and I remember now a pit mix tethered so closely to the path all the children used to get to the river…I remember now as we walked our small breed yappers down that path seeing that baby killer going nuts…I know I shook my head in disgust at it being there around children but now know after all the stories and videos I have seen about the danger of these killers attacking other animals that what we consider routine walks could have ended in tradgedy for our small breeds and us as well..Im not that carefree anymore…just got back from that area and every potty break we took going and coming I was on the lookout…luckily I only saw one that I was aware of and immediately I ordered the puppers into the car…how do I tell my family in the event of one of these attacks on our smaller breeds to not intervene due to the risk of them being attacked as well…how do I tell them to let one of our small breed family member pets be the sacrificial lamb due to the pit bull machine out of control??
Unknown on October 3, 2014 at 3:29 pm said:
I had a girlfriend who rescued cats and old pit bulls. she kept 6 pit bulls and 21 cats in her house. Yes, she was sick in the head, but thats off the topic. I have 3 very small dogs (2 chihuahuas and a mini-pincer). Knowing that pit bulls are dangerous and unpredictable animals is not rocket science, so I told her to NEVER bring her dogs over to my house. One day when I came home from work, she was there and there were 3 of her pit bulls in my back yard with my little dogs. As I was telling her to round up her dogs and go home, my little chihuahua growled a bit at one of the old pit bulls and the pit bull grabbed his little head and shook him like a rag doll. After I got him away from the pit bull, I saw that he had two punctures in the top of his skull and his nose was half missing. My girl friends immediate response was, "your dog started it". I told her that who starts it is of no consequence. That it was started and your dog will always finish it, IS THE POINT and get your dogs out of here and never come back. A year later, she is still placing blame on my dog, as if a dog has a choice in how they behave. Most dogs are predictably friendly. However, the only thing predictable about a pit bull is that you never know what might set it off and if it decides to bite you, you might die. I can honestly say that if I was wearing my side-arm, I would have shot her dog until it was dead.
Travelchic on April 30, 2015 at 12:39 pm said:
I am so sorry to hear of the attack that Lorrie suffered. It shows that some pit bull owners are just plain cold, and forget that people do matter. I am also very saddened by the story about baby Dax that is posted. It sounds unimaginable, and beyond heartbreak. I am shocked at the red tape that victims have to navigate through. My sister was walking her Corgi, when a pit bull attacked her dog in a bad way, but thankfully survived.
I also had a run in with four loose pit bulls. The owner let them out of her truck, and they formed a circle around me, barking nonstop. I was in the middle of the parking lot where I rented a townhouse, with my groceries in my arms, terrified. I just screamed, "Get Back" as loud as I can. The owner then got out of the truck, and called her dogs away, but two of them were not moving. One was the really aggressive one, and she had to come over and get him. The baby pit bull showed me it wanted to play, but I could not play with him, while the aggressive Luis was ready to jump. The owner admitted he was the tough one, My pressure and adrenalin was so high, that when I went inside, I immediately suffered a nose bleed. That happened several years ago.
Now, I am fearful at my new place. On Thursday, at night around 10 pm or so, I went outside, into the hall, to get ready to put my trash out. At that moment, the apartment across the hall door opened. There was an unleashed black pitbull, lunging towards me, as a little girl is straining to hold him back. He was barking aggressively,and looked plenty mean, as if he was ready to attack. He was also snarling and showing his teeth. I was in shock, and said, What the ???, and ran back into my apartment.
This is in South Carolina. The property manager acted vague and ambiguous, when I told him what happened. There are mostly women with about six small dogs in this building. This pit bull did not seem socialized, and was viewing me as a threat, only a few feet away. I contacted the Property Owner's assistant who told me to email her, and I will send a certified Letter. It takes seconds for a Pit Bull's jaw to latch on, and not let go. I also had it documented with Animal Controlas an event. Everyone in the building is talking, and fearful, but will not do anything. I had to do something. Another tenant told me to put her name also in my letter.
I wanted to buy mace or animal repellent, but the Lowe's employee said if that dog slips out, you will not have time to defend yourself. I cannot believe the property manager would break his own rules on the lease to have dogs under 20 lbs only. The pitbull is large, and does not seem socialized. It also was seen lunging toward a smaller dog already by another neighbor. The owner strains to keep hold of him. Why should I be exposed to this unnecessary safety risk? I doubt I have many rights, but does anyone recommend a weapon (not a gun),just in case ? I do not trust the owner of this dog and the child to keep me safe, and the dog resides ONLY 5 to 6 feet across from me. I am hoping that something will be done by the Property Owner's office, but if not, what weapon options do I have to defend myself, God forbid ? The Property manager sees no threat, and completely blew me off. SO, I am hoping going above him will not prove detrimental to me.
Travelchic on May 5, 2015 at 8:46 am said:
In just two days, I spoke to two more people with pitbull incidents. One landscaping guy was bit by pitbulls. Another woman had to use her baton into a pit bulls mouth at the dog park to release the smaller dog he was biting.
While most of my neighbors wanted the pitbull out of our quiet community, one of my neighbors embarassed and mocked me in front of two other neighbors by saying, "So what are you afraid of dogs ?" I told her, Listen, honey, I am not afraid of dogs. I owned dobermans and a chow. I came close to attack by pit bulls. Just that breed. I am concerned about the Pitbull's reaction to me, when the little girl opened her door and he saw me. The neighbor says, "Yes, everyone knows they are going to defend their territory, and consider you a threat." Exactly my point, and I do not wish to be considered the threat, and sacrifice my life or limb. She was so rude, like a cold sociopath mocking my desire to stay safe. After reading the stories on Dogsbite.org, I took this event more seriously, and I cried after the stories of deaths to babies. Later that day, another neighbor told me the "Pit" is leaving on Friday. Yeah, that means my email worked, and when I see that, it will be a victory for me and the building, and the small breeds in here ! Thanks to Dogsbite.org for giving me the resolve and the statistics to inform my property owner. It seems like a gamble, to see "what if" something happened to a smaller dog or human here. I have no regrets for being passionate and determined to safeguard myself and others. My heart goes out, and I am so Sorry to those who have experienced so much loss to the most lethal of the dog breeds. May the victims rest in peace. the families can never forget.


Discussion in 'News & Rumours' started by CrashCoaster, Nov 12, 2018.
So since today is the first day of IAAPA 2018, I thought I'd make this years edition of the topic, so we can keep all things IAAPA 2018 in this thread. Should be an awesome time as always!
We have @Ian, @ECG and @Snoo on the ground this year covering it for us live! Most stuff will be posted to the various SM channels first, due to the ease of doing that on the go, but we should be able to start linking stuff back here for a good 'ol forum discussion on it.
Matt N, EpochEmu, Youngster Joey and 6 others like this.
It shall be a great time! Tons of reveals and good stuff to throw out. The Social Media is definitely best but I'll be sure to post in here as much as possible.
I'm most excited to see Steel Curtain's trains being revealed.
Some interesting ones in here. Premier, S&S, Sansei, Intamin, Gravity Group and Zamperla all have press events scheduled.
Hixee, JoshC., Youngster Joey and 5 others like this.
Premier Rides should be Tigris, Skyline should be Tidal Twister.
GCI have this insane model of a duelling coaster with a steel support structure for the lifthills and first drops, and are showing off a new train design - the Infinity Flyer.
Jaiden M., Edward M, Pokemaniac and 8 others like this.
Wow, both the model and train are amazing. Love the look of them.
The trains for that are a significant improvement too.
Those trains are giving off some serious Iron Rattler vibes! They're so open and cool looking!
Whoa that GCI train has articulated wheel bogies like Timberliners. It looks awesome! Will those trains be used for all future GCI coasters or just for that coaster? They look so comfortable.
I've just realized... Maybe Gerstlauer had some involvement in the design of those trains. They are called Infinity Flyers and they look to have nearly the same restraints as Gerstlauer Infinity Lap Bars.
EthanCoaster, Pear, EpochEmu and 2 others like this.
That GCI model design won't be going anywhere I'm afraid. Its just a concept with no particular park in mind. Was lucky enough to get to watch it being built. Was quite a cool process.
In other news Zamperla have a car at their stand for a new Thunderbolt which will be heading to Mundo Petepa in Guatemala.
Kentucky Flyer front car unvealed!
Pear, Coaster Hipster, FistedColossus and 5 others like this.
I'll be completely honest... I don't like it. I don't hate it, but I don't like it.
I think it's fab. I love how goofy it looks!
tomahawk, Edward M, Youngster Joey and 6 others like this.
I must say I like the look of everything seen in this thread so far! The GCI train design and concept look like quite a departure from anything else they've currently done; the new restraints almost remind me a little of the clamshells you find on B&M hypers, but I don't know whether I'm the only one who sees that!
I also like the Kentucky Flyer train; looks really nice and colourful!
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Home Armenian Genocide Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Yunus Tuncel
Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Yunus Tuncel
Fatih Akin's Armenian Genocide Film Hits Turkish Movie Theatres
By Hambersom Aghbashian
Yunus Tuncel Raised in Turkey and was back in the US since 1981. He has a M.A. (Master of Arts) degree from The City University of New York (CUNY), Graduate School and University Center (thesis on Michel Foucault), and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at the New School University, Graduate Faculty in May 2000, with a dissertation on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. He has been teaching at The New School* since 1999. Along with foundational classes in philosophy, he teaches interdisciplinary classes on power, spectacle, crime and punishment. In addition to these topics, his research interests include agonism (the culture of competition), eroticism, the culture of the troubadours, and other areas of culture where art, literature, and philosophy intersect.(1)(2)
Yunus Tuncel, the author of "Agon in Nietzsche", teaches philosophy at the New School University. Tuncel co-founded the Nietzsche Circle and serves on the Editorial Board of its electronic journal, The Agonist. He has published essays and books on various topics, including Towards a Genealogy of Spectacle (2011, Eye Corner Press). He lives in Jersey City with his wife and daughter.(3)
According to "aghet1915.wordpress.com", Yunus Tuncel is one of the Turkish historians who have recognized the Armenian Genocide. (4)
An Anti- Armenian Genocide recognition website criticized Yunus Tuncel as one of the most prominent turncoats who "have one thing in common among themselves. They are all traitors, and betrayers of anything and everything sacred for Turkey and Turks. Unfortunately, they were all born in the bosom of the Turkish Republic. Supposedly, they went to the same type of Turkish schools, and studied under the same system of education which always tried to make its young citizens learn to love their country." (5).
Yunus Tuncel was criticized because of his recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Talia Jebejian wrote on April 25, 2001, "Approximately 140 people, primarily of Armenian and Turkish descent, gathered to participate in A Psycho-spiritual and Educational Dialogue Between People of Armenian and Turkish Descent, sponsored by the Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress and Genocide (AASSSG) and co-sponsored by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) NY Chapter, The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and Fordham University. This open dialogue was held in commemoration of the 86th Anniversary of the Ottoman Turkish Genocide of the Armenians and was met with overwhelming success. Rational and intellectual dialogue was presented and exchanged between the panelists and audience members, resulting in a positive step toward reconciliation between Turkish citizens and Armenians." She added a list of The facilitators of the program and The panelists participating in it. Yunus Tuncel, Ph.D. in Philosophy, New York City was mentioned as one of the participants.(6)
According to "www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/annualconfs/…/workshops.pd.", during the same Dialogue sessions, and a workshop titled "Transforming Terror into Healing: The Role of Psycho-spiritual and Educational Dialogue", researcher Anie Kalayjian and Yunus Tuncel related their experience in organizing a similar group of descendents of the Ottoman Turkish Genocide in Armenia. Their group brought together professionals from both sides in order to start a dialogue and foster understanding in an open community meeting. Dr. Tuncel examined the role of Turkish nationalism as a means of creating and sustaining differences among peoples. Dr. Kalayjian described her own process of forgiveness and transcendence after receiving a death threat by Turkish authorities. The presenters concluded that it was very challenging to pursue reconciliation while Turkish authorities still negated the genocide of the Armenians after 87 years.(7)
* The New School is a university in New York City, United States. From its founding in 1919 by progressive NY educators, and for most of its history, the university was known as the The New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University. The university and each of its colleges were renamed in 2005. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_School)
1- www.fiaf.org/events/…/bioyunus.pdf
2- http://www.newschool.edu/public-engagement/faculty-list/?id=87764
3-http://www.marquette.edu/mupress/Tuncel_Agon.shtml
4- http://aghet1915.wordpress.com/recognition/
5-http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/TURKISH-SCHOLARS.htm
6- www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20010425aa.html
7- www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/annualconfs/…/workshops.pd.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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We live in a golden era, musically if not politically. More than ever before, one can find with relative ease recorded music from all over the planet. Music from the Central African rainforest-dwelling Baka people? No problem! Inuit women's throat-singing? You got it, bub! But the internet is just a medium. Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the heroes who wandered the planet long before anyone who had thought up the phrase "world music," recording other people's local music and bringing it to a wider audience.
But Alan Lomax wasn't doing this just for the Western world. He says, in a 1991 interview with Charles Kuralt, that along the way he realized how empowering the recordings were for the musicians and singers.
The incredible thing is that when you could play this music back to people, it changed everything for them. They realized that their stuff and they were just as good as anybody else. Then I found out that what I was really doing and my father was really doing was giving an avenue for those people to express themselves and tell their side of the story.
In 1962 and 1967 Lomax traveled to the islands of the Caribbean. On Trinidad, he recorded a complete album of Neville "Growling Tiger"Marcano called Portraits: The Growling Tiger Of Calypso. This calypso duet with Lord Airey is from The Caribbean Collection, which apparently is out of print (though one can also find the song on The Alan Lomax Collection Sampler, along with 37 other tunes from his travels).
[mp3] Growling Tiger & Lord Airey: "War"
Lomax died in 2002, but left many writings and recordings. Google him and you'll get a wealth of info, including his own site at www.alan-lomax.com and his music published by Rounder. Happy birthday, Alan!
I didn't realize today was Lomax's birthday. I just recently discovered the work of Alan Lomax by his role in recording the music of Southern African-Americans here in America. Since I'm interested in the roots of American music, which is the subject of my blog, I've not had a chance to explore Lomax's recordings in world music although I knew they existed. This song really makes me wanna hear more of what Lomax heard back in the day.
Yeah, Lomax traveled to many places where folk/traditional music was being lost, or wasn't being preserved. From the deep South of the USA to the Caribbean to Europe. Your focus on the South reminds me of one Lomax-based album that came out in 2004, called Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed. It's Lomax recordings plus electronica mixed by the Tangle Eye collective. To my ear, some of it works, some doesn't. But it's an interesting experiment, and hopefully one that will send more people back to the music's roots!
He is one of America's great music heroes, finally getting some long overdue credit.


National President to the Ladies Auxiliary of Foreign Wars (VFW), Francisca Guilford, will be visiting Sidney, Tuesday, Aug. 18 through Thursday, Aug. 20.
Guilford is a Life Member of Gen. John R. Noyes Auxiliary #9978 in Anchorage, AK and has been since 1989, joining on the membership of her late husband who served in Vietnam. Guilford was elected National President during the 102nd National Convention on July 22, 2015. For the 2015-2016 year, Guilford will lead under the theme "Our Veterans- Now and Forever". She has served as Auxiliary and Department President, Western States Conference Chairman for the Americanism and Buddy Poppy Programs, is a Life Member of the VFW National Home for Children and Alaska Disabled Veterans Sports Program, and American Legion Auxiliary to name a few. Guilford has worked for the Anchorage School District for 27 years.
During her visit to Eastern Montana, a full itinerary is planned; she will fly into Williston, where she will be welcomed by all who wish to attend.
During her stay in Sidney, she will tour the Flags of Honor room, visit Fort Union and Fort Buford, tour the MonDak Heritage Center, and if time allows, will tour the Interpretive Center at the Yellowstone and Missouri Confluence.
National President Guilford's visit to Eastern Montana will be a memorable one and the Ladies Auxiliary of the local VFW are looking forward to her visit.


From Sunday 24th October to Sunday 31st October Events shall be open to everyone in Manchester with the aim to give cyclists skills and confidence to ride a bike as a form of transport. BUT! also to have loads of fun on bikes too.
Who in their right mind would oppose "Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely" ?
Stephanie poked her head in asking if they were ready for another one."
- Undercover worker at Huntingdon Life Sciences.
The English Defence League are holding a flash demo in Gateshead. NOW.
The Stop Nuclear network is a grassroots network of groups and individuals taking action against nuclear power and its expansion and supporting sustainable alternatives.


text:
Deep Conversations December
How This Sales Coach Found Success—And A Career Path—at the Intersection of Tech, Construction, & Sales
How Inclusion Can Help You Attract and Retain Top Talent
December 21, 2018 Motivate
Bike Share Leader Motivate Announces Transformative Agreement with Lyft to Advance the Future of Urban Transportation
Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner Motivate, and published on July 2, 2018. Go to Motivate's page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
Acquisition will put bike share systems around the country on a path toward rapid growth and innovation
Lyft to acquire Motivate technology platform and corporate functions; Motivate to maintain system-level operations and customer service
Today, Motivate announced that it has entered into a transformative agreement with Lyft. Together, Lyft and Motivate will collaborate with cities to grow and improve transportation and further Motivate's mission: to get more people riding bikes.
As part of the agreement, Lyft will acquire Motivate's technological capabilities and corporate functions. Motivate will continue to focus on its core operational and customer service offerings, prioritizing safety, rideability, and a best-in-class customer experience. Motivate will provide these services to Lyft, which will invest additional resources in technology and innovation and shape the future of bike share in partnership with cities.
Lyft announced this exciting partnership in a blog post on its website, which is included below:
Introducing Lyft Bikes
We are excited to announce that Lyft has reached a transformative agreement to acquire Motivate, the largest bikeshare operator in North America. Together Lyft and Motivate will revolutionize urban transportation and put bikeshare systems across the country on a path toward growth and innovation.
"Lyft and Motivate have both been committed for years to the same goal of reducing the need for personal car ownership by providing reliable and affordable ways to move around our cities," said John Zimmer, Lyft co-founder and president. "Bringing together Lyft and Motivate will accelerate our collaboration with cities and deliver even better experiences to our passengers and riders."
This acquisition demonstrates Lyft's commitment to a more sustainable world as part of our Green Cities Initiative, and comes on the heels of our recent carbon neutrality pledge. We will invest to establish bike offerings in our major markets and pursue growth and innovation in the markets where Motivate currently operates. We are particularly excited to work with cities on delivering innovation, including providing dockless and pedal-assist electric bikes to riders around the country, and Lyft will put resources behind the work that the Motivate team has begun.
As part of this agreement, Lyft is acquiring Motivate's technology and corporate functions, including its city contracts. Motivate's bike maintenance and servicing operations will remain a standalone business, retaining the Motivate name, and will continue to support bikeshare systems across North America.
Motivate brings a unique perspective on and expertise in operating bikeshare platforms in partnership with cities and local governments across the country. Motivate's collaborative approach with cities mirrors the way Lyft has historically worked with regulators and aligns with our strategic vision for bikeshare nationwide.
Motivate operates many of the largest bikeshare systems in North America, including Citi Bike (New York), Ford GoBike (San Francisco Bay area), Divvy (Chicago), Blue Bikes (Boston metro area), Capital Bikeshare (Washington, D.C. metro area), BIKETOWN (Portland metro area), CoGo (Columbus, Ohio), and Nice Ride (Minneapolis). In 2017, 80 percent of the bikeshare trips in the United States were on Motivate-operated systems. The demand for bikeshare and the potential to serve even more Americans with this powerful urban transportation option are clear.
"How we get around cities is changing rapidly, and the combination of Lyft and Motivate will bring tremendous new resources and energy to making sure that bikeshare plays a fundamental role in the new urban mobility," said Motivate Executive Chairman Steve Koch. "Together, we believe that integrating our services in partnership with the public sector will transform the urban transportation landscape, increase bike ridership, and make our cities better."
Bikeshare is a natural extension of Lyft's core approach to improving transportation access and building community through offerings such as shared rides and the integration of public transit in our app. These investments are making it possible to have fewer cars on the road and reduced congestion. Through Motivate's efforts, bikeshare has been a safe, reliable, and equitable addition to the transit network in many major cities. Motivate has set industry best practices around community engagement and low-income bikeshare memberships. Transportation equity and inclusion are top priorities for Lyft as we enter the bikeshare space, and we plan to dedicate even more resources to make sure that our bikeshare programs are accessible regardless of riders' income, especially in neighborhoods with limited access to public transportation.
This is an exciting moment for both Lyft and Motivate. Between us, we already serve tens of millions of riders every month, and we can't wait to combine our unique talents to support cities in their efforts to bring sustainable transportation like bikeshare and rideshare to millions more people.
working at motivate company mission motivate company mission motivate company news


Tony Tomatoes Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza - Yummy!
Delicious meatballs and more from The Meat Ball Truck Co.
So many different types of music for your enjoyment!
Wonderful music for everyone to enjoy.
Carousel rides spell fun for the kids!
A night of music at the 2015 festival.


During the last Magento meet up in Manchester hosted by Push On I was asked about and we all had a conversation about how people are handling patching of files installed via composer.
Lets re wind a little, why would we want to patch a file that lives in vendor directory? Well in Magento 2 there are some bugs, Often there is a pull request waiting in github ready to fix this problem but forking and maintaining another repo is not ideal when it comes to the underlying framework.
One of the ideas presented that works is to commit the entire vendor directory and make the changes to the file and commit to the repo. Lets analyze this for a moment. It works and on deployment the vendor directory will be pushed with changes, Yet the git repo has all the files from vendor in it. Ideally this should be excluded and composed as part of a build. Also if we run a composer update then there is a chance that unless we ping our composer versions the changes just get nuked every time. There feels like a potential for merge conflicts on changing packages and its just another area of the project that ideally we use composer to manage.
So how would we handle not committing vendor to the git repo but still patch our files? Well thankfully I faced this problem while working for Inviqa and while there we developed a package that can be found at my github repo. This works by using the composer hooks system and adds some additional configuration to the composer.json manifest file.
Here is an example of it in action. Under the extra node we define where magento root is installed and then define an array of patches to apply. What is cool here is that if you are using Magento 1 then its possible to use the SUPEE patches here as that gets detected, otherwise it will use the default git patching. So what you need to do is define some info about the patch type and title, and then a URL to where the patch can be found. This can be a full web url or a path on disk. I tend to use a patches folder and store the patches there.
The process to create a patch is just as you would patch any file with git format-patch master --stdout > some_patch.patch add this path to extra and commit it to the repo and make sure that vendor is not committed.
Any time a composer action is then ran the patcher will kick in and patch the files you specify in your patches array. This then enables each of the pipeline instances moving forward to compile the code as we would expect.
So there you have it, my summary to how I work with patches compose and Magento 2. I would really like to hear how everyone else is working with this and feedback on the patcher in general.