Boy Clings to Life After Pit-Bull Attack

Nov. 6, 2005— -- A 10-year-old boy narrowly survived a vicious pit-bull attack and is recovering at the hospital this morning.

Greg Jones, of Aurora, Colo. was attacked by three dogs on Wednesday.

Jones' 16-year-old neighbor, Jerome Millard, called the police. Jones can be heard screaming in the background.

"There's three dogs attacking this little kid," Millard told the 911 operator. "There's three pit bulls, three big dogs, attacking him. Hurry, hurry, hurry."

Several neighbors tried to beat the dogs off with sticks.

One of the pit bulls was licensed to Danielle Carson, Jones' older sister. Animal care officers believe the other two dogs also were staying at the victim's house at the time of the attack.

One of the dogs that attacked Jones was shot by police and later euthanized, and the other two have been quarantined.

In all, 12 people were killed by dogs last year. Sixty percent of the 4.7 million people attacked by dogs are children.

For instance, six people in Chicago are recovering from pit bull attacks, and a 2-year-old girl was killed by two dogs in May. A 12-year-old boy was killed a month later in San Francisco.

Denver and five other Colorado cities had already banned the dogs before Jones was attacked, and Aurora quickly followed suit.

But author and dog trainer Brian Kilcommons said that the problem is not that pit bulls, or any other dog, are naturally violent.

"It is not the breed, it is the deed," he said. "We are looking at the wrong end of the leash."

Kilcommons said most animal control departments are under funded, leash laws are often not enforced and many people do not spay, neuter or identify their dog with either tags or micro chips. These factors often play a role when a dog attacks, he said.

"[Pit bulls] were bred for dog fighting," said Kilcommons, director of training for New York City's Animal Care and Control. "They were also bred not to be aggressive with human beings."

Dogs attack when they are not socialized and remain chained up, with little to human beings, he said.

Kilcommons called for national standard for behavior that would hold all dog owners accountable. Most of the millions of dogs in America are happy, loving pets. If not, the fault usually lies with the owner, he said.