Mauling victim's mother wants ban on 3 breeds
City attorney says tough to enforce
MELISSA MANWARE
Staff Writer
The mother of an 8-year-old boy killed by four pit bulls is pushing Charlotte leaders to ban vicious dogs or at least tighten restrictions on people who own them.
Tameaka Brown wants pit bulls, Chow Chows and rottweilers banned in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and says she's already gotten more than 700 signatures from people supporting her effort.
If a ban can't happen, Brown said, city officials should make it easier to report dangerous dogs and heavily fine owners who don't properly restrain them. She expects to take her concerns to the City Council next month.
"It's horrible to lose anybody, but to know my child's death could have been prevented makes it so much worse," said Brown, whose son, Roddie Philip Dumas Jr., was mauled to death April 16 in his father's back yard. "I figured I can sit back and cry and do nothing, or I can keep crying and do something to keep this from happening to somebody else's baby."
Roddie's death was the first in Charlotte-Mecklenburg caused by dogs in at least 15 years, animal control officials believe. Nationwide, about 12 people die in dog attacks each year, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. More than 800,000 are treated annually for dog bites.
Roddie's father, whose name is also Roddie Dumas, owned the dogs that killed him. Police said he was inside the house while neighbors and a mailman tried to help the boy. He is in the Mecklenburg jail awaiting trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge in his son's death and federal drug and weapons charges that stemmed from a search of his house after the attack.
The dogs that attacked Roddie are still alive and being held by Animal Control; they cannot be euthanized until a court declares they are not needed for evidence.
Since Roddie's death, city officials have looked into the possibility of banning certain breeds. Pit bulls are banned in at least a dozen cities, primarily small or suburban communities. Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley, who studied the issue, said a ban would be nearly impossible to enforce.
"Most jurisdictions dealing with it effectively are doing what we do, which is dealing with dangerous dog behaviors. Dangerous dog regulations are easier to draft and enforce than breed-specific regulations," he said. "Dogs are not cleanly bred."
Police Capt. Tammy Williams, who heads Charlotte-Mecklenburg's Animal Control Bureau, said the county's dangerous dog ordinance is effective, but animal control officers can't do anything about aggressive dogs if they don't know where they are.
She likes Brown's idea of a phone number people can call to report aggressive dogs. That, she said, could help animal control step in before someone gets hurt.
"Her concerns are very valid," Williams said. "We need the help of the community to find these animals."
Dumas' neighbors told the Observer after the boy's death that they had been afraid of the dogs but did not report them.
Since Roddie's death, his mother has spent hours on the Internet reading stories about dog attacks, gathering statistics on breeds known to be aggressive, and researching dangerous dog ordinances in other communities.
Brown was seven months pregnant when Roddie died. Since her baby boy was born 11 weeks ago, she's met with the city's animal control officials. She's making plans to take a course on protecting herself from dog attacks. She hopes to start speaking at schools to help children learn how they can stay safe. She'd also like to form a support group for dog attack victims and families who've had a loved one mauled to death.
"I'm not stopping until something is done," she said, adding that she knows Roddie appreciates her efforts. "I can hear him saying, `Good job, Mommy.' He used to tell me that all the time."
Last year, 912 dog bites were reported in Charlotte-Mecklenburg including 74 classified as serious or severe.
Experts are divided on whether some breeds are naturally aggressive or if the dogs have to be trained that way.
Williams said a dog's temperament often depends on how it is treated. Labrador retrievers, for example, are not known for being aggressive but are among the most commonly owned dogs. They were responsible last year for more reported bites in Charlotte-Mecklenburg than any other breed.
Any animal has the potential to be aggressive, Williams said.
Brown said police told her the four pit bulls that attacked Roddie were trained to protect his father's west Charlotte house and probably didn't recognize the boy. He did not live there.
Roddie was visiting his grandmother, Brown said. Brown knew his grandmother, the elder Dumas' mother, had recently moved but she said she didn't know he or his dogs were also living there. Brown said the grandmother was at work when the dogs attacked.
Brown doesn't allow anyone else into Roddie's bedroom. She goes there to feed his fish and to feel close to him. The room is just as he left it, right down to his pillow. She can still see an imprint of where he slept.
She keeps his door locked so nobody will disturb it.
Dog Bites
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Control tracks reported dog bites by breed and severity. During fiscal year 2004, the following five breeds bit most often:
Biting Dogs Total Reported Bites Severe Bites
Labrador retriever 135 11
pit bull 103 10
German shepherd 83 5
Chow Chow 82 4
rottweiler 41 4
Memorial Fund
A memorial fund has been set up to help pay for Roddie's funeral and start The Roddie P. Dumas Jr. Foundation, which will work to educate children about dangerous dogs and to strengthen Charlotte-Mecklenburg's laws. Donations can be made to the Roddie P. Dumas Jr. Fund at any Bank of America branch.
