* one * neighbor's comment on 126 Bryant St NW

Let me post this comment from a Bloomingdale resident -- with reservation:

The residents of 126 Bryant St NW have been a major problem for the other residents of that block.

There was recently a drug bust there, which resulted in arrests.

ARREST# : 101111617
DT-TM: 22-MAR-11 - 1825
LOCATION: 126 BRYANT STREET NORTHWEST - PSA: 501
OFFENDER: FRANCIS, G
SEX: M
OFFENSE: UCSA PWID MARIJUANA
TYPE: UNDETERMINED
OFFICER: JAMES

I suggest that the person who suffered an attack by the two pit bulls that live at 126 Bryant, pursue having the police bring down the hammer on these people. Call the council members office for help and ask your ANC for help.

If you decide to file a suit to recover expenses, these charges will help bolster your case in court.

Go after the homeowner also. They have assets, the house being one of them.

Good Luck.

update to ``Dog Attack of Sunday, 8/28/2011``

Here is a follow-up to my email of last night (8/28/2011) concerning the attack by two (2) pitbulls from 126 Bryant Street, NW:

The point in mentioning the breed of the dogs was simply to give a heads-up to other residents, especially those with pets of their own. The primary attacking dog was black with some random white spots. The second pitbull was an almost equal mix of brown and white. He was party to the attack and is responsible for some wounds.

I want to reiterate something for all to understand. This was not simply a matter of the primary black pitbull biting one of the dogs I was walking repeatedly. This black pitbull clamped on with the full force of his canine teeth and WOULD NOT let go. He wanted to break the neck of and kill the dog I was walking. My only recourse, as I had 2 dog
leashes in my left hand, was to smash the black pitbull in the head with my right arm repeatedly to try to save the life of the smaller dog in my care.

Afterwards, I called the police and filed a report. Further charges are being pursued against the owner of these animals and a case is pending. I also spoke with someone at DC Animal Control today. I was told that the Department of Health makes decisions on whether animals can remain in a particular home. I plan to reach out to this department tomorrow (Tue, 8/30/2011) to find out what can be done to ensure both of these pitbulls are removed permanently from 126 Bryant Street, NW. I am an animal lover myself, having grown up with dogs. But after what happened on Sunday, I am leaning toward having these animals put down rather than risk the chance of them savagely attacking any other pets or persons.

I took off work today to see a doctor about my own injuries and to be with the healing dog. He has 11 or 12 staples as a result of the savage nature of the attack. It breaks my heart to think that if the timing had been different, perhaps none of this would have happened. He has always been a dynamic and energetic dog. Right now, he is afraid to walk beyond my friend`s house and won`t even step on the grass. Fortunately, my friend has a little bit of a backyard in which he can wander. But it took several tries before he was comfortable stepping on the grass out there.

One of my fingers was punctured from both sides. My doctor said it is infected and may get worse. I noticed another bite on my left knee after cleaning off the remaining blood. I am now on a 10-day antibiotic treatment. My right arm, directly above the wrist, suffered a broken blood vessel under the skin as a result of my efforts to stop
the attack by the black pitbull. I am a member of a competitive sports club that practices daily at 5:30 a.m. I will not be able to take part for a minimum of one to two weeks due to the swelling and bruising on my arm.

My doctor said that the chance of rabies is remote, but that I could undergo treatment if I so choose. Unfortunately, my insurance will not cover the expense, which would be upwards of $1,000.00. For now I am holding off until the outcome of the 10-day quarantine initiated for all the animals involved. I foresee a future small claims court case against the owners/residents at 126 Bryant Street, NW. And with costs mounting fast, I am hoping that my doctor is right about the chances of me getting rabies.

I appreciate all the positive feedback and suggestions on the part of so many of my neighbors here in Bloomingdale. I will keep our community up-to-date with my efforts. I liked the idea of one blogger, Sarah, who asked ``Do we need to mobilize some voices to get them to act?``; them being DC Animal Control and/or the DC Department of Health. I am hoping that my efforts and those of the owner of the dogs I was caring for will be enough for now. I do appreciate the offer and, if the situation should change, may request assistance from Sarah and others in the greater Bloomingdale area.

Thank you to everyone!!!

Bryant St NW pitbull attack; pitbulls not registered as required by DC law

See this Sunday, 08-28-2011 message from a Bloomingdale resident:

I was walking a friend`s dogs down Bryant Street, NW around noon when two (2) pitbulls coming out of # 126 attacked one of my friend`s two (2) dogs. I tried to beat the attacking pitbull off of my friend`s dog to no avail. Finally someone from that home brought a broomstick out and pressed it up against the pitbull`s neck. My friend`s dog was seriously injured and bleeding everywhere. I contacted the police and animal control.

The scary thing is that when Animal Control came they found that neither pitbull was licensed or registered as required by DC law. I was also bitten on a finger and my leg. To my shock and dismay, they did not immediately remove both animals from the premises. I spent the rest of the day at the Friendship Animal Hospital getting care for the injured dog. He had multiple puncture wounds and is lucky to be alive. I never got a chance to have my bites examined and will have to do so tomorrow. I now also will have to undertake a rabies treatment as the pitbull`s owner did not know when (or if) the animals had last been vaccinated for rabies.

Please let people in the neighborhood know that there are dangerous animals residing at 126 Bryant Street, NW. I heard from a couple people that these pitbulls have been seen on the loose in the neighborhood before. I don`t want what happened to my friend`s dog and myself today to happen to anyone else. I am going to do what I can to have DC Animal Control remove both pets from this residence as they are a safety risk to myself and others.