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    • Dog Attack Victim Home From Hospital Save Email Print
    Rehab continues
    Posted: 12:17 PM Jul 1, 2008
     Last Updated: 9:09 AM Jul 2, 2008
     Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com
    43 comments
    A | A | A

    The Omaha girl seriously injured in a pit bill attack last week was released Tuesday from Creighton University Medical Center.

    Fifteen-month-old Charlotte Blevins will finally sleep in her own crib again after the vicious attack near 13th and Pine last Wednesday that also injured her mother Wendy, her mother's friend Carly Spring and Carly's 1-year-old son Cade.

    Charlotte is like any other toddler, except for the tube attached to her head to keep bacteria out. Doctors say one-third of her scalp was torn off. "As bad as that was and as it all looked, her arm wound was actually the thing they worried about the most," says Wendy.

    Deep puncture wounds could mean permanent nerve damage. She wears splints to control her hair-twirling habit. "She can raise her arm, but she can't actually bend it to get to her head."

    Despite limitations, Charlotte is doing better than her parents expected. "It's amazing, she's actually on Children's Tylenol and that's it at this point."

    Wendy took a serious bite to the neck fighting off the dog. "I had enough time to think, is he going to bite and rip it all out or is he going to bite and let go and I just kind of went, this is gonna hurt."

    As for the talk of a ban on pit bulls, Wendy says she would publicly support it if called on to do so. “If it helps another family not have to do this, to not have to go through years of surgery with their child."

    It will be three or four years before doctors can start the painful process of stretching Charlotte's scalp and trying to regrow hair. "We're a ways off from this being normal for her,” says father Aaron Blevins. “Her hair will definitely be thinner.”

    Charlotte has one more surgery scheduled on Thursday. If all goes well, her vacuum tube will be removed. To help with the ongoing expenses, the Charlotte Blevins Charitable Fund has been established at First National Bank.

    The Blevins’ have spoken with pit bull owner Tina Agerson. They got a few phone calls from her while in the hospital. She said she was sorry for what happened, but also talked about how good the dog had been, words which were not well received.
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    Posted by: Kent on Jul 5, 2008 at 11:48 PM
    Twenty years from now, I hope Charlotte Blevins can look back and see that something positive came from her being attacked--instead of crying every time another child is mauled. You pit bull owners have a strange sense of community. You call your dogs family members and worship them to human status. Yet everyone else in your community is dog meat; people have a lower status in your view than your beloved pit bulls. If we, the people, care about people, it will be an easy decision to ban pit bulls and their mixes.
    Posted by: Jeff on Jul 5, 2008 at 05:25 PM
    Kelley, thank you for your story. Sadly, it's another example of how the mantra "Blame the Owner, not the Dog" suddenly changes to "Blame the Victim." Did you notice the first excuse for the dog that attacked Charlotte was: she was in a wagon, and it reminded the dog of being teased by a mower. Never mind the kid(s) who tormented the dog earlier, since apparently people witnessed the incident but didn't try to stop it. No, blame Charlotte for riding in a wagon! Pit bull protagonists also blame the police, even if the officer was bitten, for creating the need to shoot pit bulls. Someone in a previous column surmised that the pit bulls attacked because they'd been beaten in the past by someone wearing a police uniform. If it's the owner, not the breed, then we have pit bull owners dressing up as officers and beating their dogs. That's a strange fetish.
    Posted by: Keith on Jul 5, 2008 at 09:05 AM
    Jennifer. Oh, Jennifer. The main argument against banning pit bulls is that, if raised right, they are friendly and cuddly. Now, once upon a time, you knew a family with a cute and friendly Chihuahua. At this point of the story, a good pit bull and a Chihuahua are the same, as pets go. But then one day, the cute, friendly, raised right Chihuahua flipped. It got aggressive and attacked an infant! Yet, that can't be! According to our expert pit bull owners, a cute, friendly dog that's raised right won't become aggressive against a defenseless victim! Wake up, people! Embrace reality. A "good" pit bull can become aggressive. You're lying to us, you're lying to yourselves, and you're lying to your children as you let your pit bulls sleep with your children. Jennifer has debunked your main argument! No matter. You'll just keep saying it over and over again, expecting it to be true, and you'll probably be genuinely surprised when it happens with your pit bull.
    Posted by: Davis on Jul 4, 2008 at 11:43 PM
    Jennifer, the boy who got bit on the nose isn't really hurt. It's a matter of the owner not sticking around and the question of rabies that is the story. If he had been bit on the face by a pitbull, he wouldn't HAVE a face left!
    Posted by: Jennifer on Jul 4, 2008 at 06:43 AM
    To RATHER NOT SAY...Why would anyone want one?? Because they are beautiful animals and everyone that I have had 5 in my life, have been the best animals i have ever had, and the best friends to my children...to JESSE--JAMES any dog can be a "monster" and snap, they are animals and are unpredictable. I know a family that had a chiwaua and it was a cute friendly dog, but one day got aggressive and attacked another friends infant that was in a car seat...now should I say that it is a monster and should be banned? No, it's a dog, that's unpredictable. Just as people are, a person can be friendly and then for some reason snap. Banning a breed doesn't solve anything. Should we all get the stats for groups of people who are more violent than others and then ban them from living in a community or living at all, no because that's racism and discrimination, and isn't right..and why isn't the boy who was bit on the nose all over the news every newscast..because it wasn't a pitt..DISCRIMINATION
    Posted by: Tones on Jul 4, 2008 at 01:10 AM
    Karma -- the problem with pitbulls is that when they do bite (as all dogs breeds will do if provoked enough -it just so happens pitbulls need a pin to drop to be provoked)-- they snap and act like they are fighting to the death. Unfortunately most of the time what they think they are fighting to the death with is a toddler or some other innocent victim. Other dog breeds give one or two bites when they attack, and other breeds usually need some provoking before bites happen.
    Posted by: Karma on Jul 3, 2008 at 10:44 PM
    To those of you that think a lab, german shepard, rottweiler of doberman couldn't have scalped little Charlotte just as fast or faster than that pitbull. I have some prime land in Death Valley to sell you. To Mark~you make me laugh, you are so uninformed about the breed. Pitbulls are not domestic, that is a laughable. They want to be with their families all the time, more so than other breeds. You act like they are lions or wild boars. Don't be afraid of what you don't know Mark. Pitbulls give the best kisses and hugs!!!!
    Posted by: Jesse--James on Jul 3, 2008 at 05:38 PM
    No other dog breed creates the bloodbath news headlines over and over and over again like pitbulls. Banning the breed is the only solution. People of low self-worth who need to raise scary dogs will just choose chow-chows or rots -- but even these dogs don't massacre like pit-bulls do. So the community will be better for it. One can argue all they want about "their" dog would never attack. But whenever one of these monsters does snap and shred a toddler the owner always invariably says something along the lines of how they never expected their faithful companion to act in such a way. Banning the breed in the city would also be a blow the underground dogfighting industry. Which all dog lovers should applaud, since it is such a cruel and abusing sport.
    Posted by: Sondie on Jul 3, 2008 at 01:36 PM
    Hey Ken you belong with the people I am talking about. I am a pit bull owner and my dog is not at all agressive towards anyone! So I sure am glad you know what you are talking about! My pit sleeps and plays with my 7 year old child. and would never hurt him or let anyone hurt him for that matter! Like I have said before " It is not the breed, It is the Owner." My aunts dogs a tea cup poodles and they have bitten almost everyone that comes to their house. So if we are going to ban pits then every breed of dog should be banned right? Think about it really!
    Posted by: anon on Jul 3, 2008 at 12:12 PM
    Since when should we not be able to walk our neighborhoods with our children in their strollers and be safe? If we cant enjoy the peaceful enjoyment of our neighbor, what are our rights, they certainly out weigh any vicious animals rights. I think they should euthenize all animals that bite, the owners should deal with it, or make sure their animals dont bite, i dont think its the breed, obviously a big dog will hurt someone more critically than small dogs but it is a priveledge to own a pet not someones right and they should be responsible for their animal no matter what kind it is.
    Posted by: Kam on Jul 3, 2008 at 10:44 AM
    I am so glad that little girl is doing well. It makes you think that it may be a good idea to bring some sort of protection with you if you're walking like pepper spray or something to hit with. I am a dog lover and don't approve a ban even though my mother has been bit by a German Shepherd and had several surgeries. It was the owners fault in both cases. I hope Charlotte does not get a fear of dogs because that would be a shame. I think it would be helpful if there was a class on what to do if a dog attacks. I'm not saying this is a cure but it may be helpful to those with less animal experience. I pray for Charlotte that she heals well and hope that we may find a sensible action to deal with situations like dog attacks. My belief is it's the owner not the dog.
    Posted by: Mark on Jul 3, 2008 at 08:07 AM
    To all those people who keep saying that pit bulls must be "properly trained", pit bulls by nature are not domestic, and you are going against nature trying to domesticate a wild animal. If animals need specialized training, then they should not be kept as pets by humans, nor should they be bred by humans. Using the logic of those who oppose a ban on pit bulls, it is okay to have a grizzly bear or mountain lion as a pet if these animals are trained properly. I'm sure I will find no support to having these animals at pets!
    Posted by: Tones on Jul 3, 2008 at 07:48 AM
    Ken -- don't you recognise sarcasm when you see it? Oh, you must be a pit-bull owner.
    Posted by: Tammy on Jul 3, 2008 at 07:47 AM
    My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and victims that were involved..but if i remember right when this first happened i thought it said it was a pitbull mix...so why r they just picking on the pitbull breed..what other type of breed was this dog..i am a mother and i wouldn't want this to happen to my children but we do own a pitbull yet my chihuahua's are more of a threat than he is..i still to this day am cautious with all my dogs just because they all can turn for one reason or another...it takes a responible owner to own any breed of dogs..and why isn't the dog owner paying for the bills.
    Posted by: Doc on Jul 2, 2008 at 06:30 PM
    I agree that a ban wouldn't help - it's all about how the animal is raised and trained. If they are trained to be aggressive, or if they are naturally agressive towards people, they shouldn't be owned by someone that could let it out and have it harm someone. However, if it is trained properly, then if/when it is let out, then it should have proper leash/fence to keep it within boundaries, just like any other pet should. A ban on a breed wouldn't work because any other breed could do the same thing. maybe not as much damage since pitbulls are by nature very strong, but many other dogs can do the same thing. What about german shepherds, rottweilers, mastiffs? These are equally, if not bigger (and stronger at times) dogs - should we ban them too? German shepherds are used as police dogs many times despite the fact that they could become incredibly dangerous - should these be banned too?!? No - not a good idea for any dog.
    Posted by: Ken on Jul 2, 2008 at 05:42 PM
    Tone-What's the difference? If you do one, you've done the other.
    Posted by: Tone on Jul 2, 2008 at 04:55 PM
    Don't ban Pitbulls, just ban people from OWNING them in Omaha.
    Posted by: Ken on Jul 2, 2008 at 03:55 PM
    Sondie-Frankly, you're wrong. You cannot remove the genetically coded instincts out of an animal, no matter how you raise it. If that were true, you could raise tigers, lions, alligators, etc. with no problem as long you 'raise them right'. As far as other dogs biting, yes they do, however, it's not that they have smaller mouths. It's because they're not genetically predisposed to hang on with everything they have until whatever they've bitten is dead. So as far as banning dumb people, well, I guess you'll be leaving town.....
    Posted by: Rather not say on Jul 2, 2008 at 03:28 PM
    Ban them from the city. Why would anyone want one? What about that poor little boy many years ago that had his "private" parts chewed off. I hardly hear of any other bread attacks around Omaha. Just yesterday a man mowing his lawn was attacked. Get them out of our city!
    Posted by: April on Jul 2, 2008 at 02:53 PM
    My prayers are not only for Charlotte but also for the parents who have to deal with the daily frustrations and uncertainty of what each day will bring for Charlotte. My heart hurts for all of you.
    Posted by: Jake on Jul 2, 2008 at 02:22 PM
    If other dog breeds are so dangerous, why is it that pit bulls always seem to be responsible for these kinds of violent attacks? You can argue that any breed of dog will bit, but how many others regularly send people to the hospital with severe and traumatic injuries?
    Posted by: Kelley on Jul 2, 2008 at 12:58 PM
    I never had anything against pit bulls until March when my mother & my dog (corgi) were attacked by our neighbor's pit that escaped from a locked basement!!! My dog is my baby. I love her so much. It broke my heart when she was attacked. 28 stitches & 4 drainage tubes worth of injuries with a $1200 vet bill. My mother wasn't hurt, just scared to death. The pit bull was never taken away from its owner. And the owner STILL hasn't paid us 1 cent for the vet bills. Like I said I didn't have anything against them until it happened to my loved ones. And after what happened to Charlotte and her family it's easy to see. WE NEED A BAN on pitbulls!!!! BAN PITS!! It won't completely solve the problem but it sure WILL HELP!!!
    Posted by: Karen on Jul 2, 2008 at 12:58 PM
    How can you not support a ban on pit bulls or any other dog for that matter after looking at this poor child. My heart goes out to that little girl. The owners should be put in prison for owning a pet like this and anyone else for that matter that have raised a pet to have the type of nature that could harm someone for no reason. I am sorry but if your "furry best friend" is going to harm a person, it needs to go.
    Posted by: Sondie on Jul 2, 2008 at 12:26 PM
    You People Are A bunch of idiots!!!! Ban Pit bulls? well then lets ban Poodle or rat terrriors as well they bite just as many people, They just dont do as much damage because they have smaller mouths. I say we ban all the Dumb people who think they know what they are talking about!! Yes it is very sad this baby girl had to go through this. but you people need to look at the big Picture..." IT IS NOT THE BREED, IT IS THE FREAKING OWNER!!!!!"
    Posted by: X on Jul 2, 2008 at 12:01 PM
    Anon- VERY GOOD POINT - The random dog that bit that child's nose wasn't described as a so-called "Dangerous" breed, and noone seems to care about it. The OWNER is who is to blame almost every time there is an attack. Yes, it is incredibly sad what happened to that little baby, but banning a complete breed from being able to have a chance to be a loving pet to someone is simply ludicrous, not to mention incredibly ignorant. Banning a breed would never work, it would just make the majority happy, which isn't the way to go. Proper raising and training of a dog are what are needed, not a ban. Also, proper restraint of an animal are required. Just like when a child attacks another child, are the parents to blame? Many times they are. Look at what Michael Vic's fighting dogs are doing now - one of them is a therapy dog for chemo-therapy patients!! A ban? Terrible and incredibly ignorant idea. This would not help things at all, not with any breed of animal.
    Posted by: Steve on Jul 2, 2008 at 11:03 AM
    To Ken.....I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ! ! ! If I would have been a neighbor, I would've came out with my .45, shot the dog & faced the music later just to get the dog off that girl ! ! !
    Posted by: MB on Jul 2, 2008 at 10:29 AM
    It is a shame this happened to this little girl but a ban on pit bulls won't solve anything. There are many other bully breed dogs that can be dangerous. Dog owners need to be responsible for their dogs no matter what the breed. It is purely ignorance that leads people to believe that banning one breed of dog will keep them safe. Wake up people!!!
    Posted by: zip on Jul 1, 2008 at 11:43 PM
    i am so glad this little one is doing so good.she is in my prayers as well along with her family..but i have a? for you all who will pay for her medical bills. will the dogs owner i sure hope so.thats the least the dog owner can do. i mean afterall it was her dog that went crazy and bit this lil girl and almost caused her young life to end.TO THE OWNER OF THE DOG I HOPE YOU CAN LIVE WITH YOUR SELF.I HOPE YOU LOOK AT THE LIL GIRLS PIC AND CUSS YOUR SELF FOR HAVING THAT DOG OUT SIDE A FENCE
    Posted by: Kent on Jul 1, 2008 at 11:18 PM
    We failed to protect Charlotte, but I hope Charlotte's legacy will be the protection of many other children. We need to ban pit bulls and mixes now.
    Posted by: b on Jul 1, 2008 at 11:10 PM
    Ken- you are so right - no more excuses. This little sweet heart has a ways to go and I am STILL praying for all those that were attacked. As for the owner - I would hate to be in your shoes. How do you feel about a ban? Just curious. My vote, BAN 'EM!!!!!
    Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 1, 2008 at 11:10 PM
    I'll bet Omaha wont ban them. For some reason Omaha seems to think its not fair to ban this dangerous breed of dog, and so the attacks will continue. Just listen to the news. Most of the council opposes the ban already. Hopefully they take into consideration it is the future voters who are begging them to rid the community of this dog, before someone's child gets killed by one of these dogs.
    Posted by: Kim Clark on Jul 1, 2008 at 10:46 PM
    i am so happy for this little girl for the fact she is doing very well after her serious atack by a pit bull i think that a band on them would be nice
    Posted by: Taylor Clark on Jul 1, 2008 at 10:42 PM
    i think that the band of pit bulls should be a good thing to do for the fact that this girl named charrolet was seriously injured the way she was i hope for good luck for this little girl thatnk you love Taylor Clark
    Posted by: G on Jul 1, 2008 at 10:31 PM
    shouldn't the woman, that owned the vicious dog, be paying for the injured girls surgeries, since she is responsible for the dog that hurt her?
    Posted by: anon on Jul 1, 2008 at 09:22 PM
    Again, more ban the breed and not see that it is the responsiblity of all dog owners to make sure that their animals and under control. Check out todays news, a "dog" bit a kid on the nose, but if it had been a pit or a rott, there would have been hell to pay. It is the owners who, for whatever reason, dont think it is necessary to make sure their dog isnt dangerous. Sill people, its people who are at fault.
    Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 1, 2008 at 07:47 PM
    god bless this child ur doing great. stay strong
    Posted by: Ken on Jul 1, 2008 at 04:47 PM
    This attack is a good reason for the 2nd amendment to be upheld, if I would've been a neighbor and witnessed this you can believe I wouldn't have thought twice about walking outside and shooting that dog!
    Posted by: Biff on Jul 1, 2008 at 02:02 PM
    This picture breaks my heart, and it is my hope that all of the trauma Charlotte's gone through is not in vain. Something needs to be done with vicious dogs, their owners, or both. Once again, it's looking like legislation will have to step in where common sense has failed.
    Posted by: Ashley on Jul 1, 2008 at 01:07 PM
    That little girl is so cute!!! I am happy to hear she is doing well!!!!
    Posted by: Amy on Jul 1, 2008 at 01:03 PM
    Please know there are lots of people you don't know who are praying for you. May God be with you in the days ahead.
    Posted by: mommy of 2 on Jul 1, 2008 at 01:01 PM
    God bless your family and I hope all of charlottes surgeries go well.
    Posted by: jb on Jul 1, 2008 at 12:44 PM
    My thoughts and prayers are with you, Charlotte!! Best wishes for a speedy recovery from your surgeries~~
    Posted by: Ken on Jul 1, 2008 at 12:30 PM
    Even though this little one will carry the scars for a lifetime, hopefully she won't remember the attack. I am so happy that she survived this attack, and hope that the leaders of Omaha do the right thing. Ban this breed before something even worse happens to another child, and we have to listen to more excuses from other owners.
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