A West Hollywood man and his service dog were attacked by two pit bulls who were not on leashes Saturday.
The attack occurred on Fuller Street, between Plummer Park and the Poinsettia Recreation Center, while the victim, Billy Lam, and his dog Crouton, were out for a walk.
Lam suffered minor injuries while Crouton was left with four major puncture wounds.
The pit bull’s owner asked the victim “Is your dog okay?” and then left the scene, according to Lam.
According to CBS, Lam’s service dog Crouton gives comfort and help to Lam who suffers from anxiety attacks. If Lam were to pass out, Crouton is trained to alert others.
Los Angeles County has always had laws prohibiting dogs from being let off their leashes in public and recently there has been a crackdown by West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang to better enforce the law.
In a 2012 statement, Prang said, “The city has asked the Department of Animal Care and Control to strictly enforce the city’s ordinances requiring dogs to be kept on a leash in public, including in public parks.”
An owner who does not have his dog on a leash can receive a $250 ticket for the first offense, $450 for a second and $850 for a third.
There is generally only one reason why people possess these dogs (who are prone to genetic violence)…intimidation. Keep your cell with you, SNAP a picture to identify the owner, file a police report and SUE THEM! Pit bulls in West Hollywood should be held to the same standards as Santa Monica places upon them. They are owned by Gang members, thugs, and people who used them like loaded guns…for intimidation. Our city council is useless when it comes to protecting the public…their first priority is to pander to the Sheriff’s Dept. so that they don’t spend their raises on our… Read more »
If your state has given in to the wealthy pit bull lobby and imposed Big Government, prohibiting smaller communities (counties, cities, towns) from regulating or banning pit bull / bulldog / ‘bully’ type dogs, protest this. Your community has a right to decide it doesn’t want to live with the 3000% risk these dogs and their owners represent. Meanwhile, the best thing is to carry a knife or (if your laws allow it) a gun. Since government isn’t protecting us, it’s fair for us to do it ourselves. Most states will not prosecute anyone who kills a pit bull type… Read more »
“a crackdown by West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang” ???
to the author of this story: the mayor position is only procedural in WeHo. I’d like to know how exactly one council member can conduct a crackdown of any sort in our city?
“snarkygal”, you are misinformed. Plummer Park is a goldmine for off leash citations.
While anti BSL, pro pit advocates celebrate what they consider victories. We mourn another death of a innocent child. Thus far this year there have been 8 fatal dog attacks in the U.S. In every one of these deaths only one breed (type) of dog has been the killer .The pit bull has been the only type of dog to take human life so far this year. Please Pray for the families and loved ones of the following . (Tyler Jett, 7 years old ) (Monica Renee Laminack, 21 months old) (Braxton Berchardt, 14 months old ) ( Ryan Maxwell,… Read more »
Can Crouton’s guardian describe the perps or their guardian?
This is an outrage, I cannot begin to express the anger I feel toward the coward who not only let his pit bulls run loose in Plummer Park, but who left the scene of the crime to even further avoid responsibility for his dogs’ behavior. I hope this becomes a story, and that this careless fiend is caught, exposed & prosecuted to the full extent of the law, & used as an example to other irresponsible dog owners that they cannot impose this kind of pain & hardship upon other innocent people & pets in public places & expect to… Read more »
I also hope that Crouton and his owner recover from this stressful event and Crouton gets well soon.
Well it certainly isn’t being enforced on my street. I see dogs off leash being “walked” on a daily basis. I hope it is enforced strongly on residential streets. As for that law being enforced in public parks, we need a place that dogs can run and play with each other off leash. There is a part of Plummer Park that people recognize as the dog’s area. Nobody minds if they are off leash or not in that part of the park. Dogs need to socialize and get their exercise too! I hope it is not enforced in the parks… Read more »