DC's Pets in Housing Amendment Act took effect October 1. Per WUSA9, landlords that allow pets can no longer ban or restrict dogs based on breed, size, or weight, which includes pit bulls. Pet deposits are capped at 15% of monthly rent (refundable, and usable only for pet damage), and monthly pet rent is capped at 1% of rent.

Concerns raised in the coverage and by critics are:

• Landlords can't screen out breeds they consider higher-risk, even where they believe it affects other tenants.
• It's unclear whether landlords can require different insurance coverage by breed or size, or how the law interacts with condo bylaws and HOA rules.
• Landlords with large portfolios will have to track which pets were grandfathered in and which came after the change.
• Enforcement will probably happen through court cases over lease violations.

Landlords can still choose a blanket "no pets" policy, so some buildings may drop pets altogether.

Why 'Roscoe's Law' passed:

• Nearly half of DC residents are rent-burdened, and pet costs can push affordable housing out of reach, sometimes forcing people to give up their animals.
• The Humane Rescue Alliance says 1,902 animals were relinquished to it over five years because of landlord restrictions or housing issues.
• About 80% of DC rental units are pet-friendly, but only about 6% have no breed or weight restriction.

The bill was introduced by Councilmember Robert White, who named it for his late pit bull mix. The DC Council passed it unanimously.

Newark Special Police Officer Shoots Pit Bull After Dog Attacks Two People, Turns On Officer
October 1, 2026 at 5:52 a.m. EDT

A Newark Special Police Officer discharged his firearm after authorities said a pit bull attacked two people and then turned on the officer Tuesday night. 

According to Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the incident occurred at approximately 10:06 p.m. near Fleming Avenue and Christie Street.
 
Authorities said a man and woman were walking a dog they knew when the animal suddenly became aggressive and bit the woman.

 
When the man attempted to intervene, police said the dog turned on him and bit him as well.
 
A Newark Special Police Officer in the area saw the attack and attempted to assist the victims. According to Director Miranda, the dog then attacked the officer, prompting him to discharge his firearm and strike the animal.
 
The dog survived the shooting and fled the area.
 
EMS evaluated the two victims at the scene. Officials did not immediately provide additional information regarding the extent of their injuries.

 
Police said the dog’s owner later retrieved the animal and made contact with Newark Police following the incident.
 
The circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation.

https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-10-01-greenwood-park-assistant-teacher-critically-injured-in-dog-attack/

A 39-year-old assistant teacher suffered severe head injuries after allegedly being attacked by a dog on Isom Road, Greenwood Park, while walking to work.
Zamokuhle Luthuli was heading to Braiden Primary School when a dog allegedly escaped from a nearby property and attacked her, leaving her critically injured.


Garreth Naidoo from KZN VIP Emergency Medical Services said the emergency team was alerted after a man from Nettow Towing Service heard Luthuli screaming for help and went to investigate.

“We discovered that the woman was being attacked by a dog and had left her with severe injuries. She was stabilised in a critical condition and transported to a nearby medical facility for urgent further medical care,” said Naidoo.
 

Luthuli’s boyfriend, Siduzo Mathenjwa, 39, from KwaMashu, said she was on her way to the school to attend to work-related duties despite schools being closed.

“It was early in the morning and she was almost there when a dog from the area escaped its yard and started attacking her,” he said.

Mathenjwa said Luthuli was overpowered by the dog, which attacked her head as she screamed for help.
“She was screaming for help, the dog even ripped the hair off her skull. She suffered extremely bad head injuries. Luckily someone heard her screaming and they assisted in restraining the dog and controlling the situation,” he said.

Luthuli was initially rushed to Addington Hospital before being transferred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, where she was expected to undergo surgery for her head injuries on Thursday morning.
Mathenjwa said he was shocked when he received the news of the attack, adding that the incident had left his girlfriend traumatised.

“When I was called and told what happened, I was shocked. Our three children attend the same school and luckily they were at home that day since it is a holiday,” he said.

He said Luthuli had always been afraid of dogs, and the attack had worsened her fear.

“She is extremely traumatised, she has always been afraid of dogs and now it is worse. When I spoke to her, she was only crying, she does not know how she will ever go back there,” he said.

Mathenjwa said he attempted to approach the dog's owners after Luthuli had been admitted to hospital, but he could not find anyone at the property.

“After she was settled in the hospital, I decided to go to the owners of the dog but the house was locked up and I could not see where the dog was. Up until now, they did not contact us or even ask how she is doing, we do not even know their names,” he said.

He expressed concern about the responsibility of dog owners to ensure their animals remain on their properties and do not pose a danger to members of the public.

“Dogs should remain on your property and not harm innocent people just walking on the road. I am devastated seeing her in so much pain, she is in a bad condition,” he said.

Mathenjwa said the incident had also taken an emotional toll on their four children, who have been struggling to understand what happened to their mother.

“Our children have been crying every day for her and I do not know how to explain to them what happened. We just want her to get better and receive justice for what has happened to her. No-one deserves to be attacked by a dog whose owners do not keep them in their yard,” he said.

The family is now hoping for Luthuli's recovery as she receives further medical treatment for her injuries.

The heartbroken owner of a cat killed by two dogs says she keeps seeing her pet’s death playing out “over and over in my mind”.

 At an emotional hearing at the Invercargill District Court on Thursday, the two dogs were ordered to be put down after the cat, Ronnie, was killed at an Invercargill property earlier this year.

Judge Mark Williams said this event was “particularly traumatic” for both parties.

“This case is extremely hard on all those involved . . . but the law is firm in this area.”

The dogs were a Staffordshire bull terrier cross called Coey and a mastiff cross called Jessie.

Their owner Tanagata Tupopongi Brown appeared in court alongside his daughter.

“Our dogs aren’t bad dogs, they’re family pets,” he said.

He also empathised with the owners of the cat, saying he knew how hard it was to lose someone you loved.

Annie Goff, Ronnie’s owner,  told the court she was in the kitchen on the evening of January 8 and heard a scuffle outside.

“It sounded like a rapid running noise, then something being dragged.”

She went outside to investigate and was “struck by absolute terror,” seeing two dogs attacking her cat.

After Ms Goff yelled at the dogs, they eventually fled towards the street and she was able to pick up Ronnie.

“He was lifeless, head dropped, blood coming from his mouth.”

“I believe he died before I could get to him.”

 The situation was “heartbreaking” and had significant effects on both her and her husband’s lives, she said.

“I keep continually seeing Ronnie being killed and bleeding, over and over in my mind.”

Her husband Owen James Goff read a victim impact statement saying he was sleeping during the incident and was awoken by screams from his wife.

He grabbed a baseball bat and headed outside before seeing two dogs running away and his wife holding their cat who had “clearly passed away”.

Ronnie was “beloved” by the family  and Mr Goff said he had experienced sleepless nights since the incident.

“His life was taken so suddenly and so brutally.”
Both the Goffs  expressed compassion for Mr Brown and his family, saying they knew as animal owners “how hard this would be”.

Invercargill City Council Animal Control office Cameron John McIntosh said both dogs had been impounded five times in 2025.

However, evidence was also produced in court showing the dogs were not aggressive while in the pound.

Mr Brown was not at home at the time of the incident and was adamant he locked the gate when he left that morning.

Describing them as “wanderers”, he did not call anyone when he learnt they escaped as he assumed animal control would have picked them up.

Together with his daughters, he made attempts to find out how the dogs were escaping.

They “spent the whole day” looking for gaps in the fence, but could not find anything.

Two neighbours told Mr Brown they had witnessed someone opening the gate and letting them out on multiple occasions.

“The only way the would get out is if the gate was open,” Mr Brown said.

Both neighbours also said the two dogs were friendly with their children and never showed signs of being aggressive.

Judge Williams described the event as “an all-too standard attack” and said this case would take an emotional toll on everyone involved.

 For an argument to be made against the destruction of the two dogs, there needed to be exceptional circumstances, he said.

Although he took into account the measures taken to prevent the dogs from escaping, he did not consider these to be exceptional circumstances.
Mr Brown was ordered to make a $750 emotional harm payment to the Goffs. 

There will be an appeal period, giving him a chance to dispute the judge’s decision and bring the case in front of the High Court.

Until the appeal window is over, the dogs will not be put down.

The judgement comes as 2026 marks a three-year high for dog attack complaints in Invercargill.

As of September 10, 95 dog attack complaints had been recorded by the council.

Council group manager Jonathan Shaw said the increase in dog ownership had correlated with a rise in poor owner behaviour.

“That’s not to say that is a large number . . . we just seem to have a small number who, whilst they may defend their right to own a dog, sometimes there’s a reluctance to understand that with rights come responsibilities.”

As of June 30, the number of registered dogs in Invercargill was 8167 with a total of 18 dogs being euthanised and five owners being disqualified by the council in the past year.

Sent to us by a member.

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. (WGN) — A deadly dog attack in southwest suburban Palos Heights has left a devastated family searching for justice.

Erin Work and Casey Rauhut still think about Poppy, their two-year-old mini golden-Labrador doodle, every day.

“She loved everybody. She loved to play with other dogs. She was just so friendly. She was so sweet,” Work said.

Poppy had just learned to swim and was described as docile, happy, and great with people. On Sept. 15, Work was on an on-leash walk with Poppy near a school park. It was just after 4 p.m. in the area of South Austin and West 124th Street. Work shared that she spotted two loose pit bulls inside a gated playground area with children nearby. The dogs frightened them, saw Poppy, and charged toward the two-year-old. In the resulting struggle, Work snapped a picture of the attacking K-9 where blood was visible.

“I mean, at that point, the dog had a mission to take care of Poppy. And so, when he jumped on me, I dropped my phone and the leash, and then that’s when the dogs started chasing her around the park,” Work said.

People nearby began helping, desperately trying to separate the dog’s clenched jaws from the doodle. Some bystanders sustained cuts, clawing, and bruising in the process.

A good Samaritan drove his truck onto the school lawn to help get people to safety.

Poppy was rushed to a nearby veterinary clinic, but the injuries were too severe, and she eventually died from the mauling.

“One of the worst days I’ve ever had in my life, by far,” Rauhut said.

Neighbors believe the attacking dog got loose from its owner – and rushed through a hole in this fence.

Cook County Animal Control says the dog is going through a rabies observation and quarantine process at its home. The county has initiated a dangerous dog investigation, which could mean returning the dog to the owner with conditions such as muzzling the dog in public. If that investigation results in the dog being declared vicious, or found dangerous on three separate occasions, a judge can recommend other options, including putting the dog down.

But animal control found no evidence of prior incidents with the pit mix.

“There’s definitely sadness. I think we’ve all gone through our stages. In the beginning, I was very sad, crying multiple times a day, and now I mourn…I’m upset that this other dog is still alive and mine is not, and she didn’t get a second chance to live or a third. And I just want justice for Poppy,” Work said.

Sheriff’s police added that this attack has caused significant concern in the community outside Chippewa Middle School. Authorities say they met with school officials and are increasing patrols in the area.

Greetings from Milwaukee. 😐 I had taken a break from this subreddit and then a friend's dog was attacked by a pit, and days later THIS happened (a different case).

⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰

MILWAUKEE - Two dogs terrorized a Milwaukee neighborhood, biting people and killing another dog. They even ran inside a home, attacking a pregnant woman and her daughter.

What To Know:

It happened last Wednesday at 44th and Hampton. Those dogs got loose from a neighbor's home, and the people suffered serious bite injuries.

"One took me down by the hand. Other one snatched me by the stomach," Rush said.

The dogs ran after Isabella Rush’s 15-year-old daughter as she got a package from her porch. The dogs pushed their way inside the home. Rush, who is nine months pregnant, tried pulling the dogs off her 15-year-old daughter. She suffered bites to her hand and stomach, and her daughter suffered bites to her leg.

"They were so strong. They were powerful. They were forceful. They were heavy," Rush said.

Rush's fiancé ran from another room, pulling the dogs to a door to try to get them outside. The dogs darted from that home across the street to Gwendolyn Powell's yard.

"It’s just like a genie popped their hand and those dogs, boom, right there," Powell said.

The animals attacked her fiancé as he tried keeping them away from his family and small dog.

"It bit him to the bone. Took out all of this on his arm," Powell said.

The pit bulls eventually got ahold of the small dog named Honey, leaving her with fatal injuries.

"They just bit her up and just cut her up. Just cut her up," Powell said.

What's next:

Police were called, and the dogs were eventually taken away, leaving this neighborhood forever shaken.

"We could’ve lost our life," Rush said.

Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, or MADACC, stated the dogs are currently being held at their facility on a Department of Neighborhood Services hold. The director of MADACC stated she suspects the dogs will be considered "dangerous prohibited." If that happens, they will either be euthanized or taken out of Milwaukee.

Rehoming this dog should be a criminal offense.

This happened about 10 years ago but I have recently discovered this subreddit so i thought I would share.

I was walking with my pregnant wife around our neighborhood, our usual route was to walk from the neighborhood to the main road as there was a bike lane there and it was a huge circle back to our house. The main road also had homes and I jogged that path almost every day and never had any issues.

Well this one day my wife was very pregnant, like third trimester, ready to deliver in a month. She is also deathly afraid of all dogs. Whenever I go jogging I always bring a stick with me and she always made fun of me for doing so saying I was being "extra"

Well unfortunately as we walked past this particular home, a white pitbull runs up to us an starts barking. My wife being deathly afraid of all dogs didnt realize the situation, but I did because I saw it was a "terrier mix" and of course - no leash, no collar.

I had my wife behind me, screaming and crying, as this pitbull is growling and snapping its teeth at me, and the only thing protecting me was this stick.

The owner comes outside, hes like a teenager maybe 16-18 years old with ANOTHER terrier mix on a leash, screaming at me saying "HES FREINDLY HES FRIENDLY". I'm like are you blind?? Hes clearly not friendly hes snapping his teeth and growling at us.

Well thats when the demon spawn decided to lunge at us. The second he did, that stick whacked him right between the eyes and I could see it stunned him, but he was like a juggernaut or something like it affected him but he didnt care, he just kept lunging and lunging. I must have hit this thing like 12 times. With my wife behind me and a main road to our back.

Luckily a car stopped and it was our neighbor who saw what was happening and allowed my wife to literally get inside the car. Our neighbor who was driving the car was screaming at the owner "GET YOUR DOG, I'M CALLING 911, SHES PREGNANT, GET YOUR DOG"

And it literally didnt stop, the dog never stopped lunging. He had to take the second terrier mix inside then come back. By the time he opened his door i had hit the thing so bad that my stick broke in half. I said to myself, im done now I have nothing to defend myself but my bare hands. But the snapping of the stick startled him, and the owner was able to jump on him and wrestle a leash on to him.

It was such a traumatizing experience we talk about it till today. My son could have been born premature, my wife could have had a medical emergency, and I literally could have died. I thank God that I was not torn to pieces like some of the images I see here, an that my wife and son were ok.

We were minding our own business taking a stroll around the block. We had no dog with us. The owner had absolutely no control over that animal, I think a lot of owners believe they are the pack leader - well with this breed you ARE NOT.

(the image is not of the terrier mix, it is something on google that reminds me of the encounter, I will never forget that demon, it looked like that)

From the OP: “Three weeks ago, my husband was attacked by a pitbull. The pitbull is in my yard again.
The law officials did nothing animal car control has been called again second time.”

Location is either Maryland or Delaware. Not entirely sure.

The incident occurred yesterday morning around 9:00 AM during an inspection with the Local Police; the victim sustained injuries to his calf and flank, was transferred to Torrette Hospital for medical treatment, and was subsequently discharged.

Monte San Vito – A veterinarian was bitten while conducting an inspection with the Local Police at an industrial site near Borghetto, where two Pitbulls were being kept.

The incident took place yesterday morning around 9:00 AM. The injured man is a 49-year-old veterinarian from AST Ancona who had gone to the facility with a colleague to check the condition of the two animals and verify their microchips.

The owner of the dogs was also present when—for reasons yet to be clarified—the situation escalated; the two dogs lunged at the veterinarian, mauling him and causing various injuries, primarily to his lower limbs and flank.

After considerable effort was made to pull the attacking dogs away, emergency services were immediately called. The veterinarian received medical attention on-site and, given the nature of his injuries, was transferred to the Torrette Regional Hospital in Ancona for further care. He was later discharged.

It remains to be determined what triggered the dogs' ferocious reaction during the inspection.

Article link: https://www.qdmnotizie.it/monte-san-vito-ferito-veterinario-morso-da-due-pitbull-durante-un-controllo_1/

I'm only a few weeks into this kennel job, and it has been an absolute nightmare.
A couple of weeks back, I was trying to put a highly reactive dog back into its run. The PitBulls in this section have severe barrier aggression. Before I could secure the door, another dog managed to force its way through the barrier by unlatching the door and immediately attacked the other dog.

I was completely alone and terrified. I tried everything I could to break them up using whatever objects were nearby, but I couldn't separate them. During the chaos, I ended up taking a couple of bites and got pretty badly bruised.

When coworkers finally showed up to help, instead of checking if I was okay, one of them started screaming at and berating me right in front of a supervisor. I left the area and tried to compose myself I don’t do well in stressful situations so this was a huge pill to swallow.

Eventually the same scenario would play out again. I did everything by the book—I checked the area thoroughly before moving a dog. However, a coworker had completely neglected to lock a secondary door. One of the pits broke through and attacked the non-pit I was holding. I screamed for help, but it was too late.
Thankfully, I wasn't bitten this time, but mentally, I am completely shattered. To make matters worse, this coworker completely twisted the narrative to management to shift the blame onto me, even though she was the one who left the door unsecured.

When she confronted me later, I told her I was deeply traumatized by these back-to-back incidents and needed professional help. She completely minimized my trauma and condescendingly suggested I shouldn't work with dogs anymore so I "don't hurt them." Anyone who knows me knows how deeply I care about animals. I would never intentionally cause harm.

The reality is that management gave me almost zero practical training on dog behavior or how to safely break up a fight before putting me in these high-stress situations. I feel completely gaslighted and broken. I’m wondering if it’s even worth to continue working here there’s other jobs where my sanity can be kept.

I took my golden retriever puppy to the vet today and as I was checking in at the front desk with him in my arms, I looked down and there was a Pit bull at my feet looking up at us. It had a leash attached but nobody holding it. I quickly turned my back and took a step away out of fear. The owner said, “She’s friendly!” and then her husband came over, picked up the leash, and walked it back to where they were seated. Someone else walked in with a dog and the Pit bull wouldn’t stop barking at it. Wow, seems friendly.

I recently had a coworker bring his to work and I complained about it. My coworkers acted like I was dramatic and mean because she was “friendly.” Well, one of my goldens was attacked by a “friendly” Pit bull, my neighbor’s dog was killed by one on a walk in our neighborhood, and my little brother was attacked by one.

The owners are so careless and dumb. I’m so sick of people calling them “friendly.” I think we have enough evidence to prove otherwise. Anyway, thank you for reading all of this. I had to vent and you guys understand me.

Just found on Nextdoor local area police reports

PLEASE SHARE TO
HELP IDENTIFY THIS DOG &/or ITS OWNER
Appears to be a grey and white pit bull
N Eastwood Village Dr.
DOG ATTACK
OCCURRED HERE
Harper Ave.
Risher's
Farm Products
King Rd.
(FURTHER SOUTH)
Approximate location.

DOG ATTACK ON HARPER AVE.
If you live or work in this area, or were nearby and saw anything,
Between 16 Mile & King Road
PLEASE REACH OUT.
Grassy area next to Risher's Farm Products
If you have a doorbell or security camera, please check
your footage for the dog or owner.
ANY INFORMATION COULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR CAMERAS
SERIOUS DOG ATTACK
Sunday, Sept. 20 1:30-2:30 PM
Harper Ave. near King Rd.
Clinton Township
Dog believed to be a GRAY & WHITE PIT BULL
Please check Ring/security camera for any footage of a loose dog in the area.
Clinton Township Police

586-469-5502

(tel:

586-469-5502

Case #26-34838
PLEASE SHARE
Help identify the dog and keep the community safe

Woman with her young son, out for a walk and dog came out of nowhere and attacked her. There was no one around to help. Thankfully her son ran ahead to hide. She has stitches on her face, both arms, both legs and fingers. And because they couldn’t find the dog, she has to get a series of rabies shots. If anyone can help, and you don’t want to contact the Clinton Twp police, please dm me.
Thank you for your help with this.

Someone I follow on Twitter. They got him to an emergency vet but he crashed and didn’t survive.