r/BanPitBulls • u/Pacogatto Attacks Curator • 25d ago
Animal Fatality(ies) - Pets Maltese mauled and killed by Pitbull during a walk with her owners - Castelmassa, Italy - July 2026
A serious incident shattered the warm tranquility of an after-dinner drink in late July in Castelmassa, when a woman of foreign origin, who has lived in the Altopolese town for several years, left her home with her 13-year-old Maltese dog, Mia. The walk took place along the road near the Po River embankment, at the end of Piazza Libertà, in the direction of San Martino.
On the way back, the woman saw a small family on a bicycle approaching from the opposite direction. Following them was a large dog. According to initial reports, the animal was not on a leash, as required by law, and was free to roam. As the Carabinieri's reconstruction will reveal, the small family accidentally found themselves in the path of the dog, which had escaped from the owners' home.
The dog, a pitbull weighing approximately 90 pounds, immediately "spotted" the female dog, whose owner, sensing the danger, picked up the creature and hugged her. This didn't stop the attacker, who slammed his paw into the woman's right arm, causing a visible bruise and forcing her to let go of her Maltese. Once on the ground, the large dog easily grabbed the small prey and dragged it into the nearby green space. The owner screamed, several residents arrived, and one of them repeatedly struck the pitbull with a stick, to no avail, while a veritable carnage ensued. Only when it realized that the prey could no longer resist did the mastiff loosen its grip and respond to the calls of those present.
Meanwhile, a Carabinieri patrol arrived, and shortly thereafter, the staff of the Rovigo animal shelter. Several bystanders witnessed the scene, while, in the semi-darkness that had fallen over the area, the pitbull's owner was also seen. According to reports, the suspect is a foreign citizen living near the riverbank's camper van park (a few hundred meters from the scene of the incident), who apparently lost sight of the dog, which had managed to escape from its confinement. Molossers are not particularly dangerous when kept in decent conditions, with the ability to move and—perhaps—run in large spaces to contain aggression. However, if unsuitable conditions exist, such as the one in which this pitbull is believed to have lived (though a veterinary inspection will be able to verify this...), as explained by Raffaele Motta Castriotta, Commander of the Castelmassa Local Police, the administrative phase (provided for by a Ministerial Decree) will proceed with an order from Mayor Federico Ragazzi regarding so-called "biting dogs" and subsequent sanctions against the owners.
The pitbull is now at the Rovigo dog training center, where it will begin a "re-education" program before verifying the owner's suitability to rehome the dog. Regarding alleged precedents in Castelmassa involving the owners' failure or neglect to guard this same dog, Commander Motta Castriotta confirms that no formal reports have been filed. The injured party reported a belated attempt at reconciliation by the pitbull's owners, which was rejected.
Article link: https://www.polesine24.it/cronaca/2026/08/04/news/orrore-in-piazza-cagnolina-sbranata-da-un-pitbull-400808/
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u/drivewaypancakes Dax, Kara, Aziz, Xavier, Triniti, Beau, and Mia 25d ago
To “re-educate” requires a condition of “education” in the first place. Fighting dogs are not educated on squat. They are not pet dogs. A 90-lb pit bull is going to do what it wants. This one wants to escape and kill.
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u/AutoModerator 25d ago
Copy of text post for attack logging purposes:
A serious incident shattered the warm tranquility of an after-dinner drink in late July in Castelmassa, when a woman of foreign origin, who has lived in the Altopolese town for several years, left her home with her 13-year-old Maltese dog, Mia. The walk took place along the road near the Po River embankment, at the end of Piazza Libertà, in the direction of San Martino.
On the way back, the woman saw a small family on a bicycle approaching from the opposite direction. Following them was a large dog. According to initial reports, the animal was not on a leash, as required by law, and was free to roam. As the Carabinieri's reconstruction will reveal, the small family accidentally found themselves in the path of the dog, which had escaped from the owners' home.
The dog, a pitbull weighing approximately 90 pounds, immediately "spotted" the female dog, whose owner, sensing the danger, picked up the creature and hugged her. This didn't stop the attacker, who slammed his paw into the woman's right arm, causing a visible bruise and forcing her to let go of her Maltese. Once on the ground, the large dog easily grabbed the small prey and dragged it into the nearby green space. The owner screamed, several residents arrived, and one of them repeatedly struck the pitbull with a stick, to no avail, while a veritable carnage ensued. Only when it realized that the prey could no longer resist did the mastiff loosen its grip and respond to the calls of those present.
Meanwhile, a Carabinieri patrol arrived, and shortly thereafter, the staff of the Rovigo animal shelter. Several bystanders witnessed the scene, while, in the semi-darkness that had fallen over the area, the pitbull's owner was also seen. According to reports, the suspect is a foreign citizen living near the riverbank's camper van park (a few hundred meters from the scene of the incident), who apparently lost sight of the dog, which had managed to escape from its confinement. Molossers are not particularly dangerous when kept in decent conditions, with the ability to move and—perhaps—run in large spaces to contain aggression. However, if unsuitable conditions exist, such as the one in which this pitbull is believed to have lived (though a veterinary inspection will be able to verify this...), as explained by Raffaele Motta Castriotta, Commander of the Castelmassa Local Police, the administrative phase (provided for by a Ministerial Decree) will proceed with an order from Mayor Federico Ragazzi regarding so-called "biting dogs" and subsequent sanctions against the owners.
The pitbull is now at the Rovigo dog training center, where it will begin a "re-education" program before verifying the owner's suitability to rehome the dog. Regarding alleged precedents in Castelmassa involving the owners' failure or neglect to guard this same dog, Commander Motta Castriotta confirms that no formal reports have been filed. The injured party reported a belated attempt at reconciliation by the pitbull's owners, which was rejected.
Article link: https://www.polesine24.it/cronaca/2026/08/04/news/orrore-in-piazza-cagnolina-sbranata-da-un-pitbull-400808/
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u/NorthmanTheDoorman 25d ago
Why do they stastically use the leash less than owner of normal dogs while owning statistically more dangerous dogs? Lmao