Alan Hill

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Saturday, May 6, 2006
Story last updated at 10:16 AM on Saturday, May 6, 2006
Victims being treated

By Kelly Evenson and Sarah Swedberg
The Examiner

Stephen Dixon walks every day. In fact, he walks almost everywhere.

But what the Independence resident did not expect on one of his regular walks Thursday evening was to be attacked by three pit bulls.

Anita Dixon, Stephen Dixon's sister, said he was walking along Kingshighway near 23rd Street when the three dogs "came out of nowhere" and attacked the 45-year-old man. She said if it were not for two women driving down the street who chased the dogs away, her brother might not have made it.

"One started screaming at the dogs, and another had a tire iron and starting chasing them away," she said by telephone from Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill Friday afternoon. "I think that is the only thing that saved him."

The attack on Dixon was one of three within minutes of each other in the neighborhood near 23rd Street and Kingshighway around 6 p.m. Thursday. The second attack, on Alan Hill of Lee's Summit, was in a field southeast of 23rd Street and Kingshighway, while the third man, Kevin L. Moore, was attacked outside his home at South and Haden streets, where he had been mowing the lawn.

Following the attack, Dixon was rushed to Independence Regional Health Center by ambulance and later transferred to TMC-Hospital Hill in Kansas City. Anita Dixon said Stephen has cuts to his arms and face, a "big gouge" taken off one side of his face and damage to his ears.

"His wounds are pretty bad. He is not doing well," she said. "It is hard to say if he will fully recover. If he is able to get the necessary plastic surgery, then maybe."

Moore's mother told The Examiner that was her son is recovering and will be OK despite being bitten on the leg, arm, stomach, back and head.

She said when her daughter-in-law heard the commotion from inside the family's home, she went outside and yelled at the dogs, shooing them away. She said her grandson drove his father to Medical Center of Independence, where doctors kept him overnight Thursday for observation. He was still there Friday.

The family is a little shaken up, but Moore is expected to be fine.

After a string of pit bull attacks in the late 1980s, the Independence City Council debated banning the breed. Faced with opposition from owners and advocates, who threatened to sue the city if it approved a ban, the council deadlocked on the ordinance.

Former Mayor Barbara Potts, who was on the council at the time, said the stiff opposition came from owners who breeds other than pit bulls who didn't want their type labeled as dangerous.

"It was controversial," Potts said. "I remember dog owners tried to restrict same types of dogs from being covered in the ordinance. We had trouble getting others council members to agree to the ban."

In this instance, Potts said attention to an existing law would have prevented the attacks.

"We do have a leash law," Potts said. "If (the dogs' owners) obeyed that law, we wouldn't have had the attack. Hopefully the police are able to identify the owners."

Kim Krohn of the Sho-Me State American Pit Bull Terrier Club says the breed is like any other dog if owners handle them responsibly.

"This is irresponsible people," she said. "It is not the fault of the dog."

She said it appeared a "pack mentality" had taken over with the dogs, and that the city's dog ordinance was being violated. The city does not allow one home to have more than two dogs.

"You have to remember they're animals and treat them accordingly," Krohn said.

But Anita Dixon said she believes following these recent pit bull attacks, something must be done to prevent others from being injured in such a vicious way.

"They have to ban pit bulls. People do not have control over these dogs," she said. "These are vicious animals bred to be vicious killers, and that is what they were looking to do."

Andre Riley contributed to this report.

Reach Kelly Evenson at kelly.evenson@examiner.net or (816) 350-6371.

Reach Sarah Swedberg at sarah.swedberg@examiner.net or (816) 350-6323.

Paul R. Pi per, 43, and Tam my O. Young, 35, are being sought as persons of in terest. Police say the pair may have information that could help determine the origin and ownership of the dogs, which was still undetermined Friday night. No charges have been filed.

The wandering pack of pit bulls attacked Kevin L. Moore and Stephen Dixon, both of Independence, and Alan Hill of Lee's Summit in the area of 23rd Street and Kingshighway. One victim was walking along Kingshighway when he was attacked. The other two were mowing.

Moore is recovering and is expected to be all right, a relative told The Examiner. Dixon's injuries will require plastic surgery. Hill was the most seriously injured, and he was taken to Liberty Hospital in critical condition. His family has requested no information on his condition be released.

Police killed all three dogs after they were located in the 1300 block of Sea Avenue. Rabies test results were unknown as of Friday evening, police said.

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http://examiner.net/stories/050606/new_050606030.shtml

Two face questions in attack

By Andre Riley
The Examiner

Police are searching for two people who they say might know something about the dogs that mauled three men in a rampage in central Independence Thursday evening. Paul R. Pi per, 43, and Tam my O. Young, 35, are being sought as persons of in terest. Police say the pair may have information that could help determine the origin and ownership of the dogs, which was still undetermined Friday night. No charges have been filed.

The wandering pack of pit bulls attacked Kevin L. Moore and Stephen Dixon, both of Independence, and Alan Hill of Lee's Summit in the area of 23rd Street and Kingshighway. One victim was walking along Kingshighway when he was attacked. The other two were mowing.

Moore is recovering and is expected to be all right, a relative told The Examiner. Dixon's injuries will require plastic surgery. Hill was the most seriously injured, and he was taken to Liberty Hospital in critical condition. His family has requested no information on his condition be released.

Police killed all three dogs after they were located in the 1300 block of Sea Avenue. Rabies test results were unknown as of Friday evening, police said.

Police also searched a home Friday at 1503 E. Sea St., where police believe dogs were kept.

"We certainly found evidence of dogs there," said Tom Gentry, police spokesperson. "There was feces on the floor and the furniture was scratched up."

Examiner reporter Sarah Swedberg contributed to this report. Reach Andre Riley at andre.riley@examiner.net or (816) 350-6362.