Colorado Grandmother and 12-Year Old Boy Viciously Attacked By Pit Bulls

It's a troubling story that is all too familiar.

A 12-year-old Colorado boy and his 89-year-old grandmother were hospitalized after being attacked by a pair of pit bulls Wednesday in Golden.

Critically Injured Boy Escapes Attack To Call For Help

According to the Golden Police Department, despite his injuries, the boy was able to get away and call for help. When police arrived, they found the dogs attacking the grandmother in the backyard. Officers used Tasers and less-lethal shotguns to try and get the dogs away from the woman but were unsuccessful in their efforts until additional officers arrived.

The woman reportedly suffered critical injuries, and the boy was eventually air-lifted to Children's Hospital. Police say the dogs are contained and not a threat to the public.

Pit Bulls Are Responsible For 68% of All Dog Attacks

Pit bull attacks are nothing new. According to Time, pit bulls account for 6% of the dog population in the U.S. but are responsible for 68% of all dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982. Statistics indicate one person is killed by a pit bull every 15 days in America.

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You Can't Argue With Facts

While most pit bulls may live out their entire life without attacking or hurting anyone, there is a valid reason why pit bulls have a reputation. Look at these facts reported by NationalPitBullVictim Awareness.org. In the first 9 months of 2020:

• pit bulls killed 31 people in the U.S. and Canada
• on average, pit bulls killed someone every 9 days
• 16 people were killed by their own family pit bulls
• pit bulls killed 13 seniors, including two people in wheelchairs
• pit bulls killed 10 children
• pit bulls killed 8 children under two years old, including an infant asleep in a playpen

Denver Ended Pit Bull Ban In 2021

Nearly 1,000 U.S. cities have pit bull bans or breed-specific legislation, according to banpitbulls.org. For a long time, Denver was on that list, but in 2021 ended the ban on pit bulls after 31 years.

Pit Bull Owners Need to Be Prudent and Cautious

I'm not suggesting a ban on pit bulls in Colorado, but pit bull owners absolutely must recognize there is a certain amount of risk that comes with owning one of these dogs. Personally, I would never have these dogs around children or the elderly given the history of the breed. Pit bull owners need to be cautious and prudent in keeping their families and strangers safe. Chances are nothing bad will happen, but, history shows something bad will happen sometime, somewhere.