Pit Bull

With 2011 drawing to a close, The Herald-Mail took a look back at some of the stories the newspaper published during the year. We will follow up on some of those stories each day through Saturday to provide a glimpse of what happened next.   Fire shuts down historic pipe organ factory The story: A fire damaged a section of a historic building at 403 N. Prospect St. in Hagerstown that housed the Eastern Organ Pipes factory. The update: The building has been condemned, and Eastern Organ Pipes has gone out of business.

Terry Porter's dog had bite wounds on its throat, ears and legs when its lifeless body was found in the snow last February. Porter said Buddy, a 6-year-old black Labrador retriever, was stalked and killed Feb. 22 by three pit bulls who lived near his Mills Road home on the outskirts of Sharpsburg. "The paw prints ... They were circling him," Porter said shortly after the attack. "The more a dog attacks, the more brazen they get. It's only a matter of time before they go after a human.

The Washington County Animal Control Authority heard appeals Thursday night from the owners of four dogs deemed vicious and dangerous or potentially vicious and dangerous based on reports that they had attacked other people's pets. In one case, the authority, a five-member board charged with hearing animal-control cases, dropped the vicious and dangerous designation for a pit bull accused of biting a boxer puppy on May 23. Authority members said there was not enough evidence the accused pit bull was the one from the attack.

The massive, clear tube into which 6-year-old Brooke Boyd and her mother, Melissa Boyd, were slowly wheeled looked like something out of a science-fiction movie or, as Brooke described it, "a spaceship. " Brooke spent 24 two-hour sessions in that hyperbaric chamber since April 16, when a neighbor's pit bull detached half of her nose. On the day of the accident, Brooke and her brother, 8-year-old Tyler Boyd, went to visit their friend next door. Brooke said she knocked on the door and was told she could come in. She opened the door just a crack and the dog attacked.

A pit bull involved in an a vicious May attack on sheep at a Funkstown farm should be euthanized, the Washington County Animal Control Authority ruled Thursday night. The dog, Isabella, was one of two pit bulls witnesses said they saw at Joseph Frey’s farm at 116 Old National Pike the morning of May 15, when Frey found six of his sheep dead and 14 others injured. Eight of the wounded sheep had to be euthanized because of the extent of their injuries, and the remaining six are recovering, Frey said Thursday.

“Seems awful funny that Berkeley County can reuse their vacant buildings for police officers, to relocate their EMS and all this stuff, and their 911 calls, and make room in buildings that exist, but we gotta try to build everything brand-new in Washington County, when we’re broke. And they have a surplus over there. Maybe it’s because they are using all their older stuff instead of building new.” — Clear Spring “I took my lovely dog, who has since passed away, everywhere they allowed with me, because I loved his company more than I did some people.

Two pit bulls killed several sheep at a Funkstown-area farm over the weekend, Maryland State Police said. The dogs are believed to be family owned and not strays, according to a state police news release. Police were called to the farm at 116 Old National Pike shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday after the farm’s owner, Joseph Frey, arrived to tend to the farm and was confronted by two large pit bulls, which chased him into a barn, police said. Frey was able to shut the barn door and keep the dogs from entering, but discovered several sheep in the barn who had been attacked and mauled during the night, police said.

The following animals recently were found and taken to the Humane Society of Washington County. If you think your pet is among those listed, you may visit the Humane Society of Washington County at 13011 Maugansville Road. These animals might be made available for adoption after five days. Call 301-733-2060 for more information. Cats Adult DSH, female, black and gray, found on Bethlehem Court in Hagerstown Adult DSH, female, gray and white, found on Bakersville Road in Sharpsburg Adult DMH, female, black and brown, found on Howell Road in Hagerstown Dogs Young chow chow, female, black, found on Burnside Bridge Road in Sharpsburg Adult pit bull terrier, male, black and rust, found on Salem Avenue in Hagerstown Young pit bull, female, black and white, found on Broadfording Road in Hagerstown