CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Recent pit bull attacks are putting neighbors on alert this Memorial Day weekend.
On Sunday, a 5-year-old girl was hospitalized after she was attacked by a family pit bull on Burke Circle in Mooresville.
The latest attacks are fueling a debate over whether certain breeds should be regulated in North Carolina.
NBC Charlotte found about 1,300 dog bites reported just last year in Mecklenburg County, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control. Those numbers are not breed specific, but it’s something to keep in mind as you make outdoor plans.
Earlier this month, two pit bulls targeted a Gaston County woman and her cat near Fite Road and Old NC 273, less than a mile away from Belmont Abbey College. Neighbors in the Gaston County incident say the two dogs had caused problems for months.
“They’re wild and they’re vicious,” one neighbor told NBC Charlotte.
NBC Charlotte obtained an email exchange of a concerned resident asking State Representative Rodney Moore about legislation to regulate specific dog breeds. Rep. Moore sponsored a similar bill in 2013 but he said it failed because of backlash from animal rights groups.
NBC Charlotte did some digging online and it appears only two North Carolina communities regulate breeds: Edenton and Lumberton.
In the latest case over the weekend, emergency crews say when they arrived at the scene, the pit bull continued acting aggressive and had to be subdued. Family members say the dog was a family pet that had not been aggressive in the past.