For his birthdays, he encouraged family and friends to donate to fundraisers for the benefit of ASPCA and other animal rescue groups.
“She was an extraordinary soul,” says Jayne Petty, a 25-year-old friend. “He put his animals above all and called them his” four-legged children “.”
That’s why it’s so difficult for them to understand how Urso lost his life – torn to death by his mix of French bulldog in his home.
Urso, 52, was found unresponsive in the backyard of his home in Fox Lake, 55 miles northwest of Chicago on May 9.
“He had multiple dog bites and scratches all over his body, mainly on his legs, torso and arms,” said Dr. Howard Cooper at CNN.
“Clearly, she died from the injuries she received from the dog. There is no doubt about it.”
A final autopsy report is still pending.
The dogs who shared his home
Urso owned three male dogs: Blue, a two year old French bulldog weighing 55 kilos; Rocco, a 2 year old little French bulldog weighing 36 kilos; and Spike, a 15-year-old 25-pound mix collie. They have been found in good condition.
“There was no indication that this home was anything other than a typical pet home,” said Robin Van Sickle, director of the program at the Lake County animal care and control center.
Rocco and Spike will be renewed, while Blue was humanly euthanized on May 19th.
Accidents passed with Blue
Blue was known to the local police department and animal care and control center after two recent incidents.
Urso’s boyfriend Blue Bit at his home on April 13, forcing him to seek medical attention, Lake County Police Cmdr said. Dawn Deservi.
At the time, Blue was placed in a domestic quarantine to observe anger. Since the dog bitten Urso’s boyfriend again on April 21, during the family quarantine period, the dog has been put into “isolation” at the animal care and control center for 10 days.
During hospitalization, Blue showed no signs of aggression or behavior that would have caused concern, said Van Sickle.
Since the two stinging episodes occurred at home, there were no public safety concerns, so the center had no reason to detain Blue, he added.
At the end of the quarantine period, on April 30, Urso brought the dog home.
Blue weighed 55 pounds
“Many people think it was a very small dog and people don’t understand, this dog weighed 55 kilos,” said Cooper, the coroner.
“He’s still a sizeable dog.”
Initial news of a death caused by a French bulldog surprised staff at the animal control center, said Van Sickle.
“When he first came, we were like, no, it’s not possible. There is no way a French bulldog killed his owner. He probably died of natural causes, and [it] he tried to revive her, stimulate her to wake up. ”
“As a professional agency that has experienced really strange situations, we have had the same reactions and responses as everyone else,” said Van Sickle.
Race is not a risk factor in dog bite episodes
Although initially nicknamed a French bulldog, the Lake County animal care and control center subsequently updated Blue’s description of the breed into a mix of French bulldogs, considering the size of the dog.
According to the American Kennel Club, French bulldogs usually weigh less than 28 pounds.
Van Sickle warns against labeling specific breeds as aggressive.
“In the end, it was this single dog, or dogs, that caused this unfortunate scenario,” said Van Sickle. “Sometimes you get a bad apple, just like you do with people.”
At this point, the National Canine Research Council has told CNN that breed is not a risk factor when it comes to dog bite accidents and that breed identification is deeply unreliable unless documented with certification pedigree or DNA analysis.
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