Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Old dog

Aged, blind, deaf dog slaughtered in its own yard by pit bull

Name: Michele S.
Victim: Pet
Location: Own yard, Massachusetts
Year of attack: 1998

Tell us about the attack

I was in the backyard the week before Christmas in 1998 with my elderly dog, Sisly. She was an 11 lb. (5 kg) Pomapoo. Mostly blind and deaf, she was enjoying the snowflakes landing on her face. Out of nowhere a small, black pit bull came running and grabbed her before I even knew what was happening. I remember pounding on the pit bull and it felt like solid rock.

It was 4:00 am and my screams woke up the entire neighborhood.  The police came from four different towns because people thought I was being murdered. The pit bull was gone by the time they arrived.

To make a long story short, it killed her right in front of me.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?

I’ve had two dogs since my Sisly and am prepared now for anything. I would not live through that again. I’m prepared now to do what ever it takes to protect another pet or person from pit bulls.

Legal Consequences
None. No pit bull or owner was ever found.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
While it’s true that any type of dog can be vicious, not every type of dog is capable of turning viciousness into a killing act. I believe with pits especially there’s a ‘trigger’ in some of them that’s a ticking time bomb: no matter how well they are raised and taken care of.

Since Sisly’s slaughter in her own backyard, the frequency of pit bull attacks has gotten worse and worse. 20 years ago you didn’t hear these stories every other day.

Pit bulls are too unpredictable and inherently dangerous. There should be a ban on them.

Pomeranian puppy mauled by pit bull in dog park

Pomeranian puppy mauled by pit bull

Name: AB
Victim: Adult, Pet
Location: Dog park, Massachusetts
Year of attack: 2020

Tell us about the attack

I brought a 9-month-old, 10 pound Pomeranian puppy to a dog park where a pit bull/lab mix descended on him and latched onto him. His owners were unable to pry him off and despite multiple people trying to pull his jaw open, he stayed latched on. I managed to get my fingers in between his incisors to prevent fatal injuries, but my dog still sustained substantial injuries and I had to go to emergency care for treatment on my hand.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls may be sweet to their owners, but when they decide to attack/latch on to something, there’s very little anyone can do at that moment. Their jaw strength is deadly. No matter how “friendly” someone says their pit bull is, it’s the pit bull itself who decides whether it wants to be friendly and who it wants to be friendly to.

 

Pit bulls terrorize suburban neighborhood

Pit bulls terrorize suburban neighborhood

Name: Cynthia
Victim: Pet
Location: front yard, Massachusetts
Year of attack: 2020

Tell us about the attack
Two loose pit bulls charged out of a wooded area and circled me with my horse as I rode down my street. Upon returning home, while trying to alert my family including elderly parents and young nephews who were waiting outside in my yard, the pit bulls stopped circling the horse and ran straight for the 4 family dogs (2 Welsh corgis, one golden retriever and one black lab). Before the humans and animals could be rushed inside to safety, the two pit bulls attacked the black lab, latched onto and bit his hind leg. The police were called and the pit bulls were trapped in a nearby fenced horse paddock. The pit bull owners were out of town and the dog sitter had not noticed their escape. The black lab was transported to emergency vet for treatment and the pit bulls were ordered to quarantine.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I was convinced these pit bulls would attack me and the horse as we traveled down the street. They circled us and I was fearful for them to attack me at any moment. They bit at the horse’s hind legs and when I tried kicking them away, they didn’t care. This is an event I won’t soon forget. The police department was not cooperative (these attacks are not common in my town) and they said we don’t have any power to do anything as there is no leash law. I discovered where the pit bulls lived only by knocking on doors in my neighborhood. One neighbor told me these pit bulls had chewed a bumper off his car while they were trying to get at a rodent that had made its way into the engine area. I am now afraid these pit bulls will return since they know where my animals live and my other dogs, family and horses.

Legal Consequences
The owner tells me she will pay my $1,000 vet bill but I still have not seen the police report I requested. I will write to my local paper and explain the incident to get attention if she doesn’t relocate the pit bulls. I will also need to take her to court if she doesn’t pay the vet bill. My dog is traumatized from this experience and I can no longer feel safe allowing him outside within his own invisible-fenced yard.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls are not family pets and have no place in suburban neighborhoods.

Unprovoked pit bull attack upon 64-year-old woman picking up the mail

Unprovoked pit bull attack upon 64-year-old woman picking up the mail

Name: DS
Victim: Adult
Location: While victim was taking a walk in the street to retrieve mail, Massachusetts
Year of attack: 2020

Tell us about the attack
My 64 year old mother was visiting and decided to walk down the road to our mailbox (private drive so the mailbox was on the public way). As she was walking by our home, our neighbor let her dogs out (off leash). They immediately ran to my mother barking and without stopping the pit mix lunged and ragdolled my mother’s leg and bit her knee. The neighbor called the dogs off, saw how much blood there was and immediately drove her to the local urgent care, which sent her to the ER because her injuries were too severe. Just 45 minutes earlier she had been taking my child (2 years old) for a walk in that exact spot. The ER physician said her injuries would have killed my child. A professional specializing in aggressive dogs classified the bites as Level 5 on the Dunbar scale, warranting euthanasia.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
Our neighbors refused to get rid of the pit bull, claiming “its not like he mauled your mother.” It was beyond traumatizing. We stopped speaking with them after they allowed their teen to walk the pit bull past our house on a 30 ft double lead w/ their other 90lb dog, no muzzle, no leverage over the dogs, no adult. For 2 months I did not take my child in our own yard to play because this pit bull was right across the street and I didn’t trust, on the basis of their statements being clearly in denial and history letting their dogs off leash, that they wouldn’t slip up and let it happen again. We ultimately moved away when 5 months later my husband was offered a job out of state. Very traumatizing. Ruined our enjoyment of our property and our relationship with our neighbors.

Legal Consequences
Owners fined. That was it. Absolutely shocking. Animal control said their hands were tied because prior bite victims on our street didn’t report. Not even a muzzle order – they initially refused to even look at photos of my mother’s injuries! The police were demeaning to me when I inquired about pressing charges against the owners since they knew of prior bites and let the pit bull off leash anyway. They told me to ‘seek mental help’ because I was crying realizing my irresponsible neighbors who didn’t believe their pit bull was dangerous were all that stood between us & another attack. We got a professional opinion it would happen again; it made no difference. My parents got a lawyer to complain to our town for a more severe punishment but with COVID the required hearing never happened.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
To pay attention to concerning behavior in dogs before it escalates, and report dog bites or other aggression to ensure public record accurately reflects the dog’s history in the event of a more serious incident. This pit bull always exhibited aggression and was often off leash *in our yard* yet we never said anything cause we didn’t want to be mean neighbors. Then the other 2 bite victims on our street didn’t report their minor incidents. Then my 64 year old limping mother was severely attacked on an unprovoked basis in the street just walking to get mail. Absolutely no consequences because nobody had the courage to report before – and our neighbors were shocked like this came out of nowhere. Our lives changed in an instant. 45 minutes earlier and that could have been my toddler dead.