Tag Archives: Ohio

Pug

Pug victim of unprovoked explosive attack by two pit bulls

Name: Morgan McFarlin
Victim: Adult, Pet
Location: Walking in my neighborhood, Ohio
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

I was walking my elderly pug near in the condo community where I live. Moments later, a tan pit bull was within inches of my pug’s small head. By the time I was on the ground, extending my left arm to separate the pit bull’s head from that of my pug, the tan pit had already attempted its first bite. For 45 long and agonizing seconds, the pit bull sprang up, teeth gnashing, with repeated attempts to bite my dog and biting my arm instead. Despite the pit bull’s owner being a large male, he was unable to gain control of the enraged pit bull. A second pit bull entered the scene and the attack directed towards my pug continued. The owners were unable to gain control of the pits, with the pits continuing to break out of the choke holds. In the end, my coat was torn, my left arm bitten, but the pug physically unscathed. I saved my pug but this was hell.

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

I previously had a misconception of pit bulls, believing them to only be aggressive towards people or pets that posed a threat. I am now acutely aware of their attack potential and their aggressive demeanor.

I am now entirely unable to feel at peace outside the confines of my own home, especially when I have to take Evie (the pug) outside to use the bathroom. I am fearful for myself, my pet, and the many other people and pets that live (and also walk) in this community. This was an unprovoked and explosive attack, and I fear that I will not again feel the peace and comfort that I previously did, while taking my dog on a post work, evening walk. I cannot put into words the degree of terror and helplessness I felt, knowing that I was fighting for the life of my beloved pug, and quite possibly my own life as well.

Legal Consequences
The police were called and a report filed promptly after the attack. The owners of the tan and grey pit bulls would not answer the door for the police. They provided me with the full name of the owners, which I then used to contact Animal Control. An officer came to my home and took pictures, my victim statement, and then charged the owner with having one “dangerous” and one “nuisance” dog. Failure to control, failure to restrain, and failure to register the pit bulls were also cited. The pit that bit me is being quarantined for 10 days.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Beware of this breed. Beware of their potential to inflict catastrophic damage, and by God, if you have one, ensure that they are adequately restrained at all times! I now believe firmly that legislation to ensure the safety of the general public through breed specific legislation is imperative.

Nature trail

Fourth of July pit bull attack destroys nature trail peace forever

Name: Walt
Victim: Pet
Location: Nature path along Olentangy River, Franklin County, Ohio
Year of attack: 4th July 2022

Tell us about the attack

On the 4th of July, I was enjoying a holiday walk on a nature path along the Olentangy River with my two leashed dogs, one small 18 lbs. and the other 40 lbs. We came across some people with two unleashed dogs, one of which was a 100 lb. pit bull.

The pit bull immediately launched an unprovoked attack on my larger leashed dog, pinning it to the ground by the throat and harness. One young man grabbed the pit bull’s collar and tried to restrain the pit. My dog was screaming. I yelled “He’s killing her!” but the owners could not control their pit bull. After no relief from the efforts of the owners, I reached my hand over the pit bull’s face and covered its nostrils hoping to get it to release its grip on my dog’s neck. My attempt to have the pit bull release my dog that way failed. But eventually the pit bull lost its grip when my dog slipped out of its harness to escape, and my dogs quickly ran away up the path.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I am a 77-year-old male who has always been trusting of the safety of my dogs and myself while walking in the area of my neighborhood. Now, I have been robbed of that knowing that pit bulls are everywhere, even here. I will NEVER again have the pleasure of a relaxing walk in the woods. I will ALWAYS carry bear spray or weapon to defend myself and my pets. Fortunately, my dogs miraculously escaped, and after a bath and treatment of wounds with hydrogen peroxide there appears to be no permanent injury.

Legal Consequences
Unfortunately I had no opportunity to get the owners or attacking dog’s names, having to run to catch up to my dogs. Nor did they make an effort to follow us on the trail to make sure my dog was okay. As yet I have made no formal report to police. It has been 16 hours since the attack.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Be aware of the menace that pit bulls can be when uncontrolled. Carry a defence against them.

Pit bull

Babysitter’s pit bull mauls boy

Name: T.P.
Victim: Child
Location: Babysitters, Ohio
Year of attack: 2021

Tell us about the attack

My son Liam is now 6. He was mauled by a pit when he was 5 years old.

The babysitter failed to tell me that she had a pit bull.

The pit bull had previously attacked two other children. Despite this, the babysitter and her husband decided to introduce Liam to the pit bull after I left.

I’m told it then pounced on Liam and ate him alive. The pit bull owners let my son lay there in blood and feces for an hour and didn’t even call 911. They let him lay there. Screaming and crying: scared.

Liam had severe lacerations, a broken jaw, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed. He required plastic surgery and tear duct repair. He now he has trauma-induced epilepsy as a result of the attack: he has 50-200 seizures a day sometimes. He is considered  permanently disabled.  

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
My life will never be the same, neither will his; or his siblings. We are terrified of dogs now. Myself, and Liam have been diagnosed with PTSD. Liam is on epilepsy medication and will forever deal with the consequences of their stupidity.

Legal Consequences

The registered owner of the pit bull was the babysitter’s husband. He was charged only with misdemeanor child endangerment. His wife, the actual babysitter, faced no charges at all.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
DO NOT TRUST PIT BULLS. Don’t risk something like this! It’s definitely not how you raise them either! I’m pretty certain this pit bull wasn’t “trained or raised” to eat children!

Pit bull

A pit bull ate my daughter’s nose in unprovoked attack

Name: Brandy Watson
Victim: Child
Location: On our porch, Ohio
Year of attack: 2019

Tell us about the attack

In 2019, my 11-year-old daughter was attacked by a pit bull. My husband, my daughters, 1 of my husband’s cousin’s kids and I were all on my porch. The pit bull came over from a neighbor’s place and attacked my daughter for no reason with no provocation or warning.

She had 2 bites on her stomach, 1 bite on right hand, 2 bites to her face. The one bite on her face was the worst. The pit bull ate a chunk of her nose. She was lucky she was wearing her glasses. If she wasn’t she would have lost an eye that day.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
My daughter is still terrified of dogs. She gets stomach aches and sweating when they get near her.

Legal Consequences

After two-and-a-half years, we finally won a $300,000 lawsuit.

The pit bull owner, who was 18 years old at the time, didn’t want to put the pit bull down but her parents made her. But now, she owns two more pit bulls.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
While in theory it might be true that any dog can bite, pit bulls are way by far the most likely to, and are aggressively violent when they do.

The pit bull ate half my face

Pit bull severely mauls child in face and shoulder

Name: VB
Victim: Child
Location: Neighbor’s front yard, Ohio
Year of attack: 2002

Tell us about the attack

One morning me and my family were eating breakfast together. It was a normal day. I was 5, my sister was 6, and we were friends with a neighborhood boy. We wanted to go see if he wanted to play. So after we finished our breakfast, we went to his house and knocked on his door to see if he could come out. Little did we know this day would change our lives forever.

We knocked on the door, and when it opened, a huge pit bull came running out and tackled me and knocked me to the ground. I thought the pit bull was licking me but little did I know it had eaten part of my face off. My sister tried to pull it off me but it bit her on the arm then went back to eating my face. It felt like I was on the ground forever before someone got the pit bull off me. I remember standing up and having half of my face hanging.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I have very bad PTSD. I get nightmares about it still and I’m now 24. It changed my life forever. Anytime I see a pit bull I freeze up in fear, horrified it will happen to me again. I don’t think I’ve actually been able to get a good night’s rest. And sometimes the scars hurt. I’m trying to get over my fear.

Legal Consequences
Fined and the pit bull was put to sleep.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
I had to get reconstructive surgery on my face and shoulder. I am reminded of the attack every time I look in the mirror or when someone sees my shoulder.

The pit cannot be loved or socialized out of pit bulls

The pit cannot be loved or socialized out of pit bulls

Name: Penny S.
Victim: Pet
Location: My front yard, Ohio
Year of attack: 2015

Tell us about the attack
All of my animals are rescues, a motley bunch. I adopted Pea when he was 9, a senior toy poodle. He came in and took over. He was the smallest and oldest, but that didn’t matter, he was in charge. My neighbor had a pit bull that wanted to fight my son’s lab, Pea’s accepted pack member. One morning I was filling the birdbath in the backyard, when the dogs took off around the side of the house, barking. Thinking they were going to chase a cat into the woods, I followed. As I came around the corner, I heard an animal shriek. The neighbor’s pit bull was shaking Pea by the front leg. Pea had jumped between the lab and the pit, to save his pack member. When the pit bull saw me, he dropped Pea and ran. Pea survived, with a broken jaw and radial leg fracture. Still pack leader, he was 14 then.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I am very vigilant in restricting pit bulls on my property. I’ve lost friends who believe I’m a dog racist. I had a tenant who had an illegal pit bull, I made him get rid of it. He posted my name and address online, I received death threats and worse, had to get the sheriff. I’ll never stop speaking out against bully breeds, no matter what happens.

Legal Consequences
The pit bull was gone by the time I got home from the emergency vet, it was a Sunday. They thought I’d demand it be put down. They did pay the vet bill, over time. They moved later, and I heard they took the pit bull back. It had a habit of running away (not neutered), and even though they lived 15 miles away, the pit bull showed up here once. The pit owner came and got it, but eventually it disappeared for good.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls are not like other dogs. They want to fight, no matter how loving they appear. They are dangerous because they look like other dogs. They are unstable. Most times the animal or person they go after is their owner or a member of their owner’s family. This cannot be loved or socialized out of them. They select their victim, and that’s it.

Horse attacked by pit bull on trail

Horse attacked by pit bull on trail

Name: Carol Miller
Victim: Adult, Pet
Location: City park horse trail, Ohio
Year of attack: 2007

Tell us about the attack

The attack upon Blue, my horse, lasted 20 minutes and covered a mile. It was terminated by direct Park Ranger action. The attack was witnessed by hundreds of horrified park patrons.

The early part of our story was covered by a sympathetic blogger. Here is a link. http://17barks.blogspot.com/2011/10/story-of-blue.html

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
Thirteen years after the attack the horse still has flashbacks and he is no longer sound. He is pretty much retired and a big, expensive pet. This is a huge waste, as he was a lovely and very talented six-year-old at the time of the attack. Blue was never able to be shown. He lives because none of this was his fault and he did not deserve to die.

I required major surgery to control my pain. Nobody can predict how long the pain control may last. Possibly the rest of my life, possibly not past tomorrow. I still have flashbacks from time to time as well. Pit bull attack victims don’t get their peaceful lives back.

Legal Consequences
There was an attempt to bring the pit bull into a densely populated suburb under falsified state documents, into a rental property, directly across the street from a school, and uninsured by claiming that the pit bull was suddenly a different breed. Local animal control was warned and the pit bull was ordered out of town. The pit bull owners sent the pit bull out of town, possibly out of state. She rode the Pit Bull Express to some other community putting innocent people at risk.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bull attacks happen everywhere and anytime. No animal is too big to be safe from a pit bull attack. Attacks upon horses are as common as dirt and without immediate human intervention, a confined horse will die every time. Blue did not die because he had the opportunity to run.