Name: Jax
Victim: Pet
Location: Super 8 Hotel, Wyoming
Year of attack: 2022

Tell us about the attack

On Valentine’s Day, 2022, while a guest at the local Super 8, I opened the door to take my 4 lbs toy yorkie outside. I did not leash him: I never needed to. Baxter took off running down the hallway and was met halfway down by a 80 lbs grey pit bull male. His owner was at the other end of the building rounding a corner. The pit bull attacked my little dog. He pinned Baxter and went after him again when Baxter got away. It lasted minutes. The owner stated he heard Baxter bark and thought he should leash his pit bull but didn’t. Animal control admitted to having known the pit bull as aggressive in the past. The same pit bull owner has a female pit bull that is about to be put down for showing signs of aggressiveness. Pit bull broke Baxter’s back, punctured his lungs and heart, killing him. The hotel tried to cover it up and refused to refund my $.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
I loved my dog so very much. He was my sidekick. He went everywhere with me and did everything with me. If I ever left him with friends or family, he would get so depressed to the point of not eating because he missed me so much. I feel the same way now. He wasn’t just a dog. My dog was compassionate, loving, friendly, playful, a beautiful soul that everyone loved. He suffered and didn’t deserve that. He was my support. My #1. He is deeply missed.

The brutal mauling has left me devastated. I have horrible flashbacks and nightmares.

I was waiting on a home inspection to buy a house when were at the hotel. The new home has two large pit bulls on one side, another pit bull puppy to the other side and another adult pit bull 2 houses down. I panic whenever I see them now.

Legal Consequences
There were no legal consequences for the pit bull. Per the animal control person “neither of us had our pets leashed.” I accepted my responsibility for that huge error and even asked to be cited, which I was told wasn’t necessary. I am seeking civil damages, however. After looking up local laws, the pit bull should have been muzzled AND leashed, or in an enclosure. Also the animal wasn’t supposed to be in the hotel at all. He had been snuck in and the owner acknowledged a need to leash but didn’t and knowingly brought an aggressive animal into a public place unleashed. Baxter did run down the hall towards them, but that pit bull met him halfway down the hallway. The owner had to run up to them. He also lied to authorities stating he had his pit bull leashed.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Pit bulls were bred to kill other dogs. It’s in their DNA. These animals are dangerous and unpredictable. My little dog may have not been leashed but it wouldn’t have mattered. That pit bull would have attacked anyways.  This man couldn’t control his animal at all. He knew it was aggressive. He has another pit bull that is aggressive as well, and it will be euthanized. Knowing what he knew, he still took this pit bull into public unleashed and was only worried about being sued. I don’t want to be scared of these animals but I am. I’m terrified. This sort of thing will happen again and again and again. How many pets and people have to be seriously injured or killed before something is done about pit bulls?