The pit bull was euthanized Monday at the direction of its owner, said Capt. Michael Wahl, director of the Montgomery County Police Animal Services Division.
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Greg Hoffmaster sits with the three dogs that were
attacked by a pit bull in Germantown on April 25:
Shana, the Italian Greyhound, and bichon frises Magic on
his lap and Maisy at his shoulder. Magic was
severely injured in the attack. The other dogs escaped injury.
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Beverly Hoffmaster was walking her two Bichon Frises and a friend's Italian Greyhound near her home in the 11500 block of Scottsbury Terrace in the Stratford Knolls neighborhood around 7 p.m. April 25 when a female pit bull ran from its owner's property on Scottsbury Terrace and attacked one of the bichons, Capt. Wahl said.
The Bichon, named Magic, was pinned to the ground and severely injured, he said.
"It happened very quickly," Wahl said.
The pit bull then turned to attack the Italian greyhound, said Greg Hoffmaster, Beverly's husband.
The breed, a smaller version of a standard greyhound, is only 13 to 15 inches tall and weighs an average of 10 pounds, according to the Italian Greyhound Club, but it is a fast runner, just like a standard greyhound. Beverly Hoffmaster let go of the leash and the dog, named Shana, ran home.
The pit bull then turned to the other Bichon, Maisy. Hoffmaster was able to scoop Maisy up in her arms and out of harm's way.
Hoffmaster screamed for help throughout the attack. Neighbors came out and helped her get her dogs home, her husband said.
She rushed 11-year-old Magic to the closest animal emergency room, VCA Hospital in Gaithersburg. The dog's stomach had been ripped open and his esophagus injured, Greg Hoffmaster said. After four hours of surgery, doctors were not sure until Friday that he would survive.
A bichon frise weighs 7 to 12 pounds and is 9 to 12 inches tall, according to dogbreedinfocenter.com.
"He's a tough guy," Greg Hoffmaster said of Magic. "We always thought he'd make it."
The veterinary bill is about $12,000, he said
Animal Services officers issued several citations to the owner of the pit bull, Wahl said. Richard Dorsey of the 11500 block of Scottsburg Terrace was issued a $100 citation for allowing a dangerous dog to be at large and a $500 citation for allowing the dog to engage in unwanted contact. He was also issued a $100 citation for failing to obtain a license for the dog and a $500 citation for failing to provide proof of a current rabies vaccination, Wahl said.
Dorsey could not be reached for comment.
Police also declared the pit bull potentially dangerous, he said. For a first offense, a dog declared potentially dangerous is only permitted off the owner's property on a leash held by someone at least 18 years old, Wahl said. It must be muzzled whenever it is off the property. A second offense would probably have resulted in an order to euthanize the dog, he said.
"We never knew there was a pit bull in the neighborhood until after the attack," Greg Hoffmaster said.
Other recent dog attacks
The owner of a pit bull charged with attacking and seriously injuring a Lhasa apsa-poodle mix near Waters Landing Elementary School in Germantown on March 14, Julia Waters-Koroma of the 20300 block of Thunderhead Way in Germantown, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to contest citations for having an unlicensed dog, allowing the dog to be at large and for allowing it to engage in unwanted contact.
Joseph Martin of the 18600 block of Tarragon Way received similar citations for his pit bull mixed breed's fatal attack on a miniature pinscher in the Cinnamon Woods neighborhood in mid-February
(The Gazette - May 4, 2011)
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