BEACHWOOD, NJ -- A local woman received 50 stitches to close a neck wound after she was attacked at feeding time last week by one of her three large dogs, a 160-pound bull mastiff, police said Monday.
The victim, Kelly Pierce, of Berkeley Avenue, was driven to the hospital by her fiance, Fredrick Grersch, of the same address, following the attack at 5:38 p.m. Wednesday by the dog, Guiness, according to Detective Sgt. Glen DeMarco.
Pierce was released from Community Memorial Medical Center in Toms River after the attack, but Guiness remained at the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility in Stafford under a 10-day quarantine, police said.
Pierce isn’t taking her dog back home because of the attack, police and animal-control officials said. If a home isn’t found in less than 10 days, Guiness will be euthanized, according to Mike SanJuan of A-Academy Animal Control in Howell and Manchester.
DeMarco said police responded at 10:12 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a dog attack and found Pierce had already been taken from her home to the hospital in a car. She told police she was feeding her dogs — two bull mastiffs and a great dane — when Guiness attacked.
She said her boyfriend was in the other room of their home when the attack happened and came to help when she screamed.
DeMarco said Guiness is seven years old and weighs more than 100 pounds. SanJuan said Guiness weighs between 160 to 170 pounds and has never attacked anyone before the Wednesday incident.
“He was a nice dog. He had nothing but a great temperment. He went right into our cage when someone brought him out on a leash and then he walked right out of the cage when we got to the humane society,” SanJuan said.
“In cases like this, there is a 10-day quarantine, and the owners are going to surrender the animal. The dog will be humanely euthanized, but usually someone will reach out to the rescue groups. The dog has no bite history or history of aggression at all.”
However, SanJuan said he doubted anyone would adopt the dog because of the one attack. He also did not believe any animal rescue groups would be able to take the dog because they are filled to capacity.
He said the last day of quarantine for Guiness is July 18.
(Asbury Park Press - July 12, 2011)
