OHIO -- A near East Side commissioner says her neighbor's pit bull attacked her dog. The city prosecutor says gathering evidence is imperative to getting results after a dog-on-dog attack.
Halfway through the summer, Lucky lived up to his name. Lucky is a miniature Doberman.
His owner, Annette Whiteside, said he was attacked by a neighbor's pit bull while two other pit bulls stood nearby, barking.
Whiteside said she believes the barking dogs were trying to jump a fence to get at Lucky, too.
"I'm telling you, when something like that happens to your dog, you go into a mode like he's your child," said Whiteside while she points out Lucky's injuries.
Lucky has recovered after two vet visits. His first visit cost more than $100.
Whiteside, a near East Side commissioner, said she fought back against the attack.
"I was able to mace the dog in the eye a little bit. Now, because if I wouldn't have maced him, I think he would have probably tore my dog up and attacked me," Whiteside explained.
What happened apparently is fairly common.
Franklin County Animal Control runs on calls of the same type almost daily during the summer.
And like most people, Whiteside said she's disappointed that basically nothing happened to the dog.
"We can't just willy-nilly go and take people's property, and a dog is legally property," said Assistant City Prosecutor Bill Hedrick.
Hedrick is aware that dog-on-dog attacks are common this time of year.
He said getting results is possible but the owner of the attacked dog has to gather as much evidence as possible, including pictures and witnesses.
"They often think, 'Well, I called animal control. That took care of the situation. It doesn't always take care of the situation, and you also have to have the evidence to go to the prosecutor's office to file those additional charges."
In Whiteside’s neighborhood there still are three dogs at the home where her dog was attacked.
The owner wasn't home Tuesday when NBC4 knocked.
Whiteside said the dogs worry her.
She said she told the owner that his dogs don't seem friendly and they seemingly want to get over the fence.
(NBC4I - August 22, 2011)
