It happened Thursday afternoon in the 700 block of 9th Street in Roanoke.
Thomas Rakosky told Roanoke Police that he was walking his Border Collie on the sidewalk when he passed Steve Butler's home on Elm Avenue.
Two of Butler's pit bulls escaped from the yard and went up to Rakosky.
“I got a hold of them and I asked the people if they were alright and they kept coming toward me with their dog while I'm holding my dogs back," says Butler, "Well, next my other dog got out."
Butler believes the 2-year-old pit bull named Boss was protecting his owner and that's why he escaped.
Roanoke Police say Rakosky was attacked by the dog and started hitting the pit bull in self defense.
“So I'm telling him to quit beating on my dog I'll get the dog off his dog but he kept on and that just infuriates the dog more,” Butler says.
Police say the pit bull was beaten to death. The dog's body laid on the back porch Friday afternoon. Butler buried the dog later that day.
Butler and his fiancée Anne Singleton defend the dogs.
Butler says pit bulls have a bad reputation and maybe that scared Rakosky. Butler says after this incident the family may move away from 9th street.
Police say Rakosky and his Border Collie were not seriously injured. Rakosky was cited for not having a current license and rabies tag for his dog.
[What about citations for Butler and his pit bulls running loose? What about all those pit bulls on his property? Do they have city licenses and current rabies vaccinations?
Something about this story is odd. The pit owner is right there where his pit bull is attacking the Border Collie and yet somehow his pit bull gets beaten to death by the Border Collie owner? How does that happen? Why couldn't he simply pull his pit bull off the collie? If he loved his dog so much, why would he stand there and let a stranger beat it to death? I think this guy and the owner of the Border Collie BOTH beat the pit bull to death because they couldn't get it to stop attacking the victim dog.]
(WDBJ - August 19, 2011)
