NEW HAMPSHIRE -- A city man faces charges after his two dogs, running loose, attacked other dogs in Rollins Park and a nearby yard in the South End, inflicting life-threatening injuries on one dog.
Scott Lewis, 43, a former police officer who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Army Reserve, told the owner of one seriously injured dog that his dogs had escaped from his yard because of a faulty gate latch.
Police say Lewis has been cited before for issues involving the dogs, an American pitbull terrier and an American Staffordshire terrier.
Douglas Dow said his Lab/hound mix “Izzy” sustained nearly fatal wounds. He stopped the attack only by pounding repeatedly and hard on the heads of the attacking dogs.
Dow nearly broke his hand in the process and was bitten a number of times himself, he said.
One of Izzy's rear paws was nearly severed, her chest was torn open and her neck and the rest of her body have numerous bite marks, the dog's owner said. But after being treated at the Russell Animal Hospital, the nearly 2-year-old dog is recovering.
On Thursday afternoon, Izzy was back home and lying at Dow's feet, he said. The family is optimistic about her recovery, but because of the leg injury Izzy may never walk again normally, he said.
Dow was asleep and his wife and two children were preparing for school when Lewis' two dogs attacked Izzy about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, he said.
“We heard the savage attack,” said Dow. He heard Izzy's cries and raced to help. Dow said his children were traumatized by the incident and his 12-year-old son ran upstairs to get a BB gun.
“They would have killed her. They were trying to,” Dow said of the attacking dogs. “It was horrendous.”
Dow ran outside in his underwear to save Izzy.
“I attacked the pitbulls,” he said. “I scared the little one.”
Then he focused on the bigger dog, which had Izzy's neck in its mouth.
He said the pair didn't go after the family's second dog, a Lab/pitbull mix.
Another dog was also reportedly attacked near Rollins Park about the same time. Concord Police Lt. Keith Mitchell said a woman walking her dog about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday reported her dog was attacked by two pitbulls.
She intervened and her dog escaped with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries, police said.
Police seized Lewis' dogs; they are at the SPCA for observation and quarantine.
Dow said: “I have to say I feel bad for the (Lewis) family.”
Lewis was served Thursday with two summonses for dogs found at large and four summonses for dog bites, attacks or preys on domestic animals, Mitchell said.
Lewis is scheduled to appear Monday in Circuit Court (6th Circuit).
(Union Leader - Oct 28, 2011)