ALABAMA -- Anthony DeLoney's family discovered a pit bull in their backyard mingling with their pit bulls Wednesday afternoon on Sixth Avenue Southwest in Decatur. His 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, and the dog's owner tried to walk him home. The dog turned on the girl and her father went to save her.
"I grabbed his mouth to get her off of her arm. Then he just started coming at me. I was just hitting him with my fist. About eight times I hit him. The last time, my arm got tired, That's how he got a hold of me," said DeLoney.
The dog bit DeLoney's hand and arm several times. He received nearly 50 stitches to close his wounds.
Decatur Police Officers arrived and put the dog down.
"The father had the dog on the ground, told the officer he wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer. He then turned the dog loose, and when he did, the officer shot and killed the dog," said Decatur Police Spokesperson Lt. John Crouch.
A Decatur Animal Services officer said the dog's remains came back negative for rabies.
Animal Services Director Carol Wick said warmer temperatures this winter seems to have female dogs going into heat earlier than usual. She said the pit bull was likely looking for a mate, and when he was interrupted, he became aggressive.
"This particular dog was behaving probably totally normally," Wicks said. "We've had several reports of male dogs being loose and going after female dogs in heat. And we want to remind people to please spay and neuter your pets. They make for much safer pets."
[Oh yes, this is why the dog attacked him. Because it was PROBABLY looking for a mate. What an apologist!]
Decatur Police investigators said there are no charges for the dog's owner because the animal had no history of problems and appeared to have escaped from behind a fence.
(WAFF - Dec 22, 2011)
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