TEXAS -- Two weeks ago we told you about a pit bull in Denison that was put down for killing a neighbor's Chihuahua. After seeing the story, a Van Alstyne woman told us a similar situation happened to her, but with a much different outcome.
The pit bull that attacked her and her dog was deemed dangerous, but it's now back with its owner in the victim's neighborhood. We spoke with the woman who says she feels like a prisoner in her own home.
"It was a Sunday morning and I was walking my dog over to my mothers house."
Jeri Tishmack was rounding this corner when she saw Luke, her neighbors pit bull, darting towards her.
"Before I could even get turned around the dog had jumped on my back."
Luckily her husband Jesse heard her cry.
"I just ran over there full tilt and luckily I was able to get the dog off of her."
Tishmack suffered bite wounds all over her body. The dog was quarantined. Judge Thomas Redwine gave the dog's owners two options, remove it from city limits or purchase liability insurance for several hundred dollars a month. They paid for the policy, and now Luke is back. Tishmack had never heard of dangerous dog insurance, but the city says this is all in the state's health and safety code.
"The judge can order the person to register the dangerous dog, restrain the dog, and on paying liability insurance in an amount of at least 100 thousand dollars."
"One of the main reasons Tishmack says she got her dog is so she could walk it and enjoy the outdoors. Now she says she won't come within 10 feet of this sign which is literally a house down from her front door."
"I'm absolutely scared to walk outside. My husband walks me to and from my car. I can't walk my dog. I can't walk over to my parents house like I used to do daily. I'm just living in fear right now."
Tishmack says she hates to see any animal get put down, but she thought after the attack, something drastic needed to be done.
"When we left that hearing I thought I would never have to see that dog again."
We tried to contact Luke's owners, but they weren't home. The Tishmacks say they've had issues with Luke before and a lot of children play in their neighborhood. They're afraid one of them is going to get hurt.
"Something needs to change. I don't know what it's going to take but it's just a matter of time before this happens again."
(KXII - Feb 3, 2012)
