Now she needs help identifying the man and his dog.
6-year-old Toby is recovering from an attack last Tuesday that nearly killed him.
Rachael Schoonover took Toby and her 9-month-old baby for a walk at Chestnut Beach in Clarkston when she said a pit bull bolted out of his owner's hands and pounced on Toby.
"The dog came up right behind me, he pinned my dog right to my stroller which bumped the stroller and my baby started crying and during that time my dog got ripped out of his harness, which I have the leash still in my hands," said Schoonover. "He was screaming, if dogs can scream and the dog had my dog entirely in his mouth on top of the ground."
Rachael said it was along the walking trail where her dog got attacked. She said it happened so quickly neither she or the guy had time to react. But by the time he pulled his dog away, she said her dog was severely injured.
"He had internal damages, he had, I think they're called laceration hernias, he had one of those then he had a separation between his ribs where his lungs were exposed, he's got bruising clearly almost all the way around his body, you can tell where the dog bit him, there's only a small section where he wasn't in the dog's mouth so he's got pretty bad bruising as well," said Schoonover.
The vet bill cost $430, all out of pocket. But she says it could have been a lot worse.
"Another 30 seconds to a minute and my dog would have been dead," she said.
She called police but by the time they arrived, the man was gone. A security camera captured several photos of him and his dog.
He's described as a white male, in his late 20s to early 30s. About 5'10 to 5'11, with dark brown hair and a short trimmed beard. His dog is dark in color, with a square head and muscular body.
Rachael wants to locate the man, not only to hold him accountable for Toby's vet bill but also for the safety of other pets.
"I do believe his dog is dangerous, he shouldn't be out in public," said Schoonover. "I don't want this to happen to anyone else."
Rachael will offer a $200 cash reward to anyone who can identify and locate the man.
You can call (208) 305-1413 or call the Clarkston Police Department with your information.
(KLEW - April 9, 2012)
