CALIFORNIA -- A seemingly quiet neighborhood in Paradise was shaken last Friday by a violent dog attack that sent one woman to the hospital with severe injuries. " We heard someone saying help, help, help and screaming just a god awful scream, immediately I took off running with my mother-in-law trailing behind," said Paradise resident Joe Walton.
What Walton saw next shocked him. Three pit bulls viciously attacking one of his neighbors, Sarah Paige. Paige was bringing in her trash can from the street when the dogs jumped over a nearby fence and attacked without warning. " It kind of happened so fast, but I was able to help her by pulling the big pit bull off," said Walton.
The attack quickly involved several neighbors who jumped in to fend off the dogs with sticks and pieces of wood, many even using their bare hands. In a matter of minutes the dogs did massive damage. Paige suffered numerous bite wounds to her face and neck, along with bites up and down both arms.
She's since undergone two surgeries at Enloe Medical Center, including a skin graft. Through it all, both Paige and her partner are thankful to their neighbors, which both agree saved her life.
" To Bethany and Joe, and all those other people who's names I don't know, but who helped out, thank you for being there and for stepping out of yourselves into the moment, risking your lives for another human," said Sarah's partner, Annette Marcus.
The dogs have all been quarantined and paradise police are investigating the attack. Neighbors also say they have seen the dogs running loose in the area before. " This is not an animal problem, it's a people problem. Pit Bulls are the result of either training or breeding and we've really go to stop that," explained Marcus.
(KHSL - April 3, 2012)
