Just after 11:30 a.m. Monday morning, a woman was attacked by a Pit Bull while attempting to rescue her Yorkshire Terrier from [the attack].
"The woman that owned it came running down the street about that time and just scooped it up and wrapped it in a shirt," said witness Danny Blewett. "The blood was just all over her and all over the dog and down on the ground."
According to Lewiston Police, Renee Carter was walking her dogs in front of a home when the Pit Bull ran across the street and grabbed her small dog by the neck. Carter was bit on the arm while attempting to rescue her dog. At that time, a passerby scrambled out of his car to help.
"Fortunately, there were a couple of male bystanders that happened to be in the area, saw her in distress, they stopped and they were able to kind of detain the Pit Bull," said Lewiston Police Officer Ian Walter.
"He was a big guy," said Blewett. "We got done and got to talking and he said he had a real hard time holding the dog."
By the time Animal Control arrived to the incident at the 1900 Block of 14th Avenue, the dog was restrained.
"The lady was pretty much covered in blood from the dog," said . Lewiston Police Department Animal Control Officer Doug Willey. "She had a really severely injured dog in a towel. The ambulance crew was pretty nice and took her and the dog to the Lewiston Vet Clinic where the small dog died of its injuries."
Due to Carter's injuries, the Pit Bull was immediately taken to the animal shelter for a 10 day quarantine. However, since the dog killed another animal, it's declared a level three dangerous dog by the city and will be banned forever.
"We do have aggressive animals that sometimes get out, maybe bite another person or a dog," said Walter. "It's rare that the animal that gets bit, dies."
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Carter, her dogs and the mail man have been chased down.
"We've had complaints on this dog in the past for running at large and being aggressive," said Willey.
"You just really don't know what a dog is going to be like," said Blewett. "You know, lots of things can happen."
If the owners of the Pit Bull are unable to find an acceptable new home outside the city, after the ten day quarantine, the dog will be put to sleep.
[Why do cities/counties continue the ridiculous practice of 'banning' these animals from their local jurisdiction but allowing them to be dumped into another jurisdiction? As if this solves the problem of this aggressive dog.... Would you want this dog being brought to your neighborhood?]
(KLEW - May 17, 2012)
