Northport Woman Recounts Dog Attack

NEW YORK -- Two large roaming dogs recently attacked a woman's terrier mix in Northport, nearly killing it.

Louise, last name withheld, was walking 14-year-old "Lucky" down Harrison Drive and Alsace Place around 6:30 p.m. July 21 when two large dogs, what appeared to be Pit Bull mixes, began biting him on the legs, ear, butt, lip, and back, causing gashes and punctures that required 30 stitches.

One dog was brown and wearing a bandana and collar and the other was light tan with a collar. They both appeared to have tags and weigh about 100 pounds.

"The dogs went into attack mode over Lucky, he didn't have a fighting chance," said Louise, who estimates that the attack lasted nearly two minutes. "I just remember they were on him, and they were off him. I thought he was basically dead. They were going to kill him. There was no growling, this was to kill."

Louise was screaming, which attracted the attention of guests at a nearby house party. The crowd of people began clapping and yelling at the dogs to get them to stop and they eventually they released Lucky and ran away. The dogs were later seen along 25A near Stop and Shop.

Lucky was taken to the Commack emergency vet and received 30 stitches for 12 bites, put on antibiotics and painkillers. He was unable to walk for two days but has since recovered and was as lively as ever on Tuesday.

"He was fortunate because they didn't go deep enough to hit any of his organs, so he lived up to his name. He was lucky," said Louise.

Louise and her husband filed a report with the Suffolk Police and the Town's Animal Control Department. Someone later told them that a man nearby owned the dogs, though the police and animal control were unable to locate the dogs at the address.

"The man that lives there said he doesn't know of any dogs," said Jerry Mosca, head of the Town's animal control department. "He said that he had a friend that came by with dogs earlier in the week, but he was very vague. Technically, we don't have a house with dogs so we can go after anyone."

Louise said she wants the owner to come forward and be responsible for his or her dogs. "I keep thinking, my God, what if it was a child."

(Northport Patch - August 1, 2012)