TEXAS -- A local woman and her small dog were involved in an animal attack Wednesday by two pit bull dogs –one which was put down immediately after the attack. She and her dog were injured, but will eventually heal.
Judy Hooker and her pet terrier, Percy, were out for their morning walk at 8 a.m. in the University sub-division area when her dog was attacked by a tan pit bull and a brindle pit bull. Hooker said that she was immediately able to get her dog out of its halter with a special trick to let her dog escape the two dogs and run for home, which was only a block away.
The dog did run home but the attacking dogs followed, along with Ms. Hooker. She said when she also arrived back home, the two dogs had cornered her dog. She was able to get to the door, --to hopefully let her dog in-- and open it, but the tan pit bull then attacked her ankle, which had a titanium plate in it. She said she didn’t know if the tan dog let go of her when it hit metal or when it heard the other pit bull attacking her dog. Her dog escaped into the house, but before she could get the door closed, both of the attacking dogs made it into the home.
Ms. Hooker was able to barricade herself in a corner while she called 911 for help. While calling for help, she was able to throw a wooden tray at the pit bull that had her dog, making it drop her dog.
When the Carthage police officer arrived, ‘very quickly’, according to Hooker, the loud speaker he used to let Hooker know he was there, scared the dogs out of the house. Officer Chris Hardy quickly assessed the situation, and yelled to see if she had been attacked by the dogs. Hooker responded with a “Yes” about the time the dogs—with blood on them-- charged Hardy and another man who had come to help. Hardy was able to put the dog that had bitten Hooker down before any other person or dog was hurt, and capture the other dog.
“I appreciate his fast appropriate action, and he showed me exceptional care,” said Hooker, “I was hurt but didn’t realize it. But later, looking at the bloody scene, I realized how very vicious the whole attack was. Officer Hardy insisted that we call an ambulance for me.
“The whole police department has checked on me quite often since Wednesday and I truly appreciate it,” she added. “The pit bulls were running free with no collars. People should have more care with their animals. It is a concern that we have a lot of older people that do walk outside every day.”
The brindle pit bull dog is being quarantined for 10 days at a veterinarian’s office.
Percy has been brought back home and will heal, but he received stitches on his head and had puncture wounds all over his body.
(Longview News-Journal - Sept 21, 2012)
