The incident occurred the morning of Nov. 22 near Robin Street and Sherwood Road. Mark Eggen said he was walking his poodle when an unleashed pit bull attacked his dog. Eggen said he was able to free his dog and subsequently subdue the attacking dog. With a free hand he called 911 and waited until deputies arrived.
“I thought I was going to die,” Eggen said about the incident. “It’s not every day you experience an event like that.”
Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Randy Gustafson said the owner of the pit bull elected to have the dog euthanized.
“It’s one of those traumatic things,” he said. “When you have (loose) dogs there’s the potential (for danger).”
According to a deputy’s report, the attacking dog escaped from a nearby house while being taken care of by an acquaintance of the owner, who was out of town. Eggen was bit by the pit bull on his leg but did not sustain injuries, Gustafson said. He characterized the attack as a “very rare” incident.
“Most dog complaints are for barking dogs or loose animals,” Gustafson said.
Eggen said his poodle was checked for injuries but will make a full recovery. Eggen’s wife Roxanne said the pit bull weighed upwards of 70 pounds and that she was concerned about the incident because of numerous elementary school bus stops near the area.
“We’ve always felt Shoreview is a safe community where people care about each other,” she said. “We’re not recovering so well. (This incident) has shaken us to the core.”
(Press Publications - Dec 11, 2012)
