“She’s a pit bull lover, so I just thought she and the dog were enjoying playing or something,” he said.
Moments later, Scott realized something was very wrong.
“It got to be a horrific scream,” he said. “I saw her coming off the porch with this dog all over her and I just went to her and went after the dog.”
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| Connie and Scott Ijams talk, Wednesday, February 27, 2013, about the severe injuries she received as a result of a dog attack as they were delivering phone books last October |
It was the afternoon of Oct. 24 and the newly married couple was earning some extra cash for the upcoming holidays by delivering Yellowbooks to residents in Bloomington. That day, their route included the 1200 block of Orchard Road in Bloomington.
The dog, named Bo, ran through a screen door and jumped on her. Scott Ijams came to her rescue, but the dog then turned on him.
“I was covered in mud and blood and a police officer told me I looked like I needed a long shower,” he said. “But I didn’t care. I just had to get that dog off of her.”
A man across the street saw the commotion and began honking his horn and driving his vehicle toward the scene. The dog eventually backed away and the owner, Shanie Doss, gained control of the dog.
Under a 2006 Bloomington city ordinance, all dog and cat owners must register their pets with animal control officials. If they fail to do so, their pets can be seized.
The adult dog was registered, but it was taken because of the brutality of the attack.
It was later euthanized, and two weeks ago Doss was charged with reckless conduct with the possibility of causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. She is scheduled for arraignment on March 8 in circuit court.
The Ijams are hoping restitution is applied to any conviction.
Police and rescue personnel arrived on the scene and realized that Scott Ijams had suffered cuts to his arms, but Connie Ijams had lost a lot of blood. Her arms were torn up and she was in pain.
“It was scary,” Connie Ijams said. “Just real scary.”
She and her husband were taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. Connie underwent four hours of surgery as doctors worked to repair injuries to her damaged skin, arm tissues and tendons. By the time she was sewn up, doctors counted more than 200 stitches.
She spent 10 days in the hospital and had a second surgery. The scars on her arms are still visible, and she suffered nerve damage in her arms.
“The doctor said that it is a good thing I have a little meat on my arms or I might have been in serious trouble,” she said.
Understandably, the attack changed her life.
“I’m just always really nervous,” she said. “I drop things. I shake. I have nightmares. I still cry. I’m in pain constantly and the medical bills continue to pile up.
“I’m doing OK, but I don’t have any feeling in my arms. I can’t lift up my little pinky. But if I have an itch, it does no use to scratch it because I can’t feel anything in my arms and hands. My arm feels like your mouth does after getting a shot at the dentist. It just feels numb.”
She has an appointment in March when doctors will be able to better determine the extent of the nerve damage in her arm. They’ve told her more surgeries are likely in her future.
“It’s really been difficult and traumatic for both of them,” said Scott Ijams’ cousin, Tina Hubbs. “They are both terrific people, and the holidays were really difficult for them because of all of this.”
To help out, Hubbs is helping to organize a Sunday benefit to raise money for medical expenses. The event at Eagles Aerie No. 527, 313 S. Main St., Bloomington, will feature live music, auctions and drawings.
“The bill for the hospital stay alone was $73,000,” Connie said. “Insurance paid for a great deal of that, but there are so many expenses. I am not even sure how much it has been now.”
Hubbs said several local businesses have donated food and gifts for the event.
For the couple, the event also will allow them to thank everyone who has helped and supported them.
“There’s been a blessing in this because all of our family and friends have been awesome since this happened,” Connie said. “I have had people I don’t even know visit or give me words of encouragement and that really has meant a lot.”
(Pantagraph - Feb 28, 2013)
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