"This is Mr. Gino, he's the sweetest dog in the world," said Roppolo.
But Roppolo's sweet dog was victim to vicious dog bites, bites that needed over 30 stitches.
"The dog was chewing him through his back," said Roppolo.
Tuesday night, Roppolo said he was taking his dogs for a walk down this trail in Sand City. When an unleashed dog came up behind them and started mauling.
"Gino was fully inside the dog's mouth when this all happened," said Roppolo.
What happened to the attacker's owner? When Roppolo confronted her and asked her to come with him to the Vet's office, Roppolo said "she said she would follow me, and then when I turned and started walking back towards my truck, she and her kids ran the other way.
When Sand City Police arrived, they assessed the situation and said since both dog's didn't have a leash, both owners were at fault. But Roppolo said Gino had a leash on and he has proof: Gino's leash had bite marks all around it.
Roppolo thought police would help to get the owner to pay for the surgery, but after a mediation held by police Roppolo said, "the only thing we discussed was that she's not going to give me her information so I can serve her with a subpoena for small claims court. I only got her first name and her phone number."
And Roppolo said she's been dodging his calls. Central Coast News has even attempted to call several times, and was hung up on. Ropplolo said she told police she would meet him at the vet's office to set up a payment plan, but never showed up.
Now, the laundry list of treatments and surgeries that totaled more than $4,000, is his responsibility.
"I don't see how people can be so thoughtless," said Roppolo.
Sand City Police said during animal attacks, they decide whether to cite the owners, in this case they decided not to.
[Does Sand City Police not have any concerns that this aggressive dog will attack someone else's pet? Someone's child? This woman who fled with her kids may have other people's children come to her house and they could be attacked by this dog. Sand City Police: FAIL.]
(KION - April 4, 2013)
