Baltimore City response questioned in dog attack

MARYLAND -- A Baltimore City resident said she had trouble getting help to remove a dog that attacked her and her dog in her yard.

Cindy Schafer is OK, and her dog, Birdie, is recovering at a local animal hospital.

"I'm glad my dog, right now, is alive and I hope she makes it," Schafer said.

Birdie is a 6-year-old miniature dachshund. A year ago, Birdie's owner drove to South Carolina to rescue her, and on Sunday, she had to rescue Birdie again, this time from an attacking stray pit bull.

"The dog took my dog in its mouth and started mangling her like she's a plaything, drug it under my porch and I started screaming," Schafer said.

Birdie is in a Baltimore County animal hospital suffering from bites and extensive bruising. The veterinarian treating her said she is very lucky that no internal organs were punctured. In trying to save her dog, Schafer was also attacked.

"He lunged at me and as far as I know he scratched me up pretty bad," Schafer said.

Schafer said a neighbor used a shovel to keep the brown pit bull at bay while she and her pet ran into the house but the pit bull kept slamming into the back of the house, trying to come through the doggie door.

"How did this pit bull get in my yard?" Schafer said.

A six-foot-high wood fence around the back yard provides privacy and some protection but the pit bull didn't have to leap it, it apparently broke through a broken lattice area. Schafer frantically called 911 and an operator told her to also call Animal Control. Police arrived but would not remove the pit bull.

"Animal Control picked up the phone, they said, 'Ma'am calm down, you need to hang up and dial 911.' And, I said, 'I did dial 911' And they said, "It's been taken care of then,' click," Schafer said.

Schafer said she made several more calls demanding help. Animal Control told 11 News their office responds 24 hours a day, and two hours after they received the information, they impounded the attacking dog and took it to the Baltimore City Animal Shelter listed as a stray. It had no collar, no license and no rabies tag.

The pit bull will be held for 72 hours to see if an owner comes forward, and the dog will be tested for rabies. Birdie is expected to make a full recovery.

(WBAL - Nov 11, 2013)