"There's dogs up and down the road all the time getting off chains and running loose," Brooke Brown said.
She lives in the area and says even some stray dogs are vicious.
"It's scary," Brown said.
She says she witnessed a recent dog attack.
"They were on top of her, hurting her, and I was going to try and help her, but I was scared," Brown said with tears in her eyes.
Investigators say two pit bulls ran from Beech Street to Mary Bramlett Alley and attacked 7-year-old Ariana Marks on Saturday.
"They were dragging me," Marks said as she pointed to her scars.
Now, those who live in the area say police and council members should look into tougher laws to keep wandering dogs home and owners accountable.
"They should be on a leash or in the house, and if they're running free, they (owners) should get a ticket," Brown said.
Right now, a city ordinance states dog owners must have dogs enclosed in a fence with sufficient space, proper shelter and water. However, Steve Curtis says she sees dogs wandering around all the time.
"People need to take more responsibility for their dogs, I think," Curtis said.
He says he keeps his 1-year-old blue pit bull in a fence.
"He's a friendly dog," Curtis said. "As far as a pit bull, I don't think a pit bull is meaner than any other dog."
Gaffney Police Chief Rick Turner says he's reviewing the current law and could possibly propose some changes.
As for the two pit bulls involved in the attack, a judge will decide what will happen to them in about a week during a hearing. The dogs' owner, Terrill Ramsey, Jr. said his dogs didn't do anything wrong and he wants them back. Police charged Ramsey with disorderly conduct and with animals running at large.
(WHNS Greenville - Dec 6, 2013)
