Family pets attack 2 women in Opp, owner speaks out

ALABAMA --  Family dogs turned on the ones they love during a horrifying ordeal in Opp that's left two women injured and the owners wondering why their pets would go on the attack.

Eric Pickron is still trying to wrap his mind around what happened inside his home on Hattaway Road Tuesday morning. A long haul trucker, Pickron was on the road when he got a call from his hysterical wife, Kristina. She told him that their three American bulldogs had attacked her and their daughter-in-law, Ceara Schofield. It happened when Schofield was chasing after her Pomeranian and ventured near the bulldogs.

 

"My female just had puppies and my dogs were just on edge and they were startled," Pickron said.

[Yes, let's make excuses for this 'typical' bully behavior. Your own dogs 'snap' and attack - there must be a reason for it! You were running, they were startled, they'd had puppies, she was in heat, you stepped on his tail, the baby cried out and scared it, the sun came up, I burped too loudly...]

"She was attacked initially by the two males dogs and then by the female dog and had been knocked to the ground.  the owner of the dogs went to her aid and attempted to get her out of the room and in the process, she was also attacked by the dogs," said Opp Police Chief Mike McDonald.

"My wife was trying to get the dogs off of Ceara and they turned on my wife and grabbed her. Then she just laid on top of Ceara to try to shelter her as much as she could. When she got her up, they quit," Pickron added.

The women managed to get themselves to a hospital despite their bite wounds. Schofield was airlifted to a Dothan hospital where's she undergone surgeries on her arms. His wife, Kristina, is recovering at home. All three bulldogs were put down after the attack, leaving their owners to heal physically and emotionally.

"Two of them I've had for six years, one of them I've had for five years. They were raised up around my kids. My daughter-in-law and son lived here at the house with us so they knew the dogs. They've been around them. They weren't vicious dogs. They've never done anything like this before. They've never growled or tried to attack anyone," Pickron said.  "This was just a horrible accident that happened and we're sorry that it happened. Our main focus right now is Ceara's health and her recovery."

Chief McDonald said that should a dog try to confront you, don't look it in the eye and don't turn your back on the dog and try not to let it knock you off your feet. Try to remain on your feet to fend it off.

"We're hoping that they'll recuperate and that they'll get better very quickly. This is something that's a national type thing. We hear about dog attacks on children. We hear about dog attacks on adults and we hear stories where dogs will attack their owners. It's a matter of knowing what kind of dog you want, what kind of dog you can handle and trying to stay ahead of the dog in terms of who is going to control the situation," he told WSFA.

After losing their three bulldogs, the Pickrons plan to keep a puppy from their bulldog's recent litter.

The incident in Covington County comes on the heels of the death of a four-year-old girl in Tallassee who was brutally mauled by two neighborhood dogs as she played outside in front of her grandfather's home.

One of the dogs in that attack has been put down. Authorities are still waiting on forensic test results to confirm that the other dog was involved in the deadly attack. Officials say it could be two weeks before they determine whether or not charges will be filed in the case.

(WSFA - March 5, 2014)