Lisa Serrano and her 11-year-old daughter, Sanoe, were walking their dog Lily along Kekaha Road around 7:30 a.m. when one of the pit bulls turned the corner, a dead bird hanging from its mouth.
Serrano said the dog took one look in their direction, dropped the bird, jumped a fence and charged her daughter, who instinctively scooped up her pet to protect her. Serrano said she yelled for Sanoe to drop Lily, fearing her daughter would be mauled by the aggressive animal.
[Seriously? You told her to drop the dog???]
The pit bull zeroed in on Lily. Then, four more pit bulls ran from inside a nearby residence, jumped the fence and joined in the attack, according to Serrano.
“We saw our dog mauled to death right in front of us,” she said.
[More like, you stood there and watched your dog get mauled to death]
Eventually, the owner ran outside and began hitting his dogs with a pipe to get them to release the helpless animal, according to Serrano.
She said she frantically wrapped the injured pet in a blanket and drove to the Kauai Veterinary Clinic in Puhi, where a vet told her nothing could be done. Lily’s injuries included punctured lungs, deep bite wounds to the throat and a torn off ear.
“This is something that my child will never forget,” Serrano said. “This was her best friend.”
County spokeswoman Sarah Blane said the Kauai Police Department responded to the scene and cited the owner of the pit bulls for a dangerous dog violation. The owner sustained a minor injury while attempting to retrieve his dogs during the incident, she said.
Mana Brown, field services supervisor at KHS, arrived at the owner’s residence around 9 a.m. Despite being cited for only one violation, the owner chose to surrender three of his five dogs.
“Upon intake, all three were euthanized,” said Brown, adding that he made sure the owner understood their options and knew the dogs’ fates.
“I’m not going to have another Trisha Pratt case,” he said.
Pratt’s 3-year-old pit bull, Bulla, was euthanized March 9 at KHS after it attacked a neighbor’s chihuahua mix in Hanamaulu. The owner later claimed that KHS did not disclose her other options following the attack, which including fighting the dangerous dog citation in court and allowing a judge decide the dog’s fate.
Serrano said she and her daughter adopted Lily five years ago from KHS and that it was a loved family member. And while the incident was horrible and traumatizing, she said she feels extremely lucky it wasn’t Sanoe who was attacked.
“I told her, ‘Lily was your angel because she saved you,’” Serrano said.
The mother and daughter were on their way to Kokee Thursday afternoon to bury Lily’s body.
KHS euthanized 2,915 animals last year, and around 1,000 dogs each of the last couple of years.
Executive Director Penny Cistaro estimates the agency issued less than 10 dangerous dog tickets last year.
(Thegardenisland.com - June 6, 2014)
IMO, this mom did the right thing telling her child to drop her dog. What was she supposed to do? A pit bull vs a chi, and an unarmed woman and a child? Let alone the 3-5 pits that ended up attacking…
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine any better choice they could have made.
Its lucky they all weren't killed, TBH. Had she held onto that chi, there is a strong chance she would have been mauled and needed an airlift. If a grown adult can not stop pit bulls from ripping a KID from their arms, and killing them while ripping her up too, I am not sure what you think a kid can do when the pit rushes her? (see: Dax's story)
Defending your dog (unarmed) in a pit attack is going to mean YOU get seriously, maybe grievously hurt- with no guarantee you will save your animal. Against more than one pit? It's a death wish. This is why dog aggression is a serious matter; other than the horrific death toll of innocent animals, people get hurt trying to save pets too. The myth that dog aggression is no problem, because it not the same as aggression towards people, is disgusting and incorrect.
I love my pets, but I have been in a pit bull attack. I would absolutely drop a pet to save myself or my kid. It is a terrible thing to have to do, and I am sure they feel traumatized and guilty as it is.
THANK YOU!!!! Just a few articles up is a six year old having her jaw and tongue ripped off, eye sewn shut, etc.. People have DIED trying to save their pets from even one attacking pitbull--and then the animal godson to kill the targeted animal anyways! These extraordinary canine gladiators (of physiology--almost no pain meter, inexhaustible, superior blood clotting factor) aren't phased by being beaten with bats, stabbed, tased, hit by cars, or even multiple gunshots. It took THIRTEEN bullets to take down a single pitbull that killed a four year old girl earlier this year. What could you possibly expect this mother and child to do? Especially in the face of MULTIPLE pitbulls who have their bloodlust already on (the dead bird). I think you need to dog deeper to understand exactly what these dogs typically do. I suggest cravendesires.blogspot.com or I have lots of examples on my own thecaninegamechanger.com WARNING not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart
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