Woman and her dog attacked by pit bulls

CALIFORNIA -- An Oceanside woman and her 13-year-old dog are recovering in their home after a vicious attack by two pit bulls.

In a San Diego 6 exclusive, Laurie Larsen said the attack happened right outside her home Friday morning as she and Buddy were coming back from a walk.

Larsen said the attack was unprovoked. Now, she and her son are watching the medical bills add up from an attack she said never should have happened... an attack for which no one is taking responsibility.

"It was like, this flash of black went flying by me and the next thing I know he's got a hold of Buddy's neck," Larsen said, recounting the horrific Friday morning attack. 13-year-old Buddy was badly injured, lucky to be alive. The attack that caused the wounds on her beloved dog now plays over and over in Larsen's mind.

"(I was) yanking on his collar and I hit him with my leash on the top of his head as hard as I could and this dog did not flinch," she said. Larsen said she screamed for help while continuing to struggle to get the pit bull off of Buddy. But the black pit bull wasn't her only worry. She said another pit bull was attacked as well.

"The second dog just kept running back and then running up and then he'd take a nip and then he'd run back," Larsen said.

Larsen said after what seemed like an eternity, people finally started coming out to help. She said the dogs don't live in the West Winds Mobile Home Park, instead she said her neighbors were dog sitting. 

San Diego 6 wanted to give Larsen's neighbors an opportunity to tell their side of the story. But, it was an opportunity they were not interested in. San Diego 6's John Carroll asked, "Do you regret that they (the dogs) were ever here in the first place?" 

The neighbor answered, "I have no comment at this time. My legal department has told me not to answer any questions..."

"My legal department has told me not to answer any questions..."
His 'legal department' is his wife telling him to keep his mouth shut!

Both the San Diego Humane Society and Oceanside Police responded to the Friday attack. The Humane Society took the black pit bull and are now holding the animal in a 10-day bite quarantine.

The other pit bull was not removed because, Larsen said, witnesses lied and said the dog wasn't involved in the attack. 

San Diego 6 confirmed with mobile home park management that pit bulls are not allowed in the park.

Larsen said her neighbors apologized for the attack, but haven't offered to help with any of her mounting medical expenses. As of the time of this writing, the bills for Buddy alone exceed $6,000. 

As for the black pit bull, Laurie Larsen said she is clear on what should happen to him.  "It should be put down. It should be put down," she said.

The Oceanside Police officer who responded to the attack hasn't yet filed a report, so it's unknown at this point what action the department might take.

A spokesperson for the Humane Society told San Diego 6 that an investigation is underway now, and any decisions on what charges the neighbors or the man who owns the dogs might face will have to wait until that investigation is complete.

San Diego 6 will continue to follow the story and bring you the result of the investigation once it is complete.

(San Diego 6 - Sept 16, 2014)