"Climbed up my back, bit me here, up in my shoulder," Adam Cohen says about the pit bull that attacked him.
The scars are healing.
According to the incident report from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Cohen suffered 10 scratches on his chest, 10 scratches on his back, several punctures on his shoulder, and hand and face injuries.
Cohen says he got injured when he pulled a 10-week-old German shepherd puppy named Sirus out of a pit bull's mouth -- not once but three times.
"The dog was going growling and shaking it…You couldn't control this dog," Cohen says.
This home video by the puppy's owners shows Sirus playing with other dogs at the dog beach in Venice Sunday afternoon.
Fifty-eight seconds into the video a black pit bull named Mac showed an interest in Sirus. Animal experts say the pit bull quickly took a dominant stance. Mac knocked the puppy over then left, but returned eight seconds later.
"That's when the pit bull realized he's helpless this is my prey and started shaking the puppy. The screaming was heart wrenching," Cohen says.
Cohen says he grabbed the puppy held him up high -- that's when he became a target.
"I turned and he was jumping up my back."
He says the pit bull's owner showed up after it was over.
"I went up to him and asked, 'where were you? Your dog bit me nine times.'"
Cohen says the owner's response was, "At the other side of the beach."
"That's sad…your dog is down here, you are down there," Cohen said. "Your dog is like your children you don't leave your children to wander the beach."
The sheriff's incident report identifies Mac's owner as Vincent Giufre. He has been cited and his dog Mac quarantined for two weeks at their home.
Giufre did not respond to our request for an interview. But in the incident report, the pit bull's owner says Adam's dog Jake, also a German shepherd, was acting aggressively toward his dog minutes before the attack which agitated his dog.
Park rules are posted. Dogs should be under an owner's voice command and aggressive dogs are prohibited. Pet owners say it comes down to this being responsible pet owners.
Sirus suffered bruising and a punctured rear leg. His owners Emily and Charles Wenstad provided 10 News the home video and pictures, but did not want to go on camera.
According to the incident report, the pit bull also bit Charles in the face as he tried to protect his puppy and Cohen.
"The vet said the pit bull would have killed the dog if we had not intervened. It's a site I will never forget," Cohen said.
(WTSP 10 News - Jan 9, 2015)
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