Lawrence Wnorowski, 63, of 2044 Stoneham Rd., has undergone two surgeries at ProMedica Toledo Hospital since the attack March 19.
“It’s going to be a long road ahead,” his wife, Sandy, said.
Mr. Wnorowski, who served in the Army in Vietnam, has been paralyzed on his right side since a 2006 stroke. He was leaving his property to go to Kroger in his motorized wheelchair when the neighbor’s two dogs escaped their fenced backyard at about 12:30 p.m. A Toledo police report said the gate’s latch was faulty.
The dogs’ owner, 23-year-old Christie Smith of 2030 Stoneham Road, did not return calls from The Blade seeking comment.
Mr. Wnorowski said one of the dogs, which the Lucas County Canine Care and Control identified as a Labrador retriever mix named Tucker, initially bit at the wheelchair’s tires. The Lab mix then noticed the Wnorowskis’ two dogs inside the home through a sliding-glass door and then went to bark and scratch at the glass.
Then the second dog, a “pit bull” mix named Gunner, came around the house and charged Mr. Wnorowski. Gunner initially bit at the wheels too, but then he pulled Mr. Wnorowski to the ground by his stomach.
Lying face down, Mr. Wnorowski flung his arm over his head to protect himself, and Gunner dragged him across the yard by his hand.
“Nobody was coming, and the dog just kept tearing and tearing at my arm,” he said. “I thought I was going to die. I didn’t have any doubt.”
Tucker also bit Mr. Wnorowski’s right side, but did not break skin and mainly caused bruising.
Neighbor Chris Magers heard an “irregular dog commotion,” saw the empty wheelchair from his window, and went to investigate.
“It was a pretty graphic scene,” he said. “I started yelling and running over there.”
That scared off Tucker, but Gunner continued his assault.
“I was about to tackle the dog,” Mr. Magers said. “I flinched at the dog like I was about to hit him, and he backed off.”
He said Gunner returned a few times, but he held the dog off by making threatening gestures until Ms. Smith emerged and took the dogs inside.
Mr. Wnorowski suffered serious injuries on his left hand, arm, leg, and stomach. An infection in his arm and hand has delayed his recovery.
Julie Lyle, director of the county shelter, said both dogs are licensed, and she has no records of any complaints.
Gunner was declared vicious and surrendered by his owner Monday. He will be killed after the bite quarantine ends Sunday. Tucker was declared dangerous and is being quarantined at home. Ms. Lyle said Ms. Smith was cited for failure to confine or control a dog acting dangerously and a dog acting viciously.
Mrs. Wnorowski said Ms. Smith and the dogs moved into the neighborhood in December. Mr. Wnorowski said he had met Ms. Smith as she was moving in, giving her treats for her dogs as he does with other neighborhood canines. He noted the dogs have seen him outside in his wheelchair on a number of occasions.
Mrs. Wnorowski said the pair did bark at them from the other side of the fence, but she considered the behavior as defending their territory and didn’t think much of it.
Because the damage was done to her husband’s functional side, he is dependent on others to help him while he heals. Mrs. Wnorowski has been off work since the incident to stay by his side.
She said the prognosis for her husband’s hand and arm is unknown, though he can move them.
“It’s just a matter of how well everything heals,” she said.
The couple plans to seek compensation for medical bills, pain, suffering, and Mrs. Wnorowski’s lost wages while she cares for her husband.
“We’ve been married 40 years,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot, and we’ll get through this too.”
An online fund-raiser has been set up at icanfundIt.com using the name “Larry Wnorowski.”
(Toledo Blade - Mar 26, 2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment