Tara Cannon was walking through Steele Creek Park with her son and dog, Nilla, when another dog came out of nowhere. "The dog with no hesitation just came right after Nilla and started attacking her," Cannon said.
Cannon instinctively picked up her son, but for Nilla, it was too late. At 22 pounds, she was no match for the bigger, more muscular dog.
"The dog was snapping at her and then it had pinned her down and just had her back leg. It bit her a couple times, and then it really just latched on and wasn't letting go," Cannon says.
The dog's owner wasn't holding on to its leash.
"We were trying to pull the dog's collar and pull the dog off. We couldn't get it to let go, and she was just crying and it was just a traumatic even for all of us," she says.
When the dog finally let go and ran, the owner ran after it, leaving what may have been a phony name.
"So she was going after her dog and she just told me that her name was Cathy Howard and that's all I got from her," Cannon said.
Bristol Tennessee Animal Control Officer Les Mitchell says an owner like this could be fined for violating the Tennessee leash law. The dog could be labeled as a dangerous animal and be taken away, Mitchell said.
Cannon wants to file a civil suit. With a shattered femur, Nilla already has over $1,000 in veterinarian bills.
"The vet didn't like the way her leg was popping, so they took another x-ray and come to find out that her femur had been fractured and completely unattached to her hip," Cannon said.
A risky surgery could cost more than $3,000, and the veterinarian recommended amputation, Cannon said.
But they're suffering from more than physical and financial damages. Nilla has become scared and defensive around all dogs, and Cannon no longer trusts what should be a safe place.
"It's just made me second guess taking her or my son back to the park because there are dogs everywhere," she said.
(WCYB - Jun 7, 2015)
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