Woman, 76, recovering after attack by four dogs

FLORIDA -- A 76-year-old woman is recovering in a hospital days after she was bitten multiple times by several dogs who attacked her while she getting mail from her mailbox.
             

Dawn Thompson, who lives in Lake Tropicana, remains at Ocala Regional Medical Center, where she was listed in fair condition on Thursday afternoon, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

 

Thompson was transported to the hospital on Tuesday after four dogs — a pit bull, a pit bull mix, a retriever mix and German shepherd mix — escaped from a neighbor's property and bit her many times, according to Marion County officials.

 

Thompson suffered many puncture wounds all over her body, county officials said.

 

Neighbors who heard dogs barking and noise coming from outside, went out and saw the animals attacking her. One neighbor ran to Thompson's aide and was able to get the dogs — named Keeper, Enzo, Cass and Lady — away from the woman.

 

The dogs' owner had been issued a dangerous dog warning earlier this year, according to Marion County spokeswoman Barbra Hernandez.

 

County Animal Services removed the dogs, which are being held at the animal center in accordance to protocol in these types of cases. Since the attack, they have been in quarantine and will remain there for several more days.

 

A dangerous dog investigation was opened, and the dog's owner, Jamie Bussiere, was given four citations, county officials said.

 

According to Hernandez, county records indicate that, prior to the Sept. 8 attack, Animal Services had five contacts with Bussiere:

 

• The first encounter was 2011, when a dog had escaped from the property. The outcome was that the owner was educated on control measures for the dog.

 

• The second incident was a dog bite complaint in 2014. The owner told county officials the dog was not hers but a stray dog that kept digging into her yard. After quarantine, that dog was euthanized.

 

• As for the third complaint, also in 2014, county officials received a call from a citizen who later cancelled the call, according to Hernandez. Officials noted there wasn't enough evidence to verify that the dogs belonged to the property owner.

 

• The fourth complaint, also in 2014, was about dogs roaming the area. In this case, the outcome was that the owner was educated on control and tethering.

 

• Finally, in 2015, sometime before the Sept 8 attack, the owner was issued a dangerous dog warning.

(Gainesville Sun - Sept 10, 2015)