Nebraska: Officer Forced To Shoot Two Dogs Attacking Another Dog

NEBRASKA -- A quiet walk with her new pet turns terrifying for a Papillion woman. Out of nowhere three roaming dogs attack her young Labrador and wouldn't let go. It took gunshots from a police officer to end the mauling.

He may not answer to lucky but Duke sure is, after surviving a three-dog attack. Duke's owner Jodi Sutton said, “One up here on his neck and another trying to grab these legs. And the third had his teeth in his hind quarters. We don't know the full extent of his injuries yet."

 

About noon Tuesday, Jodi Sutton just left home with Duke on a leash when three unleashed Alapaha Blue Bulldogs approached, sniffed, then tore into the 10 month old Chocolate Lab.

"I kicked them as hard as I could but they just pulled him down harder," said Jodi.

Forced to leave Duke; Jodi ran to her home phone and called 911.

She told WOWT 6 News she couldn't wait for authorities to arrive, she had to act right away to save Duke. So she went into her garage, grabbed a shovel and tried to beat off the three attacking dogs.

"I hit em but I couldn't believe it did nothing," Jodi said.

A Papillion Police officer arrived and used pepper-spray, but again, the three dogs wouldn't stop attacking Duke. So the officer shot and killed one of the Alapahas.

  

“The other two scattered and went across the street," she said.

Disoriented Duke also hobbled across the street only to be attacked again. Jodi said, “The officer shot the second dog."

The Nebraska Humane Society seized the third loose dog. Its owner turned over ownership to the Humane Society.

Jodi rushed Duke to a vet who sutured several serious wounds. But she is also left with emotional scars. Jodi Sutton said "I wanted to sit and bawl like I failed him in some way because I had to leave him with them tearing at him."

 

The owner of the three dogs is identified as 59-year-old Billy Thompson who lives about a block from the attack scene. He's been cited by the Nebraska Humane Society for numerous violations including harboring dangerous dogs.

Thompson tells Six On Your Side that he disputes that his year old dogs are dangerous and says they had never attacked before. He says they accidentally got out of his backyard fence. Thompson says he'll apologize and pay the vet bill. He understands the officer's action shooting his dogs in the heat of the moment.

(WOWT - Jan 15, 2016)