New Jersey: Search Continues for Pit Bull and Owner that Attacked Camden County Man and Dog

NEW JERSEY - During a recent outing in a park, a German shepherd and his owner became the victims of an attack by an unidentified pit bull and now the family, with the help of the Waterford Township Police Department, are searching for the pit bull and its owner.

On December 22nd around 3:00 p.m., Vince Granton was circling the track at a nearby park in Atco, when he saw a solid brown pit bull with a woman walking him.

 

Bruno, his registered service dog, is trained to walk behind his owner, watching over him, and sit to alert someone is behind him.

So as the pit bull and owner got closer, Granton took Bruno off the track and onto the grass, then asked the woman to please go around them. The pit bull then became very aggressive, and broke free from her, and charged Granton and Bruno.

"He came through the door, and I actually couldn’t see all of him, and he said that he had been attacked,” said Maria Granton, Vince's wife.

At first, Mrs. Granton thought that her husband, Vince, had been robbed until she got a closer look. The khaki pants he was wearing were full of blood and caused his wife to panic.

 

Granton then told his wife that the vicious pit bull attacked Bruno and himself multiple times. After a few minutes, the unidentified woman finally tackled her own dog, was bit herself, and told Granton to run.

He went to urgent care, and Bruno was taken to an emergency animal hospital. The dog had a puncture wound about 12 inches deep, among other injuries. Despite $8,000 in bills, a canceled Christmas, and no word from the pit bull's owner, Bruno is finally on the track to recovery.

The Granton family is hoping that the unidentified owner will come forward and claim responsibility for the incident that day.

 

 

The location of the track is another concern for the injured family. Taking a walk at the scene of the attack will reveal that Christ the Redeemer Parish is adjacent to the park along with an entire neighborhood across the street.

So, the Granton's biggest fear is that the pit bull is still in the area and could pose a danger to others who frequent the park, church, or live nearby.

The family is asking for the public’s help in identifying the woman who is around 50 years old, with dirty blonde, shoulder length hair. The owners are offering a $1,000 reward.

 

"If it’s that aggressive to attack a man and dog unprovoked, what’s going to happen next time,” said Mrs. Granton.

(SNJ Today - Jan 5, 2017)