Connecticut: Meek, sweet Beagle named Erin the latest victim of a Pit Bull attack. Three Pit Bulls attacked and mauled her to death in her own yard.

CONNECTICUT -- Police are investigating after three roaming pit bulls attacked and killed a Beagle in its own yard on Lincoln Terrace.

Andrew Walter, the dog's owner, of 47 Lincoln Terrace and a town resident for more than 40 years, said that he found his dog Erin, dead yesterday morning around 11am at the edge of his property.

 

 

“I come out and there’re three pit bulls just behind that wood pile. Two of them charged me. One of them stayed. I looked at the ones charging me and the one that stayed was with the body of my dog Erin,” he said.

Walter made another attempt at chasing them off and this time it worked.

Walter said he put Erin, his 9-year-old Beagle, into the back of his pickup to keep the dogs from getting to her again, but her broken, torn up body told him she was already gone.

Erin had been dragged just past the Walters’ invisible fence and mauled to death by Martha Johnson's three Pit Bulls.

"My fear with the invisible fence has always been an animal," Walter said. "We had one bear in 40 years I've live here, but not some dogs that probably escaped due to a neighbor's negligence. That's what breaks my heart. I lost a dog due to someone's stupidity."

Erin was meek and defenseless and she and the Walters' other beagle, Daisy, are like children to he and his wife, he said.

Walter, as well as another neighbor, Meagan Salahu-Din, said they have heard that this was not the first time the three pit bulls have gotten loose.

“I’m completely devastated. I’m crushed for his family, those two beagles were a pair. They were best friends. I see them multiple times a day when I’m walking my dog,” Salahu-Din said.

OWNER CITED SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY

The Pit Bulls' owner, Martha Johnson of  438 Cottage Grove Road has been cited several times for the dogs roaming off her property, police said.

Bloomfield police Capt. Stephen Hajdasz said Thursday that animal control officer Christine Sparks is investigating the incident.

The dogs were captured and are being quarantined. Two of the dogs did not have rabies vaccinations, police said.

Walter said he had a received an injection just prior to the attack and is worried that the blood and dog saliva that was on his arms may be from the two dogs that were not vaccinated.

According to Walter, it takes two weeks to determine if a dog has rabies in quarantine, but humans must begin a regimen of shots within seven days to address being infected.

Walter said he wants the pit bulls to be euthanized.

"I would like to see the dogs destroyed because, obviously, they're dangerous. They went into someone's yard and killed their animal and really, their defenseless animal," he said.

WHO REALLY OWNS THESE PIT BULLS?

Online records say there are four people living at the home where the Pit Bulls live:

1. Martha Johnson (age 70) is listed at 438 Cottage Grove Road Bloomfield, CT and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. She is a female registered to vote in Connecticut.
2. Kentarius L Cooper (03/10/95 - age 22) is listed at 438 Cottage Grove Road Bloomfield, CT and has no political party affiliation. He is a male registered to vote in Connecticut.
3. Ykeema Tani Johnson (10/27/88 - age 28) is listed at 438 Cottage Grove Road Bloomfield, CT and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. She is a female registered to vote in Connecticut.
4. Samuel L Johnson (age 51) is listed at 438 Cottage Grove Road Bloomfield, CT and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. He is a male registered to vote in Connecticut.

Are the Pit Bulls really owned by a 70-year-old woman or is this one of those times when relatives all move into Grandma's house and bring their animals and now Grandma is taking the fall for these Pit Bulls? The police need to look into the other people living there and find out who the real owners are because I just don't believe it's Granny.

(Hartford Courant - June 8, 2017)