North Carolina: Man accused of hiding 3 pit bulls that attacked neighbor's dog in its own fenced yard

NORTH CAROLINA -- Three pit bulls accused of mauling a Fayetteville woman’s dog are still missing 10 days after the attack.

The dog is recovering at home, but his owner fears the pit bulls are a major threat to others.

Carme DelToro said three pit bulls jumped over three low-rise fences and clamped their jaws onto her 2-year-old Border collie mix, Chase, at her home along Winthrop Drive in the Eureka Springs neighborhood.

“In ten minutes, they almost destroyed this animal,” she said.

DelToro had let Chase out into the backyard while she drove her granddaughter to band practice. Then she heard a howl.

“I just saw him screaming and all I could do was turn on the water and try to hose them down and see if they would let him go,” she said.

 

 

DelToro’s screams summoned the dogs’ owner, who lives across the street. She said the owner keeps the pit bulls on the lot he owns, which is behind her backyard.

DelToro said he pried the dogs off and that she has not seen the animals in the week and a half following the incident.

“Most likely they are in hiding. They’re just hiding them,” she said.

Cumberland County Animal Control Director John Lauby agreed with DelToro. He spoke to WRAL News via phone and said the owner is likely hiding the pit bulls. Lauby said he needs to find the dogs, so DelToro can identify them, before anybody can be charged in connection with the attack.

Lauby said Animal Control officers are patrolling the area at least three times daily.

DelToro said the pit bulls have jumped the fences before, and nearly attacked her. She fears that a child could be the next victim.

“It could have been my granddaughter out here playing with this dog or in the pool coming out and she would have defended this dog as much as I would,” she said. “She could have gotten hurt, mauled by those dogs.”

 

 

Chase was required to spend eight days in the animal hospital following the attack, but has since returned home.

“He’s doing better. He’s still go to heal from his wounds- they are deep. It’ll be a while before he does heal from his wounds, little by little,” DelToro said.

If the pit bulls are found, Lauby said Animal Control would keep them at the shelter until their owner proves the dogs can be contained.

WRAL News attempted to speak with the owner of the pit bulls, but a woman at the house refused to speak.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(WRAL - July 30, 2017)