PERU -- An 85-year-old man who owned a pit bull bled to death after being brutally attacked in the leg and face by the animal, which apparently became enraged after being punished, Peruvian media reported Thursday.
Santos Garcia died Wednesday at the Casimiro Ulloa Emergency Hospital after suffering severely torn muscle tissue in one of his legs and the loss of part of his nose, his upper lip and right eye, the El Comercio newspaper said.
The elderly man had punished the dog two days ago for destroying some household objects and did so again on Wednesday, which prompted the dog to retaliate.
The victim, who lived in Lima’s San Juan de Miraflores district, died en route to the hospital.
The dog was locked in a room in the house after the attack and later taken at the request of the family to an anti-rabies center, where a decision will be made on the animal’s fate.
Pit bulls have become very popular in Peru in recent years as guard dogs, but they also are used by gang members to attack their victims.
(Latin American Herald Tribune - Nov 12, 2009)
