Friday, September 28, 2012

Woman attacked by dog still in critical condition

NORTH CAROLINA -- An elderly woman who was mauled by a dog remains in critical condition two days after the attack.

Tripp Bowling, Cleveland County Animal Control supervisor, said he went to Cleveland Regional Medical Center and checked on Patrece Ogle on Thursday afternoon and she was still in critical condition.

“She was still in ICU,” he said.

Did Animal Control bother to address the serious skin
issues with this dog? Why does it look this way?!

Bowling said animal control officers are still trying to piece together what happened Tuesday night to provoke the dog into attacking 73-year-old Ogle, leaving her with deep wounds and gashes to her head and face.

“We’re still confused on some of the ways that whole thing played out,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out from start to finish what happened and we don’t have all the answers.”

According to an animal control report, officers had been called out by law enforcement earlier in the day when the pit bull mix jumped on Ogle and knocked her down.

According to the report, both Ogle and her daughter-in-law, who owned the dog, said she wasn’t hurt and they wanted to keep the animal.

Bowling said the dog was friendly and wasn’t aggressive.

About 10 hours later, officers were called back to the house and found Ogle bloodied and wounded.

Lisa Ogle, the daughter-in-law, was having a seizure, and both women were taken to Cleveland Regional by ambulance.

 Bowling said Lisa Ogle was released from the hospital Thursday.

The dog, which is being held at the animal control shelter, will be declared dangerous, Bowling said.

The owners can choose to keep the animal and follow the stringent restrictions that go along with the declaration, including purchasing liability insurance, they can take the dog out of state or they can release it to animal control and opt to have it euthanized.

“They have three options at this point,” Bowling said. “It’s not like we’re saying you can’t have your dog back.”

(Gaston Gazette - September 27, 2012)