Woman attacked by 6 pit bulls think cop shouldve done more

[M-Quigley]

https://www.whio.com/news/national/mass ... IYOm76zmK/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BOSTON, Mass. — A Taunton, Massachusetts, woman attacked by six dogs is recovering from her injuries

Rochelle Silva recalls being on the ground as six pit bulls attacked her and she thinks the officer who responded should have done more to stop it.

She was walking her daughter's dog, Ace, when at least one dog got out. Police say when the owner tried to get that dog, five more escaped.

"They weren't able to get at Ace," Silva said. "They kept biting at me to get at Ace."

She said she tried to run across the street to put Ace over a fence so the dogs couldn't get him.

An officer on patrol saw the attack and stopped. Police say the officer could not use his weapon because the dogs were so close to the victim so he activated his lights and sirens to scare the dogs. Silva recalls a good Samaritan being the one help get her to safety while the officer was in his cruiser.

"He told the cop to unlock the door so he could get me in the car and he put me in the car," she said. "I don't know how I lost Ace. I don't know how I lost Ace in my arms."

Rochelle's daughter found Ace in a nearby yard.

"His breaths were very, very faint and slow," Arianna Silva said. "But he was breathing a little bit, so we rushed him to West Bridgwater Animal Hospital"

Ace died from his injuries. Rochelle Silva, who her daughter says has worked her whole life helping others at various nonprofits, could be out of work for months.
The good Samaritan was also bitten, but had a minor injury.

The article isn't clear on how effective the lights and siren were in scaring off the dogs. Although the good samaritan was bitten it doesn't say if he was bitten before or after the lights and sirens. And of course being Boston, it's unlikely a resident could carry something effective to protect themselves with. In a lot of situations you can't just assume the police can be there in time regardless of what the response is when someone arrives.

When I once took an active training scenario on a dog attack, the takeaway I got was when you have a thrashing victim of a dog attack the best way to avoid unintentially shooting the victim is to get as up close as possible. The downside is you risk getting bit yourself, and that's just with one dog.

[Javelin Man]

I think Toledo has an ordinance against owning more than two pit bulls older than six months. That would have limited the number of dogs attacking. I don't have a dog in the fight, pun intended, so I don't know how well that would have worked in this case.

[deanimator]

In a lot of situations you can't just assume the police can be there in time regardless of what the response is when someone arrives.

I have no illusions that the police will get there AT ALL, never mind "in time".

My family survived the 1919 Chicago race riot by defending themselves.

I've had police flatly refuse to respond to a credible death threat against me and others.

In 1986, Cleveland police pretended not to be able to see a race riot. The victims' friend saw it and broke it up with a shotgun.

Be willing and able to protect YOURSELF or be prepared to not get protected AT ALL.

[Gramps]

Here is the local ordinance. NOT very well unforced however.

505.14 VICIOUS DOGS.
(a) As used in this section, "vicious dogs" means and includes:
(1) Any dog with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or domestic animals; or
(2) Any dog which attacks a human being or domestic animal without provocation; or
(3) Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting or any dog trained for dog fighting; or
(4) Any pit bull terrier which is defined as any Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed of dog or any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier as to be identifiable as partially of the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier by a qualified Veterinarian duly licensed as such by the State.

(b) No person owning or harboring or having the care or custody of a vicious dog shall suffer or permit such dog to go unconfined on the premises of such person. A vicious dog is "unconfined" as the term is used in this section if such dog is not securely confined indoors or confined in a securely enclosed and locked pen or a dog run area upon the premises of such person. Such pen or dog run area must also have either sides six feet high or a secure top. If the pen or structure has no bottom secured to the sides, the sides must be imbedded into the ground no less than one foot.

(c) No person owning or harboring, or having the care of a vicious dog shall suffer or permit such dog to go beyond the premises of such person unless such dog is securely muzzled and restrained with a chain having a minimum tensile strength of 300 pounds and not exceed three feet in length.

(d) No person shall own or harbor any dog for the purpose of dog fighting, or train, torment, badger, bait or use any dog for the purpose of causing or encouraging such dog to unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domestic animals.

(e) No person shall possess with intent to sell, or offer for sale, breed, or buy or attempt to buy within the City any vicious dog.

(f) Any person owning or harboring or having the care of any vicious dog shall maintain a policy of insurance in an amount not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) insuring such person against any claim, loss, damage or injury to persons, domestic animals, or property resulting from the acts, whether intentional or unintentional, of the vicious dog. Such person shall produce evidence of such insurance upon the request of a law enforcement agent.

(g) In the event that a policemen or other law enforcement agent has probable cause to believe that a vicious dog is being harbored or cared for in violation of subsections (b), (d), (e) or (f) hereof, the law enforcement agent may petition a court of competent jurisdiction to order the seizure and impoundment of the vicious dog pending trial. In the event that a law enforcement agent has probable cause to believe that a vicious dog is being harbored or housed in violation of subsection (c) hereof, the law enforcement agent may seize and impound the vicious dog pending trial.

(h) Whoever violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. In addition, any vicious dog which attacks a human being or another domestic animal may be ordered destroyed when in the Court's judgment, such vicious dog represents a continuing threat of serious harm to human beings or domestic animals. In addition, any person found guilty of violating the provisions of this section shall pay all expenses, including shelter, food, veterinary expenses necessitated by the seizure of any dog for the protection of the public, and such other expenses as may be required for the destruction of any such dog.
(Ord. 86-45. Passed 6-10-86.)