Pit Bulls’ Future Uncertain After Attack
with 79 comments
Shephard O’Brien and his dog, Blitze, sit outside of their house on Golden West Avenue.
The sound of frantic barking and growling in the streets could be enough to make many people uneasy about venturing outside their homes. After a dog attack Thursday, residents of the neighborhood surrounding Golden West Avenue are thinking twice about walking their dogs on the street. At 10:42 a.m., a 911 call was made by a concerned resident that three pit bulls were attacking a local man and his dog.
Shephard O’Brien and his 9-month-old black Labrador, Blitze, were enjoying the weather on the 200 block of Golden West. O’Brien, who rides his skateboard while Blitze pulls him along the pavement, noticed three, full-grown pit bulls being walked by another neighborhood resident. According to O’Brien, the woman walking the dogs had difficulty controlling them. “We were just about to go home when I saw this lady walking three pits,” he said, “one lady, walking all three, full-grown pit bulls. She couldn’t control them at all. As we went by, all three started to attack my dog.”
One neighborhood resident, who prefers to remain anonymous, saw the attack and called for help. “I heard the sound of dogs fighting so I went outside,” she said. “I saw a young man hitting a dog on a leash. At first I thought the boy was abusing the dog. Then I realized that the pit bull he was hitting had another dog by the neck. That’s when I ran back inside to call 911.”
As the pitbulls attacked Blitze, O’Brien tried to pull them off and subsequently ended up getting bit. “They wouldn’t let him go,” he said as he described how he had to resort to desperate measures. “I couldn’t get them off of my dog. I finally started hitting the pits with my skateboard until they finally let him go.”
“The Lab was in really bad shape,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Lowes, who was one of the responding officers on scene. “It’s bad news when these pit bulls attack someone.”O’Brien’s dog suffered multiple puncture wounds, and blood at the scene indicated that Blitze had bled profusely. O’Brien’s sister took the dog to get him emergency care. “I was covered in blood and there were pools of blood in the street,” said O’Brien. “My sister tried to take him to the pet hospital in Ojai, but they said they couldn’t help him until the next morning. We got him to the Oak View Animal Clinic and they saw him right away and got him stitched up. I’m really thankful for them. Blitze is going to be OK. He’s definitely going to make it.”
The pits also injured O’Brien, who was treated at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital for puncture wounds to his left arm. He claims that the owners of the pit bulls have refused to take their share of responsibility, telling O’Brien that they had already received a ticket from Animal Control. “I’ve paid about $600 out of my own pocket,” said O’Brien. “I have receipts from the vet and the hospital. We will have to settle this some way. If they don’t want to take care of this, we will take them to small claims court.”
The owners of the pit bulls, who live on the 1100 block of Anita Street, claim that this is an isolated incident. “This has never happened before,” said the owner, who refused to give his name. “My dogs have been around other dogs a lot of times, but this is the first time this has happened.”
O’Brien and Blitze aren’t the only ones in the neighborhood who have had problems with dog attacks. Residents of the area have come forward to express their concern, including Hal Moore, who lives on Anita Street with his family. Moore has experienced issues with dogs loose in the neighborhood. “It’s getting ridiculous,” he said. “Last year, a rottweiler had killed a small terrier down the street, and I’ve seen those pit bulls loose before. I’ve had to tell people walking by to watch out. It’s not a good situation. You are taking a chance walking your dog through the neighborhood nowadays. Nobody is safe.”
The pit bulls’ owner and O’Brien said that the dogs that attacked are being quarantined by Animal Control for 10 days, then it will be determined whether the dogs are allowed back at the residence or if they will have to be put down. Despite repeated attempts, the Ojai Valley News was unable to reach Animal Control for comments.
