Dogs Enter Home And Attack Disabled Woman

Pit Bulls Used Pet Door, Killed Neighbor's Jack Russell Terrier; She's In Serious Condition

(CBS/AP)  Two pit bulls entered a house through a pet door Tuesday and attacked a woman in her bed, mauling her badly, a Pierce County sheriff's spokesman said.

The woman is disabled, and the dogs may have entered her home to attack her caretaker dog, reports CBS affiliate KIRO-TV.

The woman was able to grab a gun and attempt to shoot the dogs, then broke away from the attack and locked herself in her car, calling 911 for help, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The 59-year-old woman, identified by neighbors as Sue Gorman, was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, where she was listed in satisfactory condition.

The pit bulls killed a Jack Russell terrier that entered the house during the attack, Troyer said. The Jack Russell, named Romeo, belonged to a neighbor.

"Romeo, my dog, he probably saved that lady's life," said the boy.

"The thought is that the Jack Russell heard noise in the neighbor's house, came in and was attacked by the dogs," Troyer said.

Firefighters responded first, locking the dogs in the house, treating the woman and calling for an ambulance.

Officers "had to pepper spray and fight the dogs until they were detained. We almost had to shoot them on site," Troyer said.

The dogs were taken to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, and will probably be destroyed, he said.

Zack Martin said he owns one of the pit bulls, a 2-year-old female named Betty, and was taking care of the other, a male named Tank, while his owner was out of town. Martin said he had Tank chained up in his backyard because of a past incident in which the two dogs got out and caused trouble together, but he allowed Betty to run loose in the fenced backyard. On Tuesday, he found the chain broken and both dogs gone.

"We never saw it coming," he said. "They're the kinds of dogs you'd let play with your babies."

"It's a horrible, horrible thing that happened," Shellie Wilson, owner of the other dog, told a local television station. "We're devastated. If we could take it back we would. ... We'll do everything we can to help the family and Sue and our neighbors."

It was not immediately known why the dogs entered the house or what set off the attack.

Troyer said Pierce County Animal Control was investigating.

"They’ve had problems over there before a couple of houses down with the dogs," neighbor Ricky Russell told KIRO.

Animal Control Officer Brian Boman, who responded, also said animal control officers have had past run-ins with the pit bulls, but couldn't say exactly how many.

The woman reportedly has a service dog of her own, which was in the house but uninjured.

The woman lives in an unincorporated area of Pierce County on the Key Peninsula.

[erasmus6]

Actually depending on how large the pet door, people have been known to go through them as well.

[michellem99-2009]

The pet door is not smart nor the gun. Nasty dogs should banned and people who can''t be good care takers of their dogs must not have them. I love dogs but can''t have them for money and health reasons. Gramma they won''t listen to being a good handler of dogs.There are good owners. But bad as well. The tv news said the gun did not fire. Yet the masters had problem dogs and now a lady is all bit up. Time they stood upto the plate and ban the owners of the attack dogs from owning dogs.

[michellem99-2009]

The pet door is not smart nor the gun. Nasty dogs should banned and people who can''t be good care takers of their dogs must not have them. I love dogs but can''t have them for money and health reasons. Gramma they won''t listen to being a good handler of dogs.There are good owners. But bad as well. The tv news said the gun did not fire. Yet the masters had problem dogs and now a lady is all bit up. Time they stood upto the plate and ban the owners of the attack dogs from owning dogs.

[grammawhamma]

How did this article turn into a gun battle?? I only see 1/2 of a sentence about a gun in it.

My question is how safe are these pet doors if three neighbor dogs can just walk in a house? If your pet can come and go at will and your yard is not fenced in then you are not sure your dog isn''t out roaming the neighborhood either. Dogs should not be allowed to run loose. I live in the country with no neighbors in sight but my dogs are either in the house, on a leash for walks or in their outdoor kennel to do their business.

[michellem99-2009]

Looks erasmus6 and MichelleM99 pick on day. It is more than a messed up nation. I was in tears Mister as dogs are more aware of the blind and handicapped than some dumb people.
Gun owners are like car owners . They say got to have that car..They also say more forceful..Got to have that gun..No you don''t. Not today as the only reason to have that gun is to kill..Yer Bible said don''t kill. Ye break that when ye kill with that gun..When ye think it is okay when it is not. So it is the bible and guns. White men have alway been in love with guns and they kill women,children,pets, each other. Don''t ever try to change my mind as it won''t work.

[erasmus6]

klingon69

"Don''t bother Erasmus6 is one of those gun-fearing Canadian flapping heads."

I don''t fear guns. I just don''t think that every looney and pot smokin'' fool, like yourself should be allowed to run around with guns, endangering others lives. And we have never had guns to begin with, at least not like you, we aren''t that stupid.

You know, you sound a lot like ToolMangler. Hmmm, I wonder if his problem is smoking too much pot too.

Maybe if you came out of your smoke filled haze long enough you would realize how s-c-r-e-w-e-d up your country is. But I don''t hold up much hope for that happening because anybody that would initiate their KID into his own pot smoking world and make it a "ceremony" doesn''t have a BRAIN to think with.

[michellem99-2009]

kningon69..You are dumb..Sorry to put it to you that way. Get off your butt and learn something.
I have been post here for along time. You would know That I am legally blind and born legally blind. You would know I grew up in foster homes. Therefore have use a white cane. Take mass transit. You know legally blind can''t drive. What I can''t relate to is ths fully sighted. A fully sighted arse ran over Muffin the cat that loved me in one foster home and you got the gall attack a blind lady..I was 15 ,and looking out for another child that may have gotten bit. I was bit. I was pissed the foster mother for not doing her job to kelp the dog from bitting. I had never been agond dogs and my task was to take care of the kids not a dog that I knew nothing about. This was 70. I just moved from one home to another .You are wrong Mister..I never ever hurt a cat/dog. You best believe it is the human that is worse than a dog. I have taken care of a dog for the friend and that dog was better cared for than the master who didn''t care for properly. He let her die as he was selfish.

[michellem99-2009]

klingon69. Use yer brain I was 15, born legally blind.I

[klingon69]

Not to mention that using the military on a civilian population is illegal (national defense for that)
That didn''t stop Clinton and Reno from using them in Waco.

THIS is exactly why many of us want to bear arms, to counter our military being used against us in any way=--because just like they can be in the employ of a reasonable gov. they can be used by a madman/dictator to quell a population.
Posted by toldyouso21 at 09:15 PM : Aug 22, 2007
Hear hear

[klingon69]

Any dog that is kept on a chain becomes viscious.
Posted by erasmus6 at 07:17 PM : Aug 22, 2007
D@mn, you just can''t seem to stop talking out of you arse.

Dogs need to be fixed. If it means castrates fine.Fix yer pets.
Well, how about we come chop off you teats, how would you feel about that?

Years ago I got bit by a dog in a foster home and I was pissed. I did nothing wrong just looking for another child in the home. The dog''s mistress also my foster mother just sat there while her pet bit my arse. I was pissed at her.
Dog and gun owners need to step upto the plate and do the right thing. In American the dogs are licensed ,yet it is their owners that must license them. Cats too.
Posted by MichelleM99 at 07:39 PM : Aug 22, 2007
So, what did you do to challenge the dog? Obviously you did something, dogs are very territorial, and very protective. Obviously you did something that was seen as challenge. Just because your tookis got bit, doesn''t mean that all dogs are bad. You must be the kind if you could see and drive would try to run over all the dogs and cats you saw.

[klingon69]

Okay, well let me see....first you could take what''''s left of your military and do a house to house search. And whenever you come across a criminal you could shoot them on site and take their guns away. Pretty soon you will have less criminals and less guns!

Seriously though, I realize that it is difficult to take away guns once everybody has one. It is too bad that somebody didn''''t shoot the person that thought of allowing everyone to have one in the first place.:)
Posted by erasmus6 at 07:03 PM : Aug 22, 2007
hmmm, So, is that how they got rid of the guns in Canada? Of course since the canadians are spineless cowards, I could see it happening. Luckily we have the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which guarantees that we can be safe and secure from those kind of search and seizure tactics. Oh, and the 2nd admendment that gives us the right to keep and bear arms, is the guardian clause for all the other rights spelled out for us.

[klingon69]

I''''m curious- pit bull owners, if that was truly the case, and you knew you would be held accountable to that degree (as you should be now), would you still own those dogs?
Posted by imaok1 at 05:06 PM : Aug 22, 2007
Is your suggestion for just Pit-bull owners, or for owners of all agressive dogs? Having raised many different breads, I can tell you that the most agressive dogs are the smaller terrier breeds and chihuahua. These animals were bred for the small size to hunt rats in their burrows. They are probably many times more agressive, but because of the small size, nobody worries about this. Personally, I would like to have a pack of 15-20 chihuahuas and train them to attack, be like a pack of 4-legged pirahna.

[klingon69]

Skyhawk761

First off, no one should own a gun.
Secondly, if you are going to own a gun KNOW HOW TO USE IT, otherwise don''''t get one!
Posted by erasmus6 at 03:23 PM : Aug 22, 2007
Erasmus; first off, since you are a slime-sucking candian, it doesn''t matter to us what the F you think or say.
Secondly, why don''t you just kick back, crack a cold one, watch your hockey, and do whatever you canadians do for fun, relaxation and/or enjoyment.

[klingon69]

So i guess your answer would have been for her to just lay there and let them chew her ars off? Could of, would of, should of and a buck will get you a cup of coffee. Before complaining about her lack of accuracy, try letting two pitbulls chew on you and see if you can aim straight!
Posted by skyhawk761 at 02:40 PM : Aug 22, 2007
Don''t bother, Erasmus6 is one of those gun-fearing canadian flapping heads.

[klingon69]

Pit bull owners are a special breed of nut. It''''s an in-your-face, I''''m as bad as my dog(s) gesture.
Posted by photogeezer at 11:45 AM : Aug 22, 2007
Obviously there are problems where you live. I have raised several pit bulls and can personally tell you that they are not vicious or dangerous, any more than any other dog. If they are raised with love and discipline, they grow up to be excellent companions.
My son has been raised with pits, has played with them, and has one of his own. About the only thing she''s ever done to him is knock him over trying to lick his face.
Pits have a bad rep based on the fact that many train their dogs to fight and "bump" them quite often, yes in those cases they can beome violent, but any dog can demonstrate anti-social behavious, depends on how they are raised and treated.

[michellem99-2009]

Dear ,I will as I hate them bloody guns.True the gun by itself don''t kill. But if it not in the home then them hot heads can''t shoot a child,woman,helpless person. It has gotten so bad children take the guns to school where they know better. I have never ever bought a toy gun for a boy. I don''t believe in it. My room mate and I live in Seattle,the shootings are awful. Drive by shootings. I hate to go out and not alone as a legally blind person. The armed forces are the only ones that should have and bear arms. They only. I have alway felt this way. I broght up in gun free homes. The gun owners can''t change my mind as they won''t win with me. They tryed.Lost with me.l I am not pandering to the gun owners.

[erasmus6]

MichelleM99

Thanks again for sticking up for me!!

[michellem99-2009]

It looks like pick on erasmus6 day..No I am on her side. I hate guns and have since a child. I have never lived in home where there is guns. I won''t. If they want that bloody gun from yer paw,they will take it and shove it well...That woman''s gun did not fire that what was said on TV.. I know what the constution said on guns. that is the only part I don''t believe in as there are too many hot heads with guns. There is no need for the public to have them. When Amreica was starting out they had to hunt for food,form a military,the cops. Today there no need for the gun in the home. I am 52. I won''t change my mind on this issue

[erasmus6]

You are "clueless", I am gone. posted by ToolMangler

You are pathetic, BYE! See ya later!

[erasmus6]

ToolMangler

"I just happen to be a "TOOL and DIE" maker that has mangled my share of ''real metal tools''."

EXACTLY, go mangle your real metal tools! I can''t help it if your mind is in the gutter!