Pit bull running loose attacks, bites man on hand

NEWARK – Hours before a meeting in Newark City Council chambers to discuss whether legislation designating pit bulls as a vicious breed should be repealed, police were talking with a man who was attacked and bitten by one.

Todd Wilson was walking his chow/shepherd mix, Cisco, around 8 a.m. Monday on the same route he always uses. He said he saw a brown dog running behind a housebut didn't think much of it because the people who lived there owned a brown dog.

He noticed the same dog on Hudson Avenue, and within seconds, he got a close-up view.

"It stopped, looked at me, looked at my dog and then grabbed ahold of my dog by the back of the neck," Wilson said.

Wilson began punching the pit bull to try and get it to release its grip on Cisco, but the pit bull did not let go and was shaking Cisco.

Wilson said he did not notice anything Cisco did that would have provoked the dog to attack.

"It was right in attack mode," Wilson said.

A Licking County transit bus was in the area and pulled over to help Wilson. The driver tried kicking the pit bull, which eventually released Cisco and bit Wilson on the hand.

Wilson said at that point, the driver of the bus got an ice scraper from the bus and began to hit the dog with it.

During the scuffle, Wilson and the dogs were pulled into the road on Hudson Avenue.

The transit driver gave Wilson and Cisco a ride back to Wilson's home, which is about a block away. Wilson said he put Cisco inside and retraced his steps to try and locate the dog.

Wilson flagged down a police officer who was driving by and the dog was located at a residence on Hudson Avenue in the immediate area of the attack.

The owner told the officers the dog was a stray, then said he had "gotten the pit bull from someone off Facebook" in late 2014, according to an incident report obtained by The Advocate.

The dog is described as being a 2-year-old male pit bull.

The owner said the dog escaped out the back door and was not licensed; he also said he did not have liability insurance for the dog, police reported. Officers were not provided any proof of the dog having been vaccinated for rabies, the report said.

Animal Control Officer Toby Wills gave the owner notice to quarantine the dog and an information packet about the rules and regulations about owning the dog within city limits. The owner was given 15 days to comply, according to the report.

Wilson said he has to get a tetanus shot and Cisco has to be examined by a veterinarian to make sure everything is alright.

"That could've easily been a kid," Wilson said. "I've seen 10- or 11-year-old kids walking their dogs."

Wilson hoped to attend Monday's meeting discussing the pit bull laws in Newark but did not make it in time. He wanted to share what happened to him Monday morning with members of the council for their consideration.

"I'm all for people having dogs, but it's as simple as this: If you're going to have a dog, take care of it," he said.

Wilson said he is concerned because the dog is quarantined in the home he escaped from.

"You didn't know your dog was gone and then you didn't know how he got out," Wilson said. "They pretty much gave him right back to it. I really think something needs to be done with that law."

Wilson is thankful Cisco escaped with only a few scratches and he only suffered a bite on his hand.

"Cisco's all I got. He's like a kid to me," he said. "I'd have been in jail if something would've happened to him yesterday. No doubt in my mind."