By Tom Smith
Senior Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, September 8, 2008 at 10:38 p.m.
Authorities are trying to find the owner of two boxer bulldogs that attacked and mauled a Tuscumbia woman Sunday morning while she was walking her parents' small York terrier.
Courtesy Tuscumbia police This photo shows wounds that Melissa York suffered as the result of a dog attack.Police reports indicate Melissa York was attacked by the dogs on Third Street near the East Street intersection.
"(The small dog was on a leash and) had just gotten onto the sidewalk when I looked up and saw the two big boxers running towards us," York said. "They started nipping at her and when I tried to get away from them, one lunged at me."
York said she was holding the small dog high above her in an attempt to protect the animal as the two boxers continued to jump on her, bite her and scratch her.
"I tried to climb a tree. I was trying to do anything to get away, but they kept jumping up on me, biting me and biting the dog," York said. "I was screaming, hollering for help."
She said she was bitten on her arms and suffered scratches on her lower back and the backs of her legs. York said some of her hair was even pulled out by the dogs as they jumped up on her back.
And though she was trying to protect her parents' dog, it was injured.
"I was terrified. I truly thought I was going to die," York said.
She said she screamed so long and loud that she got hoarse.
"One lady, she and her husband, were two blocks away in their car and they heard me," York said.
She said someone finally drove by and stopped and helped her get the dogs off.
"One man had a baseball bat and he was able to get them off of me and they ran off," she said.
Witnesses said a woman got the dogs and took them away.
York was taken to Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield where she received medical treatment for her injuries.
Both her arms are streaked with bruises and she has four large bite marks on her right arm and a few on her left arm.
She said she had seen the reddish colored dogs in the neighborhood before but they had never done anything like what happened Sunday.
"They were trying to knock me down, jerking at my pants and sleeves," she said.
Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan said his department is looking into the incident.
"Our attention is on trying to locate the owner of the dogs to find out if the animals are properly vaccinated," Logan said. "It's critical that we find the owners and find out about the vaccinations very soon."
Colbert County Animal Control Officer Tommy Morson said his office was not involved because they were told the owner of the animals took control of them. He said as far as determining whether the animals have rabies or not, that will be up to the Colbert County Health Department.
"The health department will do the investigation from here and once they find out who the owner is, they will notify the owner that they will have 72 hours to quarantine the animals," Morson said.
He said even if the animals have been properly vaccinated, they must still be placed with a licensed veterinary for 10 days "so the vet can watch the animals."
York said what worries her is there are young children who walk and play in the area near where the attack happened.
She said she wasn't able to work Monday because of the injuries she sustained.
"Plus, I couldn't sleep last night. Every time I went to sleep I woke up hearing dogs snarling," York said.
She said even thinking about the incident "makes me want to throw up."
"It was a horrible experience," she said.
Logan said his department is taking this incident very seriously.
"We're extremely concerned that a resident and animal were viciously attacked by unrestrained dogs," Logan said. "We have a list of witnesses, but we're asking that anyone else who knows anything about this incident contact our department (at 383-3121)."
Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.
I hope they find the owner of these dogs. I am so glad someone was able to finally get the dogs off of her. I wonder if they were on a chain or in a fence or what? Thank Goodness her and her little dog are okay!
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