Vicious Dog Makes Morning Stroll Dangerous

Janice Crow was mauled by a pit bull Sunday morning while walking near her home on Wood Street. Her miniature dachshund, Jimmy Doo, was also injured during the attack. – Photo by Jack Gurner

By Jack Gurner
Reporter

WATER VALLEY – Wood Street resident Janice Crow used to feel safe going for walks in her neighborhood.

Not anymore.

Sunday morning she and her miniature dachshunds, Jimmy Doo and Diddle Doo, were attacked as they walked down the street by a neighbor’s dog running at large.

Crow was bitten on the hand and had to have five stitches. A vet is treating her male dachshund for his wounds.

Crow said the attack occurred around 6:10 a.m. Sunday when the pit bull dog ran up a set of steps towards her. Her male dachshund barked once and got between her and the attacker. “That dog grabbed Jimmy by the neck and started shaking him like a ragdoll.”

The viciousness of the attack took Crow by surprise. “I grabbed the dog and tried to get my dog out of his month and that’s when he bit me,” she said.

Crow didn’t realize how bad the bite was until later when she saw the blood.

“My little dogs were in shock. The little female just cried the whole time. She was scared to death.”

Crow put her arm around the pit bull’s neck and held on tight, she recalled.

“I held him and prayed the Lord would help me.”

In the meantime someone had heard her screams and called police.

Crow said that it was so early she didn’t think anyone would be coming by. “I’m going to have to do what I’ve got to do by myself.”

She summoned her strength and picked the dog up and threw him as hard as she could. When he hit the ground he ran to his owner’s home.

“Jimmy started whining. He was hurt. I kept saying, ‘Jimmy, be quiet…be quiet.’ I was so afraid he was going to jump on him again.”

She went home and put her dogs inside and called neighbors. By then police arrived along with an ambulance.

The emergency medical technicians began treatment of her wounds and told her that she needed to go to the hospital in Oxford for stitches.

The pit bull has been confined and the owner cited under the City’s dog ordinance. She will have to appear in City Court and could face a fine.

Crow told the Herald Tuesday morning that her little dog is going to be all right, but he is still cowed from the attack. “I know he feels like he let me down.”

Crow said that she just wants to see the laws enforced. “What I really, really want is to walk on my street knowing that my dogs are safe.”