At 7:16am this morning, a deputy with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 9200 block of Austrian Boulevard in reference to a caller reporting he being held captive in his truck by three loose and aggressive pit bulls. The caller stated that he was unable to get of of his truck to open his gate to drive off, or to get back inside his residence and requested assistance. Animal Control was notified to respond as well.
Upon the deputy’s arrival, the dogs were observed leaving the complainant’s yard and entering the adjacent fenced in property. At that time they began to chase and attack chickens on the property. The deputy took the opportunity to speak to the caller, who was able to exit his truck. The caller reported he believed the dogs belonged to his neighbor, who was out of town for an extended period of time. The dogs were observed to be pit bulls, and were visually estimated to be approximately 100 pounds each by deputies on scene. (UPDATE 2:16pm 3/8/18) Animal Control later provided accurate weights for the two dogs who received medical treatment as 83 and 72 pounds.
While the deputy was speaking to the caller, the dogs re-entered the property and began to charge at the males near the truck. The caller jumped back in his vehicle, and the deputy circled the truck in an attempt to avoid the animals. One of the dogs committed to charging the deputy, at which time the deputy unholstered and fired his weapon, striking the dog in the jaw. A second dog moved to attack the deputy, and was also shot in an attempt to stop the attack. The third dog moved back at that time and all three dogs began to run down the road away from the deputy and homeowner.
The deputy, along with other responding officers, kept the dogs in sight until Animal Control’s arrival. Animal Control took custody of all three dogs, transporting the two injured canines to a veterinarian for treatment. The deputy and homeowner who called for assistance were not injured during the incident.
Charlotte County Animal Control will be handling the issuance of any applicable citations to the owners for the incident.
When will you do something to alleviate the pit bull problem? Pit bulls are killing, and sometimes eating people. People in America are being killed at a rate of every ten days, on average, by pit bull dogs. This isn’t acceptable.