Tag: ohio

Pit bull owner charged in cocker spaniel death

John T. Dunn of Streetsboro, Ohio faces multiple charges including two felonies for the July 15, 2011 dog attack on an elderly Rootstown, Ohio woman and her cocker spaniel. Dunn was charged with allowing his two pit bulls run free unleashed. He also failed to insure his pit bulls which are considered “vicious” under Ohio law.

Seventy-year-old Marie Hustead was bitten multiple times by Dunn’s pit bulls while trying to protect her cocker spaniel. Her wounded cocker spaniel had to be euthanized. Dunn agreed to the prosecutor’s request of surrendering the two pit bulls. Dunn was also ordered to pay care and upkeep costs for the dogs while at the dog pound.

Ohio’s Definition of Vicious Dog:

“Vicious dog” means a dog that, without provocation and subject to division (A)(4)(b) of this section, meets any of the following:

  • Has killed or caused serious injury to any person;
  • Has caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person, or has killed another dog.
  • Belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog. The ownership, keeping, or harboring of such a breed of dog shall be prima-facie evidence of the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a vicious dog.

This story is a follow up to: Pit bulls attack woman and kill cocker spaniel

Pit bulls attack woman and kill cocker spaniel

Marie Hustead
Marie Hustead holding Lucky's photo
A seventy-year-old woman and her cocker spaniel were brutally attacked in their own yard in Rootstown, Ohio. Marie Hustead was in her front yard around 7:30 a.m. last Friday morning walking her two-year-old cocker spaniel Lucky when she noticed two pit bulls (American Staffordshire terriers) across the street. She lost sight of them for a brief instant. The next thing she saw was Lucky being savagely attacked by both pit bulls. Hustead screamed, “They’re killing my dog, help him!” Desperately, she attempted to force them off Lucky when they began attacking her. Hustead was bitten multiple times before she ran inside her house retrieving a Swivel Sweeper. Unfortunately, the sweeper was of no use against the pit bulls.

By this time neighbor Vicky Spriggel heard the screams and came after the pit bulls with a log. She managed to chase them away. The pit bulls ran back to their home on Greenwood Road. Paramedics came and took Hustead to Robinson Memorial Hospital for treatment. Hustead believes she has between 20 – 40 stitches in both her hands and left arm.

Meanwhile, Lucky was taken by a neighbor to a local veterinary hospital and placed in critical care on a ventilator. After the vet explained the extent of Lucky’s internal injuries, Hustead made the difficult decision of putting Lucky down fearing he would suffer. “Yesterday I couldn’t stop crying, trying to come to terms with my little doggie…That was the best dog I ever had, the most loving. I couldn’t believe it happened that quick.”

Hustead had no idea pit bulls were in her neighborhood. Their owners had recently moved into town. “If we did know I would have been cautious,” says Hustead. Hustead says her neighbors with small children and pets are now afraid.