Six pit bulls who attacked a 51-year-old woman and killed a dog on a Taunton street last month were ruled dangerous Tuesday and ordered to be euthanized, according to police.

Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh made the decision during a public hearing to determine the fate of the dogs, who have been held by authorities since the April 24 attack, Public Information Officer Lt. Eric Nichols told Boston.com.

“I have no choice but to make the opinion that the dogs are dangerous dogs,” Walsh said, WPRI reports. “It’s an unfortunate situation. Based upon the facts as presented to me, I’m making the determination that the dogs be humanely euthanized.”


Rochelle Silva, the victim of the attack, was present at the hearing, according to the station.

She has been recovering at a West Bridgewater rehabilitation facility.

“I’m happy with the outcome,” she told reporters. “(The owner) was irresponsible. He can’t have all those dogs and not have proper crating, gating, he was just irresponsible. And it was too bad, because the dogs have to suffer.”

VIDEO: An emotional hearing in Taunton where police ruled 6 dogs will be put down after attacking a woman. The victim and dog owner spoke to us afterwards. https://t.co/jdHNWBuBs0 pic.twitter.com/Jvy2HhLwnp — Steph Machado (@StephMachado) May 7, 2019

According to a police incident report, Silva was walking her daughter’s dog, Ace, before a patrol officer saw her “in the middle of the road running towards the side walk” on Broadway around 8:45 p.m.

Officer Mathieu Clifford wrote he saw six pit bulls attacking Silva, and, after he exited his cruiser, the dogs turned toward him but he was unable to shoot them because they were on top of Silva.

Clifford used his cruiser’s sirens and air horn to try to distract the dogs as their owner, 36-year-old Rolando Celado, of Taunton, tried to corral them.

“With the help of another pedestrian, I was able to get (Silva) into the cruiser and secure it,” Clifford wrote in the report. “I realized the windows were down in the cruiser when some of the pit bulls came to the driver’s side … and attempted to jump in through the open window.”


While Silva was brought to safety, Celado got the dogs into his house nearby, according to Clifford. But while Clifford attempted to tend to Silva’s injuries, he saw the dogs running toward the scene again.

One bit a bystander before Celado was able to control them, Clifford wrote.

First responders applied tourniquets to Silva’s wounds “to help save her life,” Clifford said.

“I thought I was going to die,” Silva said Tuesday. “I felt every bite.”

She was brought to Rhode Island Hospital, officials said. The bystander drove himself to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to police.

Ace died later at an animal hospital, and Taunton Animal Control took the pit bulls into custody.

Authorities at the time said an initial investigation showed Celado opened the door to his house and one of the dogs escaped. As he turned to get the pit bull, the others followed suit and then began attacking Silva, officials said.

These are the some of the dogs police say attacked Rochelle Silva and killed her dog. Hearing aimed to determine if they are put down. pic.twitter.com/Of50t5O5os — Steph Machado (@StephMachado) May 7, 2019

Celado, who had recently moved to Taunton from Boston, told police one of the dogs is aggressive but the others “are okay,” Clifford wrote.

“(He) stated that his dogs do not get along with one another and sometimes will fight,” Clifford wrote in the report.

At Tuesday’s hearing Celado apologized and took responsibility for the incident. He told reporters he blamed himself.

“You guys need to do what you need to do,” he said during the hearing. “It shouldn’t have happened. I really am sorry.”

Celado has 10 days to appeal the decision in district court, according to Nichols.


He also received citations for city ordinance violations totaling $390 in fines, including having an unlicensed dog, having a dog on public property not under restraint or control, and having a dog on premises of other than the owner’s, Nichols said.