Dog attacks elderly woman, child in Ohio

Dave Nethers by Kaitlyn Shive

CNN image An elderly woman and a young child were hospitalized after being injured during a chaotic dog fight involving a pit bull in Cleveland, Ohio. (WJW)

An elderly woman and a young child were hospitalized after being injured during a chaotic dog fight involving a pit bull.

Police were summoned to the Valley York Apartments in Parma Heights around 1 p.m. Friday after frantic witnesses called 911.

“It’s an emergency. There’s a dog fight. A lady has been attacked by a dog and the dogs — they still can’t separate the two dogs. It’s a vicious fight,” said one caller.

“There’s a whole bunch of people outside trying to get them apart but the old lady is on the ground,” said another.

Police say an eight- or nine-year-old boy was out walking his pit bull when the dog went after an Australian Shepherd. The pit bull turned on the boy, who was bitten on his hands, before going after the other dog.

“He was bit in the neck. I thought his neck snapped. The other dog (the pit bull) was just dragging it around …really got tore up, he (the shepherd) didn’t really even fight back,” said Carlos Carrion.

Police say the shepherd belongs to an elderly woman who was also attacked. She was reportedly bleeding profusely from one of her hands.

“It wasn’t good. I mean, I saw a little bit, it wasn’t really good. I saw blood,” said Antonio Gjoka.

The woman and the boy were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their wounds.

The shepherd, named Afton, was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic with very serious injuries.

Parma Heights’ animal control officer declared the pit bull, named Thor, a vicious dog and placed it in quarantine.

Those who witnessed the attack say they had seen the pit bull out for walks many times before and never imagined it would have become so vicious.

“Whenever I get dropped off here to see my grandparents, all I know is that he always lets me pet him. He’s not mean to nobody. Even my mom pets him,” said Carelys Carrino.