JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) — A Jupiter dog owner is speaking out after his dog was brutally attacked by a Pit Bull in their own neighborhood. It happened at the Egret Landing community located off I-95 near Leslie Street.
It was supposed to be just another morning walk for longtime Egret Landing resident Randy Rienas and his 3-year-old miniature Bernadoodle Gracie, but that all took a turn on May 18th when they came face-to-face with a pit bull seemingly on the prowl.
Rienas said the loose dog was leashed, but there was no one on the other end. The 65-year-old tried to go undetected, but the dog spotted him and charged.
“he clamped down on my arm and he knocked me over,” Rienas said. “I lost control of Gracie, the pit pinned her and locked jaws on the hind quarters of Gracie.”
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At that point, it was a fight for survival. For two minutes, Rienas said he did everything he could to protect his pup.
“I tried to wrap the dog’s leash around its neck and constrict its airflow to pull it up, that just didn’t work,” Rienas said. “So I hit it in the head, temple, about 9 shots as hard as I could hit that dog, did nothing, and I kicked it in the ribs.”
A neighbor heard the commotion and put a hose in the pit bull’s mouth. It choked and took off. Gracie and her owner were left bloodied and badly injured.
Not long after, the Pit spotted its next victim, a man walking a golden retriever, and attacked them as well.
After the attacks, the dog returned to the yard it came from.
The owner said Gracie, although alive, has been in and out of the hospital for care.
“To listen to my dog wailing in pain was it broke my heart,” said Rienas. “I have yet to receive an explanation as to how this animal was roaming free in this neighborhood with so many children and other pets. It’s been a wonderful community. I felt safe. I don’t feel safe walking my dog anymore.”
Rienas said since the incident, Gracie has been so scared she went from sleeping on the bed to sleeping in the closet.
The injured dog is now required to go to the vet every two weeks to continue her healing process, which has already cost her owners more than 10,000 in vet bills, and they said that amount is expected to rise.
Egret Landing held a homeowners association board meeting earlier this week, where members decided the Pit Bull committed the violent attack, is a dangerous animal and will no longer be allowed into the community.
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