(Update: Owner of attacked dog tells what happened)
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) – Sisters resident Ty Godfrey says he’s an animal lover, so when he found a dog lying motionless on a snowy forest road while heading out with a neighbor for a hike with their three dogs, he got out of his truck to see what was wrong.
His 3-year-old German shepherd-chocolate lab mix, Dazey Mae, jumped out as well — and that’s when things went horribly wrong.
Godfrey says two other dogs suddenly came out of the woods, and all three then viciously attacked Dazey Mae. He was bitten several times while he covered his dog with his body, trying to defend her and to protect her vital organs.
Godfrey now says he had no choice but to stab the three dogs – fatally, as it turned out – to save Dazey Mae’s life.
The aggressive dogs’ owner, a transient from a nearby homeless camp, faces charges as a result, and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies say Godfrey’s actions were justified.
“I love animals – I don’t hunt. When I fish, I release,” Godfrey told KTVZ News Friday night. “This weighs heavy on my heart.”
But he added, “The dogs died because of their owners. It’s pure negligence on their end that led to the dogs’ dying.”
Sheriff’s Lieutenant Chad Davis says deputies responded around 11:40 a.m. Thursday to the reported dog attack on U.S. Forest Service land (FS Road 1505/430 Spur), about three miles southwest of Sisters.
Davis said two of the attacking dogs died at the scene, while a third, found at a nearby transient camp, was later euthanized due to its injuries. The first two dogs were brought to BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond and the third was taken to the Humane Society of Central Oregon in Bend.
Deputies cited a transient woman, 56-year-old Denise Peiffer, who was identified as the dogs’ owner, on three counts of animal at large and a count of animal nuisance, both Class violations.
The U.S. Forest Service assisted in the investigation, Davis said, adding that deputies also received reports of past aggressive dog incidents in the area.
KTVZ News has also reached out to the U.S. Forest Service to learn more about their plans for the homeless camp, and if any immediate action is expected.
Godfrey says Dazey Mae received over 40 puncture wounds all over her body: “She’s got a hole in her head – literally, a hole in her head. Rips on top of her shoulder blades, elbows, her ear was ripped.”
Since the attack, he’s learned the same dogs recently chased a man riding an electric bike in the area.
“This is where I go all the time, a great place to go hiking. I’d never seen these dogs.”
“The dog was literally lying in the snow like it was dead,” he recalled. “I stopped the truck, honked my horn. It was like it was playing possum.”
After the three dogs pounced on Dazey Mae, Godfrey rushed in to defend her.
“They bit my hands up really good while I was trying to separate their mouths from my dog’s body,” he recalled. “They were just grip-locked. These dogs were pit bulls. Their jaws were locked, and I couldn’t get them released.”
“Eventually, I was able to get to my knife, and that’s when I did what I did.”
Godfrey said his neighbor, August Tripp, also got out and was kicking the dogs during the attack. She’s also Sisters High’s varsity softball coach, he’s an assistant coach. Her two dogs stayed in the truck, which he said was a good thing: “Her little dog would have been killed.”
He said they called 911 and the deputy who came out went first to check on the dogs that he’d just killed. So they got back in their truck with their injured dog and sped toward town, turning onto McKenzie Highway while honking his horn and with flashers on, cars pulling out of the way.
“We threw Dazey in the back seat. There was blood everywhere. It looked like a war zone.”
Godfrey said Deputy Mike Hudson was waiting in town to help get Dazey to the vet and ended up donating to help with her bill. Meanwhile, he said, “The lady cited refused to have any responsibility for my bill. I get to pay for what her dogs did.”
Godfrey, a 44-year-old horticulturist, says Dazey Mae “was gifted to me from my children, from a breeder in Culver who actually passed away last year in a car accident.”
“Dazey is going to be okay,” he said. “She goes in every two days to get all of her wounds checked.”
As for his own wounds, Godfrey said his doctor’s appointment is set for Monday: “My hands are so swollen, they can’t get X-rays done until the swelling goes down.”
Looking back, he knows there’s only so much anyone can do to prevent such dangerous encounters: “Everybody needs to keep their eyes open. If you see a dog like that, don’t just stop and get out. Maybe honk, go up the road, go out a safe distance.”
On a positive note, Godfrey said he wanted to publicly thank Deputy Hudson for his help, along with the Sisters Veterinary Clinic and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire and Rescue.
“Our community in Sisters is hands-down the best,” he said.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
