Man Shoots Attacking Pit Bulls Off Neighbor

Local 6 (Florida) ^ | July 16, 2006

[Stoat]

Man Shoots Attacking Pit Bulls Off Neighbor

Victim: 'I Really Thought That The End Was Here'

 

POSTED: 9:00 pm EDT July 16, 2006

UPDATED: 11:30 pm EDT July 16, 2006

 

 

LEESBURG, Fla. -- A man in Leesburg who heard screams for help from his neighbor during an attack by two pit bulls grabbed his shotgun and opened fire, possibly saving the man's life, according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities with the Lake County Sheriff's Office said two pit bulls attacked Joe Pipala, 61, at his home on Maple Street in Leesburg Sunday. Pipala said he thought he was going to die during the attack.

  "I really thought that the end was here," said victim Joe Pipala. "I hit one with a four-by-four and I could have sworn that I knocked a tooth out and it and it didn't even stun it."

Pipala's wife, Susan, tried to distract the dogs as they attacked her husband. "I started screaming and jumping up and down on the porch," Susan Pipala said.

However, the pit bulls would not stop moving in on Pipala, the report said. Pipala's neighbor Jeff Lint heard the cries for help and grabbed his gun

"I heard Joe yelling, 'Jeff help, Jeff, help,'" Lint said. "It was a scream of help. They would not let him alone. They were just all over him. I know Joe and I know that he has a heart condition. As a last resort, I got the 12-gauge shotgun and I come back over." Lint fired and hit one of the pit bulls.

"It went down and did a 360 three different times and then got up and came after me again," Lint said. "So, I unloaded a second shot into it." The dog died from the gunshot wounds.

The dead dog's owner was fined $50, the report said. He did not want to talk with Local 6 News about the incident. "I mean (it's) odd that they got a ticket and nothing else (other than) a fine," Susan Pipala said. "Fifty dollars and bye-bye. No dog taken away. No dog quarantined."

Pipala told Local 6 News that he feels lucky to be alive. "Now he wants to know from animal services what on earth is it going to take to get this dog off the streets," Local 6 reporter Vanessa Medina said.

The second dog involved in the attack belonged to one of the man's friends and was spotted back on its property later Sunday. Animal services would not comment on the incident.

 

 

 

[LowOiL]

Dogs named "Hizbullah" and "hamas" I persume.

[Marius3188]

Perhaps the reporter needs provide us with 'background' for this article.

For example, did the man try to scare TWO pitbulls away from his yard with the four-by-four? Or was he jumped on without seeing them at all?

Kinda important, I would not want to go against TWO pitbulls, instead, call Animal services?

And finally, this:
"The second dog involved in the attack belonged to one of the man's friends and was spotted back on its property later Sunday."

Does that mean it was a friends dog that attacked him?

[Stoat]

Well, the article doesn't say that the victim was "trying to scare them away from his yard", only that he was attacked.

The article infers that the 2x4 was picked up as a defensive weapon after the attack began.

And yes, the article states that one of the dogs was owned by a friend, although we have yet to see whether the friendship survives this incident.

[Jeff Chandler]

Hang onto your hat. The pit bull defenders will soon arrive and swarm all over this thread.

[Stoat]

Hang onto your hat. The pit bull defenders will soon arrive and swarm all over this thread.

Even after the FR Overseers moved this obvious News item to General Chat for no apparent reason, where I was sure it would die a pauper's death?

Thanks for the heads up, but I'm not sure what there is to defend....I merely thought that it was an interesting and relevant story about how a citizen used a firearm to save another person's life.  I thought that the Second Amendment folks and firearms fans might be interested, that's why I posted it.

[Jeff Chandler]

Thanks for the heads up, but I'm not sure what there is to defend.,

It usually starts when somebody comments on the fact that pit bulls seem a tad dangerous. Then all hell breaks loose as the pit bull aficionados point out the greater relative dangers of golden retrievers and such. Just wait and watch.

[Stoat]

I see, thanks very much.

"sigh" What you say reminds me of the first (and probably the last) time I posted a story about pot

Jamaica Ganja and crime (shocking new suggestion that pot may be related to crime in some way)

At that time, I had NO IDEA that there is a HUGE number of FReepers who are heavy-duty, hardcore potheads and shameless, proud drug users who will swarm an article and tag-team smackdown anybody who dares to suggest that pot is in any way bad for you or is in any way related to crime..  I was astonished.....this is a CONSERVATIVE site after all, or so I thought. Oh well, I thank you for the warning  :-)

And a note to pitbull defenders....NO, I am NOT calling you potheads or comparing you to potheads.

[Jeff Chandler]

And a note to pitbull defenders....NO, I am NOT calling you potheads or comparing you to potheads.

I would not be at all surprised if there were a considerable overlap.

[Stoat]

I would not be at all surprised if there were a considerable overlap.

Oh Lawd....

Well, I think that I will call it a night.  Please feel free to stay but be sure to protect yourself, as per the example in the article (and I'm not referring to a 2x4)

"waving"

[garyhope]

What's really bad is Pit Bulls smoking pot.

Dogs like to pack and attack in packs. Single dogs may not attack, but put 2 or 3 together and they will.

[wolfcreek]

I say,"shoot first, ask Animal Control questions later" Fortunately, I live in an unincorporated area and can do this will impunity.

[Wristpin]

Pit Bulls don't chew people, People chew people!

[solosmoke]

I wonder why the report didn't say anything about injuries to the man. It appears from the story that the dogs were acting threatening, but I could be wrong. Normally with stories like this they make a big deal about how the victim is rushed to the hospital with stitches, bruises, etc. but none of that here. I hope they really were attacking and not just "existing" near this guy.

[Wristpin]

The Crazy Pit Bull lady speaketh...

"I hope they really were attacking and not just "existing" near this guy."

Exactly how much damage should the victim sustain in his own back yard to justify the shooting to the precious Pit Bulls?? The article also didn't state whether the dirt ball owner had the dogs covered under his homeowner's insurance. Typically the dirt balls have none.

[solosmoke]

I am not saying that I wish harm on the guy. You misunderstood. What I meant was that I see an awful lot of dogs getting shot or beaten because people don't understand that a dog walking or running around you isn't an attack. If the dog is trying to bite you, then yes, but if it's just hanging around, then it doesn't need to be shot. Many dogs are curious and people friendly, and tend to try to be around people when they can. Animal Control must be called.

And considering the juiciest(meaning the most profitable to reporters) part of the story was omitted, it makes me wonder if there was a real attack, or if the guy overreacted BECAUSE of all the media hype about these dogs, screaming for help to PREVENT getting bit.

Also, one of the dogs belonged to this guy's friend. I wonder if they were trying to get the two dogs together to fight or mate. A neighbor's dog just roaming around with the friend's dog? It seems there is a lot more going on than what was written here.

[solosmoke]

By the way, please refrain from calling names. It is simply immature and hateful, and I am sure we are both old enough to have polite discussion without getting bent out of shape. People disagree. It's a part of life, and if it wasn't for these discussions, people would never learn anything new.

[Ditto]

All of those questions don't matter one bit. The dogs, be they pit bulls or pound puppies, were running loose, off their property, and attacked a human being. They need to be put down and the owner needs to be held fully accountable for the damage done by his animals.

[dc27]

He must have had a tight choke on his shotgun or took a very close shot.

[sinkspur]

I wonder if they were trying to get the two dogs together to fight or mate. A neighbor's dog just roaming around with the friend's dog? It seems there is a lot more going on than what was written here.

This poster is exhibit A of a pit bull lover. Notice, she will contrive any kind of excuse (including mating) to explain away an attack on a man who was screaming for his neighbor.

The dog that was killed required not one, but TWO, full frontal blasts from a shotgun to go down.

But, you see, a cocker spaniel would have killed the man, eventually. The pit bull didn't; it is such a misunderstood breed, after all.