Armed Neighbors End Dog Attacks

http://carrollwood.tbo.com/carrollwood/MGAIHP0ZMBD.html ^ | 2/1/2003 | SEAN C. LEDIG

[2nd_Amendment_Defender]

TAMPA - Teresa Castellano knows that some folks saved her life. She just doesn't know who they are. Castellano, 25, her daughter, Alysa McBride, 6, and her daughter's friend, Kaitlyn Green, 8, survived a recent attack from two Rottweilers and a pit bull.

It is an amazing story of horror and heroism.

Castellano said it began while she was watching the girls at Kaitlyn's home on Jan. 18. Kaitlyn's father, Sean Green, had stepped out for 10 minutes to run an errand.

Castellano, of Land O' Lakes, said she and the girls laughed at something on television, and that apparently sparked the dogs to start barking and growling. She soon realized the dogs were not playing, and she sensed it might get worse.

She asked the girls to quiet down so the dogs would relax.

It never happened.

The dogs attacked.

``When [the Rottweilers] saw the fear, one of them started biting Kaitlyn,'' Castellano said. ``I told them to stop screaming because they were making the dogs upset.''

Castellano said she laid on the girls to try and protect them from the dogs. She then tried to block the dogs to give the girls a chance to escape to a bedroom.

Nothing was working. The Rottweilers were going wild.

So Castellano and the girls bolted outside the house at 8126 Bay Drive. The girls ran to safety in a neighbor's house while Castellano distracted the dogs. The pit bull, Petey, joined in the attack.

The commotion outside attracted the attention of neighbors and a motorist passing by.

John M. Anderson and his wife were in their car and leaving a friend's house nearby when they passed by and saw three dogs attacking Castellano, according to a Hillsborough County sheriff's report. Anderson drove into the driveway and began blasting the horn and yelling out the window, trying to scare the dogs and allow Castellano to get into the car.

It seemed to work. The dogs stopped biting Castellano, but she couldn't make it to his car.

Anderson, 22, was about to get out of his car when he looked over his shoulder and saw a man toting a pistol. He kept honking his horn and sped away to get his friend, Justin Turner, who lived nearby.

The man with gun was Winston H. Harr, a next-door neighbor. He had heard screaming outside and grabbed his Kimber .45-caliber pistol. His wife, Deborah, came, too.

Harr said he saw Anderson's car moving back and forth in the driveway, and three dogs attacking a woman. Harr fired three shots into the ground to try and scare the dogs. They screamed at the dogs, but it didn't seem to matter. Deborah Harr called the dogs by name, and they stopped momentarily.

Then, without warning, the dogs charged at Harr. The pit bull bit him on the leg before Harr trained his pistol and fired, hitting the dog in the head. He also fired at one of the Rottweilers, and it fell to the ground.

Harr, a librarian's assistant at Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library near Carrollwood, said he fired the rest of his bullets at the third dog, and it seemed to back away. He bolted for his house for more ammunition and a flashlight.

Turner, who had heard the screams and was told by Anderson of the attacking dogs, grabbed his Glock .40-caliber pistol and ran to the scene. He was told there were three dogs, and only one was dead.

Turner, 33, told deputies he positioned himself between the wounded Castellano and the Rottweilers. When one of the dogs made a move toward him, he fired. Deputies believe it was his bullet that wounded the dog.

At that point, both Rottweilers retreated into the house.

Also arriving at the scene was neighbor George Lease, a Tampa police detective. Carrying his 9mm pistol, he found Harr and Turner at the house with their guns.

While Deborah Harr and Anderson comforted Castellano, the three armed neighbors searched the house and found the dogs, one wounded and on a couch and other other laying on the living room floor.

The wounded Rottweiler was euthanized later that night at Florida Veterinary Specialists, said Dennis McCullough, an investigator for Hillsborough County Animal Services.

The other Rottweiler was placed under quarantine at Animal Services until Wednesday, when it was euthanized.

Alysa was released from St. Joseph's Hospital on Jan. 26; Castellano remained hospitalized this week due to infections from the bites. Both mother and daughter needed more than 100 stitches each to close the wounds on their bodies.

Kaitlyn's injuries required 20 stitches, said her mother, Jennifer Harvey of Town 'N Country.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said no one will be charged in the incident.

For Castellano, she said she doesn't know who fired the shots that spared her from the dogs.

``I thank them with all my heart. They saved my life.''

[BabsC]

But I back them both with a 9mm glock.....

[JimRed]

Y'ever notice that no one is mauled by a happy Golden Retreiver?

Or by miniature dachshunds?


Goldens are the greatest, but Doxies tend to be ankle biters!

[BabsC]

I've always wondered why people need two or three of these animals. One never seems to be enough.

Actually we got this affliction with Siberian Huskies. A large male wondered up and adopted my husband. We got the books, learned about the breed. These dogs are not guard dogs. If the perp pets them they'll show them where the jewelry is. We got a female to keep him company. Even of the same breed the males can be completely different than the females. Both very well trained and always in a leashed harness or on a runner line. They are runners and diggers. They are a handful and require lots of attention.

They look like the dog Demon from Snow Dogs. When we walk them people always want to pet them and say they want one. We always tell them not to unless they are willing to spend the time and energy to do the breed right.

[Rasputin_TheMadMonk]

I was aware of the kimber's frame limits, but a high cap .45 would have served better. I can't speak to the Kimber as a firearm, I've never owned one, but I meant no indictment of the Kimber .45.

[Rasputin_TheMadMonk]

I wait to see if the fedgov continues to assault our rights or admits the folly of this legislation. If they continue to kneejerk the way they have been since september the eleventh, we don't stand a chance.

I have been in contact with my representatives letting them know of my position concerning letting the ban sunset.

I do not advise holding our breath. :-(

[ExSoldier]

"I'll take a Labarador any time for a pet. Like most dogs, they'll sound the alarm when trouble is near. By nature, they're not suitable as attack dogs."

I'll see your Lab and raise you my Newfoundland water rescue dog. 160 pounds of pure muscle, we call her "wild eyed love" but I have no doubt that if you were so foolish to hurt "mom" or "dad" she'd be the proverbial "Fur Covered RAZORBLADE!" She has never growled at anything except the camels on the tv when the "MUMMY" was on. She swims like a fish, and rescues on instinct. We look forward to adding another one as her companion within a year or so. Call them the Beach Patrol. LOL

[Blood of Tyrants]

Kimber is supposed to be a high quality gun. At their price, they better be.

[AmericanVictory]

Thank the Lord they did not live in a controlled gun jurisdiction where handguns are banned.

[DaiHuy]

As a Professional Dog Handler and a Past Elementary Educator, I must adamantly agree with those who have stated “training, responsibility, and the way we raise our children be they human or animal” is truly the only correct response to this argument. I volunteered to work with the “problem” children and there was no doubt why other Educators did not want to work with these children, just as I have worked with several owners to correct Terrible behavior problems in their “animal” children.

IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT HOW THEY ARE RAISED. Environment and their earliest education, or the lack of it, is what will ultimately form both the problem child and the problem pet. No one needs to make excuses, for the pets or the children, it is obvious where the failure lies, attend any training seminar for Problem Pets, or any parent teacher conference, that is where the true excuse is found.

Until people learn what it is to take pride in their own efforts, why would we care how our dogs behave or our children, WE can just make excuses for THEM. Especially since WE as the Adults, are unable to make the necessary changes in our OWN lives so that we do not need to rely on “making excuses”. I mean let’s face it… “My dad wasn’t there for me, that is why I am the way I am now…” how often do we hear this? When will we instead hear, “…my dad wasn’t what he should have been, and I refuse to use that as an excuse in my life…”? Why don’t we just own up to our lack of responsibility rather then push it off on the kids or our parents, or EVEN our PETS?

We never gave a second thought to our new dog’s training, after all wasn’t it us who sat on the floor and did nothing but rough-house with the puppy, UNTIL they finally learned what it was we expected of them, and now we don’t understand how they became so aggressive….

MUST HAVE JUST BEEN BORN THAT WAY…

--In plainer English, Where is it that the “bully” at school learn to strike and raise his hand to hit another child?

MUST HAVE JUST BEEN BORN THAT WAY…

[Woahhs]

I'm not even going to try to deal your utopian vision of infinite maliability for both beast and man. If you can ignore the anecdotal, and historical evidence that disproves your thesis...you can ignore anything.

[Deb8]

Your logic is really faulty. If dog attacks are a result of human mishandling then all large breeds should attack in the same ratio. Labradors are waaaay more numerous in the US than pit bulls or Rotweillers. Yet studies show that almost all serious dog attacks in the US are by pit bulls and rotweillers (german sheppards are #3). Are you suggesting that somehow Lab or St. Bernard owners are better people than pit bull or rotweiller owners? Kinda sounds like your limp racism analogy in your original post. Pit bulls should be exterminated...I know people that have them and it's a constant struggle to keep them under control. They've been banned in England.

[Doomonyou]

He bolted for his house for more ammunition and a flashlight. Did he miss? Or did the dog just eat 5 rounds of 45 FMJ/JHP whatever?

Well...1st of all, one of the dogs had already bitten him. Which may mean his body was going into shock.

2ndly, maybe he doesn't go to the gun range every other week and practice. The vast majority of gun owners don't. Unfortunately, in many areas gun ranges are far and few between.

Finally - firing a pistol at a moving target when your glands have just dumped a massive dose of all kinds of funky stuff into you will negatively impact your accuracy. It is hard to shoot straight when your muscles are all trembling like you just had a double dose of amphetimines. Which is one reason why cops, who do get regular gun range time, miss so many shots in real world shooting situations.

Not to mention he went back to get a FLASHLIGHT. The article doesn't seem to mention the time of the attack, so he could have been shooting in the dark as well, with lots of big white spots in his eyes.

[T Wayne]

Time for an anti-freeze party.

Cowards way of doing things, huh?

[xzins]

Nope, Vigilante's way. Someone wrote the other day that it's a good way to rid the neighborhood of toddler & pet-eating coyote's. Guess it's better to let vicious dogs kill kids.

[T Wayne]

You won't get many coyotes that way but it is CRUEL AND INDESCRIMINATE and the COWARD'S way of sneak attack against neighbors!

If there is a problem, grow a pair and handle it man to man.

[xzins]

Better to have them worry.

[rugerman]

Thanks for the welome, Badray! This place is confusing to me, to figure all this out. If I'm slow to respond, please be patient, I didn't even see this until just now! Nice to meet you anyway!

[Badray]

Nice to meet you too, rugerman. Don't worry about being new or slow or confused. We were are new once and many of us are still slow and confused.

Just be warned that this place is addictive. The good news is that after you spend 12 - 16 hours a day here, you'll figure it all out. You won't have a life, but you'll have Free Republic and 100,000 new friends.

[rugerman]

LOL, it may take me weeks of 12 to 16 hour days to get this place figured out, but it looks like such a cool place, with folks who think like me, I think it'll be worth it!