DETROIT, Mich. — A Detroit woman says she was attacked by two pit bulls on New Year's Eve, spending the holiday in a hospital bed. As strangers stopped to help her, she says they were attacked as well.
The woman, who only goes by Ashley, is left searching for answers after she was attacked on Tuesday around 10:40 a.m. in the area of Plymouth Road and Meyers Road, walking to her local liquor and convenience store.
"That could’ve been a child and not me, cause kids walk to the store all the time," she said. “It was like why me, like why did it happen to me?”
Ashley says two large pit bulls came out of nowhere and attacked her. She screamed for help, attempting to get away and climb a fence. As she was being attacked on her arm and leg, strangers stopped to attempt to help her. Ashley says they were then attacked as well.
“Everybody that was trying to help me got injured. One guy's head got ripped. I’m really appreciative for them, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here," she said.
Detroit Police responded and confirmed one dog was shot and killed. Ashley said it happened as the pit bull was attempting to attack an officer. According to police, the other dog was taken by animal control.
Meanwhile, Ashley was transported to a local hospital, ringing in the New Year in a hospital bed. She wants to see the owner held responsible, so the community can feel safe doing every day tasks once again.
Crystal Perkins, the city of Detroit's General Services Department director, released a statement on Friday:
Detroit Animal Care and Control officers arrived on scene at the request of Detroit Police Department. The preliminary investigation reveals that two American Staffordshire dogs (one male and one female) got out of their owner’s yard on Steele Ave. and attacked a woman walking on Plymouth Road and bystanders helped remove the dog and, in the process, suffered from bite marks. A man and woman were taken to the hospital as the dogs retreated to the area of their home on Steele Ave. Detroit Police officers followed the dogs and found them killing a stray cat. One of the DPD officers fired multiple shots at the two aggressive dogs coming towards them, killing the male dog and injuring the female dog. The surviving female dog was euthanized by vet staff at the shelter due to the severity of her injuries. DACC records show no history of calls or past incidents with these dogs or their owner. The owner was issued four citations per dog for no dog license, no proof or failed to vaccinate for rabies vaccination, failed to provide a leash and or responsible person for the dog off owner’s property and not preventing nuisance of dangerous or potentially dangerous behavior. The two victims have been released from the hospital. Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit Police Department.
