Posted on 02/16/2004 11:24:01 PM PST by ambrose
Boys help woman being attacked by pit bulls
By: Tamra Monahan February 12, 2004
Three 11-year-old boys are being called heroes after they came to the aid of Constance Simonds, 53, of Englewood, who was attacked by two pit bulls Feb. 8 on an open-space path in Highlands Ranch.
Nic Morabito, Tripp Wheat and Conner Brodeur were playing at Conner's house on Hawthorne Drive near Fairview Parkway and Highlands Ranch Parkway around 11 a.m. when Conner's mom, Tracy, heard screaming coming from the open space behind her house.
She looked out her window and saw a woman and three dogs being attacked by two pit bulls.
Tracy and her neighbor, Ed Knafelc, who had also heard the screams, ran to the path followed by the three boys carrying their hockey sticks. All five tried to get the pit bulls away from the woman and her dogs. The boys repeatedly hit the pit bulls as hard as they could with their hockey sticks.
The boys said the dogs were undeterred and kept up the attack despite the blows. At one point, one of the dogs bit Wheat on the arm.
"I didn't know what to think," Wheat said. "It was scary to have a pit bull attack me."
The boys said they were amazed that the dogs wouldn't stop attacking even when hit on the head by the sticks.
"It was like they were invincible," Morabito said. "I hit them as hard as I could with a hockey stick and it didn't even faze them."
Tracy said she and the others fought against the dogs for what appeared to be about 15 minutes.
When she realized the danger of the situation, she told the boys to go back to the house. She then called 911 on a cell phone.
When the deputies arrived about five minutes later, the dogs raced toward them, said Deputy Cocha Heyden of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The deputies shot at the charging dogs, killing both.
Simonds was taken to Sky Ridge Medical Center and was released in good condition.
Two of the dogs being walked by Simonds belong to Jackie Calhuon of Highlands Ranch. The other belongs to Becky Jones of Highlands Ranch. The dogs were treated by a local veterinarian and released to their owners.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Humane Society are looking into who owns the two pit bulls, Heyden said.
The investigation indicates that animal control officers picked up one dog on two occasions in September and October 2003 in the area of Clairton Drive and Highlands Ranch Parkway, Heyden said. The owner of the dog was identified as a resident of Centennial.
Investigators believe this dog is possibly one of the pit bulls killed Sunday. Further investigation to include possible DNA matching of puppies collected and the pit bulls that were killed in the attack is pending.
The sheriff's office and animal control have identified suspects who were responsible for the two dogs but because the investigation is ongoing, the names were not released.
Sherry Eppers of the Highlands Ranch Metro Districts, which owns and maintains the open space areas and trails, said the community has strict rules about dogs being off leash in the open space and parks. Park rangers have the authority to issue dog owners a ticket for allowing dogs in these areas without a leash.
In 2003, metro districts park rangers issued 94 written warnings and three $50 fines for this violation, Eppers said. As of Feb. 3, park rangers have issued 16 written warnings.
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