Posted on 10/03/2007 4:47:54 PM PDT by Travis McGee
MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- A 42-year-old woman was fatally mauled by her two pit bulls, which also attacked the victim's son and a sheriff's deputy before both dogs were shot and killed on Tuesday morning, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Tina Marie Canterbury was dead by 8:15 a.m. when Clay deputies arrived at the scene in the 2400 block of Cosmos Avenue, off county Road 218 West.
"She was a wonderful, wonderful person to be around -- always smiling and always happy. It brightened up the room when she walked in," said Billie Cantebury, the victim's cousin.
"We have two full-blooded red-nosed pits and they just attacked our mom," a second son is heard saying on one of the 911 calls. "We can't get to my mom and my brother just went out there and they attacked him too. They don't need to get out of the ambulance or the dogs will try to get them, too."
The victim's 21-year-old son, Cody Canterbury, was also attacked by one of the dogs -- bitten in the throat -- but was not severely injured.
The dogs could be heard in the background of one of the 911 calls.
A family friend at the home at the time shot at the dogs with a 9mm handgun, but the dogs were still alive and one of them lunged at an arriving deputy before it was shot and killed.
The other dog got loose. The sheriff's office issued a dangerous dog alert while Clay County animal control officers and sheriff's deputies tracked down and the second dog. It was found in a wooded area about two hours later, shot and killed.
"It is a tragic and horrific situation that brings to light the danger of these type of animals," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said. "These dogs had never bitten a human before, but they did today -- they did turn on their owner."
Authorities said they did not know what circumstances caused the dogs to attack Canterbury.
The victim's husband, who was out of town on business at the time, is returning home to be with his family.
Billie Cantebury said the dogs were his cousin's companions when her husband was away on business.
"They were house pets, and they literally slept with her when he wasn't home. She would take them out and put them in their pin and walk them and stuff," he said.
The dogs were two years old and had been raised since puppies by Cantebury.
Beseler said the dogs were behind a fence that had a beware-of-dogs sign and the county had never had an animal complaint at the home.
Hey, a revolver will work 6 (or 5) times, 100% guaranteed.
My favorite quote - don’t know the author;(
*When the great creator separated man from the animals, he brought them all together in a vast plain. He drew a dividing line in the earth and had man stand on one side and, the animals stand on the other. He then separated the earth into a great divide. As the divide between the two sides expanded, so that none could cross, Dog jumped over and stood with man.*
In the rural area I grew up in, city people would 'drop off' unwanted dogs and they packed up real quick. Seldom were they afraid of humans. Usually they had to be dealt with by shotgun.
When G-d created the earth, he created man and all the creatures of the earth.
He then decided to add one last finishing touch: The moon. So he spoke to all the creatures and said this: "You guys all stand back, I'm going to do something."
Then he tore out a chunk of the earth and set it in orbit around the earth. (The empty spot was filled in by water and is what we call today the Pacific Ocean.)
No one noticed it, but the dog either didn't hear or was just off playing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As the chunk of earth was rising away into space, the dog ran to the edge of it and looked down. At about the same time, the man looked up. The dog and the man locked eyes on each other, and the man said "JUMP!".
The dog jumped and landed in the arms of the man, and thus dog became man's best friend.
Except for those $%^# pit bulls of course, who have a different story.
That’s my understanding too. A few generations of feral breeding the wildest wuoldn’t do anything to tame them either.
Last night on the Science Channel, I saw a documentary where a film maker followed a pack of hyenas in his jeep, day and night, for like a year. By the end, he was able to sit on the ground with his movie camera, and they would come around and nuzzle him like golden retrievers. Mind you, 4 hyenas will attack and drive off or tree one lioness. Pretty crazy, but the hyenas “accepted” him as a member.
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Sounds like that bear snack fellow in Alaska.
Mrs VS
Hey ....I carry a little .44 special charter arms Bull Dog Pug at times these days....... Few others carry that as well.....pinged Lurker.
Better than having to knife fight a vise full of teeth....:o)
I just carry for protection against animals period.....:o)
I don’t think he was making a habit of it! And these were the same 6 or so hyenas that he followed 24/7 literally for a year. They knew his sight and scent as well as their own, including his jeep, cameras, spotlights etc.
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