Posted on 02/06/2025 5:26:07 AM PST by Red Badger
PANAMA CITY BEACH — A man was taken to the hospital after being attacked by a neighbor's dog Tuesday, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to a life-threatening medical call at 8115 Laird St. about 5 p.m. When they arrived, they found Michael Fabjon Jr., 49, lying on the ground covered in blood. Pamela Dennis, 56, was performing CPR on him. A deputy assessed Fabjon and began providing life-saving measures including CPR.
Emergency medical services arrived and Fabjon was taken to the hospital for his injuries.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Dennis told deputies that Fabjon's dog got into a fight with the neighbor's dog, a pit bull named Gunner. Dennis and Fabjon were able to break up the fight, but Gunner ran away.
Shortly after, Gunner returned and began to attack Fabjon, Dennis said. Gunner took Fabjon to the ground and then began biting Fabjon's neck while violently shaking his head.
A neighbor, Carrie Swisher, 44, went outside and called Gunner back into her house.
The Sheriff's Office said that when a deputy went with Animal Control to retrieve the dog, Brendan Murphy, 28, Gunner's owner, barricaded himself inside and wouldn't allow them to take the dog.
Murphy was placed under arrest on charges of resisting without violence and obstruction. He was taken to the Bay County Jail without incident.
According to a deputy's report, Murphy claimed that after the fight, Gunner returned home and didn't go back. Murphy claimed that Fabjon's own dog attacked him and that the dogs have a history of fighting.
The blood on Gunner was more consistent with the attack than the blood that was on the other dog, and witnesses also said it was Gunner, according to BCSO.
In a phone interview with the News Herald, the BCSO clarified that Murphy and Fabjon live in separate structures on the same property with their dogs. As to why Gunner might have attacked Fabjon, the Sheriff's Office said the man was in the process of putting his dog up when Gunner returned after the fight.
BCSO said that Fabjon was in the intensive care unit on Wednesday with injuries to his throat and the back of his neck from the attack.
that bites...
Why? .380 at close range will ruin your day.
To each his own, of course.
I bought the S&W Bodyguard because it fits nicely in a pocket with no profile. Only knock is its a 6+1. Looking at a Ruger .22 LR due to capacity & cheaper ammo.
And then going off and leaving him.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw that. 😏
I pack a .45 ACP Kimber Ultra Carry II. It gives me 8+1. That bulge is dwarfed by my own.
I am 6’1” and 215 pounds (granted I am also 70 years old), The neighbor’s dogs have escaped from their yard numerous times. Each time I informed them that their dogs were loose. I was threatened by the dogs several times but fended them off with a walking stick or other handy implement. Each time, I was told they would fix the gate or fence but somehow they never got around to it.
Finally, the neighbor’s American XL Bully broke through the fence and latched onto my hand when I was in my yard. I could not choke out the dog with my free hand. I could not reach my handgun or knife as the dog had my dominant hand. If a neighbor had not been nearby, I do not know what would have happened. You can not do much when a 60-pound dog is attached to your hand and the dog is not touching the ground - just dangling off your hand. After emergency surgery, several rounds of antibiotics, and numerous trips to Physical Therapy, I still do not have full strength or function of my hand.
The incident was reported to animal control. Animal Control investigated but I am not privy to the results of the investigation.
And yes they still have the dog - even though the dog is known to be aggressive and violent.
However, I am grateful that I was the one attacked and not my wife or grandchildren. I and my family no longer feel safe on our property.
No, I am not anti-dog. We have a couple of Cairn terriers. But our dogs are either indoors, on a leash or enclosed in a large yard fenced with chainlink and a hotwire.
The vast majority of dog owners fail to keep their animals properly restrained.
To make matters worse, many (if not most) jurisdictions have “the first bite is free” rule, as if the owner of any guard or watchdog breed animal has no reason to believe the big, snarling dog he keeps to scare off burglars might actually be dangerous it at large.
In our county you can go to jail if your animal, attacks someone off your property. Doesn’t have to be a dog, could be a bull or horse.............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.