Homepage > Boston News

Pit Bull Attacks Service Dog

Animal To Undergo Surgery

POSTED: 12:40 pm EDT September 12, 2008
UPDATED: 5:39 pm EDT September 12, 2008

A pit bull attacked a couple's service dog in Lowell Thursday, according to the Lowell Sun.

Alfred Roberts was walking his wife's service dog, Vinny, an English Labrador, when it was attacked at about noon near the Life Alive restaurant. Roberts said that the dog charged and latched onto Vinny's throat. Roberts tried to beat the pit bull with his cane as bystanders came to help.

Pit Bull Attacks Service Dog

A police officer who was inside the restaurant eventually sprayed the pit bull with Mace, but it did not deter the dog. One of the bystanders used a fire extinguisher to stop the attack, the newspaper reported.

Vinny underwent surgery at a Wignall Animal Hospital in Dracut. The pit bull has been quarantined. The dog's owner, who was not identified, was issued a citation.

Roberts' wife, Karen, has been in a wheelchair for 18 years and suffers from seizures. Vinny is trained sense the seizure before it begins and give his owner warning.

"Aside from doing his job, he is the most affectionate dog I have ever seen," Karen Roberts said.

Vinny's owners said that it was the third time it has been attacked by another dog.

Links We Like

You can pick your friends, but not your family -- or your neighbors. Here's what you need to know about how to deal with yours. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

Are you often tired or rushed in the morning? Give your morning habits a makeover, and start the day feeling positive and energetic instead. More

Featured On 5