Dog in mauling to be destroyed

Phoenix Municipal Court Judge Gloria Ybarra has ordered Pumpkin be destroyed.

By all accounts, people who know the pit bull, and the two others that Jamie Delluomo was walking near Kyrene de la Esperanza Elementary School April 17, are usually calm, stable dogs.

"They were very nice, sweet, affectionate dogs," said Andrew Luper, a Valley-based dog trainer who evaluated Pumpkin, Lucy and Boomer at the request of Delluomo.

Mark Draves, who is confined to a wheel chair, said that he would often walk his dogs with Delluomo and that her three pit bulls were never a problem.

"We've never had an incident with (other) dogs or children. It's always been fine," Draves said.

But on April 17 the three dogs, led by Pumpkin, broke away from Delluomo, and seriously injured Christene Meyers and one of her two Yorkshire Terriers as they were taking their daily walk.

So far, Meyers has had one skin graft and could face as many as three more operations to repair wounds.

"I've been completely traumatized," said Meyers, 59, who is no stranger to dogs, having had big and small dogs as pets her entire life.

She now fears going outside, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, can't focus, sleep or eat and has medical bills of more than $20,000.

Meyers also fears that there could be damage to her tendons since she is a writer and musician and needs to be able to use her hands.

"I'm just terrified," she said.

Fortunately, one Yorkie, Nick, was only slightly wounded and the most seriously injured of the two, Nora, despite being mauled so badly that her intestines and stomach were falling out, is now at home and recuperating.

But, according to Meyers, even Nora is traumatized by the attack, to the point where the tiny dog doesn't want to go out for her daily walk like she used to do.

Ybarra made her decision late on May 2 that Pumpkin was vicious and agreed with the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control recommendation that he be put down after hearing testimony for two days.

Boomer and Lucy, the other two pit bulls, were found to not be vicious because while they may have followed Pumpkin to attack Meyers' Yorkies, they didn't injure any people in the attack.

Animal Care and Control only makes a recommendation to destroy an animal in the most serious 1 percent or less of biting incidents.

According to Lt. John Reynolds of Animal Care and Control, there are 5,000 to 6,000 animal bites a year in Maricopa County and, of those, only the most serious, between 20 to 30, result in a viciousness hearing like the one held last week for Pumpkin, Lucy and Boomer.

"In general what we do is evaluate bite cases, near-bite cases and attacks for various things, including the severity of injuries, if the animal was provoked and any other circumstances like a dog guarding its own property," said Reynolds, who wouldn't speak specifically to the attack on Meyers.

According to witnesses, the attack happened suddenly, neat 41st Street and Ranch Circle South. Meyers and her leashed Yorkies were quietly crossing 41st Street while Delluomo was nearby, talking on a cell phone, while her three leashed dogs were lounging in the shade of a greenbelt.

Both sides agree that, suddenly, the pit bulls became attracted to the Yorkies and, with Pumpkin in the lead, rushed Meyers and her dogs. That's when Delluomo said the clip holding the three leashes together broke and the dogs took off at a run, snarling and barking.

Meyers said it was Pumpkin who mauled Nora, ripping its stomach. During the attack Meyers' arm and leg were severely bitten, requiring several skin grafts and possible additional surgery.

"I've never seen that much blood," said Meyers, who was transported by ambulance to Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, where she was operated on that night.

Ybarra ruled Pumpkin vicious despite pleas by supporters of Delluomo.

"It's obvious to me that this is an isolated incident, that except for the leash breaking, this wouldn't have happened," said Luper, a dog trainer for 35 years who was paid by Delluomo to evaluate Pumpkin and the other two pit bulls.

But Pumpkin wasn't always the sweet dog that supporters made him out to be in court. Delluomo admitted that just a few weeks before the attack that injured Meyers, Pumpkin had turned on Lucy and hurt her so badly that she needed stitches. And she said that her dogs like chasing rabbits and that Delluomo speculated that maybe they thought the Yorkies were rabbits, which may have played into her decision.

Lucy and Boomer were returned to Delluomo on Friday. Pumpkin is being held until next week in case she decides to appeal the judge's decision.

"Owners are responsible for the actions of their animals, regardless," said Animal Care and Control Sgt. Geradrdo Elizalde. "But there are no winners in a case like this, and the loser is Pumpkin."

Dogs: Great pets, big responsibility

Dogs can be a handful, but the law is simple and clear: "Owner's are responsible for the actions of their animals, regardless," said Dr. Rodrigo Silva, director of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.

To prevent confrontations that could lead to injuries, and even having an animal destroyed, experts recommend several steps for owners to take.

"Always make sure any time a dog is outside your property it is on a leash strong enough to hold that dog," said Lt. John Reynolds with Animal Care and Control.

He also recommends animals be spayed or neutered, which he said can sometimes curb aggression.

The key, according to Reynolds, is making sure that dogs have basic obedience training and socialization so that they know how to appropriately act around people and other strange dogs.

For more information, visit Maricopa Animal Care and Control at www.maricopa.gov/Pets.