Mar 22, 2014 Chicago pit bull harasses and menaces a woman and her dog in Horner Park

Michelle D-Ipena
At 10AM my dog & I were charged by a loose pit bull in Horner Park. My dog was on leash, I never take my dog off leash. A woman had been chasing it by the edge of the park on California and Irving. As we got close-it turned to us, ears went back and it crouched to attack situation. I immediately started yelling. Then it charged, no wagging tails but teeth. My dog will escalate being charged by big dogs. My dog is a whippet mix , weighs 40 pounds. Luckily it was young but very untrained. The woman said it was her friend's dog but the dog had no collar & the woman had no leash-she said it got loose from a yard which I don't believe because she had on a coat, hat and boots so she had time to get her coat and hat but not enough time to grab a leash.

I know my dog and she does not like to confronted by a badly behaved dog, this dog would not stop. This went on for at least 7 minutes. A jogger helped, he grabbed the Pit Bull and I ran towards Irving Park. Seconds later I heard him say the dog was loose again and dog ran ahead of us, cut us off and turned to go after us again. I grabbed it this time by the scruff of the neck, thank God I didn't get bit and she got it. I darted across traffic and ran into 7/11, called 911. I watched this woman over and over chase the dog, grab the dog, lose the dog. She seemed high or drunk.

I am sticking to the city streets from now on. At least I can run behind a fence or to a front door. In the park you have no where to get away.


Michelle D-IPENA
Here the rest as Every Block as a limit............"To Pit Bull owners- hey it's cool if you own one, but keep it on a leash and don't get pissed at me if I am yelling at you to get your dog controlled. Don't tell me to "Calm down, my dog is okay." Then put it on a dang leash. Don't put this on me. I have worked in TV news/documentary for decades and I have seen crime scene photos from Pit Bull attacks and deaths. I made a documentary about animal welfare so I know exactly what these dogs are capable of, even the nice ones. I have spent hours in court watching as dog owners be convicted of murder because something went wrong. So even if your dog is nice, it is a Pit Bull and it was bred to kill. I am sorry but the truth is their jaws are one of strongest of the dogs and if it latches on you are dead or seriously hurt. If it decided my dog was being to vocal or snarling and it tries to defend itself, my dog and I are not going to win. So don't get mad at me if I get hysterical that your unleashed Pit Bull and my leashed dog are going mouth to mouth."

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