Stolen dog still missing as owner, attack victim seek answers | Free Share

A dog that attacked a woman in Guntersville is even now lacking following it disappeared from the Marshall County Animal Shelter under mysterious, if not prison, situations.

The pet dog — a pit bull mix named Havoc — was at the shelter awaiting his fate to be established by Guntersville Decide Shannon Mitchell. Pursuing a courtroom hearing past Wednesday, after the dog’s proprietor and others testified in favor of the animal not remaining euthanized, Havoc was evidently stolen from the shelter. In accordance to Marshall County Animal Handle Supervisor Kevin Hooks, portion of the fence the place the dog was becoming held had been slash someday Wednesday night time or early Thursday early morning. 

Even though the Marshall County Sheriff’s Business office investigates the crack-in at the shelter and makes an attempt to locate the canine, investigators with the Guntersville Police Office have been wanting into the primary assault that happened on Sept. 17 when Teri Angel entered the household of Guntersville resident Valina Jackson, the dog’s proprietor. 

The attack

“I by no means understood that soreness existed, that a man or woman could continue to be alive and experience that,” Angel reported of the attack.  

Far more than a month later, Angel reported she even now encounters extreme pain and is permanently scarred from when she was attacked by Havoc. 

In accordance to her, she went to pay a visit to Jackson to check out on her and her brother, who reportedly has most cancers. When she arrived, she was straight away greeted by the canine. Helpful at initially, Havoc attempted to enjoy with her by bringing her a toy, Angel claimed. Then it took place devoid of warning the pet wrapped its jaws all over the prime of Angles head and tore off a chunk of her scalp.

“He obtained the top of my head and just shook until finally the suitable facet of my head, the scalp came off,” Angel reported. 

Angel claimed the pet also bit into her arm and still left deep scratches on her thighs immediately after it chased her to a further home. Following the assault, Angel was taken by a good friend to Marshall Healthcare Heart North and then to a healthcare facility in Huntsville wherever they tended her wounds the most effective they could just before sending her house.

Jackson claimed she remembers that day and the attack in different ways. In accordance to her, Angel came into her household uninvited. From there, however the pet dog reacted helpful at to start with, she said Angel have to have performed something, most probable inadvertently, to hurt or make the doggy defensive.

 “I do not know if she set her elbow on his human body pieces or harm him, but he manufactured like a harm seem,” Jackson said. “I turned around, and he did chunk her one time on her scalp.”

Jackson claimed she presented to connect with an ambulance for Angel, but she refused and had a friend select her up as a substitute. Since the attack, Jackson explained has supplied Angel her insurance coverage information and facts and tried to enable her even so she could. That is, until the police and attorneys acquired concerned. 

Emily’s Law

Pursuing the attack, Jackson reported she cooperated with animal command and did as she was told. 

“I get a phone from the well being division, and they are saying they’ve checked his [the dog’s] information … and all we need to have to do is a wellness look at and he’ll be good. Quarantine 10 days at home,” Jackson explained. “I do that, I get it to the wellbeing office, [they] shut the situation, everything’s good. About a few days later on, I get a subpoena on my doorway from the law enforcement section.” 

Just after hearing about the pet assault, prosecutor for the Town of Guntersville Kelsey Yoste said she filed a petition primarily based on Emily’s Legislation to request the Town to decide no matter if or not Havoc really should be set down.

“It’s not charging any one with everything,” Yoste stated. “The regulation says if a severe injuries happened and the doggy is uncovered to be vicious, then the pet dog has to be euthanized.”

Signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in March 2018, Emily’s Legislation was named right after 24-12 months-old Emily Colvin, who was killed in early December 2017 by a pack of canine near her home in Jackson County.

In accordance to Jackson, Judge Mitchell — who was not able to be arrived at for remark — named in Hooks as an specialist witness to evaluate the pet to see if he was vicious and needed to be euthanized. Hooks reportedly gave the pet dog various assessments that integrated providing the puppy chicken and abruptly having it out of its mouth, taking  absent the dog’s toys, and pretending to attack or crowd his proprietor, all in an endeavor to provoke the canine into showing aggression. 

According to Jackson, who claimed she was existing for the assessments, and as Hooks reportedly testified in court, the doggy passed the evaluations. 

“He reported that because the pet handed four assessments … he did not deem the pet perilous,” Angel reported. “Kevin Hooks reported this — if I experienced died, he however would not deem this dog unsafe.”

Jackson contends that considering that the assault happened inside her residence, which she stated Angel entered with out warning, and considering the fact that Angel’s injuries were not existence threatening, Emily’s legislation need to not implement. 

Angel said regardless of how or why she was in the residence, the puppy attacked her unprovoked and inflicted traumatic injuries that will affect her for the rest of her lifestyle.

“I could have died,” Angel explained.

“If he needed to destroy her, he would have killed her,” Jackson said.

Hooks declined to remark even further on the scenario declaring that it has however to be adjudicated and no matter what final decision is handed down might be appealed. Investigator with GPD John East said  he designs to existing no matter what proof he’s found regarding the assault at the future grand jury demo to establish regardless of whether or not a whole trial is warranted. Marshall County Sheriff’s Assistant Main Deputy Steve Guthrie mentioned they intend to stick to the investigation of the lacking canine where it might direct and provide any foul engage in to justice.

As to the puppies whereabouts, equally ladies have their suspicions and blame the other for perhaps obtaining anything to do with it heading missing.