ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A mother says she forced herself to release her four-month-old daughter\u2019s stroller as a dog dragged her to the ground, determined not to let the baby fall with her.<\/p>\n
Katie Blacketor and her husband, Brian Thompson, said they were both bitten during the Oct. 9 attack in Encore at Ovation near Winter Garden. Their daughter was not hurt.<\/p>\n
Now, the couple is worried the dog could return to their neighborhood – even if Orange County Animal Services classifies him as dangerous.<\/p>\n
An anonymous tip to the News 6 Neighborhood Network described a community \u201cterrorized\u201d by the dog for months. Animal Services subsequently confirmed earlier complaints, citations and an official warning involving the same dog, Kobe.<\/p>\n
Blacketor and Thompson said they were walking to the neighborhood mailboxes with their daughter when the dog, which they described as a pit bull, charged down an alley with its owner running behind it.<\/p>\n
Thompson said the dog circled them and bit the back of his thigh before grabbing Blacketor\u2019s leg and pulling her to the ground.<\/p>\n
Blacketor said both parents had positioned themselves between the dog and the stroller. When the dog grabbed her, she realized holding on could pull her daughter down, too.<\/p>\n
She said she forced herself to release her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I went down without the stroller,\u201d Blacketor said.<\/p>\n
Ring video shared with News 6 does not show the attack itself, but captures screams that Blacketor identified as hers and her daughter\u2019s.<\/p>\n
As the dog held onto her leg, Blacketor said her thoughts remained on protecting the baby.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least, you know, if he\u2019s attached to me, then I know that she\u2019s safe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Blacketor said the owner eventually pulled the dog off her. She then told Thompson to take their daughter inside to safety.<\/p>\n
Blacketor shared photographs of her injuries with News 6. She said she received nine stitches, with other puncture wounds left open. She said she was using crutches because putting weight on the injured leg caused unbearable pain, making it difficult to care for her infant.<\/p>\n
Animal Services said its involvement with Kobe began months before the attack on the couple.<\/p>\n
On June 7, the agency received a complaint that Kobe attacked a leashed dog, causing injuries requiring veterinary care. According to the county, someone other than Kobe\u2019s owner was walking him off leash.<\/p>\n
That handler was cited for allowing the dog to run at large and causing severe injury to another animal.<\/p>\n
On June 25, Animal Services received another complaint that Kobe was being walked off leash and lunged at a leashed dog. The agency said no physical contact occurred and the reporting party did not provide a written statement, leaving insufficient evidence for a citation.<\/p>\n
In a follow-up response to News 6, Animal Services said Kobe\u2019s owner received an official notice July 16 concerning the dog being at large and displaying aggressive behavior.<\/p>\n
A neighbor also provided News 6 with a photograph he said shows Kobe running toward two girls. The neighbor said he scared the dog away.<\/p>\n
Thompson questioned why the situation had escalated to the attack on his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like the system as a whole has failed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Animal Services said it did not initiate a dangerous dog investigation after the two earlier incidents because neither met the statutory threshold. The agency also said missing written witness statements limited further enforcement following a later complaint.<\/p>\n
Blacketor expressed frustration with the earlier response but acknowledged she did not know what additional action authorities could legally have taken.<\/p>\n
Animal Services said it confiscated Kobe following the Oct. 9 attack and opened a dangerous dog investigation. The agency said he remains in county custody pending the outcome.<\/p>\n
The owner received three citations totaling $640: $265 for failure to control an animal resulting in severe injury to a human, $265 for failure to control an animal resulting in an animal biting a human, and $110 for permitting an animal to chase humans.<\/p>\n
News 6 reporter Alex Cook knocked at the dog owner\u2019s home Thursday seeking a response. No one answered.<\/p>\n
Animal Services said that even if Kobe is classified as dangerous, his owner may reclaim him by meeting requirements established under Florida law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe law does not require notification to prior victims before a classified dangerous dog is returned to its owner,\u201d the agency told News 6.<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s responses did not provide a date for a final determination or possible return.<\/p>\n
In a written statement, Animal Services emphasized responsible ownership and keeping dogs restrained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe incidents involving Kobe serve as an unfortunate reminder of how quickly situations can escalate when a dog is not properly restrained,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n
For Thompson, the possibility of Kobe returning raises concerns about children walking through the neighborhood, particularly with Halloween approaching.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I were a parent of teenagers, I don\u2019t know that I would have them walking around in the neighborhood doing trick or treating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Blacketor said neighbors have offered food, flowers and equipment to help her get around while she recovers.<\/p>\n
But she wishes something else had brought them together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t what you want the neighborhood to come together over,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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