Pitt bull in attack is euthanized
Dog seriously hurt girlfriend of owner
The 3-year-old pit bull that attacked and seriously injured an Arlington woman Sunday as she reached to pick up her young daughter, was euthanized yesterday, said Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan.
The dog, Marley, was put down with the consent of his owner and under supervision of the Arlington Department of Health and Human Services, Ryan said. The dog's remains will be sent to the Department of Public Health to be tested for rabies, officials said.
The victim, Sandra Desalvo, 32, and her boyfriend and the owner of the dog, Peter Siracusa, 28, were watching a movie Sunday at their Brooks Avenue home when Desalvo's daughter began fussing in her crib, police said.
When Desalvo reached for the 2-year-old child, the dog attacked her, biting her arms and hands. The dog had no history of acting violently, and the attack was random, Ryan said.
Desalvo remained hospitalized with serious injuries last night at Massachusetts General Hospital, where her condition was not available.
After the attack, the couple was taken to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, where Siracusa was treated and released. Desalvo was later transferred to Mass. General. Her daughter was not hurt.
"This was an unprovoked and vicious attack that was further complicated by the fact that there is no record of the dog having received the necessary vaccinations," Ryan said in a statement.
He said police were investigating to determine "what, if any, animal control laws were violated."
Arlington police, who had responded about 7:30 that evening to several 911 calls from neighbors who heard Desalvo scream, contained the dog until animal control officers arrived to remove the dog and take him to the Arlington dog pound, where he remained until euthanized.
Pit bulls have become the most vilified breed of dog in recent years given an increase in attacks against people. In 2000, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than half of the 238 fatal dog attacks in the United States over two decades were caused by pit bulls or Rottweilers.
This year, Massachusetts lawmakers have explored a state pit bull ban similar to those adopted by some municipalities nationwide. 