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Brave 70-year-old woman fights off Pit Bull by biting it to save her senior dog in a terrifying plaza attack

CCTV footage revealed the 70-year-old woman’s ordeal as she wrestled the Pit Bull to save Sparky while a crowd of men watched from afar.

BY TIYASA BISWAS

PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO

(L) Portrait of senior woman sitting outdoors in garden, holding pet dog, (R) Snarling large dog showing teeth.(Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L)Halfpoint, (R) Heather Paul)

A woman walking her senior dog in a shopping plaza had to resort to desperate measures to save her pet from an aggressive Pit Bull. Shirley Pasamanick, 70, was out on a stroll with her 14-year-old dog, Sparky, when another dog came charging towards them out of the blue and pounced on her pet. Startled and terrified, the old woman screamed for help while battling the Pit Bull on her own. When nothing worked, she leaned down and bit the Pit Bull to protect her dog.

An angry pit bull biting a rope. (Representative Image Source: Pexels |Darcy Lawrey) — An angry pit bull biting a rope. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Darcy Lawrey)

Pasamanick was left shaken for days after the attack and opened up about the tragic experience in an interview with WFTV, as reported by Hawaii News Now. “All of a sudden, my dog’s getting attacked,” she recalled. CCTV footage revealed the 70-year-old woman’s ordeal as she wrestled the Pit Bull to save Sparky while a crowd of men watched from afar. She yelled for help, but the bystanders hesitated to go near the aggressive dog. Instead, they stood back and watched as Pasamanick struggled. Desperate to free her dog, she used her cane to hit the Pit Bull in an attempt to scare him away.

Senior woman sitting on stairs at home caressing dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images |Oliver Rossi) — Senior woman sitting on stairs at home caressing dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Oliver Rossi)

Unfortunately, it was all in vain as the dog continued attacking Sparky. At one point, Pasamanick, who hails from Orlando, tried to open the dog’s mouth with her hands. “I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t strong enough,” she said, adding, “So, I leaned down and bit him on the back of his neck.” Finally, the owner of the Pit Bull arrived, and the dog abruptly stopped attacking Sparky. But to Pasamanick’s shock, the man showed no concern for her or her dog. “Grabbed his leash, walked away, didn’t check on us to see how we were,” she told the outlet.

Pitbull patiently and sweetly sitting outdoors. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Hellen ten Bos) — Pitbull patiently and sweetly sitting outdoors. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Hellen ten Bos)

The Orlando woman failed to identify the man and claimed she did not know him. Following the attack, Pasamanick checked for injuries and bite marks on her dog, fearing for his health. Thankfully, Sparky had survived the vicious attack and was recovering. She pointed to the bite marks on her leg and bruises while explaining the sheer inhumanity of the bystanders watching her. “Just stood there. And people are going to see it now that you’re cowardly,” Pasamanick said. Still traumatized, she demanded justice and suggested the aggressive Pit Bull should be put down. “Something has to be done. I was shaking for days after this happened,” the woman said, wiping away her tears.

Old woman lying on a hospital bed. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | shironosov — Old woman lying on a hospital bed. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | shironosov)

According to a report by Texas Dog Bite Lawyer, Pit Bulls top the list of deadly dog attacks, resulting in a significant number of fatalities. Out of 521 fatal dog attacks in the U.S., 346 were linked to Pit Bulls between 2005 and 2019, as per statistics by DogsBite.org. As of 2019, the dog breed accounted for 69% of dog-bite deaths, with children and senior citizens being the most common victims. Generally, Pit Bulls attack when they feel threatened, scared, or anxious, but the consequences can be deadly.