Vicious dog bites woman & pet

A vicious dog attacked a woman and her dog without any provocation the first day of 2007. Carrie Sullivan and her dog Koda were taking a walk on Hidden Circle in Seymour when Sullivan spotted a dog in the street. According to Sullivan, the dog casually walked up to her then viciously attacked Koda. The dogs were violently fighting and all Sullivan could do was scream. Sullivan was trying to figure out how to get the dogs apart when the attack dog turned and bit her arm “It seemed like five minutes went by when Gina and Michael McReynolds, neighbors, heard Sullivan screaming and came out banging an item and yelling to scare the attack dog away, and “thank goodness it worked,” Sullivan stated. The attack dog then returned back to its yard about 100 yards away. Sullivan and Koda were left bleeding, in pain and confused as to what just happened. Seymour Volunteer Fire Department was the first to arrive on the scene. “They were great,” said Sullivan. Blount County Sheriff Deputy Nicholson was dispatched. “When he arrived, it was obvious that he didn’t want anything to do with this and just wanted to fill out the report and pass in to animal control. His attitude was very bad,” stated Sullivan. Sullivan was transported to the University of Tennessee emergency room with a severe puncture on her forearm with multiple bruises, and the neighbors transported Koda to an emergency vet in west Knoxville. Koda had multiple x-rays, followed by surgery which lasted nearly three hours. The vet placed drains in his wounds to reduce the fluid that had been collecting in order to reduce infection. Stitches were administered to the wounds, and the vet had to trim and reconnect the entire leg muscle which the other dog had completely ripped apart. Sullivan wanted to get a police report and to speak to someone that could explain to her why there was no interest in this vicious attack. According to the report, the dog was a Bull Mastiff, black and brown, weighing around 100 lbs. The dog’s residence is on Hidden Valley Circle in Seymour. Sullivan stated the officer informed her they had been instructed to just give Sullivan a copy of the report and tell her to contact the Mayor’s office if Sullivan had any other questions or issues. When Sullivan voiced her opinion regarding the lack of protection for herself or her dog, or the neighborhood, By Joe Karl A vicious dog attacked a woman and her dog without any provocation the first day of 2007. Carrie Sullivan and her dog Koda were taking a walk on Hidden Circle in Seymour when Sullivan spotted a dog in the street. According to Sullivan, the dog casually walked up to her then viciously attacked Koda. The dogs were violently fighting and all Sullivan could do was scream. Sullivan was trying to figure out how to get the dogs apart when the attack dog turned and bit her arm “It seemed like five minutes went by when Gina and Michael McReynolds, neighbors, heard Sullivan screaming and came out banging an item and yelling to scare the attack dog away, and “thank goodness it worked,” Sullivan stated. The attack dog then returned back to its yard about 100 yards away. Sullivan and Koda were left bleeding, in pain and confused as to what just happened. Seymour Volunteer Fire Department was the first to arrive on the scene. “They were great,” said Sullivan. Blount County Sheriff Deputy Nicholson was dispatched. “When he arrived, it was obvious that he didn’t want anything to do with this and just wanted to fill out the report and pass in to animal control. His attitude was very bad,” stated Sullivan. Sullivan was transported to the University of Tennessee emergency room with a severe puncture on her forearm with multiple bruises, and the neighbors transported Koda to an emergency vet in west Knoxville. Koda had multiple x-rays, followed by surgery which lasted nearly three hours. The vet placed drains in his wounds to reduce the fluid that had been collecting in order to reduce infection. Stitches were administered to the wounds, and the vet had to trim and reconnect the entire leg muscle which the other dog had completely ripped apart. Sullivan wanted to get a police report and to speak to someone that could explain to her why there was no interest in this vicious attack. According to the report, the dog was a Bull Mastiff, black and brown, weighing around 100 lbs. The dog’s residence is on Hidden Valley Circle in Seymour. Sullivan stated the officer informed her they had been instructed to just give Sullivan a copy of the report and tell her to contact the Mayor’s office if Sullivan had any other questions or issues. When Sullivan voiced her opinion regarding the lack of protection for herself or her dog, or the neighborhood, the officer said his job was done, and suggested that Sullivan simply choose another street to walk on next time. Shortly after Sullivan’s visit to the Sheriff’s office, Sullivan received a call from the officer who earlier stated there was nothing he could do, stated he had just visited the residence of the attack dog and cited the owner for “dog at large” and had set a court date to appear before a judge. “This was done only after I made a fuss about nothing being done,” stated Sullivan. Sullivan’s concern was for the safety of both Koda and herself. She contacted the Health Department to inquire if they could assist her in determining whether she or her dog were at risk for rabies. Sullivan was quite concerned for the lack of protection so she called the Blount County Mayor’s office to discuss the issue with him, and according to his office, there was nothing he could do. While at the Herald offices, Sullivan spoke on the phone at length with Blount County Commissioners Monika Murrell and Ron French regarding this matter. Murrell told Sullivan the Animal Control Committee has meet on several occasions and will meet again Wednesday, January 10, for a possible resolution. Murrell told Sullivan that in the past, the City Of Maryville was under contract to perform animal control. The contract had expired on December 31, 2006. Blount County Commissioners are looking at Sevier County Animal Control Program to possibly emulate. Sullivan mentioned to Murrell she had an ordinance outline used in North Carolina in a similar situation. Murrell encouraged Sullivan to bring it to the meeting. The meeting is set for 5:00 P.M., Wednesday, January 10 at the old courthouse in Maryville. Since the New Year began, Blount County residents have been without an animal control officer. The county responded to nearly 4200 calls in 2005 alone. Some agencies where you may be able to receive assistance: Animal Rescue and Fostering Networks, 865-980-7049 Blount County Animal Rescue Effort, 865-556-0315 People for the 705-7711 County Mayor Jerry Cunningham told The Herald that Loudon County may take in Blount animals for the next five months, or until the next fiscal year.