ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A dog attack in St. Johns County that involved a pit bull left a woman injured, her daughter grief stricken and their family dog dead.
The dog responsible for the attack was taken into custody by an animal control officer. It’s unclear whether it will be euthanized or if the owner is fighting to get it back.
A cross now sits in the front yard of Amiah Ratcliff’s home in memory of her 4-year-old dog Gibbles. Her mother, Dani, said the cross was erected at the spot Gibbles was killed by a neighbor’s pit bull.
They said it happened Wednesday morning when they took Gibbles out into the front yard.
“All of a sudden, we hear barking. Her dog barks. I look up and he’s charging full speed at my daughter,” Dani Ratcliff said. “So, I ran as fast as I could and pushed her and the dog grabbed my puppy.”
She said the pit bull was so strong that while its jaws clamped down on Gibbles, the pit bull was dragging her and two other adult neighbors who all tried to get the pit bull to release Gibbles. Dani Ratcliff says trying to rescue her dog led to her being injured.
“I have a few stitches in my hand from the bite marks, and he pulled my shoulder, so I have to see an orthopedic doctor, and I’m bruised along my spine,” Dani Ratcliff said.
The attack took an emotional toll on Amiah.
“I was scared and sad that my dog was getting attacked,” she said.
Unfortunately, Gibbles died as the family rushed to the vet’s office.
Multiple neighbors confirmed the pit bull that killed Gibbles came from the home across the street, and they said the gates were open during the attack. Video shared with News4JAX shows the the owner surrendering the dog to an animal control officer.
We attempted to speak with the dog’s owner, but she didn’t answer our questions.
The Ratcliff family says they have hired an attorney to go after the other dog’s owner in civil court.