A Pit bull attacked a York woman on July 4th and now people want to know what the city can do to prevent it from happening again.
The aftermath from the three Pit bulls that attacked Bonnie Cole is startling.
Heather Pratt and her daughter witnessed it, and called 911 for help.
“It was horrific, it was terrifying to see it and to be there,” says Heather Pratt, an attorney in York.
She says her daughter is now afraid to go outside.
“We went to the pool the day it happened and she went up to the owner and said are you going to allow dogs inside the pool – I mean she’s terrified,” says Pratt.
Pratt is an attorney who has studied breed specific legislation before.
She says Pennsylvania has a law against banning specific types of dogs.
She knows a pit bull ban isn’t going to happen, but says she just wants to keep people safe.
Those on the other side agree with her.
The violence needs to stop.
“The bans in our opinion are a knee-jerk emotional reaction,” says Rachel Robison, from Pin Ups for Pitbulls.
Rachel Robison, who is with the non-profit dog advocacy group, Pin-ups for Pitbulls, says the responsibility lies with the owner and not the type of dog.
“There’s absolutely no connection between dog bite related injuries and the breed of the dog, it all comes back to environmental factors,” says Robison.
Harsher penalties for owners is at the top of Pratt’s suggestion list.
Both just want to keep the people of York safe, and make sure the attack that happened on July 4th, doesn’t happen again.
Robison says there are certain things that may lead to aggression, like keeping your dog alone in your backyard or keeping the dog tethered on a leash.
For more information click here: http://pinupsforpitbulls.org/
As for Bonnie Cole, Pratt says she’s still recovering and will be for quite some time.