Tampa, Fla.- A Tampa woman says her 9-month-old German Shepherd Hound mix was attacked by another dog at Davis Islands Dog Park on Sunday.
"She has a little puncture bite so you could see the dog actually bit her so there's a puncture wound on the top of her mouth," said Cheyenne Voss-Scott, the dog's owner.
She says the attack happened around 3 p.m. Her dog, Maura, got too close to a pair of fighting dogs.
"She runs in and that dog lets go of the other dog and starts biting on my dog," said Voss-Scott.
She spent more than $600 at the vet's office. She says the other dog owner didn't stay to see if Maura was okay.
"He just ran off like instantly," added Voss-Scott.
A Hillsborough County spokesperson says signs around the park warn people to use the park at their own risk. A sign states, "Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and injuries caused by them."
If a dog attack does happen, owners should call animal control (Hillsborough County's Pet Resources).
Officers will make sure both animals are registered and vaccinated.
County officials say the owner of the dog that instigated the fight will be required to quarantine the dog for 10 days at home. If one dog was clearly aggressive, the officer most likely will issue a letter of dangerous propensity. If the dog is involved in another incident, it can be classified as vicious which will require the dog owner to follow a strict set of guidelines.
County officials say to call animal control even if the owner takes off.
"At the time, my adrenaline was rushing so much because that's my baby. I just wasn't thinking about calling them at the moment," said Voss-Scott.
Voss-Scott says she didn't call animal control because she was distracted at the time.
Hillsborough County's Pet Resources can be reached at (813) 744-5660.
