Pitbull Attacks Joan Benitez in Shower

**Unamused Cat** · June 11th, 2009, 08:24 PM

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — Authorities say a Lake County woman was attacked by a pit bull while she was taking a shower.

The sheriff’s office reports that 73-year-old Joan Brown Benitez was rushed to a nearby hospital with cuts and punctures on her arms and legs after Friday’s attack.

Benitez was at a neighbor’s home using the shower when several dogs entered the home through a doggie door. The dog’s owner, James Rhew, told a deputy that the attacking dog, an 18-month-old male, was not familiar with Benitez.

The dog was turned over to Lake County Animal Services. Officials say the animal will be killed after a 10-day quarantine if the owner doesn’t attempt to reclaim it. A female pit bull living at the home was also turned over to animal services.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/...003/1086/rss07

**Valasca** · June 11th, 2009, 08:26 PM

Dammit. I hate that pit bulls keep getting a bad rep. They're really good dogs, but they have that amazing ability to clamp down hard on their target and not let go.

**Tazzzz** · June 11th, 2009, 08:50 PM

I was thinking about posting this story but wanted to find more info first. I found it strange a 72 year old woman was taking a shower with the door open at a neighbor's home. What the hell is up with that?? Did James leave the house while she was there???

HOWEY-IN-THE HILLS - A Lake County woman showering at a neighbor's home was attacked by an 18-month-old pit bull last week and had to be rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

During the attack last week, 73-year-old Joan Brown Benitez, suffered cuts and puncture wounds to her arms, lower legs and thigh areas, according to the incident report. The attack occurred June 5 at a residence on State Road 19 in Howey-in-the-Hills.

The dog, a chocolate-and-white colored dog named Marley, had been outside when Benitez came over to a neighbor's home and asked if she could take a shower there. As she was showering, several dogs entered the residence through a "doggie door."

The dog's owner, James Rhew, told a deputy after the attack that only Marley had "blood present on his muzzle." He also said that Marley was not familiar with Benitez, who had only been inside the home a couple of times this year.

Following the attack, Benitez was airlifted because of her age and a drop in her blood pressure, according to the report. The dog was turned over to Lake County Animal Services.

Benitez could not be reached for comment. Rhew called the episode an "accident." He referred to his dog as an "American bull dog" and said Benitez is "perfectly fine," but had no comment regarding the incident.

Animal Services Director Marjorie Boyd said the dog was in the midst of a 10-day quarantine to check for rabies. Then the dog will be euthanized, assuming the owner does not attempt to reclaim the animal.

If the owner does try to reclaim it, Boyd said, "We would be declaring it dangerous."

A second dog living at the residence was turned over to Animal Services and that dog, a female pit bull, likely will be euthanized after a 10-day quarantine, Boyd said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,6775706.story

**OMalley** · June 11th, 2009, 11:17 PM

Spiders in the shower are bad enough! But to have a pit bull come in on ya...that's a nasty surprise.

**proudmom** · June 12th, 2009, 10:53 AM

if you shower at someone elses house close the door!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am of the belief that this dog may have just been trying to protect his home after he saw someone who had only been there a few times inside.
hard to tell with pit bulls but it sounds to me like this lady was careless compounded with the dangerousness of the breed (generalized statement).
I owned a pit bull that we saved from an abusive home. Her name was Karma. I trained her and we had her for years before she passed on. Pit bulls are protective. There were many times karma would not let "strangers"(I knew them but they were strangers to her). near my children.
A little smarter moves on all parties parts in this could have prevented this from happening.
I could be wrong though... It has happened before

**Lavonna** · June 12th, 2009, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by proudmom

if you shower at someone elses house close the door!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am of the belief that this dog may have just been trying to protect his home after he saw someone who had only been there a few times inside.
hard to tell with pit bulls but it sounds to me like this lady was careless compounded with the dangerousness of the breed (generalized statement).
I owned a pit bull that we saved from an abusive home. Her name was Karma. I trained her and we had her for years before she passed on. Pit bulls are protective. There were many times karma would not let "strangers"(I knew them but they were strangers to her). near my children.
A little smarter moves on all parties parts in this could have prevented this from happening.
I could be wrong though... It has happened before

I think the same as you.. The dog was protecting his territory, it was his home and I hate to see it be put down.
My boy(German Shepherd) is like that. Although he didn't bite my sister when she walked in one day (didn't know she was there) he was off the couch before I knew what was going on and he pinned her up against the wall with her arm in his mouth and front paws on her. He released her but not until I got him by the collar, he stood there barking at her til I put him outside.. She shook for a while and she hasn't been back inside my house since then. She calls him satan's spaw but I call him mommy baby

**smallwonder4** · June 14th, 2009, 11:42 AM

They're going to kill the female too? Why was she even turned over? It was the young male! Was he a pit bull or an American Bulldog?? Why was the 70-something woman showering in someone elses house with the door open? I hope Ms. Joan heals completely and quickly, she didn't deserve it, but she probably could have helped prevent it. What a crazy story.

**penelopejo** · June 14th, 2009, 11:52 AM

A Lake County woman showering at a neighbor's home was attacked by an 18-month-old pit bull last week and had to be rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

The attack is at least the second mauling by a pit bull in Lake County this year, officials say.

During the attack last week, 73-year-old Joan Brown Benitez, suffered cuts and puncture wounds to her arms, lower legs and thigh areas, according to the incident report. The attack occurred June 5 at a residence on State Road 19 in Howey-in-the-Hills.

The dog, a chocolate-and-white colored dog named Marley, had been outside when Benitez came over to a neighbor's home and asked if she could take a shower there. As she was showering, several dogs entered the residence through a "doggie door."

The dog's owner, James Rhew, told a deputy after the attack that only Marley had "blood present on his muzzle." He also said that Marley was not familiar with Benitez, who had only been inside the home a couple of times this year.

Following the attack, Benitez was airlifted because of her age and a drop in her blood pressure, according to the report. The dog was turned over to Lake County Animal Services.

Benitez could not be reached for comment. Rhew called the episode an "accident." He referred to his dog as an "American bull dog" and said Benitez is "perfectly fine," but had no comment regarding the incident.

Animal Services Director Marjorie Boyd said the dog was in the midst of a 10-day quarantine to check for rabies. Then the dog will be euthanized, assuming the owner does not attempt to reclaim the animal.

If the owner does try to reclaim it, Boyd said, "We would be declaring it dangerous."

A second dog living at the residence was turned over to Animal Services and that dog, a female pit bull, likely will be euthanized after a 10-day quarantine, Boyd said.

"We deal with bites every day, but a cat biting someone or a Chihuahua biting someone is totally different than a powerful dog biting someone," Boyd said. "Big breeds can do a lot of damage quickly."

The dog wasn't familiar with the lady, yet if the owner tries to reclaim the animal, they would say it is a dangerous dog. So to him, it's a lose-lose situation. And it seems they are keeping both, because one had blood on it

**DogMom** · June 14th, 2009, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Lavonna

I think the same as you.. The dog was protecting his territory, it was his home and I hate to see it be put down.
My boy(German Shepherd) is like that. Although he didn't bite my sister when she walked in one day (didn't know she was there) he was off the couch before I knew what was going on and he pinned her up against the wall with her arm in his mouth and front paws on her. He released her but not until I got him by the collar, he stood there barking at her til I put him outside.. She shook for a while and she hasn't been back inside my house since then. She calls him satan's spaw but I call him mommy baby

My boy is protective too. I have a distict *protocol* when I get visitors. The obligatory sniffing. Offering of a treat. NO PETTING. (He does not like being petted by strangers.) Then ignore him until he asks for attention.

I had a behavorist evaluate him. Unfortunately, when my boy met him, he immediately rolled over, offered his belly for pets, and licked his hand. Played the I'm-a-poor-puppy-please-love-me-and-pet-me-and-hug-me-and-kiss-me ploy on him. You should of seen the wry look I got from the behavorist. Like, "this dog is a problem??".

He's only like that in the house. When's he out - at doggie day care, the dog park, on walks, or at the vet, he's everybody's friend.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · June 14th, 2009, 12:30 PM

Now it doesn't sound so weird.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Joan Benitez had problems with her well, so she went next door to her grandson's house to take a shower. While in the shower, an American Bulldog came in and attacked her.

Investigators said the dog bit Benitez all over her arms and legs. When it happened, the woman's grandson was working in his backyard. He heard his grandmother yelling from inside and realized his dogs had gone through the "doggie" door.

The grandson told deputies his American Bulldog, named "Marley," had blood on his muzzle. According to police records, the dog is only 18 months old. FOX 35 spoke with the grandson by phone, who said the dog is a dominant male and had not seen his grandmother in a while. He believed the dog became protective over the home.

The grandson also tells FOX 35 that animal control took "Marley" and a Staffordshire Terrier into custody. A Staffordshire Terrier is in the Pitbull family.

Police said an emergency crew had to airlift grandma Benitez to the hospital. The grandson said his grandmother has returned home and is recovering. He added that he's going to get his Staffordshire Terrier back when its 10-day quarantine has expired.

He claims his grandmother told him the only dog that attacked her was "Marley."

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/ente...hile_showering

American Bulldog and Staffordshire Terrier images used as examples in video.

**proudmom** · June 27th, 2009, 11:14 AM

even more creppy that she would shower at a grandsons house with the door open?

**Castille** · June 27th, 2009, 10:38 PM

Jeez, everyone is on about the open bathroom door. I just assume it's like my house - you close the door, think it's closed, feels closed, but if you don't give it a second extra tug, the latch won't catch and the dogs will come along and nose it right open on you to see who's in there. I suspect something like this is the most likely explanation for why the door was 'open,' althought I'd find bathroom ventilation issues, or the potential infirmity of a woman in her 70s needing the ability to call out for assistance if necessary as equally reasonable. The bathroom door is a non issue.

As for putting the dog down? I understand the dog's motivation here, but that doesn't make the behavior acceptable in my home or anything I'd want to pass along into someone elses. Noisily confronting a stranger is encouraged - attacking anyone is not. If my dog aggressively attacked my elderly grandmother who it's already met a few times (well, actually, even if it hadn't,) I'd have the dog put down too, and the only bit I'd feel bad about was accidentally exposing her to a dog that turned out to be so dangerous. I'd no longer want it in my house, and let's be honest, the animal shelter isn't going to offer it for adoption either, with good reason. There are countless good animals you could be homing that haven't and wouldn't viciously attack anyone.

**Redshoes** · June 28th, 2009, 12:02 AM

my apartment sucks and you can easily push open the bathroom door when it's closed. my cat does it all the time.

**proudmom** · June 28th, 2009, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Castille

As for putting the dog down? I understand the dog's motivation here, but that doesn't make the behavior acceptable in my home or anything I'd want to pass along into someone elses. Noisily confronting a stranger is encouraged - attacking anyone is not. If my dog aggressively attacked my elderly grandmother who it's already met a few times (well, actually, even if it hadn't,) I'd have the dog put down too, and the only bit I'd feel bad about was accidentally exposing her to a dog that turned out to be so dangerous. I'd no longer want it in my house, and let's be honest, the animal shelter isn't going to offer it for adoption either, with good reason. There are countless good animals you could be homing that haven't and wouldn't viciously attack anyone.

I definatley do not agree here... my opinions a bit different. If a stranger, or anyone i know for that matter, is in my home while im not there it is my dog jakes job to protect. If you know me well enough to be in my home while im not inside of it then you should know my dog well enough too. God forbid a crazyman comes in while im sleeping tries to take my babies id like to think that my jake would rip them apart thus saving my children from all harm and wrongdoing (its my world i choose to live in it. lol)

**Castille** · June 30th, 2009, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by proudmom

I definatley do not agree here... my opinions a bit different. If a stranger, or anyone i know for that matter, is in my home while im not there it is my dog jakes job to protect. If you know me well enough to be in my home while im not inside of it then you should know my dog well enough too. God forbid a crazyman comes in while im sleeping tries to take my babies id like to think that my jake would rip them apart thus saving my children from all harm and wrongdoing (its my world i choose to live in it. lol)

Yeah, we definately have different viewpoints. When someone chooses to keep a dog they well know will aggressively attack people, and ever keeps it in a way that might allow potential access to people it might attack, in my mind they fall into that 'irresponsible owner' camp people are always going on about whenever a breed ban topic comes up. Sure, we all hope our dogs might intervene if someone comes to rape and murder us in our sleep. But meanwhile, it might be grandma, the gas man, my husband when he's roughhousing with the kids, or god forbid (for those having kids,) one of my kids friends. So I think I'll settle for only being willing to tolerate dogs loose in and around my home who will reliably make a lot of noise to alert and do no more than run some minor interference when physical confrontations are going on, with no prior evidence of aggression. When it comes to dogs that are of a size to make themselves a signifigant threat to people who've displayed the willingness to make good on that, it's like keeping a loaded gun on the coffee table, it's a choice, and one that might make one feel more secure, but I still think it's irresponsible as hell.