74 year old grandmother shields her 3 year old grandson from dog attack.

[wolf_meister]

This story is incredible.

Josephine Bilotta, 74, of Leominster had to receive around 40 stitches on her forearms after a massive bull mastiff on the loose last Wednesday afternoon charged at her three-year-old grandson as they lounged at her niece’s lake house on Old Oak Avenue.

Picking up her grandson when she saw the animal, Bilotta said the dog pushed her over and sent the toddler into the lake. Just as Bilotta rescued the boy, the bull mastiff butted the pair a second time, she said. Allegedly choosing to use her body to shield her grandson, Bilotta began to be bitten on her arms by the animal.

Bilotta was eventually bailed out by a boy, who was aquatinted with the dog and able to get the animal off her, she said. According to police, she was taken to University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester for treatment.

The full story is here:
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO24593/

It’s incredible to see someone with that much determination to protect her grandson. Big congratulations to her (and of course to the boy that came to her rescue).

I started a “Pit” thread about questionable actions concerning lifeguards’ response to a drowning victim (There are now conflicting stories of this incident ):
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382987&page=1&pp=50

Anyway, I just thought I’d post the other side of the ‘rescue’ coin so to speak.

[Baker]

Law enforcement allowed the dog to go back to it’s owners??? Even though the township doesn’t have a leash law that sounds incredible. That dog is dangerous.

[Cicero]

I’m not sure that it is incredible. It is just something that you would do.

But I raise my glass to that 74 year old woman. And the kid who called the dog off.

[Unregistered_Bull]

Any decent human being would have their dog destroyed after that sort of attack.

[The_Lovely_Margo_Lane]

Congratulations to the Grandmother- I was just thinking a few days ago that I wouldn’t really know what to do if a dog attacked me or someone else. We all know for bears it’s the old “roll up in a ball so it can’t get your throat or organs” deal, but with a truly vicious dog I don’t know if it would be the same. That seriousness aside,

Bilotta was eventually bailed out by a boy, who was aquatinted with the dog

(bolding mine)

All I can think of is some local printmaker being incredibly moved by the boy’s heroism and making a lovely etching commemorating the occasion. Somebody at that website is a little too reliant on spellcheck, huh?

[Cowgirl_Jules]

@Unregistered Bull

Any decent human being would have their dog destroyed after that sort of attack.

Ten days after it, to provide for a rabies quarantine period. I did just that, after one of my collies went for a neighbor (but didn’t actually break skin.) You just can’t have an uncivilized dog like that.