Two Dogs Maul 76-Year-Old in Wheelchair

Jack Shea Fox 8 Reporter
2:47 PM PDT, July 14, 2010

CLEVELAND -- A 76-year-old woman is hospitalized in critical condition at Huron Hospital after being mauled by two dogs inside a home she was visiting on the Cleveland's east side.

Fox 8 News was there as the owner of one of the American bulldog complied with an order from the Cleveland Animal Warden and surrendered the dog on Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators say the dog and a second bulldog attacked the woman as she sat in her wheelchair, who was visiting the home of a relative at an upstairs duplex on East 143rd Street on Saturday night.

Investigators say the dogs bit the victim dozens of times.

Warden John Baird says, "The first thing I thought of is how did she survive it, from what I've heard of the injuries from her family members is that this is pretty bad and for her to be in a wheelchair, she really had no way to defend herself, there was nobody else there with her."

It was Argelean Eaton, the owner of the duplex and the dogs, who found the victim and called 911. Eaton's mother says her daughter bought the dogs for protection after her home was broken into. Cathy Eaton says the dogs have access to the entire duplex and may have viewed the victim in the wheelchair as an intruder.

Cathy Eaton says, "They roam the up and down, ok, and that has been the agreement ever since they were puppies."

Baird says, "The ordinance does state that inside the house the dogs have to be properly secured inside so being that it's a multi-family dwelling, that where I'm going to speak to the prosecutor on, so that's kind of a gray area."

The two dogs are now being held as evidence, and the animal warden says a judge will decide if they will be euthanized or released to their owner.

Argelean Eaton could now face criminal charges for failing to control a vicious animal, but her mother says she is most concerned about the well being of the victim and the lives of her two pets.

Cathy Eaton says, "I'm hoping that the law will come back into Argelean's favor and won't put her dogs to sleep because she thinks of them as her children."

From: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/wjw-dogs-maul-old-woman-in-wheelchair-txt,0,2623085.story