Pit Bull Attack Victim's Condition Improved
By Joanie Morris, Elizabeth City Daily Advance
August 2003,
HERTFORD, N.C. — A Perquimans County woman mauled by four pit bull dogs on Friday is in stable condition in a Greenville hospital, Perquimans County Sheriff Eric Tilley said Monday.
Zelene Bunch, 44, was airlifted to Pitt County Memorial Hospital Thursday because of the severity of her injuries sustained when she was attacked. Tilley said investigators have been unable to interview her because of her injuries.
Bunch had injuries to the back of her head, on her inner left thigh and on both arms, Tilley said. Her condition was initially listed as critical, then up-graded to stable, Tilley said.
"We're not going to pursue any charges (against the dog owners) until we talk to her," Tilley said.
The attack occurred at a mobile home on Third Avenue shortly after 2 p.m. Friday, Tilley said. The homeowner, Kevin Foreman, told officials Friday that the dogs belong to his son, who was not home.
Tilley said officials would be in Greenville on Wednesday to interview Bunch and decide what to do.
The county must wait 10 days before deciding what to do with the dogs to make sure the dogs don't have rabies. However, Tilley said the county would probably petition the courts to have the dogs, which are currently at Chowan County Animal Shelter, put down.
Tilley said he was unsure why the owner had so many dogs, but earlier had said the dogs appeared to be used for fighting.
Note: An earlier article, which was removed from the online version of the paper before we copied it, stated that these dogs had been chained.
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