One pit bull in Douglas attack still on the loose

By Marcus K. Garner and Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

One of the pit bulls that mauled a Douglasville woman Monday is still on the loose, Douglas County officials said.

As Douglas County Animal Control officials tried to bring in the third dog, wrangled late Tuesday night, it escaped, Douglas spokesman Wes Tallon told the AJC via e-mail Wednesday night. Tallon said the dog remained on the loose Thursday morning.

"The third dog broke loose from her leash at the Animal Shelter as she was being brought in and ran," Tallon said.

The dog hurdled several fences on its way to freedom, he said.

"We are patrolling the area of its home and the area between the shelter and the subdivision (where the dogs attacked)," Tallon said. "The subdivision is only about a half-mile from the shelter, so we think the dog may go home since she is a juvenile and that is all she knows."

Animal Control workers have set out multiple cage traps in hopes of catching the dog.

Tallon said Wednesday that a family member of the owners of the pit bulls was ticketed in another dog attack.

"The mother of the pit bull owner was cited in a previous year for a pit bull attack on a cat," Douglas County spokesman Wes Tallon told the AJC.

Frankie Forsh, the 56-year-old victim in Monday's incident, is out of the hospital and facing a long recovery.

Forsh was taking a walk on Independence Drive in her neighborhood when unattended pit bulls bit her repeatedly. Neighbors rushed to her aid and got the animals off her using sticks and rocks, Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller told the AJC.

"They were on the porch," Miller said of the dogs. "When the lady came walking by, the dogs attacked."

The victim said her injuries are severe.

"Three pit bulls came out of a yard and attacked me, and by the grace of God there were some neighbors at home who helped beat ‘em off of me," Forsh told Fox 5 Atlanta after getting out of the hospital Tuesday. "I have many puncture wounds on both arms and my lower calf, and I will have to have some skin grafts on my face," she said.

Tallon said a county solicitor will decide on charges Thursday against the owners.

The owners, who have been in touch with the Douglas County Sheriff's office, said they were out of town and a caretaker left the dogs unattended, county officials told the AJC.

"The family is in New York and was counting on a friend to take care of the dogs," Tallon said.

Tallon said it is unclear who should be held liable -- the owners, the caretaker, or both.

The dogs will be held for evidence until a court hearing, then likely will be put down, Tallon said.

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