A 91-year old woman died Thursday after a dog adopted hours earlier bit, latched on and started shaking his head during a nearly five-minute rampage.
"I've never in my life seen an animal like that," the woman's daughter, Linda Patterson, told WAVY. "He just started biting her; biting her and shaking his head."
Patterson adopted the dog hours earlier Wednesday and was playing with Blue in the backyard before 7:30 p.m. when they got locked out of the house. Patterson knocked on the door and heard her mother fall as she was getting up to let them in, according to WTKR.
Patterson was able to get back into the house using a hammer to open the door. Blue, a year old, 50-pound pit bull terrier mix, ran in first and found her mother on the floor. Blue straddled her then started biting her on the neck and shoulders. He also bit her on her leg and stomach area.
"I tried to pull him off, tried to say no, tried to be nice," Patterson told WTKR. "I just thought if I could get him off of her for one minute."
Patterson tried everything to stop Blue, even a hammer. The rampage ended after Patterson nudged him with her mother's walker and used it to get between them, according to WAVY.
Her mother was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She underwent surgery including an arm amputation, but died around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, according to WAVY.
Patterson got the dog after seeing a post on Craigslist from Forever Home Rehabilitation Center offering him for $20. Blue went through a three month training at the shelter and had bonded with Linda's two other dogs and never showed any aggressive behavior, the shelter said.
"Blue loved other dogs, and didn't know a stranger. He never showed any aggression while at our training facility, and passed his final evaluation with flying colors before being adopted out to the Patterson family," Forever Home Rehabilitation Center told WTKR. "Trainers spent yesterday morning checking over Blue's new home and going over training with Blue's new owner. There were 2 other dogs in Blue's new home, who Blue immediately bonded with. We do not know what events transpired in the moments before this tragedy occurred with Blue's owners mother, and none of us could have ever predicted this horrible event. We are devastated for the Patterson family and our thoughts and prayers go out to them."
Blue is in quarantine for 10 days at the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center while they assess him for a final disposition. The Virginia Beach Police and the Virginia Beach Animal Enforcement Unit are investigating the incident.
The family is seeking legal counsel, according to WTKR. Patterson told WAVY that she wants the dog euthanized.
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