Formerly Chained Foster Dog Attacks Founder of Anti-Chaining Nonprofit

Formerly Chained Foster Dog Attacks
Founder of Anti-Chaining Nonprofit

Grimes Taken to the Emergency Room via Ambulance, later Released

1 March, 2007, Altoona, PA — Dogs Deserve Better founder Tammy Sneath Grimes was attacked in her home in Tipton, Pennsylvania, on the morning of February 28th, 2007 by a recent foster dog from Ohio. Cyclone, an unneutered and unsocialized black chow chow, had been rescued from chains only three weeks previously, and had been neutered by Dogs Deserve Better February 16th. Grimes suffered multiple lacerations, the worst of which was on her left ankle, 5 inches long and 1 inch deep. She was also bitten on her left arm and chest.

Grimes had been feeding the chow separately from the other foster dogs, but on Wednesday a bowl was knocked off the table onto the floor, and the chow began to eat the food immediately. She then fed the other fosters, and when she tried to move the chow from another's bowl, he turned and attacked her, coming back repeatedly until she was able to get pots and pans from the sink to protect herself.

Grimes son Rayne called 9-1-1, and a Bellwood ambulance took them both to the Altoona Hospital Emergency Room, where she underwent x-rays to determine if the Achilles tendon was affected, and received wound care and stitches. She was then released with medication and crutches.

Grimes states, "I've been bitten before, but this attack was different, terrifying. Cyclone meant to do tremendous damage, and I feel blessed that my condition is not worse than it is. Unfortunately, Cyclone is a product of our societal mistakes; an unneutered male dog, left chained for life and unsocialized with humans, may be exceedingly dominant in personality. He may not understand that humans are meant to be pack leaders, and he may have no fear of attacking even the human who is caring for him.

I'm so grateful that a child did not approach him while he was eating and chained; I feel sure the child would have been dead had that been the case. A unneutered male, alone and territorial, can be as deadly as a loaded shotgun laying in your yard. I am more dedicated to this cause than ever...I would like to prevent others from going through what I've gone through; the terror of being attacked by something so powerful, knowing I could easily die, is not a pain I would wish on anyone."

The attack was investigated Thursday morning by Pennsylvania Dog Law officers Bob Beck and Harold Walstrom, and Cyclone was taken to the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society where he was euthanized as a dangerous dog. Grimes continued, "I'd like to thank the officers and the Humane Society for their kindness in a very hard situation. While I'm exceedingly sad to fail Cyclone, I realize that in light of the circumstances, there was no choice remaining for him. I will keep Cyclone's ashes by my bed with Bo's and others who've gone to the bridge."

Grimes heads up the Mothers Against Dog Chaining program of Dogs Deserve Better, which hopes to partner with parents of chained dog attack victims to create further legislation and education on a nationwide basis. To learn more about Dogs Deserve Better programs, visit the site at www.dogsdeservebetter.org. To learn more about the Mothers Against Dog Chaining initiative, go to www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org