Video shows the suspect leaving the scene after a vicious "dog attack and dash" in Atlanta.
Police Increase Reward
Atlanta, GA - On April 2, Lane Pilcher and her dog Banjo were walking along a popular trail in Atlanta called the BeltLine when a pit bull "barking very aggressively" broke free from its owner and attacked Pilcher and her dog. "All I had time really to do was grab my dog, pick him up and turn my back toward this dog that was coming at me," Pilcher told CBS 46. She picked up Banjo, but the pit bull latched onto her right arm and "took a whole chunk out of my arm," she said.
"Police say the victim, who is a Buckhead resident in her 30s, and the suspect were each walking their dogs April 2 around 5 p.m. on the BeltLine near the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center at 2125 Northside Drive. According to the police report, the suspect’s dog broke free of its leash and ran toward the victim. The victim said she "picked up her dog and turned her shoulder facing the charging canine," according to the police report. The attacking dog jumped and bit the victim on the upper arm, causing a serious wound that required surgery." - Atlanta In Town
The suspect pulled her dog off Pilcher while several witnesses aided Pilcher, according to police. The suspect said she would secure the dog, but instead fled with her dog and sped off in her vehicle, police said. "The suspect was driving a white BMW car with an Ohio license plate with the number HLM8829 and a front novelty plate reading "535 BMW," reports Atlanta In Town. Police released surveillance video of the suspect leaving the scene with her pit bull on April 14.
The owner is seen in a garage using a retractable leash and holding something in her left hand, but we can't tell what that item is.
The initial reward was $2,000. Police later increased it to $4,500. Pilcher shared an image of her graphic injury on her Facebook page. "The photo of my arm is difficult to look at but we don’t want this to happen to anyone else," she wrote. Her injury is an avulsion; all areas of the skin have been torn away. Commenter Kim Hudson Hall warned her, "We went thru same thing in January 2019. You will find GA laws & county ordinances on dog bites not favorable to you. Good luck!"
Dog Bite Statute
The Georgia dog bite statue is complex and requires a victim to prove the owner had knowledge of the dog's vicious propensities (one bite rule) and prove the owner either "carelessly managed" the dog or allowed it "to go at liberty." The owner can also be found liable on the "ordinance ground," where the victim must prove the dog was not at heel or on a leash as required by a local ordinance, and that the owner either "carelessly managed" the dog or allowed it "to go at liberty."
This suspect had a leashed pit bull that broke free. She did not allow her dog to "go at liberty," such as walking the dog without a leash. "Careless management" is not as simple as it appears either. Carelessness may require a higher degree of irresponsibility, such as "keeping the dog tied to a tree with a chain that extends to the curb" or "entrusting the dog to an incompetent caretaker like a 5-year-old," according to DogBiteLaw.com. We hope Pilcher obtains a good attorney!
Monetary Reward
It is unusual for us to see a monetary reward offered after a violent dog attack.1 Further, owners of pit bulls routinely flee the scene with their dog after an attack, especially when the victim is another animal. Attacks on humans involve the rare possibility of rabies, which has an incubation period of weeks to months, depending upon the location of the bite (the closer to the brain the shorter the period). Once clinical signs appear, it is too late. Rabies is nearly always fatal.
In addition to the surgeries Pilcher underwent, she may have already undergone the rabies vaccine too, which is 4 doses over a 14-day period. It should be a Class A misdemeanor in every state when a dog owner flees the scene after his or her dog bites a human, due to the lethality of rabies and its cost. The vaccine can cost up to $10,000. In the rare cases that we do see urgent police alerts asking the public to help locate a dog owner, it regards the dog's vaccination status.
Criminal Charges
We contacted the Atlanta Police Department to clarify the charges against this female suspect. Officer Anthony Grant told us in an email exchange the "woman could be charged with reckless conduct." Grant also reminded us that the investigation is still open and that charges could change, as the investigation progresses. This charge is far more serious than failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination, which is typically a modest infraction or low-level misdemeanor.
Under Georgia criminal code, reckless conduct is when a person "causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his act or omission will cause harm or endanger the safety of the other person and the disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care" a reasonable person would exercise. It is a misdemeanor that carries up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
"A bite really doesn't describe what happened here ... Unbelievable and heartless that she would just leave me badly injured." - Lane Pilcher
Only about 20% of fatal dog maulings result in meaningful criminal charges, which we define as a felony charge or at least 6 months in jail. Criminal charges after severe injury nonfatal maulings may be even less common (no system tracks this, so no one knows). It is clear that the combination of Georgia criminal code and the outrageous acts of this suspect compelled not only criminal charges, but also a reward of $4,500 for information leading to the arrest of this suspect.
Pit Bull Bite Injury
Pilcher said that doctors were not able to "put any stitches in my arm because there was nothing there to reattach." Frequently inflicting avulsion and degloving injuries is yet another way that pit bull injuries are more severe than bites by other breeds; both wound types often require skin grafting. Bordering on tears, Pilcher states the universal prayer of all dog mauling victims: "We all need to do whatever we can to make sure that this doesn't ever happen to somebody else."
The universal prayer of all dog mauling victims, "This cannot ever happen to someone else," is the steadfast conviction that drives our mission.
Pilcher's Facebook page states that she is an RN at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. WSB-TV reported that she treats Covid-19 patients. A similar "dog attack and dash" recently occurred in Massachusetts. Jennifer Rolfs, who is a critical care nurse at Beth Israel Medical Center, nearly lost her dog Oscar to a violent pit bull attack. Those pit bull owners, also captured on video, fled the scene after their dogs attacked. Rolfs told WHDH, "This whole month’s been a bad dream."
Rolfs also describes a possible degloving injury inflicted by one of the pit bulls on Oscar's back leg. "The pit bull must have had the leg in his mouth and they ripped it off, so the skin is pretty torn apart," she said (Notice how her hands imply peeling back skin?). Bridgewater State University Police Chief David Tillinghast said he was upset by the attack. "It’s just no way for people to act, particularly right now." Tillinghast has asked the suspects to come forward -- fat chance!
Summary
It is unusual for us to see a monetary award and criminal charges after a nonfatal dog mauling. The latter type, alone, certainly occur. Georgia's "Responsible Dog Ownership Law" applies to serious injury and death caused by a dog attack. Notably, Atlanta police must know who the female suspect is -- the surveillance camera captured both license plates. The reward of $4,500 pertains to locating the whereabouts of this suspect that leads to an arrest and indictment.
"Dog attack and dash" is a fairly common response by pit bull owners after an attack, especially when the victim is a pet. Covid-19 conditions are not going to change this. This was one of the first behaviors of pit bull owners that we called out during the first year of our operation in 2008. We wrote about this 18 times that year alone. More search results from that period appear for the terms "fled the scene" too. Expecting a behavior change due to Covid-19 is wishful thinking.
Finally, locating the Atlanta suspect does not equate to locating her dog, which would prevent future attacks by this dog. This attack occurred 26 days ago. That dog could be anywhere now, including back in Ohio. An owner that flees the scene of a vicious attack is the same type of owner who will hide their pit bull(s) after an attack.2 Recall what Officer Grant told us: "It is important to note the investigation is still open and charges could change, as the investigation progresses."
The victim, Lane Pilcher, speaks to CBS 46 after a vicious "dog attack and dash" in early April.
The suspect's white BMW seen leaving the scene after a "dog attack and dash" in Atlanta.
2We linked to the Deaunte Nobles case to help readers understand "reckless conduct" in Georgia. Nobles was charged with 3 counts of reckless conduct for allowing his pit bulls to run free, 3 counts for failing to call 911 for the victim and 1 count of reckless conduct left undefined. Nobles hid his pit bulls instead of turning them over to authorities and his dogs had a history of aggression. The victim Dudley Willis, 42, had both arms amputated.
Other news articles:
04/21/20: Police Increase Reward in Dog Attack Along Atlanta BeltLine
04/21/20: Woman Attacked by Dog on BeltLine in Northwest Atlanta
Lack of knowledge is not the problem. Lack of education is not the problem. The Suspect knew that the dangerous dog was dangerous. No one needed to make sure that the dangerous dog owner was educated and informed and supplied with knowledge. People who choose dangerous animals do not do so because they are ignorant. People who select dangerous animals as pets do so because they display their hate for self and neighbor and family by doing so. The problem is lack of love for ones neighbors. The Suspect showed hate for neighbors, by knowingly and willfully choosing a dangerous animal as a pet. The Suspect showed hate for neighbor by fleeing the bloody scene. If the Suspect was a loving person, the Suspect would have chosen a loving animal as a pet, instead of choosing a universally recognized dangerous animal as a pet. I am not shocked that the hateful person behaved liked a Spiritually Bankrupt person. Spiritually bankrupt people live and walk among us, and they bear their dangerous animals in an uncontrolled manner, in such a way as to force risk of grave tragedy upon every other human being.
I am confused as to why they can’t find the pit bull owner but have her tag number.
There was a somewhat similar attack here in San Francisco on March 25, 2020, though the owner was identified and did participate in the vicious and dangerous dog hearing on the pit bull last week.
The pit bull had broken free from its handler and attacked a woman and her dog in a recreational area. The 5′ 7″ woman picked up her dog to protect it and the pit bull was able to jump up and bite her ear, causing a “horrific” injury (the hearing officer’s description based on a photo), along with other injuries to her arm. The 16-year-old girl with the pit bull at the time–the daughter of the owner’s girlfriend–fled the scene without providing any information and, in addition to other medical treatment, the victim had to get the rabies shots.
It wasn’t clear at the hearing how the owner was tracked down. The decision is pending on this case.
I’ve watched this video a few times and I am not sure if the suspect is female or MTF and I am not saying that trying to be disparaging; it’s just a description of the suspect. I also had to look up 535. There is apparently a BMW 535 series car but also 535 means a guardian angel and love in the psychic/spiritual realm. Who knew?
I for one am also confused at how the police could have the license plate number and not released the name of the suspect. Maybe they’re just trying to figure out where this person is staying in the Atlanta location. I would think fleeing the scene constitutes knowing that you have a vicious dog.
You can use this website to look up that exact car and the owner. For $8.99 a month you can have the person’s name.
https://www.faxvin.com/license-plate-lookup/result?plate=HLM8829&state=OH
I’m so sick of this nonsense. In 2020, leashes are made that will restrict a dog. People with pit bulls seem to be unwilling to properly control their dogs. Why? I hate that the local PetSmart supports pit bulls handled by children in its stores. If one complains, one gets booted out of the store and the pit bull’s owner is rewarded. The pro pit bull folks (Adopt Don’t Shop) have amazing control. In my opinion, the worst is yet to come.
I don’t think that a retractable leash should be considered a 6ft leash for walking in public.
The fact is, sadly, that although cripple harnesses and head halters can force a dog’s compliance, they still are worse than useless if a dog chooses to attack.
They were originally designed as short term measures so that people wouldn’t be pulled into traffic or knocked over by exuberant dogs, while they were training them to “heel”.
The actual outcome has been a crapton of lazy people using them to confine the dog, while never actually putting in the effort to train it.
Both can lead to permanent physical damage from un-natural walking gaits, if used over long periods of time.
The solution to pitbull attacks is phasing pitbulls out.
The solution to dogs that pull–is training them to heel, no matter what distractions are appealing to them.
Sadly, in this day and age, when it comes to dogs, idiotic sentiment trumps common sense.
This is why when I walk my dog I have a knife in my hand.
I’m very confused as to how this woman’s face, dog, car, and license plate can all be seen in photos and videos, yet she still can’t be located. What are these cops doing? It really needs to be a law that if an owner flees the scene of a dog attack that the dog should be automatically taken and euthanized once the owner is found. If you’re not responsible enough to stay and help the victim after your dog attacks, you should lose right to have the dog.
Taking a murder machine out in public should count as “reckless conduct”.
What do folks think of the recent murder of a female postal worker in Indianapolis because the post office had stopped delivering mail to a house due to a dangerous dog being there. The man who shot her was the dog’s owner. He had received three written notices from the post office advising him to put the dog up or he would get no mail. He confronted the mail carrier. The breed of dog wasn’t listed. To me, this is a dog related fatality. The shooter has been charged with second degree murder.
To me, it’s yet another example of out-of-control dog worship.
That dog is exhibiting hunting for prey/searching behavior all over that video. A dog that is criss-crossing ahead of the leash is in *hunting* mode.
And clearly, in this case, it’s hunting humans. Yet the fool dog owner is holding an extenda-lead and clearly has zero idea about dog behaviour and doing nothing to stop it.
I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if this wasn’t this dog’s only attack, either.
I also fail to understand how, since they have the license plate number, as well as the time and date of the attack…they can’t find the pitbull owner.
And the suspect owns a BMW. I guess that makes her above the law somehow.
Nearly every state’s statutes on dog bites were written prior to the flood of pit bulls and similar large-bodied bulldog breeds as family pets. The old statutes were penned when a “dog bite” usually meant a single puncture wound, not chunks of flesh being separated from a victim, and certainly not “death or dismemberment by dog bites” as we are now seeing. All states need their statutes revisited and reworded to handle the current prevalence and style of attacks by dangerous dogs. It will be a lot of work, but it needs to be done.
Soon it will be 2 months. Looks like she got away with it. I wonder if they even followed up with the DMV in Ohio? Is that particular car registered to a woman? If so what is her driver’s licence pic? If the car is registered to a black female her name should be broadcast nation wide as a “person of interest”. She should be brought in for questioning. “Were you driving your car on that date, if not who was?” Get a warrant for her phone records, was she in Atlanta that day? Anyone who has watched “The First 48” or “The Forensics Files” knows this case might be easily solved.
How is this a just misdemeanor? A “maul and run” without providing vaccination records should be the same as a hit and run. Sadly I don’t know of any state that a dog owner is required to remain at the scene of an attack. A gun shot to the victim could have caused less damage. Dog laws need updated to reflect the damage pits and other breeds frequently inflict. Providing proof of vaccination needs to stop being optional.
If we are going to allow people to carry weapons that can pull their own triggers and do the same amount of damage as a land mine plus infect the victim with deadly diseases there has to be some responsibility to go along with that “right”.
There are videos online (a couple but I’m talking of a specific incident) a fully blind man and his yellow Labrador, a seeing guide dog being viciously attacked by a pitbull terrier… sort of walking through a tunnel? sorry I’m really bad with ‘tech’ to send/find a link…anyway, sure the owner tried to intervene but his dog was relentless and couldn’t stop itself from mauling the Lab. when will this shit ever end? The man really thought his dog was a ‘pibbles’ and under his control…😞 not in the slightest…