Pit bull kills pet in home horror
A RASMUSSEN woman has been left traumatised after her mental health assistance dog was mauled by a neighbour’s pit bull in a terrifying attack inside her home.
Nadine Rackemann said she had been cleaning up after a garage sale on June 10 when a neighbour’s dog ran into her house and chased down her shih tzu cross Thor.
Her 17- year- old son Josh, fearing that his five- year- old nephew was in danger, stabbed the attacking dog to death.
Thor, who helped Ms Rackemann manage her PTSD, was so badly injured that vets had to euthanase him.
Ms Rackemann said she was sitting in her lounge room with her grandson Leo Lawford, 5, when she saw the neighbour’s pit bull cross running up her driveway about 7pm.
“This pit bull ran in my house, grabbed ( Thor) in the jaw, I’m in sheer panic, screaming,” she said. “I’m screaming out ‘ Leo, Leo, go, go’. I thought the dog might have hurt him.
“Next minute I’m punching with all my might on this pit bull’s head. It still wouldn’t let go of my dog.” Ms Rackemann said the pit bull dragged Thor on to her front patio.
“( Josh) thought I said the pit bull got Leo. He came out of his room with this big carver knife and stabbed the pit bull,” she said.
“Words can’t describe how vicious this thing was.”
Ms Rackemann said the attack had left the family shaken.
“( My son) Tyson was so traumatised that he couldn’t even talk. The ambos sat with him for quite a while. I was so distraught they took me to the hospital,” she said.
“I’ve had to go to the doctor, I’ve been put on Valium, I can’t sleep, can’t eat. I’m lost, I’m really lost.
“I know it’s just a dog, but it was more than a dog. It was my companion, it was my mate.”
Townsville City Council’s community health and environment committee chair Cr Ann- Maree Greaney said it was a “horrific attack”.
“The council is investigating and is in the process of taking statements and gathering evidence from both parties and the police who attended the scene,” she said.
“This has been extremely distressing for the family and the council will continue to gather evidence and look at whether there are grounds to prosecute the matter in court.” When disaster struck, locals stepped up. Celebrate the heroes who fought back when Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie and its aftermath smashed two states. ‘ Defying Debbie’ tells their stories of triumph and hope in a special commemorative publication on sale now.