Pit bull savages groomer in Hyannis

Barnstable cops responded to a grisly scene at a Hyannis PetSmart Wednesday, where a 22-year-old employee said she was savagely attacked by a pit bull mix.

The victim, whose name was not released last night, suffered bites to her upper torso, wrist and hand, “as well as extensive tearing of the flesh, possible broken bones and a suspected dislocated shoulder,” Barnstable police wrote in a post on their Facebook page.

“During the grooming process, while the dog was being moved, for no apparent reason and without warning, the dog attacked the victim and would not let go of her arm,” police wrote.

Although the woman’s co-workers desperately tried to use an air horn and spray to try to stop the attack, they eventually had to pry the dog’s jaws open.

The victim said the owner brought the dog in wearing a muzzle and described the animal as “sweet as can be,” according to police.

But the owner failed to disclose that the dog had previously attacked a human, “which PetSmart states would have resulted in services being declined. The victim stated that store policy required that the muzzle be removed in the grooming area, and that the owner was informed,” police wrote.

A Hyannis Fire Department ambulance rushed the victim to Cape Cod Hospital, and she was later taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for treatment.

Her condition and the extent of her injuries were not announced last night.

Police said the owner has been ordered to keep the dog under in-house quarantine for 10 days.