Woman battling in hospital after dog attack

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - At 86, Veta Snyder has lived through a lot. And now, the Indianapolis woman is fighting for her life after police say her son’s pit bull attacked her Sunday.

Her son, Tyler Snyder, said the dog belonged to his mother for nine years. Tyler Snyder said he wasn’t home when the attack happened. He said his mother suffers from dementia and believes she took the dog outside.

“She went outside to let him do his business,” Terry Snyder said. “She went out there without a walker. I think she fell on the dog and he turned on her.”

Terry Snyder said the dog, Mack, was very protective of his mother.

“He would pounce on anybody that bothered her,” Terry Snyder said.

When police arrived, the animal was on top of the woman, biting her legs. As the officer approached the dog, he heard the woman screaming, "Kill him, he's trying to kill me," according to a police report.

The officer attempted to lure the dog away from the woman and attempted to use pepper spray.

The dog ran to attack the officer. The officer shot the dog twice in a safe manner toward the ground. After two attempts, the pit bull still ran to attack the officer.

It took a third shot to kill the dog.

Terry Snyder says his mother is recovering in the intensive care unit at a local hospital. She was expected to undergo surgery Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, neighbors say they have had problems with dogs at that home on Oxford Street where Veta Snyder was mauled.

Before police arrived, a neighbor tried to help. But when Maureen O’Hara tried to  lure the dog away from Snyder  it turned on her.

“I'm just glad my mom came and heard her scream and was able to help,” Maggie O’Hara said, also noting what happened to her mom.  “She has one bruise on the back of her leg from a nip that the dog took. The skin wasn't broken so she is doing fine.”

In December, Animal Care and Control officers responded to the home to investigate a call from a neighbor. The neighbor reported a malnourished dog living at 5748 N. Oxford St. But it was not the dog involved in Sunday’s attack.

Investigators said they found a dog in fine health with food, water and shelter.

The only violation was that the dog was tethered and it was not monitored. An anti-tethering ordinance says no animal can be tethered during overnight hours, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.