CINCINNATI -- A woman bit in the throat by a dog on Saturday said the dog who bit her should not have been put down. She said she doesn't blame the dog -- she blames his owners.
"It's not (the dog's) fault," Sasha Jones said. "It's his owner's fault, and it's their fault my neck looks like this."
Police said Jones, 27, heard her neighbor's dog whimpering after he was hit by a car on State Avenue in Lower Price Hill. When Jones approached the dog to check for injuries, named Gottie, he bit her in the neck twice.
"I bent down and I pet him on his head and I said 'It's OK buddy,'" Jones said. "Then a lady pulled over and I looked up to talk to her. When I did, (Gottie) jumped up and grabbed me."
Jones said she believes the dog was in "panic mode" when he bit her.
First responders said Saturday that Jones suffered superficial injuries when Gottie bit her in the throat. She was transported to University Hospital.
Gottie was taken to Mt. Lookout Animal Hospital and euthanized. His owner, Donald Emerick, was issued a civil citation demanding the dog be put down.
Jones said she's heartbroken that Gottie was put down. A fellow dog owner, Jones also blamed Emerick for not watching the dog.
"Their sorry selves was in the house not doing anything for the dog," she said. "It's so easy to take care of an animal. If you're going to have them, take care of them."
Veterinarian Dr. Josh Godsey said helping an injured pet, while kind, can be dangerous.
"Any animal, when it's hurt and scared, can react like that," he said. "It's best to just stay away and let a professional take it from there."
There are currently no criminal charges pertaining to this case.
