NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Update:Hatfield says PAWS came on Thursday and took the dog.
She said Skynyrd will stay there the rest of his quarantine and then will be released to a Pit bull rescue.
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A Rutherford County woman is recovering after being attacked by the family dog. She had to get hundreds of stitches on her face and arms.
Now the family doesn't know what to do with their Pitbull because state law says they have to quarantine it for 10 days.
"My family is terrified. We got our back door barricaded so he can’t bust through my back door," said dog owner Denise Hatfield.
Prior to Wednesday, Hatfield was the proud owner of four dogs. Now she only has three, after her 6-year-old Pitbull named Skynyrd attacked her 10-year-old Chihuahua Axel Rose.
The Pitbull attacked her adult daughter first, she says.
"When Skynyrd saw my little dog, he let go of my daughter and went after my little dog. That’s when he killed my little dog, and we had time to get my daughter out of the fence and get my grandson secured and out of there too," Hatfield said.
Hatfield doesn’t know why her Pitbull snapped, but she thinks Axel Rose saved her daughter's life.
"My daughter has over 100 stitches on the outside of her face. Her arm has — I don't know how many stitches. She has muscle damage inside her face," Hatfield said.
Hatfield asked the Rutherford County Pet Adoption and Welfare Service (PAWS) to take the dog, but there’s a law that states owners must quarantine the dog for 10 days after an attack to be sure they don't have rabies.
"I'm heartbroken that my dog died. I’m heartbroken that my daughter has to go through this. I’m heartbroken because of Skynyrd. I don’t know what to do. I can’t get no help. I can’t pay to get him euthanized. My daughter got a long road to go," Hatfield said.
Animal control wasn't able to take the dog, but they did help her get the dog inside a cage and into an RV. The dog has been able to bust out of it twice already.
Hatfield thinks the law is unfair and unsafe.
"They should have a facility or somewhere to contain these dogs, especially if they are dangerous. Not only to me; if he breaks out and gets over this fence and he gets a neighbor, I’m responsible for that. I’m begging someone to help me," Hatfield said.
PAWS said in this case the dog’s owner is responsible for quarantining the dog for 10 days after the bite, according to state law.
PAWS allows the quarantine to be in the home or at a vet of the owner’s choosing.
TCA 68-8-109 outlines the required quarantine period for a biter animal and how that can be performed by an owner. PAWS said Hatfield meets the definition of "owner" according to their preliminary investigation.
They said testing for rabies can only be performed once the dog is euthanized and would only be necessary if the dog exhibited symptoms of rabies or the owner elected humane euthanasia.
PAWS said Hatfield was given all options regarding how to care for the dog and what rabies symptoms would look like. Also, said they provided a list of veterinarians in the community if she wanted to quarantine the Pitbull there.
PAWS said if a stray dog with no known owner attacks someone, all attempts would be made to capture the dog or locate the owner.
They said PAWS Animal Control takes its task of providing animal services to keep the community safe seriously.
The family has launched a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.
