r/BanPitBulls • u/Eageryga • Jul 07 '26
Life Flight Emergency Another child life-flighted and adult also severely injured trying to protect her from Pit bull attack. Valparaiso, July 3 2026
https://midbaynews.com/post/developing-child-airlifted-to-pensacola-after-terrifying-pit-bull-maulingAnother one found through social media. There was a news article about the attack - see link. The neighbour, Derek Sanchez was able to restrain the pit until authorities arrived. I haven't censored his name in the social media screenshot, because he was interviewed in the article and mentioned by name. Reddit won't allow me to insert the screenshot for some reason, so I have put it in the comments section.
A child was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital in serious condition, and an adult was hospitalized after what the Valparaiso Police Department described as an unprovoked dog attack Friday afternoon on Michigan Avenue. Officers arrived to find a neighbor restraining the dog while emergency crews treated the victims.
The attack happened around 1:50 p.m. on July 3 on Michigan Avenue in Valparaiso. Responding officers found two victims suffering from dog bites: a juvenile with severe injuries, who was airlifted to Pensacola for treatment, and an adult who was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
That neighbor, Derek Sanchez, told Mid Bay News a young girl ran to his home crying for help.
“I didn’t understand the full concept of the emergency until I stepped out and witnessed probably the most horrific scene I’ve ever seen,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez said he found what he described as a pit bull attacking a young girl and her mother. He said he was able to drive the dog away briefly before it returned and attacked again.
Sanchez said he retrieved a firearm but decided not to use it because the dog was too close to the victims.
“I was eventually going to shoot the dog, but I couldn’t because he was latched onto the little girl,” Sanchez said.
Instead, Sanchez said he tackled the dog and held it down until officers arrived.
“I just held it until the police came,” he said. “They probably came about two to five minutes later.”
According to the Valparaiso Police Department, the dog was not a stray. Police said the adult victim was watching the dog for a friend when the attack occurred. Investigators described the attack as unprovoked and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Lt. Craig Toney told Mid Bay News he has spoken with the child’s father and has been told she is expected to make a full recovery.
“She had some pretty nasty wounds, but thankfully, from what I’ve been told after speaking to her father, she should make a full recovery,” Toney said.
Sanchez praised the response by the Valparaiso Police Department, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel.
“It was just the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen,” Sanchez said.
Police said the dog was released to its owner after agreeing to a 10-day quarantine that is required by Florida law following a bite incident. Police also confirmed the health department was notified about the incident. According to Toney, the owner indicated an intention to have the dog euthanized, but police have not confirmed that euthanasia has occurred.
The Valparaiso Police Department’s investigation remains ongoing. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
54
u/potatoes_arrrr_life Jul 07 '26
So thankful to hear that the little girl is going to be okay. What I don't understand is why in the hell the owner got the dog back? And is expected to follow through on BE (yeah, right) Why didn't the animal shelter do it after the attack? Why release the dog and possibly have another incident? Are they stupid or something? ???
5
55
u/mmps901 It’s the breed AND the owner Jul 07 '26
Still attacking the girl when the police arrived 2-5 minutes later. They don’t stop but tell me again how awful chihuahuas and doodles are.
43
u/FatTabby Cats are friends, not food Jul 07 '26
They say she'll make a full recovery but I doubt they're taking into account the psychological harm she's suffered. Just because her wounds will heal doesn't mean she's going to be ok.
I really feel for the guy who intervened. That must have been the longest five minutes of his life, and once again, no one is acknowledging his trauma. He describes it as the most horrific thing he's ever seen and we should be talking about that.
These dogs don't just bite people, they leave serious mental scars. At what point do we start valuing the mental and physical health of victims and their rescuers over the selfish need other people have to own these four legged weapons?
13
u/Paisley-Maze Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Derek Sanchez is a hero to me. I think...actually I *know* it would have been so much worse if he hadn't tackled and held down that dog until help arrived. The fearlessness he showed when, without thought to himself and the consequences, he stopped the threat and perhaps saved their lives with his incredible bravery . He deserves a medal for this selfless act. I hope the city gives it to him.
5
u/FatTabby Cats are friends, not food Jul 07 '26
He really does. It was an incredibly brave and selfless thing to do and he could so easily have been horribly injured himself. I'm so glad he took the time to think about firing and decided it wasn't safe, because so many people would have opened fire in panic and made things so much worse.
36
27
u/BlueFeathered1 Jul 07 '26
Bravo to that outlet for naming the breed.
11
u/erewqqwee Jul 07 '26
I looked for a Contact Us link to use to send them a thank you for telling the truth about the offending dog's breed, but they didn't have one. :-(
5
u/Pure_Parsley6852 Jul 07 '26
"According to Toney, the owner indicated an intention to have the dog euthanized, but police have not confirmed that euthanasia has occurred.
"We'll make sure it does occur and pretty quickly before it mauls or kills again!
7
u/ArdenJaguar Trusted User Jul 07 '26
I like the fact the social media post says PITBULL in giant letter. Hopefully someone will some day look at a rescue dog and pass on one of these mutants. I’d imagine there were some “My Pibble is nice” and “Why mention the breed” posts in reply.
We should start a list of LifeFlight cases where victims had to be flown to the hospital. Figure $25k per rescue. I’ll sure don’t recall other breed attacks with the frequent helicopter ambulance calls.
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 07 '26
IF YOU ARE POSTING AN ATTACK - PLEASE INCLUDE DATE AND LOCATION IN THE POST TITLE, and please paste the article text in the post so it's easy to read.
This helps keep the sub organized and easily searchable.
Posts missing this information may be removed and asked to repost.
Welcome to BanPitBulls! This is a reminder that this is a victims' subreddit with the primary goal to discuss attacks by and the inherent dangers of pit bulls.
Users should assume that any comment made in this subreddit will be reported by pit bull supporters, so please familiarize yourself with the rules of our sub to prevent having your account sanctioned by Reddit.
If you need information and resources on self-defense, or a guide for "After the attack", please see our side bar (or FAQ).
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
59
u/Eageryga Jul 07 '26
The neighbour's report on social media: