My best friend Isabelle’s story : On Sunday night around 9:40pm, my mom Margarita was taking a walk with my 5 year old cousin, her nephew, and our small pet dog named Ojitos. They had gone to visit my moms sister, my aunt, and on their way back no less than a 6 minute walking distance from our home my mom noticed an open gate with a black with white pitbull starting to walk towards it. There were no signs or indications that an aggressive dog lived at that home, but my mom was fearful anyway and ran to close it because the dog was beginning to fast walk towards the open fence gate. The owner was only a few feet behind the dog and my mom was carrying our pet dog. As my mom started to close the gate, she was not able to lock it and the dog launched itself pushing the gate and my mom. The dog threw itself again biting my mom on her upper right thigh. Ojitos, our dog, made a noise which caught the dog’s attention which resulted in the dog jumping at my mom trying to reach him out of her hands because she had been carrying him.

As much as my mom tried putting Ojitos in the air and out of reach, the pit bull eventually locked on Ojitos’ back legs and would not let go. My mom fell to the ground and scraped her left knee. The owner DID NOT ACT until he realized that his dog was actually attacking. The owner rushed over and began to try to get his dog off and let go of Ojitos, but he wouldn’t. While this was happening my 5 year old cousin was terrified and kept trying to run behind my mom but my mom kept pushing and yelling for him to back away. One of the pushes my mom did made him fall, and that’s when he stayed back screaming, crying, and jumping in fear watching everything unfold horribly. My mom states, “Someone..I don’t know who..but someone stuck something in the dogs mouth and that’s when he finally let go of Ojitos’ legs, and that’s when I was able to take my chance to run. I never let Ojitos go. There were so many people watching but they just watched.” As my mom said someone stuck something in the pit bulls mouth which gave her the chance to run.

She grabbed my 5 year old cousin, still holding Ojitos, and ran across the street. The pit bull HAD NO COLLAR OR LEASH!!!! Because of this, the owner could not hold onto his OWN ANIMAL and it escaped from him. As my mom kept running, Ojitos let out cries because he had been bit on his back legs. This caught the pit bulls attention and since he had escaped the owner, he ran towards my mom, cousin, and Ojitos once again. Once the pit bull caught up, it attacked a second time. The pit bull grabbed Ojitos by the stomach and WOULD NOT LET GO. A family in a car had their doors open yelling at my mom to go with them. My mom states, “They were yelling at me to go into their vehicle but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t let go of Ojitos. I yelled for help and yelled for them to take my nephew with them.” The family took my cousin and him in the car where he was now safe. The battle between my mom and the pit bull continued. -I don’t have details on how the pitbull let go of Ojitos or how my mom got away-

after getting away from the pit bull which I don’t have details on yet, she was able to get into the family’s car where they also had my cousin already. The pitbull continued circling the car until the owner came for him. Yes of course 911 was called and paramedics arrived, the police never did. Once 911 was called my mom called me while I was waiting for them at home. She explained what happened crying and wanting to scream in pain. I quickly grabbed what she told me to grab which was her ID and rabies vaccination proof for Ojitos. Once the paramedics arrived and they began to look at the condition of my mom, that’s when they realized Ojitos was horribly injured and *TW* a part of his stomach was open and his intestines were hanging out of his body. The paramedics cared for my mom and Ojitos, made sure my cousin was alright which he is, and then the paramedics found an emergency location for Ojitos. I had called my uncle, aunt whom my mom had gone to visit, and they quickly showed up. 

My mom could not leave, she had to stay to begin the police report and potentially get taken to the hospital. We can now say the police nor animal control showed up. Ojitos had to be taken immediately to an emergency clinic so thankfully my aunt took Ojitos and I. The clinic already knew we were on our way, so when we got there we ran for nurses to retrieve Ojitos because we were to scared to move him because of his condition. They quickly took him in and I began the paperwork. With permission of my mom, explanations on what Ojitos would need for treatment, and the support of my family, we paid $6,000 as a deposit to ensure the life of Ojitos. He entered surgery around 1am on Monday and he came out of surgery around 3am the same day. My mom was not taken to the hospital in hopes police would show up at our house, which never happened. That same night the owner of the pit bull who attacked them started packing quickly and so far we’venoticed two trips to his house just to gather some things and leave quickly.

The owner would not give us his information and cursed out anyone who tried taking pictures of his house or license plates. He will not cooperate and is trying to run away from this situation to not get in trouble. AGAIN, there were no signs of an aggressive dog living at his home and the pit bull had no collar or leash, the fence gate was also open!! Animal control told us they would come to our house Monday night but they wouldn’t show up. THEY HAVE SINCE DROPPED OUR CASE!!!!!!!

I encourage you to please sign this petition to help us get justice! Because of an irresponsible aggressive dog owner my pet, my mom, or my 5 year old cousin could have lost their life. This petition is raise awareness and pressure the animal control and police department of Marion county Indianapolis, IN to do something because WE NEED JUSTICE!