Lake Hope / Moonville Area Pit Bull Attack

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robca...@gmail.com

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Oct 31, 2022, 9:35:58 AM10/31/22
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Good morning.

 

Sharing the news and raising awareness of an incident that occurred over the weekend near the Lake Hope / Moonville area.  I’ve copied and pasted the Facebook post below if you do not subscribe to social media.  Please be safe out there, Friends!

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ohiogravelgrinders/permalink/5604641972963295/

 

Sincerely,

 

Rob Callahan

 

 

--------------------------------

 

Ray George – Admin – Ohio Gravel Grinders

 

Unfortunately, I am the bearer of bad news.

 

Many of you know Eva Simons from her participation in the cycling and hiking communities. Yesterday three unleashed, uncontained pit bulls attacked her. They pinned her to the ground and mauled her on the side of the road.

 

Our group of five, including Eva, started from the Lake Hope mountain bike trailhead parking lot near the dam and headed out on the Lake Hope Medium route which heads past Moonville Tunnel. The last house on the left on Shea Rd. has a blue heeler, which we saw sitting in the field playing with a stick as we passed by. We stopped at the tunnel for some photos. Eva stopped to check tire pressure at the cemetery road and we started the climb up past the lookout rock. She was straggling and yelled out that she was going to turn around. She said she would see us at the cars for lunch as we had planned after riding the first loop. I yelled back ok and that we would see her later.

 

Four of us continued riding the route. When we dropped off Long Ridge back to the cars we saw that Eva’s car was still there, but she was not around. If you know Eva it is not uncommon for her to ride on her own or go for a hike. We ate our snacks and Vince wanted some extra miles since the weather was so nice.

 

Vince and Amanda were first to the farmhouse (second house on the left on Shea Rd.) and then Frans and I came over the rise and my heart sunk when I saw the bike laying in the ditch. Sheriff’s officers were further down the road and motioned for us to stay away from the bike. Over the next couple of minutes we were given conflicting information from the officers. “She was taken to Logan to the hospital.” “She was air flighted to a hospital in Rio Grande.” “Her boyfriend Bob is at Grant Hospital.” “Her wounds were fatal, but someone saved her.” Nothing made sense. The officers put her bike into the truck to take back to the station and then stationed themselves in the road at the first house waiting for any movement by the dogs.

 

We were all stunned and in shock. We headed back to the cars and laid out plans to put the pieces together and help Eva. Back on the road we reached out to friends to connect with Bob Garrett her boyfriend. In the meantime, Eva, from the trauma center, reached out to Amanda via messenger and filled in some of the blanks. Our friend Mitzy was able to reach Bob and also get more information. This is what we put together.

 

While heading back to the car Eva experienced a flat and decided to walk. Around 1.25 miles from the car she walked past the first house on Shea Rd. heading west. The three pit bulls ran out from the yard and started attacking her. She fended them off with her bike but one of the dogs kept attacking her from behind. She continued moving west and was worn down from yelling at the dogs and fighting them off. She ended up falling and the dogs pounced on her and attacked. She fended them off with her arm which sustained puncture wounds. She also sustained puncture wounds to her back. Her lower left leg was so severely impacted from the attack that doctors have amputated her leg below her left knee. Eva endured 20 minutes of attack before good Samaritans arrived.

 

Heather Clark was first to the scene and others arrived to help as well. She said “there was a couple in an SUV who used their vehicle to deter them from Eva….I had my large walking stick and swung it frantically at them, just trying to be as big, loud and scary as possible. It was just something that needed done, honestly I didn’t know what to do either. Just that we had to get them away.” Heather and the others saved Eva’s life by transporting her to the hospital in Logan where Eva was life flighted to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.

 

Some of what the officers said yesterday now make sense, except for the Rio Grande comment.

 

Today our friend Lisa and I headed to Lake Hope to move Eva’s car back home. On the way home I called the Vinton County Sheriff Office. The officer I spoke with would not say if the animals were contained or destroyed. He said “it was taken care of,” and that it was an active investigation. I pushed further and asked if it was safe to ride or hike in the Lake Hope region because our group has a lot of people who take advantage of the roads and trails. We saw a number of other unsuspecting gravel cyclists in the area. He said yes. I took yes as the animals were contained or destroyed and asked him if that’s what he meant. He said yes again.

 

Eva is still at Grant Medical Center in the ICU and had surgery early this afternoon and is now resting. She will be moved to a room tomorrow and may be in the hospital for at least a week. Because she sustained dog bites, she will now endure rabies treatment.

 

Some people have mentioned GoFundMe to help with her medical bills. Bob Garrett, her boyfriend, would like people to reach out to him before going this route. He is actively working on legal representation and would like to make sure it doesn’t cause any issues.

 

 

 

Arthur R. Smith

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Nov 2, 2022, 11:40:54 AM11/2/22
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Dear Athens Cycling People,

I learned about this outrageous and insane pit bull mauling Sunday night from PJ by a text message and OMG, it made me so sick just thinking about it that I had a hard time sleeping that night, and it makes me really mad too. I am very disappointed by the lenient laws in Ohio governing these aggressive animals (not to be confused with actual pets) which are bred for fighting to the death or defending to the death. All we cyclists want is for these animals to be controlled. They should not be allowed to run into roads off leash. Even a relatively gentle dog running in front of a biker can cause serious injury, but Ohio law does not currently have laws against that happening, and all that happens is the owner gets a warning or maybe a small fine if the incident gets reported. It takes multiple attacks (with subsequent citations given) by a mean or aggressive dog before it can be taken away. A quick perusal of the news about maulings by dogs brings up all kinds of horrible tragedies which have occurred in Ohio and elsewhere. 

It takes an incident where a cyclist loses not just a bit of skin, but half of their leg (!!) to even make the news. Isn't it time for Ohioans to band together and demand change? Or is this just the price of so-called American freedom? To tell the truth, it makes many cyclists not feel at all free to ride their bikes out of fear of just this type of thing. Terror and fear and constantly on the lookout for charging dogs at every next residence, is this the status quo that we are going to be satisfied to live with? I have talked to people about the problem of chasing dogs, and some people just chuckle like it's funny to see cyclists being chased by dogs.

But it's not funny any more.

Thanks for your time,
Art



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Arthur R. Smith, Professor
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SwopeMJ

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Nov 2, 2022, 1:22:09 PM11/2/22
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You’re right Art. This is not OK. The people that chuckle need to understand that it’s not being chased by the dog thing that’s the most serious thing although scaring people is definitely not acceptable. But the issue is that if the dog gets in front of you and you go down you could be killed, hurt, or seriously maimed. We all know people that’s happened to.  This case is infuriating and grievous. 

One of the very best things we can do is to get every incident documented. It’s no fun being a crusader on some thing like this, but our options are to stop riding or risk being a victim. By taking pictures m, description of the dog, incident, time, place, house number, and insisting that a report be generated and you get a copy is the path to resolution in the long run. Make sure you tell them in writing you were a victim of dog attack or harassment as the case may be. 

If you have a county dog warden call them instead of the police or in addition to the police. I think the Ohio bike lawyer would give you detailed information on how to respond to this kind of situation.  Sharing that with the team in the larger community may help. It’s no fun dealing with this but if we pay the price now, then we pave the way for the next generation to be able to continue to enjoy cycling safely and less stressfully. Hopefully change comes in time to help us too.  

Art, I am very unhappy about this also and I share your frustration, anger and grief for this cycling human that has suffered irreparable and life-changing injuries.  I think it’s helpful to communicate to others how we feel about this.  Anger used wisely and positively gives us the energy to do what needs done to take care of bad situations.  We should talk to community leaders, councils, officials, and news media. Let’s use our anger productively.  Maybe we can help bring about something positive out of a tragic and preventable event. 

Thank you for speaking out. It has encouraged me and hopefully others. 

James Schulz

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Nov 2, 2022, 7:15:47 PM11/2/22
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Here, here, well said. My time on a bike and in the ER have left me frustrated with dog owners’ unbelievable lack of insight as to the damage their animals can cause. 

The laws are on the books. 

Enforcement is the issue. 

Law enforcement, prosecutors and judges need to be pressed to do their job and hold owners accountable. 

We need to come together to see it done. 

James W. Schulz 
Ellen J. Gerl




On Nov 2, 2022, at 11:40, Arthur R. Smith <ohiou...@gmail.com> wrote:



Little Penguin

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Nov 9, 2022, 9:32:18 AM11/9/22
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Does anyone know if this incident was ever reported in the paper and/or online in the news somewhere? I have not seen anything in the AthensNews.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 2, 2022, at 7:22 PM, James Schulz <jschul...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here, here, well said. My time on a bike and in the ER have left me frustrated with dog owners’ unbelievable lack of insight as to the damage their animals can cause. 

PJ Gilmore

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Nov 9, 2022, 9:55:08 AM11/9/22
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I heard the report on woub radio and by word of mouth that the dogs were euthanized.  


James Schulz

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Nov 9, 2022, 9:56:19 AM11/9/22
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Received surprisingly a lot of coverage. WOUB (no follow up). WSAZ TV Columbus (with several follow up stories).  Vinton Country Courier (Follow up). Messenger? A News?

James W. Schulz 




On Nov 9, 2022, at 09:32, 'Little Penguin' via Athens Cycling <athens...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Does anyone know if this incident was ever reported in the paper and/or online in the news somewhere? I have not seen anything in the AthensNews.

Perry, Sharon

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Nov 9, 2022, 9:58:24 AM11/9/22
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I only saw this incident reported on social media, not any other news outlet.

I have been a vocal opponent of loose dogs in the region for as long as I have been out on the roads on a bike. First, I've seen my friends hit by dogs, I've been hit by a dog, and it is downright terrifying. However, I am pretty sure that only a few of us call dog incidents into the dog warden. I have called without even being touched, only chased. I feel that the law is clear that the dog should be under the owner's control at all times. If it is chasing a person in the road, that is not under the owner's control. I have had success at least once when the dog's owners put up an electronic fence to contain the animal.

The other danger to riders is distracted drivers. When Josh and I were hit by one (and we very well could have been killed), I did not see any article about that, or about any other distracted driver incident either. As I watch people "driving", I am not acutely aware that we are just lucky that most of us have not been killed by a distracted driver, or reckless driver. We have called in distracted drivers, with license plates, only to be told that nothing could be done. Just like when we call about dogs, many times we are told to get a picture, or nothing can be done.

As cyclists, we are vulnerable in many ways. The more these incidents are brought to the attention of the public, and the more the people who cause them are punished, by laws that should be in place and enforced, and by public humiliation (being put in the paper/news), the more it will bring awareness to the problems we face. They are serious problems that could cause excessive harm and even death yet are sadly ignored and forgotten about.

--Sharon

From: 'Little Penguin' via Athens Cycling <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 9:32 AM
To: athens...@googlegroups.com <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [External] Re: [AthensCycling] Lake Hope / Moonville Area Pit Bull Attack
 
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ach...@fastmail.fm

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Nov 9, 2022, 10:06:04 AM11/9/22
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Google search shows tv news covered it.

The dispatch looks to have an article.

The messenger covered it.

Rob Delach

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Nov 9, 2022, 1:46:49 PM11/9/22
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A quick google search pulls up at least 11 news sources that have carried a story about this incident, but not any Athens County news sources that I have seen, well, except for the pay-walled waste-of-time, Athens Messenger. 


Rob Delach
rde...@gmail.com - cell: 703.727.0321
Athens, Ohio


To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/athenscycling/A77F3264-BCC3-4873-A651-DFF3D80886E5%40yahoo.com.

McCarthy, Brian

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Nov 9, 2022, 1:56:16 PM11/9/22
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I know it was covered by NBC TV Columbus news.
Have not seen any print coverage on the story.

Brian
From: 'Little Penguin' via Athens Cycling <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 9:32:08 AM

To: athens...@googlegroups.com <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [External] Re: [AthensCycling] Lake Hope / Moonville Area Pit Bull Attack
Use caution with links and attachments.

Marco Deshaies

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Nov 10, 2022, 1:54:28 PM11/10/22
to 'Little Penguin' via Athens Cycling
From: 'Little Penguin' via Athens Cycling <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 9:32 AM
To: athens...@googlegroups.com <athens...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [AthensCycling] Lake Hope / Moonville Area Pit Bull Attack
 
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