Authorities have confirmed that the dog involved in last week’s brutal attack on a woman in Palatka has been identified and euthanized, following a follow-up investigation and positive identification by the badly injured victim.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the brown and white pit bull mix was signed over to Putnam County Animal Care and Control last Thursday morning by its owner, who believed his dog might have been involved in the October 2 attack.
Due to the severity of the mauling and the owner’s relinquishment, the dog was euthanized on Friday.
Earlier this week, deputies interviewed the victim again at the hospital, where she remains in stable condition. She was able to clarify her earlier statements and positively identify the animal as the one that attacked her.
The incident occurred Wednesday night near Beech Street and Hicks Street in Palatka, where the woman was walking when the dog suddenly appeared and attacked her.
Her screams were heard by a man working nearby on a vehicle, who rushed to help. He used a sledgehammer to strike the dog, forcing it to release the woman, and then applied a T-shirt to her wounds to slow the bleeding before transporting her to the hospital himself.
Deputies reported the woman sustained multiple puncture wounds to her right leg and extensive injuries to her elbow, nearly severing her arm. She was later airlifted to a trauma hospital for further treatment.
In the days following the attack, a dog matching the description was seen near Date Street and East Lake Street but initially avoided capture. Animal Control later located a dog matching the victim and witness descriptions and brought it into custody.
Officials noted that the animal had a visible injury to its head, consistent with the blow described by the Good Samaritan.
The sheriff’s office stated there is no known prior history of aggressive behavior reported involving this dog or the property where it was kept.
