SHAMOKIN - A city man was attacked and severely injured by his pit bull inside his home Wednesday afternoon - the second attack in two weeks.
According to Shamokin Patrolman Shane Mowery, Jim "Waldo" Walsh, of 138 S. Franklin St., was taken by AREA Services ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, after suffering severe injuries to both hands and arms. He also suffered bites on his upper body.
A condition update for Walsh was not available at press time.
Walsh fled thourgh his home's front door and was flailing and bleeding profusely in the street. Blood splatters were visible on the sidewalk and street.
Walsh's girlfriend, Leann Dehoutaint, and two others - Dehoutaint's daughter, Amanda Hassinger, and her boyfriend, Michael Wasilewskie - remained inside during the attack. The trio had contained the pit bull to the first floor and remained upstairs until rescue personnel arrived, helping them escape by ladder through a second-floor window.
As they descended the ladder, Mowery stood by at the front storm door, shotgun in hand, where a "beware of dog" sign was clearly posted.
Dehoutaint appeared terrified to climb down the ladder, in part because she wasn't wearing any shoes. Cpl. Darwin Tobias III asked Hassinger to lend her flip-flops to her mother in order to get her out of the house.
Dehoutaint still had to be coaxed down by Rich Jilinski II and Dave Britton of the Liberty Fire Co. and Charles Yohe and Bill Smoogen of the Rescue Fire Co.
The pit bull was left inside the home until a dog warden can respond to the scene.
Richard Hine, the Schuylkill County dog warden, was contacted, according to Mowery. Hine had been covering Northumberland County for the last several months after the position was vacated.
According to the state Department of Agriculture website, Kristen Penn, is now the Northumberland County dog warden.
Charges are pending further investigation, Mowery said.