A bloody scene played out last week in front of a Toms River home. Two children and their mother were viciously attacked by a loose pit bull that had never before shown any signs of aggression in its three years. A 4 year old had the worst of it, having been pinned to the ground by the dog and torn at to the point the child later required 35 stitches. Both kids had to be hospitalized. One child had a dog bite miss his carotid artery by only an inch. The mother was trying to pry the dog off her boys and was bitten in the arm for her efforts. What saved the children was a brave neighbor who heard the screams and came running over with a hammer, using it to strike the pit bull multiple times until it finally let go.

Angelique Andersen is the owner of the dog and she says she raised it from the time it was a puppy. At three years old the dog never had any aggressive incidents whatsoever according to the woman. "I would never have expected it a day in my life. I never would have imagine it, I wouldn't," she said. The way it happened was that they were brand new to the neighborhood having just moved in the day before. Their old house had a fenced in yard. The new one does not. A grandmother out of habit opened the door and let the animal out and tragedy happened seconds later.

Angelique immediately turned the dog over to authorities and agreed to have it euthanized. She did the right thing. So many people caught up in the emotion of the moment would have gone on the defensive and played the card of the dog's docile history and fought to give the pit bull another chance. Smart lady. Once a dog does this it cannot be trusted again. It's a shame this happened but I applaud this woman for being responsible.

How many others would have made a different decision? Take our poll.

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