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May 21. 2012 11:25PM

Manchester Animal Control Officer Neal Vogler watches as Dorothy Mahoney takes her pitbull, Mikey, for a walk in Manchester on Monday. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
Pit bull ordered quarantined after dogfight

Manchester Animal Control Officer Neal Vogler watches as Dorothy Mahoney takes her pitbull, Mikey, for a walk in Manchester on Monday. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
MANCHESTER — A pit bull is under a 10-day quarantine, and the owner of a wounded rat terrier now wields a switchblade for safety — fallout from a Friday dog attack involving dogs that live two houses apart.
The owner of the 10-year-old male pit bull named Mikey maintained Monday that the smaller dog, a rat terrier, named Sammy, was the aggressor, running toward them and lunging at her leashed dog on the sidewalk, in front of the rat terrier's home.
“He (Mikey) is an old dog,” said Dorothy Mahoney, 27, an unemployed chef.
“He doesn't like other dogs who are unleashed and jump in his face to bite him,” said Mahoney, who lives with her mother at 40 Mammoth Road.
Meanwhile, the smaller dog rested on an upholstered chair Monday at the home of Mario and Lucinda Boutin, 48 Mammoth Road. Abrasions and blood stains marred the underside of 3-year-old Sammy's neck.
“He's terrified; we're all terrified,” said Lucinda Boutin.
The part-time, private-school mathematics teacher snapped open a switchblade knife, which she calls a quick-release knife, and said she now brings that and a 9-iron golf club when she goes outside with her dogs.
According to Boutin's previous accounts, the leashed pitbull dragged Mahoney into Boutin's front yard, where it attacked Sammy. Traffic stopped as Boutin, Mahoney and others tried to separate the dogs.
Boutin has said the security-fence collar on Sammy's neck saved her dog from the pit bull's powerful jaws.
Mahoney disputes Boutin's account.
Mahoney said the attack happened outside the perimeter of the security fence, and Sammy was not wearing the electric collar. Boutin had it in hand when she ran up to the dog fight, Mahoney said.
When Sammy approached, Mahoney said she warded him off with her foot. But once she put her foot back on the ground, Sammy went after Mikey.
“People with little dogs, they don't think they have to be leashed,” Mahoney said.
Manchester police Animal Control Officer Neal Vogler and a uniformed officer visited the two homes on Monday. Volger took reports and put the pitbull under a 10-day quarantine.
He would say little to a reporter, only that he had to continue with his investigation.
Boutin said her dog has only once been involved in a confrontation with another dog. It was a neighbor's dog, she said. Both were in the backyard off leash. Both owners decided to drop the matter.
But Boutin said either Mikey or another pit bull at the house has been responsible for four attacks on neighborhood dogs. She said the neighbors are going to report the other attacks. She hopes the dog will be put down.
“We all live in fear in our own neighborhood,” said Boutin, who owns two rat terriers and two Chihuahuas. “I love dogs. I don't believe pitbulls are vicious.”
Mahoney said her dog — rescued as a puppy from a suspected New York City dog-fight breeder — did nothing wrong.
“I know he did nothing wrong. There isn't anything I would do different, except walk on the other side of the street,” she said. As for Sammy, she feels bad for him: “it's not his fault,” Mahoney said.
The owner of the 10-year-old male pit bull named Mikey maintained Monday that the smaller dog, a rat terrier, named Sammy, was the aggressor, running toward them and lunging at her leashed dog on the sidewalk, in front of the rat terrier's home.
“He (Mikey) is an old dog,” said Dorothy Mahoney, 27, an unemployed chef.
“He doesn't like other dogs who are unleashed and jump in his face to bite him,” said Mahoney, who lives with her mother at 40 Mammoth Road.
Meanwhile, the smaller dog rested on an upholstered chair Monday at the home of Mario and Lucinda Boutin, 48 Mammoth Road. Abrasions and blood stains marred the underside of 3-year-old Sammy's neck.
“He's terrified; we're all terrified,” said Lucinda Boutin.
The part-time, private-school mathematics teacher snapped open a switchblade knife, which she calls a quick-release knife, and said she now brings that and a 9-iron golf club when she goes outside with her dogs.
According to Boutin's previous accounts, the leashed pitbull dragged Mahoney into Boutin's front yard, where it attacked Sammy. Traffic stopped as Boutin, Mahoney and others tried to separate the dogs.
Boutin has said the security-fence collar on Sammy's neck saved her dog from the pit bull's powerful jaws.
Mahoney disputes Boutin's account.
Mahoney said the attack happened outside the perimeter of the security fence, and Sammy was not wearing the electric collar. Boutin had it in hand when she ran up to the dog fight, Mahoney said.
When Sammy approached, Mahoney said she warded him off with her foot. But once she put her foot back on the ground, Sammy went after Mikey.
“People with little dogs, they don't think they have to be leashed,” Mahoney said.
Manchester police Animal Control Officer Neal Vogler and a uniformed officer visited the two homes on Monday. Volger took reports and put the pitbull under a 10-day quarantine.
He would say little to a reporter, only that he had to continue with his investigation.
Boutin said her dog has only once been involved in a confrontation with another dog. It was a neighbor's dog, she said. Both were in the backyard off leash. Both owners decided to drop the matter.
But Boutin said either Mikey or another pit bull at the house has been responsible for four attacks on neighborhood dogs. She said the neighbors are going to report the other attacks. She hopes the dog will be put down.
“We all live in fear in our own neighborhood,” said Boutin, who owns two rat terriers and two Chihuahuas. “I love dogs. I don't believe pitbulls are vicious.”
Mahoney said her dog — rescued as a puppy from a suspected New York City dog-fight breeder — did nothing wrong.
“I know he did nothing wrong. There isn't anything I would do different, except walk on the other side of the street,” she said. As for Sammy, she feels bad for him: “it's not his fault,” Mahoney said.
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