Dog attacks leave neighbors scared to walk out of their homes

By Taylor Thompson

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    RUTHERFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — When Congressman Chuck Edward’s office stopped in Rutherford County on Tuesday, it was met with many concerned residents pleading for help to stop the dog attacks on their street.

The fears come after 12-year-old Hunter Bishop was attacked by a group of dogs and airlifted to the hospital late last month.

While District Attorney Ted Bell said no criminal charges would be filed against the dogs’ owner because no laws were broken, multiple neighbors do not see it that way.

Cheryl Taylor, who has lived on Grassy Knob Road for the last 10 years, said the dog attacks have increasingly gotten worse.

She said Bishop is not the only person who has been attacked and she even had dogs come into her home.

“Two came into my house while I was downstairs. I had the door open doing some things, and my dog was attacked in the house and then dragged outside,” Taylor said.

Taylor said it’s not just one home. Several homes have pit bulls, specifically, that are not being controlled.

She said she and her neighbors are constantly on edge.

“I’m waiting for my concealed carry permit to come, not that I need it on my property, but you know you worry about being on your property and being attacked,” Taylor said.

She said it’s scary because they can’t outrun or defend themselves against these dogs.

“We want to be safe in our own yards,” she said.

Taylor and her neighbors worry that if something isn’t done soon more people will get hurt.

“Anyone has the right to walk down that road, to ride a bike down that road or to jog down that road without the fear of being attacked,” neighbor Patti Chinchar said.

Chinchar said that as a responsible dog owner, she didn’t understand why the dogs weren’t being properly contained and why nothing was being done.

She said that’s why the neighbors are taking their concerns to a higher power in a search for answers.

“We should fear bears or, you know, things like that, not people’s dogs,” Chinchar said.

Another neighbor, Judy Sieber, said it’s gotten to the point where she cannot comfortably walk over to her neighbor’s home.

“I can’t because of the dogs. So, I think something has to be done about this,” Sieber said.

The hope is that by taking their concerns to Edward’s office that information will get to the correct people for real change to happen on their street.

News 13 has also reached out to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for a comment on neighbors’ concerns and has yet to hear back.

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