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A 12-year-old Colorado boy who was attacked by his pit bull named Diablo – Spanish for devil – is recovering after seeing his grandmother mauled by his “sweetheart” dog.
Ty and Mary Gehring, his 89-year-old grandmother, were attacked by the 12-year-old’s dog on Sept. 14. Another pit bull was also involved in the attack, but was not identified.
Diablo has been living with Ty since he was just five years old — ever since his parents divorced seven years ago. Ty’s father, who does not want to be identified, called the dog a “sweetheart” as he struggled to understand the details of the attack.
“They grew up together, so I find it hard to believe he was an aggressor,” his father said. Fox 31. “In the years I’ve known that dog, he was a sweetheart.”
Ty is now recovering from punctures, cuts and broken fingers after being taken to hospital by plane last week.
Gehring succumbed to her injuries two days later on September 16.
Ty is recovering from puncture wounds, cuts and broken fingers. He was flown to hospital last week after being attacked by the dog he’d had for seven years
“They grew up together, which is why I find it hard to believe he was an aggressor,” his father told Fox 31. “In the years I’ve known that dog, he was a sweetheart.”
Ty ran for help from his neighbor on the day of the attack. The police arrived minutes later at the house at 15712 West 1st Ave in Golden
On arrival, police found the 12-year-old and his grandmother with serious injuries
The boy’s father has tried to summarize the attack and mentally played it off when he learned that Ty was in the hospital.
“I get a call from my sister while on a plane that Ty has been attacked by a dog and that there is a serious injury and that he [air lifted] to the children’s hospital,” his father said.
He later added, “When my son could talk, I asked him how his grandmother was doing and he collapsed.”
On the day of the attack, Ty ran to get help from his neighbor. Police arrived at the home at 15712 West 1st Ave in Golden, Colorado to find the grandmother and boy with “serious injuries from an attack by two pit bull dogs,” police said.
Ty, 12, is recovering after being attacked by two pit bulls on Sept. 14. One of the pit bulls in the attack has been in the family for years and was referred to as a “sweetheart” by the boy’s father
Both victims were immediately taken to hospital.
Ty’s dad still doesn’t know what went wrong, especially after he had his ex-wife do extensive research on whether Diablo was a “fighting breed” before they got the dog seven years ago.
His father referred to Ty and his grandmother as “best friends” as they struggled to understand the sequence of events leading up to the attack.
‘That was his best friend. Ty was recently baptized by his grandmother and she has a very active role in his life. She was a very good influence. His grandmother was one of the nicest people you would ever meet in real life.
“To live a righteous life and then suffer it, I just suffer.”
The two pit bulls have been taken to a local veterinary hospital for evaluation, according to police. Both dogs were later euthanized.
Likewise, in May, Tya Lucas was almost eaten alive by her beloved pit bull.
Lucas, 41, was at home showing off her new puppy — Roo — to a friend when her seven-stone pit bull Hercules lunged at him, sinking his teeth into her boyfriend’s back.
The shocked mother-of-one quickly pulled her dog off Peter’s back, pushed the bleeding man into the safety of the bathroom and closed the door.
But in doing so, Tya just made herself the new target and the maddened mutt turned on her, ripping off huge chunks from the mother’s right arm and devouring her biceps, sinking his teeth into her leg and foot.
Fortunately, Tya’s daughter Tana, 20, and her husband Harley, 21, came home as the attack unfolded. Harley was able to wrestle the dog away from Tya and carry the 41-year-old outside, where they signaled a nearby police officer.
Tya, of Lewisville, Texas, said, “The police said if I passed out in the house, he would have eaten me inside. Over two-thirds of my arm was ripped off—he ate my entire biceps.’
“They said they’d seen stabbings and gunshot wounds and they’d never seen what they saw that day.
“They put a tourniquet on my arm, and the doctor said if he hadn’t been there to do it right then, I wouldn’t have made it until the ambulance got there.”
Tya was rushed to hospital, where she was on a ventilator for two days. She remained under medical care for 19 days, where she received hundreds of stitches in her arm, leg and foot and five surgeries to cut away the dead skin.
Tya Lucas, 41 (left before the attack), was at home showing off another dog, a new puppy named Roo, to a friend when the attack happened. Tya was rushed to hospital where she was on a ventilator for two days (right) and barely survived the attack