Trick-or-treating in Tarentum took a harrowing turn on Halloween night when two adult pit bulldogs attacked multiple residents, resulting in at least three hospitalizations, according to local police reports. The evening's festivities were dampened as families and trick-or-treaters were confronted with an unexpected peril roaming the streets.
The crisis prompted an urgent response from law enforcement. Tarentum Police posted around 6:30 p.m. a public caution about a loose dog near Seventh and Sixth Avenues, as per a statement detailed by WPXI. The attacks, which spanned neighboring streets, escalated rapidly, with several individuals sustaining injuries. One of the canines was fatally shot by police, and a humane officer seized the other.
"I was inside, and they were saying you got to call the cops, and I said, why? And they said, your husband is being bitten by dogs," Margie Scutack stated, as detailed by WTAE. Her husband, Michael Scutack, is now facing a recovery from severe facial injuries as well as wounds to his arm and leg.
Police are investigating how the dogs escaped. While searching the apartment, they found evidence that the dogs had been left alone in deplorable conditions.