A Thursday evening on Willow Avenue turned terrifying when a pit bull attacked a Hamilton woman in her 70s, seriously injuring her, family members said. The 72-year-old was bitten in the face and airlifted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for emergency surgery. The dog warden removed the animal from the scene, and as of late Thursday night, local investigators had not released an update on her condition.
What investigators say
Investigators say the attack happened at about 7:30 p.m. on Willow Avenue. Family members told WLWT the victim is 72 and was flown to UC Medical Center for emergency surgery. According to that report, the dog warden took custody of the animal at the scene, and officials had not provided any later update on Thursday night.
State rules and next steps
State public-health rules require dog bites to be reported and give local health officials authority to quarantine biting animals for observation. The code sets a minimum 10-day quarantine for animals that bite people. Ohio law also makes owners financially liable for injuries their dogs cause, and state statutes include confinement and registration rules for dogs deemed dangerous. See Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3701-3-28 and Ohio Revised Code §955.28 for details.
Local context
Butler County has seen other serious dog attacks in recent years, keeping animal-control and public-health officials under a steady spotlight. In one widely reported case, a pit bull attacked a 5-year-old in Hamilton in 2019, and that animal was later scheduled to be euthanized, WCPO reported.
What neighbors should know
Neighbors can expect animal-control and public-health officials to follow quarantine and registration procedures while investigators work to determine what happened on Willow Avenue. WLWT reports the dog warden took the dog from the scene, and officials had not released an update on the woman’s condition Thursday night. We will update this story as authorities release more information.
