A Jeannette man is facing multiple charges after his pit bull got over a fence and attacked a police K-9 while officers and an FBI task force were serving a warrant on Adams Avenue in July. Gino Ferrari, 63, is accused of failing to control the dog as it latched onto the neck of K-9 Diesel, sending the department dog to a veterinary hospital for treatment.
According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, Jeannette Police were assisting an FBI task force in serving a warrant for a wanted individual at the Adams Avenue address, as reported by crimewatch.net. Ferrari told authorities the person they were seeking was not at his home, and he was permitted to enter the residence and secure his dog before officers searched the property, per the DA's office.
Ferrari gave officers consent to search the home after removing the pit bull, according to the same account. But the dog didn't stay contained. The DA's office says the pit bull jumped over the fence and charged directly toward K-9 Diesel.
Taser Failed, Pepper Spray Ended the Attack
Police tried to use a Taser on the attacking pit bull, but those attempts were ineffective, the district attorney's office said. Officers then turned to pepper spray, which finally forced the dog to release its grip on Diesel's neck.
Diesel was taken to a local veterinary hospital, where he was treated for puncture wounds on the left side of his neck along with scratch marks, per the DA's office. As CBS Pittsburgh reported, the incident unfolded while Ferrari's dog was supposed to have already been secured inside the home.
Witness Says Dog Also Went After a Puppy
A witness told police that Ferrari's dog also tried to attack another person who was out walking their own dog, and that it killed a puppy, according to crimewatch.net. Those details remain attributed solely to the witness account cited in the DA's filing, with no further confirmation available on the puppy's identity or the circumstances of that encounter.
Ferrari is now facing charges tied to injuries to a police dog, recklessly endangering another person, and inflicting injury to a domestic animal, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office announced. The charges were laid out in the account on crimewatch.net, which describes the events surrounding the warrant search and attack on Diesel.
Other Recent Dog-Attack Charges in Pennsylvania
Other dog-attack charges have been filed against Pennsylvania residents in recent months. In Lebanon County, Andrew Hresko, 70, and Debra Hresko, 61, were charged with recklessly endangering another person after separate dog attacks injured two children, with Rebecca Hresko, 31, also facing charges, according to a report from NBC Philadelphia. In Blair County, Justin Little, 45, was accused of failing to control dogs that attacked a juvenile girl along Jefferson Street, per WJAC.
Police K-9s themselves aren't immune to chaos during these encounters, either. In Arkansas, a police K-9 named Rocky bit his own handler, Officer Zach Hobbs, inflicting bite wounds to both arms and his upper right thigh after the dog tried to climb over a fence, according to ABC News 4.
No information has been made public about K-9 Diesel's current condition following his veterinary treatment, and it remains unclear whether the individual originally sought under the FBI warrant on Adams Avenue was ever located.
