Charges against a pit bull owner are pending after an attack in Roanoke.
A police officer shot two dogs after they reportedly mauled a woman Tuesday.
It happened in the 13-hundred block of Melrose Avenue.
A police officer, driving by noticed something wasn't quite right and turned around.
When Officer Fike got to the scene, he reportedly saw the animals pulling on the woman's clothing and pulling her to the ground.
He shot and killed the dogs.
Now, the dogs owner is facing charges in the attack.
"Certainly the duty of any pet owner or dog owner is to maintain their pet on their property so these things don't happen. So, we do have a duty of owner charge which is a misdemeanor, a class 3 misdemeanor violation with a fine of 500-dollars," explains Officer Mike Quesenberry of the Roanoke Animal Control & Protection Unit.
Roanoke Animal Control and Protection says it gets about 7-thousand complaint calls a year.
It says a majority of those calls are for animals running at large.
A number of you have taken to our webpage- WDBJ7.com or facebook to comment on this case.
Some people blame the Pit Bulls' owner, others were blaming the breed.
It seems every few year a certain breed comes underfire.
In the past its been Dobermans, Rottweilers and even German Shepherds.
That's why animal advocates are concerned the Pit Bull has been in the crosshairs over the last few years.
Waynette Anderson is a dog lover.
She has fostered and trained Pit Bulls over the years.
Her dog, Hildy is a full-blooded Pit who had been horribly abused before she was rescued earlier this year.
"I think that's true with any breed, just like people, if they have a horrible upbringing and encountered abuse, there are going to be scars and you have to be very responsible and mindful. it all comes back to owner responsibility regardless of the breed," says Animal Rescue Advocate Waynette Anderson.
Anderson stresses the importance of owner responsibility.
That was also the theme of a lot of comments on our website - don't blame the breed, blame the owner.
